The League Management Company has given their final verdict on Enyimba’s ‘decision’ to play ineligible Ikechukwu Ibenegbu against Niger Tornadoes in their matchday 28 encounter.

The matter has been rumbling on since the incident occurred with both camps asking to be heard.

Niger Tornadoes filed a petition seeking to have three points and three goals awarded the club on the grounds that Enyimba fielded a player, Ikechukwu Ibenegbu that was suspended for the match following the accumulation of five yellow cards.

In their defence, Enyimba submitted that they did not intentionally field the player as the notice of suspension did not reach them.

They also made references to similar incidents last season in which they alerted Nasarawa United in Makurdi that they were about to field a suspended Thomas Zenke and the player was dropped.

Similarly in Port Harcourt last season, Kano Pillars brought to the attention of Enyimba that they were about to field a suspended Nzube Anaezemba leading to Enyimba dropping him.

They therefore contended that Tornadoes did not play fair by withholding information only to turn to protest.

The LMC’s finding was that Tornadoes failed to raise the protest neither at the pre-match meeting nor at any point prior to the commencement of the match which would have established a case of intentionally fielding an ineligible player as envisaged under the relevant section of the rule.

Therefore, the LMC ruled that the result of the Matchday 28 fixture between Enyimba and Niger Tornadoes will stand.
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Chelsea are reportedly prepared to sell unsettled midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah for £5m in this summer’s transfer window, which has attracted the attention of Premier League duo Watford and Swansea City.

The 22-year-old, who helped England Under-21s reach the semi-finals of the Under-21 European Championships this summer, only has one year left on his deal at Stamford Bridge.

It has been claimed that the midfielder is considering his future with the Blues after becoming frustrated with a lack of movement over a new contract, with the two parties said to still be some way apart.

According to The Sun, Chelsea are now prepared to part ways with the Englishman, and a price of just £5m has led to interest from Swansea and Watford as the pair prepare to battle for the midfielder’s services.

Chalobah, who has been with Chelsea since the age of 11, made 15 first-team appearances last season, although he only started one game in the Premier League.
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Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…

Happy birthday dear Luke Shaw.

Manchester United’s left-back was the centre of attention in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Shaw celebrated his 22nd birthday in Hollywood and fans in the United States did not forget the occasion.The England international – recovering from ankle ligament damage suffered in April – is with United in LA gearing up for the 2017-18 Premier League season.

Jose Mourinho’s United kick-off their pre-season against LA Galaxy at StubHub Center on Saturday.
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor again exchanged taunts, and expletives, as their tour headed to Toronto on Wednesday.

It was the second public appearance in two days for the pair ahead of their highly anticipated August 26 fight in Las Vegas.

The duo once again faced off, as they did in Los Angeles a day earlier, and UFC star McGregor was undoubtedly the more popular.

Mayweather, who is putting his 49-0 record on the line, at one stage grabbed an Irish flag from the stage before posing with it.

“You do something with that flag, I’ll f*** you up,” McGregor said.

McGregor grabbed Mayweather’s bag in response, laughing about its contents – he estimated $5,000 – or lack thereof.

The flag or the bag? @FloydMayweather vs. @TheNotoriousMMA!#MayMacWorldTour pic.twitter.com/4NMtNna9WD

— UFC (@ufc) July 12, 2017
The 28-year-old Irishman, who earlier met Canadian singer Drake, undoubtedly won the trash talk battle after taking the microphone first.

You know obviously these these two had to link up @Drake & @TheNotoriousMMA #MayMacWorldTour pic.twitter.com/QNlAc9dKZR

— UFC (@ufc) July 12, 2017
“There is nothing they can do to faze me, 28 years of age. I’m getting fight cheques and promoter cheques,” McGregor said.

“When Floyd was 28 he was on Oscar De la Hoya’s undercard and that’s just facts.”

Mayweather, who talked up “being at the top” for 21 years, dared McGregor to bet his entire cheque on the fight.

“If you believe in yourself like you say you believe in yourself, bet your whole fight cheque, you b****,” he said.

