Juventus interested for Barcelona forward Alexis Sanchez

Juventus general manager Beppe Marotta is not ruling out a summer move for Alexis Sanchez, but acknowledged the Barcelona forward would prove costly.

Italian champions Juventus have been strongly linked with a bid to sign Sanchez, who left Serie A to join Barcelona from Udinese three years ago.

Reports have claimed that Juve have a €20million (£16.3m) deal lined up for the Chile international, but it is dependent upon Antonio Conte remaining as coach.

Conte's future is still be finalised, while Liverpool are also reported to have shown an interest in Sanchez, who opened the scoring in Saturday's title decider against Atletico Madrid.

Marotta appeared to suggest that Juventus would welcome the chance to sign Sanchez, but no decisions on player recruitment will be made until Conte's future is resolved.

"Sanchez is a great player and every top club would like him, so clearly Juventus would also love to have him," Marotta told Sky Italia.

"We must take into account he is also a very expensive player and it must also be seen what he wants.

"Juve are always linked with a lot of players. At the moment, we are waiting to define the situation with the coach, then we will try to look for flexible players."

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Mastour in line for AC Milan debut

Hachim Mastour is set to add his name to the AC Milan record books as he will become the San Siro side's youngest player ever if he makes his first-team debut in the upcoming Serie A match against Sassuolo.

Milan have confirmed on their official website that the gifted attacker has joined first-team training this week at the tender age of 15 years, 10 month and 28 days old.

The Rossoneri take on Sassuolo at the weekend in their last match of the 2013-14 campaign and Milan suggest on their website that there is a realistic chance Mastour will make the squad for Sunday's game at San Siro.

The Italy Under-16 international joined Milan from Reggiana in the summer of 2012 and is regarded as one of the biggest talents around in the game worldwide.

Paolo Maldini currently holds the record for youngest first-team player, having made his debut aged 16 years and 208 days against Udinese on January 20, 1985.

Other youngsters to have made their first-team debut in recent years include Bryan Cristante (16 years and 9 months) and Mattia De Sciglio (18 years and 11 months).

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Serie A Table without referee mistakes

Here is the Serie A Table without  referee mistakes or favorisations

We look here the most favourised is Juventus by 10 points , and the most penalised one is Fiorentina with  7 points or Inter with8 points. Without referee mistakes we would have another Champion.

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Samuel Eto'o: Open on a return to Inter

Chelsea striker Samuel Eto'o says that he would be open to a return to former club Inter Milan when his deal at Stamford Bridge expires.

The 33-year-old penned a one-year contract with the Blues last summer, meaning that he will be a free agent at the end of the season if his deal is not extended.

Eto'o spent two years in Milan where he played under current boss Jose Mourinho and claimed the UEFA Champions League and Serie A title.

The striker, who has netted 10 goals in all competitions since joining Chelsea, refused to rule out the possibility of moving back to the San Siro despite a change in presidency since his time there.

"If (Massimo) Moratti calls me, why not?" he told Sky Sport Italy.

"I know that Inter has a new president (Erick Thohir) but Moratti is still there."

Eto'o netted the opener as Chelsea secured their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to win 3-1 on aggregate.

The game marked the return of Didier Drogba, who left Chelsea in 2012 having scored 157 goals for the club, and Eto'o says that the Ivorian deserved the warm reception he got as the hosts cruised to victory.

"We made the match easy because we scored early," he said.

"I was very happy for Didier Drogba with the welcome of the fans as he achieved so many nice things here. I wish him the very best."

Asked who he would prefer to face in the last eight, Eto'o replied: "Barca, Real or PSG, even if I am Parisian, I will have to defend Chelsea colours and get through."

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Ricky Alvarez: Hoping to stay at Inter Milan for many years

Inter Milan midfielder Ricky Alvarez has declared his desire to remain at the club beyond the end of the season.

Alvarez has been with Inter since the summer of 2011 but speculation has suggested that he could soon be set for a move elsewhere.

The Argentina international admits that anything could happen with his long-term future but he envisages staying at the club for several more years.

His immediate priority, though, is to help Inter finish the campaign strongly and push on from their current position in fifth.

"I am thinking only about ending the season well," he told reporters. "For the rest there is my agent and the club.

"I want to continue playing at Inter and I see myself here for many years, then, in football, you never know."

