^ ^ Alejandro Garnacho aims dig at Chelsea after completing Aston Villa transfer

Alejandro Garnacho has joined Aston Villa from Chelsea (Picture: Getty)

Alejandro Garnacho has taken a subtle dig at Chelsea’s lack of European football following his decision to join Aston Villa.

The Argentina international’s career has been on a downward trajectory over the course of the last 18 months following the demise of his Manchester United career.

A falling out with Ruben Amorim resulted in him being deemed surplus to requirements by United and an acrimonious exit was sealed by a petulant reaction to his omission from the Europa League final starting line-up.

Garnacho appeared to suggest he had the last laugh when Chelsea rescued him from his Old Trafford nightmare and agreed to pay a £40million fee.

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The 22-year-old failed to settle in west London, however, and struggled to nail down a regular first team spot under either Enzo Maresca or Liam Rosenior.

After just 14 Premier League starts for the Blues last season, Garnacho is on the move again and is hopeful of reviving his career under the management of Unai Emery.

Rather than consider a move to Villa Park as a backwards step, Garnacho believes the Champions League will offer the perfect platform for him to showcase his ability in a competition Chelsea failed to qualify for.

Chelsea didn’t see the best of Alejandro Garnacho (Source: AFP)

‘I think it’s also important to play European competitions,’ said Ganacho when asked about his motives for leaving Chelsea.

‘I was looking for a club to get confidence and try to be the player that I was like years ago from my first years ago at Manchester United.

‘With Unai I spoke before I came here he gave me that confidence, that confidence to be here.

‘I had seen the Europa League [victory] last season and joining to play in the Champions League also is important to be part of this and Champions League is the best.

Alejandro Garnacho of Aston Villa poses for a picture with Unai Emery (Picture: Getty)

‘We’re going to play it this season I’m really happy and hopefully we cn do something important.’

Chelsea are understood to want around £42.5million in any permanent deal for the winger who has joined Villa initially on loan.

Garnacho was told earlier in the summer that he is not guaranteed a regular starting place at Stamford Bridge and it was subsequently decided that he could leave, with clubs in the Premier League, Italy and elsewhere in Europe having expressed interest, as well as Saudi Arabia.

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^ ^ Dani Olmo accuses Argentina coach of ‘lying’ about World Cup final punch

Spain star Dani Olmo has rubbished Roberto Ayala’s apology (Picture: Getty)

Dani Olmo has dismissed Roberto Ayala’s apology after their altercation in the wake of the World Cup final and accused the Argentina coach of ‘lying’ with his version of events.

Ferran Torres’ emphatic extra-time strike proved the difference as Spain overcame Argentina’s gamesmanship and questionable tactics to get their hands on the coveted prize for a second time in the nation’s history.

However, violent clashes involving the two sets of players threatened to overshadow Spain’s celebrations after the final whistle, with Leandro Paredes pictured shoving and kicking Gavi and Eric Garcia.

Meanwhile, in a separate skirmish, Lionel Scaloni’s assistant Ayala was seen raising his hands and seemingly punching Olmo in the neck area, sending the Barcelona star backwards with some force.

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Olmo showed commendable restraint not reacting during the shameful scenes, before being shepherded away by Luis de la Fuente in the moments leading up to Spain’s trophy lift.

Three days on from the bad-tempered final, once the dust had settled, Ayala took the opportunity to pass on his apologies to the Spanish midfielder.

‘Obviously I’m sorry. Because of my position, I can’t allow a feeling, or what I might receive from the other party, to change my mood and my actions. I’m sorry, but for me, these are things that stay there and that’s it,’ he told Esports Migdia on Valencia Capital Radio.

Roberto Ayala, Scaloni's coaching staff member, punched Dani Olmo after the match ended. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/wH2Ws4rOSM

— RazedFootball (@RazedFootball) July 20, 2026

‘For me, things need to be put behind us and left there.

‘It was more of a push than anything else, it wasn’t a punch like they’re saying, and that’s it.

‘It was a reaction to something he said, but that’s it. If I see him, I’ll obviously apologise to him in person.’

Ayala has claimed he was provoked by something Olmo had said (Picture: Getty)

Ayala insisted he entered the pitch with the intention of calming his players down before getting dragged into the drama himself.

He added: ‘It’s a shame, and you have to accept the facts and the things you’ve done on the field.

‘When the game ends, what I see is a fight in the middle of the pitch, and we rush to go after our players, and it ends up like that because that’s not who we are.

