Henrikh Mkhitaryan has signed a permanent deal with Roma after terminating his contract with Arsenal by mutual consent.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored nine goals in 22 Serie A appearances while on loan at Roma last season

The 31-year-old Armenia midfielder spent last season on loan with the Italian side, scoring nine goals in 22 Serie A appearances as Roma secured a fifth-place finish.

Mkhitaryan, whose Arsenal contract had been set to expire in the summer of 2021, joined the north London club in 2018 in a swap-deal with Manchester United for Alexis Sanchez.

“Everyone at Arsenal thanks Micki for his contribution to the club and wishes him all the best for his future with Roma,” Arsenal said in a club statement.

Mkhitaryan joined Arsenal from Manchester United in 2018

Mkhitaryan leaves Arsenal having scored nine goals in 59 appearances, and could be one of several players to depart the Emirates this summer as Mikel Arteta aims to refresh his squad.

Arsenal beat Liverpool on penalties to win the Community Shield on Saturday, and begin the new Premier League season away to Fulham on September 12.

Mkhitaryan becomes Roma’s second signing from the Premier League this summer, with Chelsea winger Pedro also having moved to the Italian capital.

Source – Sky Sports

David Silva has tested positive for coronavirus, his new club Real Sociedad have confirmed.

David Silva has returned a positive test for COVID-19, following his move on a free transfer to Real Sociedad

The 34-year-old recently returned to La Liga, on a two-year deal at the club, as a free agent following the expiry of his contract at Manchester City.

Sociedad have confirmed that the midfielder is currently not displaying any symptoms of the disease and is self-isolating.

Real Sociedad tweeted: “Real Sociedad informs that @21LVA [David Silva] has tested positive for COVID-19 in the test carried out at Policlinica Gipuzkoa. The player is asymptomatic and is self-isolating.”

Silva had earlier been unveiled by La Real and the former Valencia playmaker said at the press conference he was targeting more silverware after returning to Spain.

At City, Silva won four Premier League titles and was a part of seven domestic cup wins, not including Community Shields. He was also a part of the Spain national sides that won two European Championships and the World Cup between 2008 and 2012.

“The team is playing some great football and I hope to add to that here and have some great years at the club,” Silva said.

“I have high expectations in terms of the football we’ll be playing and I think we can compete for silverware.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win a lot of things in my career. I’m very competitive and I’m going to try and do the same here because that’s why I’ve been brought in.”

Silva, for so long a part of City’s as yet unrequited quest for Champions League glory, will play in the Europa League next season courtesy of Sociedad’s sixth-placed finish in LaLiga, and that is a prospect he is relishing.

He said: “Of course, after so many years of playing in Europe, you want to continue doing that. I also came because I like the style of football the team plays.”

Source – Sky Sports

The Argentine superstar’s mind is set on leaving Camp Nou – and it is probable that he joins up with old ally Pep Guardiola, according to Toni Freixa.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona this summer and is “likely” to move to Manchester City, according to presidential candidate Toni Freixa.

There had been speculation that the Argentine, who stunned the footballing world by handing in a transfer request at the club last week, might change his mind if current president Josip Maria Bartomeu quit his role, but according to one of the men gunning to take the position, that will not be the case.

Pep Guardiola’s side are presently leading the chase for the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, who believes he has a clause in his contract eligible to allow him to leave on a free transfer, despite La Liga ruling otherwise.

Man City face competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Inter for the superstar’s signature – the race for which is set to hot up in light of the Freixa’s words and the news that Messi did not show for training on Monday.

“As I have heard from several sides, the decision the player has come to is one that has matured over several years and is irrevocable. I don’t believe that there is any going back,” he told Goal.

Freixa explained that the 33-year-old’s desire to leave is driven by the fact that Barcelona have fallen from their pedestal as one of Europe’s leading sides.

Not only did they surrender their Primera Division title to Real Madrid in a limp fashion after the suspension of play due to coronavirus, but they embarrassed themselves on the Champions League stage as they suffered a humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich.

Furthermore, reports suggest new coach Ronald Koeman has not endeared himself to the players by freezing long-time team-mate Luis Suarez out of his plans.

“Messi is a player who strives for maximum success,” Freixa explained. “He alone cannot achieve maximum success, he needs a team for that. He does not have one. Since the treble in 2015, Champions League success is missing. That is what concerns him. His decision is due to the negative sporting development of the team in recent years.”

It is probable that Messi winds up reuniting with former Barca coach Guardiola in England.

“I think a move to Man City is likely,” Freixa said. “With Pep, Messi experienced his most brilliant years in Barcelona. It would only be logical if both of them worked together again. City, like almost all English clubs, also has the financial means to build a team that can win anything.”

