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Question: What do Manchester City, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Juventus and Manchester United have in common?
Answer: They are all giants of global soccer; they have all under-achieved this season; and part of the reason for that is that they sold players deemed “surplus to requirements” whose performances this season have exposed what they are missing out on.
Manchester City have lacked a spark in midfield and cover for Haaland. All while two players they sold have been excelling at their new clubs – Cole Palmer at Chelsea (15 goals, 8 assists) and Ferran Torres at Barcelona, who with 16 goals in 33 appearances currently has the best goal-per-minute return of any forward in La Liga.
For Real Madrid there was a lack of planning for the future and they have suffered without the declining creative talents of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos. How they could have benefited from the playmaking of Martin Ødergaard who they sold to Arsenal in 2021.
Charles De Ketelaere only signed for AC Milan in 2022 but after failing to live up to expectations, they sold him to Atalanta who have stormed into third place – well above Milan (in 9th), thanks in large part to his goal contributions.
Meanwhile Juventus’s loss has been Bournemouth’s gain with center back Dean Huijsen. Signed for just $15 million, Huijsen has been one of the standout players in Bournemouth’s record-breaking season and is top of many clubs’ transfer wish lists.
Finally, the decline of Manchester United has been evident. How they could have used the energy of Scott McTominay in midfield. As United have plummeted in the EPL, Napoli have risen to the top of Serie A with McTominay contributing 11 goals from 30 games.
The desire for “success right now at any cost” is a major problem in the modern game. The short-sighted thinking of big clubs has deprived them of some major talents. Not only has it hurt these clubs on the pitch, but it’s costing them in real terms off it.
Each will have to dig deep into their pockets to buy players to fill key roles. When all the time they already had players that could have excelled for them in those positions. If they had just had the patience….
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Chelsea could reach £300m summer after latest update on sell on clauses
It’s the final week of the transfer window and Chelsea are making good progress in trimming down their squad. Today it was made official that the Blues had managed to sell Carney Chukwuemeka to Dortmund, and according to Matt Law, that’s a good deal for everyone. Law praises Chelsea’s firm line over midfielder “With Chukwuemeka I think Chelsea have done really well,” the Telegraph’s Chelsea man said on the podcast. “Because Dortmund were saying all window – ‘we’re not buying him, well only loan him.’ Chelsea’s asking price did come down, I’m told it’s a £24m fee, but there is a sizable sell on fee.” “Dortmund were adamant for so long in trying to force their hand into the loan… so good for him and good for them getting a permanent move.” Law ended up speculating that the sell on fee could be around 25%. You can see Law speaking in the clip embedded here, with this discussion coming early doors: Midfielder could bring Chelsea more money in the future after monster summer The reports that the sell on fee is something like 40% are very promising indeed. Dortmund are famous for their ability to develop players and make a big profit on them – and now the Blues stand to get a piece of that cake. As Law points out, if the likes of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson go for big fees, the Blues could end up raking in £300m this summer, even before these sort of sell ons are considered. That is superb work all around, and we’re feeling a lot more comfortable about the squad going into this season than last season. The amount of money we’ve brought in also means a Jackson loan (with obligation to buy) is a possibility for the Blues.
Minnesota Vikings make shocking release of popular defender as final roster cut deadline approaches
How Browns feel about Deshaun Watson amid unsettled quarterback situation
Deshaun Watson has become somewhat of a forgotten figure regarding the Cleveland Browns' unique quarterback situation that could involve the club having starter Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders on the roster for its Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. For an article published on Monday, Browns insider Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer noted that Watson will miss at least the first four games of the 2025 season after he suffered a torn Achilles last October and then tore the Achilles again during his recovery. However, it sounds like the Browns haven't yet completely closed the door on Watson returning to the active roster before Week 18 wraps up. "He’s coming along well in his rehab from his re-torn Achilles repair and could be ready to go later in the season," Cabot wrote about Watson. "Whether or not the Browns will activate him remains to be seen, but they’ve been happy with how he’s attacked his rehab and how he’s helped the other QBs, especially Gabriel and Sanders." Watson has made just 19 regular-season starts with the Browns since he received a fully guaranteed five-year, $230M contract from the club in March 2022. He served an 11-game suspension related to allegations of sexual misconduct during massage sessions to open his first campaign with Cleveland. His 2023 season ended prematurely because of a shoulder issue. He then lost six of seven starts last season before he went down with the initial Achilles injury. It was suggested earlier this month that Watson could essentially force the Browns to move him to the 53-man roster if he's cleared to play this coming fall. Such a scenario theoretically would result in Cleveland having to part ways with a different signal-caller. While the previously mentioned Sanders is clearly fourth on Cleveland's current depth chart, Cabot wrote that the Browns like the rookie "a lot and will continue to develop him." Cabot added that "the Browns have always planned to keep four quarterbacks and will only pivot if someone makes them an offer they can’t refuse." Pickett presumably would become the odd man out regarding such a potential trade. Still, he first needs to fully recover from the hamstring injury he picked up on July 26 that kept him from playing in any preseason games. Meanwhile, Watson will continue his recovery behind the scenes after Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said earlier this year that Cleveland "took a big swing and miss with Deshaun." The Browns reportedly could escape Watson's deal next offseason.
