Sports

Valencia are attempting to quell interest in forward Rodrigo Moreno by demanding potential suitors pay his full €120million release clause.

The Spain international, who appeared three times at the World Cup, has attracted interest after scoring 16 goals in LaLiga last season.

European champions Real Madrid are rumoured to be considering an approach for the player they sold to Benfica in 2010.

Any deal would come at a nine-figure cost, though, with Valencia expecting to be well compensated for the 27-year-old.

The plan is to start the season with Rodrigo, head coach Marcelino told reporters.

The club has stated there is a release clause and anybody who wants to sign him will have to pay it. If a club comes in and the player wants to leave t…

Danny has left Zenit to bring to an end a nine-year spell at the club, the Russian Premier League team have announced.

The Portugal midfielder joined from Dynamo Moscow in 2008 and scored the winner against Manchester United in the Super Cup on his debut.

He went on to win the Russian Premier League three times and become captain of the club, making 255 appearances and earning a place in the Zenit hall of fame.

During his career at Zenit, Danny showed incredible courage and personal strength, a Zenit statement read.

Three times the midfielder received a cruciate ligament injury – other players have been forced to finish their careers due to such an injury – but each time Danny came back and won his place back in the side.

Danny became…

In-form Leicester City star Kelechi Iheanacho has signed a new three-year contract with the Foxes.

The Nigeria international, who joined from Manchester City in August 2017, has agreed to a deal that will run until at least the end of the 2023-24 season.

I can t express how I m feeling, Iheanacho, who has scored 12 goals this season, told the club s website. I m excited, I m happy, I m overwhelmed! It s a great moment and I m happy that Leicester City gave me a new contract.

It s been a great time here. It s not been easy, but there s a lot of people here that are good people, great people to work with. They are nice people and they make me feel comfortable and welcome since I came in.

It s been really great being here. It s like a family. I m happy b…

Jack Grealish insists Gareth Southgate does not have a problem with any member of the England squad as he responded to claims made by former defender Gary Neville.

England manager Southgate was criticised by many, including Neville, for not bringing on midfielder Phil Foden during Friday s goalless World Cup draw with the United States.

Speaking in his role as a pundit for ITV, Neville – capped 85 times by England – said: Phil Foden is a generational talent that I feel as though he has to play.

He has to be played into form, and it has to work with England. I went through my career with England where there were times Paul Scholes was mishandled.

I even woke up this morning thinking, has something happened in training? Has something happened off the …

Monaco prospect Aurelien Tchouameni remained non-committal over his future amid growing speculation of interest from Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool.

Tchouameni came through the Bordeaux academy before joining Monaco in 2020 on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

The midfielder has appeared 34 times in Ligue 1 this campaign, with only Wissam Ben Yedder (36) and goalkeeper Alexander Nubel (37) featuring more for Philippe Clement s side.

The 22-year-old Tchouameni represents a threat at both ends of the pitch, leading Monaco s charts for successful opposition-half passes (912), while making the most tackles (84) and winning the most duels (258).

That presence has led to interest from the likes of Madrid, where fellow France youngster Eduardo Camaving…

Barcelona s Denis Suarez is close to completing a move to Arsenal, according to .

The 25-year-old signed for Manchester City in 2011 and having been unable to get enough game-time, he joined Barcelona in 2013. A year later, he was sent out on loan to Sevilla as part of the deal which saw Ivan Rakitić move the other way, and there he played under current Arsenal manager Unai Emery.

Another 12 months later, Suarez was sold to Villarreal, but having inserted a buy-back clause into the deal, Barcelona exercised the option in 2016 and brought him back to Nou Camp for €3.5 million, on a four-year deal. However, he has once again been unable to nail down a regular place in the team and reports of his possible second departure started appearing.

In mid December, one …

Wayne Rooney hit out at criticism of his move to the United States, after he was announced as D.C. United s new head coach on Tuesday.

Rooney had previously played for United in 2018 and 2019 before leaving the franchise to join Derby County as a player coach in the Championship.

The 36-year-old kept Derby up after taking over from Phillip Cocu as permanent manager in January 2021 but relegation still loomed, remarkably finishing seven points from safety after a 21-point deduction at the start of last season.

Rooney believes coming back to the MLS to coach is not a backward step, but moreover, that his time at Derby County prepared him for this role.

I ve seen a few articles, certainly back in England, on this being a possible backward step in my manager…

Cristiano Ronaldo faces an uncertain Manchester United future, but he stands to pass a string of landmarks if he stays and plays for Erik ten Hag this season.

Tottenham s Harry Kane, set to captain England at the World Cup later in the year, is chasing a significant club landmark.

And guess who will join Mohamed Salah in bidding to set an opening-day career goals record.

Of course, it s   Jamie Vardy.

As the new season gets under way on Friday, Stats Perform looks at the records and milestones coming into view.

KANE, RONALDO, HAALAND: TARGETS IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF THE BIG GUNS

What role Ronaldo has to play remains in the balance, given he appears keen to leave United for a second time.

But if the 37-year-old features for the Red D…

As for the visitors, while Borussia Dortmund may have pulled off their own dramatic comeback last time out, the German outfit find themselves in an almost identical position to Wednesday s hosts. While the Black and Yellows may have garbed three second-half goals to snatch a point off of relegation scrappers Paderborn over the weekend, Lucien Favre s side still appear to be feeling the effects of their 4-0 hammering against Bayern Munich earlier in the month. While BVB may have once again showed their powers of recovery to snatch three points off of Inter Milan in their last European outing, fans in rural Germany have a string of issues over their side s struggles at the back. Remarkably, Dortmund have now shipped 12 goals in just their last three matchups and it should also be noted th…

Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga failed to show the quality they have done in training during Real Madrid s 2-1 win at Almeria on Sunday, according to boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Madrid fell behind to Largie Ramazani s early strike at the Power Horse Stadium in their opening LaLiga game of the season, but they drew level thanks to Lucas Vazquez s goal in the 61st minute.

They then sealed all three points with 15 minutes remaining when substitute David Alaba curled a sumptuous free-kick past Fernando Martinez from 25 yards with his first touch.

Tchouameni, who joined from Monaco in June for a fee that could rise to €100m, and Camavinga started alongside Toni Kroos in midfield, but both struggled to make an impact.

Camavinga was replaced by Luka Mod…