Arteta accused of over-the-top player management following Aubameyang ostracism

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been accused of dictatorial handling of his squad following the recent issues with ex-captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Arteta stripped Aubameyang of the Arsenal captaincy after the 32-year-old Gabon international returned from a sanctioned trip a day later than scheduled. As further punishment, Aubameyang was banished to individual training and training with the under 23 team while also being excluded from the last four Arsenal squads.

Many fans and pundits have praised Arteta’s move to strip the former Borussia Dortmund striker of the captaincy but a few more have come out to criticise Arteta for allowing the punishment to go on as long as it has.

Former Good Morning Britain host and celebrity Arsenal fan, Piers Morgan, was one of the first people to criticise the Spaniard for the measures taken against Aubameyang. Morgan was one of the first to highlight the reason for Aubameyang’s absence and has not stopped in his criticism of Arteta since the incident came to light.

“Shameful decision by Arteta. What a disgusting way to treat a man who went – with the club’s full knowledge & permission – to help his sick mother,” Morgan tweeted on the day Aubameyang was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy.

Morgan’s tweets and criticisms have now sparked some form of public sympathy for the Gabonese striker. Many fans now believe that Arteta’s point has been proven and that the striker should be integrated back into the team.

However, it does not look like Aubameyang will be getting his chance at redemption any time soon as he is also set to be omitted from the Arsenal squad to face Norwich City on Boxing Day.

Arteta urged to give Aubameyang a break by ex-Aston Villa man

Gabriel Agbonlahor is the latest to come out with comments against Arteta’s approach to the issue. The former Aston Villa captain has described the Arsenal manager’s actions as being ‘way over the top.’

Arteta meted out the same treatment to Mesut Ozil, who many believed was frozen out of the squad by Arsenal and Arteta for political reasons after the midfielder publicly criticised the treatment of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province of China.

Agbonlahor, in his recent interview with Football Insider, criticised the way Arteta deals with players in general using the Aubameyang issue as a case study.

“Arteta has done well as a manager but I think his treatment of players can be a bit too wild for me,” he told Football Insider.

“For the offence Aubameyang has committed I think he’s been overly punished. It’s been overkill. You’d think he’d committed a massive crime.

“Stripped of the captaincy might have been overkill but you understand it. Get someone else in there who is always going to obey the rules and not do anything wrong. Aubameyang was never a captain for me, he’s not captain material. No problems with that.

“Miss a game, ok. It’s a bit harsh but you’re ok with that.

“But then you banish him to train on his own is massive overkill. That’s crazy. It’s like Arteta’s on a power trip. They’ve been winning games so he’s thought ‘Ok, I’m just going to keep him out’.

“It’s too much, to be honest. If he’d been caught having a covid party with 100 people enjoying life, partying and drinking, that’s different, I’d understand. He’s gone to get his mum, for goodness sake, give the guy a break.”

“I am not a dictator,” Arteta says in defence of decision

In the press conference ahead of the trip to Norwich, Arteta was asked about the Aubameyang situation and his thoughts on the comments criticising him for ‘taking things too far.’

The 39-year-old former Manchester City assistant manager furiously defended his decisions to the press, saying his actions were about teaching ‘respect and commitment’.

“I do not establish my authority by being dictatorial or ruthless. I just ask for one thing: respect and commitment,” the Arsenal boss said.

“At this level, if I don’t get that, I will pack my bags and go somewhere else because that is the minimum I can ask for.

 

“To be successful you have to be passionate about something and want to represent a club of this size, with its history. That is the minimum standard you have to bring.

“I am not going to ask anybody to put the ball in the top corner every time they hit it, but I will ask them to do the right things every single day for this club.”

 

 

Liverpool emerge as strong conteders to sign Erling Haaland next summer

Erling Haaland has a new potential destination next summer in Liverpool according to new reports.

The Reds’ interest is not a surprise as the striker is the hottest property in world football currently. However, their move for the Norwegian is being influenced by one of their own, Mohamed Salah, who is reported to have made this transfer request to the club’s hierarchy.

Mohamed Salah is currently discussing a contract extension at Anfield and one of his conditions is the strengthening of the Liverpool squad with the Borussia Dortmund man.

