Новости за 07.08.2018

Liverpool concluded an impressive pre-season by cruising to a 3-1 win over Torino on Tuesday. The performance seldom hit the emphatic heights of Saturday's 5-0 thrashing of Napoli and suffered something of a false start when new signing Fabinho swiped a penalty wide after Gleison Bremer tripped Sadio Mane. It mattered little as Roberto Firmino opened the scoring with a deflected effort in the 21st minute after Mohamed Salah slalomed across the field. Firmino turned provider, sliding a pass through... Читать дальше...

Burnley have completed the signing of Matej Vydra from Derby County for an undisclosed fee, reported to be worth in the region of £11million. The Czech Republic forward was the top scorer in the Championship last season with 21 goals and has signed a three-year contract at Turf Moor containing the option of a further 12 months. Vydra's arrival continues a flurry of transfer activity for Burnley as Thursday's deadline approaches, with Joe Hart secured from Manchester City earlier on Tuesday, while... Читать дальше...

Arsenal defender Calum Chambers has joined Premier League newcomers Fulham on a season-long loan deal. The 23-year-old Southampton academy product moved to Emirates Stadium in 2014 and won three senior England caps during that season. He spent 2016-17 on loan at Middlesbrough before returning to Arsenal last time around to make 12 Premier League appearances over the course of Arsene Wenger's final campaign in charge. "I'm really excited. I watched a lot of Fulham last season, I really like the... Читать дальше...

Bournemouth have broken the club's transfer record to sign Jefferson Lerma from Levante. The Colombia international has agreed a five-year deal after Bournemouth paid a reported £25million to the LaLiga side. Lerma featured in all four of Colombia's matches at the World Cup and will now have the chance to showcase his skills in the Premier League. "I'm so happy to be a Bournemouth player," the 23-year-old told the club's official website.  "The transfer has taken a long time because it took a while for the clubs to reach an agreement... Читать дальше...

World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe has returned to training with Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the new Ligue 1 season. Mbappe was one of France's star players as Les Bleus triumphed at Russia 2018, scoring four goals in the tournament including a 20-yard drive in the 4-2 final victory against Croatia. The 19-year-old claimed the World Cup's best young player award as a result of his thrilling performances but is now preparing for 2018-19 with PSG. As well as Mbappe, Alphonse Areola and Presnel Kimpembe... Читать дальше...

Manchester City are unlikely to bring in more new signings ahead of Thursday's transfer deadline, according to manager Pep Guardiola. The Premier League champions' only major acquisition of the close-season so far came when Riyad Mahrez joined for a club-record £60million from Leicester City last month. Another specialist holding midfield option alongside Fernandinho was also a priority but City's pursuit of Jorginho ended with the Italy international moving to Chelsea from Napoli. Jorginho struggled... Читать дальше...

Barcelona great Xavi believes Riqui Puig is ready for senior football following the teenager's sparkling pre-season displays. Puig, 18, featured off the bench in three International Champions Cup matches and was branded "extraordinary" by AC Milan head coach Gennaro Gattuso. Ernesto Valverde has attempted to keep a lid on expectations and the Barca boss is not short on midfield options with new signings Arthur and Arturo Vidal expected to compete for starting spots. Xavi, though, is calling for... Читать дальше...

Leicester City will look to repel any offers for reported Manchester United target Harry Maguire, according to head coach Claude Puel. Following an accomplished Premier League campaign last season, Maguire's authoritative performances for England at the World Cup won him further admirers. United are rumoured to be readying a bid that would make the 25-year-old the most expensive defender in football but Puel has sought assurances from the Leicester board that none of his prized assets will be leaving before Thursday's deadline. Читать дальше...

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is determined to hold on to Dedryck Boyata, with the Scottish Premiership champions having rejected an offer from Fulham for the defender. Boyata has won the title in each of his three seasons at Celtic since moving to the club from Manchester City in 2015. But Fulham are keen to lure the Belgium defender, who started three games at the World Cup, back to the Premier League. Rodgers, though, feels Celtic need to retain Boyata, whose contract expires in 2019, with... Читать дальше...

Fiorentina have captured Juventus winger Marko Pjaca on a one-year loan with an option to complete a permanent purchase for €20million. The move has been made for an initial fee of €2m and could mark the end of 23-year-old Pjaca's time in Turin. He joined Juve from Dinamo Zagreb in 2016 and started brightly before an anterior cruciate ligament injury wrecked much of his 2017. The Croatia international was given the chance to regain fitness during a loan spell with Schalke in the second half of... Читать дальше...

Joe Hart hailed the vibe at new club Burnley after joining Sean Dyche's side to conclude a 12-year spell at Manchester City. Hart, capped 75 times by England, won two Premier League titles with City but fell out of favour following the 2016 appointment of Pep Guardiola. The 31-year-old has signed an initial two-year contract at Turf Moor, where he will compete for the gloves with fellow England internationals Tom Heaton and Nick Pope. With Pope sidelined after undergoing surgery on a dislocated... Читать дальше...

Cristiano Ronaldo (Man United)"I put him in the team and now I regret it," Portugal boss Fernando Santos told the Lisbon Web Summit in November 2016, fresh off winning the Euros. Santos was talking about Ronaldo, and the game in 2003 that sealed the 18-year-old's £12.2m transfer to Manchester United.Santos was Sporting manager at the time, and his teenage protégé had just torn John O'Shea apart in a 3-1 pre-season victory over the Red Devils. "That night, I played unbelievable. I played so good,"... Читать дальше...

