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Chelsea target Sarri set to stay at Napoli
In-demand Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri is set to reaffirm his commitment to the Italians despite interest from Chelsea, Monaco and Zenit St. Petersburg, Goal can confirm.
While Sarri has been unable to break Juventus' monopoly on the Scudetto in recent years, he has transformed Napoli into Italy's second club ahead of struggling Milan and Inter.Napoli have finished second behind Juve in both of Sarri's Serie A campaigns, and this season pushed the Old Lady all the way before eventually losing out in a tense title tussle.
That track record saw him lined up as a possible replacement for compatriot Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge, after the former Juve boss suffered a difficult second term with the Premier League side.But after meeting with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis on Wednesday, Sarri is ready to extend his tenure at San Paolo and turn down his suitors.
The meeting, Goal understands, was entirely positive, and will be followed by a second summit later this week to confirm a new contract for the trainer.Sarri is expected to extend his link until 2021, boosting his wages from €1.5 million ($1.8m) to €4m ($4.7m) a year.
Napoli, however, will not impose a release clause for clubs keen to poach the 59-year-old, who was born and raised in Naples and prior to taking the job at San Paolo coached at the likes of Pescara, Perugia and Empoli.
In-demand Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri is set to reaffirm his commitment to the Italians despite interest from Chelsea, Monaco and Zenit St. Petersburg, Goal can confirm.
While Sarri has been unable to break Juventus' monopoly on the Scudetto in recent years, he has transformed Napoli into Italy's second club ahead of struggling Milan and Inter.Napoli have finished second behind Juve in both of Sarri's Serie A campaigns, and this season pushed the Old Lady all the way before eventually losing out in a tense title tussle.
That track record saw him lined up as a possible replacement for compatriot Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge, after the former Juve boss suffered a difficult second term with the Premier League side.But after meeting with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis on Wednesday, Sarri is ready to extend his tenure at San Paolo and turn down his suitors.
The meeting, Goal understands, was entirely positive, and will be followed by a second summit later this week to confirm a new contract for the trainer.Sarri is expected to extend his link until 2021, boosting his wages from €1.5 million ($1.8m) to €4m ($4.7m) a year.
Napoli, however, will not impose a release clause for clubs keen to poach the 59-year-old, who was born and raised in Naples and prior to taking the job at San Paolo coached at the likes of Pescara, Perugia and Empoli.
Former Man Utd manager Moyes leaves West Ham
David Moyes has left his role as West Ham United manager after keeping the club in the Premier League.
The former Manchester United boss had been appointed to replace Slaven Bilic in November, but has been let go at the end of his short-term contract.In addition to Moyes, West Ham have also confirmed that his assistants Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Billy McKinlay have also left the London Stadium.
Joint-chairman David Sullivan said in a statement on the club’s official website: "I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to David Moyes and his staff for achieving the target of keeping West Ham United in the Premier League.
"Throughout his time here, David has carried himself with dignity and honesty and we have all found him to be a pleasure to work with. He, Alan, Stuart and Billy accepted the challenge and attacked it head on, turning around a difficult situation. They deserve great respect for the job they have done and they leave the club with our best wishes.
"When David and his team arrived, it was the wish of both parties that the focus be only on the six months until the end of the season, at which point a decision would be made with regards to the future. Having taken stock of the situation and reflected now the campaign is complete, we feel that it is right to move in a different direction.
"We are already taking steps to identify and recruit the manager we believe can take West Ham United forward in line with our ambitions. We aim to appoint a high-calibre figure who we feel will lead the club into an exciting future for our loyal supporters within the next ten days."
Speaking ahead of the final game of the season against his former club Everton last weekend, Moyes acknowledged he had other options in the pipeline if his contract was not renewed.Moyes said: “I could have joined a Premier League club during the season here, when I was West Ham manager. I chose not to. But I've got other things if it's not renewed. It's not a problem.”
The Scot had guided the club to eight wins during his tenure, including success over Chelsea and a 4-1 thumping of the impressive Huddersfield, and nine draws, taking four points from games against Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, 10 losses, eight of which involved conceding three or more goals, had led to a hankering for change at West Ham, despite a morale-boosting 3-1 final day victory over Everton.
Sullivan’s joint-chairman David Gold had expressed his view on Tuesday that he hoped Moyes would stay on as manager."I've enjoyed David Moyes, I've enjoyed his company, I've enjoyed working with him, he's a proper professional - his record speaks for himself," Gold told Sky Sports.
"As we speak David Moyes is on the list of managers and we'll be selecting one in due course. I'd like to think it was David Moyes, I really hope so."Gold also felt that injuries had contributed to a disappointing season for West Ham, adding: "We were disappointed at our performance right the way through the year. We changed our manager which is always a difficult time for us.
"When I look back, I'm looking to see why did it happen? Was it because of the manager situation, was it because the players weren't good enough?"In actual fact, what I have discovered, if you look at the injury list right the way through the season, there was a time just before Christmas we had 12 senior players injured, unavailable for selection."No team can suffer that kind of situation."
David Moyes has left his role as West Ham United manager after keeping the club in the Premier League.
The former Manchester United boss had been appointed to replace Slaven Bilic in November, but has been let go at the end of his short-term contract.In addition to Moyes, West Ham have also confirmed that his assistants Alan Irvine, Stuart Pearce and Billy McKinlay have also left the London Stadium.
Joint-chairman David Sullivan said in a statement on the club’s official website: "I would like to place on record my sincere thanks to David Moyes and his staff for achieving the target of keeping West Ham United in the Premier League.
"Throughout his time here, David has carried himself with dignity and honesty and we have all found him to be a pleasure to work with. He, Alan, Stuart and Billy accepted the challenge and attacked it head on, turning around a difficult situation. They deserve great respect for the job they have done and they leave the club with our best wishes.
"When David and his team arrived, it was the wish of both parties that the focus be only on the six months until the end of the season, at which point a decision would be made with regards to the future. Having taken stock of the situation and reflected now the campaign is complete, we feel that it is right to move in a different direction.
"We are already taking steps to identify and recruit the manager we believe can take West Ham United forward in line with our ambitions. We aim to appoint a high-calibre figure who we feel will lead the club into an exciting future for our loyal supporters within the next ten days."
Speaking ahead of the final game of the season against his former club Everton last weekend, Moyes acknowledged he had other options in the pipeline if his contract was not renewed.Moyes said: “I could have joined a Premier League club during the season here, when I was West Ham manager. I chose not to. But I've got other things if it's not renewed. It's not a problem.”
The Scot had guided the club to eight wins during his tenure, including success over Chelsea and a 4-1 thumping of the impressive Huddersfield, and nine draws, taking four points from games against Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United. However, 10 losses, eight of which involved conceding three or more goals, had led to a hankering for change at West Ham, despite a morale-boosting 3-1 final day victory over Everton.
Sullivan’s joint-chairman David Gold had expressed his view on Tuesday that he hoped Moyes would stay on as manager."I've enjoyed David Moyes, I've enjoyed his company, I've enjoyed working with him, he's a proper professional - his record speaks for himself," Gold told Sky Sports.
"As we speak David Moyes is on the list of managers and we'll be selecting one in due course. I'd like to think it was David Moyes, I really hope so."Gold also felt that injuries had contributed to a disappointing season for West Ham, adding: "We were disappointed at our performance right the way through the year. We changed our manager which is always a difficult time for us.
"When I look back, I'm looking to see why did it happen? Was it because of the manager situation, was it because the players weren't good enough?"In actual fact, what I have discovered, if you look at the injury list right the way through the season, there was a time just before Christmas we had 12 senior players injured, unavailable for selection."No team can suffer that kind of situation."
Neymar will never win anything important at PSG, says Rivaldo
Brazilian icon Rivaldo has expressed his view that Neymar will 'not win anything important', including the Champions League, if he stays at Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar has long been linked with a return to Spain since his move to the French capital, with Real Madrid his suggested location rather than a Camp Nou comeback.Zinedine Zidane recently expressed his own view that the attacker would be a compatible fit with Santiago Bernabeu star Cristiano Ronaldo, though no official move has yet materialised.
However, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is "2000 per cent" sure Neymar will not leave the club in the next transfer window.Regardless, Rivaldo feels that Neymar, at 26 and in his peak years, will have to leave Paris if he is to win honours more befitting his level.
“If Neymar doesn't leave PSG he will never win anything important,” the 46-year-old told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Especially the Champions League, which is the most important competition.“The French league is at a lower level compared to the Spanish and English leagues and he plays for a club without history.”
Whether Neymar stays in France past the summer remains to the be seen, but the Brazilian has more important matters to worry about before returning to club football – namely the World Cup.
