Premier League and Football League fixtures announced

Chelsea will begin their Premier League title defence with a home game against Swansea on the weekend of 8-9 August.

Manchester City, who finished eight points adrift of the Blues, travel to West Brom while Manchester United face Tottenham at Old Trafford.
Arsenal host West Ham, Liverpool go to Stoke, Newcastle play Southampton and Leicester welcome Sunderland.
Promoted trio Bournemouth, Watford and Norwich face Aston Villa, Everton and Crystal Palace respectively.
The top-flight season starts a week earlier than last season - on the same weekend as the Football League - as the 2016 European Championship starts on 10 June.
Click here for the Premier League fixtures in full.
Alternatively, click on your team below for their fixtures.
AFC Bournemouth, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Southampton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United.
In the Championship, relegated Hull host Huddersfield, Burnley travel to Leeds and Queens Park Rangers are at Charlton.
Preston North End are the only promoted team with a home game as they welcome beaten play-off finalists Middlesbrough to Deepdale, with MK Dons and Bristol City at Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday respectively.

Preston beat Swindon in the League One play-off final last season

Last season's beaten play-off semi-finalists - Brentford and Ipswich - meet at Griffin Park.
Click here for the Championship fixtures in full
Promoted Shrewsbury begin their League One campaign with a home game against Millwall. Wigan and Blackpool - relegated along with Millwall - face away games, at Coventry and Colchester respectively.
League Two champions Burton host Scunthorpe, while fellow promoted teams Bury and Southend visit Doncaster and Fleetwood respectively.
Click here for the League One fixtures in full
Conference champions Barnet will start life back in League Two with a trip to relegated Leyton Orient, as fellow promoted side Bristol Rovers host Northampton.

Barnet are back in the Football league after an absence of two seasons

Notts County are away at Stevenage after being relegated, with Crawley at Oxford and Yeovil visiting Exeter.
Click here for the League Two fixtures in full
Fixtures are subject to change in line with television scheduling.
The Scottish Premiership, Scottish Championship, Scottish League One and Scottish League Two will publish their fixtures on Friday.
Here's how the Premier League fixtures break down:

Opening shots

An early indicator in the title race could come on the second weekend of matches, when Chelsea travel to Manchester City.
After opening at home to Swansea, Chelsea are scheduled to play at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, 15 August, though the match may well take place a day later for television purposes.
The defending Premier League champions have never lost their opening fixture. In 23 seasons, the record is won 20 and drawn three.

Phil McNulty analysis

"Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers will be under pressure from the kick-off this season after escaping the sack following a desperately disappointing campaign - but he faces a fierce test right away as they go back to Stoke City, where they lost 6-1 on the final day of last season.
"A trip to Arsenal after a home game against newly promoted Bournemouth means it is not an easy start for someone who cannot afford any stalling as Liverpool begin the post-Steven Gerrard era.

Brendan Rodgers faces a tough return to Stoke on the opening day of next season

"The Cherries' arrival in the Premier League is greeted with a home game against Aston Villa as manager Eddie Howe aims to pick up where he left off off in the Championship.
"Manchester United's home game to Spurs is another first-day standout - but the big one is kept back for the second weekend of the season, when champions Chelsea travel to Manchester City.
"If the two superpowers are aiming to put down an early marker, then that meeting at the Etihad - with big new signings likely to be on show - will be the perfect platform."

Festive fun

Teams will play three times in eight days, although there are no Premier League matches scheduled for New Year's Day. Games will instead take place on Saturday, 2 January 2016.

Which team's fans will be having a very merry Christmas this year?

Manchester United against Chelsea on 28 December stands out among the festive fixtures.

The big five

Arsenal will get two big early chances to show their credentials - at home to Liverpool on 22 August and away at Chelsea four weeks later.
Manchester City's season includes tasty encounters both near the start and end - they host Chelsea in their second game and welcome the Gunners for the penultimate match, provisionally on 7 May.
Manchester United host newcomers Bournemouth on the final day of the season.

How big five fared against each other in 2014-15
Team	Won	Drawn	Lost	Pts
Chelsea	3	5	0	14
Man City	2	3	3	9
Arsenal	2	4	2	10
Man Utd	4	2	2	14
Liverpool	1	2	5	5

The new boys

Bournemouth, who won the Championship title, host Aston Villa in their first ever Premier League game, before away trips to Liverpool and West Ham.
Watford, who finished runners-up to the Cherries in the second tier, have arguably the toughest of the opening games with a trip to Everton and then back-to-back home matches against West Brom and Southampton.
Play-off winners Norwich kick off with a home game against Crystal Palace before an away trip to Sunderland and a home fixture against Stoke.

Norwich owner Delia Smith watched her team win promotion via the play-offs

There have been two occasions since the Premier League's inaugural season in 1992-93 when all three promoted clubs have stayed up.
Blackburn (10th), Fulham (13th) and Bolton (16th) managed it in 2001-02. Then Swansea (11th), Norwich (12th) and QPR (17th) repeated the feat in 2011-12.
And there's only one occasion when all three promoted teams went straight back down. That was in 1997-98, when Bolton (18th), Barnsley (19th) and Crystal Palace (20th) were all relegated.

