Eden Hazard signs new five-and-a-half-year deal worth £200,000-per-week with Chelsea

• Eden Hazard has signed a new five-year contract at Stamford Bridge
• The Belgian winger's new deal is set to be worth up to £200,000 per week
• The deal is worth a huge £57million over the course of five and a half years 

Eden Hazard has become the first big-money beneficiary of the lucrative Premier League TV rights deal after penning a new contract worth a whopping £57million.

Chelsea have confirmed the Belgium international has penned a new five-and-a-half year contract worth £200,000-per-week.

The news comes in a week that the Premier League confirmed a £5billion deal with Sky Sports and BT Sport to show live matches over three seasons from the start of the 2016-17 campaign. 

Eden Hazard, with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia, has signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea

Hazard signs a new contract in the presence of club secretary David Barnard and Granovskaia

The 24-year-old poses inside Stamford Bridge after signing his new deal with the club

The Belgian playmaker has scored 13 goals in all competitions for Chelsea this season

WHO IS MARINA GRANOVSKAIA?

After sealing deals for the likes of Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas and even Jose Mourinho himself in the past, director Marina Granovskaia has quickly become the most influential figure at the club.

A Canadian and Russian national, Granovskaia is the voice of owner Roman Abramovich on the ground. She is trusted implicitly by Abramovich, having advised him and his companies for 17 years since graduating from Moscow State University.

She was central to Mourinho’s return from Real Madrid and to big-money transfers such as Costa’s £32million move from Atletico Madrid.

Her style is perhaps best described as polite but firm, although there are stories that it went a little further than that during John Terry’s contract talks.

The staggering TV rights package will see increased revenue for Premier League clubs and is likely to result in increased transfer fees and wages.

And Hazard's deal - which puts him amongst the highest paid at Stamford Bridge - merely underlines the growing financial power of clubs in England's top-flight.

The Belgian's new deal has been an open secret for some time, with manager Jose Mourinho insisting on several occasions that the talented forward would extend his contract.

'The manager has helped me improve a lot, the fans have been fantastic and I have an amazing understanding with my team-mates,' Hazard said. 

Hazard celebrates scoring Chelsea's first goal during a 2-1 win against Aston Villa last weekend 

'I always try to give pleasure to the supporters with my style of play and it is nice to know they appreciate my work.

'I hope we can repay that support by winning lots of trophies, beginning with the Capital One Cup at Wembley, and after that, we can push hard towards the end of the season.'

Mourinho added: 'I am very happy that Eden has signed a new contract.

'It shows he believes in the club's coaching staff and players to help him become the best player in the world.

'He is already a top player and his evolution has been fantastic. He is still very young and he can become the best.'

Hazard's new deal looks set to be worth worth a huge £57million over the course of five and a half years

Jose Mourinho had revealed that he wasn't concerned by the length of time Hazard's deal seemed to take

Hazard (left) was named PFA Young Player of the Year at the end of last season

Lukisan termahal di dunia RM1.06 bilion

LUKISAN Paul Gauguin yang dijual pada harga RM1.06 bilion dalam satu acara lelongan, sekali gus menjadikannya paling mahal di dunia. - AGENSI

BASEL, Switzerland – Lukisan yang dihasilkan Paul Gauguin pada abad ke-19 berjaya memecahkan rekod karya seni paling mahal apabila dijual pada harga mencecah £197 juta (RM1.06 bilion) pada satu lelongan di sini baru-baru ini.

Lukisan yang diberi nama Nafea faa ipoipo itu memaparkan dua wanita Tahiti selepas Paul menghabiskan masa di pulau tropika itu pada penghujung abad ke-19.

Bekas pemiliknya, Rudolf Staechelin yang merupakan seorang pengumpul hasil seni dan berasal dari sini mengesahkan penjualan tersebut. Dia menyatakan, lukisan itu dijual berikutan harga yang ditawarkan cukup lumayan.

“Persoalannya, mengapa sekarang? Ia adalah kerana harga yang ditawarkan kepada kami cukup lumayan,” katanya kepada New York Times.
Rudolf bagaimanapun enggan mendedahkan identiti pembeli tersebut, namun ada dakwaan yang mengatakan lukisan itu dibeli oleh kerajaan Qatar.

Jika laporan mengenai jualan tersebut disahkan, ia sekali gus akan memadam rekod sebelum ini yang dipegang artis seni Paul Cezanne selepas lukisannyayang bertajuk The Card Players dilelong pada harga £170 juta (RM918 juta).

