Barcelona coach Xavi believes the club and Atletico Madrid have reached an agreement for the permanent transfer of Antoine Griezmann to Los Colchoneros.
Reports emerged earlier this week suggesting the two LaLiga giants had struck a €19.9million deal for the Frenchman, who is on loan at Atletico from Barca.
Griezmann made his return to Atletico on an initial temporary deal last year, with the two-year agreement set to become a permanent move for a reported €40m in 2023 if a specific clause was met.
The clause required Griezmann to play at least 30 minutes – not including stoppage time – in a percentage of Atletico s matches, though the exact proportion is unclear as some media outlets claim it is over 80 per cent and others suggest it is around 50 per cen…
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In what is a heavyweight Serie A showdown on Sunday night, Juventus will welcome Roma to Turin.
Juventus
Starting with the hosts, getting a new era underway over the summer following the arrival of new boss Thiago Motta, Juventus have certainly come flying out of the traps since opening up the 2024/25 campaign. Getting proceedings underway with a 3-0 romp against Serie A returners Como on August 19th, the Old Lady appear to find the mood in their camp at a red-hot high. Putting in another dominant display last weekend as they collected another 3-0 victory away at Verona, the former Bologna manager will be calling on his squad to lay down a heavyweight marker on Sunday night. With many around Turin dreaming of the chance to mount a genu…
Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is urging his team to take advantage of their Serie A points deduction reprieve as they host leaders Napoli with second place in sight.
The Bianconeri were hit with a 15-point deduction in January after an investigation into a capital gains case, with the club found guilty of alleged breaches in relation to historical transfers.
Former chairman Andrea Agnelli, ex-director Pavel Nedved and one-time managing director Fabio Paratici, who joined Tottenham in 2021, were all suspended from football by the Italian Football Federation (FICG), along with eight other individuals.
Juve s initial appeal to have the deduction revoked proved successful, with the Collegio di Garanzia referring the case back to the FIGC following Thursday s an…
Andy Crosby has been appointed Port Vale manager on a permanent basis following a short spell in interim charge.
Crosby took over for the last four games of the League One season after Darrell Clarke was sacked following a winless seven-game run.
The 50-year-old joined Vale in 2021 as Clarke’s assistant and also had a stint as acting manager from February to May 2022 as the club gained promotion from League Two.
Director of football David Flitcroft said: “We are delighted to announce Andy Crosby as our first-team manager.
“He has shown and proved in his time as assistant manager, acting manager, and in support of the manager that he has the qualities required to lead the football plan as we move forward in our next chapter of progression on and off …
AC Milan have begun discussing a potential deal to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic when his contract with LA Galaxy expires at the end of the year, according to .
Having announced his departure from the MLS side, he has been heavily linked with several clubs in Italy, including the Rossoneri. A team of Milan officials met with Mino Raiola, the man representing the 38-year-old Swedish striker, and the negotiations over a potential deal have begun, but apparently, reaching an agreement is not very close at this stage. It will take some compromising from both ends of the table before something can be thrashed out.
Ibrahimovic already played for the seven-time European champions between 2010 and 2012, scoring 56 goals in 85 games in all competitions in the famous red-and-black shir…
Cristiano Ronaldo has broad shoulders and is ready to return for Juventus Serie A clash with Udinese on Saturday, coach Massimiliano Allegri has said.
Ronaldo, who was suspended for Tuesday s Champions League win over Young Boys, has firmly denied a rape allegation after Kathryn Mayorga accused the Portuguese of sexual assault in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009.
The forward called the claims fake news and then issued a further statement on social media in which he strenuously denied the allegations and called rape an abominable crime .
Both Juve and Ronaldo s international head coach Fernando Santos have offered unwavering support to the 33-year-old, although he was left out of the Portugal squad for the upcoming matches against Poland and Scotland, and Allegri h…
Joao Felix has moved to Chelsea as the latest acquisition in the Todd Boehly era, with the Blues looking to respond after a poor start to the season.
Eliminated from both domestic cup competitions by Manchester City, Graham Potter s side sit 10th in the Premier League and 10 points adrift of Manchester United in the hunt for a top-four finish.
Joao Felix arrives as yet another attacker in the quest to find a reliable outlet in the final third, joining on loan from Atletico Madrid until the end of the season.
Having failed to fully establish himself in Diego Simeone s plans after a €126million (£113m) transfer from Benfica in 2019, Joao Felix has a point to prove – though there are questions to be asked as to whether he is the addition Chelsea truly need.
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The Telegraph understands that Manchester United are set to reignite their interest in signing West Ham United forward Marko Arnautovic at the end of the season.
The Red Devils, who have long been linked with a move for the Austria international, will wait until the end of the campaign before they table an offer though that will depend on whether Jose Mourinho remains as manager.
The pair worked together briefly at Inter Milan, where the forward played three times on loan during the 2009/10 season.
Arnautovic moved to West Ham from Stoke City at the end of the 2016/17 campaign and has since racked up forty-seven appearances in all competitions, scoring sixteen goals while he was named the club’s Player of the Year at the end of last season.
The twe…
Gareth Southgate says facing “revitalised” Italy will be a great test of where England are at as they attempt to seal European Championship qualification with two matches to spare.
The Euro 2020 runners-up can wrap up their place at next summer’s finals in Germany in Tuesday evening’s mouthwatering Group C clash against the Azzurri at a sold-out Wembley.
It will be the nations’ fourth meeting since Italy beat England on spot-kicks in the Euros final just over two years ago but their first reunion under the arch, with their previous meetings coming in Wolverhampton, Milan and Naples.
The Azzurri return to Wembley a far different side from when they became continental champions there, with Luciano Spalletti in charge of a new-look team that host Malta on …
Senior Real Madrid players pushed for Zinedine Zidane to be appointed as head coach instead of Jose Mourinho, according to former club president Ramon Calderon.
Zidane was announced as the replacement for the sacked Santiago Solari on Monday, just 10 months after he stepped down following a third Champions League triumph in a row.
Mourinho had been linked with a return to the club he left in 2013, prompting reports of deep concern among some leading figures in the Madrid dressing room.
Although he delivered success in LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Supercopa de Espana in his three years in charge while competing with Pep Guardiola s Barcelona, Mourinho s often abrasive management style caused friction within the playing squad and led to arguments with stars inc…