Manchester United
Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has told the English club he would like to join Italian champions Juventus and the two teams are in talks over the transfer, British media reported on Thursday.
The loss of another of their most experienced defenders would be a blow to United but the club have a natural replacement after signing teenager Luke Shaw from Southampton.
Evra, who is 33 and only recently signed a one-year contract extension, joined United from Monaco in 2006 and played for France at the World Cup.
There is a change of the guard going on at United under new manager Louis van Gaal after they finished only seventh in the Premier League last season.
Evra’s former United teammate Nemanja Vidic has also moved to Italy, joining Inter Milan. Fellow central defender Rio Ferdinand is leaving the Premier League club too.
Villarreal
Jonathan Dos Santos has joined brother Giovani at Spanish league club Villarreal after Barcelona sold the Mexican midfielder on Thursday.
Barcelona said the deal is worth up to €2 million and includes a buy-back clause.
Both clubs say Dos Santos must first pass a standard medical before signing the five-year deal.
Dos Santos, like his brother Giovani, came through Barcelona’s youth academy before eventually earning a spot on the first team in 2012. But a serious knee injury forced him to miss most of last season.
Giovani Dos Santos, who played for Mexico at the World Cup, helped lift Villarreal to a sixth-place finish last season.
Inter Milan
Inter MIlan coach Walter Mazzarri has earmarked defender Andrea Ranocchia to take over the captaincy from the recently retired Javier Zanetti.
As Inter opened pre-season training, coach Walter Mazzarri said: “Ranocchia seems best suited for this responsibility.”
The 26-year-old Ranocchia made his debut for Inter midway through the 2010/11 season and has become a dependable starter. He was a back-up in Italy’s World Cup squad but was sent home before the Azzurri’s opener.
Zanetti had a 15-year reign as captain before retiring at the end of last season. He’s staying with the club as vice president.
Mazzarri adds that one of the focuses early on will be getting newly signed Nemanja Vidic accustomed to his three-man defense, “since he’s never played with this system.”
Juventus
Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata is on the verge of a move to Juventus.
The forward is set to have a medical with the Serie A champions by the end of the week before signing a four-year contract, with the move believed to be worth about €22 million (Dh110m).
Morata, behind Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Jese in the pecking order in Madrid’s attack, was the subject of interest from Arsenal and Wolfsburg but he said Juventus have won the battle for his signature.
“I can’t wait to get to Turin, everyone has told me it’s a great city and I am looking forward to getting to know it,” Morata told Marca.
Once the deal goes through, Morata, 21, will join up with compatriot Fernando Llorente, who signed for Juventus from Athletic Bilbao last summer and scored 16 goals in the league
Arsenal
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta has no intention of leaving the club, according to his agent - despite reports linking him with a summer move to Fiorentina.
The 32-year-old Spaniard, who is under contract with the Premier League outfit for a further season, is a reported target of the Serie A outfit.
However, Arteta’s agent Inaki Ibanez insists his client is staying in London.
“The player has no intention to leave London,” Ibanez said to Italian radio station Radio Blu.
“We have not spoken to any club and I would like to remind everyone that we are talking about the Arsenal captain, with all respect for Fiorentina.”
Arteta moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2011 following six years at Everton.
Atletico Madrid
Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic has signed a four-year deal with Atletico Madrid after joining from Bayern Munich, the La Liga club said on Thursday.
The Spanish champions have acted quickly to bring the 28-year-old target man on board after Spain forward Diego Costa sealed a move to English Premier League club Chelsea last week.
Mandzukic had become surplus to requirements at Bayern following the arrival of forward Robert Lewandowski from Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund.
“The incorporation of Mario Mandzukic is great news because he has the features we were looking for to cover this position,” Atletico sports director Jose Luis Perez Caminero said on the club website. “He’s a winner, a player used to winning titles. He’ll contribute very much.”
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