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Manchester United “could do a lot worse” than snap up Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, says Dimitar Berbatov, with the Red Devils urged to join Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain in the hunt for the World Cup winner.

Uncertainty continues to reign at Santiago Bernabeu when it comes to the future of Ramos.

Despite being club captain and a long-serving stalwart of 15 years in the Spanish capital, Ramos is yet to be offered an extension to his expiring contract.

That lack of movement is attracting interest from afar, with leading sides from England and France keeping a close eye on developments in Madrid.

United have been linked with Ramos in the past and may be tempted to explore that option again despite the Spain international now being 34 years of age.

Berbatov believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should be mulling over a move for a player who is free to speak with teams outside of La Liga, with experience always a useful commodity to have at centre-half.

The former United striker told Betfair: “I have read the reports about Sergio Ramos and there is a lot of speculation about his future. He could bring a lot of experience and steel to any team.

“Although he is 34, he is still a top player and United could do a lot worse. If he is available I can see a lot of teams interested in signing him.

“At his age of course Real Madrid are reluctant to offer him a long contract. Maybe they are arguing about money because it always comes down to money, but both sides should think long and hard about it because the grass isn't always greener.

“I have no doubts that players would love to join United but January is a tough time to move. Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Bruno Fernandes did it, and turned out to be great signings, but the same was not true for others who joined at this time of year.”

Despite talking up a possible raid on Real for Ramos, Berbatov admits that a welcome return to form for Eric Bailly at Old Trafford could keep Solskjaer out of the market.

The Bulgarian added: “I have always said that United need another defender, but looking at the recent performances of Eric Bailly, if he stays focused and injury free then he can be a rock at the back of defence.

“But if United are going to buy someone, especially at this point in the season, they need to be a perfect fit for the team. I don't think they need anyone at the moment.”

Loic Remy has offered advice to Arsenal's £72 million ($95m) record signing Nicolas Pepe, urging him to retain his focus to avoid becoming an expensive flop at Emirates Stadium.

The 25-year-old played alongside Remy for a single season at Ligue 1 club Lille, with Pepe scoring 22 goals in 38 league games to convince the Gunners to sign him in the summer of 2019.

Pepe has struggled to reach similar heights since his switch to Emirates Stadium, scoring just seven Premier League goals in 42 appearances, and Remy, who had two seasons at Chelsea earlier in his career, has urged him to knuckle down.

"He was flying in Lille and he was the best player in the team," Remy told Goal. "Then, when you get to the next step, the expectation is really high. You cannot have one day of being lazy or late. The intensity in big clubs is like that.

"You can’t complain and there’s not much time to adapt. You can't get away with mistakes anymore like you can at smaller clubs. There are always players waiting on the bench to take your spot.

"They will be training their hardest to replace you and that’s the biggest difference between big clubs and a smaller club.

"For him, the whole team are having a difficult season. Arsenal is Arsenal, so I think they will get back to having good results even if there are no easy games in the Premier League."

Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen is another who starred at Lille before making a £63m ($84m) move to Napoli and, although fitness issues have hampered his progress in Italy, Remy is confident he will turn out to be a success.

"I was surprised by how good he was and the fact he seemingly came from nowhere," Remy added. "No one knew him before he came to Lille. When I saw him I saw how hard he works, it is unbelievable. I haven’t seen many players like him.

"I really hope that he will become a great striker. He deserves it, especially when you hear his story and where he came from. He came from zero to this level. I am really happy for him and to play with him was good.

"We had a good connection up front. He helped me a lot with his energy and running. At my age, I run less but he runs a lot! We scored some nice goals together and we keep in touch. I am happy for him and he really deserves it.

"I really enjoyed playing with him and I tried to give him advice. The Napoli move is a big step. I don’t think there's any problem and I know he will bounce back and play his normal way again."

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to affect clubs financially, there is the suggestion that Lille will be forced to sell young talents Jonathan Ikone and Boubakary Soumare.

Soumare has attracted interest from both Chelsea and Manchester United, and Remy believes that he will likely be the next to leave Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

"This guy is full of skill, he is strong and the modern-day midfielder," he added. "He is still young and is the same as the others. The new generation needs to understand they must keep quiet and work harder than the others.

"He is a player who can get to the top but he has a lot of work to do. He is a really good player."

