Real Madrid star Isco blocks January transfer for Chelsea ace David Luiz

REAL MADRID star Isco has blocked a move for David Luiz, according to reports in Spain.

By Bruce Archer

Luiz is on Real Madrid’s radar after a bust up with Antonio Conte.
The defender’s future is uncertain after being usurped by Andreas Christensen in the team.
His relationship with Chelsea boss Conte is also fragile after the fallout during the Champions League draw with Roma.
He was then dropped after a poor performance in the away match in Rome.
Luiz was left out of the squad for the win over Manchester United and, despite being back in the squad in recent weeks, was out this weekend against Newcastle.

Express Sport understands Madrid are keen on a move and Zinedine Zidane is considering him for a January move.
But Don Balon claim Isco has vetoed the transfer because he doesn’t think he’s up to it.
Isco is said to be unimpressed with Luiz’s form while at PSG and thinks they need a younger option.
Luiz is 30 and has often been criticised for his defensive discipline.

In his absence Chelsea have won four from five Premier League games and conceded just twice.

Madrid have struggled this season and find themselves in fourth place after 14 games.The trail leaders Barcelona by eight points and dropped below Atletico last week to make matters worse

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Manchester United have found a surprising new solution at No.10

By Ciaran Kelly

Man Utd player Jesse Lingard has stepped up at No.10 and proved he has the quality to be a huge player for Jose Mourinho.

There is no doubt that Henrikh Mkhitaryan spent his day off diligently putting in the hours on the treadmill, away from the cameras, as he looks to somehow win back his place under Jose Mourinho. Again.

But Jesse Lingard has a firm grip on the No.10 position and it has been a slight tweak in the role, as a shuttler rather than a ponderous playmaker, which is paying dividends following Mourinho's shift to 3-5-2.

Lingard is capable of closing down the opposition's influential defensive midfielder, cutting off the oxygen supply at the same time, and is at the heart of Mourinho's trademark transitions, winning the ball back quickly and breaking at pace.

The England international ticks both boxes in that regard, working on his once wild finishing at training, and that ability to 'flick the switch' away from home has been particularly useful.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Lingard helps Mourinho's formation tick, almost as an extra man when Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial/Marcus Rashford have their back to goal.

As much as he can perform a tactical role, the 24-year-old thrives on instinct, timing his runs into the box and reaping the rewards of Lukaku's hold-up play.

That wonder goal against Watford was the perfect example. As some away fans urged him to play Lukaku in, Lingard just kept on going. And going. And going.

And, yet, within 24 hours the goal was effectively forgotten. Not to mention Lingard's choreographed tribute to Hercules in celebration. Perhaps, there lies the issue for one of the few Englishmen in the 17-25 age category not to fall victim to the hype train.

Lingard's personality appears to have evolved a little quicker than Lingard the footballer. The idea of him practising his latest Milly Rock offering in his London hotel room on the eve of the Arsenal game is hardly far-fetched.

Mourinho, more than most, has had to get used to his millennials using social media when a tactical chalkboard could be within view and Lingard has often been the scapegoat for outsiders.

Yet, he is hardly the most prolific of United's players on social media. Lingard has made 390 posts on Instagram since signing up in February, 2015. That is the equivalent of one every two-and-a-half days.

Amid that backlash, he has shown heart and resolve. When things have not quite gone to plan - last season's Manchester derby and this season's shock defeat to Huddersfield both spring to mind - he has bounced back.

Much was made of Marcus Rashford's high-profile trip to the Nike World Campus in the summer but his best friend, Lingard, was also enlisting the help of a personal trainer, one Wayne Richardson, to give him a head start.

The reality is he is no longer a cheeky 19-year-old; Lingard is three months older than Paul Pogba and turns 25 in just two weeks' time.

As he looks to finally nail down a place in United's starting line-up, it remains to be seen what happens in the summer when Mourinho will target a marquee forward.

But Lingard is certainly giving him food for thought.

