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Barcelona presidential candidate Toni Freixa remains “convinced” that Lionel Messi wants to remain at the club, but admits that discussions need to be held as soon as possible.

The Liga giants faced the very real threat of seeing their talismanic figure walk away from Camp Nou over the summer.

With Messi growing disillusioned with life on and off the field in Catalunya, the mercurial Argentine made a push for the exits. He was quickly informed that a break clause in his contract had expired, meaning that he was tied to terms through to the end of the 2020-21 campaign.

Messi exclusively revealed to Goal that he will be honouring that agreement, but uncertainty continues to reign when it comes to his long-term future. With Barca putting no extension in place, their inspirational captain is free to speak with his many suitors from January.

Manchester City are said to retain interest in a player that has enjoyed considerable success working under Blues boss Pep Guardiola in the past.

Freixa, however, believes Messi can be talked into extending his career-long association with Barca.

He wants to be the one to make that dream a reality, ahead of elections on January 24, and will make meetings with a six-time Ballon d’Or one of his top priorities if he does take control of the boardroom vacated by Josep Maria Bartomeu.

Freixa told Cadena SER: “Messi has been everything and has to continue; my will is for him to continue, but one day he will have to leave. The day it happens, hopefully it will be never, but it is not a question of taking away my sleep.”

He added: “The Messi case is one of the important issues. The situation must be analysed and a series of decisions must be taken.

“To sit down and talk to Messi, you have to look him in the eye and see what everyone wants and what the club can offer. You have to ask him if he really wants to continue, which I'm convinced he does.”

Messi has not been at his sparkling best so far this season, but he has still contributed six goals and four assists to the Barca cause now being overseen by Dutch manager Ronald Koeman.

Mikel Arteta has expressed his desire to keep academy graduate Folarin Balogun at Arsenal as the club will try to convince him to sign a new contract.

The 19-year-old whose current deal expires at the end of the 2020-21 season has been linked with a move away from the Emirates Stadium.

Following his impressive performance with the Gunners’ youth setup, Balogun played his first game for Arsenal’s first team  - featuring for 14 minutes in their 3-0 Europa League defeat of Dundalk.

He is also in line to get his second appearance for the senior team having made the North Londoners’ cut for the trip to Norway.

Even at that, the Spaniard wants him to remain a Gunners as the club are doing all it takes to see him extend his deal.

"He is a player that I want to stay at the club," Arteta told club website.

"I love working with young players. You can see the talent is there, the ambition is there and he can fit with our structure and progress in the future.

"He's part of the DNA and myself and the club are working to try to extend his contract. We're trying to change the situation that we are in at the moment with him, and trying to convince him that this is the right place for him.

"The moment that I started to see more of the player and change certain things that I didn't agree with, we decided to give it a go, tried to convince the player, try to show him what we want to do with him, why he fits in with what we are trying to do at the club.”

"The young talent and the top talent that we produce at the academy is with the final aim to put them in the first team,” he continued.

"When I signed for this club it was one of the things that excited me the most because I love to work with them and it's part of our DNA and the history of the club.

“When we have them, let's keep them and we really think they are players that can take us to the next level."

Gor Mahia are set to leave Kenya for Rwanda on Friday at 5 am, to play their hosts APR in the first preliminary round of the Caf Champions League, after securing their tickets.

The Kenyan champions were desperate to secure tickets owing to their financial struggles and in-house wrangles. However, the problem has now been solved and the team will now be leaving the country in less than 24 hours.

"The team is set to hit the run-way tomorrow to Kigali, Rwanda for the weekend’s Caf Champions League preliminary match against APR," club Chairman Ambrose Rachier has confirmed.

"We are just waiting for the players' Covid-19 results which we expect to get today."

K'Ogalo are set to undergo Covid-19 tests on Thursday afternoon, less than three days before they play APR Rwanda in their first preliminary round of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) Champions League.

The Kenyan champions have had internal wrangles with management, which was affecting the preparations of the team. 

"We are in the bus currently headed for Two Rivers where the Covid-19 tests will be conducted," a senior player who did not wish to be mentioned told Goal on Thursday.

