How Messi Won The Ballon d'Or

2012 was Lionel Messi's remarkable year,as his goalscoring feat of 91 goals in a calendar year broke the previous milestone of 85 set by Gerd Muller back in 1972. The Argentine's performances are beginning to place him in the indescribable category, with media outlets running out of superlatives to convey his exploits in words. 

Sturridge Becomes A Kop

Liverpool have concluded the expected transfer of England international Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea . Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers had made the 23 year old his priority singing for January. "I am humbled and happy to be here," said Sturridge. "Brendan Rodgers said he sees me here for along time - and I also see myself here for a long time. I've not signed here to play for a couple of years and then move on. "I've signed to be here for as long as possible. It's a humongous club - for me, one of the biggest in the world - and to have the fans and world-class players we have here is amazing." Sturridge will wear the number 15 shirt at Liverpool , the club have confirmed

Ricardo Quaresma Offered To Liverpool

Free agent Ricardo Quaresma has been offered to Liverpool . The former Chelsea and Barcelona winger is available after a release from his Besiktas contract last month. Quaresma's agent, Jorge Mendes, has been incontact with Liverpool to make them aware of the Portuguese's availability. Liverpool are also closing in on the signing of Dan sturridge.

Unwanted Chelsea new signing to be offered as bait to land hit man

Chelsea will be offering Marko Marin as bait to Bayer Leverkusen in their bid to land Leverkusen’s star striker Andre Schurrle in the summer. Marko Marin has been relegated to the sidelines ever since his move to the West London club from Bundesliga giants Werder Bremen this summer. The German though looks all set for a return to the Bundesliga, atleast initially on loan, so that he can get some much needed playing time. Chelsea have already had more than one bid for Andre Schurrle turned down with Bayer refusing to let their superstar go. The Blues though are now encouraging the Bundesliga team’s interest in Marin in the hope that Leverkusen return the favour in the future. Schurrle has a ‘fixed price’ clause in his contract, which will come into play at the end of the season. The German ace can be sold for a price of 25 million pounds according to the clause. Chelsea continue to be short of quality in the striking department, and are looking to sign the German international to bolster their squad. Bayer Leverkusen meanwhile are in the huntfor a Champions League spot this season and are hence reluctant to let the youngster leave in the winter transfer window.

Wigan sign Manchester United striker Angelo Henriquez on loan

Wigan this morning completed the loan signing of Angelo Henriquez from Manchester United. The move, which was expected, will see 18-year-old Chilean Henriquez join Wigan for the rest of the current season. Henriquez was brought in by United last summer from Universidad de Chile and has already made his full international debut, with Latics manager Roberto Martinez hoping he can make a big contribution over the coming months. Wigan are in a familiar position of battling to avoid relegation from the Barclays Premier League and lost 4-0 to United yesterday. Martinez told Wigan's official website:"We're really excited about Angelo because he is a very young man with a huge potential; he's a goalscorer with clever movement inside the box and has had a very successful time with his former club Universidad. "We hope to have a good partnership in terms of allowing Angelo to develop as a footballer and learn of the demands of the English game, because I feel he can bring us something different in the forward line. "I'm sure the fans will give him a great welcome on Saturday and it will provide him with the perfect opportunity to begin his experiences on the pitch in English football which is very exciting." Henriquez could make his Wigan debut in Saturday's FA Cup third-round home clash with League One side Bournemouth. "This is a fantastic opportunity for me and Iam really excited after the manager has given this chance for me to prove myself," the teenage striker said. "Now I need to work to try and earn my place in the team." He becomes the second mid-season recruitby Wigan, who confirmed the signing of Honduran midfielder Roger Espinoza from Sporting Kansas City last month and are waiting for the Honduras international to obtain a visa.

