Stoke release Johnson and Ireland

Brazilian forward Julio Baptista has ended his contract with Malaga by mutual consent, the La Liga side revealed on their official website.

Los Boquerones allowed the player to leave the club on a free transfer after numerous injuries prevented him from showing all he s got at La Rosaleda.

Malaga have also revealed that the 31-year-old will be returning to Brazil to join Cruzeiro.

Julio Baptista and Malaga reached an amicable agreement on Friday to terminate the striker s contract, a statement on club s official website read.

Malaga would like to wish the Brazilian the best of luck for the future and his new career with Cruzeiro,

Julio Baptista spent three years at Sao Paulo before joining Sevilla in the summer of 2003, where some impressive s…

West Ham United are interested in signing Eric Dier from London and Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that West Ham have already made initial contact with Tottenham over a potential deal for Dier.

The report has noted that West Ham manager David Moyes wants to sign a new centre-back in the January transfer window. Moyes admires Dier and thinks that the Englishman would suit his system. The West Ham reportedly sees Dier in the mould of Manchester United central defender Harry Maguire.

Dier is out of contract at Tottenham at the end of the season. No talks over a new deal are taking place at the moment. The defender is also struggling for playing time at the North London club. Football Transfers h…

West Brom forward Saido Berahino has been handed a first England call-up for the forthcoming matches against Slovenia and Scotland.

The Burundi-born 21-year-old had been touted for inclusion after impressing for his club with seven goals in 10 Premier League appearances this season.

He s done so well, not just for West Brom but also for the Under-21s, said manager Roy Hodgson, who hinted he has previously considered bringing Berahino into the squad.

This time the Under-21s only have a friendly match so there was no reason to pass over his credentials again.

In addition to Berahino, West Ham midfielder Stewart Downing is in line for his first international appearance since May 2012 after playing a pivotal role in the Upton Park club s impressive start t…

Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair has revealed he could leave the Etihad Stadium when the transfer window re-opens in January.

The former Chelsea starlet, 25, left Swansea for Manchester in a deal worth £6.2 million in the summer of 2012, but has since started just three games in two years.

Although injuries have relegated Sinclair to the bench for significant spells, the 25-year-old was always up against it, with likes of James Milner, Jesus Navas, and Samir Nasri ahead of him in Manuel Pellegrini s pecking order.

It s been very frustrating, for the last couple of years I have kept my head and tried to do as well as I can in training, Sinclair told Sky Sports News HQ.

Hopefully I will get the chance I am looking for. At this moment in …

Antonio Conte insists he never came close to making a dramatic return to Juventus before his appointment as Inter head coach.

Conte signed a three-year contract to replace Luciano Spalletti at San Siro but had been linked with a return to Juve – who he guided to three titles during his time in charge following Massimiliano Allegri s departure at the end of the 2018-19 season.

Maurizio Sarri was eventually appointed by the Serie A champions and prior to facing his former club in the International Champions Cup, Conte revealed he did not even speak to Juventus.

No, I have never been close to becoming Juventus coach again, he told a media conference. I never received any phone call.

It was always Inter that showed great affection and great interest in me…

Pep Guardiola dismissed the genius tag given to him by Carlo Ancelotti and warned that the Italian s Everton side would test Manchester City.

After the new Toffees boss described Guardiola in glowing terms in his own news conference, the City coach reciprocated the praise for one of European football s most decorated coaches.

City bounced back from defeat at Wolves by beating Sheffield United 2-0 at home on Sunday and will hope to end Ancelotti s 100 per cent record in the 60-year-old s third game in charge of Everton at the Etihad Stadium on New Year s Day.

Everton is Everton, one of the biggest, most traditional, historical teams in England with incredible quality in its players, Guardiola told reporters.

They struggle a bit this season for points b…

The Swedish Football Association says Rosenborg coach Erik Hamren is one of several candidates to take over the national team.

FA chairman Lars-Ake Lagrell told The Associated Press he held talks with Hamren on Monday in Trondheim, Norway.

Lagrell said a handful of candidates remain in the running but declined to reveal the others.

Hamren, a Swede, has been coaching Rosenborg since 2008 after helping Aalborg win the Danish league. He has also coached AIK, Degerfors and Orgryte.

Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson Eriksson ruled himself out last week because of his contract with English fourth-tier side Notts County.

Lars Lagerback stepped down as Sweden coach after the team failed to reach next year s World Cup.

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Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is unaware of any concrete interest in Matt O’Riley and believes the midfielder is happy to continue improving in his team.

Reports claim Spanish league leaders Girona are considering making a move for the Denmark international ahead of the transfer deadline.

But the 23-year-old signed a new contract earlier in the season that ties him to Glasgow until 2027 and appears focused on his game.

Winter warm-ups! | |

— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC)

Rodgers said: “I’m not aware of any (interest). But it’s natural, if you’ve got good players then of course they will attract attention. But I’m not focused on that at all.

“We don’t want to be losing any (of our best players). The plan was to ad…

Yannick Bolasie s superb equaliser rescued Democratic Republic of Congo a 1-1 draw with Zambia in their Africa Cup of Nations opener.

Yannick Bolasie rescued a 1-1 draw for a wasteful Democratic Republic of Congo against Zambia in their Africa Cup of Nations Group B opener on Sunday.

Given Singuluma put 2012 AFCON winners Zambia ahead with barely a minute played in Ebebiyin, but Bolasie eventually restored parity with 24 minutes to go after DR Congo had spurned numerous chances.

Dieumerci Mbokani almost stole all three points for DR Congo with an overhead kick in the 83rd minute, but Kennedy Mweene palmed his acrobatic attempt away and Zambia held on for a draw.

The result means either of Group B s two other teams, Tunisia and Cape Verde, can take cont…

Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has admitted that he regrets departing Fulham in 2011 as he prepares to travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Hughes spent just a season at the London club, leading them to eighth in the Premier League before resigning, citing a lack of ambition as he reportedly lined up the Aston Villa job following Gerard Houllier s departure from Villa Park.

He did not get the Villa job, however, ultimately taking over at QPR in January 2012 and leading them to top-flight survival on the last day of the season.

The following season began disastrously at Loftus Road, however, and Hughes was sacked after a winless run of 12 games from the start of the term.

His return to management has been solid, with Stoke having won two and drawn one of their op…