Oscar's name may not be that well known now, but in no time at all the whole world will know who he is

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Internacional's Oscar celebrates after scoring against Penarol

 

 

 

Chelsea have completed the signing of Brazil playmaker Oscar from Internacional.

The deal is another piece of marvellous long-term business done by a manager who until now has shown a particularly short-term outlook.

At the end of last season Roberto Di Matteo shunted aside Andre Vilas-Boas' patient building plans for Chelsea, reinstating an aging duo of Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba to his team in order to gain immediate results and it earned him a Champions League title, but this summer has been all about revitalising that same squad. And Oscar would be a phenomenal addition to it.

Vilas-Boas will look on ruefully at Stamford Bridge goings-on once more but the North London club know that due to their partnership with the Porto Alegre club they have first refusal on the player, so the only possibility is that Spurs have been financially outgunned and have decided to turn their interest elsewhere.

 

Where has he come from?

Oscar: Are Internacional about to see the back of him?

 

In both a footballing and geographical sense, Oscar is very much a product of Sao Paulo.

He was born in Americana, Sao Paulo State, but was spotted by talent scouts at 13 years of age. They took him to the state capital where he signed for the imaginatively-named Sao Paulo FC - Brazil's most successful side in international competitions.

It was there that Oscar started to dazzle as a young player with his playing style compared to Kaka, another famous alumni of the club. By the time Oscar broke through to the first team at the age of 18, he had helped the Morumbi side to become the first team in Brazil to win six national titles.

He would only make eleven appearances for his boyhood club though, as a disagreement over non-payment of wages saw the youngster attempt to walk out on the club as they refused to pay him. The player seemed helpless, a prisoner held behind the steel bars of a contract until in an unprecedented move, Oscar sued them, and the Brazilian FA allowed him to make the move hundreds of miles south to Porto Alegre where he would sign for Internacional.

There then followed long-term wrangling between the two clubs as to who owed what. Thus when Oscar dazzled in the Brasileirao (the national league) of 2011 with 13 goals and ten assists, no foreign club could try to sign him as it wasn't even clear who he belonged to as the legal battle continued.

The moment that will most brought him to the attention of scouts worldwide, though, was his performance in the Under-20 World Cup in 2011. Having a stellar cast around him was no doubt an assistance, but Oscar's hat-trick from midfield in the final against Portugal won his country yet another world title.

Although much of the global attention since then has been on Neymar and Ganso, as they won the Copa Libertadores with Santos, Oscar has continued to grow as an exceptional talent.

While Neymar's talent marks him out as by far the biggest star in Brazilian football - on a marketing level even more so than the obvious sporting one - Ganso has gone the other way. Following his own fall-out with Santos, he is now being painted as Oscar's replacement should a move to London being completed.

What kind of player is he and where would he fit in?

The most important thing to note about Oscar is that he isn't a loping playmaker like Ganso, nor is he a speedy winger like Manchester United target Lucas Moura. Rather he is a mix of the two, boasting a more rounded game and a lot of footballing intelligence.

Oscar is such a talented central midfielder that he could certainly play in the same sort of role as Luka Modric does at Tottenham. And although his tackling is not great and he could do with beefing up a little, the same was said about the Croat when he arrived in England.

With his record of scoring goals and his inherent footballing qualities it is only natural to want to see Oscar play high up the pitch and closer to goal, which would put him in the central attacking role of a 4-2-3-1 at Chelsea, shifting Juan Mata out to the left. When he was younger he sometimes played on the right of that three, but it seems unlikely that we would see him there regularly now. He could be a player that moves further and further back during his career, though, as the likes of Modric - who was a 'number 10' at Dinamo Zagreb - and Danny Murphy have done in the Premier League to help their sides keep possession and build from deeper.

That sort of shift should be some way off though. Just as Sir Alex Ferguson killed the dynamism of a young attacker in Anderson, so any manager that tries to shackle the brilliance of Oscar would be making a big error and his goal in the recent Brazil friendly against Argentina last month shows some of his best attributes.

