Ter Stegen: Germany benching a huge blow

CSKA Moscow has emerged as a strong contender to acquire Japanese midfielder Keisuke Honda of VVV Venlo, reportedly outbidding Dutch powerhouse PSV Eindhoven, media reports say.

The Russian outfit has set aside an estimated six million euros (8.6 million dollars) as the transfer fee for the 23-year-old, the Sports Nippon newspaper said.

Dutch giants PSV and Ajax are still seen as among the most likely buyers of the Japanese star, who has previously suggested Liverpool was interested in him, but the newspaper said CSKA s offer was more attractive than PSV s.

Honda recently told reporters that he has a new team in mind, after reviewing several offers.

I have to make my decision within the next few days, the Nikkan Sports quoted him as saying after a pract…

Portsmouth have sent a legal letter to the English Premier League over their transfer embargo and withholding of television rights revenues, the beleaguered club s chief executive Peter Storrie said.

Pompey s seven million pound (11.4 million dollar, 7.9 million euro) share of the latest payment of television income is being diverted by the EPL to clubs they owe money to over unpaid transfer deals.

The division s bottom team are unable to sign new players during the January transfer window because of an embargo placed upon them by the league.

The club are on the verge of trying to force the Premier League to relax the restrictions so they can bring in loan players to Fratton Park.

I can confirm we have issued a legal letter to the Premier League to dema…

Young striker Romelu Lukaku scored a hat-trick as Everton hammered Swiss side Youngs Boys 4-1 in the last 32 of the Europa League

I asked the question could the Europa League be Everton’s saving grace this season in an editorial a few days ago.

If the Toffees 4-1 away win at Swiss side Young Boys on Thursday night is anything to go by then it could very well be.

Fortress

Strangely Everton were considered favourites to win in Switzerland, despite the fact Young Boys had won all three of their group games at the Stade de Suisse without conceding a goal.

The Swiss side had not lost a European game on home soil since Liverpool defeated them in 2012.

In fact the Swiss side had won all seven of their previous home games in the Europa League, …

Martin Odegaard seals a loan move to Heerenveen / Image via sc-heerenveen.nl

End of Frustration

Dutch side SC Heerenveen have who comes on loan until the end of the season.

The teenage midfielder, once touted as the hottest prospect in world football, is ending a frustrating spell with Los Blancos with hopes to make progress towards fulfilling his glorious potential.

The youngest-ever player to play for Real Madrid at the age of 16 years and 157 days has failed to hold down a regular spot under Zinedine Zidane and a move away from Los Blancos is widely regarded as a well-thought choice and an overdue one as well which could help youngster develop into a quality footballer.

Odegaard first hit the big stage when his prodigious talents saw him being compa…

LaLiga s request to postpone the upcoming match between Sevilla and Barcelona due to player involvement in South American World Cup qualifiers has been dismissed by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), but a challenge will be lodged. 

An appeal was issued by LaLiga to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the decision taken by FIFA to put in place a two-day extension to the CONMEBOL calendar for fixtures in September and October, a move made amid the complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Due to strict rules that would require players to quarantine for 10 days upon their return, England s Premier League refused to release nearly 60 players travelling to 26 countries on the United Kingdom s red list due to COVID-19. 

LaLiga annou…

Dean Smith admitted he did not see Leicester’s poor first-half performance coming as they were beaten 5-3 by Fulham at Craven Cottage to plunge them deeper into relegation trouble.

The visitors were overrun before the break by Marco Silva’s side, with Leicester – porous and disorganised in defence – allowing Fulham to rip into them and build a three-goal lead by half-time.

Willian and Tom Cairney both hit braces either side of the interval whilst Carlos Vinicius also netted to affirm the home side’s dominance, with two second-half goals from Harvey Barnes and a James Maddison penalty lending a respectability to the score that did not reflect Leicester’s frailties.

It leaves Smith’s side in serious danger of being relegated from the Premier League wi…

Valencia are keen on securing a permanent deal for on-loan midfielder Oriol Romeu, .

The 22 year old moved to the Mestella on a season-long deal having failed to hold down a regular first team place with the Blues since signing from Barcelona in 2011.

He spent most of last season side-lined through injury, but has bounced back to make seven appearances in all competitions for the La Liga side.

Romeu has hinted that he would be willing to return to Spain on a permanent basis with his opportunities at Stamford Bridge looking even more limited with no less than ten midfielders having been used by Jose Mourinho this season.

Valencia ended the group stage of this season’s Europa League with a 1-1 draw against Kubar Krasnodar yesterday evening, and go t…

Zenit St Petersburg defender Domenico Criscito is closing in on a return to Serie A with Fiorentina, his agent has hinted.

The 26-year-old left Genoa for Russia in an €11 million move in June 2011 and has since made 66 appearances for the club, winning the Russian Premier League in his first season.

Criscito has spent the festive period in his homeland, and has been linked with an imminent move to Stadio Artemio Franchi, as well as previous clubs Juventus and Genoa.

The left-back s representative, Andrea D’Amico, told La Gazzetta dello Sport that the Italy international is fully open to making a move back to Serie A.

We are ready to talk to Fiorentina without problems, he said.

Criscito has made nine league appearances for Zenit this season after recove…

Lionel Messi is back in Barcelona training for the first time since his World Cup disappointment.

Argentina were one of Russia 2018 s biggest flops, losing 4-3 to France in the last 16 after squeezing through the group stage thanks to a late Marcos Rojo volley against Nigeria.

Messi is still without a goal in the knockout rounds of a World Cup, although he did score a fine opening goal in the 2-1 defeat of the Super Eagles.

The 31-year-old will now get back to work with Barcelona, who he inspired to a domestic double in 2017-18 Ernesto Valverde s first season in charge.

Defenders Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba, who also exited the World Cup in the first knockout round, were back in training with Messi on Tuesday too.

They are back!
Leo

 S…

Former England coach Steve McClaren, once the object of scathing ridicule in his native country, is set to pull off one of the most remarkable transformations with Dutch club FC Twente.

On Sunday, McClaren will be bidding to beat league rivals NAC Breda and, depending on second-placed Ajax s result, become the first English manager since Bobby Robson at Porto in 1996 to win a major European league title.

With one game left, FC Twente are one point clear of Martin Jol s Ajax and poised to win a first Championship since 1926 after being runners-up last season.

Lampooned as The Wally with the Brolly after England s dreams of qualifying for Euro 2008 were washed away in the Croatian rain two years ago, McClaren quickly fell out of favour in his native country.

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