Gauguin dan Cezanne merupakan sebahagian daripada pelukis kelahiran Perancis yang melonjak reputasi selepas kematian mereka.– Agensi

Cristiano Ronaldo has a £1BILLION release clause

• Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes says his client would cost £1bn
• Mendes: 'He’s the world's most expensive player because he’s the best'
• 
  

Cristiano Ronaldo would cost £1billion to lure away from Real Madrid, according to his super agent Jorge Mendes, who believes he will see out his career with the Galacticos.

The Real Madrid star is not only better than Lionel Messi, he is the best sportsman in history claimed Mendes, who has brokered some of the biggest transfers in European football.

‘He’s the most expensive player in the world because he’s the best footballer, the best sportsman ever in the world,’ Mendes told the BBC’s Dan Roan. ‘It’s impossible to say his worth. Cristano Ronaldo? One billion. His buyout clause one billion, so it is one billion. 

Cristiano Ronaldo will never leave Real Madrid for another club, insists the forward's agent Jorge Mendes

Mendes rates Ronaldo as worth £1billion and believes he will never return to Manchester United

‘If for any reason they decided to sell him tomorrow for £300m, someone would pay. He loves the Manchester United supporters because he was there six years he but he will finish his career at Real Madrid, for sure.’

Portuguese Mendes has risen from a DJ bar owner in Porto, where he became friends with many footballers, to one of the most powerful men in the game who has reportedly taken charge of transfers worth more than £1bn in total. 

He negotiated Angel di Maria’s £59.7m move to Manchester United and Diego Costa’s £32m purchase by Chelsea last summer. He also represents Jose Mourinho, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Radamel Falcao, James Rodriguez and David de Gea. 

Mendes pictured with his most famous client Ronaldo earlier in the Real Madrid forward's career

Ronaldo's super agent Mendes has other players such as Radamel Falcao (right) on his books

But Ronaldo, who moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for £80m in 2009 is his most important client. 

That was a record-breaking transfer fee at the time but Mendes claimed it would not be long before a club paid £200m for a player.

‘Clubs like Manchester United or Real Madrid, if a player is worth £200m, of course they can do it,’ said Mendes, who also said players are worth even more than clubs are currently paying. 

‘The most important part of the game is the players,’ he said. They deserve the maximum amount possible. Of course there is a limit but you can pay until this limit. I think the limit may be in three years or maybe after that.’

Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid for £80million in 2009

Ronaldo is congratulated by FIFA president Sepp Blatter after winning this year's Ballon d'Or

Mendes claims Ronaldo is the best sportsman in history that it would cost £1bn to lure him away from Madrid

The incredible supercars of Qatar

They are the extravagant playthings of multi-millionaires usually seen roaring along streets in oil-rich Arab nations or locked away in the garages of the mega wealthy.

New pictures have emerged of a stunning fleet of supercars in Qatar, including a one-of-a-kind Bugatti Veyron with an eye-watering price tag of £1.76million.

Some of the other pricey and powerful vehicles include a Lamborghini Aventador, a Ferrari 458 Italia and a McLaren P1, which have a collective price tag of over £1million.

The images are indicative of how the luxury car culture fuels the lifestyle of young rich men in Qatar, a country known for its oil wealth.

Last summer, similarly glamorous vehicles were reported on the streets of Knightsbridge in London as Qataris, Saudis and Kuwaitis migrated - complete with their cars - to Britain to escape the Middle East's baking mid-summer months. 

Luxurious: Three expensive Lamborghini Aventadors are lined up with their doors open alongside a Maserati Quattroporte in a car park in Qatar

Glamorous: One of the world's most expensive and powerful cars, the Bugatti Veyron. The Vitesse Lang Lang edition sets back owners an eye-watering £1.76million

High octane: A red, white and blue trio of Ferraris are positioned side-by-side in an otherwise empty parking area in oil-rich Qatar

Need for speed: Some of the other pricey and powerful vehicles in the video include this stunning black and white McLaren P1

Supercars are a common sight in Arab nations, including in Qatar. Pictured is a luxurious red Lexus LFA on display in a car showroom

Luxury lifestyle: Qatari men look far and wide to secure their dream vehicles. Pictured is a white Ferrari 458 Italia Speciale

Living the high life: Two BMW M5 cars gleam in the Qatari sun last year against a backdrop of palm trees

Ready to fly: A yellow McLaren P1 sits with its doors open as a passer-by admires some of the glamorous vehicles parked up nearby

Glamorous: An orange Lamborghini Aventador is pictured alongside more ordinary vehicles parked on one of Qatar's streets at night

Supercars are a regular sight on the roads in Qatar. In this picture a racing spec Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, painted in classic red, is taken for a desert drive

Eye-catching: Crowds assemble in a parking area in Qatar to admire a range of classic cars including this distinctive orange Ford GT

Sparkling: Polished and ready to go, a racing spec Nissan GTR - complete with over-sized wheel arches - goes on display at another event

