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    Romelu Lukaku spoke to Inter Milan star Lautaro Martinez every DAY of his Chelsea nightmare before transfer return

    INTER MILAN star Lautaro Martinez has reavaled he spoke to Romelu Lukaku every day during his horror Chelsea stay.Lukaku, 29, was reunited with Martinez after returning to Inter on loan this summer.
    Romelu Lukaku spoke to Lautaro Martinez every day while at ChelseaCredit: Getty
    The pair built and great partnership on and off the pitch in Lukkau’s first spell with the Italian giants
    They scored a combined 41 league goals to help their side to the Serie A title in 2021.
    Martinez is delighted to be playing with the Belgian once more and spoke about keeping in contact with the striker during his spell away.
    He told Sky Italia: ‘”I am very happy he came back because he said we need to battle against everyone. He’ll give us a big hand and we will continue battling alongside him.
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    “We kept in contact and spoke every day from the moment he left. He is a great help to this team.
    “We all want to keep improving, we have four talented strikers and all bring different characteristics.”
    Martinez is focused on recreating Inter’s title success with the help of Lukaku and appears to not be distracted by speculation linking him with a transfer move.
    Chelsea were reportedly keen to sign the Argentine as part of the deal which saw Lukakau leave.
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    But Lukaku told him to stay put in his infamous interview last December because he wanted to play with him at the San Siro once more.
    Tottenham were also interested in Martinez and were said to have considered a £77million bid for the forward.
    But Inter made it clear Martinez was a key player and would not be allowed to leave. More

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    Barcelona agree to RIP UP Memphis Depay’s contract after just one year amid Juventus transfer interest

    BARCELONA have reportedly agreed to rip up Memphis Depay’s contract.But a free transfer to Juventus is still yet to be completed as the two parties remain locked in talks.
    Barcelona are ready to terminate the contract of Juventus target Memphis DepayCredit: Alamy
    Fabrizio Romano claims Depay is no longer wanted by Barcelona.
    The Catalans need to free up funds so they can register new signings including Jules Kounde.
    And one player Xavi Hernandez is happy to sacrifice is Depay.
    The Dutch ace only joined Barca a year ago from Lyon on a free transfer.
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    His Nou Camp deals runs for one more season until 2023.
    But Barcelona want to move Depay on as soon as possible.
    Tottenham were reportedly interested in the former Manchester United winger.
    Chelsea have also been linked as they pursue teammates Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong.
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    Barcelona are now ready to terminate Depay’s contract for a clean break.
    But it’s Juventus who are in pole position as Max Allegri looks to boost his attacking options.
    It was reckoned the fallen Italian giants had already reached an agreement on terms with Depay.
    However, it’s now transpired they remain locked in talks over his salary and other details.
    Even so, the decision over Depay’s future lies with the player and Juve, as Barcelona have now given the green light to tearing apart his deal.
    Depay played 38 times for Barca last term, scoring 13 goals.
    But the arrivals of Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, plus Ousmane Dembele’s contract renewal and Ansu Fati’s return from injury, have seen him plummet down the pecking order.
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    Should he join, Depay would become Juventus’ sixth summer signing.
    Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria joined on free transfers, while Andrea Cambiaso, Filip Kostic and Bremer were snapped up for a combined £55million. More

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    Chelsea complete £12.6m transfer of Cesare Casadei from Inter Milan and hand teenage midfielder six-year contract

    CHELSEA have officially announced the signing of Inter Milan starlet Cesare Casadei. The deal is believed to be worth £12.6million not including add-ons and the player has been handed a six-year contract.
    Cesare Casadei signs for Chelsea from Inter MilanCredit: Getty
    The Italian is one of the most highly rated young talents in the worldCredit: Getty
    The 19-year-old has been described as one of Europe’s top young talents after impressing in Inter’s youth team throughout last season.
    Casadei was named player of the season last campaign in the Under-19s set-up.
    His performances as captain guided Inter to finish second in the league and he netted 14 goals in 30 matches.
    He has also represented Italy through the youth age groups and played an integral role in his country making the semi-finals of the Under-19s European Championship.
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    Casadei has been dubbed a complete central midfielder with an eye for goal.
    The teenager may not have much first-team experience but he was named among the substitutes last season.
    Head of Chelsea’s youth development Neil Bath: “Cesare is a player we have tracked for some time and we are delighted that he has agreed to join, he will initially strengthen our Under-21s squad.”
    Chelsea are continuing to splash the cash this summer following the takeover of the club by Todd Boehly.
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    They have already spent more than any other Premier League side bringing in the likes of Raheem Sterling, Marc Cucurella and Kalidou Koulibaly.
    And the Blues are showing no signs of stopping as they remain in the race for Wesley Fofana, Anthony Gordon and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
    To help balance the books their could be departures such as the likes of Christian Pulisic.
    Thomas Tuchel’s men currently have four points and their next Premier League match sees them travel to Leeds. More

