..::Football IV::..

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Higuain moves closer to Milan as Bonucci prepares for Juve return


Juventus forward Gonzalo Higuain is ready to swap Turin for Milan, while Leonardo Bonucci prepares to say farewell to the Rossoneri after a single season in order to return to his former club.

Goal understands that the Argentine is the subject of talks between his brother and agent, Nicolas, and new Milan director of football Leonardo.If Pipita consents to a move, he will arrive at San Siro on an initial loan deal as Cristiano Ronaldo's blockbuster arrival threatens to usher him out of the first team at the Old Lady.

Milan will pay out €18 million (£16m/$21m) for a loan move, with an option to buy at the deal's conclusion for another €36m (£32m/$42m).

In what is shaping up to be a busy transfer window at both Italian giants, Higuain may not be the only player moving to and fro between Milan and Turin this summer. Unsettled at San Siro, Bonucci is keen to cut his losses and seal a move back to the team he abandoned last summer.

If the defender does move, Juve youngster Mattia Caldara could see himself travelling in the opposite direction in a bid to reduce transfer costs.Both centre-backs have been mutually valued at €40m, making a swap viable, although Juve would also have to bear the brunt of Bonucci's €5.5m a season salary demands.

Chelsea, however, are also interested in 24-year-old Caldara, and could upset Milan's plans after representatives of the Blues and Juventus met in Nice last week; Higuain, meanwhile, was not on the Londoners' agenda.

 

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'I'm confident I'll get one' - Mourinho does not think he will get multiple transfer targets


Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reiterated the belief that he will only sign one player before the transfer deadline, despite his demands for two.Mourinho has cut a frustrated figure during the pre-season tour of the United States, where the Red Devils have failed to impress without a number of their World Cup stars.

United's lack of transfer activity following the big-money arrival of Fred and Portuguese teenager Diogo Dalot has been the source of Mourinho's discontent after the disgruntled tactician provided the club with a list of five targets months ago.

Leicester City defender Harry Maguire, Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld, Chelsea star Willian and Inter winger Ivan Perisic have been linked with moves to Old Trafford as United try to dethrone Premier League champions Manchester City.Asked if he was confident of signing two players before the window closes prior to the start of the season, Mourinho told beIN SPORTS:"No. I'm confident I'll get one.

"I think two is not what I will get. I think in every pre-season it happens basically the same with probably every club, which the manager wants more.It is our nature and our way to always want more for your team."But club decisions are different. Normally you don't get what you want which basically happened throughout my career. If I sign one player before the window closes, that's fine."

"More or less, I know. It's not going to be very different," Mourinho said when asked if he knew his best starting XI, with Nemanja Matic injured following surgery, while Antonio Valencia is also nursing a problem."We basically have the same players. The players we have bought one is a goalkeeper cover [Lee Grant], one is a 19-year-old kid, so in fact we have one new player which is Fred, so of course our team is not going to be very different."

United open their Premier League campaign against Leicester on August 10 and Mourinho's preparations have been hampered by injuries and the absence of stars like Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard following the World Cup.

"I agree that when the season starts the transfer window closes," said Mourinho. "I'm not a big fan of one player starting the season with one club and then a couple of weeks later the window is open, he moves to another club and he plays against his former club - I really don’t like that."I agree totally with the window closing at the same time as the Premier League starts. What I don’t agree with is that the Premier League starts now.


"You look at other countries with lots of players in the World Cup they start later - Spain and Italy starts later. The Premier League could and should do that."

Mourinho also discussed Pogba and his performances at the World Cup as France reigned supreme – the United boss once again highlighting the need for the star midfielder to focus in Manchester.

Pogba has been linked with a return to Juventus having struggled for consistency at United, while he was benched for both legs of United's Champions League last-16 exit to Sevilla and substituted in Premier League losses to Tottenham and Newcastle United."The World Cup takes a month and for one month players are in a closed camp, isolated from the external world, isolated from commercial compromises, isolated from every possible influence, Mourinho said.

"They are there, just for that. Dimensions of the matches are getting bigger and bigger. When they fell they are going to the knockout phase and can win the World Cup, they close each other. It's a strong shell. They just think about football. It's the perfect habitat for a young player to grow up and flourish."

 

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'I'm confident I'll get one' - Mourinho does not think he will get multiple transfer targets

Ona karana playersla tika gatthe nathnam hoda title fight ekak denne bari wei meh sareth
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Chiellini: I thought Ronaldo to Juventus was impossible


Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini thought it was "impossible" for Cristiano Ronaldo to join the Serie A champions before the superstar arrived in Turin.

