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Showing posts from July, 2018

Atletico sign Arias as Inter take Vrsaljko on loan

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Inter will have the option to turn Vrsaljko's loan into a permanent deal. They had been seeking a replacement for Joao Cancelo, who has joined Serie A rivals Juventus. Vrsaljko's arrival at Inter could affect Matteo Darmian's future. The San Siro was touted as a possible destination for the want-away Manchester United full-back, but Inter's interest may now have cooled. Vrsaljko's replacement Arias was the Eredivisie Player of the Year last season, and represented Colombia at this summer's World Cup - where they reached the last-16, losing to England.   PSV signed the 26-year-old form Sporting Lisbon in 2013 and he went on to make 173 appearances for the Dutch club, scoring 10 goals and registering 21 assists. Arias won the Eredivisie in his final three seasons in the Netherlands, as well as lifting the John Cruyff Shield twice.

Transfer Latest

Real Madrid approached Kane & Salah Spanish giants have made contact with Premier League stars Real Madrid have made approaches for Mohamed Salah and Harry Kane during this transfer window, claims  El Pais . After the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo, the end of their pursuit of Eden Hazard and having to deny approaches for Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the European champions are looking for more star attackers to strengthen their attack. Madrid sounded out Salah and Kane through intermediaries, but the Liverpool star is happy and committed to Liverpool after signing a new contract, while Kane was indifferent towards the Santiago Bernabeu team. Valencia target Batshuayi Valencia are interested in signing Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea,  The Mirror   reports. After impressing on loan at Borussia Dortmund, the Belgian striker is willing to leave Chelsea to secure regular first-team football and Valencia hope they can lure him with the promise of playing in the Champion

Inter make Modric approach

Luciano Spalletti's side approach World Cup finalist Inter are targeting a move for Real Madrid star Luka Modric this summer, journalist  Gianluca Di Marzio  reports. The Serie A side have made contact with the midfielder's agent already and he discussed a potential move with Croatia team-mates and Inter players Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic during the World Cup. As a result of their interest in Modric, the Nerazzurri are holding back on their pursuit of Arturo Vidal.

Madrid to sign Pulisic

Perez ready to move for Dortmund star Real Madrid are ready to turn their attentions to Christian Pulisic as they play the waiting game over signing Neymar,  Don Balon  reports. The Blues are apparently put off by Chelseas €200 million asking price for Eden Hazard, and are willing to wait and go for Neymar in 2019. Madrid will therefore move for the cheaper option this summer in €70m Pulisic, who has apparently already indicated he would be happy to move to the Bernabeu.

PSG may be Martial's only option

  France international denied Premier League switch Paris Saint-Germain have emerged as Anthony Martial's only option as he looks to leave Manchester United, according to  The Independent . Chelsea and Tottenham have also shown an interest in the France international, but United will not sell the player to a Premier League rival. As such PSG now seem his likeliest destination, though they will only follow up their own interest should they be forced to sell Neymar or Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid.

What is Dembele's Barcelona future after Malcom signing

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The talented France forward arrived last summer after Neymar left the club, but his place could now be under threat from another Brazilian attacker   Barcelona's signing of Malcom has caused controversy. The winger  arrived last week in a €41 million deal  , despite the fact that both Bordeaux and Roma had announced the player would be moving to the Stadio Olimpico this summer. The Catalans' late interest in the 21-year-old Brazilian even sparked some suggestions that the club had been unaware of him until Roma's sporting director Monchi made his move, while the nature of the deal also raises serious doubts over Barca's strategy in the transfer market. Coach Ernesto Valverde had wanted to sign Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid and everyone at Barca was sure the France forward would arrive at Camp Nou this summer. There were even indications from the player that he would be joining. But Griezmann accepted a huge offer to stay at Atleti that will se

Transfer Latest

Willian fails to report to Chelsea training amid £65m Real Madrid bid   The Spanish club have tabled an offer for the Brazilian star Willian has failed to report for pre-season training at Chelsea after Real Madrid tabled a £65 million ($85m) bid for the Brazil international, according to  The Times. The winger insists he has an issue with his passport, but not everyone at Chelsea believes his excuse. Real also want to sign Thibaut Courtois from the Stamford Bridge club, and are willing to pay £100m ($131m) for the pair.     Mawson undergoes medical at Fulham   Swansea defender Alfie Mawson looks set for an immediate Premier League return, with a medical underway at Fulham, per  Sky Sports News . The 24-year-old looks set to head to Craven Cottage in a deal that will see the Swans paid £15m ($20m) up front. Fulham are said to have beaten off West Ham and Burnley in the race for the centre-back’s signature, who was called up to the England squad in March.

