11 transfer deals you might have missed this week

With the World Cup all wrapped up the transfer window is in full swing with high-profile deals already completed ahead of the 2018-19 season.


The rumour mill was firing on all cylinders during the World Cup in Russia with all the tournament’s high-profile players being linked with big moves at some point or another.

 So far, Cristiano Ronaldo completed a sensational move to Serie A champions Juventus after spending nine years with Real Madrid in La Liga.
In terms of Premier League transfer deals, Liverpool have completed several significant swoops, including midfielders Naby Keita and Fabinho as well as Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson. Meanwhile their Premier League rivals Manchester City and Chelsea swooped for Riyad Mahrez and Jorginho respectively.
With big-money transfers already in the books, while more high-profile move are just around the corner, what are some of the lesser known deals you might you have missed?
Daley Blind
From: Man Utd
To: Ajax
Transfer fee: £14.1m (rising to £18.5m)

Blind was one of the players brought in by Louis van Gaal during his tenure in the Old Trafford dugout. Blind, who can play at left-back as well as in central defence, made 141 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring six goals across all competitions.

However, he was phased out of Jose Mourinho’s squad last season through reasons to do with both fitness and form, only making seven appearances in the league and 17 appearances in total.

Blind arrived from Ajax in 2014, he won a League Cup, an FA Cup and the Europa League with United, but has headed back to his original club where he has already started in one of their pre-season fixtures.

Adama Diakhaby

From: Monaco

To: Huddersfield

Transfer fee: Undisclosed

The under-21 France international is a dynamic forward, capable of playing on either wing or as a central-attacking midfielder. He scored two goals in 22 Ligue One appearances for Monaco.

David Wagner will be hoping that Diakhaby will add some much needed flair to their attacking play this season, as the west Yorkshire side narrowly escaped relegation last season and only found 28 goals, the fewest in the Premier League.

Fernando Torres

From: Atletico Madrid

To: Sagan Tosu

Transfer fee: Free

At one point in time Fernando Torres was the hottest property of the Premier League. During his spell with Liverpool the Spaniard scored some spectacular goals and, overall, notched 81 in 142 games.

After four seasons with the Reds, Torres moved to Chelsea, but he was unable to reach the same level of output he achieved at Anfield, scoring only 45 goals in 172 games.

Torres would head back to Atletico Madrid, where he started his career. After an unremarkable period in the Spanish capital and with his career winding down, the 2010 World Cup champion has elected to ply his trade with Japanese side Sagan Tosu, meaning this season he will come up against former Spain teammate Andres Iniesta, who this summer joined Vissel Kobe.

Harry Wilson

From: Liverpool

To: Derby

Transfer fee: Loan

Harry Wilson made a big statement for Liverpool during their 7-0 thrashing of Chester in a pre-season friendly recently. The youngster grabbed a fabulous brace and was arguably the best player on the pitch.

Apparently that statement wasn’t vociferous enough to secure a place in Jurgen Klopp’s talent-stacked first-team squad. The 21-year-old will have to prove himself with Championship side Derby County who are looking to make another challenge for promotion this season.

Mason Mount

From: Chelsea

To: Derby

Transfer fee: Loan

Mount, 19, who was awarded with Dutch side Vitesse’s Player of the Year award last season, will join fellow England youngster Harry Wilson at Derby County where newly appointed manager Frank Lampard hopes to challenge for promotion.

The season-long loan is a huge coup for Lampard, as the 19-year-old midfielder notched nine goals in 29 appearances in the Eredivisie, and has been touted as one of English football’s rising stars.

Roberto Insigne

From: Napoli

To: Benevento

Transfer fee: Loan

The 24-year-old Napoli forward, whose older brother Lorenzo Insigne also plays for the Il Partenopei, has only made one appearance for his parent club to date, and the Naples outfit are apparently still not confident enough to promote him to their first team as he heads out on loan yet again, this time to Serie B side Benevento.

Jeremie Boga

From: Chelsea

To: Sassoulo

Transfer fee: £3.5m

Boga made just one competitive appearance for Chelsea’s first team. Boga rose through the ranks at Chelsea, but also spent periods on loan with Granada and with Birmingham City. His move to Sassuolo is permanent, however, Chelsea have inserted a buy-back clause should the 21-year-old impress in Serie A.

