Sergio Ramos stuns Real Madrid by telling club he wants to join Manchester United... as agent tells Spanish giants it's too late for him to stay at the Bernabeu

• Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos pushes for Manchester United move
• United had opening bid of £28.3m for 29-year-old defender rejected
• Ramos hoping Madrid will reopen negotiations with Red Devils 

Sergio Ramos has told Real Madrid that he wants to join Manchester United this summer.

United made an opening bid of £28.3million for the Spain international last week which was rejected by Madrid. However, after being informed of the offer, Ramos has made it clear to Madrid that he wants them to negotiate with United and reach a suitable agreement for his transfer to Old Trafford.

The development has shocked Madrid who expected the Ramos affair to end with a revised contract offer but they now realise they have underestimated his frustration.

 Sergio Ramos has told Real Madrid that he wants them to negotiate with Manchester United

 United's opening offer of £28.3million for the 29-year-old was firmly rejected by Madrid

Ramos has a buy-out clause of £142million but believes United's offer represents good value for a player of his age and considering he has two years left on contract.

Madrid will attempt to appease Ramos over his contract but his brother and agent Rene is understood to have intimated to the club hierarchy that the opportunity for that has passed. 

Ramos wants the move to Old Trafford this summer and says United are the only club he wishes Madrid to negotiate with.

Madrid's next likely step is to demand United goalkeeper David de Gea as part of negotiations.

Ramos's stance though has given them a foothold of control in negotiations and one they hope to play out to their advantage.

Madrid's next likely step is to demand United goalkeeper David de Gea as part of negotiations

The signing of such a Real Madrid talisman will be a major coup for United's executive vice chairman Ed Woodward as he looks to strengthen Louis Van Gaal's squad for their return to the Champions League next season.

They remain confident of signing Morgan Schneiderlin too from Southampton although a fee has yet to be agreed for the 24-year-old France international.

Woodward wants to assemble a squad that can compete with the likes of Madrid and still wants to add a striker, a right back and another goalkeeper should De Gea eventually go.

Also, defender Phil Jones signed his new contract extension which will keep him at the club until 2019.

Manchester United remain confident of signing Morgan Schneiderlin too from Southampton

Rihanna shuts Floyd Mayweather up with duct tape as pair attend Black Entertainment Television Awards 2015 in Los Angeles

Shutting Floyd Mayweather up is not easy. But pop star Rihanna did her best to keep the Money Man quiet as the pair sat next to one another at the BET Awards on Sunday night.

R&B star Rihanna had to resort to drastic measures to stop the pound-for-pound king running his mouth off during the ceremony as she stuck a piece of duct tape across his face.

The awards, held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, California, were established by the Black Entertainment Television Network and celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment.

Floyd Mayweather and Rihanna attended the BET Awards in Los Angeles, California on Sunday night

R&B artist Rihanna was wearing a roll of duck tape around her wrist as a bracelet during the ceremony

The singer had clearly heard enough from Mayweather as she stuck a strip of duct tape over his mouth

Rihanna, 25, from Barbados, gets ready to shut undefeated boxer Mayweather up at the Microsoft Theatre

Mayweather was nominated for Sportsman of the Year while Rihanna was up for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Rihanna sticks Mayweather's mouth shut with the duct tape to the amusement of the people sat next to them

Pound-for-pound king Mayweather does not look impressed as he stares at Rihanna

Undefeated American Mayweather, who took his professional boxing record to 48-0 when he beat Manny Pacquiao in their Fight of the Century bout on May 2 in Las Vegas, was nominated for Sportsman of the Year.

But he was beaten to the prize by Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, who was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player last season.

Rihanna, who was wearing the roll of silver duct tape as a bracelet, was up for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist but was pipped to the the award by Beyonce.

Serena Williams, who begins her assault on Wimbledon on Monday at SW19, was named Sportswoman of the Year but, for obvious reasons, was not in attendance on Sunday.

The 33-year-old is bidding to keep her season of Grand Slams on track after winning both the Australian and French Opens earlier this year.

Mayweather was beaten to the award of Sportsman of the Year by Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry

Radamel Falcao was a dud at Manchester United, and invisible at Copa America with Colombia... so what does Jose Mourinho see in the striker that no-one else can?

• Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is interested in signing Radamel Falcao
• The former world great became a flop at Manchester United last season
• Falcao cost United a £6m fee for the season and was on £280,000 per week
• The striker would likely be third choice behind Diego Costa and Loic Remy
• Falcao was invisible at Copa America in his four Colombia appearances
• He scored no goals and made no assists, having just one shot on target
• The Colombian has never been the same since suffering ACL damage

Radamel Falcao was deemed not worthy of Manchester United, sent back to Monaco with four Barclays Premier League goals and his £43million invoice untouched.

At 29, is he worth that? Not a chance, thought Louis van Gaal, who had already wasted £6m and £280,000 per week on a gamble that did not work out.

No longer mesmerising. No longer deadly. Any suggestion that it was down to the tactics used in Manchester was rejected at Copa America, where the Colombia striker was hauled off against Peru and Brazil, before being dropped for Argentina. Falcao circa 2012 has sadly disappeared.

Radamel Falcao remains a target of Chelsea as they look to make the Colombian their third-choice forward

Colombia forward Falcao is substituted for Jackson Martinez during the Copa America tournament in Chile

Falcao was deemed not worthy of Manchester United and sent back to Monaco after his season-long loan

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho must see something others don't in Colombia dud Falcao

FALCAO AT THE COPA AMERICA

4 appearances (3 starts)

252 minutes

0 goals

0 assists

6 shots (16.67% accuracy)

1 chance created 

Yet Chelsea remain interested. Why? What does Jose Mourinho see that no-one else can?

Sign for Chelsea, bang in 20-odd goals, then we may be eating our words, yet nothing could seem more unlikely after his last season in England and the recent tournament in Chile.

The forward made four appearances at Copa America, playing 252 minutes. 

The outcome was zero goals, no assists, six shots in total with one on target (16.67 per cent accuracy), and a single chance created. It was amateur hour from one of the world's former great goalscorers.

Signing Falcao could only go one of two ways for Chelsea and, in particular, Mourinho. 

Either a) it turns out to be a masterstroke, or b) a disaster. Chelsea supporters have every faith in their manager – and rightly so – yet this could backfire. Hope for the best but expect the worst.

In 2012, any club in world football would have taken Falcao. He had 41 goals in 51 appearances for Porto in Portuguese Liga, and was in the process of hitting 52 in 68 for Atletico Madrid in La Liga.

A lot has changed in three years to make Chelsea the only club in European football willing to give him an opportunity as back-up for Diego Costa and, should he stay, Loic Remy.

Even if Monaco cut Falcao's price to £4m and he lowers himself to £170,000-per-week wages, after all, it would be disproportionate to what he has shown in Manchester and Chile previously.

Falcao came on as a substitute late in the game before Argentina beat Colombia on penalties in Chile

FALCAO IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE 

26 appearances (14 starts)

1,286 minutes 

4 goals 

4 assists

29 shots (55.17% accuracy)

18 chances created 

Roman Abramovich could afford it, but it seems an unnecessary, particularly when other strikers are available, such as Charlie Austin, Christian Benteke and Gonzalo Higuain, among others.

Chelsea do not want to get stuck with another Fernando Torres or Juan Sebastian Veron, even if it is only for a year, and signing Falcao feels like tempting fate.

It would be a nice story for Mourinho, and Falcao too. Take a worn-out striker, recycle him, do what your rival manager in Manchester couldn't, and save the reputation of a former predator.

Yet Falcao has never been the same since suffering ACL damage – a knee injury which seemingly cost him the yard of pace used to destroy Chelsea at the 2012 UEFA Super Cup final, and others.

He was photographed wearing a post-match ice pack on his left knee in an Instagram post last season, leading to accusations he was not fit for 90 minutes.

Manchester United opted against keeping Falcao after the forward managed just four goals and assists

Falcao's well-documented knee injury seems to have cost him a yard of pace that has made a difference

THREE PROS

Point to prove – Falcao's reputation has been damaged, and he needs to put it right

Partnership – Falcao knows Diego Costa well from his time at Atletico Madrid

Temporary – a season-long loan deal, no matter how disastrous, sees minimal risk

THREE CONS

Injury – Falcao's ACL damage cost him and he seems to have lost pace and fitness

Expensive – even a pay cut to £170,000 per week would be costly for Chelsea

Lost confidence – a once-great striker who became a joke in England in front of goal

A role as Chelsea's third-choice forward behind Costa and Remy would rarely call for him to complete an entire match, yet it remains risky business.

Trouble is, even a striker without full fitness should be scoring 10 a season, if not more. That killer instinct – where to position himself and when – was painfully absent at Old Trafford.

