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Mikel Arteta needs £150 million ($189m) to spend on a new squad, according to Perry Groves, who says Arsenal played "survival football" during their win over Liverpool.

Arsenal welcomed the newly crowned Premier League champions to Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, where they were looking to bounce back from a frustrating north London derby defeat to Tottenham.

Liverpool dominated possession throughout the match, managing 24 shots at goal to the Gunners' total of three, with Sadio Mane opening the scoring 20 minutes in.

However, Alexandre Lacazette pounced on a short backpass from Virgil van Dijk to level the scores just after the half-hour mark, before Reiss Nelson completed an unlikely first-half turnaround.

Arsenal held on for a 2-1 victory, but Arteta admitted post-match that there is still a huge gulf between the two sides in terms of quality.

The Gunners boss also conceded that significant investment in the transfer market this summer will be necessary for his side to close that gap, and Groves understands the Spaniard's frustration.

The former Arsenal midfielder says the current squad is lacking depth in several departments, with it his belief that Arteta has done an impressive job of maximising their output since inheriting the managerial reigns in December.

“Arsenal need money spent in different areas, especially at centre-half and in central midfield," Groves told Talksport.

“I can see what Arteta is trying to do, I can see there’s a plan, but at the moment he’s dealing with six, seven, eight players he knows he doesn’t really want, but, he’s got to keep using them and be cute.

“We’ve got a lot of young players coming in, which is good, but watching the game against Liverpool it was survival football, let’s be honest. There is a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel, but the finances, that squad probably needs £100m or £150m spent on it.”

Arsenal are ninth in the Premier League standings at the moment, but they can still secure a Europa League spot if they win their remaining two fixtures against Aston Villa and Watford. The win over Spurs left them with 53 points from 36 games, two behind rivals Tottenham in seventh.

Konami are set to launch the 20th instalment of their hugely popular Pro Evolution Soccer series in 2020, with gamers itching to find out what eFootball Pro Evolution Soccer 2021 - PES 2021 has in store.

Every year, PES is up against its arch rival FIFA in the clash for football video game supremacy and, having clawed back some ground from EA Sports' best-selling title, the hope will be to improve on things in 2020.

Goal takes a look at when PES 2021 will be released, what the price will be, which licences it will have and much more.

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When is PES 2021 released? 

PES 2021 will be released on September 15, 2020 - in keeping with previous launch dates - and it will be available as a downloadable 'season update'.

The early September release date is consistent with the apparent policy of launching roughly two weeks before EA Sports' FIFA series, with FIFA 21 expected to be released at the end of September .

A demo should, in theory, be available to play from July or August if previous launch schedules are followed.

Konami released a trailer for the game on July 16, which can be watched below.

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What is the price of PES 2021? 

The standard edition of PES 2021 can be pre-ordered at a special price of £24.99 in the United Kingdom or $29.99 in the United States.

Club editions (for Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester United or Arsenal) cost slightly more at £29.99 in the UK and $34.99 in the US.

Those special prices are half the usual price of the new PES games, which tend to fall in the region of £50 in the UK or $60 in the US. 

In 2019, the initial sale price of PES 2020 was £47.99 in the UK and $59.99 in the U.S., which made the game slightly cheaper to buy than its FIFA 20 counterpart.

The 'Legend' edition of PES 2020, which featured Ronaldinho on the cover, was a bit more expensive at £59.99 in the UK and $79.99 in the U.S.

It is likely that the price of the game will be somewhat more costly when it is eventually released on next generation consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

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What licences will PES 2021 have?

Konami has recently been increasing its number of licensing agreements and the company has landed several star attractions in the past few seasons, including Juventus, Barcelona and Manchester United.

We know for certain that Barcelona will remain in the game as an official partner, having signed a new four-year deal with Konami in 2019.

Similarly, we can be sure that Juventus will be a key feature of PES 2021 because the Serie A giants agreed 'a long-term' exclusive partnership with the company in 2019. The exclusivity means that Juventus are known as 'Piemonte Calcio' in FIFA 20 and that will probably continue to be the case in FIFA 21.

Arsenal is another club that will definitely feature as an officially licensed team after agreeing to extend their agreement with Konami for a further three years in 2019.

Konami's agreements with Milan and Inter will not be applicable in PES 2021, so they will be known as Milano RN and Lombardia NA - the initials being a reference to Rossoneri and Nerazzurri .

You can see a list of the officially licensed teams that have been confirmed for on PES 2021. More will follow.

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Which consoles will PES 2021 be out on?

PES 2021 will be released on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

The new game is also expected to be released on the new Sony PS5 and Xbox Series X, but it is not clear if it will be a launch title on the next gen devices.

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When can I pre-order PES 2021? 

Gamers can pre-order PES 2021 right now, with Konami promoting the 25th anniversary special price from July.

Click below for more information on how to pre-order PES 2021 and avail of the special offers:

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What new features will PES 2021 have?

We do not know yet what new features will be included in PES 2021, but fans have been making their views heard about what they would like to see.

We've taken a look at what fresh additions will be in the game as well as some areas of possible improvement.

Euro 2020 (2021)

Expect to see a bespoke Euro 2020 patch update in PES 2021.

