The London rivals are in talks about the Senegal
striker moving to the Emirates Stadium for this season, with a medical
at London Colney reserved for Monday evening
The
London rivals are in talks about the Senegal striker moving to the
Emirates Stadium for the rest of the season on loan, having made an
initial enquiry on Sunday.
Arsenal have earmarked a medical at their London Colney training headquarters on Monday evening if a deal can be closed.
The
transfer is likely to hinge upon the Gunners' willingness to pay the
loan fee that Chelsea are demanding for a player who has found himself
out of favour under new manager Jose Mourinho.
However, Roma have cooled their interest in Ba and have now made a
move for Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella. Sources have told Goal
that Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini has flown to Serie A's
headquarters in Milan for talks about capturing the 30-year-old before
Monday's transfer deadline.
This could give Arsenal a free run at landing Ba, who is their main striker focus in the final hours of the window.
The
28-year-old forward has not even made the bench for Chelsea's last two
fixtures, despite being fully fit, and slipped even further down the
pecking order when the Blues signed Samuel Eto'o.
With Fernando
Torres and Romelu Lukaku also at Stamford Bridge, Ba is unlikely to
feature much this season and Chelsea can trim their wage bill by loaning
out the forward.
Arsenal had an interest in signing Ba
permanently in January when he was at Newcastle but were concerned about
his history of knee trouble.
Arsene Wenger wants proven backup for Olivier Giroud, who has begun the season in outstanding form.
The
Arsenal manager has failed in a series of bids to land a new forward on
a permanent deal this summer and has now adjusted his sights to a loan
deal.
The former Mannschaft boss has backed his nation
to be able to "neutralise" Luiz Felipe Scolari's selection in the World
Cup finals next year
Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer says his country's team have what it takes to "neutralise" Brazil in the 2014 World Cup.
The Nationalelf, along with Luiz Felipe Scolari's Confederations Cup winners, are backed by many as the favourites to win the title next year.
And
the World Cup winner believes Joachim Low's side's modern style of
football can lead them to glory at the home country of the Selecao.
"If there's one team capable of neutralising Brazil, I think it's Germany," the 67-year-old told Fifa.com.
"There's a new style to Germany now, young and fresh, and Jogi Low played his part in that."
However,
Beckenbauer feels Brazil will join the tournament as the main
favourites, even though their Confederations Cup success could haunt
them.
"If you can believe the record books, the Confederations
Cup winners have never gone on to win the World Cup the following year,
so in that respect it's not looking good for Brazil," he jokingly added.
"But the World Cup is in their own country, they showed what
they're capable of at the Confederations Cup and I think they can do it
at the World Cup as well.
"Given their home advantage, they start as big favourites."
Germany
will face Austria and Faroe Islands on September 6 and 10,
respectively, as part of their World Cup qualifying campaign. ------------------------ goal.com
Spurs have baulked at Zenit St Petersburg's €11.8
million demand over a season-long deal and have failed to sign young
Blackpool star Thomas Ince
By Wayne Veysey
Tottenham have rejected the chance to sign Zenit St Petersburg striker Hulk on a season-long loan for €11.8 million and have missed out on Tom Ince.
Spurs pursued deadline day moves for the wide forwards but have now abandoned hope of signing them in this window.
The Londoners baulked at the Russian outfit's proposal for Hulk
following talks on Monday, while Blackpool youngster Ince has opted to
stay with the Championship side until the end of the season.
Tottenham
enquired about the availability of Hulk, who played under Andre
Villas-Boas at Porto during the 2010-11 season, on a temporary deal but
were priced out of a move after being quoted an eight-figure sum for a
loan before returning to Russia at the end of the season.
Meanwhile,
Ince has rejected the chance to move to Tottenham after having
previously turned down Cardiff City in July, with a view to seeing out
the final year of his contract at Bloomfield Road.
Ince is
understood to be happy playing under his father Paul at the second-tier
outfit and doesn't want to leave the north west after the recent birth
of his first child.
Speaking earlier this summer, the England
Under-21 international confirmed that he would likely be staying at
Blackpool for one more season, despite admitting his interest in playing
for a Premier League side.
"I am ambitious about playing at the
highest level I can, but I’m content in the knowledge time is on my
side and I can afford to wait and see what develops," Ince told the Daily Mail.
"If
the window passes without a move, I will have no problem knuckling down
to another Championship campaign at Bloomfield Road." -------------------- goal.com
Barcelona
midfielder Busquets picked up a thigh strain in the Catalans' 3-2 win
at Valencia on Sunday night, whilst Real Sociedad defender Martinez
pulled his hamstring in a defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier the same
day.
