The Athletic FC ⚽ is The Athletic’s daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox.
Hello! Take heed of Noel Gallagher: don’t turn your back. Especially in the transfer market.
On the way:
Sesko Will Sign: Striker to stay at Leipzig – what now for Arsenal?
Certain transfers just make sense. Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig to Arsenal would have been one of them
Other English clubs had eyes on Sesko too but a leap to Arsenal had the potential to suit all sides.
Mikel Arteta wants a new No 9, and Sesko oozes class and potential. Arsenal were in a position to offer him Champions League football and coaching stability, in contrast to Manchester United and Chelsea. RB Leipzig could have taken the money, all £55m of it.
But an update from The Athletic’s David Ornstein caught my eye this morning, suggesting that Sesko was reluctant to jump from Leipzig. And it’s since been confirmed that we can all stand down. He’s staying in Germany. The 21-year-old will take up a new deal with Leipzig imminently.
Sesko has decided to stay with Leipzig (Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)
Arsenal were ultra-keen on signing him so what does this mean for their window? I picked the brains of our Gunners expert, James McNicholas:
“While Arsenal felt they had done the necessary groundwork to make themselves an attractive choice for Sesko, they were always aware there was a strong possibility he would choose to remain in Leipzig for another 12 months.
“They entered the window hoping to add a new dimension to their attack. With Sesko off the table, they’ll have to explore alternative options.”
Back to the drawing board.
Ndombele nightmare
Elsewhere in The Athletic’s Transfer DealSheet today: two cautionary tales about investments gone wrong.
True, no team strikes gold in the market unerringly, but I couldn’t help noticing the mention of Tanguy Ndombele in our weekly recruitment guide — and thinking about the epic fail he represents.
The midfielder became Tottenham Hotspur’s record signing in 2019, a £55m capture from Lyon in France, but has barely played for them since 2021. Spurs are actively working to terminate the last year of his contract before it begins.
If all sides agree, a record-breaking purchase will become a free agent while the rest of us wonder how Spurs called this so badly. There’s a very good footballer in there somewhere, but one in need of a reputational reset.
A reputational reset was what Jadon Sancho craved this time last year, and exactly what he got on loan at Borussia Dortmund.
Will Manchester United reintegrate him as a result? Don’t count on it. The club are ready to listen to bids of £40m ($51m) for him — a chunky loss on what they originally paid, but a fairly realistic price after his Champions League final appearance.
McKennie in vogue again?
Three more news lines worth highlighting:
News round-Up
Gallagher on Man City and ‘dinosaur’ Neville
Here’s an out-of-the-blue (moon) treat for you: an interview with Noel Gallagher, music’s answer to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
It comes with a free bleep machine. Thank us later.
Because the brains behind Oasis and High Flying Birds loves an expletive. And loves Manchester City. And loves Pep Guardiola. And loves a fight. All of which is apparent in Danny Taylor’s funny chat with him.
Noel Gallagher: Texts from Guardiola, why Neville is a ‘dinosaur’ – and those 115 charges
You might have seen Gallagher refusing to take part in City’s Poznan celebration in the away end at Fulham last month (see TAFC’s intro). The reason? He was hungover, obviously. And is having cardboard cut-outs of Guardiola in his kitchen and his London studio the mark of a superfan? Or certifiable?
There’s a salient point at the top of Danny’s piece. If you ever make the mistake of thinking that City have always crushed Europe underfoot, Gallagher will put you right. The saving grace for him in the days of Division Two and no hope? “That Oasis were f***ing massive.” Modest to a fault. And not wrong.
Around The Athletic FC: Let’s talk tactics for Euro 2024
Phil’s Answer: Chelsea and a PSR puzzle
Much obliged to those of you who responded to TAFC’s request for feedback and questions.
Brian Murphy wanted to know, and he’s not alone here, why the Premier League allows a situation where Chelsea can use the sale of property like hotels to a sister company (a cynic would say, the sale of property to themselves) to stay within the limits of profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Plenty of clubs are asking the same — but not enough to change the rules. A vote on closing this loophole took place at the Premier League’s AGM last week but only 11 teams were in favour, some way short of the two-thirds majority required. For now, bricks and mortar remain PSR weapons.
- If you want to get in touch, email theathleticfc@theathletic.com
Catch a match
International friendlies: Moldova v Ukraine (12pm/5pm) — Fubo, Premier Sports 1; Portugal v Republic of Ireland (2.45pm/7.45pm) — Fubo, Premier Sports 1.
(Top photo: Damjan Zibert/Soccrates/Getty Images)
Read the full article here