Hardest start

Everton and Stoke face possibly the toughest starts to the campaign with a testing run of games.
The Toffees start with a home game against Watford but then face Southampton (away), Manchester City (home), Tottenham (away) and Chelsea (home) in their next four matches.

The big derbies
Merseyside - 3 Oct: Everton v Liverpool	27 Feb: Liverpool v Everton
Manchester - 24 Oct: Manchester United v Manchester City	19 Mar: Manchester City v Manchester United
North London - 7 Nov: Arsenal v Tottenham	5 Mar: Tottenham v Arsenal
Tyne-Wear - 24 Oct: Sunderland v Newcastle	19 Mar: Newcastle v Sunderland

Stoke host Liverpool - albeit a team they thrashed 6-1 on the final day of last season - then travel to Tottenham. The Potters then have an away game to Norwich before they face West Brom, managed by former boss Tony Pulis, followed by a clash with Arsenal at Emirates Stadium.
Four clubs have managed just one point from their opening eight games:

• Man City in 1995-96,
• Southampton in 1998-99
• Sheffield Wednesday in 1999-2000
• Sunderland in 2013-14

More surprisingly, two of them - Southampton and Sunderland - survived.

Hardest run-in

Bournemouth will hope to have banked enough points to stay in the top flight given they have a particularly testing end to the season.
The Cherries face Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea and Manchester United in four of their last five matches.
Leicester City came into brilliant form at the of last season to secure survival, and Nigel Pearson will hope his side are in a good position by the time they face Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea in their final three games.

Arturo Vidal, Chile player held by police after crash

Juventus and Chile forward Arturo Vidal is being held by police who say the footballer was driving under the influence of alcohol when he crashed a Ferrari in the outskirts of Santiago.

Vidal, 28, who suffered minor injuries in the crash late on Tuesday, will face a local judge on Wednesday.
"The driver of the red vehicle was under the influence of alcohol," said police colonel Ricardo Gonzalez.
Vidal is on international duty with host nation Chile at the Copa America.

Vidal was seen leaving Chile training in his Ferrari on Tuesday

He is currently the tournament's leading scorer with three goals in two games.
He was treated in the emergency room at the San Luis de Buin hospital in the Chilean capital. Television pictures later showed him leaving the hospital in the back seat of a police car.
"Unfortunately I was involved in a traffic accident,'' Vidal wrote on his Twitter account, in Spanish. "Luckily we are all well and calm. Thanks for worrying."
Vidal scored twice in Chile's 3-3 draw against Mexico on Monday, and also found the net scored in his side's opening win against Ecuador last week. Chile's next game is against Bolivia on Friday.

Vidal is the leading scorer in the Copa America

Sergio Aguero scored a brilliant near-post header to put Argentina on the right path

Sergio Aguero scored a brilliant near-post header as tournament favourites Argentina defeated defending champions Uruguay at the Copa America.

The Manchester City striker converted Pablo Zabaleta's cross after the break.
Argentina were held by Paraguay in their opening game but now lead Group B after a deserved victory in a tense and, at times, bad-tempered game.
However, Diego Rolan should have equalised for Uruguay but blazed over from eight yards.
It also took a good block late on to keep out a header from Uruguay skipper Diego Godin, while Hull City's Adel Hernandez had a side-foot effort brilliantly clawed out by Sergio Romero.
It was a reminder to Argentina of the fragility of their lead but they managed to see the game out to claim the 82nd victory over their South American neighbours.
Argentina now face the pointless Jamaica in their final group game after the Caribbean side - invited guests playing for the first time at the tournament - lost 1-0 to Paraguay in their second group game.
The only goal of that game came through Edgar Benitez after a terrible error from Jamaica goalkeeper Duwayne Kerr, who charged 25 yards from his goal but only succeeded in heading the ball into his opponent's path.

Hot on Uruguay's heels?
Uruguay have won the Copa America 15 times - the most of any nation. This year's favourites Argentina are one behind with 14 titles.

In La Serena, Argentina and Uruguay contested a tight and uncompromising contest, as might be expected between two fierce rivals meeting for the 178th time.
Argentina - with Aguero, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria in their starting XI - dominated possession and territory while Uruguay, looking to build on their opening win over Jamaica, were compact, stubborn and wily in defence.
There were precious few openings during the first half, although Uruguay's Rolan should have done better with a header that skimmed wide after his team showed the threat they posed on the counter attack.
There was a frustrated look to Argentina as they trooped off at the break, while coach Gerardo Martino had already been sent to the stands for arguing with the officials.
But that changed 10 minutes after the restart with Aguero's brilliant and brave near-post header under huge pressure from Jose Maria Gimenez
The game opened up after that and became increasingly fractious, with an unnecessary lunge at the opposition goalkeeper from Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo sparking a penalty-box melee, while Egidio Arevalo Rios and Messi later briefly squared up.
And although Uruguay did create chances to equalise, Argentina almost doubled their advantage when a low strike from Messi drew a good save from Fernando Muslera.
It leaves Argentina with four points from two games, while Paraguay have four and Uruguay three ahead of their meeting on Saturday.

