Appointments, sackings and loans
“It’s fantastic news for Fenerbahce...I think he can
be the piece of the puzzle to make them even
more of a threat to win the Turkish league”
Mesut Ozil’s former manager Arsene Wenger speaks tobeIN SPORTSabout the playmaker’s move to TurkeyEUROPE
Former Swansea City and Wales
captainASHLEY WILLIAMSannounced
his retirement aged 36, as did former
Borussia Dortmund utility manKEVIN
GROSSKREUTZ.Arsenal released centre-back
SOKRATIS PAPASTATHOPOULOS,
who only days later signed a two-year
deal with Greek champions Olympiakos.Belgian side Cercle Brugge sacked
coachPAUL CLEMENTafter the club
claimed just one win in13 games.English Championship outfit
Cardiff City sackedNEIL HARRISand
replaced him withMICK McCARTHY
until the end of the season.CONCACAF
Former New York Red Bulls, Inter
Miami, Kaiserslautern and United States
goalkeeperLUIS ROBLESannounced
his retirement, ending a14-year career.ASIA
RAFAEL BENITEZleft his job as
coach of Dalian Professional in China
after18 months in charge.GRAZIANO
PELLEleft Shandong Luneng, where
he was one of the world’s highest-paid
players, to join Parma.USA strikerJORDAN MORRISleft
Seattle Sounders to join Championship
high-flyers Swansea on loan for the rest
of the season, while Roma snapped
up promising right-backBRYAN
REYNOLDSon loan from FC Dallas.
Marseille andJuventus exchanged
two promising young players, with
wingerMARLEY AKEheading to Turin
and midfielderFRANCO TONGYA
joining the French club.
Manchester United sent out several
players on loan, includingJESSE
LINGARD(West Ham),FACUNDO
PELLISTRI(Alaves) andTAHITH
CHONG(Club Brugge). Bayern Munich
loaned outCHRIS RICHARDSto
Hoffenheim andJOSHUA ZIRKZEEto
Parma, whileSEBASTIANO ESPOSITO
joined Venezia on loan from Inter.
Bundesliga strugglers Schalke signed
SHKODRAN MUSTAFIandKLAAS-
JAN HUNTELAARon free transfers
from Arsenal and Ajax respectively.
Southampton signed Liverpool
forwardTAKUMI MINAMINOon loan,
before shipping out strikerSHANE
LONGon loan to Bournemouth.
Bordeaux and Fulham exchanged
loanees, withJOSH MAJAmoving to
London andJEAN MICHAEL SERI
heading back to France.
Highly-rated QPR wingerBRIGHT
OSAYI-SAMUELjoined Fenerbahce,
shortly before the Turkish club also
confirmed the signing of playmaker
MESUT OZILfrom Arsenal.
After ten years at Chelsea and several
spells on loan to clubs in Spain, Germany,
Netherlands, Portugal and Italy,LUCAS
PIAZONleft permanently for Braga.Former Manchester United midfielder
SHINJI KAGAWAjoined Greek side
PAOK. He was without a club since his
release from Real Zaragoza in October.SOUTH AMERICA
MARCOS ROJOleft Manchester
United to return to Argentina and join
Buenos Aires giants BocaJuniors.HULKjoined Brazilian Serie A
side Atletico Mineiro after his contract
expired with Chinese Super League
club Shanghai SIPG.Colombia appointed Chile coach
REINALDO RUEDAas their new boss,
replacing the sacked Carlos Quieroz.CONCACAF
Chicago Fire agreed for17-year-old
ColombianJHON JADER DURAN
to join the club from Envigado next
January, making him the youngest
international signing in MLS history.
LISANDRO LOPEZjoined Atlanta
United from Racing in Argentina, and
Vancouver Whitecaps signedDEIBER
CAICEDOfrom Deportivo Cali.PHIL NEVILLEreplaced Diego
Alonso as Inter Miami coach, Toronto
installedCHRIS ARMASas their new
boss and D.C. United appointed
HERNAN LOSADA.GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
Released...SokratisBack at Schalke...Huntelaar
Euro 2016
hero...Ashley
WilliamsBye-bye
Benitez...Rafa
leaves ChinaNew club...Shinji Kagawa