Lindelof, who arrived at Old Trafford in a £30m deal from Benfica this summer, started the European Super Cup against Real Madrid earlier this month but has not featured in the Premier League this season.

First-choice pairing Eric Bailly and Phil Jones are both suspended for the game against Basel next month, however, and Mourinho has confirmed that Lindelof, in addition to Chris Smalling, will be given the chance to impress in that fixture.

“Eric is playing really well,” Mourinho told reporters. “I have to say Smalling is in very good conditions and I have also to say Victor is improving every day.

“So, as you know, against Basel Jones and Eric are both suspended, so against Basel we will play Victor and Smalling and no problem at all. The squad is good and the mentality of the players is very good too.”

Man United have won all three of their Premier League matches at the start of the new campaign.
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Maria Sharapova is great for tennis and deserves to be back on the main stage at the US Open, according to Billie Jean King.

Sharapova, 30, is set to make her first grand slam appearance since the 2016 Australian Open after serving a 15-month doping ban.

King, a 12-time grand slam winner, is delighted to see the Russian back, highlighting Sharapova’s popularity with the fans and backing the decision to hand her a main-draw wildcard at Flushing Meadows.

“Maria Sharapova deserves to be in the US Open,” King told Omnisport, courtesy of WTA-WSJ.

“She has paid her dues, the fines the time she couldn’t play, she has done what she was supposed to do and to have Maria back is great for our sport.

“I think any player who thinks she shouldn’t be back as a wildcard is absolutely ridiculous, she deserves to be back.

“We need her, tennis needs her, she is great for our sport and she sells tickets.
A five-time grand slam winner, Sharapova – who faces Simona Halep in a blockbuster opening-round clash in New York – is ranked 146th in the world ahead of the year’s final major.

Atop the rankings, there are eight players who could be number one after the US Open – and King said that was a good sign.

“I think this is the most depth we have ever had, we are also seeing a changing of the guard because I have been through five, six, seven generations,” she said.

“I have seen these generations come and go but right now it’s so exciting, I really love it because I don’t know who is going to win and I really love that feeling because it captures my interest as a former professional player.”
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes the Premier League still has steps to take to become the toughest domestic club competition.

Guardiola is into his second season in charge of City, having won three LaLiga titles – and two Champions Leagues – at the helm of Barcelona and three Bundesliga crowns with Bayern Munich.

But the Spaniard said the Premier League was not yet the most difficult, pointing to the records of English clubs in Europe.

Chelsea were the last English side to reach a decider in the Champions League, claiming the trophy in 2012, with Spain (six times), Germany (two) and Italy (two) the nations with finalists since then.

“I know you like to hear, ‘it is the toughest one, congratulations’. You are the most viewed,” Guardiola said, via the Mirror.

“Of course the Premier League is tough, so tough. But I would not say going to the [Santiago] Bernabeu, Camp Nou, [Athletic] Bilbao, Sevilla is easy.

“Because in the last decade, all the Spanish teams arrive in the Champions League and Europa League. Winning the Europa League – like Sevilla did three times in a row.

“The Premier League will be tough when, this is going to happen with five teams in the Champions League, they can achieve the last rounds.

“After we can say, ‘that is the toughest league’. We have to make that step.”

Guardiola’s side claimed a dramatic 2-1 win at Bournemouth on Saturday to make it seven points from three league games, enough to sit fourth in the table.
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Arsenal are now in “crisis” according to former defender Martin Keown, who questioned Arsene Wenger’s decision-making following Sunday’s embarrassing 4-0 loss to Liverpool.

Goals from Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge humbled visiting Arsenal in Premier League action at Anfield.

Club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette, centre-back Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac were named among the substitutes as Arsenal crashed to back-to-back defeats and Keown compared the situation to that of London rivals West Ham, where Slaven Bilic is under pressure following three consecutive losses to start the season.

“Arsenal look so naïve,” Keown told BBC. “Their midfield, [Granit] Xhaka is not mobile enough, [Aaron] Ramsey keeps vacating the field.

“Wenger’s belief is to go and attack. His glass is always half-full. He wants to create. He is turning up at the training ground with the team to be creative.

“They had no shots on goal against Liverpool. It’s absolutely unthinkable. They’ve conceded eight goals. We’re talking about [West Ham manager] Slaven Bilic losing his job. He’s conceded 10. Arsenal are next to them. This is a crisis.

“There is £130million worth of players sitting on the bench. Lacazette, we are told he is the new hope. Why is he on the bench?