McGregor responded: “No f****** problem. Send the contract, kid, it’s done.”

OHHHH MAN!!! Face off number on Day

NO SLEEP ‘TIL BROOKLYN!! #MayMacWorldTour pic.twitter.com/7YsV6fOwjA

— UFC (@ufc) July 12, 2017
The battle continues in New York City on Thursday.
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Dani Alves appears to be ready for the inevitable storm of criticism that will accompany his expected decision to reject Manchester City in favour of a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

The experienced Brazilian had already courted some controversy by seeking an early exit from his Juventus contract, seemingly in a bid to secure a reunion with his former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola at City.

However, Alves is expected to be presented as a PSG player as early as Wednesday, leaving City – and the team’s supporters – furious at being snubbed.

The Ligue 1 heavyweights are believed to have offered a significant increase on the wages proposed by City, leaving the 34-year-old willing to accept any animosity from the spurned Premier League side.

“Humans are challenged,” he wrote in a post on Instagram.

“Prepare to face without fear the consequences of your decisions, they will come filled with difficulties, but your confidence and your daily hard work will support you.

“I am prepared for life since I was a boy, in my heart I have love and passion, in my soul an insatiable thirst to be a champion!”
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Venus Williams knows she will have to be at her best to prevent a “confident and determined” Johanna Konta from becoming the first British women to reach a Wimbledon final since 1977.

Konta came from a set down to beat Simona Halep on Tuesday, as she aims to emulate a feat last achieved by Virginia Wade, who overcame Betty Stove in the decider four decades ago.

Williams, meanwhile, dispatched surprise French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets to set up a semi-final between the home favourite and the five-time former winner.

“I’m sure she’s confident and determined,” Williams told a news conference when asked about Konta.

“She’s probably dealing with a different kind of pressure playing here at home. But she seems to be handling it well.

“It looks like she really does well under the pressure. I’ve played her before, so it’s a lot different than today.

“I think we play a very similar style: aggressive, serve well, return well, very solid off the ground. So really it’s just about playing that game better and see where you find openings on that day.”

Flying the flag.@JoKonta91 beats Simona Halep 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-4 to continue her bid to become Britain’s first female champion since 1977 pic.twitter.com/HH9NMUScyT

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2017
Until last year, Williams had not progressed beyond the quarter-final since 2009, but has now managed successive appearances in the last four.

The 10th seed, who won her first Wimbledon title in 2000, does not feel constrained by her age, despite having last month turned 37, which is well beyond the retirement age of most tennis professionals.

“I feel quite capable, to be honest, and powerful,” she said.

“So whatever age that is, as long as I feel like that, then I know that I can contend for titles every time.

“I love it. I try really hard. There’s no other explanation. You do your best while you can. That’s what I’m doing.

“I mean, I love this game. That’s why I put in the effort and the time. It’s a beautiful game. It’s been so good to me.”

20 Championships played. 10 semi-finals reached.@Venuseswilliams beats Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 7-5 to move within one match of the final pic.twitter.com/1ahBgXZlPf

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 11, 2017
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Ron-Robert Zieler has left Leicester City after a frustrating Premier League campaign and returned to the Bundesliga with newly promoted Stuttgart.

Zieler joined then-champions Leicester from Hannover a year ago, but could not usurp Kasper Schmeichel as first choice under Claudio Ranieri or his successor Craig Shakespeare.

The Germany international made 13 appearances for the Foxes, the bulk of which came when Schmeichel suffered a broken hand in November.

He becomes Stuttgart’s fifth signing since winning 2.Bundesliga, but is their most experienced to date.He told Stuttgart’s official website: “I am glad that the move to Stuttgart has been successful.

“The discussions with VfB officials were very convincing. It has made me believe that VfB can develop something and I would like to help.”
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Douglas Costa has landed in Turin as his move from Bayern Munich to Juventus nears completion.

Brazil winger Costa had been expected to leave the Allianz Arena in this window, having made just 14 Bundesliga starts under Carlo Ancelotti last term.

Juventus have reportedly struck a loan deal to bring Costa to Serie A.

