Vesper

also, Calafiori is FAR better at LB than Colwill is, so more versatile I get potential semi Maldini vibes from Cala (and I rate Maldini as the best defender ever, edging Beckenbauer, so that is high praise) NOT saying he will be as good as Paolo, but if he even gets 75-80 per cent of the way there, then WOW

Khéphren Thuram Youssouf Fofana Pablo Barrios Manu Koné Edoardo Bove

do it!!!!!!!!

Uruguay are playing great

if memory serves, didn't Panama knock the US out of the World Cup finals qualification some years ago with some upset?

Riccardo Calafiori is not Real Madrid's alternative to Leny Yoro https://thedailybriefing.io/i/146072821/riccardo-calafiori-is-not-real-madrids-alternative-to-leny-yoro For Real Madrid, Leny Yoro is plan A, and at the moment, they are fully focused on him. They know the player has given Real Madrid absolute priority, and for that reason, because of that crucial detail, Real Madrid believe they are ahead of the others. The player would rather go there than anywhere else. As I've been saying the last couple of weeks, we still need to see how much Real Madrid will offer Lille, and they will enter talks soon. There are Premier League clubs and Paris Saint-Germain, but Leny Yoro is their plan A, and I have absolutely no indications that there are any talks with Riccardo Calafiori.

Chelsea https://thedailybriefing.io/i/146070531/Chelsea Chelsea have already had the green light from Aaron Anselmino on the contract and project, no issues on personal terms. Chelsea are in conversations with Boca Juniors over the fee as his current clause is in excess of $25m with taxes. Anselmino has said yes to Chelsea, and so we’re just waiting on the club to club agreement with Boca Juniors to be completed. Marc Guiu has completed medical tests as new Chelsea player tonight in London! The release clause worth €6m has been paid, Barça have been informed with formal document. Guiu signs as new Chelsea player on deal valid until June 2030. Chelsea have inquired for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as an opportunity if Leicester City are forced to sell due to FFP, but Brighton are also in the race. Chelsea yesterday, also Juventus have inquired about the conditions of the deal for Murillo. Nottingham Forest have been approached to discuss the Brazilian centre-back who’s in the list of several top clubs. Expensive and difficult one as Forest already sold Niakhate to Lyon. There’s NO buy back clause in current talks between Ipswich and Chelsea for Omari Hutchinson. The two clubs are discussing permanent move with sell-on clause, expected to be included in the deal. Talks ongoing. Romelu Lukaku to AC Milan? He could reportedly be open to the move to the San Siro…

US!!!!!!

no one here of import said that Kai or Nkunku was a true CF why? because they are not CFs

Olise and Sesko have both told us multiple times they do not want to come here Alvarez doesnt want to leave Citeh and Citeh do not want to sell him Håland will leave either summer 2025 (Pep leaves then) or 2026, and Alvarez is banking on being their starting CF if and when that happens

the ghost of

he played (and scored and assisted multiple times) at LEFT wing more than few times last season and before he should get a shot there he has a decent right foot

Gray is a CMF

FUCK only £22m with no buyback is an assfuck no chocolates or even a kiss if we were the buyer they would be demanding £50m

they want a right footed winger and also a left back. someone is listening to me and my footedness rants, lololol

top 4 valuation English CMFs (not sure where to list Jude Bellingham, T-Markt lists him as an AMF) Conor Gallagher Kobbie Mainoo Curtis Jones Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

