Buffon: 'Juventus can win Champions League'

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that his side can win the Champions League this season.

The Italian champions will take on Celtic in the last 16, the first leg of which will be played in Glasgow on Tuesday.



"Juventus are back at top level of European football again - and we believe this could be our year," he told the Scottish Sun.



"We showed in the two games against the current European Champions Chelsea that we should now be taken very seriously.



"We have got a squad full of quality - and there is a real determination that this will not just be our season in Italy but also in Europe."



Buffon added that Juventus are not underestimating Celtic and admits that winning in Glasgow will be difficult.



"We are taking Celtic very seriously for sure," said the 35-year-old.



"Not just in beating Barcelona, but their performance in the group stages in general showed they are a very dangerous team.



"Especially in Glasgow it will be very tough. All the Celtic supporters will be fired up - but we are normally used to playing in such atmospheres."



Juventus last won the Champions League in 1996.

Milan and Juve in talk over possible move for Balotelli

Manchester City have held talks with AC Milan and Juventus about the sale of striker Mario Balotelli, but will only let him go if the Serie A clubs meet their valuation.

City value the Italian, 22, at around 24m euros (£21m) including add-ons.

Balotelli is not actively up for sale and City will not subsidise any of his salary should he leave the club.

Contrary to reports, Balotelli is with the squad that travelled to London for Tuesday's meeting with QPR.

Milan initiated talks with City over the Italy striker, and Juve subsequently made contact with the Premier League club to discuss buying Balotelli, who arrived in Manchester from Inter Milan in August 2010 for a fee in the region of £24m.



Earlier on Monday, City assistant manager David Platt had said Balotelli would not be moving to AC Milan this month.

"I don't think anything is going to happen," said Platt of a proposed January move.

"It's a shame the manager's not here. He might know more than me but as far as we are concerned I think he is still a Manchester City player.

And City manager Roberto Mancini had also insisted on Friday that the Italian, regularly linked with a return to Italy since he arrived in England in 2010, would not leave the club.

"It is not true. Mario stays. We didn't have any requests about Mario or other players," said Mancini.

The Italian also said it would be "difficult" to buy new players with so little time left in the transfer window.

"I don't know [if City will buy anyone] but we don't have enough players," he added. "We are 18 players now. We can't sell any players."

Balotelli - who has scored one league goal in 14 appearances this term - has courted controversy throughout his time in England, with the latest incident involving a training ground row with Mancini at the start of January.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani had stated that if City were to lower their valuation then a move could be on, but Mancini insisted the Italy international remained part of his long-term plans.



"Mario has another three years on his contract," he said.

Juventus seal deal for Llorente

Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente has agreed to join Italian giants Juventus on a four-year contract at the end of the season.



The Spain international, whose deal with Athletic expires at the end of June, will become a Juve player on July 1.



A statement on juventus.com read: "Juventus can confirm that Spanish international striker Fernando Llorente will join the club on July 1, 2013.



"The 27-year-old has agreed terms on a four-year deal and will move to Turin when his Athletic Bilbao contract expires at the end of the current season."



In November, Llorente announced his decision to leave the club where he has spent nine seasons since graduating from the academy.



Amid reported interest from a host of Barclays Premier League clubs including Tottenham, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, Serie A champions Juventus publicly entered talks with Llorente at the start of January.



Llorente has made 334 appearances for Athletic, scoring 104 goals in all competitions, with his best return coming during the 2011-12 campaign when his 29 goals helped the Basque outfit to the Copa del Rey and Europa League finals.



His prolific record at San Mames has also earned Llorente international recognition. He has scored seven goals in 21 appearances for Spain and was included in the squads that won the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.



Llorente has been used sparingly by Athletic coach Marcelo Bielsa since declaring his intention to leave, but his lack of activity has not dissuaded Juve, who currently lead the Serie A table by five points in their bid to retain the title.



Despite their dominance, Bianconeri boss Antonio Conte has struggled to forge an effective strikeforce from a pool of Mirko Vucinic, Fabio Quagliarella, Sebastian Giovinco and Alessandro Matri, with on-loan Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner failing to make an impact due to injury.



Thursday's announcement cools speculation that Juve were prepared to pay Athletic to release Llorente early, with both Didier Drogba of Shanghai Shenhua and Lyon's Lisandro Lopez being targeted as short-term solutions to the club's lack of firepower.

Wednesday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Juventus and AC Milan are interested in signing Didier Drogba from Shanghai Shenhua.



- But Didier Drogba is nearing a switch to AC Milan, according to reports in Italy.



- Newcastle have signed a second French player in the space of 24 hours after confirming the arrival of forward Yoan Gouffran from Bordeaux on a four-year deal.



