Looking for Soccer News?

Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger has admitted that he would consider returning to the club, but he does not believe that will be required.

The Frenchman, currently FIFA's chief of global football development, oversaw a golden era for the club during a reign that stretched from 1996 until 2018.

Since his departure, Arsenal have struggled to compete for top honours under Unai Emery and now Mikel Arteta.

With the club 13th in the Premier League, the Spaniard finds himself under pressure, despite successive wins over Chelsea and Brighton during the Christmas period.

“If I’m needed, I will help them, but I don’t expect that, no,” Wenger told NBC Sports.

While Wenger continues to be frustrated by the manner in which his exit from the club was handled, he does not expect the feeling to last.

“Time is a good doctor, you know,” he said.

Wenger became synonymous with the club during his spell in charge, during which he won the Premier League title on three occasions and led the club to the FA Cup seven times. The Frenchman also helped the Gunners to the 2006 Champions League final.

While the current crop appear some distance from that standard, he has backed Arteta in the past as the man to turn their fortunes around.

Speaking to TalkSport in October, he said: “Mikel had passion for the game and big motivation, and good focus and a desire to do well. You could see the ingredients there, and he had a grip and influence on the other players.

“He’s lucky that straight away he got into a big club, in a position where you normally have to work ten years to get in that position, but because he played for the club and was a good player, he got his chance. I wish him well.

“I left the club in a position for my followers to do better and the club now has the financial resources to win the championship.”

Meanwhile, the north London club will travel to face Sam Allardyce’s West Brom on Sunday before an FA Cup clash with Newcastle next Saturday.

Aishi Manula is optimistic Simba SC will get the result they need to eliminate FC Platinum from the Caf Champions League.

Wekundu wa Msimbazi lost the first leg of the second preliminary round by a solitary goal scored by Perfect Chikwende in the 17th minute. However, the Taifa Star believes the Tanzania Mainland League champions has a chance of making it to the group stage owing to several factors favouring them.

"Everybody is aware that we are trailing by a solitary goal," Manula told Championi on Friday, "but we still have a big chance of qualifying to the group stage of the competition by getting the result we need.

"We will be playing at home here in Dar es Salaam which makes it a little easier."

The Msimbazi-based side have played two games recently. They defeated Majimaji FC 5-0 in the FA Cup fifth round before defeating Ihefu FC 4-0 in the league assignment.

The custodian has explained what the win means to his team ahead of the crucial game that will be played on Wednesday, January 6.

"I believe the two results from our recent games have boosted our confidence," Manula continued, "and with the support of our fans and Tanzanians at large in the country, we will qualify for the group stage of the competition."

Meanwhile, coach Sven Vandenbroeck believes Said Ndemla has the potential to fill the void left by Jonas Mkude in the midfield.

The latter is suspended owing to disciplinary issues. In his absence, the former has impressed and played a crucial role in helping the 21-time league champions defeat Majimaji and Ihefu respectively.

"Ndemla has been outstanding in his role for the team," the Belgian said regarding the midfielder. "We gave him a role of playing as a defensive midfielder and he has executed his duties well.

"It gives me an easy time as we prepare for the second leg game against FC Platinum," he added. "I know we have someone who can play well in the defensive midfield position."

Platinum come into the match aware that a draw of any kind is the easiest way of securing passage to the group stage of the competition.

Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane wants contract renewals sorted quickly for Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos and Lucas Vazquez, which he views as a higher priority than any move for David Alaba.

While Zidane is keeping his focus on La Liga, where Madrid trail Atletico Madrid by two points, the need to bring in a player of Alaba's calibre would become urgent if a new contract for Ramos was not agreed.

The PSG-linked skipper, Luka Modric and Lucas Vazquez are all free agents, like Alaba, in June 2021.

"Yes, we all want [contracts to be signed]," Zidane said. "We want the situation to be sorted as quickly as possible. It's in everyone's interests, it would be good for everyone, so hopefully it can be sorted out quickly."

However, Zidane is not entertaining speculation about transfer talks with Alaba as Real Madrid battle to defend their title.

Bayern Munich defender Alaba is out of contract in Germany at the end of the season and negotiations over an extension have so far proved fruitless for the European champions.

The Austria international has been mooted as a target for Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain as well as Madrid.

Alaba was a key part of the Bayern team that won the Champions League last season.

