Southgate: England's deserving young stars are not 'wallpaper'

Several young players took the field as the Three Lions eased to a comfortable win over Bulgaria in Euro 2020 qualification match at Wembley

Gareth Southgate is delighted with the progress of England’s youngsters and adamant they are not serving as “wallpaper” within the squad.

Mason Mount became the latest young player to be handed an international debut by Southgate as the Chelsea midfielder came on in Saturday’s 4-0 Euro 2020 qualifying win over Bulgaria.

He was later joined by 19-year-old Jadon Sancho, who made his debut last October, while West Ham youngster Declan Rice played the full game at the heart of midfield on his fourth cap.

But Southgate insists he is not blooding young talent for the sake of it and believes England’s next generation are already offering serious competition to a first-team that had an average age of just over 25 on Saturday.

“I think the most important thing to say is we’re not doing it for wallpaper, they’re in because they deserve to be in,” Southgate told a news conference after his side extended their perfect Group A record.

“Mason’s performances already this season for his club, then in training this week and then when he went into the game – he’s a threat to the starting team. 

“That is hugely encouraging for us, we know that with a lot of these lads their best years are probably three, four or five seasons away. 

“We’ve got to get the balance right, keep on winning matches and blood those players at the right times. 

“But English fans should be hugely excited when they see the likes of him and Sancho coming on and the impact they can have already, and we love working with them. 

“It’s not just the mentality that’s good, they’ve got talent, they want to get better and it’s up to them how far they go.”

Kyle Walker has been a regular starter under Southgate but the Manchester City full-back missed out on the latest squad, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Jesse Lingard pulled out.

Walker’s fellow City defender John Stones is also absent and Southgate knows he will have a selection headache heading into Euro 2020 should England secure a spot in the tournament.

“In terms of the team for the Euros, it’s difficult to say. A lot of our players still only have a handful of caps, some are improving rapidly,” Southgate said.

“The great thing is we’ve got genuine competition for places. We’ve got four or five guys who you would expect to see on the team sheet but outside of that it’s very difficult to call in a number of positions.

“Ahead of the World Cup, in the September-October period, [Kieran] Trippier had one cap, [Jordan] Pickford had one perhaps, [Harry] Maguire hadn’t played. 

“So that was three who got to a World Cup semi-final, and they all had outstanding tournaments for us, so we’ve always got to have that open mind.”

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Everton is the perfect place for 'brave' Iwobi – Yobo

The retired former defender thinks Goodison Park is the perfect environment for the former Arsenal winger to make good on his potential

Joseph Yobo says his old club Everton is the perfect place for Nigerian compatriot Alex Iwobi to deliver on his potential.

Iwobi left Arsenal for Merseyside this summer in a £40 million ($49m) deal, and headed his first Premier League goal for his new club in the recent 3-2 win over Wolves.

The 39-year-old Yobo, who retired from football in 2014, made more than 250 appearances in all competitions during a nine-year spell at Goodison Park, and he thinks Iwobi can follow in his footsteps as he looks to carve out a successful career of his own.

“Everton is the perfect club for a brave player like Alex Iwobi and I know it’s the right step to becoming a great player,” Yobo told BBC Sport.

“The manager [Marco Silva] is building an amazing team and he believes so much in Alex to add him to his squad.

“Already he has started well by scoring two headed goals and it’s just the beginning of bigger things to come.”

Iwobi’s goal against Wolves followed another header against Lincoln City in a 4-2 Carabao Cup win – meaning he has already scored more headers for Everton than in his entire four-year spell in the Arsenal first team.

Iwobi is currently away on international duty, with Nigeria set to face Ukraine in a friendly match in Dnipro on Tuesday night. When he returns, he will be hoping to kick on from his promising early form as the Toffees face Premier League clashes away at Bournemouth and at home to Sheffield United.

As far as Yobo is concerned, Iwobi is in the ideal environment to build on the good start he has made.

“He’s coming into a team full of good players, a traditional family club that is ready to back him on and off the pitch,” he said.

“Mentally it must be tough to leave a club like Arsenal where it all started for him, but this is a strong statement of intent to challenge himself.

“I had a good time at Everton and I’m very pleased that he’s followed in the footsteps of myself, Yakubu [Ayegbeni] and Victor Anichebe.

“With the way he plays and his creativity, Alex has a big chance to blossom, succeed and grow into a great player with Everton.”

