Liverpool have had a €40 million (£33 million) bid for Sporting Lisbon and Portugal star Joao Mario turned down by his club.

According to Portuguese paper Diario de Noticias (h/t Richard Amofa of the Telegraph), the 23-year-old’s father has spoken out about interest in his son and admitted he could be tempted by a bigger club after bids from the Reds and Inter Milan:

Proposals for the lad don’t come directly to me.

They go to his agent, Kia Joorabchian, and the Sporting president.

I was informed, however, that the club said no to €35 million plus €10 million in bonuses from Inter and to €40 million from Liverpool

Nothing particular has happened, my son is a professional and knows he has a contract with Sporting.

At the same time, we’re talking about a very valuable player for the club, who would aspire to bigger projects in the course of his career.

Mario featured for Portugal as they swept to the Euro 2016 title and his stock has risen since the end of last season.

The player moved from Porto to Sporting to further his education as a youth talent, and he has not looked back since becoming a first-team regular.

Mario is a versatile individual who can play across the spectrum of midfield roles and would be a huge asset to Jurgen Klopp if he arrives on Merseyside.

The player featured in 33 games in the Portuguese Primeira Liga for Sporting last term, also adding six goals to his contribution, according to WhoScored.com.

Here is a video of Mario in action:

According to Pilar Lopez of Spanish outlet Fichajes (h/t Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star), Manchester United have been monitoring the dynamo, whom Chelsea also desire.

Claudio Colla of TransferMarketWeb previously reported the midfielder has a £51 million release clause but could be available at £34 million—close to Liverpool’s recent bid.

Bleacher Report UK’s Sam Tighe has said he appreciates the skill Mario brings to a match:

In other news, Brazilian starlet Allan Rodrigues de Souza is set for a loan move to Hertha Berlin, according to Amofa.

The Telegraph writer reported the teenage talent will make the temporary switch to Germany to further his career and opportunities.

The 19-year-old joined Klopp‘s revolution in a £500,000 deal from Internacional in 2015 after impressing the club’s coaches at the Frenz International Cup.

However, Allan has been unable to feature for the first team due to work-permit issues. A season-long loan is now expected, and the midfielder is training with his new club.

Mario would be a quality purchase by Klopp if the German can revisit his bid and tempt Sporting to part with one of their best players.

The Merseyside giants are in need of a world-class player in the centre, and Mario has the capability to grow into the role.

Klopp will want to take his side to the next level after an inconsistent first 12 months at the helm, and the addition of top players is essential before the beginning of the season.

However, Liverpool will not be the only team after the midfielder. Mario also meets the needs of United and Chelsea, and both teams will chase the player if he emerges onto the market.

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Liverpool have had a €40 million (£33 million) bid for Sporting Lisbon and Portugal star Joao Mario turned down by his club.

According to Portuguese paper Diario de Noticias (h/t Richard Amofa of the Telegraph), the 23-year-old’s father has spoken out about interest in his son and admitted he could be tempted by a bigger club after bids from the Reds and Inter Milan:

Proposals for the lad don’t come directly to me.

They go to his agent, Kia Joorabchian, and the Sporting president.

I was informed, however, that the club said no to €35 million plus €10 million in bonuses from Inter and to €40 million from Liverpool

Nothing particular has happened, my son is a professional and knows he has a contract with Sporting.

At the same time, we’re talking about a very valuable player for the club, who would aspire to bigger projects in the course of his career.

Mario featured for Portugal as they swept to the Euro 2016 title and his stock has risen since the end of last season.

The player moved from Porto to Sporting to further his education as a youth talent, and he has not looked back since becoming a first-team regular.

Mario is a versatile individual who can play across the spectrum of midfield roles and would be a huge asset to Jurgen Klopp if he arrives on Merseyside.

The player featured in 33 games in the Portuguese Primeira Liga for Sporting last term, also adding six goals to his contribution, according to WhoScored.com.

