Transfer Talk on Deadline Day

Chelsea have rejected a late attempt by Atletico Madrid to sign Diego Costa. The Spanish side offered cash - plus forward Jackson Martinez - for the forward who they sold for £32m in 2014. (Daily Mirror)
 

Swansea City's attempt to sign Dwight Gayle from Crystal Palce could be thwarted by Leicester.
The Foxes are waiting for clarification on a hamstring injury the striker sustained in training ahead of Saturday's win over Stoke. (Daily Mail)

The Foxes boss, Claudio Ranieri expects that a deal worth £10m will be completed for Chelsea striker Loic Remy before Monday's deadline. (Daily Mirror)

Stoke City manager, Mark Hughed wants to secure a club record 14m pounds move for Giannelli Imbula after reviving the deal on Sunday. (Daily Telegraph)

Liverpool have made their intentions to sign Alex Teixera pretty clear this window but the deal seemed to have hit the buffers regarding the transfer fee. Shakhtar Donetsk wanted £38 million but Liverpool offered £25 million. (BBC)

Zidane's magic still effective as Madrid destroy Espanyol

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol to cut the gap between themselves and La Liga leaders Barcelona to four points.

Real scored three goals in the first 16 minutes, with Karim Benzema heading the first from James Rodriguez's cross.
Ronaldo added a penalty, before Rodriguez scored with a deflected shot.
A fizzing Ronaldo strike made it 4-0 by half-time, and he completed a hat-trick by heading in a Jese cross, before Oscar Duarte scored a late own goal.

Ronaldo notched up his 19th La Liga goal of the season.

                                 Real finding much comfort at the Bernabeu 
After last weekend's 1-1 draw at Real Betis, it was imperative that Real responded well, and they started spectacularly.
Zinedine Zidane's side scored three in the opening 12 minutes in their last home game, when they beat Sporting Gijon 5-1, and were almost as fast off the mark this time.
With Rodriguez filling in for the injured Gareth Bale in Real's front three, Espanyol were ripped apart, with Ronaldo the star as he moved level with Barcelona's Luis Suarez - on 19 goals - in the race to be La Liga's leading scorer.

                                         Not a fairytale debut for Arlauskis

Little too soon for Arlauskis.

 It was just about the most testing debut imaginable for Espanyol's new goalkeeper Giedrius Arlauskis, signed on loan from Watford during the week.
The Lithuania international faced Endland in a Euro 2016 qualifier in October, but his only previous start at club level this season was for the Hornets in a Captial One Cup defeat at Preston Northend in August.
Arlauskis saved well from Ronaldo's early free-kick and could not be blamed for Real's three quick goals - although the general sense of panic among Espanyol's defenders suggested that communication issues with the goalkeeper may have affected their levels of organisation.
The keeper may feel he could have done better with the fourth, as he got a hand to Ronaldo's shot, but the Portugal international's dazzling footwork deserved a goal as he bamboozled the visiting defence to create space to score.
By the end, Espanyol's defence was begging for mercy - with Costa Rica international Duarte a crestfallen sight as he turned Jese's low ball past the keeper for Real's sixth goal.

 (c) BBC

Are they back from the dead?

Carlos Bacca and M'Baye Niang hit second half goals as AC Milan ended their long wait to celebrate victory in the city derby with a crushing 3-0 win over Inter Milan on Sunday.
Title-chasing Inter had the chance to move up to third in Serie A to close the gap on leaders Napoli to six points.
But after a bright start, Roberto Mancini's visitors took their foot off the gas to go into the dressing room 1-0 down after Alex's 35th minute header.
Inter spurned the chance to pull level 20 minutes from the end when second-half substitute Mauro Icardi hit the post from the penalty spot.
It proved the turning point of the game and Milan, who suffered a 1-0 defeat to Inter earlier this season but last won the 'Derby della Madonnina' by three clear goals in 2011, doubled their lead on 73 minutes when Bacca kneed Niang's delivery past Samir Handanovic from close range.
Four minutes later, the stadium erupted for a fourth time when Niang found the roof of the net at the second attempt to secure the points for Sinisa Mihajlovic's men. 
Seven-time European champions Milan are bidding to qualify for the Champions League next season after a two-year hiatus and although they remain 14 points behind leaders Napoli, they are only six points behind third-placed Fiorentina, who drew at Genoa earlier Sunday.
Inter have now failed to win their last three games meaning the Nerazzurri, who invested heavily in new players during the summer, are nine points off the pace.
With his strikers misfiring, Mancini beat Leicester City to sign Sampdoria striker Eder on Friday and the Brazil-born Italy international had a bright start in what must have been a baptism of fire.
Nearly 78 000 fans were in attendance and Eder showed promise early on but notably skewed a flying header wide from a Juan Jesus cross.

Millan celebrate.

When Eder set up Marcelo Brozovic on the edge of the box, Milan 'keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was forced down low at his far post to save at the second attempt.
There were few clear chances in a nervous opening half, although Keisuke Honda was unlucky when he just failed to make good contact with a cross in to the six-yard box.
When the ball fell to the Japan midfielder moments later, he made no mistake, curling a perfect cross over the Inter defence for Alex to bundle a header into the net in the 35th minute.
Milan suffered a scare early after the restart when Donnarumma spliced an attempted clearance, prompting the 'keeper to clash with Eder as the Italy international came in to challenge.
Penalty claims were waved away, but an increasingly angry Mancini was sent to the stands moments later for dissent.
Inefficient Inter striker Stevan Jovetic was replaced by Icardi just after the hour, but the game soon turned in Milan's favour when Donnarumma got down low to stop the Argentine's angled drive from inside the area.
As the ball bounced up, it came off the hand of Alex and a penalty was awarded. Icardi stepped up but saw his strike hit the right post.
The miss left Inter deflated and minutes later Bacca escaped his marker on the edge of the box to knee Niang's inviting cross into the net.
Inter's defence was even more absent four minutes later when Niang beat Handanovic at the second attempt after picking up his own rebound.