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PSG vow to take action as Neymar fails to show up for pre-season training

A statement released by the Ligue 1 champions condemns the Brazilian, but his father has disputed the club’s claims

Paris Saint-Germain have vowed to take action after Neymar failed to report to pre-season training, the club announced on Monday, though the player’s father claims the Parisian side were made aware of the delay a year ago.

The Ligue 1 champions said they had previously reached an agreement on where and when Neymar would report to training, and the Brazil star failed to arrive while not receiving authorisation for his absence.

As a result the 27-year-old star, who missed the Copa America with Brazil due to injury, faces a rebuke and possible disciplinary action from PSG, who, in a statement, “deplores this situation”.

An official note reads: “This Monday, July 8, Neymar da Silva Santos Junior was summoned for the resumption of activities of the professional group of Paris Saint-Germain.

“Paris Saint-Germain found that the player Neymar Jr did not show up at the agreed time and place, without having been authorized by the Club in advance.

“Paris Saint-Germain deplores this situation and will take the appropriate measures resulting from it.”

Hours later, Neymar Sr. spoke to Fox Brazil, stating that the club knew a year ago that he would not return until July 15 due to commitments with his foundation, Instituto Neymar.

“The reason [for the delay] is known,” he said. “It was scheduled a year ago, with Instituto Neymar, and we couldn’t change it. He will be there on 15th [of July]. Simple as that, no big deal. PSG is aware and participate in Instituto Neymar activities.”

The drama is the latest in a tumultuous summer for the Brazil star as talk of a possible exit from the Ligue 1 champions has grown louder.

In June, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi had choice words for Neymar, declaring “nobody forced him to sign” with the club for a world-record €222 million (£200m/$262m) fee in 2017.

Al-Khelaifi added that he wanted “players willing to give everything to defend the honour of the jersey and to join the club project”, further fueling talk Neymar could be headed for a summer exit after the PSG president had declared  “nothing and nobody is bigger than the club” in May.

Neymar, who remains signed through to 2022, has been heavily linked with a La Liga return, either with Real Madrid or a reunion with Barcelona, with Goal previously reporting he remains a top target for the Catalan club.

However, when asked about the Neymar situation last week during the presentation of new signing Frenkie de Jong, Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu appeared to admit defeat in the club’s attempts to re-sign the attacker, citing a PSG’s reluctance to sell despite the player’s desire to leave.

“We know that [Neymar] wants to leave PSG, we know that, but we also know PSG do not want him to go. There is no way,” Bartomeu said at a press conference July 5.

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When healthy, Neymar’s two seasons have been productive as he has scored 34 goals and added 20 assists in 37 Ligue 1 games for the club.

But injuries have been an issue, with a broken foot in both seasons causing him to miss extended time, including the second leg of the Champions League last-16 against Real Madrid in 2018 and the entire tie in the same round against Manchester United in 2019.

PSG went on to lose both ties, continuing European struggles that have dampened domestic dominance that has seen the club capture six of the past seven Ligue 1 titles.

Neymar recovered from injury in time for the Copa America, but a subsequent ankle injury sidelined him for the tournament, as Brazil went on to break a 12-year drought in competition, defeating Peru on Sunday to claim the title in his absence. 

Hypocritical Messi wasn’t complaining during Chelsea, PSG & Madrid controversies

The Barca star has been on the right side of some very debatable calls in the past but is only now complaining when things have gone against him

Just like the flip of a coin, a controversial refereeing decision has two sides. It’s safe to say that  Lionel Messi struggled with being on the wrong end of such calls during the 2019 Copa America.

At club level with Barcelona, Messi has occasionally found himself on the right side of a debatable decision. 

From the Catalans’ Champions League semi-final win over Chelsea in 2009 to their extraordinary comeback against PSG in 2017, there have been highly-publicised instances where the footballing gods have smiled on the Argentina star. Unsurprisingly, he never stopped to question such fortune on these occasions.

But in Brazil over the past month, his nation were not so lucky – even with VAR watching on. A number of decisions went against Argentina and their captain, as Messi once again failed to truly shine on the international stage. 

While question marks rightly swirl around a number of calls, including the 32-year-old’s sending off in the third-place play-off against Chile, there is no doubt his conduct following that game – and after his side’s semi-final loss to Brazil – has left plenty to be desired, with players and coaches alike questioning his lack of ‘respect’. 

Messi refused to accept his third-place medal on Saturday and alleged that the tournament had been rigged for the hosts, as his frustration boiled over in ugly and – arguably – hypocritical fashion.

