Real sign Porto's Danilo.

European champions Real Madrid have completed the signing of
Brazil international right-back Danilo from Porto on a six-year
deal.
"Real Madrid and Porto have reached an agreement for the transfer of Danilo, who will join next season and be tied to the club until June 30, 2021," the club said in a statement on Wednesday.
A statement by Porto to the Portuguese stock exchange said the
deal was worth 31.5m euros (£23m).The 23-year-old joined Porto
from Santos in 2012 and has won two league titles with the
Portuguese giants, as well as playing a big part in their run to the
quarter-final of this season's Champions League, where they will
face Bayern Munich next month.Danilo also won a silver medal
with Brazil at the 2012 Olympics and has become a regular with
his national team since Dunga took charge of the five-time world
champions following a disappointing World Cup on home soil last year.

Source:Skysports.

Southampton post profits.

Champions League-chasing Southampton have revealed profits of £33.4m for the financial year ending June 30, 2014.
The St Mary's Stadium club have recorded a positive balance
sheet for the first time since entering administration in 2009 as
they set about attaining a record league finish under Dutchman
Ronald Koeman.
Chief executive officer Gareth Rogers told the club's official
website: "There are lots of positives to take from these financial
results. Recording the first profit and positive net asset position for the first time since administration in 2009 is very pleasing. It
shows the health of the club and the Group is strong and the
foundations are there to be built on.
"The opening of the Staplewood Campus training ground in
November was a important step for the football club. A substantial investment was ploughed into the development and the state-of-the-art facilities will further enhance the staff’s ability to maximise the potential of our first team and Academy players.
"Our focus remains on developing significant commercial growth which will support our vision to create a sustainable business model. We have a strong business plan in place and we’re already seeing the green shoots of that plan. We believe it is possible to be a well-managed, well-structured football club that is successful both on and off the pitch."
Southampton, who currently lie in sixth place six points behind
fourth-placed Manchester United, travel to Goodison Park to take
on struggling Everton on Saturday.

Source:Skysports.

Danny Welbeck in race to be fit for Liverpool clash.

Danny Welbeck is facing a race against time to be fit for Saturday's crunch showdown against Liverpool.

The Arsenal forward has returned to North London for treatment after sustaining a knee injury in England's win over Lithuania on Friday.

The news will come as a blow to Arsene Wenger ahead of the clash against Liverpool, which could prove pivotal in the race for a top-four finish and qualification for next season's Champions League. 

Welbeck is responding well to treatment at Arsenal's London Colney HQ and has not been ruled out of the visit of Brendan Rodgers side.

Gunners medical staff will make a late decision on his availability for the encounter but are confident he will prove his fitness.

Source:Dailymail.

Di Maria tops shirt sales.

Manchester United winger Angel di Maria has topped a player shirt sales list released by a sports retail company Sports Direct.
The Argentina star, 27, arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid for £59.7m in August and easily beat two other summer imports -
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez and Chelsea striker Diego Costa -
into second and third respectively.
A spokesperson for Sports Direct, said: "These statistics do
suggest just how important sponsorship and image rights are for a club when financing a marquee signing. Based on shirt sales alone clubs would struggle to recoup the money they splash on the world’s best talent.
"There’s no doubt that these figures will have an impact on the
European heavyweights of football as it appears that spending
what could be dubbed as a ridiculous amount of money on a player could turn out to be a tactical decision."
Some of the big names that failed to make the top 10 were Harry
Kane, Cesc Farbregas, Oscar, Joe Hart and Raheem Sterling -
while Newcastle striker Ayoze Perez clinched 11th place.

Top 10 Player Shirts Sales 2014/2015
Angel di Maria (Man Utd) - 9.59%
Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal) - 3.80%
Diego Costa (Chelsea) - 2.27%
David de Gea (Man Utd) - 2.16%
Eden Hazard (Chelsea) - 2.10%
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd) - 2.09%
Radamel Falcao (Man Utd) - 1.99%
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) - 1.76%
Sergio Aguero (Man City) - 1.46%
Robin van Persie (Man Utd) - 1.20%

A recent study by Euromericas Sports Marketing showed the
impact of shirt sales at Real Madrid - suggesting 345,000 James
Rodriguez shirts were sold within 48 hours of him signing for the
La Liga giants, equating to around £21m in revenue.

