With European league seasons winding down, summer transfer speculation has begun in earnest with what you'd expect:
You might think paying €45 million for a 16-year-old without a first-team appearance to his name is excessive. You might be correct. In the case of Vinicius Jr., though, you just might be incorrect.
Real Madrid have reportedly had a €45 million bid accepted by Vinicius's club, Flamengo, although the move cannot be finalized until Vinicius turns 18, in July of next year.
Lionel Messi has scored 51 goals in 49 games this season for Barcelona. So, it's no wonder that club executives are in a hurry to get negotiations over with and to get Messi's contract finalized.
It appears today that the club and Messi's agents may be close to a deal. Only a day after we reported that Messi's camp rejected Barcelona's initial offer, Barcelona VP Jordi Mestre said "it won't be long" before Lionel Messi signs a new contract with FC Barcelona.
After over two decades of flinging himself at the ball in the blue of Chelsea and winning a lot of trophies, John Terry has announced his decision to leave the club at the end of the season. Terry is synonymous with Chelsea’s rise to English and continental dominance as well providing that bit of assholery that every successful club needs.
JT, as he’s called by those in the know, isn’t done defending yet, though. His high and tight haircut and high socks could be making their way to resolutely defending a club near you.
Didier Drogba has officially joined USL side Phoenix Rising as a player and (really) owner. Drogba's minority ownership stake in the team will allow him to transition to a front office role after playing this season. He will join former Chelsea teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips in Phoenix.
Marta, the five-time FIFA World Player of the Year, has joined the Orlando Pride on a two-year contract with an option for a third year. With the possibility of Alex Morgan’s short-term loan deal at Lyon running through June (Lyon will have to navigate a Champions League semifinal against Carli Lloyd’s Manchester City to make that a reality) the Orlando Pride have moved quickly to add more star power.
21-year-old Pachuca and Mexican international Hirving “Chucky” Lozano has long been a subject of interest for European clubs. The winger has already appeared in over 100 Liga MX matches for his club, and he’s become a regular for El Tri.
Lozano’s form in the 2016 Apertura season, during which he scored seven goals and helped Pachuca finish in second during the regular season, saw him linked with Benfica, Ajax and PSV during the January transfer window.
Jose Mourinho accidentally let slip a lack of knowledge concerning pop culture and heists while talking about the possibility of Manchester United signing Neymar. I'll explain.
Mourinho's quote, from ESPNFC:
Aged only 15, top English clubs have already been scouting Rangers teenage sensation and Scotland youth international Billy Gilmour. Gilmour can't legally sign a contract with any team until he's 16, but Chelsea are rumored to have agreed to terms with both player and club.
Gilmour had also grabbed the attention of Manchester United and Bayern Munich. Disregarding all of the great opportunities that have been presented by the English clubs, it's difficult to understand why he'd choose Chelsea given their track record of loaning their young players.
El Chicago Fire cometió un grave error al fichar a la leyenda alemana Bastian Schweinsteiger para que se fuera del Manchester United.
Obviamente, el movimiento fue para crear algún tipo de liderazgo dentro del vestuario del Fire, y en ese caso el Fire hizo un fantástico trabajo al traer a Schweinsteiger. Sin embargo, eso sería llenar sólo uno de los muchos agujeros que el Fire tiene.
La temporada pasada, el Chicago Fire terminó con un record general de 7-10-17 para encontrarse en el fondo de la Conferencia Oriental.