..::Football IV::..

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Hummels reveals secret to beating brilliant Leipzig

Mats Hummels believes that exploiting the space behind RB Leipzig's high line will be key to Bayern Munich's chances of victory on Wednesday.The champions host Ralph Hasenhuttl's surprise title contenders at the Allianz Arena with the sides level on points ahead of the final game before the mid-season break.

Leipzig have taken the Bundesliga by storm in their first term, having lost just once in 15 matches, while only Bayern boast a better goal difference.And Hummels has told his team-mates to look for ways to find space behind their attacking line in order to create chances to win.

"We'll have to fight hard 30 metres in front of our goal to get possession of the ball," the defender told Bild."We have to move a lot, create some play so that we can get them running without the ball. With teams that press high like that, there's often space behind the first line of attack - and we have to find this space.

"I've been following them since early on. They were on a very high level from day one. Nobody expected how well they would do. But they're a team you like to watch.

"There are always a few solutions. You can get an advantage with good analysis."

 

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Arsenal unlikely to spend in January transfer window

Arsenal are not expected to sign any first-team players in January despite a recent slump in form.

The Gunners have lost two consecutive Premier League matches to Everton and Manchester City over the past week, prompting many supporters to urge manager Arsene Wenger to recruit further personnel when the transfer window opens next month.But it’s unlikely that a major signing will be made due to several senior players returning from injury in the coming weeks.

Danny Welbeck, Aaron Ramsey and Per Mertesacker are all close to a return while Santi Cazorla has pencilled in a comeback for the new year.

Goalkeeper Jasper Schendelaar, 16, could join the academy set-up at Hale End after youth chief Andries Jonker was recommended the AZ Alkmaar youngster as one for the future.

Highly-rated midfielder Dan Crowley will also head to Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles on loan for the rest of the season following an impressive spell on trial.

No major departures are expected, although loan moves for Carl Jenkinson and Chuba Akpom remain a possibility if an attractive offer comes in for them.Wenger bolstered his squad in the summer by spending £100m on the likes of Granit Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez.

 

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Man Utd set to seal €45m Lindelof signing

Manchester United are set to secure the signature of Benfica defender Victor Lindelof for a fee of €45 million, Goal can confirm.

Jose Mourinho has earmarked the centre-back, who has won 11 caps for the Swedish national team, as a key target ahead of the January transfer window; with reports suggesting that the club’s scouting team have watched Lindelof extensively throughout the 2016-17 season.

Goal understands that United and Benfica have agreed a package that will see the Premier League club pay €40m up front for the 22-year-old, as well as a potential €5m in add-ons.

Lindelof is set to earn €3.5m-per-year over the course of a five-year contract at United, with a weekly wage of €67,000, having previously earned €200,000-per-year at Benfica.The Portuguese club are set to turn a huge profit on Lindelof, after signing the player from Vasteras SK for a fee of €100,000 in late 2011.

Lindelof is set to play his final game for Benfica this week, against Rio Ave, after the club’s president Luiz Filipe Vieira travelled to England to finalise the details of the deal earlier this week. Vieira was accompanied by super-agent Jorge Mendes, who has United manager Jose Mourinho on his books as a client.
United’s deal for Lindelof has generated no shortage of intrigue, with former winger Jesper Blomqvist claiming that the player could become as good as Rio Ferdinand at Old Trafford.

"I was watching the November match between Sweden and France on TV and caught a glimpse of Jose Mourinho in the stand and my first thought was that it could only be Victor Lindelof he was looking at,” he told the Manchester Evening News."My second thought was what a great signing that would be for the player and Manchester United. It would be perfect.

"He's quick, confident with the ball, likes to play and is very strong. For United fans, I think the best comparisons would be with Rio Ferdinand and Ronny Johnsen. I'm not saying he is at their level yet, but he is very capable of getting there."

United currently lie in sixth place ahead of the festive fixtures, 13 points behind leaders Chelsea and four behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

 

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Bayern Munich 3-0 RB Leipzig: Title pretenders swept aside in first-half storm

Bayern Munich comfortably beat 10-man RB Leipzig 3-0 to move three points clear of their title rivals and ensure they will spend Christmas on top of the Bundesliga.

