Brazil defender Maicon is ready to commit his future to Roma. The 32-year-old is under contract until June 2015 but is hopeful to sign a new deal soon.
Maicon moved to Roma last summer and scored two goals in 28 league appearances to help Roma finish runners-up in Serie A.
“We are on the right path and we saw it last year,” Maicon said.
“I certainly do not want to leave Roma. In fact, the first thing I wish to do now that the World Cup is over is to call (Roma sporting director Walter) Sabatini.
“I want to renew (contract), I have no intention of leaving.”
Ade has malaria
Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor is suffering from malaria and will miss the pre-season tour of North America, the club have announced.
The Togo international was admitted to hospital last weekend after feeling unwell and was diagnosed with a mild bout of the disease. The club said the illness was detected at an early stage and Adebayor was responding well to treatment.
He is expected to be released from hospital today and will then require a minimum of seven days before returning to training. He has been advised not to travel on medical grounds and so will miss the club’s pre-season tour.
Napoli linked with Kramer move
Napoli are keeping tabs on Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer who played a role for his country in Sunday’s World Cup final 1-0 win over Argentina.
Reports in the Italian media said yesterday that Kramer, 23, has been listed as Napoli’s top target in this transfer window with coach Rafa Benitez looking keen to add more steel to his midfield department.
Kramer is on the books of Bayer Leverkusen but last season played for Borussia Moen-chengladbach following a one-year loan deal.
Leverkusen are believed to want €15m if they decide to part with their player.
Pepe Reina role to be discussed
Pepe Reina says discussions will take place with Brendan Rodgers to see where he fits in at Liverpool after returning from a season-long loan at Napoli.
The 31-year-old has been linked with a move to a host of European sides but his agent confirmed he is set to remain at Anfield. Reina fell out of favour with Rodgers last summer and Simon Mignolet was brought in to become Liverpool’s first-choice keeper.
It remains to be seen if Reina features in Rodgers’s thinking for the new season but agent Manuel Garcia Quillon is due to meet the Liverpool boss to find out.
“Without a team? I have one – Liverpool,” Reina said.
Halilhodzic returns to Trabzonspor
Former Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic has taken over as manager of Turkish club Trabzonspor, BBC reported.
Halilhodzic, 61, led Algeria past the group stage at a World Cup for the first time in their history during Brazil 2014. His side were knocked out in the last 16 by Germany and Halilhodzic quit after the defeat.
He will be in his second spell at Trabzonspor, having also managed them in 2005.
Halilhodzic, who was born in what is now Bosnia, has also coached club sides in Croatia, France, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.
Suarez unveiling blocked by FIFA
Barcelona will not be allowed to publicly unveil new £75m signing Luis Suarez while he remains banned for biting, FIFA has confirmed.
Suarez is due to complete his move from Liverpool in the next few days, and the Catalan club has previously introduced star signings to packed stadiums.
There have been suggestions Barcelona could hold a similar event for Suarez in a non-football venue to get around the four-month ban imposed on the Uruguay striker for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini, but FIFA has now confirmed that any such event will not be permitted while the ban remains in force.
“He cannot even be involved in a football-related charity event,” FIFA said.
Newcastle sign midfielder Cabella
Newcastle United have signed French attacking midfielder Remy Cabella from Montpellier on a six-year contract.
The 24-year-old Cabella was a member of the French World Cup squad in Brazil but did not play a match as the team reached the quarter-finals.
Cabella said: “This is a move that I really wanted to make, as I have heard nothing but good things about Newcastle United from everyone I spoke to.”
British media reported that Cabella cost Newcastle £12 million which would make him the club’s third most expensive signing after former England strikers Michael Owen, in 2005, and Alan Shearer in 1996.