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Chelsea spent over £100m to sign Fernandez from Benfica in 2023 and the Argentine has been a mainstay in the team ever since.

But Fernandez’s desire to leave became apparent last season when he repeatedly flirted with Real Madrid while refusing to commit his long-term future to Chelsea.

The 25-year-old, who won the World Cup in 2022 before being sent off in this summer’s final, was dreaming of a move to the Bernabeu but a deal failed to materialise. Man City have continued to show interest, however, with Pep Guardiola’s replacement Enzo Maresca keen to reunite with a player he managed at Chelsea.

City missed the deadline Chelsea set to buy Fernandez for £120m but talks have continued in the past week despite their £86m move for Ayyoub Bouaddi.

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Argentina captain Lionel Messi has announced his retirement from international football, bringing an end to one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the game.

The 39-year-old made the announcement on Monday in a lengthy statement posted on his Instagram account, saying he had reached the point where he could no longer continue representing the national team.

Messi said the decision was painful but insisted that he believed the time had come to step aside after two decades of service to Argentina.

“It was a decision that hurt and still hurts deep inside, but I understand that this is the right moment,” the football superstar stated.

The announcement came less than two months after Messi led Argentina to the final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Spain.

It was a disappointing end to a tournament for Messi, who had previously guided Argentina to World Cup glory in 2022 after defeating France on penalties in the final in Qatar.

Reflecting on his international career, Messi said he had always given his best for the national team and was proud of the achievements he recorded with his teammates.

“I always fought and gave everything for this shirt, to bring you happiness and make you feel proud to be Argentine through football,” he said, adding that a new generation of players deserved the opportunity to represent the country.

Messi also thanked his family, coaches, teammates and officials who contributed to his journey with Argentina, saying he would continue to support the national team from outside the pitch.

His decision comes shortly after the death of his father, Jorge Messi, in August. Before his latest announcement, the Argentina star had admitted that the loss had left him uncertain about how much longer he would continue playing football.

Messi’s retirement closes a hugely successful international chapter that included the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America, alongside numerous individual records.

Despite ending his international career, Messi remains contracted to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, with his deal reportedly running through the end of the 2028 season.

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Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe both struck as Real Madrid’s perfect start to La Liga under Jose Mourinho continued in a 4-0 cruise against Malaga on Sunday.

Los Blancos scored three times in just over 10 minutes in the first half to open up a comfortable lead over the Andalusian visitors to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Sandwiched between Bellingham and Mbappe’s strikes was an own goal by Malaga goalkeeper Alfonso Herrero, while Arda Guler tapped in a fourth late on.

“I’ve got the freedom to go higher or lower if we need, I’m enjoying myself a lot,” Bellingham told Real Madrid TV of his attacking midfield role under Mourinho.

The former Birmingham and Borussia Dortmund star was given a standing ovation from the fans when he was substituted in the second half.

“It’s an honour to play for this club and in front of these fans, and the ovation was very nice,” added Bellingham.

After two victories in their opening two games and with superstar trio Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius Junior starting the season well, Madrid’s confidence was high.

Mourinho rotated, making five changes to the team that started their opening matches, giving Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marc Cucurella, among others, their first starts this season.

Bellingham opened the scoring after 19 minutes with an excellent solo goal, beating two defenders before drilling through Herrero’s legs.

Bellingham forced the second goal seven minutes later, after Herrero denied Mbappe.

The England international headed the rebound towards goal and defender Carlos Puga desperately tried to clear off the line, with the ball bouncing in off Herrero.

Mbappe rattled home the third with a volley from Alexander-Arnold’s cross for his fourth goal of the campaign, leaving him top of Spain’s scoring charts.

Promoted side Malaga threatened just before half-time, with Rafa Rodriguez striking the post after a corner was played to him, and Chupe hitting the side netting.

– Clean sheet banked –

Madrid cruised through the second half, with Bellingham hitting the outside of the post as they occasionally threatened to extend their lead.

They only managed to get a fourth late on, when Vinicius teed up substitute Guler to finish from point-blank range.

“The second half was more about managing the game, at a lower tempo. Malaga were calmer on the ball, but every time we stepped up the pace, it always felt like we could score one or two more.

“One of our objectives was to keep a clean sheet.”

Madrid managed to do that for the first time this season, and Mourinho said it was important for Los Blancos.

“Football isn’t just about having fun with the beauty of the goals — it’s also about going home thinking that we’re a solid unit,” added the Portuguese veteran.

Deportivo La Coruna secured their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Valencia.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted his third goal of the campaign for the Galician side, who also benefitted from own goals by Cesar Tarrega and Mouctar Diakhaby.

Edin Terzic’s Athletic Bilbao also claimed their first win, 2-0 at Celta Vigo, with goals from Alex Berenguer and Robert Navarro.

On Monday, champions Barcelona host Rayo Vallecano in their third match of the campaign, having comfortably won their opening games.

AFP