Aston Villa have completed the signing of defender Pau Torres from Villarreal.
The 26-year-old, who has been capped 23 times for Spain, moves to Villa Park for an undisclosed fee after agreeing a five-year deal.
He links up again with Villa boss Unai Emery who he played under for the Yellow Submarine.
Torres won the Europa League in 2021 – under Emery – and helped Villarreal reach the semi-finals of the Champions League a year later.
He becomes Villa’s second summer signing after the arrival of former Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans on a free transfer.
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Barcelona will not face any sporting sanctions for payments allegedly made to a company part-owned by former referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has confirmed.
The Catalan giants have been alleged to have paid €1.4million between 2016 and 2018 to Negreira s company DASNIL 95 SL, with the claims first revealed by broadcaster SER Catalunya earlier this week.
Newspaper El Pais alleged that in return for payments, Barcelona received a written report and DVD assessment of referees prior to games.
Barcelona have strenuously denied wrongdoing, stating they previously hired an external consultant who provided video of youth players from other teams, together with technical reports related to professional refereeing , which it said was a …
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane compared Erling Haaland to a League Two player following Manchester City s draw with Arsenal.
City failed to score at home for the first time in 58 matches in all competitions, but it was Haaland s general play which failed to impress Keane.
The Norway international had four shots in total the most of any player on the field but none of those tested David Raya in the Arsenal goal.
The level of his general play is so poor and not just today, Keane said on Sky Sports.
I think laying his stuff off, headers, whatever it might be…. In terms of in front of goal, he s the best in the world.
But his general play for such a player it is so poor. Not just today, he has to improve.
He s almost like a L…
Matt Doherty marked his second Wolves debut with two goals and Nathan Fraser scored on his first senior appearance as they brushed aside League One Blackpool 5-0 to reach the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Sasa Kalajdzic doubled his Wolves tally days after getting off the mark at Everton and Fabio Silva capped a fine display with his first goal for the club since May 2021 before the popular Doherty, back at the ground where he spent a decade before leaving in 2020, scored two in seven minutes.
Substitute Fraser had set up the second of Doherty’s goals and the 18-year-old then got in on the scoring himself, beating goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell with a deflected effort late on.
With Matheus Nunes trying to force through a move to Manchester City, Goncalo Guedes…
When the Premier League fixtures for 2020-21 were announced on August 20 last year, Leeds United fans will have had one thing at the front of their minds: playing against Manchester United.
Having confirmed their promotion back to the top flight for the first time since their 2004 relegation, Leeds were preparing for a momentous season and that would mean the resuming of hostilities with their great rivals.
The Premier League had been without one of English football s fiercest rivalries for more than 16 years, and when they finally met on December 20, Leeds fans – regardless of there being no crowd at Old Trafford – were going to relish every minute, confident that Marcelo Bielsa had put together a team capable of leaving with a historic win.
They were back a…
Gillingham marked Stephen Clemence’s first home league game in charge with a 3-1 victory over Salford.
On-loan midfielder Connor Mahoney fired the hosts in front after 22 minutes when he curled his left-footed shot into the bottom corner.
Their lead lasted just 16 minutes as Salford striker Matt Smith rose above defender Shad Ogie to meet Ryan Watson’s cross and head past Jake Turner.
Ammies defender Curtis Tilt almost diverted Max Clark’s delivery into his own net two minutes before half-time.
Clemence’s side retook the lead through Tom Nichols’ first league goal of the season in the 54th minute when he guided a header home from Jonny Williams’ cross.
They all-but sealed their victory shortly after the hour mark when Dom Jefferies met…
Real Madrid’s David Alaba is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament against Villarreal on Sunday.
The Austria international was forced off in the first half of his side’s 4-1 victory at the Bernabeu and tests have confirmed his and his club’s worst fears.
A statement from Madrid read: “Following tests carried out on our player David Alaba, he has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
Alaba medical report.
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
“He will undergo surgery in the coming days.”
Alaba, 31, joined Madrid from Bayern Munich in 2021.
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Under-pressure Erik ten Hag defended his tactics and his players’ character as Manchester United look to bounce back from a pair of humiliating home defeats.
The misfiring Red Devils are under intense scrutiny after Sunday’s meek 3-0 derby defeat against Manchester City at Old Trafford was compounded against Newcastle.
United lost by the same scoreline as the Carabao Cup holders went out in the fourth round on Wednesday, with their eighth defeat in 15 matches making this the club’s worst start to a campaign since 1962-63.
Defiant Ten Hag said he was a “fighter” immediately afterwards but there have been suggestions that his players lack the same desire to dig themselves out of this current hole, starting with Saturday’s league trip to Fulham.
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Arsenal head coach Jonas Eidevall slammed the amateurish behaviour of the Women s Super League, who he feels are damaging English teams chances of success in European competition.
The Gunners are one of three English teams competing in the Women s Champions League group stages this season, along with Manchester City and Chelsea.
All three are due to commence their campaigns in midweek, but while Arsenal and City are in WSL action on Sunday, Chelsea s scheduled clash with Manchester United was postponed due to player welfare concerns.
Eidevall s side, who face Bayern Munich on Wednesday, then take on the Blues three days later, and the head coach feels his side are at a sporting disadvantage with their fixture congestion.
It s not a good situation, he tol…
Juventus were reduced to 10 and conceded for the first time this season in Serie A as a late Razvan Marin penalty snatched a 1-1 draw for Cagliari.
Dusan Vlahovic put Juve ahead with a penalty of his own in the 15th minute on Sunday.
Sebastiano Luperto, making his 150th appearance in Serie A, had been judged to have handled in the area after a VAR check.
Yet despite dominating the ball, with 73.7% possession, Juve were unable to find a decisive second goal, with Vlahovic guilty of squandering a fantastic chance in the 79th minute.
And they were made to pay when Marin converted from the spot after Douglas Luiz fouled Roberto Piccoli.
Juve s frustration was compounded when Francisco Conceicao picked up his second yellow card in the 89th minute, with…