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Real Madrid winger Takefusa Kubo has completed a loan move to Villarreal, the La Liga champions have confirmed on Monday.

Villarreal have paid Madrid a fee of €3 million (£2.7m/$3.5m) and agreed to cover Kubo's wages for the duration of the 2020-21 season.

The 19-year-old will have the opportunity to play in the Europa League at Estadio de la Ceramica, after the Yellow Submarine secured a fifth-place finish in La Liga under Javier Calleja last term.

Calleja was ultimately relieved of his duties for failing to deliver Champions League qualification, with ex-Arsenal boss Unai Emery drafted in as his replacement on July 23.

Kubo will go straight into Emery's squad with a view to getting more regular minutes under his belt and continuing his development following a bright start to his La Liga career at Mallorca.

The Japan international was sent straight out on loan to Son Moix after joining Madrid from FC Tokyo last summer and went on to record four goals and four assists in 35 appearances for the club.

Back in April, Kubo expressed a desire to return to Santiago Bernabeu and fight for a place in Zinedine Zidane's line up at the end of his stint at Mallorca.

He told AS: "My preference is clear, to be able to play at the Bernabeu with a Real Madrid shirt on. It all depends on me and I will have a place at Real.

"Right now, I'm at Mallorca to give it my best and to show that I can be there."

The talented young attacker added on his relationship with the Madrid boss: "Zidane treated me very well. He is a coach who is alert to the details."

Kubo will now have to wait at least one more year before being handed the chance to prove himself at the Bernabeu, but he will at least have the opportunity to continue playing in Spain's top flight.

Despite his best efforts, Mallorca were relegated from La Liga in June, and although the club were reportedly keen on retaining the teenager's services, Madrid refused to entertain any possibility of a loan extension.

Real Sociedad had also been linked with Kubo in recent months, but Villarreal have won the race for his signature and he will now be tasked with helping the club regain a spot at Europe's top table next year.

Manchester United have been dealt a potential blow in their pursuit of Jadon Sancho, with Borussia Dortmund claiming they have made a "final" decision not to sell the winger this summer.

Sancho is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s top transfer target this summer, and there have been ongoing negotiations between the two sides over a potential deal for the former Manchester City man.

The 20-year-old was named in Dortmund’s squad to travel to Switzerland for a pre-season training camp on Monday, and BVB sporting director Michael Zorc provided an update on Sancho’s future.

“Jadon Sancho will play with us next season,” he said. “The decision is final. I think that answers all the questions. 

"Last summer we adjusted Jadon's salary to match the development of his performances. So in context, we had already extended his contract until 2023 back then."

United are keen to strengthen the right-hand side of their attack this summer, but with financial uncertainty due to the implications of Covid-19, the club are not willing to pay over the odds for any transfer.

Goal can confirm that the Bundesliga outfit want €120 million (£108m/$142m) for the England international, and the two clubs were said to be far apart on their negotiations last week despite claims an agreement had been reached.

United were always prepared to walk away from the deal and pursue other targets if a price could not be agreed upon, one of which is Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman.

Dortmund set their own unofficial deadline of August 10 on the deal, and have been insistent that if a transfer was not confirmed by that date then Sancho would be staying.

It is understood United were not willing to be bound by the "unrealistic" deadline and were not rushing to get the deal done by that date.

It is also understood that Sancho, who has spent the past two years in the Bundesliga, wants a move to Old Trafford, and the latest comments from Zorc show he will have to force a transfer through if he really wants to make the switch back to England.

United have yet to conclude any business in the summer transfer window but are understood to have plans for at least a couple of deals before it shuts in October.

Solskjaer’s side play FC Copenhagen in Cologne on Monday night for a place in the Europa League semi-finals.

Thomas Meunier has opened up on the "outrageous" party culture at Paris Saint-Germain, while expressing his belief that the club's main players are "more than footballers".

Meunier racked up 128 appearances for PSG between 2016 and 2020, winning nine trophies in total, including three Ligue 1 titles.

The 28-year-old played alongside world-class players such as Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva at Parc des Princes, and managed to carve out a reputation as one of the most consistent performers in Thomas Tuchel's squad.

He also attended a number of large social gatherings to honour various players' birthdays, which often took place in lavish locations with scores of high profile celebrities in attendance alongside the rest of the squad.

Neymar's wild birthday parties have been well-documented in recent years, with Tuchel admitting that the Brazilian's 28th celebrations came as an unwelcome "distraction" for his side at a crucial point in the 2019-20 season. 

Meunier, who signed for Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer in June, has now offered in an insight into the annual events at PSG, which he says mirror the size of one of Europe's largest clubs.

"Nothing but birthday parties - incredible," the Belgian defender told RTBF.

