African All Stars Transfer News & Rumours: Zaha to stay at Crystal Palace

Zaha to stay at Crystal Palace

Wilfried Zaha is coming to terms with staying at Crystal Palace after the club held off all interests, according to Mirror.

Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur tried to sign the Ivorian forward who has a£70 million release clause this summer.

Zaha is likely to feature for the Eagles’ Premier League opener against Fulham on Saturday.

Arsenal willing to sell Elneny

Arsenal are opened to offers for Mohamed Elneny before Thursday’s transfer deadline, ESPN FC reports.

The Egyptian midfielder who only signed a new deal in March, has slipped down the pecking order, with the arrivals of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi.

Gero joins Iranian club

Alhaji Gero has joined Iranian club Esteghlal on a three-year contract from Ostersunds.

The Nigerian forward joined the Swedish club in 2016 and manged six goals in 55 matches.

Read more HERE

Olunga linked with Japanese club

Michael Olunga has attracted interest from Japanese top-flight side Kashiwa Reysol, Goal understands.

The Kenyan forward who spent last season on loan at Girona, cannot feature for his Chinese Super League side Guizhou Zhicheng because they have reached maxiumum limit for the foreign quota rule.

Read more here on Goal!

Newcastle plan to offload Lazaar & Saivet

Newcastle United planing to offload Morocco defender Achraf Lazaar and Senegal midfielder Henri Saivet, according to Chronicle Live .

The Magpies are in no rush to release the African duo depsite Thursday’s tansfer deadline for Premier League teams and Lazaar and Saivet still have until August 31 to decide their next destination.

Barcelona sign Moussa Wague

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Senegal international Moussa Wague from Belgian club Eupen.

The 19-year-old defender has signed a long-term contract with the Spanish giants which includes a £90 million [€100m] release clause.

Read more HERE

Wolves prepare £36m bid for Kessie

Wolverhampton Wanderers are preparing a £36 million move for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, according to Calciomercato [via Birmingham Live ].

The Premier League new boys are set to break their transfer record again after signing Adama Traore for £18m from Middlesbrough.

The Ivorian midfielder who provided five goals and four assists in 37 Serie A games last term, is currently on a two-year loan with the Rossoneri from Atalanta.

Balde to join Inter on loan

Keita Balde is set to complete a season-long loan move from Monaco to Inter Milan, according to Corriere dello Sport [via Football Italia ].

The Nerazzurri are reportedly offering between €5m and €6m to take the Senegal international on an initial loan deal, with a fixed fee of €20m to sign him outright next summer.

Balde will be offered personal terms of €3m-a-season to move back to Serie A, just one year after leaving Lazio.

Aina close to PSV move

PSV are leading the race to take Chelsea defender Ola Aina on a season-long loan deal, the Mirror claims.

The Nigeria international might join the Dutch champions with the assurances of Uefa Champions League and top-flight football next season.

Torino, West Brom, Derby County and QPR are also reportedly interested in the 21-year-old who spent last season on loan at Hull City.

Tau to join Belgian second tier club

Percy Tau is nearing a temporary switch from Brighton and Hove Albion to Royal Union Saint Gilloise, the Argus reports.

Royal Union Saint Gilloise is owned by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom be the likely destination of the 2017-18 South African Player of the Season.

Chris Highton’s side completed the signing of the South Africa international from Mamelodi Sundowns last month and he is expected to go out on loan to have European football experience.

Burnley plot £15m move for Bolasie

Burnley are plotting a £15 million swoop for Everton winger Yannick Bolasie, the Sun reports.

Bolasie has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Goodison Park after struggling for form and fitness since his arrival from Crystal Palace in 2016.

Burnley are the only side close to Everton’s £20 million asking price and they hope to secure the DR Congo international before Thursday’s transfer deadline.

Palace and Fulham want Ayew

Crystal Palace and Fulham are keen on  signing Swansea City forward Jordan Ayew before the Premier League transfer window closes, according to the Mirror .

The 26-year-old is keen on top-flight football and he is currently AWOL.

The Swans are demanding £12 million for the Ghanaian attacker who was their top scorer last season with 11 goals acorss all competition.

Jordan Ayew goes AWOL

Jordan Ayew has refused to resume training with the rest of his Swansea City teammates, manager Graham Potter confirmed.

Following Swansea’s relegation from the Premier League last season, Ayew is keen on playing top-flight football in the upcoming campaign.

Read more here on Goal ! 

African All Stars Transfer Review

Goal ‘s Tolu Olasoji reviews the recent big transfers involving African stars across the world.

Watch below… 

Brighton offer €12m for Sangare

Brighton and Hove Albion have tabled a €12 million offer for Toulouse midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, according to Lequipe [via Sport Witness ].

The 20-year-old Ivorian midfielder has attracted lots of interest after breaking through the Purples’ ranks last term but the French Ligue 1 side are not willing to let the youngster leave this summer.

Get Football France claimed that Toulouse rejected an €8m offer from Serie A outfit Atalanta this summer.

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From Kepa to Herrera – How Athletic Bilbao made an incredible €221m through release clauses

Athletic are at it again. 

The massive payout the club have received on Chelsea-bound goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is just the latest success story of a team policy that has paid dividends for the Basque club over the last decade. 

Athletic’s Basque-only rule when it comes to player recruitment means that the side work with a built-in handicap compared to their Liga rivals, who trawl the world for top talent and are not afraid to pay top dollar for the privilege. 

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That disadvantage ensures that when the Basques do find a star, they hold on to him for all his worth and refuse to sell unless a team is prepared to meet a hefty release clause. 