Konami had been working towards releasing such an update in April 2020 for PES 2020, but UEFA's decision to postpone the tournament means that the big launch on PES 2020 was delayed. 

With the tournament now not taking place until June 2021, it makes sense for Konami to include it in their new game, though it may not be available straight away.

The new game is set to hit shelves in September and Euro 2020 play-offs will likely be played in November, so a European Championship patch could be available before then.

Master League improvements

The Master League is the PES equivalent to Career Mode on FIFA and, while the overall experience of the mode is generally satisfying for many, there are small tweaks that could be made.

Small changes to the user experience side of things, as well as issues such as managing transfers, friendly matches and rate of player improvement have all been highlighted by gamers online.

Better graphics & gameplay

With the prospect of PES 2021 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, PES fans can rightly expect to see an improvement in the game's graphics and gamplay on a higher spec game engine.

A common request among gamers is the expansion of dynamic weather, lighting and match experience.

So, for example, the rhythm of a game can change if it suddenly blows a gale or the heavens unleash a deluge, while certain players are subjected to more scrutiny by supporters for various reasons.

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Who will be on the cover of PES 2021?

Lionel Messi was on the cover of the standard edition of PES 2020 and there is a strong possibility that the Barcelona captain will remain the face of the game worldwide.

The Argentine is prominent in the launch trailer and the promotional imagery on the official website, suggesting that he will be the PES 2021 cover star.

Indeed, Barca also adorned the front cover of the Legend edition of the previous game, with Ronaldinho appearing in the colours of the Catalan club as the star attraction.

However, there will undoubtedly be some pressure from Juventus to get their main man Cristiano Ronaldo on the cover, particularly considering the exclusive nature of their agreement.

It is also possible that Konami will split cover image honours between a selection of their official partners' stars.

For PES 2020, Messi was joined on some versions with Manchester United's Scott McTominay, Juve's Miralem Pjanic and Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry.

Konami do offer club specific editions of the game which solely feature cover stars from some of their partner clubs.

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Liverpool have been "in holiday mode" since winning the title, according to Jermaine Pennant, who was left "raging" after seeing the Reds let the Premier League points record slip away.

The Reds were named champions of England for the first time in 30 years when Manchester City suffered a 2-1 loss away to Chelsea on June 25.

Jurgen Klopp's men picked up an elusive piece of silverware with seven games left to spare, but have been guilty of taking their foot off the gas amid city-wide celebrations over the last few weeks.

Liverpool lost heavily to City at Etihad Stadium a week after their coronation, and also dropped points at home to Burnley last Saturday, with wins against Aston Villa and Brighton wedged in between.

They were still on track to set a new standard in terms of points won in single-season heading into their final three fixtures, but a 2-1 humbling at the hands of Arsenal on Wednesday officially put the record beyond their reach.

Sadio Mane gave the Reds the lead at Emirates Stadium, before the Gunners completed a stunning turnaround before half-time thanks to goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Reiss Nelson.

Pennant has criticised Klopp's side for throwing the game away, while accusing the players of allowing complacency to creep in at a time when a place in the hall of fame beckoned.

The former Liverpool winger told Talksport: “Look, if we had got beat, I’d have accepted it. Fair enough, we’ve gone to Arsenal and we lost. But they didn’t beat us, we handed it to them on a platter!

“They had three shots on our goal and scored two, we had 24 attempts and scored one… I’m raging!

"It’s about making more history. I get it, 30 years not winning the league and now we’ve won it, but what, then we get complacent?

“Let’s go on to win a bit more, let’s be a great team like Man City have been over the last two years.

“They’ve won the league and everyone’s human so they feel they’ve got nothing to play for now.

“But it’s like, subconsciously, they’re in holiday mode and they’ve just come off the boil a little bit, but they should keep on going!

“We’ve won the league and we haven’t really been allowed to celebrate it properly, so why not create a little bit more history to give the fans something to cheer about a little bit more?”

General Director of Lille Marc Ingla has confirmed the imminent departure of their star forward Victor Osimhen to Serie A side Napoli.

The forward has been heavily linked with a move to the Parthenopeans lately following his eye-catching performances in his debut season with the Stade Pierre-Mauroy outfit.

After his initial fear of racism in Italy, the striker has now made up his mind to team up with Gennaro Gattuso’s men and to ensure the success of the move, after he recently changed his agent.

According to L'Equipe, the Nigeria international started negotiations with the Stadio San Paolo outfit on Monday and a deal of about €81 million could be reached soon.  

Should the move be successful, the forward would earn seven times more than what he currently earns at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy outfit.

During the unveiling of Isaac Lihadj, Ingla affirmed Osimhen’s transfer to Napoli has reached the final stage of completion.

"We are in the last stage [of discussions]. The player has made his choice. It is a regret to see him leave but we must be aware of the strength of the market,” Ingla said.

"We do not hide our economic model. We must not only consider the amount of the transfer but also the salary that is offered to the player.

“We are not a final destination. With us, players thrive. We use their talent but we also build their careers. We are also in this process. It is the life of a club and the market. For him and his family, this can be an exceptional opportunity."

Last summer the French outfit sold Ivory Coast international Nicolas Pepe to Arsenal for £72 million and Osimhen’s deal could surpass that amount, which will see him become Nigeria's most expensive player.

