All the very latest football news across Europe!

It's all change with the Premier League transfer window this year as it opens and closes earlier than before.

The new dates are to ensure that all transfers are completed before the start of the 2018/19 season.

The Premier League has confirmed the transfer window will open at midnight on 17th May.

It will then close at 5pm on 9th August - instead of 31st August, which it has been in previous years.

The reason for the changes to the transfer window are so clubs avoid disruption to their squads once the Premier League season has kicked off on 11th August.

In fact, deals can be agreed before 17th May, however, the paperwork cannot be processed until the window has officially opened.

That means domestic transfers can be completed from midnight on 17th May, but transfers from abroad can only be finalised once the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) opens at midnight on 8th June.

In France, the transfer window will open on 9th June. In Italy and Germany it will be on 1st July and in Spain it will be on 2nd July.
The windows in those four leagues will close on 31st August.

The EFL transfer window is already open.
It opened on Monday, 7th May for domestic transfers. Clubs involved in play-offs can sign players now - but cannot play them until their season is over.

The EFL window closes at the same time as the Premier League, at 5pm on 9th August - five days after the new EFL season begins.

EFL clubs will still be able to sign players on loan until 31st August. They can also sign free agents up until the same date.

Everton have confirmed manager Sam Allardyce has left the club with immediate effect -skysports.com

The sacking of Allardyce means Everton will have to pay Allardyce £6m in compensation, after less than a year in charge. Ex-Watford boss Marco Silva is favourite to take over at Goodison Park - Daily Express

David Moyes has left West Ham. Moyes met David Sullivan on Monday to discuss whether he should carry on in the job as West Ham manager. Following that meeting it was reported in a club statement that he was unlikely to stay, despite the fact that he was only appointed last November - skysports.com

Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta is very close to becoming the club's new manager, taking over from Arsene Wenger. Talks between the Gunners and the 36-year-old Spaniard have progressed well, with former team-mate Santi Cazorla lined up for a backroom role - Independent, Daily Mail and Daily Mirror

Ex-Gunners captain Patrick Vieira, 41, says he has been left disappointed at the club's "token gesture" after being contacted about the vacant managerial position at Arsenal - skysports.com

Mauricio Pochettino is ready to snub Chelsea's advances to stay loyal to Tottenham - Daily Star

Danny Rose hopes Tottenham will give boss Mauricio Pochettino "what he wants" this summer as the club look to move to the next level. Danny Rose hopes Tottenham will give boss Mauricio Pochettino "what he wants" this summer as the club look to move to the next level- skysports.com

England manager Gareth Southgate will name his 23-man squad for this summer's World Cup in Russia today!
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere will not be included. Southgate is unable to call up Liverpool pair Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joe Gomez along with Swansea defender Alfie Mawson, who have been ruled out through injury - BBC Sport

Southgate said that "19 or 20" of his squad had been decided upon, with Liverpool's Adam Lallana and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Newcastle's Jonjo Shelvey and Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek among those in contention for the fringe places - BBC Sport

Manchester City's Joe Hart is furious after believing West Ham manager David Moyes cost him a World Cup place - Daily Mirror

Cristiano Ronaldo is wanted by Manchester United, who have two plans to sign the Real Madrid forward - Diario Gol (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

The first includes a swap deal with Paul Pogba and a fee of £43m, while the second would see them launch a £142m bid to re-sign their former player - Diario Gol (Spanish daily sports newspaper)

Real Madrid's 28 year-old midfielder Toni Kroos is leaning towards a move to Manchester United.
He has been earmarked as a replacement for the retired Michael Carrick, with the Germany international said to be keen on a Premier League move - Don Balon (Spanish news outlet)

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho will try to tempt AC Milan defender Leonardo Bonucci to Old Trafford this summer - Tuttosport (Italian sport newspaper published in Turin)

Paul Lambert's future as Stoke manager is still hanging in the balance, ahead of talks with the club hierarchy this week - Daily Telegraph

Championship side QPR will name ex-England boss Steve McClaren as their new manager to replace Ian Holloway, who was sacked last week - skysports.com

Eden Hazard insists he is happy at Chelsea but has challenged the club to match his ambition with new signings this summer. Asked what would persuade him to sign a contract extension with the club, Hazard said: "I'm waiting for new players next season. I want good players because I want to win next season the Premier League. That's why I'm taking my time. It's something big. I need to think about a lot of things. One thing I'm sure is that I'm happy here." - skysports.com

Clubs will have to part with £88m in order to sign highly-rated Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, with the Daily Star reporting that Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea are interested.
The Senegalese international has been linked with a move away from the Serie A side over the last few windows - Daily Star

West Ham want Burnley and England keeper Tom Heaton to replace Joe Hart next term - The Sun

Manchester United are confident of signing 29-year-old Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld and are willing to spend more than £40m on the Belgium international - London Evening Standard

Inter Milan will bid for Manchester City and Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan if they qualify for the Champions League - Corriere dello Sport in Italian - (Italian national sports newspaper based in Rome)

A bidding war could break out as a number of top clubs are eyeing Leicester defender Harry Maguire. The 25-year-old centre back is wanted by Manchester City, as well as a number of other top Premier League clubs, and will be subject of close attention when he plays for England at this summer's World Cup - Daily Mirror.

