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Paulo Dybala's agent has responded to reports linking the Juventus star with a move away from the club, stating that the Argentinian star is more than happy to remain in Turin for the foreseeable future. 

Dybala's future remains uncertain as Juventus continue their shakeup following the club's shock Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon.

Manager Maurizio Sarri was the first to go as he was dismissed in the wake of the defeat, with subsequent reports stating that Dybala and Cristiano Ronaldo could perhaps follow suit in the coming weeks.

Dybala has been pinned as the more likely to exit this summer, despite being named the Serie A Player of the Season.

The 26-year-old attacker is out of contract in 2022, with Juventus' chief football officer Fabio Paratici recently stating that the club plans on keeping him around as the two parties remain in "advanced" negotiations.

And Dybala's agent, Jorge Antun, says that he expects his client to stay in Turin going forward as the two sides look to come to terms on a new deal.

"I have read the rumours in the newspapers through the last few days and they're completely false," Antun said. 

"Paulo Dybala is a Juventus player and happy to be one. We'll work with the club to renew the contract with our usual attitude as always."

Dybala has been with Juventus since 2015, having joined the Serie A powerhouse in a move from Palermo.

He has gone on to make 228 appearances during his time in Turin, scoring 95 goals in all competitions.

This season, he scored 17 goals in 46 appearances, with 11 of those goals coming in 33 Serie A matches.

Juventus once again sealed the Serie A title, with Dybala getting his hands on the trophy for the fifth consecutive season.

In total, Juve have won the league nine consecutive times, with Inter finishing one point behind them this season as Antonio Conte's side settled for second place.

Dybala had previously been linked with a move away from the club last year, with Manchester United and Tottenham reported to be among the suitors for the Argentine. 

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has postponed the season opener pitting Simba SC against Namungo FC by a day.

The Community Shield, which will raise the curtain on the new Mainland Premier League season, will now be played on August 30, 2020, and not August 29 as earlier planned.

The season opener will be played at Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium in Arusha and it will pit the league champions against the FA Cup semi-finalists.

Simba won the FA Cup after beating Namungo 2-1 and the latter will be going for revenge in the match set to kick-off at 15.30.

After the Shield Cup, league action will resume the following weekend on September 6 with Simba starting their title defence with a tie against newly-promoted Ihefu FC at Sokoine Stadium.

Simba rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) will start the new season with a match against Tanzania Prisons at the newly-named Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Yanga fought hard and edged Azam FC for the second place in the 2019/20 season but the next campaign will see them face their rivals without notable players.

Former captain Papy Tshishimbi, last season's top scorer David Molinga and defender Kevin Yondani are among the players who will not be part of the Timu Ya Mwananchi next season.

Namungo will host Coastal Union at Majaliwa Stadium, while another newly-promoted side Gwambina FC will start their Premier League journey with a game against Biashara United at Karume Stadium.

Dodoma FC, who sealed their top-tier ticket after a hard-fought campaign in the First Division League, face Mwadui FC at Jamhuri Stadium while Ruvu Shooting - who have already appointed former Yanga assistant coach Boniface Mkwasa as their head coach - will be away at CCM Gairo Stadium to face Mtibwa Sugar.

Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC FC) who struggled in the first round of the 2019/20 season before firing Ugandan coach Jackson Mayanja, will host Mbeya City who survived relegation by a whisker.

Kagera Sugar will welcome JKT Tanzania at Kaitaba Stadium in the second match for September 7 while the last match of round one will see the 2013/14 league winners Azam FC host Polisi Tanzania at Chamazi Complex.

Tanzania Mainland champions Simba SC have extended Hassan Dilunga's stay at the club by two years.

The player's time at Wekundu wa MSimbazi was nearing an end and many had linked him with a move away from the team, especially but it is not going to be the case.

"Hassan Dilunga is not in the market anymore," the club confirmed on their official Facebook page on Tuesday.

"As champions, we do not let go of quality players for whatever reason. [Dilunga's] contract with Simba has been extended and he will continue being part of the family for the next two years."

The midfielder joined the 21-time league champions in the 2017/18 season from Mtibwa Sugar. His former team Young Africans SC, or Yanga SC as it is commonly referred to, were also keen on re-signing the player but he chose to join their bitter rivals.

Dilunga was an important part of coach Sven Vandenbroeck's side in the 2019/20 season.

He played a vital role as Simba won the Community Shield, the FA Cup and the league title, for the third time in as many seasons.

The champions have also extended the stay of Said Hamis Ndemla, also by two years.

The 24-year-old joined Simba in 2013 and has remained loyal to the team for the last seven years. It is for this reason the management decided to renew his contract.

"[Ndemla] has a great working relationship with the club and, apart from Jonas Mkude, he is the longest-serving player in the team," Wekundu wa MSimbazi posted on their social media accounts.

"We have come to an agreement that he will continue serving us for two more years."