Wilfried Zaha has claimed he gave Arsenal a green light to make a move for him in the summer of 2019, but the Gunners “chose Nicolas Pepe over me”.

The Crystal Palace winger emerged as a top target for Unai Emery when added creativity on the flanks was sought at Emirates Stadium.

Zaha was keen on crossing London and linking up with the club he supported as a boy. Arsenal were, however, to turn their attention elsewhere and ended up investing a club-record £72 million ($98m) in Ivory Coast international Pepe.

Little value has been found, with the Gunners being left to ponder what could have been as Zaha continues to shine in the Premier League stage with Palace.

The 28-year-old told Jamie Carragher’s The Greatest Game Podcast on discussions with Arsenal and ultimately being overlooked in favour of an international team-mate: “I had a conversation with the manager.

“Emery was just like, ‘we don’t really need to go through much’. He said he’d seen me play, he knows I can change games at any time and stuff like that. He was like, ‘yeah we’d love to have you’ and I was just like, ‘yeah I’d love to come’.

“The conversation was rather straightforward because I played against him when he was manager of Arsenal. He saw what I could do, saw my work-rate, and what I could add to the team.

“Obviously, it was up to the club who they chose - and they chose Pepe over me.”

Zaha has contributed eight goals and two assists to the Palace cause this season having remained a talismanic presence at Selhurst Park, while Pepe has five efforts to his name at Arsenal.

The 25-year-old has underwhelmed since completing a big-money move from Lille, with Zaha still puzzled as to why the Gunners opted to take a sizeable risk on a player with no experience of life in England.

He added: “You’re seeing a player come from Brazil or another league - they’re always going to attract more attention - but I just think if there’s a player that plays in the Premier League, you see him week in, week out. You know what he does.

“I feel like it’s a no-brainer. The other leagues are totally different.”

Uganda head coach Johnathan McKinstry has explained how his players have developed huge belief from the concluded pre-African Nations Championship mini-tournament.

Uganda sailed through the competition without a defeat after drawing Cameroon 1-1 before beating Zambia and Niger 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.

“There are several things we have learnt from the pre-Chan mini-tournament,” McKinstry told the Fufa website. “First, it was about testing all players by having a good time on the field and getting the final squad for the Chan final tournament itself.

“We also have a number of our players who have not been here and have played Cecafa only. However, there are some in the squad who have not even played at Cecafa.

“It has given them huge belief heading into the tournament and that they can compete at this level. We played three good teams Cameroon, Zambia and Niger.”

Uganda finished the tournament as the best team after picking seven points, Zambia came second with four points while Niger were third with three points also.

Cameroon managed just a point from the opening draw against the Cranes.

Uganda are expected to leave for Douala where they will be based for the opening matches of the tournament. They are in Group C alongside Morocco, who are the defending champions, Rwanda, and Niger.

McKinstry has already named his final squad and designated captainship responsibilities to Viper SC’s defender Halid Lwaliwa.

Wakiso Giants’ captain Hassan Ssenyonjo, Steven Mukwala – the 2019/20 top scorer - BUL FC’s Joseph Semujju and URA defender Ashraf Mandela were dropped from the final team.

Final Uganda squad:

Goalkeepers: Lukwago Charles (KCCA FC), Mutakubwa Joel (Kyetume FC), Alionzi Legason Nafian (URA FC), Ikara Tom (Police C)

Defenders: Hassan Muhamud (Police FC), Kayondo Abdu Aziizi (Vipers SC), Mujuzi Mustafa (Kyetume FC), Ssenjobe Eric (Police FC), Iguma Denis (KCCA FC), Willa Paul (Vipers SC), Lwaliwa Halid (Vipers SC), Mbowa Paul Patrick (URA FC)

Midfielders: Mawejje Tonny (Police FC), Kagimu Shafik Kuchi (URA FC), Anukani Bright (KCCA FC), Kyeyune Saidi (URA FC), Byaruhanga Bobosi (Vipers SC), Watambala Abdu Karim (Vipers SC)

Forwards: Ojera Joachim (URA FC), Brian Aheebwa (KCCA FC), Ocen Ben (Police FC), Viane Ssekajugo (Wakiso Giants FC), Orit Ibrahim (Vipers SC), Muhammad Shaban (Vipers SC), Karisa Milton (Vipers SC).