However, since the start of 2019-20, he has committed four errors leading to shots in the competition, a joint-high among defenders. None of these have resulted in goals, while Madrid's Raphael Varane has made the same number of mistakes but been punished on all four occasions.

Alaba's statistics over this period are very similar to Varane's, playing 13 games to his 14 and having 29 fewer touches and seven fewer successful passes. Varane is also just four tackles, two blocks, five clearances and seven interceptions ahead of his counterpart.

Rather than being signed as a competitor to Varane, though, Alaba could partner the World Cup winner as talismanic Madrid captain Sergio Ramos approaches his 35th birthday.

Either way, the speculation does not interest head coach Zidane, who said ahead of facing Celta Vigo: "We've got all our players here. I'm just thinking about the game tomorrow with the players that I have here.

"Then maybe you're going to ask me about the players that are playing a lot or not playing a lot. We have 22 players, 25 with the goalkeepers, a very big squad.

"We have enough to think about with the games that we have not to be thinking about players that aren't even ours. Please, we're thinking just about the game tomorrow."

Ghanaian players have not been left out as the world celebrates New Year's Day.

With technology connecting the world now more than ever, many have taken to social media to share their well-wishes and hopes for 2021.

While Ghana and Chelsea legend Michael Essien kept it simple with his message which reads: "Happy New Year to You All", Black Stars and Vitoria Guimaraes left-back Gideon Mensah offered something more elaborate.

"Let the old year end and the New Year begin with the warmest of Aspirations, Hope and more of God's unending Favour and Grace. HAPPY NEW YEAR to us all!!!," the full-back Tweeted.

Besiktas midfielder Bernard Mensah wrote: "I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone who have supported me till now. I wish you all a happy New Year... May God bless you all."

Below are messages from some more players including former Inter Milan and Juventus man Kwadwo Asamoah and Columbus Crew captain Jonathan Mensah:

Tottenham head coach Jose Mourinho has claimed that the 2020-21 Premier League season has been “wrong” since before a ball had been kicked, citing unfairness in the fact that both Manchester teams began their campaigns with a game in hand.

The worldwide coronavirus crisis has forced governing bodies to squeeze in a full term's worth of matches into a shortened time span, with a covid-enforced break midway through 2020 seeing last season spill over as the Premier League endeavoured to play out the remaining matches.

Coupled with that, European duties saw Manchester United and Manchester City return late for the already delayed 2020-21 campaign and Mourinho believes that having an additional game to play meant the season was already in disarray before it had even started.

“It's a special season with special circumstances,” the Spurs boss told a press conference on Friday. “We have to say it's going to be fair because if not it's better not to be involved. I believe that even from before the season started, it started immediately in the wrong way. Because to start the season with two clubs having a match in hand, it's immediately a wrong start.

“The season started in September and only in the last week of December we were informed about when these two matches were going to be played. Now it's about many other matches, or a few more. There are lots of things that are not right, but it is what it is, it's what it's possible to have. When you say it's fair or not fair, we have to say it's fair.”

Another of Mourinho's gripes was the fact that his team's recent match against covid-hit Fulham was postponed less than three hours before kick-off, a decision that the Portuguese has labelled “unprofessional” due to the tardy manner in which it was handled having an affect on his players.

“ I don't want to speak too much about it,” he said. “Just to say I felt unprofessional, but that is the way it was. We were preparing ourselves for that match and of course we didn't play and that is disruptive of what is a week of work.

“The training sessions before that would be different if we weren't going to play that game. People can think it was good for me that there was no game, but only good for me if I knew there was no game because then I could have had a different cycle in the training sessions.

“Not to play and not to train like we would have liked in the days before does not help.”

Turning his attention to the January transfer window, Mourinho admitted that he does not expect any business to be done as teams across the world struggle to make ends meet following the financial instability caused by the pandemic.

“Time are not easy,” Mourinho said. “The club made a big effort in the summer to try and build a good squad. Honestly if something good happened to us it would be a big surprise for me. I don't feel the right to ask for something.”

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen has returned positive for coronavirus, his Italian club confirmed on Friday evening.

The Nigeria international returned to Naples on Thursday having been away to Lagos for the yuletide break.

On arrival, the former Lille and Royal Charleroi star was subjected to the compulsory Covid-19 PCR test and his Serie A outfit disclosed that Osimhen posted a positive result.

Fortunately, he had not met with any member of Gennaro Gattuso’s squad, and the goal machine is now set to remain in quarantine for some days.