“Some of the rational about the decisions today, I’m scratching my head. Gabriel is an outstanding player, probably the best pound-for-pound defender. He’s been allowed to leave for £9m. Mustafi sitting on the bench. I’m not sure now about the decisions being made.”
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Chelsea have reportedly decided to make a fresh offer for Swansea City forward Fernando Llorente.

Blues head coach Antonio Conte has been keen on a reunion with Llorente – who worked with him at Juventus – since January, but so far, the Italian has failed to tempt the Welsh outfit into a sale.

However, according to The Telegraph, Chelsea are ready to launch another approach for the 32-year-old, who has less than a year remaining on his contract at the Liberty Stadium.

It has been claimed that the Premier League champions will offer a fee of £15m for the Spanish international, who is yet to feature this season because of a fractured arm.

Last season, Llorente netted 15 goals in the top flight, with his contribution proving decisive as Paul Clement’s team avoided relegation to the Championship.

If a move for Llorente is successful, it would leave Chelsea with three strikers on their book, unless Michy Batshuayi is allowed to leave the club on loan.
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Tony Pulis is keen to put an end to speculation regarding Jonny Evans’ West Brom future and remains hopeful of conducting further incoming transfer business.

Albion captain Evans has reportedly been a target of Manchester City in recent weeks, while Arsenal have also emerged as a potential suitor.

However, Pulis is confident that Evans will remain at the Hawthorns, playing down talk of any interest from Arsene Wenger’s side.

“There has been no contact from City for the last couple of days,” Pulis told a pre-match news conference ahead of facing former club Stoke City. “The directors are dealing with that.

“Jonny is a West Brom player and we want this situation sorted as soon as possible.

“Arsenal were interested last year and made an offer last year. I don’t think this club has received anything from Arsenal [this year].”
Instead, Pulis is keen to see West Brom bring more players to the club, having signed Oliver Burke from RB Leipzig on a five-year deal on Friday.

“There are still four areas we want to fill,” he said. “At the moment, there is nothing done with anybody. We have a hell of a lot to do in a few days.”

On winger Burke, Pulis added: “He’s a good player and we monitored him before he went to Leipzig. We thought he was a talented lad, with lots of potential.

“He’s had a year over there and gained more experience. He’s not the finished article, but he has absolutely fantastic potential.”
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s burning desire to win the Premier League is the reason behind his return to Manchester United, according to Thierry Henry.

Ibrahimovic – recovering from a serious knee injury – returned to United on Thursday, signing a one-year contract at Old Trafford after he was released when his previous deal expired at the end of June.

The 35-year-old striker scored 28 goals in all competitions as he helped United to EFL Cup and Europa League glory in 2016-17 but knee ligament damage cut short his season.

United finished sixth in the Premier League last term and former Barcelona team-mate Henry believes Ibrahimovic is back to conquer England with Jose Mourinho, who has overseen back-to-back 4-0 victories to open the campaign.

“They kept Zlatan, but I think Zlatan takes it as a challenge that he has with himself. I think he wants to do more, and he still didn’t win the league,” Henry told Sky Sports.

“I know that he wants to win the Premier League, to make England another country that he conquered.

“I’m not surprised, because if I was there [at Man United] I would want to keep a guy like Zlatan in and around the dressing room.

“Having him around [Romelu] Lukaku, having him around Marcus Rashford [is beneficial]. Rashford was talking about it last year, he knows how to get that dressing room together.

“I’m not surprised in a way because we are talking about Zlatan Ibrahimovic, one of the best that has done it in the game, for me.”
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Chelsea club ambassador Paulo Ferreira feels it is difficult to answer which club Diego Costa will be contracted to when the Premier League champions face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.

Antonio Conte’s men were placed alongside Atletico, Roma and competition debutants Qarabag in Group C in Thursday’s draw.

Costa was the Blues’ top scorer on the way to glory last season but has subsequently been exiled by Conte.

The Spain striker has repeatedly voiced his desire to re-join Atleti, who he left to move to Stamford Bridge in 2014.

Ferreira, a two-time Champions League winner with Porto and Chelsea, was reluctant to be drawn on a complex situation.

“Of course, it is a difficult question to respond to but the most important thing is Chelsea being in this competition,” he told BT Sport.

“For sure it will be a tough game, the same as Roma and Qarabag. We will do our best to go forward in this competition.”
The 2012 winners are back in Europe’s top competition after a shambolic Premier League title defence in 2015-16 left them without continental fixtures last term – a state of affairs Ferreira feels it was tough for Chelsea to accept.

“It’s so good to be back again in this competition,” he said. “It was quite strange for a club like Chelsea to be out of the Champions league. It is not good.

