Barcelona president casts fresh doubt over Griezmann move

The January transfer window remains wide open but it’s fair to say that we already got more than we bargained for.

Philippe Coutinho leaving Liverpool for Barcelona was the first mouthwatering piece of the winter, although the Reds did well to respond with a high-value move for former Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk.

And as we wait for another wrinkle in the pond – read Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Arsenal – here is a look at arguably most significant transfer (in the Premier League) this January.

Sanchez–Mkhitaryan Swap

 Manchester United have made a huge statement of intent by aligning Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, who ‘somewhat surprisingly’ rejected the expected move to Manchester City in favour of an Old Trafford switch.

…

The LA Galaxy claimed their first home victory in more than two months, edging the Portland Timbers 1-0 in California on Sunday afternoon.

Having not secured a win at The Home Depot Center since accounting for Portland 3-0 in April, the Galaxy were determined to reward their supporters and they did.

A 62nd minute goal from defender Todd Dunivant, his first since hitting the target in Seattle on May 8th 2010, also handed the Galaxy their first clean sheet of the season.

Veteran David Beckham whipped in a corner and Dunivant headed home in front of the Timbers away contingent.

In Chicago, the Fire ended their run of two successive defeats with a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls at Toyota Park.

Chicago went into the interval one goal ahead courte…

Joao Moutinho believes Paulo Bento is the right man to lead Portugal to Euro 2012 glory.

Bento, 43, has successfully guided his country through the Group of Death in Poland and Ukraine, beating 2010 FIFA World Cup finalists Netherlands and Denmark on their way to the quarter-finals.

Portugal midfielder Moutinho, who played under Bento at Sporting Lisbon, said the 43-year-old has stamped his mark on the squad, and claimed all the players have been receptive to the coach s ideas since he took charge in 2010.

Of course I believe that Paulo Bento can guide us to success, Moutinho told TVI.

It is great to have a coach like him. He is doing a great job. I have known him for years.

His name is written all over this team. Ever since day one, he has tr…

Most newbies to online sports betting are often instructed to stay away from risky bets. Statistically speaking, they don’t tend to perform well in terms of long-term profits. Yet risky bets are what most punters are drawn to – just consider the popularity of . The same is true for Scorecast bets.

Scorecast soccer bets essentially combine Correct Score and First Goalscorer markets into one big bet. As such, they fall into this category of inherently risky types of wagers. Let’s weigh their pros and cons and see if the risk is worth taking.

What is Scorecast Betting?

A Scorecast bet is a wager which predicts two things about a football match – the exact score at the end of the game and the first player to score a goal. Generally speaking, both these elements are…

Thomas Tuchel revealed Kylian Mbappe was in a red zone and at risk of injury after coming on in Paris Saint-Germain s loss to Lyon.

Mbappe came off the bench in the 65th minute as defending champions PSG were downed 1-0 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Making matters worse for PSG, Neymar was carried off on a stretcher in the closing stages after a tackle that saw Thiago Mendes sent off.

Asked about Mbappe starting on the bench, PSG head coach Tuchel said the star was at risk of injury.

For Kylian, it was the medical recommendation, he told a news conference.

He couldn t play for more than 25 minutes. He played 30 minutes, that was already too much. The medical staff said no for him to start the game, and no for more than 25 minutes.

He was in a r…

Barcelona will activate their buyback clause to bring Villarreal midfielder Denis Suarez back to Camp Nou, sporting director Robert Fernandez has confirmed.

The 22-year-old was sold to Villarreal on a four-year deal last August, but Barca retained a buyback arrangement that would allow them to bring him back for a reported fee of around €3.25million.

Suarez made 33 La Liga appearances at El Madrigal in 2015-16 and made his Spain debut against Bosnia-Herzegovina last Sunday.

The former Manchester City player also spent a season on loan at Sevilla in 2014-15, playing in 31 league games and winning the Europa League.

Villarreal have received a notification that we are interested in the player, I think it s July 1 but I don t know the dates very well, Robe…

Deportivo La Coruna goalkeeper Fabricio Martin Agosto Ramirez is followed by several Premier League sides, .

The 27-year-old had made mere 23 La Liga appearances ahead of the current season and he started the campaign as a back up to German Lux.

Fabricio eventually got his chance midway through October and has since been putting in some strong performances in Spain s elite division.

As a result, clubs from English Premier League have been showing interest in his services, and they could come forward with an official proposal at the end of the season.

Deportivo La Coruna officials are hoping to persuade the experienced shot-stopper to extend his stay at Riazor, but with his current deal expiring in June 2016, they would certainly consider any serious offe…

Liam Cooper, Greg Taylor and Jacob Brown have been recalled to the Scotland squad for the Euro 2024 qualifier in Spain.

Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland drops out along with, as expected, Newcastle midfielder Elliot Anderson.

Whitley Bay-born Anderson last week indicated he wanted more time to consider his international future, having left the last Scotland camp after two days following his first call-up to the full squad.

…

Prediction: Italy to win and over 3.5 goals

Best Odds:

Bookmaker:

Italy and Malta will lock horns with each other in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group C this weekend. The match between Luciano Spalletti’s side and Michele Marcolini’s team will be held at Stadio San Nicola in Bari and is scheduled to kick off at 7:45 pm UK time on Saturday.

Italy

Italy are one of the biggest footballing nations in the world who have won the World Cup and the European Championship in the past. Although things have been mixed for Gli Azzurri in recent times, they remain one of the strongest teams around.

Luciano Spalletti’s side are second in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group C at the moment with seven points from four matches. Italy are six points behind leade…

Gabriel Jesus has turned down Manchester City’s offer of a new contract, according to the Mail Online.

The Brazil international is set for a bumper new deal with the Premier League leaders but has put talks on hold until the end of the season.

City want to tie the forward down until 2023 and are willing to hike his weekly wage up from £65,000-per-week to £90,000 though the player’s representatives are holding out for £100,000.

Jesus has racked up forty-three appearances in all competitions since signing from Palmeiras in January 2017, scoring eighteen goals.

He has started just thirteen Premier League games so far this season though did miss three months with a knee injury.

The twenty year old won his fourteenth senior international …