“Napoli report that footballer Victor Osimhen tested positive for the molecular naso-pharyngeum swab on his return from abroad yesterday afternoon. The player is asymptomatic and has not met the team group,” the club posted on Twitter.

Since dislocating his shoulder in November 2020 while in action for Nigeria in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Sierra Leone, the most expensive African footballer ever has been on the sidelines.

In the process, he has missed action against AC Milan, Rijeka, AS Roma, AZ Alkmaar, Crotone, Real Sociedad, Sampdoria, Inter Milan, Lazio and Torino.

Since his big money from the French elite division to Italy in August, the Super Eagle has made eight appearances for Gattuso's side and he has two goals to his name in Serie A.

In his absence, the Blues have won just four of their ten matches in all competitions, and they are ranked fifth on the Serie A table with 25 points from 13 matches.

Osimhen will be unavailable when the Stadio San Paolo giants travel to Stadio Is Arenas for Sunday’s fixture versus Cagliari and looks set to miss the entire fixtures in January as he bids to clear himself of the virus before getting back to his rehabilitation programme.

The fleet-footed striker rose to fame while featuring for Nigeria at the 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup staged in Chile.

There, he propelled Emmanuel Amuneke’s side to a record fifth world title, while his dazzling performances earned him the Silver Ball award behind compatriot Kelechi Nwakali. He also walked home with the Golden Boot prize after finding the net on ten occasions.

Chelsea have been boosted by the news that Hakim Ziyech is back in full training and could feature against Manchester City on Sunday.

The Morocco winger has missed the club’s last six matches with a hamstring injury he suffered during the win against Leeds on December 5, although it is yet to be decided whether he is fit enough to start.

“He’s fit to train. He’s trained for the last two or three days,” Lampard said of Ziyech.  “I will make the decision as to whether he is ready to start.”

It is not all good news on the injury front for Chelsea however, with defender Reece James ruled out with a hamstring injury although Lampard says it is not too serious.

“Reece James is out,” added the Blues boss. “Reece has got a small hamstring problem.”

Sunday’s game was placed in some doubt when Manchester City were forced to postpone their clash at Everton on Monday following an outbreak of Covid-19 among the squad.

Their training ground was briefly shut and the whole squad tested in an attempt to control the spread of the virus. However, there were no more positive cases and the players were able to return to training.

Lampard expects the game to go ahead but admits the rapid rise of cases is only creating uncertainty.

“I haven’t been given the chances of the game being postponed. I’m just aware of the situation and at the moment the game is on,” he said. “We know that Manchester City had some positives within their training ground. We’ve had a couple ourselves, but not on the playing staff. That’s the current situation.

“Generally [we are] probably as safe as the public because of the new surge in numbers that we are seeing.

“What we are in is probably a more protected environment, certainly in the workplace. We are now being tested twice a week. I think that’s really important. I don’t understand why we went down to one so two is important.

“The situation at the minute is we go game-by-game in terms of the game being called off it’s because of positive tests around that game itself. I understand that. Let’s see how it goes because these are uncertain times.”

Tottenham’s game against Fulham on Wednesday was also postponed because of an outbreak among the Cottagers squad, with positive cases surging across the country.

This has led to suggestions that football could take a short 'circuit break' to try and bring cases back under control, although the Premier League says it has no plans to pause the season.

Lampard has confidence in the safety measures currently in place but would go along with whatever decision the authorities take.

“I have to say the Premier League and clubs themselves have done everything to make the environment as safe as possible,” he said. “As we are finding, that's not always easy to do when people are going home and leaving the building with the numbers going up. Particularly in London, where we are.

“I think the football authorities, Premier League, government and everybody has to be clear that it would be beneficial to stop and do a 'circuit breaker' or something. That's something I don't know about. If you are told to stop, you stop.”

Mark Lawrenson is offering “dry” responses to anyone daring to doubt Liverpool in 2020-21, with the Reds legend eager to point out that Jurgen Klopp’s side are “top of the league with half their team missing”.

Injuries have depleted the ranks at Anfield, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota all enduring spells on the sidelines.

Despite having to get creative at times, Klopp has guided his defending champions back to the Premier League summit.

The Merseyside outfit have not been as dominant as they were in 2019-20, but they remain the team to catch in the title race.

With that in mind, Lawrenson remains baffled by those who are quick to ask questions of the Reds, with remarkable standards being maintained by a squad that has conquered domestic, continental and global competitions.

