Real Madrid News

The Spaniard is optimistic about holding on to his prized asset as he begins his reign at Napoli and is keen to help the club make the next step in its development

Napoli coach Rafa Benitez says he is determined to hold on to Edinson Cavani amid continued speculation about the star striker’s future.

Cavani, 26, is on Confederations Cup duty with Uruguay and has already stated he will not decide his future until after the tournament, with top European clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City vying for the attacker’s signature.

However, Benitez remains optimistic about keeping Cavani at the club having spoken to him already.

“Everybody talks about him because he’s very strong and he’s an important player. We’re happy he is with us for now and I hope he can remain here,” Benitez said at a press conference.

“I’ve talked with him, we talked by texts.”

Cavani has a deal with Napoli until June 2017, but can leave the Serie A outfit if his €63 million release clause in his contract is triggered.

Meanwhile, it is Benitez’s second stint in Italy having had a brief spell at Inter as Jose Mourinho’s successor in 2010, but it was a largely unhappy time for the Spaniard and he was sacked six months into his reign at San Siro.

Nevertheless, the 53-year-old insists he has learned from his time at the Nerazzurri.

“We learn from our mistakes, we know what we did wrong and what we can improve,” he continued.

“Napoli are a different team compared to Inter. The project is different, there is a willingness to grow as a club and that was enough for me to accept the offer.”

Benitez also shared his thoughts about coming to Naples and the strength of the team he has at his disposal.

He added: “The first sensation is that it is very hot here. I’m happy, I have seen the city and the fans and I know the board.

“I talked with players who played against Napoli and they told me very good things about them. It’s a strong team, who want to grow up and I hope to help them do that in the future.”

The Argentina striker has agreed personal terms with the Gunners, who will hold talks with los Blancos this weekend as they look to secure a fee in the region of €23 million

By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

Arsenal officials have flown out to Madrid to finalise the deal to bring Gonzalo Higuain to the Emirates Stadium, Goal can reveal.

The Gunners delegation will hold top-level talks with their Real Madrid counterparts this weekend as the two clubs negotiate a fee for the Argentina international.

As reported by Goal on Thursday, Higuain has already agreed personal terms with Arsenal ahead of a move that is increasingly likely to be completed within the next 10 days.

Preliminary discussions have already taken place between Arsenal and Madrid on a fee for the 25-year-old, and the exact figure is expected to be settled in the Spanish capital over the weekend.

The Gunners are hopeful that an offer around the €23 million mark can close the deal, while los Blancos are holding out for around €30m.

It is understood that Arsene Wenger could make an appearance during the discussions at some point over the weekend.

Arsenal have agreed a contract with Higuain that will start with a salary of €116,000-a-week, which will bring him in line with the club’s top earners Theo Walcott and skipper Thomas Vermaelen but, contrary to reports, will not shatter the club’s wage bill.

Nevertheless, Higuain will pocket a bumper pay rise if he completes a move to the Gunners as he is believed to be earning a relatively modest €74,500-a-week at Santiago Bernabeu.

Higuain alerted buyers by publicly insisting that he will leave Madrid this summer following six years in the Spanish capital.

Juventus have also made the prolific forward an offer but there are doubts about their willingness to pay a €23m-plus fee.

Wenger has made a concerted move for Higuain as he bids to break the €23m transfer barrier – comfortably breaking the club’s record – on two new players this summer. As revealed by Goal, Arsenal have also activated the €26m release clause in Marouane Fellaini’s Everton contract but have not yet been given the all clear to hold official talks with the player, who is currently on holiday.

Wenger has also shown strong interest in Wayne Rooney and Fiorentina’s Stevan Jovetic, but Higuain has been told he can leave by Madrid and the deal is viewed by Arsenal as easier to secure.

The Argentina star has a prolific scoring record at both club and international level and will be regarded as a statement signing if Arsenal can finalise the transfer.

The north Londoners have also made moves to sign centre-back Ashley s from Swansea City and goalkeeper Julio Cesar from QPR.

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The Premier League side are set to meet with Malaga on Friday over a move for the midfielder and are increasingly confident of completing negotiations

By Paul Clennam

Manchester City are confident of completing a deal for Isco in the coming days despite Malaga digging their heels over the 21-year-old’s transfer fee, Goal understands.

Officials from both clubs will meet on Friday to further negotiate terms, with City keen to pay €23.5 million plus a further €11.7m in add-ons for the Spanish playmaker.

Malaga are thought to be determined to hold out for a greater lump sum for Isco, but sources close to the deal have indicated to Goal that the Premier League side believe an agreement is near.

The midfielder, who has also been pursued closely by Real Madrid in recent months, is currently in Ibiza after securing the European Under-21 Championship title in Israel this week, and could fly to Manchester for a medical as early as this weekend should the clubs agree to terms on Friday.

Reports from Spain earlier this week suggest he has spurned advances from Madrid, despite being told by Zinedine Zidane that he would be a key fixture in the first team should he move to the Bernabeu this summer.

However, City remain wary of a late move from the Spanish giants and are keen to wrap up negotiations shortly, with new boss Manuel Pellegrini a key attraction to the Spaniard after playing under him at Malaga last season.

The Premier League side have been monitoring the playmaker since late last year, as was exclusively revealed by Goal, but were made to wait until the summer to continue negotiations after he renewed his contract at La Rosaleda, increasing his €20.5m buyout clause to €35m.