The forward joined the Stade Pierre-Mauroy outfit last summer from Belgian side Sporting Charleroi and delivered fine performances.

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

Osimhen burst into the limelight at the 2015 U17 World Cup in Chile, where he won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball awards to help Nigeria win the title.

The Ultimate Strikers Academy graduate, who currently has nine caps for the Super Eagles, will link up with Senegal international Kalidou Koulibaly if his transfer is successful.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has sent a message to pub patrons who claim they were unlucky not to have a career in football to “shut up”, as they clearly did not have the same desire to succeed as Leicester striker Jamie Vardy.

Vardy came up the hard way in the footballing ranks, first being released by Sheffield Wednesday as a youth and grafting his way through the lower tiers before eventually being signed by Nigel Pearson for the Foxes in 2012.

The English attacker, now 33 years old, would go on to win the Championship and then the Premier League just a year after being promoted, and Wilder was candid in his assessment of the big talkers who claim injuries or bad luck prevented them from reaching the same heights as Vardy.

“I go to the pub quite often after we've had a win and it makes me smile sometimes when you might be sat in company and people will say, 'I could have made it' or, 'Yeah, I was a bit unlucky' and, 'I had an injury and something didn't happen for me',” the Blades boss told a press conference.

“You know what? Sat in the pub watching the TV up in the corner and going, 'Yeah, that could have been me', well, it wasn't you. It wasn't you, that's what I would say. It wasn't you because you didn't do it. You didn't get off the canvas like Jamie Vardy.

“You didn't go and prove yourself, you didn't take the setbacks and keep coming back and step back and keep coming back. You didn't. So you deserve to be in the pub and have the career that you've had, not the one that Jamie Vardy's got. So shut up.”

He added: “From a professional point of view and watching him in his career, it's been a magnificent effort. 

“To be released by the team you love is a hammer blow and to get up off the canvas and prove people wrong by getting his hands dirty at Stocksbridge and Halifax and Fleetwood, and then Nigel to take a punt for a million quid was a huge statement and one that's proved justified. 

“To prove himself in the Championship and into the Premier League, Premier League winner, England international, serial goalscorer and still having the drive and determination to go right to the final breath he has a footballer, he's an incredible example for a footballer.”

South Africa youth international Sphephelo Sithole is delighted after making his debut in the Portuguese Primeira Liga for CF Os Belenenses.

The 21-year-old midfielder played his first competitive match for the Blues From Restelo as they fought back to hold Sporting Braga to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday night.

Sithole was introduced in the 76th minute with his side trailing 1-0 at Estadio Municipal de Braga and the equalizing goal was netted by Mateo Casierra four minutes later.

Belenenses also had South African defender-come-midfielder Thibang Phete on the pitch as they claimed a point against their much-fancied hosts.

His countryman Sithole became the first South African footballer to test positive for the coronavirus two months ago.

However, the lanky player has since recovered from the deadly virus which has caused significant disruption to the worldwide sporting calendar.

Sithole took to social media to express his delight at making his professional debut and he is already looking forward to their next match which is against Gil Vicente on Sunday, July 19.

"I'm very happy to have made my professional debut and for helping the team to earn a point in the match. Now let's move on to the next game," Sithole wrote on his official Twitter account.

Belenenses are currently placed 14th on the Primeira Liga log - two points above the relegation zone and they will be looking to win their last two games in order to retain their status in Portugal's top-flight league.

Sithole was nurtured in the KwaZulu-Natal Academy before he moved to Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon's academy in 2017.

The promising midfielder, who has played for the South Africa under-17 and under-20 national teams, also had a spell with Portuguese club Vitoria Guimaraes' Under-23 side.

He was snapped up by Belenenses at the beginning of the current season and he has now played his maiden game for the Blues From Restelo's first team.

The future of Lille attacker Victor Osimhen has been thrown into doubt, with Napoli stating that the player has changed agents and must start negotiations “all over again”.

The Nigeria forward has long been linked with a move to the Neapolitan side, with reports suggesting an €81 million (£74m/$93m) transfer would be completed on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Partenopei defender Kalidou Koulibaly confirmed that Osimhen had been in touch with him to discuss the matter of racism in Serie A, giving further credence to the reports.

With Ligue 1 having been curtailed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Lagos-born forward was free to concentrate on his future and his current club went so far as to say he was on the brink of moving on.

“We are in the final stage of discussions, the player has made his choice,” Lille director Marc Ingla told a press conference on Thursday. “It is a regret to see him leave but we must be aware of the strength of the market.

“We do not hide our economic model. We must not only consider the amount of the transfer fee but also the salary that is being offered to the player. With that in mind, we are not a 'final destination' club. With us, players thrive, we use their talent, but we also help build their careers.

“This is our process. It is the life of a club and the transfer market. For him and his family, this can be an exceptional opportunity.”

Now, however, Napoli sporting director Cristiano Guintoli has cast doubt over the move, claiming that the player's change of agent has led to talks starting from scratch, while other teams remain in the frame to sign the highly rated attacker.

“Osimhen is a very good player, but there are lots of other teams who want him and we're working on other fronts too,” Guintoli told DAZN. “He changed his agent, so now we have to start all over again. It's a complex and difficult set of negotiations.”