“If they were not creating chances then it would be a serious worry, but they are still making loads of them,” Lawrenson told BBC Sport after seeing Liverpool drop points against West Brom and Newcastle over the festive period.

“If they had nicked a goal at Newcastle on Wednesday, which obviously they could and should have done, then they would have won, gone five points clear and everyone would be saying 'who is going to stop Liverpool now?'

“Instead, it is a case of 'well, they are only three points clear'. It's a fine line, that changes people's perceptions of how a team is doing when it really shouldn't do. I've spoken to Liverpool fans who tell me 'oh, we're not doing well at the moment, and we can't put away our chances'.

“My response is usually quite dry and along the lines of 'no, they are only top of the league and with half their team missing - and that front three have been terrible for the past three years, haven't they?'

“Being serious though, teams don't win the league by 15 points every year. This is what usually happens with the ebb and flow over the course of a season when you are challenging for the title - and you have to remember Liverpool are not being beaten either. The reaction when they do drop points just shows you the standards they have set.”

Liverpool’s first outing of 2021 takes them to St Mary’s to face Southampton on Monday.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard admits that he has “ideas” when it comes to the January transfer window, although did hint that the club would have to trim their squad size through sales and loans before they will be in a position to spend.

Blues fans have become accustomed to big-money purchases since the arrival of Roman Abramovic as the club's owner, with the most recent spree seeing Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech and Thiago Silva added to the ranks.

Speaking to the press on Friday, Lampard conceded that there could be more action with regards to transfers this month, but claims that the size of his squad is such that there is no rush to get any deals over the line.

“I'm not sure at the moment,” the English trainer replied when asked how he saw the January window panning out. “I have ideas. We have a big squad and we have to see if that changes, if there are opportunities for players that aren't playing so much.

“That'll be a conversation between the player and myself and then we'll see if we can strengthen in the right way. But we're not jumping up and down to do so at the moment, my focus this year is purely on work. It's a long month.”

A long month indeed, especially when having to contend with a packed fixture schedule as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic – and things aren't easing up any time soon for Lampard and his side as they next welcome Pep Guardiola's Manchester City machine to Stamford Bridge.

Asked which of City's deficiencies Chelsea will be targeting on Sunday, Lampard said: “In terms of their weaknesses? I don't see [any]. They are just a very strong outfit, very well managed, they have lots of threats so we will have to focus on ourselves and do our best.

“I'm confident in us as a team. I know that when we play at Stamford Bridge, as well as we can, then we have an opportunity to beat anybody. 

“Saying that, City are right at the top, so when we beat them 2-1 after the restart for instance, that was a difficult game that we had to suffer at times because they are such a good possession-based team.

“I'm confident in us, I know we have to be at our best to win because of the level of opposition. But if we're at our best then we can win against any team.”

Throughout the season, EA Sports releases new events and promotions in FIFA 21, built around a particular theme or competition.

The promotions see special upgraded cards released into packs and made available through Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) and Objectives.

Events such as Team of the Season, Team of the Year and FUTmas have been really popular in previous editions of the game and fans are always looking forward to see what the next promotion might bring.

Contents

One of the biggest events in the FIFA Ultimate Team calendar has yet to be launched, with Team of the Year due in January.

This is usually followed by Winter Transfers and Ratings Refresh, which sees players upgraded after good performances during the year as well as being assigned to their new clubs after moving in the January transfer window.

Future Stars and Headliners have been popular promotions in recent years, but it is not 100 per cent certain they will return in their usual form in FIFA 21, especially after Ultimate Scream was replaced by Rulebreakers and FUTmas changed to FUT Freeze for the 2020-21 season.

Team of the Year is one of the biggest events of the FIFA calendar with Team of the Season coming close behind with regards to both hype and high-rated players. 

The Team of the Year used to be connected to the official FIFA World XI selection, but in recent years has become a user-generated selection so as to keep the in-game promotion in January.

It is expected that the FIFA 21 Team of the Year will be released around the first or second week of January, so it is likely to be launched on January 8 or January 15.

Read more about Team of the Year.

In the past two seasons of FIFA, the Future Stars promotion began after Team of the Year.

Where Team of the Year celebrates the best players in the world, Future Stars attempts to identify the players who could be the biggest names on the planet in a few years.

