tottenham Alejo has finally parted ways with Veliz, and new details from Brazil suggest the transfer wasn’t straightforward behind the scenes at all.

For months, the expectation was that the deal would make perfect sense for everyone involved.

Bahia, acting as of manchester city City, a satellite club in Brazil within the Futbol Group structure, wanted a young striker with resale value.

Tottenham had a player who never established himself in North London. However, the reality proved to be far more complex.

tottenham wanted to wait

according to globo esporteOne of the biggest obstacles was Tottenham themselves.

The report claimed that Spurs had no intention of selling Veliz during the January window. Instead, their preference was to wait for the European summer market, when demand is usually higher and clubs believe they can extract better value.

This is especially interesting, considering how the situation ultimately unfolded. Tottenham accepted €9m (£7.6m)Despite earlier reports in this saga citing figures of between €10m and €20m depending on the structure of the deal.

Bahia feared that waiting would make the operation more expensive. There were also concerns that more European clubs might join the race and further complicate matters. As a result, City Football Group proceeded with negotiations rather than delaying them.

Citigroup gives priority to Veliz

The report also gives a glimpse of how highly the striker is rated by Bahia and CFG.

Football director Cadú Santoro personally presented the project to Veliz. Meanwhile, a member of the scouting department traveled to Argentina to meet the players and their representatives face-to-face.

Bahia see the 22-year-old as more than a short-term signing. Internally, the club saw him as a strategic fit for the wider City Football Group model and a player who could form part of a medium and long-term project.

Rosario Central resistance changed almost everything

Tottenham were not the only obstacle. Bahia also tried to negotiate an early release from Rosario Central and discussed compensation. The Argentine side refused to budge, determined to keep the striker for their Libertadores campaign.

Veliz himself could make life more difficult. Instead, he took the opposite approach.

The striker wanted the move and he liked the project presented by Bahia – she is happy now. However, he also made it clear that he would not force his way out of the club where he came through the academy and made his name.

That decision ultimately shaped the outcome. Rosario kept him until the end of the loanTottenham got their permanent sale, and Bahia secured the player they had identified as a priority target months earlier.

If we look at this saga, the most surprising detail may be that the transfer took place at all. Tottenham wanted to wait, Rosario wanted to keep him, and Veliz refused to create conflict.

Yet CFG kept trying and eventually got their man.

tottenham Alejo Veliz was sold months ago, but the striker has just arrived in Brazil. And it looks like this is the real end to one of the club’s strangest runs in recent years.

The Argentine landed in Salvador on Monday night and is now set to complete the final stages of his move to Bahia from City Football Group, who Agreed €9m (£7.6m) deal with Tottenham earlier this year.

In many ways, it is a move that closes the chapter on what never really took off in North London.

Tottenham signed Veliz from Rosario Central in 2023 after emerging as one of Argentina’s most promising young forwards. The expectation was that Spurs had secured a striker for the future.

Instead, a series of injuries, limited opportunities and debts prevented him from establishing himself.

Veliz made only a few appearances for Tottenham and scored only once. That goal came as a late consolation in a 4–1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. This proved to be his first and last goal for the club.

Three loans and no success

Tottenham spent much of the last two years finding the right environment for Veliz to develop.

The striker went on loan to Sevilla, then to Espanyol and finally back to Rosario Central. Despite those opportunities, he never reached the level Spurs expected when they invested in him.

His final loan was arguably his most successful. Rosario Central fought hard to keep him until the end of the campaign and Veliz wanted the same.

He finished the season with six goals in 24 matches as the Argentine team reached the semi-finals of the Argentine Championship.

This connection was evident during his farewell. Just a few days before the trip to Brazil, He scored in his last home match and walked off the field in tears.

Why did they choose Bahia?

Speaking after arriving in Salvador, Veliz admitted that the decision was emotional, especially because of what Rosario Central means to him. His comments were relayed globo esporte.

