..::Football IV::..

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Aurier set for £23m Tottenham move after being granted a work permit


Serge Aurier is set to complete a £23 million move to Tottenham Hotspur from Paris Saint-Germain after being granted a work permit by the UK Home Office.

The 24-year-old's move was delayed due to an ongoing legal issue after being given a suspended two-year prison sentence for allegedly attacking a police officer in 2016.

The incident saw him barred from entering the UK in November last year when PSG faced Arsenal in the Champions League. However, after also being linked with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United, the Ivory Coast international now looks poised to finalise his switch to Spurs.

Goal understands that Spurs have also been boosted by the news that Danny Rose is set to stay at the club, despite a fallout after he arranged an unsanctioned interview.

Rose had talks with Spurs as the club weighed up selling him after his interview in which he criticised the club's transfer policy and said that they underpay their players. Mauricio Pochettino and Daniel Levy appear satisfied that the issue is resolved and he will return for selection once he recovers from his knee injury.

Chelsea were thought to be watching Rose's situation but stopped short of making any formal move for the left-back.

 

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Lindelof 'always wants to play' amid difficult start at Man Utd


Victor Lindelof would rather be playing as he adapts to life at Manchester United, but concedes he faces intense competition for a first-team spot.

After a poor performance against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup, Lindelof has been left out of United's Premier League side for their first three games, failing to even make the substitutes' bench on two of those occasions.

The central defensive partnership between Eric Bailly and Phil Jones has impressed as Jose Mourinho's men have kept three consecutive clean sheets, with Chris Smalling also vying for a starting spot.

Mourinho has cited Lindelof's lack of experience in England as his reason for leaving the Sweden international out, but the defender feels he is adjusting well and will soon be ready to vie for a first-team place.

"It's clear that you always want to play," Lindelof, a €45 milion buy from Benfica in June, said to fotbollskanalen."It's tough competition with very good players. So we'll see how it gets, but of course you always want to play.

"I have just got to the club. The last training week has gone very well and I feel I'm getting into it more and more."It has been good - getting to know the club, everything around, all the players, the leaders and the system. It is a very important time for me.

"It is clear that there is a difference. There are more eyes on Manchester United than there are on Benfica."Lindelof, 23, is with the Sweden squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Bulgaria and Belarus.

 

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Bayern Munich president Hoeness rules out Draxler transfer


Julian Draxler is not a transfer target for Bayern Munich as Die Roten are already well stocked in forward positions, president Uli Hoeness has said.Germany international Draxler joined Paris Saint-Germain in January and impressed at Parc des Princes with four goals in 12 Ligue 1 appearances last term.

However, the arrival of Neymar from Barcelona and the imminent signing of Monaco's teenage prodigy Kylian Mbappe is set to leave the attacking midfielder down Unai Emery's pecking order and there are reports PSG are prepared to cash in to balance the books.Premier League duo Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly long-term admirers, while Bundesliga champions Bayern have been credited with an interest.

But Hoeness does not a see a spot in Carlo Ancelotti's squad for Draxler – who has spoken of his desire to remain in the French capital – and believes it would also ask more unneeded questions about Thomas Muller's future at Allianz Arena.

"Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and I have recently been together and talked about what a mixture of class players we already have in this squad," he told Bild.
"If we were going to make a transfer like Draxler, the next question would be the same as in the case of James' [Rodriguez] commitment – what about Thomas Muller?

 

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Chelsea target Drinkwater hands in a transfer request in bid to leave Leicester City


Danny Drinkwater is looking to push through a move to Chelsea by handing in a transfer request at Leicester City but the clubs are still to agree a fee.

Leicester are looking to receive £40million for Drinkwater after rejecting two bids from Chelsea in recent weeks.The Blues, meanwhile, are aiming to agree a fee of around £30m, but they will hope that the transfer request can help to bring down the asking price.

Chelsea have identified Drinkwater since the start of August as their prime target to replace Nemanja Matic, who left for Manchester United, and Nathaniel Chalobah, who left for Watford.

