Atletico Madrid star Diego Godin could be on the verge of a big-money move to Manchester City.

Per Simon Jones of the Daily Mail, City “could trigger [the] Atletico Madrid defender’s £28 million release clause,” while “his agent, Paco Casal, has held discussions with City’s hierarchy and is willing to push for the move.”

According to Squawka, Godin was Atletico’s second-best performer in La Liga last season. As Jones notes, Los Rojiblancos “would not wish to sell such a key component of their team, particularly after selling Joao Miranda to Inter Milan earlier in the summer, yet are powerless if the buy-out clause is met and the player wishes to go.”

Ahead of last season’s January transfer window, the Uruguayan stated his desire to remain in the Spanish capital for “many years” but admitted “it is difficult to know where I will be playing in as many years.”

The experienced 29-year-old is a key figure at the back for Atletico and would have much to add to City’s squad.

As OptaJose and WhoScored.com demonstrate, the defender’s goal contribution and dominance in the air are two of his biggest strengths:

Indeed, Bleacher Report’s own Jason Pettigrove described Godin as a “fearless and uncompromising warrior,” which indicates that he would be well-suited to English football.

With Eliaquim Mangala routinely exposed last season as he struggled to adapt to life in the Premier League and Martin Dimichelis entering the twilight of his career at 34, City need to strengthen defensively ahead of a title challenge.

The Sky Blues conceded more goals than fellow top-four finishers Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United last season, which demonstrates their need to improve.

Though Godin appears content to stay at the Vicente Calderon, the chance for a new challenge and more winners medals could tempt the centre-back should City meet the £28 million clause.

If they can acquire his signature, City would undoubtedly enjoy an air of invulnerability they so often lacked last year while also easing the pressure on the aging Dimichelis and allowing Mangala more time to find his feet in England. 

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Sunderland have announced the signing of Yann M’Vila on a season-long loan from Rubin Kazan.

News that the deal had been finalised came via the club’s official Twitter feed, with an accompanying picture of the midfielder with a Sunderland jersey:

In a piece on the club’s official website, the 25-year-old admitted he is looking forward to the challenge of playing in the Premier League:

I’m very happy to be a Sunderland player. I had a very good feeling training with the team; every player welcomed me and the feeling was very good with them so I’m excited for the start of the season.

I’ve also wanted to play in the Barclays Premier League for a long time so I’m very happy to be here.

When M’Vila burst onto the scene at Rennes, he seemed set for stardom. Strong, dynamic and tenacious in the tackle, he was set to man the France midfield for many years to come in the eyes of many. But despite picking up 22 caps for his country, the player’s career hasn’t quite gone according to plan.

As we can see here courtesy of Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star, M’Vila has previously been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

As noted by Sky Sports, M’Vila has not made an appearance for the national team since November 2012, when he indulged in an unauthorised night out during his time with the under-21 team. With that in mind, questions linger about the player’s temperament. He’s been unable to settle in Kazan since leaving Rennes and struggled during a loan spell with Inter Milan last season.

Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe isn’t wholly convinced by the France international:

But Sunderland could be an ideal club for M’Vila to get his career back on track. The Black Cats do need some reinforcements in the heart of their midfield, and the Frenchman could potentially form a tenacious holding duo alongside Lee Cattermole.

The spotlight won’t be forensically trained on the 25-year-old, either. Sunderland aren’t the most high-profile side in the division and consequently the minutiae of M’Vila’s every move won’t be analysed. Nonetheless, it’s imperative the ex-Rennes sensation knuckles down, keeps his attitude in check and shows those at the Stadium of Light what all the hype was once about.

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Galatasaray midfielder Wesley Sneijder has clearly been stepping up his preparations for the new season. He scored two goals in five seconds during a training drill, the second a brilliant acrobatic kick.

The Netherlands midfielder has become a fan favourite at the Turkish club since joining from Inter Milan in 2013, helping them to consecutive league and cup doubles.

This video would suggest he’s more than ready for the new campaign, much to the excitement of Gala fans.

[h/t Mirror]

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Up there with the fierce rivalries between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool and AC Milan and Inter Milan is the annual battle for supremacy between Pro Evolution Soccer and FIFA. 

This year is no different, with both titles releasing exciting new trailers for the upcoming releases of EA Sports and Konami’s latest efforts.

