SUAREZ: ITALY ARE A THREAT WITHOUT BALOTELLI

Luis Suarez says Italy can "hurt" Uruguay in Sunday's Confederations Cup third-place decider without star striker Mario Balotelli.

The AC Milan attacker is back at home, having been ruled out of the tournament with an injury sustained in the group stage defeat by hosts Brazil.

The Azzurri missed 'Super Mario' in their semi-final shoot-out defeat by Spain on Thursday, but Suarez still says Cesare Prandelli's men have more than enough firepower in reserve.

"Even if they do not have Balotelli, there are a lot of players of the same quality, like [Sebastian] Giovinco," the Liverpool hitman told Globoesporte.

"Besides, Italy are always the same. They love to exploit the space left by opponents. If we do not play a great game, they can hurt us."

Suarez strengthened his argument by citing the way in which Italy came from behind to beat Japan 4-3 in an epic encounter in the group stages.

"We should not be surprised that they did that," he said. "Italy are a team that you have to put away when you have the chance; otherwise they will always find a way to come back."

Suarez admitted Uruguay's primary concern is making sure they are back in Brazil next summer for the World Cup, but insisted that they intend on finishing their Confederations Cup campaign on a high.

"Getting third would be very important for us , even if we are also already thinking of the qualifiers," the 26-year-old added.

Uruguay sit fifth in the Conmebol qualification standings.

SLUTSKY: WE ARE UNSURE OF HONDA'S FUTURE

CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky has admitted he is unsure of Keisuke Honda's future at the club.

The Japan international is out of contract at the end of the year and has been heavily linked with a move away from the Russian capital, with AC Milan said to be leading the chase for the playmaker's signature.

However, Slutsky insists he is unaware of any concrete interest in Honda and hopes to keep hold of one of his team's star performers.

"What I can say is that Honda is still our player today," the CSKA boss told Tuttomercatoweb.com. "But his future doesn't depend on me, and I cannot say if he will stay or not. That is something for the club to deal with.

"I can only say that Honda is a fantastic footballer, but I don't really know who is following him.

"Can I see him doing well in Italy? I could see him doing better in the Champions League, in a CSKA jersey!"

The 27-year-old Honda, who caught the eye during his country's brief Confederations Cup campaign, joined CSKA from Dutch outfit VVV-Venlo in 2010.

NORWICH AGREE DEAL TO SIGN PSV FORWARD

Norwich City have agreed a deal to sign Ola Toivonen from PSV Eindhoven, according to the Dutch club.

The 26-year-old had one year left on his PSV contract, but had previously stated their asking price of £4million was too high.
However, PSV director Marcel Brands claims that with the two clubs having agreed a deal, matters are now in the Swedish player's hands.
"We never comment on any sums, but we have reached an agreement with Norwich for Ola," Brands told Swedish newspaper SportBladet.
"Now it's entirely up to him to decide whether he wants to move.
"We start training on Monday, if there is no deal with Norwich then I expect to him to be here."

RIBERY SIGNS NEW BAYERN DEAL

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has delivered on his promise by putting pen to paper on a new four-year contract.

I'm really pleased. I always said how great it feels to be at FC Bayern.
I have a good feeling for me and my family and I hope things will carry on the way they were in the past year.

– Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery speaking to the club's official website

INIESTA RESCUES ALBACETE

Andres Iniesta has rescued Albacete from relegation by stumping up €240,000 owed to the club's players.

The cash-strapped Segunda Division B outfit would have been demoted to the fourth tier of Spanish football on administrative grounds had they not settled the debt by noon on Friday.

However, Iniesta, the largest shareholder in the club at which he began his career, came to their aid, paying the outstanding wage bill out of his own pocket.

It is not the first time the 29-year-old has come to the rescue of Albacete as he injected €420,000 into the club in 2011.

Iniesta, who lined up for Spain in Thursday night's Confederations Cup semi-final clash with Italy, spent two years at Albacete before joining Barcelona's youth academy as a 12-year-old in 1996.