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How Ibrahimovic replied when asked how much money it would take to fight Joshua

By Dov Rawson   OCT 29, 2017

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic was in attendance on Saturday night as Anthony Joshua successfully defended his IBA and WBF world heavyweight titles.

Cameroonian boxer Carlos Takam was beaten with a controversial 10th-round stoppage - the referee's decision was met by raucous booing at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.

The 36-year-old - who stepped in at 12 days notice following an injury to Kubrat Pulev - had blood pouring into his eye from the fourth round onwards and was twice inspected by ringside medics.

Joshua's unblemished record now stands at 20-0, whilst the 28-year-old extended his knockout streak to 20.

"I come to fight. I don't sit on the edge and make decisions," Joshua said. "It was a good fight until the ref stopped it, so I have the utmost respect for Takam.

"People want to see Takam unconscious on the floor, and that's what I was trying to get to."

BBC boxing correspondent Mike Costello agreed with the stoppage.

"I don't have a problem with it," he said. "Surely with the blood flowing the way it was, Takam could barely have seen.

"I've seen too many sob stories at this stage of a fight for me to complain about that stoppage."

Ibrahimovic on fighting Joshua

The 35-year-old Manchester United star, close to returning from a serious knee injury, made his way to Cardiff to watch the hugely talented Joshua.

Ibrahimovic was interviewed immediately after the bout, praising Joshua's opponent and the referee's decision.

"It was a good fight," said the Swedish footballer. "I thought it would be faster but the other guy did a good job.

"The referee is there to protect both the fighters - the guy was getting a beating. The referee knows better than the fans. They just wanted to see a knockout."

Rio Ferdinand recently entered the world of boxing and Ibrahimovic was asked how much money it would take for him to fight Joshua in the ring.

"I would not fight Joshua. I can only learn from him - but if he wants to learn some Bruce Lee skills, I can learn him."

 Ibrahimovic is renowned for scoring gravity-defying goals and his Taekwondo black belt has certainly helped him score goals other footballers could only dream of.

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Jose Mourinho criticises Manchester United fans again over 'lack of support' for Romelu Lukaku

By Luke Edwards  OCT 29, 2017

Lukaku had struggled to hold the ball up against Tottenham’s defender and, just as he had been in the goalless draw against Liverpool, the Belgium international struggled to make an impact for long periods of the game.

But the former Everton player still had a decisive impact, hitting the post with a brilliant header from a Jesse Lingard cross, moments before his expertly directed flick on set up Anthony Martial to score the only goal of the game in the second half.

Before that, though, the moans and groans that followed whenever Lukaku lost the ball were clearly audible inside Old Trafford and Mourinho was not impressed.

Asked by MUTV about Lukaku’s second-half assist, Mourinho replied: “I would like the supporters to explain to me why they don’t support him so much because he gives everything and I think it is not fair when scoring the goal or not scoring the goal [he] makes the whole difference.

“I don’t think it is fair at all. So, I’m a bit disappointed - but not with him. With him [I am] very pleased.”
Lukaku has had an excellent start to his United career, scoring 11 goals in just 15 appearances. But the 24-year-old has not got his name on the scoresheet for his club since scoring the final goal in the 4-0 defeat of Crystal Palace at the end of September.
Mourinho was in combative mood after United’s victory, holding his finger up to his lips after the final whistle in a gesture he would later explain had been directed at those who questioned his decision to replace Marcus Rashford with Martial.

“I really don't understand some reactions why,” he told Sky Sports. “Are they [the fans] Red Devils? Sometimes I don't know because they [Lukaku and Martial] work amazingly well. Today there were two strikers playing together against three top central defenders - the best we have in Europe - and their work was amazing. He scored with a bad shot but a bad shot sometimes can be a beautiful one."

"Sometimes he [Martial] starts the match and his contribution is good. Maybe he is not scoring as many times as he does coming from the bench, but he is playing well, the same as Rashford, the same as Lukaku. I really don't understand some reactions why.”

