Vesper

Declan Rice nutsack-cupping hype machine in full effect Chelsea ALREADY LAYING GROUNDWORK TO SIGN MARQUEE 'FORCE OF NATURE' AS OPTIMISM GROWS THIS WEEK https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/Chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours/declan-rice-Chelsea-transfer-latest-groundwork/ Chelsea have ‘already started laying down some groundwork’ to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice this summer, according to reports. THE LOWDOWN: RICE ATTRACTING Chelsea’S INTEREST… The England international has been attracting interest from Premier League leaders Arsenal alongside the Blues as both clubs aim to further enhance their midfield options. Despite the marquee signing of Benfica midfielder Enzo Fernandez last week, the west Londoners and owner Todd Boehly are thought to be targeting Rice heading into this summer. The 24-year-old has been in brilliant form for an under-performing West Ham side, and with his contract slowly running down towards its June 2024 expiry, it’s entirely possible that he could be on the move this year. THE LATEST: Chelsea HAVE ‘ALREADY STARTED’ LAYING RICE GROUNDWORK… According to journalist Simon Phillips, writing for GiveMeSport, Chelsea have ‘already started laying down some groundwork’ to sign Rice ahead of a proposed summer move. While there will be ‘serious competition’ from London rivals Arsenal, Phillips has also shared ‘more optimism this week’ that the Blues can land the 24-year-old. THE VERDICT: PERFECT PLAYER FOR Chelsea? Rice will be expensive, with some reports suggesting that West Ham could be set to demand as much as £120m for the signature of their prized asset. Homegrown tax and his status as a proven Premier League player will have contributed to such an eye-watering demand, but the figures suggest that the 24-year-old is justifying such a valuation. As per WhoScored, the Three Lions ace stands out as West Ham’s best performer in the league this season and averages a higher rate of intercepted passes per 90 than anyone in their squad. Named club captain last year after Mark Noble’s retirement, Rice has also gone on to add goals (one) and assists (two) in the top flight under David Moyes. The colossal midfielder has been called a ‘force of nature’ by members of the press who hold him in very esteem following several years of heroics at the London Stadium. Chelsea may well attempt to whittle down his £120m price tag but could still have to pay a marquee sum for such a brilliant player.

Chelsea still confident about Andrey Santos work permit No hope lost https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/Chelsea-fc-transfer-rumours-news/2023/2/8/23591497/Chelsea-still-confident-on-andrey-santos-work-permit-as-brazilian-clubs-enquire-over-young-player Seemingly “just” another signing for the future, young midfielder Andrey Santos is evidently held much higher in Chelsea’s immediate regard, with the club hoping to use a special talent exemption to get him a work permit that would allow him to play for us this year already. The 18-year-old’s classy and consistent performances for Brazil at the CONMEBOL U20 Championship have not dissuaded that notion, and according to reports from Fabrizio Romano and Goal, Chelsea remain confident that we will indeed get that permit. This is contrary to a few recent rumblings out of Brazil, which also claimed that the likes of Palmeiras and Andrey’s former team, Vasco are circling in case he cannot stay with Chelsea. However, even if Santos fails to get a work permit, Chelsea would not necessarily have him go to Brazil, apparently preferring a European loan instead. We would have to wait with that until the summer, but in the meantime, it’s unlikely to be in anyone’s best interest to loan Andrey for just four months to play in the state championships, where the level of play is well below Brazil’s national league, which only starts in April.

Malo Gusto: Lyon offer positive injury update on Chelsea’s £26m January signing https://absolutechelsea.com/malo-gusto-lyon-offer-injury-update-lille-laurent-blanc-Chelsea/2968/ Chelsea have received an injury update from Lyon manager Laurent Blanc on the fitness of new signing Malo Gusto after he was forced off through injury. The 19-year-old was replaced by Castello Lukeba just after the half hour mark in France on Wednesday night during their Round of 16 Coupe de France clash against LOSC Lille, which Lyon won 4-2 on penalties to progress after it ended 2-2 in normal time. When Gusto was replaced and holding his hamstring, Chelsea would have expressed concern for their January signing who was acquired, loaned back to Lyon for the rest of the season, to provide cover and competition for Reece James who has just returned from a knee injury. However, Blanc confirmed it’s not a major problem for the teenager and Gusto was replaced as a precaution. As quoted by L’Equipe, the Lyon boss said: “It’s a pain he’s been feeling for some time. It’s not a big problem, but it bothers him physically and mentally. “We will try to treat him well… I don’t think it will take too long, but it has to be done.” It leaves the right-back as a doubt for Sunday’s clash against Lens. Chelsea’s injury concerns are also reducing back at Cobham. James, Ben Chilwell and Raheem Sterling made their first appearances against Fulham last week since returning from injury, while Denis Zakaria and Wesley Fofana have both re-joined the group in training. Potter and Co will be hoping Gusto gets back to fitness quickly and available for selection to help Lyon in the run-in for the final months of the Ligue 1 season.

Chelsea move for £71m ‘monster’ now ‘one to watch’ at Stamford Bridge https://www.givemesport.com/88112473-Chelsea-move-dusan-vlahovic-juventus-premier-league-transfer-rumours-graham-potter-stamford-bridge Chelsea’s interest in Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is “one to watch” ahead of the summer transfer window at Stamford Bridge, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GiveMeSport. Graham Potter is likely to look at a multitude of centre-forward targets as he looks to strengthen his attacking department ahead of next season. Chelsea transfer news – Dušan Vlahović Having left Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang out of their Champions League squad for the knockout stages, Chelsea now lack a senior first-choice out-and-out centre-forward option, ahead of their two-legged European clash with Borussia Dortmund. Attacking midfielder Kai Havertz has frequently operated as an auxiliary number nine whilst Raheem Sterling is also capable of playing down the middle for Potter’s side at Stamford Bridge. However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion head coach is likely to want a striker with experience in leading the line ahead of next season, in which the Blues will want to see a marked improvement from their current ninth-placed standing in the Premier League table. Transfer insider Dean Jones has recently told GiveMeSport that Chelsea could make a move for Vlahović this summer. And Jacobs believes that the Blues are interested in signing “a traditional old-fashioned striker” and that the Juventus star could be “one to watch” leading up to the second transfer window of the year. What has Jacobs said about Chelsea and Vlahović? Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “In terms of incomings, I think that they still may want more of a traditional old-fashioned striker. Dušan Vlahović is one to watch.” Would Vlahović be a good signing for Chelsea? Vlahović – who has been described as a “monster” by journalist Carlo Garganese – would likely be an excellent addition to Potter’s squad ahead of next season, having demonstrated an impressive goalscoring record during his time in Serie A. The 19-cap Serbia international has bagged an impressive 57 goals whilst providing nine assists in 124 Serie A appearances across spells with Fiorentina and current side Juventus. Despite only playing in 879 minutes worth of top-flight action this campaign, the 23-year-old has still managed to earn himself an average WhoScored rating of 6.93, ranking him as the side’s fifth-best-performing player in the Old Lady squad. The 6 foot 3 star – who Arsenal reportedly considered making a £71m bid for last month – compares favourably with his positional peers, ranking in the top 20% of forwards across Europe’s big five leagues as well as the Champions League and Europa League for non-penalty goals per 90 minutes (0.50) over the last 365 days, according to FBref. Therefore, if Chelsea are looking for a top out-and-out goalscorer on the continent, then they may need to look no further than the Belgrade-born talent.

