LUKA MODRIC HOPES OF REAL MADRID TRANSFER DASHED AS CLUB SAYS 'THEY WON'T PAY 40M'

Manager Andre Villas Boas has previously said that Modric will not move unless their £40million fee is matched.

 He said: "This can be resolved in one of two ways. One is that the teams pay what Tottenham is asking and the other is that the player continues with us next season."

 According to Spanish sources, Real Madrid are unwilling to pay the huge fee set by Tottenham.

 Manager Andre Villas Boas has previously said that Modric will not move unless their £40million fee is matched.

 He said: "This can be resolved in one of two ways. One is that the teams pay what Tottenham is asking and the other is that the player continues with us next season."

 According to sources, Real Madrid are unwilling to pay the huge fee set by Tottenham.

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New Barca deal for Mascherano

Javier Mascherano has officially signed a new contract with Barcelona that will keep him at the Nou Camp until 2016 and increases his buy-out clause to €100 million.

 Argentina international Mascherano joined Barca from Liverpool for €22 million in 2010 and has racked up nearly 100 appearances for the club having been converted from a defensive midfielder into a centre-back.

 "I am very happy that a club as big as this has offered to extend my contract and I can feel relaxed that as long as I do things well, I can stay here for many more years," Mascherano said.

 The 28-year-old, along with Sergio Busquets, is the only player that hasn't missed a single match due to injury since the 2010-11 season and is full of confidence for the coming campaign under a new manager.

 "The leader is now Tito Vilanova and he will try to adapt his footballing tastes to the team, but the important thing is that in most ways, it will be much the same as ever," he said.

 Although the former River Plate, Corinthians and West Ham United player has impressed with his defence qualities at Barcelona, he is yet to score a goal for the club. Meanwhile, Barca captain Carles Puyol has said he wants to stay at the club until he retires - and that there will be no problem in agreeing a new deal with the club.

 Puyol's current contract only runs until next summer but after a difficult few months during which he missed the European Championships due to a knee injury, the 34-year-old defender is desperate to get back onto the field of play for the start of the season.

 He told sports newspaper Marca: "I have always felt very valued by the club, the fans, my teammates and the manager. I can't have any complaints.

 There isn't going to be any problem and the talks are on the right track. "I have changed my idea (about the experience of playing at another club) and now I want to retire here. I will try to do so. I have the will and desire to continue playing if the club wants me. What I don't want though is for me to become a drag, I am very clear on this.

 "It has been a hard summer, I have to train a lot but it has borne fruit. I am happy to be already with the team. I always try to take care of myself as much as possible. I will try to contribute everything to the team, to win everything and then we will see what happens.''

 As part of Puyol's off-season recuperation programme he spent a lot of time training with David Villa as the striker also missed the Euros on his way back from a serious injury suffered in December and Puyol believes Spain's all-time leading international goalscorer is progressing well after nearly eight months out of the game.

 "He looks good, hungry, excited and with a lot of intensity in the training sessions. When you have an injury like this though it is important to not rush back and return in good condition.''

 With Jordi Alba's return to the club the only significant move Barca have made in the transfer market all summer, the major change has come on the sidelines where Tito Vilanova has stepped up to from his role as assistant to succeed Pep Guardiola as manager but Puyol has no doubt Vilanova will bring his own skills to the job. "Here everyone is important.

 Tito is very valued, we believe he will offer us a lot. He will do his job and we will do ours. Here we all pull in the same direction and we all have our part to play.''

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Official : West Ham agree loan fee with Liverpool

West Ham United have agreed a £2m loan fee with Liverpool for Andy Carroll. The season-long deal for the England striker would be with a view to a permanent transfer of £17m, provided West Ham stay in the Premier League.

 However, it is thought the 23-year-old does not wish to leave Liverpool on a permanent basis.

 The Reds turned down a bid from Newcastle to re-sign the player, having bought him from the Magpies for a club record fee of £35m in January 2011.

 Carroll, who scored one goal for his country at Euro 2012, has struggled since his big-money move, having scored just 11 goals in 56 appearances.

