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Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis, has come to the defence of the club’s decision to keep Arsene Wenger and assured fans they are only “looking for top-quality players” this summer. Wenger was given a new two-year contract after leading the club to victory in the FA Cup final, but some of the fans are still not happy about the Frenchman’s future at the club. The Gunners missed out on the Champions League spot by finishing outside the top four for the first time in 21 years and that seems to be enough for many fans to call for an end to Wenger’s 21-year reign. Although, Gazidis still believes Wenger’s new £8million a year contract was in the best interests of the club. “It wasn’t a sentimental decision,” Gazidis told fans at Q&A. “It was a mutual one.”  “We spent an unprecedented amount. Over £110m during that summer,” he said. “We signed one of the players in the Bundesliga team of the season. “We’re looking for top-quality players. We’ve got three times as many scouts ...

Alvaro Morata’s move to Manchester United “has been done” after the forward told friends his mind is made up to join the Red Devils, according to reports. The Real Madrid striker, who recently got married in Venice, seem to have cut his honeymoon short this week to have conversations with Real president Florentino Perez. And now, the Daily Express reports “those talks have helped to speed up negotiations between the two clubs” with Real set to accept a figure of around £60million for the 24-year-old rather than the £70million they were holding out for. Morata is hoping that a regular first-team football will help him reassert himself as Spain’s No.9 at the World Cup next summer. The report also claims Jose Mourinho has made it vividly clear he wants Morata to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic and he wants the forward to become United’s focal point after convincing the player he is “ideally suited for English football”. Cadena Ser’s El Larguero show reported two week’s ago that an agreement be...

Real Madrid have reportedly told Manchester United they can go ahead and sign Alvaro Morata – but gave them three reasons why they must match their £70million asking price.  The Red devils have made the former Juventus striker their main target after Zlatan Ibrahimovic was allowed to leave – but it looks like any deal for Morata will come at quite a price.  They were reports earlier this month which claimed that Jose Mourinho’s side had provided an opening offer of £52.4million, which was warded off and submitted the second bid of around £60million. It was later claimed earlier this week that both president Florentino Perez and coach Zinedine Zidane want Morata to stay – and a sale would only be considered if the club meet their €80million (£70million) asking price. Now following a new negotiations between the two clubs,  AS   claim Real have given United three reasons why Morata is worth their asking price. Firstly, Madrid have underlined the fact the striker h...

Liverpool are convinced that they will get their full £15million asking price for Alberto Moreno amid reports six clubs have contacted the Reds to enquire about the player.  The Spaniard star has become something of a bit part player at Liverpool after he fell out of favour under Jurgen Klopp and now, has been made available for transfer this summer. Napoli were the first club to make a move for the former Sevilla man when the money - £11million bid were rejected last week   and it’s reckoned the Serie A club remain determined on the player and could come back with more money.  However, the  Liverpool Echo  claims the Italians will have to compete with their Serie A rivals AC Milan and Inter Milan, while two undisclosed Premier League clubs, also the player’s former side, Sevilla, are on queue for Moreno.  Also, The Reds are on the lookout for a new left-back and have Napoli’s Faouzi Ghoulam among their list of targets. The  Echo  also states...

Lyon chief Jean-Michel Aulas has told Arsenal they will have to match Atletico Madrid’s £57million bid if they intend to get Alexandre Lacazette this summer. Aulas has made it crystal clear that Lyon are not in a hurry to let go of their France forward, who almost moved to Atletico before they were given a transfer ban. Aulas has admitted that he and general manager Gerard Houllier met Arsene Wenger during England’s 3-2 defeat to France in Paris earlier this month. And he suggested that Wenger had indicated he “could” be interested in the 25-year-old man.  Speaking to  L’Equipe,  Aulas said: “I do not intend to cede Alexandre [Lacazette] quickly, because there is always the will of Atletico Madrid to bring it [the transfer] to January 1. “Now I also listen to what Alexandre says. I saw Arsene [Wenger] during the France versus England match. “I was with Gerard Houllier and I understand that he told Gerard that there could be interest from Arsenal. “But it’s premature to sa...

El Hadji Diouf has threatened to ignite anew his long-standing feud with “Mr Liverpool” Steven Gerrard. Diouf and Gerrard have had a rivalry since many years ago, with the latter once seeking legal advice in 2015 after the former claimed he “disliked black people”. Diouf also accused Gerrard of “killing” Liverpool and being “jealous” of his talent, while he also stated in November last year that the Merseyside legend was “nothing at all”. The 36-year-old who has now retired, has once again taken aim at his old Anfield team-mate, although this time around in a slightly less abusive manner. “I have no problem with him,” Diouf told the BBC. “He is a strong character and I am a strong character. “‘Stevie G’ was a very good player. People like him in Liverpool but he never did anything for his country. I am Mr El Hadji Diouf, Mr Senegal but he is Mr Liverpool and Senegal is bigger than Liverpool and he has to know that.” He added, of his ‘Mr Senegal’ claims: “We put Senegal on the world map...

