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Bayern Munich have drawn their January pursuit of Chelsea’s teenage winger Callum Hudson-Odoi to an apparent close, according to head coach Niko Kovac. The Bundesliga champions had been heavily linked with a move for the 18-year-old after he reportedly grew dissatisfied at his lack of chances under Maurizio Sarri and Stamford Bridge. Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed their interest in Hudson-Odoi earlier in January, with club legend Michael Ballack among those who had also further praised the England youth international. It is understood that the player was still keen on a move to Germany from London, despite the pleas of Sarri for the youngster to remain at the club that developed his talents. However, Bayern boss Kovac has now indicated that there will be no move for Hudson-Odoi this month, signalling that his side have completed their business for the window. “We will no longer be active in the transfer market,” the coach told a press conference on d...

The Spain international midfielder has linked up with the  Gunners on an initial agreement which will run through to  the end of the 2018-19 campaign Denis Suarez has completed his loan move to Arsenal  after extending his contract at Barcelona through to  2021. Despite penning fresh terms at Camp Nou, the deal  which has taken the 25-year-old to Emirates Stadium  includes the option for Gunners to push through a  permanent transfer in the summer. Everything is now official, with Suarez linking up with  the Gunners on an initial agreement through to the end  of the 2018-19 campaign. Emery told Arsenal's website on bringing in a familiar  face: “We are very happy that Denis Suarez is joining us. "He is a player we know well and I have worked with  him at Sevilla. He brings us quality and options in many  different attacking positions, so he’ll be able to help the  t...

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has said Eden Hazard is free to leave the club if he wants to. Sarri wants Hazard to stay but does not think the club should stand in the Belgian's way if he would prefer to move on. Hazard has long been linked with a move to Spanish side Real Madrid and has said in the past that he would be interested in a move to the reigning Champions League holders. But Chelsea are looking to renew Hazard's contract, which expires next season, and the west London side risk losing him for free in 2020, if he does not extend his current deal. "The situation of Eden is different," Sarri told reporters. "Eden is 28. If he wants to go, I think he has to go. "Of course, I hope the opposite, I hope he wants to stay here. "He has the potential to be the best player in Europe at the moment."

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Neymar will miss both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester United through injury. The Brazilian sustained a metatarsal injury in his right foot during PSG's clash against Strasbourg in the Coupe de France round of 16 match on 23 January and he received a thorough examination at the club's training ground on Tuesday. Following the review, Neymar has been ruled out of action for 10 weeks, which will see him miss a crucial run of fixtures for the French champions. The mercurial forward will play no part in PSG's trip to Old Trafford on February 12, nor will he be available to play in the return leg at Parc des Princes on March 3. This latest news will come as a huge blow to supporters and PSG boss Thomas Tuchel, given the fact that Neymar has had such a huge influence on their 2018-19 campaign so far. Depending on how Neymar's recovery goes, he might also have to sit out the Champions League q...

Arsenal are expected to finalise the loan signing of Denis Suarez from Barcelona before Thursday's transfer deadline after a breakthrough in talks with the Catalan club, as per reports. Unai Emery confirmed at the start of January that the Gunners will not be making any permanent signings during the winter transfer window, but admitted that loan deals are possible. The north Londoners brought in Lucas Torreira, Bernd Leno, Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Matteo Guendouzi during the summer transfer window, and are expecting an increased transfer budget this summer when their new £300 million kit deal with Adidas kicks in. Suarez, though, has been identified as a player who can compete with Alex Iwobi and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for a place on the flanks during the second half of the season, having previously worked under Emery when the two were at Sevilla in the 2014-15 season. Talks were initially at an advanced stage between the two clubs but broke down after Barcelona insist...

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted that the Premier League title is now in Liverpool's hands after his team fell to another painful defeat on Tuesday. The reverse was City's fourth Premier League defeat this season, three of which have come in the last seven games in a run that has allowed Liverpool to cut loose at the top. Jurgen Klopp's men can go seven points clear with a victory against Leicester City on Wednesday, and Pep recognises his men face an uphill task to retain their crown. "It is difficult. We have a chance to do it but we need to win our games,” Guardiola explained to reporters. “The advantage is not there but we need to continue. We have to do our games and know what we have to do. “You can lose. Football is competitive. "We had a chance today to reduce the lead. Tomorrow is a game for our opponent. When you are behind you have to win games and we couldn't do that. "I know the challenge is big, being in al...

