Non-Chelsea Transfer Pub

[Vesper 28,826]

1 minute ago, Jason said:

 

Odion Ighalo

[Hamilton 2,120]

Ianis Hagi (son off) joined Rangers on loan till end of season from KRC Genk 

[Vesper 28,826]

Everton Twitter account appears to suffer transfer deadline day hack

Everton's Fan Services account was seemingly the target of a Twitter hack on deadline day

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-twitter-account-appears-suffer-17670603

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Pizy 18,368]

Wow. That's the kind of move I'd expect from our dumbass board.

In his wildest fantasies he surely couldn't have imagined he'd be playing for Man United at his age and after being in China for years. Seems they're more desperate than anyone thought!

[Nicco 927]

10 minutes ago, Pizy said:

Wow. That's the kind of move I'd expect from our dumbass board.

In his wildest fantasies he surely couldn't have imagined he'd be playing for Man United at his age and after being in China for years. Seems they're more desperate than anyone thought!

They will get that top 4 if we don't start playing again and soon.

[Kun Aguer0 36]

On 30. 01. 2020. at 9:45 PM, Hamilton said:

Sander Berge signed for Sheffield United from KRC Genk till 2024..

Great singing for them, the kid was the best midfielder in the league.

 

So many transfers in the last 24hrs 

 

But Pablo Mari to Arsenal and Ighalo to United are just funny

Mari couldn't make a single appearance during the time in Man City and he was in Spanish Segunda Division and Ighalo 30 yr old striker from China...

[shrenshah 186]

And nowafter expiry of clause we shall buy ake in summer for 80mn

[Vesper 28,826]

The 113 players linked with Manchester United between November 1 and Ighalo signing. How does that happen?

https://theathletic.com/1576260/2020/02/01/113-players-manchester-united-ighalo-transfer-window/

 

In this era of clicks and cash, where transfers hold a special place in the public’s fascination, the Manchester United name represents a definite sweet spot — both for journalists after a story that will draw eyeballs and for agents after a move that will generate pound signs.

The speculation this window was enhanced because United were patently in the market for two positions, and the longer the club went without making a signing the greater the scope grew for new proposals to enter the reckoning.

The names linked to Old Trafford continued to stack at a steady rate as January progressed and, after a final flurry of fresh identities owing to a striker search that carried a certain whiff of desperation the overall total, as tracked by The Athletic, reached 113 when trading closed.

From Agustin Almendra to Denis Zakaria, the whole alphabet was exhausted, with enough potential recruits to start a whole new league of United B teams. The players covered five continents, 39 countries and 62 clubs. By position they read two goalkeepers, 21 defenders, 45 midfielders and 45 forwards.

There were individuals from Atalanta in Italy and Atlanta in America and while many could be placed in a file marked “Fanciful”, there was more than one occasion when the surprise contained substance — and the biggest shock came right at the end.

Exactly 38 minutes before Friday night’s deadline, confirmation arrived that Odion Ighalo would be a United player for the next six months. After a window of the wild and wonderful, here was an appropriate climax: a Nigerian playing in China who had enjoyed previous spells in Norway, Italy, England and Spain, and would be flying in from a country battling the coronavirus. It did at least ensure United finished the window stronger.

A medical would not be required. Not because finding a doctor brave enough to administer it was impossible, but because time ran out and reports of his enduring fitness were judged sufficient. Also, medicals are not obligatory for loans.

Ighalo is due to fly in from Shanghai on Monday and while nobody is claiming a piece of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s long-term plan has fallen into place, the 30-year-old should compensate for the absence of Marcus Rashford and offer something different in attack.

He is regarded as a smart operator on the pitch and a record of 16 goals in 55 Premier League games for Watford between 2015 and 2017 explains why United view the £4 million cost in wages and loan fee to Shanghai Shenua as “good value”.

