Real Madrid is handing Marco Asensio a new contract.

Real Madrid is handing Marco Asensio a new contract.

Marca says Asensio’s performances in recent matches for Real Madrid has put him on the radar of Europeans top clubs who were already looking at him last season and it has led president Florentino Perez to do what he can to make sure he does not leave the Bernabeu.

The 21-year-old has a deal until 2022 and a buy-out clause of 350 million euros which Perez wants to increase with the current environment of spending.

The idea is to put Asensio on a similar contract level to other key figures in the team like Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and also Dani Ceballos, whose buy-out clause stands at 500 million euros and is only bettered by members of the BBC.

Arsenal reject inter-milan Shkodran mustafi loan move

Arsenal have rejected an attempt from Inter Milan for Shkodran Mustafi.

Sky Sports says Gabriel left the Gunners to join Valencia for £10 million after two-and-a-half years at the club.

And Inter made an enquiry to take Shkodran Mustafi on loan.

The German only moved to north London last summer for £35m and Arsenal will not let him leave on loan.

Mustafi was on the bench for his side’s 4-3 win over Leicester last weekend.

Coutinho singing won’t rescue Barca

 

Barcelona have been warned against moving for Liverpool ace Philippe Coutinho.

Barca icon Luis Suarez says Coutinho isn’t the player for Barca this summer.

Along with their frustrated pursuit of Coutinho, Barca, who lost both legs of the Supercopa de Espana to Real Madrid to begin the campaign, have found similar resilience in Borussia Dortmund over French winger Ousmane Dembele.

Speaking to Carrusel Deportivo, Suarez said: “These two games had little history and signings such as Dembele and Coutinho are not the solution.

“Barca have to know that (they are) united and together (and) they have to fight to get out of this, whether or not there are new players.”

Classy Chelsea Manager Back club transfer policy

Che

lsea boss Antonio Conte denies he’s obsessing over their transfer market work.
Conte insisted today that he’s prepared to work with what he has.
He remarked: “I think that my task is to work with my players, to improve my team and players.
“This is my task, I know that the club is working to try to do the best in the transfer market.
“I have to continue with my players, to try to improve the team. Then at the end of the transfer market I will be very happy.”
On their squad depth, he admitted: “I am concerned, but only am I worried when you try to put the players very soon, the risk to have an injury is very high. That is my worry. The physical condition might not be 100 per cent and we have to take some risks. “

Barcelona offer rejected as Chelsea, Man Utd make Verratti contact

​Chelsea and Manchester United are in contact with PSG midfielder Marco Verratti.The Italy international has informed PSG sports chief Antero Henrique he wants to leave Paris this summer.Barcelona are in talks with PSG over a price for Verratti this week, but face competition from England.TMW says Chelsea and United have made contact with Donati di Campli, Verratti’s agent, and are now preparing offers for PSG’s consideration.

Barca have made a €75 million bid – which was rejected by PSG. The Parisians insist Verratti will not leave for less than €100 million this summer.

Mourinho tells Man Utd board to spend Ronaldo money on Neymar

​Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is maintaining his pursuit of Barcelona star Neymar.While United have been linked with a move for Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo, Mourinho has told club directors to rethink their strategy.Don Balon says Mourinho wants United’s board to use the budget drawn up to re-sign Ronaldo to spend on Neymar.The Portuguese has been in phone contact with Neymar since before Christmas about a move to Old Trafford and has been strengthening his relationship with the player’s father.For his part, Neymar has insisted he is committed to the Nou Camp, though has concerns with the club’s current transfer policy.Neymar’s father has confirmed past offers of €150-180 million from United for his son.

JUVENTUS READY €40M OFFER FOR CHELSEA TARGET BERNARDESCHI

The 23-year-old has attracted interest from the Premier League as well as his homeland, but the Serie A champions will make the first move to sign him  Juventus are ready to offer €40 million plus bonuses for Fiorentina striker Federico Bernardeschi, Goal understands.Has Zlatan’s clothing line leaked MLS move?  The Serie A champions are looking to invest in their attack in the close-season and have targeted Bayern Munich’s Douglas Costa, while Patrik Schick’s €25m move from Sampdoria is expected to be confirmed.They are set to add winger Bernardeschi to their team as well, who has convinced director Giuseppe Marotta to enter negotiations with an initial offer. Although the Viola have set an asking price of €50m, Massimiliano Allegri’s side are looking to narrow the gap with bonuses.Federico Bernardeschi Fiorentina The two sides do not have a great relationship, but the presence of the 23-year-old attacker’s agent, Beppe Bozzo, could smooth talks.Bernardeschi is contracted to Fiorentina until June 2019, but is not interested in signing a new contract with the club he joined at the age of nine. The Italy international, who scored 11 goals in 32 Serie A appearances for Fiorentina, has also attracted interest from Inter and Chelsea. Juventus are set for a busy summer, with Dani Alves joining Manchester City and Leonard Bonucci and Alex Sandro the subjects of interest from Chelsea, while they are open to selling Juan Cuadrado.As well as Schick, Douglas Costa and Bernardeschi, they have made Manchester United’s Matteo Darmian a top target, while Steven N’Zonzi is set to join.

Juventus confirm Alves Exit

The Brazil international had angered fans of the Italian champions last week by stating star striker Paulo Dybala would need to leave to fulfil his potential.

However, Marotta insists there is no bitterness between Juve and Alves, revealing the club would allow him to leave this close-season.

“It is not a falling out, motivation is crucial to all players,” Marotta told reporters.

