As reported by Foot Mercato, OGC Nice have made Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar their main transfer target to strengthen their midfield during the final week of the summer window.

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Aouar has long seen varied interest over a move away from Lyon after he turned down a €50m move to Arsenal two summers ago but concrete offers have rarely materialised. However, the 24-year-old was close to joining newly-promoted Premier League side Nottingham Forest who still haven’t completely given up Aouar with the move “on stand-by” after talks fell apart. Leicester City were also pushing to sign the France international this summer as were Real Betis.

Despite being Nice coach Lucien Favre’s priority, the Swiss has asked his club to do all they can to sign Aouar, Les Aiglons’ approach will be tough to see through with OL keen not to sell the player to a direct rival despite him having just one year left on his Lyon contract. Aouar has been indecisive over his future this summer and was reportedly waiting for Premier League interest with OL’s €15m valuation a 75% decrease on their 2020 demands.

According to Santi Aouna OGC Nice attacker Amine Gouiri and his entourage prefers a move to Rennes over a return to former club Lyon. The French journalist reports that  Lyon’s interest in Gouiri is not reciprocated by the player. Gouiri reportedly wasn’t happy with how the club treated him before his departure having never had a chance to shine for OL.

The 22-year-old attacker left Lyon in 2020 having struggled for game time after graduating from the club’s academy but OL are keen to undo what many fans saw as a mistake, especially considering a thrilling first season and a half for the Frenchman at Nice. However, it would have been a costly move for OL with Nice demanding €30m to allow the player to leave the Allianz Riviera despite reportedly frosty relations with new coach Lucien Favre.

Gouiri has many offers with Rennes (a club which Aouna reports would be more favourable for Gouiri and his entourage)  in talks with Nice over an audacious player trade involving their striker Gaëtan Laborde while the player and his entourage are investigating a move to the Premier League with English clubs sounded out in recent days.

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Fly-half Johnny Sexton has announced that he will be fit for the start of the Six Nations, providing a huge boost for Ireland head coach Andy Farrell.

The playmaker suffered a broken cheekbone on New Year’s Day when he collided with Connacht’s Jarrad Butler.

Sexton had surgery to correct the issue but missed the Irish province’s Champions Cup victories over Gloucester and Racing 92.

There were concerns that he would be absent for Ireland’s Six Nations opener against Wales, but the 37-year-old has allayed those fears.

The Masked Sexton

“(I’m) good to go; I was training last week, just had a funny face mask on,” he said.

“Keep that on this week in training and it comes off next week, so good to go next week.

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“At the time the European games were at the forefront of my mind. When you figure out you’re not going to be able to play in them, the Six Nations then (comes to mind).

“But from early doors, the surgeon and the doctor they were fine and just said it’s probably the best injury to have on your face, so that was nice to know!

“If you could pick one bone, pick that one.”

Sexton is undoubtedly the country’s first choice fly-half, with either Ross Byrne or Jack Crowley stepping in should the Ireland centurion not be available.

Crowley and Byrne have got in over Munster’s first choice pivot Joey Carbery, who was a surprise omission from Farrell’s initial squad named last Thursday.

Good form

“I understand it (the reaction) because it’s not as though he’s been playing poorly, his form has been pretty good,” the head coach said of Carbery.

“But there’s been a bit of feedback, like we do with a lot of players who didn’t make the squad, and Joey understands that.

“Ross Byrne has been getting feedback for the last couple of years and couldn’t get in the room.

“He’s improved on things we’ve been asking of him, so he gets the chance to see whether he can convert to the international stage, he’s earned the right to be able to do that

“And 100 per cent Joey will be working away hard to get back in.

“Everyone has some improvement in them; Johnny is top of the tree as far as his career is concerned but he’ll be the first to tell you he’s got things to work on, so everyone has.

“It’s a great place for us to be. A little bit of depth, a little bit of competition, people fighting to be part of this Irish squad.”

