Spanish daily newspaper that West Ham are on the verge of signing Italy international forward Simone Zaza.

The 24-year-old returned to Turin as Juventus exercised a buy-back option earlier this summer, but it appears that coach Max Allegri has not been impressed with the attacker.

And with Fernando Llorente expected to remain at the club, the coach seems ready to cash in on Simone Zaza.

According to Marca, West Ham are expected to sign the forward on a season-long loan for €3 million, while the purchase option would be set at €15 million.

Simone Zaza has two full Serie A seasons behind him, both spent at Sassuolo, and he has managed a total of 20 goals in 64 league outings for the Neroverdi.

But, just as everybody expected him to nail down a…

Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United s Premier League rivals would rather be in the Europa League final than scrapping over a top-four finish.

Mourinho s side must beat Ajax in Stockholm later this month to gain a Champions League berth for next season via victory in Europe s secondary club competition.

Defeat to Tottenham on Sunday ruled out the prospect of United finishing in the top four domestically, with Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal contesting the final two spots as the season enters its final week.

We, Manchester United, for us it is more important to win titles than to finish top four, Mourinho told reporters.

So if we can win a third title [including the Community Shield], or like you like to say a second title, if we can do that …

It perhaps served as a decent indication of how well things are going for Manchester City right now that when last season s painful defeats to Arsenal and Lyon were mentioned in a pre-match media conference, Pep Guardiola broke out into a big grin. 

The anguish of those respective FA Cup semi-final and Champions League quarter-final losses are an ever-fading memory for a side on a 20-match winning run and well-placed for success in each of the four major competitions. 

But those reverses, plus home and away 2019-20 losses to Wolves – who visit the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League on Tuesday, had a common theme: the opposition lined up with three central defenders. 

Whether facing a back three or a back five (Guardiola prefers the latter description), Cit…

Paris Saint-Germain will use their final Ligue 1 matches of the season to prepare for the Coupe de France final, so says Luis Enrique.

PSG were beaten at home by Nice early in the season, and are away to the same opposition on Wednesday for their penultimate league game.

Having sealed the Ligue 1 title, PSG failed to overcome Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-finals, losing 2-0 on aggregate.

While a visit to Wembley on June 1 evaded them, PSG do have the chance to claim another trophy when they take on Lyon in the Coupe de France final on May 25.

When asked if PSG wanted revenge for their loss to Nice earlier in the campaign, Luis Enrique told reporters: No, not at all to be honest, it is not about revenge, they played very well.

I c…

Mario Gomez could be set to leave treble-winners Bayern Munich according to his agent Uli Ferber.

The striker found himself behind Mario Mandzukic in the pecking order at the Allianz Arena after sitting out the first three months of last season with an ankle injury, and his future is now in doubt.
Ferber insists that a decision will be made in the next three or four days as to where the 27-year-old will play his football in 2013-14.
Gomez has been linked with a number of clubs, with Chelsea and Manchester City among those said to be interested.
Napoli and Fiorentina have also been reported to be in line for the Germany international but are not believed to be serious candidates.
If I had been talking with all of the clubs mentioned, then I would have been spending my days …

Chelsea have appointed Antonio Conte as their new head coach to replace Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge from the start of next season.

The Premier League champions have long been linked with a move for the Italy head coach and he has now signed a three-year deal which will see him join them after Euro 2016.

Chelsea had been in the market for a new permanent boss since the sacking of Jose Mourinho last December.

They appointed Hiddink as interim coach until the end of 2015-16 and had since been linked with Massimiliano Allegri, Diego Simeone and Conte as permanent options before eventually landing the latter.

Speaking about his appointment, Conte told Chelsea s official website: I am very excited about the prospect of working at Chelsea Football Club. I am…

Marouane Fellaini is yet to agree a new contract with Manchester United, according to the Mail Online.

The Red Devils are keen to keep hold of the Belgium international and have placed a fresh deal on the table though terms haven’t been agreed.

His current contract is set expire at the end of this season by which time the midfielder will have turned thirty and the club have a policy of offering players of that age one year rolling deals though Fellaini is likely to want a longer stay.

He is currently being watched by a number of clubs across Europe and can open talks with foreign outfits from January.

The twenty-nine year old followed David Moyes to Old Trafford from Everton in the summer of 2013 and regularly featured under the Scotsman while Lou…

Isco s perfect free-kick paved the way for Real Madrid to start their latest Champions League defence with a 3-0 home win against Roma, with Gareth Bale and Mariano Diaz also on target. 

Madrid are aiming to win the tournament for the fourth year in a row and Julen Lopetegui s side cruised to a comfortable Group G victory at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.

Isco took set-piece duties following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, and on the same night his former team-mate was sent off against Valencia, the Spain international whipped in a superb strike from 25 yards just before the break.

And Bale, scorer of a brace in Madrid s defeat of Liverpool in last season s final, made sure of the points with a placed finish after racing through on goal from Luk…

Manchester United boss Manchester United was in stands for Serbia’s historic UEFA Nations League triumph over Montenegro in Podgorica on Thursday night.

Serbia and Montenegro locked horns in a game that marked the first encounter between the two countries that appeared as a single team at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Visitors grabbed a 2-0 victory thanks to a brace from Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic who extended his fine run of form by scoring his ninth goal of the season, four of which came for his country in two Nation League wins.

Mourinho’s Scouting Mission

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was a surprise guest at the UEFA Nations League match in Podgorica last night but the Portuguese flew over to visit his friend and former Yugoslav legen…

Didier Deschamps has labelled Benjamin Pavard a new star as the defender s profile soars in the afterglow of France s triumphant World Cup campaign.

Pavard, 22, exceeded expectations to start all but one match in Russia as Les Bleus were crowned champions for the second time.

The Stuttgart defender, whose stunning strike in the last-16 win over Argentina was voted goal of the tournament, is now reportedly the target of interest from top clubs in England and Germany.

Bayern Munich and Tottenham have both been strongly linked with the former Lille man and Deschamps says the recognition is richly deserved.

Despite their former status and some inexperience at this level, Benjamin Pavard and Lucas [Hernandez] were brilliant and stabilised the defence, the Fra…