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Fabrizio Romano: Difficult Times Continue For Barcelona

It hasn't been an easy summer for Barcelona. There were many problems with Financial Fair Play, an obstacle that has often blocked the club due to an economic situation that is anything but stable.

Each new signing must be weighed with a calculator, with maximum attention to the budget and no excesses because the situation with La Liga continues to be tense. Summer 2023 for Barça began with the disappointment of Leo Messi's non-return: both parties tried in every way to find a solution but it was not possible to proceed.

But in the end Barça's summer was very good: new high-level signings for very limited costs in terms of transfers, however excluding salaries and commissions which remain high.

This is the only possibility for Barcelona with the current financial situation, to invest more in long-term salaries than in transfer costs because in that case it is very difficult to complete top signings.

Barça started their summer with Inigo Martinez on free transfer from Athletic Bilbao, a deal prepared since February which will allow Xavi Hernandez to have one more experienced center back.

Oriol Romeu cost around €4m, despite Barça having tried to enter the race to sign Marcelo Brozovic it was almost impossible to match Al Nassr bid and the negotiation collapsed.

Romeu has had an excellent impact, the clause in his contract has helped Barcelona and even these types of solutions are smart and key to help the club not to spend big transfer fees.

This was also the case for Ilkay Gundogan who chose Barcelona despite bids from Saudi and Manchester City as they wanted to keep him, a top-level free transfer.

That is a crucial part of the strategy: having players on their side, pushing their clubs to leave as they only want Barça.

After a month and a half of stand-by but with the sale of Ousmane Dembélé to Paris Saint-Germain in the middle which greatly helped the club's financial situation, Barça's masterpiece was the end of the transfer market.

With the departures of Abde, Eric Garcia, Clement Lenglet and Ansu Fati the club managed to free up an important part of wages in order to receive the green light from La Liga to sign their two top targets since June: Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo.

Due to the restrictions on Financial Fair Play, Barcelona were unable to insert an option to buy clause in these two deals otherwise they would be counted as two permanent signings by UEFA.

And then Barcelona approved two straight loan deals: Joao Cancelo was Xavi's first choice as new right back since January, Cancelo never negotiated with other clubs because he only wanted Barça and the deal was completed with Manchester City who no longer wanted Cancelo as part of the squad.

Joao Felix, on the other hand, had even been clear in public since July 18: "I want Barcelona, it's my dream", he told me in an exclusive interview that Barça then used... as an announcement of the deal.

No other possibility has ever been taken into consideration, only Barcelona... on loan from Atlético where by now Joao 100% could no longer stay. Two masterpieces for the new Barça in a slow and difficult market, but ultimately excellent.

September 6, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano">

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Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.

He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.

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Fabrizio Romano: Deadline Day Disaster For Bayern And Palhinha

The craziest story of Deadline Day has a name and a surname: Joao Palhinha. Yes, because his transfer to FC Bayern was a deal done and almost completed... just waiting for the signatures.

In a few hours, his dream has become a nightmare. It all started four days ago: after Joao Palhinha's super performance in Arsenal-Fulham, few thought that he could still leave the club... but Bayern, after an internal meeting, decided to try to negotiate for Palhinha in the week of the Deadline. A difficult but not impossible mission.

Bayern could invest a budget close to the €70m package with the proceeds of Benjamin Pavard sold to Inter for €32m and Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool sold for €40m.

From that moment, Thomas Tuchel's decision was clear: it was necessary to sign a new defensive midfielder to complete the team, Palhinha became the club's priority which began to negotiate with Fulham in the hope of being able to reach an agreement.

Palhinha immediately decided to say yes to Bayern: the Portuguese midfielder asked the club to leave with immediate effect, a request also made directly to manager Marco Silva until an agreement was reached between Palhinha and Bayern on five year deal on Thursday.

That's why on Deadline Day there were only formalities left: Bayern and Fulham agreed in the morning for a €65m deal so as to authorize Joao Palhinha to travel to Germany for medical examinations and signing the contract.

It seemed like the beginning of Joao's dream, in reality it was the beginning of a real nightmare because every hour that passed increased anxiety: in fact, Fulham had approved Palhinha's move to Bayern, tying him to the possibility of finding a replacement in time for 6pm Deadline of the German market.

Fulham contacted numerous players: there was never an offer for Amrabat but there were negotiations with Hojbjerg, Youssuf Fofana and up to the end even Scott McTominay who around 5.30pm refused the destination.

