Manchester United target Rojo disciplined by Sporting

Manchester United target Marcos Rojo has been disciplined by Sporting for his alleged lack of professionalism and will not feature in the club’s season opener against Academica on Saturday.

It had been reported in Portugal that the 24-year-old Argentina left-back refused to train on Tuesday amid interest from United, with Louis van Gaal’s side submitting a £20 million offer.

Southampton are also keen to secure a deal but Rojo, who can operate at centre-back as well as on the left side of defence, is keen to move to Old Trafford after learning of United’s interest.

Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho has revealed that Islam Slimani has also faced disciplinary action and insists the two players cannot bully the club into selling them this summer.

“They are subject to disciplinary action, but they are not in the ‘B’ Team,” De Carvalho told Sporting TV.

“Both players took decisions that have provoked strong, internal disciplinary action. A general note: Any player who does not follow the rules of the club, these two or any others, they can do what they want, but it only complicates the issue.

“Don’t use the press, be professionals. These players are subject to strong disciplinary measures.

“They can’t play on Saturday, if they want they can watch the game at home.

"It could delay things a lot, it could drag things out a lot, but on Saturday it will not be resolved.”

When asked if the duo’s actions could lead to their exits, De Carvalho replied: “It could end with them seeing out their three-year contracts.”

Cuadrado & Blind deals ON: Manchester United step up £60 million double bid

Manchester United are pressing ahead with talks to sign Fiorentina star Juan Cuadrado and Ajax defenderDaley Blind as they step up their preparations for the new season.

Goal understands that United have been in contact for several weeks over a deal worth up to £35 million for Cuadrado and are confident of signing the winger, who starred for Colombia at the World Cup.

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Louis Van Gaal is also desperate for defensive additions and has identified Blind as a versatile target who can play either at centre-back or left-back. The United manager knows the 24-year-old well from his time as Netherlands coach and is ready to spend between £17m and £20m to bring him to Old Trafford.

United are planning to play a 3-5-2 formation this season and Van Gaal has instructed the club to pursue Blind in addition to Sporting defender Marcos Rojo, who was named in the World Cup team of the tournament.

Goal understands the Old Trafford club made a move for the 24-year-old on Tuesday but a deal for Argentine, who has been disciplined by his club and will not play in his side’s season opener against Academia, is likely to be held up by issues concerning third-party ownership.

United, however, are hopeful of clinching the deal to provide Van Gaal with a squad capable of challenging for the Premier League title.

Blind, meanwhile, who worked successfully under Van Gaal as part of the Dutch side that finished third at the World Cup, recently revealed his openness to the possibility of leaving Ajax this summer.

He said: “I am happy here in Amsterdam. But if there comes another club I will have to think about it and then we will see. I will think about my options. For now I will focus on Ajax and we will see what happens next week.”

Cuadrado, 26, has been strongly linked with Barcelona but United believe they have the financial firepower to outbid the Catalans for his signature, although they have so far been unwilling to offer more than £30m for the former Udinese man.

Van Gaal wants a top quality winger to support strikers Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney and will keep tabs on Real Madrid wide man Angel Di Maria after Paris Saint-Germain pulled out of a deal to sign the Argentine.

Cuadrado, however, is considered a more realistic option and the player has told Fiorentina of his desire to move to a leading European club this summer.

United missed out on a place in Europe following a disastrous season under David Moyes but believe they still have the profile and finances to attract big names to Old Trafford.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has insisted that money is no object for United this season and suggested that they can afford to break the world record of £86m paid by Real Madrid for Gareth Bale.

Van Gaal has taken his time to assess the squad - which he feels drastically underperformed last term - and is now urging United to sign reinforcements to a group of players he has continually described as “unbalanced”.

United have already spent £60m this summer on the transfers of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera but are understood to have a transfer budget of around £150m.

