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Fabrizio Romano: Chelsea Move Late To Snatch Mykhaylo Mudryk From Arsenal

The Mykhaylo Mudryk transfer saga was one of the most craziest moves of all-time. Because the ending was unexpected, but this whole story has been full of twists and turns for months, even years.

To think that more than a year ago, the director of Brentford, Lee Dykes, already wanted to bring Mykhaylo to the Premier League in a very advanced negotiation with Shakhtar Donetsk but never really concluded.

The war in Ukraine changed the scenario because other clubs tried to insert themselves during last summer by trying a surprise deal: Bayer Leverkusen wanted him for €20m, while in the final days of the summer transfer window Everton tried to convince the Shakhtar Donetsk with €30m plus add-ons.

No way, because the Ukrainian club was already asking more than €50m to sell its star.

Yet it was precisely in the last days of August that Arsenal came up with the idea of attacking Mykhaylo Mudryk as top target for the future: Mikel Arteta had begun to find out about the player through some friends who followed him closely at Shakhtar, Arsenal however end of August they never made official proposals but preferred to wait.

And the good news for Shakhtar was a Champions League group played at excellent levels by Mykhaylo: from the Bernabéu to Celtic Park, the Ukrainian star made it clear to all the clubs that he was really ready to make a difference and so the contacts started for a transfer of Mudryk already in the January transfer market, instead of waiting for the summer of 2023.

Shakhtar had always asked for more than €50m in the summer; but after Mudryk's super Champions League, the club publicly and privately dubbed Mykhaylo a €100m future star.

No intention of accepting less than this amount, at the cost of waiting for June or July to sell it. Arsenal have tried in every way to approach the requests of the Ukrainian club with three official offers between December and January; the latest came last Thursday when the London club offered a €70m guaranteed fee plus €25m add-ons to seal the deal.

But Shakhtar Donetsk took their time because they wanted guarantees on a total fee of €100m, add ons included.

So Chelsea entered the scene with a very quick but effective move: after a meeting in London between Shakhtar director Darijo Srna and Todd Boehly before and after the Chelsea vs Manchester City game at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea decided to wait because they knew that the player's priority was to sign with Arsenal.

But when they realized Arsenal weren't offering the €100m guaranteed fee wanted by Shakhtar, the Blues burst into the picture with a mission to Donetsk's training camp to meet with Ukrainian officials on Saturday morning.

The meeting was quick and effective because Chelsea really offered the €100m package with add-ons included; Shakhtar agreed after an in-person meeting with members of the Chelsea board, immediately arranging another meeting between Mykhaylo Mudryk's agents and Chelsea to understand his decision on the club.

🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Chelsea board now in Poland trying to reach verbal agreement with Shakhtar for Mudryk and hijack the deal! Official bid ready close to €100m. 🔵 #CFC

Arsenal always been leading the race, in talks with Shakhtar after 3d official bid.

Mudryk position, now crucial. pic.twitter.com/CwWWerfoQ8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 14, 2023

Mykhaylo's dream has always been Arsenal, which is why the Blues immediately wanted to make sure they could change his mind also thanks to a top secret conversation with Graham Potter.

Arsenal have not panicked in the face of this situation: the club's strategy and vision are the priority, the club will never overpay any player as happened in the past with Vlahovic, Locatelli, Raphinha or Lisandro Martinez.

They feel they did their best to sign Mudryk with a very important bid to Shakhtar and to the player; but Arsenal don't enter any bid war because the approach is different and the club will maintain sound management for present and future.

So Mudryk said yes to Chelsea for a contract until 30 June 2030, flight to London already on Saturday evening and medical tests in the morning to be presented at Stamford Bridge before the Crystal Palace game.

The plan worked. Chelsea have their new star.

January 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.

Fabrizio Romano

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Fabrizio Romano: Wout Weghorst The Latest Piece Of Erik Ten Hag Jigsaw?

Manchester United want to give Erik ten Hag what he needs after his excellent work over the last few months.

The Dutch manager's hard work has been appreciated by the club, but the financial resources for the January transfer market are limited because the Glazers family has decided not to invest excessive amounts after the summer new signings and the decision to sell the club in the coming months.

That's why they looked for an opportunity on the market, even though Cody Gakpo was the priority but Manchester United never made a proposal to PSV Eindhoven because the €50m fee was considered excessive in a market like the one in January.

The club explored many options, some complicated while others easier but unconvincing for Manchester United.

The club have involved Erik ten Hag in all decisions because sources say Manchester United have been offered more than 10 forwards after Cristiano Ronaldo's contract ended.