Sofiane Boufal From: Southampton To: Celta Vigo Transfer fee: Undisclosed

Boufal joined Southampton from Lille for a then club-record fee of around £16 million in 2016, but the Moroccan was repeatedly left out of Mark Hughes’ side last season and was dropped from the Saints’ pre-season preparations. Boufal, 24, appeared 49 times for Southampton and notched only four goals and two assists; despite some moments of brilliance, he will not be greatly missed on the south coast and new arrival Mohamed Elyounoussi from Basel could be a more effective replacement.

Danny Ward From: Liverpool To: Leicester Fee: £12.5m

With the arrival of Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson, there are not many opportunities left for game time between the sticks at Anfield. Ward seems to have got the message and has opted to head down the M6 to Leicester to ply his trade. Ward only made three starts for Liverpool, but he faces steep competition at Leicester for a place too, as Kasper Schmeichel, who had an excellent World Cup and is considered one of the best three ‘keepers in the world at present, will not be budging any time soon.

Yves Bissouma From: Lille To: Brighton Transfer fee: Undisclosed

Bissouma, 21, has signed a five-year deal with the Seagulls and is the club’s sixth signing in this summer’s transfer window, as Brighton look to avoid another relegation battle this season. The Mali international midfielder made 55 appearances for Lille and scored twice, and is a gifted prospect who should provide greater strength in depth for manager Chris

Hughton.

Fabio From: Middlesbrough To: Nantes Transfer fee: £1.35m

Much hyperbole surrounded Fabio de Silva when he arrived at Manchester United alongside his brother Rafael de Silva. He was even thought to be the more gifted of the two, but the Brazilian never really managed to make an impression at Old Trafford.

Fabio effectively left the club in 2013, spending a period on loan with QPR before making a permanent move to Cardiff City. The Brazilian finished his spell in English football with Middlesbrough where he made 31 appearances for the club last season.

His move to Nantes has been confirmed as a three-year deal.

World Cup Winners Seen Partying Hard With Ronaldinho And Floyd Mayweather In Miami (Photos)

Ousmane Dembele (second left) and Benjamin Mendy (second right) party with former boxing champ Floyd Mayweather (centre)

Benjamin Mendy and Ousmane Dembele are enjoying some time off after being part of France's successful World Cup squad and the pair were at LIV nightclub in Miami on Sunday night, where they partied with former boxer Floyd Mayweather.

Brazil and Barcelona legend Ronaldinho was also in attendance, along with American music producer Stevie J and social media star Bendadonnn.

Mendy and Dembele were also joined by Brazil legend Ronaldinho (far right) in Miami

Mendy and Dembele were in good spirits as they made the most of their holiday before they return to Manchester City and Barcelona respectively.

It has been a great summer for Mendy and Dembele and the celebratory theme continued in Miami.

Mendy played in just one game during the tournament, featuring as a substitute in the group stage draw against Denmark.

France stars Mendy and Dembele seemed in good spirits as they enjoyed their time off

Dembele, meanwhile, made four appearances in Russia, although just two of those were starts.

The winger endured much misfortune with injury during his first season at Barcelona but will hope that he features prominently for Ernesto Valverde's side this campaign.

“I Want To Return To Juventus To Play With Ronaldo” – Pogba Tells Manchester United

World cup winner, Paul Pogba has told Manchester United bosses that he wants a return to former club Juventus.
Pogba reportedly made the demand through his agent, Mino Raiola.

Pogba, alongside the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and N’Golo Kante, played a key role in ensuring that France won the World Cup in Russia earlier in the month, for the second time ever.

As his performance was constantly hailed by both fans and critics at football’s greatest showpiece, the 25-year-old is believed to be looking towards maintaining that form and believes life under manager, Jose Mourinho would make that impossible.

Although Manchester United paid 114 million euros for Pogba’s signature barely two years ago, Raiola is said to have commenced seeking an exit for his player.

The move is believed to have been enhanced by Juventus’s new stature after signing five-time FIFA Ballon D’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, who shook the footballing world by his shock move to the Old Lady from Real Madrid.

