da bwin： Manchester United have reportedly submitted a £50m+ bid to sign a Barcelona star ahead of the summer transfer window.
Man Utd progress in Europa League thanks to Bruno Fernandes hat-trick
da bet nacional： The Red Devils booked their place in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday evening after a 5-2 aggregate win over Real Sociedad.
Heading into the Old Trafford encounter after a 1-1 draw in the first leg, Ruben Amorim’s side found themselves behind after an early penalty from Mikel Oyarzabal. However, Bruno Fernandes converted two spot-kicks and sealed his hat-trick late on to ensure Man Utd will take on Lyon in the last eight.
Talking after the game, Amorim said of Fernandes: “We know that he’s frustrated. We know that he wants to win so bad. Sometimes, when we’re not playing well, he changes position and goes after the ball.
“Sometimes, he needs to trust a little bit more in his team-mates to allow them to do their job and help him to play better. When we need him, he’s always there. He can change position. He can bring the ball forward. He can score goals. He can make transitions like he showed today.
“In the last 10 minutes of the game, he can defend. He’s a perfect captain for our team. We need to help him to win titles because he’s a legend.”
Man Utd make approach to sign £25m defender compared to Lisandro Martinez
Spurs are also interested.
1 ByCharlie Smith Mar 13, 2025
Attention now turns back to the Premier League and a trip to relegation-threatened Leicester City on Sunday evening.
Behind the scenes, though, Man Utd and INEOS are being linked with moves to sign players from both Barcelona and Real Madrid ahead of what could be a hectic summer transfer window before Amorim’s first season in charge.
Real Madrid duo Andriy Lunin and Aurelien Tchouameni and Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez are all wanted at Old Trafford, and another Nou Camp star is once again on the Red Devils’ radar.
Man Utd make £50m+ offer for Frenkie de Jong
According to a report from Spain, Man Utd have once again tried their luck when it comes to long-term target Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong
It is claimed that Man Utd ‘has put an offer of €65m (£54.5m) on the table with the intention of securing the midfielder’s services in the upcoming transfer window.’ However, the report adds that United have already had a quick reply, with Barcelona rejecting the proposal and will look to extend De Jong’s £400,000-a-week contract instead.
Back in 2022, a €65m fee was reportedly agreed between Man Utd and Barcelona, but it isn’t enough for a deal in 2025.
Frenkie de Jong’s Barcelona stats
Appearances
242
Goals
19
Assists
22
Yellow cards
32
Red cards
2
Minutes played
18,424
It does feel as if the Red Devils may never secure the services of the Netherlands international, so it could be wise to look elsewhere at midfield reinforcements, with the likes of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount all potentially on their way out this summer.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is under threat of losing his job at N17 after an underwhelming Premier League campaign, blighted by injuries to key players in his Spurs squad, with a trophy-winning boss now said to be enticed by the prospect of replacing him.
Tottenham identify managerial targets to succeed Ange Postecoglou
The Lilywhites quite simply need to overturn their 1-0 first-leg deficit against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League this evening, with a successful campaign in Europe coming as Postecoglou’s only chance to win any silverware this term.
Tottenham make contact with "very versatile" manager to replace Postecoglou
Spurs are preparing for a hypothetical life without their current boss.
ByEmilio Galantini Mar 13, 2025
The north Londoners languish 13th in the Premier League table and are out of both domestic cups, but now key players have returned to the fold, supporters and critics alike are expecting Postecoglou to swiftly turn the club’s fortunes around.
Spurs’ form has taken a slight upward trajectory in the past few weeks. However, this will need to continue, or Tottenham’s under-fire head coach will continue to expect calls for his departure before the end of 2024/2025.
Fulham (away)
March 16th
Chelsea (away)
April 2nd
Southampton (home)
April 5th
Wolves (away)
April 12th
Nottingham Forest (home)
April 21st
Chairman Daniel Levy, according to various reports, has already identified a few key managerial targets if he does decide to hand Postecoglou his P45.
Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi is attracting interest from Spurs, according to rumours from Italy, while it is also believed that Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola’s representatives have received contact (GiveMeSport).
Both tacticians come as very interesting potential options, but one who is free and available for hire right now is ex-Borussia Dortmund manager Edin Terzic.