Owen Farrell could miss England's Six Nations opener against Scotland next month after being cited for a dangerous tackle during Saracens' 19-16 Premiership win over Gloucester.The Saracens fly-half, 31, is in line to start for England in Steve Borthwick's first game in charge, against Scotland at Twickenham on February 4.CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR EARLY BIRD AND HOSPITALITY TICKETS FOR THE HSBC SYDNEY SEVENSBut he could be sidelined following what appeared to be a high, shoulder-led charge on Gloucester replacement Jack Clement near the end of a tense encounter at Kingsholm on Friday, where Farrell landed a winning drop-goal with the last kick of the game.A statement issued Monday by England's governing Rugby Football Union on Monday said Farrell had been cited for "dangerous tackling".He will now face a disciplinary hearing at 1830 GMT on Tuesday.Match referee Karl Dickson took no on-field action against Farrell, after what appeared to be a miscommunication with the T|V match official. But citing commissioner James Hall has ruled Farrell, appointed England captain by former coach Eddie Jones, does have a case to answer after the stand-off's shoulder made contact with Clement's chin.Mid-range dangerous tackles, including contact to the head, come with a six-week ban, which can be halved with a good disciplinary record. Suspensions can also be reduced if offenders agree to undergo a course in improving their tackling technique.Farrell was banned for five games in 2020 following a high tackle on Wasps player Charlie Atkinson, and questions about his technique have been raised before, notably when he escaped sanction for a shoulder charge on South Africa's Andre Esterhuizen at Twickenham in 2018.Punishments for suspensions incurred at domestic level in rugby union can also be applied to international matches.Farrell's hearing created another headache for Borthwick, among the crowd at Kingsholm, following injuries to back-row Tom Curry and hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.  Asked about the Clement incident, Saracens rugby director Mark McCall said after the match: "I was pitchside for the last three or four minutes, so I haven't seen it yet."I have heard there is a potential high tackle that I will have to look at."Gloucester coach George Skivington said: "It is really tricky to comment on it. I don't want to end up in a judiciary myself, so I have to keep shtum. I will just say that consistency across games will be good."Click Here: Edinson Cavani jersey sale

Dave Rennie is looking for Reds duo James O'Connor and Suliasi Vunivalu to push their way into contention via Super Rugby as the Wallabies begin preparations for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.Rennie has assembled a 44-player squad on the Gold Coast for the week, with the high-profile backs the major omissions.CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR EARLY BIRD AND HOSPITALITY TICKETS FOR THE HSBC SYDNEY SEVENS“It’s the advantage of a lot of injuries I guess, we’ve used a lot of players last year and there’s more competition for places now which is really good," he told reporters“We’ve got a couple of guys who would normally be in Japan recovering from long term injuries so it’s nice to have Quade and Samu in here.“…It’s a massive year, it’s exciting. We’re going to light a fire over the next couple of days and work hard that we head up north in the best possible condition to play our best footy over the last four years.”O'Connor was one of five flyhalves selected to start in 2022, however, found himself dropped from the squad altogether after a thumping defeat in Argentina.An ankle injury ended his season early, with Rennie impressed with how the 32-year-old has applied himself to rehab.“I had a good chat to ‘Rabs’ prior to us announcing the team," he revealed. "He’s come back from injury, back training fully and actually in really good nick running quicker than we’ve seen over the past couple of years.“He looks sharper so his focus is playing good Super Rugby and putting pressure on us to select him in the camp in April. That’s the message we’ve given to a number of fringe players."As for Vunivalu, Rennie pointed to the importance of providing the repeat efforts that have helped the likes of Nark Nawaqanitawase break out at Test level.“Suli has got really clear messages,” he explained. “We need to see him run fast. We need to see him open up and repeat of speed efforts. We know his ability aerially is excellent. He needs to put in good performances at Super (Rugby) level. He had a couple of runs with Australia A and needs to build on it."What we saw from Mark Nawaqanitawase is a man who’s equally good (as Vunivalu) aerially, but is good all over the park. His speed and repeat speed was excellent as was his post-tackle work and his defensive work“He grabbed his opportunity and played the best three games of his life at Test level. The challenge for him now is to make sure that he comes in and wants to be better. That’s the message he’ll get over the next couple of days.”The Wallabies boss also confirmed Taniela Tupou was unlikely to feature in Super Rugby Pacific, with the priority maximising his game-time heading into the Rugby Championship.“We’ll take over his recovery. He’ll still have a role to play at the Reds but not on the playing field," Rennie added.“…The first avenue (for his return) will be club Rugby, which I’m sure will excite Brothers. We plan on having a couple of Australia A games potentially. We’re just looking for the chance to get some footy into him.“Hopefully he recovers a little quicker and he can play the back end of Super Rugby.”Click Here: Virgil van Dijk Jersey Sale

As reported by L’Équipe, PSG are plotting a late transfer window swoop for Valencia’s Spanish midfielder Carlos Soler.

The 25-year-old Spain international (nine caps, three goals) has just one year left on his current contract at Valencia and his availability this summer is considered a major market opportunity by the Paris club. PSG see the player as more of a creator than an organising midfielder and he would be part of the midfield rotation within the squad say the sports daily.

Talks have already opened over a move with the transfer window closing on Thursday, just two days from now, but the PSG leadership are hoping to close the deal very quickly. A transfer fee of just over €15m is being discussed between the parties.

