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Eric Dier has been ruled out of Tottenham’s pre-season tour to Singapore and Shanghai having undergone an operation on an unspecified injury.

The England international featured in the Three Lions’ penalty shoot-out win over Switzerland in the Nations League third-place play-off on June 9, and had been hoping to play a full part in Tottenham’s preparations for the 2019-20 season.

But the club have confirmed that, while the procedure to correct Dier’s injury was successful, the 25-year-old midfielder will not travel with the rest of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad when they visit Singapore and Shanghai for matches against Juventus and Manchester United.

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Dier has been troubled by a groin injury in recent months, and he started just 18 of Tottenham’s 38 Premier League matches in 2018-19.

Prior to last season, he started at least 30 league matches in each of the previous three seasons, and Pochettino will hope he returns to full fitness ahead of Tottenham’s Premier League opener against Aston Villa on August 10.

A statement on the club’s official website said: “Eric Dier has undergone a medical procedure to correct an issue detected during medical assessments on the first day of pre-season training.

“Following the successful procedure Eric will now undertake a short period of rehabilitation. He will therefore not travel on the club’s pre-season tour to Singapore and Shanghai.”

Prior to the start of the new league campaign Spurs will also take part in the Audi Cup, where they will take on Real Madrid in a semi-final clash at the Allianz Arena in Munich on July 30.

The club will also take on Inter in London as part of the International Champions Cup on August 4.

Spurs finished fourth in the Premier League last season, finishing the season behind champions Manchester City, runners up Liverpool and third-place Chelsea, but inside the Champions League places yet again.

Dier was also part of the side that made a run all the way to the Champions League final last season, losing out to Liverpool 2-0 in the showpiece.

The midfielder did not start the final, but did come to replace a struggling Moussa Sissoko in the 74th minute.

Enrique Cerezo claimed Atletico Madrid have evidence Barcelona had agreed to terms with Antoine Griezmann before his release clause dropped to €120 million.

Barca confirmed the signing of Griezmann on Friday on a five-year deal after a solicitor representing the forward deposited money for his buy-out clause at La Liga headquarters in Madrid.

The signing ends an extended saga involving the Frenchman and Barcelona, as Griezmann previously denied the club last summer to remain with Atletico Madrid.

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That decision lasted just one year, as Griezmann announced before the conclusion of the La Liga campaign that he would leave the club at the end of the season before completing his move to Barcelona on Friday.

However, Atletico believe the France international agreed to terms with Barca before his clause dropped from €200 million on July 1 and therefore claim they are owed an additional €80 million to ratify the transfer, they said in a statement.

Cerezo, the club president, said the La Liga outfit had proof that Griezmann and Barcelona negotiated early and planned to request a greater fee.

“If the club have made this statement it’s because there’s evidence,” he told RAC1.

“We have to study it and we’ll demand the amount we consider to be necessary.”

Barca, who reportedly plan to present Griezmann at Camp Nou on Sunday, have yet to respond to Atletico’s claims.

Cerezo also hit out at Griezmann, who confirmed in May he would be leaving Atletico.

“I’m disappointed by his attitude,” he said.

“He wanted to leave, but he didn’t tell us until the last minute.”

Griezmann, a member of France’s World Cup team last summer, originally joined Atletico Madrid from Real Sociedad in 2014 as he went on to make 257 appearances for the club.

He scored 133 goals in those 257 appearances as he departs Atletico Madrid as the club’s fifth-highest goalscorer, behind only Luis Aragones, Adrian Escudero, Paco Campos and Jose Eulogio Garate.

During his time with the club, Griezmann claimed a Europa League title, a Spanish Super Cup and a UEFA Super Cup while finishing third in the Ballon d’Or voting two different times.

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio confirmed the Serie A club have made an “official approach” to Manchester United for Romelu Lukaku.

United striker Lukaku has emerged as a transfer target for Inter, who sent officials to England to try to reach a deal for the Belgium international.

The Manchester United striker has made it clear to the club’s hierarchy that he is hopeful of leaving Old Trafford after being told he will not be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first-choice striker in 2019-20.

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Inter’s new boss Antonio Conte has made the Belgian his prime target in the summer market, having previously targeted the forward at prior clubs.

Lukaku – contracted to the Red Devils until 2022 with the option of a further year – joined United from Everton for £75 million ($94 million) in 2017 and the Premier League giants want to recoup that fee as Inter push for an initial loan deal.

Ausilio arrived back in Milan on Thursday and he told reporters: “We had a meeting with Manchester United for Lukaku.

“It was an official approach between two important clubs. We’ll see what happens.

“All the players we’re following are targets we’ve agreed with Antonio Conte. We want to satisfy his request within certain financial parameters.”

Inter’s push could become more difficult as United are not in any rush to sell the Belgian forward.