Further pushed as to whether club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis would confirm the transfer soon, Guintoli merely replied: “I don't know.”

Harry Kane has warned his Tottenham team-mates that anything less than six points from their remaining two matches will likely result in them missing out on European football next term.

Spurs claimed a 3-1 win at Newcastle United on Wednesday to move them up to seventh, which would be high enough to secure a spot in next season's Europa League, assuming the FA Cup is won by a team already certain of European qualification.

Sheffield United could move back above Spurs when they play their game in hand on Thursday, though their opponents – Leicester City – are also in the mix, meaning at least one European hopeful will drop points.

With the Premier League then heading into its final two rounds of matchdays, Jose Mourinho will hope Spurs are primed to take full advantage of any slip-ups – particularly given Champions League qualification is still a remote possibility.

Kane has told his colleagues they must assume anything other than two wins against Leicester and Crystal Palace will see them fail.

"[Beating Newcastle] was a massive win," he told the Spurs website. "We said before, 'Three games, it has to be three wins if we want to be in with a shout of reaching the Europa League.'

"Arsenal was a big win for us and that gave us momentum coming into these final three games. Every game is tough, and it's been an up-and-down season for us, especially our away form, so we knew it was important to get the three points and thankfully we did.

"Now, some of the teams around us have to play each other, so we'd imagine two more wins and we should be in the Europa League places, but we can only take care of ourselves and see what happens. It's a massive game on Sunday [against Leicester] now."

Kane scored twice in the win at Newcastle to reach 201 career goals at club level and, while he insisted it is not something he will dwell on, he did acknowledge it felt good to receive recognition for remaining consistent despite having some injury issues in recent seasons.

"It's a nice milestone to hit but as always when I'm told about these milestones, it's always on to the next 100 or 200," he added. "It's gone quickly – I've been a professional now for eight or nine years and it just flies by.

"In the last couple of years I've had a few injuries as well, and they've kept me out of quite a lot of games. [Scoring 20 goals per season] is a nice, consistent level I'd like to keep at and I'm happy to do it again this season. Two more games to go, let's see how many more we can get."

England have announced a friendly against Wales at Wembley on October 8.

Gareth Southgate's side will take on their cross-border rivals behind closed doors in their first home game of 2020, with the game kicking off at 8pm local time.

The last meeting between the two countries was in a group match at Euro 2016, when England secured a 2-1 victory courtesy of Daniel Sturridge's last-gasp goal, after Jamie Vardy had earlier equalised following a Gareth Bale free-kick.

It will also be the first meeting at Wembley between the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists and Wales since September 2011, when Ashley Young scored the winner in a Euro 2012 qualifier.

England will use the Wales fixture to stage a tribute to former internationals who have died in the past 12 months, including 1966 World Cup winners Jack Charlton, Martin Peters, Norman Hunter and Peter Bonetti.

Both sides were expecting a much busier 2020, with England and Wales having qualified for the European Championships which were scheduled to take place this summer.

However, the tournament has been postponed until the summer of 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the match will also form part of extended preparations for that competition.

The match will be played behind closed doors, as a result of the ongoing social distancing measures enforced because of the pandemic.

The friendly will be the first of three games in six days in a packed October schedule for England - after taking on Ryan Giggs' side, they face Belgium on the 11th and Denmark on the 14th, with both of those games also at Wembley.

The Belgium and Denmark fixtures form part of the UEFA Nations League campaign, with England also in a group with Iceland.

Wales meanwhile will also have two competitive fixtures in short order after their visit to Wembley, with games away to Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria, as part of their own Nations League group which also features Finland.

This will be the 103rd meeting between England and Wales, with the English winning 67 previous clashes to just 14 for the Welsh, with 21 draws ever since their first footballing encounter in 1879.

Harry Maguire may be the most expensive defender in world football, but Paul Parker says the £80 million ($101m) asset cannot play the role being asked of him at Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to dip back into the market for a left-sided centre-half.

The Red Devils sought to address issues at the heart of their back four when putting a record-breaking deal in place with Leicester during the summer of 2019.

England international Maguire was taken onto their books, with the uncompromising 27-year-old quickly proving himself to be captain material. He has become a leader in Solskjaer’s pack, but is also having to cover the deficiencies of others by filling a role that is not his best.

Parker hopes to see that issue addressed in the next transfer window, with a potentially costly 2-2 draw with Southampton last time out proving that United remain a work in progress despite going unbeaten in their last 18 games.

The former Red Devils full-back told Eurosport: “Anything but top four will be seen as failure for Manchester United, unless they win the Europa League and get into the Champions League from the side.

“Everyone would be content with that, but because they gave themselves a chance of top four and had the opportunity to get there and failed, if they don't get there now everyone will look at the Saints game and throw it at Manchester United.

“One of the reasons why everyone is upset is because everything's gone so well. It's gone well pre-lockdown, post lockdown, but you have to say the previous two performances against Bournemouth and Aston Villa weren't as assured as the Brighton game where they were very, very clinical.

"There were too many passes in the final third against Bournemouth and maybe the same can be said for the game against Southampton.

“When you look at Saints' form, they're decent, it's going to be their most difficult game maybe left, and it proved to be that way. The first goal United gave away was awful, you can question Paul Pogba in possession but also the weaker part of defence is on the left-hand side of defence, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were found wanting.