The Spanish Football Federation have confirmed that
Manchester City's Javi Garcia and Real Madrid youngster Nacho Fernandez
have been called up to replace the injured duo.
The
reigning world and European champions lead their qualification group by
a point from France with three games to play, but any slip-ups could
see the French usurp la Roja at the top of the table and consign them to
a play-off ahead of next summer's World Cup.
Following on from
the Finland game on Friday night, Spain wrap up their campaign with home
matches against Georgia and Belarus in October. ----------------- goal.com
The Sweden international was the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season, netting a total of 30 goals during 37 appearances.
However,
Ibrahimovic is adamant that finding the net should not be his only
responsibility, as modern strikers have a much bigger ground to cover in
their game.
"People are demanding," the 31-year-old told reporters. "They always expect more of me.
"For
an attacker, it is always important to score. But I do not want to be
reduced to that. I try to play the game and help the team. I hope to
deliver more assists.
"It's important for a team that the responsibility for scoring goals is shared. At PSG, we can always score a lot."
After
four matches played, PSG currently sit fourth in Ligue 1, two points
behind table-toppers Monaco. They will face Bordeaux on September 13. ---------------------- goal.com
The Germany star has agreed a stunning €47
million move from Real Madrid to the Emirates, signing a five-year
contract with the Premier League side
By Wayne Veysey
Mesut Ozil has sealed a spectacular €47 million move to Arsenal after signing a five-year contract.
The
Gunners have smashed their transfer record to land the Germany
international, who underwent the second part of his medical in Munich on
Monday after agreeing personal terms with the club.
Goal has
learned that Ozil has signed a deal worth around €150,000-a-week that
will run until 2018 after Real Madrid gave the green light to his
departure.
He will comfortably become Arsenal’s highest-paid
player as well as the club’s record signing, after Arsene Wenger
sanctioned the first €23m-plus transfer in their history.
THE VIEW FROM GERMANY
For the majority of people in Germany, Mesut Ozil’s move
to Arsenal has come as a huge surprise. Arsenal are a well-respected
club in Germany but are no longer considered in the same class as
Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona.
However,
with the World Cup coming up next summer it is essential Ozil is
playing first-team football on a regular basis as he is a fundamental
part of the national team. Certainly his arrival will be a massive
signing for the Gunners - this is a game changing move from Arsene
Wenger.
- Hassan Talib Haji | Goal Germany
Arsenal were in advanced discussions with Real to sign Ozil before Monday night’s transfer deadline.
The two clubs agreed a €47m fee before Ozil’s representatives began discussing personal terms with senior Arsenal officials.
An
agreement was reached late on Monday morning before Ozil underwent
medical tests in Germany, where he had been based as the national team
prepare for their forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.
Arsenal are
hoping to sign at least three players on deadline day as they try to
make amends for a frustrating summer of transfer activity at the club.
Goalkeeper
Emiliano Viviano has already had a medical, which he passed on Monday
morning, and has agreed the terms of a season-long loan from Palermo.
Arsenal are also in talks with Chelsea about a season-long loan move for
Demba Ba.
The Gunners have still not abandoned hope of signing Angel Di Maria, also from Real, for €30m.
The
Gunners tabled a bid for Di Maria last week and the offer is still
believed to be on the table. However, the Argentine winger has begun the
season in impressive form and is reluctant to cut his ties with the
Santiago Bernabeu. ---------------------- goal.com
The Nigeria international has left Stamford
Bridge for Anfield Road on a year-long loan deal after falling down the
pecking order in Jose Mourinho’s squad
New Liverpool signee Victor Moses has expressed excitement at joining up with the Reds on transfer deadline day.
The Nigeria international made a late move to Anfield Road after
falling down the pecking order at Chelsea since the return of Jose
Mourinho to the side.
Moses will spend a year in Liverpool without the option of a
permanent deal, something which shows he might still have a future at
Stamford Bridge.
“Really excited to be joining Liverpool this season and can't wait to
make my debut now,” Moses tweeted with a photo of him holding up the
club’s jersey on Monday.
The 23-year-old is key to Nigeria’s plans for next year’s World Cup
and will see this move to Liverpool as a means to guarantee playing time
in preparation for Brazil. -------------------- goal.com
Seoul:
Disgraced drugs cheat Ben Johnson will revisit the scene of his
downfall this month, wrapping up a global anti-doping tour in the Seoul
Olympic stadium where he won his steroid-assisted 100m gold.