"Until now, nobody has communicated to us when we are leaving. It is also psychologically disturbing since preparations start from the mind. The game is on Saturday, and we do not know what is happening.

"It is demoralizing, it is a shame for a big club like Gor Mahia facing these problems."

On Wednesday, the club's Secretary General Samuel Ochola conceded the team had no money when addressing the media on why he signed a letter allowing Football Kenya Federation (FKF) to sell their broadcast rights to StarTimes.

"The chairman alleged that FKF has not disclosed the amount of cash in the StarTimes partnership.

"This is the summary; every club gets KSh10 million for league participation, the sponsor also footing bills on branding, pays for referees, and covers production cost.

"Today, the chairman of Gor Mahia, who also doubles up as the chairman of KPL, knows that KPL gives a fraction of this sponsorship.

"Gor Mahia are broke! We want to gather any available monetary support to reduce the gaping operational cost even if there are no kickbacks to individuals; it is for the sake of the club."

Diogo Jota’s stunning start to life at Liverpool means that if the Champions League final were tomorrow, the Portuguese would be selected ahead of Roberto Firmino, according to Michael Owen.

The Reds moved to add another attacking option to their ranks during the summer transfer window. Jurgen Klopp put a £45 million ($58m) deal in place with Wolves, with Jota welcoming the opportunity to link up with the star-studded squad at Anfield.

The faith shown in him has been rewarded with eight goals in 13 appearances with the 23-year-old exceeding expectations on Merseyside.

Jota’s work rate and end product have endeared him to the fan base and led many to suggest that he has become impossible to drop.

Owen is among those to hold such an opinion, with the former Reds striker claiming that the established Brazil international No 9 would miss out if Klopp had to make the selection call.

“I think he’s under threat because no-one could’ve foreseen how good this lad is,” Owen told BT Sport of the challenge Firmino faces from Jota. “He surprised me, I liked him at Wolves, but all of a sudden, you watch him now and you think that he’s born to play in this Liverpool team.

“He’s quicker than I thought he was. I knew he was technically good, the timing of his runs, the way he’s linking, he has shown me that he can slot into those positions.

“The great thing about those strikers, they can all play with their backs to goal. They’re stronger than you think. [Mohamed] Salah and [Sadio] Mane, in particular, they’re strong as an ox. They can run at you, they can all be all-round centre-forwards, but Jota has slipped in there seamlessly.

“You have to start him, if they had the Champions League final tomorrow, you can’t leave him out.”

Jota was introduced off the bench in Liverpool’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Atalanta in continental competition on Wednesday, which leaves the Reds' qualification for the Champions League round of 16 still under question.

However, he will be pushing hard for a recall when the Reds take on Brighton at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

Stellenbosch forward Waseem Isaacs says they will not be placing much emphasis on Mamelodi Sundowns’ strengths but on their own capabilities when the two sides meet in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday.

The Western Cape side faces a Downs side that is in impressive form and unbeaten in this league campaign with three wins and a draw.

This is in contrast to Stellenbosch who won their first match of the season last weekend when they beat Chippa United 2-0, having recorded a defeat and two draws in their previous matches.

While the Brazilians are the league’s highest-scoring side with nine goals from four games, Isaacs said they would exploit their opponents’ weaknesses after Sundowns’ defensive frailties were exposed in the 4-3 victory over AmaZulu last Sunday.

“I think we can only get better from now until the end of the season. Sundowns are always a difficult team to play against,” Isaacs told Sowetan Live.

“They are the defending champions. But if we play the way we played at the weekend and do the right thing on the field, I think it could be a good game. We will look at their weaknesses, but our main focus should be how we want to play. We want to execute our plan. That's the most important thing for us, not to focus too much on what they can do but on what we can do.

“I think we can match them. We have built a good squad. Sundowns have young guys and experienced players, but we also have a good blend of experience and young players. So I think the make-up of the squad is good, and there is no reason why we can’t give them a good game.”

Downs are placed second on the PSL standings while Stellenbosch are ninth with each team having played four league matches.

Isaacs himself has featured in three games and is yet to score a goal after finishing with eight goals last term which was his debut PSL season.

