..::Football IV::..

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'We don't have to sell players' - Solskjaer says Man Utd yet to receive bids for Pogba or Lukaku


Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed the Premier League giants are yet to receive bids for any of their players, including Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku.

Pogba, 26, has been tipped to leave Old Trafford in the near future, with his agent Mino Raiola having recently said the midfielder wants a transfer away from the Red Devils.

The France international has been heavily linked with Real Madrid and Juventus , while Lukaku is also reportedly set to leave United, with Inter apparently interested in the striker.

However, speaking at a news conference in Perth on Wednesday, Solskjaer said a club of United's standing does not have to sell players - plus there had been no offers received anyway.

"There has been loads of talks and speculations about many of our players, both ins and outs. For me, it's business as usual," Solskjaer said.

"When you're at Man Utd, you expect all these things to pop up in the summer and, of course, I've been in touch with Paul, spoken to Paul, spoken to Rom, spoken to Rashy [Marcus Rashford], Jesse [Lingard], spoken to all the players more or less over the summer as you do, you keep in touch with them."As far as I'm aware and up until now, we don't have any bids for any of our players... Paul, or most of our players, [have] got long contracts."

Solskjaer also refuted claims there was a spat between Pogba and team-mate Jesse Lingard , claiming there was an 'agenda' against the World Cup winner.

Pogba has been heavily criticised by ex-United players in recent times with Louis Saha slamming his behaviour , while Kleberson called on the Red Devils to sell their midfield talisman.Manchester United have their first match of the Australian tour against Perth Glory on Saturday, before taking on old rivals Leeds United four days later.

A trip to south-east Asia will follow as they take on Inter on July 20 in Singapore and Tottenham on July 25 in Shanghai as part of the International Champions Cup.

The Red Devils' pre-season fixtures will finish closer to home with an away fixture versus Norway's Kristiansund on July 30 and a final match against AC Milan on August 4 in Cardiff.

 

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Pogba puts on Man Utd charm offensive as exit claims overshadow Australia trip


Paul Pogba's future at Manchester United has dominated the headlines in recent weeks, but the man himself let his actions do the talking at an open training session in Australia on Thursday.

The 26-year-old was heavily involved on and off the pitch at the WACA in Perth as he scored a fine solo goal during a mini match before applauding and eventually embracing a few of the 12,000 fans that turned up to watch the action.Though one of the last players to make his way out on to the pitch at the start of training, Pogba went about his business with his usual swagger and was often seen jesting with Jesse Lingard.

The two were filmed on their arrival in Australia in a minor scuffle, with the subsequent media speculation blowing up what manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is adamant was nothing at all.

"Yesterday, Jesse and Paul were walking around and it’s been portrayed as a fight between the two boys," Solskjaer said."But there’s nothing, no problems between the two boys at all."And based on how close the two were throughout training on Thursday, it is safe to say the duo are far from fighting.

Pogba's relationship with the Red Devils fans, however, looms as a bit more precarious, with a few boos ringing around Western Australia when his name was announced over the PA at the start of training.No stranger to a hostile crowd, the midfielder did his best to warm them up with a few thumbs ups before impressing with a few flicks and tricks during a rondo.

In the mini games that followed, Pogba sat back and looked to dictate play before scoring a fine solo goal that brought about one of the biggest cheers of the night.With training done, Pogba was then one of few players that stopped to give signatures.

While new signing Daniel James deserves some credit for sticking around the longest to win over his new fans, it was Pogba's brief exchange following very loud pleas from supporters that showed why he is still an undisputed star of United.

Speaking at his first press conference in Perth on Wednesday, Solskjaer stressed no clubs have made bids for Pogba, while also praising the France international's attitude despite suggestions he is eager to move on from the club."As far as I’m aware we don’t have any bids for any of your players. Paul or most of our players have long contracts," Solskjaer said.

"Paul’s never put himself out of the team, he’s always wanted to play, he’s always given his best."He’s a top, top bloke. He’s a great professional. He’s never been any problems."