Atletico Madrid name their price for Chelsea loanee João Félix, with Spanish giants 'to demand £124MILLION' - but Portuguese superstar 'doesn't want to stay if boss Diego Simeone remains in charge' The relationship between Diego Simeone and João Félix soured in Madrid Félix is currently out on loan in the Premier League, signing a deal with Chelsea A new report in Spain claims Atletico want £124million to sell him permanently https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11727453/Atletico-Madrid-price-Chelsea-loanee-Joao-Felix.html

Fabrizio Romano's Daily Briefing Exclusive: Ben Jacobs Takeover - Aubameyang knows it's over at Chelsea, Arsenal's ambitious summer midfield targets, Man Utd takeover + more My weekly column on the biggest stories in world football, featuring Chelsea, Arsenal, Man Utd and more https://caughtoffside.substack.com/p/exclusive-ben-jacobs-takeover-aubameyang Aubameyang was a ‘band aid’ signing for Chelsea, and the MLS could be next It has been a really tough 12 months for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. This time last year he was unveiled as a new Barcelona player and he really only left the Camp Nou because ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel came calling. Xavi wanted to keep him, but Aubameyang was convinced he’d get game time and goals at Stamford Bridge. Sadly, it just hasn’t worked out. Just before Aubameyang’s move he was attacked in his home in a horrific robbery, so arrived at Chelsea with a broken jaw. Then shortly after joining Tuchel was sacked. Aubameyang just hasn’t settled and has scored only one Premier League goal. It’s pretty obvious he’ll leave this summer, and could theoretically go before if a deal is agreed with an MLS club. This is because although he can only represent two clubs in one season, MLS’ new 2023 season begins in February. Aubameyang has been linked with Los Angeles FC, but there is nothing advanced to date and I understand Aubameyang would ideally prefer to stay in Europe. It’s one to watch whether a club in America can change his mind. Aubameyang knows he’s out of the picture at Chelsea. This was shown by his exclusion from the Champions League squad and omission from the matchday squad for the 0-0 draw with Fulham. In stark contrast, Hakim Ziyech, who was minutes away from joining PSG on Deadline Day – and only didn’t due to paperwork being sent late – made the 25-man list for the UCL and started against Fulham. It felt like Graham Potter wanted to show Ziyech he was still valued. It will be interesting to now see if Aubameyang is given a role against West Ham and a chance to prove himself. But Potter can’t keep rotating to give individuals chances. With key players returning from injury and a host of new signings, he has to start picking a more consistent starting XI. The truth is Aubameyang was a very ‘un-Chelsea-like’ signing when you consider their current project. The owners, and new recruitment team, have clearly learnt a lot and adapted from a frantic summer. January shows the long-term strategy in play, which in the most basic terms is to invest in youth on long-term contracts and view transfer fees as investments not expenses. Aubameyang doesn’t fit that strategy. He was more of a ‘band aid’ signing given Romelu Lukaku had been loaned to Inter and even Armando Broja’s future wasn’t entirely clear when he arrived. I don’t think there’s been some big fall out. Nor is it fair to allege Aubameyang has an attitude problem. It’s just been hard for him. Yet every time I see Aubameyang train, he’s smiling. It’s now a test of Potter’s man and squad management. One final point worth noting: Barcelona couldn’t re-sign Aubameyang in January. Had they been able to get him on free, there might well have been an appetite, but rules prevented him being re-registered even though he would have only played for two clubs this season. So for now, presuming he wants to stay in Europe, Aubameyang is stuck at Chelsea and is firmly down the pecking order. Jorginho deal doesn’t change Arsenal’s big plans for a summer midfielder signing Arsenal will definitely add another central midfielder this summer. The arrival of Jorginho in January from Chelsea doesn’t change that. That move is more one for the relatively short-term. Mikel Arteta views Jorginho as a strong fit and a player who can add depth with Mohamed Elneny injured. The Jorginho transfer also came about because Arsenal realised they couldn’t land Brighton’s Moises Caicedo following two rejected bids. Arsenal are notorious for being methodical and disciplined with their negotiations. They didn’t want to go above their £70m offer for Caicedo and risk damaging their relationship with Brighton if a deal was simply not possible – and it wasn’t so late in the window. It’s smart in many ways because placing a third bid, and effectively doing so ‘blindly’, would have irked Brighton, who directly told Arsenal to stop wasting their time. And more damningly, it would have provided a new and even higher yardstick for Caicedo’s summer valuation. Arsenal could be back for Caicedo, but not necessarily at the same price. There are a lot of midfielders available this summer and that might actually mean Caicedo’s value drops. It will all depend on demand. Chelsea, who also had a failed bid in January, could also return. Arsenal’s midfield priority will be Declan Rice and West Ham are resigned to losing him. David Moyes, as you’d expect, has been quick to argue if Rice leaves it should be for a British-record transfer fee. But suitors are hoping for a fee of £70-80m. This is ultimately because Rice’s contract expires in summer 2024. But Chelsea’s big-spending could inflate the market and thus Rice’s price. You can understand why selling clubs, especially for top-tier central midfielders, will point to Enzo Fernandez’s £107m fee and ask for something similar. I still think Rice will go for cheaper than that, but how much so will depend on whether West Ham get a bit of a bidding war. Chelsea also really want Rice. Manchester United and Newcastle United can’t be ruled out either, although I understand Rice’s preference is to stay in London. That won’t be a deal-breaker, but Arsenal and Chelsea can certainly use it to their advantage. Rice also wants Champions League football. Whether or not that means instantly remains to be seen, but Arsenal can clearly use this to their advantage given where they are heading. Rice has also spoken glowingly about Arteta. So it’s probably fair to term Arsenal the favourites right now, but as we saw with their pursuit of Mykhaylo Mudryk that doesn’t always mean a huge deal this far out. If Chelsea offer big or above market value money, Arsenal would have to go against their transfer-market principles. Youri Tielemans is also expected to leave Leicester this summer on a free transfer, barring a U-turn on signing a new deal. Leicester would love to keep him, but Tielemans has been clear for over a year he doesn’t want to extend. Arsenal still haven’t ruled out signing him on a free transfer. They were reluctant to pay a transfer fee over the past two windows, but now the Belgian midfielder is a bargain. Newcastle also really like Tielemans and Manchester United are one to watch as well. Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi will draw plenty of summer interest, too. He’s so calm on the ball and an intelligent defender, who also wins his fair share of aerial duels and second balls. Suitors in January were told to pay Zubimendi's €60m release clause or no deal would be done. And the player himself wasn’t really pushing for a move. He only signed a new five-year deal at the club in October. But a transfer is very possible come summer, especially considering Zubimendi wasn’t willing to have his release clause raised. That makes him attainable on the market. Barcelona coach Xavi also admires Zubimendi, though it remains to be seen if the finances are workable to proceed. Keep an eye on Tottenham and Manchester United as well. And Edson Alvarez is another name who could be on the move this summer. Chelsea came close to signing the Ajax midfielder last summer, but the club refused a move despite Alvarez pushing for it. Todd Boehly did tell Alvarez at the time he’d be back, but never returned. This is understandable given a new recruitment team came in and the club became obsessed with Enzo Fernandez. Plus, Denis Zakaria impressed before his injury and will return to full fitness soon. It will be interesting to see, if Zakaria finishes the season strong, whether Chelsea try to buy him from Juventus. Arsenal considered Alvarez in January to a degree, but it became quickly clear Ajax didn’t want to do mid-season business. Liverpool have looked at Alvarez before and chose not to proceed and Newcastle are another club to have him at least loosely on their radar. Cancelo exit came as a surprise, but trouble had been brewing Joao Cancelo’s loan switch from Manchester City to Bayern was a real surprise. Cancelo has since claimed it was a move motivated by game time, which is the PR thing to say and true to a degree. He only started three games for Manchester City since returning from the World Cup with 18-year-old academy graduate Rico Lewis increasingly preferred ahead of him. Cancelo only signed a new five-year deal in February last year and has essentially been an automatic starter for much