The
Canadian sprinter will visit the stadium on September 24 -- the 25th
anniversary of his run in the 1988 Olympic final in which he stormed to
victory in a world record time of 9.79sec.
Three days later he
was stripped of his medal, his time and ultimately his career after it
was announced that he had tested positive for stanozolol, a banned
anabolic steroid.
Johnson is now heading up the
#ChooseTheRightTrack campaign, which calls for new strategies to combat
continued drug use in athletics.
"On the 25th anniversary of my
greatest and also my worst moment in history, I`m on a mission for
change," Johnson said in an open letter on the campaign`s website.
"Athletes` perceptions need to change. The system needs to change. Sport needs to change - before it`s too late," he said.
Athletics
has recently been rocked by a string of doping cases, including
high-profile athletes like Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell and Veronica
Campbell-Brown.
The sport`s world governing body, the IAAF,
announced last month that it would impose four-year bans for drug
offenders from 2015.
"I was a drugs cheat and I only have myself
to blame. I put chemicals inside my body without fully appreciating what
it might do," Johnson said.
"It ruined my career. It ruined my reputation. It ruined my life," he added.
Liverpool will complete the formalities of a season-long loan deal for
Chelsea's Victor Moses before the transfer window closes, bbc.co.uk has
reported.
The 23-year-old has slipped even further down the pecking order at the
Blues after the summer signings of Willian and Andre Schurrle.
Liverpool will pay the Stamford Bridge club a loan fee, understood to be
around £1m, as part of the deal for the former Crystal Palace and Wigan
attacker.
West Bromwich Albion, Southampton and Everton had also shown an interest in Moses. ---------------------- complete sports
Tomas Berdych, Stanislas Wawrinka into US Open last 16
Last Updated: Monday, September 02, 2013, 08:57
New York: Tomas Berdych and Stanislas Wawrinka set-up a US Open last-16 clash on a heavy, humid Sunday.
Fifth
seed Berdych, who defeated five-time winner Roger Federer on his way to
the semi-finals last year, eased past French 31st seed Julien
Benneteau, 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.
Swiss ninth seed Wawrinka, a
quarter-finalist in 2010, got past unseeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis,
the former world number eight but now down at 53 in the world, 6-3, 6-2,
6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (9/7).
Baghdatis, the 2006 Australian Open runner-up, has now lost all three meetings with Wawrinka.
The
bearded Cypriot saved four match points before falling in a big-hitting
clash on Louis Armstrong Stadium, which saw a total of 100 winners
unleashed.
Berdych hit 36 winners and 11 aces in the contest, which finished six minutes short of two hours.
"It
was a bit hot, a bit humid, but otherwise the tennis was good," said
Berdych, who has made the quarter-finals at the Australian Open and
Wimbledon this year.
"I managed to stay focused from the first
point until the last. There were no ups and downs, just took all my
chances that I had, and won in straight sets."
Wawrinka has a 6-5
career lead over former Wimbledon finalist Berdych, having won their
last meeting on clay in the Madrid Masters semi-finals this year.
Third
seed Andy Murray, who is also the Olympic and Wimbledon champion,
disposed of Leonardo Mayer in the second round and will face another
Mayer -- Germany`s Florian Mayer -- for a place in the fourth round.
Murray
has a 2-0 career lead over the 29-year-old German, winning their most
recent meeting in two tiebreak sets on the Madrid clay earlier this
year.
Mayer, the world number 47, has twice been a Wimbledon
quarter-finalist in 2004 and 2012 but has never gotten beyond the third
round in New York.
Top seed Novak Djokovic, the 2011 champion, defeated Joao Sousa of Portugal to move to the fourth round.
Tommy
Haas, the German 12th seed and at 35 the oldest man in the tournament,
bowed out after losing 3-6, 2-6, 6-2, 3-6 to Russia`s Mikhail Youzhny in
the third round.
US Open: Li Na wins another pay-back match to reach quarter-finals
Last Updated: Monday, September 02, 2013, 09:24
New
York: Li Na notched another pay-back victory at the US Open, beating
former world number one Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-0 to advance to the
quarter-finals on Sunday.
The fifth-seeded Chinese, who
overturned last year`s defeat by Laura Robson by beating the Briton in
the third round, snapped a four-match losing streak to the Serbian
dating back to Paris in 2009.
Former French Open champion Li
cracked 20 winners and conceded only 12 unforced errors in a dazzling
display, converting all her seven break points in a 57-minute
masterclass.
