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Fenerbahce have reacted to the nose-grabbing storm sparked by Jose Mourinho, accusing Galatasaray's coach of going down "as if he had been shot".

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Portuguese generating more controversyTangled with opposition coach after cup defeatCould face more disciplinary actionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Enigmatic Portuguese coach Mourinho finds himself at the centre of another controversy in Turkey having only recently returned to the dugout after serving a touchline ban. He has spoken out against Super Lig match officials on a regular basis.

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After taking in another heated derby date with old adversaries Gala, Mourinho was seen tangling with his opposite managerial number. He grabbed at the face of Okan Buruk, leading to the Galatasaray boss writhing on the floor.

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Further disciplinary action could be on the cards for Mourinho, but Fener have made a point of addressing actions that they believe should never have happened and were ultimately blown out of proportion.

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Getty Images SportWHAT FENERBAHCE SAID

A statement from the Istanbul-based giants reads: "This is our statement regarding Okan Buruk, who approached our Technical Director Jose Mourinho, who was meeting with the referees after the match yesterday, under the pretext of shaking their hands, provoked our Technical Director with hand gestures and statements, and had the audacity to make disrespectful hand gestures after crossing the police line.

"After our Technical Director momentarily touched his nose in response to these provocations, the person in question threw himself on the ground in an exaggerated manner.

"The disrespectful words and actions of this person, who professionally threw himself to the ground as if he had been shot as a continuation of his planned and excessive provocations, are recorded with images. The meaninglessness and the acting of a person who jumps to the ground and writhes for seconds when his nose is touched is known to the entire public.

"It is obvious that the images of this person throwing himself to the ground from his football career continued in his career as a coach, and that this attitude is a characteristic stance. It is clear that the evaluation of the ugly provocations and what happened afterwards should not be one-sided, but should be based on a cause-and-effect relationship."

Manchester United have now earmarked a trio of stars for potential January transfers as they look to strengthen Ruben Amorim’s squad for the second half of the season, a new report has claimed.

Manchester United remain consistently inconsistent

After a promising start to Ruben Amorim’s reign at Old Trafford, the Red Devils have reverted to type in recent weeks. A 3-0 loss against Bournemouth at Old Trafford left them 13th in the Premier League, the first time that they have ever spent Christmas in the bottom half of the table.

With more losses than wins this season, they also have a negative goal difference and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Tottenham in midweek, leaving them with just the Europa League and FA Cup left to play for this season.

Owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe summed up their fall from grace at the beginning of December, explaining: “Manchester United has become mediocre, it is supposed to be one of the best football clubs in the world.”

Stat

Premier League rank

Position

13th

13th

Goals scored

21

16th

Goals conceded

22

8th

Goal difference

-1

13th

Wins

6

12th

Yearly wage bill

£181.9m

3rd

Changes are inevitable, and they have already begun. Marcus Rashford seems certain to be a high-profile casualty of Amorim’s arrival, with the Englishman left out of the squad for a third consecutive game by the new Manchester United boss and publicly admitting he was seeking a fresh start. Now, they are reportedly set to make even more changes in January.

United target audacious triple transfer in January

That comes courtesy of a shock report from Spain, which claims that the Red Devils are ready to back Amorim to the tune of almost £150m in the January transfer window, with three players in their crosshairs.

Amorim now puts 2 more Man Utd stars up for sale alongside Marcus Rashford

It seems there might be an exodus at Old Trafford after the New Year.

ByBarney Lane Dec 23, 2024

First among those is Southampton teenager Tyler Dibling, who has risen to prominence this season and who United are thought to want to add to their ranks. As per the report, Southampton are asking for £30m to part ways with the academy talent, who has been their sole shining light this season but could be available even more cheaply should they be relegated, a fate that looks overwhelmingly likely.

Then, the Red Devils also want to upgrade at both ends of the pitch. In goal, they are eyeing up a move for Borussia Dortmund’s ‘world class’ goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. It is claimed that the German side are “asking for 70 million euros” [£58m] but that United are “willing to invest” that sum in the 27-year-old.

And in a bid to fix their goalscoring issues, Manchester United also want to raid Sporting CP for “world class” forward Viktor Gyokeres, who the report claims would cost a further €75 million (£62.2m).

Of these moves, Dibling’s perhaps appears the most likely, with Kobel an ever-present for Dortmund this season and Amorim having promised upon arrival that he would not sign any players from his former club in the January transfer window.

In truth though, all three deals seem unlikely to take place in the middle of the season, and seem more likely to be summer transfers if they were to happen at all.

