September 4, 2022
The brief from today:
Bamba Dieng transfer saga continues
Marseille forward, Bamba Dieng, recently made headlines on transfer deadline day when his expected move to Leeds collapsed due to a last minute offer from Nice, which then also fell through after a failed medical. There were rumors that Nice might still use the “joker” option, which allows Ligue 1 clubs to agree transfers after the deadline provided the player involved is moving from one French team to another. Well, it seems that following the results of the medical, Nice have now provided another twist by demanding a lower fee than the original €12 million they offered. Due to the discovery that Dieng has a knee issue, Nice believe they are entitled to a reduced rate before they utilize their joker card. This negotiation tactic incensed Marseille, and as a result the potential post deadline deal was called off. Now there is yet another layer developing to this transfer saga, as another club seems to be expressing their interest in the Senegal forward. Royal Antwerp in Belgium, whose transfer deadline actually isn’t until September 6, have thrown their hat in the ring with a €7 million proposal. Marseille weren’t pleased with Nice’s attempt to downgrade their offer three days ago, but they may have to consider this new option. The reason this deal may have to go through is because Dieng is clearly not in the plans of new Marseille coach, Igor Tudor. The club revealed their final squad list for the Champions League group stage, and Dieng is nowhere to be found. This development, in addition to his zero appearances in Ligue 1, clearly make him surplus to requirements, and the club can either cash in now, or continue to pay his salary when it’s clear he isn’t likely to play. It appears that even more deadline day drama is on the horizon for Bamba Dieng if negotiations progress between Marseille and Antwerp.
Dieng’s transfer saga has been one for the books
Southgate explores his options
England manager, Gareth Southgate, has decided to step out of his comfort zone by taking a trip to Udinese’s Dacia Arena to watch the Serie A match between the home side and Roma. The reason he’s attending this particular game is because of Roma’s Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling, both players in contention to be part of England’s World Cup squad. For viewers and fans of Italy’s Serie A, the consistent form of defender Chris Smalling—or Smaldini as the Roma fans have started calling him after Italian legend Paolo Maldini—is not exactly breaking news. Since his move from Manchester United to Roma in 2019, the 32-year-old has steadily improved and impressed. Abraham joined his countryman in the Italian capital last summer and exploded in his first season scoring 28 goals in 57 matches, with his goals contributing to Roma winning the inaugural Europa Conference League. In Abraham’s case, he was receiving call ups to the England setup for his undeniable form, but also because of a lack of options in attack for Southgate. Otherwise, the England coach’s exclusion of players who ply their trade outside the Premier League has been rather conspicuous. Along with Chris Smalling, another English defender playing in Italy who has been called up to represent England sparingly is Milan’s Fikayo Tomori. The ex-Chelsea player has been an instrumental piece of Milan’s title winning side since he joined them in January 2021, but he still wasn’t considered for the Euros last summer. The issue for anyone who has seen the progression of these players is simply that the options Southgate seems to prefer aren’t as good. It isn’t surprising that with perennial Southgate favorites Tyrone Mings and Harry Maguire, who have both been rotated out of the starting lineups at Aston Villa and Manchester United respectively, struggling to impress, the manager is now considering his options. Players like Smalling, Abraham, and Tomori should be applauded for their form, and for attempting to further their careers abroad—something atypical for English players—but instead they’ve been largely overlooked thus far. Maybe this trip by Southgate to Italy is finally an indicator that he is widening his perspective.
Southgate seems to be doing more thorough due diligence for his England squad selection