“A club like Chelsea, when you enter this kind of competition it is to go as far as you can and try to win.

“All the top clubs here are looking for that and Chelsea are a top club.

“Everything is possible. It will be hard but we will do the best we can.”
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Jurgen Klopp has suggested that qualifying for the Champions League group stage will help Liverpool attract more players to the club over the next week, while also tempting Philippe Coutinho to stay at Anfield.

The Reds eased past Hoffenheim 6-3 on aggregate in their playoff tie to earn a spot in Thursday evening’s draw – just the second time they have reached this stage in eight years.

Klopp has been left largely frustrated in his attempt to bring in new faces this summer, with Mohamed Salah, Dominic Solanke and Andrew Robertson the only three to sign so far, but the German is hopeful that it will now be easier to persuade others to join.

“[Champions League qualification] is a big influence on the transfer market, especially if we do it more often,” he told reporters. “I said I think before the game, if you talk to a player, they really often [mention it]… especially players we talk to. We don’t have to talk to players which are not better than our players because it’s difficult to find.

“I know a few people think differently, but we do a lot of work and it’s not that easy to find 20 players in this position that are better, 20 players in that position that are better. But if you talk to them, they say if you would play in the Champions League, it would be really interesting because the club is great, the manager is not too bad and all that stuff.

“Or even if you try to extend a contract with a player in the squad, [they might say], ‘Yeah, I want to play Champions League’ and I always think ‘It’s your job to do it with us together, so don’t ask that we do a job and you cannot play Champions League – do it with us together.’ That’s what this team did, and that’s why I am so happy about it – 14 months’ hard work and we did it. Nice!”

Liverpool have been heavily linked with Virgil van Dijk and Naby Keita in recent months, while Coutinho is at the top of Barcelona’s transfer wishlist.
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The suspended Cristiano Ronaldo vented his frustrations with a stunning strike as Real Madrid defeated Fiorentina 2-1 in the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

The star forward has missed the last two matches, including his team’s opening game of the 2017-18 Liga season, and is banned from competitive domestic action for three further games after being sent off and then pushing the referee in the first leg of the Supercopa de Espana against Barcelona.

While all eyes were understandably on Ronaldo in this exhibition game, links between the past and future of Spanish and Italian football were also apparent by glancing at the team sheets, as Federico Chiesa and Giovanni Simeone, the offspring of former Azzurri international Enrico Chiesa and Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone respectively, started for Fiorentina.

Young goalkeeper Luca Zidane was introduced by his father for the hosts in the second half, while Ianis Hagi, son of Romania great Gheorghe Hagi, who played for both Barcelona and Madrid, came on in the second half for La Viola.

It was the less storied figure of Jordan Veretout, rescued last month from an unhappy spell at Aston Villa, who opened the scoring for Fiorentina after just four minutes, stabbing a firm finish from the top of the box past Madrid goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.

It did not take long for Los Blancos’ stars to assert themselves, though.

The in-form Marco Asensio linked up with the man he has been shining in the absence of, playing in Ronaldo down the left of the opposition penalty area. The Portugal star dragged his shot across the face of goal and Borja Mayoral was on hand to fire home from close range.
In the 33rd minute it was Ronaldo who grabbed the spotlight, charging down the left wing, cutting inside and beating defender German Pezzella before firing a brilliant finish into the far top corner of the net, leaving Marco Sportiello helpless.
Madrid continued to dominate without forcing a third before half-time, when the beleaguered visitors offered their starting XI some much needed respite by changing the entire team.

Zidane initially sufficed himself with just three swaps, including the introduction of son Luca in place of Casilla.

Star playmaker Isco meanwhile came on for Asensio in the 62nd minute and there were also cameos from Casemiro, Gareth Bale and Toni Kroos, although neither side proved able to add to the scoreline in the time remaining.
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Former Manchester United star Ryan Giggs believes his old side’s impressive start to the season suggests they will be difficult to stop in their hunt for silverware.

Jose Mourinho’s men made light work of West Ham and Swansea City in their opening two Premier League matches of 2017-18, winning 4-0 on each occasion.

Their stylish victories have come amid uncertain starts for some of their title rivals, with Chelsea having lost at Burnley on the opening day before beating Tottenham on Sunday, Arsenal losing 1-0 to Stoke City and Manchester City and Liverpool being held to draws by Everton and Watford respectively.

Giggs says United are beginning to look like successful Mourinho teams of old and feels their ability to score from different areas of the pitch will stand them in good stead to challenge for trophies.