Excl: Manchester United have reached full, verbal agreement to sign Wout Weghorst! Understand deal will cost around €3m to Besiktas — Weghorst will join on loan from Burnley. 🚨🔴 #MUFC

Final step needed: Besiktas will only approve the deal if they find the right replacement. pic.twitter.com/3lLOoyA6h2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 10, 2023

That was a decisive moment in Manchester United's negotiations; there were so many agents and intermediaries ready to offer players to the club, but the choice was to find a player with different skills than all the others already present in Erik Ten Hag team.

There was no way to agree with Atlético Madrid for Joao Felix for less than €15m between loan fee, salary and taxes; so the idea was to go for different solution instead of saving money in January.

That's why Manchester United got in touch with agents of Wout Weghorst, striker of Besiktas; not an easy operation because Weghorst is one of the most important players of the Turkish team, he moved there with the formula of the loan with €10 million buyout clause last summer and Besiktas initially had no intention of letting him leave in January.

So, Man United decided to proceed with both clubs; first Besiktas, then Burnley and so with the player who immediately said yes to the possibility of working under Erik Ten Hag as he was dreaming of Old Trafford.

Weghorst immediately reached an agreement with Manchester United on the salary terms of the contract; sources close to Wout guarantee that Wout dreamed of this possibility, he spoke to ten Hag by phone as he wanted a player with his skills as a cheap option for his team.

But how to manage the agreement between clubs? Manchester United contacted Besiktas and reached a verbal agreement to pay €3m fee to terminate the loan deal of Weghorst with them; Burnley have then approved a loan move until the end of the current season, while there was no issue or problem at all with the player on the salary.

To have the final green light and unveil Weghorst as new signing, Manchester United will have to wait for Besiktas to find a replacement for the Dutch striker in the following days.

The priority of the Turkish club is Vincent Aboubakar who could soon leave Al Nassr to allow them to register Cristiano Ronaldo as soon as possible.

Besitkas immediately informed Manchester United that there will be no signing for Weghorst unless another striker arrives first.

That's why the timing was longer than expected, but the club's choice was to invest in a center striker with different skills and approved by Erik ten Hag at least until the end of the season.

Of course, the idea of all the people into Manchester United is to sign a new striker in the summer after missing out on Darwin Nunez last June: this will be one of the priorities to improve the squad in 2023.

But as a short term option, Weghorst has been approved by the manager... and his dream will be reality soon.

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

January 11, 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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One Transfer EVERY Premier League Club Should Make This January

If the summer transfer window affords – and rewards – risk-taking, January is all about common sense, identifying a squad’s weak spot and strengthening it. Here is that one player needed for every Premier League club from A to L.

AFC Bournemouth

The Cherries have haemorrhaged 2.1 goals per game this term and though Chris Mepham and Marcos Senesi have fared quite well as a centre-back pairing – let down too often by a lack of quality ahead of them - they need assistance back there.

Returning from an ACL, Eddie Segura is a free agent after being released by Los Angeles FC. He’s low-risk and worth a punt.

Arsenal

The Gunners are firing on all cylinders but that could quickly change with an injury or two. That especially applies to a forward line that is already looking stretched courtesy of a long-term lay-off suffered by Gabriel Jesus.

Arsenal’s chase for Mykhailo Mudryk makes sense but Memphis Depay is the motherload. Reportedly, the Barcelona ace is available on a cut-price deal too.

Aston Villa

New boss Unai Emery will be keen to build from the back at Villa Park and this explains the recent rumour regarding Harry Maguire, and the club’s firm interest in left-back Alex Moreno.

It’s a midfielder who they are in dire need of however, the kind who can dominate a centre-circle. Step forward Juventus’ Weston McKennie.

Brentford

A high-calibre playmaker wouldn’t hurt but alas they are in short supply, particularly in January.

Besides, Thomas Frank has already beefed up his options by bringing in Kevin Schade, the Freiburg striker who will add further venom to the Bees sting from now until May.

Brighton

Roberto Di Zerbi’s main priority this month is to retain what he has, with interested parties ‘weighing up bids’ – as they say – for Alexis Mac Allister, Leandro Trussard, and Moises Caicedo.

Making Levi Colwill’s loan spell permanent would be a huge plus though, and Chelsea may be tempted after purchasing Benoît Badiashile from Monaco.

Chelsea

Chelsea’s Premier League odds to secure a Champions League spot lengthens by the week, in no small part due to the bluntness of their strike-force. Their leading goal-scorer is Raheem Sterling on four.

Luring Atletico’s Joao Felix to the Bridge, on loan for a £11m fee therefore represents a steal. The 23-year-old is Kai Havertz but with goals in his armoury.

Crystal Palace

Palace have become uncharacteristically soft of late, as evidenced by a damning stat that reveals they have been dispossessed more than anyone else.

Yet it’s not a grafter they require but a Conor Gallgher-type, because it’s Conor Gallagher they desperately miss.