Chelsea tell Cech to find new club as Courtois is made No.1

Chelsea will tell Petr Cech to find a new club in the final weeks of the transfer window after deciding to make Thibaut Courtois their No.1 this season, Goal can reveal. Jose Mourinho is to put his faith in Courtois at the start of the campaign, spelling the end for Cech at Stamford Bridge following a decade spent as the club's undisputed first choice. Cech will be encouraged to move as Chelsea stand to receive a more significant transfer fee from selling the Czech goalkeeper now than in 12 months, when he would have just one year to run on his contract. VIEW FROM SPAIN By Alberto Pinero | Goal Spain The goalkeeping situation at Real Madrid is extremely delicate and, while it is highly improbable than Petr Cech could be brought in, it is not impossible. Everything depends on Iker Casillas. If Madrid receive an offer of €20m (£16m) this summer then they would surely let him leave but no approaches have yet been made. The only way that Casillas could leave this summer is if a big offer arrives or if he is prompted to forfeit any pay-off and agree to a mutual termination. That could potentially happen if Keylor Navas is made No.1. If he does leave then a move for Cech could be possible. Courtois, who played 90 minutes in goal for the Blues in their final pre-season match on Tuesday night, is expected to get the nod over Cech for Monday's Premier League curtain-raiser against newly promoted Burnley. The west Londoners value Cech at around £10 million. Real Madrid and wealthy French duo Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco are closely monitoring the 32-year-old's situation but no formal bids are expected until Cech's downgraded status is confirmed at the start of next week. Madrid signed Costa Rica World Cup star Keylor Navas this summer as a replacement for Diego Lopez, who is completing the formalities of a move to AC Milan, but doubts persist about the long-term future at the club of Iker Casillas, who was used only in cup matches by boss Carlo Ancelotti last season. As revealed by Goal in June, Mourinho is prepared to offload Cech after deciding that rising star Courtois represents a better long-term option between the sticks. Cech has insisted that he is not fazed by the prospect of competition from Courtois but admits he will not be happy if he is left on the bench. The keeper's agent, Viktor Kolar has already confirmed that he will speak to the top clubs in Europe if his client is made available. "I would get in touch with [Andoni] Zubizarreta at Barcelona and people at Real Madrid," he told the press six weeks ago. "These are clubs we would consider if Chelsea wanted to get rid of Petr. "We would also consider Bayern Munich but they have [Manuel] Neuer there. Then there are leagues Petr would not go to - Serie A, for instance, because clubs in that league have problems. "Paris Saint-Germain have shown interest and we have also communicated with Monaco." Courtois has been named La Liga's best goalkeeper in each of the last two seasons and his performances were key to Atletico Madrid's Primera Division triumph last season as well as their run to the Champions League final. Mourinho's willingness to allow Cech, a hugely popular figure with supporters, to leave demonstrates his ruthlessness and desire to improve a team who narrowly missed out on winning a trophy in his first season back at Stamford Bridge. Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard and Samuel Eto'o were released this summer, while David Luiz was sold to Paris Saint-Germain for an initial £40 million, Romelu Lukaku joined Everton for £28m and Demba Ba moved to Besiktas for £4.7m. Portugese goalkeeper Hilario also departed at the end of his contract but Mark Schwarzer, Cech’s understudy last season, signed a one-year extension in July. Cech has established himself as one of the world's outstanding keepers during his decade at Stamford Bridge. Since joining Chelsea from Rennes for £7m in 2004, he has made 479 appearances for the club and won the Champions League, the Europa League, three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and three League Cups.

Ronaldo overtakes Messi on European goals

The Portuguese scored both of Real Madrid's goals in their Uefa Super Cup win over Sevilla on Tuesday and has now scored twice more than the Argentine in continental competitions

Cristiano Ronaldo's double for Real Madrid in their 2-0 win over Sevilla in the Uefa Super Cup on Tuesday saw the Portuguese reach 70 goals in European competition and overtake Barcelona forward Lionel Messi in the process.