“I am very happy with this step in my career, arriving at this club. I am very emotional to leave Rosario Central because this is my home and my family. We made this decision because I want to extend my career elsewhere. It was the best decision we have taken as a family.”

The striker also revealed that he had spoken to former Argentina youth teammate Bahia forward Mateo Sanabria before agreeing to the move.

“First of all, he wrote to me and I talked to him before making a decision.”

Veliz said he had already been watching Bahia from afar and was impressed by the atmosphere created by the supporters.

“I saw the fans a lot. I even watched recent matches. It’s incredible. I hope I can give back some of what they do.”

For Tottenham, the story is now over. There’s a €9m (£7.6m) sale of the club, Bahia finally get the striker they’ve been chasing for years, and Veliz gets the fresh start he never got in north London.

newcastle united Juventus’ Jonathan David has been added to their list for the summer.

After spending five years at Lille, the striker joined the Serie A team on a free transfer in July 2025, scoring 109 goals and 31 assists in 232 appearances.

In his first season in Italy, David scored eight goals and provided five assists in 46 matches. This includes only one goal for Juventus since 1 February.

He still managed to attract interest from the Premier League, where Newcastle United are in the picture.

On March 9, we Covered claims from Italy That Aston Villa are interested in signing him. Last month, Nottingham Forest and West Ham United emerged as his options. the source said The Old Lady is requesting between €25-30m.

Two weeks ago, Sports Witness broadcast news The Europa League winners remain in the hunt for the Canada international.

Newcastle United joins the transfer chase

Eddie Howe’s side have become the latest English club to set their sights on the 26-year-old.

is according to all juveWho said Newcastle United are pursuing Jonathan David after his difficult season.

Despite his 13 G/A contribution, the outlet says the Canada international failed to live up to expectations and was labeled a ‘season flop’.

The Magpies are ‘ready to take advantage’ of his situation at the Turin club to bring him to St James’ Park. They value the frontman’s profile and qualities and are optimistic that he can achieve his best form in the Premier League.

Therefore, Newcastle United are taking steps to explore the finances of a potential operation.

Tutto Juve, who clarified that this is his own report, mentions the ‘astonishing quote’ in the headline but does not support it in the report. It’s possible an offer from an English club is on the way.

Juventus will not close the door to his exit as long as there is a sufficient offer. However, there is no mention of their demand in the report.

Contract, price and agent information

Jonathan David’s contract expires in 2030, and transfer market He is worth €35 million.

Axia Sports Management, an agency owned by agent Nick Mavromaras, is representing the Canadian.

Joshua Zirkzee’s wages Manchester United Despite being on target for a long time, the injury remains a problem for Napoli.

Corriere del Mezzogiorno Report Zirkzee’s current wage packet of €4.3m a year ‘could tempt Napoli to look elsewhere’ this summer.

napoli wants a new striker

The newspaper reports that Napoli are looking for a replacement for Rasmus Hjolund, who would be signed on a permanent basis in the summer.

Romelu Lukaku is currently an alternative option but is expected to leave in the summer. The Belgian has fallen out with those in charge at the club after choosing to remain in Belgium for injury treatment against Napoli’s wishes.

This spoiled their relations, they were already in trouble in the media. Sporting director Giovanni Manna is already targeting a replacement.

A list has been drawn up and Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee is on it. The Dutchman is a long-term target for those in charge in Naples.

However, his €4.3m salary is a problem. Indeed, the newspaper says it is an issue that may suggest Napoli could look elsewhere for a lower-cost deal instead. Brighton’s Ivan Ferguson is also on their list.

Listen to Manchester United offer

This has become clear from recent reports Manchester United will listen to offers However, for Joshua Zirkzee this summer.

Perhaps if there is an opportunity to save money on that front, Napoli will be able to get a deal done with the striker over the line. Even in that scenario, it seems they need the 24-year-old to contribute.

Corriere del Mezzogiorno has not clarified by how much he needs to reduce his salary. But any real possibility of a transfer happening this summer is likely to cost a significant amount. It seems the ball is completely in the Dutchman’s court.

