tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75488628800482982962024-03-08T12:56:51.854-08:00Paul PogbaAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-23772492718293337012016-11-15T07:56:00.002-08:002016-11-15T07:56:38.107-08:00Paul Pogba's dab is now a maths problem<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;"><img alt="Paul Pogba's dab is now a maths problem" src="http://images.performgroup.com/di/library/GOAL_INTERNATIONAL/33/84/hd-pogba-dab_1ml1udu571e3816xazfi3zos44.jpg?t=1481493472&w=620&h=430" /></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: RobotoMedium, Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;"><span style="color: #351c75;">The Manchester United midfielder has become synonymous with the dance move as a goal celebration, but he is now the subject of an exam question in France.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">The art of celebration in football has taken on a life of its own, with the days of handshakes and slaps on the back now long gone.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">Carefully choreographed routines are now the norm, with the actions that follow finding the target often more complex than the finishing of the chance itself.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">Dance moves are a particular favourite of the modern day sportsman, with those operating on the football field offering the latest craze a whole new platform on which to grow and evolve.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">‘The Dab’ has become the go-to pose for many a Premier League star, with Paul Pogba very much the cheerleader-in-chief.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">The France international has been honouring his strikes with the pose for some time now, with the trend first starting during his days at Juventus.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">He is now on the books at Manchester United, but has become so synonymous with the move that his actions have become the subject of a maths question in his homeland.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">Students are required to work out whether the two triangles formed by Pogba’s shoulders and arms can be considered perfect by the rules of Pythagoras’s theorem.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">That all sounds very complicated, with the interest shown in celebrations perhaps now being taken too far!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;">Pogba seems quite taken with the attention, though, writing on Twitter: “The dab is useful, am I approved?"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">More games: </span><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.friv2016game.com/">friv</a></b></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-19613787603683959172016-09-27T08:39:00.003-07:002016-09-27T08:39:33.498-07:00Manchester United stars Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford trolled by Jesse Lingard on Instagram<h2 class="" style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 1.30769em; font-weight: 100; line-height: 1.41176em; margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">United's new No 14 took to social media to jokingly mock Pogba and Rashford, both of whom scored in the weekend win over Leicester.</span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">Manchester United's Jesse Lingard has trolled teammate Paul Pogba over his £89million price tag.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">United's new No 14 shared an Instagram Story of him joking around with the world's most expensive player in the canteen at United's Carrington training ground on Monday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">In a high-pitched voice, Lingard can be heard saying: "My name's Paul and I'm worth £100million, hmmm... My name's Paul and I like to dab, hmmm..."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">Eighteen-year-old teammate Marcus Rashford also got a bit of stick from Lingard.</span></span></div>
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<img alt="Jessie Lingard with a video including Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba" class="captify" height="717" src="http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article8918709.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Paul-Pogba-Jessie-Lingard-and-Marcus-Rashford-main.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.0013px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="Jesse Lingard begins his Instagram story by annoying Paul Pogba..." width="615" /></div>
<figcaption style="float: left; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; padding-top: 7px; width: 620px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">Jesse Lingard begins his Instagram story by annoying Paul Pogba...</span></span></figcaption></figure><figure class="inline-image clearfix portrait" style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.0013px; height: 742px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto; zoom: 1;"><div class="image-credit-wrapper" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.0013px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img alt="Jessie Lingard with a video including Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba" class="captify" height="717" src="http://i2.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article8918710.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/Paul-Pogba-Jessie-Lingard-and-Marcus-Rashford-main.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.0013px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="... before moving onto 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford" width="615" /></div>
<figcaption style="float: left; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; padding-top: 7px; width: 620px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">... before moving onto 18-year-old striker Marcus Rashford</span></span></figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; font-family: "PT Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">"My name's Rashford and I like to score on my debut, hmmm..." the 23-year-old says in a separate video. "I scored for Manchester United, England and the Under-21s, hmmm..."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">Lingard, Pogba and Rashford all started on Saturday as United recorded an emphatic 4-1 win over champions Leicester in the Premier League.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">Pogba and Rashford both scored in the win, while Lingard notched the assist for the second goal, scored by Juan Mata.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-66394944101730963342016-08-30T02:42:00.001-07:002016-08-30T02:42:40.782-07:00Massimiliano Allegri explains why he will miss Paul Pogba at Juventus<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #111111; font-family: open_sanslight, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img alt="Max Allegri and Paul Pogba enjoyed success at Juventus" height="413" src="http://d1sdtb3jrh1ulb.cloudfront.net/images/16/08/29/7de41f6fd29a3e0bf1630dc67a5feeed/960.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="640" /></div>
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Life after Paul Pogba has started pretty well for Juventus.</div>
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The Old Lady are two for two in their defence of the Serie A title, picking up wins against Fiorentina and Lazio.</div>
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Pogba who?</div>
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SIGN UP NOW</h2>
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Want to become a GMS writer? Sign up now and submit a 250-word test article: gms.to/haveyoursay4</div>
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The Italian giants received a world-record fee of £89 million when they sold the Frenchman to Manchester United earlier this month.</div>
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Massimiliano Allegri paid €32m on Pogba’s replacement, Miralem Pjanic, and also made exciting prospect Mario Lemina’s loan move from Marseille permanent.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-86730148868063921632016-07-19T04:32:00.004-07:002016-07-19T04:32:55.902-07:00Paul Pogba to Manchester United: Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane 'happy' with his squad without Juventus star<span style="background-color: white; color: #281e1e; font-family: "Fira Sans"; font-size: 20px; line-height: 20.8px;">Madrid are considered United’s main rivals to land Pogba’s signature this summer.</span><br />
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Zinedine Zidane, the Real Madrid manager, has handed Manchester United a boost in their £100m pursuit of Paul Pogba, revealing he is happy with the squad he has at the Bernabéu.</div>
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The 44-year-old admitted he considers Pogba, linked endlessly with a return to Old Trafford since leaving for Juventus in 2012, to be a “good player” but said he is content with the options available to him and may even dip into the academy in future.</div>
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Madrid are considered United’s main rivals to land Pogba’s signature this summer but <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Independent</em> revealed last month that the 20-time English champions remain in pole position to get a deal over the line in the coming weeks.</div>
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Zident told reporters at Madrid’s pre-season camp in Canada: “I like Pogba. At the moment, he's a Juventus player. I'm happy with the squad I have and it's difficult to improve it. </div>
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“But after saying that, I like Pogba - yes. He is a good player. He is not the only one, because there's many good players, and every club wants to have good players. But he is playing for Juventus. </div>
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“It's difficult because a big squad creates problems. But I don't dislike the idea of looking to the academy. There are a lot of competitions and we need everyone. </div>