Ronaldo was a full 18 strikes behind Messi in April of 2012, but has closed that gap after netting 12 and then a record 17 in the last two editions of the Champions League - and his two goals on Tuesday mean he is now two ahead of the Argentine in the all-time list of European scorers.

The Portuguese now has 68 Champions League goals and two in the Uefa Super Cup for a total of 70, which leaves him tied second in the list of scorers in continental competitions with former AC Milan and Juventus striker Filippo Inzaghi.

Ronaldo is now only six adrift of former Madrid team-mate Raul, who scored 76 times in Europe for Real and Schalke.

Messi, meanwhile, has scored 68 times in total, with 67 of those converted in the Champions League and one in the Uefa Super Cup.

In total, Ronaldo has now netted 254 goals in 247 games for Real Madrid.

Too late for Juventus to sell Vidal now

By Carlo Garganese

An official offer has still yet to arrive from Manchester United for Arturo Vidal, but if it does, it is simply too late for Juventus to sell their star man and recover from the blow.

Bianconeri CEO Giuseppe Marotta has set an unofficial deadline of August 15 after which the midfielder has been told he will not be allowed to leave the club. Yet even if an offer as high as €60 million is tabled before Friday’s cut-off date, Juventus will not be able to bring in an adequate replacement.

What top players are there in the transfer market who Juventus can realistically buy? The answer is none.

Angel Di Maria’s transfer fee would be higher than Vidal’s and he is demanding a big increase to his €3.5m a season after-tax salary at Real Madrid. Fiorentina will only sell €40m-rated Juan Cuadrado abroad and Juventus simply cannot compete in an auction with a Manchester United or Barcelona.

Mehdi Benatia could potentially leave Roma for a fee upwards of €35m, but there is no chance he would depart to a Scudetto rival. Another marquee name who could be available, Radamel Falcao of Monaco, is way out of Juve’s financial league – and is not needed anyway.

Thus, any replacements for Vidal – direct or otherwise – will be a significant downgrade on the Chilean.Juve may be able to aim higher than current fallback options Adrien Rabiot of PSG and Javier Hernandez of Man Utd (Juve are already working on signing a defender, with Olympiakos' Kostas Manolas the preferred option), but not too much higher because most of the other eligible targets have already been snapped up.



"Vidal has proven himself to be almost irreplaceable," former Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi recently told Goal.

"He is the true leader on the field, with the ability to construct the play but also destroy it through his dynamism, strength and physical explosiveness.

"Today he has no equal.”

Were Juventus going to sell Vidal, the decision should have been made at the beginning of the summer. Barcelona’s Alexis Sanchez was available for €30m at the end of last season on a salary lower than Vidal’s current €4.5m a year pay-packet, but his price skyrocketed after the World Cup when Premier League sides such as eventual buyers Arsenal entered the fray.

Sanchez would have been the perfect antidote to Vidal’s bane. Not only would he have allowed Juve to switch to their desired 4-3-3 formation, and possibly prevented former coach Antonio Conte from resigning, Juve would have still had a significant amount of money left over to spend on other targets. And with the best part of three months to do so.

Now, if Juventus lose Vidal they will have to settle for disposable or developing, lower-level targets who are only going to take the club backwards. What is more, the price of these players will be inflated because selling teams know that Juventus have all of Vidal’s money to spend.

This led to Tottenham being over-quoted on numerous arrivals last summer following the €100m sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. And with just 18 days of the window remaining to complete any deals, Juventus’ negotiation position is even weaker than that which Spurs found themselves in as they at least were prepared for the Welshman leaving.


Rabid | Juve would have to go for downgraded or developing players like Rabiot if Vidal leaves
All in all, and the role of the club’s holding company Exor in cutting investment must also be acknowledged, Marotta has been very naive strategically. He has put himself in a position where, if Vidal declares his intention to force a move and an official transfer bid is received, he has no room for manoeuvre in terms of repairing the damage.