Falcao became football's joke, someone who went viral for the wrong reasons rather than the right. It didn't work out in Manchester, and he is poised for a second chance in west London.

He has a point to prove, but can Mourinho reinvigorate this once-great striker? You'd like to think if anyone can, it would be Chelsea's manager. Then he really would be The Special One.

Mourinho has his work cut out for him if he signs forward Falcao on a season-long loan from Monaco

Paraguay squad train ahead of facing 'best team in the world' Argentina in Copa America semi-final

• Paraguay knocked Brazil out with 4-3 penalty shootout win on Saturday
• Ramon Diaz's side face Argentina in the Copa America semi-final
• Diaz says Argentina are the 'best national team in the world'

Paraguay may have knocked South American giants Brazil out of the Copa America, but Ramon Diaz claims his side now face the 'the best national team in the world' in Argentina in the semi-finals.

La Albirroja made it through to the last four after shocking Brazil with a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win following a 1-1 draw in Concepcion.

Diaz's men are still unbeaten in this year's tournament in Chile, and he has now urged them to 'show the fans what they are capable of doing' against Argentina.

Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios shows off his skills with a rabona in training in Concepcion on Sunday

'Argentina are the best national team in the world,' he told reporters. 'We know them well and there won't be much time to enjoy this special moment.

'But the players, the directors, everyone here is very happy. This is very important for us - a great step to carry on believing in this project.

'We have played Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil and none of them have been able to beat us so you have to have a lot of respect for this team.

'The players have shown the fans just what they are capable of doing.' Derlis Gonzalez netted in regular time and also scored the winning penalty, and he was also brimming with belief after the Brazil victory.

Gonzalez and his team-mates trained in Concepcion on Sunday afternoon.

'Nobody believed in us but we showed that we are more united than ever, and we want more,' the midfielder added.

Paraguay trained in Chile ahead of their Copa America semi-final against Argentina on Sunday

Nathaniel Clyne spotted leaving a hospital in Liverpool after completing his medical ahead of £12.5m move from Southampton

• Nathaniel Clyne will become Liverpool's sixth signing of the summer
• Southampton defender indicated he would be keen to move to Anfield
• Reds have agreed a deal which could rise to £12.5m for the England man
• Brendan Rodgers moved for Clyne after allowing Glen Johnson to leave

Nathaniel Clyne was pictured leaving a Liverpool hospital after undergoing a medical on Monday ahead of sealing a move from Southampton.

The right back is set to secure a £12.5million transfer – £10.5m up front with a further £2m based on add-ons – to become Brendan Rodgers’s sixth signing already since the season ended.

Liverpool have been searching for a right-back after allowing Glen Johnson to leave at the end of his contract and Jon Flanagan out long-term with a knee injury.

The England international then made his way to a chauffeured car and left the hospital car park 

Clyne will have a medical with Liverpool on Monday as he closes in on a £12.5million move

Provided the medical is passed, as expected, Clyne will follow Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Adam Bogdan, Danny Ings and Joe Gomez to Merseyside.

It will take Rodgers’s spending over the £40million-mark, with Firmino joining for £29m, Joe Gomez costing £3.5m and the fee for Ings expected to be around £5m when it is decided by a tribunal how much they must pay Burnley. Milner and Bogdan joined on free transfers.

Liverpool have moved quickly in the transfer market to secure their top targets after a disappointing last campaign where they finished sixth.

They had an initial £10m bid for Clyne rejected and Southampton wanted £15m but, with only one year remaining on Clyne’s contract, the two clubs have agreed on a fee.

The right back has five England caps and made his international debut last November against Slovenia

Clyne celebrates after scoring a rare goal against Aston Villa at Villa Park last season

Clyne tussles with Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur during an FA Cup clash in January

Serena Williams defeats Margarita Gasparyan at Wimbledon 2015 in first round

No meltdown but no sense of invincibility either. A year on from one of the most peculiar episodes in Serena Williams’s career, she returned to Court One and exorcised a bad memory but not without a wobble.

This was expected to be a routine demolition of a 20-year-old in Margarita Gasparyan, who had never won a Grand Slam match and is yet to beat a player ranked higher than 96.

Instead it was more of a slog than it needed to be, a match which required her to fight back from a break down to win the first set 6-4 before strolling through the second 6-1.

Serena Williams celebrates during Monday's 6-4, 6-1 first round victory against Russian Margarita Gasparyan

Williams' victory was more of a slog than it needed to be, fighting back from a break down to claim victory

The bare numbers suggest a procession; the reality is that Williams was way off her usual pace, certainly until she sniffed danger and then battered the Russian. Perhaps that is to be expected – her preparations since winning the French Open last month have been spent practising on a grass court in Jack Nicklaus’s back garden. 

