London (AFP) – Southampton have been taken over by Serbian businessman Dragan Solak's Sport Republic investment firm, the English Premier League club announced Tuesday. Sport Republic, who specialise in sport and entertainment investments, have purchased the 80 percent shareholding in the south coast side previously owned by Jisheng Gao. But while the Chinese businessman, who […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has tested positive for Covid-19, the club announced on Tuesday, the day after he played in a French Cup match. Donnarumma will miss Sunday's Ligue 1 match in Lyon with Costa Rican Keylor Navas likely to fill in. The 22-year-old Italian international joins a growing list of […]

London (AFP) – Everton have signed right-back Nathan Patterson from Scottish champions Rangers on a five-and-a-half-year deal, the English Premier League club announced Tuesday. The 20-year-old Scotland international, who has joined for an undisclosed fee, is the Merseysiders' second signing of the January transfer window following the arrival at Goodison Park of Ukraine left-back Vitaliy […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich are facing the possibility of not being able to field a team for Friday's Bundesliga encounter with Borussia Moenchengladbach after Leroy Sane and Dayot Upamecano joined the long list of players hit by Covid-19 on Tuesday. "Both players are well and are self-isolating," Bayern said in a statement. The two […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – An online auction of some 90 items owned by the late football icon Diego Maradona has closed with a house and BMW unsold, but most other keepsakes spoken for, its organizer said Tuesday. The December 19 auction had been prolonged by several days after the most expensive pieces failed to attract […]

Madrid (AFP) – Xavi Hernandez is still hopeful Ousmane Dembele will decide to stay at Barcelona, insisting the Frenchman would not be happier anywhere else. Dembele's contract expires in the summer and a new deal is yet to be agreed, with Barca's negotiating power hampered by debts of more than 1 billion euros ($1.13 billion). […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Wolves' Joao Moutinho wants his team's victory at Manchester United to act as a springboard after scoring the winner in the club's first success at Old Trafford in 42 years. Moutinho's goal gave Wolves a 1-0 win on Monday to leave the Midlands club eighth in the Premier League — […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Mohamed Salah, in prolific form for Liverpool this season, will lead Egypt against bogey team Nigeria in a blockbuster Group D opener at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon. Salah leads all scorers in the Premier League this season with 16 goals, including one in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea on […]

Paris (AFP) – Goals do wonders for a striker's value, but in the January transfer window it may be the hard-running, tireless midfielder that is all the rage, due to data becoming an increasingly decisive factor in buying players. Liverpool are renowned for relying on data when delving into the transfer market as they operate […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Three months on since a controversial takeover by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund was given the green light by the Premier League, Newcastle have the chance to splash their new-found wealth in the January transfer window. The Magpies are badly in need of reinforcements just to remain in the English […]

Madrid (AFP) – A second half goal from Lucas Ocampos was enough for Sevilla to claim a 1-0 win at Cadiz on Monday and move five points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid. Oihan Sancet bagged a hat-trick in Athletic Bilbao's 3-1 win over Osasuna while Villarreal hammered bottom side Levante 5-0. Sevilla struggled to break down […]

Vannes (France) (AFP) – Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain overcame their Covid crisis and a drone-related interruption to ease into the French Cup last 16 on Monday with a 4-0 win over fourth-division Vannes. Despite the absence of five PSG players including superstar Lionel Messi and Danilo after positive tests for Covid-19, […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United defender Luke Shaw accused his side of lacking enough aggression, intensity and motivation after a meek 1-0 home defeat to Wolves on Monday. A fourth league defeat in 10 games at Old Trafford this season leaves United still languishing in seventh, four points adrift of the top four. […]

Lyon (AFP) – Jura Sud goalkeeper Cedric Mensah described his shock on Monday after crowd trouble "cut the legs" from under the fourth-tier minnows in a 4-1 French Cup defeat to Ligue 1 outfit Saint-Etienne. "The incidents cut our legs from under us. We were caught off our guard," Mensah told Le Progres newspaper. The […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Wolves ended Ralf Rangnick's unbeaten start as Manchester United interim manager on Monday as Joao Moutinho's strike earned a deserved 1-0 win at Old Trafford. A first home defeat to Wolves in 42 years leaves United still seventh in the Premier League table, four points adrift of the top four. […]