"The last time in Rome I lost in two sets straight
away. She plays pretty good defense, but who knows, maybe I played the
best match of my whole life," Li said with a chuckle in her on-court
interview.
"I
still remember last time I played her in Rome. I was feeling I played
pretty good, but still lost the match," she told reporters. "So I was so
sad after the match."
Li said her coach Carlos Rodriguez used that defeat to motivate her.
"Before this match, Carlos didn`t tell me anything. Just said, `remember how you felt after that match.`
The
victory put 31-year-old Li, Asia`s first grand slam singles champion,
into the US Open quarter-finals for the second time following her trip
to the last eight in 2009.
A two-time Australian Open finalist,
Li next faces Russian 24th seed Ekaterina Makarova, who upset third seed
Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-4.
"Tonight
she played really well, at a very high level," Jankovic said of Li. "I
did not control the points. I let her do all the talk on the court.
"If she continues to play like this I think she can win the tournament."
Serbia`s Novak Djokovic opposes Syria military action
Last Updated: Monday, September 02, 2013, 09:30
New
York: Novak Djokovic, the world`s top tennis player who grew up in
Belgrade as NATO air strikes blasted the Serbian capital in 1999, hit
out at US plans to take military action against Syria.
Serb star
Djokovic as well as former women`s number one Ana Ivanovic both vividly
recall sheltering from the attacks that were launched against the rule
of Serb hardman leader Slobodan Milosevic.
Djokovic, 26, said Sunday that any attack against Syria would be ill-advised and counter-productive.
"I`m
totally against any kind of weapon, any kind of air strike, missile
attack. I`m totally against anything that is destructive because I had
this personal experience, I know it cannot bring any good to anybody,"
said Djokovic.
"Those particular times that me and my fellow
countrymen and colleagues from Serbia have been through is a period of
life that we don`t wish anybody to experience. The war is the worst
thing in life for humanity. Nobody really wins."
Djokovic
was only 12 when NATO unleashed its firestorm, although his sporting
talents allowed him to eventually quit Serbia for Germany to enroll in a
tennis academy.
"It made us stronger, those two and a half
months. We looked at it on the bright side. We were kids. We were only
12 years old. So we thought, OK, now we`re not obliged to go to school,
we can play more tennis," he said.
"So we spent the whole day
basically every day for two months on the tennis courts with the planes
flying over our heads. After a week or two of the bombings, we just kind
of moved on with our lives.
"We did everything we could and what we wanted. We just let life decide for us."
World
number one Djokovic, a six-time Grand Slam title winner, added: "It was
not in our control. We were helpless basically. Luckily we all
survived, and we take this kind of experience and this particular
situation from our past as a great lesson in life."
Ivanovic, a
former women`s number one and past French Open champion, has often
recalled the 78-day bombing campaign that forced her and her friends to
play tennis in a derelict swimming pool.
"The pool was old,
leaking and too expensive to heat, so they emptied it, put carpet inside
and made two tennis courts," she said.
"It was impossible to play crosscourt. We had to keep playing down the lines."
During
the crisis, flights in and out of Belgrade were suspended as she and
her parents had to make a seven-hour car journey to Hungary in order to
fly to international tournaments.
Roger Federer one win away from `most awaited` quarterfinal clash with Rafael Nadal
Last Updated: Monday, September 02, 2013, 12:39
New
York: Five-time US Open Champion Roger Federer has moved a step closer
to a potential quarterfinal clash against old rival Rafael Nadal after
he easily beat Adrian Mannarino of France, in straight sets, to reach
the last 16.
According to Sport24, Federer, seeded at seven in
New York this year in what his lowest ranking for 11 years, next faces
fellow veteran Tommy Robredo of Spain, against whom he enjoys a 10-0
winning record.
Nadal,
the 2010 champion, earlier eased past Croatia`s Ivan Dodig, 6-4, 6-3,
6-3, to set-up a last-16 clash with Germany`s Philipp Kohlschreiber, the
report said.
Victory
in their fourth round ties on Monday will set-up an exciting
quarterfinal between the two veterans of the game, the report added.
Madrid:
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti suggested Karim Benzema needs to work
harder after the France forward was again roundly whistled by home fans
in Sunday`s 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao.
Benzema has blown
hot and cold since joining the nine-times European champions from
Olympique Lyon in 2009, although Sunday`s reaction from the frustrated
faithful was perhaps a touch harsh given that he set up both Isco`s
goals.
