..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton agree €40m deal to sign Kean from Juventus


Everton have agreed a deal to sign Moise Kean from Juventus in a deal worth an initial €32 million (£29m/$35m).

Goalreported on Monday that a deal for the Italy international was close as Marco Silva looks to add to his wide options, and can now confirm that the 19-year-old will move to Goodison Park after a season during which he scored seven goals in 17 appearances for Juve as they won a record eighth successive Serie A crown.

The deal could grow to become worth up to €40m (£36m/$44m) with add-ons, with Kean set to earn €3m (£2.75m/$3.3m) a year on Merseyside across a five-year contract.

The agreement for the 19-year-old comes on the same day that the Toffees agreed a deal to sell Idrissa Gueye to French champions Paris Saint-Germain for €30m (£28m/$34m).

Kean, who is a product of the Juventus youth academy and represented Italy at every youth level before making his senior debut in 2018, represents a significant coup under the stewardship of owner Farhad Moshiri.

Toffees boss Marco Silva said he was eager to get in new players before the start of the Premier League season, telling reporters last week that he wanted to get their transfer business done quickly.

“It should be if you really want to be competitive and to do better than last season," he said. “Because at the end of the day, it is what we want to do: do better than last season."On Monday, Everton released a statement denying that they had made a second bid for Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, after their initial bid of £52m ($63m) was rejected over the weekend.

Reports had suggested that Silva’s team had sought to lure Palace to the negotiating table with a bid of £55m ($67m) plus James McCarthy and Cenk Tosun.

But the club have since confirmed that their interest in the Ivorian has ended, saying in a statement: "Everton Football Club categorically denies that a bid has been submitted to Crystal Palace for Wilfried Zaha that included an increased sum plus Cenk Tosun and James McCarthy."Everton and Crystal Palace have a very good relationship. A bid was made over the weekend which was turned down.

“Both clubs agreed that that was the end of the matter.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus willing to offer Dybala to Man Utd as they lead €83m Lukaku transfer race


Juventus are willing to include Paulo Dybala in transfer negotiations with Manchester United as they aim to seal a deal for Romelu Lukaku.

According to sources, United want €83 million (£76m/$93m) for the Belgian striker but there could well be movement on that price should the Red Devils be interested in adding Dybala to their squad.

Juve head coach Maurizio Sarri wants Lukaku to be his main centre-forward heading into the 2019-20 campaign, with Cristiano Ronaldo being deployed on the left flank and Federico Bernardeschi on the right.

That means that Dybala would have to settle for a rotation role similar to the one he had under former coach Massimiliano Allegri that saw his playing time reduced following Ronaldo's blockbuster arrival from Real Madrid.

Indeed, Ronaldo is capable of playing centrally and Mario Mandzukic would seemingly be ahead of Dybala in the pecking order in terms of a direct replacement for Lukaku, while Douglas Costa and Juan Cuadrado offer alternative options out wide.There is also the presence of Gonzalo Higuain, although Juve are looking to move on the 31-year-old should a suitable offer arrive.

As revealed by Goal, Juve are ready to listen to offers for Dybala, while the club's vice-predicent Pavel Nedved has confirmed there have been "some proposals", with Tottenham having also been strongly linked.

As for Inter, who have been linked with Lukaku throughout the summer and made no secret of their desire to take him to San Siro, they would have to resort to Plan B, should the former Everton striker not end up joining them.

Antonio Conte currently only has Lautaro Martinez as a recognised striker, with Mauro Icardi having been told he has no future with the Serie A club and having not taken part in any of their pre-season preparations to date.

Edin Dzeko is another who is on Inter's wanted list although, like Lukaku, there are complications in terms of negotiations, with Roma demanding €20m (£18m/$22m) or alternatively a transfer that would see Icardi swapped for the former Manchester City man, with the Nerazzurri expecting €30m (£28m/$33m) as part of that deal.