Here is a video of Mario in action:

According to Pilar Lopez of Spanish outlet Fichajes (h/t Jamie Anderson of the Daily Star), Manchester United have been monitoring the dynamo, whom Chelsea also desire.

Claudio Colla of TransferMarketWeb previously reported the midfielder has a £51 million release clause but could be available at £34 million—close to Liverpool’s recent bid.

Bleacher Report UK’s Sam Tighe has said he appreciates the skill Mario brings to a match:

In other news, Brazilian starlet Allan Rodrigues de Souza is set for a loan move to Hertha Berlin, according to Amofa.

The Telegraph writer reported the teenage talent will make the temporary switch to Germany to further his career and opportunities.

The 19-year-old joined Klopp‘s revolution in a £500,000 deal from Internacional in 2015 after impressing the club’s coaches at the Frenz International Cup.

However, Allan has been unable to feature for the first team due to work-permit issues. A season-long loan is now expected, and the midfielder is training with his new club.

Mario would be a quality purchase by Klopp if the German can revisit his bid and tempt Sporting to part with one of their best players.

The Merseyside giants are in need of a world-class player in the centre, and Mario has the capability to grow into the role.

Klopp will want to take his side to the next level after an inconsistent first 12 months at the helm, and the addition of top players is essential before the beginning of the season.

However, Liverpool will not be the only team after the midfielder. Mario also meets the needs of United and Chelsea, and both teams will chase the player if he emerges onto the market.

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Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £38 million bid for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, as the Blues are keen to fend off competition for the Senegal international. Meanwhile, they reportedly face an Italian rival for another defensive target, Benfica‘s Victor Lindelof.

Sky Italy (h/t SkySports.com) confirmed Chelsea’s monster bid for Koulibaly: “The 25-year-old Senegal international is wanted by new Blues boss Antonio Conte to strengthen his defensive options, but Napoli are yet to respond to their offer.”

Napoli‘s reticence to respond is only natural, since Koulibaly is a key figure at the back for the Serie A club. In fact, Italian newspaper La Repubblica (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness) has indicated that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis may prove “stubborn” when it comes to sanctioning any deal.

Chelsea have also faced pressure from fellow Premier League side Everton in their attempts to firm up any interest in Koulibaly, according to the Daily Mirror‘s Darren Lewis: “Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri—whose millions tempted manager Ronald Koeman away from Southampton this summer—has so far been prepared to match anything offered by the Londoners to land Senegal international Koulibaly.”

Yet it seems the Stamford Bridge club is determined to get their man. Making such a bold offer for Koulibaly makes sense considering Chelsea are now unlikely to have a clear path to Lindelof.

Italian source Calcio Mercato (h/t talkSPORT) revealed how Inter Milan “are ready to match any offer Chelsea put on the table” for the Sweden international.

Chelsea had reportedly told Benfica of their willingness to pay the £25 million release clause for the player who can operate “centrally, as a right-back or holding midfielder,” per Tony Banks of the Daily Express.

The links with both players show the kind of defender Conte is keen to recruit. Namely, he wants a physically intimidating centre-back.

FourFourTwo‘s Tom Kundert noted how the Benfica man is “tall and well-built, Lindelof is dominant in the air and uses his strength well to make crunching tackles, almost always well-timed.”

Similarly, Adam Digby of FourFourTwo has dubbed Koulibaly “a robust, physically imposing central defender.”

Conte clearly wants a powerhouse at the heart of his new-look defence. The Italian often likes to play three at the back and trusted Giorgio Chiellini to be his enforcer, both with former club Juventus and at international level, but he lacks a Chiellini type at Stamford Bridge.

Skipper John Terry is now 35, Kurt Zouma continues to nurse an injury and Gary Cahill is inconsistent, so Chelsea need a new brute-force talisman at the back. Sealing a deal for Koulibaly or Lindelof won’t be easy, but both players fit the bill perfectly.

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Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £38 million bid for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, as the Blues are keen to fend off competition for the Senegal international. Meanwhile, they reportedly face an Italian rival for another defensive target, Benfica‘s Victor Lindelof.

