Gerrard: This will be my final year

Steven Gerrard says 2016 will likely be his final year as a player as he aims to start his coaching career as soon as possible.

Steven Gerrard expects to retire within the next 12 months and is planning to move into coaching when he calls time on his playing career.

The former Liverpool captain joined LA Galaxy on an 18-month deal last June but admitted towards the end of the year that he found the significant travelling involved in the United States' top flight to be surprisingly difficult.

Gerrard has now stated he expects the 2016 campaign to be the last of a stellar playing career which has seen him win the Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup with Liverpool.

"I'm not 100 per cent sure but I think it will probably be my last year as a player," he told The Daily Telegraph.

Gerrard has spent time training with his former club during the past few weeks and he confirmed there is interest from manager Jurgen Klopp in bringing him back to Anfield.

"I have had a chat with Klopp. I haven't had an offer as such, but the club have let me know they are keen for me to come back but there hasn't been a conversation where they have said: 'We want you to do this, we want you to do that'," he said.

"They have welcomed me back in. I am always going to be biased towards Liverpool and the [English] FA and basically when I am back home I am going to carry on with my punditry work and try and move around clubs and gain more experience, going to watch managers and learning more.

"I am basically available from November, December 2016. Everyone in the football world will know I am available and hopefully I will be 75 per cent into my coaching badges."

Gerrard is now fully focused on entering coaching and admits a regret at not focusing on earning his badges sooner, while urging Premier League clubs and the FA to do more to keep top players involved in the game after retirement.

"They should be getting offers they cannot refuse. If a player has got 100 caps and 700 club games how can a club and the FA just let them go? They have so much to offer," the 35-year-old added.

"A lot of clubs don't let it happen - they don't let players like that go. You see it at Manchester United with Ryan Giggs, Barcelona with Pep Guardiola, they say when you finish here, this will happen.

"I have regrets I didn't start my coaching badges at 21-22. All that time wasted in hotels as an England player when I've been bored and was watching 'The Office' and 'The Sopranos'. I wish I'd done my CBA [coaching] licence then so I'd be doing my pro-licence now.

"I admire that Gary Neville has made the jump so soon, especially into a big club like Valencia. 

"Gary was one I thought would go into a role around a first team set-up when he finished playing. You have to tip your hat to him - he is being brave. It will be a great experience for him."

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No favourites in Serie A title race - Perisic

There are no favourites for the Serie A title race, Inter winger Ivan Perisic has insisted.

Inter winger Ivan Perisic says no side should be considered favourites for the Serie A title this season.

Roberto Mancini's side begin 2016 as the league leaders but both Napoli and Fiorentina sit just a point behind, while champions Juventus and Roma are three and four points further adrift.

While he concedes Juve's dominance in recent years and the togetherness of their squad gives them a slight edge, Perisic insists there are no favourites for the trophy at present and claims he is "optimistic" about his own side's chances.

"We have to forget the defeat against Lazio and get the three points against Empoli [on Wednesday]. We're first in the standings and we want to stay there," he told Corriere dello Sport.

"We're first and it's nice to be up there, but I think we need to do better. 

"I'm optimistic by nature. I believe in myself and the fact that we will close the gap to the top three and the Scudetto.

"It won't be easy, because the competition is so great: Juve have returned to the level of the last four years, Napoli and Fiorentina play some great football, the best in the last few championships, and Roma have gone through a tough time to come back to their levels of October and November.

"Juventus are strong, they've won seven straight matches and they have a squad which knows each other well. Compared to other sides they have an advantage.

"But there's no favourite. I hope Inter win. Getting in the top three is critical."

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I'd like to see Ibrahimovic in Premier League - Raiola

Mino Raiola says he would like to see Zlatan Ibrahimovic move to the Premier League when he leaves Paris Saint-Germain.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be ideally suited to a move to the Premier League, his agent Mino Raiola has said.

The Sweden star's contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires at the end of the season and the future of the 34-year-old remains far from certain.

A return to Serie A with AC Milan and a switch to MLS have both been mooted, while Ibrahimovic himself has stated that a move to Qatar is an option, but Raiola believes a spell in England's top flight would be good for the player.

"I would like to see him in the Premier League," Raiola told Sky Sports News. "I think it's a game that is made for him with his strength. his ability, his technique, the stadiums with fantastic atmosphere and how football is lived.

"It's difficult now because for the first time in his life he wants to be a free agent so that he can look around and have a feeling day by day what he wants to do. 

"There are a lot of projects on our table but he has not decided yet. Can he go to England? In theory yes he can because he will be a free agent and for sure there are some clubs always interested in him. What we will do at the end, I really don't know."

 Ibrahimovic has ruled out leaving Parc des Princes before his contract expires and Raiola has likewise stressed there will be no chance of a January transfer.

"He will definitely stay with Paris Saint-Germain until the end of the season," he added.

"He wants to be with them, they want to be with him. We have a very strong relationship with the club. He will not leave in January."

