Napoli have completed the signing of Goran Pandev from Inter for an undisclosed fee.

The versatile attacker has signed a contract until June 2015 with his new club, with an option for an additional season.

The 28-year-old spent the 2011/12 campaign on loan at the Stadio San Paolo and made 42 appearances in all competitions for Napoli, scoring seven times.

Napoli were eager to secure Pandev on a permanent deal due to the ongoing uncertainty about the future of Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi.

I am in seventh heaven. I wanted to stay at Napoli at all costs after a year in which I have felt right at home, Pandev commented on his move.

I have great confidence in this project and I am convinced that the victory in the Coppa Italia final is just …

Diego has vented his frustration after Atletico Madrid failed to make an offer to Wolfsburg to keep him at the club on a permanent basis.

The 27-year-old arrived in the Spanish capital after falling out with Wolves boss Felix Magath at the tail end of the 2010-11 campaign, and subsequently excelled under Diego Simeone s leadership as he went on to lift the Europa League trophy.

The midfielder is keen to stay with Atletico on a permanent basis, but he admits he is beginning to harbour doubts about the possibility of plying his trade.

First, I want to thank the fans for the affection (shown to me). It was special to me and was instrumental in our success into reality. I will never forget in my life, the moments that I lived with them. Always be in my heart, Dieg…

Everton manager Sam Allardyce has advised Davy Klaassen to find first-team football away from Goodison Park, admitting the Netherlands midfielder is not in his plans.

Klaassen, 24, cost Everton €27 million last July but he has failed to recapture the form that delivered 14 goals in 33 appearances for Ajax last season.

The playmaker has made just three Premier League starts for Everton and he was replaced after just 55 minutes in his last appearance against Bournemouth in September.

Allardyce, who has not picked Klaassen for any of his domestic match squads, told The Mirror: Because he has never appeared on the subs bench it would be of better benefit for him and the club if he moved on just on loan.

He is quite willing to sit and stay and fight for his…

Sitting in 17th in La Liga standings, only four points in front of the last-placed Malaga, Spanish side Las Palmas have a huge road ahead of them.

The Canary Islands-based side has thus far endured a difficult campaign which was arguably most graphically illustrated through back-to-back whitewashes – albeit in two different competitions – earlier in January when poor Las Palmas first suffered a 4-0 Copa del Rey beating at the hands of Valencia before being thumped by Girona 6-0 in La Liga.

Bright Spark

The single bright distinction in otherwise disappointing ten-goal glut turned out to be the re-introduction of Alen Halilovic, the 21-year-old midfielder once dubbed the ‘Croatian Messi’ who – like many similar talents – largely failed to live up to his overh…

Jackson Martinez talks up summer exit

FC Porto striker Jackson Martinez has said in no uncertain terms that he plans to quit Estadio do Dragao in the summer.

The Colombian forward has been linked with a big club move for over a year now, but the Dragons somehow managed to keep hold of his services.

But, while Martinez remains focused on his job at FC Porto, he is looking to leave the club for greener pastures at the end of the season.

“I have made it clear that my departure to a new club will surely happen next summer,” the 28-year-old confessed to Colombian newspaper El Espectador.

“Right now I only focus on doing my job with Porto, but I’m ready to take the leap in the next window.”

Jackson Martinez has proved to be one of cl…

German champions Bayern Munich have announced the signing of Spain Under-21 international Juan Bernat from Valencia on a five-year deal.

The left-sided defender, whose contract was set to expire next June, came through the ranks at Valencia and nailed down a regular first-team place last season, making 32 appearances in La Liga.

Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer said: Juan Bernat is an exceptional, young player we have observed for a long time.

He is quick, good in the tackle and can get forward.

We are confident that we have made a very good investment for the future of our team. We welcome him at Bayern.

Bernat, a member of the Spain squad that won the Under-19 European Championship in 2012, added: I am very happy that I can play at th…

Roberto Mancini defended calling up Argentina-born forward Mateo Retegui as he bemoaned Italy s lack of attacking options.

Mancini has turned to former Argentina under-19 and under-20 international Retegui for the start of the Azzurri s Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

The Italy head coach did not expect the 23-year-old, on loan at Tigre from Boca Juniors, to accept the invitation to play for the European champions.

Eyebrows were raised when Retegui, whose grandmother was born in Italy, was named in Mancini s squad ahead of a Group C opener against England at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Thursday.

Mancini said on Monday: We ve been following him for some time, he has quality and he s a young boy. We didn t think he d say yes, we hesitated a bit and inst…

Folarin Balogun would be a great addition to the United States team, but Arsenal s Matt Turner only wants the striker to make the switch if it comes from the heart .

Arsenal forward Balogun has excelled on loan with Reims this season, scoring 17 goals in 27 Ligue 1 appearances – behind only Jonathan David and Kylian Mbappe (both 19).

The 21-year-old s excellent form has prompted talk of a tussle for his international allegiance, with the New York-born star eligible to represent England, the United States and Nigeria.

Balogun has been a mainstay in the England Under-21 set-up, but he withdrew from the squad for this month s internationals due to injury.

That development has led to fresh hope Balogun will pledge himself to the USMNT, and Turner confirmed …

Competition: Community Shield
Market: Man Utd to win against Leicester City
Odds:

Leicester City and Manchester United lock horns in the Community Shield final at Wembley, in a game that could see United coming out on top.

City reached the Community Shield by winning the Premier League title last season, while Manchester United booked their place in the final by winning the FA Cup.

Leicester City would normally be big favourites given they’re defending champions of the Premier League, but the Foxes haven’t had the best pre-season, and may of their players still look burned out from their excursions in 2015/16.

City will name a strong squad for the final, but Manchester United will be better prepared from their pre-season this summer, and…

The Croatian Football Federation [HNS] has praised its supporters for confronting the hooligans that marred the 2-2 draw with Czech Republic and demanded the country s government does more to stamp out the problem.

Croatia were winning the Euro 2016 match 2-1 at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard on Friday when, in the final minutes, a volley of flares rained down on the pitch from the end of the ground their team s fans were standing in Saint-Etienne.

A banner was unveiled to accompany the pyrotechnic display in a premeditated disruption aimed at embarrassing the HNS and former Dinamo Zagreb president Zdravko Mamic, who has been investigated for financial irregularity and is considered to be a major influence behind the scenes of the country s football administration.

The …