FC Barcelona’s insistence on finding a suitor for Clement Lenglet this summer has seen them engage in negotiations with a number of clubs.

Initially, the plan was for the Catalans to offload Lenglet permanently to Tottenham, where he spent a season on loan, but a stark difference in the player’s valuation meant the move kept stalling.

Then Al Nassr entered the picture with hopes of securing another European talent, but the centre-back’s delay in making a decision meant the club went looking for other options, eventually entering talks for Manchester City’s Aymeric Laporte.

Saudi club tempts Lenglet with €12m net salary

Now, it is being reported by Gerard Romero that a Saudi Arabian club is offering €12 million per year in net salary to Lenglet.

While the player has doubts as he desires to continue in Europe among the elite footballers, he is gradually beginning to ‘open the door’ to the Saudi path.

Barcelona have made their stance clear on Lenglet, with the club already overbooked in defence.

Xavi does not have Lenglet in his plans for the new season and sees him as a disposable asset.

Lenglet, recognizing the minimal interest he is garnering from European sides that are willing to pay Barcelona’s valuation of €15 million, is showing signs of acceptance of the Saudi route.

Moreover, staying in Catalonia appears unfeasible owing to the exclusion he faces from the squad.

The clock is ticking, and the transfer window is nearing its end.

Lenglet will be obliged to take a decision soon and unless a European club comes calling, the French defender will have to cut his losses and take his talents to Saudi Arabia.

[barcauniversal]

 The development bank founded by the so-called BRICS countries closed the auction for its first South African rand bonds on Tuesday, as it comes under pressure to boost its local currency fundraising and lending.

The New Development Bank's (NDB) two bonds, a 1 billion rand ($52.3 million) five-year note and a 500 million rand three-year note, attracted 2.67 billion rand of bids in total, according to auction results shared by two investors with Reuters.

South Africa's finance minister said that the NDB, which was founded to give the BRICS members - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - more control of development financing, was not doing enough local currency lending, in an interview with Reuters ahead of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg next week.

The NDB did not respond to a request for comment on the bond auction.

Chief Financial Officer Leslie Maasdorp told Reuters in a recent interview that the bank aims to increase local currency lending, most of which has so far been in the Chinese yuan, from about 22% to 30% by 2026, but that there were limits to de-dollarisation.

The South African bond market has struggled in recent years to attract new issuers to match growing demand from domestic investors looking for quality credit assets.

NDB's three-year rand bond was priced at a floating rate of 95 basis points (bps) above the three-month Johannesburg Interbank Average Rate (Jibar), while the five year was priced at Jibar +105 bps.

The most recent comparable South African government bonds were a 4.5-year bond priced at Jibar +90 bps and a seven year priced at Jibar +120 bps, said Raphi Rootshtain, a portfolio manager at Sasfin Wealth.

"It is interesting to note that most of the underlying lending activities in South Africa are to State Owned Companies (SOEs)," Rootshtain said. "So effectively the NDB will become the new proxy funding vehicle for SOEs which should come with additional risk."

The bond sale was arranged by Standard Bank, which declined to comment, and Absa Bank.

The sale "had... 94% of bids being within or lower than price guidance and the issuance rates representing the tightest spreads achieved by a non-government issuer in 2023," said Kumeshen Naidoo, head of debt capital markets at Absa.

($1 = 19.1206 rand)

[Reuters]

he African Union has rejected the use of force in Niger after a contentious 10-hour meeting of its peace and security council, Le Monde reported Wednesday, citing several diplomats who were present. 

The decision, which is expected to be formally announced later Wednesday, will boost the military junta that deposed President Mohamed Bazoum on January 26 and makes a military intervention by Niger’s West African neighbors less likely.

The ECOWAS regional bloc voted last week to prepare a “standby force” to restore constitutional democracy in Niger, and the group’s military chiefs are set to meet Thursday and Friday in Accra, Ghana, for initial planning.

When A.U.’s peace and security council met Monday over whether to endorse the ECOWAS force, sources described the meeting as "tense," "endless," and "more than ten hours," Le Monde said. 

While rejecting military action, the council voted to suspend Niger from the African Union. 

[Themessenger]

Former Manchester City financial advisor Stefan Borson has accused Chelsea of 'deliberately ignoring' the Premier League's profit and sustainability guidelines amid the London club's continued spending. 

Monday's £115million purchase of Moises Caicedo took the Blues' outlay on new talent to over £800m in the three transfer windows since a Todd Boehly-led consortium purchased the club in 2022. 

Chelsea have spent more than every club in LaLiga in that period and have only narrowly been outspent by the 18 clubs in Germany's top-flight. 

This has led to questions about how the Premier League outfit have been able to enjoy such an extraordinary splurge while adhering to the league's financial rulings that allow teams to incur loses no greater than £105m across a rolling period of three seasons. 

