..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Besiktas admit Benteke deal is 'complicated'

Besiktas chairman Fikret Orman has confirmed the club are monitoring Christian Benteke's situation at Liverpool but admits the finances involved make a deal "complicated".

Benteke has not played a single minute in the Reds' pre-season programme and is expected to leave Anfield before the transfer window closes at the end of the month.The stumbling block is the fee Liverpool would command for a player they signed for £32.5million last July.

Orman told reporters: "Christian Benteke is a very good footballer and we would like to see him at Besiktas but Liverpool spent a lot of money signing him so it's a bit complicated for us in that sense."

Besiktas have also been linked with a number of other strikers, including Mario Gomez, Samuel Eto'o and Mario Balotelli.Gomez spent last season on loan at the Vodafone Arena but has ruled out a return due to safety reasons.

Orman said: "Mario Gomez has his reasons, political reasons."If he wants to come to Besiktas, he should say so and we can convince him that Turkey is safe. We are not having talks with Mario as of now. I will not make Besiktas chase anybody."He added: "Samuel Eto'o wanted to play for Besiktas but Antalyaspor's demands were off the charts. They wanted money and Kerim Frei. We quit our intention of signing Eto'o.

"Mario Balotelli is a star but he's also a bit problematic. We're not signing him.
"We have two or three alternatives for the striker position. We ideally want to sign a striker on loan."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Jese targets more playing time and European success with PSG

Jese Rodriguez explained that his decision to leave boyhood club Real Madrid for Paris Saint-Germain was motivated by a desire for more playing time, but he wished his former employees well - except in the Champions League.The 23-year-old penned a five-year deal at the Parc des Princes on Monday after the Ligue 1 champions agreed a €20 million deal with Madrid.

Jese won two Champions League medals and a La Liga title during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, but a serious knee injury sustained in March 2013 hindered his progress.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema occupying Madrid's forward positions, playing time has been hard to come by for Jese in recent seasons and he is now focused on helping his new club replicate their domestic dominance in Europe. "After 10 years at Real Madrid, it was time to change," he told the media after completing his move.

"I'm at a great club that gives me the chance to progress as player. Surely here I will have more minutes."I had some words with [Madrid coach Zinedine] Zidane, he's a great person. He wanted me to play and he knew it was going to be difficult.

"I also want to thank to [Madrid president] Florentino Perez and my team-mates."
Jese's kind words did not extend to wishing Madrid well in the Champions League, though, given he is now in direct competition with his old club for the coveted title.
"During the time I have spent at Real Madrid I always gave my best," he added.
"They will be always in my heart, but I don't wish the best for them in Europe as I want to win with my team."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Porto sign Belgium international Depoitre

Porto have secured the services of Belgium international Laurent Depoitre from Gent for an undisclosed fee.

The Portuguese giants were desperate to add some more firepower to their squad after an underwhelming 2015-16 campaign, in which they finished 15 points adrift of champions Benfica in third, and they have now found their man in Depoitre.The 27-year-old striker has signed a four-year deal with his new club, which contains a €40 million exit clause.

"Porto are a mythical club with a big history and some fantastic fans," Depoitre commented on his transfer."This is a major challenge for me. The Estadio do Dragao is an amazing venue and it will be great to score here in front of our own fans.

"I feel honoured to have joined this club and will give my all."Depoitre started his professional career with Tournai and he also represented Peruwelz, Eendracht Aalst and Oostende before joining Gent in 2014.He made his Belgium debut in the 4-1 win over Andorra in October 2015 - scoring once - but was left out of the squad for Euro 2016.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger fears retirement from his 'addiction' football

Arsene Wenger has admitted football is an "addiction" to him and he fears the day he has to retire.

The 66-year-old Arsenal boss is the longest-serving manager in English football, but is now entering the final year of his deal at the Emirates Stadium.And, with the prospect of retirement on the horizon, Wenger has conceded he is not looking forward to the "emptiness" it will bring.

"It's been my life and, honestly, I'm quite scared of the day [I retire]," he told Alan Curbishley for his new book, Game Changers."The longer I wait, the more difficult it will be and the more difficult it will be to lose the addiction.

