Fiorentina line up Iakovenko bid

Mauricio Pochettino said it is unrealistic to expect Chelsea’s summer recruits to be playing their best football for the club already, despite upwards of £350million having been spent so far this transfer window.

The team is winless after the manager’s first two games in charge with one point on the board in the nascent Premier League table, with flashes of good play having been punctuated by inconsistency as was the case in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to West Ham.

Their plight has been worsened by injuries to goalscorer Carney Chukwuemeka, who was forced off at half-time having equalised for his side and is expected to miss six weeks, and winger Mykhailo Mudryk who will also miss Friday’s meeting with Luton at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea has completed the signing of…

David de Gea has the potential to build a legacy like Manchester United greats Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar after reaching 200 games for the club, former goalkeeping coach Eric Steele says.

The 25-year-old shot-stopper reached the milestone in Tuesday s 3-3 Premier League draw at Newcastle United, having arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

As well as reflecting on United s decision to sign the keeper as a 19-year-old, Steele predicted the Spain international will get significantly better in the years ahead.

He has got the potential to be a great like Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar, Steele told United Review. 

The boy could be held in that regard because he is only going to get better. He came to United at 19, so you …

Interim coach Jurgen Kramny takes charge of his first Stuttgart match on Sunday when the Bundesliga strugglers travel to high-flying Borussia Dortmund.

Under-23s coach Kramny was handed the reins on a temporary basis on Tuesday following the departure of Alexander Zorniger, who left his role after just six months in charge.

Stuttgart sit 16th in the Bundesliga, conceding 31 goals in their 13 league outings – more than any other side in Europe s top five leagues – while claiming just 10 points and three wins in that time.

It is the lowest points tally the club has ever had from 13 top-flight games, with Kramny facing a tough task in trying to ensure his side a first win over Dortmund in 11 attempts.

Dortmund have not tasted defeat against Sund…

Terence Kongolo has signed for Huddersfield Town on a permanent basis after the Premier League side broke their transfer record to lure the Dutchman back from Monaco.

Netherlands international Kongolo – who arrived on loan in January – has signed a four-year deal for a fee reportedly worth £17.5million.

Kongolo joined Ligue 1 outfit Monaco on a five-year contract ahead of the 2017-18 season but he only made three appearances before he was loaned to Huddersfield.

And the 24-year-old – who can play centre-back and left-back – impressed David Wagner and Huddersfield during the final five months of the Premier League campaign, amassing 17 appearances as the Terriers avoided relegation.

 HE S BACK! has completed the permanent signing of defender fr…

Panama hit back to earn a 1-1 draw against United States, denying the Gold Cup hosts a victory to open the tournament.

USA looked like they were heading for victory in Nashville when Dom Dwyer continued a dream start to his international career, scoring for the second straight game early in the second half.

But Panama forged a strong response and Miguel Camargo, who plays his club football for New York City, ensured the first match in Group B ended level.

The two teams have recent Gold Cup history, USA having beaten Panama in the 2013 final, before losing to the same opposition in the 2015 third-place play-off.

Martinique and Nicaragua are the other two teams in the group.

GOL Panamá, Miguel CAMARGO No. 18 |

— Gold Cup 2017 (@GoldCu…

Market: Real Betis win

Odds: 11/10 @

With a chance to make it back-to-back wins this week, Real Betis will welcome a struggling Getafe to the Estadio Benito Villamarín on Friday night.

Starting with the hosts, making an immediate return to winning ways last weekend, Real Betis have a European return at the top of their agenda this year. Despite that dramatic 3-2 defeat at the hands of Barcelona back on February 7th, Los Verdiblancos have largely impressed since bringing in former West Ham boss Manuel Pellegrini. Putting in another eye-catching display last week and grabbing a 2-1 victory away at Europa League outfit Villarreal, the Green and Whites have lost just one of their seven La Liga contests since opening the New Year. Hoping to fully put their dramatic…

Ousmane Dembele doesn t feel at all threatened by the possibility of Neymar going back to Barcelona, the forward s agent has said.

Speculation persists over Neymar s future at Paris Saint-Germain, with the latest reports saying Barca have had a bid of a two-year loan with an option to buy rejected by the Ligue 1 champions.

Should the Brazil star secure a return to Camp Nou, though, it is likely to leave Dembele s position in the first team unclear, with the France international struggling for consistency and fitness since his move from Borussia Dortmund for an initial €105million in 2017.

However, his representative, Moussa Sissoko, says Neymar s future will have no impact on Dembele s determination to succeed with the Spanish champions.

When you are a…

In what was billed as a contest that could prove pivotal in this year s Premier League title chase, Manchester City only managed to widen their buffer at the top of the table on Saturday lunchtime.

With Kevin De Bruyne s second-half wonder strike securing a 1-0 victory over Chelsea, Pep Guardiola s side also extended their lead over the chasing pack to 13 points at the Etihad.

Making it back-to-back Premier League victories against the west London outfit after losing to them in last season s Champions League final, we have taken a look at the main talking points from Saturday s showdown.

Another Etihad statement

Showing their resolve when opening the New Year with that last-gasp winner away at Arsenal, Manchester City have only found themselves enjoying a remar…

Manchester United s search for a new permanent manager continues, with Mauricio Pochettino the favourite.

Ralf Rangnick has been appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season, though Michael Carrick is set to preside over a third game as caretaker manager on Thursday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked last month after a poor run of results at the end of a trophy-less tenure.

TOP STORY – MANCINI EMERGES AS SHOCK MAN UTD CONTENDER

Former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has emerged as a contender for the vacant Man Utd managerial role, claims The Telegraph.

The current Italy head coach, who led the Azzurri to the Euro 2020 title, is under careful consideration by United chiefs, according to the report.

Mancini …

Market: Palmeiras win

Odds: 8/15 @

Looking to finish off the job and book their spot in the quarter-finals of this year’s Copa do Brasil, Palmeiras will travel to Botafogo for their second-leg showdown on Thursday night.

Starting with the hosts, suffering a 2-1 defeat when they travelled across Sao Paulo for their first-leg battle on May 3rd, Botafogo find themselves at the heart of a public struggle. Already in the midst of a Serie B relegation scrap and failing to find any kind of stability since opening up the 2024 campaign, Paulo Gomes’ men are rightfully pencilled in as a landslide underdog here. Putting in another nightmare performance over the weekend as they slumped to a 4-0 drumming away at Goias, the Whites have failed to muster a single victory fr…