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Anthony Joshua sets sights on Deontay Wilder but admits he needs nose 'cracked back in place'

By Jack Austin   OCT 29, 2017

Joshua suffered the injury in an accidental head collision in the second round

Anthony Joshua has admitted that he needs his nose cracked back into place despite a doctor confirming that he did not actually break it in the 10^th-round stoppage victory over Carlos Takam in Cardiff.

The 28-year-old, who retained his IBF, IBO and WBA belts in the Welsh capital, sustained the injury after an accidental clash of heads with his French rival in the second round.

Joshua was hurt on the bridge of his nose and was made to dig deep to beat his valiant opponent, who was drafted in as a replacement for Kubrat Pulev with only 12 days before the fight.

And after the fight, the undefeated Brit was full of praise for how his rival handled the fight, but admitted he was looking forward to taking on the best in the division once he had sorted his nose out.

“I want to get my nose cracked back in place first,” he told Sky Sports. “We have a few months now to heal it up and get a doctor to look at it, we work with some great doctors and then we can get back in training.

“But honestly, I just want to continue to grow the sport of boxing and everyone knows where we're heading. What do the people want?

“Deontay Wilder? It has to happen for sure but I think it comes to a decision where you have the IBO, the WBO and WBA. They have mandatories. So provided I'm free I can't fight Joe Bloggs from anywhere I have to fight championship fighters.

“Now there are belts on the line we have obligations as champions (but) my door is open to any champion, whether it's Wilder, whether it's whoever.

“If I could have fought another heavyweight I would have had to vacate the belts, everyone saw how hard I worked to get them. I'm not going to just give them up.”

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Dimitar Berbatov's description of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is absolutely brilliant

 Dimitar Berbatov's description of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is absolutely brilliant

 BY ROBERT REDMOND. OCT 28, 2017

Dimitar Berbatov has been reflecting on his career, the teams he played for, the footballers he played alongside and against and his achievements in football.
The Bulgarian forward played for clubs such as Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Monaco across an 18-year career in Europe. But Berbatov, who recently signed for Kerala Blasters in the Indian Super League, reached the pinnacle of his career at Manchester United.

The 36-year-old spent four years at Old Trafford, after joining from Spurs for £30m in 2008. Berbatov helped United win two league titles and he finished top scorer in the 2010/11 season with 20 league goals. The Bulgarian netted a famous hat-trick against Liverpool that season and got five goals at home to Blackburn Rovers, as the club clinched their 19th league title.

Berbatov wasn't the most prolific striker when at United, despite getting 20 goals that season, but he was a fantastic footballer, gifted with wonderful close control and vision that few other players possess. The Bulgarian strolled around the pitch, barely breaking a sweat, and he could frustrate some with his languid style. But he had the intelligence to know exactly when to make a decisive intervention, and the technique to make the most difficult of skills look simple.

It's a shame the Premier League won't let us show you his assist for Cristiano Ronaldo against West Ham in 2008, because it was incredible.

During a wide-ranging interview with Andy Mitten on ESPN, Berbatov covers a range of topics, including his former teammate Ronaldo. He says that, out of everything, it was Ronaldo's work ethic that stood out during their season together at Old Trafford, before the Portuguese forward left for Real Madrid in 2009.

"Young players try and imitate the best players like Ronaldo," Berbatov said.

They try to imitate the hair, the clothes, the cars, the tricks. I try to tell them how hard Cristiano Ronaldo trained in training and after training. He only wanted to be the best. Everything else came after. Players shouldn't try and imitate s***, they should concentrate on themselves and being professional. Ronaldo was fine in our dressing room. He could take a joke and Patrice Evra was doing jokes, but he was serious when he played. I was shy, quiet and used to watch all of this."

Berbatov also spoke about Ronaldo's rival Lionel Messi. The Bulgarian praised both players, but considers the Barcelona forward to be ahead of his former United teammate. Berbatov conceded that, in the 2009 Champions League final when Barcelona beat United 2-0 in Rome and Messi scored, he was the decisive played on the night.

