October 2, 2022
The brief from today:
Chelsea look for an early deal
Rumors began to circulate two days ago that RB Leipzig’s star forward, Christopher Nkunku, had done a medical in Frankfurt towards the end of the summer with Chelsea rumored to be the requesting party. At first glance the story seemed unlikely considering he just signed an extension with Leipzig this past summer. In addition to that, the lack of an imminent move would make this highly unorthodox timing to schedule a medical. Typically, medicals are arranged as the penultimate step before a transfer contract is signed, usually within the summer or January transfer window, but this particular medical is said to be for a move planned for next summer. With almost a full year in between, and all the potential physical issues that could arise in that time span, surely the purported medical checks made this story implausible. Well, following the Crystal Palace and Chelsea match yesterday, new Chelsea coach, Graham Potter, was asked about a potential Nkunku transfer, and he briefly replied, “No comment.” The story has gathered momentum, and now the impression being made is that it is indeed true that a medical took place, but the various parties involved were hoping to keep things discreet. What is being reported currently is that Chelsea and Leipzig are actually negotiating a transfer fee, but despite Nkunku’s potentially high market value, the contract extension from the summer includes a €60 million release clause valid next summer. It was rumored at the time of the announcement that a clause was inserted, but it was never officially confirmed. As a result, Chelsea know they can offer less than that amount for an early agreement, but they are apparently willing to pay the €60 million if negotiations aren’t fruitful. If this transfer were to go through, the discussions around it would be quite atypical. Normally, players who are known to be heading to another club well in advance usually have contracts with their current club about to expire, and they are permitted to use the preceding six months to negotiate a move elsewhere. In Nkunku’s case, however, his Leipzig contract isn’t due to expire until 2026, and if any club were to activate his release clause that would normally be done next summer. If this deal does indeed materialize, the timing and approach would certainly be a rarity.
Nkunku’s potential transfer from Leipzig to Chelsea is following an unorthodox path
More French cities join Lille’s protest
Lille’s city council announced yesterday that they wouldn’t show any World Cup matches on giant screens in town due to their protest against Qatar’s human rights record. Following that declaration, more French cities are now making similar decisions. Strasbourg’s mayor, Jeanne Barseghian, made it clear that they would also be protesting against Qatar, and would therefore not show matches on any big screens. Another city that joined the protest is Reims, while Bordeaux’s mayor is adamant to follow suit, but the city council is currently on the fence with a decision said to be imminent. Marseille, meanwhile, is taking a slightly more diplomatic approach by deciding to only show a match on a large screen if France make it to the final. In addition to that, they are also factoring in the winter weather, and they would prefer to promote indoor businesses like cafes and restaurants that may be showing matches to customers. The city of Toulouse is going to take their time, however, with their choice expected at the end of November. The elephant in the room, however, is the capital city: Paris. With local team Paris Saint Germain owned by Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, it will be interesting to see if they opt to make such a political statement—especially since they haven’t held any such protests since the Qatari takeover in 2011.
More French cities aim to protest the World Cup in Qatar