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      Arsenal looking to follow up Aubameyang contract with double transfer swoop for Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar

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      ARSENAL are set to spend big again this summer with moves for Thomas Partey and Houssem Aouar in the offing.
      The Gunners yesterday confirmed star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has signed a bumper new three-year contract.

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      Arsenal want to sign Atletico midfielder Thomas Partey

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      Lyon’s Houssem Aouar is also on the Gunners’ radar

      And the North Londoners plan to keep splashing the cash in order to build a star-studded team around him.
      Atletico midfielder Partey, 27, has been linked with an Emirates switch for months.
      The Ghanaian ace is keen on the move and with Arsenal still interested, the Gunners could soon meet Atletico’s £50million asking price, according to the Mirror.
      Lyon’s French ace Aouar is slightly behind Partey in the priority list although Mikel Arteta is still keen.
      So Arsenal would have to offload some players to raise cash if they want to land the £40m rated 22-year-old as well.
      Backup goalkeeper Emi Martinez has signed for Aston Villa in a £20m deal.
      And the Gunners are looking to get even more fringe players off their books to fund any deals before the October 5 deadline.

      Sokratis, Lucas Torreira, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac are all up for sale.

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      Arsenal would have been locked in a relegation battle without Aubameyang in 2019-20

      The North Londoners are also willing to listen to offers for Matteo Guendouzi.
      SunSport understands Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Rob Holding were two considered up-for-grabs – with Wolves and West Ham interested respectively.
      But Arteta has had a change-of-heart over the pair, and wants to keep them after impressing in pre-season.
      The decision to splash out on the chunky deals for Aubameyang and Willian’s recent £220k-a-week move has attracted criticism after last month’s decision to make 55 staff members redundant, despite a coronavirus pandemic squad wage cut.

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      Aubameyang signs new £350k-a-week contract and says he wants to become an Arsenal legend More

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      The five changes Memphis Depay made to go from Man Utd nightmare to becoming Barcelona’s saviour

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      MEMPHIS DEPAY left Manchester United in January 2017, having failed to make an impact at Old Trafford.
      Viewed as an underwhelming presence in attack and, incorrectly as he has asserted, a party boy – few Red Devils fans were upset when they decided to take a £10million hit on shipping him out to Lyon.

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      Depay has developed into a consistent star at LyonCredit: Reuters

      But three-and-a-half years later Memphis, 26, looks a man reborn – diligently taking responsibility at Lyon and consistently producing superb performances.
      Some had written off the Dutch forward when United gave up on him after just 18 months, but such has been his turnaround that Barcelona are now on the brink of signing him for £28m – bringing him back to the big time.
      Let’s take a look at the factors that have seen him rise back to prominence in European football.
      ‘FEELING FREE’
      When Depay decided he wanted out of Old Trafford, he was mature beyond his 22 years in making sure that he made the right move.

      While many at the time felt that Lyon was quite a step down for the mercurial talent, Memphis himself was confident that he’d made the right call, largely down to the style of play he’d be able to fit into.
      Giels Brouwer, founder of sports analytics company SciSports, was consulted by Depay when looking for the best option.
      And he revealed on his Reddit: “The agent of Memphis asked us to visit Memphis in Manchester where he was living at that moment.

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      Depay appeared weight down at times at Old TraffordCredit: CarlRecine

      “I went there with two colleagues and we watched a Champions League game on his couch. In our discussion about the next step in his career, he was really open about what he wanted and didn’t want.

      “He wanted to play ‘more freely’, he wanted to be ‘important for the team’ and wanted to play in a big five competition with a coach that had a clear playing style.
      “We translated these questions into data searches. We looked for instance at his playing style at PSV and the Dutch national team and compared that with the playing style of Man United. We noticed that he was involved with a lot more defensive actions at Man United.”
      STAR STATUS

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      Skipper Depay is an undoubted star at LyonCredit: EPA
      Memphis started just one game in the first half of the 2016-17 season for United, with manager Jose Mourinho clearly feeling unable to depend on his talented star.
      And as Brouwer revealed, Memphis wanted to be “important” over almost anything – and he’s certainly been just that at Lyon.
      Such has been their reliance on him, particularly under current manager Rudi Garcia, that he has been given the captain’s armband.
      And rather than a rarely-used winger, Memphis is often now deployed as a central striker, shouldering much of Lyon’s attacking burden – particularly in the Champions League.
      Despite the emergence of ex-Celtic forward Moussa Dembele, Depay is the main man at Groupama Stadium, having scored 57 and assisted 43 goals in 140 appearances for the Ligue 1 side.
      Missing the talismanic Depay for much of last season with a ruptured cruciate ligament was a key factor in Lyon failing to qualify for Europe.
      PLAYING STYLE

