Barcelona have been scraping around for cash for much of the last five years, but they could be in line to save €170m on their budgeted spending.

President Joan Laporta believes that the construction of the new Camp Nou will come in under budget, and has stated that things are going well with regard to the project.

Barcelona members had approved a €1.5b package for the reform of Espai Barca, including a new basketball stadium and the Camp Nou reforms. The budget for the basketball court has been halved from €400m to €200m, and Laporta feels they could make more savings on Camp Nou too.

“I think we are going to reduce the budget for the stadium and for contingencies, in fact it is already happening. We are very close to being able to cut the €1.1b that was stated. I think we are going to be at €960m and maybe €930m if everything goes well,” he told MD.

However Laporta did warn that tough times were ahead next season, as Barcelona move to the Estadi Lluis Companys.

“Next year will not be easy. We are moving to a stadium that has half the capacity of Camp Nou.”

“Going up to the stadium at Montjuic is uncomfortable. Although to me it doesn’t seem as bad as some make out,” Laporta nuanced.

If it were to be the case, then it would be welcome news for the Blaugrana, as their debt continues to heave and grow. However Cules will not want the current board to cut corners either, with these venues set to serve the club for the next 50 years at least.

[football-espana]

Barcelona Femini of Spain striker, Asisat Oshoala, has said that the Super Falcons of Nigeria are highly motivated ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Oshoala said this while she also expressed her determination and readiness for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup in far-away Australia.

The Super Falcons will be travelling from Abuja, Nigeria’s capital to Melbourne, Australia on Sunday.

“Personally, I feel like we have a good team and if everything is being done right, we can go very far at the up-coming World Cup,” Oshoala said.

“This is because regardless of whatever, we are still going to go out there fighting, do our job and see what we can achieve.

“The team is mentally strong as we have been through a lot and even in the hardest moments, we will still go out there to fight.

“The motivation has always been there, although, maybe it has not gone up as expected but we have always been a strong side mentally.”

Also in a video shared on Instagram by Nigerian journalist, Calister Enejele, Oshoala confidently stated her preparedness ahead of the tournament.

“As far as I know, I will be ready before the World Cup kicks off,” Oshoala who has been battling with injury stated.

The Barcelona forward has been out of action since May following a hamstring problem she picked up while in action in Spain.

[Guardian]

Granit Xhaka’s move to Bayer Leverkusen is ‘edging closer’ and it has been reported Arsenal will receive over £20million for the midfielder’s services.

It was reported before the 2022/23 season ended that Xhaka would be leaving the Gunners to return to Germany.

He spent four years there as a Borussia Monchengladbach player, becoming captain in 2015 before agreeing a £34m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2016.

Amazingly, Arsenal failed to finish inside the top four during Xhaka’s time at the club, until last term, when they finished second.

And after falling out with the fans on a number of occasions, the Switzerland captain looks like he will leave north London on great terms with everyone associated with the club.

He enjoyed a tremendous 22/23 campaign, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists in 37 Premier League appearances, while only picking up four yellow cards.

Fabrizio Romano said in May that Xhaka would leave Arsenal in the summer transfer window with a €15million fee being discussed.

The transfer expert says personal terms have been reached over a contract until 2027 and a transfer was expected to be completed before the summer window opened.

It has not happened yet and it has recently emerged that the 30-year-old will be sold after Mikel Arteta brings in a new midfielder, with a deal to sign West Ham’s Declan Rice almost complete.

Although Romano said the fee would be €15m, a fresh report from Football London says Arsenal will receive €25m.

The report states: ‘Reports had previously suggested that the Swiss international was set join Leverkusen for a fee in the region of £13m.

‘Now though, it is thought that the two clubs are thought to have agreed a €25m fee that will see the 30-year-old secure a return to the Bundesliga.’

Xhaka wanted to leave Arsenal at the time of Arteta’s appointment. He fell out with the club’s supporters after throwing his shirt to the ground and telling the Emirates fans where to go.

Arteta convinced the Swiss midfielder to stay and made him a crucial part of his team.

Xhaka stepped up into a box-to-box role in 2022, which suited him very well. Beforehand, he was often used as a defensive midfielder.

The change in position gave the player more freedom to attack and in turn, helped his disciplinary issues.

Xhaka has always been criticised for being a hot-head on the pitch, something that is quite harshly labeled alongside him.

As mentioned prior, he only picked up four bookings in the Premier League last season, which was by far his best season for the Gunners in that regard.

