Manchester City will battle to keep hold of coach Patrick Vieira if France attempt to install him as their new head coach, Football Express News understands. Current national team boss Didier Deschamps finds himself under pressure after seeing his side crash out of the World Cup following a lacklustre 1-0 loss to rivals Germany at the quarter-final stage yesterday. His contract has another two years to run, meaning he is in line to lead France into the European Championships in 2016, when they will be the host nation. However, a source close to the Etihad Stadium told FEN the Blues…
Author: Staff Writer
Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is reportedly sweating on a move to Serie A champions Juventus. Italian source TuttoSport claims the Turin giants’ long-running pursuit of the forward will drag on into next week after the Spaniard snubbed the opportunity to make a fresh start in Ligue 1 and Bundesliga respectively. He turned down the chance to play for cash-rich Monaco and Wolfsburg in the hope that he can head to Italy. The report reveals that negotiations between Juve and European Cup holders Real are set to continue, with representatives awaiting confirmation from president Florentino Perez that he will allow…
Napoli are reportedly on the verge of ditching their attempts to lure Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sandro to Serie A and are plotting a move for Atletico Madrd’s Mario Suarez. According to Il Mattino, head coach Rafael Benitez, formerly of Liverpool and Chelsea, is ready to admit defeat as his club cannot compete with the financial muscle of fellow suitors Zenit St Petersburg. Zenit are said to have put together a £12.8million offer for the Brazil international – a fee Napoli are struggling to match. Former Spurs head coach Andre Villas-Boas is now in pole position to be reunited with Sandro…
Lazio will abandon their long-running pursuit of Liverpool target Davide Astori if they fail to land the Cagliari defender this weekend, according to reports in the Italian media. Il Tempo claims the Rome outfit have issued an ultimatum after losing patience, having agreed a fee in the region of £5million for the 27-year-old several weeks ago. A source close to Anfield told Football Express News that Liverpool continue to monitor the situation with interest and the latest developments are of interest to the Reds. They have not ruled out making an offer for the Italy international but are reluctant to…
AC Milan have reportedly entered the race for in-demand Real Sociedad attacker Antoine Griezmann. According to QS, the San Siro giants are in the process of assessing a variety of attack-minded targets as they prepare to miss out to rivals Juventus for the signature of Hellas Verona’s Juan Iturbe. They believe France international Griezmann is the man to bring flair and goals back to the club after enduring a torrid 2013-14 campaign which saw them finish eighth in the Serie A table and fail to lift a trophy. Milan do not have a large transfer budget but have been buoyed…
Former England international Rio Ferdinand has blasted Brazil players for letting down their team-mates by frequently under-performing. The host nation made it through to the World Cup semi-finals last night courtesy of a 2-1 triumph over Colombia, but the likes of Fred, Hulk and Oscar once again failed to shine. To make matters worse for Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side, talisman Neymar has been ruled out for the rest of the tournament after being carried off in the closing stages with what turned out to be a serious back injury. He does not require an operation but faces weeks on the…
David Luiz scored a sublime free-kick to help Brazil beat Colombia 2-1 and setup a semi-final tie with Germany. The World Cup hosts found themselves ahead after just seven minutes in Fortaleza thanks to a well worked corner which saw Thiago Silva arrive at the back post to bundle the ball across the line. Colombia, who had impressed in the earlier round of the tournament almost hit back through Juan Cuadrado, but his drilled effort deflected off Silva and failed to test Julio Cesar. Hulk came close for Brazil moments later but he was kept out by the equally impressive…
Mats Hummels scored the winner as Germany beat France to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup. A game, worthy of being the World Cup final. Germany and France had both impressed leading up-to Friday night’s quarter-final tie but it was the former who started and ended better in this one. Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels got his country off to the best start when he headed past a helpless Hugo Lloris. Mathieu Valbuena came close for France as Didier Deschamps side pushed for an equaliser but the brilliant Manuel Neuer was on hand to deny the Marseille midfielder. Patrice…
FEN understands Real Madrid upped their pursuit of AS Monaco hitman Ramadel Falcao this week and significant progress has been made, with an outline agreement now reached. It has been revealed on Goal.com that the La Liga giants are on the verge of sealing their long-awaited proposal to bring the Columbian ace to the Bernabau. The report states the agreement which has been made will see the striker accept a significant pay cut in order to push through the transfer quickly so he can return to his home in Madrid. It is understood that Falcao’s contract with Monaco does not…
FC Schalke forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is the latest player reported to be on the radar of Premier League runners-up Liverpool, but the player has refused to comment on speculation of a move to Anfield. Huntelaar, who is currently away in Brazil preparing for the Netherlands’ World Cup quarter fixture against Costa Rica tomorrow, told Dutch press he would have to speak with his club Schalke on his return from international duties before he can enter into any discussions about the proposed transfer to Liverpool. He told De Telegraaf: “Regarding the rumours about Liverpool it would only be fair to speak…