POCHETTINO: I'M EXPECTING BIG THINGS FROM RAMIREZ

Mauricio Pochettino does not expect record signing Gaston Ramirez to leave Southampton this summer and has denied making a bid for Roma's Pablo Osvaldo.
The Saints have spent big since returning to the Barclays Premier League and last year smashed their transfer record to recruit Ramirez from Bologna for upwards of £12million.
However, the Uruguay international struggled to fulfil expectations in his debut season and has been linked with a move away from St Mary's.

Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid have been mentioned as potential destinations, but manager Pochettino has no intention to sell him.
"He's happy with us and we are counting on him for next season," he told tuttomercatoweb.com.
"It's normal that a lot of clubs are interested in his quality, but we don't listen to transfer rumours. We are planning for next season with him on board."
Pochettino has so far made just one summer signing, brining in Lyon centre-back Dejan Lovren for £8.5million - a move which ended interest in Cagliari centre-back Davide Astori.
"Lots of names have been linked with Southampton, perhaps too many," he added. "Some of them have been invented, others not.
"We were after Astori, for example, but in the end we went for Lovren instead. He's a great player."
Pochettino also played down talk linking Saints with a move for Astori's Cagliari team-mate Radja Nainggolan, while he also dismissed speculation surrounding a move for Osvaldo.
The Roma striker played under the Argentinian at Espanyol and reports today suggested he rejected a £17million move to the south coast.
"Osvaldo is a great player," Pochettino said. "I worked with him at Espanyol so I know what he can do.
"We are aware of his situation at Roma, but we haven't made an offer.
"We have a clear idea of what our targets should be but the market is moving very slowly at the moment. We are working prudently to reinforce the squad."

DEL PIERO REJECTS AJJACIO OFFER

Italian star Alessandro Del Piero has decided against a move to Corsican side Ajaccio for family reasons.
The 38-year-old held discussions with Ajaccio - now managed by his former Juventus team-mate Fabrizio Ravanelli - concerning a move but will instead remain with Sydney FC.

For several weeks the club have been in discussions with the celebrated Italian forward Alessandro Del Piero.
Aged 38 and currently a player with Sydney FC, he will not ultimately come to Ajaccio. After reaching an agreement in principle, family reasons persuaded him to stay in Australia.

– A statement on the clubs official website

AGENT: PREMIER LEAGUE SIDES ARE INTERESTED IN CARDOZO

There is "real interest" from the Premier League in Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo, according to the player's agent.

The Paraguay international has often been linked with a move to England in the past but Pedro Aldave claims that the forward's unnamed suitors are more closely following him than before.

"Benfica knows the situation and now the subject is in their hands," the agent told Sky Sports.

"There has always been interest from Premier League but now this is real interest."

Cardozo has scored 161 goals in 260 games for the Portuguese Liga outfit since joining from Newell's Old Boys in 2007.

SUNDERLAND CLOSE IN ON ARSENAL KEEPER

Sunderland are closing in on the signing of Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone.

Black Cats boss Paolo Di Canio has lined up a move for his fellow Italian as he looks for a replacement for Simon Mignolet following his departure to Liverpool.

Mannone is well down the pecking order at Arsenal and since arriving from Atalanta in 2005 he has made just 15 appearances at the club.
The 25-year-old has has spells out on loan at Barnsley and Hull City twice during his time with the Gunners and he impressed during his time at the KC Stadium.
Sunderland are now ready to offer Mannone a permanent move away from Arsenal with talks at an advanced stage between both Premier League clubs.
Mannone is expected to hold talks with the Wearside club next week as Di Canio looks to lure him to the Stadium of Light.

GIACCHERINI: I WAS SUPPOSED TO TAKE MISSED PENALTY

Emanuele Giaccherini has revealed he was supposed to take the penalty that Leonardo Bonucci missed in Italy's Confederations Cup semi-final shoot-out failure against Spain.

The versatile Bianconeri winger was meant to accept the responsibility of converting the Azzurri's seventh spot kick in Fortaleza but he passed the buck to Bonucci, who blazed high over the bar, allowing Jesus Navas to decide the game - which had finished 0-0 after 120 minutes - in la Roja's favour.

"I didn't go to take a penalty because, being honest, I didn't feel it," Giaccherini is quoted as saying by Gazzetta.it.

"I spoke with Bonucci. I said, 'Leonardo, you go', because I was convinced he would have scored. It's a shame. Unfortunately, it's always a lottery.