- Arsenal and Manchester United's hopes of signing Germany Under-17 captain Jonathan Tah have been dashed after he signed professional terms with Hamburg.



- Arsenal target Adrian Lopez insists he is unaffected by speculation linking him with the north London club and says he plans to continue at Atletico Madrid.



- Spurs and Arsenal could be encouraged to bid for Younes Belhanda after Montpellier revealed they had received no offer from Inter Milan for the playmaker.



- Tottenham have opted against recalling Danny Rose from his loan at Sunderland, meaning the defender will see out the season at the Stadium of Light.



- Tottenham target Miralem Pjanic has ruled out a move away from Roma following mooted interest from Barcelona.



- Tottenham midfielder Yago Falque has joined Primera Liga promotion hopefuls Almeria on loan until the end of the season.



- Chelsea winger Marko Marin intends to discuss his future at Stamford Bridge amid interest from clubs wanting to take him on loan, according to his agent.



- Manchester United's pursuit of Wilfried Zaha has been delayed by the departure of Crystal Palace co-owner Steve Parish to Australia, but the England international is still expected to sign for the Premier League leaders by the end of the month.



- Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Lille full-back Lucas Digne, according to Mercato365.



- Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson made a personal check on Celtic's Victor Wanyama, and is now weighing up a bid for the midfielder.



- Newcastle have been boosted in their attempts to keep hold of Fabricio Coloccini after San Lorenzo pulled out of their bid to sign him.



- Fulham will have to stump up £1.3m to land Bulgaria defender Stanislav Manolev, according to sources in Holland.



- Fulham manager Martin Jol admits Sascha Riether could stay at Craven Cottage beyond this season if he maintains his current form for the club.



- New Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino has ruled out signing any of his former players from Espanyol.



- Michu has signed a new four-year contract to keep the prolific goalscorer at Swansea City until 2016, the Premier League club has said.



- West Ham United have announced that defender Guy Demel has signed a contract extension until 2015.



- Southampton are the latest club showing interest in Anderlecht midfielder Lucas Biglia, who has been linked with Arsenal and Liverpool, according to Sky Sports.



- Norwich are set to complete the signing of goalkeeper Lee Camp on a free transfer from Nottingham Forest until the end of the season.



- Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao has dismissed claims that talks with Real Madrid about a move across the Spanish capital have taken place.



- The agent of Guillermo Ochoa insists Liverpool are yet to firm up their reported interest in the Ajaccio goalkeeper.



- Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez is set to extend his contract at Camp Nou until 2016 on Monday, the Catalan giants have confirmed.



- Atletico Madrid are preparing an offer for Southampton target Joan Verdu.



- Espanyol are ready to rescue Alou Diarra from his West Ham misery and take him to Spain.



- Italian keeper Gianluigi Buffon has extended his contract with Juventus by two years, running until the end of 2015, the club confirmed today.



- Inter Milan have denied making a 14million euro bid for Montpellier midfielder Younes Belhanda.



- Fiorentina look set to sign Poland international Rafal Wolski from Legia Warsaw subject to the successful completion of a medical at Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday.



- Napoli are plotting a move for Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone, according to sources in Italy.



- Palermo have officially agreed a deal for Blackburn creative midfielder Mauro Formica and reportedly also Wigan Athletic striker Mauro Boselli.



- Chievo has signed Chilean midfielder Felipe Seymour on loan from Genoa for the rest of the Serie A season.



- Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila has turned down the chance to move to the Premier League and signed for Russian side Rubin Kazan.



- Marseille are ready to beat Norwich City and Aston Villa to the signing of Senegal ace Modou Sougou.



- Mikael Silvestre could become the latest former Premier League player to join the MLS revolution after Portland Timbers revealed he had started training at the club.



- Jeffrey Bruma has revealed Hamburg are now attempting to make his loan from Chelsea permanent.



- Chile international Francisco Silva could make his debut for Osasuna against Barcelona this weekend after joining on loan from Universidad Catolica until the end of the season.



- Bristol Rovers have completed the signing of teenage striker Ryan Brunt from Stoke City on a two-and-a-half-year deal.



- Nottingham Forest have made a bid for Millwall striker Darius Henderson.



- Radoslaw Majewski has insisted he is keen to stay at Nottingham Forest but wants a longer-term deal than the extension he has been offered.



- Crystal Palace have launched a bid to sign Swindon Town winger Matt Ritchie.



- Dagenham midfielder Luke Howell has signed a new contract which will keep him at the club until 2015.



- Vasco have rejected a bid of around €8 million from Club World Cup champions Corinthians for centre-back Dedé.

Buffon extends Juventus stay

Gianluigi Buffon is to remain with Juventus until at least the summer of 2015 after agreeing a two-year contract extension.