Instead of backing his player, however, Ancelotti, who
replaced Jose Mourinho at the end of last season, told a news conference
he understood the crowd`s reaction.
He suggested Benzema could learn from Real`s energetic and tenacious Argentina forward Angel Di Maria.
"Today one thing was very clear," Ancelotti said.
"Benzema was whistled a bit, while Di Maria was applauded by whole stadium," added the Italian.
"The fans look closely at the players. It`s a very clear sign for everyone that hard work is applauded."
Ancelotti
had little new to say about the possible arrival of Gareth Bale from
Tottenham Hotspur before the transfer window closes on Monday.
Portugal fullback Fabio Coentrao, who has reportedly been seeking an exit, will be staying.
"I don`t know what will happen tomorrow, I cannot say today that the squad is closed," Ancelotti said.
"Coentrao is staying and I think everyone is very pleased with this decision. I did not want him to leave."
Giroud nets only goal as Gunners banish transfer critics to beat big-spending north London rivals
Olivier Giroud scored a first-half winner as Arsenal defeated their
fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a frenetic game at the Emirates
Stadium.
Arsene Wenger has been criticised this summer for a lack of spending,
while Andre Villas Boas's Tottenham side have spent their millions which
will be gathered from the proposed transfer of Gareth Bale,
But the French striker netted the only goal of the game in the 22nd
minute, steering in a Theo Walcott cross with the outside of his foot. ------------------------- complete sports
As the transfer market gradually comes to a close, Belgian Jupiler
giants Club Brugge have signed unknown Nigerian striker Kehinde Fatai on
a year loan deal with an option to buy, Completesportsnigeria.com can
report.
According to the club’s website on Sunday: “Just before the match
against Waasland-Beveren, Club Brugge have completed the transfer of
Kehinde Fatai. The Nigerian is borrowed for one year with the option to
purchase.
“Kehinde Fatai (1990) is a Nigerian striker who played for the Romanian club side Astra.
“Fatai has scored three goals in as many matches in the Romanian Liga
1. Last season the big striker accounted for 14 goals in 33 games,” it
was stated.
Club Brugge currently occupy second spot with seven points, after
recording two wins and a draw, and are behind Standard Liege who have
nine points. -------------------- complete sports
Agnieszka Radwanska dumped out of US Open by Russian Makarova
Last Updated: Monday, September 02, 2013, 08:51
New
York: Poland`s third seed Agnieszka Radwanska has been bundled out of
the US Open by Russia`s Ekaterina Makarova in the biggest shock of the
women`s event at Flushing Meadows.
Makarova struck a barrage of
groundstroke winners to topple Radwanska 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round
under floodlights on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Radwanska started
brightly, surging to a 4-0 lead, but Makarova peeled off eight straight
games to take the first set and lead 2-0 in the second.
Radwanska fought her way back, holding four break points to level the second set at 4-4.
Makarova, the 24th seed, sealed the game with an ace before going on to close out the match in one hour and 32 minutes.
Her
next opponent will be China`s Li Na after the fifth seed defeated
Serbia`s Jelena Jankovic 6-3, 6-0 on Arthur Ashe Stadium`s centre court.
The
25-year-old Russian will play her first quarter-final at the US Open
after twice reaching the last eight at the Australian Open.
"It feels amazing, I really love this tournament," she said.
Radwanska`s loss left her out of the quarter-finals at a major for the first time this year.
New
York: Top seed Novak Djokovic roared into the fourth round of the US
Open with a 6-0, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Joao Sousa of Portugal under the
lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Serb, who has yet to lose a set, smacked 34 winners to just 10 for the 95th-ranked Sousa in the 100-minute rout.
Australian
Open champion Djokovic faced just two break points in the match leading
to one service break, while converting eight of 13 against his
opponent.
Djokovic said his top priority was winning as quickly as possible, but found some time to fine-tune his net game.
"I
am not obviously as comfortable on the net as I am on the baseline, but
I`ve been working on it," said the world number one, who won 22 of 30
points he contested at the net.
"It`s part of my game that I still need to improve. I`m aware of that."
Djokovic said he was also putting in extra time with his serve.
"It
makes me happy that I have room for improvement, and I keep on spending
hours and hours on the court and working on variety in my game," he
said.
"And serve, especially that part of my game. I want to try and get as many free points on the serve as possible."
Djokovic,
a 2011 winner at Flushing Meadows who fell to Andy Murray in five sets
in last year`s final, next faces 43rd-ranked Marcel Granollers of Spain.
