Gabriel Batistuta believes Mauro Icardi can show more as he urged the former Inter captain to fulfil his true potential.
Icardi has established himself as one of the leading strikers in Serie A and world football since joining Inter from Sampdoria in 2013.
However, Argentina international Icardi has not played since the 26-year-old was stripped of the captaincy in February amid uncertainty over his future.
Asked about Icardi – who has scored nine league goals and 15 in all competitions this season – Argentine great Batistuta said: He has always scored goals and it seems to me he still has a much greater potential.
He can show us he can do a lot more than he has shown so far. We could say that, as a player, he is already an accomplished one.
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Ki Sung-yueng says he has no problem getting tough with his South Korea team-mates if it helps them to make the most of their World Cup campaign.
Shin Tae-yong s side take on Sweden in Nizhny Novgorod on Monday in their opening match of a tough-looking Group F that also contains Mexico and Germany.
Ki only turned 29 in January but is one of the most experienced heads in the team, having competed at two previous World Cup finals, two Olympic tournaments and two Asian Cups, finishing as a runner-up in 2015.
The midfielder admits it is a different feeling to head into football s grandest competition as team captain but he is determined to make sure every one of the South Korea players shows they deserve to be in Russia.
We ve been preparing for the World C…
Steven Gerrard has announced he is leaving LA Galaxy after 18 months in Major League Soccer.
The former England and Liverpool captain, 36, leaves the United States with much to ponder; does he call time on his playing career and move into coaching or will one club benefit from one last hurrah.
If it is the end for Gerrard as a player, he will look back on a career packed with incredible highs and lows.
Here, we look at the main ups and downs for one of the finest players of his generation.
HIGHS
DEBUT TO TREBLE IN THREE YEARS
Gerrard, who joined Liverpool’s academy at the age of nine, made his first senior appearance on November 29, 1998. Though he confessed to being out of depth in his early appearances, he established him…
Japan became the first team to qualify from the World Cup group stages via fair play rankings despite a 1-0 defeat to Poland in which Akira Nishino bizarrely made six changes to an unbeaten team.
The Samurai Blue had beaten Colombia and drawn with Senegal to enter their final Group H match, against already-eliminated Poland, requiring only a point to reach the last 16.
But Japan scarcely threatened in Volgograd as Shinji Kagawa and Takashi Inui started on the bench and they were instead dependent on results elsewhere after Jan Bednarek s fine strike won the game for Poland.
Colombia s Yerry Mina came to Nishino s rescue, though, as his goal defeated Senegal and ensured Japan progressed in second place due to their superior disciplinary record.
Senegal s s…
Sean Dyche has brushed off suggestions that the signing of Jake O Brien from Lyon is directly related to Jarrad Branthwaite s future.
Manchester United have had two bids for Branthwaite rejected earlier in the transfer window, though are expected to try again to draw the defender away from Goodison Park.
And on Tuesday, Everton announced the signing of O Brien on a four-year contract after an impressive season in Ligue 1.
Among Lyon players, O Brien made the most blocks (18) and clearances (96), while only Duje Caleta-Car (57) won more contested aerial duels than his 44.
The Republic of Ireland international is the fifth signing for Everton so far, and Dyche explained why he felt it was so important to use this transfer window to build for the future.
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West Ham survived the second-half dismissal of Arthur Masuaku to draw 0-0 with Aston Villa in a lifeless Premier League encounter on Monday.
With just three wins from their combined eight matches before the meeting at Villa Park, neither side looked especially threatening in a game of few opportunities.
Manuel Pellegrini s visitors were the stronger for the first hour but forced Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton into only one save, and Masuaku s unfortunate second yellow card for a foul on Ahmed El Mohamady left them facing an uphill battle.
Wesley spurned a good opening in the first half but offered little threat in the closing stages as Villa chased a winner, with Jack Grealish wasting the best opening when he made a mess of Douglas Luiz s excellent cross.
V…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has lavished praise upon his Tottenham counterpart Mauricio Pochettino ahead of Sunday s top-of-the-table clash at White Hart Lane.
The Premier League s two remaining unbeaten sides meet in north London, with City four points ahead at the summit by virtue of their 100 per cent record from six matches.
Guardiola tangled with Pochettino when they were local rivals as coaches of Barcelona and Espanyol in LaLiga and he is an admirer of Spurs progress under the Argentinian.
I played against Pochettino as a player and then as a coach, Guardiola told a pre-match news conference. I think he s one of the best managers in the world I enjoy watching Tottenham.
He s doing an amazing job in London. The way they play I like a lot…
Carlo Ancelotti brushed off concerns Real Madrid’s growing injury crisis will prevent them from making it a perfect five Champions League wins from five when they host his former club Napoli on Wednesday night.
The Italian looks set to be without at least eight players when Los Blancos take on the Serie A champions in their penultimate Group C clash after Luka Modric sustained a thigh issue in the second half of Sunday’s 3-0 La Liga victory at Cadiz.
But Ancelotti, whose side secured qualification for the knockout phase three weeks ago with a 3-0 win over Braga, remains optimistic those fit for the midweek encounter at the Bernabeu will rise to the occasion.
He said at his pre-match press conference: “I really would not want to speak about all these problem…
Juventus are developing their new strategy of signing young, talented players from across Europe, which they hope will ensure their continued presence at the top of the game both domestically and in the Champions League. They lost one of their potential targets as Erling Haaland opted to join Borussia Dortmund, but their next moves, according to Tuttosport, are Fiorentina winger Federico Chiesa, AS Roma midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo and Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali.
The plans are already being put into action, in the hope that deals for all three players will be agreed before the season ends, ensuring in this way to beat any potential competition to the punch, as well as the lowest price possible, given the vast talent of the players.
Tonali appears to be the one they w…
Chelsea are reportedly weighing up a bevy of forward options in the January transfer window, including Milan s Rafael Leao and Juventus Dusan Vlahovic.
The Stamford Bridge side are said to have already come to terms on a deal worth at least €10million for 19-year-old striker David Datro Fofana from Norwegian side Molde, per Fabrizio Romano, but their hunt for reinforcements will not stop there.
With young Chelsea striker Armando Broja set for an extended stint on the sidelines due to injury, they are looking to bring in at least one more new face – or perhaps an old face.
TOP STORY – CHELSEA LOOK TO SERIE A FOR NEW MARQUEE FORWARD
According to Calciomercato and ESPN, Chelsea are engaged in discussions about Serie A forward Leao, Vlahovic, and Roma s…