Reading hold talks with Sissoko

Reading have entered talks with free agent Mohamed Sissoko regarding a move to the Madejski Stadium.

The 28-year-old’s release from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain was announced on Monday and Nigel Adkins side have confirmed they have already discussed a possible move with him.

Mali midfielder Sissoko has previous experience of English football thanks to a three-year stay at Liverpool between 2005 and 2008.

In a statement on their official website, the Championship side suggested that consultations may well be ongoing as they keep an eye on the emergency window opening in seven days time.

They have already been busy in the market though, adding three new players to their squad, as they adjust to life after Premier League relegation, in the shape of Wayne …

Arsenal back in for Carrick

Arsenal are readying a summer move for soon to be out-of-contract Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick,.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has previously attempted to sign the England international on no less than three occasions, and still believes he has something to offer despite being in the twilight of his career.

The thirty-four year old has been at Old Trafford for almost ten years and in that time has made over four hundred appearances, scoring twenty-three goals and winning a host of major honours in that time including five league titles, the League Cup and the Champions League.

He has been capped thirty-four times for his country, and was part of the squads that attended the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

Owen not expecting Rooney departure

Michael Owen believes it would be a shock if former team-mate Wayne Rooney was to leave Manchester United.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that Chelsea had made a bid for the England international, which was duly rejected by the Premier
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League champions.

Rooney is said to be unhappy at comments made by new manager David Moyes in relation to his status in the United first-team.

Owen played with Rooney during his three-year spell at Old Trafford between 2009 and 2012 and, although he understands Rooney s frustration, does not think the 27-year-old will leave.

At the height of my career, I wouldn t have been too happy being on the bench a lot of the time, I would have wanted to be playing all the time, Owen told talkSPORT.

He s still only 27, he s stil…

Flat-track bully or masterful marksman – the numbers behind Lukaku´s Premier League rise

Romelu Lukaku s prolific form over recent seasons in the Premier League paved the way for his £75million switch from Everton to Manchester United.

But how does the man who stunningly rebuilt at West Brom and Goodison Park after initially failing to make the grade at Chelsea compare to other leading marksmen in England s top flight?

Is the Belgium striker s conversion rate up to the mark for a club with ambitions of restoring themselves to being a major European force and are accusations that Lukaku is a flat-track bully well-founded?

With the help of Opta numbers, we assess how Old Trafford s hero-in-waiting measures up.

 

RECORD MAN ROM

Lukaku leaves Everton as the club s top scorer in Premier League history with 68 goals – eight bett…

West Brom 0 Watford 1: Gomes the penalty hero for FA Cup semi-finalists

Watford warmed up for next weekend s FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace with a battling 1-0 win at West Brom thanks to Ben Watson s first-half goal and Heurelho Gomes pair of penalty saves. 

Saido Berahino s two second-half spot-kicks were well saved by Gomes, with Watford holding firm and recording their 11th clean sheet of the season to move above West Brom in the Premier League table.

Watson put Watford in front after 26 minutes, getting ahead of his marker from Adlene Guedioura s corner to flick a sweet finish across Ben Foster and in off the post.

With Wembley, and a potential penalty-shootout on the horizon, Gomes success at spot-kicks may have many Hornets fans dreaming of a return trip for the final after he preserved Watford s first win in seven P…

Musa praised for ploughing on to showdown with Messi

Ahmed Musa might be dazzling in the World Cup sunshine but it was his hard yards in the bleak Russian winter that set up his date with Lionel Messi.

Musa s stunning brace sunk Iceland 2-0 last time out, reigniting his team s designs on a place in the last-16 following their limp loss by the same scoreline against Croatia.

The 25-year-old exchanged doubles with Messi before Argentina prevailed 3-2 in the group stage at Brazil 2014 but hitting similar highs seemed unlikely this time around after a switch to then-Premier League champions Leicester City in 2016 backfired.

Told by national team boss Gernot Rohr to seek regular first-team football in time for Russia 2018, he returned to CSKA Moscow on loan at the turn of this year.

The move from figuratively…

Chelsea 6 Qarabag 0: Zappacosta and Bakayoko on target in winning European return

Davide Zappacosta and Tiemoue Bakayoko hit their first Chelsea goals as the Blues returned to the Champions League with a rampant 6-0 group-stage win over Qarabag at Stamford Bridge.

After a year away from European competition, the three points never looked in doubt for the Premier League champions after Pedro kicked off their Group C campaign with a fifth-minute goal.

A bizarre strike from full debutant Zappacosta followed before the interval, Cesar Azpilicueta added a third and there was still time for substitute Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi to get in on the act.

Gurban Gurbanov s visitors becoming the first side from Azerbaijan to play in the main draw of Europe s premier club competition never threatened to spring a surprise and Thibaut Courtois will enjoy fe…

Koeman demands improvement from ´laid back´ Van Dijk

Liverpool and Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk is too laid back and must improve, according to his national team coach Ronald Koeman.

Koeman s side were edged 2-1 by World Cup champions France last month, Van Dijk beaten to a cross by Olivier Giroud for the winning goal in the Nations League clash.

Van Dijk, widely regarded as one of Europe s best defenders, also gave away a penalty for Liverpool against Manchester City on Sunday, but Riyad Mahrez sent his spot-kick over the bar.

Koeman, who signed Van Dijk at Southampton in 2015, said he wanted more from the star centre-back.

I told Virgil within 30 seconds of the end of the game against France what I thought, he said.

I know him so well – and that means I know where all his little faults…

Inter 3 AC Milan 2: Brilliant Icardi treble breaks Rossoneri hearts

Mauro Icardi completed a superb hat-trick from the penalty spot in the final minute as Inter snatched a pulsating 3-2 win over AC Milan in the Derby della Madonnina.

Luciano Spalletti s team remain unbeaten this season and move above champions Juventus up to second in the Serie A table but they were made to fight hard by their neighbours after half-time at San Siro.

Icardi s instinctive finish from Antonio Candreva s pinpoint 28th-minute cross preceded a passage of play before the interval when a Milan side still bedding in after their frantic close season in the transfer market appeared increasingly overmatched.

But Vincenzo Montella s decision to bring teenage forward Patrick Cutrone on for Franck Kessie at the break proved inspired and the Rossoneri were leve…

Sturaro set for Premier League?

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro could be on the verge of a move to the Premier League as they try and make some money back from the deal that brought Cristiano Ronaldo to the club.

The 25-year-old supposedly has several offers on the table, as he looks to move somewhere that will likely give him more sustained first-team opportunities. Juventus will likely be the ones to make the final decision, although the report suggests that Leicester City and West Ham United are two of the clubs that are said to be interested in finalising a deal for him.

The Foxes and the Hammers are both sides that are on the rise in English football, with West Ham, in particular, keeping themselves very busy in the summer transfer window. Sturaro has be…