..::Football IV::..

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'It wasn't difficult to choose City over Chelsea' - Danilo hails Guardiola's impact on transfer

Danilo says it was a straightforward decision to snub Chelsea and join Manchester City after speaking to Pep Guardiola.

City clinched a £26.5 million move for the Brazilian on Sunday after beating off rival interest from the Premier League champions.Chelsea had approached the right-back after a move to Juventus fell through, but it was City who won the race thanks to Guardiola's intervention.

"It happened very fast, I was training with Real Madrid, Pep called me and I was very motivated to make this change and start to work with him,” Danilo told reporters at the launch of City Football Group's joint venture with Goals in the United States and Canada.

“[Zidane tried to convince me to stay] but I was sure I needed to change. I needed to think a bit more about myself and find a place where I had more options.“It wasn't a difficult decision to choose City over Chelsea. The moment City called me and Pep called me, I knew what I had to do.”

Danilo was part of the Real Madrid squad which won back-to-back Champions League titles in the past two seasons, and he believes his new club have what it takes to go all the way.

"I have no doubt we can win the Champions League, that's why I chose this team. In all the teams I played for in my life, the objectives have always been the same.
“I'm going to try my best to adapt as soon as possible. I see the potential in this side and I am going to do my best."

 

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Man City prepare world-record bid for Mbappe

Manchester City are in advanced talks to sign Kylian Mbappe from Monaco in a deal which would smash the world transfer record, Goal can reveal.

Real Madrid are also in the race to sign the 18-year-old but senior City decision makers have been in contact with their Monaco counterparts over the past 24 hours and are pushing to reach a speedy resolution.

City sources close to the negotiations have been given the impression that Madrid need to sell Gareth Bale to Manchester United before they can make their interest official.The Blues have already made a formal approach and are now awaiting a response from Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev.

The French champions have made it clear that they want mega money for Mbappe, meaning City, Madrid and any other suitors would have to pay more than £150 million.

Monaco last week threatened several clubs, including City, with a formal complaint to Fifa over alleged illegal approaches to Mbappe, but the two sides have remained in contact since concluding negotiations for left-back Benjamin Mendy over the weekend.

Though it is believed Mbappe is also open to moving to the Santiago Bernabeu, Pep Guardiola has spoken personally with the teenager in a bid to convince him to move to Manchester, and the Catalan’s employers are now trying to persuade Monaco to sell.

Madrid, who were also among the clubs warned by Monaco last week, have had to wait to make their approach until they sell off several first-team players.

Having failed to recoup a fee for James Rodriguez, who joined Bayern Munich on loan, the Champions League holders have raised over £80m in the last week by selling Alvaro Morata to Chelsea and Danilo to City.City are under the impression that Madrid’s hopes of signing Mbappe could hinge on Bale joining United in another big-money deal.

United boss Jose Mourinho confirmed on Tuesday that he is chasing “an attacking player, especially one that can play through the wings to give me more attacking options.”

City remain determined to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal but have been surprised by the Gunners’ determination not to sell to a Premier League rival.

The Blues had always expected the Londoners to relent, but Goal understands that over the past few days Guardiola and his staff have reluctantly discussed the possibility of waiting until next year to bring in the Chilean on a free transfer.

City are still in talks for both Alexis and Mbappe and could yet sign both before the end of the transfer window, though that would depend on a glut of player sales for big fees.

 

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Courtois: Morata will score a lot for Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois expects Alvaro Morata to become a clinical striker for Chelsea next season after his £70 million move from Real Madrid.

The Blues made a move for the highly-rated 24-year-old after being beaten to the signing of Romelu Lukaku by Manchester United.

Spain international Morata scored 20 goals in all competitions for Madrid last season, with 15 coming in 26 appearances in La Liga, before making the move to Stamford Bridge.

With Diego Costa set to move on, Morata will lead the attack for Antonio Conte’s side as they look to defend the Premier League title and compete in the Champions League next term, and emerged for the final 25 minutes of their 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in pre-season on Tuesday.Although he was unable to get on the scoresheet, Courtois has been impressed by Morata and thinks he will be a good fit for the team.