"When I was at Bruges, we'd celebrate birthdays by playing darts or pool in a bar, but here it's just outrageous.

"But that just reflects the club: hire a palace, hire a building, parties with hundreds of people.

"That's when you see that they're more than footballers; they're stars.

"I always had a good time but it was all a bit extravagant and 'did you see me?' But that's part of it, part of the game."

After reaching an agreement to join Dortmund, Meunier criticised PSG for refusing to allow him to remain on their books through to the end of their latest Champions League campaign.

The Ligue 1 champions' sporting director Leonardo rejected the defender's claims that he'd been disrespected by the club, but he has doubled down on his comments ahead of their quarter-final clash with Atalanta on Wednesday.

"I would have liked to have played," said Meunier. "I was with my agent in Dortmund and I was almost on my knees begging for permission to let me end the season in the Champions League with PSG.

"I simply had to pack my bags and I received a letter from the club's lawyer which said I was no longer welcome and could no longer come to training, not even in my final week. I found that unbelievable."

Rio Ferdinand says a Europa League triumph could set up a new winning culture at Manchester United, after eight years of "sporadic" success in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

United can cap a productive season by winning Europe's second-tier club competition this month, having already secured third place in the Premier League to qualify for the Champions League.

Solskjaer fielded a much-changed line-up in the second leg of his side's last 16 tie against LASK last week, as they came into the clash boasting a 5-0 aggregate lead.

Goals from Jesse Lingard and substitute Anthony Martial earned the Red Devils a 2-1 home win to keep confidence levels high heading into the quarter-finals, where they are scheduled to meet Copenhagen.

Ferdinand believes Solskjaer can use the Europa League as a springboard to greater things if United can go all the way in Germany this month, after watching his old club go three years without winning a single piece of silverware.

"This could be part of setting a new culture at the football club," the former Red Devils defender told BT Sport.

"I think the club has been missing that for the last seven or eight years – it’s a sustained period of winning you’re looking for, not that sporadic trophy here and there.

"It’s challenging for the league on a yearly basis and then getting your foot in finals every year.

"If they can get that culture now with these young players coming in and the way that Ole’s really trying to mould this team, we’ll be in for a good future but we’ve got to execute."

United won the Europa League in 2017 under Jose Mourinho, and Ferdinand is confident Solskjaer will take the team through to the last four this time around, but has warned against complacency heading into the straight knockout clash with Copenhagen.

Ferdinand expects the Norwegian to welcome a number of household names back into his starting XI after the victory over LASK, as he added: "It was a case of resting some players for the game that’s coming up and I think he’ll have the three Ms up top (Martial, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood).

"I’m not looking to see anyone else there and Bruno Fernandes behind that.

"I fancy Man Utd to go through but if your head’s not on it and you’re expecting to win easily, you can very much come a cropper."

Manchester City have completed the signing of the United States’ World Cup-winning midfielder Sam Mewis.

The 27-year-old, who started six of the USWNT’s seven games in their 2019 World Cup triumph in France, joins the club from the North Carolina Courage of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

“I'm so happy to have everything sorted,” Mewis said upon announcement.

“The opportunity came along at a really great time - as soon as I heard about the chance of coming to play for Manchester City, I was immediately interested.

“The club is one of the best in the world and I've heard such good things about the women's side as a whole and the incredible facilities. I've followed the men's team too for a long time.

“This is a really cool, unique and amazing opportunity in my career and I'm so excited to come and see Manchester as a city, be a part of this incredible club and hopefully help the team achieve their goals.”

Gareth Taylor, City’s newly-appointed head coach, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Sam to Manchester City and we’re thoroughly looking forward to working with her.

“As well as being a World Cup winner, she will bring a wealth of experience and quality to our squad and I’m really pleased that she feels she can fulfil her ambitions with us.

“She will also be a fantastic addition to the Barclays FA Women’s Super League (WSL) as a whole and we can’t wait to see her pull on a blue shirt for the first time.”

Mewis has been with the Courage since January 2017, winning three NWSL Shields and two NWSL Championships in that time.

However, the coronavirus pandemic forced the NWSL to a condensed, cup competition this year, lasting a month compared to its usual seven or eight-month season.

That competition, the NWSL Challenge Cup, ended on July 26, leaving players in the league facing a potential eight-month spell until the 2021 NWSL season commences.

“[Mewis] wanted my blessing to go, and I gave her my blessing because I think it’s important for her,” Paul Riley, head coach of the North Carolina Courage, told WRALSportsFan of the move.

“The fans might be disappointed because she could miss a couple of months of the [NWSL] season, but if you get a better player out of it, then it’s worth what she’s doing.

“We’ll survive, we’ll continue to grow the club, and wait for a better Sam to come back. I would almost make one guarantee: that she has not played her last game for North Carolina.”