With Kepa’s departure to Chelsea, Athletic picked up a cool €80 million (£72m/$93m) , which brings their total transfer revenues since the policy was introduced to no less than €221m.

President Jose Urrutia has been in charge since 2011, and the release clause strategy has been a cornerstone of the former Athletic player’s administration. Stars are encouraged to sign new contracts which include multi-million euro buyouts; and unlike with certain other clubs, that figure is imposed with an iron will by the club’s board of directors. 

The first team to suffer against the newly intransigent Athletic were Bayern. In 2012, versatile Spain international Javier Martinez became the Bundesliga’s most expensive player in a €40m deal, with Urrutia refusing to budge on the fee. 

Ander Herrera was then snapped up by Manchester United for €36m, before rivals City went even further to sign the promising Aymeric Laporte. 

Aymeric Laporte Manchester City

Athletic were finally persuaded to release their young defender, in exchange for a pay-off of €65m that broke the transfer record of both clubs back in 2017. Laporte may not yet have made his name at the Etihad Stadium, but he certainly left a handsome profit back in Spain. 

Now the club have once more smashed a transfer record, making Kepa the world’s most expensive goalkeeper, breaking the record set by Liverpool’s acquisition of Alisson just a month prior , as well as their new costliest sale.

Those departures have funded, among other things, Athletic’s sparkling new San Mames home, and helped cement their place as one of Spain’s strongest and, above all, most respected teams.

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Chelsea capture Kepa for world-record £72m fee

Chelsea have paid a reported world-record £72 million (€80m/$92m) to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Athletic Club as a successor to Real Madrid-bound Thibaut Courtois.

The new fee smashes the previous goalkeeper transfer record, set when Liverpool purchased Alisson Becker from Roma for £65m in July.

Kepa has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues as they finish the transfer window with a flourish.

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“It’s a very important decision for me, for my career, and also for my personal life,” the goalkeeper told the club’s official website.

“So many things attracted me to the club, all the titles the club has won, the other players, the city, the English Premier League. It’s an accumulation of things, and I am very glad Chelsea has decided to trust me and to take me in as well.”

Earlier in the day, Chelsea announced Courtois was departing the club in a deal for a reported £31m deal that also includes Mateo Kovacic heading the Stamford Bridge on a year-long loan.

The Blues had paid Kepa’s release clause, with the player’s representatives and lawyers traveling to La Liga’s headquarters in Valencia to pay the fee, before traveling to London undergo a medical and finalise personal terms. 

Athletic confirmed the release clause had been paid before thanking Kepa and wishing him well in the future. 

The 23-year-old Kepa has been Athletic’s goalkeeper the past two seasons, playing in over 50 La Liga games and earning himself a place on Spain’s World Cup roster for the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Prior to that, Kepa, who came up through the club’s youth system, had featured for Ponferradina and Real Valladolid in Spain’s second division while on loan from Athletic Club. 

Chelsea open up their Premier League campaign with a visit to Huddersfield Town on Saturday.

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Schalke open talks over a loan move for Tottenham’s Rose

Danny Rose is in talks over a season-long loan move to Schalke, who have approached Tottenham on the eve of the English transfer window deadline day, Goal understands.

The England international is being offered the chance to resurrect his career at the second placed Bundesliga side from last season, with the Germany club aiming to compete with any English club who come in for the full-back ahead of the transfer deadline on Thursday.

However, the transfer window in Germany remains open until August 31, which may help Schalke secure Rose on loan.

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Schalke return to the Champions League this season for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign. 

Despite being the subject of much transfer speculation last summer, including links to Manchester United, Rose has fallen below Ben Davies in the pecking order at Spurs and only made 10 appearances under Mauricio Pochettino last season.

Rose also drew controversy when he delivered an interview chastising Spurs’ transfer policy and player compensation.

Despite his lack of playing time, the 28-year-old operated as Ashley Young’s deputy in England’s World Cup squad over the summer, which saw them finish as semi-finalists for the first time since 1990.

Toby Alderweireld’s future is also in doubt ahead of transfer deadline day with Manchester United having agreed a deal for the defender but Spurs wanting a replacement in place before letting him leave.  

Alderweireld, like Rose, saw himself fall down the pecking order under Pochettino with the London club. 

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Celtic 1 AEK Athens 1: Hoops in trouble after costly home draw

Celtic are in danger of missing out on the Champions League group stage after a 1-1 first-leg draw at home to a 10-man AEK Athens left their third qualifying round tie finely poised.

Comfortable winners over Alashkert and Rosenberg, Celtic found it far tougher against the Greek champions and must now secure an away result if they are to reach the play-off round.

Brendan Rodgers’ men had appeared likely to take a lead to Athens when Callum McGregor broke the deadlock inside 20 minutes, only for his opener to be cancelled out by a rasping Viktor Klonaridis strike in the 44th minute.

And it was AEK who finished the far happier of the pair as they absorbed a wealth of second-half pressure following Konstantinos Galanopoulos’ dismissal for a second bookable offence with just over half an hour remaining.

McGregor was at the heart of a confident start for Celtic, the midfielder testing Vasilios Barkas with a firmly struck effort from just inside the area.

It was the only warning the Scotland international would offer as, in the 17th minute, he picked out the bottom right corner, firing low across Barkas from the edge of the six-yard box.

But a largely encouraging first 45 minutes came undone on the stroke of half-time, Klonaridis rifling in an unstoppable equaliser.

Marinos Ouzounidis’ men bravely protected parity for the remainder of the match, Celtic substitute Leigh Griffiths going closest to a winner with a header soon after his 63rd-minute introduction.

But it was to be one of few real scares for AEK, who defied the numerical disadvantage to hold the upper hand for next week’s return leg.

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