Mallorca’s Lee Kang-in may be just the ticket, an outstanding playmaker available at a snip.

Everton

The Premier League relegation betting odds makes for repressing reading for Bluenoses and unless they can get Dominic Calvert-Lewin fit, or until they sign a reliable centre-forward, little is going to change anytime soon.

Blackburn’s Ben Brereton Diaz fits the bill perfectly, the Championship hit-man offering up a threat where presently there is none.

Fulham

High-flying Fulham will see no great need to spend this January but bolstering their defensive options will appeal.

Roma’s Dutch full-back Rick Karsdorp is versatile, available – after falling out with Jose Mourinho – and best of all, he’s cheap, up for grabs at a mere £8m.

Leeds United

A new striker bleeps the loudest on Jessie Marsch’s radar, with Patrick Bamford’s injury issues an ongoing concern.

Hoffenheim’s Georginio Rutter is reportedly a target, but Coventry’s prolific Viktor Gyokeres is well worth a bid or three, scoring every 177 minutes in the Championship this term.

Physical and direct, the Swede might well be kissing the famous Leeds badge sometime soon.

Leicester City

The Foxes have notably struggled when deprived of James Maddison’s creativity this term, while goals have been in short supply at the King Power.

An impactful winger who can chip in with the odd strike would be a huge boon and though the club is allegedly cash-strapped they appear to have greenlit a £30m-plus bid for Fiorentina’s Nico Gonzalez.

The 24-year-old may not singlehandedly alleviate Leicester’s woes but he sure would be a step in the right direction.

Liverpool

The Reds are in dire need of reconstructing their midfield which explains their very real interest in Wolves’ Matheus Nunes. Alas, that’s a deal most likely to be concluded in the summer.

Before then, Yunus Musah would be a welcome addition and then some, the 20-year-old Valencia star viewed by fans as a long overdue replacement for Gigi Wijnaldum.

Manchester City

City’s options at left-back are limited and should an injury befall Nathan Ake their Premier League odds would marginally slide, so great is their reliance on the former Bournemouth defender right now.

It would be difficult to dislodge Ferland Mendy from Real Madrid mid-season but the French international’s contract expiration is on the horizon and given even the slightest encouragement, the Blues should pounce.

Manchester United

A striker was United’s priority and even if Wout Weghurst is not a long-term solution, he will at least provide specialist service until May.

Elsewhere, as Erik Ten Hag seeks to add quality competition across his squad, Youri Tielemans is available for dirt-cheap from Leicester. Frankly, why a top-six side have not already swooped for the talented midfielder remains a mystery.

Newcastle

Top of the Magpies’ shopping list is a midfielder, capable of dictating the tempo of play, so who better than an immensely promising 20-year-old who has already been compared to Sergio Busquets?

Alan Varela has shown quality beyond his years at Boca Juniors and coming in at under £20m it would represent a shrewd purchase for a club on the rise.

Nottingham Forest

A fee of £17.8m has reportedly been agreed for Palmeiras midfielder Danilo and though it’s tempting to joke about the sheer volume of new players arriving at the City Ground, here the Tricky Trees may have unearthed a diamond.

A pivotal presence for the Brazilian side at the age of just 21, Danilo has all the attributes to boss proceedings in the top-flight for years to come.

Southampton

The Saints have already had a respectable bid rejected by Lorient for their Nigerian striker Terem Moffi but don’t rule out a second attempt to sign a player who bagged 17 league goals in France in 2022.

Entrenched in a relegation battle, and with a vast fortune riding on their survival, what’s a few million here or there for a club that has scored a mere 0.8 goals per 90 this season?

Tottenham

Inter Milan ultras recently erected a banner urging their club captain Milan Skriniar not to leave but with his contract up in the summer his departure feels inevitable.

Naturally enough, one of the world’s best defenders becoming available at a bargain fee this January has placed a number of clubs on high alert, and if Spurs aren’t one of them then something is seriously amiss.

For all that we believe Antonio Conte is a defence-minded coach, his side have conceded two-plus goals on 12 occasions this term.

West Ham

With his job on the line and the Hammers in serious peril, David Moyes is dead-set on stiffening up his back-line this month, making his side once again hard to beat.

Having shone in Qatar for one of the tournament’s surprises packages Australia, Harry Souttar is the man in the frame and with the player keen, and Stoke resigned to losing their defensive rock, this is a transfer that feels written in the stars.

Wolves

Striker Matheus Cunha in already in the bag at a cost of £44m, and now Wolves’ new boss Julen Lopetegui focuses on revamping his midfield, as the Black Country side aim to prove the betting odds wrong and climb up the table.

