Aaron Ramsey has been left out of Juventus' squad for their pre-season tour of the United States amid reports the midfielder wants his contract terminated in Turin.

The Wales international struggled for appearances last season before he was considered surplus to requirements as Massimiliano Allegri sent him on loan to Rangers.

Ramsey helped the Scottish Premiership side to the Europa League final but missed a penalty in the shoot-out as Eintracht Frankfurt lifted the trophy in Seville.

The 31-year-old is entering the final 12 months of his contract with Juve, but reports suggest he wants to cut short his deal to end a frustrating and injury-marred spell with the Serie A side.

Cardiff City are said to be among front-runners to sign Ramsey – who played just 97 Serie A minutes last season – with Burnley, Rangers and a host of MLS sides also linked to the midfielder.

Ramsey will want to be playing regular first-team club football ahead of going to the World Cup with Wales in November.

As Juventus head off the US, where they face C.D. Guadalajara, Barcelona and Real Madrid, Federico Chiesa is another to have been left out of the 27-man squad as he continues his recovery from an ACL injury.

There are also injury concerns Mattia De Sciglio, Kaio Jorge and Arthur, who is reportedly a target for Arsenal should Mikel Arteta not be able to sign Leicester City star Youri Tielemans.

Meanwhile, Adrien Rabiot had already confirmed on Wednesday that he would miss the tour due to "personal reasons" and was subsequently left out of Allegri's squad that was announced the following day.

Gleison Bremer, Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria have all been included as Juventus prepare to see their new arrivals in action.

Samir Handanovic says it is "essential" Inter team-mate Milan Skriniar stays with the club, as the Nerazzurri look to come to a contract agreement with the defender.

The Slovakian centre-back has been linked with a move away from the San Siro, with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain reportedly launching another bid this week after previous attempts had been rejected.

Skriniar made 35 Serie A appearances for Inter last season as they failed to retain the league title they won in the 2020-21 campaign – a triumph that represented their first since the 2009-10 season.

Inter have reportedly offered a bumper new contract to the defender and Handanovic feels it is vital Skriniar remains at the Nerazzurri for their bid to wrestle back the Scudetto from city rivals Milan.

Handanovic told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "I say that it is very important, for me it is essential, that he remains with us.

"Extending at the last minute had never happened to me, but it was automatic on my part and the club also had no problems.

"We cannot lose any more pieces. I see him everyday calm and serene in Appiano [Inter's training ground]."

Handanovic also spoke on the return of Romelu Lukaku, who scored 24 goals in 36 Serie A appearances to help Inter to the title in 2020-21.

The Belgium striker made a big-money move to Chelsea, but an underwhelming first season back in England has led to him returning to Inter on a season-long loan.

"I am not surprised that he is back because I saw how he was at Chelsea," Handanovic added.

"In his famous statements, they felt melancholy and nostalgic.

"Now it is as if he had never gone away, he is the same person as before."

Bernardo Silva has vowed to shut out speculation about his future and commit to Manchester City until the time comes to leave the Premier League champions.

That could be several seasons away, or a matter of weeks if potential suitors put together a package that appeals to City.

Silva has been linked in the close season with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, with that level of interest underlining his status as one of Europe's leading attacking midfielders.

The Portugal international has spent five fruitful seasons at City, since joining from Monaco, and his contract runs through to the end of the 2024-25 season.

Manager Pep Guardiola is clearly not rushing to offload the 27-year-old, who is with City on their pre-season tour in the United States and played 76 minutes of Wednesday's friendly against Club America.

Addressing his future, Silva said on Sky Sports News: "What is really important is that I am preparing my season as well as possible.

"For as long as I play for City, I will always give my best. The relationship with the club, with the fans and my team-mates is fantastic, and I will always respect that."

Guardiola this week dismissed a report in French newspaper Le Parisien that claimed PSG had offered Neymar to City as part of a swap deal that would have seen Silva go the other way.

Barcelona appeared to be strongly interested earlier in pre-season but have since shifted their focus, bringing in Raphinha from Leeds United as an attacking midfield option while completing the signing of Franck Kessie on a free transfer from Milan.