Muslera denied Messi late on - but Uruguay also threatened

The match had several flash points after Argentina scored the only goal

Uruguay have three points after two games and face Paraguay in their final group match

Lineup, Bookings (6) & Substitutions (5)

Argentina

• 01 Romero Booked
• 04 Zabaleta
• 02 Garay
• 17 Otamendi
• 16 Rojo Booked
• 06 Biglia
• 14 Mascherano Booked
• 10 Messi
• 21 Pastore (Banega - 79' )
• 07 Di María (Pereyra - 89' )
• 11 Agüero (Tévez - 82' )

Substitutes

• 03 Roncaglia
• 05 Gago
• 08 Pereyra
• 09 Higuaín
• 12 Guzmán
• 13 Casco
• 15 Demichelis
• 18 Tévez
• 19 Banega
• 20 Lamela
• 22 Lavezzi
• 23 Andújar

Uruguay

• 01 Muslera
• 16 Maxi Pereira
• 02 Giménez de Vargas
• 03 Godín Booked
• 06 Pereira Booked
• 20 González
• 17 Arévalo Rios
• 09 Rolan
• 14 Lodeiro Booked (Hernández - 69' )
• 07 Rodríguez (Sánchez - 64' )
• 21 Cavani

Substitutes

• 04 Fucile
• 05 Sánchez
• 08 Hernández
• 10 de Arrascaeta
• 11 Stuani
• 12 Muñoz
• 13 Silva
• 15 Pereira
• 18 Corujo
• 19 Coates
• 22 Rodríguez Portillo
• 23 Silva

Ref: Sandro Meira Ricci

Match Stats

Shots

12 14

On target

7 3

Corners

8 4

Fouls

13 22

Gossip/Aproko: De Gea, Pogba, Austin, Kovacic, Roberts, Babel

Manchester City are in a four-way battle to sign Juventus's 22-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba, who is valued at £60m. (Mirror)  
Barcelona have already opened talks with Juve over Pogba, according to a presidential candidate who says he will sign the Frenchman if elected at the Spanish club. (Sun - subscription required) 

The Sun's back page leads on Chelsea's bid for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

If City miss out on Pogba, manager Manuel Pellegrini will turn to Aston Villa's 25-year-old midfielder Fabian Delph instead. (Telegraph) 
Meanwhile, City have agreed a deal to sign Fulham's 18-year-old forward Patrick Roberts. (ESPN) 
Chelsea have targeted Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic, 27, as a replacement for Petr Cech. (Telegraph) 
Arsenal have rejected a swap deal for Cech that would see midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain join Chelsea. The Gunners would prefer a cash-only deal worth £10m to sign the Blues' back-up goalkeeper. (Mirror) 
Manchester United's 24-year-old goalkeeper David De Gea appears certain to join Real Madrid, but Iker Casillas, 34, has hinted he is not ready to relinquish his role as the Spanish club's number one. (Manchester Evening News) 
Tottenham's resolve to keep Hugo Lloris could be tested if United make a £25m bid for the 28-year-old goalkeeper. (London Evening Standard) 
QPR have warned Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle that they will need to pay £15m to sign 25-year-old striker Charlie Austin. (Daily Express) 
Inter Milan have turned down an offer from Liverpool for 21-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic which included striker Mario Balotelli, 24, as a makeweight. (Talksport) 
Southampton are targeting Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson, 23, as a potential replacement for 24-year-old right-back Nathaniel Clyne, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool. (Guardian) 
Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood is keen on signing Hull City's midfielder Tom Huddlestone, 28, and winger Robbie Brady, 23. (Mirror) 
Everton still want to sign Tottenham's 28-year-old winger Aaron Lennon, despite closing in on a deal with Barcelona for wide player Gerard Deulofeu, 21. (Times - subscription required) 
Swansea want to sign former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel in a £2m deal with Turkish club Kasimpasa. The 28-year-old spent four years at Anfield between 2007 and 2011. (Sun - subscription required) 
West Brom have agreed a £1.5m fee with Wigan Athletic for 26-year-old winger James McClean. (Daily Mail) 

Best of social media

England's first game of the Euro U-21 Championships is against Portugal on Thursday

The European Under-21 Championships get under way on Wednesday and England and Arsenal defender Calum Chambers is ready to get going. The 20-year-old tweeted:  "Warm-up shot of us in the Czech Republic. Looking forward to our first game."
Charlie Austin has put to one side all the transfer speculation surrounding him to head to Ascot. The QPR striker has been tweeting  his tips as well as pictures of him rubbing shoulders with the great and the good of the horse racing world.

And finally

Rafael van der Vaart enjoyed a rapturous welcome from Real Betis fans after signing a three-year deal with the Spanish club. But perhaps nobody as as pleased as the 32-year-old midfielder's grandma, who only lives about 80 miles away and was reunited with the Dutchman. (ITV) 

Sergio Aguero eyes Champions League and Ballon d'Or glory with Manchester City

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero believes the club can give him the platform to become a Ballon d'Or winner.
Aguero has scored 107 goals for City in 163 appearances since joining the club in a £38million transfer from Atletico Madrid four years ago.
The 2014-15 campaign was his most impressive, with 32 goals in 41 games vindicating a change of training regime and diet after past problems with muscle injuries.
The challenge is now to continue on improving and reach the exalted status the likes of his Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo have reached as world players of the year.