Jadon Sancho and Vinicius Jr were among the Future Stars in FIFA 19 while Joao Felix and Mason Greenwood were chosen for FIFA 20.

These Future Stars receive huge ratings upgrades and can be among the best players in the game when they are released.

If EA Sports brings back Future Stars in FIFA 21, it will likely be released around January 20 or 22, once Team of the Year is over.

Although some of the previously popular events were replaced in FIFA 21, it is expected that Ratings Refresh will return again once the transfer window closes.

Football fans will be eager to use their club's new signings as soon as possible, especially in FIFA Ultimate Team as players with new clubs and new leagues help squad building and provide for more variety of options.

The Ratings Refresh has been accompanied by a Winter Ones to Watch team in recent years, which features the biggest names who move in January.

This year's Ratings Refresh is expected to begin once the transfer window closes, so is due to launch in FIFA 21 on February 14.

Team of the Season is one of the most popular promotions in FIFA as it contains hundreds of upgraded players from all the top leagues in the game.

Each of the major five leagues gets a Team of the Season squad, while leagues around the rest of the world also see special players released with big upgrades.

Often, these are the best players in the game, so Team of the Season is always hugely anticipated every season.

In 2020, Team of the Season was released around the usual time but renamed Team of the Season So Far due to leagues being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Team of the Season is set to launch in FIFA 21 around the end of April or the beginning of May.

EA Sports had usually released each FIFA promotion around the same time each year, so it became easy to predict which promotions might arrive each month during the season.

However, for FIFA 21, they mixed things up somewhat, replacing both Ultimate Scream and FUTmas with new events, so the same process could be followed in the second half of the season.

The calendar below shows when each event occurred in the last four editions of FIFA and what may be expected in FIFA 21.

Wolves boss Nuno says he is “ready to make decisions” in the winter transfer window after seeing his side linked with free agent Diego Costa and Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Spain international striker has come onto the market after having his contract terminated at Atletico Madrid.

Wolves are looking to bring more firepower into their ranks after leading marksman Raul Jimenez was ruled out long-term with a fractured skull.

Costa, with prior experience of life in the Premier League under his belt from a successful spell at Chelsea, could tick plenty of boxes.

Wijnaldum could also be a shrewd addition, with the Netherlands international sparking talk of interest from Barcelona as his deal at Anfield runs down.

Nuno is giving little away when it comes to his recruitment plans in 2021, but he is eager to bolster his ranks in January and reinforce any areas that are looking light.

The Portuguese has told Wolves’ official website: “We have to sit down, plan and I think it’s a good chance to rebalance our squad, so we’ll see. We are ready to make decisions.”

While being in the process of identifying and chasing down targets, future planning continues to be complicated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Nuno admits that attempting to put building blocks in place remains difficult, with a couple of Premier League games having already been called off this season due to Covid-19 outbreaks.

He said: “All the managers and everybody has accepted that this situation is unprecedented and has never happened before, so we are reacting to situations on a day-by-day basis, that you cannot plan or predict.

“Every time there is a test you are worried. Every time you hear about the cases rising you are worried. You are worried about the players, you worry about the schedule, you start worrying about your future, but we are not away from society. These feelings go all over society - everybody is worried.”

Wolves will be back in action on Saturday with a trip to Brighton, with that contest presenting Nuno’s side with an opportunity to move on from a dramatic 1-0 defeat at Manchester United.

Manchester City will be without at least five first-team players for their Premier League clash with Chelsea, which is set to go-ahead despite a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.

Gabriel Jesus, Kyle Walker and three other players are in self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus and will not make the trip to Stamford Bridge.

Two staff members have also tested positive and City will have two more sets of test results ahead of Sunday's clash.

Pep Guardiola says the Premier League have told them not to reveal the identities of the latest players to test positive for coronavirus.

"Five players are out right now," the City boss told a news conference. "They are isolated for 10 days, some of the first cases that were released – four people, two players, and three more the second time.

"I think the Premier League will not allow us to say who but you will see who does not travel and you will know exactly who they are."

City have now resumed training after a round of negative results and a deep clean at the City Football Academy.

It comes after City's Premier League match against Everton on Monday was postponed due to an outbreak just four hours before kick-off.

Guardiola said they had enough players and wanted the fixture to go-ahead but the match was called off because of safety concerns.

The City boss said he called Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti to explain the situation and the Italian has sent his best wishes to players recovering from the illness.

