Spain’s Football Association, La Liga has issued a statement in an attempt to defuse the pending Lionel Messi and Barcelona feud that has made huge headlines around the world.

According to a statement issued by La Liga, the 700m euros (£624m) release clause in Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract is still valid.

On Tuesday,Messi, 33, communicated his intentions of leaving the club via fax adding that, he wouldn’t partake in the pre-season medical on Sunday as part of activities by the club to follow safety rules and protocols ahead of the new season.

Barcelona held the stance that the player would have walked free in June but that deadline elapsed as he failed to take up the option of leaving back then.

In a statement issued by  La Liga, it has however suggested that, if any club wishes to sign the current world best player, they would have to meet his existing buyout clause.

“In compliance with the applicable rule, La Liga will not approve a request to be de-registered as a player with the Spanish football federation, unless the amount in the release clause has been paid,” the body said in a statement.

Messi was due at Barcelona’s training ground at 10.15am local time on Sunday but did not attend.

It remains uncertain whether Messi’s camp will heed to this new statement that has been issued by Spain’s top football hierarchy or pursue the case to the latter.

Manchester United have permanently washed their hands off Alexis Sanchez as he completes a three-year deal to Inter Milan.

The Chilean international switched camps from Arsenal to ManUtd in what many touted as a big coup for the Red Devils at the time but didn’t go according to plan as he had to join Italian side, Inter Milan on a season-long loan in August 2019.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed the departure of Alexis to reporters after his side also progressed to the quarter-finals beating LASK over a two-legged tie 7-1.

“We have agreed [the deal], he has enjoyed his time there. He is a top player but for whatever reason we didn’t see the best of him. He is a top professional and we wish him all the best.” he ended.

The exact terms of the deal are relatively unknown as both sides are unwilling to provide firm details but it’s been largely speculated that the English side may have suffered a huge financial hit even though they have offloaded on of the big earners at the club.

Sanchez scored just five goals after featuring in over 45 games for United after joining from Arsenal in 2018.

Inter have become used to poaching players from ManUtd over the past few months, with striker Romelu Lukaku,defender Ashley Young and now wideman Alexis Sanchez.

When David De Gea arrived in Manchester as a young lad from Atletico Madrid almost a decade ago, very little people breathed him a lifeline of survival considering he wasn’t physically imposing, couldn’t command his backline and language was a problem in a new country.



Fast forward to almost a decade, Sir Alex Ferguson will sit in his Director’s box and afford a smile knowing he signed a very good player for the club at the time. The Spanish lad has gone on to make an enviable 300 appearances with the Red Devils, beating club legend Peter Schmeichel to that feat, I look at the other clubs and I’m like if De Gea had been there, he would have been tossed out of the ship long ago, Lukas Karius arrived at Liverpool with bundles of expectation but he was tossed out even before one could say jack in the last window, Kepa Arrizabalaga has also been linked with a move away to Valencia, because he can’t make the grade at  Chelsea.



I hear people say, De Gea needs to be let go, they compare him to Allison Becker and Ederson Morales of Liverpool and Manchester City respectively and how they have effortlessly carried their respective clubs shoulder high but I say De Gea did it for four (4) straight years when Man Utd’s defense was out of sorts. I look at the respective backlines assembled by these units and I’m tempted to believe that, De Gea is being attacked for no potent reason, Liverpool have a world-class backline proven and tested (Arnold, Van Dijk, Matip, Robertson) a Champions winning side and recently crowned English Premier League Champions.

At 29-years the Spaniard should be at the peak of his career but considering the shift he has putting in over the last few years it’s understandable he has worked his socks for a team that has been in transition for so many years under different managers since the retirement of SAF.

A quick peek at the stats below shows that DeGea is never a goalkeeper in decline but needs support to get his aura of invincibility that made him one of the top goalkeepers some seasons past.

David de Gea – do the statistics support the negative views? (Premier League only)

Season           Games           Saves Save %           Conceded    Conceded per game        

2011-12           29        102      77.9     29        1.00     13

2012-13           28        84        76.4     26        0.93     11

2013-14           37        99        69.3     43        1.16     12

2014-15           37        93        71.9     36        0.97     10

2015-16           34        83        71.1     33        0.97     15

2016-17           35        74        71.8     29        0.83     14

2017-18           37        115      80.3     28        0.76     18

2018-19           38        122      69.0     54        1.42     7

2019-20           36        91        72.2     35        0.97     12

There are numerous questions being asked about David De Gea, as to whether, the fat contract, he recently signed has made him comfortable, that he lacks strong competition from Romero or there’s more to it than meets the eye.?.