As things stand, Marotta may just get away with it. There has been no bid from Manchester United and, while a transfer could still happen even after Friday's 'deadline', with every passing day the chances decrease.

But never should the former Sampdoria chief have allowed himself to get into such a precarious situation. At the start of 2014, Juventus’ summer plans were simple; they would invest heavily in a top-class winger - Sanchez or Cuadrado being first choices - and then work from there. Instead, Marotta has merely loaded the squad with good to very good players – Patrice Evra, Romulo, Roberto Pereyra, Kingsley Coman, Alvaro Morata - who will not improve the first XI even with Vidal present. Somehow the ship has steered horribly off course from the original destination.

Replacing arguably the most complete centre midfielder in the world will always be difficult. But doing so in just over a fortnight when virtually no top players are attainable – in the same summer you have lost your inspirational coach - will be impossible. 

Diego Lopez, Kaka and the Milan-Real Madrid transfers of recent years

The two clubs have done plenty of business over the past decade, 

but the Rossoneri have not always come out of it too well

By Kris Voakes | International Football Correspondent

Diego Lopez was unveiled as an AC Milan player on Wednesday, signing on the dotted line to complete his switch from Real Madrid.

The transfer brings to an end a rollercoaster 18 months at the Santiago Bernabeu for the 32-year-old, with the constant politicking behind the scenes for Iker Casillas to regain his spot as number one being a thorn in the former Sevilla goalkeeper's side.

Lopez retained his composure throughout, becoming the first-choice keeper under both Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti to make 62 appearances in his second spell with Madrid.

However, the arrival of Keylor Navas and the expectation of more game time for Casillas led to Lopez being allowed to leave for Milan, with the Rossoneri moving quickly to add to their goalkeeping options. While they have already brought in Michele Agazzi from Chievo this summer, coach Filippo Inzaghi made it known that he felt the need to strengthen the position further.

Lopez joins a long line of players to move between Madrid and Milan of late, with some having far more success than others...

Ronaldo's was the first switch between the two sides in seven years when he called time on his spell at the Bernabeu to join Milan in a €7.5 million move in January 2007. The ace frontman brought with him one of the game's greatest repuations but also a huge burden of expectation for an ageing, injury-laden former force.

Having netted 104 goals in 177 games for Madrid, O Fenomeno was unable to replicate such form with Milan. He scored only nine times under Ancelotti, with a serious injury to his left knee sustained against Livorno in February 2008 hastening his exit from the club after only 20 appearances.


An early end | Ronaldo's injury problems returned to curtail his Milan career
Milan hoped for better luck from the transfer which brought another Brazilian, Emerson, in from the Bernabeu in the summer of 2007. Having already won a Serie A title with Roma in 2001, it was hoped that the durable midfielder would quickly fit into Italian football once more.

However, things didn't quite go to plan, with the European champions beginning to fall by the wayside amidst the weight of old, heavy legs, and Emerson's story was endemic of the decline that was to come in the years to come. After just 27 appearances in two seasons, it was agreed by all parties to terminate the 33-year-old's contract in April 2009.

One player who bucked the trend of swapping Spain for San Siro was Kaka. The Curva Sud hero was sold by Silvio Berlusconi for a near-world record return of €65m in 2009 after turning down the €120m advances of Manchester City five months earlier.

But it was to be another transfer which never quite materialised as many had hoped, with injuries helping to hamper the Sao Paulo product's progress, while the change of surroundings also seemed to have an effect on a player who had become an idol at Milan thanks to his form over a period of years. 


Flop | Kaka's Real Madrid career did not develop as expected
In the same summer that Kaka went one way, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar went the other, joining Milan in a €15m deal. But the Dutchman's performances couldn't earn him a regular starting spot and within a year he would be gone.

Huntelaar struck just seven times in 30 appearances in the red and black shirt, often finding Marco Borriello blocking his path to the No.9 slot in Leonardo's first team alongside Ronaldinho.

