Foreigner Football - Latest

IN DANGER   Frank Lampard on brink of sack as Everton fans turn on players and board after 4-1 humiliation at home to Brighton Frank Lampard is on the verge of being sacked as Everton manager, talkSPORT understands. The legendary midfielder  watched his Toffees side thumped 4-1 by Brighton at home  then booed off the pitch by fans. Supporters also turned on the club’s hierarchy with chants of ‘sack the board’ after another humiliating night at Goodison Park. Owner Farhad Moshiri has sacked five managers in almost seven years since becoming the majority shareholder, and Lampard now has a win ratio lower than the man he replaced – the hugely unpopular Rafael Benitez. Lampard may not reach his one-year anniversary at Goodison with the Toffees continuing their slide down the Premier League table. Demarai Gray’s consolation goal from the penalty spot in added-time only sparked more chants from angry home supporters, after a catastrophic seven-minute spell at the start of the s...

UNHAPPY   Mikel Arteta slams ‘scandalous’ decisions not to award Arsenal two penalties as Newcastle dent Premier League title hopes Mikel Arteta was outraged with the match officials after Arsenal’s goalless draw with Newcastle as he bemoaned two ‘scandalous’ penalty decisions. The Gunners  drew a blank against Eddie Howe’s side  in a fiercely contested match at the Emirates, to miss the chance to move ten points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table. Arsenal pushed for a winner but were denied a penalty in injury time when referee Andy Madley waved away claims for handball after Granit Xhaka’s cross struck Jacob Murphy’s arm – much to Arteta’s frustration. Despite dishing out nine yellow cards during the match, the Spaniard was left outraged at the decision not to award a penalty and even suggested that Arsenal deserved two. Gabriel appeared to be hauled down by Dan Burn who was seen pulling the Brazilian defender’s shirt, but VAR failed to inte...

ENTRANCE   Cristiano Ronaldo shows off ripped body in Instagram post of Al-Nassr medical as former Manchester United star arrives for unveiling at new club in Saudi Arabia Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to Instagram to document his first day at new club Al-Nassr. The footballing icon  signed a £177-million-per-year deal with the Saudi Arabian outfit  on Friday and has now arrived in the Middle East to complete his medical and be unveiled at his new club. Al-Nassr posted a video of their new centre-forward arriving in the club’s city, Riyadh, showing Ronaldo stepping out of a private jet with his family in tow. The ex-Manchester United star and his girlfriend, Georgina Rodríguez, were then greeted with flowers from a young fan in the club’s yellow and blue shirt with ‘Ronaldo’ on the back, before getting in a car to head to his medical. Reposting the montage to his own Instagram story, the Portuguese icon wrote: “Hi Riyadh” Next, the star uploaded a snap of him waving at fans...

WORRY   Antonio Conte faces Harry Kane dilemma ahead of trip to Crystal Palace as Tottenham striker walks suspension tightrope before north London derby with Arsenal Tottenham striker Harry Kane is at risk of missing the upcoming north London derby through suspension. The England skipper has accumulated four yellow cards and if he picks up another booking against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, he will miss the showdown with leaders  Arsenal  on January 15. The north London duo are encountering contrasting fortunes at present with Spurs having lost three of their last four home league games and the Gunners seven points clear at the top of the table. With Spurs looking to get their season back on track and the added bonus of dealing Arsenal’s title hopes a huge blow, Kane’s presence will be key against Mikel Arteta’s side. Kane is set to feature against the Eagles despite a suspension hanging over him as Spurs are counting the cost of injuries to their attacking players. Rich...

NEXT MOVE   Cristiano Ronaldo agrees $75million-a-year deal with Al Nassr as former Manchester United star prepares to complete lucrative Middle East move Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed a deal to sign for Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, talkSPORT understands. The Portugal star has agreed a deal worth a reported $75million per year and will now undergo a medical before completing the deal. Ronaldo is expected to complete the switch next week. The 37-year-old is currently without a club after leaving Manchester United back in November. The decision to leave by mutual consent came after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he took aim at numerous members of the club’s hierarchy, making his position at the club untenable. One man who has been watching Ronaldo’s situation with keen interest is talkSPORT Manchester reporter Micky Gray who told the station that the move ‘doesn’t sit well’. Asked if he’s surprised, Gray said: “I suppose I am. He’s a man who wants to keep breaking ...

