Looking for Soccer News?

Obafemi Martins made his first start since his return to Shanghai Shenhua in their 3-2 victory over Shenzhen in Thursday’s Chinese Super League game.

The 35-year-old made his long-awaited return to football when he came off the bench for the Flower of Shanghai in their defeat to Guangzhou Evergrand on Sunday.

The Nigeria international did enough in the encounter to earn a starting role against the Youth Army, pairing Baojie Zhu in the attack.

Mingjian Zhao opened the scoring for the Flower of Shanghai as early as the 10th minute of the game after he was set up by Xinli Peng.

Baojie Zhu doubled the lead three minutes into the second half and John Mary reduced his side’s deficit in the 53rd minute.

Kim scored the third goal for the hosts moments after the hour mark, converting from the penalty spot, which was enough to help Choi Kang-hee’s men seal their first win of the season, despite a late-minute strike from Mary.

Martins struck two shots, completed one dribble and had a 65% successful pass rate in the encounter before he was replaced in the 55th minute by Shin-Wook Kim.

The Super Eagles striker has been without a club since 2018 when he left the Flower of Shanghai after suffering a hamstring injury.

The forward, however, rejoined the Hongkou Football Stadium outfit after recovering from the injury as a direct replacement for his compatriot Odion Ighalo, who teamed up with Manchester United on loan until January 2021.

In his first stint with Shanghai Shenhua, Martins scored 19 league goals in 40 appearances and played a prominent role as the club won the 2017 Chinese FA Cup.

The forward will hope to open his goal account this season when the Flower of Shanghai take on Shandong Luneng Taishan in their next league game on August 5.

Martins has 18 goals in 42 appearances for the Super Eagles since he made his debut at the age of 19 in 2004.

Jurgen Klopp’s message to fans and media upon taking the reins at Liverpool was “cocky”, admits Ray Houghton, but the German has gone on to deliver “a phenomenal four-and-a-half seasons.”

The charismatic German coach was asked to fill the post at Anfield in October 2015. Klopp accepted the challenge and made it clear from his first day in the job that the ambition of all of those working under him was to deliver major silverware – including the Premier League title.

Many scoffed at that suggestion, but a 30-year wait for top-flight glory has come to a close on Merseyside.

Houghton is among those to have hailed Klopp for taking the Reds this far, with the former Borussia Dortmund boss succeeding where many before him have failed.

“It’s been a phenomenal four-and-a-half seasons under Jurgen,” former Liverpool midfielder Houghton, who won two league titles in his playing days, told talkSPORT.

“There were plenty of managers before him that I’m sure came with the ambition to win the league, and it didn’t quite work out for them, but they weren’t as bold as him. You look at one of the first team talks that he gave to the press and he turned around and said: ‘I’m going to win the league’.

“Everyone looked at him and thought ‘you’re a bit cocky aren’t you, you haven’t won it for 26 years’, but he was true to his word. He believed in this team, he believed in the Liverpool supporters, he knew what they wanted and he delivered.

“Of course you take losses along the way. They lost the League Cup, they lost the Europa League, they lost the Champions League to Real Madrid.

“When you keep getting whacked you need to get yourself off the canvas and come back – and that’s what they have done. Won the Champions League and now this season are Premier League champions.

“It’s been a phenomenal rise in the last four-and-a-half years consistency-wise, the will to win and the players that he has assembled.

“Recruitment is one of the precious things to get right in football and tell me a player that he has brought in who hasn’t really done it? [Naby] Keita, if you’re being really picky. Everyone else who has come in has done a job and they have worked as a unit.

“You have got [Mohamed] Salah, you’ve got [Sadio] Mane, you’ve got [Roberto] Firmino - they are the ones that are the game changers and match winners - but there is so much in midfield and defence that they do so well, and that’s the reason why they have been so consistent.”

Jurgen Klopp and Andy Robertson have discussed their experiences of mental health challenges, revealing anguish over loved relatives not living to witness their greatest achievements.

Liverpool manager Klopp and his star left-back have taken part in the #SoundOfSupport series for the Heads Up campaign, which Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, is spearheading.

Scotland international Robertson, now a Champions League and Premier League winner with the Reds, recalled the difficulties he encountered as a teenager being released by Celtic and the struggle of losing his aunt, a prominent supporter of his when growing up.

Speaking of his Celtic exit, Robertson said: "I was a normal 15-year-old lad so there were probably a few tears, but my mum and dad got me my favourite curry that night.

"My auntie came up to the house and she told Mum: 'I'm telling you, he'll make it as a footballer.' That's something that's always stayed with me.

"When I was at Dundee United, on Christmas Day, sadly she passed away. She was one that always believed I was something special even when probably nobody believed it when I was younger.

"That is something that does bug me a little bit, that she's not seen me lifting the Champions League, lifting the Premier League and things like that."

