Jose Mourinho believes the seeded teams in Monday s Champions League last-16 draw will be keen to avoid his Tottenham side.
Spurs made it five wins from seven competitive matches under Mourinho with a last-gasp 2-1 win at Wolves on Sunday and will find out their fate for the next round of Europe s premier competition at a draw in Nyon.
Having finished second in Group B, Spurs will face one of Barcelona, Juventus, RB Leipzig, Paris Saint-Germain or Valencia as they continue their attempt to go one better than their runners-up finish last season.
Tottenham boss Mourinho says his resurgent side pose a threat Europe s big-hitters will want to avoid.
Starting the week with a winning feeling!
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial)
We have…
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez wanted to sign a Wolfsburg trio when he first took over at the Serie A club.
Ahead of the UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg between the teams on Thursday, Benitez revealed he had his eye on several Wolfsburg players when he took charge at Napoli in May 2013.
Andre Schurrle, Ivan Perisic and Luiz Gustavo were all targets for Benitez, who was unable to sign any of that group.
Wolfsburg are a great team, Benitez told a news conference.
When we started our work here we were planning to bring in players like Andre Schurrle, Ivan Perisic and Luiz Gustavo.
We were very interested in these players but there was nothing we could do. They would have been good for the team in terms of a more physical approach to games.…
Bayern star linked with Premiership move
German newspaper that Bayern Munich hotshot Bastian Schweinsteiger could be leaving the Bavarians at the end of the season.
The Germany international has a contract until June 2016 and it appears he is considering his options after losing his starting berth at Alianz Arena.
And while he was also linked with a switch to the MLS, Schweinsteiger reportedly plans to spend another two years playing at the highest level.
According to Sport Bild, he is seriously considering moving to the English Premier League, where several top clubs are showing interest in his services.
His former coach Louis van Gaal could attempt to lure Schweinsteiger to Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Bayern Munich were elim…
West Ham chairman David Gold has hinted that a permanent deal for Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is edging closer to completion.
Carroll spent the majority of last season on loan at Upton Park after falling out of favour with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, scoring seven goals in 24 appearances for the London club.
Liverpool smashed their transfer record to sign the England international from Newcastle in January 2011 on the same day that Fernando Torres left Anfield for Chelsea.
The 35 million-pound move did not work out, but Carroll did impress for West Ham in 2012-13, with Sam Allardyce making no secret of his desire to keep hold of the 24-year-old.
Discussions between the two clubs now appear to be progressing after Gold said the chances of AC (Carroll) joining West Ha…
Udinese have turned down a bid of £8million from an unnamed Premier League club for striker Matej Vydra, Sky Sports understands.
The Czech Republic international recently completed a season long loan with Watford, where he scored twenty-two goals in forty-four league appearances resulting in him being named Championship Player of the Year.
Two Bundesliga clubs are also understood to have made unsuccessful bids for the 21 year old, who has stated that he is unlikely to return to the Hornets, who were defeated in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs.
Vydra has made just ten Serie A appearances for Udinese since signing from Czech side Banik Ostrava three years ago, while he also made five appearances for Club Brugge in Belgium in a loan spell during the …
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has confirmed the club are closing in on the signing of Real Sociedad striker Alexander Isak.
The Sweden international is poised to move to St James Park on a club-record deal of £60million, showing a major statement of intent from the Saudi owners.
While yet to be officially confirmed, Howe expressed his confidence on pushing the deal over the line when speaking ahead of Sunday s Premier League clash against Wolves.
It s not completed. We hope to get it done, he said, adding he hopes Isak could yet make his debut this weekend.
Yes, fingers crossed. There s no guarantee with these things because we re in other people s hands, but hopefully.
The imminent signing of Isak comes amid another injury blow …
Russia s second position in Group 4 of the European World Cup qualifiers has come under pressure as both Finland and Wales won their matches on Wednesday.
Finland are only two points behind the Euro 2008 semi finalists after beating Liechtenstein 2-1. The visitors surprisingly took the lead through Mario Frick in the 13th minute, their very first goal in this qualifying campaign.
But Mikael Forssell levelled 20 minutes later and Jonatan Johansson netted the winner in minute 72.
Wales secured a narrow win in Azerbaijan, beating the home team 0-1. The only goal came from David Edwards in the 41st minute. The Welsh are in fourth place, one point behind Finland.
…
Ralph Hasenhuttl has been given the green light to end his self-isolation period following extensive testing for coronavirus, Southampton have confirmed.
The Saints boss was not on the touchline as his side drew 0-0 with West Ham in the Premier League on Tuesday after entering a period of quarantine when his wife tested positive for COVID-19, despite not displaying symptoms.
However, it was later determined that result was a false positive and when two further tests undertaken by everyone in Hasenhuttl s household came back negative it was determined he can return to Southampton s Staplewood Campus training base from January 1.
A club statement said: Southampton Football Club can confirm that following extensive testing and consultation with the Premier League, R…
Jurgen Klopp could not believe Scott Parker was sacked by Bournemouth after losing 9-0 to his Liverpool side, suggesting the right owners would not have made such a decision.
Saturday s game at Anfield tied the record for the biggest defeat in Premier League history, with Bournemouth completely outclassed.
It was a third defeat in a row for the newly promoted outfit, who had also been comfortably beaten by Manchester City and Arsenal without scoring.
A Bournemouth statement confirming Parker s departure on Tuesday appeared to suggest his dismissal was not based on results alone, as it stated the head coach had to be aligned in our strategy to run the club sustainably .
We must also show belief in and respect for one another, it added.
Parker had …
France defender Benjamin Mendy sees no reason why his nation cannot win the World Cup in Russia.
Didier Deschamps men will be among the favourites for the showpiece event, where they will face Australia, Peru and Denmark in Group C.
Mendy believes in his team s chances of success as they bid for a second World Cup crown and first since 1998.
The goal is victory. The French team must win this cup, the Manchester City defender told Canal +.
With the team we have, there is no reason not to go all the way.
One country. One people. One team. One for all, and all for one.
— French Team (@FrenchTeam)
Mendy played just 62 minutes for City late in the campaign after returning from a knee injury in April.
But the 23-year-ol…