© AFP

Not so soon JT. There is still a lifeline.

 Chelsea have hinted that captain John Terry could yet be offered a new deal at Stamford Bridge, despitee the defender confirming that he will be leaving the club when his current contract expires at the end of the 2015-16 season.

Following Chelsea's 5-1 FA Cup win over MK Dons on Sunday, the club captain told reporters that he had been made aware that his deal at Stamford Bridge would not be renewed and indicated that he would look to continue his career outside of the Premier League
But following Terry's revelation, Chelsea have issued a statement hinting that the door may still be open for the 35-year-old to sign a new deal at the club. 
"He is a fantastic servant of Chelsea Football Club and a superb captain and, as such, the club will keep the channels of dialogue open," the statement read. 
"While no new deal currently on the table, that situation could change in the coming months."

In an emotional admission following the MK Dons game, Terry had admitted that the situation around his contract could change, should a new manager come into the club and want the 35-year-old to stay on.

"They said that when the new manager comes in, things might change. It’s a no at the minute," Terry said. 

"Unfortunately it was a no. It’s not going to be a fairytale ending, I’m not going to retire at Chelsea."
(c) Goal

Is Lewan on the move?

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski took his Bundesliga tally to 19 goals on Sunday and hinted that he might follow Pep Guardiola in leaving the Bavaria giants next season.
Lewandowski scored both Bayern's goals in Sunday's 2-0 win at home to strugglers Hoffenheim which left his club eight points clear in the table.
He has scored 19 goals in 18 league matches and is battling Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has scored 20, to be Germany's top scorer this season.
The Poland star has a Bayern contract until 2019, but hinted to German daily Die Welt on Sunday that he might quit when Carlo Ancelotti replaces Guardiola as head coach next season.
Lewandowski has been linked to both Real Madrid and Paris St-Germain in recent weeks after Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitted they were interested in Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain.
When asked if he thinks he will end his career at Bayern, Lewandowski, 27, was non-committal.

"As a professional footballer, it's hard to say," he said.
"Many times I have heard players say such a thing and then comes another coach and they were no longer in such high demand. Or they got a very interesting offer.
"In any case, I feel very well at Bayern and will always give everything for the team while I'm here. I focus exclusively on Bayern.
"Ever since I was 18, there have been enquiries and rumours and even then I learned to deal with it. I can shut it out, it does not distract me.
"For me, this has become normal. However, it does not interest me."
Lewandowski joined Bayern from Dortmund in 2014 and he has a market value of €70 million after growing his reputation as one of the world's top strikers.
The Bayern squad are determined to sign off Guardiola's three-year tenure with the treble of Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup titles.
And Lewandowski shares the thirst for silverware to toast Guardiola's exit.
"That's a long way off," he said with Guardiola to leave in June.
"We now all know that Pep leaves the club in the summer but, until then, we are a unit.
"And we want to celebrate another title with him at the end of the season. That's why I concentrate fully on this season.
"Under Pep I always learned something new, especially in terms of tactics."
With several Bayern defenders struggling for fitness, Lewandowski says they must focus on their Champions League last 16, first leg, clash away to Juventus in three weeks’ time.
"Juve is a great team that plays defensively, is very compact and waits for a chance to counterattack,” said Lewandowski.
"Italian teams are always dangerous. At the beginning of the season they had problems, but now they are right there.
"If we want to win the Champions League, we have to get through these games."

© AFP

Capital One Cup: Manchester City in Final

A large slice of good fortune also comes in useful at key moments and Manuel Pellegrini enjoyed his fair share of the latter as Manchester City overcame Everton to book a place in the Capital One Cup final.
City, still pursuing four trophies this season, will face Liverpool at Wembley on  28 February after Pellegrini’s second-half decision to replace Yaya Touré with Kevin De Bruyne reaped huge dividends. The Belgian scored one and made another to deny Everton a date with their Merseyside rivals.
But De Bruyne’s 70th-minute goal, which levelled this semi-final on aggregate, will torment Evertonians for years to come with Raheem Sterling crossing the ball to the £54.5m summer signing after it had gone out of play.
Referee Martin Atkinson and his assistants failed to spot that the ball crossed the touchline before Sterling pulled it back, but it was the decisive moment of the game.
Everton, having taken an early lead through Ross Barkley, were angered and deflated before Sergio Aguero put the tie beyond them six minutes later with a header from De Bruyne’s cross.
The former Chelsea midfielder ended the game being carried off on a stretcher but he certainly repaid his manager’s faith in the short time he was on the pitch.
Events at Anfield 24 hours earlier had turned an already huge occasion into something altogether different for Everton. Liverpool’s success in booking their place in next month’s final via a 6-5 penalty shoot-out victory against Stoke City had placed an even greater intensity on Everton to negotiate this second leg and earn the right to face their neighbours at Wembley.