The United manager would go on to suggest a possible media agenda against the midfielder - something Pogba himself can silence with more showings like this in pre-season.

 

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Shocked Arsenal chiefs launch disciplinary action against Koscielny after tour refusal


Arsenal have started disciplinary proceedings against Laurent Koscielny after the club captain refused to travel with the squad for their pre-season tour.

The Gunners fly to the United States at lunchtime on Thursday, but will travel without their skipper who stunned club chiefs by turning up at London Colney on Thursday morning and announcing he would spend the day training and that he would not be joining the rest of the squad on the coach to the airport.

The 33-year-old is desperate to return to France this summer and is trying to force through a move, with Bordeaux interested in the experienced defender.

Arsenal chiefs have been made well aware of Koscielny’s desire to leave in the past week, but he is demanding that they release him on a free transfer - something the Gunners will not agree to.

They have pointed out to the centre-back that he still has a year left on his contract, with an option of another - and say he should honour that contract and have told him that they expect him to.

Should an actual offer come in for Koscielny this summer, then they would consider it, but so far there have been no official bids submitted for the defender.This stance has clearly angered Koscielny, who believes after nine years of service he deserves to leave on his terms.

Arsenal, however, are standing firm and have already started disciplinary proceedings against their captain following his shock decision.

An official statement on the club’s website read: “We are very disappointed by Laurent’s actions, which are against our clear instructions. “We hope to resolve this matter and will not be providing any further comment at this time.”

Arsenal are due to play four games while on their tour to the United States.

Arsenal, however, are standing firm and have already started disciplinary proceedings against their captain following his shock decision.An official statement on the club’s website read: “We are very disappointed by Laurent’s actions, which are against our clear instructions.“We hope to resolve this matter and will not be providing any further comment at this time.”

Arsenal are due to play four games while on their tour to the United States.

 

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'Man Utd trying to get identity back' - Rashford bemoans 'chopping and changing' in recent years


Marcus Rashford believes Manchester United must "settle" under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in order to reassert a fading sense of identity.

Solskjaer is overseeing his first pre-season after signing a three-year contract in March to become United's full-time manager.His predecessor, Jose Mourinho, is the only man since Sir Alex Ferguson to have held the post for longer than two seasons.

Though a fan favourite in his playing days, there will be pressure on former striker Solskjaer to achieve early results after failing to secure Champions League qualification last term.

Successfully implementing a vision before the new campaign could prove critical and star forward Rashford thinks the ingredients are right for a period of stability."I feel like we can start to settle and I think that is what we needed most," Rashford told United's official website .

"It has been a lot of chopping and changing, different tactics and different systems, and now I think we can settle in to what we are trying to do and really get that identity back."

United's planning has already been hit by an admission from agent Mino Raiola that his client, Paul Pogba, wants out of Old Trafford.Rashford, 21, is at least certain to stay after signing a new four-year contract earlier this month.And the England international has observed positives ahead of Saturday's friendly against Perth Glory, despite the uncertainty surrounding World Cup winner Pogba.

"The thing that has gone up for me is the intensity and just the level of training," he said."I think we are starting to understand it all a bit better. We can use this. This is Ole's first pre-season and he can really stamp down what he wants to do.

"We have got to use the remainder of the time here and then in Singapore and China to keep progressing and improving."He continued: “I just think that little things like pictures in our heads are a lot clearer already.

“Some of the other lads have been here in pre-season longer than I have, but in the short time I have been here things are becoming clearer to me on what the manager wants and how we are to do it on the pitch, so that will put us in good stead for the rest of the season.”

 

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Neymar's return to Barcelona wanted by Rivaldo


Neymar's potential return to Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain has been given the seal of approval by Brazil and Blaugrana great Rivaldo.A PSG exit for the 27-year-old forward looks increasingly likely this summer, two years after his world-record €222 million (£200m/$262m) move to the Ligue 1 champions from Barca.

The Brazil international failed to turn up to the first day of pre-season training, while PSG sporting director Leonardo has confirmed Neymar is available for the right price.