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Aguero, speaking as he joined the race to partner Messi on the EA SPORTS FIFA 16 UK cover, said: "The truth is that I would be very happy with the Ballon d'Or. I had a great year, I missed some games but the season has been very good, no?
"The Premier League has this vision where [they want] everybody in the world to watch it so I have plenty of chances to at least be nominated for the Ballon d'Or.
"I think for any player it's important. Playing in the Premier League, obviously I have a lot of opportunities."
Aguero has settled well at City and signed a new five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium after winning his second Barclays Premier League title last summer.
He had previously said he would not leave City until they won the Champions League and he remains convinced the club has the potential to do just that.
The 27-year-old said: "Every year City try to improve the team and while I don't know how it will be next season, obviously the club always wants us to win titles.
"City are prepared to win titles every year. Obviously the Champions League is a great competition and I think that City are doing everything to win it."
Aguero, who is currently playing in the Copa America with Argentina, maintains he has no intention of quitting City.
He said: "The truth is yes, I'm very happy. I'm enjoying these four years that I've had at City and there are still many more years to come. I'm very happy."

Chelsea on verge of loan deal for Monaco striker, Falcao

Chelsea are on the verge of agreeing a season-long loan deal for Monaco striker Radamel Falcao.

The 29-year-old, currently with Colombia at the Copa America in Chile, scored four goals in 29 appearances for Manchester United last season.
United rejected the chance to sign him for a reported £43.2m but now the Premier League champions have moved in.
Details of an agreement that would secure Falcao a second season in the top flight are still being finalised.
On Thursday, Mourinho responded to reports linking Chelsea with a move for Falcao by saying: "It hurts me that people in England think that the real Falcao is the one we saw at Manchester United."
Speaking to DirecTV Sports, the Portuguese added: "If I can help Falcao reach his level again, I will do it."

How many minutes did Costa and Falcao miss?
Diego Costa suffered several injuries for Chelsea last year, the majority of which were hamstring problems.
The Spain international played for 61% of the season as Jose Mourinho's side won the Premier League - that's 2,082 minutes from a possible 3,420.
Radamel Falcao has also struggled with his fitness since recovering from a knee ligament injury suffered in January 2014.
The Colombian striker played in just 40.8% of a possible 3,150 minutes after joining Manchester United on loan in September.

Falcao was signed by French club Monaco for £50m in 2013, having scored 70 goals in two prolific seasons with Atletico Madrid.
Before arriving in the Spanish capital in 2011, he scored 72 goals in two seasons for Portuguese side FC Porto after joining them from Argentine club River Plate in 2009.
Falcao played with Chelsea striker Diego Costa at Atletico and lined up alongside the Spain international as Mourinho's Real Madrid were beaten 2-1 in the 2013 Copa del Rey final.
The Blues recently released 37-year-old striker Didier Drogba, who left the club for a second time at the end of the season.
Falcao's Colombia face an uphill task to qualify from Group C at the Copa America after losing their opening game 1-0 to Venezuela.
They play Brazil next, in a game that kicks off at 01:00 BST on Thursday.

Andy Murray through at Queen's but Rafael Nadal crashes out in west London

Top seed Andy Murray won his first match of the grass court season with a straight forward 6-4 7-5 win against the spirited qualifier Yen-Hsun Lu at Queen’s Club.

The three-time champion will be pleased with his annual grass debut ahead of Wimbledon in two weeks, despite dropping his serve at the start of both sets.
Lu, ranked 63 in the world, has an impressive grass court pedigree after reaching the quarter-finals at SW19 in 2010, whilst he also knocked Murray out of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
And the Chinese qualifier started turning heads in the early stages by breaking the world number three in the fifth game, but Murray broke back instantly.

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After an error handed Murray the first set, the Scot would have been forgiven for thinking the match was a foregone conclusion, but Lu broke again at the start of the second.
Murray broke back and with a second set tiebreak looming, the number one seed made his move by breaking Lu at 6-5 to take the match and set up a showdown with Fernando Verdasco in round two.
Elsewhere, Rafael Nadal’s concerning recent form continued as the fifth seed bowed out in the first round to unseeded Ukrainian Aleksandr Dolgopolov.
The Spaniard recovered from losing the first set but eventually succumbed 3-6 7-3 4-6, on a day when there where wins for Stan Wawrinka and reigning champion Grigor Dimitrov.

Arsenal agree sale of Lukas Podolski to Galatasaray for £1.4million

Galatasaray have signed Lukas Podolski from Arsenal for £1.4m, according to reports in Turkey.
The Germany international is deemed surplus to requirements at the Emirates and spent the second half of last season on loan at Inter Milan.
The 30-year-old has now reportedly made his move away from north London permanent after Galatasaray struck a deal for his services.
According to Turkish newspaper Aksam, Gala will pay Arsenal £1.4m for the forward and personal terms with the player have been agreed.

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Podolski previously had one year remaining on his £100,000-a-week deal at the Emirates

Chicago Blackhawks beat Tampa Bay Lightning to win Stanley Cup

Chicago Blackhawks claimed their third Stanley Cup in six years with a 2-0 win against Tampa Bay Lightning that gave them a 4-2 series victory. Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith were on target as Chicago clinched the title at home for the first time since 1938.
It was the only match of the series not to be decided by a single goal.
Keith opened the scoring in the second period and was named most valuable player of the play-offs to deny Tampa in their first final since 2004.