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    Ibrahimovic’s kids join AC Milan and Swede, 40, could stay as a coach when he FINALLY retires

    Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s sons Maximilian and Vincent are set to follow in the great man’s footsteps.The Swedish legend, 40, returned to the club’s Milanello training complex as he steps up his rehab following a knee operation.
    Zlatan is on the mend from a knee injuryCredit: AFP
    And the 6ft 5in goal machine brought his two football-mad sons along with him.
    They are both now expected to be registered with the Rossoneri’s prestigious youth system.
    Max will join the Under-17s and Vincent the Under-15s, as reported by Corriere della Sera.
    Both boys play as midfielders, unlike their father, who notoriously thrived on being the main man up front.
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    The affinity between between Ibrahimovic and Milan is growing ever-stronger in his second spell at the club.
    And there is mounting speculation that super-fit Zlatan will end up staying on at the club in some capacity when he eventually retires.
    He could become a coach, or one other theory is that he could become a director at the San Siro.
    The flamboyant former Barcelona, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Juventus and PSG star is expected to be back playing early next year.
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    Zlatan is known to love flashy cars almost as much as he loves himself and only the world’s top stars can compare with his collection.
    Ibrahimovic has also been known to clash with bosses like Pep Guardiola at Barca.
    And even team-mates such as Rafael van der Vaart at Ajax. More

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    Fulham ‘agree personal terms with Roma striker Justin Kluivert’ but transfer fee talks still being thrashed out

    JUSTIN KLUIVERT has agreed personal terms to sign for Fulham, according to reports. Newly-promoted Fulham are on the lookout for ways to improve their squad and starting xi to boost their chances of Premier League survival.
    Justin Kluivert contributed to 13 goals while on loan at Nice last seasonCredit: Getty
    And the player they want next is Kluivert.
    According to Fabrizio Romano, The Cottagers have agreed personal terms with the Roma winger, but are yet to strike a deal with the Italian club over his departure.
    Kluivert joined Roma from Ajax in 2018, but has failed to live up to his hype when with the Italian club.
    Subsequently, he has been sent on two loan moves in the last two seasons, turning out for RB Leipzig and Nice, with the latter owned by prospective new Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
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    Thus far, Fulham have brought in seven new faces to bolster their squad.
    Among these are former Man United midfielder Andreas Pereira and former Arsenal shot-stopper Bernd Leno.
    However, these were relatively cheap deals compared to the signings of Joao Palhinha from Sporting Lisbon and West Ham’s Issa Diop, which amounted to a total £37million.
    Marco Silva’s side are also reportedly trying to hijack Nottingham Forest’s move for Brighton forward Neal Maupay, and are monitoring Blackburn striker Ben Brereton Diaz.
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    Former Arsenal and Chelsea winger Willian also hinted at a return to the Premier League with Fulham after revealing his “goal” was to return to London following death threats he received while playing for Corinthians in his native Brazil.
    Fulham have drawn both of their games upon their return to the top flight, with an impressive 2-2 with Liverpool on the opening day.
    This was followed up by a frustrating 0-0 draw against Wolves – who have agreed to sell Morgan Gibbs-White to Forest for a staggering £44.5m including add-ons.
    Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho guided Roma to their first ever European trophy last season with victory in the Europa Conference League and has subsequently been backed with some big names this summer.
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    Former Juventus man Paulo Dybala was brought in along with ex-Man United midfielder Nemanja Matic and ex-Liverpool star Georginio Wijnaldum.
    The arrival of Dybala is likely a factor which will work in Fulham’s favour if they are to strike an agreement on a fee for Kluivert. More

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    Norwich reject two loan transfer offers for Max Aarons from Atalanta and Monza with Dean Smith’s side demanding £15m fee