Toni Freixa will not be looking to take Neymar back to Barcelona if he emerges successful in presidential elections at Camp Nou, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward told he is “not even among the 30 best players in Europe right now”.

The Brazil international on the books at Parc des Princes considered by many to be one of the finest players on the planet.

Freixa, though, is clearly not a fan and has been quick to state that he will not be wasting any time pursuing a deal that ousted Blaugrana supremo Josep Maria Bartomeu was so keen to pull off.

He has told Cadena SER: “Neymar, because of his performance, is not even among the 30 best players in Europe right now. If I were president, I would not sign him.”

Freixa was eager to point out to those in Catalunya that their club is bigger than any one player: “The most important thing about Barcelona is Barcelona itself. We do not depend on anyone.”

Neymar clearly plays no part in the future thinking of one man hoping to take control of the boardroom at Camp Nou, with speculation regarding a return to Barcelona starting to wind down.

A retracing of steps to Spain for the Brazil international has been mooted ever since a record-breaking €222 million (£200m/$262m) transfer to PSG was completed in the summer of 2017.

Neymar, who has also sparked talk of interest from Real Madrid, was said to be keen on making a move away from France at one stage. He is, however, now into a fourth season at Parc des Princes and has delivered 73 goals in 93 appearances.

With exit rumours starting to fade, and PSG reluctant to part with any of their most prized assets, it has been reported that Neymar could commit to a new contract that takes him beyond the end of his current deal in 2022.

PSG sporting director Leonardo has confirmed the club have started negotiations to extend the contracts of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

He told the club website: “Remember that PSG suffered financial losses this year, we’re in a complicated moment and it’s not easy, but we’re talking directly with Mbappe and Neymar. There is a question of timing. The idea of an extension exists. We have arrived at the moment when we must have clearer situations.”

East Bengal are yet to play a game in the Indian Super League (ISL) this season and as a result, there is very little information about how they approach a game. ATK Mohun Bagan coach Antonio Habas would have to rely on information from Brad Inman, who was part of Robbie Fowler's Brisbane Roar last season to know more about the English coach's tactics.

"For me, it's not an advantage (for East Bengal). Maybe it's good that we played a match, and maybe it's better for East Bengal because we don't know how East Bengal plays. It's something that we have to accept in a competition," he said.

"We have information about Fowler's last job in Australia with Brisbane (Roar). I had to see their performance, behaviour, system and many things but the information we have is little," the Spaniard added with regards to Fowler's track record as a coach.

ATK Mohun Bagan will miss the services of Michael Soosairaj, who picked up a knee injury in their opening game against Kerala Blasters. Subhasish Bose is expected to start in the left wing-back role.

"I have to talk to the players before the match. They know what is the first XI a day before when the match plan will be explained to the players."

Habas mentioned that both ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have a good squad but pointed that it is vital to have a solid plan with regards to the brand of football and that the players are clear in their roles and responsibilities.

"We respect all the East Bengal players. We also have good players. To build a good (squad) doesn't only depend on having good players but also the concept of football and the model of play. This is the difference between a big team and other teams."

The former Valencia boss was asked to share his thoughts on the importance of derby and why there is a lot of pressure to clinch it in their favour.

"I think the derby is a special match but only for a week before and after the match. It's an important match for me because I know what the intensity is in Kolkata and what it (Kolkata derby) means to Kolkata supporters," said Habas. 

"It's important but you never know what is the most important match in your career. I coached Bolivia in three American Cups. All matches are different and now for me, I have the maximum concentration to win (against East Bengal). This is my obsession," he concluded.

Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa has hit out at some Premier League chairmen over the ongoing push and pull over the StarTimes sponsorship deal.

Whereas a number of clubs have signed the undertaking, Gor Mahia, Zoo and Mathare United are understood to have rebelled against the arrangement of the sponsorship deal.

“They have been in football for the last 17 years and have got nothing to show for it, now when we have brought sponsorship, they still want to fight it,” Mwendwa told Goal without mentioning any specific official.

“We don't have time to discuss 'old men', the bus has taken off, for the last three years they had the chance to give us sponsors but could not do it, so why are they fighting now when we have managed to give them two sponsors?”