AC Milan 3-1 Cagliari: Balotelli on target as hosts claim first Serie A win
Massimiliano Allegri's side cruised to a convincing win over
Sardinians to pick up their first three points of their domestic season
Getty Images
AC Milan claimed their first victory of the Serie A season with a 3-1 triumph over Cagliari at San Siro.
Massimiliano Allegri's men made amends for last weekend's shock loss
thanks to goals from Robinho, Philippe Mexes and the impressive Mario
Balotelli to complete a much-improved week for Milan that saw them reach
the Champions League group stages.
Marco Sau ensured Cagliari supporters had something to cheer when he
scored a wonderful solo effort just before the break before Balotelli
sealed the win for Milan.
The result was the 10th time Cagliari have lost at San Siro to Milan
and it highlights how much work they will have to do if they want to
retain their Serie A status this season.
Milan boss Allegri made three changes to the team that triumphed 3-0
over Dutch side PSV midweek, with Urby Emanuelson, Robinho and Andrea
Poli all coming into the side.
New signing Alessandro Matri - formerly of Juventus - failed to make the starting line-up but was named as a substitute.
Cagliari were unchanged from the side that beat Atalanta last week.
Ivo Pulga left Davide Astori on the bench for the second match running,
fuelling rumours that he could leave the club before the transfer window
closes.
Milan got off to a flying start when Robinho tapped home in the
eighth minute after a Balotelli cross from right that skimmed past the
watching Cagliari defence.
Balotelli's ball bobbled its way to the Brazilian at the back post and he made no mistake.
The playmaker could have scored again two minutes later when he
fashioned some space on the edge of visitors' area, but his shot went
just past goalkeeper Michael Agazzi's left post.
Cagliari seemed to be overwhelmed by Milan's pressing in the middle of the park and frequently gave the ball away.
And it was the hosts who went two up after 30 minutes thanks to the
unlikely figure of Mexes, who surged up from defence to volley home from
close range after Balotelli again had been the central figure in the
build-up.
The former Manchester City man hit a superb shot that Agazzi did well to keep out only for Mexes to slam home the rebound.
Cagliari, though, fought back almost straight away with a fine finish from Sau to keep the game alive.
The striker snaked in from the left and curled his shot away from the helpless Christian Abbiati into the far corner.
The effort was Cagliari's only shot on target in the first half but Sau certainly made it count.
Cagliari started the second period with a sweeping counter-attack
across the field that forced Milan's defence to desperately backtrack.
But Radja Nainggolan on the left flank could not quite free himself from
the clutches of Ignazio Abate in the attack's final move.
Just after the hour mark, Balotelli finally got himself on the scoresheet.
A deep Abate cross was weakly headed away by centre-half Lorenzo
Ariaudo and the ball fell at Balotelli's feet. The striker lashed it
into the net to restore Milan's two-goal advantage.
Four minutes later, Matri was brought on for Robinho with Allegri perhaps sensing all three points were heading his way. ----------------------- goal.com
Catania 0-3 Inter: Nerazzurri maintain perfect start
Rodrigo Palacio, Yuto Nagatomo and Ricky Alvarez were all on
target as Walter Mazzarri's men followed up last weekend's win over
Genoa in fine style
API
Inter made it two wins out of two in Serie A with an impressive 3-0 triumph over Catania on Sunday.
Rodrigo Palacio opened the scoring for Inter in the 19th minute
before he turned provider after the break, setting up Yuto Nagatomo.
And Ricky Alvarez sealed the result 11 minutes from time with a
sensational effort, as he raced through the Catania defence before
producing a stylish left-foot finish.
Mazzarri has overhauled the Inter squad in the transfer window,
bringing in a host of players as the San Siro outfit aim to improve on
last season's ninth-place finish.
And the former Napoli boss already looks to be having an impact, as the Italian giants were excellent in Sicily.
Inter made just one change to the side that beat Genoa 2-0 last week
as Mateo Kovacic replaced Zdravko Kuzmanovic in the midfield.
Catania coach Rolando Maran also tinkered with his squad, selecting
Nicola Legrottaglie and Sergio Almiron in place of Giuseppe Bellusci and
Pablo Barrientos.
Both sides traded superb chances in what was a frenetic start to the
match, with Sebastian Leto shooting straight at Inter goalkeeper Samir
Handanovic with the goal gaping.
Inter immediately countered and Legrottaglie was forced to clear off
the line after goalkeeper Mariano Andujar failed to handle Jonathan's
fierce drive.
