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Jose Mourinho aimed a dig at managers who have complained about fixture congestion like Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, saying nobody cried for his Tottenham side during a brutal early-season stretch of games.

Klopp has been most outspoken about the need to better space out matches, as the Liverpool boss has seen a number of his players injured in the early season.

His latest rant came at the weekend as he told BT Sport: “Playing 12:30 after Wednesday is really dangerous for the Premier League players.”

Speaking ahead of Sunday's north London derby against Arsenal though, Mourinho said he didn't receive much support from his peers during a stretch of eight games in 18 days at the start of the season.

“By the way, we played four matches in one week and nobody was crying or supporting us about it. And now my colleagues, when do they play these matches?” Mourinho said. 

Several Premier League teams have a game in hand over Spurs, with Man Utd and Man City having games pushed back after they were involved in European competition in August. 

“What is very difficult to accept is that four clubs have one match less than the others and I don’t even know when they’re going to play these matches,” Mourinho said.

“I don’t even know when Burnley, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Manchester United and probably Newcastle and Aston Villa twice [are going to play].

“It’s difficult to accept that because it can affect the competition. But I was trying to know. I was trying for an answer this week and no one can give me that answer.”

Mourinho admitted that Sunday's derby against Arsenal has more riding on it due to Spurs entering the match atop the Premier League table. 

“It means more when we are not in the position we are now,” he said. “Because now we are in such a good position it is a little bit different. Because we want the points we are not just like: ‘We want to beat Arsenal because to beat Arsenal is the only good thing we can give to our fans.’

“It happened last season when we played Arsenal in the last part of the season. It was about winning against Arsenal to give something good, to have a good feeling.

“But we never forget the fact there are historical rivalries and what it means for the fans. Even for people that were not born at Tottenham, and many of us are in this situation. When you arrive at the club you understand the culture, you learn the culture and you share the values with the fans.”

Pep Guardiola wants John Stones to show his best form for a sustained period – not just for a few games.

The England defender’s form has oscillated dramatically during Guardiola’s time as Manchester City manager.

At times, he has been an assured presence at the back and a silky operator on the ball. In other periods, he has seemed nervous and error-prone.

With competition from Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake, Stones can’t trade on his past successes. But, if he performs at the top of his ability, Guardiola says he won’t hold past failures against him either.

"It’s what he wants, what we want [a sustained run of form]," Guardiola told a press conference ahead of City’s Premier League fixture with Fulham on Saturday.

"He was injured last season and could not have continuity. But I want more too - I don't just want two good games, I want more. He can do it, he did it in the past.

"First step is to have this continuity, train every day and play every three days. We know the quality he has, there are no doubts about that.

"It's not about the quality. The quality is always there. If not, he would not be here. It’s about how you perform today, right now. Statistics is the past. It’s about how you perform.

"That is the point - everyone has to be ready."

While Stones hasn’t always been at the races, one Englishman who has impressed this season is Phil Foden.

The young midfielder is helping fill the void left by David Silva, and Guardiola has been full of praise for ‘the Stockport Iniesta’.

“I love his passion,” Guardiola said. “The only thing in his mind is to be a better player for himself, his club and his national team.”

Guardiola will need his squad to be operating at top capacity over a difficult-looking festive period.

After Fulham's visit and a Champions League dead rubber against Marseille, City travel to Old Trafford for the first Manchester Derby of the season.

They then face a spell of six games in 19 days, with fixtures against West Brom, Southampton, Arsenal, Newcastle, Everton and Chelsea, with a potential Carabao Cup semi-final to follow immediately after.

Encouraging displays by Manchester City loanee Lukas Nmecha and Paul Mukairu weren’t enough for Anderlecht to avoid dropping two points away at Zulte Waregem on Friday.

Nmecha equalised for Vincent Kompany’s side just before half time, when he was set up after a decent assist from Mukairu, after Senegal’s Ibrahima Seck had opened the scoring for Zulte eight minutes into the contest.

While Congolese midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga put Anderlecht ahead in the 65th minute, the visitors weren’t able to hold onto their lead—and all three points—when Gianni Bruno equalised for the hosts 15 minutes from time.

Failure to win means that seventh-placed Anderlecht have now gone four games without victory in the Belgian top flight, and they’ve taken just three points during that risible run.

The consequence Is that they’re falling well off the pace in the title race, and now find themselves five points behind Genk—who have won their last six matches—and could move eight points clear of Kompany’s side with victory over Royal Antwerp on Sunday.

Despite Anderlecht’s struggles, Nmecha has been in fine form so far this term, scoring six goals in 12 outings for the domestic giants.

It’s the striker’s best ever return during a league season in his career to date, already eclipsing his previous best of four—registered with Preston North End—during the 2018-19 season.

