that Napoli are stepping up their efforts to sign Ligue 1 stars Maxime Gonalons and Mamadou Sakho.

The same source has suggested that sporting director Riccardo Bigon has travelled to Milan, where he has met several football agents.

It is believed the Napoli official is trying to conclude deals for Lyon midfielder Maxime Gonalons and Paris Saint-Germain defender Mamadou Sakho.

The Lyon captain appears to be looking for a new challenge, especially as les Gones look set for an early exit from the Champions League, but persuading his current employers to sell will be no easy task.

Meanwhile, PSG wantaway defender Mamadou Sakho appears to be a more realistic target, but the problem is he is also wanted by AC Milan.

Whatever happens, these latest mov…

Ronald Koeman was thrilled with Everton s second-half despatching of his former club Southampton, and singled out substitute Enner Valencia for praise.

West Ham loanee Valencia netted his maiden Everton goal 73 minutes into a scrappy encounter at Goodison Park, kick-starting a devastating onslaught from the hosts, with Leighton Baines penalty and Romelu Lukaku s thunderbolt adding gloss to the victory.

And although Koeman did not shy away from criticising his side s tepid first-half display, he was delighted with the impact of Valencia, who has started just three Premier League games since his arrival in August.

The result is very good. A clean sheet today, we needed a lot of intensity. That was better in the second half than the first, he said.

We had…

Erik ten Hag expects Marcus Rashford to be ready to face Chelsea on Thursday night but admitted he is not sure whether Manchester United’s top scorer is fully fit.

Rashford has missed United’s last two fixtures, first with a leg injury and then through illness, but has returned to training this week.

Asked if the 29-goal forward was ready to play, Ten Hag said: “It looks like (it). Yesterday, he returned to training, he looks quite fit but we have to see today what is the outcome of the training, how did we recover and then we will make our choices.”

Back in training Raring to go ||

— Manchester United (@ManUtd)

Rashford’s absence against Wolves and Bournemouth – both games United won without him – once again brought into focus…

Croatia have been forced to plug a defensive gap ahead of their World Cup play-off with Iceland, after an injury to left-back Ivan Strinic.

The Croats are warm favourites ahead of their first leg in Reykjavik on Friday, although head coach Niko Kovac has already been forced into a change with Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk defender Strinic unavailable due to an abdominal injury.

He is replaced in the squad by Panathinaikos left-sided player Danijel Pranjic, with the 31-year-old expected to slot into Kovac s back four.

Pranjic last appeared in national colours in Croatia s 4-2 loss to Switzerland in August 2012.

Strinic s injury is in addition to doubt surrounding the fitness of striker Ivica Olic, although Kovac was quick to dismiss the query on the Wolfsburg front man.

England midfielder Adam Lallana has signed a long-term contract extension with Liverpool.

Lallana moved to Anfield from Southampton in July 2014, signed by former boss Brendan Rodgers, and has gone on to establish himself as an integral part of Jurgen Klopp s side.

The 28-year-old s previous contract ran until 2019 and it is understood his fresh terms move him into the higher bracket of Liverpool s wage structure as he follows playmaker Philippe Coutinho in committing his future to the club.

Liverpool did not disclose the precise length of Lallana s deal but it is reported to be for three years, with the option of an additional 12 months.

are delighted to announce Adam Lallana has signed a new long-term contract with the club!

Read more:

…

Tottenham have confirmed the laying of the pitch at the club s new stadium has been completed.

Delays over the stadium s construction have led to Spurs moving fixtures to Wembley, where the Premier League side played in 2017-18.

Tottenham were forced to switch an EFL Cup tie against Watford to Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, though, as Wembley was unavailable.

But the club could be closing in on moving into the rebuilt White Hart Lane after a positive update was issued on Thursday.

The laying of the grass pitch at our new home is complete, Spurs posted on Twitter with a photograph of the stadium s development.

The laying of the grass pitch at our new home is complete.

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)

Spurs are yet to confir…

Tom Lockyer has reflected on his day of “mixed emotions” after being given the all clear following his heart scare during Luton’s Sky Bet Championship play-off final win over Coventry last month.

The 28-year-old defender fell to the floor early in the game and was subsequently taken to the Cleveland Clinic in London where he underwent an operation.

Lockyer is now planning a holiday before preparing for the Hatters’ new Premier League campaign having been assured by medical staff that there is no reason why he should suffer a repeat of the problem.

“I had an atrial fibrillation, which is basically the top part of my heart was beating four times faster than it should have been,” Lockyer told his club’s official website.

“Reading all the lov…

Netherlands lost the plot during their 2-0 defeat to France on Wednesday, according to coach Louis van Gaal.

A lacklustre performance in Paris saw Netherlands fall to their first defeat in 18 matches, a run that stretches all the way back to August 2012.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup runners-up only forced Hugo Lloris into one save in the whole 90 minutes, with Robin van Persie often looking isolated in attack.

Karim Benzema and Blaise Matuidi scored the all-important goals, but the Real Madrid striker had two other chances to score in a first half dominated by the hosts.

And Van Gaal knows his side have to improve quickly ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

For 25 minutes we were the better team, said Van Gaal. But after the goal we lost the plot.

France have a …

Everton manager Roberto Martinez is hoping to prove his doubters wrong in the final weeks of the season.

The Spaniard has been in charge at Goodison Park since June 2013, managing a club-record Premier League points tally in his first campaign, finishing fifth, before falling to 11th in the table in 2014-15.

Another inconsistent Premier League season leaves Everton 12th, although they have made the semi-finals of the FA Cup, where Manchester United or West Ham await.

And Martinez is determined to show his naysayers that he is the right man for the job.

I need to show that, he said. I m not someone who is going to come up with excuses.

I am very, very aware of what it means to be Everton manager. I am the first one to embrace expectations.

…

Brazil head coach Tite revealed the team asked for the Copa America not to be staged on home soil amid ongoing controversy regarding the showpiece South American tournament.

Defending champions Brazil will host coronavirus-hit Venezuela in the opening game of the Copa America on Sunday following initial concerns the Selecao would boycott the event.

Postponed from 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Copa America had been due to be shared between Colombia and Argentina, though both countries were removed as co-hosts following respective political and coronavirus issues.

Brazil was awarded hosting rights, despite being one of the countries worst hit by the COVID-19 crisis.

Captain Casemiro and the squad have already criticised CONMEBOL s decision to m…