Chelsea agree deal with Bundesliga club for defender; Star arrived for medical yesterday

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Chelsea agree deal with Bundesliga club for defender; Star arrived for medical yesterday - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea defender Baba Rahman is all set for a return to the Bundesliga with Schalke.

The former Augsburg full back has struggled to establish himself in England after a big money move last summer. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is ready to loan the player out this season in order for him to get some regular first team action.

The 22 year old defender is not a part of the Italian’s plans and it is highly unlikely that he will have a future at Stamford Bridge.

According to latest reports from the German media, Chelsea have agreed a loan deal with Schalke and the move should be announced soon. The report also adds that Baba Rahman was due to arrive in Germany for his medical yesterday.

The Blues will receive a fee of around 500,000 Euros and Baba Rahman will sign a one year deal.

The young left back has impressed in the Bundesliga with Augsburg before and would be a very good addition to Schalke. Furthermore, being back in his comfort zone could give him some much needed confidence as well.

A loan move makes sense for all parties. Either he will return as a better player or there will be more suitors after a season of regular first team football.

It will be interesting to see if Chelsea sign a left back now. With Rahman set to depart, the Blues do not have a single specialist left back in their first team squad.

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Premier League star reveals 'easy decision' to reject Arsenal move

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Premier League star reveals 'easy decision' to reject Arsenal move - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Leciester City star striker Jamie Vardy has claimed that his decision to turn down move to fellow Premier League side Arsenal was ‘quite easy’.

Vardy had a £20 million buy-out clause in his previous contract with the Foxes, which the Gunners activated in early June in their bid to sign the England International this summer.

But the 29-year-old opted against the decision to move to the Emirates by signing a new four-year deal to extend his stay at the King Power Stadium and Vardy has now insisted that he still has ‘unfinished business’ with the reigning Premier League champions.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Vardy said: “It’s not been put out there that I have always said the boys, the close-knit brotherhood, is unbelievable and for me, there’s a lot of unfinished business here.”

 “I feel that the club is only going one way and that is forward, that’s why I want to be a part of it. It wasn’t that big [the decision] when I think about it. It was quite easy and this is where I want to be.”
The English centre forward, who scored 24 league goals last season to play a key role in Leicester City’s remarkable Premier League title success, reportedly snubbed Arsenal since he was not convinced they play the right style of football to suit his game.
Meanwhile, PFA Player of the Year Riyad Mahrez, who was also a star performer for the Foxes last season, has also been linked with a move to Arsenal this summer but Vardy has suggested that he is hopeful that the Algerian winger will follow him by staying at Leicester City.

“I think everyone in the squad would want him here, playing with us, but that’s nothing to do with us and it’s down to Riyad and the club to sort out,” Vardy added.

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Mourinho gives verdict on what Manchester United star can bring to OT

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Mourinho gives verdict on what Manchester United star can bring to OT - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s first goal clearly showcases what the striker can bring to the club this season.

The 34-year-old was signed by the Red Devils on a free transfer as he moved to Old Trafford after his contract at Paris Saint-Germain expired at the end of June. He was their second signing of the summer transfer window.

Ibrahimovic, who retired from international football after Sweden’s exit from the group stages of the Euro 2016 was given an extended holiday by Mourinho. This saw him miss his new club’s first two pre-season clashes against Wigan Athletic and Borussia Dortmund.

United travelled to Sweden to face Turkish giants Galatasaray on July 30, Sunday. Ibrahimovic made his first start in United shirt in his homeland and the former Real Madrid and Chelsea manager even started him in his side’s last fixture.

The striker took just over three minutes to score his first goal for his new club as an overall, impressive performance by the Premier League outfit saw Mourinho happy after his side’s 5-2 win.

“Of course Ibra [Ibrahimovic] did show glimpses of the things he can bring us,” Mourinho explained, as quoted by United’s official website.

