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Spotify has announced its plans for Cannes Lions, the world’s largest celebration of the advertising and creative communications industry.

Running June 19-22, Spotify Beach will include masterclasses with appearances by Emma Chamberlain, “Call Her Daddy” host Alex Cooper and soccer star Cesc Fàbregas.

Daily programming will also include sound bath meditation sessions, an immersive Songs of Summer soundscape, a Football Club Barcelona play zone, a coffee and juice bar and a custom sunglasses gifting station.

The full calendar of events is below.

June 19

11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Building a Brand Is More Than Meets the Eye… and Ear

Panelists: Emma Chamberlain, host and creator, “Anything Goes”

Moderator: Taj Alavi, VP, Global Head of Marketing, Spotify

3-4 p.m.

Top Hits and Goal-Scoring Kicks: Fandom, Football and Media

Panelists: Cesc Fàbregas; Pola Gomez, award-winning Freestyler; Bradford Ross, VP Global Sports & Entertainment Marketing and Partnerships, Coca Cola; Benjamin Braun, European CMO,...

Get ready for a new brand of soccer coming to NBC and Peacock this summer. Following nine years of thrilling finishes and revolutionary progress in the world of basketball, Tbt Enterprises is set to launch The Soccer Tournament (Tst) this summer. The seven-on-seven, winner-take-all event will feature 32 teams competing in 27 matches with one team taking home $1 million. The rest of the field leaves with nothing.

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This one-of-a-kind event will take place from Thursday, June 1 through Sunday, June 4 on CNBC, NBC, and Peacock. As the home of the English Premier League in the United States, NBC Sports is a perfect partner for Tst’s inaugural season. The Basketball Tournament has been a staple of ESPN’s summer programming for years, and if the soccer edition can recreate that excitement, this could be another boon for the rapidly growing streamer.

All matches will be broadcast on Peacock,...

Career Mode fans are among the loudest in the FIFA community in clamoring for further updates from EA Sports, but with such upgrades found to be lacking in FIFA 23, players may have to resort to trying out different teams in order to spice up their favorite game mode. For years now, Career Mode fans have taken charge of the same club, chased after the same trophies and likely won them courtesy of signing the same players, which they discovered were overpowered in the previous FIFA. With the exception of FIFA 22’s Create Your Club option, there have been few reasons for them to deviate from this well-rehearsed routine.

Beyond a new FIFA soundtrack that ranks among the middle of the pack, each iteration of the world-leading football simulation largely serves as a squad update from which players can then remold their favorite club, just as they did 12 months prior. For some,...

FIFA 23’s Ultimate Team allows players to customize their clubs in a host of different ways, whether that’s by having insanely huge flags dotted around their stadium, wacky pitchside trophies, or pyrotechnics that will have even the staff down at Molineux licking their lips. However, choosing the kits their players will don remains, and will likely always remain, the most fun way for fans to make their Ultimate Team really feel like their own. Some will choose to merely rep their favorite side, whereas others will scour the leagues on the game for rogue kit designs that stand out from the competition.

FIFA 23's Ultimate Team caters to both of these sets of fans with a fun selection of kits, which go all the way from the high-vis of Manchester United’s third shirt, to the dodgy camouflage of Alanyaspor’s home strip. As usual, away shirts dominate, with...

Lionel Messi's soccer buds have arrived at the Barcelona superstar's wedding ceremony ... but it's their smokin' hot wives who stole the show!! Messi and his longtime girlfriend, Antonella Roccuzzo, are tyin' the knot today ... and some of the biggest names in the sport are on the guest list, like Messi's old Barcelona teammates, Xavi, Carles Puyol and Cesc Fabregas. They didn't go stag, of course ... bringing their beautiful wives along for the festivities. Check...

The private jets are landing in Argentina for the wedding of the year -- soccer superstar Lionel Messi tying the knot to his childhood sweetheart ... and Shakira's on the guest list. The singer and her soccer star husband, Gerard Pique, touched down in Rosario for the wedding, reportedly set to go down Friday afternoon in front of a crowd of hundreds. Among the stars expected to watch Messi and Antonella Roccuzzo -- soccer studs Luis Suarez,...

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It’s nearly here. FIFA 16 is ready for release towards the end of September, and just to whet your appetite, you can now try out the hotly-anticipated demo version of the game.

