Atletico Madrid are set to sign Argentine winger Nico Gonzalez from Juventus.
Gonzalez set to sign for AtleticoJuventus had acquired him this summer itselfIt could be a loan deal for the ArgentineFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
After spending a season on loan at Juventus, the Bianconeri signed Gonzalez from Fiorentina this summer. However, the Argentine winger is now set to sign for Atletico with Marca claiming the 27-year-old is already in Madrid to complete his medical before completing a one-year loan deal that will become a permanent move should the midfielder play a certain number of games. Should he meet that criteria, he will join on a contract that runs until 2030. The Rojiblancos will pay Juventus €1 million as the loan fee for this season with another €35m (£30m/$41m) to be paid if their obligation is triggered.
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Gonzalez was a vital cog in Thiago Motta and then Igor Tudor's lineup last season, playing 38 games in all competitions last season at Juventus. The Bianconeri triggered his permanent move this summer, but are prepares to let him go after playing just 17 minutes across the first two Serie A games of the current campaign.
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Gonzalez will be Atletico's latest signing in what has been a busy summer window, with Alex Baena, David Hancko and Johnny Cardoso among the many new faces in Diego Simeone's team. Gonzalez is the third to join from Serie A this summer, following Giacomo Raspadori and Juan Musso.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR GONZALEZ?
After the completion of the formalities, the winger will head to the Argentina national camp for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Ecuador.
Leeds United's full-back ranks have become significantly lighter since the start of the January transfer window. First, Djed Spence was sent back to Tottenham after his loan spell was cut short, and then Luke Ayling joined Middlesbrough on loan as he approaches the end of his contract this summer.
Predictably, then, Daniel Farke has been looking for reinforcements in that area, and a couple of Premier League players have already cropped up on his radar. Leeds are admirers of Nottingham Forest's Neco Williams but he's unlikely to be made available for transfer, while Burnley's Connor Roberts is also on their radar. And now, a third target in the top-flight has emerged.
Leeds eye Johnson to fill gap
According to The Athletic's Phil Hay, Championship promotion-chasers Leeds are "interested" in signing West Ham's Ben Johnson on a temporary deal. One of his biggest assets is his versatility – he can play on either side of the back four and also featured in midfield earlier in his career.
Johnson is a product of West Ham's academy and is nearing 93 games for the club, but he's fallen down the pecking order this season. Last year, he played 29 matches in all competitions and featured in 17 Premier League games, nine of which he started. He also made the XI for six of West Ham's games on their run to Europa Conference League glory.
However, this year, he's only been involved in six first-team games, and it took until West Ham's goalless draw with Brighton last time out, their 20th league game of the season, for him to start a top-flight match. His other starts have come in the Europa League against Backa Topola, and the Carabao Cup against Lincoln and Liverpool.
Appearances
6
29
Starts
4
21
Minutes played
365
1,925
Having logged some action with the under-21s at Premier League 2 and EFL Trophy level, he's nearly played as many minutes for the youth team (270) as he has for the senior side (365). Last year, when he was given significantly more game time, Johnson called his standing in the squad "disappointing", so you can only imagine how he feels about his situation now.
Johnson has shown more than enough talent
Given that he's been used so little this term, it's easy to forget just how talented a player Johnson is. Last summer, he was part of the England Under-21 squad that won the European Championship without conceding a single goal, starting two of their games in the group stages.
In terms of individual prizes, meanwhile, he was named West Ham's Young Player of the Year in both 2020/21 and 2021/22 after what Paul Robinson called an "absolutely brilliant" first-team breakthrough. One of his coaches at the time, Stuart Pearce, added that he was a "wonderful professional".
It's worth noting that Johnson's contract is up in the summer, so West Ham may look to protect his value with a new deal before loaning him out, but once that gets done, it's hard to see why there'd be any obstacle to a move.
The reasons why Jadon Sancho rejected a loan-to-buy move to Roma have been revealed, with the Manchester United outcast still in transfer limbo. United, desperate to offload him this summer, seemed open to Roma’s proposal, as it had an obligation to purchase the player outright in 2026, but the England international was not convinced.
Sancho rejects Roma's £20m loan-to-buy offerAgent’s demands scare off major suitorsTime running out for Sancho as he faces transfer uncertaintyFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to Roma had expressed interest in signing the 25-year-old, with the £20 million ($27m) transfer fee and terms looking favourable for United. However, Sancho’s decision to reject the proposal reportedly stems from a mix of "financial and technical factors".