"But it was a great performance by Italy. We played a great game. This time, we were unlucky, but we put Spain in difficulty by imposing our game on them."

Giaccherini, though, is hoping his impressive performances in the Confederations Cup will see him return to Brazil next year for the World Cup.

"It would be a life's dream," he continued. "I have done so much to get into the national team. Therefore, I will strive to hold onto this place tightly."

Giaccherini, who netted in Italy's 4-2 defeat by Brazil in the group stages, has been capped 13 times by his country.

MONACO SIGN ISIMAT-MIRIN

Monaco have further strengthened their squad with the acquisition of defender Nicolas Isimat-Mirin from Valenciennes for an undisclosed fee.

The France Under-21 international has signed a four-year contract with les Rouges et Blanc and cannot wait to start pre-season training his new club's star-studded squad.

"This is really a big thrill for me to get involved with Monaco," Isimat-Mirin told the club's official website.

"I feel a lot of joy, but also great anticipation. I'm looking forward to Monday for the resumption of training.

"This team's project is fantastic and I will give everything to prove that I deserve to be part of it."

Monaco have been very busy in the transfer window already, having already made a number of notable signings, including that of Radamel Falcao from Atletico Madrid.

DI CANIO: WE NEED A WINNING MENTALITY

Sunderland Boss, Di Canio speaking today;

I want to win every game. Even when we have a friendly game, I have a winning mentality.
Even when I play cards with my daughter, I want to win every time. I want to upset her because I want to win. My mentality is to win every game.
There are obvious priorities: the Premier League is more important than friendly games, but only if we deliver this mentality can we take every competition seriously.
So the Barclays Asia tournament is very important because we are going to face the top sides and it's the dream of every player - this is the mission: to play every game against a top side.

– Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio

HODDLE: BALE SHOULD REMAIN AT TOTTENHAM

Tottenham legend Glenn Hoddle has advised Gareth Bale to remain at White Hart Lane and resist the temptation to join Real Madrid this summer.

Bale’s scintillating performances for club and country last term have seen him become one of the Spanish side’s top targets, with president Florentino Perez insisting that ‘great players pay for themselves’ when a £85m bid was mooted. Nonetheless, the former Spurs midfielder feels he should stay in N17.

“I would like him to stay as a Spurs fan, but I think football wise, for him, it would be the right decision,” Hoddle told Goal.  “Not financially [for him], not for Tottenham’s finances either if they get a massive bid.”

Bale, who scored 30 times in 58 appearances for club and country last season, became only the third player in history to receive both the PFA’s Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year accolades in the same season.

But Hoddle, who himself left Spurs for foreign soil when he joined AS Monaco in 1987, feels the Welshman would struggle to carry that form and level of consistency to La Liga.

“If he was to go abroad, I think he’d struggle at the moment to settle off the pitch,” he added. “I’ve done it myself, I’ve experienced it so I can talk from experience, you have to be content off the pitch to play well, and I’m not sure that would happen at this moment in time.

“If he moved within England he’d obviously settle a lot quicker.”

Bale was the driving force for a Tottenham side which, despite collecting 72 points – a Premier League record for the club – failed to qualify for the Champions League, a competition they have not returned to since their inaugural campaign back in the 2010-11 season.

This, according to Hoddle, is why Tottenham must show their ambition, and convince Bale to stay at the club for at least another season by showing intent in the summer transfer window.

“The first thing I would be saying is ‘what intent have Tottenham got?’ Are they going to add two, three, four really good players to the squad, to get into the Champions League and challenge for that next year?

“They’re going to need a bigger squad to deal with the Europa League onslaught as well.

DIEGO: THE BUNDESLIGA IS BECOMING THE BEST IN THE WORLD

Wolfsburg midfielder Diego believes the Bundesliga is on its way to becoming the best league in the world.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund both reached the Champions League final this season to make it an all-German affair and Diego feels German clubs will only become stronger in the years to come.

"It's a privilege to be at a Bundesliga club because, the way things are going, the German league is on its way to becoming the best footballing stage in the world," the Brazilian told Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung.

The attacking midfielder then went on to discuss his future and stressed that he remains keen to make the move to Atletico Madrid, although he admitted that a transfer is by no means a certainty.

