..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Bravo flies in to seal Man City deal

Claudio Bravo will arrive in England on Tuesday afternoon to complete his move to Manchester City, Goal can confirm.Blues boss Pep Guardiola has identified Bravo as his No.1 for the coming season after deciding Joe Hart has no future at the club.Goal understands Bravo will nearly double his existing salary when he puts pen to paper on his City contract.

The Chilean, who has won the Copa America with his country twice in the last two years, earns around €3.5 million at Camp Nou but will be paid around €6m by City.There is no rush to get Bravo signed ahead of City's Champions League play-off second leg against Steaua Bucharest as he is not registered in the Blues' squad.

Instead, it is believed the signing will not be made official until later this week, when Barca close a deal for Ajax keeper Jasper Cillessen.Although Bravo has been Barca's league goalkeeper in recent seasons, Marc-Andre ter Stegen - who the Catalans would not sell to City this summer - has played in the cups, leaving the Chilean without Champions League football.

He did not receive a medal when Barca were crowned European champions in 2015, and it is understood that the opportunity to play in the Champions League with City was an influential factor in his decision to move.The transfer will cast Joe Hart's future at the Etihad Stadium in further doubt.

Hart has been sidelined in favour of Willy Caballero so far this season and he may have played his final game for the club, as it is believed he will not be selected for Wednesday's game against Steaua, despite City holding a 5-0 first-leg advantage.

It has been reported on Tuesday morning that Hart is happy to stay at City beyond the close of the transfer window next week, even if he were to be relegated to Guardiola's third-choice goalkeeper.

Everton are considered front-runners for Hart's signature but Goal understands City are yet to receive a concrete bid.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dortmund know how to treat Gotze - Ballack

Former Germany international Michael Ballack believes Borussia Dortmund are better placed to handle Mario Gotze than Bayern Munich.

Gotze won two Bundesliga titles and the DFB-Pokal during four years at Dortmund, before departing for fierce rivals Bayern in 2013.Despite lifting three more league titles and two Pokals during his stay at Allianz Arena, Gotze struggled for regular playing time under Pep Guardiola and his return to Dortmund was confirmed earlier in the transfer window.

And Ballack, who spent four years at Bayern between 2002 and 2006, winning three successive Bundesligas, feels Dortmund are more likely to make the most of Gotze's considerable talent."I can't judge that move, just like most of us can't. He grew up in Dortmund and he is for sure one of the most gifted players we have at the moment," Ballack told Omnisport.

"There a few players like him who know what to do in every situation, just like he does. If he is able to perform on his highest level there are few others who are able to always make the right move like he does. But he has to feel good and he has to bring it.

"That he was not able to do so in the recent past, neither at Bayern nor the national team, is probably for many different reasons."Maybe it was trust, there were a lot of speculations, but I think Dortmund knows best how to treat him. Three years have passed, he has developed, his personality changed.

"But I think Dortmund knows how to handle the situation. If it is the best option for him to already return to Dortmund, I don't know. But he made the step and we have to accept that."It is a top club, and he has to give us all the remaining answers on the pitch."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bravo nearing Man City move, admits Guardiola

Claudio Bravo is close to signing for Manchester City from Barcelona, Pep Guardiola has confirmed.

Goal understands that Bravo will arrive in England on Tuesday afternoon to complete his transfer, thus casting further doubt on Joe Hart's future at the Etihad Stadium.Guardiola has chosen to start Willy Caballero in goal over Hart in City's first three games of the season, with Hart subsequently heavily linked with Everton.

At a media conference on Tuesday ahead of City's Champions League play-off second leg at home to Steaua Bucharest, Guardiola was asked about Bravo flying to Manchester for a medical, and he made no effort to disguise the fact that a deal is close.

"I cannot deny what everyone knows," he replied. "But until a deal is complete, I cannot answer. Barcelona, seven to 10 days ago, were the first ones to announce contact with Manchester City.“But I'm sorry guys, until the deal is complete or not complete [I can't speak], but at the moment the player is not out player."