Sky Italy (h/t SkySports.com) confirmed Chelsea’s monster bid for Koulibaly: “The 25-year-old Senegal international is wanted by new Blues boss Antonio Conte to strengthen his defensive options, but Napoli are yet to respond to their offer.”

Napoli‘s reticence to respond is only natural, since Koulibaly is a key figure at the back for the Serie A club. In fact, Italian newspaper La Repubblica (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness) has indicated that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis may prove “stubborn” when it comes to sanctioning any deal.

Chelsea have also faced pressure from fellow Premier League side Everton in their attempts to firm up any interest in Koulibaly, according to the Daily Mirror‘s Darren Lewis: “Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri—whose millions tempted manager Ronald Koeman away from Southampton this summer—has so far been prepared to match anything offered by the Londoners to land Senegal international Koulibaly.”

Yet it seems the Stamford Bridge club is determined to get their man. Making such a bold offer for Koulibaly makes sense considering Chelsea are now unlikely to have a clear path to Lindelof.

Italian source Calcio Mercato (h/t talkSPORT) revealed how Inter Milan “are ready to match any offer Chelsea put on the table” for the Sweden international.

Chelsea had reportedly told Benfica of their willingness to pay the £25 million release clause for the player who can operate “centrally, as a right-back or holding midfielder,” per Tony Banks of the Daily Express.

The links with both players show the kind of defender Conte is keen to recruit. Namely, he wants a physically intimidating centre-back.

FourFourTwo‘s Tom Kundert noted how the Benfica man is “tall and well-built, Lindelof is dominant in the air and uses his strength well to make crunching tackles, almost always well-timed.”

Similarly, Adam Digby of FourFourTwo has dubbed Koulibaly “a robust, physically imposing central defender.”

Conte clearly wants a powerhouse at the heart of his new-look defence. The Italian often likes to play three at the back and trusted Giorgio Chiellini to be his enforcer, both with former club Juventus and at international level, but he lacks a Chiellini type at Stamford Bridge.

Skipper John Terry is now 35, Kurt Zouma continues to nurse an injury and Gary Cahill is inconsistent, so Chelsea need a new brute-force talisman at the back. Sealing a deal for Koulibaly or Lindelof won’t be easy, but both players fit the bill perfectly.

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Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £38 million bid for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, as the Blues are keen to fend off competition for the Senegal international. Meanwhile, they reportedly face an Italian rival for another defensive target, Benfica‘s Victor Lindelof.

Sky Italy (h/t SkySports.com) confirmed Chelsea’s monster bid for Koulibaly: “The 25-year-old Senegal international is wanted by new Blues boss Antonio Conte to strengthen his defensive options, but Napoli are yet to respond to their offer.”

Napoli‘s reticence to respond is only natural, since Koulibaly is a key figure at the back for the Serie A club. In fact, Italian newspaper La Repubblica (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness) has indicated that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis may prove “stubborn” when it comes to sanctioning any deal.

Chelsea have also faced pressure from fellow Premier League side Everton in their attempts to firm up any interest in Koulibaly, according to the Daily Mirror‘s Darren Lewis: “Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri—whose millions tempted manager Ronald Koeman away from Southampton this summer—has so far been prepared to match anything offered by the Londoners to land Senegal international Koulibaly.”

Yet it seems the Stamford Bridge club is determined to get their man. Making such a bold offer for Koulibaly makes sense considering Chelsea are now unlikely to have a clear path to Lindelof.

Italian source Calcio Mercato (h/t talkSPORT) revealed how Inter Milan “are ready to match any offer Chelsea put on the table” for the Sweden international.

Chelsea had reportedly told Benfica of their willingness to pay the £25 million release clause for the player who can operate “centrally, as a right-back or holding midfielder,” per Tony Banks of the Daily Express.

The links with both players show the kind of defender Conte is keen to recruit. Namely, he wants a physically intimidating centre-back.

