#edson-alvarez

#edson-alvarez

"My time with Xabi was a learning experience; I've improved as a person. I couldn't connect with him, but I have a great connection with Arbeloa, and he's given me a lot of confidence, just like [Carlo] Ancelotti did."

Newcastle United are on the verge of securing a deal for Johan Martinez, the highly-rated Independiente del Valle attacker, despite intense interest from several elite clubs across Europe.

"Playing for Benfica, just like at Barça, is out of love. I have one year left on my contract; if I have to play in Saudi Arabia, I'll play; if I have to play in Europe, I'll play. It will depend on Al Hilal. When Barcelona calls, you can't refuse. I feel at home here; I've adapted very well."

Although it is a great honor and appreciation of my athletic performance, I have consciously decided against the matches with the Peruvian national team. My focus is clearly on supporting my club and the team as best as possible during a challenging phase of the season.

The knee's great, I feel fine. I was actually quite surprised with how seamless the rehab was because I've had some tricky rehabs in the past, so to have a smooth one and be able to just come back smoothly has been nice. To get minutes back into the legs has been great, and finally feeling like I'm in rhythm again is nice as well after that past 90 [minute appearance].

Denzel Dumfries' straight red card in the 12th minute gave Ecuador the upper hand, with Enner Valencia cancelling out Willian Pacho's own goal, though the visitors were unable to find a winner for all their pressure.

Yes, he will do the same thing that he does on the pitch, he shows it in training every day. If they know how to pray? They better! We have great players too who we can perhaps spread out and not play 1 vs 1 because he is so decisive. We have the tool to try and counteract him.

Like what happened with Antoine. He has a contract with us and he's going to stay. Julián clearly stated that he's very happy at Atlético, and yet everything he says is interpreted in a certain way. He has four more years on his contract, and we hope he stays much longer, and even that it gets extended.

It's in the nature of a tournament played only every four years that the participating teams are at the mercy of timing. And right now, the fickleness of form and injuries and minutes, and every other variable that will go some way in determining how the World Cup co-hosts fare in June, all favor the USMNT.

This game clearly gives us the opportunity to, first, give minutes to guys who have perhaps had fewer minutes in the preseason and in the last game we played. But yes, we're going to try to give everyone playing time. We need to give the whole squad some opportunities.

Barcelona are continuing to push forward with their long-term recruitment strategy, and another young name has now emerged as a priority. According to SPORT, the Catalan club is moving closer to finalising a deal for highly rated Dutch defender Ruud Nijstad. The pursuit of Nijstad, who currently plays for FC Twente, fits perfectly into Barcelona's recent approach in the market. Rather than focusing solely on immediate first-team reinforcements, the club has prioritised strengthening their youth structure with players who can grow into senior roles over time.

The player Barcelona have identified in the Dutch club is a top centre-back prospect Ruud Nijstad, who also happens to be a left-footed player. As is common knowledge, quality left-footed centre-backs are hard to come across and are critical for Barcelona's style. He is just 18 years of age and already a regular in the senior team, and his current contract with Twente runs until the summer of 2027.

Freeman, 21, has seen his value skyrocket over the last year, not only making 30 league and playoff appearances for the Lions -- in which he scored six goals and added three assists -- but making 13 appearances for the United States and scoring two goals. It was during last summer's Gold Cup that Freeman made a considerable impression on U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino.

It has not always been straightforward for Fernandez, who joined Chelsea shortly after being named best young player at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as he helped Argentina lifted the trophy for a third time. During his first 18 months in west London, he struggled to live up to that reputation. His first manager, Graham Potter, was sacked after failing to manage a bloated squad that could not even fit into the dressing room at the training ground,