Igahlo’s name had first appeared in connection with United on January 24, with his agent making an offer to the club’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, but at that stage Solskjaer preferred other options. Ighalo came back into contention on Thursday, as first reported by John Cross at the Daily Mirror, and by Friday evening the move was in motion after a bid for Joshua King at Bournemouth stalled.

King’s name had come as a bolt from the blue too, as first reported by Mike McGrath at the Daily Telegraph on Thursday night, but the appeal for Solskjaer lay in knowing the 28-year-old from his time in charge of United reserves.

Again the approach was made to United, so long as Bournemouth got a replacement, and at first encouragement was given that a loan agreement could be struck, which was United’s preference. Instead Bournemouth wanted a permanent transfer, but viewed United’s £20 million offer at around half their valuation and King was left “bitterly disappointed”, in the words of one source, by the collapse. He had viewed the unique set of circumstances as creating the opportunity of his career.

Injury to Rashford meant United’s hunt for a centre-forward saw a spike in outlandish suggestions. Solskjaer’s admission after the Manchester City game opened the gates for agents to make recommendations. Salomon Rondon was proposed, just as Islam Slimani had been a week or so before. There was a call into Edinson Cavani’s camp, representations were made to Jean-Kevin Augustin (as revealed by Phil Hay), Dries Mertens could not be discounted, Olivier Giroud suddenly seemed a plausible candidate.

For a reporter trying to substantiate such a burst of activity it can be like a game of whack-a-mole, each check call equivalent to the bop of that cushioned hammer. There goes Odsonne Edouard nudged back below the surface. But up pops Gareth Bale. And here’s Ricky-Jade Jones (he’s 17 and plays for Peterborough, before you google).

Attempting to verify one report on deadline day, The Athletic received a crisp response from a Premier League executive: “This is the best banter I’ve ever seen”. Suffice to say, the player stayed where he was.

An industry insider explains: “Agents try to drum up interest in their client and United are a great name to do that with.”

Indeed, The Athletic has been told how United were used in a particularly bitter battle between agents over a player. In a bid to win a new client, one agent leaked a story about United interest as a way of demonstrating to the player’s mother he had the better connections. It was spurious and could be proven so. But ultimately the tactic worked and the player switched representation.

A person with knowledge of the situation concluded: “As soon as it’s false though what credibility have you got?”

There is usually an element of truth to every story however, simply because United watch so many players and somewhere along the process a name finds its way into the wider world.

“When United decide on which position they want to go for, they have their database of hundreds, then that is cut to realistic targets, and finally there is a short-listing to perhaps 10,” says an industry source. “Once United’s senior scouts start looking at particular players it gets into the open. If United’s scout in Italy turns up to watch the same team twice in a row, people recognise them.”

Simon Wells, Solskjaer’s personal scout, was spotted watching Erling Haaland in November, for instance. But Wells managed to go undetected when casting his eye over Bruno Fernandes around the same time.

United’s renewed focus on Fernandes was only reported after Solskjaer and Mike Phelan had flown to scout the midfielder against Porto on January 5. It was in Sporting Lisbon’s interests to get the information into the public domain to alert other clubs and potentially drive up the price through an auction. Soon enough the Portuguese press began reporting.

Still, it was not until January 10, when The Athletic confirmed the visit by Solskjaer and Phelan, that the Fernandes saga began again in earnest in this country. By that point United had lost 3-1 at home to City in the first-leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and in the couple of days that followed eight players were reported as January targets.

To some fans, that appears evidence of United’s PR machine in action. “There goes Woodward briefing,” is a familiar refrain. But in all honesty the last thing those at United do is stoke the flames on transfers after a defeat. Instead they spend most of their time dousing with water, to moderate expectations.

One example might be Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who is admired by certain players at United and was connected to a £50 million transfer to Old Trafford the day before the window opened. The Athletic understands that a new Everton contract is in the works however and likely to be signed. The association of United is no bad thing when searching for improved terms, of course.

