BAYERN MUNICH & REAL MADRID
Toni Kroos’ future will be resolved by Wednesday at the latest, with the Germany international’s agent denying an agreement has already been reached with Real Madrid.
Kroos is out of contract with Bayern Munich in a year’s time and is in all likelihood set to leave the club this summer.
It has been reported that the 24-year-old has agreed terms with Real, and that Bayern had also accepted an offer from the Champions League holders.
However, his agent Volker Struth says nothing has yet been signed and that he will discuss the future with Kroos on his return from Brazil on Tuesday.
“It has not yet been decided where Kroos’ future lies, I can guarantee that,” Struth told the Express newspaper.
Struth says Kroos will meet with him in Majorca on Tuesday, after his and the rest of the World Cup-winning Germany team’s welcome back in Berlin, and a decision will be made within 24 hours.
“We’ll sit down and decide what’s to be done,” he said. “We will announce his decision either on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning.”
MORE REAL MADRID
Valencia coach Nuno Espirito Santo has denied that defender Jeremy Mathieu missed training because he is preparing for a move to Barcelona.
The French centre-back was a notable absence from Sunday’s preseason training session in Germany, staying in the team’s hotel despite no indication that he was injured.
Mathieu has been touted as one of Barcelona’s top transfer targets this summer as they seek to strengthen their defence following the retirement of veteran captain Carles Puyol, but Valencia president Amadeo Salvo has said that the club will only sell Mathieu, 30, if the Catalans pay his €20 million (Dh100m) release clause.
The defender’s absence from training inevitably generated suspicions a move to Camp Nou was imminent.
Nuno sought to cool the speculation yesterday.
“He is a Valencia player, but we thought it was opportune that he rested so he would be in perfect conditions today,” said the Portuguese coach, who took over the club earlier this month following the sacking of Juan Antonio Pizzi.
Nuno takes charge of his first Valencia game today against Bavarian minnows SpVgg Bayreuth, who play in Germany’s regionalised fourth tier.
Next is Bundesliga side Nurnberg and then the club heads to Peru and Chile for pre-season games with Allianza Lima and Universidad Catolica. After that they will take part in the Emirates Cup at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in August.
Midfielder Ever Banega has returned to Valencia following a loan spell with Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina and travelled to Germany with the team, as has new signing Nicolas Otamendi and forward Carles Gil, recalled from Elche.
Nuno said that there would be changes to the squad between now and the start of the summer but said no decisions had been made yet. The club have sold left-back Juan Bernat to Bayern Munich and last week parted ways with Adil Rami, who has joined AC Milan permanently.
NEWCASTLE UNITED
Remy Cabella has completed his move to Newcastle to hand manager Alan Pardew a massive boost.
The Magpies confirmed on Sunday night that the 24-year-old has signed a six-year contract after sealing his transfer from French club Montpellier for an undisclosed fee.
Cabella, who has been in the club’s sights since they tried to sign him as a replacement for Yohan Cabaye in January, becomes Pardew’s fourth summer acquisition after Siem de Jong, Jack Colback and Ayoze Perez.
Cabella said: “It is great to finally be a Newcastle player.
“This is a move that I really wanted to make as I have heard nothing but good things about Newcastle United from everyone I spoke to.
“I wanted to join a great English club and that is why I have arrived here. I’m looking forward to pulling on the shirt and playing in this magnificent stadium, and I will give this club my maximum.”
WEST HAM UNITED
Pachuca striker Enner Valencia is undergoing a medical at West Ham, Press Association Sport understands.
The 25-year-old scored all three of Ecuador’s World Cup goals, attracting the attention of a number of Barclays Premier League suitors in the process.
It now appears that West Ham have won the race to sign Valencia - who will become manager Sam Allardyce’s fifth summer signing if the deal is completed following Monday’s medical.
FIORENTINA
Argentina defender Gonzalo Rodriguez has pledged his future to Fiorentina by signing a two-year contract extension.
The 30-year-old central defender had one year left in his previous deal but the new agreement will keep him with the Florence club until June 2017.
“I am delighted,” Rodriguez said accffiorentina.it. “There were never any doubts from my part.
“I had other offers but as soon as I was told that Fiorentina still wanted me, I immediately accepted.”
Rodriguez joined Fiorentina in 2012 from Spanish outfit Villarreal and scored four goals in 33 league appearances to help the Viola finish fourth in Serie A.
“We want to improve with respect to last season,” Rodriguez said.
CSKA MOSCOW
Russian CSKA Moscow’s Brazilian defender Mario Fernandes has said he is considering playing for Russia at international level.
“Of course I’ve been always dreaming of playing for my native country since I’ve been a child,” the Sport-Express quoted the 23-year-old back as saying.
“But the competition for a place in the Brazilian squad is incredibly high and I’m ready to consider the possibility of plating for Russia if I am asked.
“The top Brazilian guys that are currently playing at my position - Dani Alves, Maicon, Rafinha, Rafael da Silva - are all unbelieveably talented.
“I still hope that some day the Lord will give me a chance and I’ll receive a call into the Brazilian squad. But I don’t want to wait for this chance until the end of my career.”
BARCELONA
Bojan Krkic could play a part in new coach Luis Enrique’s Barcelona squad.
Barcelona loaned Krkic out to Dutch champions Ajax last season after the striker, 23, failed to make an impact at his boyhood club or during spells with AC Milan and Roma in Italy.
Krkic was among several new additions at Barcelona yesterday as Gerard Deulofeu, Rafinha, and goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen also had medicals at the club’s training facility.
Enrique takes charge of the squad today when the team begins training for the 2014/15 season.
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