LONDON: Chelsea have reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon to sign Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo in deals worth 74.4 million euros, the Portuguese club said on Thursday.
The English Premier League club has agreed to pay up to 52 million euros for Quenda, 17, who has also attracted interest from Manchester United because he was coached by Ruben Amorim while at Sporting.
The Guinea-Bissau winger, who turns 18 in April, will join Chelsea next year.
The 20-year-old Essugo, currently on loan at La Liga club Las Palmas, will move to Stamford Bridge for 22.2 million euros.
The Portuguese became Sporting’s youngest ever player, making his professional debut in 2021 aged 16.
LEICESTER, England: Manchester United players Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho ended their goal drought while Bruno Fernandes struck again to secure a 3-0 victory at struggling Leicester City in the English Premier League campaign, early this morning.
Eyeing back-to-back wins in all competitions for the first time since late January, United took the lead in the 28th minute through Hojlund’s first goal since mid-December.
The hosts never threatened to equalise, with Garnacho finishing the game in the 67th minute – the first time the Argentina international had found the net since late November in all competitions.
Fernandes completed the scoring with a third late in the game as United recorded a victory that lifted Ruben Amorim’s team to 13th place while 19th-placed Leicester edged closer to relegation.
“I think you can see some progress,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “But it has to continue. We have some important games.
“I want to score as many goals as possible because it’s a big part of my game and I need to pass the ball to my teammates. I need to be at the edge of the penalty box and score goals because it’s one of my qualities.
“Very happy and very important to carry out today’s task.”
United came into the match looking to redeem themselves following a disappointing campaign that saw them stranded at the bottom of the league table.
For Leicester, relegation looked almost certain as they became the first team in English top-flight history to lose seven consecutive home games without scoring a goal.
They are in second place, bottom with 17 points from 29 matches, nine points above the safe zone.
“I think in both penalty boxes the difference in quality is clear,” said Leicester boss Ruud van Nistelrooy. “The effectiveness of finishing chances and also defending key moments in the game.”
LEVERKUSEN: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane was praised by manager Vincent Kompany after he scored a goal and assisted another in a 2-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen.
The victory took Bayern into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 5-0 aggregate win after winning 3-0 in the first leg of the last 16.
Kane, who leads the Bundesliga scoring charts with 21 goals, scored his 10th Champions League goal of the season in the 52nd minute before setting up Alphonso Davies’ goal in the 71st minute.
The 31-year-old England captain is the first English player to score 10 goals in a single European Championship season.
“It helps when you have big name players who want to run and fight for the team like the youth players.
“I played against him and he’s getting better as he gets older. He has a way of improving his performances.
“I believe in his consistency and how he prepares himself for games,” Kompany said.
Kane, who struck twice in the first leg against Leverkusen, helped Bayern reach the quarter-finals against Serie A leaders Inter Milan.
LONDON: Andre Onana is believed to have decided on his future at Manchester United following criticism of his shaky performances in goal for the Red Devils.
The former Inter Milan goalkeeper arrives ahead of the 2023-24 season after being brought into the squad by his former Ajax manager, Erik ten Hag.
Although Onana struggled in the first half of the season, there were some standout moments in his early campaign and he managed to retain the number 1 jersey.
But the Cameroon international’s second season has not been easy, with a number of recent errors stealing the spotlight following the team’s poor campaign in the 2024-25 season.
Onana was criticised for his performance against Ipswich last week by former professional player Robbie Savage and Rio Ferdinand for his role in Jaden Philogene’s opening goal for the visitors, with both commentators condemning his poor performance.
The 28-year-old, however, made amends for his mistake yesterday during the FA Cup match against Fulham, making two important saves during the match, but was unable to prevent his team from being eliminated on penalties.
Although there are opinions that Onana looks capable of returning to his best form far away from Old Trafford, staying at the club is his priority.
His desire to stay, however, runs counter to head coach Ruben Amorim’s plans, with the Portuguese manager believed to be eyeing the opportunity to sign a new goalkeeper in the upcoming summer transfer window.
In the current squad, the number two goalkeeper behind Onana is Turkiye international Altay Bayindir with veteran Tom Heaton another in the reserves.
MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim insists his player Bruno Fernandes is a pillar for the team.
Amorim’s stance was to defend the Portuguese national player after being criticized by the former captain of the English Premier League club, Roy Keane.
