OFFICIAL: Real Madrid send Sergio Reguilon to Sevilla on loan deal

Real madrid and Sevilla officially announced the loan deal involving left-back Sergio Reguilon, who will play for Julen Lopetegui in Sevilla next season. Reguilon will be a Sevilla player until June 2020 and will therefore get the minutes he needs to continue his development.

Reguilon was a relevant player for Lopetegui during his short tenure in Real Madrid, so it’s fair to assume that the Spanish coach was impressed by his talent and it’s likely that he gets a relevant role next season.

Real Madrid completed the signing of French left-back Ferland Mendy a few weeks ago and that meant that Reguilon needed to find another club.

This club allowed me to be the player and person I am today and I would not change a thing. Thank you to the club, my teammates, the coaches and most of all tank you to the fans. I feel their love and support and that’s something I truly appreciate. I’m facing this new challenge knowing that I always gave my very best for this badge. See you soon! #HalaMadrid,” tweeted Reguilon immediately after the deal became official.

It will be interesting to see what the young defender can do if he starts for Lopetegui on a consistent basis.

Arsenal offer €35 million for Lucas Vazquez

Arsenal have offered €35 million for Real Madrid winger Lucas Vazquez and the deal could be announced as early as next week if the British club and the player reach an agreement, according to a report from AS. The Spanish attacker would be very keen on a move to the Premier League club as he also wants to play in the 2020 UEFA Euro, something he might not achieve if he stays in Real Madrid being a reserve.

Lucas has also received interest from PSG, Bayern Munich and Inter, so his agents could use those rumors to force Arsenal to offer a good contract.

The truth is that Lucas Vazquez just doesn’t have room in Real Madrid’s squad anymore. He’s a hard worker but with the signing of Rodrygo and Eden Hazard it will be very hard for him to get minutes, given that he would also be behind Vinicius and Asensio in the rotation.

All in all, it would make a lot of sense to sell Lucas Vazquez this summer. He’s a solid and a useful player for Zinedine Zidane, but Madrid need money to sign a quality midfielder and have too many winger on their squad right now. If Arsenal’s offer is true, Real Madrid just have to pull the trigger and accept the deal.

Inter Hope Manchester United Will Exclude Lukaku From Preseason Tour Squad

Inter are hopeful Manchester United will leave Romelu Lukaku out of their squad for the Red Devils’ summer tour in Australia, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side will jet off on Sunday as the Nerazzurri meet at Appiano Gentile to begin preparation for the new season.

Lukaku’s agent Federico Pastorello is in constant contact with Inter and he is trying to mediate between the clubs.

Solskjaer’s first-team squad list will provide a key indication on how close United are to selling the Belgian international.

Lukaku is training as normal at United’s training ground this week but the 26-year-old is waiting for good news from Inter.

Antonio Conte wanted the striker to arrive before Inter started their summer training camp in Switzerland, but this now seems impossible.

United want to get rid of Lukaku but it remains to be seen how far they are willing to compromise on their initial asking price

Peru dominate Copa America team of the semi-finals after shock Chile win

Here we run through the best rated XI from the semi-finals of this summer’s Copa America, which is unsurprisingly dominated by finalists Brazil and Peru

Goalkeeper: Pedro Gallese (Peru) – 9.12 rating

Peru dumped defending champions Chile out of the semi-finals and goalkeeper Pedro Gallese finished the round as the top WhoScored rated player. Gallese made seven saves, including a stoppage time penalty, to ensure Peru advanced to this weekend’s final without conceding.

Right-back: Dani Alves (Brazil) – 7.94 rating

Dani Alves turned in another superb performance for Brazil, as the hosts knocked out rivals Argentina 2-0. The 36-year-old showed great trickery, completing five dribbles, while also making four tackles and interceptions combined to help Brazil keep yet another clean sheet at the tournament.

Centre-back: Guillermo Maripan (Chile) – 7.09 rating

Chile were shocked 3-0 by Peru in their last four encounter but it certainly wasn’t for a lack of effort on Guillermo Maripan’s part. The 25-year-old won at least three more aerial duels (eight) than any other player on the pitch. Maripan also made four tackles and interceptions combined and completed four clearances. 

Centre-back: Thiago Silva (Brazil) – 7.15 rating

Brazil only managed four shots against Argentina so it was down to their backline to keep things tight. While Argentina managed 14 attempts, just two were on target and only three were taken from inside Brazil’s penalty area. Thiago Silva turned in a commanding display at the back to limit and oozed composure, completing 95.1% of his passes.

Left-back: Miguel Trauco (Peru) – 7.45 rating

Peru had goalkeeper Pedro Gallese to thank for keeping a clean sheet but left-back Miguel Trauco certainly kept Chile right-winger Jose Pedro Fuenzalida quiet. The 26-year-old made six tackles and interceptions combined and six clearances, while winning four aerial duels

Right wing: Gabriel Jesus (Brazil) – 8.67 rating

Gabriel Jesus’ wait for a major tournament goal for Brazil finally came to an end as the Manchester City striker netted in a 2-0 win over Argentina. Not only that, but Jesus assisted Brazil’s other goal and finished as the second highest WhoScored rated player across the two semi-final matches.

