Everton must seal a deal for FC Barcelona midfielder Gavi this summer as he could be the answer to their problems and he is better than their current option Allan.

It was recently reported by Spanish outlet AS that Everton are among several clubs interested in completing a move for the 17-year-old. Barcelona were considering offloading the player in order to help finance their re-build and set a price tag of €40m (£34.2m) for his services.

However, they have since been more reluctant to let him go and if Everton don’t move quickly then it could become too tough for them to persuade the club and player.

The teenage sensation is one of the latest products of their world-famous La Masia academy and has made 31 La Liga appearances this season, being directly involved in eight goals. To be having that much of an impact at a big club when he’s so young proves just how good he is. If Everton really wanted to make a statement this summer then signing him would do exactly that.

The Toffees are still battling to stay in the Premier League and transfers will probably take a back seat until their fate is sealed. If they do get relegated, then a move for Gavi will likely be off the table, but he could be a key part of a resurgence next season if they stay up.

Moving to Goodison Park would provide him will lots of game time and he would get the chance to showcase his skills in the Premier League. At Barcelona it’s often hard to stand out due to the level of talent and scrutiny, he wouldn’t have this problem at Everton.

One of the players he could replace in the long term at the club would be Allan. The Brazilian midfielder made the sensational switch from Naples to Merseyside in 2020 for £21.7m where he linked up with former manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He has played a key role since the move, averaging over 25 Premier league appearances in that time. But he is 31-years-old and Everton can’t rely on him forever.

Gavi would make the perfect successor and if you compare the two the numbers prove it. In possession of the ball, he excels over Allan with 168 progressive carriers this season compared to Allan’s 100.

He’s also better at passing the ball with a completion percentage of 89.3% compared to the Brazilian’s 79.9%. With those stats in mind, it’s not a surprise to see his teammate Pedri recently call him an “absolutely crazy” talent.

If they survive the drop then they should do everything they can to sign Gavi, even if it’s initially on loan, he can drastically improve their squad next season.

IN other news: Everton plotting move for £12.6m-rated “monster”, he’s a huge upgrade on Keane…

Newcastle United are now believed to be one of the clubs who are battling to complete the signing of Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The Magpies arguably have one of the most complete midfields in the Premier League currently, with the starting options at Eddie Howe’s disposal the envy of many managers.

In Bruno Guimarares, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, Newcastle have a trio who complement each perfectly, playing a big role in their success in recent years.

Bruno’s passion acts as the heartbeat for the Magpies, with the Brazilian such a popular figure from day one at St James’ Park, while Tonali’s box-to-box brilliance is seeing him become a more highly-rated player by the week. Then there’s Joelinton, whose physical prowess is such a potent weapon for his side.

Despite this, there is a feeling that added midfield depth is required for Newcastle, which is why they have been linked with a move for an exciting young talent.

Newcastle looking to sign Hayden Hackney

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown talked up Newcastle’s interest in Hackney, as the Magpies look to beat others to his signature with Howe concerned at his strength in depth.

“Hackney is a top player and he’s somebody I rate very highly. It’s no surprise there is interest in him, I’m told a lot of clubs have been keeping tabs on him, and it seems Newcastle are now one of those clubs. If Hackney was at Newcastle tomorrow, I don’t think he’d get into their midfield, because the options they’ve got in there at the moment are pretty much fixed.

“But he is the sort of player they would love to have who can come into the team when needed. Howe has been a bit concerned about the players they’ve got behind those three in there. He’s a very talented player with plenty of room to grow and develop, so he could go into that Newcastle squad with a view to becoming a key player in the future.

“With the three they’ve got in midfield at the moment, he would be going in there to provide depth, and whether that’s what he will be interested in, I’m not sure. But it’s definitely something that would make sense for Newcastle.”

Hackney could be an outstanding long-term addition for Newcastle, acting as a strong squad player before maturing into a key starter over time.

The 23-year-old has shone in a Middlesbrough shirt for years now, making 127 appearances and registering 23 goal contributions, and his former manager Michael Carrick was a big admirer of his.

