Manchester United targets PSG attacker

The Red Devils sold Angel Di Maria to Laurent Blanc’s side for £44.1million last week and their civil negotiations could help smooth over a deal for Lavezzi, according to Super Deporte.

Barcelona forward Pedro is Louis van Gaal’s first choice to replace Di Maria but the Spanish giants have hardened their stance on keeping the winger since forward Neymar was ruled out of the start of the season with mumps.

Lavezzi, 30, wants first team football next season and is said to be open to moving to the Premier League with the Red Devils.

Van Gaal explains Depay new role

Louis van Gaal has revealed the reason why he is trying Memphis out as a number 10, and it’s a strange one: because of Ashley Young.

Van Gaal felt Memphis did OK in his first big outing as a number 10, but felt his young compatriot was a little too eager to impress.

“It is a new position for him and he has to adapt to the new position because he is a goal-scoring type.

“We have to wait and see if he can fulfil the demands of this position but that’s also because Ashley Young is playing very good on the left side. That is the circumstances now but it can change during the season. He can play in this position.”

“Yeah, but he is too eager, I think. I have said that in advance. New players, especially young players, want to show their qualities. The next match, because of that, will be better for him.”

Roberto Martinez says transfer window is 'unfair' in light of John Stones interest

Martinez, speaking on Monday Night Football, insists the transfer window should end once the season is underway, a view he has previously made public.

When asked how the Stones situation has had an impact, Martinez said: "The window, when it is open and we have to prepare for official games, is very, very unfair. I don't think it is right.

"I think we should have a period where we assemble our squad, and then once the first league game starts everyone is focused.

"I think we forget that footballers have a human side and it can really affect. Players like Stones and Ross Barkley have an incredible future and will attract interest from the outside.

"As a football club these players are going to be a part of our success in the future, so we take [interest] as a positive compliment."

On the subject of Barkley, Martinez says the England midfielder has learned from a disappointing 2014/15 campaign, and insists his personality will make him "one of the best".

Barkley scored Everton’s first goal in the 2-2 draw with newly-promoted Watford on Saturday, but an underwhelming last 12 months saw him score only twice in his previous 36 games.

Martinez said: "Ross is a phenomenal footballer, if you want to analyse him from a physical point of view, he's someone quite unique.

"When you bring in the technicality he has, the low balance, the symmetry he has, it's quite impressive.

"He’s taken a real learning curve from the last campaign, he's got a very important role, and he's someone that is a joy to work with.

"That personality and that maturity will make him one of the best players in the league, down to his personality."

 Source: Sky Sports

Mourinho: Physical performance

Diego Costa performed well and led the line impressively, particularly during the second half after we had been harshly reduced to 10 men following the sending off of Thibaut Courtois.

‘‘He did very well and in the second half it was very difficult because there was a big distance (between him and his team-mates), we had one player less and it was a great effort,’’said Mourinho.

‘’Even so, I was not expecting him to resist for 90 minutes but because we wanted to try to collect a goal we went with him until the end and it was very important for us that he played for 90 minutes with such a physical performance. He’s very happy with the reaction of his body after such a difficult game’’.

Mourinho was pleased with the character his side showed in the second half, and we ended the game having enjoyed a higher percentage of possession than Swansea even after playing for over half an hour with 10 men. The manager explained how he set us up to continue to offer an attacking threat despite the numerical disadvantage.

‘For a period we played 4-4-1 and after that we played with Diego and Hazard in attack with three men across midfield,’ said the Portuguese.

‘In the last part of the game we put Falcao on as a target man with the other two floating behind.’

Bredan Rodgers: ''The most traumatic four years of my life''.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers says he has been through “the most traumatic four years” of his life, writes James Pearce in the Liverpool Echo.

“I lost my mum. I lost my dad. I split up from the woman I loved for 23 years. I had a court case, two Old Bailey trials over six weeks with my son who was charged with sexual assault, which was an absolute disgrace.

“Yet professionally, here and at Swansea, these have been the best four years of my life. Something has to come from within. You have to put the professional and personal to each side. It’s about being happy of course, but the owners have paid me to do a job, so I will do the job.’’

Liverpool started their season with a 1-0 win at Stoke on Sunday, with Philippe Coutinho scoring late on to earn all three points and go some way to avenging the 6-1 defeat they suffered on the last day of last season.

City can win the League with Yaya Toure at his best - Carragaher

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher said: 'Have we ever seen anyone better in Premier League history in terms of a central midfield player?'

‘‘Dominating, sprinting from that central midfield, that power coming onto things, but also finishing like that. For the criticism he got last year, he was still the highest-scoring central midfield player. We're saying he had a bad season but his numbers are still far out of reach of everyone else.’’

‘‘It was because the year before he got 20 so you automatically sort of give him criticism. But what a start to the season he's made.’’

‘‘He has drove them to the title. The two years City have won the title, we've spoke about a nucleus of four or five players in terms of Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart, David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Toure, maybe Pablo Zabaleta as well.’’ 

‘‘If they can get the Yaya Toure of the title-winning seasons, they have a fantastic chance of winning the league.’’

Do you think Yaya Toure can lead City to the Premiere League trophy? Leave your comments below....

New York Red Bulls fans mock New York City in Big Apple Derby

The MLS has garnered greater prestige in recent times through the gradual stockpile of footballing behemoths from bygone years, but it would appear some fans of New York Red Bulls have short-term memories. 

Ahead of their Big Apple derby against not-so-young upstarts New York City, some of the crowd were only too happy to remind Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard that their days as midfield wrecking balls are behind them.

On a banner hanging from the top tier behind one of the goals, Red Bulls' ultra set of supporters taunted the two decorated stars as cartoon characters holding walking sticks, with the words 'City Retirement Home' on the blue ribbon above their heads. 

The newly-formed club have also managed to lure Athletic Bilbao's long-standing full-back Andoni Iraola and World Cup winner David Villa across the pond, but while these two former Spain internationals were spared the OAP treatment, the mockery was a rather rich card to play.

Former Chelsea midfielder Lampard, 37, had been troubled with a calf problem prior to the match, and neither he nor the 36-year-old Pirlo were able to prevent City from going down to a 2-0 defeat.

Source: Daily Mail

“I have read a lot of nonsense in the media''- De Koster on De Bruyne

Wolfsburg manager Dieter Hecking remains confident that De Bruyne will stay after claiming that a move to City isn't enough to tempt the Belgium international to leave, though the 24-year-old's agent Patrick De Koster says they are waiting on more information from the clubs.

"Kevin remains a Wolfsburg player, and is focused on his job at the club,” De Koster told reporters. “I have read a lot of nonsense in the media.

"We are waiting to discover whether any agreement has been reached between clubs. That is for the clubs to decide, and not for us. There is no medical planned at this stage, and he is happy at Wolfsburg."

Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs earlier suggested that De Bruyne would have to consider offers from elsewhere, saying: "I think that interested clubs have turned Kevin's head a bit. We are talking about incredible sums here.

"I understand that all this is on Kevin's mind. He will have to listen to offers. We cannot expect him to just ignore those offers.

"The transfer window remains open for three more weeks. Any interested clubs that still feel they have a chance of signing him will get involved."

Shaqiri set for Premier League move

After struggling to make an impact with Inter Milan, Swiss international, Shaqiri is set to have his medical with Stoke City.

Shaqiri was spotted watching Stoke's 1-0 defeat at home to Liverpool on Sunday and Hughes told the media afterwards that he was "hopeful" Shaqiri would sign for the club.

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