Plauseorminus

Roma midfielder Radja Nainggolan has signed a new four-year contract with the Serie A club. The 29-year-old Belgium international had been linked with Manchester United in Italian media, while Chelsea were also reported to be interested. This was coupled by suggestions that Nainggolan was growing impatient with the numerous delays in receiving a contract proposal from the capital club. However, the 29-year-old has put any doubts about his future to bed by extending his contract until 2021, in a deal that will see him earn €4.5 million per season, including bonuses, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I think I have demonstrated that this is what I always wanted," Nainggolan said. "I'm very happy that the club and I can continue our adventure and move forward together." Nainggolan has played 161 times for Roma since joining from Cagliari in 2014. Nainggolan becomes the third senior central midfielder to extend their contract at Roma th

Neymar stormed out of Barcelona’s training session on Friday after fighting with new team-mate Nelson Semedo. The Brazil international, who is reportedly close to joining Paris Saint-Germain, needed to be held back by Sergio Busquets as he angrily confronted the Portuguese defender. After clashing with Barcelona’s summer signing, Neymar took off his bib and threw it on the ground before walking out of the session. The 25-year-old also kicked two footballs in anger as he made his way to the side of the pitch. Neymar angrily confronted Nelson Semedo in training.  Neymar continued to shout at Semedo after the defender walked away.  Neymar was held back by Sergio Busquets. Neymar is currently with Barcelona for their pre-season tour of the United States and was set to travel to China later this month for a fan event. But Chinese online travel agency Ctrip has now confirmed that Neymar has cancelled his trip due to ‘transfer issues’. ‘It’s with great r

Marcos Alonso insists he is not concerned by the added competitionAntonio Conte is attempting to create at Chelsea by signing another left back. Alonso, 26, enjoyed a superb spell at Stamford Bridge last season, playing 30 Premier League games as the Blues stormed to the title. But despite his impressive performances, Conte is keen to bolster his defensive options this summer ahead of Chelsea’s return to the Champions League. The former Italy boss is an admirer of Juventus’ Alex Sandro, who is valued at over £60million, and is said to be hoping to bring him to the English capital. The Premier League champions have also been linked with Southampton’s Ryan Bertrand but Alonso says he will fight for his place in the starting XI. ‘This is Chelsea – we play in four competitions this year,’ the Spanish defender told the Evening Standard. ‘We have so many games and competition can only be good for me and for the team. That’s it. ‘I will just keep training, keep improvin

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho believes Scott McTominay, Demetri Mitchell and Andreas Pereira are all good enough to break into his first-team squad. The trio were selected for United’s pre-season tour of the United States and impressed as the Red Devils won three out of their four matches. United have spent big on Romelu Lukaku and Victor Lindelof this summer, with Mourinho keen to add at least two more faces to his squad. However, he says the trio are all capable of breaking into his squad and says Real Madrid’s current team is proof that he gives opportunities to youngsters. McTominay has impressed on tour (Picture: Getty) ‘More than half of their [Real Madrid] team – which is their first team because they were only missing Ronaldo and Ramos – all these guys started with me and had debuts with me,’ said Mourinho. ‘They came into the first team with me, trained with me at 15 and 16 years old. Nacho, Casemiro, Carvajal, Morata, Marcelo was 20. ‘So pr

A few bits of good news from Chelsea training over in Singapore from Wednesday, as the traveling squad were bolstered by one new player, one semi-new player, and the full return of Charly Musonda Jr from injury. Musonda had been limited to individual fitness training so far this pre-season after a rather untimely injury kept him out of all three friendlies, but he’s been working himself to his limit and it looks like it’s now paid off as he was spotted training with the rest of the team on Wednesday. Earlier, the Evening Standard’s Simon Johnson shared a photo of just how much effort young Charly Jr had been putting in. Joining Musonda and the rest of the squad are two new arrivals, Antonio Rüdiger and, wait for it, Cristián Cuevas. No, I’m not making that up. Cristián “future expert-level trivia answer” Cuevas has joined the Chelsea pre-season tour, presumably because he was the only (fit) player at Cobham these days (with Baba Rahman not expected back until October at