Liverpool's new look midfield

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Jurgen Klopp took Liverpool  to the brink of Champions League glory  with a midfield trio of James Milner, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum. Milner, in particular, was a revelation in Europe, although all three deserved credit. It was an impressive effort. But Liverpool have still been ambitious enough to use the summer as an opportunity to improve. Klopp has upgraded his midfield.  The arrival of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig  had long been anticipated but that does not make it any less exciting.  The signing of Fabinho from Monaco  underlines the commitment to quality in the centre of the pitch. These are two players, 23 and 24 respectively, who will be able to bring something more to Liverpool's midfield play. Keita is a goal threat and a creative player too, one who will support the front three in the final third. He covers the ground quickly and wins the ball back high up the field. Fabinho could be the ideal counter-balance - a physical presence capabl

Chelsea in talks with Vecino

Inter are understood to want £32m for the Uruguay international, who featured in each of his country's games at the World Cup in Russia. The 26-year-old played under new Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri at Empoli in 2014/15 and was an integral member for Inter in Serie A last season, making 29 appearances and scoring three goals. Sarri has already signed midfielder Jorginho from former club Napoli and goalkeeper Rob Green on a free transfer, but it looks like the Italian is keen to further bolster his squad ahead of the transfer window closing on August 9. Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign away to Huddersfield on August 11, after playing Premier League champions Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday.

Latest Transfer News

Gignac to replace Falcao? Monaco are considering making a move for Tigres striker Andre-Pierre Gignac,  France Football  claims. Current ASM hitman Radamel Falcao is currently being linked with a move to AC Milan – as well as the Chinese Super League – forcing the principality outfit to consider their options. Gignac, now 32, has excelled during his time in Mexico, scoring 70 goals in 123 appearances, and knows Ligue 1 all too well after stints with Lorient, Toulouse and Marseille. Lewandowski is Sarri's top target Real Madrid also lurk for the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski has been new Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri's top option all summer reports the  Daily Star , even over Sarri's former player Gonzalo Higauin. However, Bayern Munich remain unwilling to sell their star striker in the face of interest from the London club and Real Madrid. The Blues have only nine days left to convince Bayern to sell before the Premier League transfer window clo

Simeone: I would pick Messi over Ronaldo

The Atletico boss believes the new Juventus star would find it easier than Barcelona talisman to adapt to poorer team-mates   Diego Simeone rates Lionel Messi as a superior player to Cristiano Ronaldo despite believing the Juventus star is the better man for a bad situation. A recording of Simeone stating his preference for Ronaldo  emerged in the aftermath of Argentina's shock 3-0 loss to Croatia at the World Cup. But the Atletico Madrid head coach has now affirmed his belief that Barcelona ace Messi is the standout of the pair, on the condition he is surrounded by top talent. The Argentina captain, Simeone reasons, would struggle to match Ronaldo's output among lesser team-mates. "If I had to choose between Messi and Ronaldo then most likely I would choose Messi," Simeone told reporters. "Yes I said [Ronaldo] on the video, but the conversation was between me and [Atleti assistant] German Burgos, talking about football as everyone talks about

Lemar: Am very happy to join Atletico

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Thomas Lemar will wear the number 11 shirt at Atletico Thomas Lemar has described himself as "very happy" to be at Atletico Madrid after the La Liga side confirmed his transfer from Monaco. The Spanish team announced last month that they had agreed to sign Lemar, and he was finally presented as an Atletico player on Monday. Speaking at his unveiling, the 22-year-old said: "I'm very happy with the decision I made. I know this team demands hard work and I'll give it my all. If I need to run more, I'll do it without a problem."   Liverpool and Arsenal have both made offers for Lemar in the past, but on both occasions he stayed with Monaco.   The Ligue 1 club signed him as a 19-year-old from French side Stade Malherbe Caen, and he went on to be a key part of the Monaco squad that won the title in 2016/17.   Lemar was also part of France's World Cup winning side this summer, although he only made one appearance in Russia.

