Tuesday, 31 January 2017

Burnley splash out on Brady, Saints land Gabbiadini

Burnley splashed out a reported club record £13 million ($16 million) to sign Norwich winger Robbie Brady, while Southampton's swoop for Napoli forward Manolo Gabbiadini was one of the other notable deals on transfer deadline day.
Republic of Ireland star Brady agreed a three-and-a-half year deal and became Burnley's second signing of the day following their capture of Aston Villa midfielder Ashley Westwood for a reported £5 million ($6.2m).
Westwood, 26, signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the option of a further year's extension.
With many Premier League clubs playing crucial fixtures on Tuesday, it was a significantly less busy deadline day than in previous years.
Southampton boss Claude Puel bolstered the League Cup finalists' attacking options with the signing of Italy international Gabbiadini.
The 25-year-old, who has six caps for his country, is believed to have cost the Saints an initial £14 million ($17.6m).
"I am very, very happy. Since I was a kid, one of my dreams was to perform in one of the biggest leagues in the world, so now that it's happening I can't wait to start playing," Gabbiadini said.
Saints director of football Les Reed added: "Manolo is another exciting addition to our attacking line-up ahead of the final months of the season.
"We have worked hard behind the scenes to agree a deal for him."
Earlier in the day, Southampton confirmed the loan signing of goalkeeper Mouez Hassen from Nice until the end of the season.
The 21-year-old is reunited with his former manager Puel and provides cover for first-choice Fraser Forster, with deputy Alex McCarthy out injured.
Struggling champions Leicester signed Mali defender Molla Wague on loan until the end of the season.
France-born Wague joins on loan from Udinese with the consent of his Spanish parent club Granada and the Foxes have an option to buy in the close-season.
"I'm delighted to be at Leicester City and I can't wait to get started. It's a wonderful club and I'm excited to have the chance to show what I can do in the Premier League with the champions," Wague said.
SAKHO TO PALACE

Swansea sealed a cash-plus-player deal for Aston Villa striker Jordan Ayew, with Wales defender Neil Taylor going in the opposite direction.
Ayew, on Ghana duty at the African Cup of Nations, has signed a contract with Swansea until 2020.
Villa are reported to have also banked £5 million in the deal.
Ayew's brother Andre played for Swansea before making a move to West Ham last year.
"He is a very good acquisition. I'm sure his brother has given him the inside track on the club," Swansea manager Paul Clement said.
Hull signed defender Andrea Ranocchia on loan from Inter Milan until the end of the season and took midfielder Alfred N'Diaye on loan from Villarreal, also until the end of the season, subject to international clearance.
N'Diaye returns to the Premier League having played for Sunderland between 2013 and 2014.
Crystal Palace boss Sam Allardyce bemoaned the decision to schedule matches on deadline day, but he did manage to sign Serbia midfielder Luka Milivojevic from Olympiakos for an undisclosed fee on a three-and-half-year contract.
Just as the window slammed shut, Allardyce also completed the signing of Liverpool's defender Mamadou Sakho on loan after the France international was frozen out by Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.
"Crystal Palace Football Club are pleased to announce the loan signing of Mamadou Sakho from Liverpool until the end of the season," said statement on the Palace official website.
Middlesbrough brought in Watford's Algeria midfielder Adlene Guedioura for an undisclosed fee on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
Bournemouth signed goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale from League One side Sheffield United for an undisclosed fee.
This month has seen the increasingly wealthy Chinese Super League flex its muscles, with Brazil international Oscar leaving Chelsea for Shanghai SIPG in a move worth £51 million move.
One of the few big deals of the day inevitably involvedmore Chinese spending as Watford striker Odion Ighalo become the latest player to be tempted by the lucrative league.
Ighalo joined Changchun Yatai for a fee reported to be around £20 million.

Palace take Liverpool's Sakho on loan

Crystal Palace have signed Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho on loan until the end of season, the London club said on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Liverpool since being suspended by Uefa last April for failing a drugs test, although the case was dropped after his lawyers argued that a fat-burner he used was not on the banned list.
Several Premier League clubs had reportedly shown interest in the player over the last six months but were put off by Liverpool's 20 million pounds ($25.16 million) valuation.
Sakho said in an interview with Palace's official website that he was happy to complete the move after a long day and that he was excited about the challenge.
"Right now it's a new page for me," he said. "When I have a new shirt I always give my best.
"The most important thing for me is we need to try to win a lot of games and I know we have a good squad, I have a few friends playing here."
He added that while he had not played for the first team for a long time he had been training with Liverpool's second team and doing extra work with a fitness coach to keep in shape.
Sakho is the second player to join relegation-threatened Palace on the final day of the transfer window after Serbian international midfielder Luka Milivojevic moved from Greek side Olympiakos Piraeus for an undisclosed fee.
Palace's hopes of staying up were boosted by a 2-0 win at Bournemouth on Tuesday, though they remain in the relegation zone, two points from safety.

