Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic set to leave on a free transfer before Tuesday

After spending nine successful years at Stamford Bridge, it might be curtains for Branislav Ivanovic’s Chelsea career, if reports are to be believed.

With four days to go for the January transfer window to slam shut, clubs like Crystal Palace, Leicester City, West Brom and Zenit St. Petersburg are queuing up to sign the Serbian defender.

After Antonio Conte switched to a 3-4-3 formation, Ivanovic has found his starting berth usurped in part by Cesar Azpilicueta and Victor Moses. With fitness and form already on the wane, the defender has been a peripheral figure in Chelsea’s grip on the top of the league table.

AFCON 2017: Egypt claim last semi-final ticket

Karahba (right) celebrates his late winner with team-mate Mohamed Salah. [Photo credit: theguardian.com | Photograph: Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty Images

The list of teams for the semi-final of the ongoing African Cup of Nations is now complete.

The Pharaohs of Egypt claimed the final slot on Sunday as they defeated their North African opponent, Morocco, by a lone goal.

The solitary goal that earned Egypt a semi final berth came off the boots of Mahmoud Kaharaba with two minutes left on the clock.

The Pharaohs who are making a return to the AFCON after years of absence will now face Burkina Faso in the second semi final game.

Ghana will face Cameroon in the other semi-final.

AFCON 2017: Host Gabon out

 

 

Burkina Faso and Cameroon secured progress to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday as hosts Gabon crashed out.

Gabon were held to a 0-0 draw by Cameroon in Libreville, and their opponents went through to the last eight as runners-up in Group A.

Burkina Faso won the group on goal difference after a 2-0 victory against Guinea-Bissau in Franceville.

AFCON: Hosts Gabon face decisive Cameroon clash

Panthers of Gabon

Veteran Gabon goalkeeper Didier Ovono has called for the country to unite behind the team as they face the prospect of having to beat Cameroon on Sunday to stay in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Panthers have so far only managed two 1-1 draws against Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso, form that has not been good enough to rouse the central African state hit by violence after a contested presidential election last year.

“We have come here to play for Gabon. There will be time after the Africa Cup of Nations to dress the wounds,” 33-year-old Ovono, who plays his club football in Belgium, told AFP on Friday.

AFCON 2017: Tunisia beat Algeria to boost quarter-finals chances

Tunisia on Thursday boosted their chances of reaching the quarter-finals of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon with a 2-1 win over neighbours Algeria in Group B.

The the match’s first half was a cagey affair as both sides probed each other’s area in search of an opening goal.

But, both teams failed to take their chances as the first half ended 0-0.

However, it was Tunisia who drew the first blood in the second half, even though it was from an own goal.

Memphis Depay: Lyon agree £14.7m deal to sign Manchester United forward

French club, Lyon, have agreed to a deal to sign Manchester United forward, Memphis Depay. The Red Devils have agreed to sell him for around €17m (£14.75m), with the fee capable of rising to €25m if a series of add-ons are triggered.

United rejected a £13m bid from Lyon earlier this month. However, it seems the two clubs have reached an agreement after Lyon improved their offer in the second bid.

According to reports from the Guardian, United will have a buy-back option as well as sell-on clauses inserted into the deal. Depay joined United from PSV Eindhoven for £25m in the summer of 2015 under Louis van Gaal, but has struggled to make a strong impact for José Mourinho.

Conte wants Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata to replace Diego Costa

Chelsea striker Diego Costa is being linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge following a recent bust-up with manager Antonio Conte.

The duo were involved in a training ground spat and the Chelsea striker was dropped for last weekend’s game as a result of that. Telegraph are now reporting that Antonio Conte has already identified a long-term replacement for the Spanish international.

Liverpool plotting move to sign Southampton skipper José Fonte

Liverpool are are looking to sign Southampton defender, José Fonte, in the January transfer window to plug their leaky defence.

Fonte has recently rejected a new contract deal at St Mary’s, and he is looking for a move elsewhere. Southampton will demand a fee of around £10m for the 33-year-old defender.