"I think he has only spent a few days with the team. He has to learn our way of playing but I think he came in very well," Courtois said to Goal after the game in Singapore."He was dangerous. We saw some of his ability. He is a very good striker and he will score a lot of goals for us."

An early strike from Rafinha and a double from Thomas Muller had the German side 3-0 up within 30 minutes, and although the Premier League side fought back, the Belgium international was disappointed with their start to the game.

"We didn’t start as well in the first half. I think the three goals were a bit too easy. But after that in the second half we got a bit better," he said.

"We scored two goals. We came back better but the first half was not good enough from us." Chelsea next face Serie A side Inter on July 29th at the National Stadium in Singapore as part of the ongoing International Champions Cup (ICC).


They then take on Arsenal at Wembley in the Community Shield on August 6 before beginning the league campaign with a home game against Burnley on August 12.

 

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Guardiola refuses to rule out City rivalling Madrid in Mbappe pursuit

Pep Guardiola has not ruled out the possibility of Manchester City going toe-to-toe with Real Madrid in the ongoing battle for Monaco wonderkid Kylian Mbappe.

Reports in Spain claimed Madrid have agreed what would be a world-record €180 million deal with the Ligue 1 champions for the France forward, who is one of Europe's most sought-after prospects.

It was later reported Monaco have denied such a deal is in place and, while Madrid are still thought to be leading the race for his signature, City are said to be preparing a rival bid.Guardiola, who is also believed to be chasing Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, kept his cards close to his chest in regards to City's interest but did not categorically rule out an approach.

"They are Monaco and Arsenal players, so I have nothing to say," Guardiola told a news conference."Mbappe is still at Monaco, he's still on that team.

"But anything can happen and we're still looking at other players in the market."
City have already spent big in the window, with over £200m paid out to land Ederson, Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker, Danilo and Benjamin Mendy.

But Guardiola defended City's huge outlay.He added: "It's a lot, but I think that 10 years ago Real Madrid paid £30m for Pepe and Barcelona £37m for Dani Alves.

"That period was amazing, and now it increases a lot. I couldn't imagine two or three years ago paying £100m or £120m for a player, but now it happens and it will happen more.

"I would like to pay less, but the market is the market."

 

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CITY thawa playersla ganna try karai wage.​

 

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Ancelotti tells Inter to forget about signing Vidal

Carlo Ancelotti has told Inter to end their pursuit of Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal ahead of their friendly meeting in the International Champions Cup.

The Chile international, who joined Bayern from Juventus for €37million in 2015, has been linked with a move away amid reports Schalke's Leon Goretzka could be heading to the Allianz Arena.

At a pre-match press conference in Singapore, Ancelotti – who had already ruled out an exit for Vidal – said he has made it clear to Inter coach Luciano Spalletti and director of football Walter Sabatini that the midfielder is not for sale.

"It will be an important game and we'll play in an organised manner," said Ancelotti."Inter have a new coach, who has so much experience. After that, we'll see if new players join them.

"Vidal, on the other hand, will stay with us. I've told my friends, Sabatini and Spalletti, to forget about him."Speaking about his own future, Ancelotti admitted he would like to make a return to his home country one day.

"I'm very happy here, my focus is on Bayern Munich," he said."Of course, I'm Italian and therefore it's normal if I think about going back in the future."It can be an option, but not in the near future."

 

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Monaco chief confirms Mbappe offers amid contract talks

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev has denied an agreement has been reached with Real Madrid for Kylian Mbappe, but are instead hoping to extend his contract.

After scoring 26 goals in all competitions for Monaco last season, including six in the Champions League, Mbappe has been linked with Europe's biggest sides for months.

Reports in Spain have emerged stating the Champions League winners have secured a deal to sign the 18-year-old, but Goal understands Manchester City are preparing a world-record bid, while Paris Saint-Germain are also interested.

