European Leagues

Chelsea joins Kylian Mbappe transfer race as deadline approaches

When Kylian Mbappe told Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) that he won’t extend his contract with the club to 2025 in June, the club gave him the deadline until July 31st to sign an extension or they would sell him.

That deadline arrived Monday, and the French superstar’s transfer situation grew even more complicated with a new player on the table.

According to The Daily Record, Chelsea tried negotiating a player-plus-cash deal with PSG to acquire Mbappe. PSG’s president Nasser Al-Khelaifi discussed it with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly.

Having spent over 500 million euros (about $550.7 million) last season on transfers, Chelsea suffered epic failures in every event they competed in, including ranking 12th in the Premier League. They sold eight players this summer, including Kai Havertz and Mason Mount, to streamline their roster and raise money for new signings.

Having spent 97 million euros (about $106.8 million) to land Christopher Nkunku from Red Bull Leipzig and Noclas Jackson from Villarreal, Chelsea want to add Mbappe’s scoring ability as the 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner to their offense.

“The Blues” need to battle Liverpool and Rea Marid for Mbappe. Both teams expressed their interest in the 24-year-old French striker. Liverpool previously offered 200 million euros (about $220.2 million) to PSG to sign Mbappe but were outbid by Al Hilal’s 300 million euros (about $330.4 million). PSG agreed to the offer, but Mbappe declined to join the Saudi Professional League and the 700 million euros (about $770.9 million) annual salary they offered him.

According to the Mirror, Liverpool are currently negotiating with PSG to sign Mbappe on loan. Before PSG acquired Mbappe for 180 million euros (about $198.2 million) in 2018 from Monaco, they had him on loan for one season. He scored 21 goals and 16 assists in 44 games for PSG during the 2017-18 season, helping the club win the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles.

Of course, Mbappe’s most-preferred destination is Real. It has been years since the La Liga powerhouse tried to bring Mbappe to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. They bid 200 million euros to make the transfer happen before but failed. RMC Sport reported that PSG expect a “low and insulting” offer for Mbappe on Monday.

European Leagues

Don’t Buy Unofficial Final Tickets, UEFA Warns

UEFA has issued a warning to fans ahead of the club competition finals not to buy tickets on the secondary market, from unauthorised third parties, websites, agencies or from touts.

“Tickets issued for the UEFA club competition finals are 100% digital and made available exclusively through the official UEFA Mobile Tickets App, which includes several security features that aim to combat unauthorised ticket sales,” said UEFA.

UEFA said that any tickets bought outside the platform are liable to be cancelled at any time and fans are likely to be refused entry or be ejected from the stadium.

Ticket sales to the general public and fans of the teams in the finals can only be bought via UEFA.com.

UEFA highlighted the precautions against non-official ticket sales, saying:

Ticket transferability rules and restrictions have been implemented for the General Public and each finalist club.
Sharing of accounts is not permitted in the UEFA Mobile Tickets App. Only the phone used to download the mobile tickets will be able to access the stadium.
Screenshots of mobile tickets are not valid tickets. Anyone attempting to enter the stadium with such screenshots will be refused entry.
Paper tickets and print-at-home tickets are not valid tickets.

Enforcement of the rules will include monitoring of the internet, and action (including cancelling tickets) where breaches of its terms and conditions are identified, said UEFA. Some tickets for the finals have already been cancelled in this respect and further cancellations are likely to follow.

UEFA also warned fans against travel to the stadiums without tickets as they will not gain admittance.

Insideworldfootball.com

LaLiga

Yamal To Inherit Messi’s No. 10 At Barca

Lamine Yamal will reportedly inherit Lionel Messi’s iconic No 10 shirt at Barcelona after signing a new contract with the club this summer.

Despite only being 17, Yamal has emerged as a Ballon d’Or contender this season after winning the Euros with Spain last year, and is widely viewed as the game’s biggest talent since Messi burst onto the scene almost 20 years ago.

Similarities have been drawn between the pair, and Yamal now looks set to follow in Messi’s footsteps once again.

According to Memorabilia1899.co, Yamal will celebrate his 18th birthday in July by signing a new long-term contract with Barcelona that will contain a €1bn (£841m) release clause.

The deal will also see Yamal handed the No 10 shirt which is currently occupied by Ansu Fati.

Fati is facing an uncertain future at Barcelona, and will have the famous jersey taken off him by Yamal, who has been donning the No 19 shirt this season.

Lamine Yamal will reportedly take the No 10 shirt when he signs a new Barcelona deal

This will signify another historic moment in Yamal’s fledgling career, after he made his Barcelona debut two years ago when he was only 15.

Since then, he has won LaLiga twice, and starred in Barcelona’s run to the Champions League semi-finals this season before they were knocked out by Inter Milan in a thrilling tie.

Yamal looks primed to dazzle in the No 10 shirt for years to come, just like Messi did after he took the jersey in 2008.

Messi made the shirt his own for 13 years, winning the Ballon d’Or on seven occasions during this period, before adding another to his collection in 2023 after winning the World Cup the previous year with Argentina.

The Argentine icon finished his Barcelona career in 2021 with a staggering 672 goals in 778 appearances, plus 10 LaLiga titles and four Champions League triumphs to his name.

Yamal has big boots to fill, but has already shown that he can light up the biggest stages.

The winger had pundits purring over his ability earlier this month after Barcelona’s 3-3 draw with Inter, as Rio Ferdinand hailed him as the best player in the world, while Jamie Carragher compared him to a prime Messi.

Ferdinand wrote on X: ‘As a pure football talent I’m going as far as to say I think Lamine Yamal is on another level to any player playing the game in the top 5 leagues in world football.

Yamal claimed his second LaLiga title last week, and lifted the trophy over the weekend

Meanwhile, Carragher said on CBS Sports: ‘That (performance) was Messi-esque. That was like watching Messi in his heyday.

‘The whole game almost stopping to just see what he was going to do. It was just brilliant.’

Dailymail.co.uk

Serie A

Klopp ‘Agrees’ To Take Over Roma – Report

Former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp agreed to become AS Roma’s new coach on Sunday shortly after their 3-1 home win over AC Milan, La Stampa has reported in its online edition.

The arrival of the charismatic German coach would lead to “electric” dealings on the summer transfer market, with the acquisition of six new players, according to the report.

Ansa.it