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Chelsea will push again in the next hours and days to sign Enzo Fernandez. Plan is to get him immediately, not in June. Deal depends on Benfica decision now.  Enzo already accepted Chelsea's contract bid, but he played as he'd never disrespect Benfica. Up to Rui Costa.

▫️ Agreement valid for two years and half; ▫️ Total salary will be close to €200m per year, but this includes commercial deal. It’s the biggest salary ever in football.

Arsenal have activated option to extend William Saliba contract until June 2024. Existing terms were due to end June 2023 & deadline to trigger extra 12 months was Dec 31. Arsenal did so in recent days. Talks continue over fresh deal. https://theathletic.com/4046228/2022/12/30/arsenal-contract-news-saliba/

NEXT MOVE   Cristiano Ronaldo agrees $75million-a-year deal with Al Nassr as former Manchester United star prepares to complete lucrative Middle East move Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed a deal to sign for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, talkSPORT understands. The Portugal star has agreed a deal worth a reported $75million per year and will now undergo a medical before completing the deal. Ronaldo is expected to complete the switch next week. The 37-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United back in November. The decision to leave by mutual consent came after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he took aim at numerous members of the club’s hierarchy, making his position at the club untenable. One man who has been watching Ronaldo’s situation with keen interest is talkSPORT Manchester reporter Micky Gray who told the station that the move ‘doesn’t sit well’. Asked if he’s surprised, Gray said: “I suppose I am. He’s a man who wants to keep breaking ...

Tottenham are now in talks to extend talented 2003 born winger Romaine Mundle’s contract — understand new deal has already been offered.  Host of Bundesliga clubs including Eintracht and Koln are interested in Mundle but Spurs want him to stay.

Al Nassr are closing on deal to sign Cristiano Ronaldo! Meeting ongoing in order to check all the contract and get documents sorted. Contract to be valid until June 2025, as expected — salary close to €200m per year, with commercial deals included.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte has said he "respects" the club's transfer policy of signing younger players, rather than experienced stars such as Manchester United midfielder Casemiro. “Honestly, I’m not frustrated because when you arrive in a new club to work you have to stay to understand the vision. When you understand the vision then you have to respect [it] because you’ve signed a contract, then try to help the club improve following this vision. I understand the frustration of the fans because the fans want to lift trophies. I understand everything and everybody but at the same time, in my opinion, for what I have understood here, we need to have patience and we need to have time, and try to improve. Don’t make mistakes in the transfer market and also to have patience for the players that you are going to sign, to wait for them to develop. You can sign players with experience at 30 years old with great victories behind them – Casemiro for example." ...

Enzo Fernández gave his ‘green light’ to Chelsea already yesterday, contract will not be a problem — it’s about Benfica position now. No decision today  Chelsea, offering different terms than €120m clause. Schmidt now in doubt whether to make him start tonight or not.

“New deal close? I hope so. That’s more for Edu and the board to discuss with William”.  “But what I know is the player is really happy, the player wants to be here - and that’s the main thing”.

The Uruguayan will undergo an MRI after picking up an issue at the World Cup. Antonio Conte on Bentancur’s injury: “He had an injury during the WC. The timing is more long than my expectation.”

"You know very well last season we played with Dier, Cuti and Ben Davies, on the bench was usually Japhet and Davinson Sanchez and Joe Rodon. We sent Rodon to play and have more time this season and we made a substitution with Clement Lenglet. (contd) "I think all these players have to play and we work every day with all of these players. One player can be in good form and another maybe he needed a bit of rest to recover well, because mentally he is a bit tired or physically. (contd) "But I trust in my players. We work with them every day to improve the situation." https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/tottenham-conte-bentancur-romero-live-25862523

"From what I saw in last few days in training session, I have seen him with great focus and great desire to come back and play for us. (contd) "For this reason he has to work even more and continue to work." https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/tottenham-conte-bentancur-romero-live-25862523

"Romero is back and available for the game against Aston Villa. Rodrigo [Bentancur], I think we have to wait, maybe today he is going to have an MRI to try to have an evaluation about his injury. For sure tomorrow against Villa, he's not available. (contd) "He had an injury in the World Cup and also the timing is more long than my expectation. This question is more for the medical department than me." https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/news/tottenham-conte-bentancur-romero-live-25862523

“We’re looking for the right player for our squad and that has to match sporting criteria but also financial criteria”.  “Wan Bissaka? The break was good for him. Now he has played two games and is doing really well. We needed that”.

Manchester City are set to trigger the release clause for Vélez talent Máximo Perrone, worth $8m — here we go expected soon if all goes to plan. Argentinian midfielder born in 2003 is considered huge talent. He’d join City after the Sudamericano Sub20.

“Busquets will stay with us until the end of his contract in June. Then we'll see, it will be his decision. If things go very well, we will try to convince him to continue”. “I think the transfer window for us will be quiet. I’m very happy with current squad”.

CHAOS   Police charge 32 people for A-League pitch invasion that left former Tottenham star with concussion after Melbourne derby turned ugly Police in Australia have charged 32 people after a pitch invasion caused the A-League derby between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City to be abandoned. The chaotic scenes also saw City goalkeeper, and former Tottenham man,  Tom Glover hit with a metal bucket  – with the glovesman left bleeding and concussed. Around 150 supporters stormed onto the AAMI Park pitch, kicking down advertising boards and hanging off the goal posts, with referee Alex King, a TV camera operator and two security guards also left injured in the fray. The derby clash was called off after just 20 minutes of action as a result. Around $150,000 worth of damage is said to have been caused to the stadium and pitch, with around 80 flares or fireworks set off while poles and bottles were thrown at officers on the field. Glover was spotted in training and back in ac...

