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SuperSport United coach Kaitano Tembo says he understands why Aubrey Modiba is a wanted player, explaining that he will give the Bafana Bafana winger his blessings should he join Mamelodi Sundowns.

The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the reigning Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions for some time and Tembo heaped praise on the winger's attitude, saying he never gave him problems.

Moreover, although the MTN8 winner is aware that players come and go, he admitted losing the Limpopo-born player will be a bitter pill to swallow.

“It has to do with our situation in the club and if you look at a player like Aubrey, a lot of clubs have been after him,” Tembo told Phakaaathi.

“And it is no surprise because he is a player with a lot of quality and we also have to balance the books as well and you cannot deny him that opportunity to further his career, we will always try to support him.

“If it happens we will gladly accept that and he will go with our blessing because he is a really good player and he has done well for us and he has never given us any problems.”

Fresh from a 1-1 draw against Bloemfontein Celtic on Sunday evening, the Tshwane giants’ mentor credited ‘Postman’ for his qualities as a versatile campaigner.

“I have always been happy to play with him, he is a quality player who gives you options going forward, he gives you goals, he creates goals, he is good with set-plays.,” he added.

“It will be sad to lose him but at the same time we have to start to think ahead and he has to think about his future as well. It is football, players come and go.”

The former Nedbank Ke Yona talent search product has recently been linked with a switch to Chloorkop, with Goal having reported that Sundowns have tabled a fresh offer for the left-footer and that the two teams decided to put the talks on hold until later this year.

Meanwhile, club CEO Stanley Matthews was also quoted in the media confirming that there’s a big chance Modiba could play under coach Pito Mosimane next season.

Roma have announced that the Friedkin Group has taken over as club owners after completing their purchase of the Serie A outfit.

The Houston-based Freidkin Group has acquired an 86.6 per cent majority stake in the Italian side, with the new ownership group now set to launch a mandatory tender offer upon the publicly-held ordinary shares that represent the final 13.4 per cent.

“We are delighted to join the AS Roma family,” said Dan Friedkin, CEO and Chairman of The Friedkin Group. “As one fan wrote recently, ‘Take our iconic club and make it one of the greatest names in world football’. We intend to do just that.

“Our commitment to Roma is total. We will be very present in Rome, a city that holds a special place in our hearts, as we embark on this exciting journey. We recognise we are entrusted with a team that is a vital part of the soul of Rome, and this is a responsibility that we find humbling and will always take very seriously."

The club's previous majority shareholder James Pallotta, the chairman of Boston-based Raptor Capital Management, originally purchased the club in 2011 alongside Thomas R. DiBenedetto, Michael Ruane and Richard D'Amore.

Palotta has officially resigned from his position on the board of directors alongside D'Amore, Gregory Martin, Charlotte Beers, Paul Edgerly, Cameron Neely and Barry Sternlicht.

The new ownership group has formed a new executive committee, featuring Dan Friedkin (Chairman), Ryan Friedkin, Guido Fienga (CEO), Marc Watts and Eric Williamson.

“I would like wish Dan, Ryan and everyone at AS Roma - the players, the staff and the fans - only good luck for the future," Palotta said. "Like every Roma fan in the world, I truly hope The Friedkin Group can build on what we have done over the last eight years, transforming Roma into a truly international club, and take AS Roma to the next level. This is an incredibly special football club and I leave with many unforgettable memories.”

“I’d also like to take a moment to thank Jim Pallotta and his partners for all they have done for the club," Friedkin added. "He and his team have been very helpful in preparing for a smooth transition and we wish him nothing but the best in the future."

Roma finished this past season fifth in Serie A, sealing a spot in the Europa League next season.

The club is set to complete the signing of Pedro from Chelsea in the near future, with the winger departing the Premier League side at the end of his contract.

Orlando Pirates defender Happy Jele anticipates a tough clash against Baroka in their upcoming Premier Soccer League (PSL) match on Tuesday evening, saying they are targeting a spot in the Caf Champions League or in the Confederation Cup.

The Buccaneers are fresh from two consecutive draws against Mamelodi Sundowns and Bidvest Wits in the league, with the skipper saying they played well against the Brazilians but were tightly marked by the Students.

‘Magents’ insists they are a big brand and their ambition is to finish in a decent spot on the log. They are currently in third with 42 points from 24 matches.

“Pirates are a big brand and want to compete for each and every trophy in the league and on the continent,” Jele told the media.

“The brand itself wants to play in Africa. We want to be there‚ so we just have to finish on a good position right now.”

Speaking about their PSL campaign since the season was restarted last week, the veteran defender looks back at their opening matches against Sundowns and Wits.