Te All India Football Federation (AIFF) General Secretary Kushal Das believes that the new clubs joining the I-League should have a sustainable model. 

In the past, numerous clubs have shut down or pulled out from the I-League but clubs like Chennai City FC have invested into the league and have performed well. Now, the likes of Sudeva Delhi and Sreenidhi are set to make their mark in the I-League from 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons respectively.

"I think this is a scenario (clubs shutting down) is not just in India but across Asia. Clubs have to find a method to sustain themselves. We are always there to support them in terms of technical support and advice, but ultimately the clubs will have to sustain themselves.

"I believe that some of the newer clubs (Sudeva and Sreenidhi) that are coming in, have a fairly good sustainable model. They understand that, while it's important to get into the top league, they need to come in a way they can sustain themselves," he stated.

With Mohun Bagan and East Bengal deciding to join the Indian Super League (ISL), Das backed the roadmap for Indian football that would allow for an I-League club to be promoted to the top tier on sporting merit by the 2023-24 season before the 2025-26 season will also be open to clubs getting relegated from the ISL.

"I think we have already given a very clear roadmap so as to how the I-League, ISL and the whole Indian structure fits in the whole scenario and everyone has accepted it.

"We have Mohammedan Sporting in Kolkata. We have a new team in Sudeva and going forward, we will have more teams from places like Vizag (Sreenidhi), etc. So I don't think that the I-League in any way will lose its relevance. We have a roadmap where the I-League clubs, in a few years from now (2023-24), will be playing in the ISL on sporting merit and from 2025-26 there will be a promotion and relegation in all the leagues. All the leagues will have relevance there."

And while the 2020-21 I-League is set to kick off on Saturday, Das mentioned that even if the government regulations allow for 50 percent attendance for outdoor sports no risk can be taken while hoping for youth and other tournaments to be resumed from next season.

"Whatever the government regulations, we feel that the health of players and officials is of paramount importance. So we are not in a position to take any risk. So even if the government does allow us to have some crowd, we can consider it going forward," he said.

Julian Nagelsmann has no intention of swapping RB Leipzig for Borussia Dortmund despite being suggested as a permanent successor to Lucien Favre. 

Leipzig boss Nagelsmann is considered one of the most promising coaches in European football and led his team to the Champions League semi-finals last season. 

The 33-year-old, who has a contract at the Red Bull Arena until 2023, has been touted as a candidate to take over Dortmund next season, with Edin Terzic having replaced Favre on an interim basis in December. 

However, former Hoffenheim coach Nagelsmann insists there is no need for anyone associated with Leipzig to worry about what the future holds because he intends to stay put. 

"There is no reason to be tense regarding Dortmund," Nagelsmann told reporters ahead of a Bundesliga meeting with BVB on Saturday. 

"The situation with Dortmund has remained the same as it was during my time as Hoffenheim coach. There was and there is no match. 

"I am comfortable and I have big targets to achieve with Leipzig. As I said, there is no reason for anyone at RB Leipzig to get nervous regarding Dortmund."

Leipzig sit second in the Bundesliga table, six points ahead of Dortmund, who are fourth, and two adrift of leaders Bayern Munich after 14 matches. 

Asked about Nagelsmann during a pre-match news conference on Thursday, BVB sporting director Michael Zorc said: "Despite his age, Julian has had a remarkable managerial career. With Hoffenheim, he was able to work sensationally well, now he's having a just as sensational season with Leipzig. 

"I believe, it is undisputed that he's a complete football expert. He always implements innovation into his coaching technique. He is always able to get his team to work well. 

"We need to try to fight against that on Saturday. We already came up against each other a few times and it's not like we had no success at all in these match-ups. 

"I see ourselves, also due to the position in the table, in the role of the hunter. We want to minimise the gap between us and to the top of the table."

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has revealed Jeffrey Schlupp's latest injury will keep him out for "a number of games".

The Ghana midfielder is set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury in the first half of Saturday's 2-0 home triumph over Sheffield United in the Premier League, moments after scoring the match opener.

Media speculation after Schlupp underwent a scan on Monday claimed the German-born is set to stay in the treatment room for three months. Hodgson, however, refused to confirm the reports.