Rivaldo is still reeling from the Selecao's failure to secure a sixth title on home soil in 2014, but he believes his country have the right squad this time around to go all the way in Russia with a little help from some star names.
“Brazil are my favourites,” he said. “We still have to dispel the disappointment of 2014, when we didn't manage to win at home.“It can be a great springboard for Neymar. He and Gabriel Jesus can be the stars of World Cup in Russia and drag Brazil [to glory]."
Brazilian icon Rivaldo has expressed his view that Neymar will 'not win anything important', including the Champions League, if he stays at Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar has long been linked with a return to Spain since his move to the French capital, with Real Madrid his suggested location rather than a Camp Nou comeback.Zinedine Zidane recently expressed his own view that the attacker would be a compatible fit with Santiago Bernabeu star Cristiano Ronaldo, though no official move has yet materialised.
However, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is "2000 per cent" sure Neymar will not leave the club in the next transfer window.Regardless, Rivaldo feels that Neymar, at 26 and in his peak years, will have to leave Paris if he is to win honours more befitting his level.
“If Neymar doesn't leave PSG he will never win anything important,” the 46-year-old told Gazzetta dello Sport. “Especially the Champions League, which is the most important competition.“The French league is at a lower level compared to the Spanish and English leagues and he plays for a club without history.”
Whether Neymar stays in France past the summer remains to the be seen, but the Brazilian has more important matters to worry about before returning to club football – namely the World Cup.
Rivaldo is still reeling from the Selecao's failure to secure a sixth title on home soil in 2014, but he believes his country have the right squad this time around to go all the way in Russia with a little help from some star names.
“Brazil are my favourites,” he said. “We still have to dispel the disappointment of 2014, when we didn't manage to win at home.“It can be a great springboard for Neymar. He and Gabriel Jesus can be the stars of World Cup in Russia and drag Brazil [to glory]."
Man Utd & Man City target Fred leaving Shakhtar to chase dream move
Fred wants to make a forward step in his career after telling Shakhtar Donetsk he plans to leave amid interest from Manchester United and Premier League champions Manchester City.Brazil international midfielder Fred has been tipped to join either United or City in the close-season, having impressed domestically and in Europe this term.
Goal understands City agreed a deal in principle to sign him from Shakhtar this summer, while the Ukrainian side's chief executive Sergei Palkin has said the Manchester rivals will battle for the 25-year-old, who is in Brazil's 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia.While he is happy at Shakhtar, former Internacional star Fred feels ready for a challenge elsewhere in Europe.
"I'm very happy at Shakhtar," Fred told SporTV. "I've been working well here but it has been five years."I made it clear to the club that I was very happy here but I want to make a bigger leap in my career. "There are other clubs interested in England and France. I want to make a bigger leap, I made it clear to the club.
"Now I just have to wait to get through the World Cup and see which is the best destination."I think I have to change a little. I have dreams of playing in major clubs in Europe. I made it clear that it's my moment.
"The club are reluctant to release [me]. I have a contract until 2021. As soon as I come back from the World Cup we will sit down, talk and look at the options."
Fred, who joined Shakhtar in 2013, has scored four goals in 37 appearances in all competitions this term.
Fred wants to make a forward step in his career after telling Shakhtar Donetsk he plans to leave amid interest from Manchester United and Premier League champions Manchester City.Brazil international midfielder Fred has been tipped to join either United or City in the close-season, having impressed domestically and in Europe this term.
Goal understands City agreed a deal in principle to sign him from Shakhtar this summer, while the Ukrainian side's chief executive Sergei Palkin has said the Manchester rivals will battle for the 25-year-old, who is in Brazil's 23-man squad for the World Cup in Russia.While he is happy at Shakhtar, former Internacional star Fred feels ready for a challenge elsewhere in Europe.
"I'm very happy at Shakhtar," Fred told SporTV. "I've been working well here but it has been five years."I made it clear to the club that I was very happy here but I want to make a bigger leap in my career. "There are other clubs interested in England and France. I want to make a bigger leap, I made it clear to the club.
"Now I just have to wait to get through the World Cup and see which is the best destination."I think I have to change a little. I have dreams of playing in major clubs in Europe. I made it clear that it's my moment.
"The club are reluctant to release [me]. I have a contract until 2021. As soon as I come back from the World Cup we will sit down, talk and look at the options."
Fred, who joined Shakhtar in 2013, has scored four goals in 37 appearances in all competitions this term.
Lukaku has become world class since leaving Chelsea, admits Cahill
Gary Cahill is impressed by how Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku has developed into a ‘world-class striker’ since leaving Chelsea.Lukaku joined Chelsea in 2011 when he was 18 years old, but started only one Premier League game for the club before taking in loan spells at West Brom and Everton.
The Belgian eventually joined Everton on a permanent basis before securing a £75 million transfer to United last summer and the 25-year-old has enjoyed an impressive debut season at Old Trafford.Cahill played alongside a younger Lukaku in his time at Stamford Bridge, and he admits that he understands his struggles for game time after coming to an elite club at such a young age.
"It’ll be difficult. I’ve played against him and trained against him loads of times," Cahill, who will face Lukaku in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, said at Cobham Training Centre. "The cup final’s going to be whoever performs on the day. We’ve put the season to bed and we have a full week to prepare in the right way.
"When he was here he had talent but he was very young. He’s developed into a world-class striker so credit to him. Sometimes when you’re at a club like Chelsea you feel sorry when you see a player move on, because naturally some progress and some don’t. You don’t hear about the ones that don’t.
"We all know it’s hard to have time to come in as a young player -- maybe the club and the supporters give you seven, eight, nine games where you’re rusty and not performing. It’s difficult to do that. They’ve gone on and developed elsewhere, and he’s gone on to be a top player. There’s loads of them.
"What everyone can see - pace, power, strength and he can finish. His goalscoring record is very good. But we’re not focusing on one player in this team. First and foremost, we’re focused on what we’re trying to do, and be respectful of the fact that they have numerous players who can turn a game on its head, as do we."Cahill has had a resurgent end to the season after finding himself playing regularly again following a prolonged period out of Antonio Conte's side.
However, Chelsea finished the campaign by failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League on the back of a limp Premier League title defence and ended the season with a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle.For Cahill, simply qualifying for Europe’s elite competition would not be enough and he wants to round off the season with victory at Wembley.
"I can only speak honestly for myself, maybe the club thinks differently,” he continued. "For myself it’s about winning competitions. You enter every competition trying to win it, and we fell short in the other competitions but we’ve not fallen short in this one yet. We’re in the final against a good team, but it’s about winning trophies.
"Obviously, we’re disappointed to not be in the Champions League, but if [it were a choice between] not qualifying for the Champions League and not winning anything, I’d definitely swap. That’s just my opinion. The Newcastle game has gone from my head.
"In terms of the game we couldn't have done anything with a win, a loss or a draw, so the game has to be put to bed. We have to put that away and focus on the cup final this week. That's what it's about -- training, preparing well this week and getting ready to go into a huge game at the weekend."
“I don’t care to be honest [about who's the favourite to win]. Last year, maybe we went in as favourites and lost, but it doesn’t count for anything. It’s a one-off game and we’ve got a very good side with lots of quality, lots of experience of winning trophies, as do they. Obviously, they finished higher in the league than us this season, so maybe they are favourites, but we read nothing into it."
Chelsea were beaten in the FA Cup final last season by Arsenal, despite being the favourites after winning the Premier League title.Cahill admits that those celebrations may have encouraged a relaxed atmosphere, but, with his side struggling in the final two games of the season, he admits that it feels different this time around.
"Yes, looking back at last season the campaign went so well, like what you’re seeing with Man City now," he added. "We had two weeks of putting our feet up, relaxing and playing 5-a-side games in training. They’ve deserved that, as did we last year.
"We trained well but naturally it was a very relaxed atmosphere, because we’d done all the hard work to win the league. When it came to the cup game we thought we’d just deliver what we’d done all season but it didn’t happen that way."Maybe if we’d won comfortably at Newcastle we’d go in with momentum, or maybe we’d go in a bit more relaxed thinking we’re in good form. There’s certainly none of that -- we know we didn’t perform and this is the chance to win a title this year. The determination is there, for sure.”
A number of Chelsea's players will face their old boss on Saturday, with Mourinho leading out United once again. The match is a last chance for silverware this season for both clubs and Cahill believes that the Portuguese head coach will have put in place a detailed game plan."A very organised game plan, for sure," Cahill said of how Mourinho will prepare United. "He's got experience. He’s a very successful manager and that’s not by luck, it’s by preparation. We expect nothing less.
“They’ve got some very strong players and he’s used to winning this competition. It’s all set up to be a great game, with two big teams putting everything on the line to win a trophy."