While the contract length has not been revealed by City, Riley also added: “If she decides come April or May that she wants to come back [to the Courage], then Sam will come back before the [WSL] season finishes.”

Mewis will wear the number 22 shirt in Manchester and could make her competitive debut for the club when they travel to Aston Villa on the opening day of the new season, a game to be played on September 5 or 6.

The American is City's second signing of the summer, following the arrival of young England forward Chloe Kelly, who joined the club from Everton earlier this summer.

Liverpool have appointed Gary O’Neil as assistant manager of their Under-23 side.

The former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and West Ham midfielder will work under Barry Lewtas, having received a personal recommendation from Reds sporting director Michael Edwards.

Edwards worked with O’Neil during his time at Portsmouth, and the pair have kept in touch since. It is felt that the 37-year-old, who has been without a club since leaving Bolton last year, will bring a wealth of experience from a 19-year professional career.

O’Neil has worked as a pundit for the likes of Sky Sports and talkSPORT, but has made no secret of his desire to move into coaching having completed his UEFA Pro Licence.

Liverpool’s youngsters have already returned to their Academy in Kirkby to begin pre-season training, so O’Neil will get to work straight away, with a number of behind-closed-doors friendly matches already scheduled for later this month.

Liverpool made the decision earlier this summer to promote the highly-rated Lewtas from his role as U18s boss, where he had led the club to success in the FA Youth Cup in 2019. He replaced Neil Critchley as U23 manager, with Critchley having left the Reds in February to take over as manager of League One outfit Blackpool.

The U23 group is expected to be a highly-talented one this season. Though the likes of Neco Williams and Curtis Jones are now considered first-teamers, they are likely to feature under Lewtas and O’Neil, along with the gifted Harvey Elliott.

Sepp van den Berg and Ki-Jana Hoever, the young Dutch defenders, will also be involved, although Hoever in particular is attracting loan interest from the Championship.

Liverpool will also have Paul Glatzel, who captained that FA Youth Cup-winning side, available after a serious knee injury, while the likes of Jake Cain, Leighton Clarkson and Caoimhin Kelleher will all look to continue their development having trained regularly at Melwood over the past 12 months.

Speaking following his appointment, O’Neil said: "I’m really excited. I’ve been desperate to get going.

"It’s been going on for a little while and obviously with the break and the Academy having to take an even longer break than the first team, I’ve had to wait a little while, but now it’s finally come around and I’m really excited and can’t wait to get going."

Regarding working with Lewtas, he added: "Barry is great. He has got a wealth of experience of working with the boys. 

"Obviously he’s come through a lot of the age groups with the lads as well so he knows them very well. I’m getting to see them with a fresh set of eyes which can be useful as well but Barry offers a wealth of experience, while obviously I’m new into coaching.

"I think as a team me and Barry will work very well and there’s some fantastic players to work with. For me to have the opportunity to work with such a talented group of young players at such an early part of my coaching career I feel very privileged."

Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin will sign for Villarreal from Valencia in a deal worth €13 million (£11.5m/$15m), Goal can confirm.

Although both players were present on Monday at Valencia’s training ground to undergo mandatory medical checks, neither is expected to appear in the jersey of Los Che again. Indeed, head coach Javi Gracia does not want either present when the squad takes to the field for the first pre-season training session of the summer.

Both players were placed on a ‘blacklist’ of players at the club three weeks ago ahead of the final league match of the season against Leganes, a fixture that Geoffrey Kondogbia also missed after being told he was not wanted by the side.

The deals are very advanced, with former Arsenal player Coquelin especially close to the exit door.

Meanwhile, captain and leader of the dressing room Parejo is not far behind.

Coquelin and Parejo are both expected to retain the salaries that they earn with Valencia - €2.5m and €3m per year net – while the joint value of the transfer will be only €13m.

Valencia are seeking to cut their costs, and for that reason they have elected to let go of Coquelin, who had an altercation with a club doctor earlier in the season. It is, however, for primarily for economic reasons that he is being let go, with the club seeking to almost half their wage bill over the summer.

Parejo, meanwhile, wanted to continue with the club to see out his contract, which expires in 2022, but Valencia have elected to cut short his nine-year stay with the club after listening to offers.

The 31-year-old Parejo, who has featured four times for Spain, started his career with Real Madrid, during which time he made a brief foray to the Premier League on loan with QPR. From the Bernabeu, he switched to Getafe and after two years there moved to Valencia in 2011, establishing himself as a regular in the starting XI by featuring in close to 400 matches for the club.

Coquelin, meanwhile, was on the books of Arsenal for 10 years before moving to Spain in the summer of 2018.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has insisted that he will seek a move away from the club if he doesn't get more games next season.

