that Tottenham are prepared to take a gamble with Barcelona midfielder Ibrahim Afellay.

Spurs plan to further reinforce the squad in the January transfer window and they are reportedly pondering a loan move for the Dutch midfielder.

Afellay has finally resumed full training following an 18-month spell on the sidelines, and he is widely tipped to be farmed out on loan by the end of the month.

The 27-year-old could need quite a while to regain his form and fitness, so Tottenham s interest in the player certainly comes as a surprise.

Afellay had been regarded as one of Europe s top midfielders when he left PSV Eindhoven for Barcelona in January 2011, but he has only managed 20 La Liga appearances for the Catalans.

Tata Martino s side remain despit…

After the Nobel Peace Center made a move towards terminating its agreement with FIFA regarding the Handshake for Peace initiative, world football s governing body has expressed its disappointment.

The centre, in partnership with the Norwegian Football Association, created the initiative back in 2012, aiming to promote the values of respect, friendship and fair play.

In 2013, the centre signed a three-year deal with FIFA to promote the initiative, and that commitment was reconfirmed at the latest FIFA Congress.

However, the centre has since released a statement declaring: The board asks the administration to terminate the cooperation with FIFA as soon as circumstances allow.

FIFA responded with a statement of its own, which read: We are disappoin…

Wolverhampton Wanderers have a very ambitious project and despite a poor start to the season, they want to continue with their plan and invest into the team. After winning Championship in 2018, the club went on to finish seventh in the Premier League and reach the Europa League straight away.

Now their experienced squad could be added some youthful zest, if Calciomercato s writings are correct. According to them, Wolves are interested in signing AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie this January. Recently, there were talks of AS Monaco monitoring the 22-year-old Ivory Coast international, but now Wolves are ready to enter that race.

Kessie was reportedly close to leaving San Siro during the latest summer transfer window, but nothing came out of it. Wolves want to act fast a…

Peru and Internacional striker Paolo Guerrero has had the provisional suspension of his 14-month ban for failing a drug test revoked by the Swiss Federal Tribunal (BGER).

The BGER confirmed the ruling on Friday and Guerrero must now serve the remaining eight months of his sanction, ruling him out of competitive action until April 2019.

The 34-year-old was banned from playing for one year by FIFA having tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, after Peru s World Cup qualifier against Argentina in October 2017.

The suspension was cut in half last December following the Peru captain s appeal to world football s governing body, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) successfully argued to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that the revise…

France require a miracle if they are to reach the World Cup second round, said a visibly rattled and out-of-sorts Raymond Domenech on Friday the day after a demoralising 2-0 Group A defeat by Mexico.

The loss appeared to weigh heavily on 57-year-old Domenech, who in his video message posted on the French Football Federation website gave a rambling and disjointed account, sometimes failing to finish his sentences.

France need to beat hosts South Africa soundly on Tuesday and hope that Uruguay and Mexico don t draw if they do both will progress regardless of what the French do.

There is a miracle around somewhere, but in any case we are compelled to play for our pride at the very least.

When it is out of one s hands, qualifying that is, one shouldn t dre…

Spain s controversial Euro 2008 winning coach Luis Aragones is not confident that the Spanish will beat Iberian rivals Portugal in their World Cup last 16 clash later on Tuesday.

The 71-year-old known as the Wise Man of Hortaleza said that while Spain had improved since their opening 1-0 defeat by Switzerland the Portuguese could still win with some ease.

I am not very optimistic, Aragones told a Portuguese TV channel which was retransmitted in Spain.

Portugal has a superb team and it is going to be very tough for Spain, added Aragones who is known for his habit of making controversial remarks.

Aragones, who stepped down from the Spain job after delivering their first major trophy in 2008, said that if Portugal deprived the Spanish of the ball then it …

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini insists four teams remain capable of winning the Premier League title.

City and Chelsea are considered favourites to finish top of the table this season, with Jose Mourinho s men currently six points clear of the 2011-12 champions having played three games more.

However, in-form Liverpool are also firmly in contention four points behind Chelsea with a game in hand and Pellegrini has refused to rule out Arsenal despite Arsene Wenger s side suffering a 6-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

I don’t think that it is just between Chelsea and Manchester City, said Pellegrini after City recorded a 5-0 home victory over Fulham.

We must continue concentrating on what Liverpool are doing every week because they are playing w…

Ajaccio goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has refused to rule out a potential transfer to Marseille at the end of the season.

Ochoa joined Ajaccio in July 2011 and has impressed during his time in Corsica with consistently solid performances.

However, Ajaccio are 16 points adrift of safety in Ligue 1 with six games remaining and will be relegated next weekend if they lose at home to Bordeaux.

Ochoa is out of contract at the end of the campaign and appears set to leave the Stade Francois Coty, with Marseille rumoured to be interested in his services.

The 28-year-old has revealed a move to the Stade Velodrome would be of interest to him.

Marseille is a big team. For my career, it would be important, Ochoa is quoted as saying by Eurosport.

I am ambitious and I …

Jack Wilshere said he would not have joined West Ham had it not been for the departure of Arsene Wenger from Arsenal, claiming his former manager would have ensured his place in the Gunners first team.

The 26-year-old midfielder joined West Ham on a three-year deal in July, ending his 17-year association with Arsenal in the aftermath of Wenger s departure.

Wilshere said Unai Emery s arrival as head coach altered his prospects in north London and convinced him it was time for a change.

If Arsene had stayed I would have stayed because of the influence he had in my career and the trust he had in me, Wilshere told the Islington Gazette.

He gave me the armband and respected me a lot. So, I had pretty much agreed to stay. And then he left and that changed th…

Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic is happy to stay at the LaLiga giants, according to his agent.

The Croatia international has been linked with a return to his former club Inter, having left the Serie A giants in 2015.

Kovacic has made 17 LaLiga starts for Madrid this season and played six times for the club in the Champions League.

Despite speculation he could return to Italy, his agent said Kovacic was content in Madrid.

I do not think Mateo is not playing enough, Nikki Vusan told FcInterNews.it.

Madrid are the European champions and this means they are made up of great players.

[Luka] Modric is probably the world s best midfielder, [Toni] Kroos has won the World Cup with Germany and we must not forget other top players such as Jam…