Manchester United have been encouraged to chase a move for Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, according to a report. Real are reckoned to be closing in on a move for the 18-year-old hotshot with reports yesterday suggesting that  Zinedine Zidane had persuaded the Monaco player to make the move to the Bernabeu. Liverpool, Arsenal and Real are among the clubs that have been connected with the forward, with the La Liga champions now winning the race after French publication L’Equipe claimed that phone conversations between Zidane and the player had gone extremely well, plus a reported pay rise of 900%. If Zidane does manage to eventually get his grip on Mbappe, who netted 26 goals in all competitions last season, then AS reports the club will have no other option than to sell one player - Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema or Bale - with Bale considered to be the one to be sacrificed. Real Madrid are understood to be ready to allow the former Tottenham man to go in a bid to get Mbappe and Ma...

According to Monday's papers,  Arsenal and Manchester City could be ready to swap their two star players, while Everton have been ward off of their conscientious activity in trying to pen a playmaker. ARSENAL AND MAN CITY CONSIDERING SWAP DEAL Arsenal and Manchester City are weighing their options of swapping Alexis Sanchez and the Argentine playmaker Sergio Aguero. Discussions are already said to have taken place about the pair swapping clubs this summer, according to an exclusive report in the  Daily Star . Man City boss Pep Guardiola has made 28-year-old Sanchez his number one strike target this summer but the Gunners manager Arsene Wenger insists that he will not sell his man to a rival Premier League club. However, it’s reported that Wenger would likely consider a deal that sees 29-year-old Aguero make the move in the opposite direction, particularly with Arsenal ready to lose Sanchez on a free transfer next summer. And Aguero is an extremely attractive option for Arsenal...

Juventus have contacted Ivan Perisic’s representatives to see if the player would be keen on a move, according to reports in Italy. The Croatian winger has been heavily tipped to move to Manchester United this summer, with Jose Mourinho’s side having submitted a £26.4million (€30m) bid for the player. While Inter have rejected that approach given they value Perisic at nearer the €50m (£44m) mark, United are reportedly confident of agreeing the deal given the Serie A side’s having to raise €30m by June 30 to balancwe their books in conjunction with Financial Fair-Play. However, Mourinho’s hopes of landing the player are in danger of hitting another major stumbling block if reports from Italy are to be believed. According to  FcInter1908 , Juventus have opened talks with Perisic’s entourage and are ready to offer up to €42million (£36.7m) for the player – some £10million more than Manchester United’s offer. With Perisic reportedly keen on the move to Old Trafford, however, ...

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is reported to be sticking around for a while and have set a return date to action which happens to be November with claims that he could still sign a short-term deal with the Red Devils.  The Sweden international was released at the end of his one-year agreement with United earlier this month as the club decided not to exercise the option to extend his playing contract by a further year following the serious ACL injury he sustained in May. The forward's knee injury was expected to keep the superstar out of action until January 2018 at the earliest, when the player was expected to pen for LA Galaxy. However, report in the  Daily Star  claims the former Barcelona and Juventus player is confronting medical science with resistance and is going ahead of schedule. The paper claims he could be back in action by as early as November, which they say, raises the possibility of Ibrahimovic signing a short-term deal with the club. Ibrahimovic was spotted at one of...

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly told his agent to seal a dream return to his former club - Manchester United this summer . The 32-year-old, who left Manchester United for Real Madrid eight years ago, shocked the La Liga giants after revealing his desire to leave them come last Friday. The Portuguese is currently facing allegations of a £13million tax fraud and now doubts over his Real future is looking gloomy and have ignited a frantic move for his services. United, along with Chelsea, PSG and Bayern Munich are all interested on the forward, with the French outfit ready to drop £122m to pen him plus a tremendous salary of £26m per year, according to The Sun report. However, the Portugal international favours a return to Old Trafford and has instructed his representative, fellow Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes, to do everything possible to make his wish a reality after ignoring pleas from Real boss Zinedine Zidane to reconsider his position. A major stumbling block...

