Ancelotti: It's Ronaldo's time to win Ballon d'Or

The Italian says he has been surprised by the Portuguese's professionalism since his arrival in Spain and says he prefers Angel Di Maria to Mesut Ozil

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti believes it is Cristiano Ronaldo's time to win the Ballon d'Or this year, ahead of Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery.

The Portuguese star has played second fiddle to Barcelona ace Messi since winning the prize for the first time back in 2008, with the Argentine claiming the last four titles in a row, but Ancelotti believes he deserves to win the latest crown for the all-round impact he has on the Spanish giants.

"It's Cristiano's moment to win it ahead of Messi and Ribery," Ancelotti told TV programme El Larguero. "He has surprised me the most with his professionalism. He's very serious, he has amazing attention to detail. It's that which helps us the most - he doesn't just score."

Ancelotti went on to explain his decision to allow Mesut Ozil to join Arsenal this summer, claiming he prefers Angel Di Maria for the balance he brings to the team alongside €100 million signing Gareth Bale.

"It was a technical decision [to sell Ozil]," he continued. "I prefer Di Maria for the balance of the team. 

"He has less quality than Ozil but, for his character and the way he helps the team, I wanted him. With the arrival of Bale I thought it was more important to have Di Maria than Ozil.

"[Bale] wasn't cheap but that's the price of the market. It was the wish of the player that brought him here. Tottenham offered him more money."

Bale has struggled with injuries in recent weeks, but Ancelotti feels he is now fully fit and could start the Clasico against Barcelona this weekend.

"Since he's been here, he has not had a back problem. The problem was his physical condition, as he hadn't trained. Now he's good, he's ready to play from the start. He could start against Barcelona.

"I asked him and he told me he prefers to play from the right. I think he likes playing from the right so he can shoot from his left foot."

Iker Casillas started the Champions League win over Valencia, but Ancelotti hinted that Diego Lopez will keep his place for Saturday's clash - though he insisted the club captain does not want to leave the club in January.

"It's a question for Iker, but I don't think he thinks like that," he said when asked if the Spain veteran would ask for a move.

"I have spoken with him to explain the situation. When he wants to talk to me, my door is always open. For a coach, to explain the situation is the most difficult. 

"I already knew Diego Lopez. In 2006 I wanted to bring him to AC Milan… He started before the pre-season and was very strong. It wasn't an easy decision. Casillas gives me confidence and so I play him in the Champions League, these games are as important as La Liga. 

"He is the captain, he has a lot of experience and he maintains the harmony in the team. Iker wants to stay at Madrid and this is good for us. But I've made my decision."

Finally, the former Paris Saint-Germain boss claims his side will face a tough challenge against a confident Barcelona side this weekend, and added that he is closer to Vicente del Bosque as a coach than Madrid predecessor Jose Mourinho.

"Barca play with a lot of confidence because they've changed practically nothing," he added. "When Mourinho was here there were problems but they played fantastically there [at Camp Nou]. I will try to play like the semi-final of the Copa del Rey last year, the 3-1, and not change anything.

"I'm closer to Del Bosque than Mourinho."

Fabregas: 'Spectacular' Ozil will bring out the best in Arsenal

The Barcelona midfielder has lauded his one-time La Liga rival, saying he can elevate the ability of his new Gunners team-mates and hinted at a return to the Emirates Stadium
Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has praised the club's capture of Mesut Ozil and believes the Germany international can take the Gunners to another level.

Arsene Wenger already had a wealth of playmakers to choose from, with many suggesting Arsenal did not really need Ozil, but Fabregas has quashed those notions and is convinced the 25-year-old will galvanise the north London outfit.


“If you have the chance to sign Mesut Ozil then you can’t let it pass you by,” the Barcelona man told The Daily Mail.

“He wanted to play for Arsenal. Wenger won him over and when you have the chance with a player like that it doesn’t matter if you already have seven or eight who are similar, you have to take it.

“Ozil is the man who makes the difference in the final third. He will find so much space in the Premier League and he’s a player who with space kills you. His final pass is brilliant. And he will score more goals in England than he did in Spain. He is a spectacular signing.

“Ozil will bring the best out in [Aaron] Ramsey and [Jack] Wilshere. They understand football the same way.

“The only player who maybe is a bit different is Theo Walcott but you also need that type of player because it’s true that at the end of pass, pass, pass you need a Pedro — someone who will get behind the opposition. Someone who gives depth and hits space.”

Fabregas was linked with a move back to the Emirates Stadium during the summer, though remained at Camp Nou, but says he would welcome a return in a coaching capacity.

“I’m sure they would give me the option to help out there,” the Spaniard added.

