Weekly Football News Catch-Up: October 10th: Real Madrid Saving £200m For Mbappe; Portugal Will Win World Cup Without Ronaldo – Martinez; Others

Mbappe To Sign Real Madrid Agreement With Laliga Giants ‘Prepared To Commit £200m’

According to SPORT, Real Madrid are willing to commit £200 million to sign Kylian Mbappe without negotiating with Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite Mbappe’s expulsion from the Ligue 1 champions, neither club held talks this summer.

Since his return to the first team, the 24-year-old has scored five goals in his first three games of the season.

Although it is possible that Mbappe will sign a new contract with PSG, it is believed that Real Madrid will reach a pre-contract agreement with the player in January.

This means that when his PSG contract expires on June 30, the France captain will join them for free.

Real didn’t like PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi dismissing their offers outright, even those worth £172 million.

Instead, Real Madrid has decided to set aside approximately £200 million for Mbappe in the form of wages and a signing-on fee.

Portugal Is Ready To Win Without Ronaldo – Martinez

Roberto Martinez, the manager of Portugal, has insisted that his team is ready to win without captain Cristiano Ronaldo.

Martinez made the remarks after Portugal defeated Luxembourg 9-0 in Ronaldo’s absence in Monday’s UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier at the Estadio Algarve.

Portugal defeated Luxembourg thanks to braces from Inacio, Ramos, and Jota, as well as goals from Ricardo Horta, Bruno Fernandes, and Joao Felix.

Read Also: Eden Hazard: Former Chelsea and Real Madrid forward announces retirement from football

Despite the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was suspended after receiving a yellow card against Slovakia, Portugal demonstrated their prowess against Luxembourg.

Martinez, who praised Ramos and Jota after the game, also mentioned Ronaldo as an important member of the team.

“Gonçalo Ramos showed today what he can do, and Diogo Jota did the same,” Martinez said (via PSG Talk).

“We need players who have the level to win games. The group is special. We don’t need to compare them. Cristiano is important, but our team is ready to win without him.”

Why I left Manchester City – Cole Palmer

Cole Palmer, Chelsea’s summer signing, has explained why he chose the Blues over Premier League champions Manchester City.

During the summer transfer window, Palmer signed a long-term contract with Chelsea.

The 21-year-old, who played in England’s Under 21 win over Luxembourg on Monday, stated that he joined Mauricio Pochettino’s side because he wanted more first-team opportunities.

“I’m not saying I shied away from the competition (for places at Man City) because I have never done that,” Palmer said as quoted by Metro UK while explaining his decision to move to the west London club.

“I’d been there (around the first team) for a few years and wanted more of an opportunity to play – in my position and to have more of an impact.

“It was a huge decision [moving to Chelsea]. When I left the training ground on Thursday I knew I was going to London the next day. It all just hit me, sat in the car and going to drive out. I was just thinking, “You’ve been here 15 years”.

“I don’t know any difference. I have never been on loan. I have never moved out of Manchester. The only time I have ever been outside of Manchester is on holiday or away games. Going there does feel weird, but there is no time to waste. I have got to get to it.”

They’ll Always Be – Man City Coach, Guardiola Names His Biggest PL Rival

Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has named Liverpool as his team’s main English rival, ignoring last season’s title rivals Arsenal.

Guardiola believes that the Reds will always be his biggest rival, ahead of last season’s title rivals Arsenal.

Speaking in a recent interview with Sky Sports, Guardiola said: “When I finish my career in England, Liverpool will have been my rival, our rival. Always.”

When asked where Arsenal fit in the rankings, the Spaniard continued: “Now, they will start to be there, and last season. But before, they were not there, to win the FA Cup, the title.

“They did not play in the Champions League. It’s the first season they are playing now in many, many years.

“So the [main] rivals have been Liverpool. But now, they [Arsenal] have knocked on the door and they are here and they arrived to stay, and Newcastle, and other teams.”