With City 5-0 up from the first leg in Romania, Guardiola is expected to make changes to his starting XI. The Spaniard said Hart had "a chance" of being selected, and rubbished suggestions he and the England international had fallen out after pictures showed the pair exchanging words in training."I have an excellent relationship with Joe. We spoke about football. I am clear with him, him with me," he said.

"Until August 31, all the players here are my players, and I will work with them like there is no end, so after that we can speak about everything."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

OFFICIAL: Dante joins Nice from Wolfsburg

Brazil international Dante has left Wolfsburg and joined Nice, the Ligue 1 club have announced.

Dante spent just one season at Wolfsburg, having joined from Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich ahead of the 2015-16 campaign.The 32-year-old completed a medical at Nice late on Monday, although no details of the deal have yet been revealed by either club.

Dante could make his Nice debut on Saturday when they host his former club Lille in Ligue 1, and the defender thanked Wolfsburg for all they had done for him in his short time at the club.

"Although I only played in Wolfsburg for one year, I had a really wonderful and educational time," he told the club's official website."I gained a lot of new friends and leave here with some great memories. I am very grateful to VfL for the opportunity to present myself at the very highest level in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League.

"I wish my former colleagues, VfL Wolfsburg and all the fans the greatest of success and I hope our paths cross again soon on the international stage."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chicharito out for two weeks after falling down stairs

Bayer Leverkusen striker Javier Hernandez will miss the start of the new Bundesliga season after injuring his hand falling down a flight of stairs.The Mexico international has been ruled out for two weeks and joins captain Lars Bender in sitting out Saturday's trip to Borussia Monchengladbach.

A Leverkusen statement read: "For Saturday's Bundesliga season-opener at Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer will be without Lars Bender and Chicharito."Captain Bender came off in the Olympic final when playing for Germany against Brazil due to an ankle injury. He had an MRI scan on Tuesday morning.

"Chicharito suffered a fall down the stairs of his apartment on Monday night and has fractured a bone in his right hand. The Mexican was successfully operated on on Tuesday."He is also not available on Saturday and his period of absence, as well as Bender's, will be at least two weeks."

Hernandez scored 17 goals in 28 Bundesliga games last season for Leverkusen and was quickly off the mark in the 2-1 DFB-Pokal win over Hauenstein.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Yedlin set to complete £5m move to Newcastle

DeAndre Yedlin is set to complete a £5 million move to Newcastle United, Goal understands.

The United States international, who featured for Tottenham during pre-season but has failed to make a Premier League squad this season, was pictured arriving at Newcastle Airport on Tuesday.

Yedlin, who spent last season on loan at Newcastle's rivals Sunderland, failed to make an impact at Tottenham after initially impressing at the 2014 World Cup, making just one appearance since joining in January 2015.

The 23-year-old was reportedly hoping to return to the Stadium of Light after a fruitful spell, but Sam Allardyce's appointment at England manager ended interest from the club in a second move.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Burton Albion 0-5 Liverpool: Sturridge & Origi score in Reds rout

Substitute Daniel Sturridge scored twice, while Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino were also on the scoresheet as Liverpool battered Burton Albion 5-0 to reach the League Cup third round on Tuesday.

Jurgen Klopp's side, finalists in the competition last season, slumped to a disappointing 2-0 Premier League loss at Burnley on Saturday but an upset was never on the cards at the Pirelli Stadium.Origi put Liverpool ahead after just 14 minutes, tapping in from close range after Sadio Mane's trickery created a simple finish for the striker.

Mane and Nathaniel Clyne then combined well for Firmino to double the lead before the break and an own goal from Tom Naylor in the second half ended any hope of an unlikely comeback from the Championship side.

Sturridge, on as a 64th-minute substitute for Firmino, compounded the hosts' misery with two goals in the space of five minutes in the closing stages - his first strikes of the season - with injuries to Emre Can and Origi the only sour notes for the visitors.

Liverpool had progressed in all of their previous 12 League Cup ties against lower-ranked opposition and there was little chance of that record ending in their first competitive meeting with Burton.