"At this moment in time, the weak spot in United is the defence.

“I think the back four needs organisation and leadership and at this time there's no one holding it together. They need another centre-half, and he needs to be left-sided because Maguire can't play on the left side.

"Brandon WIlliams needs to come in at left-back too. I thought he deserved an opportunity pre lockdown and now he should start playing regularly, it's important he gets more game time.

“You also have to look at what happened to United when their best two midfielders came off the pitch [Pogba and Bruno Fernandes], they just had nothing going forward and everything was backs to the wall, they just sat so deep and went defensive. It's a shame they couldn't get three points, but a draw was a fair result.”

Before the transfer window opens on July 27, United still have time in which to wrap up Champions League qualification and help themselves to major silverware, with Crystal Palace set to present the next hurdle for them to overcome at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

Former Borussia Dortmund player Mustafa Amini has revealed the tough training methods of his former coach David Wagner, including 4am starts and running up and down hills for 90 minutes.

Australia international Amini was on the books of Dortmund from 2011 to 2015, although he never made a first team appearance, instead playing for the second team under the management of Wagner, now head coach at Schalke.

Amini, who now plays for Danish club Aarhus GF, said he initially struggled to adapt to Wagner's high-intensity training methods, but they ultimately made him a better footballer.

Speaking exclusively to Goal and SPOX, Amini said: “He was very strict and made sure he got what he wanted. I still remember how we lost a friendly game against a fourth or fifth division team. The next morning we had to be at the training ground at 4 am.

“We were running uphill with medicine balls for an hour and a half. This shows the ruthlessness of German football.

“In one of my first matches for the second team against Munster I came in, made a mistake, we lost the game at the end and Wagner was screaming at me on the pitch. 

“The next day he said that it might be hard for me because I am Australian and not used to the German culture. But I stayed and asserted myself in the third year.”

While Amini never played for the Dortmund first team after joining from A-League club Central Coast Mariners in 2011, he did come into contact with former manager Jurgen Klopp, now in charge of Premier League champions Liverpool.

The central midfielder is full of praise for Klopp's man-management abilities, which he said were more personal than any other coaching methods he has come across.

Amini said: “The first time I met him was in the changing room. I remember how he shook Dede’s hand as if they were best friends. I have never seen a coach doing this. Usually they are serious and distant. He always used to give hugs to the players.

“One day he asked me to come into his office. We sat there for more than an hour and talked about football and life in general. For a coach of his standard that was unusual, but it shows what type of person he actually is.”

Comparing Klopp and Wagner, Amini said there was plenty to admire in both men, and they both brought out the best in their players.

He said: “With both coaches the players give their absolute maximum. They are nice, but they are not easy. If they do not get what they want, you will know about it for sure. They are always honest with you, while some coaches lack that honesty.”

Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel is happy to have been proved wrong by David de Gea, with the former Red Devils goalkeeper admitting that he wanted Manuel Neuer to be snapped up as Edwin van der Sar’s successor.

For the vast majority of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford, a reliable option was found to fill an important role between the sticks.

Schmeichel, Fabian Barthez and Van der Sar were all proven performers at the very highest level and left Manchester with Premier League titles to their name.

A challenge presented itself, though, in the summer of 2011 when Ferguson dipped back into the market for a long-term option to fill a No.1 berth.

He opted to raid Atletico Madrid for a 20-year-old Spaniard with plenty of potential, but saw De Gea endure early struggles in England.

Schmeichel feared a mistake had been made in not moving for Neuer, who left Schalke for Bayern Munich in the same year, but he has been forced to eat his words by a keeper who now has 400 appearances for United under his belt and four Player of the Year awards.

Schmeichel told United’s ‘Unscripted’ series: “They knew it was so important to get it right (Van der Sar’s replacement) and not spend years chasing the situation.

“At the time, I actually thought there was an obvious answer. You had to look at how we play and ask: right, where’s the guy that’s going to slot in? To me, we’d very recently seen the answer. I thought Manuel Neuer was a perfect fit for us.

“He’d just been up against United with Schalke in the Champions League and, even though Schalke lost the tie, he’d shown us precisely what he could do. He was a very aggressive goalkeeper. He played like I played. I played to my strengths. I knew where my weaknesses were and I tried desperately not to end up in situations where they might be exposed.

“I was always trying to get my defenders to protect me from that. I really liked the way Neuer played – it might be because I played like that myself – and to me, it felt like a natural move. He suited us well and we wouldn’t have had to change how we played.

“Of course, I knew about David de Gea because he was a young player already playing for Atletico Madrid’s first team, so you just knew he obviously had something special, but I didn’t think we’d be going for him.

“So when we did move for him, I honestly couldn’t understand why we’d gone down that route. I thought the experience of what had happened between me and Edwin would have been used, so it looked unusual to me.”

Schmeichel added on De Gea’s rise to prominence, with the most testing of starts overcome: “He was so bad, according to the media. A huge mistake. But then he became so good, and I can tell you the moment that everything changed for David.

“It was at Stamford Bridge in his first season. We’d gone 3-0 down and fought back to 3-3, and then, right at the end of the game, he clawed away a free-kick from Juan Mata, right in the top corner, and saved a point for us right at the end.