In what could be the final word on the Kenedy incident in Beijing from last weekend, when the Chelsea player made a couple offensive posts on Instagram that caused a rather large controversy, the Chinese FA have released a statement in which they express hope that both player and club have learned “a good lesson” but that we can move on from this incident to continue to “build bridges” between nations, cultures, teams and fans. “We have taken notice of the inappropriate behaviors involving Mr Robert Kenedy, the strong reaction of the fans as well as the apologies made by Mr Kenedy himself and Chelsea Football Club.” “We insist that football helps bring peoples together, not apart, build bridges and friendship, not walls and hatred. A professional player serves as role model of the society and the world at large. We hope the club and the players have learnt a good lesson from the incident.” Chelsea sent Kenedy back to London earlier this week, and replaced him with fellow

Antonio Conte admits he wants ‘total control of the dressing room’ at Chelsea after forcing Nemanja Matic to train alone and ordering Diego Costa to find a new club. Matic has played no part in Chelsea’s pre-season tour of the Far East as he wants to leave Stamford Bridge in order to join Manchester United. Costa, meanwhile, has been told by Conte that he is not part of his plans next season and is expected to re-join Atletico Madrid. And the Chelsea manager has highlighted the important of keeping his authority over the players. ‘The coach must be in total control of the dressing room otherwise there is anarchy,’ the Italian told the Evening Standard. ‘If you lose control, anything can happen and probably you will be sacked in one or two months. If you are lucky three months. ‘It is more difficult. When I was a footballer, the club had more power. If you give education and respect, you must demand education and respect. It is logical that when you must be tough,

Antonio Conte has been forced to defend his Chelsea transfer policy after replacing homegrown youngster Nathaniel Chalobah with the £40million signing of Tiemoue Bakayoko. The Blues have long been criticised for favouring big-name and big-money transfers over promoting their own youth talent, and the purchase of Bakayoko whilst selling Chalobah looks to be the latest example. Chalobah, 22, played 15 games for Chelsea last season but struggled to hold down a regular place in the side before a £5m move to Watford this summer. Conte, however, insists that Bakayoko is a major upgrade given his experience of winning major honours and competing in the biggest competitions such as the Champions League. ‘I think, honestly, at this moment there is a great difference between the two players,’ Conte said. ‘You are talking about one player who has played with Monaco, who has maybe 100 appearances for that club. ‘He has played in the Champions League and has played regularly.

Philippe Coutinho has reached an agreement to join Barcelona this summer, according to reports in Spain. Catalan radio station RAC1 report that Barca have stepped up negotiations with the Brazil international this week and an agreement is now in place between the player and the club. Barcelona must now agree a transfer fee with Liverpool and Mundo Deportivo claims that representatives from the Spanish club are in England for talks. Barcelona have already had a bid of €80 million (£72m) rejected by Liverpool but an improved offer will be made. Reports in Spain claim that Barcelona’s move for Coutinho is partly motivated by their desire to prevent Neymar from joining Paris Saint-Germain. Neymar is said to be unhappy with the lack of Brazilian influence in the dressing room at Camp Nou and Barcelona are looking to amend this with the arrival of the 25-year-old from Liverpool. Jurgen Klopp, however, insists that the midfielder will not be sold this summer. ‘The problem w

The Belgium international netted against Bayern Munich on Tuesday but his Spanish rival impressed during his half-hour cameo in Singapore. The National Stadium in Singapore could hardly be considered a second home for Alvaro Morata but his Chelsea career nonetheless began in familiar surroundings - on the bench. The man who continually made such an impact as a substitute for Real Madrid last season had to wait until the 63rd minute before being introduced into Tuesday's International Champions Cup clash with Bayern Munich. It's doubtful that he ever bore witness to such dreadful defending during his two separate stints at the Santiago Bernabeu, or indeed his two-season spell with Juventus. Chelsea were 3-0 down by the half-hour mark, with Thomas Muller netting a classy double after Rafinha had opened the scoring with bouncing drive from distance that Thibaut Courtois must still be wondering how he failed to reach. Antonio Conte's men only trailed by two goals

Manchester United have received a potential fitness boost before their final United States tour clash against Barcelona, with Juan Mata returning to the training pitch ahead of that eagerly-anticipated match at FedEx Field in Maryland. The Spanish playmaker missed the International Champions Cup wins over Manchester Cityand Real Madrid due to an ankle injury suffered just 15 minutes after he was introduced as a half-time substitute during a 2-1 defeat of Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit Real Salt Lake in Utah on 18 July. However, Jose Mourinho expressed hope that the issue was not too serious and predicted that Mata would only be sidelined for a matter of days or a week at most. United have now released a video via their official website showing Mata, working alone with a member of medical staff, jogging through cones while the rest of the squad train under Mourinho. It is not yet clear if the 29-year-old will be fit enough to play any part in Wednesday's (26 Jul