Gary Cahill is impressed by how Manchester United star Romelu Lukaku has developed into a ‘world-class striker’ since leaving Chelsea.Lukaku joined Chelsea in 2011 when he was 18 years old, but started only one Premier League game for the club before taking in loan spells at West Brom and Everton.
The Belgian eventually joined Everton on a permanent basis before securing a £75 million transfer to United last summer and the 25-year-old has enjoyed an impressive debut season at Old Trafford.Cahill played alongside a younger Lukaku in his time at Stamford Bridge, and he admits that he understands his struggles for game time after coming to an elite club at such a young age.
"It’ll be difficult. I’ve played against him and trained against him loads of times," Cahill, who will face Lukaku in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, said at Cobham Training Centre. "The cup final’s going to be whoever performs on the day. We’ve put the season to bed and we have a full week to prepare in the right way.
"When he was here he had talent but he was very young. He’s developed into a world-class striker so credit to him. Sometimes when you’re at a club like Chelsea you feel sorry when you see a player move on, because naturally some progress and some don’t. You don’t hear about the ones that don’t.
"We all know it’s hard to have time to come in as a young player -- maybe the club and the supporters give you seven, eight, nine games where you’re rusty and not performing. It’s difficult to do that. They’ve gone on and developed elsewhere, and he’s gone on to be a top player. There’s loads of them.
"What everyone can see - pace, power, strength and he can finish. His goalscoring record is very good. But we’re not focusing on one player in this team. First and foremost, we’re focused on what we’re trying to do, and be respectful of the fact that they have numerous players who can turn a game on its head, as do we."Cahill has had a resurgent end to the season after finding himself playing regularly again following a prolonged period out of Antonio Conte's side.
However, Chelsea finished the campaign by failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League on the back of a limp Premier League title defence and ended the season with a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle.For Cahill, simply qualifying for Europe’s elite competition would not be enough and he wants to round off the season with victory at Wembley.
"I can only speak honestly for myself, maybe the club thinks differently,” he continued. "For myself it’s about winning competitions. You enter every competition trying to win it, and we fell short in the other competitions but we’ve not fallen short in this one yet. We’re in the final against a good team, but it’s about winning trophies.
"Obviously, we’re disappointed to not be in the Champions League, but if [it were a choice between] not qualifying for the Champions League and not winning anything, I’d definitely swap. That’s just my opinion. The Newcastle game has gone from my head.
"In terms of the game we couldn't have done anything with a win, a loss or a draw, so the game has to be put to bed. We have to put that away and focus on the cup final this week. That's what it's about -- training, preparing well this week and getting ready to go into a huge game at the weekend."
“I don’t care to be honest [about who's the favourite to win]. Last year, maybe we went in as favourites and lost, but it doesn’t count for anything. It’s a one-off game and we’ve got a very good side with lots of quality, lots of experience of winning trophies, as do they. Obviously, they finished higher in the league than us this season, so maybe they are favourites, but we read nothing into it."
Chelsea were beaten in the FA Cup final last season by Arsenal, despite being the favourites after winning the Premier League title.Cahill admits that those celebrations may have encouraged a relaxed atmosphere, but, with his side struggling in the final two games of the season, he admits that it feels different this time around.
"Yes, looking back at last season the campaign went so well, like what you’re seeing with Man City now," he added. "We had two weeks of putting our feet up, relaxing and playing 5-a-side games in training. They’ve deserved that, as did we last year.
"We trained well but naturally it was a very relaxed atmosphere, because we’d done all the hard work to win the league. When it came to the cup game we thought we’d just deliver what we’d done all season but it didn’t happen that way."Maybe if we’d won comfortably at Newcastle we’d go in with momentum, or maybe we’d go in a bit more relaxed thinking we’re in good form. There’s certainly none of that -- we know we didn’t perform and this is the chance to win a title this year. The determination is there, for sure.”
A number of Chelsea's players will face their old boss on Saturday, with Mourinho leading out United once again. The match is a last chance for silverware this season for both clubs and Cahill believes that the Portuguese head coach will have put in place a detailed game plan."A very organised game plan, for sure," Cahill said of how Mourinho will prepare United. "He's got experience. He’s a very successful manager and that’s not by luck, it’s by preparation. We expect nothing less.
“They’ve got some very strong players and he’s used to winning this competition. It’s all set up to be a great game, with two big teams putting everything on the line to win a trophy."
England's World Cup squad confirmed: Southgate names Trent Alexander-Arnold in 23-man team
Gareth Southgate has announced his final 23-man England squad for the World Cup, with high-profile absentees including Adam Lallana, Jack Wilshere, Joe Hart and Ryan Bertrand.
Former first-choice goalkeeper Hart has been dropped from the squad following poor form at West Ham for Burnley's Nick Pope , while Arsenal midfielder Wilshere has also been omitted from the group that will travel to Russia.Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland are the other goalkeepers in the squad.
Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand is a surprise exclusion from the defensive line, though Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold has been handed his first senior England call-up after a sensational season following his hand in helping the Reds reach the Champions League final.
Southgate has opted to go with John Stones , Kieran Trippier , Kyle Walker , Gary Cahill , Harry Maguire , Danny Rose , Phil Jones , and Ashley Young for his defensive options.
Seventeen-year-old Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon has not been selected for the squad despite a stunning season with the Championship side.
Jordan Henderson is likely to anchor the midfield, with Dele Alli , Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling also selected. Adam Lallana failed to make the cut following his recent fitness issues, while Jesse Lingard , Fabian Delph and Ashley Young will also form the heart of the Three Lions squad.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane will once again lead the England line, and is tipped to be captain, with support from Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck and Marcus Rashford , at the expense of Bournemouth's Jermain Defoe.
England's World Cup 2018 squad in full
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Jack Butland
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Danny Rose, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Ashley Young
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Fabian Delph, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
England will begin their Group G campaign against Tunisia on June 18, before fixtures against Panama on June 24 and Belgium on June 28.
Expectations aren't high for the Three Lions although favourable Group H opponents in the last 16 - Colombia, Poland, Senegal or Japan - could offer a potential quarter-final berth, where Germany or Brazil would likely await.
Gareth Southgate has announced his final 23-man England squad for the World Cup, with high-profile absentees including Adam Lallana, Jack Wilshere, Joe Hart and Ryan Bertrand.
Former first-choice goalkeeper Hart has been dropped from the squad following poor form at West Ham for Burnley's Nick Pope , while Arsenal midfielder Wilshere has also been omitted from the group that will travel to Russia.Jordan Pickford and Jack Butland are the other goalkeepers in the squad.
Southampton left-back Ryan Bertrand is a surprise exclusion from the defensive line, though Liverpool youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold has been handed his first senior England call-up after a sensational season following his hand in helping the Reds reach the Champions League final.
Southgate has opted to go with John Stones , Kieran Trippier , Kyle Walker , Gary Cahill , Harry Maguire , Danny Rose , Phil Jones , and Ashley Young for his defensive options.
Seventeen-year-old Fulham starlet Ryan Sessegnon has not been selected for the squad despite a stunning season with the Championship side.
Jordan Henderson is likely to anchor the midfield, with Dele Alli , Eric Dier and Raheem Sterling also selected. Adam Lallana failed to make the cut following his recent fitness issues, while Jesse Lingard , Fabian Delph and Ashley Young will also form the heart of the Three Lions squad.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane will once again lead the England line, and is tipped to be captain, with support from Jamie Vardy, Danny Welbeck and Marcus Rashford , at the expense of Bournemouth's Jermain Defoe.
England's World Cup 2018 squad in full
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Jack Butland
Defenders: Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Gary Cahill, Danny Rose, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Ashley Young
Midfielders: Eric Dier, Fabian Delph, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Raheem Sterling, Jesse Lingard
Forwards: Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford, Danny Welbeck
England will begin their Group G campaign against Tunisia on June 18, before fixtures against Panama on June 24 and Belgium on June 28.
Expectations aren't high for the Three Lions although favourable Group H opponents in the last 16 - Colombia, Poland, Senegal or Japan - could offer a potential quarter-final berth, where Germany or Brazil would likely await.
Lacazette & Martial left out of France World Cup squad
Didier Deschamps has left Premier League stars Anthony Martial and Alexandre Lacazette out of France's squad for the World Cup, with Dimitri Payet, Adrien Rabiot and Kingsley Coman also omitted.
Bayern Munich winger Coman is on the reserves list, along with Rabiot, Martial and Lacazette, but Payet is out entirely after the Marseille captain was injured in Thursday's Europa League final defeat to Atletico Madrid in Lyon.
"He was a serious candidate for the list," Deschamps said to reporters when asked about Payet as he unveiled his squad. "He played the first half-hour of the Europa League final and his situation worsened. The average recovery time for this type of injury is three weeks to be fit. But as it is muscular, there is a significant risk of further issues. Unfortunately for Dimitri, it will not be possible."Laurent Koscielny is another big name absent due to injury, while Steven N'Zonzi, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are among the surprise selections made by Deschamps.