Earlier on, Simba official Haji Manara had warned Yanga to get ready for another beating when the two sides clash in the derby for the new season 

The Tanzanian Premier League Board (TPLB) released fixtures for the new 2020-21 campaign on Monday, with the first Kariakoo derby pitting Simba against Yanga set for October 18 at Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

"We [Simba] have already started training with our coach Sven [Vandenbroeck], while our colleagues [Yanga] don’t even have a coach," Manara said.  

"We have already finished with our registration of new players and there is no first-team player who left, but in Yanga a third of the team was fired, get ready before it is too late, don’t regret later and start saying that TFF is helping Simba when the season starts."  

Lyon star Moussa Dembele's youth coach believes that the forward has what it takes to succeed Olivier Giroud in the France national team. 

Dembele started Saturday's Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City from the bench, but made a game-changing contribution as a substitute by scoring twice in a shock 3-1 win. 

Those two goals came after a Ligue 1 campaign in which the 24-year-old netted 16 times and attracted transfer interest from some of Europe's biggest clubs. 

Despite his progression, Dembele has yet to debut for France's senior side after representing Les Bleus at various youth levels.

Laurent Bonadei, who coached Dembele while he was a youth star at Paris-Saint Germain, believes that the striker can be a perfect compliment for current PSG forward Kylian Mbappe at international level.

"Moussa has always been a complete player," Bonadei told Goal and SPOX.

"He's not a player who will dribble three players in a phone booth, like Mbappe or Neymar, but he can become Giroud's successor in the French team, because he doesn't hesitate to go into duels and work for the collective."

Bonadei has been impressed by Dembele's career development, which had seen him move to Fulham in 2012 and then on to Celtic in 2016 before returning to his native France with Lyon in 2018.

"He's someone who has great self-confidence," Bonadei continued. "His choice to go to Celtic after Fulham was a good one. He has always favored playing time for his development.

"He discovered a new championship, he played in the Champions League, he reached [high] levels. And to return to the French championship was also ambitious. He arrived at a team like Lyon where the competition is hard, with [Memphis] Depay, [Karl] Toko Ekambi or Nabil Fekir before."

Dembele was surely frustrated to miss out on Rudi Garcia's line-up against Juventus and Man City, but Bonadei was impressed by the forward's professionalism and reaction to adversity.

"He didn't start against Juve," Bonadei said, "against Manchester City, he didn't start either. It's good that he scored two goals. It will boost [his confidence].

"When you're a striker like him, you want to score goals and win all matches. He was very professional, without qualms. He surely also benefited from the fatigue of his opponents."

Dembele will look to make a similar impact in Wednesday's semi-final against German powerhouse Bayern Munich.  

Simba SC have confirmed they will take on Vital’O FC in a friendly to celebrate the annual Simba Day.

Simba Day is an annual day for the Wekundu wa Msimbazi to celebrate the club’s success after concluding the season and is also used to unveil their new signings to the fans before the new season kicks off.

The club have now confirmed to culminate the exercise which will be staged at the newly named Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the club will play an international friendly against the visitors from Burundi starting at 17:00.

“We will face Vital’O from Burundi on the final day,” the club confirmed on their social media pages.

Last week, Simba information officer Haji Manara revealed that due to the changes of fixtures last season, owing to the coronavirus pandemic, they had opted to push forward the Simba Day event from August 8 to 22.

“We have visualised that this time around, using Benjamin Mkapa Stadium alone will not be enough that is why the day will be hosted by two venues including Uhuru Stadium where big screens will be installed for people to follow the entire occasion,” Manara told reporters.

Two days ago, Simba held the Champions Week with three events, showing off the new logo of the club, introducing the new team kit they will use next season plus parading the new players to be featured in the 2020/21 league season.

“Initially, we used to show our new kits when playing the Community Shield game but this time around, we have made some changes," Manara added.

"The new logo we want to introduce will be specific to go along with the demands of modern football and this is usually done by other big clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and others.”

Apart from taking on Vital’O, the team will also visit various tourism attraction areas in the city.

“We want to supplement the government's effort of promoting domestic tourism that is why we have set aside the two days to accomplish that mission," Manara concluded.

Simba won a treble last season – the Community Shield, the league title and FA Cup – and will now represent the country in the Caf Champions League.

Newly promoted Ligue 1 side Len have announced the signing of Seko Fofana from Serie A side Udinese.

The Ivory Coast international put pen to paper on a four-year deal after successful medical examinations with the Blood and Gold.  

The 25-year-old midfielder joined Udinese permanently from Premier League side Manchester City in 2016 and has made 112 appearances for the Italian club, scoring 13 goals.

Fofana is delighted with the opportunity afforded him to return to France, having previously featured for Bastia on loan.

“I am from Paris and I started football at Paris FC. I then joined Lorient, where I was at the same time in the French youth team. Afterwards, I went to Manchester City which loaned me to Bastia and Fulham,”  Fofana told the club website.

