Muller: I've no reason to join Real Madrid

Thomas Muller has made it clear that he sees no reason to leave Bayern Munich for Real Madrid amid reports linking him with a move to the Spanish giants.

The Santiago Bernabeu side are rumoured to be considering a swoop for the 24-year-old at the end of the season, but while Muller admits it can be flattering to hear of interest from foreign sides, he maintains he is happy with life at the Allianz Arena.

"Real Madrid? There has been a lot of speculation about my future in the past few weeks, months and even years. We have all seen what has come from those rumours so far," Muller told AZ.

"It's not a bad feeling when you hear about interest from abroad.

"However, at the moment there is absolutely no reason for me to leave Bayern Munich for another club."

Muller has been in sublime form for the Bundesliga leaders so far this season, scoring seven goals in 16 league appearances.

The versatile attacker has a contract with Bayern until the summer of 2017.

Read More»

Arsenal: Alvaro Morata’s agent was in London to negotiate a deal

Only yesterday, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in his press conference had played down suggestions of a possible loan move for Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, claiming he could do without the distractions of the January transfer window.

Morata has struggled to find regular games at the Bernabeu this season and the player himself admitted that he could make a move, albeit temporarily, should the situation doesn’t improve. Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti however insisted that the 21-year-old won’t be sold in the winter transfer window.

cristiano ronaldo 637 alvaro morata celebrating his first goal scored for real madrid in 2013 Arsenal: Alvaro Moratas agent was in London to negotiate a deal

Madrid-based newspaper AS claims that agent of Morata, Juanma Lopez, was in London yesterday, to negotiate the transfer with hierarchies of Arsenal and fellow North London rivals Tottenham.

Madrid do not want to lose a prodigious young talent like Morata permanently, but the Los Blancos could be happy to let him go on loan for the reminder of the season. The 21-year-old, who is seen as a second fiddle to main striker Karim Benzema, has recently fallen down the pecking orders behind Jese Rodriguez.

Despite Wenger’s claims, the Gunners may require a striker, especially now that Walcott will miss the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Also, Spurs could be looking for a striker as well, after the North London club agreed a deal to sell Jermain Defoe to MLS club Toronto.

There were reports yesterday, that Portuguese club Benfica have also registered their interest in the youngster. Benfica could lose forward Rodrigo to Russian club Zenit Saint Petersburg and Morata could be used to fill that vacancy.

Read More»

Chelsea: Barca rival Blues for ace

Chelsea target Fredy Guarin has been linked with a move to Barcelona.

The Colombian attacking midfielder from Inter Milan has been heavily linked with a move to west London and Chelsea this January transfer window. However, that speculation has started to cool in recent weeks and the former Porto midfielder has now been linked with a move to Barcelona.

Guarin had been waiting for clarification over his future at Inter, where he worked under Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, from new owner Erick Thohir and he was promised a contract renewal last June, according to his agent.

Spanish giants Barcelona have entered the race for Guarin, according to Italian newspaper La Republica, but are yet to lodge an official bid.

Guarin had been interesting his former boss Mourinho who may need to fill a void in midfield should two-time Player of the Year Juan Mata move on. Mata reacted angrily to being substituted recently and has not featured as much as he may have expected under Mourinho this season. The Portuguese boss has told the Spanish international that his door is open should he wish to discuss his position.

Read More»

Napoli to rival Man Utd for midfielder

Napoli manager Rafael Benitez looks set to rival Manchester United for Valencia midfielder Ever Banega.

Reports in both the Italian and Spanish press have linked the Serie A side, under the former Liverpool boss, with potentially making a move for the 25-year-old Argentina international.

The playmaker has been with the Spanish side since 2008 where he has played 133 games for the Primera Division side. Manchester United have already been linked with being interested in Banega as well as Tottenham Hotspur. Should Napoli now also join the race a bidding war is very likely to break out.

Banega, who is currently valued at around £16 million, is under contract to Valencia until June 2015 but with all the interest at the moment it would seem that he would leave the club before that expires.

Read More»

Messi: I want to finish my career at Barcelona

Lionel Messi says he wants to finish his career at Barcelona after bursting back onto the goalscoring scene in his return from injury.