And Rivaldo, who spent five seasons at Camp Nou, wants to see his compatriot back at Barca."For the moment, the one [Brazilian] that I like the most is Neymar," he said, courtesy of Betfair."I [would] like that he returns to Barcelona."

Even without Neymar due to an ankle injury, Brazil managed to win the Copa America on home soil on Sunday thanks to a 3-1 win over Peru.Asked for the nation's next star, 2002 World Cup winner Rivaldo praised Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior.

"We have Vinicius, who is a great player that went to Madrid and has everything that is needed to be a great player," he said.

Neymar left Catalunya in somewhat controversial circumstances, and Rivaldo said last month the Brazil star would need to make things up to the Camp Nou fans.

“It’s difficult because of the way Neymar left," the former AC Milan man said. "I think a lot of the fans are angry with everything that happened, but football is how it is, football is good, and Neymar is a great player who has personality.“So if he comes here of course there will be times when he is criticised by some fans, but in the games, the training sessions, Neymar will still be the same Neymar, and it could be something special for Barcelona.

He added: "He should say sorry. Officially, yes. Say sorry, say he was wrong, say that this is his home, that he is going to be the difference.“I think that all the fans… many will understand, they’ll see him on the pitch in the league, the Champions League, doing things well, and the fans will forgive him easily.

“If it’s like it was when he was here playing football before together with Messi and Suarez, it was great for the club. If they win the Champions League, I don’t think it will be a problem for the fans.”

 

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Lukaku talks underway between Man Utd and Inter


Manchester United and Inter have begun negotiations regarding the sale of Romelu Lukaku to the Italian club.

The United striker has made it clear he is hopeful of leaving Old Trafford after being told he will not be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice striker in 2019-20, and Inter’s new boss Antonio Conte has made the Belgian his prime target in the summer market.

And while there has been no confirmation from United that talks are underway, a close source has established that a meeting is taking place between representatives of the two clubs in London on Thursday, July 11.

Lukaku began to fall behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order for the position of lone striker at United around the time of Solskjaer’s appointment as caretaker-manager in place of Jose Mourinho in December 2018, and the Norwegian’s decision to persist with the England star for the most part has seen Lukaku pushed to the edges.

And in Conte he has an admirer who has tried to sign him on multiple occasions previously, first when coach of Juventus in 2014 and then when at Chelsea three years later. However, Lukaku chose to make a permanent switch from Chelsea to Everton first time around and then chose United over Stamford Bridge when Conte made his second approach.

Inter may still have some work on their hands though, since United are not in any rush to sell and the Nerazzurri have to consider potential Financial Fair Play repercussions if they were to break the bank on the Belgium international.

And while there has been some talk of Inter offering players as part-exchange, there is no indication that any of their current saleable assets are of particular interest to United.

But the 26-year-old showed a willingness to leave the Theatre of Dreams for San Siro when speaking to Mediaset recently, stating: “It is good that Conte went to Inter, for me, he is the best coach in the world.“As for my future, I have already made a decision that I still cannot communicate publicly out of respect for Manchester United with whom I have a contract.

“I am a big Serie A fan, those close to me know that I have always wanted to play in the English league and in the Italian one, I love Italy.“The club and my agent will talk about it but I have already made my decision.”Lukaku has scored 42 times in 96 games for United since arriving from Everton in 2017, netting 15 times in 45 appearances last season.

 

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Barcelona complete €120m Griezmann signing




Barcelona have officially announced the signing of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid, with the French forward putting pen-to-paper after the Blaugrana paid his full €120m (£107m/$134m) release clause.

The former Real Sociedad forward and 2018 World Cup winner has signed at the Camp Nou for the next five seasons through to June 2024 – a contract that includes a buyout clause of €800m.

The move has not been without drama, as Atleti recently hit out at both Barca and Griezmann himself for their conduct after it was revealed that the two parties had been in negotiations and reached an agreement in March - a time during which Diego Simeone's side were still fighting in La Liga and the Champions League.

Indeed, Atletico were only informed by the World Cup winner in May that he wanted to leave at the end of the season, further frustrating Los Rojiblancos after delaying making public his intention to stay in a televised announcement the season before.

