Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has pledged his long-term future to the club, after admitting the fans’ faith in him was hard to ignore.
Toure has been the subject of interest from Inter, who are managed by former City boss Roberto Mancini, but after end-of-season talks with City officials he decided to stay loyal.
The 32-year-old still has two years remaining on his contract.
“It is important as a footballer when you see people are following you,” Toure said.
“It is difficult sometimes to disappoint them. The fans are doing brilliant for this club. When people show you loyalty, nothing is going by. That’s why I want to stay at City... I want to stay long.”
Martinez confirms Atletico Madrid deal
Porto striker Jackson Martinez has confirmed he will join Atletico Madrid on a four-year deal after turning down an offer from Milan.
The La Liga club have agreed to Porto’s £24.8m release clause and the Colombia striker will have some time off before heading for Spain to complete formalities on the deal.
The 28-year-old looked destined for a switch to Milan earlier this month before a deal with the Serie A club fell through.
“I can confirm I am going to Atletico,” Martinez said.
“I am going there for four years, but I still don’t know when I will be introduced.”
Arnhem move for Chelsea’s Baker
Lewis Baker will spend the 2015/16 season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem in the Dutch Eredivisie, Chelsea have announced.
The England U-20 captain is contracted to Chelsea for four years and ended last season by helping MK Dons win automatic promotion to the Championship.
The Blues have an established link with Vitesse and hope they will aid Baker’s development.
“We have agreed terms with Vitesse Arnhem for Lewis Baker to spend the 2015/16 season on loan at the Dutch club,” Chelsea said on their official website.
Sacked Smith joins the Cobblers
One of the three Leicester players sacked following the emergence of a sexually-explicit video in which racist language was used has been signed by League Two club Northampton.
Goalkeeper Adam Smith, 22, has signed a two-year deal with the Cobblers and becomes the first of the trio of ex-Foxes players to find a new team after he was axed along with James Pearson and Tom Hopper earlier this month.
Leicester terminated the contracts of Pearson, son of Foxes boss Nigel, and the two other players following an internal investigation into a leaked video of an orgy during a ‘goodwill tour’ of Thailand in which one woman was called a “slit-eye”.
Leicester set to sign Japan’s Okazaki
Japan striker Shinji Okazaki is poised to join Leicester City from Bundesliga club Mainz on a four-year deal subject to a work permit.
The fee for the 29-year-old, who is prolific in front of goal, is undisclosed but German media reports said it was just over 10 million euros.
“I hear the Premier League is a very physical division and better for individual talent so I’m excited to know what I can do in this league,” Okazaki told re-porters yesterday.
He will be the club’s third signing of the transfer window following German defender Robert Huth from Stoke City and Austria left back Christian Fuchs from Schalke 04.
Dunga apology
Brazil coach Dunga apologised after his comments about people of African descent sparked criticism ahead of the team’s Copa America quarter-final against Paraguay late last night.
Dunga was asked to compare the pressure on his Copa team with that of the side he captained to win the 1994 World Cup.
“Everything we did was bad,” he said, referring to criticism of his 1994 squad.
“I even think I am an Afro-descendent because I get hit so much.”
The comments provoked a storm on social media with some calling them racist.
Dunga later said: “I want to apologise to all those offended with my comment about Afro-descendents. The way I ex-pressed myself does not reflect my feelings or opinions.”
Holidaying coach learns of no.2’s exit
The coach of Netherlands club PEC Zwolle said he learnt of his assistant’s departure surfing on the internet while on holiday last week.
Ron Jans said he was in Sardinia when he saw a headline that rival Dutch top flight club Twente Enschede had secured an “old acquaintance” as their new assistant coach.
“I clicked onto the report and saw it was my own assistant Rene Hake.”
Later Hake called Jans to say he had discussion with Twente, where he had previously coached, but nothing was yet fixed.
“Two days later he called again to confirm he was moving. Things change quickly and sometimes strangely in the world of football,” Jans said.