Author: moshood

Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitic has left Barcelona in order to return to his old club Sevilla.

The deal was reportedly agreed as early as 31 August, which allowed the player to undergo medical tests ahead of signing a four-year contract with Julen Lopetegui‘s side.

Only seven senior first-team players were not classified as ‘untouchable’ in the Catalan club’s rebuilding project, according to club president Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Croatian midfielder Rakitic was not named among those players, thus paving the way for him to move back to his former side Sevilla, where he has friends and close relatives.

The 32-year-old initially swapped Seville for Barcelona back in 2014 and enjoyed six trophy-laden years in Catalonia.

The midfielder won the Champions League with the club in 2015 and also won four La Liga titles and four Copa del Rey crowns during his time at Barcelona.

Though Rakitic lost his untouchable status at Barcelona, it may seem strange that the club were still willing to sanction his departure this summer.

At 32, the player still has a lot to offer at the highest level and had been a first-team regular in the side ever since his £16 million arrival.

Last season, Rakitic made 42 appearances for the club in all competitions. Thirty-one of those came in La Liga, with the player scoring once and registering three assists.

Sevilla manager Lopetegui will hope Barça’s loss will be Sevilla’s gain. The former Real Madrid boss is looking to use this window to build on last season’s Europa League triumph.

Rakitic will almost certainly not be the last high-profile departure from Ronald Koeman’s side this summer.

Dutch club Ajax are hoping to agree a deal for the signing of their former striker Luis Suarez. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi is desperate to find a new club as well. Manchester City are among the frontrunners for the Argentine great’s signature.

La Liga have released an official statement on the contract saga that is currently the most important issue in Lionel Messi’s future – and they have sided with FC Barcelona, reports say.

This morning, Messi failed to attend the PCR tests at Barcelona – a clear signal of his desire to leave the club and an attempt to put pressure on the board to reach a resolution.

Additionally, it has been reported that Messi’s camp believe that his release clause of €700m no longer applies, and that the Argentinean is effectively a free agent and can sign for any club he wishes.

However, La Liga have waded into the dispute via an official statement. In this, it states that the ‘current deal is still valid and paying [the] release clause for 700m is the only way out’, as relayed by Romano.

The Italian journalist added that Man City are awaiting to hear from Barcelona before making any decision, and that Messi’s wish to leave remains unchanged by the statement.

Barcelona are refusing to budge and grant the forward a free transfer, and will use the La Liga statement to bolster their position.

‘The saga is on’, Romano concludes

Lyon won the UEFA Women’s Champions League for a fifth season in a row with a 3-1 victory over Wolfsburg.

Pernille Harder missed a great chance to hit the target for Wolfsburg when the ball fell to her in the box, before at the other end Wendie Renard’s header dropped onto the roof of the net and Delphine Cascarino also went close

The opening goal came just after midway in the first half, Eugenie le Sommer forced a save from Friederike Abt and was first to the rebound to shoot into the far corner.

The German side were left with a lot to do approaching the interval, Saki Kumagai burying a 22-yard strike inside the post.

It was game on before the hour mark though, Alexandra Popp directing a header home from Ewa Pajor’s ball into the six-yard box.

did threaten an equaliser but without further troubling the keeper, then two minutes from time Le Sommer’s drive was directed into the back of the net by Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir.

This year’s victory makes it the seventh UEFA champions League trophy and the fifth on a bounce for the French side.

Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina has completed a season-long loan move to Fulham.

The 26-year-old has joined Scott Parker’s side ahead of the 2020/21 campaign, as they return to the Premier League having won promotion via the Championship play-offs.

Lemina, who joined Saints from Juventus in 2017, also spent last season on loan with Turkish club Galatasaray, but now returns to England.

The club wishes Mario well for the season ahead.

Manchester United are closing in on the signing of Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek after the two clubs agreed a fee in the region of £40m.

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a huge admirer of the Netherlands international, 23, and has had him watched on a number of occasions.

It is understood United have now firmed up their interest with a medical and personal terms still to be concluded.

The transfer is expected to be finalised within days.

Van de Beek is set to sign a five-year deal, which should allow him to be available for United’s opening game of the 2020-21 season, against Crystal Palace on 19 September.

He will become Solskjaer’s first close-season signing after a much-publicised move for Borussia Dortmund’s England winger Jadon Sancho stalled over the size of the fee.

Van de Beek was part of the outstanding Ajax side that got to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

He was left out of Ajax’s friendlies with German pair Eintracht Frankfurt and Union Berlin over the weekend.

Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dedicated his goal against Liverpool in the Community Shield to the actor Chadwick Boseman with his iconic Black Panther celebration.

Boseman, 43, starred as Black icon Jackie Robinson in “42” before rising to fame as the regal Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, died on Friday of colon cancer.

The Gabon international opened the scoring after 12 minutes with a curling shot into the bottom right corner.

After scoring, Aubameyang ran to the side of the pitch and placed his arms across his chest in the superhero’s classic pose.

Aubameyang previously wore a Black Panther mask after scoring a brace against Rennes in Arsenal’s Europa League round-of-16 second-leg match in March 2019.

“I needed a mask which represents me and that’s the Black Panther. In Gabon, we call the national team the Panthers,” he said at the time.

Before the game against Liverpool on Saturday, Aubameyang tweeted a picture of Boseman and captioned it “Wakanda forever.”

Mikel Arteta’s men won the Community Shield 5-4 on penalties after the match ended in a 1-1 draw.