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Pep Guardiola has hinted at additions to his Manchester City squad in the next transfer window, but a demanding coach is looking for those already on his books to set the standard for 2020-21.

The Blues have seen the threat of a two-year European ban lifted on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

With uncertainty removed there, Guardiola and Co. are free to start planning long-term once more.

The expectation is that a side that has been knocked from the loftiest of Premier League perches this season will look to dip back into the recruitment market.

City boast a star-studded squad, but there are areas that they could seek to address – particularly at centre-half where no suitable successor to Vincent Kompany has been found.

Guardiola is reluctant to divert attention away from a Champions League challenge that remains ongoing in the present, but possible targets are being identified.

The Catalan admits that there may be arrivals over the coming weeks, with the next window set to open on July 27, but is aware of the need for experienced heads to lead by example.

“It depends on the players we’ll have next season, it depends on the quality of each one as to how we adapt the way we attack and defend,” Guardiola told reporters ahead of a meeting with Watford on Tuesday.

“New players can maybe come or maybe not, it will not change the freshness of the team completely. Everyone has to be fresh - not just one or maybe none or two or three or 10 or 20 [signings] - all of us have to freshen up our minds and bodies and desires to continue to be competitive in all the competitions.

“If you bring in eight or nine players, which is impossible, you change a lot, the mentality or the freshness or the way you want to play. But I think 80 per cent or 85 per cent or 90 per cent of the team will be the same so it depends on the people who are here.”

Guardiola has been urged to consider bringing another striker onto his books, with Shaun Goater among those to have called for long-term vision to be shown as Sergio Aguero enters the final 12 months of his contract.

Olivier Giroud believes Chelsea are capable of spoiling Liverpool’s title party at Anfield on Wednesday, with the Blues confident in their ability to beat any side in a one-off contest.

The newly-crowned Premier League champions are preparing to get their hands on a long-awaited piece of silverware.

Jordan Henderson will lift the English top-flight trophy at the end of the Reds’ next outing, with a record-setting campaign bringing a 30-year wait for domestic supremacy to a close on Merseyside.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have set the standard in 2019-20, with the feel-good factor they have established carrying them to more major honours.

There has, however, been a dip in standards by Liverpool since their coronation was confirmed.

Chelsea are hoping to take advantage of that when they head to the North West, with Frank Lampard’s side needing precious points in an ongoing top-four bid.

Giroud believes the FA Cup finalists are capable of tarnishing what will be a memorable evening for Liverpool.

The Blues have been in decent form of late, with their experienced France international striker leading the charge, and the Stamford Bridge giants are in confident mood ahead of another big test.

Giroud told Sky Sports: “It’s going to be a good one, a tough one, especially as they have had a few disappointing results recently.

“They will lift the trophy after our game and I think they deserve this title.

“It’s crazy when you look at the table and the difference. But in one game I think we can match them.

“We definitely need three more points to secure a place in the Champions League. It’s going to be tough but we have good momentum and we want to keep that up.”

Giroud will be hoping to add to his eight-goal tally for 2019-20 when facing the Reds.

The 33-year-old World Cup winner was back on target in Chelsea’s last outing, as they beat Manchester United 3-1 in the FA Cup semi-final, and has netted five times through eight appearances since competitive football resumed in mid-June.

On his fine form and the confidence shown in him by Lampard, Giroud said: “I just took the opportunity and just tried to give this confidence back on the pitch.

“I just try to play my part and do a good job for the team.”

Gor Mahia elections scheduled for August may not take place as planned as some members have challenged the constitutionality of the Elections Board.

In a letter obtained by Goal, Omollo and Omollo Co. Advocates acting for Ben Mathews Agunda, David Osewe Odero, Alfred Odhiambo Otieno, Gilbert Otieno Wandera, George Ochieng Gombe, Meshack Odera and Edder Jalang'o, who are members of Gor Mahia, have asked the polls be stopped or else they will move to court.

“We are instructed that you are currently engaged in an electoral process whose substance and the process is in violation of Sports Act no. 25 of 2013 and Gor Mahia Football Club Constitution in the following manner.” read the opening paragraph of the demand letter.

“We are instructed that Gor Mahia have held its elections on December 11th 2016 from which the current Executive Committee derives its mandate. 

“Under the constitution of the club, the Executive Committee was elected to a term of two years from the date of the election. 

“We are also instructed that you purported to have conducted secretive and fraudulent elections on 9th March 2019 at Jukwaa Lounge wherein you equally filed fraudulent returns with the Registrar of Societies on April 30th of 2019. We are instructed that the said meeting and or election did not take place as alleged or at all.

“We are further instructed that under the same rules, you purported to have amended the constitution of the club and forwarded the same fraudulent document to the Sports Registrar.

