FOOTBALL UPDATE

Since the start of the 21st century, both Real Madrid and Barcelona have acquired a certain reputation for being prepared to splash the cash when it comes to bringing the right players to the club, with Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodríguez moving to the Bernabeu for exorbitant fees and Philippe Coutinho, Ousmane Dembélé and Neymar making to move to the Camp Nou. Those players are the most expensive acquisitions in the history of each club, with Real spending €101m on Bale, €96m on Ronaldo and €80m on James. Barca, for their part, have spent €120m (plus €40m in add-ons) on their latest recruit, €105 (plus €35m in add-ons) on Dembele and €95m on Neymar, though it's fair to say that the latter repaid his fee and then some. In total, according to figures from 'Transfermarkt', 'Los Blancos' have spent a whopping €1.628bn on transfers in the last 18 years, leaving their arch-rivals lagging behind, with Barca's total spend ammounting to €1.554bn...

We take a look ahead today Carabao Cup semi-final first leg match between Chelsea and Arsenal from Stamford Bridge. Chelsea: Eden Hazard should be fit for the game after overcoming a calf injury, but new signing Ross Barkley will miss out as he continues his comeback from hamstring surgery. David Luis is avail once again after making his comeback in the FA Cup draw with Norwich at the weekend. Arsenal:  Arsene Wenger will once again watch from the stands as his touchline ban continues and the Frenchman will be without Mesut Ozil, Laurent Koscielny, Nacho Monreal, Sead Kolasinac, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud, who are all sidelined through injury. Ozil's absence means that Alexis Sanchez is expected to start, despite Manchester City having tabled a fresh bid for the Chilean. New signing Konstantinos Mavropanos could feature on the bench due to Arsenal's minor injury crisis at the back. Cup goalkeeper David Ospina will start ahead of Petr Cech, but other than t...

Real Madrid want to sign Mohamed Salah in response to Barcelona’s £146 million purchase of Philippe Coutinho.  Barcelona completed their huge money move for Philippe Coutinho and have added a very talented player to their squad to help plug the gap left by Neymar when he left in the summer to join Paris Saint-Germain. Of course, the La Liga giants have done very well this season, leading the pack in Spain by 9 points and ahead of Real Madrid by 16 points. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the current Champions League title holders are keen on sending a message to Barcelona and believe a similar raid on Liverpool to sign Mo Salah would do the trick. The Galacticos are huge admirers of Salah (who isn’t?) and believe the African Player of the Year recipient to be a player worthy of pulling on the white Madrid shirt. Di Marzio writes that “the Spanish club will now try to tempt the Egyptian winger and sign him, as Barcelona did with Coutinho.” If this is tr...

Barcelona signing Philippe Coutinho has traded heart-felt messages with former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard.  http://ochoochosoccer.blogspot.com.ng/2018/01/luis-suarez-welcomes-philippe-coutinho.html?m=1 The Brazilian secured his move to the Nou Camp for an impressive £145 million and Gerrard insisted he respected his decision, posting a message on Instagram declaring his admiration. The 37-year-old admitted it was hard to see such a good player leave the club but insisted Liverpool could not stand in the way of his dream. Gerrard posted on Instagram: 'It hurts you have left because you are a special player, up there with the best I shared a pitch with.  'I want to wish you and your family all the best for the next stage of your career in Barcelona . Thank you for the special moments and memories over the last 5 years . YNWA.' In response to Gerrard's message, Coutinho said: 'Steve, thanks so much for your kind words. It was an honour for m...

Stoke City have signed Austria defender Moritz Bauer.  The right-back joins the managerless Potters on a four-and-a-half-year contract, signing for an undisclosed fee from Russian club Rubin Kazan. Stoke sacked Mark Hughes on Saturday following their 2-1 FA Cup defeat at the hands of League Two Coventry City after a poor run that had left the club 18th in the Premier League. "Moritz is a player we have been trailing for some time and was someone Mark Hughes wanted to bring into the club," chief executive Tony Scholes said. "Moritz came over to England last week to undergo his medical and discuss terms and we have now been able to conclude his transfer."

