SPORTS

WAYNE ROONEY returned to Merseyside yesterday as Michael Carrick was handed his Manchester United armband. Midfielder Carrick replaces Everton-bound Roo as United’s club captain next season. Michael Carrick has been named Manchester United’s new captain Ander Herrera will be the new vice-captain at Manchester United Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera will now be his No 2. Carrick, 35, signed a new ...

Rumours of the deal for Rooney to return to the club he has supported all his life leaked out late on Tuesday evening, with United officials refusing to be drawn on the story as the striker prepared to bring down the curtain on a career that saw him break Bobby Chartlon’s all-time United scoring record last season. Mourinho is believed ...

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Jose Mourinho included Everton striker Romelu Lukaku on the transfer wishlist he gave to club chief Ed Woodward earlier this summer, reports claim. Manchester United are accelerating their transfer plans as they aim to fill the void left by Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure. The 35-year-old plundered home 28 goals in his debut season in England but a serious ...

Magdy Abedelghany is confident his country will make it to the 2018 World Cup ahead of Ghana. Egypt is leading Group E with 9 points and the man credited with Egypt’s first ever goal at the World Cup is adamant his side but not Ghana will feature in the tournament that will be staged in Russia. In an exclusive interview ...

Chelsea has agreed a fee of £30.7 million ($39.7 million) plus £3.5 million in add-ons with Roma for German defender Antonio Rudiger, according to reports. Rudiger, who played a key role in Germany’s Confederation’s Cup triumph last week, is in talks with the Premier League champion before completing the move, the Daily Mail says. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is keen ...

CHELSEA may regret selling midfielder Nemanja Matic to Manchester United, says Mario Melchiot. Matic is understood to be on the verge of switching Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford this summer in a £40million deal. The move will see the Serbia international link up with manager Jose Mourinho again. Mourinho brought Matic back to Chelsea from Benfica three-and-a-half years ago in ...

BidVest Wits have won the race to sign former Bafana Bafana captain Steven Pienaar on a free transfer for the new season. Pienaar was linked with the ‘big three’ of Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, but the Premiership champions have snapped him up ahead of their domestic rivals. The 35-year-old arrives with vast European experience, having spent the ...

Any day now, Borussia Dortmund’s Gabonese super striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could sign in China with Tianjin Quanjian. At 28, the French-born forward is one of the hottest properties on the market, also pursued at various times by Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, in spite of his towering price tag of $90 million or so – just for the transfer, and ...

Real madrid have confirmed the signing of Atletico Madrid left-back Theo Hernandez who becomes the first player to cross the city divide since 2000. Real did not disclose the fee, believed to be around €30m, but said Hernandez signed a six-year contract and would be officially presented next Monday. France under-20 international Hernandez, 19, has been with Atletico’s youth system ...

Wayne Rooney is on the brink of making a sensational return to his former club, Everton, and The Sun reports he will be withdrawn from Manchester United’s squad for their pre-season tour to America. Rooney exploded onto the national consciousness with two seasons at Goodison Park before joining United in a £20 million transfer just weeks after scoring four goals ...