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Reports in further claim that the hefty demands of Sancho’s agent are also a stumbling block, with a supposed request for a €10m (£9.5m/$11.6m) commission already spooking potential suitors. Those demands have turned off some of Europe’s top clubs, including Atletico Madrid and Juventus, who have reportedly backed away from negotiations. Roma, despite their willingness to stretch their financial limits, find themselves at a crossroads, unsure whether they can meet those sums.
DID YOU KNOW?
From United’s perspective, the £20m offer from Roma was an opportunity to offload Sancho, who has struggled to live up to his potential since joining in 2021 for a massive £73m ($99m). The deal would have helped balance the books while clearing space for incoming transfers. Yet, with Sancho now rejecting the move, United are in a spot of bother.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?
As the summer transfer window nears its close, time is running out for Sancho to secure a move away from Old Trafford. While Roma were seen as one of the last remaining lifelines for Sancho to stay in Europe's top five leagues, he can still engineer a move to Turkey as the transfer window in that country does not close until September 12.
Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier will have offers from several top clubs in the summer transfer window.
What’s the talk?
That’s according to a claim made by Beren Cross, with the journalist revealing in a recent Q&A on Leeds Live that, should Jesse Marsch’s side suffer relegation to the Championship this season, it would be difficult to imagine the France U21 international not being made several offers from clubs in Ligue 1, LaLiga and the Bundesliga this summer.
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In response to a question regarding the future of the goalkeeper, Cross said: “Meslier would see some value in continuing to be a first-choice goalkeeper, but it’s hard to imagine he would not get offers to play in the top flights of France, Spain or Germany.”
Marsch would be gutted
Considering just how exciting a prospect Meslier quite clearly is, should the 22-year-old indeed move onto pastures new following the Whites’ potential relegation to the second tier this summer, it would undoubtedly come as a gutting blow to Marsch and his side.
Indeed, over his 35 Premier League appearances last season, the £42.5m-rated shot-stopper was in breathtaking form, keeping 11 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 4.0 saves – the second-most in the league – and 0.3 successful runs out per game – with these returns seeing the Frenchman average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.13, ranking him as the Whites’ fourth-best performer in the top flight.
And, despite the Whites’ struggles this term, the £41k-per-week ‘keeper has still performed extremely admirably over his 34 league outings, making an average of 3.7 saves – the joint-most in the division – and 0.6 successful runs out per fixture – with these metrics seeing the 22-year-old average a SofaScore match rating of 6.89, ranking him as Marsch’s fifth-best player in the Premier League.
As such, considering his tender age, undoubted ability and potential for future development, it is clear for all to see that losing the services of Meslier this summer would be a disaster for the Whites – yet another reason as to why Marsch must do everything he can to beat the drop this season.
AND in other news: Sources: Orta eyeing Leeds bid for £19.8m-rated ace, he’s like “Messi inside the area”
The opener fractured his wrist recently and a full recovery could take eight weeks
Firdose Moonda25-Oct-2019Aiden Markram is in a race against time to find fitness and form for South Africa’s next international assignment against England at home. Markram fractured his wrist by “lashing out at a solid object,” after his second innings dismissal in the second Test against India in Pune. He has been put in a cast until the end of November and will miss the Mzansi Super League. A full recovery could take eight weeks, which will run until mid-December. The England series starts on Boxing Day.In the interim, efforts to speed up Markram’s recovery are being made with the opening batsman undergoing hyperbaric therapy, which involves using high air pressure to accelerate healing. Markram is due to be reviewed by an orthopedic surgeon in five weeks’ time.By then, the MSL will be at its halfway stage and even if declared fit, Markram will play no part in the T20 tournament. He has been replaced in the Paarl Rocks’ squad by Cobras batsmen Kyle Verreynne. With franchise cricket suspended for the duration of the MSL, Markram will have to wait till December 19 to get in top-tier game time, or he could try playing in the second-tier provincial competition. Time in the middle may be important for 25-year old, who scored just 44 runs from four innings in India and bagged a pair in Pune.Both captain Faf du Plessis and coach Enoch Nkwe spoke about mental scars that teams can suffer from after touring India, and Markram appears to be one of the players affected. Like several batsmen on their first tour of India, he was undone by foreign conditions, but unlike them, he wasn’t outspun. He was unable to cope with the intensity and unexpected bounce Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav generated, a style of bowling he would have been expected to counter, given conditions he usually bats in at home.If Markram does not recover in time for the first Test against England, South Africa may consider using Quinton de Kock in makeshift capacity, as they did in Ranchi. But, de Kock, who is known for his aggressive batting style managed scores of 4 and 5, and said he didn’t enjoy the experience but would do it again if needed.”I’ve done it quite a bit at the beginning of my franchise career for the Lions,” he said at the team’s arrival in Johannesburg on Friday. “It wasn’t the best experience if I must be honest. I don’t think I made too many runs or faced too many balls. If the team needs me to open the batting, I am happy to do it but for now, I think the two guys we have at the top there are pretty solid and leading from the front. We’ll see what happens in the future.”With de Kock also needed as a wicketkeeper lower down the order, South Africa may need to look elsewhere. If they do, Cobras’ Janneman Malan, who has a first-class average of 53.05 may come into consideration, especially after his century in the latest round of first-class fixtures.
