⚽ Football Transfers Speculation, Odds and Predictions

[Swordsoffreedom]

Barcelona wants to strengthen their defense again. The latest rumor is that they need a central defender. Rumor has it they are targeting Murillo from Nottingham Forest or Nathan Aké from Manchester City. Murillo, who is 23 years old, seems difficult to get this January. But for Aké, Barcelona might loan him from City. Could it happen? Barcelona is in crisis, but they still want to buy players.

I also think they need new blood in defence. you know Christensen is out for a long time & Araujo is also unavailable which is why their backline is quite shaky. So the club will probably be very serious about the january and summer transfer window now. I also heard that they are keeping an eye on Murillo, however I also think that he may not be available in january due to financial problem and contract issue

On the other hand it would not be bad if they could also bring in Nathan Ake on loan to get the job done for now. I have also heard that there are many other defenders but nothing has been confirmed yet. Actually they should pay equal attention to both these loans and future target because just as they need a backup player now again they will also need someone who could adapt to their style very quickly for the long haul

[mvdheuvel1983]

Yep. Real Madrid does not give a fuck on a player who isn't productive anymore even if you use to be the best in the past. They wouldn't renew your contract but sell you out. Rudiger has been on the bench more than playing on the field since last season and he's a key player at the defense. Replacing him will be the best for the growth of the club than keeping him.

You are right, its high time they look beyond Rudiger who have not been so active lately because using his past records to keep him will leave a void in the team, Real Madrid need players who are in their best form and highly motivated especially this period that their chances of winning the league is at the brink. Alonso can start looking for alternative this January because the team need competitive players at the moment.

Xabi Alonso knows what to do to ensure his team gets back to good form, they have defensive issues right now and they don't need tokeep players that are no longer useful to the team when they have a problem that needs urgent attention at the moment, Rudiger is a good player but right now he's not at his best following his recent injury cases so it's not an issue if Real Madrid decides to pathways with him next season while they look forward to getting his replacement so that they would solidify their defense again.

[Velvet78]

Wolves signed him for 27 million euros. Last season he was quite decent but the team were also more productive. However this has completely changed this season...

Now they are horrible with only 9 goals and 2 points in the Premier League. I doubt he is happy there from now on.

I think he would be a nice option for these teams. West Ham are also in relegation zone but he can play more regularly there. Crystal Palace is the best among them but Mateta wouldn't let him find chances very often.

[Unknown01]

Rudiger is Islamic so I think this plays part in him wanting to go to Saudi Arabia where he can not only earn more money and also live with people of his religion. Many countries in Europe have problems with that and racism so he will live without any fear.

Before he posted a picture of him praying and many german journalists linked him to terrorism for no reason

Sorry, but that's nonsense! Rüdiger grew up in Germany and sure there's racism in Germany too, but compared to other countries, he can freely practise his faith here, and he's not that religious anyway.

99% of footballers move to Saudi Arabia for the money and nothing else. If a footballer claims otherwise, he's simply lying. I wouldn't do anything differently if I had the chance.

[Adbitco]

Real Madrid is recalling Nico Paz to rejoin in their squad. They signed him back by paid 9m to the Como. I'm wondering what you guys expectation to him. For me, he needs to prove whether he can fit Madrid's system well, which obviously 180 degree differ than what Fabregas did at Como.

I don't wanna have big expectation to him since i think it's too early to think he's the right man for the job. IMO, madrid needs someone like Vitinha. Apart from that adding him to the squad makes Madrid have 4 attacking mids in total. So you can imagine how strict the competition between any attacking mids.

My speculation if he can fit Xabi's system well, he may take Arda's spot. Yet, he can go to the Chelsea or City in the coming years when he failed for the second times at Madrid.

Me too, I don't want to have big expectations from him and what even makes Real Madrid think his going to find into the system. Como and Real Madrid are totally 2 different teams with different philosophy and coaches. What worked at Como might not work for Real Madrid. Again, his like the star man for Fabregas in his team and with Real Madrid, there are more stars in that team, even his position is not guaranteed and when a player doesn't play regularly, there seems to be a decline in performance. At Como he might be the one the team is built around but can same be said for Real Madrid, I doubt it. They just want to bring him and keep him on the bench because I don't see him having regular playing time with this Real Madrid team.