With plenty of attacking options ahead of him, Oscar slows play down and assesses his options before sliding the perfect pass into a forward. It is then that he flies through the gears, from foot on the ball and stationary one second, he is suddenly flying through a gap in the opposition defence the next, driving beyond the attacking line and then finishing with aplomb.

As for those Kaka comparisons, Oscar doesn't have the same explosive acceleration that his fellow Sao Paulo product used to such devastating effect with AC Milan but he is still speedy. Oscar's eye for a pass and drifts into pockets of space off the ball are arguably better than the now unwanted Real Madrid star.

In the same way that Paulinho of Corinthians (closing in on a move to Inter Milan) has been described as a modern midfielder, Oscar's playing style entirely fits the description of a contemporary attacking midfielder. No longer can a player drift around the pitch hopelessly without the ball, they must involve themselves in several phases of play - in Oscar's case this includes chipping in with goals from deep - as well as having the elegance and ability with both feet that is so desirable in the modern game.

Quite simply he is a player that would benefit any top team and at 20 he is a phenomenal talent with untold potential. If a club can purchase him for the sums mentioned then it is brilliant work considering the figures being mentioned for higher-profile but less able players like Lucas Moura.

The fact that Oscar's contract court case between Sao Paulo and Internacional was only settled a month or so ago (Internacional had to pay £5million to buy him outright) means that there has been no long-running speculation with him.

His name may not be that well known now, but in no time at all the whole world will know who Oscar is.

JOHN W HENRY last night admitted not even winning the FA Cup would have saved Kenny Dalglish. 

The Kop idol was axed four days after a disastrous campaign which saw Liverpool limp home in eighth, with their worst home record in more than half a century. 

Arguments have raged whether King Kenny would have survived the chop had he followed the Carling Cup triumph — Many of the King's adoring fans have openly wondered what may have happened if their hero had lifted that famous trophy, to go with the Carling Cup that he won in February. 

Yet now Henry, front man for Kop owners Fenway Sports Group, has finally ended the debate, after revealing Dalglish would have been dumped even if they had beaten Chelsea in the FA Cup. 

Henry admitted: “The FA Cup would not have made any difference had he won it, no, no. For us we were 17th over the second half of the season and Liverpool should not be in that position. 

“I don’t place the blame on Kenny and assistant Steve Clarke but I think it was obvious to every fan that something was wrong and something needed to be done.” 

But despite 2012’s woeful form and the Luis Suarez race storm, Henry insisted there were others in the dock beyond Dalglish and his backroom team. 

He added: “That Suarez situation did not really play a part. It did not come into play. 

“No one man is bigger than the club and no one issue is going to determine the long-term viability of the club. 

“We had a very poor second half to the season last year. You could say the response to Kenny and Steve from the players was lacking, the play was lacking, so that entered into our considerations.”

 

Makes no difference: The result of the FA Cup Final didn't doom

 

 

Ayre explained for all the romance of the cup runs, the Premier League and a top four tilt remained the minimum target... and for very good financial reason.

With Liverpool finishing an eye-watering 37 points off the league’s top two, the owners needed to make a critical decision on whether the Reds legend would be able to turn things around next season...and the answer was clearly in the negative.

“In the end, it’s a very simple decision based on results and based on do you believe that the results are going to change?” he explained.

“As I said, 37 points off the winners and 17 points off fourth place and 14 losses, that was the measurement on which the owners made their decision.

“Fans want trophies, but you have got to have both. The Carling and FA Cups don’t generate the revenue and the success that is needed to keep investing, and to be successful, you have to keep investing.

That is the emphatic message from Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre, who has explained to stunned supporters exactly why Kop idol Dalglish was shown the door .

CHELSEA have completed the £25million capture of Oscar ahead of his Olympic debut for Brazil tomorrow.

The 20-year-old playmaker has been signed on a long-term deal by the European Champions after a deal was concluded with Oscar’s Brazilian club Internacional this afternoon.

