Alex Sandro is not Pogba - he is irreplaceable

Losing a player they will not be able to properly replace, albeit for a huge fee, proves the Bianconeri know they cannot compete with Europe's elite

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"We have no intention of selling anyone," Beppe Marotta declared last week. "But if a player decides to leave, as has happened in previous years, then he has to go, because we don't keep anyone against their will."
It was a staggering admission from the Juventus general director.
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In the same summer in which Southampton, a mid-table Premier League outfit, forced Liverpool into a humiliating apology over their pursuit of the want-away Virgil van Dijk, the champions of Italy admitted that any member of their squad could leave if he so desired.
No club or coach wants to retain the services of a player who no longer wants to be there, but that Marotta openly admitted Juve would not stand in the way of any unsettled party could not be construed as anything other than a public concession of weakness.

As a result, the Bianconeri are now set to lose their first-choice full-backs in the same transfer window, with both Dani Alves and Alex Sandro bound for the Premier League. And this, after reaching a second Champions League final in three seasons.
While Alves' departure is more understandable, the imminent departure of Alex Sandro is far more damaging as it validates the belief that Juve are a selling club.
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A year after they lost Paul Pogba to Manchester United, they are set to allow one of their best players to join Chelsea. There is a big difference between the two deals, though.
In the case of Pogba, Juve were resigned to losing the Mino Raiola-managed Frenchman, anyway, and were enthused by the record-breaking fee of €105 million.

More importantly, Juve felt that Pogba was replaceable. By contrast, they know that Alex Sandro is not.
Indeed, there is no other left-sided player on the market anywhere near as good as the former Porto ace. Matteo Darmian has been identified as a cut-price alternative but he is not on the same level as Alex Sandro.
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Only Marcelo compares. The Real Madrid full-back registered more assists than his compatriot last season (10 to four) but Alex Sandro created more chances (50 to 44), completed more dribbles (49 to 43), made more interceptions (57 to 40), and won more duels (207 to 122) and aerials (41 to 8) – despite playing three less league games.
Those stats illustrate just how rounded a player Alex Sandro has become since arriving in Turin two years ago, and why he is just as capable of playing in any position on the left flank.

We're not only talking about a wonderfully talented footballer, one who made his name in an exciting Santos side alongside Neymar and Felipe Anderson, but also an incredibly determined individual who spent his first year in Turin learning as much as possible from the more defensively minded Patrice Evra.
"He helped me understand what the coach wanted from a full-back," Alex Sandro revealed.
"The Italian league is very tactical, the teams are extremely compact. You have very little time to think with the ball at your feet. I wasn't expecting that but it's helped me improve so much."
Alex Sandro's mentality has also changed over the past two years.
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This is character that now hates losing so much that he stopped playing football games online with Real Madrid duo Danilo and Casemiro because he was ending up on the wrong end of too many beatings.
"I used to get too annoyed!" he admitted to Tuttosport last year.
This insatiable will to win was cultivated at Juve. It was in Turin that Alex Sandro learned that a true professional approaches every game and treats every opponent with the exact same level of professionalism, and that, at elite clubs, winning isn't an option but an obligation.
"Frosinone, Napoli, Bayern Munich - it doesn't make a difference," he explained.
"The Juve mentality is simple and I like it: you must only follow the straight line that leads to victory."

Thus, the Bianconeri are loath to lose a player who had so enthusiastically embraced the club culture and offered him a contract extension until 2022 that would have seen him earn a net salary of €5 million per annum.
Crucially, though, Chelsea offered more. A lot more. Alex Sandro is now set to see his wage packet go from €2.5m a year to €9m.
For all the remarkable ground that they have made in recent years from an economic perspective, Juve still cannot afford to pay the kind of astronomical wages on offer in England.
They cannot compete and, as Marotta effectively admitted, they know it.
More importantly, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte knows it too. It was he, after all, who pointed out during his time in charge in Turin that, "You cannot expect to eat in a €100 restaurant with just €10 in your pocket."
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It was those financial constraints that ultimately prompted Conte to part company with Juve, after a dispute with Marotta over transfer targets in the summer of 2014.
Until Serie A becomes a financial force again - which is wholly dependent upon further overseas investment - Juve, and every other Italian outfit, will continue to earn only a fraction of the TV money currently being distributed in England, which is why Southampton can take a hard-line stance in the transfer market and the Bianconeri cannot.
It is why Paul Pogba departed last summer, Alex Sandro will leave this summer, and Paulo Dybala will probably move on next summer.
Juve may be one of the best-run clubs in Europe and boast one of its strongest sides but while they have deservedly reclaimed their seat at Europe's top table, their pockets are still nowhere near as deep as those sitting alongside them.

