Fermin Lopez has signed a contract extension with Barcelona that runs through 2029 and has a release clause of $544.4 million. Lopez is a graduate of La Masia and won a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
In the 2023-24 season, he played 42 games and scored 11 times. Lopez has missed part of the current season, but played 45 minutes in Barcelona's 4-0 win over Real Madrid last weekend.
Manchester United will almost certainly hire Ruben Amorim as manager, but it is currently being held up by his 30-day notice period. United intends to pay Amorim's €10 million release clause with Sporting and would like him installed as manager ahead of Sunday's match against Chelsea.
United play six matches across the next 30 days.
“Nobody knows if it was my last match," said Amorim following Sporting's match on Tuesday. "It’s something still not decided … When and if I take that decision I will say it."
Jurgen Klopp has defended his decision to join Red Bull among criticism from fans in Germany. Many fans in Germany oppose the ownership structure of Red Bull-controlled clubs.
“You cannot make your decision depending on what reactions there will be,” Klopp told the podcast of the former Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, published on Wednesday. “I am 57 and can still work a few more years. But I did not see myself on the sidelines for now. It was clear for me that I would do something. So then Red Bull came. For me it is outstanding.”
Klopp is acting as an adviser for the Red Bull clubs in Germany, United States, Brazil and Austria.
“I did not want to step on anyone’s toes – I love all my former clubs,” Klopp said. “But I don’t know what I could have done so that everyone is happy.”
Ruben Amorim is on the verge of leaving Sporting to become the next manager of Manchester United to replace Erik ten Hag.
Amorim, who has a €10 million release clause, had been one of the favorites to replace Jurgen Klopp as the Liverpool manager in the summer before they moved forward with Arne Slot.
Manchester City have also had interest in Amorim as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola. Amorim is considered an astute tactician and a clever man-manager. United are in 14th place in the Premier League.
Rodri has won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, finishing first ahead of Vinicius and Jude Bellingham. Dani Carvajal, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Lautaro Mariner and Lamine Yamal finished fourth through eighth. Rounding out the top-15 are Toni Kroos, Harry Kane, Phil Foden, Florian Wirtz, Dani Olmo, Ademola Lookman and Nico Williams. Rodri led Manchester City to another Premier League title as well as Spain to winning the European championship.
“An incredible night for me,” Rodri said after receiving the trophy from George Weah, a previous winner who spent a brief spell at City in 2000. “Today is a very special day, not just for me but for my family and my country.”
Rodri is out for the season with a torn ACL.
Aitana Bonmati has won the 2024 Ballon d'Or, winning the award for the second consecutive year.
“What drives me to be here is the winning mentality that we have as a team and a national team, it’s what leads you to these successes,” Bonmati said.
Bonmati led Barcelona to their fifth straight league title and second straight Champions League.
Manchester United have Brentford manager Thomas Frank on their list of potential candidates to replace Erik ten Hag. United fired Ten Hag on Monday after just four wins from 13 matches in all competitions this season.
Frank is under contract at Brentford until 2027.
Asked about his future at a news conference on Monday, Frank said: "I've said many, many times I'm very happy here. What happens in the future, who knows? I'm very, very happy here."
Gareth Southgate is another potential target, though he has said he doesn't plan to manage until the summer of 2025 at the earliest.
Sources on both sides have played down the speculation of Xavi becoming manager of United.
Another potential candidate, Sporting Lisbon boss Rúben Amorim, dismissed links with the United job at a news conference on Monday.
"I was already expecting this question and obviously I'm not going to talk about the future, because otherwise I'll always have to comment," he said.
"I'm very proud to be Sporting coach, that's all."
Vinicius Junior and his Real Madrid teammates have decided not to travel to Paris for the Ballon d'Or ceremony as they believe Rodri will receive the award.
Vinicius is one of the leading candidates to win the award after leading Real Madrid to a LaLiga and Champions League double last season.
Vinícius scored 15 goals in LaLiga last season, as well as six in the Champions League, including in Madrid's semifinal win over Bayern Munich and in the final against Borussia Dortmund.
"I think he'll win it," Carlo Ancelotti said last week.
Vinícius would have been the first Brazilian to win the men's Ballon d'Or since Kaká in 2007.
Manchester United have fired Erik ten Hag as manager following their 2-1 defeat at West Ham. Ten Hag was nearly fired at the end of the previous season, but their FA Cup win combined with a dearth of qualified candidates led him to remaining in the post.
United have just one victory from their past five top-flight matches and are in 14th place in the Premier League.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined the club’s coaching staff in the summer, will take charge of the first team in the short term
Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City will sustain their success after his departure unlike what has happened to Manchester United since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. Guardiola will decide whether to extend his contract with City at some point this winter.
“I don’t know what happened [at United],” Guardiola said. “I am pretty sure that [stability] is going to happen [here]. I know how it works. It will be a bad sign for the club if after just one person leaves everything is dragged down. It [stability] is going to happen, for sure. Maybe they [the executive] will make mistakes, but during the mistakes they will solve it. Immediately, that is for sure. The guys know exactly what they have to do.
“When it is going bad they will find the solutions immediately. They will be patient, calm and know what they have to do. Absolutely, I don’t have doubts about that. With Txiki for 12 years and in my case, it is normal that it looks like we cannot leave, but of course we can move on. Life moves on. The Earth continues around.”
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