"After [Alex Ferguson] retired and we played them over there [at Manchester United], he sent a message to me to come up and have a drink with him."I asked: 'Do you miss it?' He said: 'Not at all.' I didn't understand that."It's an emptiness in your life, especially when you've lived your whole life waiting for the next game and trying to win it."

Wenger called time on his playing career in 1981, took his first managerial job in 1984 and has been at Arsenal since 1996, winning three Premier League titles.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'I'm happy to be here!' - De Boer to be announced as new Inter boss

Frank de Boer spoke of his desire to bring the good times back to Inter after arriving in Milan ahead of becoming the club's new head coach.

Inter parted company with Roberto Mancini on Monday following a reported dispute with the club's owners Suning Holdings Group over transfer policy.

Mancini led Inter to three consecutive Serie A titles during his first stint at the club, but the Nerazzurri could only finish fourth under his stewardship last term despite leading the way by the mid-season break.

De Boer is set to be confirmed as Mancini's replacement in the coming days, and the Dutchman - who led Ajax to four straight Eredivisie titles between 2011 and 2014 - is eagerly awaiting the challenge.

"I am happy to be here," De Boer told reporters upon his arrival in Milan."I hope to be able to enjoy a lot of successes with Inter. I will see you at the news conference on Tuesday."

Inter have yet to formally announce the 46-year-old as their new man in charge, but they posted a video of De Boer greeting the club's fans on their Twitter account."Hello Inter fans, hope to see you soon," he said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

OFFICIAL: Andre Ayew joins West Ham from Swansea

West Ham have completed the signing of Swansea City forward Andre Ayew on a three-year deal for a club record fee of £20.5 million.

The Ghana international moved to the Liberty Stadium on a free transfer ahead of the 2015-16 season and was a star turn for a Swansea side that finished 12th.

Ayew and left-back Arthur Masuaku arrived at the London Stadium on Monday, following Ashley Fletcher, Havard Nordveit, Gokhan Tore, Sofiane Feghouli and Arthur Masuaku in joining the Hammers during the close-season.

West Ham co-chairman David Gold initially announced the signing, before West Ham's official social media channels confirmed the move.

Swansea also acknowledged the departure of the forward, who will reunite with former Marseille team-mate Dimitri Payet in east London.
After joining Slaven Bilic's side, Ayew told West Ham's official website: "I am very proud and happy to be at this magnificent club.

"I am happy to be playing for these fans and I hope to make the people very happy here."The club have a lot of ambition and have a great manager. They want to become a bigger club every year and with the new stadium and a new training ground, you can feel they are moving onto another level and I want to be part of this project.

"I want to train hard, do my job and show that I deserve to play for West Ham United. I want to give back to the manager and the fans the confidence they are showing me."

Ayew scored 60 goals in 202 games for Marseille, winning the Coupe de la Ligue twice during his time at Stade Velodrome.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

OFFICIAL: Man Utd complete Pogba signing

Manchester United have completed the signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus.

Pogba left United to join Juve in 2012 but Jose Mourinho has now re-acquired the France international midfielder for a world-record transfer fee.

The 23-year-old, who has long been linked with a return to Old Trafford, has now become the most expensive player in football history, overtaking the deal that took Gareth Bale from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013.

"Manchester United is delighted to announce that Paul Pogba has completed his transfer from Italian club Juventus," the club wrote on their official website.

"Paul joins on a five-year contract, with the option to extend for a further year."

Pogba is reported to earn an astonishing £104m pre-tax salary over five years, a figure that put off Real Madrid, who were also in the running for his signature, with Cristiano Ronaldo the only Los Blancos star to earn more than that amount.

The Frenchman made just seven appearances for United during his initial stint with the club, and failed to complete 90 minutes in the Premier League under the management of Sir Alex Ferguson.

But while there was some bitterness on both sides at his departure for Italy, Pogba has made the decision to rejoin the club as they look to vastly improve on the fifth-placed finish secured under Louis van Gaal in 2015-16.

The transfer represents the latest arrival under Mourinho, with United having embarked on a major recruitment drive this summer having already acquired the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

POGBACK!

Congratulations Pogba!

Welcome back to Manchester United!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

David Villa shows off his skills on Sesame Street!

David Villa has won it all as a footballer, and can now count some very famous faces among his admirers - the denizens of Sesame Street.

