..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba fee 'absolutely crazy' - Wenger

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes the world-record transfer fee Manchester United are set to spend to sign Juventus star Paul Pogba is “absolutely crazy”.

Goal understands United are on the verge of landing Pogba for €110m, which would surpass the €100m fee Real Madrid paid to sign Gareth Bale from Tottenham in 2013.But while Wenger is stunned by such a figure, he does believe United can “justify” the move if they can afford to spend that much.

"The Pogba transfer fee? It is completely crazy if you cannot afford to pay it. If you can afford to pay it you can justify it. But it is completely crazy if you compare it to normal life. That is for sure," Wenger was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail."But we live in a world where every activity that is worldwide makes a lot of money. Football has become a worldwide competition and that is why clubs can afford to do it.

"Does it make sense in the way the player can give you that investment back? Nobody ever could calculate."Since I am in this sport I always thought the record cannot go higher and I was always wrong. Maybe in a few years it will be 200, 300, who knows..."

 

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Vardy: Rejecting Arsenal was an 'easy' decision

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has stressed that rejecting a move to Arsenal was an “easy” decision for him, insisting a transfer was never on the cards.

The England international was believed to be close to joining Arsenal after they triggered his release clause, but he eventually signed a new contract with Leicester instead.

The 29-year-old has now reflected on his decision to stay put and is adamant staying at the Premier League champions was an easy call to make in the end."[Turning down Arsenal] wasn't that big when I think about it. It was quite easy and this is where I want to be," Vardy told Sky Sports.

"I was away with England so [a move to Arsenal wasn't close]. No [I didn't speak to them.]"There's a lot of unfinished business here. I feel that the club is only going one way and that is forward, that's why I want to be a part of it."

Vardy also hopes Riyad Mahrez, who has been strongly linked with a move away this summer, follows in his footsteps and stays put at the King Power Stadium.
"I think everyone in the squad would want him here, playing with us," Vardy added."But that's nothing to do with us and it's down to Riyad and the club to sort.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gameiro: Griezmann and I will score lots of goals

France international Kevin Gameiro says he expects to score plenty of goals with new team-mate and compatriot Antoine Griezmann after joining Atletico Madrid.

The former Sevilla star is the latest addition to Diego Simeone's squad and arrives at his new club having scored 30 goals in all competitions last season.And Gameiro fully expects the goals to keep flowing alongside Griezmann as he hopes to help Atletico to a LaLiga title and a maiden Champions League trophy.

"[Griezmann] is a great French player like myself and I am sure we will make a lot of goals together," he told reporters."Though has not called me yet, he is on vacation," he joked.

Gameiro said he was delighted to join Atletico, despite reported interest from Barcelona, saying that the mentality and style of Simeone suited him better."I am very happy to be here and to play in a big club like Atletico," he said."I talked to [Simeone] on the phone and he told me he loved me and that we will have a great season.

"I like the Atletico team and mentality. I think I can do many things here this year. I did not hesitate to come, had everything clear."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mahrez distracted by transfer rumours - Ranieri

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri believes the ongoing speculation linking Riyad Mahrez with a move to Arsenal is becoming a distraction for the winger.

Mahrez was a star turn in a Leicester side that clinched an unlikely Premier League title success last season, scoring 17 goals and setting up 11 more - form that saw him win the PFA Player of the Year award.

The 25-year-old's sublime season soon led to rumours of an exit from the King Power Stadium with Barcelona reportedly interested, while Arsenal have emerged as favourites for his signature.

Ranieri has so far insisted Mahrez will stay at the King Power Stadium, but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reportedly visited Leicester's International Champions Cup defeat against Paris Saint-Germain to see Mahrez in action.And Ranieri has acknowledged the former Le Havre man is struggling to remain focused on his current club.

"Maybe Riyad is distracted a bit by all of these rumours and speculation," Ranieri said at a news conference."But that is also an experience for my players.

"It is important that he understands that he should stay with us."He has to improve his fitness and play for the team as well last season."Mahrez has a contract with Leicester until June 2019.

The Premier League champions previously lost N'Golo Kante to Chelsea, but Jamie Vardy snubbed a move to Arsenal in favour of a new deal with Leicester.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Andre Gomes: Zidane one of my footballing idols

New Barcelona signing Andre Gomes says Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, Andres Iniesta and Xavi are among his footballing idols.

