TRANSFER NEWS

The winter transfer window is generally much quieter than its summer counterpart. Teams spend the offseason acquiring new players and are reluctant to disturb their squad once the campaign has got underway. There will, however, be a need for reinforcements among those who are just falling short of their targets. The few deals that could take place in January 2023 may, therefore, be big ones. Cody Gakpo Dutch international striker Cody Gakpo enhanced his growing reputation at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. After a prolific start to the campaign with domestic side PSV Eindhoven, Gakpo opened the scoring in each …

How much easier it would have been if everyone had listened to Ferran Soriano in 2005. Barcelona would have a solution to its salary crisis, MLS would have a better deal with broadcasters, and Messi would know precisely what he would do after Barca. But the conservatives from Catalonia insisted on their own, and the commercial director did not sign a contract with the head of the MLS, Don Garber. This agreement would have marked the creation of a New York version of Barcelona. Eight years will pass, and Soriano will successfully share his idea with Manchester City. So there is …

Ask Ronaldo, and he will tell you that he only wants to play in the Champions League. To qualify for the most prestigious club competition on the planet, Juventus had to snatch a victory from Bologna on the last day of the season while hoping that their opponents would not let them down. Ronaldo is always good in such high-profile games, but for some reason, coach Andrea Pirlo dismissed him. Allegedly, the Portuguese are “tired”, having taken part in five matches in 19 days. Maybe so, but even at the age of 36, Ronaldo is the standard of physical form, …