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Jurgen Klopp admits he was delighted to see Roberto Firmino back among the goals for Liverpool last weekend.

But the Reds boss once more reiterated that the Brazilian will remain a central figure for his team, whether scoring or not.

Firmino’s late header put the seal on the champions’ 3-0 win over Leicester at Anfield on Sunday evening, and capped an impressive personal performance from the 29-year-old.

It may only have been his second club goal of the season, but speaking at a press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Atalanta on Wednesday night, Klopp underlined Firmino’s importance to the Merseysiders.

He told reporters: “Scoring was always important for Bobby. But Bobby is a complete footballer. 

“A football team is like an orchestra, you have different people for different instruments. And some of them are louder than others, but they are all important for the rhythm.

“Bobby plays like 12 instruments in our orchestra! He’s very important for our rhythm. We can play well without him as well, but I certainly want him on the pitch and if you look at the numbers, I like it a lot having him on the pitch. Really awesome.”

Klopp admitted that he had been delighted to see his No.9 back on the scoresheet, and said that recent questions over Firmino’s form had impacted some of his team-mates, who celebrated the goal with extra feeling. 

He added: “I’m not concerned about anything with Bobby, but I know from time to time it happens that he scores a goal!

“This goal was very important, and what I loved most was the reaction of the boys. You saw the celebration. We always celebrate goals, but this was really emotional. 

"Obviously the players read newspapers, unfortunately, and they saw there was some criticism, so they were really happy for him to score.”

Klopp also addressed a question about another Reds forward, Takumi Minamino, who has managed only one minute of competitive action in the last month.

“There is no dip in form,” he said. “Taki is training well, yesterday he was exceptional for example. It’s just a strong team, and offensively – thank God – we didn’t have the same problems as the other positions. It’s hard to get in this team, that’s how it is. 

“But no dip in form, just a challenge. But Taki is a sensational boy and a great player, so he will face that challenge. His time will come, no doubt.”

Sergio Ramos is “writing his name in the history books” at Real Madrid, says Casemiro, with those working alongside an iconic defender delighted to have him on their team.

A World Cup winner moved to Santiago Bernabeu from Sevilla back in 2005.

Since then he has taken in 660 appearances for the Blancos, hitting 100 goals, and has played a leading role in five La Liga title wins and four Champions League triumphs.

Many of his outings for Real have come as captain, with records tumbling around him as Ramos has also taken his collection of Spain caps to 178.

It has been suggested that the clock is ticking on a legendary spell in the Spanish capital, with a contract running down towards free agency in 2021, but Casemiro is among those looking to make the most of every opportunity to learn from a modern-day great.

The Brazilian midfielder told reporters of Ramos ahead of a European clash with Inter on Wednesday that the Blancos' skipper will sit out through injury: “Sergio is a leader in the dressing room and on the field. It’s a pleasure to have shared all these years with him. What he’s doing now is writing his name in the club’s history books.

“He’s a player who never gives up. He always wants to fight and he always wants to win. He pushes the team forward, and he’s a leader and a role model for us.”

While Ramos is the undoubted on-field leader for Real, Casemiro is among the others filling vital roles.

He said of the importance now placed on a holding midfield post: “I always say that a footballer, whatever his age, is going to learn something new every day, even if it’s small details.

“The role of the defensive midfielder was quite common in the past, especially in Brazil.

“We had a lot of players, like Mauro Silva, Gilberto Silva and Dunga, who felt comfortable playing that number five role, as we say in Brazil. That ceased to exist, but now it’s returning because formations themselves have changed.

“Today we’ve returned to the old formation where the full-backs are coming up high and then backing away, and the defensive midfielder plays a vital role in this. He provides balance and must keep an eye on the other players and fill any gaps they leave.

“The defensive midfielder is the centre of everything in the midfield and is essential for any team.”

Casemiro will be looking to prove that point when Real take in a trip to San Siro, with Zinedine Zidane’s side having already claimed a dramatic 3-2 win over Inter in this season’s Champions League.

“We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game but mentally we were very strong and focused on victory. And then Rodrygo confirmed it with a goal,” Casemiro said of an eventful game at the Bernabeu on November 3.

“The mental work and concentration that we maintained throughout the whole match were very important. We’re aware that there is still a long way to go, but that victory was very important.”