“Of course Marcus did well. Of course. I think everyone gave everything to improve. And even with the guys who came on at 4-2, I told them to forget the result, don’t play like we are winning 4-2. ‘You need this 30 minutes to play high tempo, high intensity, forget the 4-2.’ That’s what they all tried to do.”

“I prefer this way, I prefer that they are on the pitch so I am happy. I am happy with the opposition, they played already six or seven matches so they were in a higher tempo than us. I am happy with it all.

“And I am happy that out of such a big group we have just Timothy [Fosu-Mensah] and Chris Smalling with little injuries and apart from them, no injuries and everything looks like it’s going well.”

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Klopp explains why Liverpool did not try to block Manchester United transfer

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Klopp explains why Liverpool did not try to block Manchester United transfer - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed that he was decided against signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan after he was made aware that the midfielder had decided to join the Reds’ arch-rivals Manchester United.

The 27-year-old was signed by the Red Devils from Borussia Dortmud for a reported fee of £26 million in the summer transfer window. Mkhitaryan played under Klopp at Dortmund as he was signed for the German manager for the Bundesliga club from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.

Before he joined Dortmund, Mkhitaryan was wanted by Liverpool. However, the Armenian international decided against joining the Merseyside club in favour of Dortmund.

He left the Signal Iduna Park and made a switch to Old Trafford this summer. Klopp was aware that his former player was leaving the German club. However, Liverpool boss admitted that he was not willing to stand in Mkhitaryan’s way, who wanted to play for the 20-time English champions.

“I had that player. If you have had players, you know more about them. You want to learn about other players. That’s how it is,” the Liverpool Echo reported Klopp as saying.

“I knew quite early that he was going this way (to Old Trafford). There was absolutely no reason for me to jump in there. That isn’t how we work.

“We didn’t look for players we had already worked with. If you do that, you know their good, their bad and you wonder whether you will do it again.

“It’s not boring but you know everything about each other so how can you develop? Where is the next step? Where is the next push for development? We could have gone for a lot of players. But, first of all, you have to think: what do I need?”

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Chelsea close in on huge transfer, bid submitted; Star's father prefers Man Utd move

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Chelsea close in on huge transfer, bid submitted; Star's father prefers Man Utd move - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is looking to sign another striker this summer.

The Blues recently signed the Belgian international Michy Batshuayi, but Conte is keen on adding more depth to that position.

Furthermore, with the rumours surrounding Diego Costa’s future at Stamford Bridge, it seems that the former Juventus boss is in no mood to take any risks.

Apparently the Spaniard wants to return to Atletico Madrid this summer and the La Liga club’s president recently confirmed their interest in him as well.

According to latest reports, Chelsea have now identified Romelu Lukaku as target and have submitted a bid in the region of 60 million Euros for the Everton star. Daily Mirror claim that Chelsea have already submitted a 57 million pounds bid for their former striker and a transfer is close because Everton are ready to accept defeat.

However, the report adds that Everton will hold out for a fee close to 75 million pounds for the Belgian and have rejected the initial offer from Chelsea. However, the Blues are confident of re-signing Lukaku and are expected to come in with an improved offer.

Lukaku has been sensational for WBA and Everton since leaving Chelsea and the Blues are ready to bring him back to Stamford Bridge.

Earlier Lukaku suggested that he has unfinished business at Chelsea and would consider a return in future.

Despite Everton’s new found wealth and ambition, Lukaku is likely to push for a transfer if the reports of a bid are true.

Lukaku has scored 61 goals for Everton in his last three seasons and is looking for a step up this summer. A return to Chelsea could be ideal for the talented Belgian forward this summer.

The Belgian has been strongly linked with a move to Manchester United this summer. Earlier this summer, Telegraph reported that Lukaku’s father wants him to leave Everton and prefers a move to Old Trafford.

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French striker joins Atletico Madrid from Sevilla in £27m deal

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French striker joins Atletico Madrid from Sevilla in £27m deal - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Atletico Madrid have announced the signing of French striker Kevin Gameiro from fellow La Liga side Sevilla, with Luciano Vietto moving the other way on loan.