Source:Skysports.

Manchester City step up chase for Kevin de Bruyne.

Manchester City are pressing ahead in their interest for Wolfsburg's Kevin de Bruyne.

The Bundesliga side want to keep the Belgium international for at least one more season as they plan a crack at the Champions League next year. 

However, City, Bayern Munich and Paris St Germain are all interested in signing him this summer.

City's director of football Txiki Begiristain is understood to have met De Bruyne's entourage for a second time to discuss their chances of making a deal happen.

De Bruyne's agent Patrick de Koster has hinted it would take a bid close to £40m for Wolfsburg to consider selling. 

Talking last week he said: 'Clubs who are ready to bid 30 million euros for Kevin have no sense of reality. A player like Kevin has a market value of some €50 million, €55 million or even €60 million by now.'

De Bruyne, 23, cost Wolfsburg £16.7million when he signed in January 2014 from Chelsea and has scored 14 goals for his club this season.

Source:Dailymail.

Messi named best forward in 2015 while Ronaldo is listed 29th in top attackers.

Lionel Messi is the best forward in 2015 – while Cristiano Ronaldo is only 29th on a list of top attackers.
These are the findings of a study conducted by the CIES Football
Observatory, which has analysed the performances of players in
Europe’s leading leagues since January 1.
The rankings take into account relevant statistics for different
positions and find Barcelona's Messi - who has scored 17 in 12 La
Liga games this year - streets ahead of his Real Madrid rival.
Ronaldo, who has scored six in 11 league matches in 2015, was,
however, ahead of team-mates Gareth Bale (35th) and Karim
Benzema (37th).
Diego Costa is the leading Premier League forward in fifth place,
behind Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben, Wolfsburg’s Bas Dost and Barcelona’s Luis Suarez.
Elsewhere, the study, which focuses on the Premier League, La
Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, found Manchester City’s Gael Clichy to be the top-ranked full-back and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard to be the number one attacking midfielder, ahead of Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and City’s Jesus Navas.
Former Liverpool loanee Nuri Sahin, now at Borussia Dortmund,
tops the central midfielder table from the past three months, while Man City’s Martin Demichelis misses out on the
centre-back crown to Emir Spahic of Bayer Leverkusen.

Top forwards
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Bas Dost (Wolfsburg)
Luis Suarez (Barcelona)
Diego Costa (Chelsea)

Top attacking midfielders
Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
Jesus Navas (Man City)
Kevin de Bruyne (Wolfsburg)
Shinji Kagawa (Dortmund)

Top central midfielders
Nuri Sahin (Dortmund)
Paul Pogba (Juventus)
Fernandinho (Man City)
Lucas Biglia (Lazio)
Ilkay Gundogan (Dortmund)

Top full-backs
Gael Clichy (Man City)
Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Rafinha (Bayern Munich)
Wendell Nascimento (Bayer Leverkusen)
Pablo Zabaleta (Man City)

Top centre-backs
Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen)
Martin Demichelis (Man City)
Mats Hummels (Dortmund)
Chris Smalling (Man United)
Thiago Silva (PSG)


The full rankings can be found at:
http://www.football-observatory.com/IMG/pdf/wp105_eng.pdf

Wenger reveals what he does after loosing.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed he puts himself into quarantine after his side lose and feels 'like a dog who is sick.'

The Gunners are currently third in the Premier League as they chase another season in the Champions League and Wenger's side won all six matches in March.

The 65-year-old, who has been Arsenal manager since 1996, insists if his side suffer defeat he goes into isolation to prevent his bad mood affecting other people in his life.

'I never go out after we lose, I just sit at home miserably and think about why we lost,' Wenger told Arsenal magazine.

'I've had periods where I've stayed at home for two or three days. If we have not got a game for a while, and we have lost, there are times when I have not gone out for days.

'It really hurts. If it does not, you will never survive in the game,' added Wenger. 

'People who live around you suffer with you, so the only thing I can do is try to get out of other people's way.

'I try to be like a dog who is sick – I go away into quarantine and come back when I'm cured!'