Fernandes, who was named man of the match in United’s 3-2 win over Ipswich Town on Sunday, has often been criticised for his attitude on the pitch and admitted how his body language and complaints have irritated teammates and opponents in the past.
Keane has previously criticised Fernandes’ work rate, saying: “Talent alone is not enough! You only think about talent – Bruno is a talented player, but that’s not enough.”
Amorim said he completely disagreed with Keane’s statement against Fernandes.
“I heard it. I have a different opinion. Bruno is very important for us and the club. He played well in a difficult context,” the manager said ahead of the FA Cup tie against Fulham.
“He always wants to take responsibility. I know sometimes as a captain, he does things based on the girth on his arm but mostly it’s been disappointing this year and last year.
“He wants to win and sometimes it’s hard to handle disappointment.
“Everyone has an opinion. Roy Keane had high standards in his time at the club and it’s normal to have an opinion.
“I have a different opinion and I think my opinion is more important than Roy Keane’s because I’m his coach.”
NOTTINGHAM: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said his team lacked creativity to break through Nottingham Forest’s goal and had to settle for a 0-0 draw which affected their chances of winning the Premier League title this season.
Arteta has no options up front with Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz unavailable through injury.
Arsenal also failed to score in a 1-0 defeat at West Ham on Saturday. They are now 13 points behind leaders Liverpool.
Despite playing one less game, Arsenal’s hopes of catching up with Arne Slot’s men and ending their 21-year title drought are fading.
“We controlled the game. We tried different ways. We tried but lacked creativity, the last pass that could split the opposition. We need to create more accurate attempts,” said Arteta.
Forest remain third in the league, ahead of reigning champions Manchester City.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s team has struggled a bit in recent matches, winning only once in their last five league games.
But after three defeats in four games, the Forest manager is happy his defence is back on track.
“After a period where we conceded frequently, it’s important for us to get back to basics – being solid, not conceding.
“In terms of play, it’s positive because we’re back to being the team that has been successful this season,” said Nuno.
LONDON: Liverpool remain top favorites to win the English Premier League (EPL) championship but Arsenal received new light heading into the weekend after Everton tied their long-term leaders in midweek.
Tottenham plays Manchester United in a clash between two giant clubs that are not in action at the real stage while the four dropped clubs need to recover now or accept the disadvantage of falling further.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice promised this week “big things are coming” before Liverpool splashed out two points at Goodison Park.
Behind that blow, following Everton’s James Tarkowski’s late equalizer, Arne Slot’s men had no need to panic after widening their lead over the Gunners to seven points.
Liverpool will be confident they can overcome troubled Wolves on Sunday but the next two weeks could be decisive for the club, who are seeking to match Manchester United’s feat of winning 20 Premier League titles.
The Reds travel to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa side early next Thursday before a visit to Manchester City and home action against Newcastle.
According to football analyst Opta, nothing can disturb Slot’s sleep when his team, which features players including Mohamed Salah, still has almost a 90 percent chance of winning the championship.
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said he was not worried about being sacked, but the depressed Australian could not face another heartbreaking defeat against Manchester United at midnight on Sunday.
Postecoglou is sticking to his principles after Tottenham’s lackluster season was worsened by elimination from the League Cup and FA Cup in four days last week.
Tottenham squandered a 1-0 lead in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final when Liverpool beat the north London club 4-0. They then lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Stranded in 14th place in the EPL, Postecoglou’s injury-plagued squad is desperate for a win when United, who are just two points ahead of them, visit the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Defeat at the hands of a United side who are also coming off a poor season is sure to increase fans’ anger and may be the final straw for Postecoglou.
“I just need to continue working as usual,” he said. “You need to live with it. It doesn’t change the decision I made.”
Mikel Arteta hopes Arsenal’s hot weather training camp will ease the pain of his players and spark encouragement for a strong finish to the season.
Meanwhile, German striker Kai Havertz has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a hamstring injury that requires surgery.
Havertz’s inconsistent form has often been criticised, but Arsenal boss Arteta has kept faith with the 25-year-old, with few other options at his disposal.
Bukayo Saka has not played since December and Gabriel Jesus suffered a serious knee injury that ended his season prematurely last month.
Gabriel Martinelli has also been ruled out, leaving Leandro Trossard, Raheem Sterling and teenager Ethan Nwaneri as Arsenal’s strikers for the visit of lower club Leicester tomorrow evening.