Replays showed the ball was out of play before Sterling cross

Without a trophy since the 1995 FA Cup and having failed to progress to the League Cup final since losing in a replay to yes, Liverpool, in 1984, Roberto Martinez’s players had enough ghosts to exorcise without having to worry about the anguish of missing out on a chance to take on Jürgen Klopp’s men at Wembley.
But backed by 9,000 noisy supporters from the blue half of Merseyside, Everton chose to meet the challenge of overcoming City head on.
There were no thoughts of sitting back and attempting to defend their 2-1 first-leg advantage. If Everton were to make it to the final, they were going to do it the only they know how under their Spanish manager, by going for the win.
Martinez and Everton have appeared naive at times by playing without any kind of restraint, but with City compromised by their own defensive shortcomings, perhaps fighting fire with fire was always likely to be the best policy at the Etihad.

Kevin De Bruyne leaves the field on a stretcher

City certainly did their best to inject some fight and passion into the proceedings prior to the game. An intensive drive to sell tickets for the tie paid off, with the stadium virtually full on a filthy night in Manchester when it would have been easier to stay indoors, and the handing out of inflatable bananas – a nod to the bizarre trend that began at Maine Road in the late 1980s – added to the lively atmosphere inside the ground.
But Everton were in no mood to be mere bystanders at City’s Wembley party and they started the game with real intent. Gerard Deulofeu tore down the right on four minutes, breaking into the penalty area before failing to pick out the unmarked Barkley and Romelu Lukaku.
It was a warning to City, though, and Everton deservedly took the lead – moving 3-1 ahead on aggregate – when Barkley scored a stunning goal on 18 minutes. City were rightly angered by Atkinson’s failure to award a free-kick following a heavy challenge by Ramiro Funes Mori on Aguero but Everton played on, with Leon Osman breaking clear before releasing Barkley just inside the City half.
The England midfielder burst forward, slipped through the gears and headed directly for goal as City’s defence parted, leaving a gap through which he unleashed a low shot past goalkeeper Willy Caballero from 20 yards.
City responded well, Sterling forcing a saved from Joel Robles from 20 yards before Touré shot over from just inside the penalty area.
The equaliser came on 24 minutes when Aguero’s shot was blocked by Phil Jagielka and Fernandinho scored from 20 yards with a strike which deflected off Leighton Baines and past the helpless Robles.
City still trailed in the tie, however, and they needed another goal to move level. It almost came when Aguero rattled the post on 36 minutes, with Robles saving David Silva’s follow-up shot. But Everton held firm and continued to threaten another goal on the counter-attack.

(c) The Independent

Italian Cup Semi: Morata brace helps Juventus cruise past Inter

Morata celebrates vs Inter

Alvaro Morata answered his critics with a brace for Juventus in a thrilling 3-0 win in the first leg of their Italian Cup semifinal against Inter Milan in Turin on Wednesday.
Morata last hit the net for the league and Cup champions four months ago and has fallen out of favour with coach Massimiliano Allegri amid the spectacular rise of Argentinian Paulo Dybala.
But the former Real Madrid striker was given a rare start in the Cup version of the 'Derby d'Italia' – as the Juve v Inter fixture is commonly known – and reminded fans of his class with a performance that should have seen him bag a hat-trick.
Allegri told Rai Sport: "He had a good game, he broke the deadlock with a penalty that wasn't easy to score and then hit his second.
"Tonight, we gave ourselves a good chance of heading to the final, but let's not forget we still have 90 minutes to play at the San Siro."
Inter coach Roberto Mancini felt the scoreline flattered Juve, but the former Manchester City handler admitted they now face an uphill climb if they are to reach their first final since beating Palermo in 2011.
"They deserved to win but the scoreline didn't reflect the game," Mancini said.
"Up until their penalty, they hadn't threatened us and Samir Handanovic didn't have a save to make.
"It will be difficult for us to overcome the result but we have to go out and give it our best."

Morata stepped up to beat Inter 'keeper Handanovic from the spot nine minutes from the interval after Jeison Murillo felled Juan Cuadrado in the area to earn the first of two yellow cards on the night.
Morata hit a superb second just after the hour when he pounced on Felipe Melo's poor control of Patrice Evra's drive across goal, spinning away from his marker to fire into Handanovic's far top corner.
Morata admitted it had been "an important night for me", adding: "Thanks to all my teammates for their encouragement and support."

Melo's mistake was too much for Mancini, who immediately replaced the Brazilian – who only returned recently from a three-match ban – with Marcelo Brozovic.
Brozovic injected some much needed punch into Inter's attack, but their hopes of reducing the arrears suffered a blow only minutes later when Murillo saw red for a second foul on Cuadrado.
It means Mancini will be without two defenders, Murillo and Joao Miranda, for the return leg on March 3.
Morata should have had his third on 78 minutes when Frenchman Paul Pogba curled in a delightful delivery for the Spaniard, but somehow Morata ballooned over from eight yards.
Dybala, who has hit 12 Serie A goals this season, wrapped up the win only minutes after coming off the bench to replace Mario Mandzukic with a superb sweeping shot that went through Handanovic's legs six minutes from time.
Juve, who secured their first league and Cup double in 20 years last season, travel to Milan for the second leg as favourites for their second Cup trophy.
On Tuesday, fallen giants AC Milan edged third division side Alessandria 1-0 at Torino's Stadio Olimpico.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

© AFP

Copa del Rey: Barca cruise into semi final

 

Barcelona remain on course to finish the season with five trophies after booking a Copa del Rey semi-final place with victory over Athletic Bilbao.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, Barca were rocked when Inaki Williams put Bilbao ahead at the Nou Camp.
Luis Suarez levelled to ease home nerves before late goals from Gerard Pique and Neymar confirmed victory.
Barca, top of La Liga, have won the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup, and are still in the Champions League.
Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid, the 2013 winners, were edged out 3-2 on aggregate by Celta Vigo.
After a goalless first leg in Vigo, Pablo Hernandez gave Celta the lead in the Spanish capital before Antoine Griezmann levelled.
Two goals in seven second-half minutes by former Manchester City striker John Guidetti and Hernandez put the visitors firmly in control.
Angel Correa pulled a goal back for Atletico but Celta hung on to reach the last four.
On Thursday, Gary Neville's Valencia take a 1-1 first-leg lead to Las Palmas, while Sevilla are protecting a 2-0 lead at Mirandes.

