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      Arsenal flop Mustafi fires parting shot at Schalke after joining ‘a club where I’m loved’ in Levante

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      EX-ARSENAL star Shkodran Mustafi has hit back at former employers Schalke after claiming he’s joined a club where he’s ‘loved’.The defender, 29, was part of the Schalke side that suffered a shock relegation from the Bundesliga and has since moved to Levante.
      Shkodran Mustafi suffered relegation with Schalke last termCredit: Getty
      As quoted by Bild, Mustafi said: “The past six months at Schalke have been bad!
      “It hurts because you know it’s a big club in Germany. We relegated, but now I’m here to concentrate on my job.
      “It was important for me to go to a club where I am loved!”
      Mustafi joined Spanish side Levante at the beginning of September after a difficult few years for club and country.
      The German ace, then at Sampdoria, was one of the most sought after defenders in Europe after helping his nation win the World Cup in 2014.
      He went on to leave the Italian club for Valencia that summer and continued to impress, earning a move to Arsenal in August 2016.

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      Gunners fans hoped Mustafi would fix their defensive woes but he struggled to cope in the Premier League, joining Schalke on a free in February.
      And his troubles continued in his homeland, playing 13 Bundesliga games as the German giants suffered a surprise relegation.
      Mustafi has also not featured for his country since 2017 and faces a huge challenge if he wants to add to his 20 caps.
      Shortly after joining Levante, the player said: “From the first moment I liked the idea of coming to Levante.
      “We are going to give everything to take the club as high as possible.”
      Fuming Schalke fans attack players including Arsenal’s Mustafi and launch eggs and fireworks after Bundesliga relegation More

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      Barcelona’s poor FIFA 22 ratings show how far they’ve fallen while Eden Hazard is just 18th best rated in LaLiga

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      FIFA 22 have announced the Spanish ratings for this year’s game and it’s not good news for cash-strapped Barcelona.Unsurprisingly, Sergio Aguero does not rate as high as ex Lionel Messi in another blow to Barca – and it’s not good news for Eden Hazard, either.
      Just three Barcelona players are in FIFA 22’s LaLiga XI
      Eden Hazard’s rating has slipped from 91 to 85 in two years
      Messi, who left the fallen giants in the summer for Paris Saint-Germain, is rated 93 – but replacement Aguero is just 87 on this year’s game.
      Just SIX Barca stars have been included in the top 25 LaLiga players: Aguero, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Memphis Depay.
      In comparison, Real Madrid have eight players in that list and Atletico Madrid boast five – including LaLiga’s top-ranked man Jan Oblak (91).
      And on FIFA 21 – last year’s game – Barca had eight players in the top 25, a measure of just how much they’ve regressed in the last year or so.
      Barca have been forced to say goodbye to several stars due to their reported £1BILLION debt, including Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann.
      Replacements have not been as impressive, with Newcastle flop Luuk de Jong moving to the Nou Camp on deadline day.

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      Neither De Jong nor fellow Barca striker – ex-Middlesbrough ace Martin Braithwaite – have broke into FIFA 22’s top 25 for LaLiga.
      One glimmer of hope for Barca is fellow new signing Depay, who’s bagged a decent 85 rating after leaving French outfit Lyon.
      Hazard will also not be happy with the ratings as he’s dropped to 85 after a difficult couple of seasons at Real Madrid.
      The Premier League icon was rated 91 when he completed a £130m move from Stamford Bridge to the Bernabeu in June 2019.
      But just four goals in 34 LaLiga games has seen Hazard’s rating drop significantly and he may fall out of the top 25 if his form doesn’t improve.
      The FIFA 22 Ratings Collective return to decide the top player ratings More

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      Man Utd ‘tried to sign Koulibaly before Varane in summer transfer window but Napoli rejected £30m offer’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED failed to sign Kalidou Koulibaly before Raphael Varane this summer, Italian reports say. United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a centre-back one of his top priorities in the window, along with Jadon Sancho.
      Man Utd reportedly failed to sign Kalidou Koulibaly before Raphael Varane this summerCredit: Rex
      Raphael Varane joined Man Utd from Real MadridCredit: Reuters
      Soon after completing a £73million move for Sancho, 21, from Borussia Dortmund, Varane, 28, arrived after leaving Real Madrid.
      But according to Corriere Dello Sport, Napoli’s Koulibaly was preferred to the Frenchman, who later arrived for £42million.
      It is claimed United were ready to offer £30m for the Senegal captain, but were told it would not be enough.
      Napoli before have set a £100m price tag on Koulibaly, one of the highest-rated defenders in the world.
      But, after recent financial woes at the Serie A club, it is believed they would be willing to slash their asking price.
      Nevertheless, United settled for Varane, who left the Spanish capital with just one year left on his deal.

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      Amazingly, he was then joined by former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, who returned to United after initially leaving in 2009.
      Paul Pogba, who also plays with Varane for France, hailed the star signings when quizzed on recent international duty.