PES 2016‘s promo features Brazilian superstar Neymar and Juventus forward Alvaro Morata exhibiting some of the tantalising skills you can master in the game while showing off the latest improvements in gameplay and graphics.

The game looks closer to the real thing than ever before, but if FIFA‘s more your cup of tea, you can check out EA Sports’ trailer for FIFA 16 here.

[officialpes]

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The next stop in Pablo Dani Osvaldo’s tumultuous career sees him land at Portuguese giants Porto, following on from his disappointing spell with Premier League club Southampton. 

Porto confirmed the striker’s unveiling on Wednesday:

Osvaldo was a free agent following the termination of his contract with Saints, where he failed to settle. He spent last season on loan, first at Inter Milan and then at Boca Juniors.

According to Transfermarkt.com, the 29-year-old scored 13 goals and laid on seven assists in all competitions.

As WhoScored.com demonstrates, Osvaldo enjoyed a strong start to life at Inter before his absences from training led to his loan being cut short:

Having featured in Serie A and La Liga for much of his career, Osvaldo is an experienced campaigner in European football. His strong finishing and ability in the air will help Porto replace the firepower they lost in Jackson Martinez.

However, as Bleacher Report’s own Andy Brassell notes, the move could be considered something of a gamble:

Osvaldo has featured for 11 clubs in the last 10 years, indicating that he struggles to settle in the long term.

Though the risk is mitigated by the striker being a free transfer, it would be unwise for Porto to pin all their hopes on Osvaldo replacing Martinez.

If they can help him to settle, then the Argentina-born forward can certainly add to their attacking quality, but Porto will likely continue to pursue other strikers before the summer window closes.

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Chelsea’s summer has been an understated one. Just two new signings have arrived at Stamford Bridge ahead of the new Premier League season, with Jose Mourinho’s side still to record a pre-season win after losing to Arsenal in Sunday’s Community Shield clash too. And yet, Mourinho has very little to be concerned about.

The Portuguese coach has appeared somewhat irked over the past few weeks—wearing a rather indifferent expression during his side’s tour of the United States, attacking both Arsene Wenger and Rafael Benitez through the media—but one doubts whether he is losing any sleep at night before Saturday’s Premier League opener against Swansea City.

While many of Chelsea’s rivals have used the summer transfer market to make big-money additions—not least Manchester United and Manchester City—Mourinho has spent the off-season instead plugging gaps in his squad. After all, there wasn’t much wrong with his team last term—so why fix something that isn’t broken but is instead thriving?

Asmir Begovic was signed for £8 million from Stoke City to ensure that Thibaut Courtois has an able deputy—following the exit of Petr Cech to Arsenal—with Radamel Falcao also joining on a season-long loan from Monaco. Mourinho is gambling on his own powers of recovery in helping the Colombian rediscover the form that once made him Europe’s most potent striker.

Mourinho is meticulous in his forward planning, and so is intent on having two top-tier players for every position in his team. It’s why he is so keen to sign both John Stones from Everton and left-back Baba Rahman from Augsburg—so if worse comes to worst, Chelsea will be covered for every possible eventuality. 

Such strength naturally prompts comparison with some of Mourinho’s greatest teams, not least his title-winning side of 2005/06. His treble-winning Inter Milan team goes down as one of his best too, with the Real Madrid outfit that beat Barcelona to the Liga title in 2012 being also rather handy. So how does the Chelsea side of 2015 measure up?

Against Tiago, Claude Makelele and Michael Essien, the current Chelsea midfield would likely hold their own, with Nemanja Matic one of the best central anchors in Europe right now, and Cesc Fabregas almost irrepressible when at his best. Mourinho’s side as it is are more dynamic and fluid than the one he led to the title just under 10 years ago—and it may be up to personal interpretation as to whether that is a good or bad thing.

Of course, Frank Lampard was at his very best for Chelsea during the title-winning season of 2005/06. His departure has harmed the Blues, with Oscar yet to find the same kind of consistency as the driving force behind the central striker. But that could still come, as the Brazilian continues to progress year-on-year.

Didier Drogba might have been a Chelsea player at the time of their Premier League success nine years ago, but the Ivorian was still adapting to his new surroundings and wasn’t quite the force that he became known as in a blue shirt. In that sense, Diego Costa—despite his injury struggles—represents something of an upgrade.

