David Villa says Paco Alcacer knows what to do as speculation grows surrounding the Spain international s future at Valencia.
The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to Barcelona and reports in Spain suggest the player has agreed terms with Luis Enrique s side, but the deal is being held up by Los Che.
Valencia are believed to want Alcacer to announce his intention to leave to prevent a fans backlash from the sale of another star player following Andre Gomes switch from Mestalla to Camp Nou last month.
New York City striker Villa, a Champions League winner in a three-year spell with Barca between 2010 and 2013, hinted the player should follow Gomes, even if it means playing second fiddle to established forward trio Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez.
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Peru beat Ecuador in a World Cup qualifier this month and a repeat of that victory on Wednesday will see them through to the quarter-finals of the Copa America.
Goals from Luis Advincula and Christian Cueva in Quito on June 8 gave Peru a first win in the battle to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar next year.
The Blanquirroja responded to a 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Brazil in their Copa America opener by beating Colombia 2-1 in Goiania on Sunday.
Ricardo Gareca s side moved up to third in Group B courtesy of a Yerry Mina own goal and with four teams qualifying for the last eight, they are on the verge of advancing.
Peru, beaten in the 2019 final by Brazil, will have to improve at the back, having failed to keep a clean sheet in 11 matches but w…
Prediction: Poland to Win 1-0
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Italy and Poland will be aiming to take a significant step towards qualification for the UEFA Nations League finals as they go head to head in Reggio Emilia on Sunday evening.
The sides occupy the top two positions in League A Group 1, with Jerzy Brzęczek one point clear of the Italians on seven points. It could be suggested then that this clash could go a long way in deciding which nation progresses to the finals next October.
Italy
Despite still firmly being in contention as group winners, it hasn t quite be as a convincing UEFA Nations League campaign that boss Head Coach Roberto Mancini envisaged. The Azzurri have only won one out of their four group matches so far, that being a slender 1-0…
Cristiano Ronaldo is a true champion but too often goes missing during the biggest matches, according to former Juventus star Jurgen Kohler.
Ronaldo ended a spectacular nine-year spell with Real Madrid in July when he joined Juve in a €112million deal.
A winner of four Champions Leagues and four Ballons d Or during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu, the Portugal star has yet to make his mark in Serie A, having gone three games without a goal.
He also failed to score in last season s Champions League final, despite netting 15 times in total in the tournament, while his four goals in the World Cup all came before Portugal s exit at the last-16 stage, meaning he has still never scored in a knockout match at international football s biggest event.
And Kohle…
Cody Gakpo highlighted Virgil van Dijk s influence on his decision to join Liverpool after the Reds formally confirmed his arrival from PSV on Wednesday.
The Netherlands international has signed for Jurgen Klopp s side in a move reportedly worth an initial £37million (€42m) on the back of an impressive World Cup campaign.
Gakpo s arrival on Merseyside is a major boost for Klopp s men and a blow to rivals Manchester United, where the forward had been heavily tipped to join his countryman Erik ten Hag.
Speaking to Liverpool s website after sealing his transfer, Gakpo said it was another Dutchman who helped convince him he was making the right call in moving to Anfield.
At the moment I was calling [in] with the coach, he came into the office and saw me, …
Kai Havertz broke a record previously held by his international team-mate Timo Werner on Saturday, becoming the youngest man to make 100 appearances in the Bundesliga.
The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder brought up the milestone in Saturday s trip to Cologne as he reached a century of games at the age of 20 years and 186 days, 17 days younger than RB Leipzig striker Werner was when he reached 100 matches in 2016.
Havertz, already capped seven times by Germany, is considered one of Europe s most promising young talents and has been linked with a host of clubs across the continent, including Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Barcelona and Liverpool.
Here, with the help of Opta, we look at Havertz s Bundesliga career so far.
100 is the youngest player in the co…
Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc insisted there had been no offers at all for reported Arsenal target Julian Brandt.
Brandt, 24, has been linked with a move to the Premier League club in January.
But Zorc said no offers had arrived for the midfielder, who is contracted at Dortmund until 2024.
I don t want to answer any rumours that were made by the media. Now there is permanently a name [Brandt] coined that we don t even think about giving up on, he told a news conference.
Overall, we look at many different scenarios primarily due to an economical background that is simply not the best due to the ongoing pandemic.
But I can only repeat myself again. We have no offers at all.
Brandtastic
— Borussia Dortmund …
Tottenham Hotspur winger Aaron Lennon is on the verge of completing a loan switch to Hull City, .
The 27 year old has fallen out of favour under Mauricio Pochettino this season and has been linked with a move to a number of Spurs’ Premier League rivals with Everton, Stoke City, Swansea City and Sunderland also monitoring his situation.
However, it is the Tigers who appear to have won the race to secure his services; with a permanent deal on the cards should he help the club retain their Premier League status.
Lennon has spent the last nine and a half years at White Hart Lane, racking up three hundred and sixty-four appearances in all competitions, scoring thirty goals while he was part of the squad that won the League Cup in 2008.
Hull host Newcas…
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti insists only a top-drawer performance from his players will suffice if they are to overcome Osasuna on Saturday.
Los Blancos top LaLiga with seven wins and one defeat from their opening eight games, one point above their bitter rivals Barcelona.
Osasuna are the visitors on Saturday, with the team from Pamplona unbeaten on their last two encounters at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Italian coach Ancelotti knows Real cannot afford to have an off-day.
¡Nuestros convocados para el partido !
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid)
“We want to finish (the period heading into the international break) well, taking into account that Osasuna is a difficult rival and has always played good games here,” he told a press confer…
Prediction: Netherlands win
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The 2021/22 domestic football campaign is officially behind us and while we may have to wait until November for the World Cup to kick off, that doesn t mean we re short on international action. The UEFA Nations League is back in our lives with a parade of nations attempting to make some noise including Wales and Netherlands, who will meet in Cardiff on Wednesday.
Wales
The dragons have roared once again. For the first time in 64 years, Wales will play at the World Cup after defeating Ukraine to qualify just a matter of days ago. The fact that they ve made it to this point is an achievement in itself but now, they need to shift their focus back to the Nations League and realise how much of a platform…