According to a report from SPORT, Atletico Madrid have agreed to Barcelona’s request for another loan deal involving Joao Felix.
The report highlights that Barcelona’s management highly appreciates Felix’s desire to continue playing for their team.
On the other hand, Atletico Madrid also see this positively because Felix has turned down offers from Saudi Arabia and Benfica to remain with Barcelona.
Now, it is said that Felix has communicated to Atletico Madrid that he only wants to play for Barcelona and everyone involved in this decision believes that repeating the arrangement used in the current season is the best choice.
Barcelona want to test Felix under Flick
At Barcelona, even with a change in management, the main concern is that Xavi has not been able to bring out the best in Felix.
However, with Hansi Flick now in charge, there is a renewed sense of optimism. The team believes that the German coach can help Felix reach his full potential once again.
The decision to extend the loan deal is seen as mutually beneficial for both clubs and the player.
On the other hand, Felix’s insistence on playing for Barcelona stems from his belief, and the belief of those around him, that staying with the club is the best option for his career at this point.
Atletico Madrid hold the key
Faced with such resolve, Atletico Madrid have little choice but to accommodate his wishes and mitigate any potential fallout.
Hence, they have agreed to a new loan deal, with all parties on board. There won’t be an option for Barcelona to buy him outright, with the terms contingent upon reaching financial agreements, subject to salary constraints.
Although formalising the loan may take some time, it is a certainty that it will come to fruition eventually.
Right now, it is said that Felix is not in a rush and is prepared to bide his time until the conditions are favourable for his continued stint with Barcelona, even if it means training separately during the preseason at Atletico Madrid.
All parties, including Diego Simeone, are committed to this arrangement, and willing to allow Felix to train individually until the loan deal is finalised.
Amidst all the uncertainty swirling around whether Joao Felix will remain with Barcelona, a recent report from SPORT has confirmed something quite decisive: the Portuguese forward is dead set on staying with Barça.
Curiously, this is precisely what he has communicated to Atletico Madrid as well.
Currently, both the sports management at Barcelona and Hansi Flick are in accord that it is best for Felix to stay, and they are now gearing up to negotiate his stay for another season.
Flick wants Felix to continue
Flick is now tasked with the responsibility of extracting the utmost potential from the footballer because, within the team, there is a growing sense of belief that Xavi failed to get the best out of the player.
Now, they are hopeful that Flick can rectify this situation. While there is still much ground to cover, should Felix embark on another campaign with the Blaugrana, he will do so with the reassurance that the coach is firmly behind him.
There is a unanimous consensus between the German coach and the sports management in this regard and with the club and coach on the same page, half of the journey seems to be paved in their favour. But they are not alone in this stance.
Felix has rejected big-money offers
Now that Felix himself is keen on staying at Barcelona, it leaves only Atletico Madrid as the differential.
It is said that all parties involved believe that repeating the current arrangement for the upcoming season is the optimal choice.
Moreover, Barcelona highly esteem Felix’s eagerness to remain with the club. Despite receiving a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, the 24-year-old forward has firmly declined to leave the football elite.
He has not even entertained the idea of being loaned to Benfica, a proposal from Atletico, indicating his desire to don the Blaugrana colours.
Portuguese star Joao Felix saw his stock fall again last year after a strong start to the season saw him benched from January onwards. The 24-year-old was not to Xavi Hernandez’s taste, but Hansi Flick has reportedly backed himself to be the first of his six managers since leaving Benfica to get the form out of him that earned a €127m move to Atletico Madrid.
According to Sport, Flick agrees with Sporting Director Deco that Felix can finally show his quality for Barcelona next season, and will back Felix, feeling it to be an important factor in doing so. Meanwhile Felix himself will demand that he return to Barcelona, rejecting all other offers. Felix has turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, and the chance to return to Benfica on loan in order to return to Barcelona.
Supposedly the Barcelona hierarchy feel Xavi did not take advantage of his talents, and with little other choice than holding onto to him, Atletico will accept a new loan, with the clubs already having reached an agreement on that. The Blaugrana will not have an option to buy, and are working on the economic conditions to make the deal work between the two clubs. Diego Simeone is simply happy to get rid of Felix again next year, and Felix has the club’s permission to train alone in hope of sealing the move, instead of starting preseason with Atletico.
Felix is clearly talented, but where Barcelona’s faith in him seems to come from is their links to his agent, who few deny has a strong influence at Barcelona. Performances against Atletico Madrid and Porto last season show that he can have an impact, but with so many systems and managers being used around him, unless Felix himself changes, then he will again be in the same situation as he has been for the last three summers.
New Barcelona boss Hansi Flick says Frenkie De Jong is ‘untouchable’ amid links to Manchester United.