Martinez graduated to the Arsenal senior squad in 2012 after making his way through the youth ranks, before immediately being sent out on loan to Oxford United.

The Argentine went on to take in further loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Wolves, Getafe and Reading, with opportunities at Emirates Stadium at a premium under Arsene Wenger and his successor Unai Emery.

The 27-year-old returned to Arsenal after a six-month spell at Madejski Stadium last summer, and has again played second fiddle to Bernd Leno throughout the 2019-20 campaign.

However, current Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was forced to turn to Martinez when Leno picked up a serious knee injury during a defeat at Brighton on June 20.

Arsenal only lost two of their remaining 11 fixtures with the back-up shot-stopper filling in between the sticks, and he produced another fine display in an FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at the start of the month.

Martinez was overcome with emotion after the final whistle, having finally established himself as a key member of the first team after 10 years on the fringes of the action.

The Gunners are reportedly ready to reward the in-form keeper with a new contract, but he wants guarantees over his position before committing his future to the club.

Martinez is determined to wrestle the number one jersey away from Leno permanently in order to increase his chances of becoming Argentine's first choice netminder at international level, and will not hesitate to leave Emirates Stadium if he loses his place next term.

“I have shown the club that I can play for them and when I return next season I need to have more games," the Gunners star told Argentine radio station Continental.

“That is the only way I will stay at Arsenal. My target is to consolidate my place with Arsenal and to reach the Argentinian national team as number one.

“I won’t stop until I get that and if I don’t play for Arsenal, then clearly I would move on.”

SC Villa have confirmed the signing of highly-rated player Goffin Oyirwoth Godfrey ahead of the new Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

Goffin is a product of Buddo SS where he won the National Championship and the East Africa Secondary Schools title before he was spotted by Express then under Kefa Kisala but last season played his football on loan at Katwe United.

The record league champions have confirmed the arrival of the player by stating: “SC Villa is proud to announce the signing of young midfielder Goffin Oyirwoth Godfrey until 2022,” the club revealed in a signed statement obtained by Goal.

“The 20-year-old has become a Jogoo at a time when the squad is taking shape and gearing up towards the start of the new season.”

Goffin started his footballing career at Super Heroes United where for seven years he honed his skills as a creative cum attacking midfielder.

By the time he joined Budo SS, his sights were already set on winning silverware and he achieved the fete when he won the Copa Coca-Cola and East African championship with Budo.

Goffin, who locally adores Steven Bengo, and Luka Modric (abroad), says he is ready to get started with the Jogoos and will wear jersey number 27.

“I’ve always wanted to be part of this great club and now that my chance has arrived, I will serve them with pride and honour,” Goffin told reporters after putting pen to paper.

“I can promise Jogoo fans that when the season starts we [the team] will make them proud, I am glad to be part of the Jogoo legacy and I am happy to have teammates who’ve welcomed me so well.”

On signing the player, coach Edward Kaziba said: “He is one player who has been on my radar for a very long time and I am happy to have signed today [Monday].

“I have been watching him for a while and I’ve been immensely impressed with his attitude and power to fight for everything. We are very excited to have him on the team, he will definitely beef up our squad and add a lot of value.”

He becomes the third signing for Villa after Meddie Kibirige and Andrew Kiwanuka.

Former AC Milan CEO Adrian Galliani has revealed that Andrea Pirlo was “laughing like crazy” when he spoke to the former midfielder about getting the Juventus head coach role.

Appointed to the Under-23 side, Pirlo received a swift upgrade to his station at the weekend after Juve crashed out of the Champions League on the away goals rule after a 2-2 aggregate draw against Lyon.

Galliani worked with Pirlo when he was a player at San Siro and has no doubts that he will thrive in the dugout, though the former Rossoneri director seemed to hint that the 2006 World Cup winner was in a state of disbelief at being given the role.

“As soon as I heard Andrea on the phone, he was laughing like crazy,” Galliani explained in an interview with Corriere dello Sport .

“We met in Monzello on August 5 for Monza’s friendly with Juve’s Under-19 team and I told him: ‘You’ll see, Andrea, that you will have a great career. You’re destined to be a successful coach.’

“But I didn’t think it would only take him three days to get on the Juventus bench! I told him I imagined it would be in a few months. He laughed!”

Even when Pirlo was a player, it was evident to Galliani that he would one day find himself in a managerial role.

“Believe me, I already understood it then,” he said. “He was a coach when he played and the field does not tell any lies.

“If I had to define Andrea with a single word, I would say intelligent. And besides, he was a student. Andrea studied. Whether it was the opponent, the context of matches or situations within them. He’ll do very well at Juventus. I congratulated him.”

Pirlo takes over Juve with a wealth of experience at the top level of the game, having featured for the Turin side as well as Inter, AC Milan and New York City throughout his career, as well as the Italy national team, with who he made 116 appearances and scored 13 goals.

