Italian international goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said Tuesday he will retire at the end of the season unless Juventus win the Champions League.

The 39-year-old plans to bring the curtain down on his career after the 2018 World Cup, but if Juventus triumph in Europe he could continue on to try to add the Club World Cup to his collection.

“There’s no margin (to change mind) because I’m quite convinced of the choices I’ve made,” Buffon, who was named as the goalkeeper of the year at FIFA’s The Best awards on Monday, told Sky Sport.

“This is my last season and I’m pretty sure of the choices I make. One or two more years wouldn’t add or take away from what I’ve already achieved.”


“The only way would be to win the Champions League,” he continued, suggesting that he would share the role with his understudy Wojciech Szczesny at the Club World Cup.

“At that point, to try to win the Club World Cup, maybe Szczesny could play one game and me another,” suggested Buffon, who has played 633 times for Juventus and 173 matches for Italy.

“But I think with a goalkeeper like him behind it is normal that next year I’ll stand aside.”

Juventus, European champions in 1985 and 1996, have finished runners-up in the Champions League twice in the past three years.

Barcelona remain confident they will get Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool, if they offer the Premier League club up to €150million.

The La Liga giants feel that Coutinho’s souring relationship with the Anfield side, could work in their favour too.

In the last week, Barca confirmed the club-record signing of Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund for an initial fee of €105million, but are ready to smash it again.

Four days ago, a source in Spain told Sky Sports: “Philippe has never been more determined to leave Liverpool.

“To suggest Barca are thinking of backing out and calling it a day, is absolute nonsense.

“They’re all in now; their cards are on the table and they’ll never give up the fight.”

Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata for about £60m.

The Spain international must now agree personal terms and pass a medical to complete the transfer.

The 24-year-old would be the Premier League champions' fourth signing of the summer, after goalkeeper Willy Caballero, defender Antonio Rudiger and midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Morata scored 20 goals last season after rejoining Real from Juventus.

He won La Liga and the Champions League, but the majority of his appearances were as a substitute.

Morata could replace Spain team-mate Diego Costa, who says he has been told by manager Antonio Conte that he is no longer in Chelsea's plans.

Manchester United had been interested in Morata prior to signing Everton striker Romelu Lukaku for an initial £75m.

"I'm going to the team managed by the coach who has placed the most faith in me, and that's great for me," Morata told AS on Wednesday.

Morata joined Real Madrid's youth team in 2008 and was handed his senior debut aged 18 in 2010.

The 6ft 3in striker moved to Italy in 2014, scoring 27 goals in two years for Juventus, winning both Serie A and the Coppa Italia twice and playing in the 2015 Champions League final.

Real exercised a buy-back option in June 2016 to take him back to the Bernabeu.

Morata has won 20 caps for Spain, scoring nine goals, since his international debut in 2014.

Chelsea fans punching air over Morata - Nevin

Analysis

European football journalist Mina Rzouki on BBC Radio 5 live

If you offered me the choice between Morata and Lukaku, I wouldn't even think about it.

I would pay £20m or £30m more if I had to and I would bring in Morata.

That is because I would always prefer an intelligent player in my team. Even if he doesn't score as many goals, even if he doesn't do whatever he needs to.

If he is more intelligent then he can be moulded quicker, he can do what he needs to do. And Morata has Champions League experience. He was second top scorer for Real Madrid despite not starting.

He has done it at Juventus and he has done it at Real Madrid.

He understands, he has the pace, he is intelligent, he links up play, he can be a counter-attacking threat.

The stats

Morata's conversion rate last season was 27%, the highest of any striker to score 10 or more goals in La Liga in 2016-17; he scored 15 goals from 55 shots.

Morata's goals won Real Madrid 13 points in La Liga last season; only Cristiano Ronaldo won more for the side with 15.

Barcelona on Monday announced record income of €708 million for 2016/2017 with an after-tax profit of €18 million.

The Spanish giants said the healthy revenue was up €13m on the forecast figure in their budget for the period.

A statement following the approval of the accounts at a board meeting disclosed the club has reduced its debt by €24.5m to €247m.

The salaries of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar and co account for 66 percent of Barcelona’s expenditure, the statement added.

Barça say that the financial results fit into the club’s strategic plan for revenue to top one billion euros by 2021.

The Catalan side are ranked the fourth most valuable sports team in the world after the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and Manchester United by Forbes magazine.

Last season Barcelona relinquished their Spanish title to Real Madrid and were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Juventus who went on to lose to Barca’s arch-rivals Real in the final in Cardiff.

Meanwhile, new Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde on Monday laughed off the idea of bringing in new players, saying the best signings were the players already in the dressing room.

“I’m more than happy with the way things stand,” said Valverde when pressed on the potential signing of Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti.