“We are instructed that the said document purporting to be the constitution of the club does not in material respect or comply with the club's conditional certificate of registration dated 8th June 2018, the Act or indeed the regulations made thereunder.”

The Elections Board and its formation are at the forefront of what has been contested by the members, who have questions regarding the mandatory Gor Mahia elections.

“We are further instructed that the Executive Committee members unilaterally abrogated upon themselves the powers to appoint members of the club's Elections Board without consultation or approval of the members or any other stakeholders,” continued the letter.

“We are instructed that the same Elections Board has now come up with unlawful and illegal elections rules, regulations, guidelines, timetables and calendars and nomination forms.

“We are further instructed that all these activities of the biased Elections Board are designed to perpetuate the continued stay of the incumbents in office and indeed we are instructed that the chairman has already been declared as elected unopposed.

“We are instructed that most of the members including Ambrose Rachier and Francis Wasuna are term-limited by the act and therefore barred from contesting in any further elections of the club.”

The seven members have gone ahead and given the club a period of time within which their requests must be acted upon.

“We are under instructions to demand the following; Cease and desist from further conduct of the fraudulent elections purportedly scheduled for 8th August 2020,” it concluded.

“Adhere to the conditions of registration as stipulated by the Sports Registrar in the certificate of registration dated 8th June 2020.

“Conduct the club's elections in accordance with Article 81 of the Constitution of the Republic of Kenya, 2010, the Act and the Club’s Constitution.

“We demand immediate written confirmation of your agreement to meet our legal demand together with an indication of how you intend to comply.

“We regret that unless we receive such written confirmation and accompanying proposals within the next seven (7) days, we will file a suit to enforce our clients' rights without further notice and at your risk as to the costs and other consequences.”

According to the club, 567 members have been cleared to vote in the elections.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists David de Gea is mentally strong enough to bounce back from the mistakes he made against Chelsea ahead of Manchester United’s crucial meeting with West Ham.

The Spaniard came under fire for the part he played in all three of Chelsea’s goals at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final, with Solskjaer having said the former Atletico Madrid star knows he should have done better with Mason Mount's 25-yard effort at the start of the second half.

There have been calls for De Gea to be dropped ahead of United’s two crucial Premier League games this week as they look to secure Champions League qualification but Solskjaer would not be drawn into a debate over the goalkeeper.

Ahead of United's clash with West Ham on Wednesday evening, the Norwegian told reporters: "This is not going to become a David de Gea press conference. We're just going to stick together.

"David's mentally strong enough to know his job is to perform in training the next day and be ready for the games."

When pushed on whether or not De Gea should be dropped in place of Sergio Romero, he added: "That's your job to talk about and write about and my job is to prepare a team for West Ham.

"We're not going to talk about individuals because no one here will fear we put more pressure on them."

Meanwhile, Solskjaer is likely to be without Eric Bailly for his side’s final home league game of the season as the defender continues to recover from a nasty clash of heads against Chelsea which saw him leave the pitch on a stretcher and wearing a neck brace.

The Ivory Coast international spent Sunday night in London receiving treatment before returning to Manchester on Monday and while the centre-back appears to be okay, Solskjaer does not think he will be available for the game.

"I don't think he'll be ready for this game, I've not seen him this morning yet," he said. "I think everyone is available apart from that, we've just got to stick together, stay strong, two games to go and we've given ourselves a good chance."

Lille have confirmed Jonathan Bamba has resumed training on Monday after he tested negative for the coronavirus.

The Ivorian forward contracted the virus on July 6 ahead of their friendly against Mouscron and has been in isolation receiving treatment, along with France international Jonathan Ikone.

The 21-year-old has now been given the green light to rejoin Christophe Galtier’s side after testing negative for the coronavirus.

Bamba has been with the Stade Pierre-Mauroy outfit since the summer of 2018 when he signed a five-year contract with the side following his arrival from Saint-Etienne.

The winger has since scored 14 goals in 64 league appearances and in April 2019 he was named Ligue 1 player of the season following his impressive performances.

In the 2019-20 campaign, Bamba scored one goal and provided nine assists in 37 appearances across all competitions for the Mastiffs.

The forward formed a productive partnership with Nigeria international Victor Osimhen along with Ikone to help the club finish fourth in Ligue 1 last campaign.

Bamba played for CA Paris-Charenton, UJA Alfortville and Saint-Etienne youth setups before his promotion to the Saints first team.

The winger made 42 league appearances for Saint-Etienne and had loan spells at Paris FC, Sint-Truiden and Angers during his seven-year stay with the side.

Bamba has played for France U16, U18, U20 and U21 but he is still eligible to feature for the Ivory Coast national team, provided he desires to pledge his allegiance to the West Africans.