[dezoel]

What I understand from the players Manchester United has recruited is that some players aren't fully committed or playing with their hearts for Manchester United. Their quality isn't actually that bad; many talented players could be promoted to the next level, but aren't properly mentored by the club.

Then there are some players who are fully committed but aren't fully supported by the club's management, including the coaching staff. As a result, some players who can't stand the prospect of leaving the club and instead performing well at other clubs. The problem is too complex. Even if Manchester United were to sign another player, I'm concerned that the previous incident could happen again, especially if they play for Manchester United in the most competitive league in the world.

The reality is that the players are/were aware that they are not seen as players who can make the change and the team is managed by terrible people at the top, so they do not give their best.

And the reality is that we are seeing how things are changing as soon as they leave. All the players that left United, ended up playing a lot better on their new teams and the reality is that if they played the same way in United they could have done a lot better and will do a lot better with time.

[Nheer]

Snip

Sorry, but that's nonsense! Rüdiger grew up in Germany and sure there's racism in Germany too, but compared to other countries, he can freely practise his faith here, and he's not that religious anyway.

99% of footballers move to Saudi Arabia for the money and nothing else. If a footballer claims otherwise, he's simply lying. I wouldn't do anything differently if I had the chance.

You can't be so sure if a person is that religious or not just by what we see on social media unless you know him personally. The level of his faith is his personal life and he can't post everything he does so how do you know he is not that religious. Well you might be right or wrong but a players decision is not only influence by their religion alone but also other factors are being considered before moving to another country.

True almost all players move to Saudi Arabia because of the money so Rudiger moving to Saudi Arabia is a double advantage for him. He can practice his religion even better there and still make a lot of money from there. It will be a very good decision for him. Getting to your career ending days moving to Saudi is better, you get high pay even at older age, something European teams can't do.

[Rengga Jati]

Sorry, but that's nonsense! Rüdiger grew up in Germany and sure there's racism in Germany too, but compared to other countries, he can freely practise his faith here, and he's not that religious anyway.

99% of footballers move to Saudi Arabia for the money and nothing else. If a footballer claims otherwise, he's simply lying. I wouldn't do anything differently if I had the chance.

Exactly, the biggest reason players go to the Saudi League is because of the money. They can earn high salaries, even at an age when they're no longer young. It can provide a substantial pension, especially if the player is already well-known. So, just connect that with something more realistic, and money is one of the answers.

But, the rumor is still spreading, and there is even also news that Real Madrid still wants Rudiger stay in the club by offering new contract renewal again.
Will it be really like this?

from www.pasionfutbol

[Furious 7]

Rudiger is Islamic so I think this plays part in him wanting to go to Saudi Arabia where he can not only earn more money and also live with people of his religion. Many countries in Europe have problems with that and racism so he will live without any fear.

Before he posted a picture of him praying and many german journalists linked him to terrorism for no reason

I think when he decided to move to the SPL (if this rumor is really confirmed) this is not directly related to his religion because in the end this is only purely about professionalism as an athlete and not directly related to religion.

He went to a more comfortable competition because for big competitions and big clubs with his current age and with his frequent injuries then this is still doable but it will be very difficult to compete.
In addition, for players who are over 30 years old who will refuse the temptation of big money from salaries and clauses when he is in the SPL because it will be very difficult.

So this is not about religion but purely a decision to want to continue a more comfortable career before he really retires because the SPL is a good place to gain financial coffers.

[mikel_012]

Rudiger is Islamic so I think this plays part in him wanting to go to Saudi Arabia where he can not only earn more money and also live with people of his religion. Many countries in Europe have problems with that and racism so he will live without any fear.

Before he posted a picture of him praying and many german journalists linked him to terrorism for no reason

Sorry, but that's nonsense! Rüdiger grew up in Germany and sure there's racism in Germany too, but compared to other countries, he can freely practise his faith here, and he's not that religious anyway.

99% of footballers move to Saudi Arabia for the money and nothing else. If a footballer claims otherwise, he's simply lying. I wouldn't do anything differently if I had the chance.

He posted a photo on instagram praying the Ramadan and you are saying he is not religious?

