Borussia Dortmund assistant coach Rene Maric has claimed reports linking Axel Witsel with a €5million move to Aston Villa are obvious nonsense .
Premier League club Villa are in the market for a midfielder and are rumoured to have been offered Dortmund s 32-year-old Belgium international Witsel.
Injury blighted Witsel s 2020-21 campaign but the former Zenit St Petersburg midfielder has started all three of Dortmund s Bundesliga games so far this season, and the DFB-Supercup, albeit he has been required to fill in at the back rather than in his usual role.
Witsel played the full match as Dortmund edged out Hoffenheim 3-2 thanks to Erling Haaland s late winner on Friday, though that did not stop speculation over his future.
However, in a comical twist, D…
Two-goal Ross Barkley praised England s character after they came from behind to thrash Montenegro 5-1 in Podgorica on Monday.
Marko Vesovic s well-taken opener had put the hosts ahead early on, but Barkley set up Michael Keane for the equaliser before scoring twice to put the game beyond their opponents.
Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling added gloss to the scoreline late on and Barkley was impressed with how the Three Lions responded to the early setback to make it two wins from two in Euro 2020 qualifying Group A.
Montenegro was always going to be a hard test but we showed character to come back and put in a positive performance, he told ITV. It was a great night for myself.
His first goal since October 2015
It s great having you back with us,…
French side Bordeaux have made a formal offer to sign Brazilian winger Wellington Silva, according to the Brazilian media outlet Esporte.
Fluminense forward has made 48 appearances and scored 8 goals for his club since returning to his boyhood club from Bolton Wanderers in 2016.
The 24-year-old has spent the majority of his European six-year spell on loans away from Premier League giants who still hold 55% of the player’s economic right.
Wellington da Silva played for Levante, Alcoyano, Ponferradina, Murcia, Almeria and Bolton prior to returning to the club he left in 2010 after only two senior appearances.
The former Brazil Under-21 international is now wanted by the French top-flight outfit Bordeaux who are looking to bolster their ranks for next se…
Juventus swapped Champions League heartbreak for Serie A joy as they sealed the title with a 2-1 win over Fiorentina at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Bundled out of Europe by Ajax in midweek, Massimiliano Allegri s men completed a domestic formality thanks to Alex Sandro s first-half header and a German Pezzella own goal eight minutes after the interval.
One point stood between Juve and an eighth-successive Scudetto and they were made to work for all three following Nikola Milenkovic s surprise sixth-minute opener.
The woodwork twice prevented Federico Chiesa from making life more difficult for the Bianconeri, but they shook off the lethargy in the second half to open an insurmountable lead over second-place Napoli.
Juve s confidence, diminished after…
Mariano Diaz hopes to earn a spot in Luis Enrique s Spain squad after marking his first appearance since returning to Real Madrid with a stunning goal against Roma.
Madrid re-signed Mariano in August, just over a year after selling him to Lyon, and he fired a fine finish into the top-right corner in Wednesday s 3-0 Champions League win.
The 25-year-old s only previous international appearance came for Dominican Republic in a 3-1 friendly win over Haiti in March 2013, meaning he is still eligible to represent Spain, the country of his birth.
After making an emphatic return at the Santiago Bernabeu, Mariano made it clear he is keen to switch allegiances and turn out for Luis Enrique.
I would love a call from Luis Enrique, I hope I can be in the national…
Julen Lopetegui could be sacked by Real Madrid if results do not improve soon, according to Michael Essien.
Lopetegui has overseen Madrid s worst goalscoring run since 1985, with Los Blancos failing to find the net in their last four games in all competitions.
Defeats to Sevilla and Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga and a reverse at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League have increased the pressure on the coach, who took charge in sensational circumstances after he was fired by Spain just before the World Cup.
Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has said it would be crazy to dismiss Lopetegui, while fellow defender Nacho Fernandez indicated the team are with the former Porto boss to the death .
Lopetegui has denied fearing the sack but Essien, who played for Madrid in a…
With the international break taking center stage this weekend, we still have a host of footballing action from across Europe. So, for those of you looking to stick on a Saturday flutter, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Saturday November 13th
BST 15:00 Exeter City vs Oldham
Starting with Saturday s hosts, putting on a stunning first-half flurry earlier in the week as they cruised their way to an action-packed EFL Trophy victory, the mood in Exeter s camp should be at a real high. Eventually claiming a remarkable 5-3 win against Bristol Rovers on home soil, the Grecians are in the midst of a stellar purple patch. Opening this weekend s fixtures sat just a single point adrift of finding a route into the automatic s…
Barcelona are keeping a close eye on the contract situation of Cesar Azpilicueta at Chelsea, according to .
The 32-year-old defender last signed a three-and-a-half-year deal in December 2018, which means he is set to become a free agent at the end of the season if he doesn t sign a new one. Chelsea are notoriously difficult when it comes to offering long-term deals to players over 30, which has led to some long-standing servants leaving the club in recent years.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are still in a difficult financial situation, which means they re still looking to get top players without paying a transfer fee if possible. They signed defender Eric Garcia and striker Sergio Aguero from Manchester City earlier this year that way, as well as forward Memphis Depay from Olym…
Sevilla midfielder Ever Banega is glad to see sporting director Monchi back at the club following an absence of two years.
After finishing his playing career at Sevilla in 1999, the former goalkeeper became the club s sporting director the following year and swiftly helped bring about their return to the top flight.
In 17 years with Monchi at the helm, the Andalusian side enjoyed the most successful period in their history, winning five UEFA Cup/Europa League titles in the process.
Monchi left Sevilla for Roma in 2017, citing the desire for a new challenge, but things did not go entirely to plan in Italy and he departed in early March.
A reunion with his former Sevilla colleague Unai Emery at Arsenal appeared to be on the cards, but Monchi opted to retur…
Steven Gerrard could not wait any longer for a chance like the Aston Villa job, according to former Liverpool left-back Stephen Warnock.
Liverpool great Gerrard took his first job in management at Rangers in 2018, guiding the club to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade last term after finishing second in consecutive seasons.
Gerrard decided to swap Ibrox for Villa Park in November after now Norwich City head coach Dean Smith parted ways with Villa following five straight Premier League defeats.
The former midfielder has started well with his new team, registering three wins from his opening four matches, with the only blemish on his record so far a credible 2-1 home loss against league leaders Manchester City.
Indeed, since Gerrard s ap…