“He’s grounded, he’s humble, he’s down to earth and loves to learn. He loves the place and he loves the club as well. To have that, added with the talent he has got, it’s the perfect scenario. I think it just shows his consistency really, over a long period of time. It’s not easy when you’re a younger player, but he’s certainly done that.”

Better than Bruno: Newcastle star is now their best signing of the PIF era

This Newcastle star has impressed under Howe

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 1, 2025

Hopefully, the fact that Hackney wouldn’t have to move far works in Newcastle’s favour, also seeing the club heading in a positive direction under Howe.

Newcastle's "sensational" talent is looking like another Bruno-type player

da casino： When Granit Xhaka left Arsenal in the summer of 2023, Mikel Arteta and Edu knew they needed to go to great lengths to replace his extraordinary output last season.

da dobrowin： A £105m move for Declan Rice was signed, sealed and delivered while Kai Havertz, certainly to less fanfare, arrived from another part of London in Chelsea.

The £65m addition hasn't quite made the grade after moving to the north of the capital, with it taking until November for the German to finally score a goal in Arsenal colours from open play.

Perhaps realising the error of their ways, the Gunners have been looking at signing another midfielder according to reports.

Arsenal's midfield shortlist

Two names on the club's shortlist for 2024 reside in the Premier League with Amadou Onana, touted at £60m, interesting Arsenal, while Joao Palhinha of Fulham is another to be tipped with a move to join the ranks at the Emirates Stadium.

A wildcard option could well be that of Joao Neves, Benfica's next hot property in the middle of the park after Enzo Fernandez.

The teenage sensation has been strongly linked with Manchester United in recent months but Arsenal are another casting their eyes towards Neves. Reports in the build-up to the January window suggested that the Gunners were tracking the 19-year-old but with a release clause of £103m and no intention of selling, any move is incredibly unlikely, at least for now.

Related All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

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Yet, if the Kroenke's were to dip their hands into their pockets again for another mega midfield signing, Neves would offer some extreme quality to Arteta's side. Does anyone fancy another round of Santi Cazorla?

How Joao Neves compares to Santi Cazorla

Who is Neves we hear you ask? Well, a quick look at his FBref scouting profile indicates what a fine young individual this budding teen is.

Compared to positionally similar players across Europe's top five leagues and the top continental competitions, he ranks among the best 11% for passes into the final third (via FBref), indicating his progressive nature in possession of the ball.

Further sitting inside the top 17% for passes attempted, it's clear Neves is a player who offers plenty of protection and composure on the ball. However, he's more than just about passing play. Neves happens to be adept in the defensive and offensive phases of play.

Indeed, the Benfica starlet is in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, the best 1% for tackles won (3.95) and the finest 13% for interceptions (1.58 per 90). To put that into context, Rice makes 2.01 tackles per 90 and 1.73 interceptions.

Can you imagine the thought of the two playing together, therefore? Yeah, it's a dreamy picture to envisage. The progressive and classy nature of the two is a tantalising prospect.

Already we're getting a sense of why Neves is similar to Cazorla though. He's intricate with his passing play, progressive and capable of doing his fair share of the dirty work. The comparison is supplemented by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Cazorla was one of the most gifted players in the Emirates Stadium era and is remembered particularly fondly by those of an Arsenal persuasion. He played a key hand in ending the club's trophy drought in 2014, scoring a scorching free-kick in the FA Cup final versus Hull City but overall, he was just marvellously gifted at football.

The Spaniard left in 2018 after a period of sustained injury hell that nearly ended his career but he did so with a mighty fine record in Arsenal colours, scoring 29 goals and supplying 45 assists in 180 outings.

With such a creative marvel in mind, let's dive a little deeper into how he compares to Neves.

Joao Neves vs Santi Cazorla

Stat (per 90)

Neves (23/24)

Cazorla (18/19)

Shots

0.89

0.95

Pass Success

88%

81%

Key Passes

0.74

2.41

Progressive Passes

6.52

8.67

Shot-creating Actions

2.89

4.63

Tackles Won

2.44

1.16

Interceptions

1.48

0.95

Carries

51.7

41.9

Progressive Carries

1.78

2.35

Stats via FBref.

