Barcelona sign Ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach

The Liga club have also confirmed they will not renew Jose Manuel Pinto's contract, while Rafinha and Gerard Deulofeu have returned from their loan spells

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Germany international announced in January that he would not be renewing his deal with the Bundesliga club and has long been tipped to replace Victor Valdes, who is set to leave Camp Nou this summer.

Ter Stegen's prospective move to Spain was thrown into doubt when Barcelona were handed a two-window transfer ban in April for breaching rules over the signing of international players under the age of 18, but the suspension was subsequently put on hold.

Confirmation of Ter Stegen's arrival was announced on the same day as Luis Enrique's appointment as Barcelona's new coach.

The Liga club have also revealed that Jose Manuel Pinto, who served as first-choice keeper following a season-ending knee injury to Valdes in March, will not have his contract renewed, while Rafinha and Gerard Deulofeu have returned from respective loan spells with Celta Vigo and Everton.

Deulofeu made 29 appearances for Roberto Martinez's side, scoring four goals, while attacking midfielder Rafinha, the younger brother of former Barcelona playmaker Thiago Alcantara, impressed at Celta under Luis Enrique this season, making 32 La Liga appearances.

Agger frustrated at Liverpool: I'm no-one's third choice

The centre-half struggled for first-team chances this season after falling behind Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel in the pecking order, but insists he is not planning on leaving

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has voiced his frustration at failing to nail down a regular starting place under Brendan Rodgers this season.

While the club challenged for the Premier League title, the Denmark international was often overlooked for a starting spot in favour of Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel, stating Rodgers did not feel he was "good enough". 

Agger stopped short of confirming any plans to leave Anfield the summer but warned he would not be content to be a substitute next season. 

Asked about being benched for the crucial late fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester City, he toldEkstra Bladet: "It definitely wasn't great. But I don't make the decisions. I think it is because the manager doesn't think that I'm good enough. 

"[My future at Liverpool is] up to the manager. I can't go and put myself on the team sheet.

"I'm no-one's third choice."

Agger moved to Liverpool in 2006 from Brondby and has made 232 appearances during his time with the club - winning the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup.

Ronaldo: I will be fit for the final

The Portugal international is confident that he will overcome a hamstring problem in time for Saturday’s final

Cristiano Ronaldo has vowed to reach full fitness in time for Real Madrid’s Champions League final againstAtletico Madrid on Saturday.

The 29-year-old picked up an injury in the warm-up before Real’s La Liga match against Espanyol on Saturday, however he is confident he can overcome the hamstring niggle and help his side become champions of Europe.

"On Saturday I will be fit. I'm not yet 100% fit but I will be in the final,” Ronaldo told the club’s official website.

“We work throughout the year to get to finals and, as we are players competing in top competitions, it is normal that the body sometimes finds playing every week difficult." 

The 29-year-old is relishing the thought of representing Real in his first Champions League final and is confident that his side will overcome Atletico on Saturday.

“I signed for this club to win titles and I am very happy to play my first final of the Champions League with Real Madrid.

"We are full of optimism. We only have four days before the final, but we are calm, training well and concentrating hard. 

"The final is always a mystery though. No one knows what will happen. 

“We want to win but we are not getting over-obsessed with that because that is not good.

“Both teams want to win and will prepare every small detail but the key is to stay focused, calm, try to score, play, enjoy and not get obsessed.

"Atletico are excited [after winning La Liga] but each side is equal in the final. However, I am convinced that Real Madrid will win."

Lewandowski: I'm going to Bayern to win titles

The Polish striker is leaving Borussia Dortmund for the Allianz Arena this summer and is hoping his medal collection will grow in Bavaria

Borussia Dortmund forward Robert Lewandowski says his move to Bayern Munich is motivated by his desire to win trophies.

The Polish striker is quitting Signal Iduna Park after a successful four year spell with Jurgen Klopp's side which saw him win two Bundesliga titles and one DFB-Pokal.

However, the Bavarian club have won the league and cup for the last two seasons and Lewandowski is looking to expand his medal collection at the Allianz Arena.

"It is my goal to win and collect big titles," he told Bild. "At Bayern, for sure the opportunity is bigger."

Bayern beat BVB 2-0 in the Pokal final on Saturday and Lewandowski admitted that he was disappointed not to sign off with a title at Dortmund.

"After the game, it hurt a lot. I just wanted to leave Dortmund with a title. We won the Bundesliga twice, the cup once and reached the Champions League final. 

"It was a beautiful time, I won't forget it. But it was the right time to take the next step."

Despite his exit, the 25-year-old is backing Dortmund to be successful in the future.

"I expect a lot [of them]. When a good player leaves, Dortmund were always able to buy new players. They will manage it again. You can count on Dortmund - I'm sure."

Pique agrees new Barcelona deal

The defender's contract was due to expire in 2015 but the 27-year-old has handed the Blaugrana a post-season boost by committing his future to the club

Barcelona centre-back Gerard Pique has reached an agreement over a contract renewal which will tie him to the Catalan club until 2019.