After two seasons with the club, Haaland’s contract buyout clause of €75 million will come into effect in June 2022. Many clubs including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus will be expected to try and outbid each other for Haaland’s signature.

Sky Deutschland now claims that Salah has asked Liverpool to beef up their squad in order to make the team even more competitive in the future, and is pointing at Haaland as an option.

Hence, Liverpool have now inserted themselves in the race for the 21-year-old former Red Bull Salzburg man and are leading it – together with PSG who could be losing star man Kylian Mbappe this summer – as they seek to make Mohamed Salah happy.

Jurgen Klopp was asked if Liverpool had any interest in Haaland back in August. “Sooner or later, [Haaland] will be on the agenda of the big clubs,” Klopp told Bild, who asked him the question at an interview.

“I don’t know if it will be next year, but Dortmund will have to face it. I don’t have his phone number. He is just a very interesting player. I like his energy, but he will be observed by most teams.”

Liverpool, however, do not have the financial capabilities as many of the clubs in the race for the striker, but they are reportedly willing to do what they can to pull off the signing for the sake of Mo Salah’s contract signing.

Liverpool urged to let go of Salah for Haaland instead

Meanwhile, Liverpool have been urged to allow Salah to leave Anfield to be able to secure the funds needed to bring Haaland to Anfield in his stead.

His buyout clause of €75 million is a bargain in comparison to the market valuation of Salah himself. The Egyptian, 29, is going to be on the wrong side of 30 by the end of his current contract and Andy Goldstein of talkSPORT has urged the Reds to cash in on Salah right now for the long-term option of Haaland.

 

Salah and Haaland’s form in front of goal has been comparable since the young striker rose to prominence in 2018 with Salzburg. However, while Age is on Haaland’s side to keep going, Salah could be fading out soon, per Goldstein.

Speaking on talkSPORT Drivetime, he said: “Mohamed Salah is one of, if not the best player in the world right now. There’s no doubt about that.

“But Haaland’s 21, Salah’s 29. Apart from Messi and Ronaldo, it’s very rare you get a player that when they become the best player in the world, they stay there for a long, long time – like Luka Modric.

“I don’t think Salah will continue these numbers… for him to continue this as he gets older is going to be very difficult… I’d say it’s a no-brainer.”

Salah, however, wants to retire at Liverpool. “If you ask me, I would love to stay until the last day of my football career, but I can’t say much about that – it’s not in my hands,” Salah told Sky Sports earlier in the season.

“It depends on what the club want, not on me.

“At the moment I can’t see myself ever playing against Liverpool. That would make me sad. It’s hard, I don’t want to talk about it, but it would make me really sad.

“At the moment I don’t see myself playing against Liverpool but let’s see what will happen in the future.”

 

Chelsea to contend with unnamed Middle-Eastern club for Thiago Silva

Chelsea are facing a potential stumbling block in their race to renew Thiago Silva’s deal beyond the summer in the form of an unnamed middle eastern club.

Chelsea have begun discussions with the 37-year-old defender whose body language seems positive, according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano who announced via his Twitter page that Thiago Silva’s Chelsea future was “not in doubt”.

The new deal, if signed, will keep the Brazilian at Stamford Bridge for one more summer.

However, this move is now being challenged by a very lucrative offer from a club in the middle east to Thiago Silva.

Transfer insider, Ian McGarry, revealed this on his podcast, The Transfer Window Podcast. “It is our information that we have obtained here at the Transfer Window that Thiago Silva has a significant financial offer to continue his career in the Middle East,” he said.

“Which of course in terms of money would be attractive because it would be tax-free and the leagues of course are not overly competitive.

“But Silva himself is extremely competitive.”

Meanwhile, Duncan Castles, speaking on the same episode of the podcast where Ian McGarry revealed the real situation of things with Chelsea and Thiago Silva, claimed that Chelsea could allow the defender leave.

According to Castles, the Blues will only allow the defender leave on one condition. The condition is if the Brazilian expresses a wish to quit the club.

“I would be surprised if Chelsea allowed him [Thiago Silva] to leave easily,” Castles told the Transfer Window Podcast.

“Obviously, if the offer is so substantial that it’s difficult for them to match and they put it to Thiago Silva that you are going to have to take less money if you want to remain in the top tier of European football, then perhaps they will allow him to go if that’s his wish.”