He sees this crossroads, however, as an opportunity for Barcelona to move forward into a new era.

“In life everything comes to an end at some point, and even if there will no longer be a player like Messi, his departure would be a chance for Barca to develop into a team that is less dependent on a single player,” he said.

“Messi’s influence on Barca’s game has been immense in recent years. The style of play was designed to give him the ball and hope that he would do something magical with it. Without him, the collective would be more in demand again. That can also be liberating.”

Messi is Barca’s record goal scorer, having found the net for the club 634 times in 731 outings.

Source – Goal.com

The 38-year-old is reportedly set to earn around €7 million (£6m/$8m) over the course of the deal after shining in Serie A last season.

Photo by Getty Images

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has ended speculation linking him with a move away from AC Milan by signing a new one-year contract.

It has been reported the new deal, which will keep the 38-year-old at San Siro until the summer of 2021, will earn him around €7 million (£6m/$8m).

“AC Milan is pleased to announce that it has reached an agreement for the contract renewal of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, extending the partnership with the Rossoneri Club until 30 June 2021,” the club said in a statement.

The news comes as a boost for Milan, with the club looking to continue their recent resurgence under Stefano Pioli.

Milan rose to sixth with a stunning run of form which saw them win nine and draw three of their last 12 Serie A games, having floundered in mid-table for much of the season before that point.

Ibrahimovic’s role in their improvement was clear. The Rossoneri lost just twice in the league after his arrival from the LA Galaxy in January, as he scored 10 goals and provided five assists in 18 league appearances.

He had scored 53 goals in 58 appearances during his two seasons in MLS before opting to return to Milan after previously featuring for the club from 2010-12.

That form meant Milan were desperate to keep him, but uncertainty around the club meant that when the squad returned to training ahead of the new season, Ibrahimovic wasn’t among the group.

He had been waiting for a definite agreement over his contract, and will now return to training with the rest of the squad.

Ibrahimovic was reported to be likely to leave the club if Milan had gone ahead with plans to replace Pioli with former RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season, but the club’s eventual U-turn – with Pioli instead receiving a new contract of his own – apparently helped convince the striker to stay.

Milan have already seen the likes of Suso, Pepe Reina, Lucas Biglia, Ricardo Rodriguez and Giacamo Bonaventura depart the club this summer.

The Italian side will begin their Europa League campaign on September 17 with AC Milan set to visit Shamrock Rovers as part of the competition’s second qualifying round.

Source – Goal.com

Bruno Fernandes says Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo is always interested in the latest developments at Manchester United.

Portugal team-mates Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo both joined Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon

Ronaldo arrived at United from Sporting Lisbon for around £12m as an 18-year-old in the summer of 2003.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner spent six trophy-laden years at Old Trafford – scoring 118 goals in 292 appearances – before joining Real Madrid for a then world-record transfer fee in 2009.

Ronaldo won the Premier League three times with United

United midfielder Fernandes, who also left Sporting in a £46.6m deal in January, revealed the two Portugal team-mates speak regularly about life in Manchester.

When asked whether he discussed the transfer with Ronaldo, Fernandes told the club’s official website: “I spoke with him after, not before. I said before – Manchester, for me, was the dream team.

“I always wanted to play for this team and it doesn’t matter who can talk about it – bad or good, I will come.

Fernandes scored 12 goals in 22 games for United last season

“It was my dream to play in the Premier League,” he added. “I have the choice to come to Manchester United and it was two dreams in one. It was perfect.

“Of course, I spoke with Cristiano after and he spoke very well about the club. I spoke with him some days ago, again.

“Every time I speak with him, he asks me how Manchester is and if everything is okay. Everyone knows he spent a lot of time in Manchester and he has consideration for the club. He likes the club, I think he won his first Ballon d’Or here, so it’s a club who’ve marked him, for sure.”

Henderson signs six-year Man Utd deal

Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson has signed a new six-year contract with the club – and will compete with David de Gea next season for the number one jersey at Old Trafford.

The deal, confirmed on Wednesday, will see the 23-year-old earning up to £120,000 a week – making him one of the best paid goalkeepers in world football.

Henderson, who has been named in the latest England squad, is not expected to go out on loan for another spell away from Old Trafford – despite up to seven Premier League teams being keen to borrow him.

Source – Sky Sports

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has tested positive for coronavirus, says France manager Didier Deschamps.

World Cup winning midfielder Paul Pogba is Manchester United’s record signing at £89m

He will miss France’s Nations League game in Sweden on Saturday, 5 September and the home game against Croatia three days later.

