that Liverpool are hoping to sign Swansea captain Ashley Williams in the summer transfer window.

With Jamie Carragher set to end his career at the end of the current campaign and Martin Skrtel failing to live up to his potential, Brendan Rodgers is eager to sign a new centre-back in the summer.

According to Liverpool Echo, Swansea stopper Ashley Williams has moved to the top of Reds’ hit-list.

Williams has impressed at Liberty Stadium this season and club chiefs face a real battle to keep hold of their prized asset.

Arsenal and Liverpool are both believed to be keen on the 28-year-old, who was playing League Two football just five years ago.

Ashley Williams has been at Swansea since joining the club from Stockport County in 2008, and went on t…

Huddersfield Town midfielder Jonathan Hogg suffered a fractured neck against Bristol City and is set to miss the rest of the season, the Championship club confirmed.

Hogg had to be carried from the field on a stretcher after requiring 14 minutes of treatment following a collision with team-mate Mark Hudson in the first half of Friday s 4-0 defeat.

The 28-year-old was taken to hospital for treatment before being discharged on Saturday, with no significant trauma to any of the soft tissues in his neck.

A statement read: Although he is expected to miss the rest of the 2016/17 season, the Club is happy that Jonathan is in no immediate danger and looks forward to seeing Hoggy back out on the pitch as soon as is safely possible. 

Alongside Jonathan, everyone …

Michael Carrick has admitted that things just didn t work when David Moyes was manager of Manchester United.

Moyes succeeded Alex Ferguson after he stepped down at the end of the 2012-13 season, in which United won their 20th top-flight title.

However, the former Everton boss endured a dismal campaign at Old Trafford and was sacked following a 2-0 defeat against his old club in April 2014 a result that ensured United would not qualify for the Champions League.

Carrick has denied that there was unrest in the dressing room during Moyes tenure but has conceded that the season was a difficult one.

It was a tough time. I think we can all say that with Sir Alex leaving and the changes that happened after that. It was a tough season, there s no getting away fro…

Dimitar Berbatov feels criticism of Manchester United forward Romelu Lukaku is unfair and hopes the Belgian stays at Old Trafford.

Lukaku joined United from Everton in a £75million deal in 2017, scoring 28 goals in 66 Premier League games since then, but his performances have been much maligned.

The former Chelsea man has been heavily linked with a switch to Inter as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shakes up his United squad ahead of the new season.

But Berbatov, who played under Alex Ferguson for four years at United, would prefer to see Lukaku remain at the club.

I hope Lukaku is staying because he s a good player and the criticism he s facing is not fair, he told the Straits Times.

25y 343d Aged 25 years and 343 days old, Romelu Lukaku is the sixth youn…

Barcelona star Lionel Messi empathised with Zinedine Zidane s high-pressure situation at Real Madrid but said top players and coaches must be ready for intense scrutiny.

Messi will be the centre of attention when his Barca side host bitter rivals Madrid in a crucial Clasico at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

Goal difference is all that separates the teams and an away victory would place Zidane s men in a strong position to win LaLiga for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

Edging three points clear would additionally be a big boost for the Frenchman, who has faced difficulties since returning for a second stint in charge of the capital club.

Barca captain Messi claimed the fact any criticism had been aimed at Zidane was evidence of the extreme pressures pla…

There was more penalty drama for Manchester City as the Premier League leaders visited reigning champions Liverpool on Sunday.

Gundogan skied his spot-kick at an empty Anfield, although it would not prove a costly miss as City ran out 4-1 winners to extend their advantage at the summit.

Pep Guardiola will no doubt be keen to correct a remarkable failing in his outstanding side s game, however.

City s record from 12 yards features in our quirky facts from the weekend s top-flight action.
 

Sterling s penchant for pens wasted at City

As Gundogan, who later scored twice, blazed over in front of the Kop, it meant City have now accounted for four of the past six Premier League spot-kicks to miss the target including three against Liverpool (also Riy…

Erling Haaland was back at the centre of Barcelona transfer speculation as his agent and father were pictured arriving in the Spanish city on Thursday.

The Spanish newspaper Sport published video on its website that showed agent Mino Raiola and Alf-Inge Haaland emerging from an airport and being driven away in a private car.

It was reported that the driver was a member of Barcelona president Joan Laporta s staff, pointing to Raiola and Haaland senior being on the way to a meeting with the newly elected Camp Nou chief.

Haaland has been long linked with a move to Barcelona, having dazzled in 15 months with Borussia Dortmund and emerged as a target for elite clubs across Europe.

Among those reported to have shown interest in the Norwegian are Real Madrid, Pa…

What the papers say

The now-closed transfer window may have left Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha with the crumbled wreck of a failed deal with Bayern Munich, but, according to the Daily Mail, there is still room for a deal to be done eventually.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco seems likely to ditch Europe after a juicy offer from Saudi Arabia. As per the Daily Star, Saudi pro League club Al Shabab is to offer the 30-year-old £12.8million to sign on before the Saudi trade window closes.

Across the pond , Wayne Rooney looks like he could soon be parting ways with DC United after the US club left him on read when he tried to kick off negotiations for a new contract, the Daily Mail reports.

Social media round-up

What Mo Salah has told Liverpool …

Walid Regragui hopes Morocco s performance at the World Cup is showing why Arab coaches should get top jobs in Europe, which is impossible right now.

Regragui was only appointed as Morocco head coach at the end of August.

Since then, the Atlas Lions are unbeaten, conceding only an own goal against Canada and reaching the quarter-finals at Qatar 2022.

Regragui s short stint has included an upset win over Belgium and a penalty shoot-out success against highly-fancied Spain in the last 16.

Morocco are the first Arab team and fourth African side to make the last eight at a World Cup, prompting discussion of interest in Regragui s services.

But the coach explained the battle he had faced just to get this job, let alone taking over at Manchester City or…

Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente and Angelo Ogbonna played together for the first time as Juventus suffered mixed fortunes in the TIM Trophy.

The trio, signed by Juve in the close-season, were all named in the starting line-ups for the two fixtures in the pre-season tournament as Antonio Conte s side were beaten by Milan and then triumphed over Sassuolo.

Tevez had already opened his account for the club in a 7-0 win over Val d’Aosta on Saturday but neither Ogbonna nor Llorente were able to do the same on Tuesday.

Conte s side drew 0-0 with both Milan and Sassuolo in normal time, before losing to the former and beating the latter on penalties.

Sassuolo replaced usual TIM Trophy competitors Inter this year and it was Rubinho who was the hero in the match against t…