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“Working is the most important thing, it's what we're going to do here. Then, bit by bit, we'll decide things. You don't know what will happen until August 31. We're happy with the squad we have and we've just won the Champions League.”</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-77864161997232549682016-06-14T09:04:00.000-07:002016-06-14T09:04:21.326-07:00French media question Griezmann and Pogba<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; float: right; font-family: PTregular, Georgia; font-size: 18px; line-height: 25.2px; outline: 0px; padding: 10px 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 660px;">
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France's unconvincing opening victory in the <span style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: PTbold, Georgia; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">European Championship</span> would appear to have given the French sporting press a dose of the yips, if recent reports are anything to go by.</div>
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Such was their performance against Romania that two of their biggest stars, Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba were hauled off by manager Didier Deschamps midway through the second half before Dimitri Payet pulled out the victory with a last minute screamer.</div>
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Indeed, some are even asking whether the twin talismans might be omitted from the starting eleven against Albania on Wednesday.</div>
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The substitution has not just caused a split in opinion amongst the members of the local media, but also some leading footballing personalities.</div>
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Former national team boss Raymond Domenech saw it as a brave move.</div>
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"Who would have had the nerve to haul them off like that?</div>
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"From the outside, it looks easy."</div>
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Former Lyon and Paris Saint-Germain coach Paul Le Guen saw the move in a different light.</div>
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"It's not good for their confidence.</div>
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"Leaders need to stay on the park as long as possible and a change like that can create doubts."</div>
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Deschamps did, of course rest the two during France's second game at the World Cup.</div>
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But another memory lingers, that of surrendering the top position in the group stage in Euro 2012, leading to a difficult draw and elimination against Spain in the knockouts - and, ultimately, the resignation of then-manager Laurent Blanc.</div>
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The doubts Le Guen mentioned are certainly there; in some quarters, at least.</div>
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'Griezmann restless' led the front page of L'Equipe, with Maxifoot noting that 'The stars of France are worried.'</div>
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Deschamps and Patrice Evra counselled against such over-exuberance, with the Juventus left-back quoted as saying "We're all human beings.</div>
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"Now is the time to keep our heads because there will be more matches".</div>
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The manager name-checked both players.</div>
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"Paul hasn't disappointed me and just like Antoine, he's young and in good shape."</div>
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But questions do remain about their fitness, especially that of Pogba who has had some minor physical issues, limiting his training work with the rest of the group.</div>
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With Griezmann, the question centres more around fatigue wth the forward having featured in 54 games for Atletico during a season where he looked to be losing his edge towards the end.</div>
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Griezmann himself, however was keen to bat such ideas away.</div>
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"I think I'm in great shape.</div>
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"Sure, I felt a little tired before the Champions League final, but I think I've had enough time to recover".</div>
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Eric Olhats, a fitness adviser writing in L'Equipe, didn't see this as an issue either.</div>
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"I don't see a deficit in his fitness levels, nor that he's being put under undue strain.</div>
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"Antoine, in whatever situation, needs a little bit of adaptation time, that's all.</div>
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"We saw this with Real Sociedad, and also at Atletico."</div>
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There is a sense that these worries may just be a reaction to a poor display in the opener, and the gnawing sense of unease that it's provoked.</div>
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'Our supposed leader in the attack was very quite against Romania,' said L'Equipe, before going on to ask: 'Should we be worried?'</div>
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But of course there's another way of looking at things and the same paper summed that up nicely in saying that back in the previous two tournaments held in France, Euro 84 and the 1998 World Cup, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane were also questioned by some.</div>
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And, of course, France went on to emerge as champions on each occasion.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-2689821318509161752016-05-08T01:18:00.002-07:002016-05-08T01:18:50.498-07:00Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Paul Pogba, Victor Campuzano Rumours<div class="ui-droppable" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 80px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img alt="Real Madrid Transfer News: Latest on Paul Pogba, Victor Campuzano Rumours" height="266" src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/597/408/hi-res-53f7b25e42d106fdad1bc07697dd6a8f_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" style="background-color: transparent;" width="400" /></div>
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<span style="color: #003366;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial;">Juventus</span></span> manager Massimiliano Allegri doesn’t believe any of his top players will leave the club during the summer, suggesting Paul Pogba won’t be joining Real Madrid anytime soon. However, star youngster Victor Campuzano is reportedly close to joining Los Blancos.</div>
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As reported by Jack Gaughan of MailOnline, Pogba is wanted by a host of top clubs around Europe, including Real Madrid and Barcelona. But Allegri believes Juventus are on the same level as Europe’s elites and doesn’t see why any of his players would pursue a transfer, per Goal’sNicholas McGee:</div>
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I don't see why players should leave us.</div>
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Juventus are now at the same level as the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich. Our own plans on the transfer market? The club has always assembled competitive and winning sides.</div>
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The solid spine of our experienced group, combined with our talented youngsters, enables us to enjoy success. Our first aim for 2016-17, other than enjoying a strong Champions League, is sealing what would be a legendary sixth straight title.</div>
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Director Beppe Marotta provided similar comments just a few days ago amid rumours Chelsea and Manchester City were also interested in a move, revealing the Bianconeri turned down the Citizens last year, per Mediaset Premium (h/t Jamie Styles of the <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Daily Star</em>).</div>
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The 23-year-old midfielder enjoyed a fantastic 2015-16 campaign after a rough start, playing a key role in Juventus’ run to a fifth straight Serie A title. He struggled initially, a logical result after the club sold Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo during the summer, but by the end of the season, Pogba once again ranked among Europe’s finest midfielders.</div>
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He added yet another element to his impressive set of skills, becoming an exceptional passer over the course of the season. It showed in his statistics, per OptaPaolo:</div>
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Pogba was already a gifted dribbler, tackler and long-range shooter, and his passing ability will only increase his value. The constant transfer speculation shouldn’t come as a surprise, as there are few teams in the world who wouldn’t want to add the France international.</div>
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Here’s a look at some of his highlights, per Giovadieci Football Channel:</div>
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Juventus seem determined to keep hold of Pogba, and with several youngsters emerging as stars of the future—Paulo Dybala, Alex Sandro and Daniele Rugani—the Bianconeri have every right to believe they’ll be able to compete with Europe’s finest next year.</div>
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It will be difficult to turn down Los Blancos, who tend to get whatever they want, but all signs point toward Pogba staying in Turin for now.</div>
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Meanwhile, <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Marca</em>’s <span style="color: #003366;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial;">D. Pifferer</span></span> (via Enda Keneally) reports Espanyol youngster Campuzano is on the verge of joining Real, as his agent Francisco Valdivieso has been in talks with the club.</div>
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The 18-year-old forward refused to sign a new contract with the Catalans and was held out of this year’s Copa del Rey as a result, and a split between Campuzano and the club has seemed inevitable ever since.</div>