 He appears to have become surplus to requirements at Anfield following the arrival of former Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers and the signing of Italian striker Fabio Borini from Roma.

 Newcastle manager Alan Pardew had hoped to bring the former Toon Army favourite back to the club.

 Rodgers had said Liverpool would not consider a loan move for the player, but the Northern Irishman now appears prepared to allow Carroll, 23, to link up with former Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce at Upton Park.

 Carroll had also been linked with a transfer to Italian side AC Milan.

 The striker began his career at Newcastle, spending a season on loan at Preston, before returning to the club and becoming top-scorer in the 2009-10 season as the Magpies returned to the Premier League.

 Carroll collected a League Cup winner's medal with Liverpool last season, starting in the Wembley final against Cardiff City.

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Liverpool Accept Offer For Alberto Aquilani And Close In On Swansea star

Liverpool have accepted an undisclosed offer – believed to be around £7 million – from Fiorentina for midfield misfit Alberto Aquilani.

 The Italian has flown home from the Reds’ pre-season tour of the United States to finalise the move.

 Liverpool boss Brendan Rogers is set to spend to proceeds on Swansea and Team GB star Joe Allen, who is valued at around £15 million.

 Signed for £20 million from Roma by Rafa Benitez, Aquilani never settled on Merseyside and has spent the last two seasons on loan in his native Italy.

 The 28-year-old made just two appearances under Roy Hodgson and none under Kenny Dalglish but Rodgers appeared ready to give the playmaker a fresh start at Anfield.

 But the Northern Irish tactician has been told to sell before he can buy and has accepted a considerable loss on the Italian, who still has two years remaining on his Liverpool contract.

 The Reds are expected to make a formal offer for Allen as soon as Aquilani completes his move to Florence. A clause in Allen’s contract means Liverpool must pay £15 million for the 22-year-old pass-master.

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Chelsea In Talks to Sign £47m Trio as Blues Look to Continue Massive Spending Spree

CHELSEA have not finished spending yet, according to chief executive Ron Gourlay. They have already splashed out nearly £65m since last season, bringing in Eden Hazard, Oscar, Marko Marin and Eden’s brother Thorgan. But the club are now in negotiations to make three more additions.

 “It was clear there were areas where we had to strengthen if the right players became available,” said Gourley. “We’ve done that and are still looking at one or two positions.”

 Indeed it seems that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich means business and is ready to flex his financial muscles further this summer having already brought in three signings this summer.

 Though the West London side did clinch their maiden Champions League triumph the Blues did fall back some 25 points off the Premier League pace and the Chelsea owner will know that in order to make up that gap money must be spent and the three players earmarked by this source all fill areas that could well do with improvement.

 Report believes that Chelsea will launch a £32m bid for Napoli forward Edinson Cavani, a player who the club went up against in European competition last term and a player who has been in a rich vein of form over the past two seasons.

 Perhaps Roberto Di Matteo is looking to find a replacement for Didier Drogba whilst also not being all too sure of how £50m man Fernando Torres will fare in the coming campaign.

 The Uruguayan international has racked up 66 goals over the past two seasons and may well be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, not least because his Serie A side failed to clinch a Champions League berth and have also offloaded one of his striking team-mates, Ezeqiuel Lavezzi, to PSG.

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Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand charged over Twitter comment

The centre-back is accused of bringing the game into disrepute following a message on the social networking site, in which he referred to Chelsea's Ashley Cole as a "choc-ice".

 The charge is believed to relate to the aftermath of John Terry's race trial, at which he was acquitted, when Ferdinand quoted a tweet calling Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, who was a witness for the defence, a "choc-ice."

 The term was in reference to Cole's testimony in court, in which he said that he did not hear Terry make a racist comment to Anton Ferdinand, brother of Rio, during the Blues' match against QPR last October at Loftus Road.

 Ferdinand later defended his remark on Twitter, stating: "What I said is not a racist term. It is a type of slang [or] term used by many for someone who is being fake. So there."

 The FA said in a statement: "The allegation is that the player acted in a way which was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race." Ferdinand will have until Thursday to answer the charge.

 Terry was also charged by the FA with improper conduct last week for the original comments made to Anton Ferdinand, which the Chelsea captain immediately declared that he would contest.