The Man City loanee was originally signed by the Premier League heavyweights in 2007, but has only made two league outings for the Sky Blues amidst several loan deals.

As well as time with Preston and now Anderlecht, the 21-year-old has represented both Wolfsburg and Middlesbrough.

Despite representing England at youth level from U-16 to U-21 level, Nmecha has also featured for Germany’s U-21 team, and remains eligible for Nigeria’s Super Eagles.

Abuja-born Mukairu is in his first campaign with Anderlecht, having moved on loan from Antalyaspor earlier this year.

The 20-year-old is a graduate of the FC Hearts Academy, and has impressed so far with Sporting this term—scoring once and contributing two assists in his five appearances to date.

Tottenham’s newly-appointed head coach Rehanne Skinner says the future of Alex Morgan at the club will be discussed ‘as soon as possible’.

Morgan joined Tottenham in September, though it’s unclear whether she will remain at the club for the entire season.

The short-term focus for Skinner is on this weekend’s game, when she will make her debut in the dugout against Brighton, but the future of Morgan will be addressed quickly afterwards.

“I have not been with the team for long but those are conversations that need to be had as soon as possible,” the head coach said, facing the media for the first time in her new role.

“But we have to get this game up and running this weekend and start the league in the right way.

“Then, we will assess where we are with Alex, look at the future and see what that looks like for her with the club moving forward.

“She is obviously a fantastic character to have in the environment with her experience and she is definitely moving in the right direction now.

“She got 45 minutes away with the U.S. national team recently and we are just hoping to build on getting her back on track with that.

“In the coming weeks we are hoping to increase minutes and get her into the form she is accustomed to being in, but it has been a long break that we have to manage and be aware of.

“She is definitely heading in the right direction and has looked good in training this week.”

A knee injury meant it took Morgan until November to make her debut, her first appearance for a year after giving birth to her daughter, Charlie, in May, but she has started to build up her minutes since.

Also in the dressing room with her are her former Orlando Pride team-mates Alanna Kennedy and Shelina Zadorsky, with all three able to offer huge experience at the top level to this team.

“They add value to what you're trying to achieve, because they know what that looks like,” Skinner said, speaking of those high-profile characters.

“They are there to support and help to bring the team along with you. It definitely works in your favour, having them in the environment.”

Skinner was announced as Spurs’ new head coach last month, after Karen Hills and Juan Amoros, the club’s long-standing co-coaches, were relieved of their duties.

It has been a difficult start to the season for the north London side, who are second from bottom of the Women’s Super League table with three points and no victories to their name.

“We've got to start to play with a little bit of freedom in possession and trust that actually, we've got very good players on the pitch and they're capable of playing at a high level as long as they trust in their ability to do that,” Skinner said.

“Ultimately, if we're not prepared to get on the ball and not prepared to look to play forward and be a little bit more threatening, then it's always going to be more of a challenge.

“I'm talking to the players a lot about having that self-belief, getting on the ball as much as possible, making sure that we work as hard as we can for each other, to then give us that little bit of confidence to be even more threatening.

“From an out of possession side of things, I'm a strong work ethic person. Ultimately, the players have got to work really hard to make sure that we start to make it difficult for teams to play through us.

“We're hoping to just get those little messages across going into this weekend.”

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the use of the Video Assistant Referee sysem, saying the technology "is helping football, it's certainly not damaging football."

The game has changed in recent seasons with the widespread introduction of VAR, which has led to a number of controversial moments in stadiums across the world.

After another incident at the weekend saw his side concede a late penalty against Brighton, Liverpool defender James Milner hit out at VAR on social media. 

"It’s 'clear and obvious' we need a serious discussion about VAR," he wrote on Twitter. "[I'm] sure I’m not alone in feeling like they are falling out of love with the game in its current state."

Earlier this week, Aston Villa star Jack Grealish complained that VAR is "ruining the game" after his side were denied a late equaliser against West Ham.

Infantino, though, believes that VAR is helping more than it is hurting the game, saying the system is still evolving.

"We have to remember VAR was introduced for the first time two years ago, not 20 years ago," Infantino said on Friday after a meeting of the FIFA Council.

"VAR is helping football, it's certainly not damaging football."

Infantino insisted that because VAR is a new phenomenon, there will naturally be mistakes in how it is implemented, which are distinct from problems with the system itself. 

"We must not make a confusion between VAR and maybe sometimes wrong decisions which are taken because of the wrong way in which VAR is used, maybe in some places because of the lack of experience of those who are using VAR," added Infantino.

"Let's not forget this really is a landmark change for a referee who didn't grow up with VAR.

"We have to take the pulse of what is happening out there, to take the criticism and analyse them."

"VAR is not an obligation, it's there to help," Infantino continued. "Those who don't want to use it, they are not obliged to use it.