Barca parted with an initial fee of €35million to sign the midfielder from Valencia in a deal that could eventually rise in value to €70m.After winning Euro 2016 with Portugal, Gomes was delighted to cap a dream close season by joining a club he has always admired.

Having sealed his move, the 23-year-old revealed Ronaldo and current Real Madrid boss Zidane, along with Barca icons Iniesta and Xavi were inspirational figures in his development.

When asked about his footballing idols, Gomes told Barca TV: "When I was younger I had someone that I admired a lot, Ronaldo 'El Fenonemno', who started here at Barcelona before moving to Inter. I loved the way he played when he started."Zidane was a very important figure. I used to see him as an example, as Iniesta is today and Xavi, who are two huge players.

"He set an example in the same way as Iniesta now and Xavi not so long ago. They are two very important players. Now I have the chance to enjoy playing alongside at least one of them."Gomes is eager to get going and has been impressed by what he has seen of Barca's stars from afar.

He continued: "I can improve a lot. I promise hard work, humility and sacrifice, all to help the team. These are the most important things. "The club's playing style is what is best for me. I'm really excited to play with my new team-mates. The forwards are the best there are and the very good players in midfield have a lot of experience.

"I want to end the season with us winning everything and celebrating trophies, that is the most important thing."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Emery hints at attacking reinforcements

Unai Emery could dip into the transfer market to bolster Paris Saint-Germain's attack as he seeks to guide the club to domestic and elusive European glory.

PSG dominated Ligue 1 during the reign of Laurent Blanc, but their failure to make a mark in the Champions League led president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to bring in a new coach.And as Emery - who guided Sevilla to three Europa Legaue titles - seeks to deliver on multiple fronts, he conceded some strengthening of his squad may be in order.

"It's very important to get to know the team and the players, and I've been able to do that over this tour, but also to see how the team will play and if there are enough players in this squad to handle what we'd like to do this season," he said after the 4-0 International Champions Cup win over Leicester City.

"I'm very happy with the team, with the experienced players but also the young players. Whether the attack maybe needs complementing I'm not too sure, but what we have at the moment, to be able to perform, to have a good season, we do have a big team at the moment capable of doing that."Other players could join in attack perhaps, that is a possibility."The team can do important things, but that's not to say that last season wasn't good. Last season was very good, we need to continue to improve.

"It won't be easy, but it's our aim to continue working hard and achieve those objectives, and obviously in the Champions League, which has the best teams in Europe. Paris Saint-Germain is part of that and we want to continue in that way."

Emery will have the chance to secure his first piece of silverware with PSG when they face Lyon in the Trophee des Champions on Saturday.The capital club begin their title defence at Bastia the following Friday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger refuses to deny Arsenal bid for Mahrez

Arsene Wenger refused to deny rumours Arsenal have made a bid for Riyad Mahrez when quizzed on his interest in the Leicester City star.The Gunners have been tipped to move for Mahrez this summer and Wenger was in attendance at the Foxes' International Champions Cup game against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday.

When asked if he would be watching the PFA Player of the Year and if he had made a bid for him, Wenger told Bein Sports: "Yes, of course, we watch all the players, you know.

"But we play Leicester in the second game of the championship so of course it's a good opportunity for us tonight to see them."Asked for a firm answer on Arsenal's reported pursuit of Mahrez, he continued: "I cannot give you a yes or no because we do not publicise our transfer interest."The best way to make things happen is to keep it as secret as possible."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney insists Pogba has 'unfinished business' at Manchester United

Wayne Rooney admits he is relishing the prospect of training alongside Paul Pogba once again and believes Manchester United are making a “very big statement” by signing the midfielder.

Goal understands United are set to secure a world-record €110 million deal for the midfielder, who left the club on a free transfer to join Juventus four years ago.

Even though Pogba made only seven senior appearances for United, Rooney remembers the France international’s physicality during their training sessions together and the England captain insists the 23-year-old has "unfinished business" at Old Trafford.

When asked by the Daily Mail what he remembers about training with Pogba, Rooney replied: “The bruises.

“He was one of those players who, when you trained against him, somehow he would just hurt you. A knee in your side, bump into you, I don’t think he meant to do it, but it just happened.

“You didn’t even need to get into a tackle. Just go next to him and you’d find an elbow or some other sharp bit. So, if he comes, I’m looking forward to that again!