Barcelona sold Messi world record breaking

Inter were prepared to meet the Argentine's buy-out clause in 2006, but Barca stood firm and ensured that a mercurial talent remained on their books

Lionel Messi is being backed to remain at Barcelona by Joan Laporta, but he admits that he feared losing the Argentine to Inter in 2006.
Speculation is once again surrounding the future of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, with no extension agreed as yet to a contract due to expire in 2018.
This is not the first time that Barca have found themselves in such a situation, though, with Messi having been the subject of record-breaking interest in the past.
Inter were prepared to spend big on taking him to Italy a few years after his breakthrough at Camp Nou, but Laporta and Co. stood firm to ensure that no deal was done.
The former Barca president told The Guardian when asked if Messi ever came closing to leaving during his reign: “It was 2006 when Inter made an offer.

“They were prepared to pay the €150m buy-out clause, which is why we [later] raised it to €250m, but I always felt reassured by my relationship with his dad, Jorge.
“I told him: ‘They’ll have to pay the clause because I won’t sell. He’ll be happy here, he’ll get glory. There, he’ll only win financially. Your son’s destined to be the greatest in history and here he’ll have a team to help get there. He’ll enjoy it’.”
Laporta added: “I’m very Cruyffista but what Leo does – and I talked about this a lot with Johan – makes him the best in history. Johan said so too.
“Messi’s football is beautiful and effective. For me the best ever are Cruyff, Maradona and Messi. Leo’s a mix of Cruyff and Maradona, but he is Leo Messi.”

Since seeing a move to Italy blocked, Messi has been heavily linked with a possible switch to England – with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea boasting the financial firepower required to put a deal in place.
No transfer has ever been done, but Laporta is among those adamant that the mercurial South America would have caught the eye in the Premier League had he ever found himself on that stage.
He said: “Of course he could do it in England. He has a gift. He could do it covered in mud in the pouring rain.

“He has done it. He’s played in England and been spectacular, he adapts to any circumstance, any conditions. And I love the fact that he enjoys himself and never complains, never dives.
“Yet he has character: it’s a mistake for opponents to forget that. It happened at the Bernabéu: the moment they hit him [Marcelo split Messi’s lip], that was it. Grrr and off he went.”
Having worked hard to keep Messi on their books, Barca have been rewarded with a club-record 507 goals in just 583 appearances.
Those efforts have helped the club to eight La Liga titles, four Champions League successes and three Club World Cup wins.

'If Rashford is ready for England then he should play'

The Arsenal defender is part of the Spain squad at this summer's European Championship, but a domestic rival has avoided duty with the Young Lions

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin has questioned the absence of Marcus Rashford from England’s European U21 Championship squad.
The Gunners full-back is preparing to take in the summer tournament with Spain and he considers it to be an important stepping stone for those hoping to go on to enjoy further success with club and country.
Rashford, though, has been left out by England after becoming a regular in the senior fold, with Jose Mourinho having been vocal in his opposition to a U21 call during the 2016-17 campaign.
Bellerin & U21 stars who could move
Bellerin said ahead of an even due to get underway on Friday: “It's not about age. If Marcus Rashford is ready for England then he should play.
“Sometimes taking it slowly, taking a player through the paces is the best way to keep him wanting more.
“If you're there from the beginning, what else can you achieve?”

Bellerin has pointed to the Spanish approach as an example of how picking the best possible squad will help to deliver success and ensure that those involved are better equipped to handle life at the very highest level in the future.
He added: “You can see so many players who people think could be in the first team, like Asensio at Real Madrid and Saul, who has played more than a 100 games for Atletico.