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Video Download: Barcelona Celebration At FIFA Club World Cup Final 2015

Barcelona won the we club would Cup last year December in grand style defeating River Plate in the final 3-0.

Barca came the first club to win the trophy three times in history.

Download and Watch the players celebrations after winning the trophy in Shanghai, Japan below 

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Suarez success no surprise - Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique is confident Luis Suarez can keep up his current run of form and score plenty more goals for Barcelona in 2015-16

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique is not surprised by Luis Suarez's sublime form in recent weeks and expects more goals from the Uruguay international in the weeks to come.

Suarez leads the Liga goalscoring charts with 15 goals in as many appearances and has already found the net on 26 occasions in 25 games in all competitions.

The 28-year-old added two more to his tally in the 4-0 win over Betis in midweek and Luis Enrique is hopeful he will once more be among the goals when Barcelona take on Espanyol on Saturday.

"I am not surprised by the number of goals Suarez is scoring," Luis Enrique said at a news conference.

"He has been a goalscorer all his life and will continue to score goals."

Barcelona will still be without Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal for the trip to Espanyol, but the duo could make their official debut in Wednesday's Copa del Rey match at Camp Nou against the same opponent some six months after joining.

"The performances of Arda and Aleix Vidal will show how much they have adapted to the team," added Luis Enrique.

"But I am happy that they are almost ready to make their debut. They have been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"They will add something extra to the team that we need."

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Allardyce urges Sunderland to hold their nerve

Sunderland must be brave and more clinical in front of goal to beat Aston Villa in the Premier League, says Sam Allardyce.

Sam Allardyce has urged his struggling Sunderland side to hold their nerve in Saturday's crucial Premier League encounter against Aston Villa.

A run of five straight defeats has left Sunderland 19th and seven points adrift of safety heading into the new year.

Villa travel to the Stadium of Light also in desperate need of three points having won just once in the opening half of the campaign.

While both teams will have 18 matches after Saturday's game, the encounter could prove crucial in the battle to beat the drop, and Sunderland manager Allardyce says his side must be brave to earn three points.

"We must hold our nerve because this is going to be one nervy affair on Saturday," he said.

"The game is so big that we all have to hold our nerve and give ourselves the encouragement that if we can perform at the very best level that we hit against Liverpool, but are a touch better in the final third, we will beat Aston Villa on the day.

"Hopefully we can hold our nerve - both the players and fans can help."

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Iturbe delighted with Premier League move

Juan Iturbe is looking forward to playing in the Premier League after leaving Roma for AFC Bournemouth on a six-month loan deal.

Juan Iturbe has voiced his delight with his move to AFC Bournemouth and is keen to prove his worth in the Premier League.

The Argentine forward was deemed surplus to requirements at Roma after failing to secure regular first-team action and joined the Cherries on loan until the end of the season on Friday.

"It’s a big opportunity for me to come and play in the Premier League," Iturbe told Cherries Player.

"I'd like to thank everyone for making this move happen and I'm very pleased to be here.

"There were a few clubs that were interested but things happened pretty quickly and once this process was under way it was a straightforward decision for me to make.

"I didn’t know a lot about Bournemouth as a club but the more I read and the more I found out how much they wanted me, it's an easy decision to go to a place where you feel really wanted. That became the overriding factor."

Bournemouth paid a loan fee of €1.2million with a further variable €1m to be paid "for bonuses linked to the achievement by the English club and the player of certain sporting goals" and have an option to sign the 22-year-old on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee.

Iturbe had previously been linked with a move to Watford.

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Van Gaal defends decision to sell Hernandez

Louis van Gaal has defended his decision to sell Javier Hernandez, before hinting Manchester United could sign a new attacker in January.

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has stressed that he sold Javier Hernandez to Bayer Leverkusen because he could not guarantee the Mexican striker regular first-team action.

The Dutchman has received his fair share of criticism over his decision to sell Hernandez following his sublime form for Leverkusen in recent months, but Van Gaal believes the 27-year-old would have become unhappy had he stayed at Old Trafford.

"We could have kept all the strikers, but then there would have been a lot of strikers in the stand. They are not happy then. They want to go away. It is the story of Hernandez for example," Van Gaal was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

"He wants to play. I can imagine that he can't always play in this world.

"There are now players in my selection who want to play. They cannot play because I choose another player. That is always like that.

"Too many strikers of high quality for the same position is too much pressure. I don't believe too much in competition. I believe in trust and confidence. Maybe that is wrong but I have done it all my life as a manager. I give trust to the players."

But Van Gaal has relatively few options up front following the departure of Hernandez, Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao and he is ready to add some fresh blood to his squad in the January transfer window.

"But now I don't have the chance to make changes in attack. It can be solved with money but also on the training pitch. We are training but scoring goals is a quality," he added.

"We have that quality but at this moment there is a lack of confidence at the right time or we need to buy another striker. It is always like that."

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Walcott: Ozil in the form of his life

Mesut Ozil is playing the best football of his career, according to Arsenal team-mate Theo Walcott.