The Premier League champions are also lacking English players after not fielding any against Tottenham or Everton in their last two Premier League matches.

Chelsea are also aiming to complete a deal for Swansea striker Fernando Llorente after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain rejected the club's offer, despite Arsenal agreeing a fee with their London rivals.

 

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Oxlade-Chamberlain rejects Chelsea and makes it clear he wants Liverpool move


Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is hoping Arsenal will alter their stance on not doing business with Liverpool after rebuffing the opportunity to join Chelsea in a £40 million deal.

Antonio Conte’s side had agreed a fee for the England international on Monday and were trying to finalise a transfer as soon as possible in the fear that the Reds may also register their interest and shift matters.

The 24-year-old did not aid the strategy of the Premier League champions, though, showing no speed in undertaking a medical or working through any of the other formalities to wrap up the switch.

Oxlade-Chamberlain would prefer to line up under Jurgen Klopp and feels he has more of a chance at featuring in his preferred midfield role at Anfield if he impresses.

The versatile player, currently with Gareth Southgate’s squad ahead of Friday’s World Cup qualifier with Malta, is waiting on Liverpool to submit a formal proposal to Arsenal.

However, earlier in the window, the Gunners had expressed they would not sanction a sale to the Reds.If there is a softening of that position now, Liverpool - currently working on a club-record move for Monaco’s Thomas Lemar worth over £70m inclusive of extras - would pursue a deal.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, who could see out the final year of his Arsenal contract should that fail to materialise, has not been a priority target for Klopp, but is viewed as a good candidate to supplement their main business.

 

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‘The No.7 belongs to David Villa’ – Morata gives up Spain shirt


Alvaro Morata has been happy to bow to the seniority of David Villa as the veteran forward makes his return to Spain duty.

The 35-year-old New York City striker has been called to Julen Lopetegui’s selection for World Cup qualifying matches against Italy and Liechtenstein, having failed to play for his country since the final match of their Brazil 2014 campaign, which ended in the group stages.

Villa marked that occasion with a goal, taking his tally to 59 for his country – a figure unmatched for the 2010 world champions.As such, his recall after three years means that Morata has happily given him back his famous No.7 shirt.

“The No.7 belongs to David Villa,” the Chelsea forward said upon joining the national team, despite having made that shirt his own over the course of his last two years with La Roja.

Morata has nine goals in international football, having played 20 times for Spain.

 

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Juventus land Howedes on loan deal


Juventus have confirmed the completion of a loan deal for Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes.The sensational exit of Leonardo Bonucci to Milan earlier this summer prompted Juve to seek a new centre-back for the coming season.

And, on Wednesday, the Serie A champions confirmed that Howedes would be spending at least the next 12 months in Turin.
The 29-year-old Germany international moves on a loan deal, with Schalke receiving an initial €3 million.

If he plays 25 competitive games Juve would also be obliged to exercise his purchase option, which was agreed at €13m plus another €3m in bonuses related to clauses valid until June 2020. Howedes joined Schalke as a trainee, and has represented the Gelsenkirchen club throughout his career.

The centre-back made a total of 334 appearances for Schalke, scoring 23 goals and helping them to the DFB Pokal title in 2010-11.

 

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Liverpool agree £35m fee with Arsenal for Oxlade-Chamberlain as Chelsea lose out


Liverpool have agreed a fee of £35 million with Arsenal for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who rejected Chelsea to secure a move to Anfield.The England international is expected to undergo a medical at St George's Park ahead of finalising a five-year deal with the Reds.

This is the situation Antonio Conte had feared after reaching a £40m accord with the Gunners on Monday for the 24-year-old.The Blues boss wanted to speed through the process of completing the transfer so the Premier League champions would not get usurped by Liverpool late on.

Arsenal had preferred to see the versatile player - in the final year of his contract - at Stamford Bridge, having informed Jurgen Klopp’s side earlier in the window there would be no transaction between the clubs.

However, Oxlade-Chamberlain delayed having physical checks or working through any of the other formalities to tie up matters with Chelsea, before expressing his desire to join Liverpool instead.

