Last 16 hopefuls eye Champions League glory

 

The Champions League round-of-16 stage commences on Tuesday as Europe's elite attempt to forge a path to the final at Wembley.

The standout tie this week sees Cristiano Ronaldo come up against his former club for the first time as Real Madrid host Manchester United on Wednesday evening.

Elsewhere, Serie A champions Juventus are in action against Celtic, Valencia play Paris Saint-Germain, while two sides who impressed in the group stage, Shakhtar Donetsk and Borussia Dortmund, square off at the Donbass Arena on Wednesday. 
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Beckham takes centre-stage amid Deadline Day madness

 

In a typically entertaining and frantic January transfer window, if not a spending one, there were many sagas and late deals that caught the eye.

Peter Odemwingie tried, but ultimately failed, to take his transfer into his own hands by effectively abandoning West Brom, only to be refused entry to QPR - despite Harry Redknapp showing his desire to flash the cash once again.

Tottenham's chase for a striker was unsuccessful, though north London rivals Arsenal managed to sneak a late signing in the shape of full-back Nacho Monreal, while Anzhi proved their muscle with a deal for Willian which broke the £30 million barrier.

However, there was only ever going to be one winner for the move of the window award when PSG announced that David Beckham was joining them until the end of the season - and is donating the wages from his five-month contract to charity.

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Sour grapes for Zlatan over Messi nomination

 

Paris Saint-Germain's outspoken centre-forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic courted controversy once more last week by stating that Barcelona striker Lionel Messi shouldn't pick up the Ballon d'Or award this year.

The 31-year-old Sweden international believes that after having already won it three times in a row, that the Blaugrana genius would be far from a deserving winner and that it should be shared around more.

With Fifa whittling it down to just a three-man shortlist, and Messi competing alongside team-mate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic may have to wait a little while longer to get his wish, with the Argentine the current front-runner and overwhelming favourite.

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Allure of Paris prises Lucas from Sir Alex's grasp

 

Sir Alex Ferguson has been left amazed after Brazil starlet Lucas Moura opted to sign for Paris Saint-Germain rather than Manchester United.

The Red Devils had looked favorites to sign the 19-year-old and his agent has even claimed the club had an agreement with Lucas.

However, the player has ultimately opted to move to Paris not least because he considers it "a much more pleasant city than Manchester" leaving a fuming Sir Alex insisting "the game's gone mad".
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Zlatan makes a big impression after arriving in Paris

 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move to Paris Saint-Germain was confirmed on Wednesday, with the Sweden international arriving at Parc des Princes in a deal that, combined with Thiago Silva's switch, will see the French club pay AC Milan around £51.5 million.
The striker has claimed his move to the French capital from Serie A side AC Milan is "another dream come true", as he sealed his place in the record books as the most expensive player ever.

And with Zlatan fever set to take over in Paris, the 30-year-old is on course to make another big impression on one of Europe's top leagues...
 

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Happy Bastille Day as Thiago Silva continues French revolution

 

Paris Saint-Germain's summer revamp continued on Saturday after the Ligue 1 club confirmed the signing of AC Milan defender Thiago Silva.

The Brazil international moved to Carlo Ancelotti's side for a fee in the region of €42 million and penned a five-year deal with the French club.

With Ancelotti already having bolstered his attacking options with the signing of Ezequiel Lavezzi from Napoli this summer, the Italian is likely to strengthen his squad further by completing a move for Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
 

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Could 'The Tinkerman' soon be out in the cold at Inter?

 

Inter president Massimo Moratti has admitted that he is considering the future of current coach Claudio Ranieri but insisted there is a chance the 60-year-old could remain at San Siro. 

With the Nerazzurri on a run of five straight defeats in all competitions, Ranieri's position has come under intense scrutiny of late. 

Moratti will evaluate the current state of affairs at Inter before making a decision as to whether Ranieri will suffer a similar fate to previous trainers Rafael Benitez, Leonardo and Gian Piero Gasperini.

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PSG drawn towards Paolo Maldini

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'Duck, everybody' - Ancelotti's on the hunt

 Carlo Ancelotti has been appointed as the new coach of Paris Saint Germain, and is expected to go on the offensive this January.

With the Qatari Investment Authority backing the big-spending Ligue 1 side, the Italian coach may well go back to former club AC Milan for transfer targets.

Alexandre Pato had a frustrating 2011 through injuries and a dip in form, and has been linked with a move from the Giuseppe Meazza.

Will Ancelotti use PSG's financial firepower to ensnare The Duck this January?

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Paris Saint-Germain shopping in Italy

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Leonardo from Milano to Paris

Inter Milan manager Leonardo is expected to leave the club and join the French giants Paris Saint Germain,

Leonardo also managed AC Milan before joining Inter