“There is no doubt, the whole thing is set up for Brazil,” Messi snapped. “I did not want to be part of this corruption, we shouldn’t have to be part of this disrespect we suffered during the Copa America.

“We could have gone further but we weren’t allowed into the final. Corruption, referees and all the rest stopped people from enjoying the football.

“I always tell the truth and I’m honest, that is what keeps me calm, if what I say has repercussions that is not my business.”

The truth of the matter, however, is football is often a game of 50-50s and Messi has previously kept quiet when bad calls have benefited him.  

An infamous example of this was Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea in 2009 when the Blues were denied a number of clear penalties.

The referee that night, Tom Henning Ovrebo, was notoriously branded a “f***ing disgrace” by Chelsea striker Didier Drogba on live television at the conclusion of a tie that Barcelona won on away goals. They went onto beat Manchester United in the final.

Ovrebo himself conceded nine years later it was not a performance he’s proud of. 

“It was not my best day, really,” Ovrebo told  Marca in 2018 having hung up his whistle.

“There were several errors and everyone will have their opinion of those plays. But those mistakes can be committed by a referee, and sometimes a player or a coach. Some days you are not at the level you should be.

“But no, I can’t be proud of that performance.”

Two years after that infamous night at Stamford Bridge, the Catalans would again benefit from a night of Champions League controversy as they beat Real Madrid 2-0 in the first leg of their 2011 semi-final.

That night saw both coach Jose Mourinho and defender Pepe sent off for Madrid as Messi struck twice to all but book his side’s place in the final – which they again won against Man Utd.

Not one to hold back, ‘The Special One’ launched a scathing attack in the aftermath suggesting Barcelona had been benefiting from questionable officiating for years. 

“One day, I would like Josep Guardiola to win this competition properly,” Mourinho began his tirade. “We are talking about an absolutely fantastic football team, so why do they need that?

“Last year it was a miracle that Inter got there playing with 10 men for so long. A miracle. Why weren’t there four penalties against Chelsea [in 2009]? Why send off [Arsenal’s Robin] Van Persie [in the last 16]?

“Why Ovrebo? Why Busacca? Why De Bleeckere? Why Stark? (all referees) Why? Because every semi-final the same things happen.

“Where does their power come from? I don’t know if it is the UNICEF sponsorship or if it is because they are nice guys. I don’t understand. They have to get to the final, and they’ll get there, full stop.” 

Mourinho was rightly pilloried for his outrageous Barca conspiracy claims back in 2011 – as well as being handed a five-match ban by UEFA – but eight years later the usually mild-mannered Messi has repeated a similar offence. He now will likely suffer a stern punishment too from CONMEBOL.

Given his subdued nature, it was certainly surprising to see Argentina’s captain take a page out of Mourinho’s playbook as he cast a very real shadow over Brazil’s success.

For Selecao captain Thiago Silva, who was on the wrong end of a hugely controversial 6-1 defeat to Barcelona with PSG in 2017, Messi’s conduct not only lacked class but had serious shades of hypocrisy.

During that Champions League last 16 second leg at Camp Nou, Barca were awarded two very questionable penalties – while PSG were denied a clear one of their own – as the Catalans overturned a 4-0 first-leg deficit to progress.

“Sometimes in defeat, we try to focus on other people,” Thiago said after Brazil defeated Peru 3-1 in the Copa America final .

“I think he [Messi] did not say it out of spite, but we are sad because, in the game we lost 6-1 to Barcelona, he played the referee, which, in my opinion, was ridiculous.

“But we did not give a statement that the referee was in favour of Barcelona. I think you have to show respect.

“Brazil do not have five stars at random – none of them have been stolen. It was played on the pitch.”

In that respect, nothing can be taken away from Messi’s incredible achievements with Barcelona either.

However, the superstar certainly comes away from his Copa America meltdown looking more than a little hypocritical given past refereeing controversies.

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Lukaku talks underway between Man Utd and Inter

The Belgium international front man has made it clear he is ready to leave Old Trafford for the Italian club and the two sides are now in talks

Manchester United and Inter have begun negotiations regarding the sale of Romelu Lukaku to the Italian club.

The United striker has made it clear he is hopeful of leaving Old Trafford after being told he will not be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice striker in 2019-20, and Inter’s new boss Antonio Conte has made the Belgian his prime target in the summer market.

And while there has been no confirmation from United that talks are underway, a close source has established that a meeting is taking place between representatives of the two clubs in London on Thursday, July 11.

