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Pep Guardiola will be without some of his most influential players for the Premier League kick off but his new England star could have a key role

Jack Grealish left his boyhood club Aston Villa for one reason - to win trophies.

But just putting his signature on a Manchester City contract does not mean he will be handed the keys to the trophy cabinet; the England international will need to show his quality and go out and win them.

And his role in keeping the silverware rolling in at the Etihad Stadium might take on importance at an earlier stage than either he or Pep Guardiola might have expected.

The English champions made a slow start to their 2020-21 campaign but they're optimistic about their chances of hitting the ground running this term

For all the furore created by Jack Grealish's record-breaking transfer from Aston Villa, this has been one of Manchester City's more relaxed summers.

For starters, there has been no long-haul tour to the Far East or the United States, which had become an annual event before the Covid-19 pandemic, bringing with it plenty of logistical problems and onerous demands from sponsors and media.

While the players and staff enjoy the opportunity to meet overseas supporters, who are often more exuberant than those based in Manchester when given a rare opportunity to see their heroes in person, staying at home offers the chance to concentrate solely on footballing matters.

LIONEL MESSI
Guardiola responds to Messi talk at Man City as Barcelona icon becomes available
Chris Burton
Last Updated8 hours ago
Aug 06, 202113:43 UTC +01:00



Getty/Goal
LIONEL MESSI
MANCHESTER CITY
BARCELONA
PREMIER LEAGUE
PRIMERA DIVISIÓN
TRANSFERS

The former Blaugrana boss has been heavily linked with the Argentine superstar for some time, and he is now up for grabs after leaving Camp Nou

Pep Guardiola has been quizzed on Manchester City's reported interest in Lionel Messi now that the Barcelona icon has hit free agency and will not be signing a new contract at Camp Nou.

Discussions regarding fresh terms at Camp Nou for the six-time Ballon d'Or winner have broken down, with financial difficulties in Catalunya preventing a deal from being put in place.

A scramble is now being sparked for the most sought-after of signatures but City, who have just broken the British transfer record for Jack Grealish, are not planning on joining that battle.

The Blues hope to bring the Belgian striker back to Stamford Bridge this summer

Chelsea hope to convince Inter to sell Romelu Lukaku by making a sizeable bid this summer.


The Premier League side are willing to offer Marcos Alonso to the Serie A side in part-exchange for the striker.

Chelsea believe they can capitalise on Inter's financial difficulties and that a big offer will make them consider letting the Belgium star leave.

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LEGENDARY TEAMS
Cristiano Ronaldo's dream debut for Real Madrid - Who were his teammates and where are they now?
Ritabrata Banerjee
Last Updated2 hours ago
05:3330 Jul 2021



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LEGENDARY TEAMS
REAL MADRID
PRIMERA DIVISIÓN
FEATURES & OPINIONS

The Portuguese scored a goal on his Real Madrid debut as the club won 3-2 against Deportivo La Coruna...
Cristiano Ronaldo, an all-time great of the game, joined Real Madrid in 2009 from Manchester United for £80 million - a record transfer fee at that time. The Portuguese superstar went on to play nine seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu and broke multiple records.

He won two LaLiga titles and four Champions League trophies in his time at Real Madrid and became the club's all time highest scorer with 451 goals in 438 appearances.

Ronaldo made his debut for the club on August 29, 2009, in the La Liga opener against Deportivo La Coruna. It was a dream debut for the former Manchester United player as he scored a goal from the penalty spot, with the club beginning their campaign on a winning note with a 3-2 win over Deportivo. The other goalscorers were Raul Gonzalez and Lassana Diarra.

The Reds beat Mainz 1-0 in their first 90-minute pre-season friendly in Austria on Friday, courtesy of a late own goal

Liverpool stepped up their preparations for the new Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over Mainz in Austria on Friday.

A late own goal gave the Reds the win, with Luca Kilian diverting Owen Beck's cross past his own goalkeeper four minutes from time.

It was a strong-looking side which began the game in Grodig, with Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Sadio Mane and new signing Ibrahima Konate all included, as well as Naby Keita, Joel Matip and James Milner.

