Paul Pogba s agent has revealed the midfielder s holding initial talks with Real Madrid ahead of a world record transfer this summer.
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly close to signing for Real Madrid this summer, according to the player’s agent Mino Raiola.
But given the competition for places in the Real side, as well as a settled midfield that helped win the Champions League in May, where will Pogba fit in?
Pogba could be seduced by idol Zidane
The French international is currently representing his country in this summer’s European Championships, but his agent has been speaking on his behalf. Raiola recently revealed how Pogba has begun the initial phase of what promises to be a drawn out saga. Talking about how his client wants to beco…
Just like Germany stars Lukas Podolski, Jan Schlaudraff and Marcell Jansen before him, talented teenager Toni Kroos has become the latest star to opt out of Bayern Munich.
For a young player, to play is most important and it is something which was only proposed to me on occasion at Bayern, said Kroos, voted the best player at the Under-19 World Cup in 2007.
Kroos, 19, signed an 18-month loan deal with Bayer Leverkusen last week having made just seven league appearances for Bayern this season.
It remains to be see whether he ever returns to Bayern and he is not the only rising German star to leave the Bavarian giants in frustration at a lack of first-team chances.
Podolski, voted the best young player at the 2006 World Cup, also shone for the national te…
Queens Park Rangers manager Mark Hughes says Adel Taarabt remains in his plans but wants the Moroccan to earn a first-team place.
Former Tottenham midfielder Taarabt was a key figure as QPR gained promotion to the English Premier League in the 2010/11 campaign, scoring 19 goals in 44 Championship appearances.
He made 24 league starts last term and has not featured since the west London outfit s 5-0 opening day defeat to Swansea.
Hughes was keen to underline the 23-year-old s importance to the squad, and he challenged Taarabt to make it impossible to leave him out.
On the first day of the season we were beaten at home quite comprehensively, and I made changes, Hughes told the Times.
Those changes affected Adel. But he s very well thought of here…
Market: New York Red Bulls double chance
Odds: 2/3 @
Looking to find a route back into the Final Series spots in the early hours of Thursday, New York Red Bulls will make the trip to Toronto in midweek.
Starting with the hosts, while Toronto might not have been at their best once again over the weekend, they did manage to land themselves a hard-fought point against Orlando thanks to a 1-1 draw. Just about able to build off of that action-packed 3-2 victory away at New England earlier in the month, interim boss Javier Pérez still finds his side seeking some stability. Only showing a host of issues since opening the 2021 campaign and really failing to match a similar level they set in their second-place finish last year, The Reds hold just a single-point buffer …
Lionel Messi will complete a course of treatment on an ankle injury before returning to Barcelona training ahead of next week s game with Huesca.
The club had already confirmed the captain had been granted an extended Christmas break, with Messi having gone to Rosario in Argentina to spend time off with his family.
It means the six-time Ballon d Or winner will miss the LaLiga match with Eibar on Tuesday.
Barca later announced Messi is due to finish treatment on his right ankle and is expected to return to training before they face Huesca on January 3.
After a difficult start to the season following his failed attempt to leave the club, Messi has recovered some form, scoring six of his seven league goals in 2020-21 in his most recent eight appearances.
…
Rangers have dismissed manager Graeme Murty in the wake of Sunday s 5-0 battering at the hands of Old Firm rivals Celtic, potentially paving the way for Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard to take over at Ibrox.
Murty was initially installed as interim boss in October following the sacking of Pedro Caixinha, before being handed the role until the end of the campaign in December.
However, the 43-year-old has paid the price for the heavy defeat to Celtic, which came just two weeks after a 4-0 hammering at the hands of their rivals in the Scottish FA Cup, with Rangers confirming he has been relieved of his duties in an official statement.
Following the loss to Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership for a seventh consecutive year thanks to the win, reports emerged that…
Liverpool have nothing to lose from signing teenage Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg, according to his former boss Jaap Stam.
Van den Berg joined Liverpool from Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle on Thursday in a reported €1.5million (£1.3m) deal that could rise by a further €3.5m with add-ons.
The 17-year-old has featured 22 times in the top tier of Dutch football and is rumoured to have been courted by clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich, Ajax and PSV.
And Stam, who managed Van den Berg during his half-season in charge of Zwolle in 2018-19, insisted Liverpool are signing a player with plenty of potential.
I’m really happy to sign for this amazing club! Words can’t discribe how thankfull I am. I feel honoured to say that I am now a player!…
Neymar does not believe it is a problem if Brazil are over-reliant on him in their quest for Olympic gold because Barcelona rely on Lionel Messi.
The five-time world champions are looking to end their quest for Olympic glory on home turf at Rio 2016 next month and Rogerio Micale s side will look to Barca superstar Neymar for inspiration.
The 24-year-old was not keen to proclaim his own importance but happily admitted he finds himself playing second fiddle to Messi on a weekly basis domestically.
I ve never liked talking about myself, but I ll give Barcelona s example, he told a news conference at Granja Comary.
We have great players but will we deny we are dependent on Messi? Of course we depend [on Messi].
I m not ashamed of playing for him or…
Andrea Barzagli believes Gonzalo Higuain could make the difference for Juventus as they go in search of their first Champions League title in 20 years.
The Argentina international joined from Napoli in a deal worth €90 million, signing a five-year contract with the reigning Serie A champions.
Juve made it to the final of the Champions League in 2014-15, but crashed out in the round of 16 last term and are desperate to go all the way this time around.
Given the number of matches we will be playing, Higuain may well be the difference for us over the course of the season, Barzagli told the club s official website.
He is an excellent centre forward and he has shown that with the number of goals he has scored everywhere he has been.
The Champion…
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes Fernando Torres has yet to hit his straps in London because his team-mates have not adapted to him.
Torres joined Chelsea from Liverpool in January 2011 for £50million but has scored just 34 goals in 131 appearances for the London-based English Premier League club, prompting plenty of speculation the 29-year-old Spanish striker is past his best.
But Mourinho, who has rejoined Chelsea as manager after five years coaching outside England, is convinced he can get the best out of Torres in the upcoming campaign.
He (Torres) is not a kid any more, he is at an age where it is difficult to change his play, Mourinho said after Chelsea s 2-0 friendly win over Inter Milan on Friday.
He is what he is and he is very good with the quali…