With so much attacking talent available there were always going to be casualties and Deschamps has preferred Ligue 1 stars Florian Thauvin and Nabil Fekir over Martial and Lacazette, who both had underwhelming Premier League campaigns.
After returning from injury at the end of Manchester City's record-breaking Premier League title success, Benjamin Mendy has done enough to earn a place, although team-mate Aymeric Laporte - City's record signing - misses out.
Barcelona's left-back Lucas Digne is on the 11-strong reserve list, along with fellow defenders Kurt Zouma, Mathieu Debuchy and Mamadou Sakho.
Deschamps has a wealth of attacking options despite the omissions of Lacazette and Martial, with Chelsea's Olivier Giroud competing with the likes of Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, PSG forward Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele for selection in Russia.
Another notable exception is Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who has been frozen out of the squad since 2015 after his alleged role in blackmailing team-mate Mathieu Valbuena. However, Deschamps says he has no reason to call the 30-year-old back up.
"I know you're asking me questions about who is not here, and people are going to ask them again, but I've already answered them," he said. "Two years have passed, I've stuck with the players who responded to my trust. I put the group on top of everything and from there, I make choices that in my opinion are for the good of the France team.France open their World Cup campaign against Australia on June 16 before facing Peru and Denmark in their remaining Group C fixtures.
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (PSG), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille);
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Adil Rami (Marseille), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid);
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla) Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Florian Thauvin (Marseille).
Reserves: Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) Benoit Costil (Bordeaux), Mathieu Debuchy (Saint-Etienne), Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (PSG), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Kurt Zouma (Stoke City - on loan from Chelsea).
Didier Deschamps has left Premier League stars Anthony Martial and Alexandre Lacazette out of France's squad for the World Cup, with Dimitri Payet, Adrien Rabiot and Kingsley Coman also omitted.
Bayern Munich winger Coman is on the reserves list, along with Rabiot, Martial and Lacazette, but Payet is out entirely after the Marseille captain was injured in Thursday's Europa League final defeat to Atletico Madrid in Lyon.
"He was a serious candidate for the list," Deschamps said to reporters when asked about Payet as he unveiled his squad. "He played the first half-hour of the Europa League final and his situation worsened. The average recovery time for this type of injury is three weeks to be fit. But as it is muscular, there is a significant risk of further issues. Unfortunately for Dimitri, it will not be possible."Laurent Koscielny is another big name absent due to injury, while Steven N'Zonzi, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez are among the surprise selections made by Deschamps.
With so much attacking talent available there were always going to be casualties and Deschamps has preferred Ligue 1 stars Florian Thauvin and Nabil Fekir over Martial and Lacazette, who both had underwhelming Premier League campaigns.
After returning from injury at the end of Manchester City's record-breaking Premier League title success, Benjamin Mendy has done enough to earn a place, although team-mate Aymeric Laporte - City's record signing - misses out.
Barcelona's left-back Lucas Digne is on the 11-strong reserve list, along with fellow defenders Kurt Zouma, Mathieu Debuchy and Mamadou Sakho.
Deschamps has a wealth of attacking options despite the omissions of Lacazette and Martial, with Chelsea's Olivier Giroud competing with the likes of Atletico striker Antoine Griezmann, PSG forward Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele for selection in Russia.
Another notable exception is Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who has been frozen out of the squad since 2015 after his alleged role in blackmailing team-mate Mathieu Valbuena. However, Deschamps says he has no reason to call the 30-year-old back up.
"I know you're asking me questions about who is not here, and people are going to ask them again, but I've already answered them," he said. "Two years have passed, I've stuck with the players who responded to my trust. I put the group on top of everything and from there, I make choices that in my opinion are for the good of the France team.France open their World Cup campaign against Australia on June 16 before facing Peru and Denmark in their remaining Group C fixtures.
The full squad:
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (PSG), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille);
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Adil Rami (Marseille), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid);
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N'Zonzi (Sevilla) Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Florian Thauvin (Marseille).
Reserves: Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) Benoit Costil (Bordeaux), Mathieu Debuchy (Saint-Etienne), Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (PSG), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Kurt Zouma (Stoke City - on loan from Chelsea).
Lampard hails ‘fantastic' Conte but admits change may be needed at Chelsea
Frank Lampard still regards Antonio Conte as a "fantastic manager" but admits Chelsea may well need a change in coach to fix the mentality surrounding the team.
Conte’s first year saw him restore Chelsea to glory, winning the Premier League title after a 10th place finish the year before.However, the Italian’s second season was a struggle, as the team suffered through a dip in form that saw them crash out of the Champions League and fall in the table.
A late charge for a Champions League spot ultimately fell short, leaving the FA Cup final against Manchester United the Blues only chance at silverware this season.
And though Lampard, who spent 13 seasons with Chelsea, has no doubts about the job Conte has done for the club, he knows it may be time for the relationship to come to an end as the mood surrounding the club has turned negative."I think Conte is a fantastic manager,” Lampard told Goal during the BBC Media Day.“He's been brilliant for Chelsea.“This year has been seen as disappointing, but what he did last year was an absolutely incredible achievement. So, that discussion is going to happen this summer.
“What we need next year for Chelsea is positivity. Looking forward and excitement for what the future holds. This year’s been too negative.“If either one wants out of that love affair, then that’s going to be a parting of ways."
Regardless of Conte’s eventual fate, which the manager believes has not yet been decided, Chelsea do have a chance to redeem their season slightly if they can defeat rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Sunday.Lampard sees a great deal of similarities between the two sides, in their impressive collection of stars as well as their recent dips in form.
"It’s a tough game,” Lampard said. “I think it’s a hard one to call.“I think it’s two teams that have not been at their best in recent weeks in terms of performance. But two teams that have big players that can win games.“So I expect it to be a tight final and I’m hopeful Chelsea win, with my Chelsea hat on."
Frank Lampard still regards Antonio Conte as a "fantastic manager" but admits Chelsea may well need a change in coach to fix the mentality surrounding the team.
Conte’s first year saw him restore Chelsea to glory, winning the Premier League title after a 10th place finish the year before.However, the Italian’s second season was a struggle, as the team suffered through a dip in form that saw them crash out of the Champions League and fall in the table.
A late charge for a Champions League spot ultimately fell short, leaving the FA Cup final against Manchester United the Blues only chance at silverware this season.
And though Lampard, who spent 13 seasons with Chelsea, has no doubts about the job Conte has done for the club, he knows it may be time for the relationship to come to an end as the mood surrounding the club has turned negative."I think Conte is a fantastic manager,” Lampard told Goal during the BBC Media Day.“He's been brilliant for Chelsea.“This year has been seen as disappointing, but what he did last year was an absolutely incredible achievement. So, that discussion is going to happen this summer.
“What we need next year for Chelsea is positivity. Looking forward and excitement for what the future holds. This year’s been too negative.“If either one wants out of that love affair, then that’s going to be a parting of ways."
Regardless of Conte’s eventual fate, which the manager believes has not yet been decided, Chelsea do have a chance to redeem their season slightly if they can defeat rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final on Sunday.Lampard sees a great deal of similarities between the two sides, in their impressive collection of stars as well as their recent dips in form.
"It’s a tough game,” Lampard said. “I think it’s a hard one to call.“I think it’s two teams that have not been at their best in recent weeks in terms of performance. But two teams that have big players that can win games.“So I expect it to be a tight final and I’m hopeful Chelsea win, with my Chelsea hat on."
Guardiola extends Man City contract to 2021
Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension at Manchester City, the Premier League champions have confirmed.
Guardiola is two years into the three-year deal he penned in the summer of 2016, but has now pledged his future to City until the summer of 2021."I am so happy and excited. It’s a pleasure to be able to work here," Guardiola told City's official website.
"I enjoy working with our players every day and we will try to do our best together in the coming years. As a manager, you have to feel good to be with the players – and I feel good.
"I will focus on the desire of my players to become a better team and every day that’s what I will try to do – to improve on the pitch and improve our players. We have a young squad with an average age of 23 and we want to keep taking steps forward and maintain the levels we’ve achieved this season."The 47-year-old's new deal marks a coup for the Blues, who are keen to keep hold of their coach for as long as possible.
During his time at Barcelona Guardiola only signed one-year extensions, and even said at one point that if he could sign six-month deals he would do so. At Bayern Munich he honoured his three-year contract before moving to the Premier League.City have long wanted to tie Guardiola down to a longer deal and their resolve has only increased as the team's impressive season progressed.
