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Former Barcelona midfielder Gaizka Mendieta has conceded that the Catalan outfit could struggle to match Real Madrid this season after losing Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain.

Barcelona sold Neymar to PSG at the start of last month, with the 25-year-old becoming the most expensive footballer in the world after moving to the French capital for just shy of £200m.

The Spanish giants have brought in Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele to ease the blow of losing the Brazilian, but Mendieta has admitted that ‘it is difficult to replace’ a player of Neymar’s ilk.

“It’s a big loss for the club, because we know how much Neymar brought into the team with the skills and the talent that he has,” Mendieta told reporters.

“It’s difficult to replace him. Whether they could’ve got any other player, it’s always going to be difficult. Barca is Barca, they always have to fight for titles and this year is going to be no different because Real Madrid at the moment is kind of on top.

“It seems they’ve got a deeper squad, a stronger squad than Barca. But you always have to be there, try to make it difficult for them and try to win as many trophies as possible.”

Barcelona will return to La Liga action with a home game against Catalan rivals Espanyol on September 9.
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Arsene Wenger has claimed that Alexis Sanchez “was not very close” to leaving Arsenal on August 31.

The Chilean, who is out of contract at the Emirates Stadium next summer, was strongly linked with a deadline-day move to Manchester City.

It is understood that the Citizens were prepared to pay an initial £55m to sign the former Barcelona attacker, but Arsenal were unable to bring in AS Monaco’s Thomas Lemar, which scuppered the deal.

Sanchez is reportedly ‘devastated’ that he failed to secure a move away from the Gunners last month, but Wenger has claimed that the club’s star forward was ‘never close’ to leaving.

“It was not very close. It’s very difficult for me to speak about that because what I want now is the player to focus on his career, on his season and on Arsenal football club,” Wenger told beIN Sports.

“I cannot tell you everything that happened because after when you decide to let a player of that calibre go you need to replace him, because nobody would understand why you let the player go.

“And when you cannot do it you keep the player and make a financial sacrifice, because at the end of the day what you want is to have a team with a good potential and top quality.”

Sanchez’s first Arsenal appearance of the season came in last weekend’s 4-0 defeat at Liverpool.
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Liverpool have completed the signing of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Premier League rivals Arsenal for a reported fee of £35million.

The 24-year-old signed a long-term contract with Jurgen Klopp’s side on deadline day in a deal it is believed could reach a value of £40m, having passed a medical while on England duty at St George’s Park.

He had been tipped to join Chelsea after turning down a new contract offer from the Gunners worth a reported £180,000 per week, but he is thought to have rejected the champions’ advances in favour of a move to Merseyside.

“I’m currently away with England, so I’m at St George’s Park,” Oxlade-Chamberlain said in a message to Liverpool supporters.
“Firstly, I’m delighted to have signed for Liverpool and a big thank you to everyone here at the FA that has made this possible, using the facilities. It has been a massive help.

“I’m not going to say too much today; I’m here with England and we’ve got two big games coming up, so I want to focus on them. But I can’t wait to get to Melwood.”

Oxlade-Chamberlain adds to Liverpool’s previous signings of Mohamed Salah, Andrew Robertson and Dominic Solanke.

Manager Jurgen Klopp added: “I am really, really happy we have got Alex signed.

“Since the last game I have been waiting and hoping we could make this transfer – and when I got the news he was ours it was fantastic.”
Prior to his exit, the midfielder was one of a host of Arsenal first-teamers entering the final year of their contracts, including key stars Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Alexis Sanchez.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger had consistently stated his desire to keep Oxlade-Chamberlain, who spent six years with the club after arriving from Southampton in a deal worth an initial £12m, rising to around £15m.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s departure comes after a turbulent start to Arsenal’s season saw them lose two of their first three Premier League games, including Sunday’s 4-0 humiliating reverse at Anfield.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have seven points from a possible nine and have also sealed qualification to the Champions League group stage since the start of the new campaign.
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Napoli have what it takes to cause a shock in this season’s Champions League, according to Xabi Alonso.

