Football Mag

Matthijs de Ligt insists his €75 million (£68m/$84m) move to Juventus was driven by personal ambition, with Cristiano Ronaldo having no influence on his decision to head for Italy. After seeing his future become the subject of much speculation over recent months, the Netherlands international has finally brought a long-running saga to a close. The reigning Serie A champions have won the race for his signature, with a highly-rated 19-year-old opting to take on a new challenge in Turin after heading for the exits at Ajax. It had been suggested that a chat with Portuguese superstar Ronaldo after the UEFA Nations League final in June helped to sway De Ligt’s thinking, but he insists that is not the case. “After the Nations League final I was already sure that I wanted to join Juventus, but it was still a big compliment to have Cristiano ask me to join here but it didn't make the difference,” De Ligt told reporters at his first press conference as a Juve player. “I came her...

Arsene Wenger will not become Paris Saint-Germain's new sporting director, according to the club's president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. Wenger has been without a job since stepping down as Arsenal boss at the end of last season after 22 years in charge of the Premier League side. The 68-year-old has stated that he has no plans to retire and his been linked with a number of roles. Henrique has often had a difficult relationship with head coach Thomas Tuchel, with the German openly critical of the club's transfer activity during the January window. However, Al-Khelaifi insists reports of an imminent move for the Frenchman are wide of the mark. "I have very good relations with Arsene," he told Le Parisien. "I'm close to him and I've known him for a long time. He is a wonderful manager and coach. He has a very sharp and very complete knowledge of football. "But we have a sports director, Antero Henrique, in whom I have great confidence. "I hear the m...