Maritzburg United have named Delron Buckley as caretaker coach, following Monday's sacking of Eric Tinkler.

Buckley has been with the club for the past two months as an assistant to Tinkler and has been elevated to the role of head coach on an interim basis as the club hunts for a substantive tactician.

The club said Buckley’s immediate challenge would be to “restore some confidence on the training pitch” and “paying close attention to the players' mindsets.”

Friday’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) hosting of SuperSport United would be Buckley’s first challenge and he could be fancying to impress and be rewarded with a permanent job, however, subject to how long the Team of Choice take in finding Tinkler's replacement.

“It's a normal situation when a coach goes, players start thinking about what's going to happen,” Buckley told the Maritzburg United website.

“For me now as a caretaker coach I have to boost the players' morale. Get them motivated and get them prepared for the game on Friday. It's up to the players to take the situation into their own hands.

“It's a do or die game and the minute they put their foot onto the pitch, they must realise that if we are going to win, we are going to have to be aggressive and challenge for every ball. Sometimes when the going gets tough, you can't play pretty football. You have to play the ugly way to win games.”

He takes over a side low in confidence following four consecutive league defeats that have left them at the bottom of the standings with zero points.

It might prove to be a huge task for Buckley to psyche-up a team that has gone for a massive run of 11 winless games which started during the PSL bio-bubble.

Worst still, they face a wounded SuperSport United that surrendered a first-half lead before losing to Orlando Pirates in their last league match.

There is no speculation as yet regarding who might succeed Tinkler as permanent coach at the Team of Choice.

Hector Bellerin says Arsenal are “learning to suffer”, with that considered to be a positive as Mikel Arteta’s side seek to play their way through a testing run and establish much-needed consistency.

The Gunners remain something of a work in progress during the 2020-21 campaign.

Encouragement has been offered during Arteta’s tenure, but there are still a number of issues to be addressed.

Those at Emirates Stadium are in the process of working through that list, with the north London giants aware that fighting spirit will be required in order to pull them through.

There was plenty of that on display during a 0-0 draw at Leeds last time out, with the Gunners battling their way to a point with 10 men after Nicolas Pepe’s reckless sending off.

Bellerin believes that performance could act as a springboard for Arsenal, with the club taking important lessons from problems that are often of their own making.

“I am happy with the character the team has shown,” Bellerin told reporters when reflecting on a goalless stalemate at Elland Road.

“We have solidified our defence throughout this season and that’s something we have proved in many games.

“We are learning how to suffer and that is really important nowadays when we don’t have control of the ball and it becomes vital that we don’t concede.

“But I can’t say that I feel happy with the draw because even when we were down to 10 men on Sunday we still had chances to score and that’s what makes the difference in the long run.”

Bellerin is refusing to condemn Pepe for the moment of madness that saw Arsenal left a player light against Leeds, with Arteta and Co waiting for the dust to settle before a needless headbutt is addressed.

“Everyone has a hot head straight after the game and there is a lot of adrenaline flowing,” added the Gunners full-back.

“So these things probably need to wait for later in the week.

“It’s something that must stay in the dressing-room but I am sure we will manage it just fine.” 

For now, Bellerin is looking for the Gunners to kick on into a week that will see them face Molde in the Europa League on Thursday and Wolves in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Spaniard said: “We are showing signs of improvement in every game but we need to start winning again.

“Against Leeds, everyone would say that the roughness we showed in the second-half is something that this team didn’t have in the past.

“So there are many good things happening for us, but at the end of the day you win by scoring goals and this is something we need to start building on.

“We need to put our chances to bed and once we do that the results will come and we can start getting more confident.”

Jose Mourinho has "brainwashed" his Tottenham players, according to Tim Sherwood, who believes the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss can deliver Premier League title this season.

Tottenham have emerged as the surprise early pacesetters in the top flight this season, having picked up 20 points from a possible 27 so far.

Mourinho's men lost their opening game 1-0 at home to Everton, but have since regrouped to establish themselves as a formidable force, with thrilling wins over Southampton and Manchester United providing evidence of their attacking power.

Spurs have also proven they are capable of grinding out results when not at their best, seeing off Brighton and West Brom in an unconvincing but effective fashion, and they currently boast the best defensive record in the entire division.

Another impressive clean sheet was recorded in a 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Saturday, with talk of Mourinho being on track to win his fourth Premier League title increasing with each passing game.

