Arsenal have 'signed' Leicester star Riyad Mahrez: Announcement soon - Big claim in Italy
ARSENAL have signed Leicester star Riyad Mahrez and an announcement will be made soon, according to sensational reports in Italy.
Arsenal are pressing ahead with their summer transfer plans as they aim to bounce back from last season's disappointing Premier League campaign.
The Gunners finished a lowly fifth - their worst position since the 1995/96 season.
And Arsene Wenger's side also had to endure the embarrassment of ending the campaign 11 points adrift of fierce rivals Tottenham.
As a result, Arsenal fans are praying that Wenger can succeed where he has failed in previous years by bringing some big-name players to the Emirates.
A deal for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette will be completed soon, with the prolific France international set to become their first summer arrival for a club-record £44million.
The Gunners finished a lowly fifth - their worst position since the 1995/96 season.
And Arsene Wenger's side also had to endure the embarrassment of ending the campaign 11 points adrift of fierce rivals Tottenham.
As a result, Arsenal fans are praying that Wenger can succeed where he has failed in previous years by bringing some big-name players to the Emirates.
A deal for Lyon's Alexandre Lacazette will be completed soon, with the prolific France international set to become their first summer arrival for a club-record £44million.
And Italian website Calciomercato.it are claiming that the Gunners have also completed a deal for Leicester's Mahrez.
The Algeria international played a key role in the Foxes' title win in 2016, scoring 18 goals across all competitions.
But that number dropped to 10 last season with Leicester struggling under Claudio Ranieri - something that ultimately cost the Italian his job.
Mahrez has since asked to leave the King Power Stadium, with the 26-year-old attracting interest from Barcelona.
But Arsenal now appear set to win the race for his signature.
GETTY
Leicester star Riyad Mahrez looks set to join Alexandre Lacazette at Arsenal
The Algeria international played a key role in the Foxes' title win in 2016, scoring 18 goals across all competitions.
But that number dropped to 10 last season with Leicester struggling under Claudio Ranieri - something that ultimately cost the Italian his job.
Mahrez has since asked to leave the King Power Stadium, with the 26-year-old attracting interest from Barcelona.
But Arsenal now appear set to win the race for his signature.
GETTY
The report adds than an announcement will be made 'soon' but does not provide any details of transfer fee of contract for the player.
Speaking last month, Wenger was coy when asked about whether he was interested in signing the Leicester forward.
"Have we made a bid for him? No," he said.
Speaking last month, Wenger was coy when asked about whether he was interested in signing the Leicester forward.
"Have we made a bid for him? No," he said.
More in transfer:
Happenings:
Mourinho accused of tax fraud during Real Madrid stint
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been accused of tax fraud by Spanish prosecutors investigating his time as Real Madrid's head coach.
Portuguese-born Mourinho is accused of defrauding Spain of €3.3m (£2.9m; $3.6m) in taxes between 2011 and 2012. He has yet to comment on the claim.
A prosecutor said he did not declare income from the use of his image rights in order to get an "illicit benefit".
Other big names in football have been accused of tax fraud in Spain recently.
Those include Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, who played under Mourinho and shares the same agent as him. The player is accused of defrauding tax authorities of €14.7m, by also hiding his income from image rights.
He denies the accusations and is threatening to leave Spain. The Portuguese-born star is set to give evidence in his case on 31 July.
Mourinho, 54, is accused of two counts of tax fraud - €1.6m in 2011 and €1.7m in 2012. The Madrid prosecutor said the case was presented to a local court.
Other footballers accused of tax fraud in Spain include:
- Barcelona and Argentina footballer Lionel Messi, who has been handed a 21-month jail term. His father Jorge, who manages his finances, was also convicted
- Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano - also an Argentine - admitted tax fraud, escaping a jail term with a one-year suspended sentence
- Barcelona and Brazilian star Neymar is also facing allegations of corruption and fraud over his transfer to the Spanish club in 2013 - a case which also involves his parents. Prosecutors allege the transfer cost much more than publicly declared, and that millions were concealed from authorities
- Former Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, was arrested in May as part of a money-laundering investigation
Why are Spanish football stars in legal trouble?
Spain has attracted arguably the three brightest lights of world football, with Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Neymar all plying their skills in La Liga.
Over the past year, football fans have become used to seeing the trio caught up in accusations of tax fraud and other financial crimes by the Spanish courts.
And they are not the only players in the crosshairs of the Spanish judiciary. In 2016, Lionel Messi's Argentina and Barcelona team-mate, Javier Mascherano, received a one-year suspended prison sentence for tax fraud.