According to reports from the Mirror, Liverpool are keen to bring the Portuguese to Anfield to reinforce the defensive area. Jürgen Klopp wants to bring in an experienced defender to his squad, and Fonte fits the bill. His wealth of experience could be a major asset for Klopp, as he aims to guide Liverpool to the Premier League title.

Mourinho wants Matic at Old Trafford

José Mourinho, the Manchester United manager, is ready to test Chelsea’s resolve with a shock move for Nemanja Matić next summer.

United will be looking to spend big next summer as Mourinho is keen to build the squad to his own taste. While Atlético Madrid duo Antonione Griezmann and Saúl Ñíguez are the top of his shopping list, according to the Mirror, the Portuguese wants Matić as well to bolster his midfield department.

Chelsea recall Patrick Bamford from loan spell at Burnley

Chelsea have exercised the option of recalling striker Patrick Bamford from his year-long loan spell at Burnley. After Nathan Aké, this is the second player whom Chelsea have recalled to strengthen the push for the Premiership title in the second half of the season.

Bamford has been one of the numerous young talents perennially on loan outside Stamford Bridge. The Burnley move was his sixth such loan spell. Bamford has disappointed by and large in this spell, playing a grand total of only 33 minutes across six games in the Premiership.

Swapping Batshuayi for Swansea’s Llorente makes sense for all four parties

With Chelsea raring to win the Premier League, Antonio Conte needs to carry out some preemptive measures. Not surprisingly, there have been suggestions that the Chelsea boss wants to add another striker to the ranks. With Diego Costa being sublime this season, the Blues don’t need a first-team striker, but they do require a capable back-up whenever the need arises. Costa has been disciplined this season, but still carries the risk of blowing up anytime, and hence, precautions must be taken.

Chelsea signed Michy Batshuayi from Marseille in the summer. The Belgian had done exceedingly well with the French club in the last couple of seasons, and it made sense for the player to move to greener pastures, especially considering Marseille were in deep crisis after Marcelo Bielsa resigned.

Chelsea lining up move for Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson to replace John Terry

Chelsea are looking to sign the highly talented Middlesbrough centre-back Ben Gibson at the end of this season.

As per Daily Mirror‘s report, The 23-year-old is one of the most sought after defenders in the Premier League alongside van Dijk right now and Antonio Conte sees him as the perfect replacement for club legend John Terry.

Slaven Bilic: Dimitri Payet wants to leave West Ham United

West Ham manager, Slaven Bilic, has revealed that French midfielder, Dimitri Payet, has expressed his desire to leave the Premier League club.

Ahead of West Ham’s Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, Bilic said in his pre-match press conference that Payet has not trained with the club, and he will not play this weekend.

Payet joined from Marseille for a reported fee of £10.7m in 2015 on a long term contract. He was simply outstanding for the Hammers in his first season, and his impressive form also won him back a place in Didier Deschamps’s France squad for Euro 2016 last summer.

Liverpool to make concrete approach for Tiemoué Bakayoko

Till last week, the interest in Monaco midfielder, Tiemoué Bakayoko, was limited to three heavyweight Premier League clubs – Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea. To make the transfer saga more appealing, what more can you do? Yes, you guessed it right. Just add more clubs to the mix.

According to reports from Le 10 Sport, Liverpool and Arsenal have joined the race for the highly rated 22-year-old French midfielder. The Reds have made a concrete approach and have contacted Monaco to enquire about their asking price for the player.

FIFA approves Infantino’s proposal to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026

The Fifa Council has “unanimously approved” plans to expand the World Cup to 48 teams from 2026 onwards.

Fifa president Gianni Infantino’s revamped plan for the World Cup has received the desired backing he has craved. Delegates in Zurich were asked to vote on four proposals to change the existing format or stick with the current format of 32 teams.

Arsenal sign ‘factory worker’ Cohen Bramall

Cohen Bramall signed for Premier League giants Arsenal on Tuesday just a week after being made redundant from his factory job with luxury carmakers Bentley.

The 20-year-old defender — who had previously failed to convince Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday to take him on after trials with them — signed for a reported fee of £40,000 (46,000 euros, $48,500) from non league side Hednesford Town.