Wenger will hope his side can continue their fine recent form against Liverpool after the international break, in a crucial fixture in the race for Champions League qualification.

Source:Dailymail

Charles Aranguiz eyes 'dream move' to Arsenal.

Arsenal target Charles Aranguiz has admitted it would be a ‘dream’ to move to the north London club.

The Chile midfielder plays for Brazilian club side Internacional, but has been scouted by Arsene Wenger since he starred in last summer’s World Cup.

Aranguiz had a taste of what a move would have to offer when he featured in Chile’s 1-0 defeat to Brazil at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Afterwards asked about Arsenal he said: ‘They're a great team, and it would be a dream but for now that's all it is, a dream.

‘I don't know anything about it. I've heard about it through the press but nobody has talked to me.’ Aranguiz, 25, has the unusual blend of being a bullish midfielder as well as a creative playmaker and impressed during Brazil 2014.

Any move, which could potentially take place during the summer, would be eased by his national team-mate Alexis Sanchez already playing at Arsenal.

It is thought that a bid in the region of £5million would be enough to prise Aranguiz away from his club side.

He is keen on a move to England where his game would be suited to the style of play in the Premier League. 

Source:Dailymail.

Thierry Henry shows fans at Anfield he still has what it takes.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry gave fans at Anfield a glimpse of his very, very best after nailing a cheeky pass to Ryan Babel during an All-Stars game between a Steven Gerrard XI and a Jamie Carragher XI.

The former Arsenal man hung up his boots in December, but there was no sign of rustiness as the 37-year-old former France international pulled off the audacious move.

Henry, who had been playing for MLS side New York Red Bulls before calling it a day, looked set to pull the trigger after picking up the ball on the edge of the box, only to dummy a shot with his right and play a pass with his left.

Babel was the man to benefit from the pass as it rolled perfectly to his feet, but the Dutchman dragged his effort wide in a manner Liverpool fans had become fully accustomed to during his time on Merseyside.

The first goal of the game had been scored by Mario Balotelli and a cracker it was too, the Italian whipping a 25-yard drive that fizzed into the corner of The Kop net on nine minutes. He wasn’t put under great pressure but the finish still smacked of class.

At one stage it looked as if Carragher’s side, managed by Roy Evans, would saunter to victory but Gerrard has made comebacks a fixture of his Liverpool career and he ensured this match did not end in defeat.

He scored two penalties, one in the 36th minute after Martin Kelly had adjudged to trip Jerome Sinclair and another just after the hour when Carragher quite clearly barged Luis Suarez over. Some would say the Sportsmail columnist was lucky not to make it into Lee Probert’s book.

The icing on the cake would have been a goal for either Torres or Suarez but, despite the best efforts of the Uruguayan in particular, it never arrived. No matter. A draw was an appropriate end to a memorable day. The smiles on the faces as a lap of honour was completed confirmed that. 

Source:Dailymail.

Suarez still admires Liverpool.

Luis Suarez has refused to rule out a future return to Liverpool and insists he will never play for another Premier League club.
The Uruguay striker, who left for Barcelona in a £75million deal
last summer, headed back to Anfield on Sunday to appear in the
Liverpool All-Star charity match.
Suarez scored 82 goals in 133 appearances for Liverpool and after being given a rapturous reception by supporters he said he could never bring himself to appear for another English club.
When asked if he might return to Liverpool in the future, he told the club’s official LFCTV GO channel : “You never know in football what the future holds but if I ever play in England again I will play for the Liverpool team and not another team.”
Suarez came on as a half-time substitute for Steven Gerrard's XI
and players up front with another former Anfield favourite,
Fernando Torres.
The pair both moved clubs in January 2011, with Torres joining
Chelsea just after Suarez arrived from Ajax and Suarez admitted it was great to play up front with the Spaniard.
He added: “It was great for me to play up front alongside
Fernando.
"Four years ago when I signed for Liverpool, I crossed my fingers
to play with Fernando and he left three days after I signed.
“It was a great day for the other players but for me and Fernando it was a great chance to play together.”
And while he is forging his own reputation in Barcelona now, he
still fondly remembers his spell in England.
"I've missed the fans," added Suarez, who scored the winner in El
Clasico against Real Madrid seven days ago.
"The atmosphere is unbelievable, it's amazing. Everyone who's
played for Liverpool knows how important the supporters are.
They know they are in my heart."

