..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Ceballos reaches Real Madrid agreement, Betis chairman confirms

Dani Ceballos has reached an agreement with Real Madrid, according to Betis chairman Angel Haro.

The 20-year-old midfielder starred as part of the Spain team that reached the final of the European Under-21 Championship in Poland last month, where he was named player of the tournament.

Ceballos was also linked to Barcelona but Madrid appear to have beaten their rivals to get their man, with Haro confirming his club are in talks with the La Liga champions to bring the transfer to a conclusion.

"Dani has rejected our offer to extend his contract with Betis and Real Madrid has told us that he has an agreement with them," Haro told a news conference.

"Both clubs are talking, in hours or days we will have news.""As we have said before, no player is indispensable and Betis come before everything, even the president.

"Other players will come in, perhaps more youth players who have had great seasons will come in and we will keep on going."

Madrid are reportedly eyeing a deal worth in the region of €18million for Ceballos, who is expected to sign a six-year contract. He is set to become Madrid's second signing of the close-season, having already secured Theo Hernandez from Atletico Madrid for €24m.

Ceballos has made 65 appearances in La Liga, having made his debut for Betis in April 2014. He joined the Spanish side in 2011 after being released from Sevilla's youth system for health reasons.

After shining with Betis across the 2016-17 season the youngster heightened his reputation with a stunning turn at the UEFA European Under-21 Championships, winning the Golden Player award as the stand-out star as Spain fought to the final before going down to Germany.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guangzhou won't allow Paulinho to join Barcelona

Guangzhou Evergrande have told Paulinho that they will not allow him to leave the club to join Barcelona in the current transfer window.The Catalans had reportedly made an improved bid of €25 million for the former Tottenham man as they look to seal a deal for the Brazil international.

But Guangzhou, who signed Paulinho from Spurs back in 2015, are adamant they will not allow the midfielder to leave at what is the halfway stage of the Chinese Super League season.

"We need to not only consider the financial account of the corporation, but also the specific situation of our current campaign," said Xu Jiayin, chairman of Evergrande Group in his annual mid-season meeting with the players.

"Paulinho has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity [to join Barcelona] and we attach great importance to this matter. But we won’t let him leave mid-season.

"The club have just reached the half-way point of the season, it is out of the question that we let go such a key player."I understand the feelings of Paulinho but hopefully he will understand the club.Despite receiving the offer from Barcelona, he still play each game to the best of his ability."I call on every player to learn from Paulinho’s professionalism."

Paulinho revealed on Sunday that he hoped Guangzhou would not stand in his way over his desire to join Ernesto Valverde's side.But with Guangzhou, who are currently top of the CSL with 37 points from their opening 16 matches, reluctant to sell, he looks set to miss out on a switch to Camp Nou.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guangzhou won't allow Paulinho to join Barcelona

Paw wade habai.Paulinho ta Barcelona join wenna meh wage chance 1kak ayeth set wena 1kak naha​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Neuer isn't human, he's a computer - Ancelotti

Bundesliga rivals will find it tough to short circuit Bayern Munich's bid for a sixth successive top-flight crown with Manuel Neuer around.

The Germany captain is completing his rehabilitation after foot surgery, but is targeting the first game of the league campaign against Bayer Leverkusen as a return date.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti might be surprised at such human ailments hindering his goalkeeper, who he labelled "a computer","We have a computer in the goal and that makes the difference," the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss told Corriere dello Sport."I always say that he has no arms, chest and pelvis under his jersey, but a keyboard on which he enters the game situation."

Ancelotti discussed another superstar goalkeeper: Gianluigi Donnarumma. The 18-year-old could stay at AC Milan and renew his contract despite recently telling the club he wanted to leave.And the former Milan boss believes signing a new deal would be the smart decision.

"The final choice is the right one: stay at Milan," he said. "It's the team that he grew up with and it's the ideal environment for him."I hope he gets to the top in the Rossoneri shirt, even because it will lead him to taking on Gianluigi Buffon's legacy."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Chelsea's literally in my blood!' – Batshuayi swats away transfer talk in video

Michy Batshuayi claims talk of a move away from Chelsea is silly, given that the club is "literally" in his blood.

