Gossip Column: Pedro, Godin, De Bruyne

Manchester United transfers: Reds WON'T meet Pedro's 

He 28-year-old's contract prices him at around £23m but Old Trafford giants have doubts about his sell-on value and value him closer to £17m. Manchester United have still to make a formal offer for Pedro... after refusing to meet his buy-out clause.

The Old Trafford club have money to burn after finally completing the £46m sale of Angel Di Maria, but they want to negotiate down on the near £23m Barcelona asking price.

Boss Louis van Gaal has identified the Spain international as his primary target after offloading Premier League flop Di Maria.

But at 28-years-old, Pedro will have little resale value beyond this summer, and the United board are determined to negotiate better value for the forward.

Barca explained on Thursday they don’t want the player to leave, and confirmed there had yet to be a full blown offer, with the Catalan club insisting they will hold out for the release clause contained in Pedro’s contract, which stands at just over 30m euros.

 

United would have to pay around £23m in total to activate that, but they value him closer to £17m.

United hope they will be able to offer Champions League football to Pedro and will go into Friday morning’s play-off draw where they can face either Club Brugge, Monaco, Lazio, CSKA Moscow or Rapid Vienna.(http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football)

Godín to pen new Atlético deal after rejecting City

Diego Godín has rebuffed a big-money offer from Manchester City in order to stay at Atlético de Madrid, where he is one of Diego Simeone's on-pitch lieutenants. The club coached by Manuel Pellegrini had been willing to trigger the centre-back's €40 million release clause and tried to convince the Uruguayan by offering him a deal worth €6.5m a season.

The Citizens stepped up their interest in the defender over the last couple of weeks, but Godín has decided to spurn their advances and stick around at the Calderón. The 'Rojiblancos' are set to reward this show of loyalty by extending the 29-year-old's contract, which currently runs until 2018, and handing him a wage hike.

Though his new terms will remain a far cry from what was on the table at City, Godín is nevertheless appreciative of the effort Atlético have made to keep him sweet. The club is equally grateful to the former Villarreal star for turning down the opportunity to significantly boost his bank balance at the Etihad.

The details of Godín's new contract at Atlético have been finalised and the centre-half will put pen to paper in the coming days. (www.marca.com)

Manchester City transfer target Kevin De Bruyne drops biggest hint yet he's leaving

Kevin De Bruyne has offered the biggest hint yet he is on the way to Manchester City.

The Belgium international was awarded Germany's footballer of the year trophy at a ceremony on Thursday, and afterwards, he admitted he simply couldn't commit his future to his club Wolfsberg.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini said on Thursday he hopes to make one more signing before the transfer window closes... and it wouldn't be a striker.

That points clearly to a deal for 23-year-old De Bruyne, and even though his Wolfsberg sporting director Klaus Allofs has insisted it is “99.9 percent certain” the winger will stay, he replied: "I'm not one who says that I'm staying here - and in two weeks I'm off. You have to be a bit open, the more I think that people know how I am I'm just trying to be honest...

"If in the end it happens, you can not say that I would have lied. That's just football, but I know of course that it is not easy for the fans.

"Here everything is going well for me currently. But I also know that a lot of reports about me in the media. For me it is just important that I am fit in one or two weeks, when it really starts."

Allofs has insisted his club do not need to cash in on the player, but he did concede that they will listen to an offer from City “out of respect for the player”.

And sources within the Etihad believe they are close to a figure that will persuade the German club to sell. Wolfsburg have changed their stance from refusing to listen to offers, and it is thought a figure of around £40m will be enough to force through the deal.

Pellegrini hinted as much on Thursday, when he said his side WILL win the title this season, and will sign one more player – but not striker. “I think we are going to bring in other players but not in that position," he said.

“We are absolutely sure we are going to bring the title back. I am absolutely sure we are going to have a very successful season - we must bring back the title back here to our fans.” (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football)

Please read other article Barclay Premier League is Wayne Rooney says Everton return.

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Premier League: Chelsea's Jose Mourinho predicts tougher season

Premier League: Chelsea's Jose Mourinho 

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho says this term's Premier League will be the most competitive he has experienced - with even newly promoted Bournemouth buying players good enough for his side.

Mourinho's Chelsea eased to the title last season, finishing eight points clear of runners-up Manchester City.
But the Portuguese cited Bournemouth's signing of Max Gradel as evidence this season will be tougher.

"Gradel could play for Chelsea," Mourinho said.

Top-flight clubs have spent more than £500m so far in the transfer window, partly fuelled by a new £5bn Premier League TV rights deal.

Mourinho has also been impressed by Yohan Cabaye's £10m move from PSG to Crystal Palace and Newcastle's capture of £14.75m Georginio Wijnaldum from PSV as well as Gradel's arrival for a reported £7m.

 

And the Chelsea boss, whose side were beaten 1-0 by Italy's Fiorentina in a pre-season friendly at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, said the strength in depth across the league means fewer points will be needed to win the 2016 title.

"There will be more times when the non-title contenders win matches against the title contenders," he said.

"It's also difficult because they have players who could play in our teams - Cabaye could play for Chelsea, Wijnaldum could play for Chelsea, Gradel could play for Chelsea.

"You have a minimum of five title contenders and the other teams get stronger and stronger."

 Favourites Chelsea have so far only signed £8m goalkeeper Asmir Begovic to replace Arsenal signing Petr Cech and brought in Monaco striker Radamel Falcao on loan.

By contrast, title rivals Manchester City broke their transfer record to sign £49m Raheem Sterling from Liverpool - while the Merseyside club have signed £32.5m Christian Benteke and £29m Roberto Firmino. Similarly, Manchester United have spent £83m so far, including £31m on Netherlands winger Memphis Depay.