Initial talks had taken place not long into last season, but the decision was made to push back formal negotiations until the summer as it had quickly become obvious that all parties were keen to renew.
City had established a lead at the top of the Premier League table at that time and neither Guardiola nor the club wanted any distractions.
However, by early spring it became clear that City would win the title and Guardiola's agent, Josep Maria Orobitg, began ironing out the terms of an extension with the City hierarchy.“This season has been another step of our strategic plan and the continuous effort to improve the football we play," said CEO Ferran Soriano.
"We are very pleased with the progress. There is more work to do and having Pep committed to Manchester City for the next three seasons gives us the stability to be able to continue our journey to beautiful football and success for the club.”
Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension at Manchester City, the Premier League champions have confirmed.
Guardiola is two years into the three-year deal he penned in the summer of 2016, but has now pledged his future to City until the summer of 2021."I am so happy and excited. It’s a pleasure to be able to work here," Guardiola told City's official website.
"I enjoy working with our players every day and we will try to do our best together in the coming years. As a manager, you have to feel good to be with the players – and I feel good.
"I will focus on the desire of my players to become a better team and every day that’s what I will try to do – to improve on the pitch and improve our players. We have a young squad with an average age of 23 and we want to keep taking steps forward and maintain the levels we’ve achieved this season."The 47-year-old's new deal marks a coup for the Blues, who are keen to keep hold of their coach for as long as possible.
During his time at Barcelona Guardiola only signed one-year extensions, and even said at one point that if he could sign six-month deals he would do so. At Bayern Munich he honoured his three-year contract before moving to the Premier League.City have long wanted to tie Guardiola down to a longer deal and their resolve has only increased as the team's impressive season progressed.
Initial talks had taken place not long into last season, but the decision was made to push back formal negotiations until the summer as it had quickly become obvious that all parties were keen to renew.
City had established a lead at the top of the Premier League table at that time and neither Guardiola nor the club wanted any distractions.
However, by early spring it became clear that City would win the title and Guardiola's agent, Josep Maria Orobitg, began ironing out the terms of an extension with the City hierarchy.“This season has been another step of our strategic plan and the continuous effort to improve the football we play," said CEO Ferran Soriano.
"We are very pleased with the progress. There is more work to do and having Pep committed to Manchester City for the next three seasons gives us the stability to be able to continue our journey to beautiful football and success for the club.”
Wenger: Arteta has qualities for Arsenal job
Arsene Wenger believes Manchester City coach Mikel Arteta has the "qualities" required to succeed him at Arsenal.
Wenger is leaving Arsenal after 22 years at the club, with former Gunners captain Arteta revealed by Goal to be the front-runner for the post.Talks are due to be held between Arsenal and Arteta on Thursday, with Pep Guardiola having confirmed he will allow the Spaniard to leave City, should the 36-year-old be offered the job.
And Wenger has given his backing to Arteta as the next manager of Arsenal, who missed out on Champions League qualification for the second year in a row and lost in the semi-finals of the Europa League.
"He has all the qualities to do the job, yes and I think as well he is one of the favourites," Wenger told beIN SPORTS."He was a leader and he has a good passion for the game and he knows the club well, he knows what is important at the club and he was captain of the club. Why not?
"I left a lot of experience behind me, people who were with me like Steve Bould who has six years' experience, and Jens Lehmann too. He [Arteta] has been an assistant of Guardiola as well, so overall I think he has the qualities."
Wenger will not be involved in the board's decision over his successor at Arsenal, though."I don't want to influence [the appointment] publicly," Wenger said."Because for me I believe it is important that they make their choice in an objective way and after they make a decision I will support them."
Arsene Wenger believes Manchester City coach Mikel Arteta has the "qualities" required to succeed him at Arsenal.
Wenger is leaving Arsenal after 22 years at the club, with former Gunners captain Arteta revealed by Goal to be the front-runner for the post.Talks are due to be held between Arsenal and Arteta on Thursday, with Pep Guardiola having confirmed he will allow the Spaniard to leave City, should the 36-year-old be offered the job.
And Wenger has given his backing to Arteta as the next manager of Arsenal, who missed out on Champions League qualification for the second year in a row and lost in the semi-finals of the Europa League.
"He has all the qualities to do the job, yes and I think as well he is one of the favourites," Wenger told beIN SPORTS."He was a leader and he has a good passion for the game and he knows the club well, he knows what is important at the club and he was captain of the club. Why not?
"I left a lot of experience behind me, people who were with me like Steve Bould who has six years' experience, and Jens Lehmann too. He [Arteta] has been an assistant of Guardiola as well, so overall I think he has the qualities."
Wenger will not be involved in the board's decision over his successor at Arsenal, though."I don't want to influence [the appointment] publicly," Wenger said."Because for me I believe it is important that they make their choice in an objective way and after they make a decision I will support them."
Mourinho: Ronaldo transfer door closed to Man Utd
Jose Mourinho considers the transfer door to Cristiano Ronaldo to have been closed for Manchester United, with a move away from Real Madrid “prohibited”.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been linked with a return to Old Trafford in recent windows, with nine years having passed since he departed for Spain in a then record-breaking deal.Ronaldo has never shied away from expressing his fondness for the Red Devils, with the 33-year-old having refused to rule out a second stint in England.
Mourinho, though, doubts that a deal can be done, with Madrid having tied their talismanic forward to a deal through to 2021 in an effort to keep potential suitors at bay."I believe that Real Madrid cannot sell him, it is prohibited," Mourinho told Portuguese newspaper Record.
"He has to stay until the moment they authorise him to go and play one year in America or anywhere else that he wants to enjoy. It is a closed door."Mourinho is prepared to admit that he would welcome the opportunity to sign Ronaldo, having previously worked with him at Santiago Bernabeu, but he is not expecting United to make a move this summer.
Quizzed on whether questions will be asked of Madrid, he added: "I don't think so, but all the people know his history in Manchester, the passion they have for him and that there are players in the world who, if the clubs have the possibility of signing, will not say no.”
It would appear that Ronaldo and Mourinho are set to remain in their current roles for 2018-19, with the latter having committed to a contract extension at Old Trafford this season.
He is hoping to oversee more trophy triumphs at United, with an FA Cup final clash with Chelsea to come on Saturday, with the 55-year-old once again moving to play down talk of a possible move into international coaching at some point in the near future.
Asked if he intends to take charge of Portugal at some stage – a position he once considered combing with a role at Real Madrid – Mourinho said: "I almost went once, but [Real president] Florentino Perez didn't let me, because he thought that the position of Real coach was not compatible with the national team.
"[I'll consider it] only when I'm tired of the day-to-day, the three matches a week, the seven training sessions per week, and the one month pre-season, things that don't tire me now."
Jose Mourinho considers the transfer door to Cristiano Ronaldo to have been closed for Manchester United, with a move away from Real Madrid “prohibited”.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has been linked with a return to Old Trafford in recent windows, with nine years having passed since he departed for Spain in a then record-breaking deal.Ronaldo has never shied away from expressing his fondness for the Red Devils, with the 33-year-old having refused to rule out a second stint in England.
Mourinho, though, doubts that a deal can be done, with Madrid having tied their talismanic forward to a deal through to 2021 in an effort to keep potential suitors at bay."I believe that Real Madrid cannot sell him, it is prohibited," Mourinho told Portuguese newspaper Record.
"He has to stay until the moment they authorise him to go and play one year in America or anywhere else that he wants to enjoy. It is a closed door."Mourinho is prepared to admit that he would welcome the opportunity to sign Ronaldo, having previously worked with him at Santiago Bernabeu, but he is not expecting United to make a move this summer.
Quizzed on whether questions will be asked of Madrid, he added: "I don't think so, but all the people know his history in Manchester, the passion they have for him and that there are players in the world who, if the clubs have the possibility of signing, will not say no.”
It would appear that Ronaldo and Mourinho are set to remain in their current roles for 2018-19, with the latter having committed to a contract extension at Old Trafford this season.
He is hoping to oversee more trophy triumphs at United, with an FA Cup final clash with Chelsea to come on Saturday, with the 55-year-old once again moving to play down talk of a possible move into international coaching at some point in the near future.
Asked if he intends to take charge of Portugal at some stage – a position he once considered combing with a role at Real Madrid – Mourinho said: "I almost went once, but [Real president] Florentino Perez didn't let me, because he thought that the position of Real coach was not compatible with the national team.
"[I'll consider it] only when I'm tired of the day-to-day, the three matches a week, the seven training sessions per week, and the one month pre-season, things that don't tire me now."
Jorginho will move to Man City if Napoli agree terms, claims agent
Italy international midfielder Jorginho will make a summer move to Manchester City if the Premier League champions can agree a transfer fee with Napoli, according to the player’s agent.The 26-year-old has long been linked with a switch to one of the Manchester clubs and the prospect of a deal coming to fruition seems to be increasing.
