Real Madrid
Manager Rafa Benitez said Thursday he is "100 per cent" confident skipper Sergio Ramos will stay at Real Madrid amid fevered speculation linking him with Manchester United.
Spain international Ramos has been linked to United in a swap deal with Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea, but Benitez made it clear the defender was going nowhere.
“It’s very simple, De Gea is not our player so nothing to say about him,” he told reporters ahead of Real Madrid facing Manchester City in the final match of the International Champions Cup in Melbourne on Friday.
“The update about Sergio Ramos is that he is our player and he’s a key player for us.
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“He’s the captain and I would like to see him at the beginning of the season because I think he will be crucial for us in the season.
“Yes, for me 100 per cent,” he is, staying, Benitez added. “I insist that it is clear for both me and the club that Sergio will be here.
“Football is a curious world, but Sergio will be playing for us this season.
“I have a lot of respect for Louis van Gaal, but Sergio will stay with us.”
Reports have said Manchester United want to use Real Madrid's interest in De Gea in an attempt to sign Ramos, believing the defender was keen to move after the La Liga runners up failed to offer him an extension to his contract, which expires in 2017.
Ramos scored Real’s injury-time equaliser in their Champions League final win over Atletico Madrid in 2014 and has made 445 appearances for the club since joining from Sevilla in 2005.
He has 128 caps for Spain and was in the starting line-up when they won Euro 2008, the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
Croatia midfielder and teammate Luka Modric said Ramos was an important part of the team.
“We hope that he stays. He’s a very important part of the team. He’s our captain, our leader, both on and off the pitch and he’s happy where he is,” Modric said.
“He’s the best defender and he wants to stay at the club.”
Watford
Premier League newcomers Watford announced the latest additions to their squad on Wednesday by announcing they had signed defender Miguel Britos from Napoli and midfielder Jose Manuel Jurado from Spartak Moscow.
Britos, 30, and Jurado 29, have both agreed three-year deals with the club, who won promotion back to English football’s top flight last season.
Jurado played under Watford coach Quique Sanchez Flores during four years at Atletico Madrid, helping the Spanish side win the Europa League in 2010, before moving to Schalke in Germany and then Spartak.
Britos was sent off in what turned out to be his final appearance for Napoli after headbutting Alvaro Morata during the closing minutes of a 3-1 defeat at Juventus on May 23.
Britos and Jurado bring to nine the number of new recruits at Watford since they regained their place in the Premier League.
Fiorentina
Spanish international midfielder Mario Suarez has quit Atletico Madrid to join Italian outfit Fiorentina.
“Mario Suarez will play at Fiorentina. An agreement between the clubs has been reached and will be finalised in the coming hours,” Atletico announced Wednesday.
In five seasons with Atletico, Suarez won La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Europa League, the Spanish Supercup and two European Supercups.
Atletico – who have seen other members of the title winning side such as Turkish midfielder Arda Turan, Belgian defender Toby Alderweireld and Brazilian defender Joao Miranda leave for Barcelona, Tottenham and Inter Milan respectively – announced on Monday the arrival from Fiorentina of Montenegro international defender Stefan Savic.
Suarez leaves for Serie A after a season in which his role further diminished at Atletico, with 20 league appearances nearly half of which were substitutions.
He had started 16 league matches out of 17 appearances the previous year and 23 with six subs in 2012/13.
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