Under starter's orders: A fleet of expensive Ferraris, including a 458 Italia Speciale, are lined up before being driven around a circuit in Qatar

Keeping cool: A proud driver smiles and holds his arm out of the window of his Aston Martin as the powerful vehicle roars down a road 

License to thrill: Young wealthy men are prepared to part with huge sums for the right car. Pictured is a classic-looking Aston Martin One-77 

Glamorous: A fluorescent green Lamborghini Huracan sits alongside a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta as drivers gather in the car park

One for the desert? A six wheel drive Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG SUV 6x6 makes an appearance in Qatar as a guard signals to the driver

This Porsche GT spyder is an example of one of the slightly more affordable supercars among those pictured on the streets in Qatar in 2014

Real Madrid Pertahan kedudukan Kelab Terkaya

Manchester United are the second richest club in the world

• Manchester United finished seventh in the Premier League last season
• It meant they missed out on Champions League football in 2014-15
• But it wasn't all bad for United last season, their revenue was £433.3m
• Only Real Madrid had higher revenue in world football last season 
• Manchester City had the second highest revenues for an English team 

They may have suffered their worst season in Premier League history but Manchester United have rocketed into second place in a list of the world's wealthiest football clubs.

Despite a campaign of turmoil, which saw David Moyes sacked as they struggled to adapt to life without Sir Alex Ferguson and finished seventh, United are behind only Real Madrid in the Deloitte's Football Money League.

The Old Trafford outfit leapfrogged European superpowers Bayern Munich and Barcelona after their revenues rose from to £433.2m from £363.2m.

Manchester United have moved up to second on the list despite not even being in the Champions League

Manchester United brought in more revenue for 2013-14 than any other club in the UK

Champions League winners Real Madrid are the wealthiest club in the world 

Across town, Premier League champions Manchester City remain the second-richest English club, in sixth place globally behind Paris Saint Germain.

League leaders Chelsea remain in seventh, ahead of Arsenal in eighth. Liverpool, no doubt buouyed by last season's ultimately unsuccessful title tilt, rise from 12th place to ninth overtaking Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.

United's rise is down to its rapid commercial growth, and with more deals announced this year they are expected to go from strength to strength despite the debt that remains from the 2005 Glazer takeover.

In the 18th edition of the report, which uses figures sourced directly from each club and is put together by Manchester-based Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, City recorded the largest increase of any outfit in the top five - news Etihad bosses may see as a vindication of their methods.

United broke the British transfer record to sign Angel di Maria from Real Madrid during the summer

They also spent £37m bringing Juan Mata to Manchester from Chelsea in January last year

Things weren't going well for David Moyes and United on the pitch but the opposite was true off it

The Premier League champions saw revenues rise from £271m to £346.5m a 28% increase.

Thanks largely to the new broadcasting deals struck by the Premier League Newcastle United (19) and Everton (20) break into the top 20 for the first time.

Spurs go up a place from 14th to 13th. In total English clubs make up five of the top 10 and eight of the top 20 – more than any other country.

Dan Jones, partner at Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “It was a very successful year for the North West clubs. No other region in the world has as many clubs in the top 20 and these clubs play a major role in the North West economy.

'Last year Premier League clubs benefitted from much larger broadcast revenues thanks to the latest round of deals. The Premier League is currently undertaking its next round of sales of broadcast rights and with the market expectation that another significant increase will occur, it is likely that the Money League will have a strongly English appearance in the coming years.'

TOP 30 WEALTHIEST FOOTBALL CLUBS BY REVENUE (FOR 2013-14)

1. Real Madrid - £459.5m
2. Manchester United - £433.2m
3. Bayern Munich - £407.7m
4. Barcelona - £405.2m
5. Paris Saint-Germain - £396.5m
6. Manchester City - £346.5m
7. Chelsea - £324.4m
8. Arsenal - £300.5m
9. Liverpool - £255.8m
10. Juventus - £233.6m
11. Borussia Dortmund - £218.7m
12. AC Milan - £208.8m
13. Tottenham - £180.5m
14. Schalke 04 - £178.9m
15. Atletico Madrid - £142.1m
16. Napoli £137.8m
17. Inter Milan - £137.1m
18. Galatasaray - £135.4m
19. Newcastle United - £129.7m
20. Everton £120.5m
21. West Ham United - £105.3m
22. Aston Villa - £101.9m
23. Marseille - £100m
24. Roma - £97.7m
25. Southampton - £97.3
26. Benfica - £96.6
27. Sunderland - £95.7m
28. Hamburg - £92.2m
29. Swansea City - £90.5m
30. Stoke City - £90.1m

Half of the top 40 wealthiest football clubs are from the Premier League, according to a new survey

There are five English teams (Manchester City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool) in the top 10

Manchester United can afford mammoth transfer spree as £750m adidas kit deal

• Louis van Gaal is set to spend following Manchester United's £750m deal
• Nobody is off limits this summer - and that includes Lionel Messi
• Van Gaal spent £57.9m on Angel di Maria to break the UK transfer record
• United is seen as the only possible outcome should Messi leave Barcelona
• 
  Manchester United's £750million kit deal with adidas means nobody is off limits this summer - and that includes Lionel Messi.

