Manchester United open talks for Fernandes

Beyond Good and Evil is one of those games that have an outsized fanbase and reputation for how well they did back when they released. When it launched over two decades ago in 2003, the action-adventure title was received well by critics and audiences alike, but its sales didn’t reflect that acclaim. The game was regarded a commercial failure, and though it achieved cult classic status through sheer word of mouth in the years following its launch, it wasn’t until 2017 that Ubisoft officially announced a sequel. And of course, we all know how that went, too, because Beyond Good and Evil 2 still remains MIA.

Now, however, celebrating the original game’s two-decade anniversary (which actually happened last November),…

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series enjoyed its fair share of critical and commercial success back in the day, about a decade and a half ago (or thereabouts), but it’s fair to say that many who’ll be playing the upcoming S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl aren’t going to go in with too much familiarity with its predecessors, if only thanks to how long it has been since the series’ last instalment. There’s a good chance, then, that many are going to be surprised by what kind of experience it’s going to be.

Because as those who’ve played past games – or those who’ve been paying attention to what developer GSC Game World has shown of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 prior to launch – will tell …

Pep Guardiola believes he would struggle to find a better club than Manchester City, but he still will not discuss his long-term future at the Etihad Stadium.

The Spaniard s contract with the Premier League champions expires at the end of this campaign, by which point he will have had seven years at the helm.

In that period, he has four league titles, four EFL Cups and one FA Cup, although the Champions League crown he was brought in to help secure continues to elude him.

Guardiola s stay at City now matches the time he spent at former clubs Barcelona and Bayern Munich combined, and he acknowledges his working conditions could hardly be better.

[Would I] stay in another place for seven years? No, I don t think so, he told The Athletic. It is difficult to…

Highly rated midfielder Lars Bender has signed a new contract until June 2017 with Bayer Leverkusen, the Bundesliga outfit announced on their officials website.

The 22-year-old had more than two years left on his five-year deal with die Werkself, but he was rewarded with a new and improved contract.

Bayer Leverkusen managing director Wolfgang Holzhauser expects coach Robin Dutt to build his team around the promising midfielder.

Lars Bender is an exemplary professional and he has great potential. He’s already a top performer and leading player at Bayer 04 at a young age,” Holzhauser said to club’s official website.

The player himself was delighted at signing a new deal with the Bay Arena outfit.

“I’m happy and satisfied. Bayer 04 Leverk…

Diego Costa, Willian and Eden Hazard were on target as Chelsea laid down a marker in the Premier League title race by producing a superb second-half comeback to win 3-1 at Manchester City, who ended the match with nine men.

Leaders Chelsea travelled to the Etihad Stadium having won seven consecutive matches, during which time they had conceded just one goal.

Antonio Conte s men were staring down the barrel of a first defeat since September, though, when Gary Cahill diverted Jesus Navas cross into his own goal on the stroke of half-time.

But a thrilling encounter turned when Kevin De Bruyne smashed the crossbar with the goal unguarded, with Costa levelling soon after.

Cesc Fabregas, starting a league match for just the second time this season in the abs…

Market: Paysandu draw no net

Odds: 21/20 @

Hoping to extend their buffer in the play-off spot this weekend, Paysandu will make the trip to a struggling AE Altos for Serie C showdown on Sunday night.

Starting with the hosts, while AE Altos might have just about clung to their Serie C status last season, it is no secret that the Alligators are free-falling their way out of Brazil’s third-tier this time around. In the midst of an extended crisis, Jerson Testoni’s men sit rock-bottom of the table and three points adrift of clawing their way out of the drop zone. Signing off July with another worrying performance as they slumped to a routine 2-0 loss away at Volta Redonda, the Greens are without a win from any of their last 10 straight appearances a run that stem…

Swindon Town interim chairman Jeremy Wray has denied his club are close to signing Socceroos forward Harry Kewell.

Kewell has moved back to the United Kingdom so to be with his wife and her sick mother and needs a new club after a season in the A-League with Melbourne Victory.

British media reported on Sunday that Swindon manager Paolo di Canio was keen to recruit Kewell but Wray has ruled out any bid for the 33-year-old Australian.

There is nothing at all in it, no association at all, Wray said on Monday.

I have seen the rumours but there is nothing in them, the first I saw about it was in the media.

While Australian media picked up the story on Monday, the chances of Kewell joining Swindon always looked slim.

Di Canio s recruitment f…

Brazil and Real Madrid playmaker Kaka is being linked with a move away from the Bernabeu, but according to Sky reports Los Blancos won’t sell him for less than £40million.

That asking price is ridiculous for a player who is 30 years of age.

Wasted

Since his move to Real in 2009 Kaka has struggled to reproduce the form which made him a world star at AC Milan in Serie A.

Injuries and lack of form have meant that he has struggled to cement his place in Los Blancos’ starting 11.

Last season he was a bit-part player as his club made La Liga history, although he did make 26 appearances. A lot of those appearances were from the substitutes bench, as he competed with German midfielder Mesut Ozil for the role of midfield playmaker.

Linked

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Former Arsenal defender Armand Traore could finally be offered an escape route from Queens Park Rangers, .

The 26-year-old hasn t made a single appearance for QPR since April and it is clear that he will be leaving at the earliest opportunity.

With his current deal due to expire at the end of the season, the Loftus Road outfit will attempt to earn some money in the process, although a nominal fee is the best they can hope for at the moment.

Namely, L Equipe has learned that Armand Traore is in advanced talks with Ligue 1 giants Lille and is almost certain to join les Dogues in January.

The full-back and his representatives have held negotiations with both sporting director Jean-Michel Vandamme and coach Herve Renard, and it would appear as though an agre…

Avram Grant could be taking charge of Ghana for the last time when they play Burkina Faso in the Africa Cup of Nations third-place play-off in Port-Gentil on Saturday.

The former Chelsea boss has strongly hinted this tournament would be his last in charge of the Black Stars with his contract nearing expiry and he may not even get the chance to decide for himself due to criticism he is receiving in Ghana.

The likely end of Grant s tenure comes after he failed to end their 35-year wait for AFCON glory following the 2-0 semi-final defeat to Cameroon, two years on from their heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Ivory Coast in the final.

I am more than unhappy, said Grant. We wanted so much to be in the final. 

We did everything to be there and in the …