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.

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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 suggestions of a move have 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, 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 Argawal 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 on the ball the 23-year-old is very effective. 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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Real Madrid will get their 2016 International Champions Cup campaign started on Wednesday when they take on Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

PSG have already featured in one ICC match, easily beating Inter Milan, and Les Parisiens answered a handful of questions in their second friendly of the summer, after beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in their first pre-season game.

Real have yet to play their first friendly of the summer, and the late start to pre-season means manager Zinedine Zidane and his troops have a lot of work to do ahead of the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

Date: Wednesday, July 27

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/12:30 a.m. BST (Thursday)

Venue: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

TV Info: ESPN 2 (U.S.), Sky Sports 1 (UK)

Live Stream: WatchESPN, Sky Go

Preview

PSG‘s pre-season form seemed just fine in their 3-1 win over Inter, a match in which full-backs Serge Aurier and Layvin Kurzawa stole the show, with the former scoring twice and the latter adding a goal of his own.

New PSG manager Unai Emery had plenty of reasons to be excited, particularly given the strong attacking display of his side. While the forwards didn’t contribute any goals, several youngsters put in strong performances, and the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic may not hurt all that much this season.

Their best young prospect, Jean-Kevin Augustin, didn’t even take part, as he was busy leading France to the UEFA European Under-19 title. He made quite the impression on former professional player Ned Zelic:

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson hopes the 19-year-old will have a chance to prove himself under Emery:

Los Blancos won’t have to worry about the youngster, though, and will instead focus on their own team. A handful of players are in need of a huge summer after failing to impress under Zidane in the second half of the season, including star midfielder James Rodriguez.

The Colombia international came crashing down to Earth after a wonderful first season in the Spanish capital, and per Marca, he’s determined to get back to his 2014-15 form:

Isco is also in need of a big season, or he could become a high-profile target during the next two transfer windows, while the returning Alvaro Morata will be keen to impress after a strong spell with Juventus.

The Spaniard will battle Karim Benzema for minutes and will need a strong pre-season to even be in the discussion for a spot as a starter, but, according to Carlos Forjanes of AS, he will have the chance to impress.

He wrote:

Zinedine Zidane is already well aware of the fact that Cristiano (Ronaldo) won’t be fit for the European Super Cup final and that Gareth Bale will be a close call. That’s probably why he’s started looking at alternative line-ups, including a two-man strike force.

In this afternoon’s training session in Montreal, the Frenchman decided to take a quick look at how Benzema and Morata play together. They both looked in good nick as they lined up against a back four of Marcelo, Lienhart, Tejero and Carvajal.

PSG enter the contest as favourites due to the simple fact they have some match rhythm, but the results of these pre-season friendlies are relatively meaningless.

It will be far more important to see how the likes of Rodriguez and Morata fit in for Real, while Emery will find out more about the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa and star youngsters like Lorenzo Callegari.

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Real Madrid will get their 2016 International Champions Cup campaign started on Wednesday when they take on Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

PSG have already featured in one ICC match, easily beating Inter Milan, and Les Parisiens answered a handful of questions in their second friendly of the summer, after beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in their first pre-season game.

Real have yet to play their first friendly of the summer, and the late start to pre-season means manager Zinedine Zidane and his troops have a lot of work to do ahead of the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

Date: Wednesday, July 27

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/12:30 a.m. BST (Thursday)

Venue: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

TV Info: ESPN 2 (U.S.), Sky Sports 1 (UK)

Live Stream: WatchESPN, Sky Go

Preview

PSG‘s pre-season form seemed just fine in their 3-1 win over Inter, a match in which full-backs Serge Aurier and Layvin Kurzawa stole the show, with the former scoring twice and the latter adding a goal of his own.

New PSG manager Unai Emery had plenty of reasons to be excited, particularly given the strong attacking display of his side. While the forwards didn’t contribute any goals, several youngsters put in strong performances, and the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic may not hurt all that much this season.

Their best young prospect, Jean-Kevin Augustin, didn’t even take part, as he was busy leading France to the UEFA European Under-19 title. He made quite the impression on former professional player Ned Zelic:

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson hopes the 19-year-old will have a chance to prove himself under Emery:

Los Blancos won’t have to worry about the youngster, though, and will instead focus on their own team. A handful of players are in need of a huge summer after failing to impress under Zidane in the second half of the season, including star midfielder James Rodriguez.

The Colombia international came crashing down to Earth after a wonderful first season in the Spanish capital, and per Marca, he’s determined to get back to his 2014-15 form:

Isco is also in need of a big season, or he could become a high-profile target during the next two transfer windows, while the returning Alvaro Morata will be keen to impress after a strong spell with Juventus.