The former Shakhtar Donetsk man is to become the latest player to transfer between the German and Italian champions, a list which includes Arturo Vidal, Kingsley Coman and Medhi Benatia, who made a loan deal from Munich permanent in this window.

And the Morocco international looks like playing a key role in helping Costa settle into Serie A, having offered him a warm welcome on Twitter.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Arsenal defender Per Mertesacker believes Alexis Sanchez will “definitely” remain at the club for the coming season.

Sanchez has been heavily linked with a move away from Emirates Stadium, with Manchester City and Bayern Munich reported to be among his potential suitors.

But asked whether he saw the Chile international – who has a year remaining on his contract – staying with the Gunners, Mertesacker told Fox Sports: “Yes, definitely.

“We have a strong squad and we do not want to lose any players.

“Even in their final contract year we need them. We cannot afford to lose them. If you’re talking about championships, to keep our best player is key.”

Mertesacker added that a restless Sanchez was keen to get back to work after helping his country to the Confederations Cup final in Russia.

“I think he was impressive in the Confederations Cup,” said the German, who will retire at the end of the coming season. “He’s now on holiday, so it’s quiet in terms of conversations.

“But he’s a warrior on the pitch. I think he wants to come back as quickly as possible – he hates holidays, he hates to calm down.

“I’m looking forward to playing alongside him in my last season and he thinks the same.”
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Alexandre Lacazette will wear the number nine shirt for Arsenal this season, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

The shirt has had a checkered history during the Premier League era, being worn by some notable Gunners flops in years gone by.

While club legends such as Alan Smith and Paul Merson wore nine in the early to mid 1990s, it has also been the shirt number allocated to the likes of Francis Jeffers, Julio Baptista and Park Chu-Young.

Nicolas Anelka, Davor Suker, Jose Antonio Reyes, Eduardo and Lukas Podolski are the other players to have worn nine since squad numbers were introduced in 1993.Lacazette joined Arsenal from Lyon for a club-record fee believed to be in the region of €60million and is set to make his debut in a friendly clash with Sydney FC on Thursday.
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Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has reportedly remained as a summer transfer target for Juventus.

Can is regarded as a key man in the centre of Liverpool’s midfield, but he only has one year remaining on his contract at Anfield.

That has led to Juventus identifying the German international as a possible signing this summer and according to Gazzetta dello Sport, they have no intention of ending their interest in the 23-year-old.

It has been claimed that Liverpool are currently demanding a sizeable transfer fee for Can in the hope of forcing Juventus to look elsewhere, but Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri allegedly remains keen on adding Can to their ranks.

Since moving from Bayer Leverkusen in 2014, Can has contributed eight goals from 129 appearances in all competitions.

Juventus are well stocked in central midfield, but they could potentially help fund a move for Can by selling Mario Lemina, who is said to be a target for Arsenal.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has reportedly started to attract interest from Roma.

Last season, Martial made a total of 28 starts in all competitions, but he was generally regarded as a backup option during Jose Mourinho’s first year in charge at Old Trafford.

He has previously insisted that he is looking to remain at the club for the next campaign but according to The Mirror, Roma have identified the attacker as a transfer target as they look to replace Mohamed Salah.

It has been claimed that they would like to sign Martial on a season-long loan deal, but United will only contemplate allowing the France international to leave the North-West if they meet his £30m asking price.

Martial is expected to play a role in United’s pre-season tour of the United States, but Roma are also scheduled to spend time in America in the coming weeks, leaving the possibility of negotiations taking place.

Since United signed Martial for a fee which could potentially rise to £57.6m, he has netted 25 times in 91 appearances in all competitions.
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Mario Gotze hopes to return to pre-season training with Borussia Dortmund soon after reporting encouraging progress on his recovery from a metabolic disorder.

Gotze, who scored Germany’s winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final against Argentina, returned to Dortmund from Bayern Munich last season but was restricted to 16 appearances and two goals as he was blighted by fitness problems.