New York City's star forward took a walk down the iconic thoroughfare to spend some time with Rosita and the Cookie Monster, as part of the show's 'Love to Learn' campaign. Villa is promised that if he manages to juggle the ball 10 consecutive times with his head he will win two new fans, and after two abortive attempts finally succeeds as the pair cheer him on.

Luckily the ball did not get too close to the Cookie Monster, who was keen to take a bite out of the "black and white cookie" before the Spain international corrected him.

Take a look at Villa's turn on Sesame Street in the video below!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

David Villa!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Wenger needs to retire!' - Arsenal fans go MAD over Jonny Evans rumours

With Gabriel injured, there is no doubt that Arsene Wenger could use another defender to strengthen Arsenal's creaking backline. But one potential target has not been very well received by Gunners fans. Rumours that Wenger was considering a move for ex-Manchester United centre-back Jonny Evans have provoked a furious backlash on social media.

Some fans even claimed the bid meant the manager needed to step aside, while plenty others were incredulous at the link.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba on Man Utd move: This club has always been in my heart

New Manchester United signing Paul Pogba has revealed he is beaming at the chance to move back to the Premier League giants. After weeks of speculation the former Juventus midfielder's future was resolved when United announced the lucrative deal.

Pogba returns to the club he left in 2012, and affirmed he was over the moon to have a second chance at Old Trafford.

“I am delighted to rejoin United. It has always been a club with a special place in my heart and I am really looking forward to working with José Mourinho," he told the club's official website."I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Juventus and have some fantastic memories of a great club with players that I count as friends.

"But I feel the time is right to go back to Old Trafford. I always enjoyed playing in front of the fans and can’t wait to make my contribution to the team."This is the right club for me to achieve everything I hope to in the game."The France international appeared just seven times under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011-12 before moving to the Italian giants.

In Turin, however, Pogba became a cornerstone of the Bianconeri side as he helped the club to four Serie A titles in as many seasons during his stay.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba sends goodbye message to Juventus fans

Paul Pogba sent a goodbye message to Juventus fans, shortly before his long-awaited transfer to Manchester United was completed.

After his first spell at Old Trafford left the France international frustrated by his lack of game time, he moved to the Serie A outfit, where he played for four seasons and accumulated over 120 top-flight appearances, scoring 28 goals in the process.

And Pogba was keen to show his appreciation to the Turin side as he tweeted his gratitude shortly before news of his move back to the Premier League was made official.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: Pogba can star at Man Utd for the next decade!

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes the Old Trafford club will get their money’s worth from world-record signing Paul Pogba, as the Portuguese says the midfielder can star for the club for the next 10 years.

Pogba completed his €110 million switch back to the Premier League giants from Juventus in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and the 23-year-old is set to become part of the furniture at the club he departed as a youth.

“He has the chance to be at the heart of this club for the next decade and beyond,” Mourinho said.“Paul is one of the best players in the world and will be a key part of the United team I want to build here for the future.

“He is quick, strong, scores goals and reads the game better than many players much older than he is.“At 23, he has the chance to make that position his own here over many years. He is young and will continue to improve.”

Pogba played with Juventus for four years, winning the Serie A title in each campaign. Mourinho hopes the Frenchman can transfer that kind of form to England, as United are without the Premier League crown since 2012-13.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd transfer saga was 'annoying' - Pogba

Paul Pogba admits he became “annoyed” by the delay over his protracted transfer to Manchester United from Juventus.

The 23-year-old finally completed a move back to Old Trafford in the early hours of Tuesday morning, with Jose Mourinho's side paying out a world-record fee believed to be in the region of £93.8m.United's announcement that the deal had been concluded brought to an end a lengthy saga that dominated the current transfer window.

It has been widely reported that the overall transfer fee and also how much Pogba's agent, Mino Raiola, would be paid were two reasons why the deal dragged over the course of the summer.

Pogba concedes that the decision to return to United was far from straightforward, but says the wait to finalise the deal was as frustrating for him as it was for the fans.

Writing in a series of Instagram posts, he said: "It is difficult to explain so much in a few lines but I made a decision guided by my heart and nothing else."This transfer took so long because it was a huge decision and involved lots of thinking and work. The wait was as annoying to me as it was to you.

"To all supporters who wrote on my pages about transfer rumours, I have read you all and thank you for the passionate messages. My apologies for not responding before, by law I could not talk.

