Aston Villa transfer blow as European club plot hijack to sign ‘top target’ with £37m sale ‘close’

Juventus striker Mirko Vucinic had a run-in with a supporter at the club s training session in Italy on Sunday.

Vucinic, 29, was berated during the session after missing an easy chance in front of goal, and the Montenegro international did not take kindly to the abuse.

During the middle of training in Chatillon, Vucinic reportedly walked over to the fan and began a verbal altercation with him.

Juventus manager Antonio Conte was working with other players at the time but goalkeeper Marco Storari, midfielder Thiago Motta and team officials calmed the simmering tension by removing Vucinic from the argument.

The forward is reported to have apologised to the fan responsible later in the training session.

Vucinic, who has been recently linked with a switch to Man…

Two goals from Ivica Olic helped Croatia defeat Belarus 3-1 in a World Cup European zone Group Six qualifier on Wednesday and keep Slaven Bilic s team in England s slipstream on the road to the World Cup finals.

Croatia stay second in the group with 14 points, still seven behind England, who have a perfect record of 21 points from seven games.

Croatia were in front after 22 minutes thanks to Bayern Munich star Olic.

A fierce drive from Luka Modric was only parried by Belarus goalkeeper Anton Amelchenko around the posts for a corner from which Olic then headed home.

Olic has a chance to add to the total seven minutes from the interval, but after being released by Eduardo s fine pass, he dragged his shot wide.

Belarus s problems deepened in the sec…

John Hartson has advised Aaron Ramsey to seek a loan move away from Arsenal, claiming the midfielder doesn t look happy at the club.

The Wales captain has made 25 appearances for the Gunners this season, but has only completed the full 90 minutes on six occasions.

Ramsey recently signed a new contract with the club, and Hartson believes his long-term future is with the north London outfit.

I just think he needs that run of games, the Wales assistant manager said.

Maybe if he did go out on loan (he d get that), because he doesn t seem to start many games at Arsenal now and when he does start he s brought off and he doesn t look happy.

I m sure Arsene Wenger knows he s a top-drawer player, because he wouldn t have given him a new deal otherwise…

West Ham United have told Nottingham Forest that they will need to pay £1.5m if they want to sign Ricardo Vaz Te, .

The Portuguese striker managed just three goals in twenty-eight appearances for the Hammers last season, though his form in the second tier is far superior.

He scored ten goals in twenty-two league games for Barnsley during the first half of the 2011/12 campaign, form that saw him seal a move to Upton Park him just before the January transfer window closed.

He added a futher twelve goals in just eighteen outings for Sam Allardyce’s men in the Championship, including a late winner in the play-off final victory over Blackpool at Wembley fifteen months ago.

Despite already bringing in nine new faces, Forest boss Billy Davies is keen to…

Costa Rica enjoyed a winning send-off ahead of the World Cup as they eased to a 3-0 triumph over Northern Ireland on home soil.

Despite the absence of the talismanic Bryan Ruiz, who was an unused substitute, Oscar Ramirez s side impressed in a friendly fixture played out in the midday sun in San Jose.

Johan Venegas stooping header from inside the six-yard box gave the hosts surprise quarter-finalists four years ago in Brazil a deserved 30th-minute lead.

Arsenal s Joel Campbell added a second straight after the interval, sending a low, left-footed shot through goalkeeper Trevor Carson, before his corner allowed substitute Francisco Calvo to head home in the 66th minute.

While Costa Rica – who will expect tougher tests against England and Belgium before t…

Former Germany captain Michael Ballack can t understand Joachim Low s decision to not select Leroy Sane for the World Cup and thinks the Manchester City star needs to be careful with how he deals with the disappointment.

Sane enjoyed an exceptional season with City in the 2017-18 campaign, scoring 10 times and setting up another 15 goals in the Premier League, just one less than team-mate Kevin De Bruyne.

That form saw him win the Professional Footballers Association s (PFA) Young Player of the Year award, while he was also nominated for the Players Player of the Year prize.

Sane was, as expected, called up to Low s preliminary squad, but the coach caused something of a stir on Monday when he finalised his selection of 23 players and ignored the 22-year-old, baff…

Stefano Pioli wanted to focus on enjoying Milan reaching the Champions League last four on Tuesday rather than a potential semi-final meeting with fierce rivals Inter.

Olivier Giroud s first-half strike proved the difference as Milan progressed 2-1 on aggregate past Napoli, who pulled a late goal back through Victor Osimhen at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

Inter could await in the next knockout round for Pioli s side if the Nerazzurri can overcome Benfica on Wednesday, Simone Inzaghi s side leading 2-0 on aggregate heading into the return leg at San Siro.

But Pioli was insistent on celebrating Milan s achievements in reaching their first Champions League semi-final since 2007 after a 1-1 draw sent them through in Naples.

I prefer to enjoy this qual…

Mikel Arteta was surprised the Premier League gave Arsenal s opening game against Brentford the go-ahead after several of his squad tested positive for coronavirus prior to the fixture.

The Gunners, who lost the game 2-0 last Friday, were without strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexndre Lacazette in addition to playmaker Willian and back-up goalkeeper Alex Runarsson, all of whom were self-isolating.

Lacazette and Runarsson will again be missing for Arsenal s clash against Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, although Aubameyang has returned to training while Willian is being assessed.

The Premier League does not have specific thresholds for a number of coronavirus cases to force a fixture postponement, but Aston Villa rearranged matches last s…

Juventus entertain Verona in Serie A on Sunday in what will be the first match between the two clubs for over six years.

The sides last meeting came in Serie B in April 2007 following Juventus’ relegation for their involvement in the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal a fixture the Turin club won 1-0.

Indeed, the reigning top-flight champions have won nine of their last 10 games against Verona and will be expected to rack up another victory over their newly promoted opponents this time around.

Juve s bid to win a third consecutive Serie A title has got off to a strong start, with Antonio Conte s men collecting seven points from their opening three games against Sampdoria, Lazio and Inter.

Their 1-1 draw at San Siro last weekend was earned thanks to Arturo Vidal’…

Former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness believes Luis Suarez is in last chance saloon at Anfield after further controversy on Sunday.

The Uruguayan appeared to bite Branislav Ivanovic during Liverpool s 2-2 draw against Chelsea in the English Premier League.

The former Ajax striker has previously been banned for racial abuse and gesturing towards opposition supporters and Souness believes the latest controversy could put his future at the club in doubt.

I m not sure what to make of it, he told Sky Sports. Embarrassing. He s making it very difficult for himself to stay at Liverpool – that puts him in the last chance saloon.

Most important is safeguarding the good name of the football club. Liverpool are world renowned. People will be talking about this…