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…
Author: David F.
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…