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TRANSFERS
CHELSEA
THOMAS TUCHEL
CHELSEA V CRYSTAL PALACE
NXGN
LEWIS BATE
PREMIER LEAGUE
FEATURES & OPINIONS
MARC GUEHI
VALENTINO LIVRAMENTO

Marc Guehi, Lewis Bate and Tino Livramento are among those who have or are set to depart Stamford Bridge this summer, so should fans be concerned?

When Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager around six months ago, there were concerns raised by some supporters whether that would mark the end of the Blues' willingness to blood youngsters from their academy in the first team.

Lampard, of course, had overseen the a change in tact at Stamford Bridge, with the club's FIFA-imposed transfer ban in the summer of 2019 forcing them to look inwards for additions.

In came Mason Mount, Reece James, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori and - latterly - Billy Gilmour, while Callum Hudson-Odoi was also offered slightly more opportunities than had been available to him under Maurizio Sarri.

Spurs give Kane green light for £160m Man City move (The Sun)
1 hour ago 23:50
Levy ready to sanction captain's departure

Tottenham have given the green light for Harry Kane to complete a £160 million ($220m) move to Manchester City - according to The Sun.

Kane has verbally agreed to a £400,000 per-week contract at Etihad Stadium, with Spurs chairman Daniel Levy ready to sanction his departure after performing a U-turn on his future.

Levy was originally only willing to sell Kane to a foreign club, but has now agreed to let him join City ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.

LIONEL MESSI
MEMPHIS DEPAY
PRIMERA DIVISIÓN
ARGENTINA

The Netherlands international is excited to work alongside a Blaugrana "legend" that he says "can do everything" with the ball at his feet

Memphis Depay says playing with Lionel Messi "will be a dream" for him after his unveiling at Barcelona, as he will get the chance to link up with the "best player in the world".

Depay was officially presented as a new Barca player on Thursday, having been snapped on a free transfer following his departure from Lyon at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

The 27-year-old joins a star-studded squad that is likely to include Lionel Messi, once the final terms of his new contract are finalised, and he can't wait to work alongside the six-time Ballon d'Or winner

England's top-flight league is keen to ensure that those involved at the elite level are on board with the UK's vaccination programme

Premier League players and staff will need to be vaccinated against Covid-19 amid fears that the virus could disrupt football next season, Goal can confirm.

It's part of the UK Government's wider plan to require all attendees to football matches to show a Covid pass from October 1, with players needing to have had two doses of the vaccine.

With the guidance from above being issued earlier this week, the Premier League is actively encouraging clubs to get on top of vaccinating their employees immediately, to avoid further disruption.

MLS
ATLANTA UNITED
CINCINNATI V ATLANTA UNITED
FEATURES & OPINIONS
JOSEF MARTÍNEZ
GABRIEL HEINZE

The former Argentina defender lasted just 13 games before his controversial, and at times against-the-rules, training methods came to light

As reports began to trickle out regarding what was really going on behind the scenes at Atlanta United this season, what originally seemed like a tricky situation soon began to look like a truly ugly one.


Last week began with a disgruntled superstar, an Atlanta icon in Josef Martinez being pushed out of the team.

It continued on with another poor performance in a loss to the New England Revolution, the latest bad result for a team that expects to be among the best in MLS.

Tottenham are plotting a swoop for Inter defender Milan Skriniar - as Calcio Mercato reports.

Spurs have long been linked with the 26-year-old and are ready to formalise their interest as new manager Nuno Espirito Santo steps up his preparations for the 2021-22 season.

Skriniar, who still has two years left to run on his current contract, helped Inter clinch the Serie A title last season.

The Blues duo are nearing the Stamford Bridge exit door having been offered fast-tracked pathways to first-team football

Brighton are closing in on a deal for Tino Livramento as they look to finalise a fee with Chelsea after the 18-year-old rejected contract offers to remain in west London.

Southampton made a strong late approach after teams including Aston Villa, RB Leipzig and AC Milan queued up to sign Chelsea's Academy Player of the Year.

The Blues' approach for recent Paris Saint-Germain signing Achraf Hakimi is another possible factor that damaged their argument to keep Livramento.