“Finally, I joined Udinese four years ago. These experiences allowed me to discover three different countries, to see how it went. It's a pleasure because today I speak three languages. "

“I've wanted to play at Lens for a very long time. When I was still young I saw players like Wylan Cyprien sign here. I was impressed because La Gillette was one of the best training centres. I have known Lens since that time.

“I also have friends who have been there like Thierry Ambrose. He told me that he was very happy there. So that allowed me to judge how the atmosphere was.

“A few weeks ago, RC Lens contacted my agents. When Lens calls you, tells you about her plans, you don't hesitate.

“The discussions were done, nobody expected me to come here. I had other requests but I asked myself the right questions.

“It's a great day that I've been waiting for a very long time. In addition, I wanted to come back to France."

Lens manager Franck Haise is pleased with the addition of the Ivory Coast international and hopes he will be a good option for his side.

“There is great potential that has already been expressed for a few years. Over the last five seasons, Seko has played in Bastia and Udinese. I think he will bring us a lot in the midfield,” Haise said.

“Seko became our priority a few weeks ago. He is the most complete player that we could hope to recruit from the tracks we had. Seko showed a great desire to join us.

On the pitch, he is able to stay organized to adjust the team's balance. At the same time, he has a great ability to create and to be decisive on the last pass.

“He is also capable of scoring a few goals in a season. Regarding the defensive aspect, he knows how to impose a strong impact. It is, therefore, a very nice signing.”

Seko has six caps for Ivory Coast since he made his debut in a World Cup qualifier against Morocco in November 2017.

Casey Stoney admitted it has been a difficult transfer window for Manchester United as the global pandemic has affected the normal recruitment process.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward has warned about the financial impact the pandemic has had on the club but despite some uncertainty earlier in lockdown, Stoney has been given the funds she needed to bring in three new players.

Ivana Fuso, Ona Batlle and Lucy Staniforth have all signed, and other additions haven’t been ruled out before the window closes next month. And while Stoney is very happy with the business they have concluded, she said it has been more challenging then usual.

“We obviously set out with a list of targets that we really keep a close eye on throughout the year - to say we got all of them would be lying, we haven’t, but that’s not due to finance that’s down to player preference,” Stoney said. 

“They might not want to move countries for example, so it depends on who you’ve gone after. The three we’ve gone after, we definitely really wanted, and they were a key part of our recruitment process.

“It’s been difficult in terms of not being able to have the players over. We couldn’t meet them and bring them around the club, it’s not been easy. Budgets as well were uncertain for a while right in the middle of Covid, but I think we went out and got what we wanted.”

The three new recruits have settled into the squad well and have impressed the manager as they prepare for their opening game of the new WSL season against Chelsea in two weeks’ time. 

It’s another tough opener for United, having kicked off last season against reigning champions Manchester City, and Stoney outlined exactly what she is looking for from her squad.

“To move into top three we need to be more consistent,” she explained. “We dropped points against teams we shouldn’t have dropped points against if we want to get in there. We need to win more and get more clean sheets. We need a higher win ratio, more clean sheets and to do that we have got to develop our players and develop our team.”

While last season’s opener was played in front of record crowds, this fixture - being held at Leigh Sports Village - will be behind closed doors due to government-enforced pandemic restrictions. 

The growth in the women’s game over the past 10 years has been emphatic, but with no games for fans to attend there is a concern that it could drop off again.

While gate receipts aren’t a large stream of income, unlike in the men’s game, the issue is that the visibility of the game may diminish and Stoney has called on the FA to do more to continue to raise the profile of the game.

“We have to raise our visibility in other ways, we have to get it on platforms. We’ve got MUTV, so let us use it more, we have to have more games on BT and maybe get the BBC involved,” Stoney said. 

“Visibility is absolutely massive for the women’s game, if we don’t get that the women’s game could go in the background, and that’s not what we want.”

Anthony Martial is like Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, but still "needs to learn his trade", according to Dwight Yorke, who says the Manchester United star needs more time to adjust to the number nine role at Old Trafford.

Martial finished the 2019-20 season as United's top scorer across all competitions with 23 goals to his name, having been one of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League since returning from lockdown in June.

The 24-year-old's contribution in the final third helped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men to a third-place finish in the top flight and three semi-finals, but he has still been regularly criticised for his chance conversion rate.

The Frenchman was guilty of wasting a number of clear openings during the Red Devils' 2-1 defeat to Sevilla in a last-four Europa League tie on Sunday, and it has been suggested that Solskjaer will need to bring in a natural centre-forward to bring a frustrating trophy drought to a close.

Yorke sympathises with Martial after seeing him shifted into the "hardest position you can play", and still thinks he is capable of following in the footsteps of Premier League legends if he is afforded enough patience.

“A number nine is a very unique position. It’s a very rare breed, and it seems like it’s gone out of the game a bit," the former United frontman told talkSPORT.

“I never considered myself as a number nine. I developed my skills playing from the left wing to the right wing and then found myself pretty much playing in that number nine position, but not really as a number nine.

