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LIVERPOOL SIGN COLOMBIA FORWARD LUIS DIAZ ON LONG-TERM DEAL FROM PORTO

Liverpool have completed the signing of Colombia forward Luis Diaz from Porto, the Premier League club have announced.

The 25-year-old has signed a long-term contract with the Anfield club, understood to run until 2027, after the Reds agreed an initial fee of £37.5 million (€45 million) with the Portuguese outfit.

The deal, which could also see Liverpool pay an additional £12.5 million (€15 million) in potential add-ons, is subject to the acquisition of a work permit.

A tweet from the club read: “The moment you’ve been waiting for… Luis Diaz is a RED.”

Liverpool representatives travelled to South America, where Diaz is currently on international duty, to complete the deal ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline.

Diaz, who is due to play for Colombia in a World Cup qualifier in Argentina on Tuesday, is not expected to arrive in Merseyside until later in the week at the earliest.

Liverpool have beaten off competition from other clubs, notably Tottenham, to secure the services of the player.

Diaz was understood to have been Klopp’s first target for next summer but the club decided to move earlier than planned due to the interest of others.

In a brief video clip released by Liverpool, Diaz said: “I’m really happy to sign for Liverpool.”

Diaz scored 41 goals in 125 games for Porto after moving to Europe from Colombia’s Junior FC in the summer of 2019.

He played against Liverpool twice earlier this season as Porto faced Jurgen Klopp’s side in the Champions League group stage.

He has also scored seven times in 31 appearances for his country.

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EX-CHELSEA MANAGER, AVRAM GRANT FACES FIFA INQUIRY OVER SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS

Avram Grant, the former manager of Chelsea and one of the most powerful men in Israeli sport, will be investigated by Fifa after being accused of sexually harassing multiple women in an investigative report.

Exposure, a programme on Israel’s Channel 12 TV, broadcast a series of interviews on Sunday with women alleging Grant made unwanted advances while offering to help promote their careers.

The women’s voices were altered and their faces silhouetted to protect their identities.

Grant’s enduring status in the game was recognised in December by world soccer’s governing body, which asked him to coach a Fifa World Legends team featuring retired stars and Fifa president Gianni Infantino for a match in Qatar against an Arab Legends side.

“Given the nature of the allegations being made, Fifa’s ethics committee will look into the matter,” Fifa said in a statement to the Associated Press.

“When it comes to misconduct and abuse in football, we wish to reiterate that Fifa takes any allegations reported to it very seriously.”

The broadcast alleged that Grant, 66, attempted to touch and kiss the women against their will, tried to coerce them into sex and hinted he could harm their careers if they did not co-operate.

The women included a recently released soldier, a fashion model and a female sports broadcaster who alleged he sent her numerous harassing text messages. She said his behaviour was well known in the industry.

The former soldier said she met Grant shortly after her release from the army in the summer of 2020. She said he invited her to his Tel Aviv apartment with an offer to help her find a job.

Shortly after entering, she said Grant told her to take off her clothes. She said she thought he was joking, but he approached her and tried to hug her. She said he did not stop.

“He put his hand on my thigh, I remember I immediately moved it,” she said. “After chatting for a few seconds, he grabbed me by the neck, like he was choking me, turned my head to him and tried to forcefully kiss me.”

Grant served as manager of Chelsea from 2007 to 2008, leading the club into the Champions League final before losing in a penalty shoot-out to Manchester United.

He has also coached Portsmouth and West Ham, and coached the national teams of Israel and Ghana.

Grant was not immediately reachable for comment but in a statement to Channel 12 he said he has always tried to treat anyone he meets with respect.

“I never meant to act unfairly or to hurt any woman in any way,” he said.

“Anyone who felt uncomfortable or was hurt by me, I’m sorry for that and apologise from the bottom of my heart.”

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FRENCH CUP: NICE KNOCKOUT PSG ON PENALTIES

Paris Saint-Germain were eliminated from the French Cup on Monday as Marcin Bulka, a goalkeeper they loaned to Nice, saved twice in a penalty shootout to put his new team into the last eight.

Nice, second to PSG in Ligue 1, won 6-5 on penalties after a scrappy 0-0 draw. That set up a grudge quarter-final against Marseille, third in the league.