"Because he's the f***ing greatest. Ronaldo is brilliant, Messi more my kind of player. He sees the game so clearly. He can score, create, he's the complete player, the best ever probably. If you ask someone older than me they will say Pele, Maradona or Puskas or Di Stefano. But for my generation it's Messi or Ronaldo. They're pretty much even, but something with Messi makes me shout 'Messi! Messi!' when I watch Barcelona on television."

Berbatov also reflected on the United team he joined, and said that he realised straight away how special the side was.

"When I stood in the tunnel as a Manchester United player, I saw [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Wayne] Rooney, [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes, [Gary] Neville, [Nemanja] Vidic, Rio [Ferdinand], [Patrice] Evra, Edwin van der Sar. I said to myself: 'Berba, you need to cherish this moment forever, my friend.' And then I looked at the opponents. They were already beaten.

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Ex-Everton coach Koeman blames his sack on Giroud

 Ex-Everton coach Koeman blames his sack on Giroud

Former Everton manager Ronald Koeman has revealed that Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud would have saved him from getting botted at Goodison Park after the Toffees disastrous start of the seasons.
Giroud sees as Arsenal break the bank to bring in Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon over the summer, which Koeman feels that the France international as an option for replacing departed Romelu Lukaku at Goodison Park, but the 31-year-old changed his mind last minutes and he decided to remain at Arsenal

The Dutch coach Koeman discussing his reason for his failure at Everton, explained how aware he was of his own impending sacking and how, in his own mind, Giroud’s last-minute decision cost him so dearly.

“Last Thursday, after our defeat to Lyon in the Europa League, I knew it was crisis time,” Koeman said speaking to Dutch football magazine VI. “I am not daft, I know how the football world operates.”

“I could figure out how things could go. I was sure I would be on the bench against Arsenal on Sunday. But another defeat against Arsenal and I could see that anything would happen. And if things did not improve in those last games, I had worked out what would happen.”

“Maybe there was a chance to coach against Chelsea in the EFL Cup and maybe I would be able to do Leicester City away and Watford just before the international break.”

Despite recently scoring a screamer in the Europa League, Giroud has been a bit part player for the Gunners this season and is yet to start a Premier League fixture. Speaking about the striker, Koeman explained how his late change of heart regarding a move to Goodison Park was a key factor in his eventual demise.

“I had Olivier Giroud in the building,” explained Koeman. “He would have fitted perfectly, but at the very last moment, he decided that he’d rather live in London and stay at Arsenal. That was really hard to swallow. You tell me, where you can get a better striker?”

Lukaku was so important for us, not just because of his goals, because the certain way of playing as a striker — strong. He could hold the ball, he always had an eye for the goal, he was fast. If things were not going well in a game, if we could not play the way we were used to, there was always the option to use the long ball towards him.

“All of a sudden [after Giroud’s decision], we were missing such a player. With Nikola Vlasic and Wayne Rooney, we had attackers who want the ball at their feet.”

“When you are struggling as a team with the build-up from the back, and we no longer had the option to kick it long, you know you have a problem.”

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Arsenal name their price for January sale of Alexis Sanchez

By Scott Morris  OCT 26, 2017

Premier League star Alexis Sanchez looks certain to leave Arsenal in the January transfer window and they have now named their price.

The Chilean has been in a contract standoff with the club for a number of months but there looks to be no going back now.

Manchester City almost sealed the £50m transfer of Sanchez in the summer transfer window but a deal for replacement Thomas Lemar fell through.

That meant that Arsenal would not let the player leave and would risk trying to sell him in the January transfer window.

Alexis will be able to negotiate pre-contract agreements for a free transfer in the summer which Arsenal will look to avoid.

Instead, they will offer the player out at a cut-price figure to try and shift him while they still can.

Gunners name their Alexis price

That figure is reportedly £30million with the side looking to recoup almost all of what they paid Barcelona when they signed him (£35m).

Even still, that is £20million more than they could have sold him for only months earlier but signing a replacement became a problem.

