SPORTS MANIA

Arsenal and Barcelona are reportedly to set to do battle over Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, according to ​La Gazzetta dello Sport. Bentancur joined Juventus last season from Argentinian giants Boca Juniors but struggled to force his way into La Vecchia Signora's starting XI. However, the 21-year-old impressed during the World Cup, making La Gazzetta dello Sport's 'stars of the tournament' list and showing the world what he is capable of. 'El Maestro' Oscar Tabarez relied on Bentancur to lead his midfield, and the young player duly obliged, with one of the highlights of his tournament being the perfect pass to set up Edinson Cavani for La Celeste's second goal against Portugal. Arsenal have already signed Bentancur's Uruguay team mate Lucas Torreira from ​Serie A side Sampdoria, strengthening the squad's creativity and solidity in the middle of the pitch. Bentancur could also represent an excellent and reliable addition to the G...

MANCHESTER UNITED news is hotting up in the January transfer window and sportskicker247 is on hand to bring you all the latest from Old Trafford.                 Jose Mourinho clever move Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has been very astute with his move for Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez. Those are the thoughts of former Everton star-turned-pundit Leon Osman. Mourinho is looking to make additions to his squad, and has already lined up Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil and Bordeaux star Malcom as potential targets. And Osman thinks Mourinho should take some credit for his interest in Sanchez. “I think just by going for the player, he’s turning his head a little bit and making him think," Osman told Sky Sports’ The Debate. “He’s also potentially raising the bar and making Man City overpay. “And if all else fails, he could get Sanchez which would be a top class addition to his side." Sanchez could change mind over City move Mancheste...

Real Madrid slipped to a 1-0 loss at the Bernabeu earlier yesterday after a Pablo Fornal's strike proved to be the difference between the two sides. The reigning La Liga champions had 28 attempts on goal, but once again, lacked a clinical edge. Villarreal, meanwhile, enjoyed their first ever victory at the Bernabeu and are now just a point behind fourth-placed Real. After a run of poor performances, Marcelo has admitted it is the most challenging period of his career with Los Blancos. Speaking after the game, the Brazilian left-back said: “It is one of the worst situations I've experienced here," said Marcelo, who has been at Real for 11 years. "We're trying to play good football, to move the ball around and score goals but it's not coming off." And he reckons it must be a sorry state of affairs for those looking at the club from the outside. He added: “It is how it looks from the outside - we are sad, angry and we feel like we are ...

ARSENAL news is coming thick and fast during the January transfer window and sportskicker247 is on hand to bring you all the latest gossip from the Emirates.                 Alexis Sanchez decision Alexis Sanchez must choose which Manchester club to join. Manchester United and Manchester City have both made moves for the Arsenal player. The Gunners are resigned to losing him. And Express Sport understands Sanchez has now been given a choice: either join United for £35m this January or City for free in the summer. Both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola were coy over their interest in the Chilean yesterday.             Mahrez wants Gunners move Riyad Mahrez is in talks with Liverpool over replacing Philippe Coutinho - but he would prefer to sign for Arsenal instead.       Insiders in Mahrez’s camp have exclusively revealed to Express Sport that terms of a transfer are being discusse...

​ Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois will commit their immediate futures to Chelsea after the former revealed the key duo will sign new contracts. In a massive double blow to alleged suitors Real Madrid, Hazard confirmed to the  ​Mirror that  both he and his club and international teammate would be putting pen to paper on fresh terms at Stamford Bridge. Hazard was in attendance at Thursday's NBA London clash between Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers - a contest Boston won 114-103 - and Hazard was nabbed by a roving reporter despite trying to remain inconspicuous. The Belgium international and Courtois have both been continuously linked with moves to the Spanish capital as Real ramped up their interest in the pair. Hazard, however, insisted that he and the goalkeeper would be signing contract extensions to continue plying their trade for the Premier League champions, and revealed which player would be penning their contract first. He briefly sai...

BARCELONA will not be able to sign reported target Arthur from Gremio because Yerry Mina has taken the last non-EU spot in Ernesto Valverde’s squad. Arthur is one of Brazilian football’s most promising prospects and has been linked with a cluster of Europe’s biggest clubs. Barcelona talisman Lionel Messi is thought to have had his head turned by the 21-year-old’s performances in his homeland. Don Balon say the Argentine had Arthur on his list of transfer targets to shore up Barca’s midfield. However, Messi will have to wait if he’s to have the Gremio midfielder alongside him after his club tied up a deal for Mina. La Liga rules dictate teams can only have three non-EU players in their squad. Barcelona already had Brazilian’s Paulinho and Philippe Coutinho among their ranks. And their final non-EU spot has been taken by Mina, who’s joining from Palmeiras. For Arthur to join, Paulinho, Coutinho or Mina must gain EU citizenship or leave Barcelona. Barcelona could ...

MANCHESTER UNITED news is coming thick and fast and sportskicker247 brings you the latest from Old Trafford.           Man Utd meet Sanchez agents Manchester United met with Alexis Sanchez’s representatives in London this week. That is according to Sky Sport Italia reporter Valentina Fass. “It’s been more than an approach really, they seem very determined to get Alexis Sanchez away from Manchester City,” Fass told Sky Sports News. “Sanchez already had a kind of agreement, general agreement with Manchester City to go there either in June, where he will be a free agent and when his contract ends, or now.  “But he hasn’t signed anything and then Manchester United steps in.  “From what we know, there have been a few meetings already between Manchester United and Sanchez’s agents, one of them even in London in the past few days.  “Manchester United seem very determined to get him, again it could be either now or ...