      Pogba, 28, told Telefoot: “It’s always a pleasure to play with the best.
      “It’s also a plus for the players to be able to train with a great player. He’s going to raise the level of the team.”
      Pogba sang Ronaldo’s praises shortly after the star forward completed his stunning comeback to Manchester.”
      The top transfers of the 2021 summer transfer window More

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      Chelsea interest in Jules Kounde transfer to depend on Antonio Rudiger’s future as contract talks continue with defender

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      CHELSEA’s interest in Sevilla’s Jules Kounde continues but is dependent on Antonio Rudiger’s future, reports say.The Blues saw a £42.8million bid rejected by Sevilla over the summer, who are holding out for his £68m release clause.
      Kounde was allegedly fuming Sevilla blocked a move to ChelseaCredit: GETTY IMAGES
      Rudiger has left than a year on his current contract and is negotiating a new deal, but is attracting interest from Real MadridCredit: GETTY IMAGES
      According to La Colina de Nervion, Thomas Tuchel remains interested in French international Kounde.
      But the transfer depends on the future of Rudiger, who is locked in contract extension talks with just a year left on his current deal.
      Chelsea are planning for the worst case scenario, which could see Rudiger reject a new contract putting them at risk of losing him for free in the summer of 2022.
      The report states that should the Blues cash in on the Real Madrid-linked defender, it could ‘accelerate a new attack’ in the bid to sign Kounde.
      The Frenchman will be hoping the two clubs can strike a deal at some point in the future.
      Kounde was allegedly fuming Sevilla blocked his transfer move to Chelsea, according to the Spanish Football Podcast.

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      ‘Brave’ Rudiger is a player who Tuchel likes a lot and someone he would very much like to keep.
      The German boss said back in May: “If Toni [Rudiger] wants to stay at the club then he has our full support.
      “Nothing is better than what is doing for a new contract. He is speaking with his performances and has been amazing.

      “He is very brave and full of energy in his defending. He is leading by example and has a very positive aggressivity in him.
      “This is what we like.
      “When he can channel all this into top performances, we are all very happy to have him.”

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      Thomas Tuchel reacts to Chelsea’s victory against Zenit St Petersburg More

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      Pique hits out at booing Barcelona fans and says ‘I am hurt a lot’ by their actions in woeful 3-0 defeat to Bayern

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      GERARD PIQUE says he is ‘hurt a lot’ by the booing Barcelona fans during their 3-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich at the Nou Camp.A section of the 40,000-strong Barca crowd targeted Sergi Roberto, booing the midfielder for his poor performance.
      Pique and co failed to seal out LewandowskiCredit: GETTY IMAGES
      Sergi Roberto was targeted by some fansCredit: EPA
      Bayern – who beat Barcelona 8-2 when they last met – ran riot once again to embarrass the hosts in their own back yard.
      Thomas Muller opened the scoring in the first half before serial goal scorer Robert Lewandowski bagged a brace in the second to seal the win.
      Barcelona meanwhile failed to have a single shot on target.
      The home supporters took their frustration out on Roberto, one of 16 who graced the pitch on Tuesday.
      After the game, vice-captain Pique launched a passionate defence of his team-mate on Spanish TV and hit out at the boo-boys.
      He said: “The whistles towards Sergi Roberto are hurtful.

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      “I would like to remind people that he is a midfielder, not a winger. He has made a sacrifice to adapt to that position on the pitch.
      “People are free to express themselves but I do not like the whistles, they do not help.
      “I know the person, he is a spectacular human being and he wants more than anything for this club to be successful.
      “I am hurt a lot by this.”
      The club legend – who took a pay cut so the club could register summer signings Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia – also admitted that Lionel Messi-less Barca are not favourites to win the competition.
      He added: “Right now we will not be among the favourites for the Champions League, but nothing happens because we are not.

      “Sometimes we have been among the favourites but we have not succeeded. Last year who said would be the favourite?
      “Football changes a lot, they are moods. They are. They have been together for many years, with experience and we are what we are…four or five 18-year-olds have come out.
      “This is our reality. I don’t want to excuse myself. We are Barça. We will see at the end of the season if, we will end up competing.”
      Lionel Messi tipped to return to Barcelona and retire after winning Champions League with PSG by Riquelme More

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      Man Utd ‘asked Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent about signing Barcelona’s ‘new Messi’ Ansu Fati during transfer talks’

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      MANCHESTER UNITED asked Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent about signing Barcelona whizkid Ansu Fati during transfer talks.Fati has just one year remaining on his current Barca deal and was offered to top European clubs – including Manchester City – by agent Jorge Mendes this summer. 
      Barcelona star Ansu Fati is in the final year of his contract at the Nou CampCredit: Getty
      And according to Spanish paper Mundo Deportivo, the 18-year-old’s agent was ‘asked’ about his availability while hashing out Ronaldo’s deal to United last month. 
      Super agent Mendes has represented Ronaldo for over 18 years and also has Jose Mourinho, David De Gea and Ruben Dias on his roster. 
      Fati is widely regarded as the future of Barcelona after the cash strapped Catalans were forced to release Lionel Messi this summer and loan Antoine Griezmann back to Atletico Madrid. 
      The teenage prodigy has been dubbed the ‘new Messi’ by fans after the club entrusted him with the Argentinian’s famous No10 shirt. 
      Spanish papers also reported United had struck an agreement in principle to land Fati for a whopping £133million in 2020. 