“From that point on, I was looking at David and thinking, ‘this guy… he’s something special. This guy’s mentality is incredible. You can’t break him’. That’s how you need to be when you’re in goal for Manchester United. You have to be as strong as anything.

“Any little mistake is a headline tomorrow. If you can’t deal with that, then it’ll break you. David? He went to a really tough school and came out the other side, in no time at all really.

Genk manager Hannes Wolf has confirmed Paul Onuachu will resume training on Friday after recovering from the coronavirus.

Last week, the lanky forward tested positive to Covid-19 on his return from Nigeria to the Luminus Arena ahead of their friendly game against Eendracht Termien, which was subsequently cancelled.

The Super Eagles striker has since been in quarantine but has not fully recovered from the virus and tested negative after another round of test.

The 26-year-old forward also missed the Blue and White’s victory over Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in Wednesday’s friendly.

Wolf has confirmed the forward can now rejoin the rest of his squad ahead of their clash against Dutch side Excelsior. 

"But Friday he [Onuachu] will just train with the group. Paul can also compete against Excelsior on Friday in the exhibition match,” Wolf told Het Nieuws Blad.

Onuachu scored 10 goals and provided two assists in 29 appearances across all competitions to help Genk finish seventh on the Belgian First Division A table last season.

The forward teamed up with the Luminus Arena outfit last summer from Danish side Midtjylland where he spent seven years and bagged 52 goals in 135 league games.

His fine form in front of goal caught the attention of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, who handed him a call-up in March 2019.

The 26-year-old striker made his debut for Nigeria against Egypt in a friendly and has now featured six times for the West Africans.

Onuachu started his career with Ebedei in Nigeria before moving to Europe in 2012 to join Midtjylland youth setup on a scholarship.

The forward will hope to play a prominent role for Genk in their build-up pre-season games to the 2020-21 campaign.

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema harbours a deep desire to return to Lyon, according to the player's former agent Karim Djaziri, although the representative admitted that OL may have to wait some time to be reunited with the 32-year-old.

Despite entering the twilight years of his career at the top of the game, Benzema has been a stand-out performer for Los Blancos this season, playing a pivotal role in pushing the club to the brink of La Liga success in the wake of Cristiano Ronaldo having left for Juventus.

Indeed, having plundered 19 goals across 35 Liga appearances this term, the Frenchman continues to outshine Luka Jovic, with the Serbian failing to live up to his €60 million (£55m/$68m) price tag.

As such, Benzema could well be offered an extension at the Santiago Bernabeu, with his current deal set to run out in the summer of 2022. If not, however, it could be homeward bound for the centre-forward.

“Today, with the situation that he is in at Real Madrid, he has reached the peak of what every footballer wants,” Djaziri said in an interview with OLTV. “Playing in Madrid, being very close with his coach, adored by the public... it is not possible that he'll back a comeback today.

“But, since he left Lyon, Karim has had only one desire and that is to return to Lyon. Will it be as a player? It remains a regret for Karim not to have gone further in the Champions League. When he left, Lyon made the semi-finals.”

Benzema's time at Madrid has not always been plain sailing, however, having fallen out of favour under former boss Jose Mourinho. And Djaziri credits himself with making sure the striker stayed in the Spanish capital to fight for his place.

“When things went wrong with Mourinho, he would say to me, 'I want to go back to Lyon'. But I said to him, 'No, you're going to stick it out and you're going to make it'. And he made it,” Djaziri added.

“It's in the back of his mind and I think [a return to Lyon] is possible. If he has the legs and he thinks it's time to go and do something good, he'll come back. If he doesn't return as a player, I see him returning to Lyon in another role perhaps. I know that he really wants it.”

It is “impossible” for a move to the Premier League to be ruled out for James Rodriguez, admits the Real Madrid outcast’s stepfather, with Atletico Madrid and Serie A other options that will be explored.

The Colombia international is expected to make his way through the exits at Santiago Bernabeu in the next transfer window.

That is because a frustrating spell has been endured in the Spanish capital since returning from a two-year loan at German giants Bayern Munich.

James was expected to be drafted back into the fold by the Blancos, but Zinedine Zidane has continued to overlook him on a regular basis and the 29-year-old is currently being frozen out completely.

Various options are being mooted for the South American playmaker as he mulls over his next move.

A switch to England has been speculated on for some time, with the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Everton credited with interest.

A crossing of the Madrid divide to Atletico has also been talked up of late, while a fresh start in Italy would hold obvious appeal to a man with the creative qualities to thrive on such a stage.

James’ stepfather, Juan Carlos Restrepo, admits no doors are being closed, telling Super Combo del Deporte en Cali: “I just want to see him happy and playing first-team football on a regular basis.

“There are plenty of top-class clubs interested in his services.

“I'm a big fan of Spanish football and he's been linked with Atletico Madrid, which I would love as they have wonderful fans and an excellent new stadium. 

“We'll have to wait and see what transpires with it being impossible to rule out a move to the Premier League or Serie A too.”

James could be forgiven for having aired his frustration at how things have played out at Real, but he is considered to have acted maturely and will now carefully weigh up his options in order to ensure that his next challenge is the best one for this stage of his career.