"It helped referees in the World Cup, it helps referees in many competitions and players and coaches agree."

Manuel Neuer is the best goalkeeper of all time, according to Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

The veteran Germany stopper has rediscovered his best form in recent seasons after a difficult spell battling injuries.

Bayern looked to be planning for life beyond Neuer when they signed youngster Alexander Nubel from Schalke this year, but he has taken the challenge in his stride. As far as Rummenigge is concerned, he is still getting better.

"Manuel Neuer is 34 now, and he’s just getting better and better,” he told Bundesliga.com. “He’s like a red wine that matures each year.

“He anticipates pretty much every shot, wherever it comes from, and makes the save. We’ve seen that in the last couple of weeks in the Bundesliga and in the Champions League.

“He’s the best goalkeeper in the world, I think he’s even the best goalkeeper of all time.

“We’ve always had good goalkeepers in Germany, at Bayern, when you talk about Sepp Maier or Oliver Kahn, but I think Manuel Neuer has taken goalkeeping to a new level, and we’re really happy that he’s lining up between the sticks for us."

Another Bayern player to have gone to another level over the last year is Robert Lewandowski.

The talismanic forward scored 55 goals in 47 appearances in 2019-20 and has 15 in 14 this season, but was robbed of what seemed like a certain debut Ballon d’Or win after the award was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Lewandowski won Goal 50 for the first time this year and is favourite to win FIFA’s The Best Men’s Player award, and Rummenigge was relieved FIFA haven’t cancelled the ceremony.

"Firstly, I think it’s good that FIFA are continuing with the vote this year. It wasn’t clear whether it would happen.

“I spoke with the FIFA president about it a couple of times, I told him that we have this vote every year and football has been played this year, you can’t forget that. The Bundesliga was completed, the major leagues in Europe were all decided, the Champions League was completed, and I told him, if in ten years it says '2021 he won, 2022 he won' but there’s a gap in 2020, for me that would be a mistake that you could still correct.

“And I’m happy that FIFA have brought it back, I hope that Robert wins, he’s had an amazing year, I think Robert Lewandowski is in the form of his life, despite the fact he’s 32 now, but it’s not a foregone conclusion.

“I would like him to win, I hope he wins, he’ll have earned it, but we’ll have to wait and see if he does win it at the end of the day."

Liverpool loanee Taiwo Awoniyi opened the scoring for Union Berlin in Friday’s Berlin derby, but it wasn’t enough to avoid a 3-1 defeat by Hertha Berlin.

The Nigeria forward nipped in between two defenders and rolled home a left-footed finish beyond Alexander Schwolow after being played in by Marcus Ingvartsen in the 20th minute.

However, the contest was made much trickier for Union three minutes later, when Robert Andrich was shown a straight red card, and Hertha turned the bout on its head in the second period.

Peter Pekarik equalised six minutes into the second period, before a double from Krzysztof Piatek inside three second-half minutes during the latter stages of the contest turned the tide in the hosts’ favour at the Olympiastadion.

Awoniyi had been withdrawn 20 minutes before Piatek’s double, as Urs Fischer looked to introduce another defensive option into his side.

Jordan Torunarigha and Dodi Lukebakio also featured for Hertha as they moved up to 11 points, six clear of the bottom three.

Defeat means Union miss out on moving into the top three, although they still remain up in sixth before the rest of the league plays this weekend—and they’re the top performing side from the capital so far this season.

The goal means that Awoniyi has already bettered last season’s tally this term.

During the 2019-20 campaign, while on loan at Mainz, he found the net just once, but already has two goals this season after scoring in Union’s 2-1 victory at Koln in late November.

Earlier this weekend, the striker announced his desire to leave Liverpool after failing to secure a work permit.

"It is my dream to play for Liverpool, but me playing for Liverpool has to do with getting my work permit," Awoniyi told ESPN. "Without it, there is no chance for me discussing about playing for Liverpool for now.

"This season was maybe a bit tough to make the decision because honestly, I was hoping to leave permanently,” he added.

"Liverpool have been great, they have been so supportive and we always talk with the director and every time, they tell me to be patient, but the reason I discussed something permanent this season was just that I felt most loans I have been to, have not really been the way I want it, and I felt like it happens that way because the loan players get less of an advantage than the players of their own club.

"That was what made me think, okay, maybe it's time to find a home with my family."

Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says his side’s Klassiker fixtures against Borussia Dortmund are of a higher quality than the Clasico games between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Bayern have won four of their last five games against Dortmund, with the teams sharing 17 goals between them in those fixtures.

The last five Clasico games, by comparison, have produced only 10 goals – but, with two wins and a draw apiece, the Spanish giants’ rivalry has been more evenly matched.