Gameiro has signed a four-year deal to join Atletico Madrid, who will reportedly pay £27 million plus the add-ons for the 29-year-old.

A statement from Atletico Madrid read: “Atletico de Madrid and Sevilla FC have reached an agreement for the transfer of Kévin Gameiro to our club. The striker, who will sign for four seasons, will travel to Madrid this evening.

“The transfer is contingent to the French player successfully undergoing the medical examination.”

Gameiro joined Sevilla after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 and has since netted 67 goals and provided 17 assists in three seasons, including 29 goals he scored last campaign.

The French striker played a key role to help Sevilla win record three consecutive Europa League titles and reportedly drew interest from Atletico’s direct rivals Barcelona, where he was offered the role of a back-up striker to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr.

Meanwhile, the agreement between the two Spanish clubs also includes the season-long loan deal for 22-year-old Luciano Vietto. The Argentine striker will spend the 2016/17 season at Sevilla, who have the option to make the deal permanent next summer.

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Wenger wants Chelsea target, Arsenal ready to pay up; Star arriving in London tomorrow

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Wenger wants Chelsea target, Arsenal ready to pay up; Star arriving in London tomorrow - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Arsenal are looking to sign the highly rated German centre back Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia this summer.

The Gunners are facing a bit of a defensive crisis right now and Wenger is looking to address that problem with the signing of the German international.

Valencia are in need of money and are likely to accept a reasonable offer for the experienced centre back. As per latest reports, Valencia will consider selling their best defender for a fee of 25 million Euros and Arsenal are prepared to offer around 30 million Euros for the former Evertonian.

Last week there were reports that Arsenal have got in touch with the player’s agent regarding a transfer and Arsenal will look to do a deal for him once they have signed a striker.

Per Mertesacker has been ruled out with an injury for about 5 months and Koscielny will miss the start of the season because of his involvement in Euro 2016. The only remaining centre backs right now are Calum chambers, Rob Holding and Gabriel. However, the Brazilian is suffering from tonsillitis right now and will pre-season.

Mustafi has been excellent for Valencia over the years and has played in the Premier League before with Everton. The La Liga star is an established international as well and impressed with Germany during the Euros this summer.

Mustafi is expected to head to London tomorrow. The German defender will join his teammates for pre-season in the UK. If the clubs can agree on a fee, a transfer should be easier to complete, now that the player is arriving in London soon.

Chelsea were looking to sign the German defender as well. The Blues are desperate to add some defensive depth and have been linked with Mustafi, Koulibaly and Bonucci this summer.

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Real Madrid begin transfer talks for Spanish attacker; Star wants to play for Klopp

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Real Madrid begin transfer talks for Spanish attacker; Star wants to play for Klopp - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Real Madrid forward Jese Rodriguez is expected to leave the club this summer.

The highly rated Spaniard’s development has stalled over the last couple of seasons due to the lack of game time and injuries and the player is looking to kick-start his stagnating career with a move away from Bernabeu.

According to latest reports, Jese is a target for French champions Paris Saint-Germain who are looking to sign a partner for Edinson Cavani. Following the departure of Ibrahimovic, PSG have been lacking in depth upfront and are looking at the likes of Jese and Lacazette as potential additions.

New PSG manager Unai Emery has always been a fan of Jese and wanted to sign him for Sevilla as well. Emery confirmed earlier this week that Jese is an option for PSG in the market.

However, it appears that Jese is not too keen on being second choice in Paris and prefers a move to Liverpool.

The Real Madrid forward wants to join Jurgen Klopp’s side this summer, but it is highly unlikely the Reds will move for him. Klopp already has the likes of Sturridge, Origi, Ings, Firmino and Mane at his disposal and signing Jese makes no sense.

The next few days should be defining as far as Jese’s future is concerned. What is certain is that the player has no future at Real Madrid and he is well aware of that.