“Sol Campbell is there at the moment. Dennis Bergkamp also went there two or three times a week to train when he was doing his coaching badges. It’s a great club in that sense.
”

Rami set for Milan loan switch

The 27-year-old rejected the chance to join Napoli in favour of the Rossoneri, whom he will begin 2014 with, according to Bronzetti

Valencia defender Adil Rami has finalised a deal which will see him go on loan to AC Milan in January, according to agent Ernesto Bronzetti.

The 27-year-old's future at the Mestalla has been the subject of speculation recently, as the France international was slapped with a one-week suspension without pay for publicly criticising coach Miroslav Djukic and team-mates.

And Bronzetti has confirmed that he has sealed an escape route for the defender, who snubbed interest from Napoli prior to agreeing to join the Rossoneri early in 2014.

He told Radio Kiss Kiss: "I have just concluded the transfer, so it is complete.

"The player will go to Milan despite recent interest from Rafa Benitez at Napoli. He [Rami] was wanted by many clubs, but he chose the Rossoneri."

Reports emanating from Italy have suggested that a fee of €400,000 will be paid by Milan for the loan, while a further €7 million will be required at the end of the season should the Italian giants wish to make the move permanent.

Rami, whose contract with los Che runs until 2015, joined Valencia from Lille in 2011 and has subsequently made 93 appearances for the club.

Real Madrid sign Bale for world record fee

Los Blancos have finally announced the arrival
of the Wales international, who has usurped
new team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo as the
game's most expensive player Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of Gareth Bale from Tottenham Hotspur for a reported €100 million.
More to follow ...

Neymar set for first start as Barcelona save Messi for Atletico clash

The Catalans' €57 million summer signing has begun life at Camp Nou on the bench, but is likely to feature from the outset at Malaga as the Argentine recovers from a bruised thigh
Neymar is set for his first competitive start with Barcelona on Sunday as Lionel Messi misses the trip toMalaga to recover from the bruised thigh he picked up in the Spanish Supercopa against Atletico Madrid on Thursday.

The Catalans' €57 million summer signing from Santos lost seven kilos following surgery to remove his tonsils after Brazil's Confederations Cup win in June and has been gradually stepping up his training and match fitness ever since.

Neymar began on the bench as Barca battered Levante 7-0 last weekend and opened his goalscoring account for the Catalan club as he headed the equaliser in the 1-1 draw at Atletico on Thursday after replacing Pedro at the Vicente Calderon, but the 21-year-old is set for a more prominent role on Sunday.

"We will not put any pressure on Neymar," coach Gerard Martino said last week. "We want to integrate him into the team little by little."

And the Barca boss refused to reveal whether the Brazilian would start against Malaga as he addressed the media on Saturday. "Just because Messi is out, that doesn't mean Neymar will play - that he will be the one pulling the strings..." the Argentine explained. "We have lots of players [who can do that]: [Andes] Iniesta, Xavi, Cesc [Fabregas], Pedro..."

Nevertheless, Neymar is desperate to feature from the outset after his cameo appearances against Levante and Atletico, and Martino is unlikely to leave the club's new star on the bench for a third game in a row.

Instead, the Brazilian is primed for a starting spot against Malaga and is likely to be replaced late in the game if he is too tired to complete the full 90 minutes.

Messi, meanwhile, has been left out of the squad for the game in Andalucia to recover in time for the Supercopa second leg at home to Atleti on Thursday night, when Barca will look to claim their first silverware of the season.

"Leo is evolving well," Martino said on Saturday. "Leaving him out [for the Malaga game] is just a precaution."

Yaya Toure: Barcelona were the club of my heart

The Manchester City midfielder tells of the affection he had towards his former club and the difficulty of leaving, though stresses he remains happy at the Etihad Stadium

Yaya Toure says Barcelona were the club of his heart, admitting he never thought he would leave the Catalan giants for Manchester City.

The Cote d'Ivoire midfielder has become an integral part of City's side since arriving from Camp Nou for €30 million in July 2010, scoring 29 goals in 135 games for the club.

However in an interview with Sport, the 30-year-old revealed he had intended to see out his career with the Catalans and only a lack of first-team opportunities convinced him to leave.

"Barca were the club of my heart," the two-time African Player of the Year said.

"I had planned to retire there, to stay for many years. I've a lot of love for many people: [Andres] Iniesta, [Victor] Valdes, Xavi, [Sergio] Busquets... we were like a little family. [Gerard] Pique and [Carles] Puyol, too.

"I was 27 when I left, with enormous competition for places. I wanted to play more and not be on the bench. Leaving was the most difficult decision of my life, I loved that club and the fans. But now I am happy, at City I'm part of something very nice."

Toure has won the Premier League, FA Cup and Community Shield since moving to England and was amongst the scorers as City opened the season with a 4-0 win over Newcastle United last week.