With the deal now completed, however, Griezmann will link up with Lionel Messi and co as the current Spanish champions aim to win the Liga title for a third consecutive season.

A product of Real Sociedad’s youth system, Griezmann will bring even more goals to a team that netted 90 times in the league last season – some 35 more than Atletico and 27 more than Barca’s bitter rivals Real Madrid.

During his prolific five-year stay in the Spanish capital, the 28-year-old helped himself to 133 goals in 257 appearances across all competitions, and has also bagged 29 for his country since making his France debut in March 2014.The Macon-born star becomes Barcelona’s third most expensive signing in the club’s history behind Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.

Indeed, Atletico were only informed by the World Cup winner in May that he wanted to leave at the end of the season, further frustrating Los Rojiblancos after delaying making public his intention to stay in a televised announcement the season before.

With the deal now completed, however, Griezmann will link up with Lionel Messi and co as the current Spanish champions aim to win the Liga title for a third consecutive season.

A product of Real Sociedad’s youth system, Griezmann will bring even more goals to a team that netted 90 times in the league last season – some 35 more than Atletico and 27 more than Barca’s bitter rivals Real Madrid.

During his prolific five-year stay in the Spanish capital, the 28-year-old helped himself to 133 goals in 257 appearances across all competitions, and has also bagged 29 for his country since making his France debut in March 2014.

The Macon-born star becomes Barcelona’s third most expensive signing in the club’s history behind Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.

It is understood Griezmann’s lawyer deposited the required buy-out funds at La Liga headquarters in Madrid on Friday morning.

Real Sociedad – the club that took a gamble on the attacker after many clubs in his home country of France had rejected the chance to sign him – will receive €24m (£22m/$27m) of the total transfer fee.

Now that the two-year transfer saga is finally at an end, Griezmann will look to form a lethal trio alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

 

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'We'll see what happens' - Inter sporting director Ausilio coy following Lukaku meeting


Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio confirmed the Serie A club have made an "official approach" to Manchester United for Romelu Lukaku.United striker Lukaku has emerged as a transfer target for Inter, who sent officials to England to try to reach a deal for the Belgium international.

The Manchester United striker has made it clear to the club's hierarchy that he is hopeful of leaving Old Trafford after being told he will not be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice striker in 2019-20.

Inter’s new boss Antonio Conte has made the Belgian his prime target in the summer market, having previously targeted the forward at prior clubs.

Lukaku – contracted to the Red Devils until 2022 with the option of a further year – joined United from Everton for £75 million ($94 million) in 2017 and the Premier League giants want to recoup that fee as Inter push for an initial loan deal.

Ausilio arrived back in Milan on Thursday and he told reporters: "We had a meeting with Manchester United for Lukaku."It was an official approach between two important clubs. We'll see what happens.

"All the players we're following are targets we've agreed with Antonio Conte. We want to satisfy his request within certain financial parameters."Inter's push could become more difficult as United are not in any rush to sell the Belgian forward.

Furthermore, the Italian side will have to consider potential Financial Fair Play repercussions if they were to break the bank on the Belgium international, as Manchester United are said to be unwilling to take back a player as a makeweight.

Lukaku has acknowledged a desire to play in Italy and hinted his future could be away from Old Trafford while acknowledging his admiration for the newly-hired Inter boss Conte.At Old Trafford, though, he fell down the pecking order as Solskjaer preferred Marcus Rashford up front as he scored 12 goals last campaign.

The 26-year-old – in Australia for the club's pre-season tour – scored 15 goals across all competitions as United finished sixth in the Premier League and lost to Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.

 

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'Talk of Barcelona interest is true' - Lautaro Martinez's agent confirms transfer rumours


Lautaro Martinez's agent Alberto Yaque confirmed La Liga champions Barcelona are interested in signing the Inter forward.Martinez, 21, has been linked with a €112 million (£100m/$126m) move to Barca, just one season after joining Inter from Racing Club.

The Argentina international scored nine goals in all competitions – six in Serie A – last term and emerged as the focal point of Inter's attack amid the fallout between Mauro Icardi and the club.

