He already said it himself a few weeks ago: Lionel Messi will make a decision on his future once the 2020-21 season is over. In the meantime, Barcelona is still dreaming of retaining him once the new president of the club is known after the March elections.
The first day of February was the closing day of the transfer window in Europe. Due to the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus that strongly affects the economy of the clubs, the market was more austere than other years. Among many stories produced, one revolves around the outstanding soccer players who finished their contracts with their clubs and did not sign again, remaining free agents.
The18 has compiled a list of who they are and what their respective situations are with a view to a 2021 that is already underway.
According to Transfermarkt, 11,148 transfers were officially made between January 1 and February 1, with the transfer fees totalling a little over $600 million.
While significantly less than the 18,488 transfers worth $1.6 billion that occurred last January, it's still a lot to take in.
But we've made it easy for you.
Here's The18's five-minute guide to the most important transfers of this year's winter window:
1. Sébastien Haller (West Ham → Ajax)
Portuguese coach André Villas-Boas announced that he has resigned as coach of Olympique de Marseille because he disagrees with the club's sporting policy, although he said he will remain in charge of the team "until the management board lets him go."
"I have submitted my resignation to the management board, I have not yet received an answer," the coach said at a press conference ahead of a league game against Lens.
There’s nothing quite like the madness of transfer Deadline Day. Top European clubs rushing to get last-minute deals done creates an exhilarating 24-hour news cycle. In the latest winter transfer window, European clubs invested their stock in USMNT transfers.
Here’s a list of every transfer, loan or signing in Europe from Deadline Day that involved a USMNT player.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar said he wants to remain at the Ligue 1 champions and hopes Kylian Mbappé will also pledge his future to the club.
Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in 2017 for a world record fee of $269.26 million but Spanish media have frequently linked the 28-year-old with a switch back to the Catalan side.
Mbappé has 18 months remaining on his contract in Paris and new manager Mauricio Pochettino has played down reports the French forward could be on the move to Real Madrid.
Five years after joining Leicester City from Birmingham, Demarai Gray's time with the Foxes has come to an end. On Sunday, Gray completed a $2.2 million move to Peter Bosz's Bayer Leverkusen, currently fifth in the Bundesliga.
TRANSFER NEWS
Demarai Gray joins Bayer 04 from @LCFC ! pic.twitter.com/ghumQF412O
Just when you thought Barcelona had turned the corner with four straight league wins and a place in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, here comes that nasty debt of $1.42 billion and the ugly realization that the greatest footballer of all-time is headed out the back door again! (Along with another Luis Suárez brace for Atlético.)
United States and Toronto FC star Jozy Altidore will be held out of the national team's friendly against Trinidad & Tobago on Sunday with a minor muscle strain and amid transfer rumors.
U.S. manager Gregg Berhalter on Saturday said Altidore sustained a "very, very minor strain" two weeks ago and added that "a number of clubs" are interested in Altidore.
AS Roma has today confirmed the return to the club of Italy international Stephan El Shaarawy.
El Shaarawy, who initially joined I Giallorossi on loan from AC Milan in January 2016, departed for China 18 months ago in a $17.6 million deal with Shanghai Shenhua. "Il faraone" enjoyed the most productive spell of his career in the capital, scoring 40 goals and assisting 26 in 139 appearances for Roma.