(c) BBC

Australian Open: Kerber ends Johanna Konta's hopes

Konta congratulates Kerber

 

British number one Johanna Konta's superb Australian Open run came to an end with defeat by German seventh seed Angelique Kerber in the semi-finals.

Konta, the first British woman for 33 years to play in a Grand Slam semi-final, went down 7-5 6-2 in Melbourne.
The 24-year-old is still set to rise from 47th in the rankings to inside the world's top 30, and will collect £370,000 in prize money.
Kerber goes on to face world number one and defending champion Serena Williams.
The American, 34, took just 64 minutes to thrash Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0 6-4 and close in on a seventh Australian Open and 22nd Grand Slam title.

Konta errors count her out

The Briton made a nervous start and despite battling back to make the first set a contest, she could not stem a flow of errors that kept the pressure off Kerber.
Konta ended the match with 36 unforced errors to the German's 11, having dropped serve five times over an hour and 22 minutes.
She looked every bit the debutante at this level as she slipped 3-0 down, with Kerber - twice a Grand Slam semi-finalist - hardly required to do anything but keep the ball in play in the early stages.
There was real hope for Konta when she found some rhythm and clawed her way back to lead 5-4, but Kerber broke again at 5-5 and would lose just two more games.
Britain's Davis Cup captain, Leon Smith said "Jo should be so proud of herself, the way she's played and handled herself. When you think where she was 12 months ago, it's phenomenal progress. Yes, she'll be disappointed today but she probably can't wait to get going again."

Jo Durie, Britain's last female Grand Slam semi-finalist on social media: "Well done Angie she played good match. Proud of Jo.... she's had a fabulous couple of weeks."

Williams crushes Radwanska

Radwanska went into the first semi-final on a 13-match winning run, but she had lost all eight previous meetings with Williams and was again overwhelmed.

Williams is through to her 26th Grand Slam final

The American was utterly dominant in the first set, her power advantage most obvious as she demolished the 5ft 8in Pole's serve, winning 12 of 16 return points as she took it in 20 minutes.
Williams' form fell away in the second set, allowing Radwanska to recover from 3-1 down with four straight games that roused a crowd sympathetic to the Pole's plight.
But Radwanska missed a forehand to drop serve at 4-4 and, despite Williams racking up 13 errors to four in the first set, she found three aces in a row on her way to serving out the match.
"I'm really excited to be in another final, it kind of blows my mind right now," said Williams. "I feel I am playing the best I can, and I can't believe I am in the final."
Radwanska said: "If she's playing her best tennis like she was playing today in the first set, it's a big difference actually. I don't think anyone can really play on that level."

(c) BBC

Johanna Konta beats Zhang Shuai to reach Australian Open semis

The unseeded 24-year-old won 6-4 6-1 to become the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam semi-final since Jo Durie made the US Open last four in 1983.
Konta, ranked 47th, will next face German seventh seed Angelique Kerber.
Fellow Briton Andy Murray is on court against Spain's David Ferrer in the men's quarter-finals.
"I didn't put anything on this match," said Konta. "I just wanted to come out and play the best level that I could, and give the best entertainment I could."
The British number one took full advantage of facing a quarter-final opponent who was also in uncharted waters, seeing off world number 133 Zhang in one hour and 22 minutes.


Konta began confidently, breaking twice and serving superbly as she moved 5-2 clear before overcoming some nerves and a resurgent opponent to clinch the set.

After saving a break point that would have made it 5-5 and then converting her sixth set point, the confidence returned and Konta again earned a double-break lead in the second set.
With a Grand Slam semi-final place there for the taking, Konta saw two match points slip by but converted the third thanks to a net cord that left Zhang helpless.
"To be honest, I was taking it a match at a time. She definitely didn't make it easy for me," said Konta.

"Every time I was ahead she was constantly there. I'm not proud of the net cord but I'm happy I was able to fight every point."
The latest step in Konta's stunning rise through the tennis ranks brings with it a likely position among the world's top 30, and guaranteed prize money of at least £370,000.
A Grand Slam final appearance is now a real possibility, arguably more so after Kerber's surprise win over the in-form Victoria Azarenka earlier on Wednesday.
Kerber and Konta will meet for the first time in Thursday's second semi-final at around 04:30 GMT.

(c) BBC

Lille reach first League Cup final

Lille eased past an error-strewn Bordeaux 5-1 on Tuesday to secure their first ever appearance in a French League Cup final.
Their opponents in the April 23 final at the Stade de France will be the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Paris Saint-Germain and Toulouse.
Three-time winners Bordeaux were the form side going into the last four tie at Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Willy Sagnol's team arrived unbeaten in 11 matches in all competitions after a late show rescued an unlikely point against Nantes at the weekend.
In contrast Lille had seen their recent resurgence under new coach Frederic Antonetti stutter.
They were dumped out of the French Cup by fourth-tier Trelissac and suffered the ignominy of becoming the first team to lose to Troyes in the league this term.
But it was Lille who raced into a seventh minute lead when after good work by Florent Balmont on the left Djibril Sidibe crossed to Yassine Benzia who capitalised on a collision between Diego Contento and goalkeeper Jerome Prior to score from six yards.
On 23 minutes, Lille had the ball in the back of the net again only for Sidibe's effort to be ruled offside.
Bordeaux drew back level ten minutes later after Lille defender Bakary Soumaoro lost possession, with Clement Chantome arriving quickly on the scene to fire between the legs of Vincent Enyeama.
Bordeaux were without injured first choice keeper goalkeeper Cedric Carrasso, but back-up stopper Prior performed wonders to deny Rony Lopes's left-footed shot on 36 minutes.
Lille, who had fallen at this stage in 2013 to Saint-Etienne and last season to PSG, wrapped up the tie as halftime approached.