Borussia Dortmund coachEdinTerziclooks dejected after the match
The 42-year-old, who guided Dortmund to the Champions League final last season against Real Madrid, has also won multiple major trophies in Germany with his former club – but he’s currently a free agent awaiting his next move.
Terzic was a target for West Ham to replace Julen Lopetegui, before the Hammers eventually landed on Graham Potter, but Spurs are also registering an interest in the German.
Edin Terzic open to joining Tottenham with talks
According to a report by TEAMtalk today, the coach is enticed by the prospect of managing in the Premier League.
It is also believed that Terzic is also open to a conversation with Tottenham over joining them, but he is one of many candidates being considered by the club. Their manager hunt has already begun, as per TT, even if no final decision has been made on Postecoglou’s long-term future just yet.
Terzic deploys a 4-3-3 attacking formation, and has averaged an impressive 1.95 points per league game over his managerial career across 128 matches – including 75 victories.
“It’s incredible what Edin has achieved,” said Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke in 2024.
“Last year we were a whisker away from the Bundesliga title. Now we’re going to Wembley, in the Champions League final. What more do you want in two and a half years?
“Edin is someone who works meticulously and extremely hard for the club. As a coach, it’s a bit more difficult to get to the final with BVB than with Paris. That’s absolutely clear. But he did it. It’s a great achievement.”
She has just under a week to be fit for the Test against Australia
S Sudarshanan16-Dec-20231:15
Satheesh Shubha: ‘Getting India call-up was like living a dream’
Shubha Satheesh has fractured and dislocated her left ring finger, which forced her to miss the second and third days of the one-off women’s Test against England in Navi Mumbai, Harmanpreet Kaur confirmed after India wrapped up a massive 347-run win.Harmanpreet also said that Shubha had picked up the injury while warming up prior to the start of play on Friday’s second day. She was seen with the ring finger of her left hand in a splint in the dugout when India bowled on Friday.She now faces a race to be fit for the Australia Test match starting at the Wankhede Stadium next Thursday.Related
The Deepti Sharma show wipes England out in seven sessions
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Shubha and Rodrigues give the silent treatment to England
Shubha scored 69 in India’s first innings – the top score in India’s 428 all out – in what was her international debut, but didn’t bat in India’s 186 for 6 declared in the second innings or field in either of England’s innings.”Shubha gave us a very good start. [Sending her at No. 3] was our coach’s decision. He saw how she was batting and how she was taking the game ahead,” Harmanpreet said. “So he said if we can send her one down, she can give us a solid start, the way we expected.”It has been an eventful few weeks for 24-year-old Shubha. Days after receiving her maiden India call-up for the Tests against England and Australia, she was picked by Royal Challengers Bangalore in the auction for WPL 2024.”I can call it as just my time,” she said on Thursday. “I see only good side of it right now and it feels amazing – one after another good news coming up. Feels amazing to be part of.”
da casino： A vitória sobre o Fluminense no primeiro clássico da temporada valeu mais do que os três pontos ao Botafogo. O Glorioso chegou pressionado para a partida e uma derrota poderia instaurar uma crise dentro do clube. A torcida ficou muito chateada com o empréstimo de Jeffinho ao Lyon, da França, clube que também pertence a John Textor. No entanto, quis o destino que um jogador da posição fosse o autor do gol que garantiu o resultado de 1 a 0.
+Após vitória no clássico, perfil do Botafogo provoca Fluminense em referência à Série C do riva
Victor Sá reaparece como opção caseira para substituir Jeffinho, que foi o grande destaque e também revelação do Botafogo no ano passado. O atacante aproveitou justamente a oscilação do herói do clássico do último domingo. Victor Sá foi contratado com status de titular para a disputa do Brasileiro, mas pouco produziu, marcando apenas dois gols e dando uma assistência.
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da dobrowin： No primeiro desafio da temporada, o atacante foi decisivo, mas também competitivo, mostrando muito comprometimento na marcação e personalidade na hora de realizar jogadas no campo de ataque. Victor Sá demonstrou muita confiança de que 2023 será diferente e afirmou que o seu potencial vai ser colocado em prática dentro de campo.
– Todos nós entendemos a frustração da torcida pela saída do Jeffinho, mas essas coisas extracampo tem que deixar para a diretoria decidir. Em relação a mim, sei da minha qualidade, sei de tudo que eu posso ajudar a equipe dentro de campo. Então estou totalmente focado para essa temporada para dar boas alegrias ao Botafogo – afirmou Victor Sá, que completou.
