Month: December 2024

Anderlecht chief Herman Van Holsbeeck has revealed that star player Cheikhou Kouyate is available for sale.

Arsenal are believed to be leading the chase for the Senegalese defender, while a number of other Premier League clubs are also keen.

And all the interested sides have received some welcoming news this week as Anderlecht seem ready to cash in on their prized asset.

“We expect to keep our star players, but Kouyate could leave,” general manager Herman Van Holsbeeck .

“We know there is interest in him in the Premier League. If a suitable offer arrives he can leave.”

Cheikhou Kouyate arrived in Belgium as a youngster, joining Brussels in 2006, and it was in 2008 that he signed for Anderlecht on a free transfer.

The defender has …

Market: Getafe win

Odds: 21/20 @

Only looking to widen their buffer over the drop zone when this weekend s La Liga fixtures get underway, Getafe will welcome a struggling Levante to the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez on Friday night.

Starting with the hosts, managing to head into the winter break with a deserved point away at European contenders Real Sociedad, the mood in Getafe s camp should be at a real high. Despite opening the 2021/22 campaign tipped as a standout pick to lose their La Liga status this season, the Blues have suddenly skyrocketed their way out of the bottom-three. Losing just one of their last five outings, a run highlighted by a shock 1-0 win at home against Real Madrid last month, Quique Sánchez Flores men should be smelling another golden chance…

Wes Hoolahan has urged Norwich City to reconsider their rejection of his transfer request.

The Republic of Ireland international is a reported target for Aston Villa, managed by former Norwich boss Paul Lambert, and eager to leave Carrow Road after making just five Premier League starts this season.

Norwich confirmed on Tuesday that a transfer request from Hoolahan had been turned down, with the midfielder contracted to the club until June 2015.

However, in a statement released to Sky Sports, Hoolahan has reiterated his desire to move on.

Following a meeting with the club chief executive, I felt I had no option but to hand in a transfer request, the statement read.

I have noted that request has been turned down however, I believe it is in the best interest …

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists Jordan Henderson was not forced out but admits he could not offer the former captain guaranteed playing time and so it was “better he moved on”.

In an interview during the international break Henderson, 33, claimed he did not feel wanted when he returned from his summer break and that is why he chose to join Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ettifaq.

However, Klopp said there was no “bad blood” between the pair.

“Hendo said the truth, in all departments, that’s how it was,” said the manager.

“We had our talks and I told Hendo I wanted him to stay but we had to talk in these conversations about the possibility of not playing regularly.

“I cannot have a talk before a season and tell a player they will have …

Uruguay host Argentina in their final FIFA World Cup qualifier having all but given up hope of reaching Brazil 2014 automatically.

Oscar Tabarez s side missed the opportunity to climb into the top four of the CONMEBOL section when they lost 1-0 to Ecuador last Friday, and that result means they head into Tuesday s game against the pool winners with only the faintest chance of automatic qualification.

Uruguay, who are already guaranteed to at least go into an intercontinental play-off by virtue of finishing fifth, must defeat Argentina convincingly while also hoping one of Chile and Ecuador placed third and fourth respectively win their meeting in Santiago handsomely.

The 2011 Copa America winners also had to rely on the play-off route to the 2010 finals, when the…

Ayoub El Kaabi was the hero as Olympiacos won their first major European honour in history, snatching a dramatic 1-0 extra-time victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.

After nothing could separate the sides inside 90 minutes, talisman El Kaabi scored a 116th-minute winner at the AEK Arena as Olympiacos became the first Greek side to win a major European competition.

Once again, Fiorentina fell at the final hurdle of this competition, with La Viola also losing out to West Ham in the Prague showpiece last season.

Greek greatness will be cherished by Olympiacos and head coach Jose Luis Mendilibar, who secured continental glory in successive seasons following his Europa League triumph with Sevilla this time last year.

OLYMPIACOS HAVE WO…

Marcel Desailly believes Spain will go down as the greatest national side in history if they claim FIFA World Cup glory in Brazil.

The former defender was part of the France squad that won the World Cup on home soil in 1998, before going on to lift the UEFA European Championships trophy two years later with an extra-time win over Italy in a dramatic final.

Desailly has since seen that achievement bettered by a dominant Spanish outfit, who have won three consecutive major tournaments between 2008 and 2012, playing an attractive, possession-based style of football.

Should they go on and make it four in a row by defending their world title won in South Africa four years ago, Desailly believes they will undoubtedly become the greatest international side of all time.

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Didier Deschamps thanked fans after France landed back in Paris following their cruel World Cup final defeat to Argentina on Sunday.

Les Bleus were looking to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, but they were beaten 4-2 on penalties by Argentina after an enthralling 3-3 draw.

Kylian Mbappe s hat-trick helped France recover from 2-0 and then 3-2 down, but Aurelien Tchoumeni and Kingsley Coman failed to convert in the shoot-out as Deschamps men fell to a heartbreaking defeat.

Nevertheless, the team were greeted by a mass crowd as they returned to Paris on Monday, and Deschamps expressed his appreciation for the support after such a crushing loss.

It is our duty with the players to thank all these French men and women who sup…

I for one am not sure which is weirder; the fact that Hatem Ben Arfa is a player, or the fact that believe that he could be the man to salvage their season. Regardless, that is indeed what reports this week have suggested. The Hammers are weighing up either a loan move or a permanent deal, according to , to bring the French international to West London in January.

Newcastle fans may remember Ben Arfa s stunning solo effort against Bolton in 2012, but in three seasons with the Magpies he never managed to score more than five Premier League goals in a campaign. The talent at the Frenchman s disposal is obvious, but his consistency and attitude have often been called into question.

Naturally then, West Ham, who are in free fall this season, are reportedly going to turn t…

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lauded Theo Walcott as a completely different player after the forward continued his impressive start to the season.

Walcott netted his third Premier League goal of the campaign as Wenger s men claimed a 3-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday.

The England international was hailed by his manager after Arsenal claimed a league win over their London rivals for the first time since October 2011.

You cannot question his performance, Wenger told a news conference.

But I believe more the change in Theo Walcott is his attitude to this season. He s ready to fight, commit and straight away he gets the crowd behind him.

Theo Walcott of that stature is a completely different player.

Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil were also o…