FourFourTwo‘s Tom Kundert noted how the Benfica man is “tall and well-built, Lindelof is dominant in the air and uses his strength well to make crunching tackles, almost always well-timed.”

Similarly, Adam Digby of FourFourTwo has dubbed Koulibaly “a robust, physically imposing central defender.”

Conte clearly wants a powerhouse at the heart of his new-look defence. The Italian often likes to play three at the back and trusted Giorgio Chiellini to be his enforcer, both with former club Juventus and at international level, but he lacks a Chiellini type at Stamford Bridge.

Skipper John Terry is now 35, Kurt Zouma continues to nurse an injury and Gary Cahill is inconsistent, so Chelsea need a new brute-force talisman at the back. Sealing a deal for Koulibaly or Lindelof won’t be easy, but both players fit the bill perfectly.

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Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £38 million bid for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, as the Blues are keen to fend off competition for the Senegal international. Meanwhile, they reportedly face an Italian rival for another defensive target, Benfica‘s Victor Lindelof.

Sky Italy (h/t SkySports.com) confirmed Chelsea’s monster bid for Koulibaly: “The 25-year-old Senegal international is wanted by new Blues boss Antonio Conte to strengthen his defensive options, but Napoli are yet to respond to their offer.”

Napoli‘s reticence to respond is only natural, since Koulibaly is a key figure at the back for the Serie A club. In fact, Italian newspaper La Repubblica (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness) has indicated that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis may prove “stubborn” when it comes to sanctioning any deal.

Chelsea have also faced pressure from fellow Premier League side Everton in their attempts to firm up any interest in Koulibaly, according to the Daily Mirror‘s Darren Lewis: “Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri—whose millions tempted manager Ronald Koeman away from Southampton this summer—has so far been prepared to match anything offered by the Londoners to land Senegal international Koulibaly.”

Yet it seems the Stamford Bridge club is determined to get their man. Making such a bold offer for Koulibaly makes sense considering Chelsea are now unlikely to have a clear path to Lindelof.

Italian source Calcio Mercato (h/t talkSPORT) revealed how Inter Milan “are ready to match any offer Chelsea put on the table” for the Sweden international.

Chelsea had reportedly told Benfica of their willingness to pay the £25 million release clause for the player who can operate “centrally, as a right-back or holding midfielder,” per Tony Banks of the Daily Express.

The links with both players show the kind of defender Conte is keen to recruit. Namely, he wants a physically intimidating centre-back.

FourFourTwo‘s Tom Kundert noted how the Benfica man is “tall and well-built, Lindelof is dominant in the air and uses his strength well to make crunching tackles, almost always well-timed.”

Similarly, Adam Digby of FourFourTwo has dubbed Koulibaly “a robust, physically imposing central defender.”

Conte clearly wants a powerhouse at the heart of his new-look defence. The Italian often likes to play three at the back and trusted Giorgio Chiellini to be his enforcer, both with former club Juventus and at international level, but he lacks a Chiellini type at Stamford Bridge.

Skipper John Terry is now 35, Kurt Zouma continues to nurse an injury and Gary Cahill is inconsistent, so Chelsea need a new brute-force talisman at the back. Sealing a deal for Koulibaly or Lindelof won’t be easy, but both players fit the bill perfectly.

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Chelsea have reportedly submitted a £38 million bid for Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, as the Blues are keen to fend off competition for the Senegal international. Meanwhile, they reportedly face an Italian rival for another defensive target, Benfica‘s Victor Lindelof.

Sky Italy (h/t SkySports.com) confirmed Chelsea’s monster bid for Koulibaly: “The 25-year-old Senegal international is wanted by new Blues boss Antonio Conte to strengthen his defensive options, but Napoli are yet to respond to their offer.”

Napoli‘s reticence to respond is only natural, since Koulibaly is a key figure at the back for the Serie A club. In fact, Italian newspaper La Repubblica (h/t Tom Coast of Sport Witness) has indicated that Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis may prove “stubborn” when it comes to sanctioning any deal.