However, Vasilyev insists no transfer is close and says there is a chance he will opt to remain with the Ligue 1 champions."I assure you that there is no agreement with a club," he told reporters. "We have very important offers for Mbappe. He is the greatest talent in world football."We're discussing a contract renewal with him. I hope we'll get there."

While the France international is being linked with world record offers, there is a chance of an even more expensive transfer occurring during the current window, as PSG are hoping to trigger the €222 million release clause in Neymar's contract.

The possibility of his side's rivals landing such a big player does not worry Vasilyev, who is in favour of the move."I think it would be a good thing if Neymar played in Ligue 1. It would be nice for the France," he said."It will be difficult for us to defend the title. We know who the favourites will be but we are ambitious."

 

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'He's staying with us' - Monaco hit Arsenal's hopes of signing Lemar

Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev has told Arsenal that midfielder Thomas Lemar is not for sale.

The Gunners were chasing the France international but the Ligue 1 champions have outright rejected speculation he could leave before the end of the summer transfer window."I will address speculation relating to the case of Thomas Lemar. He is staying with us," he said. "He is an immense talent and is essential for the team.

"We have kept all of the key players that we intended to keep."Arsenal launched a €35 million move for Lemar in June, though Monaco rebuffed their offer for the midfielder, who scored 14 times for the principality club last season, creating 17 more.

Vasilyev also addressed speculation regarding the future of Fabinho, who had been linked with Manchester United earlier in the transfer window."Fabinho stays, he is an essential player in the midfield,” he said.

Monaco have sold more than €165m of talent already this summer, including Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy to Manchester City and Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea while City are preparing a world-record bid for Kylian Mbappe.

Their transfer surplus stands at more than €100m.

 

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Perisic to Man Utd depends on Inter finding replacement - Spalletti

Luciano Spalletti says Inter would have to source a realistic replacement for Manchester United target Ivan Perisic before considering a "difficult offer to reject".

The Croatia international is involved in a long-running transfer saga with Premier League giants United having been linked with a move throughout the transfer window.An agreement has not yet been reached between the two parties, with Inter reported to be holding out for a £50 million fee.

Spalletti recently admitted that Perisic could be on the move if a sizeable offer is made for the 28-year-old, a point he reiterated when addressing reporters during Inter's pre-season preparations in Singapore.

However, the former Roma boss insists any sale is dependent on Inter sourcing a suitable replacement."He's an important player in the team and we're counting on him to start the new season," he said.

"Sure, there were rumours, but the status quo is that we want to keep Perisic."Having said that, if someone comes in with a very difficult offer to reject, then we'll consider that."But, of course, we'll need to find a valid alternative for Perisic as well."

 

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Koeman confirms Barkley will leave Everton after rejecting new contract offer

Everton boss Ronald Koeman has confirmed Ross Barkley will leave the club after rejecting a new contract.

Barkley, 23, has been strongly linked with Tottenham and Arsenal as he enters the final year of his current deal at Goodison Park.Koeman said in May that Everton needed a sharp response from Barkley regarding their contract offer or they would be forced to sell the midfielder.

And now the Toffees manager has revealed that Barkley will depart his boyhood club after expressing his desire to seek pastures new.“His personal situation is not so difficult,” said Koeman in a press conference on Wednesday.

“We made a really good offer to him to sign a new contract, he declined that contract and told me that he is looking for a new challenge.“Okay, he is not in Everton’s future any more. It is his decision. I need to respect that and see what happens.”

Asked if Barkley will "100 per cent" leave, Koeman replied: "Yes. Yeah.”However, the Dutchman revealed that Everton have not received any offers for Barkley as of yet.

He said: “What I heard from the board at the moment is that there is no offer on the table for Ross.”The admission that Barkley will leave the Merseysiders will likely fuel their pursuit of Swansea City star Gylfi Sigurdsson, who is viewed as a replacement.

Various reports claim Everton's latest offer of £45m for the Iceland international has been rejected by Swansea.

