Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has emphasised the need to make adjustments to his side s defence as he looks to eradicate some bad habits.

The Blues conceded 63 goals last season, which was more than any other side that finished in the top six.

They have leaked goals during this pre-season too, with four conceded in losses to both Celtic and Manchester City, before they went down 2-1 to Real Madrid in their final friendly of their U.S. tour on Tuesday.

And Maresca is aware of the changes that have to be made to avert the issue, mainly concerning the line of defence.

He said: One of my first meetings with the squad was about the amount of goals we conceded last year with the defensive line very high.

We are not working on defensive lines so high.…

Giorgio Chiellini bowed out of international football and warned a difficult period awaited Italy as Roberto Mancini bids to get the Azzurri back on track.

The joy of winning last year s delayed Euro 2020 tournament has been replaced by rapid deflation after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Having also missed out on the Russia 2018 finals, falling short of a place at Qatar 2022 represented crushing disappointment for the four-time winners.

Chiellini, the 37-year-old defensive titan who is leaving Juventus and expected to join Los Angeles FC, has called time on his Italy career.

He played the first half on Wednesday in a 3-0 defeat to Argentina at Wembley, in a match tagged as the Finalissima, a clash of the champions of Europe and South America.…

West Ham have confirmed the permanent signing of Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain after the goalkeeper impressed during a loan spell at the London Stadium last season.

Areola kept eight clean sheets in 18 games for West Ham during the 2021-22 campaign, including 11 appearances during the Irons run to the Europa League semi-finals.

David Moyes side will play in Europe again next term, having qualified for the Europa Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League, and have moved to consolidate their goalkeeping options with the permanent acquisition of the 29-year-old.

Having signed a five-year contract with an option for a further season, Areola told the club s website: I feel good, I feel great, I m happy to sign and happy to stay here per…

Ernesto Valverde would not be drawn on reports Barcelona are planning to move for Paris Saint-Germain s wantaway midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

The France international, who declined a place on the Les Bleus standby list for the World Cup, has pulled out of contract talks with the Ligue 1 champions and looks set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

PSG sporting director Antero Henrique said the 23-year-old was indefinitely benched after the breakdown in negotiations and suggested Barca had made a disrespectful proposal for Rabiot.

The midfielder s agent and mother Veronique denied being in contact with any other club and stated he was buying his freedom by refusing to renew.

Barca have already made one signing, with Jeison Murillo join…

Wolves have completed the signing of Olympiacos winger Daniel Podence for a reported fee of £17million.

The 24-year-old, who can operate on either flank, has put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Premier League club.

Podence will be reunited with former Portugal Under-21 team-mates Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota at Molineux.

With five goals and as many assists in 27 Champions League appearances, Podence is determined to feature for Wolves in Europe s premier club competition.

P O D E N C E I S H E R E

— Wolves (@Wolves)

I m very excited. It was always a childhood dream of mine to play in the Premier League and I look at this achievement as a dream come true, he told the club s official website.

Wolves are a te…

As his contract with Tottenham Hotspur draws to its end, Jan Vertonghen is keeping all options open.

Having spent a year on loan at RKC Waalwijk, the defender set to turn 33 in a few days played for Ajax before his move to North London in 2012. Since then, he has made 311 appearances in all competitions in a Spurs shirt so far, scoring 14 goals. His contract is due to expire this summer, and though there has been talk of a new one, it hasn t been agreed yet.

Speaking to Play Sports Kot this week in an interview picked up by , Vertonghen refused to rule out signing a new deal and staying put, but he could also join another European club. The 118-time capped Belgium international finds playing for his national team important.

He would like to learn a new language …

Gareth Bale was given a glimpse of the forward line he has joined as Son Heung-min s fantastic four-goal haul and a Harry Kane effort earned Tottenham a 5-2 Premier League victory over Southampton.

Real Madrid forward Bale returned to the North London club on Saturday having agreed a season-long loan deal, though he might have been having second thoughts when Danny Ings scored at St Mary s to give another of the Welshman s former clubs a 32rd-minute lead.

However, Son levelled before half-time following a cross from Kane, who then provided another two assists for the South Korean to complete a hat-trick just after the hour mark.

The duo then combined for a fourth time as Son scored again in the 73rd minute before Kane added a fifth prior to a late penalty…

According to a recent report from Corriere dello Sport, Roma are interested in bringing AC Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu to the club and will consider offering either Diego Perotti, Amadou Diawara or Cengiz Under to them as part of the deal. Roma have made no secret of the fact that they’re in the business of radical change within their club at this moment in time, as they continue to try and establish themselves, once again, as a force to be reckoned with in Italian football. 

The ever changing climate of Serie A ensures that they will likely be there or thereabouts once we get around to the end of the season, but it’s certainly no guarantee. There’s a lot of work to be done within the core of the club, and it certainly appears as if that work is going to in…

Jose Mourinho was sent off in a fit of fury as his Roma side lost 1-0 at home to Atalanta in Serie A.

The head coach was seething after his side were denied a penalty in the 55th minute when Nicolo Zaniolo went over under a challenge from Caleb Okoli.

Replays suggested both players were grappling at each other s shirt long before Zaniolo went to ground, and referee Daniele Chiffi waved away the appeals.

Mourinho joined his players in protesting against the decision, running onto the pitch and shouting and pointing at Chiffi, before the referee brandished the red card his way.

Giorgio Scalvini scored the game s only goal in the 35th minute, a smart side-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area that arrowed through a crowd of players and found the bo…

Market: Brighton win

Odds: 4/11 @

Looking to extend on their EFL Cup adventure on Wednesday night, Brighton will make the trip to a struggling Charlton.

Starting with the hosts, suffering another collapse on home soil over the weekend as they were eventually hit with a 2-1 loss at home against Bristol Rovers, Charlton find themselves at the heart of what has become a real nightmare. While the one-time Premier League outfit might have been dreaming of mounting a genuine play-off charge this season, many in their camp are now firmly looking over their shoulder at the drop zone. Coming under real scrutiny on December 7th as they came crashing out of the FA Cup following a 3-1 drumming away at League Two outfit Stockport, the Addicks are without a win from any of th…