– Eu comecei muito bem, mas tive uma lesão na coluna e aí teve alguns jogos que eu não consegui manter uma sequência. Mas tenho 28 anos, vou fazer 29 e tenho experiência suficiente para saber que futebol é assim. Tem momentos que não vivemos uma fase muito boa dentro de campo, mas tenho total convicção do meu trabalho, da minha qualidade e vou continuar trabalhando, fazendo meu papel que tenho certeza que as coisas vão acontecer.
Antes de chegar ao Botafogo, Victor Sá estava no Al Jazira, dos Emirados Árabes Unidos. Agora readaptado e tendo realizado uma pré-temporada, a tendência é de que consiga render mais do que em 2022 e começar o ano decidindo um clássico é um ótimo cartão de visitas para o torcedor e também para a comissão técnica. Na próxima quarta-feira, o Glorioso enfrenta o Nova Iguaçu, no Nilton Santos.
أعلن اتحاد الكرة المصري، إجراء تعديل على طاقم تحكيم مباراة الزمالك ومودرن سبورت والتي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري.
وتقام مباراة الزمالك ومودرن سبورت على أرضية استاد هيئة قناة السويس، في الجولة الثالثة من بطولة الدوري المصري.
طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك ومودرن سبورت اليوم في الدوري المصري
ويتواجد الزمالك في المركز السادس برصيد 4 نقاط، بينما يحتل مودرن سبورت المركز السابع برصيد نقطة واحدة بعد مرور جولتين.
وقررت لجنة الحكام بالاتحاد إجراء تغيير اضطراري على طاقم إدارة المباراة بين الزمالك ومودرن سبورت، بتعيين أحمد حسام طه مساعدا للحكم بدلاً من عمر فتحي الذي توفي والده مساء أمس.
وفي هذا الظرف تقدم الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم ولجنة الحكام بخالص العزاء للكابتن عمر فتحي سائلين المولى عز وجل أن يتغمد والده بواسع رحمته ويلهمه وأسرته الصبر الجميل وإنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون.
Chloe Kelly aimed a dig at her critics after helping Arsenal win the Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday.
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Kelly wins Champions League with ArsenalAims dig at criticsLeft Man City under a cloud in JanuaryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Kelly played 68 minutes of the showdown in Lisbon, as Stina Blackstenius scored a 74th-minute winner to seal glory for the Gunners. After ending a difficult season with a medal, she then took a pop at her doubters in Instagram.
AdvertisementWHAT KELLY SAID
Posing with the medal, with Arsenal fans behind her, Kelly wrote: "Once written off…"
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kelly started the season at Manchester City but suspended her five-year association with the club in acrimonious circumstances in January. The Lioness made just one WSL start in the first half of the season and claimed in a social media post that she wanted "to be happy again", before being allowed to leave for Arsenal on a loan deal.
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR KELLY?
Kelly is out of contract at City this summer and will not return to the club. It is not yet clear whether Arsenal will sign her on a free transfer.
Looking ahead to the future, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly leading the race to sign an impressive in-demand 18-year-old for Nuno Espirito Santo this summer.
Nottingham Forest set sights on future star
Those at the City Ground are within touching distance of Champions League qualification in what would be a monumental achievement for all involved, having previously struggled in the bottom half since returning to the top flight.
With just nine Premier League games remaining, Espirito Santo’s side sit as many as six points clear of fifth-place Manchester City and seven wins away from a place among Europe’s elite.
It may not be long before Forest attempt to flex their new-found Champions League muscles, either. The Midlands club have recently been linked to a mega move for Viktor Gyokeres.
The Swede has been one of the most clinical strikers in Europe this season and has attracted interest from the likes of Barcelona as a result. Yet, as the summer approaches, it’s Forest who could yet win the race to secure what would be one of the signings of the window.
Meanwhile, those at the City Ground have also reportedly turned their attention towards the future. According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are now in pole position to sign Cathal O’Sullivan from Cork City this summer.
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The young right midfielder recently turned 18 years old and could yet become the latest Irish talent to make his way to the Premier League – following in the footsteps of Evan Ferguson and, more recently, Mason Melia.
