London (AFP) – Manchester United have agreed to sell Dutch winger Memphis Depay to Lyon for a fee that could reach around 25 million euros ($26.7 million), British media reported on Wednesday. Depay, 22, joined United from PSV Eindhoven for a reported fee of £25 million ($30.7 million, 28.8 million euros) in June 2015. But […]

London (AFP) – English striker Patrick Bamford has returned to Middlesbrough from Premier League leaders Chelsea on a four-and-a-half-year contract, his new club announced on Wednesday. "Middlesbrough have secured the signing of striker Patrick Bamford from Chelsea for an undisclosed fee," Middlesbrough announced on their website. British media reports said Bamford had cost Boro around […]

Libreville (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted for the second time in as many games but Africa Cup of Nations hosts Gabon were again held to a 1-1 draw by Burkina Faso in Libreville on Wednesday. Prejuce Nakoulma silenced the Stade de l'Amitie as he gave Burkina Faso an early lead but Aubameyang soon levelled from […]

Franceville (Gabon) (AFP) – Algeria have injury worries in attack ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations clash with neighbours Tunisia on Thursday with Islam Slimani struggling and Hilal Soudani ruled out. At a press conference on Wednesday coach Georges Leekens confirmed that Dinamo Zagreb striker Soudani will miss the game in Franceville, south-eastern Gabon, […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund's Colombia striker Adrian Ramos is set to quit the Bundesliga to join Chinese Super League club Chongqing Dangdai Lifan, the German team said. Sixth-placed Dortmund, who face Benfica in the last 16 of the Champions League next month, are at Werder Bremen on Saturday when the Bundesliga resumes after the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United have appointed a counter-terrorism manager and believe they are the first Premier League club to do so, reports said on Wednesday. The English football giants, who suffered two embarrassing security blunders in recent months, appointed an unnamed former member of the Manchester police and made the announcement at a fans' […]

London (AFP) – The number of football clubs who have been brought up in the historic sex abuse inquiry which has rocked the sport has risen by 100 in the past month to 248 in figures released on Wednesday. The clubs range from Premier League to amateur level and the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) […]

Madrid (AFP) – Louis van Gaal says he is not definitely done with football just yet, after appearing to suggest earlier this week that he was retiring from the game at 65. The Dutchman, who was sacked by Manchester United last year after an uninspiring stint at Old Trafford, had told popular daily tabloid De […]

London (AFP) – Diego Costa could be back in the Chelsea starting line-up against Hull on Sunday after he made up with the Premier League leaders' manager Antonio Conte, British media reported Wednesday. The 28-year-old striker — whose 14 goals this season has spurred Chelsea to a seven-point lead at the top of the table […]

Franceville (Gabon) (AFP) – Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal will become the first qualifiers for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals if they defeat upstarts Zimbabwe in Franceville on Thursday. Senegal enter the match with three points, Algeria and Zimbabwe have one each and Tunisia none. The northern African neighbours meet in the first match of […]

London (AFP) – Christian Benteke spared Sam Allardyce's blushes as the Crystal Palace striker came off the bench to inspire a 2-1 win over Bolton, while Lincoln and Sutton pulled off shock victories in Tuesday's FA Cup third round replays. Palace manager Allardyce had gone five matches without a win since replacing the sacked Alan […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has rejected offers from Chinese Super League clubs that would have paid the Ivorian around £430,000 a week ($533,000), reports said on Tuesday. Toure is out of contract at the end of the season and has been approached by clubs from China who have been splashing on […]

Marseille (AFP) – Marseille are set to seal the signing of exciting French midfielder Morgan Sanson from Ligue 1 rivals Montpellier in a deal worth up to 12 million euros ($13 million). The 22-year-old will arrive in Marseille this week to undergo a medical and becomes Marseille's first signing of the winter transfer window. They […]

Port-Gentil (Gabon) (AFP) – Essam El Hadary became the oldest player ever to appear at the Africa Cup of Nations as Egypt drew 0-0 with Mali on their return to the tournament on Tuesday. The 44-year-old goalkeeper came off the bench in the first half to replace the injured Ahmed El Shennawy and beat the […]

London (AFP) – Antonio Valencia will stay at Manchester United until 2018 after the Premier League club triggered a one-year extension clause in his contract. Valencia has established himself as Jose Mourinho's first-choice right-back and has now been rewarded with an extended stay at United. The 31-year-old is a key figure at Old Trafford, making […]