While Joao Palhinha was in Munich to complete two medical sessions and even take pictures with the Bayern shirt, in London the Fulham board now saw the mission of finding a replacement for Palhinha as impossible.

"This deal can't collapse", Joao repeated almost incredulously in the Bayern offices. And instead the communication from the club arrives: nothing to do, Fulham are unable to take a replacement and the deal has collapsed.

Palhinha was forced to leave Munich in the evening on orders from Fulham to return to London with a flight already booked, Bayern didn't find the midfielder they wanted... but Gravenberch still moved to Liverpool because that deal was already completed.

Crazy market stories, this is Transfer Deadline Day.

September 3, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

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https://it.linkedin.com/in/fabrizio-romano-05708262">

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Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.

He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.

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Why It's Do Or Die For Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United This Season

When assessing every metric of Erik Ten Hag’s first year at Old Trafford, the results and achievements are quickly put to one side because other overriding considerations matter more.

That is not to say that Manchester United didn’t enjoy a significant upturn in fortunes on the pitch in 2022/23, out-performing their Premier League odds by finishing third - a respectable return in the post-Ferguson era - and winning their first trophy for six years.

Indeed, had Manchester City been vanquished in the FA Cup final it would have unquestionably been viewed as a successful campaign without any caveats, and perhaps in hindsight it’s a blessing that is not the case given the level of hype that would be placed on United right now.

Instead it was an encouraging start to a possibly exciting new era and that will do just fine for the Dutchman’s opening 12 months at the helm.

The Reds’ League Cup triumph however, along with accruing 75 league points, their second highest tally for a decade, was of a secondary importance to the work being done to the framework of the club itself.

Here there really were causes to be upbeat without any exception.

That’s because last summer’s transfer activity notably veered from a recent habit of targeting marquee signings who arguably benefited United, the brand, more than United, the team, and instead the best players available were sought for positions most in need of upgrade.

When put like that, it amounts simply as common sense, but if we’re being brutally honest, common sense had previously been in scant supply at Old Trafford, a shortcoming that had for some time impacted mostly on their recruitment and consistently so.

So it was that Lisandro Martinez was brought in to bolster a defence in dire need of bolstering, while Casemiro was purchased at great expense, his fee all-but-irrelevant due to the Brazilian instantly solving a long-term problem in midfield.

The free signing of Christian Eriksen was an uncharacteristically shrewd move, the pass-master Danish by birth but Dutch by design, and though the jury remains out on Antony - especially when factoring in his colossal fee - Old Trafford demands players who get bums off seats and Jadon Sancho wasn’t cutting it in that regard.

Antony may yet prove to be the difference-maker needed down their right flank.

If their incomings was widely approved of by their fan-base, and reluctantly acknowledged to be smart by rival supporters and the media, the sheer number of under-performing players they managed to get off the wage-bill only added to the narrative that United were heading in an entirely new direction under Ten Hag.

In total, 15 players with first-team experience were jettisoned, among them individuals with persistent injury issues and persistent poor showings, along with individuals who were suspected of being bad eggs.

It was therefore an over-haul, seismic and significant, and it afforded the Dutchman the best possible opportunity to implement dramatic changes to the team, both in terms of playing style and personnel.

Which he did, or at least after some initial road-bumps he did, and all told it must be said that Manchester United looked to be an altogether different - and improved - proposition last term.

They were structured, coherent. They were comfortable in playing out from the back, navigating an opposition press before exploiting the space left behind. Going forward, they created overloads and benefited hugely from a season-long spike from Marcus Rashford.

Out of possession, at times they were reminiscent of Jurgen Klopp’s famed gegenpress, but they could also mix it up, staying compact in the right moments.

There was now intelligence on the park, class and genuine quality on the park, and after some moribund years enduring Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s attempts to replicate United’s golden era - only crucially without the players they boasted in the Nineties - most importantly of all, what the Reds now possessed was a man with a plan.

It’s a blueprint for success that gained greater detail this summer in the form of Andre Onana offering improved footwork in nets, Mason Mount purchased off a rival, and Rasmus Hojlund having the potential to finish off previously wasted chances, and subsequently United’s price in the Premier League odds outright market shortened as we all anticipated further progress. More of the same, only better.

Except here is where the other foot falls and here is the reality check.