Mwendwa also stated how the ongoing disagreements between clubs and the federation might affect the newly-signed deal with the FKF Premier League broadcasting partner.

“KPL never got a sponsor in three years, they don't have money to give clubs and now they are fighting even without money. All we want is our players to stop suffering,” he added.

“A neighbouring country has got double of what we have got from the sponsors but sponsors are asking us why there is fighting.”

He also distanced himself with the internal conflicts that have affected a number of clubs like Gor Mahia. The friction at Gor Mahia is so intense that the suspension and ultimatums have been made in the last two days.

“I don't know why they have not signed, you can look for them and ask them,” Mwendwa concluded.

“We want sponsors to give the promised first batch of money but it is now becoming difficult as they are not happy with the squabbles going on.

“At some point, they even want to pull out just because a few individuals don't want to sign the endorsement.

“I will not talk about the clubs, we have an endorsement and as we speak we are testing Gor Mahia for Covid-19 ahead of the league’s kick-off.

“I am not interested in what the Gor Mahia chairman is saying because the clubs decided on their own.”

In preparation of the new season, FKF has had to realign their schedules as well as the dates of kick-off three times.

The new season will start without the attendance of fans since the ban on social gathering is still active.

Olivier Giroud has to be considered “one of the best foreign imports” that the Premier League has ever seen says Tony Cascarino, with Chelsea urged to continue finding a role for the Frenchman.

It has been suggested that the World Cup winner could make a push for the exits at Stamford Bridge in January.

Giroud has slipped back down the pecking order in west London and found regular game time hard to come by. He has admitted that, at 34 years of age, he will have to weigh up his options when another transfer window opens.

He did, however, offer another reminder of what he is capable of when netting the winning goal for Chelsea in their 2-1 Champions League victory over Rennes on Tuesday.

Giroud now boasts 135 efforts to his name across spells with the Blues and Arsenal, while finding the target on 44 occasions for his country, and Cascarino believes a man snapped up by the Gunners in 2012 has cemented a standing as one of the finest imports of the modern era.

The former Chelsea striker told talkSPORT: “He won the league with Montpellier in France, he has had eight years in England and scored over 100 goals for Arsenal. He’s won three FA Cups, he’s won the World Cup, he’s won the Europa League with Chelsea.

“He’s been a fantastic servant for all the clubs [he’s been at]. He’s been one of the best foreign imports that has come to these shores.

“I like Olivier Giroud and I think Frank Lampard said it, he trusts him.

“I said it before the game [against Rennes], it’s more the relationship with [France boss] Didier Deschamps and Giroud because if Deschamps says to him, ‘you’ve got to be playing, I need you to be playing more minutes, you’re going to have to move’. I think that’s the biggest problem.

“Lampard is totally happy with him. I’d love him to stay at the football club. He’s the second highest goalscorer for France. He’s been an absolutely great asset for club and country. So Frank has told him what he feels and how he needs him.

“He scored a couple goals against Sweden recently. He’s very close to Thierry Henry on the [France] goalscoring record, so there are some big challenges for Olivier.”

Giroud will be hoping to see more game time when Chelsea face old adversaries Tottenham on Sunday, but Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner have been impressing in attacking berths of late.

Azam FC forward Prince Dube is set to leave for South Africa to be treated after breaking his ulnar at home to Yanga SC.

The Zimbabwean was injured after just a quarter an hour on his left hand in the match they eventually lost by a solitary goal. The 23-year-old, who has been in fine form this season, has managed to score six goals and is among the top scorers in the charts.

"Our striker Prince Dube, who was injured in our game against Yanga on Wednesday, November 25, will be taken to South Africa for treatment," Azam FC confirmed on Thursday.

"Dube, who is a Zimbabwe citizen, was injured in the 15th minute after hurting his left hand's ulnar [a nerve transmitting electrical signals to muscles especially in the forearm and hand].

"The Chamazi-based side has now revealed more details and wished the player a quick recovery.

"[Dube] will leave for South Africa on Sunday, November 29 via the Kenya Airways," the Ice-cream Makers continued.