Origi made his first start of the season as part of a strong Liverpool team and he forced Stephen Bywater into a smart save at the near post after just five minutes.

Bywater was soon in action again as the visitors opened Burton up but Firmino's header was pushed around the post.The early pressure paid dividends in the 14th minute, though.

James Milner's overhit cross was recovered by Mane, who jinked past Damien McCrory and squared the ball for Origi to flick home from close range.Adam Lallana should have doubled the lead from six yards after breaking the offside trap, but he somehow headed Jordan Henderson's cross wide.

But Liverpool were gifted a second when Bywater's poor throw went straight to Mane and he screwed the ball into the path of Clyne, who in turn produced an excellent cross on the run that Firmino nodded home.

Burton enjoyed a good spell of possession after half-time but Nigel Clough's men struggled for penetration and Liverpool's third goal arrived on the hour-mark when Milner's whipped corner flicked off Can and bounced in off Naylor to extend the lead.Sturridge added a fourth goal with 13 minutes to play, the substitute tapping in at the far post from Milner's low cross after a one-two with Mane.

And Sturridge was soon on target again. Mane did well down the right again and when he picked out Sturridge in the box, the striker made no mistake with a powerful left-footed finish to round off the scoring.

Liverpool's comfortable win was marred by both Can and Origi picking up injuries, however, with the closing minutes seen out with 10 men.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 3-2 Bristol Rovers: Batshuayi double keeps Blues going in League Cup

Michy Batshuayi scored twice as Chelsea survived a scare against Bristol Rovers to reach the third round of the League Cup with a 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge.

The League One outfit won the last meeting between the sides back in 1981, but there was to be no repeat on Tuesday despite a battling performance in which they twice halved a two-goal deficit to keep Chelsea on their toes.

Antonio Conte's side, entering the competition at this phase for the first time since 1996, took charge of the game during the first half thanks to goals from close-season signing Batshuayi and Victor Moses in the space of two minutes.

Defender Peter Hartley headed in a lifeline for the visitors on 35 minutes, and though Batshuayi struck again before the break to calm some of the nerves among the home fans, Ellis Harrison's penalty gave Rovers hope again.Rovers' fans did their utmost to try to inspire an equaliser, but Chelsea went largely untroubled through the closing stages to book their place in the next round.

Chelsea, who handed a debut to full-back Ola Aina, started strongly in warm conditions at Stamford Bridge, with Pedro and Cesc Fabregas both coming close with efforts from distance.

Loftus-Cheek, deployed in the more advanced role advocated by Conte in recent weeks, rattled the post with a fierce drive as Chelsea continued to dominate.Rovers had defended stoutly but were undone by poor concentration in the space of two minutes.

Loftus-Cheek fed the run of Nemanja Matic and his ball into the area fell to the feet of Batshuayi, who blasted high into the net from 12 yards out with a fine left-footed shot on the turn.

And with 31 minutes played, Chelsea doubled their lead. Cesar Azpilicueta turned Pedro's centre from the left back across the six-yard box where Moses was on hand to tap in.

The visitors stunned Stamford Bridge four minutes later, however. Chris Lines curled a superb free-kick into the area from the right and Hartley rose highest to head beyond Asmir Begovic's right hand.

Batshuayi made Conte's half-time team talk a little easier shortly before the break, timing his run into the area perfectly to meet Loftus-Cheek's cut-back and rifle beyond Steve Mildenhall, but Rovers scored a second just three minutes into the second half.

Pedro bundled over Stuart Sinclair as he raced clear into the box, and though he was spared a red card thanks to new regulations concerning fouls by the last defender, Harrison converted the penalty to leave Chelsea feeling anxious again.

Harrison blasted over the bar after a good counter-attack before substitute Jermaine Easter was denied by a good Begovic save, but Rovers' hopes of a stunning comeback failed to materialise as Chelsea held firm to progress, despite a third goal for Batshuayi in the dying moments being ruled out for an infringement.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2-0 Celtic (4-5 agg.): Visitors survive Israeli scare

A first-half penalty save from Craig Gordon proved crucial as Celtic qualified for the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in three seasons despite losing 2-0 to Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

Brendan Rodgers' side edged the qualifying play-off 5-4 on aggregate having won last week's first leg 5-2.