Benzema will not go to Arsenal, says Real Madrid striker's agent

Karim Benzema's agent insists the striker will not leave Real Madrid for Arsenal this summer. Goal exclusively revealed on Friday that Arsene Wenger is considering a move for the France
international, although any potential deal hinges on whether Madrid will launch an offer
for Liverpool forward Luis Suarez before the
close of the transfer window .
But the 25-year-old's agent claims the player
does not want to leave the Santiago Bernabeu
this summer despite the speculation
surrounding his future.
"We can not fight against the rumours, but I assure you Karim will not go to Arsenal," Karim
Djaziri told French newspaper Le Journal du
Dimanche.
"There has never been any discussions and no
contact has been established."
The Gunners, yet to make a major summer signing, have also been in talks with Real Madrid over Benzema's team-mate Angel Di
Maria. The Argentine will be allowed to leave the club
as they prepare to announce the world-record
transfer of Tottenham's Gareth Bale to the
Spanish capital.

'Beast' Villa can fill Falcao void - Costa

The 24-year-old believes the former Barcelona star will more than compensate for the loss of the Colombian this season
Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa is backing David Villa to fill the goalscoring void left by Radamel Falcaofor the 2013-14 season.

The Colombian hit 70 goals in total throughout his two-year stay in the Spanish capital prior to his €60 million move to Monaco, prompting the Rojiblancos to swoop for Barcelona striker Villa earlier this summer.

And Costa is convinced the Spain international will prove a more than adequate replacement for the 27-year-old Falcao, describing him as a "beast" who gives his all for the side.

"You notice the absence of Falcao because he is a great player, but we have Villa who is also a beast and we know that he is going to do just as well," Costa told the club's website.

"His work and commitment for the team is amazing. He is a very humble person and he has a great attitude. I think with the quality he has he will give a lot to Atletico."

Villa, 31, will face former employers Barcelona for the first time since his summer move when Atleti host the Liga champions for the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday.

Arsenal in Valencia for talks over €20m Guaita

The north London club sent a representative to Spain on Tuesday night with a view to signing the talented 26-year-old goalkeeper, who was recently on the radar of Barcelona
Arsenal sent a representative to Valencia on Tuesday to discuss the signing of goalkeeper Vicente Guaitafor a fee of around €20 million.

Valencia had planned to keep Guaita, but the shot-stopper was furious at being left on the bench for the weekend win over Malaga (when coach Miroslav Djukic picked Brazilian Diego Alves instead) despiteclaiming only last week that he would fight for his first-team future at Mestalla. 

Guaita, who has previously been linked with Barcelona as a replacement for Victor Valdes next summer, has a release clause of €30 million but is likely to be available for around €20m.

The 26-year-old met with his representatives after he was left out by Djukic on Saturday, when Valencia beat Malaga 1-0, and Arsenal appear to have moved quickly for the highly-rated goalkeeper.

Chief negotiator Richard Law travelled to Spain on Tuesday evening to discuss terms with Valencia president Amadeo Salva and, although an agreement has not yet been reached, further talks are expected on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Salva claimed Guaita would only be allowed to leave if he requested a transfer. 

"It will have to be he who says he doesn't want to stay at Valencia [because] we don't want to sell him and we will protect the interests of our club," he said.

"If he wants to leave, he will have to say so. We want him to renew his contract, but it is up to him whether he accepts or rejects our offer. Nobody has told me anything about Arsenal, but if anyone wants to sign him his clause is €30m."

However, it is believed Valencia will sell for considerably less than that figure, with the Costa Blanca club also now having retracted their offer of a new contract.

Meanwhile, Spanish station Cadena Ser reported on Tuesday that the goalkeeper has already said goodbye to his team-mates.

If the move goes through, Guaita will be the second star to leave his local club this summer for north London after Roberto Soldado joined Tottenham earlier in August.

Schuster: Casillas should leave Real Madrid

The Malaga coach insists he can empathise with the 32-year-old's position at the club and says he should be playing regular first-team football
Malaga boss Bernd Schuster has weighed in on the goalkeeping saga at Real Madrid, insisting he would understand it if Iker Casillas were to leave the Santiago Bernabeu side.

The Spain international No.1 was forced to watch from the sidelines yet again as los Blancos opened up their Liga campaign with a 2-1 victory over Betis on Sunday, with Diego Lopez continuing to be preferred in goal following his impressive displays last season since joining the club in January from Sevilla.

And former Madrid boss Schuster can empathise with Casillas' position at the club, even saying he would be unsurprised if the 32-year-old decided to leave the Bernabeu to ensure he is selected for Spain's World Cup side next year.

"I'd understand it if Iker wants to leave," Schuster told Tiki Taka.