“When Jose Mourinho’s sides get going, they are very difficult to stop. He’s done it in the past and, while it’s important dealing with the expectations with the media making a lot of it, managing that is something he is great at,” Giggs wrote for Sky Sports.
“There’s also a lot of experience within the squad and they’ll all play their parts. Michael Carrick and Ashley Young haven’t been involved yet but have that experience to slot back in and be trusted, while Chris Smalling and David de Gea also have that experience of winning the league.

“Before the first two games I thought that the title was between Manchester City, who have the firepower, and Manchester United, who have the balance to their squad.

“They look powerful with Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku, but what is pleasing to see is the creative players doing well as well. Henrikh Mkhitaryan already has four assists and that will do him the world of good, so hopefully he can get back to his [Borussia] Dortmund form.

“There’s a lot of players contributing to goals which is crucial to winning the league. Juan Mata scores year in, year out, Antony Martial chipping in and when Marcus Rashford and Mkhitaryan join the party you’ve got options. You can’t just rely on Lukaku.”
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Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois questioned whether Tottenham will be able to thrive at Wembley this season due to a lack of noise generated by the fans.

Spurs are using England’s national stadium for their home matches this season while the redevelopment work at White Hart Lane continues.

They got off to an inauspicious start on Sunday, though, as Premier League champions Chelsea claimed a 2-1 victory to make it seven defeats in their last nine appearances at Wembley for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

And Courtois believes they might continue to struggle if the home support are unable to create a more intimidating atmosphere.

“It feels a bit different because obviously their home ground is not this one,” he said. “They have the capacity now to bring a lot of fans into the stadium.

“If they make more noise it would be better for them but in the first half, if you have to put some noise over the speakers to make some atmosphere, I don’t think it is working very well.
“In the second half they were pressing and 70,000 people started to wake up. There is obviously more than the 40,000 [36,284] at White Hart Lane.

“The only difference is that they are more separated from the pitch than at White Hart Lane, where you feel more pressure when they are pressing and the pitch is smaller. That is probably better for them.

“Wembley is an amazing stadium and makes you want to play even better, it is like a Champions League game where you can rise above yourself.

“All the teams that come here, instead of being impressed, they will give more, so for Spurs it won’t be easy.

“But if they have their fans, with 80-90,000 people, they can make it difficult for a lot of teams.”
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Lionel Messi is showing he is unsure about his future by not signing a new Barcelona contract, according to Agusti Benedito.

The Argentina star agreed to a new four-year deal in July but has yet to put pen to paper, despite his current contract having less than a year to run.

Speculation has mounted that Messi could be tempted to leave Barca, with Manchester City reportedly prepared to activate his €300million release clause in order to reunite him with former boss Pep Guardiola.

Barca technical secretary Robert Fernandez has insisted it is a matter of time before Messi signs his extension, but Benedito, a former candidate for the club presidency, believes the 30-year-old has clear doubts around his decision.

“They’ve been leaving the renewal of Messi, the most important player, until the end… and with it still not signed, it’s a concern,” Benedito told Onda Cero and Radio Marca.

“Messi’s case could be worse than Neymar’s because, as things stand, from January 1, he’s free.

“Messi has always wanted a competitive team and the situation is a worry. [Barcelona president Josep Maria] Bartomeu said Messi had signed his renewal in June and that’s not the case.
“Bartomeu has not been able to conclude Messi’s renewal. If Messi hasn’t signed the renewal, it’s because he’s unsure.

Barca have largely endured a frustrating transfer window to date, losing Neymar for a world-record €222m fee to Paris Saint-Germain and facing defiance from Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund over top targets Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele.

Brazil international Paulinho was signed for €40m from Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Nice’s Jean Seri is reportedly close to securing a move, but Benedito believes Barca’s recruitment of midfielders underlines a sense of confusion over their transfer plans.

“The feeling given by the board is that they don’t know what they’re looking for in the market,” said Benedito, who began a campaign to lodge a vote of no confidence against the club’s directors in June. “There’s a bit of disruption.

“It seems like Seri is coming and with him they’ll have about 11 midfielders. We lose Neymar and we sign Paulinho.”
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5890
Superligaen
Nordsjalland – FC Helsingor
Yes H Wins Either Halves
1.27

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Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is open to further new signings before the transfer window closes on September 1.

LaLiga and European champions Madrid have been relatively quiet in the market in terms of arrivals, with youngsters Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos the only new players brought to the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Madrid have generated close to €125million through the sales of Alvaro Morata, Danilo, Mariano Diaz, Diego Llorente, Burgui and the loan exit of James Rodriguez, and they have been consistently linked with a club-record swoop for Monaco star Kylian Mbappe.

