Peter Cech set to sign PSG

PSG’s scouting network looks like it starts and finishes at Stamford Bridge with goalkeeper Petr Cech set to follow team mate David Luiz to France.

Brazilian Luiz is on the brink of a £40million switch to the French capital, with PSG manager Laurent Blanc also desperate to sign Blues midfielder Eden Hazard.

The moves are set to be sanctioned by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. Although Cech has been first-choice keeper for a decade, his departure will pave the way for Thibaut Courtois to become first-choice goalkeeper.

Mourinho is waiting to welcome Courtois back to the fold after the 22-year-old Belgian’s hugely-impressive season on loan at newly-crowned La Liga champions Atletico Madrid.

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PSG signs David Luiz from Chelsea

Chelsea have confirmed they have agreed terms with Paris Saint-Germain over a move for defender David Luiz.

Luiz has made just 15 starts for the Blues this season after falling down the pecking order with John Terry and Gary Cahill, manager Jose Mourinho's preferred centre-back pairing.

The Brazilian is set to seal a sensational £40 million move to the French champions after the two clubs agreed a deal.

"Chelsea football club and Paris Saint-Germain have agreed terms for the transfer of David Luiz to the French club," said a statement on the club's website.

"The move is now subject to David Luiz agreeing personal terms with PSG and passing a medical examination."

Luiz joined Chelsea from Benfica in January 2011 for a fee of £21.3 million and has gone on to win the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.

However, Luiz has failed to become a regular under Mourinho and becomes another high-profile departure from west London, following Juan Mata who left for Manchester United in January for £37.1m.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are set to spend heavily this summer with Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa their top target, with the Blues having already agreed a £35m deal for the Spaniard.

Laurent Blanc's men had been expected to curb their spending after being sanctioned by Uefa for breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

PSG were fined €60m by the governing body and had their Champions League squad reduced to 21 players for next season.

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Eden Hazard is PSG's number one target

Paris Saint Germain are ready to rock Chelsea with a £50million bid for Eden Hazard this summer.

The moneybags, Qatari-owned club are understood to have made the PFA Young Player of the Year - Chelsea’s 17-goal top scorer this season - their “number one target”.

Although they do not have permission to talk to the Belgian star, it is understood sources close to the player have been made aware of the French champions’ interest.

PSG are also keen on defender David Luiz, a player that Chelsea are ready to cash in on at the right price, as they strengthen their squad ahead of next season’s Champions League.

Hazard’s future is understood to have been uncertain after he fell out with Blues boss Jose Mourinho in the wake of Chelsea’s Champions League exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid.

The former Lille winger appeared to question Mourinho’s tactics saying: “Chelsea are not made to play football.

“We are good on the counter-attack, a bit like Real against Bayern Munich. Often, I’m asked to do it all by myself and it’s not easy.”

Mourinho responded by claiming Hazard did not sacrifice himself enough for the team - a public observation that increased speculation that the pair had fallen out.

Hazard, however, has since been far more conciliatory, telling Chelsea magazine: “I prefer it when we speak like this, rather than saying things like: “He’s the best and he doesn’t need to work”.

“I try to play like I did when I was a young boy playing in my garden. I know maybe I have to do better in training or on the pitch.

“I want to score more and help the team score more goals and next season I hope we can be better. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not so good but I try to always make sure I give my best to help the team, even if I am not having the best game myself.”

Despite the humility in his words, however, the interest of PSG is now set to throw doubt over the future of Hazard at Chelsea.

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Ibrahimovic ruled out for four weeks

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be out of action for four weeks, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi has announced.

The forward pulled up in the 68th minute of his side's Champions League quarter-final first leg with Chelsea on Wednesday and was forced to be substituted, with test later confirming a hamstring problem.

PSG have now revealed the Sweden international will miss the second leg against the Blues as he will likely be sidelined for a month, with scans expected to confirm the severity of the injury tomorrow.

"It's an MRI [scan] at this time," Nasser Al Khelaifi told RMC. "We will have the result within half an hour, an hour.

"But he will need at least four weeks of rest. He won't play the next game against Chelsea."

As well as missing Tuesday's return leg at Stamford Bridge, the 32-year-old will also be unavailable for the Coupe de la Ligue final against Olympique Lyonnais on April 19.

