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Tag: Monaco

  • Liverpool agree £39m deal for Monaco midfielder

    Liverpool have agreed to sign Monaco midfielder Fabinho in a deal that could be worth more than £40m.

    The Brazil international, 24, will join the Champions League finalists on 1 July for around £39m (45m euros).

    A further £4m (5m euros) could be added in performance-related bonus payments and Fabinho’s arrival is likely to be followed by the departure of Emre Can.

    “This is something that I always wanted – this is a giant of a team,” said Fabinho. “I am really excited.”

    ‘He can play six, eight and two – this is cool’

    Fabinho has spent spells playing as a right-back but has excelled in defensive midfield and is viewed as a replacement for Can, who is out of contract this summer and has repeatedly been linked with Juventus.

    Manager Jurgen Klopp said: “He has ability and mentality to play at the highest level in a number of positions. He can play ‘six’, ‘eight’ and ‘two’. This is cool.”

    The Brazilian, whose deal will begin on 1 July, said the club’s infrastructure looked “exceptional”.

    “A football club of this size coming after my services, I didn’t have to think that much about coming over,” added Fabinho.

    “I will try to create my own history at this football club. Hopefully, on a personal level, I’m able to win titles with this club.”

    ‘A fantastic player and person’

    Fabinho, who joined Monaco on loan from Portuguese side Rio Ave in 2013, won the French league title in 2016-17.

    He has featured heavily for the club since making his loan move permanent in 2015, playing 47 times in all competitions last season and scoring eight goals.

    In all, he made 225 appearances and scored 29 goals in five seasons with the French club.

    “We have signed a fantastic player, but someone who is an equally fantastic person I think,” added Klopp.

    “His reputation as a character in the dressing room and his attitude in training has come through from everyone we speak to.

    “He has a lovely family also – adding a person like this to our dressing room only makes us even stronger. What we have – in terms of our environment at Melwood and in the team – means anyone coming in must be of that build. They must be the highest quality person and player.”

    Despite helping Monaco to second in Ligue 1 behind champions Paris St-Germain last season, Fabinho did not make Brazil’s 23-man World Cup squad.

    He will join another new face in Liverpool’s midfield next term, with Guinea international Naby Keita moving to Merseyside from RB Leipzig on 1 July.

    BBC

  • Ligue 1: Monaco to refund visiting fans after humiliating 7-1 loss to PSG

    Monaco will offer refunds to visiting fans who came to watch their club get hammered by Paris Saint-Germain 7-1 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

    The visiting fans were made to watch a debacle that saw PSG win the Ligue 1 title, and the former champs have offered to make amends.

    Giovani Lo Celso and Angel Di Maria scored twice each for PSG, who also found the net through Edinson Cavani, Julian Draxler and a Radamel Falcao own-goal.

    Monaco are second in Ligue 1, four points clear of Lyon and Marseille.

    So bad was the defeat that after the match, Monaco took to Twitter after the game to offer reimbursement to their fans who were on hand at the Parc des Princes to witness the heavy defeat.“AS Monaco has made the decision to refund the red and white supporters present in the visitors’ gallery tonight,” the tweet read. “The arrangements will be communicated at the beginning of the week.”

    Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev also apologised to supporters after the game.

    “For us it was a catastrophic scenario,” Vasilyev said.

    “The only ones who have lived up to it are our supporters and I thank them. They pushed the team, but there was nothing we could do. We will do everything to make them proud in the next match ”