PSG star Pablo Sarabia is said to be on their radar, but Morocco’s central schemer Azzedine Ounahi will surely come into the reckoning should other interested parties fail to snag a talent who has been excelling for Angers all season.

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

FIRST PUBLISHED: 10th January 2023

January 13, 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

Diary Of A Groundhopper: Tony Incenzo On Kirton Brickworks vs Bestwood Colliery

Match Information

Kirton Brickworks 0-5 Bestwood Colliery
When: Saturday 31st December 2022
Kick-off: 3pm
Where: 3G pitch, Mansfield Town FC Training Ground, The Radford & Hymas Academy, Woburn Lane, Pleasley, Mansfield, Notts NG19 7RT.
Competition: Euro Soccer Nottinghamshire Senior League Division One
Attendance: 37

There were slim potential groundhop pickings on New Year’s Eve as most Non-League competitions decided in advance not to play that day.

Then with very wet weather persisting in the preceding week, I nervously noticed the remaining fixtures were being rapidly postponed.

All of a sudden, I was alerted to a really helpful tweet by Kirton Brickworks FC stating: “Change of venue as our pitch won’t be fit.” In effect, they had hired out the 3G artificial playing arena at Mansfield Town’s training ground.

Diary of a Groundhopper Mansfield Kirton

This place had been attracting my groundhopping radar for quite a while. So I set off on a 300 mile round trip in the knowledge my chosen game would definitely be going ahead on the synthetic turf despite ongoing rain.

Incidentally, I had previously been to Kirton’s regular home ground near Newark back in 2018. It is one of my favourite quirky locations as the football pitch is actually inside the grounds of the busy brickworks factory which gives the club their name.

Therefore several huge delivery lorries and piles of bricks adjoined the touchlines so this made for some highly unusual and evocative matchday photos.

Ground Description

Opened in December 2018 to regenerate the redundant 10 acre site of Woburn Lane Playing Fields in Pleasley, The Radford & Hymas Academy is an impressive £2.5 million complex.

It is named in honour of the two benefactors – Mansfield Town FC chairman John Radford and club academy director Steve Hymas – who provided the bulk of funds to make the entire project possible.

There was also a Football Foundation grant of £500,000 from the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund. Architecture and sports/leisure firm LK2 worked closely alongside contractor Taylor Pearson Construction to deliver everything.

Mansfield Town - All Weather Tony Incenzo Diary of a Groundhopper

As well as the synthetic 3G, there are three full-sized grass pitches and a mini-pitch.

Players can use four dressing rooms, showers and associated physio rooms containing sports treatment and rehabilitation provision.

The imposing main building includes a function suite, a kitchen, office space and two classrooms forming an education hub.

Apart from the obvious benefits to Mansfield Town, their young academy footballers and the club’s ladies’ teams, these amenities are rented out to the local community too. I should add there is amble car parking space on site.

Programme Details

No programmes were issued but I was able to print off a teamsheet containing squad lists from the comprehensive FA Full-Time website. This was good enough for me as my matchday souvenir.

The Match

It was played on the floodlit 3G surface which was installed to meet FIFA standards. Kirton originally wanted to kick-off earlier than 3pm, but the pitch was being utilised for a full training session by Mansfield Town’s first team at lunchtime.

I subsequently enjoyed an entertaining game between two mid-table sides at what is the eighth tier of our Non-League football pyramid.

Kirton created plenty of decent chances although Bestwood Colliery looked stronger throughout to rack up a five goal winning margin.

Their scorers were Courtney Samuels (6 minutes), Jake Fisher (35 mins), Macauley Tinsley (41 mins), Kasey Fisher (86 mins) and Carey Knight (88 mins).

Kirton Brickworks messaged me when I eventually arrived home later in the evening to say: “Glad you got down to see us. Sorry we couldn’t put on a better show. We have a lot of young lads that probably aren’t horrible enough for man’s football.”

The People

It was good to sit under shelter in the 75-seater main stand and chat with several other groundhoppers that had travelled hundreds of miles to be present.

Also, a word of praise for match referee Brett Hovey who kept the action flowing throughout. Kirton Brickworks tweeted afterwards: “A fantastic ref. Always like seeing Brett assigned to us.”

*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to Mansfield Town FC and @TonyIncenzo*

FIRST PUBLISHED: 12th January 2023

January 12, 2023

Football

By Tony Incenzo

https://twitter.com/TonyIncenzo">

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Tony is an experienced football broadcaster who has worked for Clubcall, Capital Gold, IRN Sport, talkSPORT Radio and Sky TV.

His devotion to Queens Park Rangers saw him reach 50 years without missing a home game in April 2023.

Tony is also a Non-League football expert having visited more than 2,500 different football grounds in his matchday groundhopping.

You can follow Tony on Twitter at @TonyIncenzo.