The Spaniard will battle Karim Benzema for minutes and will need a strong pre-season to even be in the discussion for a spot as a starter, but, according to Carlos Forjanes of AS, he will have the chance to impress.

He wrote:

Zinedine Zidane is already well aware of the fact that Cristiano (Ronaldo) won’t be fit for the European Super Cup final and that Gareth Bale will be a close call. That’s probably why he’s started looking at alternative line-ups, including a two-man strike force.

In this afternoon’s training session in Montreal, the Frenchman decided to take a quick look at how Benzema and Morata play together. They both looked in good nick as they lined up against a back four of Marcelo, Lienhart, Tejero and Carvajal.

PSG enter the contest as favourites due to the simple fact they have some match rhythm, but the results of these pre-season friendlies are relatively meaningless.

It will be far more important to see how the likes of Rodriguez and Morata fit in for Real, while Emery will find out more about the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa and star youngsters like Lorenzo Callegari.

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Real Madrid will get their 2016 International Champions Cup campaign started on Wednesday when they take on Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at the Ohio Stadium in Columbus.

PSG have already featured in one ICC match, easily beating Inter Milan, and Les Parisiens answered a handful of questions in their second friendly of the summer, after beating West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in their first pre-season game.

Real have yet to play their first friendly of the summer, and the late start to pre-season means manager Zinedine Zidane and his troops have a lot of work to do ahead of the UEFA Super Cup against Sevilla on August 9.

Date: Wednesday, July 27

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/12:30 a.m. BST (Thursday)

Venue: Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

TV Info: ESPN 2 (U.S.), Sky Sports 1 (UK)

Live Stream: WatchESPN, Sky Go

Preview

PSG‘s pre-season form seemed just fine in their 3-1 win over Inter, a match in which full-backs Serge Aurier and Layvin Kurzawa stole the show, with the former scoring twice and the latter adding a goal of his own.

New PSG manager Unai Emery had plenty of reasons to be excited, particularly given the strong attacking display of his side. While the forwards didn’t contribute any goals, several youngsters put in strong performances, and the loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic may not hurt all that much this season.

Their best young prospect, Jean-Kevin Augustin, didn’t even take part, as he was busy leading France to the UEFA European Under-19 title. He made quite the impression on former professional player Ned Zelic:

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson hopes the 19-year-old will have a chance to prove himself under Emery:

Los Blancos won’t have to worry about the youngster, though, and will instead focus on their own team. A handful of players are in need of a huge summer after failing to impress under Zidane in the second half of the season, including star midfielder James Rodriguez.

The Colombia international came crashing down to Earth after a wonderful first season in the Spanish capital, and per Marca, he’s determined to get back to his 2014-15 form:

Isco is also in need of a big season, or he could become a high-profile target during the next two transfer windows, while the returning Alvaro Morata will be keen to impress after a strong spell with Juventus.

The Spaniard will battle Karim Benzema for minutes and will need a strong pre-season to even be in the discussion for a spot as a starter, but, according to Carlos Forjanes of AS, he will have the chance to impress.

He wrote:

Zinedine Zidane is already well aware of the fact that Cristiano (Ronaldo) won’t be fit for the European Super Cup final and that Gareth Bale will be a close call. That’s probably why he’s started looking at alternative line-ups, including a two-man strike force.

In this afternoon’s training session in Montreal, the Frenchman decided to take a quick look at how Benzema and Morata play together. They both looked in good nick as they lined up against a back four of Marcelo, Lienhart, Tejero and Carvajal.

PSG enter the contest as favourites due to the simple fact they have some match rhythm, but the results of these pre-season friendlies are relatively meaningless.

It will be far more important to see how the likes of Rodriguez and Morata fit in for Real, while Emery will find out more about the likes of Hatem Ben Arfa and star youngsters like Lorenzo Callegari.

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Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has sworn to stay at Stamford Bridge and battle N’Golo Kante for a starting position, welcoming the France international ace to West London.

Antonio Conte made the Leicester City hero one of his first purchases as the new Blues boss, but Matic has proclaimed he wants to fight for his place despite the failures of last season, as quoted by Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard:

I am sure that 100,000 players want to come to play for Chelsea so there is always competition, all life is a fight so every player is ready for that.

Yes, [it is great to have Kante] – he is a good player and I am sure that he will bring a lot of qualities to our team and all good players are welcome to our team.

He is a great player and it was difficult play against him [last season] and I am very happy because he is coming to Chelsea.

Conte has also warned off opposition clubs in their pursuit of the powerful Serbia international, telling former team Juventus the player is not for sale as they look at options to replace Paul Pogba.

