Kaka's Real exit talks denied

Kaka's father and agent has denied reports that the Real Madrid playmaker could join Corinthians or New York Red Bulls in the January transfer window.

The Brazilian continues to struggle for regular first-team football at Real and he was linked with a return to former club AC Milan over the summer.



With the transfer window on the horizon, speculation has claimed that Corinthians will try to tempt the 30-year-old back to Brazil and MLS club New York are also weighing up an offer.



However, Bosco Leite says there have been no negotiations regarding a transfer and confirmed that Kaka's preference is to stay in Europe.



"I don't know about that," Leite told Lancenet with regard to the rumours. "For now, as it stands now, he wants to stay in Europe.



"That might change but today, I don't know.



"Corinthians were never mentioned. And Corinthians themselves never said anything either."




-->

Thursday's round up of the top transfer stories

- Arsenal are leading the chase to sign Juventus striker Alessandro Matri, according to sources in Italy.



- Arsene Wenger has confirmed Arsenal want to sign two players in January as well as bringing back Thierry Henry for a third spell at the club.



- Marouane Chamakh could escape his Arsenal misery with a January move to Turkish side Fenerbahce.



- Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Diego Reyes after his team Club America admitted that they will struggle to keep hold of the Mexico defender.



- Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Metalist Kharkiv striker Taison, according to sources in Brazil.



- Reports claiming Chelsea were in talks for Brazilian starlet Bernard have been denied by one of the player's agents.



- Joe Cole is wanted by Harry Redknapp to save QPR from the drop, according to Dailymail.



- Liverpool target Oscar Cardozo is ready to open talks over a new Benfica contract - but his agent has suggested he could also be tempted by a move away.



- Liverpool could make a surprise January swoop for former Leeds United star Max Gradel.



- Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed he will have "a bit of money to spend" during the January transfer window and is looking to bring in "one or two" players on loan, with Aston Villa striker Darren Bent believed to be a target for the Reds.



- Roberto Mancini insisted that Manchester City have no intention of selling Mario Balotelli in the January transfer window after the Italian made the breakthrough against Wigan.



- Man Utd have stepped up their interest in Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna, according to the Daily Mirror.



- Manchester United have slipped behind Juventus in the running for Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski, according to talkSPORT.



- Tottenham will face a fight to sign Miralem Pjanic amid reports that Barcelona and Newcastle are also tracking the Roma midfielder.



- Tottenham Hotspur boss Andre Villas-Boas insists he has no intention of letting Gareth Bale leave White Hart Lane.



- Jermain Defoe has rubbished speculation linking him with a move to QPR and has vowed to remain at Tottenham until the end of his career.



- Former Manchester United striker Mame Biram Diouf is set for a shock Premier League return - with Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert weighing up a January move for the 24-year-old.



- Kaka's father and agent has denied reports that the Real Madrid playmaker could join Corinthians or New York Red Bulls in the January transfer window.



- In a bid to land Parma winger Jonathan Biabiany, AC Milan are set to offer them Djamel Mesbah and Bakaye Traore to force the transfer through, according to Tuttosport.



- Veteran defender Lucio has admitted that he is unhappy at Juventus and would consider returning to Germany.



- Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who is reportedly back on Manchester United's radar, has admitted he is unsure if he will still be at the club next year.



- AS Roma are lining up a shock move for Newcastle defender Danny Simpson.



- Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has revealed Chelsea and Manchester City target Radamel Falcao is keen to test himself outside of La Liga.



- Senad Lulic's agent has insisted he is not in talks with any club regarding a move for the midfielder and says his client is happy at Lazio.



- Monaco have expressed an interest in signing David Beckham, but remain one of several clubs keen to bring in the midfielder.



- Bolton goalkeeper Adam Bogdan has penned a new contract to keep him at the Reebok Stadium until 2015.



- Owen Coyle has declared himself ready for a quick return to management, while expressing an interest in the vacant Scotland job.

Del Bosque backs Guardiola as top coach

Vicente del Bosque says he has voted for Pep Guardiola to win the 2012 FIFA Coach of the Year award.



The Spain coach was named on the final three-man shortlist for the prize, along with the former Barcelona boss and Jose Mourinho on Thursday.



"I voted for Guardiola because he is an important figure within our football," he told Terra.



"I did not do it on a whim, to support Barcelona or because of any 'anti-madridismo'. It would be good if he went back to work. He is young, has added things to the game and is passionate about this sport."



Del Bosque has also been impressed with the transition at Camp Nou since Tito Vilanova replaced Guardiola at the helm during the summer.



"Tito has taken over naturally. The important thing is that he has been able to maintain the enthusiasm of these players, who have won so much," he said.



The 61-year-old's next major assignment will be getting Spain ready to participate in next year's Confederations Cup and the former Real Madrid boss said preparation is absolutely paramount if his side are to continue their dominance.



"It will be a test ahead of the next World Cup. Our last experience of the competition before South Africa was good because we got to know everything that was waiting for us ahead of the World Cup," he said.



"In Spain we have lost a lot of the fear (we had before) of promoting a player from the 'cantera'. Clubs are conscious they have to take care of them and that benefits the national team. We have to trust the youngsters because they are very talented kids."

Klopp hopes to trouble Bayern Munich

Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp believes his side can cause Bayern Munich problems when the teams meet on Saturday.



The clash between the Bundesliga heavyweights in Munich could prove an important turning point in the season.



Dortmund are third on the table, 11 points behind league leaders Bayern, who have lost their past five league matches against Klopp's men.