“It's a great approach because it humbles you. If you want to be in the first team you have to show how much you're worth at U21 level.
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“In the first team there's a lot of great players. What player are you taking out?
“People like Juan Mata, David de Gea and Ander Herrera have won this competition and know what it's like. They've moved into the first team, winning the Euros and the World Cup.”
England open their Euro campaign against Sweden on Friday, while Spain will take in their first fixture against Macedonia on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo responds to tax complaint:

The Real Madrid forward's representatives have denied accusations which claimed he defrauded Spanish authorities out of over €14 million

Cristiano Ronaldo has issued his first response to the tax fraud complaint made against him, saying sometimes the best answer is "to be quiet".
Latest Real Madrid transfer rumours
Ronaldo's representatives have strongly denied an accusation that the Real Madrid forward concealed earnings and defrauded the Spanish tax authorities out of €14.7million.
Madrid expressed "full confidence" in the Portugal international in a statement on Wednesday and the 32-year-old has now issued his own response.
In making his comment on Instagram, Ronaldo, who is preparing for the Confederations Cup, posted an image showing himself in a Portugal t-shirt with his finger to his lips, gesturing silence. The caption read: "Sometimes the best answer it's [sic] to be quiet."
Prosecutors in Madrid filed a complaint to a court in Pozuelo de Alarcon on Tuesday that accused the four-time Ballon d'Or winner of a "voluntary" and "conscious" breach of his tax obligations.
The complaint alleged Ronaldo created a "business structure" in 2010 to conceal earnings from image rights between 2011 and 2014.
However, Gestifute – the company owned by the 32-year-old's agent Jorge Mendes – released a statement detailing their client's arrangements for payments related to his image rights and insisted "there has never been concealment, or the slightest intention to conceal".
Gestifute said the company, Tollin, does not amount to an offshore structure for evading taxes and was established in 2004 when Ronaldo signed for Manchester United.
Madrid have offered him their support and believe he will be proved innocent of any wrongdoing.

Chelsea deny Conte bust-up over transfer policy

e Blues boss was reportedly upset with the lack of movement in the transfer market but the Stamford Bridge outfit have quashed such claims
Chelsea have downplayed reports of a rift between Antonio Conte and their transfer chiefs over a lack of movement so far ahead of the summer market.
Blues fans have been concerned as reports in Italy suggested that cracks were starting to appear in the relationship between the club's manager and those who run the club.
Conte was thought to be growing frustrated with the likes of club director Marina Granovskaia and technical director Michael Emenalo over the club's lack of signings so far in the transfer market, but Goal sources have denied the reports.
Conte is also set for talks over an improved new deal and he is preparing to move his family to London over the summer.
Hazard hints at Chelsea stay 
Chelsea have yet to make a major signing for their senior squad but are chasing deals for Everton's Romelu Lukaku and Monaco's Tiemoue Bakayoko after rivals Manchester City have already made £78m worth of signings.
Manchester United have signed Victor Lindelof and they are expected to complete a move for Alvaro Morata next week, who was one of Conte's preferred options to come in up front.

The transfer window officially opens on 1 July and Chelsea didn't make their first signing last summer until 3 July when Michy Batshuayi made a £33 million move from Marseille during Euro 2016.
Chelsea are thought to have significant funds to play with in this transfer window and will likely spend over £100m before transfer deadline day on 31 August.

Man Utd confident of completing deal for Morata

The Red Devils are on the verge of agreeing a transfer fee with the European champions for the transfer of the Spanish striker

Manchester United are on the verge of agreeing a deal to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, 
The club have had an agreement in principal in place with the player and his representatives for some time, but talks between the clubs have dragged on with the two parties having begun negotiations over a transfer fee some distance apart.
'Ronaldo hunger feeds Madrid'
However, United are now confident of finalising a deal with Madrid in the coming days, with the clubs agreeing to compromise on their valuations of Morata in order for a deal to be pushed through. This comes after the player’s agent, Juanma Lopez, was locked in talks with the Blancos on Wednesday in order to negotiate his client’s exit.
But even if the clubs come to a resolution before the weekend, the 24-year-old is not likely to complete his Old Trafford medical until next week since he is due to be married to fiancée Alice Campello in Venice on Saturday.