The forward will hope to continue his fine form during Lille’s pre-season games ahead of their 2020-21 campaign.

Former Black Leopards midfielder Lesedi Kapinga has expressed sadness in the manner the club has handled his departure, saying he is hurt after he was not given a chance to say goodbye to the supporters.

The nippy midfielder is heavily linked with a move to Mamelodi Sundowns and his release from Lidoda Duvha on Monday has added fuel to the fire.

Kapinga also confirmed his love for the Thohoyandou-based Premier Soccer League outfit and that he wanted to help coach Allan Clark’s side to salvage their PSL status.

“I am sad, to be honest. I love this team [Leopards] and I wanted to help them survive relegation. I am so sad for the fans who have been there for me supporting me all the way,” Kapinga told DailySun.

“It's sad because I never had a chance to say a final goodbye to the fans by helping Leopards retain their Premiership status.

“I had a great time at Leopards and I am thankful for the chance they gave me to play in the top fight. Leopards will always be in my heart."

The 25-year-old explained he holds no grudges with the club and gave reasons why the club’s hierarchy decided to part ways with him.

“They [Leopards management] spoke to me in a way we felt it is the best for both of us [if I leave]. They did not want me to play under pressure,” he added.

“If I made mistakes the fans would have felt maybe my heart is not there anymore because of the speculation [about my future].”

Although Goal has it in good authority that the Musina-born midfielder is on his way to Chloorkop, he says he is waiting for his manager to decide on his future.

“All I know now is that I am a free agent and my manager is doing all he can to find a good team for me," explained Kapinga.

“I know that there are talks with Sundowns and Orlando Pirates but I am waiting for my manager to give me the green light to where I will be playing. Now I am just relaxing at home."

With Lidoda Duvha sitting at the bottom of the table with 20 points from 24 games, Kapinga was their best performer as he has netted six goals and registered as many assists out of 27 matches he played for the Thohoyandou-based outfit this season so far.

Meanwhile, Leopards recently parted ways with former Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns winger Thuso Phala but reportedly retained Mogakolodi Ngele and Robert Ng’ambi on short-term deals.

Chelsea are in contract talks with Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz but the Blues are yet to have agreed a fee with the Bundesliga club.

Peter Bosz' men missed out on qualification for the Champions League, accelerating the Germany international's desire to leave in the near future.

Leverkusen were open to selling the 21-year-old but publicly stated that they wanted upwards of €100 million (£90m/$111m) for their prized asset.

Goal has learned that Chelsea are keen to negotiate a lower fee of around €76m (£70m/$87m), and it remains unclear when discussions will reach a conclusion.

The Blues are in a strong position to sign Havertz, with no other teams currently in talks to land the midfielder, who is keen to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.

Although Chelsea need just one win from their final two league games to seal Champions League football for next season, it is understood that Havertz would still join the Blues even if they don't seal a place in Europe's premier club competition.

Having scored 17 goals and provided eight assists in all competitions in 2019-20, the versatile forward has emerged as Germany's outstanding young talent, with Frank Lampard having publicly referred to him as a "top player".

Chelsea initially faced competition to sign Havertz, but with the financial repercussions of the coronavirus crisis taking hold, it is likely to be a far more cautious transfer market this summer. 

Indeed, the Blues were able to secure the signing of Timo Werner as Liverpool pulled out of the race due to financial concerns, with the west London outfit having also signed Ajax star Hakim Ziyech.

Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have both expressed an interest in Havertz in the past but are unable to raise the required funds to do a deal this summer.

As well as wanting to sign Havertz, the Blues are also exploring options at both centre-back and left-back, while the signing of a new goalkeeper could also be on the cards.

Leicester City are not interested in selling Ben Chilwell - who is at the top of the club's left-back wish list - while Ajax star Nicolas Tagliafico is also an option, amid competition from Atletico Madrid.

Should the Blues move to bring in Atleti goalkeeper Jan Oblak, the Liga side are set to demand that his €120m (£110m/$138m) release clause be activated if they want to lure the highly-rated Slovenian to Stamford Bridge.

As for outgoings, Chelsea could raise further funds by selling Emerson Palmieri - who has significant interest from Inter - while Juventus are monitoring Jorginho's situation.

Meanwhile, Michy Batshuayi will likely leave the club this summer, along with loanees including Tiemoue Bakayoko, Danny Drinkwater and several other wantaway stars. Olivier Giroud is another who is on Inter's radar.

Despite it being likely a number of first-team players will leave in the summer the west Londoners are still keen to keep 31-year-old winger Willian, whose contract is expiring at the end of the season.

Former Netherlands midfielder of Ghanaian descent, George Boateng, reveals he could have made a different choice about his international future had he been approached by the four-time African champions for a switch of allegiance.

