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Good morning, everyone.
Did you know that there are only 24 days until Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga season begins? That’s right. BVB play Eintracht Frankfurt on August 14th, less than four weeks away. Who’s excited?
Do you know what would make me really excited? Donyell Malen. Unfortunately, this is one transfer that just won’t seem to go through. A big reason is the asking price. For a while, I was under the impression that Malen would cost around €30 million at most. However, discussions between BVB and PSV Eindhoven are, according to multiple sources including WAZ and RN, being held up by differences between the asking and selling prices. BVB don’t want to spend even €30 million, while PSV may want as much as €40 million.
The reason for this, as is often the case with transfers, is Donyell Malen’s agent, Mino Raiola, the agent frequently in the thorn. According to RN, when Malen came to PSV from Arsenal, he included in his contract a clause that Raiola would receive a staggering 30% of the transfer fee. Presumably, this was the only way that PSV Eindhoven even got Malen in the first place. I fail to see how this clause actually helps Malen, as it seems to me that it would inflate his transfer price and make clubs more likely to try to compensate by decreasing his wages, but what do I know. Maybe a member of the sports agents public relations union can spin it otherwise for me.
Moukoko Back in Training
After missing the final few weeks of the season with an injury, BVB’s young star striker Youssoufa Moukoko has returned to training.
The Daily Buzz
What are you guys doing to pass the time? Any vacation plans in the 24 days before the season begins?