of his time at Manchester City. He’s also made the last two PFA Premier League Teams of the Season. But there was a clear breakdown in the relationship between Pep Guardiola and Cancelo. Pep looked frustrated with Cancelo at times and Cancelo reacted angrily to being dropped. And I also don’t think he enjoyed playing on the right wing against Chelsea in January. There wasn’t just one flashpoint. More like lots of small ones. Guardiola is quite prepared to rotate his squad and Cancelo didn’t deal well with being benched, especially against Arsenal in the FA Cup. That was arguably the final straw. After that match, Cancelo posted a picture on Instagram alongside the quote, “Don’t let anyone dim your shine.” It can be tough for footballers used to playing every week to deal with less playing time, especially if it catches them by surprise. And the feeling within Manchester City is Cancelo didn’t respond well, losing a bit of focus, concentrating less in team meetings and being a bit of a negative influence. Of course, there’s two sides to every story and Cancelo would no doubt argue he remained professional and was just disappointed to lose his place to a teenager. But it was probably lucky Bayern came calling. And Pep and Cancelo both agreed an exit was best. Had the Manchester City boss known things would have transpired this way, I also wonder whether he’d have let Oleksandr Zinchenko leave for Arsenal last summer. Bayern have an option to buy Cancelo at €70m, which is quite a steep price tag. That’s why Cancelo has said (at least publicly) his time at Manchester City hasn’t necessarily ended. Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has also conceded Cancelo’s transfer fee is high. But there is still a very real chance Cancelo joins permanently and that Bayern don’t activate the option, instead trying to negotiate a deal for a lower number come summer. Will Manchester United have new Qatari owners by summer? There is a lot of excitement about Manchester United having new owners in 2023. It’s clear the Glazers prefer a full sale if their price is met – and that’s not a given considering they are hoping for in excess of £6bn. That’s almost three times the £2.3bn Chelsea sold for. Raine Group are overseeing the sale as they did for Chelsea, so they are used to handling speedy takeovers. The Chelsea sale was quite a prescriptive process, with Roman Abramovich keen to safeguard the club. There were specific areas for suitors to address, including pledged internal investment and initial stadium redevelopment plans. The Manchester United sale process is still relatively rigid with an important mid-February deadline to submit initial offers. But the timeline is not quite as fixed or urgent as Chelsea, whose very existence was under threat – and, as importantly, the Glazers could just sell to the highest bidder. The Qatari interest, as revealed by the Daily Mail’s Mike Keegan, is genuine, but sources say several individuals or groups are still basically assessing the market. This may not appear to quite marry with a mid-February deadline given it’s just days away, but as the Chelsea sale proved dates for submissions often get pushed back. More than one interested party has told me they want more time to properly assess the club before committing. What’s important to understand is a takeover is not like a transfer. You don’t just swoop in with a bid. Due diligence informs valuation, and with multiple suitors there’s potentially a bidding war aspect which is not usually associated with a traditional takeover. The Qatar interest is complicated because any group or individual would still effectively (even if not formally) need government and Qatar Sports Investment (QSI) backing. That’s just how business works out there, which I know first-hand from living there. QSI themselves, owners of PSG, won’t be directly involved. They remain committed to PSG. But QSI-chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi is still likely to be a key figure nonetheless. Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) have refused to comment on stories linking them to both Manchester United and Liverpool, but their CEO Mansoor Bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud has hinted they are exploring the sports market. Al-Khelaifi also sits on the QIA board, again underling how influential he is in the region. Whether a consortium is private individuals, or an existing singular group, it doesn’t really matter. Any bid would ultimately be aligned with government goals. But there shouldn’t be any issues with PSG and Manchester United, since QSI would not be directly involved and haven’t held any talks with Manchester United. There is also no direct link (contrary to Wikpedia!) between QSI and QIA. It’s a common misconception that QSI are an affiliate of QSA. There is a real feeling it’s a big year ahead for Qatar in sports investment. But multiple sources still say it's "premature" to call anything advanced between Qatar and Manchester United yet, although there is a broad acceptance different investors are circling. But interest, or even entering the process, doesn’t necessarily mean anything concrete will materialise. And there is still a sense a Saudi-led consortium may enter the race for Manchester United as well. This would actually be a perfect scenario for the Glazers since it would probably give them the best chance of getting the price they wish. Coming back to QSI specifically, they have only held exploratory talks with Spurs over a stake to date and remain open to minority investment in the Premier League, further illustrating different groups from Qatar are very much exploring the market. But the fact that Qatar have been linked with Manchester United, held talks with Spurs and are rumoured to be interested in Liverpool (there’s really nothing significant there to date), only shows post-World Cup different groups and individuals are intent on getting a foothold in the Premier League. Over the next few weeks and months, there will be some alignment on what route to take since, as I explain above, whoever moves forward will need wider support and alignment. The names to watch in a Manchester United fire-sale this summer Manchester United are expected to have a number of outgoings this summer. Erik ten Hag is clearly intent on a clear-out. Outgoings for Manchester United are actually easier to predict than incomings due to the ownership situation. United’s football department can plan right now for who they want to let go, whereas it’s premature to say they’ll try for players like Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen, since that would either be pre-spending money from an unknown new owner or reliant on the Glazers (if still there) spending big. Plus, with Kane, as I have reported since October, his priority remains to sign a new Spurs deal if the project goes to plan, and the win over Manchester City certainly helps. Harry Maguire could leave Manchester United this summer because Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez are keeping him out of the team. But Ten Hag still appreciates Maguire and his overall influence on the dressing room. That’s why he didn’t want to let him go in January. Maguire seems to be linked with a new club every day: Inter Milan, West Ham, Aston Villa, Chelsea, even a return to Leicester… but there’s not always a great deal of substance. The first consideration with Maguire will be how much game time he gets between now and the end of the season. Anthony Martial and Alex Telles are two possible exits. Martial has had a torrid time with injures and despite scoring in the League Cup semi-final win over Nottingham Forest, is back on the sidelines again. Martial has missed over 20 games this season and although Ten Hag has been impressed by his attitude, his injury record might be a factor in letting him go. Lyon are still quite keen on bringing him back, especially under ambitious new owner John Textor. West Ham and Newcastle have looked in the past, too. Meanwhile, I would be surprised if Alex Telles isn’t sold and Sevilla, where he’s on loan, are hopeful of buying him, but they’ll potentially need a cut-price deal. Another interesting outgoing could be Scott McTominay, who has fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of the excellent Casemiro. Ten Hag didn’t want to let him go in January, but the summer may well be a different story. Newcastle have a genuine interest and could have moved in January if they thought Manchester United would have sanctioned a sale. Donny van de Beek is another potential outgoing. But it’s tricky now since the Dutch midfielder is out for the rest of the season with a serious knee injury. It’s hard to instantly sell a player returning from a long-term injury. And, during rehabilitation, it can be demotivating for the player if they sense they’ll be straight out the door when fit. Van de Beek is clearly available on the market if the right offer comes, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he sticks around through pre-season and tries to show what he’s capable of. That’s the beauty of how ten Hag is handling all his players. He is frank but fair with them and that creates far more of a ‘player meritocracy’ than Manchester United have had under recent managers. So even those out of the starting XI still feel they can earn a chance.