Zidane is happy with the options at his disposal but is not ruling out the prospect of a late flurry of arrivals before the end of the month.

“I have a fantastic squad which can still be improved,” he said on Saturday. “Until [the end of the window], anything can happen, here and abroad.”

Madrid begin their title defence against Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday at the end of the week in which they claimed the Supercopa de Espana with a 5-1 aggregate win over Barcelona.

Zidane accepts Madrid have become an even bigger scalp for opponents given their success over the last two years and has urged his players not to allow their work-rate to drop.
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Neymar was elated after his first Paris Saint-Germain appearance at the Parc des Princes ended in a phenomenal 6-2 victory over Toulouse on Sunday, but thinks he can improve.

The Brazilian appears intent on trying to repay the world-record €222million PSG shelled out to sign him from Barcelona as quickly as possible, playing a role in five goals as the Parisian faithful got a chance to see him in action on home turf for the first time.

After cancelling out Max Gradel’s opener, the Brazilian – who scored and set another up on his debut at Guingamp last weekend – supplied assists for Adrien Rabiot and Layvin Kurzawa either side of winning a penalty that Edinson Cavani converted.

Neymar then capped a magnificent performance with a sensational solo goal, the fourth PSG scored following the dismissal of Marco Verratti for a second yellow card 21 minutes from time.
“It’s fantastic [at the Parc des Princes], there’s a great atmosphere here. I’m very happy with the supporters, the performance of the team and all the players,” Neymar told Canal +.

Speaking to reporters later, he said: “I don’t remember what happened [for the second goal], I haven’t seen it yet. I just know it’s a goal and that’s all that matter.

“I feel happy at PSG, it’s like home. Now I want to adapt quicker, get better in the physical aspect – I think I can improve.”

After seeing his team dismantled by Neymar, Toulouse boss Pascal Dupraz could only applaud the Brazilian.

“I admire Neymar. He’s good for football. It’s refreshing,” said Dupraz.

“I watched him at Barcelona to seeing him in our championship, I am full of admiration.

“The two matches he has played are mind boggling. I will use the way he plays to help my attackers.”
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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has suggested that “no price” will be enough for rival clubs to prise Philippe Coutinho away from Anfield.

The Brazil international has long been rumoured to be on Barcelona’s radar, with the Reds believed to have rejected a second bid worth more than £90m from Camp Nou this week.

“From a financial standpoint, there is no price limit to let him go or a price that we are ready to give in,” Klopp told Sky Sports News. “Our goal is to have the best possible team. So we want to keep our guys and add new ones. That is our plan.

“Today no player on the planet is untouchable. But a transfer is also a question of timing and if you have the opportunity and the need to react to such a transfer.

“Also you have to ask, if you have the time to react. But just because of one request of one club, we don’t have to think about that. We are not in that situation. Liverpool is not a club that has to sell players. That is set in stone. So what they pay in the end doesn’t matter.”

Barca lost one of their star players last week after Coutinho’s international teammate and fellow attacker Neymar sealed a world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain.
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The Nigeria Basketball Federation president, Musa Ahmadu-Kida, has explained the association’s decision to replace the FIBA AfroBasket winning coach William Voigt with Alex Nwora.

On Wednesday the association through its Twitter handle announced the appointment of Alex Nwora as the coach of the national men’s team D’Tigers ahead of the 2017 FIBA Africa Basketball Championship in Tunisia and Senegal.

D’Tigers who are the reigning champions of the Afrobasket will be defending their title without the man who led the country to her first ever African championship title and the president gave reasons to why he was replaced.

In a statement, NBBF president, Musa Ahmadu-Kida, said the federation appointed the Erie Community College Basketball team coach Nwora because he is qualified for the post.

He said, “We started this project with D’Tigress with the appointment of Sam Vincent, Mfon Udoka, Peter Ahmedu and Okworogun Ochuko.

“There is no point giving out national team jobs to expatriates when we have Nigerians all over the world, who are duly qualified to get the job done.”

The federation said Nwora would be assisted by coaches Aderemi Adewunmi of Kwara Falcons and Abdulrahman Mohammed of Gombe Bulls. The two coaches guided their teams to the top of the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences of the Kwese Premier Basketball League.

Nwora who guided Cape Verde to the 2013 Afrobasket where they defeated Nigeria 79-76 in the fifth-place playoffs will now guide Nigeria at the 2017 edition which will start from September 8 to 16.
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Jose Mourinho has explained why he decided to give his medal to a young fan after Manchester United’s UEFA Super Cup defeat to Real Madrid.