There is little to choose between Thibaut Courtois of 2015 and Petr Cech of 10 years ago, but it’s at the back where the current-day Blues fall most significantly short of their 2005/06 counterparts, with the partnership of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho among the best the Premier League has ever seen. 

However, whilst the 2005-06 team might edge it over the club’s current crop, Chelsea are still on the ascendancy and have yet to find the ceiling of their capacity. At their current rate of development, this team has the makings of Mourinho’s greatest ever.

What’s more, Mourinho could be given the time to build something of a dynasty at Stamford Bridge—if his recent comments are anything to go by. The Portuguese has spoken about settling personally at Chelsea for the time being, adding that his relationship with the club’s owner Roman Abramovich has never been better.

“In this moment we don’t have this problem,” Mourinho explained as per Reuters via the Guardian. “When I left Real Madrid to come here, Mr Abramovich asked me to fight for titles. In my first season we were almost there, in my second season we did it and in my third season if you are close, you can always do it.”

Whereas before Mourinho has been a quick fix for those looking for instant success, he could now be given time to plant roots at Chelsea—the club where he has always looked most comfortable. If his relationship with Abramovic is indeed a healthy one—following previous fall-outs between the two men—then there’s no reason why Mourinho couldn’t remain there for many years to come. And that is an ominous prospect for the rest of the Premier League.

Of course, the immediate task at hand is to become the first team to successfully defend their Premier League title since Manchester United’s success of 2009. That would at least be a start on the building of Mourinho’s dynasty—and that’s before their Champions League success is factored in too.

Last time around, Mourinho was thwarted by Sir Alex Ferguson—and his own boss, Abramovich—leaving Chelsea before his side could fully reach its potential. But who out of the Premier League’s current coaching crop has the nous and presence to challenge the Portuguese? Perhaps it will take Pep Guardiola finally making the move to England for Mourinho to be pitted against an equal—and someone who can beat him.

But for now, Mourinho is the Premier League’s predominant figure, with his current Chelsea side fitting of such standing. Pressing questions were asked of the Special One not so long ago—pondering whether Mourinho had lost some of his shimmer. Now he—or rather his team—might he as special as ever.

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Inter have suffered a substantial setback after it was announced centre-back Nemanja Vidic could be out for up to six months following surgery on a hernia.  

Continues for updates.

Vidic Risks Six Months Out

Tuesday, August 4 

According to Sky and Corriere dello Sport (via Football Italia), Vidic will undergo a hernia operation on Wednesday after which he may need up to six months to recover, ruling him out of the remaining 2015 calendar.

However, the player’s agent, Silvano Martina, told Italian website Tuttomercatoweb.com (via Football Italia) that his client has a “strong physique” and will be hoping for a swifter return:

We’ll see, as we are not doctors. Vidic has a strong physique and will recover quickly. I haven’t heard from anyone and quite frankly I wouldn’t know what to say. He has another two years on his contract, so first he’ll get fit again and then we’ll see.

Inter have certainly always had the utmost respect for the player. When the time comes, we’ll discuss the future. The important thing now is to heal. I think he’s a great football player and still has many years ahead of him.

Football Italia alleges Inter were looking to sell the Serbian, but any move now looks off the table as he prepares to endure a long road back to full fitness.

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Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur meet at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday to kick off the 2015 Audi Cup in Munich, Germany.

For Real Madrid, this two-day, four-team summer tournament, also featuring Bayern Munich and AC Milan, is the third component of their ongoing pre-season campaign, following stints in the International Champions Cup in Australia and China.

In both stops, Los Blancos were successful, clinching the trophy on each occasion and losing just once in four games, when a scoreless draw with AS Roma in Melbourne was decided on penalties. Under the new management of Rafa Benitez, Real’s progression this summer has been intriguing (see here and here), and Tuesday’s meeting with Spurs represents another important step in the club’s transitional phase ahead of the new season.

For Tottenham, meanwhile, this trip to Munich comes at the back end of a long pre-season campaign that has visited Australia, Malaysia and the U.S. Against Sydney FC and a Malaysia XI, the north Londoners emerged triumphant, but they enter Tuesday’s clash with Real Madrid following a 2-1 defeat to the MLS All-Stars in Colorado on Thursday.

