MANCHESTER CITY
Frank Lampard is on the verge of joining Manchester City on loan, according to reports.
The England midfielder signed for City’s sister outfit New York City FC this summer, ending 13 trophy-laden years at Chelsea.
With the Major League Soccer season not starting until the spring, there was speculation that Lampard would head to Melbourne City, the third club owned by the City Football Group, on a short-term deal.
But reports emerged on Friday night that the 36-year-old Lampard was set to move to the Etihad on a six-month deal to help Manuel Pellegrini’s men in the defence of their Premier League title.
Lampard was unveiled in New York on July 24 and admitted he was eager to keep himself fit ahead of his American adventure.
“I’m going to keep fit, that’s the main thing. How I do that is not clear yet,” he said.
“I’m going to sit round with people at the club and sort that out.”
MANCHESTER UNITED
Cristiano Ronaldo admits he could one day make a sensational return to Manchester United.
Ronaldo became a cult hero at United after enjoying six successful years under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Portuguese winger moved to Real Madrid for £80million in 2009, but he still remembers his time at Old Trafford fondly.
Although he says he is happy at the Bernabeu, Ronaldo appears open to the possibility of going back to United in the future.
When asked about the possibility of playing for United again, Ronaldo told MUTV: “I love Manchester and you never know in football. Of course I’m happy at Real Madrid; it’s my home, it’s my club, but United treated me unbelievably, so you never know.
“I am still in contact with some people there because I had a good relationship with everybody - it was like my second family.”
MARSEILLE
France international playmaker Mathieu Valbuena has completed his transfer to Russian side Dynamo Moscow from Marseille, a director of the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday.
The director, who was not identified, indicated that Dynamo will pay a transfer fee of £6m for the 29-year-old Valbuena.
Valbuena, who underwent a medical on Saturday, has agreed a three-year contract worth a reported salary of £7.9m per year.
Valbuena has won 38 caps for France, including featuring in four games during Les Bleus’ run to the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brazil last month.
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Eric Dier admits it has been something of a “strange” journey that has taken him to signing for Tottenham - and he feels he is fulfilling a dream now the transfer is complete.
The 20-year-old Cheltenham-born player, who can operate as a defender or holding midfielder, has joined the Premier League side from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon, where he came through the youth ranks.
Having finalised his switch on a five-year deal for around £4million (Dh 24.7m), the England Under-21 international told Spurs TV: “I am really excited to be joining such a big club.
“It has always been my ambition and my dream to come back to England and play in the Premier League.
“The reason I moved to Portugal was nothing to do with football - it was because of my family.
“We moved there when I was six, I got picked up by Sporting when I was eight and I went through their youth system, all the way to the first team.
“It is kind of a strange background and everyone seems surprised by it. But it just happened that way really.
“At the beginning it was hard because I didn’t really speak the language. I was seen as a bit of an outsider.
“But after I picked up the language when I was 12 or 13, it was really easy. I don’t think they saw me as English - they pretty much saw me like one of their own.