Three players, three trials
Lionel Messi and father Jorge were last year convicted of defrauding the Spanish state of €4.1m (£3.6m; $4.6m) in unpaid taxes on the striker's image rights, controlled by offshore companies in Belize and Uruguay.
The pair were both handed 21-month jail terms in a ruling recently confirmed by Spain's supreme court.
REUTERS
Now the original Barcelona trial court must decide whether the sentences should be suspended in accordance with Spanish custom for first-time offenders whose prison terms do not exceed two years.
Prosecutors have asked for a two-year sentence and a €10m fine for Neymar, who was cleared of fraud but ordered to stand trial over alleged corruption in his 2013 move from Brazilian club Santos to Barcelona.
Now Ronaldo has become the third and final member of the elite La Liga trio to face criminal accusations, after prosecutors announced they were pursuing the 32-year-old former Manchester United man on four counts of tax fraud.
A source close to Ronaldo told the BBC that "he's very sad and really upset" about the allegations. "He doesn't want to stay in Spain. At this moment, he wants to leave," the source said.
- Messi jail term for tax fraud to stand
- Court calls for Neymar prison sentence
- Cristiano Ronaldo denies tax evasion
Why has footballers' paradise turned sour?
Soon after David Beckham joined Real Madrid in 2003, he was able to enjoy a new tax-exemption scheme aimed at attracting foreign talent to Spain across all sectors. That scheme became known as the Beckham Law, when he became one of the first players to sign up to a six-year-long tax ceiling of 24%, roughly half what Spaniards paid on six-figure-plus incomes.
GETTY IMAGES
Spain was in the midst of an unprecedented economic boom, a perfect playground for "galacticos" of the likes of Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo, before the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and the emergence of Barcelona prodigy Lionel Messi.
But in 2010 the Beckham Law was scrapped for salaries of more than €600,000, and since then tax inspectors have begun to wise up to the use of complex financial operations using offshore shell companies to get around tax laws.
"The line between avoidance and evasion is very fine in these cases. In the past few years Spain's tax agency has intensified its control over footballers and their companies, checking to see if they are mere fronts or whether they are really active economically," explains Carlos Cruzado, president of tax inspectors' union Gestha.
Case against big three
Neymar is the odd one out. His case involves alleged wrongdoing towards a contractual party regarding his transfer fee, but the forward has been found guilty in his native Brazil for tax fraud on money earned while playing for Santos.
La Liga rich list
Who earned what?
$93m
Cristiano Ronaldo: $58m salary, $35m endorsements
- $80m Lionel Messi: $53m salary, $27m endorsements
- $37m Neymar: $15m salary, $22m endorsements
Getty Images
The Messi and Ronaldo cases are similar. Both are accused of avoiding tax on sale of image rights by using offshore companies. However, the Portuguese was registered as a non-resident taxpayer under the Beckham Law, while the Argentine has spent his entire adult life registered in Spain.
Prosecutors accuse the Real Madrid star of evading tax of €14.7m between 2011 and 2014 via an alleged shell company called Tollin Associates, registered in the British Virgin Islands.
Spanish investigators say the company, owned by Ronaldo, is a "screen" and has no economic activity apart from having bought and then ceded the player's image rights to a firm based in Ireland that "genuinely manages [his] rights sales".
Prosecutors also claim that money earned from image rights was incorrectly described as capital gains, to benefit from a lower tax rate.
What is their defence?
Lionel Messi was informed by the judge in his case it was no defence to plead ignorance and argue that his father was the only person who knew how his money was being managed.
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Neymar has denied any wrongdoing and told the court investigating his case that his father and associates dealt with off-field business matters.
Cristiano Ronaldo's representatives and legal team say the only dispute can be about quantity and that there has been no intention to commit fraud. "There is no tax evasion scheme... There has never been any hiding nor any intention to hide anything," they say.
They argue he has paid tax to the Spanish treasury on 20% of his total image rights when, in fact, more than 90% of these are generated outside Spain as he is such a global name.
"The tax agency clearly thinks that if he is being paid for wearing certain boots, shirts or caps in Spain, then he cannot claim this money is being earned abroad," explains Mr Cruzado.
Will any of them go to jail?
Neymar and Lionel Messi look set to be spared prison due to Spain's unwritten two-year-sentence rule, even if Neymar is eventually found guilty.
