Gareth Southgate urged Folarin Balogun to be patient for an England call-up.
The 21-year-old striker has excelled on loan with Reims this season from Arsenal, scoring 17 Ligue 1 goals – only Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David (both 19) having netted more.
Balogun s international allegiances are up for grabs, with the New York-born striker eligible for the United States, as well as Nigeria, and visiting the US during the international break.
Southgate is not prepared to issue him a call-up in order to seal his international future, however, citing his lack of Premier League experience as a reason for him being overlooked.
It is up to the player to weigh up where his heart feels. Is he prepared to wait a little bit for an opportunity if he backs himself an…
Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund have sealed a move for the 15-year-old Turkish teenage sensation Ferhat Cogalan, according to reports from Germany.
The talented youngster is currently playing for Spanish club Valencia where his fine displays for the Under-17 side have turned plenty of heads from all around Europe.
Cogalan’s contract with Los Che expires in June when he turns 16 but despite Valencia’s efforts to extend the contract with the Turkish talent, it appears his move to Germany is imminent.
Had Valencia managed to extend deal with Ferhat Cogalan the youngster would have been tied to a €80 million release clause, it is reported.
With Spaniards failing to agree on a contract extension with one of the most talented midfielders in Eur…
Premier League heavyweights Tottenham and Chelsea have become the last in a line of clubs keeping a close tab on Norwich starlet James Maddison.
The England Under-21 international has emerged as one of the hottest properties outsides the Premier League with his impressive displays turning the head of virtually every club from the top flight.
Everton and Manchester City have also been credited with interest in Norwich midfielder who is widely expected to make the step up in his career this summer.
The Championship outlet expect a bidding war for their prized asset at the end of the season and have already determined the price hoping to scare of the suitors.
claims that the Canaries will reportedly demand £25 million for their talent who scored 14 goals …
The likes of Everton, Bayer Leverkusen and Sunderland are all showing interest in Rennes full-back Cheikh M Bengue, .
The former Toulouse defender has managed to prove his worth at Stade de la Route de Lorient, and he is now being linked with a big club move.
With Everton and Sunderland among interested sides, a summer switch to the Premiership may be on the cards, although Bayer Leverkusen are casting admiring glances his way as well.
Cheikh M Bengue began his career with Toulouse and went on to make 140 Ligue 1 appearances for le Tefece before joining Rennes in the summer of 2013.
The Senegalese immediately nailed down a regular starting berth with les Bretons and has so far made 55 league outings for the club.
But, seeing as his current contra…
Ahead of the final round of Bundesliga fixtures, Bayer Leverkusen have tied coach Roger Schmidt to a new contract that runs until June 2019.
Schmidt was appointed in June of last year following a successful spell at Red Bull Salzburg, where he won a league and cup double in 2013-14.
He has been unable to enjoy the same success in Germany due to the dominance of Bayern Munich, but has ensured a third consecutive top-four finish for Leverkusen.
The former Paderborn coach also led Leverkusen to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, losing a dramatic penalty shootout to deposed Spanish champions Atletico Madrid.
Schmidt will look to celebrate his new deal on Saturday s final day when Leverkusen visit Eintracht Frankfurt.
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In football s parallel universe, it pays to fail. Manchester United celebrated an 11th English Premier League title at the weekend as well as eyeing a potential third European crown under Sir Alex Ferguson which was achieved on a 2008 wage bill of 121 million pounds ($185 mln).
By comparison, Chelsea, out of the title race in England and Europe, have spent 148 million pounds ($226 mln).
Up in England s under-performing north-east, Newcastle United welcome 50,000 fans to a home game who deliver a million pounds ($1.4 mln) in gate receipts.
The club also receives tens of millions more in TV income and have also enjoyed a couple of lucrative, if brief forays into the Champions League.
Billionaire sports retailer Mike Ashley, who bought the club in 2007, pai…
Schalke s Julian Draxler has reportedly rejected Real Madrid and Manchester City, while ex-Barcelona star Bojan Krkic may return to Spain.
According to Schalke s chairman Clemens Toennies, 19-year-old Draxler who has represented Germany on six occasions and has played 109 matches for Schalke wants to stay with the Bundesliga club despite offers of up to 50 million euros .
Real Madrid and Manchester City have reportedly met Draxler s buy-out clause of 45 million euros but Toennies has told German newspaper Bild that the highly rated central midfielder wants to play a fourth season with Schalke.
Jule (Draxler) told me that he will stay with us although he can earn 50 million euros elsewhere, Toennies said.
Meanwhile, Bojan who left Barcelona for Roma in July 2011 a…
He said: “We have not made any inquiries or any decisions about our recruitment leading into January.
“This is a chance for the goalkeepers we have at the football club to consolidate their positions, and that will be the same for every other position at the club.”
Howe had earlier confirmed that Pope is awaiting a final decision on the way forward, but that surgery was inevitable.
He said: “We anticipate he’ll be operated on – there’s no doubt he needs an operation – so he will be out for a period of time.
“The operation hasn’t happened yet, but we’re thinking roughly around four months, so it’s a big blow to us, but one that we expected after the game.
“He’s naturally down because at this stage of the season where we …
New Czech Football Federation (CMFS) head Ivan Hasek announced on Tuesday he was taking over the Czech national team as head coach until the end of the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
An extraordinary situation requires an extraordinary solution, said Hasek, pointing out that the Czechs stand just fourth in qualifying Group Three, seven points off the top place finish which guarantees a place in next year s finals.
Hasek, who was appointed as the CMFS head at the end of June after coaching Emirati club Al Ahly, sacked Frantisek Straka as national coach on June 30.
Straka was appointed a month earlier on a temporary basis to replace Petr Rada, who was dismissed after a series of lacklustre results in the qualifying group.
This is not a standard approach. I t…
Manchester City made it three consecutive Premier League victories as they swept aside Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday evening.
Ilkay Gundogan gave the visitors the lead midway through the first half by turning away from Thiago Silva and smashing home before Phil Foden swept in to double the lead. Kevin De Bruyne then extended that advantage before the break after Raheem Sterling hit the post. They were not quite as clinical after the break, with Callum Hudson-Odoi scoring a late consolation for Chelsea late on but it mattered not as City chalked up a convincing three points.
Here are three things we learned from Stamford Bridge:
City soar before the break
For a side who had somewhat struggled to score goals so far this season with just 21 in 15 matches, a…