Marseille suffer Mbia blow

Nantes have agreed a two-year loan with a purchase option to bring Fiorentina goalkeeper Alban Lafont to Stade de la Beaujoire.

The 20-year-old was Fiorentina s first-choice goalkeeper in 2018-19, making 34 appearances as La Viola finished 16th in Serie A after joining for €8.5million from Toulouse in July 2018.

Despite holding down his place in the team under Stefano Pioli and then Vincenzo Monella, Lafont failed to settle in Tuscany and opted to return to Ligue 1 with Nantes, who have an option to make the signing permanent for a reported €7million fee.

Born in Burkina Faso, Lafont has played for France at youth level and made 98 Ligue 1 appearances during three years at Toulouse.

Alban dans son nouveau jardin

— FC Nantes (@FCNantes)

…

that Premier League giants Arsenal are hot on the trail of FC Porto starlet Andre Silva.

The 20-year-old exploded onto the big stage this season, scoring 5 goals in 7 league outings, while netting once in four Champions League matches.

Andre Silva has caught the eye of top European clubs in the process, and it has now been revealed that Arsenal have rekindled their interest in his services.

The Gunners manager Arsene Wenger first spotted the talented forward at the 2015 Under-20 World Cup in New Zealand, where he scored 4 goals in 5 appearances.

The Frenchman has been impressed with the player’s performances this season, and he will continue to closely monitor his showings with a view of bringing him to the Emirates in the near future.

After r…

Inter have announced the signing of Antonio Candreva from Lazio on a four-year contract.

The Italy international leaves the Rome outfit after four seasons, having made almost 200 appearances, becoming Inter s first acquisition since Suning Holdings Group took over the club.

Candreva has also played 40 times for his national team, appearing at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016.
 

Antonio è dell ! In nerazzurro fino al 2020

— F.C. Internazionale (@Inter)

I m really proud and happy to be here, he told the club s website.

I always wanted to move to Inter and it is a very strong emotion to have arrived at Inter.

I thank Lazio for the seasons we spent together and for giving me the chance to achieve this dream.

Now…

Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen have announced on their official website that they have signed German midfielder Emre Can from Bayern Munich.

The details of the transfer were not disclosed, but it was revealed the player had signed a four-year deal with the club.

Leverkusen have produced quite a coup by signing one of Germany s most talented footballers, and further reinforced the squad ahead of the new season.

The club officials have been very busy this summer, having already recruited Heung-Min Son, Emir Spahic, Andres Palop, Giulio Donati and Roberto Hilbert, among others.

Emre Can, who came through the youth ranks at Bayern, broke into the first team set up during the 2011/2012 season, but it was last term that he started getting much needed playing…

Serie A heavyweights AC Milan are preparing for yet another busy summer.

Rossoneri have invested a great amount of money in building a squad that would at least secure a Champions League place next season but they once again failed in their effort having finished the 2017/18 season is sixth place in the Serie A.

Heading into the new campaign manager Gennaro Gattuso is keen to get rid of the overpriced flops and boost his squad with fresh blood and players up to his own liking.

Recent reports found in the claim that Rossoneri have already made a move for Lyon centre-back Marcelo.

The 31-year-old Brazil international join the French outfit from Besiktas last season and is unlikely to leave Lyon after just one year in France but AC Milan are willing to tes…

Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio has backed Marcelo Bielsa for success if he takes over at Leeds United.

Bielsa has been linked with a shock move to the Championship club, who sacked manager Paul Heckingbottom on Friday only four months after he was appointed.

Osorio, who has visited the former Athletic Bilbao and Marseille boss in Argentina in recent weeks, believes he could be the right man to take Leeds back to the Premier League.

He s a top man, he told a news conference. I think he s a top manager and he would do well.

In my visit three weeks ago, I spoke to him and he mentioned it to me, and I m very pleased.

I think that [the] league, the Premier League and the English league, will be his ultimate goal and hopefully he ll get there. I thi…

Curtis Davies agent has revealed his disappointment that Aston Villa are refusing to hold contract talks with the highly-rated centre-back.

Davies signed for Villa in 2008 in a £10million deal from West Bromwich Albion, after he spent a year on loan from the Baggies.

Under his current agreement, Villa would be obliged to offer fresh terms once he has played 60 games.

At the moment Davies has played 58 times, but he is currently sidelined until Christmas following shoulder surgery.

And it seems Davies is not too happy that Villa are insisting he plays his full quota of games before talks will commence.

It is slightly disappointing given the circumstances of Curtis injury and the fact he played on when the club were low on numbers, his age…

France coach Raymond Domenech on Tuesday welcomed Juventus striker David Trezeguet s comments about wanting to return to the national set-up.

Trezeguet, 31, announced his retirement from international football after being left out of Domenech s squad for the 2008 European Championship, but recently said he would like to be involved in November s World Cup play-off matches.

I like it when players say that they want to play, to hear that players need the French team and want to play for it, Domenech said.

It s healthy, it s good.

France face Austria here on Wednesday in their final group seven qualifying match, having already secured a place in the play-offs behind group leaders and automatic qualifiers Serbia.

The 1998 World Cup winners have fl…

Arsenal star Jack Wilshere has hailed the impact that former team-mate Cesc Fabregas had on him at the beginning of his career.

Fabregas played for the London club from 2004 until 2011 and towards the end of his spell with Arsene Wenger s team Wilshere was coming through as a promising youngster.

Although Wilshere only played alongside the Spain international for one year, he is confident that Fabregas is the best player he has ever played alongside.

He told Esquire Weekly: The best player I ever played with is probably Cesc Fabregas.

I only got to play with him for a year before he went back to Barcelona but I learnt so much from him – the way he knew what he was going to do with the ball before he got it and his passing, and he scored goals.

…

Edinson Cavani s father has claimed there is a 50-50 chance of his son leaving Napoli for Real Madrid.

The Uruguay international s future has been the subject of much debate for two years and Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis admitted earlier this month that he would be willing to part company with his most prized asset should any club meet the 70 million-euro asking price.

However, Cavani s father Luis believes Napoli will allow the striker to leave the San Paolo for less than the figure stated in his buy-out clause.

Napoli have refused offers from a lot of teams, but I believe that if an offer of 60 million euros arrives, he will be sold, Cavani senior told Marca TV.

I believe that today there is a 50 percent chance of signing for Real Madrid, bu…