Tag: Spain

Barcelona targeting Marcus Rashford as Sergio Aguero replacement

More reports from Spain now claim that Barcelona are paying attention to Marcus Rashford’s situation at Manchester United and are considering him as a replacement for Sergio Aguero.

Sergio Aguero announced his retirement in a press conference on Wednesday at the Camp Nou after missing a month of action due to heart related issues.

The striker clutched his chest after challenging for a ball with Deportivo Alaves defender Victor Laguardia back in October and had to be led out of the pitch.

Further testing showed that Aguero has heart arrhythmia and after some more weeks of monitoring, the Argentine was advised to call it quits on his stellar professional career.

Barcelona, who he featured for only four times, is now left without a striker. The Spanish giants were already in the market for a back up striker but the latest developments now mean that they are stepping up their search for a replacement for Aguero.

Mundo Deportivo reports that Marcus Rashford is the new name on Barcelona’s list. He joins Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Edinson Cavani, Timo Werner, Ferran Torres among others as potential transfer targets for January.

Rashford agreed to Barcelona move in 2018

According to a 2020 report by Mundo Deportivo, Marcus Rashford spoke to Barcelona who were at the time looking for a long-term replacement for Luis Suarez back in 2018.

The striker, 20 at the time, had agreed to the deal but later pulled out due to fears of fitting in with Barcelona’s super star-studded team at the time.

Barcelona reportedly did not stop monitoring the England international but never made a concrete move for him. With Aguero gone, his name has been pushed up the potential transfer options list by President Joan Laporta.

Rashford has a little over 18 months on his current contract and has, in the past, talked about joining the Catalan club if the opportunity arises.

Arsenal told to stay away from Anthony Martial

Elsewhere, Arsenal have been warned by former Aston Villa captain Gabriel Agbonlahor to stay away from wantaway Manchester United striker, Anthony Martial.

The Frenchman has struggled for game-time at Manchester United for two seasons and is no longer looking to convince anyone at the club about his qualities, choosing instead to try his luck elsewhere.

Many clubs are interested in the 26-year-old including Atlético de Madrid and Arsenal, but the Gunners have been specifically warned by Agbonlahor to steer clear of Martial as he would present another Nicolas Pepe-like problem for them.

“There’s something about Martial that I don’t really like,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider.

“He turns up for one game but then misses three games. You could have another Pepe on your hands, I’d stay away from that if I was Arsenal.

“He’d probably be sulking if he went to Arsenal after being at Man United. I just don’t see that one happening.”

Neymar signs deal with Facebook

Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil star Neymar announced on his Instagram and Facebook pages that he is joining Facebook Gaming as an exclusive streamer of content.

Outside being an incredible footballer, Neymar is also a big character which makes him one of the most commercially appealing footballers in the world.

The 29-year-old has several endorsements of his name and brand and Facebook through their gaming platfo, Facebook Gaming, are the latest to partner with the Brazilian superstar.

In a video announcing the new partnership, Neymar said:

“You know one of my favourite things is playing and streaming games. Now it’s official. I’m the newest Facebook Gaming creator.”

In a statement released later, he said: “I’m very happy to partner with Facebook Gaming on my livestreams!

“The gaming world has always been one of my greatest passions after football, and I can barely wait to hang out and have fun with everyone who also shares this passion.”

Neymar will go live on Facebook Gaming on Thursday 17 December for his over 254 million followers on Facebook and Instagram.

The PSG man, currently recuperating from an ankle injury he suffered two weeks ago, will be streaming games often as Facebook Gaming seeks to harness his star power to challenge other streaming platforms like Twitch.

As a way to give back to his fans, he will also be streaming once a month with a randomly selected fan while interacting with them.

This announcement just comes after Netflix announced with a trailer, a three-part documentary on Neymar’s career titled, “Neymar: The Perfect Chaos”.

The documentary, produced by LeBron James’ production outfit SpringHill Co., will begin airing on Netflix from January 25 2022.

PSG to use Neymar in bizarre swap deal for Barcelona midfielder

Meanwhile, reports have come out of Spain about PSG looking to include Neymar in a deal to bring Frenkie De Jong to Parc De Princes from Camp Nou.

