Rumour Has It: Barcelona optimistic about Neves chances as Wolves sign replacement

Barcelona feel Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has one foot out of the door and are optimistic about their chance of signing him at the end of the season.

Neves, 25, has spent the past six seasons with Wolves after arriving during their last season in the Championship (2017-18), racking up over 200 appearances for the club along with 28 goals.

The central midfielder, a regular for Portugal, has caught the eye of Europe s elite clubs.

Wolves had been hopeful of extending Neves stay at the club, but with their future in the Premier League in doubt, they might have already started to plan for life without him.

TOP STORY – WOLVES SIGNING INDICATES LOOMING NEVES DEPARTURE

According to Sport, Barcelona believe Wolves are signing 21-year-old Flamengo mid…

Tokyo Olympics: Olyroos stun Argentina after banishing Messi and Maradona talk

Graham Arnold revealed he had visualised Australia s impressive 2-0 win over Argentina in their Olympics opener – and said keeping Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona out of conversations was all-important.

Australia head coach Arnold saw his Olyroos team strike a major victory for the underdog with their Tokyo 2020 success in Sapporo, where goals from Lachlan Wales and Marco Tilio did the damage.

Although the Argentina team this year does not carry the same star quality as the 2004 and 2008 sides that featured Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi respectively, the South Americans were expected to be on a high after their senior side lifted the Copa America trophy earlier this month.

Arnold s Australian troops were highly impressive in the Group C tussle, however, even t…

Championship: Sheff Utd joint-top after win over Luton, Rooney sent off but Plymouth prevail

Sheffield United maintained their unbeaten start in the Championship and moved joint-top of the table with a 2-0 home win over Luton Town.

Jesurun Rak-Sakyi marked his 22nd birthday in style, scoring a goal in each half, as the Blades brushed aside their struggling visitors on Saturday.

The youngster was denied in the opening stages, but still ensured United got off to a strong start, firing in an emphatic finish after just 12 minutes.

He then got his second just seven minutes after the restart, sliding it through Thomas Kaminski s legs.

The Blades should have had a third late on when Vinicius Souza struck the post, but they had already done enough to take advantage of Sunderland dropping points on Friday to join them on 19 points at the summit.

L…

Lazio hopeful of Milinkovic-Savic renewal as president defends Juventus amid Agnelli fallout

Lazio are hopeful they can convince Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to renew with the Serie A outfit, says president Claudio Lotito.

The Biancocelesti chief also weighed in on the fallout of Andrea Agnelli s resignation at Juventus, stating the club are not evil .

Milinkovic-Savic, who joined Lazio from Genk in 2015, has been one of their most crucial performers over the years, and was named as their player of the season for both of the last two campaigns

Speaking at the Colalucci Awards, Lotito reinforced a hope to keep the Serbia international currently under contract through 2024 within Rome, highlighting him as a cornerstone of their squad under Maurizio Sarri.

From a technical point of view, Lazio have an interest in renewing him because he is a great playe…

Argentina v Saudi Arabia: South American champions aiming to conquer the world

Argentina head into the World Cup with the aim of adding global glory to their Copa America crown, but head coach Lionel Scaloni is all too aware of the challenges awaiting his side in Qatar – starting with first opponents Saudi Arabia.

La Albiceleste ended a 28-year wait for major silverware by beating Brazil in the 2021 Copa America final, making this the first World Cup they enter as champions of their continent since USA 94.

Unlike that tournament, where they exited at the hands of Romania in the last 16, Argentina will fancy themselves to go all the way this time around with a motivated group led by Lionel Messi in what is set to be his final World Cup.

Argentina begin their Group C campaign against Saudi Arabia at Lusail Stadium on Tuesday, before facing …

Fulham interested in Doucoure and Cedric

Fulham are interested in signing Abdoulaye Doucoure from Everton and Cedric Soares from Arsenal next month, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Manager Marco Silva is apparently keen on strengthening his midfield section, as well as the right defensive flank, and he s looking to bring Doucoure, his former charge at Watford, and Cedric, positioned low in the pecking order at Arsenal, to Craven Cottage.

Both players boast plenty of experience in the English game. Doucoure, who turns 30 on the first day of next year, originally signed for Watford from Rennes in the winter of 2016 and spent the remainder of that season on loan with Granada. He finally arrived at the Vicarage the following summer and spent four years there, before moving on to Everton.

Meanwhile, Cedric s …

Pochettino claims World Cup rivals Kane and Mbappe would make perfect team-mates

Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe would be completely compatible as a strike partnership and Mauricio Pochettino would love to see it happen, he revealed ahead of England s World Cup clash with France.

Pochettino has coached both players, as boss of Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, and would love to work with Kane again one day, should the England captain seek to leave Spurs.

Argentinian Pochettino will be a neutral when England and France go head-to-head at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday, but his experience of coaching the two chief goal threats on each side means he has a vested interest.

He says both Kane and Mbappe genuinely love the game , unlike some players he has come across.

They love to talk about football, they love to talk about tactics, they have …

Greece 2-0 Republic of Ireland: Hosts stay top after emotional win

Greece continued their perfect Nations League start after making it four wins in as many games thanks to a 2-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Sunday.

Ivan Jovanovic s side stunned England on Thursday with a 2-1 victory, and followed that Wembley win up with another three points in Piraeus, where tributes were paid to George Baldock after his death this week.

The hosts dominated the first half without reward, with Caoimhin Kelleher forced into a number of saves, though Evan Ferguson spurned a glorious early chance at the other end.

That resistance was broken after 48 minutes as captain Anastasios Bakasetas combined with Christos Tzolis before the former s strike nipped off Liam Scales before looping over the powerless Kelleher.

Odysseas Vlachodimo…

Roma 1-0 Feyenoord: Zaniolo secures Giallorossi´s first major European title

Nicolo Zaniolo led Roma to their first major continental title with a 1-0 victory over Feyenoord in the Europa Conference League final in Tirana on Wednesday. 

After suffering a defeat in the 1984 European Cup final and missing out on UEFA Cup glory seven years later, the Serie A side were not to be denied an elusive European triumph and lifted their first trophy since the Coppa Italia in 2008. 

Zaniolo, who missed the entire 2020-21 season after suffering a second ACL injury in under a year, dinked in an exemplary finish in the 32nd minute to put Roma in charge. 

Feyenoord upped their game after the restart and were denied by the woodwork twice in three minutes, but Jose Mourinho s men tightened up and saw out a famous victory.

The meeting between t…

Norwich City 0-5 Arsenal: Saka at the double as Gunners thrash sorry Canaries

Bukayo Saka scored twice as Arsenal recorded a hefty 5-0 win over Norwich City at Carrow Road to secure their fourth consecutive Premier League victory.

Saka s early opener was followed up with a goal from Kieran Tierney just before the break as the Gunners dominated from the start.

Arsenal sealed the win in the second half as Saka notched his second goal of the game, before Alexandre Lacazette netted a late penalty and substitute Emile Smith Rowe added gloss in stoppage time.

The resounding victory saw Mikel Arteta s side close the gap on third-placed Chelsea, who play later on Saturday against Aston Villa, to three points.

20 Aged 20 years 112 days, Bukayo Saka is the third-youngest player to score on Boxing Day in consecutive

Arsenal opene…