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Man City ease to Malaysia XI victory

Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero starred in Manchester City's 3-1 win over a Malaysia XI in Kuala Lumpur, showing Roberto Mancini there is little reason to fear missing out on signing Robin van Persie this summer.

 Mancini has expressed concern that the Arsenal striker could opt to join Juventus or Manchester United - which prompted Tevez and Aguero to give a reminder of their talents.

 Aguero scored one and assisted two, with Tevez and Adam Johnson also on the score sheet.

 Aguero fired a warning shot when he hit the bar inside the first ten minutes - although he should have done better, as he somehow failed to convert an open goal after Tevez rounded the goalkeeper and laid the ball into his path.

 Argentina international Aguero made up for that miss a few minutes later when he produced a superb opening goal, drifting past a handful of defenders in the penalty box before dinking the ball over goalkeeper Farizal Marlias with the outside of his right foot.

 City were able to get into dangerous areas with ease, often finding space in behind the home defence, and Tevez rifled a left-footed half-volley just wide from inside the penalty area, having been slotted in by a lofted through ball from Aguero.

 Much of the hosts' defending was verging on desperate as City flooded forward, safe in the knowledge their backline had little to deal with. But Mancini's side, for all their dominance of the contest and tenacious attacking, only led by one at the interval.

 They did find a second shortly after the break: Aguero, dropping into midfield, turned and slotted a pass through for Tevez, who hit a left-footed shot across the goalkeeper and into the corner.

 Aguero also made City's third, setting up England international Johnson to volley home, with the goalkeeper static.

 The former Atletico Madrid striker was withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining, having taken the game under his spell from the early stages.

 His exit was the cue for City to take their foot off the gas, and Malaysia XI pulled one back on 86 minutes through Azamuddin Akil. City now have three friendlies left before the Community Shield against Chelsea on August 12.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is a great human player but Messi is a Martian, claims Basile

While he acknowledged the Real Madrid ace's footballing ability, the veteran trainer described his compatriot as from another planet, and thus cannot be compared to his peers.

 The 68-year-old believes that while the Real Madrid forward is a great player in his own right, the Argentine's is presently in a league of his own and cannot be measured against other footballers. "You cannot compare anyone to Messi.

 Cristiano Ronaldo is a great human player, but Messi is a Martian. He can run with the ball at an even higher speed than without the ball," Basile stated to Radio 9. "It's as if he's playing another sport. It's nearly impossible to do the things he does at that speed.

 He just keeps getting better and is always improving." Basile also had his say on whether Pele or Diego Maradona was a better player, but struggled to give a definitive answer.

 "Pele was an absolute monster and had a fantastic physique," he added. "Maradona was another genius and better in tight spaces.

 Diego was the team's leader, whereas Pele was more of an individual player."

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AC Milan to continue Kaka negotiations with Real Madrid in the United States

The Serie A giants have made no secret of the fact that they are interested in re-signing the Brazilian playmaker, who has endured a largely unproductive spell at the Santiago Bernabeu following a €68 million transfer in 2009.

 Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has admitted that he does not know whether Kaka will remain at the club, but the Rossoneri are still a long way from signing the 30-year-old as they are not prepared to match his current wages.

 It is reported that Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani will meet with Madrid president Florentino Perez during Los Blancos' pre-season tour of the United States to discuss the potential transfer of the Brazilian, as well as certain other players deemed surplus to requirements in the Spanish capital.

 Ricardo Carvalho, Nuri Sahin, Sami Khedira and Lassana Diarra are all understood to be on the wishlist of Milan, who will have money to spend after the €65m sale of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris Saint-Germain earlier in July.

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Barca 8-0 Raja Casablanca : Messi hat-trick sinks Raja Casablanca

Lionel Messi starred again as he hit a hat-trick for Barcelona in their 8-0 friendly win over Raja Casablanca at the Grand Stade in Tangier.

 Alexis Sanchez opened the scoring, before Messi doubled his side's advantage. The pair scored the next two goals to put Barcelona 4-0 ahead and Messi completed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time.