Sherwood has praised the Portuguese for raising the collective confidence levels within his current squad, and sees no reason why they can't lift the trophy if they continue on their current trajectory.

“He’s found a way with the group of players he has,” the ex-Spurs midfielder and manager told talkSPORT.

“He’s bought very well, [Sergio] Reguilon has been a good signing at left-back, but [Pierre-Emile] Hojbjerg for me has been the best signing. He fits into the style and just protects the two centre-halves.

“Jose has brainwashed his players to believe they have to work to achieve something – they need to win trophies, this group of players.

“When you play as solid as they do, he’s almost brainwashed them into believing.

“And why wouldn’t you believe in him? He’s won 20 major trophies in his career and you’re winning football matches, so then you start believing that this guy is the real deal, he knows what he’s talking about, and why can’t we win the league?"

Sherwood, who won the Premier League crown with Blackburn in 1994-95, added: “When we’ve got players like Son and Kane, who are world class and could probably play in any team in the world, you’ve always got a chance.

“They haven’t played fantastically well this season, but who cares? On the back of my medal it doesn’t say: ‘Oh, and by the way we didn’t play well for 24 games’.

“You just go and pick it up at the end of the season, and that’s it!”

Swansea City are looking to have Andre Ayew back in action on Wednesday following a brief time in the treatment room.

The Ghana international sustained a hamstring injury while out on international duty in the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, forcing him out of the club's Championship clash with Rotherham United on Saturday. 

The Jack Army are set to host Sheffield Wednesday in matchweek 13 tie at Liberty Stadium in midweek.

“We’re hopeful over the lads [Ayew and Marc Guehi] who missed the game at the weekend,” Cooper has said, as reported by his club's official website.

“It is still a bit inconclusive, we’ve still got a couple of days but we’re working hard to get them ready.

“It’s too early to say yet, but we’re hopeful.

“We have a full day of rehab today and the physios are working hard as we also have players recovering from the game at the weekend.”

After scoring twice to inspire Ghana to a 2-0 home triumph over Sudan in the Afcon qualifier, Ayew picked up the injury during training ahead of the reverse fixture away.

He resultantly pulled out of the Black Stars squad for the trip to Omdurman where they suffered a 1-0 loss.

“Andre and Marc came back early from international duty, that was precautionary more than anything else,” Cooper told pressmen ahead of last week's match against Rotherham.

“Obviously we have had a busy schedule and they have played every minute of every league game up until now.

“They then went into a full-on international camp, so they are naturally going to be tired and, like everybody, going to be at risk of fatigue.

“From fatigue you can start feeling some strains and muscle soreness, so they came back early as a precaution.

“They are doubts for the weekend, but we haven’t made a final call on it as yet.”

Ayew has been Swansea's most dangerous player since last season. With five goals in 11 matches so far, the 30-year-old stands as the club's top scorer so far this term. Last season, he similarly finished the campaign as the side’s top scorer.

Sabah only narrowly avoided the drop from the Super League in the recently concluded 2020 season after they finished just a single spot outside of the relegation zone in 10th place of a truncated season.The Rhinos gain promotion having won the 2019 Premier League title but found the jump to the top tier of Malaysian football to be a bigger gap than they had anticipated and struggled for large parts of the season.

The Borneo side had only won a solitary game heading into that vital clash against Melaka at Likas Stadium towards the tail-end of the season and were practically staring at quick return to the second tier. However a much needed three points were found in that match and it was sufficient to secure a second season in the top flight.

To ensure that they will be better equipped and learnt all their lessons from the 2020 season, Sabah have already made big moves in appointing former head coach Jelius Ating as the new manager of the team with another former head coach in Justin Ganai being tasked with the Technical Director role.

"I'm thankful to the Sabah management for putting their faith in me and this role will give me a lot of responsibility in the team. Not just the technical aspect of the team but also in protecting the image of the team that will be known as Sabah FC starting next season.

"There are plenty of things which I have to oversee as the manager but at the same time, I will be able to help the head coach in terms of sharing opinions on how to improve the quality of the team. What is important is that the management are attempting a new approach as part of the strategy to generate better income for the team," said Jelius.

Jelius had to forgo the head coach role in the 2020 season despite having led the team to promotion because he did not have a Pro License required by the league to be a head coach for a Super League side. Sabah turned to former Indonesian national team stalwart Kurniawan Dwi Yulianto and in his first ever big role, it was a topsy-turvy season.