“The first game the guys were ready in terms of fitness and everything. In the second match, I think Wits saw how well we played against Sundowns and they closed us down,” he added.

“It is very important to go and win the game because we want to finish higher. They are a good team and I know that it’ll be a difficult game on Tuesday.

“We are playing against a good team [Baroka] which wants to move away from the relegation zone. We respect them but we want to win the game irrespective of what‚ we want to win the game and finish on a high note.

“It is very good for the brand itself to finish in a good spot so that we play in the Caf competitions next season.”

With the reigning PSL champions Sundowns - on 46 points in second - struggling to get a win since the PSL restart, coach Josef Zinnabuer’s men will look to collect maximum points in their remaining matches and secure the second spot.

However, coach Pitso Mosimane will lead his troops against Cape Town City at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Monday night as they look to narrow the gap between them and log leaders Kaizer Chiefs, who are six points ahead.

Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki says that Jadon Sancho shouldn't be in any rush to leave the club as he believes the English winger will still be in demand down the line.

Sancho has been heavily linked with Manchester United in recent weeks, with Dortmund setting a price of €120 million (£108m/$142m) for the talented attacker.

However, Dortmund also set an August 10 deadline for any move for Sancho, with the winger now fully involved in the club's pre-season preparations.

Manchester United, however, are refusing to give up, with the club still hopeful of completing a deal despite frustrations with negotiations.

From Burki's point of view, Sancho should forego any interest from the Premier League this season, especially considering the fact that that interest won't disappear after one more year in Germany.

"Jadon will still be a top player next year," Burki told Kicker. "He's not running out of time."

He added: "I don't think Jadon is sad to continue to be part of Borussia Dortmund. He comes to training with a smile and is happy to be with us."

A similar sentiment has been offered by Danny Murphy, who says that Sancho should opt against moving to Man Utd this year, waiting instead for next summer when there could be offers from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Paul Scholes, meanwhile, insists that Man Utd's recent Europa League exit only shows the need for a player of Sancho's calibre, saying the club needs to spend real money if the board wants to see trophies return to Old Trafford.

While Man Utd are still reeling from their Europa League elimination at the hands of Sevilla, Dortmund are in pre-season ahead of the return of the Bundesliga.

Coach Lucien Favre is entering into the last year of his contract, with many seeing him as a "lame duck" coach after an up-and-down season last campaign, but Burki insists that the club can win trophies this season under Favre's guidance.

"Of course Favre can win titles," said Burki. "He already proved that in Zurich, where he won the championship twice. If we play consistently over an entire season, we can do it as a team. I'm convinced of that."

"Lame duck? I think most players don't even know how long the coach's contract runs," he added. "I can't imagine that many players think about it."

David de Gea is backing himself to keep the No.1 shirt at Manchester United despite a string of high profile mistakes this season.

Pressure has been mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop the Spaniard after errors which ended up costing United, and after his mistakes against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final there have been numerous calls for Dean Henderson, who spent the last season on loan at Sheffield United, to be brought back as first choice.

Henderson only wants to return to Old Trafford if he is guaranteed to be starting, and with interest from Chelsea in the young goalkeeper, Solskjaer has a dilemma over what to do.

The competition doesn't faze De Gea, who has won the club’s player of the year award four times, and he is backing himself to keep his place.

“I trust in myself,” he said. "I showed my qualities all the years, so I just keep available for the manager. I'm always ready to play and try to help the team as always, as I did always."

The Spaniard was given the nod ahead of regular Europa League choice Sergio Romero for United’s defeat to Sevilla and despite the disappointment of losing a third semi-final of the season he is pleased with the progress the side have made.

“I think we improved already this season. We were 14 points behind the third position in the Premier League. We finished third at the end,” De Gea explained.

“We play very good I think many games. We deserved to be in the final, if we are honest; maybe we need a bit of experience, more experience on the team - but we have to score the chances. Let's keep improving, let's keep fighting for this club and let's try to win trophies next season."

The players have now been given two weeks holiday before they resume training ahead of the new campaign starting next month and with the improvement last season the 29-year-old is confident Solskjaer has the team heading in the right direction.

“I think we are playing very good football, attacking football and we are all enjoying playing attacking football,” he said. “There has been a lot of games, not a lot of rest, so we have like a couple of weeks to rest, properly rest, and then to start training again.

"Everything, the games goes again and we have to be 100 per cent focused and ready to play our best football."

Tanzania Mainland Premier League side Azam FC have completed the signing of Prince Dube from Highlanders FC of Zimbabwe.