He has since joined his national team for the Copa America, where he led two goals in the competition, tied with Sergio Aguero for joint-most among the Argentina team.

The forward scored his first in Argentina's final group game against Qatar, a 2-0 victory that sent the 2015 and 2016 runners-up into the knockout stages.
He then fired once again against Venezuela in a 2-0 quarter-final victory, but Argentina would fall in the team's next match against hosts Brazil.In total, Martinez has earned 11 caps for Argentina while scoring six goals for his national team.

Asked about speculation linking Martinez to Barca, Yaque told Ole: "Talk of Barcelona's interest is true."No-one's called us, but we know that they've been looking at him strongly. It's true that Barcelona like him."

Inter have been busy in the transfer market following Antonio Conte's appointment as head coach in place of Luciano Spalletti.

The Nerazzurri have signed Diego Godin, Valentino Lazaro and Stefano Sensi, while they are reportedly poised to announce the arrival of Cagliari midfielder Nicolo Barella.

There have also been ongoing talks with Manchester United over Romelu Lukaku, as it appears the Belgian forward is edging closer to a move away from Old Trafford.

Inter will also need to handle the situation surrounding Icardi, with the forward and Radja Nainggolan both widely expected to leave the club this summer.Meanwhile, Barca have lured Frenkie de Jong and Neto to the club as they also look to sign Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt.

They've also been linked with the likes of Neymar, who could leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer amid reports that the Brazilian star is unhappy with the French side.

 

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Atletico Madrid to open legal proceedings regarding Griezmann's Barcelona move


Atletico Madrid have released an official statement outlining their intention to open legal proceedings regarding Antoine Griezmann's move to Barcelona.

The French forward signed for the Blaugrana on Friday, July 12, with the Catalan side having paid the striker's €120 million release clause.

Atleti, however, have taken issue despite said clause being met in full, pointing to negotiations - and an agreement - between the player and Barca taking place when Griezmann's buyout clause was still set at €200m.

Posted on their official website, the statement reads:"Antoine Griezmann, represented by his lawyer, appeared at the headquarters of Liga de Futbol Profesional (LFP) to terminate the contract that bound the player to Atletico Madrid, with Barcelona having deposited the amount of €120 million on behalf of the player.

"Atletico Madrid believes that the amount deposited to meet the termination clause is insufficient, since it is obvious that the agreement between the player and Barcelona was reached before the aforementioned clause was reduced from 200 to 120 million euros.

"It was also prior to the date on which the clause was modified that the player announced that he would be leaving the club (May 14).

"Atletico Madrid believes that the termination of the contract occurred before the end of last season due to events, acts and demonstrations carried out by the player and that is why we have already started the procedures we consider appropriate for the legitimate defence of our rights and interests."

In keeping with the nature of the transfer, which has played out over the past two years, this latest twist is one of a number of developments that have turned Griezmann’s move to Catalunya into a full-blown saga.

Atleti recently hit out at both Barcelona and the player himself, questioning their conduct after it was revealed that the two parties had been in negotiations and reached an agreement while Diego Simeone's side were still fighting for La Liga and the Champions League.

Atletico claim they were only informed by Griezmann that he wanted to leave at the end of the season in May – a move that further frustrated the Spanish capital side.

The player had also delayed making public his intention to stay in a televised announcement the season before.

 

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Barcelona not looking to sell Coutinho this summer - agent


Barcelona have told forward Philippe Coutinho that he will not be sold this summer but someone from within the club maybe leaking transfer speculation to the media, according to the player's agent Kia Joorabchian.The Brazilian forward has struggled to live up to expectations since his £100 million ($126m) transfer from Liverpool in January 2018.Coutinho himself has admitted that he had an underwhelming first full campaign at Camp Nou that yielded just five La Liga goals and two assists.

Speculation has mounted about the 27-year-old’s future, with Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and even former club Liverpool touted as possible destinations this summer.