Because though we’ll still at a very early juncture of the new season, all we have seen so far is regression and toil. At the back, the Reds look vulnerable and prone to mishap. Their remodelled midfield is failing to gel.

Worse yet, Antony, Garnacho, and Sancho have all collectively unimpressed, ineffective at home to Wolves and anonymous away at Spurs - much to the dismay of football prediction experts.

When United overcame a two-goal deficit last weekend, Ten Hag spoke positively about the character within the squad and word-for-word it could have been Solskjaer at the mic, talking up his players’ mental strength to overcome adversities of their own making.

Admittedly, and to repeat, these are early days indeed, far too early to even contemplate whispering crisis.

Yet still, what we’ve witnessed this August brings it home to us just how much leeway was afforded Erik Ten Hag in his first campaign, generous analysis that was mainly based on the ineptitude that preceded his arrival.

It brings it home too that whether the Dutch coach is ultimately successful at Old Trafford or not, so much of that depends on what is produced this season, a defining one for both him and the club.

Because we all know what can happen to even the best laid plans.

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*

August 30, 2023

Premier League

By Stephen Tudor

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Stephen Tudor is a freelance football writer and sports enthusiast who only knows slightly less about the beautiful game than you do.

A contributor to FourFourTwo and Forbes, he is a Manchester City fan who was taken to Maine Road as a child because his grandad predicted they would one day be good.

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Five Highlights From A Brilliant Women's World Cup

It may have ultimately ended in heartbreak for the Lionesses, but the Women’s World Cup 2023 was a blast, a festival of fantastic football crammed with every element you hope to see in a major tournament.

Favourites fell unexpectedly. Individuals stole the show, making a global name for themselves in the process. The host nations embraced proceedings whole-heartedly.

Once again the women’s game took a huge stride forward and we’re all here for that. In fact, so great has this past month been Down Under, we miss it already.

World Cup Fever

Ahead of last Sunday’s final in Sydney it was revealed that 1.85 million fans had attended the preceding 62 contests, in two countries that had historically held lukewarm enthusiasm for the sport.

That equated to an average of 29,888 supporters per game, a significant hike on attendances four years earlier in France.

It helped of course that New Zealand applied themselves well, picking up four points in their group, while Australia made a dramatic charge to the semi-finals.

By the time the Matildas played England in the last four, every national newspaper was awash with coverage with the public gripped.

At each and every game, the decibel levels were high and the mood friendly and celebratory. As it should be.

The Impossible Is Not Moroccan

One of the most welcome and defining aspects of this World Cup was the evidential closing of the gap between the established nations and the perceived ‘minnows’ and nowhere was this better illustrated than in the Atlas Lionesses reaching the last 16.

Before the competition even commenced, Morocco had already pulled off a remarkable feat in becoming the first Arab country to qualify for the World Cup but placed in a tough grouping, that was expected to be the summation of their achievement. They were wholly unfancied in the online betting to even pick up a win.

A 6-0 opening game trouncing at the hands of Germany seemed to confirm these fears but then consecutive 1-0 victories saw them progress against all odds.

An official tweet from their FA summed it up perfectly. ‘The impossible is not Moroccan.’

The Finest Of Margins

Pretty much all of the pre-tournament football tips backed the USWNT to make it an unprecedented ‘three-peat’, claiming their third World Cup in a row.

They are after all the indomitable and undeniable superstars of the world stage. In their pomp, nobody else comes close.

It was a shock therefore to see Alex Morgan and company struggle in their group, drawing with Holland and Portugal, but nothing could have prepared us for what came next, a last 16 exit vs Sweden that contained no goals but an abundance of unforgettable drama.

After 120 minutes of deadlock the game went to pens and with the USA 3-1 up their progress seemed assured. That was until the tide dramatically turned, and Sweden’s Lina Hurtig had the opportunity of firing her country through.

Her spot-kick was saved but the ball bounced up and over the line. By precisely 1 millimetre.

20 Spot-Kicks

From a tournament so chock full of incidents, upsets, and moments of magic, it feels remiss to pick out another penalty shoot-out. But when it’s this extraordinary, how could we possibly overlook it?

In front of a deafening capacity crowd in Brisbane, Australia were seeking to reach the semi-finals for the first time in their history. In their way stood France, well-fancied and for good reason.

Both teams cancelled each other out necessitating a nail-biting shoot-out that took 20 penalties to separate them. Our nerves have not been the same since.