Dube, 23, has penned a two-year contract with the former league and FA Cup champions in a deal that is understood to have fetched his former side $50,000.

The Zimbabwean international has made the move with four months remaining in his Highlanders contract.

“Azam FC are happy to make the announcement that we have completed the signing of Zimbabwean international Prince Dube from Highlands FC,” Azam announced.

“Dube, who is one the lethal strikers in Zimbabwe while at the national side that comprises of local players comes to Azam to sharpen our striking department.

“The technical bench that is led by head coach Aristica Cioaba is satisfied by Dube's ability since the time they started trailing him.

“We are going to end our transfer business soon after signing another international striker.”

Dube has linked up with fellow Zimbabwean internationals Bruce Kangwa and Never Tigere. Dube and Kangwa featured for Highlanders before the former made the move to join the Ice Cream Makers.

Dube is also the Young Warriors captain and his move to Azam is expected to hand him more experience in a foreign league after the previous struggles in South Africa.

The youngster left Bosso, as Highlanders are nicknamed, in 2017 for SuperSport United in the Premier Soccer League of South Africa but he did not manage to break into the first team.

He was loaned to Black Leopards for a season but still battled for regular game time.

Dube became Zimbabwe’s 2019 Soccer Star of the Year second runners-up after he regained form at the 2006 league champions.

The forward made his national team debut on March 26, 2017, when Zimbabwe played to a 0-0 draw against neighbours Zambia. Since then, he has played in nine matches and has scored six goals.

Azam have been another busy Tanzanian side in the transfer market and have already signed Emmanuel Charles, former Gor Mahia keeper David Kissu Mapigano, Awesu Awesu, Ally Niyonzima, Ismail Aziz and Ayoub Lyanga.

Salum ‘Sure Boy’ Abubakar committed his future to the club for one more year despite intense interest from rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC).

Azam will be keen to strengthen their side after a disappointing 2019/20 season when they failed to retain the FA Cup title which Simba SC eventually won.

They also did not manage to finish second on the league log even after keeping the position for long in the season that was concluded in July.

Stoke City have confirmed the signing of former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel on a short-term deal.

The Nigeria star joined the Potters on a free transfer on Monday after leaving Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor during the coronavirus crisis in March.

Mikel is set for his second adventure in the Championship with Stoke City, having previously played for Middlesbrough in the second half of the 2018-19 season.

He is Stoke City’s fourth-summer signing ahead of the new season after Morgan Fox, James Chester and Steven Fletcher.

Following the completion of Mikel’s move, manager O’Neill disclosed the duration of his conversation with the 33-year-old and his ambition to end his career in the Premier League.

"We’re delighted to bring John to the club. His playing career speaks for itself and underlines his calibre as a player,” O’Neill said.

“I was really impressed with him when we met for the first time and he outlined what he wants from the next phase of his career.

“We spent four hours talking and he made it clear he wants to get back into the Premier League and finish his career there and hopefully he can do that with Stoke City.”

The ex-Nigeria international started his European career in Norway with Lyn after playing for Plateau United in the Nigerian top-flight.

He moved to Chelsea in 2006 where he spent 11 years before departing for China to join Tianjin Teda in 2017.

During his stay at Stamford Bridge, Mikel won the Uefa Champions League, Europa League, two Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a League Cup.

After Middlesbrough failed in their promotion bid in the 2018-19 season, he joined Trabzonspor on a two-year contract but left the Super Lig club by mutual consent in March after expressing his concerns over the continuation of football amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 33-year-old retired from international duty in July 2019 after he led Nigeria to clinch bronze at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

He played 91 matches for the Super Eagles and scored six goals before calling up his time in the national team.

Former Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh has celebrated Julen Lopetegui's redemption at Sevilla after they defeated Manchester United in Sunday's Uefa Europa League semi-final outing.

Sevilla came from behind at the RheinEnergieStadion to edge the Premier League side 2-1 and book a place in Friday's final scheduled to take place in Cologne.

Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for Manchester United from the penalty spot in the ninth minute, but goals from Suso and Luuk De Jong in the 26th and 78th minutes, respectively, steered Los Palanganas to victory.

The triumph made Oliseh, who managed the Super Eagles for eight months before resigning in February 2016, particularly excited for Lopetegui after his previous experiences in the dugout.

He described Sevilla’s progress to the final as joy for Lopetegui after "suffering non-stop humiliations" in the last few years.

“Since pre-World cup 2018 scandalous sacking, Julen Lopetegui's been to hell and back, suffered non-stop humiliations,” Oliseh tweeted.