Restrepo added: “My view is that James is a professional and he has behaved in this manner in recent times, working hard and showing his ability in every training session.

“James will listen to the advice offered to him by his agent (Jorge Mendes) and then make a coherent and responsible decision.”

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson insists that beating Manchester City’s 100-point record was never a “goal” for the Reds, with Jurgen Klopp’s side still revelling in a first title triumph for 30 years.

In an ideal world, their lofty standards, which have sent a number of other records tumbling in 2019-20, would have been maintained through to the end of an elongated campaign.

With a Premier League crown wrapped up, though, focus has started to waver at Anfield. Defeats have been suffered against City and Arsenal, while a previously faultless home record was tarnished in a 1-1 draw with Burnley.

Uncharacteristic errors have crept into Liverpool’s game, with 99 points now the best that they can achieve, but Alisson says nobody in Klopp’s squad was looking beyond ending a long wait for title glory.

The Brazilian goalkeeper told beIN Sports on missing out on another piece of history: “This [the points record] wasn’t a goal for us to be honest, but you start to think ‘we can break a record’ and it’s a good thing but if you don’t break it, it’s ok.

“The most important thing is our goal, we play to be champions, and this is our main goal and we achieved this. Nothing that we are doing now, the small details in a bad way, can take off the shine that we have for being champions.”

Alisson was among those to make a costly mistake in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, with Virgil van Dijk also aiding the Gunners’ cause, but Klopp’s side will not be reading too much into their faults and will instead look to remain positive and learn from the rare setbacks they suffer.

“We are human beings. We did amazing things on a football pitch for this club over the past two years,” Alisson added. “We are still human beings. We have the same feelings and emotions as normal people, we are normal people.

“We are ordinary people but we practice sport of a high level and when you are not 100% involved on this and you play against good opponents and they play on their highest level, you are punished for that.

“We have to make the best of this. We have to learn from our mistakes and just keep going, keep playing and giving our best.

“We need to find again our way to play. We started this night in a good way but we didn’t finish in a good way.

“After we scored a goal we dropped a little bit and stopped making the runs we need to do to defend.

“We made mistakes that usually we are there to cover but we weren’t there and we got punished. We suffered with the loss but we are still the champions and still have a good feeling inside.”

Dwight Yorke has revealed he asked legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for a year off after helping the club to their historic treble triumph in 1999.

The Trinidad and Tobago international forward was a key figure as United won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the 1998-99 campaign, a trio of trophies which has never since been matched by an English club in the same season.

Yorke scored 29 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions that season - and clearly felt his efforts warranted a significant rest, revealing he made the bold move of going into Ferguson's office and asking for a year off to celebrate and recuperate.

He told the UTD Podcast: "Yeah (he asked Sir Alex for a year off), with pay. I mean what else is there to do in football after winning the treble?

"I was on such a high. It was ridiculous. Concorde was flying back then and I remember we went to New York. Back in the days they used to put you up with the pilot. I got to New York and I thought 'what else is there to achieve after this?' because everything else will be a failure or deemed as a failure.

"I went into the gaffer's office and said 'what are we doing? After winning the treble there's nothing to do. Can I have a year off from football with pay? Then I'll come back the next year and rejoin the team'.

"I honestly don't know what made me think that. What more could we possibly do as a team? Yeah we could repeat it but if you don't then the team is a failure. If there was a time you were going to ask the gaffer for anything, that was it. I didn't have anything to lose. 

"He could only tell me to f*** off, which he did. He said 'f*** off and get lost'. It was jokingly but if he had said to take a year off then I would have done. But I knew that wasn't going to happen so I thought it was worth a try."

United won the Premier League by a single point from Arsenal in the 1998-99 season, before defeating Newcastle United 2-0 in the FA Cup final.

The treble was completed in dramatic style in the Champions League final at Barcelona's Camp Nou, with injury-time strikes from Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earning a 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spent just 18 months in charge of Manchester United, but he is thoroughly enjoying coaching at the very highest level and hopes to emulate Roy Hodgson by working into his 70s.

The former England and Liverpool boss is still going strong on the Premier League stage at 72 years of age.

Hodgson has helped to consolidate Crystal Palace within English football’s elite again this season, with there no sign of him slowing down.

His next challenge is set to be presented by United, with the top four-chasing Red Devils due at Selhurst Park on Thursday.

Solskjaer is looking forward to pitting his wits against Hodgson and the 47-year-old admits he would welcome the opportunity to spend as long in the dugout as his domestic rival – particularly if that allows him to him to enjoy a lengthy reign at Old Trafford.

“Let’s hope so, you never know!” Solskjaer told United’s official website when asked if he can see himself still working at 72.

“The thing is if you work that long then you know you’ve done something right and you must have enjoyed it.

“As long as you enjoy working in football then you can pass your knowledge on which is fantastic. I’m very pleased for him. I know I love football and I know I enjoy this so who knows!”

Solskjaer has been earning plenty of plaudits over recent weeks, with his United side unbeaten through their last 18 games in all competitions.

The games are coming thick and fast, though, with a trip to Palace set to be followed by an FA Cup semi-final clash with Chelsea on Sunday.

The Red Devils may need to tinker with their selections at times, with Solskjaer looking to make the most of the squad depth that he possesses.