El Nacional claims that PSG will be willing to pay €50 million with Neymar for the midfielder’s services at the end of the season.

Barcelona’s financial troubles means that the club could be open to selling any player. Frenkie De Jong is one of the most important and, by virtue of that importance, highly paid in the Barcelona squad.

Unconfirmed reports also claim that Frenkie De Jong is not high on Xavi Hernandez’ list which could make the sale all the more feasible as the Barcelona manager seeks to shake up his squad which he has described as having “psychological issues”.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have previously shown interest in De Jong who Barcelona value at €90 million. They are now trying again to secure his services now that his future at the Camp Nou is no longer as certain as it was a season ago.

John De Jong had earlier mentioned to the media that Europe’s biggest clubs had reached out to him concerning his son’s availability during the summer but no definite answer was given.

However, PSG’s reported willingness to let Neymar go as part of a deal for De Jong shows signs that the Parisiens have had enough of Neymar and are looking to build for the future.

Sergio Aguero announces retirement from from football

In a very emotional press conference at Camp Nou on Wednesday, Sergio Aguero announced that he will be leaving professional football behind.

The former Barcelona striker fought back tears as he made the announcement which the football world had been expecting for the past two months.

The 33-year-old joined Barcelona on a two-year contract after 10 trophy-laden years at Manchester City on July 1 2021 following an agreement reached May 31 2021.

He only played four matches for the club; two as a substitute and two as a starter. It was on his last start for the club that he felt discomfort in his chest after challenging for the ball with Deportivo Alaves defender Victor LaGuardia and had to be taken off.

It was later revealed that he had suffered a cardiac arrhythmia which was supposed to rule him out for three months.

Following several tests, it was reported that Aguero’s doctors had advised the player to give up professional football for the sake of his weak heart.

Spanish journalist Gerard Romero first broke the news of the Argentine striker’s retirement in November 202 2021, about a month into his recovery period, claiming that the striker would have a press conference the following week to announce it.

After a few more weeks of dread, the Manchester City icon finally put to bed every speculation and retired from the sport.

“I wasn’t bad, right?”

“I have decided to stop playing professional football,” the Copa America winner began, speaking to an audience that had in attendance friends, family, the entirety of Barcelona’s squad and staff, as well as representatives from his former clubs, most notably Pep Guardiola.

“When they did the first test in the clinic, the medical staff called to tell me there was a very big possibility that I wouldn’t be able to keep playing.

“I was still processing everything when one of the doctors told me straight up, `That´s enough.´”

There were many memories shared, praises showered and questions asked of the player of his future which he answered shyly but with a forced smile.

He ended his conference by saying: “I wasn’t bad, right? That’s what they tell me.”

Praise for the genius of Aguero

Fans, players, coaches, teams and prominent football personalities have taken to social media to wish Aguero well ahead of his retirement.

Pep Guardiola had previously praised him as one of the greatest Argentine footballers, comparing him to Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.

After announcing the end of his time with Manchester City back in March, Guardiola said in a press conference before a Premier League game: “Maradona conquered Italy, Messi did it in Spain, and Aguero has done it in England, his numbers speak for themselves.”

The manager who moulded Aguero into a more rounded striker flew with City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain to be there for his most prolific number 9’s final moments as a professional footballer.

Lionel Messi pays moving tribute to Aguero

Aguero signed for Barcelona with the hopes of playing with Messi at club level. That was not meant to be, however, as his national team captain moved to PSG not long after his arrival.

Messi has taken to Instagram in a lengthy post to reminisce on their time together on the pitch for Argentina and against each other as club opponents.

“Practically a whole career together, Kun, Messi’s post began. “We lived very beautiful moments, and others that were not so – all of them made us unite more and more and be more friends, and we are going to continue living them together outside the field.

“With the great joy of lifting the Copa America so little ago, with all the achievements you achieved in England. The truth is that now it hurts a lot to see how you have to stop doing what you like the most because of what happened to you.