They would more than likely take £80m (€90m) I am not convinced he is worth that much he also turns 25yo this fall, so is not like a true youth player Lewa was already banging in 30 and 36 goals a year (42 and 49 total produced) starting a year or 2 younger than Kolo is now if he was £50-60m, then yes, I say get all over that

Barcelona not prioritising Bosman move for 31-year-old Chelsea superstar At 31, Kante evidently does not have a lot left in the tank, and therefore, has been plundered much below in the pecking order for Barcelona in terms of summer targets. https://barcauniversal.com/barcelona-not-prioritising-bosman-move-for-31-year-old-Chelsea-superstar/ Barcelona have not forgotten about N’Golo Kante, according to a report from Mundo Deportivo. The Chelsea midfielder becomes a free agent in the summer, and the Catalans are considering a Bosman move for him. Kante has rejected an extension proposal from Chelsea, who were ready to offer him a two year contract. The Frenchman reportedly wants a three-year deal, with the option to extend it further for another year. However, Barcelona are not prioritising any transfer move for Kante. They have other priorities in the summer, and will work on them before considering the Frenchman as an addition. Barcelona have informed MD that they have other players on their radar ahead of Kante, but he is certainly an option. Kante has been struggling with injuries across the last two year, having played just 26 games last season, and just two out of a possible 21 in the Premier League this season. He has not played competitively in 179 days, but is set to return to action in the coming weeks after resuming training. He was reportedly an option for Barcelona to replace Sergio Busquets in the #6 position, but far from their first choice. Instead, they were looking at Martin Zubimendi and Ruben Neves for the most part. Sofyan Amrabat also became an option in the winter, with Barcelona tabling a loan-plus-option to buy offer to Fiorentina worth nearly €40 million. Their advances were rejected on deadline day, though, leaving the player ‘very disppointed’.

Chelsea, Man United target only wanted Barcelona move, was ready to play for free https://barcauniversal.com/Chelsea-man-united-target-only-wanted-barcelona-move-was-ready-to-play-for-free/ Barcelona were in contacts with several clubs and players in January, especially on deadline day, making last-ditch attempts to fix some holes in their team. Two players, in particular, were close to joining them on 31st January. Julian Araujo was one of them, with Barcelona and LA Galaxy having reached an agreement, too. However, the paperwork arrived 18 seconds post-deadline, and the move collapsed, leaving the Mexican defender in MLS. The other player was Sofyan Amrabat. Barcelona had made a loan-plus-purchase offer to Fiorentina worth €40 million, but it was rejected by the Serie A outfit. In a complicated financial place, the Catalans did not end up countering it. Amrabat was evidently pushing to move to Barcelona, too. He had skipped training for the day, and was in personal contacts with Fiorentina’s president trying to get him to accept Barça’s proposal. In fact, the player was so keen on moving to Barça, recent reports from Achraf Ben Ayad have stated that Amrabat had offers from Chelsea and Manchester United, but only wanted a move to Barcelona. He even offered to play for free for Barça, and had offered Fiorentina all his salary that he would receive from the Catalans. The Moroccan had an exceptional World Cup campaign, and is on the radar of several clubs. Barcelona have to accelerate any move they want to make for him in the summer.

he can jog on hell NO to a 3 year deal unless it is on greatly lowered ages the bloke is as fragile now as a

hell yes! the wine on the away trip to see our kingdom!!!

