The Near Post

24/08/2023

🚨 The relationship between Karim Benzema and Al-Ittihad coach Nuno Espírito Santo is strained.The coach feels that Benzema does not match his style of play and claims he never asked for him to join the club!

Karim Benzema admitted to Saad Al-Ladidh, who deals with contracts and who was able to convince Benzema to join Saudi Arabia that he was not comfortable with Nuno Espírito and that he was not treated with professionalism. Benzema had asked for the captain's armband but the coach gave it to Romarinho, so the Frenchman didn't come to training this morning. 🇬🇧
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Nuno Espírito Santo criticizes Al-Ittihad that Benzema does not match his style of play and claims he never asked for him to sign at the club. The management of Al-Ittihad threatens the Portuguese to break his contract if Benzema does not return to training. 🇵🇹⚫️🟡

05/01/2023

Manchester United have reportedly submitted a £3.5m bid to Atletico Madrid to take Joao Felix on loan for the rest of the season.

Felix has made just one start for Atletico since September after falling down the pecking order under Diego Simeone, and he was left out of their squad completely for their 2-0 win over Real Oviedo in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday.

United have been tracking Felix's situation, and have now made their move, offering £3.5m while also being prepared to pay his wages for the remainder of the campaign, according to Relevo.

Their valuation of the player falls some way short of Atletico's, though, as the Spanish giants are understood to be looking for a fee in the region of £11m before allowing Felix to leave.

This suggests that the Red Devils may have to considerably up their offer to have a serious chance of landing Felix.

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Erik ten Hag is very keen to bring in a new striker this month after United terminated Cristiano Ronaldo's contract in November following his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.

However, it appears that Ten Hag could be restricted with who he can pursue, with United only set to go for loan signings in January due to the uncertainty surrounding the club after being put up for sale by the Glazers.

United have already missed out on one of their key targets in Cody Gakpo, with the Dutch forward opting to join Liverpool instead.

They have now turned their attention to Felix, who can play through the middle or from the left flank.

Felix cost Atletico £114m back in 2019, making him the most expensive teenager in history, and he has scored 34 goals in 130 appearances for the club.

He has also been linked with Chelsea and Arsenal, as he looks for an exit from the Metropolitano Stadium this month.

Related： Manchester UnitedAtletico Madrid

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05/01/2023

Chelsea's pursuit for Argentina World Cup star Enzo Fernandez continues with their latest offer a reported £87m plus three players including the out-of-favour Hakim Ziyech.

The Blues have been linked with several players in the January transfer window as they try and get their Premier League top-four hopes back on track after a poor first half of the season.

They are reported to be in talks with Benfica over a move for Fernandez, while Andrey Santos, Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix and Mykhailo Mudryk have all also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

And, according to Portuguese outlet Record, their latest offer for Fernandez currently stands at £87m plus three players.

The players being offered in exchange by Graham Potter's side are Ziyech on a permanent deal and young stars David Datro Fofana and Andrey Santos on loan.

Ziyech scored 49 times and added 81 assists during a four-year-spell with Ajax which convinced Chelsea to spend £33m on the attacking midfielder in 2020.

But his time at Stamford Bridge has not proved to be as successful, with the Moroccan star keen to leave the club after failing to nail down a regular spot in either Thomas Tuchel or Potter's starting XI.

He was linked with a return to Ajax in the summer but the Dutch club baulked at Chelsea's asking price - but he has made just two starts this season in all competitions.

Ziyech clearly has talent as demonstrated in Morocco's historic run to the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar - but he has struggled to show any semblance of consistency during his time at Stamford Bridge - scoring just 14 goals and adding 10 assists in 93 games.

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Fofana meanwhile recently joined the Blues for £8m from Molde and is highly-rated by the club, with the 20-year-old having already played two times for the Ivory Coast.

The report states that the young striker would join Benfica on a loan deal and he would hope to continue his promising career that saw him score 24 times in 65 games for the Norwegian side.

Meanwhile, Santos is yet to join Chelsea, but it is widely expected he will complete his move from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama to Stamford Bridge this month for £18m.

Despite being just 18, Santos has been capped at U20 level by Brazil and is regarded as one of his country's most promising midfielders - he would reportedly join Fofana in moving to the Portuguese giants on loan.

Sportsmail previously reported that Benfica are reluctant to sell Fernandez following his exploits for his country at the World Cup in Qatar - the midfielder won Young Player of the Tournament after his exceptional displays at the base of Argentina's midfield.

Fernandez returned to training at Benfica on Tuesday to tell manager Roger Schmidt of his desire to join Chelsea.

The Blues though are threatening to move onto other targets if they can't agree on the scale and restructure of instalments.

On Wednesday, Benfica rejected Chelsea's first offer. The Blues were willing to pay the Portuguese side £112million for the 21-year-old midfielder - more than the player's £106m release clause.

However, Benfica want the full release clause to be paid up front, instead of Chelsea's original proposal where they would pay £37.3m over three years in order to evade financial fair play restrictions and this reported new offer is a separate package.

The 21-year-old Fernandez had already angered his club by defying orders not to fly back to Argentina, and has also infuriated supporters by going home to celebrate New Year's Eve and missing two training sessions.