"The medical staff are never prepared to do that [put a time frame on Schlupp's expected injury return], but he’s certainly going to be missing a number of games," Hodgson said in his team news on Thursday ahead of Friday's FA Cup encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers, his club's official website reports.

"We’ll just have to do the best we can. It is a muscle strain. He’s got good powers of recovery and we hope he’ll have them again.

[This game may be too soon for [Tim Cahill] but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in the squad for the next league game as well.

“We’re not risking [Scott Dann] in the game but I don’t see that as a long-term injury.”

Schlupp's absence will be a blow to Palace in their Premier League campaign this season.

The utility man has so far made 15 Premier League appearances involving 12 starts for the Eagles, who occupy the 14th spot on the table after 17 rounds of matches.

His strike against the Blades was his second goal of the season, having also netted a crucial equaliser to ensure a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur last month.

He is certainly out of Friday's FA Cup encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers and crucial league fixtures against Arsenal, Manchester City, West Ham United and again Wolves this month.

Schlupp joined Palace from Leicester City in 2017 after helping the former sensationally win the league in 2016.

His latest injury could see him miss Ghana's 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in March.

The 28-year-old only returned to national duty last November after over a year in the international wilderness partly due to fitness issues. 

The Football Association (FA) panel accepted Edinson Cavani did not mean to cause offence with a social media post which resulted in the player receiving a three-match ban.

A three-man independent regulatory commission deemed Manchester United striker Cavani should only be imposed with the minimum sanction possible for a response to praise from a friend on Instagram.

Following his decisive double in a 3-2 Premier League win at Southampton on November 29, Cavani used a Spanish word often used as a term of endearment in Latin America. He later deleted the post and apologised when it was made clear to him that the phrase could be construed as having racist connotations in English.

Spanish language experts believe the FA showed “ignorance and error” in handing out a fine and ban to the Manchester United forward, while Cavani himself said his "heart is at peace".

When the FA published the written reasons for Cavani's punishment on Thursday, it was suggested the 33-year-old - who arrived at Old Trafford in October - should have been given media training by United.

Among the explanation for the verdict, the FA revealed: "The commission readily concluded that it was satisfied that there was no intent on the part of the player to be discriminatory or offensive in any way.

"The commission were satisfied that the player wrote his reply in affectionate appreciation of a message from his Uruguayan friend and that it was not designed or intended to be racist or offensive either to his friend or others reading the content of the Instagram post. 

"Such a conclusion was supported by all the available evidence relevant to the circumstances in which the post was made and having regard to the character and response of the player." 

Cavani was fined £100,000 and ordered to attend a mandatory face-to-face education programme, as well as serving a three-game suspension.

The commission also stated: "In light of the player's high profile in the game, his inability to speak English and the fact that he had approaching eight million Instagram followers, the commission were surprised that no such 'training’ had been specifically put in place for the player by his club.

It did, however, acknowledge United had "taken steps to ensure that the player has a greater understanding of his responsibilities on social media".

Oumar Niasse has revealed how Ronald Koeman tried to force him out of Everton before the expiry of his contract.

The 30-year-old did not get a chance to fight for a first-team spot when Koeman succeeded Roberto Martinez at the helm of the Goodison Park in 2016 side, and he was relegated to the U23 team before he sealed a loan move to Hull City in the second-half of the 2016-17 season.

Following the exit of Koeman in October 2017, Niasse returned to the Toffees' first-team with eight goals in 22 Premier League matches during the 2017-18 season.

"It was like something really difficult, when you don't understand why this guy is doing that. It wasn't something I could understand," Niasse was quoted by Liverpool Echo.

"After Martinez had been sacked by the club, we had two weeks of training after coming back from holiday. And then Koeman called me into his office and told me I'd better find a club, he didn't think I was good enough to play for Everton.

"I said ok, no problem. To be honest, I tried to find a club, at that point I understood what he was doing. He didn't want me, I don't mind.

"I tried to find a club for a month, a month and a half. But I couldn't get the right offer - the offers I had were going back to Turkey or Russia, because I had good teams who wanted me there.”

Niasse joined Everton on a free transfer from Lokomotiv Moscow in 2016 and he signed a four-and-a-half-year contract.