Now, the club will be hoping their new price will persuade clubs to come in for him or look to convince him to sign a new deal.

Sanchez’ future could certainly go either way, Stan Kroenke has admitted that the club still have some hope of getting the player to sign a new deal.

Though, it looks as though the pull of Pep Guardiola at Man City could prove too much.

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Who Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi Voted For In The Best Award

By Ryan Sidle  OCT 24, 2017

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi is the great rivalry of our time and the two players define a generation of football. There's a great respect between them but when it comes to awards game does not recognise game.

Whether you're a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi there's absolutely no denying that the pair are the two greatest players in our generation and two of the best of all time.

Tonight at the FIFA Best awards they were once again both named in the FIFpro team of the year. It's the eleventh time for both to appear in the 11 best players on the planet, a shared record amongst their many individual record.

Ronaldo accepts the latest trophy for his ever growing cabinet. Image: PA

Ronaldo was the winner of the main award of the night, player of the year, whilst Messi finished in second ahead of Neymar. With national team captains given a vote both the top two got the chance to help decide the winner but neither chose the other.

According to FIFA's list of voting the Portuguese captain named Luka Modric his first choice with Sergio Ramos and Marcelo in second and third. Argentina's captain went with Luis Suarez in first and Andres Iniesta and Neymar rounding off his top three.

Modric, good player but surely not the best player in the world. Image: PA

Quite clearly there's plenty of bias in the voting with Ronaldo picking three Real Madrid players and Messi picking two Barcelona players and Neymar who until recently was also a teammate.

Dani Alves went for Neymar as captain of Brazil and picked former colleague Messi as second and former Clasico rival Ronaldo in third place.

As captain of Croatia Modric, who Ronaldo picked as number one, returned the favour by voting for CR7 but had Messi in second place and Toni Kroos, his midfield partner as third place.

On winning the award Ronaldo said, "Thank you a lot guys for voting for me. (I would like) to give a mention to Leo (Messi) and Neymar for being here. Real Madrid supporters, my team-mates, coach, president, all support all through the year so I have to say thank you to them.

"We are in England for the first time and I win consecutive awards so I'm really glad, it's a great moment for me. FIFA give the opportunity to fans, I know I have fans all over the world (so) thanks for the support, I appreciate it... I'm so happy, thank you very much."

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Barcelona have entered the race for £50m Premier League star [Mirror]

By James Stroud   OCT 24, 2017

The 2016/2017 season was a complete disaster for Barcelona.

The Catalan giants had been the dominant force in Spanish football for some time, with Real Madrid failing to match the achievements of their fierce rivals.

However, last year marked a turning point.

Despite accumulating 90 points in La Liga, Barcelona were pipped to the title by their rivals.

Even more disappointment came in the Champions League, where Barcelona would suffer a shock exit in the quarter-finals to Juventus.

To add insult to injury, they then watched on haplessly as Real Madrid won the competition for the third time in four years.

After Barcelona lost Neymar in the summer to PSG and failed to replace him with Liverpool's Coutinho, it was expected by many that this year would follow the same pattern.

However, Ernesto Valverde's men have capitalised on a poor start by Real Madrid to open up an early five point gap at the top of the La Liga table.

But fortunes can turn very quickly in football, and in an attempt to establish their status as Europe's top club again, Barcelona are set to raid the Premier League for reinforcements.

According to The Mirror, Valverde is eyeing up a £50 million offer for Southampton's Virgil Van Dijk.

Scouts from the five-time European cup winners watched the Dutchman in Holland’s clash with Sweden during the international break.

Barcelona already have Gerard Pique, Javier Mascherano, Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen vying for competition in the centre of defence, but it seems Valverde still deems it necessary to add cover in that position.

This would come as devastating news to Liverpool, who came so close to acquiring the signature of the Dutchman last summer, but were forced to drop their interest after the Saints reported them for making an illegal approach.

