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Saturday, 4 June 2016

Nainggolan confirms Chelsea approach

Radja Nainggolan has confirmed Chelsea have approached Roma to discuss a potential transfer, but is adamant the move is by no means done just yet.

New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is reportedly keen to lure the Belgium international to Stamford Bridge ahead of next season, having previously attempted to sign him while at Juventus.

The Premier League side have already opened talks with Roma, but Nainggolan is not getting carried away as both clubs have yet to agree on a transfer fee.

"There has been contact between Roma and Chelsea," the midfielder told HLN Nina.

"But I will not get involved so long as there is no agreement between the clubs.

"Chelsea are keen to strengthen their squad and Conte is a manager who wanted to sign me before. Chelsea are a big club.

"But the transfer is not a done deal so long as there is no signed contract on the table. And it would not be easy to leave Italy after 11 years."

Nainggolan, 28, has a contract with Roma until June 2020.

Piero Ausilio insisted Inter are interested in Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, but the Serie A side are in no rush to push through a deal as they sort a change in ownership.

Chinese investors Suning Commerce Group are set to purchase a majority 70 per cent stake from Inter president Erick Thohir.

And as the two parties complete the new ownership structure, Inter director Ausilio said the club's pursuit of 33-year-old Toure is not a priority at the moment.

After six seasons at the Etihad Stadium and with former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola to take charge in 2016-17, Toure is tipped to leave with a year remaining on his contract.
"Yaya Toure is a player that we really like," Ausilio told reporters. "But first we have to sort out [the] ownership change.

"There are still things to be sorted out between Thohir, [Massimo] Moratti and the Chinese group. That is why we have not pursued Toure yet, but we are interested.

"As a club we are aware of the challenges we face, but we will strive to get better. We are Inter and our goal can't be to finish fourth.

"There are obviously other teams who have similar ambitions but we are determined to be in the Champions League."

Toure scored six goals in 32 Premier League matches as City finished fourth last season.

Valencia sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch revealed Napoli defender Raul Albiol is keen on a return to Spain.

Albiol, 30, has been with Napoli since 2013 following a four-year stint at Real Madrid.

However, the Spain international is interested in a return to boyhood club Valencia, where he joined the youth academy at a young age.

"The situation is in Napoli's hands," Pitarch told Radio CV.

"The player wants to come, but he has a [one-year] contract left over there."

Pitarch also spoke about the tough transfer window ahead for Valencia as the club look to bounce back from a disappointing season.

"If we don't let players leave then it is difficult for us to approach any signings," he added.

"I hope big players can come, but it's all dictated by what's on the market. If players don't leave, then it's complicated.

"The best thing would have been if many players had their contracts ending, and we didn't have to pay certain contractual charges."

Juventus full-back Stephan Lichtsteiner has refused to close the door on a possible departure from the Serie A champions amid reported interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

Lichtsteiner's future is uncertain with star right-back and Brazil international Dani Alves set to swap Barcelona for Juventus.

But while Lichtsteiner is happy in Turin, the 32-year-old - preparing for Euro 2016 with Switzerland - said he would be open to testing himself in a different league.

"There is no problem, we'll see what happens," Lichtsteiner told Fichajes.com.

"I do not think about the market. I'm focused on the European Championship. Then we'll see.

"There are many strong and interesting leagues: Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga or Ligue 1. I do not close the door to anything but I'm a Juve player."

Asked specifically about interest from French champions PSG, Lichtsteiner added: "PSG are one of the best teams in Europe and I'm proud to be associated with them because they seek the best in each position.
"But I'm good at Juventus, where I've been five years."

'There are many regrets' - Galliani on Torres' time at Milan

Adriano Galliani has admitted to having "many regrets" about Fernando Torres' unhappy six-month spell with AC Milan.

Torres returns to San Siro with Atletico Madrid for Saturday's Champions League final against Real Madrid and is expected to be named in Diego Simeone's starting line-up.

The experienced striker has enjoyed a something of a renaissance with Atletico this season, scoring 12 goals in all competitions after rejoining his boyhood club on an 18-month loan from Milan last January.

Torres is under contract with the Serie A club until the end of next month, but will almost certainly not return to Italy, where he scored just one goal in 10 league appearances between August 2014 and January 2015.

And Galliani told Mediaset: "There are many regrets, we had not done very well and he wanted to return to his favourite team.

"I'm happy for him, he's a great guy and a great player."

AC Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani has denied holding talks with Real Madrid over Karim Benzema, but would not rule out a move for team-mate Mateo Kovacic.

