Views in Depth

Champions League final gossip
Barcelona midfielder Xavi, 35, will captain the side
on his final appearance after 24 years at the
Catalan club and says the front three of Lionel
Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez is the best
striking partnership he has ever seen. (Daily
Mirror)
Juventus defender Patrice Evra, 34, is still waiting
for an apology from Barcelona striker Luis Suarez,
28, after the Uruguayan spat at him playing for
Liverpool against Manchester United at Anfield in
October 2011. (Daily Telegraph)
Defender Leonardo Bonucci, 28, accepts Juventus
are "one step below Barcelona" but the Serie A
champions will refuse to be sacrificial lambs.
(Daily Mail)
Real Sociedad coach David Moyes says his
Barcelona counterpart Luis Enrique is a great fan
of the game and once put a hat on and sat
anonymously in the Kop at Anfield to get a taste of
the atmosphere. (Daily Express)
Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, 37, has
admitted his two sons Louis and David idolise
Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Neymar and
would have preferred for their dad to face another
team in Saturday's Champions League Final.
(Daily Mirror)
Gossip and transfers gossip
Manchester City are set to offer £25m plus £5m in
add-ons for 20-year-old Liverpool winger Raheem
Sterling but face competition from Manchester
United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid. (Daily
Mirror)
However, the Reds insist Sterling is not for sale.
(Sky Sports)
Meanwhile the Anfield club are considering a bid
for Burnley defender Kieran Trippier, 24, after
having a £10m offer for Southampton's Nathaniel
Clyne, 24, rejected. (The Times - subscription
required)
Gareth Bale has insisted he is settled at Real
Madrid and the 25-year-old winger will be at the
Bernabeu next season despite being courted by
Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.
(Sun - subscription required)
Arsenal have made a £29.4m bid for Napoli striker
Gonzalo Higuain, 27, but the Serie A club are
determined to hold out for a fee closer to £36.4m.
(Gazetta Dello Sport)
Karim Benzema could be set for a transfer to
Manchester United after the 27-year-old Real
Madrid striker's agent was seen holding talks with
Ed Woodward, the Premier League club's executive
vice-chairman. (Manchester Evening News)
New Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez is set to use
a 4-2-3-1 system at his new club with Cristiano
Ronaldo operating in the number nine role
previously occupied by Karim Benzema, who will
instead be used as a rotation option. (AS)
Manchester United's 31-year-old striker Robin van
Persie has agreed to make a £10m move to Serie

A side Lazio. (Daily Star)
Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, 29, who spent
part of last season on loan at Manchester United
from Monaco, has encouraged Chelsea to make a
move for him this summer by admitting he wants
to remain in the Premier League. (Daily Mail)
Chelsea will grudgingly allow goalkeeper Petr Cech
to join another English club this summer in a
move that is poised to spark competition between
Arsenal and Manchester United for the 33-year-
old. (Daily Telegraph)
Arsenal have made an £18.2m bid for Monaco's
22-year-old midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, who is
also wanted by Manchester United, Chelsea and
Liverpool. (Daily Star)
Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal has not agreed a
deal to join Real Madrid, says the Italian club's
sporting director Giuseppe Marotta, who has also
insisted the 28-year-old will not be moving to
Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester United this
summer. (Daily Express)
Southampton head the list of suitors looking to
sign 25-year-old England striker Charlie Austin
from QPR this summer. (Guardian)
Aston Villa defender Ron Vlaar, 30, is considering
his future with the club, who lost out in the race to
sign midfielder Tom Cleverley to Everton on
Friday. (Daily Telegraph)
Liverpool are set to complete the free transfer
signing of Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan, 27,
when his contract at the Championship club
expires at the end of this month. (Daily Telegraph)
Meanwhile Liverpool assistant manager Colin
Pascoe will follow first-team coach Mike Marsh out
of the club, despite having 12 months remaining
on his contract. Sources suggest the decision was
a mutual one between Brendan Rodgers, Mike
Gordon and Tom Werner during the end-of-season
review this week. (Liverpool Echo)
Norwich have been linked with Manchester City
striker John Guidetti, 23, who scored 15 goals in
35 appearances on loan at Celtic last season and
is out of contract at the end of this month.
(Eastern Daily Press)
Moussa Sissoko has welcomed prospective new
boss Steve McClaren to Newcastle - and insisted
that playing regularly is the most important thing
to him next season, ahead of Euro 2016.
(Newcastle Chronicle)
England captain Steph Houghton says she will
never forget the day she presented Prince William
with a Three Lions shirt for his newborn daughter,
Princess Charlotte. (Daily Mirror)
Best of social media
Barcelona players Neymar and Dani Alves were
looking very relaxed en route to Berlin for the
Champions League final against Juventus, in a
photo posted on the former's Instagram account.
Former Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard has
posted footage of himself doing a training workout
on Instagram as he prepares to make his switch to
Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy.
Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor dismisses
rumours of a move to Turkey - and of a new
agent: "I can confirm I have never heard of Mehdi
Isik who has said he is my agent and have never
discussed any move to Turkey. I am very happy
with Tottenham and look forward to the next
season with them."
Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil is maybe
eyeing a post-playing career in journalism, posting
a picture of himself with Germany manager
Joachim Low on Twitter along with the message:
"Today I'm working as a trainee for BILD Sport and
right away I start off interviewing the national team
coach..."
And finally
Swansea midfielder and England Under-20s
captain Matt Grimes has revealed he used to
represent Great Britain in ultimate frisbee and was
junior national champion for three years running
as a teenager. (Daily Mail)