Messi scored twice in a 30-minute cameo as Barca won the first leg of their Copa del Rey clash with Getafe 4-0, with the Argentine making his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in early November.

Speculation has surfaced that Paris Saint-Germain could be prepared to make a sensational offer for the 26-year-old - who was recently embroiled in a row with Barca director Javier Faus - but Messi insists he wants to stay at Camp Nou until he retires.

"My idea is to stay here and finish my career at Barcelona," he said after the match on Wednesday.

Barca take on Atletico Madrid in a crucial Liga encounter on Saturday and Messi admits he is eager to feature against the Rojiblancos.

"If I can play against Atletico, I will. I'll talk with Tata and the doctors. I always think of the club, I have the same desire as always," he continued.

"I was desperate to come back. I'd been sidelined for too long.

"I felt good physically, I didn't feel any pain in the hamstring. I was very happy to be in my country. I worked well to get out of this. Now I'm looking forward to a great year."

Messi also revealed his pride at being named among the final three nominees for the 2013 Ballon d'Or as he prepares for the event in Zurich on Monday January 13.

"I'll go to the gala, as always. It's a pleasure to be among the best three, the result will be what it will be," he added.

"For me, the most important prizes are those of the team, but I always like these [individual awards]."

Read More»

Lionel Messi to be sold by Barcelona

Barcelona are preparing to sell Lionel Messi and believe they can achieve the full value of the multiple World Player of the Year’s quarter billion Euro buyout clause. The unprecedented transfer, which would more than double Gareth Bale's €100million switch to Real Madrid, is planned to be completed by mid-2015 once a sufficiently deep-pocketed buyer can be found.

The strategy is based on a pragmatic business calculation by Barca president Sandro Rosell, who has decided that the Catalan club's long-term interests would be best served by cashing in on Messi when his value is at a peak. The forward turns 27 during this summer's World Cup Finals and will have won every trophy available to him if Argentina triumph at the tournament.

Messi's status within the club has grown to a level that has caused internal problems with coaches and fellow players. Even the recently released authorized biography “Messi” includes a passage detailing an incident in which the forward refused to train for Pep Guardiola after the coach substituted him in a match.

Rosell is also conscious of the ballooning cost of employing Messi, who has been seeking a vastly improved new Camp Nou contract since Cristiano Ronaldo was rewarded with an after-tax salary of €21m a year by Real Madrid earlier this year. Though Messi's own terms were improved to around €14m net when he extended his contract until 2018 in February, his efforts to gain parity with Ronaldo have provoked a public conflict with Barca's hierarchy.

Last month Barcelona vice president Javier Faus dismissed questions about a further improvement. “I do not know why we have to renew again,” Faus said. “We do not have to improve a contract every six months.”

This brought an angry riposte from the injured Messi. "Mr. Faus is a person who knows nothing about football and he wants to run Barcelona as if it were a company, and it is not," Messi said. "Barcelona is one of the biggest clubs in the world and deserves to be represented by the best managers as well. And apart from that, I remind you that neither I nor anyone in my circle has ever asked for either an increase or a contract renewal. And he knows that very well."

While Rosell sought to calm the situation last week by stating that he was open to discussing a new contract with Messi, he already has a succession plan in place having committed over €100m in acquisition costs and wages to signing Neymar. The sums spent on the 21-year-old Brazilian, much of which go directly to a company owned by his family, have been a source of tension not only with Messi's camp, but with other senior figures within the Barcelona squad.

Read More»

Arsenal: Juventus join chase for Spanish striker

Juventus are reportedly lining up a summer bid for young Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The talented 21-year-old is a highly rated prospect at the Bernabeu, but faces a great deal of competition for places with so many world class attacking players at the club already.

The likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur had been linked with loan moves for the player, though manager Carlo Ancelotti ruled out the possibility of Morata leaving the club this January.

However, Juventus now seem likely to register an interest next summer, with the Italian giants keen to strengthen their options upfront as they seek to establish themselves among the very best clubs in Europe.

With the likes of Mirko Vucinic and Fabio Quagliarella likely to leave the club, Morata could make an excellent purchase for manager Antonio Conte.

Read More»

Ter Stegen set for Barcelona after rejecting Gladbach offer

Borussia Monchengladbach have announced that goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen will leave the club after rejecting a new contract.

