Spurs can challenge for the title next season – Ancelotti

Holders Atletico Madrid will look to gain a healthy advantage in their Copa del Rey last-16 first leg with Segunda B outfit Sant Andreu.

Diego Simone s charges who defeated city rivals Real Madrid 2-1 after extra time in last season s final head into the match as overwhelming favourites following a superb start to their Liga campaign.

Atletico have lost just once all season, and sit joint top with reigning champions Barcelona after 15 games.

Their latest success came in a 2-0 triumph at Elche last Saturday, a result that followed a 7-0 demolition of Getafe at Vicente Calderon.

If, as expected, Atletico come through the encounter against their third-tier opponents, a quarter-final tie with Gimnastic or Valencia will await.

La Liga leaders Barcelona have won…

that Bayern Munich and Arsenal are among the clubs keeping close tabs on Hoffenheim winger Kevin Volland.

The 21-year-old joined the Bundesliga side in the summer of 2011 from 1860 Munchen and has since impressed at the biggest stage.

After netting 6 league goals in his first season at the club, Volland has already registered 7 goals this term, and has in turn impressed the visiting scouts.

As a result, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are all believed to be keen, although they have yet to make their interest concrete.

Volland has a contract until June 2017 and is valued at £12 million, with the asking price unlikely to put off any of his suitors.

Hoffenheim did well to hold mighty Borussia Dortmund to a 2-2 draw…

EA Sports has revealed the 10 highest-rated players on FIFA 20 ahead of the game s release later this month, with Lionel Messi back on top after Cristiano Ronaldo ranked first last year.

Messi enjoyed another stellar campaign for Barcelona in 2018-19, scoring 36 goals in 34 LaLiga matches, inspiring the club s title defence and run to the Champions League semi-finals.

Ronaldo s first season at Juventus – who will be known as Piemonte Calcio on FIFA 20 – went as smoothly as might have been expected, with the forward finishing as the club s top-scorer as they claimed an eighth successive Scudetto, though that was not enough to retain his crown as FIFA s highest-rated player.

Neither Ronaldo nor Messi were able to win the Champions League, however, with that hon…

Manchester City want to tie Raheem Sterling down to a new long-term contract but manager Pep Guardiola concedes he is unsure over whether the England international will agree terms.

Gabriel Jesus became the latest of City s key players to commit his future to the Premier League champions on Friday, penning a renewed deal through until June 2023.

During their triumphant campaign last season, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Fernandinho, Nicolas Otamendi and Ederson all signed fresh terms.

Sterling is yet to join that quintet despite scoring 23 goals in all competitions in 2017-18 for City, although talks have taken place with the 23-year-old s representatives as he enters the penultimate season of his current contract.

The 23-year-old will not feature against…

Young Argentine forward Gabriel Hauche has finally completed his switch from Argentinos Juniors to Racing Club de Avellaneda. The transfer was delayed due to problems over payments to agents, but is now a done deal. Racing have paid Argentinos $3m for Hauche s services and the player has signed a four year contract with his new club.

Nicknamed the Demon , Hauche started off his career with Temperley. He turned in a number of eye catching performances and was snapped up by Argentinos in 2006. He made over a 100 appearances for the club and was part of their side that lost the 2008 Copa Sudamericana semifinals to Estudiantes.

The transfer reunites Hauche with Racing coach Claudio Vivas, who managed Argentinos Juniors before resigning in May 2009 after overseeing six succe…

Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique refused to offer any assurances over his future at the LaLiga champions beyond the 2016-17 campaign.

LaLiga-winning boss Luis Enrique is out of contract at the end of the season and the Spaniard appears no closer to signing an extension.

Luis Enrique has guided Barca to LaLiga and Copa del Rey doubles in each of his two seasons in charge, as well as the 2014-15 Champions League, and while the 46-year-old is happy at Camp Nou, there is a lot to consider before he recommits.

I have no doubt that I m at the best team, with the best club, with the best players, in my house and with my family, winning things and being very involved, Luis Enrique told Barca TV.

But there is also one thing about this job that is very hard, it …

Nathaniel Clyne has become Liverpool s sixth close-season signing after joining from Southampton for an undisclosed fee. 

The England international full-back has penned a long-term contract at Anfield and joins the likes of Roberto Firmino, Danny Ings and James Milner in making the move to Merseyside.

After completing his switch, Clyne revealed that Liverpool s history was a big factor in his decision.

I m delighted and it s a dream move for me to come here and play for such a big club with all of its history. I can t wait to get started, the 24-year-old told the club s official website.,

As soon as Liverpool showed their interest in me, I was happy and just wanted the deal to go through.

The gaffer has shown a lot of interest in me and this…

Best odds: 11/20

Bookmaker:

This Liverpool team has already made history, but the remaining part of the 2019/20 season in the Premier League will see them looking to see their names in several more chapters. Next stop Brighton and Hove Albion and their Amex Stadium in the 34th round of the campaign.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Graham Potter s side hasn t looked all that well this season and there were moments when it looked not unlikely that they play in the Championship next term, but they ve managed to get their act together; just in time, it seems. At the moment, Brighton sit in 15th place with 36 points to their name, nine more than Aston Villa and Bournemouth who are currently in the relegation zone, together with Norwich City with 21. West Ham United and Wat…

Arsenal are open to selling Bernd Leno in the January transfer window, according to . The Gunners signed Aaron Ramsdale from Sheffield United in the summer transfer window and are now open to letting Leno leave as early as January.

Ramsdale have started Arsenal’s last two Premier League matches. The Gunners have won both of them and have kept clean sheets as well. The 23-year-old goalkeeper also kept a clean sheet in the Gunners’ win against West Bromwich Albion last month.

Leno is out of contract at Arsenal in the summer of 2023. The North London club will sell the Germany international goalkeeper next summer and are reportedly willing to listen to offers fo him in January.

…

Brazil coach Dunga said on Thursday that the pressure on perennial favourites Brazil to deliver a sixth World Cup was normal but unfair.

Addressing reporters at a news conference at team headquarters in Randburg, north of Johannesburg, Dunga said that the pressure is normal. We have to play to win this is the Brazilian mentality. All that has gone before is to be left in the past, said Dunga.

Since taking over the job in 2006 he has won the 2007 Copa America and the 2009 Confederations Cup as well as guided the auriverde to top spot in the qualifiers for South Africa.

Dunga, a winner as a player in 1994, noted that Brazil always have to deliver given their history and warned he was well aware that the press knives were always on the point of being sharpened in r…