    NORWICH have turned down loan offers from Serie A duo Atalanta and Monza for Max Aarons.And ex-Canaries boss Daniel Farke, now the manager of German side Borussia Monchengladbach, has also made an approach to be reunited with the right-back.
    Max Aarons has played 170 games for Norwich since graduating through the academyCredit: Rex
    Highly-rated Aarons is valued at £15million by Dean Smith’s side.
    Aarons has started the opening four Championship matches of the season in fine form as European clubs circle for his services.
    The 22-year-old has been granted assurances that he can leave Carrow Road if a suitable bid comes in.
    Everton, Wolfsburg and Marseille all enquired about the England Under-21 star earlier this summer.
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    Aarons has less than two years left on his contract and Norwich are open to a sale on one of their prized assets following relegation from the Premier League.
    In the past, Euro giants Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund and Roma have all monitored his progress.
    Aarons graduated through The Canaries academy in 2018 and has gone on to make 170 appearances for the senior side.
    Former Manchester United and England star Rio Ferdinand claimed Aarons was the type of player United should try and sign.
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    Ferdinand said Aarons could “have an impact” similar to that of Chris Smalling at the club.
    City have recently taken the decision to BAN children under two from attending games over safety fears about the long-term impact of noise. More

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    Tottenham close in on EIGHTH summer transfer after Atalanta midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi ‘agrees to join Spurs’

    TOTTENHAM are reportedly set to complete their EIGHTH signing of the transfer window with Ruslan Malinovskyi.Antonio Conte has been busy whipping Spurs into shape for another top four challenge this season, and has been backed with seven new players to make it happen.
    Ruslan Malinovskyi has made 129 appearances for Atalanta since joining in 2019Credit: Getty
    Malinovskyi was on the bench last weekendCredit: AFP
    However, the spending might not be done there, with reports from Italy suggesting Atalanta midfielder Malinovskyi could soon be on his way to North London.
    With one year left on his current contract, Atalanta are open to selling the 29-year-old and fresh interest from Spurs could see him leave Serie A.
    According to TuttoAtalanta, Spurs have overtaken newly promoted Nottingham Forest in the race to sign him, with the two parties understood to have agreed personal terms.
    But a sticking point in the deal remains what each club want from the deal.
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    Atalanta want to cash in on the Ukrainian this summer, but Spurs prefer a loan move with an option to buy next summer.
    Malinovskyi played just six minutes of his side’s 2-0 win against Sampdoria during last weekend’s Serie A curtain raiser, but provided an assist during his brief cameo.
    He has been at the Bergamo based club since joining from KRC Genk in 2019.
    The 129 appearances he has made for them has yielded a return of 29 goals and 27 assists, with all but 11 of his goal contributions coming in the league.
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    Earlier this week, Spurs sealed the £18m transfer of Udinese full-back Destiny Udogie.
    Spurs have splashed out roughly £110m on new signings this summer, with the majority of this being shelled out for former Everton attacker Richarlison.
    Spurs played out a dramatic and feisty affair at Stamford Bridge over the weekend, with Conte and Thomas Tuchel having a heated altercation at the end of the game resulting in both getting SENT OFF and consequently charged by the FA over their conduct. More

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    ‘Argumentative’ Rafa Benitez had problems with Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo and John Terry, says Italy icon Materazzi

    MARCO MATERAZZI says “argumentative” Rafa Benitez had “problems” with him, John Terry at Chelsea and even Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid.The 48-year-old Italian World Cup-winning defender played under the Spaniard at Inter Milan in 2010.
    Former Inter defender Marco Materazzi has blasted old boss Rafa Benitez
    He alleges the Spaniard and John Terry had problems at ChelseaCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
    Benitez and Cristiano Ronaldo also endured a difficult relationship at MadridCredit: Action Images – Reuters
    Since then, the former Everton centre-half has publicly criticised Benitez on several occasions.
    Now he has reignited the row by saying: “It’s not that he started well or ended badly at Inter. It’s that he didn’t even finish.”
    Benitez, 62, signed a two-year deal at Inter after six years in charge of Liverpool.
    But he was sacked just months later in December after winning the Fifa Club World Cup, following disappointing results in Serie A and Champions League.
    Materazzi, who famously goaded Zinedine Zidane into headbutting him in the 2006 World Cup final to get the Frenchman sent off, said: “He erased everything that [Jose] Mourinho had done.
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    “A manager is good when he builds empathy with players. We all had a good relationship with Mou, he did something really important.”
    Mourinho lifted the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia with Inter before taking over Real Madrid.
    Materazzi said his replacement Benitez “surely has the knowledge” after he “won the Champions League at Liverpool against Milan”.
    However, he says the ex-Newcastle chief did not like him – and has also enjoyed a rocky relationship with club icons like Terry and Ronaldo.
    He continued: “At Inter he had problems with me.
    “At Napoli he had problems with Cannavaro, at Chelsea he had problems with Terry and at Real Madrid he had problems with Cristiano or with somebody.
    “He doesn’t like being told things and he’s always argumentative.
    “Is it always the other people’s fault? In any case, I thanked him because I tried to take advantage of those mistakes and get some benefit from them.” More