OLYMPICS WOMEN
UNITED STATES
SAMANTHA KERR
ABBY ERCEG
CHINA PR
MARTA
NETHERLANDS
BARBRA BANDA
ZAMBIA
GREAT BRITAIN
CHILE
JAPAN
LAUREN HEMP
BRAZIL
CHRISTINE SINCLAIR
C. ENDLER
CHRISTEN PRESS
NEW ZEALAND
LINDSEY HORAN
WANG SHUANG
VIVIANNE MIEDEMA
HANNA GLAS
SWEDEN
DEBINHA
KIM LITTLE
MANA IWABUCHI
FEATURES & OPINIONS
AUSTRALIA
CANADA

With no age restrictions in place at the Olympic Games, loads of the game's top stars will be representing their respective nations in Japan
Barbra Banda - ZambiaCosafa media
Barbra Banda (Zambia)
If Zambia spring a surprise this summer, it's likely that Barbra Banda will be crucial to it.

After establishing herself as an exciting young forward in Spain, scoring 15 goals in 28 games for a Logrono side that were battling relegation when she got there, Banda moved to China and still hasn't stopped scoring.

The 21-year-old, who is already captain of her country, was the Chinese Women's Super League's topscorer in 2020, netting 18 goals, and scored in Zambia's most recent friendly – a 2-1 win over Chile in November.

Debinha Brazil Women 2021Getty
Debinha (Brazil)
Described by U.S. women's national team boss Vlatko Andonovski as "one of the best players in the world", and ranking at No.9 in last year's Goal 50, Debinha is very special.

A two-time NWSL champion, named the Most Valuable Player in the Championship game in 2019, the North Carolina Courage star has the ability to create chances, make the runs to be on the receiving end of those killer passes herself, or produce something out of nothing to win a game.

Brazil have improved defensively under head coach Pia Sundhage and in a player like Debinha, they have the catalyst to make their attack a serious problem for opponents in Japan as well

The Reds are keen to move the Wales international on this summer and the Championship promotion hopefuls look the likeliest option at present

Fulham are leading the race for Liverpool winger Harry Wilson as the Reds look to continue their summer squad clear-out.


The Wales international joined up with Jurgen Klopp’s squad at the club’s pre-season training camp in Austria on Monday, but is almost certain to leave Anfield before the end of the transfer window as he seeks regular first-team football.

Wilson, 24, spent last season on loan with Championship side Cardif, after similar spells with Hull, Derby and Bournemouth, but is understood to have accepted that he now needs to move permanently for the sake of his career.

The Gunners will complete the signing of the England international once he returns from holiday

Arsenal are closing in on the capture of Ben White after having a bid accepted by Brighton for the centre-back.

The Gunners have been locked in talks with the Seagulls for weeks over the 23-year-old and had already seen two offers knocked back.

But a breakthrough in negotiations on Friday saw a £50 million ($69m) bid accepted, with Arsenal now being given permission to finalise a deal with the England international.

10:48Jul 16, 2021



Getty Images
BARCELONA
REAL MADRID
NXGN
ILAIX MORIBA
PRIMERA DIVISIÓN

The Blaugrana are struggling to put fresh terms in place with a hot prospect, but contact with the Blancos is being denied

Contract talks between Barcelona and Ilaix Moriba have come to a standstill, with Goal learning that the Blaugrana suspect Real Madrid may be behind a breakdown in discussions.

The highly-rated 18-year-old is only tied to terms at Camp Nou until the summer of 2022, with another product of the famed La Masia academy system keeping everyone guessing on his future.

The hope in Catalunya is that an agreement can still be found that keeps the hot prospect on their books, but uncertainty reigns for now.

The Portuguese has proven in recent weeks that he can still talk the talk but, ahead of his first friendly fixture, doubts persists over his methods

Like everyone else in football, Walter Sabatini was stunned when he heard Jose Mourinho was on his way to Roma.

The former Giallorossi director described the Portuguese coach's appointment as "an earthquake", and it certainly sent shockwaves through the dressing room.

"I still can't believe it," defender Marash Kumbulla told Goal last month. "It'll be like a dream to be coached by Mourinho."

The Argentine has taken a 50% wage cut to remain at Camp Nou, so the cash-strapped Blaugrana have to now hold up their end of the bargain

On one hand, the nightmare is ending for Barcelona.

The idea they might lose their captain, their all-time top goalscorer and arguably the greatest player in the history of the game, Lionel Messi, was a real fear.

Technically, they did, with Messi having been a free agent since July 1, and he will continue to be so until he puts pen to paper on the new five-year deal that has been drawn up with Barcelona.