 Dani Alves got on the scoresheet from the penalty spot in the 58th minute before youngsters Sergi Roberto and Gerard Deulofeu added two more in the last three minutes.

 After the game new Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova heaped praise on Messi in his first pre-season appearance after missing the match against Hamburg on Tuesday.

 "When you have the best player in the world, with this scoring capacity, he usually makes the difference, and once again he did it," Vilanova told reporters.

 "This match was good to pick up the pace because we faced a team that made us run.

 "The players from the youth side? They always play well. Everyone played at a very high level tonight."

 Messi himself told El Mundo Deportivo, "I haven't been able to do a good pre-season for a long time because I always arrived late. It has been very good to have such a long rest.

 "The way of training has continued in the same way and we are working with the same people so we haven't noted any changes. We are in pre-season and so you notice the tiredness.

 They kept the ball well and made us run a lot but we will get better with every game. "We are training very hard and we have to continue like that to arrive in the best shape possible for the important matches.''

 Vilanova also spoke about injured striker David Villa - who has not yet featured for Barca since sustaining a fractured tibia at the Club World Cup in December - but could not offer any update.

 "We are talking about a serious injury, with a long recovery time," he said. "When he is fine, we will be delighted to welcome him back.

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Chelsea Skipper John Terry Could be Hit With Eight Match FA Ban

JOHN TERRY faces a possible eight-game ban following the FA’s decision to charge the Chelsea skipper over his much-publicised clash with QPR’s Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road last October.

 Just a fortnight after Westminster Magistrates Court cleared the England defender of a racially aggravated public order offence, Terry now finds himself in the FA dock and fighting to clear his name again.

 Terry insists he will seek a personal hearing in a bid to prove his innocence.

  Chelsea ‘privately’ believe that the FA’s punishment will have influenced by Liverpool fans who feel that John Terry’s offence warrants a ban of similar proportions to that handed to Uruguayan international Patrice Evra.

 Though cleared by the criminal courts the burden of proof in an FA hearing is substantially lower and there feeling is that the powers that be will look to punish the Stamford Bridge centre back, implying that they are not convinced by the case made by the player’s defence at Westminster Magistrates Court earlier this month.

 Chelsea are sure to appeal any such ban but will probably not need to go out looking for a replacement defensive option given that when fully fit Roberto Di Matteo has three perfectly capable centre backs to call upon, namely Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic.

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ARSENAL STAR ROBIN VAN PERSIE DEMANDS SAME PAY AS WAYNE ROONEY AT MANCHESTER UNITED

ROBIN VAN PERSIE is demanding to be paid the same as Wayne Rooney before he agrees to join Manchester United.

 We can reveal that Old Trafford is the Arsenal striker’s favoured destination – but the Gunners must first agree a transfer fee with last season’s Premier League runners-up. United, along with champions Manchester City and Juventus, have lodged a bid for the wantaway star, who has only 12 months of his Emirates contract left to run.

 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is demanding £30million, but none of the offers is anywhere near that because the Dutch star turns 29 a week tomorrow and his contract is running down.

 Van Persie, who has turned down a three-year contract worth £130,000 a week to extend his stay at Arsenal – plus a £5million re-signing bonus – believes a move to Premier League rivals United would enhance his chances of winning long-overdue silverware.

 The Dutchman has gained only an FA Cup winners’ medal at Arsenal and he doesn’t believe they are equipped for a concerted Premier League title challenge.

 But to join Manchester United he is still expecting a huge increase in his wage packet.

 The Old Trafford hierarchy have been made aware that Van Persie expects the same financial rewards as the club’s highest-paid player, Rooney, who is on around £220,000 a week.

 It is understood that United are prepared to meet Van Persie’s demands, providing they can agree a fee of between £15m and £20m with the Gunners.

 Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has already expressed his frustration at what he regards as a lack of action by his club in pursuit of a player he believes would enhance their chances of retaining the title.

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Brazil 3-1 Belarus, Egypt held: Neymar dazzles to send Selecao through to Olympics quarter-finals

Brazil came from behind to beat Belarus 3-1 at Old Trafford thanks to a stunning second half free-kick and last-minute assist from Neymar.