Barcelona officials are in England to negotiate a deal for Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho, according to reports in Spain. The La Liga giants had a bid of £75million rejected for the Brazilian last week but the Catalans remain determined to sign Coutinho. Neymar, 25, is believed to be edging closer to a move to Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona have accelerated their interest in Coutinho as they fear losing the Brazil striker. Spanish newspaper Sport lead with Coutinho on their front page on Tuesday morning and claim Barcelona representatives are in England to discuss an £89m transfer to the Nou Camp. Jurgen Klopp maintains Coutinho is not for sale at any price but Barcelona’s hopes could hinge on the playmaker pushing for the move. ‘Everyone knows that Phil Coutinho is a key player for us. I know that he feels completely more than fine, comfortable, whatever, in Liverpool,’ the German said after Saturday’s pre-season win over Leicester. ‘He loves the club and

Chelsea's Pedro has suffered multiple fractures from his collision with David Ospina in China, according to boss Antonio Conte. Ahead of the Blues' next pre-season clash with Bayern Munich in Singapore, Conte confirmed Pedro must wear a protective mask after 10 days of rehabilitation. Conte said: "The situation was more serious. I hoped it would be only concussion. He had multiple fractures but I think with a mask in 10 days he could come back to work with us." The Spaniard was clattered by Arsenal goalkeeper Ospina during their 3-0 win over Arsenal in Beijing on Saturday and was sent home to England with concussion the next day. The 29-year-old had left the field at Bird's Nest Stadium groggy and hobbling, with visible cuts to his face and head. Conte had initially been hopeful Pedro could join them in Singapore for the next leg of their tour but the forward said on Instagram: "What a shock. Fortunately everything is okay." Pedro

Cristiano Ronaldo insists he will be staying at Real Madrid after being linked with a return to Manchester United. Last month, reports in Portugal claimed that the 32-year-old wanted to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer after becoming ‘outraged’ at accusations of evading €14.7 million (£13m) in tax by Spanish prosecutors. Manchester United were reportedly exploring the possibility of re-signing their former player, while Paris Saint-Germain also wanted to sign the Portugal international for a second successive summer. But Madrid’s all-time record goalscorer claims he is now planning to stay in the Spanish capital. ‘Winning major trophies with my club last year was great, just like the individual trophies,’ Ronaldo told Marca. ‘Doing it again would be fine. ‘You have to work hard, year after year, I will continue to do it. Football is my life, it is my passion.’ Credit: Metro

Chelsea ace Kenedy has been sent home from the club’s tour of the far-east after a number of insulting social media posts. The Brazilian midfielder uploaded two videos from his Beijing hotel room where he caused controversy by saying: ‘F**k China’ and saying ‘Wake up China’ to a security guard who was sleeping. Kenedy has since apologised and Chelsea followed suit, confirming the Brazilian has been disciplined for his actions. A statement from the club said: "Kenedy's actions were a mistake that he will learn greatly from. "His behaviour does not represent the entire team and does not align with the club's high expectations and strict requirements of its young players. He has been strongly reprimanded and disciplined. "Everyone at Chelsea Football Club has the utmost respect and admiration for China and loves our Chinese fans. "It is because of this that the negative impact we have seen over the last two days has left us shocked and

Cesc Fabregas believes new Chelsea signing Alvaro Morata will have to hit the ground running straight away at Stamford Bridge. The 24-year-old joined Chelsea from La Liga champions Real Madrid on 21 July in a deal believed to be a club record £60m ($78m) transfer. The Spaniard will now link up with his teammates as he arrived in Singapore ahead of the club's International Champions Cup matches against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. With Diego Costa expected to leave the Blues, Fabregas had praise for Morata but warned both him and fellow forward Michy Batshuayi that they will have to improve as quick as possible to replace the former Atletico striker. "He's [Morata] always been a striker with a little bit of everything," Fabregas said, as quoted in The Times. "He has a lot of potential, the same as Michy Batshuayi, to improve. They will have to improve as quick as possible because they are our main strikers." As for the expectations th