The Senegal international, who started his professional career at US Ouakam in 2008, said playing in the Premier League has always been his football dream.

Even without a club since June 2020, Niasse insisted that playing in the English top-flight is his mission.

“But I'd fought for my life to arrive in the Premier League, I'm not going to leave just because one guy told me he didn't want me,” he continued.

“I signed four years, so either I get a good Premier League club to fight to make my dream come true, or I stay at Everton.

"When I didn't have a good club, I decided to stay. That's when, two or three weeks before the window closed, he tried properly to push me out, doing all the things he did.

"I understand what he was trying to do. So I said to him that either I got what I want with a move to a Premier League club, any Premier League club was good to me, but if I didn't have it I was going to stay.

"Deep down, I said I was fighting for something I really wanted. When you fight for your dream, everything becomes easier."

Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) president Kwesi Nyantakyi admitted to breaching multiple Fifa Ethics codes when he appeared before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for an appeal of his Fifa life ban. 

Earlier, the ex-Caf vice-president denied any wrongdoing when he was accused of offences relating to conflict of interest, bribery and corruption, and commission. Consequently, he was slapped with a lifetime ban after being fingered in a 2018 investigative documentary by renowned Ghanaian undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

Nyantakyi's October 2018 lifetime ban from football was reduced to 15 years while a fine of $500,000 was slashed to $100,000 following his appeal in April last year. 

"[Nyantakyi] admitted his guilt only on the morning of the final hearing," Cas wrote in its full grounds, dated April 2020, relating to the decision to reduce his sanction, the BBC has reported. 

"[He] added that a life ban would ruin his life and be disproportionate in the circumstances," said the CAS report, which has yet to be made public but a copy of which has been seen by the BBC.

"[He] accepted at the hearing the necessity of CAS imposing a significant sanction and that, since he had admitted the offences, the ban could not be quashed."

In the 2018 documentary, Nyantakyi, GFA president at the time, was filmed taking $65,000 in cash from an undercover journalist posing as a businessman interested in investing in Ghana football. 

He and the 'imposter' later agreed on a sponsorship deal for the FA, the kind that was to see millions of dollars in commission paid to a company controlled by the renowned football administrator.

"The GFA, at the time of the commission of the offences, had not had a main sponsor for three to four years, leading [Nyantakyi] to jump at the chance of meeting the supposed Sheikh who might remedy this situation to the GFA's benefit," CAS stated when discussing some of the grounds for Nyantakyi's appeal.

"He emphasised that this was the supposed investor's idea, not his, and that he for his part thought he was negotiating the sponsorship agreement in good faith."

Nyantakyi had held the position of GFA president since 2005, his reign collapsed by the scandal.

According to CAS, it could not "consider [Nyantakyi's] late admission of guilt … as a basis on which to reduce the sanction against him", particularly taking into account his previous "fanciful and fabricated defence".

"He created an elaborate story involving his email account being hacked, denying his interest in the company which was to act as agent in the proposed scheme and claiming that the money which he did receive in the form of a bribe was intended instead as repayment of travel expenses."

Nyantakyi's position as GFA boss has since October 2019 been taken over by Kurt Okraku. 

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena has hinted at fielding their full-strength side when they visit Baroka FC for Saturday’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at Peter Mokaba Stadium.

For the past five matches, log leaders Sundowns have been missing a number of players due to injuries and other medical conditions.

Headlining the absentees has been star attacking midfielder Themba Zwane, who has missed their last four games under unclear circumstances.

Gaston Sirino and Gift Motupa, who are yet to feature in league matches this season, could also feature against Baroka.

“The preparations for the Baroka match on Saturday have been good. I think we are in a good space,” Mokwena told Sundowns’ media.

“Of course, this is our third match in eight days, we have to be more focused on the physical aspects of our preparation to make sure that we still get enough freshness and energy to be able to play with the intensity that we want to play in our matches.

“We’ve tried to work on that in terms of our recovery processes and regeneration processes and we are in a good space. We almost getting a clean bill of health which is also very good, we are moving into space where we are welcoming a lot of players back to training.

“But of course that is also another process where we have to be patient and not rush individual players into competitive game forms. We have to integrate them, particularly those who’ve come from muscular and soft tissue injuries and those are the ones that we have to be very careful about in their integration and slowly progress them into competitive football.”