Furthermore, the Italian side will have to consider potential Financial Fair Play repercussions if they were to break the bank on the Belgium international, as Manchester United are said to be unwilling to take back a player as a makeweight.

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Lukaku has acknowledged a desire to play in Italy and hinted his future could be away from Old Trafford while acknowledging his admiration for the newly-hired Inter boss Conte.

At Old Trafford, though, he fell down the pecking order as manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer preferred Marcus Rashford up front as he scored 12 goals last campaign.

The 26-year-old – in Australia for the club’s pre-season tour – scored 15 goals across all competitions as United finished sixth in the Premier League and lost to Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Neymar returning to Barcelona would be “incredible”, though former star Xavi insisted a transfer to re-sign the Paris Saint-Germain forward would be “very difficult”.

La Liga champions Barca have been linked to Neymar, who left Camp Nou for French giants PSG in a world-record €222 million ($250 million/£200 million) deal in 2017.

The situation was only exasperated in recent days as Neymar failed to turn up to the first day of pre-season training, causing PSG to vow to take action in response .

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Neymar’s father responded by saying that the club knew his son would miss out to attend a charity event , but PSG sporting director Leonardo confirmed Neymar is available for the right price .

Xavi played alongside Neymar for two seasons before moving to Qatari side Al Sadd in 2015 and the 39-year-old told Movistar: “He would be an incredible signing.

“But I see it as being difficult, honestly. I think it’s very difficult.

“We have seen so many things that I thought I’d never see though, such as PSG paying €222 million, so we’ll have to wait.

“There’s no doubt that he’s one of the best players in the world, but let’s see what Barcelona do.”

While Neymar’s future is uncertain, Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann is reportedly set to join Barca in the very near future.

France international and World Cup winner Griezmann – who has a €120 million ($135 million/£107 million) release clause – will leave Atletico after five years and Barca are favourites to sign the forward after missing out on his services last summer.

The signing would be a good one, according to former Barca midfielder Xavi, who believes he’d be a good fit at Camp Nou despite the delay in confirming a deal.

“He’s a great player, a world star,” Xavi added. “He made a difference with Atletico Madrid and with France. He’s an extraordinary player.

“It’s still not official, but it seems like he’s going to Barcelona. I think it’ll be a great signing.”

Barcelona have already completed the signings of midfielder Frenkie de Jong from Ajax, goalkeeper Neto from Valencia and defender Emerson from Atletico Mineiro this window.

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong played down comparisons to club greats Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

De Jong, 22, was signed by the La Liga champions from Ajax in a £65 million ($81m) deal in January, but only made the move at the end of the season.

The Netherlands international has already been compared to Xavi and Iniesta, however, he had no interest in discussing any similarities he may share with two of the legends of the club, though he does think he’s well suited to playing for the Spanish giants.

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“I don’t want to be compared with those players,” De Jong told Barca TV .

“It’s the perfect club for a midfielder. They hold onto the ball well, they control the play, it suits me perfectly.”

De Jong joins Barcelona after a fine season with Ajax, winning a domestic double and reaching the Champions League semi-finals.

Barca were also eliminated in the semis, continuing their wait for a first Champions League crown since 2015.

Discussing his goals for 2019-20, De Jong is eager to be a regular starter for Barca – and he wants to help deliver in Europe.

“I want to start most games. All players want that. I’ll work as hard as I can in training to show what I can do in games,” he said.

“I like to play attacking football, for it to be attractive and for people to have fun when they come to the stadium.

“Both me and Barca are really keen to win the Champions League this year and I hope that’s what happens.”

The midfielder has also admitted that he had dreamed of a move to Arsenal as a stepping-stone to playing for Barcelona, though he jumped at the chance to sign up with the Spanish side ahead of schedule .

Having finally been revealed by the club on Wednesday, De Jong will set in on making himself at home in a team that cruised to a La Liga title last season and narrowly lost out on a trip to the Champions League final.

With Ajax having come up short in the last four of Europe’s top competition last season as well, both club and player will be hoping to go one better in his first season with the Spanish side.

John Obi Mikel has returned to full training and is in line to make his Nigeria return in Wednesday’s Africa Cup of Nations clash with South Africa at Cairo Stadium.

The 2013 Afcon winner is back in contention for Gernot Rohr’s side after recovering from a knee injury which has kept him out of the tournament.

He took part in light training during the team’s recovery session on Sunday morning, seven days after he limped out of Nigeria’s 2-0 defeat to Madagascar.

Mikel missed the Round of 16 tie against Cameroon – with Odion Ighalo sending Nigeria to the last eight his brace.

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But the 32-year-old is now available to return, along with Shehu Abdullahi (hamstring), who was absent since his knock versus Guinea.

Given the importance of the showdown, Gernot Rohr may choose to keep faith with same team that dismissed the reigning African kings.