Ronaldo attended Juve training for the first time on Monday after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner left European champions Real Madrid in a €112 million (£100m/$131m) deal earlier this month.The 33-year-old Portugal captain hinted at a shock move away from Madrid after the club's third successive Champions League title in May.

Chiellini – in the United States for Juve's clash against the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday – doubted the Italian giants would sign Ronaldo when rumours first emerged."[The first time I heard about Ronaldo], I said to my friends, 'Nah, it's impossible,'" Chiellini told ESPN. "After one day, [I thought] maybe it is possible.

"With our manager, with our director ... it's a reality. Juventus is growing ... year after year, and we need a champion like Cristiano."We are excited, we are ready to work with him; all the parts of the club, the players, the marketing manager, the director, are ready to improve with Cristiano and we hope he can help us to achieve our target."

It has been a busy off-season for Juve, who are seeking to win the Champions League, having dominated domestically with seven successive Serie A titles.

Joao Cancelo, Mattia Perin and Emre Can have arrived, while striker Gonzalo Higuain and defender Mattia Caldara could leave as Juve try to re-sign AC Milan centre-back Leonardo Bonucci just one season after the Italian left Turin.

"Leonardo, for me, is a friend," Chiellini said. "I pass my holiday with him and my family."I know about his quality, but I don't know. It's not easy, and I want to have respect to my team-mates ... I'm not president or director, so we will see what happens at the end of the Serie A — we will see if Leonardo is here."

 

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Bale or Martial to Tottenham? Pochettino unsure about Spurs summer signings


Mauricio Pochettino is unsure if Tottenham will end their transfer market impasse to make any signings ahead of the new Premier League season.

Back in the Champions League after finishing third last term, Spurs have seen fellow top-four side Liverpool spend heavily but are yet to complete any deals of their own.The lack of activity comes as a surprise given Pochettino has previously urged the club's hierarchy to be "brave" and "take risks" in order to keep pace with their rivals.

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale, Aston Villa star Jack Grealish and disgruntled Manchester United forward Anthony Martial are among the players to have been linked, but Pochettino is unable to predict whether any moves will come to fruition.

"Last season I told you some numbers, but this season we don't know," he told reporters."I don't know if we are going to sign [anyone] or not. We’re working on that. I cannot tell you if we're going to sign one, zero or two or three or four."

The former Argentina defender, who signed a new five-year contract in May, said he would leave others to obtain their own "perception" from his comments earlier in the off-season, adding: "I think I am working and focused on trying to deliver my job, our job. I try to prepare the team.

"That's the focus and we're concentrating on that."Tottenham commence their Premier League campaign away to Newcastle United on August 11.

 

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'Higuain to AC Milan not agreed yet' – Juve chief Marotta


Juventus have not yet finalised a deal with AC Milan for striker Gonzalo Higuain, according to club general manager Giuseppe Marotta.The 30-year-old has been tipped to join the Rossoneri on an initial loan deal for €18 million (£16m/$21m), with a purchase option at the deal's conclusion for an additional €36m (£32m/$42m).

Goal reported on Monday that Higuain's brother and agent, Nicolas, and new Milan director of football Leonardo had both arrived at Casa Milan for talks over a deal.

Additionally, former Juve defender Leonardo Bonucci is nearing a move to make a return to Turin after one season with AC Milan.Juve defender Mattia Caldara could also be heading for the San Siro in a swap deal with Bonucci.However, Marotta claims there has not yet been a satisfactory conclusion to the discussions over Higuain.

When asked if everything was agreed over Higuain's future, he told reporters in Milan: "Not so much."Higuain fired Juve to back-to-back domestic doubles after joining from Napoli in 2016.

However, the €112m arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have prompted him to seek a new challenge elsewhere.

 

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'No one can replace Coutinho at Liverpool' - Klopp


Jurgen Klopp insists seeking a like-for-like replacement for Philippe Coutinho was never part of Liverpool’s transfer plans this close-season because such a player does not exist.

Coutinho joined Barcelona in a blockbusting £142 million ($193m) deal in January but his departure did little to check Liverpool's progress under Klopp as they sealed a top-four spot in the Premier League and reached the Champions League final.The funds raised from the Brazil playmaker's sale have been handsomely reinvested from the mid-season signing of centre-back Virgil van Dijk onwards.