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      The Dutchman thrives on being able to express himselfCredit: Offside
      Again as Brouwer cited, Depay wanted to “play with freedom” – not something always associated with being a Mourinho winger.
      He wanted to find a club in which he could find that comfort within a system, and he managed that at Lyon, initially under former manager Bruno Genesio.
      In April 2018 he told OLTV: “I think I’m at my best right now. I feel very free on the field. I have confidence, and that’s good. I don’t think too much about the pitch. I’m just enjoying the moment.
      “I’ve felt the difference since the beginning of the season. It’s important for me to play every match the best I can.
      “First and foremost, I want to play well. I want to be at my best every game. The rest will come naturally.”
      Mainly featuring centrally alongside one or both of strikers Karl Toko Ekambi and Dembele, Depay is given that “freedom” in abundance to make things happen for his side – hence his amazing output.
      MORE RESPONSIBILITY

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      Depay calmly ‘panenka’d’ a high-pressure penalty against Juventus last seasonCredit: AP:Associated Press
      Depay was, perhaps unfairly, seen as a bit of a liability at Manchester United.
      From Wayne Rooney supposedly telling him not to turn up to Under-21 games in any “fancy stuff”, and allegations of being a “party boy” – Depay struggled at Old Trafford.
      But in an interview with The Times last month, he insisted: “I remember some of the quotes about me, like “party boy”. Pure lies.
      “I went out only once in one-and-a-half years in Manchester – and it wasn’t even fun.”
      Not only has Depay now fully matured into a brilliant player, but he also possesses leadership qualities in abundance – earning the captain’s armband at Lyon as well as the universal respect of his team-mates.
      And such is his manager Garcia’s admiration for his skipper, he recently said: “Aside from that, for a lot of my great players, if they have the option to join a club that is built to win the Champions League, and we came up against a few of them in the Champions League this year, I will personally take them there in my car.”
      INCREASED OUTPUT

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      Depay has contributed to 100 strikes (57 goals, 43 assists) at LyonCredit: Reuters
      As alluded to earlier, Depay’s output has increased immeasurably.
      Some will point to the step down in league, but his consistency should be absolutely nothing to be sniffed at.
      And he’s also delivered in Champions League pressure moments.
      At Manchester United he only managed seven goals and six assists in 53 games under Louis van Gaal and then Mourinho.
      But at Lyon he has contributed to a combined 100 goals in 140 outings.
      And last season he came of age in the Champions League too – scoring six times in eight appearances – including against RB Leipzig and Juventus.

      Olympique Lyonnais star Memphis Depay shows off his physique as he works out at his luxury villa More

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      Gary Neville fears Chelsea new boy Thiago Silva will struggle to cope with Premier League as he turns 36 this month

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      GARY Neville has said he fears for Chelsea new boy Thiago Silva as the 35-year-old prepares to start his Premier League adventure.
      The Brazilian did not feature last night as Chelsea won 3-1 at Brighton but Sky pundit Neville is worried England’s top division will be difficult to adjust to when he does eventually play.

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      Pundit Gary Neville has never been shied away from giving controversial opinions on Sky’s popular Monday Night Football programme

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      Silva missed out against Brighton as he had yet to train with his teammates

      The centre-backed signed for Chelsea for free in the summer after captaining Paris-Saint Germain in their Champions League final defeat and helping them to another Ligue 1 title.
      But despite his decorated career, Neville was unconvinced on how his Premier League career would fare with the player turning 36 later this month.
      He said on Sky’s Monday Night Football: “Again, it’s an unknown. 35 [years old], 36 next week, played in the French league now for a number of years.
      “The intensity in the French league is nothing like our league. That’s not to say Paris Saint-Germain are not a great team, they just got to the Champions League final, but you’re talking about the Premier League.