That prompted Klopp to recall a similar experience when he lost his father shortly before becoming a manager.

"My dad never saw me as a manager. He died four months before I became a manager," the former Borussia Dortmund boss said. "He pushed me through my [playing] career pretty much, with really harsh criticism and stuff like this, but now my real career, he never saw. That's hard from time to time."

The series is attempting to use the reach of football to get people to open up about their mental health, an issue particularly prominent over the past few months with the coronavirus pandemic consigning people to spend large periods of time at their homes.

"Uncertain I think, for all of us," Robertson said when asked about how he coped with lockdown. "We have parents that are older, we have family that are in the so-called bracket of high risk. I think football kind of took a step to one side, but we were all wanting the season to end."

Klopp replied: "There were moments in the lockdown when we thought it is a proper setback from all of our dreams. So it was a setback but it was a setback for all of us together, and we could calm each other down.

"[It] helps if you don't feel all the burden on your own shoulders. If you have a group of friends or a group of colleagues and you can create an atmosphere like this, that helps. I think there is no problem big enough or small enough that you cannot talk about it."

Robertson spoke about how his own experiences were exacerbated once he made it in the game.

"When I started making it professional that's when I struggled the most," he said.

"I was down in Hull on my own and people thought 'okay, he's a Premier League footballer, he's playing for Hull, he's getting a good wage', so then people would stop asking 'how are you?'. I used to be one who blocked everything up and thought 'my problems are my problems'.

"Now I feel so much better. I remember speaking to [my partner] Rach a year ago about something daft, something that was playing on my mind and after a 10-minute conversation with her I felt everything was off [my shoulders] and thought, 'yeah, I should do this a bit more often'."

Manchester City duo Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden, and Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard, appeared in separate videos for the campaign.

Germany international Gundogan spoke about the feeling of isolation during lockdown away from his family.

"For me growing up, the most important thing was always family. They were kind of like the psychologists for myself. [Now] I am in a different country, I don't know many people apart from the people from the club," he said.

"I have one friend over here who I saw during lockdown. The fact that I have spent a lot of time on my own and without family and friends during lockdown just showed me how important it is to have your loved ones close to you."

Lingard, who appeared alongside TV and radio presenter Maya Jama, revealed family issues had affected his performances on the pitch.

"Last season, I was going through some things off the field with my family so it was difficult for me to perform on the field," Lingard said.

"I'm very family orientated and my mum was going through some things last year with depression. So, in the meantime, I had to look after my little brother and sister who are 12 and 15. I was still performing at the same time.

"You just get to that point where you're like, I've got to actually say something. I spoke to my family and stuff like that. It felt so much better."

Lazio director Igli Tare remains coy on the club’s reported interest in David Silva, but left the door open for the Spaniard to take on a “different experience” in Italy once he severs ties with Manchester City.

The World Cup-winning midfielder is approaching the end of his contract at the Etihad Stadium. Silva will be leaving City once their participation in the 2019-20 Champions League comes to a close, with the 34-year-old becoming a free agent.

Various landing spots have been mooted for the modern day great, from MLS to La Liga. Serie A is also considered to be an option for the talented playmaker, with any number of sides willing to buy into his undoubted ability.

Lazio are said to have registered their interest, with the Roma-based outfit piecing together plans for the summer transfer window.

Tare is reluctant to be drawn on the rumours suggesting that a deal could be done at some stage, but he is not ruling anything out either.

He told Sky Sport Italia when quizzed on the Silva speculation: “I don’t know where these stories come from. He’s a great player, of course, and I have heard from some mutual friends that he would like a different experience after 10 years in England, but there’s a big difference between saying something and making it happen.”

For now, Lazio are more concerned with enhancing those already at their disposal. That includes Golden Shoe winner Ciro Immobile, with the 30-year-old frontman – who netted 35 Serie A goals in 2019-20 – considered to be integral to the club’s plans.

Tare added: “We will build Lazio around Immobile because he has a long contract and is an important figure in this club. He’s had an exceptional season, but the team played for and with him too.

“Lazio are in the Champions League after 13 years, now we are studying initiatives to bring the club even higher with Immobile a key figure.”

Lazio still have one game left to play this season and, despite stumbling out of the blocks on the back of the restart in mid-June, are guaranteed to secure a top-four finish as they sit 11 points clear of arch rivals Roma in fifth.

Baroka FC have confirmed the acquisition of Lungelo Nguse from Bizana Pondo Chiefs in the Eastern Cape. 

The striker has penned a three-year deal with Bakgaga Ba Mpahlele and will be eligible to make his professional debut for the club at the start of the next season. 

Nguse has already been training with Baroka in preparation for the upcoming campaign. 

Baroka took to their social media platforms on Thursday afternoon to announce the deal.