Chelsea hoping to speed up transfer for Kounde; Borussia Dortmund inquire about Ziyech

Elsewhere, Chelsea are making moves to sign long-term defensive target, Jules Kounde, from Sevilla. The Blues reportedly have an agreement in place to sign the player in the summer, but new reports that the club is exploring options to sign him in January have emerged.

Chelsea is not expected to be busy in the January window but the new reports now suggest otherwise, as Kounde himself is reportedly also pushing for the move to happen in January.

Duncan Castles believes that all that stands between Kounde and a January move to Stamford Bridge is the agreement of a transfer fee before the window is up.

Chelsea could also be receiving a bid from Borrusia Dortmund for Hakim Ziyech.

Erling Haaland is all but officially done with BVB and in the summer, should be moving on to another club. Dortmund, who are trying to keep the Norwegian at the club by offering him double of his current salary are also preparing for the event that Haaland leaves.

Ziyech has emerged as a replacement for the striker according to latest reports.

Barcelona and AC Milan are reportedly eyeing a move for the former Ajax forward and now, Dortmund are throwing their hat in the ring for the Morrocan according to Italian outfit, Calciomercato.

Ziyech has failed to impress at Stamford Bridge to the chagrin of fans. Speaking about Ziyech last month, manager Thomas Tuchel said: “I think there is space to improve in his decision making, connections on the pitch, where to be more consistent. 

“We always rely on his work rate, counter-pressing and awareness. It is a huge part of his performances.

“He can still be more clinical and maybe grow more into the rhythm, but I think his shoulder injury hurt him a lot.”

Arsenal and Manchester City target makes demands of clubs coming for his signature

Fiorentina striker, Dusan Vlahovic has made some demands that may see him spend more time than he would like in Fiorentina.

The Serbian hotshot’s demands coupled with Fiorentina’s valuation of the striker has put him in danger of being priced out of a January move to the Premier League.

Vlahovic reportedly wants to earn £200,000-a-week – after tax – wherever he ends up, and Fiorentina wants nothing less than £70 million for the striker who is still under contract at the club until 2023.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City have been heavily linked with a swoop for the 21-year-old ex-Partizan Belgrade forward.

Manchester City lost Ferran Torres to Barcelona recently and will be needing a replacement. However, City boss Pep Guardiola has come out on Thursday to cut the links to Vlahovic, claiming that the club is not replacing Torres in January.

City are still linked to Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, however, which could be the reason that Guardiola has come out with the statement.

Premier League clubs unwilling to match Fiorentina and Vlahovic demands

Vlahovic has reportedly rejected a new deal at Fiorentina as he seeks new challenges and a title-winning project.

Manchester City is the club with the strongest financial standing to pull off the deal for Vlahovic in January. But with Guardiola’s statement, the door of opportunity for other interested clubs is now wider.

Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea are all interested in the 21-year-old but are equally reluctant to alter their respective wage structures to accommodate Vlahovic’s demands.

Outside the Premier League, Juventus and Internazionale are the only Serie A clubs with a reported interest in the Serbian.

Juventus are also struggling with their current wage caps and may not be able to find the funds to take Vlahovic from Fiorentina in January. Meanwhile, Inter is only monitoring the situation to see what they may be able to get out of it if the other clubs fail to land the striker.

Manchester City make serious enquiries about Haaland

Elsewhere, Spanish outlet Sport has reported that City have gone ahead to make serious enquiries about bringing Erlina Haaland to the Etihad.

The Citizens have played without an out-and-out striker in two seasons. They tried to rectify it by going after Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane but failed, instead spending the £100 million budget set aside for Kane on Jack Grealish.

They will also be losing Ferran Torres, who has played in the striker role to great effect since signing from Valencia in 2020, to Barcelona in a couple of days.

It is now understood that City is not willing to lose out on a player as valuable as Haaland following their transfer failures.

The striker’s transfer demands as well as his club’s and agent’s demands make the deal a bit of a hassle for all clubs involved, including City. However, they’re willing to make it work.

City’s bid will also be helped by the fact that Real Madrid, the only other club to make a serious enquiry for Haaland so far, is more focused on signing Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe.

