Roma have signed Chris Smalling on a season-long loan from Manchester United, the Serie A club announced.
Smalling signed a contract extension at Old Trafford running until 2022 last December, three days before then-manager Jose Mourinho was sacked.
The 29-year-old continued to feature under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but the arrival of Harry Maguire during the close season left him down the pecking order at centre-back.
He has consequently opted for a temporary move to Roma, who paid United €3million (£2.7m) to seal the deal.
This is the perfect opportunity for me, Smalling said in a statement.
The chance to experience a new league, with a big team that has got big aspirations is exactly what I needed.
Hopefully I can hit the ground runn…
Harry Kane is hoping for a Hollywood ending to his first year at Bayern Munich as he targets success for both club and country to bring an end to his trophy hoodoo.
The England captain left boyhood club Tottenham to move to Germany last month and will be aiming to help Bayern win a 12th successive Bundesliga title.
It would be the first major honour of his career and – with a Champions League final at Wembley and the Euro 2024 finals taking place in Germany – Kane could yet lift silverware at homes old and new, having already watched a number of his England team-mates win the game’s top prizes.
“I have been told about the Champions League final in Wembley. I know the Euros are in Germany next summer so if there’s someone out there writing a movie, I wil…
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While there might have been much speculation as to whether this contest would go ahead, Leicester will welcome Tottenham to the King Power on Thursday night.
Leicester City
Starting with the hosts, while Leicester might have found themselves enduring a difficult week, Brendan Rodgers men certainly got a real morale boost last time out. Welcoming relegation scrappers Newcastle to the King Power on Sunday afternoon, the Foxes stormed their way to a 4-0 romp on home soil. Finding a perfect response after their heartbreaking 3-2 defeat away at Napoli last week, the one-time Liverpool boss is now calling on his side to find some stability. Finding a route back into the top-half of the Premier League table and knowing that three points on Th…
Chris Wilder is the new Northampton Town manager, less than 24 hours after his departure from Oxford United was confirmed.
Wilder opted to leave Oxford, currently in a play-off place in League Two, after five years in charge in favour of signing a three-and-a-half-year deal at Sixfields, the two clubs having agreed a compensation package over the weekend.
Northampton are bottom of the Football League and six points adrift of safety, but Wilder who guided Oxford into League Two via the play-offs in 2010 is being backed to turn around the club s fortunes.
I am delighted to be able to appoint Chris, said Northampton chairman David Cardoza.
We were looking for a manager who has the experience required to guide us out of our current position and one who is ambitious a…
Grant Wahl died after an undetected aortic aneurysm ruptured, the American journalist s wife Dr. Celine Gounder has revealed.
The 49-year-old collapsed in his seat while reporting on last Friday s World Cup quarter-final between Argentina and the Netherlands at Lusail Stadium.
Wahl was attended by medics inside the ground and taken to hospital, but his death was later announced and an outpouring of tributes soon followed.
He was flown back to New York City on Monday, and an autopsy revealed the cause of his death, with wife Gounder ruling out any sort of foul play.
Grant died from the rupture of a slowly growing, undetected ascending aortic aneurysm with hemopericardium, Gounder posted on her husband s blog.
The chest pressure he experienced sh…
Menez hints at Serie A return
Paris Saint-Germain winger Jeremy Menez has moved to confirm reports linking him with a summer switch to Italian Serie A.
The highly rated footballer is widely expected to leave the Saints when his contract expires in the summer and he has a long list of suitors among Italy s top clubs.
Having enjoyed a lot of success during his time at Roma, Menez is still held in high regard in Italy, with Juventus and Inter Milan reportedly leading the chase.
The France international admits a return to Italian elite division could be on the cards, citing a preference for Juventus.
I had a great time in Rome, Menez . I already speak the language. I know Serie A, I know everything about it. The adaptation would be easy. I am looki…
What the papers say
England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, 25, is attracting transfer attention after being dropped to the bench for Arsenal’s match at Everton. The Daily Mail reports that Chelsea and Bayern Munich are keeping an eye on the situation as he battles David Raya for the Gunners’ starting role.
Newcastle are lining up a potential £52million move for Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta, 26, according to the Daily Mail. Paqueta had been linked with an £80m move to Manchester City this summer but, amid an investigation into alleged betting breaches, he ended up staying at West Ham.
Real Betis are the latest suitors for former Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, 32, reports The Sun via Fichajes in Spain.
Chelsea have secured one of their young talen…
Heurelho Gomes has left Tottenham after six years at White Hart Lane, the club have confirmed.
The Brazilian arrived in London from Dutch giants PSV in 2008, and played the majority of Tottenham s Premier League fixtures in his first three seasons.
However, Gomes was then usurped in the number one jersey by Brad Friedel, and has since fallen further down the pecking order following the arrival of France international Hugo Lloris.
The 33-year-old spent nine games on loan at Bundesliga outfit Hoffenheim last season, but failed to make any appearances at White Hart Lane this campaign.
Heurelho Gomes is to leave the club at the conclusion of his contract next month and we would like to wish the popular goalkeeper all the best for the future, a brief statement on the …
Kylian Mbappe has been tipped by Ronaldinho to stay at Paris Saint-Germain beyond this season and continue his partnership with Lionel Messi and Neymar.
France international Mbappe is into the final three months of his PSG contract and is a target for Real Madrid, while Barcelona have also been linked.
Speaking earlier this month, PSG sporting director Leonardo vowed to try everything to persuade the 23-year-old to agree fresh terms at the Parc des Princes.
Mbappe has scored 26 goals for the Ligue 1 leaders this term, which is 19 more than the next-best Messi, who joined in a sensational move from Barcelona last August.
Neymar has netted just five times in all competitions, meanwhile, in what has been an underwhelming campaign for both the Brazil inter…
Joe Hart has completed a season-long loan deal to join Torino after falling out of favour with new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
The England international goalkeeper found himself second choice behind Willy Caballero for City s opening games of 2016-17, with Claudio Bravo s arrival from Barcelona seemingly demoting Hart to third choice.
Hart arrived in Turin on Tuesday, with the loan moved confirmed on transfer deadline day.
Suddenly my career has undergone a change, and I took it as a sign of destiny and I had to do something, he told the official Torino website.
The selection of Torino has come at the right time and in the right way. I am very happy to be able to compete in a beautiful and difficult league like Serie A.
Italian go…