Chelsea have also faced pressure from fellow Premier League side Everton in their attempts to firm up any interest in Koulibaly, according to the Daily Mirror‘s Darren Lewis: “Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri—whose millions tempted manager Ronald Koeman away from Southampton this summer—has so far been prepared to match anything offered by the Londoners to land Senegal international Koulibaly.”

Yet it seems the Stamford Bridge club is determined to get their man. Making such a bold offer for Koulibaly makes sense considering Chelsea are now unlikely to have a clear path to Lindelof.

Italian source Calcio Mercato (h/t talkSPORT) revealed how Inter Milan “are ready to match any offer Chelsea put on the table” for the Sweden international.

Chelsea had reportedly told Benfica of their willingness to pay the £25 million release clause for the player who can operate “centrally, as a right-back or holding midfielder,” per Tony Banks of the Daily Express.

The links with both players show the kind of defender Conte is keen to recruit. Namely, he wants a physically intimidating centre-back.

FourFourTwo‘s Tom Kundert noted how the Benfica man is “tall and well-built, Lindelof is dominant in the air and uses his strength well to make crunching tackles, almost always well-timed.”

Similarly, Adam Digby of FourFourTwo has dubbed Koulibaly “a robust, physically imposing central defender.”

Conte clearly wants a powerhouse at the heart of his new-look defence. The Italian often likes to play three at the back and trusted Giorgio Chiellini to be his enforcer, both with former club Juventus and at international level, but he lacks a Chiellini type at Stamford Bridge.

Skipper John Terry is now 35, Kurt Zouma continues to nurse an injury and Gary Cahill is inconsistent, so Chelsea need a new brute-force talisman at the back. Sealing a deal for Koulibaly or Lindelof won’t be easy, but both players fit the bill perfectly.

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Preseason tours often get a bad rap, but Bayern Munich’s trip to the United States should have some real positives associated with it.

The Bavarian giants touched down in Chicago on Monday and play their first of three friendlies on Wednesday night against AC Milan. On Saturday, Bayern will face Inter Milan in Charlotte, North Carolina, and they will head north to the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey to take on Real Madrid on August 3.

The three prestige pre-season friendlies will not have any direct bearing on how the regular 2016-17 campaign goes but will serve a purpose, especially for Carlo Ancelotti‘s side.

Whereas many other teams have played under the same trainer for a few years and would be better off having a long summer break to physically and mentally prepare for the next season, Bayern at this point are probably best off with a bit more practice—even if it means traveling some 4,500 miles from Munich to Chicago.

As an incoming coach, Ancelotti is still getting used to his squad, and his players are in the process of becoming familiar with their new trainer. Developing an understanding is extremely important for team chemistry and the one thing that was lacking during Pep Guardiola‘s first season in Munich.

Bayern, coming off a treble-winning 2012-13 campaign, did well against ordinary teams in the Bundesliga but looked a decidedly lesser side in the bigger Champions League tests, and they were ultimately put to the sword in a 5-0 aggregate loss in the semi-finals. Incidentally, this came against Ancelotti‘s Real Madrid.

Guardiola was known as a “visionary,” whose goals were a bit more elusive than the average, and he had no qualms completely scrapping the model Jupp Heynckes had left prior to his arrival. And, indeed, the former Barcelona coach spent most of his three-year tenure trying to find the right formula for his Bayern team.

Ancelotti has said he will not aim to make any grand changes, telling reporters earlier this month (h/t Goal‘s Chris Myson): “I think my friend Guardiola has done some great work in the last few years. I have to take into consideration the characteristics of the players, but I am not here to do a revolution. The job Guardiola did here was fantastic, and I would like to follow this style.”

“The style I know very well that Bayern Munich want to play attacking football. I love to play attacking football, I have a fantastic squad and I am really happy with this,” he continued. “I don’t think the style of play is going to change a lot from the last year. The players are more or less the same, and the system will be too.”