ITALY
ITALY V ENGLAND
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
ENGLAND

The Italy defender shouted the word just before the England teenager saw his spot kick saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma

Italy star Giorgio Chiellini has claimed that he put a "curse" on Bukayo Saka before the England teenager's decisive penalty miss in Sunday's Euro 2020 final.

Saka saw his spot kick saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, handing Italy the European title after the two teams drew 1-1 over 120 minutes.

Just before Saka took the kick, Chiellini screamed "Kiricocho!" – a word that's been used by footballers for decades to impart bad luck on the opposition.

The 19-year-old shone on his international debut, showing off the effortless glide that has made him a rising star in MLS at Sporting Kansas City

When Sporting Kansas City manager Peter Vermes began preparations for his team's 2018 pre-season, he also formulated a plan for the club's teenage prodigy Gianluca Busio.

In the 18 months or so since Busio had joined the club as a 14-year-old, he had impressed enough to earn a taste of training with the first team.

And that was what it was supposed to be for the 15-year-old: a taste.

Mario Cortegana
Last Updated3 hours ago
12:50Jul 13, 2021



Getty
TRANSFERS
REAL MADRID
GARETH BALE
MARCELO
KYLIAN MBAPPÉ
PRIMERA DIVISIÓN
ISCO
PSG
TAKEFUSA KUBO
LIGUE 1
BRAHIM DÍAZ

The Blancos are eager to get big wages off their books, with any funds raised set to go towards prising a World Cup winner away from PSG

Real Madrid's plan for the summer transfer window will focus on trying to get bodies out, Goal has learned, with any funds freed up by 'Operation Exit' allowing for long-standing interest in Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe to be stepped up as the next deadline approaches.

The Blancos, who are famed for their 'Galacticos' approach to recruitment under Florentino Perez, have tightened their belts in recent years and have not invested a fee in anyone since signing Reinier in January 2020 - with David Alaba snapped up on a free this time around.

The Liga giants intend to stick with that plan in 2021 and, with long-serving captain Sergio Ramos already departed at the end of his contract, the hope is that a squad which currently includes 29 players - with loan stars Borja Mayoral and Reinier not on that list - will be trimmed considerably over the coming weeks.
http:///36IpM50

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ENGLAND
'I'll never apologise for who I am' - Rashford responds to racist abuse & opens up on Euro 2020 final penalty miss
Goal
Last Updated1 hour ago
06:3013 Jul 2021


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ENGLAND
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
ITALY V ENGLAND
MARCUS RASHFORD
ITALY
MANCHESTER UNITED

The Manchester United forward has paid tribute to his team-mates and the outpouring of support he's received after his spot-kick miss at Wembley

Marcus Rashford has said that he has "felt no prouder moment" representing England at Euro 2020 and that he "will never apologise for who I am and where I came from" after he was subjected to racist abuse following the Three Lions' defeat to Italy.

Gareth Southgate's side were beaten 3-2 on spot kicks in the Euro 2020 final, with Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka the three players to see their efforts fall short, leading to the trio receiving abhorrent racist messages online.

Reflecting on his miss in the shootout, Manchester United forward Rashford admits that "something didn't feel quite right" before he stepped up to take the penalty, while he has vowed the Three Lions will "be back stronger".

The artwork displayed on the streets of Manchester was defaced in the wake of the Three Lions' penalty shootout defeat at Wembley

A mural of England and Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has been vandalised following the Three Lions' Euro 2020 final loss to Italy.


With the scoreline locked at 1-1 after extra time in Sunday's showpiece event, penalties were needed to decide the winner of the European Championship.

Italy won 3-2 on spot-kicks as Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka missed, with all three players subsequently targets of racial abuse from online trolls.

The Three Lions came close to a first major title since 1966 but will have to endure at least one more year of hurt

England endured Euro 2020 heartbreak as they suffered a 3-2 defeat on penalties to Italy after a 1-1 draw following extra time.


Luke Shaw had given Gareth Southgate’s side an early lead but it was cancelled out in the second half as Leonardo Bonucci scrambled home

Italy v England - Final Review
There would be no further scoring, and though England led 2-1 on penalties, Marcus Rashford hit the post before Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka had efforts stopped by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
http:///36IpM50

The legendary defender played in the first ever official game at the new Wembley all the way back in 2007, and showed everyone what he was all about

Giorgio Chiellini is back. Back to his best. And back at Wembley to face England.


