Real Madrid rival Liverpool and Arsenal for Anderlecht midfielder Biglia
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UPDATED:
06:12 GMT, 1 May 2012
Impressive: Anderlecht midfielder Lucas Biglia
Arsenal and Liverpool face competition from Real Madrid for the signature of Anderlecht midfielder Lucas Biglia.
The 26-year-old Argentina international has alerted Europe's top clubs after impressing in the Belgian league.
Juventus and PSG are also monitoring the defensive midfielder, who is expected to move in the summer.
Chelsea ramp up bid to sign 35m Real Madrid ace Higuain
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UPDATED:
07:39 GMT, 27 April 2012
Chelsea are set to swoop for 35million-rated Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.
The Blues are keen to beef up their attacking options with Didier Drogba poised to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
Ace: Higuain tops Roman Abramovich's summer wishlist
And Higuain, also a target of rivals Manchester City, is wanted by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
A Chelsea source is quoted as saying in The Sun: 'Higuain is top of the shopping list.
'He has a phenomenal goalscoring record for Real and for Argentina but he helps make lots of goals too.
Head boy: The Argentina striker has scored 25 times this season
'He would be perfect for us, the sort of player who would thrive in the Premier League.'
Sergio Aguero is wanted at Real Madrid, and the Spanish giants would be prepared to cash in on Higuain to fund a move for the City hitman.
Higuain has scored 25 times for Real Madrid this season.
Tevez pledges to push United all the way as City striker refuses to give up on title
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UPDATED:
21:54 GMT, 16 April 2012
Carlos Tevez has vowed to put his old club Manchester United under intense pressure in the final stage of the title race.
With four games left and United still to go to rivals Manchester City on April 30, Tevez has warned Sir Alex Ferguson’s side that any more slip-ups will be punished following a shock defeat at Wigan last week.
Keeping up the pressure: Tevez has vowed to push former club United all the way
The Argentina striker has scored four goals in his first two Premier League starts since ending a six-month dispute with City, although he is still expected to leave the club at the end of the season.
After scoring a hat-trick at Norwich, Tevez said: ‘We’ll be fighting until the end and until it’s mathematically impossible to be champions.
‘We always knew United can lose points, and now they have to come to play at City which will be difficult.
In the thick of it: Tevez hit three at Carrow Road
‘We won’t give them any space. We are going to continue to put them under pressure, and then we will see how it finishes.
‘The most important thing is to keep putting pressure on United. We have to keep playing the way we are and winning games.’
Diego's damsels in distress! Maradona dives into crowd as fans abuse WAGS
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UPDATED:
09:54 GMT, 30 March 2012
Diego Maradona had to be held back by security staff after wading into the crowd to save his side's WAGS from opposition fans.
Maradona's better half Veronica was caught up in the trouble as the Argentina legend's Al Wasl side lost 2-0 to Al Shabab in Al Mamzar.
The Al Wasl coach hit out at the fans after the women had been escorted from the stadium by police.
Scroll down for video of Maradona
No nonsense: Diego Maradona took on supporters to save his side's WAGS
He said: 'Some people are cowards. They only attack women and have no courage to confront men. This is the first time I am upset with the fans.
'If they are angry with me they should know that I did it (climbed the stands) for my wife because someone was calling her names.
'They shouldn't be angry with me they should be angry with the people who did this. They are cowards, not real fans.'
Gulf News reported that some of Maradona's entourage in the United Arab Emirates – which included Veronica – abused Al Shabab's Brazilian striker Ciel and home fans reacted angrily, sparking the trouble.
This is STUPID! Aguero ruled out for title-chasing Manchester City as Mancini rues mystery injury
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UPDATED:
10:20 GMT, 30 March 2012
Sergio Aguero will miss Manchester City's Premier League clash with Sunderland on Saturday – with what boss Roberto Mancini has described as a 'stupid' injury.
Aguero was missing from the City team that drew at Stoke on Saturday with a foot problem.
'It is a stupid injury,' said Mancini. 'It was not his fault but he can't play with this injury; for one day, 10 days or two weeks. I don't know.'
Out: Sergio Aguero pictured training on Wednesday at Carrington
Mancini has refused to say exactly what happened but repeatedly used the word 'stupid' when asked.
'I prefer not to say,' he said. 'But
he couldn't play against Stoke and can't play tomorrow. I hope he can
recover for Arsenal next weekend.'