Louis van Gaal is expected to go on another spending spree after splashing out £156m when he arrived at Old Trafford.

And with cash from the world-record deal with the German sportswear giants set to drop into the club accounts after the end of this season, money is no object.

Manchester United's new kit deal with adidas means nobody is off limits this summer - including Lionel Messi

Manchester United will end their 13-year deal with Nike at the end of the current campaign  

Louis van Gaal is expected to go on another spending spree in the summer

TEAMMAKERPER YEARYEARSTOTAL
Manchester United adidas £75m 10 years £750m
Real Madrid adidas £31m 8 years £248m
Chelsea adidas £30m 10 years £300m
Arsenal Puma £30m 5 years £150m
Barcelona Nike £27m 10 years £270m
Liverpool Warrior £25m 6 years £150m
Manchester City Nike £12m 6 years £72m

Messi, 27, hinted that he may leave Barcelona when he was named runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo at the Ballon d'Or in Zurich, stating: 'I don’t know where I’ll be next year.'

Reports in Spain had claimed adidas, who sponsor the man who has won the award four times himself, would help fund a £200m move.

That is unlikely. Decisions over recruitment are solely the domain of the club and Messi has played for the Nike-sponsored Catalan giants throughout his career without conflict.

Messi has been linked with a move away from Barcelona after unrest at board level

An picture is doing the rounds on Twitter which is supposed to be a leaked image of the new United shirt

However, the source said that United's agreement with adidas may well make them an attractive proposition for the Argentina star.

'It certainly would not hinder it,' they added.

Old Trafford is seen as the only possible destination should Messi end an emotional 14-year stay at the Nou Camp.

United are arguably the only club that can match Real Madrid's financial muscle and a switch to Barcelona's deadly rivals is unthinkable.

Van Gaal spent a record £57.9million on former Real Madrid winger Angel di Maria (left)

Both Manchester City and Chelsea are restricted by UEFA's Financial Fair Play restrictions while there are no such issues for United chief executive Ed Woodward.

However, it is understood that senior officials at the Etihad Stadium believe that nobody would be able to prise Messi away from Barcelona until the latter stages of his career.

The player is at home in Catalonia and is thought to be reluctant to leave such a settled environment behind.

Old Trafford is seen as the only possible destination should Messi end his Barcelona career

The Old Trafford club failed in a huge bid for Gareth Bale in 2013 before he moved to Real Madrid

United, who spent £57.9m on Angel di Maria to break the UK record in the summer, failed in a huge bid for Gareth Bale in 2013 when the Spurs winger opted to go to boyhood idols Real Madrid for a world-record £85m.

Despite not qualifying for the Champions League, United made £8.9m in the first quarter of the financial year and continue to sign new commercial deals across the globe.

On Tuesday, they announced an agreement with KamaGames - who joined a long list of partners by becoming United's social games partner - and when money from adidas lands they are expected to hit a new level of financial power.

SPORT'S MAJOR DEALS

Real Madrid - Real’s agreement with adidas, which runs until 2020, was widely reported to be the most lucrative in world football before United announced their deal with the same firm.

Barcelona - Barcelona announced in 2007 that their deal with Nike, initially signed in 2006, was being extended until the end of the 2017-18 season. The original contract was worth a minimum of £24million a year.

Arsenal - This is the first season of Arsenal’s deal with Puma, which was announced in January as the biggest contract in both parties’ history.

Chelsea - Chelsea and adidas signed a 10-year deal last June worth almost £300million.

Man City - City switched from local firm Umbro to Nike last season in a six-year deal announced in May 2012.

Liverpool - In January 2012, Liverpool announced a six-year agreement with American firm Warrior. The deal is reportedly worth £25million a year to the Reds. Warrior general manager Richard Wright said at the time: 'We are here to shake up the world of football.'

Bayern Munich - Bayern Munich and adidas extended their collaboration beyond the 50-year mark with a new deal in 2011 that runs until 2020. Adidas also owns a stake in the club.

England - The Football Association ended a 60-year association with Umbro by switching to Nike. A five-year deal to run from 2013 to 2018 was announced in September 2012. The figure was not made public but the FA described it as 'a substantial investment'.'

NFL - Nike replaced Reebok as the official supplier of kit to the National Football League in 2012 in a five-year deal that is the most lucrative in US sport.