Despite missing some key players, Sundowns have remained a competitive outfit with players like Peter Shalulile, Brian Onyango, Mothobi Mvala and Khuliso Mudau stepping in to help the team maintain their grip at the top of the PSL standings.

The Brazilians arrive in Limpopo on a high after edging league title rivals Orlando Pirates at the turn of the New Year, before dismissing Botswana champions Jwaneng Galaxy 3-1 in a Caf Champions League match on Tuesday.

“We are happy we are coming from a very good result and emotionally we are also improving as a team,” said Mokwena.

“We are getting into the right state of mind and now it is all hands on deck and we look forward to travelling to Polokwane to play against a very good Baroka side.”

Downs meets a Baroka side that has fizzled out after starting the season on a high, but has won just once in their last five games.

Amad Diallo has taken to social media to bid farewell to Serie A outfit Atalanta after completing his move to Manchester United.

After obtaining the rookie’s Governing Body Exemption, the Red Devils agreed to a fee worth £37 million for the winger, albeit, the deal is subject to him securing a work permit and personal terms.

The 18-year-old will be heading to England with beautiful memories, but he feels the time has come for him to move to greener pastures.

“Dear Atalanta, the moment to say goodbye has arrived,” Diallo said in a video posted on Twitter.

“It has been six extraordinary years, six years of growth, six years of challenges. But most importantly, six years of happiness and love.

“Here, I have become a man; you have given me everything I ever wanted, and I am more than proud to have played for Atalanta.

“You will forever have a special place in my heart. Wherever I go, you will always be with me for now and forever. Forza Atalanta!”

Speaking of his arrival, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “As a club, we have followed Amad for a number of years and having watched him myself, I believe he is one of the most exciting young prospects in the game.

“Manchester United has such a proud history of developing young players and everything is in place to enable Amad to reach his potential here.

“It will take time for him to adapt but his speed, vision and fantastic dribbling ability will stand him in good stead to make the transition. He is a player with all of the raw attributes that are needed to be an important player for Manchester United in the years to come.”

Born in Abidjan, Diallo began his career at Italian side Boca Barco before heading for Atalanta on the back of impressive displays.

Thanks to his notable goalscoring feats with the Goddess youth team, where he won the Campionato Giovanissimi Nazionali, Supercoppa Primavera and two Campionato Primavera 1 titles, he was promoted to Atalanta’s first team during the 2019-20 campaign.

He made his Serie A bow on November 28, 2020 – coming on as a 77th minute replacement for captain Alejandro Gomez in the 2-0 home defeat to Hellas Verona.

Three days later, Diallo made his Champions League debut after being subbed on in the 68th minute against Midtjylland in a 1-1 home draw.

Veteran striker Fabio Quagliarella has reiterated his commitment to Sampdoria after reports linked him with a return to Serie A champions Juventus.

Juve boss Andrea Pirlo is believed to be targeting a new striker in the January transfer window and Quagliarella was rumoured on be on his shortlist.

The 37-year-old scored 30 goals in 102 appearances for the Turin giants between 2010 and 2014, but it seems he will not be returning for a second spell.

He has taken to Instagram to express his loyalty to current side Sampdoria, seemingly quashing speculation linking him with a move away.

"If you have given so much and received even more, if every time you feel the emotion beating in your chest, it means that the bonds are stronger than anything else, which go beyond flattering courtships, that put aside current reports and respect history," he wrote.

"I think, live and play like this. Forza Samp.”

Quagliarella is Sampdoria’s top scorer this season with seven goals in 14 appearances. He is in his sixth season with the Geonese club having joined for a second spell from Torino in 2015.

He has scored more than 200 goals in nearly 650 games since beginning his career with Torino in 1999, taking in spells at the likes of Fiorentina, Ascoli, Udinese and Napoli, as well as scoring nine goals in 28 appearances for the Italy national team.

With Quagliarella seemingly unavailable Pirlo will have to turn his attention to other targets, with former Southampton striker Graziano Pelle believed to be under consideration.

Goal reported at the start of this month that the 35-year-old Shandong Luneng player has been offered to a number of Italian clubs, including Juventus, current Serie A leaders AC Milan and their city rivals Inter.