The 34-year-old has been with the Turin giants since 2011, standing by them through good times and bad.



He has become an iconic figure for the Bianconeri and is widely considered to be one the finest goalkeepers of the modern era.



Juve are understandably delighted to have seen him agree fresh terms, with a compromise having been reached after the Serie A outfit initially planned to put a three-year deal to the World Cup winner.



After putting pen to paper, on reduced terms, Buffon said: "I remember my first day and the fact that I was asking myself if I was up to the standard of a club like Juventus.



"My rapport with the fans has been important. I also enjoy a good relationship with the management and coaching staff.



"I would have turned down offers from other teams. For me, Juventus has become a way of life.



"We want to reclaim the Italian title. We've shown we're back as a competitive force in Europe. That's what matters."



Loyal



Juventus president Andrea Agenell added: "Gigi is our captain and today has signed a contract that ties him with the club for a further two years.



"Just one quick glance was enough for us to come to an agreement and decide to carry on.



"Buffon is sincere, loyal, honest and constructive. Juventus is Gigi's home."

Pogba inspires Juve

An inspirational Paul Pogba helped Juventus extend their lead at the top of Serie A to five points over Lazio and six over Napoli with two glorious goals in a 4-0 win over Udinese.



The French midfielder broke the deadlock with a stunning 35-yard effort before topping that with another goal from long range to make it two.

The floodgates opened, with Mirko Vucinic and Alessandro Matri also getting in on the act as Antonio Conte's men took full advantage of Lazio's draw at Palermo by returning to form in style at the Juventus Stadium. Juve had two chances to go ahead inside the opening 20 minutes with Daniele Padelli first turning Arturo Vidal's shot over the crossbar and then denying Emanuele Giaccherini with his legs.



Udinese then set about frustrating their hosts with a strong defensive display, which succeeded in keeping them at what appeared to be a safe distance from their goal. Pogba disproved that theory in the 41st minute, though, when he struck the ball on the volley from 35 yards out with the ball curling and dipping wickedly before grazing the underside of the crossbar on its way past Padelli.



It needed another moment of inspiration from the Frenchman to make it two in the 66th minute. With the ball at his feet this time - and a few yards further away from goal - the 19-year-old unleashed another unstoppable shot into the bottom left-hand corner.



Udinese's hopes were dashed and not even the introduction of Antonio Di Natale could help them. Juve started to turn their dominance into goals with Vucinic turning in at the near post to beat Padelli, who got a weak hand to the ball but could not prevent it from crossing the line in the 72nd minute.



Matri sealed the rout eight minutes later with Pogba getting the ball rolling, sending Vucinic clear and he played in Matri to thread his shot through Padelli's legs.



Lazio stumble to draw

Earlier, Juve's closest challengers Lazio stumbled to a 2-2 draw against Palermo. The Biancocelesti needed a late Hernanes penalty to take a point at the lowly side after being undone by two second-half goals in as many minutes.



Arevalo Rios cancelled out Sergio Floccari's early opener with 20 minutes to go and Palermo took a shock lead moments later through Paulo Dybala. Gian Piero Gasperini's strugglers failed to hold on, though, as Hernanes converted an 84th-minute spot-kick after Floccari was felled in the area by substitute Ezequiel Munoz.

Conte applauds rivalry jibe with Napoli

Juventus coach Antonio Conte feels Napoli should be proud that other clubs dislike them as it shows they are being taken seriously.



Bianconeri midfielder Claudio Marchisio revealed earlier this week that he does not like Napoli, but Conte says the Italy international's comments should be taken as a compliment.



"Marchisio was obviously referring to the sporting rivalry between Juventus and Napoli. It is only normal to have a certain rivalry between big clubs. They probably feel the same about us," he told a press conference.



"Napoli should be proud to have our antipathy rather than get upset about it as it means that they have joined the group of big clubs of Juventus, Inter and AC Milan that have certain feelings of rivalry."



Conte, 45, then looked ahead to this weekend's Serie A match against Parma, and insisted that the Bianconeri will do their utmost to return to winning ways in the league.



"We’re determined to get back on course in the championship following last weekend’s reverse. I’m sure we’ll see a good game, contested by two sides who will both be pushing for the win.



"Parma go into the encounter on the back of four straight successes and have yet to lose a game at home. We know it’s a difficult venue to go to and that they will want to put on a good show."



Juventus lead the Serie A with 44 points from 19 games.

Monday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Didier Drogba insists no clubs have made moves to sign him from Shanghai Shenhua amid speculation linking him with AC Milan and Juventus.



- Real Madrid playmaker Luka Modric is considering a return to England, putting Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United on alert, according to the Sunday Mirror.



- Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Sven Bender, according to the Sunday Times.