Despite there being some differences in the volume of each stat, you can see how their playstyles are alike. Both registered a high number of progressive passes and shot-creating actions, showcasing a preference for getting on the ball and creating openings for teammates.

Cazorla was one of the finest in the Premier League era at such a quality and thus, signing Neves would be truly exciting for supporters. With such a huge asking price, however, we might never see him in Arsenal colours.

Ben Duckett carries the visitors hopes after they were set 387 to record a first win of the season

Paul Edwards at Scarborough20-Aug-2019

Perhaps it is to be expected that thalassophiles should also be drawn to cricket. The movement and direction of the oceans are obvious yet their currents and depths repay contemplation. The North Sea was metallic under grey cloud at dawn on Tuesday yet by breakfast time it was a softer velvety blue as Scarborough’s microclimate brought brightness from the east. Patterns moved on the surface of the water. Cricket’s colours and tides are no less complex; no less addictive either.Nottinghamshire are losing this game. So much is plain. They ended this day on 135 for 4 with Ben Duckett unbeaten on 47 and they still need 252 runs to achieve their first victory of a dreadful season in the County Championship. They have no frontline batsmen to come although Tom Moores can be counted upon in any fight. Should Nottinghamshire lose, their relegation becomes almost certain; should Yorkshire win, their pursuit of Essex and thereby the title is maintained.Yet what might all this mean for these 22 players, their confidence, their contracts, their coaches? Marketing men in designer suits issue tedious calls for cricket to be fast and furious yet one of its attractions is its gentle pace interspersed with savage action. There is time for self-doubt to compete with assurance, just as it did, perhaps, during the third afternoon when Nottinghamshire’s top-order batsmen went to the wicket at North Marine Road knowing hardly any of them were in decent nick. Still waters ran deep and perhaps they also churned.Nottinghamshire’s target was 387, rather less than it might have been had Yorkshire’s batsmen shown a little more aggression earlier in the day. Yet that target would still be the largest score they have made since these two sides met in blithe April. One did not expect them to make a good start, which is neither here nor there; but one has the impression the Nottinghamshire openers do not expect to survive long, which matters very much indeed and explains why both were gone inside 14 overs.Ben Slater was the more culpable; his poke at a wide ball from Duanne Olivier merely gave a catch to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip. Jake Libby, by contrast, played a forward defensive you could show to your housemaster but was defeated by Steve Patterson’s late movement and Swiss accuracy.Six overs later Joe Clarke played forward to a well-flighted delivery from Keshav Maharaj but still did not get to the pitch of the ball and nicked it to Jonny Tattersall. Clarke has scored 175 runs in 17 innings since he made 112 and 97 not out against Yorkshire in early April. Some of his problems have been self-inflicted and merit no pardon. But there comes a time when every man has the rest of his life to live. How does Clarke see his career unfolding? T20 will probably help.Nottinghamshire were 51 for 3 when Clarke was out and brief respite was provided by a 52-run partnership between the stand-in skipper, Chris Nash, and Duckett, who twice lifted Maharaj for sixes onto the Popular Bank. Duckett hardly knows any other way of playing than to take the fight to the bowlers. Whether his career now prospers after a mediocre season will depend on him acquiring a little more judgement to go with his ability.Nash, of course, has that judgement and his dismissal, leg before to Maharaj for 30, was a grievous blow. The captain departed shaking his head and replays suggested the ball had hit him a slice of New York pastrami outside off stump. There will be replays in the bar this evening. Liam Patterson-White joined Duckett and the pair took the visitors to the close in poor light. Patterson-White is playing his third first-class match and has been preferred to Samit Patel. What might the incomparable game have in store for him?And all this followed a quiet first hour of the day, one in which Yorkshire built their lead for the loss of Patterson and Gary Ballance. Both wickets had particular significance: Patterson was Paul Coughlin’s maiden first-class wicket for Nottinghamshire but this is only his third game in two seasons all but lost to serious injuries. Ballance departed when he hooked Luke Wood and Louis Bhabra, Nottinghamshire’s substitute fielder, tumbled forward at long leg to take a catch he seemed to have misjudged. It was a lovely moment for the 18-year-old and who knows what it might contribute to his future? A slight sense of belonging, mayhap. At least one hopes his mates at Papplewick and Linby were bucked for him.Ballance’s replacement, Harry Brook, hit the first four of the morning at 12.15pm when he cover drove Wood as pleasantly as one could wish and was so pleased with his effort that he repeated the stroke four balls later. But having hit two boundaries that would have graced any field Brook tried to pull a shortish ball from Patterson-White but only skied a catch to Jake Ball at mid-on.Yorkshire showed more a little aggression after lunch; Kohler-Cadmore’s three fine fours in a Luke Fletcher over were a prime example. But our cricket this afternoon was dominated in a different way by the huge frame of Fletcher who bowled a superb 11-over spell with the new ball, one in which he took 4 for 41 and finished with 5 for 67. Fletcher is a skilful workhorse whose allegiance to Nottinghamshire runs very deep. He is Boxer in . Such devotion is always reciprocated at Trent Bridge and so the travelling fans will have rejoiced in Fletcher’s successes. He played at Papplewick and Linby, too.The North Bay is darker in the evening but the ruffled waves are as beguiling as ever. Across England this week first-class cricket has been played near the sea. At Colwyn Bay, Lancashire have all but sealed promotion. At blessed Hove Sussex have revived their chances. And at Scarborough tomorrow the 133rd festival will end after a match which will decide nothing but clarify much. Cricketers have long been aware they cannot turn back the tide but that chilly truth has never stopped them wondering if it might be so.