In a move with the future in mind, Forest would be landing a top prospect, albeit one who would have to wait for his chance at the City Ground. In pole position to sign O’Sullivan, the midfielder is one to watch.
"Brilliant" O'Sullivan is one for the future
Whilst it’s Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga lighting up the flanks for Nottingham Forest this season, there seems to be every chance that it’s O’Sullivan tasked with doing exactly that in years to come. The 18-year-old has already taken strides in senior football too, making two appearances for Cork City and even grabbing himself an assist this season.
Cork manager Tim Clancy was full of praise for his young star when asked about his recent rise, telling reporters: “I’ve spoken to Cathal about how I want him to be more positive and get at players, and if he gives the ball away, we don’t mind, because we want him to be more energetic and positive, and he’s got so much ability.
“Last week, he got his first assist of the season, and he’s added to that by getting his first goal now. He’s flying, and he’s doing really well for us and we are looking forward to the progress he makes.”
Also earning praise from The Next Wave – an X account run by a scout based in London – O’Sullivan was dubbed “brilliant” back in January as he prepared for the current campaign.
On Sunday, the Light Blues battled to a 3-1 victory over Hearts at Tynecastle, with Václav Černý on target in Edinburgh, while Jamie McCart scored not one but two unfortunate own goals.
Vaclav Cerny
That makes it five Premiership wins in a row for Philippe Clement’s team, who are unbeaten in nine league matches since Boxing Day, but this matters very little, considering they remain 13 points adrift Celtic, set for a trophyless campaign, having been ignominiously dumped out of the Scottish Cup by Queen’s Park.
So, all the Light Blues really have to play for is the Europa League, set to face one of Bodø/Glimt, Anderlercht, Fenerbahçe or Twente in the round of 16.
In recent times, Rangers supporters have loved their Europa League Thursdays, getting all the way to the final three seasons ago, and one of the stars of the run to Seville is impressing at another Scottish club, so will they rue letting him go for free?
Rangers' struggles in front of goal
Rangers have now failed to score on five occasions this season, most notably against Queen’s Park in that historic cup defeat, while, despite bagging three at Tynecastle this weekend, they’ve only netted 19 times in 13 Premiership away matches.
So, let’s compare Rangers’ goal-scoring issues to previous campaigns.
Rangers’ goal-scoring season-by-season comparison
Statistics
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24
2024/25
Premiership goals scored
80
93
87
54
Premiership away goals scored
40
43
36
19
Premiership matches scored nil
2
2
3
3
Premiership matches scoring 4+
6
8
6
3
Goals-per-game in Europe
1.4
0.8
1.3
1.7
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com
Rangers are currently on course to score 78 goals in this season’s Premiership, their lowest tally for a completed campaign since 2017/18, while their current tally of 19 goals away from home means they’re projected to score just 28 times on the road, their fewest since returning to the top division.
Cyriel Dessers
Failure to score in any of their remaining 12 league fixtures would be record-breaking, while they’ve only scored four, or more, on three occasions in the league so far, down from six during the previous campaign.
On the flip side, the Gers have scored 16 goals in eight Europa League matches so far, netting at least once during all of their league phase fixtures, including putting four past both Steaua Bucharest and Nice.
Nevertheless, consistent goalscoring is a clear weakness for this team, so did they make a mistake letting a goalscoring midfielder depart for free?
Ex-Rangers midfielder flying back at former club
Scott Arfield will always go down in history as Steven Gerrard’s first-ever signing as Rangers manager, arriving on a free transfer from Burnley in 2018, and what an excellent edition this proved to be.
He made 233 appearances for the Light Blues, scoring 43 goals and providing 19 assists, winning the Premiership title and a Scottish Cup, also a key member of the side who reached the Europa League Final, featuring in 16 European fixtures that season.
Then manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst described the Canadian international as “really important”, before the midfielder departed to join Major League Soccer outfit Charlotte FC, following the expiration of his contract in 2023.
He spent 12 months in North Carolina, making 33 appearances and scoring three goals, before returning to British football with Bolton Wanderers in EFL League One, albeit he featured just 16 times for the Trotters.
Arfield was then on the move again, re-joining Scottish Championship side Falkirk in January, returning to the club he had departed 15 years earlier.