Born in the Ghanaian city of Nkawkaw, the erstwhile Middlesbrough skipper moved to the Netherlands as a little boy to stay with his dad.

Following a 1994-95 breakthrough at Excelsior, he was snapped up by Feyenoord where he caught the eye of the Dutch national youth team handlers.

Six years after debuting for Jong Oranje, he grabbed a maiden senior international appearance in a 1-1 draw in Denmark in 2001.

“As a young star, when I made my debut in the Feyenoord first team, nobody in the GFA ever came to me or sent a letter to express their interest, to say 'George Boateng is one of our players, he was born in Ghana, he is eligible to play for us. Can we please ask him or invite him for a game?'", Boateng told Citi TV.

"Such a thing never took place. When I was 18 and I debuted [at club level], the Dutch national team did that, they invited me to come and play for the under-18 team, which I did.

“The player is not the one who is supposed to make the initial approach to the GFA to ask if I can play for the team - that is the unorthodox way.

“The professional way is that the federation will send an invite because it is supposed to be an honour for you to be invited to play for your country.

“So in that seven years, I could have made my mind up and played for Ghana."

After a fine spell at Feyenoord, Boateng joined then Premier League side Coventry City in 1998.

The midfielder spent just one season with the Sky Blues before moving to Aston Villa, from where he joined Middlesbrough.

He spent six years with Boro, who would hand him the captain's armband in his fourth year in 2006.

Two years later, he left Riverside Stadium for Hull City where he played from 2008 to 2010.

He since went on to represent Skoda Xanthi in Greece, English lower division fold Nottingham Forest and Terengganu II in Malaysia.

Now a coach, Boateng, who has been linked with a Ghana job in recent times, has managed Kelantan AF in Malaysia and Blackburn Rovers' U13 side.

He is currently boss of Aston Villa's U18s. 

KCCA FC midfielder Keziron Kizito has revealed his most memorable career moments.

Kizito said his time with India’s Kerala Blasters where he featured alongside former Manchester United duo Wes Brown and Dimitar Berbatov remains a great moment.

The Indian side was coached by former Manchester City goalkeeper David James when the Ugandan midfielder turned out for them.

“Featuring alongside former Man United players [Dimitar] Berbatov and [Wes] Brown in the Indian Super League was a dream come true. I learnt a lot from them, especially taking football seriously,” Kizito said as was quoted by Football256.

He left Kerala Blasters after two seasons due to frequent injuries before he signed for KCCA in 2019.

Kizito also declared a burning desire to play for the Uganda national team again.

He was part of the 2016 African Nations Championship (Chan) tournament which was hosted in Rwanda and won the Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup in Ethiopia in 2015.

“It is close to three years since I last played for the Cranes. I want to play for the national team again,” he added.

“I really believe that I will make it to the national team if I play well next season.

“I still want to play professional football, all I have to do is better my game, have a great season [next season].

“And with that, I believe the doors for professional football will open again as I want to play in Europe.

Kizito nurtured his skills at Vipers SC’s youth system and was promoted to the senior team in the 2014/15 season before he scored his debut goal against Entebbe FC.

He won the 2015 Premier League title and left the Venoms after two years when he signed for AFC Leopards.

He stayed with the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side for half a season before he joined the Indian outfit in 2018.

Meanwhile, BUL FC chairman Ronald Barente has stated the club’s transfer policy in the past hurt the club.

“We have had issues with the way we do the transfers that have hurt us a lot in the previous seasons,” Barente told Daily Monitor.

“We haven’t focused on the young talents that Busoga is gifted with. We were the champions of U19 league, but how many of those young talents are in the senior team?”

He also expressed wish to help the club develop its own stadium although they have signed a five-year agreement with the Busoga Kingdom to use Bugembe Stadium.

“My dream is to at least leave something behind for Busoga, for BUL and for Uganda, to have a stadium,” he concluded.

“That is possible; how we can realise this dream depends on how well we perform and manage to get sponsors.”

“We’ve been moving a lot and that’s not good for the stability of the club or for the fans.”

Chelsea need to be doing all they can to keep N’Golo Kante on their books, claims Dennis Wise, with the World Cup winner considered to still be the “main person” for the Blues in the middle of the park.

A France international who enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence on the back of a 2015 move to Leicester has seen the odd question asked of his future in west London.

Despite being a two-time Premier League title winner and PFA Player of the Year, form and fitness issues have impacted on Kante’s game in recent times.

Only 27 appearances have been taken in this season, with Frank Lampard often looking to alternative options for inspiration in his engine room.

Real Madrid are said to be rekindling their interest in a player who has registered on their radar for some time.

Wise, though, believes that Kante remains key to Chelsea’s future plans and feels it would be a big mistake if the 29-year-old were to be allowed to move on.