The two sides came into their first competitive meeting with only goal difference separating them, but the champions made a huge statement in emphatically winning their fifth consecutive league game.Thiago Alcantara and Xabi Alonso both scored as Bayern raced in front in the first half, before the visitors' Emil Forsberg was sent off for a foul on Philipp Lahm.

Robert Lewandowski's penalty – his 12th league goal of the season – added to Leipzig's misery before the break and Bayern cruised to victory from then on, with substitute Franck Ribery hitting the crossbar.

Leipzig had won nine of their previous 10 league games having impressed hugely after promotion, but will now have to reflect on their morale-sapping defeat during the Bundesliga's one-month mid-season break.

The opening goal arrived in the 17th minute when Lahm's cross from the right led to Lewandowski's effort striking the post, with Thiago applying a first-time finish on the rebound.

Bayern almost struck again a few moments later, Douglas Costa hitting the post having been found by Lewandowski.Manuel Neuer kept out Diego Demme at the other end, but Bayern were two up after 25 minutes.

Naby Keita lost possession in a dangerous area for Leipzig, which allowed Lewandowski and Thiago to combine before the ex-Barcelona midfielder fed Alonso to send a side-footed finish into the bottom-left corner.

Willi Orban had a header brilliantly saved by Neuer as the visitors searched for a way back into the game, but their hopes took another hit in the 30th minute.

Forsberg put in a nasty challenge from behind on Lahm as the Bayern captain attempted to launch a counter-attack and referee Felix Zwayer deemed it was worthy of a red card – but only after Bayern protests and discussion with his assistant.

Bayern made it three in the last minute of the first half after Costa, who was fortunate not to be flagged offside, raced on to a high ball and was brought down by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi just inside the area.

Lewandowski calmly sent Gulacsi the wrong way from the resulting spot-kick.
Ribery came on for Arjen Robben at half-time and Bayern continued to press, Gulacsi having to rush out quickly to deny Lewandowski.

Marcel Sabitzer had an a shot deflected wide, but Bayern were looking more likely to strike again, with Gulacsi helping Lewandowski's chip over the bar after good play from Ribery.

Ribery saw a late effort bounce off the crossbar after being found by Alonso, with Leipzig barely threatening in the closing stages to leave Carlo Ancelotti's men celebrating a third straight clean sheet and a clear advantage at the top of the table.

 

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Inter 3-0 Lazio: Banega & Icardi combine to topple Romans

Mauro Icardi scored a second-half double and Ever Banega was also on target as Inter made it four wins in a row with a 3-0 Serie A victory over Lazio, whose Champions League aspirations were dealt a blow.

Former Sevilla playmaker Banega broke the deadlock after the break with a powerful shot from 20 yards out, before his fellow Argentine put the match to bed with his 13th and 14th league goals of the season.

Stefano Pioli's men were high on confidence heading into Wednesday's game at San Siro after putting Sparta Prague, Genoa and Sassuolo to the sword in recent weeks.

Little pointed toward a fourth win in succession in the opening 45 minutes, though, as Lazio dominated proceedings and had a number of chances to take the lead, Ciro Immobile and Felipe Anderson in particular looking dangerous.

But Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic did well to preserve parity and three goals within the space of 11 minutes after the interval saw the hosts emerge victorious.

Inter go into the mid-season break seventh in the table, while Lazio remain fourth but could see Napoli go three points ahead of them in the race for the Champions League when Maurizio Sarri's men visit Fiorentina on Thursday.

Lazio immediately pushed forward and could have grabbed the lead after just 38 seconds when Felipe Anderson found Immobile after a mazy run down the right, the striker forcing goalkeeper Samir Handanovic into a good save with his low diagonal shot.

Felipe Anderson continued to cause the Inter defence all kinds of trouble down the right wing early on and he teed up Immobile once more with a low cross midway through the first half as the former Borussia Dortmund striker forced Handanovic into another stop.

The Brazilian winger was at the heart of every Lazio attack in the opening 45 minutes and he was unfortunate not to break the deadlock in the 26th minute, shaking off several Inter defenders with an impressive dribble after cutting inside from the right and seeing his shot hit Danilo D'Ambrosio and trickle wide for a corner.

Inter first threatened on the half-hour mark, when both Marcelo Brozovic and Banega tested Federico Marchetti in quick succession with powerful shots from outside the area, the Lazio goalkeeper equal to both efforts.