The 27-year-old has been a long-term target for United with Erik ten Hag believed to be an admirer of the player from his time at Ajax. The Reds were embroiled in a lengthy and ultimately pointless back-and-forth with Barca as they attempted to sign the Dutchman after Ten Hag’s appointment.
However, De Jong expressed on several occasions his desire to remain at Barcelona. Instead, Casemiro was brought in but has had a disappointing spell across the two years at Old Trafford.
Flick, who will have a number of decisions to make this summer after penning a two-year deal at the Camp Nou, seems to have already made his stance clear over De Jong. According to local journalist Roger Torello, he described the midfielder as an ‘untouchable’ player, suggesting he has no intention to part ways with the midfielder.
When asked about his future following the arrival of Flick, De Jong told Mundo Deportivo: “Staying at Barca? Yes, I’m very happy in Barcelona with my family, for sure. Hansi Flick wants me to be key? I talked to him, it was good. After the European Championship we will see how he is doing.”
Barca president Joan Laporta has also insisted that de Jong is ‘delighted’ at the club and does not want to leave despite interest from elsewhere. “The last thing he would want would be to leave Barcelona,” the 61-year-old confirmed. “He has told me more than once, that he is delighted here.
“We have margin. We are delighted with him. I’m not worried about anyone and if someone wants to leave, we can’t go against a player’s will. But I think everyone wants to stay and we want everyone we have to stay. We don’t want any of them to leave, because no team in history has been a flash in the pan.”
After a somewhat underwhelming loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion, Ansu Fati is all set to return to Camp Nou.
Fati returns to Barcelona on the back of a spell that saw him appear in only 500 minutes of Premier League football. Injuries and lack of game-time were once again a factor in stifling the attacker’s growth at Brighton.
However, as Fati looks forward to the idea of returning to Barcelona, the attacker is upbeat about his chances.
Fati is hopeful of succeeding at Barça
In a recent interaction with Mundo Deportivo, Ansu Fati expressed his desire to succeed at Barcelona, despite a poor loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion.
“My plan is clear, I want to succeed at Barcelona,” the forward said (h/t Fabrizio Romano).
Fati’s comments came just a week after he bid farewell to Brighton, as he thanked the fans and Roberto De Zerbi, a former coaching candidate at Barcelona.
Will Fati succeed under Flick?
Fati’s hopes of succeeding at Barcelona could be renewed by the arrival of Hansi Flick as head coach.
The German tactician is known for his tendency to give everyone the opportunity to perform at the highest level. Keeping that in mind, he is likely to assess each and every player at Barcelona heading into the new season.
However, Fati’s chances of succeeding at Barcelona could be impacted by his poor injury record, coupled with the club’s economic despair.
Indeed, Barcelona’s economic woes mean that the club will face pressure to offload the Spaniard in the coming summer. He has no shortage of suitors either, with at least three Spanish clubs interested in his services.
Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati has today moved to make clear beyond any shadow of doubt his plans for next season.
Wide-man Ansu, for his part, is of course fresh off an altogether underwhelming loan stint away from Catalunya’s capital.
After making the move to England with Brighton & Hove Albion, a combination of fitness problems and lack of form culminated in a paltry haul of just three Premier League starts.
Such woes had given rise to widespread reports that Ansu had not done enough to convince the Blaugrana brass of his readiness to contribute with the club next season.
With a new manager and coaching staff on the way, and an entirely new sporting project under construction, however, the 21-year-old, evidently, sees a chance to prove himself back with his parent club.
And this is an opportunity which Ansu does not intend to allow to slip through his grasp…
As part of an interview with Mundo Deportivo, the Spanish international was drawn on his hopes for next season.
And Ansu did not hesitate, in responding:
“I’m 100% ready. People think I’m injured but I’m fine – I spend a lot of time in the gym.
“My plan is clear. I want to succeed at Barcelona.”
Report: Thomas Partey set to depart Arsenal at the end of the season.
According to reports, Arsenal is ready to sell midfielder Thomas Partey once the 2023-24 season comes to a close.
The 30-year-old joined the Gunners from Atletico Madrid, a prominent La Liga club, in October 2020 for a transfer fee of £45m. Since then, he has made 104 appearances for Arsenal in England.
However, Partey has faced significant limitations in terms of playing time this season due to various injury concerns. His last appearance for Mikel Arteta’s team dates back to October.
The Ghana international has been struggling with a long-term thigh injury, resulting in him only playing four Premier League matches this season and participating in just 251 minutes of top-flight football.
According to The Mirror, Arsenal is now considering allowing Partey to leave North London at the end of the current term, even though his contract is not set to expire in the summer.
