Both teams to score at Russia vs Saudi Arabia 11/8 in Thursdays World Cup opener

Arsene Wenger has revealed that talks have begun with Theo Walcott over the possibility of extending his Arsenal contract.

The England international, who joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old in 2006, signed a new three-and-a-half year deal in January 2013 after drawn-out negotiations.

However, with that contract set to enter its final 18 months manager Wenger is keen to tie Walcott to fresh terms.

We are starting to sit down with him, the Frenchman told reporters.

I think he has one-and-a-half years to go on his contract in December and it is never an easy job with him, you know.

Walcott returned to action following a 10-month absence with a cruciate knee ligament injury when he came off the bench in Arsenal s 3-0 Premier League victory over Burnle…

Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Javier Pastore has talked up a potential move to Italian giants AC Milan after revealing that something is wrong in France, .

Pastore, who joined PSG for a transfer fee in the region of €39.8 million from Serie A side Palermo in August 2011, has bagged two goals and five assists in 21 competitive matches for Les Parisiens this season.

Sooner or later, I will play for the Rossoneri, revealed Pastore. I have a wonderful relationship with (vice-president) Adriano Galliani.

We will have lunch together away from prying eyes when we next meet up in Milan.

Milan is a magical club. That s how I feel about it.

The Argentina international s comments will surely make him out-of-favour with PSG manag…

Barcelona s new coach Josep Guardiola said on Monday he is expecting a lot from Thierry Henry after a mixed first season for the French striker at the club.

I expect a lot from Henry. I spoke to him and I know that the first year has not been easy but I have a lot of faith in what he can bring to the team, Guardiola told a news conference.

I want to make him an important player, and Bojan (Krkic) as well, he said, referring to the 17-year-old Serbian-born Spanish striker.

Guardiola said he would try to play Henry who had a miserable Euro 2008 just managing one goal in their three matches before they went out in the first round in the centre of the attack, rather than on the left.

Barca s Dutch former coach Frank Rijkaard had played Henry on the left,…

Mauricio Pochettino believes Harry Kane is going to break all of Tottenham and England s goalscoring records after he earned a piece of club history in Saturday s 4-0 victory over Everton.

This season has already seen Kane surpass Alan Shearer s mark for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year with 39, while also finishing 2017 with more than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

And he became Tottenham s leading Premier League goalscorer with his 97th and 98th top-flight goals for the club, moving past Teddy Sheringham with a brace at Wembley.

Speaking to BT Sport afterwards, Spurs boss Pochettino said: He s so talented, so professional, I am very happy. I congratulate him, he deserves the credit.

In this way he s going to break all the records…

Real Betis have confirmed they are hoping to extend Joel Campbell’s loan deal for another season.

The talented forward arrived on a season long loan from Arsenal last summer and has largely impressed at Estadio Benito Villamarin.

He has helped los Verdiblancos climb to European places in La Liga and the Spanish club are now keen to try and hold on to the player for as long as possible.

Real Betis boss Pepe Mel admits they are negotiating with Arsenal over extending the player’s loan deal for another campaign.

We are advancing negotiations to reach an agreement,” Pepe Mel told Estadio Deportivo.

This wont be easy, but we want to speak in London with clarity and to agree a new loan. I believe that it will be positive for all parties.

…

Market: Orlando City to score over 1.5 goals

Odds: 8/11 @

Smelling a golden chance on home soil when the midweek MLS fixtures open up, Orlando will welcome San Jose to the Exploria Stadium in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Starting with the hosts, marking their return from the international break and landing a deserved 3-2 victory away at Toronto, the mood in Orlando s camp should be at a real high. Opening up the midweek fixtures sat second in the Eastern Conference and tipped as a clear pick to secure a play-off finish, The Purples have collected nine points from their last four MLS matchups and they have one attacking MVP enjoying another purple patch. Marking his own return from a one-match suspension by finding the net on the road last week, Portugue…

Angel Di Maria is hoping third time s the charm for Argentina at the upcoming Copa America Centenario after suffering heartbreak in their last two final appearances. 

Argentina were defeated in a penalty shoot-out in last year s Copa America final against Chile, just under 12 months after experiencing an extra-time loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup decider.

Paris Saint-Germain attacker Di Maria missed the game against Germany through injury, and was forced off early in the first half in their loss to Chile with a hamstring complaint. 

However, the 28-year-old remains encouraged by Argentina s achievements heading into the special-edition Copa America tournament in the United States, which begins on Friday.

My only wish is to be able to play in t…

Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo won the European Footballer of the Year Award here on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Portuguese star is the first from his country to win the coveted Ballon D Or award which is given by France Football since Luis Figo in 2000.

His award which he has widely spoken about having said in the last week that not only is he the best footballer in the world but also the second and third best comes on the back of exceptional performance for his club side last season.

He scored a remarkable 42 times in 49 matches as United secured a memorable league and European Cup double.

However, Spaniard Fernando Torres can feel hard done by as he scored a lot of great goals for Liverpool in the Premiership and the only goal in the Euro…

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Ze Roberto insists that Jupp Heynckes has no intention of extending his contract with the club for another season.

Heynckes signed a short-term deal when he was appointed as the replacement for Carlo Ancelotti in October 2017.

Ahead of the international break, he has guided Bayern to a 17-point lead at the Bundesliga summit and a Champions League quarter-final clash with Sevilla in his fourth spell in charge of the club.

Despite Heynckes hinting earlier this month that he could stay on for another year, Ze Roberto  who enjoyed two spells at Bayern in the 2000s  claims the 72-year-old has told him this season will be his last.

Recently I had the opportunity to eat with the players and him, but he said to me that he …

Germany won a dramatic penalty shootout 6-5 to book a place in the Euro 2016 semi-finals and send Italy crashing out in Bordeaux.

After 120 minutes of action ended in a 1-1 draw, Manuel Neuer saved from Matteo Darmian in the shootout s decisive moment, with Jonas Hector netting the winning spot-kick.

Simone Zaza, Graziano Pelle and Leonardo Bonucci all missed too in an unbelievable sequence of penalties, with unsuccessful efforts from Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil going unpunished for Germany.

Ozil looked to have put Germany on course for victory in regulation time, but Bonucci s late penalty – after a handball from Jerome Boateng – ensured the game progressed to extra time and then spot-kicks.

The thrilling win helped Germany g…