"It’s become a Klassiker,” Rummenigge told Bundesliga.com of the fixture. “We all looked a bit jealously at Spain when Real and Barca were playing each other in the Spanish Clasico, but I think now Dortmund-Bayern is a Klassiker in itself.

“I think we saw that recently when we played, a great game by the way, 3-2, it could have been 5-4 looking at all the chances.

“It was just a great game, and the day after I think it was Real vs Barca, and it wasn’t comparable in terms of the quality. So you can say the Bundesliga version is just a level above at the moment."

Both Bayern and Dortmund have been widely praised for their work in the transfer window over recent years, though both take different approaches to squad-building.

Bayern’s dominance in 2019-20 – once Hansi Flick took over from Niko Kovac – seemed difficult to beat but, with the marquee signing of Leroy Sane from Manchester City, they looked to strengthen even further.

"In these times, when finances are tighter too, we had a good transfer window, I think,” Rummenigge said.

“Without doubt, we lost an important player in Thiago, but it was his wish and, among friends, you have to be able to give them the chance to say goodbye, and you should do that. I think we handled that well from our side.

“We signed a very important player in Leroy Sane, but then the coach also wanted to make up for the loss of loan players [Philippe] Coutinho and [Ivan] Perisic, and at the end of the day we decided that in [Douglas] Costa and Leroy, we’d signed two wide players that bring that level of quality that we need.

“Our style of play is obviously very focused on the wide players, the left and right wingers, and that’s an important element for us: they have to be quick, they have to be able to dribble, they have to create goals or goal-scoring chances, or score themselves.

“We’ve done a bit there, and I think overall we’ve got a good squad. The players we’ve brought in, I think the squad is absolutely ready to challenge and that was our aim."

The South Sudan Football Association (SSFA) launched a four-year women's football strategy to build an inclusive and sustainable future for the women's game in the country on Friday.

The development comes eight years after the country became the 209th member of Fifa and a year after playing its first women's international game at the 2019 Cecafa Women’s Cup in Tanzania.

The East-Central Africans become the latest nation on the continent to roll out a long-term plan for the women's game in 2020, following in the footsteps of Morocco and Algeria.

Prior to Friday's launching of the strategy, tagged 'Stars Unite', SSFA President, Amin Francis opened up on his administration's lofty intentions with regards to women's football growth.

“The plan is to include everyone. We want to continue supporting more women in football through training more coaches, referees and also the new women’s national league, due to start in February 2021," Francis told Fifa.

Helen Tarso Aninyesi, who is the manager of the project, expected to run from 2021 to 2024, said: “We want to show the world that South Sudan is growing in women's football. We also want to change the mindset of some people who still don’t believe that women can play football.”

Amy Lasu Luate, who captains the senior women's team and is also an SSFA Player Ambassador, shared her joy over the move.

“The women’s football strategy is a big step for our country and for us as players. It is going to create a platform for us to showcase our talents here at home and also in other parts of the world," she said.

On the core project plan, SSFA revealed the main agendas as: "Firstly, to increase the number of female coaches, referees, players and administrators. A series of measures including women-only courses are planned.

"Secondly, increase the number of girls playing football at the grassroots and community level by 70 per cent through school festivals and community outreach projects. Currently, there are 5,000 players nationwide.

"Thirdly, launch a national women’s football league, building an elite player pathway for teams from each region of the country. As well as committing to participate in six international tournaments with the women’s national team, with players provided with central contracts.

"Fourthly, develop a marketing and communications strategy to boost awareness, advocacy and the sport. Using ambassadors from the worlds of sport and music."

The 'Stars Unite' project launch was graced by South Sudan's Vice-President Rebecca Nyandeng De Mabior, Sports Minister Albino Bol and Jumah Stephen, President of the National Olympic Committee. 

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has been left of the team's squad for the La Liga clash with Sevilla on Saturday. 

The defender has returned to training following the hamstring injury he sustained while on international duty with Spain in November. 

Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane, however, told a media conference prior to the squad announcement on Friday that the 34-year-old would only make the trip if he was fully fit. 

"We're not going to take any chances with Sergio Ramos," Zidane said. 

"I don't want to play a player who has a problem and then he makes it worse. We want all the players back". 

Ramos will miss the clash against his former side, having developed in Sevilla's academy and become a first-team regular before being sold to Real Madrid in the summer of 2005.

Without Ramos, Madrid have drawn 1-1 with Villareal and lost 2-1 to Deportivo Alaves in league action.

In the Champions League, Zidane's side managed a 2-0 away win over Inter but suffered a defeat by the same scoreline at Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek, putting their progression to the knockout stages in the balance. 

Serbia striker Luka Jovic is also not included by Zidane, despite having recently recorded a negative test for Covid-19. He had a positive test while away with his national team, requiring him to spend a period in isolation.

