LA Galaxy sign former Man United man to replace Zlatan Ibrahimović

Los Angeles Galaxy have found their replacement for Zlatan Ibrahimović.
And it comes in the form of a man with his own impressive pedigree in European football.

The Major League Soccer outfit have completed the signing of Javier Hernández, aka Chicharito, from Sevilla.

The 31-year-old has racked up over 110 goals across the past decade in European football, including spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and West Ham, according to iSports football API.

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At Sevilla, he found it hard to break into Julen Lopetegui’s plans and has exited after just six months in Andalusia.

Reports in Spain claim that the Galaxy have paid a fee of €8.5m for the Mexico international’s services.

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Pelicans set table for Zion Williamson with franchise-best 21 3-pointers

The New Orleans Pelicans sure gave Zion Williamsonsomething to look forward to.

Two days before Williamson is expected to make his regular-season NBA debut, the Pelicans hit a franchise-record 21 3-pointers on their way to a 126-116 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

New Orleans started the season 6-22 and at one point lost a franchise-record 13 games in a row. But roughly a month ago, just as the losing streak hit a baker's dozen, the Pelicans made some schematic changes defensively and things took off.

The Pelicans have won 11 of their past 16 games and have ended the NBA's longest active winning streak twice in their past three games: Memphis' seven-game streak on Wednesday and Utah's 10-game streak on Jan. 16, as per iSports basketball API.

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So are the Pelicans playing their best basketball of the season?

"For sure," guard Lonzo Ball said. "I mean, it's a lot better than the 13 skid we had, so moving in the right direction."

Thanks to the bottom of the Western Conference, New Orleans is just 3.5 games back of the eighth spot where the Grizzlies currently sit.

Part of the Pelicans' resurgence has come because the team has simply gotten healthier. Derrick Favors returned from a monthlong absence on Dec. 13 and immediately improved the team's defense. When Favors plays at least 24 minutes this season, New Orleans is 9-5.

Favors' presence as a screener on the offensive end has helped the Pelicans as well, but according to coach Alvin Gentry, the biggest boost has been a healthy Ball.

Ball missed some time early in the season with an adductor strain, and even though he missed only six games with the injury, it took him a while to get his footing back.

Since a five-steal performance against the Warriors on Dec. 23, Ball has averaged 15.4 points, 7.5 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 38.6% from 3-point range, according to iSports NBA data.

"I think the pace of the game is great and Lonzo has done a great job with that," Gentry said. "I think we are finding the right people at the right time and I think our defense has been really solid."

The Pelicans got a big boost on Monday when Jrue Holiday returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a left triceps strain. Holiday came back and looked the best he has all season in tying a season high with 36 points while setting a new career mark with seven 3-pointers.

His defense also helped the Pelicans slow down Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant, who was just 1-of-5 when Holiday was the primary defender. Morant had three points through three quarters but finished with 16 on 5-of-14 shooting, recorded by iSports basketball data.

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"I thought (Jrue) got us off to a great start," Gentry said. "More so than anything, his defense on Ja was great. Ja is having a hell of a year, so for Jrue to come back and play against him and lock in on him like that ... the kid is relentless, I'll tell you he just keeps coming at you. He's going to be a terrific player in this league for a long time. I thought Jrue did an outstanding job on him."

Holiday, who had been working out with Williamson playing three-on-three and four-on-four pregame while he was out injured, had been itching to get back on the floor.

"You see how well the team has been doing, and how they have been fighting and beating good teams and playing very well." Holiday said. "I just wanted to get back out there with them. The performance I had was just juice and I guess I just had the hot hand."

The constant for the Pelicans this season has been the play of Brandon Ingram, who is averaging a team-high 25.6 points per game. In fact, Ingram is averaging career highs in rebounds (6.7), assists (4.4), 3-point percentage (39.9%) and free throw percentage (85.8%), as per iSports API basketball data.

Ingram had a career-high 49 points against the Jazz and has blossomed into the team's No. 1 option.

"He's worked extremely hard to improve his 3-point shooting," Gentry said. "He's done it with his free throw shooting. He's in there every day putting in the work. To me, I'm sure I'm a little bit biased, but I'd be really disappointed if he didn't make the All-Star team."

Ingram said he's looking forward to getting on the court with Williamson, who again watched intently from the sidelines in a hooded sweatshirt and a sports coat. Ingram predicts there won't be many seats left once people get a look at the No. 1 overall pick.

"It's going to be sold out," Ingram said. "Every single night. When they start to see Zion playing, it's going to be sold out."

The Pelicans' plan is to start Williamson against the Spurs on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN) while monitoring his minutes. Last week, Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said the team won't have a "hard minutes restriction" on Williamson but will play him in short "bursts" in order to keep him fresh.