Nguse is nicknamed Mbesuma because of his goalscoring prowess and Baroka would hope to see him reach his full potential under the tutelage of Dylan Kerr. 

Pondo Chiefs also confirmed the deal with Baroka and wished 'Mbesuma' well at the club. 

"Bizana Pondo Chiefs have agreed a deal with Baroka FC for the transfer of Lungelo Mbesuma Nguse. Club-to-Club deal between the Lions of Skoomplaas and Bakgakga ba-Mphahlele is done," reads the statement.  

"Mbesuma joins Bakgaga on a three-year deal and he is ready for PSL challenge and is excited to be joining Baroka." 

"We, Bizana Pondo Chiefs FC, would like to wish Mbesuma all the best for his continued success in football."

Meanwhile, the Polokwane-based outfit also announced they have promoted five players from their MultiChoice Diski Challenge (MDC) team. 

They are Bernard Bobete, Nimrod Mpe, Tshego Molapo, Job Maphutha and Mogale Thuso. 

The move comes eight days before the return the competitive football in South Africa.

Baroka are one of the first teams to promote players from their MDC team after the PSL's decision to allow all the 32 teams to use them for the remainder of the season should the need arise.  

Football has been suspended since mid-March but the league and its board of governors resolved to resume the season on August 8. 

Baroka are 13th on the PSL log with 23 points from 24 league games. 

An Employment and Labour court has frozen three Football Kenya Federation (FKF) effective immediately over failure to pay former Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson his compensation for wrongful dismissal amounting to the excess of Ksh 57 million.

The case was presented before Justice Byram Ongaya after the Federation failed to clear the fine imposed on them by the same court. It is for this reason, Williamson representatives returned to court seeking justice.

It is for this reason the Federation has once again made the headlines for the wrong reasons.

"It is hereby ordered that an ex-parte order nisi against the garnishee herein attaching forthwith all the funds held in a bank account numbers... due to the judgement debtor to satisfy the balance of decretal sum being Ksh 57,371,363.33/=..." read part of the ruling obtained by Goal.

This basically means FKF will not have access to their accounts until the fine is settled or reach an agreement on how to settle the matter soonest possible.

On October 25, 2019, the FKF was ordered by the High Court to pay former Harambee Stars coach Bobby Williamson Sh55m for wrongful dismissal.

The Scot was appointed Harambee Stars coach in August 2014 by former president Sam Nyamweya, taking over from Algerian Adel Amrouche who was by then suspended by Confederation of African Football (Caf) for alleged unsporting behaviour.

However, his term came to an abrupt end when he was fired by Nyamweya's successor Nick Mwendwa in 2016.

"I remember meeting the president [Mwendwa] once, after elections, and he told me he had a lot to think about," Williamson told Goal in an earlier interview.

"A bit later, I discovered via the press that I had been replaced. No phone call, no letter, nothing and I found that disrespectful. I don't think they had been in that position before and their decision was down to naivety.

"It hurt more when I tried to reach them but received no response."

Fifa also ordered FKF to pay Algerian Adel Amrouche Ksh 108 million for wrongful dismissal.

Unlike Amrouche, Williamson opted to settle the matter in the country.

"I opted against taking Kenya to Fifa because I did not want the country to be sanctioned and players missing out on tournaments."

Efforts to reach Mwendwa and FKF CEO Barry Otieno were unsuccessful as our calls went unanswered. 

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has urged UEFA to move the club's Champions League clash away to Barcelona amid the ongoing Covid-19 crisis in Spain.

The two clubs played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their last 16 encounter at Stadio San Paolo back in February, with an Antoine Griezmann effort cancelling out Dries Mertens' opener.

The reverse fixture at Camp Nou was suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus outbreak, which saw all major leagues across Europe shut down for three months.

The Bundesliga was first to return at the end of May, before La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League all followed suit in June as the number of Covid-19 cases across the continent began to drop.

UEFA also announced that the Champions League would be returning in August, with a new format introduced which will see the quarter-finals and semi-finals played as one-off matches in Lisbon, Portugal.

However, the remaining round of 16 fixtures will still be played in the original venues, and as it stands, Barca will play host to Napoli on August 8 at an empty Camp Nou.

Due to the continued threat of coronavirus, all remaining games in the competition will be played behind closed doors, but there are still concerns over the safety of players and staff.

A spike in Covid-19 cases has been recorded in Spain's north-eastern Catalonia region, and health authorities have instructed people to remain in their homes for 15 days to contain the spread.

De Laurentiis believes Napoli's meeting with Barca should take place outside of Spain due to the increased risk of infection, as he told Sky Italia: “The match against Barcelona will always be a great match. This summer we played two, then we had a third in the first leg of the last 16 in the Champions League. Now, we will play a fourth.

“We hear doubts and fears coming from Spain. UEFA is indifferent, there is no one who knows how to run the shop.