When asked about his future last month, the former Inter attacker admitted he was unsure where he would be playing his football next season, though he insisted his main focus was Brazil’s Copa America campaign.With the tournament now over and attention starting to shift towards the new campaign, Coutinho’s future has again been put in the spotlight.

Joorabchian, however, has attempted to shut down transfer talk by insisting the Barca president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, told Coutinho that the Catalan club have no intention of selling him ahead of the new season.

“I will not let people talk about Philippe and put him down because for one-and-a-half years we have said nothing,” he told the Telegraph. “I won’t let them do that and all of us in Philippe’s camp will not let that happen because Barcelona have told us he is staying.”Barcelona’s apparent determination to keep Coutinho is contradicted by numerous reports in the media suggesting a summer transfer is on the cards.

Joorabchian has even gone as far to suggest that the source of those rumours is someone from within the Catalan club itself.“Coutinho’s camp are not actively looking to move him but we believe people inside Barcelona may be acting without authority to try and sell the player,” Joorabchian added.

“Either Barcelona have to contain the people within their organisation who are giving out information to the contrary or they have to tell us the truth if they have changed their minds.”

 

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Man Utd tour off to winning start as want-away Pogba returns to action


Manchester United got their pre-season campaign off to a winning start as midfielder Paul Pogba made his first appearance since declaring that he is ready for “a new challenge”.

United beat Perth Glory 2-0 at the Optus Stadium but all eyes were on Pogba, who played the second 45 minutes as speculation continues that he will sign for either Real Madrid and Juventus before the 2019-20 season begins.

Marcus Rashford’s 60th-minute goal and a late James Garner strike settled matters in Western Australia, and overall Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have been more than happy with the intent of his side’s play regardless of how rarely they were able to break down Perth’s dogged defensive unit.

For Pogba, though, there was a mixed response from the Perth crowd – some cheering, some jeering – following his public pronouncement in June that he is ready to leave United, along with continued efforts by his agent Mino Raiola to prise the Frenchman away from Old Trafford.

Pogba was among 11 half-time substitutes as Solskjaer looked to give as many of his senior squad as possible the chance to stretch their legs. There was no sign of Romelu Lukaku, the subject of an official approach by Inter, but the United boss insisted that Lukaku, Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Lee Grant all missed out through nothing more than “slight niggles”.

New signing Daniel James was an immediate positive, with his desire to run at opponents almost paying dividends in the first couple of minutes as he forged a yard of space and sent a teasing low ball in behind the Glory defence.Unfortunately for United there was nobody alert enough to react in the box and Diogo Dalot’s snap effort on the far edge of the box went high and wide.

Jesse Lingard also looked occasionally lively playing in a No.10 role but didn’t provide the key to unlock the bolstered Glory defence, and while Axel Tuanzebe and Dalot were sharp United couldn’t break through in the opening 45.

After Solskjaer changed his entire XI for the second half there was a notable elevation in the pace of United’s passing and it wasn’t long before Rashford’s excellent spin and left-foot shot from a Pogba flick had put them ahead.



Aaron Wan-Bissaka looked steady in his first outing in a United shirt since arriving from Crystal Palace, while youngster Angel Gomes was a bright spot in the forward line and Mason Greenwood could easily have had a couple of goals having regularly found space in the final third. Pogba, meanwhile, always looked to be creative whenever he got the chance to take on a tiring Glory defence.

United wrapped up the win five minutes from time when Perth erred on the ball and James Garner lashed home from 20 yards having only moments earlier replaced Luke Shaw.

With the tour off to a winning start, the focus now has to be on deciding what happens next for the likes of Lukaku and Pogba. The success of Solskjaer’s United rebuild could depend on what happens in the transfer market over the next four weeks.

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!​

 

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Icardi to miss Inter's pre-season tour as he leaves training camp amid exit rumours


Mauro Icardi has mutually agreed not to travel with the rest of the Inter squad for their pre-season tour of Asia and will now leave the club's training base in Switzerland to return to Milan.

Speculation over the Argentine forward's future has been rife, with Goal having reported that new manager Antonio Conte is keen to see him depart in the summer transfer window.