[football365]

Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has offered his first public comments on the impending signing of Lionel Messi, saying that the Argentine superstar joining is a “massive moment” for the club.

Messi announced his intention to join Inter Miami last month, though the club has not officially confirmed the signing yet.

Beckham said that he was caught off guard when the former Barcelona and PSG star made the announcement, though the surprise was more in the timing than the message itself.

“A couple of weeks ago, I woke up to about a million messages on my phone. I was thinking, ‘What’s gone off? I don’t usually get this many messages’. All of a sudden, I hear Leo has come out and announced he’s coming to Miami. Obviously, it wasn’t a surprise to me,” Beckham said at a  “Lessons In Leadership” event for the Lira Winston Fellowships in London.

In terms of its impact on MLS, Messi’s signing has been compared to Beckham joining the LA Galaxy in 2007 — a deal that included an option to purchase a MLS team for just $25 million.

Having taken up that option with Inter Miami, Beckham is relishing the chance to make the club a flagship in MLS.

“I have always said, from the word go, that if I had the opportunity to bring the best players in the game to Miami, at whatever time of their careers, I would do that. I have always made that commitment to our fans,” Beckham added.

“So when I hear that one of the best players — if not the best player — who has won everything in the game, who is still a great player, still young and still doing what he’s doing, wants to play for my team, it’s a massive moment for us.”

[prosoccerwire]

Kanu Nwankwo, a former Super Eagles footballer, and his wife, Amara, celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary today, July 3.

This was posted via his wife, Amara verified Instagram page, celebrating their significant accomplishment.

In the video, the footballer serves her wine while fawning over her as he refers to her as the mother of his beautiful children.

See the video below:

Daniel Levy has been warned that Mauricio Pochettino could lure Harry Kane to Chelsea despite his reluctance to sell the Tottenham captain. The 29-year-old faces an increasingly uncertain future at Tottenham, with his contract set to expire at the end of next season.

Prior to the departure of Fabio Paratici in April, football.london understood that the Italian had been in conversation with Kane's representatives to discuss a new deal. It's said that the England international is open to discussing an extension but, as it stands, he's yet to commit his long-term future to the Lilywhites.

Kane is expected to seek pastures new, either this summer or next, and Bayern Munich have been mooted as a potential destination. However, despite having already signed Nicolas Jackson, Chelsea remain a dark horse in the race to sign the Englishman now that Pochettino's appointment as been officially confirmed.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Tony Cascarino believes that Kane's fantastic relationship with the former Spurs boss could swing the transfer race in the Blues' favour. The 60-year-old said: "Managers who have worked with players who they have loved and had a great, they love to bring them in.

"They've worked with them before. They love them as professionals. They love what they can deliver. Now you talked about the 'bromance' – I don't think there's been anyone bigger than Poch and Harry because Harry's respect for Poch was extraordinary.

"They've done brilliantly together," Cascarino added. "Would Poch want him? Absolutely! If they thought they could get him they'd go after him.

"The problem is whether Tottenham would sell to Chelsea. Now, Chelsea could fund it... Would Harry go? Well, we never know because he's never been asked a question but the Poch lure is a big one."

[football.london]

Goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl has agreed to mutually terminate her contract with Swedish club Djurgarden following an ongoing feud with a number of fans.

She was pictured signing a rare Sweden goalkeeper shirt for a Hammarby fan.

Lindahl says she has experienced "harassment" a number of times.

The former Chelsea goalkeeper has questioned the safety of some women's games and wants them to become more inclusive in order to bring in new supporters - and says this is why she interacts with rival fans.

There was allegedly fan unrest in a 4-1 defeat to Linkoping in June, where supporters wore intimidating masks and threw pyrotechnics on to the pitch. In May, there were reports of four cases of assault at a subway station after a 1-0 loss to Hammarby, with Lindahl saying "we should not have violence here".

Lindahl has expressed strong views on social media, questioning violent events and the safety of other fans at women's games, while welcoming positive support for the club.

But her views have not always been well received. A banner brought to a game read: "We are unwanted gangs in the Lindahl league. Hedvig, you will never make us become quiet."

Lindahl told BBC Sport: "I'm disappointed that it wasn't possible to help the team reach a better place. I really wanted to come in and be a positive force to help develop the team.

"That makes me obviously a bit sad that it didn't turn out that way. I had an idea of a future at the club but I was afraid I would have to adapt a lot of myself to make it happen.