Goal revealed that Pep Guardiola’s side want to make just two signings in the summer and are ready to go in big on Jorginho, who is valued in the region of £50 million ($67m).
City want the done deal before the World Cup and Joao Santos has indicated that it could rapidly be concluded.
“Jorginho is still under contract, but if Napoli find an agreement with City then he goes to Manchester,” he told CalcioNapoli24.“Finding an agreement with the English won’t be a problem, considering their importance, but I repeat it depends on Napoli as the player is tied to the Azzurri for two more years.
“City are champions of England and among Europe’s top clubs. Now we must stay calm. If Napoli and City find a solution, we can talk about it, otherwise the player will be happy to stay at Napoli.
“For now, I haven’t heard from anyone at Napoli because I imagine they’re busy planning for next season.“I hope to hear from their director, and maybe he’ll be in Naples in the next few days to talk about Jorginho.”
The deep-lying midfielder has turned out 38 times for Napoli over the course of the last season, scoring two goals and adding four assists.
He joined Napoli in 2013 from Hellas Verona, having spent time on loan at Sambonifacese. His breakthrough came in the 2013-14 season, Verona’s first after winning promotion to the top flight, when he netted seven times in 18 appearances to catch the eye of the San Paolo side.
Though born in Brazil, he moved to Italy, the home of his grandparents, as a youngster and came through Verona’s youth ranks. He has subsequently gone on to win five caps for the Azzurri.
Italy international midfielder Jorginho will make a summer move to Manchester City if the Premier League champions can agree a transfer fee with Napoli, according to the player’s agent.The 26-year-old has long been linked with a switch to one of the Manchester clubs and the prospect of a deal coming to fruition seems to be increasing.
Goal revealed that Pep Guardiola’s side want to make just two signings in the summer and are ready to go in big on Jorginho, who is valued in the region of £50 million ($67m).
City want the done deal before the World Cup and Joao Santos has indicated that it could rapidly be concluded.
“Jorginho is still under contract, but if Napoli find an agreement with City then he goes to Manchester,” he told CalcioNapoli24.“Finding an agreement with the English won’t be a problem, considering their importance, but I repeat it depends on Napoli as the player is tied to the Azzurri for two more years.
“City are champions of England and among Europe’s top clubs. Now we must stay calm. If Napoli and City find a solution, we can talk about it, otherwise the player will be happy to stay at Napoli.
“For now, I haven’t heard from anyone at Napoli because I imagine they’re busy planning for next season.“I hope to hear from their director, and maybe he’ll be in Naples in the next few days to talk about Jorginho.”
The deep-lying midfielder has turned out 38 times for Napoli over the course of the last season, scoring two goals and adding four assists.
He joined Napoli in 2013 from Hellas Verona, having spent time on loan at Sambonifacese. His breakthrough came in the 2013-14 season, Verona’s first after winning promotion to the top flight, when he netted seven times in 18 appearances to catch the eye of the San Paolo side.
Though born in Brazil, he moved to Italy, the home of his grandparents, as a youngster and came through Verona’s youth ranks. He has subsequently gone on to win five caps for the Azzurri.
Fabregas: Wenger treated me like a son but I love Mourinho
Cesc Fabregas wants to get one over on Jose Mourinho when Chelsea face Manchester United in the FA Cup final, but admits that the Portuguese is one of the managers he has connected with the most during a distinguished career.
The Spain legend has won 11 major honours for club and country, but has just one FA Cup on an impressive CV from his time at Arsenal and victory on Saturday will mean that he has secured every major domestic trophy during a spell at Chelsea.Mourinho was the manager to bring Fabregas back to England in 2014 when he completed a £27 million (£36m) switch from boyhood club Barcelona.
Fabregas admits that he 'loves' the now Manchester United boss, despite reports of a once strained relationship at Stamford Bridge, but says that will not help him to guess the Red Devils’ tactics when the pair are reunited at Wembley Stadium."No, especially in the last two years, we played many games against them and he has changed the system many times," Fabregas said at Cobham Training Ground. "I am sure he will change something again on Saturday.
"I love him. I always say that. I owe him a lot because he brought me here, I will always remember that. My first year here, Arsene [Wenger] had always treated me like a son, but the closest anyone has been to him was Jose. The way he treated me, the way he made me feel, how he let me be a leader of the team from day one.
"This was fantastic and in all the four years since I joined Chelsea, that will always stay with me. It [this experience] is thanks to him. Our history of what happened between us - I played for Arsenal and him at Chelsea, Barcelona and him with Real Madrid."We were confronting each other, but then we humbled ourselves and started a good relationship. This is very nice but hopefully it will not be his day and Chelsea can win.
"I was happy at Barcelona but there were players who were there for many years before me. For me, it was different because I went and came back and they paid money for me. It is more difficult, I never had the same love that the other players had. That’s also because they were such fantastic players, don’t get me wrong! When he brought me here, I had a lot of fire inside of me. It was a fantastic year [with him], to be honest."
The match on Saturday represents the last chance for both Chelsea and United to win a major honour this season, with the Blues having also missed out on qualifying for the Champions League through their Premier League standing.Fabregas thinks that failure, which saw the Blues finish fifth, could be used as added motivation in the FA Cup final, with Antonio Conte’s side eager to make amends for a forgettable 3-0 defeat to Newcastle in their last league fixture.
"Well, it is not easy after how we ended the season on Sunday on a very negative day, but listen, there’s no other way than to pick ourselves up," Fabregas added. "Today is maybe a quiet day, but we have to pick ourselves up, stand up and focus on Saturday to try to win this one for the fans.
"When you play the cup final, you can win a treble, but you still want to win in everything. It is about the passion you have inside, if you don’t have it, you don’t have it. But I think if you really want to win and they are telling you that you are playing a cup final on the last day of the season against Manchester United, you don’t need someone to tell you to play well.
"It is inside each one of us, this fire and hunger to go and beat them. We want to get the cup for the fans and ourselves. I never believe in these things [about one team being the favourite]. The cup final is one game and anything can happen, really."Last year everyone was saying Chelsea will win it and we played one of our worst games of last season. So anything can happen. We always know it will be a tough game. Mourinho prepares for finals very, very well and I am sure Antonio will do the same."
Conte has repeatedly criticised Chelsea's finishing ability this season, as his side fell short of their goals in the league. Fabregas has also added his opinion on the subject in weeks gone by and believes that Chelsea's defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford is a good example of what they need to do better.
"We played well in the first half and in one moment they scored what was a good goal, to be honest," he concluded. "In the second half, it was not good and we tried to change things around but maybe it was a little bit too late. I think it is those moments that we sometimes lacked this season.
"Sometimes we need to finish the game off, not to give opportunities to other games to come back. This is an example of what this year, we could have done better."
Cesc Fabregas wants to get one over on Jose Mourinho when Chelsea face Manchester United in the FA Cup final, but admits that the Portuguese is one of the managers he has connected with the most during a distinguished career.
The Spain legend has won 11 major honours for club and country, but has just one FA Cup on an impressive CV from his time at Arsenal and victory on Saturday will mean that he has secured every major domestic trophy during a spell at Chelsea.Mourinho was the manager to bring Fabregas back to England in 2014 when he completed a £27 million (£36m) switch from boyhood club Barcelona.
Fabregas admits that he 'loves' the now Manchester United boss, despite reports of a once strained relationship at Stamford Bridge, but says that will not help him to guess the Red Devils’ tactics when the pair are reunited at Wembley Stadium."No, especially in the last two years, we played many games against them and he has changed the system many times," Fabregas said at Cobham Training Ground. "I am sure he will change something again on Saturday.
"I love him. I always say that. I owe him a lot because he brought me here, I will always remember that. My first year here, Arsene [Wenger] had always treated me like a son, but the closest anyone has been to him was Jose. The way he treated me, the way he made me feel, how he let me be a leader of the team from day one.
"This was fantastic and in all the four years since I joined Chelsea, that will always stay with me. It [this experience] is thanks to him. Our history of what happened between us - I played for Arsenal and him at Chelsea, Barcelona and him with Real Madrid."We were confronting each other, but then we humbled ourselves and started a good relationship. This is very nice but hopefully it will not be his day and Chelsea can win.
"I was happy at Barcelona but there were players who were there for many years before me. For me, it was different because I went and came back and they paid money for me. It is more difficult, I never had the same love that the other players had. That’s also because they were such fantastic players, don’t get me wrong! When he brought me here, I had a lot of fire inside of me. It was a fantastic year [with him], to be honest."