Four years after Kaka had made his high-profile move to Madrid, he was back in Italy. The Blancos cut their losses on the Brazilian, allowing him to return to Milanello on a free transfer.

But while Kaka was one of Milan's better players in 2013-14, the club's continued decline saw them miss out on European football and he would sign for Orlando City at the end of the season, with a loan spell at Sao Paulo being arranged to fill his time.

So Diego Lopez follows a mixed bag of signings in making the move between the Spanish capital and Lombardy, and the goalkeeper will be looking to be an improvement compared to the most recent examples.

When he takes to the pitch for the first time in a Milan shirt against Lazio on August 31, he will have the weight of history hanging on his shoulders.

Pep pleads for more time after Dortmund defeat

Bayern Munich "need more time" to prepare for the new Bundesliga season, according to coach Pep Guardiola

The Bavarians kicked off their 2014-15 campaign with a DFL-Supercup showdown with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday evening but goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw Jurgen Klopp's men defeat the reigning German champions in the season-opener for the second year in a row.

Guardiola's starting line-up was devoid of a number of World Cup stars, including Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm and Mario Gotze, but the Catalan accepted his team had performed poorly at Signal Iduna Park and that they need to improve quickly ahead of their first Bundesliga fixture, against Wolfsburg on August 22.

"We played well in the first 15 minutes but then we had a number of problems," the Bayen boss told reporters. "In the second half we retreated too.

"We still need more time to prepare. We tried to play well but we had problems controlling the game. We have to train a lot still."

Hit or miss? Rating the players who moved from Arsenal to Barcelona in the Wenger era

By Ben Hayward | Spanish Football Writer

It's a familiar route. Thomas Vermaelen became the eighth Arsenal player to move to Barcelona during the Arsene Wenger era when he was transferred to the Catalan club late last week.

The Belgium centre-half arrives to provide much-needed cover in central defence, the Blaugrana's problem position in the last few seasons, but first he will have to recover from a hamstring injury he picked up at the World Cup.

The 28-year-old follows Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Thierry Henry, Aliaksandr Hleb, Cesc Fabregas and Alex Song, who have all swapped north London for the Catalan capital over the past 14 years.

Here, Goal takes a look at how all the others fared after moving from Arsenal to Barca ...

MARC OVERMARS - WINGER - €31.2M in 2000

Marc Overmars became the most expensive player in Dutch football history when he moved from Arsenal to Barcelona for a fee of around €31.2m in the summer of 2000.

However, the winger's four seasons at Camp Nou were interrupted by injury and he was unable to replicate the form that had seen him terrorise defences in the Premier League.

Overmars made 141 appearances for the Catalan club and scored 19 goals, but fitness problems affected his form and he eventually retired without winning a trophy for the Blaugrana in 2004.

The former Netherlands winger briefly came out of retirement to play for first club Go Ahead Eagles in 2008-09.

Verdict: Miss

EMMANUEL PETIT - MIDFIELDER - €8.7M in 2000

Emmanuel Petit formed a formidable central midfield partnership with fellow Frenchman Patrick Vieira at Arsenal and moved to Barcelona at the same time as Overmars following three successful seasons in the Premier League.

However, the World Cup winner found his favoured role occupied by club captain Pep Guardiola and was sometimes used in defence by Llorenc Serra Ferrer, revealing in his autobiography that the then Barca boss had no idea what his best position was.

Troubled by niggling injuries and struggling to hold down a first-team spot, Petit was never able to settle at Camp Nou and returned to the Premier League with Chelsea the following season.

In total, he made 38 appearances for Barca and scored just one goal.

Verdict: Miss

GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST - FULL-BACK - €2M in 2004

While Emmanuel Petit was converted from a left-back to a midfielder at Arsenal, Giovanni van Bronckhorst (who was signed by Arsene Wenger to replace the Frenchman in 2001) took the opposite route.