“Sad for Man Utd fans, but extremely pleased for Lopetegui. Imagine the joy and relief his loved ones feel tonight. Wish him well in the final. It pays to keep believing.”

The former Real Madrid manager was sacked on two occasions within five months in 2018.

He was first relieved of his duties at the Spain national team with just two days before the country's 2018 World Cup opener against Portugal in Russia.

Lopetegui was dismissed from the national team camp after accepting an offer to take over at the Santiago Bernabeu immediately after the World Cup.

His reign in Real Madrid was short-lived as he was sacked after four-and-a-half months in charge.

After a string of poor results in all competitions which was capped by Real Madrid's 5-1 loss to Barcelona in October 2018, the 53-year-old was shown the exit door in the Spanish capital.

In June 2019, Lopetegui was appointed as Sevilla manager and he helped the club finish fourth in the Spanish top-flight table this season.

On Friday, Sevilla will face the winner of Monday’s semi-final clash between Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk as the chase their sixth Europa League crown.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Eric Choupo-Moting has described RB Leipzig's transformation into a formidable side in Europe as “crazy”, warning of a tough Uefa Champions League semi-final encounter on Tuesday in Lisbon.

The French giants are up against a side which, just like them, are eyeing a first-ever appearance in the Champions League final.

Leipzig are having a sensational run in Europe’s premier club competition in only their second season participating in this tournament.

They have claimed the scalps of Tottenham Hotspur in the Round of 16, before eliminating Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals.

“I know that during the last years they really progressed and they are doing some good work, Leipzig. I think they have existed only since 2009 this club. So it’s crazy development for them,” Choupo-Moting told the PSG website.

“It will be tough because they will give everything. They know it’s a big chance for them as well. It’s also the first time for them in the semifinals. It would be a tough game and we have to take it very seriously.”

The last time PSG reached the Champions League semi-finals was during the 1994/5 season and they are now seeking to go a step further into the final.

Choupo-Moting says he felt that their chance to advance into the decider arrived when they played Atalanta in the quarter-finals.

The Cameroonian, who featured in the last 11 minutes in the 2-1 victory over Atalanta, became the hero of the night last Wednesday after grabbing the winning goal deep into injury time.

“It is always an honour and a pleasure to play in the Champions League for Paris and I felt on this day [against Atalanta] and during the last month even that this is the big chance for us, for Paris, everybody is waiting for it,” said Choupo-Moting.

“The whole city is so football-affected and love so much football and everybody was waiting for it. I said to myself that if I get the chance, I want to bring an impact and show that I can help the team.

“It was a very tight game I think, we were respecting Atalanta, we knew what they were doing during the while season, very tough opponent, physically very strong. When I came in I was confident in myself that I can do something in the game and I saw the team also.”

Choupo-Moting’s Senegalese teammate Idrissa Gueye is almost sure to miss Tuesday’s game due to an injury suffered at training on Saturday.

“Idrissa Gueye is in the treatment room after a muscle twinge felt in Saturday's training session. He's very doubtful to feature in Tuesday's semi-final,” PSG announced in an injury update.

Gueye did not finish the Atalanta match, lasting 72 minutes. If PSG win on Tuesday, they face either Bayern Munich or Olympique Lyon in the August 23 final.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has won the Premier League PFA Fans' Player of the Year award for 2019-20.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a fine campaign, scoring 18 goals and providing seven assists, making him the team's second most productive player of the season behind Mohamed Salah. 

Mane won the award, voted for via a poll from fans across England, ahead of Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold, gaining 41 per cent of the vote.

Virgil van Dijk, Raheem Sterling and Jamie Vardy were also nominated for the prestigious individual award, which was won by former Chelsea star Eden Hazard last year.

Liverpool have unsurprisingly swept the individual prizes having romped to the title this term, ending a 30-year wait for a top-flight title in dominant fashion.

Jurgen Klopp's team amassed a club-record 99 points and finishing 18 clear of deposed champions Manchester City.

Klopp won the Manager of the Year, Alexander-Arnold clinched the Young Player of the Season prize and Jordan Henderson was voted the Football Writers' Association Men's Footballer of the Year.

Mane joined the Reds in 2016 from Southampton and has gone on to make 170 appearances in all competitions, scoring 81 goals to help them claim Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup before their Premier League success.

He was the league's joint-top scorer in 2018-19 alongside team-mate Mohamed Salah and Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Mane earned special praise from coach Klopp recently, as the German hailed him as "world class".

“He is a complete player, offensively and defensively He works hard, he is really quick," Klopp said. “For sure a few things we did from a tactical point of view helped the boys as well and Sadio is a good example for the improvement the whole squad.