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The teenager, who is reportedly a long-time Real supporter, will join Castilla next season.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-11575180985073961592016-03-25T08:22:00.001-07:002016-03-25T08:22:24.292-07:00Why Chelsea's Oscar Would Be a Great Transfer Option for Juventus<div class="ui-droppable" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 80px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444444;">Now what? After being eliminated from the <span class="spellcheck" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">UEFA</span> Champions League by <span class="spellcheck" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bayern</span> Munich, Juventus were reminded once again of the gulf that exists between them and the truly great European clubs.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Indeed, while the <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bianconeri</span> have shown they can overcome the likes of <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Borussia</span></span> Dortmund, Real Madrid and Manchester City, their defeat to the <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bundesliga</span> giants—and the loss to Barcelona in last season’s final—shows that coach Massimiliano Allegri’s men still need to improve.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Understanding where they can make that leap is difficult, with the defence, midfield and attack all looking individually strong yet failing to compete when faced with the very best teams. <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gazzetta</span></span> <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">dello</span></span> Sport</em>offered one interesting hypothesis last week, with the Italian newspaper suggesting <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juve</span> may look to sell Paul <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pogba</span> and overhaul their squad.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">The report (h/t <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Gazzetta</span></span> World) linked the French midfielder with a €100 million move away this summer, and that fee could be used to sign the likes of Uruguay international striker <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Edinson</span> <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cavani</span> and<span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Henrikh</span> <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mkhitaryan</span> of <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Borussia</span> Dortmund.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Yet one name that has been constantly linked with a move to Turin is Chelsea playmaker Oscar, and <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sportsmediaset</span> (h/t Football <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Italia</span></span>) insisted <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juventus</span> sporting director Fabio <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Paratici</span> travelled to Stamford Bridge to watch the Brazilian in action against Paris Saint-Germain two weeks ago.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">If that was indeed the case, the club official would have been disappointed to see Oscar only introduced as a 77th minute substitute as the English side were eliminated, but it is clear the 24-year-old has many admirers within the <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juve</span> management team.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">That undoubtedly includes Mr Allegri, who spoke openly of his admiration for the Chelsea man when the club were linked to him last summer, listing him among a number of creative players during an interview with <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">La<span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Repubblica</span></span></em>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">“I would really like a player who can invent a match and is never predictable. I need that wild card within a balanced, structured tactical scheme,” the coach said back in June (h/t ESPN FC). “I like Real Madrid's <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Isco</span> a lot, and Oscar but I also like two young Italians, Domenico <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Berardi</span> and Federico <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bernardeschi</span>.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">It is relatively simple to understand why Allegri would like the<span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bianconeri</span> to add such a player, particularly to a squad that already boasts the midfield intelligence of Claudio <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Marchisio</span> and <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sami</span> <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Khedira</span>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">With the pace of Alex Sandro and Juan <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cuadrado</span> out wide, a creative star like Oscar could well prove to be a superb acquisition, despite failing to match his 2014/15 form during the current campaign.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">His 35 appearances in all competitions this term have seen him weigh in with just eight goals and three assists, yet statistics show he has maintained similar numbers across the board elsewhere, averaging 1.1 key passes in league play this season compared to 1.3 last year, <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">courtesy of </span><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WhoScored</span></span>.com.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">The <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial;">same source</span> shows he has connected with 80.6 per cent of his 40.3 passes per game in the Premier League, while he also works hard defensively<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">—as he would be expected to in <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Serie</span></span> A—</span>to make an average of 2.2 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game in all competitions.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">He also seems to have the ideal mindset for a tactically flexible coach like Allegri, expressing a willingness to do whatever he is asked—an approach that would be essential given the <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juve</span> boss’ love of switching between formations.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">“I like to play wherever the coach wants me,” Oscar said in a May 2015 interview with <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Squawka</span></span>’s Daniel <span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="spellcheck" style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Anwar</span></span>. “As long as I can play with the ball at my feet and look around, help balance the side and create chances, I am happy. That’s what I’m there to do.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">That, combined with his vision, technical attributes and overall quality, makes Chelsea's Oscar a great transfer option for <span class="spellcheck" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juventus</span> as they look to join European football’s elite group of teams.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-27645368925385872582016-03-25T08:19:00.002-07:002016-03-25T08:19:33.932-07:00Man City courts Godfred Donsah<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><img alt="Godfred Donsah" src="http://cdn.ghanaweb.com/imagelib/pics/21465770.295.jpg" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="color: #444444;">English giants Manchester City could be considering a move for Ghanaian youngster Godfred Donsah, according to the dailymail.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">The 19-year-old has been playing regularly in Serie A for the past two seasons, firstly for Cagliari before joining Bologna last summer, Raw but talented teenage midfield prospect with bright future ahead of him.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">The Ghana youth international is among a list of players being monitored by incoming manager Pep Guardiola.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Donsah is among the likes of Juventus Paul Pogba, Ilkay Gundogan, Lymeric Laporte, John Stones, Sergio Busquets, Thiago Alcantara, Alvaro Morata and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who have been listed for a potential move to the English giants.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">The Black Satellites midfielder has been impressive for Bologna this season scoring twice for the Club in the Italian Serie A.</span><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><br style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">A strong performance for his Club in the later part of the season could earn him an opportunity to play in the English Premier League next season.</span></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-47771323375422396202016-01-03T09:08:00.000-08:002016-01-03T09:08:01.306-08:00Work culture at United was like being on vacation: Pogba<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 12px !important; padding: 2px 0px !important;">
Midfielder Paul Pogba reveals the work ethic at Juventus "made me feel like Manchester United was a vacation".</div>
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The France international spoke about his different football experiences in his country, England and Italy.</div>
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"People ought to know that it is not easy at Juve," Pogba was quoted as saying by football-italia.net on Saturday.</div>
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"There is a culture of work that is different to anything else abroad. I was at Manchester United and I can tell you it made me feel like being on vacation in comparison to Juve," the 22-year-old added.</div>
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Pogba, who joined Juventus in 2012 from United, said that four consecutive Seria A titles are a reflection of how the Turin-based players work hard.</div>