John Percy of the Telegraph quoted Conte during Chelsea’s pre-season endeavours:

He [Matic] is not for sale and I know with work he can become a fantastic midfielder, one of the best in the world.

He is a very important player for me, he is very important in my idea of football. He knows this and I’m delighted by his attitude and behaviour and I see in him commitment.

The 27-year-old witnessed his form collapse last season as Chelsea surrendered the Premier League crown with a whimper.

Matic featured in 38 matches in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, according to WhoScored.com, as manager Jose Mourinho was shown the exit door at the Bridge.

In other news, former Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma has said he could have recently returned to the Blues after an outstanding campaign for PSV Eindhoven before opting to sign for Bundelsiga outfit Wolfsburg.

Torsten Rumpf of German publication Sport Bild (h/t the Daily Star‘s Marc Williams) quoted the Dutchman talking about his recent transfer options.

Bruma said: “I had other options like Inter Milan. I could have gone back to Chelsea, who wanted me. At Chelsea or Inter, it would have been difficult for me to make the next step.”

The 24-year-old joined the Blues youth team in 2007 from Feyenoord but departed London in 2013 to join PSV after loan spells at Leicester and Hamburg.

Here is Bruma in action before his recent switch to Germany:

At the top of his game, Matic is a wonderful asset, equally talented at both destructive and constructive parts of midfield play.

However, his form was a major reason why Chelsea collapsed last season and contributed to Mourinho‘s hasty downfall. 

Kante proved a world-class talent for the Foxes last term, and he will be arriving at Chelsea to be an automatic starter.

Matic will have to rewind his performance value two years, and if he cannot find his very best quality, he will spend much of the new campaign on the bench as Conte crafts a new team.

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Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has sworn to stay at Stamford Bridge and battle N’Golo Kante for a starting position, welcoming the France international ace to West London.

Antonio Conte made the Leicester City hero one of his first purchases as the new Blues boss, but Matic has proclaimed he wants to fight for his place despite the failures of last season, as quoted by Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard:

I am sure that 100,000 players want to come to play for Chelsea so there is always competition, all life is a fight so every player is ready for that.

Yes, [it is great to have Kante] – he is a good player and I am sure that he will bring a lot of qualities to our team and all good players are welcome to our team.

He is a great player and it was difficult play against him [last season] and I am very happy because he is coming to Chelsea.

Conte has also warned off opposition clubs in their pursuit of the powerful Serbia international, telling former team Juventus the player is not for sale as they look at options to replace Paul Pogba.

John Percy of the Telegraph quoted Conte during Chelsea’s pre-season endeavours:

He [Matic] is not for sale and I know with work he can become a fantastic midfielder, one of the best in the world.

He is a very important player for me, he is very important in my idea of football. He knows this and I’m delighted by his attitude and behaviour and I see in him commitment.

The 27-year-old witnessed his form collapse last season as Chelsea surrendered the Premier League crown with a whimper.

Matic featured in 38 matches in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, according to WhoScored.com, as manager Jose Mourinho was shown the exit door at the Bridge.

In other news, former Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma has said he could have recently returned to the Blues after an outstanding campaign for PSV Eindhoven before opting to sign for Bundelsiga outfit Wolfsburg.

Torsten Rumpf of German publication Sport Bild (h/t the Daily Star‘s Marc Williams) quoted the Dutchman talking about his recent transfer options.

Bruma said: “I had other options like Inter Milan. I could have gone back to Chelsea, who wanted me. At Chelsea or Inter, it would have been difficult for me to make the next step.”

The 24-year-old joined the Blues youth team in 2007 from Feyenoord but departed London in 2013 to join PSV after loan spells at Leicester and Hamburg.

Here is Bruma in action before his recent switch to Germany:

At the top of his game, Matic is a wonderful asset, equally talented at both destructive and constructive parts of midfield play.

However, his form was a major reason why Chelsea collapsed last season and contributed to Mourinho‘s hasty downfall. 

Kante proved a world-class talent for the Foxes last term, and he will be arriving at Chelsea to be an automatic starter.

Matic will have to rewind his performance value two years, and if he cannot find his very best quality, he will spend much of the new campaign on the bench as Conte crafts a new team.

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via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has sworn to stay at Stamford Bridge and battle N’Golo Kante for a starting position, welcoming the France international ace to West London.

Antonio Conte made the Leicester City hero one of his first purchases as the new Blues boss, but Matic has proclaimed he wants to fight for his place despite the failures of last season, as quoted by Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard:

I am sure that 100,000 players want to come to play for Chelsea so there is always competition, all life is a fight so every player is ready for that.