“If they have decided that the Champions League is done in Portugal and the Europa League in Germany, I think we should play the return leg in Portugal or Germany.

“I don’t understand why we must stay in a city that has major problems.”

FC Porto and Nigeria defender Chidozie Awaziem has announced the birth of his first child on Wednesday evening.  

The 23-year-old centre-back has taken to the social media to express his delight with the arrival of his daughter.   

The former El-Kanemi Warriors defender posted an image of himself, where he was carrying his baby, who he has named Christel.  

“I can't explain the way I feel right now, thank you God for giving me Christel, Latest dad in town,” Awaziem posted on Instagram.

Awaziem joined Porto youth team in 2014 after leaving Nigerian side El-Kanemi Warriors and was promoted to the reserved team a year later.

The defender made his competitive debut with the Portuguese side against Feirense in 2016 and has only played 10 league games for the Blue and whites, having spent most of his time on loan.

For the 2017-18 season, Awaziem was on loan with French Ligue 1 side Nantes and featured in 22 games for the Canaries before his departure.

After a spell with Turkish side Caykur Rizespor, the defender teamed up with Spanish club Leganes last summer and featured prominently for the side.

Awaziem made 29 appearances across all competitions for the Cucumber Growers, including 26 in La Liga but his effort was not enough to help Javier Aguirre’s men from avoiding relegation.   

The 23-year-old has now returned to Porto and will hope to be part of Sergio Conceicao’s side for the 2020-21 campaign.

Awaziem has been capped 17 times by Nigeria at senior level and was part of Gernot Rohr’s team that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Arturo Vidal has called on Barcelona to make a decision regarding Quique Setien’s future, saying uncertainty surrounding the club’s current boss is doing nobody any favours.

It has been suggested that the Blaugrana will soon be severing ties with a coach they only appointed in January.

After two-time La Liga title winner Ernesto Valverde was relieved of his duties, Setien was asked to fill one of the most demanding roles in world football. He has struggled to deliver on expectation, with the domestic crown stolen away from Camp Nou by Clasico rivals Real Madrid.

Questions are also being asked of Barca’s ability to mount a serious challenge for Champions League with elite European competition set to resume in August.

With Setien seemingly lacking the trust of those around him in Catalunya, a parting of ways may soon become inevitable. If that is to be the case then Vidal wants a definitive call to be made, allowing proper planning to take place on and off the field.

The Chilean midfielder told Win Sport TV: “With Setien we haven't been able to work much. The change was abrupt and we have tried to adapt.

“We're trying to adapt to this situation and when the season finishes, the club must choose its future well. They have to decide whether the same coach will stay on, whether they are going to bring in new players, if the same ones are going to continue.”

Vidal is among those linked with a move elsewhere being made. The former Juventus star has been rumoured for a second stint in Italy at Inter, while a return to his roots in South America has also been mooted amid talk of interest from Argentine giants Boca Juniors.

Vidal is, however, tied to Barcelona for another 12 months and claims to have received no offers.

He said: “I have not received anything, I have a contract until 2021. This year I feel very confident, because I was able to score many goals. I like to be important in the teams I go to.”

Vidal added on whether a move to Colombia may appeal to him at some stage: “If it happens in the future, it would be spectacular, but I am 33 years old and I must live day by day. I do not want to move too fast, I just hope to continue playing.”

Arsenal need Mesut Ozil, Sokratis and Shkodran Mustafi “moving out of the door”, says Charlie Nicholas, with Mikel Arteta told that plugging holes in a leaky defence is “key to the rebuild” at Emirates Stadium.

The former Gunners frontman has stated on a regular basis during the 2019-20 campaign that he feels issues at the back need to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

Arteta has had seven months in which to cast an eye over the options available to him, with an inconsistent squad inherited from Unai Emery in December 2019.

The highly rated coach is considered to have the Gunners heading in the right direction, with a sense of optimism returning after claiming some notable scalps in the Premier League and en route to the FA Cup final. Arsenal are, however, still a work in progress and hope to be in a position to freshen up their ranks during the summer transfer window.

Nicholas is hoping to see the north London outfit get their important transfer calls right after too many years of mismanagement on and off the field.

He told Sky Sports: “This has been a tough test for Mikel Arteta, but I think Arsenal have realised they have got to go all out and sort the defence out. If the defence is sorted, they can start moving up the table.

“Some players need moving out of the door, Ozil, Sokratis, Mustafi - these players have to move on, and Arsenal need to freshen things up.

“The defence is key to the rebuild, they have been rebuilding for seven, eight years, this period in particular has been awful for Arsenal fans, but I think Arteta knows the right path to take.”

Sokratis has been linked with a move away from the Emirates this summer, but the Greek defender’s agent has sought to quash speculation suggesting that a deal is imminent.

The representative of World Cup-winning playmaker Ozil has also been playing down exit talk, with the experienced 31-year-old on a lucrative contract expected to stay put and become a free agent in 2021.

