Ligue 1

The18's 5-Minute Winter Transfer Window Round-Up

According to Transfermarkt, 11,148 transfers were officially made between January 1 and February 1, with the transfer fees totalling a little over $600 million.

While significantly less than the 18,488 transfers worth $1.6 billion that occurred last January, it's still a lot to take in.

But we've made it easy for you.

Here's The18's five-minute guide to the most important transfers of this year's winter window:

Winter Transfers 2021

Five Most Expensive

1. Sébastien Haller (West Ham → Ajax)

Neymar Commits His Future To PSG After Newcastle’s Steve Bruce Admits Interest

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar said he wants to remain at the Ligue 1 champions and hopes Kylian Mbappé will also pledge his future to the club.

Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a world record fee of $269.26 million but Spanish media have frequently linked the 28-year-old with a switch back to the Catalan side.

Mbappé has 18 months remaining on his contract in Paris and new manager Mauricio Pochettino has played down reports the French forward could be on the move to Real Madrid.

18 In Police Custody After Ultras Storm Marseille’s Training Ground

French police in Marseille were holding 18 people in custody on Sunday after hundreds of fans stormed the training ground of soccer club Olympique de Marseille a day earlier, the local prosecutor said.

The hardcore Ultras were demonstrating against the club's leadership and a poor run of results. The supporters forced their way into the Commanderie training ground, hurling flares and firecrackers.

From Alcorcón To Pordenone: The Biggest Cup Upsets In Footballing History

Soccer is one of the very few sports that boasts competitions where small, local sides are able to face off against the best teams in the country. These matchups capture the imagination while providing a sense of hope and magic to a small group of supporters.

Domestic cups have long provided smaller clubs with the opportunity to prove their mettle by facing nationally recognized sides, and while major upsets are rare, just the slightest hope of an improbable win is enough to cause local pandemonium and stir significant interest among neutral supporters.

FIFA Promises To Unilaterally Destroy Anyone That Even Thinks About A European Super League

World soccer's governing body FIFA says players who feature in any breakaway European Super League would be banned from playing in FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

In a joint statement with European governing body UEFA and the other five continental confederations on Thursday, FIFA said they would not recognize any such breakaway.

Definitely Maybe: Forecasting Breakout Teams For 2021

Few things in sports are as difficult as predicting results of future games. According to Chris Anderson and David Sally, authors of The Numbers Game, soccer is 50 percent luck and 50 percent skill. Add in an overwhelming number of professional leagues and players and the low-scoring nature of matches, soccer is one of the most unpredictable sports. 

Project Mbappé: Real Madrid Wants To Offload 6 Players To Make Room For The PSG Star

One of the most fascinating storylines in Europe right now is the direction of Paris Saint-Germain under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. If it all goes well, PSG could be looking at a Champions League title and a potential Kylian Mbappé contract extension. If Pochettino and his charges don’t see eye-to-eye, that will only expedite Mbappé’s long-rumored move to Real Madrid (“Project Mbappé”), Liverpool or Manchester City. 

French Keeper Goes For All The Style Points And Clears Ball Off His Crossbar And Post

A goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Brest thanked his lucky stars on Wednesday after he almost scored one of the most humiliating own goals ever. Thankfully for him, people will instead be Googling “Gautier Larsonneur clearance” for years to come.

Larsonneur was happy as could be during his team’s match against OGC Nice. With ten minutes left before halftime, his team was up 2-0 and he had nothing to worry about. 

Monaco Player Scores One Of The Fastest Substitute Goals In Recorded History

AS Monaco midfielder Aleksandr Golovin almost scored the fastest substitute goal that the sport of soccer has ever seen.

During Wednesday’s Ligue 1 match between Monaco and Lorient, Golovin was substituted onto the field in the 64th minute with the score tied a 1-1. It was the Russian’s first appearance for Monaco since Aug. 30 after suffering a severe hamstring injury. He would score in the 64th minute.

It took Golovin all of 10 SECONDS to find the back of the net and give Monaco the lead. Talk about instant impact.

Mbappé And LeBron James Team Up For Special Edition Of LeBron 18 Sneakers

Kylian Mbappé and LeBron James caused a stir on the internet Tuesday when the two sports superstars suddenly swapped profile pictures on Instagram. 

For a moment, fans speculated if the changing of pictures was foreshadowing an Mbappé transfer to Liverpool as James is part of the Reds’ ownership group. ESPN FC stirred the pot a little more by repeating the rumor on Twitter.

Pages