Inter loan signing Lukas Podolski believes the mid-table Serie A outfit are still among the world s 10 greatest clubs.

Podolski has joined Roberto Mancini s side on loan from Arsenal until the end of the season as they target the Champions League.

Inter have endured a couple of difficult seasons, and 2014-15 has been no different with the 18-time league champions sitting 11th.

But Germany international Podolski believes Inter still deserve to be considered among the world s best.

For me Inter belongs to the 10 greatest in the world, he said on Thursday.

They had success in the more recent past, 2010, when Inter won the treble, the Champions League.

If you know what legends have played here then you know what club this is. Serie A still …

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has challenged his players to become the first team to win three successive international tournaments.

Spain won their first international trophy in 44 years when they triumphed at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, and followed that up with a maiden FIFA World Cup victory in South Africa two years later.

Del Bosque s men will now attempt to make it an unprecedented hat-trick of international titles at the UEFA showcase in Poland and Ukraine.

We have an aim that no-one has ever achieved before and that is beautiful, Del Bosque told reporters.

We do have a lot of pressure because there is a lot of optimism that surrounds us.

But we are accustomed to the pressure because we are defending the title and we are wor…

Aston Villa are interested in signing Ross Barkley from Premier League rivals Chelsea in the summer transfer window, according to . It has been reported that the Villans are looking to secure the services of the former Everton attacking midfielder on a loan deal.

Barkley has been on the books of Chelsea since January 2018 when he moved from Everton for a transfer fee reported by to be worth £15million. Much was expected of the England international when he arrived at Stamford Bridge, but the attacking midfielder has failed to establish himself as an integral figure in the team.

According to , the 26-year-old made 13 starts and eight substitute appearances in the Premier League and two starts and one substitute appearance in the Champions League, while in 2018-19, he m…

Claude Puel is confident Leicester City will keep hold of star attacker Riyad Mahrez through the January transfer window.

Mahrez, 26, is linked with a move away from the Premier League side, with Arsenal and Liverpool among those reportedly interested.

The Algeria international has recaptured some of his best form this season, scoring seven times and assisting seven in 23 league games.

Leicester manager Puel believes his club will retain Mahrez despite the reported interest from rivals.

I have confidence in Riyad. We can see he is enjoying his football, we can see he is happy with his team-mates, and it s important for us to keep our best players, he told UK newspapers.

We are in the transfer window and it s normal at that time for all the best …

Christian Eriksen looks poised to leave Inter in January after being placed on the transfer list, the club s CEO Giuseppe Marotta confirmed on Wednesday. 

Eriksen cost Inter €20million at the start of this year having refused to sign a new contract at Tottenham, thus allowing him to secure a cut-price move.

But having found himself on the periphery of the team during his latter days at Spurs, he lacked match sharpness upon joining Inter and made only eight Serie A starts before the end of the 2019-20 campaign.

He has done little to convince head coach Antonio Conte he is worthy of a place in the team this term, with four league starts to his name during 2020-21. 

The Denmark international has made four further substitute appearances, mustering …

West Ham United are confident of signing Said Benrahma from Brentford before the summer transfer window in England closes on Friday, according to . It has been reported that a medical has been scheduled for the Algeria international on Wednesday, and that the Hammers are confident that a deal will still go through despite complications.

has reported that there is a problem between Benrahma and Brentford, which is why a potential move to West Ham has stalled over the past 24 hours. The Premier League club have agreed to pay the Bees an initial transfer fee of £25 million plus £5 million in add-ons.

Benrahma scored 17 goals and provided four assists in the Championship for Brentford last season, while during the 2018-19 campaign, the winger scored 10 goals and provided…

Cameron Carter-Vickers knows it will take time to form a new central defensive partnership but is encouraged by the early signs of working with Maik Nawrocki.

The pair started in the heart of Celtic’s back four as the champions opened their cinch Premiership season with a 4-2 win over Ross County last weekend.

Carl Starfelt came off the bench for a farewell appearance before completing his move to Celta Vigo in midweek after two years alongside Carter-Vickers.

The United States international said: “It’s always sad when you lose a team-mate, especially one you played so closely with, but for him it was the right decision to move and we wish him nothing but the best.

“All defensive partnerships take a bit of time, it’s the nature of the position. …

Moise Kean s early header proved enough to earn Juventus a 1-0 Champions League win over Malmo and top spot in Group H on Wednesday.

The Bianconeri controlled the game well but could only muster one goal despite playing a team with just one point to their name.

Federico Bernardeschi s classy cross from the right was one of the few moments of true quality in the final third, which Kean met with a darting run to the near post in the 18th minute.

Malmo rarely threatened in the time that remained, but Juventus never looked like claiming an emphatic win either and their solitary goal proved enough to see them finish above Chelsea, who conceded a 94th-minute equaliser in their 3-3 draw with Zenit. 

4 Juventus have won their Group for the fourth season in a …

Former Australia midfielder Vince Grella has signed a one-year deal at Melbourne Heart, the club confirmed on Tuesday.

The experienced defensive midfielder, 33, had been without a clubs since ending an injury-marred spell at English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Melbourne-born Grella will arrive back in his home town on Saturday, but will not link up with his new team-mates until Monday, when Heart return from their away trip to Perth Glory.

He had trained with the A-League club when back in Melbourne in July to keep fit, before returning to Europe in a bid to continue his career there.

Grella is a veteran of two World Cups with the Socceroos, but has not added to his 46 caps since the 2010 tournament in South Afr…

Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino were both on target as Al-Ahli tightened their grip on third place in the Saudi Pro League table with a 4-1 win over Damac on Thursday.

Matthias Jaissle s team were four goals up within just 25 minutes as Damac folded, Ziyad Al Johani and Feras Al Brikan netting their first two before Franck Kessie was felled by Dhari Al Anazi for a penalty, converted by Mahrez.

Firmino then tapped home a fourth after being teed up by former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin on the break, but Al-Ahli took their foot off the gas from there, Domagoj Antolic s second-half consolation rounding off the scoring.

Elsewhere, 10-man Al-Riyadh scored two stoppage-time draws to earn a dramatic 2-2 draw with Al-Fateh in Al-Mubarraz.

Goals f…