Lewandowski to remain at Bayern

Bayern Munich boss Niko Kovac admits Poland striker Robert Lewandowski wants to leave, but insists he will not allow him to quit the club. Speaking to Sky in Germany, Kovac admitted Lewandowski has been looking at other opportunities. Sky sources understand Lewandowski had  appointed agent Pini Zahavi as his representative with the sole intention to  secure him a move away from Germany . Kovac said: "There is nothing new with Robert. The status is that he will not leave the club because he's our top striker. And certainly we don't want to give him away and won't give him away "We want to achieve a lot with him. He is a great footballer. He has already achieved a lot in Bundesliga, he has scored many goals and will certainly score many goals. "It's true that Robert is thinking about playing somewhere else. Naturally, one thing is what he wants, the other is what we want. "We are FC Bayern, we have a top striker. We certainly w

Neymar: I am a new man after World Cup criticism

The star used a sponsor's ad with Gillette to accept criticism generated by his actions at the World Cup and vow to bounce back   Neymar admitted he exaggerated fouls during the World Cup but the Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain superstar has pledged to become a new man after falling apart in Russia. There were high hopes for Neymar and Brazil at Russia 2018 but the South American giants made a  shock quarter-final exit against Belgium  . Neymar –  who scored twice at the showpiece tournament after recovering from a broken foot sustained in February – was a regular target of criticism for his  theatrics and behaviour on the pitch   The 26-year-old forward, the most expensive player in history, was subsequently left off the shortlist for FIFA's Best awards  . Neymar used a sponsor's advertisement with personal care products manufacturer Gillette to accept criticism and vow to bounce back. The ad started with Neymar saying, "Boot-stud on the shins. Ki

Courtois move to Real Madrid stalls

Chelsea will not resume talks with Real Madrid over a deal for Thibaut Courtois until they find a suitable replacement for the goalkeeper, as per reports. It is thought Courtois will be allowed to leave the club this summer, with Madrid his preferred destination, but Chelsea have yet to make progress on a deal to sign a new keeper. It was also reported last week that Jordan Pickford was their number one target, but the England international is set for contract talks at Everton when he returns to the club this summer. Courtois, who has one year left on his current Chelsea deal, is valued at £32m by Madrid and it is expected that there would be no issue with agreeing personal terms. But, the Belgium keeper will start the new season at Stamford Bridge if no successor can be found before Deadline Day and could then run down his current deal, meaning he would be able to leave for free next summer. Courtois could yet sign a new contract at Chelsea and has previously said that "a

Transfer Headlines

*Chelsea eyeing a sensational move for Aaron Ramsey* The Blues are preparing a £30 million transfer deadline move for Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman has entered the final 12 months of his Arsenal contract and according to Daily Mail, no talks have taken place between the two parties for an extension. *Juventus' plan to sign Paul Pogba revealed* In a sensational revelation by the Sunday Mirror, it has been reported that Juventus are ready to sell four first-team players in order to raise funds for the mega signing of Paul Pogba. Juventus have also told Pogba's agent Mino Raiola that they are willing to go the distance for bringing back the midfielder to Turin. *Milan closing in on Sime Vrsaljko* The Atletico Madrid fullback is on his way to the San Siro. Gazzetta Dello Sport can reveal that Vrsaljko will be an Inter Milan player in the next week or so. The clubs have agreed upon a €5.5 million loan fee for the Croatian defender and are ready to pay €16.5 million next

Chelsea keen on Pulisic

The USMNT star can count the west London club as one of his admirers, as an opportunity to sign the winger presents itself Chelsea have been alerted that Borussia Dortmund are ready to sell Christian Pulisic after news emerged that the club is ready to offload the U.S. international him for around £65 million ($85m). The 19-year-old has many admirers ranging from Liverpool to Real Madrid, who could provide sizeable competition for Chelsea, but Roman Abramovich has been involved in talks with Maurizio Sarri and extenal clubs as he  arrived in Nice to watch their pre-season match  against Inter. Abramovich has his boat and property in Antibes, close to Nice's Allianz Riviera stadium, where Chelsea won on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the International Champions Cup Pulisic is the newest name to join Chelsea's hit list with the feeling that Dortmund are ready to sell the star with only two years left on his deal. Sarri may need to move on some of his sta

Valverde: Barcelona open to more summer signings

Barcelona's summer transfer business is not over, according to coach Ernesto Valverde, who says the Blaugrana are likely to make more signings before the close of the window. The Liga champions recently announced the capture of Brazilian winger Malcom from Bordeaux, beating Roma to the punch at the last minute. Malcom became the club's third signing of the summer following Arthur Melo and Clement Lenglet's arrivals at Camp Nou. “We're open to any possibility,” the coach told a news conference, “It's true that we've had some big departures in midfield so it's likely that we will make more signings. “We will try to build the most competitive squad possible, keeping in mind that Andres [Iniesta] and Paulinho have left.” When quizzed on what profile the club are looking for in terms of targets, he said: “It doesn't depend only on me, but on the club and what players are available. “We want players that fit our style. We need people that can generate p

