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The agent of Marco Verratti has denied reports he was in Madrid this week to thrash out a deal for his client.

Reports in French sports paper L’Equipe said Donato di Campli was in the Spanish capital to finalise a summer transfer for the PSG midfielder.

But speaking to TMW, di Campli said: “First of all I would like to deny reports that I am in Spain at the moment.”

He added there was a lot of speculation in the press about Verratti’s future but any club wishing to sign him would first have to approach PSG.

He stated: “The only thing that matters today is that Marco remains calm and ends his season in France in the best possible manner.”

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Former World Player of the Year Kaka has said he would love to see Carlo Ancelotti take over the helm at the Bernabeu next season.

The Brazilian playmaker said in an interview with ESPN that the best years of his career so far were under Ancelotti while the pair was at AC Milan.

The current PSG boss has been tipped by many to be the successor to Jose Mourinho, should, as expected, the Portuguese vacate the hotseat at the end of the season.

The arrival of Ancelotti would be a major boost for Kaka, who has seen his playing time limited this season – something he admitted has been frustrating at times.

He stated: “I don’t know if you know what it’s like to be frustrated in your job, but that’s the sort of feeling I have here.”

Kaka, who has two years left on his contract, expressed a desire to stay on at the Bernabeu, but said any final decision would be made when the season draws to a close.

The 30-year-old said: “”It’s difficult to say what’s going to happen, which players are going to stay, whether Mou is carrying on, what the plan is going to be.”

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Madrid sports newspapers emphasize on their front pages the controversial press conference by Real’s manager Jose Mourinho. “Problems exist when someone thinks he is above the rest, with players who feel like they are all at the same level I have no problem”, the Portuguese said in an obvious reference to Iker Casillas.

Real Madrid’s captain and boss have had a fractious relationship this season, with the goalkeeper ending up on the bench during the last third of the season.

Real’s boss claimed he regrets not to have done enough to sign Diego Lopez at the end of his first season in Madrid. “I asked but he didn’t come. I didn’t do enough to bring him in and that’s a pity”, Mourinho said.

Both Marca and AS have been very critical of Mourinho this season and the Portuguese defended himself: “We won the Copa del Rey for the first time in 20 years and we reached the Champions League semifinals three times in three years, which does not leave me satisfied, but it can’t have been easy because 18 coaches in 21 years only got five semifinals”.

“And the league of the records is mine”, he added in a reference to the 2011-2012 season, when Real Madrid finished with an all-time record of 100 points and 121 goals. “You will want to erase those records but you won’t be able to”, Mourinho reproached the journalists.

Florentino to Lewandowski: Come to Madrid

Marca also points out in their front page a conversation that took place after the last Champions League semifinal between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. According to the Spanish paper, Florentino Perez spoke to Robert Lewandowski and tried to persuade him to join the club.

Marca claims Real’s president met the Polish international for ten minutes in a meeting room at Santiago Bernabeu and tried to convince him that Madrid is a better option than Bayern Munich.

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Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho has said he has not decided to leave the Spanish giants at the end of the season, despite continued reports he is set to return to his former club Chelsea in the summer.

Speaking in the press conference ahead of his side’s match with Valladolid in La Liga, Mourinho said he will make a decision on his future at the end of the campaign.

He stated: “When I decide on my future, my wife and kids will be the first to know, then the president and general director.”

The 50-year-old seemed to suggest last week that he was set for a return to Stamford Bridge following Madrid’s exit from the Champions League.

After the match, the Portuguese, who was in charge of the Blues between 2004 and 2007, said his next job would be “where people love me”.

He added that he knew he was “loved be some clubs, especially one”.

Meanwhile, other Premier League managers have been speaking about Mourinho’s potential return.

Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, said: “He said he is loved by one English team and going back is a big attraction for him, if his time at Madrid is finished of course. But I have no knowledge of that.

And QPR manage Harry Redknapp claimed Mourinho’s return would “brighten up” the Premier League.

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Madrid Press 03-05-2013

Real Madrid is planning to raise up to €100 million in player sales this summer, according to Madrid-based sports paper Marca. The list of players available for transfer could include <strong>Angel di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Fabio Coentrao, Pepe, Kaka and Adan</strong>.

Los Blancos are expecting to get €55m for the Argentine duo -€25m for Di Maria and €30m for Higuain. Di Maria – whose nickname is ‘El Fideo’ – has been linked with a move to Paris Saint Germain and Manchester United. According to Marca, Manchester City and Chelsea could also be interested.

Sources said Higuain could move to Chelsea. However, that is unlikely to happen if Jose Mourinho signs for the Blues, since the Portuguese manager has already added Radamel Falcao and Robert Lewandowski to his wish-list.

Mourinho’s departure from the Bernabeu could also speed up the exit of two other Portuguese players: Coentrao and Pepe. Real Madrid are expecting to raise €18m and €20mrespectively. Marca claims that <strong>Pepe’s replacement could be Real Sociedad’s centre back Iñigo Martinez</strong>.

The other two players Real are willing to let go are Kaka and Adan. The Brazilian has been a headache for Florentino Perez in the last two summers, when Los Blancos president has been unable to find a way out for Kaka. Meanwhile, Diego Lopez’s incredible performance since his arrival in January has left Adan without no option of staying at the Bernabeu.
<h2>Lewandowski to Madrid, says AS</h2>
The other main Madrid sports newspaper revealed <strong>Real Madrid has made the first contact to sign Borussia Dortmund’s forward</strong>, Robert Lewandowski, who scored four goals in the Champions League semifinal against Los Merengues.

AS points out that, although Dortmund will receive many offers for the Polish International, their preference for selling him to Madrid could be a strong factor in the negotiations.

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Xabi Alonso has been linked with a move to Chelsea – if Jose Mourinho takes over from Rafa Benitez at Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Mourinho strongly hinted after Madrid’s elimination from the Champions League on Tuesday that he would be leaving the Spanish capital after three years in charge of Los Merengues.

And speculation has grown that he will return to his former employers after he said his next move would be to someone ‘where he is loved’.

According to the Independent, Mourinho will make the signing of Alonso his first priority.

The 31-year-old Spanish international, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, is believed to be one of Mourinho’s closest allies at the Bernabeu.

He has been offered a two-year extension to his contract, but is thought to be waiting to see developments in the summer before making a decision on his future.

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Real Madrid are not completely happy with the options they have at right back. Arsenal’s Bacary Sagna could be a target for Los Blancos, especially if Carlo Ancelotti ends up at Santiago Bernabeu next summer according to Caughtoffside.com.

Paris Saint Germain’s manager is a known admirer of Sagna and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid for months. Sources said the French defender could be his first signing.

Real’s current options for right back are Alvaro Arbeloa and Michael Essien. The Spaniard has not performed at the expected level this season, and has lost his place on the starting eleven to the Ghanaian.

Essien has surprised many with his performances as defender. However, his age -almost 31- and the fact that he is on loan from Chelsea, make it complicated for him to stay in Madrid.

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