“Happy with the players, happy with their work and their attitude,” he said as his players prepare for their trip to the United States on Wednesday.

“I really don’t care about any player anywhere else,” he said, knowing fans will be keen to win back the Spanish League title and indeed the Champions League, both won by their arch-rivals Real Madrid.

“Even if you might argue we need back up in certain areas,” he said, adding Barcelona had no offers on the table for any of their players either.

“For me, the best signings are the players I already have in my team.”

He said Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar, Barcelona’s attacking trident were “a huge factor in the intimidation of our rivals.”

Jose Mourinho described Romelu Lukaku as a “top striker” after he scored his first Manchester United goal in a 2-1 pre-season win over Real Salt Lake.

Lukaku, who signed from Everton for £75m last week, fired United ahead on 38 minutes against the MLS side, latching on to a low cross from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The 24-year-old had also been involved in United’s equaliser, controlling well and then passing across to Jesse Lingard, who laid it on for Mkhitaryan to score.

United manager Mourinho was pleased with Lukaku’s display, and his first goal for the club, saying: “It’s just nice for him, not important for me.

“Before he scored the goal I told him I love everything you do on the pitch. Don’t be worried about scoring or not scoring. He gets behind people, works and presses well. Like everything he does.

“It’s easy to feel it because he was my player four years ago his evolution has been great. He’s now a top striker. The goal is just a detail, not important.”

United’s win was marred slightly by the second-half dismissal of Antonio Valencia for a reckless lunge on Sebastian Saucedo.

Valencia was given his marching orders after a lengthy consultation between the match referee and Mourinho.

“The referee asked me to change the player and I didn’t because I don’t agree with the card,” said Mourinho, before appearing to suggest Saucedo was to blame.

“(He) was really aggressive in the second half. That’s what happens. Some other actions were a bit dangerous,” Mourinho said.

“It’s young people with enthusiasm playing against Manchester United but it’s a friendly match and it’s a different mentality. But it’s pre-season so no problem. It is good experience or us to play with one player less.”

Portugal’s Euro 2016 hero Eder, Nigeria legend Vincent Enyeama and France international Rio Mavuba are among 11 players who have been frozen out over the summer by new Lille coach Marcelo Bielsa.

After being appointed by the club’s new owner, Gerard Lopez, on a two-year deal in May, Bielsa immediately set about reshaping the squad that finished 11th in Ligue 1 last season.

While the former Argentina, Chile and Marseille boss has added to the players at his disposal, he also informed a number of long-serving squad members not to report for preseason training on June 19, and only to start preparing for the new campaign on July 3.

Among them is Eder, 29, who scored the winning goal in last summer’s European Championship final against France, which helped earn him a permanent move to Lille from Swansea City on a four-year deal.

Mavuba, 33, was a member of France’s 2014 World Cup squad and has made nearly 300 Ligue 1 appearances for the club since joining in 2008, and 34-year-old former Nigeria international goalkeeper Enyeama, who moved to Lille in 2011, are also among those ostracised by their new boss.

“It’s a bit bizarre, but I’m handling it OK,” Ivory Coast international Junior Tallo told L’Equipe. “I was informed like the others, by text. We’re under contract, the club does what it wants. We would have liked to have had a discussion. But it’s a business choice made by the bosses.

“As for me, I’m under contract. I will respect the two years I have left. I’m in no hurry. I want to establish myself at Lille. It’s the club that wants me to leave. We’ll see if they find a solution between now and the end of the transfer window. I’m calm.”

On Monday, Enyeama tweeted a selfie with some of his fellow outcasts, who also include Montenegro international Marko Basa, France international Marvin Martin and Zambia defender Stoppila Sunzu, stating: “Always a pleasure to be back with the team.”

Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette has passed his Arsenal medical and is on the brink of completing a £46 million transfer to the Premier League club.

The 26-year-old underwent a medical at London Colney training ground on Tuesday and is expected to sign a five-year contract for a club-record fee, eclipsing the £42.5m paid to Real Madrid to sign Mesut Ozil in 2013.

With hopes of signing Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe – a Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain target – fading, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger managed to convince another of Ligue 1’s star forwards to play at the Emirates Stadium.

Lyon club president Jean-Michel Aulas, who sanctioned the transfer on Sunday, has previously said the Premier League side must part with €65m to prise Lacazette away from Parc Olympique Lyonnais and the newly agreed deal includes bonuses worth £6m.

France international Lacazette was close to joining Atletico Madrid before the Spanish club’s transfer ban was upheld and Aulas confirmed via French news outlet Le Progres that Wenger’s side that the move is closer to €50m (£44m/$57m) rather than an “unrealistic” €65m (£57m/$74m).

Lacazette scored over 20 Ligue 1 goals in each of his last three seasons for Lyon and will become one of Arsenal’s highest earners alongside Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott.