Barkley, who joined Everton's youth academy aged 11, made his full senior debut against Queens Park Rangers in 2011 before scoring his first goal for the club against Norwich City in 2013.He has since gone on to make over 170 appearances in all competitions for Everton, scoring 27 goals.

 

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Barcelona 1 Manchester United 0: PSG target Neymar inspires ICC win

Neymar showed why he is reportedly the subject of a world-record offer from Paris Saint-Germain after inspiring Barcelona to a 1-0 win over Manchester United at the International Champions Cup.

PSG are believed to be ready to meet Neymar's €222million release clause and speculation is intensifying that the Brazil star is set to join the Ligue 1 giants for the 2017-18 campaign.

In the meantime, Neymar continued his fine form for Barca with his third goal in two matches to condemn United to their first defeat of pre-season at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland on Wednesday.

Neymar and Lionel Messi produced a wonderful first-half performance, the former stripping Antonio Valencia of the ball in the penalty area and finding the back of the net in the 31st minute – enough to secure back-to-back wins for new Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

There were eight changes to the United team who started in the penalty shoot-out win over Real Madrid. Captain Michael Carrick, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard were the only players to retain their positions as David de Gea, Daley Blind, Chris Smalling, Victor Lindelof, Antonio Valencia, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku came into the XI, with Ander Herrera and Juan Mata nursing injuries.

Barca also rang the changes following their 2-1 win against Juventus. Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba, Samuel Umtiti, Nelson Semedo, Sergio Busquets and 19-year-old midfielder Carles Arena – nicknamed Maradona – were named in Valverde's line-up, which was headlined by Neymar and Messi.

United started brightly, their pace on the break through Rashford and Lingard causing plenty of problems as the former picked out Lukaku in the third minute, but the outstretched Belgian was unable to keep his effort on target.

Barca began to control proceedings as the half wore on – De Gea kept busy by Neymar, Messi and Suarez, firstly denying the latter.Some trademark passing from Barca created space for Messi, who almost opened the scoring in the 12th minute but his low shot flashed just wide of the post.

After Pogba produced a sublime turn and shot to test Jasper Cillessen from the edge of the area, Rashford bundled his way into the area and attempted to curl the ball into the far corner but the Barca keeper was up to the task.

It was one-way traffic from that point as De Gea denied Neymar from close range but the United shot-stopper was helpless to stop the Brazil international just past the half-hour mark.Valencia cut out a pass from Messi but he was dispossessed by Neymar, who composed himself as he turned and shot beyond De Gea.

Barca's lead could have been greater at half-time if not for De Gea after the Spain international pushed away Suarez's inventive and acrobatic strike three minutes before the break.

That proved to be the final action for De Gea, Suarez, Neymar and Messi as the quartet were replaced at the interval – Barca substituting all 10 outfield players, while Jose Mourinho made five changes.

The changes affected the fluidity and tempo of the match but United still looked dodgy in defence against a second-string Barca side.

While Anthony Martial, Andreas Pereira and Pogba had chances on goal without troubling Cillessen, United struggled defensively as Pac Alcacer played the ball through the legs of Eric Bailly before almost curling an effort past Sergio Romero.

After earning Mourinho's praise following his moment of brilliance to set up Lingard against Madrid last time out, Martial was lively out wide and United's biggest threat but he was unable to prevent defeat.

 

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Mou's No.1 signing - De Gea limits MSN damage to celebrate Man Utd stay

“I can guarantee that he’s not going this season, that I can.” Jose Mourinho’s assessment of David de Gea’s transfer status this week came as a huge boost to Manchester United fans.

With the goalkeeper being the subject of the perennial links with Real Madrid following his aborted move to the European champions in 2015, it was vital that United supporters’ fears were laid to rest.

And on Wednesday he once again reminded the world why his continued stay at Old Trafford could be one of the key pieces behind Mourinho making a success of his second season as United manager. De Gea’s performance against Barcelona in the International Champions Cup ensured that the nature of United’s 1-0 loss was far less chastening than it might otherwise have been.