Why keeping Özil could be counter-productive for Arsenal

Arsenal’s creative fulcrum Mesut Özil has opened up about his stalled contract talks with the Gunners. The German World Cup winner has emphasised the importance of manager Arsène Wenger staying at the club beyond the current season in his signing on the dotted lines.

Özil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in a club record transfer in the summer of 2013. The 28-year-old has 18 months remaining on his current contract, and negotiations over a new deal have hit a roadblock over terms and wages.

However, in an interview with German magazine Kicker, Özil has expressed his desire to sign a new contract and reiterated his commitment to the club.

Where will Nathan Ake fit into this Chelsea side?

Chelsea confirmed yesterday that defender Nathan Ake has been recalled from his loan term at Bournemouth. The Englishman was supposed to spend the season at the Vitality Stadium, but has returned to Stamford Bridge after 6 months. He may have played only 10 games for Bournemouth, but made a huge impact in that short period. On debut, he scored the only goal of the game away at Stoke City before netting the winner in a dramatic 4-3 win over Liverpool at home.

Eddie Howe is facing some big defensive headaches following this move, with Marc Wilson injured and captain Simon Francis suspended. The Cherries were eliminated from the FA Cup at the first time of asking in the third round, after being dismantled 3-0 away at League One side Millwall on Saturday.

2017 Best FIFA Football Awards Preview

Time: 5:30 p.m. GMT / 6:30 p.m. CET / 12:30 p.m. ET
Livestream: FIFA.com

All eyes will be on the award for the best men’s player, between Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann. Ronaldo will be the likely favorite to win this award after recently picking up his fourth Ballon d’Or. In 2016 the Portuguese forward led his country to their first ever tournament win at the Euros and won the Champions League with Real Madrid.

The best men’s coach for 2016 has a clear favorite in Claudio Ranieri. The Leicester City manager guided his team to a historic Premier League title with smart tactics, suffering just three losses in the league all season. The other managers up for the award are Portugal coach Fernando Santos and Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.

Mikel gets special tribute from Chelsea

Nigeria international John Mikel Obi has received glowing tribute from his former club Chelsea as he ended his decade-long spell with the Blues on Friday.

In a long statement on their official website, Chelsea thanked Mikel for his meritorious service all through his stay at Stamford Bridge and wished him more successes as he begins another chapter in his career.

Mikel has joined Chinese side Tianjin TEDA who are set to make the Super Eagles captain one of the best paid African footballers.

Mikel's best goal in Chelsea shirt

One of my favorite moments of @mikel_john_obi's Chelsea career. pic.twitter.com/v2C8MnGTvW

 6 January 2017

A letter to my Chelsea family - Mikel Obi

The Nigerian international who left for Tianjin TEDA FC in China a couple of days back has written a farewell message to the Chelsea fans, thanking them for their support. He also explained the reason behind his decision and claimed that the lack of playing time was a big issue for him.

Read:

A letter to my Chelsea family. 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/FhcUyq3iaV

— Mikel John Obi (@mikel_john_obi) 6 January 2017

It's goodbye London, welcom China for Mikel

Mikel Obi has left Chelsea, the team where he grew from a boy to a man and became a father. In his 10 years at the London Club, Mikel rightly divided opinions, but his achievements for the club have to be hailed and will forever be remembered.

In his 10-year stay, Chelsea became a global club and won major titles that had not been won before he came in from Norway as a gangling ball-playing midfielder.

Chelsea’s official site said, “His finest moment came in 2012 in Munich when his incredible discipline in midfield protected the defence and helped us to claim our first Champions League triumph.”

Premier League Table 2016/17: Week 20 EPL Results, Updated Standings, Top Scorers & Assists

Chelsea‘s 13-match winning run was brought to an end last night as Tottenham secured a memorable 2-0 win over their rivals thanks to a brace from Dele Alli.

The England international scored two identical headers in either half to hand Spurs a morale-boosting win. The Blues are still five points clear at the top of the table and will be hoping to bounce back against Leicester in their next game.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp will be disappointed that his team have failed to close the gap with Chelsea.