Where Are They Now
Well, fair to say he had an immediate impact, scoring less than 60 seconds into his second Bairns debut, bagging a hat-trick during a 5-2 victory over Partick Thistle, before scoring again during Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Ayr.
This means, in just two appearances back in Scotland, Arfield has now scored twice as many league goals as Rangers’ Nedim Bajrami has managed all season. The pair both have four goals between them across all competitions this season, yet Bajrami has made double the number of appearances.
Falkirk, who won the League One title unbeaten last season, are currently top of the Championship, seeking a second successive promotion that would take them into the top-flight for the first time since 2010.
Some supporters may have noticed that, whatever club he has been at, Arfield always wears the number 37 shirt, but the heartbreaking story behind this has only recently come to light.
Scott Arfield
This is a tribute to his former teammate Craig Gowans who, at the age of just 17, was killed back in 2005 when a metal pole he was holding collided with an overhead electricity pylon.
As outlined by Andrew Slaven of the Scottish Football Show, Falkirk had previously retired the number 37 shirt, with Arfield phoning up Gowans’ father asking for permission to wear it, who replied “wear it with pride”, a gesture Slaven describes as ‘really special’.
As well as being classy off the park, Arfield has shown he still has plenty to offer on it, even if at Championship level, emphasising he might just be the exact type of goal-scoring midfielder – and Bajrami upgrade – that Rangers are missing.
Cantwell signed instead: Rangers missed out on star who's now worth £110m
Rangers missed out on signing a player who is now one of the best in the Premier League
Celtic’s march towards yet another title continues.
Last Saturday evening, Brendan Rodgers’ side battled to victory at St Mirren, leading twice through Jeffrey Schlupp’s sweet strike and then Arne Engels’ spot-kick, only for the Buddies to hit back both times.
Nevertheless, a quick-fire late double from substitute Yang Hyun-jun, with in-form Daizen Maeda on target in between, saw the Hoops collect three points in Paisley.
As a result, given that Rangers were beaten earlier in the day, they are now 16 points clear at the top, on course to wrap up the title before the split, with an Old Firm derby coming up a week on Sunday.
However, would the Hoops be even more potent in attack had they not let go of a former forward who’s now outperforming the returning Jota?
How Jota has performed since returning to Celtic
Jota returned to Celtic in January, to much fanfare, rejoining the club from Stade Rennais for a reported fee of £8m, having departed just 18 months earlier for £25m, a joint-club-record.
Fair to say, the Portuguese winger’s time in Saudi Arabia did not go to plan, making just 25 appearances for Al-Ittihad, thereby featuring in less than 50% of their matches, having not been registered for league matches for more than half the season; the Saudi Pro League has a limit on foreign players.
As a result, last August, Jota was sold to Stade Rennais in Ligue 1 for €10m but, after featuring only ten times for les Rouge et Noirs, he rejoined Celtic in January, with Kyōgo Furuhashi moving in the opposite direction to Brittany.
Since arriving back in Glasgow, the Portuguese winger scored off the bench during his second Celtic debut at Motherwell.
He’s subsequently been on target against both Dundee and Aberdeen, although Rodgers has admitted his marquee January signing “is not quite at the physical level yet”, needing to rebuild match sharpness having played very little for almost two years.
Jota is undoubtedly a beloved figure for all Celtic supporters, but there is a forgotten ex-forward who has outscored the superstar from Portugal in recent times.
Forgotten Celtic forward in form stateside
If you don’t remember too much about Lewis Morgan’s Celtic career, well we don’t blame you.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
He arrived from St Mirren for a reported fee of £300,000 in July 2018, but made just 31 appearances in hoops, scoring only two goals, on target against AIK in a Europa League qualifier in Stockholm, before netting against Rennes in a dead-rubber group game a few months later.
Following a loan spell at Sunderland, Morgan was then sold to Major League Soccer expansion club Inter Miami in January 2020 for around £400,000, as the Celts made a small profit.
Lewis Morgan
His time in Florida was far from spectacular, scoring just seven goals in 58 appearances for Inter Miami, but he must have done something to attract the attention of those in New Jersey because, after two years in Fort Lauderdale, he was sold to New York Red Bulls for $1.2m in General Allocation Money, a pretty sizable fee by intra-MLS deal standards.
The Scottish international has certainly found a home at Red Bull Arena, scoring a hat-trick during only his second appearance for RBNY away to Toronto, netting 18 times during his first season in New Jersey.