United manager Jose Mourinho has made Morata his number one attacking target in recent weeks following Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s ACL injury and the subsequent decision by Antoine Griezmann not to leave Atletico Madrid after FIFA upheld a transfer ban on the Spanish club.
Morata has scored 31 goals in a total of 95 games for Real Madrid, including two goals in 18 appearances during Mourinho’s reign at the Santiago Bernabeu at a time when he was still playing predominantly for the club’s Castilla team in the Spanish second division.
He went on to spend two seasons on loan with Juventus between 2014 and 2016, reaching the Champions League final with the Bianconeri in 2015 thanks in large part to goals he scored in both legs of the semi-final against his parent club.

Morata would be United’s second new signing this summer following the addition of Swedish defender Victor Lindelof from Benfica for a fee which could rise to £40 million.

Real Madrid & Monaco hold talks over potential Mbappe

The Ligue 1 champions do not want to sell and will hold out for a huge fee for the teenage sensation but have entertained discussions with Los Blancos

Real Madrid and Monaco have held talks over a potential deal for France sensation Kylian Mbappe,   Sportmasta @ Goal understands.
Madrid - specifically coach Zinedine Zidane - are huge admirers of Mbappe and the teenager revealed this week that the reigning European champions have been trying to sign him since he was 14 years old.
Don't blame Raiola for Donnarumma exit
Mbappe has risen to stardom in Ligue 1 and the Champions League this season and will almost certainly command a world-record transfer fee should he leave the principality.
The two clubs met at the end of last week but Monaco do not want to sell the 18-year-old, and reports in France have suggested they could demand as much as €135 million (£118m) for his signature - comfortably topping the fee Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last summer.

Madrid will have the means to meet those demands by selling Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez in deals that are likely to bring in close to €150m combined, but they are unlikely to want to do so.
That has not discouraged them from sitting down with Monaco and attempting to work out a resolution, though, as they see Mbappe as the best replacement for Morata and long-term successor to Karim Benzema on the market.
For his part, Mbappe will go on holiday and mull over his options after meeting the Monaco hierarchy on Thursday morning, with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City also interested in signing him.
He could decide to stay at Monaco as they will be a Pot 1 team in the draw for the Champions League group stage and can offer him guaranteed first-team football, giving him the platform he needs to play a major role for France at next summer's World Cup.
But Mbappe is known to be a Real Madrid fan and has previously visited the club's Valdebebas training ground. Joining them would give him a chance to learn from two of his idols in Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo responds to tax complaint
There will also be some doubt around Monaco that they can replicate their 2016-17 season, with Bernardo Silva already having been sold to Manchester City and Benjamin Mendy likely to follow. Fabinho also looks set to depart.

Having already decided to keep Keylor Navas and Danilo and sell James, Morata, Pepe and Fabio Coentrao, Madrid hope to conclude their transfer business sooner rather than later.

Don't blame Raiola for Donnarumma's shock AC Milan exit

The notorious agent has been at the heart of much early criticism, but the young goalkeeper's decision to defect is down to the game's wider issues

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As AC Milan’s fall from grace has continued over the past couple of years, there has been just a single seemingly-unfailing bright light in the wreckage. Gianluigi Donnarumma’s phenomenal rise to regular first-team football at the age of 16 was the stuff of fairy tales.
It was the good news story onto which Milanisti could cling at their lowest moments as their team scuffled around for positive results of any sort. All Milan fans could relate to ‘Gigio’. He, like them, was a Rossonero, and his successes were reflective of a dream he shared with every supporter of a red and black faith.
Donnarumma won't renew contract
But that now lies in ruins after it was announced by the club that Donnarumma’s agent, Mino Raiola, had informed them it was his client’s decision to “definitively” reject a new contract, leaving Milan facing the probability of losing the jewel in their crown for peanuts when his current deal expires in 12 months’ time.
Raiola’s role in the 18-year-old’s decision has quickly been admonished by fans and pundits far and wide, with many seeing the super-agent as the instigator of Donnarumma’s ultimate choice to look elsewhere. The notorious Dutch-Italian wheeler-dealer has developed a reputation for securing hugely-rewarding transfers for players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Mario Balotelli, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and his inculcation of the young keeper with a sense of his worth has been pilloried far and wide.