Lukaku began to fall behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order for the position of lone striker at United around the time of Solskjaer’s appointment as caretaker-manager in place of Jose Mourinho in December 2018, and the Norwegian’s decision to persist with the England star for the most part has seen Lukaku pushed to the edges.

And in Conte he has an admirer who has tried to sign him on multiple occasions previously, first when coach of Juventus in 2014 and then when at Chelsea three years later. However, Lukaku chose to make a permanent switch from Chelsea to Everton first time around and then chose United over Stamford Bridge when Conte made his second approach.

Inter may still have some work on their hands though, since United are not in any rush to sell and the Nerazzurri have to consider potential Financial Fair Play repercussions if they were to break the bank on the Belgium international.

And while there has been some talk of Inter offering players as part-exchange, there is no indication that any of their current saleable assets are of particular interest to United.

But the 26-year-old showed a willingness to leave the Theatre of Dreams for San Siro when speaking to Mediaset recently, stating: “It is good that Conte went to Inter, for me, he is the best coach in the world.

“As for my future, I have already made a decision that I still cannot communicate publicly out of respect for Manchester United with whom I have a contract.

“I am a big Serie A fan, those close to me know that I have always wanted to play in the English league and in the Italian one, I love Italy.

“The club and my agent will talk about it but I have already made my decision.”

Lukaku has scored 42 times in 96 games for United since arriving from Everton in 2017, netting 15 times in 45 appearances last season.

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Allardyce confirms he turned down Newcastle approach

The Magpies are looking for a replacement for Rafa Benitez but Allardyce was not keen on a return to the North East

Sam Allardyce claims he rejected the chance to speak to Newcastle United about returning to the club as Rafael Benitez’s replacement.

Newcastle are searching for a new manager after Benitez left for China following the expiry of his contract at the end of June.

Steve Bruce has reportedly emerged as the favourite, but another former Sunderland boss in Allardyce claims to have been contacted about the role, much to his own surprise.

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The former Bolton Wanderers, West Ham and England manager spent eight unhappy months in charge of Newcastle before a parting of ways in January 2008.

“I was certainly extremely surprised,” Allardyce told talkSPORT about the approach.

“It never really got to the sort of talks people are suggesting. I had to chat to my agent and, as much as I respect Newcastle, Newcastle fans and Mike [Ashley, Newcastle owner], it wasn’t for me. I politely said no and moved on.

“It’s that thing [in your mind]… don’t go back.

“Maybe if it was the first time around I’d have jumped at it, but not now. I appreciate the offer. I was very flattered that I was being considered.

“I had a think about it, but it wasn’t something I thought about too long. It was better that I made a quick decision for everybody because they’re in pre-season now.

“I never got to talk to Mike, it was just my agent contacted me and I had a quick think about it and a look at the situation. [It was] not for me.”

Allardyce, 64, has not held a full-time coaching role since leaving Everton in May 2018.

And the former defender was unhappy with the amount of time he was given at Goodison Park.

He said in February this year: “Everybody walks around talking about, ‘Sam Allardyce’s style is not good enough, he doesn’t play the right way’ and so on and so forth and it is a massive problem for me. People believe it. You believe the false lies, the false implications. Football does that – it believes that lie sometimes.

“It is built up by fellow managers, journos who follow on with it and you are never going to get rid of it. The type of football I played at Everton, the fans said it wasn’t good enough and I would say the same – I knew it wasn’t good enough for Everton – but I knew I had to get them in the position where they were safe.

“Then let me build the team, let me spend the next 80million, 100million on the players that will make Everton much, much more fluid, much more creative and go forward and score more goals and hopefully finish better than eighth.”

'Players have duties' – Inter captain Handanovic warns unsettled Icardi amid exit reports

The Argentine striker looks set to leave San Siro after a tumultuous season and his successor as captain hinted he would not be missed.

Inter captain Samir Handanovic fired a broadside that seemed to be aimed at unwanted stars Mauro Icardi and Radja Nainggolan when he called for players to respect their “duties towards the club”.

Icardi was stripped of the Inter captaincy last season amid conflicting views of an apparent knee injury and internal disagreements with the club’s hierarchy, while Nainggolan was suspended by the Nerrazurri midway through a turbulent first term at San Siro.

Chief executive Giuseppe Marotta confirmed both players have been told they can leave the club, and Handanovic indicated they would not be missed by a squad beginning to thrive under the rules being laid down by new coach Antonio Conte and team manager Gabriele Oriali.