The latter scenario would free up the necessary funds for Inter to go for Paris Saint-Germain forward Edinson Cavani, with the Ligue 1 champions demanding as much as €50m (£46m/$56m), and leave Conte with the two striker purchases he has been craving.

As it stands, Dybala is ultimately proving key in a complicated transfer merry-go-round that could trigger as many as four transfers relating to Italy's top flight.

Should the Argentine be open to a move to Old Trafford, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward also agree to a deal, that would leave the path clear for Lukaku to make the switch to join Sarri's Juve.

United, meanwhile, continue to chase Leicester City centre-back Harry Maguire, while they have also been linked with midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.

Paul Pogba is looking increasingly likely to stay at the club, meanwhile, with Real Madrid's hopes of landing the Frenchman fading amid the Red Devils' reluctance to open negotiations amid fears they won't have enough time to sign a suitable replacement.

Lukaku is, however, one member of the United squad that looks almost certain to leave and the Belgian, who has played no part in pre-season, teased a possible exit as he posed for a photo with agent Federico Pastorello and captioned the image "soon to be continued".

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Nicolas Pepe to fly in for Arsenal medical as £72m move edges closer


Nicolas Pepe will arrive in England on Tuesday as his record-breaking move to Arsenal edges closer.

The Gunners have spent the past 48 hours locked in talks with Pepe’s representatives after agreeing a £72 million deal ($87m) with Lille for the 24-year-old attacker.

There are a few minor details still to be ironed out between both sides, but Pepe is scheduled to travel to England from France later today to put the finishing touches on his move and undergo his medical.

He will then sign a five-year deal which will see him earn around £150,000 per week, with Arsenal hopeful he will be fit enough to play some sort of part in their opening Premier League fixture of the season at Newcastle on August 11.

The Gunners are in action in France on Wednesday night when they take on Angers and they complete their pre-season campaign with a game against Barcelona at the Camp Nou on Sunday.Arsenal will fly into Spain on the day of the game and it's too early to say whether Unai Emery will consider handing Pepe some minutes against the Liga champions.

Speaking about the prospect of the Ivory Coast international arriving, Arsenal's head coach said: "We are working, the club, and also thinking about how we can improve."There are different players on the table with the possibility that we can achieve their signature.

"Pepe is a very good player and also we are thinking only of players who can really, really improve this squad and also give us some different conditions to improve."We have been working for the last few weeks and before we start the season in the first match against Newcastle, our aim is to get the best team with the best players in our squad."

Pepe scored 22 goals last season as well as contributing 11 assists as Lille finished second in Ligue 1 to qualify for the Champions League.He predominantly plays on the right side of the attack, although he can operate on the left or as a striker.

Arsenal will pay Lille around £20m ($24m) up front, before paying off what remains of the fee in a series of instalments over the length of his five-year contract.Speaking to talkSPORT on Monday, former Southampton defender Jose Fonte backed Pepe to be a major success at the Emirates Stadium.

Fonte, who played with Pepe last season at Lille, said: "He is incredible. If he can reach the same level, which I believe he will, that he did with Lille last season then Arsenal fans will be very happy.

"He is super quick, he has a left foot which is silky, one vs one he is second to none. He finishes really good, he takes penalties, he takes free-kicks."He is a very, very accomplished player and I think Arsenal fans will be in for a treat, for sure."

Pepe will be Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer following the additions of Gabriel Martinelli, Dani Ceballos and William Saliba, who will spend the coming season back on loan at Saint-Etienne.The Gunners will look to finally secure the signature of Celtic left-back Kieran Tierney once Pepe’s move has been confirmed.

The Scottish side have rejected two bids for Tierney already this summer, but Arsenal are expected to return with a third offer in the coming days which they hope will see them given permission to open talks with the player.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'It's coming' - Ronaldo insists Juventus will win Champions League soon


Cristiano Ronaldo is confident Serie A giants Juventus will win the Champions League, insisting "it's coming".After eight successive Serie A titles, Juve are eyeing European glory following five runners-up medals since their last Champions League triumph in 1996.