 The favourites for the gold medal had gone behind inside nine minutes when Renan Bressan popped up to put Belarus into a shock lead.

 But Pato levelled the scores six minutes later when he headed home.

 Brazil continued to press and were rewarded in the 65th minute when Santos star Neymar showed why he is so highly rated and curled a free-kick into the top corner to put his side ahead.

 The winger wasn't done though and finished off Belarus with a wonderful backheeled assist in the final minute, which new Chelsea signing Oscar sent into the net with ease.

 Egypt's hopes of qualifying for the last eight of the Olympic football tournament took a blow as they drew 1-1 with New Zealand at Old Trafford after wasting several chances.

 Egypt fell behind to a 16th minute strike from West Brom's Chris Wood, but Mohamed Salah equalised from close-range at the end of the first half.

 The Africans could have had at least seven goals by the final whistle but a mixture of last-ditch Kiwi defending, and some awful finishing from Egypt, meant they had to settle for a draw in what was a poor-quality contest.

 Egypt will have to beat Belarus on Wednesday to qualify for the quarter-finals, while minnows New Zealand will have to beat the South American side to progress from Group C.

 Giovani dos Santos' two-goal cameo from off the bench gave Mexico a 2-0 win over Gabon and sent El Tri top of Group B on Sunday.

 Giovani, who struggled to earn a place under Harry Redknapp at Tottenham, was introduced as a second-half substitute and broke the deadlock after 63 minutes.

 He then scored from the penalty spot in injury-time after Gabon defender Henri Ndong was sent off for a professional foul.

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medal table from the Olympic games

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Torres relishing extra responsibility

Fernando Torres has vowed to step into the void left by striker Didier Drogba as he steps up his preparations for the new Premier League season.

 Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has bolstered his midfield options with the arrivals of Edin Hazard and Oscar but may not replace Drogba, who has joined former Chelsea team-mate Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua.

 Torres endured a torrid first year at Stamford Bridge but has enjoyed a superb couple of months, lifting the Champions League trophy with Chelsea before winning the European Championship with Spain, taking the Golden Boot award in the process, and the Spaniard is confident he will thrive as top striker.

 "I am looking forward to it," he said. "I like the responsibility and it's a thing I've been doing all my life.

 I think Didier did everything for this club, scoring the winning goal in the Champions League was an inspiration for us.

 "Our relationship was great and I was talking to him when he decided to leave he wished me all the best and hopefully one day Chelsea fans will remember me as they are going to remember him."

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Spanish club end talks with Nigerian star due to exorbitant wage demands

Nosa Igiebor's protracted move to Real Betis from Hapoel Tel Aviv has collapsed, the Spanish club have announced.

 The 21-year-old Nigeria international had been in discussions with Betis this week over a potential move transfer.

 However, the club have now confirmed that they have pulled out of talks with the player due to his exorbitant wage demands.

 "Real Betis announce that they are breaking off negotiations with the player Nosa Igiebor," a statement on the club's official read.

 "The party had reached agreement with both the player and his team of origin, Hapoel Tel Aviv, but in the last few hours the player has requested a wage increase that was not already agreed.

 "The club provides this view as a lack of respect, seriousness and professionalism which will not accept."

 Betis president Miguel Guillen had earlier been optimistic that a deal with the Nigerian would soon be completed, however, and was expecting the player to arrive in Seville imminently.

 "It is possible that if we agree terms, then he will make an appearance. We are still in negotiations," he told reporters.

 "We look forward to new faces arriving, seeing how quickly they have integrated to the team and their degree of involvement."

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Trouble hit Portsmouth left with only five players

Halford has become the third player to leave Pompey this week, leaving the south coast side with only five players, as Michael Appleton trims his squad to keep the club alive.

 Speaking about the move Halford told Forest's official website: "It's been a tough year but the administrator wanted us all out.

 "Not knowing whether there was going to be a club was unsettling.

 "This is the right time for me to be here. The facilities are great. I know the owners have big plans as well." The club's administrator, Trevor Birch, was warned that Portsmouth could close next month unless senior players agree to move or can reach agreements over their salaries.