Potentially welcoming more star power, Aston Villa have reportedly opened talks with a Paris Saint-Germain player who desperately needs to rediscover his most scintillating form.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans currently sit ninth in the Premier League as they prepare to commence a new year under Unai Emery and one that they will once again hope to end in the Champions League. Given their current struggle for consistency, however, they may well need to return to the transfer market if they want to make a return to Europe’s biggest stage for a second season running.

On that front, it’s Donyell Malen who has been threatening to steal the headlines more than others. Reports have even gone as far to suggest that Aston Villa have already sent an offer Borussia Dortmund’s way with negotiations ongoing and the German giants ready to show their winger the door in 2025.

It seems as though attacking reinforcements have become the priority at Villa Park this month in an attempt to share the goals around rather than relying on Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran to seal the points. And that means Malen isn’t the only one to have seemingly caught the Villans’ eye.

According to Caught Offside, Aston Villa are now in talks with Marco Asensio over a January move away from Paris Saint-Germain. The former Real Madrid star has struggled for game time in the current campaign and is now willing to complete a departure away from the Ligue 1 giants this month.

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Whilst Aston Villa would prefer a loan move, PSG are reportedly looking for between €25m-€30m (£21m-£25m) to part ways with their midfielder at the halfway mark.

With the likes of Morgan Rogers, Ross Barkley and the returning Emiliano Buendia already providing enough depth in Asensio’s role, it remains to be seen whether they’ll be willing to splash out to secure the Spaniard’s signature.

"Great" Asensio needs January move

In danger of becoming a forgotten star after rising to stardom at Real Madrid and earning a move to PSG, Asensio should be desperate to steal the headlines once again and complete a January switch to Aston Villa. Only rare cases have struggled to impress Emery and only few have not gone on to make an impressive impact at Villa Park. Now, Asensio could become the next to benefit.

Despite his current struggles under Luis Enrique, the right-winger did once find himself at the centre of the manager’s praise during his time in charge of Spain’s national team.

Enrique told reporters, via Madrid Universal, in 2022: “We’ve worked with him on the things we wanted him to improve and he has done just that. When he plays as a ‘9’ he initiates the pressure and that requires effort and great responsibility.

“It’s a pleasure to see how our six forwards press, they give us guarantees. Marco is a guarantee and he’s in great form for the World Cup.”

Enduring three starts in Ligue 1 under the Spaniard at PSG just three years later, Asensio is no longer a player at the centre of Enrique’s thoughts and must move on in 2025.

Liverpool may be looking for Mohamed Salah replacements soon, and a “sharp” winger has emerged as a potential target for them, according to a new transfer rumour.

Potential Salah replacements for Liverpool

Arne Slot’s side won yet again in the Premier League on Sunday, sealing a priceless 3-2 victory away to bottom-of-the-table Southampton. It was far from a vintage performance by the visitors, but they once again got over the line, thanks mostly to a second-half brace from Salah.

Since the game, another concerning update has emerged regarding the 32-year-old Liverpool icon’s future, with the winger admitting that the club are yet to start talks with him over a contract extension ahead of his current deal running out in the summer of 2025.

Should Salah leave, the Reds will find it incredibly difficult to find a tailor-made successor given the world-class level he has performed at for so many years, but Brentford star Bryan Mbeumo is seen as a leading contender to fill the potential void. The same applies to Lyon youngster Rayan Cherki, who is a huge talent.

However, they aren’t the only right-sided attacking players being backed to join Liverpool, with Eintracht Frankfurt hero Omar Marmoush also mentioned. A new report does claim that the Merseysiders’ interest in him has cooled, though.

Liverpool eyeing move for "sharp" winger

According to a new update from Football Insider, Liverpool are “keeping close tabs” on West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus, seeing him as a strong option to bring in.

The 24-year-old “has emerged near the top of the Reds’ list of targets” should Salah move on to pastures new at the end of the current campaign.

The Ghanaian has caused the Reds problems in the past, scoring at Anfield against them in the Champions League during his time at Ajax, while West Ham teammate Aaron Cresswell has lauded his ability:

“I’ve just trained with him and you don’t want to go anywhere near him. I’m up against him all the time and I’m like: ‘Mo, go on over to the left!’

“He’s a top, top talent and I think we haven’t seen the best of him yet. I won’t go near him in training because I know if I’m going to try to knock him off the ball I had better make sure he’s not looking and doesn’t see me coming. You just can’t get near him. He’s so strong, so quick, so sharp.”