Massimo Taibbi had a brief tenure Manchester United Between 1999 and 2000. The Italian never really made an impact, but still regrets his departure.

Taibi joins Red Devils from Venezia £4.5 million, which was a significant amount at that time. Soon after his arrival he put in a famous performance against Liverpool but things were disappointing in other games.

He was nicknamed ‘The Blind Venetian’ after the English press criticized his inability to save shots. Only six months after moving to Manchester United, he joined Reggina on loan before performing very well at Atalanta.

Now, the former goalkeeper has opened up about his time at Old Trafford.

good relations with ferguson

in an interview with gazzetta dello sportTaibi revealed how the move was taken.

He also revealed his good relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, despite his occasional hair dryer treatment.

“It was a spectacle. It was 1999, I arrived in Manchester as a semi-unknown. They wanted to sign Toldo first, then when I was playing for Venezia they bought me. And Sir Alex even came to pick me up at the airport and introduced me to the whole management.

“It was 8 o’clock at night, no idea about it. We had a good relationship, although at half-time of that 5-0 Chelsea-Manchester United game he gave me a dirty look which I still remember.”

Giving more details about the 5–0 defeat to Chelsea, Taibi said that Ferguson was angry at half-time.

“I made a mistake and conceded a goal. At halftime, he turned the locker room upside down. When he got angry, he shook the walls. He took it out on everyone, even me. He looked at me badly and said, ‘Massimo, that’s a save…’ But he would keep me in check.”

The former goalkeeper clarified that he should not have left the club permanently. He had to attend to a family emergency but signed a four-year deal with Manchester United.

“I was the one who made the mistake of leaving. I had a family problem in Italy and I was in a hurry to resolve it.”

Describing his exit as his biggest regret, he said: “Yes, I had a four-year contract. I was the best player on the pitch at Liverpool, then I made the mistake I was telling you about.

“Ferguson advised me to learn the language and play my cards right. I was wrong to be impulsive.”

Our opinion: Departure decision changed Taibi’s career

At that time, Manchester United was slowly moving towards a change in the goalkeeping department. Taibi’s decision to leave was his own and it was not that he was forced out.

Had he managed to weather the storm, he could have become the club’s first-choice in the long term. Admittedly, his life in England had a difficult start, but as he himself says – there was a lot of promise there.

NEW YORK – Peaks and valleys tell the story of the New York Knicks’ season so far. Their path to the NBA Finals was open and clear when they were crowned 2025 NBA Cup champions in Las Vegas. Their blockbuster trades and offseason coaching changes were in question after a 2–9 slump. And everything went well in the eight-game winning streak that followed.

The Knicks have shown tremendous, championship-level potential, with superstar point guard Jalen Brunson in the MVP conversations. And he has essentially exposed all the issues on which pundits and scribes base their doubts.

Head coach Mike Brown has preached the importance of selectively losing memory. The goal is to stay grounded, which is similar to the philosophy of Knicks teams led by Tom Thibodeau. The coach, who has spent two-thirds of his first season with this group, says their midseason struggles are necessary evils that ultimately help lay the foundation for playoff success. He declared before their overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers that, based on his experience, the Knicks are on the right track.

“You hate to lose games, and I’m not signing up to lose games. But I believe we need to struggle a few times this year. … It’s going to test our resolve as a group. You’ve got to stay connected if you want to give yourself a chance. As the playoffs go on, there’s nothing more stressful than that at the NBA level. Seven-game series, four of them, so it really tests your resolve. … Being able to deal with some adversity.” To be, go through it, stay connected, and hopefully you come out of it a little stronger than you were going into it, that’s something I hope,” Brown told reporters before the All-Star break.

Knicks’ path to NBA Finals clear after All-Star post, but not easy

Logical and methodical, Brown is focused on his group playing winning basketball. The coach was asked about the relative decline in production from All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns and his focus was solely on the games leading up to the eight-game winning streak. And when asked what he’s learned about the Knicks players this season, he told the media that the locker room’s solution-oriented approach to dealing with adversity has impressed him.