Fabinho and Naby Keita, the latter a pre-agreed signing from RB Leipzig, will bolster Klopp’s midfield for the coming campaign, while Xherdan Shaqiri provides another creative attacking option.

Brazil goalkeeper Alisson joined Van Dijk in becoming the most expensive player in history in his position but Liverpool have not specifically recruited anyone to step into Coutinho's shoes, nor looked likely to since their bid to bring in Nabil Fekir from Lyon collapsed "You cannot replace Phil Coutinho with exactly the same kind of player," Klopp told reporters."He's Phil Coutinho. He has a specific style of play, tactically an outstanding player. He can play as the winger, the 10, the eight – really great.

"I don't want to put one of my players in the position where people will say constantly, 'He's the Phil replacement.'"Klopp is understandably proud of Liverpool's performances from the second half of last season which, along with the impressive raft of recruits, has many tipping them for a sustained title bid this time around.

Nevertheless, the former Borussia Dortmund coach allowed himself to wonder how May's Champions League defeat to Real Madrid might have played out had Coutinho still been at his disposal after injury struck talisman Mohamed Salah."I think the biggest thing we did in the second half of last season was that we didn't need to speak too much about Phil," he explained.

"That wasn't clear in January. How could we have known that? If we still had Phil then we could have played him in the Champions League final and, when Mo [Salah] goes out injured, Phil goes on the left wing, Sadio [Mane] to the other side and bring a midfielder on."Then it's a different story. That would have been nice but he wasn't here and we wish him well."

Klopp added: "We don't need to replace Phil. We need to make a squad for the next year. Out there in the market, there isn't a Phil Coutinho-light. He's not there. But there are a lot of good players and we have brought a few of them in."

 

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No Real Madrid bid for Willian as passport issue delays Chelsea return


Real Madrid have not made a bid for Willian and it is a passport issue that has delayed the Brazilian's return to Chelsea, Goal understands.Indeed, the Blues and Willian have been in constant communication over the delay, with the club happy that the player has conducted himself professionally over the absence that will see him miss the pre-season meeting with Arsenal.

The 29-year-old is due to arrive back in London on Wednesday and, while Liga giants Madrid are interested in signing the former Shakhtar Donetsk star, Goal understands that reports of an official bid that contributed to his delayed return are wide of the mark.Manchester United are also reported to be keen on signing Willian, while Barcelona have seen previous attempts to purchase the Brazilian fall through.

Goal understands Barca made several offers for the winger but became frustrated over the Blues' £65 million ($85m) asking price before eventually deciding to turn their attentions to Malcom, whom they signed for an initial €41m ((£36.5m/$48m).

Regardless of the rumours surrounding Willian's future, he is expected to return to training in the next couple of days, with the Blues facing Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday prior to their Premier League opener against Huddersfield Town on August 11.

N'Golo Kante, Olivier Giroud, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Gary Cahill, meanwhile, all remain on holiday having been granted a three-week break following their respective World Cup commitments.Ruben Loftus-Cheek is one to have returned early, however, with FIFPro having expressed their concern that players are not taking appropriate time to recover before the new season gets underway.

Goal understands that Loftus-Cheek was in no way pressured to return to the club by Chelsea, although FIFPro identified 15 players that would fall into the category of not having taken enough holiday."Players are coming under too much pressure, caught between the needs of their clubs and their own personal well-being," the union said in a statement.

"While FIFPro understands the financial implications of the Uefa Champions League and Uefa Europa League for clubs, the health of these players is being put at risk because of such a congested match schedule."

Kante and Hazard, who have been linked with PSG and Real Madrid respectively, are expected to remain at Chelsea this summer.The futures of Courtois, Cahill and Giroud are in doubt, however, with the transfer window in England closing early on August 9.

Meanwhile, the Blues have held talks to sign Daniele Rugani from Juventus , although it would seem that AC Milan are in the box seat to land Gonzalo Higuain , despite interest from Maurizio Sarri's side.

 

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Mata happy to play striker role as Man Utd struggle for options alongside Alexis


Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has acknowledged he is happy to play as a supporting striker to Alexis Sanchez during the club’s pre-season tour, as the Red Devils prepare for their last International Champions Cup clash with Real Madrid in Florida.

Jose Mourinho’s side have been beset by various absences through injury, post-World Cup holiday and personal reasons throughout their tour of the US, prompting the unorthodox utilisation of the Spaniard up front alongside his Chilean team-mate And Mata, who started his career in the Real Madrid academy set-up before spells at Valencia and Chelsea, is enjoying his makeshift role as a forward, having featured in all four of the club’s Stateside games so far.