Source: Skysports.

Bale not bothered by critics.

Gareth Bale insists he has nothing to prove to anybody after
playing a starring role in a vital victory for Wales in Saturday's
European Qualifier in Israel.
The Real Madrid man came into the match under scrutiny, having been criticised for his recent club form by Real supporters and the Spanish media.
His car was attacked by fans after last week’s 2-1 loss to
Barcelona, but he responded with a fantastic performance in Haifa, setting up Aaron Ramsey's opener and then scoring twice in the second-half.
"I don't need to answer the critics," Bale said after the match.
"I know, and everyone around me knows, what I can do.
"There are ups and downs in football. You have to take it with a
pinch of salt and all you can do is respond with your performances on the pitch, like that.
"I don't feel I need to prove anyone wrong or right, I just need to
play my football.
"I love playing for Wales. It's a big honour and the most important thing is I focus on my football and I don't listen to anyone else.
"I'm just enjoying my football with the boys."
Wales now have a great chance of reaching Euro 2016, the win
having taken them to the top of Group B.
Asked if it was as good a Wales performance as he can remember, Bale said: “Yes, definitely, especially away from home, and especially the pressure we were under.
"It's probably the biggest game we've had in 12 years or so and, to perform under pressure like that, gives us a lot of belief and
confidence going forward.
"It's a statement. It's no secret we want to qualify and to qualify
we have to win hard games.
"We have to come to places like this and win, and we certainly did that.
"It's obviously great to score for Wales and all that comes with it,
but the most important thing was the victory.
"We put a great performance in. We just worked hard and every
single player on the pitch deserves the credit."

Source:Skysports.

Henry hopes Arsenal must not 'do a Liverpool' and go 25 years without title glory.

Former Arsenal captain Thierry Henry hopes that his old club do not suffer a league title drought as long as Liverpool's and is backing them to make sure of that in the near future.  

Liverpool have not been crowned league champions since 1990 and save for last season's surprise charge, have sparsely been involved in the title mix for the past few years.

Henry told L'Equipe, 'If I had told you in 1990 that Liverpool would not win the title in the next 25 years, you would have taken me for a madman. I don't want the same thing to happen to Arsenal.'  

Arsenal are currently third in the Premier League table with 60 points, seven behind leaders Chelsea who have played one game less. 

While that gap might prove insurmountable at this late stage of the season, Henry is confident that the current crop of Gunners players could be developed to push for the title soon. 

He said, 'This year, we're not so far off. With the exception of the first leg against Monaco, they are on the right track, but they undoubtedly dropped too many points at the start of the season. But I think this squad can win the title in the years to come.'

Source:Dailymail.

Mark Hughes signs new three-year contract.

Mark Hughes has signed a new three-year contract with Stoke City after more than two months of negotiations.

The club began discussing his contract in January following wins against Arsenal, Everton and West Bromwich Albion as the 51-year-old's current deal was due to expire in 2016.

Hughes led Stoke to their best-ever Barclays Premier League finish at ninth last year in his first season with the club, and will try to beat it as they currently sit 10th with eight games remaining.

They are just one point behind Swansea City in eighth and Hughes, whose new contract will keep him at the Britannia Stadium until the summer of 2018, believes the deal can only benefit the club.

'I'm delighted to have signed a new contract,' Hughes told the club's official website. 'I think it's exciting times for Stoke City. Everyone can see there's more progress to be made and we want to see how far we can take the club.

'I came here 18 or so months ago and it's gone as well as I could have hoped - we've certainly kept progressing which is vitally important from my point of view.

'This season has been more difficult than last season due to circumstances, like injuries to key players, but we've still been very competitive and I believe we can do even better next season with a little bit more investment. Let's see how far we can go.

'Continuity is a huge thing in football, certainly in the Premier League, and hopefully the fact I've signed a new contract will give continuity to the club and, more importantly, the players because it helps them when they work with someone for a prolonged spell.

'They know what to expect and know the quality of work they are going to get and that's important moving forward.' 