New striker target emerges in former Eintracht Frankfurt star for Barcelona

Another new transfer target has emerged for Barcelona in former Eintracht Frankfurt striker, Sebastien Haller, as they seek solutions to their striker crisis.

The news broke early in the month but there was nothing to it until Spanish outlet El Nacional and Okdiario‘s chief pundit Eduardo Inda both confirmed it early this week.

Inda went on popular Spanish football show El Chiringuito to mention that Xavi Hernandez, the Barcelona manager, likes the striker, whose form has seen him grab all the headlines and attention of many clubs across Europe.

El Nacional also claimed that Barcelona president Joan Laporta is in negotiations with the striker for a summer move from his current club, Ajax Amsterdam, where he is currently enjoying the best season of his career.

Haller is currently the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League top scorer, with 10 goals from six group stage games. The 27-year-old also has the same amount of goals in the Eredivisie, with 12 goals in 17 league appearances for Ajax.

El Nacional claims that Haller became an option after Barcelona’s prime long-term striker targets – Erling Haaland, Dušan Vlahović and Alexander Isak – turned out to be too expensive for the Catalans to pursue in their current state.

Edinson Cavani looks to be on his way to Barcelona as a short term replacement for Sergio Aguero, who retired earlier in the month following a heart issue he suffered playing for Barcelona in October. The club have also agreed to a €55 million deal with Manchester City to sign Ferran Torres, who can also take up the central striker role despite not being a natural striker.

The reports state that Barcelona will only have to spend in excess of €40 million to Ajax if Haller decides to sign for them, which is a much lesser fee than what could be paid for any of the three long-term options of Haaland, Vlahović or Isak.

 

Ajax, however, have ruled out any January moves for the striker as he is integral to their season.

Dembele chooses Barcelona; Manchester United to block Cavani move to Camp Nou

Fresh reports claim that Ousmane Dembele has finally made a decision on his Barcelona future. The Frenchman has chosen to continue at Camp Nou despite his entourage wanting a fresh start for the winger.

The 24-year-old has been in talks with Barcelona over his contract situation for months now with no visible light at the end of the tunnel. Dembele has now lit up the path but the details are yet to be confirmed.

Elsewhere, reports are now claiming that Manchester United will block Edinson Cavani’s move to Barcelona in January.

The 34-year-old has reportedly agreed on personal terms with the Catalan giants and all looks set for the former PSG man to don the Blaugrana from January 2022, but United have decided to keep him as a backup because of the COVID cases spiralling out of control in the Premier League.

Manchester United instead prefer to let Anthony Martial go, which could throw a spanner in Barcelona’s plans.

Ghost games to return to Germany as COVID restriction are put back in place

In a move that many fans have dreaded but expected, Germany has finally imposed COVID restrictions on all sports in the country from December 28. This means that the Bundesliga will be resuming on January 7, 2022, to empty stadiums like in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons.

The new restrictions are due to the Omicron variant tearing through all facets of life in Europe, and with that variant of COVID being a hyper-resistant variant of the virus, the German authorities have been forced to take this decision.

It is not clear how long these new restrictions will last, but fans will have to do away with their season tickets for the rest of the season and cheer their clubs from behind various screens.

The Premier League is currently debating postponing their ongoing season to also tackle a surge in cases within clubs and fan bases. Earlier in the week, the board of Premier League chose against postponing the season but Daily Mail reports that this decision did not go down well with quite a few players, captains and club staff.

A call has now been scheduled to explain the reasons for the decision to continue the season to the aggrieved parties with a final decision on the next steps to take to prevent the virus from spreading further.

Games continue to get postponed by the Premier League regardless, piling up the fixtures in the coming weeks for the clubs. Liverpool vs Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Watford are the latest games to be postponed, giving fans who have chosen to spend their Boxing Day holiday cheering their clubs a new headache to deal with.

With respect to the ongoing pandemic, the news from Germany is not all bleak, Vaccination rates are going up among clubs and fans, which could lead to some positive news in the near future.

New Restrictions to hit Bundesliga clubs hard

 

Explaining the decision, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “I can understand anyone who doesn’t want to hear about the coronavirus, mutations and new virus variants. But we cannot and must not turn a blind eye to this next wave.”