Benzema's future at the Santiago Bernabeu has been the subject of recent speculation, with new Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho reportedly monitoring his situation with a view to making a bid.

The revelation from Robert Lewandowski's agent on Friday that the Bayern Munich striker has held talks with Madrid has cast further doubt on Benzema's future, while Milan have also been linked with an offer should a takeover from a Chinese consortium be completed.

Galliani, however, says Benzema remains highly valued by the Madrid hierarchy and has never been considered a realistic target.

"We never talked about Benzema with Real Madrid or his entourage," he told Mediaset Premium. "He's very much admired by the coaches, directors and president of Real Madrid, so we never thought of reaching him."

Galliani would not dismiss the idea of a bid for Kovacic, however, with the midfielder having struggled to force his way into Zinedine Zidane's plans since he took charge in January.

"Kovacic? We'll see," Galliani said, before adding: "I am not here to talk about the market."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has also been linked with a return to Milan as he weighs up his options following a decision to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of his contract.

Galliani has repeatedly stressed that the Sweden star's wages would be a major stumbling block for any potential deal and he maintains that meetings with the striker's agent, Mino Raiola, are unlikely to solve the problem.

"I always have meetings with Raiola - we have a good rapport and he represents four or five Milan players," he said. "The problem is not meeting Raiola, but paying Ibrahimovic."

Paolo Maldini lamented the fading identity of Italian football, with the nation left behind following the success of Spain in continental competition.

As Italy prepare for next month's Euro 2016, former AC Milan captain and international defender Maldini said Italian football "needs to start over again".

The Serie A has only been represented once in a Champions League final since Inter won the competition in 2009-10, while Spanish side Sevilla have won three consecutive Europa League titles.

Add to that, Italy have failed to progress beyond the group stages at the past two World Cups.

And speaking ahead of Saturday's Champions League final between Spanish rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, Maldini bemoaned: "Italian football needs to start over again.

"As a country we are searching for an identity.

"You can see it in both the Champions League and the Europa League. Spanish sides are on a different level, particularly in terms of tactics and technical qualities."

Ex-Italy international Fabio Cannavaro echoed Maldini's thoughts.

"Our football is lagging behind," Cannavaro said. "Real Madrid, Atletico and Barcelona are all used to getting to finals.

"Previously other countries followed our lead, we have to get back to doing what we did before."

Ronaldo wants Morata back at Madrid

Former Brazil star Ronaldo believes Alvaro Morata should seek to return to Real Madrid from Juventus and prove himself at the Liga giants.

Spain striker Morata was sold to the Serie A heavyweights by Los Blancos in July 2014 and returned to haunt his former club that season, scoring at Santiago Bernabeu as Juve knocked the holders out of the Champions League semi-finals.

Madrid retain a buy-back option on the 23-year-old, meaning they can reacquire his serves in this off-season or before the start of 2017-18 for a fee of up to EUR30 million.

Juve chief executive Giuseppe Marotta this week indicated the club will attempt to keep hold of their prized asset, while Madrid have been tipped by some to re-sign Morata before selling him on at a higher price.

Ronaldo, though, who won La Liga once during a five-year spell at Madrid between 2002 and 2007, believes Morata should aspire to become a Bernabeu regular.

"In Madrid there is a lot of pressure," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Players who play for Real must know this and avoid thinking about it. It's the only way to perform well in a unique team.

"If I was Morata? I'd leave Juventus for Real Madrid for sure. All players want to play for the biggest club in the world."

Javier Mascherano acknowledged talk of a potential Juventus switch as just a "rumour", but the Barcelona defender could not guarantee his future with the Catalan giants.

Mascherano has been heavily linked with a move to Italian champions Juventus in recent days as the club look to strengthen their squad for the Champions League.

The Argentina international, who joined Barca in 2010, has two years left to run on his contract at Camp Nou.

However, when asked where his future lies, Mascherano was not able to give a definitive answer.

"There will come a day where everything has to end," the 31-year-old told TyC Sports.

"I don't know if it will be now, in one year, or in two or even three.

"I always analyse everything, and it's obvious that at this point [the Juventus talk] is just a rumour.

"I am at Barcelona, and I am very grateful to the club. As for the future? I don't like to hang on to anything."

When asked if he is considering a return to play in Argentina in the future, Mascherano said: "I have considered many times I would not return, because I have the sensation I wouldn't do it.

"I am a person who always sees the negatives more than the positives, and that makes me maintain my alertness. I've never slept on my laurels.