The 21-year-old has been widely linked with a move away from the Bundesliga outfit, with Barcelona's vice-president Josep Bartomeu admitting their interest in the shot-stopper in November as they seek a replacement for the outgoing Victor Valdes.

Ter Stegen has a contract at Borussia Park until 2015, but the club have announced that attempts to tie him down by agreeing a new deal have been rejected.

Sporting director Max Eberl said: "Ter Stegen will leave Borussia. Marc has informed us that will not accept our offer of a new contract.

"Marc's decision not to renew does not surprise us. I assume he'll join the club he has been linked to."

Ter Stegen has kept six clean sheets for Gladbach this season, helping them climb to third in the Bundesliga.

And he insists he is still committed to the club despite rejecting the new deal.

"I do not want to comment on the state of play. And I do not want to talk about the 'Why" and the reasons I had in public," he told reports after training on Monday.

"I thought about this for a long time. I always said I would decide during the winter break and that is what I did. I will continue to play full throttle for this club."

Read More»

Arsenal prepare £32m offer for Chelsea target Diego Costa

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has a crisis with his forwards after stand-in Nicklas Bendtner sprained an ankle scoring in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Cardiff.

He will be out for at least six weeks and first-choice Olivier Giroud is also missing due to an ankle injury.

Costa, 25, has a £32m buyout clause in his Atletico Madrid contract and it would be a huge investment for the north Londoners following the £42.5m purchase of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid in the summer.

Brazil-born striker Costa – who last year declared he wants to play for Spain – has scored a staggering 19 goals in just 17 La Liga appearances this season.

Starsport understands Chelsea are also keen on Costa, and were planning to make their move in the summer.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho maintains he will not sign a striker during this transfer window.

Read More»

Dortmund join the race to sign Arsenal and Chelsea target Diego Costa

Athletico have shown resistance to a move, but with Europe's elite lining up the Madrid club's resolve could be tested.

Chelsea are desperate for a potent striker as Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba continue to misfire and Arsene Wenger has made it clear he was not in the market for a midfielder, freeing up funds to try and get the Brazilian to the Emirates.

But with Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski due to announce any day that he is leaving Borussia for bitter rivals Bayern Munich at the end of the season they also need to act fast.

And if they miss out on Costa there aren't many top quality strikers available for the £34m release clause listed in the Brazilian's contract.

The Atletico Madrid hierarchy have been talking tough, but if one of the big clubs sniffing around Costa cough up the cash the decision will be take out of their hands.

Radamel Falcao's transfer from Atletico to Monaco last season seems to have given Costa a new lease of life and he has moved out of the shadows of the bustling Colombian, scoring 23 goals in 20 appearances this term.

Read More»

Barcelona revive interest in David Luiz

Barcelona have made a renewed enquiry as to the availability of Chelsea defender David Luiz.

Camp Nou officials contacted Chelsea about the Brazilian shortly before Christmas and Footb-info understands that the Brazilian is keen to discuss a move away from Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are willing to listen to formal offers for the 26-year-old, but Jose Mourinho considers the former Benfica man a valuable asset and would only sanction a move for a significant fee.

Barcelona, who are looking to bolster their defensive options with skipper Carles Puyol coming to the end of his career and only Javier Mascherano, Gerard Pique and Marc Bartra as recognised centre-backs, approached Chelsea over the summer but Luiz claims he rejected the chance to join the Catalan outfit.

"There was an official offer [from Barcelona], but I decided to stay at Chelsea," the defender told Brazilian newspaper Gazeta Esportiva in September.

Mourinho moved to play down talk of any potential transfer last month, stating: "He’s our player and we are happy he’s back in a moment when we need him and John Terry in defence.”

However, sources close to the club have indicated that Chelsea would be willing to let Luiz, who has impressed in recent weeks, leave the club if Barcelona make an offer that is too good to turn down.

Chelsea have been tracking Saint-Etienne defender Kurt Zouma in recent weeks, with the club set to go head-to-head with Manchester City and a number of other sides in the coming months to secure the highly rated 19-year-old.

Read More»

Simeone : It would be an honour to coach Inter

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has stated that it would be an "honour" to take charge of Inter.