The Belgian striker posted a video on Twitter of blood tests during a pre-season medical, and jokingly attempted to cool speculation linking him with a move away from Stamford Bridge. "When ppl asking me where I'm going but Chelsea's LITERALLY in my blood right now," the 23-year-old striker said.

Batshuayi struggled to find playing time in his first season with Chelsea after joining from Marseille last summer for a deal in excess of £30 million.

After making just one Premier League start in 2016-17 Batshuayi has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs including West Ham, while French champions Monaco have also been credited with an interest.

With Diego Costa seemingly on his way out, however, and with Chelsea transfer target Romelu Lukaku heading to Manchester United, Batshuayi could have more of a part to play at Stamford Bridge in 2017-18.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern Munich in Douglas Costa talks with Juventus, confirms Rummenigge

Bayern Munich have confirmed they are in talks with Juventus over the sale of Douglas Costa.

Goal reported last week that the Bianconeri have offered €10 million to land Costa on an initial loan deal with an obligation to buy him permanently for €30m at the end of next season and the two sides were close to an agreement. The Serie A side have already agreed terms with the attacker worth €6m per season.

And Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed Costa has made it clear he wants to leave Bayern, who are willing to sell if their asking price is met.

The Brazil winger, 26, has been at Bayern for two years after signing from Shakhtar Donetsk in a €30 million move."We are in talks with Juventus, but there is no signed deal yet," Rummenigge said at the presentation of close-season signing Corentin Tolisso.

"The player told us that he would like to leave the club. I won't lie, there is an amount, and when this amount will be paid, we are ready to finalise the deal. The talks are positive and serious."

Rummenigge also suggested Bayern were open to loaning out Renato Sanches after the Portugal international only started six Bundesliga matches last season following his big-money move from Benfica, as well as recent signing Serge Gnabry, who has been linked with Hoffenheim.

"His first year was not easy and not satisfactory for either party," said Rummenigge of Sanches. "It is incredibly important that he plays on a regular basis. We'll think about whether it would be better to loan him."

On Gnabry, he added: "The player and his agents communicated that they would prefer a loan for one year. "We are staying calm and we will see what happens in the transfer market."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney: I'm not coming to a retirement home

Wayne Rooney insists he still has a burning desire to win after joining Everton and is "not coming into a retirement home" at Goodison Park.

The former Manchester United captain has returned to Merseyside after 13 years with United and still feels he has a lot to offer at the age of 31.Rooney revealed he had other options but a move back to Everton was the only one that interested him once manager Ronald Koeman made his interest clear.

"I always play like I have got a point to prove," Rooney said at his presentation on Monday. "I'm not coming into a retirement home. I want to play, I want to win. It is a challenge I need at this point in my career.

"You play football to try to win trophies and of course that is the target. We don't want to just limp round in the season. "I was at the FA Cup final in 1995. It would be a special moment to win a trophy at Everton.

"I know we have got the right man to lead us. A manager like Ronald and the career he's had, once I knew he was interested in bringing me back, it was really a no-brainer, it was where I wanted to come and play."There were other options there but once I knew Ronald wanted to bring me back, it was the only place I was going to be playing."

Rooney is hoping to hit the ground running as a new-look Everton, who have also brought in Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez, aim to build on last season's seventh-place Premier League finish."I don't feel fit at the minute but that will build up over the next few weeks," said Rooney.

"It feels great to be back. I was excited this morning to go in and meet the lads and get going."It's an exciting time for myself and Everton. We are moving forward, signing the right players and we are all hoping this can be a very good year for us.

"We want to keep pushing and try to bring trophies to the club. It's what we all want. The manager will have his ideas on which players he wants to bring in and we will all pull together to make sure we give everything.

"There are tough early games so we need to get pre-season right."You will have to wait and see [my position]. The big thing was coming back here to play. The manager will assess the training sessions."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Destination unknown' - Perisic fuels Man Utd rumours with cryptic Instagram post

Inter forward Ivan Perisic has fuelled talk of a possible summer move to Manchester United with a cryptic post on Instagram.The Croatia international has been heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford during the current transfer window.

Jose Mourinho is busy freshening up his United side, with deals already done for Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku.The Red Devils are expected to make further additions before the deadline passes, and Perisic has admitted that he is heading for “destination unknown”.

Reports continue to suggest that an offer of around £50 million will be required to secure Perisic’s signature, with United yet to match that valuation.The 28-year-old has spent the last two seasons with Inter, making 79 appearances and scoring 20 goals.