Antonio Conte remains adamant Diego Costa‘s Chelsea career is finished. The Brazilian-born striker spearheaded Chelsea’s title-winning campaign last season weighing in with 20 Premier League goals, despite enduring a fractious relationship with his manager. Conte and Costa were reportedly involved in a training ground bust-up back in January that resulted in the 28-year-old being axed from the squad ahead of a match at Leicester. The pair temporarily patched up their differences for the remainder of the season but Costa revealed on international duty that his Chelsea career had been terminated after receiving a text message from Conte which reportedly read ‘Hi Diego, I hope you are well. Thanks for the seasono [sic] we spent together. Good luck for the next year but you are not in my plan.’ Chelsea have since agreed terms with Real Madrid over a deal for Costa’s international teammate Alvaro Morata and Conte insists there is no way back. ‘I don’t to like to talk about pl

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte claims Alvaro Morata has always been the club’s first choice in the transfer market, despite the club’s failed bid for Romelu Lukaku. The Blues were heavily interested in signing Lukaku but Manchester United swooped in under their noses to take him to Old Trafford. The Italian was said to be ‘furious’ that Chelsea missed out on the Belgian as the Blues had been confident of him returning to Stamford Bridge. Morata, 24, is expected to join the club this weekend and Conte claimed in a press conference today that he has always been Chelsea’s preferred option. ‘For sure this transfer market is a crazy market, but it is not only for this season but for the future seasons,’ said Conte. ‘Now there is crazy money, if you want to buy a normal player you need to spend 40-50 million Euro. ‘It is the same. Lukaku cost a lot of money, the same with Lacazette. For a right back you spend 50-60 miliion Euro. ‘It is very important the choice. Morata

Manchester United have released a new grey third kit ahead of the upcoming 2017/18 Premier League season. The new Adidas shirt, to go alongside their red home strip and black away kit, was designed by a fan and the colour will bring back memories of United's infamous shirt from the 1995/96 season, which saw the side change at half-time during a 3-1 defeat at Southampton. United were in unstoppable form heading into the fixture at The Dell in April 1996, but a three-goal half-time deficit saw Sir Alex Ferguson insist on a swap to their blue and white second away strip. Regardless of that, designers Adidas say that the new kit represents: "The powerful bond between the team and its fans. "The light grey shirt is designed with a graphic showing the silhouette of the famous 'Holy Trinity' statue outside of the club's Old Trafford stadium. "The statue of club icons Sir Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law represents a golden era in the

Jurgen Klopp has insisted Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho is not for sale. Sky Sports News revealed on Thursday that Barcelona want to sign the Brazil international this summer and are willing to pay more than £70m. Coutinho pledged his future to Liverpool in January by signing a new five-and-a-half-year contract, with the deal including no release clause. When asked in Hong Kong on Friday about Coutinho's future, Klopp said: "That's an interesting question, because you know my answer before. "I have nothing to say about this, I'm sorry but obviously these stories are without my saying, so why should I disturb this process? "Do whatever you want with this news, I am not interested. But what I can say, keeping the group together would make sense." Coutinho enjoyed a superb 2016/17 campaign, scoring 13 times and providing seven assists in 31 Premier League appearances as Liverpool finished fourth and secured Champions League quali

African soccer’s biggest tournament could be moved from the start of the year to the European summer months of June and July, with the number of teams being increased from 16 to 24. The proposals for the future of the African Cup of Nations were made at a two-day meeting Tuesday and Wednesday in Rabat, Morocco, hosted by the Confederation of African Football. The changes appear to have widespread support. New CAF president Ahmad, who was elected in March to replace long-standing leader Issa Hayatou, promised a review of the Cup of Nations in his election campaign. The move from January-February to June-July would be especially important for CAF’s flagship tournament – its major money earner – which has been troubled for years by the fact that it clashes with a crucial time for European leagues. That’s led to club vs. country dilemmas for many of Africa’s Europe-based players, underlined at this year’s Cup of Nations in Gabon when seven of Cameroon’s top players decided t

