Motherwell have launched a campaign to attract new investment from “anyone who wants to support a proper community club” – including Hollywood celebrities.
Chairman Jim McMahon recently announced plans for a fundraising initiative as he signalled his intent to step down from his Fir Park role by the end of the season “once a successor has been appointed and certain live projects have been completed”.
The cinch Premiership club – owned by the Well Society fan group – has stepped up its bid to attract new investment by releasing a light-hearted 90-second video in which players and staff members attempt to outline the appeal of the club to potential investors.
The film begins with defender Stephen O’Donnell musing: “Are you the next Hollywood celebrity looking to get involved in football? Well we’ve got a club that offers real bang for your buck.”
“We’re proudly a fan-owned club but we are always looking for ways to do more and achieve bigger things,” said McMahon.
“This is a slightly out-of-the-box approach, but with it, we hope we can increase Well Society memberships or find businesses or individuals whose values align with ours.
“Most football clubs operate at a loss and are only viable through significant annual subsidies from their owners.
“There’s a lot of talk of famous investors from the US right now so we thought it’d be fun to put our own spin on the theme, to show what we’re all about at Motherwell Football Club.
“Hopefully you can see that we’re a club that goes beyond just the 90 minutes. With things like walking football and mental health support, we’ve always helped the local community to make sure the positive effects of football can be felt off the pitch too.
“We welcome anyone who wants to support a proper community club. Whether that be new additions to the Well Society or new sponsors. And if anyone from Hollywood wants to get involved then we’re all ears.”
Barcelona boss Xavi hopes retaining the Spanish Super Cup can help his side get their season back on track.
LaLiga champions Barca face 2022-23 Copa del Rey runners-up Osasuna in the semi-final of the competition on Thursday evening in Riyadh.
The Catalan giants travelled to Saudi Arabia sitting third in the league, seven points adrift of both leaders Real Madrid and second-placed Girona.
Xavi, who guided Barca to a 3-1 win over fierce rivals Real in the final of last year’s Supercopa de Espana, told a press conference: “We want to find our game again and keep it going.
“We need to play a complete game against a solid side, who have a great coach (Jagoba Arrasate) and who can generate all kinds of different scenarios.
“The click we need to win might come from winning the Super Cup, it certainly helped us last season.
“Hopefully we win this title and it helps us get back on track.”
Barcelona’s two league defeats this term have come against title rivals Real and Girona.
They dropped seven points in four games played between late November and mid December but recovered to register successive victories before the trip to the Middle East.
Barca defender Ronald Araujo echoed his manager’s comments.
“We hope (the Super Cup) marks a turning point,” said the Uruguay international. “It’s a title and is very important for the team and the club.
“We have a great team. We aren’t quite clinical enough in both areas. But we have top quality players to turn this situation around.”
Xavi has selected a 25-man squad for the Super Cup.
Defenders Joao Cancelo and Inigo Martinez and midfielder Pedri travelled, despite not being fully fit.
Real face city rivals Atletico Madrid on Wednesday evening in the other semi-final.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is this weekend set to attend his first Manchester United match since agreeing a partial takeover of the club, the PA news agency understands.
The billionaire has agreed to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League outfit and, barring any late change in schedule, is due to attend Sunday’s match against Tottenham at Old Trafford.
The deal is still awaiting ratification, but Ratcliffe and his team have wasted no time getting to know the club as his INEOS group prepare to take responsibility for footballing operations at United.
The 71-year-old and Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS’ director of sport, visited Old Trafford and United’s Carrington training ground last week.
The pair met with men’s team manager Erik ten Hag and women’s team boss Marc Skinner, along with members of different teams and backroom staff.
The INEOS delegation also met with wider club staff at Old Trafford and attended an all-staff meeting as they get to better know United and the challenge at hand.
Brailsford has been at all three matches since the deal was announced on Christmas Eve, with INEOS Sport chief executive Jean Claude Blanc joining him at Monday’s FA Cup third round 2-0 win against Wigan.
Tottenham have won the race to sign Radu Dragusin with the Genoa centre-back due to arrive in London today for a medical, the PA news agency understands.
Spurs stepped up talks with the Serie A club last week, but faced last-minute competition from Bayern Munich for the defender.
Napoli had also registered an interest in the Romania international but Dragusin is set to become a Tottenham player in a deal that could rise to £25million, while full-back Djed Spence will head in the other direction.