Manchester United and Chelsea both made €80 million (£69m/$93m) bids for Barcelona midfielder Fermin Lopez this summer, per a new report.

Both Premier League clubs eyeing FerminBids reportedly tabled in JulyBarca plan to keep midfielderFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Sport, both United and Chelsea tabled huge bids for Fermin towards the end of July. However, there was some disagreement at Barca over whether to sell the star or not; several board members believed a sale would help fund the registration of new players, but manager Hansi Flick wanted him to stay. 

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The report claims negotiations lasted for over a week with both United and Chelsea attempting to extricate Fermin. Flick is said to have intervened personally to ensure that the attacking midfielder stayed at Camp Nou. 

DID YOU KNOW?

Fermin has made a total of 89 appearances for Barca, scoring 19 goals and registering 11 assists. He has also won two caps for Spain. 

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Barca play Levante this weekend. Fermin will hope to be involved. 

MatériaMais Notícias

da cassino： Se depender do técnico Vagner Mancini, o Corinthians ainda estará forte na briga por vaga na Copa Libertadores. Apesar de admitir que as chances são remotas após a derrota por 1 a 0 para o Santos, na Vila Belmiro, nesta quarta-feira, o comandante garantiu que a equipe vai brigar por isso até o fim.

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da bet7： TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui

GALERIA
>Veja jogadores “sumidos” que seu time poderia tentar contratar para 2021

Em entrevista coletiva virtual após a partida, Mancini não jogou a toalha pela classificação corintiana e explicou o que será necessário fazer nos próximos jogos para chegar na 38ª rodada garantido na competição continental.

-Nós temos chances ainda, temos que fazer os seis pontos e torcer para Athletico e Santos não cheguem aos pontos desejáveis, dessa forma a gente chegaria obviamente a vaga, questão matemática – comentou o comandante corintiano, antes de completar:

– Assim como o Corinthians, o Santos e o Athletico-PR, têm jogos difíceis, e nessa fase todo mundo briga por alguma coisa, então é importante a gente manter o entusiasmo só pelo fato de você vestir essa camisa você tem obrigação de brigar por todos os pontos até o final da disputa- completou.

Embora cite as chances matemáticas como fator para acreditar na vaga, Mancini sabe que a possibilidade é bastante remota. Mesmo assim, ele garante que o elenco vai brigar pela classificação enquanto houver oportunidade e já projetou o duelo com o Vasco, que ainda luta contra o rebaixamento.