Oscar, who underwent a medical at a private hospital in West London last week, was not planning to complete his move until his Olympic commitments were over.

But the deal was rushed forward by Chelsea after a work permit was obtained yesterday for the young man who destroyed Stuart Pearce’s Great Britain team in a pre-Olympic warm-up match last Friday.

Confirmation of Oscar’s arrival at Stamford Bridge takes Chelsea’s summer spending spree to a staggering £76m.

Roberto Di Matteo’s team have already signed £32m Eden Hazard from Lille, £2m for Hazard’s brother Thorgan from Lens and a further £7m for German international Marko Marin from Werder Bremen.

And Chelsea fans will get an early look at their exciting new attacking midfielder when he plays in Brazil’s opening Olympic game against Egypt in Cardiff’s Milennium Stadium tomorrow.

Rodgers 'broke promise' in £12.5m bid for Allen

 

Agreement: Swansea say there is a written clause in place which prevents former employee Brendan Rodgers (centre) swooping for their players for a year

Liverpool believe their manager, Brendan Rodgers, is perfectly entitled to return to his old club Swansea City for players who wish to leave, despite the club's accusation that he has broken a promise with a bid for Joe Allen.

 

The Japan international, playing in the hole just off lone striker Federico Macheda, was United's most influential player and scored a deserved goal in the 68th minute

Goal man: Shinji Kagawa opening his account for United and was named as man of the match

 

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaoZn3xMVnM

 

 

Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Shinji Kagawa as his first Manchester United goal saw them wrap up the first part of their pre-season tour with a win.

Kagawa was United's most influential player and served notice of the impact he can have at United following his £12million move from German champions Borussia Dortmund.

"Kagawa was man of the match and I thought he deserved that," said Ferguson.

"He has settled in really well and is going to be a really good player for us. I was really impressed with him tonight.

"One of the features of our game over the years now has been the speed of our counter-attacking. Antonio Valencia is good at that, but Kagawa adds to that.

"But more than that, I think his awareness of receiving the ball and speed of turning defenders, I think that's going to be an asset for us."

The Japan international, playing in the hole just off lone striker Federico Macheda, scored a deserved goal in the 68th minute.

Substitute Bebe beat his man on the left before squaring for Kagawa, whose dipping shot from 10 yards out took a deflection before settling in the net.

Ferguson sees Kagawa as a key man for United this season and it was easy to see why as the 23-year-old, making only his second start, played with impressive guile and industry.

Fellow new signing Nick Powell, making his first start since his £4million move from Crewe, looked lively but squandered a great chance to put United ahead in the 23rd minute.

Spotting Powell's run, young midfielder Davide Petrucci chipped an exquisite ball over the top to his intended target, who took the ball down with one touch.

 

 

But Powell, perhaps fearing he had less time than he did, snatched at the chance and screwed a quickly-taken left-foot shot wide of the target.

Powell had earlier been lucky to come away unscathed from a reckless challenge, when Shanghai's Shouting Wang clattered into him with a studs-first tackle.

It was enough to get furious United boss Ferguson off his seat in the dug-out in protest, Shanghai midfielder Wang somehow escaping a booking for the dangerous lunge.

Thereafter United controlled possession without causing their hosts any real problems.

But the visitors themselves were almost caught out on the counter-attack three minutes before the break.

Shanghai midfielder Joel Griffiths managed to get in behind Rio Ferdinand, leaving him one-on-one with United keeper Anders Lindegaard.

Lindegaard, who has already declared his intention to depose David De Gea as United's first-choice keeper this season, made a superb save to divert the shot.

With no Didier Drogba or Nicolas Anelka in their squad, the hosts lacked the requisite quality to trouble United, despite being tidy in possession in the first-half, after which they tired.

At half-time Lindegaard, Powell and Petrucci made way for Sam Johnstone, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Bebe, as Ferguson sought to give his young players as much game-time as possible.