“Surely you will continue to be happy because you are a person who transmits happiness and those of us who love you will be with you. Now a new stage of your life begins and I am convinced that you are going to live it with a smile and with all the illusion that you put into everything.

“All the best in this new stage! I love you a lot friend, I’m going to miss being with you on the pitch a lot and when we get together with the national team!”

Barcelona plan swoop for Chelsea stars

The player contract situation at Chelsea is no longer news but new possible destinations keep emerging for their wantaway stars.

Latest reports from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo claims that the European champions could be losing three of their star players to Barcelona in the transfer market.

Club captain Cesar Azpilicueta who has been a Barcelona target since his contract situation was made public is now possibly going to be joined by Real Madrid prime target Antonio Rudiger and United States men’s national team captain, Christian Pulisic.

Mundo Deportivo reports that these names have been submitted to Joan Laporta by Xavi Hernandez as he seeks to rebuild the confidence of his squad with additions that will spark a renaissance.

The defensive duo of Azpilicueta and Rudiger are refusing to sign new deals at Stamford Bridge with their contracts both expiring this summer. Pulisic, on the other hand, is a loan target as the American is looking for more playing time ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar next December.

Injuries have also kept Pulisic out of action for most of the season as the 23-year-old has only played six Premier League games this season. Despite being fit and available for a good run of games, he has now found it difficult to seal a starting berth in Thomas Tuchel’s side.

While Azpilicueta could arrive Barcelona on a free and Pulisic could arrive on loan, Rudiger’s chances of donning the blaugrana colours next season are significantly lower.

The defender is demanding around £400,000-a-week to sign any contract and only Real Madrid looks ready to match his demands.

Eden Hazard to Chelsea looking possible

Elsewhere, former Blues star Eden Hazard could be returning to the club where he became the global superstar he is today.

Hazard has found life difficult since moving to “dream club” Real Madrid two-and-a-half years ago. He has struggled with injuries, poor form and other factors which have kept him from reaching his best.

Real Madrid are currently exploring every avenue to get rid of the 30-year-old who they have considered a flop and a return to Chelsea is one option they have been considering.

That move seems to be a lot more probable right now as latest reports from Spanish outlet El Nacional strongly claim that a deal involving Hazard could see him leave Real Madrid for Chelsea in January.

Real Madrid have their eyes on 28-year-old defender Rudiger who will be free to move to whatever club he wants to from January, and rumours from various sources claim that a swap deal for both players could see them move across borders.

Roman Abramovich furious at Madrid’s pursuit of Rudiger

Even more reports have claimed that despite Chelsea’s director Marina Granovskaia looking at ways to being Eden Hazard back to the club following the possible loans of Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, club owner Roman Abramovich is looking to pull the plug.

Abramovich is reportedly displeased by how Real Madrid are going after Rudiger and sees the Hazard deal as a way to punish Los Blancos for their moves on his player.

The Spanish giants have been discussing with Sahr Senesie, Rudiger’s brother and agent for the past few weeks and have even reached certain agreements on the financial implications of the transfer.

Abramovich is also reported to be unhappy with Rudiger for not giving Chelsea a chance for discussions and going ahead to agree informal terms with Madrid.

Abramovich could now pull out of the Hazard deal out of spite if Rudiger’s departure from Stamford bridge happens.

Pedri: I would have played for Real Madrid

Pedri was honoured with the European Golden boy award in Turin on Saturday and the Barcelona midfielder admitted that Real Madrid helped him become the player he is today.

Pedri Gonzalez is the young midfielder the whole world is looking at right now, but his latest revelations have come as a surprise to fans of the Barcelona midfielder.

It is rare to hear or read of any Barcelona player who mentions Real Madrid as an influence in their career following the decades old rivalry between the two biggest clubs in Spain (and the world).

However, the Kopa Trophy winner has spoken of how his time with Los Blancos at the start of his career almost manifested into something more but for strange weather.

Pedri told Tuttosport after collecting his European golden boy award about how he could have been playing for his current club’s biggest rivals.

“When I was 15 years old they [Real Madrid] called me for a trial, but that day there was huge snowfall and it had to be postponed,” Pedri began

“The next day, I took part in some light training with the academy side. Maybe they already had their idea about me, so I went back to Tenerife. However, I would not have rejected Madrid.