      “Particularly the intensity of this Premier League season, it’s compact.
      “It’ll be a massive challenge for him in terms of the amount of games, the speed of football compared to what he’s been used to. It’ll be a step up in that respect.”
      Manager Frank Lampard is looking to fix a leaky Chelsea defence which shipped 54 goals last season, the most of any team who has finished in the top 4 in the Premier League era.
      Along with Silva, he has also brought in 21-year-old Malang Sarr, who is set to spend his first season on loan away from Stamford Bridge.

      The Blues are also closing in on goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, with Lampard keen on a replacement in between the sticks for the mistake-prone Kepa Arrizabalaga.
      Neville is unsure on the effect all of the change and uncertainy will have on Silva.
      He added: “Can he play in matches, can he play at this level? Of course he can, he’s a world class player.
      “But at this stage in his career… again when you ask if Chelsea can win the league, it’s just a complete unknown. Will he adapt?
      “What’s the goalkeeper going to be like? How the forwards are going to adapt?
      “There’s a lot of unknowns with Chelsea. But on the other side of that, massive excitement.
      “I’m intrigued to see how this world class defender who’s played many years for Brazil, been a wonderful player for Paris Saint-Germain, is going to do in our league.”

      Timo Werner, another new signing, also had an opinion on the uniqueness of the top-flight after impressing at the Amex.
      He said he was surprised by the “big massive defenders” he came across on his debut last night.
      Chelsea host Liverpool on Sunday looking to keep up their 100% start to the league campaign, where Silva could make his debut.

      Frank Lampard reflects on the Chelsea performance after beating Brighton 3-1 More

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      Arsenal in talks to sign Dijon keeper Runar Alex Runarsson in £1.5m transfer to replace Emiliano Martinez

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      ARSENAL are in talks to sign Dijon goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson in a £1.5m deal to replace Emiliano Martinez.
      The 25-year-old Iceland stopper is understood to have had a medical in place ahead of signing a five-year deal.

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      Runar Alex Runarsson is set to occupy Arsenal’s bench this seasonCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

      He will become their new No2 behind Bernd Leno and is expected to play in cup competitions and the Europa League.
      The Gunners saw Runarsson as a cheap option, with Matt Macey set to stay as third-choice goalkeeper.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will then use the £20m from Martinez’s move to Aston Villa in other areas.
      He is desperate to land another midfielder with Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey and Lyon’s Houssem Aouar top of his list.
      The Gunners are still looking to get a number of fringe players off their books to fund any transfers.
      Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Lucas Torreira, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Sead Kolasinac are all up for sale.
      The North Londoners are also willing to listen to offers for Alexandre Lacazette and Matteo Guendouzi.

      SunSport understands Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Rob Holding were two considered up-for-grabs.
      But Arteta has had a change of heart over the pair and wants to keep them after impressing in pre-season.
      Mohamed Elneny was also surplus to requirements, but put in a solid display in a 3-0 win at Fulham this weekend.

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      Kylian Mbappe ‘willing to take pay cut’ to complete Real Madrid transfer in blow to Liverpool and Man Utd

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      KYLIAN MBAPPE is willing to take a pay cut to sign for Real Madrid, according to reports.
      Paris Saint-Germain are determined to hold onto the French forward, whose contract expires in 2022.

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      Kylian Mbappe is set for a year of speculation over a potential move to Real MadridCredit: EPA

      But advances from Madrid are growing with more and more reports that an offer will be launched next summer.
      Should a bid land, Mbappe will reportedly do what he can to make the deal happen.
      That includes, according to Spanish show El Chiringuito, cutting his salary.

      Mbappe is thought to earn £375,000-a-week in Paris after signing from Monaco in 2017.
      Talks between PSG and the 21-year-old over a contract renewal have reportedly focused on bumping his wage up to £600,000-a-week.
      Yet money may be no issue if Mbappe gets the green light to join Real.
      Los Blancos hope PSG will not put up much of a fight if the player has already made up his mind.

      A transfer fee of just £111million has been touted for the World Cup winner.

      Such a price could even entice Premier League clubs such as Liverpool or Manchester United into making a bid.
      But Madrid are certainly the frontrunners in any Mbappe deal, with the striker calling Real boss Zinedine Zidane his childhood “idol”.
      He said in January: “I’ve had phases. To start, as a child, it was Zidane.
      “If you’re a boy and you’re French, your idol is Zidane.

      Real Madrid already have one of the highest wage bills in the world

      “After that, it was Cristiano [Ronaldo] and I’ve been lucky enough to face him. Then it was the Brazilian Ronaldo for the way he played.”
      The previous year, Zidane had remarked: “You know that I have known [Mbappe] for a long time.
      “I am already in love with him, firstly as a person, because he came to do a trial here a long time ago.”