Madrid sit fourth in La Liga on 17 points - seven behind leaders Real Sociedad and six behind second-placed Atletico Madrid, who they face in the derby next weekend at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.

The team's struggles in the league and Champions League have put Zidane's position under threat but after this week's defeat to Shakhtar, the Frenchman insisted he won't be stepping down.

“I am not going to resign – not at all," Zidane said.

“We have always had delicate moments. It is true that it is a bad streak in terms of results, but we must continue. Today was a final, we prepared very well, but we know there is a game to go and we have to win and that's it."

Ghana striker Yahaya Mohammed believes international colleague Asamoah Gyan must change his ways to succeed in the Ghana Premier League (GPL).

Seventeen years after leaving Liberty Professionals for Italian Serie A side Udinese, the forward has made a return to his homeland by putting pen to paper on a one-year deal with Legon Cities.

He made his return for his new club as a 70th-minute substitute in a 0-0 draw with Medeama last week.

“His style of play can change because he is coming from a different place," Yaya told Topical Radio.

“If Asamoah Gyan wants to succeed in the local league now, he should come down to the level of those he is playing with.

“You can’t take anything away from Gyan. He has the respect but he has to let his colleagues respect him more.

“If training starts at 15:00, he has to be there at 14:20 or 14:30 to serve as an example for his colleagues. No matter what, the coach cannot talk to Gyan anyhow before the young ones.

“So you don’t push the coach to do so, so that the respect will remain. If he does come down to their level, some players might like him but others will not.

“You can’t have everyone liking you but you have to show a good example for all to like you.

“He must teach the young ones on the field and lead by example. Gyan must also be patient because a lot of things can go right or wrong from players to the fans.”

Since last leaving Ghana in 2003, Gyan's career has also taken him to French side Stade Rennais, English outfit Sunderland, United Arab Emirates (UAE) clubs Al Ain and Al Ahli Dubai, Shanghai SIPG in China, Kayserispor in Turkey and Indian Super League fold NorthEast United.

At international level, the 35-year-old has featured at three World Cup tournaments, six Africa Cup of Nations competitions and the Olympic Games, standing as the West Africans' all-time top scorer (51 goals) and most-capped player (106 games).

He is also Africa's highest scorer at the World Cup (six goals) and Ghana's all-time second-top scorer at Afcon (eight goals).

The 'Baby Jet', as he is nicknamed, is rated among Ghana's richest footballers ever. 

Orlando Pirates assistant coach Fadlu Davids has made it clear that they are targeting nothing but a victory over Cape Town City. 

The Buccaneers are set to travel to Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch where they are scheduled to face the Citizens in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match on Saturday afternoon.

Pirates will be looking to bounce back to winning ways after they saw their four-match winning run across all competitions come to an end when they drew 1-1 with Baroka FC last weekend.

Davids lauded City, who are coached by Jan Olde Riekerink, as a well-structured team, with the Western Cape side undefeated in their last two matches.

“We travel to Cape Town, it’s always a tough match, especially against Cape Town City," Davids told Pirates TV on Friday afternoon. 

"A well-structured team, well organised in attack and defence. We really have to go there give the maximum to get the three points."

Pirates and City have already met this season with the Buccaneers securing a 1-0 win in the MTN8 quarter-final match courtesy of Terrence Dzvukamanja's goal at Orlando Stadium two months ago.

The former Maritzburg United head coach explained that they are prioritising consistency in the league as the Soweto giants look to mount a serious challenge for this season's PSL title.  

“We have to get our league form on track. Getting that league form on track is picking up three points in Cape Town," he added. 

"We are not thinking about anything else but to pick up that league form and that starts with three points."

Pirates are currently placed third on the league standings and they are still undefeated having played five matches - registering two victories and three draws. 

Bucs will be without left-back Bongani Sam and forward Thembinkosi Lorch, who are both nursing injuries.

While defender Innocent Maela and midfielders Ben Motshwari and Thabang Monare are expected to return to the starting line-up after being rested against Baroka.

City boast of an unbeaten home record against Pirates across all competitions having recorded two wins and three draws since the Citizens' establishment in 2016. 

Nuno Espirito Santo says it is ‘obvious’ that concussion substitutes should be introduced in the Premier League following the injury to Wolves star Raul Jimenez.

Jimenez suffered a fractured skull after a clash of heads with David Luiz, five minutes into Wolves’ 2-1 win over Arsenal last Sunday.

The forward required 10 minutes of treatment on the pitch before being stretchered off and taken straight to hospital. Luiz, however, was bandaged up and sent back on for the rest of the half, with Mikel Arteta later saying the Brazilian had been “uncomfortable” after the collision.