The central midfielder has played 225 senior games for the La Liga outfit having graduated from the club’s youth system. In that time he’s provided 36 goals and 31 assists across all competitions.

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L’Équipe affirm that Premier League side Leicester City have honed in on Belgian international central defender Wout Fees as a replacement for Wesley Fofana, who is joining Chelsea for more than €85m.

The Foxes have scouted the 24-year-old Stade de Reims defender heavily over several months and Faes has been removed from the SDR squad to face Angers during this mid-week as a result of his imminent transfer.

The deal thrashed out between Reims and Leicester is that Faes will make the move for €20m including bonuses, where he will sign a 5-year contract with LCFC.

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Stormers and Springboks scrum-half Herschel Jantjies is delighted to be fit again and determined to take his game up a notch during the rest of 2023.

Jantjies spent the last month on the sidelines with a rib injury but made a try-scoring return after coming off the bench for the Cape Town-based franchise during their home victory over Clermont Auvergne in the Champions Cup last week.

Key player for the Stormers

The 26-year-old was a key player during the Stormers’ victorious 2021/22 United Rugby Championship (URC) campaign, but injuries have limited him to just five appearances in that competition this season.

“Missing out on a few games at home and on tour due to injury has been really frustrating,” Jantjies told the Stormers’ official website. “In saying that, it gave me some time to reflect and make sure I am still on the right path.

“Last week’s game was very special and I think the way we came back from our first half performance shows what we stand for as the DHL Stormers and hopefully says something about the standards that we set for ourselves.”

Jantjies will start amongst the replacements when the Stormers resume their URC campaign against Ulster at the Kingspan Stadium on Friday, as the champions aim to return to winning ways in the tournament after losing their previous match against Glasgow Warriors at Scotstoun on January 8.

With the likes of captain Steven Kitshoff and fellow Springbok prop Frans Malherbe not included in the Stormers squad for the trip to Ulster, Jantjies will have a key role to play as one of the senior players in a relatively inexperienced team which includes youngsters like Suleiman Hartzenberg and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who are aged 19 and 20 respectively.

“I think with the long season, it’s good for the boys [Kitshoff and Malherbe] to get a bit of a breather! We need them firing when it’s crunch time,” he said.

“I really enjoy the challenge of leadership, it’s always great to contribute in whatever way possible. I am in a very fortunate position and am definitely very blessed to be seen in a leadership position, and my number one priority is to lead with my performances and the way that I carry myself between the four lines. The rest of the stuff is purely a bonus.”

The previous match between the Stormers and Ulster was last season’s tightly contested semi-final in Cape Town, when an injury-time conversion from Manie Libbok sealed a memorable win for the home side.

Jantjies expects a tougher challenge for the Stormers in their first visit to Kingspan Stadium.

“Ulster will be a different monster in the sense that they are at home and are used to the conditions and the fact that they are playing in front of what will hopefully be a packed home crowd for them,” he added.

Eyeing World Cup spot with Springboks

Although Jantjies was delighted to cross the whitewash against Clermont, he is determined to grow his game as he aims to be included in South Africa‘s squad when they defend their title at the Rugby World Cup in France later this year.

“Tries are always fun and contributing in any way possible is what it’s all about,” he said. “It was a step in the right direction and for me, it’s always been about chasing myself and trying to improve and adapt.

“Sometimes things don’t go your way, but I believe that if I keep working hard and keep on trying, things will eventually go my way. The goal now is to work even harder and to make sure my name is with no doubt on that World Cup list.”

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The son of legendary All Blacks and Blues fly-half Carlos Spencer, Payton, marked his New Zealand Sevens debut with two tries against Uruguay on Friday.

Spencer, 18, grabbed a brace and set up another try in the 45-7 victory as the All Blacks Sevens opened their tournament account in decent style in Sydney.

Carter to Spencer

His first score came from another familiar name, Carter, but Leroy is no relation to Dan, with Spencer showing his pace as he breezed under the uprights.

The youngster looked very much at home at senior level as his first tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series illustrated what potential the player has.

That impressive try on three minutes was followed by Spencer assisting Brady Rush’s score four minutes into the second half as New Zealand pulled away.

Like father, like son 💫

Payton Spencer grabs his first try for @nz_sevens! 👊

The son of former All Black Carlos Spencer #Sydney7s | #HSBC7s pic.twitter.com/lkWXvu1kYU

— World Rugby 7s (@WorldRugby7s) January 27, 2023

Spencer was not done there though, as he again showed his pace to claim his second try before Akuila Rokolisoa went over for the final score of the game.