“Opportunities must be seized, however they come. Let’s just say something happened, a combination of negative circumstances, and they were the ones that didn’t want to sign me.”

“I am at the best club in the world,” Pedri says

The 19-year-old is currently injured and has barely featured for Barcelona this season, but believes his teammates can turn things around soon.

The Canarian started his career at Juventud Laguna before joining Las Palmas’s academy in 2018. By 2019, he was already a first team player for Las Palmas, at the age of 16.

His episode with Real Madrid happened before Las Palmas, however, but it was with the Canaries that he started getting noticed by several clubs.

Less than a year after the Spanish international signed a four-year contract with Las Palmas, Barcelona came knocking and on September 2 2019, reached an agreement for Pedro’s transfer in the summer of 2020 for €5 million.

He officially made his debut on September 7 2020, replacing Philippe Coutinho in a 4–0 home win against Villarreal in LaLiga.

Despite his admission of being open to a career with Real Madrid, the teenager has claimed that Barcelona was his dream all along.

“Being at Barcelona is a dream for me,” he said after the European golden boy awards. “This is the best club in the world.

Pedri also noted the club’s current struggles. “Though, we must start to show that on the pitch and lead Barça to glory, which we deserve,” he added.

“I am at the club I’ve always wanted to be at. For that I thank president Joan Laporta. It is a club I love and one that gives me maximum happiness.”

Pedri makes Barcelona happy, Cryuff says

Barcelona sports director Jordi Cruyff was one of the Barcelona entourage at the event with Pedri and Barcelona Femeni forward Lieke Martens who won the Golden woman award.

He gave an interview to journalists after the event and stated that the club was very happy with the youngster. “Pedri has personality,” Cryuff said. “He has shown it at a big club with pressure.

“He asks for the ball in difficult situations and has a great future. He deserves the award. He makes his family happy and Barcelona happy.”

Pedri beat Jude Bellingham by a record-breaking 199 points to the award and is the first player out of Barcelona to win the trophy since Cesc Fabregas in 2006.

Real Madrid midfielder Isco Alarcon is the only other Spanish player to have collected the award since its inception in 2003.

Florentino Perez calls West Ham offer for Eden Hazard ‘offensive’; throws bid out

West Ham United have made a £21 million bid for Real Madrid flop Eden Hazard and Los Blancos have thrown the bid out, terming it offensive.

Hazard joined Real Madrid from Chelsea after winning the 2018/19 Europa League title for £140 million in total as their most expensive signing ever.

However, injuries, illness and a serious drop in form has hampered Hazard’s time at Santiago Bernabeu that the club now have no option but to count and cut their losses on the Belgian.

Spanish outlet El Nacional reports that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, who craved Hazard for so long, is now “fed up” with the 30-year-old and will welcome bids for the player.

Still, he was irked at the “cheeky” bid from West Ham, considering it too low and offensive for a player that was worth over £100 million two seasons ago.

The Belgium national team captain has only started 25 games of the 40 LaLiga games he has played for the club in his two-and-a-half seasons as a Real Madrid player. In total, he has played 55 times for Madrid in that time, scoring only five goals and providing only nine assists.

He has also failed to win over Carlo Ancelotti, who took over Los Blancos this season for the second time in his coaching career.

Despite being relatively injury-free this campaign, he has only started five times under the Italian — four in LaLiga and one in the UEFA Champions League — and is very far down the pecking order at the club, sometimes being benched for youngsters from Castilla.

Hazard will not leave Madrid for less than £48 million

El Nacional have reported that Perez is willing to listen to offers of £48 million and above for the Belgian, who he’s looking to offload as soon as possible to make space for some more marquee signings.

Real Madrid are also open to a loan move for Hazard in January to keep him fit and fresh as they prepare to offload him in the summer.

Hazard has not started a game for Real Madrid since September 28 and has not made an appearance for Los Merengues since November 6.

Ancelotti has preferred Vinícius Junior — who has been in brilliant form and is LaLiga’s second highest goalscorer this season — in attack on the left wing.

