Fulham F.C. Agrees to Deal with Wolverhampton Wanderers to Sign Raul Jimenez

Raul Jimenez is switching sides…

Fulham F.C. has agreed to a £5 million ($6.42m) deal with the Wolverhampton Wanderers to sign the 32-year-old Mexican professional footballer, according to ESPN.

Raul JimenezJimenez is set to finalize personal terms, and a medical is expected to take place early next week.

Fulham’s interest comes amid ongoing uncertainty over the future of Aleksandar Mitrovic, who is not available for selection after being frustrated at being denied a move away from the club.

The Serbia forward is keen on joining Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, who’ve had a £25m bid rejected with Fulham valuing him in excess of £50m.

Jimenez has been at Wolves since 2018 — initially on loan from Benfica before joining permanently a year later — and was later sidelined for nine months after fracturing his skull during a game against Arsenal in 2020.

Fulham boss Marco Silva had on Saturday expressed his frustration at the club’s lack of signings this summer, but Jimenez is now close to becoming their first arrival.

Angel Di Maria Returning to Benfica

It’s a special homecoming for Angel Di Maria

The 35-year-old Argentine professional footballer’s career in Europe came full circle on Wednesday as the winger rejoined Portuguese side Benfica, the club he played for between 2007 and 2010 when he moved from Argentina.

Angel Di Maria, “Welcome home, Di Maria!” the club said following a video announcing the signing of Di Maria who, according to reports, has agreed a one-year contract.

Di Maria’s first stint with the Portuguese champions was the prelude to his big move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, with whom he won a league title, two domestic cups and the Champions League.

He spent last season with Serie A side Juventus after seven successful years with Paris Saint-Germain.

Di Maria will join close friend and compatriot Nicolas Otamendi, his teammate for Argentina in last year’s World Cup-winning campaign, in Portugal.

Chelsea FC Sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for Record €121 million

Enzo Fernandez is celebrating a record deal…

Chelsea FC has signed the 22-year-old Argentine professional footballer from Benfica after meeting the midfielder’s €121 million (£106.8m) release clause, the Portuguese side announced on Tuesday.

Enzo FernandezA statement from Benfica confirmed that a deal had been reached between the clubs over how Chelsea would pay the release fee for Fernandez, who has signed an eight-and-a-half year contract.

The deal breaks the previous Premier League record fee of £100m that Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish when he joined from Aston Villa in 2021.

 

Chelsea were still to confirm the deal, but according to reports in England the paperwork had been submitted on time and before the transfer deadline at 2300 GMT on Tuesday.

Fernandez impressed for Argentina as they won the 2022 World Cup and was named the Young Player of the Tournament.

ESPN reported on Monday that Fernandez had already agreed personal terms with Chelsea and was pushing the Portuguese club hard to reach an agreement with the Blues.

He becomes Chelsea’s seventh signing of a busy January transfer window, following Benoit BadiashileDavid Datro FofanaAndrey SantosMykhailo MudrykNoni Madueke and Malo Gusto into the club.

Benfica boss Roger Schmidt was not keen on seeing Fernandez leave, but had previously said their hands would be tied if a club paid the player’s release clause.

Fernandez moved from Argentine side River Plate to Benfica in 2022 and has played 29 times in all competitions, scoring four goals and grabbing seven assists.

The deal takes Chelsea’s total outlay on players since last year’s takeover by an investment group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital to more than £500m.

Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League, 10 points adrift of a top-four spot. They next host local rivals Fulham on Friday.

Chelsea & Benfica Remain Locked In Talks Over Enzo Fernandez

The fight is on for Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea and Benfica remain locked in talks over what could turn into a British record transfer fee for the 21-year-old Argentina midfielder, according to ESPN.

Enzo FernandezFernandez is keen on moving to Stamford Bridge and Benfica are willing to agree to the move if their €120 million release clause is met in full.

Negotiations are ongoing amid conflicting messages from sources close to both clubs. Those close to Benfica suggest Chelsea have indicated they could pay up to €127m, with the extra money designed to entice the Portuguese club into accepting a series of installments over several years.

However, sources with knowledge of Chelsea’s position insist they are yet to commit themselves to such a sum and are hoping to negotiate Benfica down to a lower figure. Payments are likely to be staggered in any agreement that is reached.

This is a common occurrence in many transfers but while Chelsea are confident they have significant headroom regarding UEFA‘s Financial Fair Play rules, the club have plans to continue an expensive overhaul after committing £278.4m in the summer.

