Zac Djellab and Laurence McKenna discuss which out-of-contract stars should stay at their club or leave.
‘Huijsen has £50m release clause in the summer’
Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen has a release clause of £50m that becomes active this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The 19-year-old defender has been a revelation since joining from Juventus in a deal worth around £15m.
Reports have linked Huijsen with a number of Premier League clubs, and a release clause would make a move easier.
Liverpool and Tottenham are among the clubs to have been credited with an interest.
Midfielder Ahmed Qasem has joined MLS side Nashville from top-flight Swedish side IF Elfsborg.
“Ahmed is a dynamic attacking player who has the ability to create and finishscoring opportunities,” said Nashville GM Mike Jacobs.
“His athleticism and versatility enable him to contribute in a number of different roles and options.”9 hour ago9h ago14:00
Rafa: Bellingham can be a Real Madrid great
Rafael Benitez says England midfielder Jude Bellingham has the potential to be one of Real Madrid’s greatest players.
England midfielder can become one of Real Madrid greats
Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes Jude Bellingham, who was sent off in LaLiga at the weekend, has the potential to become a Real Madrid great; Bellingham scored to give his side a 3-2 advantage over Man City in their Champions League play-off tie; the return leg is on Wednesday
Rafael Benitez said England midfielder Jude Bellingham has the potential to be one of Real Madrid’s greatest players.
In an exclusive interview with TodayPriceNG News, the ex-Bernabeu boss says he expects his former team to finish the job against Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, but warns that City’s European experience will make them dangerous opponents.
Benitez has also spoken of his desire to work again in the Premier League, and revealed he recently turned down the opportunity to manage in Brazil.
Benitez sat alongside England boss Thomas Tuchel at the Etihad for last week’s first leg, when Bellingham’s late goal gave Real Madrid a 3-2 lead.
“I saw him [Bellingham] the other day and he was doing well,” said Benitez. “He has energy, good movement and he was playing with confidence. I think he’s getting better.”
Man City 2-3 Real Madrid – Match report
How the teams lined up | Match stats
Man City news & transfers | Download theTodayPriceNG app
When pushed on whether Bellingham – who is currently under scrutiny after getting sent off against Osasuna at the weekend – has the potential to become one Real Madrid’s greatest players, Benitez added: “He has the potential, yes. It is possible to do it, it’s a question of time. I said before, modern football has changed a lot.”In the past, the players, they have people around, but they were more focused, and you didn’t have the social media, so you had less distractions.
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“Now they have so many people around, so much money, so easy to get whatever you want, and the social media has so much influence that it is difficult to be consistent for five, 10 years.
“So, we are talking about to be better than [Alfredo] Di Stefano, to be better than Raul, to be better than [Emilio] Butragueno. You have to be really consistent to be better than them. He has the potential, yes.
“Can he do it for a few years? It depends on how mature he is and then the people around him.”
Pep Guardiola says ‘all of us’ are to blame for Manchester City letting a 2-1 lead slip against Real Madrid in the Champions League
“In theory, Real Madrid has to attack, but I don’t think Carlo Ancelotti will be worried about that. There will be that expectation now that Real will get the job finished at the Bernabeu.
“Manchester City don’t have the same confidence that they had in the past. But don’t forget that it’s Champions League, and Pep Guardiola has experience in that, and the players that he has, they have massive experience also at the European level.
“So, I think everything can happen. When they have so much quality in the team, in the squad, anything can happen.”
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TodayPriceNG’ Pete Smith takes a closer look at Manchester City’s current troubles and why they may be surrendering leads late on in matches
The vastly experienced Benitez, 64, has been out of football management since leaving Celta Vigo last year, but is already preparing for his next job. And he almost joined Brazilian side Botafogo last month.
“Yes, it was very close. I had a very good conversation with the owner and also the director of football. They impressed me because they were very ambitious. But it was too far away.
“Then you have to analyse all the details, and my family is here. I was very happy with the approach because I liked the way that they approached. Very professional. And the ideas were very good.
“I have had a lot of offers during the year. But I was always waiting for the Premier League because it’s the league that I like. You have to choose the right opportunity and hopefully it will come soon.”