Alongside the demo though, game-makers EA Sports have recently confirmed player ratings for a host of clubs in the new game. The list includes the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City, Paris Saint Germain and European champions Barcelona.

Each outfit boasts a stream of world-class talent, and even before the main release of FIFA 16 you’re able to test the game out – with the aforementioned clubs – in the demo version.

But this article will bring you a selection of those confirmed ratings. Here, we focus on Premier League champions Chelsea, who powered to the title last season after faltering challenges from former champions Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United.

Chelsea are littered with quality players all across the park,...

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is renowned worldwide for his shrewd business in the transfer market. Though their recruitment policy has evolved in the last couple of years, the North Londoners are known as a club which develops young talents into household names (and then usually sells them).

The Gunners’ reputation as a feeder club for Europe’s elite is fast-fading though. Big money arrivals Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez announced a new Arsenal – a one which is willing to splash out on the best players available. Make no mistake, however, Wenger will continue to develop his own talent alongside big name arrivals. Players such as Thierry Henry, Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas flourished into international superstars under the Frenchman since the turn of the decade.

Does Arsene Wenger always get it right in the transfer market though? Arguably, no. The man who bought Nicolas Anelka for £500,000 and...

Mike Egerton/Empics Sport

Arsenal are set to move for Barcelona starlet Sergi Samper and will meet his £8.4 million buyout clause, according to Metro.

Mundo Deportivo reported that the midfielder could be Wenger’s second signing of the summer as he is a long way from breaking into Luis Enrique’s first team plans.

Players such as Cesc Fabregas, Jon Toral and Hector Bellerin have already made the move from Barcelona’s La Masia academy to North London.

Arsene Wenger has stated that he needs a potential successor to Mikel Arteta and after missing out on Arturo Vidal this week the 20-year-old could be a perfect fit.

Samper is seriously considering Arsenal’s offer, having grown frustrated playing for Barcelona’s B team but the Catalonia-based side would rather agree a loan deal.

International soccer superstar Cesc Fàbregas -- one of the best players on the Spanish national team -- just became a dad ... again ... 'cause his super hot girlfriend just gave birth to baby #2.  28-year-old Fàbregas and 40-year-old Daniella Semaan showed off their brand new baby boy this morning ... just hours after Daniella gave birth.  Aside from making babies, Fàbregas plays for Chelsea F.C. in the English Premier League soccer league ... and is considered one of...

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Newcastle United will resist the temptation to sign Stewart Downing from West Ham United this summer as they instead concentrate on other targets.

Also linked with a return to boyhood club Middlesbrough as well as Sunderland in recent days, plus he Magpies, The Chronicle state that Steve McClaren will not bid for Downing, in spite of being offered the midfielder by the Hammers.

McClaren nurtured Downing through the Middlesbrough youth ranks and the now 30-year-old won the 2004 League Cup with the Boro and played in their 2006 UEFA Cup final loss to Sevilla – and the Magpies would need to pay between £5 million and £7 million to secure the 35-cap England international’s signature. This is something they are not prepared to do

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Incredibly, Downing created 84 chances for his Hammers teammates last season – with only Eden Hazard (99), David Silva (91) and Cesc Fabregas (91) producing a greater...

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Newcastle United have joined the race for West Ham United midfielder Stewart Downing – a player who created the fourth-highest number of chances in the Premier League season.

Linked with a return to boyhood club Middlesbrough as well as Sunderland in recent days, The Chronicle now report that Downing is interesting his former boss Steve McClaren.

McClaren nurtured Downing through the Middlesbrough youth ranks and the now 30-year-old won the 2004 League Cup with the Boro and played in their 2006 UEFA Cup final loss to Sevilla – and the Magpies may need to pay between £5 million and £7 million to secure the 35-cap England international’s signature.

Adam Davy/Empics Sport

Incredibly, Downing created 84 chances for his Hammers teammates last season – with only Eden Hazard (99), David Silva (91) and Cesc Fabregas (91) producing a greater number in the entirety of the Premier League.

In fact, Downing created a greater number of chances than...

David Davies/Pa Archive

Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Ander Herrera, Fraser Forster, Esteban Cambiasso; from top to (almost) bottom, the 2014/15 has been packed full of explosively effective signings, men who have made an immediately positive impact upon the clubs who took a chance on them.

