Radamel Falcao has again cooled talk linking him with a move to Real Madrid, instead insisting he is happy at Monaco and pleased to be playing in France.
The Colombia international made the somewhat surprising decision to move to Ligue 1 over the summer in a monster £51million deal as part of Monaco’s ambitious plans.
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Gareth Bale’s stint on the sidelines doesn’t look over after Real Madrid were forced to deny suggestions in Spanish newspaper Marca that their record signing has a slipped disk.
Bale has failed to make an impact in La Liga since his €100m transfer from Spurs last month, largely due to an injured foot and pulled hamstring. Frustration is growing among Madrid fans, many of who are desperate to see their new Galactico in action.
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Wigan Athletic have announced the signing of Sunderland winger James McLean, who has been brought to the club for around £ 1 million. Manager Owen Coyle has revealed that the player took a wage cut in order to complete the move, which is something that does not happen often in football. He has said that players are often motivated by money, but McLean wanted to play football more than anything else. Sunderland could not guarantee McLean a regular first-team place, and the 24-year-old Republic of Ireland winger has decided to move south.
McLean has been signed in time to be included in the squad as they prepare to take on Manchester United in the community shield. Wigan managed to win the opening game of the season 4-0 against Barnsley. The club was relegated from the Premier league after eight years in the top flight. They have sold some key players already, but signings like McLean promises to help the club be a promotion challenger this season. Coyle has revealed that the history of the player, which has been littered with several outbursts and incidents, did not bother him because he thinks that the player is now mature.
He thinks that McLean can be a real difference to Wigan’s play this season.
“He took a drop in salary to come here, such was his desire to play football. That was fantastic. All too often in football, finance is the motivation for some players. We have all done silly things as young men. The bottom line is, having had a chat with him I know he is focused and just wants to concentrate on his football. If we get James McClean doing that, there is no doubt he is a huge talent,” said the manager, who was appointed as the replacement for Roberto Martinez.
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Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo has said that he is not sure about his future with the Spanish club. The striker has been linked with a move to Premier league outfit Manchester City in the last few weeks. Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini tried his best to get Napoli striker Edinson Cavani, but the high valuations of the Uruguay striker has put them off. Cavani is valued at around £ 53 million by his club, which has seen City end their interest in the player. They are instead targeting Negredo as the summer signing to replace Carlos Tevez.
The departure of Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez in subsequent transfer windows to Italy has left City extremely vulnerable in a striking options. Only Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero are the fit strikers capable of being named in the starting line-up on a consistent basis. Negredo has emerged as a great target for City, who are prepared to pay around £ 20 million for his services. His future has also been thrown into doubt after Sevilla recently signed Colombian striker Carlos Bacca. Negredo, who has been on the fringes of the Spanish national team, has said that he is at the dark when it comes to his future right now.
“Right now I’m at Sevilla and I like it very much. If I stay then that will be fine, but if I leave then it will be because it benefits both the club and myself. I’m happy on a personal level but collectively we have not achieved the goals we wanted. Now perhaps I am at a decisive moment for my future,” said the striker. New City manager Manuel Pellegrini has seen extensively of the 27-year-old striker, who could be joining the likes of David Silva and Jesus Navas at the Etihad stadium.