The Reds boss joined his team to collect his runners-up memento on the pitch in Skopje, but promptly handed it to a delighted supporter – a boy named Deji – in the front row before departing.

Asked about the gesture in his post-match press conference, Mourinho gave an answer that prompted laughs among the many journalists present.

“Sometimes when I win, I don’t keep the medals – so imagine when I lose!.

“For me, the medal would go to some place in my house; for that kid, it’s the moon – something to keep and remember.
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Manchester United are reportedly refusing to give up on their pursuit of Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic.

The Premier League giants have been eyeing a move for the Croatian for some time, but they have so far been unsuccessful in persuading Inter to sell.

Numerous reports claimed earlier in the summer that United tabled a £44m offer for the 28-year-old, but it appears that the Italian club are holding out for more.

According to the Manchester Evening News, the Red Devils are likely to make another move for Perisic this week, but Inter want Anthony Martial included in the deal.

It is believed that the North-West outfit are unwilling to part with the French forward, who had to fight for his place in Jose Mourinho’s team last season.

The Portuguese coach is reportedly keen to bring in two more signings before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.
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Paris Saint-Germain fans may have to wait even longer to see Neymar make his debut.

The Brazilian was not eligible to feature in the club’s Ligue 1 opener against Amiens, which ended in a 2-0 victory last Saturday.

The 25-year-old has finalised a world-record £196m switch to Parc des Princes from Barcelona, but the French football authority (LFP) is yet to receive official clearance.

According to BBC Sport, the Spanish football federation has until Thursday evening to hand over the documents, and if it fails to do so, then Neymar will not be able to feature against Guingamp on Sunday.

The report claims that LFP has contacted FIFA over the delay
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Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has suggested that his team will struggle to retain the Premier League title if they do not bring in more signings.

The Blues have so far recruited Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata, but they have lost some big names, including Nemanja Matic and John Terry.

The West London outfit also missed out on signing Romelu Lukaku, who opted for Manchester United, while target Danilo joined Manchester City.

The transfer window does not shut until the end of the month, but Chelsea’s season will begin on Saturday when they take on Burnley at Stamford Bridge.

When asked by Sky Sports News during the Premier League launch if it will be difficult to win the title without his prime transfer targets, Conte said: “Yes, for sure. This league is not easy.

“It’s different in other countries where there are two clubs fighting for the title. This league has six teams that are very strong and we have to be ready to fight for this season.

“We want to be competitive and fight for the title. I hope to try and work and improve our squad and our quality, and then be ready to fight for this season.”

Last season, Chelsea won the crown by seven points.
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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that he has not had any contact with Paris Saint-Germain regarding Alexis Sanchez’s situation, and he does not expect to hear from them.

The Ligue 1 giants have been linked to the Chile international throughout the summer, but recent reports have suggested that the club are no longer interested.

PSG recently smashed the world record transfer fee by meeting Neymar’s £196m release clause at Barcelona, and now Wenger thinks that they will turn their attention to Monaco teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe, whose club are also believed to be demanding a huge price.

During this morning’s press conference, Wenger made it clear that he has not held talks with PSG chief Nasser Ghanim Al-Khelaifi.

“It was certainly very busy to complete the transfer of Neymar. I did not speak with Nasser for some months now,” the Frenchman told reporters. “I am not expecting him to get in touch either; if you read the French papers they are on Mbappe’s case.”

Meanwhile, Sanchez, who has also been linked to Manchester City, has been ruled out of the Gunners’ Premier League opener against Leicester City on Friday due to an abdominal strain.
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Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were both on target in their first match without Neymar as Barcelona eased to a 5-0 win over Chapecoense in the Joan Gamper Trophy.

The feted ‘MSN’ forward line is no more after the Brazil superstar completed his world-record €222million move to Paris Saint-Germain last week and it was a more unheralded player filling Neymar’s spot on the left of a three-man attack who struck first.

Gerard Deulofeu re-joined Barca during the close-season after his boyhood club activated a buyback option to bring him back from Everton following a successful loan stint at AC Milan and the 23-year-old winger linked pleasingly with Messi after opening his Camp Nou account.

Chapecoense were selected as opponents for Barcelona’s traditional curtain raiser to their domestic season to commemorate the 71 people – including 19 players – who died when the Brazilian club’s plane crashed en route to the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional last November.

Alan Ruschel, one of three playing survivors from the crash, captained the visitors and took to the field alongside colleagues Jakson Follmann and Neto for an emotional tribute before kick-off.