Pioli's men started the second half brightly and went 1-0 up in the 54th minute following a stunning goal from Banega. The Argentine beat Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to a loose ball in midfield, took a touch to control it and found the net with a fierce strike into the top-right corner.

The hosts quickly sought a second and Icardi doubled their lead barely two minutes later. D'Ambrosio sent in a dangerous cross from the right and the prolific striker escaped the attention of Stefan de Vrij before glancing a header past the helpless Marchetti.

Things went from bad to worse for Lazio and Icardi made it three in the 65th minute when Marchetti failed to keep out his low shot after Banega's free kick.

Icardi twice saw chances to complete his hat-trick go begging as he was denied by Marchetti and the crossbar as Inter made sure that they go into the mid-season break on a high.

 

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PSG 5-0 Lorient: Champions roar back on title track

Paris Saint-Germain returned to form in scintillating fashion on Wednesday with an emphatic 5-0 thrashing of Lorient, closing the gap to Ligue 1 leaders Nice to five points.

Defending champions PSG took full advantage of Nice's goalless draw away to Bordeaux to eke two points out of the pacesetters' advantage, but a 2-1 win for Monaco at home to Caen means Unai Emery's men head into the mid-season break in third position.

After a 2-1 defeat at Guingamp last Saturday left Emery under pressure and his team without a win in three top-flight fixtures, the PSG coach's name was whistled by supporters ahead of kick-off.

However, a sublime lob from Thomas Meunier and an own goal by Zargo Toure helped get the home faithful back on side before half-time, while Kevin Trapp was untested throughout.

Thiago Silva extended PSG's advantage five minutes after the restart with a pinpoint header, and Edinson Cavani won and converted a penalty to increase their advantage with his 18th top-flight strike this term.

Lucas Moura made the most of being picked ahead of Angel Di Maria by putting in a fine display that he capped by rounding off the scoring with 20 minutes remaining, lifting a delightful finish over Lorient goalkeeper Paul Delecroix.

In an open start to proceedings the first chance fell to Layvin Kurzawa in the eighth minute, the unmarked left-back steering a header from Lucas' outswinging corner wide.Cavani's touch let him down in a potential one-on-one and Silva had a shot deflected wide off Vincent Le Goff as PSG cranked up the pressure.

The breakthrough came when Meunier controlled Blaise Matuidi's cross-field ball and looped it over Majeed Waris, taking a touch with his chest before lobbing an excellent finish over Lorient goalkeeper Delecroix and inside the far post from out wide on the right.

Delecroix made a vital intervention to deny Christopher Nkunku, but he was unable to stop Lorient going into the break two goals down. Lucas raced away from Le Goff on the right and his square ball for Cavani was inadvertently sent into the back of the net by Toure.

Lucas missed a chance to add a third in first-half stoppage time, his reactions not quick enough to head home after Delecroix flapped at Matuidi's cross.The third goal came just five minutes after the restart, though. Silva attacked the near post at a corner and glanced a header across Delecroix and in off the upright.

Cavani had endured a frustrating night, but he won a penalty when he went down under a challenge from the onrushing Delecroix. The goalkeeper was booked for failing to win the ball and the Uruguayan slotted home confidently with 63 minutes played.Lucas was next to get in on the act, the Brazilian beating the offside trap to latch onto Marco Verratti's precision pass and lob Delecroix.

Silva was denied an acrobatic second by a goal-line block from Sylvain Marveaux, but five goals may well be enough to lift the malaise in the French capital.

 

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Barcelona 7-0 Hercules (agg. 8-1): Second-string Blaugrana stroll to victory

Paco Alcacer ended his wait for a competitive goal in Barcelona colours as the holders ran out 7-0 winners over Hercules in the Copa del Rey, with Arda Turan hitting a hat-trick.

The Spain international forward endured 10 scoreless appearances on the back of his August switch from Valencia, but got in on the act as Luis Enrique's men ensured there was no repeat of their first-leg scare to book a place in the last 16.
The holders fell behind in a 1-1 draw with their third-tier opponents in last month's initial match and Luis Enrique plumped for a more experienced line-up this time around, boasting all six of his major signings for this season.

One of those, Lucas Digne, settled a slightly edgy Camp Nou eight minutes before half-time and Ivan Rakitic doubled the lead at the interval with a penalty.Any doubts that the game was over as a contest were extinguished as Rafinha and Arda struck inside the opening 10 minutes of the second period.