Kagawa set up Macheda in the 55th minute, but his weak angled shot was diverted, while Bebe, scorer of United's late equaliser in Cape Town, struck a shot straight at keeper Xiong Fei.

But the goal came 22 minutes from time, allowing Ferguson to make another glut of substitutions before the final whistle, with Paul Scholes among those making a late cameo.

United, who return to Manchester tomorrow, play Valernega in Olso on August 5, before taking on Barcelona in Gothenburg three days late.

The final warm-up game for Ferguson's men, before their Premier League opener at Everton on August 20, is away to Hannover on August 11.

 

 

Manchester United

(4-4-1-1): Lindegaard (Johnstone 46); Veseli (Vermijil 71), Ferdinand, Carrick, Brady; Valencia (Lingard 71), Anderson (Scholes 71), Powell (Tunnicliffe 46), Petrucci (Bebe 46); Kagawa; Macheda(Hernandez 60)

One Moura offer... Manchester United consider final swoop for Brazil star

 

Manchester United are considering whether to make a final offer for Brazilian playmaker Lucas Moura or risk seeing the deal collapse.

United are wary of being manipulated by the player's club Sao Paulo and his agent Wagner Ribeiro, who claimed on Tuesday that the transfer is off because they will not increase their bid of £29million.

'Manchester United made an offer which was refused, and will not make another because they came up to their limit,' said Ribeiro.

'There is no possibility of him leaving now.'

United believe a compromise can be reached.

Moussa Dembele could come back into their thinking if Lucas is priced out of their reach.

Having signed Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell so far this summer, Ferguson identified Moura as his next big-money signing.

But the Old Trafford boss has been frustrated in his attempts to land Moura, who is currently in London on Olympics duty for Brazil, after seeing two bids rejected for the player.

 

 

Ferguson admitted for the first time during the club's tour of China that he was keen to secure the star's signature.

He said: 'We haven't reached an agreement for the player. We've shown an interest but until such time we reach an agreement we can't say he's ours.

'At this moment, we're looking at other options in terms of bringing other players in.

'We're not lying on our backsides doing nothing. We're trying hard to bring other players to the club.'

 

Spanish champions claim they'll only pay £27m for the Croatian but big-spending French side are willing to match his 40m valuation

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I see England, I see France... Could Modric be getting the EuroStar soon?

 

Modric grovels

LUKA MODRIC has made a grovelling apology to chairman Daniel Levy for going on strike.  

Ferdinand and Co receive heroes' welcome in Shanghai as they prepare to face the Drog

 

Capped up: Rio Ferdinand looking dapper upon arrival in Shanghai

 

Swamped: Sir Alex Ferguson signs autographs for a horde of supporters

  

Manchester United have touched down in Shanghai as their globetrotting pre-season exploits continue.

Rio Ferdinand was a prominent figure at the airport in a red baseball cap which featured his Manchester United number on the front.

The defender referred to his self-styled #5 cap on Twitter earlier in July, saying: 'Started making my own #5Caps as I won't be getting any more with England!'

 

Please sign here: Javier Hernandez obliges the fans

 

Luka Modric move from Tottenham on hold as his old club demand sell-on fee

Luka Modric’s dream move from Tottenham to Real Madrid has been put at risk because his former club, Dinamo Zagreb, are entitled to five per cent of the transfer fee.

Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric's representatives to meet with Real Madrid after he fails to arrive in LA

Luka Modric’s future could become clearer on Monday with a meeting scheduled between his representatives and Real Madrid after the midfielder refused to take part in Tottenham Hotspur’s pre-season tour to the United States.

 

Fergie will get his man (boy) as 19-year-old Olympian dazzler's club Sao Paulo finally settle on massively upped price – now it's down to personal terms

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Different class: Lucas of Brazil holds off Aaron Ramsey and Jack Cork of GB during the recent friendly

 

 

Manchester United have agreed a staggering £26 million deal with Sao Paulo for Brazil sensation Lucas Moura.