Asked about Lampard’s midfield options in a Q&A session set up by the Blues’ sponsor Three, former Stamford Bridge skipper Wise told Express Sport: "I would say the main person is Kante, for sure, and then you can have a mixture of [Mateo] Kovacic, [Ross] Barkley or [Mason] Mount.

"I think it would be out of those four to make up the three which sit in there [in a 4-3-3 formation].

"Mason Mount has done extremely well, and Barkley has gone through a spell of really doing well. It's difficult to give you the three, but one of them for sure is Kante. I think he is so important to the team to sit in there.

"You've also got [Ruben] Loftus-Cheek and young [Billy] Gilmour, so they're quality players.

"Loftus-Cheek has obviously been out for a while and it would be unfair to all of a sudden try and push him into that category (alongside the main four players). And the young boy Billy Gilmour, just because he's so young and developing, I think you've got to give him time.

"I think definitely Kante and then two out of the three that I mentioned - Kovacic, Barkley and Mount. It's a great problem to have.

"Mount has done extremely well in spells, and so has Barkley and so has Kovacic - it's very difficult to break them up."

A hamstring complaint has been keeping Kante sidelined of late, forcing him to sit out important Premier League matches in an ongoing bid to wrap up a top-four finish and progress to the 2020 FA Cup final.

Marseille forward Florian Thauvin has hailed the club’s latest signing Pape Gueye after scoring on his debut against Pinzgau Saalfelden on Sunday.

The Senegalese delivered an impressive performance in the encounter, scoring his first goal for the Olympians to help them clinch a 5-1 victory over Pinzgau in a pre-season friendly.

The 21-year-old teamed up with Andre Villas-Boas’ men on July 2 as a free agent following the expiration of his contract with Le Havre.

In April, Premier League club Watford announced the signing of the defensive midfielder on a five-year deal only for him to make a U-turn.

A number of French clubs like Angers, Rennes, Metz and Nantes were reportedly interested to sign him before opting to join the Olympians.

 After seeing his performance, Thauvin has praised the young midfielder and backed him to be a success at Stade Velodrome.

“He has shown the full extent of his talent. Now OM is something else. You have to work a lot, but I'm not worried about him, he will succeed here," Thauvin told L'Equipe.

Gueye started his career with the Blanc-Mesnil SF academy before joining Le Havre's youth setup in 2012 and was promoted to the first team four years later.

The midfielder featured in 39 league games for Le Havre, including 25 in Ligue 2 in the 2019-20 season before his departure.

Gueye has played for France U18 and U19 but he is still eligible to feature for the Senegal national team, provided he agrees to switch allegiance to the West Africans.

He will hope to continue his fine performances during Marseille’s pre-season games to boost his chances of enjoying playing time when the 2020-21 season gets underway.

Highlands Park director Sinky Mnisi has slammed the South African Football Association (Safa) as he feels that they are delaying the resumption of the 2019/20 season.

The Lions of the North official believes that Safa is playing politics, with the PSL keen to resume the current campaign which has been suspended since mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“They have taken their eyes off the ball and are playing politics,” Mnisi told The Citizen.

“It is sad that they are not considering what this will do to clubs. Players and staff need to be paid. The season has to be finished so players can have a break and see their families. They have been cooped up away from home for a long time now."

Safa explained that the match officials were not available and would need two weeks to be ready hence the season can only resume next month.

However, the PSL's chief executive officer Mato Madlala has disclosed that some referees have told the league’s governing body off the record they are ready to get back to action.

Safa has also stated that there is a need to ensure that all biological health standards are met before football starts, but Mnisi insists that this is just hogwash.

“The PSL and clubs would not send players to a slaughterhouse. We cannot say we want to play when we have not ensured that all necessary measures are taken to ensure safety. That’s just ridiculous,” he said.

Mnisi is also the president of the Tembisa Local Football Association (LFA), which is under Safa's jurisdiction, and he feels that the country's football ruling body is neglecting their matters.

“What are they saying about us? What plans have they set out for us to return to play?" he asked.

"We have teams who need to qualify for the ABC Motsepe League and those who need to qualify for the GladAfrica Championship, yet they are not saying anything about that.

"They are busy with politics instead."

Liverpool and Manchester City are fantastic teams but they're not 'Invincibles', says ex-Arsenal talisman Dennis Bergkamp.

City have been the dominant force in England for much of Pep Guardiola's four-year reign at Etihad Stadium, winning eight domestic trophies in total, including two Premier League titles.

However, Liverpool have emerged as the main challengers to the Blues' throne over the past two seasons, and finally managed to knock them off their perch to secure a first league crown in 30 years at the end of June.

Jurgen Klopp's men were protecting a 44-match unbeaten run at one stage, with a sequence of 18 successive wins taking them well clear of City and the rest of their main rivals in the top-flight.