Whatever be the case, Dean Henderson is a budding talent still cutting his career into a perfect storyline. He needs a season or two to rival DeGea or even stake a claim for the number one spot at a big side of Manchester United’s caliber.

In the end, DeGea needs support than condemnation, he is only human after all.

David Silva, the star of an era signs off in a rather unusual season in the Premier League on Sunday against Norwich City with a simple message: I hope you enjoyed the show.

The Spanish playmaker arrived in England on the back of winning the World Cup with his native, Spain, blessed with many talents.

It’s no surprise that, since his arrival at the club, a decade ago, he has mesmerized many with his dazzling football, clever assists and once in blue thunderbolt goals which helped mold Manchester City into a powerhouse in English football under Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pelligrini at the time.

Silva is one of very few decorated players with many laurels to his credit, winning four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five EFL Cups with the Citizens.



His achievements with Spain is one that cannot be swept under the carpet, winning the World Cup and two European Championships with his country.

Silva said: “I arrived here having just won the World Cup. It was a change in country, league, language, and everything was quite tough, but my team-mates welcomed me and really looked after me and after a few months I settled in.

“I have always tried to do my absolute best, to always behave well and I have tried to work very hard too. I hope that people have enjoyed my football for all of these years.”

The diminutive talent has certainly paid off every dime of his £26 million transfer fee the club dished out to sign him, it’s amazing how opponents on the other side sing his praise anytime he takes to the field.

“When I look back at everything I have achieved I could never have imagined it, even in my wildest dreams,” Silva said.

City boss Pep Guardiola described Silva as an “extraordinary” performer.

Silva has scored 60 goals in 308 Premier League appearances for City.

Out of favor Barcelona player, Philippe Coutinho is reportedly set to join Arsenal on a season-long loan. The player’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, has been given the nod to negotiate a move away from the Catalan side to London.

Coutinho has failed to make his mark in a star-studded Barcelona team that houses the likes of Messi, Suarez, Antoine Griezemann and thus had to ship out to Bavarian giants Bayern Münich for a loan move, which proved largely unsuccessful after the bosses failed to legitimize his loan into a permanent one.

The Catalan outfit for some time now has been looking at possible alternatives to off-load the 28-year-old for a long time now, and it is known that the Brazilian favors a move to the Premier League with Arsenal, Tottenham, and Newcastle all set to be swooping for his signature.

According to reports from SunSet, the player favors a move to the red half of London than his other suitors lined all over Europe.

The summer transfer is yet to open and it won’t be long before we see the Brazilian playmaker donning the colors of a new setup next season.

Manchester United have agreed in principle to sign Olympique Lyonnais striker Moussa Dembele, according to reports. Since the inevitable departure of Lukaku, the club have tried endlessly to replace him and with the turn of events, it looks like they have their man in the French prolific striker.

Manchester United will dish out a whopping £61.8million (€70m) for Dembele, who has scored 42 goals in 88 appearances for Lyon since joining from `Celtic in 2018.

Todofichajes claim an agreement has been reached between all three parties for the 23-year-old to head to Old Trafford in the next transfer window.

Lyon look set to be forced to cash in on their prize assets because they will miss out on European football next season as a result of the 2019/20 Ligue 1 campaign being curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Jean-Michel Aulas, the club’s president, has admitted he might have no choice but to sell his star players.

“I am going to do everything to keep the players, but players who are programmed to play in Europe could want to go elsewhere because we don’t have European football,” he said.

The departure of Lukaku to Inter saw the signing of Odion Ighalo to the squad on loan from Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua.

This signing may prove decisive for United, who have not had an out and out striker since Lukaku’s departure rendering Martial, Rashford, Greenwood on lots of pressure to score more goals.

Per reports making headway, Manchester United may have beaten Chelsea, Arsenal, PSG and Real Madrid to the signing of one Europe’s brightest goal scoring predators.

The English Premier League has agreed in finishing the season in a 40-day window in many other issues that were discussed by clubs present at the meeting on Friday.

Top-flight clubs remain committed to playing all 92 remaining fixtures this season but did not discuss a deadline by which action must resume.

The Premier League said it “remains our objective” to complete matches but currently “all dates are tentative”.

The league has been suspended since 13 March because of coronavirus.

In a statement, the Premier League said “in common with other businesses and industries” clubs were “working through complex planning scenarios”.