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      Kepa is worse than rival Mendy in EVERY department as Chelsea near £28m transfer for Rennes goalkeeper

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      INCOMING Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy could make light work of Kepa Arrizabalaga – with superior stats in EVERY department last season.
      Comparisons between the Rennes star, 28, and the Blues’ current custodian, 25, do not come out well for the Spaniard.

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      Both men entered last season as first-choice for their team but Kepa was dropped on two occasions, resulting in 33 league appearances.
      Mendy, meanwhile, played 24 of the curtailed 28-game Ligue 1 season, having signed from Reims two days before their opening game.
      And yet, the Senegal international still kept more clean sheets than his new rival, producing nine shutouts to Kepa’s eight.
      Rennes only conceded 19 goals with Mendy in between the sticks, at a rate of 0.79 per game.

      Chelsea’s defence last season was notoriously dodgy, letting in 1.42 goals for every match Kepa played.
      In their Premier League opener at Brighton on Monday, the shot-stopper came unstuck in the face of Leandro Trossard’s long-range strike.
      But an earlier corner showed another of his vulnerabilities, as he unconvincingly came off his line and failed to punch the ball clear.
      In fact, Kepa only stopped 7.2 per cent of crosses last season, in comparison to Mendy’s 10.2 per cent.

      Mendy also comes out on top in save success rate, denying 78.4 per cent of shots he faced with Kepa back at 54.5 per cent.
      That meant the Chelsea No1 made only 1.6 saves per game, with third-placed Rennes calling their man into action 2.5 times per game.
      Despite the scare in his side’s 3-1 beating of Brighton, Frank Lampard insisted he has “very happy” with Kepa.
      The Blues boss said post-game: “I am very happy with Kepa. With the shot I’m not sure if he could’ve done any better.

      “But I saw a bit more confidence in how he was playing. Kepa is here, he’s our keeper and I’m happy with him.”
      Mendy is still expected to arrive with a £27.7million bid accepted, making him Ligue 1’s most expensive goalkeeper but far behind the position’s world record holder – £71m Kepa.
      With the Spaniard not expected to be sold, Chelsea will have two goalkeepers with great potential vying for one spot on the teamsheet.
      Lampard added: “If we are bringing in competition, it will be competition. That’s the nature of Chelsea and it goes throughout the squad.”

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      Neymar ‘faces SEVEN match ban’ for punching Marseille defender Alvaro as PSG support superstar amid racism row

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      NEYMAR may be hit with a SEVEN-game ban after he was sent off for punching Marseille’s Alvaro Gonzalez.
      The Brazilian was one of FIVE players sent off after a massive brawl at the end of Paris Saint-Germain’s shock 1-0 defeat on Sunday.

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      PSG star Neymar accused Marseille’s Alvaro of racismCredit: Reuters

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      Neymar was sent off for punching the defenderCredit: Reuters

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      Five players were dismissed in a fiery end to the Ligue 1 game on SundayCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

      Former Barcelona star Neymar accused Spanish defender Alvaro of racially abusing him.
      Neymar claimed Alvaro called him a ‘monkey son of a b****’.
      But after being dismissed by VAR for landing a blow on the back of Alvaro’s head, RMC Sport reports the 28-year-old could be suspended for as many as seven matches.

      Alvaro issued a strong anti-racism statement on Twitter after the game as he said ‘there is no place for racism’ alongside a photo with his black team-mates in an apparent denial.
      But PSG have publicly backed their star player.
      A statement issued on Monday read: “Paris Saint-Germain strongly supports Neymar Jr who reported being subjected to racist abuse by an opposing player.
      “The club restates that there is no place for racism in society, in football or in our lives and calls on everyone to speak out against all forms of racism throughout the world.”

      French governing body the LFP will review the incident before handing out an appropriate sanction and PSG said they ‘look forward’ to it ‘ascertaining the facts’.