Kasperczak resigns as Tunisia coach

Tunisia coach Henryk Kasperczak has quit only days after his team’s 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in the African Nations Cup in Gabon.
Kasperczak found the going tough when he fell to Burkina Faso in the quarter final of the 2017 Afcon despite beating both Algeria and Zimbabwe in the group stages.
“I have offered my resignation and it has been accepted by the federation,” the former Poland World Cup defender said . “I have told the players of my decision.”
The veteran tactician has previously led Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Morocco and Mali, Senegal

Middlesbrough sign Algeria midfielder Guedioura

Middlesbrough have signed Algeria midfielder Adlene Guedioura from fellow Premier League side Watford on a 2-1/2 year deal for an undisclosed fee, the North East club said on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old has made over 170 appearances since arriving in England in 2010, playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace as well as the Hornets.
Boro manager Aitor Karanka had criticised the club's lack of activity in the January transfer window and said they were being left behind their rivals in the battle to avoid relegation.
Middlesbrough, who are two points and three places above the drop zone, drew 1-1 at home to West Bromwich Albion on Tuesday, failing to end their winless league run since mid-December.
The club have already signed Rudy Gestede from second-tier Aston Villa and Patrick Bamford from Chelsea this month, but neither forward has played much this season.

Master of surprise Luiz shows his worth at both ends

Mercurial David Luiz shrugged off a painful knee to conjure up a moment of cheeky magic at Anfield on Tuesday as he again showed why Chelsea re-signed the Brazilian last summer.
Luiz's disciplined defensive displays have underpinned Chelsea's Premier League title charge and he is playing with a level of consistency he did not achieve during his first spell at Stamford Bridge before moving to Paris St Germain.
He was a rock again at Anfield in Tuesday's 1-1 draw but also showed the more flamboyant side of his game when he surprised Liverpool's Simon Mignolet by taking a free kick while the goalkeeper was still organising his wall.
Luiz's quick thinking was praised by both Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and the Brazilian defender said he was pleased to have spotted the chance.
"Sometimes you need to try the surprise," Luiz said of his first league goal for the club since 2013.
"I'm not in the best position to take free kicks because my knee is hurting and I can't train every day, but in a game you need to see the opportunity."
Mignolet said he had not been aware referee Mark Clattenburg had blown the whistle to allow Luiz to take the free kick.
"I didn't hear the whistle and he hit it early," said the Belgian, who later saved a penalty from Diego Costa. "It is a difficult feeling. He hit it well but I'm disappointed."
The draw saw Liverpool avoid a fourth consecutive home defeat, which would have been their worst sequence at Anfield in 94 years. Klopp preferred to talk about his side's improved display rather than Mignolet's embarrassing moment.
"I know after not talking about the goalkeeper for one month probably you are ready to talk about him again," Klopp told a news conference. "I thought it was really smart from Luiz, it was really clever and really well done. We have to respect this.
"I am happy about the performance. I think it was obvious we played against an outstanding strong, experienced side. I thought we did well, from the first second we were in the game and were aggressive."
He added that Liverpool still had much to play for despite being out of the cup competitions and trailing Premier League leaders Chelsea by 10 points.
"If you put us in a time machine and brought us 15 matches before the end in fourth position ... Come on, let's play 15 games with all you have," the German said.

Life goes on for 'disappointed' Bolt after losing medal

Sprinting great Usain Bolt is refusing to dwell on the disappointment of losing his Beijing Olympics 4x100 metres gold medal after his Jamaican teammate Nesta Carter tested positive for a banned stimulant.
Bolt, who completed a remarkable 'treble treble' of 100m, 200m and 4x100m Olympic titles at the 2016 Rio Games, had his 2008 relay gold stripped last month after Carter's re-tested sample indicated he had taken methylhexaneamine.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ordered Carter, who has already said he would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and teammates Bolt, Asafa Powell and Michael Frater to return their medals.
"Initially (I was) disappointed, of course," Bolt told reporters at Melbourne Airport as he arrived ahead of the Nitro Athletics series. "But in life, things happen. I'm not sad... I'm just waiting to see what's going to happen.
"But I gave up my medal."
Powell, who served a six-month doping ban for a positive test in 2013, was as phlegmatic as his storied compatriot.
"It's very unfortunate and we have to look to the future," Powell said. "We've accomplished a lot and we just need to be positive about everything right now.
"I'm in no position to say what should and should not be (banned). It is what it is. Some things aren't fair."
Bolt will lead an international team of "All Stars" in the Nitro Athletics series in Melbourne against four other teams representing England, China, New Zealand and Japan.
The first meeting is on February 4, with the other two on February 9 and 11.

Jordan Ayew moves to Swansea

Swansea City have signed Ghana Black Stars and Aston Villa forward Jordan Ayew in a deal that sees Wales international Neil Taylor move in the opposite direction.
Jordan has been instrumental in Ghana's great performance at the ongoing Afcon in Gabon scoring a goal and getting an assist.
Swansea will pay up to £5m - plus Taylor - for the Ghana international who has signed a three-and-a-half year deal at the Liberty Stadium.
As he prepares to play Cameroon in the semi finals tomorrow (Thursday ) the move will definitely help settle the player who is expected to play an integral role in the do or die game.
Ayew is the brother of former Swansea forward Andre Ayew.
"I'm sure his brother has given him the inside track on the club," said Swans head coach Paul Clement.
"He is a very good acquisition. He's versatile and dynamic to attack the lines and get in behind defences.