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      Isco reveals reason why he quit Real Madrid for Sevilla transfer after being frozen out following nine years at club

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      ISCO has revealed the reasons he decided to join Sevilla from Real Madrid this summer.The Spaniard found himself a free agent after nine years at the Bernabeu.
      Isco has signed a two-year contract with SevillaCredit: Rex
      Last season was a difficult one for the diminutive playmaker, finding himself way down Carlo Ancelotti’s pecking order.
      After making just 14 LaLiga appearances he was released upon the expiry of his contract and free to decide upon his next move.
      On what it was like going into the summer without a club, the 30-year-old told Sevilla’s club media channels: “It has been difficult, different.
      “It is the first summer with so many holidays and I have taken advantage of it to train well and get in shape.”
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      He penned a two-year contract with Sevilla that reunites him with old Real Madrid boss Julen Lopetegui.
      On what inspired him to move to the Andalusian club, he said: “It’s a team with a style of play that I love and hopefully we can win titles.
      “I’ve chosen Sevilla among the many offers I have because from a sporting level is what interested me the most.
      “It’s a team that competes, that wants to play football well, plays in the Champions League, a club that is constantly growing.
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      “It’s the best team to show my football again. I want to keep winning and that’s why I’m here.”
      Isco’s trophy cabinet is already packed with honours, having won three LaLiga titles and five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid.
      Asked how he feels after leaving the Spanish champions for Sevilla, he said: “Very happy and excited about this new chapter.
      “I know where I come from and hopefully, we can do great things. I want to get started with the team.
      “I really want to show what I have and that I have never lost it. I come to a team where I know the coach and the players, with a style of play that I love.”
      Isco could make his Sevilla debut tomorrow as Lopetegui and Co travel to Osasuna for their LaLiga curtain raiser.
      Isco, 30, enjoyed his Sevilla unveiling this weekCredit: AFP More

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      Barcelona expect to complete Marcos Alonso transfer for just £6.5m this week as they set debut date for Chelsea star

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      BARCELONA expect to complete the signing of Marcos Alonso for just £6.5million this week, according to reports.And the club have even pencilled in the left-back for his debut.
      Marcos Alonso is set to complete a £6.5m transfer to Barcelona this weekCredit: Getty
      According to AS, boss Xavi spoke with the Chelsea star on Tuesday to discuss the final details of his long-awaited summer switch.
      It is understood an agreement is now in place between the two clubs after the Spaniard submitted a transfer request.
      Alonso, 31, looks set to travel to Barcelona by Tuesday at the latest to complete his medical and sign the paperwork on a two-year deal with the option of an extra 12 months.
      That would mean he should be available to make his first appearance for his new club on matchday two of the new LaLiga season when Barca face Real Sociedad away on August 21.
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      However, there could be further complications if the Nou Camp club are unable to register Alonso immediately – after struggles to have their other new signings given the green light by league chiefs.
      Alonso has gone through a full pre-season with Chelsea so is fit and ready to go – as he competes with Jordi Alba for the left-back spot.
      Barca are still hopeful of securing Bernardo Silva on a deal from Manchester City – if they can ship Frenkie de Jong off to Chelsea.
      The Blues have already snapped up Alonso’s replacement by splashing out a whopping £62m on Marc Cucurella from Brighton.
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      However, it was £50m man Ben Chilwell who started against Everton on the opening weekend of the season before Cucurella came on for the last 15 minutes in defence.
      Fellow new signings Kalidou Koulibaly and Raheem Sterling also started in the 1-0 Goodison victory. More

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      Barcelona transfer chaos as new signings Christensen and Kessie could leave for FREE if not registered by Saturday

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      BARCELONA pair Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie could sensationally LEAVE as free transfers without playing a competitive match.Both men arrived for nothing at the Nou Camp earlier in the window after running their contracts down at Chelsea and AC Milan respectively.
      Barcelona snapped up Andreas Christensen on a free transfer earlier in the windowCredit: Rex
      Franck Kessie turned down a new deal at AC Milan in order to link up with BarcaCredit: Getty
      But with three days to go until the start of the new LaLiga season, they are yet to be registered with the Spanish league.
      It was claimed last month how the Blaugrana were unable to register the duo due to financial fair play restrictions.
      And according to ESPN, they could now leave for free if they aren’t registered before Barca’s opener against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.
      They state that they may decide to execute a clause in their deals in Catalonia that will see their contracts ripped up.
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      It has also been said that fellow new arrivals Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Jules Kounde are also yet to be registered.
      But their situation is different as they were not snapped up on free transfers.
      The news outlet has declared that while Christensen and Kessie have an option to leave, there is no suggestion it will come to that.
      And if that looked to be a possibility, the club would speak to their team to avoid such an embarrassing outcome.
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      As well as Barca’s new arrivals, they also haven’t been able to register Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto after they penned new deals.
      With Barca struggling for funds, they are hoping to offload Frenkie de Jong, despite the midfielder wanting to stay.
      It has been claimed how Chelsea are closing in on a £67.6million agreement for the Holland international.
      Manchester United are said to be refusing to give up hope of landing him with Erik ten Hag making the ex-Ajax ace his No1 target. More