Yet in truth, Raiola has done nothing other than exploit football’s current administrative shortcomings for the good of his players. He might be making huge sums of money for himself by farming Ibrahimovic, Mkhitaryan and Pogba to Manchester United, Balotelli to anyone who’ll take him, and alerting Donnarumma to the possibilities available to him, but he is also making sure young men with the football-watching world at their feet get the financial packages their talents deserve.
Morally, there are questions to be asked of Raiola, but the same can be said of any agent who has ever helped to broker a deal. Better to have a Raiola than one who has no deal with a player - yet still attempts to stage a transfer between clubs without a prior agreement with the player involved. All in all, the latest developments regarding Donnarumma just underline the fact that football is in trouble of swallowing itself whole if continued finance-first tactics eventually persuade fans to simply stop watching.
Juve fan dies of stampede injuries
But for those Milan fans who are too invested to stop caring, Donnarumma’s decision comes like a knife to the heart. As the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United are left pondering a move for the superstar youngster, Milan have to face up to life without their greatest of home-grown talents.
After watching the likes of Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Del Piero, Javier Zanetti and most recently Francesco Totti exit the Italian stage in recent years, Serie A’s reputation as the home of sentimentality is fading. Once Gianluigi Buffon retires in 12 months’ time, the last of the great bandieri will be gone.

Donnarumma was being singled out as the leader of the next generation of dyed-in-the-wool club legends, but instead looks set to be just another player lost to the power games of modern football.

Cameroon are beatable

The Indomitable Lions were taught a harsh lesson by Los Cafeteros in Tuesday’s international friendly played in Spain

African champions Cameroon were subdued 4-0 by Colombia in an international friendly played in Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Yerry Mina’s brace plus goals from James Rodriguez and Jose Izquierdo were all Jose Pekerman’s men needed to cage the Indomitable Lions who will represent Africa at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

Nigeria must learn lessons from South Africa

The forward says the Super Eagles must improve in all areas after their surprise defeat to Bafana Bafana as they prepare to face Cameroon in August

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Fulham star Sone Aluko has urged the Super Eagles to learn and move on from Saturday’s stunning defeat to South Africa, insisting there are lots of improvements to be made.
Goals from Tokelo Rantie and Percy Tau were all Stuart Baxter’s men needed to silence Nigeria at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo – a result that could have big implications in the race for 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Though hurt about the three-time African champions losing their invincibility to Bafana Bafana, the 28-year-old whose brace rescued the team from defeat in 2014 is trusting the Eagles can make adjustments from the frustrations of their performance against the 1996 African champions.
''It was painful and every time Super Eagles lose it's always painful,''
''I'm a fan first and foremost and as somebody who wants to go back into the team it is even more frustrating because you feel like there is something you can help offer the team.
''It's just ironical; same stadium, same two nil. We lost this game 2-0 and when I played [against South Africa in 2014], I scored two goals though there's no saying if I played this game I'd have scored two goals.
''But we shouldn’t even be looking for miracles because the Super Eagles are big enough to win games. Any team can lose games, that can happen but I think the manner of the loss is what pains people the most.''

Nigeria face Cameroon on August 28 as the race for 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia gets hotter, and Aluko reveals the kind of change Rohr’s men need.
''Well, success is not a very good teacher. Sometimes when you keep winning you're successful you don’t actually learn much,’’ he continued.
''But sometimes when you lose,  it highlights the small errors and small margins you have to improve on.
''So if we take lessons from that defeat,  the Super Eagles will be back. We were missing key players and the defending wasn’t great.
''The team didn’t seem like it gelled well, so there are lots to take from the game. Even the attacking seems  disjointed. Before facing Cameroon,  there are lots of improvements that can be made.''