Mahrez wins African Footballer of the Year as Nigeria wins big

Mahrez

Algerian and Leicester City Super star Riyad Mahrez has been voted as the African Player of the Year at the 25th edition of the Glo-CAF Awards held Thursday night in Abuja.

Mahrez dethroned Pierre-Emerick AUBAMEYANG who won the last edition but finished as runners up this year.

Sadio Mane finished in third place. 

Salvation in Sight for Manchester United

Manchester United are a club with rich history, known as one of the greatest teams in the world with one of the largest worldwide fanbases. Sir Alex Ferguson managed Manchester United for an incredible 26 years from 1986 to 2013. Ever since his retirement, they have been looking for the right replacement to win trophies and keep their supreme status as a club.

This transition over the last five years has seen three different managers take charge; the latest being José Mourinho this season. Immediately he looked to use the resources and money that the club had, bringing in huge signings such as Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Eric Bailly and the world record transfer of Paul Pogba.

Fernando Llorente: Antonio Conte is the best coach I’ve worked with

Swansea City striker, Fernando Llorente, says that he does not know anything about the rumoured interest from Chelsea, and that he is solely focussed on continuing with the Wales club.

Antonio Conte, the Chelsea manager, is looking to bolster his attacking department following the departure of Oscar to the Chinese Super League. Michy Batshuayi has hardly played under Conte this season, and although the Italian has backed him publicly, it seems that he is not fully convinced with the Belgian striker.

Real Madrid’s James Rodríguez gives Sevilla rude awakening in Copa del Rey

• • Real Madrid 3-0 Sevilla
  • James Rodríguez 11, 44pen; Raphaël Varane 29 

James Rodríguez, left, celebrates with Luka Modric after scoring Real Madrid’s third goal against Sevilla before half-time in the first leg of the Copa del Rey last-16 tie. Photograph: Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Real Madrid started 2017 by extending their unbeaten run to 38 matches in all competitions with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sevilla in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-16 clash.

A first-half brace from James Rodríguez and a Raphaël Varane header was enough for Madrid to ease the foot off the gas in the second half before the second leg in Seville on 12 January.

Álvaro Morata missed a glorious early chance after Luka Modric picked out the Spain international in the six-yard box. Morata diverted the ball wide with the linesman saving the striker’s blushes as he was flagged for offside.

Arsenal’s record lives on – how Arsène Wenger’s boys of 2002 made history

Ashley Cole, Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell celebrate Arsenal’s Premier League title with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in May 2002, the 12th league win of their record run. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Chelsea’s defeat at White Hart Lane means they have failed to equal Arsenal’s English top-flight record winning run of 14 consecutive matches, falling one short at 13, although they did match the record for successive wins in a single season.

Chelsea’s run began following their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal on 24 September, after which they won 2-0 at Hull City and carried on winning right through October, November and December.

Arsenal supporters will claim their run was of greater significance, even if it spanned two seasons, given that the 13 successive victories at the end of the 2001-02 campaign carried Arsène Wenger’s side to the title. They also fitted in winning the FA Cup, beating Chelsea 2-0 in the final in the Cardiff to complete Wenger’s second Double in five seasons.

Anglo-Nigerian and Tottenham’s Dele Alli ends Chelsea’s winning run short of record

The most damaging part for Chelsea, suffering their first league defeat since losing against Arsenal at the end of September, has nothing to do with it stopping them establishing a record in the Premier League era of 14 successive wins in a single season. It would have been a nice one to chalk up, but a team with their ambitions will be far more distressed about what it means for the league table and the confidence it might give Tottenham Hotspur, seven points back, to think they can still play a considerable part in the title race.

Dele Alli’s goals certainly ought to encourage Spurs on a night when their supporters endured opposition songs poking fun that they “won the league in black and white”, referring to the fact that the last time the team from White Hart Lane finished as champions was back in 1961. Alli scored one at the end of the first half and another early in the second period. Both were headers and the England international has managed two goals in each of his past three games.