Most recently, Juventus have been runners-up to Barcelona in 2015 as well as Ronaldo's own Madrid side in 2017, with the Portuguese netting a brace in the final.

Ronaldo – a five-time Champions League winner who celebrated four titles with Real Madrid – was unable to help Juve past the quarter-finals in his first season at the club last term.The Italian side fell to Ajax in the last eight after the Dutch side knocked out Ronaldo's former club Real Madrid in the Round of 16.

However, while the forward admitted that he was unsure whether a triumph would come this year, Ronaldo believes Maurizio Sarri's Juve are poised to conquer Europe and that it will happen sooner rather than later.

"After winning what I won at Madrid I needed a change and new motivation," Ronaldo told Marca."I still have the strength to keep winning."Juventus will win the Champions League. I don't know if it'll be this year or the next, but it's coming."

Ronaldo was speaking after receiving the prestigious Marca Leyenda award "for his successful career as a professional footballer and for the standing he has attained across the world."

The 34-year-old superstar made a seamless transition from Madrid to Juve, helping the Italian giants to their eighth successive Serie A crown in 2018-19.The veteran scored 28 goals in all competitions last season, 21 of those coming in the league.

Ronaldo also revealed on Monday that he hopes to someday return to Madrid, where he scored a whopping 450 goals in just 438 games for the Spanish giants during his time in the city.

Juventus are set to open the Serie A campaign against Parma on August 25 for the first match of the club's title defence before taking on Napoli in the second week in new coach Sarri's first match against his former club.

Before that, though, Juventus are set to face Atletico Madrid on Saturday as the club look to continue pre-season preparations in Sweden at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Blow for Man Utd as Bailly to miss 'four to five months' with knee injury


Manchester United defender Eric Bailly will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after having knee surgery.


The 25-year-old centre-back suffered a knee injury against Tottenham during a pre-season friendly in China last week.


The initial signs were not good and now Bailly may not play again in 2019, having also battled knee problems during an injury-plagued 2018-19 season.


Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed the news after watching his side scrape past Norwegian outfit Kristiansund 1-0 in Oslo on Tuesday."Eric has had an operation and will be out for four to five months," he said.
"Hopefully we'll have him back around Christmas time."


Solskjaer acknowledged his side were fortunate to post their fifth straight pre-season victory after Juan Mata went down in the penalty area in the 91st minute.


Mata appeared to make the most of little-to-no contact from Andreas Vaikla, the third goalkeeper used by Kristiansund during the match, before scoring from the spot.


"They held their own. They defended really well," Solskjaer told MUTV.
"Of course we couldn't really break them down. They defended well and their 'keepers, all three of them, they did really well. But it's one of these games that we might get in the league ... sometimes it's the 91st minute, sometimes it's the first minute."The goal was very good... quality pass, great run and you're happy winning the game."

Solskjaer's son, Noah, appeared off the bench for Kristiansund in the dying stages, while the manager was flanked by his youngest son Elijah throughout the contest.


Asked if it was a proud night for his family, the United boss added: "I think so. Noah makes his debut for them in front of 28,000. It's not very often a Norwegian boy does [that]. Elijah next to me, he enjoyed it. That's what it about."


United play AC Milan in the International Champions Cup on Saturday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Get well soon Bailly!
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[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 5-3 Fenerbahce: Benzema treble glosses over defensive errors

Karim Benzema scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid earned a rare pre-season win, beating Fenerbahce 5-3 in the Audi Cup, but defensive problems continue to dog Zinedine Zidane's side.

After conceding 12 goals in three games at the International Champions Cup, Madrid lost 1-0 to Tottenham on Tuesday and went into their clash with Fenerbahce needing a morale-boosting clean sheet.

That went out of the window within six minutes of a game that, while entertaining, covered neither side's defenders in glory.

Zidane has two more friendlies to address those rearguard issues before Madrid's LaLiga opener against Celta Vigo on August 17, and he will hope Benzema can continue his good form against Red Bull Salzburg and Roma.