‘I take responsibility for what I did. My intention was to go and separate them, that was my intention, but sometimes things happen and emotions run high, but that’s no excuse. And given my position, my behaviour has to be different, regardless of what I receive.’

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But speaking to Diari de Terrassa, Olmo contested what Ayala claims happened, stressing that he never said anything to provoke the former Argentina and Valencia defender.

‘Someone who confesses to being sorry, but justifies a punch by claiming it was a response to something said, is surely not sorry, because he’s lying,’ Olmo explained.

‘I didn’t say anything to him, so I don’t need him to apologise.

Torres came on and scored the decisive goal in this summer’s final (Picture: Getty)

‘What truly defines us isn’t the mistake itself, but the courage to accept it with humility, honesty, and dignity.

‘When my children, my family, and so many fans watch the game, I want them to be proud of how we competed, how we won, and above all, our behaviour.

‘The importance of football means that we players are role models for children and future generations, and that carries a huge responsibility.’

Olmo concluded: ‘Thank God, what’s really important is that we’ve experienced an incredible World Cup, that the world has seen it, and that we are world champions after a lot of hard work.’

FIFA have confirmed there will be an investigation into Argentina’s conduct after the final at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.

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^ ^ Xabi Alonso speaks out after beating Arsenal to Morgan Rogers signing

Morgan Rogers joined Chelsea from Aston Villa after snubbing a move to Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Xabi Alonso has challenged Arsenal to find a better player than Morgan Rogers after Chelsea beat the Premier League champions to the signing of the England international.

Mikel Arteta had made the now former Aston Villa star his No.1 target this summer and it appeared almost certain that the ex-Middlesbrough forward would join the Gunners this summer.

Arsenal, however, baulked at Villa’s valuation which had been inflated as a consequence of Manchester City paying £116million for Rogers’ international teammate Eliott Anderson.

Sensing an opportunity, Chelsea pounced and decided to smash the British transfer record to sign a player who had been coveted by their rivals.

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As a result, Arsenal have been forced to turn to alternative options but are struggling to make headway in their pursuit of Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, while Bradley Barcola appears to prefer a move to Liverpool.

Speaking for the first time since hijacking Arsenal’s interest to secure Rogers, Alonso said: ‘All the ones who come later because they reached the final stages of the World Cup, they will be ready. We have a few of them so they have to be ready. It’s a great signing.

‘In that position we needed an important player and I’m sure there were not many better options than Morgan Rogers.

Chelsea paid a British record transfer fee to sign Morgan Rogers (Picture: Getty)

‘We were looking at him for a long time. He’s going to be a key player for the team. Luckily it happened quickly and now we have Morgan.

‘You need players who can have that almost instant impact, and I’m sure Morgan won’t need much time to adapt to the club, to the system, to his team-mates.

‘That was the idea that we wanted and to get a top player and Morgan is one of them.’

Chelsea’s summer spending, meanwhile, is far from over with Crystal Palace centre-half Maxence Lacroix expected to arrive this week.

Maxence Lacroix is expected to join Chelsea this week (Picture: Getty)

Asked about the impending addition of a Premier League-proven defender, Alonso added: Asked about Lacroix, Alonso said: ‘We want to build a competitive team.

‘We are in that process. We have great quality, great talent, and we need to know what it takes to compete in the Premier League.

‘We want a squad with the right balance between quality and mentality. Those things need to match.

‘We have to be ready. The market is open for a few weeks. We need to be aware of different positions, different situations, so for sure, we have a plan, an idea, and we need to assess in the right moments.

‘We can’t say what’s going to happen but some things might happen.’

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^ ^ Bradley Barcola makes decision on Arsenal and Liverpool transfer interest

Bradley Barcola starred for France at the World Cup (Picture: Getty)

Liverpool and Arsenal have been put on red alert amid a breakdown in the relationship between Bradley Barcola and Paris Saint-Germain.

The France international has played a key role in establishing the Ligue 1 giants as back-to-back Champions League winners under Luis Enrique, but his future looks less than certain.

Barcola, who joined PSG from Lyon three years ago, had been angling for a new deal which expires in 2028, but talks stalled prior to the World Cup.

With Enrique looking to rejuvenate a forward line that already includes the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue, Barcola faces the prospect of falling down the manager’s pecking order.

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PSG have already opened up one space in their squad following the sale of Lee Kang-in to Atletico Madrid with RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande a confirmed target.

