Misc Rumor - Soccer Wiretap

Ben White Signs Four-Year Extension With Arsenal

Mar 14, 2024 10:34 AM

Ben White has signed a new four-year contract with Arsenal.

"I think if you do look at the ages [of the players], it's going to get better," White said. "When those sort of players are getting signed, it shows there is a real ambition about the club and it is something I am loving being a part of."

White has made 122 appearances for Arsenal since joining from Brighton for £50 million [$64 million] in July 2021.

James Olley/ESPN

Tags: Arsenal, Misc Rumor, Signing

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Maurizio Sarri Steps Down As Manager Of Lazio

Mar 12, 2024 11:15 AM

Maurizio Sarri has stepped down as manager of Lazio. 

Sarri joined Lazio as manager in 2021 and finished second in Serie A in 2024.

Fabrizio Romano/The Guardian

Tags: Lazio, Misc Rumor

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Celta Vigo Fires Rafa Benitez As Manager

Mar 12, 2024 10:44 AM

Celta Vigo have fired Rafael Benitez as manager.

Celta are 17th in the standings with 24 points, two above the relegation zone, after Sunday's 4-0 loss at leaders Real Madrid.

ESPN

Tags: Celta de Vigo, Misc Rumor

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Liverpool Hires Michael Edwards As CEO Of Football

Mar 12, 2024 10:42 AM

Liverpool has been appointed Michael Edwards as CEO of football.

Edwards was previously Liverpool's sporting director and was credited with overhauling the club's recruitment strategy and identifying Jürgen Klopp for the manager's role in 2015.

FSG struggled to replace Edwards after he left, with both Julian Ward and Jorg Schmadtke lasting less than 12 months in the sporting director role.

ESPN

Tags: Liverpool, Misc Rumor

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Chelsea Could Be In FFP Jeopardy With $115M Loss Last Year

Mar 7, 2024 11:12 AM

Chelsea’s ability to comply with profit and sustainability rules is in doubt after it emerged that the club made a pre-tax loss of £90.1 million ($115 million) in the year to 30 June 2023.

The Premier League’s rules permit clubs to make a loss of £105 million over a three-year period.

Chelsea made heavy losses under Roman Abramovich. The Boehly-Clearlake ownership has sought to drive down the wage bill and has a strategy of signing young players on long and heavily incentivized contracts.

The latest loss raises the chances of Chelsea having to raise funds through player sales this summer. They are expected to want to move on homegrown players such as Armando Broja, Trevoh Chalobah, Conor Gallagher and Ian Maatsen. Money received for academy products goes down as pure profit in FFP terms.

Jacob Steinberg/The Guardian

Tags: Chelsea, Legal, Misc Rumor

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Arsenal Still Plan To Pursue Striker During Summer Transfer Window

Mar 7, 2024 11:09 AM

Arsenal plan to pursue a striker this summer despite their recent goal surge. 

Arsenal have won all seven Premier League games in 2024 by an aggregate score of 31-3.

"The plans that we have for the summer are very clear," Mikel Arteta told a news conference on Thursday. "They were done almost at the start of the season understanding what we can have, the contract situations with some players, and how we can improve certain areas of the team. This situation doesn't change that."

Arsenal were heavily linked with a move for Ivan Toney ahead of the January window but Brentford valued the 27-year-old at around £80 million ($102 million) and ultimately received no bids.

Sporting Lisbon's Viktor Gyökeres and Brighton's Evan Ferguson are among the possible alternatives.

James Olley/ESPN

Tags: Arsenal, Misc Rumor, Transfer Rumor

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Wayne Rooney Still Aims To Manage United Or Everton Someday

Feb 29, 2024 2:37 PM

Wayne Rooney was fired by Birmingham City in January, but he still has ambitions to manage either Manchester United or Everton within the "next 10 years."

