La Liga

DAVID DE GEA is in talks with Spanish side Real Betis, according to reports.The goalkeeper remains without a club after his Manchester United return stalled.
David de Gea is in talks with Spanish side Real BetisCredit: Getty
De Gea has been a free agent for over four months, having departed Old Trafford when his contract expired in the summer.
He could now be set to find a new club, though, according to Spanish outlet ED.
The report claims that Betis have opened talks with De Gea and plan to offer him short-term deal with reduced terms.
However, the La Liga side would need to sell a player first as they are currently over the league’s salary cap.
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As a result, De Gea is not expected to join until January if he can agree a deal, the report adds.
Current stopper Rui Silva has been linked with an exit, having shared responsibilities with ex-Manchester City man Claudio Bravo this term.
Betis’ reported interest in De Gea dates back to September, with talks now finally underway.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side are currently sixth in La Liga and sit top of their Europa League group.
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De Gea remains a free agent after his Manchester United return stalledCredit: Getty
De Gea had previously been lined up for a surprise return to United last month.
SunSport exclusively revealed the Red Devils were lining up a bid to re-sign the 33-year-old.
The news came as United looked to cope with Andre Onana’s absence during the Africa Cup of Nations in the new year.
However, De Gea’s potential return has now stalled, opening the door for Betis to snap him up. More

RONALDO NAZARIO has sacked close friend and former Arsenal star Julio Baptista from Real Valladolid.The ex-Gunner had been the manager of the LaLiga outfit’s reserve team for five years.
Julio Baptista was sacked by Real ValladolidCredit: Instagram @juliobaptistaoficial
Ronaldo Nazario is the club ownerCredit: Getty
Baptista, 42, was relieved of his duties at Valladolid Promesas after he criticised the club’s management.
He claimed that he did not have the freedom to use the players that he wanted after a defeat to Ourense on Sunday.
The 1-0 loss was the second defeat on the bounce and he spoke out after the game.
He told PLACAR: “Until 10pm (the day before) I didn’t have the lineup for this game.
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“There is an order of which players have to play and I, as a worker at the club, do what they ask of me.
“The way in which things are being done [at the club] is not the most appropriate.”
The words quickly prompted the club to take action and they sacked him and his coaching staff Jose Luis Rueda and Alfredo Fernandez.
Ronaldo took charge of the club in 2018 after he acquired 51 per cent of the club in a £27million takeover.
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The club released a statement thanking them for their service as well as revealing that Alvaro Rubio would be taking charge on an interim basis.
It read: “Real Valladolid have informed Julio Baptista that they are dispensing with his services and have appointed Alvaro Rubio as the new coach of Real Valladolid Promesas.
“The former captain, who has been part of the first team’s coaching staff since 2017, takes over the reins of managing the reserve team from this Thursday.
“This Wednesday’s session will be held, on an interim basis, by Javier Torres.
“Julio Baptista, who was in his fifth season at the club and his third at the helm of Promesas, no longer belongs to the Blanquivioleta discipline, in the same way as his deputy, Jose Luis Rueda, and his assistant, Alfredo Fernandez.
“The club would like to thank Julio Baptista, Jose Luis Rueda and Alfredo Fernandez for their performance as Blanquivioletas, while wishing them the best of luck in their new personal and professional stages.”
Valladolid’s sporting director, Domingo Catoira, has also claimed the decision was made because Baptista “undermined the image of the club”.
He told AS: “It is obvious that these are unfortunate statements because it undermines the image of the club.
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“He probably did it in a moment of frustration with the result, but it’s a reality.
“I am surprised that you may not understand or agree with a model that has been in place for a long time and has not changed.” More

REAL MADRID’s secret weapon Vinicius Junior could be key to landing Kylian Mbappe and Alphonso Davies transfer deals next year.The Brazillian superstar has been known to be the middleman with players who have been or are wanted at the Bernabeu.
Vinicius Junior is Real Madrid’s secret transfer weaponCredit: Getty
Vinicius’ close relation to Kylian Mbappe may help secure a transfer deal next yearCredit: Getty
Vinicius is also close to Bayern’s Alphonso Davies who is eyeing a move to Real MadridCredit: Getty
Various stars that the La Liga giants want to recruit have their winger Vinicius as the club’s secret ambassador.
And the 23-year-old’s friendship with Mbappe could be crucial to unlocking the deal.
Los Blancos are desperate for Mbappe’s signature after having their chances of snatching the superstar snubbed last season.
Brazil star Vinicius has been known to share photos of him and the Frenchman at award shows like the Ballon d’Or.
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In 2019, he captioned a post of him and Mbappe “with my friend” – hinting that his close relationship with the Paris Saint-Germain star could push Real to secure a deal with him in the future.
Vinicius has also been rumoured of trying to lure Davies to the Bernabeu next summer.
The 23-year-old has admitted he is willing to leave Bayern Munich for Los Blancos and the Brazillian may be the one to help seal the move.
The pair often interact with each other’s social media and recently Davies instantly liked Vincius’ post captioned “new era” for Jude Bellingham’s second brace for Real.
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Last Thursday the Brazillian sent the Canadian a heartfelt message for his birthday which said “Happy birthday, bro.”
In the past, the winger has been successful in convincing stars to join Real Madrid.
Bellingham said the Brazillian reached out to him several times about making the move to the Spanish capital.
Vinicius even went to the lengths of hosting the Englishman’s parents at his Madrid home to explain how the club operates, followed by a tour of the city.
A similar scenario has also happened with Endrick who has signed for the All Whites but will not join until July 2024.
The 17-year-old has been spotted holidaying with his fellow Brazillian and attending social events together.
Endrick is said to now feel more emotionally attached to the Los Blancos thanks to agent Vinicius.
Jude Bellingham revealed Vinicius was key in his move to the BernabeuCredit: Reuters More

REAL MADRID drew 0-0 with Rayo Vallecano on Sunday after Jude Bellingham failed to find the target.The England star was the hero last week, scoring twice as Real came from behind to beat Barcelona in El Classico.
Jude Bellingham cut a frustrated figure as Real Madrid drew with Rayo VallecanoCredit: Rex
The midfielder picked up the man of the match awardCredit: Alamy
The England star has 11 Man of the Match awards this season
Bellingham, 20, has scored in ten of his 14 Real games, including in each of his Champions League appearances.
But when the midfielder does not find the back of the net Real struggle, having won just one of the four games Bellingham has not scored in.
Bellingham has scored 13 goals in 14 games for Los Blancos – 44.8 per cent of Real’s goals this season.
That is a greater percentage than Cristiano Ronaldo managed in his entire spell at the Bernabeu.
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In fact, it is bigger than any player in the club’s history – the highest percentage across a full season is former striker Pruden, who scored 42.8 per cent of Real Madrid’s goals in 1945/46.
Real appear to be missing Karim Benzema following his summer move to Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittiad.
The Frenchman bagged 31 goals last season with his replacement Joselu notching just five times this campaign.
Fellow attackers Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo have not hit their usual heights either, with three and two goals scored respectively.
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Despite drawing a blank Bellingham was awarded the Man of the Match award for the 11th time this campaign.
He is still LaLiga top scorer with ten goals, three ahead of Alvaro Morata, Gerard Moreno and Antoine Griezmann. More