Pelle himself is believed to be keen on holding talks over a move to Turin, with Juve viewing him as a short-term, low cost target to bolster their attack.

The Bianconeri, champions in each of the last nine seasons, face a real battle if they are to make it 10 Serie A triumphs in a row.

Pirlo’s side have made an underwhelming start to the season and currently find themselves seven points behind leaders AC Milan in fourth.

Fenerbahce coach Erol Bulut has addressed rumours linking his side to the signing of Arsenal attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil.

Sport1 in Germany reports that the playmaker is close to completing a move to the Turkish giants after holding talks with club directors in a video conference this week. Ozil is said to have agreed to sign a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Super Lig side.

Asked if the 32-year-old will be a Fenerbahce player in the coming days, Bulut refused to confirm the reports but admitted the situation will be resolved imminently.

"Mesut Ozil's situation will become clear in the coming days," he told Bein Sports after Fenerbahce's 2-1 win against Alanyaspor on Thursday.

"Mesut’s name is very common. It is not possible for me to make a comment before he comes."

Ozil's agent Dr Erkut Sogut told ESPN on Wednesday that the Germany international's future was days away from being cleared up, with clubs from the United States, Turkey and Qatar said to be interested in landing him.

The former Real Madrid star's contract expires at the end of the season and he is now free to open talks with other clubs over a pre-contract agreement.

"We were not allowed to talk legally before Jan 1 so now we are just starting to look at the options with the numbers and details," Sogut said.

"He might stay at Arsenal until the summer but he might go. Mesut's priority is to stay but you never know in football, things can change very fast. For the moment, we are just checking all the options for January and the summer.

"If we want to leave in January, I need to talk to Arsenal. If we sign for the summer, we don't need to. That's the situation. In the next seven to ten days, it will be a little clearer as now the transfer window is open, things can move faster."

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta told reporters on Thursday that Ozil will remain at the club if they do not receive a good offer for him this month.

"If something is sorted this month it is because it is good for both parties - for Mesut and his future and good for the club," he said.

"If that is the case we will move forward, if it is not the case then he will continue here."

Ozil, who joined Arsenal in 2013, has not featured for Arsenal this season, having been left out of the squad lists for the Premier League and Europa League.

Tanzania Mainland League champions Simba SC have parted ways with their coach Sven Vandenbroeck only a day after he led them to the group stage of the Caf Champions League.

The 21-time league champions have confirmed that the Belgian is no longer part of the team despite recent success. 

"The Board of Directors of Simba Sports Club announces to its members and fans that we have parted ways with our head coach Sven Vandenbroeck by mutual consent," read a statement from the club obtained by Goal .

"Simba Sports Club thank coach Sven for the success achieved during his time with the club where we won the Tanzanian Premier League, the FA Cup, the Community Shield and qualified for the group stage of the Caf Champions League."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi have further named their interim coach as search for the new coach ensues. 

"In light of the above, assistant coach Selemani Matola will hold the position vacated by Sven up until we announce a new person for the role," the statement continued. "We recognize that Sven will always be part of the Simba family.

"We wish him all the best in his future endeavours."

Simba appointed the 41-year-old Belgian to take charge of the team in December 2019 after sacking Patrick Aussems a month earlier.

Aussems was relieved of his duties when the Wekundu wa Msimbazi claimed the Belgian left the club without official permission during the last international break.

The former AC Leopards tactician failed to further guide Simba SC in the Caf Champions League as they faltered against UD Songo of Mozambique in the preliminary round.

They turned for help on another Belgian, Vandenbroeck, who had left his role as the head coach of the Zambia national football team in February 2019.

Vandenbroeck served as the caretaker coach of Greek side Niki Volos Football Club in 2014. The former defensive midfielder was Hugo Broos's assistant when the Indomitable Lions won the Africa Cup of Nations two years ago.

He landed the Chipolopolo job in July 2018 but stayed for just eight months at the helm before he was sacked for failing to guide the team to the 2019 Afcon finals in Egypt.

At one time he was put on administrative leave by the Football Association of Zambia before it was announced his contract was not going to be renewed in March 2019.

As a player, Vandenbroeck played for Mechelen, Roda JC, De Graafschap, Akratitos, Lierse, Vise and Lov-Ham.