“It’s a specialist position and probably the hardest position you can play, with your back to goal and having to hold off defenders and make runs; you can only get better in that position if you play week-in, week-out.

“Look at the top goalscorers in the Premier League: Robbie Fowler, Ian Wright, Alan Shearer, Andy Cole – those players only played just in that position.

“Anthony Martial is like myself, Thierry Henry, maybe Wayne Rooney and even Cristiano Ronaldo – starting on the wing, developing and improving their skills and then get to that number nine position. That’s what Martial is doing now."

Yorke added: “I think Martial will get better, but he needs to play in that position a lot more, He needs to learn his trade.

“These guys are in their early 20s, I didn’t play as a centre-forward until I was around 24 and if you look at Henry and those guys, they all get to that position around the same age. So it’s a work in progress.

“I understand Man United are there to challenge and they need to bring in players, of course, but the players they have are excellent, and it’ll be interesting to see how Ole will develop those players and use them.

"Ole was a frontman himself, so he should know how to improve these players. And look at how many goals Martial has scored this year – he can only get better!”

David Silva's father has hit back at Lazio director Igli Tare for criticising the former Manchester City star after his transfer to Real Sociedad.

The 34-year-old signed a two-year contract with Sociedad on Monday, having left City as a free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season.

The news provoked an angry response from Tare, as Stadio Olimpico had initially been touted as the most likely next destination for Silva following his Etihad Stadium exit.

"I have great respect for the player, but not for the man," the Lazio chief said of Silva's perceived snub.

The Spaniard's father has now come out to defend his son, insisting that the midfielder had not spoken to the Italian club directly and that a final deal had never been agreed.

Fernando Silva told Radio Marca: “Everyone can say what they want, Lazio spoke with their representative, not with David, so I don't understand why they name him as a person.

"He did not have a closed commitment with Lazio and there are other teams like Real that have also spoken with him.”

City announced plans to erect a statue of Silva outside of the Etihad after bidding farewell to the most successful player in the club's history.

The diminutive playmaker won 14 trophies during his 10-year spell in Manchester, including four Premier League titles, and recorded 77 goals and 140 assists for the Blues in 436 appearances across all competitions.

Silva, who began his career at Valencia before moving to England in 2010, will be plying his trade in La Liga once again next season with a Sociedad side which managed a sixth-place finish last term.

The former Spain international said his final goodbyes to City supporters via social media, writing on Twitter: "Manchester City and I have grown together. In 10 years, I have developed personally and professionally.

"I have celebrated many victories and titles and lived through epic moments.

"I am going to support the team from a distance. I am so happy I have shared these unforgettable moments with the City family - you will always be in my heart.

"I want to send every Cityzen a huge hug."

Agent of Jeremie Boga revealed the Sassuolo forward is delighted with reports linking him to Serie A giants Napoli.

The Ivory Coast international has been in fine form since joining the Black and Greens from Premier League side Chelsea in 2018.

The winger bagged 11 goals and provided four assists in 34 league appearances in the 2019-20 season, amid other dazzling displays to help Roberto De Zerbi’s men finish eighth in the Serie A.

His performances have generated interest from the Parthenopeans and his brother Daniel Boga, who represents him, revealed the forward is impressed with the attention.

“We are aware of the admiration and praise from [Napoli coach Gennaro] Gattuso and director [Cristiano] Giuntoli,” Daniel Boga told Radio Kiss Kiss.

“Jeremie is happy, it’s always pleasant to receive confirmation of esteem, especially when they come from world-famous professionals like Rino Gattuso or from a big club like Napoli.

“He doesn’t know much about Naples yet, to tell the truth. But for what he heard about the people, what they told him, he thinks it could be like Marseille, the city where he was born and where we come from.

“There are several points in common between the two cities. Jeremie knows well that we are dealing with a top team, a great club.

“The fans are really passionate and very close to their colours. In short, they have all the ingredients to have fun when you play in Naples.”

Boga’s deal will end in June 2022 and his representative confirmed he will hold a meeting with Sassuolo to discuss the future of the winger.

“Jeremie's contract with Sassuolo will expire in 2022, I will meet with the club in the next few days, but I exclude that we will talk about a renewal.”

Boga was a former France youth international before pledging his future to the Ivory Coast national team in 2017.

The forward made his debut for the West Africans against Guinea in an African Cup of Nations qualifier and will hope to continue his impressive performances at club level to boost his chances of featuring consistently for the Elephants. 

Barcelona have announced the termination of technical manager Eric Abidal's contract as the club's backroom purge continues.

The Catalan club announced the sacking of head coach Quique Setien on Monday following a dreadful end to the 2019-20 season, Barca having conceded the Liga title to eternal rivals Real Madrid and crashing out of the Champions League in dramatic style.

An 8-2 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals was the final straw for Setien, who had been brought in to bring back an exciting brand of football that disappeared under the more pragmatic Ernesto Valverde.

Abidal's final act as technical manager was showing Setien the exit door at Camp Nou.