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"We work so hard here, because all the Scudetti were down to hard work," he reflected.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-39069453805486640992016-01-03T09:06:00.004-08:002016-01-03T09:06:48.548-08:00Paul Pogba says life at Manchester United was like 'being on holiday'<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #281e1e; font-family: 'Indy Serif'; font-size: 19px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;">
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has described his time at Manchester United as like being on holiday when compared to the work he does at the Italian club.</div>
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The France international left Old Trafford four years ago after making just three senior appearances and becoming frustrated at the lack of first-team opportunities handed to him by then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson.</div>
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Since joining the Bianconieri as a free agent, Pogba has gone on to become one of the sought-after players in world football. In an interview with Italian newspaper <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">La Stampa</em>, he has claimed that the club’s intensity and emphasis on hard work is one of the major reasons behind his improvement.</div>
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Man Utd winger Depay the 'worst signing of 2015'</h2>
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"People need to know that nothing at Juve is easy," he said. "There is a different culture of work compared to elsewhere. I was at Manchester and it seemed like being on holiday.</div>
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"Here we work so much. All these titles, we didn't steal them. It was by working right to the end."</div>
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The 22-year-old, who has regularly been linked with a move to Manchester City and Barcelona among other elite clubs, revealed that he enjoys playing as some of his suitors on the Fifa video game series.</div>
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"I pick Juve, Barca, Madrid and City," he said. "I even play by myself and sometimes get annoyed because the Pogba in the video game plays better than me."</div>
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Pogba also cited City midfielder Yaya Toure, as well as Barca’s Andres Iniesta and Bayern Munich’s Arturo Vidal, as key influences and the midfielders he watches in order to improve his game.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-14818058223374597972015-11-06T06:02:00.000-08:002015-11-06T06:02:16.794-08:00Cristiano Ronaldo Names Neymar, Paul Pogba, More Among His Top Young Footballers<div class="ui-droppable" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 80px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has picked out Barcelona's Neymar, Juventus' Paul Pogba and Manchester United's Memphis Depay among his top five best young players in the world.</div>
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His Los Blancos team-mate <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Martin Odegaard and Chelsea's Eden Hazard round out the list, with Ronaldo, 30, highlighting the 16-year-old Norwegian's huge potential at such a young age, per BT Sport (via MailOnline's Luke Augustus):</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You see many players with potential, I will mention Odegaard of Madrid for example, at 16 he's still young, but you can see he's a very good player. Hazard<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> for example, the No. 7 of Manchester, [Memphis] Depay, is a good player too, Pogba and maybe Neymar."</span></span><span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Neymar, Pogba and Hazard have already established themselves among the world's elite, with the trio all having excellent seasons in 2014-15.</span></div>
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<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Hazard, 24, was the player of the season in the Premier League as Chelsea won the title. Per Squawka, he is currently enduring a surprising barren spell, but his quality is undeniable:</span></div>
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Neymar truly came to the fore with Barcelona last season as they won the treble, and he has continued to improve as he has taken up the mantle at the Camp Nou in Lionel Messi's injury-enforced absence.</div>
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Still only 23, Neymar is the captain and talisman of the Brazil national side and is likely to be one of the world's best players for years to come.</div>
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Similarly, 22-year-old Pogba was key as Juventus won the domestic double and got to the Champions League final in 2014-15, and the Serie A giants have valued their star midfielder at €100 million (£71.7 million), per <span style="color: #003366;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: initial; border-style: initial;">Marco Ruiz</span></span> of Spanish outlet <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AS</em>.</div>
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Odegaard and Depay, on the other hand, have yet to prove themselves as true stars on the world stage.</div>
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For the Norway international that is understandable considering his youth, but he is under a lot of pressure having made such a high-profile move to the Bernabeu for <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">£2.3 million.</span></div>
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Depay excelled as top scorer in the Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven last season, but he has failed to truly make his mark since he took up the No. 7 shirt—formerly worn by Ronaldo—at United following his £3 million summer move.</div>
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Even Ronaldo took his time to bed in at Old Trafford, though, and Depay has certainly shown flashes of brilliance that show he has the potential to become one of the world's best.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-8298139435780675832015-11-06T06:00:00.000-08:002015-11-06T06:00:06.514-08:00Why Paul Pogba Will Spend 2 More Seasons at Juventus<div class="ui-droppable" style="background: 0px 0px rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: #373737; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 16px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 20px 0px 80px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<img alt="Why Paul Pogba Will Spend 2 More Seasons at Juventus" src="http://img.bleacherreport.net/img/images/photos/003/542/250/e731fac905a1b028da4ed1b0514124d8_crop_north.jpg?w=630&h=420&q=75" style="background-color: transparent;" /></div>
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If any combination of footballer and agent have successfully executed their presumed plan for world domination, Paul Pogba and Mino Raiola warrant gold medals of some distinction.</div>
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At one point surplus to the Manchester United first team under <span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sir Alex Ferguson</span>, the French midfielder has blossomed into arguably the world's best under-23 player. While his client hones himself at Juventus, Raiola has used the rapid ascension expertly.</div>
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No longer an out-and-out prospect but now a legitimate world-class option, Pogba's value has skyrocketed over the past three seasons. This has meant a larger profile and, in turn, copious rumours about his leaving Italy for pastures deemed greener. </div>
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"Give youth a chance," is the lesson of Paul Pogba.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;">The 22-year-old, though, sees Juventus as a green pasture.</span><br />
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They gave him an opportunity at a massive club—whereas United failed—and have been more than accommodating in terms of matches, minutes and money (all while employing a venerable list of midfield talent).</div>
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Pogba, rightly so, feels a sense of loyalty to the Old Lady, as he recently discussed with Juventus' official broadcasting network (via Football Italia):</div>
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Juve are the first team where I started to play. They are the team who allowed me to go to the [France] national team, the team where I scored my first goal, so now they are the club of my heart.</div>
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They let me prove myself in football, and had the confidence in me to put me on the pitch.</div>
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How much do I love Juve out of 10? 10! Since I've been here, I have always given my best for the club, for the shirt, for everything. I play at 100 percent, always.</div>
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Paul Pogba will leave Juventus; the question is "when," not "if."</div>
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Loyalty is often mentioned but scarcely found.</div>
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As a general rule: One is not loyal, nor beholden, to an entity—rather paycheques. Most loyalty evaporates like fog when the sun breaks once money is removed, but we cannot discount the minute percentage of relationships that display true allegiance.</div>
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Pogba's connection to "the club of his heart" cannot be easily broken, and only the Frenchman can answer how much money per week is enough for him to leave Juventus—but his agent has an idea about the transfer fee.</div>
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Raiola, as reported by the <em style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sun</em>'s Carl Long, told reporters: "There were three big clubs with [£60 million] on the table, or a little more including add-ons, which took the total to [£70.6 million]. But a deal was not concluded because Pogba didn’t want to leave and Juventus wanted him to stay for at least another year."</div>
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Given Juventus' iconic "No. 10" shirt, surely Paul Pogba will wear it longer than one season.</div>
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Summer 2016 seems the natural conclusion to this episode, but assumptions can be misleading.</div>