Elsewhere, questions have been asked of Mustafi’s role on a regular basis during his time with the Gunners, and Arteta has admitted to being in the market for another centre-half after seeing the Germany international ruled out of his immediate plans through injury.

Kakamega Homeboyz chairman Cleophas Shimanyula has hit on Football Kenya Federation (FKF) incumbent Nick Mwendwa insisting he is not a straight forward person.

The Federation head has been under immense pressure from several quarters owing to several reasons, including alleged misappropriation of funds as well as poor leadership. On Friday, leaked audio, obtained by Goal, exposed a seemingly desperate Mwendwa trying to reassure his supporters that all is well.

"I told Kenyans this individual [Mwendwa] is not honest and they denied it, and wait, more will be exposed," Shimanyula told Goal on Thursday. 

"Still, I insist, there is no sponsorship money that has come from BetKing as stated. The monies given to clubs are from Fifa, not from the so-called sponsors. That thing is meant to brainwash people.

"I saw this man in 2016, he is dishonest in his dealings, and I sympathise with my fellow chairmen, if they make a mistake of re-electing him, they will suffer and you will see."

The official has also pointed out that even in Mwendwa's camp, things are not smooth and it is the reason why information is leaking.

"Some of his supporters have lost trust in him and they do not have faith anymore," Shimanyula continued.

"It is the reason why we are getting all these leaked information. They do not trust him, they are just scared of talking.

"Many people are silently crying and suffering in silence, it is just that they cannot come out in the open and say it as I do. Mwendwa has spoiled football in the country."

Mwendwa hit out at the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) head John Ohaga for 'interfering' with the affairs of the Federation and challenged him to vie for the seat. However, Shimanyula insists it is the former who is on the wrong.

"Ohaga follows the rule of law to the latter as opposed to Mwendwa, it is the reason why Mwendwa is fighting him.

"Mwendwa is used to breaking the law while Ohaga does the opposite. That is why the former has lost all the cases filed."

This comes after FKF presidential candidate Herbert Mwachiro demanded a Special General Meeting (SGM) to be set and come up with an interim committee until elections are done.

Despite optimistic plans that had been voiced in the past months, the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) on Thursday announced that the 2020 AFF Championship, or the AFF Suzuki Cup, will not be held this year after all.

In a press statement issued by the competition's exclusive commercial partner Sportfive, the federation chief explained its decision.

“Since the onset of Covid-19, the AFF has been closely monitoring guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), health ministries, government agencies, FIFA and AFC.

“As you are aware, this pandemic continues to pose enormous health, societal and economic challenges to us all. AFF's top priority continues to be the health and safety of our football family and mitigating the impact of this pandemic. With the risk of the spread of Covid-19 remaining high, the AFF finds itself in a situation where we cannot proceed safely with the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020.”

“While these are unprecedented times for the whole world including our football family and communities, we are confident that we will get through it together with the support of all our stakeholders, including our fans, member associations, players, coaches, official, media and partners. We would like to thank them for standing united with us in the fight against Covid-19,” wrote the AFF president, Khiev Sameth.

The statement did not specify time of the year the competition is planned to be held.

Around two months earlier, the Vietnamese FA voiced its willingness to host the 2020 edition from start to finish, due to the fact that the impact of the pandemic on the country had been less severe than what had been faced by the other countries in the region. When domestic football returned in Vietnam, matches did not have to be held behind closer doors.

However, earlier this week, new cases surfaced in several regions of the country, and the Vietnamese league had to undergo another suspension. 

Former Nigeria international Friday Elahor has praised Napoli-bound striker Victor Osimhen for his contribution to Lille in 2019-20 season, urging other players to emulate him.  

The forward is close to sealing a move to the Parthenopeans for a fee believed to be around €81 million, having completed his medical with the side.

The Super Eagles striker delivered eye-catching performances in his debut campaign with the Stade Pierre-Mauroy outfit which generated interest from a number of European clubs.

The 21-year-old scored 18 goals and provided six assists in 38 appearances across all competitions and deservedly won the club’s Player of the Season award among other accolades.

Despite being in advanced negotiations with Napoli, Lille president Gerard Lopez, recently revealed the club is still receiving offers for the highly-rated striker.

Elaho, who had 14 caps for the Super Eagles, is impressed with the performances from the striker and lauded him for making Nigeria proud.

“I have been following the news about Osimhen going to Napoli, but I don’t know why the deal hasn’t been confirmed yet,” Elaho told the Guardian.

“Again, I think Osimhen has done well for himself and the country. Currently, he is the most rated Nigerian player in Europe. Other players I think should emulate him.

“I read recently that he changed his manager for his move to Napoli scale through. If his club is still reporting that some clubs are still coming for his signature despite his almost completed negotiations with Lille, it shows how good and important he is rated.