But they made it hard for themselves with a dismal display at Turner Stadium and would have been eliminated had Craig Gordon not saved Mahadan Radi's first-half penalty.

Despite coming into the game having won their last five competitive matches, the Scottish champions never settled and found themselves trailing on 21 minutes when substitute Ben Sahar headed home.

Ovidiu Hoban then made it 2-0 to the Israeli side three minutes into the second-half, before Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele both missed great chances to pull one back.

Celtic were forced to hang on grimly for the aggregate win, Hapoel wasting a glut of chances as their group stage dream ended in disappointment.A lively opening saw Hoban test Gordon inside two minutes, before Mikael Lustig hooked a shot over at the other end moments later.

And the drama continued in the 14th minute when Saidy Janko tripped Ofir Davidzada just inside the box to gift the hosts a penalty.

Radi, however, went for power rather than placement from the spot and Gordon was able to pull off a smart save.Despite that setback, Hapoel continued to look the more likely and forced their way back into the tie seven minutes later.

After Brazilian import Lucio Maranhao had failed to recover from a head injury sustained in an accidental collision with Kolo Toure, Sahar was introduced from the bench and made an immediate impact.

With his first touch, the one-time Chelsea striker nodded home a Radi corner from the right despite the best efforts of Gordon and Kieran Tierney to keep the ball out.

That opener seemed to further rattle an already anxious Celtic side who struggled to impose themselves for the rest of the half and were restricted to just one long-range effort from Leigh Griffiths that failed to trouble Dudu Goresh in the home goal.The Scottish side's lack of composure duly came back to haunt them once again just three minutes into the second half when Hapoel blew the tie wide open by doubling their lead on the night.

Janko compounded his earlier error by becoming involved in a comical mix-up with Gordon as the pair attempted to deal with an innocuous cross into the box.
As a result of their collision, the loose ball spilled into the path of Hoban and he had the simple task of tapping it into the net.Dembele almost found the net for the visitors on the hour mark after a fine solo run and Sinclair was then foiled by Goresh.

However, it was Hapoel who finished on the front foot as they just failed to complete a stunning comeback.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: I don't know what I will do when I leave Arsenal

Arsene Wenger admits he is dreading the moment when he steps down as Arsenal manager, after almost 20 years in charge of the club.

The Frenchman will reach the milestone in October this year, making him one of the longest-serving managers in English top-flight history, while his contract expires at the end of this season. And he confessed that he is at a loss for what to do with his life once he finally steps down from the Gunners bench - be it this season or further down the line.

“Football has been my life, and honestly, I’m quite scared of the day. Because the longer I wait, the more difficult it will be to lose the addiction," he said in an interview published in Game Changers: Inside English Football.“After [Sir Alex Ferguson] retired and we played [Manchester United] over there he sent a message to me to come up and have a drink with him.

“I asked: ‘Did 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."Our pleasure comes from that - and our social attitude as well!”Wenger added that despite his many years in the game, he still struggled to handle defeats.

“As people, part of us loves to win and part of us hates to lose. The percentage to hate to lose, in me, is bigger," he said."Managers hate to lose, and if you don’t hate to lose you don’t stay for long in this job.

“If a match goes really well, I might go out with friends or family for dinner or a drink. If it doesn’t, I’ll go straight home to watch another football game and see another manager suffer.

“If we lose, it ruins my weekend. But I’ve learned over the years to deal with my disappointments and come back."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp: We knew Mane was good, that's why we bought him!

Jurgen Klopp revealed Liverpool expected exactly the kind of attacking masterclass Sadio Mane produced in the 5-0 League Cup victory over Burton when they parted with £30 million to acquire his services.

The Senegal international, recruited at the end of June from Southampton, recorded two assists, played five key passes and was tireless throughout the second-round encounter at the Pirelli Stadium.