- Manchester United youngster Andreas Pereira has put pen-to-paper on a first professional contract with the Red Devils.



- Manchester United face competition from Tottenham in the race to sign Crystal Palace starlet Wilfried Zaha, according to theMail on Sunday.



- Sir Alex Feguson is ready to call time on David De Gea's career at Old Trafford as he seeks a new goalkeeper in the January transfer window, according to Dailymail.



- Manchester City midfielder Abdisalam Ibrahim is set to rejoin Stromgodset on a six month loan deal.



- Arsenal and Man Utd are monitoring Frank Lampard's contract situation at Chelsea, according to Goal.com.



- Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has spoken to Barcelona forward David Villa about a move to Emirates Stadium, according to The People.



- Arsenal have offered Napoli just under £1 million to take Eduardo Vargas on loan for the rest of the season, according to The Corriere dello Sport.



- And Wenger has indicated that Arsenal are looking to sign "one or two" players during the current transfer window.



- Chelsea risk losing January target Taison after his club Matalist Kharkiv set a deadline of Wednesday for the deal to be completed.



- Liverpool have made an offer of £7million for Italy international Davide Astori but are likely to miss out to Southampton.



- Sylvain Distin is likely to reject any overtures from Queens Park Rangers and Sunderland.



- West Ham have made a £3million bid for Blackburn’s Martin Olsson.



- West Ham face stiff competition from Fulham and QPR as they look to make a move for Newcastle defender Danny Simpson.



- West Ham could make a move for American duo Juan Agudelo and Graham Zusi.



- West Ham have signed Brazilian Wellington Paulista from Cruzeiro on a six-month loan deal with a view to a permanent deal in the summer.



- QPR have emerged as frontrunners in the race to sign Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal, according to L'Equipe.



- Aston Villa are set to make a move for Swansea striker Danny Graham.



- Aston Villa are among those clubs keeping a close eye on Lazio defender Luis Cavanda, according to his agent.



- Sunderland have agreed a £3million fee for Bursaspor midfielder Alfred N’Diaye.



- Newcastle left-back Paul Dummett admits he is keen to return for a second loan spell at St Mirren.



- Blackpool boss Michael Appleton has warned Liverpool he's under no pressure to sell Tom Ince in order to fund his January spending.



- Jonathan de Guzman has an open mind on whether he will return to Villarreal when his loan to Swansea City expires.



- Norwich City striker Chris Martin has extended his loan spell with Swindon Town until February 2.



- Fulham target Maarten Stekelenburg will hold crunch talks with Roma officials on Tuesday after falling out of favour at the Stadio Olimpico.



- Southampton are ready to boost their survival bid with a £10m offer for Inter Milan youngster Philippe Coutinho, according to sources in Italy.



- Yossi Benayoun faces anxious wait over his future after Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez dropped a strong hint that he is no longer needed at Stamford Bridge.



- Sao Paulo are optimistic regarding their chances of turning Denilson's loan move from Arsenal into a permanent stay.



- Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has admitted they will have to spend carefully this month rather than make wholesale changes to the squad.



- Napoli striker Edinson Cavani is wanted by Manchester City as a replacement for Mario Balotelli, according to The People.



- Napoli forward Eduardo Vargas will move to Brazilian side Sao Paulo by the end of the week according to the club’s president.



- Fiorentina say they have no plans to sell striker Stevan Jovetic following the signing of Giuseppe Rossi.



- Israel defender Rami Gershon will join Celtic at their Marbella training camp after agreeing a six-month loan deal, according to his agent.



- Marseille have admitted that Loic Remy, who has been linked with Newcastle and Tottenham, could be sold this month.



- Marseille sporting director Jose Anigo has praised Joey Barton and suggested the Ligue 1 club would be interested in retaining the midfielder beyond his season-long loan from QPR.



- Schalke have opened the way for Tottenham to sign Lewis Holtby this month, rather than at the end of the season, for a cut-price £1.6million.



- Canadian midfielder Kyle Bekker has signed a deal with MLS that will see him made available in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft along with recent Generation Adidas addition Eriq Zavaleta, forward from Indiana.



- Dean Saunders has been appointed the new Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, replacing Stale Solbakken who was sacked on Saturday.



- Coventry have completed a permanent deal for striker Leon Clarke from Charlton on a two-and-a-half-year deal.



- Tranmere have secured a one-month extension on Bolton forward Michael O'Halloran's loan deal.



- Midfielder Oliver Risser has left Stevenage at the end of his loan spell and joined League Two Aldershot.

Llorente in talks with Juventus

Athletic Bilbao have confirmed that Juventus are in negotiations to sign Fernando Llorente when his contract expires with the Basque club.



The Serie A champions have long been linked with a move for the Spain international, who confirmed shortly before the New Year that he would be leaving the Liga outfit in the near future.