Cristiano Ronaldo may be a different matter. Three of the four accusations of tax fraud are considered by prosecutors to be "aggravated", so they carry a minimum sentence of two years each. Four guilty verdicts and he could face as many as seven years.
However, an investigating judge needs to ratify the prosecutors' accusations, and that could take many months or even years.
Even if the investigating magistrate does take up the case, the Portuguese will have several options and a guilty verdict would not necessarily mean jail.
He could admit guilt, pay taxes and fines in advance and reduce any eventual jail term to a half or quarter of the statutory minimum. That way he would slip under the standard two-year bar for first-time offenders and see his sentence suspended.
Cristiano Ronaldo 'wants to leave' Real Madrid after being accused of tax fraud
Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo is "upset" after being accused of tax fraud and wants to leave, a source close to the player told the BBC.
Spanish prosecutors have accused Ronaldo, 32, of defrauding the authoritiesof millions of euros in tax, which he has denied.
"He feels he's honest, has good character and did everything OK," added the source.
His Real contract has a 1bn euro (£874.88m) release clause.
- Will Ronaldo really leave? If so, where to?
- Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast
- Listen: 'Ronaldo would love to return to Old Trafford'
The source added: "He's very sad and really upset.
"He doesn't want to stay in Spain. At this moment, he wants to leave."
Ronaldo, who joined Real from Manchester United for £80m in 2009, signed a five-year deal with the European champions in November 2016.
China would be one potential destination but the Portuguese forward's advisers would prefer for him to stay in Europe, most likely either moving to Paris St-Germain or returning to the Premier League.
Ronaldo, who has helped Real win the Champions League three times and La Liga twice, is accused of evading tax to the value of 14.7m euros (£13m; $16m) between 2011 and 2014.
Real Madrid have released a statement saying they had "full confidence" in their player, and that they were convinced he would prove his innocence.
In 2016-17, Ronaldo helped Real win the Spanish title for the first time since 2012 as well as retain the Champions League.
Ronaldo, who also won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008, has scored a record 105 goals in the competition, 11 more than Barcelona's Lionel Messi, his nearest challenger.
Real Madrid's Luka Modric could face five years in prison over alleged perjury
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric could face a prison term if found guilty of perjury.
The 31-year-old is the subject of an investigation by Croatian authorities over his testimony during the tax fraud trial of his former Dinamo Zagreb manager Zdravko Mamic.
Mamic, along with his brother Zoran Mamic and two others, are accused of embezzling cash by taking cuts from the sales of players, sums that have amounted to more than €15m (£13.1m).
Prosecutors have claimed that Modric falsely stated that he signed an annex to his contract with Dinamo, which allowed him to pocket half of any future transfer fee, in July 2004.
The midfielder revealed this information during a tribunal on June 13, but he has been accused of providing the wrong date as prosecutors claim that the footballer penned the annex in 2008 after he left the club to join Tottenham Hotspur, reports BBC News.
Modric could face between six months and five years behind bars if found guilty of perjury.
Barcelona News: £79m Dembele offer on the table, Verratti latest, Bellerin swap deal
Barcelona officials have met with Ousmane Dembele’s agent to thrash out a transfer and a £79million offer is on the table.
The Borussia Dortmund star is one of Ernesto Valverde’s top targets this summer.
Barca are plotting a big overhaul after watching Real Madrid win La Liga and the Champions League.
And Dembele would add to the already devastating front three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar.
And Marca claim the offer is on the table and a deal has moved closer.
Marco Verratti has told PSG he wants to leave the club this summer.
Barcelona transfers: Which stars are most likely to sign?
Verratti is on Barcelona’s radar as they look to improve their midfield.
He would come in for Andres Iniesta and add legs to the ageing side.
But PSG are keen to keep hold of the Italy star.
Barcelona will offer £20million PLUS Rafinha to secure a deal for Hector Bellerin this summer.
Bellerin is a big target for Barcelona as they finally look to replace Dani Alves - a year after he was let go.
And the Sun claim Barca are preparing a huge bid to get their man.
Bellerin will not rock the boat to force a move out of the Emirates.
So Barca know they need to negotiate to get the right back.
The 22-year-old has six years left on his contract and already earns £100,000 a week.
But Barca believe they can get him with their latest bumper offer.
Barcelona keen to buy back Gerard Deulofeu from Everton
BARCELONA are set to trigger a £10.5m buy-back clause in Gerard Deulofeu’s Everton contract.
New Barca boss Ernesto Valverde wants the winger, 23, to be part of his squad at the Nou Camp.