"I used to play as a striker when I was a kid, and I like to be in the box," the 30-year-old told MUTV. "It’s a different shape. It’s a system that is very difficult to play against.

"I think the manager is trying to fit all the first-team squad players into the XI. In the last two games I was playing with Alexis up front."It’s been a few years since I’ve played there but I think once you’ve played in there you pick up the components and you still have them. Now I just try to play that position. I’ve felt okay, so it’s fine."

Whilst United are wrapping up their ICC tour at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Real Madrid are conversely opening their tournament and Mata is believes that the showpiece tie will provide a suitable finale to the Red Devils’ preparations for the new season."They are a great team with a great squad. They now have a new manager [Julen Lopetegui] who we know very well but the players are pretty much the same," Mata added.

"They are one of the biggest clubs in the world. We will be able to play with some of our young players, which will be a good experience for them. I think it’s a perfect end to this US tour."

United won their first ICC encounter with Milan after a mammoth penalty shoot-out but were then soundly drubbed by Liverpool 4-1 in their next game.Mata however stresses that fitness is more of a priority for the squad than results."Obviously, results could have been different but [they] are not so important now," the Spaniard stated. "The most important thing is to arrive [in the first game] with no injuries and in good physical and mental condition."

Following their game in Miami, United travel to Germany for a final friendly with Bayern Munich before they start their new Premier League campaign against Leicester City at Old Trafford on August 10.

 

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Manchester United 2 Real Madrid 1: Sanchez stars as Vinicius dazzles on debut

Alexis Sanchez continued his fine pre-season form in Manchester United's 2-1 win at the International Champions Cup, though Vinicius Jr showed there is life after Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.

Sanchez opened the scoring for his second goal in two matches and teed up Ander Herrera before half-time as the Red Devils wrapped up their United States tour on a winning note in Miami.

Madrid were playing for the first time since Ronaldo swapped the Champions League holders for Juventus, but Brazilian sensation and debutant Vinicius starred under new head coach Julen Lopetegui on Tuesday.

With Madrid after finalising his €45million move from Flamengo, Vinicius was a shining light as the flamboyant 18-year-old showed glimpses of his enormous potential for the Spanish giants, who completely dominated in the second period after Karim Benzema reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time.

Jose Mourinho has cut a frustrated figure throughout the pre-season tour, unhappy with the lack of transfer activity and the absence of his stars however United – who were routed 4-1 by Liverpool last week – still manage to field a strong starting XI, which included David de Gea, Fred, Sanchez, Mata, Herrera, Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw.

There were debuts for Vinicius and Alvaro Odriozola, while Benzema and Gareth Bale started Madrid's ICC opener and Lopetegui's bow, with the likes of Toni Kroos, Isco and Marcos Asensio on the bench.

Madrid were stepping out on the field for the first time this pre-season and they, unsurprisingly, looked off the pace and sluggish at times compared to United – playing their fifth match.

United spurned an early chance inside five minutes when Sanchez picked out Mata with a delightful dinked pass but the Spaniard was able to get a shot on target from close range.Vinicius was a handful for a United back-three featuring Bailly, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Scott McTominay, but Madrid were overpowered in the first half.

Sanchez broke the deadlock in the 18th minute for his second goal in two matches when Andreas Pereira played through Matteo Darmian and the wantaway Italian cut the ball back for the in-form Chilean to sweep home.United doubled the lead nine minutes later after Darmian, Mata and Sanchez combined in a sensational team move to tee up Herrera, who fired a half-volley past Kiko Casilla approaching the half-hour mark.

Bale and Benzema struggled to impact proceedings, that was until the latter pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time when the Frenchman latched onto a Theo Hernandez cross as United's defence switched off.

The second half was in complete contrast to the first as United – who were so dominant in the opening 45 minutes – struggled to string passes together against an improved Madrid.

Ukraine international and teenage goalkeeper Adriy Lunin came on for his Madrid debut following the 19-year-old's €14m arrival in June, while fellow youngster Martin Odegaard was also introduced and wasted a great chance to equalise after blazing over the crossbar.

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!
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Tottenham 1 AC Milan 0: N'Koudou strike notches second Spurs ICC win

Tottenham ended their International Champions Cup tour on a high as Georges-Kevin N'Koudou's 47th-minute strike gave Spurs a 1-0 win over AC Milan.

N'Koudou scored powerfully a minute into the second half to put Premier League side Tottenham in the ascendency after Milan had created the better chances in the opening period on Tuesday.