Tony Incenzo

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Jason Bell NFL Blog: Tom Brady Won't Retire And Could End Up At The Raiders Next Season

Former NFL star Jason Bell provides his thoughts on the latest events in the National Football League as we enter the playoffs...

I’m really excited to have signed with 888sport for the remainder of the NFL season.

It’s obviously a very important time in the calendar with the playoffs kicking off this weekend and I’m looking forward to giving my thoughts and fancies to 888’s readers as we build-up to the Super Bowl in February.

Lions would have been a great addition to the play-offs/Defense will play a big part in Super Bowl winner

The teams that make the playoffs are the ones that should be there, but I must admit I would have loved to have seen the Detroit Lions.

I think we’re all going to miss them as they were playing tough and hard, gave themselves every opportunity to make it having beaten Green Bay on Sunday Night Football, and Dan Campbell is a very unique coach.

He’s led the team brilliantly and the Lions are a really interesting team to watch.

As to how far they’d have got we’ll never know, but I do think they would have had a chance of going well in the NFC because it looks a weaker division on paper.

I do think the Chiefs are the most likely winners with Patrick Mahomes, but if anyone is going to beat the likes of them or the Bills, then it’s going to be one with a dominant defense.

🏈 Our NFL power rankings heading into the #NFLPlayoffs... pic.twitter.com/dHhlirYbaH
— 888sport (@888sport) January 11, 2023

The 49ers are the side that standout in the NFC, but I wouldn’t rule out the Eagles either.

I think that’s what makes this year’s Super Bowl such a good match-up. It won’t just be an arms race to see who can score the most points, defense will have a big part to play.

It’s one of the most open years I can remember, and I think the reason for that is that the AFC is so strong this year. Any of Buffalo, Cincinnati and Kansas City can beat you solely because of how good their quarterbacks are.

They are all so dynamic and can make plays out of nothing, so it might just come down to who is hot on that given day, as to who reaches the Super Bowl.

I wouldn’t count out the Chargers with Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence has been really good for the Jaguars recently too. It’s so competitive this year which is great for all of us fans because there really isn’t a standout team.

Hard not to be impressed by Brock Purdy

I think Brock Purdy has been amazing since he’s come in for San Francisco. I think it all makes sense because when you sign a back-up quarterback you look for whether he has the tangible assets that are required for that team, and he clearly does.

Kyle Shanahan knew he didn’t need a lot of reps given he’d played so much college football and because he’s got such a complete roster to work with, you just need a guy who is going to make the plays Shanahan asks.

So far he’s done it really well and while he’s lacking in experience being a rookie, I don’t see him buckling under the pressure.

NFL Wild Card Round betting picks from 888sport

Tom Brady didn’t have much experience in his first Super Bowl and we all know how that went, so while experience always helps, Purdy has such a good team and coach around him that they can almost carry him.

You can win Super Bowls like that and the 49ers are definitely one of the leading contenders.

The 49ers were a good team anyway, but the in-season trade with the Panthers for Christian McCaffrey has completely revolutionised what they are trying to do on offense because of his skillset. This is a team that have interchangeable players and with McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, it’s so hard for opposition defenses to stop.

Brady could end up at the Raiders

There’s been a lot of speculation around Tom Brady’s future after this season. He’s obviously got a playoff campaign with Tampa Bay first, but I think he might end up at the Raiders.

He’s been so successful with Josh McDaniels already and that just might be where he wants to go for one final swansong.

I don’t think he’ll retire and I can’t see him going back to the Patriots. I know there’s been some speculation about it, but I’m not sure why they would let that happen.

Let's talk about the #NFLPlayoffs!

The latest from @JasonBell33 and @OsiUmenyiora is on our YouTube. pic.twitter.com/jEul8XbCwR
— NFL UK (@NFLUK) January 11, 2023

You’ve got Mac Jones whose life you’ve made super hard by changing the structure of the offense, as well as its coordinator.

He has struggled, but it looks like they are getting Bill O’Brien in as the new coordinator, and I think Bill Belichick and the Patriots have got to invest their future in Jones and not go back to Brady.

Signing Brady might help the team in the short-term, but he isn’t going to be around for much longer and the team will be right back where it started once he retires.

Damar Hamlin episode only added motivation for the Bills

American football is an emotional game and a big part of it is finding emotional triggers. With everything that happened to Damar Hamlin, the Bills don’t have to try as it’s there.

They are playing for something which is bigger than themselves and the reaction to this situation will only help them in a positive way on the pitch.

January 12, 2023

NFL

By Jason Bell

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Former NFL star Jason Bell has a wealth of American football experience, playing in 82 regular season games during his time in the league.

Now making regular television appearances at NFL events in the UK, Bell is one of the best pundits on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

The former Houston Texans cornerback will provide his expert insight into the latest news and upcoming games throughout the 2023 NFL season.

