Newcastle United have signed defender Jesus Gamez from Atletico Madrid on a two-year contract.
Both clubs confirmed completion of the deal on Friday, with the 31-year-old joining Rafael Benitez in the Championship.
Full-back Gamez had signed for Atletico from Malaga in August 2014 and made 37 appearances over two seasons without ever nailing down a regular starting spot.
Newcastle are expecting Gamez to travel to Ireland with his new team-mates for a pre-season training camp on Saturday.
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC)
I am really looking forward to starting the next part of my career at Newcastle, Gamez told his new club s official website.
It was the right time to leave Atletico Madrid and this is the right move for me.
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert has committed his future to the club by signing a new four-year deal.
Lambert has overseen a fine start to the new Premier League campaign with Villa winning three and drawing one of their four top-flight matches, including a superb 1-0 triumph at Liverpool on Saturday which left them second in the table.
The 45-year-old Scot, who moved to Villa Park in June 2012 after leaving his previous role as Norwich City boss, has now been rewarded with a new contract.
I m determined that we continue building the club to where we all want it to be, Lambert told the club s official website.
This is a massive football club, a fantastic football club.
We can look to the future with real optimism and a determination to make th…
Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Germany forward Andre Schurrle on a five-year deal from Bundesliga rivals Wolfsburg.
The financial terms were not disclosed for the deal, which is Dortmund s second major signing in as many days after Schurrle s fellow Germany international Mario Gotze sealed a return from Bayern Munich on Thursday.
Borussia Dortmund are one of the top clubs in Europe with a strong and extremely exciting squad, said the 25-year-old on the club s official website.
I know from personal experience how much power BVB can develop through interaction with fans and look forward to being able to experience that for the first time, not as an awestruck opponent but as part of the team.
In the coming years I want to celebrate succ…
Former Schalke striker Kevin Kuranyi is confident that Huub Stevens side can reach the Champions League semi-finals this term.
The Bundesliga club sealed qualification from the group stage on matchday five with a 1-0 win over Olympiakos.
And the 30-year-old Kuranyi believes a repeat of the club s run in 2010/11, when they reached the Champions League s final four, is not out of reach.
They have got through the group stage very well. And anything is possible in the knock-out stage, Kuranyi told Goal.com.
I think they can follow the same path as they did in 2011. I think that the team is set up really well. They have a great mixture of experience and young players.
They also have Huub Stevens, a very good trainer. So, Schalke are a strong team. …
that Lyon have agreed to sign Cameroon defender Henri Bedimo from Montpellier.
Les Gones were on the lookout for a new left-sided defender for a while now and they seem to have finally found their man.
According to L Equipe, Lyon have reached an agreement with Montpellier for the purchase of defender Henri Bedimo.
Speaking after the friendly draw between Lyon and Real Madrid, les Gones president Jean-Michel Aulas confirmed the club have successfully ended the search for a new left-back, but opted not to disclose the player s name.
However, everything suggests the player in question is their long-term target Henri Bedimo, who has spent last two years at Montpellier.
Prior to joining la Paillade, the 28-year-old enjoyed spells with Toulouse, Le Ha…
What the papers say
German team Borussia Dortmund have begun talks with Chelsea’s 21-year-old defender Ian Maatsen, the Standard reports, but Chelsea are not budging on their £30million asking fee. He has played 12 games for Chelsea in the Premier League this season.
French club Lyon are interested in 26-year-old Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, who is on loan at Everton, the Daily Mail says.
The i says Newcastle do not want to be too reactive in the January summer window which could put their bid for Kalvin Phillips in doubt, while Crystal Palace are also interested in the 28-year-old.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic could make his long-awaited Paris Saint-Germain return in their top-of-the-table clash with Marseille on Sunday.
The Sweden captain was back in training in the build-up to this weekend s Ligue 1 clash and while a start is unlikely, it would not be a surprise to see coach Laurent Blanc use the talisman off the bench.
A heel injury has kept Ibrahimovic sidelined in recent weeks he last featured for the French champions in a 1-1 draw with Lyon in September.
But his potential return comes at a good time for PSG, who sit second, four points adrift of leaders Marseille.
No side in Ligue 1 has drawn more games this season than PSG who have had to share the points on six occasions but they will hope for all three when Marcelo Bielsa s men visit…
West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has refuted suggestions Stewart Downing blew his chance in the England team.
The midfielder made his first international appearance since 2012 as Roy Hodgson s men triumphed 3-1 over Scotland in Glasgow on Tuesday, but came off at the break following an anonymous first half.
However, Allardyce says Downing was carrying an injury and has backed the 30-year-old to enjoy further involvement with the national side.
He had an injury in the first half which restricted his movement, said Allardyce on Thursday. I watched the game and I didn t see him do anything wrong.
I know people have criticised his performance but I thought he did OK.
He certainly hasn t blown his chances of further international call-ups.
Do…
Market: Leicester win
Odds:
Looking to make it back-to-back victories over Newcastle after their thumping 5-0 victory back in September, Leicester will make the trip to St. James Park on New Year s Day.
Starting with the hosts, although a very eye-catching run of form entering December may have shocked many across the Premier League, Newcastle have started to slow down the pace. Hit with a 2-1 defeat against Everton in the North East, their first defeat on home soil since opening the opening weekend of the 2019/2020 campaign, Steve Bruce s side have lost three of their last four contests and they have shown some worrying issues at the back. Shipping six goals in their back-to-back defeats and losing their top-half status, Newcastle have recorded just a single t…
Danny Welbeck and Michael Owen fired 10-man Manchester United into the League Cup quarter-finals as their goals clinched a 2-0 win over Barnsley on Tuesday.
Welbeck put United ahead on six minutes before Owen doubled the holders advantage on the hour mark with his third goal of the season.
But United s passage into the last eight was made more difficult than it should have been when captain Gary Neville received his marching orders on 63 minutes for raking his studs down the shin of Adam Hammill.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wielded the axe in spectacular fashion following United s 2-0 defeat at Liverpool on Sunday.
He made 11 changes to his starting line-up and recalled Owen along with Neville, Wes Brown and Anderson.
Owen partnered Federico…