Pedro says farewell to Chelsea ahead of expected Roma move

Lyon sporting director Juninho slammed departing Barcelona-linked star Memphis Depay for wanting the Ligue 1 side to revolve around him like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Depay will leave Lyon on a free transfer this off-season and LaLiga giants Barca – led by former Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman – have been tipped to sign the Dutch forward.

The 27-year-old Depay, who arrived from Manchester United in 2017, was involved in 32 goals in Ligue 1 this season (20 goals and 12 assists) – equalling his best tally in a single campaign with the French side (19 goals and 13 assists in 2017-18).

Only Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe scored more Ligue 1 goals (27) than Depay in 2020-21, but Juninho had strong words for the outgoing Lyon cap…

Arsene Wenger is confident Aaron Ramsey will extend his stay at Arsenal into a second decade as talks continue over a contract extension.

The midfielder, who signed from Cardiff City in 2008, is free to leave when his current deal expires at the end of next season, sparking concerns the club may be forced to cash in on another key player.

Alexis Sanchez s hesitation to commit his future paved the way for a January move to Manchester United, but Wenger does not anticipate a similar problem with Ramsey.

The Wales international has impressed with nine goals in all competitions amid the Gunners underwhelming campaign.

We are communicating, Wenger said of discussions with Ramsey s representatives.  I m confident. He s not at the end of his contract, he ha…

Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland scored as Manchester City came from two goals down to salvage a 3-3 draw in Sunday s Premier League thriller with Newcastle United.

The reigning champions had started their latest title defence with back-to-back wins without conceding and took a fifth-minute lead at St James Park through Ilkay Gundogan.

However, Miguel Almiron levelled up with a goal awarded after a VAR check and Callum Wilson had Newcastle – themselves still unbeaten – in front prior to half-time.

Kieran Trippier s stunning free-kick put Newcastle further ahead, but Haaland pulled one back and Silva equalised soon after to ensure the points were shared.

Newcastle had kept back-to-back clean sheets but were caught cold early on, with Gundogan left in…

Paris Saint-Germain have signed Porto captain Danilo Pereira on loan for the rest of the season.

The Portugal midfielder joined the Ligue 1 champions on transfer deadline day in a temporary deal until June 2021, with PSG retaining an option to buy the 29-year-old permanently. 

Pereira joined Porto from Maritimo in 2015 and he has gone on to make 202 appearances for the club, winning the Primeira Liga in 2018 and last season.

He has also featured in 30 Champions League matches, scoring once and laying on three assists.

It s a new challenge for me and to be part of Paris Saint-Germain fits my ambitions, said Pereira.

Joining one of the biggest clubs in Europe and in the world is a huge moment in my career and I hope to be able to bring a lot to P…

Former Liverpool full-back Emiliano Insua hopes LA Galaxy can end their MLS title drought this season.

The Galaxy are the most successful club in MLS history with five trophies from nine finals appearances, though they have not tasted glory since 2014.

Last season saw the Galaxy reach the Western Conference semi-finals thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic s 31 goals, though the ex-Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain striker has since departed for Milan.

Guillermo Barros Schelotto s Galaxy are 11th in the 12-team Western Conference, with 15 points from 13 games – three points behind eighth-placed Real Salt Lake, who occupy the final qualifying spot amid the coronavirus pandemic.

After leaving Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart at the start of the MLS season, Insu…

Stoke secured a first home win since August as they battled for a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Sunderland.

The Potters took an early lead when the returning Ryan Mmaee opened his Sky Bet Championship goal account following a summer switch from Ferencvaros.

But the hosts’ celebrations were cut short when Jack Clarke levelled soon after with his eighth league goal of the season, climbing to the top of the division’s scoring charts in the process.

The half-time instructions of Alex Neil – the former Black Cats boss – proved key as Stoke regained the lead with Luke McNally’s first goal since March 2022.

And Neil’s Sunderland successor Tony Mowbray was a frustrated figure as the visitors failed to avoid a second defeat in a row despite a late onsla…

Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion faced each other on Saturday at Anfield in the seventh Premier League game for either side, and both teams played in accordance with much we had already seen from them this term. It was an exciting contest which quite justly ended in a draw, with the ball hitting the back of each net three times.

Leandro Trossard shocked Anfield twice early on, breaking the deadlock after less than four minutes and adding the second in the 17th. It was Roberto Firmino who restored some hope for the hosts in the 33rd and equalized nine minutes into the second half, before a corner clumsily punched by Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez struck defender Adam Webster and bounced into the goal in the 63rd, putting Liverpool ahead. But 20 minutes later, Trossard turn…

Virgil van Dijk questioned the standard of refereeing during Liverpool s defeat to West Ham, claiming no one knows exactly what is allowed .

The Reds saw their 25-game unbeaten run across all competitions – their joint-longest streak since joining the Football League in 1893 – come to end on Sunday.

Alisson, under pressure from Angelo Ogbonna, gifted the lead to the Hammers – who had not beaten Liverpool in 10 previous top-flight attempts – in contentious fashion before Trent Alexander-Arnold levelled for the hosts.

Pablo Fornals restored West Ham s lead and Kurt Zouma all but sealed victory when he headed home as Jurgen Klopp s team conceded twice from corners in a single Premier League game for the first time since August 2017.

Despite substitu…

Arsenal re-established a clear lead at the top of the Premier League in time for Christmas but their wait for a win at Anfield stretches into a 12th year after an absorbing 1-1 draw which ensured Liverpool kept pace in the title race.

Gabriel’s early goal was cancelled out by a Mohamed Salah stunner and, despite both pushing for victory, the Premier League’s top two deservedly shared the spoils.

Being top for December 25 is no guarantee of future performance, however, as both these clubs are well aware; on the last six occasions a team has failed to go on and lift the trophy from this position it was one of them.

It finishes level.

— Liverpool FC (@LFC)

So while nothing has been decided, it at least provided some early festive fun and was …

Giorgio Chiellini believes the Saudi Pro League deserves greater respect as the Gulf state aims to build a competition capable of shifting the global power dynamic in football.

The former Juventus defender, who announced his retirement on Monday, made a similarly unexpected move to the United States when joining MLS side Los Angeles FC in 2022.

Having admired from afar when Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar all completed the switch to Saudi Arabia, Chiellini thinks world football must take note of the ongoings in Saudi Arabia.

Indeed, FIFA announced in October that Saudi Arabia was the only country to submit a bid to host the 2034 World Cup before the deadline, making a second tournament in the Gulf a formality following last year s World Cup in Qatar.<…