Meanwhile, skipper Vincent Kompany is on course to make his return to action against Sunderland.
Kompany has missed City's last four games with a hamstring injury, including the visits to Swansea and Stoke, where City have picked up just a single point to surrender the advantage in the Premier League title battle.
However, just as Mancini's men reach the point where they cannot afford to fall any further behind favourites Manchester United, Kompany has returned to training.
Glum: Roberto Mancini didn't look happy at training on Friday
'Just had my second training session with the team,' he said on Twitter. 'If all goes to plan I will be available for the Sunderland game.'
With visits to Arsenal and Norwich looming in a potentially pivotal six-day period around Easter, Kompany's return cannot come soon enough. And a fully-fit Carlos Tevez would be an advantage too.
The Argentina star has made two appearances off the substitutes' bench since his return to first-team duties after his extended stand-off with Mancini.
And whilst he made a significant contribution to the victory over Chelsea by setting up Samir Nasri for the winner, Tevez failed to ignite City at Stoke.
However, Tevez scored on a reserve team outing at Morecambe on Wednesday and team-mate Yaya Toure has revealed the striker has promised to do everything in his power to help City get their noses back in front.
On his way back: Vincent Kompany should return for City on Saturday
'Everyone can make mistakes but Carlos is a really good man,' Toure told the Manchester Evening News.
'When you meet him, he is always good fun and a nice guy, even if people may have a different image of him.
'He knew when he came back to the club he had made a very big mistake, but now everything is over and he is focused on winning the Premier League.
'He wants to do as much as possible to say sorry to the fans. He will be an important player for us as he wants to prove he is a top player. I am sure he will be fantastic for the rest of the season.'
Sportsmail remembers football's strangest injuries
RICHARD WRIGHT: Wright was ruled out of Everton's FA Cup fourth-round replay at Chelsea after suffering a freak injury during the warm-up. Wright ignored a notice warning him not to practise in the goalmouth and promptly fell over the sign, suffering a twisted ankle. The same player also damaged his shoulder falling through a loft as he was trying to pack away his suitcases.
RIO FERDINAND: During his spell at Leeds, the England defender managed to pick up a tendon strain in his knee watching television. Ferdinand had his foot up on a coffee table for a number of hours and ended up injuring a tendon behind his knee.
DAVE BEASANT: The veteran goalkeeper managed to rule himself out for eight weeks in 1993 when he dropped a bottle of salad cream on his foot, severing the tendon in his big toe.
DAVID JAMES: The England goalkeeper once pulled a muscle in his back when reaching for the television remote control and the keen angler also tweaked his shoulder when trying to land a monster carp.
ALEX STEPNEY: In 1975 the Manchester United goalkeeper dislocated his jaw while shouting at his defenders during a match against Birmingham.
CHIC BRODIE: The Brentford goalkeeper's career came to an abrupt end in October 1970 when he collided with a sheepdog which had run on to the pitch. Brodie shattered his kneecap while the dog got the ball. 'The dog might have been a small one, but it just happened to be a solid one,' he reflected.
SANTIAGO CANIZARES: The Spain goalkeeper missed the 2002 World Cup after accidentally shattering a bottle of aftershave in his hotel sink. A piece of glass fell on his foot, severing a tendon in his big toe.
STEVE MORROW: The former Northern Ireland defender broke his collarbone after falling off the shoulders of Tony Adams while celebrating the 1993 League Cup final win against Sheffield Wednesday.
SVEIN GRONDALEN: The Norway defender had to withdraw from an international during the 1970s after colliding with a moose while out jogging.
DARREN BARNARD: The former Barnsley midfielder was sidelined for five months with a torn knee ligament after he slipped in a puddle of his puppy's urine on the kitchen floor.
CHARLIE GEORGE: Arsenal's 1971 FA Cup hero managed to cut off his toe with a lawnmower.
KIRK BROADFOOT: The Rangers defender suffered burns after an egg he had poached exploded in his face while he was inspecting it.
JEROME BOATENG: The Germany defender was forced to wait for his Manchester City debut after aggravating a knee injury in a collision with an airline drinks trolley. 'I imagined my start at City to be quite different, of course,' he said ruefully.
EVER BANEGA: The Valencia midfielder broke his ankle when he was run over by his own car, having failed to properly apply the handbrake when he stopped for petrol.