The diagnosis of his illness ended the 25-year-old’s season early and he is keen to make up for lost time when Dortmund reconvene under new boss Peter Bosz

“Due to a metabolic disorder, I was unable to play football lately,” Gotze said in a statement on his Facebook and Instagram accounts.

“During the last few months I have gone through a successful treatment and I am back on track now.

“Tomorrow [Friday] I will start with the third stage of my recovery program. This means I will complete the performance test and begin training with the team soon.

“I am more than excited to be back in the stadium and on the training ground again.”Gotze went on to congratulate Dortmund on closing 2016-17 with DFB-Pokal glory, along with Germany’s triumphant teams in the Confederations Cup and European Under-21 Championship.

He thanked Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke and sporting director Michael Zorc and the club’s medical staff for their support during his lay-off.

Dortmund face Bayern in the DFL-Supercup on August 5 and begin their Bundesliga campaign away to Wolfsburg two weeks later after a DFB-Pokal tie at Rielasingen-Arlen.
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Super Eagles captain John Mikel Obi appears to have dropped a huge hint about his relationship with his long-term Russian girlfriend Olga Diyachenko.

The former Chelsea midfielder deleted all the pictures where his Russian girlfriend Olga Diyachenko the mother of his twins baby girls appeared on his Instagram account.

Mikel, who joined Chinese club Tianjin TEDA in a reported £140,000-a-week deal in January, allegedly has a secret son and daughter by two different women in the UK.

It was not clear why the 30-year-old South Africa 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner decided to take down the pictures, but there are feelers that the duo have endured a frosty relationship in recent times.

Olga copped a lot of flak from some Nigerian girls in March after she posted the picture of herself and her boyfriend on Instagram.

The Russian’s critics, in their various comments, insisted that Mikel could have made a better choice in Nigeria.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

tell dis pipo make dem no.....dem jst dey buy biscuit for dem and lie to dem

7Alexander:
Op keep deceiving yourself, just because this bullshit was spinned by a foreign media, most of y'all have jumped on it.

The only way Cristiano or any other person makes money from Instagram is through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts for brands, and this is even on a contractual basis, that is, number of posts for a specific period of time, for a certain amount of money per post.

Don't ever think that if he for example makes a post about Gillette 100 times a day, then he ll be paid 100 times that day, or that if he posts random pictures or comments, he'll be paid, by who exactly, if I may ask.
This even is also dependent on the strength of your followership.

Another way is by, maybe selling his pictures.

Apart from these two, nobody earns nada from Instagram.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says he always expected Lionel Messi to sign a new contract and wants the superstar to see out his career at Camp Nou.

Messi has agreed a new four-year deal at the Catalan giants, tying him to the club until 2021.

It would have been a huge surprise for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to walk away from the side that have propelled him to the status of an all-time great.

And Bartomeu was not worried about optimistic potentia.

“Personally, I was always convinced that he’d renew his contract for the next four years,” he said.

“This is great news not just for Barca fans, but for the football world in general.

“Leo Messi’s story is one of loyalty and commitment. He’s the greatest player in football history and has been at Barca since he was just 13. And the story continues.

“The fact he’s staying for another four years means that things are going well, and will go well, and we are very happy for him and the Barca family.”While it remains to be seen which club would have the resources and clout required to break up Barca’s feared attacking ‘MSN’ trio, Bartomeu insisted vigilance is necessary to ward off unwanted approaches.

“We also renewed Neymar and [Luis] Suarez’s contracts and it’s not easy to convince such quality players to stay in such a competitive world as that of modern football,” he said.

“A lot of clubs are after our stars, but they want to stay here and keep enjoying this successful era.

“Leo Messi has always said that he’d like to see out his professional career here at Barca and this contract says it all. It sends out a message of unity between Messi and Barca.”
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Chelsea and Roma have agreed a deal for central defender Antonio Rudiger, according to a report.

The 24-year-old made 40 appearances last season for the Giallorossi in all competitions, helping them to a second-place finish in Serie A and automatic qualification for this season’s Champions League.

According to Sky Sports News, Rudiger will discuss personal terms and undergo his medical in Los Angeles this week, with the transfer figure potentially rising to £34m.

