Keita Balde to complete €6m Inter loan move

Inter are set to complete the signing of Keita Balde from Monaco, Goal can confirm.

The Senegal star will move to the San Siro club initially on loan, which will cost the Serie A hopefuls €6 million (£5.4m/$6.8m).

Meanwhile, the agreement includes an option for Inter to sign the 23-year-old permanently for a further €42m plus a percentage of any future transfer.

Keita only moved to Monaco a year ago after a highly successful season with Lazio, in which he scored 16 Serie A goals but was left upset by actions behind the scenes.

While he was a regular starter for Leonardo Jardim’s side, he never truly recaptured that form in Ligue 1, despite scoring eight times in 33 outings.

Consequently, Monaco feel that the deal that Inter have offered is too good to refuse for a player they captured for €30m to replace Kylian Mbappe.

Agent Roberto Calenda has praised the Ligue 1 side for their treatment of the player.

“Monaco should be thanked,” he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “They gave Keita back his smile, his serenity and his carefree feeling after years of tension and promises being made and never kept by Lazio’s management.

“I’m not surprised they let him leave: the deal will benefit everyone. The player still has the desire to explode in this country, where he grew up as a footballer. At 23, it’s the perfect time to do it.

“Inter boss Luciano Spalletti is the perfect person at the perfect moment. He can make Keita make the definitive leap in quality.”

The principality side did not involved that forward in their 3-1 weekend Ligue 1 victory over Nantes, in which goals from Stevan Jovetic (two) and Radamel Falcao guided them to an opening day success.

Monaco, meanwhile, are on the hunt for a player who can replace Keita before the transfer window closes on August 31.

For Inter, he is the latest piece of a jigsaw that has already seen them add eight players to their ranks over the course of the summer. Radja Nainggolan has been their marquee signing from Roma, worth €38 million, while among their other captures have been Lautaro Martinez from Racing and Sime Vrsaljko from Atletico Madrid.

The Italians get their league campaign underway on Sunday, when they travel to Sassuolo. 

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Willian: No chance I’d have stayed at Chelsea under Conte

Willian says that there is “no chance” he would have carried on playing for Chelsea under Antonio Conte, but he is happy he stuck around to play for Maurizio Sarri.

Barcelona bid to secure Willian from Chelsea over the summer, although they were put off as the club demanded more than £60 million for the winger, who has also interested Manchester United in recent seasons.

The 30-year-old was a key player towards the end of Conte’s reign, but he still didn’t see eye-to-eye with his former manager and even placed trophy emoji’s over him as he posted his FA Cup celebration pictures to his Instagram page.

However, thoughts of leaving are no longer on his agenda.

“Would I be here if Conte stayed? No chance. No,” he said. “I’m here. I’m here because I want to play for Chelsea. I will only leave if Chelsea want me to go.”

Chelsea won 3-0 against Huddersfield in their opening Premier League match on Saturday, with N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Pedro providing the goals at the John Smith’s Stadium. Willian featured from the outset of the match and he was impressed by the attacking football on show under Sarri.

“We wanted to start like that. I think we played very well, we had control of the game, we had possession,” Willian added. “We always tried to be in control. We played a great game at Huddersfield. We are just in the beginning. We know we have to improve.

“Jorginho has played very well, he has a lot of quality and helps our play build up from the back. I think we played very well. Now we have to continue like that because next week we have a great game to play against Arsenal and we want to win again.

Asked if he was having fun under his new boss, who has a reputation for favouring attacking football, he replied: “I think so. We have a lot of players with quality up front, players like Eden Hazard and Pedro. Players like that want to play football. That’s why Sarri talked about ‘fun’ football because he wants to build from the back. This is what we will try to do this season.

“This is what we do in Brazil and are trying to do here, playing with skill and movement and the manager told us to do that.”

Next up is a London derby against Arsenal – a side Chelsea haven’t beaten in their last six outings against.

Willian thinks the different style of play will create problems against their London rivals.

“Now we have a different profile of football, a different way to play football,” he said. “The manager tells us to play, to enjoy ourselves on the pitch – with responsibility. Now I think we have a different style to play that’s why we can create problems for Arsenal.”

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Wijnaldum laughs off Liverpool exit talk as he targets ‘special’ campaign at Anfield

Gini Wijnaldum admits he laughs about speculation linking him with a move away from Liverpool, and says he is ready to help the Reds achieve “something special” this season.

The Dutch international was a stellar performer as Jurgen Klopp’s side got their campaign off to a flying start with a 4-0 win over West Ham at Anfield on Sunday. Playing as the No.6 in Liverpool’s midfield, the 27-year-old dovetailed well with the energy of Naby Keita and James Milner, helping the Reds to their biggest opening-day victory since 1994.

With captain Jordan Henderson and new £40million ($51m) signing Fabinho, as well as Adam Lallana, waiting in reserve, Wijnaldum knows there will be fierce competition for places this season. Indeed, in recent months there have been suggestions the former Newcastle man may even be forced to leave Merseyside in search of guaranteed first-team football.

Fenerbahce have been the main club linked. The Turks are managed by Phillip Cocu, Wijnaldum’s former coach at PSV Eindhoven, but despite this the player expects to stay on Merseyside for the foreseeable future.

“That was the speculation of the media,” Wijnaldum told reporters. “I laugh about it!

“I also read that I asked the club if I could leave. I never had a conversation with the club!

“People from the outside just see Liverpool are buying players, so [they think] players who are already here are going to leave. Liverpool will always buy good players, even if they already have good players. That’s normal. I think it has to be normal for a club like Liverpool because that means you’re a big club.