Regardless of the Ivory Coast winger’s eventual destination, Barcola appears to have made a definitive decision on his PSG future.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the 23-year-old has informed his current employers that will not being signing a new contract.

Arsenal had been monitoring Bradley Barcola’s situation at Arsenal (Picture: Getty)

Premier League champions Arsenal have held long-term interest in the versatile forward and with Mikel Arteta prioritising a new left-winger, Barcola has been firmly on the Premier League champions’ radar.

Christos Tzolis arrived from Club Brugge earlier this week following the departure of Leandro Trossard, but the Gunners are keen to make a further statement signing, especially having missed out on Morgan Rogers to Chelsea.

Barcola is, however, understood to have another destination in mind and is giving priority to Liverpool who are looking to rebuild under new manager Andoni Iraola.

Liverpool are looking to fill the void left by Mohamed Salah’s departure (Picture: Getty)

Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike is facing an extended period on the sidelines (Picture: Getty)

Mohamed Salah’s departure has left a huge void to fill and with Barcola’s international teammate, Hugo Ekitike, still facing a significant period on the sidelines recovering form an Achilles injury, Liverpool are in dire need of attacking reinforcements.

The player is said to be keen on a move to Anfied, while there are not truth in the reports that Barcelona are considering making an offer.

Liverpool, who have been working on a deal since April, are now waiting for an indication from PSG as to their valuation which, according to the BBC, stands at around £140million.

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^ ^ Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior makes decision on Arsenal transfer

Arsenal are reportedly exploring a transfer move for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior (Picture: Getty)

Vinicius Junior intends to reach a resolution on his delicate contract situation at Real Madrid and is not currently entertaining interest from Arsenal, according to reports in Spain.

A report from The Athletic on Saturday claimed Arsenal had been actively exploring a sensational move for Vinicius, with the idea said to have been ‘approved on all levels’ within the club’s hierarchy.

Vinicius has entered into the final 12 months of his current deal and the Gunners have been alerted to the precarious situation as they scour the market for attacking reinforcements ahead of the new campaign.

The news that Madrid have agreed personal terms with RB Leipzig star Yan Diomande has only fuelled rumours that Vinicius’ days with Los Blancos could be numbered after a glittering eight-year spell at the Bernabeu.

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According to Spanish publication AS, Vinicius has ‘felt undervalued’ by incessant speculation linking Madrid with Barcelona’s Julian Alvarez, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise and Diomande in recent months.

However, it’s claimed the 26-year-old Brazil international he wants to stay put and his ‘priority’ is to renew his contract at the Bernabeu.

Vinicius ‘make it easy’ for Madrid bosses to strike an agreement over a new deal, keen to avoid a repeat of last summer’s episode, when contract talks came to an abrupt halt in the wake of the Club World Cup.

The Brazil forward is out of contract in 2027 (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal have been exploring a possible move for the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up (Picture: Getty)

This viewpoint is shared by Madrid’s hierarchy, who intend do everything in their power to strike a deal with Vinicius’ camp and put any doubts over the forward’s future to bed.

The report adds that contract discussions between Vinicius and Madrid are expected to resume next week once the winger has returned from his hometown Sao Goncalo, where he has been enjoying a short break.

Before making any knee-jerk decisions, though, Vinicius wants assurances from Madrid’s management over his role in Jose Mourinho’s first-team – and also whether his salary will reflect how he views his status in the world game.

Madrid have reportedly agreed person terms with Diomande (Picture: Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto/Shutterstock)

Mourinho has reportedly made it clear that he wishes to keep hold of the 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up, already planning for life with a superstar frontline of Diomande, Mbappe and Vinicius, supported by Jude Bellingham.

Vinicius is said to be demanding wages of around €20million (£17m) net per season, an increase of €5m (£4.3m) on what he was earning after his last contract renewal in 2022.

Liverpool have also been linked with Vinicius this summer but their interest remains just that for the time being.

Vinicius has racked up 128 goals and 100 assists for Madrid since joining the Spanish giants from Flamengo for £38m back in 2017, when the Brazilian was aged just 16.

In that time, Vinicius has helped Madrid win 14 pieces of silverware, including three La Liga titles and two Champions League crowns.

Premier League champions Arsenal have already moved to strengthen their attack with the summer addition of Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for a reported fee of around £34m.

Mikel Arteta’s side also captured free agent Illan Meslier, while activating their £35m option to sign Piero Hincapie on a permanent basis from Bayer Leverkusen.

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