Lucas Moura, who replaced Ibrahimovic against Chelsea, has been given a vote of confidence by Al Khelaifi, who has backed the Brazilian to step up in the Swede's absence.

"I think Zlatan is very important for the team, but Lucas is ready," he said.

Al Khelaifi went on to stress that Edinson Cavani will not leave the club this summer, despite the player hinting at a possible exit admid reported interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

He added: "Cavani is very important for us, he is very professional, very generous on the field, he gives everything. I appreciate that.

"If he wants to change position, it is not his decision, it is that of the coach and he understands. He is a star of PSG. And of course he will stay with us next season."

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Ibrahimovic: I'll never move to England

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has ruled out moving to England and insists he will retire with no regrets over never playing in the Premier League.

Striker Ibrahimovic has played in Sweden, Holland, Italy, Spain and now France with Paris Saint-Germain.

But ahead of facing Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with PSG, 32-year-old Ibrahimovic dismissed the prospect of adding England to his list of countries.
“To come to England today is not a question that is brought up,” said Ibrahimovic. “I think, first of all, it's impossible to get me to England. If you ask the people behind this project, I don't think they'd let me go.

“And with my own thinking, when I went to Milan I was speaking to some English clubs, but it didn't end up with me coming to England. The day I stop football, I won't look back and think maybe I should have played in England.

“I have respect for the Premier League, a great competition with good individual players and I haven't been part of it... I've made stories in other countries. It's nothing that I regret.

“This is my last contract in Europe, so to win it I have to win the Champions League with Paris. The day I leave Paris, I either go down a level or quit football. I'm very happy.
“I have a contract until 2016 and, after that, I don't know the future. Maybe my mind is old. Maybe I'm tired. I don't know. It's far away from today.

“I'm very happy with this situation, how it is here. The club is doing an amazing job to become like the other European top clubs. I've seen big changes in the two years, developments on and off the field that I haven't seen elsewhere.

“The people behind this project aren't aiming low or medium. These people aim more than high. I'm happy to be part of this project and this development.”

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Arsenal ready to fight Juventus for €14m French winger

French newspaper La Parisien have suggested that Arsenal are keen on bringing Paris Saint Germain winger-cum-forward Jeremy Menez to the the Emirates and are willing to fight Juventus for his services.

Serie A giants Juventus were heavily linked with a move for the 26-year-old, but it seems they could face a tough competition from the North London club.

Menez joined PSG in 2011, but has struggled to create a big impression, and this season, he has played a peripheral role only, managing five games thus far.

The Gunners have yet to sign any player in the winter transfer window though Arsene Wenger insisted they would only go for a top quality player, available in the market. Arsenal are also linked with a move for Schalke’s Julian Draxler but it seems like a deal in January is highly unlikely.

The league leaders are in desperate need of a quality striker, but Wenger feels that the club won’t get their first choice striker targets in January, hence the focus could shifted elsewhere.

Though it is clear how much the French giants could ask for Menez, but a bid around €14m would be enough to prise him away.

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Juventus could go for Luis Suarez if Pogba departs

Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport reports the Serie A Champions Juventus will target the likes of Luis Suarez, Karim Benzema or Diego Costa, should they lose star midfielder Paul Pogba.

Juventus like any other top clubs have no intentions of selling their star midfielder Pogba, but they would be helpless, if mega-rich clubs like PSG puts a handsome offer on the table. The Bianconeri are not only hoping to keep the 20-year-old with them, as he has established as one of the best young midfielders in the world at the moment, but the Italian giants are also planning a contract extension as well.

Gazzetta reports that Juventus director Beppe Marotta is not only planning to extend the contract of Pogba and Pirlo, but is also plotting a counter-plan, should the Frenchman leave the club.

In that case, the club will make heavy investment in the strike department. They want another world class striker like Carlos Tevez and have lined up few options – top of that list is Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.

Reds fans will remember that Juventus have been monitoring Suarez for couple of years now and even tried to lure him in the past, but with no effect. But, Juventus fear that Suarez could cost around 85m Euros, as he has recently signed a new long-term contract, while meeting his weekly wages could be a hindrance as well.

Alternatively, they have lined up Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema, Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa and Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandzukic, should they fail to lure Suarez from Merseyside.

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Hazard: ‘I will definitely join PSG next summer’

Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has reportedly revealed that he is to leave Chelsea next summer and join up with PSG in what will be a sensational return to Ligue 1.