Arise Lauren James

We were hardly alone in picking out Lauren James as a player to watch Down Under, and England’s ‘cheat code’ didn’t disappoint, running defences ragged with her quick feet and darting pace.

Sadly, a Beckham-in-98 moment of madness resulting in a red card may well define the 21-year-old’s summer but let’s recall too her one woman tormenting of China in Group D, a performance that announced to the world that James is a class apart.

Two goals and three assists made us proud before her fall.

August 21, 2023

Women's World Cup

By Stephen Tudor

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Stephen Tudor is a freelance football writer and sports enthusiast who only knows slightly less about the beautiful game than you do.

A contributor to FourFourTwo and Forbes, he is a Manchester City fan who was taken to Maine Road as a child because his grandad predicted they would one day be good.

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2023 Women's World Cup Predictions & Betting Tips

Women's World Cup Predictions

Spain Women vs England Women

LIONESSES TO WIN WORLD CUP IN STYLE

Spain Women v England Women

Match Result and Both Teams To Score - England Women and Yes

11/2

BET!

*Odds subject to change. Max stakes applies. T&C apply.

Sarina Wiegman’s England face Spain in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final on Sunday with the opportunity to rewrite the history books once again.

The Lionesses have improved with each game at the tournament and they were excellent in the 3-1 victory over Australia in the semi-finals.

Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Alessia Russo were on the scoreboard in that success and the latter could be the player to watch in goal scoring sports betting odds here.

Russo has enjoyed a fantastic World Cup campaign ahead of her move to Women’s Super League giants Arsenal and she can make the difference for England on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Spain edged past Sweden in their semi-final despite dominating the lion’s share of possession. La Roja needed an 89th minute winner from Olga Carmona to reach the final.

Sweden defended resolutely but Spain were worthy winners on the balance of play. All eyes now turn to Sydney and the Women’s World Cup showpiece fixture this weekend.

England will need to shore up defensively to give themselves the greatest chance of World Cup glory – Australia squandered plenty of chances in the semi-final.

Mary Earps is having a sublime tournament in goal and Millie Bright is a real leader at the back and both players will be central to the Lionesses’ hopes of keeping a clean sheet.

For what it’s worth, I’m expecting this to be a relatively open contest and neutrals could be treated to an exciting clash on the biggest stage of all.

There will be plenty of support for both teams in the stadium but will Spain benefit from the additional day of recovery? Only time will tell.

Both teams to score is my best bet for this fixture. Gun to the head, I’ll go for an England win and both teams to score in 90 minutes. Fingers crossed for the Lionesses!

A Brief History Of The Women's World Cup

The Women’s World Cup was first played in China in 1991. There have been eight editions of the tournament since then, with six different countries taking on hosting duties.

The USA and China have each hosted two tournaments, while the 2023 World Cup will be the first time ever that two nations have shared hosting.

The United States are the most successful team in Women's World Cup history with four titles to their name. They enter the 2023 edition as two-time defending champions after dominating in France in 2019.

Germany are the only other country with multiple titles, going back-to-back in 2003 and 2007. Japan and Norway have one World Cup apiece, while 10 different teams have reached the semi-finals of the competition.

Over the course of its existence, the Women’s World Cup has expanded considerably. Just 12 teams were involved in each of the first two tournaments. There were 16 teams in the next four editions before increasing to 24 for 2015 and 2019. The 2023 edition will be the first with 32 teams.

While interest in women’s football has soared around the world, the highest average attendance actually came at the 1999 World Cup in the USA. Attendances for World Cups depend hugely on the host country and the stadia being used.

Marta, one of the best female players of all-time, is the Women’s World Cup leading goal scorer with 17 to her name. Inevitably, the USA have the best overall record in World Cup play with 40 wins from 50 matches.

Women's World Cup Format

The 2023 Women’s World Cup features 32 teams after an arduous qualifying process, with a total of six federations represented in this summer's tournament.

In 2019, it was suggested to increase the field from 24 to 32 teams, and double the overall prize money. This enabled more nations to be involved in the World Cup, engaging a higher percentage of the world with the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

As a result, there will be 64 matches (12 more than four years ago) in the 2023 World Cup. The 32 teams are initially split into eight groups of four, with the top two teams in each group progressing to the knockout rounds, starting with a round of 16.

It is a single-game elimination from then through to the final, with the two semi-final losers meeting in a third-place playoff.

