Football news

20 July 2014 12:35

On-loan Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Christoph Kramer has revealed that he is in talks with Serie A club Napoli.

The 23-year-old Germany international has emerged as a target for Rafael Benitez’s side and confirmed he has been in contact with the Naples outfit.

Kramer, who started the World Cup final against Argentina but had to come off with concussion, has hinted that he would welcome the opportunity to play under Benitez, but it remains to be seen if a move can be sealed.

He told Bild: “Am I in contact with Napoli? Yes, I am talking to Napoli.

“It’s a very interesting offer, above all because they have a great coach. I cannot add any more at this moment.”

Kramer joined Borussia on a two-year loan deal from Bayer Leverkusen 12 months ago and enjoyed an impressive first season at the club.

20 July 2014 12:28

Juventus director Pavel Nedved has insisted that the Turin giants have no intention of selling Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba.

Former Juve coach Antonio Conte walked out on the Italian champions this week, with reports suggesting he was unhappy with a lack of transfer activity.

Conte was also said to be concerned by talk of Vidal potentially joining Manchester United, while fellow midfielder Pogba has also been linked with a big-money move ahead of the new season.

Juve legend Nedved has set the record straight, though, stating that the club plan to keep hold of their sought-after players and will only sell if they receive offers they are unable to refuse.

He said: “Anyone who thinks Antonio Conte resigned due to the transfer strategy is wrong. Our plan is clear: we want to keep all our best players, including Vidal and Pogba.

“We don’t want to sell anyone, especially not Vidal. Of course, if a particularly high offer arrived then we’d have to think about it, but we don’t want to sell our champions.

“We want to be competitive in the Champions League and the only sales will be players who are not part of our plans.”

20 July 2014 12:25

Harry Redknapp is adamant that QPR midfielder Joey Barton has all the necessary qualities to succeed as a manager when he hangs up his boots.

Barton is a reformed character after the much-publicised incidents that dogged his early career and is preparing for life back in the Premier League after helping QPR clinch promotion via the Championship play-offs in May.

At 31 and with over 300 games under his belt, Barton’s experience is likely to be crucial if the Loftus Road club are to stay in the top flight.

Regardless of what happens next season, QPR boss Redknapp is sure that Barton’s attitude and application makes him an ideal candidate to make a go of it in the dugout after he retires from playing.

“I think he’s a manager in the making,” Redknapp told the Daily Star.

“He’s got a great knowledge of the game. He is a real student of football.

“He wants to talk about it and he did a great job here last season. He was an inspiration late on. I felt he dragged us through games at times.

“Before I met Joey I didn’t know him and like everyone you only know what you read and hear.

“Once you come and work with him and see what a fantastic trainer he is and how good he is on the training ground, I could not have asked for more.

“I think he will be a big influence this year.”

20 July 2014 12:01

Swansea City manager Garry Monk has played down Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Minnesota United, insisting his pre-season planning will pay off.

By Monk’s admission, Swansea were second best against Minnesota, but he thinks the gruelling two-week training camp in the United States will toughen his players up for the rigours of another Premier League season.

Monk is overseeing is first pre-season as a manager and is enjoying making his mark.

“Without taking anything away from Minnesota because they deserved the victory, our energy levels just weren’t there,” Monk told the club’s official website.

“But while we always want to win because winning breeds confidence, we can’t let the result detract from a very successful two weeks for the boys.

“They have worked extremely hard and the level we are at is very good because of that training.

“But perhaps the 90 minutes [against Minnesota] was a bit too much because of the work we’ve been doing.

“I’ve been very hard on them and that showed.

“The key thing is that the players will feel the benefits when they return to training next week.

“I’ve really enjoyed the training and putting them through their paces.

“I’ve been very hard on them and enjoyed seeing them sweat. The boys know that if they hurt now and they get through the tough periods then they’ll be fitter for it and in a better place to go into the season.”

20 July 2014 10:47

Chelsea assistant first-team coach Steve Holland has denied reports that striker Romelu Lukaku is on the verge of leaving the club.

The Belgium forward spent last season on loan at Everton – where he scored 15 goals in 31 Premier League appearances – following a successful spell at West Brom the previous campaign.

Lukaku has been linked with a return to Goodison Park, while Tottenham and Bundesliga club Wolfsburg are also said to be eager to sign the 21-year-old.

Holland does not expect the former Anderlecht man to be on the move in the near future, though.

“The plan is that he will join up with us at some stage during the second [pre-season] week when we are in Holland,” he said.

When pressed as to whether Lukaku will not be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge before he is due to head to Netherlands on tour, Holland stated: “That’s the situation as I understand it.”

Marco van Ginkel took another step closer to a return to full fitness by playing in a 3-2 friendly win over AFC Wimbledon on Saturday and Holland has welcomed the return of the midfielder, who missed most of last season due to a cruciate ligament injury.

He said: “Marco has worked fantastically hard to come back from an awful injury and has had a long road back but he has done magnificently well, well enough to be involved in the Dutch squad’s training just before the World Cup.

“He is accumulating games and he is looking stronger every game, and it is really important he gets a good pre-season.”