Latest news with #wonderkid
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Real Madrid new signing will arrive in Spain this weekend
According to a recent update from journalist Uriel Lugt, Argentine wonderkid Franco Mastantuono is set to travel to Spain in the upcoming weekend to begin his highly anticipated chapter with Real Madrid. The 17-year-old could land in Madrid as early as Friday, August 1, or over the weekend, with plans to be fully settled by Monday, August 4. It is to be noted that Mastantuono's transfer became official in June when Real Madrid triggered his €63.2 million release clause at River Plate, making him the most expensive sale in the Argentine club's history. The six-year contract he signed will come into effect on August 14, 2025, which coincides with his 18th birthday. Real Madrid's plan with Mastantuono Before moving to Spain, Mastantuono represented River Plate one last time at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. Franco Mastantuono will travel to Madrid next weekend. (Photo by) Once he arrives in Madrid, Mastantuono is expected to go through a brief adaptation period. While the excitement around his arrival is immense, Real Madrid will take a cautious and legally sound approach to his registration, just as they did with previous South American stars like Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Endrick. Due to FIFA regulations, Mastantuono cannot officially sign or train with the club until he turns 18. Even though he holds an Italian passport and won't take up a non-EU spot in the squad, the club is not taking any risks. Until his birthday on August 14, the teenager will not be allowed to use the Valdebebas training facilities. In the meantime, Real Madrid have planned a period of active rest for him before he settles in Madrid at the end of July. Once eligible, Mastantuono will begin training with the first team, marking the next step in what many believe will be a spectacular career at the top of European football.
The Sun
22-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Meet Arsenal wonderkid Marli Salmon, 15, dubbed ‘next Saliba' and on senior tour to Singapore as meteoric rise continues
EVERY Gooner is well aware of Max Dowman's frightening potential by now. But they may be less clued up on the other 15-year-old wonderkid currently on Arsenal's tour of the Far East right now. 6 6 6 6 Marli Salmon is the ball-playing centre-back who Mikel Arteta has included in his 30-man contingent for pre-season in Asia. The opportunity will see the teenager rub shoulders with his hero, William Saliba, and he may even get some minutes alongside the French powerhouse against AC Milan at 12.30pm on Wednesday. Photographs show Gunners boss Arteta instructing Salmon during a training session at Singapore's National Stadium. And the way Salmon is already taller than 5ft 9ins Arteta underlines his impressive physicality at such a tender age. The youngster joined Arsenal at Under-11 level and is being talked up as the most exciting defensive prospect emerging at Hale End in years. Salmon, who turns 16 on August 29, has had a rapid rise in the last 12 months. Having impressed for the Under-18s, the versatile defender made his first Emirates Stadium appearance in the FA Youth Cup against Manchester United. He was fast-tracked to the Under-21s last term, playing five times at that level despite still being a schoolboy. Salmon has also featured twice in the Uefa youth league and has been called up to the England under-16s. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Displaying a grace on the ball, running power and an excellent reading of the game, Arteta saw enough to take him on the Gunners' pre-tour camp to La Manga, Spain, and now to the Far East. Salmon, who recently signed a two-year scholarship with the North Londoners, is aware of the similarities between his own game and that of Arteta's best technical central defender. Mikel Arteta says his Arsenal squad are eager to win the Premier League title after coming so close last season The youngster said: 'I look up to William Saliba, he's a good player. There are a lot of attributes that match up with me so I look up to him.' Salmon is one of eight current Arsenal academy players in Arteta's Asian selection, with creative starlet Dowman the pick of the bunch. Others include recently-converted forward Andre Annous, 17, speedy winger Ismeal Kabia, 19, versatile full-back Josh Nichols, 18, box-to-box midfielder Louie Copley, 18, plus 19-year-old goalkeepers Tommy Setford and Alexei Rojas. Setford made a shock first-team debut against Preston in the Carabao Cup in October, keeping a clean sheet. 6 6 But it is 15-year-old, 'Magic Max' Dowman who is generating the most buzz from his electric performances in the youth teams and a competitive first-team debut this term not only seems realistic, but expected. Former Arsenal striker Alan Smith, who netted 115 goals in eight seasons at the club in the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning two league titles, reckons Salmon and Dowman being on tour will prove invaluable to their development. Speaking to The Sun in association with William Hill, Smith said: 'For both youngsters, it's excellent experience to go on tour, it's amazing for them both to spend time with the first team, to train with them and learn from them. 'It's a good move from Mikel to take them both on tour. They will get massive exposure of what it's like to be with the first team for a significant period during the Asia tour. 'However, they are very unlikely to have game-time this season and Max especially is too young, he needs to be managed well, like Saka, Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly. 'Max has been in the headlines for some of his performances for the younger age groups and he will gain huge experience being with the squad. 'Arsenal must be careful with Max, but you have to trust Mikel Arteta to know when to put him in. You also have to be wary of fan expectation as he is very young, but obviously he has massive potential.' Salmon was also snapped vying for a ball with fellow Gunners youth product Ethan Nwaneri out in Singapore. It followed Nwaneri's younger brother Emerson turning out in Arsenal Under-18s' 2-0 defeat to the Dover Athletic first team on Saturday.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Barcelona continue to closely monitor 16-year-old attacking prodigy for next summer