The United defence in front of the Spaniard looked off the pace up against the dazzling forward line of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, while there was a lack of protection offered ahead of them as 36-year-old skipper Michael Carrick fought a losing battle to provide an adequate shield. The Catalans’ speed of movement in the opposition half had United chasing for long spells.

By the time Neymar netted the only goal on 32 minutes after pouncing on an Antonio Valencia slip, Barca could have already been out of sight were it not for their world-class custodian.

In the opening moments he had to sprawl low to his left to tip away a left-foot drive across goal by Suarez, and he later blocked well as Neymar shot from a narrow angle. Even after the Brazilian had opened the scoring he showed 100 per cent concentration when getting down quick once more to keep out Suarez as Barca upped the intensity with half-time approaching.

Ernesto Valverde’s decision to rotate his entire XI at half-time coincided with De Gea’s withdrawal, and Mourinho will have given his No.1 a huge pat on the back for his curtailed evening’s work. Just as his two penalty saves in the inglorious shoot-out win over Madrid at the weekend helped to see United home, he was again their saviour in Landover even if they still couldn’t get the result they desired.

De Gea might have seen his hold on the club Player of the Year award ended last season after three straight years of success, but he remains as important as ever to United’s plans. Sergio Romero’s performances last term drew widespread praise and helped Mourinho to rest his first choice with some regularity, but there can be no questioning De Gea’s position as one of the world’s greatest goalkeepers.

In a season which will see United return to the Champions League there can be no more liberties taken between the sticks, and that makes De Gea’s retention even more vital. He is already one of the very best in the business, and at just 26 years of age he is still a long way from the traditional peak for most goalkeepers.

Mourinho has spoken regularly during this tour of the United States about the need to add at least one more player to his squad, if not two. But for some fans the news that De Gea will again be wearing United colours this season is every bit as crucial as the new additions that could yet take place.

 

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De Gea

De Gea nisa thamai match 1ka meh ganin berune.nathnam meeta wada loku marign 1kakin paradinna thibba

BTW Backline 1ka gana nam Mournho ta tikak hithanna wei.​

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 2 Juventus 3: Marchisio scores second-half brace

A second-half brace from Claudio Marchisio helped Juventus to a 3-2 win over Paris Saint-Germain at the International Champions Cup.

Gonzalo Higuain produced a classy finish on the stroke of half-time to give the Serie A champions a lead at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.But a Goncalo Guedes goal, set up by the impressive Angel Di Maria, saw PSG level early in the second half on Wednesday.

Marchisio scored superbly from 20 yards in the 62nd minute, but Javier Pastore levelled once more for PSG.However, Juve would not be denied a third time as Marchisio converted from the penalty spot for the match-winner in the 89th minute.

Marco Verratti and Di Maria, both linked with moves from PSG, started, while Dani Alves began on the bench for the clash against his former club.Juve made an energetic start and Paulo Dybala should have opened the scoring in the fourth minute.

The Argentina international cut in from the right before curling a shot just wide as he aimed for the far corner.PSG slowly built into the clash, Blaise Matuidi squandering a good chance from a cross before Di Maria forced a diving save from Gianluigi Buffon.

Dybala then went close twice approaching the half-hour mark, forcing Alphonse Areola to save a free-kick before curling a set-piece just wide.

PSG forward Edinson Cavani had the ball in the back of the net in the 33rd minute, but it was correctly ruled out for offside.Juve looked more dangerous throughout the opening 45 minutes and they deservedly went ahead on the stroke of half-time.

Higuain played a one-two with Dybala before clipping a finish past Areola and into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.Juve made 10 changes at the break – with only Buffon staying on – while PSG introduced eight new substitutes.

It was a frantic start to the second half, Stefano Sturaro almost doubling Juve's lead as he struck the post after a Mattia De Sciglio pass, while Giovani Lo Celso forced Buffon into a save before PSG equalised in the 53rd minute.