The young Belgian has been linked with a move to the mega-bucks French champions for a few weeks now, and now according to the sources of French newspaper ‘Le Parisien’, Hazard has told one of his Chelsea teammates the news of his impending departure.

The French report quotes Hazard as telling an unnamed colleague, “I will definitely join Paris next summer”.

PSG are looking to bring in further attacking options in the midfield, and are reportedly also interested in Hazard’s teammate Juan Mata.

The French champions are said to want a ‘third striker’ to sit behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani in a more creative role, and Hazard would fit the bill.

But ‘Le Parisien’ admit that Hazard is still content in West London, and that PSG are still far from agreeing a deal.

Soccerlens had dismissed rumours of Hazard leaving in yesterday’s ‘Transfer Lens’, as Chelsea would surely not be willing to part with their best attacking outlet, and one of Mourinho’s favored few at Stamford Bridge.

With very little to go on, this report must be taken with a pinch of salt for now. Hazard seems happy in West London, despite the ‘quote’, and as we mentioned yesterday, why would Chelsea sell their star player?

What do you think? Is there any truth to these rumours? Let US know in the comments below…

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Ronaldo catches Suarez in European Golden Shoe standings

Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to the top of the European Golden Shoe standings following his two goals in Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Celta de Vigo in La Liga on Monday evening.

The Portuguese attacker has now netted 20 goals in the Spanish top flight this term to move level with Liverpool forward Luis Suarez, who was not in Premier League action at the weekend.

Atletico Madrid star Diego Costa failed to find the net in his side's hard-fought 1-0 win over Malaga and has to settle for third spot for now.

Giuseppe Rossi sits fourth, but is unlikely to add to his tally any time soon after picking up a knee injury in Fiorentina's victory against Livorno.

French attacker Antoine Griezmann makes his first appearance in the top 10 after scoring once in Real Sociedad's 2-0 win over Bilbao.

Rank	Player	Country	Club	League	Weight	Goals	Points
1	C. Ronaldo	POR	Real Madrid	ESP	2	20 (+2)	40
=	Luis Suarez	URU	Liverpool	ENG	2	20	40
3	Diego Costa	ESP	Atletico Madrid	ESP	2	19	38
4	Giuseppe Rossi	ITA	Fiorentina	ITA	2	14	28
5	Nerijus Valskis *	LTU	Suduva	LTU	1	27	27
6	Sergio Aguero	ARG	Manchester City	ENG	2	13	26
7	Alfred Finnbogason	ISL	Heerenveen	NED	1.5	17	25.5
8	Antoine Griezmann	FRA	Real Sociedad	ESP	2	12 (+1)	24
9	Vladimir Voskoboinikov *	EST	Kalju Nomme	EST	1	23	23
10	Zlatan Ibrahimovic	SWE	Paris Saint-Germain	FRA	1.5	15	22.5
=	Marko Devic	UKR	Metalist Kharkiv	UKR	1.5	15	22.5
=	Philipp Zulechner	AUT	Grodig	AUT	1.5	15	22.5

History & How It Works

Players such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Diego Forlan have won the European Golden Shoe in the past few seasons, with the Argentina international as the latest winner of the award following his 46 goals in 2012-13.

Other noteworthy winners include the likes of Francesco Totti, Luca Toni, Ronaldo, Marco van Basten, Eusebio and Gerd Muller.

The weightings are determined by the league's ranking on the Uefa coefficients, which in turn depend on the results of each league's clubs in European competition over the previous five seasons. Goals scored in the top five leagues according to the Uefa coefficients are multiplied by a factor of two, and goals scored in the leagues ranked six to 21 are multiplied by 1.5. Goals in all other leagues are worth one single point.

This measure has prevented players from so-called weaker leagues from winning the European Golden Shoe, since a goal scored in, for example, Armenia, Estonia or Azerbaijan, carries less weight than a goal scored in Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga or the Premier League.

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Arsenal & United race French for £37.5m midfielder

Arsenal are favourites to sign Schalke 04 midfielder Julian Draxler but will face competition from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, according to reports in France.

Draxler, one of the most highly coveted young talents in Europe, is also believed to have attracted interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.

But the influence of Arsenal's German contingent and the club's current standing as
Premier League leaders leaves the Gunners in pole position ahead of their English rivals.
However, PSG also have a long-standing interest in Draxler, having first targeted the player earlier this campaign.