Borson -  a former banker and current lawyer with extensive knowledge Financial Fair Play - believes the Blues are knowingly flaunting guidelines after Boehly 'overpaid' in acquiring the club for £4.3billion last May.

'You're talking about a club that's never made a profit in 20 years,' Borson told talkSPORT. 'They have historically operated at a loss and filled that gap by selling footballers. 

'Then what's happened is Todd Boehly's come along and I just want to say very clearly [he] knows exactly what he's doing. Nobody would deny the quality of his team, of the individual. There's no question.

'There's nothing that any of us can say on the outside that they haven't thought about and that's why I posit that this is all part of a strategy. 

'To deliberately ignore the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules in order to accelerate the success of Chelsea. 

'That's partly because we all know in the background that Boehly, for all of his business success and wealth, has overpaid for Chelsea by a very considerable amount. 

'It happens. Wealthy people sometimes make mistakes and he's made a mistake in terms of what he paid for the club. He now wants to accelerate the success of the club. '

As in seasons gone by, the Stamford Bridge outfit have successfully used player sales to fuel their purchases. Nine first team players have left the club for a fee this summer, while a further eight departed at the end of their contract which freed up funds in their wage bill. 

Owing to Boehly's knowledge of the US sports market, where he has flourished as the owner of MLB outfit the LA Dodgers, Chelsea have become the poster child for amortisation. 

The accounting process by which club's are able to spread the cost of purchases over the length of a player's contract, while including the full sum of a sale in that year's books. 

This tactic has seen the side agree extended terms with several recent arrivals. Caicedo, the most recent example, agreed an eight-year contract with an option for a further 12 months. 

Though, according to reports, it may not be a technique the club will be able to exploit for much longer. As Mail Sport earlier reveled, the Premier League are considering closing the loophole. 

'This hasn't been discussed formally,' one league source said. 'This hasn't been discussed formally, but is something we will look at. Alignment with UEFA rules would make sense for all parties. 

'The only club currently handing out eight-year contracts on a regular basis is likely to be involved in UEFA competitions soon, as are any others that follow suit.'

[DAilymail]

Tottenham striker Richarlison will refuse to shake Michail Antonio's hand when he plays against West Ham this season. The Brazilian has seemingly not forgotten comments made by his rival last term.

Antonio poked fun at Richarlison on his podcast last season. The Brazilian scored just one legitimate Premier League goal in his debut campaign.

However, he would have scored more if it wasn't for VAR intervention. Speaking on The Footballer's Football Podcast alongside Newcastle striker Callum Wilson in May, Antonio joked: "He's scored four times this season.

"Three of the times he has been offside. He has taken his top off four times this season."

The pair laughed, with Wilson adding: "He's got four yellows. He's almost on a suspension!"

The public mocking of Richarlison didn't go down well with Tottenham interim boss Ryan Mason. And Richarlison clearly hasn't taken too kindly to the comments either.

Antonio has revealed that he has spoken to Hammers team-mate Lucas Paqueta, who plays alongside Richarlison for Brazil. And he claims that the former Everton star plans to snub Antonio when their two teams meet in early December.

Asked if Spurs need to sign a striker after Harry Kane's departure, Antonio said on the podcast: "I am no longer commenting on Richarlison. It’s got to the stage where I feel that some people are a little touchy.

"I am not going to talk about the person that is in that position. I am just going to say that Tottenham need a striker. I will leave it at that – It’s banter. We banter with each other.

"I have gone to Paqueta. They play with each other. I have said ‘What’s wrong with your boy? It’s a bit of banter. I don’t understand why he is taking it so personally', to the stage where his manager has to talk.

"Lucas is like ‘It’s just how he is, Mickey. I told him that’s how you are. But he says ‘no, no, no. When we play against them. I am not going to shake his hand’."

Antonio and Wilson were criticised by Mason at the time for their initial comments. The Spurs coach said: "I certainly don't feel like I'm ever in a position to criticise another head coach or another manager on the work they're doing or the job they're doing at their football club.

"Richy, I don’t think he’s thinking about other players. His own pride and his own determination will probably drive that most of all.

"Maybe he’s heard it, maybe’s seen it, maybe it will give him a little bit more. I’m not sure on that.

"As a coach I wouldn’t do it, and as a player I’d never have done it as well. I don’t really like that type of thing."

[Express.co.uk]

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ordered a 100-per cent salary raise as the government sharply raised the fuel prices, according to local media.

The salary increase, covering state employees, retirees, and military personnel, is the ninth since 2011 when the Syrian war broke out, NAN reports.

The country’s economy has since been mired in an economic crisis.

Prior to the decision, the monthly salary of civil servants had been between around 10 and 25 U.S. dollars, depending on the Syrian pound’s street value.

On Tuesday, the Syrian Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Protection raised the prices of diesel fuel for transportation and bakeries by about 180 per cent, and normal-octane gasoline by about 165 per cent.