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott believes Mesut Ozil is playing the best football of his career and bringing the best out of his team-mates.

Ozil has already provided 16 assists this season and was on the scoresheet himself in Arsenal's last outing against Bournemouth.

Walcott says the German international was every forward's dream to play with.

"You just have to get that eye contact and soon as you get that, you know where the ball is going to go," he told Arsenal's official website.

"I just keep making runs and he spots them. Next time I can help by putting them in! The [Bournemouth] goalkeeper made a lot of good saves.

"I think some of the guys' legs was going towards the end, including mine, but Mesut is in the form of his life."

Arsenal take on Newcastle United on Saturday and Walcott is proud to see Ozil playing so well after struggling early in his Premier League career.

"Some of his touches and his goal alone was just… he didn't even break stride, it was like he was jogging," he added. 

"It is like he slows things down when he plays and the finish was class. I see him train and what he does for this team and he is only going to get better and better.

"When you come into a new team and environment you need to get the balance right but everyone knows his strengths now and he is really fitting in."

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No Balotelli talks with Klopp yet - Raiola

AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli could return to Liverpool come this season's end, but there has not been any contact with Jurgen Klopp yet.

Mario Balotelli's representative Mino Raiola admits he is uncertain whether the Liverpool striker will be wanted by Jurgen Klopp when his season-long loan at AC Milan comes to an end.

The Italy international, 25, left Liverpool for Serie A after one below-par season at Anfield, but has struggled back at San Siro, with injuries limiting him to just four appearances.

Raiola claimed that Balotelli was forced to leave Liverpool due to a lack of opportunities under Brendan Rodgers, but is unsure if the situation will have changed with Klopp now in charge.

"Theoretically and by law, yes, Balotelli could return to Liverpool," Raiola told Sky Sports.

"He's owned by Liverpool, so at the end of the season he should go back to Liverpool. But whether Klopp has a plan for him or not, I don’t know. I have not spoken to Klopp or Liverpool about this. I think it is too soon [to speak to Liverpool].

"If Mario does what he needs to do then maybe there will be another view on him. We had to go away because with Rodgers there was no opportunity to develop anymore. 

"If we talk about the quality and talent Mario has, that is without question. Then you also need a manager that believes in you and gives you the chance to prove yourself. We will talk to Klopp when it is time to talk to him."

Balotelli has a contract with Liverpool until June 2018.

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Luis Enrique wary of Atletico in title race

Luis Enrique feels Atletico Madrid can cause Barcelona problems in the race for the Liga title this campaign.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique believes Atletico Madrid have what it takes to challenge for the Liga title right until the end of the season.

Diego Simeone's men sit second in the table, level on 38 points with Barca, who have played a game less, but two clear of Real Madrid.

Atleti beat Barcelona and Madrid to the title in 2013-14 and Luis Enrique feels they are genuine contenders this term, too.

"I'm sure that Atletico are candidates for the title," the Barcelona coach said at a news conference.

"They've already shown how good they are and I'm sure they'll challenge for the league"

Luis Enrique is adamant Barcelona are hungry for more success, though, and has set his sights on yet another treble win after last season's successes.

"We know how difficult it is to win again after having won trophies, but these players never get tired of winning," he added.

"Our objective is to keep competing, improve certain aspects of our game and come to the end of the season with a chance of winning everything."

Barca meet Espanyol on Saturday and Luis Enrique expects a tough encounter

"[New coach Constantin] Galca did a great job at Steaua. I know him and his taste for good football, you can see his influence already and Espanyol will undoubtedly make it tough for us," the Barca coach stated.

"The derby is always a special game and for any Barca player it is nice to beat the city rivals and that will never change."

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Dybala: Replacing Tevez not easy

Paulo Dybala is enjoying life at Juventus, even if replacing Carlos Tevez has not been easy.

The past 12 months have been good for Paulo Dybala, but replacing Carlos Tevez at Juventus has not been easy for the Argentina striker.

Last year saw Dybala secure a move from Palermo to Serie A champions Juve and 10 goals in 24 games in all competitions represents a solid start to life with Massimiliano Allegri's side.

"Arriving at Juventus has been an important step in my career," Dybala told ESPN.

"It has been a big leap from Palermo, where I was good and it was great, and now I'm at one of the largest clubs in the world.

"There is pressure, expectations are high and I knew it would not be easy to replace someone like Tevez."

Tevez scored 50 goals in 96 games for Juventus before moving back to Argentina to play with boyhood club Boca Juniors and, while Dybala's early form has been promising, he says playing for the Italian giants has driven him to become a better player.

"The team-mates and the coach have helped me so much and I hope to continue like this," Dybala said.

"At Juve, you must win every game you face, which wasn't always the case at Palermo."

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Chicharito named Bundesliga player of the month

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez had a month to remember in November for Bayer Leverkusen, as he was named Bundesliga Player of the Month. He had another one in December, as he was named Bundesliga Player of the Month again.

Big congrats to Chicharito  

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