Chelsea line up Mattia Destro if Fernando Torres seals escape route to AC Milan

Chelsea will step up their chase for Mattia Destro if Fernando Torres leaves

Spain international is holding talks over personal terms with AC Milan

Jose Mourinho believes Mattia Destro can add variety to Blues attack 

Roma do not need to sell after £35m sale of Medhi Benatia to Bayern Munich 

Former Chelsea star Demba Ba has revealed he longed to play for Arsenal

Chelsea will step up their pursuit of Mattia Destro from Roma if Fernando Torres can agree personal terms on a move to AC Milan.

Jose Mourinho has identified Destro as a young player who can add variety to his squad, even though Roma have cooled on the idea of selling the striker.

The Italian club claim he is ‘100 per cent not for sale’ and no longer have a great urgency to raise funds after banking £35million by selling defender Medhi Benatia to Bayern Munich.

Chelsea, however, remain keen. Destro fits their age profile, can operate across the front line and earns a fraction of the £175,000 a week they pay Torres. If Milan agree to cover the final two years of Torres’ contract, Chelsea will have cash available to bid for a player valued at £20million. If they prefer to sign him on a one-year loan, Chelsea will have to be more creative.

 

Agents of Torres were in Italy for talks with Milan and one of them, Antonio Sanz, is reported to have said: ‘The meeting went well. Torres to AC Milan is a real possibility. We take some time to reflect before giving a decision. Milan are a great club.’

The issue is pressing for Chelsea at a time when they have concerns about the fitness of Diego Costa.

Costa missed training on Thursday as a precaution after suffering from a tight hamstring against Leicester on Saturday and again in training on Wednesday.

A scan showed no serious damage but the Brazil-born Spain international has a recent history of hamstring trouble. He has not been ruled out of Saturday's game at Everton but Mourinho will take no risks because Costa can take a two-week rest through the international break if he does not play at Goodison.

The scare crystallises a major problem for Chelsea, however, with Didier Drogba 36 and Torres out of favour.

Demba Ba, Romelu Lukaku and Samuel Eto’o have all left this summer and although they spent £32m on his first-choice Costa, Mourinho will look to the board to back him again over Destro. Ba, meanwhile, admits he longed to play for Arsenal.

Now with Besiktas, the striker came close to ruining Arsenal’s Champions League hopes during Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.

Afterwards, Ba said he wished he could have been the man riding to Arsene Wenger’s rescue after Olivier Giroud’s broken ankle, but had to seize the chance to leave Chelsea for Besiktas when it came.

Wenger almost signed Ba on loan from Chelsea last year and, when asked how close he came to becoming an Arsenal player, the forward said: ‘As close as you and me, here. Even when I was in Chelsea, everybody knew that I wanted to go to Arsenal.

‘It’s not a secret to anyone. I wanted to join Arsenal because it was the club back in the day. I saw Thierry Henry playing for them and I supported them. I could have maybe waited longer in this transfer window.’

Manchester City handed group of death for the third year in a row while Jose Mourinho will be delighted with Chelsea's draw

• City face German giants Bayern Munich for a third time in four years
• Arsenal also handed tough draw but Chelsea given easy ride
• Ashley Cole and Frank Lampard could have a surprise re-union as City are also matched with Roma
• Despite difficult draw Txiki Beguiristan says the aim is to top the group

Manuel Pellegrini must have been looking for Mario Balotelli’s ‘Why Always Me’ T-shirt on Thursday night.

Life could hardly get any worse for Manchester City in the Champions League. For the third successive season they were handed a ‘Group of Death’. There’s no sugar-coating it — Group E is gruesome, brutal, grim.

If Pellegrini was to pick one scenario he didn’t want ahead of the draw, this wouldn’t have been far off. 

His mood will not have been helped by knowing that, down in London, Jose Mourinho had his feet up, with Chelsea surely as good as in the knockout stages after being given a relatively easy ride.