But every silver lining has a cloud, and this year’s campaign has been no exception. Of all the seasons in recent memory, this year’s has perhaps the most notorious in terms of highly-rated flops. In both the summer and January transfer windows, clubs exchanged various sums of money for players who simply haven’t lived up to expectations upon arriving at their new grounds. Some lasted only a few games, while others put their fans through a prolonged campaign of torture from the moment they set foot on the field.

It remains to be seen whether some of the following players...

Martin Rickett/Pa Archive

The 2014/15 season has been thrilling from start to finish so far, from tussles at the top of the table between Chelsea and Manchester City; surprise packages like Southampton and West Ham threatening to qualify for the Champions League and almost half the division battling to avoid the drop. The likes of Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero have set the league alight, and it promises to be a thrilling last four months to the campaign.

While many players have thrived since August, whether that be big-money signings, players who were also brilliant last year or exciting youngsters, there are also some who have simply not got going at all. It’s worth stressing that this list isn’t necessarily the worst players the Premier League has had to offer this season, but more the ones you expected plenty from yet have seen very little.

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Barcelona may be one of the most prestigious and illustrious clubs on the face of earth. Their academies may be swarming with budding world-class talent and the hinges of their trophy cabinets must be creaking under the weight, but one thing that they cannot die is that they have such an odd transfer system.

One moment, the club is splurging £75 million on a the hottest striker in Europe, and the next they are shelling out £15 million on a 30 year old centre-back who was playing as a left-winger up until a few seasons ago. They let youngsters go for cheap fees, only to buy them back for massive fees years down the line, ala Cesc Fabregas. They insert insane buy-out clauses into their players’ contract clauses to scare off potential suitors – and not just the likes of Lionel Messi, even the bench-warmers are supposedly worth skywards of £70 million.

So, really...

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Chelsea fans have seen some amazing names join the club over the past decade. Stars like Didier Drogba, Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben and Ashley Cole have ensured Chelsea are now considered one of the top clubs in Europe

Mourinho is now in charge of what could potentially be the best squad since 2004 complete with striker Diego Costa, who is scoring goals for fun and picking up many fans while doing it. Others such as Cesc Fabregas have been such a hit, that Chelsea are considered one of the favourites for the title this season along with Manchester City.

The club is currently home to some of the world’s best players, but not everyone has lived up to their full potential. Since Roman Abramovich took over in 2003, Chelsea have spent over £750M on transfer fees, a staggering figure that would suggest the quest for trophies would...

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It’s easy to see the attraction of Arsenal. The safety net of Champions League football each season, the lure of playing week on week with some of the finest players in Europe, and the chance to learn from one of the most astute managers on the continent.

On the flip side, of course, there is the lack of progression. For every season spent celebrating another qualification for Europe’s elite competition, there was nothing to put in the trophy cabinet for nine years. That drought was finally arrested in May of this year when the Gunners made hard work of defeating Hull City in the Fa Cup final, but questions had long been raised about Arsene Wenger’s ability to turn potential into silverware.

With a penchant for young talent, having unearthed the likes of Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas, he has come close to luring budding superstars...

Pharrell Williams, Michael Sheen and Dynamo are among the stars 'auditioning' to play British tennis number one Andy Murray in a new Stand Up to Cancer skit.

As Richard Ayoade and the former Wimbledon champion look on, a clutch of celebrities do their best Scottish accents in an attempt to land a role in Andy Murray: The Movie.

As auditionees try to impersonate the 27-year-old with varying success, the It Crowd actor assesses their likeness while Murray peppers the criticism with self-depreciating comments.

Footballer Cesc Fabregas takes a dig at Murray by claiming he heard the casting call was for "the tennis world's biggest star" and assumed he was going to play Rafa Nadal, whereas Dara O Briain claims he misread the advert after aping The Pub Landlord, Al Murray.

The sketch is the first of two comedy clips featuring the tennis star that were recorded for the charity telethon.

Taylor Swift, Will Ferrell and Derren Brown will be among the stars featured during the Stand Up To Cancer telethon.

Alan Carr, Davina McCall and Dr Christian Jessen will co-host the Channel 4 event on October 17.

Among this year's highlights will include a Gogglebox celebrity special with names to be announced at a later, while Nicole Scherzinger will perform with The SU2C Childrens Choir, whose members have all survived cancer.

Swift will join Jamie Oliver for a new sketch, and Derren Brown will amaze Sherlock's husband and wife duo Martin Freeman and Amanda Abbington.