"He will be treated at the Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town where he will be treated by a specialist Robert Nicholas. Azam have been using this hospital to treat the players since 2011.

"As a club, we wish Dube a quick recovery."

On Wednesday, the team was relegated from the top position after falling 1-0 to Timu ya Wananchi at Azam Complex.

After a goalless first half of an end to end showdown at Chamazi, Kaseke broke the deadlock when he managed to beat Azam’s David Mapigano in the 49th minute for Yanga’s opener.

Yanga have proven to be top title challengers this season as they look a renewed side in the hunt for a 28th Premier League crown. They drew 1-1 against archrivals Simba SC in November, a side that Azam are yet to meet this season.

Timu ya Wananchi are also the only side yet to lose a game in the campaign so far as Azam have recorded a second loss. The other team is Wekundu wa Msimbazi who will be in Caf Champions League action on November 29 against Plateau United of Nigeria.

The entirety of the footballing world was sent into shock late night on Wednesday when news broke of Diego Maradona's untimely death. 

Fans of the beautiful game in India were also similarly affected, with tributes pouring in from across the spectrum, including high-profile personalities like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cricketing icons Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and more. 

The South-Western state of Kerala, known as one of the footballing hotbeds in the country, have officially announced a two-day mourning period to respect the legendary Argentine. 

State Sports Minister EP Jayarajan made the announcement, stating that November 26 and 27 will be the days of mourning. “In Kerala also, lakhs of fans could not believe his departure,” he said.

Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also put out a message on social media, remembering Maradona's visit to Kerala in 2012. 

"The people of Kerala also mourn the death of the iconic football player Maradona, along with the football fans of the world,” Pinarayi Vijayan wrote.

"This magical player has a big place in the heart of football lovers of Kerala ever since the 1986 world cup was raised by Argentina. When (football) world cup is held in any corner of the world, it will be in this small Kerala, his (Maradona’s) pictures will be raised the most."

The 1986 World Cup hero, considered the greatest footballer ever arguably, breathed his last at his home in Buenos Aires after suffering a heart attack at the age of 60. The Gimnasia coach had been hospitalised at the start of November, days after celebrating the landmark birthday, after complaining of low spirits and fatigue. 

Tests at the La Plata clinic revealed a blood clot on the brain, which doctors later revealed was operated on successfully. 

Maradona was subsequently released from hospital as an outpatient to continue his convalescence, which he carried out in his dwelling in a private neighbourhood near Tigre, northern Buenos Aires. 

But on Wednesday morning he suffered cardiac arrest, and paramedics at the scene failed to revive him. 

When the news of Diego Maradona's sad demise broke in India around 10 PM IST most people in Kolkata were indoors with the onset of winter in the City of Joy. The tea stalls were on the verge of shutting down for the day as customers had already thinned. 

For a Bengali, a session of adda (informal chat sessions) is incomplete without a cup of tea and this terrible news was serious business that needed to be chatted upon without delay. 

"I was about to have dinner when the news poured in. I felt so upset that I started calling my friends and asked them to come out and assemble at the local te shop to share the grief. The loss feels so personal. Just could not sleep well the entire night," said Subhankar Roy, an ardent Argentina fan who feels that there should be no debate regarding Maradona being the greatest of all time. 

The passion for football in the city is well documented. Apart from Kolkata Derby, the city also gets divided into two halves once in every four years, i.e. during the football World Cup. Streets get drenched either in Albiceleste (white and sky-blue) or Verde-Amarela (Green and yellow). Lifesize cutouts of Maradona and Pele continue to adorn the lanes and by-lanes apart from the contemporary heroes like Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Cristiano Ronaldo. 

The 60-year-old was a blue-eyed-boy of the city. Therefore, it was no surprise that in 2008 when Maradona came to India for the first time, he set foot in Kolkata. Braving the December chill, thousands of fans thronged to the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Airport to greet their idol. The world witnessed how a city more than thousand miles away from Buenos Aires welcomed Maradona as if in 1986, he was wearing a different shade of blue while lifting the World Cup. 