"Leaving Manchester when I was 18 was a mutual decision between the club and me and the right thing to do at that moment. Now it's time to go back and forward, Old Trafford here I come!

"My deepest respect to the clubs who considered having me. Juventus will always be a part of me and I will always miss, love and be grateful to the club, the team and especially the supporters. I hope you can respect my decision. The most beautiful part of friendship is to understand and be understood."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

De Boer: Icardi not leaving Inter

New Inter boss Frank de Boer insists captain and star striker Mauro Icardi will not leave the club as he plots to end Juventus' dominance of Serie A.

The former Netherlands international has signed a three-year deal at San Siro to succeed Roberto Mancini, who left his role amid reports of a dispute with club owners Suning Holdings Group.

A succession of heavy pre-season defeats preceded Mancini's exit, with De Boer confirming the club approached him in the aftermath of last Friday's 6-1 defeat to Tottenham.But the 46-year-old was bullish over Inter's prospects at his first news conference as coach and he expects Icardi – a reported transfer target for Arsenal and Napoli over the course of the close-season – to play a key role in attempting to stop Juve adding a sixth consecutive league title this season.

"I thank Inter for choosing me," De Boer said. "I spoke with the owners and everyone wants to bring the club where it deserves to be. "Juventus are not unbeatable, sometimes things change. They have a great team and it will be tough, but we want to fight. "We will keep the players who do not want to sell. Icardi will remain.

"Mauro is young, can still learn and we will work very well together."Mancini's future was a source of speculation throughout a fractious pre-season and De Boer revealed that he held exploratory talks with Inter's owners two weeks ago.

"We spoke to Inter two weeks ago simply to understand whether there might be any common ground," he explained."Everything happened quickly. I was honoured by their interest."Inter's opening game of the Serie A season comes away at Chievo in 12 days' time, meaning De Boer faces a race against time to get his players up to speed.

"It's not an ideal situation but we have a very talented and experienced side," the ex-Ajax coach added."We can use our ideas to be ready in a short space of time. We have a philosophy and the team needs to believe in that."I'm convinced that we'll be ready and that we'll get on the right track as quickly as possible."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal desperate to sign Mustafi before Liverpool game

Arsenal have identified Shkodran Mustafi as their main defensive target and are looking to finalise a deal for the Valencia centre back before Sunday's Premier League opener against Liverpool.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is in the market for an experienced stopper following injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista, although the latter will only be out of action for six to eight weeks which is much less than first feared.

Wenger has already shown interest in Roma defender Kostas Manolas and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, both of whom are rated at €45m by their respective clubs, but sees Mustafi as a more affordable and risk-free option due to his price tag of £30m (€35m).

An offer is likely to be submitted over the next couple of days as Wenger aims to push a deal over the line before the end of the week, otherwise he will be forced to play an inexperienced centre back pairing of Calum Chambers and Rob Holding against Jurgen Klopp's side.

Premier League rules state that only players signed and registered before 12pm on Friday will be eligible for the weekend matches, making it even more important that negotiations to land the 24-year-old Germany international are conducted swiftly.

Valencia are preparing for the departure of Mustafi by making enquiries for Raúl Albiol from Napoli and Deportivo Coruña's Sidnei but will need to sell one of Aymen Abdennour or Aderllan Santos first, with the latter likely to follow Mustafi out of the Mestalla exit door.

Meanwhile, French giants Lyon are prepared to make Alexandre Lacazette their highest-paid player in a bid to keep him at the Stade des Lumieres and ward off interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal.

The Gunners previously had a bid of €35m turned down and despite being ruled out for three weeks with an injury, the club remain hot on the heels of the French striker during this transfer window with Theo Walcott expected to start upfront in place of Olivier Giroud on Sunday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Higuain won't have it easy at Juventus, warns Dybala

Juventus forward Paulo Dybala has warned new team-mate Gonzalo Higuain that he will not find it easy to seize a spot in the starting line-up.

The Serie A champions spent a club record €90million to sign Higuain from title rivals Napoli, following a remarkable 2015-16 season in which he scored 38 goals in 42 appearances.But Dybala says his compatriot's price tag is no guarantee of a place in Massimiliano Allegri's first team, such is the strength in depth of the squad.