A commendable performance from the visitors saw them heartbroken as Sergio Aguero nodded home in stoppage time to give City a slender advantage for the return fixture. Bristol had worked very hard to get a draw and the result still leaves the tie very much open.  With such displays it is certainly within the realm of possibility that Bristol City will be visiting this stadium as a Premier League equal next season, and a record-breaking 8,000 travelling fans made the trip up north for the clash, making it the largest away following at the Etihad since it opened. In the Carabao Cup, the Robins are looking to reach their first major final since 1909 and City stood in their way in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, with the side managed by Lee Johnson looking to go back to Ashton Gate with something to cling onto. An away goal and a feeling that they tested the runaway Premier League leaders will spur them on as they try to replicate...

Barcelona players welcome Philippe coutinho to the team. Coutinho expressed his gratitude to the club on social networks: "A dream comes true, thanks Barcelona. I can't wait to start our journey together." Luis Suarez on his Twitter account: "Welcome friend, how nice it is to share a dressing room with you again, a lot of achievements await us in this new era, we will achieve them together." Coutinho with Bartomeu Iniesta on Twitter: "Welcome Coutinho! A pleasure to have you at Barcelona!" Coutinho with Paulinho Bezerra Coutinho with Cillessen

Real Madrid is one that goes back to the time the Belgian joined Chelsea. He has been repeatedly linked with a move to the Bernabeu and neither the player nor Zidane have done much to extinguish said rumours.  Madrid are undergoing their own crisis midway through the season and arguably their top target for the transfer window has turned down two new deals at Stamford Bridge. As revealed by 'Radio Montecarlo', in this critical situation the team is currently in, Real have turned to Hazard and have already begun negotiations with those that surround the 27-year-old. The French outlet also claimed that Chelsea have offered Hazard an extension to his current contract, which ends in 2020, and twice the Belgian has refused to sign. Not even a hike in his current wages to make him the highest earner in the Premier League could convince Hazard, who would earn €17.6 million euros to surpass the salary of Paul Pogba (€17 million). Chelsea had hoped to ...

Coutinho's first full day as a Barcelona player included a welcome message from former Liverpool team-mate Suarez.  Luis Suarez has vowed to help Philippe Coutinho achieve his dreams following his transfer from Liverpool to Barcelona. The Brazil star finalised his move to Camp Nou on Monday, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract after a reported fee of €160million was agreed between the clubs. Suarez, who played alongside Coutinho at Anfield until he joined Barca in 2014, is looking forward to great success alongside his new team-mate. Writing on Twitter alongside a picture with Coutinho, Suarez said: "Welcome my friend, how nice [it] is to share [a] team with you again. "Lots of success in this new stage [sic], we will achieve them all together!" Coutinho had earlier met Gerard Pique and Paulinho on his first full day at the club.

Tottenham winger Georges-Kevin Nkoudou has joined Burnley on loan for the rest of the season.  Sources had earlier told ESPN FC that Spurs want the French winger, 22, to gain Premier League experience and the deal will not include the option to make the transfer permanent in the summer. Nkoudou said he had spoken to Spurs teammate Kieran Trippier, who joined from Burnley in 2015, about life at Turf Moor. ""When I spoke with Trippier he told me good things about this club, about the players and everything about Burnley," he told Burnley's official website. "I am happy to be here, so thank you, Trippier. "I think it's a big opportunity to play my first minutes this season in the Premier League. Everyone is shocked because Burnley is just after the big six. They have played very well. "I watched the last game against Liverpool when they played very well and were unlucky. That's why I have come here, to find football." Nkoudou sa...

Arsenal are interested in luring Riyad Mahrez to Emirates Stadium in the January window as they look for a replacement for Alexis Sanchez, according to Le Buteur.  The Chilean is keen on joining Premier League rivals Manchester City, with both clubs currently in negotiations over a deal. Arsene Wenger has identified Mahrez, who has also been linked with Liverpool, as the ideal replacement, with Leicester City looking to receive €55 million from any potential sale.