That does not just concern players, either now. United’s flirtation with a sporting director has opened up a sub-genre of transfer story. This week Antero Henrique, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, was reportedly “close” to an appointment at United, and before that Luis Campos, the Lille executive, was tipped for the position. Their chances were downplayed by United sources.

Sometimes, the snowball happens spontaneously. There was the unfortunate case of mistaken identity around Sander Berge, when it was reported that the Norway midfielder was at Carrington to complete a move when in fact it turned out to be the young Southend goalkeeper Nathan Bishop. And then there was Carlos Tevez, perhaps the most sensational United transfer story of the month, even if it had only a loose association with accuracy and came about entirely by accident. Mark Ogden, the respected journalist for ESPN, listed 12 signings United could try as cover for Rashford. He was accurate when predicting Slimani, and as a final artistic flourish he proposed Tevez.

Tuttosport in Italy alighted on the former Juventus player, misinterpreted the article as a record of United’s desire to explore the signing, and reported as such themselves. Because United is big news, and a Tevez comeback even bigger, websites in the UK then lifted the tale, unaware of the original source. Cue calls into the club, and bemusement by way of response.

Blameless there, United can be open to criticism for the length of time deals take to complete, and into that doubt goes transfer speculation, which as commercial director Richard Arnold said in September, drives a “high level of interaction within our social media communities” but also gives the impression the club’s recruitment process is anything but serene.

It was, for instance, December 19 when Liverpool announced the signing of Takumi Minamino and the club then made clear their business was done. Subsequent stories about Liverpool targets were few and far between.

By contrast Solskjaer was involved in a transfer meeting on Friday to establish a late assault on the market that ultimately saw Ighalo join as the third signing of the window, after Fernandes and 20-year-old Bishop.

Only 110 fewer than they were linked with.

The full list of 113 players linked with United since November 1 (players in bold signed)

Goalkeepers: 2

Nathan Bishop (Southend United), Brad Young (Hartlepool)

Defenders: 21

Logan Pye (Sunderland), Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain), Marash Kumbulla (Verona), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Issa Diop (West Ham United), Ben White (Leeds United), Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich), Christian Kabasele (Watford), Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur), Layvin Kurzawa (Paris Saint-Germain), Nelson Semedo (Barcelona), Jean-Clair Todibo (Barcelona), Ruben Dias (Benfica), Valentin Antov (CSKA Sofia), Merih Demiral (Juventus), Mohammed Salisu (Real Valladolid), Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Daniele Rugani (Juventus)

Midfielders: 45

Eric-Junior Dina Ebimbe (Paris-Saint Germain), Matias Vecino (Inter Milan), Efrain Morales (Atlanta United), Ruben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Sean Longstaff (Newcastle United), Todd Cantwell (Norwich City), Gedson Fernandes (Benfica), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Agustin Almendra (Boca Juniors), Fabian Ruiz (Napoli), Boubakary Soumare (Lille), Donny van de Beek (Ajax), Ivan Rakitic (Barcelona), Jude Bellingham (Birmingham City), Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid), Dani Olmo (Dinamo Zagreb), Alessandro Florenzi (Roma), Eduardo Camavinga (Rennes), Leandro Paredes (Paris Saint-Germain), Sandro Tonali (Brescia), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Arturo Vidal (Barcelona), Dejan Kulusevski (Atalanta), Denis Zakaria (Borussia Monchengladbach), Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon), Ezequiel Barco (Atlanta United), Nicolo Zaniolo (Roma), Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen), James Maddison (Leicester City), Matheus Pereira (West Bromwich Albion), Gianluca Busio (Sporting Kansas City), Emre Can (Juventus), Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), James Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur), Dwight McNeil (Burnley), John McGinn (Aston Villa), Declan Rice (West Ham United), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Sander Berge (Genk)