There are still question marks over whether Kurniawan will be retained by Sabah for the 2021 season but if he does get another go at it, he will have the help of the experience of Jelius and Justin above him where Sabah should be looking at not only continuing their stay in the division but also to show improvement from last season.

Diogo Jota is making a Mohamed Salah-esque impact at Liverpool, says John Aldridge, with the Portuguese’s form meaning questions can be asked of what happens when the Egyptian superstar is ready for a recall.

The Reds have seen the most prolific presence in their squad ruled out on the back of a positive Covid-19 test.

Salah contracted coronavirus during the November international break, meaning that he could play no part in a Premier League clash with Leicester.

Jota stepped up again during that contest, registering his eighth goal for the Reds in just 12 appearances, while Roberto Firmino was also back on target during a testing time for the Brazilian.

It has been suggested that Liverpool look more fluid when Salah is not in their side, despite the obvious qualities that he adds, and Jurgen Klopp is facing more welcome selection headaches.

Aldridge has told the Liverpool Echo of those: “What do you do when Salah comes back in?

“It’s going to be tough but it’s a great position for the manager to be in with the four attacking players.

“It was great for Roberto Firmino to score at Anfield because it seemed like the world was against him. Out of what was the established front three, his place had to be the most at risk, you have to say that.

“They’ll all be fighting for their place now and it’s a nice headache for the manager to have but now you simply can’t keep Jota out of the team.

“He’s had such a big impact, it’s similar to Salah when he first came to the club.

“He’s hungry, he’s got the desire. Jota knows how good the front three are and he wants to be better than them.

“Jota’s doing things he wasn’t doing before at Wolves. He’s at a bigger club, he’s in the limelight more and his game for Portugal is getting better.

“He’s hitting all the right notes.”

Jota’s impact at Anfield on the back of a £45 million ($60m) summer transfer certainly is comparable to the one Salah made after joining the Reds from Roma in 2017.

The Egyptian plundered six goals through his first 12 appearances and has gone on to find the target 104 times across 165 outings.

Emulating those efforts is the challenge now facing Jota, with it up to the 23-year-old to prove that he is deserving of a regular role in what has been a settled attacking unit for Liverpool.

Uganda U20 head coach Morley Byekwaso had to change his tactical approach for his team to get a point against South Sudan in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) U20 Championship.

The Hippos battled to a goalless draw after playing a large part of the game with 10 men owing to the sending off of Musa Ramadhan. The tactician was impressed with the way his players played in that game and ended up getting a point in Group B.

"The game has been so hard, the boys have fought up to the last minute," Byekwaso said.

"It has been a tricky match, when we got the red card, everything changed, we had to change a lot tactically to at least give ourselves a chance in the game. We had to adjust to ensure that at least we do not concede because that would have created a disadvantage for us."  

The Hippos went on to give their best and created chances. The tactician has now set his eyes on Wednesday's game against Burundi.

"Because with the nature of the tournament, every point matters a lot in terms of who advances from the group," he added.

"We tried our best, the boys have played and we focus now on our next game which will be on Wednesday."

In another game played on Monday, Kenya's Rising Stars went top of Group C after a 3-0 win over Ethiopia.

Gor Mahia striker Benson Omalla rose highest in the 39th minute to head home a cross from the right. The defenders left the forward unmarked and he did not waste the opportunity.
It was the only goal scored in the first half as strikers looked a little rusty.

The Rising Stars continued with their push for another goal immediately after the break. Their push for a second goal bore fruits in the 46th minute. The Ethiopia goalkeeper failed to keep hold of a high ball and Omalla flicked it to Ronald Reagan who had no trouble finding the back of the net.

With five minutes remaining on the clock, a long ball from the back fell to the K'Ogalo forward whose first touch put him past the defender. He steadied himself but with the keeper to beat, he spotted the advancing and unmarked Enock Wanyama who tapped the ball into an empty net. 

Eddie Nketiah has been urged to push for a loan move away from Arsenal that will allow him to “get kicked”, with Kevin Campbell looking for the 21-year-old to find regular game time.

Mikel Arteta has found a place for the England U21 international within his plans at Emirates Stadium.