The latest rumours from Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and all the top teams

Sportmasta's summarises the biggest transfer talk from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and beyond

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KEY DUO TO LEAVE CHELSEA

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Both Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are set to leave Chelsea this summer, according to The Sun.
Real Madrid are increasingly confident of completing a £100 million move for Hazard while Costa wants to leave England and is set to join a Chinese Super League side.

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CITY PLOT MENDY MOVE

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Manchester City are set to make a bid for Monaco defender Benjamin Mendy, according to France Football.
Pep Guardiola is keen to rejuvenate his backline next season and is hopeful of completing a quick deal for the full-back.

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BAYERN IN PAULINHO TALKS

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Bayern Munich have held talks with Guangzhou Evergrande midfielder Paulinho regarding a summer move, according to RMC.
The Brazil international has been in great form recently, and Carlo Ancelotti has been impressed with the former Tottenham man's versatility.

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ZAHA TOPS CITY SHORTLIST

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Crystal Palace winger Wilfred Zaha is top of Manchester City's summer transfer wishlist, according to The Sun.
Pep Guardiola has been impressed by the Ivory Coast international and is ready to battle Tottenham for his signature.

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CITY LEADING ALEXIS CHASE

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Manchester City have pulled out in front in the race to sign Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, established Chilean daily Cooperativa reports.
Until recently, reports had placed Chelsea at the head of the queue in the attacker's ongoing transfer saga, but it is claimed that Pep Guardiola's side are prepared to shell out £50 million for Sanchez's services, with the 28-year-old set to bank upwards of £200,000 per week in the prime years of his career.

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MAN CITY JOIN LACAZETTE CHASE

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Manchester City have joined Arsenal in the hunt for £40 million Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, according to the Daily Mirror.
The France international is expected to be on the move this summer, with Atletico Madrid also weighing up a big-money approach.

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MADRID TO SELL ONE OF BBC

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Real Madrid are prepared to sell one of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale or Karim Benzema this summer, reports Don Balon.
The Santiago Bernabeu board are said to have been unimpressed by recent showings and are ready to freshen up their forward line.

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MAN UTD PLOT OZIL RAID

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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is plotting a shock summer move for Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, according to the Daily Mirror.
German midfielder Ozil played under Mourinho at Real Madrid and, with 12 months left on his contract in June, the Gunners could sell to their Premier League rivals in a big enough offer is tabled.
Arsenal famously sold star striker Robin van Persie to Old Trafford when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge, then watched their former player win the title that had eluded him with Man Utd the following season.

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ARSENAL SCOUTING PICKFORD

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Arsenal have sent scouts to watch Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, according to Sunderland Echo.
The Gunners have been impressed by the England Under-21 international's performances this season, but they would likely face competition for his signature this summer.
Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Everton have all shown an interest in the former Preston North End loanee.

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MADRID PLAN GRIEZMANN MOVE

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Real Madrid are making plans to move for Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann at the end of next season, according to L'Equipe.
The France international insists he will not leave the Rojiblancos this summer, but their city rivals believe the player could be tempted by the package they are putting together in 2018.

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MARSEILLE WANT GIROUD

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Marseille want to capitalise on Olivier Giroud's lack of starts for Arsenal by tempting the striker to return to Ligue 1, according to France Football.
The club now owned by American businessman Frank McCourt have already signed France internationals Dimitri Payet and Patrice Evra, and Giroud is next on their list.

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ARSENAL CONSIDER CHILEAN STARLET

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Arsenal are considering offering a contract to Chilean youngster Marcelo Allende after he turned 18 on Friday, according to the Daily Mirror.
Allende, who currently plays for Deportes Santa Cruz in his home country, has spent time on trial with the Gunners but is unable to sign for the club until his 18th birthday due to FIFA regulations.

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MAN UTD'S €60M PERISIC OFFER 

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Manchester United are planning a massive move for Inter winger Ivan Perisic, but face competition from Chelsea, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Jose Mourinho is a big fan of the former Borussia Dortmund star and are ready to offer €60 million this summer, but Antonio Conte has been convinced by the 28-year-old and a bidding war could be imminent.