The match on Saturday represents the last chance for both Chelsea and United to win a major honour this season, with the Blues having also missed out on qualifying for the Champions League through their Premier League standing.Fabregas thinks that failure, which saw the Blues finish fifth, could be used as added motivation in the FA Cup final, with Antonio Conte’s side eager to make amends for a forgettable 3-0 defeat to Newcastle in their last league fixture.
"Well, it is not easy after how we ended the season on Sunday on a very negative day, but listen, there’s no other way than to pick ourselves up," Fabregas added. "Today is maybe a quiet day, but we have to pick ourselves up, stand up and focus on Saturday to try to win this one for the fans.
"When you play the cup final, you can win a treble, but you still want to win in everything. It is about the passion you have inside, if you don’t have it, you don’t have it. But I think if you really want to win and they are telling you that you are playing a cup final on the last day of the season against Manchester United, you don’t need someone to tell you to play well.
"It is inside each one of us, this fire and hunger to go and beat them. We want to get the cup for the fans and ourselves. I never believe in these things [about one team being the favourite]. The cup final is one game and anything can happen, really."Last year everyone was saying Chelsea will win it and we played one of our worst games of last season. So anything can happen. We always know it will be a tough game. Mourinho prepares for finals very, very well and I am sure Antonio will do the same."
Conte has repeatedly criticised Chelsea's finishing ability this season, as his side fell short of their goals in the league. Fabregas has also added his opinion on the subject in weeks gone by and believes that Chelsea's defeat against Manchester United at Old Trafford is a good example of what they need to do better.
"We played well in the first half and in one moment they scored what was a good goal, to be honest," he concluded. "In the second half, it was not good and we tried to change things around but maybe it was a little bit too late. I think it is those moments that we sometimes lacked this season.
"Sometimes we need to finish the game off, not to give opportunities to other games to come back. This is an example of what this year, we could have done better."
Cristiano Ronaldo has been voted the greatest player of Manchester United's 25-year Premier League stay by fans of the Red Devils.
The Real Madrid star came to prominence as a young winger at Old Trafford, after sealing a move from boyhood club Sporting. He quickly became known for his goalscoring prowess, however, netting 118 times in 292 games while lifting three Premier League titles and the 2007-8 Champions League.
That form has seen him honoured by United supporters, who chose him ahead of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, the club's official website revealed on Friday.
Wayne Rooney may have lost out in the fight to be named best player, but the striker was honoured for scoring the best goal of United's first 1000 Premier League games.Rooney's overhead kick in a Manchester derby against City in 2010-11 prevailed ahead of goals from Ronaldo and Van Persie.
Another derby thriller, a 4-3 win over City in 2008-9, was chosen as the best game, while David de Gea took the honours for best save.
De Gea will start FA Cup final - MourinhoDavid de Gea will start in goal for Manchester United in Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea, Jose Mourinho has confirmed.
De Gea played in the semi-final win over Tottenham but Sergio Romero had previously featured throughout United's cup run.The Argentina goalkeeper also played against Watford in United's last Premier League game of the season, sparking speculation he could get the nod at Wembley Stadium.
Mourinho, though, confirmed De Gea will wear the gloves as United bid to collect their first trophy of the season.
"Yeah, De Gea plays," Mourinho told reporters on Friday. "He [Romero] was injured for a long, long time - around two-and-something months."He didn't play some matches that normally would be his matches, the semi-final against Tottenham, a couple more matches before the final. He trained only one week before the Watford match, and a little bit more before.
"And that’s the reason. It's not about trust, it's not about my confidence in him, because you could have felt [trust and confidence] last season when the Europa League final was a much, more important match than this one.
"Because the Europa League was giving us the possibility to play Champions League and that is the first objective of any top-six club - to finish [in the] top four - and because we didn't, it was to win the Europa League."And I played the Europa League final with Sergio, so it's not about confident or no confidence, it's about the process of the last couple of months since he had an important injury against Spain."
De Gea claimed his first Premier League Golden Glove after another stellar campaign, while he also collected United's Player of the Year gong for a record fourth time.
'A new path will begin' - Buffon says goodbye to Juventus
Gianluigi Buffon says it is time for a new journey to begin as the veteran goalkeeper prepares to play for Juventus for the final time.
The 40-year-old, regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers ever, announced he is leaving Juve at a news conference on Thursday.Buffon, who also retired from international duty once more, suggested he could seek to play on away from Serie A, with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain reportedly ready to make an offer.
And Buffon posted an emotional farewell tribute to Juve ahead of Saturday's home game against Verona, his last match for the club."Thank you," Buffon wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram. "Thanks to everyone of you. Because each of you has helped to make every moment of my life special in black and white. A life that has become a second skin.
"A skin that I have worn, loved and respected. And that I have guarded and protected with all of myself. With all my limitations, but also with all the passion that has always accompanied me."With tomorrow, a path ends. End a book we wrote together. The emotion is so great. Too much.
"A new path will inevitably begin. A new book. It must begin. For Juventus that will remain beyond any player, always! And they will continue to write other important pages of this book that I think and imagine infinite. Because theirs is a unique and unparalleled DNA. Unrepeatable and magnificent."Juve is a family. My family."
Buffon ends his Serie A career with nine league titles and five Coppa Italias, as well as a World Cup winners' medal from the 2006 tournament, and the veteran suggested the opportunity to prove himself once more could entice him to play on.
"A new path will inevitably begin," Buffon continued. "A new book. It must begin. For me, I will learn to look at the future with different eyes.
"I will begin to gather the new challenges that life will propose to me with the curiosity of those who do not want to stop feeling 'at stake'.
"And I will feel the healthy fear of those who have experienced many challenges, sometimes won, many others lost, but who is aware that each of them is different from the previous one. And therefore more difficult."
Gianluigi Buffon says it is time for a new journey to begin as the veteran goalkeeper prepares to play for Juventus for the final time.
The 40-year-old, regarded as one of the finest goalkeepers ever, announced he is leaving Juve at a news conference on Thursday.Buffon, who also retired from international duty once more, suggested he could seek to play on away from Serie A, with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain reportedly ready to make an offer.
And Buffon posted an emotional farewell tribute to Juve ahead of Saturday's home game against Verona, his last match for the club."Thank you," Buffon wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram. "Thanks to everyone of you. Because each of you has helped to make every moment of my life special in black and white. A life that has become a second skin.
"A skin that I have worn, loved and respected. And that I have guarded and protected with all of myself. With all my limitations, but also with all the passion that has always accompanied me."With tomorrow, a path ends. End a book we wrote together. The emotion is so great. Too much.
"A new path will inevitably begin. A new book. It must begin. For Juventus that will remain beyond any player, always! And they will continue to write other important pages of this book that I think and imagine infinite. Because theirs is a unique and unparalleled DNA. Unrepeatable and magnificent."Juve is a family. My family."
Buffon ends his Serie A career with nine league titles and five Coppa Italias, as well as a World Cup winners' medal from the 2006 tournament, and the veteran suggested the opportunity to prove himself once more could entice him to play on.
"A new path will inevitably begin," Buffon continued. "A new book. It must begin. For me, I will learn to look at the future with different eyes.
"I will begin to gather the new challenges that life will propose to me with the curiosity of those who do not want to stop feeling 'at stake'.
"And I will feel the healthy fear of those who have experienced many challenges, sometimes won, many others lost, but who is aware that each of them is different from the previous one. And therefore more difficult."
I'm still a Chelsea hero regardless of FA Cup final result, says Conte
Antonio Conte says that he should still be considered a hero even if his Chelsea side falls short of lifting silverware this season.
The Italian won the Premier League title in his first season at Stamford Bridge but has since seen his side decline in form, finishing outside of the top four to miss out on Champions League football next season.Chelsea have one last chance to win a trophy in the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday, but they will still have failed in their minimum target of a top four finish in the league.
Still, Conte thinks that his efforts should be respected in the eyes of the club's fans."I haven't changed my commitment to the club," the manager told reporters at Cobham Training Ground.
"My commitment has always been the same. Maybe this season we worked even harder than last season. I don't know if something has changed - last season I was a hero for Chelsea fans. "Now that has changed. I don't know why, but in my soul and my heart, I'm always a hero because I gave 120 per cent this season. It's right to separate [work and silverware] because if you don't win it means you didn't work very hard.
"It means that in France, in Italy, in Germany... there is only one team that has worked hard or one manager who has worked hard. We must divide these two situations."As you know very well, our job is very difficult. Sometimes you can win but the club decides to sack you anyway. I'm very pleased about my work this season - I think I worked harder than last season.
"I like to win, I like to win trophies, I like to be a winner. But at the same time, I think that when you work very hard, when you try to give every day 120%, you must be satisfied.