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Next summer's transfer window, however, will be invariably muddled by the European Championship. France host the tournament, meaning Pogba's plate should be full. Transfers are likely to happen early<span style="background: 0px 0px; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, though,</span> which will set the table for chaos.</div>
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The three clubs Long's piece hints were chasing the young central midfielder are Real Madrid, Manchester City and Chelsea; Raiola excluded Barcelona from proceedings, asserting the Catalan giants buying Pogba has "no chance."</div>
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All have the finical wherewithal to capture the 22-year-old, and should he become available, the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich or even Manchester United cannot be discounted either.</div>
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Moving during an already-chaotic period seems like unnecessary clutter. There's no real harm in waiting until 2017.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #373737; font-family: 'Open Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px;">Raiola is waiting for the ideal time to move his prized asset, and Pogba apparently wants to further repay the debt he feels to Juventus for his career.</span><br />
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Next summer might be too early for both wishes to be fulfilled.</div>
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Summer 2017 would give Pogba five years in Turin, a healthy portion for any career, and ample time to weigh each potential next step without the added burden/pressure of carrying a nation's hopes on his shoulders.</div>
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In the end, he might find leaving Juventus makes no sense and decide to stay longer, or discover a club that further matches his ambitions.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-82777298987874092812015-09-11T09:29:00.003-07:002015-09-11T09:29:58.835-07:00Pogba Backs 'Old Man' Martial<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #323232; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.35; margin-bottom: 16px; word-wrap: break-word;">
Manchester United new boy Anthony Martial has the backing of Juventus star Paul Pogba.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial;">Khune's Howler Makes The Rounds In England</strong></div>
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Martial was the subject a £36 million transfer from French club Monaco to Manchester United on deadline day.</div>
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Pogba believes the 19-year-old has a bright future ahead of him and thinks Martial will have a big impact in the Premier League.</div>
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"I already call him 'little old man,'" Pogba told <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Telefoot.</em></div>
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"He's 19 and he's already very mature for his age.</div>
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"He has great qualities and very big potential. He's going to bring a lot to the French team and I'm very happy for him.</div>
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"Now he's changed club and he's going to get to know the Premier League. He's going to play with some big players and he'll make a lot of progress."</div>
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The United starlet also received praise from Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who is captain of the French national team.</div>
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"Above all, he's still a young player and a likeable guy," the Spurs man told reporters on Sunday.</div>
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"He's quite reserved but he's involved in the squad.</div>
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"He has to get his bearings too – it's never easy. There's been a lot of talk about him recently and he'll have to come to terms with all of that.</div>
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"He's going to continue his progress but he has big potential to become a great player."</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial;">'Van Gaal's Time Is Up'</strong></div>
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The 19-year-old could make his debut for the Red Devils this weekend when they face Liverpool.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial;">Do you think Martial could be a surprise package in the Premier League? Have your say in the comments section below. </strong></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-51146748155613624302015-09-11T09:27:00.000-07:002015-09-11T09:27:06.794-07:00Did Paul Pogba turn down summer moves for a future at Barcelona?<div style="background-color: white; color: #282a2f; font-family: BentonSans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 36px; margin-top: 36px;">
<i>The transfer window may be closed, but the rumours just keep ticking. As always, Transfer Talk has the latest and greatest. See all the summer deals right here.</i></div>
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TOP STORY: Pogba to Barca still in play</h2>
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Transfer fans may now be finding out why none of the long-mooted summer moves for <span style="font-family: BentonSansBold;">Paul Pogba</span> to any number of suitors -- Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, et al -- never materialised. The 22-year-old French starlet may have had his sights set on Barcelona all along.</div>
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Mundo Deportivo are reporting that a deal for Pogba to move from Turin to Catalonia has been pre-agreed between the two sides and that legitimate summer offers for Pogba were turned back to honor said gentlemen's agreement between Juve's and Barca's sporting directors Beppe Marotta and Ariedo Braida.</div>
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This is certainly not a done deal at the moment by any means. For one thing, Barcelona will have to come up with quite the cash outlay to pay Juventus for Pogba -- Chelsea were said to have bid €85 million. Mundo has predicted initial offers to bring the midfielder to Barca will start around €100m.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-56262839124855161672015-08-17T06:56:00.000-07:002015-08-17T06:56:08.901-07:00DONE DEAL: Man United sign new Paul Pogba<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #464749; font-family: 'Titillium Web', sans-serif; font-size: 16.2000007629395px; line-height: 1.6; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;">
Former Arsenal midfielder Matthew Willock has signed a new contract with Manchester United.</div>
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The 19-year-old, who turns 20 later this month, announced his big news on Instagram.</div>
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Willock posted a photo of himself putting pen to paper while sitting next to Louis van Gaal’s assistant manager, Ryan Giggs.</div>
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Four United youngsters have now signed new deals this week – Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Josh Harrop, Joel Castro Pereira and Willock.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 16.2000007629395px; line-height: 1.6;">Willock, who has been compared to Juventus and France star Paul Pogba due to his appearance and style of play, joined United from Arsenal in 2012.</span></div>
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His two brothers – Chris and Joe – are still on the Gunners books.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-29484555472337980042015-08-17T06:53:00.002-07:002015-08-17T06:53:27.312-07:00Marcello Lippi Backs Paul Pogba to Become Juventus' New Leader<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #434343; font-family: Roboto, 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Marcello Lippi<inline style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1em; outline: 0px;"> has hailed </inline>Paul Pogba<inline style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1em; outline: 0px;"> as a genius and expects him to show that he is </inline>Juventus<inline style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1em; outline: 0px;">' natural leader after he was assigned the club's iconic No.10 shirt. </inline></div>
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The Serie A champions are preparing to defend their fourth consecutive Scudetto without the likes of Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal who left the club this summer, prompting the club to install Pogba as the new bearer of the coveted number. Pogba has also been linked with a move away from Turin but he now looks to start the new season as the main source of inspiration.</div>
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And Lippi believes the Turin giants' faith in the 22-year-old will be rewarded, backing the starlet to come of age this season and realise his full potential despite growing interest from Europe's top sides.</div>
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"Pogba is a born leader, and he deserves the No.10," the former World Cup-winning boss told<em style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Tuttosport</em>. "By choosing to stay at Juventus, he showed his character.</div>
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"Now he must confirm his leadership skills along with his genius, by dispensing with parts of his game that are needless, such as tricks that he does in some areas of the pitch."</div>
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Despite the summer exits of the Bianconeri's key players, Lippi does not expect their title credentials to have taken too much of a setback, although he acknowledged the renewed threat coming from Roma and AC Milan.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-3717953970070448122015-08-17T06:50:00.006-07:002015-08-17T06:50:57.301-07:00Projecting Paul Pogba's 2015-16 season<div class="pgh-paragraph has-dropcap" id="paragraph0" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: 'Mercury SSm A', 'Mercury SSm B', Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em;">