But the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for Alcacer, who headed home amid suspicions of offside to go into the mid-season break with a considerable weight off his shoulders, while a late salvo ensured Arda departed with the matchball.

Rakitic, starting in midfield after being an unused substitute for Barcelona's previous two LaLiga matches, floated a pass into the path of Digne for the full-back to fire over in the fourth minute.

Hercules centre-back Rojas prevented Denis Suarez from converting Turan's low right-wing cross with a brilliant challenge in his own goalmouth, while Javier Mascherano was forced into last-ditch action at the other end as Chechu Flores pursued an unthinkable opener for the visitors.

A superb solo run worthy of the absent Lionel Messi from Suarez concluded with the former Villarreal man lashing into the side netting and, although his wait for a maiden Barca senior goal went on, another close-season recruit opened his account in the 37th minute.

The Hercules left, where Suarez had his earlier joy, was the source of the goal, with Arda sending a low ball in for Rafinha's shot to be blocked, but the on-rushing Digne was able to prod the loose ball high into the net.

It was 2-0 before half-time as a wonderful lofted pass from goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen sent Rafinha storming towards the Hercules area. The Brazilian slotted in Arda, who was clumsily brought down by Fernando Roman and Rakitic steered his spot-kick under Ivan Buigues' dive.

Hercules' earlier resistance predictably subsided early in the second half as Rafinha lashed a rasping drive into the bottom left corner and further punishment was quick to arrive.

Arda was on hand with an emphatic diving header to dispatch Aleix Vidal's 55th-minute centre, further locking Camp Nou's focus on the need of another man to join the goalrush.In the 73rd minute Alcacer responded, getting on the end of Rafinha's deflected cross for a simple headed finish.

With the relief still palpable that he ended that 576-minute wait for a Barcelona goal, Alcacer almost had a second three minutes later when his shot was blocked on the end of another fine Suarez run.

Arda's second came on the rebound as Buigues denied a seemingly buoyant Alcacer and the Turkey international concluded the rout in style by winning possession and curling home from the left-hand corner of the area.

 

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'Loris Karius is like David De Gea'

John Aldridge has claimed that Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius is taking time to settle in England, much like David De Gea did in his first season at Manchester United.

The German joined the Reds from Mainz in the summer, breaking into Jurgen Klopp's first team before a number of sub-par performances saw him replaced by Simon Mignolet.

But former Liverpool forward Aldridge has backed the 23-year-old to turn things around at Anfield, and believes he can follow in the footsteps of De Gea by going on to impress after an initial settling-in period.

“The manager has taken him out of the firing line to regroup and when his chance comes again I’m sure he’ll take it," said Aldridge, speaking exclusively to 888sport."Confidence is a funny thing and it’s like a striker suffering a drought – the goals suddenly look smaller and the keeper looks bigger.

"From a goalkeeping point of view you start flapping at things and there are worries at the back of your head. You have to refresh from that and work hard on the training ground.

“We’ve seen it before with David De Gea where he struggled in his first season. It takes time to settle for keepers coming in from another country.

"He’s had a lot of people from the media on his back and pinpointing his mistakes - it’s a specialised position and if you make mistakes there you’re going to be mullered in England. Unfortunately he was and whether it’s affected him or not we don’t know.”

Aldridge has also criticised pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher for their negative comments about Karius, believing that they were wrong to single-out the goalkeeper following a mistake against Bournemouth.

Alexis drops hint over Arsenal exit“People are paid good money by Sky to be controversial and if that’s what they want that’s what Gary Neville will give them," Aldridge continued.

"There was also the Bournemouth striker who came out and said they targeted Karius as the weakness in defence. That wasn’t good from a fellow professional. He should have kept that in-house. Karius could do without that.”

 

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Mourinho won't leave Manchester United for China riches

Jose Mourinho has insisted his future lies at Manchester United, even if he received a mouth-watering offer from the Chinese Super League.

The Portuguese arrived at Old Trafford to much fanfare in the summer and has overseen a mixed start to the season, with results beginning to pick up in recent weeks.Reports had circulated that Mourinho has won over the management at United and that they are looking to renew his current contract running till 2019 beyond.

