Football News: Review Of The Day 29th June 2022
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Review of the Day
Contracts
Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers has signed a new five-year contract. The 23-year-old was the fans' player of the season for last season.
Exeter City duo Pierce Sweeney and Cheick Diabate have signed new 2-year deals.
Grimsby Town has given Jordan Cropper and Danny Amos 1-year contracts.
Former Arsenal winger Carlos Vela has signed a new deal with Los Angeles FC which will run out at the end of 2023.
Teenage Manchester United midfielder Zidane Iqbal has signed a 3 year contract with the option for a further year.
Transfers
Newcastle United have agreed to sign Sven Botman from LOSC Lille for £33.3m + £2.5m in potential add-ons.
Gabriel Jesus has had a medical at Arsenal ahead of a move from Manchester City, as they look to replace the non-scoring Alexandre Lacazette with a similar low-scoring forward.
Another player who has had a medical ahead of a move is Divock Origi ahead of his free transfer to AC Milan from Liverpool. I am sure Everton fans will be breathing a sigh of relief to see him leave!
AS Monaco have confirmed the signing of another Liverpool forward, this time Japanese international Takumi Minamino for £13.5m. He will be the first Japanese player to represent the principality.
Former Sunderland player Wahbi Khazri has moved to Montpellier on a free transfer from Saint-Etienne.
Ross County have signed former Manchester City youngster Jordy Hiwula on a free from Doncaster Rovers.
Celtic have loaned Adam Montgomery out to St Johnstone until January.
Burnley have signed Luke McNally from Oxford United for a fee under £2m.
Tobias Figueiredo has signed for Hull City on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest.
Millwall have made a double swoop for George Honeyman from Hull and Benik Afobe from Stoke City for undisclosed fees.
Watford have released Rob Elliot.
Real Vallodolid have paid an undisclosed fee of £90,000 to Birmingham City for the permanent signing of midfielder Ivan Sanchez. Sanchez spent the second part of last season on loan in Vallodolid.
Burton Albion have completed the signing of Davis Keillor-Dunnon a free transfer from Oldham Athletic.
Funso Ojo has signed for Port Vale on a free transfer from Aberdeen.
Burnley have allowed Lukas Jensen to join Accrington Stanley on loan for the season.
Shrewsbury Town have signed Chey Dunkley on a free transfer from Sheffield Wednesday.
Rotherham United's Mickel Miller has signed for Plymouth Argyle on a free.
Swindon Town have signed Cian Harries on a free transfer from Bristol Rovers.
Sam Hart has signed for Sutton United on a free transfer from Oldham Athletic.
Colchester United have paid an undisclosed fee to sign Sam Hornby from Bradford City and also signed Alex Newby on a free transfer from Rochdale.
Joining Rochdale is former Wolverhampton Wanderers youngster Cameron John, who has signed on a free from Doncaster Rovers.
Teenage Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Xavi Simons has signed for PSV Eindhoven on a free transfer.
Nacho Martinez has been released by Real Vallodolid.
OGC Nice have loaned Jean N'Guessan to Nimes Olympique.
Torino have signed Italian striker Pietro Pellegri from AS Monaco.
Bayern Munich midfielder Christopher Scott has moved to Royal Antwerp.
RB Salzburg have paid £6.3m for Monaco defender Strahinja Pavlovic.
Free agent midfielder Kays Ruiz-Atil has signed for AJ Auxerre.
AEK Athens have paid £900,000 for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim midfielder Mijhat Gacinovic.
Empoli have added experienced forward Mattia Destro on a free transfer from Genoa.
Stranraer have signed two triallists. Former Celtic youth player Dylan Forrest and Scott Dunn were both free agents.
Former Real Madrid, Stoke City, PSG, and Sporting CP forward Jese Rodriguez has left Las Palmas to join MKE Ankaragucu.
Salernitana have completed the automatic signing of Emil Bohinen from CSKA Moscow, the clause in his loan contract coming in to play as they avoided relegation from Serie A.
Injury Round Up
New Werder Bremen signing Dikeni Salifou is to miss most of pre-season after picking up a muscular injury in the adductor area.
Job Changes
Hamilton Academical have promoted John Rankin from first-team coach to head coach, following the departure of Stuart Taylor last week.