As previously reported, Andy Murray and Richard Ayoade will appear in a sketch in which they screen-test celebrities to play the tennis star in a fictional biopic.

Britney Spears, Pharrell Williams, Gordon Ramsay, Michael Sheen, Ed Sheeran, Rory McIIroy, Sir Terry Wogan and Cesc Fabregas will all appear in the skit.

Jack Whitehall will...

Britney Spears and Pharrell Williams will reportedly feature in a comedy sketch involving Andy Murray.

The former Wimbledon champion will audition stars to play him in a biopic as part of Channel 4's Stand Up To Cancer fundraising telethon later this month, Radio Times reports.

The skit will see Richard Ayoade assisting Murray as he tries to find someone to play him in a fictional movie about his life.

Michael Sheen, Gordon Ramsay, Rory McIlroy, Cesc Fabregas, Sir Terry Wogan and Ed Sheeran will also appear in the sketch.

Spears will reportedly be seen auditioning for the role of Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears.

The sketch has been recorded and will air during the live broadcast on October 17. Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian Jessen will co-host the special event.

Watch a promo for the telethon below:...

Ricardo Mazalan/AP/Press Association Images

In a record-breaking spending-spree summer, there have been twists and turns in the never-ending drama of the transfer window. Premier League audiences have been privy to Man United chief executive Ed Woodward scrambling for deals left, right and centre in a bid to eradicate the nightmarish summer of 2013, Aston Villa dipping into the dustbin of has-beens and rejects, and even the return of a certain Italian maverick. Maybe he’s even brought that famous T-shirt with him?

There have been some great pieces of business as clubs strive to improve themselves as they bid to move to the next level. Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Alexis Sanchez and Angel di Maria, amongst others, have had supporters salivating over their signatures, as chief executives complete these fabled ‘statements of intent’.

However, there have been a number of transfers that simply don’t make sense for a number of reasons.

Matt Dunham/AP/Press Association Images

Manchester United have just agreed arguably The blockbuster deal of the summer with As Monaco’s Radamel Falcao set to move to Old Trafford on a season-long loan deal later today. Reports suggest United are paying £12 million for the striker’s services, though it is unclear at this stage if there is an option to make the move permanent.

It’s a staggering move. Falcao was linked with a series of other clubs including Real Madrid and United’s “noisy neighbours” City, but the Red Devils have astonishingly beaten off the competition to land the prolific Colombian, who has already scored twice in three appearances for Monaco this season.

During 2012-13, Falcao was one of the most dangerous forwards in Europe and struck 28 goals in 34 La Liga appearances for former club Atletico Madrid. This prompted Monaco to fork out £50 million to bring him to...

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With Jose Mourinho’s squad looking as strong as any Chelsea team in recent memory, Blues fans will have good reason for looking forward to the release of FIFA 15 at the end of next month. After a strong campaign last season, there’s a good chance Chelsea will be among the highest rated teams in the game this year, particularly with such fearsome additions as Filipe Luis, Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, not to mention the burgeoning talent of Eden Hazard and Andre Schurrle.

A number of last year’s best performers are likely to see a ratings increase, particularly in defence where Chelsea were the stingiest club in the league in terms of goals conceded. Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic both look due a nudge up a few points, while Cesar Azpilicueta’s emergence as one of the best full-backs in football should see his rating take a huge jump.

Mike Egerton/Empics Sport

The Premier League is home to some of the finest ever entertainers. With their silky skills, goal-scoring pedigree and footballing prowess, England’s topflight houses some of the best players in the world. From Cesc Fabregas’s smooth passing through to Robin van Persie’s deadly eye for goal, fans have been amazed and captivated by domestic talent for years.

But there’s a darker side to the Premiership. For every wonder goal there has been a shameless dive and for every correct offside decision there has been an incorrect one. Queue the moaners and complainers of the so-called ‘beautiful game’ who persistently point the finger at each other looking for anyone but themselves to blame for their latest defeat.

For all its world class talent, the Premier League is also home to crybabies and spoilt brats. Whether its simulation, complaining to the referee, feigning serious...

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From the boardroom to the pitch, controversy has a long and mischievous association with Chelsea Football Club. Our club heroes may include saints like Gianfranco Zola and Peter Osgood, but we haven’t shied away from cheering on the occasional sinner either. There are a couple of players in the current squad who could find themselves added to this list in future, with Cesc Fabregas having a bit of a reputation for mouthing off and Diego Costa’s temper sometimes getting the better of him, but for now let’s give them the benefit of the doubt for now.