2023 Women's World Cup Key Dates

20th July – Tournament starts
22nd July – England open their campaign against Haiti
3rd August – Final group stage fixtures
5th-8th August – Round of 16
11th-12th August – Quarter-Finals
15th-16th August – Semi-Finals
19th August – Third Place Playoff
20th August – Final

Previous Women's World Cup Winners

1991 – USA
1995 – Norway
1999 – USA
2003 – Germany
2007 – Germany
2011 – Japan
2015 – USA
2019 – USA

Women's World Cup Golden Ball Winners

1991 – Carin Jennings
1995 – Hege Riise
1999 – Sun Wen
2003 – Birgit Prinz
2007 – Marta
2011 – Homare Sawa
2015 – Carli Lloyd
2019 – Megan Rapinoe

Women’s World Cup 2023 News

August 19, 2023

Women's World Cup

By Alex McMahon

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Alex is a sports betting tipster, specialising in Premier League football, the Champions League and horse racing.

He loves placing a weekly accumulator on the football at the weekend and dreams of landing the big winner that will take him back to Las Vegas.

As well as writing sports betting tips for 888sport since 2015, Alex has produced content for several international media companies, such as Goal.com and The SPORTBible.

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Fabrizio Romano: Neymar The Latest Star To Make Saudi Arabia Switch

Neymar Junior completed one more historical move in his career by joining Saudi side Al Hilal.

The agreement was completed on Monday morning after negotiations entered into crucial stages on Saturday late night, when Al Hilal sent an improved proposal to Neymar's camp and it changed the entire situation around the deal.

But why did Neymar decide to join Al Hilal? What happened behind the scenes?

First of all, it's important to clarify that both Neymar Jr and PSG wanted the same outcome this summer: part ways at all costs, because Ney was keen on new opportunity and PSG wanted to change as Nasser Al Khelaifi's project is changing in favour of new young players instead of big stars.

That's why Neymar's camp started to work on solutions between June and July, not easy when the player is under contract for more than €40m per season until June 2027.

The biggest dream of Neymar was to return to Barcelona, that's the reality. Also, Laporta really wanted to bring him back as well as all the people in the board with Mateu Alemany, Deco and vice president Rafa Yuste on the same page.

But so... what was the problem? The Brazilian made very clear to Barça that it was not going to happen as long as Xavi was the coach.

This is the feeling of people close to Neymar's circle of friends; the manager situation has blocked the transfer to Barça, and of course the financial situation didn't help because Paris Saint-Germain were not open to letting him leave for free.

That's when Al Hilal understood that it was time to proceed, improve the proposal and bring Neymar Junior to Saudi league. Sources feel that the financial package offered and accepted by Ney is $300m in two years, $150m per season on a two year contract valid until June 2025 and with no option to extend.

That's how Al Hilal tempted Neymar, getting the final green light on Monday morning with the player set to travel to Saudi for the official presentation later this week.

He's gonna be the new number 10 and already had two videocalls with his new manager, the Portuguese Jorge Jesus who's taking care of the revolution at Al Hilal and will now have a dream signing with Neymar Junior.

Barcelona keep excellent relationship with Neymar's camp but the deal was not possible for this summer, while Manchester City were never interested in Neymar and talks never took place despite reports of negotiations.

Chelsea were offered the chance to sign Neymar back in June as PSG were already secretly looking for solutions, but they decided against that to "protect" investments made on young players they have in the squad like Mudryk who plays in the same position of the Brazilian star.

Also in MLS there was interest in Neymar; a club from Los Angeles called to be informed on conditions of the deal, but when Al Hilal came in with their final proposal it was simply impossible to reject or change this story.

Neymar is a new Al Hilal player, his medical was completed in Paris and it is time to sign documents this week.

August 15, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano">

https://it.linkedin.com/in/fabrizio-romano-05708262">

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Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.

He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.

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Fabrizio Romano: Liverpool Bid Fails As Caicedo Chooses Chelsea

The most incredible saga of the 2023 summer transfer market (at least so far...) is over.

Moises Caicedo will play for Chelsea after a crazy story of deals, phone calls, rejected and accepted offers, sleepless nights and finally the green light late on Sunday evening to complete a deal that changes the history of British football.

A £115m package plus sell-on clause in the contract - this is the fee for Brighton & Hove Albion who will collect a £100m surplus for a player who cost just £4.5m only two years ago.