Mourinho already has the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford on his books, but that has done little to curb the rumours regarding attacking additions.

Inter, though, remain adamant that they have been given no indication by Perisic that he is contemplating a move.New boss Luciano Spalletti told La Gazzetta dello Sport on the rumours: “There'll be fewer chances for those players who are distracted, and better opportunities for those who want to stick with Inter.

“Perisic is an important player for us, we're counting on him. Let's see what he has to say, I don't expect him to say that he wants to leave, that would be bad. We'll see what his intentions are.

"But it's just you who are telling me he wants to go, he's not said anything to me. But we are Inter and so we can decide to do whatever we want.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lukaku 'given permission' by Ibrahimovic to wear Man Utd's No.9 shirt

Romelu Lukaku has revealed he will wear the Manchester United No.9 shirt vacated after receiving "permission" from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Lukaku is set to complete his £75 million move from Everton in the coming hours after undergoing a medical on Saturday, and will meet up with his new team-mates in Los Angeles as they begin their pre-season preparations.And he has revealed that he has already chosen to don the No.9 jersey, succeeding the departing Ibrahimovic in the iconic jersey.

"I always asked my mother what number, and I used to play with the 10 because my mother's birthday is on Oct. 10, so it's the 10th month of the year," he told ESPN."That's why I played with No. 10. I asked for the number nine because I'm a striker.

"Strikers play with No.9. It's a nice number, and I asked the permission of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. I want to thank him, as well, for allowing me to wear that number."

The 24-year-old becomes the eighth United player to be given the number nine since the introduction of squad numbering in 1993. Brian McClair, Andy Cole, Louis Saha, Dimitar Berbatov, Radamel Falcao and Anthony Martial had all worn the shirt before Ibrahimovic arrived at the club last summer, with Martial being reallocated the number 11.

There was a belief that Lukaku may make a straight swap with Wayne Rooney, who has taken the Belgian’s Everton number 10 shirt after returning to Goodison Park. But the famous United number 10 remains vacant for now with Lukaku favouring the number he wears for his national team instead.

Lukaku could make his United debut on Saturday night when Jose Mourinho’s side take on LA Galaxy at the StubHub Center in their first pre-season fixture of the summer.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea want Real Madrid defender Danilo as Juventus end their pursuit

Chelsea are keen on signing Real Madrid full-back Danilo but face a difficult task convincing the European champions to part with the 25-year-old.

Juventus were keen on landing Danilo at one stage, but Serie A rules stipulate that Italian clubs can only sign one none-EU national and the reigning champions appear to be closing in on a deal to take Douglas Costa from Bayern Munich.

Antonio Conte likes Danilo and is keen for Chelsea to make an attempt to bring him on board ahead of the new season, but Real Madrid would need to find a suitable replacement before selling the Brazil international.

Danilo endured some testing moments at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2016-17, but the Madrid decision-makers believe that he can still come good under Zinedine Zidane.

Madrid signed Danilo from Porto for £28 million in 2015 and they would not consider any offers below what they originally paid, despite his indifferent time at the club.

Chelsea face the need to strengthen in both wing-back positions as they struggled in games that Marcos Alonso and Victor Moses missed through injury last season.

Juventus' Alex Sandro remains the main target on the left hand side, but Chelsea have only made slow progress in negotiations so far.Chelsea are also expected to make an approach for Danilo's team-mate Alvaro Morata in the coming weeks.

The Spain international striker has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this summer, but the Red Devils have tied up a £75 million deal for Romelu Lukaku after failing to make headway in discussions with Madrid.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Koeman expects Rooney to bring 'ambition' to Everton

Everton boss Ronald Koeman says Wayne Rooney's ambition to win trophies was one of the key factors behind his decision to sign him.The former Manchester United captain completed a return to Goodison Park on Sunday, 13 years on from his move to Old Trafford as an 18-year-old.

Rooney insisted at his presentation that he was not moving "to a retirement home" and is determined to end Everton's 22-year wait to win a major trophy.And Koeman believes his drive to add more success to a glittering career could be an important lesson to the rest of the squad.

"Everybody knows the qualities of Wayne," Koeman said. "He's really a striker and players with that quality can play out of position. He can be a 10 behind the striker, a free role from the left, a nine, a seven.