A starting role ahead of Alexandre Lacazette was offered to Nketiah at times last season, with a frustrating loan spell at Leeds cut short.

The youngster has, however, been restricted to just 145 minutes of Premier League football in the current campaign, with alternative options being favoured in the final third.

Campbell believes those selection calls should be edging Nketiah towards the exits, with it vital for his ongoing development that he gets competitive outings from the start – potentially outside of north London.

“Nketiah has a knack for goals but I think he needs to go out on loan for another season, playing back-to-back games to get that confidence in his own body,” former Arsenal striker Campbell told Football Insider.

“Coming off the bench and playing sparingly is okay but there is nothing better than getting a run of starts to understand that you can do it at the top level.

“You have got to go through the tough parts. You need to get kicked, feel the pain and the soreness. That is what he needs to do.”

While Campbell is looking for Nketiah to head out of Arsenal, Ian Wright has already called on a home-grown star to work his way back in front of misfiring Lacazette in the Gunners’ pecking order.

He has told the Wrighty’s House Podcast: “We talked about Laca and people are talking about Laca’s got to be taken out. Maybe just for himself, just to have a rest.

“Eddie now should be looking at what Laca does, why Laca’s in the team, why Laca’s being picked over him even though he’s not scoring. And he’s got to start learning about the progression of himself.

“Because by now, with the goals that we know he’s capable of scoring - because he can get in the box and he can finish - he should be adding those other things to his game to be putting a bit more pressure on Laca, with all due respect to Laca.”

Frank Lampard has hailed Edouard Mendy for making life at Chelsea “look easy”, with a Senegal international goalkeeper slotting “seamlessly” into the fold at Stamford Bridge.

Inconsistency between the sticks had become a problem for the Blues as they persevered with £71 million ($95m) signing Kepa Arrizabalaga.

The Spaniard made a number of costly errors when asked to provide a reliable last line of defence, with his confidence suffering heavy blows on a regular basis.

It quickly became clear that change was required, with Lampard dipping back into the transfer market during the last window.

Mendy was lured away from Rennes and has kept seven clean sheets through nine appearances to date.

On the impact made by the 28-year-old at Stamford Bridge, Lampard told Chelsea TV: “I’ve been really pleased. It’s not easy and he’s made it look easy, which is the difficult thing.

“When you come from another league there are of course differences in the Premier League – the physical nature, the speed of the league – and I think it is unique in those terms.

“For a goalkeeper that has got such a spotlight on him and is having to face these differences and make relationships with the team around him, he has done it very seamlessly.

“He has settled off the pitch and is performing on the pitch, you can’t ask any more than that, and he is doing it with a smile on his face and with a really great attitude. So I’m really pleased, it’s a good start for him in a Chelsea shirt. Long may that continue.”

Mendy is proving to be the reassuring presence that Chelsea have been crying out for, with Lampard admitting that confidence built from the back has spread throughout his in-form team.

“It helps. Confidence is something that you have to build through a squad, bit by bit, from front to back,” the Blues boss added.

“But with a goalkeeper, when you are talking about defensively and the amount of pressure that you come under in the Premier League, there aren’t many games when you will have no problems and no issues. You need to build confidence.

“We have had some clean sheets lately and individuals should take a lot of credit for that, but also collectively that confidence needs to build and it needs to continue.”

Chelsea have moved into third place in the Premier League table, two points behind Tottenham and Liverpool, while positive progress is also being made through Champions League competition.

Mikel Arteta has brought “fresh air” to Arsenal, according to Nacho Monreal, but he doesn’t think that Unai Emery was given enough time as manager after Arsene Wenger’s exit.

Arteta was drafted in to succeed Emery in the Emirates Stadium hot seat in December 2019, having earned his coaching stripes as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City over the previous three years.

The 38-year-old, who took in a spell as the Gunners’ captain during his playing days, quickly began implementing his own philosophy in north London based around quick passing interchanges and playing out from the back, and got an immediate response from the players.

Arsenal recovered from a poor start to the 2019-20 campaign to salvage an eighth-place finish in the Premier League, while also embarking on a thrilling run to FA Cup glory.

Arteta’s men have struggled to build on that platform at the start of the new season, but supporters have bought into the Spaniard’s vision for long-term success and it appears he will be afforded patience while trying to usher in a new era.

Monreal is not surprised that his fellow countryman ended up in management, and thinks he will only get better and better in his role at the Emirates.