Hughes took over from Tony Pulis at Stoke in May 2013, having managed Queens Park Rangers, Fulham, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Wales. 

Source:Dailymail.

Arsenal eyes Marco Reus as Walcott's replacement.

Arsenal are eyeing up a move for Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus to replace Theo Walcott.

The England winger risked irking Arsene Wenger by claiming talks over a new deal have not started, despite the Gunners boss repeatedly stating the opposite.

Wenger confirmed the club's intention to offer Walcott a new contract in February and when asked about whether talks had started on March 13, the Gunners boss replied: 'The first contacts have been made and we will see how that progresses.' 

However, Walcott, who currently earns £90,000-per-week, took to Twitter to contradict his manager. 

In response to TV reports that he had been involved in a training-ground bust-up with Wenger, Walcott tweeted: 'I don't normally comment on false stories about myself but reports about contract demands and bust-ups with the boss are complete nonsense. 

'There have been no contract talks as yet and my current focus is not on contracts but on doing my best for Arsenal FC.' Walcott's tweet made for an intriguing twist in what is already turning out to be another uncomfortable contract extension saga between Arsenal and the England international.

The 26-year-old wants north of £100,000-per-week to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.

Given he is not a first-team regular, the Arsenal hierarchy are showing a reluctance to meet Walcott's pay demands.

Likewise, Walcott is growing increasingly frustrated at his lack of game time since returning from a long-term knee injury.

Walcott enters the final year of his contract at the end of the season and the Gunners will consider cashing in on the speedster in the summer, for a fee of around £15million, to avoid losing him for nothing in 2016.

And Sportsmail understands the club have already started identifying targets to replace Walcott if the contract stand-off cannot be resolved.

Dortmund forward Reus will lead the list of candidates to fill Walcott's shoes if he leaves north London this summer.

The Gunners failed in an attempt to sign the Germany international last summer, but retain a strong interest.

The club's global network of spies have been instructed to pinpoint potential candidates should Walcott leave.

Given Walcott's speed, Arsenal scouts are paying particular attention to pacy players as they scour the world for his replacement.

Walcott will not be short of offers should he leave ahead of next season.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United are all monitoring Walcott's talks with a view to making a move.

Source:Dailymail.

Sturridge hit with fresh injury.

Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge could be out of action for a
month after a scan revealed he had suffered a ‘slight muscle tear’.
Sturridge, who had to quit the England squad ahead of Friday’s
Euro qualifier against Lithuania, suffered the injury against
Manchester United last Sunday.
The 25-year-old, who has already missed a huge chunk of the
season because of injury, is expected to sit out much of April
including the trip to the Emirates on April 4 to face Arsenal.
England manager Roy Hodgson said: “I’m disappointed for Daniel because he didn’t really feel that it was any problem.
"When he did the scan he was devastated as he didn’t want to
leave. He has a slight tear and you can’t play through that.”

Source:Skysports.

Barclays will not renew £40m-a-year Premier League sponsorship deal.

Premier League sponsors Barclays will not renew their £40million-a-year deal when the current agreement expires at the end of the 2015-16 season.

The bank agreed a £120m three-year deal in 2012 for the present rights - an increase of almost 50 per cent on their previous £82m contract.

But with Sky and BT Sport paying a record £5.1billion for TV rights from the start of the 2016 season, Barclays fear the cost of the next sponsorship will also rise considerably.

Barclays have sponsored the Premier League since 2001 when they first used the sponsorship to promote their Barclaycard brand.  

As well as the cost of the sponsorship, they must also consider the costs of promoting it through advertising, public relations and social media.

The popularity of the Premier League abroad is seen as a major factor behind the bank's decision to continue with their sponsorship for almost 15 years.

With games broadcast into 650 million homes in 175 countries, Barclays have used their agreements to promote themselves throughout the world, particularly in Africa and Asia.

Source:Dailymail.

John Terry signs new Chelsea deal.

Chelsea captain John Terry has signed a new contract worth £150,000 until the end of the 2015-16 campaign, the Premier League leaders have announced.

The centre back has made 661 appearances for the Blues since making his debut in 1998 - scoring a club record 63 goals for a defender.