Central midfield: Renato Tapia (Peru) – 8.57 rating

Peru’s victory over Chile was underpinned by two sensational midfield performances by Renato Tapia and Yoshimar Yotun, who both make the XI. Starting with Tapia, the 23-year-old registered one assist, completed four dribbles and made four tackles and interceptions combined.

Central midfield: Yoshimar Yotun (Peru) – 8.14 rating

Moving on to Yotun, the 29-year-old scored one of Peru’s three goals and weighed in with eight tackles and interceptions combined. The Peruvian midfielder had two attempts on goal in total and won three free-kicks for his side.

Left wing: Edison Flores (Peru) – 7.61 rating

Edison Flores was only on the pitch for 49 minutes but the 25-year-old certainly left his mark on Peru’s semi-final triumph. Flores scored one goal from his three shots and completed one dribble. Despite being deployed in a forward position, he helped out when Peru did not have possession. Flores made two tackles and interceptions combined and two clearances during his time on the pitch.

Striker: Paolo Guerrero (Peru) – 8.61 rating

This could prove Paolo Guerrero’s final major tournament at the age of 35 and the veteran striker is certainly giving it his all. Peru winning the 2019 Copa America would be a fairytale story and they will need their captain to be at his best if they have a chance of beating Brazil in the final. Against Chile, Guerrero scored once, registered three key passes and completed five dribbles.

Striker: Roberto Firmino (Brazil) – 8.28 rating

Roberto Firmino has made leading the line for Brazil his own this summer, ahead of Gabriel Jesus, who has been forced to play out wide. Like Jesus, Firmino scored and assisted against Argentina, doing so with his only shot of the game and only key pass. The Liverpool striker also made two tackles and completed three dribbles

Manchester United have 'agreed' Matthijs de Ligt deal with Ajax - expert

De Ligt is widely expected to leave Ajax this summer after a fine season last term domestically and in the Champions League.

The 19-year-old is one of the most sought after centre-backs in European football due to his performances for club and his country, Holland.

Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Barcelona have all shown interest in De Ligt but his preferred destination is Juventus.

However, Juve’s opening offer is reportedly just €55million with another €10m to be paid in bonuses.

Laurens admits there is a chance Juventus could end up missing out on De Ligt despite his wish to join them.

He claims Ajax have agreements with both United and PSG and they may try and sell their star asset to those clubs instead.

“I think there’s a chance where Ajax will lose a little bit of patience and say ‘hang on a minute, PSG agreed, Manchester United agreed. In that case we stop talking to you and De Ligt can choose between the clubs that we actually have an agreement in place’,” he told ESPN FC.

“It’s not really in Ajax’s interest to waste a bit more time about De Ligt.

 

“They want the money in, they want for him to go, he was great for them but now he’s decided that he wants to go.

“They want that deal to happen, they won’t want to have to go back and forth in negotiations with Juventus or whoever else.

“So they might well say ‘do you know what, we already have an agreement in place with some clubs, we’re going to only focus on them clubs and De Ligt would have to choose between those clubs because you’re wasting our time’.”

Laurens claims Juve are trying to lower the price as they look to improve other areas as well this summer.

“Maybe at some point the money will run out after some of the deals that they’ve done and the ones that they are hoping to make, like Mauro Icardi for example, like Paul Pogba as well,” he added.

“Maybe they’re thinking ‘do you know what, we can try to lower that deal because De Ligt is clearly willing to come to us more than Paris, more than Barcelona for example, or whatever else’.

Bartomeu: ‘I know where De Ligt will play’

Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has revealed he knows where Juventus target Matthijs de Ligt will play next season.

De Ligt was closely linked to the Blaugrana this summer before being touted as PSG’s new signing, however the Bianconeri have emerged as late favourites to sign the 19-year-old.

Speaking at a press conference for new signing, Frenkie De Jong, Bartomeu suggested he already knew where De Ligt would be playing next season.

“I’ve been saying for some time that I know where De Ligt will play next season. I can’t say any more than that right now, as it’s the interested parties who ought to announce that.”

“Neymar? We know that the player wants to leave PSG, but we also know that PSG don’t want him to go, so there is nothing to talk about.

“Yesterday, we had a meeting between Oscar Grau and Miguel Angel Gil to talk about Antoine Griezmann. I cannot say any more.

“Situations change from one year to the next and this doesn’t mean he’s definitely coming to Barcelona. We are interested, but stating he’ll come here is another matter.”

Inter Consider €11 Million Plus Nainggolan Offer For Manchester United Midfielder Matic

Inter have told Manchester United they are willing to offer around €11 million plus Radja Nainggolan for midfielder Nemanja Matic, according to ESPN.

The 30-year-old made 38 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils last season, as United finished sixth in the Premier League and reached the Champions League quarter-finals.

Romelu Lukaku remains the Nerazzurri’s primary target at United but it seems the Serbian international, who also has interest from Milan, is tempting them too.

“Matic is keen to discuss the Italian interest with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in order to assess whether he has a future under the Norwegian at Old Trafford,” ESPN’s Mark Ogden wrote today.

Inter are looking to offload Nainggolan as quickly as possible after Antonio Conte decided the Belgian was not part of his plans this season.

Nainggolan and Mauro Icardi are both for sale this summer but the club are struggling to find buyers for either.

Matic has collected 46 caps for Serbia since making his senior debut in December 2008.