Lower down the table, Crystal Palace broke their transfer record to bring in Cabaye while Stoke's eight summer signings include two Barcelona players.

Both Watford and Bournemouth were promoted to the Premier League from the Championship, along with Norwich City.


 But with two of last season's promoted clubs, Burnley and Queens Park Rangers, relegated after just one season, the Championship champions and runners-up have so far signed 19 players between them.

"I think nobody can complain because everyone is investing - you go to Watford, you go to Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Stoke, every club," Mourinho said.

"Every club has very good players so I think it's difficult for the top teams in England because of the competitive nature."

Chelsea start their title defence at home to Swansea on Saturday.
Read more about :Wayne Rooney says Everton return was 'weird' as England striker stars alongside Duncan Ferguson in testimonial match

Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport/

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Hot News Angel Di Maria: Manchester United midfielder 'happy' to join PSG

Angel Di Maria Saying : Manchester United midfielder 'happy' to join PSG

Angel Di Maria says he is "very happy" to be joining Paris St-Germain from Manchester United, a year after the Old Trafford club paid a British record £59.7m for him.

The Argentina midfielder, 27, had a medical in Qatar on Tuesday ahead of his 63m euro (£44.3m) move.

He later told beIN Sports:  "I am very happy to join Paris St-Germain. They're very important."

Neither club has yet confirmed that the player's move has gone through.

Aspetar, a specialist sports hospital in Doha, announced on its Twitter feed on Tuesday that the player was there "for a medical test ahead of a proposed move".

 

Di Maria added: "They made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, so my objective was to arrive to Paris and to help them through the quarter-final barrier, because they have struggled in the past two seasons.

"I will try to do the best I can to help the club in those objectives and reach the final stages of the Champions League."

Di Maria did not join United on their pre-season tour of America, and manager Louis van Gaal had said he "did not know why".

He scored four goals in 32 United appearances after joining from Real Madrid last August.

The South American started his Old Trafford career well with a goal and an assist in three of his first four games, including a chip in the 5-3 defeat at Leicester.

But after being played in six different positions,  including central midfield and striker, a pelvic injury kept him out for the whole of December.

Reports that he was unsettled in Manchester followed an attempted break-in at Di Maria's home in Cheshire, in January.

He was then sent off in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat by Arsenal on 9 March and did not start another game until the final match of the campaign at Hull, only to limp off with a hamstring injury after 23 minutes.

Hit and miss? Manchester United's biggest buys

£59.7m: Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid

£37.1m: Juan Mata from Chelsea

£30.8m: Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham

£30: Rio Ferdinand from Leeds

£29m: Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao

£28.1m: Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio

Read more about : Wayne Rooney and Everton

Source : http://www.bbc.com/sport

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Wayne Rooney And Everton

Wayne Rooney says Everton return was 'weird' as England striker stars alongside Duncan Ferguson in testimonial match

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney says it felt 'weird' to pull on an Everton shirt 11 years since leaving Goodison Park after appearing in Duncan Ferguson's testimonial.

The 29-year-old, who once famously branded himself 'once a blue, always a blue', made a cameo appearance as Roberto Martinez's men fell to a 2-1 defeat against Spanish side Villarreal.

Rooney admitted afterwards that he wasn't sure what kind of reception he would receive from the Everton faithful, who have booed him in the past, but was delighted with the positive atmostphere.

"It's nice to come back here and the fans gave me a great reception, which obviously I was delighted with," Rooney told EvertonTV.

"Most importantly it was a big day for Duncan and he really enioyed the game and it was nice to see him back on the pitch again.

"It was a bit different today, going into the home dressing room again. It was a bit weird at first but as I say didn't know what to expect with the reception but it was a great reception.

"I was delighted with the fans' reaction. You never know what to expect but it was great for me, my kids and Coleen as well today and for them to see me in an Everton shirt."

Rooney is expected to be United's sole striker as Louis van Gaal's men take on Tottenham Hotspur this weekend in the Premier League's curtain-raiser at Old Trafford.

Source : http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football

The Manchester United and England captain is a lifelong Everton supporter and came up through the ranks with the Toffees before leaving for Old Trafford in 2004.

He has since gone on to win five Premier League titles and the Champions League - but he was often subject to jeers and negative chants when returning to his former club with United.

On Sunday he turned out for Duncan Ferguson's testimonial match against Villarreal, playing the final 15 minutes alongside the retired forward who he idolised.

"'It was a bit different today, going into the home dressing room again," said Rooney.

"It was a bit weird at first but as I say didn't know what to expect with the reception but it was a great reception."


 "I was delighted with the fans' reaction," Rooney added after the game.

"I didn't know what to expect but it was great for me and my kids, to see me once in an Everton shirt. It brought back some good old memories.

"I enjoyed it. It is nice to come back here and the fans gave me a great reception which obviously I was delighted with.

"Most importantly it was a big day for Duncan and he really enioyed the game and it was nice to see him back on the pitch again."

There was to be no grand return for either Rooney or Ferguson as goals from Gerard and Nahuel put Villarreal two goals up before young defender Ty Browning scored a late consolation as the visitors won 2-1.

Rooney struck a marvellous effort as he looked to mark his emotional homecoming with a goal - but the 29-year-old was more bothered about the memorable day for Ferguson.

"It was nice to get some minutes on the pitch alongside Duncan," Rooney added.

"I saw a bit of space and thought I would try my luck, unfortunately it didn't go in but it was a great occasion and great to get out on the pitch with Duncan again.

"Most importantly it was a big day for Duncan and he really enjoyed the game and it was good to see him back on the pitch.

"Of course, it was a bit different today. Going into the home dressing room again was a bit weird at first. I didn't know what to expect with the reception but it was great and I really appreciate it."

(Source:http://asia.eurosport.com/football)

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