"We had enough players to play Everton, we wanted to play, but for the day of the game there were more cases and the virus was inside our centre and we informed the Premier League," he added.

"I called Carlo personally to announce the situation, because we could play, but what would happen if we travelled on the coach and more players had it because the day before we were in touch all of us and there would have a risk of Everton players being infected because of us.

"It was a huge risk. It's not about what happened here at Manchester City, it's what's happening around the world.

"People are dying all around the world, in the UK as well, over 900 died in the last two days. The problem is still here, but now we’ve disinfected the whole centre and hopefully the next tests are all negative and those who tested positive can come back."

Everton requested full disclosure of all the information submitted by City to the Premier League after the match was postponed four hours before kick-off.

The Toffees would have been without several senior first-team players and Guardiola insisted they wanted to play, but the game was called off because of concerns about player welfare.

"I prefer the statement of Carlo than the one from the club," Guardiola said. "We spoke with the Premier League, like the one with Mikel Arteta in the first lockdown when he announced he had a positive result, we cancelled the game.

"We would have loved to play against Everton. We are going to go to Goodison Park when James [Rodriguez], [Luca] Digne, Allan, Richarlison can play. We are going to beat them with all of them.

"We would have loved to play that game but the Premier League decided wisely for the welfare of everyone, that in two or three days, there are seven people who had tested positive."

West Ham manager David Moyes and Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has also questioned the decision of the Premier League to postpone three matches, with Aston Villa's trip to Newcastle and Fulham's clash with Tottenham also called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I’m sorry the most important thing is the welfare of the people they are human beings," Guardiola said. "This is not a joke. You can be positive and nothing or you can be positive and be in trouble. Everyone is involved and you have to be careful.

"We told them to stay at home, be careful, don’t contact other people. Follow the scientists, try to follow them."

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has “history of a lack of patience” but that does not mean that Frank Lampard is under pressure to deliver this season, says Scott Minto.

The Blues invested heavily over the summer, with big-money additions brought in across the field.

Having received full backing from his board, many have claimed that nothing less than a title challenge at Stamford Bridge will be accepted in 2020-21.

Chelsea have offered indications that they could come into that mix, but inconsistency continues to be an issue for Lampard and Co.

With just four points taken from their last five Premier League outings, the Blues have slipped seven off the pace and down into sixth spot.

It has been suggested that Lampard may start to see his position called into question if momentum cannot be established in the new year, with a sack culture still very much part of the makeup in west London.

Minto, though, believes that a club legend will be given time to get things right, with the former Blues defender telling Stadium Astro: “Don’t put pressure on Frank Lampard possibly losing his job.

“People are desperate nowadays around the world, seeing the money that has been spent, everybody wants instant [success]. Everybody wants it now, and it doesn’t happen like that.

“We can’t forget that Frank Lampard is a very inexperienced manager, he is learning as he goes, and you listen to him and he is saying – for example after the Arsenal game - this is about the players not giving enough. He can’t do any more than that.

“He is trying to change things around at the moment and he does need to start winning against top-six sides, of that there is no doubt. But I have no doubt either that he will do that.

“In terms of going forward, I hope he will be the Chelsea manager for the next three or four years.”

Minto added on the managerial merry-go-round at Stamford Bridge, with nine permanent bosses overseeing matters in the last decade: “There is a history of a lack of patience by the owner.

“I genuinely think that the only time he wanted a long-term manager was when Jose Mourinho came back second time, but he had to get rid of him after what happened.

“I genuinely think this is the next time that he wants a long-term manager. Let’s give the guy some time.

“Last year was never about winning the title and again it is about progression, getting closer to the top two and next year he can go for a try at the title. At the moment it is too early.

“Let’s give him time to develop, and let the players develop. We are talking about players that aren’t playing to their maximum – that’s not down to Frank, that is down to them adjusting to the pace of the Premier League.”

Chelsea will be back in action on Sunday when they take in a testing home date with Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp is encouraged by videos of Virgil van Dijk training in the gym but warned the commanding Liverpool centre-back still has a long road to recovery ahead of him.

Netherlands international Van Dijk suffered a serious knee injury during the 2-2 draw against Everton in October's Merseyside derby, as a result of a robust challenge from Jordan Pickford.

Van Dijk is likely to miss the rest of the season while his status for the delayed Euro 2020 remains unclear.

This week, Reds fans would have been boosted by the sight of Van Dijk's workouts in Dubai – where Netherlands great Clarence Seedorf dropped in to work with the defender.

