The NWSL is on a hiatus while various levels of international friendlies and tournaments take place. With a large portion of the NWSL’s talent in camp with their national teams, the domestic league has a chance to rest and assess the first third of the year. Two sides currently sitting outside of the playoff positions decided to make coaching shifts.
Seattle Reign Add NWSL And USWNT Experience
The good news is this move makes Manchester United once again much easier to hate. That's right, Zlatan is gone, banished from Manchester United after 42 appearances, 28 goals and one horrible knee injury.
Obviously Zlatan is going to come back. He is Zlatan, after all. The question is where, and that is a question for another day. Today, we must wrap our heads around the fact that we actually kind of liked Manchester United for a bit there, when they had Zlatan and Pogba doing Zlatan things and Pogba things.
Rumors of John Brooks’ transfer from Hertha Berlin to Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga have been confirmed, and the reported fee of $22.4 million makes the USMNT defender the most expensive American player of all-time.
Brooks is currently in Denver with the U.S. squad ahead of a friendly against Venezuela and two key World Cup qualifiers against Trinidad & Tobago at home and Mexico at the Azteca. The fee paid for Brooks is roughly twice as much as the previous record, the $11 million Sunderland paid AZ Alkmaar for Jozy Altidore back in 2013.
Riyad Mahrez has handed in a transfer request. The Algerian winger intends to leave Leicester City, the club where he won the Premier League and the PFA Player of the Year award in 2015-16, for larger and greener pastures.
Mahrez released a statement Tuesday announcing his intention to depart:
“Out of the huge admiration and respect I hold for Leicester City Football Club, I wanted to be totally honest and transparent with them and have therefore informed the club that I feel now is the time for me to move on.
One day we’ll look back on the 2016-17 AS Monaco side in disbelief — how did one club house Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho and Tiemoue Bakayoko (all 23 or younger) at the same time? Their Ligue 1 triumph and Champions League semifinal run will live long in the memory, but the dismantling of the most exciting side in European football has begun, starting with 22-year-old Portuguese attacker Bernardo Silva.
You might think paying €45 million for a 16-year-old without a first-team appearance to his name is excessive. You might be correct. In the case of Vinicius Jr., though, you just might be incorrect.
Real Madrid have reportedly had a €45 million bid accepted by Vinicius's club, Flamengo, although the move cannot be finalized until Vinicius turns 18, in July of next year.
Lionel Messi has scored 51 goals in 49 games this season for Barcelona. So, it's no wonder that club executives are in a hurry to get negotiations over with and to get Messi's contract finalized.
It appears today that the club and Messi's agents may be close to a deal. Only a day after we reported that Messi's camp rejected Barcelona's initial offer, Barcelona VP Jordi Mestre said "it won't be long" before Lionel Messi signs a new contract with FC Barcelona.
Didier Drogba has officially joined USL side Phoenix Rising as a player and (really) owner. Drogba's minority ownership stake in the team will allow him to transition to a front office role after playing this season. He will join former Chelsea teammate Shaun Wright-Phillips in Phoenix.
Marta, the five-time FIFA World Player of the Year, has joined the Orlando Pride on a two-year contract with an option for a third year. With the possibility of Alex Morgan’s short-term loan deal at Lyon running through June (Lyon will have to navigate a Champions League semifinal against Carli Lloyd’s Manchester City to make that a reality) the Orlando Pride have moved quickly to add more star power.