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Paul Pogba is not the kind of player to just go ahead and back down from a challenge. Maybe he's able to do that because he's a whole lot better than a good portion of the players he's up against over the course of any given season. Or maybe it's because he's got the maturity of a 10-year veteran despite still being so incredibly young.</div>
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There's no doubting that Pogba's desire to be world class teamed with his amazing array of skills has brought him to where he is today. And the same goes for Pogba asking to wear Juventus' famed No. 10 jersey — he not only wants to be the guy who is expected to produce, he welcomes the responsibility that comes with a number that's expected to produce. That means after the first No. 10 after Alessandro Del Piero's two-decade reign in Turin, Carlos Tévez, spent two über-productive seasons in the No. 10 jersey, it's now Pogba's turn to make his own mark after wearing the No. 6 for three years.</div>
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Pogba has basically brought the pressure that comes with having Juventus' most famous jersey number upon himself. Essentially, Pogba has channelled wrestling superstar — like, oh, I dunno, The Rock — and told the pressure one simple thing.</div>
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To be completely honest with you, seeing some pictures of Pogba this summer and how absolutely jacked he is physically, he could probably hold his own in wrestling's beloved squared circle. That just happens when you're blessed with incredible strength and skill. Pogba's got the size and strength to shed away would-be tacklers. His insanely powerful shots have become YouTube, Vine and gif sensations across the interwebs.</div>
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But the main difference between Pogba's upcoming season and his past three in Turin is pretty easy to recognize.</div>
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This, for all intents and purposes, can be dubbed The Season of Pogba. It's not only because he has politely asked for and subsequently taken over as Juventus' No. 10. (Although that does add a good bit to the equation.) But with the summer departures of both Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal, Pogba's role in Juventus midfield has grown only that much more. Claudio Marchisio is still around, but Pogba is the star of the show as Il Principino flies under the radar despite continued awesomeness.</div>
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Throw in the fact that Pogba, at age 22, will be expected to star at the 2016 European Championships on his home soil 10 months from now and you have plenty of motivation for Pogba to take his already-impressive game to yet another level. And there's no doubting that he's capable of it, too. Now all that's left is for Pogba to actually do so.</div>
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We've seen him progress so much since he arrived in the summer of 2012 that it's hard to believe there's more room for Pogba to grow as a player. Yet, there is. Seriously, there is. He's still so young compared to some of the other elite players at his position in the game today that it's hard to think that anything other than "the sky's the limit" is applicable. Pogba's tally of eight Serie A goals last season was tied for second on the Juventus squad with Álvaro Morata. That's as a midfielder who played barely over 2,000 minutes in league play.</div>
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I mean, it's not even close to a common occurrence that Marcello Lippi is saying this about a player:</div>
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"Pogba is a born leader, and he deserves the No.10. By choosing to stay at Juventus, he showed his character. "Now he must confirm his leadership skills along with his genius, by dispensing with parts of his game that are needless, such as tricks that he does in some areas of the pitch."</div>
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(Source: Europsport)</div>
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That's what Lippi said about Pogba just a few short days ago. That's praise — and it's not the first time somebody has lauded the talent that Pogba brings to the table. He has garnered praise from some of the game's players both past and present.</div>
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No pressure, right? Right. But he can handle it.</div>
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<b style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">PAUL POGBA 2015-16 PROJECTION (SERIE A ONLY)</b></div>
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Games: 33</div>
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Starts: 30</div>
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Goals: 11</div>
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Assists: 9</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-62545427889608571062015-08-02T02:00:00.001-07:002015-08-02T02:00:17.778-07:00Manchester City and Barcelona target Paul Pogba 'may head to court' in order to seal Juventus exit<div style="border: 0px; font-family: ScoutLight, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #626262; font-family: 'PT Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 1.30769231em; font-style: inherit; line-height: 1.41176471em;">The in-demand France midfielder faces a legal stumbling block ahead of any potential transfer away from Juventus.</span></div>
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<span class="image-credit" style="background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.6); border: 0px; bottom: 0px; color: #e0e0e0; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 5px; position: absolute; right: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Getty</span><img alt="Juventus" itemprop="image" src="http://i1.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article5749813.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Juventus.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.0012998580933px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></div>
<figcaption style="color: #3a3a3a; float: left; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; padding-top: 7px; width: 620px;"><span style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">See you in court? Pogba may tackle the legal system</span></figcaption></figure><div class="body " data-context="6166529" data-friendly-name="Article Inline Link Tracking" data-max-times-to-track-links="5" data-widget="tm.omniture.tracking" itemprop="articleBody" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.0012998580933px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0.76923077em; vertical-align: baseline;">
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Paul Pogba is reportedly ready to head to the courts in order to seal a transfer away from Juventus.</div>
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The in-demand France international has been linked with Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain this summer, but no firm bids have materialised.</div>
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According to reports in France Football, this is partly down to a wrangle over image rights, with any buying club needing to add a further €15million to any fee in order to transfer the rights from Oualidia Tanazefti, an old friend of Pogba who currently manages them via a company registered in Luxembourg.</div>
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Pogba may now look to take up legal action against Tanazefti in order to resolve the deadlock and facilitate a move away from the Italian champions.</div>
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<img alt="" height="409" src="http://i3.mirror.co.uk/incoming/article5837087.ece/ALTERNATES/s615/Juventus-v-FC-Barcelona-UEFA-Champions-League-Final.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.0012998580933px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="If you can't beat them... Pogba has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona" width="615" /></div>
<figcaption style="color: #3a3a3a; float: left; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700; padding-top: 7px; width: 620px;">If you can't beat them... Pogba has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona</figcaption></figure><div style="border: 0px; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: 'PT Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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It is thought that the Italian champions are holding out for a fee of €80million for the midfielder, who would also demand a €12million salary.</div>
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It was reported earlier this month that Manchester City were leading the race for the Frenchman, who has been linked with a move away from Juventus.</div>
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Pogba was an essential part of the Juve team that won Serie A at a canter last term, and made it all the way to the Champions League final.</div>
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Paul Pogba: 2014-15</h4>
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35</div>
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Games</div>
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10</div>
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Goals</div>
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9</div>
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Assists</div>
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Their conquerors in Berlin, Barcelona, are also said to be interested in the former Manchester United man's services, but Nou Camp legend Johan Cruyff said he believes they should steer clear.</div>
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"The figures seem to be absurd. €80 million for Pogba is absurd,” he said.</div>
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Any move from Barcelona would be a complex one, given their current transfer embargo. New signing Arda Turan will not be allowed to represent the Catalan club until January.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-family: ScoutLight, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 10px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-28619249306971949962015-08-02T01:51:00.005-07:002015-08-02T01:51:51.325-07:00Premier League Transfer Rumours: Bender, Pogba, Gaitan, Pato and More<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #434343; font-family: Roboto, 'Open Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The Paul Pogba saga doesn't quite appear to be over yet, so check out the latest plot twist with regard to the Frenchman's future in Saturday's transfer rumour round up.</div>