But Gentry knows that Wednesday will be a little different from your average regular-season NBA contest.

"One, it's going to be a circus and everyone knows that," Gentry said. "What we have to do is focus on the task at hand and that is playing a really good San Antonio team ... It is going to be good to get him out there. I think the big thing for us is we just need to get him out there so all of this goes away and then we can start to figure out rotations and how we are going to play and things we are going to do.

"We have gone back already and looked at a bunch of stuff from preseason so we will just try to integrate him right into what we're doing."

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Jazz, Royce O'Neale agree on 4-year, $36M contract extension

Utah Jazz forward Royce O'Neale has agreed to a four-year, $36 million contract extension, agents Ty Sullivan and Steven Heumann of CAA Sports confirmed.

O'Neale, 26, has proved to be an essential element to the Jazz's elite NBA defense and elevation into the fourth seed in the Western Conference. In his third NBA season, O'Neale has become a full-time starter for the Jazz and is averaging career highs in minutes (30), points (6.2), rebounds (5.0) and assists (2.5)， according to iSports basketball livescore API.

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The Jazz announced the extension Sunday, but did not provide any contract details.

"Re-signing Royce to a long-term extension was a priority for our organization," Jazz executive vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey said in a statement Sunday. "Royce is an elite defender and has really shown the ability to spread the floor with his shooting. We feel he brings a versatility to our team that's vital to our success. We're happy that we were able to retain not only a great player in Royce, but also a tremendous person."

Although he could've become a restricted free agent this summer, O'Neale and his reps at CAA Sports -- including Sullivan, Heumann and Richard Beda -- negotiated a long-term deal that keeps him with the franchise that signed him out of Europe in 2017.

"I'm staying here for a while," O'Neale said Sunday in a statement. He's become a quintessential 3-and-D specialist, guarding elite opposing players and shooting 44.3 percent on three-pointers this season, recorded by iSports basketball data.

O'Neale is one more Utah organizational success story of evaluation and player development. After going undrafted out of Baylor, O'Neale played two seasons overseas before signing with the Jazz.

"Just the journey of how far I've come," O'Neale said. "I've come a long way."

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Manchester United captain Ashley Young completes Serie A switch

Ashley Young is officially an Inter player after completing his medical on Friday.

The versatile wing-back moves from Manchester United for a reported €1.5m fee.

Young spent eight-and-a-half years at Old Trafford and was named Manchester United captain in August but has moved to the Nerazzurri, signing a six-month deal with the option for a further year, according to iSports API.

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During his time with the club, he won the Premier League, the Europa League, the FA Cup and the League Cup.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was reportedly eager for the 34-year-old to stay with the club at least until the end of the season.

Young’s ability to play on both the left and the right of a five-man defence made him an attractive option for Antonio Conte.

The England international now heads into a Serie A title race, with Inter just two points behind league leaders and reigning champions Juventus.

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Chelsea announce new long-term deal for Reece James

Chelsea defender Reece James has penned a new contract at Stamford Bridge, the club confirmed on Thursday night.

His previous deal had been set to expire at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

But the Blues have announced that James has inked an extension to keep him at the club until the summer of 2025 at least.

The versatile right-back has been an impressive performer this season, appearing in 18 games in all competitions and even managing a memorable Champions League equaliser against Ajax, as per iSports football API.

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“It has been my dream to be here at Chelsea and play week in, week out so to sign this contract is living the dream again,” James told the club’s website.

“I have always wanted to be here and another five-and-a-half years means a lot to me and a lot to my family.”

James has been on the books at Chelsea since the age of 8.

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Hawks' Chandler Parsons diagnosed with concussion

Atlanta Hawks forward Chandler Parsons was involved in an automobile accident after practice Wednesday.

The 31-year-old Parsons is making more than $25 million in the final year of his contract. He has played just five games for the rebuilding Hawks, averaging 2.8 points, according to iSports basketball API data.

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The team said Parsons sustained a concussion and whiplash.

Parsons will enter the NBA's concussion protocol and won't travel with the Hawks for their game Friday at San Antonio.

The Hawks provided no additional details on the accident.

Parsons is in his first and likely only season with Atlanta, which acquired him from Memphis last summer in a trade of overpriced players.

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Rating each top six Premier League club’s number 10

Few shirt numbers come with such prestige as the iconic number 10.

Greats of the game have all adorned the shirt for club or country respectively, and whilst other numbers each have their own illustrious history, perhaps no shirt has such historic mystique as the ten shirt.

Usually attributed to a creative or forward player, Premier League icons such as Dennis Bergkamp, Wayne Rooney and Eden Hazard have all been previous occupants, but how do the current players compare?

