Chelsea Transfers

[Pizy 18,877]

24 minutes ago, Duppy Conqueror said:

It's been about 28 years since Chelsea avoided going for players just because Man U wanted them too.

I’m just saying, I’m not seeing any links or talk about us being interested. All I’m seeing all over Twitter is that he fancies Man United and they’re desperate enough to pay his monster wages.

[Vesper 30,121]

1 hour ago, Pizy said:

Why are you guys even talking about Donnarumma? Seems like he’s Man United bound.

https://www.espn.com.au/football/story/_/id/45926246/psg-lucas-chevalier-transfer-gianluigi-donnarumma-goalkeeper

Paris Saint-Germain have signed Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier on a five-year contract, the French champions confirmed Saturday.

Sources told ESPN that PSG agreed a fee of €40 million ($47 million) plus an additional €15 million ($17m) in potential bonuses, with Chevalier set to be their new No. 1 goalkeeper. It leaves Gianluigi Donnarumma, who played a key role in PSG's history-making season last year, to find a new club this summer.

PSG do not want to keep the Italy international and have two top keepers in the squad this season, sources said. The clubs expect an offer from Chelsea, Manchester United or Inter Milan who have all had contact with Enzo Raiola, Donnarumma's agent, sources added.

[OneMoSalah 8,885]

£26m pricetag for Donnarumma…. Apparently…. Should be all over that. Be absolutely soul destroying seeing Sanchez or Jorgensen lining up as our number 1 😂

[OneMoSalah 8,885]

11 hours ago, CucurellatheCat said:

he plays with both and plays lcb for palace 

Everyone plays with both!!!! 😂

He is naturally right footed though. But plays on left side. He will probably not be a top option for us, we will go for another up & comer. 

[Vesper 30,121]

Why is Vinicius Jr out of favour at Real Madrid?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6542208/2025/08/09/vinicius-jr-real-madrid-xabi-alonso-renewal/

A year ago, Vinicius Junior looked to be at the very peak of his powers.

Over the previous 2023-24 season he had won the Champions League and La Liga with Real Madrid, contributing decisively on all fronts with 35 goal contributions in 39 matches.

The fans adored him, to the point that many of them argued he should keep his place on the left wing despite the arrival of Kylian Mbappe.

Madrid were also delighted with him. The club’s board refused to even consider the dizzying potential of a sale to Saudi Arabia when efforts were made to try and sign him. And he started the new season as a favourite for the Ballon d’Or.

There was a sense he was finally fully delivering on his potential, there was excitement over what would follow next. Unfortunately, there is not the same feeling around the 25-year-old Brazilian now, after a challenging 2024-25 campaign that brought great individual disappointment.

Multiple sources consulted for this article — who all asked to speak anonymously to protect relationships — agreed that not winning the Ballon d’Or has been a heavy burden for Vinicius Jr, even though he was recognised with The Best FIFA award in December.

But the past six months or so have also seen complications over the renewal of his contract, with the displeasure generated by that undoubtedly a factor that has affected performances on the pitch. Some were met with boos from fans at the Bernabeu.

It was indicative of his status now that new manager Xabi Alonso planned to bench him for the Club World Cup semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain, until Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury changed things.

The start between coach and player has not been ideal, although this is just the beginning. But sources close to Vinicius Jr — who, like all those cited here, asked to speak anonymously to protect relationships — predict that “it’s not going to be an easy season”.

Why has there been such a turnaround for ostensibly one of the world’s very best players? The Athletic explains the full picture.

---

Like the rest of the Real Madrid squad, Vinicius Jr did not perform at his usual level last season as Madrid failed to win any of the three major titles, which led to the club replacing Carlo Ancelotti as manager.

There is always pressure at Madrid to succeed, to win trophies, but Vinicius Jr has been closer to the spotlight in this regard, and not just because he is seen as one of the team’s best players.

What You Should Read Next

From Kylian Mbappe to Cristiano Ronaldo, why Real Madrid fans whistle their own players

The Bernabeu is one of the most demanding stadiums in world sport. This is why the fans expect so much from their stars

But complications in his negotiations over a new deal at the club have played a big role in this, too. Particularly towards the end of last term’s domestic campaign, there were audible murmurs at the Bernabeu when his tricks did not work, and several times when he received the ball he would be whistled.

Madrid opened negotiations in January to extend Vinicius Jr’s contract, which was renewed in 2022 until 2027. It was at a meeting at their Valdebebas training complex, attended by senior figures from the club and, on the player’s side, two agents and his father.

