Monaco have signed striker Wissam Ben Yedder from Sevilla on a five-year contract and sent Rony Lopes in the opposite direction.

The Ligue 1 side are said to have activated Ben Yedder s reported €40million buyout clause to reinforce Leonardo Jardim s squad.

But they have reportedly recouped €20m in a separate deal that sees Lopes head for Andalusia, where he has signed for five years.

The Portugal winger only agreed fresh terms with Monaco in December and started the club s season-opening 3-0 loss to Lyon on Friday.

Monaco will hope the twin transfer moves can improve their fortunes after narrowly avoiding relegation last term.

Ben Yedder, 29, is a proven goalscorer, having notched 18 times in the last of his three LaLiga campaigns at Sevilla.…

Napoli were one of the biggest title candidates entering the 2019-20 Serie A season, but they have been extremely disappointing so far. Aside from sacking Carlo Ancelotti early into the season, the Partenopei side currently sit in 12th place of the standings with 24 points out of 20 games entering the weekend’s slate of games. They have lost eight of those contests and, in fact, Napoli have lost three straight games and four of their last five. Grabbing a UEFA Europa League berth would already represent a huge success for them considering how the season has happened, and it’s fair to say they should be listed as massive underdogs here. They have a balanced record when it comes to goals scored and conceded (28/28) but there are no double lectures here. Napoli have been disappointing …

Hull City boss Phil Brown is believed to be in the firing line after the Tigers slumped to a 1-0 home defeat to Birmingham at the weekend and slipped into 19th place in the Premier League.

Brown s men have clocked up just two victories in 2009 and chairman Paul Duffen is considering an experienced alternative to Brown in a bid to lift the Tigers gloom.

Duffen is a big admirer of Brown after the former Bolton assistant won in his first full season in charge of the Yorkshire outfit and will be loathed to dispense with Brown, who he appointed in January 2007.

However last season s flirt with relegation and with this season s poor start, Brown is believed to be on borrowed time and with two home games looming against Wigan and Portsmouth two more defeats could spel…

Scotland held the USA to a goalless draw to show further signs of improvement since losing 5-1 to the same opponents last year.

Robert Snodgrass forced Tim Howard into a fine save in the second half, while substitute Aron Johannsson was thwarted by a b
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rilliant David Marshall save in the last 10 minutes at Hampden Park.

The result means Scotland are undefeated in three games for the first time since September 2011.

Jurgen Klinsmann left out the likes of Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, who are involved in the MLS play-offs, and Scotland controlled the opening exchanges, with Steven Fletcher heading over a Snodgrass cross.

But America have scored 16 goals in their last four friendlies and always carried a threat. Sunderland striker Altidore h…

Diego Costa s absence had little impact on Chelsea s title tilt as Marcos Alonso s double saw them restore their seven-point advantage at the Premier League summit with a 3-0 win over Leicester City.

The Spain striker, rumoured to be the target of a big-money bid from Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin Quanjian, was dropped after a reported bust-up with manager Antonio Conte and fitness coach Julio Tous in training this week.

Conte spoke ahead of the match to confirm the 28-year-old – the division s joint-top scorer – had suffered a back injury, though the Italian said nothing regarding any falling out and was soon celebrating an opener at the King Power Stadium.

Alonso provided a neat finish from close range to hand Chelsea – for whom Michy Batshuayi rema…

The 2019-20 La Liga season is in full swing already, as teams have already played two matches. With one more game before the international break, now it s time to see Real Madrid travelling to take on Villarreal in the Estadio de la Cerámica. Kick-off for this match will be at 20:00 hrs BST.

Villarreal

Villareal have not had a good start to the season in the 2019/20 campaign of Spain s top-tier. El Submarino Amarillo are winless in their first two league games (D1, L1) and that is even worst if we consider they have scored the opening goal during the first half in both of their league matches thus far. However, Villarreal have had good results at home and if we add last season s results into the mix, then we can see Villarreal are undefeated in each of their last six home matc…

I have recently been reading a superb book on Spanish football called ‘Morbo’. The writer Phil Ball illustrates superbly the connection between politics and football in the country. His experience comes from living in San Sebastian, home to Real Sociedad.

Divide

In this excellent book Phil talks about how the Seleccion (Spanish national side) used to be divided by players being loyal to their particular regions.

The Basques, the Catalans and the Castilians all stuck together. Current Barca manager Pep Guardiola even championed the cause of Catalonia being acknowledged on the international stage.

They played the odd friendly but Guardiola and co. wanted them to play more international games and wanted to represent Catalonia, as a separate country from…

Japan and CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda s goal-scoring run in European football has given a big boost to the Blue Samurai s World Cup build-up after a recent crisis.

Japanese sports dailies were full of praise Thursday for Moscow s new signing after he set up a goal and scored the winner in a 2-1 away victory over Sevilla that sent the Russian side to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Japan Football Association president Motoaki Inukai watched the game on television with executives of football governing body FIFA in Zurich.

When I told them I was surprised, some of the executives said the Europeans already knew Honda could play that well, Inukai told reporters.

Honda s left foot has proven that he is Japan s new ace and it is packed with endl…

Slaven Bilic hopes to create another cherished derby memory when he takes on Tottenham for the first time as West Ham manager.

On his West Ham debut as an imposing centre-back, Bilic featured in a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane in 1996.

If the Premier League table is anything to go by, this latest clash between north and east London could be a similarly close-run affair.

The sides are locked together on 21 points, with Spurs holding a slender edge on goal difference to lie fifth having avoided defeat in the league since the opening day of the season.

It is a special game and it was special when I used to play for West Ham, Bilic said.

My first game was Spurs away and we won 1-0 and Dani, the Portuguese player, scored.

It s a special game,…

Gareth Barry will join Frank Lampard in second on the all-time Premier League appearance list when he starts for Everton against Watford on Saturday.

The former England international will make his 609th outing in the modern era of the top-flight, drawing level with ex-West Ham and Chelsea midfielder Lampard.

Barry made the majority of his appearances over an 11-year spell at Aston Villa, moving onto Manchester City before joining Everton in 2014 following a successful season on loan.

Ronald Koeman has made two changes from the team that drew 1-1 with Manchester United last time out, with the injured Yannick Bolasie and Tom Cleverley replaced by James McCarthy and Gerard Deulofeu.

Barry will move to within 23 matches of equaling Ryan Giggs record, with the…