“He has obviously improved a lot in the last few years – and from a very high level already – becoming a very good player to a world-class player, no doubt about that, and he is a winner on top of that."

Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA FC) coach Mike Mutebi has revealed he has achieved his main target of signing players in every position in the current window.

The Lugogo-based giants ended last season without silverware after the Federation of Uganda Football Association (Fufa) moved to end the 2019-20 Uganda Premier League (UPL) campaign owing to the effects caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

By ending the season, Vipers SC, who were sitting at the top of the log, were declared champions while KCCA came second. Though KCCA were still taking part in the Uganda Cup, the competition was also called off owing to the Covid-19 outbreak and thus no winner was declared.

On the Caf Champions League front, KCCA failed to go past the group stage, and as such coach Mutebi has now said he was looking at the transfer window to sign players in every department so they are able to compete in all fronts in the coming season.

“We want to have at least three players in each position and competing at the top level if we are going to meet our goal to compete at the top level especially on the continent,” Mutebi told the club’s official website.

“When we suffered injuries last season especially with the core of the team, we did not have able replacements. But now that we have at least two to three players in every position I am quite sure we shall compete at the top-level next term.

“I am signing players who I know have potential and who are young and hungry to adapt to the modern way of playing the game the game.”

On the caliber of players, he was looking to bring at the club, Mutebi explained: “We are interested in players who are in their early twenties because we want to groom players that can stay at the club for some time. The idea is to give the players long term contracts to keep the team stable if we are to compete at the top level.”

Mutebi also spoke about the arrival of Samson Kigozi, who was the club’s seventh signing this window.

“[Kigozi] will give us quite some selection headache which is good for us as a team and especially our growth," he concluded.

The former champions have already signed Mugume Ashraf, Lwanga Charles, Mazengo Stefano Loro, Iguma Dennis, Bright Anukani (loan), Brian Aheebwa and Kigozi Samson.

Ghanaian midfielder Emmanuel Lomotey has left Spanish second division side Extremadura for French Ligue 2 outfit Amiens, the latter have announced.

The 22-year-old has signed a four-year deal with his new club.

Amiens are set to compete in the French second tier next season following theirrelegation from the elite division last term.

"Amiens SC and Extremadura UD have reached an agreement for the transfer of Emmanuel Lomotey," the Ligue 2 club announced on their official website on Monday.

"Amiens SC is pleased to announce the signing of Emmanuel Lomotey, who strengthens the midfield of the club. The 22-year-old Ghana U23 international comes from Liga 2. He has played 21 games this season with Extremadura UD.

"The defensive midfielder transfer deal with Amiens will last until 2024!

"Welcome home Emmanuel!"

After impressing in the Ghana Premier League (GPL) for Dreams FC, Lomotey joined Extremadura in 2017 on an initial loan deal.

He largely spent the term with Extremadura's second team.

The following season, Lomotey signed a three-year deal with Spanish second tier club Cordoba, who promptly sold the player back to Extremadura.

Interestingly, Extremadura then sent the midfielder to La Liga outfit Villarreal on a season-long loan for the 2018-19 term, but he failed to earn a first-team appearance during his stay with the Yellow Submarine.

He had his first full campaign of first team football in Europe last season, where he made 21 league outings for Extremadura in the Segunda Division, starting 18 of the matches and scoring one goal.

At international level, Lomotey featured for Ghana's home-based side at the 2017 Wafu Cup of Nations, helping the Black Stars to lift the title on home soil.

He was also in action for Ghana at the Africa U23 Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Egypt last November. Unfortunately, he could not help the Black Meteors finish among the top three to secure a ticket for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Second from bottom on the Ligue 1 table when the 2019-20 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, Amiens joined Toulouse as the relegated sides after a resolution by French football authorities.

Ghana international Nicholas Opoku played on loan from Udinese at Amiens during the second half of last season. 

Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack has confessed the financial situation at the club is making him very uncomfortable.

The British coach has said he is worried the speed at which the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions are losing key players this transfer window, owing to a lack of money, will come back to haunt them after they made some positive steps during his one season in charge.

Polack has since asked the club officials to move with speed and fix the issues, especially the financial status of the club, insisting he is not sure whether he will have a team to handle at the end of the transfer window as most of them are asking to leave.

“I am not comfortable to lose key players, I am not comfortable with the situation at the club, what is happening at the club is not good at all and we need to sort out what is happening at the club once and for all,” Polack told Goal on Monday.

“We need to make sure everyone at the club is happy, everybody must be happy, let us say if we resume training next week, or even ten days from now, how many players do you think will come to training?

