Real Madrid is ready to smash the transfer record for AS Monaco star Kylian Mbappe, with Marca reporting that the Spanish giant has agreed in principle to sign the 18-year-old for €180 million.
The deal would see Los Blancos pay an initial €160-million fee for the electrifying teenager, with a further €20 million in add-ons. Though the reigning French champion has denied claims of an agreement, Sid Lowe of the Guardian reports that Madrid is “optimistic” a deal is close.
He adds that Madrid would pay Mbappe around €7 million per year on a six-year contract, a price made easier to pay since Real Madrid has parted ways with Alvaro Morata and Danilo this summer, and loaned out James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich.
The sale of Morata to Chelsea also opens up a need for reinforcements up top in Zinedine Zidane’s squad, with Lowe reporting that Mbappe has been assured playing time such that there would be “departures that would facilitate his involvement.”
For his part, Mbappe has made no secret of his desire to join his favourite club Real Madrid, despite drawing interest from the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
But, as Zidane astutely offered: “Anything can happen between now and 31 August.”
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson confirmed on Monday that middle linebacker Jordan Hicks broke a bone in his hand while on his honeymoon earlier this summer, an injury that required a “minor procedure.” Hicks will be limited to start training camp.
“He’s a veteran player, understands his role, I’m not going to rush him out there and try to reinjure that thing,” said Pederson, who stated that he doesn’t expect his linebacker to miss any time.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson says he’s “not going to rush” the return of linebacker Jordan Hicks, who is still recovering from a hand injury sustained earlier this summer. Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini
Hicks’ injury reportedly occurred while getting out of a pool during his honeymoon in Greece in late June.
Hicks missed half of his rookie season in 2015 with a torn pectoral muscle. He also dealt with significant injuries at the University of Texas, including a torn Achilles, a hip flexor and a fractured foot.
Hicks, 25, was able to play all 16 games last season and established himself as a foundational piece of the Eagles defense. He had 85 tackles, five interceptions, a sack and 11 passes defenses while manning the middle for defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. His five interceptions led the team and were the most among NFL linebackers. He now has seven picks in 24 professional games.
Pederson added that wide receiver Jordan Matthews could be limited in the early stages of training camp as well as he continues to deal with knee tendinitis.
“I’m not concerned. I know Jordan’s work ethic, I know the type of person and player that he is, and we’ve just got to stay on top of it, obviously,” Pederson said. “He’s been rehabbing all spring, all summer … just another one that we’ll monitor as we go.”
Matthews, 25, suffered what was termed a bone bruise in his left knee during training camp last August. He was hobbled by various injuries throughout the season, including a sprained ankle that he suffered in late November. He was also sidelined for much of the spring. Nelson Agholor received the bulk of his reps in the slot and really stood out.
Paris Saint-Germain’s triggering of Neymar’s €222-million release clause has left the Brazilian forward with a headache-inducing conundrum over his future, says his former Santos colleague Andre.
Barcelona fans were given faint hope that Neymar had committed to staying in Catalonia when teammate Gerard Pique posted a picture of them together on Instagram, accompanied by the caption: “He stays.”
Related: Pique posts picture with Neymar, claims Brazilian will stay at Barcelona
A source apparently close to Neymar then told ESPN FC that he had “no idea” why Pique shared the image, with recent accounts claiming Neymar’s father had held successful contract negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain on his son’s behalf.
“I cannot speak for him,” Andre told L’Equipe about the possible world-record transfer, with translation from ESPN FC. “It is a complicated negotiation process and there is a lot of money at stake in something like this. In any case, Paris is a great city and if he goes there, he will love it, that is certain.
“I know that he has a massive headache because of this right now. It is not an easy decision. In Paris, he will be surrounded by his friends. That does not mean he is uncomfortable at Barca though. On the contrary, he actually feels very good there. Because of that, his choice has been made even harder.”
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
In addition to the location and potentially monumental pay packet tempting him northwards, Neymar may also be keen on being the face of PSG. Since the club was taken over by a Qatari consortium in 2012, big-name players have arrived in the French capital, but none of the notoriety of Neymar. He’s an undoubted commercial success wherever he lands, and the Brazilian wouldn’t have to out-sparkle the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to put himself in the reckoning for the greatest individual prizes in the game.
“I think it’s absolutely no coincidence that this speculation has emerged shortly after the news that Messi has signed a new contract with Barcelona,” South American football expert Tim Vickery mused to BBC Sport last week.
“How will it end? I have my little idea but honestly, you can never be 100 percent sure in modern football,” Andre continued. “We are talking about a potentially historic transfer and negotiations to match with enormous amounts of money in play, so we cannot predict an outcome.
“As for me, I can say nothing. I cannot speak for him. It is up to Neymar to announce whether he will go there (to PSG) or not.”
In what some were touting as his last game for the Blaugrana, Neymar scored twice in his side’s 2-1 defeat of Juventus at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Bruce Arians knew what was coming when he approached the podium in the bowels of University of Phoenix Stadium for the first time this training camp.
It was the first time the Arizona Cardinals coach was formally addressing the local media after revealing in his recently released book that he was diagnosed with kidney cancer last December and had surgery in February to remove part of the organ. The questions, regardless of whether he tried to curb them or not, were bound to come.
On Thursday afternoon, he tried to get ahead of the story and then move on from it.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said he kept his cancer diagnosis a secret last December so that he wouldn’t be a distraction to the team in the final weeks of the season. Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports via USA TODAY NETWORK
“Welcome back, guys,” Arians began his news conference. “Yes, I’m healthy. Let’s get that s— out of the way right now. All that is behind me and I’m very, very fortunate to have a great doctor and can’t wait to get started.”
The first question was about why he kept the cancer a secret.
“We had some big games to finish the season and in no way did that have to be a distraction,” Arians said.
While his health was an issue from, essentially, the start of last season to the finish, it wasn’t enough to force Arians to retire. He was hospitalized last August during a training camp trip to San Diego for symptoms related to diverticulitis. He also was hospitalized in November for chest pains.
The cancer diagnosis came in December, when it was discovered during a doctor’s appointment that was initially scheduled to treat a potential hernia. He had surgery in February, the same month he had surgery to repair a rotator cuff injury.
“It was a s—ty February,” he said. “Too many operations. But the rotator’s great. Don’t tell Was [Cardinals orthopedist Dr. Gary Waslewski], but I played golf a few times this summer and I didn’t play very well but I didn’t lose all my money. It was fun.
“But, yeah, the other one. When they tell you you’re cancer-free, that’s a great feeling.”
And Arians still returned for a fifth season as the Cardinals’ head coach.
“If I was going to retire because of my health, I should’ve did it last year,” Arians said. “Hopefully I don’t have anything worse than I had last year.”