Morgan then endured a pretty miserable 2023, only able to make six appearances due to a hip injury that required surgery, given only a 20% chance ‘of returning to his peak’ level, as noted by Joseph Lowery of Back Heeled.
Despite this prognosis, Morgan certainly rediscovered top form in 2024, scoring 13 goals in 29 regular season appearances, a key figure as New York Red Bulls reached MLS Cup Final for the first time since 2008, ultimately beaten by LA Galaxy.
His manager Sandro Schwarz described Morgan’s form as “incredible”, reflected by the fact he was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year in 2024, the award given to a player ‘who showed impressive improvement after overcoming a serious injury’.
So, let’s see how Morgan’s numbers compare to Jota’s over the last 12 months.
Appearances
37
33
Minutes
3,140
1,717
Goals
13
7
Minutes per goal
242
245
Assists
7
3
As the table shows, Morgan has scored six more goals than Jota in the last 12 months although, given that he’s played almost twice as many minutes, their minutes-per-goal records are remarkably similar.
According to Transfermarkt, the Scot is now worth a career-high £5m, 12.5 times more than the fee he was initially sold to MLS for five years ago.
In an interview with Goal, Morgan admitted he grew up a Rangers fan, precluding any chance of his ever returning to Parkhead, but the 28-year-old has certainly shown qualities at RBNY that were never on display during his brief time at Celtic Park. Perhaps they regret letting him leave all those years ago?
Celtic must rue selling "unplayable" star who's outscored Idah for 6 years
The former Celtic striker went on to enjoy a fantastic career after moving on from Parkhead.
Arsenal have appointed former Atletico Madrid chief Andrea Berta as their new sporting director. Berta replaces Edu, who left the club he re-joined in 2019.
The Brazilian’s departure came months before a January window that saw Arsenal fail to bring in a striker to bolster their depleted attacking ranks as their Premier League title challenge faltered.
Jason Ayto stepped in on an interim basis, but this did nothing to help the north Londoners continue their decent transfer record under Edu, who had overseen deals for the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice as technical and sporting director.
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Berta left Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in January 2025 after seven and a half years in the same technical role.
The Italian arrived with an intriguing back catalogue of transfer deals for Diego Simeone’s side, who last enjoyed major success with their La Liga triumph in the 2020/21 season.
Atleti were not afraid to splash the cash at times during Berta’s tenure. Here are the 10 biggest deals since his promotion to the sporting director position in the summer of 2017 – could this be a taste of things to come for the Gunners?
Rank
Player
Signed from
Fee
Joao Felix
Benfica
Julian Alvarez
Man City
Alvaro Morata
Chelsea
Diego Costa
Chelsea
Thomas Lemar
Monaco
Conor Gallagher
Chelsea
Vitolo
Sevilla
Marcos Llorente
Real Madrid
Rodrigo De Paul
Udinese
Alexander Sorloth
Villarreal
10 Alexander Sorloth Transfer fee: £26.9m from Villarreal (2024)
Alexander Sorloth – international teammate of Martin Odegaard for Norway – had finally found his feet at the top of European football in Spain, having starred for Villarreal in the 2023/24 season.
Formerly of Crystal Palace, the Norwegian exploded into life while at Trabzonspor, scoring 24 Super Lig goals – his best league return to date.
Following his €32m (£26.9m) switch to Atletico Madrid last summer, Sorloth has now started each of the last three seasons with a different La Liga club, with spells at Villarreal and Real Sociedad handing him a shot at league and Champions League glory in the Spanish capital.
9 Rodrigo De Paul Transfer fee: £29.9m from Udinese (2021)
Rodrigo De Paul’s reward for starring in Argentina’s successful Copa America campaign was a transfer to then-La Liga champions Atletico Madrid, with Berta and Simeone sanctioning a near-£30m move.
It has been a successful one for the midfielder, who remains one of Atleti’s key men as they seek silverware this season, with 39 appearances in all competitions to his name ahead of their Champions League decider with Real Madrid.
8 Marcos Llorente Transfer fee: £31.2m from Real Madrid (2019)
Marcos Llorente made the not-too-often trodden path across the city from Real to Atletico, with Los Colchoneros paying up to €35m (about £31.2m) for his services including add-ons.