Rudiger, who also helped Germany win the Confederations Cup in Russia earlier this month, moved to Roma from Stuttgart initially on a season-long loan deal in August 2015 before making the move permanent the following season for £7.6m.

Premier League champions Chelsea, who lost Nathan Ake and John Terry to Bournemouth and Aston Villa respectively this summer, open the defence of their domestic league title against Burnley at Stamford Bridge on August 12.
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Antoine Griezmann has admitted that Atletico Madrid’s upheld transfer ban was the main reason for his stay at the La Liga club, but remained coy on his future after next year.

In mid-June, the Frenchman penned a new deal at the Spanish capital outfit until 2022, a fortnight after the CAS rejected their appeal to have the sanction overturned.

The outcome of the decision left Atletico unable to register new players until January, and Griezmann says he felt that he “had to stay” at the Estadio La Peineta.

He told FourFourTwo: “I have stayed mainly because of the transfer ban. Atletico needed me now more than ever and I felt I had to stay. It would be dirty to leave. I wouldn’t have been myself, or the person that I feel I am today, if I had left this club in that way.

“I spoke to Diego Simeone about the situation, our options and how he wanted me to stay to work out what we could do. Then we finalised everything with Miguel Angel Gil. I have too much respect for this club and the people in it to leave now because, just like Real Sociedad, they’ve given me everything.”

When asked about his future, namely the reported interest from Manchester United, Griezmann replied: “To be honest, I don’t know. I’m going to be playing for Atletico next season and after that we’ll see. All I am thinking about now is Atletico Madrid. It’s absurd to talk about something that is more than a year away.”

Griezmann has scored 83 goals and registered 25 assists in 160 games for Atletico since his switch from Sociedad in 2014.
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Ashley Cole has expressed his desire to return to Chelsea in the future either as a scout or as a coach.

The full-back spent eight years at Stamford Bridge from 2006 to 2014, making 338 appearances in all competitions and winning the Premier League and Champions League.

Now 36, the former Arsenal man has been playing for MLS giants Los Angeles Galaxy since 2016, but he is thinking about a return to London.

“I’m enjoying it here at the moment, but I would like to go back to England and work for Chelsea in some capacity if I could, so that would be my first choice,” Cole told FourFourTwo.

“Coaching or being a scout is something I’ve always considered and enjoyed while watching games. I try to nurture young players coming through, so it’s something I have in the back of my mind for after I finish playing.

“But I want to play for as long as I possibly can, because once you finish playing, you are done for life.”

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has employed a number of former players in staff roles at Cobham, with Carlo Cudicini plying his trade as one of Antonio Conte’s assistants, while Paulo Ferreira and Eddie Newton help manage the club’s loan players.
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Jens Lehmann has confirmed he is set to join Arsene Wenger’s coaching staff at Arsenal.

The former Germany goalkeeper was a member of the ‘Invincibles’ team that finished the entire 2003-04 Premier League season unbeaten to claim the club’s most recent title.

Lehmann left Arsenal for Stuttgart in 2008 after five years in north London, later coming out of retirement to make one more appearance for the Gunners during an injury crisis in 2011.

Rather than becoming a dedicated goalkeeping coach, the 47-year-old will reportedly have a wider remit, working with both outfield players and shot-stoppers.

Lehmann told Welt that rumors of his impending return were accurate.

“Yes, it’s true, I’m going [back] to Arsenal,” he said.

Changes have been promised behind the scenes at Emirates Stadium, the manager having signed a new two-year deal despite Arsenal’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.

Former Liverpool high-performance manager Darren Burgess has joined the backroom staff from AFL team Port Adelaide.
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Fernando Alonso is optimistic McLaren’s dismal 2017 campaign is on an upward curve and believes they can be competitive at the Austrian Grand Prix.

The two-time Formula One champion has only finished two of his seven races this season – failing to start in Russia and retiring from the remaining four.

His ninth-place finish in Azerbaijan last time out finally got the Spaniard his first points of the year and he hopes to add to that in Austria this weekend.