The Blaugrana announced via their official website that the 27-year-old will put pen to paper on the new deal in the coming days.

The news comes a day after Lionel Messi signed an improved deal with the Catalan giants - who also hired former midfielder Luis Enrique as their new coach on Monday.

Pique's previous contract had been due to expire at the end of next season but is now under contract for the next five years.

The 27-year-old has spent the vast majority of his career at Camp Nou, having initially spent time in the club's youth setup.

He was signed by Manchester United as a teenager but failed to establish himself in the first team and spent a year on loan at Zaragoza.

However, he returned to Barca in 2008 and has been a key figure in the club's success in the six seasons since then.

The Spain international has played 266 games for the club, winning four La Liga titles, the Copa del Rey twice and two Champions League trophies.

However, Barca only managed to win the Supercopa de Espana this campaign as the club failed to live up to their own high standards under Gerardo Martino - who departed upon the campaign's conclusion.

They were beaten by Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final while they were eliminated from the Champions League by Atletico Madrid at the quarter-final stage.

Atleti also denied Barca back-to-back domestic titles by winning La Liga at Camp Nou on Saturday thanks to a 1-1 draw.

Van Gaal wants Evra to stay at Manchester United

The France defender is weighing up offers from Italian giants Juventus and Inter but his new manager at Old Trafford is hoping he will extend his stay to a 10th season

EXCLUSIVE
By Duncan Castles

Newly-appointed Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has asked Patrice Evra to extend his Old Trafford career into a 10th season, Goal understands.

The Netherlands coach rates the left-back highly and is keen to retain the Frenchman's leadership qualities with Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand heading for the exit.

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While Van Gaal has approved United's attempt to sign Luke Shaw from Southampton, his plan is to split left-back duties between the teenage England international and Evra, who started more Premier League fixtures than any other United outfield player last season.

Evra, 33, triggered a unilateral option to extend a contract worth over £6 million annually into a fourth season with his appearance record under the Dutchman's sacked predecessor, David Moyes.

According to a close friend of the player, Evra has yet to make a final decision on where he will play next season. However, his emotional ties to United are such he is leaning towards rejecting the opportunity to return to Serie A with Juventus and carry on in Premier League football.

Evra also remains a target of Juve's Serie A rivals Inter, who have already secured the services of the Frenchman's now former Manchester United team-mate Vidic.

The former Monaco defender joined United in 2006 and has enjoyed a highly-successful spell in England, winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League once.

Celebrating advertisements amid glitz and glamour

The night began with an engaging performance by singing legend Arif Lohar. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

KARACHI: 

The corporate world went glitzy and glamorous on Friday night as the Pakistan Advertisers Society (PAS) Awards 2014 celebrated talent in the field of advertising. Suited and booted, a multitude of veteran and fresh advertisers revelled in the eventful night, to which the entertainment industry added zest with stellar performances.

The host of the show, Khalid Malik, who is a renowned radio show host, attempted to warm up audience members by asking them to shake their arms and legs — an exercise usually done in leadership workshops.

With his booming voice and amicable aura, he quipped and jested in the style of a Bollywood awards show host. Funnily enough, he questioned the audience, which comprised CEOs of multinational companies, if they brushed their teeth at night since a survey suggests that half the adults don’t.

Studded with stars, the night began with an engaging performance by singing legend Arif Lohar. After a few awards were distributed, actor Humaima Malik took centre stage with her sensational performance on Bollywood numbers. Artistes such as Sajjad Ali, Mathira, Ali Gul Pir, Adil Omar, Asim Azhar and Sara Loren also performed at the event.

The award presenters included corporate and showbiz heavyweights including Aftab Tapal, Aijaz Aslam, Aly Mustansir, Amber Saigol, Angeline Malick, Atiqa Odho, Mehwish Hayat, Moammar Rana, Shagufta Ejaz, Tapu Javeri and Yusuf Salahuddin.

Among the winners of the night were JWT Pakistan, IAL Saatchi & Saatchi and Farigh Four. In the Corporate Social Responsibility category, BBDO Pakistan won for its ‘Works that work for all’ campaign. Group M won an award for its ‘Walls Carte D’or’ campaign in the Ice-creams and Desserts category. For its ‘Hum Dosti Ko Bhulatay Nahin’ campaign, JWT won in the category of Telecom Hardware Manufacturer. National Foods for the award for its ‘National Recipe Masala’ campaign in the Confectionary and Snacks category.

Acknowledging the creativity and hard work that goes into making advertising campaigns, the PAS Awards, now in its fourth year, identified the most effective advertisements that surfaced last year. In his speech, PAS chairperson Jameel Ikram shared that the event aims at promoting impactful and responsible commercial communication.

With 200 entries and 34 categories, the number of entrants has gone up from 55 in 2011 to 200 this year. One of the jury members, Javed Jabbar, highlighted that advertising is an inherent, corrigible optimism that signals the best and brightest of Pakistan and that through advertisements we need to promote values that we hold close to ourselves.