Chelsea on-loan midfielder Oriol Romeu has signed a new three-year deal that will keep him contracted to Jose Mourinho’s side until 2017. The 22-year-old former Barcelona youth academy player joined Barca as a 13-year-old and played for three season in their B-team before moving to the west Londoners in 2011. During his first two years with Chelsea Romeu played mainly for the reserves and made 22 appearances for first team between (2011 and 2013), before being sent back to Spain for the 2013/2014 season play on-loan with La Liga side Valencia. The young Spaniard suffered a somewhat torrid time at…
Author: Staff Writer
Former Manchester City chairman and player Francis Lee has admitted he is relieved to have seen his old club’s midfield linchpin Yaya Toure pledge to stay at the Etihad Stadium. The Ivory Coast international looked to be on his way out of the Premier League champions earlier on in the summer when he and his agent made unflattering comments about the Blues. Toure’s representative Dimitri Seluk hit out at City for failing to adequately acknowledge his client’s 31st birthday in May, despite footage emerging of team-mates presenting him with a cake during a post-season flight overseas. The player refused to…
French defender Jeremy Mathieu has hit out at Valencia president Amadeo Salvo after a break in promise stopped him from joining Barcelona. The Catalan side have held a long term interest in Mathieu which has further developed this summer as their need to sign a recognised centre-back continues, following the retirement of Carles Puyol. Barca boss Luis Enrique was keen to discuss a move with the Frenchman with his release clause due to be paid, but Mathieu has since claimed that Valencia are halting a move, going back on promise they made. “I want to step out of various reports.…
Former Manchester United centre-back Rio Ferdinand has revealed he snubbed lucrative deals in warmer climes in order to join Premier League minnow side QPR, saying these days he is driven by love, not money. The 35-year-old defender has enjoyed almost two decades of success playing in football’s tip tier and at international level. Ferdinand played well in excess of 300 games for Man United under legendary ex-boss Sir Alex Ferguson, winning the Premier League title six times and the UEFA Champions League once. With 81 caps for the England national team he is placed 15th on the ‘highest-capped England players…
Football Express News understands that Ligue 1 side Monaco will decide on which Real Madrid players will be included in a swap deal for James Rodriguez. The Monaco attacking midfielder was already a star heading to the World Cup this summer in Brazil but his performances for Colombia which saw him win the Golden Boot award with six goals has further enhanced his reputation as one of the most exciting players in World football. And, European champions Real Madrid have done all they can to secure a move for him this summer, agreeing a £65m deal with Monaco for his…
Toni Kroos has opened about his move from Bayern Munich to Real Madrid and said that he is delighted to have joined what he calls ‘the biggesst club in the world’. The German World Cup winner had been linked with a summer move away from Bundesliga champions Bayern since the end of the season but whilst the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona failed to agree terms, Real Madrid jumped the queue and completed a move for the midfielder. Kroos played an important part in his country’s success in Brazil and will move to La Liga where he hopes to…
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has reunited with old boss Harry Redknapp in London on completion of his move to Queens Park Rangers. The six-times Premier League champion was linked with a move to freshly-promoted QPR back in June when his contract with the Red Devils expired. Completion of his medical and finalisation of terms had been postponed until the former England centre-back had returned from his summer job – as a BBC World Cup pundit in Brazil. Ferdinand, 35, put his signature to a one-year deal and has been reunited with Redknapp, who was his mentor back in…
Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski has hailed the contribution of Germany team-mate Philipp Lahm to the world champions following the 30-year-old’s decision to retire from international football. The surprise announcement brings down the curtain on a decorated career on the biggest stage in football and arrives less than a week after the Bayern Munich star held aloft the World Cup in Brazil. Gunners attacker Podolski took to social media site Twitter to praise the defender and said: “Ten years in the national team, three years for Bayern – Philipp It was a pleasure to play in one team with you.” Liverpool…
Juventus have intensified their attempts to land Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, according to fresh reports in the Italian media. TuttoSport claims the Serie A champions are on the verge of an overhaul of their strikeforce, with Hellas Verona hitman Juan Iturbe and Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata both close to joining the ranks. Lukaku represents the final piece in the jigsaw, with new Juve manager Massimiliano Allegri identifying the Belgium international as the man to offer a physical and aerial threat in the final third of the pitch. The acquisition of the 21-year-old would leave Allegri with an embarrassment of…
Juventus reportedly face an uphill struggle to convince veteran Andrea Pirlo to stay at the club. Il Quotidiano Sportivo claims Turkish giants Galatasaray have a good chance of landing the midfielder, who is ready to quit Turin following the appointment of Massimiliano Allegri as manager. Allegri got the nod following Antonio Conte’s shock resignation from the post. Pirlo fell out with Allegri in 2011 when both men were at AC Milan, and the feud led to Pirlo switching to Juve, where he has been a big hit despite his advancing years. The latest report insists his position at Juve is…