"The qualities of the player are the most important. We like to win trophies and that's a feeling that not all the players have at Everton. We have a lot of young players and that experience of winning titles is really important for Everton. It's one of the reasons we tried to bring him back.

"When we spoke, it was about the ambition. He showed me that he likes the pressure. He'll have pressure next season and he's used to that.

"Some players need pressure to get the best out of themselves. He's 32 in October and that's still young for football. The ambition he showed was enough to convince me.

"I'd prefer to have 10 players scoring 10-15 goals than one scoring 25. Wayne is the kind of player who can bring productivity to the team."Everton have agreed a fee with United for striker Romelu Lukaku, reported to be £75million, and the Belgium international is expected to finalise his move in the coming days after passing a medical in Los Angeles.

Koeman bears no ill-will towards the 24-year-old and hopes he enjoys success at Old Trafford."We know it was one of the challenges for Lukaku," he said. "He took the right decision and let's hope everything will go well for him. I like him, but now it's about Everton."

Everton have been linked with a bid for Swansea City's Gylfi Sigurdsson, while the future of Ross Barkley remains unclear, but Koeman would not discuss any other transfer business."We're doing good business and we'll see in the next weeks what more we'll do. You know me, you can mention all the names, but I won't respond about that," he said.

"Everybody knows one really big reason to sign for Everton on year ago was about the project. The club is showing the ambition that everybody likes to have. It's exciting times for Everton Football Club."Asked about Barkley's future, he replied: "It's a nice question for the next press conference."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

The £75m questions that Lukaku needs to answer at Man Utd

Such are the weird and wonderful machinations of the transfer market these days, few would have guessed a week ago that Romelu Lukaku would be preparing to don the training gear of Manchester United for the first time in Los Angeles in the coming days.

Monday’s confirmation of his £75 million switch from Everton completed quite the volte-face for United, with the chase for Alvaro Morata having been curtailed after Real Madrid showed signs of wanting to take them for a ride once more. They immediately moved for Lukaku and they have now got themselves one of the most fearsome attacking presences in the English game.

But that doesn’t mean the 24-year-old is a finished product. He might have the size, the strength and the pace to trouble most Premier League defenders, as proven by his 85 goals in five full seasons in the division, yet there are still some observers wanting to reserve judgement on a player whose hold-up play has regularly been called into question.

The truth is, though, that few players complete any transfer without some sort of question mark attached. Can he do it in the Premier League? Has he got the goals in him? Is he fast enough? Is he strong enough? Is he clever enough? Is he too indisicplined? There will be one or more imponderable debates about every signing that ever happens.

And Lukaku would appear as capable as anyone of standing up to the interrogation. It is true that he is occasionally clumsy in his build-up play and that he can look cumbersome with the ball at his feet, but he often has the requisite pace and power to get him out of difficult situations.

He also has the kind of No.9 instinct that even Zlatan Ibrahimovic didn’t present during his 28-goal Old Trafford spell. Sure, he will work the channels regularly, but when United need an out-ball he will always be there. Zlatan offered a lot of weapons, yet his unorthodox style of attacking play would often leave United short of a man in the box when they needed one.Balls flashing through an abandoned penalty area were not an uncommon sight in M16 during 2016-17, but in Lukaku now have a player who makes it his business to get into a position inside the 18-yard area from which he can be effective.

It is clear that he will have to work hard to improve his control with his back to goal so that he doesn’t need that extra touch he has previously craved. Space is tighter and harder to come by when you are a Manchester United player, with defences significantly reinforced in anticipation of the kind of barrage nobody expects of the Evertons of this world.

But to doubt his ability to come to terms with the new demands is to underestimate the guile he used to deal with difficult defences and close-marking tactics when banging in goals regularly for Everton. Throw in the fact that United have numerous attacking threats for opponents to deal with in a way the Toffees simply didn’t, and Lukaku’s threat becomes harder to handle.

For every question that is currently being asked of him there is also an attribute which speaks of Lukaku's compatibility with the big-game surroundings United will offer in abundance.

“He is a great goalscorer but a poor footballer,” the late, great Johan Cruyff once said of former United front man Ruud van Nistelrooy, and while Lukaku’s game is distinctly different to the Dutch striker’s there is an undertone of the same message in some reviews of the Belgian’s signing.

