Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal has rubbished speculation linking him with a move away from Juventus by revealing that he is perfectly happy in Turin.
The highly rated footballer has been the subject of interest from Manchester United and Real Madrid, among other clubs, but he has so far remained with the Bianconeri.
Vidal now reveals that he was not concerned by the transfer talk and suggests there were no concrete offers for his services during the summer.
“The truth is I was relaxed and calm this summer, focusing only on my knee. I never once asked my agent or Juventus if something was happening,” Vidal confessed to Tuttosport.
“I have a pact with my agent: if there is something concrete, then he alerts me. He did not alert me.
“I don�…
Ex-Tottenham winger Chris Waddle reckons his former club have not had a good pairing in central defence since Ledley King retired.
Waddle questioned the transfer activity of Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino on Friday, arguing he did not improve the squad at White Hart Lane and was remiss in not signing a central defender.
Of the six players Pochettino signed heading into the 2014-15 season after arriving himself from Southampton only Eric Dier has started in the Premier League.
While Tottenham have the equal second-best defence in the Premier League this season (seven goals conceded in as many games), Waddle has declared the London-based club have not looked strong in the centre of their back four since former skipper King retired at the end of 2011-12.
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Chelsea are keen to win the race to sign Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, according to the Daily Star.
The Netherlands centre-back has been strongly linked with a move away from St Mary’s Stadium all summer with Liverpool leading the chase.
However, the champions are keen to secure his services after starting their title defence by shipping three goals at home to Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
Van Dijk missed the Saints opening day draw with Swansea City with a virus and certainly appears to have played his last game for the club which came back in January – a 3-0 win over Leicester City.
He missed the rest of the season through injury and has been working on his fitness by training away from Mauricio Pellegrino’s first team squad.
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According to Marca and Goal, Borussia Dortmund are interested in Villarreal winger as a replacement for Ousmane Dembélé, should he make an exit from the Westfalenstadion.
With Barcelona making a €100 million-plus bid for Dembélé, the German club is already lining up his possible replacement and reports say that the 22-year-old Spaniard would be a suitable substitute.
The Málaga-born Castillejo began his professional career with his hometown team before catching the eye of then- boss Marcelino who brought him aboard in 2015.
Since joining the Yellow Submarine, the young winger has appeared in 90 matches and has notched five goals in his two years with La Liga side.
Now entering the third year of his five-year contract, the speedy Castillejo has …
Robert Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world and any team would struggle against a player of his quality, says Italy boss Roberto Mancini.
The Azzurri will go head-to-head against Lewandowski on Sunday when the two nations meet in Nations League Group A1.
Lewandowski scored 55 goals across all competitions in 2019-20 to fire Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble and many pundits feel he would have won the Ballon d Or this year had the award not been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
He has continued his exquisite form in the early stages of this campaign, scoring five goals in three league matches for champions Bayern.
Mancini talked up the talents of Lewandowski in a pre-match news conference but bac…
West Brom have finally signed striker Karlan Grant from Huddersfield Town for a reported £15million.
Grant, 23, has signed a six-year deal with the Premier League side, West Brom confirmed on Thursday.
The Englishman scored 19 Championship goals in 43 games for Huddersfield last season.
We have followed Karlan s progression for a long time and has been a target of ours since well before the summer transfer window opened, West Brom technical and sporting director Luke Dowling said.
We are confident we have signed a young player who has proved he is ready for the challenges of the Premier League. He has scored goals throughout his career including the few months he had with Huddersfield at this level two years ago.
During this window…
Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin has signed a new long-term contract with the Premier League club.
The 20-year-old has featured sporadically in Arsene Wenger s first-team and has made 16 senior appearances for the north London outfit since arriving in 2008.
Coquelin s versatility has been key for Wenger as the Gunners have face numerous injury concerns over the course of the season.
The young Frenchman s Arsenal career has developed positively since returning from a season-long loan at Ligue 1 side Lorient, where he appeared 24 times and scored once.
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Youssoufa Moukoko has scored six goals and provided four assists this Bundesliga season for Borussia Dortmund, putting him firmly in the spotlight.
The 17-year-old has stepped up since Erling Haaland s exit for Manchester City, with Dortmund sitting fourth in the Bundesliga.
The Cameroon-born forward is contracted with Dortmund until 2023, but his impressive displays are attracting interest.
TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL ENTER RACE FOR DORTMUND S MOUKOKO
Liverpool have entered the race for Borussia Dortmund s Youssoufa Moukoko with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus already circling, according to SPORT.
Moukoko is out of contract in mid-2023, when many clubs are hoping to sign him on a free transfer.
The teenager has hinted he is content at D…
PSV Eindhoven boss Fred Rutten will leave the Philips Stadion when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The 49-year-old has been with the Eredivisie giants since April 2009, but will not look to extend his stay at the club, despite an impressive start to the season.
PSV are just a point behind league leaders AZ Alkmaar at the halfway point of the season, but Rutten will not remain regardless of where they finish.
In a statement, technical manager Marcel Brands said he was confident Rutten would continue leading PSV in a professional manner.
I don t doubt for a second Fred Rutten’s commitment for the rest of the season, he said.
He is a true professional. He and the players alike want to win prizes and that won’t change.
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Out-of-favour midfielder Danijel Pranjic has announced that he is 100 percent certain to leave Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
The 30-year-old Croatian is out of contract at the conclusion of the 2011/12 campaign, and has been linked with moves to Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg and Serie A club Juventus.
Pranjic refused to give much away in terms of his potential suitors, but did confirm there had been interest in his signature.
I have four or five offers, he told tz. I will 100 percent leave the club in the summer.
Pranjic, who joined Bayern from Heerenveen in 2009, has made just two appearances in the Bundesliga this season.
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