The coach confirmed last Tuesday, “The way they handled going 2-9 was really good. Because it could have been a lot of finger-pointing, infighting. And our guys were pretty steady in trying to find ways to right the ship.”

The same structured, step-by-step approach that the Knicks’ front office employed to build their current roster – doing research, gathering possessions, waiting for strike opportunities, and executing aggressively when they arise – is similar to Brown’s systematic approach to coaching.

Like many coaches, he has fundamental principles that he wants his teams to follow. And it seems the coach has taken notice of the detail-oriented zeal with which he assigns roles to assistants or reportedly challenges players in practices within team captain Jalen Brunson and his teammates. Their responses to adversity so far have included acknowledging the issues at hand, discussing them as a team, and working with their coaches on implementing solutions.

All things considered, this process has been a winning formula so far. The ultimate test will still be in the postseason, and whether the Knicks can make that fourth seven-game series.

Arsenal and Barcelona attempted to sign former Tottenham Hotspur forward Brian Gil.

This is as of Monday’s edition AsWhich cover why Arsenal and Barcelona failed to sign him in the past.

Tottenham signed Gil from Sevilla in July 2021 and let Erik Lamela move in the opposite direction as part of the deal.

Sevilla let the Spaniard spend the 2020/21 season on loan at SD Eibar. He scored four goals and four assists in 29 matches, and this may have partly convinced Tottenham to bet on the 25-year-old.

Spurs were not the only club who wanted to sign him, and the newspaper covered Arsenal and Barcelona.

Arsenal and Barcelona called Gil

Last summer, the attacker left Tottenham and made a permanent move to Verona, who face Barcelona in the league today. Ahead of this clash, the newspaper looks at Mikel Arteta’s side and the La Liga winners’ previous interest in Gil.

At Eibar, he played under José Luis Mendilibar, and Gil’s performances attracted interest from the Gunners and the Catalan club.

‘Arsenal called’, AS said, without specifying when the Emirates club had made contact. Months after his transfer to Tottenham, Barcelona saw Spurs flop during the winter 2022 market.

According to the report, Barcelona’s talks to bring the player to Camp Nou have not progressed far. There is no mention as to why the Blaugrana and Arsenal were not able to secure his services.

Barça’s failure to sign Gil led their focus to Adama Traoré and the latter was loaned to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Gill’s struggle at Tottenham

The Spaniard clearly struggled during his time at Tottenham, which sent him on loan to Valencia and Sevilla in January 2022 and 2023 respectively. Last season, Spurs allowed him to join Verona on loan, and his stay was made permanent in August 2025.

At Tottenham, Gill played 1,301 minutes in 43 matches in all competitions, failing to score and providing three assists. he was honest about it to be sad in the North London club and so, created Leave out “important”. them permanently.

Arsenal will not have to spend many sleepless nights because of this.

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has always been a major part of All-Star Weekend. It’s an event we always looked forward to seeing as kids, and it’s arguably the most searched-for NBA content on YouTube, as fans always want to relive amazing moments from Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, Zach LaVine, and Aaron Gordon, among many others. It wasn’t that long ago that this competition meant anything.

Nowadays, the dunk contest is seen as something that makes us all ask, “Do we need to do this?”

At this point the event seems forced upon us, especially when it has overstayed its welcome and simply lost its touch.

If the tremendous dunk contests of the past several years were any indication of where this All-Star event has come to an end, Saturday night (technically afternoon) in Inglewood was the icing on top of the cake.

What was memorable about this incident, other than Jess Richardson almost being seriously injured when he fell hard on the court after attempting a dunk off the edge of the backboard? Honestly, can anyone remember what has happened at this event during All-Star Weekend the past few years, other than Mac McClung, who is the only player who has played a total of 10 NBA games in his career?

Frankly, getting the league to try to get players to participate in this event has been almost like pulling teeth over the years. This is especially true because star players aren’t as sought after as they were with the 3-point contest or the All-Star Game.

