Manchester United flop Alexis Sanchez agrees terms with Serie A club, takes huge pay-cut for move

Reports in Italy claim Manchester United may have finally secured succour over Alexis Sanchez transfer dilemma as the Chilean has agreed personal terms with Inter

According to Sky Sport Italia, his agent Fernando Felicevich is flying out for talks with Manchester United to seal a move to the Serie A club.

The report adds that Sanchez is enthusiastic about the move to San Siro, which will see him finally work with Antonio Conte after several close calls over the years, and take part in the Champions League.

Transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio insists Sanchez has agreed personal terms with Inter, taking a significant pay cut to help the move go through.

A loan deal with option to buy at the end of the season, Football Italia explains, is most likely with a clause making it obligatory after a certain number of appearances, would be suitable for all parties.

It’ll also allow him to reunite with good friend Romelu Lukaku and would come at a total cost of around €20m.

This is a return to Serie A for the 30-year-old Chilean, who first shot to fame at Udinese from 2007-11, before moving to Barcelona, Arsenal and eventually Manchester United.

The Nerazzurri had to look elsewhere after Edin Dzeko signed a contract extension with Roma.

Pep Guardiola heaps praise on new-look Chelsea

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has refused to write off Chelsea from this season’s Premier League race despite their back-to-back losses.

The Stamford Bridge side came third at the end of last season’s league to secure an automatic ticket for the UEFA Champions League.

Pundits have already given the trophy to either Manchester City or Liverpool, writing Chelsea off because of their inability to sign new players and the exit of former manager Maurizio Sarri

But Guardiola does not believe it is going to be a two-horse race as he makes his opinion known on Frank Lampard’s new-look side.

He said: “I’m really impressed with how Chelsea played in the games with tough teams in United and Liverpool.

“They didn’t win but I was really surprised with how good Frank Lampard’s team played. We saw United with the quality they have up front.

“Arsenal bought good players with [Nicolas] Pepe and David Luiz. They have [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang and [Alexandre] Lacazette, [Dani] Ceballos was an incredibly top player in Spain with good movement and quality.

“Tottenham are the same – they are all really good contenders.”

Unai Emery confirms Arsenal working on new contracts for two “very important players”

Arsenal boss Unai Emery has confirmed the club are currently “working on” new contracts for forwards Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Aubameyang’s existing deal is set to keep him at the Emirates Stadium until 2021, while Lacazette is committed to the club until the end of the following season (2022).

“They are very important players and their contracts need to be in the same balance,” said Emery via Goal as cited by The Mirror.

“It’s one circumstance, one issue now, that the club is working on.

“Edu is here for that reason. There’s also Raul [Sanllehi] and Huss [Fahmy], working with the players for that.

“I want the best for the club,” the Spaniard added. “And I want the best for the players.

“I think if the club and they are speaking about that, it’s perfect.”

Frank Lampard explains N’Golo Kante role in his Chelsea

Frank Lampard has explained what he wants N’Golo Kante to do in his team, stating that he does not intend to pigeon-hole the Frenchman as a defensive midfielder.

The Chelsea manager wants France international to have more freedom in a flexible midfield.

There has been a huge amount of debate surrounding Kante’s best role after he was moved further forward by previous boss Maurizio Sarri, playing as the most advanced of a midfield three.

Much of his best work in back-to-back titles wins at Leicester and under Antonio Conte at Chelsea came as part of a holding midfield duo – first alongside Danny Drinkwater, then Nemanja Matic.

Kante was not the sitter in either partnership, though, and Lampard does not intend to have the World Cup winner simply mop up in front of the defence, believing he has more strings to his bow than that, the Metro report.

Asked where Kante’s best position is, and where he’ll use him, Lampard explained: ‘Well, in midfield obviously. I think it’s been a discussion that’s probably been over-talked at times last year and that was me watching it from the outside.

‘But when I think of N’Golo Kante, the important thing for me – and all my midfield – is that we have a flexibility and nobody is pinned down to an absolute structure.

‘I think we saw elements of that against Liverpool where the players have the freedom to use their attributes.

‘So the idea that he wins the ball probably as well as anyone in world football doesn’t mean he has to sit in front of the back four and do that.

‘He also has too much in his game, to drive forward with the ball, to leave midfield areas to win the ball back high up the pitch. So that’s what I want to give him the freedom to do.’

Chelsea, Antonio Conte case not over yet as club keep matter in court

There are reports that Inter Milan Coach Antonio Conte is still in a legal battle with Chelsea over his £9m severance package, with reports of another appeal.

The Italian tactician was sacked last summer to make way for Maurizio Sarri and the club claimed it was not due to pay any compensation.

That was because his text to striker Diego Costa confirming he was not part of the plans was considered to be damaging to the club and worthy of dismissal, Football Italia report.

Conte contested that and won in May, with a Premier League tribunal ordering them to pay Conte £9m.

According to the Daily Mail, it’s not over yet, because today Chelsea took the case to the Central London Employment Tribunal.

Conte is being represented by Phil Bonner and therefore did not attend in person.