First Bordeaux defender Ludovic Lamine Sane inadvertently put them back in front when he lobbed helpless Prior shortly after replacing Andre Biyogo Poko.
Then Soumoaro connected with Renato Civelli's header following a free kick to send Lille heading for the final.
Eric Bautheac added the fourth near the hour mark with Soufiane Boufal putting the finishing touches to a memorable night for the hosts in the third minute of injury time.
On Wednesday, PSG continue their quest for a domestic treble when they meet Toulouse for the third time in just eleven days.
Having already knocked Dominique Arribage's men out of the French Cup and beaten them in the league in the last fortnight, PSG will be looking to complete a quick-fire hat-trick of wins in their League Cup semifinal at the Parc des Princes.
Laurent Blanc's side are going for a third successive League Cup success and with the league title all but sealed already, they can afford to focus on the three cup competitions.

© AFP

Newcastle agree fee for Townsend

Newcastle United have agreed a £12m fee with Tottenham for England winger Andros Townsend.

United have been in discussions with Spurs over Townsend for much of January after the 24-year-old fell out of favour at White Hart Lane. It is understood that he will finalise personal terms and undergo his medical on Wednesday.
Having already signed Jonjo Shelvey and Henri Saivet for a combined cost of £17m this month, Newcastle look poised to spend again in their bid to escape relegation.

Townsend was dropped by Tottenham for two weeks in November after a bust-up with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner and has not featured for the first team since October 22.
Fellow academy graduate Josh Onomah has since overtaken Townsend in boss Mauricio Pochettino's plans and he has been playing for the U21 side to keep himself fit.

(c) The Mirror

Suarez: I'll play for Liverpool 'ONLY' in the EPL

Luis Suarez has promised he would only ever play for Liverpool if he secured a Premier League return.
And the Barcelona star lavished praise on the Anfield club’s supporters in an interview with ESPN.
Suarez, who won PFA player of the year as a Liverpool player in 2014, said: “You never know what might happen in the future, but if I were to return to England it would only be to play for Liverpool and never for another team.
“I’ve missed the fans. The atmosphere is incredible.

Suarez celebrates in Liverpool's colour

“Everyone that has played for Liverpool knows how important the supporters are. They know that they’re in my heart.’
Suarez is currently top scorer in La Liga, where Barcelona went to the top of the table after a 2 - 1 victory at Malaga.

(c)  The Mirror

CHAN: Tunisia, Guinea through. Eagles crash out

Saad Bguir’s brace lifted Tunisia's Cathage Eagles to a deserved 0-5 drubbing over 10-man Niger in a fast-paced Group C game played at the Regional Stadium in Nyamirambo on Tuesday evening to guarantee a spot in the quarter-final of the ongoing African Nations Championship.
The Carthage Eagles started the game like a house on fire and in the fourth minute Bguir fired home with a left-footed shot from the edge of the box past a hapless Soumalia Ayouba in Niger’s goal for the his first as Tunisia took the lead 0-1.
Bguir got his brace in the 39th minute with another sharp finish to give Tunisia a deserved 0-2 lead.Captain Ali Maaloul picked out the unmarked Esperance striker who finished with aplomb, firing into the roof of the net past Ayouba.
The Carthage Eagles continued pilling on pressure which paid off handsomely in the 78th minute when Ahmed Akaichi hit the knockout blow rounding off Niger keeper Ayoube before putting away the ball calmly to give his side a rousing 0-3 lead .
Barely three minutes later Ben Amor hit Tunisia’s fourth goal when he curled the ball beautifully into the top left corner of the net in sublime fashion as Tunisia stood ground against the now demoralised Niger players who were ball watching.
Subsitute Essifi Hichem completed Niger’s rout in the 90th minute with a cool finish giving Tunisia their fifth goal in a virtuoso performance that took them to the top of Group A with five points.
Earlier on, in the 39th minute Niger’s Seyni missed a glorious chance after a delightful chip from Adebayor as Niger continued to create chances but Seyni was the culprit as he squandered numerous golden opportunities.
Niger suffered a setback when Youssouf Oumarou Alio was red carded for a second bookable offence.
Guinea and Tunisia go through to the quarter-final as Niger and Nigeria go home disappointed after going  down 1 - 0 to Guinea in their last group game.

(c) Supersport

Vertonghen suffers ligament injury

Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen faces weeks on the sidelines with damaged knee ligaments after falling awkwardly following an elbow to the face by Crystal Palace striker Connor Wickham in the Premier League on Saturday.
The loss of Vertonghen, 28, who along with fellow Belgium international Toby Alderweireld has played every league game for Spurs this season, will come as a huge blow to manager Mauricio Pochettino.
With Vertonghen and Alderweireld at the heart of their defence, Tottenham have conceded fewer goals than any other team in the top flight this campaign and Pochettino will have to turn to Austrian Kevin Wimmer or England's Eric Dier for cover.
Although Spurs did not provide a time scale for Vertonghen's return, such injuries usually take an average of four to six weeks to heal.
"Our medical staff will continue to monitor (Vertonghen's) progress during his rehabilitation to determine when he will be ready to return to training," Spurs said in a statement on Twitter.
Wickham has been charged with violent conduct and faces a minimum three-match ban if found guilty of elbowing Vertonghen.
The incident during 3-1 win at Selhurst Park was missed by referee Martin Atkinson but caught on camera.
Spurs are fourth in the table, five points behind leaders Leicester City.