Former GM blasts Giants for not embracing 'best chance to win'
Ever since the opening night of the 2025 NFL Draft, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll has repeatedly said that veteran quarterback Russell Wilson will start over rookie Jaxson Dart for the club's regular-season opener at the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7. However, former NFL general manager and current ESPN personality Mike Tannenbaum made it known during a Tuesday appearance on "SportsCenter" that he thinks the Giants are making a mistake following the team's three preseason victories. "Jaxson Dart, how soon does he start? If it was up to me, it would have been three months ago," Tannenbaum said during the segment, per Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media. "He has outplayed Russell Wilson. He is the best quarterback on the New York Giants. Every game he doesn’t start is, to me, not giving them the best chance to win. He has played with energy. He’s played with enthusiasm. Knows what to do. I think he should start." For an article published on Monday, Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports gave Dart an "A+" grade for the rookie's three preseason performances and said that the 22-year-old "perfectly blended quick decision-making with an occasional dime down the field and added a sprinkle of his athleticism as a scrambler in all three contests." According to Fox Sports, Dart completed 32-of-47 passes for 372 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions over his three August appearances. He also contributed six carries for 52 yards and an additional score. To compare, Wilson connected on 10-of-14 pass attempts for 136 yards and an interception. That said, such stats are largely meaningless since Wilson and Dart were never competing for the starting job. Following the Giants' preseason finale versus the New England Patriots last week, Dart acknowledged that "Russ is the starter" and "has completely earned that role." Meanwhile, multiple stories shared throughout the summer have touched upon how Wilson has established himself as "a vocal leader in the meeting room and on the practice field" with the Giants. In time, Dart may receive opportunities to show that he gives the 2025 Giants "the best chance to win" meaningful games. Unless Wilson produces a nightmare performance at Washington's Northwest Stadium, he should remain atop the Big Blue depth chart through at least the start of the Giants' Week 2 game at the Dallas Cowboys on Sept. 14.
Eagles have perfect opportunity to bring back former starter to defense
With player cut news rolling in throughout the day, the Philadelphia Eagles are finding more and more intriguing names that they could potentially bring back. One name is all too familiar to them. NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the New England Patriots are releasing safety Marcus Epps. The Patriots had just signed Epps to a contract in the offseason. That name might sound like someone Eagles fans should know, and that's because it should sound familiar. Epps was one of the starting safeties in the Eagles' 2022 Super Bowl run and played on the team for three and a half seasons. He finished his time with 208 tackles, 15 pass deflections, four tackles for loss, three interceptions, and one forced fumble in 54 career games in the midnight green uniforms. Would Epps solve the Eagles' safety concerns? A lot of people are very high on rookie second-round pick Andrew Mukuba, who had a tremendous second preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, where he had a 75-yard pick-six and a fumble recovery. He missed the final preseason matchup with the New York Jets as he got hurt at camp. Sydney Brown and Tristin McCollum are the other veterans competing with Mukuba for the starting job. McCollum will not win the job, but Brown has been the main competitor to Mukuba. Since he is more of a veteran, starting him might give Mukuba more time to develop, but not many fans want that to happen. Epps would at least be able to come in and provide insurance at safety if it didn't work out with Mukuba or Brown. He might need time to learn Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's defense, but he knows head coach Nick Sirianni and is familiar with the culture in Philly. If the coaching is not completely in love with who they have at safety right now, Roseman should try to get Epps back.
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