Borussia Dortmund have agreed a £63.5m deal to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande.  The Dortmund forward has been long linked with a move to the Premier League with the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United all showing reported interest in the player. The Chinese club have now entered advanced negotiations with the 28-year-old. China’s next big name Should Aubameyang make the switch, he would be following in the footsteps of the likes of Carlos Tevez, Hulk and Oscar in moving to the Chinese Super League. Evergrande won the Chinese league title in 2017 and are now looking to assert their dominance by moving for the Dortmund player. They are currently managed by World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro, who took over from former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, returning for a second spell in charge. Chinese clubs are limited to four foreign players, at this moment in time, Evergrande have just...

Liverpool have not given up hope of signing Leon Goretzka, even though the Schalke midfielder is thought to be close to joining Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. Goretzka is reportedly Liverpool's first choice to replace the recently departed Philippe Coutinho, despite strong suggestions that the German international is set to join Bayern in the coming days. According to Loic Tanzi of French television channel SFR Sport, Liverpool "are doing everything to try to convince him (Leon Goretzka), despite the fact that he is close to Bayern Munich." Having joined Schalke from VFL Bochum in 2013 after his first season in professional football, Goretzka has gone on to make 130 appearances in all competitions in the Royal Blue of Schalke, scoring 19 goals in that time, with his performances this season helping Schalke to second in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich ahead of German football's return from the winter break this coming weekend. The 22 year old midfi...

Manchester United will head to Yeovil Town in the fourth round of the FA Cup, while Newport County host Tottenham at Rodney Parade. Newport County have been handed ahome draw in the fourth round of the FA Cup, facing Tottenham at Rodney Parade, while last season's beaten finalists Chelsea will host Newcastle United if they get through a replay with Norwich City. Manchester United travel to League Two side Yeovil Town in a repeat of a third-round tie that United won in the 2014-15 season, with Premier League leaders Manchester City set to head to either Cardiff City or Mansfield Town.  Liverpool host Premier League opposition in the form of West Brom and Coventry City's reward for knocking out Stoke City is a trip to MK Dons. There is one other guaranteed all-Premier League tie as Watford travel to Southampton, with matches set to be played over the weekend of January 27.   FA...

Barcelona presented new signing Philippe Coutinho to their fans on the pitch at Camp Nou on Monday. Philippe Coutinho thanked Barcelona fans for their warm welcome as he was presented on the pitch at Camp Nou on Monday. The Brazil international completed his move from Liverpool to Barca earlier in the day by undergoing a medical and signing a five-and-a-half-year contract. Coutinho then ventured out onto the playing surface for the first time and, despite the thigh injury that is set to keep him out for three weeks, performed kick-ups to the delight of the thousands of fans in attendance.  "I'm happy to be here because of the history of the club and the players that have played here through history," he said. I want to thank everybody for the great welcome, especially on social media. "I hope to be able to play soon and live up to the high expectations."  Coutinho, who will address the media later on Monday, has reportedly cost Barca a club-record...

LA LIGA news is coming thick and fast with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid all looking at strengthening during the January transfer window.   Harry Kane to Real Madrid Harry Kane to Real Madrid could have huge consequences for Manchester United. Don Balon say any move to the Bernabeu for the England star may see Gareth Bale depart. And United, who also want Kane, may benefit. Red Devils want to sign Bale this month. But if Real dig their heels in, Jose Mourinho may have to wait until the summer instead.   Luis Suarez to Liverpool Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is reportedly hopeful of re-signing Luis Suarez from Barcelona. Spanish outlet Diario Gol claim the Reds manager is determined to bring Suarez back. Liverpool are on the lookout for new attackers after selling Philippe Coutinho to Barca for a huge £142million. And though Roberto Firmino has excelled in a no9 role this season, Liverpool want Suarez back to lead the l...