Sergio Busquets found the top corner with a superb long-range effort and Messi and Luis Suarez were on target either side of half-time, while Denis Suarez came off the bench to round off a useful workout ahead of Sunday’s Supercopa de Espana first leg against Real Madrid.
Unsurprisingly, goalkeeper Elias was the busiest Chapecoense player during the first half as Barca instantly clicked into gear.

Elias denied Messi and Luis Suarez at the end of flowing moves before Deulofeu tapped home Ivan Rakitic’s low cross at the far post in the sixth minute.

Busquet’s spectacular second left the over-worked 22-year-old with no chance before Wellington Paulista dragged wide from 25 yards, having found space on a rare Chapecoense counter-attack.

A dubious offside flag prevented Messi from teeing up a third for Gerard Pique, but the mercurial Argentine was on the scoresheet with half an hour played, receiving a return pass at the second attempt from Deulofeu and lashing high into the net.

Ruschel made way to a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 36th minute, while Luis Suarez was left baffled by his failure to get on the scoresheet by the break as Elias saved with his legs and produced an astonishing right-handed reaction save.

The Uruguay star got his goal nine minutes into the second half, beating Elias at the near post with a vicious strike following a deft one-two with Messi.

Denis Suarez will hope for more first-team opportunities under new head coach Ernesto Valverde and did his prospects no harm with an unerring low finish in the 74th minute, when Messi dropped deep to impeccably play creator once more.

New signing Nelson Semedo won an 89th-minute penalty, but Paco Alcacer’s poorly struck effort was saved by replacement goalkeeper Artur Moraes.
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Following Barcelona’s victory in the Joan Gamper Trophy, coach Ernesto Valverde has not ruled out the prospect of activity in the transfer window.

Valverde’s side comfortably defeated Chapecoense 5-0 on Monday, and after Neymar’s world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain, moves to supplement the void are possible.

The newly arrived coach wanted to end discussion on the Brazilian’s transfer, but was vague with respect to a replacement.

“He has been a great player for Barca, but he is no longer here and we have to look forward,” Valverde said.

“I am not interested in looking back. We have to look at the players we have and solve problems that can arise to win matches.

“At the moment, I have some players in the team who are performing well for me. We will see if anything develops. We know that this club, like every other club, moves accordingly to the market. I am focusing mainly on what I have, the rest is up in the air.”

One of those players currently available is Gerard Deulofeu.

The 23-year-old attacker, who returned from Everton this off-season via the club’s buy-back clause, scored and provided two assists in his 45 minutes on the pitch against Chapecoense.

Valverde believes Deulofeu, despite not being fully fit currently, can prove to be a valued member of his squad.

“In Tarragona, he played 20 minutes and in the Gamper, he played in the first half. He has flow, speed and an attitude we can make use of,” Valverde said.

“He left the field early, but I did not want to play him more than 45 minutes because he has not trained a lot, due to injuries.”

Barcelona open their season proper on Sunday, when they face Real Madrid in Sunday’s first leg of the Supercopa de Espana.
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Thierry Henry believes Alexandre Lacazette will succeed at Arsenal, but manager Arsene Wenger will need a full squad the for collective to similarly achieve.

Lacazette joined Arsenal from Olympique Lyon for a club-record fee in the off-season, and considering his start in Sunday’s Community Shield victory over Chelsea, is set to be Wenger’s first choice up front.

Henry, Arsenal’s all-time top goal scorer with 228 goals, believes both Lacazette and Olivier Giroud will offer versatility for the current squad’s benefit.

“(Lacazette) has a different game to Giroud, which I think is good because you need different types of strikers,” Henry said on Sky Sports.

“He did it in the French league and people might say it’s a different league, but, with due respect to Lyon, he’ll also be with better players. I’m backing him to have a good season.

“Sometimes you’ll need Giroud or even (Alexis) Sanchez in the middle and sometimes you’ll need (Danny) Welbeck or (Theo) Walcott, whoever will have an impact.”

The 26-year-old French striker has drawn comparisons to Henry, but what is for certain, he is adept as both finisher and facilitator.

Sorely missed in Lyon’s Europa League semi-final defeat to Ajax Amsterdam, Lacazette provided goals as well as assists, contributing to 39 total goals in both Ligue 1 and European competition last season.

Henry is confident he will have an impact.

“I’m a big fan of him,” Henry said. “I saw him playing for a long time in the French league and in the youth team.

“He was always a talent that everyone was for him to grow into, and to be fair he did, he’s been scoring goals every season.”

Arsenal opens their league campaign on Saturday, when they host Leicester.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has been named in Real Madrid’s squad for the UEFA Super Cup against the forward’s former club Manchester United in Skopje.

