AFC Bournemouth have signed Rhoys Wiggins for the fourth time after agreeing an undisclosed fee with Sheffield Wednesday.
The 28-year-old full-back has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Eddie Howe s Premier League newcomers.
Wiggins has previously spent two loan spells at the Vitality Stadium and completed a permanent switch in 2010.
After one season with the club he departed for Charlton Athletic and made over 100 appearances prior to moving to Wednesday at the start of the current campaign.
He has struggled to break into the first team at Hillsborough, though, and will hope to revive his fortunes with Bournemouth.
I was surprised by the interest, but Eddie Howe s a good manager and he knows what I m capable of and how he sees me fit…
Ilkay Gundogan is hopeful he can be fully up to speed following the September international break after making his return from an eight-month layoff during Manchester City s friendly at Girona on Tuesday.
Gundogan scored five goals in 16 appearances for Pep Guardiola s side last term before a cruciate knee ligament injury suffered during December s 2-0 win over Watford curtailed his debut season in England.
The 26-year-old Germany midfielder came on for the final 19 minutes at Montilivi as City lost 1-0 to the LaLiga newcomers but he is in no immediate rush to play a part in competitive action.
I m in a good way. I still know that it s a long way to go but I was out for eight months, Gundogan told City TV
There is no reason to rush now. When I feel good…
Zeljko Kalac dismissed the possibility of Roma great Francesco Totti playing for Western Sydney Wanderers as he highlighted the physical demands of the A-League.
After 25 years with Roma s first team, 786 appearances, 307 goals and the Scudetto in 2000-01, Totti farewelled the Italian capital club in May.
The 40-year-old free agent – who made an emotional final appearance for boyhood club Roma in front of a sell-out crowd at the Stadio Olimpico last month – has since been linked with moves to MLS and Asia.
But the Wanderers are not interested in the ageing Totti, according to goalkeeping coach Kalac, who pointed to the end of Alessandro Del Piero s career at Sydney FC in 2014.
He is a great player. He was a great player, Kalac said in an interview w…
Tottenham´s bold Fernandes bid included Premier League and Champions League glory clauses – Sporting
Sporting CP rejected Tottenham s best offer for Bruno Fernandes because of doubts over the English outfit s improbable trophy plans, the Portuguese club s president said.
Frederico Varandas revealed Spurs offered a deal worth up to £58.4million (€65m) for midfielder Fernandes, who was also linked with a move to Real Madrid on deadline day.
The Portugal international last month said Tottenham had made a lot of proposals to prise him from Sporting, where he has played since 2017.
According to Varandas, one involved £18million (€20m) in add-ons, to be paid in the event Mauricio Pochettino s men won both the Premier League and the Champions League.
It was impossible to retain Bruno Fernandes, but we did it, Varandas told Sporting TV.
We prepar…
Verdict: Home win
Best Odds:
Bookmakers:
Following their first win at their new home, the Wanda Metrapolitano last weekend, Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will be looking to make it two victories out of two as they host Sevilla on Saturday lunchtime. Sevilla meanwhile will be looking to earn their fifth La Liga win in a row.
Atletico Madrid
The home team come into this match in relatively positive form as they sit fifth in the league table. Atletico have earned three wins out of their first five games and managed to earn a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao last time out. Their trademark defence has already been pivotal with the 2013-14 champions having only conceded four goals since the start of the season. They have also scored on avera…
Dries Mertens and Fernando Llorente struck late to earn Napoli a 2-0 win at home to holders Liverpool in the first game of the Reds Champions League defence.
Carlo Ancelotti s men won the corresponding fixture last term with Mertens spot-kick and Llorente s injury-time goal enough to ensure history was repeated in the Group E clash at the Stadio San Paolo on Tuesday.
Andy Robertson was deemed to have tripped Jose Callejon in the box and, after VAR ratified the penalty decision, Mertens squeezed his penalty past Adrian in the 82nd minute.
Liverpool rode their luck in reaching the knockout rounds in 2018-19 and Jurgen Klopp s men will again have to bounce back from an away loss to Napoli this year after Llorente s first goal for the club sealed all three points.
Jose Mourinho has told his Manchester United players to learn from the attitude Wolves displayed in Saturday s 1-1 draw.
Despite coming into the game on the back of three successive away wins in all competitions, United were nowhere near their best as they returned to Old Trafford for the first time since late August.
Fred s first goal for the club gave them the lead in the 18th minute, but Wolves – who were vastly superior to United for parts of the opening half – deservedly levelled just after the break, with Joao Moutinho finding the net.
And Mourinho was left irritated by the attitude of his players, seemingly envious of Wolves mentality.
Not a good performance, not a good result, Mourinho told reporters. A fair result.
I think Wolves, b…
Prediction: Match to end in 2-2 draw
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
Toulouse and Nantes will face each other in the first leg of Ligue 1 promotion/relegation playoff. The match is slated to kick off at Stadium de Toulouse at 7:45pm UK time on Thursday and promises to be an exciting game of football.
Toulouse
Toulouse finished third in the ‘regular’ Ligue 2 season. Patrice Garande’s side picked up 70 points from 38 matches, just two fewer than Clermont, who clinched the second and automatic promotion place.
Le Téfécé got the better of Grenoble 3-0 at Stadium de Toulouse in the promotion/relegation playoff semi-finals. Toulouse scored twice in the first half and once in the second half to set up a two-legged final Nantes.
Team News:
…
Juventus confirmed the termination of Gonzalo Higuain s contract in a move that will cost the Serie A champions €18.3million.
Higuain, 32, arrived at Juve from Napoli in 2016 and won three Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia trophies with the club.
The forward, who spent 2018-19 on loan at Milan and Chelsea, scored 66 goals in 148 games for Juve.
Linked with a move to MLS side Inter Miami, Higuain s departure from Juve was confirmed on Thursday, with the former Argentina international having been contracted until 2021.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. announces the mutual termination of the contract with the player Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain, a statement read.
Big games, big moments, BIG goals
Gracias, Gonzalo!
— JuventusFC (@ju…
Atletico Madrid are preparing to enter the race for Borussia Monchengladbach Denis Zakaria, according to .
Zakria s path to the Bundesliga side led through Swiss sides Servette and Young Boys, before he arrived to the Borussia Park in 2017 for €12 million as a replacement for Mahmoud Dahoud. Since then he has gone on to make a total of 68 appearances for the club and score seven goals, and became a regular Switzerland international. This season he has started in all matches Monchengladbach have played so far.
Atletico boss Diego Simeone is looking to boost his midfield options and the 22-year-old seems to fit the bill, but the Rojiblancos reportedly face competition from the Premier League in the form of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Like Atletico, the two …