The report suggests that the Gunners are becoming increasingly frustrated with the midfielder’s ongoing injury problems, which have caused him to miss the majority of the campaign so far. It is believed that Arteta was initially open to the idea of Partey leaving during the summer transfer window, as he believed he had enough options in the midfield department.
The summer transfer window saw the North Londoners make significant changes to their midfield, acquiring Declan Rice from West Ham United and Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
Despite Arsenal’s efforts to find suitable offers for Partey, they were unable to secure a move for the 30-year-old, resulting in him remaining at the club and spending a considerable amount of time in the medical room this season.
Juventus had shown interest in signing Partey during the January transfer window, but ultimately decided against it due to concerns about his injury history. However, there is a possibility that the Serie A giants may revisit their interest in the summer, especially if Partey becomes a Premier League champion under the guidance of Arteta.
Following a crucial 3-1 victory over league leaders Liverpool, Arsenal now find themselves just two points behind Jurgen Klopp’s side. It was initially anticipated that Partey would make his return to the team this month after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. However, Arteta recently provided an update on the Ghanaian’s condition ahead of the Liverpool match, which raised concerns about his availability.
Arsenal manager Arteta expressed his disappointment regarding Thomas (Partey)’s recent setback, stating, “Regrettably, we encountered a minor setback with Thomas a few days ago.” Arteta clarified that he is not a medical professional, but Thomas experienced discomfort in a similar region and was unable to participate in training over the past few days.
Thierry Henry’s presence as France U21 head coach could prove beneficial for Arsenal in the long run, and one of the first players the Gunners legend could help them to sign is one of the most promising young midfielders in the world game.
Henry holds a deep and lasting connection to the Emirates club, where he is the all-time record scorer, and given the opportunity, he will surely push any young talent the way of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
One particular player that he holds clear admiration for is PSG sensation Warren Zaire-Emery, who at 17 years old has already been handed the France U21 captaincy by Henry.
PROFILE: Who is Warren Zaire-Emery? All you need to know about the PSG starlet
“It’s truly astonishing what he can do at the moment. We can talk about his strength and his physique, but his vision… understanding the game, how he positions himself, the desire he has…” Henry told L’Equipe.
“With the captain’s armband, I wanted to know what he has in his stomach. He showed me in two matches that he is an exceptional player.”
Even amid PSG’s capitulation in the Champions League against Newcastle, the former Arsenal hitman was impressed.
“Unfortunately his team collapsed, but not him,” he said. “His maturity, what he manages to do, to understand at his age, it’s just not normal! Let’s be happy to have a French player like that.”
Zaire-Emery’s incredible explosion
The terms that Zaire-Emery is being spoken of echo those words regarding Jude Bellingham. The young Englishman has heard such things about his game since his days at Birmingham, but he has backed it up with his performances at Borussia Dortmund and now Real Madrid.
Bellingham, it should be stressed, is a different player to Zaire-Emery. Whereas the 20-year-old has rapidly shown his capabilities in the final third at the Bernabeu with a series of match-winning goals, Zaire-Emery typically operates deeper in the field and is unlikely to be so decisive – at least in terms of scoring.
But France are already considering ushering him into the international set up as the era of Paul Pogba, facing a four-year doping ban, and N’Golo Kante is over
“He is a serious candidate to have a role in midfield given his incredible maturity,” Didier Deschamps said as he named his France team to face Netherlands and Scotland in the October international break.
Deschamps has previously named Bellingham’s Real Madrid clubmate Eduardo Camavinga in the squad at the age of 17 years and 9 months. There is still time for Zaire-Emery to beat that post-war record.
PSG, meanwhile, is not recognised as a club where young players typically hang about.
Although they are trying to change that reputation, it can only be positive for Arsenal that they have an influential figure championing Zaire-Emery and his career should he ever decide to leave Parc des Princes.
The 38 games seasons started in 1988/9, and thus there have now been 35 such campaigns.
Out of these 35 Arsenal have exceeded either 80 points or 80 goals in just eight campaigns – that is 34% of the time. Arsenal have exceeded 80 goals five times (that is in 14% of the seasons) and have exceeded 80 points six times (17% of the seasons).
Which shows us that this is rather a special moment. The only time the club has got over 80 goals and 80 points two seasons running, and indeed the only time Arsenal has exceeded the 80/80 mark other than 2004/5.
And let us not forget that this has come in a season where there were calls for the manager to learn how to rotate. Not only would that have been irrelevant even if it were true, the fact is that compared to other managers it wasn’t true. Some teams did rotate more, but when that happened it was because they had more injuries than Arsenal.