This list will focus on players and staff past and present with established histories of causing a bit of a ruckus whenever their names get mentioned anywhere in the media outside a match report… and sometimes inside a match report as well.There’s...

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There seems to be widespread consensus that Chelsea are comfortable favourites to take the Premier League trophy at the end of the season. The Blues have a strong squad, bolstered by the addition of key signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, while possible rivals Liverpool lost their key player from last season and Arsenal and Manchester United continue to struggle in their rebuilding efforts. Their 3-1 win against Burley last Monday was certainly an impressive and controlled show of intent.

We know what the so-called experts think when it comes to Chelsea’s chances, but we thought we’d turn the question over to you to find out the opinion of the people who really count: the fans.

There are certainly some variables worth taking into account before you make your selection, however. While Chelsea have a packed squad, there appears to be...

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Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, pictured above representing Portugal at this year’s World Cup, has emerged as a £35 million transfer target for Chelsea. Having been heavily linked with Arsenal this summer and Manchester United last year, the stocky anchor man is one of the most sought after young players in Europe following numerous outstanding performances at club and international level.

All three English clubs would certainly benefit from Carvalho’s physical strength and strong reading of the game. Arsenal’s midfield was easily overrun by the big sides last season and having someone to protect their defence would allow their creative players more freedom to express themselves in the manner Arsene Wenger desires. Manchester United frankly need all the help they can get in every area of the field except attack, while Chelsea may require a more robust companion for Nemanja Matic than...

Andrew Matthews/Pa Wire/Press Association Images

Chelsea have had an extremely busy in the transfer window, making some key signings to rectify the squad’s shortcomings last season while also seeing the departure of two of the club’s all-time legends. Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returned from his loan at Champions League runners-up Atletico Madrid and was immediately followed by two of their biggest stars, striker Diego Costa and full-back Filipe Luis. A more controversial move saw former Arsenal man Cesc Fabregas join from Barcelona, while Brazilian ‘defender’ David Luiz departed for an exorbitant fee in the direction of Paris St. Germain… fortunately before he endured a World Cup nightmare in his country’s 7-1 home annihilation by Germany.

As ever with Chelsea, there’s been no shortage of loan departures, so the final entry in this list will focus on the two most high-profile moves (Oriol Romeu to Stuttgart...

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To say that things haven’t quite gone according to plan for Manchester United during the current transfer window would be an understatement, with the Red Devils yet to progress with any new deals since the early signings of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera – who were both of long-term interest anyhow.

Losing at Old Trafford on the opening day has only escalated the situation, with genuine panic now the order of the day for supporters, while Ed Woodward becomes a far more maligned figure with each week that ticks by to the close of the month. Louis Van Gaal is renowned for playing variants of a 4-3-3 system, as is the way of the Dutch school, but is resorting to a 3-5-2 at present, clearly demonstrating that the latest United boss isn’t comfortable with what is currently at his disposal.

Signings need to be made with fans,...

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Despite falling behind to an excellent strike from Scott Arfield, Chelsea produced an authoritative performance in their first match of the new season in taking down Premier League newcomers Burnley. Diego Costa picked up his first competitive goal for the club with simple tap-in following a rebound off the post, Cesc Fabregas produced an outrageously cute assist to provide the second for Andre Schurrle and the club’s right-back-turned-poacher, Branislav Ivanovic, picked up the third from a corner.

Burnley may have been beaten, but by no means shamed themselves with a perfectly competent if occasionally naive performance against a significantly higher level of opposition than they would’ve been used to in the Championship. The campaign ahead looks difficult for them, but if they can match last night’s performance and learn from the experience of playing against top class forwards, there’s...

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Two moments of individual inspiration gave Chelsea a 2-1 victory against Hungarian side Ferencváros in the first game ever played at the Groupama Arena. With only two days having passed since the Blues’ last pre-season outing, a charity tournament against Besiktas and Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, Jose Mourinho elected to give starting minutes to youngsters Kurt Zouma and Andreas Christensen in defence and recent World Cup returnees Ramires, Willian and Andre Schurrle in midfield.

The lack of fitness and experience in the side weighed heavily on Chelsea in the first half. Their ponderous football struggled to break down a Ferencváros side pressing aggressively and playing out from the back. An early cross from Daniel Nagy found Attila Busai at the far post, but the striker sliced his shot over the crossbar before being ruled offside.

