London (AFP) – Rocked by Arsenal's humiliating 4-0 defeat at Liverpool, Arsene Wenger faces a series of damaging transfer window defections that threaten to derail his side's already chaotic season. With the transfer deadline looming at 2200 GMT on Thursday, Gunners boss Wenger finds himself mired in a mess of his own making as Alexis […]

Paris (AFP) – The race to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia is hotting up with just four rounds of games remaining in the European qualifying campaign. AFP Sports casts a glance over each group ahead of back-to-back rounds of fixtures over the next week: Group A: France in Dutch showdown An error […]

Burton-on-Trent (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has congratulated his club for completing a deal to sign long-term target Naby Keita from RB Leipzig. The 22-year-old Guinea midfielder will arrive in July 2018 after Liverpool paid his reported £48 million ($62.2 million, 51.6 million euros) release clause, as well as an additional premium. […]

Monaco (AFP) – French champions Monaco raided Serie A to sign Senegal forward Keita Balde and Montenegrin international striker Stevan Jovetic on Tuesday, from Lazio and Inter Milan respectively. Balde, 22, who has made 12 international appearances, joined on a five-year deal for a reported 30 million euros ($35.9m) after impressing with 16 goals in […]

Al-Ain (United Arab Emirates) (AFP) – The UAE maintained their hopes of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia with a shock 2-1 victory at home against regional giants Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. It was only the fourth win in nine matches for the Emiratis, who took their tally to 13 points from nine […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Bolivia will have to forfeit two 2018 World Cup qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected their appeal on Tuesday. The decision by CAS in Lausanne means the country can no longer qualify for next year's World Cup finals in Russia. Bolivia played defender […]

London (AFP) – Gordon Strachan has demanded Scotland get to train on Lithuania's plastic pitch in the exact condition it will be during their crucial World Cup qualifier. Strachan's side are due to play their first ever full international clash on an artificial surface when the face Lithuania at the LFF Arena in Vilnius on […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentina's River Plate has threatened Bayer Leverkusen after the German league side put striker Lucas Alario through a medical examination without his club's consent. Leverkusen want to sign Argentina international Alario, who has scored 41 goals in 82 games and won four trophies with River Plate, to replace Mexico striker Javier […]

Monaco (AFP) – Monaco confirmed the signing of Montenegrin international striker Stevan Jovetic on Tuesday on a four-year deal from Inter Milan. The 27-year-old Montenegro captain is set to inherit the number 10 shirt worn by Kylian Mbappe, with the teen sensation's mega money move to Paris Saint-Germain expected imminently. Jovetic started out with Partizan […]

Madrid (AFP) – David Villa says he is floating on "a little cloud" after the 35-year-old's recall by Spain for the first time since the 2014 World Cup. Spain's all-time top scorer with 59 goals in 97 appearances seemed to have ruled himself out of future selection by joining MLS side New York City in […]

London (AFP) – Former Manchester United star Roy Keane has slammed the "mind-boggling" spending of clubs paying huge fees for "average" players in a historically frenzied transfer window. Keane, who now works as assistant to Republic of Ireland coach Martin O'Neill, has been shocked by some of the sums paid by Europe's top clubs since […]

Lyon (AFP) – Celta Vigo midfielder Pape Diop has signed a five-year contract with Lyon, the French Ligue 1 side announced on Tuesday. The 19-year-old moves to France in a deal reported to be worth 10 million euros ($12m) with 4 million euros in add-ons. He is the seventh new recruit at Lyon who have […]

London (AFP) – Guinea international midfielder Naby Keita will join Premier League giants Liverpool next year after the English outfit agreed a reported club record deal of £48 million ($62 million, 51.9 million euros) with German side RB Leipzig. Liverpool will also reportedly pay an undisclosed premium for the 22-year-old, who scored eight goals in […]

London (AFP) – Guinea international midfielder Naby Keita will join Premier League giants Liverpool next year after the English outfit agreed a reported club record deal of £48 million ($62 million, 51.9 million euros) with German side RB Leipzig. Liverpool will also reportedly pay an undisclosed premium for the 22-year-old, who scored eight goals in […]

Seoul (AFP) – Iran have sparked a war of words in South Korea after complaining about the state of their training pitch ahead of Thursday's crucial World Cup Asia zone qualifier. With the visitors already having secured their place as Group A winners and only the runner-up sure to join them in Russia, the heat […]