Chelsea have denied Callum Hudson-Odoi's transfer request, blocking the teenager's hope of a January exit to join Bayern Munich, as per reports. Hudson-Odoi hoped to escalate matters at the end of last week in pursuit of a move to the Bundesliga champions, personally delivering his request for a winter move. However, he will now have to wait until at least the summer to receive his exit, with Bayern likely to come back for Hudson-Odoi at the end of the season. The last official offer from the Bundesliga giants was a deal for £35 million ($46m), though after Hudson-Odoi's transfer request the Bavarians were willing to negotiate further. A move to Bayern is still likely to be Hudson-Odoi's preferred destination next season, but rejecting a sale now provides the Blues with an opportunity to further work to convince the 18-year-old his future is best served by remaining at Stamford Bridge. Hudson-Odoi's current contract runs out in the summer of 2020 and...

Alvaro Morata has completed an 18-month long loan move from Chelsea to Atletico Madrid with a purchase option set for the end of that time. The 26-year-old had reached personal terms with the Liga side last week, with the player set to accept a pay cut on his current £120,000 per week wages upon the activation of Atleti's option to purchase. And Atletico have confirmed that the Spain international has completed a medical and signed on for the rest of this season and the entirety of the 2019-20 campaign. "I'm very happy and proud to be here. I can't wait to start training, meet my new team-mates and play," Morata told the Spanish side's website. Although his professional breakthrough came at city rivals Real Madrid, Morata spent four years at Atletico as a youth academy player. After two spells with Real, which were sandwiched by an impressive period at Juventus, Morata joined Chelsea in 2017 and enjoyed a bright start to life in the Premier L...

Neymar is unlikely to play when Paris Saint-Germain travel to Manchester United in the Champions League next month, according to head coach Thomas Tuchel. The Ligue 1 champions announced the world's most expensive player had suffered a "painful recurrence" of the injury he sustained to his right foot last season after he limped out of this week's 2-0 win over Strasbourg in the Coupe de France. RMC Sport reported Neymar would not be fit to play in the first leg of the last-16 tie at Old Trafford on February 12. Speaking to Canal Plus afterwards, Tuchel acknowledged this was the most likely outcome. "It's going to be super difficult," he said. "As I explained [on Saturday] it's too early to talk about a return date. We have to wait for the first week, which is very important, and his reaction to treatment. "Only after that can we be more precise. But it's going to be super difficult – that's not a secret."

Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has handed in a transfer request as he seeks a move away from Stamford Bridge in order to get more playing time. The 18-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game at Chelsea and has been the subject of a £35m bid from Bayern Munich. Chelsea have been in talks with Hudson-Odoi, who has 18 months left on his contract, and want him to stay. But he has only made five Chelsea starts and 14 appearances overall. There have been reports Hudson-Odoi has been offered a new deal worth up to £80,000 a week, but playing time is understood to be the most important issue for the teenager, who has been at the club since he was eight. Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has been critical of Bayern after they went on the record about wanting to land the player. Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic said the German club "really want to sign him".

Thierry Henry says his sacking by Monaco comes with "great sadness" as the French club reappointed Leonardo Jardim as their new manager. Monaco dismissed Henry from his first managerial role on Thursday with the club second from bottom in Ligue 1. In a statement outlining the re-appointment of Jardim, 44, the club's vice-president Vadim Vasilyev said sacking him in October was "premature". "Leonardo should have had an opportunity to continue," he said. "We have to acknowledge that during the summer transfer window, we sold too many key players and, despite considerable investments, mistakes were made with respect to their replacements. "This did not allow us to create a new, competitive team. The decision to dismiss Leonardo Jardim was also premature. "Thierry Henry is a football legend but a very unfavourable mix of circumstances, including, above all, numerous injuries to our players, hampered him from quickly and e...

Frenkie de Jong says he held talks with Pep Guardiola about joining Manchester City before he decided to move to Barcelona. The Spanish champions announced the signing of the Ajax midfielder on Thursday, with De Jong moving to the Nou Camp in the summer for £65m. However, De Jong says several of European football's biggest clubs were chasing his signature, telling Dutch broadcaster NOS: "I spoke to PSG, yes. "I rang Maxwell [PSG sporting coordinator] to tell him I was not joining them and my agent informed PSG. "I also spoke with Guardiola about a move to Man City. Clubs all try to convince you when they want you. "I am happy and proud that they did so much to get me. I am happy, proud and also somewhat relieved that it's now all behind us." De Jong, who has just five caps for the Netherlands, says Guardiola actually indirectly influenced his decision to opt to move to Barcelona.

Paris St-Germain have won the race to sign the highly rated Argentinian midfielder Leandro Paredes for €40m (£34.7m) plus €5m in potential add-ons. The 24-year-old has been playing for Zenit St Petersburg since the summer of 2017, having previously represented Boca Juniors, Chievo, Roma and Empoli. The central midfielder was one of the most sought-after players in this window and PSG will be delighted to have secured him on a long-term deal, especially after losing out on Ajax’s Frenkie De Jong, who has joined Barcelona. PSG are set to lose one of their central midfielders, Adrien Rabiot, in the summer with the Frenchman having agreed to join Barcelona on a free. The PSG manager, Thomas Tuchel, was keen to bring in Paredes, who has nine caps, to begin a squad overhaul. PSG will be without Neymar for a considerable time after he suffered a metatarsal injury in his right foot during a 2-0 victory over Racing Strasbourg in the French Cup on Wednesday. They are top of the French...