Juventus have completed the signing of goalkeeperWojciech Szczesny from Arsenal on a four-year contract. The Poland international was formally presented as a Juve player at a press conference in Turin on Wednesday after passing a medical at the Serie A club. Szczesny impressed while on loan in Italy with Roma over the last two seasons, and has opted to remain on the peninsula with the Bianconeri after reportedly signing for £14m. "I'm delighted to be at Juventus. I've spoken to Gianluigi Buffon, a true legend of the game," Szczesny told a news conference. "When you join Juve, it's because you've been chosen. I didn't hesitate one moment before coming here. "I'm ready to take on this challenge, Juventus is the best possible choice for my career. I'm 27 years old and I want to win. At this club there's the right mentality to do so. I hope that we'll succeed in winning the Champions League." Szczesny joined Ar

Belotti - who scored 26 goals in Serie A last season - has previously been linked with the likes of Manchester Unitedand Chelsea as his stock in Europa continues to rise. However, according to Corriere dello Sport, Belotti has decided that he would prefer to secure a transfer toAC Milan over making the switch to the Premier League. It has been claimed that the 23-year-old will meet with the club's owner Urbano Cairo to discuss a potential exit from the Serie A outfit ahead of next season He still has four years remaining on his contract but given his recent form, it appears only a matter of time before a European giant is prepared to meet any asking price set by Torino. United and Chelsea are likely to withdraw from the race to secure his signature, with United having already signed Romelu Lukaku and Chelsea already agreed deal for Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata.

Jose Mourinho claims Marcus Rashford’s apprenticeship as an auxiliary winger is over and will play as a central striker next season. Rashford shot to prominence during the 2015/16 season but endured a difficult campaign last time around, largely playing second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic as Mourinho opted to shunt the teenager out to the flanks to continue his education. Despite scoring just 11 goals in 59 appearances, Mourinho regularly praised Rashford’s attitude and believes he is well capable of forming a devastating partnership with club-record signing Romelu Lukaku. Many United fans had feared the arrival of the Belgium international would compromise Rashford and force him to play in a role he hasn’t been asked to play in since his academy days, but his manager sees no such issues. ‘I don’t think Marcus is a number 10,’ Mourinho said. ‘I don’t think so. I think Marcus is a pure attacking player, he’s not a player with that quality to play between the lines, to

Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata has revealed he’s joining Chelsea because they’re the ‘best club’ in England and he wants to work with Antonio Conte. The 24-year-old is set to have his Chelsea medical today after the Blues agreed a £71million deal with Real Madrid on Wednesday. The Spanish international had come close to joining Manchester United but the Red Devils hijacked Chelsea’s move for Romelu Lukaku instead. Morata had been keen on moving to Old Trafford but a move to Stamford Bridge provides him with the chance to play under Antonio Conte for the first time. The Italian bought Morata in 2014 for Juventus but joined the Italian national side before he arrived and Morata says Conte was a huge part of his decision to move to west London. ‘Because it’s the best club,’ Morata told Sky Sports News at Heathrow Airport today. ‘Antonio Conte is one of the best coaches in the world and I’m so happy to work with Antonio. The former Juventus striker was then as

N'Golo Kante has heaped praise on compatriot Alexandre Lacazette as Arsenal and Chelseaget set to face each other in the first of two games before the 2017/18 league season commences. Lacazette joined the north London club from Ligue 1 side Lyon earlier this month in a club-record €60m (£52.6m, $68m) deal and has already netted for the club in pre-season. Brought in to reinforce Arsenal's frontline, there are high hopes that Lacazette will be a success at the Emirates, having scored 91 times in his last 133 league games in France. While there might be some doubts as to whether he can adapt to the Premier League, Kante believes he is a good addition for the Gunners. "I know him from the national team and from what he did in the French league," Kante told the London Evening Standard. "He is a very good player who has scored more than 20 goals every season for the last few seasons in Ligue 1. He is a good player and a good addition for Arsenal.

