AFC Bournemouth have completed the signing of Lewis Grabban from Norwich City, less than two years after he left the south coast for the Canaries.
The striker has returned to the Cherries for a reported £7million fee, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal at the Vitality Stadium, with the transfer coming a matter of hours after Benik Afobe was officially unveiled by Bournemouth following his reported £10million switch from Wolves.
Grabban moved to Carrow Road at the end of the 2013-14 campaign for what was widely thought to be £3million and scored 13 goals in 44 appearances for the Norfolk club. During his first stint at Bournemouth, the 27-year-old netted 35 times in a two-year spell.
Cherries manager Eddie Howe was delighted with his latest acquisition, sa…
Real Madrid striker Joselu is facing a spell on the sidelines after tests revealed an ankle problem.
The 33-year-old Spain international, who has scored 14 goals for Madrid this season after joining on loan from Espanyol, has been diagnosed with a bone oedema in his right ankle, the Spanish giants have announced.
Madrid have not said how long Joselu is likely to be out for but reports in Spain suggest he could be absent for around three weeks.
Parte médico de Joselu.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid)
That would rule him out of Sunday’s LaLiga visit of Sevilla and several other matches, including the Champions League last-16 second leg against RB Leipzig on March 6.
A club statement read: “Following tests carried out on Joselu by the…
Cristiano Ronaldo struck in the fifth minute of injury time to give Manchester United a 2-1 Champions League victory over Villarreal.
In a repeat of last season s Europa League final, won by the LaLiga side on penalties after a 1-1 draw, the Red Devils found themselves deservedly behind when Paco Alcacer scored early in the second half.
Alex Telles levelled with a spectacular volley, and it looked as though these sides would share the spoils for the fifth game in a row in this competition, but Ronaldo drilled past Geronimo Rulli to send Old Trafford into raptures.
The result at least will ease some of the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, although plenty of concerns will remain after another disjointed display in which his side were indebted to David de G…
Best odds: 59/100
Bookmaker:
On Thursday evening at the in Utrecht, FC Utrecht and Sparta Rotterdam will go head-to-head in the first leg of their semifinal match-up in the European competition playoffs, with the aim of booking a place in the Europa Conference League qualifications.
FC Utrecht
Utrecht finished the season in seventh place in the Eredivisie table, with their 15 wins, nine draws and 10 defeats amounting to a total of 56 points.
Michael Silberbauer s team have been on very good form recently, and they ll be hoping to use the momentum and make a rare appearance on the European football scene in 2023/24. Of their last six outings, they only lost away to Ajax and Feyenoord, both by 3-1. In the remaining four games, they beat Twente at home by…
Market: Lens draw no bet
Odds: 4/5 @
Looking to sign off their history-making Ligue 1 campaign with another statement on Saturday night, Lens will travel to the Stade de I Abbe-Deschamps when they meet Auxerre.
Starting with the hosts, missing out on the chance to automatically extend on their Ligue 1 status last weekend, Auxerre still have work to do on Saturday night. Holding just a two-point buffer over Nantes and slipping into the drop zone, the Burgundy-based outfit know that they’re at the heart of a two-horse race to avoid the drop. Last seen eventually having to settle for a 1-1 draw away at Toulouse, Christophe Pelissier’s men have struggled to find any kind of stability over the past six weeks. Including what could turn out to be a season-deciding …
Best Odds: 4/6
Bookmaker:
In what could prove to be an enjoyable La Liga showdown on Sunday night, Barcelona will travel to San Mames when they meet Athletic Bilbao.
Athletic Bilbao
Starting with the hosts, punching their Copa del Rey final ticket thanks to a stunning second-leg performance earlier in the week, Athletic Bilbao will be desperate to pick up another heavyweight scalp here. Eventually storming their way to a 4-0 aggregate romp against Atletico Madrid, Ernesto Valverde s men are dreaming of the chance to punch a famous Champions League ticket in 2024. Although the Lions might have been hit with a 3-1 defeat away at Real Betis last weekend, that is the only loss that Bilbao have suffered from any of their previous eight domestic appearances across al…
Atletico Madrid midfielder Diego has revealed that coach Diego Simeone was a major reason behind him signing for the club.
The Brazilian made the move from Wolfsburg on Friday, having spent a season on loan at the Vicente Calderon in 2011.
He had been with the Bundesliga side since 2010 and Diego admitted that Simeone s influence was one of the main forces behind his decision to move.
My relationship with Simeone was always spectacular, he said at his unveiling on Monday. He s the best coach I worked with in my life. He helps a lot as a player and person.
That confidence he has in me has made a difference in the decisions I have made.
Diego enjoyed a goalscoring return to the club as he registered the final effort in Atletico s 4-0 win over Real Sociedad…
Manchester City are interested in signing Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad, according to . It has been reported that City manager Pep Guardiola wanted to Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer transfer window, but the transfer did not happen.
And now, according to the report, Premier League champions City want to sign Isak from Real Sociedad despite the striker having recently extended his contract with the La Liga club. Real Madrid and Barcelona are also claimed to be keen on the 22-year-old Sweden international striker.
Isak has made four starts and one substitute appearance in La Liga for Sociedad so far this season. The youngster has yet to score a goal. The 22-year-old striker scored 17 goals and provided two assists in 30 La Liga starts last season.
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Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri has indicated he will stay at the club for another season as they hunt for their first Serie A title since 1989-90.
Sarri led Napoli to a club record points total of 86 this season but missed out on automatic qualification for the Champions League, finishing third behind Roma and champions Juventus.
President Aurelio De Laurentiis has compared Sarri to Manchester United legend Alex Ferguson and said the Italian, who has been at Napoli since June 2015, can stay at the club for life .
And the former Empoli boss, who was given the Enzo Bearzot Award for the best Italian coach on Tuesday, assured he intends to remain at the Stadio San Paolo.
My feeling at this point in time is that I m not finished at Napoli, Sarri said. I h…
Robert Huth s late own goal spared Arsenal s blushes as Arsene Wenger s side claimed a vital three points in the race for the Premier League s top four with a 1-0 win over Leicester City.
Nacho Monreal who netted in Arsenal s FA Cup semi-final victory over Manchester City last time out continued his form in front of goal when his 86th-minute strike deflected in wickedly off Leicester s German defender.
It was a relief for the home crowd following a lacklustre display from Wenger s men, who, despite desperately needing to make up ground on the teams above them, had been found wanting throughout at Emirates Stadium.
Alexis Sanchez epitomised Arsenal s performance with some sloppy touches and slack passing, though the former Barcelona winger still went closest for t…