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<img alt="Juventus v Borussia Dortmund - Preseason Friendly" height="362" src="http://media.90min.com/process?url=http%3A%2F%2Fftbpro-post-images.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fproduction%2F481926640&filters%5Bcrop%5D%5Bw%5D=0.5800361663652802&filters%5Bcrop%5D%5Bh%5D=0.26035714285714284&filters%5Bcrop%5D%5Bo_x%5D=0.25421338155515366&filters%5Bcrop%5D%5Bo_y%5D=0.022857142857142857&filters%5Bresize%5D%5Bw%5D=912&filters%5Bresize%5D%5Bh%5D=516&filters%5Bquality%5D%5Btarget%5D=80&type=.jpg" width="640" /></div>
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There's also news on Nicolas Gaitan, Dimitar Berbatov's potential Premier League return and information on which three English clubs are chasing a sensational swoop for the once brilliant Alexandre Pato.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-48941967373273615402015-08-02T01:48:00.000-07:002015-08-02T01:48:06.967-07:00Manchester City to delay Paul Pogba swoop until January<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">MANCHESTER CITY are prepared to put their bid to sign Paul Pogba on ice until the January transfer window.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">They also have been given the impression by the Italian champions that they don’t want to sell Pogba, 22, in this transfer window, having already seen Carlos Tevez and Arturo Vidal depart from Turin.</span><br />
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So City are prepared to wait, either until January or even next summer.</div>
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Juventus have also knocked back a £60m bid from Barcelona for Pogba.</div>
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City, though, are continuing the £50m pursuit of Wolfsburg winger Kevin De Bruyne, 24.</div>
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<img alt="" class="photo kalooga_12952" src="http://cdn.images.dailystar.co.uk/dynamic/58/photos/71000/620x/55bd15135929c_pog3.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: none; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 619.984375px;" /></div>
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Meanwhile, Man City centre-half Eliaquim Mangala and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho have been backed to come good this season.</div>
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The French duo arrived in the Premier League with big reputations – Mangala cost City £32m and the Reds spent £18m on Sakho – but they have struggled to convince.</div>
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But ex-France boss Raymond Domenech believes they are both now ready to prove themselves.</div>
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He said: “Mangala must be better in the second year.</div>
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“He made some mistakes, so he has to correct his mistakes."</div>
</section>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-66270409111925637672015-08-02T01:43:00.001-07:002015-08-02T01:43:25.511-07:00Why it is now imperative Juventus keep hold of Paul Pogba<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<em style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The future of the in-demand Paul Pogba has been a long drawn out saga that has continued to rumble on all summer, as Juventus continue to fight tooth and nail to stave off interest from European rivals for his coveted signature.</em></div>
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With speculation cooled and the sight of the Frenchman stepping out in Juve’s recent preseason friendly against Borussia Dortmund, it looks as though the Italian giants are winning the battle to keep Pogba in Turin for another season, which is music to the ears of the<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Bianconeri</em> faithful, considering they have just lost another key component to their Serie A juggernaut.</div>
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It was announced that combative midfielder Arturo Vidal was sold to Bayern Munich for €37 million, as the Chilean decided to seek a new challenge after four hugely successful years in Italy, where he won seven trophies in total. Vidal was central to Juventus’s domestic dominance as they won four successive <em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Scudetto</em> crowns.</div>
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The loss of Vidal, who is widely regarded as one of, if not the world’s premier box to box midfielder, is an almost irreplaceable figure in the middle of the park for the<em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Old Lady, </em>not only for his goalscoring reliability and defensive steel, but also for his ability to cover every blade of grass, and his feisty, in your face nature that has made Juve’s midfield such an irrepressible force in recent times.</div>
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With the loss of Andrea Pirlo to New York further compounding Juve’s woes in the centre of the park, it shapes as a challenging task for boss Massimiliano Allegri to reconstruct what is a currently disjointed midfield, that was previously so cohesive and potent.</div>
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The signing of German Sami Khedira has gone some way to replenishing the champions’ midfield stocks, but it will be the desperation to keep hold of Pogba and entrust him in being that peripheral figure that Allegri can build a team around. The stage is set for the colossal midfielder to take his game to a new level in order to pick up the slack left behind by Vidal and Pirlo.</div>
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<span style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The loss of Vidal to Bayern is a bitter pill to swallow, not only because Juve are losing a great player, but also the relatively modest price that was agreed, considering the abnormal amounts of money being thrown around for players of inferior quality. Being branded as a selling club does not sit well with Juventus at all, considering their standing on the European stage, so taking a hard stance on Pogba is the correct decision. </span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pogba’s career trajectory has taken a steady upward curve, which his general performances and goal tally suggests, continuing to leave fans breathless with moments of pure genius. His stunning volley against Napoli last season is just one example of </span><em style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pogboom’s</em><span style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">unquestionable talent. This season, however, despite being just 22 years of age, needs to become the symbol of this </span>Juve<span style="border: 0px; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">side.</span></div>
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Pogba was once a seen as a young upstart who was often criticised for his nonchalant attitude towards the game. While still displaying the trademark outlandish blonde tipped mohawk haircut, he has gradually matured both as a footballer and as a person. His continual rise to prominence only increases his responsibilities for both club and country.</div>
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Pogba could become Juventus midfield linchpin this season with the departures of Vidal and Pirlo.</div>
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The Young Player of 2014 World Cup will have to shoulder more of the burden this upcoming season, a situation that Pogba will relish, as one feels he is ready to add his name to the bracket of the highest echelon of footballers on the world stage, and it is well within the realms of him achieving that.</div>
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While he could pick up substantially higher wages by moving to England, Spain or even France with PSG, Pogba still has unfinished business with Juventus on the European front, after the heartbreak of losing last year’s final to Barcelona. The desire to get to another Champions League final and conquer Europe with the two-time winners is an objective he would like to tick off before he contemplates leaving the club.</div>
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While Juve might not quite be at the level of Barca, Real Madrid, or Bayern Munich, they are not far off it. Retaining the services of Pogba, whilst thwarting interest from the aforementioned clubs, will guarantee the bridge between them does not reach an insurmountable distance.</div>
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Time is still very much on Pogba’s side. Pursuing clubs will happily bide their time until they know of his availability. He is the master of his own destiny, so he should not feel pressured or rushed to make a career decision that could jeopardise his growth. He is still contracted to the Serie A champions until 2019.</div>
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Juventus and French icon Zinedine Zidane, who was once in a similar situation to the one Pogba is in right now, made the bold statement that if Pogba could continue to develop at this current rate he will become “one of the best players ever”.</div>
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Whether this comes to fruition, time will tell. But firstly, staying put at Juventus will provide him with the stage to flourish to the fullest, and that could coincide with Pogba becoming one of greatest players ever to don the famous black and white shirt.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-62024172652171235262015-07-26T10:25:00.001-07:002015-07-26T10:25:23.441-07:00Juve say €100m Paul Pogba is 'not for sale'<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 21px; line-height: 26.8799991607666px;">Juventus insist that Paul Pogba is not for sale despite reports in Spain linking the highly-coveted midfielder with a move to Barcelona.</span><br />
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Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Laporta recently claimed that Pogba would play for the Catalan giants next year if he is elected the new club president on Saturday.</div>
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Pogba's agent Mino Raiola also backed Laporta's comments by saying there "is a strong possibility that Pogba will play for Barcelona if Laporta is elected".</div>