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Agent : Arsenal made Montolivo enquiry

Arsenal made an enquiry into the availability of AC Milan midfielder Riccardo Montolivio, according to the player's agent, but it would be "very difficult" for the Italy international to leave San Siro.

The Gunners were in the market for midfield cover during the January transfer window, with Kim Kallstrom drafted in from Spartak Moscow after Aaron Ramsey's recovery stalled – though the Swede has yet to play for the north Londoners due to a back injury.

One player that caught Arsene Wenger's eye was Montolivo, says the Italian's representative Giovanni Branchini – though he insists the 29-year-old, also subject to interest from Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, is keen to stay at Milan.

"Milan have had a difficult season so far and I think I can say that Riccardo Montolivo has been one of the brightest notes," Branchini told Calciomercato.

"He became a fixture of the Rossoneri and was even given the captain's armband as proof. He is very happy with the club to which he belongs, and the club and fans are very satisfied with him.

"An extension? He has a contract until June 2016, so it is not a priority to talk about an extension at this time. That's a discussion we'll have, I think, next year.

"Has there been interest from other clubs? There have been tentative enquiries from Atletico Madrid, [Dortmund boss Jurgen] Klopp and Arsenal, to name a few.

"All were trying to ascertain whether the 'path' to Montolivo was feasible. At the moment, however, I feel it would be very difficult for the player to leave Milan, precisely because of what I said before."

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Ancelotti: Madrid don't need Vidal

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that his side do not need to sign Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal.

The Chilean has been linked with a variety of clubs after leading the Bianconeri to two straight Serie A titles, most recently the Liga leaders and their arch rivals Barcelona.

However, Ancelotti has denied that Juve director Beppe Marotta came to visit Madrid's training centre to thrash out a deal for the former Bayer Leverkusen man.

"He came to see the sports centre," he told La Stampa.

"In midfield we won't take anyone. We don't need anyone and [Sami] Khedira will return."

The Italian also voiced his admiration for Paris Saint-Germain star Marco Verratti, but says that too much should not be expected of the youngster.

"He doesn't miss anything. He has personality and isn't afraid, but he shouldn't play because he is young. At Madrid, I have Jese, who is a phenomenon, but we have many champions."

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Tevez: Serie A the most difficult league

Juventus attacker Carlos Tevez feels that Serie A is the most difficult league on a tactical level he has ever played in.

The 30-year-old has a wealth of experience in various divisions across the world, having played for Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham, Man United and Manchester City prior to joining the Bianconeri last summer.

And while Serie A no longer attracts the biggest names in world football as it did during the 1990s and much of the early-2000s, Tevez believes tactically the league is unrivalled.

"Of all the championships in which I have played, the Italian league is definitely the most difficult and tactical," he told the club's official website.

Tevez then went on to stress that he's not surprised by Juventus' fine run of form in Serie A this term.

"We all know that we have the potential on and off the field. We are a strong team and we are very hard to be beat when we play together.

"Juventus are a great club. You realise how big Juve are when you see how all the teams are desperate to beat us."

Tevez has netted 15 goals in 26 Serie A appearances since joining the club from City in the summer of 2013.

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Montolivo: Milan deserved more against Juventus

Riccardo Montolivo feels AC Milan deserved at least a draw in Sunday's Serie A encounter against Juventus and has urged his team-mates to show more of the same in the weeks to come, regardless of their 2-0 loss against the reigning champions.

Clarence Seedorf's charges applied themselves well in the first half at San Siro and saw the likes of Kaka, Montolivo and Andrea Poli come close to breaking the deadlock, but Juventus dealt a hammer blow to the hosts shortly before half-time when Fernando Llorente tapped home and the visitors cemented their position on 68 minutes with a stunning strike from Carlos Tevez.

Nevertheless, Montolivo felt Milan were unfortunate to lose the game and believes that the players can take pride in the way they acquitted themselves against the defending champions.

"It's disappointing to talk about the loss after such a good performance," he told the club's official website.

"We deserved to take the lead in the first half and we went in at half-time a goal down. It's very tough but we have to keep on this road that we're on with this attitude and this desire to play the game.

"We need continuity and that's what we're looking for. If we don't win then it's obvious we have to improve.

"I think that in the big games the performances have always been there. We have to improve in certain situations where Juve punished us but today we showed good intensity and balance.

"We dropped a bit in the second half but it's tough to talk about a loss when we deserved a different result."

The setback leaves Milan in 10th position in Serie A with 35 points, 17 adrift of a Champions League spot.