While Raiola reportedly first approached Barcelona for a possible move for Pogba, discussions were said to have gone cold after few consultations.

However, it remains to be seen if Manchester United will allow Pogba, the club’s record signing, leave without a fight.

Hazard reveals player that deserves Ballon d’Or prize.

Belgium captain, Eden Hazard, has said France’s Kylian Mbappe deserves to win the Ballon d’Or.

Speaking to beIN Sports France ahead of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final clash between the two in Saint Petersburg, Hazard praised Mbappe’s abilities.

“Based on what he is showing, obviously there is Ballon d’Or capacity,” Hazard said.

“In terms of potential, as well as quality, for me, yes, he already deserves the Ballon d’Or.”

Hazard also said that he is now watching videos of Mbappe, which is now a reversal of roles.

“We have spoken a few times over the phone,” he said.

“Kylian told me that he watched my videos when he was younger. I am not sure if I pass for an old guy, but… I am not too old.

“Now, it is me watching his videos from time to time, and I have a lot of respect for him and what he is doing. We have never seen this [quick development] in modern football.”

Chelsea sign new goalkeeper

English Premier League giants, Chelsea have signed promising French goalkeeper, Nicolas Tie.

French sports, daily L’Equipe reports that Tie has just signed the first professional contract of his very young career, and the Franco-Ivorian is now contracted to the West London club until the summer of 2021.

Tie was on the radar of the Blues since 2014 but penned a scholarship deal with the club in July 2017 after celebrating his 16th birthday.

Last season, the young shot-stopper was a non-playing substitute in the UEFA Youth League and EFL Trophy.

But he was in goal for nine matches in the U18 Premier League and conceded 13 goals.

Tie, who joined Chelsea from French Championnat National 3 club, FC Poitiers, was born in Lille.

Messi and wife

Lionel Messi is making the most of his post-World Cup break, enjoying a spot of jet-skiing in sunny Ibiza with his family.

Messi is being afforded an extended rest by Barcelona following his exploits with Argentina, where they reached the last-16 of the tournament before falling to eventual winners France.

The 31-year-old superstar is on holiday with his wife Antonella Roccuzzo, their three children and Daniella Semaan, the partner of his former Barcelona team-mate Cesc Fabregas.

Messi was pictured on a paddle board with his family as he took a well-earned break ahead of the start of the new La Liga campaign.

Close friends since childhood, Messi and Roccuzzo married last year in a lavish ceremony and have three sons together - Thiago, Mateo and Ciro.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was previously spotted enjoying some downtime in Formentera, the smallest Balearic Island which is reachable by boat from Ibiza.

Messi is expected to link back up with the Barcelona squad by the end of the month, when he will be joined by Spain stars Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets.

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde gave all four players permission to take a month off after the World Cup, though they have the option to return beforehand. 

When the Spanish domestic season resumes next month, Messi will be the unrivalled star of La Liga following Cristiano Ronaldo's £100million move to Juventus.

For the best part of a decade, Messi and Ronaldo's rivalry defined football but the Portuguese has now left Real Madrid for the Serie A giants.

Argentina supporters are hoping Russia 2018 was not the last time Messi plays in the blue-and-white shirt at a World Cup, but he will be 35 by the time Qatar 2022 starts.


His former Argentina team-mate Carlos Tevez weighed in, saying he hoped Messi would not step down from international football following this summer's disappointment. 

'As a player and as an Argentine I tell him that we need him, that he tries to rest, that he keeps a cool head and that we need him,' Tevez currently of Boca Juniors told ESPN.
'We need him because he is the soul of Argentina and, as long as he continues playing football, it has to be that way because he is Argentina's biggest idol and he has to take that responsibility.
'Now [I tell him] to rest, keep a cool head and try to be well, then we need him to take charge and on the pitch.'

Burna Boy Shocks Fans Over 2019 Elections, Read What He Said

Nigerian dancehall singer, Burna Boy took to his social space to disclose that he won’t be voting in 2019 and the reason was stated.

Burna Boy disclosed that Nigeria have youths who are too scared to fight for their future. According to him, people who think they can implement change by voting for same crop of old politicians are delusional and are part of the problem.