"Miracles don't always happen. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.”The FA Cup final last season saw Diego Costa come out and say that he would consider a move to Atletico Madrid after he scored in a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal at Wembley.Conte then upset the striker by sending a text message to say that he was no longer wanted at Chelsea prompting an eventual move for £58 million ($78m) in January.
The relationship then became fractious between the head coach and the club's board as they failed to see eye-to-eye on Costa or transfers. The 48-year-old then only increased his salary and didn't extend his contract as Chelsea announced his new deal.
This has led to consistent speculation that Conte will leave after the final on Saturday, although he has repeatedly moved to say that he will honour his contract, which expires at the end of next season.Conte hinted ahead of the game that last season's success wasn't evaluated correctly by officials at the club, who needed to see that their title win was only down to exceptional effort.
"Last season was a wonderful season because we did fantastic work with the players. An important success," he added. "You have to consider the way that you win: if you're going at 300km/h or if you're going at a normal velocity and don't risk burning your engine.
"You must be very good to understand this. When you win, you must understand what is the best way to improve. Last season we won and this season we finished fifth.
"We have to play another final in the FA Cup and we must divide the responsibility with the club, the manager and the players in the same way, and then to try and gain experience."If you are clever, if you are intelligent, you understand what is wrong and what is right."
Antonio Conte says that he should still be considered a hero even if his Chelsea side falls short of lifting silverware this season.
The Italian won the Premier League title in his first season at Stamford Bridge but has since seen his side decline in form, finishing outside of the top four to miss out on Champions League football next season.Chelsea have one last chance to win a trophy in the FA Cup final against Manchester United on Saturday, but they will still have failed in their minimum target of a top four finish in the league.
Still, Conte thinks that his efforts should be respected in the eyes of the club's fans."I haven't changed my commitment to the club," the manager told reporters at Cobham Training Ground.
"My commitment has always been the same. Maybe this season we worked even harder than last season. I don't know if something has changed - last season I was a hero for Chelsea fans. "Now that has changed. I don't know why, but in my soul and my heart, I'm always a hero because I gave 120 per cent this season. It's right to separate [work and silverware] because if you don't win it means you didn't work very hard.
"It means that in France, in Italy, in Germany... there is only one team that has worked hard or one manager who has worked hard. We must divide these two situations."As you know very well, our job is very difficult. Sometimes you can win but the club decides to sack you anyway. I'm very pleased about my work this season - I think I worked harder than last season.
"I like to win, I like to win trophies, I like to be a winner. But at the same time, I think that when you work very hard, when you try to give every day 120%, you must be satisfied.
"Miracles don't always happen. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't.”The FA Cup final last season saw Diego Costa come out and say that he would consider a move to Atletico Madrid after he scored in a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal at Wembley.Conte then upset the striker by sending a text message to say that he was no longer wanted at Chelsea prompting an eventual move for £58 million ($78m) in January.
The relationship then became fractious between the head coach and the club's board as they failed to see eye-to-eye on Costa or transfers. The 48-year-old then only increased his salary and didn't extend his contract as Chelsea announced his new deal.
This has led to consistent speculation that Conte will leave after the final on Saturday, although he has repeatedly moved to say that he will honour his contract, which expires at the end of next season.Conte hinted ahead of the game that last season's success wasn't evaluated correctly by officials at the club, who needed to see that their title win was only down to exceptional effort.
"Last season was a wonderful season because we did fantastic work with the players. An important success," he added. "You have to consider the way that you win: if you're going at 300km/h or if you're going at a normal velocity and don't risk burning your engine.
"You must be very good to understand this. When you win, you must understand what is the best way to improve. Last season we won and this season we finished fifth.
"We have to play another final in the FA Cup and we must divide the responsibility with the club, the manager and the players in the same way, and then to try and gain experience."If you are clever, if you are intelligent, you understand what is wrong and what is right."
Real Madrid 'really interested' in Alaba - agent
Real Madrid are interested in signing David Alaba from Bayern Munich, according to the player's father and agent.
Alaba has spent his whole career at Bayern, barring a loan spell at Hoffenheim, winning seven Bundesliga titles at the club.The versatile Austria international has long been linked with Madrid, suggesting in a March interview he could be ready for a "new challenge".
And the 25-year-old's father and agent George says a move to the Champions League finalists could be on the cards."Everyone knows that Real Madrid are really interested in David," George Alaba told AS. "But we can’t say anything right now.
"We'll see what happens in the summer. Now isn't the moment to discuss who is interested in him."Everyone already knows of Madrid's interest, it's no secret. But right now there's nothing to say. He has to wait and see at the end of the season."
Bayern next take to the pitch on Saturday, where they meet Eintracht Frankfurt - headed up by incoming coach Niko Kovac - in the final of the DFB Pokal.
Real Madrid are interested in signing David Alaba from Bayern Munich, according to the player's father and agent.
Alaba has spent his whole career at Bayern, barring a loan spell at Hoffenheim, winning seven Bundesliga titles at the club.The versatile Austria international has long been linked with Madrid, suggesting in a March interview he could be ready for a "new challenge".
And the 25-year-old's father and agent George says a move to the Champions League finalists could be on the cards."Everyone knows that Real Madrid are really interested in David," George Alaba told AS. "But we can’t say anything right now.
"We'll see what happens in the summer. Now isn't the moment to discuss who is interested in him."Everyone already knows of Madrid's interest, it's no secret. But right now there's nothing to say. He has to wait and see at the end of the season."
Bayern next take to the pitch on Saturday, where they meet Eintracht Frankfurt - headed up by incoming coach Niko Kovac - in the final of the DFB Pokal.
Zidane: I'll talk about Neymar-Real Madrid reports after the Champions League final
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says he will gladly discuss rumours of a transfer bid for Neymar – but only after the Champions League final.
The latest rumours in Spain this week have suggested the Brazil star has agreed personal terms with Madrid, who must now negotiate with Paris Saint-Germain.
It is claimed Madrid president Florentino Perez is willing to pay any price for Neymar, who only left Barcelona to join PSG last August in a world-record €222million deal.
With the speculation refusing to die down, Zidane wants to put all his focus on Madrid's last La Liga game against Villarreal and their European date with Liverpool before talking about transfers."I'm not going to talk more about a player who isn't one of mine," he told a news conference on Friday. "There are 10 days and two games left. After that, we'll talk about what you want."
Zidane was also asked about the future of Antoine Griezmann, who has been tipped to join Barca from Atletico Madrid in a €100m deal. However, the 45-year-old insists the plans of his compatriot are not his business."I don't have any information," he replied when asked about Griezmann. "We'll see. I don't think it's either good or bad [for him to leave]. It's not my problem."
With the meeting with Liverpool in Kiev just eight days away, there are suggestions Zidane will look to rest some of his key players for the trip to Villarreal, although he has already confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will return from injury at Estadio de la Ceramica.
It could mean Borja Mayoral, Dani Ceballos and Marcos Llorente get the chance to impress, having only made 12 La Liga starts between them this season.Zidane, though, believes each player has had a positive year at the club despite their lack of playing time, and he expects all to be more involved in 2018-19.
"One year here is like 10 elsewhere," he added. "It's not a lost year; quite the opposite. They've improved so much. They all hope to play more but it's a very positive year. Next year, they have to play more."
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane says he will gladly discuss rumours of a transfer bid for Neymar – but only after the Champions League final.
The latest rumours in Spain this week have suggested the Brazil star has agreed personal terms with Madrid, who must now negotiate with Paris Saint-Germain.
It is claimed Madrid president Florentino Perez is willing to pay any price for Neymar, who only left Barcelona to join PSG last August in a world-record €222million deal.
With the speculation refusing to die down, Zidane wants to put all his focus on Madrid's last La Liga game against Villarreal and their European date with Liverpool before talking about transfers."I'm not going to talk more about a player who isn't one of mine," he told a news conference on Friday. "There are 10 days and two games left. After that, we'll talk about what you want."
Zidane was also asked about the future of Antoine Griezmann, who has been tipped to join Barca from Atletico Madrid in a €100m deal. However, the 45-year-old insists the plans of his compatriot are not his business."I don't have any information," he replied when asked about Griezmann. "We'll see. I don't think it's either good or bad [for him to leave]. It's not my problem."
With the meeting with Liverpool in Kiev just eight days away, there are suggestions Zidane will look to rest some of his key players for the trip to Villarreal, although he has already confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo will return from injury at Estadio de la Ceramica.
It could mean Borja Mayoral, Dani Ceballos and Marcos Llorente get the chance to impress, having only made 12 La Liga starts between them this season.Zidane, though, believes each player has had a positive year at the club despite their lack of playing time, and he expects all to be more involved in 2018-19.
"One year here is like 10 elsewhere," he added. "It's not a lost year; quite the opposite. They've improved so much. They all hope to play more but it's a very positive year. Next year, they have to play more."