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INTER APPROACH SPALLETTI

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Inter have approached Roma coach Luciano Spalletti to take over from Stefano Pioli at the end of the season, according to SportItalia.
The former Zenit boss has been linked with a move to Juventus should Massimiliano Allegri leave, but after reports that Antonio Conte looks set to stay at Chelsea emerged, the Nerazzurri have already been in contact with him.

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ARSENAL TO SWOOP FOR GORETZKA

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Arsenal are preparing to make a move for Schalke midfielder Leon Goretzka, The Sun reports.
The 22-year-old joined the Gelsenkirchen side from Bochum in 2013 and has impressed over recent seasons, chipping in with six goals in all competitions this term. With his contract expiring in June 2018 and yet to agree to a new one with the German side, Arsenal are reportedly monitoring his situation, though he could cost around £21 million.

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GRIEZMANN MAY SNUB MAN UTD

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Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann is prepared to turn down an £89 million move to Manchester United if the club fails to make the Champions League, says The Sun.
The France international is still considered to be a top target for the Red Devils, but Real Madrid are also keen and the 26-year-old has stated no desire to move on.

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CHELSEA CLOSE IN ON LUKAKU

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Everton's Romelu Lukaku is closing in on a transfer to former club Chelsea, according to a report from Sky Italia, via Calciomercato.
The Belgian is establishing himself as one of the top centre-forwards in European football, hitting over 15 Premier League goals for the fourth time in his five full seasons.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is preparing for life after Diego Costa as the Brazilian-born Spain international looks set to leave the club in the summer, with Lukaku leading the Stamford Bridge attack once more now a real possibility.

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ARSENAL IN TALKS WITH COMAN

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Arsenal have opened talks with Juventus in regards to a summer transfer for attacker Kingsley Coman, according to Telefoot.
The 20-year-old has spent the past two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich and is set to be at the centre of a transfer battle at the end of the season, with Chelsea and Manchester City both thought to have had £50 million bids turned down.
Coman, a senior France international, graduated through the Paris Saint-Germain academy before signing a five-year contract with Italian champions Juventus in 2014.

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LIVERPOOL WANT THEO

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Liverpool are set to go up against Real Madrid for the signature of Atletico Madrid left-back Theo Hernandez, according to a report from The Independent.
The 19-year-old, who is the younger brother of Atletico centre-back Lucas, has made 25 La Liga appearances for loan side Alaves this season and could command a fee of up to £20 million should he be sold.
Jurgen Klopp is determined to find a long-term solution to the left side of his defence ahead of next season, with the Atletico man topping his shortlist.

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PEP & MOU CONTACT ALEXIS

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Both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola have spoken to Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez regarding summer moves, according to Prensa Futbol.

The Chile international is keen to leave the Emirates Stadium at the end of the season and both Manchester clubs are keen on adding him to their ranks.

Who has scored the most goals in all competitions in 2016-17?

Superstar frontmen from the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Serie A posted some remarkable scoring numbers in the season just gone

The cream continues to rise to the top in Europe’s leading divisions, with the usual suspects once again filling their boots in front of goal to underline their value to their respective clubs and enhance their reputations as some of the finest players on the planet. Here, Goal takes a look at the leading frontmen from across the continent.

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LIONEL MESSI

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The mercurial Argentine enjoyed another prolific campaign at Barcelona, moving past the 500-goal goal mark for the club – with the target found 507 times in 583 appearances.
Has now delivered eight successive seasons of 40+ goals, with his efforts in 2016-17 earning him the fourth Golden Shoe of a quite remarkable career.

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EDINSON CAVANI

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Stepped out of the shadow of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Paris Saint-Germain to prove his worth as a central striker, helping PSG to Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue glory to compensate for surrendering their Ligue 1 title.
Fell just one effort short of matching Ibrahimovic’s club-record haul of 50 in the French capital.

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ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

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Missed out on the Bundesliga top scorer award by one goal, but remains the most prolific marksman in Germany across all competitions, with the Pole a threat on the floor and in the air.
His 43-goal haul in 2016-17 – which included four hat-tricks - represents a personal best, while he has now plundered 30 in each of his last two German top-flight campaigns.