If he comes anywhere close to Van Nistelrooy’s 150 United goals in 219 appearances, the Stretford End won’t care one bit what anyone makes of Lukaku’s touch with back to goal.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lukaku gattha unath strikers lage shortage 1kak thiyanawa mage guess 1ke hatiyatanamMokada dan Lukaku & Rash thamai Strikers la widiyata mainly use karanna inne.Martial wath godakma use karanne winger kenek widiyataneRashford ta unath loku experience 1kak naha.thama build up wena player kenek.So 3rd place striker kenek hitiyoth thamai godakma hoda.nathnam kochchara loku ganak pay karala Lukaku gattha unath Lukaku genma depend wenna baha

Anith 1ka thamai hoda Playmaker kenek nam aniwa oneEwagema thamai Winger / DM kenekuth + Backline 1ka ganath Mourinho ta godak hithala balanna wei

Playmaker - James?
Winger - Perisic?
DM - Fabinho or Matic ?​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Nobody can say they're not interested in Mbappe

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger admits he is interested in Kylian Mbappe, but accepts the Monaco star can choose where he wants to go.Mbappe, 18, is wanted by numerous clubs after scoring 26 goals in all competitions last season.

Arsenal and Real Madrid are among those reportedly interested, but it is expected only a world-record fee would secure the forward.Speaking in Sydney on Tuesday, Wenger said France international Mbappe had the luxury of choosing his next destination.

"He's a player who just when he gets up in the morning can choose where he wants to go," he said."There's not many players who have that kind of luck because he's 18 years of age and has a red carpet open for him."

Asked if Arsenal were among those clubs, Wenger said: "I believe nobody can say they are not interested in a player of that calibre."Mbappe helped Monaco to the Ligue 1 title in 2016-17 and is contracted until mid-2019.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Sanchez hasn't asked to leave

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger denied reports Alexis Sanchez had told him he wants to leave the Premier League giants.

Sanchez is heavily linked with a move in the off-season, with Manchester City and Bayern Munich reportedly interested in the Chile star.

Asked on Tuesday if the 28-year-old had informed him his desire was to leave Arsenal, Wenger replied: "No."Wenger was speaking at a news conference in Sydney as Arsenal prepare to begin their pre-season tour without Sanchez, who is on a break after the Confederations Cup.

Amid City's reported interest, Wenger again said he was unwilling to sell to a Premier League rival."It's a continuity of what I said at the end of the season," the Frenchman said.

Sanchez is out of contract in mid-2018 and Wenger remains hopeful the star forward will extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

"The easiest way to manage the players in the final year of their contracts is it's in his interest to do as well as he can," he said."Nobody knows today if Sanchez will be in the final year of his contract next season because he can as well extend his contract with us at the start of the season or during the season.

"It's not necessarily the last year of his contract at Arsenal Football Club."
Sanchez has been at Arsenal for three seasons and scored 24 Premier League goals in 2016-17.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Carrick hails 'incredible' Rooney while backing £75m signing Lukaku to get goals for Man Utd

Michael Carrick has saluted departed Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney as “incredible” and welcomed Romelu Lukaku to the club.The Red Devils have bid farewell to their record goalscorer after 13 memorable years at Old Trafford.

Rooney has taken the decision to return to his roots at Everton after slipping down the Red Devils pecking order under Jose Mourinho.He leaves with his legacy secure, with Carrick proud to have enjoyed so many good times alongside a fellow England international.

The long-serving midfielder told MUTV: “Obviously Wayne leaving the club is a big deal and he has been such a massive part of this club since he first set foot in it and since making his debut, an incredible debut. I am sad to see him go.“I understand why he has gone and we all fully support him and wish him well because he has been an unbelievable servant to the club and has left a legacy that is incredible.

“We had some great times but everything comes to an end unfortunately. It is the end at Man United for Wayne.“I am sure he will go on to have a successful end to his career, but he will certainly be missed by a lot of us here.”

While Rooney has headed through the exits, Lukaku has been welcomed to the club in a £75 million move from Everton.He arrives with a proven record in the Premier League and Carrick believes the powerful 24-year-old will be a shrewd addition for United.“Listen, you have seen what he can bring to us. He is a big guy, he has got a big presence and he scores goals,” added Carrick.

