Match reports, Transfer news & more

Roberto Di Matteo has admitted that he considered taking over as manager of Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

Former France international Laurent Blanc was eventually named as successor to Carlo Ancelotti, but Di Matteo says he had pondered a move to the French capital.

The Italian was sacked by Chelsea in November 2012, barely six months after piloting the Blues to their first Champions League triumph.

Also linked with Leeds and Reading since leaving Stamford Bridge, Di Matteo says the PSG offer was one of several "exciting" opportunities he has considered.

"Did I refuse PSG? There were contacts with Paris, but you can't say I refused," the 43-year-old told France Football.

And finally, after Edinson Cavani packed his bags and headed for Paris; Jose Mourinho lost one of his main transfer targets for this summer. However, it seems he hasn't spent much time thinking of a suitable replacement. Reports have suggested that the Blues will put in a shock bid for PSG star Zlatan Ibrahimovic due to the Ligue 1 side capturing Cavani.

Sky sources understand Wayne Rooney is unhappy at Manchester United.

Sources close to Rooney claim the 27-year-old England international striker is "angry and confused" about his treatment by the club.

Reporter Kaveh Solhekol told Sky Sports News: "Rooney believes he is at the peak of his career and has no intention of becoming a squad rotation player or by playing second fiddle to anyone at Old Trafford.

"He believes he has nothing left to prove after nine successful seasons - yet that is what is being suggested by reports in the media which have interpreted the club's statement as meaning he's currently on trial for the coming season.


"Since he's returned from the pre-season tour due to injury, Rooney has been in touch with the club and spoken to David Moyes on the phone - he is angry and confused at the way he's been treated."

Jose Mourinho has revealed that he talked Frank Lampard into staying at Chelsea - before he returned to Stamford Bridge as manager.

Lampard was linked with a move to the MLS for most of last season after it emerged he had not been offered a new contract by the club.

However, an apparent change of heart saw the 35-year-old sign a one-year deal in May - and Mourinho admits he urged Lampard not to go to the USA.

"At that time (last season) I was not in contact with the club," he told Sky Sports News. "I was only in contact with him as a friend because we kept contact all over these years.


"I was telling him, the way I know you - don't go to American soccer. You are a player who needs to compete every week at the highest level, you are a player that needs to be in real competition.

"If you go to the States, it's a fantastic country, football is coming up and you would be very important there. But if you go there you will not enjoy your life, and you have years to enjoy your life as a player.

"So my opinion was not to go but try and stay at Chelsea - if Chelsea doesn't want you then try and stay in the Premier League because you belong to high level competition. He was telling me in the Premier League he doesn't want to play in any other club."

MATCH REPORT: SINGHA ALL-STARS 0 CHELSEA 1

Summary
A Romelu Lukaku goal, scored from the penalty spot in the first half, gave Jose Mourinho victory in his first game back and won Chelsea the Singha 80th Anniversary Cup.

All tickets had been sold for this match in Bangkok and the many Chelsea fans present saw their team rarely under pressure. Any concerns that fatigue from training could make it difficult for the visitors proved unfounded.

Two summer signings - Andre Schurrle and Marco van Ginkel - were given 45 minutes apiece, as were most of the squad apart from the busy Kevin De Bruyne and Ramires. Next stop is Malaysia for a game in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

Team news
It was nearly all-change to the line-up at half-time but for the first half, Romelu Lukaku led the attack with Lucas Piazon starting as the central player behind him. Kevin De Bruyne was on the right of attack and Andre Schurrle on the left, playing his first Chelsea game.

Frank Lampard withdrew from the starting line-up after the warm-up and was replaced in the previously announced line-up by Ramires. There was experience alongside the Brazilian in the shape of Michael Essien but youth in the form Tomas Kalas as John Terry's partner in central defence. Wallace at right-back was new in a Chelsea shirt.

José Mourinho has stated that Wayne Rooney is Chelsea's only remaining summer transfer target, with the club having no contingency plans should Manchester United resist selling the striker.

Chelsea have had a £20m straight cash offer rejected for the 27-year-old, who is also of interest to Arsenal. Arsène Wenger, who is keeping his options open on Liverpool's Luis Suárez and Gonzalo Higuaín of Real Madrid, said that Arsenal could afford to pay Rooney, despite him earning £250,000 a week.

Wenger also indicated that United might be disappointed in their attempt to sign the former Arsenal captain Cesc Fábregas from Barcelona. United have had a £26m bid turned down and Wenger, who has a good relationship with Fábregas, said that he believed the midfielder would stay at the Camp Nou for another year.

Chelsea reacted angrily to the suggestion from United that their opening offer for Rooney had included the option for the Premier League champions to take either Juan Mata or David Luiz as a makeweight. They went as far as to release a statement that confirmed their offer for Rooney but hinted at their frustration that, first, the move had been made public and, second, the part-exchange had been mooted.

"Chelsea can confirm that it made a written offer to Manchester United for the transfer of Wayne Rooney," a club spokesman said. "Although the terms of that offer are confidential, for the avoidance of doubt and contrary to what is apparently being briefed to the press in Sydney [where United are on tour], the proposed purchase does not include the transfer or loan of any players from Chelsea to Manchester United."

Chelsea are to loan their Brazilian full-back, Wallace, to a European club this season with a 12-month stint with Roma his most likely destination. The 19-year-old, who joined from Fluminense for around £4m last December and spent the second half of last season on loan back at the Brazilian club, won the London club's penalty in the 1-0 victory over Singha All-Stars on Wednesday but may not qualify for a work permit given he has yet to represent his country.

"He's a very good player," said José Mourinho. "I knew him before. He's very mature for his age, comfortable with the ball. He has the quality of a Brazilian full-back, likes to attack and create.

Wayne Rooney's the focus of most of today's talk, but another, lesser rumour was making the rounds earlier on. Granted, it's sourced from TalkSPORT, so most of it is entirely nonsensical, but there's the germ of a good idea buried within.

The rumour goes something like this: Chelsea will sell Mikel to Galatasaray and then replace him with Bayern Munich's Luiz Gustavo. This is something of a non-starter, mostly because I don't see a way for Galatasaray to buy Mikel, nor do I see a reason for the Blues to sell. But the other half... the other half holds some promise.

With Oriol Romeu (hereafter known as 'Cookies') on loan at Valencia, Chelsea only have one real holding midfielder in John Obi Mikel, and they've already been sniffing around midfield reinforcements if the talk about Daniele de Rossi is to be believed. If the Blues really are going after someone who can play as a holder (or in the pivot, as he usually does with Bayern, Luiz Gustavo is a fine choice. He did superbly in Bayern's run to the Champions League final in 2011/12 (he was suspended for the match itself, however), he's 26 later this month and so just going into his prime, and shouldn't be too expensive.

Why would Bayern be willing to sell? Mostly because they have better options available. Javi Martinez rather understandably displaced Gustavo from the starting lineup last season, and the addition of Thiago Alcantara has only complicated the midfield situation further. Breaking into Bayern's midfield is basically an impossible task at the moment, and Gustavo could get more playing time and more money elsewhere. The Bavarians, meanwhile, could get some money for a rarely-used player, although I'm not positive that Pep Guardiola will be ok with getting rid of cover at defensive midfield.