This sums up what a talented footballer Kudus is, and the fact that he has proven himself in the Premier League could appeal to the likes of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes.

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The player in question is having an outstanding season.

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Granted, he hasn’t quite got going yet this season, only scoring twice in eight appearances for a struggling West Ham side, but it is easy to see why the Reds admire him given the pace, trickery and end product he possesses.

Arsenal are ready to make a January bid to sign their “perfect” player, and it is believed they’ve leapfrogged Manchester City in the race for his signature.

Arsenal make statement with 5-1 Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon

Mikel Arteta has made the perfect start post-international break, following up their impressive 3-0 win over Premier League high-flyers Nottingham Forest with a statement 5-1 victory at Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Arsenal expected to hold talks for emergency loan signing of £77m forward

The Gunners need reinforcements.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2024

A disastrous run of form, stretching from mid-October to mid-November, saw Arsenal go without a single win in the top flight – putting their chances of a first league title for 21 years in serious jeopardy – but two exceptional performances in the last few days have provided hope that Arteta can resurrect the club’s fortunes.

Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard rounded off a superb display in Portugal last night, with Arteta praising his side for their convincing performance.

“For sure, especially against the opponent that we played in their home,” said Arteta on whether he was impressed with Arsenal against Sporting.

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

Crystal Palace (away)

December 21

“I don’t think they’ve lost a game in 18 months. They’ve been in top form, they did better than anyone they played here, so to play to the level, with the determination, the purpose, and the fluidity that we’ve done today, very pleased.

“For sure, the performance was there a few times and when we played big teams. When we played PSG, we were exceptional, again, when we played Bayern we were exceptional and some mistakes cost us. Now it’s Inter, now it’s this level, that’s the level we have to be able to cope, and you have to make it happen, then that creates belief, then on the next one the players will be better prepared. We need that consistency because the ability to do it is there.”

West Ham await Arsenal at the London Stadium this weekend, and you’d seriously fancy the Gunners’ chances given the opposing form of both sides right now.

Arsenal ready to make January bid for £60 million Martin Zubimendi

According to CaughtOffiside, the Emirates Stadium could reinforce Arteta’s chances of making this campaign a success with a winter swoop for Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi.

Both Jorginho and Thomas Partey are edging towards exits, following the expiry of their contracts, so the club also need to think about long-term replacements for them – if contract extensions are not on the table.

Arsenal are ready to bid £50 million for Zubumendi in January, as per CS, but Sociedad will demand closer to £60m. The north Londoners have an advantage over City, though, with Arteta ahead of his old mentor Pep Guardiola in the race for Zubimendi’s services.

Arsenal were linked with Zubimendi in the summer, and the Spaniard has been tipped as a potentially ideal upgrade for Arteta’s midfield.

“My personal feeling is that Zubimendi would be fantastic, even if [Amadou] Onana and Douglas [Luiz] have the advantage of both already knowing the Premier League,” said reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano in an interview with CaughtOffside earlier this year, commenting on which midfielder Arsenal should go for.

“Zubimendi is [a] fantastic player, he can help with his vision, quality and intelligence on the ball – he’s the perfect midfielder.”

أبدى أيمن يونس، نجم الزمالك الأسبق، استياءه من الجدل الدائر حول أزمة أحمد سيد زيزو، بعد انتشار أنباء عن توقيعه للنادي الأهلي، ودخول أطراف عديدة في سجالات إعلامية وتصريحات متبادلة.

وكتب يونس عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إكس”: “بعيدًا عن كل الأحداث الدائرة حول موقف زيزو والحوارات والاتهامات المتبادلة بشكل لا يليق وغير مقبول، أصبح الكل خسران، أيوه الكل خسران”.

وأضاف: “نتوقف كثيرًا عند ما صرّح به كابتن تامر النحاس، وكيل اللاعبين، في حواره مع الإعلامي سيف زاهر.. كلام خطير جدًا يحتاج إلى تحقيق من المسؤولين عن رقابة كرة القدم في مصر”.