To make matters even worse for Liverpool, The Mirror also claim that Southampton would rather sell the 26-year-old to a club abroad than the Reds, or any other Premier League rival.

Jurgen Klopp was expected to renew his interest in the former Celtic defender in January, but his plans may now be scuppered due to Barcelona's interest.

Manchester City and Chelsea were also reported to be interested in Van Dijk at some point in the summer, but all may be forced to look elsewhere if they decide to strengthen their defence.

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Olivier Giroud wins FIFA's Puskas Award for best goal of the year

ESPN staff

Olivier Giroud's remarkable scorpion kick for Arsenal against Crystal Palace was awarded FIFA's Puskas Award as best goal of the year on Monday.

The Frenchman's effort, a flicked volley with his left foot that flew in off the crossbar, was announced as the winner at a ceremony held at the London Palladium on Monday.

Giroud's strike scored in January outpaced competition from Venezuela Under-17 women's striker Deyna Castellanos and South African goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke.

On accepting his award, Giroud said: "First of all I have to say it's an honour for me.

"I'm delighted to receive this trophy today in front of legends of football. Now l'd just like to thank the people who voted for me. I would like to congratulate the 10 nominees who scored amazing goals too.

"Obviously I would like to thank my teammates, without them I couldn't score maybe this goal, and my family."

The event was attended by a host of football stars past and present, including Diego Maradona, Ronaldo, Frank Lampard, Sergio Ramos and Harry Kane, with winners decided by a jury of club and international coaches, media representatives and fans.

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Arsenal legend gives Alexandre Lacazette smart piece of advice on how to up his goal count

By Edward Bennett  OCT 24, 2017

Lacazette would do well to listen to this guy…

Arsenal legend Ian Wright has told Alexandre Lacazette what he could do to score even more goals for the Gunners after his strike in yesterday’s win over Everton.

The France international has five goals in nine appearances for Arsenal since his summer transfer from Lyon, where he was one of Europe’s most prolific strikers.

Still, Wright clearly feels Lacazette could make a slight change to his game to score even more goals for Arsenal, and spoke on Match of the Day 2 about how he could adapt the way he gets involved in the Gunners’ build-up play.

‘When he gets into this situation (in the penalty area), he finishes so so well,’ Wright was quoted in the Metro.

‘I don’t want to see him come and getting involved in the link up play because we have enough players that can do that.

‘I would love to see him on the edge of defenders, and running into those little slots, stretching teams.’

Arsenal were back to their best yesterday as they romped to a 5-2 victory at Goodison Park, with Lacazette also picking up an assist on the day.

Still, Wright knows a thing or two about how to be a prolific striker at this level, and hopes to see Arsenal’s summer signing less involved in areas further away from the penalty area.

Arsene Wenger, however, is known for his fondness of all-rounders, and may be giving Lacazette contradictory advice on how much to drop deep and link play.

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Cristiano Ronaldo disagrees as Giroud wins 2017 Puskas Award

By Ifreke Inyang   OCT 24, 2017

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo, has said that he would have given goalkeeper Oscarine Masuluke this year’s FIFA’s Puskas Award, for “the most beautiful goal of the season”.

Olivier Giroud won the prize ahead of Masuluke and Deyna Castellanos, who struck a 94th-minute winner from the centre circle for Venezuela, in the Under-17 Women’s World Cup last October

“It’s hard to say one, but I have to give credit to the goalkeeper,” Ronaldo said at the awards, which was staged in London on Monday night.

Masuluke, who plays for South African club Baroka FC, came forward to score a spectacular late overhead kick to earn a 1-1 draw against Orlando Pirates last November.

Public voting on the Puskas award winner closed on Monday and the winner was announced at a ceremony in London.

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Cristiano Jr meets his idol again at FIFA The Best ceremony

By Julia Fuentelsaz  OCT 24, 2017

Once more, Cristiano Jr met his idol. Lionel Messi greeted Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and also his son at the FIFA The Best gala in London.