“Not bad at all. I wasn’t expecting to score any, let alone two so yeah it is neat,” Spencer told the All Blacks Sevens Twitter account after his debut effort.

“It all feels quite magical at the moment to say the least so it’s amazing, (I feel) privileged,” he added following a special first run-out to his Sevens career.

Two tries on debut –
Click Here: Fjallraven Kanken Art Spring Landscape Backpacksnot bad aye, Payton?#Sydney7s | #HSBC7s pic.twitter.com/Vsv7QHqvC3

— NZ Sevens (@nz_sevens) January 27, 2023

Carlos Spencer played for the All Blacks 44 times, scoring 383 points, with his mercurial talent keeping supporters on the edge of their seat during games.

It appears that Payton is a chip off the old block as he starts his senior career on the Sevens circuit, with a move to XVs no doubt soon on the horizon.

The All Blacks Sevens, who are atop World Rugby’s Sevens Series table, are keen to respond from last week’s loss in the final to Argentina in Hamilton.

Sharni Williams has got the 2024 Olympics firmly in her sights as the Sevens legend reflects on a whirlwind 12 months.The 34-year-old became just the second Australian alongside Charlotte Caslick to win at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Rugby Sevens World Cup and the World Series as the team completed the 'Triple Crown' in 2022.HSBC SYDNEY SEVENS TICKET FINAL RELEASE: GET YOUR TICKETS TO RUGBY’S BIGGEST PARTY NOW!This was coupled with a brief stint with the Wallaroos, guiding them to their best result since 2010.“Taking all three was something to be really proud as an Aussie but even for Rugby, it isn’t our top sport here in Australia and we need to get it back on the map," Williams said“I think we can hold ourselves really proud of all our efforts last year.”Williams will be 36 at the Paris Games but has shown no sign of slowing down, named Player of the Final during September's Sevens World Cup in Cape Town.“It’s not out of my reach at all,” she believes.“Being respectful of the team, I’m still up there with the top girls so I’ll continue to put my foot out there and give everything for that.“The story I’ve been able to write already is something this little country kid could never have thought of.“If it ends, it ends and we’ll call it quits but I’m just enjoying every moment because you don’t know when it’s going to happen.”You'd struggle to find a teammate with a bad word to say about Williams.Whilst she doesn't lead them out anymore, the stalwart is a key leader in a youthful squad that cherish and absorb every piece of wisdom she delivers.“Without her, there is a bit of a hole. When she wasn’t around on 15s, we were all standing around like ‘we’re missing something’ and as soon as she came back, the team felt grounded again,” Madison Ashby notes.“She makes sure she is the hardest worker in her position and she told me how she studies herself and every single one of us players to know how we play so she can play off us.“She does all her recovery and food right outside of footy which I reckon is helping her now. When she plays with us, she brings that different dynamic that us young girls aren’t able to bring yet.“Sharni has that experience and humility that makes our team who we are.”“We say she's like a bottle of wine, she gets finer with age,” fellow young gun Maddison Levi said.“I’m 20, been in the program for a year and my body is already aching and tired (laughs) but for her to go for so many years and put on a show and still make Dream Teams, she’s one of the driving forces of our team.“To have her still playing is an inspiration for the younger ones and makes me look like a sook after complaining after one year. She definitely helps us and the knowledge she has learnt over the years has helped our team continue to grow. “It’s pretty exciting to see if she can still do at 34, what we can do.”Williams took time to praise the influence of Head of Athletic Performance Tom Carter and soon-to-be wife Mel in keeping her fresh and continuing to hit personal bests on and off the field.“It’s about being ok with yourself," she believes“I do a lot of work on myself and with my family and soon-to-be-wife Mel, she’s my number one person and I can confide to her in everything and she’s able to get me through. “I’ve got some great people and support around me like Tommy Carter (Head of Athletic Performance) changing my whole game and physique, (Tim) Walshy trusting me and keeping me from 2016 as we reminisce on a gold medal and wanting to do it again.“It’s not just me on my own, there are people around me that are helping me live this dream and succeed. They will be the people that will be and always are thanked at the end of a tournament when you’ve had either a win and success or you’re down in the dumps, they’re the ones who cop it.”When asked why she keeps going, the answer is simple.“Because I love it," Wiliams adds“It’s given me my identity, it makes me who I am at the moment. We talk about limits in life and we put limits on ourselves and everyone puts that age card on you but that’s just a number. Life is short and when you’re retired, you’re retired. At the moment, it’s trusting and believing in myself and my support system.”Click Here: soccer jersey sale