“We might end up having none because they are not happy, they don’t have money, and secondly if they do come, for example, do you think all their minds will be focused on what we want to do in training under the situation they are in?

“I don’t think so, when you are working and you don’t get your salary paid or get what you have worked for, then you cannot concentrate but can only switch off, you cannot be 100 percent ready to work.”

Polack continued: “You need the players to be focused, they need to know why they are coming to the training ground, what exactly are they coming to do, and that is why it is good to pay the players, for me we must sort out the mess, it not good to do things this way.

“We need to sort out the financial situation at the club so we can move forward, but if the situation remains the same, then the club will have trouble and problems in the coming season.”

Polack has also admitted he will have tough times to build a strong team to challenge for titles and also compete effectively in the Caf Champions League after losing most of his key players.

“First of all when you start building any new team with new people expectations will be very high and that is a fact, that is a fact, for me when you building a new team you don’t know yet if it will be good or not but it is always going to be difficult,” Polack added.

“First of all you have to get cohesion with the players, you have to get the stamina back and for me hopefully it is not going to be so hard because we don’t know how many players will leave the club, and how many will remain, and those who have left are all quality players.”

Polack joined K'Ogalo from Asante Kotoko of Ghana and went on to clinch two titles – the KPL Super Cup and the league – in his first season.

Manchester City have announced plans to build a statue in honour of David Silva, who is leaving the club this summer.

The statue, which will be erected outside their Etihad Stadium home, will pay tribute to the Spanish midfielder as he departs the club after 10 years with the Premier League side.

City have announced they will also dedicate a training pitch with a bespoke mosaic to Silva at their City Football Academy.

Silva, who has been heavily linked with a move to Lazio on a free transfer, played his last game of a stellar career at City as they were knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Lyon.

The playmaker was privately informed of the plans to build the statue by City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak following his final Premier League game against Norwich in July.

Having last year announced a similar plan to celebrate the contribution made by former club captain Vincent Kompany, City say they will unveil Silva’s tribute following that of the former Belgian captain, which is currently being sculpted. Both will be unveiled in 2021.

The mosaic, meanwhile, has already been completed, and features Silva's contribution to the 6-1 defeat of rivals Manchester United in 2011. It will be unveiled as soon as government guidelines amid the coronavirus pandemic allow, and Silva is able to travel to Manchester for the inauguration, the club said.

Al Mubarak said in a statement: “David Silva is a transformational player; a quiet leader who has acted quietly and deliberately and inspired everyone around him, from the youngest academy player to his senior team-mates over the past 10 years.

"He has put a stamp on the team, on this club, its history and even the Premier League as a whole.

"In doing so he has been instrumental to the beautiful football philosophy you see today. He was the start of it.

"As with Vincent before him, David’s statue will act as a lasting reminder of the wonderful moments that he gave us, not only as an incredible footballer, but as an inspiring ambassador who represented this football club with great dignity at all times.”

 A World Cup winner and twice European champion with his native Spain, Silva played an integral role in City’s recent history

In 436 appearances, he won four Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five League Cups and three Community Shields.

Erling Haaland “would have been perfect” for Manchester United, says Steve McClaren, with the Red Devils considered to still be in need of an upgrade to Anthony Martial in their No.9 position.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has seen a France international forward post a personal-best return of 23 goals in the 2019-20 campaign. Questions have continued to be asked, though, of whether Martial is a long-term solution for United in central striking berth.

McClaren believes he is not the answer, with more money needing to be spent on a proven performer to fill an important role.

He admits that Haaland, who ended up joining Borussia Dortmund in January, would have been ideal for the Red Devils, and it is difficult to see where they are going to find a suitable alternative in the current transfer window – with Jadon Sancho not the right fit either in an already well-stocked attack.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant at Old Trafford told talkSPORT: “The front four are so quick, they’re so exciting and they cause so many problems, and Martial is a fantastic player, but in the big games when it really matters he never looks like a true goalscorer. They need class in that position.

“I don’t think [Romelu] Lukaku fit into what Man United are all about, that high intensity, and I think they need that.

“The manager is helpless if the club don’t back him and go for the likes of Haaland. What a perfect fit he would have been. I’ve seen him for Dortmund and he’s an incredible player at 20. Imagine him in the Man United team, that would be spot on. So they’re not far away, but they have to spend the money and get the right players.

“I’ve seen Jadon Sancho play a lot for Dortmund and he’s very, very exciting, but he’s a little bit like Martial, [Marcus] Rashford and [Mason] Greenwood and I wonder, do they really need that?

“He’s not a No 9, and Martial, Rashford and Greenwood aren’t that either. You’ve got to get a fox in the box, a goalscorer and No 9 and they’ve got to find one quick.