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      But their hopes of signing the wonderkid were canned when the La Liga giants halted transfer talks and inserted a £357m release clause into his contract.
      Fati broke into Barca’s team in August  2019 as a 16-year-old and went onto score seven goals in 24 La Liga appearances during his breakout season. 

      He also became the youngest Champions League scorer in the competition’s history when he bagged the winner against Inter Milan the following December.
      Spain boss Luis Enrique also handed Fati his international debut last year and has four caps so far.
      He sustained a serious knee injury last November and only returned at the start of this season.
      Cristiano Ronaldo trains with Manchester United ahead of Young Boys game More

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      Gareth Bale could be forced to wait for 100th Wales cap after suffering hamstring injury in Real Madrid training

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      GARETH BALE could be forced to wait to win his 100th Wales cap next month after suffering a hamstring injury.The Real Madrid superstar, 32, picked up the injury in training with the Spanish giants on Saturday and missed the 5-2 La Liga win over Celta Vigo.
      Test confirmed on Monday Bale has picked up a hamstring injury in training for Real MadridCredit: Getty
      Welshman Bale, who has also been ruled out of Real’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan on Wednesday, had a scan today and is anxiously waiting on the results.
      But both club and country fear he will be out for a number of weeks.
      The Wales captain returned okay from international duty last week but he broke down ahead of Real’s return to the Bernabeu at the weekend and left the final pre-match session with a bandage on his right thigh.
      Bale was set to reach his landmark appearance in the crunch 2022 World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic in Prague on October 8 but the news will be a major worry for boss Rob Page.
      Wales’ talisman showed his importance to Page and Co when he spared their blushes versus Belarus with a hat-trick, including an injury-time winner earlier this month.
      Bale, who has now scored an all-time record of 36 goals for the Dragons, also played in the goalless draw with Belarus and conceded afterwards the showdown with the Czechs in Group E is now ‘must-win’.
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      Wales are behind the Czechs in third place on goal difference with a game in hand in the race to reach the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar next winter.
      However, Wales still have to play Belgium, the leaders, in November while the Czechs have played Roberto Martinez’s side twice and have an easier run of matches on paper. 
      The injury is also a blow for Carlo Ancelotti and Real as Bale has said he is happy with life in Spain after being reintegrated following his loan spell at Tottenham. 
      After facing Inter Milan, Real are also due to take on Sheriff in the Champions League this month as well as league matches with Valencia, Mallorca, Villarreal and Espanyol.

      Bale has regularly been side-lined throughout his career and has missed 102 matches for Real due to injury since moving there in 2013.
      He also suffered from three injury setbacks in the 2020-21 season during his time back on loan with former club Tottenham.
      The forward was out for a total of 40 days with a knee problem, then ten days due to illness and a further 18 days due to another muscle injury.
      Gareth Bale ‘excited’ to watch Cristiano Ronaldo tear it up at Man Utd as he heaps praise on ex-Real Madrid team-mate More

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      Gareth Bale set for ‘long’ spell on sidelines after suffering hamstring injury in Real Madrid training

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      GARETH BALE is reportedly set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a new hamstring injury at Real Madrid.The Wales superstar picked up the problem in his right leg during training for the LaLiga giants, according to Spanish sports radio programme The Great Match of COPE.
      Test confirmed on Monday Bale has picked up a hamstring injury in training for Real MadridCredit: Getty
      It reports that medical tests on Monday revealed the problem, and that it is a “long-term injury, for which no specific time off is specified.”
      Bale suffered his latest setback during Real’s final training session at the Bernabeu on Saturday before their match against Celta Vigo the following day, which ended in a 5-2 victory.
      Pictures emerged on Saturday of Bale limping onto Real’s team bus with strapping around his right thigh.
      The former Tottenham favourite could not bend his leg as he stepped onto the vehicle.
      The 32-year-old looked like he was trying to not aggravate the injury.
      The timing could not be worse for Los Blancos, who have a hectic schedule before the next international break.

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      It means Bale could miss seven crucial games over the next month, including two Champions League fixtures.
      And it is likely he will not be fit enough to feature for Wales in the October international break either.
      Wales play the Czech Republic on October 8, a crucial World Cup qualifier, followed by Estonia on October 11.
      Bale has regularly been side-lined throughout his career and has missed 102 matches for Real due to injury since moving there in 2013.
      He also suffered from three injury setbacks in the 2020-21 season during his time back on loan with former club Tottenham.
      He was out for a total of 40 days with a knee problem, then 10 days due to illness and a further 18 days due to another muscle injury.
      Gareth Bale ‘excited’ to watch Cristiano Ronaldo tear it up at Man Utd as he heaps praise on ex-Real Madrid team-mate More