Jason Bell

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Premier League Fans Predict How The Table Will Look At The End Of The Season

Research undertaken by 888Sport had Premier League fans predict where their side will finish at the end of the season
Arsenal top the table, ahead of holder Manchester City
Newcastle miss out on top 4
Everton set to be relegated for first time, according to fans

Research undertaken by betting giants, 888Sport has asked Premier League supporters to predict where their side will finish at the end of the season. The results from the survey have been formulated to create a final Premier League Table Prediction.

The 2022/23 season has now reached its half-way point, and it has been one which has already thrown up some surprise packages. With an unprecedented mid-season World Cup now out of the way, the focus is back on the clubs. 

At the half way point, it is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal who lead the pack, and it is the Gunners who are expecting to hold on to that lead, and win their first Premier League title since 2003/04. 57% of Arsenal fans back their team to lift the trophy.

The rest of the top 4 is made up by Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool. Newcastle, Tottenham, and Chelsea complete the top 7 and snatch European places.

At the other end of the table, it is bleak reading for Southampton fans, who sit bottom of the table, with 44% of their fan base believing they will get relegated.

Bournemouth and Everton are set to join Saints in the Championship according to the survey results, with Nottingham Forest avoiding the drop in 17th place.

The full Premier League Table, as predicted by fans:

FIRST PUBLISHED: 11th January 2023

January 11, 2023

Premier League

By 888sport

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The 888sport blog is here to offer betting and tipping advice on the biggest sports fixtures, events and competitions around the world.

888sport

Is Olivier Giroud Underrated?

Between 2012 and 2018, it was an all-too-familiar sight at Arsenal. Halfway through a second half, the Gunners would turn to their French striker Olivier Giroud to make an impact from the bench, either needing a goal from somewhere, or relying on his hold-up play to help maintain a lead.

Giroud, a clinical finisher but also one of the classiest offensive talents Europe has produced in recent years, would do his job and do it well, sometimes winning personal acclaim, but then the next game would come along and it was back to square one.

Alexis Sanchez would start or latterly, for a brief period, Alexandre Lacazette.

Across six campaigns, the forward made 180 appearances for Arsenal, with 68 of them from the bench, and when in 2016/17 he scored an eye-catching seven from cameos it gained him a nickname no player really wants, a nickname he hasn’t been able to shrug off since, that of ‘supersub’.

It was pretty much the same story at Chelsea, with over half his outings seeing him replace the likes of Gonzalo Higuain and Tammy Abraham, and then he was off to join AC Milan, where people scoffed at the average age of the now well-seasoned Giroud and his new strike partner Zlatan Ibrahimovich.

Serie A, so it was claimed, was becoming a retirement home for players past their prime.

Only then the World Cup happened, with Giroud once again stepping in as an understudy following an injury to Karim Benzema, and once again reminding one and all of what a terrific player he is.

Combining brilliantly throughout with Kylian Mbappe, Giroud fired four goals in the tournament, taking France to another final and becoming his nation’s record goal-scorer in the process.

It's a tally that surpasses Thierry Henry’s international haul, so too the great Just Fontaine. It’s a tally that puts Benzema in the shade.

Giroud’s impact in Qatar has brought about an acknowledgement of his supreme attributes and frankly, it’s about time too.

We are reminded that from 2014/15 to his eventual departure to Stamford Bridge, only two forwards racked up superior Premier League goals-per-minute ratios, those players being Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane.

Olivier Giroud has an ELITE trophy collection 🏆 pic.twitter.com/z584MeWimv
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 6, 2023

We are reminded that on joining Milan, he fired them to their first Scudetto for 11 years, scoring, aptly, 11 goals. With the French star leading the line again, our Serie A odds offer up 5/1 for the Rossoneri to repeat their feat.

And we are reminded that at the age of 36, Giroud remains a fine vintage, producing the goods on the world’s biggest stages, as lethal and cunning now as he ever was.

This is truth, should not be a surprise and indeed, it’s hardly a far-fetched football prediction to back the striker to regularly find the net for a few more years yet.

A late starter, the Chambery-born finisher didn’t even make his international debut until he was 25, joining Arsenal just twelve months later.

He has spent every minute since playing catch-up. Is Olivier Giroud under-rated? Undoubtedly he was and is. And he has always been infinitely more than a supersub.

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

FIRST PUBLISHED: 11th January 2023

January 11, 2023

Football

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.

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Fabrizio Romano: Expect More Transfer Activity From Chelsea After Joao Felix Deal

In the coming months and years, we will have to get used to the surprises on the transfer market when Chelsea are involved.

With a management structure full of important figures, the club is often able to move in a few hours and this happened with Joao Felix on Monday.