Garry Rodrigues shrugged off the challenge of Raphael Varane to give himself time and space on the edge of the box to fire off a shot that Keylor Navas got a hand to but failed to keep from squirming under his body as Zidane's men fell behind.

Ozan Tufan drew a diving save from Navas moments later with a 30-yard piledriver before some sloppy Fenerbahce defending allowed Vinicius Junior's cross to reach Benzema, who coolly placed a low finish into the corner of the net.

Benzema struck again when Toni Kroos floated a free-kick into the mixer that sat up nicely for the Madrid striker to arrow a fierce header beyond Altay Bayindir in a manner that will have delighted Zidane.

But Nabil Dirar levelled matters when his shot ricocheted through the legs of Alvaro Odriozola and bounced up over Navas and into the gaping net to make it 2-2 at half-time.

Lucas Vazquez scampered down the right flank eight minutes into the second half and crossed to the unmarked Benzema who completed his hat-trick with a free downward header.

But Madrid's defence remained slow-footed and nobody challenged Tufan as he unleashed a swerving 25-yard drive that Andriy Lunin - on as a second-half substitute - got a firm hand to as it flashed into the net.

Play continued to swing from end to end and Nacho restored Madrid's lead, slamming home the rebound after Mariano Diaz's smart effort was only parried by Bayindir, who later palmed Vazquez's cross-cum-shot into the path of Mariano to ram home Madrid's fifth.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Kristiansund 0-1 Manchester United: Controversial Mata penalty settles Oslo friendly

Juan Mata's stoppage-time penalty gave a profligate Manchester United a controversial 1-0 friendly win over Norwegian outfit Kristiansund in Oslo on Tuesday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side lacked sharpness in their penultimate pre-season friendly and wasted a host of chances - Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford the prime culprits.

Scott McTominay hit the post in the first half, too, and a draw seemed on the cards until Mata went down in the penalty area in stoppage time.

The Spaniard stepped up to take the spot-kick and coolly converted, sparing Solskjaer's blushes against a Kristiansund side who sit seventh in the ongoing Eliteserien.

Much of the pre-match build-up surrounded Noah Solskjaer, the 19-year-old son of the Manchester United boss who has occasionally featured for Kristiansund's B team.

Solskjaer Jr. was a late substitute, while new Manchester United signings Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James started for the visitors.

The chances came thick and fast in a one-sided opening half but Kristiansund held firm with a mix of defiant defence, a goalkeeper in inspired form and the odd stroke of luck.

Defender Christoffer Aasbak produced two vital interventions in the space of four minutes, first producing a last-ditch challenge that deflected a Lingard effort over before he cleared a dangerous Luke Shaw cross that James was waiting to tap in at the far post.

Kristiansund keeeper Sean McDermott was called upon at regular intervals - saving sharply from a Rashford free-kick, denying the same player with his legs and producing a one-handed stop to keep out a Lingard strike.

United's first half was summed up by McTominay's 42nd-minute strike that he thrashed into the woodwork before watching it bounce away to safety.

Kristiansund should have taken a shock lead six minutes into the second half but Sondre Sorli missed the target with a free header from close range and the near-miss kicked Solskjaer's men into action.

Rashford forced a one-handed save from Serigne Mor Mbaye, who replaced the excellent McDermott, while Solskjaer made 11 changes in a bid for the elusive first goal.

Mason Greenwood fired into the side netting and Fred then curled wide before the decisive moment, as Mata went down softly after Andreas Vaikla - the third goalkeeper to play in the match for Kristiansund - rushed off his line.

United have one more pre-season friendly remaining and will take on AC Milan on Saturday. A clash against Chelsea - now managed by former player Frank Lampard - will follow on the first weekend of the Premier League season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd enter talks with Juve over Dybala & Lukaku swap deal


Manchester United have opened discussions regarding a move for Paulo Dybala amid talk of a potential swap deal with Juventus involving Romelu Lukaku.