Athletic have now confirmed that Llorente is in talks with Juve over a move to the Turin club when his current deal with Marcelo Bielsa's side expires at the end of the current season.



A statement on the club's official website read: "Juventus football club has contacted Athletic Bilbao on January 3, 2013 to confirm that when Fernando Llorente completes his time with our club on June 30 2013, they will begin negotiations with the player to incorporate him into their squad."

Friday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Juventus have emerged as candidates to land David Villa if he decides to exit Barcelona.



- Chelsea midfielder Yossi Benayoun's future at the club will be resolved next month.



- Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is prepared to make Radamel Falcao the club's top earner by offering the striker a staggering £10million-a-year contract.



- Rafa Benitez has confirmed that Chelsea ARE planning for life after Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole.



- Manchester United are ready to let Wilfried Zaha remain at Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the season in order to push through a January deal, according to the Daily Mail.



- Manchester City target Pedro Obiang will not be leaving Sampdoria in January, according to the club's sporting director.



- Nemanja Vidic says he is happy with life at Manchester United - but has refused to rule out a future switch to Italy.



- Manchester United striker Federico Macheda will not be joining Blackpool or Hull City in January and is instead likely to make a loan move to Spain or Germany.



- Liverpool target Arkadiusz Milik is now high on Torino's wishlist as the Polish youngster's stock continues to rise.



- Brendan Rodgers is trying to push through a quick solution to Raheem Sterling’s contract saga – as Liverpool fear they could lose him otherwise.



- Liverpool are close to signing Daniel Sturridge and Thomas Ince next month, increasing the chances of Joe Cole being shown the exit door at Anfield, according to the Daily Mirror.



- And Liverpool have stepped up their interest in Jack Butland, with Arsenal said to be ready to launch a bid for Pepe Reina, according to Goal.com.



- Arsene Wenger will launch a determined bid to sign a goalkeeper in January - with Pepe Reina top of his wish-list, according to Mirror.



- Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy will launch a January bid for Porto star Joao Moutinho - as Spurs mount a major challenge for the Champions League places.



- Everton boss David Moyes is preparing for some transfer window captures - but he insists this year he does not need to sell first.



- Chelsea are keen on Malaga starlet Isco, according to AS.



- Swansea City defender Neil Taylor has signed a new three-and-a-half-year deal with the Premier League club.



- West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has confirmed he will be looking to secure "one or two players" in the January transfer window.



- Southampton and Reading will battle it out to sign Birmingham defender Curtis Davies during the winter window.



- David Beckham is unlikely to continue his playing career in Australia, according to Perth Glory owner Tony Sage.



- Former Sunderland defender John Mensah could be on the verge of rejoining Rennes after training with the French club.



- The agent of Arsenal's Johan Djourou has played down reports linking the defender with a move to Napoli.



- Maicon's agent has ruled out the possibility of the Manchester City defender returning to Inter Milan.



- Stevan Jovetic says he has no desire to leave Fiorentina for Manchester City.



- New Valencia boss Ernesto Valverde has no plans to allow reported Manchester City target Fernando Gago to leave in January.



- Borussia Dortmund have confirmed they have offered a new contract to Neven Subotic, who has been linked with a number of Premier League clubs throughout 2012.



- Rangers manager Ally McCoist insists he has no plans to make a January move for Aberdeen winger Ryan Fraser.



- Leeds have confirmed the club has given El-Hadji Diouf an 18-month contract after the striker's impressive start to the season.



- Santos are refusing to give up in their attempt to re-sign Robinho despite failing in an initial bid for AC Milan's Brazilian forward.

Thursday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Arsenal are leading the chase to sign Juventus striker Alessandro Matri, according to sources in Italy.



- Arsene Wenger has confirmed Arsenal want to sign two players in January as well as bringing back Thierry Henry for a third spell at the club.



- Marouane Chamakh could escape his Arsenal misery with a January move to Turkish side Fenerbahce.



- Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Diego Reyes after his team Club America admitted that they will struggle to keep hold of the Mexico defender.



- Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Metalist Kharkiv striker Taison, according to sources in Brazil.



- Reports claiming Chelsea were in talks for Brazilian starlet Bernard have been denied by one of the player's agents.



- Joe Cole is wanted by Harry Redknapp to save QPR from the drop, according to Dailymail.



- Liverpool target Oscar Cardozo is ready to open talks over a new Benfica contract - but his agent has suggested he could also be tempted by a move away.



- Liverpool could make a surprise January swoop for former Leeds United star Max Gradel.



- Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed he will have "a bit of money to spend" during the January transfer window and is looking to bring in "one or two" players on loan, with Aston Villa striker Darren Bent believed to be a target for the Reds.



