Werder Bremen are set to offer permanent contracts to two trialists who have impressed in training this winter.
United States international Jordan Morris and Hungarian midfielder Laszlo Kleinheisler have both spent the last few weeks training with the Bundesliga side.
Morris is a free agent having last played for Stanford University while a small fee is unlikely to put Bremen off signing Kleinheisler from Videoton.
City’s Zabaleta rules out January exit
Manchester City right-back Pablo Zabaleta has ruled out a move away from the club during the January transfer window after the media linked the defender with a switch to Inter.
Two knee injuries have disrupted the 31-year-old’s season and he made only his third start in Saturday’s 4-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.
“I want to finish the season here and am not thinking of going anywhere in January,” Zabaleta said.
“It’s January, and everything comes from the media about players coming in or going out but I am 100 per cent focused on Man. City at the moment.”
Mutu on the move
Former Chelsea forward Adrian Mutu has joined ASA Tirgu-Mures in a bid to try to win a place in Romania’s Euro 2016 squad.
Tirgu-Mures become the 13th club of the 37-year-old’s career and follows a spell with Pune City in the Indian Super League.
Mutu has joined Tirgu-Mures for the remainder of the Romanian season, with the hope of proving he can add to his 77 caps at Euro 2016.
Romania are in Group A and face hosts France in the tournament opener, before taking on Switzerland and Albania.
Leicester to sign Ghanaian Amartey
Premier League Leicester City have agreed to buy Ghana midfielder Daniel Amartey from FC Copenhagen.
The 21-year-old Amartey played 63 times for Copenhagen after joining from Swedish side Djurgarden in 2014, his performances prompting a bid from surprise packages Leicester who are second in England’s top-flight standings.
“This transfer is of a size where we could not say no,” FC Copenhagen chief executive officer Anders Hoersholt said.
Though not a prolific goal-scorer, Amartey is a strong and versatile midfielder.
A member of the Ghana squad that finished runners-up at last year’s Africa Cup, Amartey was discovered by current Estonia coach Magnus Pehrsson, who was managing Djurgarden at the time and arranged for the player to sign when he turned 18.
Confidence back says Milan’s Boateng
Kevin-Prince Boateng believes Sunday’s 2-0 win over Fiorentina can restore Milan’s confidence as they look to get back into the fight for European places in Serie A.
Milan ended a poor run of results and eased the pressure on coach Sinisa Mihajlovic as Boateng scored late on to add to Carlos Bacca’s early strike.
The win puts Milan sixth, six points off Fiorentina in fourth, but the picture looks much better now than it did before the weekend began.
“It’s such an important win,” Boateng said.
“We can take confidence from (the draw with) Roma and (the cup win over) Carpi and now Fiorentina. We are working well and this is beginning to show and be repaid.”
Messi injury ruled out after tests
Barcelona forward Lionel Messi did not sustain a hamstring injury in Sunday’s 6-0 La Liga victory at home to Athletic Bilbao as initially feared, tests showed.
Messi, who scored Barca’s opening goal from the penalty spot, was replaced at half-time and coach Luis Enrique told a news conference the decision had been taken as a precaution.
“Tests conducted this morning on first-team player Lionel Messi have ruled out a hamstring injury in the right leg and he is merely suffering some mild discomfort,” Barca said in the statement on their website.
The Spanish and European champions did not say if the FIFA Ballon d’Or holder would be available for tomorrow’s King’s Cup quarter-final, first leg at Bilbao.
John Terry keen to extend contract
Chelsea captain John Terry, whose current deal expires at the end of the season, is confident he will extend his stay at the club.
“I certainly think I’ll be here next season,” said Terry, who scored an own goal as well as a last-gasp equaliser on Saturday against Everton.
“I think when you get to my age, there are a lot of people out there saying, ‘he’s 35, almost 36, maybe his legs have gone,’ but I’ve never had legs, it’s as simple as that.
“I’ve never been quick in my career. Everyone gets it in their heads but physically for me I’m feeling as good as I’ve ever felt for the last two or three years.”