Asked if he knew Arteta would transition from the pitch to the touchline at some stage, the former Gunners defender told The Guardian: “Yes. You could see it. He was a leader, a captain. 

“He expressed himself very well, spoke in every meeting, knowledgably. He communicated well. 

“He was doing his badges, telling us his vocation was coaching. He was bright, tactically he understood, he grasped everything. That said, so fast? 

“No. I didn’t expect that. But he will have learned with Guardiola. He’s brought fresh air and will grow more.”

Monreal, who left Arsenal to return to La Liga with Real Sociedad in the summer of 2019, added: “I would have loved to have played under Arteta. I spoke to Hector [Bellerin] about that.

"I had him as a team-mate and I would have loved to see him as a coach; there’s that curiosity in me. But I chose another path and came to San Sebastian. I’m happy for me and him because things are going well.”

Monreal went on to express his sympathy towards Arteta’s predecessor, with it his belief that Emery was always going to struggle after stepping into the shoes of a man who had spent over two decades in the Arsenal hot seat.

“Wenger’s departure was controversial,” he said. “There was a big divide among the fans, we saw it every game. After 22 years, the first post-Wenger coach was always going to have a difficult role. 

“Maybe Unai [Emery] didn’t get the time he needed but he did a good job.”

FC Goa opened their 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) campaign against Bengaluru FC with 2-2 draw, where they trailed by two goals until the 66th minute and managed to pick a point thanks to two quick-fire strikes by Igor Angulo.

Coach Juan Ferrando was not happy with a point from their first match and believes that his side will only get better with more minutes on the pitch.

"We need more games and I hope game-by-game, the team will get stronger and everyone (every player) understands the concept of our tactics," he opined. 

The Gaurs will next face Mumbai City FC on Wednesday in what promises to be an exciting clash as the latter is coached by former FC Goa coach Sergio Lobera. Ahmed Jahouh of Mumbai will miss the tie due to suspension.

"There are quite a few important players in the opponent (team) but my focus is on my team to improve my players and then decide the best first XI against Mumbai. I am not thinking about the first XI of Mumbai."

Apart from Jahouh, Mandar Rao Dessai, Hugo Boumous, Mourtada Fall are among those who parted ways with FC Goa in the summer. He did point that they will be motivated to prove a point against FC Goa.

"Maybe for some players who played here and are playing for Mumbai tomorrow, there is a motivation to play (well) against their former team. For us, we are only thinking about ourselves. We are thinking about three points and this is the most important thing for us," said Ferrando.

"Of course, tomorrow there are some details to explain because we are facing the ex-coach of Goa (Lobera) and some players who played in Goa are now in Mumbai. But our mentality in friendlies, the (ISL) championship and in the AFC Champions League in future will be the same all the time - win three points, be positive and be competitive."

FC Goa captain Edu Bedia also shared similar sentiments about facing his former team-mates and maintained that Goa's past wins, including the big margin scorelines of 5-2 and 4-2 victories over Mumbai, will have no bearing on Wednesday's encounter.

"Extra motivation is not good for any athlete because it can end up with someone doing more than what they are required to do on the pitch. Our aim is simple. There will be our past players on the pitch (against us) but as the coach said, we have to focus on ourselves and get three points. In the last game (against Bengaluru), we ended with a very good sensation. So we carry on with that momentum and do well with the next game tomorrow. 

"I don't think the games of last season have much to do with the games we will play this season. There are completely new teams - the coaches and a lot of players have changed. The only thing retained is the names (of the teams). Our style of play is similar, but beyond that nothing similar to last season," said Bedia.

Martin Odegaard's return to Real Madrid "hurt" Real Sociedad, but David Silva signing for the club was a welcome "shock", says Nacho Monreal.

Odegaard joined Sociedad on a season-long loan from Madrid in July 2019, which marked his third temporary move away from Santiago Bernabeu since his arrival in the Spanish capital four years prior.

The Norwegian was a big hit at the Anoeta as he contributed four goals and six assists to help Imanol Alguacil's side finish sixth in La Liga, and also played a key role in their run to the Copa Del Rey final, which has been postponed until supporters are allowed to return to stadiums.

Madrid sent the 21-year-old to Sociedad with the option to either extend his loan by an extra year or bring him back to the Bernabeu at the end of the 2019-20 season.

