Manuel Pellegrini is adamant that Yaya Toure is happy at Manchester City, but Inter coach Roberto Mancini continues to talk up a potential move to San Siro.
Toure s form for City has come under scrutiny this season, leading to speculation that he could be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium.
The Ivory Coast captain said earlier this week that he is open to new challenges , but Pellegrini who has insisted Toure is still an important player at City has not changed his stance on the subject.
Maybe a new challenge is City also, Pellegrini said. I m sure Yaya is very happy here.
But Mancini who was in charge at City when Toure joined the club in 2010 has previously claimed that the former Barcelona midfielder wants to join him at Inter.
And t…
Manchester United begin the 2012/13 English Premier League season with a revenge mission away to Everton on Monday.
A dramatic 4-4 draw at home to Everton on April 22 was a major blow to United s title challenge, as rivals Manchester City ultimately claimed the championship on goal difference.
United have added Japanese attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa and teenager Nick Powell from Crewe Alexandra over the close-season transfer window.
Kagawa scored the match winner in United s 4-3 friendly win over German club Hannover on August 11.
In the same match United star Wayne Rooney continued an encouraging pre-season with a two-goal performance, converting both a free kick and penalty attempt.
The game showed off a new-look attacking combination for…
Javier Mascherano has been charged with evading taxes totalling more than €1.5million, authorities in Spain have announced.
The Barcelona man is alleged to have avoided declaring the total income from image rights between 2011 and 2012 by using companies based on foreign shores.
Public prosecutors in Spain claim Argentina international Mascherano defrauded authorities of €587,822.01 in 2011 and €968,907.76 the following year.
As recorded by agency Efe, the Economic Crimes Public Prosecutor s Office said in a statement that Mascherano, with the goal of dodging that tax burden , failed to declare income from sponsors paid via a company located in the United States and another in the Portuguese island Madeira .
The island s duty-free area holds a…
A new coach, new season and increased competition for places, but Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Mitch Langerak is still hopeful of becoming the club s number one.
Thomas Tuchel will lead Dortmund in 2015-16 following the departure of club icon Jurgen Klopp and the highly rated German boss has already started to make his mark, with the signing of keeper Roman Burki from Freiburg.
Burki, Langerak and Roman Weidenfeller will compete for the keeper s jersey under Tuchel at Signal Iduna Park next season.
But Langerak is up for the challenge as he enters his prime, after the Australia international made 17 appearances in all competitions last term his best return since arriving from Melbourne Victory in 2010.
Of course, that is the plan [to cement his spot as …
Manchester United will move to sign Toni Kroos from Real Madrid this summer, according to the Mail Online.
The Red Devils are on the lookout for a new central midfielder with club captain Michael Carrick set to retire at the end of the season after more than ten years at Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho is considering a move for the Germany international who he could pair with club record signing Paul Pogba in the middle of the park.
Kroos moved to the Bernabeu from Bayern Munich is the summer of 2014, shortly after helping his country clinch the World Cup in Brazil, a tournament in which he made more assists than any other player.
Since arriving in the Spanish capital he has racked up one hundred and seventy-six appearances in all competitions, scoring …
England defender Phil Jones acknowledges the quality within the squads of upcoming opponents Spain and France but insists his own side also have great players to call upon.
The Manchester United centre-back will hope to feature as the Three Lions face Spain in Alicante on Friday and Euro 2016 hosts France at Wembley on Tuesday.
Jones does not think England have received enough recognition for their results and performances since they disappointingly exited the World Cup at the group stage last year.
The 23-year-old understands the games against Spain and France represent a step up from England s opponents in Euro 2016 qualifying group – where they won all 10 games – but wants the ability of some of his own team-mates to be noticed as well.
Jones said:…
Roma defender Kostas Manolas accepts there s no way to stop Lionel Messi as he prepares to go up against the Barcelona star in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Barca are in the midst of a fine campaign and look set to cruise to the title domestically, as they sit nine points clear of Atletico Madrid with eight games to go.
Messi has been a major part of that, scoring 26 goals and setting up another 12 in what has been a tremendous year.
He showed his importance to Barca yet again in Saturday s 2-2 draw with Sevilla, as he came on as a substitute and netted a late equaliser to preserve their unbeaten record in LaLiga this term.
And Manolas, who will face Messi in Camp Nou on Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, agrees…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola concedes he must solve vulnerabilities in his teams when it comes to conceding clusters of goals in quick succession.
City passed up the chance to seal the Premier League title in memorable style on Saturday as they let a 2-0 half-time lead against Manchester United crumble, their bitter rivals going on to a 3-2 victory that stunned an Etihad Stadium primed for celebration.
Paul Pogba netted twice in the space of 97 seconds to cancel out City s goals from Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan with 55 minutes on the clock and Chris Smalling headed a 69th-minute winner.
That 16-minute collapse followed three Liverpool goals in the space of 19 first-half minutes at Anfield last Wednesday, leaving City facing a daunting 3-0 de…
Italy s world-record 37-game unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday as Spain booked their place in the 2021 Nations League final with a 2-1 win at San Siro.
Roberto Mancini s side overcame Spain in the last four of Euro 2020 in July, but they were blown away by a Roja side who will play the winners of Thursday s other semi-final between France and Belgium in the decider on Sunday.
Ferran Torres was their star man, the Manchester City forward delivering two superb finishes either side of Leonardo Bonucci s dismissal for the Azzurri before half-time.
Lorenzo Pellegrini set up a dramatic finale with a breakaway goal in the 83rd minute, yet Luis Enrique s side held firm in the closing stages to progress to the final.
This duo for Spain Italy = …
Best Odds: 6/5
Bookmaker:
Two nations who simply have their sights set on trying to land a third-place finish this year, Northern Ireland will make the trip out to Bulgaria on Tuesday night.
Bulgaria
Starting with the hosts, while Bulgaria might have made the trip out to Lithuania over the weekend smelling a golden chance, the Lions put in what was a woeful display on foreign soil. Blown away by the Group C whipping boys and hit with a shock 3-1 defeat, Yasen Petrov s side have really gained a reputation for their rarther glaring issues. Now likely to be in a battle to avoid lifting the wooden spoon this year, their wait to land a maiden World Cup finals spot only goes on. Despite managing to land what was a flattering point against European champions Italy on …