Capital One Cup first round draw: Burnley, Hull and Queens Park Rangers all handed away ties

 

 

Burnley, Hull and Queens Park Rangers have all been handed away trips in the first round of the Capital One Cup.
Tuesday's draw saw the trio, relegated from the Premier League last season, pitted against Port Vale, Accrington Stanley and Yeovil Town respectively.
Fulham, who spent 13 years in the top-flight before relegation in 2014, also face a tricky away fixture, against League Two play-off finalists Wycombe Wanderers.
Middlesbrough, losing finalists in last season's Championship play-off final, visit League One side Oldham Athletic.

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There are two London derbies, with Charlton Athletic hosting Dagenham & Redbridge and Conference champions Barnet welcoming Millwall, while Leeds and Doncaster will contest an all-Yorkshire affair at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Bradford, 2013 League Cup finalists, will travel to local rivals York and Sheffield United, semi-finalists last season, will travel to Morecambe.
Full Capital One Cup first round draw:
Carlisle United v Chesterfield
Nottingham Forest v Walsall
Fleetwood Town v Hartlepool United
Scunthorpe United v Barnsley
Bolton Wanderers v Burton Albion
Accrington Stanley v Hull City
Rochdale v Coventry City
Oldham Athletic v Middlesbrough
Huddersfield Town v Notts County
Blackburn Rovers v Shrewsbury Town
Morecambe v Sheffield United
Doncaster Rovers v Leeds United
Wigan Athletic v Bury
Northampton Town v Blackpool
Sheffield Wednesday v Mansfield Town
Rotherham United v Cambridge United
Crewe Alexandra v Preston North End
York City v Bradford City
Port Vale v Burnley
Peterborough United v Crawley Town
Yeovil Town v Queens Park Rangers
Plymouth Argyle v Gillingham
Swindon Town v Exeter City
Bristol Rovers v Birmingham City
Ipswich Town v Stevenage
Luton Town v Bristol City
Charlton Athletic v Dagenham & Redbridge
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newport County
Brentford v Oxford United
Portsmouth v Derby County
Southend United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Milton Keynes Dons v Leyton Orient
Cardiff City v AFC Wimbledon
Millwall v Barnet
Wycombe Wanderers v Fulham
Colchester United v Reading

Sinisa Mihajlovic replaces Filippo Inzaghi as coach of AC Milan

AC Milan have appointed former Serbia coach Sinisa Mihajlovic as their new coach after sacking Filippo Inzaghi.

Former Yugoslavia defender Mihajlovic, 46, left Sampdoria earlier this month after two years in charge.
Inzaghi, 41, who played for Milan from 2001 until his retirement in 2012, replaced former team-mate Clarence Seedorf as Milan coach last June.
Milan finished in 10th place in Serie A, 35 points behind champions Juventus, after only 13 wins in 2014-15.
"Filippo Inzaghi has been discharged of his responsibilities as first-team coach," the club said in a statement.
After retiring as a player, former striker Inzaghi became youth-team coach before leaving that role to succeed Seedorf, who only lasted five months in the role.
AC Milan have won 18 Serie A titles and seven European Cups.

Chelsea agree deal for ex-Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao

Chelsea have struck a deal with Monaco for the loan signing of Radamel Falcao, according to reports in France.
The striker endured a miserable campaign at Old Trafford last season, finding the net just four times in all competitions.
After that spell, Manchester United decided not to sign the Colombian permanently and it was thought he would return to France.
However, according to L'Equipe, Chelsea have agreed terms with Monaco and will take Falcao on loan for the season.

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The one-year deal will set the Blues back around £7m, with it also containing a buyout clause of over £35m.
Both parties have reportedly agreed on all terms of the deal and the transfer is likely to be announced before the end of the week.

Chuck Blazer secretly co-operated with Fifa investigation from 2011

A corrupt Fifa official worked undercover for investigators for 18 months while on the governing body's executive committee, it has emerged.

Chuck Blazer, 70, struck a deal with prosecutors in the United States after pleading guilty to charges of bribery, money laundering and tax evasion.
Details of that agreement have been revealed after a judge agreed to a request by five media groups.
The document shows Blazer was secretly co-operating from December 2011.
The American was on Fifa's executive committee from 1997-2013.
Last month, US prosecutors indicted 14 Fifa officials on charges of racketeering, fraud and money laundering involving tens of millions of dollars over 24 years.
The 19-page co-operation agreement was signed in November 2013 - the day Blazer pleaded guilty - but references written agreements between himself and the US government dating back to 29 December 2011.
The document says: "The defendant agrees to furnish to the office all documents and other material that may be relevant to this investigation... and to participate in undercover activities pursuant to the specific instructions of law enforcement agents."
The New York Daily News reported last year that Blazer had bugged meetings with executives at the London 2012 Olympics with a wire device concealed in a key fob.

Messi refused man of the match award

The Barcelona forward was chosen as the standout player in Argentina's 2-2 draw against Paraguay on Saturday, but was not in the mood to accept the prize

Argentina captain Lionel Messi refused the man of the match award for his side’s 2-2 draw against Paraguay because he was furious with how his team threw away a two-goal lead in their Copa America opener.

Messi was key in the build-up to Sergio Aguero’s strike and scored Argentina’s second from the penalty spot, but missed chances in the second half to put the game out of Paraguay’s reach and was in no mood for a photo call following the final whistle on Saturday.