Marco Asensio has also recovered his lost form and is also staking a claim alongside Rodrygo Goes and the versatile Lucas Vazquez, pushing Hazard even further down the pecking order.

Various Premier League clubs including his former club Chelsea and Saudi-owned Newcastle United have reportedly been alerted to this possibility of taking Hazard on loan.

However, more reports from another Spanish outlet, COPE, claim that Hazard is not only happy at Real Madrid, but is not willing to leave any time soon as he and his wife prepare for the arrival of their fifth child.

Real Madrid receive Erling Haaland boost

One of the marquee signings Florentino Perez is looking to finance with Hazard’s departure from the Santiago Bernabeu is Erling Haaland.

The club has now received a boost in their pursuit of the young striker as Mino Raiola, Haaland’s agent, has come out to state that the club is a possible destination for his client who he claims will most likely be leaving Dortmund next summer.

“Erling can and will take the next step,” said Raiola. “Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, City — these are the big clubs he can go to.

“We will tell Dortmund what our idea is and they will tell us their ideas.

“But no decision will be made in the winter. We always have very open communication with Dortmund.”

Vinicius Jr reiterates desire to stay at Real Madrid amidst €100m transfer speculation

Vinicius Junior has given Real Madrid fans hope for the future as he reiterated a desire to stay at the club amidst transfer speculations.

Vini Jr is in hot form for Real Madrid this season and has become one of the subjects of recent transfer speculation. Speaking ahead of the Madrid derby in LaLiga at the weekend, the Brazilian forward quelled the latest transfer news surrounding him.

The 21-year-old Brazilian prodigy, currently valued at €100 million by Real Madrid and €50 million by football data collection platform Transfermarkt, was asked by Spanish outlet Movistar what he thinks of his valuation and what price he would put on himself.

“Better not to put anything and remain at Real Madrid,” Vinicius answered. “The most important thing for me is to win with the team and win many titles with Real Madrid.”

Vinicius Jr confident of Ballon d’Or nomination in the future

The winger is repaying the trust of Real Madrid in him, who brought him from Flamengo in Brazil to Spain in 2018 for €45 million.

After an underwhelming first three seasons, he has already scored 12 times and provided seven assists in 22 matches across all competitions for Los Blancos this season.

The Brazil international is confident that he can become one of the main candidates for the Ballon d’Or if he keeps these performances up for Real Madrid in Spain and Europe.

“I have to work hard [to win the Ballon d’Or],” Vinicius Jr said when asked by Movistar about his Ballon d’Or chances in the future.

“I have to keep playing here, do things well and always be at my best. If I keep playing like this, of course I can win it, but the main thing for me is to win with the team and win many titles with Real Madrid.”

Carlo Ancelotti praises Vini Jr and Rodrygo for defensive contributions

Vinicius has been impressive in all facets of the game, and not just in attack which is his primary responsibility. Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti singled him and the club’s other Brazilian youngster Rodrygo Goes for praise, calling “unsung defensive heroes” this season.

After a shaky start due to key injuries in the defence, Real Madrid have regained a good balance defensively speaking.

Los Blancos have only conceded 15 times in 16 games this season thanks to a solid defensive pairing of David Alaba and Eder Militão and the heroics of Thibaut Courtois.

However, defence in football begins from the front and Ancelotti has praised both forwards for their contributions to the side’s general defensive record.

“Courtois had a great game against Sevilla, Militao the same,” he told Mundo Deportivo. “Alaba continues playing with a lot of quality, Mendy also.

“That’s after the good work in front of them. Vini Jr, for example, he has stood out for what he has done with the ball, but is also doing very good work without the ball, Rodrygo equally.

“The defensive work of those two helped the team to avoid conceding goals.”

According to stats collection website WhoScored, Vinicius Jr averages 1.5 tackles per game in all competitions. Sofascore puts his statistics for duels won at 51% in all competitions.

Madrid fans will be looking forward to more, and will be hoping that Vinicius Jr makes the Ballon d’Or nominees next season.