“But he had great ability, some of the things he could do, and he’s gone up a level since he left us.

“I hope he is going to want to return to United and prove he’s a top-class player.

“If he is excited to play for us, we’ll be excited to have him back. I’m sure he’ll feel there is unfinished business, and it would be a very big statement by the club if they can make it happen.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney: Zlatan is one of the best strikers in the game

Wayne Rooney has tipped Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make a big impact at Manchester United, as he admitted his excitement going in to the new season. The legendary striker moved to Old Trafford in the summer from Paris Saint-Germain, as he seeks to add another chapter to what has been a brilliant career.

And even at the age of 34, Rooney believes Ibrahimovic still has a lot to offer his new employers. "He’s one of the best strikers, and a big personality. You can see he wants to be a really important player for us," the England international explained to the Daily Mail.

"After training he is already talking about how we can get the best out of each other, you can see he’s got this great work ethic."Ibrahimovic will vie with young talents Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford in the forward line under Jose Mourinho.

Those riches up front remind Rooney of the club's former all-conquering attack under Sir Alex Ferguson. "I think the players feel this is more like the old Manchester United. It’s not just the new signings, we’ve got Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford from last season who made such an impact," he said.

"We’re in a very good spot now, we think we can challenge for the Premier League, and we want to put a marker down, in the Community Shield with Leicester."I know it’s a one-off game, but we want to show we can win a trophy early on — we feel that’s an important event for us."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sane spotted in Manchester hotel ahead of City transfer

Manchester City appear to be on the verge of securing another one of Pep Guardiola’s summer transfer targets in Leroy Sane.

Guardiola’s men have returned to Manchester after their disrupted pre-season tour of China in which their fixture against Manchester United in Beijing was cancelled due to poor weather.

Sane has been a long-term target for City, who have been locked in talks with Schalke over the past week.

And on Sunday, Schalke gave City a deadline to meet as the Bundesliga club’s sporting director Christian Heidel ordered negotiations to be completed before the squad travel to Austria to continue their pre-season preparations on Monday afternoon.

But a deal looks set to be finalised as Sane posed for pictures with in the Radisson Blu hotel in Manchester - as did City’s new summer signing Ilkay Gundogan.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rashford wants to learn from Ibrahimovic

Marcus Rashford says he is aiming to learn from Zlatan Ibrahimovic after getting up close and personal with his new Manchester United team-mate for the first time this week.Ibrahimovic, who joined the Red Devils from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer this summer, scored against Galatasaray in his first start for United on Saturday.

The Swede found the back of the net with an acrobatic bicycle kick after just four minutes as Jose Mourinho's men downed the Turkish giants 5-2 in a friendly affair.Rashford did not play with Ibrahimovic, replacing him at half-time, but said he is looking forward to picking up plenty of pointers from the former Inter and Barcelona striker.

"It's amazing. There's a possibility that we can all learn from him while he's here so we all need to take the chance," Rashford told MUTV after the game."It's a massive help, just being with him day in, day out. It's helping me just seeing what he's like overall. Not just on the pitch, off the pitch as well."So, there's a lot to learn from him, so hopefully I can bring some of what he does into my own game."

 

[sri D]

Pattama match 1kaniyama comeback 1kak

Ibra ge debut goal 1ka patta

& Rooney,Valencia,Mata niyamai​

Ibra ge goal eka supiri..first goal ekama mathaka hitina ekak..

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ibra ge goal eka supiri..first goal ekama mathaka hitina ekak..

Aniwa​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea star Willian flattered by Mourinho interest

Willian has revealed he was left flattered by rumoured interest from Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, but insists his future always lied at Chelsea.Mourinho signed Willian as Chelsea manager in 2013, with the pair going on to win the Premier League title together in 2014-15.

However, with Mourinho now at United, the Portuguese tactician was reportedly keen on luring Willian to Old Trafford for the upcoming season.But Willian says he is happy at Chelsea, having only recently signed a new four-year deal to remain at Stamford Bridge.

"I have a great relationship with Jose, but I am Chelsea. Of course, when someone like him is interested in you then you are happy," Willian said. "But I signed the contract because I like being a Chelsea player and I see good things here. I signed a new contract and that shows how much I want to stay here.

"But the simple thing is that I want to win titles. To win titles you have to improve and if we can do that then we have a great chance to win titles this season.
"We have the players to do this - and the manager."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Herrera excited to follow Ibrahimovic's lead at Man Utd

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's arrival at Manchester United provides the team with a strong figure to follow and will help them become more prolific, according to midfielder Ander Herrera.

