Transfers

Liverpool supporters would have found themselves sighing in exasperation when Joel Matip came off injured at halftime against Tottenham on Thursday.

There is a genuine argument to be made that, when fit, Matip is a top-five center back in the league. Much to the chagrin of Reds everywhere, the Cameroonian international is seldom fit for more than a few games at a time. He was substituted at halftime against Fulham due to injury, subsequently missing out against last month's game against Spurs, before returning against Crystal Palace.

Arsenal have signed Real Madrid midfielder Martin Ødegaard on loan until the end of the season, the two clubs announced on Wednesday.

Ødegaard, 22, has made only three LaLiga starts for Real and was also linked with a move to Spanish rivals Real Sociedad, where he spent last season on loan, helping the club to finish sixth and qualify for the Europa League.

✍️ It's øfficial… pic.twitter.com/4eV5gNjK3x

Atlanta United FC signed forward Lisandro López on a free transfer from Racing Club of the Argentine Primera División, the team said Monday. 

He will be put on the roster once his international transfer certificate and P-1 visa are received.

#ATLUTD signs decorated leader, Lisandro López ⚽️

As 19-time Süper Lig champions residing in the cultural and historic center of Istanbul, Fenerbahçe has long captured the imagination of football fans around the globe. Images of the Eternal Rivalry — the pitched battle between bitter derby foes Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray — are enough to drive the most ignorant of Americans into a Wikipedia deep dive.

Jordan Morris joined Swansea City on Friday on loan for the rest of the 2020-21 season, with the EFL Championship side retaining an option to buy the American striker permanently at the end of the campaign. The deal reinforces a recent trend: European clubs finding massive bargains in American players.

Manchester City’s transfer policy it quite transparent, but honestly it might be the smartest thing any club has ever done.

There is little doubt the two-time defending world champion USWNT is the best soccer team in the world, so it makes sense for Manchester City to throw all its money at World Cup-winning players. The Citizens signed their third American of the season on Saturday, making Abby Dahlkemper’s move official.

After 32 appearances and two entirely meaningless goals, Real Madrid has effectively called time on the Luka Jović experiment and shipped him back to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan.

Another member of the Rodman family could be headed for the athletic spotlight.

The Washington Spirit selected forward Trinity Rodman with the No. 2 overall pick in the National Women's Soccer League draft on Wednesday. Rodman, 18, is the daughter of Basketball Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman.

The younger Rodman was due to play for Washington State before the last college soccer season was wiped out due to the coronavirus pandemic. She has played on the U.S. national under-20 women's team, and she helped lead that squad to the CONCACAF championship in March 2020.

One of the most fascinating storylines in Europe right now is the direction of Paris Saint-Germain under new manager Mauricio Pochettino. If it all goes well, PSG could be looking at a Champions League title and a potential Kylian Mbappé contract extension. If Pochettino and his charges don’t see eye-to-eye, that will only expedite Mbappé’s long-rumored move to Real Madrid (“Project Mbappé”), Liverpool or Manchester City. 

Catarina Macario, arguably the greatest college soccer player in a generation, will not stick around in the States to become the top overall pick in Wednesday’s NWSL draft. Instead, the Stanford standout — who announced her intentions to forgo her senior season and go pro last week — signed a free-agent contract with Lyon, the European powerhouse that has won seven Champions League titles since 2011.