Deulofeu has fallen out of favour at Goodison Park since Ronald Koeman replaced Roberto Martinez as manager a year ago, and spent the second half of last season on loan at AC Milan.
Barca insisted on a buy-back clause when they agreed to sell the Spain international to Everton for £4.2m in 2015.
Deulofeu was unable to establish himself at the Nou Camp when Luis Enrique was in charge – but his departure as Barcelona manager last month increased the likelihood of the clause being activated.
The winger has had two spells at Goodison Park, having been brought to Everton on a season’s loan by Martinez in 2013.
He then returned to Spain and spent a season on loan at Sevilla before Martinez signed him permanently.
Robert Lewandowski does not want to leave Bayern Munich, Bundesliga champions say
Robert Lewandowski does not want to leave Bayern Munich, according to the club
Bayern Munich claim Robert Lewandowski does not want to leave the Bundesliga champions, adding clubs "risk a FIFA penalty" if they negotiate with the player.
Lewandowski said he was unhappy with a perceived lack of support from the club
"Lewandowski's contract expires in 2021. He signed it not long ago. If other clubs negotiate with long-term contracted players they risk a FIFA penalty."
Lewandowski scored 30 goals last season but missed out on the top-scorer prize to Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored his 31st on the final day of the campaign.
The 28-year-old said recently that he was "disappointed" over a perceived lack of support from Bayern in his hunt for the Bundesliga's golden boot award.
Jose Mourinho wants a new striker after releasing Zlatan Ibrahimovic
He told the Polish Super-Express newspaper earlier this month: "I was not really happy with how my team helped me. I was annoyed and disappointed with the team's attitude."
And his agent Maik Barthel told German football magazine Kicker: "He was disappointed as I have ever seen him before.
"Robert told me that he got no support and that the coach (Carlo Ancelotti) gave no call to help him win the top-scorer title in the last game."
Man Utd and Chelsea hold talks with Robert Lewandowski's representatives
Chelsea and Manchester United have held preliminary talks to try to lure Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski to the Premier League, Sky Sports News HQ understands.
Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Guillem Balague believes Chelsea and United have spoken to Lewandowski's representatives over a potential move.
Balague believes Lewandowski's preferred choice at this stage is Stamford Bridge, but United are thought to be very keen on landing the 28-year-old and held talks with his agent on Tuesday.
The striker signed a new contract with Bayern in December, keeping him at the club until 2021, but said recently that he was "disappointed" over a perceived lack of support at Bayern in his hunt for the Bundesliga golden boot.
Guillem Balague believes Robert Lewandowski prefers a move to London at this stage
He scored 30 goals last season, but missed out on the top-scorer prize to Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang by a single goal.
He told the Polish Super-Express: "I was not really happy with how my team helped me. I was annoyed and disappointed with the team's attitude."
And his agent Maik Barthel told German football magazine Kicker: "Robert told me that he got no support and that the coach (Carlo Ancelotti) gave no call to help him win the top-scorer title in the last game.
"He was disappointed as I have ever seen him before."
Bundesliga transfer targets: Five players who could move to the Premier League
Premier League clubs have already started their summer transfer business and plenty of them are looking to Germany for potential reinforcements.
We asked our colleagues at Sky in Germany to name five stars who could swap the Bundesliga for the Premier League in the coming months.
Which player would you most like to see at your club?
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The prolific Borussia Dortmund striker appeared to be on his way to Paris Saint-Germain, but Patrick Kluivert's recent departure as their director of football appears to have thrown the French club's transfer plans into doubt and re-opened the door to Premier League sides.
Aubameyang, who scored 40 goals in 46 appearances last season, has long been linked with Manchester City and is valued at around £70m. Pep Guardiola already has Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus at his disposal, but could he be tempted to bolster his frontline even further?
Matthias Ginter
Ginter could be on the move this summer having grown frustrated with a lack of regular playing time at Borussia Dortmund, according to Sky in Germany. The centre-back is wanted by Bundesliga rivals Hoffenheim as they seek to replace the Bayern Munich-bound Niklas Sule, but he is reportedly wanted in the Premier League too.
Arsenal have been linked with the 2014 World Cup winner in the past, and recent newspaper reports have linked Tottenham with a move. Mauricio Pochettino is thought to be a long-term admirer of Ginter. Sky in Germany say the 23-year-old is valued at around £15m.
Emil Forsberg
Sweden international Forsberg was a key figure for the Bundesliga's surprise runners-up RB Leipzig last season, scoring eight goals and contributing more assists (19) than any other player in the division.