 

 

Scholz will meet with Germany’s 16 state governors on January 7, the day the Bundesliga resumes, to review the measures. While the Bundesliga will not be as hit yet because the league is currently on break, club bosses have already cried out about the potential implications of another lockdown on their clubs’ finances.

1. FC Köln managing director, Alexander Wehrle, stated that his club stood to lose €1.8 million for every match played behind closed doors. Bayern Munich officials claim that they will be losing between €4 million to €5 million per home game.

 

 

Barcelona seals Ferran Torres deal for €55 million

Barcelona and Manchester City have agreed an initial €55m (£46.7m) deal for Spanish forward Ferran Torres to move from the Etihad to the Camp Nou with additional clauses that could take the fee to €65m.

Ferran Torres is expected to travel to Barcelona in the coming days to complete a medical and will sign for Barcelona for the next five seasons. This news contradicts Barcelona’s widely publicised financial issues, which almost prevented the club from having enough players to compete in LaLiga this season.

The 21-year-old has been a target of the Catalan club for quite some time now, including the season he moved to Manchester City from Valencia. Barcelona still did not lose interest in the player after he signed for the Manchester side and chased his signature throughout the season.

Following injuries to all of Barcelona’s forward line, he, alongside Manchester City teammates Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva, as well as many other attackers, was in the news as names Barcelona were monitoring to help deal with the crisis at the club.

Ferran Torres had not featured for City since late September after suffering a foot injury while on international duty with Spain but still continued to be on Barcelona’s radar. His impressive form which saw him start City’s first six games of the 2021/22 Premier League season as well as all of Spain’s international games until his injury also contributed to his stock staying as high as it did.

The Spain international currently has seven goals from 11 appearances for club and country this season and will now have the opportunity to continue his fine form in another league when he recovers from his injury in January.

The 21-year-old’s signing will come as good news to the Barcelona community who have just lost Sergio Aguero. The veteran striker who was only signed for free this season after 10 years at Manchester City, had to cut his professional career short following a heart condition which he suffered playing in Blaugrana colours.

Pep Guardiola, Manchester City manager, values Torres’ contribution at City but has placed a few names ahead of him in his team considerations for each game. Marca reports that Guardiola sanctioned Torres’ move to his former side, considering the €55 million fee a good return for a player who cost the club €27m (£24.5m) in August 2020.

Barcelona to finance Torres’ deal with loan

Barcelona is reportedly going to be adding to their debt portfolio to finance the deal with Manchester City for Ferran Torres.

BBC reports that the Spanish club are able to fund the deal despite their current financial troubles thanks to a recent bank loan. The club will need to offload some players if they are to register the forward in January in compliance with LaLiga’s financial fair play regulations. Sergio Aguero’s exit from the club, however, has freed up some money for Torres’ salary.

Barca’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, is reported by GOAL to have led the discussions with the player, who had previously told Guardiola that he would like to return to Spain. Valencia will receive 10 percent of the transfer fee Barcelona will pay for Torres, in compliance with the forward’s transfer clause from the Mestalla to the Etihad.

Barcelona’s initial bids of €45 million and €50 million were turned down by City who valued the youngster at €70 million. Xavi Hernandez’s keenness to bring him to Camp Nou led Barcelona’s negotiating team to raise their offer

Torres will be giving up Champions League football and a potential second-ever league title as he will be departing the Etihad with Manchester City top of the table. He will be joining a Barcelona side who have struggled this season but are now coming into a good run of form to fight for a top-four spot and to play in the Europa League.

Manchester City may request a swap deal for Torres, reports say

Many Barcelona first-team players are reportedly up for sale as the club looks to reduce its wage bill and offset debts. One such player is former Ajax Amsterdam star Frenkie De Jong, who is valued by Barcelona in the region of the fee which the Catalans will be paying for Ferran Torres.

Spanish outlet El Nacional reports that Barcelona and Manchester City may explore the possibility of a direct swap which will involve no fees exchanged as City have also been long-term admirers of the Netherlands international.

Regardless of the reports from El Nacional, Manchester City could do with the money as they have transfer ambitions of their own to fulfill.