"I hoped I could maybe turn things around with the supporters but we never really got there."

'I'm trying to add value to the whole game'

Lindahl won two Women's Super League titles with Chelsea and reached the Olympic final twice with Sweden, as well as coming runner-up in the 2003 Women's World Cup.

She has played for some of Europe's top clubs including Wolfsburg and Atletico Madrid but experienced different fan cultures there than in Djurgarden, where a lot of the men's teams' supporters have come across to the women's game.

"I think it was a culture clash for sure. I should have informed myself a little bit better on what I could have expected at a very big club," said Lindahl.

"I really like that people come up to us and say 'I love the atmosphere surrounding everything in the women's games, I feel totally safe going with my small children and I feel represented'.

"The safety, the inclusion and the happiness are the very strong values that I really, truly appreciate. It's not up to me what the women's game will be. I just know that I have reacted very strongly if there's been anything that is not like that. That's what I have tried to say."

Lindahl says she "appreciates so many people in the world love the men's game for what it is" but there are possibilities to "make both versions of the game better".

The ex-Sweden international says she can "see the beauty" of the men's game and is only questioning the elements of it which are unsafe and have started to creep into the women's game.

"I'm not trying to take away from the men's game but to add value to the whole game," she added.

"I think sometimes I have unintentionally stepped on people's toes. Maybe it has been when I say people want safety around the games and those that do feel safe in the men's game obviously feel offended by that."

Lindahl believes she has received great support from match-going fans, her team-mates and staff at the club despite "a feeling of not being wanted" at times.

She is now contemplating retirement but hopes to have an opportunity to end her career "on a more positive note".

"I feel like I really had [my team-mates and staff] through this drama. They have been champions and they deserve so much support," said Lindahl.

"I really hope now I'm out of the picture that people can really come and support them. If I was a reason for them not coming to support, then go now."

[BBC]

West Ham want to sign Union Berlin defender Danilho Doekhi, but face competition from Serie A champions Napoli according to VI.

The Hammers lost Craig Dawson to Wolves in January and didn’t replace him, leaving them with Kurt Zouma, Nayef Aguerd and Angelo Ogbonna as their only senior central defensive options.

That has led them in the direction of 25-year-old Doekhi, but Napoli and Jose Mourinho’s Roma are also interested in the Dutchman.

“Whether Doekhi will enter the billion dollar ball with Union Berlin remains to be seen, because he has put himself in the spotlight,” they wrote (3 July). 

“From Italy there is interest from champion Napoli, who will lose Min-jae Kim to Bayern Munich and is looking for a possible replacement. AS Roma and the English West Ham are also interested.”

Depth

This is going to be a busy summer transfer window for West Ham at the London Stadium, with incoming and outgoings expected.

Declan Rice is obviously leaving and that £105m will go towards the transfer budget for the summer with plenty of interest in attackers and other players.

Defensively the team needs additions to improve the depth, and while Thilo Kehrer is also capable of playing at centre-back it’s quite clear he is better as a full-back.

There has been some talk the German could look to leave too however, while Ben Johnson’s future is unclear as it stands also.

Doekhi would come in for a relatively low fee and provide solid competition for a starting place, but with no Champions League football it could prove hard to convince him to come to London ahead of Naples or even staying in Berlin for another season.

[westhamzone]

Brighton are getting their recruitment so right that even a player they would deem a flop would be worthy of Manchester United's consideration this summer.

Erik ten Hag's side are set to make Mason Mount their first signing of the transfer window, but work is already under way to follow up his signature with that of a goalkeeper and a striker.

It is no secret that signing a striker is the priority for United this summer, though the uncertain takeover situation has made doing so a lot easier said than done.

United have already all but given up any hope of signing Harry Kane, it looks like Victor Osimhen is set to remain at Napoli and even cheaper options like Rasmus Hojlund and Randal Kolo Muani could end up being over budget.

In the very worst case scenario, United might even have to delay plans to sign an elite forward for another year, and look to sign a cheaper, wildcard option to suffice in the short-term.

They might have left it too late to make such a realisation though, with one of the ideal cheaper candidates looking set to move before they can even give it consideration.

United fans might recoil at the suggestion of signing a literal second-tier striker this summer, but a move for Viktor Gyökeres could prove to be the exception.

The 25-year-old was the standout striker in English football outside of the Premier League last season and would have been gracing the top-flight for sure, had Coventry won the play-off final penalty shootout against Luton.