The Gunners still hope to keep West Ham target Olivier Giroud, although they are prepared to let Lucas Perez, who joined last August but scored only once in 11 Premier League matches, leave the north London club this summer.

Arsenal also remain hopeful of a deal for Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as well, but the youngster does not appear ready to force a move to the Gunners.

Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez also remains a target of Wenger’s after personally speaking to the 67-year-old on the phone over a fortnight ago.

It has been revealed Cristiano Ronaldo told Zinedine Zidane that he has his mind made up about leaving Real Madrid after the French boss phoned to plead with him.

The Portuguese hero has been tipped to leave Santiago Bernabeu this summer after getting embroiled in a tax investigation in Spain with reports that the 32-year-old evaded tax between 2011 and 2013.

Ronaldo is understood to be interested in a move away from the Spanish La Liga this summer and Manchester United are believed to be front-runners in the potential deal even though there have been not concrete offers for the Portuguese.

Ronalod reportedly told Zidane that he feels treated like a ‘delinquent’ and also slammed our the Spanish media reacted to the allegation.

The Portuguese whis currently on national team duties at the Confederations Cup, will speak with Zinedine Zidane about his future at the end of the tournament.

The likes of Chelsea and Paris Saint Germain have also been linked with a move for Ronaldo this summer but the Portuguese star wants to stage a return to the Old Trafford with reports that United are also braced for a transfer move.

Kelechi Iheanacho has been informed by manager Pep Guardiola that he will be part of the club pre season tour to the United State of America despite doubts over his future at the club.

Iheanacho has been told he will only be allowed to leave the club if a replacement is found by the club before the end of the ongoing summer transfer window.

Leicester City who have now emerged as the front runners to sign the prolific 20 year old will slap in another bid for the forward before the end of this month, as they continue their search for a replacement for want-away star Riyad Mahrez.

Their first bid of around 22 million pounds with add ons which will take the fee to 25 million pounds was turned down by Manchester City, as the club also need money from his sale to sign a replacement.

City reportedly want around 25 million pounds plus add- ons which ‎will potentially rise the fee to 30 million pounds aside the issue of buy back clause, which they are insisting on.

Already the issue of the fee in the buy-back clause has stalled the interest ‎from West Ham United, the first side to have slapped in a bid for the Nigerian striker.

US Open champion Brooks Koepka moved into the top 10 of the world rankings for the first time on Monday after his victory at Erin Hills.

The American jumped 12 places as a result of his four-shot win in the second major championship of the year, that he sealed with a final-round 67 to tie Rory McIlroy’s US Open record total of 16 under par.

Hideki Matsuyama is the new world number two after he tied for second place, leapfrogging McIlroy and Jason Day who both missed the cut.

Dustin Johnson maintains a healthy lead as the world’s best player, despite seeing his title defence in Wisconsin end with a missed cut on Friday.

World top 20 on June 19

1. Dustin Johnson (USA) 12.53 average points

2. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 8.10 (+2)

3. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 7.78 (-1)

4. Jason Day (AUS) 7.48 (-1)

5. Sergio Garcia (ESP) 6.95 (+2)

6. Jordan Spieth (USA) 6.87 (-1)

7. Henrik Stenson (SWE) 6.79 (-1)

8. Alex Noren (SWE) 6.31

9. Rickie Fowler (USA) 5.78

10. Brooks Koepka (USA) 5.56 (+12)

11. Jon Rahm (ESP) 5.39 (-1)

12. Justin Thomas (USA) 5.33 (+1)

13. Justin Rose (ENG) 5.14 (-2)

14. Adam Scott (AUS) 4.95 (-2)

15. Matt Kuchar (USA) 4.17

16. Paul Casey (ENG) 4.16 (-2)

17. Patrick Reed (USA) 3.99 (+2)

18. Francesco Molinari (ITA) 3.95 (-1)

19. Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 3.95 (-3)

20. Tyrell Hatton (ENG) 3.89 (-2)

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has dismissed reports linking Cristiano Ronaldo with the Bundesliga champions as “completely unfounded,” while suggesting the rumours “must be consigned to the realms of fantasy.”

Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport reported at the weekend that Bayern were interested in signing Ronaldo, 32, from Madrid. The move would see the Portugal international link up with his former boss Carlo Ancelotti, who coached him at Madrid between 2013 and 2015.

The speculation emerged after sources told ESPN FC that Ronaldo wants to leave Madrid to play in another country rather than deal with what he sees as “persecution” in Spain after being accused of tax evasion totalling €14.7 million.

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However, Bayern have rubbished the report, labelling it as the “hoax of the day” on their official website.