And while the 53-year-old denied that any negotiations were taking place, he insists he sees his future at the club and desires to succeed there - enough to resist the monetary allure of China.

"China money is attractive for everyone, but I love my football at the highest level more," he told Sky Sports. "[I'm] Too young, 53, too young, [have] too many years of football to go to a place like China.

"I want to stay in the most difficult place to win, so I'm in the right place. [United] didn't [offer me a new contract]. And I'm not expecting them to do that, because they gave me a three-year contract.

"They are being super supportive with me, and always gave me the feeling that three years is not the time I am going to stay here, I always had the feeling that I am going to stay for more time.

"They know that I'm loving it, at every level, I'm loving my job at Manchester United, and they know that if one day they bring the contract, I will sign it, I don't even need my advisers, I'll sign because I am loving it."

Mourinho will now lead his men into their final two Premier League fixtures of 2016 having just overseen three consecutive wins to move them up to sixth in the table.

 

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Ancelotti: Ronaldo was an absolute phenomenon


Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he was left in awe of former Brazil striker Ronaldo, labelling him an absolute phenomenon.

The two-time World Cup winner suffered a number of serious injury blows throughout his career, perhaps preventing him from being named among the small collective of the greatest players ever to play the game.Ancelotti coached Ronaldo during the Brazilian’s short stint with Milan in 2007, which saw him make just 20 Serie A appearances – hitting nine goals in 20 matches.

“He was a phenomenon,” Ancelotti told AS. “Even when he was injured or weighed 100kg, he was an absolute phenomenon.”Ronaldo suffered a thyroid problem later in his career which left him prone to putting on weight.

He scored 62 times in 98 appearances for Brazil, and was named FIFA World Player of the Year on three occasions.

 

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Mourinho feels bad over Depay & Young snubs

Jose Mourinho has admitted he has not given Memphis Depay and Ashley Young a chance to prove themselves at Manchester United and feels bad about the way he has been treating the duo.

Depay has made just one start in all competitions this term and is widely expected to leave Old Trafford in the January transfer window, with Everton keeping a close eye on the attacker's situation.

The 31-year-old Young has mainly been warming the bench as well, making a mere eight appearances in all competitions

Mourinho has now acknowledged both wingers have not had a real run of matches to show what they can do, but has pointed at the tough competition for places as the reason behind their omission.

"I still have some bad feelings towards myself because I did not give a real chance to everyone," Mourinho told Sky Sports.

"There are some positions in our squad where we have overbooked."To be honest, people like Ashley Young and Memphis Depay, I did not really give them a run of matches to play, to prove themselves."So I have this little bad feeling."

 

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Mkhitaryan wants to make Man Utd history

Henrikh Mkhitaryan wants to establish his place in Manchester United history after winning another honour from the Armenian Football Federation.

The 27-year-old was named the Armenian Player of the Year for the sixth time in a row and seventh occasion overall on Wednesday, beating Maritimo's Gevorg Ghazaryan into second place.

Mkhitaryan struggled for playing time following his move from Borussia Dortmund but has shone for United in his most recent performances, scoring crucial goals in the wins over Zorya and Tottenham.

And the midfielder is determined to become a major part of United's illustrious history in the coming years by continuing to impress under Jose Mourinho.

Writing via his official Facebook page, Mkhitaryan, who is expected to be available to face Sunderland on December 26 after missing two games with an ankle injury, said: "I feel honoured to have won my 7th Armenian Player of the Year award!"Thank you to the Armenian FA, my clubs, my fans and media representatives for believing in me!

"I have devoted my whole life to football and achieved significant milestones, yet I feel I can still create more history for my club Manchester United and Armenia, a country which I love dearly and is always on my mind."

 

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Balotelli has 'had talks with English clubs' over Premier League return

Agent Mino Raiola has confirmed that his client Mario Balotelli has held talks with Premier League clubs about a potential return.

The Nice striker spent three seasons at Manchester City and another at Liverpool, enjoying an excellent year during his season season at City, where he scored 13 Premier League goals.Raiola revealed that a return is possible, and that discussions had already begun about Balotelli's comeback.

“We’ve already had talks with English clubs, but it’s really too early to say," Raiola told talkSPORT. "We want to keep it day-by-day with Mario."“For Mario I always knew it [his return to form] will come. He was in his last year at Liverpool and he was very stable and not so emotional anymore."