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4 killed and dozens injured in Copa Liberatadores victory celebrations

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4 killed and dozens injured in Copa Liberatadores victory celebrations - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Four football fans lost their lives in in the Colombian city of Medellin during celebrations that followed local side Atletico Nacional’s victory in Wednesday night’s Copa Libertadores final.

The Colombian team went on to claim their second South American title after Miguel Angel Borja’s early goal secured a 2-1 aggregate victory over Ecuador’s Independiente del Valle.

The result sparked fierce scenes with the police reporting as many as four deaths and dozens of injuries while over 100 people arrested.

It was a result of more than 600 fights breaking out with fans from Nacional’s rivals in the city of Medellin taking to the streets in an attempt to come face to face with the celebrating supporters.

According to a report from the Associated Press, one of the fans killed was wearing a rival Medellin club’s shirt and he was slashed in the neck with a knife. Nacional fans are also said to have attacked other fans in the Colombian capital Bogota.

The Copa Libertadores de América is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is one of the most eminent club competition in Latin American football. The winner of the tournament participates in the Club World Cup organised by FIFA.

South American football has recently been marred with similar instances. The club Boca Juniors was kicked out of the tournament after its fans sprayed River Plate players with an irritant substance during the pair’s last-16 tie in 2015. A Bolivian fan was killed by a flare fired by supporters of Brazilian club Corinthians back in 2013.

Violence remains a worrisome issue in football and it isn’t isolated to South America. Just recently, Euro 2016 witnessed horrific scenes in Marseille and Lille where Russia and England fans engaged in fan brutality.

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'Jose Mourinho has brought back the winning mentality at Man Utd'

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'Jose Mourinho has brought back the winning mentality at Man Utd' - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has claimed that new manager Jose Mourinho has brought back the winning mentality at the club.

After months of speculation, Mourinho was officially announced as Louis van Gaal’s successor in May to end the ill-fated tenure of the Dutch coach that lasted for two campaigns.

While, since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, Man Utd have won just one major trophy in three seasons – the 2016 FA Cup, but Wayne Rooney is hopeful that the former Real Madrid and Chelsea boss’ arrival will help the team to challenge in all competitions next season.

The English striker said: “It’s always great to get a new manager but when you get someone in the stature of Jose Mourinho he’s great to work under and he’s brought a winning mentality back to the club.”

“Manchester United as a football club we have to win and we have to deliver for him. There’s pressure on the players but we’re ready and I think this season we’ll give a real challenge on all fronts.

“He’s come in, he’s been great with the players. The training has been hard but enjoyable. We’re ready, we’re working hard. We know it’s a big season for us. He’s made, in my opinion, some great signings who have gelled in really well with the squad so it’s exciting times.”

Since Mourinho’s appointment, Man Utd have signed defender Eric Bailly, centre forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic and attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and the Red Devils are also reportedly close to completing the return of French midfielder Paul Pogba, for a world record €110 million transfer fee.

Man Utd face Galatasaray in a friendly game on Saturday in Gothenburg, with Swedish striker Ibrahimovic expected to make his debut for the club. While, Wayne Rooney’s testimonial match against Everton in midweek will be followed by the Community Shield match against Premier League champions Leicester City on 7 August.

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No agreement between Man Utd and Juventus for Paul Pogba, says agent

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No agreement between Man Utd and Juventus for Paul Pogba, says agent - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Paul Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has denied reports that a deal has been struck between Manchester United and Juventus for the transfer of the French midfielder.

According to several sources, the 23-year-old is on the verge of returning to Old Trafford this summer after both the clubs reached an agreement on Thursday, with an offer of €110 million reportedly accepted by Juventus to sanction Pogba’s sale.

However, the midfielder’s agent Mino Raiola, who also represents new Man Utd signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, has hit out at the English and the Italian media by declaring that no deal is in place between the two European giants.

