Villarreal are set to turn down the opportunity to sign former AC Milan and Chelsea forward Alexandre Pato, despite agreeing a fee with current club Corinthians. The Brazilian striker has returned to his homeland after a disappointing six month spell in the Premier League, in which he only made two appearances for Chelsea. Corinthians are keen to get the 26-year-old, who they purchased from Milan in 2013, off their books, particularly as he has less than six months remaining on his contract and would soon be eligible to leave for … [Read more...]
Allardyce: ‘Too early’ to decide captaincy
New England manager Sam Allardyce has admitted that he hasn’t decided whether Wayne Rooney will carry on as captain of the national team. Allardyce came up against the English press for the first time since his appointment as the new Three Lions manager on Monday after being handed the reins last week. The former West Ham and Newcastle boss, who succeeds Roy Hodgson in the hotseat, was beaming from ear to ear as he began answering questions after quitting Sunderland to take the job he has coveted for many years. First on the agenda for … [Read more...]
Stoke completes £13m deal for Liverpool’s Allen
Stoke have completed the signing of midfielder Joe Allen from Liverpool on a five-year deal, the club has officially announced. The 26-year-old joins the Potters for a fee of £13million, and passed a medical on Monday in order to finalise his move. After impressing for Wales during Euro 2016 and making the Team of the Tournament, Allen was linked with a summer Anfield exit as his playing time would likely be limited. BREAKING | Stoke City are delighted to announce the signing of Joe Allen from @LFC on a 5-year deal #SCFC 8:00 PM - … [Read more...]
Celtic sign Ex Liverpool defender
Celtic have completed the signing of former Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool defender Kolo Toure. Toure, 35, has signed a one-year deal and reunites with former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers at Celtic Park. The centre-back, who played in Liverpool's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla in May, was a free agent after the expiry of his contract at Anfield. Celtic delighted to sign Kolo Toure, https://t.co/V9KeK2nCDR (PV) pic.twitter.com/U9a7DZC0mR - Celtic Football Club (@celticfc) July 24, 2016 Rodgers told Celtic's … [Read more...]
Juventus considering move for Man United defender
With new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho building a team to suit his tactics, Matteo Darmian may be set for a return to Italy, with Juventus contemplating a move. In his first season with the Red Devils, the 26-year-old defender played in 28 Premier League matches but he battled with inconsistent form and injuries, which has prompted Mourinho to place him on the transfer list. Daily Express reports that Darmian is one of a few Manchester United players who will be facing the exit along with fellow defender Marcos Rojo and … [Read more...]
Manchester derby called off due to bad weather
The International Champions Cup match between Premier League rivals Manchester United and Man City has been canceled after recent extreme weather made the playing surface at Beijing's National Stadium unfit for play. Organizers say the decision to call off Monday's match was made in the interests of player safety, and in conjunction with both clubs, the China Football Association and management of the stadium, which was the main venue for the 2008 Olympics. In a statement, International Champions Cup organizers said that ''due to … [Read more...]
Liverpool and Sevilla fined for fans behavior in Europa League final
UEFA has fined Liverpool and Sevilla €16,000 and €17,000 respectively as a result of incidents which marred the Europa League final. Liverpool and Sevilla have been hit with UEFA fines as a result of incidents that took place at the Europa League final on May 18. Jurgen Klopp's side have been fined €16,000 for an "illicit banner and the setting off of fireworks", European football's governing body said in a statement. Sevilla, who triumphed 3-1 at St. Jakob Park to claim a third title in three years, were slapped with a €17,000 fine for … [Read more...]
Nolito: choosing Man City over Barcelona was the best decision
Nolito has revealed he turned down the chance to re-join Spanish champions Barcelona because of his desire to play for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. The Spain winger signed for City last month after the club activated the £13.8 million release clause in his contract with Celta Vigo. Nolito played just five senior games for Barcelona under Guardiola between 2008 and 2011 before being sold to Benfica. But the 29-year-old insisted the prospect of working for the Catalan again was too good to pass up and said he was keener to do that than … [Read more...]
Ranieri: Leicester City are crying over Kante departure
Claudio Ranieri has admitted that defending Premier League champions Leicester City are “crying” over the loss of N’Golo Kante to Chelsea. Kante, who was one of the standout players on their way to winning the Premier League last season, moved to the Blues for a fee believed to be in the region of £30million last Saturday. Ranieri is convinced Leicester can cope without the French international but admits the club have lost a good player. “Last season we lost Esteban Cambiasso and everybody was crying,” he told reporters after the Foxes … [Read more...]
Michy Batshuayi happy to play for Chelsea
Chelsea's drive for success was obvious from the first training session, new signing Michy Batshuayi has said. Chelsea forward Michy Batshuayi admits he has been buoyed by the winning mentality at his new club. The Belgium international joined the London club from Marseille this month on a five-year deal for a reported fee of €33.1million, and scored twice in a behind-closed-doors friendly with Atus Ferlach this week. Chelsea endured a dismal campaign in 2015-16, failing to win a major trophy and finishing 10th in the Premier League, … [Read more...]
Anthony Martial unhappy with United after shirt change decision
Anthony Martial is unhappy with Manchester United’s decision to take his No. 9 shirt and give it to new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic, according to reports in France. The Frenchman is attempting to build an AM9 brand, with his official website, Twitter and Facebook pages adorned with that logo – but those plans appear to have suffered a huge dent after Ibrahimovic was given the No 9 shirt at Old Trafford. RMC’s Mohamed Bouhafsi – who broke the news of Martial’s Manchester United transfer last summer – claims that he was not consulted about … [Read more...]