The Italy international was loaned to AC Milan from Liverpool, and then allowed leave for Nice in August after being left out of the Reds' friendly squads by manager Jurgen Klopp.

Raiola feels that the 26-year-old was not given enough time to make his mark at Anfield, believing Klopp forced him out of the club.“I still think it’s a shame that Klopp didn’t give him a fair chance, but Mario is proving to himself, more than to others, what he can do," the agent continued.

"It’s his career - I think he understands a lot of things and he knows what he did as a mistake in the past.“But it’s useless to look back, it’s only useful to look forward.”

 

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'I think Man Utd can do better than fourth' - Mourinho

As belief grows at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho feels Manchester United can achieve a higher finish than fourth spot in the Premier League.

Lured to Manchester to restore the glory days following several seasons of underachieving since Sir Alex Ferguson's title-winning farewell in 2013, Mourinho's side are showing signs of life after a stuttering start to the campaign.

Having gone eight top-flight games unbeaten, United find themselves only four points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal and seven behind Liverpool, who are second in the standings after 17 games.

While he refused to set a definitive target amid fierce competition, United manager Mourinho is quietly confident of a strong finish.

"For me to be happy, it's an accumulation of factors. For me to be happy is the way we end the season playing, the evolution of the team, the empathy with the supporters, the results in many different competitions we are playing," Mourinho told Sky Sports ahead of the Boxing Day visit of Sunderland."So let's see where we finish, I don't want to say fourth, because I think we can do better than fourth.

"But we have the risk of not finishing fourth because the competition is so hard and the top teams have the same ambitions as we have. So I don't want to say fourth or third or fifth."

Mourinho added: "Obviously we need to work and work, improve and improve, but footballing ideas, principles of play, the way we want to defend and attack, is clear."It's something we believe, and is something the players are very happy with, and it's something we didn't change because the results were not good.

"And that makes the concept even stronger, because when you win matches the results convince you that what you are doing is right, and when you are not winning you must have a deep feeling to be convinced that you are going in the right direction.

"Many results that we conceded were bad results, even with that unbeaten run, we conceded draws at home, Burnley, Arsenal, West Ham. But the bad results didn't make us change our idea and our direction. So we are fine.



"I cannot say this season is to build a team, this season is to play well, this season doesn't matter if you finish fourth or seventh. Seventh is one thing and fourth is another thing, and we still have objectives."

 

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Marotta hints at Juve's James interest, rules out Draxler move

James Rodriguez could be a target for Juventus but Wolfsburg's Julian Draxler is not an option, according to the Serie A champions' general manager Giuseppe Marotta.Colombia international James said last weekend that he could look to leave Real Madrid due to a lack of first-team opportunities under Zinedine Zidane.

Those comments drew criticism from Madrid captain Sergio Ramos and Juve could be in position to take advantage of James' discontent, although the European champions' transfer embargo means they could be more inclined to hold onto the 25-year-old until that ban is lifted at the end of the season."It depends on what we do in the transfer market," Marotta told La Gazzetta dello Sport when asked about James.

"We have to respect the balance sheet, but Juve want to position themselves among the best clubs in the world and this is and always will be our ambitious objective.

"Four or five years ago, we certainly could not have allowed ourselves to spend the figures we spent on players such as [Gonzalo] Higuain or [Miralem] Pjanic, but now we can.

"Our potential has grown a great deal thanks to the excellent job done by president Andrea Agnelli which means we can afford major investments in the sporting area.
"And we certainly want to continue travelling down this road."However, a seemingly bitter Marotta ruled out a move for Draxler, who rejected Juve's advances 18 months ago.

"It's impossible that [Draxler] will join Juventus because it bothered us a lot when he turned us down," he added. "If you refuse us once, well, Juventus just look elsewhere."

Marotta also confirmed that Atalanta's Mattia Caldara is close to completing his move to Juve, although he would not join officially until 2018.

Zenit midfielder Axel Witsel is expected to arrive when his contract expires at the end of the season and Marotta hinted at further interest in Sevilla's Steven N'Zonzi.
"We have a good relationship with Sevilla and it's only right that we make certain enquiries," said Marotta. "If our investment is made in view of the long-term future then we would be wrong not to seize an opportunity."

