Seems like it's about time with the preseason games going. Lots of interesting things still to happen before most seasons start 3 weeks from now. Still a lot of potential player movement. Untied with a ton left up in the air still with possibility of Varane and/or Trippier coming in and possibly Pogba moving out? The Kane saga has been awfully quiet. Does Barcelona actually have any players under contract or is FFP going to kill them? And how does PSG not get hit with the FFP issues as well? Will Bayern clinch the Bundesliga even earlier this year with the weakening of many of their rivals? Will anyone at all watch the Europa Conference League?
Varane to United appears to be about done. Reports are that his medical will be on Wednesday and the deal is for £42.7million plus bonuses.
Varane will be big for United. He will be missed at Real Madrid. Real Madrid didn't want to pay him what United will pay him. It's too bad because, unlike Ramos, Varane is still in his prime. Looks like Madrid will go with Alaba, Militao, and Nacho. None have proven to be at the level of a Ramos or Varane, to me, and all of them do not have the size or physicality of Varane. Madrid does have more money to go after Mbappe. Nobody count out that move.
This is the year for Dortmund to win the title. Bayern's squad has become weaker each of the last two years, and some of the key players are getting up there in age. For some reason I think Bayern is not as strong financially as people would think. Dortmund might have passed them with their huge trade surplus in recent years.
I wonder, though, since Dortmund hasn't replaced Sancho nor really added in this offseason to a team that struggled to get to 3rd if they have enough. Do you think Leipzig is good enough to hang at the top? Varane deal is done. I think this is a massive upgrade defensively. No more getting outmuscled and out run. I'd have to figure set piece defense will improve greatly, too. Would still like to see Tripier brought in to replace Wan-Bissaka. WB is a great 1v1 defender but he's just out of position too much and just so bad offensively. I also wonder if signing Varane does anything to convince Pogba to stay.
Looks like Grealish and City are in advanced contract negotiations and reports have City meeting Villa's transfer demands so this one might get sorted out in the next week. This move probably also means we see Bernardo Silva sold as reports are that he is looking for a change of scenery. As the OP mentioned Kane has also been linked to City but I can't see a deal being completed between the two clubs with the unrealistic transfer fee Tottenham are reported to be looking for. If it were me running things I would wait the year and give Jesus one more year as the main striker with Torres behind him ready to play when we go with our false 9 looks. Between the two of them, a incoming Grealish, Sterling, Foden and Mahrez that is more than enough in attack. Then following the year they can re-explore the Haaland market who unlike Kane at this point in his career is worth every bit of the 150 million pounds that is may take to get. Where I worry with city is the midfield. This leaves De Bruyne and Gundogan as their main creating mids. City have not been linked to much in the midfield and even though guys like Grealish and Foden can fill in their they seem more tapped to play up front. I think City gives Cole Palmer from their academy a strong look as he has a path to some decent playing time on the main squad primarily as a reserve but with all the competition throughout the season De Bruyne and Gundogan will need to have cover as their are past and in De Bruyne's case present injury concerns.
What a boss move it would be for him to say **** it i'm going to newell's old boys. that would be some king ****.
I do wonder just how broke barcelona is right now. With not being able to cover the salary to register messi and the fact that theyre still pushing the super league, things cant be very good financially lol sucks to suck
Wow. End of a weird nightmare. Finally Barcelona will suffer due to their financial shenanigans of the past. Maybe Messi will join the Dynamos.
They haven't been good financially EVER. They got a pass for so long because Messi has been the most important/best player for so long. No longer the case. It will be interesting to see where he goes. Who can meet his salary demands? Who can sustain his inclusion into their squad? He's not an atomic bomb anymore, but he will force a significant change in any team. Crazy. Crazy.
Its a bit sad. i remember skipping school to watch those barcelona v chelsea games where a young messi would routinely make del horno his b**** lol RIP to the most iconic club and player relations since possibly pele and santos Also rip to the relevance of the spanish league as the alternative to the premiere league. Still a great league but you just dont lose messi and ronaldo in a span of a few seasons and still keep the same amount of eyeballs glued to that league. Also lol had pep and city waited just waited a day.. same with chelsea if they actually pulled the trigger on the lukaku deal
In the short and long run, this will be a positive. Messi was demanding the earth, the sun, and the moon and he could no longer deliver as he once did. Now they can get some young blood to start a new era. Who knows, maybe now they can compete for Mbappe?