“But that was something from the media that I was going to Turkey. Maybe because Phillip Cocu is manager and I worked with him for two years. I don’t know who put it in the media, but it wasn’t me!”

Gini Wijnaldum and Jack Wilshere

Wijnaldum rejects the idea that the arrivals of Keita and Fabinho puts extra pressure on the likes of himself to perform. Only two players – Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah – made more appearances for Liverpool last season, and the man from Rotterdam is confident that he can continue to prove his worth for Klopp.

“To be fair, I don’t think like this,” he said. “I always try to perform and not because you have players on the bench or on the pitch that can play in your position.

“I think it’s quite normal. It has to be normal at a club like Liverpool – a club that will always buy players, even if they already have good players.

“I always want to play. I think that kind of competition, you have to get it in a team like Liverpool. I think Manchester City and Chelsea, with the new signings that they’ve made, have it also. I think in each position there is competition and it’s good at Liverpool. Back in the day it was not different. If you see that there’s a player and you play for a big team, you just have to do your best for the manager.”

Victory over West Ham, as routine and as impressive as many had predicted it might be, took Liverpool to the top of the Premier League standings after one gameweek. But with Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea all winning, and champions Manchester City triumphing at Arsenal, the main challengers all began the season well.

City, clearly, will be the team to beat this season, but Wijnaldum believes his side are capable of pushing Pep Guardiola’s men hard.

“We will see,” he said. “I think we have the quality to compete with them but I also thought we had the quality last season. If City’s going to play like they did last season then it will be really hard because they only lost two games and had a few draws.

“If you want to compete with them you can barely drop points. That’s really difficult but something we look forward to because you want to compete with the others and City is one of the best. So we will go for it.

“We feel that we can do something special. We felt it last year also. But feeling is one thing, doing it is the second one. We will work hard to achieve great things in the season. That’s what we’re going to try.”

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Betting Basics: Understanding the difference between Scorecast, Wincast and Timecast plus how to use them

Low-risk high-reward bets are some of the most popular markets on any match, especially for the more recreational punter.

One such bet is the various “cast” bets, which have evolved over the years as more markets have been added by bookies, and are nothing to do with the forecast or tricast associated with horse and greyhound racing.

Scorecast

The scorecast is one of the best examples of a low-risk, high-reward bet; this market allows bettors to choose who they think will score first in a match and combine that with the final score of the match to create odds that usually represent a significant return, obviously depending upon the two options which are included.

Scorecast betting basics

The first goalscorer and the final score of a match are what’s known as a related contingency, which means that the outcome of these bets directly influence one another and as such, a standard accumulator cannot be placed on these markets, so the only way to bet these two markets together is through a scorecast.

For example, a bet on Liverpool forward Sadio Mane to score first in a 2-1 win over Manchester City comes out at 60/1 (61.0) with bet365. It’s important to note that unless otherwise stated, these markets are almost always related to the final score after 90 minutes and doesn’t include any extra time, an important factor to be aware of.

Anytime scorecast

Alternatively, the same firm also offers the anytime scorecast, which is the same as a scorecast except the chosen player only has to score in 90 minutes, which takes the pressure off them breaking the deadlock but also offers significantly lower odds because of that fact.

Scorecasts graphic

Similarly, a first half scorecast can be laid and this offers customers the chance to bet on who they think will score first and what the score will be at half-time, as opposed to full time.

Timecast

As betting has evolved in the last five years or so bookmakers have started to allow bets on almost anything associated with a match – including the time of the first goal, which is where the timecast comes in.

Punters can select the player they think will score first and the time period in which they will score; bet365 currently offer the goal to come between the first and 20th minute, the 21st minute and the 45th minute, or after the 46th minute.

Wincast

Finally, a simple wincast can also be backed, which consists of the player to score and the result of the match, but does not require the punter to wager on the final score. Some firms, such as bet365 settle on the first player to score in the game, while others will be pay out on the selected participant netting at any time during the usual 90 minute period so check the details before placing your selections.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Bet365 Footer

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Celtic turned down offers from Fulham and others for Boyata, claims angry agent

The agent of Belgium international Dedryck Boyata has hit out at Celtic for turning down transfer offers from Fulham, Olympiakos and Fenerbahce.

The 27-year-old is in an apparent deadlock with the Scottish club after returning back from World Cup duty, with Jacques Lichtenstein angry at the Hoops’ treatment of his player.

Indeed, he has hit out at them for failing to make the centre-back a “dignified” contract offer.

“Previously there was interest from Fulham, Olympiakos and Fenerbahce,” Lichtenstein said. 

“Offers of £7 million ($9m) and £8m – but apparently Celtic are financially strong enough not to go into that. 

“It’s strange, because on the other hand, the club apparently does not have the money to make Dedryck a dignified new contract proposal.”

This attack is the latest in the line of bad news that Celtic have endured over the course of the last week, in which their Champions League hopes were dealt a blow as they were held to a 1-1 third-qualifying round draw at home by AEK Athens.

And ahead of the return leg in Greece, they were stunned 1-0 in the Scottish Premiership by Hearts, with Kyle Lafferty’s goal the difference between the sides.

Manager Brendan Rodgers has also criticised the board for failing to secure the signature of John McGinn from Hibs, with the Scotland international instead moving to Aston Villa.

However, it seems that striker Moussa Dembele will have recovered from a hamstring injury quickly enough to feature in Athens. 

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