Reifer’s 12-ball 26 took Barbados Tridents within one hit of victory before he fell and they slumped to their eighth successive loss at home
The Report by Shashank Kishore24-Sep-2019Glenn Phillips or nothing. That is the perception Jamaica Tallawahs had built around themselves so far in CPL 2019. All that changed on Monday, after their bowlers came to the party to defend a modest 127, fuelled by Phillips’ 41 and a late 22-ball 27 from No. 9 Ramaal Lewis. This helped them beat Barbados Tridents by five runs and notch up their second win in eight games but not before a late scare from Raymon Reifer, whose quickfire 26 brought the equation down to six runs off three deliveries at one stage.Sandeep Lamichhane, who earlier in the day ended with 2 for 17 in his final CPL game of the season, had the opportunity to hit the final ball for a six and win the game for his side. He couldn’t and Tridents slumped to their eighth successive loss at home across seasons. They are, however, still fourth on the points table, one point separating them and the bottom-ranked St Lucia Zouks.Among those in the crowd were Garry Sobers, the all-time great, and Jofra Archer, the Barbados-born World Cup winner with England. Archer, seen having a keen eye on the contest, would’ve particularly loved bowling on this Kensington Oval deck, the same one on which England were bowled out for 77 and 246 in a 381-run loss against West Indies earlier this year.A reprieve and a stunnerJason Holder had Chris Gayle chop on in the second over to give Tridents a dream start. Things could’ve been even better for Holder in his second over but Phillips was reprieved on 16 when he top-edged a pull that swirled high only for wicketkeeper Johnson Charles and the slip fielder to leave it to the other even as both ran back for the catch. In the end, neither managed to get a hand on the ball. The missed chance of Charles was somewhat compensated by Ashley Nurse’s anticipation at slip. He moved instinctively to his right and Chadwick Walton’s thick outside edge to a drive off legspinner Lamichhane stuck in his outstretched right hand.Phillips, Smith and the late finishPhillips mellowed down quickly after the top-order wobble, slipping into accumulation mode, but it didn’t help that his senior partners kept letting him down. Dwayne Smith, not picked in the draft by the Tridents, had the opportunity to prove them wrong. Having hit three of his four CPL centuries at this venue, he walked in with Tallawahs 51 for 3 and walked off to leave them 55 for 4 after a mistimed pull to deep midwicket to give Lamichhane his second wicket. It was his fourth single-digit score since being summoned as an injury replacement.Phillips followed suit and soon the innings was on a downward spiral until a rain break, with Tallawahs on 108 for 8 in 18.3 overs, brought about a change in luck. After resumption, Lewis carted left-arm seamer Raymon Reifer for consecutive sixes in the final over, as the last nine balls produced 19 runs. Tallawahs suddenly had something to defend.Tridents collapse after bright startAlex Hales took a liking to George Worker’s left-arm spin by hitting him for a four and two sixes before Jade Dernbach’s brilliant catch at backward square leg terminated Hales’ innings in the fourth over. Three balls later, Zahir Khan reprieved Charles at short fine leg, and the Tridents wicketkeeper steadied himself thereafter to make 31. After missing a stumping and fumbling a bit earlier in the day, this could’ve been a shot at redemption, but Charles, who saw JP Duminy and Jonathan Carter fall around him, failed while attempting a desperate pull. That left Tridents five down, with 50 still to get off 34 balls.Reifer threatens a heistTridents needed 30 from 12 balls. Reifer, whose stance and batting style resembles that of former West Indies wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs, feasted on some loose bowling as Tallawahs went into meltdown mode. Shamar Springer, a hero until that point with figures of 3 for 17 from three overs, got clobbered for two fours and a six in a 15-run over. When he went full, Reifer belted him over long-off. He bowled length, only to be swatted to deep midwicket. Then he tried a slower ball but was forehanded over mid-off.Smith now had a chance to redeem himself in the final over but saw his second ball smacked out of the ground at deep midwicket. Eight required from four now. Gayle and Walton had in a mini-conference with the bowler. Smith went full, and Reifer took two to long-off. With six needed off three, he bowled full and wide this time, Reifer reached out but holed out to deep cover. That there was the game.