We’ve decided to look at some Premier League number tens, and rate each of the current shirt holders amongst the top six clubs…

Arsenal – Mesut Ozil

Signed in a club-record deal from Real Madrid, hopes were high that the arrival of the German midfielder could see Arsenal challenge once more for major honours after some lean years in North London.

Whilst Ozil has shown flashes of brilliance during his six season stay at the Emirates, those moments have proved few and far between and he remains a divisive figure amongst the club’s fanbase.

Ozil has won three FA Cups since moving to the Premier League, though his finest season came in 2015/16 when he came within one assist of breaking Thierry Henry’s record for goals provided in a single season, being named Arsenal’s Player of the Season in the process, as per iSports API.

A player of undoubted talent, only Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne has reached 50 Premier League assists quicker than Ozil, who remains a creative force at his very best.

In recent times he has fallen out-of-favour under Unai Emery and has been ostracised from the first-team picture at the club, with major doubts surrounding the long-term future of the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

Rating: 6/10

Chelsea – Willian

The Brazilian international inherited the number ten shirt following Eden Hazard’s summer departure to Real Madrid, the number a reward following several successful seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Arriving from Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala in 2013, Willian has played a key role in two Premier League title successes, as well as helping Chelsea to FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League triumphs.

Both creative and industrious, the winger remains an influential figure at the club and his experience will prove invaluable as Frank Lampard develops his emerging young talent at Chelsea.

No terms have yet been offered over an extension to his deal which is set to expire next summer, though should he depart after six seasons he will be remembered fondly by the Chelsea faithful.

Rating: 7.5/10

Liverpool – Sadio Mane

Liverpool’s electric forward swapped his number 19 shirt for the famed 10 following Philippe Coutinho’s departure to Barcelona, where has continued to thrive as part of a a formidable frontline alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.

Mane has elevated his game in each of his three seasons on Merseyside since joining from Southampton, culminating in the Senegal star winning a share of the Premier League’s Golden Boot after firing 22 league goals last season, recorded by iSports API football data.

The 27-year-old is amongst the nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or after also helping Liverpool to Champions League success, and the forward is now regarded as one of the elite attacking talents in European football.

Twice named in the PFA Team of the Year since moving to Anfield, Mane has scored 50 Premier League goals in just 102 appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Rating: 9/10

Manchester City – Sergio Aguero

If Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero is not the best number ten in the Premier League, his list of achievements in the division is certainly unrivalled in comparison to the other contenders on this list.

Since arriving at the Etihad from Atletico Madrid in 2011, Aguero has been part of four title-winning sides and helped establish the Manchester side amongst the elite in English football.

It was the Argentinean’s late goal which secured the title for City in dramatic fashion at the end of that debut season, in arguably the most iconic moment of the Premier League era.

No player has ever scored more than Aguero’s 241 goals in all competitions for the club, whilst only Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Andy Cole, Frank Lampard and Thierry Henry have more in Premier League history, though the latter two will surely be overtaken this season with the forward within five goals of both, as per iSports football API.

Only Thierry Henry has ever matched Aguero’s feat of scoring 20+ goals in five consecutive seasons, though Aguero looks set to own the record outright by achieving a sixth after hitting eight goals in his first six starts of the new season.

Rating: 10/10

Manchester United – Marcus Rashford

Manchester United’s homegrown hero is the current occupant of the club’s famous number ten shirt, a number previously owned by iconic figures such as Wayne Rooney, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Denis Law.

The 21-year-old burst onto the scene as a teenager four seasons ago, and has already scored 50 goals for the club in 183 appearances, according to iSports football livescore API. Blessed with electric pace and an ability to carry the ball, the youngster still has many aspects of his game to improve but looks set to be a first-team fixture at Old Trafford for seasons to come.

Arguably the face of the club having come through the academy during a transitional era, Rashford has already helped the club to FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League success, and will hope to play a key role as the club look to return to challenging for silverware in the coming years.

Rating: 6.5/10

Tottenham – Harry Kane

‘He’s one of our own’ or so the popular terrace chant is sung by Tottenham supporters, who idolise the prolific forward currently wearing the club’s number ten shirt.

A two-time Golden Boot winner, Kane has plundered a remarkable 174 goals in just 266 appearances since breaking through as a first-team regular at the North London side.

Kane’s goals have been crucial to the club establishing themselves as Champions League regulars, though silverware has remained elusive thus far for the England captain.

Named in the PFA Team of the Year on four occasions, Kane is widely regarded as one of Europe’s leading forwards, though he will need Spurs to prove they can challenge for major honours if he is to fulfil his ambitions at the club.

Few have produced more for the club in recent seasons, however, the 26-year-old will have to help his side to a first major honour in over a decade to receive full marks in our ratings.

Rating: 9/10