The hike in fuel prices caused a state of chaos on the streets as many bus drivers refused to work on Wednesday.

The price hike also led to a disruption in food prices, which have gone up between 30 and 100 per cent.

[DailyPost]

The Saudi Professional League has become one of the hotspots in the football sphere where top players abound.

From champions league to world cup winners, the SPL has witnessed the arrival of some top players coming with a pool of experience gathered from some of the biggest clubs in European football.

The Saudi Public Investment Fund has pumped money into the league to attract some of the world’s finest players to the oil-rich country.

One of such big names is Portuguese captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr in late last December. He left his old club, Manchester United on a free transfer after he’d returned for a second spell.

French players, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante both signed for Al-Ittihad.

Former Liverpool midfield duo, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson signed for Al-Ittihad and Al-Ettifaq, respectively, and were joined by another formate Reds, Sadio Mane to Al-Nassr.

It’s reported that the PIF owns 75 per cent majority stake in four clubs in the SPL – Al-Nassr, Al Ahli, Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal.

The biggest transfer in the league, however, is Neymar, from PFremch giant, PSG.

The 31-year-old attacker, who won the treble with Barcelona, and is also Brazil’s joint highest goal scorer with Pele, has had some high and low moments in his former club PSG, as he had to battle with injuries and match fitness issues.

Here, we look at the top 10 most expensive football transfers in the SPL:

1. Neymar: €90m

PSG – Al-Hilal.

2. Malcom: €60m

Zenit to Al-Hilal.

3. Ruben Neves – €55m

Wolves to Al-Hilal.

4. Fabinho – €46.7m

Liverpool to Al-Ittihad.

5. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic – €42m

Lazio to Al-Hilal.

6. Riyad Mahrez – €35m

Man City to Al-Ahli.

7. Sadio Mane – €30m

Bayern to Al-Nassr.

8.  Jota – €29.1m

Celtic to Al-Ittihad.

9. Roger Ibanez – €28.5m

Roma to Al-Ahli.

10. Allan Saint-Maximin – €27.2m

Newcastle to Al-Ahli.

[Punch]

A member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka said the party may go extinct if reforms are not made at the earliest possible time.

He stated that the party lost some of its strongholds to the Labour Party (LP) in the last election.

He made this known while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Wednesday.

He said, “The PDP in itself is a government that was in power for 16 years. Its instinct is that of a government party and not that of an opposition party, and it has taken us eight years now to begin to realise.

“We are smelling the coffee that it’s not four years and we are back or we are coming back the next day.

“Now, we are beginning to see that PDP itself needs to be reformed. It needs to renew and reimagine itself to be able to begin to play the role of opposition, knowing full well that we have a politician as president.

“If PDP doesn’t get its act together, it will be an extinct party. So, we need to wake up, smell the coffee, find the kind of leadership that will represent us in an opposition atmosphere, and begin to do the work of the opposition.

“We must do the work of mobilization and imbibe the work of technology.

“[The] last four years have taught us a bitter lesson that a young party can come up and take away PDP strongholds in an election cycle.”

[Vanguard]

England secured their first ever place in a Women’s World Cup final after The Lionesses beat co-hosts Australia 3-1 in Sydney.

Australia manager Tony Gustavsson took a gamble starting a not fully fit Sam Kerr for the first time this tournament, signalling that the Matildas wanted to get this wrapped up in 90 minutes. Despite that statement of intent, it was a gamble that would not pay off.

In the first half, England dominated possession, though Australia set out to frustrate their attempts on goal, of which there were a few.

Despite England’s dominance, it never really felt that they were fully in control of the game, and Australia took their chances with lightning speed on the counter-attack.

For a brief spell, they felt the more dangerous side, though an inspired shot by Ella Toone gave England the lead before the first half was through.

Indeed, the partnership between Toone and Alessia Russo shone again, as it did at the Euro last summer.

In the second half, Australia came out all guns blazing, with Hayley Raso and Caitlin Foord often finding themselves in the thick of it. But it was Sam Kerr who eventually equalised in the 63rd minute with a stunning strike from outside the box, to keep the Matildas in the game.

That was short lived, as Lauren Hemp showed once again how important she is to the team, emerging between the Australian defence with a fantastic finish.

Australia brought on attacking reinforcements in sub Emily van Egmond, who missed out on a starting spot due to sickness, but despite Australia’s best efforts, they couldn’t contain the pace and power of Alessia Russo, who found the net minutes before full-time.

The Lionesses will now go on to face Spain in Sunday’s final.

It’s one thing to make the final, but the challenge will be epic when England take on Spain. We’ve shown we can beat them in previous contests, but Spain were without Alexis Putellas and Jenni Hermosa in last year’s Euro. Nonetheless, if England put on a display as focussed as this, they will certainly be in with a shot.

[NationalDaily]