Real Madrid defender Nacho is one of the players being targeted by Roma coach Luciano Spalletti as he looks to bolster his defence.
Nacho made just 16 starts for Madrid in 2015-16 and Spalletti is keen to bring the 26-year-old to Stadio Olimpico as a replacement for Maicon – who is seeking a move back to Brazil.
A cruciate knee ligament rupture is likely to keep centre-back Antonio Rudiger out of Spalletti s plans until December, and the Roma coach told Corriere dello Sport: Because of injuries and departures of players, we need to make signings in defence.
Nacho we like, the club is following him.
Roma are still smarting from the departure of midfielder Miralem Pjanic to Juventus, and Spalletti admitted his loss would be sorely felt.
What ca…
Spanish daily that Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are showing interest in Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria.
Despite recently signing a new contract with los Blancos, the Argentine winger is not entirely happy at Santiago Bernabeu and could decide to leave the club at the end of the season.
Di Maria, 24, was heavily criticized for his performances in La Liga this season and even lost his starting place to Jose Callejon at one stage.
Marca has learned that Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are both closely monitoring the situation.
There have been no offers or contacts just yet, but the player and his agent Jorge Mendes are well aware of the interest from the two European giants.
Angel Di Maria, who joined Real Madrid in a €25 …
On-loan Werder Bremen striker Nils Petersen feels for Bayern Munich s benched first-team contingent.
On-loan Werder Bremen striker Nils Petersen feels for Bayern Munich s benched first-team contingent.
Big names such as Mario Gomez and Arjen Robben have struggled for starts in the past few weeks having been usurped from their positions while out injured.
Petersen, who joined Bayern in 2011 but spent last season confined to the fringes of the squad, highlighted the plight of Claudio Pizarro, who he believes has the quality to succeed anywhere in Germany.
It s sensational playing for Bayern, the former Energie Cottbus forward told Bild. They are among the top five clubs in the world, and have tremendous quality. Trophies are often guaranteed every year.…
Maurizio Sarri wants to see signs of a change of mentality from Juventus against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
The Bianconeri s place in the Champions League knockout stages is already clinched heading into matchday six, with Sarri s team guaranteed top spot in Group D.
Juve have won four and drawn one in Europe so far, continuing Sarri s impressive personal run in continental competition after he led Chelsea to Europa League success last season.
But his side are second in Serie A and lost for the first time this season against Lazio at the weekend, meaning Sarri sees room for improvement even in a fixture they need not win.
We know that we have to work to do better, but we are calm, said Sarri.
Playing to win tomorrow.
The full reca…
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been rewarded for his brilliant display up against Raheem Sterling in the Manchester derby, earning inclusion in FIFA Ultimate Team s latest Team of the Week.
Manchester United claimed a fine 2-1 win at the home of the champions on Saturday, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial getting the goals.
But arguably just as vital was the performance of Wan-Bissaka at right-back, as the England Under-21 international played an integral role in nullifying Sterling, one of the Premier League s form players.
Wan-Bissaka completed a match-high five tackles – one a last-ditch challenge to deny Sterling what looked set to be a certain goal – and also made seven clearances.
Liverpool star Sadio Mane is back in the TOTW for the second time, …
Manchester United s debt has risen, while revenue for the second quarter of the financial year is down from 2013-14 s equivalent period.
The lack of European football at Manchester United this season is starting to bite, with revenue for the second quarter of the financial year down from the figure seen at the same stage in 2013-14.
United s failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League or Europa League at the end of the previous campaign has had a knock-on effect to the club s finances, with debt also on the rise.
The level of debt now stands at £380.5 million, a 6.7 per cent increase from the same stage last year.
Commercial revenue has actually risen 9.7 per cent, from £42.3m to £46.4m, but overall revenue is down from £122.9m to £105.7m.
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Promising Lyon striker Mohamed Yattara has extended his deal at the Stade de Gerland until 2018.
The Guinea international is yet to make his debut for the Rhone club, but scored 14 goals on loan at Ligue 2 side Angers last term.
Yattara s existing deal was due to expire in 2016, but Lyon chiefs were keen to tie the 20-year-old down long-term.
He gained top-flight experience with a temporary spell at Troyes in the 2012-13 campaign, scoring three times in 23 appearances.
Yattara will now return to a Lyon side shorn of their most experienced striker after Bafetimbi Gomis moved to Swansea City on a Bosman transfer.
With pre-season training under way, Yattara will compete with fellow academy graduates Alexandre Lacazette and Yassine Benzia for a spot i…
Michael Ballack s place in the German team was under threat on Wednesday after furious coach Joachim Loew summoned the Chelsea star to explain his public criticisms of the way the squad is being handled.
Loew is angry after Ballack criticised him in newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) in which he said the coach should show his senior players more respect and loyalty.
I will call Michael Ballack and insist on a meeting in Germany, Loew told the German Football Federation (DFB) website on Wednesday.
I am extremely disappointed by the manner and content of what he has said I cannot accept this. What happens after that, and the decision I make, will depend on this conversation.
Quite often in the past, we have asked Michael Ballack as captain …
Rob Page called the backing from his players “powerful” after Wales bounced back into Euro 2024 qualifying contention with a 2-0 victory in Latvia.
A penalty from skipper Aaron Ramsey – his 100th career goal – and a delicious David Brooks chip deep into stoppage time put Wales within three points of a top-two place and lifted the pressure on under-fire manager Page.
Group favourites Croatia’s 1-0 victory in Armenia was further good news for Wales, who had only won once in 13 games before arriving in Riga.
Ramsey and others had backed Page during the build-up to a game many saw as pivotal in the manager’s tenure.
Page said of the players’ support: “It feels good, it feels powerful, absolutely – that’s a massive compliment to myself from…
Chelsea midfielder Oscar is confident he and his club will have improved fortunes ahead of the new Premier League season.
The 2015-16 campaign was nothing short of a nightmare for the London club, as the then-defending champions slumped to a 10th-place finish as Jose Mourinho was relieved of his duties and the team missed out on Champions League football in 2016-17.
But Oscar is positive Chelsea have made the right changes to get back on track under new head coach Antonio Conte, while some positive pre-season performances have only increased the Brazilian s confidence.
Conte has tinkered with a number of tactical systems, but Oscar feels most comfortable in a 4-3-3.
I think we have played better with the 4-3-3 than when we have played 4-2-4, but we have …