He was instrumental in the opener for Divock Origi and created two chances beforehand, while Mane was also involved in both Daniel Sturridge goals.

Mane makes an indisputable difference to Liverpool’s attack, which according to the manager is why the club made him their third-most expensive purchase ever.

"I really like this player, but I don’t like to talk too much after only two games for him,” said Klopp on the summer acquisition.“We knew of his qualities and how they fit our style, which is why we brought him here.

"It’s not that we have to pat ourselves on the back every day at signing him."Mane scored in Liverpool's 4-3 victory over Arsenal, but sat out the 2-0 defeat at Burnley as he nursed a muscle injury in his shoulder.His absence was felt at Turf Moor, and the 24-year-old is poised to be pivotal again at White Hart Lane on Saturday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Celtic win the longest 90 minutes of my career - Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers conceded he found it tough to watch as Celtic scraped through to the group stage of the Champions League despite losing 2-0 on the night to Hapoel Be'er Sheva.

Having secured a 5-2 win in the home leg of their qualifying play-off last week, the Scottish champions found the Israeli side a very different proposition at Turner Stadium and were grateful to goalkeeper Craig Gordon for saving a first-half penalty as they hung on grimly to claim a 5-4 aggregate victory.After Mahran Radi saw his early spot-kick kept out by Gordon, former Chelsea striker Ben Sahar headed the hosts in front on 21 minutes.

And Romanian midfielder Ovidiu Hoban duly doubled Hapoel's lead when he took advantage of a comical defensive mix-up between Gordon and Saidy Janko to side foot home from close range three minutes after the break.Scott Sinclair and Moussa Dembele then both wasted great chances to halve the deficit and ease their side's nerves during the second half.

But while acknowledging that his charges were not at their best, Rodgers was still quick to praise their resolve."It was the longest 90 minutes I've had as a coach," he said. "Be'er Sheva were outstanding.

"They had to force the game and they played very well, but I have to congratulate my players. All the work we have done over the course of pre-season has been around that mentality and quality.

"It was an amazing effort by the players on the back of everything they have been through."When I came in, the criticism was that Celtic couldn't tough it out, but we showed over two games under huge pressure, that this team can. I'm delighted they have got their rewards."

Rodgers went on to outline what Champions League qualification means for the Glasgow club, who had missed out for the previous two seasons."I'm proud firstly for [major shareholder] Dermot [Desmond], [chief executive] Peter [Lawwell] and the board; it's great for them," he said.

"They stuck their neck out in the summer. The club has a real positive feel to it and this is hopefully going to keep that momentum going. It's a huge step for us
"Then obviously there's the supporters. It's an incredible moment for them. They're back in Europe's elite - where Celtic belong."So much was riding on this qualification and as you say, this was typical Celtic. But it's really happened; we've qualified."

The draw for the Champions League group stage will take place on Thursday, with Celtic returning to domestic action on Saturday when they host last season's league runners-up Aberdeen.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

What a freakin day


1. Hapoel vs Celtic 2-0 - Hapoel shoud've finished off celtic but somehow celtic managed to hold on and qualify for the group stage. Good on you brendan

2. Monaco vs Villareal 1-0- Was expecting a much more enthusiasm from both sides but was a dead game. injury time penalty won for monaco. They'll do good this time with Falcoa back on form

3. Legia vs Dundalk 1-1- I thought Legia will finish off for good in this home game. They had a lot of chances but failed to score. Goal of the day by that dundalk player. Check it out. A brilliant Volley Legia managed to draw somehow in injury time playing with a red card.