That saw the 26-year-old linked with a switch to Juventus, although the Serie A champions are not interested in a potential swap deal that would involve forward Paulo Dybala.

Mauro Icardi has mutually agreed not to travel with the rest of the Inter squad for their pre-season tour of Asia and will now leave the club's training base in Switzerland to return to Milan.

Speculation over the Argentine forward's future has been rife, with Goal having reported that new manager Antonio Conte is keen to see him depart in the summer transfer window.

That saw the 26-year-old linked with a switch to Juventus, although the Serie A champions are not interested in a potential swap deal that would involve forward Paulo Dybala.

The former Sampdoria striker, who joined Inter in 2013, has not been far from controversy during his time at San Siro and he was stripped of the captaincy earlier in 2019.

Indeed, the club's current skipper Samir Handanovic has called for players to respect their "duties towards the club", while chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has already confirmed that Icardi is not in Inter's plans for the 2019-20 season.Icardi has scored an impressive 124 goals in 219 games for Inter, with 111 of them coming in the league.

 

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Man Utd can definitely get back to where they were, says Solskjaer


Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that there is no reason why the giants cannot reclaim their place at football's top table despite their recent struggles.More than two decades of unprecedented success under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson saw United established as one of the world's biggest clubs from the 1990s onwards.

Ferguson led United to 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and victory on two occasions in the Champions League, in 1998-9 and 2007-8.

The club, however, has found glory rather harder to come by since Sir Alex stepped aside in 2013.David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho have all come and gone on the Old Trafford bench while failing to challenge for Premier League or Champions League honours.

But Solskjaer, who was drafted in following Mourinho's sacking at the end of 2008 to become the club's fourth manager in just over five years after Ferguson, insists United are ready to make their way back to the top.

"We can get back to the level we were, definitely," the manager stated as a club legends' event on Thursday."We are on the way to building a new squad. We’ve got new coaching staff, I believe so much in this club and this project. To be a manager of this club is fantastic."

Ferguson's early triumphs with United were built around swashbuckling midfielder Bryan Robson, his first captain at Old Trafford.And Solskjaer admits that he lacks a player with Robson's passion and standing in his squad.

"I never got the honour of playing with Robo (Bryan Robson) but we need a player like him in the team," he added."Of course we’re waiting for the young ones to come through because we‘ve got so many exciting players and I’m sure we’ll see the best out of them in the years to come.

"There’s some experienced ones that have a few years left in them too."
United kick off their Premier League captain in 2019-20 at home to Chelsea, with the two sides clashing on August 11.

 

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Man Utd not considering any Lukaku bids right now, says Solskjaer


The future of Romelu Lukaku at Manchester United remains firmly up in the air, with the Belgian striker rested in the Red Devils' first pre-season outing against Perth Glory on Saturday.Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side strolled to a 2-0 win in Australia with Lukaku not included in the match-day squad due to a minor injury.

The 26-year-old's absence comes in the wake of Inter beginning negotiations with United over a possible transfer a few days ago.

Asked whether Lukaku would be a Red Devils player next season, Solskjaer kept his cards close to his chest."Let’s see when the season starts," Solskjaer said."We’ve not had any bids that we’re considering. All my conversations with the players I will keep confidential. That’s between us - that's my privilege.

"There’s been so much speculation but yes he should be fit for Wednesday. He trained with the team yesterday but he wasn’t useful today."While United could be set to lose their star striker, two of the club's newest names made their debuts on Saturday against Glory.

Both Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James played 45 minutes at Optus Stadium with Solskjaer encouraged by what he saw from them and United's younger players.

"Both the new lads did well. Both Dan and Aaron," he said."You had Mason, Angel, Jimmy, you know the young lads, Chongy, all of them showed they can make it as a Man United player.

"I think the more experienced ones did their job. It was a professional work out from everyone."After finishing last season in sixth and set to play in the Europa League this coming campaign, the Red Devils manager declared he has silverware firmly in his sights.

"When you’re at Man United you aim for trophies, and for us we have the possibilities of winning trophies," Solskjaer said."If we sit here in nine, ten months time with a trophy I think that’s a successful season."