Mazzari's men soon set about exerting their dominance and they
claimed the lead in the 19th minute as Palacio tapped in from close
range.
Jonathan created the goal, breaking free down the right before
delivering a superb low cross into the path of the in-form Argentinian.
Inter soon sat back after taking the lead, though, allowing their
opponents into the contest, and Panagiotis Tachtsidis and Almiron went
close with efforts on goal before the break.
Nagatomo went close early in the second half, with his far-post
header brilliant saved by Andujar, but Inter got their second goal 10
minutes after play resumed.
Palacio did well to get free on the right before delivering a superb cross which Nagatomo finished with aplomb.
Alexis Rolin forced a good save out of Handanovic at the other end,
while Inter were initially denied a third goal when substitute Ishak
Belfodil was adjudged offside after finishing from close range.
They did score again though, as Alvarez picked the ball up just
inside the Catania half, before weaving past several defenders and
firing past Andujar.
The upcoming international break will give Mazzarri two weeks to
prepare for a crucial home fixture against Juventus, while Catania's
next assignment is at Livorno. --------------------- goal.com
Manchester United close in on Marouane Fellaini transfer as Everton ask to borrow starlet Lingard
Toffees want highly-rated England U-21 prospect included in £36m deal PLUS: The four other midfielders Moyes is still looking at
That's all, folks! Fellaini agreed to one last appearance in Cardiff but now wants out
Jan Kruger
Manchester United
are edging towards a £36million deal for Marouane Fellaini after Everton asked for Jesse Lingard on loan for the season, write Steve Bates and Alan Nixon of the Sunday People.
Toffees
boss Roberto Martinez wants to take United midfielder Lingard as part
of the deal and Old Trafford boss David Moyes will make a decision after
Sunday’s clash with Liverpool
on whether to release the highly-rated England under-21 star.
Fellaini is ready to quit Everton after agreeing to an emotional farewell against Cardiff on Saturday.
The Belgian agreed to turn out only after crisis talks with Martinez who pleaded with him to give one last performance.
Fellaini played in the 0-0 draw and now expects Martinez to honour his agreement and let him go to United.
The wild-haired Goodison man is one of FIVE midfield targets on Moyes’s radar.
Borussia
Dortmund play-maker Ilkay Gundogan and Real Madrid star Luka Modric are
on the Old Trafford wish-list alongside Fellaini, Athletic Bilbao’s
Ander Herrera and Roma’s
Daniele De Rossi.
Moyes, a Bundesliga expert, has been a
long-standing admirer of £35m-rated Gundogan and checked the player
personally at the Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and
Dortmund at Wembley in May.
But
after the sale of highly-rated Shinji Kagawa a year ago the German club
do not want to see another of their top players leave for Old Trafford.
One
compromise could be a swap deal plus cash from United with Kagawa going
back to Dortmund; although Moyes has insisted the Japanese ace will play a major role for him this season.
With
Tottenham
star Gareth Bale’s transfer to Real Madrid near completion, Moyes
expects the Spanish giants to off-load at least one top midfielder,
putting Modric back on the table.
Bilbao have already rejected
United’s £25m bid for 24-year-old Herrera who is understood to have a
£31m release clause in his contract.
United won’t pay that much – hence the move for Fellaini.
Moyes also wants Everton left-back Leighton Baines.
Baines has NOT asked for a move, although his agents have been lobbying Martinez to let him go.
Goodison chief Martinez seems resigned to losing at least one of his star names to Old Trafford.
“They
are
top players for Everton and you always want to keep them – but you are
not always in control of what is going to happen,” he said on Saturday
night.
“I hope they are wearing Everton shirts in the next game – and I hope they are here for many years to come.”
Stuck in the past - Kaka return exposes AC Milan's backward transfer policy
The Brazilian has been brought back to Lombardy
just days after the addition of Alessandro Matri, with both signings
undermining the club's recent goals in the market
COMMENT By Kris Voakes
When AC Milan won their seventh and last Champions League title there
was simply no doubting who their star man was. As the main threat
coming from deep and the scorer of 10 goals, Kaka was the Rossoneri’s heartbeat.
The images of that magnificent run remain as unforgettable as they
were six years ago. There was the hat-trick against Anderlecht, the
extra-time winner against Celtic, that sensational double at Old
Trafford and then the ‘I Belong To Jesus’ proclamation following victory
in Athens. Rarely has a European Cup triumph been so intrinsically
linked with one player as the one in 2007.