Marcos Llorente has praised off-season additions in Axel Witsel and Alvaro Morata, prompting him to suggest Atletico Madrid will compete on all fronts this upcoming term.

While the likes of Luis Suarez, Hector Herrera and Sime Vrsaljko departed this off-season, Witsel joined Atleti on a free transfer upon the expiry of his contract with Borussia Dortmund, while Morata returns from his loan spell at Juventus.

Llorente became a utility of sorts for Diego Simeone last term, earning time on the pitch as a right-back, on the right wing and in central midfield as Atleti sputtered to a third-placed finish in LaLiga.

The 27-year-old believes that while Witsel has needed some time to adapt to Simeone's game plan, he will bolster Atleti's midfield, enabling them to compete on both domestic and continental fronts.

"He is a lovely guy who is going to help us a lot," Llorente told Cadena Ser. "He even has to adapt because coming here is not easy. He is going to give us a better exit from our own half in possession, he has a very good touch.

"He is adapting to what the coach asks of him little by little, and he is a smart guy who learns quickly. I think he is going to have a great season.

"I think the team will compete in all competitions, we have a team for that. The new additions will make us grow more, we are very confident in what we can do."

Despite the lack of positional continuity, Llorente has nevertheless found a home at Atleti under Simeone since arriving in 2019, maximising his dynamism and forcing his way into Spain national team selection.

While adding he "belongs" at Atletico Madrid, Llorente backed his club and international team-mate in Alvaro Morata, who he believes will hit the ground running before the World Cup.

"I see him very well. I think he can bring us many qualities, we all know him even if he has been away," Llorente said. "His matches with the national team show it, he is a top striker who is going to come in handy.

"We want to show what we are capable of. Last season we were very irregular, things didn't work out for us. It was a season that we did not count on, although we finished well.

"The objective is to continue with what was seen in that ending. Players arrive who raise the quality of the team, so we are looking forward to this beginning."

Julian Nagelsmann praised Matthijs de Ligt and Sadio Mane after they marked their Bayern Munich debuts by scoring in a 6-2 rout of DC United.

De Ligt scored with a sweet volley less than two minutes after coming on as a half-time substitute at Audi Field on Wednesday after Mane had opened the scoring from the penalty spot early on.

Netherlands defender De Ligt was only on the field for 25 minutes before he was withdrawn by Nagelsmann, but the Bayern head coach allayed concerns that his new recruit from Juventus may have sustained an injury.

Mane, signed from Liverpool last month, also set up a goal for Serge Gnabry before Nagelsmann sent out a totally different side for the second half.

Nagelsmann was pleased the impact his new signings made and allayed concerns over De Ligt's fitness ahead of a friendly against Manchester City in Green Bay on Saturday.

He said: "Both players have made a good start.

"Matthijs scored a brilliant goal with his left foot. I saw his impressive passing with his left foot in training today, and now this brilliant finish as well." 

Nagelsmann added of De Ligt's withdrawal: "He's not got an injury, nothing unusual happened. I think he'll be fit again tomorrow and will be able to play on Saturday."

Ryan Gravenberch and Noussair Mazraoui also caught the eye on their debuts, with the former providing an assist for Thomas Muller to complete the scoring.

Nagelsmann said: "Both have done really well, especially in training.

"The final ball from Ryan was brilliant. He's big but he's very quick on his feet. He played a great pass to Thomas."

Frenkie de Jong reportedly has no interest in signing with Manchester United, instead preferring either Chelsea or Bayern Munich if he is to leave Barcelona.

De Jong has been at the centre of Barcelona's transfer period, with widespread belief that the club must sell the 25-year-old to balance their books.

The Netherlands international has racked up 140 club appearances for Barcelona in his three seasons since arriving from Ajax, and he is determined to have a say in where he spends the next few years of his prime.

 

TOP STORY – DE JONG PREFERS CHELSEA, BAYERN OVER OLD TRAFFORD MOVE

In an explosive report from Spanish publication Sport, it says De Jong "does not like the city of Manchester or the functioning of United", with claims he feels the club has displayed "erratic behaviour" in recent years.

It also makes clear that he values Champions League football greatly at this point in his career, and any move away from the Spanish giants would need to land him at a club on equal footing.