United came under fire for a dull brand of football during Louis van Gaal's tenure, with Stoke City the only top-half Premier League side to score fewer than their 49 goals last season.

But Herrera is feeling confident following the appointment of Jose Mourinho as manager and the signing of Ibrahimovic, who scored a brilliant scissor kick within four minutes of his first appearance for the club in the 5-2 friendly win against Galatasaray on Saturday.

The Spaniard feels his new team-mate can provide guidance to players like teenage striker Marcus Rashford, spoiling United for choice in attack."We are going to follow Ibra because we have one of the best players in the world and we have a big leader in our dressing room with him," said Herrera.

"And with the experience of Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick and Ashley Young as well we are very optimistic about the future."The start by Ibra was fantastic, but I wasn't really surprised he scored such a wonderful goal because I have watched him for a long time.

"Ibra and Rashford are quite different in terms of qualities, but Marcus can learn a lot from him."And not just him – we are all going to learn from Ibra. It is a unique opportunity for me to learn from a legend like him and I hope to take advantage of that.

"Hopefully we can score a lot of goals next season because that's what we want to do."I think the strikers can be a very good mix and combination because they all have different qualities.

"Ibra is more of a target man while Rashford can find the spaces because he is so quick and fast. So I think it is good for the manager to have those different options."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 1-2 Roma: Liverpool falls to sharp Roma

Liverpool came undone as the club fell 2-1 to Roma in their latest preseason outing.

Mohamed Salah's 62nd-minute strike proved the winner on Monday, after Edin Dzeko had given the Italians a 1-0 lead just shy of the half-hour mark.Liverpool's Sheyi Ojo had cancelled out the opener with his third goal in two preseason games - on the stroke of halftime at Busch Stadium.

Jurgen Klopp named a strong lineup as he fielded a front three of Roberto Firmino, Daniel Sturridge and new signing Sadio Mane, with Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner also featuring for the Premier League side.

Roma was similarly strong as Radja Nainggolan started, with Dzeko and Salah up front alongside Stephan El Shaarawy. Kevin Strootman also featured in midfield as he upped his preseason preparation following a nightmare 12 months with injury.

The Serie A outfit looked the better side for the majority of the contest, with Nainggolan's hustle in midfield making life difficult for Liverpool to break through the middle of the park.

Liverpool's defenders had to be on their toes early as Nathaniel Clyne did well to pressure Dzeko into missing an early opportunity.

But the Bosnia-Herzegovina international would not be denied twice and he got his goal after 29 minutes, taking down a chipped pass with his chest outside the box and shooting a low strike on the turn that Liverpool goalkeeper Alexander Manninger might have been disappointed to concede.Liverpool responded well and took a deserved equalizer into halftime through Ojo, who stooped low to head home after Dejan Lovren did well to keep an over-hit corner alive at the far post.

Parity did not last long in the second half, however, as Salah scored the winner following a beautiful cross from Alessandro Florenzi, which found the head of Dzeko who forced a good save from substitute keeper Simon Mignolet only for the Egyptian to finish following Andre Wisdom's failure to clear the ball.

Liverpool almost scored a leveler in the last five minutes of the game from a dangerous set piece through Danny Ings, but was denied by Roma keeper and Brazil number one Alisson.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Moyes admits interest in luring Januzaj and Fellaini to Sunderland

David Moyes has confirmed his interest in staging a reunion with Manchester United duo Adnan Januzaj and Marouane Fellaini at Sunderland.

Januzaj was handed his United debut by Moyes in 2013, but fell out of favour under Louis van Gaal and also had a disappointing loan move to Borussia Dortmund cut short last term.Fellaini is also very familiar with the new Sunderland manager, who signed the towering Belgian for Everton and again during his time at Old Trafford.

Having replaced England boss Sam Allardyce at the Stadium of Light just 21 days before Sunderland's Premier League opener against Manchester City, Moyes is aware of the need to move fast in the transfer market as he tries to improve the Wearsiders' fortunes.

Quizzed on Januzaj and Fellaini at his first media conference since being appointed, Moyes said: "If any of those good players want to join me I'd be happy to have them because they're excellent players. We're interested."It does take a bit of time. They [Sunderland] only avoided relegation late in the season, we've been getting things in place and we'll make things work.