Vinicius Jr is currently earning around €17million (£14.7m; $19.7m) net a year, a figure that includes certain bonus clauses that have now been activated, for example after winning FIFA’s The Best award last season.

The club’s offer of around €20m net a year was not accepted, so the board asked the player’s side to propose a figure.

His representatives requested a historic contract, in the region of the highest ever at the club (which was given to Cristiano Ronaldo), with a package of around €30m net per season. This included the base salary, performance bonuses and even a renewal bonus, something new at Real Madrid.

Vinicius Jr’s agents made the point that if Madrid’s unofficial salary cap can not be broken (there is no formal limit, but a figure in the region of €20m is often mentioned), a player looking to earn more money for himself is forced into seeking a move elsewhere and securing a signing-on fee, as happened with Mbappe at Madrid. They also considered that an exception could be made for players who have given a lot to the club.

 

Alonso and Vinicius Jr in training back in June (Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images)

In April, several media outlets in Spain claimed that Vinicius Jr was very close to agreeing a renewal, with some suggesting that the announcement would be made after La Liga’s conclusion. At the time, Madrid sources told The Athletic that these reports were on the right track, while the player’s entourage, reacting with something between surprise and annoyance, strongly denied it.

Several months later, Vinicius Jr’s renewal has not been announced, nor even finalised. The same media outlets that claimed he would renew have now said that the process has stalled because the player is asking for more money. This last point does not match with The Athletic’s information on the subject.

Madrid have always been extremely cautious about the salary scale, and in that sense, they are not keen on the renewal bonus route. Furthermore, they want Vinicius Jr to recover his real level. But all of this has not helped a player who has been struggling to produce that.

Alonso represents a new start. He and his coaching team wanted to use the Club World Cup as an opportunity to inject new purpose into the side, combating the “inertia” they believed had taken hold.

When asked about his first encounter with Vinicius Jr, Alonso said before the Club World Cup opener that it had been “very good”.

He added: “I didn’t know Vini, I had seen him a lot and everything I saw and heard I recognised in 10 seconds: the way he is, the way he communicates with people. He is a very passionate player. You have to be close to him, I like to have this kind of player. How we can use him in the best way and position is what we have to see now. What we have felt these days is that he has a very good heart.”

 

Vinicius Jr in training this week. Madrid start the new season on August 19 (Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images)

With just one goal and one assist (both against Red Bull Salzburg, when he was named player of the match) in five games in the United States, Alonso planned to bench Vinicius Jr for the semi-final against PSG.

A muscle injury to Alexander-Arnold forced him to change that plan, which meant the Brazilian started against Luis Enrique’s side on the right wing, with 21-year-old academy product Gonzalo Garcia as the No 9 and Mbappe on the left. Vinicius Jr was disappointed with this decision, after years of performing at the highest level and establishing himself on the left.

After the holidays, sources close to Alonso at Valdebebas preferred not to dwell on this fact and emphasised that they expect Vinicius Jr and Mbappe to both be very important this season. The coach’s initial idea is to play both in attack, although his tactical flexibility will lead him to vary this over the season.

However, they also acknowledge that Vinicius Jr needs to improve and suggest that if he continues to play as he has been, he could cease to be irreplaceable, and that this new status would not be difficult for team-mates, fans or the club itself to accept.

[Vesper 30,121]

We should sell Disasi and/or Badi to Bournemouth

they are now fucked at CB

they have only one decent one:

Marcos Senesi  (who played only 1,200 minutes, all comps, and had a bad hamstring injury)

two who are scrub level:

Chris Mepham   
James Hill    

and an 18yo yank teen:

Matai Akinmboni   

[Vesper 30,121]

AC Milan star Malick Thiaw to have Newcastle United medical on Monday ahead of switch

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/ac-milan-star-malick-thiaw-220100753.html

 

[Pizy 18,877]

32 minutes ago, Vesper said:

AC Milan star Malick Thiaw to have Newcastle United medical on Monday ahead of switch

https://sports.yahoo.com/article/ac-milan-star-malick-thiaw-220100753.html

 

I know he’s surely getting a massive bump in salary but damn, having to go from living in Milan to Newcastle has to be quite the culture shock. Really shows the power of the PL these days though that Newcastle can go and take a player from Milan who Fabrizio repeatedly said their manager wanted to keep. 

Leaving an iconic, legendary European club for a second tier English one shows how diminished Serie A is.