Monreal says the Blancos initially decided to let Odegaard remain in San Sebastian, before performing a U-turn which left the whole squad disappointed.

The Sociedad defender was, however, pleasantly surprised to see Silva join the club from Manchester City after the Madrid loanee's departure, as he told The Guardian: “It was quick. Martin Odegaard was going to stay: that’s what they’d said.

“But then Madrid decided to take him back. That hurt. We were left a little ‘orphaned’ by it, but the club handled it very, very well and above all very fast. 

"In less than two days we’d gone from losing Odegaard to signing Silva. You have to applaud that.”

Monreal added on Silva moving to the Anoeta after calling time on a hugely successful 10-year spell at the Etihad Stadium: “I’d heard the club was working on a signing but it never crossed my mind that it could be David.

“One day I was flicking through the sports press: ‘David Silva signs for Real Sociedad.’ 

“It was a shock. He’d been at City 10 years, the talk was of Lazio or leaving Europe. There are loads of places he could have gone.”

Silva's presence has helped Sociedad reach even greater heights at the start of the current campaign, with Alguacil's men sitting top of La Liga on 23 points after their first 10 fixtures.

“When I signed, I knew the club, the players, and knew we would play good football, that we’d be high up,” Monreal said of the Basque outfit's recent progress.

"But honestly, not this high. I encountered a better team than expected.

"In depth, this is probably the best squad I’ve been in. We’ve made a leap in quality this season.”

Asked if Sociedad can keep up their current form to mount a genuine title challenge, Monreal responded: “No one knows. Look, logically, the favourites are Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico.

"Ask anyone. But I saw Leicester win the [Premier] league. Everyone said ‘they’ll slip away, they’ll slip away, they’ll slip away’ and they didn’t slip away.

“It’s nice looking at the table but let’s see where we are tomorrow, what we’re fighting for in February, March. If we reach week 30 still up there, wonderful.

"And if so, us veterans will have a role to play. All that’s on our mind is to enjoy this. But one thing I’m clear about: we don’t fear any team; we don’t feel inferior to anyone.”

Manchester City have been warned off a move for Lionel Messi by Barcelona presidential hopeful Victor Font, with the La Liga giants still confident that they can convince a talismanic presence to stay put.

As things stand, an exit door at Camp Nou still remains ajar.

Messi, who pushed for a move over the summer, is yet to commit to fresh terms in Catalunya.

As his current deal is due to expire in 2021, the mercurial Argentine will be free to discuss pre-contract terms with any of his many suitors from January.

Premier League giants City are said to head that queue, with former Barca boss Guardiola seeing a reunion with Messi mooted.

Font, though, believes a six-time Ballon d’Or winner can be kept in his current surroundings, with Ferran Soriano – CEO at the Etihad Stadium – told to turn his attention elsewhere.

“I already told him (Soriano) to forget about Messi, to look for alternatives to win the Champions League, because Messi will continue with us and we will win the Champions League,” Font told L'Esportiu de Catalunya.

Barcelona worked hard to keep their club captain at Camp Nou during the last window, with the 33-year-old made aware that an exit clause in his contract was no longer valid.

That stance frustrated Messi, with an unfortunate situation doing none of those concerned any favours.

Asked how he viewed a remarkable saga, Font said: “With sadness. We have enjoyed Messi for so many years that we are not aware of what he has been and what he is.

“Getting into a situation where the best player in history, not for lack of love at the club, wants to leave, generates frustration.”

Pressed on whether Messi’s stance can be reversed, Font added: “It is one of the reasons why it is urgent for a new project to come to govern the club.

“We can guarantee you a competitive, winning project, which is what you need. He wants to win and he certainly wants to do it at Barca, because he is Catalan.”

Barcelona are due to hold their next round of presidential elections on January 24, with Font a strong favourite to gain control of a boardroom that Josep Maria Bartomeu has vacated.

Plans are already being drawn up for a new regime, with Font reiterating his desire to bring club legend Xavi back to the club in a managerial capacity – despite Ronald Koeman currently occupying the dugout.

He said: “I know that Messi likes this leadership of Xavi in the whole sports project.

“Beyond the fact that I would have to make him understand that this new project would not lead to the problems he has had in the past, we must also show him that the Barca-Messi association is strategic and must last beyond the day he retires. I think we will convince him.”