Klopp is happy to see the progress being made but also ushered a cautious tone.

"Good, very good I have no problem talking about Virgil van Dijk," Klopp said when previewing Monday's Premier League clash against Van Dijk's former club Southampton. 

"It's very good but still a long way to go that's [the deal with] this kind of injury. I'm happy when I see these videos because it just shows he makes good progress but it will still take a lot of time that's how it is. 

"I'd like to say something else but these are the facts unfortunately."

This week saw two matches called off, Manchester City's clash with Everton and Tottenham's fixture with Fulham, due to coronavirus cases in the City and Fulham camps.

On Tuesday, the Premier League announced 18 positive results for Covid-19 – the highest amount since regular testing began – but there are no plans as yet for a so-called "circuit breaker".

Klopp says he trusts whatever decision is made, adding: "I'm not a specialist, you all know that, we all try to do our best to keep the competition going.

"I think it works well, we knew before that the winter will be a second wave or something however you want to call that.

"On top of that for us in society Christmas is a challenge when it's about self-isolation and stuff like this, so I'm not surprised that the numbers go up. 

"That then happens in football as well, the numbers go slightly up - it's understandable but we still all try to do everything to keep the boys as safe as possible. 

"I think the competition can go on and I think it's important as well because people want to watch it. 

"I think really we can carry on, but I'm not a specialist and I respect all the decisions made in the next few weeks."

Arsenal are ready to sanction loan moves for Reiss Nelson and Joe Willock, claims Kevin Campbell, with Eddie Nketiah told he would also benefit from taking in another spell away from Emirates Stadium.

Mikel Arteta has admitted that he will be looking to trim down his squad during the January transfer window.

Sead Kolasinac has already been allowed to link up with Schalke on a deal through to the end of the season, with it possible that other senior stars will follow him through the exits.

A number of “gifted” youngsters will also be given the chance to go in search of regular game time outside of north London, with those opportunities being denied them at present.

Campbell believes doors will be opened for Nelson and Willock, with Arsenal eager to get more minutes into academy graduates that they still hold in the highest regard.

“Some of these very gifted, talent youngsters have to play regular football,” former Gunners striker Campbell told Football Insider.

“Once they play regular football they will be much better players when they come back at Arsenal.

“Being a bit-part player is one thing but regular games, regular starts makes a massive difference to the psyche of the player.

“I’m told Reiss Nelson, possibly Joe Willock, may be going out on loan in January. It would be really good for their careers.

“I think Nelson could go to a Premier League or a Championship club. But the Championship is tougher, that might be a better move.”

England U21 international Nketiah has already tested himself in the second tier, having spent the first half of the 2019-20 campaign at Leeds, and Campbell wants to see the promising frontman push for another switch after being restricted to just three Premier League starts this season.

“Nketiah grabbed a great assist against Southampton and Mikel Arteta is just trying to find the right balance,” Campbell added.

“It really is difficult. I think Nketiah needs a season under his belt playing regular football.

“It is one thing coming in now and again at Arsenal but you never become seasoned that way. When you play week in, week out you learn so much more.

“He did not really start during his loan spell at Leeds. Nketiah should be going out on loan to learn his trade, he really should.

“He is not going to start for Arsenal very often so what does he do? Is he happy just sitting on the bench?

“Once he learns his trade has will be a different player because he knows where the goal is.”

Football is littered with examples of familial dynasties, with famous sons and daughters taking to the pitch after their parents.

Of course, there are varying degrees of success and very often the children of big stars struggle to emerge from behind the shadow of their relatives.

Justin Kluivert has a lot of work to do to emulate his father Patrick, while Daniel Maldini is a third generation footballer, following in the footsteps of grandfather Cesare and dad Paolo at AC Milan. Erling Haaland, on the other hand, has already surpassed his father Alf-Inge in terms of reaching the heights of superstardom.

David Beckham has a number of children who have had designs on a career in football, with Romeo being the latest prospect. Goal takes a look at whether he will follow in his famous father's footsteps.

On this page

Who is Romeo Beckham?

Romeo Beckham is a model and second-born child of David Beckham and Victoria Beckham. 

Born in London on September 1, 2002, he is one of the couple's four children, along with Brooklyn, Cruz and Harper.

Does Romeo Beckham play football?

Romeo Beckham is an avid sportsman and plays football along with a number of other sports.