Barcelona have moved their B team coach Sergi Barjuan to a different position after just one season in charge there. After he finished just 9th, I think removed would have been a better word. Former Barca star Rafael Marquez is reported to be the man to take his place as head coach of Barcelona B.
Disciplinary Charges
The English Football Association is investigating a loan made by the Triple S Group, which is part-owned by Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford, to pay Derby County's wage bill last month. The money was given to administrators Quatuma as they awaited clearance of prospective owner Chris Kirchner's non-existent funds. The loan ensured that the club, at the time with Rooney still in place as head coach, would not begin next season with another points deduction. A Triple S spokesperson said: "We are aware of the FA's routine investigation - indeed, it was the Triple S Group that voluntarily disclosed the information to the FA which has resulted in further inquiry. We were surprised that details of this investigation have appeared in the press while the investigative process is ongoing. Regardless, the Triple S Group is confident in the legal advice it sought originally and will continue to cooperate fully with the FA to resolve this matter swiftly." I think the investigation would be better spent figuring out why Quantuma, the FA, Rooney and Stretford all fell for Kirchner's clear lies when Preston North End had been very public with their announcements about him having no money! It could have led to a storied club vanishing from the entire football pyramid due to the ineptitude of, in particular Quantuma and the FA. If PNE can find it clear to see that Kirchner was a Walter Mitty character with no genuine money, how could those two organisations both find him a 'fit and proper' person to buy and run Derby? Unless they are both led by Nottingham Forest fans!
The sale of AC Milan to RedBird has hit a snag as a minority investor has gone to court in the US to block the sale. Blue Skye Financial Partners have said that majority owners hedge fund Elliott Investment Management engaged in "behind closed doors" negotiations to sell the club, breaching their rights as minority investors. Blue Skye's filing states that it intends to demonstrate that Elliott "operated with malice or deceit" by releasing confidential information without approval and failing to hold a proper bidding process. Blue Skye claim that Gordon Singer, the son of the founder and the man who runs the London office of Elliott, that they "would be privy to any sale" but they were instead cut out entirely. Blue Skye own around 4.3% of the holding company, based in Luxembourg, that owns AC Milan.
Toon Controversy Rumbles On
Newcastle United's new third kit has been launched and, as had been leaked, it is a replica of the Saudi Arabian national team kit. The Magpies were bought by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund recently, amid much controversy over the spectre of the Gulf state using the club to 'sportswash' their national image. The English Premier League had said, when allowing the takeover to go through, that they had been promised there would be separation between Saudi Arabia as a state and Newcastle United. Of course it could all be nothing more than kit makers Castore once again looking to be controversial for publicity, as they seem to be doing with Rangers and their orange kits. It should be pointed out that Newcastle have a betting company as shirt sponsor, something which would be illegal in Saudi Arabia.
Villa Park Growth
Aston Villa's chief executive Christian Purslow has revealed plans for a stadium capacity increase. Villa's Villa Park stadium currently seats 42,682 but the club are looking to raise that to over 50,000, with work planned to start next year. The work is currently undergoing a pre-application planning consultation to allow local residents and businesses to have their say. The plan is to build a brand new North Stand and improve the Trinity Road Stand. Purslow said: "We are excited to share our vision for Villa Park to become a world class sporting venue and thriving community destination. The redevelopment of the stadium is vital to the club to satisfy growing demand. By elevating the hospitality offering at Villa Park, we want to enhance the matchday experience and create a year-round entertainment venue to benefit both the community and our fans." Purslow also admitted that making sure Villa Park is part of England's bid to host Euro 2028: "We would love Villa Park to be at the centre of a successful bid to host the European Championships in 2028. I remain of the view it would be unthinkable for such games to take place without a match taking place at Villa Park, given our history of hosting major important games. We need the stadium to be bigger and more modern in order to have those games. That is part of the rationale."
Scottish Prize Pot Increase
The Scottish League Cup has announced an increase in prize money to record levels. A pot of £2.16m will be shared between the participants, up from £2.02m last season. The money will be awarded on a sliding scale basis of £22,000 for each team finishing 5th in the group stages up to £350,000 for the winners of the trophy. There is also a payment of £17,000 to each team involved in a televised group stage game, rising to £27,000 for the later stage matches. To put it into perspective, £350,000 is likely to be less than the annual salary of every one of the players who will play in the final!
Written by Tris Burke June 29 2022 11:20:32
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