New Barcelona signing Kevin-Prince Boateng dismissed suggestions of a past allegiance to Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo by lauding Lionel Messi as the best player "in this world and every world" during his official presentation. Boateng completed a shock move to Barca on Monday, with the Catalan club bringing him in from Sassuolo on a loan deal until the end of the season which includes an €8million purchase option. The 31-year-old represents a left-field option for Barca. Before Sassuolo, Boateng played for Las Palmas and then Eintracht Frankfurt, never quite living up to the early expectations of him after impressing as a teenager with Hertha Berlin. After rumours of his move began to circulate, past quotes from Boateng declaring himself a Madrid fan and praising Ronaldo as the world's best player began to resurface, but he had a concise response on Tuesday. "I am a Barcelona player and Lionel Messi is the best player in this world and every world,...

Chelsea have confirmed that Gonzalo Higuain has joined the club from Juventus on an initial loan deal with an option to buy this summer. Higuain joins the Blues after spending the first half of the campaign on loan at AC Milan, where he scored eight goals. The forward now moves to Chelsea on loan, although the club has an option to buy for £31.6 million ($41m), Juventus confirmed . Juventus also confirmed that there is an option to extend the duration of the loan until June 2020 for a fee of £15.7 million ($20.5m). With the timing of the move, the Argentine is not eligible to feature against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Thursday. Higuain, who will take the No. 9 shirt, comes in as as Alvaro Morata prepares for a loan-to-buy move to Atletico Madrid.

Lionel Messi is set to make his Argentina comeback in the upcoming international friendly against Venezuela on March 22 after almost nine months away from the national team, reportedly. The 31-year-old has not represented his country since Argentina’s 4-3 loss at the hands of France in the round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup, focusing on his club duties with Barcelona so far in 2018-19. "I do not talk very often with Messi, but we have a relationship," national team coach Lionel Scaloni said in December. "We are going to try for him to join us in 2019, we have pending talks and we are optimistic that it will be positive. For us it is something important. Any coach would like to coach him, myself more than any." Messi has yet to officially confirm when he will take to the pitch for Argentina again, but Goal can now reveal he is due to make his comeback in the next international break in March.

Real Madrid are the highest-revenue-generating club in world soccer, according to a new report. Here are the top 10 European Clubs based on revenue: 1 Real Madrid €750.9m 2 FC Barcelona €690.4m 3 Manchester United €666m 4 Bayern Munich €629.2m 5 Manchester City €568.4m 6 Paris Saint-Germain €541.7m 7 Liverpool €513.7m 8 Chelsea €505.7m 9 Arsenal €439.2m 10 Tottenham Hotspur €428.3m The Spanish giants, who have won the Champions League for three consecutive seasons, turned over a record €750.9 million ($854.8m) in the 2017/18 season, the Deloitte Football Money League 2019 found. Barcelona, who currently lead La Liga, are second with revenue of €690.4 million ($785.5m) while Manchester United, first last year, finish third with €666 million ($758m). It is the twelfth time Real Madrid have topped the rankings but the first time since 2014/15 that Spanish clubs have finished in the top two. Deloitte’s analysis revealed the top 20 highest earning clubs saw their com...

Ajax FC have comfirmed that a deal worth 75 million euros plus add-ons has been agreed with Spanish giants Barcelona for the transfer of midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The 21-year-old is one of Europe’s most sought-after young players after impressing in the Ajax midfield since making his debut in 2016. De Jong’s profile increased still further when he broke into the Netherlands side earlier this campaign and it seems a big-money move is not far away. Man City were previously thought to be leading the race after telling Ajax they were willing to pay €70m plus €20m in bonuses to sign De Jong. However, the Catalan club see De Jong as a key player for the future and were ready to offer bumper personal terms in order to edge ahead of the Premier League champions in the race to sign him.

Barcelona are ready to pay Frenkie de Jong €16 million (£14m/$18m) a year in order to beat a host of rivals to the young Ajax midfielder’s signature, as per reports. The 21-year-old is one of Europe’s most sought-after young players after impressing in the Ajax midfield since making his debut in 2016. De Jong’s profile increased still further when he broke into the Netherlands side earlier this campaign and it seems a big-money move is not far away. Barcelona have long been linked with a move for the talented youngster but face competition from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City. Man City were previously thought to be leading the race after telling Ajax they were willing to pay €70m plus €20m in bonuses to sign De Jong. However, the Catalan club see De Jong as a key player for the future and are ready to offer bumper personal terms in order to edge ahead of the Premier League champions in the race to sign him.