The youngster has confessed on various occasions that he is a fan of Messi, despite the Argentine battling his father for the best player award, which Cristiano eventually won.

Smiling from ear to ear, Messi took the hand of the seven year old boy before the start of the ceremont at the London Palladium, while Antonela and Ronaldo were reaquainted. They couldn't help but smile at seeing Messi with Cristiano Jr.

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Real Madrid president eager to seal transfer of Arsenal star to solve problem position

By Mark Brus   OCT 24, 2017

Real to make a raid on Arsenal?

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has reportedly made Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin one of his top transfer targets to solve his club’s issues in defence.

Having sold Danilo to Manchester City in the summer, Real are short of depth on the right-hand side of defence, particularly with Dani Carvajal currently out injured.

18-year-old Achraf Hakimi lined up in that position against Tottenham in this week’s Champions League clash at the Bernabeu, but Perez is understandably concerned that Zinedine Zidane could do with more top class options in that part of the pitch.

According to Don Balon, this has seen the Real president turn his attention to Bellerin, who has impressed as one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League during his time with Arsenal.

The Spain international became a regular for the Gunners in the 2014/15 season, taking the place of Mathieu Debuchy while he was out injured and never looking back since.

Bellerin is now considered one of Arsenal’s most important players, and Don Balon add that his fine form also attracted interest from his former club Barcelona in the summer.

Real would dearly love to swoop for a player still regarded highly by their most fierce rivals, and it’s easy to see how a player of Bellerin’s quality could fit in at the Bernabeu.

Arsenal, however, will want to avoid losing more big names as they sweat over the futures of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil ahead of this summer.

Both players are set to be out of contract at the Emirates Stadium, so potentially losing Bellerin as well is surely out of the question for manager Arsene Wenger.

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The difference between the Ballon d'Or and Best Fifa Awards

By: Collins Udeme  OCT 24, 2017

The Best Fifa Football Awards which staged its second edition on Monday at the world-famous London Palladium theatre on Monday is different to the Ballon d'Or.

A version of the Ballon d'Or has been awarded by France Football magazine since 1956. The Fifa World Player of the Year award was merged in a partnership with France Football's Ballon d'Or in 2010 to become the Fifa Ballon d'Or for the next six years.

FIFA agreed to pay £13million to merge the two awards, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo the big winners as the two La Liga stars dominated throughout the six-year deal.

FIFA decided not to renew the deal in 2016, meaning the Ballon d'Or lost its 'Fifa' tag and reverted back to being voted for by journalists as a separate award as Fifa's The Best awards were created.

While voting for the player and coach categories was by national team captains and managers, selected journalists and, for the first time, an online poll of fans, each accounting for 25% of the total in The Best Fifa Men's Player, the captains of FIFA's national teams, their managers and a media member from each country vote for the Ballon d'Or.

The Ballon d'Or winner will be announced towards the end of the year.

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What a furious Jose Mourinho said to his Man United players in dressing room after defeat to Huddersfield

By Jake Polden   OCT 23, 2017

The newly-promoted Terriers stunned Jose Mourinho's side with their willingness to win at the John Smith's Stadium

Manchester United's downfalls were thrust into the limelight on the weekend as newly-promoted Huddersfield beat them 2-1.

Much was made of the Red Devils failing to take the game to Liverpool the weekend before, as pundits debated whether it was a point gained or two dropped.

It turned out to be the latter following the result at the John Smith's Stadium.

In order for Manchester United to be able to justify a draw at Anfield, they have to beat the smaller teams in the division week-in, week-out.

This slip up has allowed rivals Manchester City to move five points clear of their neighbours, and Pep Guardiola's team are now well in the driving seat.

Jose Mourinho will certainly be questioning his approach to the match at Anfield following Tottenham's dismantling of Liverpool.

Spurs' performance proved Jurgen Klopp's men were there for the taking and it was the perfect opportunity for Man United - who had been firing on all cylinders - to showcase their ability.

Spurs' performance proved Jurgen Klopp's men were there for the taking and it was the perfect opportunity for Man United - who had been firing on all cylinders - to showcase their ability.