“Today’s shareholders’ meeting provided an opportunity to discuss possible scheduling models,” it added.

“It remains our objective to complete the 2019-20 season but at this stage, all dates are tentative while the impact of COVID-19 develops.”

Other top leagues are yet to reach conclusion on the next line of action.

Germany’s Bundesliga: Clubs have returned to training but the season is still suspended until 30 April.

Spain’s La Liga: There will be no training until emergency measures in place are lifted and La Liga president Javier Tebas says resuming play on 28 May is a best-case scenario.

France’s Ligue 1: French football authorities are considering restarting Ligue 1 on 3 or 17 June, with the latter date the more likely, according to sports daily L’Equipe.

Italy’s Serie A: The Italian Football Federation (IFF) hopes to begin testing players for the virus at the start of May, in preparation for the season to resume.

In a related development, UEFA will meet next week to further discuss plans which include potentially using the Champions League final to end the 2019-20 season on 29 August.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to wreck damage all over the globe, with lots of things badly affected, football has been one of the worst-hit in the sporting arena with the Premier League no exception to that.

In the midst all these challenging adversities, we have to turn focus on the small things that glitter the most.

Before the suspension of the league, Manchester United signed one of Europe’s most sort after cult midfielder’s of Portuguese descent, Bruno Fernandes.

Since his arrival in the footballing city of Manchester, he has lit up the spirits of the Old Trafford faithfuls to an astronomical level.

His arrival after a protracted winter transfer in January has produced a remarkable 11-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, with the former Sporting Lisbon captain crucial to the success under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

He played a pivotal role in his debut against Wolves on January 29 before putting up an outstanding display as United won 2-0 away at Chelsea in February.

A week later, United cruised past struggling Watford by 3-0 with Fernandes getting a goal and an assist to be crowned Premier League player of the month for his immediate impact.

It has been the dream start to life at Manchester United for Bruno Fernandes, this has seen him win an accolade to become just the 12th player to win the award within a month of making their debut in the English top-flight, and only the second United player following on from Anthony Martial.

It is no doubt that Bruno Fernandes is clearly developing himself into a cult hero with how he has set the Premier League ablaze, boasting the performances of other players and giving the Old Trafford fan base all over the bragging rights of a well-respected club in Manchester United.

Chelsea are in the final stages of wrapping up the deal to sign Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech this summer in a £38m coup to be announced very soon.

The London based club until now had scouted the Morrocan international on many occasions and made several inquiries but this recent move will seem about just right for the Blue, who will be signing one of the brightest hot talents in European football as it stands.

The 26-year-old was a January transfer target for Chelsea boss Frank Lampard.

But the Dutch club were unwilling to sell in the transfer window as they chase the Eredivisie title.

If this deal is officially announced, it will mark the first by Lampard following Chelsea’s transfer window ban.

The club were linked with a host of several players across the European landscape. The likes of Moussa Dembele, Edison Cavani, Belgian international Dries Mertens, and Jason Sancho were all linked to the side but none materialized.

Lampard is looking to revamp Chelsea with a set of young lads and the recent acquisition will come as a welcome boost considering old guards Willian, Pedro, and Giroud are aging and need replacements.

Ziyech contributed to a memorable Ajax goal against Chelsea in the 4-4 draw in their Champions League group game in November.

The player has lots of clubs and national team experience under his belt. He has since been directly involved in 92 goals in 113 games for Ajax in the Eredivisie: 40 goals & 52 assists. Also, 13 goals in the last 2 seasons in the Champions League.

Tottenham midfielder Christian Eriksen has opened the door for a summer switch to Real Madrid after confirming he would “like to try something new”.

The 27-year-old has established himself as a key part of Mauricio Pochettino’s side in north London and played an integral role in the club’s push to the Champions League final, where they lost 2-0 to Liverpool.

A promising campaign in Europe’s biggest competition has presented Spurs with a solid platform to build upon over the course of the coming years but the biggest challenge is now to keep the squad intact.

However, that seems to be unlikely as Eriksen has hinted at an exit.

“I have the wildest and deepest respect for everything that has happened in Tottenham, nor will it be negative. But I have also said that I would like to try something new,” he told Ekstrabladet .

“I hope there will be clarification during the summer. That’s the plan. In football, you do not know when a clarification comes. It can happen anytime. Everyone wants it best if it happens as soon as possible, but in football takes things time.

“It depends on Daniel Levy and another club has to come. Or I have to sit down at the table and negotiate a new contract. You can’t set a date yourself.

Source: Football London