"I always have the sensation that there won't be any more games for me in the future."

Balotelli set for Liverpool return, confirms Berlusconi

Mario Balotelli is set for a return to Liverpool after AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi confirmed the striker is among a host of departures at the club.

Balotelli joined Milan on a season-long loan in August last year but suffered a disappointing campaign at the San Siro, scoring just once in 20 Serie A appearances.

The 25-year-old admitted in April does not want a return to Liverpool at the end of the season, but with two years left on his deal at Anfield he will be left with no other option.

Milan finished seventh in Serie A this season, with coach Sinisa Mihajlovic sacked and replaced by Cristian Brocchi a month out from the end of the campaign.

And Berlusconi confirmed there would be a clean-out at the club in the off-season, with Balotelli just one of several players set to depart.

"There are many departures in sight, and Mario is one who will end his contract with us," the 79-year-old told Telelombardi.

"There is also [Philippe] Mexes, Alex, [Kevin-Prince] Boateng and others, all five are at the end of their contract, and then some other names that we put on the [transfer] market."

The last time Fernando Torres crossed the touchline at San Siro, he was being hauled off in the Milan derby. On Saturday, he returns for the Champions League final, and the chance to realise a boyhood dream against the old enemy. Comeback tales do not get much grander.

Written off by most when he left Chelsea - and by everyone else when AC Milan could find no use for him in a miserable six-month spell - Torres' swansong is now in full voice. He has scored 10 in his last 13 starts and boasts his best goalscoring run in league football for six years.

A goal against Barcelona and an assist versus Bayern Munich in the previous two rounds have earned his side a shot at vengeance over Real Madrid, even if they did come at the cost of a red card and a missed penalty.

His return to Atletico Madrid in January last year looked for all the world like a nostalgia trip - a chance for the Vicente Calderon to bid farewell to 'El Nino', club captain at the age of 19. Few predicted that 18 months on he would be set to start club football's biggest match and writing his side's greatest ever story.

Torres has won Europe's biggest prize before, but it's easy to forget. A yellow card at the end of a 36-minute spell as a substitute summed up his contribution in the final of four years ago. He didn't take a penalty in the shoot-out, and as Chelsea team-mates celebrated in front of incredulous fans in Munich, he walked off on his own before telling reporters of his frustration.

"I was not in a good place. I did not feel I was being treated well at the time - I felt lost," he reflected when asked about his memories this week.

"My career is going so well at the moment, and I feel so at home and full of confidence that I do not want to relive those days."

Chelsea's crowning achievement felt like the beginning of the end for Torres. A man described by Jamie Carragher as the most gifted forward to play at Anfield in a decade astonishingly went on to score fewer league goals in four years at Stamford Bridge than he managed in his first season alone with Liverpool. The body was slowing down, Carragher reckoned - and the mind was wandering.

"We knew when Torres left Liverpool in January 2011 that Chelsea were not getting a £50 million striker," he wrote in a revealing Daily Mail column in 2013. "Injuries had started to take a toll on him and he had lost a yard of pace.

"His attitude dropped alarmingly. You could tell from his body language in a pre-match warm-up what type of performance you were going to get. If Fernando was going through the motions, a few of us would look at each other and say: 'Here we go again'."

Described as "an outsider" by Carragher, Torres has always been introspective. 'The Kid', as he is nicknamed, has his name tattooed on his arm in a language from The Lord of the Rings. He married long-term girlfriend Olalla Dominguez Liste in 2009 at a ceremony in El Escoril, the district where they both grew up, in front of just two guests.

In a bid to halt his alarming decline, he turned - unsurprisingly - inwards. And he hated what he saw.

"I had team-mates who didn't care if the team won or lost because they were not playing," he said just weeks after Chelsea's Champions League win. "I never wanted to be like that. [But] one day I discovered that I was, that it didn't matter if we won or lost if I was not playing."

Torres, desperate to shed this apathetic Doppelganger, jumped at the chance to return to Atleti, but an awful barren run in front of goal between September and February left even the most romantic fans scratching their heads at what England had done to their hero.

But this time, Diego Simeone's infectious positivity kept his head from dropping. On February 6, Torres scored his 100th goal for the club against Eibar, and never looked back. Instead, crucially, he looked around at his team-mates.

"When I spoke to him I said I didn't want him to return as a club idol," said Simeone. "We needed him to be a team player." Torres now trumpets the same call: "We're nothing if we're not a team. We die for each other. For us, every game is a war."