After a very difficult weekend for the Blues following another defeat against Manchester City, Chelsea have decided to proceed with speed in negotiations for the Portuguese star with Jorge Mendes and Atlético Madrid will surely be one of the winning sides with his strategy in this negotiation.

But the story already started several days ago; because during the last two weeks, Joao's agent, Jorge Mendes, has been several times in London to discuss with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea about the negotiation possibilities for Felix in the month of January.

João Félix to Chelsea, here we go! Full verbal agreement reached, loan move on €11m fee with 100% salary covered by Chelsea. 🚨🔵 #CFC

Before leaving, JF will extend contract with Atléti until 2027.

João will fly to London in the next hours to undergo medical tests and sign. pic.twitter.com/F5aYKMgspa
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 10, 2023

There has been great interest from everyone, but the obstacle has always been Atletico Madrid's request to free Joao: two paths, a permanent deal exceeding €110m or a loan deal until June with an overall package higher than €15m which includes loan fees, salary covered until June 30 and also deal taxes.

Until now no one had given the green light under these conditions; indeed, Arsenal are focused on Mykhaylo Mudryk as priority target but have discussed Joao Felix with Mendes as long as Atletico change the conditions of the deal.

No way. Manchester United have also shown interest in Joao, the appreciation existed but the choice of the club is a cheap option and not an investment of more than €15m to have the player on loan for 5/6 months.

It is no coincidence that just 4 days ago, Mendes flew to Madrid to speak with Gil, CEO of Atletico Madrid, and try to negotiate different conditions in order to free Joao in January.

There has always been a strong intention on the player's part to leave because he wants to play more, feel like a protagonist and not rotate in Simeone's ideas with whom the relationship is almost broken.

Even Chelsea in the first chats with Mendes had never been convinced to invest those figures for a loan move, also because Mason Mount is in that role for the present and Christopher Nkunku for the future.

But after the continuous injuries of recent weeks which have also been joined by Raheem Sterling and Christian Pulisic, Chelsea have decided to speed up the negotiations for Joao Felix so as to support Graham Potter who is experiencing a more than difficult moment at the helm of the team.

The agreement is really at the final stages; a loan until June 30 for a package exceeding €11m plus full coverage of Joao's salary until the end of the current season.

So Chelsea approached Atletico Madrid's requests and got the green light of the player who dreamed of the Premier League as a priority move, he has never been close to Paris Saint-Germain despite rumours and now awaits the final steps of this deal to fly to London, undergo medical tests and be unveiled as new Chelsea star.

So far, a buy option clause has not been discussed by the two clubs and so the plan of a straight loan could proceed until June; certainly, Felix's priority is to leave Madrid and Chelsea were looking for a new jolt of energy and quality in attack. Ready to arrive from Spain...

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

January 11, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

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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: Benfica Stance Clear As Chelsea Pursue Enzo Fernandez

Enzo Fernandez was the protagonist of one of the most incredible stories of recent years in the transfer market, on and off the pitch.

Because Benfica's Argentine star remains at the center of a future yet to be clarified; but what has happened in recent months around Enzo Fernandez is full of surprises that really never end

It sounds incredible to think that a few months ago, in August, Benfica was the only club open to invest serious money on Enzo: he wasn't an unknown talent or in uncommon leagues, he was one of Marcelo Gallardo's River Plate stars who made history for years in South America.

Yet, the French, Italian and English clubs that wanted him never concluded the deal. Benfica took a risk with an investment of €10m guaranteed fee plus €8m in add-ons, with taxes too.

Just four months later, Enzo is the best young player in the World Cup thanks to fantastic performances with Argentina and the release clause included in his contract that seemed crazy in the summer... becomes a serious reality: €120m, this is the price to pay to have Enzo already in January.

On this point, the president of Benfica Manuel Rui Costa put his face to it: in public but also in private, in meetings with the board and managers, he always declared that Enzo could only leave immediately if someone paid €120m, not one euro less.

Impossible to think of lower offers, at least in January.

Many of the clubs following Enzo have decided not to make any official offers given Rui Costa's position: Real Madrid have followed him during performances with Benfica in the Champions League but would never have made a €120m offer in January.

There were many rumours about Liverpool and Manchester United preparing to trigger the release clause: this was totally false, because both Liverpool and Manchester United inquired about the terms of the deal but never took any concrete or official step for €120m .

It's important to remember that Liverpool are focused on Jude Bellingham deal for June, as are Man City and Real Madrid too.

Only one club has been really serious so far: Chelsea initially talked to the player, obtaining a green light from Enzo to move to London as early as January for a long-term contract; then, they discussed with Benfica about possible payment terms for the Enzo Fernandez deal considering that the €120m release clause in a solution would be a problem like for all other clubs.