The Blaugrana have announced the former Milan man, who hopes to score in the next Clasico, will move to the Liga champions Barcelona  have confirmed the somewhat surprising transfer of Kevin-Prince Boateng from  Sassuolo . It was rep orted earlier Monday that the attacker was on the verge of a shock move from the  Serie A  side , who he joined this past summer, to link up with the Liga champions. The transfer includes a €8 million (£7m/$9m) option to buy, while Barca will pay a €2m loan fee for Boateng to feature for them the remainder of the season. The 31-year-old will be presented on late on Tuesday morning, with a private contract signing set to be followed with a photo session on the Camp Nou pitch and a press conference at noon UK Time. A statement on the club's official website reads: "Kevin-Prince Boateng is a player who will surely adapt quickly to the team. With experience of playing in four of the biggest leagues in Europ...

 Sassuolo star Kevin-Prince  Boateng is on the verge of joining Barcelona in a shock  move. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Barca have identified  Boateng as ‘the right man’ to strengthen their forward  line this month. Consequently, the Catalans would have reached ‘an  agreement in principle’ to take the 31-year-old on ‘an  expensive loan with an €8m option to buy’. The former Milan attacker only joined Sassuolo from  Eintracht Frankfurt last summer and has gone on to  score five goals in 15 appearances. He already has experience of Spanish football with Las  Palmas, where he netted 10 times across 28 games in  La Liga. Barca, for their part, are in the market for attacking  reinforcements after losing Paco Alcacer to Borussia  Dortmund, while Ousmane Dembele is out for several  weeks and Malcom has been linked with a move away.

Real Madrid star Luka Modric said he wants to stay at the La Liga giants beyond his current contract. Modric, who was linked with Serie A side Inter at the start of the season, is contracted to Madrid until 2020. And the 33-year-old Ballon d'Or winner is happy at the Santiago Bernabeu as he eyes an extension. "I have a year and a half left on my contract and I am calm, as that's a long time," Modric told reporters. "My desire is to stay here for more time. I am as happy as I was on the first day." Modric was speaking after scoring in Madrid's 2-0 victory at home to Sevilla in La Liga.

The France international could miss as many as four games for the Catalans after suffering an ankle injury against Leganes Ousmane Dembele has been ruled out for at least two weeks as his   Barcelona   career suffers another injury setback. The  France  international played 69 minutes of the 3-1 win over Leganas on Sunday after  going off with a sprained ankle. Subsequent tests have revealed a tear to the left ankle which will see him miss the next four matches. Dembele is expected to be absent for both legs of the  Copa del Rey   quarter-final against   Sevilla   and the   La Liga   games against   Girona   and   Valencia . He joins an injury list which already includes Rafinha and Samuel Umtiti, both of whom have knee injuries. Since arriving from  Borussia Dortmund , the 21-year-old's career at Camp Nou has been dominated by fitness issues. A hamstring tear saw Demebele miss much of his...

The Frenchman has come under fire plenty of times, but shined on Sunday before suffering an injury Ousmane Dembele can’t catch a break. The French winger delivered his finest performance in a  Barcelona  shirt in the  La Liga  leaders’ 3-1 win over  Leganes on Sunday, but was forced off injured after 69 minutes. After a troubled first year with lengthy periods on the treatment table, and a shaky spell where his professionalism was questioned earlier this term, Dembele finally turned the tide. For the first time, the 21-year-old looks like the future of Barcelona and not just a costly transfer market blunder. Barcelona shelled out 147 million euros for Dembele in the summer of 2017 and then 160 million for Philippe Coutinho in January 2018 as they tried to fill the hole left by Neymar after his move to PSG. A year later it is becoming clear that Dembele was the wiser investment of the two, even though for months he looked like an over-priced pani...

Mourinho: I have already turned down three job offers Jose Mourinho has claimed that he has already turned down three job offers from unspecified clubs since moving on from Manchester United. The Portuguese manager was relieved of his duties at Old Trafford after two and a half years in charge last month. Adverse Premier League results and a deteriorating dressing room atmosphere both contributed to his sacking, while results have improved noticeably at United under interim successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Valverde not frustrated by De Jong and Vela wait Barcelona's links to Frenkie de Jong and Carlos Vela were brushed aside by head coach Ernesto Valverde, who insisted he was not frustrated while waiting for signings. Highly rated Ajax midfielder De Jong is a target for Barca and Manchester City, as revealed by Goal, although Paris Saint-Germain are believed to have stolen ahead in their pursuit of the 21-year-old. Compared to one of the most so...