Chelsea hapless as defender agrees deal with Spanish giants

Reports have claimed that key centre-back Antonio Rudiger is on his way out of Stamford Bridge after five years at the club as he has reached an informal agreement to join Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer.

The 28-year-old defender and Chelsea have failed to come to an understanding in their contract negotiations, with reports suggesting that Antonio Rudiger is rejecting the club’s offers.

The Germany centre-back is understood to be weighing his options at Chelsea due to receiving more lucrative offers from his home country of Germany as well as Real Madrid, stalling the contract talks with the Blues despite claiming in the past that he would like to continue at the London club.

Real Madrid is now reportedly in pole position to get the UEFA Champions League winner on a free transfer next season to finally replace Sergio Ramos, who left the club at the beginning of this season for Paris Saint-Germain.

According to The Independent, Madrid reached an informal agreement with Rudiger’s brother and agent, Sahr Senesie, for the centre-back’s signature.

Per the reports, negotiations are supposed to begin at the turn of the new year between Rudiger’s entourage and Real Madrid as facilitated by Senesie who met with Los Blancos chiefs a few weeks ago to discuss a potential free transfer for his sibling.

Chelsea now have just under a month to convince Rudiger, who is reported to be looking for a new contract worth £12 million a year, to stay in London or risk losing one of their most important players on a free transfer.

Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern also in the race for Antonio Rudiger

Manchester United’s interim boss Ralf Rangnick is a big fan of the defender and is rumoured to have mentioned him to the hierarchy at Old Trafford as one of his preferred transfer targets.

Rudiger’s agent Senesie is also said to have met with Bayern Munich management bigwigs last week as the German champions look to beat Real Madrid to the negotiations.

Tottenham Hotspur is also under pressure from Antonio Conte to get the German as an addition for their very depleted defence, but the reports claim that not much may come out of this rumoured push for Rudiger by Conte as the defender prefers a move abroad if he leaves Chelsea.

Dilemma for Thomas Tuchel

Thomas Tuchel has come to trust his 28-year-old compatriot who was left frozen out of Frank Lampard’s Chelsea a year ago. Rudiger is one of the players with the most minutes in the squad and his departure would be a major blow for Tuchel.

Tuchel commented on the situation last month: “The situation is the situation. We want him to stay, this is very clear and he knows it. 

“But sometimes in these situations, there is a certain delay and, obviously, there is a delay in these talks and his decision.”

Rudiger is not the only headache Tuchel has currently. While the German will be focused on getting Chelsea back on track after a slight dip in form in the last few games, he’ll be worrying about the contracts of most of his defence.

Trevor Chalobah is his only defender without contract issues, as Andreas Christensen, club captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Thiago Silva are all out of a contract in the summer.

Backup defender Malang Sarr is also looking for a way out as he has found game time hard to come by at Stamford bridge.

Inter Milan confident of landing 25-year-old goalkeeper amidst Barcelona interest

Inter Milan are confident of bringing in-demand goalkeeper, André Onana, from Ajax Amsterdam to San Siro next season despite major interest from Barcelona, according to the latest reports.

André Onana’s contract at Ajax expires in June 2022 and both parties have not come to any conclusions on a contract extension, even though Ajax wants to keep the Cameroonian at the club beyond the summer of 2022.

Onana was the subject of several transfer speculations over the summer including clubs in the Premier League, Serie A and Barcelona, but now looks to be heading to Inter Milan when his time at Ajax is done.

Onana had previously hinted at an exit from the Eredivisie giants last month. Speaking after his return to competitive football with Ajax in their UEFA Champions League match against Besiktas following a doping ban, Onana mentioned that he’s the only one left from the Ajax side who impressed the world four seasons ago.

“When you open a door, at some point you have to close it,” the 25-year-old goalkeeper began. Maybe it is time for me to go. I have done my best for this club and accomplished everything I could. We have won a lot together. When I see the pictures of the Europa League final in 2017, I think I am the last one still here. That was a really great season.”

Inter and Barcelona have remained the most interested in Onana’s services, but the Nerazzurri are now reportedly in pole position to sign Onana on a free next season.