Happy Aguero pledges future to Man City despite Real interest
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UPDATED:
23:01 GMT, 23 March 2012
Sergio Aguero has promised Manchester
City he will not quit English football after one season and return to
Spain with Real Madrid even if Roberto Mancini's side fail to win the
Premier League title.
The Argentine has scored 24 goals since joining City for 38million from Real's neighbours Atletico Madrid last summer.
All smiles: Sergio Aguero arrives for training on Friday
Bernabeu president Florentino Perez is reported to have made Aguero, 23, his top target and is willing to sacrifice his Argentina team-mate Gonzalo Higuain to fund the move.
But Aguero said: 'None of that has come from me and the City fans can rest assured I'm happy here.
'First and foremost the major aim is to win the league title this season. Then I want to stay here for a long time after that.
'From the moment I arrived everyone has treated me really well and it's down to me to repay that kindness and good feeling I've had from everyone.'
Aguero was signed to replace Carlos Tevez before his compatriot failed to secure a move away from the Etihad Stadium.
The two strikers have started just one game together for City this season, but Augero equalised from the penalty spot against Chelsea in midweek and Tevez came off the bench after a six-month absence to set up a late winner.
Hot shot: Aguero has scored 28 goals this season
As Roberto Mancini's side look to leapfrog Manchester United and return to the top of the table at Stoke on Saturday, Aguero backed Tevez to have a big say in the title race.
He said: 'Carlos is a key player because he's got five years experience of playing in the Premier League. He will bring a lot to the party for what remains of the season.
'Through what happened and the situation that came about, I've not had much chance to play with him.
'He was bursting to get out there on the field on Wednesday. I'm not Roberto Mancini but we all know he's an important player for us.
'With the nine games remaining in the season I think he can bring a lot to the side. It's an important time for him to come back.' Aguero insists the comeback win over Chelsea proved that City can handle the pressure of going head-to-head with United.
Real deal: Madrid are ready to sacrifice Gonzalo Higuain to fund Aguero move
'The title race is all about not giving up,' he added. 'We are fighting for the title, we have confidence.
'We're the sort of team who know that if we go behind we can come back and win the game.
'(Being second) is a different type of pressure really but it's difficult to judge which is the most. The key is we are in a position now where we can't afford to drop any points.
'For sure Manchester United are quite experienced in these title chases but we have to focus on ourselves.
'We have dropped a few points here and there along the way but that's in the past.'
Let the mind games begin! Fergie sticks boot into rivals City and insists they are the ones who are 'desperate' after bringing back Tevez
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UPDATED:
11:36 GMT, 23 March 2012
Sir Alex Ferguson has launched an amazing attack on Manchester City and warned them he has “plenty of ammunition” if they want to engage in mind games.
Earlier this week, former Blues midfielder Patrick Vieira said the decision to bring Paul Scholes out of retirement smacked of desperation.
However, United have won nine Premier League games and drawn one with Scholes in the team, suggesting the move has worked.
Hitting out: Sir Alex Ferguson has launched an attack on rivals City
It certainly has provided Ferguson
with the opportunity to hit back in a week when Carlos Tevez has made
his controversial return to the Manchester City fold.
'If it's desperation bringing the
best midfielder in Britain back for the last 20 years then I think we
can accept that,' said Ferguson.
'I think he (Vieira) was programmed
for that. Roberto had a wee dig a couple of weeks back. We're all going
to play our hand that way. There will be plenty of ammunition for that.
Back in favour: Carlos Tevez finally made his return for City against Chelsea
'If you talk about desperation, they
played a player the other night who refused to go on the pitch, the
manager said he'd never play again and he takes a five-month holiday in
Argentina. What is that Could that come under the description of
desperation'
Ferguson also rejected Vieira's
assertion that a further sign of United struggling was their inability
to keep hold of Ravel Morrison during the January transfer window and
their on-going battle to retain Paul Pogba.
'The point he made about Ravel
Morrison and losing our young players – we wanted to sell him (Morrison)
let's be clear about that, for obvious reasons.
Golden oldie: Paul Scholes was lured out of retirement by Ferguson
'But we want Pogba to stay because we
think he's going to be a fantastic Manchester United player and
hopefully that's the case.'
Ferguson confirmed he expects to have a
strong squad available after Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Fabio, Tom
Cleverley and Pogba all came through a reserve-team outing against Aston
Villa on Thursday night.
'Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have
been in and out in particular in terms of illness and injuries over the
last couple of months,' said Ferguson.