- Roberto Mancini insisted that Manchester City have no intention of selling Mario Balotelli in the January transfer window after the Italian made the breakthrough against Wigan.



- Man Utd have stepped up their interest in Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Manchester United have slipped behind Juventus in the running for Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, according to talkSPORT.



- Tottenham will face a fight to sign Miralem Pjanic amid reports that Barcelona and Newcastle are also tracking the Roma midfielder.



- Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas insists he has no intention of letting Gareth Bale leave White Hart Lane.



- Jermain Defoe has rubbished speculation linking him with a move to QPR and has vowed to remain at Tottenham until the end of his career.



- Former Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf is set for a shock Premier League return - with Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert weighing up a January move for the 24-year-old.



- Kaka's father and agent has denied reports that the Real Madrid playmaker could join Corinthians or New York Red Bulls in the January transfer window.



- In a bid to land Parma winger Jonathan Biabiany, AC Milan are set to offer them Djamel Mesbah and Bakaye Traore to force the transfer through, according to Tuttosport.



- Veteran defender Lucio has admitted that he is unhappy at Juventus and would consider returning to Germany.



- Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who is reportedly back on Manchester United's radar, has admitted he is unsure if he will still be at the club next year.



- AS Roma are lining up a shock move for Newcastle defender Danny Simpson.



- Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has revealed Chelsea and Manchester City target Radamel Falcao is keen to test himself outside of La Liga.



- Senad Lulic's agent has insisted he is not in talks with any club regarding a move for the midfielder and says his client is happy at Lazio.



- Monaco have expressed an interest in signing David Beckham, but remain one of several clubs keen to bring in the midfielder.



- Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan has penned a new contract to keep him at the Reebok Stadium until 2015.



- Owen Coyle has declared himself ready for a quick return to management, while expressing an interest in the vacant Scotland job.

Juve leave Chelsea on brink

Chelsea are on the brink of an early UEFA Champions League exit after losing 3-0 at Juventus on Tuesday evening.



Fabio Quagliarella diverted Andrea Pirlo's weak shot past the wrong-footed Petr Cech to give the home side the lead just before the interval.



Arturo Vidal added to the lead just after the hour mark when his side-footed effort from Kwadwo Asamoah's cut-back was deflected past Cech off the heel of Ramires.



And substitute Sebastian Giovinco put the gloss on the display as he slotted the ball past the advancing Chelsea goalkeeper in injury time.



Chelsea must now beat Nordsjaelland in their final Group E game - and hope Shakhtar Donetsk beat Juve in Ukraine - to have any chance of retaining their European crown.



And Roberto Di Matteo may regret fielding a new-look line-up with Fernando Torres axed in favour of Eden Hazard up front and Cesar Azpilicueta playing on the right of midfield.



Juventus had dominated the game before the break with wing-backs Stephan Lichtsteiner and Asamoah pushing forward at every opportunity.



Lichtsteiner should have opened the scoring inside five minutes but Cech managed to push his close-range effort onto the post. At the other end, Hazard nearly found the breakthrough only for Gianluigi Buffon to deflect his shot just wide.



But the home side were producing the classier football and it was no surprise when they took the lead through Quagliarella. In fact, they nearly doubled their advantage soon after.



Minutes after the opener, Ashley Cole had to clear off the line to avoid the Blues going two behind.



But Di Matteo's side remained an intermittent goal threat and broke within seconds only for Juan Mata to see Buffon block his volleyed effort at point-blank range.



The Chelsea boss did introduce Torres with 20 minutes remaining but the visitors were two down by that point following Vidal's effort, and Giovinco's late finish puts the Blues on the verge of a Champions League exit.

Buffon eye finish his career at Juventus

Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon has spoken about his time with the club and insists he wants to remain in Turin for the rest of his career.



The 34-year-old World Cup winner also reminisced over his favourite matches with the club and the new arrivals at the Juventus Stadium this season.



First trophy as captain



“It was nice to lift the trophy in Beijing, but I’m honestly not a massive fan of being the centre of attention in such situations. I don’t find it right that the honour of lifting a trophy is reserved to just one person. That’s why I’m often found at the back and to one side of photos from the awards ceremonies. And that’s why after lifting the cup in Beijing I immediately passed it across to the other lads.”



Juventus for life



“I’ve already spent 12 years wearing this shirt, almost half of my life so far, but I hope that my adventure with Juventus continues for a long time, at least up until 15 years. Only a few players can say they’ve stayed at such an important team for that length of time.



“I had a fantastic first five years here, given the satisfaction we enjoyed in the championship, even though there was a little disappointment in the Champions League. We were probably the strongest team in Europe, but we never managed to win it.



“The year in Serie B is something I recall with pleasure, because I stayed and owed it to the fans to do so. It would have been too easy to leave at that particular moment.