Brought in initially on loan by compatriot Frank Rijkaard in 2004, Van Bronckhorst reverted to a left-back role at Barca and was a hit in the position, proving a steady performer in the side that won two Liga titles, as well as the Champions League, in 2005-06.

In total, the Dutchman spent four seasons at Camp Nou, winning five trophies - and he cost the club just €2m.

Van Bronckhorst scored seven times in 153 appearances for the Catalan club before moving to Feyenoord in 2007.

Verdict: Hit

THIERRY HENRY - STRIKER - €24M in 2007

Thierry Henry could have moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2006 but chose to stay in north London instead after Arsenal lost the Champions League final to the Catalan club in Paris.

The Frenchman's next season was an injury-interrupted campaign, however, and he eventually moved to Camp Nou in the summer of 2007 for a fee of €24m.

Initially disappointing as Frank Rijkaard's flailing side ended up without a trophy in 2007-08, Henry was a big hit in Pep Guardiola's treble-winning team the following season, hitting 26 goals in 42 games.

The next campaign proved complicated due to the emergence of Pedro and the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter, but Henry still played his part as Barca added another Liga title and three more titles.

After 121 games and 49 goals for the Catalan club, Henry joined the New York Red Bulls in 2010.

Verdict: Hit

AALIAKSANDR HLEB - MIDFIELDER - €17M in 2008

Aliaksandr Hleb joined Barcelona ahead of the most successful season in the club's history when he moved from Arsenal for a fee of €15m rising to €17m in the summer of 2008.

But the attacking midfielder was little more than a bit-part player under Pep Guardiola, never settling at Camp Nou and restricted mainly to brief substitute appearances for the Blaugrana.

Hleb featured in the Copa del Rey final as Barca beat Athletic Bilbao, but didn't play in the Champions League final as the Catalans defeated Manchester United.

After making just 36 appearances for Barca, the Belarus midfielder spent the following season on loan at Stuttgart before spells at Birmingham, Wolfsburg, Krylia Sovetov in Russia and BATE Borisov in his homeland. He is now at Konyaspor in Turkey.

Verdict: Miss

CESC FABREGAS - MIDFIELDER - €29M in 2011

When Cesc Fabregas left Barcelona for free as a promising 16-year-old in 2004, it was because he thought he would never be good enough to turn out for his local club.

But Fabregas was a huge hit in north London and returned to Camp Nou as a World Cup winner and European champion in the summer of 2011.

It seemed like a partnership made in heaven and early signs were promising as he linked up brilliantly with Lionel Messi, just as the two had done in the club's youth teams.

In his three seasons at Camp Nou, however, Fabregas never really made any position his own and was even targeted at times by the club's fans for his poor performances and an apparent lack of commitment.

Fabregas failed to live up to expectations and few tears were shed as the midfielder moved to Chelsea earlier this summer after scoring 42 goals and assisting 48 in his 151 games at Barca, where he won six trophies between 2011 and 2014. Despite his decent numbers, he was never quite the success everyone had hoped when he returned as a long-lost son in 2011.

Verdict: Miss

AALEX SONG - MIDFIELDER - €19M in 2012

Bought by former coach Tito Vilanova in 2012 as a player who would supposedly cover both midfield and defence, Barca's move for Alex Song always looked like a strange signing.

And so it proved, as the Cameroonian struggled to adapt in midfield when called upon and proved that he is no centre-half after he was used unsuccessfully in the role during a defensive crisis in 2012-13.

Back in midfield in 2013-14, his inclusion in the side at Rayo Vallecano contributed to Barca losing the possession battle for the first time in 317 games and all of the Catalans' poorest performances seemed to come when he was in the team - perhaps most notably of all the damaging defeat at Real Sociedad in February as Barca's Liga hopes began to deteriorate after they had led the competition for so long.

Song is not part of Luis Enrique's plans for the coming campaign but is yet to find a new club and his latest faux-pas was to injure goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen in training this week. After 65 appearances for Barca, it's time for him to move on.