Rossi takes wage cut at Fiorentina

Mario Balotelli has no qualms about being left out of Italy s latest squad by head coach Giampiero Ventura, but he is targeting an Azzurri return in the near future.

The controversial striker has not featured for the national team since the 2014 World Cup in Brazil when he was taken off at half-time in their 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in Natal.

Since then Balotelli has struggled to find his best form in difficult spells with AC Milan and Liverpool the 26-year-old having scored only four times in all competitions across the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.

His struggles saw Liverpool allow the Italy international to leave for Nice on a free transfer during the last transfer window and he has flourished in Ligue 1 with five goals in three starts.

That form had see…

Manchester City are reportedly yet to begin talks over a move for Lionel Messi, while Erling Haaland is Barcelona s ideal signing.

Messi s future continues to be a major talking point as the star s contract at Barcelona expires at the end of the season.

City have been one of the clubs most strongly linked with a move for the six-time Ballon d Or winner, but it seems the Premier League giants are waiting.

TOP STORY – MAN CITY YET TO BEGIN MESSI TALKS

Manchester City are yet to open talks with Lionel Messi, according to ESPN.

The report says City will wait until the Argentina international has decided his Barcelona future before considering negotiations.

It comes after claims the Premier League side had already tabled an offer …

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted there was little his side could do to stop influential Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze after the pair lifted the hosts to a 3-2 victory at Selhurst Park.

A frenetic first 30 minutes in south London started in stunning fashion with Ben Brereton Diaz’s opener inside the first 21 seconds, cancelled out by Eze via Olise’s assist.

James McAtee quickly restored United’s lead but the sides were square at the break after Olise once again teed up Eze before he got himself on the scoresheet with the 67th-minute game-winner.

Wilder, whose side remain bottom of the Premier League, said: “We got pushed back, those two players decided a pretty tight game.

“The quality that those two players have, y…

Inter Milan are lining up a January bid for FC Porto full-back Alex Sandro, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Nerazzurri are set to make a real splash in the transfer market after Erick Thohir completed the club takeover, with the Brazilian defender one of the first names on their hit-list.

With Alvaro Pereira likely to be sold after failing to make an impact at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Inter boss Walter Mazzarri wants to replace him with Alex Sandro.

The only problem is that FC Porto are not too keen on selling their prized asset, especially as the €15 million bid being mentioned is deemed insufficient.

Alex Sandro joined the Dragons from Santos in the summer of 2011, and has since developed into a first team regular at Estadio do Dragao.

…

John Terry has put pen to paper on a new one-year contract with Chelsea, .

Aside from a brief loan spell with Nottingham Forest, the 34 year has spent his whole career at Stamford Bridge, racking up six hundred and fifty-three appearances in all competitions scoring fifty-nine goals.

During his time with the London club, he has won a whole host of major honours including three Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups, the Europa League and the Champions League.

Internationally, he was been capped seventy-eight times for England over nine years but hasn’t played for his country since announcing his retirement in September 2012.

This season has he played every minute of the Blues’ Premier League campaign, and his form has helped his s…

Hamburg have renewed the contract of hot prospect Jann-Fiete Arp.

After years of battling for survival Hamburg suffered a historic relegation last season, having previously been the only ever-present Bundesliga team since its inception in 1963.

However, despite this setback, they have been able to cling onto prized asset Arp.

The 18-year-old was a shining light in 2017-18, appearing 18 times and becoming the first player born in the 21st century to play and score in the German top division.

It was believed that Bayern Munich had been on the verge of buying the youngster, who has scored 18 times in 19 games for Germany s Under 17 squad.

However, he has now put pen to paper on a deal through 2020, committing to the clubs 2. Bundesliga campaign next …

Could Lionel Messi swap Barcelona for Inter?

Messi has been linked to Inter since ex-president Massimo Moratti said the six-time Ballon d Or winner joining the Serie A club was not a forbidden dream .

The 32-year-old s future at Camp Nou has made headlines throughout the 2019-20 season.

TOP STORY – INTER WANT MESSI

Inter are seriously working on trying to sign Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, according to TNT Sports.

Former Inter president Massimo Moratti said the Nerazzurri luring Messi – contracted until 2021 – to San Siro was not impossible and speculation has intensified since those comments.

TNT Sports says Inter are ready to push through negotiations for the six-time Ballon d Or winner, while boyhood club Newell …

(GSM) Former Arsenal and England defender Sol Campbell has been linked to a move to Manchester United according to a host of news reports. United are eying a move for the experienced center-back as a solution to their injury-plagued defense.

Campbell is without a club following his ill-fated move to League Two side Notts County. The player quit the League Two outfit after only one game and has been available for a free transfer move ever since.

With defenders Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Gary Neville, John O’Shea, Jonny Evans, Rafael da Silva and Fabio da Silva currently injured, Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad is living a real injury crisis. This crisis may tempt the Scotish manager to jump at the possibility to sign Campbell for free.

Fergu…

Looking good

Saturday 19th December

Arsenal v Hull

It is almost worth hoping that Arsenal will drop some points just to see which particular toys Arsene Wenger would throw out of his cot this time. The ungracious way in which he drops points is becoming a little boring.

Having said that, there is no way they will drop any points in this one. They may have only drawn at Burnley in midweek but that is a very different proposition to Hull at home.

Hull will remember their famous vicory at this ground last season but they are unlikely to build any new happy memories this time around.

SoccerNews prediction: 3-0

Aston Villa v Stoke

It might just be that Aston Villa have become genuine top four contenders. It is true that we all felt the same t…

Unai Emery claims he was not given a minimum benchmark of success upon taking over at Paris Saint-Germain, but realises the team is expected to challenge for every domestic trophy.

PSG won Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue last season, while reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

That was not enough for Laurent Blanc to keep his job at Parc des Princes, the club s Qatari owners turning to Emery in an attempt to fulfil their European ambitions.

The Spaniard won three successive Europa League titles at Sevilla from 2014 to 2016, but has struggled to replicate the domestic dominance of his predecessor in the French capital.

The reigning champions occupy the unfamiliar territory of third in Ligue 1, four points behind leader…