Xuan Son is the most expensive player in Vietnamese football history; Vietnamese-origin tennis player 'follows in Nadal's footsteps' at the Australian Open

Xuan Son is the most expensive player in the history of Vietnamese football.

Striker Nguyen Xuan Son has just set a new milestone in the history of the Vietnamese national team by becoming the player with the highest transfer value of all time.

In the latest update from Transfermarkt, Xuan Son is valued at 700,000 euros (about 17.8 billion VND), an increase of 200,000 euros compared to the previous valuation. This is also the highest price in the career of the striker born in 1997.

When he was playing for Vegalta Sendai Club in Japan, Xuan Son was once valued at only 50,000 euros. However, since coming to play in Vietnam, his value has continuously increased thanks to his stable performance, especially after shining in the national team jersey atASEAN Cup 2024.

With the new valuation, Xuan Son is not only the most expensive player in the current Vietnamese team but also sets a new standard for domestic stars. This success reflects the ability of the Brazilian striker as well as his appeal in the regional football scene.

Previously, this record belonged to goalkeeper Nguyen Filip. He was valued at 600,000 euros when playing at Slovan Liberec. At one point, Filip's value even reached a peak of 950,000 euros per year. However, at that time, Filip had not yet obtained Vietnamese citizenship. Currently, the value of the goalkeeper born in 1992 is 500,000 euros.

Besides Xuan Son, some other Vietnamese players also increased their market value such as Tien Linh (350,000 euros), Duy Manh (325,000 euros), Thanh Chung, Xuan Manh and Bui Vi Hao (300,000 euros).

Vietnamese tennis player 'follows in Nadal's footsteps' at Australian Open

The 2025 Australian Open continued to witness surprises when Vietnamese-American player Learner Tien became the youngest person to reach the fourth round in the past 20 years.

19-year-old Learner Tien won 3-0 against Corentin Moutet with a score of 7-6, 6-3, 6-3 on the afternoon of January 18. Thereby, Tien's fairy tale continued to be written at Melbourne Park.

Tien is also the youngest person to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open since the legendary Rafael Nadal achieved this feat in 2005 at the age of 18.

Nearly two months after his 19th birthday, Tien (world No. 121) overwhelmed French player Corentin Moutet (world No. 69) before his opponent suffered a problem with his left leg and accepted defeat.

Tien's victory came just two days after he pulled off the biggest shock of the tournament, defeating former US Open champion and three-time tournament runner-up Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling five-set match.

Liverpool won 3 spectacular points thanks to 2 goals in extra time

Playing away against Brentford, in the 5th minute, Liverpool's goal was shaken and escaped a clear goal. Brentford made a right-wing pass with a cross across The Reds' goal. Luckily, Damsgaard missed the ball at close range, otherwise, the away team's net would have certainly shaken.

Just two minutes later, Liverpool responded, but Gakpo's header went straight to goalkeeper Flekken. In the period after that, The Reds dominated the game but seemed quite stuck by Brentford's annoying style of play. It was not until the 33rd minute that Liverpool had a clear chance, when Szoboszlai's long-range shot was denied by the crossbar.

In the 39th minute, Salah made a good pass but Gakpo's finish was too bad when facing Flekken. Therefore, the first half ended without any goals scored - a fact that is not surprising for Slot's Liverpool this season.

In the second half, Liverpool increased the pace in search of a goal. The Reds created good pressure on Brentford's goal, but their final shots lacked the sharpness to put the ball into the net. The most regrettable situation was probably in the 77th minute, when Gakpo missed in the penalty area after a favorable pass from his teammate. A very uninspired day for the Dutch star.

As time passed, Liverpool became more and more stuck. It seemed that the visitors would return with another draw, but Slot's substitution paid off. In just 2 minutes of added time, from 90+1 to 90+3, striker Nunez shone with a quick double, thereby helping Liverpool win a thrilling 2-0 victory over Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium.

This extremely important victory helped Liverpool consolidate their top position with 50 points, 7 points ahead of second-placed Arsenal. In round 23 of the Premier League, Liverpool will face Ipswich at Anfield on January 25.

Man United recruit Sporting Lisbon star

According to Independent, Man United owners are optimistic about signing Viktor Gyokeres from Sporting Lisbon in the summer, despite Arsenal also being determined to own this star.

The Red Devils are very confident in this deal because coach Ruben Amorim is the former teacher of the Swedish striker. Moreover, Man United also has a good relationship with Sporting Lisbon because the two sides have made many transfers over the years.

Viktor Gyokeres played extremely well for Sporting Lisbon when coach Ruben Amorim took charge, so he was very popular with this strategist.

Arsenal are also keeping a close eye on the Swedish striker's form as they look to sign a quality player to fill the void left by Gabriel Jesus after his serious injury.

Besides, Arsenal also target other quality strikers like Gyokeres such as Benjamin Sesko (RB Leipzig) and Evan Ferguson (Brighton).

However, Sporting do not want to sell Gyokeres in this winter transfer window. The deal will be more favorable in the summer of 2025 for both Man United and Arsenal.

Viktor Gyokeres himself also wants to join MU more than Arsenal, because he wants to reunite with his old teacher who understands him very well, Ruben Amorim.

Gyokeres is said to have a release clause of less than £100 million. This is not a cheap price, but Man United can completely afford it if they can liquidate some names like Marcus Rashford, Casmiro, Tyrell Malacia in the near future.

Ancelotti at risk of being fired by Real

In case Real Madrid fails to pass the Champions League qualifying round this season, coach Carlo Ancelotti will have to say goodbye to the hot seat at Bernabeu.

Despite the heavy 2-5 defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on January 13, Real Madrid is said to not fire coach Carlo Ancelotti, unless the team suffers a major shock in the Champions League.

Spanish media unanimously confirmed that Real Madrid's leadership still has faith in Ancelotti. However, if they are eliminated from the Champions League qualifying round, the Spanish Royal team will likely make a decision to change.

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano also confirmed this information. In that case, Santiago Solari, who led Real Madrid temporarily in the past, will return to take charge of the team until the end of the season.

Despite rumours of a possible move to coach the Brazilian national team, the Italian is currently focused on Real Madrid's upcoming fixtures. The club's board has also stressed the importance of stability in their quest for European glory.

Real Madrid have set their sights high on the Champions League, a tournament that is often seen as a measure of a team’s success. With Ancelotti’s experience and mettle, the team hopes to weather the storm and continue to compete for titles this season.

However, "Los Blancos" are really in trouble. They are currently 20th in the Champions League qualifying round after 6 matches. In the last two matches, Real will face RB Salzburg and Brest respectively. If they continue to play poorly, the risk of Real being eliminated is possible.