It is no secret that Maradona was left-leaning and shared a special bond with Fidel Castro. After Castro died, he even said," I will go to Cuba to say goodbye to my friend. He opened the doors to Cuba to me when Argentina was closing them on me." 

Naturally, the ruling left government kept no stone unturned to make their comrade's event a success. Two helicopters were arranged for his trip as he was supposed to launch a football academy in Mahestala and then head towards the Salt Lake Stadium where a friendly match was to be played between the Chief Minister’s XI and the Foreign Minister’s XI in his august presence. 

The two sides were captained by Bhaichung Bhutia and Dulal Biswas. Bhaichung’s side were coached by Mohun Bagan’s Karim Bencherifa and East Bengal’s Stanley Rosario while Dulal’s team were guided by Mohammedan Sporting’s Shabbir Ali and Chirag United’s Subrata Bhattacharya.

Maradona did not take part in the friendly, yet the stadium was chalk-a-block. The crowd gushed with excitement as he dashed onto the pitch before the match and started juggling with the ball. Even the coaches and the players were jostling to get the glimpse of a lifetime. 

He also visited the Mohun Bagan ground where he hosted a clinic for U-12 boys and the Mariners turned out in numbers to get a glimpse of their demigod.

Young men from Argentina fan clubs crisscrossed the roads with flags and jerseys. It seemed that the city had travelled back in time to 1986 when it had ornamented itself with sky-blue colours to celebrate Argentina's World Cup win. 

In 2017, he once again returned to the city and this time to take on the former India cricket skipper Sourav Ganguly in a friendly match at the Barasat Stadium. This time, it was a bulkier version of him that took the field but nothing mattered to his millions of admirers in the city. 

Roy was there to witness a historic moment, the Prince of Football greeting pleasantries with the Prince of Kolkata. "It was surreal. Two legends of different sports in front of my eyes. A tale that I would narrate a million times to my grandchildren," stated the Maradona worshipper. 

Although he did not last many minutes on the pitch, the crowd had enjoyed every penny they spent. Later, he shot footballs into the gallery with his magical left foot and the spectators once again went into a frenzy. 

On Wednesday night, the tea stalls made some more profits. The fans shed a few more tears. Some even went hungry to bed. The City of Joy is in mourning!

Peter Shilton was "saddened" to learn of the death of Diego Maradona but remains vexed by the Argentina legend’s 'Hand of God' goal against England at the 1986 World Cup.

At the age of 60, Maradona died on Wednesday , leaving Argentina and the football world in shock.

Ill health and drug addiction had plagued the former Barcelona, Boca Juniors and Napoli star following his playing days, and he recently underwent surgery for a blood clot on his brain .

Tributes have been paid by the likes of Pele, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Shilton has more reason than most to feel a sense of antipathy towards Maradona, who punched the ball past him for Argentina's first goal in their 2-1 quarter-final win against England 34 years ago .

Shilton told the Daily Mail : "It has bothered me over the years. I won't lie about that now. People say I should have cleared the ball anyway and that I let a smaller man outjump me. That's rubbish. He had the run on me but that can happen.

"He wouldn't have punched it if he knew he could head it, would he? Of course not. So I am OK with all that.

"No, what I don't like is that he never apologised. Never at any stage did he say he had cheated and that he would like to say sorry. Instead, he used his 'Hand of God' line. That wasn't right.

"It seems he had greatness in him but sadly no sportsmanship."

Shilton tweeted on Thursday to describe Maradona as "the greatest footballer I ever played against without question", but he told the Daily Mail that attempts to unite him with Maradona over the years had come to nothing, having been given no assurances the little maestro intended to apologise.

And although England's goalscorer in that 1986 match, Gary Lineker, has spoken fondly of Maradona, Shilton suspects many in the team that lost out that day at the Estadio Azteca share his grievances.

He added: “Most of the England team who played in Mexico feel the way I do to this day.

“It wasn't just me who was cheated, it was the whole team. We had a chance of reaching the last four and maybe the final of the World Cup. How often does that happen?

“I was lucky. My chance came again four years later but others weren't that fortunate.”

Bruno Fernandes is perfect for Manchester United because he “doesn’t care about mistakes” and is only concerned with “success”, says former Red Devils winger Nani.