FC Barcelona have been closely monitoring Cardoso Varela for some time. The Catalan club's interest in the Portuguese talent began during his time at FC Porto but intensified after his move to Dinamo Zagreb, following a complicated exit from Portugal while still a minor. Links to Varela continued this summer, and reports emerged claiming that Barcelona were working on a deal worth €5 million in fixed fees plus €20 million in performance-based add-ons. However, the 16-year-old wonderkid signed a contract renewal with Dinamo Zagreb until 2028 this summer, closing the doors on an exit. Barcelona continue to track Varela But, SPORT now reports that Barcelona continue to follow Varela closely ahead of the next summer transfer window. The young winger continues to make waves and was one of the standout performers in Dinamo Zagreb's latest pre-season match on Saturday against Ukrainian side FC Kryvbas. The 16-year-old came off the bench and made an impact, scoring the goal that made it 4–1. Just four minutes later, in the 82nd minute, after a well-timed run into space, he delivered a pass into the penalty area that resulted in an own goal. All of this came within only 30 minutes on the pitch. The upcoming season is expected to be one of growth and consolidation in Croatian top-flight football for Varela. However, Dinamo manager Mario Kovacevic is proceeding with caution. This approach comes in part due to a recent injury scare. Earlier in July, Varela left a training session with discomfort, but the issue turned out to be minor. Regardless, Varela's latest top-level display with Dinamo Zagreb's first team is further evidence of why Barcelona have shown strong interest. As such, the club is working on a plan for the Portuguese winger to join the team in the summer of 2026, when he will be close to turning 18. Barcelona enjoy a positive relationship with the player's agent, Andy Bara, who also represents Dani Olmo and Joan Garcia, further strengthening their chances.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fulham DESPERATE to keep 'jewel' wanted by Liverpool
Liverpool keen on Fulham wonderkid According to TBR Football, young midfield talent Seth Ridgeon is someone Liverpool are considering. The Reds are accompanied by Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City, Newcastle and Aston Villa, alongside Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund. He is in demand. Fulham consider him to be the 'crown jewel' of their academy and it will concern the Cottagers that he is 'weighing up his substantial options ahead of committing to Fulham or moving elsewhere'. The 16-year-old plays in attacking midfield and he's already got a taste of playing under-21 football.
New York Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Who is Barcelona's new signing Roony Bardghji and what are their plans for him?
This article contains updated excerpts from these previous pieces on Roony Bardghji published in November 2023 and January 2024. Roony Bardghji is a name you may be familiar with — even if you have not watched the 19-year-old Copenhagen winger play. Roony, who prefers to go by his first name, was a Football Manager wonderkid who announced himself in the real game with a fine Champions League goal against Manchester United in 2023. Advertisement It has not been plain sailing since then for the Kuwait-born Sweden youth international, but now he has joined Barcelona on a four-year deal in a move straight out of the video game where he first rose to prominence. So why did Barca want Roony and what is his story so far? Roony was nicknamed the Swedish Messi early in his career but his route to the top has not been as straightforward as that of his Argentine hero. His parents met in Aleppo, Syria, but he was born in Kuwait City, where his father moved for work. He never played for a Kuwaiti club or team and instead practised with his father on a neighbourhood pitch. Roony's father is a Manchester United fan but pictures from that time in a documentary on Copenhagen's YouTube channel show the youngster dressed in a Barcelona shirt and standing over an Adidas Jabulani ball that came up to his knees. In January 2024 he told The Athletic his name was 'not related to Wayne Rooney at all' and that it was simply 'a lucky name my mum gave me'. Roony moved to Sweden with his mother and younger brother Rayan — who also plays in Copenhagen's youth system — when he was six in 2012, with his father remaining in Kuwait. They lived in Kallinge, a town on the country's south coast, where he learnt Swedish — one of four languages he speaks along with Danish, Arabic and English. He played for local side Kallinge SK, moved to Rodeby AIK in 2015 and trialled for Tottenham Hotspur when he was 12, scoring three goals and providing two assists in a 6-1 win against Ipswich Town. He joined Malmo in 2019 and had only been there for a year when he signed for Copenhagen in the Danish Superliga. Roony could not make his senior debut until his 16th birthday under league rules but became the club's youngest player in November 2021 and the Superliga's youngest goalscorer later that month. He