Malaga snap up Atsu on loan

Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus wants the club s hierarchy to hang on to the likes of Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan and end any uncertainty over their long-term futures.

Hummels and Gundogan s contracts at Signal Iduna Park expire in 2017 but have both played key roles in Dortmund s revival under Thomas Tuchel along with in-form striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The Gabon international recently affirmed his desire to stay at the club and Reus is eager to ensure other key players remain in Tuchel s squad over the coming years as well.

Reus who committed his future to the club with a four-year deal in 2015 told Welt: If the club wants [to keep Gundogan and Hummels], then they will see to that.

If you want to be on top, you have to invest in the tea…

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta played down speculation linking star forward Lautaro Martinez to Barcelona and Manchester United.

Martinez s fine start to the season has seen him emerge as a target for LaLiga champions Barca and struggling Premier League giants United.

The 22-year-old Argentina international, whose agent has talked up interest from Barca in the past, has scored seven goals this term.

Asked about rumours that Barca and United are poised to activate Martinez s €111million release clause, Marotta told Sky Sport Italia: This is all media talk.

Our players are happy to be with us and a player must express its desire to leave if he wants to go. We don t tend to sell important players, Inter are a very important club.

Of course, part of t…

Eric Dier scored the only goal as Tottenham edged 10-man Cardiff in a scrappy Premier League contest at Wembley on Saturday.

Dier s goal after eight minutes should have set Spurs on the road to a comfortable victory against a club yet to record a top-flight victory this season.

But that was as good as it got for the hosts, who wasted further goalscoring opportunities and survived periods of sustained Cardiff pressure.

The Welsh club s hopes of snatching a result faded when Joe Ralls was sent off for an appalling challenge on Lucas Moura, with Spurs holding on for the three points.

Keen to bounce back from a 4-2 Champions League defeat at home to Barcelona on Wednesday, Spurs made a flying start.

A Davinson Sanchez header from a corner landed at …

Football s governing bodies must do more to protect referees amid a considerable rise in abuse that has often been met with a silent response.

That was the message from Ref Support chief executive Martin Cassidy, who referenced issues with Bruno Fernandes, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Andrew Robertson in the Premier League this season.

Fernandes appeared to make contact with an assistant referee in Liverpool s 7-0 thrashing of Manchester United, while Mitrovic was banned for eight games after pushing Chris Kavanagh.

Robertson was another involved in an altercation with an official, when assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis seemingly made contact with the Liverpool left-back with his elbow, though the official faced no further punishment after an investigation.

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Manchester United are interested in signing Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that France international forward Mbappe , and that Premier League club United are among the clubs keen on securing the services of the 23-year-old forward.

Mbappe is one of the best forwards in the world and has been brilliant for PSG over the years. The youngster signed a new deal with the defending Ligue 1 champions only in the summer of 2022 after intense speculation linking him with a move to last season’s La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid.

The forward has made eight starts and one substitute appearances in Ligue 1 for PSG so far this season, scoring eight goals in the process. Mbappe has sc…

Leon Britton has struggled to get used to having Garry Monk as his boss but believes the Swansea City head coach is a natural leader.

Britton had a short spell with Sheffield United in the 2010-11 campaign, but aside from that the midfielder and Monk have been team-mates for around a decade.

Monk was charged with the task of replacing Michael Laudrup earlier this month after the Premier League club parted company with the Dane.

Britton, who is just three years younger than his new head coach, admits that it is strange to be playing under Monk rather than alongside him.

But the former West Ham man has no doubts that the defender is cut out for the top job at the Welsh club.

The Englishman told the club s official website: It s always going to be strange at f…

The Netherlands have slipped out of the top 10 of FIFA s world rankings for the first time since July 2002.

Louis van Gaal s side were beaten 2-0 by France in Paris last week, with the 2010 World Cup finalists looking lacklustre throughout their international friendly at the Stade de France.

After a dominant performance in their qualifying group for Brazil 2014, the Dutch have failed to win any of their three games since, having also drawn with Japan and Colombia in November.

And, after being a constant presence in the top 10 of FIFA s rankings for almost 14 years, Van Gaal s team have now dropped to 11th, with Belgium replacing them in 10th.

Marc Wilmots has guided Belgium to their first World Cup since 2002, and the country is back in the top 10 after dropping…

Manchester City defender Martin Demichelis has been charged for misconduct relating to betting by the Football Association (FA) over alleged breaches that took place in January.

The FA has charged the Argentina international over 12 alleged violations of rule E8 concerning football matches , all of which date between January 22 and January 28 this year.

Demichelis has until April 5 to answer the charge.

The 35-year-old has played in 29 games in all competitions for City this season and was on the pitch for the full 90 minutes during Argentina s win over Bolivia on Tuesday.

The ruling bans players from betting either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on any result, progress or conduct of a match or competition i…

Swansea City could be set to make a move for Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford,.

The South Wales club is on the lookout for a potential replacement for Bafetimbi Gomis, who has been strongly linked with a move away from the Liberty Stadium and Bamford, who recently cut short his temporary deal with Crystal Palace could fit the bill.

The England U21 international barely featured for Alan Pardew’s side having joined up with them in the summer, but has proven he has an eye for goal across loan spells with MK Dons, Derby County and Middlesbrough.

He is yet to make a senior appearance for his parent club, who he signed for from Nottingham Forest in January 2012.

Swansea drew with Palace on Monday afternoon, with Bamford missing the best chance of the game…

Sandro Tonali turned down Barcelona and Manchester United because he wanted to join Milan, according to Brescia president Massimo Cellino.

Tonali is a three-time Italy international and starred for Brescia in 2019-20, although they were relegated from Serie A.

The 20-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Inter, but is now set to join Milan.

Cellino said Tonali was eager to join Milan despite offers from Barcelona and United.

In January we received an offer of €65million from Barcelona. Not later than 10 days ago we received an offer of 10 million higher than Milan s from Manchester United, he told Top Calcio 24.

But the boy was determined to go to the Rossoneri.

Cellino added: I know that [Antonio] Conte has thought a lot about T…