Morata passes Atletico medical

Carson Yeung has pledged 80 million pounds over the next ten months in a bid to turn Birmingham City into a more formidable Premier League force.

The new owner is clearly not short of ambition, but he ll be given an immediate indication of the scale of the task that lies before him when City travel to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium for their first game since the Hong Kong businessman formally completed the takeover of the Midlands club.

Yeung stated on Thursday that he was ready to make up to 40 million pounds available to City manager Alex McLeish in the forthcoming January transfer window to strengthen the squad.

And he subsequently revealed that a similar amount will also be allocated for trading in next summer s transfer market, providing McLeish with …

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 4/6 @

Hoping to make an immediate return to winning ways this weekend, Stuttgart will travel to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion when they Meet Bochum on Saturday afternoon.

Starting with the hosts, while Bochum might open this weekend’s fixtures holding a commanding six-point buffer from slipping into the relegation play-off spot, Thomas Letsch’s side are seeking some welcomed stability in 2024. Missing out on what they had billed as a potential opportunity last weekend as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 stalemate at home against Werder Bremen, the Blues have recorded just a single win from their previous four Bundesliga appearances. Heading into Germany’s festive break with a routine 4-0 drumming at the hands of title conten…

The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Saturday, here we look at the 16 teams that will be competing for the title in Equatorial Guinea.

GROUP A

Equatorial Guinea

Coach: Esteban Becker

Star Man: Juvenal (Santa Coloma) The 35-year-old skipper s presence will be key as the hosts seek to emulate the heroics of 2012, when they reached the quarter-finals

How They Qualified: After being disqualified from the tournament for fielding an ineligible player, Equatorial Guinea were named as replacement hosts following the decision to strip Morocco of the right to stage the competition

Best Performance: Quarter-finals (2012)

Burkina Faso

Coach: Paul Put

Star Man: Jonathan Pitroipa (Al-Jazira) The winger was named play…

A quarter-final berth awaits the winner of Sunday s Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea and Gabon face off for the chance to make a rare foray into the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stages on Sunday.

Gabon have only made the last eight on two previous occasions, including in 2012 when co-hosts Equatorial Guinea also made their only appearance to date. 

This year s hosts are yet to win a match, having been held by both Congo and Burkina Faso, while Gabon have one win and a defeat to their name.

Sunday s Group A fixture will be the first AFCON meeting between the sides, and Equatorial Guinea coach Esteban Becker believes his side can continue to make a mark at their home tournament.

Speakin…

New Hamburg head coach Markus Gisdol has backed Alen Halilovic to shine under his tutelage providing he is afforded the necessary time and space.

Halilovic – dubbed the Balkan Messi after coming through the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb and sealing a switch to Barca in 2014 – moved to Bundesliga club Hamburg after a fruitful loan spell at Sporting Gijon last term, but struggled for game-time under Gisdol s predecessor Bruno Labbadia.

But Gisdol, who oversaw the development of Roberto Firmino, Kevin Volland and Sebastian Rudy during his tenure at Hoffenheim, is confident he can get the best out of the 20-year-old.

We will all do incredibly well if we take the pressure off Halilovic. The expectations of him are totally inappropriate. He is now very specifically set u…

Napoli have released a statement denying striker Gonzalo Higuain made controversial comments about former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

Quotes emerged on Sunday of Higuain reportedly branding three-time Ballon d Or winner Ronaldo over-rated and egotistical in an apparent interview with Spanish magazine Don Balon.

However, Napoli insisted the Argentina international never made those comments.

Napoli and Higuain categorically deny ever he has been granted an interview with Don Balon , the statement read.

Therefore the sentences attributed to Higuain are considered false and without any foundation.

Higuain, who played alongside Ronaldo at the Santiago Bernabeu before moving to Napoli in 2013, made headlines when he was quoted as saying…

Lionel Messi made his Paris Saint-Germain debut as a second-half substitute as Kylian Mbappe scored potentially his final goals for the club in a 2-0 victory at Reims on Sunday.

Messi was introduced in the 66th minute at the Stade Auguste Delaune, just after Real Madrid target Mbappe had doubled both his and PSG’s tally in the contest with a first-time finish.

The France striker, who had headed his team in front in the first half, helped PSG make it four straight wins at the start of a Ligue 1 campaign for the sixth time in their history as they bid to regain the title.

Mauricio Pochettino resisted the temptation to select Messi from the outset – meaning he joined fellow new recruit Gianluigi Donnarumma on the bench – but the wantaway Mbappe was part of …

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged everyone to stay calm when it comes to handling the futures of some of their biggest stars.

Virgil van Dijk, who along with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold has 18 months left on his contract, has said he was curious to see where the club was heading with Klopp’s departure pending and admitted he did not know whether he would be part of a new era at Anfield.

That has sparked concerns a period of inertia – Liverpool currently do not have a sporting director in place after Jorg Schmadtke’s short-term appointment was ended – until the identity of the new manager is known could lead to the break up of a squad which Klopp believes has been rebuilt sufficiently to continue challenging after he has gone.

Asked whe…

Gareth Bale has endured arguably the toughest spell of his career in recent weeks but has the perfect opportunity to silence his critics when Real Madrid face Barcelona in Sunday s Clasico at Camp Nou.

Having adapted well since his mega-money move from Tottenham winning the Copa del Rey and the UEFA Champions League in his debut season a recent lean spell has attracted fierce criticism.

Spanish media have questioned his commitment to the side both on and off the field, while Real fans have made their feelings clear inside the Bernabeu.

So strong has the criticism been that club president Florentino Perez, coach Carlo Ancelotti and Ballon d Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo have all been moved to back the winger of late.

Bale s form despite having been part of a…

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini does not believe Sunday s derby against Manchester United will have a decisive impact on the Premier League title race.

City make the short journey to Old Trafford for the 170th edition of the fixture with a slender two-point advantage over their rivals at the summit, with United behind Arsenal on goal difference.

While Pellegrini appreciates the importance of the game in terms of tackling a close rival with local passions running high, he is more interested in proving that the club he led to the league title in 2013-14 are the best in England over the long haul.

It s an important three points and I always say it s a six-pointer because you re playing the team behind you,  he told a news conference. But it will not be a…