A representative from MasterCard, who hand out the awards in every match in the continental competition, went to the Argentina dressing room to inform the 27-year-old he had been chosen to receive the prize but was told Messi would not accept the award.

Following the Barcelona forward’s refusal, MasterCard were keen to pick another Argentine player after the fantastic first half performance from Gerardo Martino’s men, but the mood in the dressing room was sombre and the representative was told that none of the players were willing to accept the accolade.

It was then decided to give the prize to one of Paraguay’s two goalscorers and Nelson Valdez - who netted the first for the Albirroja before Lucas Barrios’ late leveler - was on hand to pick up the unwanted man of the match award.

Argentina face Uruguay in their second Group B game on Tuesday.

Gossip/Aproko: Pogba, De Gea, Firmino, Clyne, Otamendi, Cech

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri says it would be "difficult to say no" if a lucrative bid was received for midfielder Paul Pogba. The France international, 22, has been linked with a number of top European clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City. (Independent, via Gazzetta dello Sport) 
Manchester United have told Real Madrid they will not listen to offers under £25m for 24-year-old Spain goalkeeper David De Gea. (Sun - subscription required) 
Chelsea could be forced to play their home matches away from Stamford Bridge for at least two seasons as part of plans to increase the stadium's capacity to 60,000. (Guardian) 

The back page of the Daily Mirror

Monaco want Chelsea to loan them midfielders Mario Pasalic, 20 and Charly Musonda, 18, as part of a deal that will see their 29-year-old Colombia striker Radamel Falcao move on loan to Stamford Bridge. (Telegraph) 
Petr Cech's goalkeeping coach at Chelsea believes the 33-year-old wants to sign for Arsenal. The Czech can sign on a free transfer, with his contract set to expire. (Mirror) 
Liverpool will make an improved offer for Southampton's England right-back Nathaniel Clyne. The Reds had a £10m bid for the 24-year-old rejected at the end of May. (Liverpool Echo) 
The agent of Roberto Firmino, the Hoffenheim and Brazil forward who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, has confirmed the 23-year-old is "moving to England", but any deal will only be completed after the Copa America. (Manchester Evening News, via Bild) 
United must meet a £35m release clause if they want to sign Valencia's 27-year-old Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi. The Old Trafford club had valued the player at closer to £25m. (Mirror)  
Everton are close to completing a deal to bring Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu back to the club in a £3m transfer. The 21-year-old spent the 2013-14 season on loan at Goodison Park. (Daily Star) 
Liverpool may sign Charlton's 18-year-old defender Joe Gomez as a replacement for Uruguay centre-back Sebastian Coates, who is expected make his loan move to Sunderland permanent in a £4m transfer. (Guardian) 
Tottenham are close to completing the £3.5m transfer of 24-year-old former England Under-21 defender Kieran Trippier from Burnley, having seen off rival interest from Liverpool, Newcastle, West Ham, Bournemouth and Southampton. (Daily Mail) 
Spurs are also interested in signing 23-year-old Egypt winger Mohamed Salah from Chelsea. (Evening Standard)  
Southampton have agreed a fee with La Liga club Malaga for striker Juanmi, but the 22-year-old is still considering offers from other clubs across Europe. (Telegraph) 
Stoke City are on the verge of signing 25-year-old Spanish striker Joselu in a £7.3m deal with German club Hanover. (Stoke Sentinel) 

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Neville was taken by surprise as the fireworks went off at Old Trafford on Sunday

Phil Neville got a bit of a fright at Old Trafford on Sunday evening, where a Manchester United Legends team beat Bayern Munich All Stars 4-2 in an exhibition match. "Spot me on the left when the pyrotechnics were going off!" the former United defender wrote on Instagram.  Mikael Silvestre is seemingly made of sterner stuff.
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere reflected on the two magnificent goals he scored for England against Slovenia on Sunday in this Twitter  post: "One of the proudest moments of my career. Thanks to all the fans that travelled you were amazing!"

And finally

Former Brazil defender Roberto Carlos showed his left foot is as powerful as ever by performing an audacious cross-field pass for a Real Madrid All Star team in a match against a Liverpool Legends side. Now 42, Carlos spent 11 years with the Spanish giants between 1996 and 2007. (Metro) 

James: Neymar is at an incredible level

The Real Madrid player was full of praise for his Barcelona counterpart and believes his side have a good chance of beating Brazil in their Copa America clash

Real Madrid star James Rodriguez has praised his Barcelona and Brazil counterpart Neymar, stating that the 23-year-old is at an "incredible level".
The Brazil captain inspired his side to victory in their Copa America opener on Sunday, scoring an early equaliser and then setting up the injury time winner for Douglas Costa.
And the Colombia attacker is looking forward to coming up against him in their next game, insisting that his side will not be looking for revenge for the 2014 World Cup quarter-final defeat to the Selecao.
"Don't mistake this game for a rematch," he said. "Neymar is at an incredible level, but they must play well to beat Colombia.
"In football you can win or lose. We always have to be together, with the same spirit we've always had."
Colombia lost their first Copa match 1-0 to Venezuela, but Rodriguez expects a better performance against Dunga's men.
"There are always bad games and bad afternoons. We must be united and peaceful. We must think about the next game and win"
"It will not be easy to beat them, but I expect a more open game, they can play more in attack and leave more spaces at the back. That could be good for us."
The 23-year-old appeared to pick up a shoulder injury against Venezuela, but he says he has no problem with it now.
"It's nothing serious. I'm physically fine. I had a good season in Spain and I always come to help the national team to win.
"I hope everyone supports us. Not only when we win, but even when we lose. That support is that we need at the moment."

