Category: football

Lionel Messi has communicated to Barcelona that he wants to leave the club and will activate a clause to end unilaterally his contract.

It has also been reported that the club will defend their rights to demand a fee for the player, rather than let him go for free. The club claim the clause became inactive after June 10th.

His decision to call time on his career at Barcelona comes following the most humiliating defeat he has suffered while playing for the club, losing 8-2 in the Champions League quarter final to Bayern Munich.

It was after that game that rumours started to circulate that Messi had come to the end of his tether at Barça, as journalist Marcelo Bechler, the man who first broke the news that Neymar would move to PSG, reported that Messi wanted a move.

It is a situation that neither the club nor Messi ever wanted to happen. He would happily spend the rest of his career at the Camp Nou if he had any faith in the board to oversee the sort of changes the club has needed for a while. But having dragged Barcelona to title wins in 2018 and 2019, not with the help of the board’s recruitment but in spite of it, he does not owe them anything more.

He has given his best years to the club, has not won a Champions League for five years, and does not want to waste any more time at a club going through a rebuild as his legs begin to wane.

Where he goes now is another matter, but there will not be a shortage of takers for the greatest player of all time.

Inter Milan are understood to be interested in bringing Messi to the San Siro, while Barça have also shown interest in Lautaro Martínez. The Italian club are understood to have the financial might to match his wage demands too.

Another option for Messi will be a reunion with his former manager Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Guardiola has not won the Champions League since he managed Messi at Barcelona and with the coach only likely to stay at City for another year, a Last Dance with his old mentor could tempt Messi towards Manchester.

AS Roma have completed the signing of Pedro, who was a free agent after leaving Chelsea this month, on a three-year contract.

AS Roma have made an official statement to confirm that they have secured the services of Pedro on a three-year contract that will run through to 30 June 2023. The Spanish winger joins the Serie A giants on a free transfer, having departed Chelsea at the end of his contract this month.

Pedro is one of the most decorated players of all time, having won 25 trophies over his stints with Barcelona and Chelsea as well as the Spanish national side. The 33-year-old joined Chelsea in the summer of 2015 after an illustrious spell with the Blaugrana, with whom he won every possible trophy multiple times.

Over the past half-a-decade, the Spaniard was a consistent performer for the Blues, although the last couple of seasons saw him fall down the pecking order. His prospects were only going to suffer more in the upcoming season, with Chelsea already signing Hakim Ziyech while also closing in on Kai Havertz.

So, it became clear that with Chelsea becoming a more youthful side, he, like Willian, who has gone on to join Arsenal, would need to move on to a club where he can secure regular game time. As a result, Pedro started being linked with a number of clubs across Europe.

In particular, AS Roma seemed to be heavily linked with the player, with their prospects of signing him strengthening further in recent weeks. Now, the Giallorossi have gone on to land the veteran winger on a free transfer. Pedro, who is set to play Serie A football for the very first time, has put pen to paper on a three-year contract.

Upon completing the switch, the former Chelsea winger expressed his excitement, saying, “I am delighted to be here at Roma. I’m excited for this challenge and to compete to achieve our targets over the coming seasons. I want to thank the fans for the welcome they’ve given me. I hope to make them happy.”

Roma already have a stacked squad, with attack being beefed up in recent windows as well. But, despite all the talent at Paulo Fonseca’s disposal, the Serie A outfit lack an experienced figure out on the wings, especially Diego Perotti linked with a possible summer exit.

Pedro, with all his experience at the top level with Chelsea and Barcelona, is potentially a fine addition to the Roma squad. Now set for a new phase in his career, it will be interesting to see if his signing can galvanize an underperforming squad.

Arsenal are reportedly close to selling Ainsley Maitland-Niles to Wolves.

According to reports, the clubs are still working on a fee, although other outlets have it in the £20M range. Maitland-Niles and Wolves have also yet to agree to personal terms. But it looks like, out of nowhere, this move is a “when” not an “if” question.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that Maitland-Niles had decided that he needed a move away from the Emirates to get regular first team minutes. I had hoped that his strong performances and important role in the big games to wrap up the season might have convinced the club and AMN to find some common ground, but alas, no such luck.

I don’t like the move, but if the player wants out, there’s not much Arsenal can do. The Gunners need a rebuild, and even though a 22-year old, homegrown player like Maitland-Niles would have been a nice piece, the club should be able to turn around and reinvest the funds he brings in to help reconstruct the roster.

Mikel Arteta has other targets for the window, and Arsenal were always going to have to sell to buy. If we’re being realistic, the guys most fans want sold aren’t likely to bring back much in the way of a return. AMN has value and will go for meaningful money. I just wish that money wasn’t coming from a club that was fighting for the same table positions as the Gunners last season; strengthening a competitor doesn’t feel good.

Victor Moses has described Inter Milan’s 3-2 defeat to Sevilla as devastating after they gave their all in the Uefa Europa League final.

The former Nigeria international came on as a 78th-minute substitute on Friday as Antonio Conte’s men bowed to the Spanish outfit at the RheinEnergieStadion.

Romelu Lukaku got Inter Milan off to a flying start from the penalty spot in the fifth minute but Luuk de Jong’s double within 20 minutes turned the game around for Sevilla.

Diego Godin drew the Nerazzurri level in the 35th minute but Romelu Lukaku’s own goal in the 74th minute sealed the five-goal thriller for Sevilla and secured their sixth Europa League title.

Moses who joined Inter Milan on a short-term loan from Chelsea in January, was hoping to end his temporary stint in Italy with a trophy after he helped them finish second in the Serie A this season, behind Juventus.

“Devastated to lose the final on Friday. We gave everything but it just wasn’t to be,” Moses wrote on Instagram. “Thank you so much to all of the fans for your amazing support for the team during the season.”

Moses contributed three assists in 20 games for Inter Milan in the second-half of the 2019-20 season, which include 15 Serie A appearances.

Prior to his move to Italy in January, the 29-year-old spent the first-half of the season on loan in Turkey with Fenerbahce but he was restricted to first-team action.

Inter Milan have the option to make Moses’ stay permanent with his Chelsea contract expected to expire in June 2021.

He has been at Stamford Bridge since 2012 after leaving Wigan Athletic.

Moses called time on his international career in August 2018 after representing Nigeria in two Fifa World Cup tournaments and he was part of the team that won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic has tested positive for Covid-19, the Spanish club announced on Sunday.

The Bosnian, 30, is “feeling well”, self-isolating at home and will travel to Barcelona in 15 days’ time.

Pjanic is joining Barcelona from Serie A champions Juventus in a swap deal with Brazil international Arthur.

Barca, who finished the 2019-20 season without a trophy for the first time in 12 years, begin their 2020-21 La Liga campaign on 12 September.