 Fans have been urging the remaining players to negotiate with the administrators in order to save their club whilst former manager Harry Redknapp has also offered his help in a bid to save Portsmouth.

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Mancini: Manchester City are talking to some players

The Premier League champions are yet to make a signing this summer, in stark contrast to their lavish spending over the last two years which has seen them lift the FA Cup and their long wait for a top flight league title.

 Arsenal's contract rebel Robin van Persie has been continually linked with a move from the Emirates to Eastlands over the summer, following in the footsteps of former Gunners Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor.

 Mancini refuses to be drawn on names but the Italian has revealed he is working on bringing some new faces to the club and expects business to be done over the next couple of weeks.

 "We did well last year. This year will be harder because when you win, the problem is to win again. "For this reason I think that we need to improve our team with maybe some new players, "I'm sure that maybe in the next two weeks we can do something about new players.

 "We are talking to some players, but the market is not easy. It's difficult, and for this reason we need more time." The 47-year-old is only expected to add one or two players to his squad which already boasts a wealth of talent in almost every position.

 Mancini added: "I don't know at this moment. But we have a lot of players and I don't think that we need 10 new players."

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Spirit at Tottenham outshines Chelsea, says former Blues boss Villas-Boas

Andre Villas-Boas has taken a veiled swipe at his former Chelsea players as he insisted the team spirit at his new club Tottenham is incomparable.

 The Portuguese head coach cut a relaxed figure on Friday night here in Baltimore, ahead of Tottenham's friendly against Liverpool here, significantly more at ease than during his final days at Stamford Bridge.

 Villas-Boas' spell in charge at Chelsea was peppered with clashes with senior players and claims that he had lost the dressing room, so it was significant to hear his pointed views when he was asked about how he had been received by Tottenham's players.

 'It is a question you need to ask the players,' said Villas-Boas, who added there was 'nothing new' to say about Luka Modric's position.

 'But from my perspective I have been adapting to them. They are enjoying what they are doing.

 'You will get a more specific answer from the players, of course. I think the warmth of the group is excellent to see.

 It is two different groups reacting differently. We have seen the spirit of this group and it is different from what I had last year.'

 After playing Liverpool here, Tottenham head up to New York where they will face the New York Red Bulls and Villas-Boas is hoping that Rafael van der Vaart, who hobbled off with a groin problem in the 1-1 draw with LA Galaxy.

 Gareth Bale scored Tottenham's goal in LA but his presence in that match, 24 hours before Team GB began their Olympic campaign, caused a furore, prompting FIFA president Sepp Blatter to wade into the row.

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Shevchenko retires for political career

Andriy Shevchenko has retired from football and plans to pursue a career in politics.

 The 35-year-old has opted to bring an end to his playing career following Euro 2012, with two goals against Sweden in a 2-1 win in the tournament the striker's final memorable moment.

 The news was released by former club Dinamo Kiev, as the veteran bows out of the sport.

 "Perhaps, I will shock everyone: my future has nothing to do with football. It is related to politics," he told the Ukrainian club's official website.

 Shevchenko will be remembered predominantly for his time at AC Milan, where he won a Scudetto, a Coppa Italia and a Champions League title in seven seasons - including one loan spell - where he netted 175 goals in 322 competitive games.

 He had an ill-fated stint at Chelsea between 2006 and 2009, but still added FA Cup and League Cup triumphs to his medal collection, whilst he also won the Ukrainian Premier League five times.

 Internationally the veteran striker represented his nation 111 times, scoring 48 goals.

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Mourinho plays down 5-2 loss to Benfica

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has played down the importance of his side's 5-2 defeat to Benfica in the Eusebio Cup on Friday.

 La Liga champions Real fielded an under-strength team at Estadio da Luz and were surprised by a rampant second-half display from the hosts after going into the break with the scoreline at 2-2.

 After the match, Mourinho said he did not take a serious approach to the game and warned Benfica not to get carried away with the result.

 "There is no such thing as heavy defeats in friendly matches," he told reporters. "We knew the risk we were taking.

 Benfica did not wish to test new things, they played seriously.