(c) Reuters

Cricket: Former South Africa player, Bodi banned for 20 years

Former South Africa spinner Gulam Bodi has been banned for 20 years after admitting charges of contriving or attempting to fix a number of domestic Twenty20 matches.

The India-born 37-year-old played two one-day internationals and a Twenty20 match for the Proteas in 2007.
The match-fixing charges relate to the 2015 Ram Slam T20 Challenge Series.
Five of those 20 years are suspended on condition that Bodi, a left-arm wrist-spinner, commits no further offences.
Cricket South Africa said "a lengthy ban was appropriate".
CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat added: "Our attitude to corruption will always be one of zero tolerance.
"There is no doubt that Mr Bodi's actions have threatened the integrity and image of the game that we love and he must be handed a strong punishment. He accepts the folly of his actions."


(c) BBC

Drinkwater: Doubters helping Leicester's run

Sceptics are actually helping Leicester City to maintain their remarkable Premier League run, midfielder Danny Drinkwater has said.
Leicester's 3-0 victory over Stoke City on Saturday helped the surprise leaders open up a three-point gap over second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Arsenal, after 23 games.
There have been questions over the Foxes' title credentials following recent poor run of form after picking up just one win in their previous five league matches.
"If anyone doubts us still, it is up to them - as long as we keep proving them wrong," Drinkwater told British media.
"I think it does help when people write us off. There has not been much negative stuff around us this season."
"But the boys will talk about it if a team or whoever has been talking badly of us, then we will be the first ones looking to put it right.
"All that matters is what happens on the training ground and on the pitch. If we keep turning three points around every week, then it is our job done. The team have been great all season and it is about keeping it going from now on."
Leicester, who were on the brink of relegation last season, will hope to maintain their lead at the top of the table when they host seventh-placed Liverpool on February 2.

(c) Reuters

Lovren returns for Stoke City clash

Lovren

Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren is back in contention ahead of Tuesday's League Cup semifinal against Stoke City at Anfield, but fullback Nathaniel Clyne could miss the game due to a knee injury, manager Juergen Klopp said on Monday.
Lovren has not played since injuring his hamstring in the first leg of the semifinal on January 5 – which Liverpool won 1-0 – but has returned to training with the first team.
"Dejan, after three weeks he trained yesterday, a complete session with the team," Klopp told a news conference.
"It was good, but after three weeks we have to see."
Clyne was injured in Liverpool's 5-4 Premier League win against Norwich City on Saturday, meaning that Jon Flanagan could make his first start since the end of the 2013-14 season when he underwent two knee operations.
"Clyney got a knock on the knee. He is a really tough boy, he is always available, but I think today it will not work for training," Klopp said.
"We have to see what will happen overnight and make a decision but it's not too easy because we have only Flanno.
"He is ready but of course it would be better if Clyney got fit."
Liverpool served up a thriller against Norwich and while their manager was pleased with his side's goalscoring efforts, he was less enamoured by their inability to defend set-pieces.
"It's not a problem we can ignore. It's obvious. We are always working on our weaknesses," he said.
"In Norwich, we defended the first ball well but struggled then with the second or third. It's not too late to learn. But now it's time to," he added.
Adam Lallana's last-gasp winner sparked wild celebrations on the sidelines at Carrow Road, and Klopp, who broke his spectacles in the melee, confirmed that he was wearing his second pair.
"It was my fault. No-one has to pay for them," the German said.
"Now I have to be careful. They are black and I look a little bit of a serial killer."

(c) AFP

4th Round Australian Open result (Men)

Seed         2		A. Murray	6	6	77			4th Round
16		B. Tomic	4	4	64			Jan 25, Completed
8		D. Ferrer	6	6	7			4th Round
10		J. Isner	4	4	5			Jan 25, Completed
4		S. Wawrinka	4	3	7	6	3	4th Round
13		M. Raonic	6	6	5	4	6	Jan 25, Completed
23		G. Monfils	7	3	6	77		4th Round
		A. Kuznetsov	5	6	3	64		Jan 25, Completed

What are the papers saying transfer wise?

Monday, January 26th, 2016

Daily Star
Louis van Gaal is set for showdown talks with his Manchester United bosses this week after the club's 1-0 defeat at home to Southampton on Saturday.
Chelsea target Antoine Griezmann says he has no intention of leaving Atletico Madrid. The France international has been linked with a  move in excess of £60m to the Premier League.
The Blues are however confident of landing Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi after successful talks with the Argentina international. He is out of contract at the end of the season and would be available on a free transfer.
     
The Sun  

Louis van Gaal is ready to walk out on Manchester United after admitting his side's recent performances have let the club's fans down.
Bayern are set for a loggerhead with Real Madrid in an effort to sway away the Los Blancos from signing forwards Robert Lewandowski in the summer for a reported £75m target.
Sam Allardyce says he will give up watching his favorite soap operas, EastEnders and Coronation Street, as he focuses on watching as much football as possible to secure the players he hopes will be able to keep Sunderland in the Premier League.
On-loan Atletico Madrid forward, Fernando Torres could depart AC Milan this summer to team up with Barcelona's MSN.
Manchester United have stepped up their interest in Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega, who could even arrive at Old Trafford before the transfer window closes next Monday.
Moussa Sissoko says he will not quit Newcastle this month - but hinted he could go in the summer.
    