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Balotelli: It is my duty to lead Milan

Mario Balotelli says it is his "duty" to lead AC Milan after his wonder goal earned a 1-0 victory over Serie A strugglers Bologna.

In a match devoid of clear-cut chances, the Italy international wowed the home fans at San Siro with a stunning 35-yard effort that flew into the top corner in the 86th minute.

"I looked at the goalkeeper and saw he was a little off his line, so I hit it with full force and fortunately it went in," Balotelli told Sky Sport Italia.

"It's a good goal. The coach gives me confidence, as I am the one who has to pull the team forward and therefore it's my duty to score these goals.

"It wasn't a great game tonight, anything but."

The result was harsh on a Bologna side who had limited the hosts in front of goal for the majority of the match, and had chances of their own to claim the points through Jonathan Cristaldo and Lazaros Christodoulopoulos.

Milan lifted themselves into the top half of the table with the victory and now face Atletico Madrid in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

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Seedorf: Essien needs time at Milan

Clarence Seedorf has urged AC Milan fans to be patient with Michael Essien as he says the Ghanaian midfielder needs time to adapt to his new surroundings.

The 30-year-old joined Milan from Chelsea in the January transfer window, but was kept on the bench for the full 90 minutes in his new side's 1-1 draw against Torino last week.

Nevertheless, the Rossoneri coach is confident that Essien will prove to be a shrewd signing and has hinted he could make his debut in Saturday's away game against Napoli.

"Essien needs time to settle in at his new club, but he remains a champion," the Dutchman said at a press conference.

"He could feature against Napoli this weekend."

Seedorf also stressed that he is determined to get the best out of Adel Taarabt, another new arrival at San Siro.

"I don't care about Taarabt's past. He is an incredibly talented player and we will make sure we do everything needed to get the best out of him," he continued.

"He is feeling very well and there's a chance that he will start against Napoli."

The Milan coach also briefly had his say on Mario Balotelli and Giampaolo Pazzini and insisted that both strikers can flourish alongside each other.

"Will Balotelli and Pazzini start alongside each other against Napoli? Who knows, anything is possible," he said.

"They are definitely capable of playing together."

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Conte: Osvaldo accepted pay-cut to join Juventus

Antonio Conte has revealed that Pablo Osvaldo accepted a significant pay-cut to secure his move from Southampton to Juventus.

The Italy international joined Juve on loan until the end of the season on deadline day of the transfer window, after a training ground bust-up with Jose Fonte saw the club suspend him for two weeks.

And Conte has now revealed the full extent of Osvaldo's desire to move to Turin and is hoping the Italy international will bring variety to his attacking options.

"We grabbed an opportunity to sign him," Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

"The player really wanted to come to Juventus and actually significantly reduced his demands to secure the move.

"He’ll improve the quality of our attack and offer important competition to those already here."

The 28-year-old had only joined Southampton from Roma at the start of the 2013-14 campaign, but scored just three times in 13 league appearances.

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Seedorf : Milan searching for consistency

AC Milan coach Clarence Seedorf wants his side to keep building consistency after getting two wins from his two Serie A games in charge.

The Dutchman took the reins at San Siro following the sacking of Massimiliano Allegri, with the Rossoneri well down the table following a poor start to the season.

However, Seedorf has been impressed with the attitude his players have shown and believes the team's progress will soon start to show.

"It's important to take it day by day," he told reporters on Friday.

"I see enthusiasm and willingness in the team to learn and improve. All the ingredients are there to be able to grow and improve.

"We now need to find a consistency in both our results and our play. It will be nice to get back to San Siro in front of our fans, who have always supported us even through times of difficulty."

Milan face Torino on Saturday at San Siro and though Seedorf is full of admiration for Giampiero Ventura's men's style of play, he is confident that they can deal with the threat they pose.

"We have analysed their team and we are trying to prepare how best to deal with what they have to offer," he said.

"We're also working on our strengths then we'll just see which team plays better.

"I've always liked Ventura's teams. They always have lots of possession. They are having a great season.

"Torino are a very pragmatic team so we need to have a very clear idea of what we want to do in the game."

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Alvarez : Hernanes can make the difference for us

Inter midfielder Ricky Alvarez has hailed the arrival of Hernanes from Lazio, backing the Brazilian to be an instant hit at the Giuseppe Meazza.