Frank Lampard fancies Italy move but is faced with halving his wages

Gazzetta dello Sport have repeated in print their website claim about Frank Lampard's agents contacting both Lazio and Inter Milanto tell the clubs that the midfielder is keen to discuss a move to them. His contract runs out at the end of the current season and he is entitled to speak to teams in other countries, negotiate and even sign a deal to start when his current one with Chelsea ends. If Gazzetta are correct then he's wasted no time and his team of representatives are already on the case. Chelsea haven't offered Lampard a renewal but it may have more to do with his perceived power at the club and with the English media than it has to do with how he can still perform on the pitch. Previous manager Andre Villas Boas received widespread criticism when he dropped Lampard and it was certainly something which hastened his demise, stories appeared about how Lampard was unhappyand bemused with the situation. Rumours ofan unlikely move to Manchester United appeared then and have again now and perhaps Ambramovich just wants a managerto be able to make changes without them being treated with fury by those firmly in camp Lampard and family. Gazzetta paint Inter Milan as the most likely Italian club but say that even though the clubwould be interested in a deal, Lampard needs to be realistic about the money he willreceive. As opposed to the € 7m he's currently receiving, GdS claim that any offer Inter Milan made would be likely to be less than half of that including bonuses. They don't see themselves as a lucrative retirement home and won't spend big buckson a player who isn't going to be driving them forward for several years. They already have a high earner problem with Sneijder and don't want another with Lampard, plus an extra media circus. So whilst a couple of years in Serie A may prove attractive for Frank Lampard, club's are simply not prepared to finance a big dealfor the 35 year old. This could mean that the midfielder needs to re-assess his priorities, ifhe's moving for football then his wages will need to tumble hugely and if it's for a last big contract then his options are probably shortened to the English clubs and those from lesser, but lucrative, leagues.

All Time Champions League Scorer As At The End Of 2012

Name Goals Matches Strike Rate . Raul 71 * 140 1.97 Ruud van Nistelrooy 56 * 73 1.3 Lionel Messi 56 74 1.32 Thierry Henry 50 * 110 2.2 Andriy Shevchenko 48 * 100 2.08 Filippo Inzaghi 45 * 80 1.78 Cristiano Ronaldo 44 * 86 1.95 Alessandro Del Piero 41 88 2.15 Didier Drogba 39 * 75 1.92 Fernando Morientes 33 * 91 2.76 David Trezeguet 30 * 58 1.93 Zlatan Ibrahimovic 30 * 92 3.07 Patrick Kluivert 29 * 71 2.45 Roy Makaay 29 * 61 2.1 Karim Benzema 29 * 48 1.66 Ryan Giggs 27 134 4.96 . Rivaldo 27 * 73 2.7 Samuel Eto'o 27 * 69 2.56 . Kaka 27 * 73 2.7 Wayne Rooney 27 70 2.59 Mario Jardel 25 * 46 1.84 Hernan Crespo 25 * 64 2.56 Mario Gomez 25 * 39 1.56 Paul Scholes 24 124 5.17 Luis Figo 24 * 103 4.29 Giovane Elber 24 * 68 2.83 Jari Litmanen 23 * 56 2.43 Frank Lampard 22 91 4.14 Robin van Persie 21 * 51 2.43 Serhiy Rebrov 20 41 2.05 Marco Simone 20 * 34 1.7 Claudio Pizarro 20 * 64 3.2 All Time / Breakdown By Clubs Player Clubs (Goals) . Raul FC Schalke 04 (5) Real Madrid (66) Ruud van Nistelrooy Manchester United (35) PSV Eindhoven (8) Real Madrid (13) Lionel Messi Barcelona (56) Thierry Henry Arsenal (35) AS Monaco (7) Barcelona (8) Andriy Shevchenko AC Milan (29) Chelsea (4) Dinamo Kyiv (15) Filippo Inzaghi AC Milan (29) Juventus (16) Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United (15) Real Madrid (29) Alessandro Del Piero Juventus (41) Didier Drogba Chelsea (34) Olympique Marseille (5) Fernando Morientes AS Monaco (9) Liverpool (1) Real Madrid (17) Valencia (6) David Trezeguet AS Monaco (4) Juventus (26) Zlatan Ibrahimovic AC Milan (9) Ajax (6) Barcelona (4) Internazionale (6) Juventus (3) Paris St Germain (2) Patrick Kluivert Ajax (9) Barcelona (20) Roy Makaay Bayern Munich (17) Deportivo La Coruna (12) Karim Benzema Olympique Lyonnais (12) Real Madrid (17) Ryan Giggs Manchester United (27) . Rivaldo AC Milan (2) Barcelona (22) Olympiakos (3) Samuel Eto'o Barcelona (16) Internazionale (10) Real Mallorca (1) . Kaka AC Milan (22) Real Madrid (5) Wayne Rooney Manchester United (27) Mario Jardel FC Porto (19) Galatasaray SK (6) Hernan Crespo AC Milan (6) Chelsea (4) Internazionale (11) Lazio (2) Parma (2) Mario Gomez Bayern Munich (22) VfB Stuttgart (3) Paul Scholes Manchester United (24) Luis Figo Barcelona (7) Internazionale (1) Real Madrid (16) Giovane Elber Bayern Munich (21) Olympique Lyonnais (3) Jari Litmanen Ajax (20) Liverpool (3) Frank Lampard Chelsea (22) Robin van Persie Arsenal (18) Manchester United (3) Serhiy Rebrov Dinamo Kyiv (20) Marco Simone AC Milan (11) AS Monaco (6) Paris St Germain (3) Claudio Pizarro Bayern Munich (17) Werder Bremen (3)