​Andreas Christensen has admitted there are a number of difficulties and mental challenges which exist when playing for Chelsea, with the defender stressing that he will never get 'comfortable' in the senior set-up. The 21-year-old has stepped up to the plate for Chelsea this season having all but replaced David Luiz in the centre of defence after returning from his two-year loan spell with  Borussia Monchengladbach, having made 23 appearances to date.  Christensen's impressive form earned him a  ​new four-and-a-half-year contract  last week, but the young defender is conscious of the fact that he cannot become complacent and let his high standards drop as the competition for places will see him lose his spot in Antonio Conte's side. With Luiz, Antonio Rudiger and Gary Cahill all in the squad, and reports reiterating Conte's desire to add to his defensive ranks - after ​ the boss admitted to missing out  on L...

NEYMAR has reportedly told Real Madrid president Florentino Perez a list of demands he wants met before he considers signing for them. The Brazilian only left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain last summer but is already said to have aspirations to return and play for Real one day. Perez shares Neymar's dreams but it seems he'll have to make big sacrifices if he wants to land his next Galactico. Spanish publication Don Balon claim Neymar has requested Perez make some big changes prior to his arrival. Neymar wants to arrive at the Bernabeu as the star man and that means there is no place for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. The forward may well get his wish too with Ronaldo struggling for form this season and reports suggest he is unhappy in the capital. Meanwhile, Bale is attracting interest from Manchester United and Express Sport understands Jose Mourinho is exploring the possibility of bringing him to Old Trafford. Perez is also growing frustrated with th...

EDEN HAZARD has reportedly agreed to join Real Madrid at the end of the season after snubbing Chelsea’s offers of a new deal. Zinedine Zidane is desperate to bolster his attacking ranks this month having seen his side fall 16 points behind Barcelona in La Liga. Eden Hazard is the name at the top of his wishlist, while club president Florentino Perez remains a long-term admirer of his. And according to Radio Monte Carlo, Los Blancos have held talks with Hazard over a transfer. They claim the Belgian has already rejected two offers from Chelsea over extending his stay - his current deal runs until 2020. One proposal saw Hazard offered a staggering €17.6m (£15.5m) a season but Hazard is holding out for a move to the Bernabeu. Spanish publication AS claim Hazard has his heart set on a switch to Spain and following discussions has now agreed to leave Chelsea in the summer. For that reason, Hazard doesn’t want to sign the new contract Chelsea have offered him. It remains...

YERRY MINA is set to arrive at Barcelona in a matter of hours - and he may not be the only new addition to the squad, say shock reports in Spain. Barcelona have been splashing the cash since the January window opened, breaking their transfer record with the £142million arrival of Philippe Coutinho. And the Catalan side are soon to add another star turn to their ranks - Yerry Mina - according to Spanish outlet Don Balon. The highly-rated Palmeiras defender is said to be just hours away from finalising his move to the Nou Camp. And the report says Ernesto Valverde could make a further defensive signing this month that has been kept under wraps. Don Balon say 23-year-old Mina is being brought in as a long-term option and will not walk straight into the first team. Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Thomas Vermaelen are all firmly ahead of the Colombian in the pecking order. But Barca will still be in need of a centre-half who can slot straight in following Javier Machera...

ARSENAL news is coming in thick and fast as the transfer window hits full flow and sportskicker247 is on hand to bring you all the latest from Anfield.              Mahrez to replace Sanchez Arsenal could make a move for Leicester star Riyad Mahrez if Alexis Sanchez departs this month. That is a potential transfer which was discussed by Sky Sports pundits Ian Wright and Dennis Wise. But there could be one catch with the switch, as former Chelsea midfielder Wise thinks that Mahrez might not want to join a team that is languishing in sixth place in the Premier League table. “I don’t think Mahrez would want to go there,” Wise told Sky Sports’ The Debate. “I think there would be other teams that Mahrez would look at and think he is capable of going into. “Teams that are in a better position than Arsenal. “If Arsenal are the only team then yeah, but if there are teams above then you would wait and consider the teams in the top five at t...

The Eden Hazard transfer saga rumbles on as it is now reported that the Belgian international has rejected two new deals at Chelsea.  ​Radio Montecarlo  report that  Los Blancos have been made contact with the Chelsea player's close circle with Hazard  ​not accepting  the two offers which Chelsea have offered him, suggesting that the 27-year-old's future may lie away from Stamford Bridge.  Hazard is under contract at 2020, but Chelsea are keen to improve his contract and make him the highest paid player in the Premier League, overtaking Paul Pogba at Manchester United. Hazard has been at Chelsea since 2012 when he arrived from Lille and helped the Blues to win the Europa League in his first season. He has scored 81 goals in all competitions for the club in 275 matches.  Having been named  PFA Young Player of the Year in 2014, Hazard then had a superb season in 2014/15 where he helped Chelsea to a Premier League and League ...