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“We are happy that Lele Oriali has returned as team manager, because he is the link between the club and squad, he sees everything,” Handanovic told a news conference.

“He is here because we want to get back to having the values that were lost over the years. Players have duties towards the club too, they can’t just think they are allowed to do anything because they are talented.

“With Oriali’s return and Conte in charge, we can improve a great deal.”

The future remains unclear for Icardi and Nainggolan, but Handanovic indicated his support for the club’s decision to let both players leave, saying: “The club has been clear in its position. I do not need to add anything more.”

He went on to speak about his approach to captaining the team, doubling down on the insinuation that Icardi failed to commit to the responsibility.

“I feel great pride in wearing the captain’s armband,” said Handanovic.

“My attitude has not changed, though. A captain is someone who takes responsibility and speaks when he has to, trying always to be fair.

“It takes many captains in a team, as one is not enough.”

Bohemians vs Chelsea: TV channel, live stream, team news & preview

Frank Lampard’s first match in charge of the Blues takes place at Dalymount Park as they play the first of two matches in Dublin, Ireland

The Frank Lampard era at Chelsea gets underway on Wednesday with a friendly against Irish side Bohemians.

The Blues will play the first of seven exhibition matches this summer at Dalymount Park before wrestling with St Patrick’s Athletic on Saturday.

Lampard will be eager to get his reign off to a positive start against the club that finished sixth in the 2018 League of Ireland Premier Division and currently sit third in the 2019 standings.

With a fragmented squad and against opponents determined to catch the eye, it promises to be no easy task.

Game Bohemians vs Chelsea
Date Wednesday, July 10
Time 7:45pm BST / 2:45pm ET


In the United States (US), the game can be streamed via chelseafc.com or The 5th Stand app.

US TV channel Online stream
n/a chelseafc.com / The 5th Stand

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be streamed via chelseafc.com.

UK TV channel Online stream
n/a chelseafc.com / The 5th Stand


Position Bohemians squad
Goalkeepers Talbot, Corbert
Defenders Kirk, Adigun, M. Byrne, Finnerty, Pender, Leahy, McCourt, Cornwall, Lyons, Barker, Wade-Slater
Midfielders Allardice, Ward, Thornton, Levingston, Buckley, Mandriou
Forwards Graydon, Magerusan, Marishta, Devaney, Omochere, Corcoran, Grant, S. Byrne, Swan

Michael Barker, Aaron Barry, Rob Cornwall, Danny Grant, Kevin Devaney, Dinny Corcoran and Cristian Magerusan all missed last Friday’s match with Cork. Keith Buckley and Danny Mandriou are fit.

Although players have been joining the Chelsea squad in dribs and drabs, Frank Lampard is expected to only use members of Friday’s initial travelling party, including Academy players Billy Gilmour and Conor Gallagher.

Kurt Zouma and Tiemoue Bakayoko, who are back at the club after loans, may well play some role, while Willy Caballero, Cesar Azpilicueta and Pedro are also available.

Callum Hudson-Odoi, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Antonio Rudiger are injured.



Chelsea are naturally red-hot favourites and can be backed at 1/33 with Bet365. A draw is priced at 12/1, while a Bohemians win is on offer at 20/1.

Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.



Frank Lampard only became Chelsea manager officially on July 4 but has already had to deal with the complexities of pre-season at a big club. Training began on Friday but players are set to return in waves due to their involvement in international competitions around the globe.

Notably, Willian was part of the Brazil squad that won the Copa America, while January arrival Christian Pulisic, who is effectively a new signing as he was loaned back to Borussia Dortmund upon signing, was with the USA as they lost out in the Gold Cup final.

A transfer ban, however, is the greatest of Lampard’s problems and is set to see him turn to youth at various points this season. He is, therefore, bound to experiment with a number of academy players throughout pre-season, including Wednesday’s match against Bohemians.

The new boss has made light of the situation.

“The bonus is I’ll have quite a calm July,” he said. “If I came into a squad I felt was short that would be a huge problem, I don’t think it is.

“I know we’ve got a good squad and a lot of really good young talent. That’s certainly becomes a big focus of the year. First is to be competitive, but second, can we put some faith in the young players and see if they can get into the first team and show what they can do.

“I have spoken about it and I will make it very clear going in that the door is open if you prove that you are good enough, but I do think the motivation should be there. Hopefully, that will be a nice way to start the season, talk to the young lads and if they have had a foot in the first-team or not they should use that.