Yes, [it is great to have Kante] – he is a good player and I am sure that he will bring a lot of qualities to our team and all good players are welcome to our team.

He is a great player and it was difficult play against him [last season] and I am very happy because he is coming to Chelsea.

Conte has also warned off opposition clubs in their pursuit of the powerful Serbia international, telling former team Juventus the player is not for sale as they look at options to replace Paul Pogba.

John Percy of the Telegraph quoted Conte during Chelsea’s pre-season endeavours:

He [Matic] is not for sale and I know with work he can become a fantastic midfielder, one of the best in the world.

He is a very important player for me, he is very important in my idea of football. He knows this and I’m delighted by his attitude and behaviour and I see in him commitment.

The 27-year-old witnessed his form collapse last season as Chelsea surrendered the Premier League crown with a whimper.

Matic featured in 38 matches in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, according to WhoScored.com, as manager Jose Mourinho was shown the exit door at the Bridge.

In other news, former Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma has said he could have recently returned to the Blues after an outstanding campaign for PSV Eindhoven before opting to sign for Bundelsiga outfit Wolfsburg.

Torsten Rumpf of German publication Sport Bild (h/t the Daily Star‘s Marc Williams) quoted the Dutchman talking about his recent transfer options.

Bruma said: “I had other options like Inter Milan. I could have gone back to Chelsea, who wanted me. At Chelsea or Inter, it would have been difficult for me to make the next step.”

The 24-year-old joined the Blues youth team in 2007 from Feyenoord but departed London in 2013 to join PSV after loan spells at Leicester and Hamburg.

Here is Bruma in action before his recent switch to Germany:

At the top of his game, Matic is a wonderful asset, equally talented at both destructive and constructive parts of midfield play.

However, his form was a major reason why Chelsea collapsed last season and contributed to Mourinho‘s hasty downfall. 

Kante proved a world-class talent for the Foxes last term, and he will be arriving at Chelsea to be an automatic starter.

Matic will have to rewind his performance value two years, and if he cannot find his very best quality, he will spend much of the new campaign on the bench as Conte crafts a new team.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/2ad2ojf
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic has sworn to stay at Stamford Bridge and battle N’Golo Kante for a starting position, welcoming the France international ace to West London.

Antonio Conte made the Leicester City hero one of his first purchases as the new Blues boss, but Matic has proclaimed he wants to fight for his place despite the failures of last season, as quoted by Tom Doyle of the London Evening Standard:

I am sure that 100,000 players want to come to play for Chelsea so there is always competition, all life is a fight so every player is ready for that.

Yes, [it is great to have Kante] – he is a good player and I am sure that he will bring a lot of qualities to our team and all good players are welcome to our team.

He is a great player and it was difficult play against him [last season] and I am very happy because he is coming to Chelsea.

Conte has also warned off opposition clubs in their pursuit of the powerful Serbia international, telling former team Juventus the player is not for sale as they look at options to replace Paul Pogba.

John Percy of the Telegraph quoted Conte during Chelsea’s pre-season endeavours:

He [Matic] is not for sale and I know with work he can become a fantastic midfielder, one of the best in the world.

He is a very important player for me, he is very important in my idea of football. He knows this and I’m delighted by his attitude and behaviour and I see in him commitment.

The 27-year-old witnessed his form collapse last season as Chelsea surrendered the Premier League crown with a whimper.

Matic featured in 38 matches in the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, according to WhoScored.com, as manager Jose Mourinho was shown the exit door at the Bridge.

In other news, former Chelsea defender Jeffrey Bruma has said he could have recently returned to the Blues after an outstanding campaign for PSV Eindhoven before opting to sign for Bundelsiga outfit Wolfsburg.

Torsten Rumpf of German publication Sport Bild (h/t the Daily Star‘s Marc Williams) quoted the Dutchman talking about his recent transfer options.

Bruma said: “I had other options like Inter Milan. I could have gone back to Chelsea, who wanted me. At Chelsea or Inter, it would have been difficult for me to make the next step.”

The 24-year-old joined the Blues youth team in 2007 from Feyenoord but departed London in 2013 to join PSV after loan spells at Leicester and Hamburg.

Here is Bruma in action before his recent switch to Germany:

At the top of his game, Matic is a wonderful asset, equally talented at both destructive and constructive parts of midfield play.

However, his form was a major reason why Chelsea collapsed last season and contributed to Mourinho‘s hasty downfall. 

Kante proved a world-class talent for the Foxes last term, and he will be arriving at Chelsea to be an automatic starter.

Matic will have to rewind his performance value two years, and if he cannot find his very best quality, he will spend much of the new campaign on the bench as Conte crafts a new team.

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