Roma are expected to ‘compromise’ over the fee they are demanding from Liverpool for Mohamed Salah, a report claims. Salah is already on agreement on personal terms with the Reds over a move to the Premier League, but the two clubs are yet to agree on a fee for the player. The Serie A side were previously holding out for £39million for the winger – a club-record fee for Liverpool, who now hope to ‘strike a compromise’ with the Italians. According to the Daily Mail report, it claims that the club will offer around £5m in add-ons as part of the contract, with the initial fee likely to reach around £35m. Salah who recently turned 25 this past week, has scored 19 goals and assisted 15 in 41 games last season. Roma need to sell players by June 30 in order to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations, which significantly gives Liverpool a strong hand in negotiations. Earlier last week, Roma’s new sporting director Monchi confirmed the interest of an English club, hinting that he could ...

Ed Woodward is reportedly to have wish list  of four “fantasy signings” that he would love to bring to Manchester United if possible. Woodward was established as the club’s executive vice-chairman in 2012, and was placed in charge of transfers at Old Trafford the next summer. His record is frequently criticised, with Marouane Fellaini the only major signing in his first year, while pursuits for Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara and Gareth Bale have all been public and seen as embarrassing failures. United have made just one signing so far this summer, and that is defender Victor Lindelof, but Woodward has a list of four players that he ‘dreams’ of bringing to the Old Trafford.  On top the said list is Cristiano Ronaldo, who is now potentially available after reports claimed that he was ‘sad’ at Real Madrid and looking to leave the club.  The Portugal international could cost from around £847m to £122m however, and so the delicate and costly nature of negotiations could like...

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher hopes the club invest in quality over quantity when they begin their summer spending. The Reds finished last season in fourth position to claim the last Champions League spot on the final day but they were still 17 points adrift of champions Chelsea. And Carragher has a strong belief that the current starting line-up can measure against any side but admits the squad was stretched most times last season. “The actual team, the XI, could go up against anyone – we saw that in the big games with some great results in those games,” Carragher told the club’s official website “But over the season, especially around Christmas and January, it was evident that the squad wasn’t big enough or strong enough. That needs adding to. “But rather than just adding players to the squad, you want to add players to the team. If you add three or four players and they go straight into the first XI, three or four of those who were playing week in, week out last season g...

Anderson Talisca reckons he may likely be ready for a move to Manchester United this summer after claiming Jose Mourinho "loves" him. The Brazilian forward was first advertised as a United target during Louis van Gaal’s reign as manager, while he has also been linked with a move to Liverpool since then. Talisca spent last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, scoring 17 goals and six assists in 33 appearances, and reports at the end of the season suggested Mourinho had reignite United’s interest in him. And now the 23-year-old player was doing little to hide his Mourinho’s affections for him as he discussed the possibility of signing for United. “I can’t talk about Manchester United. It’s not just up to me,” he told  Globosport “It’s up to Benfica, my representatives, who are dealing with the situation. Soon, they’ll have news. “I’ve had a good season, and Mourinho has a love (for me) that exists, I will not lie. “It’s a dream, something that all players want. As I said, h...

Kyle Bartley is heavily connected with a move to Middlesbrough, with reports suggesting that Garry Monk has already spoken to the Swansea player concerning a move to Teesside. Bartley actually followed Monk to Leeds on a season-long loan deal last summer and emerged as the center of the Whites’ defence as the club mounted an ultimately not successful push for the play-offs. Leeds are in the race to pen the player in a permanent deal from Swansea this summer, but the unsureness of their future – the club are still to appoint a new manager – means a move to the Riverside looks more possible at this moment in time. The center-half spoke of his wish to join Leeds in a permanent deal back in April, but hinted at the time that the club ‘could be in trouble’ if they did not tie up a long-term deal for Monk. “If Garry does stay, the club will be in better hands than if he doesn’t,” Bartley said after a 3-3 draw with Norwich City which ended the club’s bid for the play-offs. “He’s the cornersto...

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho says he spoke humorously with Chris Smalling about his not excessive passing ability. Mourinho’s comments to a Portuguese paper have kindled talk that Smalling is desired to requirements at United and yesterday reports claimed that the English man has been told he is free to leave the club. Premier League trip - West Ham, West Brom and Everton are all in pursuit of the 27-year-old, who the  Daily Telegraph  are reporting is available for £15million. Mourinho finished the signing of Benfica’s Victor Lindelof last night, for a fee which could rise to £39.6million and he is expected to take the place of Smalling – a player, who started just 13 Premier League games last season. Smalling did start the Europa League final win over Ajax, but while discussing his tactics for the Stockholm final win Mourinho was far from complimentary about Smalling. “Last year showed us that we need options and quality to add depth to the squad,” Mou...