The Bianconeri have joined the race to sign the Belgian forward after initial negotiations between United and Inter failed to produce a mutually beneficial deal.

But United have now entered into talks regarding the purchase of Dybala from Juve in a transfer which could involve Lukaku signing for Maurizio Sarri’s side.

Manchester United have opened discussions regarding a move for Paulo Dybala amid talk of a potential swap deal with Juventus involving Romelu Lukaku.

The Bianconeri have joined the race to sign the Belgian forward after initial negotiations between United and Inter failed to produce a mutually beneficial deal.

But United have now entered into talks regarding the purchase of Dybala from Juve in a transfer which could involve Lukaku signing for Maurizio Sarri’s side.

The Portuguese midfielder has been on United’s radar, but recent declarations that a deal could soon be done with Liga NOS side Sporting remain premature.
But the possibility of Dybala arriving at Old Trafford, where he netted Juventus’ only goal in a 1-0 Champions League win over the Reds in October 2018, is sure to lift United fans following a period of inactivity in the market.The 24-cap Argentina international has spent the last seven years of his career in Italy, initially signing for Palermo from his junior club Instituto in 2012.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cavani: Neymar still has a lot to give PSG despite Barcelona links


Edinson Cavani thinks Neymar can grow as a person after a summer spent in the limelight and believes he still has a lot to offer at Paris Saint-Germain.The Brazilian has been heavily linked with a move away from PSG, with a sensational return to Barcelona on the cards.

He has at times fuelled this speculation himself and some have suggested that he may well have burned some bridges in Paris – but Cavani thinks it is an experience that can help Neymar.

"I hope that everything that has happened to him will give him the experience to grow as an individual,” he told Le Parisien.“I think he still has a lot to give PSG, until the last day he is here as a player. He has a lot to give to football as well.”

Cavani is generally the least heralded of PSG’s fearsome front three, and he may have been feeling a little left out this summer with rumours swirling around his teammate Kylian Mbappe as well.

Mbappe had suggested that he could be looking for a fresh challenge away from Paris, but recently reaffirmed his commitment to the club and apologised for his comments.“Playing with great players like him, like Kylian, I really enjoy it,” Cavani added.“Now it’s time to find the connection between us, to create a good team, a good working atmosphere of work, sacrifice and professionalism.”When Neymar first joined PSG in the summer of 2017, there was plenty of evidence that he and Cavani didn’t get on.

Early in the 2017-18 season, the pair fought over who would take a penalty against Lyon. Cavani had been the penalty taker the previous year, but Neymar assumed the responsibility following his world-record transfer from Barca.

Later in the season, Neymar was booed by some PSG fans after taking another penalty. 7-0 up and with the Brazilian already having a hat-trick under his belt, Cavani was only one goal from breaking the club’s all-time scoring record. Once again, Neymar took and scored the spot-kick.

"A lot of things have been said about us,” Cavani said.“It's true that we had some differences in the first few months after his arrival, but it's good to come together and talk it over.

“After that, the social networks, the external communication... it has been exaggerated, a lot of things have been said that aren’t true.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona forward Malcom seals €45m move to Zenit


Zenit St Petersburg have signed Barcelona winger Malcom for a fee of €40 million (£36.5m/$44.5m), plus €5 million (£4.6m/$5.6m) in add-ons.The Brazilian leaves the Camp Nou just a year after joining the club from French side Bordeaux.

The 22-year-old made 24 appearances in all competitions for Ernesto Valverde's side last season, scoring four goals.

The La Liga champions say they will be due a percentage of any fee should Zenit sell Malcom in the future.Goal reported on Thursday that Malcom will earn around €6.5 million (£5.9m/$7.2m) per season in Russia.

He leaves Barca having helped the club win the La Liga title and the Supercopa de Espana during his sole season in Catalonia.Barca fought off strong competition from Italian side Roma to sign Malcom for €41 million in July 2018.

However, he struggled to force his way into a side already well stocked with attacking players.The presence of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Ousmane Dembele and Philippe Coutinho meant Malcom’s first-team opportunities were limited.