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      Chelsea set to complete £67.6m Frenkie de Jong transfer with Barcelona agreement close in huge Man Utd blow

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      CHELSEA have reportedly won the race to sign Frenkie de Jong with the club close to agreeing a £67.6million deal with Barcelona.The news will come as a huge blow to Manchester United who had made the midfielder their No1 target this summer.
      Barcelona and Chelsea are in advanced negotiations over midfielder Frenkie de JongCredit: Getty
      Despite the 25-year-old claimed to be unwilling to depart the Nou Camp, Barca are pushing for him to leave.
      According to Sport, Chelsea and Barca are in advanced negotiations over a £67.6m transfer.
      They state that the Blues only opened talks a few days ago to sign the Dutch midfielder, but they have acted quickly in trying to secure his services.
      The Red Devils are understood to have already agreed a deal with the LaLiga outfit for De Jong, but he is refusing to make the move to Old Trafford.
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      But in a boost for Chelsea, they can offer the ex-Ajax maestro Champions League football, whereas United will be competing in the Europa League this term.
      However Sport have insisted that the final decision will come down to De Jong.
      They state that the player is aware the Spanish giants are prepared to sell him to ease their financial situation.
      That is despite president Joan Laporta and boss Xavi keen for him to stay at the club.
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      De Jong was offered an ultimatum by Barca last month to either accept a pay cut or be sold.
      Barcelona already owe De Jong £17m in unpaid wages after the midfielder agreed to defer the payment of his salary during the pandemic.
      It has even been said that the Spanish giants are threatening legal action against De Jong in their quest to get him to slash his wages.
      Still, Sport have insisted that it remains to be seen whether he will depart Catalonia before the transfer window shuts.
      The next few hours are believed to be crucial with Chelsea in constant contact agent with De Jong’s team as they look to convince him to make the move to Stamford Bridge. More

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      Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema admits that Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer exit in 2018 helped him change game for the better

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      REAL MADRID star Karim Benzema has admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2018 exit helped him change his game for the better. Benzema has stepped up to the plate since 444-goal Ronaldo’s transfer away from the club.
      Benzema says his game has improved since Ronaldo’s 2018 exitCredit: Reuters
      The Frenchman helped Real win two LaLiga titles and a Champions League, putting him on course to record a career-first Ballon d’OrCredit: Reuters
      The Frenchman has scored 131 goals since the summer of 2018 across all competitions, helping Real win two LaLiga titles and last season’s Champions League.
      His incredible goal scoring form earned him a France recall for Euro 2020, he’ll lead the line at the Qatar World Cup AND he’s favourite to win the 2022 Ballon d’Or.
      And Benzema attributes his uptake in form to Ronaldo’s exit, with his focus shifting away from providing assists.
      The 34-year-old said, as carried by the Irish Examiner: “It’s been different for me since Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid.
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      “It’s true that I’ve scored many more goals, but when Cristiano was here, we had a different style of play, I was providing more assists.
      “He really helped me on and off the pitch.
      “But at that time, I did know that I could do more and when he left, it was the time to change my game, change my ambitions and I am doing that well at the moment.”
      Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for Ronaldo since leaving Real.
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      The 37-year-old’s adventure in Turin with Juventus failed to produce a Champions League title for the Italian giants.
      And his return to Manchester United saw the Old Trafford club record a sixth placed finish in the Premier League – just about enough to book a place in the Europa League. More

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      Arsenal in Yeremy Pino transfer boost with Villarreal ‘ready to accept bid of around £34m if player wants to leave’

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      ARSENAL have reportedly received a boost in their pursuit of Villarreal starlet Yeremy Pino ahead of a potential summer swoop.The Gunners, as well as Liverpool, are claimed to be interested in the 19-year-old winger with boss Mikel Arteta keen to bring in another forward.
      Villarreal winger Yeremy Pino is on Arsenal’s radar ahead of a potential moveCredit: Getty
      Big things are expected of the teenager, who chipped in with seven goals and four assists in 40 games in all competitions last season.
      His fine form saw him called up for senior duty for Spain in October, where he has since made four appearances under Luis Enrique.
      Understood to boast a release clause worth a whopping £67million, it is believed that Villarreal would be willing to sell him for considerably less.
      According to AS, the LaLiga outfit are bracing themselves to receive an offer in the region of £34m-£42m.
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      Should they receive that much money, it has been said that they would likely accept it as it would ease their economic situation.
      And the sale could match or eclipse their record departure which stands at £34m when Chinese side Beijing Guoan activated Cedric Bakambu’s release clause in February 2018.
      And Villarreal will be more likely to allow the transfer to take place if Pino expresses his desire to leave the club.
      The Spanish news outlet has also stated that it remains to be seen whether it will be Arsenal or Liverpool that make the first move for the 2021 Europa League winner.
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      Arteta witnessed Pino first hand in May 2021 after the player starred against Arsenal in the Europa League semi-final second leg at the Emirates.
      He gave left-back Kieran Tierney a torrid time in North London as the Yellow Submarine avoided defeat to set up a final clash against Manchester United.
      Pino started the clash against the Red Devils, but was brought off in the 77th minute, with his side going on to win on penalties.
      Along with Pino, Bayer Levekusen ace Moussa Diaby has also been linked with a switch to Arsenal.
      Though with the Frenchman valued at £60m, the Gunners could decide against making a move.
      Pino featured against the Gunners in the Europa League semi-final in 2021Credit: Reuters More