RB Leipzig's Emil Forsberg is a Sweden international
The playmaker signed a new contract with Leipzig until 2022 in February, but that hasn't stopped links with Arsenal and Liverpool as well as Italian giants AC Milan. Forsberg has already described Milan as an "interesting project", so Premier League clubs might have to hurry.
One German tabloid has even reported that Forsberg is a big fan of the designer Gucci, noting that there are 14 Gucci stores in Milan. Could a love of fashion tempt the 25-year-old to Italy over England?!
Hakan Calhanoglu
With his excellent technique and impressive set-piece ability, Calhanoglu could be an attractive proposition for Premier League clubs. Indeed, Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton have all been linked with the Turkey international in recent months
Hakan Calhanoglu has been linked with a number of Premier League sides
The 23-year-old midfielder scored six goals and claimed five assists in 15 Bundesliga appearances last season, but Premier League suitors could be put off by the fact that he has not played for the last four months due to a suspension for breach of contract involving Turkish side Trabzonspor earlier in his career.
Renato Sanches
The 19-year-old was one of the stars of Euro 2016 with Portugal last summer but endured a disappointing debut campaign at Bayern Munich. The German giants paid €35m (£31m) to sign him from Benfica, but he only made a handful of starts as he was frequently overlooked by Carlo Ancelotti.
Renato Sanches has featured sparingly for Bayern Munich
With Sanches targeting more playing time, could he be tempted by long-standing suitors Manchester United? Bayern Munich have already completed the signing of Lyon's Corentin Tolisso this summer, meaning there will be even more competition for places in their midfield next season. Sanches could be forced to look elsewhere.
Other news:
Saturday, June 24, 2017
WATCH: Evra's crazy frog antics
The Marseille defender has released another entertaining Instagram video, this time playing with a musical frog in his bathroom!
Ronaldo fans gatecrash Messi's birthday
A tweet captioned 'The greatest?' from the official Champions League account has caused plenty of rival fans to weigh in with their opinion
Martial teases 'Captain Rashford'
The Red Devils duo exchanged a couple of messages on Twitter surrounding the England striker's gratuitous holiday snap of him out on the water
Friday, June 23, 2017
Is Adil Rami dating Pam Anderson
The pair were spotted having dinner together, though both have also recently been listed in relationships with other people
WATCH: Salah surprises Liverpool fans
The new signing started making friends with his new club's fan base on his first day, visiting with a group of supporters as they toured the stadium
WATCH: Memphis's new rap song
The former Manchester United man is on holiday in Los Angeles, where he put together a video with countryman Quincy Promes
FIFA 18: How to get an early start
Free packs and gifts will be available to players who begin collecting coins and constructing squads before this year's game is officially released
'Don't compare me with Mourinho'
The former Newport County boss has been likened to the Manchester United manager, but has played down comparisons with the Portuguese
Liverpool's Egyptian welcome to Salah
Goal's resident cartoonist Omar Momani gives his eccentric and entertaining view on the wacky world of football
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Xhaka wins biggest prize of the year
The 24-year-old Arsenal midfielder can start planning his wedding after his proposal to partner Leonita Lekaj was accepted
Kazan mayor promises Messi mural
The portrait of the Portugal star was designed to brighten up the local landscape and more will follow in the coming year
Chinese team to join German league
Plans for an Under-20 side to feature in the lower leagues have been warmly welcomed by those involved, with the 19 other clubs set for a windfall
Oscar banned for EIGHT games
The former Chelsea midfielder has been slapped with a massive suspension for smashing a ball at two separate players deliberately
WATCH: Kane makes NFL pitch
The England striker showed his skills with a leaping grab into the water as he made his pitch to fill in for the NFL champions when needed
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
WATCH: Pogba enjoys 'nutmeg season'
The Manchester United midfielder claimed a few victims when showing off his silky skills against fans in China
Alexis/Welbeck shirt number mix-up
The Gunners faithful were given a big scare when the club launched its new home strip for the 2017/18 campaign on Wednesday
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Polar bear predicts Confed. Cup
The two-year-old star attraction of the Moscow Zoo has taken to making match predictions for this summer's tournament in Russia
FIFA 18: Everything you need to know
The Real Madrid star will feature on the cover of the huge football game for the first time ever, stoking anticipation for the new release
WATCH: Balotelli boxing with brother
The Italian striker's contract at Ligue 1 side Nice expires at the end of the month, but he does not appear overly concerned about his future
Monday, June 19, 2017
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