but I love that!!!!!! 😔

Times Football Team of the tournament so far Goalkeeper: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Georgia Georgia’s qualification for the knockout stage has been one of the tournament’s most joyful surprises, and their keeper Mamardashvili is a genuine contender for Player of the Tournament so far. Per Opta, his shot-stopping has prevented 3.6 goals, an extraordinary performance in just three games, and his 21 saves equal the most ever by any goalkeeper in a Euros group stage. Honourable mention: Mike Maignan (France), Unai Simon (Spain). Right-back: Zan Karnicnik, Slovenia For Slovenia to have conceded only two goals (one of them in the 95th minute) from three games, against attackers of the calibre of Christian Eriksen and Rasmus Højlund, Dusan Vlahovic and Aleksandar Mitrovic, Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane, is a colossal achievement for their defence. Each of their back four has been excellent, but for me the star has been Karnicnik, a 29-year-old who has only played one season outside Slovenia in his career, because he has contributed as much in attack as in defence. He started and finished the move for Slovenia’s goal against Serbia, which ultimately proved vital in taking them into the knockouts. Honourable mention: Dani Carvajal (Spain), Stefan Posch (Austria). Right centre-back: Pepe (Portugal) At the age of 41, playing in his fifth European Championship, Pepe has been majestic. Clearly, he doesn’t have the pace or athleticism that he could once draw on, but through exceptional reading of the game and timing of his interventions, he not only survives at this level, he thrives. Honourable mention: Radu Dragusin (Romania), Robin le Normand (Spain). Left centre-back: Riccardo Calafiori, Italy, above One of the true breakout stars of the tournament, following on from a brilliant season with Bologna. His ability to carry the ball forward out of defence and break lines has been key to Italy’s best moments, and I’m not sure any single action by any player has impressed me as much as Calafiori’s 97th-minute run from the edge of his own box, sucking in Croatian defenders, delaying the release of the pass to Mattia Zaccagni until the last possible instant – absolutely perfect football at a moment of immense jeopardy, when nothing less than perfection was required. Honourable mention: Marc Guéhi (England), Jaka Bijol (Slovenia). Left-back: Ferdi Kadioglu, Turkey No player in the tournament has created more than Kadioglu’s 10 chances from open play. Not only has he been a constant marauding threat for Turkey, he ranks eighth among all players for tackles plus interceptions with 14. An absolute force on both sides of the ball. Honourable mention: Marc Cucurella (Spain). Defensive midfield: Nicolas Seiwald, Austria Composed, tireless, technically excellent in small spaces and as adhesive as a barnacle in man-to-man defence. Seiwald was exceptional against France in a game in a game which required shuttling and scuttling, and then outstanding in a completely different match against Holland, where he was a huge part of how Austria physically dominated the Dutch midfield and ripped them apart in transition. His 17 tackles plus interceptions rank second among all players and first among midfielders. Honourable mention: Stanislav Lobotka (Slovakia), N’golo Kanté (France). Central midfield: Toni Kroos, Germany It’s a measure of how much better Kroos is at what he does than everyone else that he played 57 progressive passes in the group stage: more than Slovenia or Scotland managed, and 30 more than the next best player. It’s not just his ability to move the ball forward, it’s the way he uses his passing to manipulate defences and orchestrate attacks, shaping the flow of the game and giving rhythm and reason to Germany’s play. In his final tournament before retirement, he is still operating at the peak of his powers. Honourable mention: Fabian Ruiz (Spain), Giorgi Kochorashvili (Georgia), below. Central midfield: Granit Xhaka, Switzerland Completing our midfield trio, Xhaka was one of the very best players of the club football season and has shown no drop in his rarefied level. He was absolutely brilliant against Germany in a game in which he shut down Ilkay Gündogan and probably outshone Kroos. His work rate is phenomenal (only two players covered more distance in the group stage) and the cleverness of his pressing and positioning is of the highest class. In my opinion, one of the most underrated footballers of the last decade, especially on the international stage. Honourable mention: Marcel Sabitzer (Austria), Vitinha (Portugal). Right wing: Jamal Musiala, Germany OK, we’re cheating a bit here, seeing as Musiala has played mainly as the left of Germany’s two number 10s, but he has been excellent, and probably the most influential of their front three. Two brilliant finishes, against Scotland and Hungary, smoothed Germany’s path to the knockouts, and though he had a more difficult game against Switzerland, as ever the smoothness of his movement with the ball, his balletic grace and balance, the way he glides into space and in so doing opens space for others, make him a joy to watch. Honourable mention: Christoph Baumgartner (Austria), Lamine Yamal (Spain). Centre-forward: Georges Mikautadze, Georgia The current top scorer in the tournament, with an assist to go with it. His goal against Turkey was brilliantly taken, adjusting to a cross which reached him quickly by glancing the ball past the keeper with minimal backlift. His dribbling and trickery has been highly skilled, but more than that, I think his character, the absolute confidence to impose his personality on the tournament, has been striking, and a contrast with more highly rated players like Vlahovic and Ukraine’s La Liga topscorer Artem Dovbyk. Honourable mention: Niclas Füllkrug (Germany), Left wing: Nico Williams, Spain I’m yet to see Williams in the flesh, but he was absolutely electric against Italy. His willingness to run and try to beat his full-back on both sides has been a refreshing antidote to the kind of unadventurous, ambulatory wing play that we often see in the Premier League. Honourable mention: Cody Gakpo (Holland), Jérémy Doku (Belgium).

Inter or Juve will snap him up IF he decides to stay in Serie A for his career.