      Neymar also took to Twitter to slam Gonzalez saying he is ‘not a man’, a ‘racist’ and ‘I don’t respect you’.
      He issued a further statement on his Instagram story on Monday where he explained that he ‘revolted’ and ‘could not leave without doing something’.
      He added: “Yesterday I wanted those in charge of the game (referees, assistants) to position themselves impartially and understand that there is no longer such a place for a prejudiced attitude.
      “Racism exists, it exists, but we have to stop it. No more, enough!
      “I accept my punishment because I should have followed the path of clean football. I hope, on the other hand, that the offender will also be punished.
      “The guy was a fool, I also acted like a fool for letting me getting involved in that.”
      Neymar ditched Nike for Puma to follow in the footsteps of legends like Pele and Diego Maradona and his new boots certainly had an eventful first outing.

      Marseille released a statement on Monday denying Gonzales is racist and slamming death threats he has received in wake of the clash.
      It read: “Alvaro Gonzalez is not racist, he demonstrated it to us by his daily behaviour since joining the club, as his teammates have already testified. 
      “The club remains at the disposal of the disciplinary committee to fully cooperate in the investigation of all the events which marked this meeting, and the 24 hours which preceded them.
      “This controversy is serious and already has serious consequences. 
      “The club thus condemns the dissemination of the private telephone numbers of Alvaro Gonzalez and his relatives this night on Brazilian media and social networks, giving rise since to constant harassment, consisting in particular of death threats.”

      Neymar Jr. aims to follow in Pele, Maradona and Cruyff’s footsteps as he ditches Nike for Puma after 15 years More

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      Neymar ‘faces SEVEN game ban’ for punching Marseille defender Alvaro as PSG support star amid racism row

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      NEYMAR may be slapped with a SEVEN-game ban after he was sent off for punching Marseille’s Alvaro.
      The Brazilian was one of FIVE players sent off after a huge brawl at the end of Paris Saint-Germain’s shock 1-0 defeat on Sunday.

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      PSG star Neymar accused Marseille’s Alvaro of racismCredit: Reuters

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      Neymar was sent off for punching the defenderCredit: Reuters

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      Five players were dismissed in a fiery end to the Ligue 1 game on SundayCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

      Former Barcelona star Neymar accused Spanish defender Alvaro of racially abusing him.
      Neymar claimed Alvaro called him a ‘monkey son of a b****’.
      But after being dismissed by VAR for landing a blow on the back of Alvaro’s head, RMC Sport reports the 28-year-old could be suspended for as many as seven matches.

      Alvaro issued a strong anti-racism statement on Twitter after the game as he said ‘there is no place for racism’ alongside a photo with his black team-mates in an apparent denial.
      But PSG have publicly backed their star player.
      A statement issued on Monday read: “Paris Saint-Germain strongly supports Neymar Jr who reported being subjected to racist abuse by an opposing player.
      “The club restates that there is no place for racism in society, in football or in our lives and calls on everyone to speak out against all forms of racism throughout the world.”

      French governing body the LFP will review the incident before handing out an appropriate sanction and PSG said they ‘look forward’ to it ‘ascertaining the facts’.

      Neymar also took to Twitter to slam Gonzalez saying he is ‘not a man’, a ‘racist’ and ‘I don’t respect you’.
      He issued a further statement on his Instagram story on Monday where he explained that he ‘revolted’ and ‘could not leave without doing something’.
      He added: “Yesterday I wanted those in charge of the game (referees, assistants) to position themselves impartially and understand that there is no longer such a place for a prejudiced attitude.
      “Racism exists, it exists, but we have to stop it. No more, enough!
      “I accept my punishment because I should have followed the path of clean football. I hope, on the other hand, that the offender will also be punished.
      “The guy was a fool, I also acted like a fool for letting me getting involved in that.”
      Neymar ditched Nike for Puma to follow in the footsteps of legends like Pele and Diego Maradona and his new boots certainly had an eventful first outing.

      Marseille released a statement on Monday denying Gonzales is racist and slamming death threats he has received in wake of the clash.
      It read: “Alvaro Gonzalez is not racist, he demonstrated it to us by his daily behaviour since joining the club, as his teammates have already testified. 
      “The club remains at the disposal of the disciplinary committee to fully cooperate in the investigation of all the events which marked this meeting, and the 24 hours which preceded them.
      “This controversy is serious and already has serious consequences. 
      “The club thus condemns the dissemination of the private telephone numbers of Alvaro Gonzalez and his relatives this night on Brazilian media and social networks, giving rise since to constant harassment, consisting in particular of death threats.”

      Neymar Jr. aims to follow in Pele, Maradona and Cruyff’s footsteps as he ditches Nike for Puma after 15 years More