Lyon leading the race for Liverpool target

Lyon are in pole position to sign Sochaux midfielder Ryad Boudebouz, according to L’Est Republicain.


The highly rated winger is widely tipped to leave Sochaux in January after deciding against extending his contract that expires in June 2013.
The 21-year-old is tracked by a number of Premiership sides and he even confirmed an interest from Liverpool in the summer.


However, it is French giants Lyon that are leading the race for the Algerian, with les Gones already preparing a January bid for the player.
Lyon officials have contacted Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe, although no offers have been made.


Les Gones are hoping to wrap up the deal quickly in order to beat other interested clubs to the player’s signature.

Inter may woo Messi

Inter’s Thiago Motta believes that if Lionel Messi ever leaves Barcelona he would join the San Siro outfit over any other club in the world.
The 29-year-old midfielder thinks that Messi could decide to quit the Camp Nou giants at some point in the future and join the Italian side who have always admired him.
“If Messi was to leave Barcelona then the first team he would join would be Inter,” Motta told Inter Channel.
“He is still young, but sooner or later the moment for him to change will come.”
The Italy international played alongside Messi during his time at Camp Nou before leaving for Atletico Madrid in 2007.
Motta explained the striker’s qualities off the pitch and suggested he would like to team up with the superstar once more.
“I am a good friend of Messi, he is a simple guy and very humble,” added Motta.
Motta then spoke about the Blaugrana’s footballing philosophy – just 24 hours after the Spanish club opened their new La Masia youth academy.
“When I arrived at Barcelona, they taught me to always pass the ball and look for the play, never to waste possession,” added Motta.
“When I arrived at Camp Nou my idol was Rivaldo. Then when Louis van Gaal came I realised my position on the pitch was that of Phillip Cocu who I played with for two or three years. I learned a lot from him.”
The Brazilian-born midfielder joined Barcelona in 1999 and played for the B team before making his debut for the senior side two years later.

Sir Alex Ferguson Ready for Manchester Derby

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has called Sunday’s match-up between United and City at Old Trafford the biggest Manchester derby since he took over the club in 1986.
In recent years, Fergie has made some bold statements when referring to United’s bitter rivals. The Scottish manager has dubbed City a “small club with a small mentality” and “noisy neighbours”, but even Sir Alex knows those days are long gone.
City are finally legitimate candidates to win the Premier League, which will surely make Sunday’s clash even more intense than usual.
That being said, Sir Alex dubbed  last week’s game at Anfield the Red Devils most important game of the season.

“The last couple of years they (the derbies) have become more intense and there is more importance attached to them,” said Ferguson.
“On Sunday it’s top of the league against second top and it really builds up into a fantastic prospect for everyone. I am looking forward to that.”

Nani on City Threat
Manchester United winger Nani believes that City’s legitimate title hopes this season will provide even more motivation for the Red Devils.

“These are the games that always get the team motivated,” said Nani.
“When we play these games the team has a different attitude and a different motivation. Of course we like to play big games like this and we hope to win as well.
“Every year the games against City seem to get more important. We usually play well against them and I hope I can make a contribution to make sure we win on Sunday.
“They are playing well, they have a good team, they have good players, and of course it will be more difficult than other games. But we should not forget we are United. When we play at home it is difficult to beat us.
“My confidence for these games is high,” added Nani.
“I feel comfortable in these sort of games. I like the pressure they bring. I have the quality and mentality to play in them.
“I have scored a few goals against City recently. I scored a good goal in last season’s win at Old Trafford but Rooney’s was even better. But I feel confident I can score against them again.
“The semi-final defeat is not playing on our minds. All the players have forgotten this now, especially as we beat City in the Community Shield at the start of the season. It’s important that we remember that, rather than the semi-final.
“It is too early to say it is just going to be about Manchester United and Manchester City for the title. “You cannot ignore Chelsea. They have also been playing well.”

Agent denies Arsenal made an offer for hulk

The agent of Porto forward Hulk has moved to deny reports that Arsenal have contacted his client regarding a move to the Emirates.


Recent reports suggested that the Gunners were willing to pay €23 million for the Porto star in addition to offering Marouane Chamakh in exchange, but the player’s representative has laughed off such claims.


“Twenty three million, is that a joke?” Teodoro Fonseca was quoted as saying in A Bola.
He then revealed that the Gunners were indeed interested in signing the Brazilian.
“It is no wonder that the news have emerged, because every year there are clubs who want Hulk.


”I am sure that other interested clubs will appear. In the case of Arsenal, this is news to me.
“There was a time when they have shown their interest, but that’s about it.”

Fenerbahce weighing up move for Ricardo Carvalho

Turkish giants Fenerbahce are pondering January bid for Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho, according to Turkish newspaper Milliyet.


The Portuguese defender has one year left on his contract at Santiago Bernabeu and it is believed that he is now looking for a new challenge.
Jose Mourinho still sees the 33-year-old as an important member of the starting line-up, but with so many defensive options at his disposal, The Special One could decide to cash in on Carvalho in January.


Tukish Super Lig side Fenerbahce are hoping to take advantage of the situation and they are already preparing a bid for the veteran defender.
The Turks are willing to offer around €8 million for the player’s services, with the bid likely to be taken into serious consideration by Real Madrid officials.

Ibrahimovic wants more of the ball

Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes he can only score more goals if the ball is played to him more often.
Ibrahimovic is determined to prove the point against Juventus, who he played for from 2004-06, in theSerie A clash on Sunday.


The 29-year-old has only recently returned from an ankle injury and scored in his side’s 2-0 Champions League victory against Viktoria Plzen in midweek.
It was his third goal in as many matches this season, and Ibrahimovic said he can perform even better, but only if he gets some extra help.


“In the Champions League match I played in a position I really like,” he told Milan Channel.
“I can move back and forth a lot, even to help my team-mates.”
“I have more chances to do my thing and be more dangerous if I get the ball more frequently.”
Ibrahimovic went on to talk about this weekend’s clash against Juventus, , saying he is anticipating a close encounter.


“They are a really strong team, they have improved a lot when compared to last year, they have signed many players and appointed a new coach,” he said.
“And then there is our man, Andrea Pirlo, who is doing great. We should be careful, it will be very hard, just like every big match, but we must play our game because we remain favourites in Serie A, but also in the Champions League.”
Despite starting the match against the Czech side on Wednesday, Ibrahimovic said he was not yet fully fit.


“I am happy because I am feeling fine and for this I want to thank the people I worked with, but also my team-mates,” he added.
“Obviously I cannot be at 100 percent yet, but I am working every day to continue my recovery. In Wednesday’s game, I did not feel pain, but you never know what could happen.”
Meanwhile, Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini sees Ibrahimovic as the dangerman on Sunday.


“When you play against a player as good as Ibrahimovic then you have to be prepared, not just individually, but as a team,” Chiellini told Juventus Channel.
“It will be great to play against a champion like him, even better if we win.”