However, a 3-0 defeat against Watford on February 29 ended their hopes of emulating Arsenal's 2003-04 'Invincibles', and Bergkamp is still revelling in that all-star squad's "tremendous achievement" to this day.

The former Gunners centre-forward told FourFourTwo magazine: "The word says it all – invincible. You felt like that going onto the pitch. You knew you were going to win – it was just a matter of how, and by how many goals.

"You’d look around the dressing room and think, ‘Jeez, what a team’. We were better than our opponents in every single area.

"We were all friends, too. We’d go to dinner with six or seven players, or meet up at someone’s house with the wives and girlfriends. Maybe you need to be a team of friends to be successful.

"It was a great time and it went down in history. It’s hard to beat – there have been some fantastic teams since then, quite recently with Manchester City and Liverpool, and they find it really difficult to do what we did.

"Every year, it makes me more proud. It was a tremendous achievement."

Arsenal's current crop are a long way off matching the success Arsene Wenger's players enjoyed at Highbury in the early 2000s, but Mikel Arteta has overseen an impressive run of results since the resumption of the 2019-20 campaign in June.

Newly crowned champions Liverpool fell to only their third loss of the campaign at the Emirates last week, and the Gunners followed up that result by knocking City out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory in Saturday's semi-final clash at Wembley.

Manchester United should be exploring the option of luring Raul Jimenez away from Wolves, says Rio Ferdinand, with the Mexican frontman capable of offering something “different” to the Red Devils.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in the process of drawing up recruitment plans for the next transfer window.

There has been little suggestion that he will be in the market for another striker, with Anthony Martial having impressed in a No.9 berth this season while Odion Ighalo fills back-up duties.

United are, however, forever on the hunt for the very best talent available.

Domestic and global shop windows will be explored, with it possible that the right options are on their Premier League doorstep.

Jimenez could fall into that category, with the 29-year-old having recorded a career-best return of 26 goals in the 2019-20 campaign.

His efforts are drawing admiring glances from across Europe, with reported interest being lapped up by the Mexican, and Ferdinand believes another big-money move could be on the cards.

He told BT Sport: “I think Wolves will do well to keep hold of him.

“I think he's a player with immense talent and I think his goalscoring record over the last two years has been really good.

“Before that, his record was a bit shady, but he has come to the Premier League and hit the ground running. He's been a breath of fresh air.

“As you can tell, he seems a great character around the place, and for a top club, I wouldn't be surprised if they are sniffing.

“We've seen it in the media reports in the last few days that clubs are looking.”

Pressed on whether United should be in the mix for Jimenez, ex-Red Devils defender Ferdinand added: “I wouldn't say no at all. I think he's something different to what they've got.

“What I like about him is he scores all types of goals. He's at the back post heading things and bullying defenders, and he can score tremendous goals out of nothing.”

Wolves made Jimenez their £30 million ($38m) club-record signing in 2019 after seeing him impress during an initial loan spell from Benfica.

He is now up to 43 goals in just 96 appearances for the club and has been a key man for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side as they have cemented a standing among the Premier League elite and pushed their way into continental competition.

AFC Leopards have rubbished social media reports claiming their key midfielder Austin Odhiambo has ditched the club for rivals Gor Mahia.

Social media has been awash with reports linking the young midfielder to the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions ahead of the new season.

Ingwe chairman Dan Shikanda has come out to clarify the situation, stating Odhiambo is contracted to the club until December 2023, and the buy-out clause in the player's contract only applies to foreign teams.

“Those are rumours from those who want to destabilise AFC Leopards, Austin [Odhiambo] is our player, he has a contract with us until December 2023, and in the clause, he cannot sign for a local team but can only be allowed to sign for a team outside the country,” Shikanda told Goal on Tuesday.

“No team as approached us for the player, not even Gor Mahia, not even the player coming to say he wants to leave, the player knows what clause he signed when he joined us from the youth team, so I don’t want understand when people say he has left AFC.

“I want to assure our fans Odhiambo doesn’t have an exit clause for local teams so they should not be worried, we always talk to our players every day and they know, even Gor Mahia have not approached him, even Gor Mahia know the rules and they cannot move to bend them.”

In a recent interview, Shikanda revealed he was confident the club will not go 30 years without winning the KPL title and are determined to win the league title soon to avoid waiting as long as Liverpool.

Liverpool finally won the league title after a 30-year wait and Leopards, who won their last title in 1998, are keen to avoid that length of time without a league title

“Liverpool went for 30 years without a Premier League title. We have gone 22 years and we don’t want to go the Liverpool way. We are keen to build a team that will lift the KPL title sooner,” Shikanda told Goal.