However, Pogba could be eligible for selection for United’s Premier League opener against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on 19 September.

His club said: “Everybody at United wishes Paul a speedy recovery ahead of the new season.”

Pogba will be replaced in the France squad by 17-year-old Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

“I’ve completed, at the very last minute, a change in the list,” Deschamps said on Thursday.

“Paul Pogba, who was previously on the list, unfortunately for him he carried out a test yesterday which was returned as positive this morning.”

Source – BBC News

The Austrian defender went straight to his beaten opponent rather than celebrating with team-mates when the full-time whistle sounded.

Photo by Getty

Bayern Munich defender David Alaba has explained why he rushed to console Neymar after the Champions League final.

While his team-mates sunk to the ground or sprinted off in celebration, Alaba went straight to his beaten opponent at the full-time whistle after a 1-0 win.

Neymar had chances to score for PSG, denied more than once by Manuel Neuer, and he made little attempt to disguise his disappointment after the game.

Alaba was applauded for his sportsmanship in the moment, and he said he recognised the burden Neymar carried as one of his side’s star players.

“It turned out that way. He’s a player who has a lot of pressure on his shoulders, who carries a large burden, who carries the whole club,” Alaba said on the FC Bayern Podcast.

Alaba said it wasn’t just the way Neymar played, but the fact he does so with a smile on his face. “That’s important,” he added. “We all love these athletes.”

As gracious in victory as Alaba may have been, Neymar didn’t quite manage to repay the favour, mistakenly congratulating ‘Bayer’ – perhaps confusing the Bavarians with Bayer Leverkusen – as the dust settled.

It didn’t dull the Bayern celebrations. After already lifting the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, Alaba said the feeling of completing the treble was one “which cannot be described. We are very happy and grateful that we can celebrate this triumph.”

Alaba’s suggestion that Neymar carried PSG – particularly with Kylian Mbappe putting in a disappointing performance on the night – perhaps rang true with PSG boss Thomas Tuchel, who bemoaned his side’s reliance on their key men.

“We’ve lacked efficiency,” Tuchel told RMC Sport after the game. “We want Kylian and Neymar to score all the time. I’m proud because Ney had another amazing game. He showed his abilities, his mentality.

The Uruguayan is seen as a genuine option by the Serie A giants as they look reinforce up front.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Luiz Suarez could be playing for Juventus next season with Andrea Pirlo’s side considering a move for the Barcelona outcast.

Goal can confirm that Suarez has been offered to the reigning Serie A champions after seemingly being shown the door at Camp Nou.

Juventus are in the market for another striker with new manager Pirlo recently confirming the departure of Gonzalo Higuain.

Suarez, now 33, has never played in Serie A before and moved to Barcelona from Liverpool in 2014 having first turned heads while playing in the Eredivisie for Ajax.

Following the appointment of Ronald Koeman as the Catalans’ new manager, Suarez was left off the Dutchman’s list of names that were seen as vital to the future of the club with the forward quickly pleading for clarity from club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

“There is talk of some names that the president gave, of changes that can be made, but nobody told me that they want to do without me,” Suarez said in an interview with El Pais.

“If this is the desire of the club, it would be good if the person in charge speaks directly to me. I’ve been at Barca for six years, enough time to say what they think. It’s better to tell me if I am one of the ones that they want out. It remains to be seen.

“I also want the best for the club and my plan today is to continue, but if the club thinks that I am expendable, I have no problem speaking with those who decide.

“[I want to stay], as long as I am counted on, I want to continue contributing as much as I can. I have felt the support of the fans since I arrived and that also gives me a lot of strength to continue.”

With Lionel Messi recently revealing his desire to leave Barcelona, Suarez could find himself lining up alongside Cristiano Ronaldo instead next season if the Uruguay international seals a move to Juventus.

The Bianconeri are set to further investigate a possible move for Suarez in the coming days with initial signs suggesting the Serie A side are open to a transfer.

As speculation swirls about Suarez’s future, the striker has come out and declared he will speak for himself when the time is right to provide clarity on what is next for him.

Source – Goal.com

The 23-year-old left-back has signed a five-year contract with the Blues

Photo by Goal

Chelsea have completed the signing of Ben Chilwell from Leicester City in a deal worth £50 million ($66m), the club confirmed on Wednesday.

The left-back has signed a five-year contract with Frank Lampard’s team after they reached an agreement with the Foxes this week.

“I am delighted to be joining Chelsea at this very exciting time for the club,” Chilwell told the club’s website.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of this young, dynamic squad led by Frank Lampard as we challenge for honours next season. I can’t wait to get started and hopefully it won’t be long before we’re playing in front of the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge.”

