Kompany ‘targets’ Liverpool star as Bayern Munich select defender as alternative to £42m Chelsea man

Paulo Fonseca says Milan have been working hard in training after a poor start to the Serie A season and will be prepared to bounce back when they face Lazio.

The newly appointed head coach is already under pressure after a lacklustre start to the campaign, with a 2-2 draw against Torino on matchday one being followed by a disappointing 2-1 defeat to newly promoted Parma.

We are aware that we haven’t started well. But we are all united and we want to find solutions. That’s what we’ve been doing this week, Fonseca told reporters.

We are united so it’s easier to work. It was a good week and I think we understood where we really need to improve. I expect a different Milan tomorrow.

The Portuguese coach denied that some players were having trouble …

Steve Cooper dismissed fears about losing his job as pressure mounts on the Nottingham Forest boss.

Forest were hammered 5-0 at Fulham on Wednesday – a fourth straight Premier League defeat – which left them six points above the drop zone.

The former Swansea manager accepts his position will be under scrutiny – with former Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui thought to be a serious contender if he leaves – but ahead of Saturday’s trip to Molineux Cooper insisted he cannot consider the sack.

Full time at Craven Cottage.

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC)

He said: “I don’t think like that. That is not a good way to think, it is like saying to a player ‘you have to play well or you will not play again’ – it is not a thought process I believe…

Rob Page says Wales must improve their discipline against opponents “good at the dark arts” of football.

Wales were reduced to 10 men for the second successive game as Joe Morrell was sent off in Monday’s 2-0 European Championship qualifying defeat to Turkey.

Morrell’s first-half dismissal in Samsun for a studs-up challenge on Ferdi Kadioglu came just a few days after Kieffer Moore was sent off for kicking Armenia goalkeeper Ognjen Chancharevich.

Losing players to red cards has become a recurring theme for Wales who had goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey sent off against Iran at the World Cup in November and Ethan Ampadu and Harry Wilson banished at the delayed Euro 2020 finals two years ago.

“We should be disciplined enough to keep 11 players on the pi…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is still evaluating his future and is not in negotiations with Milan over a January transfer, according to the Serie A club s director Frederic Massara.

The 38-year-old has been linked with a return the Rossoneri, where he spent two seasons between 2010 and 2012, after leaving Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy.

MLS commissioner Don Garber last month suggested Ibrahimovic is set to rejoin the Milan, but Massara insists talks between the club and the player are not ongoing.

There is no news on Ibrahimovic, because this is not a negotiation, he told Sky Sport Italia.

I came, I saw, I conquered. Thank you for making me feel alive again. To the Galaxy fans you wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome. The story continues Now go b…

Manchester City are on the brink of claiming back-to-back Premier League titles, but Pep Guardiola believes they can be even better next season.

City are on course to become the first Premier League side to retain the title since 2008-09, as they sit on 95 points, one clear of Liverpool heading into the final round of matches.

The defending champions travel to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, while Liverpool host Wolves, and victory for the EFL Cup winners will keep alive their hopes of a domestic treble – a feat never before achieved by an English side.

However, Guardiola is demanding even more from his squad in 2019-20.

The calm before the storm

— Manchester City (@ManCity)

Next season we will be stronger, I am sure. …

Mats Hummels has completed a move from Bayern Munich to Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund and will join the list of players to have returned to their former club after a spell away.

The 30-year-old joined Dortmund from Bayern in 2008 and made 309 appearances for the club, before returning to the Bavarian giants for a three-year stint at the Allianz Arena.

But Hummels will wear the famous yellow strip of Dortmund once again next season and he will be hoping for a positive reaction from BVB supporters.

That is not always the case, of course, with many failing to match their previous highs when returning to a former side.

Here we look at six examples of players going back home in recent seasons, with varying degrees of success.

Let s get to work…

Former Juventus CEO Giuseppe Marotta has taken up a similar role at Serie A rivals Inter, the club announced on Thursday.

Marotta joined Juve in 2010 and presided over a glorious period for the club, which included seven consecutive Serie A titles before stepping down at the end of September.

The 61-year-old had been heavily linked with the presidency of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) towards the end of his tenure, but he strongly denied that and claims of talks with Inter surfaced soon after.

Marotta s installation will surely come with great expectations given Juve s success under his guidance, coupled with Inter s underwhelming last few years.

The Nerazzurri have not won the title since 2009-10, but they will hope Marotta s arrival is the first…

AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale has reiterated his commitment to the club and stressed he wants to return the Italian giants to the top of the European game.

The Rossoneri have endured an inconsistent season, featuring a disappointing group-stage exit from the Champions League while they trail fierce rivals Inter by 11 points in Serie A.

That has built pressure on Cardinale, chief executive of Milan owners RedBird Capital, following the controversial dismissal of directors Frederic Massara and Paolo Maldini last summer.

Amid continuing speculation over the future of head coach Stefano Pioli, who delivered the title to Milan in 2022, and talk of investment from Saudi Arabia, Cardinale has outlined his long-term vision for the seven-time European champions.

…

Like Cristiano Ronaldo five years ago, Lionel Messi has ended his international trophy drought with continental glory.

Ballon d Ors are one thing, with the pair sharing 11 between them, but achieving success with the national team has been critical to the grander standing and legacy of the two outstanding players of this generation.

There is a school of thought that Messi remains in Diego Maradona s shadow in Argentina.

The late Maradona, of course, took La Albiceleste to World Cup glory in 1986, which has eluded Messi who was a runner-up in 2014.

But Messi had also never won the Copa America. That was until Saturday s 1-0 win over Brazil, at the Maracana, the same venue where he lost the 2014 World Cup final to Germany.

Messi was part of the Arge…

Espanyol have said their values cannot be measured in Euros after Barcelona defender Gerard Pique claimed he has more money than their budget for the season.  

Ahead of their meeting at Camp Nou on Saturday, Pique told Movistar+ show La Resistencia : I have more money than the budget of Espanyol this year. Nope, not just €57million, it s plenty more than that.    

Barca boss Ernesto Valverde described the comment as light-hearted but Espanyol have taken to social media with a pointed message towards Pique.  

The post highlighted their values and referenced the tribute their supporters make in the 21st minute to former captain Daniel Jarque, who died of a heart attack in 2009 at the age of 26.  

The statement read: Our fans. The team that g…