Joe Gomez on Liverpool radar with talks over Charlton move ongoing

 

Joe Gomez

Liverpool are in talks to sign in-demand Charlton defender Joe Gomez, Sky sources understand.

No official bid has yet been made but the Anfield club have a strong interest in the 18-year-old centre-back.
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Spurs have also been watching Gomez, a player Charlton value at up to £7m.
Gomez played 24 times for the Addicks last season and has also represented England at U16, U17 and U19 level.
The Catford-born player was part of the England side that won the 2014 European U17 Championships and was named in UEFA's team of the tournament.

Real Madrid declare interest in Juventus' Paul Pogba

Paul Pogba is expected to leave the Serie A champions this summer

Real Madrid have declared their interest in the widely sought-after Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba.

Sky Sports reported last month that Manchester City were preparing a formal bid for the 22-year-old Frenchman - and they are just one of several top European clubs including Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona who are keen to sign him.
Juventus have said they will only consider extraordinary offers for Pogba after his agent, Mino Raiola, predicted a bidding war for his player that could fetch a fee as high as €80million - no formal offers have yet been made.
And Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane told French broadcaster RTL on Monday: "Many clubs are interested in him and among these is Real Madrid.
"I think Pogba is a fantastic player. What I like most is that it can do everything. He is a complete player, who can also score, who is not afraid to go forwards. In terms of quality, he is extraordinary."
City are keen on former Manchester United trainee Pogba, but he does not qualify as a home-grown player having failed to reach the required quota of appearances whilst at Old Trafford.
Pogba spent two seasons under Sir Alex Ferguson from July 2010 to 2012 but he struggled to make an impact, being given just a handful of substitute appearances, before being allowed to move to Juventus.

Manchester United have not made any offers for Nicholas Otamendi, say Valencia

Nicholas Otamendi

Valencia have not received any offers from Manchester United for Nicholas Otamendi, the club have told Sky Sports News HQ.

Newspaper reports claimed the Argentinian defender had been discussing personal terms with United but a Valencia spokesperson says there was no basis to the articles.
Valencia say they will not sell Otamendi, 27, for anything less than €50m while also describing reports of United's Robin van Persie moving to the Mestalla the other way as “nonsense”.
Centre-back Otamendi enjoyed another superb season at Valencia, playing 38 times and scoring six goals as they finished fourth in La Liga.
Otamendi is currently on international duty at the Copa America where his Argentina side drew their first game with Paraguay 2-2.
He began his career in his home country with Velez Sarsfield before a move to Porto in 2010. He then moved to Valencia in 2014.

Queen's Club: Lleyton Hewitt beaten by Kevin Anderson

Aegon Championships
Venue: Queen's Club, London Dates: 15-21 June
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Radio 5 live sports extra, online, tablets, mobiles and sport app.

South African Kevin Anderson ended Lleyton Hewitt's 16th and final Queen's Club appearance with a first-round win over the former Wimbledon champion.

Australian Hewitt, 34, a four-time winner at Queen's, had the opportunity to serve for the match in the second set but suffered a 6-7 7-5 6-2 defeat.
Anderson, 29, ranked 17th in the world, will face Nick Kyrgios or Stan Wawrinka in the second round.
"This has been one of my favourite tournaments," said wildcard Hewitt.
"I love the whole month in London. I'm going to have so many great memories in this tournament."
Fernando Verdasco, Richard Gasquet and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez also went through on Monday, with Britain's James Ward also on court to face third seed Milos Raonic.
British number one Andy Murray starts his Queen's campaign against qualifier Yen-Hsun Lu on Tuesday, as does Rafael Nadal, who faces Ukrainian Alexandr Dolgopolov.

Petr Cech interested in Arsenal move

Peter Cech: Would like to move to Arsenal but Chelsea would prefer PSG deal

Goalkeeper Petr Cech will meet with Chelsea officials today to discuss his desire to leave the club.

Cech would like to join Arsenal, but the Premier League champions are reluctant to let him move there unless they receive a home-grown player as part of the deal. 

PSG are also interested and Chelsea would prefer to sell to the French champions for a fee of around £11m. Cech, who has been at Chelsea for 11 seasons and has a year left on his contract, would rather remain in London, where his family is settled.
The 33-year-old returns to London to meet Chelsea with his representatives after playing in the Czech Republic's 2-1 defeat in their European Qualifier against Iceland
Cech spent last season as second choice to Thibaut Courtois and featured in just seven Premier League games - it was the first time he has not been No 1 at Stamford Bridge.
The four-time Premier League winner has made over 500 appearances for Chelsea since joining in the summer of 2004 from Rennes for £7m.
His performances helped Chelsea win the title in Jose Mourinho's first season as manager - they also won the league the following season but Cech missed three months of the 2006-07 season after fracturing his skull against Reading.
Cech has no memory of the incident and he has worn a protective skull cap ever since his return from the injury.