 "I hope this victory will boost their morale, but in a balanced way. Because if they give too much importance to this result, it could be negative for them.

 "I hope to return here during the season, but to play an official match, and to win when winning matters."

 Meanwhile, Fabio Coentrao said his former team Benfica were worthy winners on his return, one year after leaving the Portuguese club.

 "It was a good game and a good spectacle," Coentrao said. "We did not expect this result, but we were missing many players and we had several others from the Castilla (second) team.

 But Benfica deserved to win. "I am a Benfica fan and I did not want to waste the opportunity to play in my stadium once again."

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China's Yi Siling wins first gold of olympic games

Yi Siling of China won the first gold medal of the London 2012 Olympics with victory in the women's 10m air rifle at the Royal Artillery Barracks.


 The 23-year-old world number one and gold medal favourite beat Poland's Sylwia Bogacka into second, with Yu Dan of China taking bronze.


 Bogacka was leading until the eighth attempt of the 10-shot final when a wayward effort handed Yi first place.


 Defending champion Katerina Emmons of the Czech Republic finished fourth.

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Defoe rocked by death of another relative: Spurs striker exits States tour to return home

Jermain Defoe has been given leave to return home from Tottenham's tour of the United States following the death of his cousin.

 Hannah Defoe died while on holiday in St Lucia, it was revealed on the club's official website.

 'Everyone at the club sends their sincere condolences to Jermain and his family and all our thoughts are with them at this sad time,' read a statement.

 The club have granted the 29-year-old compassionate leave from the remainder of the tour following the death of his cousin, Hannah Defoe, who passed away while on holiday in St Lucia.

 The tragedy struck just weeks after Defoe left the England camp during Euro 2012 following the death of his father.

 Defoe returned to England during the tournament after his father Jimmy died following a long fight with throat cancer.

 And the Spurs striker was rocked by the death of his half-brother Jade in 2009.

 Jade Defoe, 26, fell into a coma following a street attack in Leytonstone, east London, and died in April 2009.

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Kompany commits to City : sign's long term deal

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has signed a new six-year contract with the Premier League champions.


 It is the longest deal handed out in the club's recent history and shows their faith in Kompany, who last season led City to their first top-flight crown since 1968.


 Kompany, 26, was delighted to sign the new contract and said it was his intent to deliver more trophies to Eastlands as the 'Man City project' continues.


 "Hopefully in the future I will have a bigger impact than I already have," the 26-year-old Belgium international said.


 "There are so many more trophies to win at this club that is why it makes it so special.


 He told City's official website: "For me if you are good somewhere then there is no reason to look elsewhere.


 Man City as a project is not just a project of the owners or the people employed by the club; it is also my project.


 "I have been here since the beginning and I have seen everything at the club change inside and out. I have the feeling that I have contributed to it too.


 It is good to know that I can be at City for another six years. It is a compliment that the club feels so highly of me."


 Kompany was signed by Mark Hughes from Hamburg in August 2008 and has helped transform City into one of the most high-profile clubs in Europe.


 And the City skipper believes the FA Cup and Premier League triumphs of the last two years are just the beginning of success at City.


 "Our title win was amazing and one of the best feelings ever for us and the fans," he declared.


 "That last game against QPR will be a very special part of City's history for the next 50 or 100 years but now is the time to look forward. "We have laid the foundations and now we want to win more.


 If we do that then we can be one of the most successful clubs for a long time to come and that is the aim.


 I can't wait to get started again. I am really excited about the season ahead."

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Chelsea increase Victor Moses bid

Chelsea have lodged a new bid for Wigan striker Victor Moses that could be worth up to £9million.

 Wigan have rejected three lower offers, which have also included taking Josh McEachran or Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea.

 Moses, 21, has one year left on his contract and is valued at more than £10m by chairman Dave Whelan, who is interested only in a cash deal.

 It is understood the two clubs are close to reaching an agreement, with Chelsea prepared to pay £6m up front and another £3m in performance-related add-ons.

 Chelsea have bid for a number of attacking players over the summer, including Hulk, Willian, Andre Schurrle and Robert Lewandowski, but Moses appeals to them because of his potential and the fact he will also qualify as a home-grown player for the Champions League.