Chelsea responded with Schurrle picking up the ball with...

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The summer transfer window is in full swing as we enter the final month before September 1st’s deadline with Premier League clubs being more active than ever before. In the first two months of the window alone an astonishing £360 million was splashed out by England’s top tier teams – up £60 million from the year before, according to Deloitte’s Sports Business Group.

That means that we could see spending surpass the record of £630 million set last year by the time we reach the transfer cut-off point at the end of the month as clubs put their money where their mouths are in a bid to secure title glory or simply survive dreaded relegation come next May.

Chelsea and Liverpool have been the window’s biggest spenders so far with the Blues splashing out a combined £62 million on Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, while the Reds...

Alastair Grant/AP/Press Association Images

Manchester United are set to miss out on top summer transfer target Thomas Vermaelen after Arsenal agreed a £15 million bid from Barcelona for the centre-back, according to the BBC. Vermaelen had been at the centre of a two-way tussle between United and Barca but yesterday Gunners manager Arsene Wenger admitted he would prefer to sell the player abroad rather than to a domestic rival.

The 28-year-old Belgian international is now set to discuss personal terms with the Spanish giants and is expected to undergo a medical at the Nou Camp later this week. The news will come as a crushing blow to United manager Louis van Gaal, who is in the market for a new centre-half following the summer departures of Rio Ferdinand and club-captain Nemanja Vidic.

This isn’t the first time van Gaal has been frustrated in the transfer market during his pursuit of a new centre-half.

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With just a little over three weeks to go until the summer transfer window clangs shut for four months, Manchester United have been noticeably inactive in recent weeks. The squad that finished a disappointing seventh under David Moyes last season is in obvious need of an overhaul and there isn’t long left to make the required changes.

United have already signed Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw from Athletic Bilbao and Southampton, respectively, but over a month has passed since the Red Devils last dipped into the transfer market, and that has been cause for alarm in some sections of the Red Devils’ support base.

Rivals Liverpool announced their seventh signing of the summer yesterday while Chelsea too have strengthened significantly by bringing in Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, and unless United sanction at least a couple more transfers, they run the very real risk of...

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The World Cup may be over but match-starved football fans need not mourn too much longer, for the Premier League recommences in just two short weeks. On August 16, England’s topflight will resume with champions Manchester City hoping to retain their title.

This summer has been one of change and there is plenty to look forward to as we approach the start of the 2014-15 season. City’s domestic rivals United have appointed a new manager in Louis van Gaal while rivals Chelsea have continued their accustomed cash-splashing by landing Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa.

Another aspect of the new season that is also causing excitement is the annual fantasy football leagues. Here at What Culture!, we’ve been using Fantasy Premier League.com, and will be looking to set up a private league soon, with monthly prizes to be given away. But...

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Despite selling occasional defender David Luiz to Paris St Germain for about £30m too much, Chelsea have allowed another centre-back to leave the club – albeit temporarily – as Oriol Romeu has joined Stuttgart on loan for the season, fresh from signing a new contract at the London club.

Fans might be somewhat surprised that a defender given a new contract, and clearly identified as having a future at the club would be moved out on loan, especially with John Terry’s ageing legs and the pressure of four major competitions to compete in with just Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma as his potential partners – and presumably Branislav Ivanovic as long as Mourinho moves Cesar Azpilicueta back to right-back to accommodate Flilpe Luis. Even with those four options, having Romeu in there for the League Cup and earlier rounds of the Fa Cup might not have been such a bad idea.

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Having already made some impressive waves in the transfer market this summer – and with surprising swiftness, by their traditional standards – Arsenal thought they had pulled off another bit of impressive business earlier this week, with the news that young Georgios Spanoudakis had defected from Barcelona to join them. The 15-year-old defensive midfielder had been with the Spanish side since leaving Eintracht Frankfurt as a 10-year-old, and is widely considered one of his country’s greatest prospects, but he will now not follow in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas as initially reported.

It seems that those initial reports were somewhat premature, as it has now been revealed that the statuesque midfielder has in fact returned to his homeland to sign for Stuttgart. He will take his ball-skills and considerable talent to that side, rather than becoming the seventh player to join Wenger’s side from Barcelona in the...

