Football transfer news

Brazil national team manager Dorival Junior hailed Raphinha’s redemption arc from widespread criticism to “Ballon d’Or contender” this season.

The Barcelona star has been revelling in the best campaign of his career. The solitary goal in Wednesday’s Champions League knockout victory over Benfica was Raphinha’s 25th of the season. Across all competitions, the Brazilian phenom has directly contributed to 41 goals in 40 appearances, almost double his previous seasonal high (21).

This remarkable uptick in output has thrust Raphinha into the conversation for the game’s most prestigious individual accolades. As Dorival bluntly outlined to assembled media at the announcement of his Brazil squad for March’s international fixtures: “Raphinha is a Ballon d’Or contender.”

However, the 28-year-old hasn’t always been so highly revered. “Raphinha faced heavy criticism during the Copa America,” his international manager noted, “and now he is a Ballon d’Or candidate.”

Raphinha was a regular in the Brazil side which crashed out to Uruguay in last year’s Copa America quarter-finals. During the same summer, Barcelona entertained the prospect of selling their mercurial winger, who had attracted criticism from fans and considered leaving himself.

Ultimately, incoming manager Hansi Flick convinced Raphinha to stay in Catalonia, harnessing the forward’s physical gifts by shifting him into a new position nominally on the left flank which allows him to roam all over the final third.

The admiration of Raphinha is not restricted to Dorival Junior. Barcelona are up against Osasuna in La Liga this weekend and the Pamplona side’s manager Vicente Moreno singled out one member of the opposition for praise. “Raphinha,” he insisted, “is underrated.

“I see him as one of the best in the world, if not the best, with more influence in offensive and defensive play, in team and individual work.”

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Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim revealed that Amad Diallo could make a surprise return from injury before the end of the season.

In a campaign which has broken all the wrong records, Amad has offered a rare glimmer of hope for the Red Devils. The dainty forward racked up a team-high six Premier League goals – more than the combined efforts of strikers Joshua Zirkzee (three) and Rasmus Hojlund (two).

Amad’s figures are still among the best at United even though he has been sidelined for the past month with ankle ligament damage. When the crushing news broke in February, initial reports suggested that the 22-year-old would be out for the remainder of the season.

Amorim questioned that diagnosis in his press conference on Friday. “I have the hope to have Amad before [the season’s conclusion],” the Portuguese boss told reporters. “We will see the end of the last month.”

When reflecting on the injury issues littered throughout the rest of the squad, Amorim was also upbeat. “Kobbie [Mainoo] can return,” United’s head coach insisted. “[Harry] Maguire, we have to be careful, Manuel [Ugarte] will return, and I think Mason [Mount] and Luke Shaw can return also.”

Lisandro Martinez definitely won’t feature in the near future after tearing his ACL in February.

For all Amorim’s optimism, United’s injury-riddled squad has left him with few options to rotate or make in-game changes of late. The club were forced to name just 18 players in the squad which duked out a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the Europa League on Thursday night.

After taking a deserved lead through Joshua Zirkzee, United failed to capitalise upon their superiority and conceded a sloppy penalty, leaving the last-16 tie very much in the balance ahead of next week’s return fixture at Old Trafford.

Amorim admitted that his weakened squad “was so tired in the last 20 minutes” against La Real and didn’t expect any of his injured stars to recover in time for a Premier League visit from Arsenal this weekend. “We need to survive Sunday,” the 40-year-old warned.

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Harvey Elliott says he’s “angry and frustrated” by his limited role at Liverpool this season but retains a “hunger” to perform at a high level when he is given the opportunity to shine by Arne Slot.

The 21-year-old has not started a match in the Premier League this season and came off the bench for just the final four minutes of Tuesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, but that was still enough time for him to score a famous winning goal.

Those four minutes add into a total of marginally over 500 across 18 appearances, with Elliott struggling for opportunities in the same position as Mohamed Salah, who is among the favourites for this season’s Ballon d’Or. His struggles have sparked speculation about a move away from Anfield, although Elliott has repeatedly shut the rumours down.

“There are moments within the season where I am getting angry, I am getting frustrated, because I want to play,” Elliott said (via The Times). “But at the same time I need to respect the situation. I need to respect the manager’s decisions. Some games I’m needed, some games I’m not. That’s just how football is.

“We’ve had conversations. Very honest conversations and open conversations. It’s down to me to put the work in, to be honest, and show [Slot] everything that he’s told me. I’m trying to work on it, I’m trying to improve and I’m trying to get in this team.

“And, at the same time, I feel like I can’t get too angry and frustrated because, quite frankly, the team is doing amazing.”