4. Plzen vs Ludo 2-2 - WTF was Plzen doing? They should've played much much better. poor performance with the late conceding


5. Roma vs Porto 0-3 - Surprise of the day Porto were brilliant in the opening 30 mins & scored a goal making roma attack. They were doing fine until the straight red for de rossi Then all went wrong for roma got another straight red in the second half. Even then they looked like scoring. Sad to see Totti having trouble with coping it up. porto finished the game with late 2 goals. Roma did give up a good fight with 2 men down but it wasn't enough. The ref was a bit harsh on the first red imo. Maybe they'll do better in the europa league. hope they win it.
​

Roma Vs Porto​

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Some Interesting secong leg qualifier matches today

Rostov vs Ajax - Rostov has become one of my favourites in Russia. They should advance. They are cunning & compact. And does a brilliant job in set pieces. Possession will be with Ajax but Ajax can't defend properly and they will get hit. Go Rostov!!

Man City vs Steaua - City won't put their strongest team since already 5 away up and got a hard ePL season ahead. I see them resting a lot of players. Will be mostly a draw or a 1-0, 2-1 for city. I thnk steaua are already planning for the Europas.

Red Bull Salzburg vs Dinamo Zagreb - On paper Salzburg are the favourites and imo better than the croatian champions. Salzburg are nt the team they were some time ago but still pretty damn good in the austrian bundesliga. One of my favourite leagues. They lost the opening league & derby to Sturm Graz but after than a pretty solid performance. Don''t know whether the stadium will be packed or not. It should be and if so the match will favour heavily to Salzburg. But dinamo will attack so will be a heavy scoring game

B mon vs YB - B mon will win the period. They are a better side than the swiss team. They proved that in the first leg. Note that the german bundesliga haven't even started but the swiss super league is on its way.

APOEL vs Kobenhavn - The match I will mostly be watching. It'll be a dog fight Apoel have decimated scandanavian sides in he previous number of meetings including the previous qualifier against rosenborg where they put 3 injury time goals to advance. kobenhaven also have tasted defeat by them losing the second leg away to apoel 3-1.
Worth mentioning that Cyprus is very hot so APOEL have that advantage. Rosenborg shut shop in the previous match without even trying to get an away goal and that went against them. Koba are a better side than rosenborg and will try a different attacking game plan. Think there will be many cards here. Go koba!!!

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Ole Ole Ole!!!

Rostov in The Champions League 4-1 over Ajax

Kobenhavn in the Champions League 2-1 on aggregate Apoel scandinacian curse is broken. What a goal by Santander Don't see that kind of goals in top leagues even. Talking about being out of form. A great way to come back.

If anybody tuning in watch the Salzburg match. Gone to extra time

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bale: I'll never forget this year

Gareth Bale says he will never forget 2016, after the Wales international tasted both club and international success.

The attacker helped Real to Champions League glory, before amazingly guiding his country to the Euro 2016 semi-finals.And Bale, who is in the running to win the Best Player in Europe Award along with team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, insists that he has never experienced a year like it.

"Winning the Champions League with Real was the biggest thing for me last season," he told 24sata.

"It was long and tough season, but we fought hard and won what we wanted to win."For me, it was a great season, not only with the club. We've had a great Euros, so I'll never forget this year."On the European award, Bale said: "It is a big honour to be a finalist.

"These kind of awards you cannot win by yourself, but by playing for the team, so I have to thank my team-mates, both in club and national team, as they are part of this too."It would be great to win this award, but I like to focus on what can I do for my team.

"And if it means I'll win some individual award, great, but the team comes first."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

No surgery for Ayew as West Ham target December return

West Ham forward Andre Ayew will not undergo surgery as he looks to recover from a "rare" but serious thigh injury which will keep him out for three months.Ayew, 26, suffered the injury in West Ham's Premier League opener against Chelsea on August 15.

The club confirmed the Ghanaian will not undergo surgery but is still on track for a December return."Andre Ayew suffered a rare but very serious thigh injury at Chelsea, which will take time to recover from," West Ham head of medical and sports science Stijn Vandenbroucke said.

"Andre will not have surgery and we have started the rehab straight away, working two times a day."Andre is a highly professional athlete with a positive attitude that no doubt will affect the return to play date.

"It is early to put a timeline on the rehab, but we are positive to reintroduce him in December."Vandenbroucke also offered an update on striker Andy Carroll, who is expected to miss the next month and a half of action.