“Dani Alves has realised that he wants to try a different experience, we will consensually rescind the contract and we wish him all the best. 

“Sure there is bitterness for what he has said, but I confirm that there has been no fall out.”

Alves has only spent one year at Juventus, winning Serie A and the Coppa Italia, while the club lost out to Real Madrid in the Champions League final earlier this month.He had previously spent eight seasons with Barcelona, winning LaLiga six times and the Champions League on three occasions.

Alves will add to the signings of Bernardo Silva and Ederson at City.

Pep Guardiola was keen to add another right-back to his squad following the exits of Bacary Sagna and Pablo Zabaleta

PARDEW CALLS FOR REFEREE REVIEWS

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew says
managers and referees should meet during
the week to review decisions made by
officials during the previous game.
Pardew was left frustrated over what he
thought was a harsh yellow card and
subsequent red handed out by Mark
Clattenburg to striker Dwight Gayle in last
weekend’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho also voiced
his grievance at the decisions of officials
following a shock 3-1 loss to Southampton
earlier this month, criticism which resulted
in a hefty Football Association fine.
Pardew believes the quality of refereeing in
the Premier League is high, but feels more
can be done to improve standards including
greater communication with managers.
“There was frustration [at Gayle’s red card].
In the time I’ve been here there’s never
been a player sent off for the opposition
team, even though we have three flying
wingers,” he said ahead of Saturday’s trip to
Leicester City.
“There’s been a couple of times a call hasn’t
been good for us now. Sometimes the stats
don’t lie, I don’t understand it. In all the
games we’ve played we’ve had three or four
challenges against us after a yellow card.
“I don’t know if there’s too much that can
help them [referees]. Maybe better training,
better facilities, better analysis after games
or maybe analysis from managers for our
view.
“We’re asked our view but I’m not sure it’s
taken on board sometimes. Maybe there
could be a bit more feedback for them to
help us.
“I don’t think an hour after a game is an
appropriate time [to meet] because
emotions are running high. The best time is
on a Monday or Tuesday. There can be a
better review system. My view is that the
standard of refs is high, but it can be
improved.”
Pardew, who hopes to have striker Connor
Wickham back from a rib injury in the next
two weeks, takes Palace to the King Power
Stadium to face a Leicester side that have
lost just once in the league this term and
boast the division’s top scorer in Jamie
Vardy.
But the former West Ham boss feels it
would be careless to focus solely on the in-
form England international, whose double in
a comeback 2-2 draw at Southampton last
week took him to nine for the campaign.
“They have various offensive options all of
who are problematic,” he added. “Nathan
Dyer came off the bench and did great at
Southampton last weekend.
“He [Vardy] is the sharpest striker in the
league at the moment. Coming where he’s
come from, the route he has taken, it’s
astonishing. Credit to the boy he’s done
fantastically well.”

Mourinho accused of meltdown as FA crusade continue

Jose Mourinho has been accused of being
close to a ‘John Carver-esque meltdown’ as
the Chelsea boss continues his crusade
against the Football Association.
According to several of Thursday’s
newspapers, Mourinho plans to refer to
officials as “weak and naive” whenever
frustrated by their displays, having seen
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger escape
punishment for using the phrase.
Mourinho used it for the first time following
Chelsea’s Champions League draw at Dynamo
Kiev on Tuesday night, with UEFA yet to
decide whether his comments constitute a
breach of their rules.
Irrespective of the outcome of that probe,
Mourinho believes he is on safe ground using
the phrase after Premier League games, with
Wenger escaping punishment for describing
Mike Dean’s performance as “weak and naive”
following Arsenal’s 2-0 defeat at Stamford
Bridge last month.
Mourinho, meanwhile, is appealing against
the £50,000 fine and suspended one-match
stadium ban given to him after he described
referees as being “afraid” to award decisions
in Chelsea’s favour.
He said last week: “I know I’m not English. I
know my English is just good enough to work
in this country, but it is not perfect. But the
difference between ‘afraid’ and ‘weak and
naive’, the difference is £50,000 and one-
match stadium ban.
“We can push people in the technical area. We
can, no problem. So anything in the technical
area, we can push. The word ‘afraid’ is a
punishment and a hard punishment. But to
say the referee was ‘weak and naive’,
referring to one of the top referees in this
country and in Europe, we can do.”
Mourinho on verge of meltdown?
Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar
Hamann says Mourinho’s behaviour makes it
appear as though he is “begging for the sack”.
“Some of the stuff he (Mourinho) is coming
out with at the moment and over recent
weeks is not far from a meltdown,” Hamann
told talkSPORT. “It’s John Carver-esque.
“I don’t know what’s going on with the owner
and what the circumstances are, but to me at
times it looks like he’s begging for the sack.
“The thing that worries me about Chelsea is
that he seems to be falling out with all the
players. If you want to get a reaction from a
player and you put him on the bench like he
did with [Eden] Hazard the other day, it’s not a
problem. But you don’t bring him on in the
89th minute to humiliate him and embarrass
him even further.
“And he’s done it with most of the players.
[Branislav] Ivanovic has been labelled as a
player who hasn’t performed this season,
which may be true, but if you do it with one
or two players to get a reaction that’s fair
enough, but I think he has done it to most of
them now.
“If you want to be successful, come Saturday,
Mourinho can’t score the goals. You need your
players, your main players, on board.
“If he wants to keep his job until the end of
the season you’ve got to see a different
Chelsea over the next few months. Can I see
it? I’m not too sure, I don’t think they can. I’ll
be stunned if he’s there by the end of the
season.”