Kaizer Chiefs attacker Lebogang Manyama has bagged the Goal of the Month award for the month of February/March, the PSL and the club announced on Monday.   

The goal that earned Manyama the individual gong came on February 29 against archrivals Orlando Pirates. 

The lanky attacker was given acres of space from the deep and fired past Wayne Sandilands from outside the box. 

What makes this special is that Manyama took a shot with at least five Pirates defenders in front of him. 

Manyama's latest achievement is certainly a confirmation that he has been one of the best players in the league this season.  

The 29-year-old has scored seven goals and recorded nine assists for the Glamour Boys so far this term.

Meanwhile, Maritzburg United midfielder Daylon Claasen has scooped the Player of the Month for the same period. 

Claasen, a pillar in that Team of Choice midfield, was instrumental in his team's rise to the top five during the months of February and March.

Despite being a midfielder, the former Bafana Bafana player showed enough maturity and composure in front of goal as he netted three goals in four of his team's final matches before the season was suspended.

His brace against Amakhosi was enough for the Team of Choice to continue their dominance over Ernst Middendorp's team thus far. 

His coach, Eric Tinkler won the Coach of the Month award for February/March after guiding Maritzburg United to four straight wins before the lockdown.

During that time, Tinkler's men only conceded once, against Chiefs, and scored seven goals to lift the Team of Choice up to fifth on the PSL standings.

They are nine points behind log leaders Chiefs but have played two games more than the Naturena-based outfit.  

But Tinkler has maintained that his side isn't dreaming about winning the league title just yet as Maritzburg United are behind the chasing pack.

A whole lot can change in 12 months, something Kenneth Omeruo will know a thing or two about following Leganes’ relegation from La Liga.

For the former Chelsea defender, 2018/19 was a really good year with Lega, where he thrived initially on loan for Mauricio Pellegrino’s side to end the campaign in 13th as arguably the team’s best central defender.

He then rode the wave of that rosy season in the Spanish top flight to be one of Gernot Rohr’s leading men at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. While Odion Ighalo got most of the rave reviews for ending top scorer at the continental showpiece, Omeruo was arguably the Super Eagles’ best performer and certainly their most influential defender as they finished third.

However, the emergence of Semi Ajayi after the Afcon saw the Kaduna-born defender surprisingly lose his place at the heart of the Nigeria defence alongside captain William Troost-Ekong.

This could have turned out differently had work permit issues in Spain not caused Omeruo to pull out of September’s friendly vs Ukraine in Dnipro. Ajayi deputised for the ex-Blue against Andriy Shevchenko’s side and has started every game for the West African nation since.

While persisting with the towering defender at centre-back seemed odd initially, Ajayi’s steady improvement with West Bromwich Albion in 19/20 was striking. Having joined Slaven Bilic’s team from relegated Rotherham United, the former Arsenal defender was largely consistent during a gruelling Championship campaign that culminated in automatic promotion on the final day.

Up until football’s suspension, it seemed like the West Bromwich man was the only competition for Omeruo, but Leon Balogun’s resurgence since the turn of the year has seen him roll back the years to show the sort of form that saw him form half of the ‘Oyibo Wall’ in the second half of the 2010s.

After a largely frustrating time at Brighton & Hove Albion, the 32-year-old was part of the Wigan Athletic group that rallied late on in the Championship season trying to beat the drop after entering administration.

Even though the Latics couldn’t retain their second-tier status, the former Mainz centre-back seemed back to his very best following a run of games.

Given he endured a torrid time in Nigeria’s 2-0 Afcon defeat by Madagascar just over a year ago, where he was culpable in the concession of the first, Balogun’s short spell and early-season form at Rangers bodes well if the goal is to push for a Super Eagles return.

Meanwhile, Omeruo’s end to the season was a bit of a mixed bag. His performances were decent-to-good but Leganes’ poor run of results meant satisfactory individual performances never really translated into points for the Cucumber Growers.

After a tough start to the season, the 26-year-old nearly returned to his 18/19 form and was playing well till injury struck post-lockdown.

What made this period stand out was how that injury, as well as Chidozie Awaziem’s struggles at the time, saw Javier Aguirre stumble on a central defensive trio that kept Omeruo out of the side till the end of the season.

As far as a place in Rohr’s Nigeria is concerned, the triumvirate are locked in a three-way battle to partner the nation’s captain Troost-Ekong.

Ajayi, 26, is probably the bigger threat to the former Chelsea defender because he seemed to be in favour just before a positive season at the Hawthorns and could well be the likelier to challenge Omeruo.