Head coach Ange Postecoglou made clear last month his desire for the club to bring in reinforcements in central defence, which was before vice-captain Cristian Romero suffered a hamstring injury.
While Micky Van de Ven is fit again after his own hamstring issue, Dragusin’s imminent arrival will be a welcome boost and he could make his debut at Manchester United on Sunday.
Ex-Chelsea attacker Timo Werner became Spurs’ first January addition on Tuesday when he signed a six-month loan from RB Leipzig, which includes the option to make the deal permanent.
A centre-back was always top of Postecoglou’s priority list, though, and an agreement was finally reached with Genoa at the start of this week.
Bayern’s late interest threatened to scupper the deal, but Dragusin has chosen to move to the Premier League club, with a medical booked in for later on Wednesday.
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The move will be the latest chapter in his rapid rise, with the 21-year-old having made 62 appearances for Genoa over the past two seasons after progressing through Juventus’ academy.
Spurs full-back Spence will head to Italy as part of the deal on a six-month loan after his recent spell at Leeds was cut short.
The anticipated signing of Dragusin and Bayern subsequently missing out on his signature also has implications for Eric Dier.
Tottenham are willing to listen to offers for the 29-year-old, who has entered the final six months of his contract and only started once all season under Postecoglou.
Bayern registered an interest in the England international last week and are expected to step up their pursuit of him now.
Clement Lenglet is set to stay at Aston Villa despite a host of top European clubs chasing the defender.
The 28-year-old, on loan from Barcelona, had options to leave this window but is expected to remain at Villa Park until the end of the season.
AC Milan, Napoli, Lyon, Monaco and several sides in Spain were all keen on taking the France international, the PA news agency understands.
But Villa have ruled out cutting short the ex-Sevilla man’s loan as they mount a surprise title challenge.
Lenglet endured a frustrating first half of the season and only made his Premier League debut for Unai Emery’s side in the 1-1 draw against Sheffield United just before Christmas.
An ankle injury to Pau Torres in December gave Lenglet, who joined after Tyrone Mings was ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a serious knee injury in August, his chance and made a January exit almost impossible.
He had been previously exclusively used in the Europa Conference League, playing five of Villa’s six games as they qualified from Group E.
Since the draw against the Blades, Lenglet, who made 35 appearances on loan at Tottenham last season, has started every game, including Saturday’s 1-0 FA Cup win at Middlesbrough.
Emery recently praised the centre-back’s professionalism, despite his lack of action, and insisted he wanted to keep him.
He said last month: “He is a very good professional and we have been working with him every day, trying to understand our style. He was even coming in when the players had a day off to do extra work.
“I am speaking with Lenglet and sending him a message that I am very happy with him. I need him, the team needs him now.
“We agreed a contract between the club and him to help us out. There is nothing in my mind which has changed in that relationship.”
Villa go to Everton on Sunday aiming to maintain their championship challenge, with Emery’s side second in the Premier League, three points behind leaders Liverpool.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick has told his players to embrace the challenge of walking into the lion’s den at Chelsea with a place in the Carabao Cup final at stake.
Boro head coach Carrick saw his team secure a 1-0 first-leg lead at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday evening, which will send them to Stamford Bridge on January 23 with something to defend.
The Sky Bet Championship promotion hopefuls had to endure a tide of pressure on their own pitch to emerge with a clean sheet, and they can expect an onslaught on a night when a repeat would send them to Wembley.
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However Carrick, whose side lost 1-0 to Chelsea’s Premier League counterparts Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round at the weekend, said: “It’s embracing it.
“The last two games the boys have coped very, very well with Villa at the weekend and tonight, this being different because it’s obviously a lot further on in the competition and there was much more of an opportunity in this one with the expectations, the hope, the challenge that they faced.
“I couldn’t have hoped or asked for anything more. I keep saying the next one is a totally different one, it’s a new challenge totally.
“The boys will be ready for it and we’ll be ready to perform. We’ll look forward to it and embrace the challenge because it’s an unbelievable challenge and position that we find ourselves in.”
Hackney’s 37th-minute strike, which came after Isaiah Jones had made the most of Dan Barlaser’s fine through ball, ultimately settled a game in which Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively-assembled side dominated possession, but failed to make the most of the chances they created with Cole Palmer passing up no fewer than three himself.
Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo alone cost in excess of £220million, but along with Conor Gallagher, got little change out of a Boro midfield of Hackney, Barlaser and Jonny Howson to leave Carrick purring.