English outlet the Dailymail claimed on Friday that Man Utd have sealed the blockbuster deal to re-sign Pogba after the France International completed his medical in Los Angeles, with the Premier League giants poised to announce his return soon. The dynamic midfielder will reportedly sign a five-year contract with the Red Devils and will wear the No 6 shirt.

While, several other journalists continue to suggest that Pogba’s proposed return to Man Utd is all but done, and that the two clubs are now preparing the required documents and contracts to conclude the deal.

Pogba, who left Man Utd for free four years ago after growing frustrated over lack of first team action, is now expected to seal his return next week for a world record transfer fee in excess of €100 million, eclipsing Gareth Bale’s move from Tottenham to Real Madrid in 2013.

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Chelsea swoop for £18m Serbian strongman?

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Chelsea swoop for £18m Serbian strongman? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

According to the Daily Mirror, Chelsea are interested in Torino defender Nikola Maksimovic as a cut-price alternative to Kalidou Koulibaly as manger Antonio Conte’s search for a new centre-back goes on.

It was reported yesterday that the Blues have offered £38m for Napoli’s Koulibaly, with the Serie A side reportedly holding out for £45m. This has seemingly put Chelsea off the Senegalese international, with Torino man Maksimovic said to be available at under half the price.

The Serbian centre-back, who stands at 6ft 4in, is an international colleague of Blues defender Branislav Ivanovic and has spent three years at Torino having signed from Red Star Belgrade in 2013. The 24-year-old, who can also play in defensive midfield, is also said to be interesting rivals West Ham.

Chelsea have already spent heavily this summer, bringing in both striker Michy Batshuayi and midfielder N’Golo Kante for a combined £63m from Marseille and Premier League rivals Leicester respectively.

But with John Terry coming to the end of his career, Gary Cahill experiencing a mixed Euros campaign and Kurt Zouma still coming back from a long-term injury; new manager Antonio Conte is looking to bolster his backline for the 2016/17 season.

Koulibaly had been earmarked as a potential addition, with the 25-year-old’s agent revealing this week that the defender is to leave Napoli ‘for economic reasons’ and that a deal with Chelsea could still be thrashed out.

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Juventus star Leonardo Bonucci was also said to be on the Blues’ radar, but like with Koulibaly, his huge price tag as seemingly sent Chelsea looking for alternatives, with Maksimovic commanding a much more reasonable fee.

Meanwhile, the Blues have reportedly beaten La Liga giants Barcelona to the signing of the highly-rated Polish goalkeeper Marcin Bulka from Escola Varsovia, with the 17-year-old said to have arrived in West London yesterday to sign a contract with the club.

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Man Utd renew interest to sign Atletico Madrid defender

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Man Utd renew interest to sign Atletico Madrid defender - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

Manchester United are considering to renew their interest to sign Atletico Madrid defender Joao Miranda, according to reports in the Dailymail.

Miranda, who is currently at Inter Milan on a two-year loan spell, has been heavily with the Premier League giants for the past few seasons.

Former Man Utd managers reportedly made attempts to sign the Brazilian centre back, although Jose Mourinho is also said to be a huge admirer of the 31-year-old.

The Portuguese coach himself wanted to sign Miranda for Chelsea last summer and could still opt to make an offer for the strong defender, should Marcos Rojo or Daley Blind leave the club this summer.

Man Utd’s defensive duo have been linked with a move away from Old Trafford, with German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger taunted as the most high-profile victim of Jose Mourinho’s arrival.

While, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair are all expected to go out on loan to acquire playing time this season and the Red Devils could yet bolster their defensive options by signing the Brazilian International despite having already signed Eric Bailly from Villarreal.

In his first press conference for Man Utd, Mourinho revealed that the club has made plans to sign four new players this summer, with three of them having already confirmed by the Old Trafford outfit.

Bailly’s arrival was followed by the signings of striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and the fourth ‘priority signing’ is highly anticipated to be Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

However, Man Utd are unlikely to make an offer for Miranda now that they are close to concluding their purchases in the current transfer market, with Pogba’s return expected to be their final signing this summer.

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