“The most difficult period was the return to Serie A, because we were aware of how difficult it would be to return to winning ways. I asked myself if staying at Juve was worth it. After last year, the answer is an emphatic yes, because the feeling of winning the Scudetto again was so intense, and something I would not have experienced with any other team. Now I’d like to end my time with Juventus by winning something important.”



Champions League



“When I saw the draw, I thought ourselves and Shakhtar would have gone through. The Ukrainians have been strong for a number of years and have improved even further. Given the way the group is shaping up, I’d say they’re now the favourites and we’ll fight it out with Chelsea. I hope I’ve made the right prediction.”



Memorable games



“I have fond memories of the San Siro triumph in 2005. We triumphed 1-0 thanks to Trezeguet’s strike from a Del Piero assist. The victory was made even more special by the fact that we were a little fearful of Milan in the build-up, given that they had picked up plenty of points in the approach to the encounter.



“The hardest moment was last year’s game against Lecce. I suffered a great deal after that mistake, even though I was immediately given a warm reception by the public. Then, three days later, we had that evening in Trieste, which felt like a cycle had drawn to a close. We achieved a dream we’d been following for a long time.”

New arrivals



“Pogba and Asamoah are the ones who have surprised the most. The former, in spite of his young age, is ready to play, while Asa has dealt brilliantly with the step up to a big team. I won’t forget the others though: Isla and Bendtner are two great players and I’m waiting for them to break into the first team. Giovinco is giving us great support and Lucio provides guaranteed quality.”



Unbeaten streak



“It’s a magnificent run, especially considering the question mark hanging over all of our heads 14 months ago. Instead, we’ve been able to build something unique in this period of time. I don’t think that any team has managed to do the same as we have after two seventh-placed finishes.”



Home life



“I conduct a very normal life with my family. Being on the road as often as I am, we try and stay at home when we can. My wife cooks and every now and again we enjoy a nice bottle of red wine. My eldest son, Luis Thomas, has got two inflatable goals and we often play football together. As my dad did with me, I tell him that he’ll never be able to play, but actually I can see he’s got something decent.

Juventus intend to wrap up Suarez and RVP

Juventus' interest in Luis Suarez will not detract from their move for Robin van Persie.

It is understood that Juventus would ideally love to pair Van Persie and Suarez in a dream attack.



Whether either deal is pushed on remains to be seen, but Italian champions Juve are aiming big.



They have already made a firm move for Van Persie but, as with rival bidders Manchester City and Manchester United, have not been able to agree terms with Arsenal.

Sky Sports understands that Arsenal are standing firm over their valuation of the Dutch striker, who confirmed earlier this summer he did not wish to extend his contract, which has one year left.



Whilst Juve continue to work on a possible deal for Van Persie, they also have an interest in Suarez.



But it is understood that their interest in Suarez is long-standing and their ideal scenario was to sign both players but whether either deal can be done remains to be seen.



Despite his troubles last season, Suarez remains popular with the Anfield faithful and his performances underlined his quality.

Conte backs Juve to shine in Champions League

Juventus coach Antonio Conte is confident his side can return to the European elite following their Scudetto triumph.



The 42-year-old coach is delighted with the support that his team are enjoying and admitted that the club are determined to become a major force in European football again



The Bianconeri are back in the Champions League after winning their first Serie A crown since 2003 thanks to an impressive unbeaten campaign.



"All this excitement, which was also seen last year, is what pushes us to go forward and win things for our fans," Conte told reporters at the club's Chatillon training camp.



"We want to put Juventus back where they belong. Last season, we put the club back at the top of Italian football. Now we hope to return to the top of Europe and the world."



Juventus are preparing for their first official match of the season against Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana on Saturday.

Iaquinta in Fulham frame

Juventus striker Vincenzo Iaquinta could be set for a move to the Premier League with Fulham, according to the player's representative.



The forward, whose contract is set to expire at the end of the season, has reportedly been told that he can leave Turin this off-season.



And his agent has stated that the Italian is considering a number of options, but the west London club are a 'concrete possibility' for the 32-year-old.



"We are verifying a number of different options for Iaquinta in Italy, but especially in England," Andrea D'Amico told Calcio Sport 24.



"Fulham? That is a concrete possibility."



The former Udinese player did not play a single minute for Juve last season, and was loaned out to Cesena in January where he scored once in seven appearances.



Fulham have lost three strikers so far this transfer period, with Andrew Johnson joining QPR on a free transfer, Pavel Pogrebnyak choosing to join Reading despite his successful loan spell with the Cottagers and Orlando Sa terminating his contract by mutual consent.



However, Croatian striker Mladen Petric and former Wigan man Hugo Rodallega have boosted the forward ranks after agreeing to join Martin Jol's side.



