Barcelona striker Paco Alcacer joins Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund on season-long loan

PACO ALCACER has joined Borussia Dortmund from Barcelona on a season-long loan.

The Bundesliga side have the option to buy the 24-year-old for a fee of £25million - while the club will also pay the Spanish striker's wages during his time in Germany.

Alcacer flattered to deceive at the Nou Camp after joining from Valencia in 2016 - where he failed to cement himself as a regular starter in the side.

And he has now been shipped off on loan to Lucien Favre's side after mustering just 15 goals in 50 games in all competitions.

SunSport reported last week how Alcacer was attracting the interest from Dortmund - who announced his arrival to Signal Iduna Park with a Tinder-style video.

Given the No 9 jersey - Alcacer - who could join Dortmund on a four-year deal next summer, has spoken of his excitement at playing in front of his new fans.

He told the club's website: "I'm really looking forward to playing in the Bundesliga soon.

"This is one of the best leagues in the world, and BVB with these incredible fans and the famous South Stand probably has something magical for every footballer."

While BVB Sports Director Michael Zorc said: "We are very happy that Paco Alcacer has decided in favour of Borussia Dortmund and we firmly believe that this type of player fits well with our way of playing.

"Paco has its quality at an early age proved at Valencia, scored many goals and as a just 22-year-old experienced special appreciation by having him transferred to the captaincy.

In Barcelona, ​​he worked daily with some of the best players in the world.

"It is due to the extreme competition in the club's offensive that he has now decided to take a fresh start after two years."

Alcacer could be handed his Dortmund debut on Friday when the club face Hannover away.

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Real Madrid set to re-sign Lyon ace Mariano for £23m to stop Sevilla snapping him up

REAL MADRID want to recapture £23million striker Mariano before he is flogged to the Premier League, according to reports in Spain.

The La Liga giants sold the Dominican Republic forward to Lyon last summer for around £7.5m and have first refusal on the 25-year-old.

Sevilla are ready to splash around £32m on the forward – with Real able to demand close to £10m as part of a sell-on clause.

But Marca say they are more interested in taking him back for £23m and being in sole control of his future.

Bernabeu bosses have until Thursday to make a decision on the forward, knowing that Lyon had hoped to sell the player to the Premier League for around £60m.

But now the British transfer window has closed, Lyon have lost out on that money-spinning opportunity.

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Raheem Sterling on Real Madrid radar.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE holders Real Madrid have reportedly reignited their interest in Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling.

The 23-year-old has just two years left to run on his deal at the Etihad, with contract talks believed to have broken down in June.

According to Sky Sports, the La Liga giants are closely monitoring the ex-Liverpoolace.

And the Spanish side will send club representatives to watch Sterling in action for England against Spain at Wembley in the Uefa Nations League on September 8.

Although they claim that an offer for the former QPR youth star is unlikely to come in before the transfer window shuts on Friday.

Sterling alerted the attention of Real last year when he admitted he wants to play abroad when the time is right to leave City.

Sterling - who banged in 23 goals last campaign - is understood to be seeking a new deal to bring his salary closer to that of Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne.

Pep Guardiola is desperate for the winger to stay, and lauded his talents after he netted in the 2-0 win against Arsenal earlier this month.

He told reporters: "We are delighted with him and would like Raheem to stay.

"We’ll do our effort to make him feel we count on him. And we count on him.

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MANCHESTER UNITED should target Roberto Martinez as their next manager.

MANCHESTER UNITED should target Roberto Martinez as their next manager, claims football pundit Andy Gray.

United have made a dismal start to the new season having lost two of their first three matches to leave Jose Mourinho under huge pressure

.The United boss is in the firing line after his team crashed to a 3-0 defeat at home to Tottenham on Monday night.

That humbling, on top of the humiliating 3-2 loss at Brighton the previous week, have led to questions whether Mourinho has the ability to ever deliver success at Old Trafford.

Yet if the club did ever decide they needed to part company with their manager at such an early stage, there appears a shortage of top class alternatives waiting in the wings.

Zinedine Zidane, who led Real Madrid to three successive Champions League triumphs, is the biggest name currently available and not already in a top job.

Mourinho's odds to be sacked by Christmas have tumbled, and Zidane is now the bookies favourite to be the man to replace him.

But TV pundit Gray believes Ed Woodward and the United board could do a lot worse than turn to a man who failed to deliver success during his time in charge of Everton.

Gray was discussing United's troubles on BeIN Sport with host Richard Keys when he threw up his shock condidate.

Presenter Keys said: "I think his time is done at Manchester United.

"They are a club in crisis, I don't think players want to play for him and players don't want to go there.

"The football they play is not exciting."

He then claimed Zidane should be the man United turn to in an effort to bring success back to Old Trafford, but Gray accused his colleague of just picking a big name.

He then said: "I'll give you another name, and you might laugh at me - Roberto Martinez."

There was a period of silence in the studio, before Keys responded: "I'm not going to laugh at you. I'm speechless."

Martinez has rebuilt his managerial reputation with Belgium, leading the country to third place in the World Cup last summer.

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You've not paid attention if you think Chelsea fall without Roman Abramovich... he's made them golden

So what if Roman Abramovich sells? It doesn't matter who owns Chelsea. Not any more. Not these days. Abramovich's work is pretty much done. He has elevated his football club until it stands among the biggest in the world.

Chelsea's market worth is over £2billion, even without a new stadium.

Meaning, from here, the club will always be owned by an extraordinarily wealthy individual or group, one that measures its fortune in more than mere millions.

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Manchester United 0 Tottenham 3: Harry Kane and Lucas Moura scores two in two minutes to pile more pressure on Jose Mourinho

HE is out of ideas. Soon enough, Jose Mourinho will be out of a job.

The Special One, super-coach at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid, is done as a manager.

He is a shell of a man, outwitted by Mauricio Pochettino and these rampant Tottenham players in his own backyard.

That will hurt like hell.

This defeat, with United blown to bits by Harry Kane and two from Lucas Moura, is an unforgivable result for United.

These players, certainly the majority of them, do not want to play for him any more. Simple.

“Sacked in the morning”, sang Tottenham fans as United - all over the place by the time Kane and Moura scored - chased this game.

The third goal, an accomplished finish tucked away by Moura after 84 minutes into this show-stopper, finished United off.

Even the Stretford End, losing the will to live as United lost back to back August Premier League games for the first time since 1992, could barely muster a show of support for these players.

It is hard to back them. It is impossible to back Mourinho

It will be continued 

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Kane vs Lukaku goal record vs top-six sides: One has scored more despite playing 2,000 minutes FEWER than rival

Two of the Premier League's most feared strikers will go head to head on Monday evening when Manchester United welcome Tottenham to Old Trafford.

Romelu Lukaku and Harry Kane have been two of the most consistent threats in the top flight over the past four seasons, racking up over 100 goals apiece.

Both are already off the mark this season, with Lukaku heading home last Sunday against Brighton, and Harry Kane having finally found the net in August against newly-promoted Fulham. 

But Kane has scored twice more than Lukaku in matches involving Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal — netting 18 goals against rivals compared to the United forward's 16. 

The question is who will be scoring to night ?

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