While he is not a professional footballer like his father, Romeo has indicated a desire to follow in the footsteps of the Manchester United and Real Madrid legend.

In 2020, he revealed in an Instagram Q&A session that he would like to become a footballer, with Bustle magazine suggesting that the admission may come as a surprise to the previously tennis-obsessed teen.

Asked by one of his followers in August of that year if his aim was to be a footballer, Romeo replied, "yeah" on his Instagram story.

That means he has rediscovered a passion for the sport, having previously lost interest following his departure from Arsenal's youth structures.

Earlier in the year, in February, the Daily Mail reported that David Beckham was in Somerset to watch Romeo play for Millfield school's under-18 team in a game against Clevedon Town.

Millfield, which is the alma mater of England international Tyrone Mings, went on to win the Independent Schools FA Cup in March, beating Queen Ethelburga's 5-4 in the final. 

Beckham was not involved in the victory, however, and his name was not on the teamsheet.

It is not clear which team Romeo currently plays for, but he has continued to hone his skills and he regularly posts content filmed at an astroturf pitch which was installed at the Beckham family home.

An Instagram post in October 2020 gave some insight into the position Romeo plays as he had a training session with Allan Russell - England's attacking coach.

Romeo wrote that he was "learning from the best" in training with Russell, who works with the likes of Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling.

Interestingly, Romeo appears to interact with a number of football stars on social media, including Sterling and Neymar, suggesting that he has cultivated friendships with them.

He certainly possesses technical ability and his approach to free kicks is reminiscent of his father.

However, he is running out of time if he wants to reach the heights scaled by his father. It can become increasingly difficult to break into the professional game if one is not playing regularly with a club.

Romeo isn't the only one of Beckham's children to show an interest in becoming a footballer. Brooklyn, the eldest of David and Victoria's children, was once on the books at Arsenal.

He was also involved with the youth teams of LA Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain, but his hopes of becoming a professional footballer were dashed in 2015 when he was failed to earn a contract with the Gunners.

What football team does Romeo Beckham support?

Romeo Beckham is a fan of Premier League side Arsenal and regularly sports Gunners regalia. 

In that respect, he deviates wildly from his father, who retains a love of Manchester United from his playing days.

Commenting on the split loyalties in the Beckham household, David said: "I tried to get United shirts on them early but one of them is an Arsenal fan. I don't know how it happened!"

Romeo also appears to have an interest in his father's team Inter Miami, showing his support on Instagram, and he follows the fortunes of the England national team too.

Bandari FC are set to unveil Andre Casa Mbungo as their new coach after the abrupt exit of Ken Odhiambo to rivals Sofapaka FC.

The Coastal based side have been actively looking for a coach to guide them in the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League this season and after a thorough search, they have settled on Mbungo.

"An agreement has been reached between the club and coach [Mbungo]," a source close to the Rwandan tactician and the Dockers told Goal on Friday.

"Mbungo will travel from Rwanda today [Friday] and will be unveiled on Saturday, of course, after signing the papers." 

Bandari will be the second Kenyan club Mbungo will be coaching after a short stint at AFC Leopards. The experienced coach quit Ingwe in December 2019 after going for months without pay.

He went on to work briefly for Gasogi United before Rayon Sports convinced him to join them. 

At the Dockers, Mbungo will be assisted by Patrick Odhiambo. The former Sony Sugar coach is currently at Gor Mahia acting as an interim coach after the exit of Brazilian coach Roberto Oliveira.  

The tactician was allowed to return home after having problems with his coaching qualification papers. The former Rayon Sports of Rwanda tactician left for his native Brazil.

Since then, Odhiambo has been overseeing the club in the league. He started with a 1-0 win over Ulinzi Stars before falling 2-1 to 11-time champions Tusker FC.

However, in the Caf Champions League assignments, Sammy Omollo has been in charge. The Posta Rangers man led K'Ogalo to an aggregate 4-3 win over APR before falling 6-0 in the first leg of the second round to CR Belouizdad.

"There is no problem with Odhiambo, he has already informed Gor Mahia of his decision to leave," our source further revealed.

"He will be unveiled alongside Mbungo."

Bandari started their league campaign with a 1-0 win over Sofapaka FC. They drew 0-0 with Tusker FC in their second game before falling 2-0 to Nairobi City Stars. 

Another 2-1 defeat came at home against league leaders KCB before settling for a 1-1 draw with Posta Rangers.