Guardiola made more or less the same pledge in his first Bayern press conference in 2013, but he was always expected to apply his own signature. Ancelotti is a coach less married to any one particular philosophy, and his flexibility has been crucial to his success over the years.

Bayern have only had a few weeks to train under Ancelotti, but given that it isn’t his intent to change very much, the time is ripe to test their readiness for the upcoming campaign. And there are three tough tests that await.

The first, Milan, will be a special one for Ancelotti. The 57-year-old spent the final five years of his playing career with the Rossoneri and became their manager just under a decade later. Ancelotti coached Milan from 2001-2009, winning Serie A, the Coppa Italia and, most famously, the 2003 and 2007 Champions League finals.

Milan have lost their way recently and are certainly no longer the side that conquered Europe twice in four years, but they have some talented, young players in their squad and at least will be a good first hurdle.

Bayern will then face Inter on Saturday, the other Milanese side having finished fourth in Serie A last season and three places above their derby rivals.

Finally, the Real match will be the perfect test for Bayern—another former Ancelotti side and one he won the Champions League with. The reigning Champions of Europe will be an especially tough task, but in preseason, winning and losing doesn’t matter so much—gauging progress does.

In that regard, the USA trip is just right for Bayern as they face an increasing gradient of difficulty culminating in Europe’s best side.

By the end of it all, Ancelotti should have a good understanding of where his team stand and what must be done in the remaining 11 days before their competitive opener.

In that match on August 14, Bayern will take on a hungry Borussia Dortmund side that finished runners-up in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal last season. It’s a competition Bayern have failed to win in their last three attempts, with two of these going in Dortmund’s favor, so Ancelotti will be keen to begin his tenure with a win.

But before the Superpokal, Bayern will have to pass their tests in the United States. Their performance will be a good early indicator of how ready they are for the upcoming campaign.

@Mr_Bundesliga

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Reported Arsenal target Mauro Icardi is set to stay at Inter Milan this summer, with president Erick Thohir insisting he will not be sold. 

Corriere dello Sport (h/t Colin Harvey of the Daily Star) had recently reported the Gunners were interested in landing the forward, and that his wife, Wanda, was in London to hold talks with the club. However, any suggestion of a move has been quashed by Thohir.

“We won’t sell Icardi. We received many offers, even from Napoli, but we won’t sell him,” he said speaking to the Inter Channel (h/t CalcioMercato.com). “One year ago, we extended his contract; we are like a family, if there are some problems, we can always talk. He’s our captain and an important player, we are happy with him.”

Icardi is considered as one of the finest forwards in Serie A, and at the age of 23, he can still make improvements to his game. Here’s why Inter are so desperate to keep him despite interest from the Gunners and Napoli:

Arsenal supporters will be getting a little tired of links to strikers, although they will be keen for their manager Arsene Wenger to get someone through the door who can lend support to Olivier Giroud.

The Inter man may have been ideal. As these numbers from WhoScored.com show, when chances come Icardi’s way, he regularly takes them:

A player who is predatory and sharp in the area may be exactly the kind of forward Arsenal need. In Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla, the Gunners have a wealth of creativity within their ranks, but so often it goes to waste.

Someone with a nose for goals and fast reactions would potentially capitalise better than someone such as Giroud. Icardi is of that type of style, although it is unlikely the Nerazzurri will let their skipper move on this summer.

Arsenal Leading Race for Oguzhan Ozyakup

According to Deporte Valenciano (h/t Dipesh Agarwal of Sport Witness) Arsenal are poised to rival Valencia for the signing of Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup.

It’s suggested that Manchester United are also in for the midfielder, who would cost a reported €20 million (£16.79 million) to prise away from his current club. Valencia are reportedly keen to sign the 23-year-old as a replacement for Andre Gomes, although it’s stated in the piece Arsenal are currently in pole position to secure him.

The Turkey star actually enjoyed a spell with Arsenal’s academy earlier in his career, although he never made a senior appearance before joining Besiktas in 2012.

