London (AFP) – Chelsea have reached an agreement to buy Spain international striker Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid for a reported 80 million euros ($92.2 million), the two clubs announced on Wednesday. "Chelsea Football Club and Real Madrid have agreed terms for the transfer of Alvaro Morata to Stamford Bridge," Chelsea said on their club website. […]

London (AFP) – Aston Villa have signed Egyptian international midfielder Ahmed Elmohamady from Championship rivals Hull City for a fee of £1 million ($1.3 million, 1.13 million euros), the club confirmed Wednesday. Villa boss Steve Bruve has raided his former club to sign the 29-year-old, who he managed at Sunderland and Hull. Elmohamady, who's signed […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Arsenal were ravaged by food poisoning in Shanghai that ruled several key players out of their pre-season friendly with Bayern Munich on Wednesday, manager Arsene Wenger said. Wenger's ailing men were outplayed for long periods by Bayern before salvaging a last-gasp 1-1 draw and then winning 3-2 on penalties. But the Frenchman […]

Newcastle (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Newcastle United have wrapped up the signing of England under-21 international winger Jacob Murphy from Championship side Norwich City for a reported fee of £12 million (13.6 million euros, $15.6 million), the club confirmed Wednesday. The Magpies had a bid for the 22-year-old accepted by Norwich on Monday, and Murphy […]

Madrid (AFP) – Angel Maria Villar's future as the head of the Spanish football federation was in serious doubt on Wednesday following his arrest as part of a vast anti-corruption probe. Villar, his son Gorka Villar, and several Spanish federation executives were detained by police in a series of early morning raids on Tuesday on […]

London (AFP) – Poland stopper Wojciech Szczesny has completed a move from Arsenal to Italian champions Juventus for an undisclosed fee, both clubs confirmed Wednesday. Having passed a medical in Turin Szczesny put pen to paper on a four-year deal expected to be worth around £13.3 million ($17.4 million, 15 million euros). Szczesny spent the […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – New signing Dominic Solanke came off the bench to score as Liverpool beat Crystal Palace 2-0 in a preseason game in Hong Kong on Wednesday. The 19-year-old suggested he could prove a summer bargain at just $4 million as he linked up well with fellow striker Divock Origi, who also got […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer will replace Philipp Lahm as Bayern Munich's skipper for next season, the Bundesliga champions' chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed. "Our number one is the number one (choice) — Manuel Neuer," Rummenigge told Munich daily newspaper TZ. "He is an established professional, who will take the armband […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool are set to sign Hull City defender Andy Robertson after agreeing a fee of around £10 million ($13 million, 11.3 million euros) for the Scotland international on Wednesday, according to media reports. The 23-year-old left-back has left Hull's pre-season training camp in Portugal in order to have a medical with the […]

London (AFP) – England international goalkeeper Fraser Forster has signed a new five-year deal with Southampton, the Premier League club confirmed Wednesday. The 29-year-old had agreed a contract last summer until 2021, but the former Celtic stopper has now extended that for another season. Forster arrived from Celtic in 2014 and has established himself as […]

London (AFP) – Austrian international forward Marko Arnautovic is to undergo a medical at West Ham United on Wednesday after the London club agreed a £24 million ($31 million, 27 million euros) fee with Stoke City. West Ham had two previous bids rejected for the 28-year-old, but Stoke have decided to cash in after the […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has revealed he is targeting a 15-year stay at Old Trafford, telling ESPN in an interview on Tuesday he wants to restore the stability of the Alex Ferguson era. Mourinho, who took over the Premier League giants last year, told the network's website that he is […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea manager Antonio Conte signed a new two-year deal with the Premier League giants on Wednesday as the club moved to quell reports of a rift with the Italian. The deal was confirmed as Conte, who guided Chelsea to the title in his first season last year, prepares to take his squad […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – US coach Bruce Arena will look to the old guard when his team attempts to book a place in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals with victory over El Salvador on Wednesday. Having squeezed into the knockout rounds on goal difference, the Americans have taken full advantage of tournament rules that allow […]

Pachuca (Mexico) (AFP) – Japan international Keisuke Honda surprised journalists by speaking passable Spanish as he gave his debut press conference Tuesday at his new club, Mexico's Pachuca. The 31-year-old, who signed with the Mexican first-division club last week after a three-year stint at AC Milan, amused sports reporters covering his arrival in Mexico by […]