Shikanda also confirmed they will not take any risks with their signings as they still have a young squad that can help them to fight for the titles.

Mikel Arteta remains “confident” that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will sign a new contract at Arsenal, with the Gabonese striker considered to be in the “perfect place”.

Uncertainty continues to reign when it comes to the future of a talismanic presence at Emirates Stadium.

Despite entering the final 12 months of his current deal, the Gunners’ club captain is yet to commit to fresh terms.

With Arsenal in no position to allow another top talent to run a deal down towards free agency, big decisions need to be made in north London.

There has been plenty of speculation regarding a move elsewhere for Aubameyang, with the 31-year-old striker hardly short on suitors, but Arteta still believes that an extension will be thrashed out.

Quizzed again on a long-running saga by Sky Sports, the Arsenal boss said when pressed on whether there is a deadline in place: "I don't know, to put a date right now is very difficult.

"I like the way the conversations are going, I like what I'm hearing. I'm sure for both parties, the quicker we can do it, the better for everyone.

"I am confident he will extend his stay."

Asked where that confidence comes from, Arteta added: "He's generally happy. I think he is enjoying his football. He is settled in the country and his family are good.

"I think he can sense - and we've told him - how much we like him, how much we value him. I think the connection he has with the fans is unique. I believe he is in the perfect place for him.

"Everything I have from him and the people around him is the same. So I don't have any arguments to say something different."

Whatever happens with Aubameyang, the general consensus is that Arsenal will need to bolster their ranks in the next transfer window in order to remain competitive.

Arteta is still waiting to discover what his recruitment budget will be, but a man who has guided the Gunners into the 2020 FA Cup final believes everyone at the Emirates is “on the same page”.

He said: "I think we will get all of the support that we need.

"Some of the limitations that we have and the uncertainties that we have are going to be a little bit clearer in the next week or two weeks and then we will be in a much stronger position to know how much we can do or cannot do.

"But I am very positive because everything I'm hearing is that we want the same thing and that's the most important thing."

Karim Benzema is a "more complete" player than Thierry Henry was, according to Sydney Govou, who has hailed the Real Madrid striker as a "real leader".

Benzema is currently enjoying arguably his best season yet at Madrid, having hit 26 goals in 41 outings across all competitions for Zinedine Zidane's side.

Of those efforts, 21 have come in La Liga, as the Blancos picked up their 34th title last week following a 2-1 victory over Villarreal at Santiago Bernabeu.

Benzema narrowly missed out on the coveted Pichichi award, which is given to the league's top scorer, with Lionel Messi grabbing the prize for a record seventh time after scoring 25 goals for Barcelona.

The Frenchman moved into fifth in the Madrid's all-time scoring rankings earlier in the season, and now has 248 strikes to his name from 512 appearances in total for the club.

He has certainly justified every penny of the €30 million (£27m/$34m) it cost the Blancos to prise him away from Lyon in 2009, with Govou delighted to see how his old team-mate has progressed in the Spanish capital.

The former Lyon striker believes Benzema has surpassed France legend Henry as a more accomplished all-round player, as he told L'Equipe: "I think he has largely the level of Thierry. 

"Thierry really impressed me because he was not only a fast player but he had the ball. But Karim is more complete. 

"He also has a kind of presence because he is smaller and less athletic. Karim has always been a top player. If you love football, it's impossible not to love him."

Asked to assess Benzema's latest season at the Bernabeu, Govou responded: "I'm not surprised. I always thought he was one of the best European strikers. 

"He had small difficulties at the start at Real because he had to win. But he has taken on an incredible dimension over the years. 

"And a little more after the departure of [Cristiano] Ronaldo. He has new responsibilities, he's a real leader."

Benzema and the rest of the Madrid squad are now looking ahead to next month's Champions League restart, as they continue to chase down a 14th European crown.

Zidane's men will have to overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium to progress to this season's quarter-finals, which will be played in a straight knockout format.

Police FC have reached an agreement with midfielder Yousuf Sozzi to extend his stay at the club for the next two seasons.

The club has confirmed they have extended the stay of the player, who joined the club from Paidha Black Angels in the 2019-20 season, until 2022.

“Yousuf Sozzi has renewed his contract with us for the next two years,” the club stated on their official social media pages. “Thank you for your loyalty to Police FC.”

Sozzi was a key player for the Law Enforcers in the past campaign but missed a couple of matches in the closing stages after he picked an injury in an Uganda Premier League match against Wakiso Giants.

In total, Sozzi, who was also being linked with a move to the newly crowned champions Vipers SC, played 14 matches for the Cops.

Before moving to Police, Sozzi also played for a couple of teams in Uganda and Kenya, including SC Villa, Nairobi City Stars, and AFC Leopards.

