Koscielny 'a target for Bayern and Barca'

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny is a summer target for both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, his agent has said.

PA PhotosKoscielny has been in impressive form for Arsenal

Mikel Obi Agrees To Join Galatasaray

Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi has given his word to Turkish champions Galatasaray he wishes to join them. 


Galatasaray sporting director Bulent Tulun said Mikel has agreed in principle to join them, according to a leading Turkey football website fotomac.

Messi Could Be Jailed For Four Years

Lionel Messi, the Barcelona star footballer and his father are accused of scamming $5.3 million in taxes from Spanish authorities. Along with his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, the high income player is accused of fraudulent tax returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009.


It’s clear this won’t be a simple case. A judge must accept the prosecutor’s lawsuit before any charges could be brought.

This is bad press for the World Star player but centers on companies and endorsement deals. Tax advisers can be expected to contend that this is no more than tax planning, not unlike aggressive football play.

According to Forbes, Messi earns $41.3 million per year, making him the 10th highest-paid athlete in the world. But not all of it is for actual play.

He is said to collect $21 million from endorsement deals, including Adidas. He makes about $20 million from Barcelona. Only David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo had higher earnings from soccer. In a statement released via his Facebook page, Messi said:

Arsene Wenger Free To Spend

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis says Arsene Wenger is not 'scared to spend', but will hold out for top talent.

The Gunners boss has often adopted a frugal approach to transfer dealings, with the Frenchman reluctant to pay the kind of fees shelled out by his Premier League rivals.

Rafael Nadal Falls Behind David Ferrer in Rankings

Rafael Nadal is playing as well as anyone in the sport of tennis, but he is still losing ground in the world rankings.

On Sunday, the Spanish star won his eighth career French Open with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 win over compatriot David Ferrer. It was his seventh tournament title of the year since returning from a knee injury, and it was the fourth championship in a row.

That didn't help him with his world ranking, though:

Mata to Madrid would be killer move

Could Jose Mourinho be on the verge of doing Real Madrid an unlikely favor? The manner of his departure and some acerbic observations since -- "Inter and Chelsea have been the two big passions of my career" -- have made the prospect of an entente cordiale with the former Bernabeu coach fairly remote. Mourinho said all the right things when he departed for Chelsea, even ending a brief statement with a "Hala Madrid", but there was little genuine affection from either party when the inevitable divorce papers were issued.

Do lot of exercises

Too much beer and no exercise....LOL!!!

Sneijder leaves door open for Mourinho reunion at Chelsea

 

 The Netherlands international - who played under the Portuguese at Inter - has not ruled out playing under his former coach again

Rooney open to summer Arsenal move

 

Arsene Wenger has gone public with his interest in England's talisman, with the Gunners preparing to put together a salary package that can entice the Manchester United man

Hazard eager to link up with Mourinho

The Belgium international described the returning Portuguese manager as “special”, while he also admitted he would like to add more goals to his game next season

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard is looking forward to working under new boss Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge next season.

The 50-year-old's appointment was officially confirmed on Monday as he returns to the west London club following spells with Inter and Real Madrid during a nearly six-year absence.

And though Hazard admits he may be "intimidated" by the two-time Champions League winning coach, the Belgian is delighted to get the opportunity to play under him.

"They already knew for a long time at Chelsea that he was going to sign and they all told me that it would be a good thing for me," 

The soccer legend says Neymar is 'no doubt the best player in Brazil' and has an opportunity to pass Messi as the best player in the world after signing with Barcelona.

   

Pele couldn't be happier about Neymar teaming up with Lionel Messi at Barcelona, but the Brazilian legend once again sparked the conversation of which striker is better.

Speaking to Goal, Pele attempted to clarify statements made last year when he said four-time reigning world player of the year Messi is not as good as Neymar, who, at 21, has yet to walk on the pitch for a major European club after spending his young career at Brazil's Santos.

"I never think that, although when people ask me about the comparisons and who is the best, I'll say, 'If you see Neymar, he doesn't have the same experience as Messi after 10 years at a club,'" Pele said. "(Neymar) has really gone up the last two years. He can use both feet good and get up in the air.

MADRID-Self-proclaimed 'Special One' Jose Mourinho had only one problem with Cristiano Ronaldo when he coached him at Real Madrid -- he thought the world's most expensive player was a bit of a know-it-all.

Ronaldo joined Real from Manchester United for around 90 million euros in 2009 and took his goalscoring exploits to new heights under Mourinho, who left Real Madrid to rejoin Chelsea as manager earlier this week.

Asked in an interview with Spanish television show Punto Pelota why his relationship with Ronaldo had broken down towards the end of last season, Mourinho said the player had not taken criticism well.

"I had only one problem with him, very simple, very basic, which was when a coach criticises a player from a tactical viewpoint trying to improve what in my view could have been improved," he added.

"And at that moment he didn't take it very well because maybe he thinks he knows everything and the coach cannot help him to develop more.

"Cristiano has had three fantastic seasons with me, I don't know if they were the best of his career because he had some fantastic moments with Manchester United.

"I think we created a fantastic situation for him tactically in which he could express all his potential and turn that into records and goals."