While silverware certainly would be a solid start, Manchester United legend Bryan Robson recently told Goal the club needs to get back to playing in the Champions League as soon as possible.

 

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'We all believe in Lampard's quality' - Giroud convinced new boss is perfect fit for Chelsea


Frank Lampard is the perfect choice as Chelsea coach while they are operating under a transfer ban, according to striker Olivier Giroud.The 41-year-old was appointed as Maurizio Sarri's successor on a three-year deal last week.

Chelsea are currently unable to register any new players because of a two-window transfer ban imposed by FIFA - which they have appealed through the Court of Arbitration of Sport - but Giroud insisted iconic former midfielder Lampard can get the best out of the players already available to him - including the younger members in the squad.

"I like his energy and desire to always improve and win," Giroud told Radio 5 Live Sports Extra."I think he is the right person. He is basically a Chelsea legend."We all believe in his quality to improve the team and with the transfer ban it's a good opportunity for the young players to show what they can do."Now we're excited to play the first league game."

Giroud scored twice for Chelsea as they beat St Patrick's Athletic 4-0 in Saturday's friendly, with Mason Mount and Emerson Palmieri also on target in Dublin.The Blues have five more matches to play before taking on Manchester United in their opening Premier League fixture of the 2019-20 campaign on August 11.

And with a month of pre-season still to go, centre-back David Luiz claimed Lampard's methods are already starting to rub off on his team-mates."We are starting to understand what Lamps wants from us," he told Chelsea TV.

"It has been good to see Lamps and the staff because they know this club well and they deserve this opportunity, so there is a positive energy. "It is always important to be positive. It is great to start pre-season this way and we need to understand the responsibility. We need to work a lot and understand what we have to do."

Chelsea's pre-season campaign continues in Japan, as they take on Kawasaki Frontale in Tokyo on Friday before facing Barcelona the following Tuesday in Saitama.

 

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Arsenal return with £25m Tierney bid as Gunners step up left-back chase


Arsenal are waiting to hear back from Celtic after making a second bid for left-back Kieran Tierney.

The Gunners saw a £15 million ($19m) offer knocked back for the Scotland international in June and had been widely expected to return with an improved bid to try and tempt the Scottish champions into doing business.And they have now made their move, with an offer that totals around £25m ($31m), although it is once again structured heavily with installments and add-ons to get it up to the sort of figure that Celtic have been demanding.

Arsenal are hoping the offer is attractive enough for Celtic, who are yet to respond to the bid.

Tierney is currently recovering from a double hernia and is also battling a pelvic issue, with Hoops boss Neil Lennon revealing last week that the defender was still a month away from full fitness.

Speaking about the possibility of the 22-year-old moving to Arsenal, Lennon added: "I have taken no notice of the headlines. I am well aware of where we are in terms of the situation."I spoke to Kieran in Austria and to be honest I haven’t really seen much of him because he came back early for rehab, so has not been on the training ground as yet.

"It can be an unsettling period for any player and that is understandable but until a club comes up with any sort of realistic valuation of the player we don’t have to do anything and we won’t."It’s as you were. Kieran is getting on with his rehabilitation and we are getting on with what we have to do here."

Arsenal are currently in the United States preparing for the first of four games during their pre-season tour.

They will take on the Colorado Rapids on Sunday before playing three International Champions Cup fixtures against Real Madrid, Fiorentina and Bayern Munich.The club’s new technical director, Edu, is with the squad in Los Angeles - as is head of football Raul Sanllehi.Both continue to work on potential new recruits, with the Gunners still hopeful of securing Saint-Etienne centre-back William Saliba, despite Tottenham’s late bid.

Arsenal had agreed a £27m ($34m) deal for the 18-year-old , who had agreed a five-year contract.But just as the transfer was being finalised, Spurs matched Arsenal’s overall offer, while also offering a more attractive initial package to Saint-Etienne in terms of how the deal would be structured.

Talks have continued over the weekend, but Arsenal remain hopeful they have already done enough to convince the player to a move to the Emirates.