CHAOS   Police charge 32 people for A-League pitch invasion that left former Tottenham star with concussion after Melbourne derby turned ugly Police in Australia have charged 32 people after a pitch invasion caused the A-League derby between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City to be abandoned. The chaotic scenes also saw City goalkeeper, and former Tottenham man,  Tom Glover hit with a metal bucket  – with the glovesman left bleeding and concussed. Around 150 supporters stormed onto the AAMI Park pitch, kicking down advertising boards and hanging off the goal posts, with referee Alex King, a TV camera operator and two security guards also left injured in the fray. The derby clash was called off after just 20 minutes of action as a result. Around $150,000 worth of damage is said to have been caused to the stadium and pitch, with around 80 flares or fireworks set off while poles and bottles were thrown at officers on the field. Glover was spotted in training and back in ac...

MESSAGE   Former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt sends good luck message after new Reds signing Cody Gakpo was handed his old number 18 shirt Former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt sent a message to new signing Cody Gakpo after he was handed his old number 18 shirt. The Reds  confirmed the signing  of the Netherlands ace on this week in a deal worth around £40million after a blistering start to the season with PSV Eindhoven. He then replicated his excellent club form on the grandest stage and was arguably the Netherlands’ top performer during their surge to the World Cup quarter-finals. Gakpo had been heavily linked with a switch to bitter rivals Manchester United but it was Jurgen Klopp who swooped fast to lure the Dutchman to Anfield. Kuyt wore the number 18 shirt during his six-year stint on Merseyside before moving to Fenerbahce in 2012. Hearing of the news, the former Reds favourite took to social media to send his best wishes to compatriot Gakpo. “Cody Gakpo, welcome to Liverp...

LEGEND   Brazil announce three days of mourning following death of Pele as emotion pours out on the streets with fans paying tribute to ‘The King’ The Brazilian government has announced the entire country will enter three days of national mourning following the death of Pele. Pele, the three-time World Cup winner and one of the greatest footballers of all-time,  sadly passed away on Thursday at the age of 82 . The football icon had been in hospital in Sao Paulo since late November with illness, with the news of his passing announced on Thursday evening. And as tributes poured in from across the world, Brazil officially declared a three-day period of national mourning as they remember their hero. As well as words of condolence from a host of other legendary figures in the game, tributes were made in the streets across Brazil, with fans seen in tears as they reacted to the news. A mass of supporters were pictured with banners and flags outside the Santos’ Vila Belmiro Stadium – ...

POTENTIAL   Jurgen Klopp compares Darwin Nunez to Robert Lewandowski and explains ‘similarities’ between Liverpool striker’s shaky start and Poland star at Borussia Dortmund Jurgen Klopp has compared the current struggles of Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez to a young Robert Lewandowski at Borussia Dortmund. Nunez has received  criticism  in some quarters following his club-record £85million move from Benfica to Anfield. The Uruguayan has nine goals in 19 games, but his finishing and composure in front of goal has been questioned. Nunez wasted a number of golden opportunities during the 3-1 victory at Aston Villa on Boxing Day, however, Klopp believes this is part of a process. The Reds manager points towards his former Dortmund striker Lewandowski to explain how raw, unpolished talent can often look messy at the start. Poland superstar Lewandowski scored eight goals in his first season at Dortmund in 2010/11 before becoming one of the greatest strikers in modern football. ...

UPDATE   ‘It could be coming very soon’ – Manchester United takeover update delivered with fans told to ‘watch this space’ regarding deal Manchester United’s takeover could be completed ‘very soon’, it is being reported. The Red Devils are currently on the market with the Glazer family keen for a full sale of the club as  after 17 years of owning the Premier League giants. Valued between between £6billion-£7billion, the Glazer family have a hugely attractive proposition on their hands as they look to offload to a super-rich buyer, amid ongoing fan protests in and around Old Trafford. With interested parties starting to emerge, The Athletic’s David Ornstein has suggested that a deal could be done before too long. Ornstein told USA Network: “The Raine Bank who are in charge of this process they are aiming for a complete sale of Manchester United in the first quarter of 2023. “Therefore the Glazer family are not going to sanction a massive outlay of cash on deals at this time of ...

WARNING   Graham Potter will be SACKED by Chelsea if they fail to finish in the top four in the Premier League, claims Gabby Agbonlahor Graham Potter has been warned he will be sacked by Chelsea if they don’t finish in the top four in the Premier League this season. Chelsea put their pre-World Cup blues behind them with a  2-0 victory over Bournemouth  on Tuesday, ending a six-game winless run in the top-flight. Graham Potter has been warned he will be sacked by Chelsea if they don’t finish in the top four in the Premier League this season. Chelsea put their pre-World Cup blues behind them with a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday, ending a six-game winless run in the top-flight. “But if you said before the game ‘Chelsea are going to win 2-0’ you’d be like ‘yeah that’s about right’.” He continued: “But for Chelsea that was a must win. If you look at the table, they’re 16 points behind Arsenal. That is unacceptable. To be 16 points behind Arsenal. “If you look at the ...