The Albion defender also has age and durability on his side, whereas Balogun, 32, won’t be a mainstay in the Super Eagles selection even if he regains his place. Injuries have also been a bugbear for the former Brighton defender whose resurgence has nonetheless been pleasing to see.

A keen eye will be kept on Ajayi at West Bromwich at the start of next season’s Premier League, assessing the performances of the Nigeria defender to evaluate his progress at the top level. Balogun, for his part, has been quick out of the blocks for Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side and looks to have picked up where he left off with Wigan. He wasn’t only a defensive colossus on debut vs Aberdeen, he then played even better in Sunday’s victory over St Mirren.

Omeruo’s performances haven’t been bad, rather the raised standard, increased competition from Ajayi and resurgence of Balogun at various points in the last 12 months are putting his place in the side in danger.

Dropping further down the pecking order won’t be ideal, especially after that 18/19 season and dominant Afcon campaign, still, the turnaround in the ex-Chelsea centre-back’s fortunes since isn’t any less notable.

Chelsea transfer target Kai Havertz is part Michael Ballack, part Mesut Ozil and can help the Blues win the Premier League says former Bayer Leverkusen team-mate Roberto Hilbert.

Havertz, the youngest-ever Bundesliga debutant when he made his first appearance at 17 years and 126 days in 2016, has been tipped to leave Leverkusen once their current Europa League campaign draws to a close. Tonight they face Inter in the quarter-finals in Dusseldorf.

Chelsea are continuing with talks over his signature with Frank Lampard keen on adding the playmaker to a squad that now contains his Germany national team colleague Timo Werner.

Werner has already signed for Chelsea in a £47.5 million deal (€52m/$61m) from RB Leipzig and trained with the squad ahead of the FA Cup final, which was won by Arsenal last Saturday.

"He is the next big, big player to come from Germany," Hilbert said of Havertz. "I was there when he made his debut in our team at 17. In this generation, I think he will be a game-changer. He is a really smart player, quick and he is a nice person.

"He has some things Ballack had, some things Ozil had but he puts it into one package which is what makes him so dangerous.

“I think he has a level of talent that nobody else has. When Chelsea sign him for the next years then I think it will be a great chance to help them win titles in the Premier League.

"That’s how good he is. He worked hard, but he is a smart and humble person. That comes from his good family unit and he will continue to work hard and improve every day."

Having won the Bundesliga with Stuttgart and starred for Leverkusen, Hilbert has followed Werner and Havertz closely, and he believes that a Premier League move will take their games to the next level.

While at Leverkusen, Hilbert faced a direct battle with Werner and admits he did not find it easy.

"He is really fast!” said Hilbert. “When I played against him I saw he was young and he wanted to earn respect against other players.

“Sometimes, he went too far but it was okay because he is a nice young guy. He had a good upbringing and he knows what respect is.

"Werner is a big, big talent. In Germany, he shocked everyone because he got so good so fast. Right now, it is a new day because the Premier League is a step up from the German Bundesliga.

"It will show what level he can reach for the rest of his career, especially in one of the biggest clubs at Chelsea.

"The expectation will be high because he cost a lot from Germany and he will have to pay back that money.

"The pressure will be on every day and it will be interesting to see if he can handle his pressure. I hope he can, I think he is a really really good young player.

"He is able to help the German team and change history there too."

Paul Pogba would be the "ideal gift" for Andrea Pirlo following his appointment as Juventus head coach, according to former team-mate Luca Toni.

The France international won eight major honours in four seasons with Juve - three of those playing alongside Pirlo - before returning to Old Trafford in 2016.

Pogba has been strongly linked with a move back to the Allianz Stadium in recent times and is into the final season of his United contract, though there is an option to extend that agreement by 12 months.

The Frenchman expressed a desire to undertake a new challenge away from Manchester last year, with Real Madrid also credited with an interest in his services, and his future is once again the subject of intense speculation with the transfer window now open.

Retired forward Toni, who played with Pirlo at both club and international level, believes Pogba would be the perfect signing to mark a new chapter at former club Juventus.

"Knowing Andrea, he will start building from midfield," he told Tuttosport. "The ideal gift would be Pogba. I don't know if that's possible, but it would certainly be the best option.

"Andrea will not be a coach who focuses on defending and counter-attacking. He loves to dominate the ball and will want to impose that on his team.

"I don't know what system he will use and I don't think it matters. Andrea is intelligent and flexible."

Pirlo was named Juve's new head coach on Saturday, hours after Maurizio Sarri's sacking on the back of the Italian champions' last-16 exit against Lyon in the Champions League.

Fabio Capello tipped Pirlo to replicate the success of three-time Scudetto-winning boss Antonio Conte, but Toni thinks he has more in common with Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola.

"Character-wise, he's more like Pep," he said. "Having said that, Antonio impressed him a lot during his three years at Juventus.