"We hope he can help us score many goals and that he can help us in the league," Dybala told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "It'll certainly be difficult at Juventus because there's so much competition. Mario [Mandzukic] is already doing well."
Higuain was the marquee signing in a stellar transfer window for Juve so far, in which Allegri has set about constructing a side capable of challenging for the Champions League.

Miralem Pjanic, Marko Pjaca, Dani Alves and Medhi Benatia have been brought in to bolster the all-round quality at Juve's disposal and offset the departure of Paul Pogba, who has joined Manchester United for a reported world-record fee of close to £93m.Dybala says the new arrivals have boosted the confidence within the squad, but concedes that expectations are now sky-high in Turin.

"We have more confidence, but also very strong players that offer many important skills and this will be a formidable strength for us," he said. "We know we're one of the strongest squads around and we can play even better than last year.

"The danger is there, also last year everyone said if we didn't win it would be a failure because everyone waited for that fifth Scudetto in a row. This year we want the sixth to set the new record.

"We're Juventus, if we don't have a great season it'll be a failure. The only thing that counts here is victory, but we're ready – we'll fight for every trophy."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho uses Pogba capture to taunt Wenger and Klopp again

Jose Mourinho used Paul Pogba's unveiling as a Manchester United player to once again take a swipe at his Premier League rivals.United finally confirmed the capture of Pogba this week, having parted with a world-record fee to bring the Frenchman back to Old Trafford from Juventus.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp raised doubts over the move - which could be worth as much as €110 million - while Mourinho's long-term rival Arsene Wenger branded the deal "completely crazy".

Mourinho said the pair's comments were "not ethical" last week, and used an interview with United's in-house TV station MUTV to once again belittle Liverpool and Arsenal.He said: "I know the discussion, I understand that, sometimes in football, things happen and the club breaks the record, but this is only possible at clubs like Man United.

"When I heard some of the comments and heard some of the managers criticising that, I don't think they ever have this problem because, to have this problem, you need to be at one of the top clubs in the world. So at Man United it can happen."

Turning attentions to his latest recruit, Mourinho was lavish in his praise of a player who left United on a Bosman move for Turin four years ago."He's a very young player, an unbelievable midfield player with such physicality but, at the same time, such agility, co-ordination, skill," Mourinho added.

"He has everything. What he has to learn now is how to play with us because I always say that in football you can be a super player, like he is, but a team is a team and you need to learn how to play in the team, and the team needs to learn how to play with you. "We need to get the best out of him and this will be a process. So if he needs protection, I am here to protect.

"I know some people think that he arrives here now and, the first time he touches the ball, he scores, but I'm here to protect him and give him the best conditions to be what we think he is going to be, which is a football player for Man United, a reference for this club. I'm so happy."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba: I'll be a better player and person under Mourinho

New Manchester United signing Paul Pogba says he will become both a better player and person under manager Jose Mourinho.The 23-year-old has completed a return to Old Trafford for a reported world-record fee that could reach £93.8 million, having signed a five-year deal.

Pogba is the fourth signing made by Mourinho since he replaced Louis van Gaal as manager in May, following the arrivals of Eric Bailly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

And the France international admits that speaking with the former Inter and Real Madrid boss played a key part in his decision to rejoin the club from Juventus.

"I spoke with a lot of players when he was at Madrid, I spoke with [Alvaro] Morata, with [Raphael] Varane. They all told me he's the coach for me, he'll make me improve a lot, he makes you work harder," he told MUTV."I spoke with him a few times and he gave me energy, positivity. I was thinking 'why not'. I'm sure he can make me improve, make me a better player and a better person."

Pogba, who left United in 2012, has now set his sights on claiming a first Premier League title as soon as possible, having won four successive Serie A crowns with Juve.The midfielder also hopes to win the Champions League and secure a Ballon d'Or victory during his Old Trafford career.

"Win the league for the first time, the Champions League, of course," he said when asked what his ambitions were. "Personally, one of my dreams is to win the Ballon d'Or. Hopefully it will come but first I have to win the Premier League."Lastly, the former Le Havre youngster was keen to stress to United fans that he has come a long way from the prodigious but occasionally volatile talent who first joined the club as a 16-year-old in 2009.

"I'm back. I can't wait to make them happy, to show them that I'm still Paul Pogba but in a different way," he said. "I want to show them I didn't come here to joke. I'm here to make them happy."