'Tom Cleverley, Paul Pogba and Fabio all had a game. We took Paul off purely because he will be involved on Monday.
Prodigy: Paul Pogba is rated highly by Manchester United
'It puts us in a position where we have quite a strong squad now. We are only waiting on Nani and Michael Owen. We expect both of them to restart training next week.'
United may be back in second spot by the time they face Fulham at Old Trafford on Monday, although victory will ensure they regain the leadership.
'Every game is must-win now,” said Ferguson. 'That is no issue for me. I have been used to that for years. Hopefully we can keep the momentum going.'
Ferguson has also hailed Jonny Evans' contribution to the United cause this season.
The Northern Ireland international has featured more often in central defence for United than any other player in this injury-ravaged campaign.
The 24-year-old even managed to score his first goal for the club in their five-goal hammering of Wolves at the weekend.
Making strides: Jonny Evans has impressed in Nemanja Vidic's absence
With Jones and Smalling available for Monday's Premier League encounter with Fulham at Old Trafford, Evans is facing renewed pressure for his first-team spot.
However, Ferguson seems certain to stick with Evans, whose ability helped make up United's mind to sell Gerard Pique to Barcelona in 2008.
'He's playing regularly and I think that helps,' said Ferguson. 'He is still a young player of course and when they get runs of games it helps with their consistency. His partnership with Rio has been very good.'
In fact, after Nemanja Vidic was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury, Ferguson believes Ferdinand has been a major influence on Evans.
'A lot of it has to do with Rio actually because he's really helped Jonny,' said Ferguson. Jonny's always had terrific ability and it's good to see he's in consistent form.'
Did Diego bring Tevez back Maradona tells of his wise words to City's striker
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UPDATED:
08:50 GMT, 23 March 2012
Diego Maradona could be responsible for Carlos Tevez's return to Manchester City.
He told his compatriot to put his differences with boss Roberto Mancini to one side and get back into the City fold.
Maradona said: 'I told Tevez three months ago that he had to talk with Mancini as soon as possible.
Comeback: Carlos Tevez made a strong return to first-team football
'I said that because he was losing money — but also because he needed to play football again.
'I told Tevez, “you must go back now”.'
Maradona and Tevez became friends during the former's stint as Argentina manager, and spoke during the latter's spell in the country while in self-inflicted exile from Manchester.
The striker made a good return to action against Chelsea on Wednesday, setting up Samir Nasri's winner with a cunning through ball.
Nasri was quick to praise the returning star after his assist.
Lecture: Diego Maradona told Tevez he must return to Manchester
'He is one of the best, really, really hard to stop,' said the Frenchman.
Many other City players were grateful to have the former City captain back with them for the final few weeks of the season, including Joleon Lescott and Micah Richards.
It could be that his presence is the deciding factor in the race for the title – something sure to irk rivals Manchester United, who sold Tevez to City, if the blue half of Manchester is triumphant.
Record breaker! Watch ALL 234 goals celebrated by Barca superstar Messi
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UPDATED:
09:29 GMT, 22 March 2012
It all began with a sweet strike against Albacete at the Nou Camp on May 1, 2005. That was the day a 17-year-old Lionel Messi became Barcleona's youngest ever scorer in La Liga.
Fast forward seven years, the Argentina superstar is acclaimed as one of the best players to ever grace the beautiful game AND is now the Catalan club's all-time goalscorer record holder after his stunning hat-trick against Granada saw him surpass Cesar Rodriguez' landmark of 232 official goals.
To celebrate Messi's incredible feat, Sportsmail brings you ALL 234 goals celebrated by the masterful 24-year-old so far.
Sit back and enjoy…
Man City line up swap deal with Real Madrid's Higuain as Dzeko nears exit
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UPDATED:
08:55 GMT, 20 March 2012
Edin Dzeko could leave Manchester City this summer in a swap deal with Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain.
Dzeko has become frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities at the Etihad Stadium, making just 14 league starts this term.
Edin out Dzeko could leave Manchester City in the summer
With Carlos Tevez due to return, Dzeko could slip further down the pecking order.
Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho is a huge admirer of the Bosnia international, who has scored 18 times for City this season.
City slicker: Higuain could join the Blues at the end of the season
And according to The Sun, Roberto Mancini would be interested in pairing Gonzalo Higuain with his Argentina team-mate Sergio Aguero next season.
The 24-year-old is in his sixth season at the Bernabeu and is open to a move.