Cesc Fabregas has denied claims he has fallen out with new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and has been told by the Italian he can leave the club. Fabregas has not started any of Chelsea's opening three Premier League games of the season, making just one substitute appearance, as former Italy coach Conte has begun life in England with three straight wins. But the Spain midfielder insisted he remained committed to the club. The 29-year-old said on Twitter: "Contrary to what has been written, the manager and I have a good relationship and he has NEVER told me that I can leave. "He said that he counts on me, as I count on him. I will continue to fight for this club until the very end and when called upon I will always give my very best. I'm fully committed to … [Read more...]
Ozil convinced Mustafi to join Arsenal
Shkodran Mustafi is set to join Arsenal this week, and he has revealed how Mesut Ozil convinced him to join the Gunners from Valencia. Mustafi was part of the youth setup at both Hamburg and Everton, before becoming a first team regular at Sampdoria, and joined Valencia in 2014. “I did not see Per for a long time because he quit international football but I talked to Mesut,” Mustafi told Sky Sports in Germany. “He told me everything I wanted to know. Everything was positive, so I was convinced very fast. It did not take much. The 24-year-old stated that Arsenal’s attractive style of football was another factor in his desire to join the club. “I have always loved Arsenal, I like how they play here, it is not typical English. “The game here is … [Read more...]
Ivan Rakitic scores as Barcelona beat Athletic Club
Ivan Rakitic scored the only goal as Barcelona ran out 1-0 winners over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. Barcelona continued their 100 per cent start to the new LaLiga season with a 1-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at San Mames. Ivan Rakitic's headed first-half goal earned Barcelona a sixth consecutive league victory over Athletic, who are without a point after their first two games of the season. Ernesto Valverde's men were attempting to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Sporting Gijon in the opening game of the season, but Barcelona got the better of them on a rainy night in Bilbao. The result helped Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen banish the memory of a 4-0 defeat at San Mames in last season's Spanish Supercup – a night when questions … [Read more...]
A Sterling response as City hammers West Ham
Raheem Sterling starred as Manchester City moved back top of the Premiere League table after beating West Ham. Sterling opened the scoring early on, with Fernandinho grabbing a second soon after as Slaven Bilic's men were playing well below par. However, the visitors improved after the break, Michail Antonio pulling one back with a strong header, but the all-important fourth goal went to the hosts - Sterling adding a second in injury time to kill off West Ham's fight back. The hosts started in emphatic fashion, with Sergio Aguero managing to come close with a low shot before Sterling opened the scoring after just seven minutes. David Silva, who was given all the freedom to roam in the middle of the pitch, broke forward and played the ball through the … [Read more...]
Manchester United target Fabinho to stay at Monaco
Manchester United have been heavily linked with Fabinho, but the 22-year-old expects to stay at Monaco to play in the Champions League. Monaco defender Fabinho says Champions League football will likely be enough to convince him to stay at the French club, despite links with Manchester United. The 22-year-old scored a late penalty in the second leg to seal a 3-1 aggregate win over Villarreal in the play-off round and book Monaco's spot in the group stage, where they will face Tottenham, CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen. Reports in England have claimed that Jose Mourinho wants to sign Fabinho before Wednesday's transfer deadline, but while the Brazilian would not rule out a move away from Stade Louis II, he expects to stay. "With the Champions League, … [Read more...]
West Ham sign Simone Zaza on loan From Juventus
West Ham have announced the signing of Italy striker Simone Zaza on an initial season-long loan from Juventus. The Hammers will pay £5million for the loan, and the 25-year-old’s move will become permanent – for a further £20million fee – if he makes a set number of Premier League appearances for the club this season. Zaza becomes West Ham’s 11th signing of a busy summer. Zaza, who scored at London Stadium while playing for Juventus in pre-season, said on the club’s official website: “I want to thank everyone for welcoming me including the fans and everyone at the club. I wanted to start a new experience and I feel this is the right choice for me. “I have been fortunate enough to have already played at the new stadium with a different shirt. It is a … [Read more...]
Morata and Kroos on target as Real Madrid beat Celta Vigo
Real Madrid struck through Toni Kroos with nine minutes remaining to beat Celta Vigo and extend their LaLiga winning streak. Toni Kroos scored an impressive late winner as Real Madrid battled to a 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo in LaLiga. A quiet game burst into life in the final 30 minutes, with Alvaro Morata giving Madrid the lead, only for an excellent strike from Fabian Orellana to set up a tense finish. But Madrid were not to be denied, with Kroos striking from outside the area with just nine minutes left to delight the Santiago Bernabeu. Following the win, Zinedine ZIdane's men have six points from their first two games, with title rivals Barcelona facing a testing trip to play Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Madrid have now won 14 league matches in … [Read more...]