Daily Mail

Carlos Tevez was head-butted before a massive 40-man melee broke out in the grudge match between his Boca Juniors side and rivals River Plate in Argentina.
Chelsea's loan deal for Radamel Falcao, who has been sidelined since the end of October with a thigh injury, includes a £38m purchase option according to whistle-blowing website Football Leaks.
Jose Mourinho is 'desperate' to take over as Manchester United manager.
Chelsea are closing in on the loan signing of Brazil's ex-Ac Milan forward Alexandre Pato.



Daily Mirror


Fabricio Coloccini has hit out at some of his Newcastle team-mates, claiming they are 'too nice' as the club continues to battle against relegation from the Premier League.
Watford boss Quique Sanchez Flores is closing on the signing of Fiorentina midfielder Mario Suarez.



The Telegraph



Liverpool are still searching for a goalkeeper, despite handing a new deal to Simon Mignolet last week, and they have now been linked with a move for Genoa No 1 Mattia Perin.


The Guardian

Roma outcast Gervinho is set to end his spell in Serie A and join Chinese club Jiangsu Suning.

(c) Fox Sports

Adidas to discontinue IAAF sponsorship deal early amidst doping crisis

IAAF's biggest sponsor, Adidas has notified the athletics' world ruling body of its desire to terminate their sponsorship deal four years early.

The decision of the sportwear outfit is not unrelated to the spate of doping allegation sweeping the sport in recent time.

No official statement has yet to be made by Adidas or the IAAF regarding this decision. It is however understood that Adidas informed the IAAF in November it was considering ending their relationship early after a detailed report made reference to the "state sponsored doping" in Russia.

IAAF President, Coe. IAAF image

Investigations have also revealed that the decision will come as a significant loss to the IAAF as it stands to
lose tens of millions of dollars in income.
The 11-year deal was signed in 2008 and due to run until 2019, with the deal reported to be worth $33m (£23m).
Sources however debunked such claim by revealing that the figure is much higher, as much, in terms of cash and product, as about $8m (£5.6m) per year.
This means the projected lost revenue for the IAAF over the next four years will be more than $30m (£21m).

This will further increase pressure and serve as blow for embattled president Lord Coe and eventual withdrawal of Adidas will be a major blow to the sport - and to IAAF president Coe - in a time of unprecedented turmoil.

Former IAAF President, Diack and current President, Coe.

Coe succeeded Diack in August last year and has come under pressure following the publication of Pound's report.
Not only did it claim that corruption was "embedded" in the IAAF, it also claimed that leading figures within it must have been aware.
The report was compiled by an independent commission set up by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).
Earlier this month, the commission's chairman, Dick Pound, delivered another report which that revealed "corruption was embedded" within the IAAF during erstwhile President Lamine Diack.

Within days, the eggheads in Adidas decided to terminate the relationship with the IAAF.
It is understood the German multinational believes the doping revelations are in contravention of its agreement with the IAAF.

It is unclear yet if the IAAF will content Adidas's decision in court, although lawyers at the company are believed to have anticipated such move and preparing for for it.


(c) BBC

Dussuyer happy with Gabon drubbing

Cote D’ivoire head coach Michel Dussuyer has hailed his players for a virtuoso performance against Gabon whom they humbled 4-1 in the ongoing African Nations Championship at Huye Stadium in Butare.
An elated Dussuyer described the win as an important morale boaster going into the quarter finals as heaped praise on his players on their great character and team work throughout the tournament even after they lost their opener against hosts Rwanda.
Dussuyer further intimated that he hopes his boys will continue with the same tempo and consistency in the tough knockout stage where the it will not be business as usual .
“I am thrilled with the perfect display of my players who dispatched out Gabon in style in what was a very important game for us .The players showed maturity and great togetherness knowing very well we could not afford to falter at all”.
“As a coach nothing makes you happy than seeing your players working as a team and beating all adversity as we all know we started the competition on a negative note losing to hosts Rwanda but we have slowly build our character and reputation in the subsequent matches”an elated Dussuyer told supersport.com.
“It has been hard work and determination from the entire team and I want to take this opportunity to praise my players for their resilience and hard work as it has not been easy playing against very tough and formidable opponents.We are not looking forward to the quarter finals as we know it will be another tough moment but I have told my players if they can give the same performance then they are in the right frame to reach the semi’s and beyond”he added.
Cote D'ivoire succumbed to a 1-0 loss in their opening Group A game to Rwanda before downing Morocco 0-1 followed by a 4-1 drubbing of hapless Gabon.

(c)  Supersport

Ocean-rowing women go naked after 'running out of clean clothes'

The team described their boat as being 'like a nudist camp' Photo: PA

Four working mothers attempting to row 3000-miles across the Atlantic have revealed they are rowing naked after running out of clean clothes.

The Yorkshire Rows - four friends whose ages range from 45 to 51 - have passed the halfway mark in their challenge and now have less than 1,300 nautical miles to row until they reach the finish line in Antigua.

Niki Doeg, 45, Helen Butters, 45, Frances Davies, 47, and Janette Benaddi, 51, make up a team which is one of those taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge. They are aiming to become the oldest all-women crew to row an ocean.

"It's like a nudist camp on this boat (of course we wouldn't know what that is like but can imagine)."