The summer signing of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid pushed him further down the Camp Nou pecking order, while Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar continues to be linked with a return to his former club.As a result Barca took the decision to let Malcom leave this window in search of regular first-team football.

The forward had a €180m release clause in his contract, but Barcelona made it clear that they would be happy to sell the winger should anyone offer more than the €41m fee spent on him last summer.Premier League side Everton and Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund were also believed to be interested in Malcom but Zenit have won the race.

Malcom began his career at Corinthians in his native Brazil in 2014 before joining Bordeaux in two years later.He scored 23 goals in 96 appearances across all competitions for the Ligue 1 side before his move to the Camp Nou last summer.

The forward, who has been capped at under-20 and under-23 level, was called up to the senior Brazil squad for the first time for games against Saudi Arabia and Argentina in September last year but did not make it onto the pitch.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dani Alves completes Sao Paulo move after PSG exit


Sao Paulo have confirmed the signing of former Paris Saint-Germain full-back and Brazil star Dani Alves.

Alves has signed a contract with the Brazilian giants until December 2022, it was announced on Thursday.The 36-year-old – who first moved to Europe in 2002, joining Sevilla from Bahia – was a free agent following his PSG departure after two years with the Ligue 1 champions.

Alves had been linked to former club Barcelona and the Premier League, however, the veteran has opted to return home to Brazil as he eyes the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

"Daniel Alves is the embodiment of what this management envisions for Sao Paulo – one of the leading players in the world and recognised for his immense professionalism, his fierce determination and his endless thirst for titles and victories," club president Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva said in a statement."He is also a socially engaged citizen and passionate about our country. Sao Paulo, therefore, wins on every possible front.

"One day I told Daniel that he would come to play at Sao Paulo, the club of his heart. Today I have the immense joy and pride to have kept that promise."Alves captained Brazil to Copa America glory on home soil in July – taking his career haul to 40 trophies.

The veteran's transfer was announced in a video on Sao Paulo's Twitter account, with the defender expressing his excitement to be back in his native country playing for the club he supported as a child."I could've picked any other team to play for," Alves said. "But I chose to come back to Brazil, to my country, to my people. To the club I love."It's unreal, but I'm here!"

Sao Paulo also posted on Twitter that Alves would wear the No. 10 jersey at his new club.
Last week, Alves took to Instagram in a tongue-in-cheek post, asking where he should send his CV as he looked for a new team.But Alves has now landed back in his home country, where he will play at the club level for the first time in 17 years.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd agree £80m fee for Maguire


Manchester United have agreed terms with Leicester City over the £80 million ($97m) transfer of Harry Maguire to Old Trafford.

The 20-time English champions had been chasing the centre-back for the entire summer having curtailed plans to bring him to the club 12 months earlier, with the boyhood United fan having indicated some weeks ago that he was flattered by the club’s interest in him.

But now they are set to pay a world-record fee for a defender to make Maguire a United player, pending the result of a medical.

The transfer exceeds the previous record of £75m ($91m) that Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk back in January 2018.

The 26-year-old’s status in the game was raised during England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, and his continued form for Leicester since arriving at the King Power Stadium in 2017 also caught United’s eye.Maguire started his career with local club Sheffield United before joining Hull City for £3m ($4.8m) in 2014, and three years later he moved on to the Foxes for a fee rising to £17m ($22m).

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been keen to add a top-level centre-back to his squad for some time, and Maguire was the club’s number one target in that department.
Maguire had already been left out of the Leicester squad to face Atalanta in a pre-season friendly on Friday night and could now complete his switch to Old Trafford in the coming days.

That could see him become available for a potential debut when the Red Devils' Premier League season gets underway against Chelsea on August 11.

He becomes United’s third summer signing following the purchases of Daniel James from Swansea City and Crystal Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

And the Reds are expected to add at least one more player before next Thursday's transfer deadline, with the club having entered discussions with Juventus this week relating to a possible swap deal which would see Argentine attacker Paulo Dybala arrive in return for striker Romelu Lukaku.