“It’s madness,” Bulka said.

The last-eight draw, made before Monday’s kickoff, also paired the two surviving fourth-tier clubs, Bergerac and Versailles.

In both the other ties, a Ligue 1 team will host a Ligue 2 side as Monaco face Amiens and Nantes entertain Bastia.

At the Parc des Princes, both teams struggled to create clear chances, although Kylian Mbappe, who came on for the last 30 minutes, hit the bar in added time.

“We were better than Nice,” said PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino. “We deserved better, we deserved to win. But we did not create enough to win. We should have been more efficient.”

“The penalty shootout is a lottery,” he added.

In the shootout, Bulka, who PSG loaned to Nice for the season after Gianluigi Donnarumma arrived last summer, had the final word.

The Pole saved the third PSG penalty from Leandro Paredes, but Donnarumma responded by parrying from Andy Delort.

Bulka, making a rare start for Nice, then ended the contest by diving to his left to save from 18-year-old Xavi Simons.

“I have all the respect for PSG because I am on loan from this club that I love,” he said, adding that his familiarity with some players was not an advantage.

“I know the players but it’s more the feeling, I chose the correct sides and stopped them,” he said.

It was Bulka’s first appearance at the Parc des Princes, where he had never played for PSG.

“My family was here, I’m very happy because it was the first time they saw a game,” he said.

Nice will next host nearby Marseille in a rematch of a Ligue 1 game on August 22 that was abandoned after home fans invaded the pitch and then a brawl broke out between the sides.

Nice had a point deducted as punishment.

The quarter-finals are scheduled for midweek on 8-9 February.

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EPL JANUARY TRANSFER: DELE ALLI JOINS FRANK LAMPARD AT EVERTON, NEWCASTLE SPLASH SAUDI CASH ON DEADLINE DAY

The Premier League January Transfer window is now closed. But the window saw a lot of deadline day deals sealed in the final hours of the window.

Tottenham signed Swedish international forward Dejan Kulusevski and Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

Christian Eriksen made a remarkable return to football on Monday by signing for Brentford, while Everton brought in Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek on the day they announced Frank Lampard as the club’s new manager.

Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch while playing for Denmark at last year’s Euro 2020 and had to have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) fitted as a result.

The 29-year-old left Inter Milan in December by mutual consent as ICDs are not permitted in Italian football.

However, there are no such limitations in the Premier League, allowing Eriksen to return to England, where he spent nearly seven years with Tottenham.

“At his best, Christian has the ability to dictate games of football. He can find the right passes and is a goal threat,” said Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who worked with Eriksen while in charge of Denmark’s Under-17s earlier in their careers.

“I expect him to have an impact in the dressing room and at the training ground.”

Brentford have an eight-point cushion over the bottom three but have played more games than all the sides below them.

Everton, Newcastle and Burnley were all active on Monday as the sides towards the bottom of the table were responsible for most of the business done.

Lampard was unveiled as the Toffees’ new boss, bringing to an end a dramatic two-week search for Rafael Benitez’s successor.

The former Chelsea boss made two quick signings with Van de Beek joining on loan from Manchester United and Alli opting for a fresh start away from Tottenham after a disappointing few years.

“It is a huge honour for me to represent and manage a club the size and tradition of Everton Football Club,” said Lampard. “I’m very hungry to get started.”

Newcastle have been the biggest spenders anywhere in England over the past month in their first transfer window under the ownership of the Saudi sovereign wealth fund.

Brighton defender Dan Burn and Aston Villa left-back Matt Targett made the move to St. James’ Park on Monday to join Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes.

Burnley have replaced Wood with Dutch international forward Wout Weghorst, who has signed from VfL Wolfsburg for a reported £12 million ($16 million) fee.

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has made clear his demand for fresh faces in recent weeks and finally got his wish with the double signings of Swedish international forward Dejan Kulusevski and Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

Arsenal’s forward line is looking threadbare with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang set to join Barcelona on a free transfer.

Aubameyang had been shut out by manager Mikel Arteta in recent weeks for a breach of discipline and did not travel to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp.

Premier League leaders Manchester City have signed forward Julian Alvarez for a reported £14 million, but the Argentine will remain with River Plate on loan until at least July.

