Damiao explains Tottenham snub

Internacional striker Leandro Damiao has revealed that he rejected an offer from Tottenham in order to remain in Brazil.

The 22-year-old is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in South America and has been heavily linked with a move to Europe.

A number of English Premier League clubs have shown interest in the promising forward, but Tottenham were the only side to make an official offer.

The player now explains that he doesn’t want to leave Internacional this summer in spite of the proposal from Spurs.

I ve got Tottenham s proposal, but Inter thought I d better stay, Damiao told UOL.

I will try to reach the World Cup playing for Inter. But have to wait for the window to pass and close.

Dami…

Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour has hinted the club intend to sign players before the close of the transfer window.

The Premier League champions have yet to bring any fresh faces to Etihad Stadium, despite speculation linking them with several players including Liverpool defender Daniel Agger and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.

Manager Roberto Mancini has been vocal in his frustrations at the lack of transfer activity but Mansour has now responded, claiming the City boss is completely satisfied with the current squad while hinting there could be additions.

What is important is to preserve the achievement of winning the title and maintaining the good standards of last season, he said.

We will support the team with a player or players.

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Manuel Pellegrini insists his club are destined to win the Champions League despite their struggles in Europe under him.

City have been eliminated in the last 16 the past two seasons, while they were sent packing in the group stages in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Pellegrini, who guided Villarreal to the semi-finals and Malaga to the last eight, said he was confident City would eventually become European powerhouses.

We have played Barcelona in the last two years and if we had played Barcelona at Villarreal or Malaga then maybe we wouldn t have gone so far, he said.

This is a very young team compared with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Juventus. We are younger than the teams who normally win the Champions League over the last 10 years.

Our te…

Thomas Vermaelen has been named the new captain of Arsenal following the sale of Robin van Persie, manager Arsene Wenger has revealed.

With Van Persie s departure to Manchester United completed, the Frenchman was keen to name a replacement skipper ahead of Saturday s Premier League opener against Sunderland.

Mikel Arteta has been appointed vice-captain, in only his second season at the club after joining from Everton last year.

The new captain is Vermaelen and (the vice-captain is) Arteta, Wenger told reporters. We have many potential captains in this team.

Vermaelen moved to Arsenal from Ajax in June 2009, instantly establishing himself as first-team regular, scoring on his debut against Everton and notching several more goals in his first season.

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Bayern Munich midfielder Xabi Alonso wants to face former club and titleholders Real Madrid in the Champions League final.

Alonso and Bayern moved a step closer to the Champions League decider in Cardiff on June 3 after crushing Arsenal 10-2 on aggregate in the round of 16.

Bayern made the most of their numerical advantage as the German champions eased past Arsenal 5-1 in Tuesday s return leg at the Emirates Stadium.

After booking a spot in the quarter-finals, Alonso who won the Champions League with Madrid in 2013-14 was asked to pick his ideal final and the Spanish veteran said via Radio Onda Cero: A Bayern-Real Madrid final would not be bad.

I think Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are the strongest so facing them later [in the tournament] would be be…

Robert Lewandowski does not want Bayern Munich to enter their Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid with any inferiority complex.

Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti will lead the Bundesliga kings against his former club and 11-time European champions Madrid in an eagerly awaited tie next month.

Lewandowski joined Bayern from Borussia Dortmund for the 2014-15 season, in the aftermath of Ancelotti s Madrid beating both German clubs on the way to glory.

Two more semi-final defeats followed for Bayern under Pep Guardiola, while Madrid added title number 11 at the expense of city rivals Atletico last term.

Nevertheless, Lewandowski believes he is in the perfect place to achieve European glory having extended his contract in Munich until 2021 last Decemb…

Bayern Munich have been scouting Bordeaux star Malcom with a view to a possible transfer bid, head coach Jupp Heynckes has confirmed.

The Brazilian has produced a number of eye-catching displays in Ligue 1 and was heavily linked with Arsenal and Tottenham in the January transfer window, although a move failed to materialise.

The 21-year-old claimed last month he has been made a promise by Bordeaux that they will allow him to leave at the end of the season, should a suitable offer be made.

Heynckes says Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has drawn up a list of targets ahead of next season, which includes the young winger.

I don t know the player that much but he is certainly the focus of our scouting department, with Hasan Salihamidzic at the to…

Mino Raiola, the agent of Mario Balotelli, is determined to find the former Italy international a new club, Gazzetta dello Sport have reported.

The Italian striker moved from to Liverpool in 2014 for £16 million as the Reds desperately tried to compensate for the loss of Luis Suarez, but his time there was riddled with discipline issues and a semi-successful loan-move back to the Rossoneri. In his very first summer at the club, Jürgen Klopp made Balotelli aware that he wasn t a part of his plans, prompting some insulting words from Raiola. In the end, were forced to cancel his contract and give up any potential transfer fee in order to take him off the wage-bill.

Balotelli s contract with expires in the summer, but the League 1 club will try to activate an exten…

Liverpool are hoping to discuss a new contract with Fabinho, according to .

The Brazilian arrived to Anfield from AS Monaco in the summer of 2018 and even though it took some time for him to adapt to the tactical demands of manager Jurgen Klopp, he quickly grew into a very important player for a team that won the Champions League that season and the Premier League in the one that followed.

Primarily a defensive midfielder, Fabinho proved his versatility this term by dropping into the centre-back role due to the injuries that saw the season practically finished for Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez. Even though his duties are mostly oriented to protecting his own goal rather than threatening the opposition one, he has scored a few stunners for Liverpool, most notably the kon…

Milan Skriniar bailed out goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and maintained Inter s winning run in a 2-1 victory at Hellas Verona to keep the pressure on title rivals Milan.

The Nerazzurri were made to work for their seventh straight Serie A success a result that took them two points above their city neighbours, at least until the Rossoneri hosted Lazio later on Wednesday.

Skriniar s 69th-minute header proved decisive after Handanovic had gifted an equaliser to Ivan Ilic, cancelling out Lautaro Martinez s second-half opener.

The defender s first Serie A goal since February 2018 brought to a close a promising first section of the season for Antonio Conte s side, able to take in the Milan match and enjoy Christmas regardless, firmly back in the Scudetto hunt.

A st…