The club have also been linked with the likes of Sporting's Bruno Fernandes and Tottenham's Christian Eriksen, but it is Dybala who remains their most realistic target for the time being

 

[Arthur Curry]

 

[ThisaraMalintha]

Man Utd agree £80m fee for Maguire


Manchester United have agreed terms with Leicester City over the £80 million ($97m) transfer of Harry Maguire to Old Trafford.

The 20-time English champions had been chasing the centre-back for the entire summer having curtailed plans to bring him to the club 12 months earlier, with the boyhood United fan having indicated some weeks ago that he was flattered by the club’s interest in him.

But now they are set to pay a world-record fee for a defender to make Maguire a United player, pending the result of a medical.

The transfer exceeds the previous record of £75m ($91m) that Liverpool paid Southampton for Virgil van Dijk back in January 2018.

The 26-year-old’s status in the game was raised during England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018, and his continued form for Leicester since arriving at the King Power Stadium in 2017 also caught United’s eye.Maguire started his career with local club Sheffield United before joining Hull City for £3m ($4.8m) in 2014, and three years later he moved on to the Foxes for a fee rising to £17m ($22m).

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been keen to add a top-level centre-back to his squad for some time, and Maguire was the club’s number one target in that department.
Maguire had already been left out of the Leicester squad to face Atalanta in a pre-season friendly on Friday night and could now complete his switch to Old Trafford in the coming days.

That could see him become available for a potential debut when the Red Devils' Premier League season gets underway against Chelsea on August 11.

He becomes United’s third summer signing following the purchases of Daniel James from Swansea City and Crystal Palace right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

And the Reds are expected to add at least one more player before next Thursday's transfer deadline, with the club having entered discussions with Juventus this week relating to a possible swap deal which would see Argentine attacker Paulo Dybala arrive in return for striker Romelu Lukaku.

The club have also been linked with the likes of Sporting's Bruno Fernandes and Tottenham's Christian Eriksen, but it is Dybala who remains their most realistic target for the time being

Finally a CB
80 millions I Don't think Maguire worth that much

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Bayern Munich: Sancho stars as BVB claim DFL-Supercup

Jadon Sancho grabbed a goal and an assist to inspire Borussia Dortmund to a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in the DFL-Supercup, ending Die Roten's recent dominance of the German season's curtain-raiser.

Lucien Favre's men looked the brighter and more imaginative of the two sides for much of the contest and their display – led by the excellent Sancho and Paco Alcacer – suggests the Bundesliga is set for another tight tussle at the top of the table.Although Bayern survived Dortmund's lightning start, Alcacer finally opened the scoring in the 48th minute.

Niko Kovac's side piled forward in search of an equaliser and Sancho – who set up the first goal after a solo run – finished things off on the break, preventing Bayern from winning the title for a fourth year in succession.
Dortmund showed no sign any of pre-season rustiness and almost produced a devastating start, as Raphael Guerreiro's cutback found Marco Reus and he forced a vital save from Manuel Neuer inside the first minute.

Bayern's goalkeeper was nearly the villain soon after, wildly rushing 40 yards out of his goal – but, luckily for him, Alcacer's effort trickled just wide of the empty net.Kovac's men finally clicked into gear in the 24th minute and Kingsley Coman drew a reflex save from Marwin Hitz.

Dortmund resumed control after the break and deservedly took the lead – Thiago Alcantara gifting possession to Sancho, who dazzled the Bayern defence and teed up Alcacer on the edge of the box for a sweeping finish into the bottom-right corner.An equaliser almost arrived 10 minutes later, but Hitz palmed away Coman's header and Omer Toprak desperately cleared just in time before Robert Lewandowski could pounce.

Dortmund took advantage with 21 minutes to go, as Guerreiro released Sancho behind the flagging David Alaba and he coolly slotted through Neuer's legs.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United 2-2 AC Milan (5-4 on penalties): James holds his nerve in Cardiff

Wales international Daniel James netted the winning penalty in a shoot-out in Cardiff after Manchester United and AC Milan played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in the International Champions Cup.