"We've got offers in for players now and I hope we can get things to move quite quickly. It's a difficult window because of the prices."This is now a building job. I'm here for four years I want to bring stability to the club - it reminds me of Everton.

"When I took over, Everton had been in bottom six four of the previous five years when I came in so there's a lot of similarities in a lot of ways."You're not going to change it in one window and if we are late we'll do the best we can. We want the right players at the right prices. We want players to do the journey with us."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

OFFICIAL: Wolfsburg sign Blaszczykowski

Wolfsburg have announced the signing of Jakub Blaszczykowski from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee.

The Poland international has signed a three-year deal with the Bundesliga outfit, keeping him at the club until 2019.

Blaszczykowski, 30, spent last season on loan with Fiorentina and was deemed surplus to requirements on his return to Dortmund following the arrival of Andre Schurrle from Wolfsburg.

Also known as 'Kuba', the winger has become Wolfsburg's seventh signing of the summer following the earlier arrivals of Yannick Gerhardt, Jeffrey Bruma and Josip Brekalo.

Josuha Guilavogui and Daniel Didavi also joined Wolfsburg on permanent deals ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign, while Borja Mayoral has arrived on loan from Real Madrid.

“Jakub Blaszczykowski is a player that can do any team good – not just due to his footballing qualities, but also because he is a prime example of determination, willingness and passion, who always identifies with his clubs to 100 per cent,” Wolfsburg's sporting director Klaus Allofs told the club's official website.

“With that in mind, we are absolutely delighted that he will be wearing the VfL colours in the future.”
Head coach Dieter Hecking added: "With him in the side, we increase our variability and penetrative power distinctly down the right flank.

“Jakub will also bring us further with his immense experience and help us to achieve our goals, such as qualifying for international football again. He is a massive win for us."

Blaszczykowski won two Bundesliga titles during his time with Dortmund.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ancelotti agreed Sanches was worth huge fee - Rummenigge

Bayern Munich executive chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Carlo Ancelotti agreed Renato Sanches would be worth a potential €80million transfer fee in a March meeting.

During his time at Benfica, Sanches was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, but Bayern swooped in to complete his signing for an initial €35m in May.
That fee could rise by a further €45m depending on success-related bonuses, but Rummenigge and Ancelotti felt the 18-year-old midfielder warranted such a risk.

The chairman pointed to Sanches' performances in Portugal's Euro 2016-winning campaign, where he was named Young Player of the Tournament, revelling in Bayern's astuteness to wrap up the deal ahead of any competitors."This is a tremendous amount of money, something we do not need to discuss, but I sat down with Carlo Ancelotti in March and we agreed: this player is worth the risk," Rummenigge told Bild.

"At the European Championship it has already been seen what tremendous power he brings, and what a personality he is on the pitch at 18. That's impressive."When Renato Sanches became known at the European Championships, he had already signed with us."We won [the race for his signature] because the others had just planned their holidays."

Bayern's Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund have also spent big in the close-season, with big-money moves for Andre Schurrle and Mario Gotze adding to some other shrewd signings.

Dortmund have fought back from the brink of bankruptcy in the previous decade, and Rummenigge praised the work being done at Signal Iduna Park."I don't believe BVB getting into financial trouble will happen again. They have a good philosophy and will be our natural competitor," he added.

"It is no coincidence that Dortmund has continually established itself, and it is also proof that football is not exclusively about money, but also good work."The conditions were better at other locations, but in Dortmund they have worked better."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Menez targets Europe after joining Bordeaux

Jeremy Menez is targeting European football with Bordeaux after the forward finalised his move from AC Milan to the Ligue 1 club.

Menez struggled to make an impact at AC Milan due to injuries but is looking forward to a fresh start after signing a three-year deal.Bordeaux coach Jocelyn Gourvennec was crucial in convincing Menez to sign for the club, who finished 11th in Ligue 1 last season.

"I talked a lot with the coach, he pushed me to come here," said Menez. "Bordeaux is a family club, a club that suits me. I was really well received by the president, the coach, the staff that I know. I have everything to be happy and successful here."

Menez is refusing to set individual targets on his return to Ligue 1, insisting he wants to have "fun" at Bordeaux."My personal ambition is primarily to have fun," he said."The ambition is that Bordeaux return to Europe. This is a club that deserves to be in Europe."