The French winger could have doubled Tottenham's lead but he was denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma, whilst Patrick Cutrone and Franck Kessie came closest for the Rossoneri – who are reportedly close to signing Juventus pair Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Caldara – in Minnesota.Tottenham and Milan last met in the Champions League round of 16 in 2010-11, when Spurs advanced 1-0 on aggregate and it was another low scoring night at the U.S. Bank Stadium.

Milan, whose last ICC match against Manchester United was decided after a marathon penalty shoot-out, started brightly with Suso causing problems out wide.

Spurs also suffered a shoot-out defeat against LaLiga champions Barcelona last week, but a starting line-up still without England stars Harry Kane and Dele Alli posed little threat to Milan's defence in the first half.The Serie A side pressed as Cutrone's header from Suso's cross forced Michel Vorm into a fine save, before the former nodded beyond the post with another effort.

Donnarumma and new signing Alen Halilovic were introduced at the break for Milan, but it was Spurs who took the lead when N'Koudou drove towards the Rossoneri goal before rifling brilliantly into the roof of the net.

Tottenham, too, made a goalkeeping change at half-time when Paulo Gazzaniga was introduced for Vorm, and the Argentinean was quickly called into action to save from Kessie, before Hakan Calhanoglu's free-kick drifted just wide.

Christian Eriksen and Son Heung-Min were among the names introduced as Spurs aimed to hold onto their lead, but N'Koudou continued to look their biggest threat, as he raced through on goal but was denied by Donnarumma.

Milan nearly levelled the scores when Jose Mauri fired wide from the edge of the area in stoppage time, but Spurs held on to win their second ICC match against Serie A opposition, having routed Roma 4-1.

 

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Barcelona 2 Roma 4: Malcom scores but Italians produce stunning comeback

Roma scored three goals in eight minutes as the Serie A side twice came from behind to stun Malcom and Barcelona 4-2 at the International Champions Cup.All eyes were on Malcom after he opted to join LaLiga champions Barca, who dramatically hijacked Roma's €40million deal to sign the highly-rated Brazilian from Bordeaux last week.

Malcom – who was preparing to fly out to the Italian capital after Roma reached an agreement with Bordeaux before Barca stepped in at the last minute – was in the thick of the action on Tuesday, scoring the easiest of goals to put the Spanish giants 2-1 up.

Unmarked at the back post, the 21-year-old's tap-in four minutes into the second half restored Barca's lead after Stephan El Shaarawy cancelled out Rafinha's sublime opener before the break.

But Roma completed a late comeback – Alessandro Florenzi equalising in the 78th minute before quick-fire goals from Bryan Cristante and Diego Perotti turned the match on its head at AT&T Stadium.

After sealing Barca's penalty shoot-out win over Tottenham last week, Malcom made his first start, while Arthur – who enjoyed a goalscoring debut against Spurs – was also in the XI, along with Nelsen Semedo and Clement Lenglet.

There was a Roma debut for Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who was signed to replace Alisson after the Brazilian's record-breaking move to Liverpool.Daniele De Rossi, Edin Dzeko, Kostas Manolas, Kevin Strootman, Florenzi, Lorenzo Pellegrini and recruit Justin Kluivert also featured in a strong line-up.

Roma were routed 4-1 by Tottenham last week and last season's Champions League semi-finalists looked in disarray against a team they sensationally eliminated in the quarter-finals.Barca almost hit the front inside a minute but Munir El Haddadi's scuffed shot looped over Olsen's hand and just wide of the post, however, the Spaniards were not to be denied five minutes later.

Roma were helpless to deny Barca, who produced a jaw-dropping move that was capped by Rafinha after the Brazilian combined with Munir before receiving the ball back and volleying past Olsen.Barca nearly doubled the lead when Malcom charged through Roma's defence in the ninth minute, but Olsen was on hand to prevent his team from falling further behind.

For all of Barca's attacking brilliance, they were exposed defensively after El Shaarawy equalised against the run of play 10 minutes before half-time – the Italian forward the beneficiary following Kluivert's darting run down the wing towards the penalty area.Barcelona retook the lead within four minutes of the second-half restart, however, thanks to Malcom, who tapped into an empty net from Ballou Tabla's centred pass across the six-yard box.

But Barca were pegged back again with 12 minutes remaining when Florenzi scuffed the ball into the back of the net, despite Perotti taking too long to unleash a strike on goal.