The central midfielder had a breakthrough term in 2015-16, starring at the heart of the Besiktas team. Here is a look at some of his best moments:

Ozyakup’s main strengths are technical ones, as the 23-year-old is very effective on the ball. In terms of passing and dribbling, he’s on a par with any player in the Turkish top flight, while nine goals and seven assists in the Super Lig are indicative of a mature footballer.

Indeed, as these numbers from OptaCan show, Ozyakup has made major improvements to his end product lately:

That progress would be tempered if he moved to Arsenal. After all, Wenger has a host of skilful midfield men to call upon in the middle of the pitch in Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Granit Xhaka. Ozyakup would find minutes difficult to come by.

At Valencia, his forward runs and fine close control would see the Turkey international potentially fill the void left by Gomes. With more minutes likely on offer at the Mestalla than the Emirates Stadium, La Liga would be a sensible destination for the player.

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Reported Arsenal target Mauro Icardi is set to stay at Inter Milan this summer, with president Erick Thohir insisting he will not be sold. 

Corriere dello Sport (h/t Colin Harvey of the Daily Star) had recently reported the Gunners were interested in landing the forward, and that his wife, Wanda, was in London to hold talks with the club. However, any suggestion of a move has been quashed by Thohir.

“We won’t sell Icardi. We received many offers, even from Napoli, but we won’t sell him,” he said speaking to the Inter Channel (h/t CalcioMercato.com). “One year ago, we extended his contract; we are like a family, if there are some problems, we can always talk. He’s our captain and an important player, we are happy with him.”

Icardi is considered as one of the finest forwards in Serie A, and at the age of 23, he can still make improvements to his game. Here’s why Inter are so desperate to keep him despite interest from the Gunners and Napoli:

Arsenal supporters will be getting a little tired of links to strikers, although they will be keen for their manager Arsene Wenger to get someone through the door who can lend support to Olivier Giroud.

The Inter man may have been ideal. As these numbers from WhoScored.com show, when chances come Icardi’s way, he regularly takes them:

A player who is predatory and sharp in the area may be exactly the kind of forward Arsenal need. In Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla, the Gunners have a wealth of creativity within their ranks, but so often it goes to waste.

Someone with a nose for goals and fast reactions would potentially capitalise better than someone such as Giroud. Icardi is of that type of style, although it is unlikely the Nerazzurri will let their skipper move on this summer.

Arsenal Leading Race for Oguzhan Ozyakup

According to Deporte Valenciano (h/t Dipesh Agarwal of Sport Witness) Arsenal are poised to rival Valencia for the signing of Besiktas midfielder Oguzhan Ozyakup.

It’s suggested that Manchester United are also in for the midfielder, who would cost a reported €20 million (£16.79 million) to prise away from his current club. Valencia are reportedly keen to sign the 23-year-old as a replacement for Andre Gomes, although it’s stated in the piece Arsenal are currently in pole position to secure him.

The Turkey star actually enjoyed a spell with Arsenal’s academy earlier in his career, although he never made a senior appearance before joining Besiktas in 2012.

The central midfielder had a breakthrough term in 2015-16, starring at the heart of the Besiktas team. Here is a look at some of his best moments:

Ozyakup’s main strengths are technical ones, as the 23-year-old is very effective on the ball. In terms of passing and dribbling, he’s on a par with any player in the Turkish top flight, while nine goals and seven assists in the Super Lig are indicative of a mature footballer.

Indeed, as these numbers from OptaCan show, Ozyakup has made major improvements to his end product lately:

That progress would be tempered if he moved to Arsenal. After all, Wenger has a host of skilful midfield men to call upon in the middle of the pitch in Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Jack Wilshere and Granit Xhaka. Ozyakup would find minutes difficult to come by.

At Valencia, his forward runs and fine close control would see the Turkey international potentially fill the void left by Gomes. With more minutes likely on offer at the Mestalla than the Emirates Stadium, La Liga would be a sensible destination for the player.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2aJLOGj
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