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In the grand scheme of Jose Mourinho’s achievements in world football, if he manages to convince anyone to part with any money at all – whether that’s in terms of a transfer fee or a slither of his unjustly gigantic wages – for Fernando Torres, it would immediately be deemed the greatest moment of his starry career to date.

That is the objective that faces the Portuguese manager, as his club’s transfer policy of buying as many emerging foreign stars as possible – without intention to ever play them in some cases – and the latest decision to bring Didier Drogba back to the club means that the first-team squad has one too many foreign players to comply with the Premier League and Champions League rules relating to the home-grown quota.

Obviously, clubs haven’t yet found a colourful loophole to get round the...

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This summer is set to be a very exciting one for Manchester United fans, not only because of the arrival of charismatic new manager Louis van Gaal, but because he is set to lead the recruitment drive that United have needed since Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009.

After enduring their worst ever Premier League campaign last season which culminated in a seventh placed finish, United are set for a summer of upheaval as first team players move through the door in both directions. Losing the experienced quartet of Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra from the first team over the summer so far means that United are going to need to add quality in several departments.

The main issue is the central midfield area, which has long been considered the weakness of the 13 time Premier League champions. Whilst Ander...

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Yes, you read the headline correctly! According to reports in Spain, Lionel Messi was considering his options only two months ago, but how close was the Argentinian wizard in moving to London this summer?

The incredibly gifted 27-year-old is a long term admirer of Arsene Wenger’s footbally style and philosophy and he could have been very close to lighting up the Premier league.

Messi, who has been reported as speaking to former Gunner Cesc Fabregas, was left stunned last season after Barcelona failed to lift the Champions league and lost the La Liga to Atletico Madrid.

The rumours from Spanish website Vozpopuli may well be accurate but would Wenger really be able to afford the Ballon d’Or winner with a reported buy out clause of a whopping £197 million? Surely this may have been the final stumbling block on top of paying him...

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Arsenal’s reputation in recent years has been of a club that lets superstars when they should be fighting tooth and nail to keep them and build on them. The likes of Robin van Persie, Patrick Viera, Cesc Fabregas, Thierry Henry, Ashley Cole and Samir Nasri were all sold when it was believed they still had far more to offer.

Though Arsenal most certainly are guilty of releasing players they should have fought to keep, there are also many players who arguably should have either left Wenger’s team before they did or never even signed with the Gunners to begin with. Whether because they didn’t win any silverware in north London or because they spent long bouts receiving little to no time on the field, there is a contingent of players who we believe wished they never made the move to north London.

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In terms of big-money signings, the Gunners have not had much to whet their appetite with in recent seasons. With every transfer window that slams shut, praying to God that their newly-acquired 21 year old striker from Guinea hits the ground running, while their posh city rivals welcome the biggest and best from around Europe, an air of jealousy was apparent. Having to fund a new stadium can take its toll on a club’s forthrightness in the transfer market, and that in turn, will have a knockdown effect on the amount of trophies they acquire. With the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and even Thierry Henry plucked from thin air, with everything to prove to the gruelling English media, Wenger has been labelled ‘reluctant’ to dip his toes in what can be an unforgiving transfer market.

Last summer, there was a new wave of optimism circling the Emirates.

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Earlier this week, Chelsea finally announced the £32 million signing of Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa. Costa arrives on a five-year deal worth a reported £150,000-a-week and becomes the London club’s third major signing of the summer, following Cesc Fabregas and Mario Pasalic.

Blues boss Jose Mourinho had been looking for a “killer striker” this summer after watching his strike force of Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o and Demba Ba struggle last season, and Costa looks as though he fits that criterion having netted 36 goals in 52 games in 2013-14.

Costa said he was “very happy” to join Chelsea and that he was excited about getting his playing career up and running in England following his four-year spell in the Spanish capital with Atletico. And as we prepare to acquaint ourselves with the Brazilian forward, how much do we know of Costa so far?

Aside from being a prolific goalscorer,...

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Transfer rumours and speculation are inevitably always a big part of following a football club, but perhaps even more so for Arsenal fans. Supporters of the North London club seem to continuously have summers of frustration, with Arsene Wenger regularly missing out on his top targets – or so media coverage would have us believe, at least.

Of course, there are exceptions: last year’s record signing of Mesut Ozil was greeted with glee by Gunners’ fans, with Twitter going into a near meltdown as the Germany international put pen to paper on a five-year deal. That signing represented a change in policy from Wenger; during the early years of his reign, the Frenchman looked to sign young, relative unknown talent, in the hope of developing them into world class players.