Saturday will be one battle he won't fight alone. And the man with the Tolkien tattoo might just get his fantasy ending.

"I was not in a good place. I did not feel I was being treated well at the time - I felt lost," he reflected when asked about his memories this week.

"My career is going so well at the moment, and I feel so at home and full of confidence that I do not want to relive those days."

In a bid to halt his alarming decline, he turned - unsurprisingly - inwards. And he hated what he saw.

Saturday will be one battle he won't fight alone. And the man with the Tolkien tattoo might just get his fantasy ending.

Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has strongly indicated the club will try to sign Dani Alves, but played down links with his Barcelona team-mate Javier Mascherano.

The Serie A and Coppa Italia winners have been tipped to move for the Camp Nou duo, as they prepare to challenge for a sixth consecutive Scudetto in 2016-17.

Full-back Dani Alves is under contract until the end of next season, while Mascherano - able to play in central defence and midfield - has a deal with Barca running until the end of 2017-18.

Some outlets have claimed a transfer of Brazil international Dani Alves to the Turin giants has already been agreed, but Marotta stopped short of confirming the move.

"Dani Alves and Mascherano to Juventus? Nothing is done. I can neither confirm nor deny," he told reporters.

"Dani Alves is not our player but he's an important player. We'll see what we could do considering that Juventus can compete in all the competitions.

"Mascherano? That's media speculation."

According to TV3, Dani Alves' agent Dinorah Santa Ana denied negotiations are underway but claimed contact had previously been made with Juventus.

Juve meanwhile face a battle to keep striker Alvaro Morata, with Real Madrid expected to activate a buy-back option they hold on the Spain international.

"He's a talent, he's becoming a champion," Marotta said.

"We will do all that we can to keep him at Juventus. We will meet Real Madrid after the Champions League final."

Ventura leaves Torino amid Italy talk, Mihajlovic appointed

Giampiero Ventura has left his position at Torino amid reports he will replace Antonio Conte as Italy coach after Euro 2016, while Sinisa Mihajlovic has taken over at Stadio Olimpico.

Ventura is considered to be the frontrunner to take charge of the national team following the European Championship in France, with Conte departing for Chelsea.

The 68-year-old previously played down talk of him assuming the Italy role, but the likelihood of it occurring has increased, with Mihajlovic - sacked last season by AC Milan - replacing him in Turin.

"President Urbano Cairo wishes to thank Giampiero Ventura for the great work done together and for the excellent results obtained in this rich experience of mutual satisfaction," Torino said in a statement.

"The ascent continues, enriched by the unforgettable pages to the recent history of Turin: the seventh place in Serie A, the qualification to Europe after 20 years and the first victory of an Italian team in Bilbao.

"It has been five wonderful years. Torino hope for the fortune Giampiero Ventura deserves in the continuation of his career."

Mihajlovic was dismissed by Milan in April, despite the club remaining in contention to qualify for European football and having secured a place in the Coppa Italia final.

On Monday, the Rossoneri confirmed his contract would be terminated in June, freeing him up for the move to Turin.

"I want to thank president Cairo and all of Torino for the trust placed in me," Mihajlovic said in a statement.

"Being able to work in a club with as glorious a history as Torino is a source of great pride for me."

Following an "extraordinary" debut season at AC Milan, Gianluigi Donnarumma dreams of going on to be the club's captain.

Donnarumma made his debut in the 2-1 win over Sassuolo last October, retaining his place in goal ahead of Diego Lopez for the remainder of the season.

Still just 17 years old, the goalkeeper has been touted as the heir to Italy and Juventus icon Gianluigi Buffon, while reported interest from Europe's elite clubs has been rife.

Milan failed to qualify for continental competition following defeat to Juve in the Coppa Italia final, but Donnarumma enjoyed the season on a personal level and has high hopes for his future with the club.

"For me it was still extraordinary. To begin at my age in Serie A is not something that happens to everyone," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"The tips from Christian Abbiati and Diego Lopez have been invaluable, I'm happy to have shared this experience with them.

"My personal goal is to continue getting better and for Milan to return to Europe next year, we will see.

"[In the distant future I imagine] maybe to still be with Milan, with the captain's armband. It would be the culmination of a dream that I've had since I was a boy."

However, the teenager admitted he had been hoping to be included in Antonio Conte's Italy squad for Euro 2016.

"Of course, I was also hoping for a call to the Italy team. I worked towards this dream until the last moment, but I'm happy to have made my debut with the Under-21 side and to know that Luigi Di Biagio is counting on me," he added.