French defender Eric Abidal is expected to announce his retirement from professional football in a press conference on Friday. The former Barcelona defender had to undergo a liver transplant during his time with the Catalan side after he was diagnosed with a tumour in his liver and remarkably returned to action to lift the Champions League trophy in 2011. Abidal left Barcelona shortly after, joining former club Monaco, before moving to Greek side Olympiacos but it is now being reported that the defender played his final game against Panionios on Wednesday evening. Capped 67 times by France, Abidal played 90…
Author: Staff Writer
Portuguese daily Record claim on the front page of their Thursday paper that Tottenham are ready to sign Jackson Martinez. The Colombian striker has been long linked with a move to the Premier League, with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs interested and it now seems that the 28-year-old is closer than ever to moving to England. Spurs are in desperate need to improve their attacking options after Emmanuel Adebayor was given an indefinite leave period following personal problems and the form of Roberto Soldado continues to be hot and cold. The paper claims that Spurs would…
Atletico Madrid are yet to receive a formal offer from Manchester United for defender Miranda. The English club have been long term admirers of the Brazilian centre-back but failed in the summer to agree a transfer fee with the Spanish champions as they resisted a sale due to the impressive partnership of him and Uruguayan Diego Godin. Miranda will see his contract expire next summer; a contract which includes a buy-out clause of £24m, but reports in Spanish and English press have claimed that Atletico officials would sell the defender for less, rather than allow him leave for free in…
Roberto Mancini says Mario Balotelli would like to replicate the success of Zlatan Ibrahimovic but needs to learn a few things first. The pair played together at Inter Milan under Roberto Mancini, when Balotelli was just a teenager, but the Italian boss has said that the Liverpool striker has always wanted to emulate the Swedish striker in his career. “Mario would like to emulate Ibrahimovic,” said Mancini at an event held at the Bocconi University in Milan. “But Zlatan has a few more years and has accumulated a degree of experience, quality, class and strength that he [Balotelli] is yet…
Barcelona youngster Adama Traore says he wants to emulate the same success of Lionel Messi. The 18-year-old scored a superb individual goal against Huesca in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday evening to further add to his glowing reputation. Having signed a new and improved deal last month which will keep him at the club until 2018, the youngster, who has figured pro-dominantly for the B-side this season, has set his sights high for his career. “My heroes were Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, and now it is Messi,” the teenager said at an event for Adidas on Wednesday. Traore then discussed…
Sebastian Giovinco could still join Arsenal, according to the Juventus forward’s agent. The 27-year-old Italy international has been linked with a move to the Premier League in recent times with Arsenal a heavy linked club. However, the forward has always remained calm and collected about his future in Italian football, by claiming he wants to remain in his home country. But, that has now changed according to his agent, Andrea D’Amico, who told Sky Sport Italia that a move to Arsenal could be back on the cards. “Giovinco to Arsenal? At the moment only Juventus can negotiate with him, later…
Liverpool striker Mario Balotelli has been banned for one-match and hit with a £25,000 fine by the Football Association for an offensive Instagram post. A picture of video game character Super Mario accompanied with text caused controversy after the Football Association deemed it racist and anti-semitic. The Italian striker immediately apologised for the post, claiming it was meant to be ‘anti-racist’, though he said that it could be seen as offensive. Despite that, the Football Association have decided to ban the striker for one match, meaning he will miss the important tie against Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday. “Following an…
Malaga keeper Guillermo Ochoa is ready to force through a January move to Liverpool, Football Express understands. The Mexican keeper joined the Spanish side in the summer after impressing for his country during the World Cup in Brazil. However, he has failed to play regular football, having played second fiddle to Cameroon stopper Carlos Kameni. And, despite the club’s sporting director Mario Husillos denying that a move to Merseyside is likely to happen in a recent radio interview with Cadena COPE. It is now understood that the 29-year-old wants to hold a meeting before the winter break with the Andalusian…
Manchester United are ready to make a lucrative bid for Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale, according to reports in Spanish press. The Welshman, who joined the Spanish giants from Tottenham Hotspur last summer has emerged as a transfer target for United after Madrid were linked with a move for various other attacking players. Bale’s impressive form with Madrid continues but the European champions are in need of funds to make a move for other targets that have been short-listed by boss Carlo Ancelotti. Louis van Gaal is now ready to offer Los Blancos a huge sum to land the forward when…
Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis has said his club will not join the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in the race to sign Palermo forward Paulo Dybala. Dybala has been attracting some of European football’s biggest clubs of late after a string of solid and consistent performances for the Serie A side. The youngster has been told he can leave the Italian club next summer but only if clubs are willing to pay as much as £31m. The likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Napoli have been leading with their interest in the youngster, but the latter have now backed out…