Dries Mertens has confirmed he is set to sign a new deal with Napoli that will keep him at the Serie A club until June 2021.
The Belgium international s existing contract is due to expire in 2018 and Napoli are keen to hold on to the winger beyond that date.
Negotiations have been dragging on for some time, but Mertens is hopeful he will be able to put pen to paper by the end of the week.
I expect to sign a new deal this week. I am ready to sign for three additional seasons, the Belgium international told reporters.
Negotiations have been going on for a long time, but I am happy that things will work out in the end.
I am feeling very well at Napoli and the club believes in me. My family is happy in Naples as well.
It would be nice if…
Neymar s Brazil team-mates Philippe Coutinho and Arthur want the Paris Saint-Germain star to return to Barcelona.
A world-record €222million move to PSG in 2017 saw Neymar surprisingly bring an end to what had been a very promising four-year spell at Camp Nou.
But ever since joining PSG, Neymar has regularly been linked with a transfer back to Spain, with reports of Real Madrid s interest recently giving way to rumours he wants to return to Barca.
PSG and their president Nasser Al-Khelaifi are said to be frustrated with Neymar s attitude and constant flirting with other clubs.
As such, speculation has suggested PSG are open to selling Neymar in this transfer window, and Coutinho and Arthur have given their respective seals of approval.
Olha só …
Lincoln FC will make history when they welcome HB Torshavn of the Faroe Islands in UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.
The Gibraltarian champions are the first team from their country to enter Europe s flagship club competition after Gibraltar became a UEFA member nation last year.
A second-round clash with Partizan Belgrade of Serbia will be the prize on the horizon for both teams when they kick-off the first leg at Lincoln s Victoria Stadium on Wednesday.
Lincoln manager Mick McElwee will hope for further heroics from attacker Kyle Casciaro, who secured Gibraltar their first win at international level when he scored the only goal to sink Malta in Faro on June 5.
A significant chunk of the national side is drawn from McElwee s squad, so their e…
Brazilian club Santos have made it clear no agreement has been reached with Real Madrid for 17-year-old forward Rodrygo.
Reports in Spain on Thursday claimed a deal worth €45million had been reached for the highly rated attacker, who has also been linked with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, but his club have hit back.
Santos president Jose Carlos Peres is adamant that any side keen on landing Rodrygo will need to pay the full €50m release clause for the teenager, though it has also been reported that the club are keen for him to sign a new deal that would double that figure.
There is no agreement for Rodrygo with Real Madrid, Peres told reporters.
Paying €40m won t do anything. That is the line we have drawn. His clause is €50m.
We h…
ESPN understand that Derby County do not have the option to sign Harry Wilson on a permanent deal from Liverpool once his loan spell is complete.
The twenty-one-year-old scored a stunning free-kick as the Rams knocked Manchester United out of the EFL Cup on penalties yesterday evening and went on to be named man of the match.
Wilson penned a new contract at Anfield in the summer with no fewer than twelve clubs inquiring about his availability.
He spent the second half of last season with Hull City, having spent time the previous campaign with Crewe Alexandra while he has made just one appearance for his parent club, coming on as a substitute of Philippe Coutinho in a 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in a FA Cup third round replay last January.
He has be…
Gareth Bale may be a bit lonely at Real Madrid as uncertainty grows over his future, according to Rafael van der Vaart.
Bale, 29, has started Madrid s past two matches on the bench, coming on to score the winner from the penalty spot against Levante on Sunday.
But the Wales star celebrated angrily, leading to fresh speculation about his future at Madrid, where he arrived from Tottenham in 2013.
Bale s former Spurs team-mate Van der Vaart said the star attacker liked his space, but feels he may be struggling in Spain.
He is a very calm player. He wants to be alone, he doesn t have much contact with his team-mates, he told El Larguero on Tuesday.
In Spain it is important to speak Spanish and I think he is a bit lonely in the team.
Bale, w…
Prediction: Match to end in 1-1 draw
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
The Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps will face each other in Major League Soccer this week. The match will be held at Lumen Field and is scheduled to kick off at 3:30am UK time on Wednesday.
Seattle Sounders
The Seattle Sounders are 11th in Major League Soccer Western Conference at the moment with 16 points from 12 matches. They have made their worst start to a regular season since 2018, but there have been signs that things are improving for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League winners.
Team News:
Joao Paulo is injured and will not play.
Vancouver Whitecaps
The Vancouver Whitecaps are 10th in Major League Soccer Western Conference at the moment with 17 points f…
Erling Haaland will not play for Borussia Dortmund against Rangers at Ibrox, but the visitors still believe they can turn their Europa League tie around – and with good reason.
Superstar striker Haaland has been out with a muscle injury for the past month, having scored four goals in four games in all competitions to start 2022.
But Dortmund have continued in that vein without their talisman, netting 25 times in eight matches this calendar year – trailing only Real Betis (29) across Europe s top five leagues heading into the midweek matches.
That rate of 3.2 goals scored per game is also bettered by just one team, meanwhile, in Bundesliga rivals Bayer Leverkusen (3.3).
Keeping opponents out at the other end has been the issue for Dortmund, with five o…
Celtic are interested in signing Ugurcan Cakir from Trabzonspor in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that Celtic, who won the Scottish Premiership title last season, are looking for a new goalkeeper and have identified Cakir as a potential target.
Joe Hart is the number one goalkeeper for Celtic at the moment, but the former Manchester City star has announced that he will retire at the end of the season. So, the Hoops are on the hunt for a new goalkeeper and have shown an interest in Cakir.
Cakir has been on the books of Trabzonspor since 2012 and has come through the Turkish club’s youth system and is now one of the best goalkeepers in the Turkish Super Lig. He has made 26 appearances in the Turkish Super Lig so far this season. Trabzo…
Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker:
Looking to spring a Europa League upset at the Stadio Olimpico on Thursday night, Bayer Leverkusen will make the trip to Roma when both sides open their Europa League semi-final adventure.
Starting with the hosts, while Roma might have returned from March’s international break with their sights set on punching a lucrative top-four finish in Serie A, Jose Mourinho’s side have come crashing back down to earth in a worrying fashion. Last seen over the weekend putting in another downbeat display as they slumped to a 2-0 loss at home against Inter Milan, the former Manchester United boss does find some growing pressure on his shoulders. With their recent wobble highlighted by a 3-1 defeat away at Atalanta on April 24th, Roma have also r…