The story starts from January: Moises Caicedo had found an agreement with Arsenal on personal terms, he tried in every way to free himself but Brighton refused two official offers. "No chance, Caicedo is not for sale in January; see you in the summer", Brighton position looks strong and clear.

The player was disappointed because he wanted a top club move but agreed to sign a new contract at Brighton to improve his salary; the promise of the club and Roberto de Zerbi is clear, you will be sold in the summer.

But when Chelsea reached an agreement with Caicedo and his camp on personal terms in May, also because Arsenal were now 100% focused on Declan Rice, a more than difficult negotiation began. It's never easy to argue with Brighton, the club board and in particular the owner Tony Bloom are very tough in every negotiation.

But between June and the end of July, Chelsea got three negative responses to three offers: £65m, £70m and £80m. That's not enough, Brighton want Chelsea to bid at least £100m after seeing Declan Rice leave for Arsenal for £106m.

Negotiations slow down, Chelsea take time because they know Moises just wants to sign for the Blues. Question of strategy. But last Thursday there was a surprise that can always be expected when it's about top players and top clubs.

Liverpool appear in the race with an official offer made ahead of midnight deadline decided by Brighton: Chelsea offer £100m, Liverpool instead £115m and reach an agreement in principle with Brighton.

During the night, Liverpool began to prepare documents and contracts with medical tests booked for Caicedo. "We have an agreement with Brighton. Player side? We will see...", Jurgen Klopp said in a press conference.

Yet there is a big surprise. Despite optimism on Thursday night, Liverpool were informed by Moises Caicedo in a clear way: thanks for the proposal but I want Chelsea, it's my choice and I intend to respect it.

Liverpool are trying to understand if there is room to change the situation, they are waiting for Moises for the medical tests but there is no room for surprise. Caicedo chose Chelsea and from that moment he began another far from easy negotiation with Brighton.

Chelsea insist, push and after two days of long negotiations they obtain a historic agreement for British football: £115m package with add-ons included, very easy to reach... and a sell-on clause for future sale.

Brighton accept just after Chelsea-Liverpool, there is the green light for the medical tests and a saga that ends. For Caicedo the contract is very long: eight year with an option for further season, potentially until June 2029.

There is a new era at Chelsea, with Caicedo and Enzo the new masters of the midfield under Mauricio Pochettino.

August 14, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano">

https://it.linkedin.com/in/fabrizio-romano-05708262">

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Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.

He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.

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Fabrizio Romano: Harry Kane Can Be A Star At Bayern Munich

The incredible Harry Kane saga is finally over after crazy developments during the whole summer.

A story full of surprises, twists and turns but with a clear ending: Kane wanted Bayern Munich and got the move he wanted after a lifetime as a Tottenham legend.

The most underrated man in this story is Thomas Tuchel, Bayern manager since last March with a clear mission: since day one of his chapter as Bayern coach, Tuchel has insisted on having Kane as new striker for the following season.

Only Kane, no other options. Kane, Kane and Kane again.

In every internal meeting, Tuchel has always repeated that he would try to sign Harry as a star who could have changed the history of Bayern forever: Thomas is convinced that with Kane the club can win all the titles, approach Lewandowski's records in the Bundesliga and dream in Champions League.

This message was sent by the manager to Bayern internally with insistence and confidence, but also… to Kane himself.

Yes, because in contacts with Kane's camp, Tuchel has always been very involved and very clear: Bayern is waiting for you, it's time to make history together, these are the signals from the manager to Harry who gave his green light as early as June.

Green light to Bayern... but not a break with Tottenham, for which Kane obviously had and will always have total respect.

Harry was clear with the Bayern board; the deal was possible and appreciated but the best solution had to be found with Tottenham, otherwise Harry would have been ready to stay in London also because he was very happy with Ange Postecoglou's excellent work in his first steps as new Spurs coach.

For this Bayern needed a lot of time to discuss with Daniel Levy, always masterful in negotiations until he managed to get €120m package with add-ons included for an extraordinary player ... but out of contract in June 2024 .

Bayern had to deal with ups and downs in the negotiation with Levy, the moments in which the Tottenham chairman really tried in every way to convince Harry to stay, even his long silences regarding Bayern's deadlines that made the German club nervous.

An old-fashioned negotiation, long and tense, made up of different offers and patience. Bayern started from €70m plus add-ons, rejected. Then €80m plus add-ons, rejected again.