French publication Le 10 Sport reports that Draxler remains a priority as club management weigh up recruitment options in the January transfer window.

Draxler's contract with Schalke is understood to have a buy-out clause of £37.5 million that can be activated at the end of this season.

The 20-year-old has made 14 Bundesliga appearances this term, scoring once and providing five assists.

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Ibrahimovic: Santa Claus should win the Ballon d'Or

Paris Saint Germain's Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed he hopes Santa Claus wins the Ballon d'Or rather than the three high-profile contenders for the prize.

The Sweden international was touted as a potential winner of the prize himself before Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery were named on a three-man shortlist for the award, which will be presented to the winner on January 13.

Speaking to the press in Doha, Ibrahimovic joked: “The Ballon d’Or? For me, the three deserve to win it, but the one who must have it is Santa Claus.”

Ibrahimovic will come up against Ronaldo on Thursday as Paris Saint-Germain play Real Madrid in a exhibition match in Qatar and the 32-year-old spoke about his plans for the future with les Parisiens.

He said: “Yes, it’s an option for me to finish in Paris and we’ll see what happens in the future.

“I’m never fully satisfied. The team progresses, the club has made a leap in a short time, but we must continue to work. We have great qualities and I am optimistic for the future,” he added.

Thursday’s friendly will see Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti face his former club, but the Swede said he was looking forward to seeing his old coach.

“We’ll see Carlo Ancelotti, who was at the initiative of the new Parisian project and he left his mark. He pulled the group and the club up. He is a great coach, and I was happy to work with him at Paris and I wish him the best in Madrid.”

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Thiago Silva: I want to win World Cup and Ballon d'Or

Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva says he dreams of emulating Italy legend Fabio Cannavaro by winning the World Cup and Ballon d'Or in the same year.

The former Juventus centre-back, Cannavaro, was the last defender to win the prestigious individual trophy after guiding Italy to World Cup glory in 2006, and Silva hopes to achieve a similar feat next year with Brazil.

"If we become world champions it may open the door to the Fifa Ballon d'Or, although I think it would be difficult," the PSG defender told the official Fifa website.

"Every 10 years a centre-back may win it once. You never know what tomorrow brings, but I realise it’s very tough.

"What I’m thinking about is playing well to provide my team with a solid foundation to win games. What I’m thinking about is winning the World Cup. If this puts me among the best again, I’ll be very happy."

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Verrati : I rejected Juventus for PSG

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has revealed that he rejected a move to Juventus in 2012 as he wanted to be playing first-team football.

The Italy international, 20, and has been able to tie down a first-team spot in Laurent Blanc’s starting XI and is tipped to be a major Azzurri star in the future, with Andrea Pirlo comparisons often bandied about.

Verratti left Pescara for PSG last summer and was a hit in his debut season in Ligue 1, causing suggestions he might return to Serie A with the likes of Juve or AC Milan, but he says that he turned down a move to the Bianconeri the prior summer as he wanted to be more than a squad player.

"It’s true I was very close to joining Juventus," he told Radio Deejay.

"But I wanted to play and not be a reserve. At that point I decided to stay at Pescara, but then PSG came and promised me an important role within the team, so I agreed a move to France."

The midfielder is now a key member of les Parisiens and believes that the influence of his team-mates is helping him to improve both his football and his attitude on the pitch.

"There are more experienced players at PSG who almost act as my teachers," Verratti added. "We are a good group, both on and off the field.

"I received far too many yellow cards last season, but I have calmed down and learn to control myself."

Verratti has made seven appearances this season, providing two assists in the process as PSG aim to retain the Ligue 1 title.

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Liverpool, €17m for Sakho

The English club has reached and agreement with the champions of France, to sign the french defender , Mamadou Sakho.

The Reds will pay the Ligue 1 champions a €17 million fee for the 23-year-old defender, a defender who have played 150 times with the French team , and not scoring atleast once.

He will be fightin for a place in the starting XI at Liverpool , against  Daniel Agger and Kolo Toure , but he looks quite favourite of having a starting place at the englisht team.

Paris Saint-Germain accept the Premier League side's offer, with the Reds also closing in on Sporting Lisbon defender Tiago Ilori as they look to bolster their defensive options

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