Giorgi Mamardashvili turns 24 in September, already has 21 caps for a national team that never quailfied for a major tournament until he and KK came along, (and now they made it to the knockout stage in their first finals try) plus he also already has around 17,000 topflight minutes he has been (by far) the best GKer at the Euros watch that Portugal game and you see the absolute class: extended highlights https://uuuuuuuuu.tryupkora.com/embed/tkAGc60npStVU

if we are obsessed with buying a Brasilian CB, there is one name above all others (who are even remotely available) and he is right footed (what we need the most if we sell Tevoh, and also due to Thiago leaving, Fofana being perma-wrecked more than likely, and Disasi being so so meh): Bremer

he is around 6 feet 2 inches, so good height looks to be strong and creative in the air I am sure he can play as a CF

Colombia waits for its next mega star: Oscar Perea, a Name well-known to Europe's biggest clubs https://en.nogomania.com/read/Colombia-waits-for-its-next-mega-star-Oscar-Perea-a-Name-well-known-to-Europe-s-biggest-clubs Oscar Perea, a promising young Colombian football star, shines at Atletico Nacional, attracting attention from Europe's top clubs, potentially becoming Colombia's next big football sensation. Colombia has had many wonderful footballers in the past. At the end of the eighties and the beginning of the nineties of the last century, it had a generation of top players, among whom Carlos Valderrama, Rene Higuita, Faustino Asprilla, Freddy Rincon, Adolfo Valencia, and the unfortunate Andres Escobar stood out. In this millennium, they were followed by Ivan Cordoba, Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, and some others. Recently, it seems that Colombian football does not "produce" extraordinary players anymore. One of the few exceptions at the highest level is currently Luis Diaz, who plays for Liverpool. Will this change with the rise of the new wunderkind of Colombian football? Oscar Perea is an eighteen-year-old left winger, who already regularly plays for Atletico Nacional from Medellin and arouses the interest of big European clubs. Oscar Andres Perea Abonce was born on September 27, 2005, in the small town of La Virginia, which was established in the 19th century as a settlement for escaped slaves. When he was just five months old, his father died, and he moved with his mother to an even smaller place, Santa Cecilia, where he took his first football steps in the football school Escuela Benkos Biojo. He and his mother then moved to Palmira, where he continued his football education at the local club Envigado. There he was noticed by coach Jorge Montoya from the club La Cantera in the provincial capital Pereira. Here his remarkable progress began. For the U15 team, he scored 13 goals in 18 matches, which in 2020, at the tender age of fifteen, opened the doors for him to one of the biggest Colombian clubs, the former Libertadores Cup champion, Atletico Nacional from Medellin. In May 2022, at the age of sixteen, he made his debut in the first team of the green-and-whites when coach Hernan Herrera sent him into the game against the team Equidad in the 75th minute. His talent was also noticed by the British newspaper Guardian, which included him in their selection of the 60 best young footballers in the world Next Generation 2022. Although he has only recently become of age, he has already won three trophies with Los Verdolagas in 2023: the Dimayor league, the Colombian Cup, and the Colombian Super Cup. Perea is quite tall (180 cm) and physically very strong for his age, which is very useful in battles with older players. His best position is the left wing, from where he likes to penetrate the penalty area to create an opportunity for a shot with his stronger right foot. He is an extremely dynamic player who likes to dribble and never shies away from a challenge. He shines the most in the transition from defense to attack, where his speed, agility, and exceptional acceleration are highlighted. Dribbling is one of the most noticeable aspects of his game. In the first league season of 2023, he averaged 6.42 dribbles per 90 minutes, being successful in just over half of the cases (51.1%). The statistic of his passes shows that he likes to keep the ball at his feet, as he averaged only 15.89 passes per 90 minutes, placing him at the bottom compared to his teammates at Atletico Nacional. Often he holds onto the ball too much, which is undoubtedly a result of inexperience and something that can be corrected. Cristiano Ronaldo had a similar issue at the beginning of his career. In a defensive sense, he is an ideal player for a team that executes high pressing on the opponent's half. His positioning and spatial orientation help him intercept opponent's passes in the danger zone, and his physical strength also aids him in defensive duels. In the 2023 season, he averaged 3.65 ball recoveries per 90 minutes. Currently, everything is going smoothly for the young Colombian winger, so the future seems bright. His contract with the Medellin club expires in December 2024, so the big question is whether he will continue to play in the green-and-white jersey. It's no surprise that several European clubs are monitoring his progress, with Borussia Dortmund, known for its quality work with young players, being the most interested. If Oscar Perea continues to develop at such a pace and if his representatives choose his next destination wisely, Colombia may finally get a worthy successor to Carlos Valderrama, James Rodriguez, and other giants from the past.