Alonso’s former club Real Madrid have won the competition for the past two years, eliminating Napoli on their way last term, but the 35-year-old expects Maurizio Sarri’s men to challenge their dominance.

The Spaniard lauded Sarri’s side as “attacking and fearless”, with Napoli – who finished third last season – having kicked off the campaign with a 4-0 aggregate win over Nice in the Champions League play-offs, and consecutive 3-1 victories in Serie A.

“I really like this Napoli. I like Sarri’s philosophy and the desire of his team to always have the ball at their feet,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“Napoli are attacking and fearless. They have a visible mentality on the pitch and I appreciate it. I also have many friends there: Pepe Reina, [Jose] Callejon and [Raul] Albiol.

“I often hear from them and I like to watch them play in [Napoli’s] system. As well as in Italy, they can be a surprise package in Europe.”
Alonso, whose glittering career ended in May following a spell at Bayern Munich, is also an admirer of Juventus, who he came close to joining from Liverpool before making the switch to Madrid.

“Juve are a team among the favourites [for the Champions League],” said the 35-year-old. “They played two Champions League finals in three years and it’s no coincidence.

“They’re very close to the top, and sooner or later they’ll end up winning it. I know how much the players want it, but there’s so much competition.

“I was really close to Juve. I’d have liked to play in Italy but there was no agreement between Liverpool and Juve.”
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Olivier Giroud was left feeling ashamed by Arsenal’s abysmal showing in Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Liverpool.

The Gunners failed to register a shot on target at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp’s men ran riot with Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge all on target in the rout.

It was Arsenal’s second defeat in three Premier League matches this season and has already seen the pressure mount on Arsene Wenger, who signed a two-year contract to remain as manager despite growing discontent among the Emirates Stadium fanbase last term.

And France striker Giroud, who is on international duty with Les Bleus, recognises that Arsenal must do more to turn their fortunes around.

Speaking to RMC, he said: “I was ashamed when I left the pitch against Liverpool. We have to change something.”

Giroud opted to remain in north London despite heavy interest from Ligue 1 during the transfer window, with Lyon and Marseille among his suitors.

And the 30-year-old said winning a Premier League title remains his primary motivation.

“I have decided to stay. It’s my choice, even if everyone does not understand it,” he said. “I still want to win the Premier League here.

“I have always said that returning to France was not an option for me, even less so in the short-term future.

“So it was not something against Marseille, because the project is very ambitious and very interesting. It was not specifically about Marseille, because I also had Lyon.

“I am very flattered to have been chased by two great French clubs.”
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Arjen Robben says he will give everything for Netherlands in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, even if he is not yet 100 per cent fit.

Dick Advocaat’s side sit third in Group A and will look to close the three-point gap to leaders Sweden when they take on France and Bulgaria.

Key man Robben is in the squad after featuring in Bayern Munich’s first two Bundesliga games of the season, coming on as a substitute against Bayer Leverkusen and then playing 64 minutes from the start at Werder Bremen.

While the 33-year-old concedes he is not yet completely ready after an off-season calf injury, he is keen to help Netherlands in a vastly important double-header.

“I still need some matches. I cannot ask to move this game so I can play for 90 minutes. I’m going to give everything I have in me,” Robben said.

“The substitution [against Werder] did not come from me – it was a coach’s decision. But that was quite normal, considering the preparation I had.

“It was logical that I could not finish a match yet, but it was not that I was completely demolished. I could go further.”

Robben is determined Netherlands head to Paris with the right attitude for the clash with second-placed France, who are also three points ahead of them.

“I’m always very positive and we’ve got to be positive when we go there,” he said. “Some may say that France have a better team, but if you go there with that mindset, you might as well stay at home.

“We must have faith that we can achieve something – then we can.”
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Chelsea are reportedly close to agreeing a deal with Atletico Madrid for the sale of Diego Costa.

The controversial striker has so far refused to return to Stamford Bridge after he was allegedly informed by manager Antonio Conte via text message that he was no longer wanted.

Costa has made it clear that if he is to leave Chelsea, he only wants to return to Atletico, where he spent four years of his career before moving to the Premier League in 2014.

