BREAKING NEWS :BARCELONA SET TO SIGN LIVERPOOL STAR TO REPLACE NEYMAR

Philippe Coutinho would be the "perfect replacement" for Neymar at Barcelona, says South American football expert Tim Vickery.

Neymar has asked to leave Barca and was given permission on Wednesday to miss training, with Paris Saint-Germain prepared to meet his £198m release clause.


Philippe Coutinho would be seen as a suitable Neymar replacement by Barcelona, says Vickery
Sky sources understand Barca are confident of signing Coutinho but Liverpool insist they will not sell their Brazil international.

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Asked if Coutinho would be the perfect replacement for Neymar, Vickery told Sky Sports News: "Absolutely. When Barcelona were interested in Coutinho previously, I saw speculation suggesting they saw him as a possible replacement for Andres Iniesta.

Sky Sports Chief News Reporter Bryan Swanson has the latest on Neymar's potential move to Paris Saint-Germain
"I have never seen that. I have always seen Coutinho as a Neymar replacement.

"Coutinho's problem with the Brazil national team is his favourite position is Neymar's position, wide on the left cutting onto his right foot. They have since found space for him on the right but that's his favoured position."

BREAKING NEWS :CHELSEA OWNER ENTER RACE TO SIGN AS MONACO STAR

Roman Ambramovich will attempt to sign Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe should potential Barcelona target Eden Hazard move away from the club this summer, according to Don Balon.

As per the Spanish outlet, Eden Hazard is being linked with a move to Barcelona with Neymar looking to leave the Nou Camp for Paris this summer.

If Neymar should leave, Barcelona will have to replace one of their star names and have reportedly identified the 26-year-old Chelsea winger as a possible target.

As well as claiming that the Catalan giants could swoop for the Belgium international should Neymar leave, Don Balon also reports that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will look to replace Hazard with Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe.

According to the Express, the Chelsea owner is a huge fan of the 18-year-old and will be tempted to bid for the French international should Eden Hazard leave London.

The French teenager bagged 26 goals for the French Champions last season and has become one of football’s most describable talents.

However, it appears that the movements of Neymar will decide how Roman Ambramovich spends his money.

JOSE :WANTS A WINGER TO IMPROVE

Jose Mourinho wants "more consistency" from Anthony Martial after his moment of brilliance in Manchester United's friendly win against Real Madrid.

Having seamlessly slotted into life at Old Trafford after joining from Monaco, the 21-year-old struggled to scale such heights in his second campaign at the club.

Mourinho has not been shy at expressing his frustration and there has been talk this summer of a potential exit for Martial, with United looking at Inter
But the Frenchman thrilled the Levi's Stadium crowd on Sunday by showing mesmerising close control and skill, before playing over for Jesse Lingard to open the scoring against the Champions League winners.

Put to Mourinho that the assist underlines what a useful asset the France international can be, the United boss said: "Exactly, but obviously we want more consistency in his talent. I think today was positive for him, that's why I left him for 90 minutes on the pitch.

"He was enjoying [himself], he was trying things and it's important in these friendly matches to try things, which he did. I think was good for Anthony, for his confidence."


Anthony Martial provided a brilliant assist for Jesse Lingard's goal
Mourinho left Martial out of the squad on occasions last season, never mind the starting line-up, and publicly called into question aspects of his mentality.

"He is a young player," the United boss said in Santa Clara. "There's still time to learn, still time to improve, still time to develop and it's also his personality.

"I can say that he is training better than before, he's working harder than before. It's a question to bring his talent more in a consistent way."

CHELSEA NEWS :WILL MORATA START AGAINST BAYERN MUNICH TOMORROW?

In continuation of our preseason tour of Asia, Chelsea will tomorrow play Bayern Munich in Singapore.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte expects Chelsea’s new signing Alvaro Morata to feature in tomorrow’s friendly against Bayern Munich.

“My plan is to give him the possibility to play part of the game, but not from the start because he only arrived yesterday and started to work with us,” Conte said.

“Morata is a young player who has a lot of experience in his career because he played with two big teams in Real Madrid and Juventus. He has also played a lot of games in the Champions League and won it last season.

“He can have a big impact in the Premier League. It’s different if you compare it to leagues in other countries because it’s very tough and physically it’s strong, but Morata is ready to have a big impact.”

BAYERN MUNICH MANAGER :BELIEVES ANTONIO CONTE CAN HELP CHELSEA BECOME COMPETITIVE IN EUROPE AGAIN

Chelsea failed to play Champions League football last season after our 10th place finish in the 2015/16 season but Chelsea are back in the Champions League this season after our title triumph last season.

Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea boss Antonio Conte can help Chelsea become competitive in Europe once again.

PHOTOS :CHELSEA PLAYERS COOL IN THE SWIMMING POOL AFTER PRESEASON TRAINING

Preseason for the players has been gruesome as Chelsea boss Antonio Conte ensures the Champions are ready to defend the Premier League title when the new season begins next month.

The players took a break from training with a visit to the swimming pool at their current Singapore base.

Here are some photos of the players cooling off in the swimming pool:

CHELSEA GOALKEEPER :BATSHUAYI HAS A CHANCE TO PROVE HIMSELF

Michy Batshuayi finished last season in good form, scoring four goals in three games and he has carried his goalscoring form into preseason after scoring four goals in two preseason games.

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has hailed Batshuayi as a top striker and believes Batshuayi has a chance to prove himself with Diego Costa set to leave Chelsea this summer.

“Michy is a top striker,” said Courtois as quoted on Daily Mail.

“He showed that in Marseille and with the national team. With Diego scoring a lot of goals last season he didn’t get a lot of chances.

“Maybe he didn’t always do what the manager asked. He is very demanding when it comes to the strikers as well.

“He knows that Diego is leaving and he has a chance to prove himself. He is training well, doing what the manager asks and is scoring goals. For him it is good. He needs to show that mentality every day in training and in every game.”