Ferran Torres has been used by Guardiola mostly in the central striker role despite not being a natural central striker. The club is said to be bullish on signing one this summer, and Borussia Dortmund man Erling Haaland is their top target.

The fee paid for Torres could go towards financing this deal, as Haaland will be available for €75 million this summer.

 

Social Media abuse made me quit Arsenal, says Willian

Willian has opened up about the circumstances surrounding his exit from Arsenal at the beginning of the season.

Social media abuse targeted at Willian, his former clubs and his family contributed to the major reason why the Brazilian chose to leave the Emirates and England for Brazil.

The 33-year-old now lines up for Brazilian Serie A side Corinthians and has been enjoying a new lease of life as he helps the team towards their objectives this season.

Willian first came to Europe from his boyhood club Corinthians and has enjoyed a trophy-laden career since then playing in Russia, Ukraine and England.

After a turbulent time at Arsenal, he has returned to where it all began to possibly see out the rest of his career. In a tell-all interview with Rio Ferdinand’s Vibe with Five podcast.

Willian left a three-year contract behind and a £20 million pay out just to get away from the constant abuse he suffered at the hands of Arsenal fans.

Arsenal fans were initially excited about his signing and Willian gave them something to be excited about after a hat trick of assists in his first game.

The following games were hellish for Willian, who struggled for confidence which eventually cost him the love he earned with performances from the first game.

The Gunners fans immediately resulted to abuse, targeting the player, his family, his past achievements and his career in general. It also didn’t help as his form led to his place in the team being usurped by Bukayo Saka who, frankly, has been one of Arsenal’s best performers in the past two seasons.

“I received a lot of messages on social media from them,” Willian told Rio Ferdinand on his Vibe with Five podcast.

“I think it’s also because I came from Chelsea. I think if I came from another club, it maybe could have been better.

“I came from Chelsea, where I did perform well and everything was happy, so I always thought about that and thought ‘I have to go’.”

“I was not happy”, Willian says

The attacking midfielder said to Ferdinand that his poor form led to confidence issues and made him begin to withdraw mentally from Arsenal.

“I was not happy, that’s why I didn’t perform. I don’t want to go into the details, but I wasn’t happy,” the 33-year-old explained.

“So, when I arrived there I was happy, from the beginning I was motivated, I wanted to do well, new club, new mates, new projects.”

“After three months, I told my agent ‘please, I want to go’. I don’t want to speak bad about the club because it is a big club, has a big history in football, big players played there before it’s a big club.”

At the end of the season, Willian had become so disenfranchised that he chose instead to leave the club and abandon earnings in the range of £20.5 million, according to Sky Sports.

Willian is now enjoying life with Corinthians and is feeling a lot more confident about his football since leaving Arsenal and England 

Bayern Munich looking to bring back former golden boy winner to the Bundesliga

Calciomercato reports that German giants Bayern Munich are exploring the possibility of bringing back former European Golden Boy winner, Renato Sanches, back to the Allianz Arena.

The Portugal international played for the Bavarians from 2016 to 2019 and won six trophies at the club. However, he only made 53 appearances in total because he could not quite fit into the Bavarian’s system at the time despite all of his talents.

He has since found his best form again after moving to the current French champions LOSC Lille for €20 million, even playing a key role in their title-winning 2020/21 season.

His renewed form has seen interest from big clubs in him rekindled, and Bayern Munich are now the latest club to throw their hat in the ring for the 24-year-old.

Interest in Sanches comes from the possibility of Bayern Munich losing a few midfielders in the coming transfer windows. Corentin Tolisso, Marc Roca and Mickael Cuisance are the most likely to leave the club in the coming transfer windows and though Bayern’s executives have claimed that the club will be doing no business in January, they will still need reinforcements for a midfield that could be stretched thin by the end of the season.

Bayern snapped up Sanches from Benfica after his Golden Boy win in 2016, paying €35 million for his services. After sending him on loan to Swansea City and trying to no avail to find a place for him in the squad, they eventually let him go to Lille.

Sanches wasn’t ready for Bayern, says club chief

Bayern Munich’s former CEO, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who sanctioned the deal to bring Sanches to the club, has now come out to admit that he and the club shouldn’t have signed the Portuguese midfielder at the time they signed him, also saying that he would make a better fit for the Bavarians now.

