Aston Villa are said to have made a bid for Jermain Defoe

Major League Soccer Deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis will become Chief Executive Officer at Arsenal in January 2009.

Gazidis has been responsible for all aspects of competition and player contracts in the MLS.

Ivan Gazidis was one of the founding executives of Major League Soccer. His 14 years of service to the League and the sport of soccer in America have helped establish Major League Soccer as a legitimate first division sports league in North America and a respected soccer league throughout the world, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.

Major League Soccer s on-field product has marched steadily forward, primarily due to Ivan s thorough understanding of the game and its global market, his impressive reasoning and judgment, and his deep-rooted desire to see s…

Real Madrid have completed the signing of Inter midfielder Mateo Kovacic, subject to a medical, in a deal reported to be worth €35million.

The Croatia international pens a six-year deal at the Santiago Bernabeu, and brings an end to a two-and-a-half-year stay in Milan.

Kovacic had been linked with Liverpool earlier in the transfer window, but a move to the Premier League never materialised.

The 21-year-old, who scored five goals in 35 Serie A appearances last season, switched to Inter in January 2013 after joining from Dinamo Zagreb in his homeland.

…

Iker Casillas insists he harbours no ill-feeling towards former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho, but feels Carlo Ancelotti is a better coach.

Spain international Casillas has been with the European champions his entire club career, but the goalkeeper s future appeared in doubt in Mourinho s final season in charge at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2012-13 when he was dropped to the bench in favour of Diego Lopez.

Initially, Ancelotti kept faith in Lopez and deployed him as his number one in La Liga matches last term, but he departed to join Milan in the close-season.

Casillas has subsequently enjoyed a renaissance and has firmly re-established himself in the Real side.

The Real captain admits he endured a love-hate relationship with Mourinho, but, despite co…

Borussia Dortmund are ready to sell Manchester United target Jadon Sancho in the summer of 2021, according to , as relayed by . It has been reported by the German publication that Bundesliga outfit Dortmund are willing to part company with the former Manchester City winger for €100 million.

United wanted to sign Sancho from Dortmund in the summer of 2020, but they did not want to pay what the Bundesliga club wanted. Dortmund are now willing to cash in on the 20-year-old winger and make up for losses made this season due to Covid.

Sancho is one of the best young attacking players in Europe and has already played 18 times for England. According to , the 20-year-old has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 17 Bundesliga games and has scored two goals and prov…

Xherdan Shaqiri scored a last-minute winner to give Switzerland one foot in the last 16 of the World Cup after a 2-1 victory over Serbia.

The Stoke City forward kept his cool to put the finishing touch on a brilliant second-half fightback from Vladimir Petkovic s side that began when Granit Xhaka scored a thunderous equaliser early in the second half.

Arsenal midfielder Xhaka defied Switzerland s reputation as a side lacking in attacking threat when he rattled the ball into the net from 25 yards, pulling his team back into a game that had threatened to get away from them.

Aleksandar Mitrovic wreaked havoc in Switzerland s box throughout the first half, scoring the second opportunity presented to him for a Serbia team that looked assured and confident after beatin…

Manchester City are interested in signing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2021, according to . It has been reported that the former Premier League champions could move for the Norway international striker if they are unable to sign Lautaro Martinez from Inter Milan.

City are on the hunt for a new striker. Sergio Aguero has had injury problems, and while the Argentine remains one of the best strikers in the world, he is now 32 years of age. Gabriel Jesus is still progressing and developing, and manager Pep Guardiola does need at leats two fully fit and established strikers to challenge on all front.

Haaland has made 14 starts and one substitute appearance in the Bundesliga for Dortmund so far this season, scoring 14 goals and providing three assist…

Manchester City will no longer face Arsenal on October 19, after the Premier League game was postponed to enable the Gunners to fulfil a Europa League fixture.

Arsenal were set to face PSV in their second Europa League group stage game on Thursday, only for that match to be called off in the wake of the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Thursday s game was postponed due to severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues related to the ongoing events surrounding the national mourning of the United Kingdom s late monarch.

UEFA has now confirmed the match at Emirates Stadium will take place on October 20, with Arsenal s home match against City – which was set to take place a day earlier – postponed by the Premier League.

In a statement, Euro…

Zenit will hope to continue their unbeaten home record this season when they host Porto in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

Luciano Spalletti s side have not lost in all 10 of their home fixtures in all competitions, with seven of them ending in victories.

As a result, they sit three points clear at the top of the Russian Premier League, with the goals of Danny and Hulk crucial.

Midfielder Danny has netted 12 this season already three times more than he scored last term while ex-Porto forward Hulk has weighed in with nine, including two in the Champions League.

Zenit sit second in Group G and have already beaten one side from Portugal this season, toppling Pacos de Ferreira 8-3 on aggregate in the play-offs for Europe s premier club competition.

The…

Thomas Tuchel is looking forward to his return to Mainz with Borussia Dortmund in Friday s Bundesliga fixture.

Tuchel coached Mainz for six years, leading them into Europe twice, including courtesy of a seventh-place Bundesliga finish in 2013-14.

But the 42-year-old asked to leave at the end of that campaign despite having a year of his contract to run.

He reached a settlement with Mainz that meant he was not allowed to take on another job without seeking his former club s permission.

A year away from coaching followed before he was appointed as Jurgen Klopp s successor at Dortmund.

This week, Mainz president Harald Strutz described the manner of Tuchel s departure as borderline and claimed that both men have different conceptions of respect .