Manchester United
Manchester United have added Javier Hernandez to their squad for the team’s pre-season tour of the US.
Relegated to the bench for much of last season, ‘Chicharito’ will join Manchester United before their friendly against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Wednesday in Pasadena, California, outside LA, for the team’s first match under new manager Louis van Gaal.
Hernandez played for Mexico in the World Cup, appearing in all four of the team’s games and scoring against Croatia.
United are missing Robin van Persie, Marouane Fellaini and Adnan Januzaj following the World Cup, and Michael Carrick is expected to be sidelined for the first two months of the season following left ankle surgery on Thursday.
United also play AS Roma on July 26, Inter Milan three days later and European champions Real Madrid on August 2.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid said Saturday they have sold Spanish Under-21 striker Alvaro Morata to Juventus and were loaning Brazilian midfielder Casemiro to FC Porto.
Morata was a regular in Madrid’s team during the 2013/14 season and has scored 11 goals in 52 games for the side overall.
Italian champions Juventus confirmed the 21-year-old had signed a five-year deal worth €20m (Dh99.1m) to be paid over three years which includes a buy-back clause.
The 22-year-old Casemiro played 25 games for Madrid in 2013/2014, but only started four of those.
Competition for Real midfield places is heating up with the arrival of German World Cup winner Toni Kroos this week.
The Real-Porto accord includes an option to buy. Porto have already bought Dutch defender Bruno Martins Indi this week and taken attacker Cristian Tello on a two-year loan from Barcelona.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Western Sydney Wanderers have strengthened their squad for their Asian Champions League campaign by signing former Dutch international winger Romeo Castelen.
Castelen has joined the A-League outfit from Dutch top flight club RKC Waalwijk on a two-year contract and will be eligible to play in next month’s ACL quarter-final against China’s defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande.
“I am excited by the new opportunity,” said the 31-year-old, who played 10 times for his country.
“The Wanderers is a great club, they have a great coach and a big fan base. I like to play in front of big crowds and I looked on the internet and saw how passionate the fans are.
“I am very much looking forward to being a part of the growth of the Wanderers.”
The Wanderers have attracted a particularly passionate following in their first two seasons after being launched by the A-League as an expansion team in April 2012.
They have lost marquee player Shinji Ono, who helped them to the A-League final in both of their first two seasons, after the Japanese playmaker decided to finish his career at home.
Arsenal
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott will miss the start of the Premier League season but should be back in full training by the end of August and playing again soon afterwards, manager Arsene Wenger said.
The 25-year-old England international ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during an FA Cup third-round tie against Tottenham in January and missed the rest of the season and the World Cup.
“We expect him to be back in full training at the end of August,” Wenger was quoted as saying on the BBC website.
“Theo has a good basis, which is what he’s working on now,” added Wenger, who also predicted that Walcott’s return to contention would be “very quick” once he was back in full training.
When Walcott suffered the injury Arsenal said he would be out of action for at least six months. However, the club have for some time accepted that he would not return before the start of the season on August 16.
Walcott himself is positive over the prospects for his return to action for Arsenal.
“Things are looking really good and I have worked very hard for the last five months now,” he told Arsenal’s website.
“The most important thing is getting the strength back and it has pretty much nearly healed - it is just about building up that stability and strength again.”
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