Lamela linked with Serie A return

Talksport understands that Tottenham Hotspur winger Erik Lamela could be set for a return to Italy.

The Argentina international has recently returned to first team action after spending a year out injured and his performances have caught the eye of Inter Milan.

Lamela enjoyed success in Serie A prior to his switch to North London, spending two seasons with Roma where he played sixty-seven times one of those appearances being the 2013 Coppa Italia final.

Since signing for Spurs, he has racked up one hundred and thirty-six appearances, scoring twenty goals though he has started just two league games since returning to fitness.

His last outing was in Tuesday evening’s 2-2 draw with Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League last sixteen tie. …

Xavi embodies Barcelona´s characteristics perfectly, says Ancelotti

Xavi perfectly embodies the characteristics of Barcelona and has improved the Catalan giants since taking over, according to Real Madrid counterpart Carlo Ancelotti.

The pair are set to face off at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday in the third and final Clasico of the season, with Madrid boasting a 10-point lead at the LaLiga summit.

Barcelona are five points further back, albeit with a game in hand, in what has been a disappointing campaign on the whole for the club.

Results have improved over the past two months, however, with Xavi – appointed as Ronald Koeman s successor in November – steadily transforming his side s fortunes.

Since Xavi s appointment, Barcelona have taken 34 points from 15 games in LaLiga, a record only bettered by Madrid since th…

Cole: Messi, Ronaldo still top Ballon d´Or contenders

Ashley Cole hopes the day will come when a defender wins the Ballon d Or again but admits it is hard to envisage in the era of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Messi this year won a record sixth Ballon d Or – edging him ahead of the five awards Ronaldo holds – when he saw off competition from Liverpool centre-back Virgil van Dijk.

Dutchman Van Dijk has been inspirational for the Reds since he joined from Southampton midway through 2017-18, and he played a key role in their Champions League success last season.

Former England left-back Cole would have liked to see a fellow defender win the coveted trophy awarded to the world s top player for the first time since Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.

However, he believes Barcelona s Messi and Juventus forwar…

Prediction: Napoli vs Lazio

Verdict: Draw and Both Teams to Score

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Napoli lock horns with Lazio on Sunday night in what’s widely described as this week’s highlight fixture in Serie A. Hosts will be looking to close the gap behind leaders Juventus whereas Lazio also have an agenda of their own – strengthening a grip on their top-four chances.

Napoli

Sitting huge nine points behind Serie A title holders Juventus, the second-placed Napoli will have a difficult time throwing a more serious Scudetto challenge. The Old Lady remain the only unbeaten side in Europe’s top five leagues and look well-poised to defend their crown with ease.

As things stand, all Napoli will be left with is to make sure they place a lock on the second place in the standing…

Liverpool to meet Chelsea in League Cup semi-finals

Liverpool will take on Chelsea in the League Cup semi-finals, while Tottenham go head to head with third-tier Sheffield United.

Brendan Rodgers side overcame Bournemouth 3-1 in the last eight on Wednesday, and will now face the current Premier League leaders over two legs in the new year.

Chelsea also prevailed 3-1 against Championship opposition, as they triumphed against Derby County on Tuesday.

The two sides contested the final of this competition in 2005, when Chelsea emerged 3-2 victors after extra-time having found a late equaliser through Steven Gerrard s own goal.

The other tie sees Spurs take on League One outfit United, who provided the shock of the quarter-final round by seeing off Premier League Southampton 1-0 at Bramall Lane.

Totte…

Jurgen Klopp: We haven’t looked for Alexis Mac Allister’s best position yet

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits they have not had time to properly assess where World Cup-winner Alexis Mac Allister fits into their side.

The Argentina midfielder has started all seven of the club’s Premier League fixtures since arriving from Brighton in a cut-price £35million deal, but has been deployed in the nominal holding role after the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabia left them short in that department.

Mac Allister has shown he is far more effective further forward in one of the attacking midfield positions, and while he has done a job for Klopp, it appears unlikely he is the long-term solution.

He was even substituted at half-time of the win at Wolves, having flown back from Bolivia after the international break after l…

Lautaro Martinez hopes to stay at Inter

As relayed by Fabrizio Romano, Lautaro Martinez has revealed he would prefer to remain at Inter Milan this summer, despite strong interest in his services from clubs around Europe.

Barcelona have been heavily linked with the 24-year-old Argentinian striker, and after their initial attempt to bring him in failed last summer, Lautaro signed a new contract with Inter but the Catalan club haven t given up hope of prizing him away. Meanwhile, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be looking to take him to the Premier League, with the Reds looking to refresh their attacking line with top talent and Spurs led by former Inter boss, Antonio Conte.

There was also a link with Chelsea, but Lautaro s former teammate Romelu Lukaku, who made that move himself last summer for…

Boyd moves to Burnley

Burnley have completed the signing of George Boyd from Hull City for an undisclosed fee, .

The forward moved to Hull, initially on loan in January 2012 and since went on to make fifty-four appearances for the club, including one as a substitute in the FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal at Wembley back in May.

Prior to his switch to the KC Stadium, he racked up just shy of three hundred appearances for Peterborough United having begun his career with Stevenage Borough while has also turned out for Nottingham Forest, where he spent a short loan spell during the 2009/10 campaign.

Internationally, he won his first of two caps for Scotland so far last March in a 2-0 defeat to Serbia.

The Clarets, who won their first point of the season in Saturday’s 0-0 dra…

Andros Townsend joins Luton on short-term deal

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Apparently, the contract is only valid until January, so it will be interesting to see if it gets extended, or the 32-year-old winger moves on from Kenilworth Road in the winter.

Townsend has played for numerous English clubs over the course of his career so far, most notably for Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Everton. His contract with the Toffees expired at the end of June this year and he was without a club since then.

I feel like it s a good fit and these last couple of weeks have been good for both parties, the one-cap England international said about his decision to join the Hatters.

I think it had to be right and I feel over the last two weeks we ve had a look at each o…

Rumour Has It: Man Utd interested in new right-back, Milan and Juve circle USA sensation

 
Wan-Bisakka joined Manchester United in a big-money deal in 2019 but the Red Devils are reportedly ready to replace the Englishman.
 
A talented RB Leipzig defender could be the team s next right-back.

 

TOP STORY – NEW RIGHT-BACK SET FOR OLD TRAFFORD?

Manchester United are eyeing RB Leipzig right-back Nordi Mukiele, according Fichajes.net.

United are reportedly keen to sign a replacement after losing patience with Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is believed to be interested in Leipzig s 23-year-old star Mukiele.

 

ROUND-UP

 Calciomercato claims Milan and Juventus are interested in United States and Dallas sensation Ricardo Pepi. The 18-year-old has also been linked with Bundesliga cham…