He was there, remember, when the new Wembley opened, on March 24, 2007, with a 3-3 draw between England's Under-21s and their Italian counterparts.

Truth be told, he didn't have the best game, arguably at fault for the hosts' second goal, when he failed to cut out a ball from Matt Derbyshire for Wayne Routledge.
http:///36IpM50

Last Updated49 minutes ago
08:45Jul 08, 2021



Getty Images
ENGLAND
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
ENGLAND V DENMARK

Gareth Southgate's side edged out Denmark in a thrilling Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley, sparking wild scenes across the country

It has not come home yet, but football may be heading in that direction after England edged out Denmark in a thrilling Euro 2020 semi-final at Wembley on Wednesday to spark scenes of wild celebration across the country.


Gareth Southgate, the England manager who, as a player, suffered penalty shootout agony against Germany in 1996, has become the first coach since Sir Alf Ramsey in 1966 to book a final berth for the Three Lions at a major international tournament.

England did, as is customary, do things the hard way against a dogged Danish outfit but, after falling behind to a Mikkel Damsgaard free-kick, battled bravely to prevail 2-1 after 120 breathless minutes courtesy of an own goal from Simon Kjaer and Harry Kane's goal following Kasper Schmeichel's penalty save.

A debate has already kicked off over whether Raheem Sterling really was fouled by Joakim Maehle but there is no denying that the right side won

England 2-1 Denmark: Match Statistics


Those contributing to the deafening roar of ‘Don’t take me home, please don’t take me home’ inside Wembley on Wednesday night got their wish as England extended their participation in Euro 2020 by reaching the final of a major tournament for the first time in 55 years with a dramatic 2-1 win over Denmark.

As the chant goes, these fans have never stopped dreaming, but this current crop of players have given them reason to believe that lifting the Henri Delaunay trophy is a real possibility rather than the fanciful idea many thought it was a little under a month ago, as Harry Kane’s penalty in extra time set up a final showdown against Italy on Sunday.

The France star has tried to heal the tension between the club and their shirt sponsors after videos emerged of him mocking Asian people

Barcelona striker Antoine Griezmann has called the CEO of club sponsor Rakuten to offer his apologies after videos of him mocking Asian people surfaced online.


The France international was recorded laughing as team-mate Ousmane Dembele insulted staff who were there to fix the television in their hotel room, and in another video Griezmann is heard saying: "Ching chong". The videos are from Barcelona's pre-season tour of Japan in 2019.

Griezmann and Dembele responded to accusations of racism after the videos were shared across social media in recent days, with the former saying: "I firmly refute the accusations made against me and I am sorry if I offended my Japanese friends."
http:///36IpM50

The revitalised Manchester United defender has completely turned his career around thanks to a new mentality and the help of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Producing an exceptional display at the new home of one of his most ardent critics seemed a quite fitting closing chapter to the story of Luke Shaw's remarkable resurgence.


In the same week that the Manchester United full-back had finally publicly responded to Jose Mourinho's attacks, the left-back put in one of his best displays in an England shirt, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

The left-back has been integral to Gareth Southgate’s side getting to the semi-final of this summer’s European Championships. So good, in fact, that he has been given the nickname 'Shaw-berto Carlos', comparing him to Brazilian great Roberto Carlos, something the 48-year-old has no issue with.

FT: Italy 1-1 Spain
7 minutes ago 21:50
We're getting extra-time at Wembley!

Another half-hour - at least - of action is on the way, after Alvaro Morata rode to Spain's rescue from the bench after La Roja saw their possessive dominance cracked by a Federico Chiesa counter-finish.

It is the least that Luis Enrique's side deserve, technically the superior opponent on the ball after crafting a gameplan designed to keep Italy's dangermen away from it throughout. Roberto Mancini's men though have more than played their part in a hugely entertaining contest.

Buckle in, folks - this one ain't over by a long shot.

Three added minutes incoming
10 minutes ago 21:47
Having awarded no additional minutes at the end of the first half, we're in for a minimum of three added minutes.

Spain have a half-hearted shout for a penalty waved away after a Dani Olmo ball gets snarled up in a scramble on the edge of the box, where Chiellini's hand makes contact. It's accidental, as he slips, and Felix Brych ignores the claims.