Meanwhile, speculation continues to suggest that star forward Clint Dempsey could leave the club, with Liverpool among those interested in securing the American's signature.

Conte satisfied with Juve squad

Juventus coach Antonio Conte is pleased with how his squad looks, but he is still eager to add another player during the transfer window.



Juve won the Scudetto after finishing the 2011-12 Serie A season undefeated, but Conte is not ready to rest on his laurels.



"I'm happy with the players who have joined us. There is perfect harmony within the squad, but there is still more work to be done," Conte said at a press conference.



The 42-year-old then heaped praise on new signing Lucio, who joined the Turin club from Inter Milan on a free transfer.



"Lucio is a top player, and is a great professional who was immediately committed to our project," Conte said.



Conte added his thoughts on the ongoing Scommessopoli scandal, praising the investigators for ousting the perpetrators from Italian football.



"It's an ugly affair. But even in the darkest and most painful moments I've always had great respect and great trust in who is conducting the investigation," he said.



"I told the truth that I maintain was absolutely credible. In 42 years, my life has been credible. The club, the president and the fans know what kind of person I am. I’m calm and I cleared everything up, point by point."



Conte also spoke about the influence that Alessandro Del Piero will continue to have on Juve despite the veteran player leaving the club at the end of last season.



"Del Piero will always be present with us. It is odd that he isn't actually with us after so many years, as he, along with Gigi Buffon, were the historical elements of the squad," he said.



"I thank him for what he did last season and in his entire career at Juventus. I wish him all of the luck in the world."

Report: Juve to cut Buffon pay

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been asked to take a pay cut according to reports, as contract talks near a settlement stage.



Buffon, 34, has made no secret of his intention to end his career with the Serie A champions, but negotiations regarding a new deal have dragged on for months.



It is now reported, however, that an agreement is close to being struck and Buffon is set to sign a new contract until 2015, when he will turn 37.



Tuttosport claims that Buffon's new deal will be worth four million euros per year, which represents a 2m-euro reduction from his current deal, as Juventus follow the example of other Italian clubs and try to reduce their wage bill.



Buffon, who joined the Old Lady from Parma in 2001 for 54.2m euros, made 35 appearances for the side last season, conceding just 16 goals.

Fergie confirms Pogba's Juventus move

Manchester United have confirmed Paul Pogba has joined Juventus, with manager Sir Alex Ferguson blasting the teenager for a lack of respect.



French midfielder Pogba, 19, was considered one of the outstanding talents to emerge from the club's Academy in recent years but his future was consistently questioned last year as he rejected offers of a new deal at Old Trafford.



Now Ferguson has announced the formal end of his time at United, telling MUTV: "Pogba signed for Juventus a long time ago as far as we're aware."



United had presented improved terms - and a promise of improved first-team opportunities - to Pogba, but he was not swayed.



The news left Ferguson, who had nevertheless been expecting the decision, fuming.



"(It) is disappointing. I don't think he showed us any respect at all so, to be honest," he said.



"I'm quite happy that if they carry on that way, they're probably better doing it away from us."



Pogba arrived at United from Le Havre in 2009 - a move that infuriated the French side at the time.



He went on to make just seven first-team appearances for the Red Devils, all last season and all from the substitutes' bench.



Three of those came in the Premier League and three in the Carling Cup, with a solitary Europa League match in a 2-1 defeat to Athletic Bilbao.



Pogba is the second highly-rated young player to leave the club this year after the prodigiously talented but controversial Ravel Morrison was allowed to join West Ham in January.



The future of a third, Ezekiel Fryers, is unclear.



He has also been offered a new contract but has yet to inform United of his decision.



"We haven't heard anything from Zeki Fryers," added Ferguson.



"I don't know what's happening there but he's not been in touch with the club. His agent hasn't been in touch with the club and I can only assume he'll be back for training."

Sampdoria take on Ferrara

Former Italy and Juventus defender Ciro Ferrara has been named as the new coach of promoted UC Sampdoria after leading Italy's Under-21 side to five wins in six competitive games.



Ciro Ferrara has left his post as Italy Under-21 coach to sign a two-year contract with newly-promoted Serie A side UC Sampdoria, where he replaces Giuseppe Iachini.



Appointed by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) after the national team failed to qualify for the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals under Pierluigi Casiraghi, Ferrara has led the Azzurrini to five wins in six competitive games, and they are four points clear of Turkey at the top of qualifying Group 7 with a game in hand.



The 45-year-old former defender coached Juventus between May 2009 and January 2010. As a player, Ferrara won Serie A championships with SSC Napoli and Juventus and was capped 49 times by Italy. The FIGC are yet to name his successor as U21 coach.