The classy Portuguese playmaker was snapped up by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer early in 2020. Having spent several months mulling over a move for Fernandes, United finally agreed to part with €55 million (£47m/$60m) during the January transfer window.

Few predicted that the new arrival would make such an impression at Old Trafford, but Nani claims to have never been in any doubt his fellow countryman would send fans “crazy”.

Fernandes has delivered 21 goals and 13 assists in 35 appearances, with no player in English football able to better that return over that period.

Nani is delighted for Fernandes and believes Solskjaer’s side can enjoy tangible success in 2020-21 with such a talismanic figure calling the shots in midfield, with the Orlando City star telling United Review: “I still watch almost all of United’s games.

“I watch when it is possible because of my schedule here in Orlando. I always support United and I have to say they have been fun to watch. I really like the way this United team plays.

“Obviously one or two results at the beginning of the season weren’t what we wanted, but I’m confident this team will keep getting better and better. I think we can have a special season.

“A big part of this team is Bruno Fernandes, who I used to play with at Sporting. Bruno now is a much better player than when we were playing together. He was doing great in Portugal but the Portuguese league is not the same as the Premier League – in everything there is more quality and intensity.

“I saw so much potential in Bruno and I told him to go to England if he decided to move to another league. I said to him, ‘Your game will fit there and the fans will go crazy for you!’

“The style of his football is something fans appreciate. He is a player who likes to take risks in the game, who wants to take the responsibility of the game on his back and make difficult passes, dribbles and shots.

“He doesn’t care about mistakes; he only thinks about success and making the team have success. He knows what that takes. That’s Man United, isn’t it?

“All the years of success at the club were achieved with that approach. Every player in the team, from goalkeeper to striker, took risks. We all knew the timing, when we should be calm, but all our games had passion, quality and the freedom to take risks if the result wasn’t coming.

“Bruno has done so well until now, scoring goals and setting up a lot of goals, but I think he will keep improving and making the team even better.”

United, who saw off Istanbul Basaksehir in their latest Champions League outing, will be back in Premier League action on Sunday when they play host to Southampton.

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has spoken glowingly of Diego Maradona as he recalled his memories of the Argentine legend following his death on Wednesday.

World Cup winner Maradona – arguably football's greatest ever player – died at the age of 60 after a suspected heart attack.

Former France international Zidane – also a World Cup winner – said following Wednesday's 2-0 Champions League victory: "It's an enormous loss for the world of football. I have him engrained in my head because of what he did at the 1986 World Cup. I was 14 years old.

"In the end, at least I was lucky enough to have the chance to tell him in person about that 1986 World Cup because every kid always wants to say what they think, and I had the chance to tell him that he was a hell of a player.

"So that's my best memory. This is sad news, we send our best wishes to his family. Rest in peace."

Inter head coach Antonio Conte, meanwhile, described Maradona as "the poetry of football".

Conte came up against Maradona during his time with boyhood club Lecce in Serie A, and he lauded the former Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head coach 

"We are all shedding tears for the loss of a man who wrote football history and will always be an indelible figure in this sport," Conte told Sky Sport Italia.

"He was the poetry of football. I had the pleasure of playing against him, of marking him, and it still doesn't seem real that he's gone, especially as he was still young. It's very sad."

Maradona, the captain and inspiration behind Argentina's World Cup success in 1986 before going on to coach his country at the 2010 showpiece, had been hospitalised just days after turning 60.

He appeared in a fragile state when he briefly made an appearance as his Gimnasia side played a match on the evening of his birthday last month. 

He was discharged from hospital a fortnight ago following brain surgery, having undergone a routine operation for a subdural haematoma after being admitted to hospital due to concerns over anaemia and dehydration.

Maradona won 91 caps for Argentina between 1977 and 1994, scoring 34 goals at international level.

He started his career with Argentinos Juniors before joining Boca Juniors and went on to play for Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys before returning to Boca in 1995.

Maradona had the best years of his club career in Italy, playing a massive part in Napoli winning the Serie A title in the 1986-87 and 1989-90 seasons.