بعيدا عن كل الاحداث الدائره حول موقف زيزو و الحوارات والاتهامات المتبادله بشكل لايليق و غير مقبول ف أصبح الكل خسران ايوه الكل خسران..نتوقف كثيرا عما صرح به ك تامر النحاس وكيل اللاعبين في حواره مع سيف زاهر..كلام خطير جدا يحتاج الي تحقيق من المسؤلين عن رقابه كره القدم في مصر!!! ؟؟ — Ayman Younis. ايمن يونس (@AymanYounis) April 8, 2025

طالع أيضًا | سيد عبد الحفيظ: زيزو لاعب يليق بـ الأهلي.. ولا أتمنى تكرار تجربة شيكابالا وحسني عبدربه

وكان تامر النحاس قد فجّر مفاجأة في تصريحاته، مشيرًا إلى أن مفاوضات الأهلي مع زيزو لم تكن حديثة، بل تعود لفترة سابقة، موضحًا أن مسؤولي القلعة الحمراء اتفقوا مع اللاعب ووالده على انتقاله إلى الأهلي من خلال عرض خارجي يرحل به عن الزمالك، ثم يعود بعدها إلى الدوري المصري عبر بوابة الأهلي.

وفي سياق متصل، قرّر نادي الزمالك استبعاد أحمد سيد زيزو من قائمة الفريق التي تستعد لمواجهة ستيلينبوش الجنوب أفريقي، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، على استاد القاهرة الدولي، في إياب ربع نهائي بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

وعلم بطولات أن قرار الاستبعاد جاء بعد التأكد من توقيع اللاعب للنادي الأهلي خلال الفترة الماضية، وهو ما دفع إدارة الزمالك للتدخل والتنسيق مع الجهاز الفني لاتخاذ موقف صارم بشأنه.

وكانت الأيام الماضية قد شهدت جدلًا واسعًا حول مستقبل زيزو، وسط أنباء عن اقترابه من الرحيل وتوقيعه للأهلي، وهو ما نفاه اللاعب في بيان مقتضب عبر حساباته الرسمية على منصات التواصل الاجتماعي.

Latham, Karunaratne in top 10 of batting rankings; Jadeja No. 2 allrounder

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2021

Shaheen Shah Afridi picked up seven wickets in the first Test against Bangladesh•AFP/Getty Images

Shaheen Shah Afridi has broken into the top five of the ICC Test bowling rankings for the first time following his five-for against Bangladesh in Pakistan’s eight-wicket win in the first Test in Chattogram. Afridi, who finished with a match haul of seven wickets, moved up three places to No. 5, overtaking James Anderson, Kagiso Rabada and Neil Wagner in the process.Each of the three bowlers Afridi has overtaken will have an opportunity to make gains of their own. Wagner could have the first crack if he makes New Zealand’s XI for the second and final Test against India in Mumbai. Anderson is likely to line up for the first Ashes Test next week, while Rabada will spearhead South Africa’s pace attack during their home Tests against India later this month.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

Meanwhile, Afridi’s new-ball partner Hasan Ali also moved five places to 11th, his best-ever position so far, following seven wickets in the Chattogram Test. This included figures of 5 for 51 that hastened Bangladesh’s collapse in the first innings after Liton Das and Mushfiqur Rahim put on 206 runs for the fifth wicket.Kyle Jamieson, who impressed in his maiden outing in the subcontinent, was ranked ninth, while Tim Southee was within a point of second-placed R Ashwin following his eight-wicket match haul in Kanpur. Pat Cummins, Australia’s new Test captain, heads the list.Among batters, Tom Latham and Dimuth Karunaratne made significant gains for their efforts in Kanpur and Galle respectively. Latham, who made 95 and 52 in New Zealand’s thrilling draw, jumped five places to No. 9, while the Sri Lankan captain was two spots higher st seven following scores of 147 and 83 in Sri Lanka’s 187-run win in the first Test.Over in Bangladesh, the nature of Pakistan’s come-from-behind win had a few other gainers too. Abid Ali’s 133 and 91 helped him jump 27 slots to a career-best 20th rank, one place above Mushfiqur. Among the other gainers was Bangladesh left-arm spinner Taijul Islam climbed two places to 23rd after picking up a seven-for in Pakistan’s first innings.In the allrounders’ rankings, Ravindra Jadeja jumped one place to be ranked second, behind West Indies’ Jason Holder. Jadeja struck a defiant half-century in the first innings, while his five wickets in the match also helped him jump to 19th in the bowling chart.