"It's true that I still want to return to Atletico. I spent a memorable year there and even won a trophy. But it's also true that I haven't signed anything with Atletico, or any other team," he added.

"It's difficult to evaluate because it's all in their hands. Atletico have to decide what they want to do, how much they want to pay, and then see if they can strike a deal. It's up to them."

Diego has a contract with Wolfsburg until June 2014.

SWANSEA: LAUDRUP'S FUTURE NOT IN DOUBT

Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins insists his relationship with Michael Laudrup has not been adversely affected by a summer disagreement over transfer policy, but he has made it clear he will not alter his prudent financial approach.
Rather than being able to focus on strengthening their squad ahead of a season which will include the club's first foray into the Europa League, the Liberty Stadium outfit have had to cope with a falling out between Jenkins and Laudrup's long-time representative Bayram Tutumlu.
The disagreement concerned proposed transfer targets and the amount of money Swansea were prepared to spend in acquiring them.

The row put 49-year-old Laudrup's future at the club in doubt, particularly when Swansea decided to stop dealing with Tutumlu, after he attempted to broker a deal to sell defender Ashley Williams against the club's wishes.
But there has been more positive news to report in recent days with the club having tabled a number of bids for players targeted by their Danish boss.
Midfielder Jose Canas and defender Jordi Amat have arrived from Real Betis and Espanyol respectively, while Press Association Sport understands a club record £10.2million deal for Vitesse Arnhem striker Wilfried Bony is moving ever nearer.
And Jenkins is adamant he always believed Laudrup would remain in charge.
"Michael Laudrup has made his feelings known that he wanted to stay here and we have been looking to bring in five or six players," Jenkins said.
"We've worked hard during the last month or two with a lot of offers in for a lot of players, we are hoping to bring in one or two of those main targets, which have been publicised quite a bit but we will hopefully land them.
"My relationship with Michael Laudrup has always been very good, that has never been in doubt.
"There has been a lot of speculation this summer, a lot of it when Michael was on holiday, lots of it was blown out of proportion.
"There's always speculation when a club like us has been successful, whether it be players or managers, someone can come along to try and poach them, it's the type of club we are and we have to accept it.
"You can lose a manager or player in the transfer window any day.
"We're always prepared here if things change for whatever reason out of our control, we have to deal with it.
"But we weren't close to losing him (Laudrup) as far as I was concerned."
But Jenkins did voice his disappointment at Tutumlu's actions, and made it clear he would not change the club's financial ethos.
When asked about his relationship with Tutumlu, he said: "I am not friends with any agent as such, but they are part of football and we do our best to deal with them in the right way. A lot of that (the row with Tutumlu) was blown out of proportion.
"We run our football club in a certain way and whether it is Michael Laudrup and his agent or anyone other manager and his agent, we will continue to run the club as we see fit, that is what we have done for the last 10 years.
"You'll have to ask the agent what his reasons were, but things are settled down looking forward to the new season.
"It sells papers, he was contacting the press, I was away and it didn't affect what we were doing, this is how pre-season is. We have to put up with it.
"Two players are in - Canas and Amat - and I would expect five to be in by the start of season. Those timescales haven't changed."

CREWE ACCEPT BID FOR HIGHLY RATED MIDFIELDER

Blackburn have had bid accepted by Crewe for highly-rated midfielder Luke Murphy.

Wolves had a bid accepted for Murphy earlier this week and now Blackburn have also agreed a fee with Crewe for the 23-year-old.

Crewe are resigned to losing academy product Murphy, with the classy playmaker thought to be keen to test himself at a higher level.
A number of clubs have been tracking Murphy, with Wolves and Blackburn the first to have offers accepted for the player.
Blackburn are now expected to hold talks with Murphy as they look to lure the player to Ewood Park.
Murphy, who was named Crewe's Player of the Season last term, has made a total of 186 appearances for the Alex, scoring 25 goals.
Rovers boss Gary Bowyer has already made four new signings this summer and he will hope to make Murphy number five.