According to the report, Chelsea are waiting for De Jong to officially decline United's approach before presenting a formal offer, but there is interest. 

Ultimately, he would prefer to stay at Barcelona, and if the club cannot clear up the issue of his significant unpaid wages, he may get his way.

 

ROUND-UP

Chelsea have set their sights on 20-year-old RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol, with The Sun declaring him the Blues' top target to replace Cesar Azpilicueta.

– Sky Sports Germany is reporting Borussia Dortmund are weighing up the potential signing of 35-year-old Luis Suarez in the wake of news that Sebastien Haller will be out indefinitely after the discovery of a testicular tumour.

West Ham remain engaged with Chelsea as they try to pry away 20-year-old Albanian striker Armando Broja, who Thomas Tuchel is said to be a fan of.

– With fullback Marc Cucurella likely heading to Manchester City, Brighton are considering a loan move for Arsenal's Nuno Tavares to plug the hole, according to O Jogo.

– The Guardian claims Jesse Lingard is in advanced talks to join Nottingham Forest, with the Daily Mail adding they have offered £200,000 to try and fend off interest from West Ham.

Debutants Sadio Mane and Matthijs de Ligt both scored in their first friendly appearance for their new club as Bayern Munich defeated DC United 6-2 on Wednesday.

Mane, fresh off his move away from Liverpool, did not have to wait long to open his account, stepping up to the penalty spot after Lucas Copado was brought down less than five minutes into the action.

He made no mistake from the spot, hammering his penalty into the left side of the goal to give Bayern a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute.

Marcel Sabitzer doubled the advantage in the 12th minute with a strike from the top of the box that wrong-footed the DC goalkeeper, and Serge Gnabry made it 3-0 at the break when he got on the end of a Mane assist in the 44th minute.

Bayern subbed on an entirely different 11 for the second half, including new arrival from Juventus De Ligt, and he made an emphatic entrance, firing home a left-foot volley from a corner to score 90 seconds later.

Joshua Zirkzee made it 5-0 in the 51st minute after an assist from Kingsley Coman, before DC finally answered back with a Skage Leland strike in the 54th.

Theodore Ku-Dipietro would give the American side something else to cheer for with his goal in the 83rd minute, before Bayern icon Thomas Muller completed the rout to make it 6-2 in the 92nd.

England defender Millie Bright highlighted her side's versatility after a gutsy 2-1 comeback win against Spain in extra time of their Women's European Championships quarter-final on Wednesday.

After a goalless first half, Spain snatched the lead in the 54th minute when Esther Gonzalez found space in the penalty area and finished low and hard across Mary Earps in the English goal.

With their tournament hanging in the balance, Ella Toone was subbed on with half an hour to play, and she proved to be the hero when she got on the end of Alessia Russo's squaring head to stab in the equalising volley from the edge of the six-yard box in the 84th minute.

Locked at 1-1, extra time was needed, and England made sure their fans would head home happy after Georgia Stanway found what would turn out to be the match-winner in the 96th minute, firing a rocket across the Spanish keeper into the top-left of the goal from well outside the penalty area.

Speaking to the media after the result, Bright talked about finding a different way to win, knowing it would be a very different contest than their recent drubbings of Northern Ireland (5-0) and Norway (8-0).

"It's all part of the game, and you're gonna come up against different challenges," she said. "Again, we knew that they were going to have a lot of the ball. 

"We were gonna have to find that different way of winning, and having been in games where, like I said, we scored a lot of goals. But it's about being clinical when you get those chances. I thought the players that were on and the players that came on did that excellently.

"I think, obviously, we were dealing with not having the ball a lot, and having to stay really tight defensively. Then knowing when we got the ball, it's how we use it, and how we can punish them and work towards their weaknesses.

"But yeah, it was just a matter of trying to rush a little bit without kind of turning it over and making mistakes, and obviously, we knew we had that pressure. 

"I think everyone is aware of the clock in the game and the score line. But yeah, I think for us, we stuck together as a team, knew what we needed to do, and executed it."

Bright also touched on the atmosphere inside Amex Stadium, saying they feel the pressure, but are "loving every minute".

"[It was] probably one of the biggest [nights of my career] to be honest," she said. "Just with it being our home Euros and, you know, having all the fans there and the atmosphere is incredible. 