 Thorgan Hazard will join his older brother Eden at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea last night confirmed his signing from Lens.

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Werder Bremen in advanced talks with Chelsea over De Bruyne

The Champions League holders are looking to part with the creative midfielder on a temporary basis for another season, and he appears to be on his way to Germany.

 The German outfit believe that the 21-year-old attacking midfielder will be able to add creativity to their team, and they are confident that a deal will be sealed when the Blues return from their pre-season tour of the United States.

 "We have already had a number of meetings with club and player in the past few months and we're in advanced talks," Allofs was quoted as saying by Kicker.

 "Things are looking good, but it's not a done deal yet. We hope to wrap up the transfer next week when Chelsea are back from their pre-season trip in the USA."

 De Bruyne joined Chelsea from Genk in January 2012, and was immediately shipped out on loan back to the Belgian giants until the end of the season.

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Liverpool & Manchester City target Ramirez set for Premier League move

Bologna winger Gaston Ramirez is likely to move to the Premier League amid interest from Liverpool and Manchester City, according to his agent.

 The Uruguayan is currently in England with his country for the Olympic Games and his representative has indicated that he could stay there amid interest from the champions .

As revealed in May that City were leading the chase for the Uruguay international and his representative, Pablo Betancur, has revealed he is in talks with an English top-flight club.

 Speaking to calciomercato.com about Ramirez’s future, Betancur said: "I think it's always been more likely that Gaston says goodbye to Italy.

 So much so that now I'm in London to talk with a Premier League club.

 "I think Ramirez will leave. He is one of the best players and so there are many offers and, again, I think it's unlikely he will remain in Italy."

 The winger scored eight goals for Bologna in Serie A last season to help them to a ninth-placed finish and had attracted interest from the likes of Inter and Wolfsburg but Betancur admits Bologna’s asking price is too high for them.

 He added: "Inter like the player but we are very far off from what Bologna are asking for him - nearly €25 million (£19.5m).

 "The Wolfsburg interest? They were the first to move on Ramirez, but some of the figures are impossible for them too.”

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Redknapp wants to help Portsmouth: promises Kanu talk

Former Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has told us that he will talk to Nwankwo Kanu in a bid to help save the club.

 Pompey face extinction after administrator Trevor Birch set a deadline of August 10 for them to get their finances in order.

 Kanu, 35, has lodged a claim for £3 million in pay while defender Tal Ben Haim, 30, is also owed a similar amount by the cash-strapped Fratton Park outfit.

 Redknapp signed Kanu from West Brom in 2006 during his time in charge on the South Coast, and is eager to speak to the Nigerian in the hope of reaching a comprimise that might help the club. He told us: "I will be ringing Kanu today to see if there is anything I can do.

 I signed him for Portsmouth on a one-year contract and Tony Adams told me: 'You must be mad, he is finished'. Six years later, he is still there.

 "In the case of Tal Ben Haim, if players have a contract and are owed money, you can see why they think they should get it. But if the club closes down they won't get a penny.

 They need to think hard about that.

" Redknapp also expressed hope that an investor to inject money into Portsmouth could be found, saying the club had spiralled since former owner Milan Mandric left Fratton Park.

 He continued: "Portsmouth has got to be saved. It's a great club with great traditions. It would be a disaster if this club went out of business.

 "It has great fans to the extent that, if you live in Portsmouth, you are a Portsmouth supporter.

 If you walk around in that town, you don't see people wearing Manchester United or Arsenal shirts.

 "It is soul-destroying to see them in this predicament, and there must be a group of people out there or someone who could take over the club so cheaply and save them.

 "I would love to see someone do that. Surely it cannot happen that Portsmouth go out of business.

 If someone did come in, the club could be resurrected quickly. It wouldn't take a lot to get it going again.

 "I remember when Milan came in and bought the club all those years ago, they were looking to lock the gates then and go into administration - but he turned it all around and made it work.

 "When he sold the club, it spiralled out of control.

 Balram Chainrai put a lot of money in, but he must think it is the worst investment he ever made in his life. But now it just needs some people who understand football and who can work with the players."

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