Atletico are permitted to buy players in this window, but they are not allowed to register them until January 2018 due to a transfer embargo upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

According to The Mirror, the saga could be edging towards a conclusion as both parties are coming close to agreeing a £30m deal.

Costa has been linked with a short-term loan move to Everton, who are looking for a striker before the transfer window closes on Thursday.
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Benedikt Howedes’ agent expects the Schalke defender to join Juventus despite interest from the Premier League.

Germany international Howedes has been linked heavily to Juventus over recent days, with the latest reports from Italy suggesting he will move to the Serie A champions on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

Premier League duo Liverpool and Leicester City have also been linked with a late bid for the 29-year-old World Cup winner.

His representative Volker Struth told Sky90 an unnamed English club was pursuing his client but did not offer a prospect as appealing as Juventus.

“I expect the deal to go through,” Struth said.

“It is about the details now. There is an offer from England too, but the club is only a little attractive.”

Juventus are yet to bolster their central defensive options since Leonardo Bonucci completed his stunning switch to AC Milan last month.
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Radamel Falcao concedes Monaco find themselves in a “complicated situation” as Paris Saint-Germain seemingly close in on a deal for their prized asset Kylian Mbappe.

Teenage striker Mbappe is reportedly on the verge of joining title rivals PSG on an initial loan deal that includes a compulsory purchase option of €180million.

The transfer would make the France international the second most expensive player in history after Neymar, who joined PSG from Barcelona for €222m this month, with the Parisian club believed to be structuring the deal so as not to fall foul of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

Speaking after Monaco’s 6-1 thrashing of Marseille on Sunday, in which Falcao hit a brace and Mbappe remained an unused substitute, head coach Leonardo Jardim accepted the 18-year-old might soon leave.

Falcao was tellingly praised by Jardim as a “team player” afterwards and the Colombia international, formerly of Atletico Madrid and Manchester United, is sympathetic over the strains currently being placed upon Mbappe, with whom he formed a lethal partnership during the second half of last season.

“It’s a complicated situation,” he told reporters. “He’s a young man, he’s only 18. We have to think about him too and we have to stay calm.

“I hope that everything will be resolved quickly for him and for us.

“It’s a personal decision that every player could have. I respect it.”
Fabinho concluded Monaco’s scoring on Sunday from the penalty spot, the Brazilian midfielder having also been linked with PSG.

The Ligue 1 champions have lost Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy to Manchester City and Tiemoue Bakayoko to Chelsea from their title-winning side, while Liverpool have reportedly joined the clubs trying to sign winger Thomas Lemar.

Adama Diakhaby, a close-season signing from Rennes, joined Falcao in attack against Marseille and got on the scoresheet, and the France Under-21 forward was bullish over the prospects of Monaco retaining their remaining stars.

“Fabinho and Mbappe… I did not say goodbye to anyone,” he said.

“We said we’d meet again after the [international] break. What will happen will happen.”
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Zinedine Zidane said he cannot be angry at Karim Benzema for his missed chances in Real Madrid’s entertaining 2-2 draw with Valencia, while he lauded Marco Asensio’s two-goal display.

Asensio netted a brace, including an 83rd-minute free-kick, to earn defending champions Madrid a point against Valencia in LaLiga at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Benzema wasted numerous chances in the Spanish capital and the France international had the opportunity to snatch victory following Asensio’s equaliser but his stoppage-time header was pushed onto the post.

Fronting the media afterwards, Zidane – who was visibly frustrated after Benzema’s spurned chance – said: “The fans can do what they want. The important thing is that Karim has the chances and he did.

“Tonight he didn’t score but that doesn’t matter. We have to keep smiling because this is football.

“Sometimes things don’t work out but you have to be patient. We don’t bother with what the supporters think, they come here and cheer us on, just like today.”

While Benzema struggled, Madrid sensation Asensio starred again for the Spanish and European champions.

It took Asensio – who scored twice in the Supercopa de Espana – 10 minutes to make his mark with the game’s opening goal before his excellent set-piece past Valencia goalkeeper Neto during the closing stages continued his fine run of form.