If you can read you can see I wrote in my post "he can not only earn more money and also live with people of his religion", which means I clearly said there are many reasons, with religion being only one of the many reasons, and money being the other. Do not call nonsense before paying attention to the post.

[jaberwock]

I don't know whether they are looking for a permanent deal or a simple loan, but I think the main reason is Araujo: he is currently not playing, I don't even know if he is training with the team, he (and the club) simply explained that he has a problem (not physical) and he can't properly focus on football at the moment. This means there is a big personal problem going on with him or with some relative, and of course that takes the priority over football. We don't know what it is but I wish him the best for this difficult moment.

Araujo is coming back, not sure how he will come back and if he will be ready to play at the top level again but he is coming back. After the Chelsea game where he made a huge mistake, he had some mental issues that prevented him from playing and he had a mental breakdown and that made him go into therapy and tried to climb back up.

Honestly, did not know this about him, maybe he is of Jewish ancestry but he went to Israel to find himself there, he is back and he has told the team and Flick that he is ready to play again. Sometimes, other than assuming by ourselves, we do not have other option to go with .

[Adams0001]

Xabi Alonso knows what to do to ensure his team gets back to good form, they have defensive issues right now and they don't need tokeep players that are no longer useful to the team when they have a problem that needs urgent attention at the moment, Rudiger is a good player but right now he's not at his best following his recent injury cases so it's not an issue if Real Madrid decides to pathways with him next season while they look forward to getting his replacement so that they would solidify their defense again.

Xabi Alonso really need to improve better after the Christmas break because that unis when Barcelona will focus more and chase the league table this season, Real Madrid still have more chances to overtake Barcelona in the league table but they need to improve better before they can get the opportunity to do well. Hansi flick is trying to get the chance to win the league for the second term because they are not doing well in the Champions League this season but I think because of there injured players that s why they are not doing well but now that they are in a good shap since there players are back from injuring,  let see if they can improve in the ucl this season.

[Btcdeybodi]

Wolves signed him for 27 million euros. Last season he was quite decent but the team were also more productive. However this has completely changed this season...

Now they are horrible with only 9 goals and 2 points in the Premier League. I doubt he is happy there from now on.

I think he would be a nice option for these teams. West Ham are also in relegation zone but he can play more regularly there. Crystal Palace is the best among them but Mateta wouldn't let him find chances very often.

He can develop better at Crystal Palace than Westham because Palace is performing well while Westham is still at the relegation area in the table so it will be good for Jørgen Strand Larsen to play at a club where he can be assured of playing in the Premier League next season which Palace should be the appropriate club for him. Wolves is in a very bad shape now so any player in that squad is at the risk of being demoted to the Championship league therefore it will be a welcome development if Jørgen Strand Larsen moves out of the team.

[trendcoin]

🚨⚪️ Real Madrid and David Alaba are still expected to part ways in summer 2026.

No changes at this stage, still no formal of official communication between the parties but clear indications.

https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/2004509804673507485

Of course, it's hard to even remember David Alaba playing for Real Madrid, but he was an amazing player who played as a playmaker in defense during his first years at the club. It won't be easy for him to return to his former form after his injury, but his technical ability might make other teams consider giving him a chance.  I think he'll try to play one more time before retiring from football. There are photos of him wearing a Galatasaray jersey from his childhood. Before his long-term injury, there was significant interest in him from Türkiye...

[LUCKMCFLY]

Since Arne Slot hasn't been seen as the reason why Liverpool are performing poorly this season, they won't take out Arne Slot, and from the look of things Mohamed Salah will be the one that will leave Liverpool because he has been seen as the problem. Arne Slot will be taken out of Liverpool when Mohamed Salah leaves Liverpool and Arne Slot fails to impress and improve Liverpool's performance.

Well, in my opinion, I would keep Salah and take out Slot I think he has lowered the team's overall performance But we think some things here and they do different things there, so these are the things that make us think, I don't know what the team's management thinks, but I believe they are not doing things right.

[el kaka22]

Losing both Alaba and Rudiger on the same season will not be easy for Real Madrid, considering they are already missing defenders and whenever there is an injury they are in trouble at defense, they already need more than what they have, and now with less players they will need to get some good players.

