It isn’t unheard of for Radja Nainggolan to smoke five or six cigarettes a day from his special hotel room balcony admits Marc Wilmots Radja Nainggolan is the only member of Belgium’s Euro 2016 squad who smokes, national team coach Marc Wilmots has confirmed in response to rumours. In his homeland, the Roma star has been hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons as newspapers blast him over his alleged smoking, prompting the tactician to intervene and justify the habit on behalf of his player. “I confirm, Radja does smoke,” he told Sporza.be. “It’s a habit that’s easily seen in France or Italy, where many players do smoke. “I’m flexible, it’s his body and as long as he is performing well then it isn’t a problem for me.” Wilmots also revealed … [Read more...]
Crystal Palace interested in Liverpool flop Christain Benteke
Crystal Palace are said to be interested in Liverpool's Christain Benteke as a replacement for recently-released Emmanuel Adebayor. The Liverpool striker has recently admitted he was considering his future with the Reds after a poor first season at Merseyside and was said to be high up on new Chelsea boss, Antonio Conte’s list of transfer targets . However, according to reports in the Daily Star Palace manager Alan Pardew is said to be on the look out for a new striker after Adebayor and Marouane Chamakh were recently released from the club. Also the claims add that a source from Crystal Palace had told the tabloid that Pardew was interested in bringing in Benteke to fill that void and add some more firepower to their ranks. Dwight Gayle, Fraizer … [Read more...]
Keylor Navas reveals frustration about his failed Man United move
The Real Madrid goalkeeper was set for a switch to Old Trafford last summer as David De Gea was on course to head the opposite way. But a fax machine stopped the deal being processed as Madrid failed to get their paperwork finalised before the transfer deadline. As a result, Navas stayed put at the La Liga giants while De Gea went on to pen a new four-year deal at United. The silver lining for the Costa Rican shot-stopper was his success at the Bernabeu last season, adding a Champions League medal to his accolades. But frustration was admittedly the overriding emotion less than a year ago for 29-year-old Navas. "It’s not good when something like that happens but I’m not someone who is always looking back and I don’t bear any grudges," Navas told … [Read more...]
Man United one of three clubs chasing Neymar
Real, along with Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, have reportedly sent officials to Brazil to try and broker a deal for the Barcelona frontman. Neymar is locked in contract talks with the Nou Camp club, who have told the Brazil international they will not increase their latest £10.9million-a-season offer. And United's hopes of landing the 23-year-old have been boosted after a move to Real was ruled out. “The owners of Neymar are Barcelona. Any offers that arrive must go through Barcelona,” Neymar Snr. told Fox Brasil . “We don’t have to talk about it because Neymar is under contract and the club know everything. “The speculation is huge and it’s clear that Neymar is always involved in it. The fans know that several clubs are interested in … [Read more...]
Brexit will damage Premier League football- Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas has warned that England’s decision to quit the European Union will “damage” the Premier League . The Spaniard moved to Arsenal as a 16-year-old from Barcelona thanks to an exemption in Fifa regulations that allows transfers to take place within the territory of the EU if the youngster is aged between 16 and 18. Clubs outside the EU are prohibited from signing overseas players under the age of 18, meaning the likes of Fabregas would not be able to move to England at such an early age. Fabregas is also considered a ‘homegrown’ player, irrespective of nationality, because he was registered with Arsenal for three entire seasons or 36 months prior to his 21st birthday. Current Premier League rules state that clubs must include eight ‘homegrown’ … [Read more...]
Pep Guardiola assures Raheem Sterling of his future at City
Incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has contacted Raheem Sterling to assure him that he has a big future at the club, according to reports. The England forward has been the subject of plenty of criticism after his disappointing performances in the Euro 2016 opening games against Russia and Wales. And Roy Hodgson's coaching staff have said they are concerned about the state of Sterling's mind with his confidence apparently dented following criticism from pundits and fans and on social media. However, Guardiola contacted him to give him a morale boost following the Wales game, in which Sterling was substituted at half-time. "Pep told Raheem, 'As long as you work for me, I will fight for you,'" said reports in England citing a source close to … [Read more...]
Liverpool to pay more for Udinese playmaker
Despite appearing close to the signature of Udinese playmaker Piotr Zielinski, Liverpool and the Zebrette are still some way apart in their valuation of the player. Napoli are also interested in the Pole and want to keep him in Italy , but it is thought that he has turned them down in favour of a move to Anfield. Liverpool have already offered €11.5 million for the player, according to The Sun, but that is not deemed enough to convince the club into selling the 22-year-old. Instead, Udinese are holding out for a fee closer to €18.5 million. Zielinski has told Liverpool that they must wait until the end of Poland’s European Championship campaign before negotiating a move. Poland face Switzerland in the last 16 on Saturday, and that is all Zielinski is … [Read more...]