"Unfortunately, Andy Carroll, after his first good pre-season in many years, injured his knee in the game against Astra Giurgiu in Romania last week," he said."It was an incident where he passed the ball and then slipped on a difficult playing surface, over-stretching his knee.

"Andy has been an example at the training ground this season, working hard on the pitch and in the gym, but the reality is that he will be out for 4-6 weeks. "One should not underestimate the mental challenge that comes with a physical injury. Andy cannot wait to start going again and he will come back strong."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bilic confirms West Ham interest in Bony and Zaza

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic has confirmed his interest in signing Wilfried Bony from Manchester City, and has also hinted at a move for Juventus striker Simone Zaza.

The Hammers are keen to recruit another striker this summer after £20 million acquisition Andre Ayew sustained a serious thigh injury in the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea.

With Andy Carroll again on the sidelines West Ham have stepped up their interest in Bony, and Goal understands that the club have made an approach to loan the Ivory Coast international until January.

West Ham have also entered into discussions with Juventus over the potential acquisition of Zaza, but his wages may prove prohibitive, with the Italian understood to be keen to earn £100,000-per-week.

“We were linked with him (Zaza) last year and he is a top player. We were in contact with him last year and will see what happens," Bilic told reporters on Wednesday.“Bony is also an option because he plays in the position we are looking for. I leave negotiations to the chairman and Tony Henry.”

West Ham have already signed Sofiane Feghouli, Ashley Fletcher, Manuel Lanzini, Arthur Masuaku and Havard Nordtveit on permanent deals this summer.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus working on €30m deal for PSG midfielder Matuidi

Juventus will attempt to wrap up a €30 million deal for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Blaise Matuidi at Thursday's Champions League draw in Monte Carlo.

The Bianconeri are still looking for a replacement for Paul Pogba, who joined Manchester United for a world-record €105 million earlier this month.

After seeing Chelsea rebuff their interest in Nemanja Matic and Zenit turn down their €18m offer for Axel Witsel, Juve have now focused their attention on Matuidi.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insisted on August 8 that the 29-year-old would not be sold, describing the France international as "a pillar" of PSGs team, while new coach Unai Emery has repeatedly expressed his desire to hold onto the player.

However, the Ligue 1 titleholders have a plethora of options in midfield - particularly after the arrival of Grzegorz Krychowiak from Emery's former club Sevilla - and are now willing to let Matuidi leave for the right price.

Juve are thus hoping that PSG will accept a bid of €30m, including bonuses, for the Toulouse native, who has already agreed a four-year contract with the Old Lady with an annual net salary of €4.5m plus bonuses.

Indeed, the Bianconeri's bid to sign Matuidi is boosted by the fact that the former Saint-Etienne ace is represented by Mino Raiola, who negotiated Pogba's move to Manchester, as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic's transfer from PSG to Old Trafford.

Consequently, Juve directors are confident of finalising a deal when they meet with their PSG counterparts in Monaco for the draw for the group stage of the 2016-17 Champions League, particularly as Hernanes could join Benfica before the close of the transfer window on August 31.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Schweinsteiger: Man Utd will be my last club in Europe

Out-of-favour midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has confirmed he will not play for another European club after Manchester United.The World Cup winner has been strongly linked with a move away from Old Trafford after being told he does not feature in new boss Jose Mourinho's plans.

But despite being forced to train with the Under-23s at United, Schweinsteiger has remained professional throughout and has since released a statement addressing where his future lies.

"MUFC will be my last club in Europe," Schweinsteiger wrote on Twitter. "I respect other clubs, but Manchester United was the only one which could make me leave Bayern Munich.

"I will be ready, if the team needs me. This is all I can say about my current situation."I want to thanks the fans for the amazing support over the recent weeks."Schweinsteiger's statement has fuelled speculation he could now be set for a move either to the United States or China in January.

The 32-year-old, who still has two years remaining on his contract after joining United from Bayern Munich last summer, could also opt to see out the remainder of his deal before moving on a free transfer.