Lack of stars ruined the event

It wasn’t long ago that stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Donovan Mitchell and others were competing in the dunk contest during All-Star Weekend. Although they were small at the time and the event has always catered to young players looking to make a name for themselves, it has suddenly become something that no one wants to participate in.

Jaylen Brown has been the only All-Star talent to participate in the event over the past several years. We see players and stars all the time talking about how the dunk contest should be changed, fixed, and saved, yet none of them are willing to step up and be the solution.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the problem here. The reason past dunk contests with Carter, Jordan, LaVine and Gordon have always been talked about is that they not only cared about putting on a show, but they were also willing to be the face of the event.

Nobody wants to do that these days except a G League player, which is why the talent in the dunk contest has been extremely low over the past few seasons.

This should in no way be taken as a disrespect to this year’s participants: Keshad Johnson, Carter Bryant, Jace Richardson and Jackson Hayes. These people did what they could, and should really be commended for making this program happen when so many others turned down the opportunity to participate.

Also, what have any of these players actually done that made people flock to this event and think it would be any different from the disappointments of almost every dunk contest over the years? Bryant and Richardson are rookies who have barely played, Hayes has been a backup big man for most of his career, and Johnson has played a total of 257 minutes in his career.

Unless they’re a fan of one of these four players’ teams or are a basketball buff like yours truly, the average NBA fan doesn’t know anything about this year’s participants. This is a big problem, and this issue has existed for years in relation to the Dunk Contest.

Needless to mention, Hayes criticized the dunk contest after the event on Saturday night, claiming he would rather be in Hawaii than Los Angeles for All-Star Weekend festivities. When a lesser-known player is saying this, there is a serious problem with spectacle.

After all, it’s not like this year’s event was all that memorable, as it was filled with a lot of dancing and a few dunks, most of which any player in the NBA could have done. There was nothing unique about this event, and it has almost turned into an event that fans are only attending and cheering for because they don’t want to let go of the past.

Keshad Johnson went under the backboard for this dunk.

pic.twitter.com/EHjdA3ADi5

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 15 February 2026

Even the young, rising stars, who can easily win the event and get a lot of endorsement deals and set the standards for the next generation, do not want to participate in the event. Prominent rookies and second-year players, who should see such an opportunity as an honor, are ignoring the event because it is not like it used to be.

VJ Edgecombe has had an All-Rookie and Rookie of the Year campaign this year with the Philadelphia 76ers, and fans would love to see him take a lead role in the dunk contest. But the Sixers rookie had other ideas and made it clear he would not be accepting an invitation to the event, giving no specific reason other than “I’m not doing that” and that he’s “cool.”

Perhaps the dunk contest has run its course, especially when every year it’s the same story of a disappointing event and star players pleading to save it. That’s exactly what happened in 2025, prompting Ja Morant and others to hint that this year’s event in Inglewood will be one to remember for years.

Ja Morant, Zach LaVine and even Giannis claimed on social media that they could save the event after McClung won for the third consecutive year. It takes that kind of energy to save the Dunk Contest, yet neither star participated in the event last weekend.

NBA All-Star Saturday has lost its touch as the dunk contest continues to dominate the headlines. But at the same time, that doesn’t mean All-Star Weekend as a whole needs a revamp.

All-Star Saturday still works… kind of

Fans and NBA media members alike have been very critical of All-Star Weekend over the years. More specifically, All-Star Saturday Night has become a major discussion topic, with some questioning whether it is even necessary anymore.

Just because the Dunk Contest has been disappointing and needs a change, doesn’t mean that every single fun event that basketball fans around the world enjoy watching should be abandoned.

The NBA 3-Point Contest is still a great spectacle, and one of the main reasons is that big names and elite 3-point shooting threats are willing to participate. Each of the past six winners of the event has been an All-Star talent, and Damian Lillard has now won the event in three of the last four seasons.

Less than 24 hours after the contest ended Saturday in Inglewood, Stephen Curry and Lillard made it clear they will be back in contention next season when the Phoenix Suns host All-Star Weekend.