“I’m happy with his display and am not surprised by all that he does. He scored two goals and I’m happy with him, but it was a good job on a collective level. I don’t like to single players out and I prefer to speak of what the whole team did. I hope that Asensio keeps these performances up and that he scores many more goals,” Zidane added.

“When he plays all the Madridistas in the stadium love it, he is a smashing young lad. I’m happy with his progress, nobody is really surprised by him, and it shows that Real Madrid were right to bring him into the fold.”
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Ousmane Dembele has undergone his medical ahead of the France winger’s blockbusting move to Barcelona.

Borussia Dortmund agreed to sell Dembele to the LaLiga giants for an initial €105million last Friday and the 20-year-old will sign a five-year contract on Monday as part as his official presentation as a Barcelona player.

First, the formality of medical tests had to be undertaken and Barca tweeted a video of Dembele arriving at the Hospital de Barcelona.

“Dembele has completed the medical tests and is now heading to the medical centre of FC Barcelona at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper,” the club posted on their website shortly after.
The former Rennes star will take the number 11 shirt at Camp Nou, which was vacated by Neymar when he joined Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record €222m earlier this month.

That transfer set in motion the chain of events leading Dembele to Catalonia, during which time the player was suspended by Dortmund for refusing to attend training as Barca tried to broker a deal.
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Andrea Belotti showed he was worth €100million with his stunning goal in Torino’s win over Sassuolo, coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said.

The Italy international scored his first Serie A goal of the season in spectacular fashion, his flying volley sending Torino on their way to a 3-0 win on Sunday.

Belotti, 23, has been linked with a move away, with his release clause for overseas clubs set at €100m.

“Belotti is not yet at his best, but with that goal he showed he is worth €100m,” Mihajlovic told Sky Italia.

“It was a tough match. In the first minutes we closed them but we didn’t break through.

“Maybe the end result is too harsh, but the victory was deserved.”

Belotti has been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea after scoring 26 league goals last season.
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Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane has admitted that he is excited with the club’s Champions League draw.

On Thursday evening, Spurs were paired with reigning title holders Real Madrid and German outfit Borussia Dortmund after only being seeded in pot three.

Cypriot side APOEL also feature in Group H, but Kane is specifically looking forward to locking horns with Real, who have won this competition over the past two campaigns.

The 24-year-old is quoted by Sky Sports News as saying: “It’s a great draw. You expect to play the best in Europe in the Champions League and it’s exciting for us. We look forward to these games. You want to test yourself against the best and Real Madrid are the best at the moment.

“It will be interesting to see where we’re at and a great test for us against Borussia Dortmund and Apoel as well. I remember the game against Real Madrid at the Lane in 2011. I’m sure Wembley will be packed for the matches and we can’t wait to get started.

“Our aim is to win every game and this will be a good test to see where we’re at and how far we’ve come.”

Spurs will be hoping for an improvement from last season after the North Londoners only finished third in a group featuring AS Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen and CSKA Moscow.
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Luciano Spalletti is the final piece of the jigsaw that can make Inter Serie A champions this season, according to Antonio Cassano.

Spalletti was named as Stefano Pioli’s replacement in June and enjoyed a winning start to the 2017-18 season with a 3-0 victory over Fiorentina last weekend.

That comprehensive home success came after impressive triumphs over Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Lyon during pre-season

Six new players have arrived at San Siro to bolster Spalletti’s options, but former Inter striker Cassano believes it is the former Roma boss who will make the difference.

“Who will win Serie A? I’d say Inter ahead of Juventus and Napoli. Inter have had a smart transfer campaign,” Cassano told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Inter have a genius in their dugout this season: Spalletti.

“They can beat Juventus [to the title].”
Cassano has also been impressed with Inter’s recruitment during the close-season with the likes of Borja Valero, Joao Cancelo and Milan Skriniar moving to San Siro.

Sampdoria forward Patrik Schick is another to have been linked with a switch to Inter, and Cassano has urged his former team-mate – who he considers a better player than Juve star Paulo Dybala – to make the move.

