Vesper

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.

not sure

I say go for Ivan Toney as a bridge I do not trust that Broja fully recovers yes, I am THAT girl all should know by now that I am a bitch about major leg injuries and age over 30, 31yo for multiple positions and and height for CBs and fullbacks and GKers

I would say the asking price will be 130-140m euros, 150m max

I don't think he is up to the task I admit I was wrong about his ability to take it up to big club level his offensive schemes are shit so far and no, my head was not turned by the class of muppets, lol I take zero pleasure in seeing Potter bollocks shit up we are losing or drawing with vastly inferior teams, even with our injuries that all said I do not see him be sacked atm IF we keep losing and slide down to near the relegation zone, then yes but I just cannot see that happening IF it does, Potter is truly a shit manager

and replace them with a homegrown: either Taylor Harwood-Bellis (I really rate him, great potential to be the next class English CB) or Nathan Collins (I rate him too) plus Jurriën Timber (speed burner deluxe) (all 3 are right footed to replace the 2 right footed CB exits) plus he also bring back homegrown lefty CB Colwill

Striker 'needs convincing' to leave Chelsea this month https://www.thechelseachronicle.com/transfer-news/report-striker-needs-convincing-to-leave-Chelsea-this-month/ Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is reluctant to move to the United States amid interest from MLS side Los Angeles FC, according to the Evening Standard. Having joined Chelsea from Barcelona to replace Romelu Lukaku, Aubameyang has not had the career he would have expected at Stamford Bridge. The 33-year-old has only made four starts in the Premier League and 11 appearances overall so far this season, with only one goal to his name. The situation got worse for the former Arsenal striker after being removed from Chelsea’s 25-man Champions League squad to make space for January signings. The Evening Standard claims that Aubameyang had interest from Spain and Italy in January, but a move was not an option since FIFA regulations did not allow players to play in official matches for more than two clubs in a season. Unfortunately for Aubameyang, he had an eight-minute cameo for Barcelona prior to joining Chelsea. A move to MLS, however, reportedly provides a loophole. MLS season 2023 season starts in February, which counts as a new season under FIFA rules, with their transfer window remaining open until 24 April. This means Aubameyang would be able to play for an MLS side, and LAFC, who are reportedly interested in him as a potential replacement for Gareth Bale, provide an opportunity to do so. But Aubameyang, who is said to still consider himself a top-level player (my add: LOLOLOLOLOLOL), would “need convincing” to move to the MLS. Earlier reports suggest that Aubameyang is also expecting summer approaches from the likes of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, so the player’s reported hesitance is quite understandable. The question now is whether these top clubs would still be interested in Aubameyang if he continues to struggle with getting game time at Chelsea until the end of the season. assclown, what a shit buy, and fuck Barca for playing him for 8 minutes

I am all in for a swap plus cash with us getting Nicolò Barella as the partner for Enzo: Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah wanted by Inter Milan as Italian club eye transfer in summer window https://metro.co.uk/2023/02/07/Chelsea-star-trevoh-chalobah-wanted-by-inter-milan-in-summer-transfer-18237861/ The Italian side view Chalobah as the ideal replacement for Milan Skriniar, who is set to join Paris-Saint Germain at the end of the season. Chalobah penned a long-term contract with Chelsea in November with his deal not due to expire until 2028 but he has struggled for regular game time this term. He has made 19 appearances for the Blues this season but following the arrivals of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile in the summer and January respectively, Chalobah may be set for even more time on the bench or out of the squad. The 23-year-old may also be sold in order for Chelsea to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, with the club able to make a 100% profit on him due to the fact he came through the club’s academy, which would help balance the books. Chelsea have spent over £600m on players since Todd Boehly became owner in the summer and must start selling players in order to avoid breaking FFP rules. Chalobah, who has spent time out on loan at Ipswich, Huddersfield and French club Lorient, has made a total of 48 appearances for Chelsea since making his debut but could now follow Fikayo Tomori in swapping west London for Serie A. Tomori also progressed through Chelsea’s academy but was sold to Inter’s rivals AC Milan in 2021 and helped them win the 2021-22 Serie A title. Chelsea, meanwhile, are having an abysmal season and are currently ninth in the Premier League table – 10 points off the top four – and are out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Graham Potter’s side return to action with a trip to West Ham on Saturday before they host Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League last 16 on February 15.