City’s Catalan trip ...one day into season!

MANCHESTER CITY manager Pep Guardiola is to take his squad to a training camp in Catalonia straight after their opening Premier League game. The former Barcelona boss will return to his homeland for a four-day stay — which includes a friendly against Girona — within a day of kicking off their campaign at Brighton on August 12. Meanwhile, Nice are a possible destination for Manchester City outcast Samir Nasri. The 30-yearold has two years left on his £180,000-a-week City contract. Pep Guardiola’s squad is awash with midfielders and Nasri is up for sale, with City hoping for £10m. ATLETICO MADRID manager Diego Simeone has hinted that Chelsea’s Diego Costa could be back at his old club in January. Atletico want to make one more signing during the current window, though they cannot register new players until their transfer embargo is lifted in January 2018. Costa has been jettisoned by Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and Simeone said: ‘Diego Costa? If he comes in January. We can’t say anything about that yet.’ Meanwhile, the FA will not punish John Terry over his farcical 26th-minute substitution against Sunderland last season, his last outing for Chelsea.

REAL MADRID forward Cristiano Ronaldo pleaded his innocence after testifying in court yesterday against charges of evading €14.7m (£13.1m) in taxes. The 32-year-old, who was in the Pozuelo de Alarcon court for 90 minutes, released a statement, saying: ‘I have never hidden anything . . . nor have I had the smallest intention of evading taxes.’