The Brazilian joined on deadline day in a €20 million deal, and Alvarez believes the 28-year-old will bring qualities that will make a big difference to Walter Mazzari's side.

"He's a great player, he can play in many roles in midfield. He's someone who could make a difference in any team," he told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

Inter face runaway Serie A leaders Juventus on Sunday looking to repeat their famous 3-1 victory in November 2012 which brought the Bianconeri's 49-game unbeaten run to an end.

While Alvarez admits his side have undergone significant changes since that victory, he maintains Inter are far closer to Juventus' standard than the current 23-point gap in the Serie A standings suggests.

"I don't think so [that the gap is significant]. They've played together for three years. We have changed coaches and changed systems. We are at the beginning of a project that can give us great satisfaction.

"That match [in 2012] was one of the best in recent years, but it belongs in the past. The situation is different now, although that game should serve to give us conviction. After that, it depends on us and what we do out on the pitch.

"It'll be a great game. Many factors affect the result. Of course, we have to leave the pitch having given everything."

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Hernanes eyes titles with Inter

Hernanes is targeting a renaissance for the blue half of Milan after sealing his move to Inter.

The Brazil international joined the Nerazzurri from Lazio on deadline day for a fee of around €20 million, ending a four-year spell in the capital.

And the 28-year-old has already set his sights on ending a three-year trophy drought at Inter, who are without a major title since claiming the Coppa Italia in 2011.

"I'm very happy to be here, to be part of Inter,” Hernanes told Sky Italia.

“I expect a challenge and I am ready. [My dream] is to do well, the image I have of Inter a team that has won everything and I hope to help them back to that level."

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Arsenal ready to fight Juventus for €14m French winger

French newspaper La Parisien have suggested that Arsenal are keen on bringing Paris Saint Germain winger-cum-forward Jeremy Menez to the the Emirates and are willing to fight Juventus for his services.

Serie A giants Juventus were heavily linked with a move for the 26-year-old, but it seems they could face a tough competition from the North London club.

Menez joined PSG in 2011, but has struggled to create a big impression, and this season, he has played a peripheral role only, managing five games thus far.

The Gunners have yet to sign any player in the winter transfer window though Arsene Wenger insisted they would only go for a top quality player, available in the market. Arsenal are also linked with a move for Schalke’s Julian Draxler but it seems like a deal in January is highly unlikely.

The league leaders are in desperate need of a quality striker, but Wenger feels that the club won’t get their first choice striker targets in January, hence the focus could shifted elsewhere.

Though it is clear how much the French giants could ask for Menez, but a bid around €14m would be enough to prise him away.

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Arsenal eye loan deal for Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic

Arsenal are hoping to persuade Juventus to allow them to take striker Mirko Vucinic on loan until the end of the season to strengthen their pursuit of the Premier League title.
Arsène Wenger’s side stayed top of the table on Saturday as Santi Cazorla’s two goals gave them a 2-0 victory against Fulham at the Emirates Stadium.

Wenger, though, is acutely aware that his striking options are limited. It is understood that Juventus are prepared to allow Vucinic to leave in this transfer window but only if they can agree a permanent deal for the 30-year-old Montenegrin forward. Juventus have quoted a fee of £8.2 million in talks with Arsenal chief transfer negotiator Dick Law. Arsenal would prefer not to agree a permanent deal but talks are ongoing.

Vucinic is keen to leave and would like to join Arsenal after the arrival of Carlos Tévez and Fernando Llorente, who have forged an impressive partnership at the Italian club. Tottenham Hotspur have also been linked with a loan move for Vucinic.

Wenger on Saturday night that he was not “especially interested” in Vucinic when asked whether Arsenal were planning to meet the player’s agent this weekend. “We are looking at potential possibilities for us to get somebody in.” On whether a meeting was planned, he said: “Some people have visual capacities that I don’t have.” He added: “We are not on any special case. I would love to announce you something special.”

Wenger is keen to strengthen his strike force with Arsenal overly reliant on Olivier Giroud, particularly now that injuries have ruled out Nicklas Bendtner in the short term and Theo Walcott for the rest of the season.

However, he would prefer to make a more permanent move for his main targets, which include Porto’s Jackson Martínez, in the summer and secure a loan deal for the rest of the campaign.