Sri Lanka Cricket doctors have suggested the injury is more serious than initially thought

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Dec-2021The quadriceps strain Angelo Mathews sustained during the ongoing Test match against West Indies has put his participation in the Lanka Premier League in doubt.Mathews himself hoped that he would miss only the first few days of the tournament, or between three and four matches. But Sri Lanka Cricket doctors have suggested that the strain could be more serious, and that Mathews could end up potentially missing the whole tournament. The LPL is set to start on Sunday, and runs until December 23.”One MRI scan has been conducted, but the results are not clear,” SLC’s chief medical officer Dr. Daminda Attanayake told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ll need to conduct another MRI around December 4, and we’ll have a clearer picture.”The results of that second test will also be shared with consulting physicians based overseas, Attanayake said.Related

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Mathews had sustained the injury while running a single on the first day of the ongoing Test in Galle. He had retired hurt immediately after, but returned to the crease after the fall of the eighth wicket, and dealt largely in boundaries, refusing to take runs. He did not take the field for Sri Lanka in the first innings, but did come out to bat at No. 9 in the second innings.Mathews has a long history of leg injuries, with problems to his hamstrings, quads, and calves causing him to miss months of cricket at a time, since 2015.He is slated to be part of the Colombo Stars franchise at the LPL – possibly as captain, though that has not been officially confirmed yet either.

Randal Kolo Muani produced a magical piece of skill to beat five Inter defenders and lay the ball to Francisco Conceicao, who fired Juventus' winner.

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Kolo Muani produces outrageous assistJuventus beat Inter in Serie AFace PSV on Wednesday in Champions LeagueFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

With the scores level and Sunday's blockbuster Serie A clash looking like it was heading to a scoreless draw, a looping clearance was taken down by Kolo Muani, who then produced an outrageous piece of skill to take two defenders out of play before nudging the ball to Conceicao to fire the ball into the net and give Juventus a huge 1-0 win. It is no mean feat to break down one of the best defences in Europe but the Paris Saint-Germain loanee's moment of inspiration unlocked the Inter backline and earned the three points. The Old Lady have had a mixed season under Thiago Motta but the victory takes Juventus into fourth place and strengthens their claim to a Champions League qualification spot.

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Kolo Muani had struggled to adapt to life in the French capital following his blockbuster move to PSG from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023. Even the departure of Kylian Mbappe failed to bring more opportunities to the forward, who struggled to break into a frontline consisting of Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola. The signing of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli all but confirmed the need for Kolo Muani to leave the club in January. He joined Juventus on loan and appears to be getting his career back on track, having recorded six goal contributions in is first four Serie A appearances.

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WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

It is fair to say that football fans have been shocked by Kolo Muani's assist against Inter. One X user, RBComps, said: "Kolo Muani turned into prime Ronaldinho with that goal."

@Pythaginboots was full of praise for the Frenchman, posting: "Assist of the season!! Kolo Muani embodies a FIFA skiller, flicking the right stick in about 10 different directions that would cause anyone including Inter to want to rage quit."

Zach Lowy was keen to highlight his transformative effect on the club. He said: "Randal Kolo Muani is having an absolutely INCREDIBLE start to life at Juventus. From PSG’s fourth-choice striker to completely revolutionizing Juve’s fortunes in attack. World-class assist to set up Francisco Conceicao’s opener…such quick feet, physicality and vision."

@NapoliSansone compared Kolo Muani to another recent Serie A talent. They posted: "Kolo Muani might be the best ever. [Victor] Osimhen, your watch has ended."

@TakesofAC_ also was keen to compare the Juventus man to his opposite number, saying: "Kolo-Muani is so sensational btw. Barely any touches with limited service and he managed to scare me every time the ball was at his feet. Such a disgusting contrast to 'Lautaro Martinez'."

Juventus are reportedly considering making a move for former Barcelona manager Xavi Henandez this summer following Thiago Motta's uncomfortable start.

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• Juventus consider making move for Xavi
• Motta has had a slow start at Juventus
• Xavi on a sabbatical since dramatic Barca exit

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Motta joined Juventus as a fiery manager who employed hyper-offensive tactics during his time at Bologna. However, the former Italy international has not been very successful with the Bianconeri despite the 36-time Serie A champions' 21-game unbeaten league start – which includes 13 draws.

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  Juventus are now preparing for the worst-case scenario with Motta as fans call for the Italian to be shown the door. As per L'Equipe, the Old Lady have now earmarked Xavi as their option to replace Motta next summer in the case that they do part ways with the 42-year-old.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Xavi had a climactic end to his stint with Barcelona last season after club president Joan Laporta pleaded with the Blaugrana legend not to leave his post as manager. Xavi accepted the offer, however, in a turn of events, Laporta then sacked the 45-year-old after he made comments regarding the club's financial situation.

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• GOAL
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  The Bianconeri's first option will likely remain to back Motta in the summer to give the Italian legend as much chance as possible of succeeding at Allianz Stadium. However, if nothing significant happens, Xavi may be urged to come out of his sabbatical.