Alisher Usmanov declared Arsenal can be the best club in the world as he confirmed the sale of his 30 per cent stake to majority shareholder Stan Kroenke. Kroenke, who already owns 67 per cent of the Premier League outfit, will take complete control with a £550million buyout of Usmanov's remaining share. The news was announced in a statement to the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday and has now been confirmed by Usmanov. The Russian mining magnate believes the Gunners can prosper under private ownership... Читать дальше...

Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes France star Kylian Mbappe is on course to becoming one of the game's all-time greats. Mbappe, 19, became the second teenager to score in a World Cup final as he helped fire France past Croatia last month. The other man to achieve the feat, Pele, joked he would have to "dust off he boots" if the explosive young forward continued to threaten his records. Italy legend Buffon says his new team-mate can finish a burgeoning career among football's very finest... Читать дальше...

20. Arsenal, awayThis season’s set are likely to be the last Arsenal kits made by Puma, with Adidas in line to take over for the 2019/20 campaign. The home jersey isn’t to our liking, but this ‘Peacoat’ and ‘High-Risk Red’ number (purple and red, to you and FourFourTwo) is very pleasing on the eye.19. Liverpool, homeLiverpool delivered in glorious fashion last term with a darker red kit, and they’ve sensibly decided to stick with a winning formula. Critics may claim there’s little difference between this and the 2017/18 version... Читать дальше...

Eden Hazard has talked up Ruben Loftus-Cheek's ability and declared him ready for regular first-team opportunities at Chelsea. The England midfielder enjoyed a successful loan stint at Crystal Palace last season, making 24 appearances in the Premier League and winning a spot in Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad. Maurizio Sarri is now weighing up whether to grant the 22-year-old an extended chance to impress at Stamford Bridge. Hazard, who went head-to-head with Loftus-Cheek in the third-place play-off in Russia... Читать дальше...

It's been a very positive summer for Liverpool, who have wasted no time moving on fromtheir Champions League final defeat in late May. Signing Brazilian midfielder Fabinho within 48 hours of that night in Kiev moved thoughts swiftly to the future, rather than wallowing in what might have been. The mood has remained upbeat on the red half of Merseyside.The shrewd acquisition of Xherdan Shaqiri for £13.5m has added depth in attack, while the capture of Alisson in goal has given Jurgen Klopp’s side the appearance of being strong in all areas. Читать дальше...

Out of the way early, at least? Hmm.Small crumbs of comfort for supporters of the three clubs above, who face sleepless nights even before the first balls of 2018/19 have been prodded in optimism.Each club plays five of the ‘big six’ in their first 10 Premier League matches of the campaign – as illustrated by odds from Sportingbet, whose graphic below illustrates fixtures up to the end of October.It’s particularly bleak for Magpies, who play four of their first five games against the division’s big boys. Читать дальше...

Bayer Leverkusen have signed Sweden striker Isaac Kiese Thelin on a one-year loan from Anderlecht with a view to a permanent deal. Thelin, 26, came to attention with 19 goals in a spell at Waasland-Beveren last season. His form led to links with Newcastle United and earned the former Malmo and Bordeaux man a place at the World Cup, where he appeared four times. Leverkusen have now swooped in to snare Thelin as a rival for Lucas Alario and the injured Joel Pohjanpalo. "He has developed excellently... Читать дальше...

Usain Bolt is continuing his quest to become a professional footballer by training with A-League club Central Coast Mariners for an indefinite period. The eight-time Olympic gold medallist and world-record holder over 100 and 200 metres has previously spent time with Borussia Dortmund, Mamelodi Sundowns and Stromsgodset after retiring from athletics in 2017. Bolt, who turns 32 later this month, is not guaranteed a deal with the Mariners but has "committed to an indefinite training period with the club". Читать дальше...

Assists are a stat that people didn't care too much about in the early years of the Premier League. Whichever central defender hoofed the ball up to Fash the Bash so he could nod past some mulleted goalkeeper barely received the credit they deserved. For shame.Now, though, people are happy to credit the assist merchants. A new Playmaker of the Year award was even introduced last season to reward the Premier League’s highest assister (Kevin De Bruyne), similar to the Golden Boot for top scorer.But... Читать дальше...

Joe Hart has become the third England goalkeeper on Burnley's books after signing for an undisclosed fee from Manchester City. The 31-year-old has signed an initial two-year contract at Turf Moor as Sean Dyche adds to his options following Nick Pope's shoulder injury. Hart will also compete for a first-team spot with club captain and fellow England international Tom Heaton, who is recovering from a calf problem, and Anders Lindegaard.

Stan Kroenke's move to take complete control of Arsenal "marks a dreadful day" for the Gunners, according to the Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST). Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE) informed the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday that it has moved forward with plans to buy Alisher Usmanov's 30 per cent stake in Arsenal, a deal that values the club at £1.8billion. KSE already owned 67 per cent of Arsenal and now stand to be in complete control, with Kroenke of the belief that taking the club private... Читать дальше...

Julen Lopetegui is convinced Luka Modric and Mateo Kovacic will be "very happy" playing for Real Madrid this season after becoming the subjects of intense transfer speculation. Modric has been a vital cog in Madrid's midfield over the last few years, helping them to three successive Champions League titles. He also enjoyed a stellar World Cup campaign with Croatia, inspiring their run to the final – where they lost 4-2 to France – and claiming the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. Following... Читать дальше...

Harry Kane was disappointed with his World Cup display despite scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot, according to his Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. Kane played a key role in England's journey to the semi-finals in Russia, where they lost 2-1 to eventual runners-up Croatia. England earned rave reviews for what was their best World Cup showing since 1990, with the Spurs striker scoring more than any other player at the tournament. But critics highlighted that three of his goals came against woeful Panama in a 6-1 win... Читать дальше...