So to be clear, only three times in the PL era, (8% of the seasons) have Arsenal exceeded both 80 goals scored and 80 points gained. Two of those seasons have been the last two seasons.
As noted above the other season was 2004/5. But the Unbeaten Season does not qualify for 80/80 status since Arsenal scored only 73 goals that season but did get 90 points. In fact when Arsenal won the league in 1998 it was with just 68 goals scored! Goals and winning the title don’t always go hand in hand.
This last season’s 91 goals was Arsenal’s best ever, and the 28 conceded was second only to the 26 conceded in the unbeaten season. The goal difference of 62 is the best ever.
But what is particularly interesting here is that all this was achieved without the one thing that so many football correspondents in newspapers and the bloggers who hang on their coat tails have demanded: a top scorer knocking in 20 or more goals.
This season just completed, Arsenal’s top scorer in the league was Saka with 16. Last season it was Odegaard and Martinelli each with 15.
Eight players scored more than Arsenal’s top man this season just finished. Haaland (27), Palmer (Chelsea – 22), Isak (Newcastle – 21) Foden (Machester C – 19), Solanke (Bournemouth – 19), Watkins (Aston Villa – 19), Salah (Liverpool 18), Son (Tottenham – 17).
Given that Newcastle came 7th and Bournemouth 12th, that suggests that while a top-scoring player can be useful in the team, it is no guarantee of success. Yes, Manchester City do have two players in the top scoring list but they only scored five more goals than Arsenal across the whole 38-match season. That is 0.13 goals per game.
And the benefit of the system Arsenal have evolved of spreading the goals around can be seen by the injury and loss of form of Martinelli this past season.
If we consider the top five scorers for Arsenal in the league last season and this season just finished we can see a slight difference:
2023/4 – total 91 goals: Saka (16), Havertz (13), Trossard (12), Odegaard (8), Rice (7)
2022/3 – total 88 goals : Martinelli (15), Odegaard (15), Saka (14), Jesus (11), Xhaka (7)
So in 2023/4 the top five scorers for the club knocked in 49 goals in the league between them.
In 2022/23 the top five scorers for the club scored 62 goals in the league between them.
What we can see is that the shift is to an ever more diverse set of players scoring goals in league matches is working. The top five goal scorers got more goals this season than the one before. Nevertheless, the media constantly link Arsenal with a 20 + goals a season man: a total change of direction.
It is of course possible that Arsenal could suddenly change policy. And we could look back to when Arsenal across two league seasons scored 176 goals.
But as far as I can see only twice has Arsenal ever exceeded such a goal-scoring record in its entire league history. Both occasions were in the 1930s under Chapman, and that, we should remember, not only included four extra games a season but also a time when Arsenal could score 78 goals in a season and come 14th in the league.
Indeed three times in the 1930s Arsenal scored 115 goals or more in a season – but they were also letting in 59+ a season. It was a time when even though it was easier to catch players offside (as the rules were different) defending was in its infancy.
So to all intents and purposes, this is the best Arsenal attack ever, and it is built around not having a 20+ man leading the line, but on sharing out the goals.
Many are calling for Arsenal to sign a 20+ goals a-season player, but I really do think that would require a total change in the way the team plays, and that may not be a good idea.
Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is set to face Anthony Gordon as Brazil face England at Wembley Stadium.
Bruno Guimaraes is reportedly set to start for Brazil against England at Wembley Stadium on Saturday evening (7pm kick-off).
Guimaraes could face Newcastle United team-mate Anthony Gordon, who will be hoping to earn his first England cap in the friendly match.
And according to Globo Esporte, Guimaraes will be named in manager new Dorival Junior’s first ever Brazil starting line-up this weekend. Brazil have been preparing for the match at Arsenal’s training ground this week, where Dorival Junior outlined his starting line-up for the match. Guimaraes will start as part of a Premier League midfield trio alongside West Ham United’s Lucas Paqueta and Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Joao Gomes, who could make his senior debut for Brazil’s national team. Globo Esporte also mentioned Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz was ‘tested’ in the side in place of Joao Gomes during the session.
Newcastle are one of only four teams to have representatives in both camps heading into the match. Real Madrid (Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo), Tottenham Hotspur (Richarlison and James Maddison) and West Ham (Lucas Paqueta and Jarrod Bowen) are the other three.
On the prospect of playing against Gordon at Wembley, Guimaraes told reporters during a pre-match press conference: “No one at the club deserves to be in the England squad more than him, he has been unbelievable for us, always scoring and giving some assists. He deserves to be there and he’s a lovely guy as well so I’m very happy for him.
“I hope he can get some minutes in the England squad and for me, playing against him will be massive for us both and the club as well.
