Manchester United have ‘agreed a world record £102million deal in principle’ with Juventus to sign Paul Pogba, according to reports in the Spanish press. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a return to the Red Devils over the past month, with reports this week claiming they had met with the player’s agent, Mino Raiola, to discuss the move. Now Spanish daily AS claims United have settled on a world-record £102million (€119.5million) deal in principle with Juventus to bring the player back to Old Trafford. As a caveat to these reports, however, BBC Sport insist talk that United have agreed a deal with Juventus for Pogba is premature and suggest the possible transfer is “not even out of the starting blocks”. Any transfer, however, does look like … [Read more...]
Mark Clattenburg to referee Euro 2016 final
England's Mark Clattenburg will be the referee for Sunday's European Championship final between France and Portugal at the Stade de France, governing body Uefa said on Friday. The 41-year-old also officiated in the Champions League final, won by Real Madrid over city rivals Atletico in May. He becomes the second man to take charge of both major European occasions in the same year after Pedro Proenca of Portugal in 2012, Uefa said in a statement. Clattenburg was also the referee for the FA Cup final won by Manchester United over Crystal Palace in May, after which Palace manager Alan Pardew said he was frustrated by two of his decisions. The Former electrician who has been an international referee since 2007, has also refereed the 2012 Olympic men's … [Read more...]
Petr Cech announce retirement from international football
Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech announced his retirement from international soccer on Friday following his country's group stage exit at Euro 2016. The 34-year-old keeper, who plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League, is his country's most capped player with 124 appearances and played all three games at the tournament where the Czech Republic could only manage one point in Group D. "This is a purely football-based decision. If I want to prolong my career and play at the highest level for as long as I can, then I will probably need to find the balance so that I can continue to do so," he told Arsenal's website (www.arsenal.com). "I'm now 34 and the next (international) tournament is in two years which, in football, is a very long time. The last … [Read more...]
Mane takes the plaudits as Klopp hails new Liverpool man
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was pleased with what he saw from Sadio Mane on his Reds debut, along with the other two new recruits that featured in Friday's friendly with Tranmere Rovers. Joel Matip and goalkeeper Loris Karius also all made their first appearances for the club in the 1-0 win over the non-league opposition at Prenton Park, with Danny Ings grabbing the only goal of the night. Mane, who joined from Southampton in a £30 million move earlier this month, impressed in a 45-minute outing in the first of nine Liverpool preseason friendlies, leaving the German manager content. Klopp told a news conference: "He was quite good so I was satisfied. It's something like an exciting two weeks or 10 days -- it took a little bit of time. "He trained a … [Read more...]
Guardiola: facing Mourinho made me better
Rivals from their El Clasico days, the coaching duo will now lock horns on opposite sides of the Manchester footballing divide. As they prepare to renew their fierce rivalry, Pep Guardiola has claimed that Jose Mourinho has made him a better coach. The Spaniard will face off against his long-standing nemesis after taking the reins at Manchester City, the Portuguese pitching up just down the road at local rivals Manchester United. “It’s not about him or me,” said Guardiola to press who had gathered for his first press conference since taking charge at the Etihad Stadium. “We played many times against each other. All I can say is that the big coaches – and of course Jose’s one of them – they helped me to reach another level. “My experience against … [Read more...]
UEFA drop charges against Sakho
Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho has been cleared by a UEFA board after being suspended 30 days in an anti-doping probe in April. Sakho's suspension had stemmed from an alleged anti-doping violation following Liverpool's Europa League match against Manchester United in March, but UEFA have now dismissed the charges against him. The 26-year-old is now free to play for Liverpool ahead of the upcoming Premier League season after he returned to preseason training last Saturday. Sakho's 30-day suspension ended on May 28. He missed Liverpool's Europa League final defeat to Sevilla and was not part of France's squad for Euro 2016. A UEFA statement on Friday said: "The proceedings against Mr. Sakho related to a violation of the UEFA Anti-Doping Regulations … [Read more...]
Leicester sign striker Ahmed Musa for club-record £16m
Leicester have completed the signing of striker Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow on a four-year deal, subject to Premier League and Football Association approval. The Foxes moved swiftly to make the Nigeria international their fourth signing of the summer after he hit 13 goals in 30 league games for CSKA last term. The 23-year-old joins Nampalys Mendy, Ron-Robert Zieler and Luis Hernandez as boss Claudio Ranieri looks to build on his side’s stunning title triumph last season. Musa told Foxes Player HD: “I feel very happy joining Leicester City, for me it’s one of the best clubs and I feel very happy. I joined because it’s one of the best clubs in the Premier League and they are like a family. That’s why I joined Leicester City and I’m very excited. “I look … [Read more...]