Di Maria and Layvin Kurzawa exchanged passes down the left before the former poked a pass to the back post, where Guedes tapped in.A crucial touch from Buffon denied Jese Rodriguez before Marchisio restored Juve's lead in style.

Kurzawa gave the ball away cheaply and Moise Kean ran at the PSG defence before playing a pass across the area, Marchisio producing a superb first-time finish from 20 yards.But PSG responded again, a brave Pastore header from a Kurzawa cross making it 2-2 in the 80th minute.

However, Marchisio would score the winner, striking a penalty down the middle after Kean was brought down by Presnel Kimpembe.

 

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United States 2 Jamaica 1: Morris strikes late as USA claim Gold Cup

Jordan Morris scored an 88th-minute winner as the United States claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Jamaica for their sixth CONCACAF Gold Cup title.

Wednesday's showpiece appeared set for extra time after Je-Vaughn Watson cancelled out Jozy Altidore's stunning first-half opener, but Morris struck late to move USA within one of Mexico's Gold Cup record.

Altidore curled a free-kick past substitute goalkeeper Dwayne Miller on the stroke of half-time before Watson equalised for the 2015 runners-up – seeking their first Gold Cup crown.

However, USA huffed and puffed and eventually found the winner thanks to Morris, who rifled a shot into the back of the net – securing a third Gold Cup title for head coach Bruce Arena.

USA – semi-finalists two years ago – named an unchanged line-up for the decider after seeing off Costa Rica 2-0 in the final four as Michael Bradley, Altidore and Tim Howard headlined the starting XI.

The Jamaicans made one change after upstaging defending champions Mexico in a 2015 final rematch, with Oniel Fisher coming in for Shaun Francis.It was a relatively subdued and cagey start to the match but it sprung into life in the 19th minute.

Andre Blake – the hero from the semi-final – was called into action following a thunderous long-range effort from Altidore and the Jamaica goalkeeper showed tremendous reflexes to scramble away the rebound.But it came at a cost, Blake hurting his hand in the process as the Philadelphia Union star made his way from the field in tears.

The scores were set to be deadlocked at half-time until a moment of magic from Altidore.Known for his power, Altidore showed his finesse as he curled a free-kick past substitute keeper Miller.

Jamaica struggled to provide a threat up front or register a shot on target, but that changed five minutes into the second half.

Watson fired a fierce shot into the net following Kemar Lawrence's corner, leaving the hosts stunned.USA pushed forward and looked the most likely to score as Omar Gonzalez and Morris came close.

But Jamaica provided a reminder of their threat on the counter as Alvas Powell almost poked the ball home but Graham Zusi made a last-ditch block with 16 minutes remaining.

Substitute and record-seeking Clint Dempsey – a goal away from becoming USA's outright all-time leading scorer – then struck the post with a header a minute later.

USA had a chance to win it five minutes from the end but no one could get the decisive touch on the ball following a scuffed free-kick from Dempsey.Morris, though, pounced two minutes from the end to give USA their first Gold Cup success since 2013.

 

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Congratulations USA!​

 

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'If I had to buy one striker, I would go to Harry Kane’ - Conte

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has praised Harry Kane, saying if he could buy any striker in the world, it would be the Tottenham man.

The 23-year-old Kane nearly averaged a goal a game last season in the Premier League as he bagged 29 goals in 30 appearances for Spurs. It was a new career-high after scoring 21 and 25 in the prior two seasons.

And that level of efficiency has earned Kane a big supporter in the form of Conte, who rates him as the most desirable striker in the world.“For me, Kane, now, is one of the best strikers in the world," Conte said in quotes published by the Daily Mail. “If I had to buy one striker I would go to Kane.”

Chelsea recently landed former Juventus and Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata for a club-record £70 million and the club are not in the market to pursue Kane this summer. Still, Conte likes everything about the Tottenham man’s game and would expect him to command one of the largest transfer fees ever, if he were to move.