“Yes, Sancho would improve the squad, but to win big games and to win cups, you need a No 9 and you need two damn good centre-backs. Haaland would have been perfect; a young talented striker, a No 9 who can play under pressure – they’re difficult to find.

“Harry Kane, will they get him out of Tottenham? I doubt it very much, but they need someone of that ilk.”

United have been linked with a big-money move for Kane, amid ongoing questions of his long-term future at Spurs, while a deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho could be done at some stage after a protracted chase.

Odsonne Edouard will not follow Moussa Dembele’s lead by pushing for a move away from Celtic, says Kris Commons, with suitors for the French forward warned that the transfer “ship has sailed”.

The talented 22-year-old has proved to be a prolific presence across three seasons in Scotland, with an initial loan move from Paris Saint-Germain having been made in 2017.

With 65 goals recorded in 128 appearances, Edouard’s exploits for Celtic have attracted plenty of suitors. Arsenal, Manchester United and Leicester are said to figure on a long list of admirers, with interest building in the youngster from across Europe.

Celtic have found themselves in a similar position on plenty of occasions in the past, with Dembele landing a move to Lyon in 2018, but Commons believes they can fend off interest in Edouard even if Neil Lennon fails to oversee a successful run to the Champions League group stage.

The former Hoops star told the Daily Mail: "One theory which I've heard doing the rounds in recent days has been that Odsonne Edouard's future will hinge on Celtic's progress in Europe this season and what happens over these next few weeks.

"The suggestion seems to be that a failure to reach the group stage of the Champions League would inevitably hasten his departure prior to the transfer window closing in October.

"I totally disagree with that. For me, there's absolutely no chance that Celtic will even contemplate selling their star striker at this late juncture. That ship has sailed.

"The season is already under way. If they were of a mind to cash-in on Edouard, they'd have done it six weeks ago to give themselves time to find a suitable replacement.

"The signing of Albian Ajeti changes nothing in that respect. Despite the £5 million ($6.5m) fee, there's no way he's been bought as a direct replacement for Edouard. You don't replace one of the best young strikers in Europe with a boy who was warming the bench for West Ham last season."

Commons added: "As for Edouard, he's still got one more year left in the tank at Celtic. I would be astonished if they let him go at this stage of proceedings. Listen, I understand that money talks, but Peter Lawwell is a smart man. He'll know that selling Edouard now would be playing with fire.

"If the club sold their star player and then failed to secure ten in a row this season, Lawwell won't need anyone to tell him that the fans would hound him out of the club.

"What will help Celtic's cause is that I genuinely don't see Edouard agitating for a move. He seems a really level-headed boy and I don't see a repeat of what happened with Dembele a couple of years ago. There was a lot of politics involved in that. Dembele eventually demanded to leave after what he felt were broken promises from Rodgers.

"I don't see that happening with Edouard. To be honest, it's actually in his best interests to stick around for at least one more season."

Chelsea have been working on the futures of their young and wantaway stars while they attempt major transfers, with 18-year-old striker Armando Broja set for his first loan move in the coming months.

Dutch club Vitesse are informally a feeder club for the Blues and Broja, who scored 19 goals in 31 games across various youth levels last season which led to his debut under Frank Lampard, is set to move to the Netherlands for next season.

He will follow in the footsteps of the likes of Mason Mount and Nemanja Matic in joining the Eredivisie outfit.

Alongside that, Ike Ugbo has agreed on a loan move to Cercle Brugge with a €5 million (£4.5m/$6m) option to buy placed on the youngster, who got 13 goals in 28 games for Roda JC in the Dutch second division last season.

Tiemoue Bakayoko wants to join AC Milan, who are in talks over another loan deal. The Serie A giants are attempting to talk down the option to buy price from the €42.5 million (£38m/$46m) that Monaco refused to use last season, to as low as €22m (£20m/$26m).

It will likely settle at around €35m (£32m/$41m) with a loan fee of approximately €3m (£2.7m), with his £100,000-a-week wages being paid in full. Bakayoko is on a Chelsea contract with two years left to run.

Meanwhile, despite having had a host of loan offers for next season, Ethan Ampadu is keen to try and impress Frank Lampard in training sessions, putting any moves on hold.

Lampard is understood to be a huge fan of the 19-year-old who was on loan at RB Leipzig last season, but arrived into Stamford Bridge with the youngster having already agreed to a Bundesliga move.

Chelsea have yet to push Ampadu to look for a loan out of west London for another season, leaving the door open for his stay, but the situation is subject to change with a host of major transfer targets being pursued in the market.

