Pato signs Milan contract extension

Arsenal should sell polarising playmaker Mesut Ozil and sign Hakim Ziyech from Ajax, according to former Gunners star Marc Overmars.

Ozil has long been a contentious figure at Arsenal, with many supporters underwhelmed by his performances in recent years despite being one of the Premier League s highest-paid players.

The German seemingly failed to endear him to head coach Unai Emery, who afforded Ozil only 20 league starts in 2018-19.

In contrast, Ziyech, a hard-working attacking midfielder, was inspirational in Ajax s run to the Champions League semi-finals and is reportedly available for the relatively low figure of €35million.

Dutchman Overmars  who is technical director at Ajax  claims he told Arsenal to replace Ozil with Morocco international Z…

Kieran Trippier is delighted at the prospect of working under Diego Simeone after completing his move to Atletico Madrid.

England international Trippier officially joined LaLiga giants Atleti from Tottenham on Wednesday, signing a three-year contract in a deal reportedly worth €22million (£20m).

Trippier impressed in England s charge to the World Cup semi-finals at Russia 2018, but struggled to recapture that form for Spurs last term.

Serie A side Napoli expressed firm interest despite the 28-year-old slipping out of the England squad, while Juventus and Manchester United were also linked, but it is Atleti who secured the right-back.

has completed his first training session in Red White! 
 Our new signing has already joined his teammates in Los Án…

France coach Raymond Domenech has only one New Year s resolution being spoiled for choice when it comes to choosing his team for two decisive World Cup qualifiers this spring.After three of 10 qualifying matches in their Europe zone group 7 France sit third on four points, five adrift of leaders Serbia and second placed Lithuania, both of whom have played four matches.France resume qualifying against Lithuania, in Kaunas, on March 28 before hosting the former Soviet Republic at the Stade de France four days later on April 1.Domenech, who survived a vote of confidence a few months back after a dreadful Euro 2008 campaign where they went out in the first round and then a series of disappointing performances since then, wished his squad a traditional New Year s good health but said he wou…

Former Manchester United manager Tommy Docherty does not believe the side can challenge for the Premier League title this season.

At the end of the 2012-13 campaign, United lifted their 20th league title in Alex Ferguson s final season in charge.

The appointment of David Moyes did not work out as everyone at Old Trafford had hoped and the former Everton boss departed the club with four league games of 2013-14 remaining.

Louis van Gaal is now at the helm and, after a shaky start, has guided the side to six wins and a draw from their past seven league outings.

That run began to spark talk in some quarters that United could be challenging Chelsea and local rivals Manchester City come May, but Docherty does not agree.

No they won t win the champion…

Chelsea s bid to win a third major European trophy in successive seasons begins when they host Basel in the UEFA Champions League.

The Premier League side won the UEFA Europa League last season, while they lifted the Champions League in the 2011-12 campaign, and they will be determined to claim the main prize again.

Wednesday s Group E clash at Stamford Bridge will be vital for the London club, with returning manager Jose Mourinho sure to demand a fast start from his men.

Chelsea and Basel are well acquainted, having met in the semi-finals of the Europa League last term, with Chelsea winning 5-2 on aggregate.

That success came under interim manager Rafael Benitez, though, with Mourinho in charge now as he looks to win the title for the third time.

Mourinho …

Zvonimir Boban has repeated Paolo Maldini s statement that AC Milan will not be able to sign Luka Modric from Real Madrid.

Modric, the 2018 Ballon d Or winner, has been linked with Inter and Milan in recent months, although he appears set to stay in LaLiga.

Rossoneri technical director Maldini last month said the Croatia midfielder would be perfect at San Siro but the deal would not happen.

Following further speculation, Milan s chief football officer Boban reiterated the point.

Twenty days ago, Paolo Maldini declared that Luka Modric will not be a Milan player, he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

But since we continue to talk about it and write about it without any basis, I would like to repeat that the best player in the world of last year will n…

Embolo is yet to find the net in two substitute appearances and a start so far in Russia but could provide an alternative at centre-forward for head coach Vladimir Petkovic, where Haris Seferovic and Mario Gavranovic have both failed to impress. Josip Drmic pressed his own case by scoring against Costa Rica.

Sweden are a strong team, the 21-year-old said. But we ll be very well prepared. We ll give it our all to get to the quarter-finals.

Two years ago, we lost to Poland in the last 16 at Euro 2016. We learned from that. The fact we ve been able to come from behind twice here in Russia shows we re ready for more.

Sweden will be without Sebastian Larsson through suspension, meaning a possible start for Gustav Svensson in midfield, while Switzerland are without …

Prediction: Manchester United win

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As millions around the world continue to deal with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, one slice of normality has remained the same sport. We re firmly in the February groove and that means we re going to be experiencing a whole lost of games coming at us thick and fast between now and May, which is especially true in the English Premier League. Today, we re going to take a look at a fixture between two teams with very different aspirations this season West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United.

West Brom

West Bromwich Albion seem destined to suffer relegation back down to the Championship, even with a master like Sam Allardyce steering the ship. The games are running out and they re desperate…

Hoping to head into September’s international break with a statement on Saturday lunchtime, Manchester City certainly enjoyed a real flurry as they stormed their way to a 5-0 romp against a struggling Arsenal at the Etihad.

Watching their name drawn in Group A for this year’s Champions League, a group they will share with the likes of RB Leipzig and PSG, the defending English champions put on a real show over the weekend as they managed to extend on what is a rampant record against the Gunners.

Marching on to their ninth straight Premier League victory against Mikel Arteta’s downbeat squad, goals from Ikay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Rodri, and a brace from Ferran Torres wrapped up what quickly turned into a routine home performance.

With Pep Guardiola only p…

Jose Mourinho has left Real Madrid for Chelsea to escape Spanish media pressure, according to football journalist Tim Stannard.

The Spain-based reporter believes Mourinho has left the Spanish giants because he did not enjoy the intense scrutiny which accompanies the hot-seat at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Mourinho will now begin his second spell in charge of Chelsea, where he won successive English Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, before leaving just two months into the 2007/08 campaign, reportedly following a falling out with billionaire Russian owner Roman Abramovich.

There s a lot less media pressure in England and I think Mourinho underestimated how much there is in Spain, Stannard said.

There are TV stations, 24-hour sports networks looking a…