The north Londoners had to reverse their stance and open talks with the Merseysiders, who have long held an interest in the Southampton academy graduate.

He was not a priority target for them in this window, but elevates the competition across several positions in the squad. The outlay is more than Liverpool originally intended to spend by £10m, but the current market climate has dictated as such.
Oxlade-Chamberlain believes he will have the opportunity to operate in his favoured midfield role more under Klopp if he impresses.

He would become the fourth new acquisition at Anfield if things progress as planned, following Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke and Andy Robertson.
Liverpool have also secured RB Leipzig dynamo Naby Keita in a club-record deal for next summer.

They are continuing negotiations with Monaco over a deal in excess of £70m inclusive of add-ons for Thomas Lemar, while no bid has yet been made for Southampton's Virgil van Dijk.

 

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Tottenham confirm signing of Estudiantes youngster Foyth

Tottenham have completed the signing of young Estudiantes defender Juan Foyth, the club confirmed on Wednesday.

The 19-year-old has been a top target for Spurs throughout the transfer window, although negotiations moved slowly despite Estudiantes president Juan Sebastian Veron travelling to London to enter talks.

At one point it appeared Mauricio Pochettino could lose out on his compatriot altogether, as Paris Saint-Germain also registered their interest. Spurs, however, have finally landed their man, who signed a five-year deal to become the latest new face in north London.

"We are delighted to announce the signing of Juan Foyth from Estudiantes," the club, who declined to disclose the fee for the teenager, said in a statement.
"The 19-year-old defender has signed a contract with the Club until 2022.

"Having established himself in Estudiantes’ first team, Juan has represented Argentina at Under-20 level 12 times and was a key member of their 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and 2017 Under-20 South American Championship squads."

Foyth, a talented central defender known for his skill with the ball at his feet, broke into the Estudiantes first team at the start of 2017 and made seven appearances to help the Pincha grab a place in the Copa Libertadores.

He becomes the third arrival of the summer for Tottenham, who have also snapped up Ajax's Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez and Foyth's compatriot, ex-Southampton goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga.

 

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Lemar is Monaco’s star man… not Mbappe – Jemerson


Monaco centre-back Jemerson has revealed that he believes that the most talented player he has seen at the Ligue 1 champions is Thomas Lemar — not 18-year-old superstar Kylian Mbappe.

Both players featured heavily as Leonardo Jardim's side surged to win Le Championnat for the first time since 2000 last term, but Jemerson believes that the Liverpool target has the edge on the striker.

Speaking to Goal, he revealed: "I like Lemar very much. He is very good tactically. He defends, he attacks and he does everything. He is very important to our team and he played very, very well last season.

"When I arrived in Monaco, they talked a lot about him and I was very impressed. He has an incredible ability to dribble and shoot."Jemerson can understand, however, why Mbappe gets such attention."It's normal because those who score more goals appear more, but I really like Lemar," he laughed.

"Mbappe is a very funny guy. I joke with him that he is the Road Runner he is so fast. Nobody catches him in the race, it's like Road Runner against the Coyote in the cartoon!"Although there has been a great deal of hype surrounding the young France international, Jemerson believes that he still has something to prove.

"I think he has a lot of talent and a lot of quality, but he's very young too. I think everyone needs to be calm with him," he said. "If he maintains that level and has regularity, he's sure to be among the best players in the world."

Mbappe is set to join PSG on Wednesday on loan, while Lemar continues to be linked with an €80 million switch to Liverpool ahead of the transfer deadline on Thursday.

 

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Ferguson: Real Madrid team to beat in Champions League


Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson lauded Juventus' dominance but believes it will be difficult to dethrone Champions League titleholders Real Madrid this season.Madrid became the first side to claim back-to-back Champions League trophies after routing Juve 4-1 in the European showpiece last term.

Zinedine Zidane has retained the core of his squad as many tip Madrid to achieve a three-peat and Ferguson – who guided United to two Champions League crowns during his trophy-laden spell in charge at Old Trafford – said it is hard to look past the Spanish giants in their quest for a 13th European title.