Aguero's injury scare

Manchester City fear a lengthy lay-off for Sergio Aguero after victory over Stoke City . City face an anxious wait to see how long they will be without Aguero, who limped off with a hamstring injury after scoring the third goal against Stoke. The Argentina striker is expected to miss the FA Cup tie at home to Watford this weekend and the trip to Arsenal in the league on January 13. But City first team coach David Platt suggested that his lay-off may be even longer. Platt said: "It's difficult to assess an injury likethat for how long it's going to be. "There are different degrees of hamstring, that's why you need the 48 hours. There will be swelling and bleeding so you need to give it time. It's a blow, but when you have so many games in a short space of time you run the risk of this."

Agent says Corinthians move being finalised for AC Milan'sPato

The agent of AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato says a move to Corinthians will be rubberstamped this week. Gilmar Veloz revealed he is scheduled for talks with Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani later today. "We will define the passage of Alexandre within a couple of days. I have a meeting with Galliani to close everything. I should point out that it will be a definitive disposal. "We received many offers but we chose Corinthians ," said Veloz

Barcelona's La Masia academy boasts 40 graduates across Europe

Barcelona 's academy boasts a stunning 23 graduates playing in top-flight competitions across Europe. Barca's own first team squad contain 17 players from the La Masia academy alone. Another 23 play with clubs in Spain and across Europe: BARCELONA : Valdes, Puyol, Iniesta, Messi, Thiago Alcantara, Xavi, Bartra, Montoya, Dos Santos , Busquets, Pedro, Cuenca and Tello. RETURNEES OF BARCELONA : Cesc, Pique and Alba. IN OTHER LEAGUES: Oriol Romeu (Chelsea), Iago Falqué ( Tottenham , loan to Southampton), Bojan (Milan), Reina (Liverpool), Jordi Gomez (Wigan), Arteta (Arsenal), Motta (PSG). SPANISH LIGA : Trashorras, Ruben Martinez, Sergio Rodriguez (Rayo Vallecano), Fernando Navarro and Botia (Sevilla), Marc Valiente, Peña, Lluis Sastre (Valladolid), Victor Sanchez, Baena, Verdú, Sergio García (Espanyol), Giovanni Dos Santos and Fontàs (Mallorca), Victor Rodriguez (Zaragoza), Nano (Osasuna)

PREMIER LEAGUE UPDATE: Man City and Man Utd both win, Tottenham move up to third but Villa denied by late Swansea leveller and West Ham have home success