Simeone played for Inter between 1997 and 1999 and helped them to a Uefa Cup triumph in 1998.

The Argentine has since guided Atletico to glory in the Europa League, Super Cup and Copa del Rey after taking over the club in 2011, but did add he has no desire to leave his current post just yet.

"Inter? It would be an honour," Simeone told Il Giornale. "But for now, all that talk is left to the newspapers.

"I see myself at Atletico Madrid for some time yet. Some say I might become the (Alex) Ferguson of the Colchoneros."

Atletico are level on points with La Liga leaders Barcelona going into the second half of the season and Simeone, who won the Spanish title as a player with Atletico in 1996, has his eye on repeating the feat as a coach.

"It would be stupid not to think about that (winning the league)," Simeone added. "Especially in light of the league position."

Read More»

Xavi: Barcelona miss Guardiola at times

Barcelona midfielder Xavi admits that the Catalan giants miss certain aspects of former head coach Pep Guardiola's football philosophy.

Guardiola enjoyed a trophy-laden four years at Camp Nou, during which his side secured three La Liga titles and two Champions League triumphs.

The 42-year-old departed the Spanish champions in 2012, taking a short sabbatical before joining Bundesliga holders Bayern Munich in the close-season.

And Xavi hailed the "extraordinary project" engineered by Guardiola during his time in Spain.

"Pep made his job in Barcelona. We are so proud he was our manager," he said. "(We had) four years when we won plenty of trophies. He led an extraordinary project until he decided to leave for a gap year and nowadays he is doing a brilliant job in Bayern Munich.

"Obviously, we miss things from him, as (we do) the other managers who left the club. We have another coach, we had [Tito] Vilanova last year and Tata [Gerardo] Martino this season.

"Each person has a different way to work. Guardiola had his way, Vilanova too and Martino as well. All of them are good managers and we were lucky with Guardiola because we made history."

Read More»

Caminero : Diego Costa is not leaving

Atletico Madrid sporting director Jose Luis Caminero told to the media that its impossible that Diego Costa is going to leave the Vicente Calderon in January.

There have been speculations of a potential exit has been fuelled by the €38 million release clause of Atletico's star contract.

Caminero also insists that the 25-year-old, who has scored 19 goals in 17 league games, will not be leaving the club, despite interest from big clubs in Europe.

“Right now, Costa does not think of leaving, he is hooked with Atletico,” he explained in an interview with Marca.

Under the management of head coach Diego Simeone, Atletico have gradually bridged the gap between themselves and city rivals Real and currently sit joint top of La Liga with Barcelona.

Nevertheless, a regular theme in recent years has been the departure of key players – most recently the summer sale of Radamel Falcao to Monaco – but Caminero is not interested in selling more top stars.

The sporting director continued: “Diego is happy here. He just renewed his contract, demonstrating that he wants to stay here,

“He knows how this club works, money won't be a problem."

Read More»

Ronaldo: I'd play for Mourinho again

Real Madrid's superstar said that he would be happy to work with his former coach , Jose Mourinho in the future.

The relationship between the pair was reportedly a distant one by the time Mourinho left the Santiago Bernabeu for Chelsea at the end of last season.

But anyway Ronaldo insists that he was happy to have been coached by a such great manager and the 28-year-old revealed he is open to a reunion one day.

"Forgive Mourinho? I forgive everyone. We never had a confrontation and I have never spoken ill about anyone," he told A Bola TV.

"I would work with Mourinho again and with other coaches I have had, like [Sir Alex] Ferguson, [Manuel] Pellegrini, and [Laszlo] Boloni. I learned a lot from them."

Ronaldo has been named on the final three-man shortlist of contenders for the Ballon d'Or and admitted he would love to win the award.

"Like last year and the year before, I always think I deserve the Ballon d'Or. I'd like to win it every year."

Read More»

Real Madrid want Gundogan

Real Madrid have a "considerable" interest in signing Ilkay Gundogan, according to the Borussia Dortmund star's father and representative, Irfan.

Xabi Alonso out of contract at the end of the season, Los Blancos are reportedly keen to strengthen in midfield, with Gundogan said to be one of their primary transfer targets.

