Sports
Man City agree £33.6m deal for Lens defender Khusanov
Manchester City have agreed a 40m euros (£33.6m) deal with Lens for central defender Abdukodir Khusanov.
Sources with knowledge of the deal say there are additional bonus payments attached to the sale, with the player due to undergo a medical before the transfer is officially confirmed.
City manager Pep Guardiola has been determined to strengthen his squad after a difficult couple of months which has seen the defending Premier League champions slip to sixth in the table – and 12 points behind leaders Liverpool.
The club are also in negotiations with Brazilian side Palmeiras for teenage defender Vitor Reis, although the club’s president has been quoted as saying reports they are keen to cash in on the 18-year-old are “not correct”.
In addition, City are keen on Egypt forward Omar Marmoush following the 25-year-old’s impressive displays for Eintracht Frankfurt this season.
Khusanov will become the first Uzbekistan player to join a Premier League club once his move is completed. He will also be City’s first significant January signing since the arrival of Aymeric Laporte in 2018.
It underlines Guardiola’s determination to reverse City’s fortunes and address a chronic injury situation that has left him without a succession of defenders during the first half of the campaign.
Ruben Dias has not featured since the derby defeat by Manchester United on 15 December and has been ruled out of Saturday’s FA Cup third-round tie with League Two side Salford City.
England’s John Stones will also miss the game, while Nathan Ake has twice been ruled out for extended periods because of injury already this season.
Lens only paid 100,000 euros (£84,000) for Khusanov from Belarusian club Energetik-BGU 18 months ago.
However, he has developed rapidly and made 13 appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season and has 18 caps for Uzbekistan.
Khusanov scored his first goal for the club on his most recent appearance, a French Cup tie with Paris St-Germain on 22 December.
City have also been handed welcome news with the return to training of Oscar Bobb after the 21-year-old Norwegian’s five-month absence with a fractured leg.
Sports
Raducanu looks for new coach as Cavaday steps back
Emma Raducanu is looking for a new coach after Nick Cavaday stepped back from the role to “prioritise getting back to full health”.
Britain’s Raducanu went through a string of coaches before turning to Cavaday, who worked with her as a junior, shortly before last year’s Australian Open.
The 22-year-old missed the majority of the 2023 season after wrist and ankle surgeries, but returned to the world’s top 60 last season under Cavaday’s guidance.
“I’d like to thank Nick for a great partnership over the last year and a bit, especially post-surgeries,” Raducanu said.
“I wish him all the best in his next chapter and no doubt we’ll stay in touch.”
Raducanu is now searching for the seventh full-time coach of her professional career.
She was coached by Nigel Sears when she made her breakthrough at Wimbledon in 2021, before Andrew Richardson helped the teenage qualifier create history at the US Open later that year.
Raducanu also had brief stints with Torben Beltz, Dmitry Tursunov and Sebastian Sachs after splitting with Richardson.
Sports
Moyes proud of managing 700 Premier League games
Everton manager David Moyes says taking charge of his 700th Premier League game is an “incredible” achievement.
The Scotsman is into his second spell as Toffees boss and has also managed West Ham United twice, as well as having short spells at Manchester United and Sunderland.
He will become only the third manager to reach the landmark after Frenchman Arsene Wenger at Arsenal (828 games) and compatriot Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford (810).
Moyes said: “It’s incredible really. When you start out, I don’t think you ever believe you will become a Premier League manager but to get 700 games behind me is a fair achievement, I am very pleased.
“There’s two great managers ahead of me in Arsene and Alex. I don’t think I’ll be making their numbers, that’s for sure.”
Saturday’s top-flight meeting between Everton and Brighton will see the Premier League’s oldest manager in Moyes, aged 61, take on the division’s youngest in Fabian Hurzeler, who is 31.
The feat is testament to Moyes’ longevity given he was the youngest Premier League manager when he first took charge of Everton in 2002, at a time when the late Sir Bobby Robson was the oldest at 30 years his senior.
“I remember Sir Bobby giving me a few wise words,” said Moyes. “It is amazing how it has changed around and I have been really fortunate and lucky to have been given opportunities at clubs.”
Sports
Monster’ Inoue too strong for overmatched Kim
Japanese world champion Naoya Inoue defended his undisputed super-bantamweight crown with a destructive fourth-round stoppage win against the overmatched Ye Joon Kim.
The 31-year-old controlled the opening rounds before increasing the intensity and dropping Kim with a flush right hand at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
The Korean challenger, who took the fight at just 11 days’ notice, valiantly attempted to get up on the count of 10 but the 32-year-old was saved from further damage as the referee halted the contest.
Nicknamed ‘Monster’ for his outstanding knockout ratio, unbeaten Inoue defended his WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF and Ring Magazine titles with a 26th stoppage in 29 professional wins.
“I didn’t have enough time to study my opponent so I took some time to see what’s coming from him,” Inoue said.
Inoue is a four-weight world champion and arguably boxing’s number one pound-for-pound boxer.
He is also a two-weight undisputed champion having won all four recognised world titles at bantamweight.
Inoue said his next two fights will take place in Las Vegas and Saudi Arabia.
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