Southampton are look out for a new manager with a shared “long-term vision” after reliving Claude Puel of that position.  55-year-old Frenchman Puel, took charge of St Mary last summer and saw the team to the EFL Cup final, where they lost to Manchester United, and an eighth-placed finish in last season’s Premier League. But the board has decided to make a change and dismissed the former Lyon and Nice boss. A statement from Southampton on Wednesday evening said the club had “terminated the contract of Claude Puel with immediate effect”. It continued: “Everyone at Southampton would like to express our thanks to Claude for his hard work and commitment this year. “The highlight of the season was a memorable day at Wembley in the EFL Cup final, a day our fans will always treasure. We wish Claude well for the future. “The search for a new management team is under way. “We are confident that we will find the right fit in line with the long-term vision of the club.” Despite the optimism a...

Phil Jones says he is not feeling threatened by Victor Lindelof’s arrival at Old Trafford.  The  England defender had another not-so-smooth season at Manchester United and, despite starting the last four games of the Premier League campaign, his first-team prospects next term are already facing a detour  While the Sweden international -Lindelof- may plausible be a regular at the center of defence after his £30.75million move from Benfica was completed on Wednesday, with Eric Bailly already established as a first choice. That leaves Jones, his fellow compatriot Chris Smalling, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo with a relatively large extent of challenge on their hands, but that is par for the course with the Red Devils. “We’re Manchester United, we’re going to attract the best players and the biggest players. It would be a strange summer if we weren’t signing players like that,” said Jones. “Competition is always good. I’ve spoken to the manager, he just asks how you’re feeling,...

Sky Sports presenter Rachel Riley has quit her job after being subjected to “hideous” personal abuse, according to reports. Riley, also on Countdown,  dropped her position as co-host of Sky Sports’ Friday Night Football, which she anchored with Jeff Stelling. Riley caused a last month after title hopefuls Spurs’ dream of winning the Premier League were once again dashed. She said on screen: “It’s deja vu for Spurs isn’t it, a proper bottle job.” According to the Birmingham Mail, Tottenham were not happy with the comment with a source reportedly saying: “It was made clear that Spurs weren’t happy at all.” Riley later responded to the criticism, saying: “Personal abuse is hideous. For the record I didn’t say Spurs are bottle jobs but tonight’s game was a test of nerve. I said the game was a bottle job. “Not the same as calling the team bottle jobs as is being circulated.” A Sky Sports source said: “At the end of the season she contacted the head of football, saying she...

Brighton made a very bold and special request to the Premier League to have their opening-day fixture at home. And whether the Premier League consciously agreed to the request or not Chris Hughton’s side will host Manchester City at The Amex on Saturday, August 12 – unless the game is moved for live TV coverage. Newcastle are also at home to Tottenham, while Huddersfield face a trip to London to take on Selhurst Park. The Brighton local paper reports that Hughton’s men made the bold request “in recognition of their first appearance in the Premier League and the launch of their first campaign in the top flight since 1983”. Hughton told The Argus: “It’s a big day for any club, but it will be a bigger day for us, a realisation of Premier League football. “You would like a home fixture (first), but you probably want a fixture list that comes out as a decent spread. “It can go either way. You can end up having a really difficult start, but as long as there’s an even spread I think we’ll be ...

Ivan Perisic is reported to be “hugely keen and excited” to play for Jose Mourinho as his move to Manchester United  moves to completion. The 28-year-old is reported to have agreed personal terms following talks between his agent and United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, with the deal set to go through as the two clubs have agreed on a fee. Manchester United have reportedly had a bid of £31million rejected by Inter, with the Serie A side holding out for around £15million more for the Croatian player.  And while there is still a difference of around £15m in what the Old Trafford are willing to pay and what Internazionale want, the Italian club’s need to sell – they have been told to bring in £26m before the end of June to comply with Financial Fair Play regulations – means United remain ‘extremely confident’ of finishing the deal. The Croatian winger has long been “desperate” for the move to United, having been connected with the club during his days in the Bundeslig...

Kylian Mbappe has made it known that he will spend some time discussing about his next move with his family after helping France beat England 3-2 in the final match and can be considered as his breakthrough season. The 18-year-old Monaco star finds himself in huge demand, with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City all connected with moves to pen him. However, Real Madrid remain the most top candidates to sign the teenager, who were said to have given the striker something enticing to get his signature   on Tuesday. After assisting France to a win on only his second start for his country at the Stade de France, Mbappe was open to a possible switch to one of Europe’s biggest clubs. But the striker has said any decision about his future will be considered with the help of his family. “We’re going to go away with the family and we’ll think about what’s going to happen,” he said after the match. “We have to sort it out, see what happens with the club too...