Manchester United and Arsenal have been dealt a blow by Real Madrid assistant manage Paul Clement today, after he revealed in an interview with talkSPORT that no players would be leaving the club. . United and Arsenal have been linked with Fabio Coentrao and Alvaro Morata respectively, but Clement has moved to confirm rumours that Carlo Ancelotti is unwilling to do business this month. . When asked whether or not the Madrid duo would be allowed to depart the Bernabeu in any capacity this transfer window, Clement responded by suggesting that due to Los Blancos’ thin squad, moves that would…
Author: David F.
Barcelona star Marc Bartra is expected to sign a new deal at the Nou Camp despite taking a break from contract talks, according to Sport. . The centre-back has entered the final six months of his deal and is now free to discuss a pre-contract with overseas clubs. . Both Tottenham and Liverpool have been accredited with a strong interest in the player with both clubs ready to offer Bartra a way out of Catalonia. . The Premier League rivals were boosted by news that contract talks had been put on hold but seem to have lost out with the…
Fulham are plotting a surprise move for Manchester United winger Nani, according to the Metro. . The Portuguese winger has been linked with a loan switch to former side Sporting Lisbon over the last couple of days, however it now appears that Fulham are also interested in signing the 27-year-old Manchester United star. . Fulham head coach Rene Meulensteen would be willing to take the Manchester United outcast to Craven Cottage if David Moyes did make Nani available for transfer. . Meulensteen worked with Nani for a number of years during his time at the club so knows all about…
Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded the Ballon d’Or award for 2013, beating rivals Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery to football’s top individual prize. . The Real Madrid star enjoyed a career-best 2013, scoring 66 goals and providing 15 assists in 56 games across the course of the calendar year. . The 28-year-old’s prodigious output had been bettered by Barca superstar Lionel Messi in the previous four match-ups between the pairing, but the Madrid star was a cut above in 2013. . He single-handedly dragged Portugal to the World Cup, and was the main man yet again for Real Madrid. .…
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers sent his chief scout Barry Hunter to Milton Keynes to watch highly-rated teenager Dele Alli in action at the weekend. . According to the Daily Mail, the Anfield club have stepped up their interest in the 17-year-old after Rodgers personally watched him last week. . That means Hunter’s trip is Liverpool’s second to Stadium:MK in less than a week, suggesting Rodgers’ interest in the teenager is real. . Hunter was in attendance as Alli scored in the Dons’ 3-2 win over Shrewsbury Town at the weekend. . Rodgers had watched Alli impress in the FA Cup…
Arsenal will be looking to make it fifteen years unbeaten at Villa Park as they search for a victory which would put them back on top of the Premier League. . It was in December 1998 that Dion Dublin snatched a late winner for Villa to secure a 3-2 win, and the home side will hope for a similar conclusion at full- time on Monday evening which would put them eight points clear of the bottom-three. . A win for Paul Lambert’s side would be their first double over Arsenal since the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93. Belgian striker…
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo is the odds-on favourite to win the Fifa Ballon d’Or on Monday. . The Portugal captain, 28, is named on a three-man shortlist for the prize, along with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich. . The trio were chosen from a 23-man long list, with the world player of the year to be crowned at a ceremony in Zurich. . Winners of seven other awards, plus the Fifpro World XI team of the year, will also be announced. Nadine Angerer (Germany), Marta (Brazil) and Abby Wambach (USA) are in the running for…
Barcelona said Andres Iniesta’s left-knee injury picked up during Saturday’s scoreless draw at Atletico Madrid is not serious. . The Spanish champions said the speed of Iniesta’s recovery “will determine his availability for upcoming games.” . Iniesta was tackled in the 22nd minute of the match at Vicente Calderon Stadium. He was replaced at halftime by Lionel Messi. . Barcelona visit Getafe on Thursday in the Copa del Rey after winning the first leg of their round-of-16 tie 4-0. They then visit Levante on Sunday in the Spanish league.