"Managing Manchester United or Everton is the aim, these big jobs are where you want to get to," Rooney said on Match of the Day, where he was working as an analyst for United's FA Cup game against Nottingham Forest.

"But it's a process I have got to go through the steps and get myself back on track. I want to get myself back into management to make sure in the next 10 years I'm hopefully in a position to go into one of the big jobs."

Rooney's first management job came at Derby County, where he was head coach between January 2021 and June 2022. 

Rooney then took over D.C. United in July 2022 before going to Birmingham.

ESPN

Tags: Everton, Manchester United, Misc Rumor

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Saudi Pro League To Pursue Several Premier League Stars Again

Feb 28, 2024 7:23 AM

Saudi Pro League (SPL) teams are preparing to pursue a number of Premier League players this summer.

Established players like Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Raphaël Varane, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and Andreas Pereira are on their wish list.

Saudi teams spent $957 million on player acquisition in 2023. In the summer of 2023, SPL transfer spend was second only to the £1.1 billion ($1.39 billion) spent by the Premier League.

Rob Dawson/ESPN

Tags: Misc Rumor, Transfer Rumor

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Thomas Tuchel To Leave Bayern At End Of Season

Feb 22, 2024 11:44 AM

Thomas Tuchel will leave as manager of Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

Tuchel was hired by Bayern last March to replace Julian Nagelsmann. 

Tuchel previously managed Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Xavi Alonso figures to be a strong candidate for both the Bayern job and Liverpool.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Bayern Munich, Misc Rumor

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Barcelona Has Spending Limit Reduced By $71M

Feb 20, 2024 2:20 PM

Barcelona has had their annual spending limit reduced by a further $71 million by LaLiga putting them at €204 million.

Real Madrid maintain the highest cap in the Spanish league at €727 million, while Atlético Madrid is also higher than Barca at €303 million.

The limit is roughly determined by the difference between a team's revenue minus non-sporting outgoings and debt repayments.

Sam Marsden/ESPN

Tags: Barcelona, Misc Rumor

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Kylian Mbappe 'Getting Really Excited' About Transfer To Real Madrid

Julien Laurens/ESPN

Brighton Transfer Head Sam Jewell Leaves For Job With Chelsea

ESPN

Kylian Mbappe Informs PSG He'll Leave Club In Summer

Fabrizio Romano/The Guardian

City Agrees To Buy Savio From Girona For $32.2M

Fabrizio Romano/The Guardian

Giovanni Reyna Loaned By Dortmund To Nottingham Forest

Tom Hamilton/ESPN

Mikel Arteta Strongly Denies Links To Barcelona

Ed Aarons/The Guardian

Xavi Announces He'll Step Down As Barcelona Manager After Season

Sam Marsden/ESPN

Jurgen Klopp Announces He's Leaving Liverpool After Season

Tom Hamilton/ESPN

Kylian Mbappe Considering Offers From Real Madrid, PSG

Julien Laurens, Rodrigo Faez/ESPN

City Signs 18-Year-Old Claudio Echeverri From River Plate

ESPN

West Ham Agrees To Loan Move With City For Kalvin Phillips

Connor O'Halloran, Rob Dawson/ESPN

Jose Mourinho In Talks To Become Manager Of Al Shabab

Julien Laurens/ESPN

Karim Benzema Seeking Exit From Al Ittihad

Julien Laurens/ESPN

Giovanni Reyna Attempting To Leave Dortmund During January Window

Julien Laurens/ESPN

Xavi Losing Support From Some Barcelona Players

ESPN

Jose Mourinho Fired By Roma

Tom Hamilton/ESPN

Kylian Mbappe To Decide Future In Coming Weeks

Julien Laurens/ESPN

Dortmund, United Agree To Jadon Sancho Loan Deal

Rob Dawson/ESPN

Dortmund In Talks With United On Loan For Jadon Sancho

Rob Dawson/ESPN

Birmingham City Fires Wayne Rooney

Mark Ogden/ESPN