Those strong emotions have helped inspire a series of impressive cameos from Elliott, who has now scored in each of Liverpool’s last three Champions League games.

“I need to use that anger and frustration and turn it into motivation,” Elliott told LFCTV.

“I always want to play Champions League football. It’s not about everyone being able to see I’m frustrated, it’s about being there for the team. Although I only played five minutes against PSG, I had the mentality of wanting to help the team as much as possible.

“You just need little moments where confidence becomes bigger and better and hopefully more opportunities come. The manager has his decisions and his tactics and you have to respect that as a player.

“As a player you always need to stay composed,” Elliott added. “Football is full of ups and downs. You can go periods of time without playing and things don’t really go your way.

“It’s just about staying motivated and mentally right in the head. But moments like this, it keeps me motivated and the hunger is still within me to go out and show what I can do and influence the game as much as I can.

“We train as a team, we fight as a team and we’re in the position where we are this season because each and every one of us has contributed in a certain way. That’s what a football team does.”

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Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has revealed that Malo Gusto did not sustain any lasting damage despite hobbling off just 25 minutes into his side’s Conference League victory on Thursday night.

Gusto lined up against FC Copenhagen at left-back while Trevoh Chalobah filled in on the right side of defence and Reece James took up an unusual position in midfield. However, Maresca’s tinkering needed further tweaks before the half-hour mark.

The French full-back required medical attention after a collision inside the opening 15 minutes and appeared to damage the same left ankle while blocking a cross ten minutes later. Marc Cucurella was ushered off the bench and helped Chelsea earn a 2-1 victory in the first leg of their last-16 tie, but concerns over the future availability of Gusto were quickly raised.

Maresca swiftly quashed those fears when he was asked about the defender’s fitness after the match. “He is okay,” the Italian boss assured reporters. “He is better. They told me he can be ready for Sunday’s game, so hopefully, we can have him for Sunday.”

Chelsea host relegation-battling Leicester City this weekend. Alongside the expected return of Gusto, Maresca confirmed that midfielder Romeo Lavia would be available in some capacity for the first time in almost two months.

“The good thing is that we have also Romeo,” the Blues boss told his press conference on Friday. “He’s started with us already. He can be back.” Maresca went on to clarify that Lavia’s involvement would be restricted to a substitute appearance.

Former Foxes defender Wesley Fofana could also feature while both Benoit Badiashile and Chalobah made their return from injury in the midweek trip to Denmark.

The major outstanding fitness issues Maresca has been left with reside in his forward line. Chelsea’s only two natural strikers, Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu, are expected to be sidelined with muscular issues until April at the earliest, while winger Noni Madueke is nursing a hamstring problem which has put him on a similar recovery timeline.

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Former Ajax forward Antony has reached an undisclosed settlement with the Dutch giants after contesting fines of more than £300,000 which he received for missing training sessions before completing his transfer to Manchester United in 2022.

Antony eventually joined United at the end of the summer window for a fee in the region of £86m. Ajax had already rejected multiple bids for their star forward after losing Lisandro Martinez, Sebastien Haller and Ryan Gravenberch in the same summer.

Erik ten Hag, the Dutch coach who had left Ajax for United himself at the start of the off-season, ultimately forced through a move, but Antony missed two matches and three training sessions for the Amsterdam outfit before a deal was done.

Ajax fined Antony on three separate occasions, with increasing sums adding up to €360,000 (£305,000), according to Dutch publication AD.

After initial attempts to reduce the fines went unnoticed, Antony took Ajax to court in January, arguing that the club’s then-head coach, Alfred Schreuder, had given him permission to sit out training while the finer details of his move to United were being thrashed out.

Crucially, Ajax handed Antony his third and largest fine of €230,000 (£192,000) two days after he claimed that he had been granted permission to travel to England and negotiate with the Premier League club in person.

An independent arbitration committee ruled in February that Ajax’s fines had been excessive but couldn’t verify if they were “unlawful”, as Schreuder had not been reachable. Ultimately, Ajax and Antony have come to an out-of-court settlement.

A club statement on Friday, 7 March read: “Ajax and Antony have reached a settlement in an arbitration case that the former Ajacied had filed against the club. In this procedure, the arbitration committee of the KNVB recently issued an interim ruling, after which Ajax and Antony re-engaged in discussions. This has led to both parties finding a solution that satisfies both the club and the former player. No further details about the settlement will be disclosed.

“Given the positive history between Ajax and the Brazilian attacker, all parties involved are pleased that the arbitration process has come to an end and that they can put this matter behind them.”

Antony is still on Manchester United’s books but is currently enjoying a rejuvenating loan spell in La Liga with Real Betis.

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