United made the sharper start and hit the front via a well-taken solo effort from Marcus Rashford before a sumptuous 26th-minute drive from Suso levelled matters.

With the Premier League giants understood to be closing in on a world-record move for Leicester City defender Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof endured a poor outing and needed substitute Jesse Lingard to cancel out his own goal.


The scoreline after 90 minutes meant Benfica claimed the ICC trophy, having won all three of their games in the competition, and a flawless set of penalties only faltered when Daniel Maldini – son of Milan great Paolo Maldini – failed to beat David de Gea with the Rossoneri's fifth attempt, leaving James to dispatch his effort down the middle of the goal to secure a 5-4 triumph on penalties.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side travelled to the Principality Stadium without Romelu Lukaku, while Paul Pogba missed the match due to a reported back spasm – the future of both players remaining the subject of heavy speculation.

Rashford was to the fore in a bright United start and, shortly after testing Gianluigi Donnarumma with a swerving 25-yard effort, the England forward was allowed to ease into the Milan box from the left and steered a deflected 14th-minute shot beyond the Milan goalkeeper.

United being more advanced in their pre-season preparations contributed to an apparent gulf between the sides early on, meaning Suso's brilliant strike from the edge of the area to equalise came against the run of play.De Gea saved impressively seven minutes before half-time when Suso's floated ball into the box evaded Krzysztof Piatek and skidded towards the far corner.

The United keeper then denied the Poland striker having driven him wide after Lindelof clumsily lost his footing.Lindelof was also involved in a manner he would care to forget when Milan hit the front with an hour played as he diverted Samu Castillejo's header into his own net.



Luke Shaw almost found a spectacular second for United when he met a cross from Ashley Young on the volley – his ambitious attempt flying just wide – before Lingard joined Rashford in finding weakness on the right-hand side of the Milan defence to slot home.

Impressive cameos from Angel Gomes and Mason Greenwood almost guided United to victory in normal time and both were on target in the shoot-out alongside Lingard and Young.

But another teenager, Maldini, was not as sure in his work as De Gea dived to his left and kept out a tame effort – gifting James a chance for a moment to remember that he grasped.

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!​

 

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Borussia Monchengladbach 2-2 Chelsea: Barkley penalty salvages draw

Ross Barkley scored an 86th-minute penalty as Chelsea came from two goals down to draw 2-2 in a friendly against Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.

Alassane Plea swept home after an error from Kepa Arrizabalaga before Jonas Hofmann made the most of some disorganised defending to give Gladbach a two-goal advantage at half-time.

Yann Sommer made a string of excellent stops to keep Chelsea at bay but his goal was eventually breached by Tammy Abraham, who coolly slotted home from the penalty spot in the 59th minute.

The Blues were boosted ahead of their opening Premier League match against Manchester United next weekend by N'Golo Kante's return from a knee injury and Barkley ensured they did not sign off their pre-season campaign with a loss when he converted a late spot-kick.
Abraham was unable to finish when Oscar Wendt inadvertently put him one on one with Sommer and Gladbach moved ahead when Kepa sent a pass straight to Hofmann and the midfielder found Plea, who swept a fine finish into the bottom-left corner in the 13th minute.Plea returned the favour six minutes before the break, the Frenchman's throughball poked between Kepa's legs by Hofmann after Andreas Christensen played him onside.



Chelsea came out firing in the second half but Sommer kept out Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount and Abraham twice, but the striker got on the scoreboard following Matthias Ginter's foul on Kovacic in the box.

Barkley replaced Abraham in the 66th minute and, after missing a glorious chance to restore parity when he shot wide in a one on one, he converted from the spot following Keanan Bennetts' late challenge on Mount to make it four goals in as many pre-season matches for the England international.

Kepa stopped Bennetts making amends with a smart save before the final whistle, with a draw proving a fair result in an entertaining encounter.