“Skriniar’s a phenomenon, I only needed a few training sessions with him at Samp to reach that conclusion,” added the former Italy international.

“He, Borja Valero and [Matias] Vecino are statements by [Inter director Piero] Ausilio.

“Schick? He’s better than [Paulo] Dybala and, due to his characteristics, I advise him to join Inter.”
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Frank Lampard has urged the five Premier League clubs in this season’s Champions League to stop making excuses and bridge the gulf to tournament favourites Real Madrid.

The LaLiga giants became the first club to win the tournament in consecutive years with their Cardiff triumph in June, underlining their status as Europe’s elite side.

But Chelsea legend Lampard wants to see his former club, along with Liverpool, Tottenham and the two Manchester rivals, up their game, with the former England international expecting to see one or two of them in the last four.

“Real Madrid are the favourites, from what they did against Man United [in the UEFA Super Cup] and what they did in recent seasons, they have superstars in the team,” Lampard, who won the competition in 2012, told Goal.

“We know the main one, but even against Manchester United in the Super Cup, with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, the rotation in the centre of passing and movement proved the benchmark.

“Everyone is playing catch-up. I do think Chelsea have as good a chance as any out of the English clubs, alongside Manchester City. They have a big squad too and a lot of European-style players who may flourish on the Champions League platform.
“I expect the English teams to have one or two in the semi-final. Definitely, it is time to see an English club compete. There are no excuses for me. Christmas, having no break? Physical league? Not good enough.

“We invest enough in football, we are lucky to have a huge investment in the league because it is so popular. Clubs have brought in players from all over the world, even lesser clubs.

“If you get beaten in the Champions League, then that’s because you have been beaten by a better team. It is as simple as that. Unfortunately, for the English teams, the real best teams have been a Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for a time.”

Spurs were handed the toughest assignment in Thursday’s draw, pitted against Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and APOEL.

Lampard’s former employers will take on Atletico Madrid, Roma and Qarabag.
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Neymar will eventually pass Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the world’s best, according to Claudio Ranieri.

The Brazil star has made an impressive start to life at Paris Saint-Germain, scoring three goals in his opening two games for the Ligue 1 giants.

Neymar, 25, joined PSG in a world-record €222million move from Barcelona earlier this month.

Ranieri, now coach of Nantes, said Neymar was a future Ballon d’Or winner.

“I think like everyone else. He’s a great player,” the Italian said on Thursday.

“I think that after Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, he will win the Ballon d’Or in the future.”

Ranieri said he felt Neymar would go past both Barcelona star Messi, 30, and Madrid maestro Ronaldo, 32.

“I think that gently, he will beat them, because he’s very young,” he said.
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Cristiano Ronaldo has won the UEFA Best Player in Europe award for the third time in four years.

Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon were beaten to the accolade by Ronaldo.

The Real Madrid star, 32, scooped the honour after helping his side to Champions League glory in 2016-17, scoring 12 goals in the competition.

A magnificent campaign from Ronaldo saw him score a total of 42 goals across all competitions as Madrid added a LaLiga title to the defence of their European crown.

“[My goal is] the same every year – the same challenge to win everything, if possible, with my club and the national team,” Ronaldo said.

“As I said before, I’m so glad to be here. It is an honour to win this trophy again. I have to say thanks to my team-mates and congratulations to them too.
“For the national team, too. I know it is not a trophy of the national team but when I go to them they give me motivation every time.

“Also [I am] blessed for the supporters of Real Madrid. I am so happy for everyone who helped me to win this trophy. Thank you to everyone.”

The award, which was announced at Thursday’s Champions League draw in Nyon, adds to the Portugal international’s triumphs in 2014 and 2016.

Messi has won it twice in 2011 and 2015, with Andres Iniesta and Franck Ribery the other players to have won the accolade since its inaugural year in 2010.

It replaced the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award, which Ronaldo and Messi also won once apiece.

The ceremony also saw the best goalkeeper award won by Buffon, with Sergio Ramos named the season’s top defender, Luka Modric the best midfielder and Ronaldo getting the forward accolade.
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