Boss Sir Alex Ferguson is being backed by the Glazers to land the 19-year-old wonder boy, who appeared as a sub against Team GB, and the move is now down to agreeing terms with his camp.

Ferguson’s negotiators have astonishingly doubled their valuation in the talks on Lucas, who has been a target for months as the Mirror first revealed in March.

Sao Paulo have accepted the sale price on Lucas, who is in England for the Olympics, and United are confident they can come to an agreement with his agents.

Lucas is looked after by his father and an agency and they want a big payment too, with United trying to agree those figures in a hurry.

Inter Milan and Chelsea also chased Lucas but backed off at the price tag. However Ferguson is determined to land a ‘worldie’ for his squad.

Amazingly Lucas would need a permit appeal to be allowed to play in England, but with the money involved the authorities are sure to be convinced he is in the ‘special talent’ category.

 

Face of the future: Fergie's got himself another young diamond in Lucas

 

Rough stuff: Lucas has probably spent his career getting lumps kicked out – but how will he fare in the Prem?  

 

 

Lucas would ideally have a medical as soon as possible, but Brazil are favourites for the gold medal - and it would be disruptive for them at the moment.

He's a bit special....

 

Barcelona vice-president Javier Faus has stressed that the club must be cautious with its transfer dealings in the future in order to sustain financial stability.

The Blaugrana exceeded their transfer budget in the summer of 2011 following two high-profile arrivals, and Faus has stressed that they cannot afford another summer of big spending. "Last year we surpassed our transfer budget with the signings of Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez," Faus stated in the end-of-year financial report.

"We cannot overspend our budget by €20 or 30 million each year. It would put our business plan at risk. It would not be sustainable.

"The club needs to be cautious if it is to be able to take on ambitious future projects. We have to look to the medium and long-term stability of the club. Rational and austere measures need to be applied in order to secure a positive balance sheet.

"The club must reduce the debt to sustainable levels and, above all, not take on more debt. We have to prepare for what could happen in the near future and have stronger assets. For ambitious real-estate projects, we need a healthy balance sheet."

Barcelona's current debt stands at €335m. 

Van Persie refuses to go on pre-season tour as City, United and Juventus lodge £15m bids

 

 

Manchester United and Manchester City have made £15million bids for wantaway Arsenal striker Robin van Persie, who has refused to join his team-mates on the pre-season tour of the Far East.

The Premier League giants have been joined in the race for the Dutchman's signature by Juventus who have also made an official approach.

Arsenal are holding out for at least £20m for Van Persie, whose contract expires next summer.

Van Persie trained with his Arsenal team-mates on Friday morning and looked relaxed.

Manager Arsene Wenger wants a quick resolution to the Van Persie saga so he can either prepare for the new season with the Dutchman in his plans or have enough time to find a replacement.

Arsenal had been adamant their captain will make the trip to Malaysia on Saturday, but he will now remain behind, which surely signals the beginning of the end of his Gunners career.

Arsenal fly to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday for a three-match tour. Arsenal play City at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing next Friday.

Sportsmail understands Wenger and his scouting team have spoken at depth about a move for Spain forward Fernando Llorente should their talisman leave.

The 27-year-old - who scored 28 goals for Bilbao last season - has a £28million release clause written into his contract.

And Wenger would use the £20m-plus from Van Persie's sale in his attempt to lure the striker.

 

At 6ft 5ins, Wenger believes Llorente has the physical attributes and ability on the ball to deal with the rigours of English football.

But whether Bilbao would be willing to negotiate a deal below his hefty release clause remains unclear.

In addition to Llorente, Fiorentina Stevan Jovetic and Borussia Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski have also been discussed as possible replacements for Van Persie.

Manchester United unveil new white away strip as they aim to snatch back title

 

 

 

 

 

Manchester United’s stars have unveiled their new away kit as the deposed Premier League champions stepped up another gear in their preparations for the 2012-2013 season.

The Nike strip is all-white with a red trim to the sleeves and neck, tapering down to a two-button placket at the neck.

