Bayer Leverkusen have confirmed their midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu is involved in a legal dispute with FIFA that relates to a contract he signed with Trabzonspor in 2011.
The Bundesliga club expects the proceedings to last for several months , during which time Calhanoglu will remain eligible to play.
The 22-year-old German-born Turkey international came through the ranks at Karlsruher, who he represented between 2009 and 2013 – albeit on-loan from Hamburg during the 2012-13 season.
As a 17-year-old, Calhanoglu signed a deal with Trabzonspor to join them for 2012-13 but the move collapsed.
He joined Leverkusen from Hamburg on a five-year deal in 2014 and his current employers issued a statement to clarify that the dispute does not relate to this trans…
Market: Amazonas win
Odds: 19/20 @
Looking to widen their buffer over the drop zone, Amazonas will welcome Guarani to the Estadio Municipal Carlos Zamith in the early hours of Thursday.
Starting with the hosts, while Amazonas might have marked their Serie B return in the midst of a real struggle, the Jaguars do appear to have turned a recent corner. Putting in another eye-catching performance last week as they snatched a gritty 0-0 stalemate away at promotion contenders America MG, Rafael Lacerda’s camp are now looking to drag themselves away from a potential relegation scrap. Desperate to maintain their second-tier status this season, the Yellows have suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous six Serie B appearances a flurry that extends back t…
What the papers say
Arsenal’s attentions are again turning to Douglas Luiz, 25, as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his midfield options. The Daily Mirror reports Arsenal are expected to make a fresh bid for the Brazilian in January.
Brazilian Marcos Leonardo is expected to spark interest after his agent said he is keen on leaving Santos in January. The Evening Standard reports Arsenal and Manchester United are among the potential suitors for the 20=year-old forward.
Kylian Mbappe believes “there will be time to talk” about his future at Paris St-Germain, according to the Daily Mail, via Telefoot. The France forward, 24, has been the subject of increased speculation as his contract enters its final few months.
Jadon Sancho’s path out of Manchester United…
Eventually getting hit with an action-packed away at a high-flying Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool find themselves in the midst of what has become a rather public nightmare.
While Jurgen Klopp s side might have opened the 2022/23 campaign with their sights firmly set on recapturing their Premier League crown, the Reds find just their goal difference keeping them in the top-half of the table.
With many around Anfield fearing that their superstar squad could be hit with the real possibility of missing out on a top-four finish, last season s Champions League finalists find themselves under growing scrutiny.
Already sat 14 points adrift in the early-season title chase, the mood in their camp appears to be the lowest it has been during Klopp s seven-year reig…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is taking a safety-first approach with John Stones despite the defender being a crucial part of his tactical plans.
The England international has played just 393 minutes of football for his club – and 91 for his country – due to a hip injury and while he was named in the squad for the 1-1 draw with Liverpool after a muscle injury Guardiola had no intention of using him.
Stones has played a vital role in the continuing evolution of the side as the centre-back who steps forward in possession to allow midfielders to play higher up the pitch.
Other players have been tasked with doing the same – the latest Manuel Akanji – but Stones remains the premier exponent of Guardiola’s game-plan but his manager wants to avoid more…
Granit Xhaka came close to quitting Arsenal in late 2019 after receiving pure hate from sections of the club s fanbase.
The Switzerland international said he felt very disrespected after being booed by his own fans in an incident in October that year and recognises he will never be best friends with many supporters despite reasserting himself as a key member of the Arsenal team.
Xhaka lost the club captaincy after throwing his armband to the ground having been booed by supporters in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, but he fought his way back into the team following Mikel Arteta s appointment as manager.
The midfielder has made 19 Premier League appearances this season, all of them starts, as Arsenal chase Champions League qualification, but said he still reme…
Mikel Arteta believes his new contract will clear up any doubts over Arsenal s future direction and be a major factor in the club s recruitment and retention drive.
The manager has committed to a two-year contract extension at Emirates Stadium, with his previous deal having run to the end of next season.
It means he is now set to stay at Arsenal until 2025, ensuring stability at the club.
Arteta revealed a number of Arsenal stars had been asking him about his future before he committed to an extended stay, with the announcement coming from the club on Friday.
Asked when the players learned the news, Arteta said: They found out this morning. Some of them had been asking me in the last few months because they had questions about their individual futures.…
Robert Lewandowski finished as the Champions League group stage s top scorer, interrupting the duopoly enjoyed by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lewandowski s double in Bayern Munich s thrilling 3-3 draw at Ajax, which secured top spot in Group E for the Bundesliga champions, took his tally for the competition to eight, two more than Barcelona star Messi.
It marks only the second time since 2010-11 that neither Ronaldo nor Messi has topped the scoring charts at the end of the group stage, Luiz Adriano having found the net nine times in 2014-15.
Lewandowski is joint-second in the list of Bundesliga top scorers this season, one behind Borussia Dortmund talisman Paco Alcacer and Eintracht Frankfurt s Luka Jovic.
2018/19 group stage top scorers
…
According to a recent report from Sport, Barcelona have rejected an offer of around £13 million for Ivan Rakitic. The offer is said to have come in from an as of yet unknown Premier League side, with Manchester United having already made it clear in the recent past that they are interested in trying to sign the midfielder.
Barca are more than willing to make some sort of deal come to fruition, especially during the January transfer window, but they instead want around £30 million in order to agree to the sale.
Whether or not Rakitic is actually worth that sort of money at this stage of his career is a different matter altogether, but either way, United aren’t going to slow down in their attempt to sign him.
With that being said there’s every chanc…
According to a recent report from O Jogo, Premier League side Chelsea have entered themselves into the race to sign Josip Vukovic. The Croatian midfielder seems to be edging closer and closer towards an exit from Maritimo, who he has been with since 2018. The 26 year old has never really been someone who is on the radar of the big European clubs, but following a strong run of form throughout the course of the season, he’s begun turning some heads. The report suggests that a potential deal between the two parties depends on Chelsea’s current transfer ban, which they are hoping to delay or perhaps even overturn in the next few months.
Chelsea are joining fellow Premier League clubs Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the race for Vukovic’s signature, as they all p…