Cristante then nipped in front of his opponent before beating Jasper Cillessen with a low shot in the 83rd minute, while Perroti's spot-kick three minutes later sealed the victory after Patrik Schick won a penalty.

 

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Everton sign Digne from Barcelona for £22m

Everton have completed the signing of Lucas Digne from Barcelona for £22m ($29m).The former Lille, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma left-back has signed a five-year deal with the Toffees, ending his two-year stay at Camp Nou.Everton have landed Digne for an initial £19.5m (€22m/$25.6m) fee which could eventually rise to £22m (€25m/$29m) once bonuses are included.

Speaking about his move to Goodison Park, Digne told Everton's official website: “Everton is a big club with a great history. I want to play games, win games and excite the fans with the quality of our football.

“I want to show my best football here and discover the best league in the world. Everybody loves the Premier League. I am loving the fact I am coming here.“I am not afraid, I am excited. For me, it is a new challenge to discover a country, a league, people and a great club such as Everton. It is fabulous.”

Everton boss Marco Silva has also hailed Digne's arrival, adding: “It is important to say that he is a player who, from the first moment he was contacted, showed enormous desire to play at Everton.

“He is a high-quality player, aggressive, with good technical ability and in the past five seasons he has played two years at Paris St-Germain, one in Roma and for the past two seasons he has demonstrated his clear quality in Barcelona.

“Lucas is a player who will add competitiveness in a position where we only had Leighton Baines last season and he is accustomed to winning. This is his mentality having captured titles in his career and having these on his résumé.”

Digne emerged through Lille's famed youth system before moving to PSG in 2013, helping the club win two Ligue 1 titles and two Coupe de la Ligue crowns.After spending the 2015-16 season on loan at Roma, Digne moved to Barcelona in 2016 and made 12 La Liga appearances as the club lifted the Spanish league title last term.

Digne, who was on standby for France's World Cup-winning squad in the summer, becomes Everton's second summer signing alongside Richarlison, who joined for £40m ($53m) in July.

 

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'I'm not going to talk about Courtois' - Lopetegui 'thrilled' with Real Madrid keepers


Julen Lopetegui will not discuss a potential move for Thibaut Courtois as he insists he is "thrilled" with Real Madrid's current goalkeepers.Courtois has long been linked with a switch to Madrid and, with Chelsea not in the Champions League this season, speculation has intensified since his impressive performances at the World Cup with Belgium.

But with the transfer window now in its final month in Spain, Madrid are yet to make their move.And new head coach Lopetegui is planning to continue working with the keepers already at the club, including first-choice Keylor Navas and new signing Andriy Lunin.

"At no time am I going to talk about players who are not at Real Madrid," he said of Courtois following Madrid's International Champions Cup defeat to Manchester United.

"I am thrilled with the goalkeepers that I have and I will not talk about players who are not part of this team."Navas has previously said that he is unfazed by his side being linked with the Belgium ace.

Meanwhile, new Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has been bullish over his club's prospects of retaining the former Atletico Madrid loanee, as well as other stars such as Eden Hazard and Willian.

"I'm confident they'll stay," the ex-Napoli boss said.Madrid were beaten 2-1 by United, but new boy Vinicius Jr starred in place of the departed Cristiano Ronaldo.Hazard, Courtois' Chelsea team-mate, has also been linked with a move to Madrid to replace the Portuguese.

 

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Lazio will only consider 'indecent' offers for Man Utd & Real Madrid target Milinkovic-Savic


Lazio president Claudio Lotito said he never put star midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic up for sale, though he would consider "indecent offers".Milinkovic-Savic, 23, has been linked with Serie A holders Juventus, Champions League winners Real Madrid and Premier League giants Manchester United.However, the €100 million-rated (£89m/$116m) Serbia midfielder – who featured at the World Cup in Russia – reported for pre-season training in the Italian capital.

Asked about Milinkovic-Savic, Lotito told RMC Sport: "I never put Milinkovic-Savic up for sale."As with everything, indecent offers will be evaluated. In the interest of the club, I've never taken an emolument, unlike many of my colleagues…

"After Juventus, Inter and Milan, my Lazio is one of the most successful clubs in Italy in terms of trophies."

Milinkovic-Savic scored 12 Serie A goals and 14 in all competitions as Lazio finished fifth last season.

 

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Higuain to complete Milan loan as Juve welcome back Bonucci in Caldara swap deal


AC Milan and Juventus are set to complete a sensational three-player transfer deal, as Gonzalo Higuain prepares for a move on loan to San Siro while defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Mattia Caldara swap clubs.Goal can confirm that after rounds of talks between the two Serie A giants, an agreement has been struck.