In his 17-year professional career at Stamford Bridge, the 34-year-old has won 13 major honours - with his most recent coming in their 2-0 Capital One Cup triumph over Tottenham earlier this month.

‘This new contract is not to say “thank you very much”; it is because John continues to perform. He is a top defender,' Blues boss Jose Mourinho told theclub's official website on Thursday.

'I am happy that he completely deserves this new contract after a season where he has already played 40 matches.’

The former England international's existing deal was set to expire at the end of this season and the new contract is in line with Chelsea's policy of offering those over the age of 30 only one-year deals. 

‘I'm delighted to have signed an extension to my contract with Chelsea,' Terry added. 

‘After adding another major trophy to my collection this month I hope myself, the players and manager can continue to bring success to our club.

‘Playing for this great club makes me so proud. And as always I would like to thank the fans who have continually supported me.’ 

Source:Dailymail.

Walcott denies Wenger row.

Theo Walcott has described as "complete nonsense" reports he
had a training-ground bust-up with Arsene Wenger.
The Arsenal forward has started just once in the Premier League
since returning from an 11-month injury lay-off in November,
although he did miss the whole of December with a separate
injury.
Walcott's lack of action has been linked by some to his contract
situation - the England international is inside the final 18 months of a deal which took months to agree before he eventually signed in January 2013 - and there were claims this week of a row with his manager.
But those reports have been flatly denied by the player, who wrote on twitter: "I don't normally comment on false stories about myself, but reports about contract demands and bust-ups with the boss are complete nonsense...
"There have been no contract talks as yet and my current focus is
not on contracts but on doing my best for Arsenal FC."
Wenger has frequently referenced the difficulty of negotiating with Walcott's representatives and, when asked recently about any talks, the Arsenal boss joked that "the first contacts have been established with the embassy".

Source:Skysports.

Khedira confirms Real Madrid exit.

Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has confirmed he will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season.
The Germany international has made more than 100 league
appearances in his five years at the Santiago Bernabeu but has
failed to agree an extension to his current deal with the Champions League holders.
And the 27-year-old says he wishes to seek a new challenge after
losing his place in the team to the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka
Modric, but insists he is yet to make a decision on where he will
play his football next year.
“I don’t have an agreement with any club nor any preferences as to who I would like to join,” he told Kicker .
“It’s not a decision against Real Madrid. I want to find new
challenges for my career and continue to grow as a player.”
Schalke recently confirmed that they have held talks with Khedira, while Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Arsenal have also been linked with his signature.
Khedira says he will now focus on seeing out the current campaign under Carlo Ancelotti and looked back fondly on a period that has included titles in La Liga and the Champions League as well as his World Cup victory with Germany.
“For me, it was a magnificent moment in my life in a magnificent
team,” he reflected. “I will do everything I can to continue helping the team during the forthcoming weeks.”

Source:Goal.

Skrtel guilty of De Gea stamp.

Martin Skrtel will be banned for three games after an FA charge of stamping on David de Gea was proven.
The Liverpool centre-half denied deliberately standing on De Gea in the final seconds of Sunday's defeat to Manchester United at Anfield, an incident missed at the time by referee Martin Atkinson.
But an independent panel upheld the charge, and Skrtel will now
miss Premier League games against Arsenal and Newcastle, and
next month's FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn.
The first of those matches could have a significant bearing on
Liverpool's hopes of Champions League qualification given they go to the Emirates six points behind Arsenal and five shy of fourth-placed United.

Source:Skysports.

Bayern Munich planning £35million for Wolfsburg star Kevin de Bruyne.

Wolfsburg midfielder Kevin de Bruyne is a transfer target for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, according to Germany newspaper Sport Bild.

The former Chelsea man has been in sensational form for Wolfsburg this season, bagging nine goals and 17 assists in 26 appearances while helping steer Wolfsburg to second in the German domestic league.

De Bruyne is contracted to Wolfsburg until 2019, but Bild report that Bayern are keeping tabs on the Belgian as Pep Guardiola's side look to line up a long-term successor to Arjen Robben, who is out of contract in 2017.

Bild also report that Bayern may wait until the summer of 2016 to make a move for De Bruyne, who they believe is currently worth around £35million on current form.