Manchester United and Arsenal targets feature in official La Liga Team of the Year

Just three players included in La Liga's Team of The Year don't currently ply their trade for either Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Spain's top two clubs benefit from a wealth of talent and it's no surprise to see their ranks dominate the cream of the crop that the nation has to offer.
However, extra kudos must be awarded to those that have done enough to be recognised, despite not featuring for the country's traditional powerhouses.
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, who scored a total of 22 goals last season, has managed to edge out Brazilian superstar Neymar for a place in the front line alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

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Meanwhile, Nicolas Otamendi, the latest man to be heralded as the solution to Manchester United's defensive problems, has earned a deserved place in the heart of defence.
REVEALED: Top 10 players linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer
The 27-year-old has enjoyed a fine debut season with Los Che, but they now face a battle to retain the Argentine's services, given the calibre of clubs that are interested in his signature.
Finally, Sevilla's defensive midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has been deemed worthy of a place in the centre of the park, flanked by James Rodriguez and Ivan Rakitic.
The Poland international has attracted interest from Arsenal, who are in need of an enforcer that can complement the talent of Francis Coquelin.
The 25-year-old recently changed his agent, which has put the Gunners on alert as he could be on his way out of the Andalusian outfit before the end of the summer.
You can see the full La Liga Team of The Year, as voted by the website's writers,  in the graphic
 

Juventus star Carlos Tevez offered chance to return to England

Carlos Tevez: Has one year remaining on his deal at Italian champions Juventus

Juventus striker Carlos Tevez has been offered the chance to return to England by an unknown Premier League club, according to Sky sources.

But Sky Sports understand that club is not Liverpool, despite press reports suggesting Brendan Rodgers could tie up a deal for the former Manchester City and Manchester United star this week.
Tevez, who has a year remaining on his contract at the Serie A champions and Champions League finalists, has also received three offers from abroad – one of which is thought to be Atletico Madrid.
The La Liga side are keen to sign the 31-year-old, who has long been tipped to finish his career in his home country with former club Boca Juniors, with head coach Diego Simeone speaking of his desire to bring Tevez to Madrid last month.
"One always gets excited if you have players like Tevez," Simeone told Spanish sports newspaper AS when asked about  the Argentina international.

"One always gets excited if you have players like Tevez. More than the goals he scores, he has football running through his veins."

Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid manager

"More than the goals he can score per season, he has football running through his veins. It would be an ideal reinforcement considering the way we experience football at Atletico Madrid."
Tevez joined Juventus from Man City in 2013 for £12m and has scored 39 league goals for the club en route to claiming two Italian titles and an Italian cup.
Tevez was the subject of an infamous initial move to England when he joined West Ham in 2006 amid disputes over third-party ownership of his playing rights.
He moved to Manchester United a year later after this was resolved before another controversial move to their arch rivals City in 2009, after scoring 34 goals under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Tevez scored 73 goals for City and won the Premier League with them in 2012 his third English title.

Chelsea balk at Liverpool's £50m Raheem Sterling valuation

Raheem Sterling: Wanted by Chelsea but not for £50m

Chelsea are interested in signing Raheem Sterling but are not prepared to meet Liverpool's £50m valuation for the player, Sky sources understand.

The Premier League champions will continue to monitor the situation though, with the England winger refusing to sign a contract extension at Anfield.
That has alerted a number of clubs to Sterling’s possible availability over the summer, with Manchester City already understood to have had a £25m-plus bid rejected.

Real Madrid, Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with the 20-year-old, who has two years left to run on his current deal, although Sky sources understand no bids have come in for Sterling from any other clubs.

Roy Hodgson is calling on Raheem Sterling to get a thicker skin as he tries to deal with criticism he's received since his contract dispute with Liverpool

Sterling has scored 23 goals in 129 appearances for the Reds after joining from QPR for £600,000 in May 2010.
But he was booed by some sections of the England supporters at the recent friendly with Republic of Ireland in Dublin as questions remain over his future on Merseyside.
Watch Sky Sports News HQ for all the latest transfer news or keep track of the speculation and done deals with the Sky Sports Transfer Centre

Jack Grealish: Aston Villa to meet with player over pictures

Aston Villa say they will be meeting midfielder Jack Grealish after photographs emerged claiming to show the player lying in the street while on holiday in Tenerife.

"The club is aware of the photographs of Jack Grealish currently circulating," said a club statement.
"We will be meeting with the player but any action will remain an internal matter."
Grealish, 19, was warned by manager Tim Sherwood about his behaviour in April.
That came after the midfielder was pictured allegedly inhaling nitrous oxide, which is known as laughing gas and can be used as a legal high.

Grealish helped Aston Villa to the FA Cup final last season

Several photographs of the 19-year-old allegedly lying on the floor on the Canary Island were posted on Twitter by Briony King, who claimed the footballer was "paralytic".
However, the player appeared to deny it was him when he tweeted:  "I'm on the floor apparently."
Grealish is a product of the Villa academy and made 24 first-team appearances last season as he helped the club avoid relegation and reach the FA Cup final.
He was involved in both goals in their 2-1 win over Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final and qualifies to play for both England and the Republic of Ireland.
The player started in the final at Wembley against Arsenal but Villa were beaten 4-0.