Ross Barkley completed his first training session as a Chelsea player on Saturday. Barkley finalised his transfer from Everton on Friday afternoon, and with Antonio Conteand much of the squad in Norwich for our FA Cup fixture, it was a solo session for the midfielder on Saturday morning. A hamstring injury has so far prevented the 24-year-old from playing this season, but as he said in his interview with the official Chelsea website yesterday, he is now working hard to regain match fitness. Also at Cobham were those senior players who did not travel to Norwich – Thibaut Courtois, Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, N’Golo Kante, Cesc Fabregas, Victor Moses, Marcos Alonso and Eden Hazard. They were put through their paces with a series of speed tests and reaction challenges, and as you can see, there was plenty of fun, and competition, to be had. Andreas Christensen in particular was desperate to beat the clock in his time trial! Next up for the Blues is t...

Gareth Bale arguably should have done better early on as he attacked Marcelo’s cross from the left, before Cristiano Ronaldo saw a low effort easily saved by Ruben Blanco in the home goal.  At the other end, Iago Aspas got caught in two minds when played in on the left and opted to look for a pass that wasn’t on, rather than go himself. Aspas went even closer with 13 minutes gone as he side-footed Hugo Mallo’s cross from the right against the near postafter escaping the attentions of Real’s back-line. Both sides looked at their most dangerous on the counter at this point, with Daniel Wass wasting a good chance after being teed up by Maxi Gomez, before Casemiro forced Ruben into a save with a long range strike. What followed can only be described as ‘five minutes of madness’ as Celta took the lead, only to relinquish it in the blink of an eye. First, Celta broke the deadlock thanks to a fine goal from Daniel Wass. The Dane was left all...

FA Cup is well known for its magic and Nottingham Forest fans must have been shellshocked to see their side take the lead for the second time against Arsenal on Sunday, courtesy of a stunning strike from defender Eric Lichaj. The Tricky Trees' initially went ahead with 20 minutes on the clock as Lichaj found the net, only for Per Mertesacker to level things just three minutes later. The home fans needn't have worried though, as right-back Lichaj restored Forest's lead a minute before half time with a fine volley. Mertesacker could only head a cross clear as far as the American, who took a touch before volleying past David Ospina and into the top corner with the outside of his right foot. Such was the quality of the goal that we could be talking about it for some time to come.

Manchester United have been given an update on transfer target Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham manager Slavisa Jokanovic. United have been heavily linked with a move for the 17-year-old in recent weeks but Jose Mourinho could face a battle to land him if Jokanovic's comments are anything to go by. Fulham are doing everything they can to keep him at the club and Jokanovic was asked about Sessegnon's future after their defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup. He said: "I don't have any information that we want to sell him."  The 17-year-old is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in this country and, according to The Mirror, PSG will battle United for his signature. Tottenham tried to sign him last summer but the teenager decided to stay put at Fulham and his form this season has led to even more admirers.  FA Cup weekend Jokanovic said: "Yes, Sessegnon is probably the most talented player in this country and this age, his natural physical prepa...

Liverpool are expected to complete the signing of Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City today. The Algerian has been linked with a move away from King Power for a while now and it seems that he is heading to Anfield this week.Mahrez will replace Philippe Coutinho at Liverpool. The Brazilian completed a €160m move to Barcelona yesterday The report adds that the transfer has been agreed and Liverpool will pay €55m for Mahrez and the player will complete his medical today. Mahrez is expected to sign a four-year deal which will keep him at the club until 2022. The Leicester City star has been in outstanding form over the last few seasons and he should prove to be a valuable asset for Klopp. However, his playing style is not similar to that of Coutinho and it will be interesting to see how the German integrates his new signing into the side. Liverpool have recently signed Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Mahrez is likely to be their second January s...

Phillipe Coutinho has signed for Barcelona in a five year deal, the Catalan club has confirmed, with the fee believed to be 160 million euros. In what is the second most expensive transfer ever after Neymar's move to Paris Saint-Germain, 120 million euros is to be paid up front with another 40 million performance related. The Brazilian is expected to be presented at the Camp Nou on Monday, which will conclude a transfer saga that dragged on throughout last summer with Liverpool then adamant that they would not allow their key creative midfielder to leave.Coutinho did put in a transfer request but it did not sway the Livepool board but now the persistence of Barcelona and the player has seen the move finally come to fruition.  Barcelona have brought in the player despite him not being eligible for the Champions League this season, having already been fielded by Liverpool.