Fabrizio Romano, per Calciomercato, claims that Internazionale have a verbal agreement with the goalkeeper to replace their 37-year-old club captain Samir Handanovich in goal for the next four years. Catalan outlet El Nacional also confirms that Barcelona is facing an uphill task to get their former academy ace back to Camp Nou as Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s replacement.

El Nacional reports that Ter Stegen is being considered for transfer due to the club’s financial situation, and Onana has been earmarked as a potential replacement for the German who is courting interest for the like of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Catalan outlet also claims that Barcelona is looking to use the funds they get from Ter Stegen to fund a transfer for Erling Haaland.

And La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Onana will earn €3 million per year at Inter, although it is not sure if he will immediately take over as the first choice goalkeeper from Samir Handanovic, whose contract at Inter is also in its final stages.

Ajax open to releasing Onana despite hopes of keeping him

Ajax are still hoping they can work out a contract between the club and the Cameroonian international who will be leaving the club for the African Cup of Nations tournament in January, hosted by his home country.

However, the club has stated in the past that they cannot force the goalkeeper to a new contract and will let him leave for free when his current contract expires in June 2022 if he doesn’t sign by then.

“We’ve been very clear. We have been trying to extend his contract for some time. That has not worked out then you allow for him to make a transfer in this past window, that also didn’t work out,” Ajax director of football, Marc Overmars told the club’s media in September.

He added: “You never know in football. But I have to say that, at the moment, I don’t see that [Onana’s contract extension] happening.

“It’s possible but at a certain point it still has to be for a decent sum of money. Otherwise, as I said, we have to go our separate ways. If the offer is not enough, then he’ll leave in July for free.”

Real Valladolid was not first choice for ownership, says Brazilian icon Ronaldo

Brazilian icon and Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, commonly known as Ronaldo, has revealed in his latest interview that Real Valladolid was not on the top of his list when he decided to go into club ownership.

The former striker now turned business mogul said he considered buying football teams in the English Football League Championship and the United States Major League Soccer before turning his sights to LaLiga where he cemented his football legacy with Real Madrid to become the majority stakeholder in Real Valladolid.

Ronaldo decided to go into club ownership after his retirement from football in 2011 following a career that spanned almost two decades in which he represented football’s biggest and best clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and AC Milan; winning several individual awards including the Ballon d’Or and the World Cup golden boot, as well as many trophies including two World Cups.

His first choice was the MLS. “I went to New York and I had a meeting with the MLS president and he presented his ideas,” Ronaldo told The Flow Podcast.

“‘[The MLS President said] You can win all you want but if you don’t have €70m for the franchise, you go nowhere.’. That made me reject that project.”

He then explained on the podcast how he tried to purchase a second-tier English team, only for this plan to hit a stumbling block as well, which forced him to look elsewhere in Europe. 

“I looked a lot, in the [English] Championship but everything was too expensive,” he added.

“The Premier League is a complete success worldwide and so is the Championship, but you had to have £60 million, so I then looked in Portugal and Spain, where the prices were more affordable.”

Ronaldo ended up acquiring a 51 percent majority stake in the Valladolid club three years ago. He now serves as the club president alongside being the owner of the club.

Real Valladolid not a long term venture, claims Ronaldo

Ronaldo, in an interview in March 2021, stated that his ownership of Real Valladolid is not a long term venture as he plans to give it up once he achieves his goals at the club.

The club which he settled for in September 2018 after a long search and whose majority shares cost a total of €30 million is his first foray into club ownership and he sees it as a stepping stone to bigger things.

Ronaldo intends to lead Real Valladolid to a place where they can comfortably challenge for trophies in Spain and for spots in European competitions by the time of his departure.

In the March 2021 feature on Sports Illustrated, Ronaldo said: “I’m not going to stay here forever, because I have other things for the future in my mind.

“But it’s too early to talk about that. I want to make this club much better and bigger than when I got it. After that, let’s see.

“For now, it’s just: Keep working and keep the club in the first division.”

Real Valladolid currently play in the Segunda Division of LaLiga after being relegated last season and are currently fifth in the standings as they look towards promotion for the 2022/23 LaLiga season.