He told them to explain to the fans why they showed such little heart in the face of defeat and why they were second best to every ball.

None of the first team were able to provide the boss, nor the fans for that matter, with an answer. But with Tottenham and Chelsea on the horizon, the Red Devils will have to find one quickly if they are to keep Man City in sight.

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Alexis Sanchez lost it with Aaron Ramsey after terrible moment v Everton

By Kobé Tong   OCT 23, 2017

There was no shortage of pressure on both Arsenal and Everton ahead of their clash at Goodison Park.

Just as the Gunners had recovered from their poor start to the season, their momentum was crushed by a gut-wrenching defeat at Watford virtue of Tom Cleverley's last gasp strike.

Meanwhile, Ronald Koeman is being furiously linked to the sack at Everton with his Toffees side flirting with the relegation zone in 16th place.

Despite the post-Watford confidence crisis and their mixed history on Merseyside, Arsenal entered the game with confidence and wracked up no less than nine shots on target in the first-half - a record for this season.

The score at half-time? 1-1. Ouch.

Wayne Rooney treated the Goodison crowd to a moment of deja vu when he fired a lovely strike past Petr Cech, nearly 15 years to the day since he scored his first Premier League goal in similar fashion against the same opponents.

Arsenal's pressure eventually paid off, though, when Nacho Monreal struck an equaliser for his second goal of the game.

Nevertheless, with Jordan Pickford saving almost everything that Arsenal threw at him, it proved an infuriating 45 minutes for the Gunners. Just ask Alexis Sanchez.

The Chilean is notorious for being somewhat animated and passionate during games and it was no different when Aaron Ramsey completely fluffed a pass to him.

To say Sanchez wasn't happy with the delivery would be putting it mildly.

It wasn't exactly a difficult pass for Ramsey to complete - it would must be said - but Sanchez's reaction was rather harsh on the Welshman.

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Manchester United boss Mourinho reveals his January target

By: Iseghohi Odianosen  OCT 23, 2017

Manchester United Jose Mourinho has revealed his January transfer target following the 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield town in the Premier League, according to report.

Mourinho wants Manchester United to sign Benfica fullback Alejandro Grimaldo, the young Spanish performance was impressive during the Champions League clash with Old Trafford giants.

Despite Benfica's narrow defeat to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League during the mid-week, Grimaldo caught the attention of Mourinho the Estadio de Luiz according to The Daily Mail.

Mourinho has sanctioned the deal for the Old Trafford giants tidy up the deal for the full-back as he looks to strengthen the defence.

The Old Trafford giants will dispatch scouts to watch the 22-year-old Spaniard's next games closely. 

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Tottenham set new Premier League attendance record in win vs. Liverpool

 By Dan Kilpatrick    OCT 23, 2017

Tottenham broke the 10-year-old Premier League attendance record in Sunday's 4-1 win against Liverpool at Wembley.

The attendance of 80,827 surpassed the previous record of 76,098 -- set when Manchester United beat Blackburn 4-1 at Old Trafford in March 2007.

It was still someway short of the club record of 85,512, set at Wembley against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last season, which is also a record attendance for a British club at home. The national stadium, Spurs' temporary home this season while their new 61,500-seater home is being built, has a capacity of 90,000.

Spurs fell just short of the Premier League record for both last weekend's 1-0 win over Bournemouth (73,502) and the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea (73,587) in their first league match at Wembley in August, when tickets were on restricted general sale.

Liverpool's visit was also on restricted general sale -- following advice from the safety advisory group, made up of the club, Brent Council and the police, ambulance and fire services -- meaning only Spurs' fans with a history of buying from the club were able to purchase tickets.

Liverpool fans made up 3,100 of those in attendance for Sunday's match.

The frustrating home draws against Burnley (67,862) and Swansea (65,366) were also on general sale but attracted fewer than 70,000 supporters, with club sources saying attendances are often low in August and September due to holidays.

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