Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has told Serbia midfielder Nemanja Matic he won’t be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge despite interest from Italian champions Juventus.
Reports in Italy claim Juventus are considering a bid for Matic as they look to replace Paul Pogba after the France star’s move to Manchester United.
Securing a world record fee of £89 million ($116m, 105m euros) for Pogba means Juve might have the cash to persuade Chelsea to sell a player who was disappointing last season.
But Conte, who arrived at Chelsea in July after finishing his role as Italy boss, has spoken to Matic about the situation and made it clear he has no intention of letting the 28-year-old go.
“Nemanja is an important player for me, and he knows this,” Conte told reporters at Chelsea’s training ground on Friday.
“There isn’t a problem with him. Nemanja was a Chelsea player and is a Chelsea player.”
Matic was one of numerous Chelsea players reported to have grown disillusioned with the hardline style of Jose Mourinho, a relationship breakdown that led to the Portuguese boss being sacked last December.
Even after Mourinho’s departure, Chelsea were still a shadow of the team that romped to the Premier League title in 2015 and Conte admitted he has been trying to find out what went wrong during their dismal 10th-place finish.
“I speak a lot with my players, all my players. Usually when you arrive at a new club it’s important to get to know the players, all the aspects,” the former Juventus manager said.
“It’s important to speak with all the players, to understand, to listen, why the last season was so bad.
“Because for the coach, for the first time arriving it’s important to go inside, into the head of the players to understand and solve the situation.
“It is important to find the right confidence. This team lost their confidence a bit last season, but two years ago they won the title. “
Aston Villa bring over defender from West Brom
Aston Villa have signed Wales defender James Chester from West Bromwich Albion on a four-year contract, both clubs said on Friday.
The 27-year-old, who has moved for an undisclosed fee, shone for Wales during the European Championships, featuring in every one of their matches as they reached the semi-finals.
He made 13 appearances for West Bromwich last season and now drops down a division for the Championship campaign of their Midlands neighbours.
“He had a fantastic time at the Euros and he obviously wanted to play first team football on a regular basis,” Albion coach Tony Pulis told his club’s website.
“We had a man-to-man chat about things and this deal suits everyone.”
Chester began his career at Manchester United, leaving the club in 2011 to sign for Hull City before moving to The Hawthorns in July 2015.
Sunderland signs Januzaj on loan from Man United
Sunderland manager David Moyes has signed a third Manchester United player in the space of 24 hours, bringing in winger Adnan Januzaj on a season-long loan.
Moyes, who coached United for 10 months in the 2013-14 season, signed Donald Love and Paddy McNair on Thursday on permanent transfers.
Sunderland announced the arrival of the 21-year-old Januzaj on Friday, the day before the new Premier League season begins. Januzaj was signed in time to be available for Sunderland’s game against Manchester City on Saturday.
Leitner now with Dortmund
German midfielder Moritz Leitner has completed his move from Borussia Dortmund to Italian side Lazio for an undisclosed fee, both clubs announced on Friday.
The 23-year-old joined Dortmund in 2011 from 1860 Munich but struggled to nail down a first-team place and spent time on loan at both Augsburg and VfB Stuttgart.
Last season Leitner only made eight Bundesliga appearances and was dropped to the reserves.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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EA Sports FC 24
Voy!%20Voy!%20Voy!
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PAKISTAN v SRI LANKA
Twenty20 International series
Thu Oct 26, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
Fri Oct 27, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
Sun Oct 29, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Tickets are available at www.q-tickets.com
SAUDI RESULTS
Team Team Pederson (-40), Team Kyriacou (-39), Team De Roey (-39), Team Mehmet (-37), Team Pace (-36), Team Dimmock (-33)
Individual E. Pederson (-14), S. Kyriacou (-12), A van Dam (-12), L. Galmes (-12), C. Hull (-9), E. Givens (-8),
G. Hall (-8), Ursula Wikstrom (-7), Johanna Gustavsson (-7)
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Monday's results
- UAE beat Bahrain by 51 runs
- Qatar beat Maldives by 44 runs
- Saudi Arabia beat Kuwait by seven wickets
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