 

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West Ham will do everything to keep Payet, says Bilic

Slaven Bilic insists West Ham will do everything in their power to retain Dimitri Payet amid speculation surrounding the France international's future.

With Payet enjoying a stunning debut Premier League campaign in 2015-16, the Hammers tied the midfielder down to a fresh five-and-a-half-year contract in February.

However, that has not stopped rumours continuing to circulate about potential interest from elsewhere.

And that was fuelled this week by Payet declaring that he missed Champions League football and would not "close the door to anything".Ahead of West Ham's trip to Swansea City on Boxing Day, Hammers boss Bilic addressed the media and was unequivocal in his response regarding Payet.

"We do not want to sell Dimitri Payet and he is a great player," said Bilic."He has a contract and we will do everything to make sure he stays with us."I am not a big fan of the January transfer window but we are going to try and find a couple of positions where we need to strengthen."

One man who could be on his way out of London Stadium is Simone Zaza, the on-loan Juventus striker who has yet to find the net in 11 appearances across all competitions.

Valencia are reported to be interested in signing the Italy international, who moved to the Hammers on a season-long deal from the Serie A champions."I will discuss the situation with Simone Zaza about his contract situation and we will find a solution," added Bilic.

 

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De Bruyne at Manchester City for the long-term

Kevin De Bruyne has made it clear he has no intention of leaving Manchester City any time soon as he is loving life at the Etihad Stadium.The Belgium international joined City from Wolfsburg ahead of the 2015-16 campaign and has since developed into a key figure at the Premier League side.

De Bruyne had spells at Genk, Chelsea and Werder Bremen prior to his arrival in Manchester and is now ready to settle down."I am feeling very well at Manchester City. We [De Bruyne and partner Michele] really like our life and have settled here," De Bruyne told Sport/Voetbalmagazine.

"The past few years have been hectic and we want to embark on a long-term project now. We no longer want to move all the time. Not so much because I am 25 now, but mainly because everything is going very well here.

"Everything the club does for us is done very well. This is by no means the case at every club."Manchester is a great place and City are a great club.

"Manchester City might not have the same history that other teams have, but it is up to us to make history."The 25-year-old has a contract with City until June 2021.

 

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Pardew sacked as Crystal Palace boss

Alan Pardew has left his role as manager of Crystal Palace, the club have confirmed.

Pardew left Newcastle United to take over at Selhurst Park in January 2015 and led them to a 10th-place finish in the Premier League.

But his first full season in charge did not prove as successful in the league, Palace enduring a dreadful second half of the campaign as they finished just five points above the relegation zone.

The former Southampton and Charlton Athletic boss led Palace to the FA Cup final, only to see his side beaten 2-1 in extra time as Jesse Lingard scored the winner for Manchester United.

And Pardew has failed to turn around their fortunes in the first half of the 2016-17 season, with Palace just a point above the bottom three with 15 points from 17 games.

Chairman Steve Parish said: "I would like to put on record our sincere gratitude for the tremendous service Alan has given us, both in his time here as manager and previously as a player.

"Following a fantastic second half of 2014-15, the 2015-16 season culminated in only narrowly missing out on winning the FA Cup as well as securing our Premier League place for a record-breaking fourth time.

"During his tenure Alan's hard work and dedication were without question, he has improved so many areas of the club and we wish him the very best for the future.

"With games now coming thick and fast over the holiday period the club are hoping to put someone in place as quickly as possible but have nothing to say about a replacement at this time."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

"Big Sam" next Crystal Palace boss wei godak durata​

 

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PSG agree deal with Wolfsburg for Julian Draxler

PSG have reached an agreement with Wolfsburg for the transfer of Julian Draxler.
Draxler, 23, moved to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015 from Schalke, signing a five-year contract.

And Goal understands that PSG, who are struggling domestically this season under new manager Unai Emery, have now agreed a deal worth a potential €45 million for the Germany international to move to Parc des Princes. The Bundesliga side will receive an initial €35m, with the possibility of an extra €10m in bonuses.

Premier League side Arsenal have been linked with Draxler but he will now move to Paris in January, where he will sign a contract for between three and four years.
PSG are also keen to try and sign Draxler's team-mate Ricardo Rodriguez, who they see as a long-term replacement for Maxwell and competition for Layvin Kurzawa.

However, any deal would see Rodriguez first loaned back to Wolfsburg for the final six months of the season.