“I think we got him a year or two too early,” Rummenigge said. “But back then we had to sign him. At 18, he was totally hyped in Europe. We paid €35 million, which was a lot of money, he was voted Golden Boy. But somehow the performances weren’t there.

“When Jupp Heynckes came back to replace Carlo Ancelotti, he wanted this player (Sanches). Jupp said, ‘I want this player back (from loan). I want to take this player to the level where he belongs’ — unfortunately, we couldn’t bring him back due to FIFA regulations.

“I think Jupp Heynckes and Renato Sanches would have been an exciting project,” Rummenigge added. “I think with Jupp, Renato might still be playing in Munich today. I watched Lille against Wolfsburg recently and he was one of the best on the pitch, they won partly thanks to him.”

Sanches also agreed in a recent interview that he was not ready for such a big move.

“When I arrived at Bayern, I was not ready to play in such a club. I was very young,” he said. “And when I got ready, the opportunity to play with this team never came.

“Today I feel ready. I understand football better, I have more experience, I know what to do to play in this kind of club and that changes everything.”

Sanches has a gentleman’s agreement with Lille to begin discussions with any clubs who are interested in him. So far, Arsenal, AC Milan and Wolverhampton Wanderers have expressed interest in him, and Bayern are now in the running.

Sanches himself has dropped hints which the interested clubs have looked out for. He told L’Équipe: “Milan and Arsenal are maybe interested, I spoke with my agent about it but I can’t say any more.

“I just know I’m ready. If the offer arrives I’ll evaluate it. Milan are a great club – historic, classy. I really like them.”

Kepa Arrizabalaga and Maurizio Sarri set for reunion at Lazio

Maurizio Sarri has identified his former number one at Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga, as an option for Lazio.

Kepa and Sarri shared the same space for one season when the Italian was the Blues’ manager. They won the Europa League in that time, but their time together will be remembered for an on-pitch disagreement that marked the beginning of the Spaniard’s troubles at the club.

Kepa has gone on to explain the whole incident as a big misunderstanding. “I tried to signal that I was OK, that I wasn’t injured. But we were at Wembley in front of more than 80,000 people, so of course Sarri didn’t understand me,” Kepa explained to The Players’ Tribune.

“When the fourth official raised the board, clearly I should have come off, and I’m sorry I didn’t.

“I was wrong, and I am sorry for everyone who was involved: for Maurizio Sarri, who it seemed like I had undermined in public; for Willy (Caballero), a teammate and a great professional; and for all my teammates and Chelsea fans who had to put up with everything – all the noise that was generated during the game and then in the days after.”

Kepa claims that he and Sarri have a good relationship and it looks like they are set for a reunion as Lazio look to free him from the uncomfortable situation he’s in at Chelsea.

Kepa seen as quick fix for Lazio, reports claim

Sport is the outlet making these claims, with the publication stating that the move for Kepa by Lazio and Sarri is geared at helping the club avoid a developing goalkeeper issue in the club.

Lazio’s current two goalkeepers, 39-year-old Pepe Reina and 26-year-old Thomas Strakosha, are both out of contract with Lazio in 2022 with no solution in sight.

Sport reports that a loan deal is what is being considered for the 27-year-old Spaniard who has only appeared five times this season for Chelsea because Thomas Tuchel trusts Édouard Mendy more.

He has been involved in three penalty shootouts this term, however, heling Chelsea to victories against their opponents with his heroic saves.

The loan operation may be a difficult one for Lazio as Chelsea will be losing Mendy to the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon next January and Kepa is the official second choice goalkeeper at Stamford Bridge.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic set to leave Lazio in January

Elsewhere, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic could be leaving Lazio in January after his relationship with Sarri hit an all-time low, according to Italian outlet Tuttosport.

The Serbian has been linked with a move away from Lazio for a while now. That move could finally be happening this January as the midfielder has completely fallen out with Sarri.

However, his football has not suffered as both characters have put aside their personal differences to put the club first. Milinkovic-Savic has five goals and five assists in 17 games for Lazio as they chase Champions League football next season.

Manchester United are eyeing the midfielder as Paul Pogba’s replacement and can be a signing that Red Devils’ fans will get behind.