“I really enjoyed my race in Baku,” said Alonso.

“Our performance in the race not only showed that the foundations of our car package are strong, but also that our operational team – our mechanics, engineers and strategists – are all racers, poised and waiting to take advantage of any situation.

“Two points may have been a small consolation after an extremely tough weekend, but, as I said at the time, we’ll take it and use it to drive us forwards.

“And there are reasons to feel more optimistic about our weekend in Austria. It’s a circuit that’s not as dependent on power as some of the recent races, and I think our car will be better suited to the twists and turns of the Spielberg circuit. I think we’ll be able to push hard.

“We’ve also got a couple of useful steps coming on the car, including – hopefully – Honda’s revised Spec Three power unit, which I tried during Friday practice in Azerbaijan.

“Every step is important, so I’m looking forward to a positive weekend where we can once again get everything out of the car.”
Read More Sport News:https://www.sportlineng.com/more-news/

Jurgen Klopp will lead Liverpool to the Premier League title and then take over at Bayern Munich, according to Ottmar Hitzfeld.

During seven seasons at Borussia Dortmund, Klopp restored the club as one of Germany’s top forces, guiding them to two Bundesliga titles, one DFB-Pokal and the final of the Champions League in 2013.

The charismatic 50-year-old secured a return to Europe’s top table for Liverpool in his first full season at the Anfield helm and Hitzfeld – a Champions League winner with Dortmund and Bayern – expects him to win their first top-flight title since 1990.

However, the former Switzerland boss believes Klopp’s future ultimately lies at the Allianz Arena.

“Jurgen Klopp is one of the top coaches, but compared to others he has yet to win a big international trophy,” Hitzfeld told t-online.de.

“He will be Premier League champion sooner or later, I am fully convinced of that.

“He’s building something there, is a motivator, and a fantastic advertisement for German coaches. It’s not easy to prevail in England, but he did it.

“Jurgen Klopp will always be a candidate for the Bayern job. He knows the Bundesliga, he was a league and cup champion.

“I think and expect him to be the FC Bayern coach one day.”
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Chelsea striker Diego Costa is reportedly trying to frustrate manager Antonio Conte by forcing the club to delay a move for Everton forward Romelu Lukaku.

Conte is believed to have informed Costa via text message at the end of last season that he is no longer wanted at the club.

The controversial striker scored 20 Premier League goals to help the Blues win the title, but it is understood that he does not factor into the manager’s plans for the upcoming campaign.

According to The Mirror, Costa is keen on a return to Atletico Madrid, but he refuses to leave Stamford Bridge unless it is on his terms, which is forcing the club to delay making a move for Lukaku.

The report claims that the Spain international, who has rejected a big-money move to the Chinese Super League, is enjoying the difficulty that Conte is experiencing.

If Costa joins Atletico this summer, he will be unable to play for the club until January 2018 when their transfer ban is lifted.
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Phil Jones has claimed that Manchester United’s busy pre-season will benefit the players as they will all get minutes under their belts ahead of the upcoming Premier League campaign.

The Red Devils itinerary begins with a tour of the United States which will see them play five matches between July 15 and July 26.

A trip to Norwegian capital Oslo to play Valerenga then follows on July 30, before Jose Mourinho’s charges take on Sampdoria in Dublin on August 2.

“The more matches you play, the more match-fit you are and seven games will give everyone a chance to get minutes under their belts,” Jones said on the club’s official website. “You need everyone at a good level for the start of the season.

“We know exactly what the manager expects from us and he knows the players inside and out. He’ll have organised this pre-season period exactly how he wants it – when we’ll train, when we’ll rest and when we’ll have commercial work to do. I’m sure it will be a great tour and I’m looking forward to it.”

After their pre-season fixtures, the Europa League winners will take on Champions League winners Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in Macedonia on August 8, four days before the start of the new Premier League season.
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Mattia De Sciglio’s future will depend on any offers made by Juventus or other interested clubs, the AC Milan defender’s agent has said.

The 24-year-old full-back’s contract expires next year and it has been reported that he has refused to sign a new deal.