Erling Haaland 'makes request to lawyers' with Man City star planning to jump ship Erling Haaland has enjoyed a remarkable first campaign with Man City in the Premier League. https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1732036/Erling-Haaland-request-to-lawyers-Man-City-Real-Madrid-Premier-League-transfer-news Erling Haaland has sensationally asked lawyers to bring forward the release clause in his Manchester City contract ahead of a potential blockbuster summer transfer to Real Madrid, according to reports in Spain. The 22-year-old has a huge £175m ‘exit clause’ that kicks into his City deal in the summer of 2024. However, reports claim that Haaland has not ‘tuned in’ to Pep Guardiola’s methods. That is despite the striker scoring 31 goals in just 28 games since arriving from Borussia Dortmund last summer. He believes that his best qualities are not being exploited under the Spaniard. Real Madrid present a better opportunity for the Norway starlet to continue improving, with the 35-year-old Karim Benzema coming to the end of his time at the top of European football. Haaland has therefore requested that his exit clause be moved forward a year. That would give him the opportunity to join the Spanish giants this coming summer rather than in 2024. That is according to Spanish publication Defensa Central, who rate a move to Madrid for Haaland as ‘real possibility’. It will stun City fans, who hoped that the former Dortmund attacker would lead their line in the Premier League for the next decade. Possible sanctions imposed on City for alleged financial irregularities is also playing in Haaland’s mind. On Monday, the Premier League referred its reigning champions to an independent commission and passed on 100 alleged breaches of its financial regulations to be investigated. Should they find City guilty, the independent commission has the power to impose sanctions ranging from a fine, a points deduction, or possible expulsion from the league. Haaland would want to get away should the latter punishment occur. That is despite enjoying a remarkable debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland has bagged 25 league goals in just 20 appearances and is on course to win the golden boot in his first year in the English top-flight. He has already struck 31 times in all competitions and has his eyes on winning City a first Champions League. However, there has been vast criticism of his performances in the biggest games of the season. Haaland was anonymous in last weekend’s defeat by Tottenham, outshined by a record-breaking Harry Kane. He also struggled in last month’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, with United coming from behind to win 2-1 under controversial circumstances. Man City must be stripped of three Premier League titles if found guilty - not just fined Manchester City must be severely punished if they are guilty of breaching the Premier League's financial rules, writes Express Sport chief sports writer Neil Squires. It has been a long time in coming but when it finally dropped Manchester City’s charge sheet was longer than Pep Guardiola’s face after a trip to Tottenham. One hundred and thirteen alleged breaches of Premier League rules - it was the kitchen sink being thrown at the English champions. Read more HERE.

Chelsea face contract problem with second player after Mason Mount left 'unhappy' Chelsea are keen to avoid players leaving for free when their contracts expire. https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1732042/Chelsea-transfer-news-contract-Mason-Mount-Mateo-Kovacic-N-Golo-Kante Chelsea are reportedly yet to open contract extension negotiations with Mateo Kovacic, with his current deal expiring in 2024. The Blues are prioritising other stars, though those talks are not heading in the right direction. Graham Potter’s side are in the heart of a rebuild and the former Brighton boss is working to identify the players he would like to keep and those that he is willing to offload and replace. Several signings came through the door in January, and the spending spree will continue over the summer. Chelsea are keen to bolster their midfield ranks further at the end of the season, despite the signing of Enzo Fernandez from Benfica on deadline day. However, Potter is prioritising having options in the centre of the park and would like to retain the services of N’Golo Kante, Mason Mount and Kovacic. According to The Athletic, talks have not begun with the latter though, despite his contract expiring at the end of next season. The Croatia international has made 15 league appearances so far this campaign, starting seven matches, with minor injuries preventing him from typing down a spot in the starting eleven more regularly. Despite his lack of game time, renewing Kovacic’s contract is expected to rise up the list of priorities for the higher powers at Stamford Bridge, with the club keen to ensure that players only leave for a fee. They do not want to keep players who anticipate leaving as a free agent, favouring offloading them than retaining their services – hence the sale of Jorginho to Arsenal last month. Talks with Kante and Mount are ongoing, though the latter is reportedly ‘unhappy’ with the latest offer from his boyhood club. The Mail claim that the two parties are a long way apart from striking a deal, with Mount wanting a contract that reflects his importance at the club – having played 20 league matches so far this season. The 24-year-old would like to see his wages tripled, though Chelsea do not want the midfielder to become one of the highest-paid players at the club. Talks have therefore been put on pause, though will get underway again imminently once a new offer has been drafted by the club. Kante is out of contract at the end of this season and talks are underway for him to pen another deal at the club, with hopes that he will be able to return from his hamstring injury in the coming months.

‘99% chance’ player will be registered by Chelsea – Previous claims turned down https://sportwitness.co.uk/99-chance-player-will-registered-Chelsea-previous-claims-turned/ Despite reports from Brazil today saying that Chelsea should loan out Andrey Santos, who’s still to be granted a work permit to play in the Premier League, we now get to see conflicting claims about that. Even though journalist Lucas Pedrosa confirms that the player still doesn’t have the necessary points to receive the visa, he claims there’s actually a 99% chance that will happen. The reason for it is that Andrey Santos has been doing very well at the U20 South American Championship. The midfielder, who captains Brazil, has five goals in six games, and Chelsea can use that as an argument to register him as a special talent. In case the working visa isn’t given to him, then Pedrosa also rules out the chance of his return to Vasco, despite claims today saying the player’s former club would have a priority clause for that. It’s now reported that such a clause does not exist. Pedrosa says that only Palmeiras and Flamengo would have the conditions to sign Andrey, and the former have already shown an interest, leading the race for now. The youngster would also not like to play for another club in Rio de Janeiro, and that ends Flamengo’s chances. However, the possibility of this loan is said to be ‘practically null’, as Chelsea are expected to get his work permit.