Asked if it was his best night yet as a manager, the 42-year-old former Manchester United and England midfielder said: !It’s as proud as I’ve been, I have to say again, of the players.
“Knowing what they’ve put in and how close a group they are and seeing the stadium supporting the lads right to the end when they needed that bit of help for the last 10 minutes or so, standing there and seeing that made me hugely proud, so it was a good night for that, a really good night for that and hopefully we can create some more of them in the future.”
Pochettino was measured after a disappointing night on Teesside, during which he admitted the Blues had been punished both for their mistakes and their profligacy in front of goal.
The Argentinian said: “I am disappointed because I think we deserved a different result, but sometimes you don’t play well and you win.
“For us, it’s like we need to play well, we need to score goals. We play well, but sometimes we are not clinical enough and sometimes we are punished. That is the process in this moment we are in.
“Always when you are building a team, this kind of scenario is tough because you not only need to play well, but you need to deserve and have some luck.”
What the papers say
Tottenham will have to battle Bayern Munich to sign their top defensive target Radu Dragusin from Romania after the German giants tabled a late offer, the Telegraph reports. The 21-year-old defender plays for Genoa in the Serie A and has scored two goals and added an assist in 19 games in the competition this year.
The Mirror says Jadon Sancho, who was confirmed to be in negotiations with Borussia Dortmund, will return to Manchester United after a loan deal with the German club as they can not afford the transfer fee. The 23-year-old has only played three games this year for Erik ten Hag’s side.
Newcastle United will staunchly reject any offer from Paris St Germain for their Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, the i reports.
Tottenham will join Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool in the race for 21-year-old Middlesborough midfielder Hayden Hackney, the Evening Standard reports.
Social media round-upPlayers to watch
Jordan Henderson: The former Liverpool captain, now at Al-Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, has drawn interest from Ajax, but will have to stave off competition from British and German clubs, ESPN says.
Vangelis Pavlidis: The Evening Standard reports the Greek striker, 25, is now on the Fulham’s radar. Pavlidis, who is at AZ Alkmaar, is also being monitored by Chelsea, AC Milan and Barcelona.
Manchester United signed Patrice Evra from Monaco on a three-and-a-half-year contract, on this day in 2006.
The 24-year-old joined Sir Alex Ferguson’s side for £5.5million but endured a tough start to life in Manchester, with a nightmare debut against neighbours Manchester City four days later as he was taken off at half-time in a 3-1 defeat.
However, the France international soon made the left-back position his own at Old Trafford after Gabriel Heinze’s cruciate ligament injury earlier that season and he went on to feature 379 times for the Red Devils.
Evra won 10 major trophies with United, including five Premier League titles, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.
On Evra’s arrival at Old Trafford, manager Ferguson said: “He is a good age and he is still developing as a player, which is always exciting.
“We have been monitoring him all season and it is fantastic that he is joining Manchester United.”
Evra ended his eight-and-a-half-year stay in Manchester in July 2014 following the arrival of Luke Shaw from Southampton and moved to Juventus.
Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick believes his side had to “suffer” to earn a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Hayden Hackney capitalised on missed Chelsea chances, scoring in the 37th minute to hand Boro a valuable advantage going into the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge on January 23.
His goal came after already-depleted Boro were forced into two early changes, with Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alex Bangura taken off with injury in the opening 20 minutes.
They defended well to ensure they are now one leg away from the final of the competition they won back in 2004 and Carrick urged his side to enjoy the victory.
He said post-match: “Listen, it’s very special.
“There’s totally two sides to this one: there’s the game tonight and what we had to go through and suffer a little bit to find a way to win, and there’s obviously the fact that there’s another game.
“I have to credit the players and celebrate their performance and effort, because it’s not easy at all to beat a team like that with the quality that they’ve got and to suffer the kind of injuries that we had as well early on – as if we didn’t have enough injuries to start with.
“Tonight was a really special night, the atmosphere, Hayden scoring, it was such a good night for us, so we’ve got to take that as a one-off and enjoy that to be honest. The second leg is a whole new ball game and we know what we’re walking into and he challenges we face.”
Dan Barlaser’s long pass played Isaiah Jones in behind Levi Colwill to cross into Hackney, who stuck out a leg to stab past Djordje Petrovic.
Carrick said: “Honestly, it couldn’t happen to a nicer lad.
“He’s everything we could ever hope for in a player – he’s humble, he’s hard-working, he’s hugely talented, obviously, and great to work with.”