Until the board's mission to London for a lunch with Levy that made all the difference; at that moment Bayern understood that finally there was a price, the definitive way out to be able to sign Kane.

The last few hours have been hectic: when Daniel Levy finally accepted Bayern's proposal, Kane didn't change his mind but his camp demanded some clarifications on the personal terms that had to be settled.

There was tension for about 12 hours but Bayern never lost confidence. Silence and caution, until the moment of the green light and the documents prepared for a contract until June 30, 2027.

A historic deal for Bayern who have never feared Manchester United or PSG in the race, precisely because Tuchel made the difference in convincing Kane as early as June.

An eternal legend for Spurs, a new star for Bayern.

August 12, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano">

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Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.

He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.

Fabrizio Romano

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Are Aston Villa On The Cusp Of An Unforgettable Era?

Should we dig down into Aston Villa’s remarkable transformation these past ten months, and study the tactical changes that have been implemented, and the spiked improvements seen in individuals, no matter where we look, or how diligently we analyse their quantum leap, every avenue leads us back to one man and one simple truth.

That man is Unai Emery and the truth is that the 51-year-old Spaniard is an exceptional coach. He was at Arsenal, but circumstances went against him there, charged with the onerous task of succeeding a club legend in Arsene Wenger.

In his first year in North London, five recent captains of the Gunners left and replacing such influential figures required time that Emery wasn’t given.

He was at PSG, but so great are the heightened demands in the French capital that a failure to guide them past the last 16 in the Champions League saw him gone.

His track record meanwhile at Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal speaks for itself, as season after season he took these teams to the pinnacle of their capabilities.

At Valencia, Emery made Champions League qualification the norm, despite severe financial restrictions. At Sevilla and Villarreal he made winning the Europa League the norm, lifting the trophy on four separate occasions.

His astounding success in that competition incidentally brings us back to the top, explaining in some manner how he revolutionised the Villans so quickly and dramatically but before we get to that, some context is needed as to precisely what has been achieved in the Midlands this past year.

On taking the reins at Villa Park, Emery inherited a side devoid of confidence and heading nowhere fast under Steve Gerrard, a side that was among the favourites in the football betting odds to endure relegation.

From the start of 2022/23 to late October, a dispirited, ill-organised group – a couple of whom had taken to privately briefing journalists concerning their misgivings about the Liverpool icon – picked up a pitiful 0.8 points per game, averaging 0.6 goals per game in the process.

The situation was dire.

From November onwards however, with Emery at the helm, Villa picked up 1.9 ppg, ultimately finishing seventh, their highest league place for 13 years. Defensively sound from thereon in, Ollie Watkins and co only failed to score in two of Emery’s 27 games.

It is a staggering upgrade made all-the-more impressive if we focus only on 2023’s results, after Emery was afforded a month on the training pitches with the majority of his squad as the World Cup ran its course in Qatar.

This calendar year, Villa bow only to football prediction giants Manchester City for results and points accrued. Does this suggest therefore that even better things can be anticipated going forward?

Absolutely it does, even by using basic logic, and certainly it’s possible considering their encouraging transfer activity this summer.

Pau Torres is a Spanish international centre-back Emery inherently trusts, having got the best out of him in la Liga. Youri Tielemans is a shrewd addition, the Belgian offering even greater nous in the centre of the park. Winger Moussa Diaby, secured for a hefty £52m, has all the attributes to take the Premier League by storm.

If Villa continue where they left off, and are further improved by three clever signings, there is only their reputation as a solid mid-table club stopping us from believing they can push on and challenge for a Champions League spot.

Having done likewise with a similarly sized club in Valencia it would be folly to think Emery doesn’t have the pedigree to do this. Moreover, the evidence is right there, before our very eyes.

So how was it done, this remarkable transformation?

Finding the formulas to get consistent excellence from Tyrone Mings, John McGinn and Ollie Watkins has played a part of course, but when looking at Villa from a tactical standpoint what intrigues is that there hasn’t been a seismic shift to a different set-up, not substantially so at least.

For much of the latter half of the last campaign Villa were deployed in a 4-4-2 formation, with a compact midfield emphasising Emery’s conservative approach.

But here we go back to his numerous Europa League final triumphs, a high number that has seen Emery referred to as the ‘king of knockout football’.