Belief Chelsea have signed “very, very, very good player” – Puts other PL signing who cost more “in his pocket” https://sportwitness.co.uk/belief-Chelsea-signed-good-player-puts-pl-signing-cost-pocket/ With Chelsea signing Andrey Santos and Nottingham Forest buying Danilo, the Premier League sides landed two of the most talented young midfielders in Brazil last month. But the Blues haven’t been able to use their player yet, and that’s because he’s currently out with the U20 national team and is still to be given a work permit to feature in the Premier League. And it turns out that in case the visa isn’t given, there’s a Brazilian club who are in talks to sign him. That’s Palmeiras, who lost Danilo to Nottingham Forest and now need a player for his position. This potential triangle makes it inevitable to compare Andrey Santos and Danilo. And that was done by journalist Jorge Nicola in a video about the situation. “Andrey is a very, very, very good player. He puts Danilo in his pocket. He is much more of a player than Danilo. He is only 18 years old and has a bright future,” said Jorge Nicola, on Youtube. It’s interesting that Chelsea paid less for Andrey Santos, having spent €12.5m, while it took €20m for Nottingham Forest to land Danilo. However, the Blues signed a promising player who had been playing in the second division, and that’s why he was cheaper. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, purchased a 21-year-old who had won several important titles and had already been called up by the national team.

Fabrizio Romano: Chelsea want teenager to join their first team immediately https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/club-news/fabrizio-romano-Chelsea-want-teenager-to-join-their-first-team-immediately/ Chelsea want January signing Andrey Santos to join their first-team ranks as soon as possible, but the young midfielder’s work permit status remains unclear, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 18-year-old is currently away on international duty with the Brazil youth side in the Sudamericano Sub-20 tournament in Colombia. The tournament will reach its conclusion in just a few days, on 12 February, and then Chelsea will have to make a decision on how the teenager will spend the rest of the season. Of course, ideally, Chelsea would want him to be part of Graham Potter’s first-team squad. Speaking on The Beautiful Game podcast, Romano claims Chelsea are keen to keep the player this season and are continuously working on his work permit. This is hardly a surprise considering how highly the Chelsea staff reportedly rate the midfield talent. Chelsea still working on Santos working permit but have prepared contingency plan According to The Evening Standard, the Blues are currently working on a second submission to secure the former Vasco da Gama a visa to play in England. The first attempt was reportedly unsuccessful after Santos missed out by just one point on the initial work permit application. The report also mentions that Chelsea promised the player that he would be part of Graham Potter’s first-team squad immediately upon his arrival. Chelsea are said to be confident that after captaining the Brazil U-20 side, Santos will have enough points for a work permit. If these prove unsuccessful, however, the Evening Standard adds Chelsea already have a Plan B in mind, which is to send Santos back to Brazil on loan to continue his development and earn more points for a work permit. Brazilian clubs who are playing in the Copa Libertadores — South American equivalent of the Champions League — would be the preferred options. There are eight Brazilian sides in the competition; Palmeiras, International, Fluminense, Corinthians, Flamengo, Athletico Paranaense, Fortaleza and Atlético Mineiro.

Portsmouth loanee Di’Shon Bernard opens up on Man United risk and why he turned down Southampton Di'Shon Bernard has described the emotions of being released by Chelsea at 16-years-old and how he turned down two Premier League offers before joining Manchester United's academy https://www.hampshirelive.news/sport/football/football-news/portsmouth-loanee-man-united-Chelsea-8124651

Milan Skriniar To PSG - How Inter Milan F***ed It All Up With Milan Skriniar on his way to join PSG on a free transfer in June at the very latest, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese analyze how owners Suning's Inter Milan project is dead whilst debating the huge mistake by CEO Beppe Marotta in the contract extension talks with the Slovakian defender.

https://caughtoffside.substack.com/i/101581030/Chelsea Chelsea As has been widely reported, I think it’s not surprising that Chelsea will explore the market for a new striker - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will leave and after that they only have Armando Broja. Christopher Nkunku is not a number 9, he’s probably going to play behind the striker. But it’s now too early to predict Chelsea decisions on who’s going be the right candidate in that position. MLS clubs are interested in Aubameyang but I’m told on player side there’s no green light yet on this kind of solution, he prefers to continue in Europe as of now so nothing advanced at this stage. There is the growing feeling that Thiago Silva is ready to stay at Chelsea for one more season. A one-year contract extension is almost ready, just waiting for the final green light. He wants to be a key player on the pitch and also to help this young squad. Chelsea explored the possibility of signing Sofyan Amrabat as an alternative Deadline Day option before the Enzo Fernandez deal was sealed — direct contacts took place… but Fiorentina were never open to letting him leave on loan. Many top clubs will keep following the Moroccan midfielder for the future after his strong performances in Serie A and at the World Cup.

I highly doubt he would ever manage Real, due to his Barca ties PSG I could deffo see (especially with Messi and Mbappe there) or the Spanish National Team cannot see him ever at Manure or Pool due to Citeh ties (unless he is so angry at Citeh he goes for pure revenge, and even then, those clubs need to be sold as the current owners are too cheap for Pep, especially Pool) Chels? well unless the Kuwaitis buy Arse or Spuds (omg, nightmare of nightmares, especially if they bought Spuds), we are just about the only other team with deep enough pockets for him atm The big 3 in Italy (AC, Inter, Juve) are priced out his spending habits I doubt he would go back to Bayern, but who knows, maybe so, in order I would guess 1. PSG (I think they someday have both Pepe and ZZ, at different times of course,, down the road) 2. Spanish National Team 3. Bayern redux

Chelsea explored a deadline day move for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat but were unable to get a deal off the ground. Barcelona also pursued the Moroccan's signing. (Fabrizio Romano)

Kolo Muani price tag set at €100m by Eintracht Frankfurt https://www.goal.com/en/news/man-utd-liverpool-kolo-muani-price-tag-100m-eintracht-frankfurt/bltfedc75cd60201dec

lol @ some of these

wow, down goes Flamengo in the FIFA Club World Cup as usual Real Madrid gets every break in this thing all 5 of their trips there have had some of the weakest fields ever, they never had to play an actually really good power side once and the only remotely decent team they did play in any of their 5 trips, Grêmio (one of the weaker Brasilian sides ever in the tournament) in 2017, almost beat them