"I think Juventus are controlling the league in Italy. They've been doing that for the past six years. They have a fantastic coach," Ferguson said.

"They got to the final last year and did really well in the first half but Real Madrid were unbelievable in the second half."You have to understand how good Real Madrid are now. They're a mature team, they've been together for three, four, five years – all of their players together.

"It gives them great continuity and understanding of the roles they've all got to play. It's a real team."Juventus were in the cup final two years before and they've been the main Italian threat to win the champions League.

"Personally, I think Real Madrid will be very difficult to beat, I think they're a great team. I'm hoping United [in Group A along with Benfica, Basel and CSKA Moscow] will do well this year with a very strong team."I know that Napoli have emerged and done very well but I still think Juventus are the best team in Italy."

Madrid have been drawn in Group H alongside Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham and APOEL, while Juve will face Barcelona, Sporting Lisbon and Olympiacos in Group D.

 

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Arsenal to City rumours no worry for Sanchez, says Chile boss Pizzi


Alexis Sanchez has not been granted permission to leave Chile's training camp as speculation over Manchester City reaching a deal for the Arsenal forward intensifies.

Sanchez has been linked to a reunion with his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium throughout the transfer window, with the 28-year-old in the last season of his contract.

Arsenal are understood to have rejected a £50 million offer on Tuesday but, with an improved bid in the region of £70m expected, the Independent reported City have sent a delegation to Chile in anticipation of finalising a club-record deal.

Juan Antonio Pizzi's side are preparing for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Bolivia and La Tercera reported Sanchez might have caused some unwelcome disruption on Wednesday, claiming he asked his coach to be given time off to deal with some "personal formalities".

Speaking at a news conference ahead of Paraguay's visit to the Estadio Monumental David Arellano on Thursday, ex-Valencia boss Pizzi insisted such speculation was wide of the mark."No. It's absolutely false. That permission never existed," he said.

"Sometimes players request authorisation for some things and sometimes we grant them and other times we don't."I'm against rigid decisions, each case is different. We consider the individual situation of each player regarding many variables."But we always take into account that we are in a national team camp."

Arsenal suffered a dispiriting 4-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, with the Merseyside club widely reported to be on the verge of signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from the Gunners.

With the toxic atmosphere of the last season seemingly on the verge of returning to Emirates Stadium, Sanchez's exit could be seen as imperative for the star attacker, but Pizzi is not of this opinion."It's very difficult before the transfer window closes to shed light on his future," he said.

"In either option his future is very good. There is no reason to be displeased or dissatisfied. Both options are excellent."We are talking about a first-class player, who is coached by one of the best in the world. The conditions he has at Arsenal are spectacular."

Pizzi added: "He's worked well and he is happy. To say that he is nervous about his future is somewhat ironic, anyone would like to have those worries.

 

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Mahrez released by Algeria to complete Leicester City exit


Riyad Mahrez has been released by the Algerian national team so he can complete his move away from Leicester City.

The winger has been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium all summer, with Monaco and Roma having previously shown an interest.He has since been linked with Manchester United and Barcelona, and he looks set to depart the Foxes before the window closes.

Mahrez has spent the past week preparing for his country's World Cup qualifying match against Zambia on Saturday, but will now leave the camp so as to complete a move that could be worth in the region of €50 million.
In a statement released on Twitter, the Algerian Football Associaltion said: "Mahrez [is] allowed to go formalise his transfer to a new club." Having released a statement at the end of last season outlining his wish to leave the 2015-16 Premier League champions, Mahrez has endured a frustrating summer.

Monaco pulled out of the race early due to financial reasons while reported interest from Arsenal never materialised as they focused their efforts on Monaco's Thomas Lemar.

Roma had three bids - the last of which was worth €40m - rejected by Leicester, who value the 2016 PFA Player of the Year at closer to €50m.

Should Barcelona be Mahrez's final destination, he would have until Friday to complete the move, as the transfer window in Spain closes a day later than the majority of the main European nations.