Arteta’s decision not to take Luiz off straight away was criticised by many but it once again raised the debate over concussion subs – where a player could be taken off without it counting as one of the team’s three changes as a safeguarding measure. The idea has already been introduced in some other sports such as cricket.

"There should be concussion substitutes," Nuno told a press conference. "It is obvious everyone in the game supports this and I am positive this is going to happen."

Jimenez released a statement saying he was hoping to be back in action soon, but at this stage it is unclear just how long he could be out.

The impact on Wolves’ prospects is clear. Since joining from Benfica in 2018, Jimenez has proven one of the most consistent and complete forwards in the Premier League, scoring 48 goals and registering 18 assists in 110 games for the club.

Wolves fans have pooled their money to have a new banner of the Mexico international to be displayed at Molineux.

"I am not surprised about the reaction," said Nuno. "Raul means a lot to this city.

"All the things you can say about Raul is not enough because he is an amazing person.

"Everything goes through your mind when you see someone you love and appreciate in a tough situation. He means so much to us. It is like when someone in the family gets ill.

"It was serious. We were afraid at first but now we are moving to a more normal situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with him."

"There should be concussion substitutes," said Nuno. "It is obvious everyone in the game supports this and I am positive this is going to happen."

Nicolas Tagliafico has signed a new contract that will keep him at Ajax until 2023. 

The 28-year-old left-back's previous deal was due to expire in 2022, thus the extension seemingly secures his value to Ajax for a further season. 

However, the Daily Mail suggest the contract includes a clause that will allow the defender to leave the club next year should a major foreign side show an interest. 

Tagliafico has been linked with a host of big clubs in recent years, including Manchester United, Inter, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona and Manchester City.

Hakim Ziyech, now at Chelsea, was said to have had a similar agreement written into his contract before he left Ajax for Stamford Bridge earlier this year.

Earlier this year Goal confirmed Atletico's interest, with Diego Simeone's side joining the race for the Argentina international. 

At the international level Tagliafico has earned 27 caps for his country since his 2017 debut, playing every minute of his side's four matches at the 2018 World Cup.

Man City have been strongly linked in recent weeks, with Chelsea having cooled their interest after signing Ben Chilwell from Leicester City this summer.

Tagliafico joined Ajax in January 2018 from Argentina's Independiente and helped them to reach the Champions League semi-finals against the odds in his first full season. 

Since the start of that campaign, 2018-19, only five defenders have featured more regularly in Europe's premier club competition than Tagliafico (21), while Juan Bernat and Raphael Guerreiro (five each) are the only two to have more goals than the Ajax defender (four). 

But he has also proven himself shrewd defensively.

His total of 39 successful tackles is second only to team-mate Noussair Mazraoui (40), while Mats Hummels (50) is the sole defender with more than Tagliafico's 45 interceptions. 

The Argentina international comes out on top for overall duels (286) and duels won (165), however, highlighting the fearlessness Ajax would lose were he to leave. 

Nevertheless, Friday's news should at least ensure Ajax secure a healthy profit if he does depart in 2021.

Ajax, who are currently atop the Eredivisie table after winning nine of their first 10 league matches, are back in action on Saturday when they host Twente. 

Anglo-Nigerian forward Dominic Solanke was among the goals as Bournemouth romped to a 4-0 victory away at Clarke Oduor’s Barnsley on Friday.

Midfielder Philip Billing, who remains eligible for Nigeria despite making his Denmark debut earlier this year, opened the scoring for the Cherries in the 12th minute before Solanke added their second in the first minute of first-half stoppage time.

The contest got away from Barnsley in the second period, as Diego Rico added another seven minutes after the break and Sam Surridge scored their fourth in the 68th minute.

Kenya international Oduor was withdrawn in the 58th minute of the contest, having struggled up against opposite man Smith, and Barnsley drop one place to 15th with the defeat, as a result of their goal difference taking a significant hit.

The win moves Bournemouth back above Norwich City into top spot in the second tier, with the Cherries having now amassed 30 points from 16 appearances to date as they look to make an immediate return to the Premier League following last term’s relegation.

Solanke has impressed in the second tier so far this season, finally finding a measure of consistency in front of goal after struggling to ignite during his first two seasons at Bournemouth.

His goal on Friday takes his tally up to six goals and three assists in 16 Championship appearances so far this term, with the forward already netting more league goals this term than in his previous four campaigns combined.

There’s hope yet, that at 23, the one-time England international can realise the potential he demonstrated at youth level, when he was a champion both at the U-17 European Championships in 2014 and the U-20 World Cup three years later.

At the latter tournament, in 2017, he won the Golden Ball award as the best player of the competition, but has shown precious little of that immense potential in the subsequent years.

Solanke, who remains eligible for Nigeria, has represented England at every youth level from U-16 to U-21 before making his debut for the senior side in 2017.