By applying the adaptability needed to navigate a knockout competition to the Premier League we have witnessed Villa – using roughly the same formation – take on different opponents using very different means.

Against sides that press high, they typically go direct to good effect. In Emery’s opening game against Manchester United, they sought to kill the tempo at every opportunity, just waiting for a chance to exploit the Reds’ susceptibility to pace down the middle.

Few managers turn an opponents’ weaknesses against them better than Unai Emery and this we saw week in, week out.

What’s the betting he has many more tricks up his sleeve this term as Aston Villa look to establish themselves in the top six. From there, who knows what is possible?

August 9, 2023

Premier League

By Stephen Tudor

https://twitter.com/SteTudor123">

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Stephen Tudor is a freelance football writer and sports enthusiast who only knows slightly less about the beautiful game than you do.

A contributor to FourFourTwo and Forbes, he is a Manchester City fan who was taken to Maine Road as a child because his grandad predicted they would one day be good.

Stephen Tudor

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Fabrizio Romano: Ousmane Dembele Shocks Football World With PSG Switch

A surprise out of nowhere. Ousmane Dembele will play for Paris Saint-Germain after a long negotiation is now in the final stages… but very unexpected if you think only a few weeks ago, when nobody believed that there were any chances for Ousmane to leave Barcelona.

A real shock, especially for manager Xavi Hernandez who has been crucial in recent years to help Dembele return to the fantastic level player we have all known.

It was February 2022 when Ousmane, whose contract expired in June 2022, remained at Barcelona despite a last minute negotiation with Paris Saint-Germain for a swap deal that did not materialize.

It seemed like a final break between Dembele and Barca... but the player wanted to get back into the club's project and Xavi Hernandez helped him incredibly by believing in him despite his contract only expiring after a few months.

Thanks to Xavi and Ousmane's hard work, peace has come with Barca and... the new contract arrived, valid until 30 June 2024 but with a €50m release clause in July and €100m in August. Two very dangerous clauses.

And yet, his agent Moussa Sissoko had met some members of the Barcelona board (not Deco, busy on a mission in Istanbul for Arda Guler in those days) in early July to discuss and advance negotiations on a new contract for Dembele.

It was like a fairytale between Dembele and Barca: all parties happy, both on the club side and on the player side; one intention, go forward together with a new contract to avoid future problems and alarms. And then... what happened?

On the Dembele side, sources believe Ousmane has been offered to other clubs (including PSG) in other potential swap deals by Barcelona. The club, on the other hand, denies these rumors and guarantees that it has never thought of selling Ousmane in the summer.

The result is a clear, sudden, unexpected break: Dembele's agent, Moussa Sissoko, studied a strategy that leads Paris Saint-Germain to reach an agreement with Ousmane for a five-year contract valid until 30 June 2028.

But it was the end of July and there was little, very little time to activate the official release clause of La Liga.

In fact, by regulation, the official clause of La Liga can only be activated by the player himself and not by the club; Ousmane was in the USA with Barcelona and the deal was impossible to complete.

But before the €100m release clause in August was activated, PSG with a formal communication to Barcelona activated a private clause present in Dembele's contract and top secret until then.

A €50m clause... with the possibility of negotiating the best exit strategy on both clubs sides, thus "forcing" Barcelona and PSG to negotiate while recognizing an important percentage of the €50m to the player and his camp.

After a week of tension, meetings and negotiations, Barcelona will receive more than €25m for Dembele and has given the green light on Tuesday night for Ousmane to fly to Paris and complete his move to PSG.

It was not possible to change his mind; Xavi Hernandez tried it for the last time a week earlier, on Monday July 31st. A face-to-face discussion with Ousmane in the US did not help change the situation.

Moussa Sissoko's secret strategy had already convinced Dembele to accept PSG; Barcelona could only raise their hands and negotiate Ousmane's exit on the best terms for the club.

The end of a story of ups and downs between Dembele and Barca, certainly an end that no one would have foreseen until 15 days ago.

August 9, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano">

https://it.linkedin.com/in/fabrizio-romano-05708262">

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Fabrizio Romano is an Italian sports journalist. He was born in 1993, he lives in Milan and has over 30 million followers in total on the major social networks.

He collaborates with 888sport, CBS Sports, Sky Sport, The Guardian and has been a transfer market expert since 2011. He will take care of a column dedicated to some "Behind the Scenes" of transfers.

Fabrizio Romano

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