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CRISTIANO RONALDO

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Is only the second man, after eternal rival Messi, to have scored 25+ goals in eight successive La Liga seasons, having hit that mark on the final day to help wrap up a title triumph.
The 2016-17 campaign also saw the prolific Portuguese forward become the first man to reach 100 goals in Champions League competition - with a brace in the final helping Madrid to make history with back-to-back triumphs.

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PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG

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To have beaten Lewandowski to the Bundesliga top scorer award goes to show how prolific the Gabon international was over the course of the 2016-17 campaign.
He has come to epitomise the ‘fox in the box’ moniker, with all 72 of his Bundesliga efforts over the course of the last three seasons having come from inside the penalty area.

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EDIN DZEKO

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Collected the Capocannoniere in Serie A, having enjoyed a memorable return to prolific form to set a new personal best both in league outings and across all competitions.
Completes the set across Europe’s top five leagues of the top goalscorer having missed out on title glory – alongside Messi, Aubameyang, Cavani and Kane.

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ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE

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Has scored 20+ league goals in three successive seasons at Lyon, while passing the 100-goal mark for the club while setting a new personal best in 2016-17.
Having been a talismanic presence for his Ligue 1 employers, the France international is now destined to take his predatory instincts elsewhere – with Manchester United and Liverpool among those reported to be keen.

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LUIS SUAREZ

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Only Messi and Ronaldo have managed more goals in La Liga since the Uruguayan moved to Camp Nou in 2014, with 85 managed in just 97 appearances.
Is one of only eight players in Europe to have registered double figures in terms of assists and goals in the 2016-17 campaign.

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HARRY KANE

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The Tottenham talisman is only the fifth player to score 25+ goals in two successive Premier League seasons, following in the footsteps of Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Robin van Persie and Robbie Fowler.
His 29-goal haul in 2016-17 saw him make it back-to-back Golden Boot successes in the English top-flight.

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DRIES MERTENS

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Recorded 30+ goals for the first time in his career, and 20+ in a league campaign for the first time since his spell at PSV in 2011-12.
Saw off competition from Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Roma’s Radja Nainggolan to be named Belgian Footballer of the Year for 2016.

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JUST OUTSIDE THE TOP 10

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Sergio Aguero managed 33 in all competitions for Manchester City, despite seeing his future called into question at times – becoming only the fifth player to 20+ in three successive Premier League seasons after Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Harry Kane.
Gonzalo Higuain started to repay his €90 million transfer fee at Juventus with 32 goals, including five in a run to the Champions League final, while Alexis Sanchez hit 30 for the first time in his career to help Arsenal to FA Cup glory.
Radamel Falcao also hit that mark, with the Colombian enjoying a welcome return to form to spark a Ligue 1 title win at Monaco after two forgettable seasons on loan in England with Manchester United and Chelsea.

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BEST OF THE REST

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic (28) saw his season cut short by injury, but not before becoming the first man to score 20+ goals for Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, while Andre Belotti (28) came of age at Torino, netting a European-high 10 efforts in the league with his head.
Blackburn Rovers fans are unlikely to have fond memories of Anthony Modeste, but he has been prolific for Koln and plundered 27 efforts across all competitions in 2016-17 – including 25 of his side’s 51 in the Bundesliga.
Six men ended the campaign with 26 goals to their name, including Celta Vigo’s former Liverpool forward Iago Aspas and Lazio frontman Ciro Immobile.
Mauro Icardi also achieved the feat in another frustrating season for Inter, while Everton’s Romelu Lukaku joined Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Robbie Fowler in an elite group of players to have netted 80+ times in the Premier League before the age of 24.

Elsewhere, Antoine Griezmann caught the eye of the likes of Manchester United with another impressive haul at Atletico Madrid and Kylian Mbappe became the teenage sensation of the season at Monaco, becoming only the sixth player to score in his first four Champions League starts and drawing comparisons with Thierry Henry as he helped Monaco to the Ligue 1 title.