A lower initial fee for Fernandez would give them more space to move on other deals, the first of which is likely to be the imminent €37m signing of Monaco centre-back Benoit Badiashile.

The British transfer record is £100m, paid by Manchester City to Aston Villa for Jack Grealish in 2021.

Chelsea’s interest in Fernandez is genuine and he is their top midfield target in this window. The club have engaged the services of agent Jorge Mendes in an effort to broker an agreement.

Sources have told ESPN that Fernandez is hopeful of completing a transfer to Chelsea this month with personal terms not thought to be an issue if the two clubs can finalize a fee.

Lionel Messi Makes Champions League History with Goal vs. Benfica

Lionel Messi has set yet another record…

The 35-year-old Argentine professional futbol star hit a sublime opening goal but Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw by Benfica in their Champions League clash at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Wednesday.

Lionel Messi Messi opened the scoring midway through the first half after link-up play involving Kylian Mbappe and Neymar before a trademark curling left-foot finish from the edge of the box.

The goal meant Messi became the first player in Champions League history to score goals against 40 different opponents.

But the lead did not last long with Benfica hitting back in the 41st minute when an inviting in-swinging cross from Enzo Fernandez touched off PSG defender Danilo and into the net.

The result means PSG and Benfica remain level on points at the top of Group H after three matches. The two teams will meet again in Paris on Tuesday. Juventus sit in third on three points after they got their first win of the competition at point-less Maccabi Haifa.

Benfica had begun Wednesday’s encounter the better team, with their press disturbing PSG’s rhythm. On multiple occasions, Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action to keep efforts from the home side at bay.

But a moment of brilliance from Messi looked to have turned the game on its head.

All three of PSG’s star attacking trio were involved. Messi drove in from the right and found Mbappe who laid it off to Neymar before the Brazilian put it back into Messi’s path for a sumptuous finish.

Messi has now scored in six successive games for club and country, the first time he has done so in nearly four years.

PSG looked set to take control but some less than resolute defending gave Benfica a chance to draw level. There was an element of fortune, too, about the equalizer as Fernandez’s cross appeared to miss the head of Goncalo Ramos before glancing off the chest of Danilo and beating Donnarumma.

The French champions came out for the second half with a renewed intensity and several times came close to going back in front. Neymar clipped the crossbar with a spectacular overhead kick while Achraf Hakimi and Mbappe both forced smart saves from Odysseas Vlachodimos in the Benfica goal.

But Donnarumma had to be alert to deny Rafa Silva from close range following a surging run in the final 10 minutes.

Messi was substituted in the 81th minute. PSG coach Christophe Galtier indicated that the change for Pablo Sarabia only took place because Messi was tired.

“He signaled that he wanted to come off. On the final sprint, he felt tired. He came off as he was tired and a fresher teammate was a much better option at that moment,” Galtier said to RMC Sport after the game.

Ultimately both sides are unlikely to be too disappointed with a point each.

Barcelona Femeni Signs Geyse Ferreira in Free Transfer from Madrid CFF

Geyse Ferreira is headed to Barcelona…

Barcelona Femeni has completed the signing of the 24-year-old Brazilian forward on a free transfer from Madrid CFF, the Catalan club has confirmed.

Geyse FerreiraGeyse joins on a two-year deal with her contact with Madrid expiring at the end of June.

Along with Barca striker Asisat Oshoala, she was the top scorer in the Primera Division, netting 20 times in a team that finished 13th in the table.

She becomes Barca’s third signing of the summer following the arrivals of England international Lucy Bronze on a free transfer from Manchester City and Real Sociedad left-back Nuria Rabano. Geyse further strengthens Barca’s attack following the loss of Dutch winger Lieke Martens, who joined Paris Saint-Germain this week after running down her contract at Camp Nou.

The Brazil International first joined Madrid in 2017 from Corinthians in her home country. She left the club for Benfica in 2018 but returned in 2020.

She now joins a Barca side that has won the Spanish league in each of the last three seasons and reached the last two Champions League finals.

They won 45 out of 47 games last season, including all 30 in the league, but a defeat to Lyon in the European Cup final left a bittersweet feeling at the end of the campaign.

Liverpool Agrees on Transfer Deal for Benfica Forward Darwin Nunez 

It’s official… Darwin Nunez is Liverpool bound.

Liverpool has agreed on a deal to sign the 22-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer and Benfica forward in a transfer worth up to €100 million, according to ESPN.