"But in terms of group management, he was fortunate enough to be coached by the two best: [Carlo] Ancelotti and [Max] Allegri.

"All useful experiences, but in the end, he will be himself. He will be Pirlo and he will go his own way. Without pretending or copying anyone."

Provincial borders will be divided this week when the remaining contestants battle it out for a spot in the final.

This is after judges Kunal Rathi, Alexander Wessberg and Ibuki Yoshida gave their verdicts on the final-four contestants of the on-going South African Freestyle Football Championships.

The virtual event will crown the country's king of freestyle football and has seen some gruelling contests in the quarter-finals.

Mkhize, the Head of Freestyle for Southern Africa revealed the judging procedure to pick the semi-finalists.

"For the Top-8, one of the criteria is the time has been moved to 50-60 seconds and harder tricks were needed," revealed Mkhize.

"Secondly we are focusing more on difficulty now. We want the guys to dig deep bring out their best."

Former champions Rishaad Ebrahim and Sipho “Six” Busakwe have progressed to the semi-finals and will be joined by Emilio Nahamuja and Kyle Rinquest.

Northern Cape's Ebrahim will square off with Western Cape's Nahamuja while Gauteng's Busakwe will also take on a Capetonian, Rinquest in the other semi-final.

Semi-Final Draw:

- Rishaad Ebrahim vs Emilio Nahamuja

- Sipho Busakwe vs Kyle Rinquest

Judge and French Open Championship 2019 winner Rathi commended the entrants for the skills they've displayed.

"I am glad to have been part of the judging panel for the online RSA Freestyle Football Champs 2020," he said.

"From all the entries, I see a lot of strong skill sets in most of the participants.

"Looking forward to the next rounds and hope the best freestyler takes the title in this edition."

Goal will be publishing the winners of each round, all details and selected videos in their different platforms.

Sevilla signing Ivan Rakitic from Barcelona this summer is almost impossible, according to the club's sporting director Monchi.

After establishing himself as one of the most consistent performers in La Liga at Sevilla between 2010 and 2014, Rakitic was snapped up by Barca for £16 million ($21m).

The 32-year-old has since proven to be one of the bargains of the decade at Camp Nou, as he's helped the club win 13 major trophies, including four league titles and the Champions League.

Rakitic has contributed 35 goals and 42 assists across 310 appearances for Barca, but he's fallen down the squad pecking order in 2019-20, and only has one year left to run on his current contract.

With no signs of an extension forthcoming, it has been suggested that the Croatia international will move onto pastures new in the summer transfer window, with a possible return to Sevilla mooted for the experienced midfielder.

Rakitic insisted he remains happy in his current surroundings after returning from lockdown in June, but also admitted that he would like some "clarity" over his future at Camp Nou .

Although Monchi believes the ex-Sevilla talisman would be open to retracing his steps, he cannot see a deal coming to fruition in the current financial climate.

"Ivan is a player who, from what he declares, would like to return to Sevilla today, tomorrow or in two years," the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium chief told Diario de Sevilla.

"That I personally would like him to return? Would I particularly like it to work out so that he could come back? I don't hide the fact that he is my friend.

"Are those possibilities realistic? At the moment, it looks difficult to me, if not impossible.

"It is so complicated economically, that I do not see it. We always carry out our planning in secret."

Rakitic played the full 90 minutes of Barca's last outing against Napoli in the Champions League, putting in a strong performance to help Quique Setien's men reach the quarter-finals 4-2 on aggregate.

Goals from Clement Lenglet, Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez gave the Blaugrana a 3-1 win in the round of 16 second-leg tie at Camp Nou, and they are now looking forward to a huge last-eight meeting with Bayern Munich on Friday.

Vincent Oburu has revealed how he joined the AFC Leopards youth team with nothing but hope and ended up playing for the senior team for three years.

Ingwe parted ways with the forward after the contract expired with the player having no will to extend it. The youngster is reportedly eyeing greener pastures and it is the reason for not extending stay at the den.

"Four years ago, armed with nothing but hope, I joined the AFC Leopards youth team as I dreamt of working my way up to the Kenyan Premier League," Oburu said on his official social media account.

"Things turned out well for me as after an impressive campaign in the KPL U20 tournament I got the chance to join Ingwe's first team.

"In my first year, in KPL, I got the chance to play for the national team, Harambee Stars, we won the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup, which was another milestone in my career.

"It has been some good three and a half years at the den but it's time to say goodbye."

The 22-year-old had nothing but appreciative words for the club that developed him.

"As I exit I want to thank the club for the opportunity they gave me. I joined as a young boy and I now leave as a full-grown man. I owe nothing but gratitude to this great club," Oburu added.