Man City charges explained: The accusations, possible punishments and what happens next https://theathletic.com/4160366/2023/02/06/manchester-city-financial-charges-explained/ The various debates surrounding Manchester City took an abrupt turn shortly after 10am (GMT) on Monday. Conversations over the breakfast table had been about how the world’s most potent striker might have made the team worse, did Joao Cancelo really have to go for getting the hump at being dropped or why Pep Guardiola was moaning about the Manchester to London commute now. But as work started, lessons commenced and daytime TV was switched on, the talk took a rather more serious tone. Suddenly, everyone was reaching for their copy of the Premier League handbook, arguing about whether Saracens, Lance Armstrong or Juventus was a better precedent for what might happen next, and quoting legal opinions about statutes of limitations. If consensus has emerged, it is that the Premier League’s decision to hit Manchester City with more than 100 financial fair play-related charges is unprecedented, surprising and potentially transformative in terms of the football landscape. Here, The Athletic sets out what has happened, why it has happened now and where this goes next. What have Manchester City been accused of? The Premier League announced the extraordinary news in a 736-word statement — published without fanfare on its website and listed below articles on Harry Kane, Sean Dyche and Fantasy Premier League tips — which revealed City have been “referred to an independent commission” over the alleged rule-breaking. This relates to a series of alleged breaches of financial rules between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. City are accused by the Premier League of not providing accurate financial information, “in particular with respect to its revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs”. The club are also accused of not fully disclosing managerial remuneration for a four-year period. These related to the 2009-10 to 2012-13 seasons, when Roberto Mancini was in charge. They also stand accused of breaching Premier League rules on profit and sustainability in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. GO DEEPER The Premier League’s Manchester City statement — a line-by-line annotation The Premier League has additionally alleged City did not comply with UEFA’s regulations around club licensing and financial fair play in 2013-14 and between 2014-15 and 2017-18. City were banned from European competitions for two years by UEFA for alleged breaches of its FFP regulations in February 2020. The sanction was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in July of the same year, however. What have Manchester City said? City expressed their “surprise” at the Premier League’s charges and pushed back against claims they had failed to cooperate fully with the investigation. A club statement read: “Manchester City FC is surprised by the issuing of these alleged breaches of the Premier League Rules, particularly given the extensive engagement and vast amount of detailed materials that the EPL has been provided with. “The club welcomes the review of this matter by an independent commission, to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence that exists in support of its position. “As such, we look forward to this matter being put to rest once and for all.” City are determined to defend themselves against the allegations and are confident of doing so. Club officials only learned of the charges on Monday morning in a call with the Premier League, which was still ongoing when the news broke. City also noted the timing of the Premier League’s announcement and believe it was linked to the planned white paper on football governance, which was due to be released this week. That has now been pushed back, but City believe the Premier League used its intended release as an opportunity to demonstrate that it can govern amid calls for an independent regulator (more on that below). City successfully appealed against UEFA’s two-year Champions League ban at CAS in 2020, when the court ruled “most of the alleged breaches were either not established or time-barred”. Coverage of the Man City allegations on The Athletic… The Premier League’s Manchester City statement — a line-by-line annotation Premier League accuses Man City of alleged financial breaches There are no such time-barring restrictions on the Premier League’s investigation, but City believe they would have won the case against UEFA regardless and therefore welcome what they believe is a chance to fully clear their name. Pep Guardiola is expected to speak about the charges for the first time on Friday, in his pre-match press conference for Sunday’s Premier League home game against Aston Villa. The City manager has previously suggested he would quit if he discovered he had been misled by the club over their adherence to financial regulations. “Why did I defend the club and the people? It’s because I work with them,” he said in May 2022, referring to the UEFA case. “When they are accused of something I ask them, ‘Tell me about that’. They explain and I believe them. “I said to them, ‘If you lie to me, the day after I am not here. I will be out and I will not be your friend anymore. I put my faith in you because I believe you 100 per cent from day one and I defend the club because of that’.” What punishments could City face? The potential punishments are outlined in rule W.51 of the Premier League’s handbook, with a range of potential options for the panel to consider if City are found to have broken the rules. Sanctions range from a reprimand and fines to points deductions — and even expulsion from the Premier League. Any points deduction could be applied when the decision is made or retrospectively, raising the prospect of City being stripped of titles. “I would expect that if there is a points deduction, it would be applied going forward,” says James Hill, a legal director specialising in sports regulatory matters at Onside Law. “Generally, panels don’t like deciding titles in a court process. Doing it that way does not give a real tangible punishment to the club.” According to rule W.51.7, the panel could choose to combine any number of the punishments outlined in the rulebook or impose other sanctions they deem appropriate. However, any punishment would need to be proportionate to the breaches in question or it could be overturned by appeal. What happens next? Murray Rosen KC, a barrister at 4 New Square Chambers, chairs the Premier League’s independent judicial panel and was appointed to the role in 2020. Rosen’s profile on 4 New Square Chambers’ website describes him as someone who has a “formidable reputation as a tenacious advocate” and as a “neutral who resolves disputes rather than still fighting them”. It also highlights that he is a member of Arsenal FC. In this case, it is likely Rosen will select a three-person panel. Because the charges relate to alleged financial breaches, one of the panel members will have to be a financial expert. Rosen is also an arbitrator for CAS. City will not be able to appeal to that court, though, which is something they did successfully in their case against UEFA. The reason they can’t appeal to CAS is because the Switzerland-based court does not have jurisdiction over this English arbitration process. Given the Premier League’s investigation into City took more than four years, it is unlikely the independent panel will come to a conclusion in the near future. This has the potential to take months. Should either City or the Premier League decide to appeal against the panel’s verdict, then there is a process where a separate panel would convene to review any possible appeal. Who are the relevant figures at Manchester City? Previous allegations about Mancini’s contract, published by German news outlet Der Spiegel, alleged a company linked to the Italian issued invoices to the Abu Dhabi United Group, City’s holding company, presided over by owner Sheikh Mansour. Mansour is the deputy prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, the brother of the president, and a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi. Simon Pearce, a City director and an adviser to the Abu Dhabi ruling family, allegedly witnessed the agreement. Pearce also featured in a number of the leaked emails, which ultimately did not lead to any punishments. Jorge Chumillas was another to feature in the Der Spiegel allegations and has been chief financial officer at the City Football Group since January 2013. Garry Cook was City chief executive between 2008 and 2011, having previously worked at Nike, and he was succeeded by Ferran Soriano, former economic vice-president at Barcelona, in 2012. Khaldoon Al Mubarak has been City’s chairman since 2008, one of countless significant roles he