Moutinho cools Porto exit talk

Joao Moutinho insists he has "no intention" of leaving Porto, after being once again linked with a big-money move to Tottenham this summer.

The Portuguese midfield star has long been linked with former boss Andre Villas Boas, who has tried to sign him for Chelsea and more recently Spurs.



But big spending Monaco are now said to be lining up a move for him, as well as team-mate James Rodriguez.



However, Moutinho is more than happy with life at Porto, where he has just won his third successive league title.

"Right now nothing will make me change clubs. I am extremely happy here and the most important is happiness and winning titles," Moutinho said.



But he added: "My future is up to FC Porto. No player is immune to leaving. But if something does come up, it has to be something good for both parties."



"We want to improve the campaign from last year, we want to improve on the European level, we want to win everything you enter and it is with this in mind that we will enter the first day of the season," he said.

Moutinho says Porto are determined to improve on their European performances next year.

Messi urges Barcelona not to change style

Lionel Messi has urged Barcelona to stick with their distinctive style of play, despite failing to win this season's Champions League.

Barcelona lost 7-0 on aggregate to German side Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of this year's competition.



That result led to suggestions that theCatalans' 'tiki-taka' passing game had been overtaken by the German power.

"We can't lose our heads. We can't change our style of play," the 25-year-old attacker told Television Azteca.

"You can't always win," added Argentina international Messi, the current World Player of the Year. "We've been playing our brand of football for years and managers and teams have studied it.

"We have to stay calm and focus on next year."

However, defender Gerard Pique thought the Spanish club would have to change and said: "We are not the best any more, other teams are."

Club vice-president Josep Bartomeu has also stated his belief that "four or five" new signings are required.



Despite their Champions League campaign ending in disappointment, Barca claimed the La Liga title back from Real Madridwith four games left to play.

This success came amid repeated health fears for head coach Tito Vilanova, who wassidelined for three months in December following an operation in New York to treat throat cancer.

Vilanova, 44, in his first season in sole charge of the club after moving up from assistant to replace former boss Pep Guardiola, has also travelled back to America this week for more "pioneering treatment".

Messi believed the coach's absence has had a destabilising effect on the team.

"Things went well with Tito, because he practically didn't change anything," said Messi.

"But we noticed a change when he left, not because Jordi Roura or the training staff who stayed on didn't do a good job but because we were missing our head manager.

"It wasn't the same. One year is a long time and it's great that we can finish it by celebrating."

-->

Man Utd top TV earners

Champions Manchester United earned a record £60.8million in Premier League TV money after winning the title this season.

The Premier League distributes its TV money in a way that sees half of the total cash from the domestic deals divided equally between the member clubs, and all of the overseas broadcasting income also split equally.

A further 25% of domestic TV income is split as merit money depending where each club finishes in the final league table, and the final 25% paid in 'facility fees' for each time a club's matches are shown on television in the UK.

For that reason, Arsenal and Tottenham both earned more than Chelsea despite finishing below their capital rivals in the table because both the north London sides appeared in more live TV games.

Under the 2010-13 deal, which expired this season, each club received a £13.8million equal share each season plus £18.9million from overseas rights.

Clubs were further guaranteed a minimum of £5.78million for live TV and highlights appearances.

Manchester United earned the most from these facility fees, totalling £12.9million from 25 live appearances.

The three clubs relegated from the top flight earned the least amount, with Wigan Athletic getting £40.8m, Reading £40m and Queens Park Rangers £39.8m.

Some £88million was paid out in parachute payments to clubs relegated over the last three seasons.



TV revenue totals:

• Man Utd £60.8m


• Man City £58.1m


• Arsenal £57.1m


• Tottenham £55.8m


• Chelsea £55m


• Liverpool £54.8m


• Everton £51.7m


• West Ham £48.7m


• West Brom £48.3m


• Swansea £47.6m


• Norwich £46.1m


• Fulham £45.3m


• Newcastle £45.1m


• Aston Villa £44.9m


• Stoke £44.5m


• Southampton £43.8m


• Sunderland £43.4m


• Wigan £40.8m


• Reading £40m


• QPR £39.8m.