Chilwell came through Leicester’s youth academy to become a key player for the senior team, making 123 appearances and helping them to win the Premier League title in 2016.

“We are very pleased to have completed our third addition to our exciting squad for the coming season,” director Marina Granovskaia said.

“Ben brings plenty of top-level experience playing in the Premier League, Champions League and at international level, despite his young age.

“We are confident Ben will adapt very quickly to being a Chelsea player and with the fixture programme for 2020/21 especially busy, he is a fantastic addition to the squad needed to challenge for honours.”

He is the latest addition in what has been a busy summer for the Blues, who had already landed Timo Werner from RB Leipzig and Hakim Ziyech from Ajax.

Further additions are expected as the Stamford Bridge outfit made progress in their pursuit of Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Kai Havertz this week, having agreed to match the Bundesliga team’s £90m ($118m) asking price.

They are also set to announce the signing of 21-year-old defender Malang Sarr for free after his contract with Nice expired at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

Source – Goal.com

The Premier League giants have the pulling power to sign Argentina superstar after he revealed his shock decision to quit Barcelona.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Manchester City have made no secret of their desire to sign Lionel Messi in the past, so when the Barcelona legend served his notice to cut ties with the club , a move to the Etihad Stadium was understandably mooted.

Signing the best player in the world is far from straightforward, however, and there is a lot that needs to happen before Messi sets foot in east Manchester.

City have always felt confident that they would be well-placed to have the pulling power to attract Barca’s record goalscorer were he to ever decide to quit Camp Nou.

That position could now be tested.

In coach Pep Guardiola, City have the man who brought out the very best in the forward, building a team around Messi that delivered two Champions League titles.

It is understood that  Guardiola and Messi have spoken in recent days , with the pair still enjoying a strong relationship.

The Premier League outfit also have a football project to attract the interest of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, with a host of elite players such as Kevin De Bruyne and Messi’s close friend Sergio Aguero also desperate for the Champions League trophy.

City have always been hugely respectful of Messi and have never agitated to get him away from Catalunya, even when he appeared to be on the brink of leaving in previous years.

“He is a player from Barcelona and he will stay there, that’s my wish for him to stay there,” Guardiola said just six months ago.  “I’m not going to talk about players playing for other clubs. I think he will finish his career there, that’s my wish.”

But a move to City has never appeared more possible, even if there is a long way to go before it can actually become a reality.

Messi’s unhappiness is clear. A dismal season that saw Barca lose out on the Liga title to bitter rivals Real Madrid was made worse by their humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Head coach Quique Setien was sacked and replaced with Ronald Koeman, but that was not enough to placate the 33-year-old, who sent a Burofax confirming his desire to leave.

There are some that claim the move is high-risk power play to have Josep Maria Bartomeu removed from his role as president.

Rival candidate Victor Font told Onda Cero : “If there is any option for Messi to stay, no matter how small, it goes through the resignation of Bartomeu.”

And City have been here before, not least in 2016 when they crunched the numbers over a possible deal when it looked like Messi could quit over tax investigations by the Spanish authorities , only for him to stay put.

Sources in Spain insist that there is virtually no turning back for Messi this time and that he has made up his mind to leave the club.

At 33, he cannot afford to waste a season on rebuilding a team that needs serious surgery after the way it was embarrassed by treble-winning Bayern.

City would face plenty of competition for Messi’s signature, with Paris Saint-Germain likely to be interested; the forward enjoyed a good relationship on and off the field with Neymar  during their time together at Camp Nou.

Serie A giants Inter would also consider a move while Italian champions Juventus could potentially set up a dream team with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The manner of his departure is further complicated by the exit clause that Messi is trying to activate.

Messi wants to use a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for free, but Barca insist he still has a €700 million (£630m/$825m) release clause, which runs until 2021.

It is a contentious issue exacerbated by the uncertainty surrounding the end of an extended season following the Covid-19 shutdown that has the potential to get messy if an agreement cannot be reached either with the player or his next club.

Barca are interested in a number of City players and made young defender and former La Masia player Eric Garcia their top summer target.

Despite the hurdles, it would be difficult for City to turn their back on one of the greatest players of his generation and, for some, the best player ever.

He may be getting older, but he is still leading the line and winning games by himself for a side lacking confidence post-lockdown.

“Messi is the best player in the world. If one day he wants to come to City, we would open the doors wide for him,” City chief executive Ferran Soriano said in 2016.

The door may be open, but getting him to walk through it will not be as easy as some people think.

Source – Goal.com