Under manager Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs are also in a period of transition, with the club’s squad seeing some significant changes in the transfer market following the arrivals of Toby Alderweireld, Kevin Wimmer and Kieran Trippier—a trio who have come in amid the exits of Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Benjamin Stambouli, Vlad Chiriches, Lewis Holtby and Younes Kaboul, among others. Roberto Soldado, Emmanuel Adebayor and Aaron Lennon could soon follow suit, too.

But the element of this match that’s perhaps more interesting than any other is Gareth Bale coming up against his old club for the first time since his record-breaking move from White Hart Lane to the Bernabeu in 2013. What sort of reunion will it prove to be?

Match Details

Date: Tuesday, August 4

Time: 5:15 p.m. BST (12:15 p.m. EDT, 6:15 p.m. local)

Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany

TV Info: Premier Sports (UK), ESPN2 (U.S.), beIN Sports (Spain), ZDF (Germany)

Live Stream: Premier Player (UK), ESPN Player (U.S.), beIN Sports CONNECT (Spain), ZDF Livestream (Germany)

Team News 

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema will be absent for Real Madrid in this Audi Cup, with the club’s official website announcing the Portuguese “suffered lower back pain during the latest training session” and that the Frenchman “overloaded his right thigh in the last session.”

Ronaldo’s absence will likely afford a chance to Denis Cheryshev on the left side of Benitez’s 4-2-3-1, while Jese will likely come in for Benzema at the head of the attack.

The pair of superstar forwards are the only names missing for Real Madrid, with Benitez’s squad as follows:

Keylor Navas, Kiko Casilla, Ruben Yanez, Raphael Varane, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Daniel Carvajal, Alvaro Arbeloa, Danilo, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale, Casemiro, Luka Modric, Denis Cheryshev, Isco, Asier Illarramendi, Marco Asensio, Martin Odegaard, Jese, Lucas Vazquez and Borja Mayoral.

Tottenham also announced their squad for this tournament Monday, and it’s essentially the same group the club took to the U.S, with Soldado, Adebayor, Lennon (uncertain futures) and Andros Townsend (injured) absent from the 23-man group listed below:

Michel Vorm, Hugo Lloris, Luke McGee, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Danny Rose, Ben Davies, Eric Dier, Federico Fazio, Toby Alderweireld, Kevin Wimmer, Jan Vertonghen, Nabil Bentaleb, Ryan Mason, Harry Winks, Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele, Tom Carroll, Josh Onomah, Christian Eriksen, Erik Lamela, Nacer Chadli, Harry Kane.

Predicted Lineups

Players to Watch

Inevitably, all eyes will be on Bale on Tuesday as the Welshman comes up against his old side for the first time since moving to Real Madrid.

However, the interest surrounding Bale will centre on more than just his Tottenham reunion; with Ronaldo and Benzema missing, it’s an ideal opportunity for the former Spurs star to lead Benitez’s attacking quartet, and he looks as if he’ll do so while continuing in his new role in the hole behind the striker.

Behind Bale, defensive midfielder Casemiro is another Real Madrid player to watch closely.

Having started both of the club’s games in China against AC Milan and Inter Milan, the Brazilian looks to be among the fringe players most likely to rise to prominence at the Bernabeu in 2015-16.

A more rugged central option than Kroos or Modric, Casemiro is a strong ball winner and effective tackler, a player who seemingly enjoys the game’s grittier elements. At this stage, the 23-year-old looks to be the man Benitez will turn to when the manager wants to add a defensive edge to his new side, and another strong performance here would likely confirm that status.

For Tottenham, Kane will undoubtedly be the side’s biggest drawing card in Munich, following his spectacular breakout season in the Premier League in 2014-15.

For Kane, this will be his first match against one of the heavyweights from the continent, given the absence of Champions League football at White Hart Lane in recent seasons. Interestingly, it will also come against the outfit that was reported to be scouting him at various junctures last season, per Pete Jenson of the Daily Mail.

Further back in Tottenham’s lineup, another man to watch will be new signing Alderweireld.

Not surprisingly, the Belgian was a hit in the Premier League last season at Southampton, with the formative years he spent at Ajax (technical proficiency) and Atletico Madrid (defensive principles) providing him with a delightfully rounded skill set for a modern centre-back.

Now in north London, the 26-year-old will be looking to settle quickly into his new club and will want to cement his position in the middle of Pochettino‘s back four this pre-season.

Odds (via OddsChecker)

• Real Madrid: 2-5
• Draw: 15-4
• Tottenham Hotspur: 6-1

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