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However, Juve general director Giuseppe Marotta said to the Spanish press: "Whoever is interested in the player needs to talk to Juventus and not with Mino Raiola, who is nonetheless his (Pogba's) agent.</div>
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"But the player is not for sale."</div>
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Pogba, 22, is also a reported target for Chelsea, Manchester City and Paris St Germain this summer.</div>
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The France international is under contract at the Serie A club until June 2019.</div>
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Juve turned down a reported 80million euros bid from Barca earlier this month after the European champions sent a delegation, led by the club's international sporting director Ariedo Braida, to Milan for negotiations.</div>
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Marotta said: "We have negotiated with Barca in recent months. We have done so in a serious and correct manner as it should be between two teams that have a lot of history and importance in world football.</div>
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"The situation is very clear between Barca and Juventus after the meeting we had in Milan.</div>
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"Barca made an offer and we replied.</div>
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"In any case Barca cannot make any signings and Juve does not want to sell."</div>
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Barca cannot field any new players until January 2016 due to a transfer ban imposed by FIFA for breaching rules on the transfer of under-age players.</div>
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That has not stopped the treble winners from acquiring Spanish defender Aleix Vidal from Sevilla and Turkish midfielder Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid since the end of the last campaign.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-63410516956832133892015-07-26T10:22:00.006-07:002015-07-26T10:22:47.399-07:00Paul Pogba's brother, Florentin, signs new contract with St Etienne<div style="background-color: white; color: #282a2f; font-family: BentonSans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 36px; margin-top: 36px;">
Florentin Pogba has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep the defender at St Etienne until 2018.Pogba, 24, elder brother of Juventus midfielder Paul, enjoyed a breakthrough season at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard last term, making 16 Ligue 1 appearances."I thank the club, leaders, coaches and staff for giving me their trust," he told the club's official website."I have made good progress since arriving at ASSE. My start was a bit difficult because I was injured. Then [manager] Christophe Galtier offered me the opportunity to play and I seized my chance."I learned a lot off [fellow ASSE defenders] Loic Perrin and Moustapha Bayal Sall."My only goal is to play. In St Etienne, I have great challenges ahead and I hope that the club will continue to move up."Guinea international Pogba joined St Etienne from Sedan in 2012 and was loaned back to the lower league outfit for a season before returning to his parent club where he made his Ligue 1 debut in December 2013.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-72054940810890973252015-07-26T10:18:00.000-07:002015-07-26T10:18:21.704-07:00Chelsea Transfer News: Paul Pogba, John Stones, Abdul Baba Rahman In? Oscar, Filipe Luis Out?<div class="single-image" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; outline: none 0px; padding: 0px;">
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While their rivals for the Premier League title continue to make waves in the transfer market this summer, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has stressed that he is keen only to maintain the “balance” in his squad. Manchester United and Manchester City have each made major additions, with Arsenal upgrading their goalkeeping department by prizing Petr Cech away from Stamford Bridge. Last year’s Premier League champions have so far only replaced Cech with former Stoke City stopper Asmir Begovic as well bringing in Radamel Falcao for the departed veteran Didier Drogba.</div>
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“If one of our players in a specific position wants to leave, we agree a deal for a player to leave and we have to answer immediately and bring in somebody else, because at the moment we have balance in the squad and we cannot lose that,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s a big challenge for us to go through the season with basically the same team and squad from last season.</div>
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Mourinho was, though, happy to state that he is “looking for a defender to finish the balance in our squad.” And he has confirmed that he is determined to make the incoming defender Everton’s John Stones. Chelsea have already had a bid of £20 million rejected for the highly rated 21-year-old England international, with Everton manager Roberto Martinez hitting out at the public pursuit of his starlet. However, Mourinho is adamant that Chelsea have done nothing wrong in their pursuit of the player.</div>
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“We made a bid, the bid is there and Everton have the power to accept it or refuse it,” he said. “The transfer window is open, when it is open every club and every player is open to bids. Bids come for our players, we make bids for other players and the process can be so simple.</div>
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“If we made a bid it is because we like the player, we don't make bids for players we don't like, but we respect Everton and respect every club that has a player and it is up to them -- everything is in their hands.”</div>
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Mourinho’s comments suggest that, contrary to much publication, he won’t be adding a central midfielder to his squad this summer. Several names have been linked to boosting that department of the Chelsea squad, including Juventus’ Paul Pogba. The French star has been cited as a target for several of Europe’s top clubs, notably Barcelona. However, Mourinho hinted that, while he would love to have Pogba in his team, a transfer is not realistic at this stage.</div>
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“Pogba is one of the top players in the world,” he said, via The Guardian. Pogba goes to any team and improves that team automatically. If he stays at Juventus, Juventus will be very strong again. If he goes somewhere else he will improve immediately a team. This is not our case. I think everybody has an interest in Pogba. But there are things you can do and things you cannot do. I love the Eiffel Tower but I can’t have the Eiffel Tower in my garden. I can’t even have the Eiffel Tower of Las Vegas.”</div>
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Of course, Chelsea’s interest in signing a midfielder could change if one were to leave. Speculation has surrounded the future of the Blues’ Brazilian midfielder Oscar this summer, with Pogba’s club Juventus being strongly linked with a transfer of late. Yet the 23-year-old has insisted that he wants to remain at Stamford Bridge for some time to come.</div>
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“Last year I signed a new contract and I want to stay a long time at Chelsea” he said, reports the London Evening Standard. “I have never been unsettled by what was being said.”</div>
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One player who is leaving Chelsea, though, is Filipe Luis. The Brazil international only joined from Atlético Madrid last summer, but, after a season in which he failed to dislodge Cesar Azpilicueta as the club’s first-choice left-back, is now heading back to the Spanish club. Reports on the fee suggest it is anywhere between £11 million and the full £16 million Chelsea paid for him a year ago.</div>
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Chelsea look set to act quickly the replace Filipe Luis, with The Guardian among the publications reporting that Augsburg’s Abdul Baba Rahman features prominently in their plans. The 21-year-old Ghana international impressed in his first season with Bundesliga club Augsburg last term and is thought to be available for around £17 million.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03770674830577915475noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7548862880048298296.post-81101683741571532792015-07-26T10:14:00.000-07:002015-07-26T10:14:19.377-07:00Fabian Delph: 'I'm not like Paul Pogba'<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5px; line-height: 16.875px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
New Manchester City midfielder Fabian Delph has dismissed comparisons between himself and Juventus ace Paul Pogba</div>
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.<img alt="Juventus' midfielder Andrea Pirlo and Juventus' French midfielder Paul Pogba reacts after the UEFA Champions League Final football match between Juventus and FC Barcelona at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6, 2015" height="300" src="http://b.smimg.net/15/23/300x225/juventus-paul-pogba-andrea-pirlo.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" width="400" /></div>
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Delph, 25, completed an £8m move to Eastlands earlier this month from Aston Villa, and the England international says that he is not an alternative to his French counterpart.</div>
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"I think I'm a different type of player to Pogba," Delph is quoted as saying by the <em>Daily Mail</em>.</div>
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"Whether City were linked with him or not and they're not getting him, I think that's irrelevant to me coming.</div>
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"I'm coming as a box-to-box midfield player with a lot of energy and I see myself as quite different to him."</div>
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The ex-Villan is currently injured as he prepares to fly home from the club's pre-season tour in Australia, with manager <span class="autotag">Manuel Pellegrini</span> unsure over the severity of the problem.</div>
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