Darwin NunezIt was previously reported that both clubs were in advanced talks over a deal, and sources confirmed that Liverpool is set to break the team’s transfer record to sign the striker.

Nunez will sign a five-year contract at Anfield, according to sources, and he has left the Uruguay national team to travel to England to undergo a medical.

Sources have told ESPN that an agreement was reached on Saturday between the two clubs worth €75 million, plus €25 million in add-ons.

Liverpool have seen off competition from Manchester United and Arsenal to land the striker.

According to ESPN sources, Nunez is keen for regular Champions League football, which put Liverpool ahead in the race to sign him.

Nunez, who joined Benfica in September 2020, was the top scorer in Portugal’s top flight last season and added some stellar performances in the Champions League, ending the year with 34 goals in 41 appearances.

The striker began his career at Uruguayan side Penarol before moving to Spanish second-division side Almeria in 2019, where he scored 16 goals in 32 games. Almeria will receive 20% of the profit from Nunez’s transfer.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp praised Nunez after his team’s Champions League quarterfinal clash against Benfica in April, saying that Nunez is “really good and has a big career ahead of him.”

Luquinhas Agrees to Three-Year Contract with the New York Red Bulls

Luquinhas is feeling (red) bullish

The New York Red Bulls have completed the transfer of the 25-year-old Brazilian professional footballer, who was playing for Legia Warsaw as an attacking midfielder.

LuquinhasLuquinhas has signed a three-year contract, plus a club option year that will make him a Designated Player. He will be eligible to play once he has received his P1 visa and International Transfer Certificate (ITC).

Luquinhas has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons with Legia, scoring 12 goals in 110 league and cup appearances while leading the club to two league titles in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

Prior to moving to Poland, Luquinhas spent the entirety of his professional career in Portugal, first with lower tier side Vilafranquense, and later Benfica and Aves.

A native of Ceilandia, Brazil, Luquinhas is expected to play as an inverted winger in manager Gerhard Struber‘s system.

Cristian Arango In Talks to Join LAFC

Cristian Arango may soon be heading to Southern California…

The 26-year-old Colombian professional footballer is thisclose to nearing a deal with LAFC, according to ESPN.

Cristian Arango

Official terms haven’t been agreed upon yet, but there’s an expectation that the deal will get done, possibly by the end of the week.

Arango has scored 20 goals in 46 games for the Colombian club Millonarios F.C. over the past two years, where he’s on loan from Benfica.

Assuming the transfer is finalized, Arango is expected to be on the LAFC books using Targeted Allocation Money and would be deployed at striker, mostly playing in between wingers Diego Rossi and Carlos Vela.

The link was first reported by Colombian journalist Diego Rueda.

LAFC has a strong track record of signing Colombian players and quickly inserting them into important roles with the team. Arango would be the fourth Colombian player on the roster, joining three starters, midfielder Eduard Atuesta and center backs Eddie Segura and Jesus Murrillo.

Arango started his career at Envigado in Colombia in 2012 and never appeared for Benfica after the Portuguese club acquired him in 2017.

If the deal is finalized this week, it’s unclear when Arango would be available to join the MLS squad.

David Luiz Reportedly Leaving Arsenal at End of the Season

David Luiz is looking to switch sides

The 34-year-olf Brazilian professional footballer will leave Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of the season, according to ESPN.

David Luiz

Luiz attended a meeting with senior figures at the club on Friday, which concluded without an extension to his existing agreement.

Sources say the Gunners have made clear their respect for Luiz’s contribution but are seeking to strengthen the centerback area with younger alternatives.

It’s unclear whether Luiz was offered any terms to stay but regardless the Brazil international is now focused on finding a new club, sources said.

He has claimed on several occasions that he wants to finish his career back at Benfica, adding in April last year: “In football everything changes — what is true today, tomorrow is a lie — but my feeling is not.

“I love Benfica. My dream is to step on the pitch of Estadio da Light in their colours. Benfica is bigger than any player.”

Luiz joined the Gunners from London rivals Chelsea in 2019 for £8 million. He has made 73 appearances for the club to date — including helping them win last season’s FA Cup Final against his former club — and has been viewed by manager Mikel Arteta as an influential leadership figure in the dressing room.

He’s suffering with a hamstring problem but will hope for one final appearance in Arsenal’s remaining two Premier League matches, against Crystal Palace and Brighton next week.