June 2025 - Soccer Wiretap

Tottenham Hotspur have reached an agreement with Bayern Munich for French forward Mathys Tel in a deal worth $62.5 million. While Bayern Munich has accepted Tottenham's bid, which meets their €60 million valuation, Tel and his representatives are waiting to evaluate offers from other interested clubs before agreeing to personal terms.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Aston Villa are all monitoring the situation. Villa views Tel as a potential replacement for striker Jhon Duran.

The 18-year-old Tel has made 13 appearances for Bayern Munich this season, recording one assist in 344 minutes of play. The German champions signed Tel from French club Rennes in 2022 for €28.5 million.

Ethan Nwaneri scored in the 42nd minute of Wednesday's Champions League match to give Arsenal a 2-1 lead over Girona, which they were able to maintain for the duration of the game. Nwaneri, playing right wing in the absence of Bukayo Saka, cut inside to his left foot near the edge of the box to score.

“It's very natural for him,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said in his post-match press conference last night. “You can see the way he takes the touches, how he flows, how he picks people. And then the technique he's got when he's in motion, which is very good because he's so precise in his finishing.”

Nwaneri is a midfielder but his skill allows him also to play right wing. Nwaneri is still just 17 and will turn 18 in March.

Asked about Nwaneri's decisiveness in these actions and how rare that is at his age, Arteta added: “That's what we love about him. That he's willing to take the initiative to make things happen. He's very aggressive when he's on the ball and so confident. Before that, he had another action, a very similar one. He made the right choice, he went for it.

“He's a player that has the capacity to finish from every angle, and it was a very important goal.”

PSV has rejected a $26 million initial bid from West Ham for United States forward Ricardo Pepi. West Ham could make another offer as they are in the market for a striker ahead of the January transfer deadline following injuries to Jarrod Bowen, Michail Antonio and Niclas Füllkrug.

Pepi has 18 goals in 25 games in all competitions this season. Pepi also has 13 goals in 33 games for the USMNT, where he has been a regular fixture ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Arsenal had their bid for Ollie Watkins rejected by Aston Villa. Watkins was identified as a priority target as they look to upgrade at striker. 

Villa are reluctantly selling Jhon Durant to Al-Nassr and don't want to lose both players during this window. 

Watkins has scored 10 goals in 31 appearances for Villa this season and was a fan of Arsenal in his youth. Watkins has three years remaining on his contract.

Aston Villa forward Jhon Duran will undergo a medical in London on Thursday ahead of a proposed permanent transfer to Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.

Villa and their Saudi Pro League counterparts agreed to a deal worth €77million ($80 million) plus add-ons. Personal terms are already in place for Duran to join Al Nassr on a five-and-half-year contract.

Duran has scored seven goals in 638 minutes in the Premier League this season with Villa. 

Inter Miami has removed Raul Sanllehi from all sporting decisions while promoting  club academy director Guillermo Hoyos to the position. Hoyos is a longtime confidant and former academy coach of Lionel Messi.

The move follows a report that Sanllehi entered a players and coaches-only bus after Miami’s match against Club America in Las Vegas, a move that led to an “exchange of words” with Messi.

Hoyos first worked with Messi while training Barcelona’s U-18 side, from 2000 to 2003. At the time, he likened Messi to Maradona and the two have remained close, with Messi describing Hoyos as his “football godfather” in a 2010 interview. 

Carlos Ancelotti said Vinicius Junior is focused on "choosing glory" with Real Madrid as opposed to a financially beneficial move going to Saudi Arabia. A new report this week indicated that the Saudis are willing to offer Vinicius a five-year contract worth €200 million per season, as well as a €300 million transfer fee, although the player's contract at Madrid contains a €1 billion release clause.

"I understand everything in football," Ancelotti said in his pre-match news conference on Tuesday, when asked if he'd understand Vinícius opting for a move to the Saudi Pro League. "I understood Toni Kroos retiring from football [last summer]. Not many people understood it, but I did. I understand everything."

The approach last summer wasn't rejected by Vinicius but talks did not advance. 

"They're individual decisions," Ancelotti said. "But to me, the player [Vinicius] looks happy and excited about staying here and winning trophies with Real Madrid. I think he's thinking about choosing glory."

Neymar and Al Hilal have agreed to terminate his contract, which will allow him to sign with Santos. Neymar joined Al Hilal in 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain for a fee  of $97.6 million. Neymar suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while on international duty shortly after signing for Al Hilal. 

Neymar has agreed to give up a significant portion of his salary from his deal with Al Hilal, which runs through next summer. Sources said he will forfeit between $25 million and $30 million from the $65 million remaining on his contract.

Neymar began his professional career with Santos in 2009, leading them to a Copa Libertadores triumph in 2011.

New York City FC has confirmed the sale of 18-year-old defender Christian McFarlane to Manchester City. McFarlane, who joined NYCFC as an 11-year-old, is an 18-year-old left-back. 

McFarlane made 13 appearances last season for NYCFC. McFarlane has represented both England and the U.S. at international level, and made his England Under-18 debut in September 2024.

Kylian Mbappe recorded his first hat-trick with Real Madrid in their 3-0 win over Valladolid on Saturday. While Mbappe started his first season with Real Madrid somewhat slowly, he has come on strong in recent weeks.

"From the first day I arrived, I said I could play in all three attacking positions and that I needed to adapt. And now you can see it. The adaptation is over, and I feel great. You can see it on the field; everything comes naturally," Mbappe said.

Mbappe also expressed gratitude for the encouragement from Vinicius and Rodrygo.

"I appreciate their words, but I also have to help them and the team so that Real Madrid wins. If I finish as the top scorer, that's great—I've done it many times in my career—but the most important thing is winning titles," he said.