"It was impossible to imagine Raul at another club, and it's the same with Iker, but this year there is a World Cup and he cannot afford to spend a year sitting on the bench. He has to play.

"We need to remember that Iker went out of the team because of an injury and the coach replaced him with a substitute. Because of an injury, the player has the right to return to the team.

Casillas was ousted by Lopez while Jose Mourinho was still coach and, despite coming back from a broken hand, was unable to force his way back into the first team following a string of strong displays by his goalkeeping rival.

However, with a new season underway and a new coach in charge of Madrid, Schuster is baffled by the club's decision to keep the saga ongoing and believes Casillas should be reinstated as first-choice shot-stopper.

"Being the Madrid goalkeeper is a very difficult job and Iker is who he is, and a player as good as him cannot afford to be in a situation like this one," he added.

"I don't understand it. Even though there is a lot of competition, which is a good thing, Iker needs to be playing.

"The reason it's a problem is that, as we saw last year, this isn't any old player. We have already started discussing this issue this season and it dominated the last few months of Mourinho's tenure, it was unbelievable, it's not good for the team nor for Iker. 

"It has surprised me that this situation has been allowed to rumble on, the club needs to find a proper solution."

Khedira not leaving Madrid, insists agent

The holding midfielder has recently been linked
with a summer move, but his representative has
stressed his client is going nowhere

Sami Khedira has no intention of leaving Real Madrid this summer, his agent Jorg Neubauer has insisted.
The holding midfielder no longer seems to be an
undisputed starter at Madrid under new head
coach Carlo Ancelotti and has recently been linked
with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, however, the Italian has denied the German will move. However, his representative has also made it clear
there is no truth in the rumours linking him with
the Ligue 1 champions.
"Sami will play at Madrid in the upcoming
season," Neubauer was quoted as saying by Bild.
"I don't know who seems to think it's fun to spread rumours about his future. It's annoying
and hurts Sami."
Khedira joined Madrid from Stuttgart in the
summer of 2010 and has since developed into an
important first team member.
The 26-year-old has a contract with the Liga giants until June 2015.

Di Maria and Pepe rule out Real Madrid exits

The pair have been tipped to leave the Santiago Bernabeu this summer but insist they have no intention of moving

Angel Di Maria and Pepe have insisted they will both be Real Madrid players next season, despite continued reports linking them with a move to the Premier League.

Di Maria has been strongly linked with a switch to Tottenham as part of a deal to bring Gareth Bale to the Santiago Bernabeu, but says he will definitely not be leaving the Spanish capital.

"I'm staying in Madrid, because I have three years left on his contract and I'm very happy here,” the 25-year-old told journalists following the side’s 3-0 friendly win over Inter.

"Also in (Ancelotti’s) selection, I have been playing more frequently in the middle. I’m used to and I feel comfortable playing there."

Manchester City have also been credited with an interest in Pepe, 30, with Manuel Pellegrini keen to strengthen his backline, though the Portuguese claims the thought of a transfer has not crossed his mind after praising new boss Carlo Ancelotti.

“I have signed a contract with Madrid, my future is an issue for the president," he said. “I just train hard and try to give my best for the team. I am ready to fight for my place.”

“The coach is very close to the squad, and that's a good sign. He has great affection for the players. He is also great tactically and that is helping us a lot.

“The most important thing for us is to start with a win. We are just thinking about the first three points.”

Pepe lost his place in the starting XI last season after the emergence of Raphael Varane as Jose Mourinho's first choice centre-back, but with the coach having left the club and the Frenchman injured, he could have the opportunity to win back his starting berth.

Bale not in Tottenham squad for Espanyol friendly

The winger has made it known to Spurs that he wants to join Real Madrid, and despite attending training this week he will sit out yet another pre-season friendly with injury

Gareth Bale will not feature in Tottenham's friendly with Espanyol on Saturday.

The Welshman was back in training with Spurs this week after making it clear that he wants to move to Real Madrid.

Reports in Spain have maintained that the 24-year-old has not been injured all summer, but he did receive treatment for a knock on Monday.

He has also been named in Chris Coleman's Wales squad for Wednesday's friendly against the Republic of Ireland.

Daniel Levy and Florentino Perez held further talks over a €115 million transfer in Florida this week, though Perez has claimed that the fee is "a lot of money".

Meanwhile, Roberto Soldado makes his Spurs debut after sealing his €30m transfer from Valencia. Nacer Chadli and Paulinho also start.

Tottenham starting XI v Espanyol: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Fryers, Rose; Dembele, Chadli, Paulinho; Lennon, Soldado, Sigurdsson.
Subs: Friedel, Kaboul, Naughton, Stewart, Huddlestone, Sandro, Townsend, Defoe.