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It will be a very different Real Madrid next season. After coach Zinedine Zidane left in May and star player Cristiano Ronaldo departed for Juventus last week, this is a time for transition at the Santiago Bernabeu. Having led Los Blancos to three consecutive Champions League crowns, Zidane announced his exit in late May and he has been replaced by former Spain coach Julen Lopetegui, who was removed from that role after Madrid made the announcement days before the World Cup. Lopetegui has already made his first signing, with Spain right-back Alvaro Odriozola brought in from Real Sociedad earlier this month for a fee of around €35 million and unveiled by the European champions on Wednesday. In that event, club president Florentino Perez promised that more "magnificent players" would follow the 22-year-old in the remainder of the transfer window as Los Blancos look to reshape their squad for the new season. Finding a Ronaldo replacement will be the toughest task of...

          The Spanish full-back applauded his team-mate for standing up for himself amid the constant criticism surrounding his national team performances Hector Bellerin has praised Arsenal team-mate Mesut Ozil for speaking out about the issues that prompted his international retirement. Ozil ended his Germany career on Sunday, confirming his decision in a series of social media statements that criticised the media and German FA president Reinhard Grindel. The playmaker, who has been at the centre of a storm surrounding the photo he took with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in May, claimed he was made a scapegoat for his country's poor World Cup performance due to his Turkish roots. The criticism surrounding the 29-year-old has only increased, as Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness added to the heat with his comments on Monday, but Bellerin showed his support. The Spanish full-back posted a message on Twitter saying his team-mate deserved so...

              Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has reiterated that Nabil Fekir will not be leaving the club this season, suggesting he could extend his contract. The France international became the subject of interest from Liverpool, who looked set to seal a £60 million ($80m) transfer before Lyon confirmed the deal fell through, even though France FA president Noel Le Graet said a medical had already been completed. Fekir, 25, has since been linked with a switch to Real Madrid and Lyon coach Bruno Genesio admitted the star player was still considering offers. Aulas said earlier this month that he still expects Fekir to remain in Ligue 1 for the time being, and the club chief now insists they will keep the newly crowned World Cup winner. "In football, nothing is ever stopped," Aulas told Canal+. "Nabil will be here this season, we need him. He is one of the best French players. "I immediately told him that if he wanted to stay, we could ...

          Paco Alcacer now looks set to stay at Barcelona for the coming season rather than move to the Premier League, reports Sport. Everton and Southampton have both been linked with an approach for the striker, who has struggled to establish himself in Barca’s starting line-up. However, after Antoine Griezmann decided to stay at Atletico Madrid, Barca have decided to keep Alcacer to ensure they have sufficient attacking cover.

                     Wales international to become key figure after Ronaldo exit Gareth Bale is set to stay at Real Madrid and become a focal point for the club following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure to Juventus, claims AS. Bale’s future in Madrid had been uncertain due to concerns over his amount of playing time, but Ronaldo’s exit is expected to lead to greater opportunities and see the reported Manchester United target become a key commercial figure for the club. Though Madrid are reportedly interested in signing Eden Hazard, president Florentino Perez does not view the Chelsea star as someone who possesses the same economic and commercial appeal as Bale.

               Neymar has dismissed rumours of a Paris Saint-Germain exit as the Brazil star reaffirmed his commitment to the French champions. Real Madrid – seeking a replacement for new Juventus signing Cristiano Ronaldo – have been strongly linked with Neymar, though the European champions ruled out an approach for the 26-year-old . Former Barcelona forward Neymar's future dominated headlines towards the back end of the 2017-18 season as talk of a return to Spain intensified. However, Neymar says he has no plans to leave the Ligue 1 holders following the World Cup in Russia, where Brazil lost to Belgium in the quarter-finals . "I'll stay. I have a contract with PSG and I've chosen to be there for the challenge, for new things and higher goals," Neymar told Fox Sports . "I won't change my mind about it. I hope we can have a successful season, with new silverware, too. "The press enjoys creating rumours, but everyone knows how much ...

Barcelona, Manchester City and Bayern Munich have been advised to not waste their time lodging bids for Ajax starlets Frenkie de Jong, Matthijs de Ligt and Donny van de Beek. Goal revealed back in June that 21-year-old midfielder De Jong has emerged as a top target for those at Camp Nou. He is considered to be a useful addition for the present and future, with Barca seeking a natural successor to departed icon Andres Iniesta. De Ligt, meanwhile, has been attracting interest from La Liga, Premier League and Bundesliga champions, with Barca, City and Bayern eager to buy into the 18-year-old defender’s potential. Ajax, though, have no intention of parting with any prized assets and have informed a long list of suitors that “insane” offers will not see them relax that stance. The Eredivisie club’s sporting director, Marc Overmars, told De Telegraaf: "Frenkie de Jong, Donny van de Beek and Matthijs de Ligt are not for sale as far as we are concerned. "Not even for an i...