Elaho is backing Osimhen to play a key role for the Super Eagles during the Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers.

The 52-year-old also believes the forward can clinch the Africa Player of the Year award in future if he can continue with his fine performances.

“Very soon the AFCON and World Cup qualifiers will begin, definitely Osimhen has a pivotal role to play towards Nigeria’s qualification for the tournaments,” he continued.

“I see him winning the Africa Footballer of the Year in the nearest future if he can maintain his form. Others should brace up to the challenge.”

After announcing himself at the 2015 U17 World Cup in Chile, where he won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball awards to help Nigeria win the title, he moved to German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.

The forward then shone during his loan stay with Belgian club Sporting Charleroi, scoring 19 goals in 39 league games before the deal was made permanent.

His form earned him a move to Lille as a replacement for Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pepe, who teamed up with Premier League giants Arsenal.

Osimhen has nine caps for the Super Eagles and was part of Gernot Rohr’s team that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Manchester City are close to completing a £40 million ($52m) deal for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.

The Netherlands international will discuss personal terms and the transfer could be confirmed in the coming days, with it understood there is the potential for an additional £1m in add-ons as part of the deal.

City are also set to confirm the signing of Valencia winger Ferran Torres in the next few days for an initial fee of £21m ($27m).

Goal reported earlier this week that the 20-year-old Spaniard had agreed personal terms on a five-year deal at the Etihad Stadium.

The two clubs reached an agreement which also includes add-ons that could be worth an extra £11m ($14m).

City were in the hunt for new central defenders after suffering nine defeats in the Premier League having failed to replace captain Vincent Kompany last summer.

Despite Bournemouth’s relegation to the Championship, Ake’s reputation has soared since he left Chelsea in 2017.

The 25-year-old is a homegrown player and can also provide cover at left-back. He may not be the only defensive signing during the transfer window, however, with City also looking at Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Sevilla’s Diego Carlos.

A deal for Torres is also expected to be announced soon after City beat a host of top European clubs for the Spain Under-21 international.

Due to the UK government implementing travel restrictions surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic, he is expected to complete his medical in Spain ahead of joining up with the squad for the new Premier League season.

City boss Pep Guardiola is understood to have played a key part in convincing him to choose the Premier League side amid interest from clubs including Manchester United, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Torres was keen to work with Guardiola and spoke to the former Barcelona manager before choosing his new club.

And the deal moved a step closer when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) lifted the two-year ban from the Champions League imposed on the club by UEFA.

The deal is seen as a bargain for a highly-rated and exciting Spain Under-21 international.

But Valencia needed to raise money after failing to qualify for Europe next season, and Torres was in the final year of his contract having turned down a number of offers to extend his current contract.

City were looking for a new winger after Germany international Leroy Sane left for Bayern Munich in a deal worth an initial €49m (£45m/$58m).

The club are moving quickly to improve their squad and director of football Txiki Begiristain had previously explained how it was going to be an unusual transfer window.

"We are working a lot, we have to be ready," he told the club's official website. "It will be a strange window because people have to move fast, we have to bring in players who can improve our squad but also it means that maybe someone can leave.

"It will be strange also because we have the Champions League so we have to wait to move forward until the Champions League is finished.

"We might have less time than ever but we’ll have time to make the changes we need to improve the squad."

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bukayo Saka have made Alphonso Davies’ list of the top five full-backs in world football, with the Bayern Munich star a big fan of Liverpool’s creative right-back and a “really good player” on the books at Arsenal.

Achraf Hakimi, who has linked up with Inter after starring on loan at Borussia Dortmund from Real Madrid in 2019-20, makes the grade, as does Bayern’s versatile World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard.

Davies is also happy to include himself among the global elite, with the 19-year-old having made rapid progress on the back of a move to Germany in 2019.

The Canada international now forms part of an exciting group of young talent that is redefining the art of full-back play in the modern era. Alexander-Arnold is also in that category, with the Premier League title winner having become a useful source of goals and assists for Liverpool.

Saka, at 18 years of age, is another of those seemingly destined for a bright future, with the Arsenal academy graduate having caught the eye in left-back and left wing roles in north London.

A couple of star turns in English football have been noted by Davies, with the hot prospect at Allianz Arena picking out those that he sees shining in the present and hitting even greater heights in the future.

Asked by 90min to name his top full-backs, the Canadian youngster said: "Hakimi is one of them. I really like how Benji [Pavard] plays, scoring goals and getting assists, so those two. Trent Alexander-Arnold definitely and I really like Saka from Arsenal. He's a really good player."

Pressed on who would complete his list, Davies said: "And me too!"

Bayern signed Davies after seeing him impress as a winger with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Like Alexander-Arnold and Saka, it may be that his future lies further up the field than his current role. He is, however, happy to be seeing regular minutes for now and will be doing all he can to nail down a place in Bayern’s back line.

