Argentine Paulo Dybala is likely to leave Palermo in summer after rejecting the Sicily club’s offers to renew his contract.
The 21-year-old striker has been repeatedly linked with the likes of Juventus, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain and his transfer fee is thought to be in the region of €40 million.
“He has rejected all our proposals for a contract renewal, so at this stage it is safe to say he will certainly leave,” director of sport Dario Baccin told reporters.
Juventus are favourites to land Dybala as the player has already made it clear that he prefers to stay in the Serie A next season.
Unhappy Hernandez
Javier Hernandez has voiced his disappointment over a lack of playing time at Real Madrid.
The Mexico international joined the European champions last summer on a season-long loan from Manchester United and has made just one Primera Division start since.
Real have an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season but the 26-year-old forward is unlikely to remain at the Bernabeu stadium.
“My situation is frustrating,” Hernandez said.
“I cooperate, I help and give my 100 per cent in training but in the games the opportunities are slim. I’m in a team but left out of what is important, which are the games.
“At times my confidence is rock bottom although I try for it to be sky high.”
Juventus reject FA Heysel tribute offer
The English FA will not be allowed to lay a wreath in Turin this week to mark the 30th anniversary of the Heysel disaster.
With England playing Italy at the Juventus Stadium tonight, the FA wanted to take the opportunity to commemorate the deaths of 39 supporters before the 1985 European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus by laying a wreath at a memorial outside the ground in Turin.
The Italian club said they appreciated the gesture, but rejected the offer, claiming they did not want to detract from their own memorial in May.
Newcastle profits
Newcastle United may be staggering their way towards the end of another season of under-achievement but they still announced record profits of 18.7 million pounds after tax to the end of June last year.
Newcastle, who last won a major domestic honour in 1955, announced a recorded profit for the fourth successive year, up from 9.9 million pounds in 2013.
Despite the good figures on the balance sheet, their figures in the league table were not quite so heartening in the period covered by the profits, finishing 10th in the table winning only 15 of their 38 league games.
Handanovic wants new deal – agent
Samir Handanovic is in talks with Inter over a new contract, according to his agent.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper has been repeatedly linked with Roma and, with a little over a year remaining on his existing deal, pressure has been growing on Inter to resolve the situation.
However, Handanovic’s agent Federico Pastorello said suggestions of a deal with Roma are wrong.
Pastorello said: “We are in talks with Inter regarding a contract extension. With regards to Roma, it’s not true that I have spoken to (Roma sporting director Walter) Sabatini.”
Suarez: I’d only come back for Reds
Luis Suarez graced the Anfield turf again on Sunday and vowed that if he ever returned to England, it would only be to play for Liverpool.
The Uruguayan forward was back on his old ground for the first time since his summer move to Barcelona to play a part in the Liverpool FC Foundation All-Star charity match.
“You never know in football what the future holds but if I ever play in England again I will play for the Liverpool team and not another team,” he said.
“I’ve missed the fans. The atmosphere is unbelievable, it’s amazing. Everyone who’s played for Liverpool knows how important the supporters are. They know they are in my heart.”
Fletcher happy to repay faith
Steven Fletcher thanked Scotland manager Gordon Strachan for standing by him after he ended his goal drought with a hat-trick against Gibraltar.
Fletcher had only scored one goal in 19 internationals before hitting a treble in Scotland’s 6-1 European Championship qualifying win at Hampden.
And he has also been suffering at club level, having not scored for Sunderland since hitting two against C. Palace on Nov. 3.
“It meant a lot that he stuck with me, but that’s the way he is,” Fletcher said.
“The gaffer’s made a point of standing by the guys who’ve got us to this position and saying that, whatever anyone else says, he knows we’re good players. I’m delighted to have repaid a bit of that faith.”
Fletcher’s only previous international goal came in a 2-1 World Cup qualifying victory over Iceland six years ago.