Norwich will retake top spot if they defeat Sheffield Wednesday at home on Saturday.

Manchester United have revealed their plans to bring fans back to Old Trafford, as they aim to have supporters at the ground for their match against Leeds United on December 20.

Greater Manchester is currently in Tier 3 with regard to coronavirus restrictions, which means that matches must continue to be played without fans. 

Other areas of the country, such as London, have entered Tier 2, meaning matches can take place with a limited number of fans – including Sunday's north London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham.

Four days before Man Utd take on Leeds at Old Trafford, the UK Government will meet to revisit coronavirus restrictions and could move Greater Manchester to Tier 2, which would allow 2,000 supporters to attend the Premier League match. 

In preparation for the return of fans, United have developed a plan that will allocate the majority of tickets to season ticket holders. The club will also ask fans to agree to a code of conduct that "encourages respectful behaviour and social distancing, and includes the practical rules that will be applied at Old Trafford to ensure the safest possible environment for everyone."

Man Utd's chief operating officer Collette Roche told the club's official website: “It is important to present these conditional plans for the return of our fans to allow preparations to be made.

“We are eager to welcome them back and thank them in advance for their patience and co-operation with our new operating policies that are in place to keep everyone safe. Responsible behaviour will help build trust and confidence, helping us move back to greater capacity numbers in the future once Manchester’s restrictions are reduced. 

“We know we are asking a lot from our fans in terms of the adjustments to their usual match day routines. In return, we are committed to making the experience as safe as possible for them and their families and have also kept ticket prices low.  

“A word of caution: fans must consider their own health before applying for any provisional ballots and pay attention to the local restrictions which are in place wherever they live. They should also carefully read all the detailed information which we will be sending to those who are successful in future ballots. 

“We also thank the ongoing support of Trafford Council, our local suppliers and staff who have worked hard to develop these plans.”

Man Utd still have four matches before the visit of Leeds, including next weekend's derby against Man City at Old Trafford. 

Training at Serie A side Bologna has taken on the look of a spy thriller with manager Sinisa Mihajlovic searching for a mole in his squad – and promising "things will get ugly" when he does find the culprit.

Bologna are 10th in Serie A but Mihajlovic is convinced somebody is leaking his tactics to the press.

In a press conference ahead of his side’s trip to second-placed Inter on Saturday, Mihajlovic said he had tried some new tactics in training in order to see whether it would end up in the news – and, sure enough, it did.

The former Yugoslavia defender had a chilling promise for the perpetrator, whose prospects at the club may have taken something of a hit.

“I only tried out a new formation to find out who the f*ck is talking to journalists,” Mihajlovic revealed. “I did it on purpose because no one was expecting it, so now I’m investigating.

“I swear, if I find who’s been speaking with the media I’m sticking him to the wall. I’ll make sure he doesn’t play again.

“I’m not actually thinking of changing the tactical set-up, I only did it because we were alone, and today everything’s come out in the papers. So there’s someone on the inside who is talking, and I promise that I’ll find him. And when I find him, things will get ugly.”

Bologna have won their last two games against Inter, but Mihajlovic is aware of the threat posed by forward Romelu Lukaku, whom he says he couldn’t have stopped when he was a player – unless they were in a boxing ring.

“As a footballer, I wouldn’t be able to stop him, he is stronger, quicker, bigger than me.

“Maybe I could stop him inside a boxing ring but in a football pitch where you can’t give illegal blows, I would not know how to do it.

“As they say there's never two without three. Let’s see tomorrow if it is true or if it is an exception that proves the rule. We need to score one goal more than them.”

Bologna could rise as high as seventh with a win, while Inter are looking to close the five-point gap to rivals AC Milan at the top of the table.

The trailers for the next generation of FIFA on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X have shown the improved realism off the field as thousands of fans descend on Anfield to watch Liverpool in action.

A lot of games have advertising videos like this that do not reflect the true gameplay of the game itself, but FIFA 21 attempts to be more realistic than ever on the pitch thanks to the new GameCam.

Looking to reflect television broadcasts of matches by showing both the field of play and the crowd at once, GameCam utilises the processing power of the fifth generation of consoles in ways that were impossible before.

FIFA 21 Creative Director Matt Prior is a huge fan of the new camera angle, which is the default setting in FIFA 21 on PS5 and Xbox Series X.

He believes that GameCam allows people to connect with the game better than they could previously and makes it feel much more like watching a real-life game on television.

"We think it's a gamechanger in terms of the believability of the experience," Prior tells Goal.

"One of the main things we want to do is have people connect to our game the way they would the real world of football.

"The more powerful processing power of Gen 5 allows us to show more of the stadium. Previously, if we were showing a lot of the crowd, it would hit framerate.

