Man Utd: Ratcliffe ‘eager’ for Ashworth to do ‘due diligence’ on new manager after fresh Newcastle ‘talks’

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has insisted his Chelsea team-mates will not be distracted by the constant transfer speculation surrounding the club.

Dewsbury-Hall, who arrived from Leicester City in a reported £30m deal, is one of 10 new arrivals during the transfer window at Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder starred for Enzo Maresca in the Foxes Championship success, notching 26 goal involvements (12 goals and 14 assists) in the league last year.

But with the Blues overhaul of players, Dewsbury-Hall found himself on the bench for their opening Premier League fixture against Manchester City last Sunday.

Maresca is continuing to trim his bloated squad, with the Italian confirming that both Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are among a group of more than 15 player…

Jakub Jankto has come out as gay, becoming the first LaLiga player to do so.

The Czech Republic international is on loan at Sparta Prague from parent club Getafe.

Jankto posted a video on Twitter on Monday where he made the announcement, with a caption at the end stating: This is not an entertainment. The purpose of this video is to encourage others.

I am Jakub Jankto and like everybody else, I have my strengths and I have my weaknesses, the 27-year-old said.

I have a family and I have my friends. I have a job which I have been doing as best as I can for years with seriousness, professionalism and passion.

Like everybody else I also want to live my life in freedom, without fears, without prejudice, without violence, but with love.

I a…

Serge Aurier has agreed to join Nottingham Forest on a free transfer as Steve Cooper s side announced their 22nd signing since being promoted to the Premier League.

The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain defender became a free agent after leaving Villarreal at the end of last season.

Ivory Coast captain Aurier racked up 77 Premier League appearances for Spurs, also reaching the Champions League final in 2019.

Djibril Sidibe was reported to be a target of Cooper to provide competition for Neco Williams, who arrived from Liverpool in July, but Forest have instead signed Aurier, subject to international clearance.

Forest are yet to confirm the terms of Aurier s contract, with the full-back providing more cover on the right-hand side after Cooper s sid…

Former Atletico Madrid and Spain striker Fernando Torres has announced he is to retire after 18 years in professional football.

The 35-year-old had been playing in Japan s J.League with Sagan Tosu, but will be mostly remembered for his spells with Atletico and Liverpool, plus a hugely successful international career with Spain.

Torres helped Spain to their first ever World Cup title in 2010 between back-to-back European Championship wins in a period of dominance for La Roja.

But the striker has called time on his playing career with an announcement on social media.

I have something very important to announce, he wrote on his official Twitter account. After 18 exciting years, the time has come to put an end to my football career.

Next Sunday, …

Welsh international midfielder Aaron Ramsey will not be extending his Arsenal contract.

The Gunners had it coming for a long time and will now face a decision whether to sell him in January or let him leave at the end of the season on a free transfer.

Ramsey joined Gunners in 2008 from Cardiff and went on to become one of the leading stars of Arsene Wenger’s second decade at the club, despite numerous injuries often casting a shadow on the full effect and importance for Arsenal.

Arsenal have thrown in the towel on their attempt to tie Ramsey down to a new deal and are expected to receive plenty of serious offers for their during winter. Whether they will entertain them is a different matter.

Ramsey – as a world-class potential and a player in his ph…

Cristiano Ronaldo has outlined his ambition to score 1,000 career goals before he brings his remarkable career to a close.

The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus star now plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League, breaking that competition s single-season scoring record last term.

He has scored a mammoth total of 899 goals for both club and country, the most of any player in a senior career in the history of the sport.

But speaking on his own podcast with former team-mate Rio Ferdinand, Ronaldo set his sights firmly on the next major milestone, while also taking a cheeky swipe at the likes at Pele in the process by stating that all his goals would have been televised, unlike the legends of the past.

He said: Soon I will [score my] 900th a…

Gareth Bale is not sure he can return to the consistent standard he set in his first Tottenham spell despite enjoying a rich vein of goalscoring form.

Bale has supplied six goals and three assists over his past six appearances in all competitions, having only appeared for 70 minutes or less in each of those outings.

Prior to this superb stretch, the on-loan Real Madrid winger had netted just four times while failing to register a single assist across 16 matches.

Bale s most recent goals came in Sunday s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace in which an outstanding all-round display also included four key passes.

But, asked at full-time if Spurs fans could expect him to replicate the output that saw him involved in 37 goals in 44 games in 2012-13, earning his mov…

Bruce Arena has revealed how he convinced David Beckham to remain with the LA Galaxy in 2008.

Arena took charge during Beckham s second season in MLS and was aware the then-England international was considering a move away.

In his upcoming book What s Wrong with US?: A Coach s Blunt Take on the State of American Soccer After a Lifetime on the Touchline , the former Galaxy boss details the conversation that kept the former Real Madrid and Manchester United midfielder in Los Angeles.

Arena also confirms Beckham paid out of his own pocket to extend a loan deal at AC Milan in 2009, which he ultimately felt benefited all parties despite causing the Englishman to miss the start of the MLS campaign.

10 years ago today, David Beckham made his MLS debut.

…

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez paid tribute to Eden Hazard ahead of the Chelsea forward earning his 100th international cap.

Hazard, 28, made his international debut over 10 years ago in November 2008 after breaking onto the scene as a highly rated youngster at Lille.

He has since become an integral part of Belgium s team, helping them qualify for Euro 2016 after a 16-year absence and inspirational as they reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, their best performance in the tournament s history.

Should he feature against Cyprus in Euro 2020 qualifying on Sunday, Hazard will reach a centenary of Belgium caps and Martinez commended him for his dedication.

A hundred games is an impressive number for someone as young as 28, the Spanish coach told re…

Cristiano Ronaldo remains the future of Juventus despite rumours of a possible return to Real Madrid, according to Bianconeri director Fabio Paratici.

Rumours have been building in Spain that Madrid would be prepared to re-sign the Portugal star in the next transfer window, three years on from his €112million move to Turin.

Those reports were largely fuelled by Juve s Champions League exit to Porto in the last 16, with Ronaldo criticised for his performance in the second leg, particularly when he turned his back in the wall for Sergio Oliveira s decisive free-kick.

Head coach Andrea Pirlo defended the 36-year-old ahead of Sunday s league match at Cagliari, insisting: He has 90 goals in a hundred games for Juventus and has always shown his worth. It can happen t…