-->

Falcao backed for move

Radamel Falcao has the full backing of Atletico Madrid as he is set to choose his next club this summer.

The Colombia international is regarded as the best striker on the planet and has been linked with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Monaco in recent months.

Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin insists that, having already replaced stars such as Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero, he is relaxed about the player's exit and admitted that the club had agreed to allow him to leave if he stayed for this season.

"Atletico knows how to change good strikers," Marin told.

"Fernando Torres, Forlan, Aguero and now Falcao.

"We don't know who exactly will be the next one but we know Atletico will have a strong team next season.

"Before the start of the season we talked with the player and we promised him that if he kept the same performance and helped us to the UEFA Champions League, Atletico would help him.

"Every decision that he takes, Atletico will be with him."

Falcao has scored 70 goals in two seasons at Atletico and has succeeded in helping secure Champions League football for the club with the Madrid outfit set to finish third in La Liga.
-->

Cavani offered to City

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says the club are trying to sell highly-rated striker Edinson Cavani to Manchester City.

And De Laurentiis says his sporting director Riccardo Bigon has been negotiating with City about a deal in which Edin Dzeko would move to the Serie A side as part of the price for Cavani.

It had been speculated that film producer De Laurentiis and a Napoli delegation had been in London to approach outgoing Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez about their vacant head coaching post.

But De Laurentiis was quoted by Gazzetta.it as saying: "I did not go to London for Benitez. You would have me appointing 15 coaches, I've heard them all in the last six months.
"Yesterday I was in London with (managing director Andrea) Chiavelli and Bigon for a simple reason, I have to prepare for the release of the film about (former Apple boss) Steve Jobs.
"However, I told Bigon, 'Go to City and take the chance to negotiate over Dzeko and see what they are willing to do for Cavani'."

Cavani is one of the most coveted strikers in Europe and scored 29 goals in 34 Serie A matches for Napoli in the season just completed.

The 26-year-old reportedly has a £50m buy-out clause in his contract.
-->

Chelsea set for striker talks

Chelsea could this week open talks with Wilfried Bony as the Vitesse Arnhem star will arrive in England to find a new club.



The 24-year-old striker, who has just finished as top scorer in the Dutch top-flight with 31 goals for Vitesse, is widely expected to leave this summer and has been attracting attention from around Europe, with Chelsea among the clubs known to be keen.



The likes of Liverpool and West Ham have all also been linked with Bony in the past, while Russian giants Anzhi Makhachkala have already made at least one big-money offer for the Ivory Coast ace.



Now there are claims that Bony and his agent are set to travel to England this week to speak to several interested parties and attempt to hammer out a move to the Premier League.



It is thought Vitesse rate Bony at around £15million and will entertain offers for the talented front man, who has made it clear he wants to leave in search of a new challenge.



Chelsea will be in the hunt for at least one new attacker this summer, with Edinson Cavani and Andre Schurrle also known to be high on their wanted list.

Benitez reveals why Fernando Torres has struggled at Chelsea

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Rafa Benitez discussed Fernando Torres and his role at Chelsea.

“I think he can be good. I’m not sure he will be at the same level that he was when he was at Liverpool with us. But he’s improving his fitness. He has been working so hard in the gym, and his pace is nearly there. He’s very strong. So he can beat defenders running, and now it’s just confidence.”

Just confidence. Heard that one before.

“He has to find the timing for his runs and the right movements, and he will be much better. How good? Can he be at the same level [as in the past]? I’m not sure. It depends on a proper preseason, training with the team, doing a lot of the things that he was doing this year. We’ll see how he feels at the beginning of next season.”

Fernando Torres has scored 22 goals – twice as many as he managed last season – in 63 matches for Chelsea in the 2012/13 season. Valuable goals, too. His strike vs Brentford in the FA Cup to force a replay, and his goals to open the scoring in the Europa League final, to name but two.