“The reality is we should be competing no matter what and my job is to try and find a balance between the players that think they are in the first-team squad and the players breaking through.”

That balance will be found in pre-season matches such as this against the Irishmen, who have drawn their two most recent League of Ireland fixtures 0-0 against Derry and Cork.

The hosts will want to make this as competitive and as difficult an introduction to the Blues dugout as possible for the new manager, though their own boss Keith Long recently hit out at the fixture schedule, which he claimed lacked respect for players.

With an injury-hit squad and still a great deal to play for heading into the closing weeks of the Irish season, Bohs will have to juggle exerting themselves in this match and impressing when it really matters.

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Barcelona flop Murillo cuts short La Liga stay to join Sampdoria

Jeison Murillo spent the second half of the 2018-19 season on loan at Barcelona, but the defender is now heading to Serie A side Sampdoria.

Valencia centre-back Jeison Murillo has cut short his stay in La Liga after Sampdoria agreed a deal for the Colombia international.

The 27-year-old, who only moved to Mestalla on a permanent basis last year following a loan deal with an obligation to buy from Inter, made only seven appearances across the 2018-19 campaign, split between his parent club and a half-season loan spell with Barcelona.

The Colombia international’s limited opportunities saw him lose his place in his nation’s squad following his World Cup exploits in Russia, missing out on selection for this year’s Copa America.

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Now, he will initially link up with the Serie A outfit on loan before joining for a reported €15m (£13.5m/$16.9m) fee, having agreed to a four-year deal.

Initially contracted to Udinese as a teenager, Murillo never made a senior appearance for the Italian team, instead spending the early stages of his career on loan with Cadiz and Las Palmas on loan.

He subsequently established himself as a regular for Granada in 2013 before making the move to Inter two years later, on the back of an international breakout performance for Colombia that saw him named in the Team of the Tournament at the 2015 Copa America.

He found his chances somewhat reduced in his second season at San Siro, and ultimately sealed a return on an initial loan to Spain to join Valencia, only for that to also falter over the past 12 months.

Murillo becomes the latest in a line of off-season recruits at Sampdoria as the club seek to build upon last season’s ninth-place finish.

Having lost highly-rated defender Joachim Anderson to Lyon, they have raided fellow domestic rivals Juventus and Udinese among others for goalkeeper Emil Audero and midfielder Jakub Jankto.

Valencia meanwhile have effectively swapped goalkeepers with Murillo’s former club Barca bringing Jasper Cillessen on board with Neto heading in the opposite direction.

They have also brought on-board Villarreal winger Denis Cheryshev, and have lost striker Simone Zaza to Torino.

The La Liga outfit will be one of four Spanish teams competing in the Champions League this coming season after they beat out Getafe and Sevilla by two points to finish fourth.

'Hopefully we can agree a new contract' – Solskjaer optimistic that Man Utd will re-sign De Gea

Amid reports the goalkeeper is set to re-sign with the club, the manager said he was hopeful

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is hopeful David de Gea will agree a new contract with Manchester United amid reports the goalkeeper is set to re-sign.

De Gea, 28, is out of contract next year, but reports suggest the Spain international is set to sign a long-term deal worth about £350,000 per week.

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, United manager Solskjaer tried to give little away about De Gea’s future.

“Hopefully we can agree a new contract with David,” he said, via the Evening Standard.

“That will be up to the club and David to announce.”

The goalkeeper originally joined Manchester United from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has gone on to win a Premier League title, an FA Cup, a League Cup and three Community Shields domestically to go with a Europa League title in 2016-17.

He’s made 362 total appearances during his time at Old Trafford, although he nearly left for Real Madrid in 2015 before a last-minute breakdown ended any hope of a move.

The goalkeeper has also earned 39 caps for Spain, having been a member of his country’s squad at two World Cups as well as Euro 2016.

De Gea has been one of several United players linked with a move away, along with the likes of Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku.

Pogba is reportedly a target for Real Madrid, while Lukaku has been linked with a switch to Serie A outfit Inter.

Solskjaer, whose team face Leeds United in a friendly in Perth on Wednesday, said whoever was in his squad for their Premier League opener against Chelsea on August 11 would be eager to perform for the Red Devils.

“The day we start the league, I’m sure everyone who’s here will give absolutely everything for Man United,” he said when asked if Lukaku would be happy if he stayed on as a member of Manchester United.

“We’re going to have a strong team with players who want to give everything and there’s always rumours, speculations about Man United players.

“But when the league starts we batten the hatches down and we stick together as a team.”

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