Lionel Messi tops 2014 football rich list.

Lionel Messi is the highest paid footballer on the planet, banking nearly one million a week last year in wages and sponsorship deals.

The Argentina and Barcelona megastar earned an eye-watering £47.8m in 2014, with his club salary of £26m topped up by lucrative endorsements with the likes of adidas, FIFA 15 and Turkish Airlines.

It puts him well ahead of his Real Madrid and Portugal nemesis Cristiano Ronaldo, who brought in £39.7m in 2014, according to the latest France Football magazine rich list.

Messi's Barcelona colleague Neymar comes in third on £26.8m, his total underlining the gulf between the world's two leading players and the rest.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie is the highest-ranked Premier League player, earning £18.8m in 2014. This consists of an £11.8m basic salary, topped up by £5m bonuses and various sponsorship deals.

Real Madrid's world record signing Gareth Bale comes in sixth with an annual income of £17.5m, followed by United and England captain Wayne Rooney on £16.5m.

The top 10 is rounded out by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sergio Aguero and Robert Lewandowski, followed by another glut of Premier League stars.

Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Manchester City's Yaya Toure both made £14.7m, while United duo Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao are jointly on £13.6m.

In the manager rich list, Jose Mourinho of Chelsea is the highest paid with his £10m salary and £3.2m in commercial revenue.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger (£8.3m) and Manchester United's Louis van Gaal (£7.3m) also feature in the top five.

Source:Dailymail.

Falcao to consider future.

Manchester United's on-loan striker Radamel Falcao is "totally
committed" to the club but will decide on what is best for his future at the end of the season.
Colombia forward Falcao missed last year's World Cup through
injury before moving on loan from Monaco to United, where he has seen limited first-team action and has scored just four goals under manager Louis van Gaal.
And the striker admitted that finding more playing time is important to him.
"I think any footballer needs to play and is happy playing. I'm
totally committed to the club, there are eight matches to go (in the Premier League) and anything can happen," Falcao told Colombia's Radio Caracol .
"So when the championship ends surely I'll sit down, do an
analysis and decide what's best for me," added the 29-year-old,
who was a prolific scorer for Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco
before his knee ligament injury 14 months ago.
"Obviously I need to find a place where I have continuity and can play," Falcao said in Bahrain, where Colombia play a Copa America warm-up friendly on Thursday.
Colombia also face Kuwait in a second friendly on their Middle East tour on Monday.
Falcao said he fully respected Van Gaal's decisions and had "faith
and hope" that things would change for him at United before the
season ends.
He added, however, that other clubs have shown an interest in him.
"Calls come every day so in that sense I've got to stay calm, but I
keep on the fringe of them, there are people who deal with all that situation," he said of media reports linking him with other Premier League teams.
"I owe myself to Manchester United at the moment, I have faith
and hope because lots of things can happen in the number of
matches remaining."
Falcao said he had fully recovered from last January's knee
surgery that prevented him from leading the Colombia attack at the World Cup in Brazil, where his country reached the quarter-finals.
"I will continue to fight to the end at Manchester United," he said.

Source:Skysports.

Arsenal handed triple fitness boost as Jack Wilshere, Mathieu Debuchy and Mikel Arteta look set to face Liverpool .

Arsene Wenger is set to receive a huge fitness boost ahead of Arsenal’s crunch clash with Liverpool a week on Saturday.

Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Debuchy are all back in training and close to rejoining the first team.

If all goes according to plan the trio should be available to face Liverpool at the Emirates.

Wilshere has missed four months following an ankle operation, and Arteta has missed five months with ankle and calf issues.

Right back Debuchy has been sidelined since January 11 with a shoulder injury.

Midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also hopes to be available for the game against Brendan Rodgers’s side on April 4 after a hamstring injury. But he may have to wait until the trip to Burnley on April 11 for his return.

Source:Dailymail.

Cristiano Ronaldo faces possible La Liga charge for his goal celebration against Barcelona.

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo could be sanctioned for his goal celebration when he netted the equaliser in Sunday's La Liga 'Clasico' at Barcelona, the president of Spain's professional football league (LFP) said.