Newcastle will make on loan Slovakian goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, 29, their first summer signing from Sparta Prague - The Sun

Atletico Madrid will watch Kieran Tierney in the Scottish Cup final and join the race for the Celtic full-back. The 20-year-old has caught the eye with the Scottish Premiership champions, with Man Utd, Tottenham and Bournemouth also said to be interested - The Sun

Leicester and West Ham will make moves to sign Manchester City's Patrick Roberts, who has been on loan at Celtic since 2016, after the Scottish Cup final - Daily Express

Romelu Lukaku will be fit to start for Manchester United in Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea.

Arsenal have held talks with 26-year-old Nice midfielder Jean-Michael Seri, who is valued at £40m by the Ligue 1 club. However, Premier League rivals Chelsea are favourites to sign the Ivory Coast international - Daily Mirror

Everton, Newcastle and Huddersfield are among the clubs in pursuit of Schalke 04 and Kosovo international Donis Avdijaj - Daily Mail

Huddersfield's on-loan defender Terence Kongolo looks to have made his last appearance for the club. The Terriers signed the 24-year-old from Monaco in January on loan for the rest of the season. Town fans had been hoping Kongolo would extend his stay in England but he now looks set to return to France with his latest Instagram post - skysports.com

League One champions Wigan Athletic want to turn 23-year-old Leicester left-back Callum Elder's loan into a permanent deal. The Australian has one year left on his contract at the King Power Stadium - Daily Mail

Stephen Thompson is close to selling his majority shareholding in Dundee United to an American investor - Daily Express

Manchester United and Liverpool are in line to be invited to take part in a new 24-team Club World Cup which could earn the clubs more than £100m - The Times

Liverpool are to sign midfielder Isaac Christie-Davies, 20, on a free transfer after the Englishman was not awarded a new contract at Chelsea - ESPN

Diego Maradona has signed a three-year contract to join top-flight Belarusian club Dinamo Brest as their new chairman. Argentine legend Maradona, a former World Cup winner recognised as one of the all-time greats, last month stepped down as coach of United Arab Emirates second division club Al-Fujairah after they failed to gain automatic promotion to the first division - skysports.com

MY England Squad for the 2014 World Cup.......and why!

With just 96 days to go until the 2014 World Cup Finals kick-off in Sao Paulo, England manager Roy Hodgson is expected to name his provisional 30-man squad - including seven standby players - in mid-May, shortly after the Premier League's conclusion.

The England boss is then scheduled to cut the list down to 23 for the start of June, two weeks before the tournament in Brazil gets under way.



Following this week’s unconvincing performance against a Denmark side that failed to qualify for the finals, the question on the lips of the nations football fans' is who will be selected to represent England at the greatest football show on earth. So what did we learn from Wednesday's narrow win over the Danes.
Not a lot to be fair, but three things in my opinion stood out!

Firstly Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge (right) do not seem able to play together as a front two. To play together Sturridge needs to play as an out and out striker through the middle with Rooney playing behind him or in a deeper position either side. Either way they are both on the plane. Secondly Adam Lallana must go to Brazil and probably deserves a place in the starting XI and thirdly Luke Shaw is a precocious talent, but this tournament has come too soon for the Kingston upon Thames born Southampton youngster.

As fans we all have an opinion, and rightly so! Up and down the country there will be discussions in the workplace, down the pub, on social media sites, as well as an array of articles by numerous newspaper hacks trying to justify their reason as to who and why 'Woy' should choose certain players ahead of others to wear the 'Three Lions' shirt with its single gold star above the crest, dating back 48 years!

Wednesday nights friendly was the penultimate game for England on home soil before the tournament begins in earnest. Three more friendly games stand between now and our opening Group D fixture against Italy in Manaus on 14th June.

Peru are at Wembley at the end of May before the squad fly out to the USA for their final two friendlies in Miami on 4th June and 7th June. However by the time England take to the field at Wembley on the 30th May, Mr Hodgson will, baring injuries, have selected his final squad to take to Brazil.

England without a shadow of doubt need to go into this tournament with a blend of experience and youth. I think Roy should select only seven defenders, freeing up an extra space in midfield or in attack rather than go for cover in every position. In players like Chris Smalling and Phil Jones he has what I would describe as 'multi-functional players.' In otherwards players that may not be first-choice in certain positions, but should they be required they have enough ability to adequately step-in, in this case as potential cover at right-back and at centre-half, plus Jones also possesses enough competence to play in the defensive midfield role as well if necessary. That versatility is extremely useful, and I think that is why they should go to the tournament ahead of the likes of Joleon Lescott or Steven Caulker.

The centre-halves pick themselves in Gary Cahill (right) and Phil Jagielka. The full-back debate however is a tricky one. Kyle Walker and Glenn Johnson are not good enough to both warrant selection so I would go with the Liverpool man, based on experience, which is key in that area. Walker has more pace,and is particularly good at using that pace going forward, but the full-backs primary function; particularly in tournament football is to defend. Johnson shades it for me on that basis. This discussion also applies to the left-back berth.