Some supporters might dismiss these exploits as misleading given they occured in the second-tier, but then it would be hypocrticial to expect big things from Amad after his loan spell at Sunderland.

He had scored 11 goals in 12 appearances in his first five months with the Brighton academy, helping them win promotion to the top flight of U23 football, but would suffer from the club's short-term needs at senior levle as they loooked to establish themselves in the Premier League.

Gyökeres spent three years at Brighton but never made a league appearance, and he only managed one goal in the eight senior appearances he eventually made for the club.

He went on loan to St. Pauli and Swansea, though it was a short-term switch to Coventry that would set him on the path to becoming one of the best strikers in the Championship.

The Swede netted three league goals during the loan spell but they were convinced to take a gamble on his signature for less than £1million, beleiving he had the raw attributes to perform at a higher level.

It proved to be a masterstroke. Gyökeres gradually settled into life at Coventry and relished the opportunity to be their main man in attack. He grabbed 18 league goals in his first full season and followed it up with 22 goals and 12 assists as his side finished fifth in the Championship last season.

Not only are the numbers impressive, but so too is his style of play. Gyökeres possesses the same frightening balance of pace and power that makes player like Erling Haaland so lethal, as well as the intelligence to make sure he is in the right place at the right time.

Of course, this is not to say he is on the same level as the likes of Haaland, Harry Kane or even Rasmus Hojlund, but he certainly has some of the key attributes required to be a success in the Premier League.

It would not be too harsh to say that the reason Coventry's quick counter-attacking was so successful last season was because of the brilliance of their striker who was able to make things out of nothing.

The striker also cites the insight of Coventy manager Mark Robins' own playing career at Old Trafford as a key element in his development as a player.

“He speaks to me about how I can be more effective and gives me little bits of advice on my movement," he told club media. "It’s helpful to have a coach who has played for the likes of Manchester United, because he knows the demands of the very top level and you can learn a lot from that.”

Since he joined Coventry no player has been involved in more Championship goals than he has (54), and his tally of 38 goals has only been surpassed by Aleksandar Mitrović (43, all in one season for Fulham) and Joël Piroe at Swansea (41).

That is even more impressive considering the side he has been playing for, and although he is still a raw talent, his output is still impressive given the circumstance he has often played in for Coventry.

What is perhaps the most encouraging though is his physical presence in the box and the way he brings the best out of his teammates as well, something that could be crucial in unlocking the true potential of United's wide players.

The issue for United is that they might have already missed their chance to get him. Gyökeres is understood to be closing in on a £18.5m move to Sporting Lisbon, meaning there is not long left for any side to try and hijack a deal.

The Portuguese giants are in a position where they can afford to take more of a risk on a striker than United this summer, but it would certainly not be a surprise if he quickly found form there either.

If that is the case then maybe United will be more open to taking such gambles in the future and the longer their striker search goes on, the more compelling a case it will become.

[manchestereveningnews]

American heavyweight boxer, Deontay Wilder has confirmed that the clash between him and Anthony Joshua will happen in December.

The much anticipated clash between both heavyweight boxers have generated a lot of reactions from their fans on social media.

Talks are also ongoing for Wilder to take an interim fight against Andy Ruiz, though these appear to have reached a stalemate.

‘The Bronze Bomber’ assured 78SportsTV that the blockbuster bout with Joshua in the Middle East is definitely happening.

“We coming baby, soon! The next fight, we’ve been working very hard, you’ve seen me training. It’s always been Ruiz, but if he doesn’t want to accept it then we will move on, or maybe hold out until the Joshua fight, because that’s definitely going down.

“Y’all need to get your money ready for that,” he said.

Skill Challenge Promotions are determined to stage Wilder vs Joshua, even if they can’t agree a deal for an undisputed showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on the same show, which now looks to be off the table for December, as per Fury’s promoter Frank Warren.

Wilder could be forgiven for perhaps wanting a fight before taking on Joshua, given he has not boxed since his one round demolition of Robert Helenius in October of last year.

Joshua is well accustomed to fighting in Saudi Arabia, which played host to both his successful rematch against Andy Ruiz Jr back 2019 and his defeat to Oleksandr Usyk last summer.

Wilder has never boxed in Saudi himself, though he was seen in attendance at the Tommy Fury vs Jake Paul fight in February, where it is speculated that early talks for a fight with Joshua could have occurred.

However, Joshua has been billed to fight Dillian Whyte on August 12 in Saudi Arabia.

[TheNewsGuru]