Anthony Joshua could be set for a return to the O2 Arena in late March if terms can finally be agreed with Joseph Parker.

Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn is increasingly ‘confident’ of a fight after weeks of discussions over the purse split.

Parker’s team initially demanded 40 per cent of the purse and are now calling for 35 per cent for the WBO champion amid a blaze of publicity stunts.

Hearn is refusing to go so high but said they are ‘closer’ and revealed that the unification bout, if it was to happen, would likely head to London’s O2 Arena, where the WBA and IBF champion has not fought since June 2016.

Hearn told Sportsmail: ‘We are certainly closer than we were. We have spoken a lot with their team and we are within touching distance, so it is just about getting all parties happy and agreed. I’m confident we will and the aim would be for the end of March.

‘The location could be the O2 and what a great return that would be. Our aim has always been for three fights in 2018 and that means March and the weather means going indoors.

‘The O2 has been great to AJ so it’s a strong possibility, if we can get everything else lined up.

‘I’m confident we will, so long as they are serious about wanting this fight.’

The concern for Joshua’s team is that Parker’s camp are using the talks to generate exposure and publicity for their fighter.

Earlier this week, the unbeaten New Zealander and his promoter, David Higgins, were part of a bizarre press conference that attempted to show Joshua’s fallibilities via footage of his earlier fights.

Hearn added: ‘Parker’s team have gone public in saying 65-35 and while I won’t say what our position is, I can say we are not far off on a deal that would be worth around five times Parker’s biggest purse.

‘He should take this; if he doesn’t he will face Lucas Browne which will virtually kill the chance of an AJ fight in 2018.’

Discreet talks remain ongoing with WBC champion Deontay Wilder, though that fight would be for later in the year in a stadium.

Sun

The German car manufacturer sponsor the Spanish giants and often provide the squad with the latest range of wheels.

And Ronaldo treated himself to the menacing Panther Black Rs7 Sportback edition after breaking his own Champions League record.

The Portuguese ace scored twice in the 6-0 thrashing of Apoel on Tuesday taking his total tally to 18 in this calendar year - more than any other player.

And his flashy car would cost the average buyer a whopping £150,000.

But that wasn't even the most expensive car to be dished out with Sergio Ramos taking that honour.

The Spanish centre back picked the R8 Spyder complete with a soft top roof and black alloy wheels - worth just over £200,000.

At the other end of the spectrum it was youngster Marcos Asensio who picked the cheapest... a Glacier White S5 Coupe worth £49,000.

Manager Zinedine Zidane picked a model very similar to Ronaldo's with a Daytona Gray RS6 Avant Performance.

By the the most popular car proved to be the luxury SUV with 14 players collecting the keys.

The Real Madrid players were then treated to Audi's Formula E simulator with Dani Carvajal coming out on top.

In August fellow European giants Bayern Munich had Audi supercars delivered for the 15th year in a row.

The German champions have been granted new motors from the car manufacturers of the same country every year since 2002.

The Sun

A top Russian senator says he has credible evidence of the United States plotting to "discredit" the 2018 World Cup his country is staging for the first time.

The claim came as Russia prepares to host the June 14-July 15 global showpiece in the heat of a diplomatic war with the West over disputes ranging from Ukraine and Syria to Moscow's alleged interference in the 2016 US presidential election.

The Federation Council upper house of parliament's new 'protection of state sovereignty commission' chief Andrei Klimov said: "The commission has received credible evidence showing that American government officials are directly steering their European colleagues into using the subject of sport to the utmost to discredit Russia in 2018.

AFP

Former Portsmouth and Everton forward Yakubu has exclusively told Sky Sports News that he is to retire from football.

The 35-year-old veteran striker, who also featured for Middlesbrough and Blackburn in a much-travelled career spanning 20 years, left League Two Coventry in April having made just three appearances for the Sky Blues.

Yakubu made 250 appearances in the Premier League, scoring 96 goals, and represented Nigeria at four Africa Cup of Nations and the 2010 World Cup.

He told Sky Sports News: "I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional football today.

"Firstly, I would like to thank God for the career I have had. I would like to thank the entire Nigerian Football Federation and my Nigerian national team-mates for all the memorable years I had playing for the Super Eagles.

"I would also like to thank all the football clubs I played for. The managers, all club staff, owners, fellow players and my dearest family and friends who immensely supported me throughout my career.

"When I started my career at Julius Berger in Nigeria all those years ago (1997) I could only have dreamt of the success that was to follow years after.

"Also playing in England especially helped me grow as a player and as a person so much that I am now settled here. I feel the time is right for me to now focus on the next chapter in my life."

Skysports

FIFA's ethics committee on Tuesday slapped lifetime bans on three former world football executives who have all pleaded guilty to corruption charges in US courts.

Rafael Esquivel, a former head of the Venezuelan Football Association, Nicaragua's Julio Rocha, a former FIFA development officer, and Richard Lai of Guam, who served on FIFA's auditing body, have all been barred from any further involvement in the sport.

"The adjudicatory chamber found Mr. Lai, Mr. Rocha and Mr. Esquivel guilty of having violated article 21 of the FIFA Code of Ethics," said a statement from the ethics watchdog of world football's governing body."The officials are banned for life from all football-related activities... at national and international level," it added.

The three are among the 42 officials and marketing executives who have been indicted by the US justice department as part of its sprawling probe into football corruption.

Qatar Tribune

Former Nigeria international Yakubu Aiyegbeni has announced his retirement from football.

The 35-year-old, who spent a decade playing in England for the likes of Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Everton, Leicester City, Blackburn Rovers and Reading, has been without a club since leaving Coventry City after just three games in April.

“I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional football today,” he told SkySports.

“Firstly, I would like to thank God for the career I have had. I would like to thank the entire Nigerian Football Federation and my Nigerian national team-mates for all the memorable years I had playing for the Super Eagles.

“I would also like to thank all the football clubs I played for. The managers, all club staff, owners, fellow players and my dearest family and friends who immensely supported me throughout my career.

“When I started my career at Julius Berger in Nigeria all those years ago (1997) I could only have dreamt of the success that was to follow years after.

“Also playing in England especially helped me grow as a player and as a person so much that I am now settled here. I feel the time is right for me to now focus on the next chapter in my life.”

Yakubu played over 50 games for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, with his debut coming in a 4-0 2002 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win against Eritrea.

He featured at the 2000 Olympics, in four Afcons, and at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, having been overlooked for the tournament in Germany four years earlier.