The strategy proved, for the most part, incredibly successful: the likes of Thierry Henry,...

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Chelsea have been given fresh hope in their pursuit of Paul Pogba, and have renewed their interest in the £60 million-rated Juventus midfielder, according to the London Evening Standard. Blues boss Jose Mourinho has already spent that amount on Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa this summer, but wants more bite in his midfield.

Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, has consistently stressed that his client is staying put in Turin, but the Italian champions may yet be tempted to cash in on the French international in order to fund summer bids for their top targets. Juve are interested in Arsenal target Alexis Sanchez, along with Real Madrid’s Angel di Maria and Colombia star Juan Cuadrado.

And this has given Chelsea fresh impetus that they can get their man, if the price is right. Juventus will demand £60 million for Pogba, while the Blues face stiff competition from fellow...

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Sporting Lisbon have revealed William Carvalho can join Manchester United this summer, providing manager Louis van Gaal stumps up the defensive midfielder’s £37 million buyout clause.

The Red Devils have entered talks with the Portuguese club over a move for the 22-year-old, who van Gaal wants to partner Ander Herrera in a new-look midfield at Old Trafford next season.

United aren’t the only ones interested, however. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is also keen in Carvalho, despite having signed Cesc Fabregas and boasting a wealth of midfield options already.

The Blues have reportedly offered Sporting £11 million plus a player on loan, but the Red Devils have a good relationship with Lisbon having previously negotiated deals for Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo.

That could give them the advantage, however, they will have to spend big if they want to land the Portuguese midfielder, with Sporting holding...

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Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea has spoken out to urge new Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal to keep one of the key members of the squad, and add a World Cup team-mate as part of what is likely to be an extensive and expensive rebuilding process this summer.

The ‘keeper spoke to Movistar to say that Van Gaal must keep his compatriot play-maker Juan Mata at the club this summer, with sweeping changes on the cards at Old Trafford and the club looking towards a new dawn after a season of relative disaster.

Mata’s acquisition was a shining light in David Moyes’ otherwise disappointing tenure at the club, and De Gea believes that Van Gaal needs to keep faith in the player who was mooted as a key to rebuilding the squad:

“I would not sell Juan Mata. He is a very important player for us.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is looking to pull off a sensational coup by bringing former star Cesc Fabregas back to the Premier League, according to the Mirror.

Fabregas joined the Gunners as a youth from Barcelona and spent eight years in London before re-joining the Catalans in 2011, and now looks set for yet another switch.

Barca will listen to offers for the midfielder this summer, and Arsenal have first refusal as part of the deal that saw the 27-year-old return to the Nou Camp three years ago.

Fabregas is open to a move back to England and his strong relationship with Wenger, along with the buy-back clause in his current contract means the door is very much open for the Gunners.

Arsenal inserted the clause as part of his £30 million sale, meaning Barca have to inform them if they receive a bid, and Wenger...

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Rarely has a summer transfer window been so important for a club, but the task facing Barcelona in the following months certainly falls into that bracket. The La Liga champions were handed a 14-month transfer ban in April by FIFA, for breaking rules on signing international players under the age of 18.

Barcelona contested the decision and consequently the ban has been suspended till January, pending an appeal. It means the club has the forthcoming summer transfer window to strengthen their squad, before being banned from activity in the next two.

Captain Carles Puyol has already announced that he will be departing, as has goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Add to that the fact that Dani Alves, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Javier Mascherano will all be over 30-years-old come July, and it is clear that investment is needed.

There is talk of a huge squad overhaul at the Catalan club,...

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Date: Sunday, March 23 Venue: Santiago Bernabeu Kick-Off: 20:00

La Liga leaders Real Madrid can move seven points clear of old rivals Barcelona with a win in tonight’s ‘El Clasico’ at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Team News

Real Madrid will welcome Luka Modric and Angel Di Maria back into the fold after the duo were rested during the midweek Champions League win over Schalke.

However, young forward Jesse has been sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury.

Barcelona warmed up for their crunch clash with Madrid by thrashing Osasuna 7-0. Neymar and Cesc Fabregas sat out that game but could be recalled by manager Gerardo Martino.

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Key Stats

This is the 168th ‘Clasico’ between Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Madrid have only won two of their last 11 league meetings with Barcelona (D2 L7), and both came by the odd goal.

However,...