The blue shorts share the gingham pattern of the new home shirt, which has divided opinion among fans, while the white socks all feature a red trim.

United previously wore white away kits in the Treble winning season of 1998-1999 and during the Premier League championship win in 2002-2003, and will hope this design brings them similar fortune as they attempt to wrest the title back from rivals Manchester City.

United are currently on tour in South Africa and the new change strip could make its first appearance in tomorrow night’s friendly with Ajax Cape Town.

United got their pre-season tour - which also includes matches in China, Germany and Scandinavia - off to a good start this week with a 1-0 win over South African top flight side AmaZulu.

 

United manager says he wasn't surprised to see his fellow Scot get the chop at Liverpool after the way racism saga was mishandled

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Walk on: Liverpool ditched club legend Dalglish in May

T for trouble: Suarez and team-mates sport those now notorious t-shirts

 

Flashpoints: Suarez and Evra clashed last season with damaging effect

Ade wages war

TOTTENHAM target Emmanuel Adebayor is threatening to see out the remainder of his contract at Manchester City.

 

Former Bridge defender reckons club's dread of being overtaken by Manchester City and Tottenham got Villas-Boas the sack

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Chelsea boot: AVB lasted just eight months

£35m for Modric

AVB warns Real

ANDRE VILLAS-BOAS last night told Luka Modric he will not be sold unless Real Madrid stump up Tottenham’s £35million asking price.

No Liverpool offers for Clint Dempsey, claim Fulham, as west Londoners warn Brendan Rodgers off making bid

Fulham deny Clint Dempsey’s move to Liverpool has already gone through after a report on the Liverpool owners’ official website claimed the attacking midfielder had joined the club in time for their US Tour.

Here's Oscar... Brazil star jets in to seal £25m Chelsea move

 

Brazil sensation Oscar arrived in London for a medical on Tuesday ahead of his £25million move to Chelsea.

The 20-year-old midfielder will join the European champions after the Olympics from Brazilian side Internacional.

He has been named in his national squad for the Games and is expected to play against Team GB at the Riverside in Middlesbrough on Friday.

Oscar, the rising star of South American football, has established himself at international level with six full caps and is expected to play a key role at the 2014 World Cup in his home country.

Chelsea will give him some time off after the Olympics before slotting him into a free role in Roberto Di Matteo's new system.

He is adept as a playmaker or in the role behind the striker and equally comfortable on the left or right of midfield. He is described as a 'typically brilliant Brazilian No 10'.

 

 

Oscar is also a proven goalscorer. He hit a hat-trick in last year's Under 20 World Cup final victory over Portugal and has a strike rate of a goal in every three matches for Inter.

After landing at Heathrow, Oscar had his medical in the southwest London suburb of New Malden before joining his Brazil team-mates.

His arrival brings Chelsea's spending this summer to £63.5m following the capture of Eden Hazard and Marko Marin.

ROBIN VAN PERSIE 'TO STAY AT ARSENAL FOR ANOTHER YEAR'

ARSENAL are so set on keeping their star striker Robin Van Persie that they have said they will not sell him for any bid till his contract ends, according to reports.

The 28-year-old striker has one year left on his contract at Arsenal and bosses have already said they will do their utmost to keep him despite Van Persie openly voicing his desire to move.

According to sources, the club will tell Van Persie that they will not accept any offer for him this summer despite the Holland striker receiving high end bids from Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus.

Arsenal are keen to keep Van Persie at all odds and are willing to tell the striker that they are prepared to risk losing him for nothing in a year's time instead of selling him now.

Van Persie had hoped a move to Manchester City would be on the cards, although Roberto Mancini has been warned that he will have to offload players if he wants him.

Juventus have offered the most solid offer so far, offering the Holland international a £6.3million a year salary, meaning he would be the highest paid player in Italy when Ibrahimovic moves to PSG.

But Van Persie is unsure that a move to Italy would be right for him as he footballing glory is more of a priority for him than money.

Arsenal are set to launch talks with Van Persie this week.