Benfica and Chelsea have had more than four meetings in the last 10 days; all very long, some very tense, especially the last two on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Because Chelsea have presented only one official bid: €85m guaranteed fee, also with the possibility to include players on loan in the deal in a list of candidates.

Benfica were furious: Manuel Rui Costa had always asked for €120m for the release clause, then the official €85m proposal surprised the Portuguese club who left the negotiation.

The situation has become complicated, because everyone expected to be able to proceed with the negotiations but so far there are still no new meetings scheduled.

So far, in fact; because it is Chelsea that will have to decide how they want to proceed, but Benfica are still very irritated and have reiterated a concept that is valid for the Blues but also for potential other clubs that want to take action in January: €120m or nothing, release clause or no way.

A rare situation that also irritated coach Roger Schmidt who knows well how Enzo Fernandez had by now foretasted a future in the Premier League; now, however, he risks having to wait for the summer, if there is no news soon.

That's why Benfica don't want to start Enzo against Portimonense: the fear is that the fans might be angry with him, but the possibility that he stays until June is serious and Benfica want to protect him from possible problems.

Now everything will depend on Chelsea, but Benfica won't change position by an inch: €120m or nothing, Enzo could stay and the club would offer him a salary improvement until June.

January 9, 2023

Fabrizio

By Fabrizio Romano

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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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Who Are The Richest Owners In Football?

Who are the wealthiest football club owners on the planet? Join @SteTudor123 as he looks at the richest owners in the sport...

1) Public Investment Fund (Newcastle United) - £346bn

No other owner in world football is in the same financial ballpark as Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund that is staggeringly over five times richer than the rest of this list put together.

With that in mind, it’s perhaps a blessing that Financial Fair Play exists, limiting Newcastle’s buying power.

Otherwise the Magpies could conceivably sign any player, from any club, weakening rivals and thereby making the Premier League uncompetitive.

The Toon Army celebrated wildly when the takeover was confirmed. There are three hundred and fifty billion reasons why.

2) Sheikh Mansour (Manchester City) - £16.5bn

City’s Premier League odds are unsurprisingly short this term having won the title four times in the last five years, and such dominance always seemed likely when Sheikh Mansour's Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) purchased a sleeping giant for £200m back in 2008.

An estimated spend of £1.5bn since has brought the club a wealth of trophies along with a substantial rise in status off the pitch.

Indeed, their revenues have quadrupled in that period.

3) Andrea Agnelli (Juventus) - £11.1bn

The passing of Red Bull cofounder Dietrich Mateschitz last October moves the all-powerful Agnelli family into third, as well as taking Salzburg, Leipzig and the like off this list as technically they’re now owned by different factions of the Red Bull empire.

The industrialist Agnelli clan – makers of Ferrari, Fiat and Alfa Romeo – are involved in numerous businesses and it’s Andrea who runs their footballing enterprise, in the form of ensuring the Old Lady competes at the summit of Serie A.

4) Dietmar Hopp (Hoffenheim) - £10.7bn

Having made his fortune in software and data processing, Hopp has personally invested an estimated third of a billion pounds into the German outfit, who languished in the third-tier when he took the reins.

Hoffenheim may be unable to dislodge Bayern Munich from its well-established perch but they are unquestionably one of the richest clubs in world soccer.

5) Philip Anschutz (LA Galaxy) - £8.2bn

With the sad passing of Mateschitz, and Roman Abramovich selling on Chelsea, Anschutz finds himself the fifth wealthiest owner of a club so perhaps it’s odd that so little is known about a businessman whose first venture was selling Kool-Aid to students at a nearby campus.

An appraisal of his business interests explains why he is so difficult to pin down because there isn’t much the 83-year-old is not involved in. Energy, sport, entertainment, railroads, real estate, newspapers.

Anschutz is a major player in each.

6) Stan Kroenke (Arsenal, Colorado Rapids) - £7.2bn

Having ridden out a takeover bid last year, the American billionaire remains firmly at the helm in North London, a fact that doesn’t sit well with Gooners, who are critical of a perceived under-investment in their club.

Can you really blame them when you tot up all the noughts on his personal worth?

7) Nasser Al-Khelaifi (PSG) - £6.6bn

In the Seventies, Paris Saint-Germain were an unremarkable club who seemed to permanently reside mid-table in Ligue 1.

A generation on, they are among the favourites each season in the football betting to lift the Champions League while up front they boast a striking trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.

So much of their rise is naturally down to the eyewatering sums ploughed into the club by Al-Khelaifi, head of Qatar Sports Investments.

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

FIRST PUBLISHED: 10th January 2023

January 10, 2023

Football

By Stephen Tudor

https://twitter.com/SteTudor123">

Body

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