From the back pages, January 30: Mario Balotelli quits Manchester City for AC Milan move in deal worth £22m

Mario Balotelli’s captivating career at Manchester City is expected to end in the next 24 hours after AC Milan announced a £20 million deal for the striker. (The Telegraph)

Manchester City lost more ground in the title race as they stumbled to a 0-0 draw with bottom club QPR at Loftus Road on Tuesday. Roberto Mancini’s side lacked firepower, on a day when they sold Mario Balotelli to AC Milan, and the Italian boss made a bizarre decision to take Carlos Tevez off for Jack Rodwell in the second half. (Daily Mail)

David Beckham bends it like the good old days — in a training session with Arsenal. SunSport revealed this morning that the former England captain would link-up with the Gunners at their London Colney base. And he rolled back the years with some trademark passing as well as having a giggle with Jack Wilshere and Co. (The Sun)

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

No double David deal: Wenger rules out signing Beckham and Barca striker Villa. Arsenal boss says, “Barcelona don’t want to sell David Villa, they have made it very clear,” and insists Beckham is just training with the club. (The Mirror)

Sir Alex Ferguson has been charged by the Football Association for comments made about an assistant referee at Tottenham Hotspur on 20 January. The Manchester United manager was heavily critical of Simon Beck after the 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane, in which Spurs scored their equaliser in stoppage time. Speaking after the game, Ferguson expressed his anger that what he regarded as a “clear” penalty to United as Steven Caulker challenged Wayne Rooney on Beck’s side of the field had not been given. “It was a clear decision. And he [Beck] was 10, maybe 12 yards away from the incident and he doesn’t give it. And yet he gave everything else,” Ferguson said at the time.. (The Guardian)

The row between the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) took a farcical turn today when John Fahey, the Wada president, denied having agreed to work with the UCI on a truth and reconciliation process. (The Times)

Harry Redknapp has offered Queen’s Park Rangers striker Jamie Mackie to Stoke City as part of the deal to sign Peter Crouch - the England striker and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Scott Parker are key targets for the relegation-threatened club. (The Independent)