Porto are insistent that they will not allow Martínez to go in this window and Arsenal have been given a similar response from German club Schalke over their highly rated 20-year-old attacking midfielder Julian Draxler, who has a £37 million buy-out clause in his contract. Real Madrid have also resisted attempts from Arsenal to bring in Spain under-21 striker Álvaro Morata.

Meanwhile, it is understood that Andries Jonker, the assistant manager of German club Wolfsburg, is the favourite to succeed Liam Brady, who is stepping down as head of Arsenal’s youth academy.

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Talks ongoing – Arsenal still interested in €12m Juventus striker

Arsenal manager finally insisted he is looking to bolstering the squad but hasn’t found the right type of player yet. Nicklas Bendtner and Yaya Sanogo both will resume training next week, but Wenger insisted he is still in the market for a striker.

Mirko Vucinic Juventus 2013 2916398 Talks ongoing   Arsenal still interested in €12m Juventus striker

Wenger understands that he will not be able to get permanent moves for the first choice targets in January, hence is looking for loan moves only.

Arsenal were linked with a move for Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic. The Old Lady are willing to sell the Montenegro international, but are not interested to loan him, while luring Julian Draxler at the moment is not possible too.

According to The Mirror, Wenger has claimed that he is not especially interested” in Vucinic, but Italian website TMW are claiming that talks are going on between both the parties.

According to the reports, there was a meeting on Friday between the player’s agent, Alessandro Lucci, and Arsenal over a possible move for Vucinic.

As we reported earlier, Arsenal are thought to be interested in getting the 30-year-old on loan, but the Bianconeri are demanding €12m for the striker. The player’s agent will be in London today to hold further talks.

Vucinic has made only four league starts this season and has dropped down the pecking orders at the club behind Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente.

He would be more than willing to join a club like Arsenal as he would be targeting few games under his belt. The Gunners are also rumoured to be interested in Juventus striker Giovinvo but the player’s agent has ruled out such possibilities.

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Arsenal Star Set For Exit in January

Arsenal have yet to sign any player in the winter transfer window, though manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that the squad may require reinforcement, especially in the strike department.

The Gunners are top of the league at the moment and there is a genuine hope that they can go all the way to seal the Premier League title. The squad seems a happy bunch, while Wenger has spoken about the need to solve the contract problems of few players as well.

However, the case of Thomas Vermaelen is intricate. The Arsenal skipper has dropped down the pecking order at the club behind Per Mertesacker and Koscielny, and in order to boost his World Cup chances, he needs regular games under his belt regularly.

Wenger understands that too, but he simply cannot break the defensive partnership, under any normal circumstances to incorporate him in the starting line-up. Also, Vermaelen is too good a player to warm the bench week-in-week out, although he is injured at the moment.

According to reports in Italy, Napoli are targeting to land the frustrated Belgian in the January transfer window.

Napoli boss Rafael Benitez is keen to find a solution to the fragile defence and have targeted Vermaelen as the right man to do the job for him.

Il Mattino reports that Vermaelen has agreed in principle to join the Naples club, but the two clubs are yet to come to an agreement on the fees. Also, Napoli are quite short of Arsenal’s valuation for the defender.

Napoli have already put in a bid for the defender, which was rejected but sporting director Riccardo Bigon is looking to follow up with a better bid.

The ideal situation for Vermaelen would be to go out on loan for the rest of the season, with Napoli given the option to sign him permanently next summer.

Should Arsenal allow Vermaelen to join Napoli? 

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Man Utd set for €20m summer transfer battle for Roma star

Manchester United are said to be preparing for a summer transfer auction over Bosnian midfielder Miralem Pjanic, despite the player being set to sign a contract extension with Serie A side Roma.

Pjanic, 23, is said to be close to penning a new deal with the Giallorossi, but Italian newspaper ‘Il Tempo‘ still predicts a summer auction for the player.

PSG, Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid are all said to be gearing up for war over Pjanic, despite reports that the Roma man is close to extending his contract, in a deal worth €3.2m a year plus bonuses.

The player is reportedly in such high demand that an improved contract will not deter Europe’s biggest sides from continuing their pursuit.

With Manchester United boss David Moyes evidently on the lookout for midfield additions this month, there can be no real surprise that Pjanic found his way onto the United transfer agenda.

Versatile, a strong passer, and with a good footballing brain, the young midfielder could be an excellent addition to the United squad, if they can secure him ahead of the formidable competition.

What do you think? Should Manchester United continue to chase Pjanic? Let us know in the comments below…

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