The 22-year-old has scored 36 goals in 96 games for River and has five Argentina caps to his name.

“We firmly believe he’s one of the best young attacking players in South America,” said City director of football Txiki Begiristain.

“I am so happy we have managed to bring him to Manchester City. I really believe we can provide him with the right conditions to fulfill his potential and become a top player.”

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AUSTRALIAN OPEN: NADAL BEATS MEDVEDEV TO WIN RECORD-BREAKING 21ST GRAND SLAM TITLE

Rafael Nadal has won a record-breaking 21st grand slam title, beating Daniil Medvedev 2-6 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-4 7-5 in the Australian Open tennis men’s singles final.

Most of the build-up focused on the historic significance of the Spaniard bidding for his 21st grand slam title, but he found himself under pressure from the start on Rod Laver Arena.

Medvedev stamped his authority on the final by dominating the first set. Nadal saved two break points in a long third game but was then broken to love in the fifth as Medvedev, who was booed onto court by a section of the crowd, proved the steadier from the baseline.

Successive double faults then contributed to a second straight break and Medvedev served out the set 6-2.

There were dramatic scenes with Nadal facing break point serving for the second set at 5-3 when a man waving a banner jumped out of the crowd and down onto the court.

He was only metres from Medvedev but was immediately tackled by several security men and hauled away before the match resumed.

Nadal began to play more offensively in the second set and twice managed to break the Medvedev serve.

But holding his own proved a constant challenge and Medvedev twice responded, saving a set point at 5-3 before hitting back to level.

Into a tie-break they went, and again Nadal led 5-3, but this time Medvedev produced a sequence of fine points to take it 7-5, ending it with a backhand pass and taunting the crowd, who responded with boos.

Nadal had not recovered from two sets down to win a match since beating Mikhail Youzhny at Wimbledon in 2007, while he faded physically after the first two sets against Denis Shapovalov and Matteo Berrettini here.

But his competitive desire has never been in doubt and recovering from 0-40 at 2-3 in third set to hold galvanised the Spaniard.

With Medvedev beginning to look weary and muddled in his shot selection, Nadal pounced at 4-4 before serving out the set 6-4.

Medvedev was allowing himself to become increasingly wound up by the crowd, appealing repeatedly to umpire John Blom to control the “idiots”.

His mood was not improved when he double-faulted to drop serve in the third game of the fourth set and, although he got back on terms immediately, Nadal took his seventh break point in the next game.

Nadal created a set point on his opponent’s serve at 5-3, which Medvedev saved, but the 20-time grand slam champion took it 6-4 on his own serve to level the contest.

Both men headed off court for a bathroom break but Medvedev could not break Nadal’s momentum, a trademark forehand passing shot from the Spaniard giving him a 3-2 lead in the deciding set.

The Russian had three chances to break back in the next game but could not take any of them and Nadal was two points away at 30-0 serving at 5-4.

But a double fault proved costly – and betrayed the tension of the moment – and a netted backhand from Nadal saw Medvedev break back for 5-5.

The Russian, though, could not hold his own serve, giving Nadal a second chance to serve for it.

This time he did not falter, bringing up three match points and clinching it 2-6 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-4 7-5 after five hours and 24 minutes at 1.11am local time.

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BRENTFORD SIGN CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN ON SIX-MONTH CONTRACT

Brentford have signed Christian Eriksen to a six-month contract.

They offered the 29-year-old a six-month deal with the option to extend the contract for a further year. Eriksen is a free agent after coming to an agreement with former club Inter Milan to terminate his contract last month.

Eriksen is currently in the Netherlands, training with young players at Ajax. He recently received his COVID-19 vaccination and will only travel to London in the next few days. He will also not train with Brentford this week in order to comply with UK government rules.

He suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s European Championship game against Finland on June 12.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank said: “I am looking forward to working with Christian again. It has been a while since I last coached him, and a lot has happened since then. Christian was 16 at the time and has become one of the best midfield players to appear in the Premier League. He has also won trophies all over Europe and become the star of the Danish national team.

