Everton have announced star defender Lucas Digne has signed a new four-year contract.

The new deal sees the 27-year-old commit to spending the prime of his career at Goodison Park following stints at LaLiga outfit Barcelona, Ligue 1 clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Lille, and a season-long loan at Roma in Serie A.

During his nearly three seasons on Merseyside, the set-piece specialist has quickly become a key component of the Toffees defensive unit, and their attack, playing 97 games in all competitions.

Digne has recorded six assists in 16 league games this season, one short of his total in 35 matches from 2019-20, while he claimed four goals and four assists in his debut 2018-19 Premier League campaign.

The France international has expressed his desire…

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 10/11 @

In a derby showdown at the Amex on Friday night, Brighton will welcome Crystal Palace to the south coast when this weekend s Premier League fixtures open up.

Starting with the hosts, eventually managing to extend on their FA Cup adventure thanks to an extra-time 2-1 win away at West Brom, Brighton should find the mood in their camp at a recent high. More than deserving of their victory at the Hawthorns last week, Graham Potter s men have gained a host of plaudits so far this season. Last seen on Premier League duties claiming an action-packed 3-2 win away at a downbeat Everton, the one-time Swansea boss still finds his side battling it out in the top-half of the table. Signing off 2021 with a 1-1 draw away at defending E…

Manchester United have broken with modern tradition and made a footballing decision that everyone seems to think is a good one.

The appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim manager until the end of the season was confirmed on Monday, a day after caretaker Michael Carrick managed a creditable 1-1 draw at Premier League leaders Chelsea.

While he hasn t been a coach for the best part of three years, Rangnick s legacy in the Bundesliga and his influence on some of Germany s finest minds makes him a shrewd appointment for United, not least because he will take up a two-year consultancy role after 2021-22.

This, then, is a decision taken by United with a view to long-term changes to their fortunes, not simply a quick fix to arrest poor results. Still, with more than ha…

Former Cardiff City midfielder Stephen McPhail has warned the club s current crop of players to keep their cool against Swansea City.

The Welsh sides meet on Sunday in the first top-flight derby between the pair and McPhail knows all about the intensity of the rivalry.

He was sent off for two bookable offences in consecutive meetings with Swansea at the Liberty Stadium in the 2008-09 season and wants Malky Mackay s men to learn from his mistakes.

I messed up a couple of times, McPhail, now with Sheffield Wednesday, told WalesOnline.

In my first derby away I made a late, rash tackle during the second half.

I had totally forgotten I had been booked earlier after a misjudged tackle which put me on the wire.

In the second match the ball fell to me after w…

Chelsea forward Armando Broja was carried off on a stretcher after appearing to suffer a serious knee injury during a friendly against Aston Villa in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Broja has assumed a more prominent role at Chelsea since returning from a season-long loan at Southampton, making 18 appearances this term and scoring his first Blues goal in October s Premier League win over Wolves.

The Albania international was selected to lead the line against Villa, with Graham Potter looking to get his Chelsea squad up to full speed ahead of the Premier League s resumption later this month.

However, Broja was carried from the field after going down clutching his left knee, following an early collision with Ezri Konsa, having fallen awkwardly when appearing to catch his stud…

Schalke have confirmed that attacking midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng is undergoing a medical after they reached an agreement with Milan.

Boateng joined Milan on a permanent basis in 2011 after immediately moving to San Siro on loan in 2010 following his transfer from Portsmouth to Genoa.

The German-born Ghana international scored a double in Wednesday s second leg as Milan secured their place in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League with a 4-1 aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven in the play-off round.

Schalke have made a difficult start to the new season, taking just one point from their opening three Bundesliga games, with striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar sidelined in the 4-0 defeat to Wolfsburg on August 17.

Manager Jens Keller will look for Boateng to help bo…

Yevhen Konoplyanka s late penalty earned Dnipro a 1-0 win over Tottenham in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie.

Konoplyanka, a target of Liverpool in the January transfer window, slotted home an 81st-minute spot-kick after Jan Vertonghen was adjudged to have brought down Matheus inside the box, condemning Tottenham to their first European defeat of the season.

It was sweet revenge for Dnipro coach Juande Ramos, who delivered Tottenham s last trophy by winning the League Cup in 2008, only to be sacked the following season with the club bottom of the Premier League table.

The result leaves Tottenham with work to do in the second leg next week and it could have been an altogether different story for Tim Sherwood s men, who saw Roberto Soldado spurn…

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has ruled out ever playing for another Premier League club ahead of England s Euro 2016 campaign.

Since signing for United from boyhood club Everton in 2004, Rooney has come close to leaving Manchester on a number of occasions, most notably in 2010 when he handed in a transfer request amid strong interest from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

The 30-year-old was eventually handed a new contract at United, before interest from Jose Mourinho ironically the club s new manager upon his return to Chelsea for a second stint in 2013 once again tempted the English forward.

But with Mourinho installed and the United captaincy his, Rooney has no plans of playing for anyone else in the Premier League.

I am happy to say now that,…

Hoffenheim captain Andreas Beck has extended his contract with the Bundesliga outfit until 2017.

The 27-year-old made the switch to the Rhein-Neckar Arena in July 2008 after failing to establish himself as a first-team regular at Stuttgart.

Beck has since gone on to make 180 Bundesliga appearances for Hoffenheim, and was an ever-present in the league this term until last weekend s 3-1 defeat to Werder Bremen.

He will now remain with the German club for at least the next three seasons, and Beck was thrilled to extend his stint.

Speaking to the club s official website, he said: Hoffenheim was my first option at all times.

I have experienced a lot and learned a lot the club has grown in my heart in this time.

This bond, the confidence placed in me and th…

Hull City entertain Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday looking for their first ever win over the Merseysiders.

The clubs have met 16 times in all competitions previously, with the KC Stadium outfit having just four draws to show from those encounters.

Hull did manage to hold Liverpool to a 0-0 stalemate in their most recent clash on the final day of the 2009-10 campaign, but that came after they had suffered a 6-1 reverse at Anfield their record Premier League defeat.

A Fernando Torres hat-trick inspired that triumph for Liverpool, and the form guide points towards another victory for Brendan Rodgers side this time around.

Liverpool sit second in the Premier League after losing just two of their 12 games, although they have failed to win any of th…