Davies added on the position he sees himself filling: "Right now, definitely left-back. I like the position, I like how everything is going well with my centre-back partners."

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is unsure where his future lies after his loan spell with Swansea City came to an end following their play-off semi-final defeat to Brentford.

The 20-year-old is one of the Blues' most talented loan stars although he suffered play-off heartache on Wednesday night, as his side fell to a 3-2 aggregate defeat and failed to reach the Wembley final.

However, the England Under-21 international is now likely to have a host of other clubs vying to sign him on loan next season, with there being the potential for Premier League sides to be taking an interest.

Frank Lampard could opt to promote him to his first team for the 2020-21 campaign but Gallagher isn't sure what the future will hold as he reflected on the loss at Griffin Park.

"I am not thinking about that (his future) now, we just finished the game and I had a great second half of the season with Swansea and I have enjoyed it so much," Gallagher said.

"I am very thankful to the whole club and the fans, I am not thinking about next season at the moment. I don't know what's happening with me having just got off the pitch. I have loved it here and I knew [Swansea manager] Steve Cooper from England [Under-17s] so I knew what he was about.

"I really enjoy working with him and he was a big part of the reason I came to Swansea and I am glad I did come. It is a great club and why not [come back]? It is a great club that I really enjoyed but I don't know what's happening next season."

Despite the play-off defeat, it has been a year of personal achievement for Gallagher in his first season as a senior player having made 47 appearances, scoring six goals and claiming 11 assists in that time during spells with Charlton and Swansea.

The 20-year-old is, however, devastated to have not been able to help Swansea back into the Premier League. He added: "Everyone is gutted.

"We blew it, we worked so hard to get into this position and it just wasn't good enough on the night and it showed, we got punished so it is our own faults but the changing room is gutted.

"They are a top side so we knew we were going to be under the cosh at times but we didn't defend well enough as a team. Everyone is at fault and I don't think anyone was good enough today. We only have ourselves to blame.

"We are the type of team that keeps fighting until the end because there is always a chance. We had 15 minutes to get another goal, but unfortunately it didn't happen. We started too slow and then it was too hard to get back in the game.

"It really hurts, the whole team and the club. It matters so much to them and the fans and we worked so hard to get into this position. To go out like we did today has left me feeling gutted really."

Antonio Rudiger has labelled Chelsea transfer target Kai Havertz a "great talent" as the Blues step up their pursuit of the Bayer Leverkusen star.

As reported by Goal, Frank Lampard's side are pushing to complete the signing of the Germany international and will next look to agree a fee after establishing that the forward wants to move to Stamford Bridge.

Leverkusen have yet to receive any official offers for Havertz after setting an asking price of around €100m (£90m/$111m), although is felt that a lower fee will ultimately be negotiated at around €76m (£70m/$87m).

And Rudiger, who knows the 21-year-old from their time in the international set-up, has talked up his talents ahead of a possible switch to west London in the summer.

When asked about Havertz, a smiling Rudiger said: "Has he been linked with us? He is a great talent and he had a very good season. He is also very young and we will see what happens [with his future]."

Rudiger also played his part in helping convince Timo Werner, who he played alongside at Stuttgart, to make the move to the Blues, with the Germany international striker having joined the club in a £47.5m ($59m) deal.

Having been dubbed #AgentRudiger on social media, the centre-back commented: "My friends told me about it (about the nickname] but I just tried to help out because everyone knows and can read about how we played together.

"There’s a bond, so I just did what I had to do. We spoke a lot during the lockdown and I have known him for a long time through playing in the national team and at Stuttgart together. It's nice to see how his career has gone and how he developed every year, getting better and scoring more goals and getting more assists.

"I am very happy for him that he has now managed to take that step like me to leave Germany and come to the UK. I think it is a good sign if you can get people like him in the club because he is also still young but he showed that he can score goals and I hope that he can do the same here that he did in Germany.

"At the beginning, it was not easy for him because he was only 17 when he came into the squad and he was a little kid, very thin, but now, over time, I think he went to the gym because he is bigger!

"Each year you see how good his statistics are. Every year he scored more than the last and his qualities are in scoring goals. I hope he can do that for us but the most important thing is that he stays healthy and he adapts to many different things.

"I was one of the people who helped convince him to come here so it is also my job to help him [settle in]. Of course, we speak the same language but he does speak very good English too. The thing is, with this job, and as a team, we all have to help him. We will do that for him."

Ahead of Saturday's FA Cup final against Arsenal, Olivier Giroud is likely to lead the line once again for the Blues. And Rudiger was full of praise for the Frenchman and how he's conducted himself, particularly with all the speculation around his future back in January.

"He is definitely a leader," the German defender added. "He is always someone to speak; someone people look up to. He won the World Cup. Oli is a very confident guy, but with this World Cup win comes more confidence.