Burna Boy also took a swipe at President Buhari, who received President Emmanuel Macron of France during his recent visit to Nigeria. It is alleged that President Emmanuel Macron was only 6 years old when President Buhari was Nigeria’s head of state, fast forward to 2018, President Buhari is still in power.

Read Burna Boy’s statement via his Instastory below;

Barcelona complete quickfire Malcom signing

Malcom
It would be cheaper for Barcelona to sign Monchi

Bad feeling in Italy over Barcelona's late move for Malcom

After weeks of chasing a big name signing to bolster their attack, Barcelona have sealed the services of Brazilian winger Malcom from Bordeaux.

Roma seemed set to sign the 21-year-old after launching their own bid over the weekend, however the Blaugrana have acted fast to convince him to move to the Camp Nou.

The deal was confirmed by Barcelona on Tuesday with Malcom due for a medical on Wednesday, after which he will fly out to partake in the club's pre-season tour of North America.

Therefore, no details of an official unveiling taking place in Catalonia, or elsewhere, are known at this time.

Antoine Griezmann and Willian were the club's initial preferences to strengthen Ernesto Valverde's forward options this summer but the Atletico Madrid star opted to stay in the Spanish capital, whereas Chelsea demanded a high price for their own Brazilian wide-man.

In completing the five-year deal for Malcom, Barcelona hand over 41 million euros to Bordeaux with 1m euros agreed in bonuses.

As in other high profile transfers involving Brazilian players, Andre Cury was a key man in bringing the young attacker to his eventual destination, and the Blaugrana now have four non-EU players on their squad list.

That is one too many to satisfy LaLiga regulations and Philippe Coutinho is awaiting the completion of his switch to a Portuguese passport, although Yerry Mina's exit from Barcelona cannot yet be fully ruled out.

Cristiano Ronaldo beats Messi, Neymar to football rich list [Full list]

Former Real Madrid star, Cristiano Ronaldo has beat Lionel Messi and Neymar to top the Instagram Sports Rich List for the year 2018.

The Portuguese, who recently moved from Real Madrid to Juventus, saw off his two biggest rivals in the game in a report based on how much a sponsored Instagram post could cost brands.

Daily Mail, UK, reports that Ronaldo amassed a staggering 133 million followers on his account and is a frequent poster as he shares images of his lavish lifestyle and hugely successful footballing career.

HopperHQ.com, an Instagram scheduling tool, analysed data to reveal a list of the highest paid celebrities and influencers on the social media platform.

Factors such as average engagement, how often they post and number of followers were considered.

And that has translated well into how much he can charge companies when it comes to using his account for promotional purposes.

The report shows brands would have to fork out $750,000 (£570,000) per post.

Neymar, Messi, David Beckham and Gareth Bale join Cristiano in the top five of the sporting list.

Posts on Neymar and Messi’s accounts would be worth $600,000 (£457,000) and $500,000 (£381,000) respectively.

Beckham, meanwhile, could charge $300,000 (£228,000) while a sponsored post on Bale’s profile would be a costly $185,000 (£141,000).

Ronaldo’s success extends beyond the sporting world though because he has also made it into the overall top five.

The 33-year-old finished third in the global ranking, edging world famous stars and renowned Instagram posters Kim Kardashian and Beyonce into third and fourth respectively.

Television personality and model Kylie Jenner boasts top spot with $1,000,000 (£762,000) per post while singer Selena Gomez takes the silver medal on $800,000 (£610,000).

Transfer: Antonio Conte gets new job after Chelsea sack

A former Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte has held talks with AC Milan and will be replacing current manager, Gennaro Gattuso “within hours.”

Conte finally left Chelsea after a long stand-off with the club’s board over his £9million pay-off, and is believed to be preparing legal action over the nature of his exit.

Chelsea’s decision to sack Conte may not have cost them as much as they initially feared, with multiple reports in Italy claiming that the Italian is in talks with AC Milan.

Leonardo is also expected to replace Massimiliano Mirabelli as AC Milan Sporting Director.

The club has already made contact with Conte who has given his absolute approval to the move.

Naples Radio reports that Conte’s move could be completed “within hours”, though the Italian is believed to have asked for time to resolve his situation with Chelsea.