“That is what we are going to need from him, that is what he is going to bring and I am sure he will have a great time here.“You don’t want to look to put everything on his shoulders, but that is why he has been brought here – to help at that end of the pitch, to score and create goals.

“As a team and as attacking players everybody needs to chip in to score goals and share the load a little bit, to take the pressure off the individuals.“But of course, he is going to be the [main] one we look to for scoring goals and I am sure he will.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Interest shown in Chelsea target Belotti but no bids for €100m striker, claim Torino

Torino have not received any formal bids for Andrea Belotti amid interest from Chelsea, with his €100 million release clause yet to be triggered.

The Italy international has generated plenty of transfer talk before and during the summer window, with his 28-goal haul in 2016-17 raising his profile and attracting interest from across Europe.Manchester United were among those reported to be keen, but they have since tied up a £75 million deal for Romelu Lukaku.

That has cleared the way for Premier League champions Chelsea to make a move, but Torino president Urbano Cairo has no offers on the table despite tentative enquiries being made.He told Sky Italia: “He has a €100m release clause. For now no-one has come in for him. I’m glad he’s with us and I hope he can stay.

“I want to understand his intentions, I’m happy for him to stay, not least because we’ve given up interesting options which didn’t reach the €100m clause.“They weren’t real offers, but there were contacts. I don’t want to imagine a Toro without Il Gallo.

“Tonight I’ll have a meal with [coach Sinisa] Mihajlovic and [sporting director Gianluca] Petrachi, we’ll talk about everything and you understand we also have to think about this possibility.“The clause is there, but we have to understand what he thinks because it’s important for a player to stay with the desire to do well.

“I want to talk to him, I want a confirmation.“I don’t think it’s possible to sell in Italy, where there isn’t even the clause. Andrea is an extraordinary lad, he has undeniable qualities.”AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with Belotti, but he has a contract until 2021 and Torino have no need to sell.

 

[ObeliX]

Lukaku gattha unath strikers lage shortage 1kak thiyanawa mage guess 1ke hatiyatanamMokada dan Lukaku & Rash thamai Strikers la widiyata mainly use karanna inne.Martial wath godakma use karanne winger kenek widiyataneRashford ta unath loku experience 1kak naha.thama build up wena player kenek.So 3rd place striker kenek hitiyoth thamai godakma hoda.nathnam kochchara loku ganak pay karala Lukaku gattha unath Lukaku genma depend wenna baha

Anith 1ka thamai hoda Playmaker kenek nam aniwa oneEwagema thamai Winger / DM kenekuth + Backline 1ka ganath Mourinho ta godak hithala balanna wei

Playmaker - James?
Winger - Perisic?
DM - Fabinho or Matic ?​

James Rodriguez Bayern join vela neda?
Hithuve nathi transfer ekak.

 

[King GBN]

James Rodriguez Bayern join vela neda?
Hithuve nathi transfer ekak.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid's James Rodriguez signs for Bayern Munich on loan

James Rodriguez has signed for Bayern Munich on a two-year loan from Real Madrid.

The Colombia international, 25, has been linked with a move away from the Champions League winners since the start of the summer.Manchester United were reported to be keen on James but Bayern have swooped in to secure his services until June 2019.

The Bundesliga club have confirmed that they have the option to purchase James outright once his loan deal ends.

German media outlet SportBild claim Real Madrid are being paid €10 million over the course of the loan and that Bayern will have an option - not an obligation - to buy James for €35.2m in 2019.However, Marca is reporting that Bayern will be contractually obliged to pay the Spanish club €60m in 2019 to retain the former Monaco midfielder.

"We are very happy that we were able to secure this transfer. The commitment of James Rodriguez was the great wish of our coach, Carlo Ancelotti, after both had already successfully worked together in Madrid," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

"James is a versatile player. He is dangerous, creates many chances and has a great standard of shooting. With this transfer, we have been able to raise the quality of our team."

James could subsequently take part in Bayern's upcoming pre-season friendlies against Arsenal, Milan, Chelsea and Inter in the International Champions Cup, and Liverpool in the Audi Cup.His arrival should allow Douglas Costa to complete his move to Juventus, with the Serie A champions set to pay €45 million for the Brazil international.

Real have been heavily linked with a move for Kylian Mbappe, of Monaco, this summer, and it remains to be seen if James' move will fund a further bid for the 18-year-old wonderkid.