West Ham are nearing a swoop for Elche winger Tete Morente as David Moyes aims to start his transfer business early.
What’s the word?
That’s according to the Sunday Mirror, who reported in their print edition (May 1st, page 74) that the Premier League side has been in early contact with the player over a potential move.
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Elche are asking for a fee of around £7m for the 25-year-old who is keen on making the move to England and playing in the top flight.
A new mega-money talent?
Morente isn’t exactly a household name and despite scoring against Barcelona earlier this season, he only has three goals and three assists throughout the whole campaign, not numbers that will put the fear into Premier League defenders.
Despite this, he is only 25 and has plenty of time on his side to continue his development, it could well be a shrewd signing for the Hammers in the long run.
Moyes has seen his side reach unprecedented heights this campaign, still in the hunt for a top-six spot and chasing a historic Europa League final, it’s looking like exciting times for the West Ham faithful.
The squad does need to be bolstered in an attacking sense though, with Michael Antonio their only designated centre forward, it could well be that Morente gets to put his versatility to good use.
Although a left-winger by trade, Morente has some solid defensive stats which could help West Ham on top of his 14 career goals.
He features in the 89th percentile of blocks in Europe’s top five leagues (1.75 per game) and in the 81st percentile of aerials won (1.13), proving that Moyes could be getting more than just a goalscoring threat.
Furthermore, he is compared to one of the very best in Spain, with the flanker who has 14 career goals being compared to Real Sociedad’s £63m-rated talent Mikel Oyarzabal.
On that basis, this signing begins to look a little more appealing for the Irons faithful.
AND in other news, West Ham eye swoop for “brilliant” 21 y/o, he’s “similar to Eden Hazard”
US Soccer is close to completing the men's national team schedule for the year, near a deal to face the South American powerhouse
USMNT finalizing deal to play UruguayGame to be held in Tampa BayU.S. to face South Korea and Japan in SeptemberFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
The U.S. men's national team is finalizing a deal to face Uruguay in a November friendly, GOAL can confirm. The match would take place on Nov. 18 in Tampa Bay, Florida at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Buccaneers.
Per the Washington Post, first to report the status of the deal, the USMNT will face a yet-to-be-determined opponent on Nov. 15 somewhere on the East Coast before then taking on Uruguay three days later.
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With the potential Uruguay friendly, the USMNT continues to round out its 2025 schedule, nearly completing the fall slate of games to close the calendar year.
Mauricio Pochettino's side is set to face South Korea and Japan in September, with the games taking place in New Jersey and Columbus, respectively. In October, there will be matches against Ecuador in Austin and Australia in Denver before the November window concludes the USMNT's 2025 slate.
Uruguay are a familiar opponent for the USMNT, who faced the South American powerhouses just last summer in their final Copa America group stage match. Uruguay won that match, 1-0, to confirm the USMNT's early exit from that tournament.
Prior to the friendlies, Uruguay will look to confirm their place at the 2026 World Cup during the September window, having already guaranteed themselves at least a playoff spot heading into the final two games of CONMEBOL qualifying.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
The match in November would be the USMNT's seventh visit to Raymond James Stadium, where they hold a 4-2-0 record all-time. Their most recent match at the venue came in October 2018, when they fell, 4-2, to Colombia in a friendly – despite goals from Kellyn Acosta and Bobby Wood.
ImagnWHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?
The U.S. will gather during the first week of September for the matches against South Korea and Japan, which are scheduled for Sept. 6 and 9, respectively.
Everton’s fourth summer signing of the 2025 window is through the door at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Toffees have brought in young Bayern Munich left-back Adam Aznou, for a fee reported by the Liverpool Echo to be in the region of £7.8m.
Indeed, the same report details that the Toffees’ summer spending is way past the £50m mark already. Charly Alcaraz made his loan move permanent, Mark Travers signed from Bournemouth as their new back-up goalkeeper, and the marquee signing so far has been Thierno Barry. The French striker joined Everton from Spanish side Villarreal.
Villarreal's Thierno Barry
Yet, David Moyes is not content, and reportedly wants five or six more signings this summer. Already, the Toffees have been linked with a new attacker.