SCHALKE: DRAXLER CAN LEAVE

Schalke president Clemens Tonnies says he would not stand in the way of Julian Draxler were a big club to come in with an acceptable bid for him.
The 19-year-old Germany midfielder recently penned a new five-year contract with his home-town club, yet that has not brought an end to speculation about his future.

Chelsea are among the clubs linked with a move for the youngest ever player to make 100 appearances for Schalke.
And Tonnies admits even his club's biggest asset has a price.
"Of course we want to keep hold of him, Julian is an important figure in Schalke," he told the Express newspaper.
"But if we want to be fair with him, then maybe we have got to consider letting him move abroad sooner or later.
"If somebody like Real Madrid were to enquire about him, what should I say? Don't talk to them? Get serious."

BOURNEMOUTH SIGN IAN HARTE

Championship new boys Bournemouth have signed former Reading left-back Ian Harte on a one-year
deal, following his release from the Madejski Stadium.

EX BLACKPOOL MIDFIELDER SIGNS FOR TURKISH CLUB

Former Blackpool midfielder Ludovic Sylvestre has joined Turkish club Caykur Rizespor on a free transfer.

Sylvestre turned down a new deal at Blackpool this summer after seeing his contract expire at the end of last season.
A number of English clubs are thought to have expressed an interest in signing Sylvestre, but the 29-year-old has opted to move to Turkey.
Sylvestre has signed a three-year deal at Rizespor after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms.
News of Sylvestre's departure is a blow for Blackpool boss Paul Ince as the former Barcelona man had established himself as a key player in his side.

HULL CITY SIGN ELMOHAMADY FROM SUNDERLAND

Premier League new boys Hull City have
completed the signing of former loanee Ahmed Elmohamady from Sunderland for an undisclosed fee.

LAHM: WE NEED TIME TO ADJUST TO PEP GUARDIOLA

Philipp Lahm has admitted that Bayern Munich will need time to get used to Pep Guardiola ahead of the new Bundesliga season.

The 42-year-old signed a three-year deal with the Bavarians back in January and replaces Jupp Heynckes - who lifted the treble with the club last term.

Guardiola has now started work this week as Bayern prepare for the 2013-14 campaign and Lahm believes a period of adaptation is to be expected.

"We need time to get used to Guardiola, but that won't take long. We are all paying close attention to what's happening. Pre-season is long enough to get used to each other. I am not worried about that," Lahm told Bild.

"He is communicating all the time and does a lot of talking. He wants us to understand him as soon as possible. Plenty of things will change.

"I have already experienced a lot of coach swaps, though, so this is nothing extraordinary for me. It's all part of the job.

"It's just like when someone gets another boss in any other company. Different things all of a sudden become more important. It's too soon to draw any conclusions, though."

Guardiola's first official game in charge of Bayern will be the German supercup clash against Borussia Dortmund on July 27.

UNDER 20 WORLD CUP: NIGERIA AND PORTUGAL PROGRESS

Portugal and Nigeria won their final Group B matches to reach the last 16 of the Under-20 World Cup on Thursday, while third-place South Korea still has a chance of advancing.
Portugal striker Bruma scored his fourth and fifth goals of the event to help the two-time champions beat Cuba 5-0 and top the group, while Nigeria defeated South Korea 1-0 after an early goal by Olarenwaju Kayode and overtook the Asians for second place.

Ricardo, Aladje and To Ze also found the net for Portugal, while Bruma almost added a sixth when his thundering 20-meter (yard) effort hit the top of the crossbar.
It was Portugal's biggest ever win in the competition, improving on 3-0 defeats of Argentina in 1991 and the Netherlands four years later.
Portugal won the title in 1989 and '91 and finished runner-up to Brazil two years ago. Cuba, which lost all three games and became the first team to be eliminated, was making its first appearance in the tournament.
Nigeria secured its victory after Kayode was left unmarked by the South Korean defense and headed home a free kick by captain Abdul Ajagun in the ninth minute.
South Korea, which held Portugal to a 2-2 draw Monday, dominated play for large parts of the second half but lacked creativity in attack.
The best four teams to finish third in the six groups will advance to the knockout stage, along with all the group winners and runners-up.
In the last matches of Group A, the United States was taking on Ghana and Spain was playing France later Thursday. Spain won its two previous matches and has already secured its spot in the next round