The big news: Allardyce returns

Former England manager Sam Allardyce is set to return to football as he is set to sign the dotted lines with Crystal Palace within the next 24 hours, reported The Guadrian. Allardyce will make his return after his ill-fated 67-day stint as England manager, which ended owing to a sting operation that caught him talking about bending the rules of player transfers. Palace dismissed Pardew after almost two years in charge of the team. Palace lost eight of their last 10 league games to slump to within a point of the relegation zone.

An agreement between Palace and Allardyce has been agreed in principle, the report said. The contract is set to run to 2019, with a break clause inserted in 18 months’ time, with the 62-year-old having made clear his desire to return to club management.

Other top stories

  1. Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has a major role to play in the club’s future as they try to sign him up on a new contract, manager Ronald Koeman said. The club hope the striker will sign a long-term deal making him the highest-paid player in their history.
  2. French side PSG have reached an agreement with Wolfsburg for the transfer of Julian Draxler, reported goal.com. PSG have agreed a deal worth a potential €45 million for the Germany international to move to Parc des Princes. The Bundesliga side will receive an initial €35 million, with extra €10 million in bonuses. Draxler moved to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2015 from Schalke, signing a five-year contract.
  3. India finished 135th in the Fifa rankings, which earned them their best finish in a year since 2010, where they finished 142nd. The achievement is terrific as Stephen Constantine’s side were at a lowly 163rd in January 2016. Between June to October, the side climbed 26 spots to reach 137. 
  4. Former Indian skipper Baichung Bhutia said that the Indian Super League tournament needs to be longer and that the bottom-rung clubs in the country must have a shot at the top echelons of the footballing ladder. He stated this owing to the ongoing debate between the Indian Super League and the I-League. 
  5. France and Tottenham Hotspur captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris signed a three-year contract extension, which will keep him at the club till 2022. Lloris’ teammates Harry Kane, Kyle Walker, Eric Dier, Danny Rose and Jan Vertonghen also signed extensions recently.      
  6. West Ham and Senegal striker Diafra Sakho will miss the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations owing to injury. Sakho has been ruled out for up to eight more weeks and will return to action in mid-February. The Hammers said on 30 November the 26-year-old would be missing for six weeks because of a thigh injury, meaning he would not return until mid-January. However, now eight more weeks were added for recovery.