He added: “There were a couple of question marks before the Southampton game. We went with the same team.

“Everyone [in the squad] knows that they’re valuable and important for us from the players who came on and those who came off… the team spirit is great.

“You could hear the players who came off shouting onto the lads on the pitch and even the ones who didn’t come on were like coaches, like we were! It’s a great feeling amongst the squad.”

United saw two points slip through their grasp when being held to a dramatic 2-2 draw by Southampton, but they could move into the Champions League spots if results go their way on Thursday.

Yasser Larouci is set to leave Liverpool this summer, with Leeds United and Brentford among the clubs interested in signing the young full-back. 

The 19-year-old made his Reds debut back in January, and has been part of Jurgen Klopp’s senior training group at Melwood over the past 12 months.

But following lengthy discussions between club and player, it has been decided that Larouci will need to move on in order to secure regular first-team football.

Goal has learned that Liverpool have already held preliminary discussions with a host of clubs, with Championship promotion-chasers Leeds and Brentford currently at the head of the queue to sign the Algerian-born France youth international.

Larouci joined the Reds from Le Havre in 2017, but has now entered the final year of his contract and Liverpool have accepted that a transfer is in everyone’s best interests. 

The situation is similar to that of Rafa Camacho, who left Anfield last summer after rejecting the Reds’ offer of a new deal.

Concerned about a lack of playing time on Merseyside, he instead joined Sporting CP for an initial fee of £5 million and has since made 17 senior appearances for the Portuguese giants.

Liverpool accept Larouci’s stance, and are now committed to finding a suitable buyer. They will expect to secure a competitive transfer fee, and are likely to include buy-back and sell-on clauses in any deal, as well as other performance-related add-ons. 

Having been an unused substitute in the Carabao Cup against Arsenal last October, Larouci’s senior bow came in the FA Cup against Everton in January. He replaced James Milner early on at Anfield that day, playing his part in a memorable 1-0 win. 

He then started at Shrewsbury in a 2-2 draw in the same competition later that month, but was ruled out of the replay due to injury. 

His departure will further diminish Klopp’s options at left-back, which already look thin. James Milner has deputised for Andy Robertson, while Neco Williams filled in there against Brighton recently despite being a right-back by trade. 

Adam Lewis signed a new deal earlier this month, but the 20-year-old is likely to go out on loan next season in order to gain senior experience.

Liverpool, in an ideal world, would have looked to add cover in that position this summer, but it remains to be seen whether they are still willing to enter the market amid the financial issues associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Securing a place in the Champions League or Europa League brings considerable financial rewards to teams thanks to the associated participation money and sponsorship boosts.

The Premier League is one of the continent's top divisions, with its clubs regularly competing at the latter stages of both of UEFA's flagship club tournaments, so the league's coefficient is strong.

As a result, the number of UEFA competition places reserved for English clubs is the highest available - seven.

So, which Premier League clubs will compete in the 2020-21 Champions League and Europa League?

Contents

Premier League Champions League places

The top four teams in the Premier League qualify automatically for the group stage of the following season's Champions League.

A place in the group stage of the Champions League has been reserved for the Premier League top four since the 2018-19 tournament. Prior to that point, the top three went directly into the group stage, with the team that finished fourth having to navigate a play-off round.

It should be noted that a Premier League club will qualify for the Champions League should they win that competition or the Europa League, regardless of where they finish in the domestic standings.

Premier League Europa League places

The fifth-placed team qualifies directly to the group stage of the Europa League.

There are two more Europa League qualification spots reserved for English clubs, but they may not necessarily go to Premier League representatives.

The winners of the FA Cup qualify for the Europa League group stage, while the winners of the Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) qualify for the Europa League second qualifying round.

In the event that the winners of the FA Cup or EFL Cup have already qualified for UEFA competition by virtue of their league finish, the Europa League place goes to the next highest team in the league that has not already qualified.

Which Premier League teams will qualify for the Champions League & Europa League?

Liverpool became the first Premier League team to confirm their place in the 2020-21 Champions League and Jurgen Klopp's men have also been crowned champions of the division.

The Reds will be joined in next season's Champions League by Manchester City, who have secured second place in the Premier League table.

City had actually been slapped with a two-year ban from UEFA competition in February, but the club contested the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

In July, the CAS ruled in City's favour and the ban was lifted, meaning they are able to take their place in the 2020-21 Champions League.

As of games played on July 15
*Europa League secured at minimum, can still qualify for Champions League

Chelsea are on course to qualify for the Champions League too, barring any major mishaps in their remaining games.

The final Champions League place is very much up for grabs, with Leicester City, Manchester United, Wolves and Tottenham in the mix. 

As it stands, the Europa League place that goes to the fifth-placed team could be taken by one of seven clubs.

Manchester United currently occupy fifth, but Wolves, Tottenham and Sheffield United are not far behind.

Since Man City won the Carabao Cup, sixth place will also bring the reward of Europa League football (entering at the second qualifying round).

Arsenal's chances of clinching a European finish look increasingly slim, but the Gunners could potentially reach the Europa League group stage should they win the FA Cup.

However, if Man City, Man United or Chelsea win the FA Cup, it will probably mean the total number of Europa League places allocated via the league will increase to three - fifth, sixth and seventh.