"But he is not arrogant. He is a very good guy on and off the pitch. He is someone everyone looks up to. I look up to him and massive respect to him [for his attitude in January]. He always kept his cool, always stayed professional, always worked hard and he fought his way back.

"I’m very happy for him. It was a difficult season for him. In the first six months, he wasn’t really there. Then there were all these rumours he is going. But in the end, he stayed and I’m very happy because he showed his qualities.

"We are all human and maybe there are some days where you don’t laugh as much as you normally do when you are playing. That’s normal. But he has always been fair. When he was on the pitch, he was giving his all.

"When he was on the bench, he always supported the team. There was nothing you can say that was negative about him."

Joe Gomez is a Premier League title winner, but the Liverpool defender admits to having had to overcome a “tough” time in 2019-20.

The 23-year-old defender proved to be a key part of Jurgen Klopp’s plans as the Reds landed a first English top-flight crown in 30 years.

After being handed a regular role by the Reds, Gomez helped to record 10 clean sheets through an 11-game run.

He started 21 of the club’s last 23 league games, with a formidable partnership struck up with Dutch centre-half Virgil van Dijk.

The England international had, however, made just one Premier League start before December and had to work hard before seeing his patience rewarded.

“It was tough,” Gomez told Liverpool’s official website.

“I mean, I never had a period probably that long whereby I was fit but not involved. But it’s part and parcel of being here and at a club of this stature.

“I had to just bide my time and keep working hard in training. It’s never easy as a player to sit out and watch from the sidelines for that sort of period of time but it’s part and parcel, like I say, of being here.

“Unfortunate things happen and players get injured, I knew it was important at that point that I had to play my part.

“Obviously we were in a good place already at that point come December, things were positive, where we were in the league. I was eager to not want to let anyone down, or just continue that level and play my part.

“It was a tough time but it helped shape me in a different way to [how] the injuries have. I had to look at myself and really dig deep, and understand I’ve got to be patient here and take it from there.”

Gomez appears to have nailed down a spot in the Reds' favoured starting XI, but accepts that he still has much to learn from the club’s coaching staff and those around him – with everyone at Anfield pulling in the same direction.

He added: “I think that’s what’s been the crucial factor in the success this year. There’s that level of accountability that everyone holds amongst each other.

“I suppose it has just naturally formed to a point where it is not taken to heart, people don’t take offence by it. You’ve got the leaders in the team – the Millies, the Hendos, the Virgils. Even one another; Robbo can have a go at me and say, ‘Come on, Joe, it’s not good enough.’

“It’s just a nice environment to be in where you can be honest and up front and say you should have done better. I have to take it on board, or lads listen. I think that’s what’s been so important this year, and that’s happened in games at times. That’s probably what’s helped us stay switched on.

“Or before games, it’s always never settling or never being satisfied or resting on our laurels. That’s what’s been so key to the consistency.”

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential candidate Herbert Mwachiro is the latest to raise his voice over the "illegal" running of football in the country.

The current office's tenure expired and per the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT), incumbent Nick Mwendwa was to supervise footballing activities in the country until elections are held.

The National Executive Members' (NEC) were not spared and they were sent packing until elections are held.

The administrator has also hit out the current regime for lack of fairness.

"It is disappointing to note that over the last year football in Kenya has been run in a manner that goes completely against all principles of fair play," Mwachiro said in a signed statement obtained by Goal.

"Even worse, the FKF is being run currently without a legal mandate and this threatens the future of the beautiful game in Kenya.

"For football to flourish in Kenya fair play has to be learnt, experienced, promoted and protected both on and off the field."

The youthful administrator pointed out that the failure to ensure the process of getting the right people in office is affecting those who directly depend on the game.

NEC's absence in the office is not making it easier either and members have been challenged to act swiftly to save the game in the country.

"The key victims of all this underhand behaviour are those who make a living from football, such as our footballers, coaches and referees," Mwachiro added.

"This unsporting behaviour by those who are tasked with protecting the sport happens in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic when our society, health and economy is under stress means we no longer have the luxury of time. Hunger, health and housing issues threaten the football community in Kenya. 

"FKF Members must act swiftly to save Kenyan football. It is clear beyond a reasonable doubt that without NEC in office, football operations are limited."

Mwachiro also pointed out the most viable way to help solve the problem is to call for the Special General Meeting (SGM) with a set agenda to help in restructuring the administration of the game.

"FKF members must now call a Special General Assembly. Appoint an interim committee to oversight the election process of Kenyan football immediately," he urged.

"The Electoral Board meets with stakeholders to draw up the electoral road map and agree on the electoral code in place.

"FKF members have the power to clean their own house. FKF members have a responsibility to all who make a living from football, such as our players, coaches and referees, to put our affairs in order."