The Germany international has seen his campaign blighted by a persistent back problem but Irfan is confident that talks over a move to the Santiago Bernabeu will begin as soon as Iklay is fully fit.

“Madrid’s interest in my son is considerable and they want to negotiate for him," he told AS.

"But, at the moment, we can’t do anything until Ilkay has completely recovered from his back injury.

"When he is playing regular football we can begin talks.”

Gundogan suffered a recurrence of a back problem on international duty at the start of the season but is hopeful of making his return to action when the Bundesliga resumes in January.

Read More»

Fabregas: Lazy reputation annoys me

Barcelona ace Cesc Fabregas has admitted that he is annoyed by accusations that he is lazy.

The former Arsenal captain has yet to nail down a regular position in the Blaugrana line-up since returning to Catalunya in 2011 and is regularly switched between midfield and attack.

Consequently, Fabregas, who has hit seven goals in La Liga this season, is upset by the perception within the media and among certain sections of the Camp Nou crowd that he does not work hard enough for the team.

"I know I have that reputation and it annoys me, because I don't stop moving around the whole pitch," he told AS. "Perhaps too much, because by moving so much it seems like I'm nowhere.

"Maybe [I am only appreciated for my goals] but after the game against Villarreal [on December 14], which I admit was my weakest match of the season so far, I was happy because I had played a part in the move that led to the [second] goal."

Barcelona, of course, are currently having to make do without talismanic forward Lionel Messi because of a hamstring injury, but Fabregas is keen to look on the bright side, believing that the Argentine's absence will mean that he is in peak physical condition for the business end of the 2013-14 campaign.

When asked if he was worried by Messi's injury problems, the Spain international replied: "No, because he'll be fine at the most important time of the season. That's what I told him when he got injured."

Read More»

Ronaldo: I like living under pressure

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo says he thrives under the pressure of being a leader for both club and country.

The 28-year-old has scored a total of 27 goals for Carlo Ancelotti’s side this term, and led Portugal to the World Cup with a brilliant hat-trick in the play-off tie with Sweden.

However, the former Manchester United man says he enjoys being a focal point for both of his teams.

“You have to be proud and focus on everything you do. Sometimes I like living with pressure,” he is quoted as saying by AS.

“It will not be easy to fulfil my goals, I know it will be tough, but I’ll try. If you don’t try, you don’t reach your goals.”

Ronaldo scored a total of 69 goals for club and country in 2013 but is determined to try to beat his tally next year.

“It’s always going to be tough and will to beat it as ever.”

Portugal have been handed a tough looking World Cup group alongside Germany, the USA and Ghana but Ronaldo believes his nation could be a surprise package.

“Portugal are not favourites and that gives us an advantage.”

Read More»

Ronaldo : Neymar will go down in history

Former Barcelona and Real Madrid striker Ronaldo has claimed that Neymar will "go down in history" as one of the best Brazilian players ever.

The 21-year-old has shone in 2013 - after signing for the Catalans from Santos in the early summer, he starred as the Selecao stormed to the Confederations Cup title and has subsequently starred for Gerardo Martino's men this season.

"It is a fact that Neymar will be a great player," Ronaldo told Brazilian television. "He will go down in history as one of the best Brazilian players in the world.

"He's on the right track. He's a charismatic player and is focused on what you have to do to succeed."

The Blaugrana are in the midst of a winter break but they are back in action against second-placed Atletico Madrid, who are level on points with the club.

Read More»

Mascherano on Napoli wishlist

Napoli are set to dip back into the transfer market in January to aid their bid for the Serie A title, with Erik Lamela and Javier Mascherano top of their shopping list.

The Partenopei made the headlines throughout the summer with their spending spree, which saw them snap up the likes of Gonzalo Higauin and Jose Callejon.

And club president Aurelio De Laurentiis is determined to help the San Paolo outfit continue their growth by spending big in January.

Mascherano has been a regular at Barcelona this season but it is understood that he would seriously consider an offer from the Serie A giants.

Lamela, meanwhile, is De Laurentiis' dream, but the film tycoon is yet to contact either his entourage or Tottenham over a potential move.

Two other likely January signings are Luca Antonelli from Genoa, who will provide greater competition at left-back, and Marco Borriello from Roma to become Higuain's back-up.

Read More»