– Omais importante é que ainda temos chances, remotas, mas ainda temos, e a gente vai brigar muito por isso, todo time nessa situação no campeonato defende alguma coisa, o Vasco obviamente vai defender aquilo que lhe interessa, mas do lado de cá nós vamos em busca da vitória.

O Corinthians volta a campo no próximo domingo, às 16h, para enfrentar o Vasco, na Neo Química Arena, pela 37ª rodada do Brasileirão-2020. Atualmente, o Timão ocupa a 10ª posição na tabela, com 49 pontos, quatro atrás do Santos.

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Liverpool are plotting a summer move for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, and he could make the perfect partner for Fabinho.

What’s the story?

According to journalist Dean Jones (via GIVEMESPORT) Liverpool are ‘going to be interested’ in Rice when the transfer window opens this summer.

He said: “Of course, they’re going to be interested in Declan Rice because if Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have had that player on their radar, then you kind of at least have got to consider whether you’re going to need him.”

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They are among a number of Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Englishman to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

The report says that Rice has recently turned down a contract offer at the London Stadium and would be open to a move. However, his contract doesn’t expire for another two years, and the Hammers are said to have the option to extend that by a further year, so he would fetch a high price. The Daily Mail have reported that the club would be asking for a British record £150m fee for him.

Imagine him and Fabinho

Although Liverpool supporters shouldn’t get too excited as they will face stiff competition for his signature, he would be the perfect signing for them and would partner Fabinho extremely well.

Earlier this month it was reported by Football Insider that Jurgen Klopp has his sights set on signing a ‘world-class’ midfielder, and that Rice was on the list of options. With Jones now confirming this, he may be the Reds’ priority, especially when you consider that he’s been described as “world-class” already by reporter Toby Cudworth and many others.

He has been key for West Ham in the league this season appearing 32 times with one goal and four assists from defensive midfield. He also often captains the side when Mark Noble isn’t playing, so has great leadership qualities as well.

The England international ranks in the top 3% amongst Premier League midfielders this season when it comes to his pass completion percentage and the top 2% for interceptions.

Liverpool already have two incredible midfielders in Thiago and Fabinho, if they added a third the team would be complete with a stellar player in every position.

Klopp is famous for the constant pressure he likes his teams to put on their opponent, and Rice would fit perfectly into that. His percentage when it comes to successful pressing this season is 33% which is almost identical to Fabinho’s 32%.

The fact he came through the youth setup at Chelsea may well have an impact on which club he ends up moving to, but the chance to win with Liverpool and play under Klopp must be an attractive option.

IN other news: Sky Sports: Liverpool will need mega £55m to sign “unstoppable” gem, he’s Salah 2.0…

Shivers went down Chris Lynn’s spine when he heard the news that his close friend Glenn Maxwell would be taking time away from the game for his mental health.Lynn, who only became aware of the development when he left the field at the end of the Cricket Australia XI match against Pakistan at Bankstown Oval, spoke of his shock and added that the entire country would be behind Maxwell.”It sends shivers down my spine when you hear something like this, Glenn’s a close mate of mine,” he said after the match. “When one man goes the whole team feels it; but I think the whole of Australia feels it. What he’s got to realise is that, as men, we don’t speak up enough about it, so I’m really proud that he’s really come out and assessed that cricket isn’t for him right now.”He has to realise there are 25 million people from Australia behind him and that’s the main thing. Whatever we can do, whether it’s more or less, we’ll be there. I wish him all the best, if he needs me I’ll be there. I feel for the bloke and just hope he can bounce back because over the last week, we’ve seen how good he is. Cricket will have a big dent with him sat on the sidelines, but I don’t want him to rush at all.”As Justin Langer did when speaking in Melbourne, Lynn talked about the pressures faced by professional cricketers and that what is on public display may only be a fraction of what is going on for a player.”A lot of people think it’s a gravy train, play for Australia and get to travel the world but there’s a lot of hard work beneath the water that people don’t see and the mental toughness that a lot of cricketers have to show is next level,” Lynn said. “It’s a good thing for cricket he has spoken up, there are organisations who can help out. I’ve no doubt his friends and family will be most important right now.”We are seeing a number of people taking a break from the game, but as I said it’s not all gravy, it’s a big iceberg and sometime we only see the tip of it.”