Janette Benaddi, Yorkshire Rows team member said.

The team - who have faced a hurricane, attacks from flying fish and power failures - described their boat as being "like a nudist camp".

Frances Davies (left to right), Helen Butters, Niki Doeg and Janette Benaddi

Writing in their blog, Mrs Benaddi, from Burn, North Yorkshire, said: "Things are starting to get a little smelly. We have no clean clothes to wear (didn't bring much anyway), alas we are naked.
"It's good for our skin and also when waves hit we dry quick.
"It's like a nudist camp on this boat (of course we wouldn't know what that is like but can imagine)."

"It's like a nudist camp on this boat" - a snippet from Janette's brilliant blog as the team marks 4 weeks at sea! https://t.co/MgoJZ8ZyKq

— Yorkshire Rows (@yorkshirerows) January 19, 2016

She added: "We have not washed our hair now for four weeks since leaving land. Personal hygiene consists of a wash down with baby wipes and application of surgical spirit to our behinds and hands after each shift and that's it."
During their month at sea, the women have encountered Hurricane Alex and suffered a power failure, which left them steering by hand, using a compass and manually converting sea water into drinking water.
 
The women have encountered Hurricane Alex and suffered a power failure
Mrs Butters, from Cawood, North Yorkshire, suffered from seasickness and Ms Doeg, who celebrated her 45th birthday on the boat, developed an infected fingernail, a pressure sore and a bruised coccyx following a fall.
But they described rowing with a whale and a pod of dolphins as "amazing".

The women, each a mother-of-two, said it was hard being away from their families and thanked them for their support.
Mrs Butters, whose daughter Lucy celebrated her 16th birthday last week, said her aim was to be back home by the February half-term school holiday.
"We are all really happy to have passed the halfway mark and we are all still in really high spirits. We are basically just rowing, eating and sleeping. It is hard, especially not seeing our families, but we knew it was going to be tough," she said.
"We have all been inspired by each other, and are so much closer than we were before. We really can't wait to see our families in Antigua and are really going to appreciate things a bit more - I think in that sense it will change our lives."
The team are raising money to build a Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre in Leeds and for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

(c) The Telegraph

Mahrez is Algeria's best player in 2015

Leicester City star Riyad Mahrez has been voted the Algerian Player of the Year, narrowly beating Porto's Yacine Brahimi to the award.
Football players and journalists from around the Arab world voted in a poll held by newspaper Al Haddaf and it was the 24-year-old who finished first.

Mahrez has been pivotal to Leicester's rise to the top of the Premier League this season, finding the net 13 times in 22 Premier League games, adding seven assists.

ALGERIAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR VOTES

RIYAD MAHREZ                                                  29.5%

YACINE BRAHIMI                                               28.8%

ISLAM SLIMANI                                                 17.3%

FAOUZI GHOULAM                                            11.5%

SOFIANE FEGHOULI                                           6.5%

The winger, who was the only player nominated to turn up to the ceremony in which Mohamed Abou Trika handed over the award, received 29.51 per cent of the vote, beating Brahimi by less than one percent, with the midfielder getting 28.84%.

Sporting's Islam Slimani came in third (17.38%), while Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam (11.56%) and Sofiane Feghouli of Valencia finished fourth (6.5%) and fifth respectively.

(c) Goal

Panthers crush Cardinals to set up Super Bowl with Denver Broncos

Cam Newton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others, and Carolina’s big-play defense stifled the league’s top-ranked offense in a 49-15 romp on Sunday for the NFC championship. It was the most points for a winner of an NFC title game.
The NFL’s new top man at quarterback — Newton is an All-Pro this season — will lead the Panthers against five-time MVP Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in two weeks.
“Playing the sheriff,” Newton said of Manning. “We’re going to live in the moment right now. We’re going to be excited.”

It will be Newton’s first trip to the Super Bowl and the second trip to the big game for the Panthers (17-1), who lost to New England 12 years ago. Denver, of course, have made a habit of going to Super Bowls, reaching it for a record-tying eighth time.

“We won as a team,” Newton said. “We came out here and fought our tails off and we did what a lot of people said we couldn’t do. It’s not over yet. We’ll be ready to go in two weeks.”
And while the Broncos’ defense carried the team past New England 20-18 for the AFC crown, Carolina’s D was just as destructive. They picked off Carson Palmer four times, forced two fumbles by him, and never let up the assault.
Special teams also had a takeaway, and when Carolina grabbed a 24-7 halftime lead this time, they didn’t back off, as they did in nearly blowing a 31-point margin a week ago against Seattle.
When Newton flew into the end zone for a 12-yard third-quarter touchdown, dabbed a bit, and pointed the Panthers toward the Bay Area and Super Bowl 50.

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Newton

Newton finished with 335 yards passing and 47 rushing as Carolina won their 13th straight home game, including three in the playoffs.
One of his biggest helpers was Ted Ginn Jr, who was dumped by the Cardinals after last season. Ginn had a 32-yard punt return to set up his weaving 22-yard TD run, and chased down All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson to prevent a second-quarter touchdown. He also had 52 yards on two receptions.
Carolina’s defense did the rest, most notably making Palmer uncomfortable in the pocket and turning Larry Fitzgerald, the star of last week’s overtime victory against Green Bay, into a virtual non-entity. The unit led the league with 39 takeaways, and at times they made an Arizona team that gained more yards than anyone look amateurish.
Capping the barrage was All-Pro Luke Kuechly, who returned an interception 22 yards for a score. The 49 points were the most this season for Carolina, who led the NFL with 500 points.

(c) The Guardian