"GameCam is much more of a reflection of how people interact with football. Most people digest football by their television and one of our main goals is to make our game look as close to the reality of a broadcast as we can.

"It really adds an extra layer of dimension and immersion to it because you get to see a lot more of the field, a lot more of the off-ball play and a lot more of the crowd, who are such an important part of the atmosphere of football."

GameCam is currently only available on new consoles and was not part of FIFA 21's initial release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Those previous consoles did not have the processing power to show the crowd in such detail as framerate would struggle to keep up with the on-field and off-field animations.

All the traditional camera angles and camera settings are still available, but Prior hopes that having GameCam as default will cause more people to use it despite the fact they can switch to one of the older angles in a few seconds.

"Some people will want to change back to the original camera as they've grown up with it and that's what they're used to," Prior admits.

"The majority of users when we tested it, liked the new look and feel. But we don't want to limit it and everyone is different, so all the old camera options are still in there if you want to change it.

"But for us, GameCam is a real step forward and the big difference from Gen 4 and Gen 5.

"The reason we wanted to make it the default is because it shows off the power of Next Gen and for any returning users, they know they can change the camera angle, but any new users, if we hid this one, maybe they might not know they could change it."

Showing the crowd is one of the key features of the new camera angle and EA Sports worked on ensuring that the crowds were more varied than in the past, with previous games often duplicating fans to fill stadiums.

The crowd react better to in-game actions, but Prior's favourite aspect of GameCam is how scoring feels in FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

The new camera angle brings users closer to the action and makes some goals look "more spectacular," according to FIFA 21's Creative Director.

"Football is a lot about atmosphere and that's what makes it the best game in the world. The chanting, the colours, the tifos. That whole atmosphere is part of the experience, so the more we can bring that into the gameplay experience, the better. Previously, once you were in gameplay, you saw very little of the crowd.

"This now allows us to bring the crowd into the gameplay much more," he adds.

"Some of the changes are subtle, such as if you hit a belting shot and it goes over the bar, you'll see the crowd try to get away from it now.

"Or if you score a goal and run behind the net to your fans, they'll swarm towards the front and cheer.

"Overall, we've improved the textures of the crowd. We struggle to get them to the fidelity of the players because there's 50,000 of them, but we have made big improvements. There's less duplication in Gen 5 and much more reactive stuff, they can cheer more accurately and do the Mexican wave for example.

"The stadiums will now feel much fuller and more alive. There's more cameramen, more stewards, etc. It's much more of a living environment due to the extra horsepower that Gen 5 gives us.

"You can score some incredibly satisfying goals from the angle of the camera, because you can see the ball arc and curve much more than you could with the previous cameras.

"It feels really good. In a lot of instances, it makes scoring goals more rewarding because they look that much more spectacular."

Gor Mahia stand-in coach Sammy Omollo is hopeful the goal scored away against APR will be key for their chances of making it to the next phase of the Caf Champions League.

Niyonzima Seif's strike and an own goal by Andrew Juma gave the hosts the victory while the goal for the Green Army was scored by Kenneth Muguna. The Posta Rangers coach is optimistic the Muguna strike can take the Kenyan giants to the second round of the annual competition.

"We are all motivated with the result and an away goal we scored in Kigali last weekend. And with what I have seen in the team so far, I believe we can qualify to the next round," Omollo said ahead of Saturday's game.

The 51-year-old will also have Benson Omalla back, who was on duty for Kenya's Rising Stars, and the tactician has pointed out what the youngster is expected to bring in the team.

"We know how important that match is to us and the good thing is that Benson Omala is back in the team," Omollo continued.

"We all know what the youngster can bring to the team; energy and lethality. He will be key for us tomorrow.  

"But we need to have a top-class defending and make good use of our chances. When we played in Kigali, we looked dangerous and created several chances and I believe tomorrow will not be different. 

"If we do the right things tomorrow we will win the match."  

APR landed in Nairobi on Thursday ahead of the decisive match on Saturday.

The Rwandan side has arrived with a contingent of 24 players who will face K’Ogalo at Nyayo Stadium behind closed doors.

APR Squad:

Goalkeepers: Rwabugiri Umar, Ahishakiye Heritier,

Defenders: Mutsinzi Ange, Thierry Manzi, Emmanuel Imanishimiwe, Omborenga Fitina, Rwabuhihi Aime, Niyomugabo Claude, Ndayishimiye Dieudonne, Buregeya Prince.

Midfielders: Oliver Niyonzima, Mushimiyimana Mohamed, Ruboneka Jean, Itangishaka Blaise, Bukuru Christophe, Nsanzimfura Keddy.

Strikers: Danny Usengimana, Byiringiro Lague, Jacques Tuyisenge, Manishimiwe Djabel, Yves Mugunga, Bizimana Yannick.