Referee Juan Martinez Munuera was cast as the villain of the piece when Atletico Madrid faced Getafe on Saturday, sending off Diego Costa. Being booking just minutes before scoring the second goal of the game, the striker celebrated by jumping amongst the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano faithful.However, by the letter of the law, such an action was worth a second yellow and Costa will now be suspended for Atleti's game with Eibar.

Barcelona and Liverpool are close to sealing the transfer of Philippe Coutinho having agreed on a fee for the Brazilian. Philippe Coutinho's dream of joining La Liga giants Barcelona is about to be realised after the fee and payment schedules were agreed between the two clubs. The Catalans were planning to fly the Brazilian out on Saturday for a medical examination to be completed on Monday, which is why Coutinho didn't join the rest of the Liverpool squad on their trip to Dubai.  As soon as the deal worth £145 million is concluded, Coutinho will travel to Spain to meet up with his new teammates, becoming the second-most expensive signing of all time.  Liverpool bought Coutinho for £8.5m from Inter Milan in 2013 and are set to make a handsome profit when the transfer is officially announced in the coming hours.

Manchester City kept alive their chances of winning four trophies this season, coming back from a goal down to beat Burnley 4-1 in the FA Cup third round on Saturday with two goals from Sergio Aguero.  The Argentine striker helped rescue the tie for Pep Guardiola's team after they trailed to Ashley Barnes's first-half opener for their Premier League rivals. But the equaliser, in the 56th minute, was not without controversy as Ilkay Gundogan's quickly taken free-kick caught Burnley unprepared and played Aguero clean in on goal for City's all-time leading scorer to complete a routine finish.  That led to a furious reaction from Burnley players, who clearly felt the free-kick had been taken too quickly and Guardiola and his opposite number Sean Dyche became embroiled in an angry argument with the fourth official and each other. That row was still ongoing when Aguero claimed a brilliant second, playing a pass to Gundogan, who back-heeled the ball cleverly back to ...

Manchester City are lining up a £35m bid for Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez. The Chile international looks set to join City on a free transfer this summer, when his contract with the Gunners expires. But the Premier League leaders are now ready to splash the cash this month in response to their injury problem and amid interest in Sanchez from French giants Paris Saint-Germain. City have lost Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus for around two months with a knee ligament injury. That leaves Sergio Aguero as Pep Guardiola’s only out-and-out striker as City compete on four fronts. PSG’s interest is another concern. With Sanchez now into the final six months of his Arsenal contract, he can already sign a pre-contract agreement with the big-spending Ligue 1 leaders. City are set to respond with a bid worth more than half the £60m they agreed with Arsenal last summer. That deal fell through when the Gunners failed to land Monaco’s Thomas Lemar as a replacement.

Jose Mourinho revealed he apologised to Henrikh Mkhitaryan after taking the midfielder off at half-time in Manchester United’s FA Cup clash with Derby County. Goals from Jesse Lingard and Romelu Lukaku ensured the Red Devils’ smooth passage to the fourth round in the game at Old Trafford. However, Mkhitaryan lasted only 45 minutes before being hooked for Lukaku. The Armenian looked bereft of confidence, losing the ball on countless occasions but Mourinho has apologised for withdrawing the midfielder so early. "(It was) unfair. Unfair," he said. "And I told that at half-time. I didn't like what I did. Unfair. He didn't deserve it. "He was playing well, he was not playing bad. He had a couple of missed possessions but he was playing well, he was giving (a) good dynamic to the team. "My feeling was just that (Marcus) Rashford is not going to score a goal. And because of that I'm not going to lose time and I'm going to play Romelu. ...

Cenk Tosun has been challenged with helping to solve Everton's lack of Premier League goals after joining from Besiktas.  Everton have moved to alleviate their goalscoring problems by completing the signing of Besiktas striker Cenk Tosun on a four-and-a-half-year-deal.  The 26-year-old Turkey international, capped 25 times for his country, revealed that the eagerness shown by manager Sam Allardyce and by the Club to secure his arrival at Goodison proved persuasive in his decision-making.  "It feels great to be an Everton player,” Tosun told Evertontv. “I’m really happy to be here and happy that everything is done. I’m really excited to play for Everton as soon as possible. Everton is a great club with a big history and a big culture and I’m looking forward to showing the fans the kind of player I am.  “I bring my skills here and everybody is going to see what kind of player I am. I believe I can be a good player in the Premier League for Everton. “The Pre...