The French former full-back had found himself in the bad books of club captain Lionel Messi after publicly criticising players for “not doing much work” following the sacking of Valverde at the turn of the year.

Messi publicly called for Abidal to “name names” in relation to the players he deemed as underperforming, adding that his former team-mate's statement would tar the entire squad – the Argentine included – if he didn't go into specifics.

Now, the skipper will no longer have to concern himself with the opinion of Abidal, who was let go by the club on Tuesday.

A statement on Barca's official website reads: “FC Barcelona and Eric Abidal have reached an agreement for the termination of the contract binding both parties.

“The club publicly expresses its gratitude to Eric Abidal for the professionalism, commitment, dedication and positive and close treatment towards all the areas that make up the Barca family, and wishes him luck and success in the future.”

While Abidal's departure may go some way to pleasing Messi, there are many who believe a full backroom restructuring is required – starting with president Josep Maria Bartomeu, whose time in charge has been fraught with negative headlines.

A slew of disastrous transfers have fans calling for the supremo's head, but the man himself has indicated that he will not stand down before the presidential elections in March of 2021.

Luka Modric has revealed that he held transfer talks with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich back in 2011, with the Croatian discussing a possible move from Tottenham with the “mysterious” Russian.

The talented playmaker was wanted at Stamford Bridge after starring across the English capital in north London.

Abramovich was splashing the cash at that stage and was prepared to dig deep in a bid to coax Spurs chairman Daniel Levy into parting with a prized asset.

Modric was aware of the interest being shown in him and went as far as meeting with his suitors on a yacht in the French Riviera.

“It was all very exciting,” he wrote in Luka Modric: My Autobiography, which is being serialised by The Guardian.

“Twenty or so people, who seemed part of the security detail, met us at the boat. It was quick and well organised; just as we made ourselves comfortable on one of the luxury decks, Abramovich showed up. 

“During our meeting on the Côte d’Azur, he left an impression of a relaxed, somewhat mysterious person. He wasn’t beating around the bush and said: ‘We know you are a quality player. I’d like you to sign for Chelsea’.”

Modric added: “My feeling was that it was time for a move – I wanted to fight for trophies and win titles, and I felt this wouldn’t happen if I stayed at Tottenham. I wanted to move to a more ambitious club.

“‘Do you think Tottenham will resist your transfer? Are they going to put up a fight?’ Abramovich asked. ‘I think the negotiations are going to be tough’, I replied, because I knew the clubs were not on good terms.”

Spurs refused to bow to Chelsea’s demands, forcing Modric to stay put.

He said: “I arrived in London before pre-season training and went to talk to the chairman. There were no harsh words or insults as the media said, but the conversation was tense. 

“He reprimanded me for publicly announcing I wanted to leave and repeated that Tottenham had no intention of selling at any price.”

Tottenham finally accepted the inevitable in 2012, with Modric – who would go on to land the 2018 Ballon d’Or – eventually linking up with La Liga giants Real Madrid.

“I didn’t know if and when Levy would agree to sell me,” the 34-year-old said of landing that move.

“But I was convinced it was time to move on, to a new and bigger challenge. After four wonderful years, during which we felt at home in England, [my wife] Vanja and I knew this life had come to an end.”

Christian Pulisic boasts the potential to be “one of the most important players” at Chelsea for the next 10 years, says former Blues winger Pat Nevin.

The United States international saw his debut campaign in English football end on a low note as he was forced off through injury in an FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal.

He had, however, enjoyed a productive run up until that point, with 11 goals and 10 assists recorded through 34 appearances in all competitions.

That productivity had drawn inevitable comparisons to former Blues star Eden Hazard, with Frank Lampard considered to have found a suitable successor to a departed Belgian star.

Nevin can see why Pulisic is generating such talk, but believes the talented 21-year-old will become a Stamford Bridge legend in his own right if he sticks around long enough.

A former fan favourite told Chelsea’s official website: “There were moments when Christian Pulisic looked like he might run away with the Player of the Year trophy.

“At times he was looking like our most potent scorer as well as creator.

“Chelsea fans will soon tire of comparing him with Eden Hazard, which is unfair on him, but they also know that for raw talent, match intelligence and searing pace as well as an eye for goal, at 21 years old he could be one of the most important players for this club over the next five to 10 years.”

Pulisic is far from being the only exciting young talent on Chelsea’s books, with Lampard having shown considerable faith in home-grown talent since taking the managerial reins.

Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Timori and Billy Gilmour are among those to have made important contributions to a senior cause, while big things are expected of Mason Mount and Reece James.

Nevin sees that pair going from strength to strength, with a creative playmaker and buccaneering right-back being tipped to challenge for Player of the Year awards over many seasons to come.

“Mason Mount looked like another who could skip off with the award early on and maybe still will,” Nevin added on stars of the present who boast bags of potential for the future.

“One thing is very likely, if he doesn’t win it this season, it will not be long before he does. He is such a top player, so versatile and so loved by the Chelsea fans.

