Lazio are close to completing the transfer of Hajduk Split goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic for next season, reports in Italy said.
Sky Italia said that Lazio have fought off competition from England champions Chelsea to secure the signature of the highly rated Kalinic who also plays for the Croatia national team.
With the future of regular keeper Federico Marchetti still in doubt as contract renewal negotiations are taking more time than expected to complete, Kalinic will join Lazio in June after the clubs reached an agreement earlier this week.
Kalinic has two senior caps for his country.
Dundee Utd confirm Shakhtar link
Struggling Scottish Premiership club Dundee United, currently bottom of the standings, are considering a tie-up with Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk, manager Mixu Paatelainen was quoted as saying by BBC yesterday.
It could lead to some young Dundee United players heading east, with some Shakhtar players coming to Tannadice.
“There has been a suggestion of that,” Paatelainen said.
“We have not taken it any further yet, but I have to say it is a very luring prospect.”
Shakhtar were runners-up in their national top-flight last season. Like Shakhtar, United play in tangerine and black.
James Nesbitt plots Ronaldo return
James Nesbitt said he is hoping to convince Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Manchester United when he hosts the Ballon d’Or ceremony next month.
The Northern Irish actor is a long-time fan of the Red Devils and joked he would take a shirt with Ronaldo’s name and number to Zurich with him.
Asked whether his support for Manchester United would have him rooting for a Ronaldo victory in the Ballon d’Or, Nesbitt said: “I’m taking a shirt with Ronaldo’s name and number on it, and hopefully he’ll put it on and get on the plane back with me.”
Bamford ends loan
Frustrated Chelsea striker Patrick Bamford has decided to end a season-long loan spell at Crystal Palace prematurely after “tearing his hair out” over a lack of first-team opportunities at the Selhurst Park club.
Bamford shone in another loan spell at Middlesbrough last season, scoring 17 league goals for the Championship team, but has yet to start a Premier League match this term.
“This was my last game for Palace,” he was quoted as saying after making his sixth league appearance for the club as a substitute in Monday’s 0-0 draw at home to Swansea City.
“If I were being honest it has been terrible. No one wants to sit on the bench and not play.”
Jordon Ibe available for Liverpool
Midfielder Jordon Ibe is likely to return from illness for Liverpool’s Premier League match against Sunderland today but a recovering James Milner will have to wait another week for his comeback, manager Juergen Klopp said.
Ibe had been on the bench in his last two league games for Liverpool and the Englishman missed his team’s 1-0 win over Leicester last Saturday.
“Jordon Ibe has been back in training,” Klopp said.
“He was sick and had a few problems for nearly a week. We will have to see. Yesterday was completely normal training, but we’ll have to wait on how he reacts to this.”
Carlos Bacca not leaving Milan
The agent of striker Carlos Bacca has made it clear that his player does not intend to leave Milan.
The Colombian joined the Rossoneri from Sevilla last summer and has scored eight goals in Serie A so far this season.
“My client is happy, because his family has integrated seamlessly in the city and personally he’s having a great time,” agent Sergio Barilla told reporters.
“Carlos is scoring and will continue to. He’s very happy and it’s possible that this will be his team for life.”
Villa manager Garde ‘very concerned’
Aston Villa manager Remi Garde said he was ‘very concerned’ about his team’s situation following Monday’s 2-0 Premier League loss to Norwich City, which left them bottom of the table after 19 games, 11 points adrift of safety.
Goals from Norwich duo Jonny Howson and Dieumerci Mbo-kani meant that Villa stretched their winless run to 18 games, and left Garde still awaiting his first win as manager since taking over from Tim Sherwood in November.
“I am very concerned, of course, about the situation. But I still believe we are still capable of winning games. I am sure we will,” Garde said.
Garde has been assured by the club’s hierarchy that he will receive funds for players he wants in January.