Munir to stay at Barcelona

Barcelona  have informed  Munir El Haddadi  that he will form part of their first-team squad this season, reports  Mundo Deportivo. Munir, who spent the past two seasons on loan at Valencia and Alaves respectively, was informed by Barca’s sporting director Eric Abidal that he will have playing opportunities as part of Ernesto Valverde’s squad in 2018/19. In addition, Barca are considering extending his contract, which expires next June, by a further five years

Barcelona and Everton agree deal for Digne

After seeing his first-team opportunities limited under Ernesto Valverde, the French full-back will look for a fresh start at Goodison Park Everton and Barcelona have come to an agreement over a fee for France international left-back Lucas Digne. The Toffees have agreed to sign the former Roma and Paris Saint-Germain star for a value between €22 million (£19.5m/$25.6m) and €25m (£22m/$29m) once bonuses are included. The defender, who turned 25 last week, grew frustrated at Camp Nou last season when his first-team opportunities were limited under new coach Ernesto Valverde, who restricted him to only 20 appearances in total and caused the player to miss out on the opportunity of playing at the World Cup. His Barcelona career had started promisingly under Luis Enrique, who quit at the end of the 2016-17 season. Valverde’s presence, however, saw Lille youth produce Digne have his playing time dramatically reduced as Jordi Alba became an immovable object in Barca

Bonucci eyes Juventus return

AC Milan defender Leonardo Bonucci is ready to return to Juventus after just one season at the San Siro, according to new club general manager Leonardo. Bonucci, 31, caused a stir in the summer of 2017 when he swapped Turin for Milan after seven trophy-laden seasons with the Old Lady. But the centre-back failed to find the imperious form that had marked him out as one of the world's elite defenders in his new home, amid constant instability on and off the pitch for the club. And on his first day back at the Rossoneri, Leonardo admitted that his namesake was close to making an exit. “I’ve met some people, not just those from Juventus,” the 1994 World Cup winner, who has represented Milan as player and coach, told reporters in Thursday's press conference. “We’re bound to FFP, so it won’t be a crazy market. It’ll be moderate and wise. The desire [to talk to Juve] started with Leonardo Bonucci, so if we can, we’ll make it happen. We have no objection to it. While affir

Mbappe copies Ronaldo by taking PSG No. 7 shirt

Kylian Mbappe already looks destined to replace Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the world's biggest stars, but the Paris Saint-Germain star seems to be going further to challenge the Portuguese's legacy. The Frenchman has become a global sensation since his breakthrough at Monaco, and his stock is constantly on the rise. Mbappe had been touted as the ideal option to step into Ronaldo's position at Real Madrid as the attacker departed for Juventus, but the striker is set to stay in the French capital after the Spaniards released a statement denying a move is on the cards. PSG have revealed that the 19-year-old has ditched the No.29 shirt he wore in his first season with the club and will instead don the new figure for the 2018-19 campaign. "The fu7ure is now," a video announcing the news declared on Twitter, using the hashtag #K7lian.

Chelsea set £62m price tag on Morata

Chelsea have told AC Milan they will have to pay up to £62m for Alvaro Morata after initial negotiations got underway on Wednesday, according to reports. It is understood Milan's new sporting director, Leonardo, had a series of phone conversations about a potential transfer, with the player reportedly keen on a return to Italy, where he impressed for Juventus in the Champions League. The two clubs remain poles apart on their valuations of the player, though, prompting Milan to retain their interest in bringing Gonzalo Higuain or Radamel Falcao to the San Siro. Chelsea have already made initial contact with Juventus with the hope of signing Higuain, according to reports. Higuain scored 36 goals in 35 games for Napoli in in the 2015/16 season under Maurizio Sarri, who is now in charge of Chelsea. Morata joined Chelsea last summer from Real Madrid for an initial £57m, with the job of replacing Diego Costa.

Transfer Latest

Man Utd make Rebic contact 12 minutes ago   09:49 Mourinho continues pursuit of a new winger Manchester United have contacted Ante Rebic’s agent regarding a potential move for the Eintracht Frankfurt winger, reports  Sport Bild . Jose Mourinho appears to be in the market for a new winger, having also been linked with Willian and Ivan Perisic, and is now targeting Rebic. The Croatia international enjoyed a positive World Cup and United are reportedly willing to pay up to £50 million ($66m) for the 24-year-old. Bayern discuss sale of Man Utd-linked Thiago 26 minutes ago   09:35 Bayern Munich have ruled out selling reported Manchester United target Thiago Alcantara during the summer transfer window. The midfielder has been linked with a big-money switch to Old Trafford in a bid to boost the Red Devils' chances of winning the Premier League this season. However, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has rubbished speculation linking Thiago with a move away