Manchester United eased to a 4-0 success at Wigan and kept their seven point lead at the top of the Premiership. A brace from Javier Hernandez and Robin van Persie ensured the win as the visitor’s went in at the break with a two goal advantage. Hernandez opened the scoring with the Dutchman doubling United’s advantage just before the interval with a brilliant effort. After half-time the Mexican international lashed home Van Persie's deflected free-kick before van Persie turned in Danny Welbeck's low cross. For Wigan though they remain one point above the relegation places. Dimitar Berbatov and Alex Kacaniklic scored as Fulham claimed just their second away winof the season and their first in six league visits to West Bromwich Albion . Berbatov put the Cottagers before Romelu Lukaku equalised just after the break. The Baggies Lukaku and Zoltan Gera both hit the post before Kacaniklic a deserved 2-1 winfor the visitors and stopped their slide towards the foot of the table. Stoke have one of the meanest defences in the Premier League but were brushed aside 3-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Pablo Zabaleta put City ahead in the first half then Edin Dzeko doubled the lead by tapping in a rebound off Potters keeper Asmir Begovic . Sergio Aguero ensured the three points late-on converting from the penalty spot afterSteven Nzonzi had brought down David Silva . City remain in second place seven points behind local rivals Manchester United . Struggling Aston Villa looked on course for a vital three points at Swansea but were denied by a late leveller in a 2-2 draw. The Midlanders, who had conceded 15 goals in their last three outings, came from behind after Wayne Routledge gave the home side an early lead. Weimann restored parity against the run of play on the stroke of half-time and Christian Benteke appeared to have given Villa victory with an 85th minute penalty. But Danny Graham hit a stoppage time equaliser to deny Villa and leave them still in arelegation dogfight. Second from bottom Reading took an early lead at Tottenham through Pavel Pogrebnyak but the hosts quickly levelled from a Michael Dawson header following a corner. Spurs then scored twice in the second half through an Emmanuel Adebayor header and a Clint Dempsey long range effort which sent the North Londoners third in the league. West Ham ended a run of just one win in eight matches with a 2-1 home win over Norwich who have now lost four on the bounce and continue to slide down the table. Mark Noble set the Hammers on their way with a controversial early penalty and Joey O’Brien doubled their advantage before the half-hour mark after the visitor’s Robert Snodgrass had hit the woodwork. Norwich produced little after the break but did score a consolation goal with a late Russell Martin .

Lionel Messi Scores World-Record 91 Goals in 2012

Lionel Messi had a pretty good year in 2012. The soccer superstar opened the calendar year by scoring against Osasuna on Jan. 4. He brought 2012 to a close by scoring against Valladolid. Sandwiched in between those moments was a once-in-a-lifetime goal-scoringspree. Messi scored 91 times in 2012, setting a new record for most goals in a calendar year . The previous high of 85, which belonged to German great Gerd Muller , stood for 40 years until Messi passed this record when He scored 79 goals for his club, FC Barcelona, and 12 for Argentina’s national team. He played against 37 opponents in 2012 and only failed to score against six of them. While there is some dispute over the legitimacy of Messi’s record — Zambian legend Godfrey Chitalu reportedly scored 107 in 1972 — there is no denying that the Argentina and Barcelona forward is a rare gem of a player. 2012 will forever be a year for Messi to remember,because it's in this same year he gave birth to his first son Thiago andreas jorge messi.

Real Madrid ponder shock move for Barcelona keeper Valdes

Victor Valdes is considering his options at Barcelona. The goalkeeper is being linked with Real Madrid , where he could arrive as a replacement for Iker Casillas, says Fichajes.net . Valdes has informed Barca president Sandro Rosell he is weighing up his future., which has alerted Real supremo Florentino Perez , who is a big fan of the Spaniard. Valdes also feels he would have a better chance of playing for Spain by moving to Madrid

Arsenal table €12.5m offer for Adrian Lopez also target Villa,Llorente

The Londoners have submitted a formal offer of around €12.5 million, which is lower than the €18m release clause in the forward's contract.Arsenal opened talks with Atletico to sign the 24-year-old Spain international before Christmas and have now made their move in an attempt to capture the player in the January window. It was revealed that since October, Arsene Wenger has been closely pursuing Adrian after failing to sign him last summer . The Arsenal manager has set his sights firmly on Spain in the search for a centre-forward and has also made enquiries for David Villa and Fernando Llorente, who are out of favourat Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao respectively. While Wenger is continuing to closely monitorthe experienced pair's situations, the more youthful Adrian is currently his No.1 target to reinforce the club's striking department. 'ARSENAL MOVE WISE FOR ADRIAN' A quick and talented forward, Adrian can playj ust behind the striker or as a winger on either flank. He had a brilliant 2011-2012 season and he managed to score 19 goals in every competition, taking into account his impressive Europe League campaign, where he scored 11 in the competition. He was even rewarded with a call-up to Vicente Del Bosque's squad last May, just before Euro 2012, and he scored in that friendly game against Serbia. Adrian was not a success at this summer's Olympic Games, where Spain were ever so poor in the group phase and the bad news for the 24 year-old has continued into the current season where his playing time has been heavily restricted Atletico Madrid. His poor beginning and the competition of Diego Costa, who has been very reliable for Diego Simeone, has left Adrian to play a secondary role in Atletico's squad. He's still very young and his leaving for a Premier League club could be a very wise move