West Ham United are readying an audacious summer swoop for Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud, according to the Metro.

The France international is considering his options as he looks to play more regularly next season, having only started eleven Premier League games last time around.

He still managed twelve goals as the Gunners finished outside the top four for the first time in two decades – taking his all time goals tally for the North London outfit to two short of a century.

Since arriving from Montpellier in the summer of 2012 the thirty year old has played two hundred and twenty-six in all competitions and was part of the squads that won the FA Cup in three of the past four seasons.

He won his sixty-fourth cap for his country as Didier Deschamps�…

Swansea City chairman Huw Jenkins offered few assurances over coach Francesco Guidolin s future when questioned on the matter on Tuesday.

Guidolin, who was appointed on an initial short-term deal in January, has guided Swansea to almost certain Premier League safety, with Saturday s 1-0 victory over Chelsea lifting the Welsh club to the fabled 40-point mark.

But the Italian s future in south Wales is far from secure, with rumours that Brendan Rodgers, who guided Swansea to promotion from the Championship in 2011, could be set for a return.

The club are in advanced talks with American investors over a potential takeover, but Jenkins insists a possible change of ownership is unlikely to impact on any decision over Guidolin s position.

Over the next couple…

Marcus Rashford believes the tough period he endured under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United has made him a better player.

England striker Rashford played under Mourinho from the beginning of the 2016-17 season until the Portuguese s sacking in December 2018.

Rashford won an EFL Cup and Europa League in that time but often found his form under scrutiny, while he was largely employed on the wing with Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Romelu Lukaku playing centrally.

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Rashford has flourished and he has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season – a career best – before a combination of a back injury and the suspension of the Premier League due to the coronavirus pandemic curtailed his progress.

Despite perhaps not always playing at …

Gary Cahill has been named as the new Chelsea captain by head coach Antonio Conte.

The centre-back skippered the side for much of last season, with John Terry restricted largely to a back-up role, and he has now been given the armband on a full-time basis.

Cahill has enjoyed a highly successful spell at Stamford Bridge since signing from Bolton Wanderers in 2012 and Conte believes he has shown himself to be captain material.

I think that it s right to continue with Cahill, if he plays, it s right he s the captain, said Conte, as quoted by The London Evening Standard.

Why? Because he stayed in Chelsea for many years and played a lot of games and showed good characteristics to be this.

However, Conte urged Chelsea s other senior players to take o…

Bayer Leverkusen have not received any offers for Kai Havertz despite persistent speculation linking him with Chelsea, sporting director Simon Rolfes has revealed.

Havertz, 21, has been a revelation in the Bundesliga ever since making his breakthrough as a 17-year-old in the 2016-17 campaign.

The midfielder, who has been played in an increasingly attacking role over the past two years, has scored 29 Bundesliga goals since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, while his haul of 12 this term came alongside six assists.

Widespread speculation suggests it is unlikely he will remain with Leverkusen – who failed to qualify for the Champions League – next term, while Chelsea are said to have positioned themselves as frontrunners for his signature.

Leverkusen ar…

AC Milan have confirmed they will lodge an appeal against UEFA s decision to ban them from the 2018-19 Europa League.

The Serie A club s suspension from the competition was announced on Wednesday, with UEFA citing a breach of Financial Fair Play and licensing regulations.

UEFA s ruling is subject to a potential appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, however, and Milan who qualified for the Europa League group stages by finishing sixth in Serie A last season have confirmed they will fight the decision.

The Adjudicatory Chamber of UEFA s Club Financial Control Body has decided to sanction AC Milan, for the breach of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations in the three-year period between July 2014 and June 2017 with one year of exc…

Thomas Tuchel is braced for the most difficult game against Pep Guardiola s Manchester City as Chelsea prepare for a Champions League final dress rehearsal. 

The two clubs came through their respective semi-finals to secure an all-English showdown in Istanbul later this month, but first they will do battle in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tuchel got the better of Guardiola when the sides met in the last four of the FA Cup last month, with Chelsea running out 1-0 winners as they seek a trophy double this season.

But City have a treble in their sights as the EFL Cup winners seek a victory that would wrap up the top-flight title this weekend and Tuchel knows the Blues, fresh from Wednesday s 2-0 triumph over Real Madrid, will be up against it at the Etihad Sta…

Verdict: Both teams to score 

Best Odds: 

Bookmaker: 

Two sides who are still looking for their first win in this year s Champions League group stage, Tottenham will travel to Philips Stadion on Wednesday when they face a revitalized PSV side.

Starting with Tuesday s hosts, although PSV have had a tendency to struggle over the past few years on the European stage, Mark van Bommel has seen his side start the new campaign very brightly. Already sat five points clear at the top of the Eredivisie table, the defending Dutch champions have also been in emphatic form in the final third. Scoring 10 in their last two outings, there attacking style of play has been epitomized by the form of their attacking trio. Between them, Luke de Jong, Gastón Pereiro, and …

Jens Petter Hauge has completed his move to Milan from Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt on a five-year deal.

The forward impressed against the Rossoneri in Milan s 3-2 victory in the third round of Europa League qualifying last week, scoring one and assisting another.

Hauge, who will wear the number 15 shirt, landed in Milan earlier this week and completed a medical on Wednesday.

Speaking prior to his switch this week, the 20-year-old Norwegian told TV 2: I feel I can manage to claim a place in that Milan side.

It was a step I felt ready to take. I need to thank Glimt for the cooperation we have had in the last days.

Writing your name:
on the contract
on the scoresheet (this time playing for us)

Welcome, Jens Petter Hauge!

— AC…

The additions of Diego Costa and Vitolo can only help Atletico Madrid to grow, according to head coach Diego Simeon.

The new signings, who have officially completed their moves to Atleti after the club s transfer ban expired, both made their debuts in Wednesday s 4-0 Copa Del Rey win at Lleida Esportiu.

Costa netted within five minutes of his introduction as a second-half substitute, although the striker may require further medical examinations having injured his right knee in the process of scoring. 

And Simeone is expecting a big impact from Costa, the striker having fired Atleti to their last LaLiga title in the 2013-2014 season before departing to join Premier League side Chelsea.

With the arrival of Vitolo and Costa we are looking to grow, Simeone …