Playmaker Maradona also lifted the UEFA Cup with Napoli in 1989 and he won three trophies during his time at Barca – including the Copa del Rey in 1983.

Maradona also had stints in charge of Textil Mandiyu, Racing Club, Al-Wasl, Fujairah and Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico before being appointed by Gimnasia last year.

Thiago Alcantara is capable of replicating the success he enjoyed at Bayern Munich with Liverpool says Xabi Alonso, with the 29-year-old considered to be “one of the best midfielders” on the planet.

Thiago was lured to Anfield from the Allianz Arena on the back of a treble-winning exploits in 2019-20 that were rounded off by a Champions League triumph.

Liverpool’s capture of the talented Spain international was considered to be quite a coup. Thiago has, however, endured a frustrating start to his time in England.

After offering glimpses of what he is capable of in early appearances, a bout of Covid-19 and an unfortunate injury picked up in the Merseyside derby with Everton have kept the experienced star stuck on the sidelines.

Klopp is hoping to welcome Thiago back into his plans at some stage in the near future, with Liverpool managing their way through an injury crisis that has depleted their squad in almost every area.

Alonso is among those looking forward to seeing another ball-playing option come back into contention for the Premier League champions, with the former Reds and Bayern midfielder a big admirer of a “fabulous” player following in his footsteps for club and country.

“I have loved watching Thiago Alcantara, the way he has been able to connect with the attacking players, helping to defend with his special qualities,” Alonso, who tasted Champions League glory with Liverpool in 2005, told UEFA’s official website.

“He’s a great friend, but above that, he’s become one of the best midfielders, and he’s a fabulous, intelligent, interesting, fun guy to be around in a training session and a dressing room.

“He loves football; he shows that with his personality and with the way he plays. He’s able to connect with his team-mates very easily. He’s done it fantastically at Bayern, and I feel that he’s going to do it in the same way at Liverpool, and I love it.”

Liverpool, who suffered a 2-0 Champions League defeat to Atalanta on Wednesday, will be back in domestic action on Saturday when they take a trip to Brighton.

Intense speculation regarding a big-money move to Manchester United will have unsettled Jadon Sancho, admits Paul Lambert, but the Borussia Dortmund winger has been told that he is already at a “special club”.

A highly-rated England international spent much of the summer being linked with a return to his homeland.

United, who made the 20-year-old a top target, wasted considerable time and energy pursuing a deal that never looked like being put in place.

Sancho suffered a dip in form after seeing his head turned, but has offered indications over recent weeks – for club and country – that he is ready to rediscover his spark.

Having found the target for England in a UEFA Nations League clash with Iceland, a third goal of the season for Dortmund was recorded on Tuesday in a Champions League win over Club Brugge.

Lambert believes Sancho is capable of putting the transfer talk he has been generating behind him, with there no need for the former Manchester City academy graduate to be considering a retracing of his steps.

The former Dortmund midfielder, who tasted European glory during his time in Germany, told the Daily Star: “I understand people saying that he’s a young kid and that he isn’t performing as well as he has been but now he is starting to really play.

“I think the talk of Manchester United would unsettle him being a British guy, but he has got a special club in Borussia Dortmund.

“Once the fans come back, as he knows himself, there is no better place to play football because the atmosphere is incredible.

“Hopefully he helps the team to success.”

Lambert, who captured a Champions League crown with BVB in 1997, believes Lucien Favre’s class of 2020-21 are capable of ending Bayern Munich’s dominance of the Bundesliga this season and claiming a first title triumph in nine years.

The Scot added: “I think this could be the year. With all the young guys like [Erling] Haaland, Sancho, Giovanni Reyna and Jude Bellingham, alongside Marcos Reus, Mats Hummels, Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel - they have top players.

“Hopefully this is the moment where they can overcome Bayern Munich, I think the club need a title whether it’s the Bundesliga or the Champions League or the DFB Cup.

“They have been so close in the last few years and hopefully, from an ex-Dortmund player, this is when they can get it. They’re going to have to overcome a really strong Bayern team.

“Everyone knows that they are really, really strong, but hopefully this season is the year that they can get it.”