The midfielder is one of six top-line summer targets earmarked by City sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano, with Edinson Cavani, Thiago Alcantara and Diego Novaretti still on the club’s radar after they completed the signings of Jesus Navas and Fernandinho earlier this month.

The Gunners are weighing up the possibility of a move for the unsettled Manchester United striker as Arsene Wenger steps up his hunt for attacking reinforcements

EXCLUSIVE
By Tom Marshall-BaileyFormer Arsenal striker John Hartson believes the Gunners must show intent in the transfer market this summer and has called on Arsene Wenger to “break the bank” in a bid to sign Wayne Rooney.

Goal exclusively revealed Rooney is open to a move to the north London outfit this summer, and Arsenal are keeping abreast of the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the 27-year-old’s future at Manchester United.

Rooney is understood to be against the idea of working with new Old Trafford chief David Moyes and Hartson, who was speaking at the launch of the 2013-2014 Barclays Premier League fixtures, believes Arsenal should capitalise on the pair’s frosty relationship by lodging a bid for the England star.

“I think Rooney would be a fantastic signing,” the Welshman told Goal. “He’s actually coming into his prime.

“He’s only about 27, 28 and you don’t play your best football until this stage of your career so, in terms of his experience and everything he’s done at Manchester United, I think he would be a brilliant signing and Arsenal fans would welcome him into the side.”

The Gunners, who are also chasing Real Madrid frontman Gonzalo Higuain, have been crying out for an established forward ever since Robin Van Persie’s departure to United in the summer of 2012.

Olivier Giroud performed admirably in his first season in English football but has not filled the void, and Hartson believes Rooney would bring so much more than just goals to the Arsenal frontline.

He added: “I think you will see Rooney take up a deeper role because of his experience and when he drops into that little hole behind the striker, he gives the centre-backs a real problem because he needs to be marked, and you couldn’t let a player like him come in on the half-turn and face your back four because he will just cause riots in there.

“He can pick people out, he can slide balls through, break the centre-backs by getting between the lines and by playing balls over the top.

“He has unbelievable individual ability and if they can find the right position for him, he’d be brilliant. Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane both dropped into deeper roles as they got older and wiser.

“Arsenal fans are used to players like Rooney. They’ve had Dennis Bergkamp, Liam Brady, Anders Limpar, they’ve had great ball players over the years and Rooney would be a magic signing, I’m a big fan of his.

“So, for me, I would just break the bank and go and get Rooney if United will let him go.”

With the likes of Rooney, Higuain, Marouane Fellaini et al being linked to the club, Arsenal’s change of approach on the transfer front has suddenly seen the club being touted in some quarters as potential title challengers rather than mere Champions League chasers.

Hartson does not believe the calibre of players arriving at the Emirates this summer is surprising but admits the club do need to secure silverware sooner rather than later.

“Well that doesn’t surprise me because Arsenal are a fantastic club, a huge club,” he added.

“The only thing that is letting them down right now is the fact they haven’t won a major trophy for six or seven seasons which is disappointing.

“They’ve come close, they’ve hit the post if you like, they’ve lost in cup finals and when you talk about Arsenal, you’re so used to talking about them winning things but they’ve not won anything.

“They’ve qualified for the Champions League, which is a great achievement for many years now on the spin so Wenger deserves huge credit for that but they’re still a massive club and, in my opinion, they will have no problem attracting world-class players.”

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John Hartson was speaking at the launch of the 2013-14 Barclays Premier League fixtures. To hear Phil Neville, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Ray Parlour and John Hartson preview the new fixtures, download the exclusive podcast by clicking here.

Ahead of this year’s Goal 50, we want to know who you think was the best attacking player during the 2012-13 season

POLL

The latest Goal 50 for 2012-13 is fast approaching as we review the best players from all regions of the world over the previous season.

This is the sixth edition of the prize, which has previously been won by current holder Cristiano Ronaldo (twice), Barcelona star Lionel Messi (twice) and Wesley Sneijder in 2010.

As part of the build-up to this year’s gong, we are running a series of polls asking readers to vote for their own best players in each position for what should be an intriguing debate.

After moving through your selections for goalkeeper, defender and midfielder we now put forward a number of high-profile candidates who can lay claim to having been the best forward in the world game over the last 12 months.

The obvious candidates are Messi and Ronaldo, who again enjoyed sensational individual seasons for Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively. The Argentine scored 60 goals in 50 games, while his Portuguese rival netted 55 times in as many appearances.

However, they are rivalled by Mario Mandzukic and Robert Lewandowski, who both enjoyed prolific campaigns for Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund en route to the Champions League final.

Radamel Falcao’s superb form for Atletico Madrid helped them to third place in La Liga and a Copa del Rey triumph before his move to Monaco, where he will come up against Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was influential in Paris Saint-Germain’s successful campaign to become champions of France.

Robin van Persie’s form after moving to Manchester United from Arsenal was exceptional, while Luis Suarez was another standout striker in the Premier League for Liverpool.

In Italy, Mario Balotelli enjoyed a great spell in front of goal after joining AC Milan from Manchester City, while Edinson Cavani was a prolific frontman for Napoli as they finished second in Serie A.

HAVE YOUR SAY

In total we have 20 forward players up for your vote to decide on the best midfielder for the 2012-13 season. Let us know your thoughts by voting in our poll and leaving your comments below. You can also get in touch via our Facebook and Twitter pages.