Chelsea are bringing in Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid to replace Diego Costa but is he up to the job? Adam Bate assesses Morata's record. Finally, Chelsea have their replacement. Diego Costa has spearheaded each of Chelsea's last two Premier League title triumphs, but now the Blues have turned to someone else to lead their line. That man is Alvaro Morata, the £68m signing from Real Madrid. The question that now needs answering is whether or not the Spaniard can cope with the challenges ahead.  Concerns are understandable. Costa scored 20 goals in both of those league wins. Morata is yet to find the net more than 15 times in a top-flight season. It was only last time out that he reached double figures for the first time in his career. Naturally, this raises doubts about more than just the fee. Morata must embrace the responsibility of being the main man. Clearly, he has pedigree. Morata has shown that at Real Madrid and Juventus. Moreover, there are clues there in th

Jose Mourinho has backed Chelsea’s move to sign Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid, claiming that the Premier League champions are getting a ‘very good player’. Chelsea have been forced to switch targets after they were beaten by Manchester United in the race to sign Romelu Lukaku from Everton earlier this month. On Wednesday, Antonio Conte’s side agreed on a transfer fee with Madrid for Morata which will initially cost £58 million but could rise to £70m after add-ons. The Spain international was close to joining up with Mourinho this summer and had agreed terms on a move to Old Trafford, but United were not willing to meet Madrid’s asking price. When asked about Chelsea’s decision to sign Morata in his press conference on Thursday, Mourinho replied: ‘I’m not interested in what Chelsea does, really. ‘We needed a striker, we needed, with Zlatan [Ibrahimovic] in his best condition, one to give cover, to give options, him and Marcus [Rashford] was not enough, especially after Z

Alvaro Morata admits he is ‘very happy’ with his imminent move to Chelsea and claims the Premier League champions are a club who have always wanted him. Antonio Conte’s side have agreed an initial £58 million fee with Madrid which could rise to £70m after add-ons. The 24-year-old has now left Madrid’s training camp in Los Angeles and will arrive in London on Thursday morning to undergo a medical and finalise the terms of his transfer. ‘I am very happy, God willing, tomorrow I will be at Chelsea, a club that has always wanted me,’ the striker told Marca. ‘I’m not disappointed about anything, I’ve won four titles here [with Real Madrid], but now I only think of putting on the Chelsea shirt. ‘I want to grow up, if I didn’t I wouldn’t have left. I’d like to thank Zidane and wish him luck for the upcoming season. ‘Thanks to all the Madridistas who supported me. I will always wish Madrid the best. The last time I wore this shirt was in Cibeles.’ Conte had tried to sign

Barcelona are ready to cave to Andres Iniesta's demands in order to convince the captain to sign a new deal at the Nou Camp. Josep Segura, the newly appointed sporting manager of the football area, signaled the club's intent to keep the World Cup winner during a press conference to announce the new management structure of the club. Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Javier Mascherano, Marc Andre Ter Stegen and Ivan Rakitic have also inked new deals at the La Liga giants in recent months. However, Iniesta's long-term future at Barca has come into question with his current contract set to expire in less than 12 months. The 33-year-old midfielder joined Barcelona from Albacete at the age of 12 in 1996 and has since become one of the biggest legends in the history of the club. The Spain international saw his game time restricted last season and there have been suggestions that he could leave Barcelona once his current contract ends next summer. X

Georginio Wijnaldum believes Liverpool have the squad to compete for the Premier League title this season if they cut out the mistakes that cost them last season. Liverpool finished fourth last term, 17 points behind champions Chelsea, but could have delivered more of a challenge had they performed better against teams fighting relegation, with five of their six defeats coming against clubs in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Wijnaldum is currently with the Liverpool squad in Hong Kong for the Premier League Asia Trophy, live on Sky Sports Premier League, and the Dutchman is confident Liverpool can launch a title tilt in the upcoming campaign. "I won't say that we can immediately win the title, but I think we have a squad who can compete for the title," he said. "I'm confident that we will not make the same mistakes like last season. I have the trust and confidence. "I think we have a good base and we need to keep the things th

RB Leipzig owner Dietrich Mateschitz has revealed the club have rejected a £66m offer for Liverpool target Naby Keita. The Guinea international midfielder has been linked with Liverpool but Leipzig have maintained a strong stance over the 22-year-old and insisted he is not for sale. Mateschitz has now confirmed Leipzig turned down the bid from an unnamed club for Keita, whose deal runs until 2020 and that their attitude over his future remains unchanged. "We do not sell players who are still under contract just to make a lot of money," Mateschitz told German publication Bild. "Recently we got a 75 million euro offer for Naby Keita. No way! He still has a contract and he will fulfil it." "To sell him would not only be a proof of distrust for our fans, but also a wrong sign for our other players, such as Timo Werner, who is also in demand." Credit: Skysports