Coach Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic’s Uganda Cranes team started with a 2-1 victory over Burkina Faso in a Group B tie of the on-going CAF African Nation Championship (CHAN) at the Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on Sunday. . Youngster Junior Yunus Sentamu scored a goal in each half to silence the Burkina Faso team. He netted early in the 15th minute after a defensive lapse gave him room to round the goalkeeper and slot in an empty net. . The SC Vipers striker was on target again in the 72nd minute after finishing off a well taken cross by substitute…
Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri suffered a “serious” knee injury after being scythed down by Newcastle United defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa late in their 2-0 win at St James’ Park on Sunday. . “It should have been a red card for the tackle by Yanga-Mbiwa on Samir Nasri,” City manager Pellegrini told reporters. “A direct red card – we didn’t have any extra help from the referee today. . “Nasri has a serious injury with his knee – it was directly a red card. Maybe it’s medial ligaments. We’ll see tomorrow what happens with him.” . The 26-year-old French international, who…
Real Madrid closed to within three points of La Liga leaders Barcelona and Atletico Madrid when a Pepe header secured a laboured 1-0 win at mid-table Espanyol on Sunday. . Barca and Atletico drew 0-0 in Saturday’s top-of-the- table clash at the Calderon and Real took full advantage to end the first half of the season on 47 points from 19 matches, with the leaders on 50 and Barca top on goal difference. . It was hardly a vintage performance from Real at Espanyol’s Cornella-El Prat stadium in Barcelona, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema…
Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra is set to leave Old Trafford when his contract expires in the summer, according to the Guardian. . The France international, who turns 33 in May, has yet to receive a contract extension offer from the Red Devils – and is subsequently expected to leave the club at the end of the season. . Evra could return to former club AS Monaco, who are currently fighting for the Ligue 1 title and should be competing in the Champions League next season. . The full-back played for the club between 2002 and 2006 before joining Premier…
After spending the majority of the last two campaigns on the sidelines at Manchester United due to an illness, Darren Fletcher returned to Premier League action last December as a substitute in the 3–0 win against Aston Villa. . With the absence of a composed central midfielder at Old Trafford still a looming issue in David Moyes’s agenda, many expected the United boss to splash the cash on the likes of Claudio Marchisio or Ilkay Gundogan over the course of the January transfer window. . But with Moyes claiming it unlikely new signings will arrive due to the unavailability of…
After three consecutive losses, Manchester United have finally managed to snatch a win to lift the spirits of David Moyes and the fans. . The roars are still rumbling at Old Trafford. . There were deep concerns ahead of the game, United having lost to Swansea just last weekend, sending them out of the FA Cup with their heads held low. . It was speculated that Swansea would be able to defeat David Moyes’ side once again. . Well, Swansea City defended well for the first half, holding Manchester United to a 0-0 draw going into the locker room at…
Republic of Ireland international winger Aiden McGeady, yesterday, completed his move to Everton on a four-year contract. . The former Celtic and Spartak Moscow winger has been eager to leave the Lokomotiv Stadium, following a series of falling-outs with manager Valery Karpin. . Upon signing for the Toffees, McGeady was introduced to the Everton faithful before Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Norwich City. . McGeady, 27, will link up with a number of fellow internationals at the club; Seamus Coleman Darren Gibson and James McCarthy have regularly featured this season for Everton. . The Republic of Ireland international’s CV makes for…
Arsenal have been handed a clear pathway to sign Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons in the summer, after the Ligue 1 club rejected a £14million bid from Napoli. . Rafa Benitez wanted to bring the France international to Stadio San Paolo, but has failed in his attempt to sign him during the January transfer window. . Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is a long-term admirer of Gonalons, and will now be hopeful of securing the player’s signature at the end of the season. . A mid-season transfer to the Emirates Stadium appears highly unlikely, particularly given Arsenal’s wealth of midfield options at…
Everton and England midfielder Ross Barkley could be ruled out for several weeks with a suspected broken toe. . Barkley, 20, has suceeded for the club this season, but missed Saturday’s 2-0 win over Norwich with the problem. . “We are going to assess him and it seems he is going to be out for a while, it could be broken,” said Everton manager Roberto Martinez. . If the injury is as bad as feared, Barkley will miss the Merseyside derby at Liverpool’s stadium on 28 January. . Everton defender Leighton Baines fractured his toe when Everton met Liverpool at…
Manchester United boss David Moyes hopes his side can build on their 2-0 home win over Swansea, which ended a three-game losing streak in 2014. . Antonio Valencia and Danny Welbeck scored second-half goals as United moved to within four points of fourth-placed Everton in the Premier League. . “I hope a long way better is to come. I would like to think it would improve an awful lot,” Moyes said. . “But you have to start somewhere and I think today was more like it.” . Victory came after a difficult week for Moyes in which his side lost…
Sunderland can beat the odds and stay up despite being bottom of the Premier League at Christmas, manager Gus Poyet said after an emphatic 4-1 win at fellow strugglers Fulham on Saturday. . Propping up the table on December 25 almost always leads to relegation, with only West Bromwich Albion making a great escape in 2005, but after Adam Johnson’s hat-trick on Saturday hoisted Sunderland off the bottom, Poyet said they are up for the fight. . “It was an outstanding performance,” the Uruguayan told the BBC. “If we can retain that level then we can stay up. We needed…
England striker Jermain Defoe began his long goodbye from Tottenham Hotspur with his first Premier League goal of the season as the home side recovered from a poor first half to beat Crystal Palace 2-0 on Saturday. . Defoe, Spurs’ fifth highest all-time scorer with 143 goals, will be joining MLS side Toronto FC in March in a £6 million deal and scored in the 72nd minute to guarantee all three points at White Hart Lane. . Tottenham are unbeaten in five league matches since Tim Sherwood became manager last month after the sacking of Andre-Villas Boas and the win…