Conor M

Diomande assist. Got a bit lucky

Senesi? Might make some sense. Know next to nothing about him.

What are we calling him now? 1-0 Marseille

Seen others saying hamstring

Trent gone off with a knee injury looks like

2-2

Kerkez subbed

And Hungary down to 10

Ireland get one back

I think brexit and being shut out of the PL until later (agewise) is a specific Irish problem. i am watching Ireland here and while I’m prepared to admit to being a bit pissed I’m thinking I haven’t really seen Kerkez get forward much yet in 4 games now whereas I thought that was his brand.

And this is the player the Saudis were never going to sell

I see Edwards has doubled down and is now accusing Isak of not trying/match fixing at the end of last season to avoid CL qualification and make it easier for himself to leave. I don’t want to link to it - I think clicks are what he is after.

Odegard gone off as well

I wonder to what extent Hughes has been relying on his connection with Howe (who does seem to want to get rid) for information. And whether Edwards has a line into the Saudis (were they offering him a job a while ago?). Hopefully bid goes in Tuesday morning and they manage to get some donkey in the door between now and then. If not for me it would be a Fofana type + wait to Christmas.

That could simultaneously enable Isak transfer and block Barcola?

So if VVD is out Gravenberch must be playing CB. Jones, McAllister, Elliott playing in this game. Who is the 3rd midfielder at 8pm?

I would have thought Isak is a Van Dijk type case where if you don’t get him now you wait 6 months or 12. And in that scenario maybe Nunez stays for a bit. Fofana back up for Rodrygo yes - or maybe just a better value option?

And the thing is that as far as I can see none of their signings fix any of it. I hope I’m right.

2 possibly unrelated thoughts: With no Jota, Nunez and Chiesa off, surely we need 2 central strikers in; As I read the Mo Chatra thing, we can afford Isak this summer. The Diaz thing looks like a separate issue, but if he (Isak) is off as looks increasingly likely maybe now is the best time to get him?

5 I think

As Yoro goes off on 53 minutes

From Fabrizio Romano: Direct meeting took place today between Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli for Kvaratskhelia deal. PSG have total agreement with Kvara on 5 year deal, as reported last week — and talks are advancing fast on the fee. Positive talks today, agreement now close between clubs.

Tuesday afternoon would do nicely.

With who?

A small fragment of another Athletic article just up. Not Ornstein. We’re still referenced but PSG are favourites. Antonio Conte says Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has asked to leave the club. The Athletic reported this week that Liverpool could consider a move for the Georgia international, while Paris Saint-Germain were emerging as the leading contenders for a player who features on the list of potential targets for teams including Chelsea. Napoli would be in no rush to sell the 23-year-old, whose contract expires in 2027, and would only countenance a sale for a significant fee. “If I talk, I prefer to tell it like it is. I don’t tell lies,” Napoli head coach Conte said on Saturday. “We’re talking about an important player (Kvaratskhelia), a player who when I spoke to the owner, given Zielinski and Osimhen were already on their way, and had to leave, I wanted assurances. “You need quality as well as hard work and I asked that some players not be sold. Khvicha was among these players who, and you know this very well, asked to leave in the summer. He wasn’t the only one. “We moved on from it but the work I put in to persuade players that they were fundamental to me was easily forgotten. Lots of them wanted to go down different paths. I worked at it and I’m glad they stayed and bought into the project.” GO DEEPER Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's future is uncertain - but Napoli will play hardball. They always do Conte then moved on specifically to the future of Kvaratskhelia: “He’s asked the club to be sold without beating around the bush. That’s what I’ve been told. The player has confirmed his decision to me. “Personally I’m very disappointed because for six months I’ve tried to make Kvara feel at the heart of what we’re doing here, showing him that we could do something big while working on a contract extension which, six months later, we’re still only at the start of. “On my part, there is great disappointment. I take things on the chest and I haven’t been able to make enough of an impact to make both parties get past it. Now I have to take a step back. “I can’t chain up someone who wants to leave. I did it this summer. I had six months to persuade the parties involved to find a solution. The news came like a bolt from the blue. “I’m now taking a step back and it’s right that the club and Kvara’s entourage resolve this situation. I would never want, if the player were to stay, for people to think I imposed a veto. I did it this summer in the belief I could get him to buy into the project but looking at the results I did not succeed. “He’s not available (this weekend) against Verona and we’ll see what happens. We are losing an important player.”