“Reece James joins him on the list of future winners I reckon even if this season might be a tad early for our rampaging right-back.”

South Africa international Luther Singh has been snapped up by Portuguese club Pacos de Ferreira.

The 23-year-old marksman has joined the Beavers from fellow Primeira Liga side Sporting Braga on a season-long loan ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Pacos de Ferreira made the announcement on their official website on Tuesday afternoon.

A club statement read: "Luther Singh will represent FC Paços de Ferreira in the 2020/2021 season."

"The Beavers and SC Braga agreed to the athlete's loan, which is, thus, the fourth confirmed reinforcement of the Capital do Movel team."

This is Singh's third successive loan deal from Braga, who signed him from Swedish club GAIS midway through the 2016/17 campaign.

The Soweto-born player spent the recent 2019/20 season with Primeira Liga side Moreirense where he netted three goals and registered two assists from 21 appearances.

His exploits helped Moreirense retain their status in the elite league after finishing eighth. 

Prior to that, Singh was with then-Primeira Liga outfit Chaves and he found the back of the net twice in 17 matches. 

However, Chaves were relegated to the second tier of Portuguese football, LigaPro and Singh returned to his parent club, Braga.

Singh's new club, Pacos de Ferreira is one of the historic teams in Portuguese football having won four Segunda Liga titles (now LigaPro),

The Beavers qualified for the UEFA Cup (now known as the Europa League) for the first time in 2017.

They also qualified for the 2013/14 Champions League play-offs for the first time in their history after finishing third in Primeira Liga during the 2012/13 season.

Singh, who was part of the Bafana Bafana squad at the 2019 Cosafa Cup in Durban, will be keen to help Pacos de Ferreira qualify for a Uefa competition in the new campaign.

The former South Africa under-20 international will be hoping to impress Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki during his loan spell with Pacos de Ferreira.

Bafana are expected to take part in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and 2020 Fifa World Cup qualifiers when international football resumes.

Singh is also a South Africa under-23 international and he will be eager to make the final squad for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Joe Hart has expressed his excitement after joining Tottenham on a free transfer, while insisting he's still "got so much to give" at the highest level.

Spurs confirmed Hart's arrival in north London on Tuesday, as the 33-year-old goalkeeper put pen to paper on a two-year contract with the club.

The former England international had been a free agent since leaving Burnley at the end of his deal on June 30, but will now serve alongside Paulo Gazzaniga as one of Tottenham's back-up shot-stoppers behind Hugo Lloris.

Hart won two Premier League titles at the height of his career at Manchester City, but was eventually deemed surplus to requirements by Pep Guardiola in 2016, and sent out on loan to Torino and West Ham before securing a permanent move to Burnley in 2018.

The experienced 'keeper was unable to take Nick Pope's number one spot at Turf Moor, and spent the majority of last season warming the bench.

Despite the fact he could be facing a similar scenario at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Hart is looking forward to a new start with a club set to return to the European stage in 2020-21.

“Firstly, I just want to say thank you to the club for seeing something in me,” The ex-City star told the club's official website after his unveiling. “No getting away from it, it’s been a difficult couple of years for me personally on the football field, but I feel I’ve got so much to give, I feel like I’ve got a lot of quality, a lot in the bank, but not much game time recently.

“I can only look at things positively. I’m ready to go. I feel like I’m starting again, and I quite enjoy that feeling. My body is certainly ready for me to start again. I’m ready to push and ready to get back to levels. I love the idea of European football, two games a week... it all excites me.”

Hart added on the struggles he's faced in recent years and the prospect of being involved in a Spurs squad full of top-class talent: “They’ve been a process, something I’ve certainly not had to get used to, because I didn’t want to ever get used to it, but I’ve lived it, I’ve worked hard, kept the same standards I’ve kept throughout my career, right from Shrewsbury Town.

“I’ve tried to grow as a person, tried to grow as a player, tried to use my time, tried to look at it differently... if I’m not playing on the pitch, what can I get out of myself off the pitch? I still feel like exactly the same player, and I still feel like I’ve got more to give.

“You can’t help but get excited at this club. Off the field, doing everything right, tremendous training ground, one of the world’s greatest stadiums, some of the best players you can get in football.

"I think we can work together as a team and work together as a unit and the sky’s the limit, it has to be.”

Manchester City have announced the signing of USWNT midfielder Rose Lavelle, who joins the club after four seasons in the National Women's Soccer League.

With 45 international caps to her name and 12 goals, she joins fellow World Cup winner Sam Mewis at the Academy Stadium, the latter having also signed this month with Gareth Taylor's outfit.

Lavelle, who won the Bronze Ball for her country in France last year and will wear the No.21 shirt at City, told the club's official website: “I’m so excited to join Manchester City and I can’t wait to play alongside some really talented players.

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity of playing in England and competing in the Champions League.

“After talking with Gareth about the team and how he saw me fitting in, it seemed like a great environment that would really push and develop me as a player.

