Madrid (AFP) – Barcelona forward Rafinha has joined Celta Vigo on loan until the end of the season, the clubs announced on Monday. Rafinha spent a year on loan at Celta in 2013-14 and will rejoin the Galician side in the hope of being given more opportunities to play. Barca have also extended Rafinha's contract […]

Paris (AFP) – Argentine striker Mauro Icardi, unwanted at Inter Milan, joined Paris Saint-Germain late on Monday in a loan, "with an option to buy" the Parisian club said. Icardi was the joint top-scorer in Serie A in 2017-18 with 29 goals. But last season, he was stripped of the club captaincy amid a contract […]

London (AFP) – England star Jadon Sancho fears players will lose their love of football unless racist abuse is stamped out. Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku was the latest victim on Sunday when the former Manchester United player was subjected to monkey chants before taking a penalty at Cagliari. Sancho's England team-mate Marcus Rashford, Manchester […]

Paris (AFP) – Frustrated Liverpool star Sadio Mane and goal-scoring Barcelona teenager Ansu Fati shared the spotlight among Africans in the major European leagues at the weekend. Senegalese Mane was angry that Egyptian Mohamed Salah did not pass to him just before he was substituted in a routine 3-0 Premier League win at Burnley. Fati, […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Scotland striker Oli McBurnie has addressed his team-mates after a social media video allegedly caught him showing a lack of commitment to the national side. Sheffield United star McBurnie was reportedly heard on camera in the Bramall Lane tunnel saying he hoped not to be called up by Scotland during a conversation […]

Paris (AFP) – Goalkeeper Keylor Navas has joined Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer deadline day deal from Real Madrid with the French international Alphonse Areola moving in the opposite direction. Navas, a 32-year-old Costa Rican played 104 times at Madrid winning the Champions League three times, and represents a safe pair of hands as first […]

London (AFP) – Brighton striker Florin Andone joined Turkish champions Galatasaray on a season-long loan on Monday. Romania international Andone endured a difficult spell with the Premier League club and Albion boss Graham Potter has allowed him to leave for more regular first-team action. Brighton have an option to recall Andone in January as part […]

Rome (AFP) – Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk is on the shortlist to add FIFA's best player award to his UEFA Men's Player of the Year honour. The Dutch international denied Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the European title last week and the same trio are in the running for the FIFA accolade to […]

Madrid (AFP) – Kieran Trippier had just finished his Atletico Madrid debut and while all the other players had gone, he stayed on the pitch a little longer. He had his first victory, a clean sheet, and an assist too, swinging in the cross for Alvaro Morata's winner. As he walked off, Trippier pointed at […]

Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) (AFP) – Lewis Hamilton on Monday predicted more success for his triumphant Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc and tipped the Monegasque driver as the favourite for this week's Italian Grand Prix at Monza. After finishing second behind Leclerc at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, a race weekend overshadowed by the death of […]

Rome (AFP) – Italy full-back Matteo Darmian has joined Parma after four seasons with Manchester United, the Serie A club announced on Monday. The 29-year-old joined United from Torino in 2015, but fell out of favour after his first season and made only 14 Premier League appearances across the last two campaigns. Parma said Darmian […]

Madrid (AFP) – Mexican striker Javier Hernandez has joined Sevilla from West Ham on a three-year deal, the Spanish club announced on Monday. "Sevilla FC and West Ham United have reached an agreement for the transfer of Javier Hernandez, known as 'Chicharito'," Sevilla wrote in a statement. "The striker has signed a three-year contract." Hernandez's […]

Berlin (AFP) – Eintracht Frankfurt's Croatian forward Ante Rebic is on his way to AC Milan on a two-year loan in a swap with Portugal's Andre Silva, the Bundesliga club confirmed on Monday. "The two clubs have reached agreement and if all goes well Andre Silva will be wearing the (Frankfurt) eagle on his shirt […]

Rome (AFP) – Napoli have signed Fernando Llorente on a free transfer after the Spaniard's two-year spell at Tottenham came to an end, the Serie A club announced on Monday. The club did not say how long the 34-year-old striker's contract was for, although Italian media reported he had signed a two-year deal. Llorente made […]

Milan (AFP) – Italian football was involved in another racism storm on Sunday as Romelu Lukaku was targeted by monkey chants before putting Inter Milan top of Serie A with the winning penalty in their 2-1 triumph at Cagliari. Lukaku — a 65 million euros ($73 million) summer signing from Manchester United– was preparing to […]