Ronald Araujo has been in fantastic form for Uruguay at this summer’s Copa America, which Barcelona will no doubt he pleased about – especially after the difficulties of last season. However, the overriding feeling with the 25-year-old is uncertainty, as his future continues to generate many doubts.
Ronald Araújo is one of the sensations of the Copa América. @sanantheone
— barcacentre (@barcacentre) July 3, 2024
Barcelona have been trying for months to renew Araujo’s contract, which expires in 2026. They’ve yet to have a response, and if that continues into the later stages of the summer, a sale could be on the cards.
If Araujo decides that he wants to leave, Barcelona will not stand in his way. MD say that the Catalans do not want to sell, but they will sanction it if the player asks to be sold. In that situation, they would only allow a deal to be done if another club pays their asking price – €100m.
Keeping Araujo is one of the main desires of new Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick, and there’s no doubt that the Uruguayan is a top defender. It’d be a massive blow if he were to leave, although his sale would massively help with raising funds for a big signing.
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Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided us with some exciting late Monday night Chelsea transfer updates. As you will know, Romano is the reporter that never sleeps and seems to provide updates over night and all day as well. And late on Monday night/early Tuesday morning, he has a big update on one Chelsea transfer deal that they are trying to get done. There is plenty going on in the transfer market for Chelsea right now, and it looks like they could even still sell striker Nicolas Jackson and that will bring question marks over whether he might be replaced still this window as well. And then the biggest story of the last few days has been Chelsea trying to sign Ajax defender Jorrel Hato. Yesterday there was some details out on why he will be the perfect signing for Chelsea, a signing that now looks like it’s about to happen VERY soon! And that it what Romano’s exciting news was about late last night! Chelsea close on Hato It’s taken a bit of time as these deals often do, but Chelsea’s deal to sign Hato from Ajax is now at the final stages after progressive developments on Monday. Romano posted on X last night: “Chelsea and Ajax have progressed in talks for Jorrel Hato on Monday, deal at the final stages. “Hato, ready to sign a long term deal at Chelsea with the two clubs close to full agreement.” Hato will not be the only one Chelsea are still going to be signing more new players as well as Hato, before the summer window closes in around five weeks time. Chelsea are still being linked with a number of new names and we could see plenty more drama before the window is up.
Kirk Cousins might be relegated to the job of backup quarterback, but he is showing veteran leadership to his Atlanta Falcons teammates. Following Sunday's practice, Cousins pulled aside rookie defensive end James Pearce to encourage the first-round pick after his fourth practice in the league at Flowery Branch, Georgia. "QB Kirk Cousins pulled aside Pearce after practice to compliment him on a pass batted down," wrote Marc Raimondi of ESPN. Cousins reportedly had a solid day of practice on Sunday, going 7-of-12 passing against the first-team unit. If Cousins wants out of Atlanta, he's not showing it at practice. The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback is competing on the field and being a good teammate around the facility. Cousins' actions on the field backed up what Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot praised Cousins for before the team's practice on Sunday. “Outside, it's a lot more of a deal than it is in the building,” Fontenot said to the media about the idea of friction between the Falcons and Cousins, per video from D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “He shows up, he does his job, just like anybody ... We've gotta build the best 70-man roster so we can go win games. "That's what we're focused on, and Kirk, just like all the other players, is focused on coming in here and doing their job. That's what he's been doing." Fontenot didn't dismiss the idea that Atlanta would trade Cousins before the season. He said the Falcons will do whatever it takes to make the team better, but stressed that Cousins has been a professional throughout the process of being replaced by Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick from the 2024 draft. “In terms of making moves, whether it's trades or acquiring players, we're always looking at those factors," Fontenot said. "We're gonna do whatever we can do to make this team the best it can possibly be. But he's been a great professional, and he's handled himself well.” Cousins is coming to work in a manner that will make another owner want to take a chance on the veteran quarterback. That could be one of his best-selling points before he plays in his 13th season in the league.
Las Vegas Raiders WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. is opening eyes at training camp, including QB Geno Smith, who appears to be trusting the rookie. Maybe that is the reason why general manager John Spytek has not looked for outside help at the position. And just maybe he got a steal from the 2025 NFL Draft. That looked evident on the first day of pads in Henderson, Nevada, where Thornton badly beat fellow rookie cornerback Darien Porter for a long touchdown, as described by The Athletic's Tashan Reed. In a piece, Reed said Thornton has been the first-string "X" receiver since OTAs and "could make an immediate impact." Thornton shared what Smith told him during training camp: "He tells me every single day, 'if you've got a one-on-one matchup, I'm coming to you,'" Smith said, as shared by Reed. "It means a lot to me. Being a rookie and just getting here ... just knowing that he believes in me a lot. It gives me a lot of motivation to keep getting better." While the headlines are more on rookie RB Ashton Jeanty for his potential big season, Thornton is making sure he is not forgotten after getting selected in the fourth round (108th overall) after leading the University of Tennessee with 661 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, Thornton is getting all the opportunities he can get, given the Raiders didn't bother to add a veteran WR. One could see why Thornton is raising eyebrows in training camp. That is a good thing because Smith is trusting Thornton's potential playmaking abilities. Thornton is one of the tallest Raiders WRs besides Collin Johnson, and that could be a big deal given the Raiders need a big target minus TEs Brock Bowers, Michael Mayer and Ian Thomas. Yet, ESPN's Mike Clay is projecting Thornton to have a quiet year with 317 receiving yards and a TD. With such low numbers, maybe that is how the Raiders would prefer it to be, anyway. Only the Raiders know what they have in Thornton. It is up to Thornton to keep the momentum going into preseason games and beyond.
The New York Islanders are entering a new era under a revamped front office, and signs point to a potential retool—or even a rebuild. The most telling move came at the NHL Draft in June, when the team traded star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for two first-round picks. It’s a rare move in today’s NHL to deal your top blueliner, and it raised eyebrows across the league. Analysts and fans have wondered if more moves are coming. Since there are several teams looking for quality assets at a reasonable salary cap, it’s a logical question. Is Bo Horvat A Potential Trade Candidate? During an appearance on the Cam and Strick Podcast, newly appointed assistant to the general manager Matt Martin—an Islanders fan favorite and longtime forward—revealed a humorous but telling moment from inside the locker room. Martin, now working closely with the Isles’ new GM, said that Bo Horvat texted him immediately after the front office changes were announced. “You better not trade me,” Horvat reportedly wrote. The comments from Martin suggest that Horvat has no desire to leave the team, even if the Islanders aren’t set to be competitive this coming season. If the team is dumping some of their best talents, he does not want to be among those the organization chooses to sell. Horvat likely didn’t have to worry. He has a full no-trade clause as part of his contract, and even if management were open to asking him to waive it, he could have blocked any deal. It sounds like that would be his intention, so he was getting ahead of things by making sure they knew not to even ask.
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