"Everyone keeps talking about the pressure that's on us, but we embrace every moment, we're embracing the fans.

"There's always pressure in football at the highest level, so we've all dealt with that in the past, and yeah, we're just loving every minute."

Niklas Sule has offered his support to Borussia Dortmund team-mate Sebastien Haller after he discovered a testicular tumour, insisting on-pitch matters are "one hundred per cent in the background" while he recovers.

Haller, a new signing at Dortmund, was forced to leave the club's pre-season training camp in Switzerland after feeling unwell on Monday, with subsequent tests revealing the tumour.

Dortmund boss Edin Terzic then revealed the striker had returned to Germany for further tests, describing the news as "brutally difficult".

Haller's former Ajax and Utrecht coach Erik ten Hag was among those to wish the Ivory Coast international a speedy recovery yesterday, sentiments which have now been echoed by fellow Dortmund new boy Sule.

"The sporting aspect is one hundred per cent in the background," the defender told Dortmund's media channels. "It is the man Sebastien Haller that we miss. 

"We wish him all the best, that he gets well again quickly and a lot of strength for the time that will come now. 

"How he handled the news was very positive. As a team, we wanted to give him a small sign that we were with him. I wish that he will get well very soon."

Milan are confident of concluding a deal to sign promising Club Brugge forward Charles de Ketelaere, according to technical director Paolo Maldini.

Stefano Pioli's men are in the market for attacking reinforcements after winning their first Serie A title since 2010-11 last season, with Brugge duo Noa Lang and De Ketelaere both reported targets.

De Ketelaere, who scored 18 goals in all competitions last season and has won eight senior caps for Belgium since his 2020 debut, has been strongly linked to both the Rossoneri and Premier League side Leeds United.

Earlier this month, Brugge head coach Carl Hoefkens insisted the forward would only be allowed to leave "at the right time".

But Milan appear to be closing in on the 21-year-old's signature after Maldini joined Rossoneri director of football Frederic Massara in Belgium for negotiations, after which the legendary defender expressed his confidence a deal would be done.

Asked how talks were progressing by Tuttomercato, Maldini responded: "Good. There is confidence."

Pioli's men could be set to make two additions to their squad after Lille president Oliver Letang revealed midfielder Renato Sanches was likely to depart for either Milan or Paris Saint-Germain.

Georgia Stanway powered home a stunning extra-time strike to send England into the Euro 2022 semi-finals with a 2-1 victory over Spain in Brighton on Wednesday. 

The Lionesses had not lost in 17 games under coach Sarina Wiegman but fell behind to Esther Gonzalez's second-half finish before substitute Ella Toone equalised with six minutes to go. 

Stanway smashed in the decisive goal in the 96th minute and England will next face either Sweden or Belgium, who meet in Leigh on Friday, after making the last four at a major tournament for the fourth successive time. 

Ellen White thought she had opened the scoring in a cagey first half but was denied by the offside flag, before Gonzalez finished into the bottom-left corner after Athenea del Castillo's cutback in the 54th minute. 

Mary Earps kept England in the game with a smart save from Del Castillo's deflected cross and the Lionesses capitalised as Toone volleyed home from Alessia Russo's cushioned header to send the match to extra time. 

Stanway then delivered the decisive moment, receiving the ball from Keira Walsh before driving forward and arrowing into the top-left corner to keep England's Euro 2022 hopes alive. 

Juventus new boy Gleison Bremer is drawing inspiration from Bianconeri legend Giorgio Chiellini after replacing Bayern Munich-bound Matthijs de Ligt at the Allianz Stadium. 

With Massimiliano Allegri's side losing De Ligt to the Bundesliga champions on Tuesday, they have swiftly gone about bolstering their backline with a move for Serie A's 2021-22 Defender of the Year.

Playing for Juve's local rivals Torino, Bremer led players across Europe's top five leagues for interceptions (105) last season, making 33 Serie A appearances and contributing to eight clean sheets.

Juventus have reportedly committed to paying €40million plus add-ons for the Brazilian, who will take Chiellini's number three shirt after the Euro 2020 winner left for Los Angeles FC.