Michy Batshuayi's representatives are looking to get him out of Chelsea and have sounded out Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds United over a potential move, with the newly-promoted side seeking a striker.

Bielsa worked with Batshuayi at Marseille, but it is thought that there are more suitors for the Belgium international whose contract expires next summer.

Trevoh Chalobah has agreed to move on loan for another season after a year at Huddersfield Town, with rumours abound that he is set for Ligue 1.

Jake Clarke-Salter is another who has offers from abroad, as well as the Championship, after an impressive season with Birmingham City.

Rennes have enquired about taking Fikayo Tomori on loan next season as new sporting director Florian Maurice has been tracking the Chelsea star for some time. However, Lampard's side have paused any decision on Tomori's future leaving the Ligue 1 club waiting after their initial contact.

Furthermore, Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia has turned a €15m (£13.5m/$18m) buy-back clause for Jeremie Boga at Sassuolo into a sell-on clause which is understood to be between 10 and 15 per cent.

Boga is still looking to leave Sassuolo this summer with Napoli and Roma leading the queue, with Atalanta recently registering an interest. Premier League club Brighton also feature, with further options in France.

Sassuolo will have a meeting about Boga next week and Chelsea look set to earn a portion of the €30m (£27m/$35m) asking price should he be sold.

Chelsea have already brought back several of their loanees to Cobham training centre to give them a pre-season with fixtures to be announced.

The Blues are chasing major pieces of transfer business alongside their outgoing options, with Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz and Leicester City's Ben Chilwell continuing active talks.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has won the Premier League PFA Fans' Player of the Year award for 2019-20.  

The Senegal international played a pivotal role as the Anfield outfit ended their long wait for an English top-flight title, having last clinched the trophy in 1990.

The forward scored 18 goals and provided nine assists as the Reds won the Premier League trophy with a club-record 99 points.

Mane beat competition from his teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne to clinch the individual accolade.

The forward has been turning heads since teaming up with the Reds in the summer of 2016 from Southampton, where he spent two years after arriving from Red Bull Salzburg.

Mane has racked up a total of 63 goals in 127 league appearances for the Anfield outfit since joining the side, amid other dazzling displays which have endured him to the Reds’ fans.

In the 2018-19 season, he emerged as the Premier League joint-top scorer along with Mohamed Salah and Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

In the last campaign, the forward scored 20 goals and provided 12 assists across all competitions for Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Besides Premier League success, Mane has also helped the Reds win the Champions League, the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup titles.

The 28-year-old was a prominent member of the Senegal national team that finished as runner-up in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Mane has featured 69 times and scored 19 goals since he made his debut for the Teranga Lions in 2012 and is currently the Africa Player of the Year.

The winger will hope to sparkle once again when Liverpool take on Arsenal in the Community Shield on August 29 at Wembley.

Thiago Alcantara is “a better passer” than any of the midfield options currently available to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, says Steve Nicol, but a man currently starring at Bayern Munich may not be the best fit for the Reds’ engine room.

The reigning Premier League champions continue to be heavily linked with the Spain international.

Klopp is said to be in the market for another creative influence that blends both graft and guile.

Thiago would tick that box, with the Barcelona academy graduate a proven playmaker at the very highest level.

Nicol believes he would be an upgrade for the Reds in possession, making him a useful addition to the Anfield ranks, but is not convinced that he suits the style of football that has proved so successful for Liverpool.

The former Reds defender told ESPN FC of the Thiago talk: “He is a better passer than anyone that plays in there.

“The problem is the way Liverpool play in the middle of the park. It’s more to do with closing the ball down, a lot of energy and ability.

“As far as ability, I agree [that he is a better passer than any Liverpool player].

“From the other two points of view, that closing down to get that ball back, that would be affected if Alcantara were to actually start for every game.”

Nicol has highlighted the pros and cons of Liverpool landing Thiago on a regular basis over recent weeks, with the Scot of the opinion that a deal should be done despite any tactical concerns.

He has said: “I would sign him, don't get me wrong.

“I think he's a great footballer and he can pass the ball. Unfortunately, he just doesn't fit the mould of what Liverpool do in the middle of the park right now.

“Yes, he's got ability, but he also has to have dynamism, he has to have legs, he has to close down quickly, he's got to have energy. Those are thing that all those players in the middle of the park for Liverpool have.

“That isn't Alcantara. But at the same time, having a player like that to bring on, he can play in the FA Cup, the League Cup, you can bring him on and give him half an hour to pass the ball around if that's what you need.

“I would sign him, I think he's a quality player. If the money is right, go and get him.”