For the second successive season, City will face Bayern Munich; the Bundesliga giants wounded by last season’s failed attempt to retain their title. 

Riding on the crest of Germany’s World Cup win, Pep Guardiola’s side will be one of the toughest teams to beat this season.

City’s nightmare does not end there, though. Two clashes against a rejuvenated Roma will provide a huge test of their European credentials. In an uncanny twist, Roma and City crossing paths throws open the possibility of Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole going head-to-head for the first time since they left Chelsea this summer.

Pellegrini will know the fixtures against Roma and CSKA Moscow are paramount to City making it to the last 16.

And if he thought things could not get much worse, he only needs to look at a daunting eight-day stretch next month when he must squeeze a trip to Bavaria between crucial League clashes at Arsenal and at home to Chelsea.

‘It’s a tough one,’ said City’s sporting director Txiki Beguiristan. ‘Our challenge is to be first in the group because that gives you an advantage.

‘The objective is higher now. That’s why we improved the team, to give us a chance of winning the domestic competitions but also to be better in Europe. There are five, six, eight other clubs that can win it but we can as well. Why should we not set out to win the Champions League?’

Thursday’s draw would also not have made comfortable viewing for Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

Perhaps not quite to the same extent as Pellegrini, but Wenger will yet again have to pit his wits against one of Europe’s most impressive young coaches in Jurgen Klopp.

But facing Borussia Dortmund, 2013’s beaten finalists, will not paralyse Wenger’s expensively-assembled squad with fear. After losing to the Bundesliga side on matchday three last season, the Gunners went to Dortmund and recorded a famous 1-0 win against the odds, Aaron Ramsey scoring.

Arsenal secretary David Miles said: ‘It’s tough but it’s one from which there’s a pre-requisite to finish first and avoid the likes of Barcelona at the start of the knock-out stage.’

Anderlecht and Galatasaray are likely provide a more modest test.

While Liverpool ponder the challenge of Real Madrid, Basle and the Bulgarians of Ludogorets, Mourinho must have had by far the best night’s sleep. 

When he holds his weekly press conference at Chelsea’s Cobham HQ on Friday, the Portuguese will inevitably dispel the notion that his side have been handed an easy European ride.

But the Special One himself could not have handpicked a more comfortable group. With all due respect, Schalke, Sporting Lisbon and Maribor hardly reads as a who’s who of European football’s elite.

Much to Brendan Rodgers, Pellegrini and Wenger’s annoyance, no doubt.

Manchester United and Louis van Gaal close to signing 16-year-old Ajax defender Timothy Fosu Mensah

• Manchester United close to signing Timothy Fosu Mensah
• 16-year-old defender highly rated by Ajax
• Manchester City and Inter Milan also interested 
• Louis van Gaal's side have already signed two left-backs this summer 

Louis van Gaal has moved in for 16-year-old Ajax defender Timothy Fosu Mensah.

The highly-rated Dutch prospect was at United’s Carrington training ground on Thursday ahead of a move which will cost an initial £300,000 in compensation.

United scouts were impressed by Fosu Mensah during Ajax’s AEGON Future Cup tournament win in April. 

Manchester City and Inter Milan have also expressed an interest but him, who can play in a range of defensive positions, has opted for United.

Mensah is comfortable at centre-half but can also play at left-back and in defensive midfield, that versatility essential to Louis van Gaal's 3-5-2 formation.

He is physically imposing, but also comfortable on the ball, with pace a major asset - particularly in a left-wing back role.

United have already spent well over £100million this summer and, were he to join, Fosu Mensah would be the third left back to move to the club after Luke Shaw and Marcus Rojo.

Van Gaal's side travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Saturday, and record singing Angel di Maria could come straight in to the starting line-up.

