■ENGLAND
Pennant reluctant to move
Liverpool have accepted an undisclosed bid for out-of-favor Jermaine Pennant from Portsmouth, but the former Arsenal and Birmingham City winger is reluctant to move to the south coast. Pennant, who cost Liverpool £6.7 million (US$9.9 million) when he joined them from Birmingham in 2006, has also attracted interest from Real Madrid and AC Milan. But he insists that he wants to stay at Liverpool. “My preference is to stay at Liverpool and I am still hoping to do so,” Pennant said. “There has been a lot of speculation about my future, but I have always maintained my position of wanting to stay at the club. I am happy to compete for my place and hope I am given the chance to do so.”
■GERMANY
City make offer for de Jong
Manchester City have made a bid to buy Netherlands midfielder Nigel de Jong from Hamburg SV, the German club said on Friday. It did not provide any details of the offer, which German media have estimated at around 15 million euros (US$20 million). “City have had contact with us, they have expressed an interest and have submitted an offer,” Hamburg’s sports chief Dietmar Beiersdorfer told reporters at the team’s training camp in Spain’s La Manga. De Jong, whose contract with Hamburg expires next year, confirmed he had received an offer and said he still had two weeks to decide before the transfer window closes. “I have to see what’s best for me,” said De Jong, who joined the Bundesliga club in 2006 from Dutch side Ajax.
■PORTUGAL
Makukula loaned to Bolton
Portugal international Aziza Makukula of Benfica has been loaned to Bolton Wanderers until the end of the season, the top Portuguese club said on Friday, after a move to West Bromwich Albion fell through. The Benfica club added, in a statement on Portuguese financial site CMVM, that there would also be an option to buy the 27-year-old striker for 5 million euros (US$6.6 million). Benfica said: “An agreement has been agreed with Bolton for the loan of Aziza Makukula until the end of the season, an agreement which also has an option to buy for 5 million euros.” The West Brom deal did not succeed because Makukula did not want to join a club that was bottom of the Premier League.
■ENGLAND
Manucho joins the Tigers
Manchester United striker Manucho is joining Hull City on loan for the rest of the season. The 25-year-old Angola international, who spent part of last season on loan at Panathinaikos, has made one Premier League appearance for United. Hull, who have scored just three goals in their last six matches, secured a work permit for Manucho and put him in their squad for yesterday’s Premier League match against Arsenal. The Tigers also remain hopeful of completing the signing of former Liverpool right-back Steve Finnan from Espanyol.
■ENGLAND
Stanley keeper arrested
Accrington Stanley goalkeeper Ian Dunbavin has been arrested, police said on Friday, in connection with the bar brawl allegedly involving England international Steven Gerrard. Gerrard is accused of assaulting DJ Marcus McGee, who then claimed people accompanying Gerrard hit him while he was on the ground. Liverpool midfielder Gerrard is on bail having being charged with assault in a Southport bar on Dec. 29. He appears in court on Friday. Gerrard could technically face up to five years in jail for the offense.
Taiwan kept their hopes of advancing to next year’s World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Saturday, backed by solid pitching. Taiwan last night played against Nicaragua. As of press time, Nicaragua was leading 6-0. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan on Saturday kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen struck out one and allowed no hits, except for a hit-by-pitch over
Taiwan kept its hopes of advancing to the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alive with a 9-1 victory over South Africa in a qualifier at the Taipei Dome last night, backed by solid pitching. Bouncing back from Friday’s struggles on the mound, when Taiwanese pitchers surrendered 15 runs to Spain, Team Taiwan kept the visiting team in check, allowing just one run in the bottom of the fourth inning. The win was crucial for Taiwan, as a loss would have eliminated the team from contention for the next WBC. Starting pitcher Sha Tzu-chen (沙子宸) struck out one and allowed no hits, except for
Team Taiwan are set to face Spain in a win-or-go-home match tonight for the final berth at the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC), despite losing to Nicaragua 6-0 in the WBC qualifier at the Taipei Dome on Sunday. The home team’s loss on Sunday means Nicaragua finish first in the qualifier round in Taipei with a perfect 3-0 record and advances to next year’s finals. After crushing South Africa 9-1 earlier on Sunday, Spain took second place in the four-team qualifier with a 2-1 record. With a 1-2 record, Taiwan finished third while South Africa placed at the bottom with
Team Taiwan avoided missing the World Baseball Classic (WBC) for the first time by defeating Spain 6-3 in a do-or-die game in Taipei last night. After narrowly escaping a mercy-rule loss to Spain in the WBC Qualifiers opener on Friday last week, the home team — winner of last year's WBSC Premier12 title three months ago — got their revenge against the 2023 European champions at Taipei Dome. "It felt quite different from when we won the Premier12," Taiwan captain Chen Chieh-hsien (陳傑憲) said after the game, recalling the ups and downs the team has experienced over the past few days. Unlike in
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