“I’ve heard amazing things about the club and it just felt like a really good fit overall. I want to challenge myself and feel that Manchester City is the perfect environment to do so and hopefully, I’ll find some success along the way.”

Head coach Taylor is understandably delighted with the signing, stating: “We’re thrilled to have secured Rose’s services – with her impressive back catalogue, she is an incredibly exciting player and one we’re all looking forward to working with.

“Her endless accolades for both club and country are proof of what a talent she is and she’s exactly the kind of player we want here at City, with her ambitions and desire for success matching our own.

“I’m extremely excited to see her make her mark on the Barclays FA Women’s Super League this season in what will hopefully be a successful campaign for Manchester City Women.”

Gavin Makel, head of women’s football, added: “Over the last few years, we have followed Rose’s career with huge interest and watched her grow into one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.

“She is a highly technical and intellectual player who will give us another threat in the attacking third, and who will further strengthen the squad that we already have in place.

“I’m extremely pleased with our recruitment so far this summer and Rose’s signing is another example of our intentions with the league becoming more competitive.

“I’m sure our fans will be just as excited as I am for the start of the season and we cannot wait to get going.”

Ronald Koeman is a “good fit” for Barcelona, says Rivaldo, with a Dutchman who boasts strong ties to the Blaugrana considered the best option to fill a void created by Quique Setien’s dismissal.

Another change is being made in the dugout at Camp Nou, a matter of months after Ernesto Valverde was relieved of his duties.

Setien flopped badly in the most prominent of posts, with La Liga and Champions League setbacks leaving his head on the chopping block.

Koeman is now being lined up for an emotional return to Catalunya, having previously starred for Barca as a player, and Rivaldo believes the 57-year-old can bring the good times back for an out-of-sorts outfit.

“Barcelona look set to appoint Ronald Koeman as their new manager after Quique Setien's exit,” Rivaldo told Betfair.

“I worked with Koeman, when I was playing for Barca and he was Louis van Gaal's assistant coach, so I know the new boss very well.

“Besides being a successful player for Barcelona and a good person, Koeman learned a lot from the managers he worked with as an assistant.

“He's done solid work at some clubs, and more recently now as manager of the Netherlands national team, so I think he is a good fit for Barcelona.

“Of course, there will be a huge responsibility on his shoulders and he'll need some time to introduce his methods.

“Koeman has work to do to get the squad back on their feet after their embarrassing 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

“I hope he can achieve that goal as quickly as possible but he needs his time to bed in his methods.

“There will be many changes at Barca this summer, with players coming and going. I'd back Koeman to make good decisions and make Barcelona stronger in the near future.”

Much of the speculation at Camp Nou is currently focusing on Lionel Messi and the future of a six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

Barca are hoping to see him stay on, but a number of other departures are expected.

Rivaldo admits Koeman will have a big job to oversee if he is handed the reins, with comings and goings required on and off the field in order for the Blaugrana to rekindle their spark.

The legendary Brazilian added: “Gerard Pique has said he's ready to leave Barca if necessary at the end of that embarrassing defeat [to Bayern].

“I believe that any player would have said the same in Pique's situation as it was a very disappointing moment to lose 8-2 wearing a Barcelona shirt. It's a huge club with a huge reputation.

“It's up to Koeman, though, to evaluate which players should go and which should stay at the club. That will require a bit of time and someone who wasn't involved this season to make the right calls.

“I believe Koeman could be the right person to handle the situation, talking to the players and understanding which of them are committed to helping the club and which are already thinking about a new challenge.”

Nairobi City Stars forward Ebrima Sanneh has revealed how he was allegedly deceived of the good life in Kenya and almost returned to Gambia.

The forward joined Simba wa Nairobi in 2014 after helping Real de Banjul to win the domestic league title. However, the grass was not greener on the other side as he explains.

"Winning the Gambian League title gave me the chance and ticket to come to Kenya to seek better opportunities," Sanneh told the club's website.

"But what I was promised by City Stars before I came left me surprised and extremely disappointed. I almost went back to Gambia because of stress. I never saw the apartment and money that I was promised. 

"I was thrown to stay with two other people on Jogoo Road but luckily my uncle worked at the UN here in Kenya and I ended up moving in with him for a year and four months before finding my own place."  

The problems followed the forward on the pitch as well; he went on to take time before making a competitive debut for his new team and has explained the reason.

"My issues were more as since arriving [in July 2014 on a six-month loan], I never played football that season due to lack of a work permit; only training and not playing was frustrating," Sanneh recalls. 

"I only got to play after three months into the 2015 season. I think I outdid myself after I started because I had never played in the KPL. I scored goals every week and in most games that saw the team beat the relegation red zone on the last day."

After having a short but impressive campaign with Simba wa Nairobi, many teams came for his signature including Zesco United of Zambia. He was sure of the deal to the point that he turned down other offers, but things turned out negative.

"After 2015 I had to leave the team. I had been scouted by big clubs after my first season with Nairobi City Stars," the Gambian explains.