The Champions League winners take on the Europa League holders on Tuesday with the first continental silverware of the campaign up for grabs.

Madrid have included Ronaldo, who only returned to first-team training on Saturday after a dramatic off-season that saw reports emerge that he wanted to leave the club, in their 24-man squad for the game against former head coach Jose Mourinho.

New signings Theo Hernandez and Dani Ceballos are also included, along with Ronaldo’s ‘BBC’ attacking team-mates Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale.
Ronaldo’s arrival ahead of the new season came later than his team-mates due to his participation in the Confederations Cup with Portugal.

Since winning the Champions League, the forward has become the subject of a tax complaint from Spanish prosecutors, a case which saw him appear in court for a pre-trial hearing last week.

Ronaldo has consistently denied the claims of financial misdemeanour and his apparent unhappiness at the investigation prompted reports he no longer wanted to play in Spain.
But the former Manchester United star is now expected to stay with Madrid, who have offered the forward their support and believe he will be proven innocent, despite speculation over his desire to return to England, which he reportedly referenced during his day at court.

Prosecutors allege the 32-year-old has evaded €14.7million in taxes relating to his image rights between 2011 and 2014.

The four-time Ballon d’Or winner is alleged to have created a “business structure” in 2010 to conceal his earnings, a claim which has also been strenuously denied by his management company Gestifute.

After taking on United, Madrid will play the two-legged Supercopa de Espana against fierce rivals Barcelona prior to the new LaLiga season.
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Arsene Wenger says he left Alexis Sanchez out of the Community Shield victory against Chelsea because the Arsenal forward was short of preparation.

Sanchez only returned to training on Tuesday, having initially been given a later start date due to his involvement in the Confederations Cup with Chile, which was then further delayed by illness.

Wenger explained the absence of the 28-year-old, who has been heavily linked with Manchester City with only a year left on his contract, while also allaying fears over Per Mertesacker’s head injury after he had to come off in the first half at Wembley following an aerial clash with Gary Cahill.

Arsenal won 4-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, despite being without Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi.

“I left them all out because some are short of preparation like Alexis Sanchez,” Wenger told reporters.

“Per had a cut on his forehead. It is nothing bad. It was just bleeding and open, but it is not bad.” Ozil (ankle) and Ramsey (calf) are doubts for Arsenal’s opening Premier League match at home to Leicester City on Friday.

Asked if any of the players who missed the Community Shield would play, Wenger added: “Overall, we will see.

“Let’s just focus on the next game and try to start well. We play Leicester, they have experience and have the same team for four years now and that will be another battle.”
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Real Madrid have reportedly indicated that they are willing to sell Gareth Bale for a fee in the region of €100m (£90.3m).

During the summer, Bale has been linked with a summer switch to Manchester United but both the player and Real Madrid have suggested that he will remain at the Bernabeu during the upcoming campaign.

However, according to Marca, boss Zinedine Zidane has signalled that he is not prepared to add Kylian Mbappe to his frontline without selling one of his stars, leaving Bale facing the prospect of being made available for transfer.

It has been claimed that the sale of the Welsh international would also help fund their approach for Mbappe, with AS Monaco said to be demanding a fee of €180m (£162.6m) including added-ons.

Bale has frequently stressed that he is happy with life in Madrid, and that he was keen to fight for his place in the team after an injury-hit 2016-17 campaign.

However, it appears that a return to the Premier League could be on the cards, with United and Chelsea said to be possible destinations.
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Following his move from Manchester City to Leicester City, Kelechi Iheanacho has become the most expensive Nigerian export.

The 20-year-old penned a five-year contract at the King Power Stadium for an undisclosed fee, with reports suggesting the Foxes have forked out £25million for the Nigeria striker.

Kelechi Iheanacho has now displaced Odion Ighalo from the number one list.
Here is the list of the top 10 most expensive Nigerian players

10. Brown Ideye – Dynamo Kiev to WBA for €12.63m
9. Emmanuel Emenike – Spartak to Fenerbahce for €13m

8. Isaac Success – Granada to Watford for €15m

7. Obafemi Martins – Inter-Milan to Newcastle for €16m

6. Yakubu Aiyegbeni – Middlesborough to Everton for €16.5m

5. Wilfred Ndidi Oyinye – Genk to Leicester City for €17.6m

4. Ahmed Musa – CSKA Moscow to Leicester City for €19.5m

3. John Mikel Obi – Lyn Oslo to Chelsea for €20m

2. Odion Jude Ighalo – Watford to Changchun Yatai for €23.3m

1. Kelechi Iheanacho – Manchester City to Leicester City for €28m
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