"To the coaches, the staff, the management, and the fans from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you. The fans, in particular, were good to me and I will be forever indebted to you."

Former Ingwe striker, who was in charge of the Cubs, is the one who brought Oburu to the team and his contribution has been acknowledged.

"Special mention to coach Boniface Ambani who spotted my talent and gave me a chance with the youth team. He has been like a big brother to me over the years.

"As I depart, I wish the team success and I hope they will win titles for the amazing supporters."

During his spell at Leopards, the forward managed to score 13 league goals.

Express FC have unveiled the signing of goalkeeper Kusiima Cryspus from Tooro United.

The club has confirmed the arrival of the keeper on their official website by stating: “Express have on Monday, August 10, announced the signing of goalkeeper Kusiima Cryspus on a two-year deal.

“The 24-year-old who was formerly at Tooro United will be looking to battle for the number one jersey alongside mainstay Matthias Muwanga.”

On signing for the Red Eagles, Cryspus said: “I am very happy to join this great club and I can’t wait to get started.”

Kusiima’s arrival is a boost to the goalkeeping department which needed backup in case any of the goal minders picked up a long term injury.

The custodian becomes the first of many signings to come for Express ahead of the new season which is scheduled to start on October 17.

In a recent interview, Express boss Wasswa Bbosa admitted he was expecting a competitive 2020/21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

"We all know clubs are re-organizing themselves and that they will be competitive next season," Bbosa told reporters.

"But actually if anything, we have already done our homework on all the teams. So I would say we are braced up for any team that will come our way."

The six-time league champions finished the abandoned league in the ninth position with 31 points, after managing nine wins, four draws, and 12 losses.

Bbosa was appointed at the club at the expense of the sacked George Ssimwogere. After steering the team from the relegation zone to a ninth-place finish, he was rewarded with a three-year contract.

Bbosa is also keen to make Express a competitive side in the country, able to challenge their rivals in the top-flight among them KCCA FC, Vipers SC, and SC Villa.

"We want to bring the team to the level where it will be competing for trophies," the experienced tactician said.

"Express is a well-known traditional club. She is a big brand that does not need to be in relegation dogfights. I promise the fans that we are ready to do anything that will make this club great again.

"Before I left Express it was performing well and in good positions and I hope and believe that it's where we are going. We are working on so many things to ensure that we revamp Express. This is a big club with a rich history so it should aim for big things."

After the 2019/20 struggles, the Wankulukuku-based side went on to release 18 players who they felt were surplus to requirements.

Those released were Tonny Kyamera, Joshua Adea, Mohammed Yiga, Emmanuel Bafoe, Martin Kizza, Joseph Zziwa, Hamis Batega, Andrew Kiwanuka, David Kakeeto, Hamdan Nsubuga, Axel Konan, Lawrence Kigonya, Dennis Sserukwaya, Peter Mutebi, Isaac Doka, Shafiq Avemah, Baker Lukooya and Idris Kabonge.

A number of Kenyan Premier League (KPL) teams have welcomed the transfer window which started in the country on Monday.

The window will allow clubs to strengthen their weak areas ahead of the new KPL season which Goal understands will start in October.

Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa is among the officials to have welcomed the transfer window which is set to run for 12 weeks until November 2.

“It gives us the chance to re-look at our squads again and make sure we have the right balance going into the new season,” Kalekwa told Goal on Monday.

“As a club, we have set a target of bringing on board five new players, most probably we will have three from local clubs and two from the foreign land, we have negotiated with most of them and now that the window is open, they should sign deals anytime soon.”

On whether ex-Gor Mahia captain Musa Mohammed is still among the targets, Kalekwa said: “We are looking at many players, the technical bench gave a list of players they want us to sign, of course, we are also looking at Mohammed, but we will not force ourselves to sign him if he doesn’t want to take our offer.”

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula says he will definitely beef up his squad now that the window is open.

“We were waiting for the window to open so that we can start talking to our targets and we now have the chance to start negotiations,” Shimanyula told Goal.

On whether they will let go off midfielder Peter Thiong’o, Shimanyula said: “We want to keep our squad and add a few players, we don’t want to let our key players leave and furthermore, it is AFC Leopards am told who want to sign Thiong’o but you know they don’t have money to sign the player.”

Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack maintained he will be cautious in this window despite losing a number of key players including Dickson Ambundo, Boniface Omondi, and defender Joash Onyango.

“I know the window just opened but do I have the money to sign new players? Polack posed a question to Goal. “I can only talk about new signings when the management gives me to bring in new players, we don’t have money and I don’t know how the situation will unfold.”

On the first day, AFC Leopards confirmed parting ways with striker Vincent Oburu, while Gor Mahia revealed defender Onyango is set to sign for Tanzanian giants Simba SC on a two-year deal.