"We have the possibility to cause some trouble for Bayern," Klopp said.



"We have beaten them five times in a row in the league but we lost in the Super Cup.



"There, we really felt how different Bayern are this year. We tried to play our game in that match but on the other side the players were so aggressive.



"But if we can put all our quality on the pitch, then there are not many clubs in the Bundesliga that are as difficult to play as us.



"That is our task for this game, there is no guarantee for a good result for another team.



"Of course Bayern are favourites. They play at home, they have 11 points more.



"It looks like they play their own season but nevertheless it's our duty to go there and make it difficult for them to win."



Klopp, who has guided Dortmund to the past two Bundesliga titles, said he expected Bayern to always challenge for the crown.



"I guess it is not a big effort for (Bayern manager) Jupp Heynckes to motivate and focus them on their goals," he said.



"They have made some huge transfers. That is quite unique in Europe.



"Everywhere money is short but not in Munich. They have extended their squad in quality.



"Their offence for example is very good. You can change five, six or seven players and you still have a top European team.



"We have to admit that, and it's fine. Everybody has the right to do what they can within their limits."

Coyle interested in Scotland job

Owen Coyle has indicated he would be open to an approach from the Scottish Football Association over the vacant national team manager's job.



Coyle is one of a number of potential candidates who have been linked with the role following the sacking of Craig Levein on November 5. He has been out of work since parting company with Bolton last month after almost three years at the Reebok Stadium.



Speaking at a Tesco Bank Football Challenge event in Glasgow on Thursday, he said: "There is no doubt that the Scotland job is a terrific job for the right candidate."



He continued: "If they (the SFA) felt that I was one of those candidates and they wanted to speak, then, of course, I'm quite happy to listen and see what people think - how they want to progress and what they think of yourself and what you can bring to that job.



"I've worked as hard as a manager as I did as a player and maximised everything I had. Whatever I enter into, I go in giving everything I've got.



"If people felt you were worth speaking to about their club or national job or whatever it is, then I would be flattered if that came to be."



Gordon Strachan remains the bookmakers' favourite to fill the role.



Coyle added: "What I would say, and I've got to give balance to it, is that I think Scotland are very fortunate that they do have many outstanding candidates capable, I think, of ultimately qualifying for major competitions."

Platini: "If Messi wins the Ballon d'Or, it's because he deserves it"

The Frenchman Michel Platini was awarded the Ballon d'Or on three consecutive occasions ('83, '84 and '85). Messi may out do him this season. "Records are there to be beaten. If he wins it again, it's because he deserves it. He's 25 years old and has every opportunity to leave his mark for all eternity," stated the UEFA president in an interview with 'France Football'.



Platini gave his personal view on French football and his national team. In his opinion, Zidane may manage the France team one day. "Someone with Zidane's presence can be a coach. Sometimes you talk to him and he helps put you on the right path. From experience, I know that it's not easy to be a manager without having done it before," he remarked.



However, the 'Bleu' bench is currently occupied by Didier Deschamps. "He was a brilliant player and he has had a great coaching career. He has every right to be the manager," assured Platini. He expressed less certainty with respect to the players who make up the team: "They need to decide if they're important. They're young. It's hard to tell just now."



Messi has also received the backing of the majority of players to have won the Ballon d'Or. 'France Football' asked 13 of them for their verdict. Seven opted for the Argentinean, three for Cristiano, one for Iniesta and Pirlo and two abstained. Messi's camp consists of Kopa, Luis Suárez, Keegan, Rummenigge, Van Basten, Sammer and Shevchenko. Rivera, Kaká and Beckenbauer opted for Madrid's Portuguese striker. Iniesta and Pirlo received a consolation vote from Cannavaro, whilst Di Stéfano and Figo preferred not to venture an opinion.

Essien back at Chelsea

Injured Real Madrid on-loan midfielder Michael Essien has returned to his English club Chelsea as he fights to regain fitness.



The presence of the Ghana international at Cobham has sparked hopes that new coach of the club Rafa Benitez could recall him following the sacking of Di Matteo.



The speculation over Essien’s likely return to Chelsea has heightened since it was revealed that Nigerian midfielder fJohn Obi Mikel could be the first victim of Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea reign.



But GHANAsoccernet.com insiders say Essien has been undergoing treatment at Cobham, Chelsea’s training ground, because of the medical expertise at the club.



The Ghanaian midfielder, on loan from Chelsea, has not played for Jose Mourinho’s side since the 2-1 La Liga win at Levante on November 11 and it is believed he may not be available for the remainder of 2012.



Essien may not be able to get on the pitch again for Real Madrid this year following an allergic reaction to medication since the injury and he is trying to find a quick solution.



However, speculation about Chelsea return grows with news that Mikel may be axed from the side for Wednesday’s match against Fulham at Stamford Bridge.



As Benitez aims to produce more opportunities for under pressure £50million striker Fernando Torres, Mikel could pay the price for his lack of creativity.



The Spaniard wants to reshape his side and believes that Mikel is too defensive in his position in front of the back four.



Mikel was missing from the key preparations for Chelsea’s derby with Fulham and could now be replaced by Oriel Romeu, who came on for him on Sunday.



The injury-prone Essien has been struggling with foot and other leg problems lately and it has been suggested that he has reacted poorly to medication he has taken to address those. He has also been on a specific training plan in order to gain full fitness.



Sami Khedira’s recovery from injury has prompted Madrid to rest Essien and he may even be sidelined until the New Year.