Higuain, whose first-team spot in Turin has been threatened by the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, will spend the next season on loan with Milan in an €18 million (£16m/$21m) loan switch.

The Argentine could then become a permanent member of the Rossoneri squad should they take up a further purchase option worth €36m (£32m/$42m) at the end of the 2018-19 campaign.

Higuain will now travel to Milan to undergo his medical on Thursday morning, but the former Real Madrid and Napoli striker is not the only piece of business that has been conducted between the rivals this summer.After just one season at Milan, Bonucci will return to his old club, having struggled to show his best form at San Siro.Caldara, who spent a single month with Juve having moved from Atalanta at the start of the transfer window, is the makeweight in a deal to bring back the Italy defender.

The move will be a straight swap, both players being mutually valued by their current clubs at €35m (£31m/$40.8m).Juventus had originally insisted on a buyback clause for 24-year-old Caldara, who has played twice for the Bianconeri in the 2018 International Champions Cup; but dropped the demand during talks with Milan.

The two players will now fly back from the U.S. to complete their respective moves ahead of the start of the Serie A season on August 18.

 

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MLS All-Stars 1 Juventus 1 (3-5 on penalties): Serie A champions prevail in shoot-out


Juventus defeated the MLS All-Stars 5-3 on penalties in Atlanta amid a blockbuster transfer with Italian rivals AC Milan.Juve pair Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Caldara were poised to join Milan on Wednesday, with veteran defender Leonardo Bonucci nearing a sensational return to the Serie A champions.

And on the pitch in front of a record-breaking crowd of 72,317 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Juve triumphed midweek after Bradley Wright-Phillips was the only player to miss a penalty in the shoot-out midweek following a 1-1 draw.Italian striker Andrea Favilli put Juventus ahead after 21 minutes as the 21-year-old took his pre-season tally to three goals.

Signed from Ascoli but expected to be sent out on loan, Favilli – whose first-half brace inspired victory over Bayern Munich at the International Champions Cup on July 25 – rose highest and glanced a header into the far corner of the net from Matheus Pereira's cross.

But the All-Stars hit back five minutes later when Venezuela star and former Torino forward Josef Martinez – with 24 MLS goals and nine more than nearest rival Zlatan Ibrahimovic – produced a poachers finish to restore parity after a goalmouth scramble.

Juventus – who edged Benfica in a penalty shoot-out at the ICC last week – named a strong XI, Alex Sandro, Joao Cancelo, Daniele Rugani, Andrea Barzagli, Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic, Emre Can and Fernando Bernardeschi included in the line-up.Led by former Barcelona and Argentina head coach Gerardo Martino, the All-Stars boasted leading MLS scorer Martinez and Mexico international Carlos Vela, while ex-Juventus winger Sebastian Giovinco started on the bench.

It was an evenly-contested opening in Atlanta, where Favilli's glancing header and Bernardeschi's long-range effort highlighted the All-Stars' impressive performance.

However, Juve struck first in the 21st minute as Favilli continued his fine pre-season form for the Italian giants – the powerful striker meeting Pereira's cross and guiding his header past Brad Guzan and into the far corner.Juve's lead lasted five minutes after Martinez bundled home the equaliser following a goalmouth scramble.

Martinez headed Miguel Almiron's delivery into the path of Vela, who forced Wojciech Szczesny into a save but the Poland international failed to push the ball over the crossbar as Ignacio Piatti sent the rebound cross goal where the former was the quickest to react.

Giovinco came off the bench amid a flurry of changes before the break as per club requests and the Italian star almost helped put the MLS XI ahead in the 39th minute after he picked out Ezequiel Barco but Szczesny was up to the task.

Both teams cleared their benches in the second half and it impacted the rhythm of the match with chances few and far between.Diego Valeri had the chance to win the game in the final nine minutes but the scrambling Mehdi Benatia managed to block the goal-bound strike.

 

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Arsenal 1 Chelsea 1 (6-5 on penalties): Cech the hero against old club

Petr Cech was Arsenal's hero against his former club Chelsea as Unai Emery's side triumphed 6-5 in a penalty shoot-out after a tremendous 1-1 International Champions Cup draw in Dublin.

Callum Hudson-Odoi produced another highly promising performance, the teenage attacker shining as Maurizio Sarri's side failed to make their first-half dominance count due to Alvaro Morata's poor finishing, but it was veteran goalkeeper Cech who would decide the game.

