Arteta undecided on Man City move
Mikel Arteta is yet to decide whether to join Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City staff, according to reliable sources.
Widespread newspaper reports this week claimed the 34-year-old had accepted an offer from Guardiola, who was a senior player at Barcelona when Arteta was on the books.
It is understood talks have taken place between City and Arteta, whose playing contract with Arsenal is up this summer, but no imminent announcement is expected.
Arteta is yet to formally announce his retirement but admitted after a tearful final Emirates appearance in May he is no longer worth a place in the Arsenal squad.
Injuries restricted the Gunners captain to 14 outings last season, although he finished on a high by forcing a Mark Bunn own goal during a two-minute cameo against Aston Villa on the final day of the Premier League season.
Arteta afterwards revealed he had three coaching offers on the table and said Arsenal had “left the door very open” for him.
The £10m signing from Everton has been tipped as a future manager by Arsene Wenger.
Real Madrid confirm Morata return
Real Madrid have confirmed the re-signing of Spain striker Alvaro Morata from Juventus.
Morata had been widely expected to return to the Santiago Bernabeu in this transfer window, with Madrid exercising a buy-back clause in the deal which took the striker to Turin in 2014.
The 23-year-old’s future is far from clear, however.
It is thought that Madrid could cash in on the striker when he returns from international duty at Euro 2016, with Premier League duo Chelsea and Arsenal heavily linked with big-money moves.
A brief Madrid statement suggested that he will return to the first team at Madrid, however.
It read: “Real Madrid C. F. have informed Juventus FC of their decision to salvage the federative rights on the player Alvaro Morata, who will join up with the first team for pre-season training under the command of Zinedine Zidane.”
Morata has scored 27 goals in 93 appearances across two seasons at Juventus Stadium, including a Coppa Italia-winning strike in last season’s final against AC Milan in extra-time.
Selected as Vicente del Bosque’s starting striker at Euro 2016, Morata netted twice as Spain hammered Turkey 3-0 in their second Group D game.
Madrid did not disclose any of the terms of Morata’s new contract.
Leicester sign Hernandez
Leicester have signed centre-back Luis Hernandez on a four-year contract, after his contract with Sporting Gijon expired.
Hernandez, 27, will join up with the club on July 1.
The 6’0″ Spaniard, a former Real Madrid trainee, played 140 games for Gijon, and helped them preserve their La Liga status on the final day of the season, Sporting beating Villarreal 2-0.
He confirmed he would leave the club at the end of the season, writing: “Yesterday I took off [the shirt] for the last time and I feel that these red and white stripes will be stuck to me forever.
“Very soon I will announce my new destination.”
A statement on the Leicester website said: “With the Foxes set to embark upon their first-ever UEFA Champions League campaign in 2016/17, the addition of Hernandez bolsters what is an already formidable stable of defenders…
“Hernandez has built a solid reputation for himself as a ball-playing defender with an excellent ability to read the game.”
Hernandez becomes Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri’s second signing of the summer following the capture of German keeper Ron-Robert Zieler from Hannover.
El Shaarawy completes Roma switch
Stephan El Shaarawy has joined Roma on a full-time basis for a fee of €13million, AC Milan have announced.
The Italy international – part of Antonio Conte’s Euro 2016 squad – spent the second half of last season on loan at Roma, scoring eight times in 16 Serie A appearances – including in a 3-1 win against Milan in May.
Roma exercised their option to make the move permanent on Tuesday, with El Shaarawy signing a four-year deal.
“Today is a very important day for me because I have become in effect a Roma player,” he told reporters.
“I would like to thank the president James Pallotta, the sporting director Walter Sabatini, the coach Luciano Spalletti, my team-mates and the entire AS Roma for the trust they have shown me since day one, and especially the Giallorossi fans who welcomed me with warmth and affection.”
El Shaarawy joined Milan from Genoa five years ago, his best season coming in 2012-13 when he netted 16 goals in 37 league games.
“We, you and Milan, we cared for one another so much, which is why we want to thank you, not only for the dedication and commitment you have always demonstrated in this shirt, but also for how you’ve lived your relationship away from us, with absolute honesty and affection, even in this year on loan,” Milan CEO Adriano Galliani said of El Shaarawy on the club’s official site.
“And in return in May during Milan-Roma at San Siro, you experienced proof of the place you occupy in the hearts of our fans. And so for all of us at the club, we wish you every success for the rest of your career, both at club and international level with Italy.”
Roma have also completed the permanent signing of Slovakia defender Norbert Gymober, who initially joined on a one-year loan from Catania last August, on a deal until the end of the 2018-19 season
