Real Madrid and Monaco lead race for Cole

Ashley Cole will consider lucrative offers from Monaco and Real Madrid this summer as he prepares to leave Chelsea after eight years.

Cole has already received approaches from eight other clubs, from the Premier League and overseas, and Monaco are set to compete with Real Madrid in a wages war to secure the former England international on a free transfer.

The 33-year-old has not completely dismissed the prospect of staying at Chelsea, with his contract expiring at Stamford Bridge at the end of next month, though the chances of him staying are thought to be remote.

Chelsea are offering only a 12-month deal on reduced terms so it seems more likely that Cole will pursue one final move before bringing down the curtain on his career, with Monaco understood to be keen on offering him a fresh start in France.

The super-rich Ligue 1 club, who are searching for a new head coach after former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri’s departure on Tuesday, are interested in Cole and will offer a mammoth tax-free salary. Backed by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, Monaco could conceivably offer even better wages than Madrid.

Liverpool and Manchester City have also made tentative inquiries about the defender while Inter Milan could also come into the equation.

Cole has gone away on holiday in California to decide his next move but has made it clear that playing in the Major League Soccer in America is not an option.

He is still convinced he can perform at the highest level and the chase to sign the free agent is likely to intensify over this summer.

Last season proved frustrating for Cole, after losing his place to Cesar Azpilicueta and making only 15 Premier League starts under Jose Mourinho, but he will be highly sought after and could seek a two-year deal.

He tweeted: “Now I’ll be looking for another journey in my life. I hope it can be like my others, full of fun and of course win something.

“I am weighing up my options for playing next season with my agent. Sadly, it does not look like Chelsea will be one of them.” Cole announced his retirement from international football last week after he was told he would not be included in Roy Hodgson’s squad for the World Cup.

Read More»

Falcao: Joining Mourinho at Chelsea not possible

Monaco striker Radamel Falcao says that it "does not seem possible" that he will ever get the chance to play under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea.

The Colombia international was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge last summer but the forward insists that a transfer from Atletico Madrid to the Blues was never on the cards.

"Would I like to play with Mourinho? I’d never considered it," he told Sky Sport Italia. "As of today it doesn’t seem possible, as we are on two very different paths and I have a five-year contract with Monaco.

“But Mourinho is a coach with a fantastic career, the titles that he has won speak for him and nobody can deny his capabilities.

"He has a different style, people might not like him, but that makes him special and football enjoy his eccentricity.

"But there has been a lot of speculation around European clubs interested in me. I didn’t think too much about that, though. I try to concentrate on my objectives, training to achieve important results."

Falcao did admit, however, that he would like to ply his trade in Italy at some point in the future.

 “One day I’d like to play in Serie A. Where? I can’t say,” he stated.

“I loved Roberto Baggio, while of the current Italy squad I like Andrea Pirlo. Giuseppe Rossi is very talented and Francesco Totti ought to be called up for international duty."

Read More»

Monaco could look to beat Liverpool to the signing of Valbuena

The 29-year-old has been with Marseille since 2006 and has often been linked with moves to bigger clubs, with Arsenal known to be another Premier League club keen on his talents.

However, Liverpool's search for a creative midfield player has seen them step up their interest of late, though they may now miss out on their target as big-spending Monaco are also looking at him.

Claudio Ranieri's side have made several big-name signings in recent history, bringing the likes of Radamel Falcao and Joao Moutinho to the club this summer, and with further spending looking likely.

It remains to be seen if Valbuena would favour a move abroad for a new challenge, or if the money on offer at Monaco could sway his decision.

Read More»

Falcao: Ronaldo better than Messi

Monaco striker Radamel Falcao believes that Real Madrid icon Cristiano Ronaldo is a better player than Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi.

The Colombia international is a huge admirer of both players, having played alongside them in La Liga for two years before leaving Atletico Madrid for Monaco during the summer.

However, as far as Falcao is concerned, the Portugal international is the slightly superior talent.

"Messi and Cristiano are the two most important players in the world today but, for me, Ronaldo is the best," the 27-year-old striker told El Tiempo.

Falcao only returned to the Monaco line-up just before the winter break after a spell on the sidelines with an injury that some reports suggested was merely a convenient way of covering up an alleged falling-out with coach Claudio Ranieri.

However, the former Porto forward insists that there was no truth in the rumours that he had been dropped and was trying to force through a move away from the Stade Louis II.

"I had a physical problem and it was not convenient to play," he stated. "It was risky. It was not a serious injury, but it could have turned into something worse."

Read More»

Valdes to play in England or France next year

Valdes has choice of Monaco or Man City

Victor Valdes will join either Monaco or Manchester City when his Barcelona contract expires in the summer. The presence of Joe Hart at the Etihad means the Ligue 1 side are currently favourites.

Read More»

Ranieri puts pressure on PSG

Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri has piled the pressure on Paris Saint-Germain by claiming there is more expectancy on les Parisiens ahead of this weekend's clash between the two sides.

Ranieri's men have made an unbeaten start to the campaign and sit top of Ligue 1 having won four of their five opening matches, but face their sternest test yet when they travel to the Parc des Princes on Sunday.

The newly-promoted club spent heavily during the close-season and the arrival of Falcao, Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez have raised expectations of a title challenge.

However, Ranieri has sought to take the pressure off his side by claiming PSG - who are also undefeated, but sit two points behind his men in the table - need a victory more than Monaco.

"Winning the game is more important for PSG than for us," the 61-year-old said. "The players are very motivated for this game, for us it will be a good test.

"I do not think PSG will suffer after their match in the Uefa Champions League, this is only the beginning of the season."

Read More»

Has Nani signed a new deal with Manchester United?

Manchester United winger, Nani has signed a new contract with Manchester United, according to Giuseppe Marotta – the Juventus sporting director.


The winger, who made 10 appearances last season, scoring 2 goals with Manchester United, has been linked with various other teams, including Juventus, who have now said that they have stopped pursuing the striker as they believe he has signed a new club to keep him at Manchester United.


Nani also had interested from Galatasaray, Monaco and Roma over the summer break.

Read More»