Ronaldo, not for the first time when he has scored at the Nou Camp, appeared to be urging the Barca fans to calm down when he struck to make it 1-1 in the 31st minute.

The Portugal captain, regularly the subject of abuse himself, has gained a reputation for winding up opposing fans and was widely criticised when he tore off his shirt to celebrate his successful penalty in last season's Champions League final victory over Atletico Madrid.

'We have to be careful with provocative gestures by a player when he scores a goal or with any other provocation or conduct that could incite violence among spectators,' LFP president Javier Tebas told reporters on Tuesday.

'It must be sanctioned, from a fine up to a suspension,' he added. 'We will look into it.'

Source:Dailymail.

Cech ready to leave Chelsea.

Petr Cech says he will leave Chelsea at the end of the season
rather than spend another year as Thibaut Courtois' understudy.
The 32-year-old Czech Republic international has started only four Premier League games this season after losing his place to the young Belgian and has been used primarily in domestic cup
comptitions.
Cech, who moved to Stamford Bridge in 2004 and has won three
Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League and
three League Cups, has accepted Jose Mourinho's decision to go
with Courtois, but says the situation cannot go on indefinitely.
"I don't know what the club's idea will be. It looks like it works well with me and Thibaut as a duo," he told the Idnes newspaper.
"But that can work for one season only. I don't want another one
like this."
But Cech, who is currently with his national side ahead of a
European qualifier against Latvia on Saturday, says he will put
thoughts about his future to one side until the end of the season.
"There always will be speculation, I leave it for the summer," he
added.
"It will be important to sit down with the club, with the manager, to consider all the pros and cons. We will see what will work out the best."
Asked about a possible move to European champions Real Madrid, he said: "When a specific offer comes I will consider it. There are offers one cannot turn down".

Source:Skysports.

Simeone signs new deal.

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has agreed to extend his
contract with the Spanish champions by three years to 2020.
The deal, announced on the Twitter feed of the champions, was
widely expected although there was plenty of speculation a
European rival could try to lure Simeone away from the club.
The former Argentina captain has transformed Atletico since taking over at the end of 2011, leading them to their first domestic league title in 18 years last term and putting them back among Europe's elite.
Atletico won the Europa League at the end of Simeone's debut
season in charge and reached the final of the Champions League in 2013-14 where they lost 4-1 to Real Madrid after extra time.
They thrashed Chelsea 4-1 to claim the 2012 European Super Cup, won the King's Cup a year later by beating Real in the final and defeated their neighbours over two legs to secure the Spanish Super Cup in August.
"I have chosen to be here because I am convinced the club will
continue to grow," Simeone told a news conference.
"Because it is strong, there is enthusiasm and there are people
here whose desire to participate is stronger each day."

Source:Skysports.

Mesut Ozil spotted partying at German nightclub hours after missing Arsenal game through illness.

Mesut Ozil will be carpeted by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger after being spotted in a Berlin nightclub just hours after missing the club’s game at Newcastle because he had a cold.

The German international, the club’s £42.5million record signing, was left out of the match-day squad because he felt under the weather. And Wenger gave him permission to fly back to his homeland early to prepare for tomorrow’s friendly against Australia.

But instead of nursing his illness he was pictured in a club on Saturday night.

His decision to go out partying leaves question marks over his omission from the squad to face John Carver's side on Saturday.

And manager Wenger will remind the club's record signing of his responsibilities in a face-to-face meeting when he returns from international duty following Sunday's Euro 2016 qualifier in Georgia.

Ozil would probably have travelled to Germany after the clash at St James’ Park anyway, but his actions after being allowed time off will leave Arsenal’s management unimpressed. 

Wenger rarely lets players who tarnish the club's reputation get away without, at the very least, a stern talking to. 

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was fined after being caught smoking in the dressing room following the New Year's Day loss at Southampton.

Likewise, Wenger has warned midfielder Jack Wilshere over his conduct after he was twice photographed with a cigarette.

After a mediocre start to his Arsenal career since joining from Real Madrid in 2013, Ozil is slowly starting to find his form.

Despite being caught out over the weekend, Ozil is still likely to start against Liverpool after the international break. 

Source:Dailymail.