Aaron Ramsey was set to start against the Blues despite being linked with a £30million move to Stamford Bridge - the Wales midfielder withdrawn pre-match due to a calf injury - and that change appeared to unsettle Arsenal as Hudson-Odoi ran riot in the opening period, winning a penalty that was wasted by Morata, who could not beat Cech from 12 yards.Antonio Rudiger's fifth-minute goal seemed certain to prove the winner at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday, the Germany international capitalising on poor defending to head home a Cesc Fabregas corner.

But Alexandre Lacazette struck in the 93rd minute to give both sides a further taste of ICC shoot-out action, Arsenal having lost to Atletico Madrid on penalties while Chelsea had previously beaten Inter.After five perfect spot-kicks apiece, Cech guessed right and pushed away a tame strike from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, allowing Alex Iwobi to step up to ensure Arsenal's ICC campaign ends on a high.

Cech - who spent 11 years at Chelsea - was called into action early, turning over Fabregas' 20-yard drive after Hudson-Odoi got into the box and pulled back a fine low cross.

Chelsea opened the scoring from the resulting corner, though, Rudiger peeling away from slack marking to power home Fabregas' corner.Morata was given a golden opportunity to double Chelsea's lead when Hudson-Odoi brilliantly beat Hector Bellerin in the box and was fouled, but the Spain striker's poor penalty was easily saved by Cech.

Hudson-Odoi was running the game and Morata should have scored from his perfect cross in the 15th minute but instead misjudged his header, Cech then using his left leg to deny the striker after more terrific work from the livewire teenager.

Arsenal finally found a foothold in the game and, when Henrikh Mkhitaryan slotted a fantastic low cross into the box, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang somehow failed to convert at the back post.But it was Hudson-Odoi who was stamping his name on an entertaining contest, Cech quick off his line to deny the 17-year-old after he beat the offside trap.

Arsenal improved after the interval but purposeless passing from Emery's team did not threaten Chelsea, an unmarked Rudiger heading wide from Pedro's corner as Sarri's men sought a decisive second.

A rare poor pass from Jorginho presented Lacazette with a chance to level in the 75th minute but the France forward dragged his shot wide after turning Andreas Christensen and substitute goalkeeper Marcin Bulka then showed his sharpness to plunge low to his right to superbly keep out a first-time strike from Iwobi.But although Bulka brilliantly denied Lacazette in injury time, the striker turned home a Reiss Nelson low cross from close range to send the tie to a shoot-out.

A pristine set of penalties sent the tie into sudden death but Bulka could not provide more heroics, Cech's save low to his right denying Loftus-Cheek and allowing Iwobi to confidently stroke home the decisive spot-kick.

Chelsea will hope to bounce back when they play Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday, with Arsenal facing Lazio in their final pre-season friendly a day earlier.

 

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Unhappy Sarri plans Willian talks after delay in Chelsea star’s return


New Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri is "not happy" and plans to have a conversation with star attacker Willian after the Brazil international was delayed in his return to the club after the World Cup.

Willian’s future with the Blues has been in question this summer amid reported interest from Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid, with Barca making several bids.

While Barcelona’s pursuit ended when the La Liga champions signed Malcom from Bordeaux for €41 million (£36.5m/$48m), Willian was delayed in rejoining Chelsea from his post World Cup vacation prompting speculation another bid had come in.

Goal understands that a passport issue, not a bid from Real Madrid, was the cause of the delay, but Sarri admitted frustration with the situation in his post-match news conference following Chelsea's defeat on penalties to London rivals Arsenal in the International Champions Cup.

“I want to speak to him before I answer these questions,” Sarri told reports on the Willian situation. “I want to speak to him. I am not happy about this situation but before I answer, I would like to speak to him.”When asked if the matter was strange Sarri simply replied: “Yes.”Willian is not the only Chelsea player who’s future is in doubt as the Premier League season approaches.

Eden Hazard has questioned his Chelsea future with links to Real Madrid persisting, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has repeatedly voiced a desire to be closer to his children, who live in Madrid.Sarri offered no updates on the Chelsea futures of any of his stars, admitting he will meet with them for the first time this weekend.

“Not at this moment, no, because I will see them on Saturday for the first time,” Sarri said when asked about their status. “I don’t know the situation in this moment. There is no news.”When asked if he wanted to keep all three players, Sarri made it clear that was the goal.

“We are talking about top players,” Sarri added. “Every club wants to keep their top players and we are trying to do it.”