“He is a complete striker,” Conte said. “He is strong physically with the ball, without the ball, he fights and he’s strong in the air and acrobatic on the right and the left.“He’s a complete player. If you go to buy Kane now, it would be at least £100 million. At least.”

Conte also discussed former Spurs full-back Kyle Walker, who recently moved to Manchester City for £54 million, admitting Chelsea made an attempt to sign the England international.“Every player is expensive,” said Conte. “You go to buy a right back, a left back or a central defender and he is expensive.

“If you want Kyle Walker, you know Walker is expensive. We tried to buy Walker.“It is very difficult for the teams that need to improve their squads.”

 

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Mourinho hints Ibrahimovic could make Man United return

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho hinted star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic may return to the club next season.

Recovering from a knee injury, Ibrahimovic, 35, is a free agent after United opted against renewing his contract at the end of June.

The Swedish striker proved critics wrong by scoring 28 goals in all competitions in his first season at the Premier League giants.

United have since signed Romelu Lukaku from Everton for a reported £75 million, but Mourinho has now suggested Ibrahimovic could return to the club in 2018.

"We spent big money on a striker because, with strikers, you either spend or you don't get," Mourinho said."And we spent because of what happened to Zlatan and we can not allow ourselves to be without an important, strong striker for the first six months of the season."


Ibrahimovic, who has been heavily linked with a move to MLS, is expected to make his return from injury in late 2017.

 

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Suarez dives in a friendly. What a guy!

https://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/6psu82/luis_suárezs_dive_vs_manchester_united/​

 

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Manchester City 4 Real Madrid 1: De Bruyne shines as Danilo makes debut

Danilo made his Manchester City debut as Kevin De Bruyne led his team to a resounding 4-1 win over Real Madrid at the International Champions Cup.

Danilo, signed for a reported £26.5million earlier this month, started on the left against his former club at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

It took until the second half for City and De Bruyne to come to life on Wednesday.
De Bruyne had a hand in the first three goals – his corner eventually leading to Nicolas Otamendi's opener before he set up Raheem Sterling and John Stones.

The win was sealed by teenage substitute Brahim Diaz, who scored a stunning late goal, which was matched by a screamer from Madrid's Oscar.Spain youth international Dani Ceballos made his debut for Madrid, coming off the bench.

Madrid enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, Gareth Bale shooting high and wide before Isco drew a save from Ederson.

City – set up in a 3-5-2 by manager Pep Guardiola – improved as the half wore on and only Keylor Navas denied them a lead.Sergio Aguero put Gabriel Jesus in behind in the 23rd minute and the Brazilian's low shot was saved by the feet of Navas.

The Costa Rica international's next save two minutes later was even better.Aguero was left in plenty of space in the area and his powerful effort was saved by Navas.

That sparked Madrid into action and Casemiro almost opened the scoring in the 28th minute, his header from an Isco cross hitting the post before Ederson saved from Karim Benzema.

Luka Modric and Benzema almost combined for the opener, and the latter threatened again before half-time, only to be denied by Ederson.Dani Carvajal wasted a great chance for Madrid early in the second half after a defensive mix-up by City.

But City would go ahead in the 52nd minute via a set-piece.Stones met De Bruyne's corner and his header was parried by Kiko Casilla – who replaced Navas at the break – allowing Otamendi to score into an open goal.

After Ederson had smothered at the feet of Casemiro, Sterling – who came on at half-time – flashed a shot across the face of goal.But Sterling made no mistake with his next chance, placing a finish past Casilla at the goalkeeper's near post after again combining with De Bruyne.

De Bruyne almost made it 3-0 in stunning fashion, but Casilla palmed his 30-yard free-kick onto the post.The Belgium international would set up the third, his pass from the right tucked away nicely by Stones in the 67th minute.

Madrid had their chances late on before City's Diaz, 17, struck with a fine 20-yard effort into the top corner with eight minutes remaining, only for Oscar to score with a spectacular strike from 35 yards.