And what is the worry of a rusty start when it ends in a win that could yet lead to a third Grand Slam out of three in 2015 for this remarkable 33-year-old? At the very least, this win addressed the demon of this venue. 

This, of course, was the arena where, a shade more than a year ago, she could barely bounce a ball in a doubles match that last three games before being scrapped. It was chalked up to a virus, but the effects of a relationship heartbreak have also been suggested.

For half an hour of this first-round tie on Monday, Williams appeared to be struggling, if not nearly so dramatically. She went 0-40 down in her first service game and was ultimately broken. Facing serve at 2-3, she was then handed a court violation for an audible obscenity. 

Factor in a fall on the baseline and some quite stunning winners from Gasparyan and it was clear that the world No 1 was riled. But in that same game where she was warned for her language, she broke.

Williams seemed to struggle during the first 30 minutes of the first round tie and appeared rile

World No 1 Williams is congratulated by Gasparyan after securing her spot in the second round

Gasparyan returns the ball but rarely troubled Williams as the game progressed on Court One

And barring a point at 4-4 and 0-15 in Gasparyan’s favour, when Gasparyan netted an easy backhand, Williams was rarely troubled. She had sensed danger and then motored away from a talented but raw player.

In any case, the threat was real enough for Williams to start screeching after big points as early as the third game. For her part, Gasparyan was greeted with a cry of ‘Hey, Margarita’ after winning the opener. That, for her, was as good as it got.

For Williams, the possibilities are endless. She will need to sharpen up in all departments, as one would expect she will. At Roland Garros she had a habit of conceding sets before emerging from peril with a win. This never got as bad as that for a player chasing her 21st Grand Slam in her 34th year. Victory would make her the oldest woman winner of a Slam in the Open era. 

Williams' victory was expected to be a routine demolition of a 20-year-old in Gasparyan 

The 33-year-old greets fans and signs autographs following her first round victory at Wimbledon 2015

Novak Djokovic too strong for Philipp Kohlschreiber as he kicks off Wimbledon 2015 campaign with straight-sets victory

Novak Djokovic was far from his fluent best but the defending champion did enough to beat Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in straights sets and move safely into the second round at Wimbledon.

Djokovic was playing his first competitive match since his shock French Open final defeat to Stan Wawrinka just over three weeks ago and there were certainly signs of rust from the world No 1.

Kohlschreiber, however, was too generous at the crucial moments on Centre Court and Djokovic was able to seal a 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory. 

Novak Djokovic holds his arms aloft after claiming a straight-sets win against Philipp Kohlschreiber

The world No 1 pumps his fist in celebration after beating the German 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round

Djokovic returns a stinging forehand on his way to a first round win against Philipp Kohlschreiber

The world No 1 won in straight sets against the German ranked 33 in the world on Centre Court on Monday

The Australian Open champion stretches to reach a forehand on his way to victory against Kohlschreiber

There will certainly be tougher tests to come if he is to claim a third Wimbledon title, but Djokovic will be relieved to overcome a potentially tricky opponent in Kohlschreiber, who took Roger Federer to a final set tie-break before losing in Halle earlier this month.

The world No 33 caused Djokovic problems with his devilish slice backhand and he had three break points in the seventh game of the first set but was unable to capitalise, with the first drifting away after a close review.

Djokovic was more clinical, as two Kohlschreiber double faults allowed him to break in the 10th game and sneak the first set.

There were plenty of loose shots from the Australian Open champion, with a number of backhands flying long and simple forehands finding the net, but again Djokovic raised his level just when he needed to.

Philipp Kohlschreiber put up a stubborn resistance but the world No 1 was ultimately too strong

Djokovic's coach Boris Becker watches on with a stern face as the World No 1 wins in straight sets

Leading 5-4, he produced an exquisite lob and a superb backhand pass before breaking Kohlschreiber again to take a two-set advantage.

The third set followed a similar pattern as Kohlschreiber's serve continued to let him down under pressure and Djokovic broke to secure a comfortable win in just over two hours.

There was a short break in play during the first set as Djokovic was confronted by a small bird on the court

The Serb, with a smile on his face, ushers the bird away using his racket before resuming play on 

One Directioner Niall Horan fixes his hair as he watches Djokovic on Centre Court