Enrique Cerezo has dismissed suggestions Atletico Madrid are keen to re-sign Chelsea striker Diego Costa ahead of the 2016-17 campaign.

The Spain international, 27, departed the Vicente Calderon in 2014 and helped Chelsea to a Premier League and League Cup double in his first season.

Costa struggled for form and fitness as Chelsea s title defence fell apart last season, though, and he has been heavily linked with an Atleti return throughout the close season.

However, president Cerezo says Atleti who reinforced their forward options with the signing of Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla in this window are not planning a move for Costa.

There was never a Diego Costa transfer saga, Cerezo told Marca.

Diego has a contract with Chelsea and is part of manager…

Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Gervinho is poised to leave Arsenal amid speculation he will join Roma.

The Ivory Coast international striker has failed to find the net on a regular basis since arriving from Lille in 2011, scoring nine Premier League goals in 46 appearances.

Marseille revealed an interest in signing Gervinho in June, with Roma also reportedly keen to hand the 26-year-old a chance to get his career back on track.

While Wenger did not name the club in pole position for Gervinho’s signature, he did stress that the forward is set to depart the Emirates Stadium.

We are at the moment close to an agreement with a club where he should go, Wenger told the club’s official website following Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Napoli at the Emirates Cup.

W…

Kevin De Bruyne has suggested Yaya Toure fell from favour with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City because he was not fit enough.

Toure was restricted to a bit-part role in his eighth and final season at City as Guardiola steered the club to dominant triumphs in the Premier League and EFL Cup.

The 35-year-old s only Premier League start of the season came as captain in his farewell home appearance against Brighton and Hove Albion, with the title already won.

In an astonishing interview with France Football, the former Barcelona midfielder claimed the duo s time together in Catalonia paved the way for an uncomfortable final season in England and accused Guardiola of being motivated by revenge and jealousy .

De Bruyne was widely viewed as City s star performer…

Dele Alli is not fazed by criticism of his form this season, insisting he is only motivated by the standards he sets for himself.

The Tottenham midfielder who played 82 minutes in England s 2-1 win over Nigeria on Saturday scored nine Premier League goals in 2017-18, half the amount he managed in the previous campaign.

However, Alli has a different view of how his season has gone and is refusing to be distracted by the noise  around his form ahead of the World Cup.

Everyone has different opinions,  he said. If this is a bad season  for me then I m happy to take that as a compliment.

The only pressure I feel is the pressure I put on myself.

I am my own biggest critic. If you have the right focus, everything else is just noise.

The nor…

Joe Gomez insists Liverpool will not get giddy at the prospect of another potential quadruple tilt, but has acknowledged there is a fire in the squad to achieve this season.

The Premier League leaders continue to battle on four fronts after they progressed into the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Arsenal.

Next on the agenda for Jurgen Klopp’s team is Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Fulham, but Gomez says there is no prospect of complacency creeping in.

He said: “We don’t want to get giddy. We’re all just full of desire and want to make the best out of the season.

INTO THE FOURTH ROUND

— Liverpool FC (@LFC)

“All we can do is take it one game at a time. I know it’s a cliche, but ther…

AC Milan s Czech defender Marek Jankulovski said he was quitting international football after the Czech Republic lost all hope of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup on Wednesday.

I can confirm this. This was my last game, he said after the last Group Three qualifier in which the Czechs were held to a surprise goalless draw by Northern Ireland.

The Czechs ended third in Group Three, trailing winners Slovakia by six points and runners-up Slovenia by four.

It s been a wonderful ten years, said the 32-year-old former Banik Ostrava, Napoli and Udinese player, who has won 78 caps, scoring eleven times for his country.

Czech coach Ivan Hasek also confirmed he would quit after the match with Northern Ireland a move he had announced when he took over the nationa…

Juventus director Pavel Nedved has dismissed reports that coach Antonio Conte is unsettled at the club.

Conte, who has guided Juventus to two Serie A titles, was reportedly unhappy at the recent sales of Emanuele Giaccherini and Alessandro Matri to Sunderland and Milan respectively.

However, Nedved has stated there is not a problem and believes that Conte will stay at the club.

I think there is great harmony between Antonio and the club, Nedved told Sky Sport Italia.

And there is no fear that we will lose him because you cannot start a championship and prepare for the Champions League with the idea that the coach will be leaving.

Juventus were eliminated by eventual champions Bayern Munich at the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League last seaso…

Stuttgart defender Cristian Molinaro believes Bayern Munich have the edge over Juventus heading into their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Molinaro, who wore the Juve jersey from 2005 until 2010, expects a tight encounter between two of Europe s best teams.

But he feels Bayern s position comfortably atop of the Bundesliga table gives them the advantage.

It is going to be a very interesting tie. Bayern and Juventus are currently two of Europe s strongest teams, together with Barcelona and Real Madrid, Molinaro told Goal.com.

Bayern and Juventus both dominate their respective leagues. It s going to be a great tie and I m really looking forward to it.

Bayern have a slight edge, because they hold a bigger lead (in the Bundesliga). It is very h…

England will not be thinking about anything other than victory when they take on Belgium on Thursday, according to Gary Cahill.

While already certain to reach the knockout rounds, the two European nations meet in Kaliningrad to decide who will progress to the last 16 as winners of Group G.

However, claiming top spot may also lead to a potential quarter-final against Brazil or Germany, leading to the suggestion England are better off finishing behind Belgium in the table.

Cahill, though, is less interested in plotting a route to the latter stages and instead only focused on building momentum.

No, the discussions have been to win the game, the defender said.

That s the truth. It s still a huge stage, no matter what the situation is within the gr…

Jose Mourinho has insisted he was not responsible for Juan Mata s Chelsea exit and never considered selling him when he arrived at Manchester United.

Mata was deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea in January 2014 despite being named the club s player of the year for the previous two campaigns, and moved north to United for a reported £37.1million fee.

There were suggestions Mourinho had offloaded the Spain international and that his arrival at United could see the same happen again.

However, the United boss says it was never the case and he believes Mata fits into his philosophy at Old Trafford better than he did at Stamford Bridge.

First of all I didn t sell him, he told a media conference. My job is not buy and sell. 

My job is to coac…