Angel di Maria unveiled at Manchester United following £60m Real Madrid transfer

• Angel di Maria was unveiled as a Manchester United player on Thursday
• Di Maria joined in £59.7million plus add ons deal from Real Madrid on Tuesday
• Di Maria will wear the number seven shirt at Old Trafford
• Argentina international revealed his desire to bring Champions League football back at the club

Angel di Maria has revealed former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo told him to wear the No 7 shirt at Manchester United due to it's significance to the club.

Di Maria, who has penned a five-year contract at the club worth £200,000-a-week wages, has been handed the iconic shirt worn in the past by club legends Ronaldo, Eric Cantona and David Beckham.

The Argentina international was unveiled at the club's official press conference on Thursday and remarked how it was Ronaldo who told him the importance of the jersey. 

'Cristiano told me what No 7 shirt meant I wanted to wear this shirt. The club wanted me to wear it.,' Di Maria said.

The 26-year-old also revealed his desire to restore Manchester United to the Champions League following his £59.7million plus add ons move from Real Madrid on Tuesday.  

'I'm very pleased to be at Manchester United, I like the team and I wanted to come here even though no Champions League football this season,' he added. 

'I want to help them reach the Champions League again. I'm very pleased that Louis van Gaal chose me to come to Manchester United.

'Manchester United have already won many trophies and are a very big team. I came here to help them raise their game and win many trophies with them.

'The fee does not bother me, that fact £60m is paid. That is for chairmen to negotiate. I come to play for the club and do my best for them.' 

Chelsea’s Diego Costa to miss six weeks with hamstring injury

Chelsea could be without their striker Diego Costa for up to six weeks, after the Spain international tweaked his hamstring in training on Wednesday.
Costa has started his Blues career in fine form, scoring twice in their first two Premier League matches, but is now a doubt for Saturday’s late kick-off against Everton at Goodison Park.
The club’s doctors are however making further assessment on the injury, because publicly confirming how long the 25-year-old will be ruled out for.Radamel Falcao has already been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge to replace Costa, while Fernando Torres’ proposed loan move to AC Milan, might not go through again with Didier Drogba the only recognised striker available to Jose Mourinho now.

Bayern Munich confirm Xabi Alonso transfer

Bayern Munich have revealed that they are close to sealing Xabi Alonso’s transfer from Real Madrid.
The player, who on Wednesday announced his retirement from international football, is expected in Germany on Thursday to undergo his medical.
“It is correct that we have been in talks with Real Madrid and Xabi Alonso,” Bayern executive board member Jan-Christian Dreesen said at a press conference.
“We have basically reached an agreement. The player will arrive in Munich later on Thursday to undergo his medical.”
Alonso recently signed a new contract extension until 2016 with the La Liga giants, but had lost his regular spot to Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.Since he joined from Liverpool, he has made over 200 official appearances in all competitions for the Bernabeu outfit.

Fernando Torres set to join AC Milan on loan but Marco van Ginkel will stay in London

• Fernando Torres is set to join AC Milan on loan
• Chelsea striker has fallen further down the pecking order
• Two clubs are yet to agreement a deal over his wages
• Marco van Ginkel will not join Milan however 

Fernando Torres is ready to accept a loan move from Chelsea to AC Milan but midfielder Marco van Ginkel has opted to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Torres and the two clubs still need to come to an agreement over his wages. 

The 30-year-old has two years left on a Chelsea contract which is worth £9million-a-year to him but Milan’s offer stretches to £7m for what would be one year on loan in Serie A.

Jose Mourinho would love to offload Torres, who cost the club £50m in January 2012, and open space in his squad and recruit a different type of attacker but the board at Stamford Bridge are not prepared to pay the £2m shortfall. 

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani confirmed his club was in talks over Torres on Tuesday.

He said: 'Our goal is to take a great striker. Fernando Torres? He is a great striker. Let’s see if he comes or someone else. We are actively working.'

Galliani was also confident of signing Van Ginkel but the Dutchman wants to remain in west London.

Chelsea are receptive to allowing the midfielder out on loan as he needs games following his cruciate ligament injury last year.