Rummenigge added: “We’re used to being the subject of intense transfer speculation during transfer windows. Normally we don’t comment on rumours, but in this case, we would like to make our position on Cristiano Ronaldo absolutely clear: This rumour is completely unfounded and must be consigned to the realms of fantasy.”

Ronaldo, who is currently playing for Portugal in the Confederations Cup in Russia, scored five goals over two legs as eventual winners Madrid dumped Bayern out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage in April.

Mino Raiola says Zlatan Ibrahimovic would already be back at AC Milan if Adriano Galliani were still at the club, but says the striker has many offers to consider.

Ibrahimovic is a free agent after being released by Manchester United as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury suffered in April.

Although the 35-year-old will be out for several months, he has already been linked with several clubs, including a return to Italy.

The former Inter, Juve and Milan star has numerous options, according to his agent, who says that his destination would already be sorted had Galliani stayed as Milan CEO after their takeover by Li Yonghong’s Sino-Europe Sports investment group.

“Ibra is fine, he’s received so many offers, from the US and beyond,” Raiola told Gazzetta dello Sport.

“He’s certainly not going to Napoli. Milan haven’t asked me about him. With Galliani, he’d already be there.”

Raiola made the comments in the wake of the dispute between his client Gianluigi Donnarumma and the Rossoneri as the 18-year-old goalkeeper told them he will not renew his contract.

Milan’s new CEO, Marco Fassone, said Donnarumma and his agent have cost the club €100 million over their decision, and Raiola fired back with claims his client was “bullied”.

As well as Ibrahimovic and Donnarumma, Raiola said he could also be negotiating a move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Blaise Matuidi in the close-season.

“Clubs have asked me about Matuidi, like Inter and Juve. We’ll see,” he said.

Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has claimed the Turin giants have turned down a big-money offer from Chelsea for Alex Sandro.

The Premier League title-holders are looking to strengthen their squad as they prepare for Champions League football next term and they had earmarked Alex Sandro as a valuable potential addition.

Chelsea were reportedly willing to pay up to €60 million for the left wing-back, but Juventus have no intention of parting with the Brazil international.

“Our desire is to not sell any of our most important players,” Marotta told Corriere dello Sport.

“We said no to a very good offer from Chelsea for Alex Sandro.

“But we know that we are competing with clubs that are in a position to offer wages that are not rational for us. And players are always their own boss.

“I do not know how Alex Sandro reacted.”

The 26-year-old has a contract with Juventus until June 2020.

Sporting director of Italian giants Giuseppe Marotta has cleared the air on the possibly of bringing the pair of Italian midfielder, Marco Veratti and Spaniard Andres Iniesta to Turin.

He also spoke on various current issues such as the continuity of Allegri in the ‘Vecchia Signora’ despite the defeat against Real Madrid in the Final of the Champions League.

Juventus has been rumoured to be one of the teams interested, along with Barça and Bayern Munich in acquiring the services of Marco Verratti. However the Italian has been clear of this possibility, stating that “we are not interested” and will not enter any auction for the player. “We will not spend 100 million dollars for it,” he said.

He however admitted the interest of the club in Andrés Iniesta, a player who to this day “can not be reached”. The player culé has repeated on several occasions his interest to remain in the Catalan club and to fulfill his contract that ends the next season.

He spoke on the chances of Massimiliano Allegri continuing as club coach after a second Champions League final loss in three years.

“The sadness for a loss always suggests reflections, but I have my full confidence in Allegri. I have never had doubts about its continuity because it is one of the best in the world and still has much to give, ” explained Marotta.

Asked about the alleged departure of Alex Sandro, the Italian said that the intention of the club is not “to sell to one of the most important players in the squad.” However, “the player always owns himself.” Marotta left the door open to signing the player Bayern, Douglas Costa and N‘Zonzi, pointing to “a profile that we follow.”

Moroccan international midfielder Nabil Dirar is to join Istanbul giants Fenerbahce from French Ligue 1 champions Monaco, the Turkish side announced on Saturday.

Dirar, 31, arrived in Istanbul earlier in the week and passed a medical. The formal signing is expected in the next days with press reports saying a three-year deal with the option of a further year will be inked.

“Fenerbahce is a very big team based on very good players. There are many important names here. We will achieve great things with great players,” Fenerbahce quoted the player as saying.

The versatile Dirar, who can also play in defence, is expected to bring much needed reinforcement to Fenerbahce after the side finished well behind champions Besiktas and surprise runners-up Basaksehir of Istanbul in the Turkish Super Lig last season.

Third place gave Fenerbahce entry to the third qualifying round of the Europa League but only a Super Lig championship would satisfy their fans.

Turkish press reports have said more major signings are expected from the side — traditionally the biggest spending in Turkey – under new manager Aykut Kocaman who has replaced outgoing Dutchman Dick Advocaat.