And Bremer told the club's media channels he is seeking to emulate the 37-year-old, who he described as the finest defender Italy had to offer. 

"Juventus is a team that always wants to win, and I also have the ambition to win," Bremer said.

"I also talked a bit with Chiellini and I decided that Juventus were the best team.

"I also have a dog that is black and white! It was in my destiny.

"Chiellini is the best Italian defender, I've always said that. So I'm inspired a little by him, and I'll try to do what he did."

After winning nine consecutive league titles between 2011-12 and 2019-20, Juventus have since finished fourth in successive Serie A campaigns.

But Bremer believes the acquisitions of players such as Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba served to convince him of Juve's chances winning of silverware next season.

The centre-back, who was also strongly linked with Inter, added: "When I saw that Pogba and Di Maria arrived, I had no doubts about who to choose. 

"We are a team built to win.

"I always want to win, the Scudetto, the Champions League. This is my goal."

Marseille have announced the signing of France defender Jonathan Clauss, who had previously been linked with Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Ligue 1 club, who appointed Igor Tudor as head coach after Jorge Sampaoli departed earlier this month, confirmed Clauss had signed a three-year deal on Wednesday.

Right-back Clauss was handed his France debut by Didier Deschamps during a friendly win over Ivory Coast in March and has appeared for the world champions four times to date.

Clauss enjoyed a fine campaign for Lens as they finished seventh in the French top flight last season, scoring five goals and adding 11 assists in 37 Ligue 1 appearances.

Only three players, including Paris Saint-Germain duo Kylian Mbappe (17) and Lionel Messi (14), teed up more goals than the 29-year-old in the competition, form that saw him linked with a switch to the Premier League and Atletico Madrid.

But in Ligue 1 he shall remain, with Marseille reportedly paying just €8million for the wing-back, who will hope to feature when France begin their World Cup campaign against Australia on November 22.

Marseille also announced the loan signing of goalkeeper Ruben Blanco from Celta Vigo, having allowed club legend Steve Mandanda to leave earlier this month.

Jamaica Reggae Girlz forward Khadijah Shaw and midfielder Drew Spence have been named to the Concacaf W Championship Best XI for the recently concluded tournament.

The duo was outstanding for the Jamaica national team who finished third overall at the event behind winners the United States and second place Canada.

The typically outstanding Shaw, the Jamaica national team’s all-time leading scorer, managed to net a tournament-leading three goals, which added up for a very productive 12 overall.

The introduction of Tottenham Hotspurs midfielder Spence was a major boost for the Jamaicans as she racked up a tournament-leading 15 pass interceptions an assist and a goal.

Also joining Shaw and Spence in the W Championship Best XI was Haiti livewire Melchie Dumornay who proved a slippery customer for opposing defenses to handle time and time again.  The Caribbean players were selected as part of a 3-4-3 formation.  The rest of the team was comprised of players from the United States and Canada.

 

Full squad

GK Kailen Sheridan, Canada 

DF Becky Sauerbrunn, United States 

DF Vanessa Gilles, Canada 

DF Naomi Girma, United States

MF Melchie Dumornay, Haiti 

MF Rose Lavelle, United States 

MF Jessie Fleming, Canada

MF Drew Spence, Jamaica

FW Julia Grosso, Canada 

FW Alex Morgan, United States

FW Khadija Shaw, Jamaica

 

Juventus have signed defender Gleison Bremer from Torino for a reported €40million fee, plus add-ons.

Massimiliano Allegri's side lost Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich on Tuesday but have swiftly acted to bring in Serie A's Defender of the Year from the 2021-22 season.

Bremer looked set to join Inter after announcing his intention to leave Torino, seeking Champions League experience to boost his World Cup squad hopes for Brazil in Qatar in November.

But the 25-year-old will still be playing his football in Turin next campaign after Juve confirmed Bremer's arrival on a five-year contract from their city rivals.

Bremer caught the eye in Serie A last season, making the most recoveries (284) and leading the charts for aerial duels won (132).

The centre-back also led the way across Europe's top five leagues for interceptions (105), averaging 3.3 per 90 minutes.

Bremer will hope to get his first taste of Serie A action for Juve when Allegri's side start their league campaign at home to Sassuolo on August 15.

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