“We have taken an unbelievable opportunity to bring a world class player to Brentford. He hasn’t trained with a team for seven months but has done a lot of work on his own. He is fit but we will need to get him match fit and I am looking forward to seeing him work with the players and staff to get back towards his highest level.”

Earlier this month, Eriksen stated his ambition to resume his professional career, saying he was targeting a place in Denmark’s squad for the Qatar World Cup later this year.

His agent, Martin Schoots, later said that returning to English football would “feel like coming home”.

Eriksen previously played for Tottenham Hotspur between 2013 and 2020, making over 300 appearances for the north London side.

After being unable to play for Inter due to Serie A’s medical rules about implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD), Eriksen was training with Danish club Odense Boldklub — who he played for between 2005 and 2008.

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ANTHONY MARTIAL LEAVES MANCHESTER UNITED FOR SEVILLA ON LOAN

Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has joined La Liga side Sevilla on loan until the end of the season, both clubs announced on Tuesday.

Martial, 26, will join Sevilla’s title charge in Spain, with the club in second place and trailing Real Madrid by four points.

The France international told United’s interim manager Ralf Rangnick that he wanted to leave this month after finding opportunities limited at Old Trafford. Rangnick then accused Martial of refusing to travel to a game against Aston Villa earlier this month, a claim Martial refuted.

He made his first appearance under Rangnick as a substitute against West Ham last weekend and contributed to Marcus Rashford’s winning goal, after being jeered by some United fans when he came on.

“He’s a great player, one of the best strikers in the Premier League, but we have other players in his position. It’s his wish that he wants to leave,” Rangnick said on Saturday.

Martial was one of the brightest prospects in Europe when United signed him for a then world record fee for a teenager in 2015.

After a promising first season under Louis van Gaal, the Frenchman struggled to impress Jose Mourinho during his two-year spell at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s appointment rekindled Martial’s career in Manchester and he enjoyed his best goalscoring season in 2019/20, netting 23 times. But a long-term knee injury saw him miss the second half of last season and he fell down the pecking order after the signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Jadon Sancho.

He has scored only one goal in 11 appearances this term but could be an astute signing for Sevilla if he can recover his goalscoring form under Julen Lopetegui in Spain.

Sevilla have been hit by a number of injuries to key players, including their top scorer last season, Youssef En-Nesyri. They will also be among the favourites to win the Europa League, particularly as the final will be played at their own Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in May.

Martial will hope the switch can also revive his hopes of playing for France at the World Cup in Qatar later this year. A knee injury scuppered his chances of being included in the French squad at the European Championship last summer while his lack of form meant he was also left out of the last squad in November.

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ACHRAF HAKIMI FIRES MORROCO INTO AFCON QUARTER FINALS AFTER MALAWI SCARE

Achraf Hakimi scored a brilliant free kick to send Morocco through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after a 2-1 win over Malawi on Tuesday.

Gabadinho Mhango gave outsiders Malawi, playing their first knock-out game at the tournament, a shock early lead with a stunning goal from 40 metres at Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium.

But Youssef En-Nesyri headed Morocco level in first-half stoppage time before Hakimi drilled in the winner on 70 minutes to set up a meeting with Egypt or Ivory Coast in the last eight.

When you win you get respect,” said Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

“Malawi scored a fantastic goal. I think we played really well in the first half, unfortunately we lacked efficiency. We had around 10 chances you can’t miss.

“But I was always confident. The team was upset but I knew at some point we would score a second goal. We controlled the match and we more than deserve to qualify.”

Morocco’s quarter-final tie was due to take place at Olembe Stadium in Yaounde but will be moved after a fatal crush outside the ground on Monday, which killed eight people and injured 38.

As with the earlier match between Senegal and Cape Verde in Bafoussam, a minute’s silence was observed before kick-off and players of both teams wore black armbands.

Morocco, bidding for a second Cup of Nations title and first since 1976, fell behind on seven minutes when Mhango caught Yassine Bounou off his line with a superb long-range strike.

The Atlas Lions responded by creating a series of chances as Imran Louza stung the palms of Charles Thomu, who then did well to keep out Hakimi’s powerful free-kick and the follow-up from Louza.

Mhango dragged wide for Malawi after a terrific long ball from Micium Mhone, but the Flames found themselves under sustained pressure as Morocco captain Romain Saiss volleyed against the bar.