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino believes his side were “not clinical enough” as they wasted a trio of brilliant chances in the first half.
Cole Palmer fired wide just before Hackney put Boro ahead then had two more chances, firing over the bar after Tom Glover spilled Enzo Fernandez’s effort before failing to beat the keeper after cutting in from the right.
Pochettino said: “I think we made some mistakes in the first half and we were punished for that.
“We created big chances and we didn’t score, we were not clinical enough, that is so clear.
“We have to credit of course Middlesbrough, it’s the first 90 minutes in the first half of the tie.
“We are losing 1-0 but in two weeks we are going to have the second tie and we need to be positive we can win the game and go to the final.”
Pochettino also refuted suggestions Chelsea players had been booed off the pitch by their visiting fans.
“The fans were reacting with the fans, with Middlesbrough fans, not with our players,” he added.
“Our fans were fantastic as they support us but I think it was Thiago (Silva) and some players, what I hear is they were trying to calm our fans because I think there was a problem between the fans, not between our fans and our players.”
Mauricio Pochettino bemoaned Chelsea’s profligacy following their shock 1-0 loss at Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
The Premier League side dominated at the Riverside Stadium but squandered a host of chances, with Cole Palmer particularly wasteful.
Hayden Hackney’s first-half goal earned the Sky Bet Championship hosts a slender advantage ahead of the return meeting at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time.
“We had too many chances to score where we didn’t score – that is football,” Blues boss Pochettino told Sky Sports.
“Of course we are disappointed. It is the first half of the tie. We have another 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge and we have to be positive.
“We made some mistakes and we were punished for that.”
Some of Chelsea’s travelling fans reacted angrily to the defeat at full-time.
“If we assess the performance, overall we were the better side, we create more chances, we have clear chances,” continued Pochettino.
“But we didn’t score and we were not clinical and that has happened a lot this season – so many games we didn’t win because we weren’t clinical enough.”
Chelsea striker Cole Palmer squandered a hat-trick of chances as Hayden Hackney handed Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough a priceless first-leg lead in their Carabao Cup semi-final.
The England international, who had earlier been denied by Boro keeper Tom Glover, passed up three opportunities either side of Hackney’s 37th-minute strike, which ensured Michael Carrick’s men will head for Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time with a 1-0 lead.
On a night when the 2004 winners managed to frustrate the side who beat them in the 1998 final for long periods, the big-spending Premier League club failed to find top gear despite boss Mauricio Pochettino naming Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling and Palmer in a strong starting line-up.
For their part, the Teessiders were organised, dogged and a threat on the break, and reaped the rewards three days after suffering a heartbreaking late defeat by top-flight Aston Villa in the FA Cup.
The visitors’ goal came under threat within seconds of kick-off when Colwill’s poorly-directed header delivered the ball straight into the path of Emmanuel Latte Lath, although the striker scuffed his shot straight at keeper Djordje Petrovic as defender Axel Disasi tried desperately to close him down and caught him in his follow-through.
The Boro frontman struggled on after treatment, but eventually limped off to be replaced by Josh Coburn with just five minutes gone.
Palmer forced Glover into a full-length save as Chelsea responded, but with widemen Isaiah Jones and Alex Bangura – whose evening was ended prematurely minutes later by a hamstring injury – enjoying the space afforded to them, the Teessiders made early inroads.
The occasional flurry from Noni Madueke aside, neither team was able to create a chance of note until Colwill headed over from Palmer’s 29th-minute cross, but Jonny Howson was fortunate to get away with a dreadful crossfield pass which put Palmer in on goal two minutes later, only for the 21-year-old to drag his shot wastefully wide.
Chelsea were made to pay with eight minutes of the first half remaining when Dan Barlaser played Jones in behind Colwill and he crossed to Hackney at the near post to stab past Petrovic.
Palmer had two glorious opportunities to level in stoppage time when he spooned the ball over the top after Glover had spilled Enzo Fernandez’s shot from distance, and then failed to beat the keeper after cutting inside from the right.
The visitors remained patient on their return but largely played in front of Boro, who looked comfortable in their shape as they protected a precious advantage with little fuss.
Madueke headed straight at Glover from Fernandez’s 53rd-minute cross and then flashed the ball dangerously across goal after worming his way in from the right, and Gallagher fired wide on the turn eight minutes later amid relentless pressure.
Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja were introduced with little sign of an equaliser imminent and after Barlaser had shot high and wide from a pacy counter-attack, Glover needed two attempts to collect Mudryk’s 73rd-minute attempt.
However, that was as good as it got for Pochettino’s misfiring side, who have work to do on home soil in the deciding leg.
Falkirk stretched their lead at the top of cinch League One to 11 points after a 4-0 thrashing of third-placed Cove Rangers.
Callumn Morrison fired the Bairns on the way to their sixth-consecutive win two minutes before half-time, and Liam Henderson added a second shortly after the restart.
Morrison latched onto a ball from Aidan Nesbitt to hit Falkirk’s third from a tight angle after 65 minutes and Gary Oliver rammed home the fourth, two minutes from time.
The result means promotion-chasing Cove are now without a win in three games since last month’s 7-2 thrashing of Edinburgh City.
Tottenham have completed their first signing of the January transfer window with the loan addition of RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner.
Former Chelsea attacker Werner arrives on a six-month deal, which includes the option to make the transfer permanent in the summer.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou gave the green light to sign the 27-year-old with captain Son Heung-min set to miss the next month while at the Asian Cup with South Korea.
Werner returns to the Premier League with unfinished business after he endured a mixed spell at Chelsea, scoring 23 times in 89 appearances after a £54million move.
The Germany international did play a role in the Blues’ Champions League success in 2021 and will aim to rediscover his best form in London.
Werner left Chelsea two years ago to return to his former club Leipzig in a £25m switch and while he scored 16 times last season, opportunities have been limited under manager Marco Rose this term with only four starts in all competitions.
He is in line to make his Tottenham debut in this weekend’s away fixture at Manchester United and could extend his stay in N17 if the temporary switch proves to be a success.
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An option to make the transfer permanent for a fee between 15million and £20m euros has been included in the deal.
While Werner boasts an inconsistent record over the past few seasons, his versatility will provide greater options in attack for Postecoglou with the ex-Stuttgart forward able to play in a central role or on either wing.
Tottenham are also chasing the signature of Genoa’s Radu Dragusin.
Spurs stepped up talks with the Serie A club last week but face competition from Bayern Munich in their efforts to conclude a deal for the Romania centre-back before Sunday’s trip to Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, Djed Spence could head in the other direction after being offered to Genoa on a six-month loan, PA understands.
AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan is focused on winning more silverware ahead of the Coppa Italia quarter-final against Atalanta.
Maignan’s first season at the San Siro in 2021-22 ended with Milan winning their first Scudetto for 11 years.
But there was no sequel to Serie A glory last term as Milan finished the campaign empty-handed.
France international Maignan, who arrived in the summer of 2021 from Lille to replace Gianluigi Donnarumma, is determined to savour that winning feeling again.
“The atmosphere during the parade with all the fans, when we paraded through the city on the bus, was an extraordinary and unique moment,” Maignan told GQ Italia magazine about Milan’s 2022 title celebrations.
“At Milan I found incredible team-mates and fans. A family. Here I would like to win as many titles as possible.
“I don’t feel like a spectacular goalkeeper. I try to do things in the simplest way possible.
“My philosophy, also written on my gloves and boots, is ‘foi discipline travail patiente et humilite’.
“It means ‘faith, discipline, work, patience and humility’. This is my daily mentality.”
Milan are in a rich vein of form heading into the San Siro tie with Atalanta.
The last six games in all competitions for Stefano Pioli’s side have produced five wins and a draw.
Ivorian teenage Chaka Traore has scored in the last two games, wins over Cagliari and Empoli, as the 19-year-old has stepped up with Nigeria striker Samuel Chukwueze away on Africa Cup of Nations duty and Noah Okafor sidelined by injury.
Filippo Terracciano, the 20-year-old defender who this week signed from Hellas Verona on a four-and-a-half-year deal, said: “I noticed that many youngsters have been getting opportunities.
“I’ve been pleased to see many of them play and I hope to be able to play with them too.”
Atalanta were the last side to beat Milan on December 9 when Colombia striker Luis Muriel struck a 90th-minute winner in a 3-2 victory for the Bergamo side.
“Milan are third in the standings and at the moment they are strong at home,” said Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini.
“But we won against them a month ago and this can give us confidence to do it again.
“Football is perhaps the only sport where there is also a draw, but someone will have to come out on top here.
“Taking the Scudetto and the Europa League as unlikely, the Coppa Italia is the most attainable trophy for us.”
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