For anyone who had any doubts about how serious Curry and Lillard are, these two are already teaming up to recruit Devin Booker, who said he would participate, and Klay Thompson, who Steph told Lillard via message that he would get them to sign.

With Lillard, Curry, Booker and Thompson, the 2027 3-Point Contest already has the best field in the event’s history, as all four stars have won the 3-point crown before. So, if the big names can come together to do this for one of the All-Star Saturday events, why can’t they do the same for the others?

This year’s All-Star Saturday Night, which took place at noon, started with a fun and thrilling 3-point contest that came down to Lillard, Booker and rookie sensation Kon Knueppel. Overall, it was a great event that no one had any problems with, especially considering that Lillard has been out the entire season recovering from an Achilles injury and he not only participated, but won the event.

The next order of business was Kia Shooting Stars, which replaced the Skills Challenge. Although it was not as entertaining as previous events, Shooting Stars brought a level of excitement with the addition of past greats such as Alan Houston and Ron Harper. Whenever the NBA can add former players and Hall of Fame talent, they should always take advantage of the opportunity.

But after these first two events, the Dunk Contest, which is always the headliner of All-Star Saturday Night, was a complete waste of time. The attendees hardly made any noise, and there was virtually no over-the-top reaction from current and former players present to watch the competition.

The dunk contest has lost its touch. Unless some of the league’s best dunkers and stars are willing to save the event, it’s time to join the skills challenge. In doing so, the NBA could create a new event that both fans and players have been demanding:

A 1-on-1 tournament.

Time for a new 1 vs 1 event?

One thing the NBA does really well is involving the players and letting their input help make decisions to better the league. Commissioner Adam Silver and the NBA office have worked long and hard with the players union over the past few seasons to improve the All-Star Game, and we can certainly see improvements in terms of competitiveness on the court.

Both the NBA and the players deserve a lot of credit for making All-Star Weekend better than ever.

However, there’s still room for growth, and it all goes back to All-Star Saturday Night, with the Dunk Contest coming off as an event that overstayed its welcome. Down the road, it might make sense to bring back the dunk contest, but for now, it’s time to put this event next to the Skills Challenge.

As for what will replace the Dunk Contest and become the main event of All-Star Weekend, the NBA should look no further than the success women’s basketball has had with its unmatched 1-on-1 tournament. WNBA players have taken the event as seriously as their season over the years, and the event has generated a lot of interest among NBA talent.

At the 2025 All-Star Game, Kevin Durant spoke highly of the idea of ​​a 1-on-1 tournament and claimed that the league is full of amazing talent that could make the event stand out.

“I don’t think it’s going to be easy to predict who will come out on top,” Durant said on NBA TV. “I think there are a lot of guys that can come out here and put on a show in 1-on-1, so it will be a great addition to All-Star Weekend. We’ll see what happens.”

Durant talked about the idea of ​​a 1-on-1 tournament with Draymond Green and claimed he would play if the NBA added the event to All-Star Weekend.

This year, it was Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown who was the leading voice for a 1-on-1 tournament to be added to the All-Star calendar, as he fully supported the idea of ​​moving the event to All-Star Weekend.

“I’m really a big fan of one-on-one,” Brown said at All-Star media day. “There are some guys here this weekend that I would love to challenge. All of them. Luka (Doncic), Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander), (Jalen) Brunson, Donovan (Mitchell). I would challenge all of those guys one by one. We can donate to any charity. Let’s set it up.”

With Durant and Brown publicly advocating for a 1-on-1 tournament over the past two All-Star Weekends, and many other stars likely feeling the same way, could we possibly see it debut in 2027? Maybe we could even see a 1-on-1 All-Star tournament replace the dunk contest for a while.

The NBA has some decisions to make regarding All-Star Weekend, and no decision is bigger than what happens with Saturday night’s activities, specifically the Dunk Contest. Unless they get stars and notable talent to participate, the event will continue to be disrespected and despised by players and fans alike.