En-Nesyri prodded weakly at Thomu from close range before the Malawi goalkeeper tipped Hakimi’s low drive on to the post and then denied Sofiane Boufal with his legs.

Morocco were finally rewarded for their persistence on the stroke of half-time as En-Nesyri rose to power Selim Amallah’s deep cross past Thomu.

Hakimi appealed for a penalty in the second half when his cross struck the arm of Malawi defender Dennis Chembezi, but the Paris Saint-Germain star took matters into his own hands to secure victory.

His late equaliser against Gabon had secured top spot in the group stage, and Hakimi delivered again with another magnificent free-kick 20 minutes from time to end Malawi’s impressive run.

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HULL CITY SACK MANAGER GRANT MCCANN FOLLOWING CLUB TAKEOVER

Hull City have confirmed the departure of head coach Grant McCann after two and a half years in the role.

McCann’s future had been in doubt after Turkish businessman and TV personality Acun Ilicali completed his £20million takeover of the Sky Bet Championship club last Wednesday.

Chairman and owner Ilicali said in a statement: “Grant has done an excellent job for this football club in difficult circumstances, most specifically during the takeover process, and for that I offer my sincere thanks.

“These matters are never easy and are more often than not protracted. During the process, Grant has always remained professional and fully focused on the team, and will forever be a friend of the Tigers. I’m sure Grant will be successful in whatever his next challenge is.”

Ilicali said a new head coach would “be announced very shortly”, while former Rangers striker Shota Arveladze has been reportedly lined up for the job.

Hull also confirmed McCann’s assistant head coach Cliff Byrne had left the club with immediate effect.

Ilicali added: “I understand the timing may look odd, after two good wins, but I wouldn’t be fair or honest if I merely waited for a defeat to change manager.

“That benefits nobody. I will continue to be transparent with you, our fans. Our new head coach will be announced very shortly.”

McCann, 41, ended his time in charge on a high as the Tigers beat promotion-hopefuls Blackburn and Bournemouth in his last two matches.

The former Northern Ireland international was appointed as Nigel Adkins’ replacement in June 2019 and guided Hull to promotion as League One champions last season.

The Tigers ended a five-game winless run with their win over Blackburn earlier this month and currently sit 19th in the table, 10 points clear of the bottom three.

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ROY HODGSON TO TAKE OVER AS MANAGER OF WATFORD TILL END OF SEASON

Watford Football Club are set to appoint former Liverpool, Crystal Palace, and England manager Roy Hodgson as the manager of the club until the end of the season. The 74-year-old will be Watford’s 3rd manager of the 2021/2022 season and will replace the recently sacked Claudio Ranieri.

Ranieri had taken charge of The Hornets in October 2021, after owner Gino Pozzo sacked Xisco Munoz due to a poor run of results. A similar run of results led to the removal of Ranieri as well; he was in charge of the Vicarage Road side for just three-and-a-half months.

A Premier League-winning manager, Ranieri was in Watford dugout for just 12 games. During his time in charge, Watford won just two games, drew one, and lost nine. One of those wins came against a poor-performing Everton side, while the other was against a struggling Manchester United team.

Watford had beaten Manchester United 4-1 on the day. That result led to the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the manager of Manchester United. Nine games later, Ranieri is now gone after his team lost 3-0 to relegation foes, Norwich City.

Hodgson will be Watford’s 15th managerial appointment since the Pozzo family took charge of the club in June 2012. Fourteen managers in less than 10 years is a stat Watford fans will not be proud of. This is a stat that speaks volumes of the instability, and poor decision-making that exists behind the scenes at Watford Football Club.

Hodgson had announced his retirement from football management after 45 years of working in the industry and after his four-year spell at Crystal Palace concluded.

He will sign a six-month contract at Vicarage Road, and his only task will be to ensure Watford stays in the Premier League at the end of the campaign. They will be Hodgson’s sixth Premier League club having worked at Blackburn, Fulham, Liverpool, West Brom, and Palace in the past.

Hodgson will be well aware of the task at hand; the expectations from the fans and the board, and is also familiar with his bosses, having briefly worked with the Pozzo family in the past during his time with Udinese in Serie A, back in 2001.