Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has affirmed that he is happy to extend his stay at Anfield, dismissing reports suggesting the delay in signing a new contract is down to his wage demands.
The German, who will enter the final 12 months of his current deal at the end of the season, said his talks with the Merseyside club had been productive.
“I read in newspapers it was about money but it isn’t about money,” the 23-year-old said.
“We’ve had a few good meetings and everything is fine. I just wanted to say it is never about the money. It is about the future, what happens.”
Essien moves
Former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Milan midfielder Michael Essien has joined Indonesia’s Persib Bandung.
The 34-year-old is the highest profile signing for Indonesian soccer since Cameroon hero Roger Milla and Argentine World Cup winner Mario Kempes played in the country in the 1990s.
Essien, who has been a free agent since Panathinaikos at the end of last season, won the Champions League, two Premier League titles and four FA Cups during nine seasons at Chelsea.
Cahill survives the cut for qualifiers
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has dismissed concerns about Tim Cahill’s lack of match fitness and selected the veteran striker in his final 23-man squad for crunch World Cup qualifiers against Iraq and the United Arab Emirates.
The 37-year-old Cahill was overlooked for the tie against Thailand in November and has spent little time on the pitch at club level for Melbourne City but he remains the nation’s go-to man when the pressure is on.
“From our perspective, it’s not the first time we’ve brought Tim Cahill in with limited game time,” Postecoglou said.
“With Timmy, it’s more about the impact he can make in the two games.”
Mexico bans two players for a year
Two South American players with top Mexican clubs were banned for a year by the country’s soccer federation earlier this week after a review of lesser punishments handed down to them earlier this month that sparked a referees strike.
Club America’s Paraguay de-fender Pablo Aguilar and Toluca’s Argentine forward Enrique Triverio had received 10- and eight-match bans respectively after each player attacked the referee in separate games last week.
Aguilar attempted to head butt referee Fernando Hernandez and screamed insults at him after America lost 1-0 to Tijuana in a Copa MX match.
Triverio pushed and insulted referee Miguel Flores in Toluca’s defeat by Morelia.
MLS must change to compete, says Pirlo
New York City FC star Andrea Pirlo says Major League Soccer must change its rules on transfers and salaries if it is to compete with the likes of the Chinese Super League.
Pirlo, 37, said he has seen the game grow in the United States since he arrived from Juventus in 2015 but feels there is a risk MLS will start to lose popularity if it does not evolve.
“I’ve seen improvements and from what I have seen in friendly games and the first two rounds of the regular season, the quality has risen a lot,” Pirlo said.
“Certainly I would get rid of the restrictions on the transfer market, though.
“Enough with the three exceptions to the salary cap, which is too little to convince other stars to come here.”
N. Forest appoint Warburton as boss
Championship side Nottingham Forest have appointed Mark Warburton as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract.
Warburton left Scottish side Rangers under controversial circumstances last month, denying a statement by the club that he had resigned.
He takes over at Forest from Gary Brazil and will be joined by David Weir.
“We are delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Warburton as the club’s first-team manager,” the club said.
Back-to-back defeats at the hands of Brentford and Burton Albion have left Forest just two points clear of the bottom three, with nine games left to play.
Kimmich still in Bayern plans
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has said Bayern Munich “have big plans” for Joshua Kimmich, amid reports that Manchester City are interested in signing the Germany international.
Kimmich, 22, had spoken of his unhappiness at a lack of regular football this season, but Rummenigge believes he will be retiring captain’s Philipp Lahm’s natural successor at the club.
“We have big plans for Kimmich in the future,” Rummenigge told reporters yesterday.
“It’s obvious that he will be Philipp Lahm’s successor at the club. From next season, at least, he has definite playing minutes. That’s Carlo’s (Ancelotti) plan.”