Everton’s pursuit of a new attacker
It seems like Moyes wants to overhaul Everton’s attack this summer. Dominic Calvert-Lewin left the club on a free transfer, and Barry has been signed as his replacement. Now, the focus on the Blue half of Merseyside has seemingly switched to a new winger.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to a recent report from Fabrizio Romano, the Toffees have enquired about signing Como and Senegal international winger Assane Diao. He is one option on the list as Everton look to reinvent their forward line under Moyes.
However, this will not be an easy deal to do. Como, managed by Premier League legend Cesc Fabregas, have ‘already turned down a bid this summer’ for the young winger.
Assane Diao for Como.
That club is unnamed, but perhaps it came from Everton’s Premier League rivals, Chelsea. One Spanish report said earlier in the window they were set to bid £43m for the 19-year-old.
Why Diao would be a good signing
After coming through Real Betis’ academy, Diao made the move to Italian side Como in January. Described as an “electric” winger by football scout Antonio Mango, the 19-year-old has made a huge impression in Serie A so far.
Although he is just 15 games into his Como career, Diao, already a Senegal international, has eight goals and one assist to his name. He was a key player under Fabregas, playing 1259 minutes, the equivalent of 13.9 full 90-minute games.
The former Betis star, who managed six goals and three assists for the club, showed in his short Como career that he can step up in the big games. Last season, he bagged goals against Milan, Juventus and Scudetto winners Napoli.
Moyes would surely be hoping the Senegal international could replicate the impact of his international teammate Iliamn Ndiaye. The Toffees’ attacker was described as a “superstar” by former defender-turned-pundit Jamie Carragher.
His impact last term, his debut campaign for Everton, was astronomical. He played 37 games across all competitions, scoring 11 goals. That included nine strikes in the Premier League, with this stunning effort against Tottenham Hotspur a standout.
Diao’s record at Como stands out in such a short amount of time, and he has a habit of finding the back of the net against big sides. There is reason to believe he has the talent to replicate what Nidaye has done.
He can also play on both wings. With his international teammate favouring the left, there is a chance Everton fans could see them line up on either flank.
The stats on Squawka, using Diao’s numbers from Serie A, are remarkably similar. For example, the Como star completes 1.4 take-ons and averages 0.6 chances created per 90 minutes. In contrast, Everton’s number 10 completes an average of 2.6 take-ons and creates 0.7 chances per game.
Goals and assists
0.7
0.4
Chances created
0.6
0.7
Forward passes
4.4
6.2
Take-ons completed
1.4
2.6
Duels won
7.9
6.7
Ball recoveries
3
6.4
With the Toffees looking to overhaul their attack next term, signing Diao could be the dream option. He is a direct winger with an eye for goal and has the ability to light up the Hill Dickinson Stadium with his flair.
Joining his Senegal teammate Ndiaye on Bramley Moore Dock would be an exciting move, especially if he can become the second coming of the Everton star.
Their new Gordon: Everton set to hold talks over signing big-money PL star
Everton eye sensational transfer for Manchester City’s treble-winning winger
Leandro Trossard's father has hit out at Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco and defended the Arsenal star following criticism for his start to the Euros.
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Belgium lose 1-0 to SlovakiaTrossard's display criticisedHis dad slams national boss TedescoWHAT HAPPENED?
Belgium fell to a shock 1-0 defeat to Slovakia in their Euro 2024 opener, and the former Brighton man was one of many to come under fire for his lacklustre performance. Ahead of their crunch clash with Romania, his father Peter Trossard has laid the blame at manager Tedesco for how things have gone for his son thus far.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesWHAT LEANDRO TROSSARD'S FATHER SAID
His father told Belgian publication : “I don’t think Tedesco is a good trainer for Belgium. Although he doesn’t have the stubbornness of Roberto Martínez. Leandro gets criticized, but he was moved from one position to another. That way you don’t get a line in your game. Don’t underestimate those Romanians, Ukraine was not involved in their first match. But hopefully I’m wrong, the Belgians win and the enthusiasm flares up.”
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Prior to this match, Tedesco had an excellent record as Belgium boss – winning 10 and drawing four of his 14 matches in charge. That defeat was his first loss as manager and while Trossard was used as a left winger, in previous matches he has been played on the right or as an attacking midfielder, laying the blame at Tedesco's door for the 29-year-old's performance is, arguably, a bit of a reach.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Trossard's Belgium side will hope to get their Euros campaign back on track when they take on Romania – who won their first match 3-0 against Ukraine – on Saturday night at RheinEnergieStadion, before rounding off the group stages against Ukraine four days later.