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      Chelsea transfer blow as Frenkie de Jong ‘doesn’t want to leave Barcelona AT ALL’ despite contract dispute

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      FRENKIE DE JONG has dealt Chelsea a huge blow in the transfer market after telling them he doesn’t want to leave Barcelona, reports suggest.Chelsea looked set to hijack De Jong’s transfer to Manchester United, but now it appears they could suffer the same fate as their Premier League rivals by failing to land him.
      Frenkie de Jong is set to snub Chelsea for a Barcelona stayCredit: AFP
      The Dutchman’s future has been a hot topic this summer, with Barcelona reportedly trying to force him out of the club in order to prevent them breaking financial fair play rules.
      The Spanish giant’s attempts to register a number of new signings has been rejected by LaLiga owing to their excessive wage bill, which the sale of De Jong would pay for.
      They are even said to have threatened him with legal action to revert back to his pre-2020 deal after finding “evidence of criminality” around the contract given to him by the club’s old board.
      Regardless, De Jong has no plans to leave.
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      As reported by Sport, the 25-year-old told Chelsea owner Todd Boehly of his intention to stay days ago, with the American then calling him to try and convince him.
      However, De Jong reaffirmed his desire to see out his contract at Barcelona which runs until 2026, and “does not want a move in any form.”
      Barca boss Xavi and club president Joan Laporta have both expressed their wish to keep De Jong at the club, and the midfielder’s performance in their last game shows why.
      Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has claimed to “know for a fact” that De Jong does not want a transfer to Man Utd.
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      But their disappointing performance against Brighton, particularly midfielders Fred and Scott McTominay, during Erik ten Hag’s first game will make their need for De Jong even more desperate.
      This being said, they have reportedly agreed a £15million deal to sign Adrien Rabiot from Juventus.
      Chelsea in contrast to United won their opening game against Everton.
      And despite a staggering outlay of over £160m on transfers, the club don’t appear to be finished yet.
      Deals for Leicester’s Wesley Fofana and former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are said to be in the works. More

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      Barcelona ‘prepare court battle with Frenkie de Jong, Pique, Ter Stegen and Lenglet as new deals set them back £263m’

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      BARCELONA are reportedly preparing for a court battle with four of their OWN PLAYERS if they do not agree to scrap the contracts they signed nearly two years ago.Frenkie de Jong, Gerard Pique, Clement Lenglet and Marc-Andre ter Stegen penned new-look contracts in October 2020 which saw them take a wage cut in the short-term to help the club’s financial situation.
      De Jong has had an ongoing salary battle with the club for some timeCredit: Rex
      Pique signed a contract reducing his wages in the short-term to help the clubCredit: Rex
      The deals were the final action of outgoing president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s reign as he departed one week later.
      The plan was to pay the players back in the following seasons – a move that came with a total extra salary cost of £263million in the long term.
      But now Barca’s current regime – headed by president Joan Laporta – is making the case that there is “evidence of criminality” within the deals signed in 2020.
      The club want the four players involved to give the green light to annul those deals and revert back to the contracts they had in place beforehand.
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      If the individuals do not agree to do so, Sport are reporting that Barca are willing to go to court.
      The plan would be to allege the contracts written up by the previous directors are not valid.
      Barca are said to have been preparing for a court battle for three months.
      Pique’s contract extension was until 2024, Ter Stegen’s until 2025, while De Jong and Lenglet furthered their deals until 2026.
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      De Jong is reportedly owed £14.5m in wages by Barcelona – a factor which has contributed to holding up his move to Manchester United.
      He understandably feels he is owed the money as he agreed to wage reductions for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns with the knowledge that they would be supplemented in the following four seasons.
      Laporta claimed last week that both De Jong and Barca are now keen for him to stay at the Nou Camp.
      Pique and Ter Stegen remain part of Xavi’s squad – although there are reports that Pique has been told he is surplus to requirements.
      Lenglet has been sent out on loan to Tottenham for the 2022/23 season.
      Lenglet is currently on loan at Tottenham from BarcelonaCredit: Getty
      Ter Stegen has spent eight years at Barcelona since joining in 2014Credit: Getty More