MESSAGE   Former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt sends good luck message after new Reds signing Cody Gakpo was handed his old number 18 shirt Former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt sent a message to new signing Cody Gakpo after he was handed his old number 18 shirt. The Reds  confirmed the signing  of the Netherlands ace on this week in a deal worth around £40million after a blistering start to the season with PSV Eindhoven. He then replicated his excellent club form on the grandest stage and was arguably the Netherlands’ top performer during their surge to the World Cup quarter-finals. Gakpo had been heavily linked with a switch to bitter rivals Manchester United but it was Jurgen Klopp who swooped fast to lure the Dutchman to Anfield. Kuyt wore the number 18 shirt during his six-year stint on Merseyside before moving to Fenerbahce in 2012. Hearing of the news, the former Reds favourite took to social media to send his best wishes to compatriot Gakpo. “Cody Gakpo, welcome to Liverp...

LEGEND   Brazil announce three days of mourning following death of Pele as emotion pours out on the streets with fans paying tribute to ‘The King’ The Brazilian government has announced the entire country will enter three days of national mourning following the death of Pele. Pele, the three-time World Cup winner and one of the greatest footballers of all-time,  sadly passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 . The football icon had been in hospital in Sao Paulo since late November with illness, with the news of his passing announced on Thursday evening. And as tributes poured in from across the world, Brazil officially declared a three-day period of national mourning as they remember their hero. As well as words of condolence from a host of other legendary figures in the game, tributes were made in the streets across Brazil, with fans seen in tears as they reacted to the news. A mass of supporters were pictured with banners and flags outside the Santos’ Vila Belmiro Stadium – ...

“I want Roberto Firmino to stay at Liverpool and sign new deal with us”. Negotiations are ongoing on potential short term deal, but Firmino has to decide his future as Liverpool idea is very clear.

POTENTIAL   Jurgen Klopp compares Darwin Nunez to Robert Lewandowski and explains ‘similarities’ between Liverpool striker’s shaky start and Poland star at Borussia Dortmund Jurgen Klopp has compared the current struggles of Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez to a young Robert Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund. Nunez has received  criticism  in some quarters following his club-record £85million move from Benfica to Anfield. The Uruguayan has nine goals in 19 games, but his finishing and composure in front of goal has been questioned. Nunez wasted a number of golden opportunities during the 3-1 victory at Aston Villa on Boxing Day, however, Klopp believes this is part of a process. The Reds manager points towards his former Dortmund striker Lewandowski to explain how raw, unpolished talent can often look messy at the start. Poland superstar Lewandowski scored eight goals in his first season at Dortmund in 2010/11 before becoming one of the greatest strikers in modern football. ...

Tottenham's big Antonio Conte problem, Franck Kessie and the January transfer window Antonio Conte and Tottenham Hotspur make for strange bedfellows especially when the transfer window comes around. The Italian has now been at the club more than a year and faces his third transfer window in north London when January rolls around on Sunday.  Spurs  are looking to make at least two new signings next month and  football.london  understands that they are looking to add a new attacker and right wing-back to Conte's squad. p:nth-of-type(2)","sizes":[[8,8]],"hideOnSensitiveArticle":true,"relativePos":"after","additionalClass":"in-article","name":"div-gpt-ad-vip-slot","type":"VIP","bidders":{"ozone":"1420432361"}}" data-gpt-placeholder="" data-response-start="7823.199999998906" data-type="gpt" data-tmdata-track="...

UPDATE   ‘It could be coming very soon’ – Manchester United takeover update delivered with fans told to ‘watch this space’ regarding deal Manchester United’s takeover could be completed ‘very soon’, it is being reported. The Red Devils are currently on the market with the Glazer family keen for a full sale of the club as  after 17 years of owning the Premier League giants. Valued between between £6billion-£7billion, the Glazer family have a hugely attractive proposition on their hands as they look to offload to a super-rich buyer, amid ongoing fan protests in and around Old Trafford. With interested parties starting to emerge, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has suggested that a deal could be done before too long. Ornstein told USA Network: “The Raine Bank who are in charge of this process they are aiming for a complete sale of Manchester United in the first quarter of 2023. “Therefore the Glazer family are not going to sanction a massive outlay of cash on deals at this time of ...

"€60m it's not enough to sign Mudryk. Our director said that we need a bid closer to Grealish fee than Antony to sell Mudryk", tells @calciomercatoit.  "We're not even considering a bid with €40m as fixed fee".

Chelsea have completed the signing of Ivorian striker David Datro Fofana from Molde on €12m fee, here we go confirmed.  Long term deal signed, medical done and full agreement in place for deal completed by the agent Atta Aneke.

Cody Gakpo is currently on Merseyside for main part ofmedical tests ahead of signing for Liverpool, plan confirmed. Deal will be completed soon.  Gakpo’s contract will be valid until June 2028, as expected. Done and sealed.

“Reece James underwent assessment earlier today, scan results confirmed a setback with Reece set to be ruled out for up to a month”, club confirms.

“We have good working relationship, he’s important to the team”.  “If he transmits to us what we saw at the World Cup, João Felix will be very important — he has talent and the team needs his qualities”.