South Africa chase their first win over Nigeria in Afcon history. They have lost all previous encounters versus the three-time African kings.

Barcelona should ignore what happened with Neymar in the past, according to Carles Puyol, as they potentially look to sign the Paris Saint-Germain forward.

Neymar, 27, could be set to leave the Parc des Princes this close season after sporting director Leonardo confirmed the star was for sale at the right price.

The Brazil international left Barca in a world-record €222 million move two years ago, but he has been strongly linked with a return to Camp Nou.

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Former Barcelona captain Puyol, who won 18 trophies with the club, said the past should have no impact on the La Liga champions’ decision.

“In the end, you have to value the present, not so much the past,” Puyol said on Monday, via Spanish media.

“If the player is on the market and you need him, you don’t have to be thinking about what happened a few years ago.”

Neymar has still starred in two seasons with PSG, but both campaigns have been hampered by injuries.

The Brazil star also recently missed out on the Copa America following an injury against Qatar in a pre-tournament friendly, although Brazil went on to win the tournament on home soil by topping Peru in the tournament finale.

However, Puyol believes the star forward can still deliver plenty for Barcelona.

“Neymar is a great player who can make a difference,” he said.

“He’s not been able to play his best football [at PSG] because of injuries, but he still has a lot to give to football.”

Camp Nou legend Lobo Carrasco isn’t on the same page as Puyol when it comes to the Brazilian however, declaring the club must get its priorities right.

“I do not want Neymar to come in,” Carrasco told El Chiringuito.

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“Barca needs to have a Puyol. With the signing of Neymar, Barca would lose even more at the back.”

While a return to Barcelona remains uncertain, Neymar’s future at PSG appears in serious doubt after he failed to report on time for pre-season.

The Ligue 1 champions declaring appropriate measures will be taken as a result – though Neymar’s father is adamant the club were aware of his son’s plans.

Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku have been photographed heading on Manchester United’s tour of Asia, despite speculation of transfers away from Old Trafford.

Both players were named in the Red Devils squad list released on Sunday, but it remained to be seen whether they would actually depart on the trip for matches in Australia, Singapore and China.

Among photos of posing and smiling teammates, Pogba was pictured looking downcast as he headed through the airport to Manchester United’s private plane.

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The image came only days after Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola said he is ‘in the process’ of leaving the Theatre of Dreams with Real Madrid and Juventus reportedly interested in his services.

Lukaku, who is linked with a transfer to Inter, was also looking similarly glum as he prepared for the flight across the globe to Australian city Perth.

Other players and staff, including manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Victor Lindelof, all posed for the camera and smiled as photos were taken onboard the private jet.

New signings Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James also looked excited to be heading on their first United tour since joining the club over the off-season.

There was three noticeable absentees from the travelling party with Chilean Alexis Sanchez resting after picking up an injury during the Copa America, while Fred and Matteo Darmian have both been excluded for ‘personal reasons’.

Promising goalkeeper Dean Henderson was also excused from the journey after his efforts for England’s under-21 team at the European Championships and with a likely loan move back to Sheffield United in the works.

The Red Devils will likely arrive in Perth on Tuesday and will be able to acclimatise to the Australian weather conditions and time zone before they take on A-League side Perth Glory on Saturday.

Their second match Down Under will come against old rivals Leeds United on July 17 before they head to south-east Asia for the remainder of their tour in the region.

Matches against Inter (Singapore) on July 20 and Tottenham (Shanghai) on July 25 will follow as part of their participation in the International Champions Cup.

Sean Longstaff & Manchester United

Manchester United have added a couple of exciting talents this summer.

Daniel James joined from Swansea, while Aaron Wan-Bissaka moved from Crystal Palace.

Continuing the pattern of chasing youngsters, Man United have also been linked to Newcastle’s Season Longstaff for several weeks.

Longstaff, 21, is now battling to return for the start of the season following a knee injury sustained against West Ham.

Prior to that injury, Longstaff had cemented his place in Newcastle’s midfield.

In his breakthrough season with the Toon, Longstaff played 11 games for the Magpies, scoring once.

Manchester United preparing bid for Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff

Newcastle to reject Manchester United

Following Rafa Benitez’s exit from St James’ Park, belief that Longstaff could join Man United swelled further.

Newcastle United are ready to resist attempts by Manchester United to sign their young star Sean Longstaff as a replacement for Paul Pogba.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is ready to offer £30m this week for the young English midfielder.

Newcastle are determined (Longstaff) will not leave this summer and add to the exodus at St James’ Park.

For the record, Sky Sports have suggested that Man United need to offer 50 million pounds to land Longstaff.

Newcastle are in a strong position to retain Longstaff from a contractual point of view, as the midfielder signed a four-year contract in December 2018.

One upshot from Man United’s interest in the midfielder is that Newcastle could agree new terms with Longstaff over an improved deal.