Llorente was signed as a replacement for Rodri, who joined Manchester City that same summer. Having filled in multiple positions since his arrival, you’d have to say this was money well spent.
7 Vitolo Transfer fee: £33m from Sevilla (2017)
One of Berta’s first signings after being promoted from technical to sporting director, Vitolo joined in the summer of 2017, but was unable to be registered until the turn of the year due to a club transfer ban.
Atletico met the player’s reported £33m release clause to sign him, and while they had to wait around six months to get him on the pitch, Vitolo started his time at the club with a Europa League triumph.
His career petered out soon after, but did bow out a league champion before a couple of loan spells prior to his retirement.
6 Conor Gallagher Transfer fee: £33m from Chelsea (2024)
Conor Gallagher was a surprise summer exit as Chelsea attempted to balance the books as they spent heavily in the off-season once again.
Atletico Madrid were the fortunate beneficiaries on this occasion, though not after some drama as Gallagher was remarkably sent back to Cobham with the deal all but finalised after a planned swap with Samu Aghehowa fell through.
In the end, Atletico were able to offload Joao Felix to Stamford Bridge to finally shake hands on a £33m deal for Gallagher, perhaps hinting that Berta will use any tools at his disposal to get his way at Arsenal.
5 Thomas Lemar Transfer fee: £52.9m from Monaco (2018)
One of several Monaco players to leave the club soon after their title win a year earlier, Thomas Lemar joined Atletico Madrid in 2018 during the World Cup.
Interestingly, Arsenal were among Lemar’s admirers, but Berta and Atletico Madrid got a deal over the line, spending just under £53m to bring the Frenchman to the Metropolitano.
It could be argued that his transfer hasn’t been an undoubted success, but Berta managing to beat several European sides to a hotly contested signature could be a positive sign of things to come for Gunners fans.
4 Diego Costa Transfer fee: £57m from Chelsea (2018)
Diego Costa’s return to Atletico Madrid marks one of the more peculiar deals under Berta’s reign.
The Spain striker had left Chelsea after falling out with Antonio Conte, but despite a clear intention from both parties to part ways, the Blues still got a sweet deal out of Atletico Madrid, who paid around £25m more to bring Costa back compared to his sale price in 2014.
Given Chelsea’s decent record when it comes to selling players, we can maybe give Berta the benefit of the doubt – plus Costa contributed to their Europa League win, so perhaps his hefty price tag wasn’t felt so much in Madrid.
3 Alvaro Morata Transfer fee: £58.3m from Chelsea (2021)
We’re on the fence with this one from a financial standpoint. Yes, Chelsea were made to settle for a loss when they sold Alvaro Morata to Atletico Madrid, but even €65m (£58.3m) seemed high for a player whose Stamford Bridge career never really took off.
However, Berta and Simeone can feel vindicated by their exploits following his arrival, initially on loan, in 2019.
Though he never won silverware there, Morata – never the most prolific of strikers – posted his best goals-per-game record while at Atletico (0.38 per game).
And although they let Morata leave on a two-year loan midway through his spell, they made up a decent chunk in loan fees and in his eventual transfer to Juventus and Milan respectively.
Arsenal have had a history of letting players go on the cheap in recent years, so perhaps Berta is someone who can make the best of a tricky situation.
2 Julian Alvarez £81.5m from Man City (2024)
alvarez-atletico-madrid
Atletico Madrid welcomed one of their record signings in the summer, with Julian Alvarez – fresh from winning another Premier League title with Manchester City – joining for a potential £81.5m including add-ons.
It was a brave move in the transfer market, and his 22 goals in 42 matches at the time of writing suggest it has been a pretty promising one so far, particularly as Alvarez rarely completes the full 90.
1 Joao Felix £113m from Benfica (2019)
Unfortunately, a big outlay is by no means a guarantee of success, and Atletico Madrid finally took a £68m hit on Joao Felix in the summer when selling him permanently to Chelsea.
Upon Joao Felix’s £113m arrival in 2019, he was one of the most exciting teenagers in the game, having scored 20 goals in all competitions for Benfica at just 19.
However, that campaign is still his best goalscoring season, while he has hopped around Europe looking for a long-term home as his potential remains unrealised.
Whether these deals can offer more optimism than despair for Arsenal and their supporters remains to be seen, but a summer of business under Berta will almost certainly be entertaining.
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