Zidane admits Pogba on Real Madrid’s radar
MADRID: Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has confirmed James Rodriguez will remain at the club and admitted they are still in the race to sign France international Paul Pogba. The 23-year-old midfielder remains the number one target for top European clubs, including his former team Manchester United, who are, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, prepared to meet Juve’s asking price of 120 million euros (`885.34 crore). Asked about his compatriot Pogba, Zidane said: “Until August 31 anything can happen but Paul Pogba is not yet a Real Madrid player. “Every club is interested in Pogba because he is a great player. More so when you are Real Madrid because you always want the best. But we have to respect the player, he belongs to Juventus.”
MERTESACKER OUT FOR FEW MONTHS: WENGER LOS ANGELES: Arsenal’s German centre-back Per Mertesacker will be sidelined for a few months with a knee problem, the Premier League club’s manager Arsene Wenger told at a news conference on Tuesday. He was injured in Friday’s friendly away to Lens and has been ruled out of the preseason tour of the United States that kicks off on Friday against the MLS All-Stars in San Jose, California. Mertesacker’s injury means Wenger may have to rush back Laurent Koscielny, who is resting after helping France reach the Euro 2016 final, for the start of the Premier League season.
‘PRICE TAG DOESN’T GUARANTEE START’ MANCHESTER: Midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan acknowledges his hefty price tag does not guarantee him a starting place at Manchester United and is prepared to fight for a spot in manager Jose Mourinho’s first team. “It doesn’t matter if they buy me for, I don’t know, 38 million or 40 million, I am not guaranteed to play the games,” Mkhitaryan told British media.
“So I am trying to do my best during the training to earn this place to play and then we will see, because I don’t think I will play every game, depending on the tactical situation, depending on the opponent.”
EX-PLAYERS PREFER TV PUNDITRY: FA CHIEF LONDON: Lucrative broadcasting jobs is one of the reasons the Football Association (FA) is struggling to attract former England players into coaching, chief executive Martin Glenn has said.
“There is a pathway (to coaching) should they choose it,” Glenn told British media. “It’s just the alternative can seem more interesting, more fun and more lucrative. If you can earn millions being a pundit it’s a lot less pressured than it is running a team.”