Forwards: 45

Maxi Gomez (Valencia), Jean-Kevin Augustin (RB Leipzig), Islam Slimani (Leicester City), Carlos Tevez (Boca Juniors), Fernando Llorente (Napoli), Krzysztof Piatek (AC Milan), Wayne Rooney (Derby County), Arkadiusz Milik (Napoli), Emmanuel Dennis (Club Brugge), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Odsonne Edouard (Celtic), Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Lucas Moura (Tottenham Hotspur), Luka Jovic (Real Madrid), Takumi Minamino (Red Bull Salzburg), Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain), Vedat Muriqi (Fenerbahce), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Richarlison (Everton), Mathis Rayan Cherki (Lyon), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Erling Haaland (Red Bull Salzburg), Ricky-Jade Jones (Peterborough United), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Edin Dzeko (Roma), Danny Loader (Reading), Joe Gelhardt (Wigan Athletic), Mario Mandzukic (Juventus), Jovan Malcolm (West Bromwich Albion), Memphis Depay (Lyon), Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Moussa Dembele (Lyon), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Salomon Rondon (Dalian Yifang), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Josh King (Bournemouth), Teemu Pukki (Norwich City), Adolfo Gaich (San Lorenzo), Danny Ings (Southampton), Odion Ihgalo (Shanghai Shenhua)

 

Vedat Muriqi

[Vesper 28,826]

Manchester United have already identified Kalidou Koulibaly as No.1 target for summer window

https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/01/manchester-united-kalidou-koulibaly-summer-transfer-12167084/?ito=newsnow-feed

[Chelsea_firstlove 178]

The 998 players linked with Chelsea between November 1 and no signing. How does that happen?

[shrenshah 186]

Hope we have a clear plan for summer with couple of signings completed when we reach there...else we as fans should start the "Marina Out" campaign

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Vesper 28,826]

2 hours ago, Jason said:

 

well, that just made Grealish's cost just go up to over £70m if Villa stays up (I do not know what happens if they go down other than he is much more likely to leave)

[Vesper 28,826]

On 4/6/2019 at 5:43 PM, Vesper said:

CHELSEA AGREE DEAL TO SIGN SWEDISH TEENAGER EDWIN ANDERSSON

https://readchelsea.com/2019/04/06/chelsea-agree-deal-to-sign-swedish-teenager-edwin-andersson/

Chelsea have reportedly agreed a deal to sign Swedish teenager Edwin Andersson when he turns 16, according to his father, Mikael, the Daily Express report.

Andersson currently plays for Swedish side IFK Gothenburg and has attracted interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs over the past six months.

The reported move appears to be extremely ironic, as the Blues have been handed a two-window transfer ban after their recruitment of foreign minors, however, Chelsea have since appealed the ban, with a verdict expected from FIFA on Thursday.

And talking to Swedish outlet Expressen, Mikael revealed there has been plenty of interest over his son and admitted he has chosen to head to London when he turns 16.

There have been an incredible number of clubs from virtually all countries that have been interested in him.

But he has chosen to go to Chelsea when it’s time.

According to the rules he must be 16 first and then it is up to the clubs to agree.

There’s still some details, but the day it’s time he has decided that it’ll be Chelsea.

Mikael then went on to reveal his son’s style of play, and despite many seeing the similarities between the Swede and Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo, Andersson Sr compared his son to current Chelsea starlet Callum Hudson-Odoi.

 

snip

https://www.expressen.se/gt/sport/fotboll/allsvenskan/svenske-jattetalangen-skriver-pa-for-chelsea/

 

Chelsea agree fee for IFK Gothenburg winger Edwin Andersson - who had a trial with Manchester United in 2018

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7970085/Chelsea-agree-fee-IFK-Gothenburg-winger-Edwin-Andersson.html

Swedish winger Edwin Andersson, 16, will join Chelsea with immediate effect
The IFK Gothenburg youngster had a trail with Manchester United
Chelsea are also interested in Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7970085/Chelsea-agree-fee-IFK-Gothenburg-winger-Edwin-Andersson.html

[Vesper 28,826]

Paper Talk: Man Utd slash Pogba price as star makes clear exit plan

https://www.teamtalk.com/news/transfer-gossip-paul-pogba-price-slashed-as-star-makes-exit-plan

PAUL POGBA MAKES CLEAR HIS INTENTIONS TO QUIT MAN UTD

Paul Pogba has told his Manchester United teammates he fully intends to quit Old Trafford at the end of the season.