Virgil van Dijk was ecstatic to mark his "dream" Liverpool debut with the winning goal in Friday's FA Cup triumph over rivals Everton.  The world's most expensive defender, who completed his move from Southampton for £75million this month, headed in the winner six minutes from time to settle a fiery Merseyside derby at Anfield. He had earlier seen a similar chance go begging as he nodded into the arms of Jordan Pickford, but was left beaming with joy at the end as his late intervention made it 2-1. "What a night," the Dutchman told BBC Sport. "It was thoroughly deserved, it felt amazing to be out there. The goal is very special for me and my family. "Playing at Anfield for Liverpool is a dream for every player. To score a goal is even more special." Derby debut. Late winner. Scores in front of the Kop. pic.twitter.com/gVLG3VBnat — Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 5, 2018 James Milner, who put the hosts 1-0 up from the spot afte...

Arsene Wenger will serve a three-match touchline ban after he was charged with misconduct by the FA. Wenger has also been fined £40,000 over comments he made about the refereeing of last Sunday's 1-1 draw at West Brom. Referee Mike Dean awarded West Brom a late penalty for handball against Arsenal defender Calum Chambers during the match and Jay Rodriguez converted to earn his side a point. Wenger expressed his displeasure with the decision when he spoke to the media after the game and was subsequently charged for post-match remarks that he made in the referees' changing room. And an FA statement on Friday read: "Arsene Wenger will serve a touchline ban for Arsenal's next three matches after he was charged with misconduct. "It follows an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today at which the Arsenal manager admitted that his language and behaviour in the match officials' changing room after the West Brom game on Sunday was abusive, improper a...

Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has reached an agreement in principle to join Juventus in the summer.  The 23-year-old Germany midfielder is out of contract this summer and is free to negotiate a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club, having entered the final six months of his current deal. Liverpool are still trying to persuade him to sign a new contract at Anfield, with boss Jurgen Klopp happy for this to come as late as the end of the season. Can does not need to keep Liverpool informed of his plans beyond this season if he does decide to leave Anfield. Serie A champions Juventus have been trying to sign Can for some time but Sky Germany understands the midfielder will not leave Liverpool in the January transfer window. They face Merseyside rivals Everton in the FA Cup third round on Friday, followed by a home clash with Premier League leaders Manchester City on January 14.

Pep Guardiola will be talking to the press ahead of FA Cup action. All  eyes are on the cup for Manchester City. The Blues begin their FA Cupadventure as they welcome Burnley to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. City are unbeaten in domestic competition this season and will look to continue the remarkable run against the Clarets. Guardiola will be speaking to the press later today where he is expected to be asked about any potential transfer additions in the January window. Speaking last month the Blues boss had confirmed strengthening his defence would be a priority for January. "We are thinking about it," he said. "In that department we have few, few, few players, and of course to handle all competitions we are in trouble, real trouble, but I can’t assure you anything. “With Txiki we’re going to see what will happen in January."

Barcelona fans had reason to sleep easy when Lionel Messi finally put pen to paper on a new contract in November, it appears that there is a caveat to consider. Given the volatile political situation in Catalonia, it is being reported that the Argentine has planned an exit route if all goes pear shaped for the Blaugrana.Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo's front page for Friday reveals that Messi would only remain at the club if it were part of either the Spanish, French, English or German league system.Naturally, remaining in LaLiga would be the realistic option for Barcelona given the legal and practical issues in integrating to a distant competition. However the agreement also allows Messi to renege on his 700 million euro release clause should that not happen, and depart for free.Barcelona are said to believe this to be a given and consider it a gesture of commitment by Messi, who became the world's highest paid player when renewing following protracted negotiations. ...