has made 84 appearances for them since then and scored 15 goals — the most memorable being an 87th-minute finish on the half-volley that gave Copenhagen a 4-3 win against United in the Champions League group stages in November 2023. Roony's winner ⚽️#UCL — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 10, 2023 If you have not heard much about him since then, it is probably because he suffered a serious knee injury in April 2024 which kept him out for almost a year. He has been out since early May with another injury. Roony has yet to make his senior debut for Sweden despite appearing nine times for the Under-21 side (his last appearance for them came in March last year, before his long-term injury). In November 2023, then Sweden coach Janne Andersson said that Roony had 'a lot to prove at the highest level to take the final step', to which Roony responded by telling Swedish outlet Fotbollskanalen, 'How much more do you have to do as a 17-year-old to get a place?' Rooney would have been called up after last summer's European Championship had he been fit, but as he was out from April 2024-March 2025 he missed all the international breaks in that period. This signing is largely down to the work of Barcelona's sporting director, the former Barca, Chelsea and Portugal midfielder Deco. He has led the talks and sealed the deal. Deco has advocated for monitoring any young prospects who are available on the market. Arda Guler and Lucas Bergvall are two examples of starlets that Deco tried to sign for Barca — both chose to move elsewhere (Guler to Real Madrid and Bergvall to Tottenham), but it demonstrates the kind of approach Deco wants the club to take. Roony falls into that category, although he is not considered a ready-made signing for the first team. He is expected to join the team in pre-season, where Flick will make a decision on where his future lies — either staying at the club or being loaned out to play more elsewhere. Roony playing for Barca Atletic, the club's 'B' team in the fourth tier of Spanish football, could help with his registration and eligibility for the first team, and it is perhaps telling that it was from their account that his arrival was announced. ✍🏼 Acord amb el FC Copenhague per al traspàs de Roony Bardghji 👋🏼 Benvingut! 💙❤️ — Barça Atlètic (@FCBarcelonaB) July 14, 2025 Second-team players are not subject to La Liga's salary cap in terms of their initial registration, but the squad's wage expenditure has an impact on their overall salary limit — the more a team spends on those players, the less margin they have to register signings for the first-team. Once an academy player features for 30 per cent or more of the first team's minutes in a season, their salary is automatically accounted as part of the first-team wage bill for the following campaign. But this does not apply if the player is from abroad. Advertisement La Liga also has an independent panel which makes decisions on whether a player can be counted as part of the second team, based on the league they have come from, international caps, the total fee paid to sign them and their reported salary. This is so that the competition can ensure a club is not trying to circumvent their imposed salary limit. Club sources — who, like all those cited in this article, asked to remain anonymous to speak freely — say they see the €2million signing as a win-win situation given how Roony was once tipped to be one of Europe's greatest talents. It is a gamble from the club with potentially a lot for them to gain. In the best-case scenario, Roony makes his breakthrough at a top European club. But even if he does not reach those heights, he will have re-sale value given his current age. Roony is a wide forward who cuts in from the right into dangerous positions and can hurt defences with his changes of direction. He has a nose for chances but a sense for where his team-mates are, too, and that makes him extremely dangerous. The Swedish Messi? Weighty comparisons crush fragile careers, but he is a comparable player in style. It is hardly surprising because he has tried to mimic many of his dribbling traits and tendencies. But he is not as quick or explosive — not yet, at least. 'He's going to have to be a big fish in a small pond at first,' a Premier League scout told The Athletic in 2023, 'and that will limit where he can go. He's not the most athletic player, so it will be about finding the right style and shape. Perhaps a narrow right-side role in a 4-3-3, which would provide plenty of cover behind and doesn't demand that he cover great distances.' The obvious caveat is that Barca have Lamine Yamal in his favoured right-wing position — but, as mentioned above, he is unlikely to displace the 18-year-old anytime soon. Advertisement Last year, Roony told The Athletic, 'I wish to become the best player in the world' — so he is not short of confidence. In that interview, Roony also spoke about how he had always looked up to Messi, with posters of him on his walls in Kuwait. The significance of joining the club where Messi became an icon and their all-time top scorer with 672 goals will surely not be lost on him. 'It was always Messi,' Roony said when asked about which players he liked to watch on YouTube when growing up. 'No one else, to be honest, when I was young. I always watched his clips and always tried to do the same on the pitch. I just love Messi.' Roony called his goal against United 'the most important goal' of his career then and said he wanted to play in 'the biggest leagues' — although he emphasised his main aim was that lofty ambition of becoming the best in the world within five years. 'That's what I'm working towards every day, reaching my goal in five years,' he said. 'If you're dreaming, dream big.' (Header photo: Barcelona)