The troubled midfielder has managed just six appearances for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this season due to a persistent ankle injury, with question marks being raised about his commitment to the cause.

The World Cup winner tried to engineer a route out of the club last summer when he said he was tempted to take up a fresh challenge elsewhere, and this season’s increased match action has only furthered claims that he will be allowed to move on.

And now according to the Manchester Evening News, Pogba is determined to end his time with the Red Devils and has his heart set on a return to Juventus, with Real Madrid also firmly in the running to sign him.

Dressing room sources have told the MEN that Pogba’s ‘head is not currently at the club’ and the majority of players believe it is in United’s best interests he moves on. Pogba remains a very popular figure among friends and teammates, who understand his stance.

And with the midfielder still recovering from an ankle injury, there is a growing belief that the player may not even play again for the Red Devils, with his agent Mino Raiola also doing his bit to engineer Pogba a route out of the club.

United value Pogba at £180million, but with the player currently having just 18 months left on his deal – though United do have an option to extend that by 12 months – and due to his huge inactivity thanks to his ankle issue, it’s believed the club will now accept just £120million for the player, with his value dropping by a third.

Pogba has had his cast removed from his ankle, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says it’s unlikely he’ll be considered for their next game at Chelsea on February 17, while he has also been left behind for their warm-weather training camp to Marbella.

snip

[Vesper 28,826]

This striker needed a club, Manchester United and Chelsea needed a striker. But he thought they weren’t good enough

https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/transfers/epl-transfer-news-manchester-united-chelsea-edinson-cavani-atletico-madrid-gossip-rumours-david-beckham-inter-miami/news-story/cf9afd48a494ac994dfe05ded0fbfb95

Edinson Cavani would have joined Chelsea or Manchester United in January if he was driven by money, according to the Paris Saint-Germain forward's mother.

The 32-year-old, who has only six months left on his contract at the French champions, had been expected to move on in January amid interest from a host of clubs.

Chelsea and United were among the clubs credited with an interest, along with Atletico Madrid and David Beckham's newly-formed MLS franchise Inter Miami.

But Cavani's mother, Berta Gomez, insists a big-money move to the Premier League was never considered by her son.

"Edinson didn't want money to be the reason, because if it was about money, he would have gone to Manchester United, Chelsea or Inter Miami, who made a big offer for him," Gomez told Spanish newspaper AS.

Instead, Gomez suggested Cavani did "everything" possible to secure a move to Atletico and disputed claims made by the Spanish club's president, Enrique Cerezo, that the deal collapsed due to "greed".

"It's not impossible that Edinson goes to Atletico Madrid in the summer, if and when the president takes back what he said," she said.

"We don't understand why the president said such nonsense. It was out of place and it hurt us a lot. It is absolutely false to say that Walter (his brother and agent) asked for a fee from the signing.

"He should have told the fans why Cavani really didn't go to Atletico. It's because, firstly, PSG didn't want him to leave and secondly, Atletico never reached the amount PSG wanted when they negotiated.

"My son did everything he could to go to Atletico. He put pressure on by not playing at PSG and told his brother that he was willing to drop his wages to sign with Atletico.

"He wanted to play with Cholo (Diego Simeone) and he showed that at every turn."

[Vesper 28,826]

A back 4 of

CB Caglar Söyüncü

CB Declan Rice

LB Theo Hernández -- not Chilwell

RB Reece James

is eventually good enough to win the league