CWI arranged for Clarke to congratulate his son in a Zoom call ahead of the post-match press conference

Mohammad Isam07-Feb-2021One of the many people watching Kyle Mayers bat on his dream Test debut was his father Shirley Clarke, who was up all of Sunday night following the match in Chattogram.Related

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As a special surprise, CWI arranged for Clarke to congratulate his son in a Zoom call ahead of the post-match press conference. Shirley said that he had tears in his eyes seeing Mayers make the unbeaten 210 helped West Indies to a memorable win.”I want to congratulate Kyle and the rest of your team-mates,” Clarke said. “This morning was very special for me. It brought tears to my eyes. I just want to wish you continued success to you and the rest of the team. Continue to work hard. We will stay connected as usual.”Mayers thanked his father who had been his coach for much of his life. Clarke had played 12 first-class matches and five List-A games for Barbados and Combined Campuses and Colleges between 1999 and 2008. He has since become a Level-3 coach.”You know how hard I was working when I was preparing for this tour in Barbados. You know how I felt about this opportunity. I just want to give you thanks for the help, coaching and making sure I was prepared for this series,” Mayers told Clarke.Mayers said that he was always in touch with Clarke, whether it was to talk about his batting stance or any personal matter. He said that he was lucky to have a coach at home during the pandemic when everyone else was struggling to find time in the nets.”Lockdown was difficult but I have been fortunate to have my dad, who is a Level-3 coach, throughout the lockdown days. I had my dad working with me. So we worked on various stuff,” he said.Mayers, who was briefly caught up in Dominica during Hurricane Maria in 2017, said that the shift from Windward Island to Barbados has been a gamechanger for his career, as his playing role became more refined.”From Windward Islands to Barbados, it was a tough process for me. I was actually injured and then I got prepared to play for Barbados in the next season. I had a different role. I wasn’t getting a lot of opportunities with the bat for Windward Islands.”It changed from being a bowling allrounder to becoming a batting allrounder, representing Barbados. For me that is a big change, to get more batting opportunities to show people my batting capability. It was a massive difference.”

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman has offered some insight into the battle between Mary Earps and Hannah Hampton to be England's No.1 ahead of Euro 2025.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Earps has been England No.1 for Wiegman
• But Hampton got the nod in big match on Friday
• Lionesses' boss offers insight into battle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Earps has been England's first-choice goalkeeper since Wiegman took over the team in September 2021 and she has justified that place with her performances on the very biggest stages. The 31-year-old was outstanding when the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022 and she claimed the Golden Glove when they reached the 2023 Women's World Cup final, too.

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  However, competition for her place has grown in recent months in particular, with Hampton pushing to take it. The 23-year-old was struggling for game time following a switch to Chelsea last summer but that all changed in December, with her form for the Blues helping to earn her more England chances, including one on Friday night when the Lionesses faced Ireland in a must-win match in qualifying for Euro 2025.

• WHAT WIEGMAN SAID

  Wiegman has another big decision to make with the two goalkeepers on Tuesday, when her team play Sweden knowing that they need at least a point to qualify for next summer's tournament. Given the importance of the match, the coach was asked if whichever goalkeeper is picked to start would therefore be the one that has the advantage in the battle to be England's No.1.

  "I think that's a little bit too early," she replied. "There's a lot of competitiveness going on in the goalkeeper group, but also in the team and the outfield players. There's a decision to make for tomorrow and then we don't see each other for three months, so then we'll see the players go back to club and they have to keep performing there, and then we'll take it from there."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Earps, who has recovered from a hip injury to be involved in this international break, will be tasked with settling into a new environment when she does return to club level, as she recently joined Paris Saint-Germain after her contract with Manchester United expired.