 

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Bayern Munich CEO Rummenigge confirms Sanches loan to Swansea


Renato Sanches will join Swansea on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, Karl Heinz-Rummenigge has confirmed.The 20-year-old midfielder moved to Bayern Munich last season for a reported €35m fee from Benfica.

But after a disappointing debut season, the club's CEO told Kicker that the Portugal international will join former Bayern assistant Paul Clement in Wales for the coming campaign."We wanted Renato Sanches to join a club, where he is able to play on a high level and where he has a coach, which wants him;" Rummenigge said.

"Renato has to play continuously for a year, and that's not guaranteed given the quality in our squad." Kicker reports Swansea will pay a fee of €8.5 million for the loan, but will not have an option to buy Sanches at the end of the season.

Sanches came to prominence by playing a major role in Portugal's triumph at Euro 2016. However, he struggled for playing time in his debut season for the Bundesliga champions, making just six starts in the Bundesliga. Rumors of a summer loan followed, with Sanches linked heavily with A.C. Milan but also Premier League sides during the window.

But he will instead land at Swansea, who narrowly avoided relegation last season after hiring Clement in December 2016.Sanches worked with Clement during the latter's time as assistant coach at Bayern before leaving to manage Swansea towards the end of 2016.

Clement has worked under Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti multiple times in the past, including at Real Madrid.The Swans have begun the Premier League season with a win, draw and loss in three games thus far.

 

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Summer Transfer Window Deadline Day 2017

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Transfer window 1ke last 1katath awaada thamai ithin wena deyak

A.Sanchez
R.Sterling
Diego Costa
R.Mahrez
F.llorente
T.Lemar
P.Coutinho

mehgollange futures thama unclear
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Lionel Messi makes a young fan's day after he was dragged away by security trying to meet the Barcelona forward

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UEFA Elite Coaches Forum

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Liverpool's Divock Origi joins Wolfsburg in £6m season-long loan deal


Wolfsburg have completed the signing of Divock Origi on a season-long deal from Liverpool for a £6 million loan fee.The Bundesliga club will also cover the wages of the Belgium striker, who departs Anfield in search of greater game time.

The 22-year-old was omitted from the last two matchday squads, with Jurgen Klopp stocked with explosive attacking quality and Dominic Solanke impressing since his summer switch following the expiry of his contract at Chelsea.

Origi, who has scored 21 goals in 77 appearances in all competitions for the Reds, has hugely been inconsistent - something put down to a lack of rhythm from limited opportunities.Wolfsburg manager Andries Jonker is willing to solve that by handing him regular starts and the forward - with no shortage of suitors this summer - needs to maximise his chances.

There was the potential to add Origi as a makeshift in a move for Thomas Lemar from Monaco, but Die Wölfe were desperate to recruit him.

Wolfsburg have no option to buy him next summer and Liverpool inserted a clause to recall the player in January.

 

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Chelsea close to shock £23m Zappacosta signing from Torino

Chelsea are in advanced talks to sign Davide Zappacosta for an initial £23 million from Torino.

The Torino star was subject to interest from Inter earlier in the window, but reports emerged in Italy on deadline day that the west London club had emerged as a candidate to sign him. Now Antonio Conte's side are close to their fifth signing of the summer.

Zappacosta is expected to sign a four-year deal and Chelsea could pay an additional £4.5 in add-ons for the 25-year-old Italy international.

The Blues will feel a sense of relief after missing out on several targets to strengthen their wing-back position. The Stamford Bridge side saw a £35m bid accepted by Arsenal for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, only for the England international to snub them and join Liverpool on Thursday.

Chelsea also missed out on Alex Sandro and Danilo earlier in the transfer window and most recently made an approach to sign Rafinha from Bayern Munich. Chelsea continue their negotiations to add Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater after their most recent £32m offer for the midfielder.

Meanwhile, they look set to miss out on Fernando Llorente who is having his medical at Tottenham, despite a £15m bid from the Blues.