He opted to fly to Buenos Aires following the Benfica vs Braga game on December 30 to spend the New Year with his family, despite not receiving permission from the club.

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25/10/2022

Former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson has hit out at Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara for occasionally picking up bizarre injuries.

Thiago, 31, has established himself as a crucial part of Liverpool's midfield since arriving from Bayern Munich for an initial fee of £20 million in 2020. However, consistent injuries have limited his involvement on the pitch, much to the dismay of Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

A technical operator renowned for his passing and dribbling, the Spaniard missed six matches earlier this season due to a hamstring injury. After returning to action last month, he started seven games across all competitions.

However, he was once again sidelined for his team's recent 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest due to an ear infection.

Speaking to Midnite (via Express), Johnson initially lauded Thiago before raising questions about his concerning injury history. He said:

"It's one of those, Thiago is great when he plays and you wish he could play every week. But he should be fit for every game every week, because he's that player that strolls about and does not sprint, so he shouldn't have as many muscle injuries."
Johnson, who represented Liverpool between 2009 and 2015, added that Thiago often picks up injuries during training sessions. He added:

"Thiago doesn't get hurt in a game is what I mean. Thiago does get some strange injuries and misses games for strange reasons, but he can't be replaced, he just needs to get out there and play."
Speaking ahead of his team's defeat at Nottingham Forest, Klopp provided insight into the reason behind Thiago's absence. He said (via AS):

"Thiago got a bad ear infection last night and there was no chance for him to do anything. We drove him home. The decision was [made] in the moment he woke up and had the pain. The doctor went there and they tried everything, went to the hospital and stuff like this. It didn't work out."
Thiago, who has grown to be irreplaceable due to his creative ability, has missed 51 games fo

14/10/2022

😂

14/10/2022

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has claimed that in-form forward Bukayo Saka could improve his defensive side of the game after their recent 1-0 win against Bodo/Glimt in the UEFA Europa League.

The Gunners maintained their perfect record in Group A of the continental competition at the Aspmyra Stadium on Thursday (October 13). Saka scored the decisive goal in the 24th minute of the contest.

Saka, who has been in fine goalscoring form this season, started his first UEFA Europa League match of the campaign. Before being substituted in the 59th minute, he completed 26 passes and registered three shots.

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Arteta underlined areas where Saka could be better. He told reporters (via Daily Mail):

"He can become much better. He had moments in the game where he was really good and then moments where he can improve and demand more of himself, especially defensively."
He added:

"There were moments where we allowed their left full-back to progress the play and break our press too easily. There are a lot of things to improve."
A left-footed technical operator, Saka has established himself as an undisputed starter at his boyhood club. He has opened the ongoing campaign on a positive note, scoring four goals and contributing four assists in 12 games across all competitions for the Gunners.

Arsenal are currently top of the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 24 points from nine games. The club are next scheduled to be in action against Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday (October 16).

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta ecstatic after tough away win against Bodo/Glimt
Analyzing his team's recent 1-0 UEFA Europa League win over Bodo/Glimt at the Aspmyra Stadium, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta said:

"I'm really happy with the win against a team that has won the last 14 games here at home. We were expecting a really tough night here and we made a lot of changes again but I'm delighted to find a way to win. To do that under any circumstances is

14/10/2022

Omonia Nicosia goalkeeper and Manchester United fan Francis Uzoho has expressed his delight after impressing in the Cypriot club's UEFA Europa League defeat to the Red Devils.

Manchester United played their fourth Europa League group stage match of the season against Omonia on Thursday (October 13). Playing at Old Trafford, they cashed in on home advantage to earn a narrow 1-0 win, thanks to a late goal from Scott McTominay.

While it was the Red Devils that earned the three points, it was Omonia goalkeeper Uzoho who won hearts on Thursday. Erik ten Hag's men had 13 shots on target on the night, but could not find a way past the Nigerian until the dying minutes of the game.

Uzoho grew up supporting Manchester United, dreaming about stepping foot on the turf at Old Trafford one day. Destiny acted in the shot-stopper's favor as he was handed a rare start for Omonia due to an injury to their first-choice custodian Fabiano.

The Nigerian, who had played just 134 minutes before Thursday, grabbed his chance with both hands, making a total of 12 saves on the night. McTominay may have rained on his parade, but Uzoho is grateful to have played against the club he supported as a boy.

Taking to Twitter after the game, Uzoho explained that he realized a lifelong dream on Thursday. He expressed his gratitude towards God and also swore his allegiance to Manchester United. The goalkeeper wrote:

"Today, my dream came through [true; ed.]. Old Trafford, I will never forget tonight. GGMU. In Christ Alone."
Speaking after the game, Uzoho claimed that his performance against the Red Devils was arguably the best he has done in his career. He also lauded his Omonia teammates for putting up a fight at Old Trafford. He told BT Sport [via BBC]:

"Arguably it is the best I have played. I am proud of my team-mates though, because it is not a one-man job."
Uzoho posed for a picture with Manchester United boss Ten Hag after the match
Uzoho asked Manchester United manager Ten Hag for a photo

09/10/2022

“with all due respect…” 😅

06/10/2022

06/10/2022

Agree? 🤔

05/10/2022

Erling. Haaland.

05/10/2022

Is is finally time for Martial to reach his full potential?