A move before next season is likely if Milan are to avoid losing him for free, with Serie A champions Juventus and Maurizio Sarri’s Napoli both heavily linked with bids for the player.

De Sciglio’s agent has now suggested that his future is in the hands of anyone who wants to make an offer.

“At this moment, it depends on Juventus or other teams who can get close to the player,” Giovanni Branchini told TMW Radio.

“We have a very clear situation with Milan and the rapport is absolutely fine. We’ll see how the transfer window develops.”

De Sciglio, who came through the Milan youth ranks, made 27 appearances in all competitions in 2016-17.

Juve are reportedly eager to sign reinforcements at wing-back, with Dani Alves having left the club and Alex Sandro heavily linked with Chelsea.
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A report has suggested that Everton remain confident of re-signing Wayne Rooney from Manchester United.

The 31-year-old, who came through the ranks at Goodison Park, has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and is considering his future.

Rooney has insisted that he will not play for any other Premier League club but Everton, the team he supported as a youngster and with whom he made his professional debut, should he quit United.

According to talkSPORT, who cite sources close to the Toffees, the forward’s return to the Merseyside club is effectively an inevitability, as all three parties involved are eager to strike a deal.

The report also suggests that Everton will turn their attention to Rooney after completing the double signing of Burnley defender Michael Keane and Malaga striker Sandro Ramirez.

Rooney scored 17 goals in 77 appearances for Everton before United swooped to sign him in a £25.6m deal in 2004.
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Aston Villa have completed the signing of former Chelsea captain John Terry on a one-year deal.

After making the decision to end his long-term association with the Blues, Terry was linked with numerous clubs both home and abroad and at one stage, it appeared likely that he would join Bournemouth.

However, the 36-year-old has instead decided to drop down to the Championship to try to help the West Midlands outfit earn a return to the Premier League.

He told the club’s official website: “I am delighted to join Aston Villa. It’s a club I have admired from afar for many years – there are fantastic facilities at Bodymoor Heath, Villa Park is one of the finest stadiums in the country and there’s a good group of players here, with an experienced and successful manager in Steve Bruce.

“I can’t wait to get started now and look to help the squad achieve something special this season.”

Birmingham City had also been keen on signing the centre-back, but Villa have gotten one over their city rivals ahead of the new campaign.
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Real Madrid defender Danilo has reportedly emerged as a transfer target for Chelsea.

It has previously been suggested that Juventus are eyeing the right-back as a potential replacement for Dani Alves, who has been released from his contract ahead of a likely switch to Manchester City.

However, according to Marca, they face competition for his signature with Chelsea seemingly prepared to spend big on the 25-year-old.

Head coach Antonio Conte is keen to strengthen his squad at wing-back and after missing out on Alves, it appears that Danilo has been identified as the next best option.

Danilo was limited to just 23 starts in all competitions last season, while he has featured 55 times since leaving Porto for the Bernabeu in 2015.

It has been suggested that the Blues or Juve would need to offer in the region of £26m in order to open discussions with the Brazil international.
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Gareth Bale insists he remains focused on “winning more trophies” with Real Madrid despite renewed reports the Wales forward could leave the Santiago Bernabeu.

Reports in L’Equipe on Friday suggested Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane told Monaco’s highly sought-after teenage forward Kylian Mbappe that he would be willing to sell one of Los Blancos’ famed ‘BBC’ of Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo to sign him.

Ronaldo’s own future in the Spanish capital remains in doubt with speculation he is keen to leave following accusations he defrauded Spanish tax authorities out of €14.7million, claims he strenuously denies.

Madrid president Florentino Perez insisted that the club are “not contemplating” selling the Ballon d’Or winner, though, and Bale has been consistently linked with a return to the Premier League to join Ronaldo’s former club Manchester United.

Bale, though, seemingly remains committed to Madrid.

“I’m feeling better than ever and can’t wait for the new season to start,” Bale is quoted as saying by several British newspapers as part of his ambassadorial role for Altitude Resistance Mask.

“I’m hungrier than ever to win more trophies for the biggest club and best fans in the world.”
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