I had an offer from Zambia’s Zesco United and there was interest from all top Kenyan clubs. But I rejected all of them as I was sure [I thought] I would sign a contract with Zesco.

"Unfortunately, things never worked out which really disappointed me and I ended up signing with KRA on the last day for the transfer window for a year to redeem myself."

The striker made a return to City Stars in 2019 and has played a vital role in helping the team get promoted to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL).

Reading manager Mark Bowen revealed the financial situation of the club will determine the signing of Liverpool forward Ovie Ejaria.

The 22-year-old has had two loan spells with the Madejski Stadium outfit, having first joined the Championship side in January 2019 until the end of the season after cutting short his temporary stay with Rangers.

The Anglo-Nigerian then rejoined the Royals last summer with Reading having an obligation to make the deal permanent.

Ejaria was a consistent performer for the Madejski Stadium outfit in the 2019-20 campaign to help them finish the season in 14th spot on the table.

The central-midfielder made 39 appearances for Reading across all competitions, scoring three goals and providing five assists.

Bowen has confirmed Ejaria has been allowed by his parent club Liverpool to train with his side but revealed his future is not yet sorted out.

"We’re lucky to have Ovie Ejaria here training with us - and thanks to Liverpool for allowing us to do that,” Bowen told the club website.

"But anything we can or can't do on him will depend on the finances at the club and what we are able to do to take that situation forward.

"I’ll be trying to get more information on what we are going to be able to do, but it is all wrapped up into what we are able to do in terms of our finances at the club."

Bowen also revealed Ghana international Andy Yiadom has rejoined the rest of his squad for training along with Lucas Joao after overcoming their injury problems.

"We really missed them at the back of the last season – they both had similar recurring hamstring injuries, but they’re back in training now which is a real bonus for us,” he added.

"Yids is looking sharper with every session, but at the same time we’re mindful of the fact that in pre-season we aim to put the players through their paces, so we have to dip him in and out just to be sure there is no recurrence of any injury."

While Yiadom has five caps for Ghana, Ejaria, who is eligible to play for Nigeria and England is yet to make his international commitment.

The 22-year-old has previously trained with the Nigeria U17 team before representing England at the U20 and U21 levels.

Should he decide to play for the Super Eagles, he will join the likes of Alex Iwobi, Victor Moses, Ola Aina and Shola Ameobi, who previously featured for the youth team of the Three Lions before pledging their allegiances to the West Africans.

Asante Kotoko board member Alhaji Abu Lamine has made an audacious claim, saying the Porcupine Warriors are key to the survival of all clubs in the Ghana Premier League (GPL).

With 23 titles, the Kumasi-based outfit is the most successful team in the history of the domestic league.

In addition, they are considered to boast the biggest fanbase, a status reflected in the African Sports Centre for Data, Research and Technology's 2019 Ghana Premier League Report where the club garnered 41 per cent of survey participants' allegiance ahead of the 2019-20 league season.

“At club level, Kotoko is what [the team] everyone knows. Some [other clubs] have done well but not to Kotoko’s level,” Lamine told Asempa FM.

“If you want to get the truth in this, go to the GFA and check their source of match revenue from various stadia. All the 16 to 18 Premier League clubs, even if a club owes, they project a Kotoko game [gate proceeds] to raise revenue to pay off the debt.

“We don’t need to politicise this, go to GFA and check attendance from all the stadia. Even Accra Hearts of Oak know they can only raise more money after playing us… they know, they are just loud.

“Kotoko is bigger in terms of revenue generated and following. Kotoko is worshipped."

In July, King Faisal president Alhaji Karim Grunsah revealed his club plans its financial strategy around fixtures with Kotoko and Hearts of Oak, who rival the Porcupine Warriors over Ghana's biggest club status.

Lamine's comments follow a similar declaration by new Kotoko chief executive officer (CEO) Nana Yaw Amponsah, who rated the club bigger than Ghana's two main political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the  National Democratic Congress (NDC) at his unveiling last month.

Among their new ambitions, two-time African champions Kotoko are eyeing a first continental title since 1983. To achieve their goal, they have an imminent decision to make about whether they will be participating in the Caf Champions League next season or not, in the wake of the coronavirus disruptions.

“We have not really set a target for him [Amponsah]. We have given him a mandate for three years, but if he gets to the ground, he will come back to us," Lamine said about Amponsah.

"If he comes, he will update us on what he will need, that is when we will analyse whether we should go to Africa or not.

“He has met the coach, he will do an assessment of the playing body and the quality available [then decide] those who should go and those who should stay.

“So he will need not less than two weeks to put all those pieces together. So I believe that we should give him two to three weeks, he will get to the board and provide the real state of affairs of the club, then we’ll take it from there."

Kotoko have also clinched the Ghana FA Cup on nine occasions, just one win below rivals Hearts.

On social media, the Porcupine Warriors have the highest following on various platforms combined among all Ghanaian clubs.