MANCHESTER, England: Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti praised his team’s efforts after they put in a solid performance to come from behind to win 3-2 at Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League play-offs early this morning.
Ancelotti was delighted to finally steer Real to their first win at the Etihad Stadium, a victory he felt was deserved given the chances they created, with Real having 20 attempts to City’s 11, despite trailing twice.
Kylian Mbappe and Brahim Diaz cancelled out Erling Haaland’s double for City with Jude Bellingham grabbing a late winner to give the reigning champions the lead.
“I think it was a complete game in all aspects, no criticism from me,” Ancelotti told Movistar Plus.
“Everyone worked hard. We had a lot of chances. We didn’t give up when we were behind. It was a complete and flawless performance. I think we deserved to win.
“We defended well, with a compact block… they took the lead through penalties but up front our players were very effective. They could have been sharper, but they created a lot of chances with movement, teamwork and individual quality.”
Ancelotti was not surprised that his team was able to put on such a performance but asked his players to focus and not be overconfident for the second leg.
“This decision is a complicated one. You win, it can relax your challenge, believe you don’t have to rise and we can’t be fooled by the trap,” said the Italian.
“You have to prepare well, like we did today, with the same focus, quality and sacrifice, like tonight, a great performance.”
LONDON: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has expressed concerns that the Premier League’s tight schedule will affect his team’s chances of knocking defending champions Real Madrid out of the Champions League.
After beating Club Brugge yesterday to qualify for the knockout stages, City were drawn to face the 15-time Champions League champions in the play-offs.
City will host Real in the first leg on February 11 or 12 before travelling to Madrid for the return leg a week later.
However, a busy schedule awaits City throughout February with them facing Arsenal in league action this Sunday, followed by meetings with Newcastle and Liverpool between the return leg against Real.
In addition, City are also scheduled to meet Leyton Orient in the fourth round of the FA Cup and face Tottenham in league action.
“It’s like a derby, four years in a row against Madrid,” Guardiola told a news conference.
“Could the draw be better? Yes. Bayern Munich is very difficult, Real Madrid is also difficult, we know that.”
Guardiola also expressed dissatisfaction with the Premier League schedule remaining unchanged despite English clubs competing in Europe.
“Usually the Premier League sets the toughest schedule for teams playing in Europe,” he said.
“The problem is not just Madrid or Bayern Munich, but the match with Newcastle in the middle of the schedule.”
When asked if the Premier League should provide better scheduling assistance, Guardiola said: “You’re asking this stupid question again after all these years? Don’t ask me to answer rudely.
“Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger have all made the same complaints. Will it change? No. The broadcasters decide, not me.”
This is the fifth time City and Real Madrid have met in two back-to-back legs in the last six seasons.
Last season, Real finished City’s campaign in the quarter-finals, but City beat them in the semi-finals in 2022/23 en route to a first Champions League title.
MANCHESTER, England: Manchester United are inching closer to automatically qualifying for the Europa League round of 16 after Bruno Fernandes scored a late winner to beat Rangers 2-1 early this morning in the ‘Battle of Britain’ clash.
The Red Devils looked set for more disappointment at Old Trafford when Cyriel Dessers equalised for injury-hit Rangers in the 88th minute.
But Fernandes saved United’s honour and avoided a possible play-off spot by firing home in injury time.
United jumped to fourth place in the table with one match remaining in the group stage.
The top eight teams qualify directly for the last 16, which may now be difficult for Rangers after they slipped to 13th place.
Ruben Amorim has slammed United’s current squad as the worst in the club’s history after their agonising 3-1 defeat to Brighton last weekend.
It was the fourth defeat in five home games and United’s nervousness in front of their fans was evident early in the half.
Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland never played for United when he was briefly on the Red Devils’ roster in 2023.
The former England international goalkeeper endured a horrific night when he headed Amad Diallo’s corner into his own goal to break the deadlock in the 52nd minute.
But United were almost punished when Dessers shot in after Harry Maguire was tricked by a through ball.
Not for the first time this season, Fernandes came to United’s rescue with a moment of quality in a lacklustre match when he finished Lisandro Martinez’s cross past Butland’s reach in the 92nd minute.
United travel to Romanian club FSCB next week with a point enough to secure a place in the last 16.