Plus, when you think about it, Real Madrid is at the top of the football world with few teams maybe half a dozen teams are that good, so when they get a new player it is going to be expensive for them, and very hard to get, they can't get just anyone off the street. So getting two new defenders would not be easy for them and would take very long and very expensive road to be able to replace these two with new ones.

[Zaguru12]

Well, in my opinion, I would keep Salah and take out Slot I think he has lowered the team's overall performance But we think some things here and they do different things there, so these are the things that make us think, I don't know what the team's management thinks, but I believe they are not doing things right.

In as much as i actually like Mo Salah and was seriously furious with Arne Slot on how he treated him this last couple of weeks I do not by anyway support the sacking of a manager just because the player actually had a fight with the manager. The repercussion is that the club will lose its identity and many more players will want to trail the same path and this will definitely be making elite managers not to come to such clubs again. I could remember vividly how Mourinho and Pogba had similar fight then and the club went on to support the Player and this actually affected Manchester United.

For me the simplest thing is if the result is that poor and the club wishes to part way with manager then it should be after they have reconciled or it should be both going out of the club so that it won’t be creating further problems. I think the second option will be the most likely scenario because with Salah situation it’s like even the Liverpool hierarchy are not so happy with him

[Stable090]

Exactly, the biggest reason players go to the Saudi League is because of the money. They can earn high salaries, even at an age when they're no longer young. It can provide a substantial pension, especially if the player is already well-known. So, just connect that with something more realistic, and money is one of the answers.

Saudi league don’t even care about the age of a player, if you are a talented player then they are just ready to spend any amount just to get the player. Most players do see Saudi league as a retirement league, most players do end up going to Saudi league when they already old, they do go there when they are about to hang their boots, they believe Saudi league is less competitive compared with other leagues, and they going to be paid well in Saudi league.

Any player that choose to go to Saudi league is just after the money, which I don’t even encourage young players to do that. Young players are suppose to focus on their career, their target isn’t suppose to be money, but how they going to build their career, and if you decide to join Saudi league as a young player, then your career is dead already because there is nothing to build at Saudi league.

How are you going to build a career when you playing in a league with less attention, and less competition, if you are in a league like that, no one is even going to notice you because there is nothing much attention.

[TelolettOm]

However, just in case: Real Madrid is trying to offer Rudiger a contract renewal, but the 32-year-old is also interested in Saudi Arabia.

As a core Real Madrid fan, I know Rudiger will leave for Saudi Arabia. He is a greedy idiot who prefers money over his career. The same reason why he picked up interest when Madrid called. Real Madrid should not make the mistake of giving him a contract renewal. After all, Rudiger is not the same Rudiger we know; he is not a good defender anymore.

Alaba should leave, Rudiger should leave, they should flush the defense. Bring in new players and better young defenders.

Could it be because he feels he's already 32 years old and this might be the best opportunity for him while he's still quite well-known and can still earn a high salary, rather than waiting until he's older and losing this moment?

In fact, at the beginning of December, Rudiger stated that he still wanted to stay at Real Madrid and was even willing to take a pay cut to stay at the club. However, now news has emerged that he strongly desires a move to the Saudi League. Well, based on recent reports, Al Nassr and Al-Ittihad are calling for him to come.

[Ale88]

Real Madrid is recalling Nico Paz to rejoin in their squad. They signed him back by paid 9m to the Como. I'm wondering what you guys expectation to him. For me, he needs to prove whether he can fit Madrid's system well, which obviously 180 degree differ than what Fabregas did at Como.

I don't wanna have big expectation to him since i think it's too early to think he's the right man for the job. IMO, madrid needs someone like Vitinha. Apart from that adding him to the squad makes Madrid have 4 attacking mids in total. So you can imagine how strict the competition between any attacking mids.

My speculation if he can fit Xabi's system well, he may take Arda's spot. Yet, he can go to the Chelsea or City in the coming years when he failed for the second times at Madrid.

I'm not following you: Nico Paz is way more offensive than Vitinha, they are very different players, you can't really compare them. And also I don't understand what you mean by "failing for the second time at Real Madrid": you do realize we are talking about a 2004 who made 4 appearances for Real Madrid when he was 19 years old and then left to play more consistently? How can you say he failed when he didn't even play? They are doing the same thing they did with Casemiro back in 2014: they bought the player and then after a few months he left on loan because he wasn't ready yet.