Leighton Baines is the stand-out player in that position, but should he get injured 15 minutes into the opening game against the 'Azzurri' then the option is the experienced Ashley Cole (107 caps) or the new kid on the block in Luke Shaw (one cap). For me it has to be Cole, despite his age and lack of regular first team action this season for Chelsea.

Shaw is raw but I admit he looks the real deal and I have no doubt he will be first choice right-back at the 2016 European Championships. The 'no to Shaw' debate is sure to upset many, but if I throw the name Joel Ward into the mix you are left with a similar conundrum. The Crystal Palace right-back has arguably been the South London club's player of the season. Superb reader of the game, great ball winner, pacey and another player who loves to bomb forward. The boy has bags of ability but do I think he could cut it at the highest level in the biggest tournament in world football. Possibly, possibly not! Would I take the risk? No I wouldn't and Ward is 24 year-old and has been playing professional football since 2008. Shaw is only 18 and only turned pro in 2012.

Midfield is key! Adam Lallana's form is impossible to ignore and that means players like Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley won't feature this Summer. I would also select Lallana ahead of Adam Johnson too. Granted Johnson has been in superb form in a struggling Sunderland side, but Lallana is a better player. Johnson drifts in and out of games, whereas Lallana always seems to want to take the game to the opposition. Lallana is also comfortable playing out wide or in a central position without it impeding his effectiveness as an attacking prowess.

Steven Gerrard has found a role for both club and country and that suits all concerned. Frank Lampard's experience is vital at a major tournament. At 35 he may struggle to get in the starting XI, but what a great player to have as cover or to bring on should the situation dictate. Not only an asset on the field but he would be invaluable to the youngsters in the squad in and around the training ground and the dressing room. Lampard is a born winner!

I would take Ross Barkley (right) as cover in central midfield, He is adept at playing in a deeper midfield role, should Gerrard or Jack Wilshere breakdown. Both are prone to knocks and niggling re-occurring injuries, so Barkley could feature prominently. I would choose Ross Barkley ahead of James Milner, who for me is far too conservative. I'd also go with Jordan Henderson, who is developing into an exciting young player. It's taken a while but he could be the surprise player in the England camp, as he finally fulfills the promise he showed during his time at Sunderland between 2009 and 2011. I think he is going to have a cracking end to the season at Liverpool — and I think he deserves his place as a squad member, although not necessarily as a starter.

Andros Townsend misses out this time because of his downturn in form and the emergency of others especially Raheem Sterling. England have a lot of players with pace but it’s what they do with the final ball that counts. Sterling has impressed me of late, after going through a poor spell around Christmas time.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) is also in my opinion a better option than Townsend. Fit again after a long-term injury he like Lallana is at home in central midfield or on the flanks. All are quick and direct but they can't all go!
Townsend however could yet still make it if he has a really decent end to the season at Spurs and depending on whether Hodgson takes 4 or 5 strikers.

Danny Welbeck's adaptability to the left flank is the reason I choose to go with five strikers, therefore broadening the attacking options, particularly when chasing a game. He can play wide left of a three, he works hard for the team and is good in the air. His club form may be a concern, but for his country he remains a real threat.

Up front Jermaine Defoe is the best impact striker substitute we have, and although he has had little game time at Spurs this season, you always feel he is somebody who will get you a goal. His recent move to the MLS will have little or no bearing on his ability to score at a World Cup. Andy Carroll just gets the nod from me ahead of Rickie Lambert. He is an imposing figure and could be a nightmare for defenders. I like both Lambert and his Southampton team-mate Jay Rodriquez, but if Carroll stays fit and plays the final ten games of the season for West Ham I think he will go particularly as I believe he is rated highly by Hodgson.

As for the goalkeepers, Fraser Forster's displays for Celtic means he should get the nod ahead of Ben Foster and Jack Butland would be my third choice, as he is never going to see any action but should go in order to gain valuable tournament experience.

My England Squad for Brazil

1/ Joe Hart - Age 26

2/ Fraser Forster - Age 25  

3/ Jack Butland - Age 20

4/ Gary Cahill - Age 28

5/ Phil Jagielka -  Age 31

6/ Phil Jones - Age 22

7/ Chris Smalling - Age 24

8/ Leighton Baines - Age 29

9/ Ashley Cole - Age 33

10/ Glenn Johnson - Age 29

11/ Steven Gerrard - Age 33

12/ Frank Lampard - Age 35

13/ Jordan Henderson - Age 23

14/ Jack Wilshere - Age 22

15/ Ross Barkley - Age 20

16/ Adam Lallana - Age 25

17 /Raheem Sterling - Age 19

18/ Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - Age 20

19/ Wayne Rooney - Age 28

20/ Daniel Sturridge - Age 24

21/ Andy Carroll - Age 25

22/ Jermain Defoe - Age 31

23/ Danny Welbeck - Age 23