Sozzi's extension will be good news for Police, who have vowed to challenge for titles in the coming season.

In a recent interview, the club chairman Asan Kasingye revealed it was time they turned into big boys in the local scene and start winning trophies.

“We no longer just want to compete; we need to win trophies. We are former champions and its time to think big,” Kasingye told reporters after unveiling their first signing in former Uganda Cranes midfielder Tony Mawejje.

“Football is a big enterprise in the world that doesn’t entertain mediocrity. We need to do the right thing like other clubs.”

Kasingye added it was the right time for the team to secure sponsors because Police are a big organisation and many people want to be part of it.

The chairman also revealed the club will do what they can to retain most of their players to build a strong side ahead of the new season.

Police, who are handled by Abdallah Mubiru, have already hit the transfer market, with the coach hoping to get the best from the transfers.

“We want to make sure we can also compete well with the best teams and our eyes on the transfer market are looking at all the good players available,” Mubiru told reporters.

“It is now a matter of building a strong team so that we can have at least cover for all positions, we must be ready to fight next season and make sure we win a trophy or two.”

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi was on the scoresheet as New York City defeated Inter Miami 1-0 in Monday’s MLS is Back Tournament outing at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Libya international scored the only goal of the game to help the Boys in Blue secure their first win in Group A, which gave them hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the competition.

After losing their opening two games, to Philadelphia Union and Orlando City, the Yankee Stadium outfit bounced back to winning ways.

Following their defeat last time out to Orlando, manager Ronny Deila made few changes to the lineup, with Tajouri-Shradi handed a starting role.

The 26-year-old formed a three-man midfield along with Jesus Medina and Alexandru Mitrita while Valentin Castellanos spearheaded the attack.

The first half was cagey and saw little goal-mouth action as both sides failed to convert the few chances that came their way.

After the restart, however, New York City continued their push to open the scoring and it duly came in the 64th minute of the encounter.

Alexandru Mitrita sent in a long-range ball which Tajouri-Shradi controlled with his left foot before firing past onrushing goalkeeper Luis Robles.

The goal proved decisive as it handed the Boys in Blue all three points which propelled them to the third spot on the Group A table behind Philadelphia Union and Orlando City.

Deila’s men will wait for the result in other groups to learn if they qualify for the knockout stage of the competition as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Tajouri-Shradi, who featured for 79 minutes in the encounter, has now scored three of New York City’s last four MLS goals.

The forward's latest strike has compounded the woes of Inter Miami, who are the first team in MLS history to lose their inaugural five matches and the fifth club to open a season with five straight losses.

The 26-year-old has four caps for Libya since making his debut against South Africa in 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September 2018.

The “massive contract” signed by David de Gea at Manchester United has made the Spaniard “complacent”, says Paul Ince, with “schoolboy errors” creeping into the goalkeeper’s game because he faces no competition for his place.

The Red Devils do have Argentina international Sergio Romero on their books, but the South American is very much back-up and tends to only be rolled out for the odd domestic cup or European appearance.

De Gea has been the established No.1 for many years, with the consistency he has shown seeing him earn four Player of the Year awards and a standing among the best goalkeepers in the business.

Questions are, however, being asked of his place among the elite at present, and his position as undisputed first choice for United heading forward.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has the option of welcoming academy graduate Dean Henderson back into his squad from another productive loan spell at Sheffield United, with something needing to be done in a bid to cut out the mistakes which are plaguing a keeper tied to lucrative terms.

Former United star Ince told Paddy Power of the unfortunate situation between the sticks at Old Trafford: "Any mistake you make, as a goalkeeper, will always be magnified. We know that, but what we're seeing from De Gea at the minute are basic, schoolboy errors.

"They are errors that someone on his wage and at his level simply should not be making – and not for the first time, too.

"If you go and look at the season, there's several absolutely horrendous mistakes that just shouldn't be happening.

"In those big games, the best keepers in the world aren't making mistakes to begin with and my feeling is that De Gea doesn't have enough, or any, competition. He is totally complacent.

"Sergio Romero only plays once in a blue moon (at United), but Dean Henderson is waiting in the wings, and the manager needs to create a bit of a challenge and competition at the club.

"Right now, De Gea knows there's no challenger to him, that he will be the first name on the team sheet, and he's playing like someone who knows that, too. As a player, if you think you're going to play every game, it leads to complacency.

"For me, Dean Henderson would be the answer. He's playing well, getting game time and it's something which Solskjaer needs to look at.

"He needs to give De Gea that challenge and drive, and this lad could be the answer. Henderson's got the hunger and desire to get into that top spot at United.

"While maybe it's a case of De Gea signing the massive contract he did and he thinks his job is done - he's lost a bit of that hunger. He needs to come out now, fighting, and show us what an incredible keeper we all know he is."