holds in sport and beyond. He serves in several senior different capacities within the Abu Dhabi government, is chairman of City’s sister clubs Melbourne City and Mumbai City, chief executive and managing director of the Mubadala Investment Company, and chairman of the board of a nuclear energy company, an aluminium conglomerate and Abu Dhabi commercial bank. The charges go back as far as 2009. Why has this taken so long? Just for context, Mark Hughes was Manchester City’s manager in 2009, 16-year-old Loris Karius joined the academy, Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz were the first big summer signings and Dedryck Boyata ended the season as the club’s young player of the year. It was a long time ago. But it has taken this long to reach this point because the allegations did not come to light until November 2018, when Der Spiegel published that series of sensational stories over the period of a week. It claimed Manchester City’s owners had been funnelling money into the club via inflated sponsorship deals with UAE-based companies in order to circumvent UEFA’s FFP rules. It also said the club had been hiding some of its costs, too, by keeping some key salaries and image-rights payments off the books. These allegations were based on emails stolen by Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower behind the Football Leaks dossier of hacked documents. Once the dust settled and everyone’s ears stopped ringing, the club entered into a 20-month tug-of-war with European football’s governing body UEFA, which went one way and then the other, until City claimed victory at CAS in July 2020. The Premier League, however, was just warming up. It started investigating the hacked emails and what they might mean for its rulebook at the same time as UEFA — December 2018. What has ensued since then can be likened to trench warfare, with City contesting every inch of ground. Until Monday’s charges were announced, the only glimpse the rest of us had got of this fight came in July 2021, when Lord Justice Males decided to publish a ruling that revealed the glacial nature of the investigation, which at that point was already two and a half years old. City, it emerged, had spent months refusing to release documents to the league, then spent several more months objecting to the arbitration panel the league had set up to rule on the matter. City lost these arguments but then appealed against them, only to lose that, too, before we then had another row about whether this wrangling should be made public or not. If that took two and a half years, it is easy to see how a thorough examination of the documents and deliberations over possible charges took another year and a half. And now the real arguments can begin. What does this mean for other Premier League clubs? Could they sue if City are found guilty? Put it this way, if Manchester City are found to have breached all the rules the Premier League has accused them of breaking, then you would expect other clubs to be circling — especially ones who, let’s say, finished second to them, missed out on a Champions League spot or were defeated by City in a cup final. One sports lawyer’s opinion was that he did not see how City’s domestic rivals could mount a legal claim over football regulations. This view, however, was disputed by another sports lawyer (both lawyers requested to speak anonymously to protect their positions). One club executive also felt there could be scope to make legal claims if City are found guilty. This serves to highlight how contentious it is going to be once the findings of the commission are announced. The most obvious precedent of one club suing another is the Sheffield United and West Ham saga relating to Carlos Tevez. After Sheffield United were relegated in 2007, they argued that Tevez’s goals kept West Ham up, despite the London club having earlier been fined by the Premier League for breaking rules on third-party player ownership. Sheffield United were awarded £20million, with their legal claim taking broadcast revenues, sponsorship, merchandising and ticket sales into account. More recently, clubs have threatened to sue each other without following through. Middlesbrough and Wycombe Wanderers both sought compensation from Derby County after the latter was punished for breaching the English Football League’s financial rules. How does this impact City playing in UEFA competitions? Until these charges are heard by the panel, nothing has changed. Manchester City have been licensed to play in the Champions League and can look forward to their last-16 tie against RB Leipzig later this month. But among more than 100 different charges the club face are five related to the Premier League rule that its member clubs must comply with the regulations and licensing requirements of several third parties, most notably the Football Association, FIFA and UEFA. The actual licence clubs need to participate in European club competitions is awarded by UEFA’s relevant member association, which in City’s case is the FA. So, City could have some explaining to do there, as well. But, just to reiterate the most important point, nothing has been proven at this stage, so City can continue their pursuit of a first Champions League title. And while that may sound a little awkward, UEFA is used to having potential Champions League winners on the naughty step. City have been there before, Paris Saint-Germain have twice been sanctioned for breaking FFP rules and Real Madrid won last year’s crown despite refusing to quit the European Super League project. Remind us what happened with City and UEFA… UEFA’s investigation started immediately after those Der Spiegel revelations, as its FFP rules were — and still are — much tighter than the Premier League’s in terms of permitted annual losses. If City were artificially inflating their revenues and disguising costs, they were doing so primarily to circumvent UEFA’s rulebook, not the Premier League’s. So, UEFA had to act quicker than the English league and announced a formal investigation into possible FFP breaches in March 2019. Eleven months later, the adjudication chamber of its FFP watchdog, the Club Financial Control Body, ruled City had misstated their annual accounts between 2012 and 2016 to the tune of £200million. It also said the club had not cooperated with its investigation. The punishment for these offences was a two-year ban from European competition and a €30million (£26.8m, $32.2m) fine. But five months later, in July 2020, a three-man CAS panel cleared City of the most serious charge — overstating revenues — by a majority verdict. Some of UEFA’s charges were time-barred, in that they were outside the organisation’s five-year statute of limitations, but most of them were simply “not established”, as far as the panel was concerned. Understandably, City celebrated what they considered to be a thorough vindication of their claims of innocence, while UEFA was left looking weak and incompetent. City were, however, fined €10million for not cooperating with the investigation. The government’s white paper on football regulation was due to be released on Wednesday but has been pushed back. What can we read into that? We probably should not read too much into the delay from a Premier League versus Manchester City point of view. If anything, the league was rushing to get these charges out before the white paper’s publication this week, as it is very keen to demonstrate that it can apply its own rulebook and does not need a helping hand from an independent regulator. That is certainly the suspicion among some at Manchester City. But this latest delay in setting out the government’s response to the fan-led review that former sports minister Tracey Crouch completed in November 2021 is more to do with the government’s desire to generate some much-needed positive media coverage. The white paper, which is expected to set out legislation for creating an independent football regulator, has been ready for months. It was originally held up when then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to resign last year, with his successor Liz Truss being instinctively opposed to calls for greater regulation. She, however, did not last long, and with Labour, the opposition party, now firmly behind calls for a regulator, the government got back on board with the plan. But then the World Cup got in the way, then it was Christmas, then there were workers’ strikes and a cost-of-living crisis, then it was something else that might keep this announcement out of the bulletins and off the front pages. We do not know what announcement or event is coming on Wednesday, but somebody in the government’s media planning team has spotted it and pushed the football white paper back again. In the meantime, football continues to demonstrate why it is not best left alone to police itself.