But the longevity of the memories can be very well explained by
Kaka’s form over the intervening period. Simply put, he has never been
the same player since.
He may have been the subject of a world record €120 million bid from
Manchester City in January 2009 and then a €65m sale to Real Madrid five
months later, but those were rare moments in the spotlight. On the
field, there has been far less sign of the player who won the 2007 Ballon d’Or award
with something to spare, massively justifying Milan’s decision to sell
him at the age of 27 for a fee only exceeded previously by Madrid’s 2001
signing of Zinedine Zidane.
KAKA IN MADRID
Season 2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
Games 33
20
40
27
Goals 9
7
8
5
Yet just as they did having sold Andriy Shevchenko for the right
price at the right time in 2006 only to take him back on loan out of
sheer sentimentality two years later, Milan have now announced that they
have brought back the washed-out shell of his former self that is the
31-year-old Kaka.
Four years of injury and failing form have simply not put off the
movers and shakers at Via Turati, who made their fourth tilt at their
former No.22 in two years as soon as he had told the world’s press in La
Coruna on Friday that now was the right time for him to admit he’d been
a failure in Madrid and leave.
One year on from the sales of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva in
the name of austerity and the departures of storied names such as Nesta,
Seedorf, Gattuso and Inzaghi in favour of a youth policy that had been
lacking for several years, the club is suddenly going back on their
plan.
A first-team squad boasting forwards such as Mario Balotelli, Stephan
El Shaarawy, Giampaolo Pazzini, Robinho and Mbaye Niang, yet seriously
lacking stocks in both defence and midfield, has been bolstered with
exactly the wrong players in exactly the wrong areas in the last few
days.
Former youth team product Alessandro Matri has been bought back at
the age of 29 for €11m when Carlos Tevez, a player Milan tracked
extensively over a long period and who was eventually signed by Juventus
to replace the ex-Cagliari forward, was snapped up for €2m less this
summer. Yes, Tevez’s wages may have cost more, but he is worth more. Add
in the return of Kaka (on a contract of €4m a year), a full seven
seasons on from his peak and the club have made a mockery of their own
transfer policy.
On Sunday night, they showed exactly what Massimiliano Allegri’s
squad needs. They were a clear threat throughout the match in Cagliari
territory but creaked from the first minute to the last as a defensive
outfit. Heavily stocked with forwards but struggling between their
defensive lines, the last thing they need to be doing is wasting
millions they don’t have on attackers they don’t need when other
departments deserve serious attention. Yet that is what they have done
since clinching a place in the Champions League group stage less than
five days ago.
Having finally abandoned their sentimental side a year ago and made
moves in the market based on forward-thinking business decisions, the
club exposed themselves to short-term failure but at least had a plan.
In came the likes of Mario Balotelli, Mbaye Niang and Riccardo Saponara,
while players like Stephan El Shaarawy were given the greater spotlight
they deserved. Yet suddenly, the new philosophy has been quickly thrown
out of the window in a week of panic. Milanisti will rightly now question their club’s
decision-makers. Is youth really the future, as they were told 12 months
ago, or are the signings of Matri and Kaka endemic of a return to the
kind of sentimentality in the market which has undermined their transfer
policy over a series of years? Right now their spending patterns appear
completely without direction, leaving the first-team squad looking no
more ready for the task of mixing a title challenge and a European
campaign than they were in 2012-13. ---------------- goal.com
The attacking midfielder is gunning for
silverware this season and has stated that the competition for places at
los Blancos is a good thing
Isco says Real Madrid want to win every competition they take part in following their good start to the 2013-14 campaign.
The
Santiago Bernabeu side have beaten Betis, Granada and Athletic Bilbao
in their opening three Liga games and Isco, who scored a double against
Athletic, is full of ambition for the remainder of the season.
"The team is getting better with each match and our aim is to win everything," Isco was quoted as saying on the Madrid website.
"We are playing well at the start of the season and that is how we should continue for the rest of the year.
"We are just starting and there is a lot of room for improvement."
The
attacking midfielder then went on to discuss the stiff competition for
places at Madrid following the arrival of Gareth Bale and stressed that
the team is all that matters.
He added: "It’s good that there is
competition in the changing room. We are gradually getting to know each
other and we should all help each other out on the pitch so that
everything goes well for the team."
The 21-year-old has netted three goals in as many games since joining Madrid from Malaga this summer. ------------------ goal.com
By Johnny Edward:
Giroud nets only goal as Gunners banish transfer critics to beat big-spending north London rivals
By James Agberebi:
