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Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold knows his side will be targeted this season as they look to defend their Premier League title. 

Jurgen Klopp's side ended their league drought last season in emphatic fashion and begin their new campaign on Saturday at Anfield against Leeds United. 

The Reds' success over the past 18 months means they have become a benchmark in England and Alexander-Arnold believes the club must remain focused on themselves to ensure they are ready for the bigger challenges to come. 

"For us it's not about topping the points that we got or scoring more goals, it's about if we can all develop as a team and keep winning," Alexander-Arnold told Sky Sports News.

"We need to keep that mentality, that is the main thing that helped us get this far.

"We know that there's now a big target on our backs being the champions and teams are going to be extra motivated when they play us, so we need to match that mentality and take it to the next step.

"Winning it back-to-back is harder than winning it once." 

The 21-year-old was recently named the PFA Young Player of the Year after another strong season that saw him contribute 13 Premier League assists and chip in with four goals. 

Despite those statistics, Alexander-Arnold is no longer flying under the radar and has had to adapt to the increased attention being given to him on the pitch. 

"Towards the second half of last season, or even the final quarter after everything that happened, I found it a little bit tougher to find the space and have that freedom," he said.

"I found myself getting man-marked a few more times in games, which I wasn't used to. When you pose a threat to the opposition, they look at it and try and stop it from happening. In my mind, if that's happened to me it means that I'm doing something right.

"I can only try and keep doing that. Every season you've got to adapt and change your ways because everyone is improving. You can't stay the same, you've got to keep improving.

"For me personally and for the team, we have to adapt to the new situation and adapt quickly."

Danny Drinkwater has vowed to 'clean himself up' following a dramatic few years that has seen his career stall significantly at Chelsea. 

The 30-year-old's future with the Blues appears be to all but over after the club opted not to assign him a number for the coming campaign with new signing Thiago Silva taking Drinkwater's former number six jersey.

Drinkwater joined Chelsea in 2017 from Leicester after helping the Foxes to their surprise Premier League title but he has failed to cement himself in the squad and has been caught up in trouble off the pitch. 

From a drink-driving charge and an incident in a nightclub to reportedly headbutting a team-mate while on loan at Aston Villa, things simply haven't gone to plan for the midfielder, who accepts he's got to start turning his career around. 

"I have taken a good look at myself loads of times," Drinkwater told the Telegraph. "I told myself that I needed to clean myself up big time.

"I had a wake-up call after the drink-driving, another wake-up call after the nightclub and then another wake-up call after the incident at Villa. Then it's like, this has got to stop.

"I won't use Chelsea as an excuse for the drink-driving. Obviously, my mental state wasn't the best, but it was ridiculous and it should never have happened.

"There were a few things going on then away from football, my nan and grandad passed away quite close together and, this might sound daft to anyone who doesn't have a dog, but my dog passed away and that hurt me. It was all part of the sticky patch.

"For everything to come in a short space of time with my career not going to plan was too much for me. It hit me."

Though contracted to Chelsea until 2022, Drinkwater is determined to force through a move as soon as possible and believes finding somewhere he can play regularly will help him on and off the pitch. 

"I've got loads more to give. I'm open to going abroad, even though it will be difficult with my son," he said. 

"I need an anchor and I need to sort out one side of my life, so if I can sort my football out, even if it is abroad, then that will help in the long term.

"It probably all comes down to patience and trust with me. I need to change for it to work, otherwise I'll be stuck in this vicious circle.

"If I can trust people who are good at their job and be patient then I can only see me building my career back up now. I can't see me staying in this situation. No chance."

Eight clubs will compete in the finals of the maiden African Women's Champions League which commences in 2021, according to the Confederation of African Football (Caf) on Thursday.

The development was among the outcome of several decisions reached by the Caf Executive Committee during its meeting on Thursday in Cairo, Egypt.

In June, Caf decided to launch the Women's Champions League as part of its strategic plan to grow the women's game but stakeholders were concerned as to what the format will look like.

The African football governing body confirmed eight clubs will take part in the finals with one each emerging from the six zones, and an additional team picked from a wild card to join the hosts.

Caf also confirmed the zone with the hosts will produce two teams for the maiden edition but one in future editions of the event.

"Each of the Six Caf Zones will organize qualifiers to determine the finalists for the eight-team tournament," Caf wrote on its website.

"The breakdown is as one team from each zone, one team from the host country and one additional team.

"For the maiden edition, the zonal union of the host country will have two representatives. 

"However, for subsequent editions, the host country will have only one representative whilst the Zonal Union of the defending champion will qualify two teams.

"Format of the competition, the eight qualified teams will be drawn into two groups of four teams each in accordance with the regulations.

"The competition will be held annually and during the second half of the year."

In a related development, Caf has also confirmed the African Women's Cup of Nations, previously staged in November-December, will now be held in July for the 2022 edition.

The latest could cause a possible clash of women's tournaments, with the annually held Champions League scheduled for the same period of the year.

Namungo FC striker Blaise Bigirimana has stated he wants to take the Golden Boot from Simba SC forward Meddie Kagere.

The Rwanda attacker has been dominating for the past two seasons and scored 23 and 22 goals respectively to finish on top of the best scorers' table. The Burundi attacker has now set a target of winning the Golden Boot this season and dislodge his compatriot from the top.

"In the last two seasons, Kagere has been the top scorer [in the Tanzania Mainland League]," Bigirimana told Mwanaspoti.

"This time around I want to win it as well; I have the ability and potential to do so and I have been training to get prepared for it.

"With enough cooperation from my teammates, scoring will not be a problem for me. I will also work harder in training to convince [the technical bench] to give me a starting berth in the team on a regular basis."

The 28-year-old was on target when Namungo FC played Coastal Union in their 2020/21 Tanzania Mainland League season-opening game, a match the hosts won by a solitary goal.

Meanwhile, the club's head coach Thierry Hitimana has revealed his team will miss up to four key players in their next assignment.

Namungo managed to get maximum points in their opening game, but the tactician states the current condition of his charges is worrying him.

"Edward [Charles Manyama] and Hashim Manyanya are nursing ankle injuries while Carlos Protus has a thigh injury," Hitimana revealed to Mwanaspoti.

"Stephen Duah was injured in the Community Shield game against Simba SC [where Namungo lost 2-0].

"These [injured] players are worrying me since they are key players in my first team and I will miss them in our next game against Polisi Tanzania."

Namungo had a relatively good 2019/20 season where they finished fourth in the league. They graced the FA Cup final where they narrowly lost to the league champions Wekundu Wa Msimbazi.

However, by reaching the Cup finals, they secured their ticket for the Caf Confederation Cup competition this season.

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Junior Khanye is against the potential appointment of Gavin Hunt as Ernst Middendorp’s successor.

The Soweto giants announced the German tactician’s departure on Wednesday and media reports suggest the four-time Premier Soccer League (PSL) winner is leading the race to get the job.

However, the retired player wants Maritzburg United manager Eric Tinkler to take over and restore confidence at Naturena.

“If Chiefs appoint Hunt, they will be missing the point because there is nothing he will do for the club,” Khanye was quoted by Isolezwe.

“He will sign a lot of players as he did at Wits but end up not winning trophies. Out of all those players, we don’t know if they will be able to stand the weight of the Chiefs jersey because not any player can be able to wear it.

“I think players are born to wear that jersey. The skill and hard work are not enough at Chiefs. You need to be brave, be able to stand against the challenges, and the hunger to win trophies.”

On the other hand, speculation is rife that the likes of Highlands Park coach Owen Da Gama and Hunt are earmarked for the role, but the legend wants the Team of Choice boss.

“Chiefs must open their pockets and get Eric Tinkler. He must be assisted by Dan Malesela. The two coaches can be able to restore Chiefs’ style,” he added.

“They can also bring back confidence to the players. Tinkler has proven his worth. He has shown that he knows what he is doing – Chiefs need that calibre.

“Firstly, Chiefs must be humble and bring back Farouk Khan to head the development sides. He will be the one that can hire coaches that will work with different age groups such as Zipho Dlangalala, Sam Mbatha, Mandla Mazibuko, and Simon Ngomane.

“All these coaches learned a lot from Ted Dumitru on how to play and retain the ball.”

Although a number of coaches are linked with the coaching hot seat at Naturena, it remains to be seen if Amakhosi will eventually hire a South African manager.

In addition, they have also parted ways with Middendorp’s assistant and Bafana Bafana legend Shaun Bartlett whose departure was announced on Thursday.

James Rodriguez says he was attracted to Everton by their ambition to win trophies and is aiming to help end the club's long wait for silverware.

The 29-year-old completed a surprise switch to Goodison Park on Monday for a reported fee of  £20million ($25.7m) after falling out of favour at Real Madrid.

He has won an array of team and individual honours, including two Champions Leagues, and was one of the stars of the 2014 World Cup as Colombia reached the quarter-finals.

That is in stark contrast to Everton's recent exploits, the Merseyside club having gone 25 years since beating Manchester United in the FA Cup final for their last major trophy.

However, with midfield pair Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan also being brought in, James insists Everton can achieve something special under Carlo Ancelotti.

"I've come here to this top club to achieve big things," he said ahead of Sunday's trip to Tottenham.  "I think the club means business.

"A club that's serious about wanting good things to happen. It's got a lot of history and is a big name. I'm here to do well and I think we're able to do that together.

"There's a lot of serious-minded people in the club at all levels who are determined to achieve, and that will mean winning trophies. 

"It won't happen overnight – it's a long-term project. But I've seen signs we can make progress. Trophies are definitely more than a possibility."

Ancelotti played a key part in James' decision to join Everton, with the pair having worked together at Madrid and Bayern Munich.

"He has influenced me a lot. It's great to be back having a chance to work with the manager once again," James said. 

"We enjoyed a great season together in 2014 and got on well as a manager and player. It's been such a good choice to reunite with the manager."

Everton endured another underwhelming campaign last time out, finishing down in 12th place despite a mini revival when Ancelotti replaced Marco Silva in December.

But the veteran Italian coach, who like James boasts a number of major honours, believes he now has a strong enough squad to compete for a place in the top six.

"The goal we want to achieve is to fight for the first positions in the Premier League, to be able to reach Europe for the next season," he said. 

"The goal is quite clear, we have this desire, this ambition, and I think we can achieve it.

"Our fans want a club and a team that is competitive in the Premier League and so I think that we can satisfy this desire this season and we're going to do our best for this.

"The players that arrived understood that we have a project with ambition for the future. 

"This is also the reason they decided and are happy to come here and be here now. They are going to work to give their best for the club."

Asked if supporters can expect any more arrivals before the window closes next month, Ancelotti said: "With these three signings we did a fantastic job. 

"The market will be closed on October 5. There are going to be some opportunities and we can look for this. But honestly, I'm satisfied with the squad in this moment."

Football has now returned following a three-month suspension starting in March due to the outbreak of Covid-19 globally, with club action resuming in September.

Due to the high threat that Covid-19 still poses, however, safety measures will be firmly in place following the start of the domestic season, with no fans allowed in the stadium for matchday one and all Premier League players and club staff members required to get tested for the virus regularly.

Goal has what you need to know about Covid-19 testing within the Premier League.

How often do Premier League players get tested for Covid-19?

Following the buildup to the initial restart of the Premier League in June, each player and member of club staff had been tested twice a week for coronavirus, according to the Independent.

Every Premier League club had been given 80 tests to enable the testing of 40 player and staff per week.

Now, however, it is understood that testing has been reduced from twice a week to once a week closer to the start of the 2020-21 season, report FourFourTwo.

The Premier League are expected to take another review of their Covid-19 policy at the end of September, and will re-evaluate testing measures before implementing further changes to testing.

A slew of players had tested positive following their return to club training after their summer break, with some players going on holiday or international duty.

Manchester City pair Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte had both tested positive for the virus.

Additionally, regular temperature checks and the filling out of medical questionnaires are required on a regular basis.

What happens if a Premier League player tests positive?

Players or club staff who have tested positive for coronavirus will self-isolate and quarantine for a period of 10 days.

“If a player tests positive, it’s only him and his family who need to isolate, not anybody else,” confirmed the Premier League’s medical advisor, Dr Mark Gillett.

Covid-19 testing protocol lies in accordance with UK government guidelines.

Similarly, if players or staff members show symptoms of Covid-19 but test negative, they will still need to self-isolate.

The Premier League official website release the results of their administered tests on a weekly basis, but do not name specific individuals who have tested positive.

What is the testing procedure for Covid-19?

Covid-19 testing procedures involve a nasal swab taken from the back of the throat through the nasal airways.

These samples from players and club staff are sent to The Doctors Laboratory, a private facility in London, where the analysis is completed and delivered to the Premier League.

Results will be made available within 48 hours.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) midfielder Mukoko Tonombe has revealed why he has complete faith in their capability of lifting the Mainland Premier League title.

Yanga have not touched the title since surrendering it to arch-rivals Simba SC three seasons ago but Tonombe has said they have a team capable of winning it again.

They had fought to a 1-1 draw with Tanzania Prisons in the season-opening fixture and the midfielder feels the result should not worry their fans at all.

“People are worried about the draw? No, tell them to be calm because this is the best team. We are going to win in the best way possible,” Tonombe told Mwanaspoti.

“This is a good team which I do not have any doubt about its quality. For now, it is a matter of time. This is a team that is being built and it would have been worse if we were to be defeated in the opening match.

“We played fantastically and it is only that the goals did not go in but I know we are going to get a lot of them going forward.

“We have very experienced players and those who are less experienced are going to gain it and that is what is called a team. We have a team that is capable of winning the league, no doubt about that.

“Every player here wants to see that we come together and win because that is a big step when you are in a team like Yanga. Yes, we did not win the last game, but they [rivals] are going to find it tough in the next matches.”

The former AS Vita player – who took the position of ex-Yanga captain Papy Tshishimbi in the team, did not start the Prisons game but was introduced later on alongside Tuisila Kisinda.

Meanwhile, Yanga’s deputy chairperson Frederick Mwakalebela has revealed the key areas Senzo Mazingisa is going to offer his advice on.

The South African joined Yanga from Simba and is expected to offer administrative advice especially on the consultancy agreement the club reached with both Sevilla and La Liga.

“His [Mazingisa] main role is to offer technical advice especially in regard to the agreement we entered into with La Liga,” Mwakalebela told Mwanaspoti.

“A lot has been done since he joined Yanga but the main job is the advice on the technical management of the club, the day to day programmes, and chairing the legal committee.”

Golden Arrows forward Knox Mutizwa says he is discussing with his management to push for a move to Europe.

Mutizwa who turns 27 in October arrived in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in 2016 after signing for Bidvest Wits but limited game time saw him switching to Arrows in August 2017.

Having also cemented his place in the Zimbabwe national team, Mutizwa says it is now time for him to step into bigger challenges in Europe.

“My wish when I was growing up was to play in Europe and that is the dream that I’m still pursuing,” Mutizwa told The Chronicle.

“I think it’s now time for me to consider moving to Europe having spent four years here in South Africa. It’s my dream to play in Europe and I’ve had discussions with my management and said let us first consider the offer from Europe. 

“If I go to Europe I know that my game will greatly improve as I will learn a lot that side. After that, I would want to bring back what I learnt to the national team and effectively compete to become a regular starter in the Warriors.

“Competition in the national team is very stiff because we have a number of deadly strikers. I, therefore, have to work very hard to be considered.”

In the national team, he has been competing for a place with the likes of captain and former Kaizer Chiefs star Knowledge Musona, Tino Kadewere and Evans Rusike.

Mutizwa finished the just-ended PSL campaign with 13 league goals. He was tied on 13 goals together with Cape Town City’s Kermit Erasmus and Bongi Ntuli of AmaZulu as well as Chiefs' Samir Nurkovic.

This season’s tally is an improvement for Mutizwa who managed eight goals last term after he scored seven in the previous campaign.

Mutizwa’s keenness to play in Europe could be highlighted by his turning down a “lucrative" contract offer from a Sudanese side according to The Chronicle.

Other PSL clubs have also reportedly approached the player who hails from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Simba SC head coach Sven Vandenbroeck has given an ultimatum to his players ahead of the 2020/21 Caf Champions League.

Vandenbroeck wants his players to work harder and ensure they collect as many points as possible in the Mainland Premier League before turning attention to continental football.

Simba will represent Tanzania in the Champions League whereas Namungo FC will take part in the Confederation Cup.

“After having good times last season, I would like to see my players retain the kind of hunger they had because if you win many titles, the hunger of success seems to go down,” Vandenbroeck told Mwanaspoti.

“We want to continue and pick up from where we left and show the urgency that we showed last season. One can think the first matches of the season are not hard as players might reason they are still in pre-season but that is not the case.

“We must collect as many points as possible before we engage in the Caf Champions League, that is very important. We also have to be certain of killing matches early enough.

“We had, together with our fans, an incredible time last season as we won all the domestic titles and for sure everyone was happy. But the fans must understand that getting all the titles in every season is not easy.”

Former Tanzania Prisons coach Mohamed Adolf Rishard echoed Vandenbroeck’s statement and said Wekundu wa Msimbazi must work even harder than they did last time out.

“The players must understand what the coach is saying because the chances of underperforming after an excellent season are always high,” the former Tanzania international told Mwanaspoti.

“The players must fight and keep in mind that they are the team which will represent the nation in the Champions League.

“They need not relax at all."

Tanzanian coach Mrage Kabange supported the Belgian's argument but also called on the fans to be realistic in their ambitions.

“Vandenbroeck is very right because teams have always found it hard to replicate the kind of previous success in the following seasons,” Kabange said.

“Look at Liverpool, they won the Premier League title but I am not very sure whether they will be champions again because every team is eager to beat them.

“The fans must also be ready and do away with the thought that big teams must not be defeated by small teams. They must understand that all the teams are participants in a league contest.”

Simba will face Mtibwa Sugar in Morogoro on Sunday after the 2-1 season-opening victory against Ihefu FC.

Ines Nehry scored the winner for Gyeongju as they secured a 1-0 win at Suwon in Thursday's South Korean WK League encounter.

The Cote d'Ivoire international had arrived at Gyeongju Civic Stadium from Turkish side Besiktas in 2018 and has continued to impress to help the Korean giants to a fine run this season.

Before Thursday's fixture, the Ivorian had scored two goals in 12 outings and last registered a goal in a 2-1 win at Seoul on August 10.

Nehry struck the winner in the 35th minute to ensure her Korean side record their fifth consecutive victories this season.

Nehry was involved in the match from the start to finish along with her compatriot Josee Nahi, who also played for the duration.

Both of them have now scored three goals each in 13 matches for Gyeongju this season.

The victory keeps Gyeongju four points adrift of leaders Incheon Red Angels with 20 points from 13 matches.

Up next, Gyeongju will aim to close the gap on the Incheon when they take on fifth-placed side Gumi Sportstoto on September 14.

Europe’s top goalscorers’ charts were dominated by more experienced strikers in 2019-20, with Ciro Immobile and Robert Lewandowksi leading the way.

The 30-year-old Immobile won the European Golden Shoe thanks to his 36 Serie A goals for Lazio, while 32-year-old Lewandowski ran him close with 34 – and 55 in all competitions.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Jamie Vardy and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also having familiarly prolific seasons, six of the top 10 league goalscorers in Europe were aged 30 or above.

Former Lazio striker and Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Doll thinks he understands why, telling Sport Bild: “The medical care, the training preparation, the training design has completely changed in the last 10 years.

“A big plus of the older strikers is their inner calm. They have already experienced those ups and downs in their careers and no longer drive themselves crazy if they fail to score two games in a row, or when there is a negative headline about them in the newspaper.

“They just turn the page, while a younger player stops and wonders whether he is in crisis.”

Immobile is fast establishing himself as a club legend at Lazio, scoring 125 goals in 178 games in the last four seasons after disappointing at Dortmund.

In his only full season at the club before being sent out on loan, he managed just three goals in 24 Bundesliga games.

“It didn't work out for Ciro in Dortmund because he didn't get acclimatised there,” Doll said.

“Dortmund are a club that takes incredible care of their players, but he didn’t manage to get used to it.

“In the beginning, the language was certainly a major obstacle for him. In addition, the expectation on a goalscorer who had come from Torino for a big transfer fee was extremely high.

“When it wasn’t working at the beginning, Ciro must have looked at the newspapers. There was something like "wrong purchase".

“That may have weighed on him and slowed him down; he got into a negative spiral. It’s a shame for BVB and for the Bundesliga, but especially for Immobile because he couldn't show what he was made of in Germany.

“That's why it's so nice that football writes these stories and that he exploded at Lazio.”

AmaZulu general manager Lunga Sokhela has confirmed they will engage former Kaizer Chiefs defender Tsepo Masilela following the end of his contract with the Durban-based club.

The veteran left-back saw his deal coming to an end after the 2019/20 Premier Soccer League (PSL) season and Sokhela explains they are happy with the 35-year-old’s contribution.

Moreover, Usuthu announced the signing of winger Sicelo Mkhize from Jomo Cosmos and Samkelo Mgwazela from neighbours, Golden Arrows.

“We’re going to be engaging Mr Tsepo Masilela. We feel he’s one of the players that have really played a critical leadership role within the squad,” Sokhela told the media.

“He’s come here and brought all that experience into the squad which has assisted us greatly.

“We will be engaging in the next couple of days about continuing with us further. So, we really have been happy with his contribution.”

As they have retained the services of coach Ayanda Dlamini on a three-year deal, AmaZulu have confirmed the arrivals of Mkhize and Mgwazela from Ezenkosi and Abafana Bes'thende respectively.

"When it comes to any new signings, we can confirm that we have Mr Somila Ntsundwana, he was on loan to Royal Eagles and he will be rejoining us," he added.

"We’ve signed Sicelo Mkhize. We signed him on a pre-contract from Jomo Cosmos. We also signed Mgwazela, he’s a youngster. We signed him from the Golden Arrows MDC [MultiChoice Diski Challenge] team.

"He will be joining us this year as well, probably playing a lot of games in the MDC, but we think he is a quality youngster and may feature in the main team as well.

"In the goalkeeping department we have Jean-Noel Amonome, he was also on loan to Royal Eagles. He will be coming back to us to give us back-up in the goalkeeping position."

Coming to some of the payers they plan to offload, the experienced administrator shared an update as they have also parted ways with former Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Moeneeb Josephs who served as Dlamini’s assistant coach.

"There are some youngsters that were on loan and we’ll be making a decision on them such as Sbu Maluleke [Eagles] and Mr Xolani Silawula, who was on loan at Uthongathi," continued Sokhela.

Under the former striker’s guidance, AmaZulu survived the relegation battle and finished at number 13 with 30 points from 30 games.

Barcelona’s next presidential elections will take place on March 20-21, 2021, the club have confirmed.

Current incumbent Jose Maria Bartomeu, heavily criticised in recent months for his role in Barcelona’s declining fortunes on the pitch, will be replaced as he is not seeking re-election.

However, Bartomeu could find himself ousted before March with a vote of no confidence having received more than 7,500 signatures from Barca members.

16,520 of the 140,000 current members would need to sign the vote by September 14 in order for it to be successful. Election candidates Victor Font and Joan Laporta are both reported to have signed, with fellow candidate Jordi Farre having confirmed his signature to Goal.

If it is not successful, Bartomeu will remain in place until the election in March.

In a short statement, Barcelona confirmed that votes will be able to be cast in a number of locations over the whole weekend as a social distancing measure during the coronavirus pandemic, with postal votes also permitted.

It has also been revealed that the next Ordinary Assembly of the club’s members will take place on October 25 – the day of the next Clasico against Real Madrid at Camp Nou.

That date is subject to change if the pandemic prevents the meeting from going ahead.

The club also released its first public estimate of the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with an estimated 30 per cent reduction of income compared to 2019, when a record turnover of €1 billion (£900m/$1.2bn) was projected. That equates to a reduction of around €315m (£290m/$372m) in relation to the 2019-20 season.

Presidential candidate Farre has said Lionel Messi’s recent attempt to leave the club, and his exclusive interview with Goal explaining his reasons for staying, have hastened the desire for change at the club.

"Messi said there is no project and the board lied to him, all 'socios' should sign the motion of censure," Farre said.

"The signature collection got hurried after Messi's quotes to Goal, the rhythm got doubled after it, maybe he should have used another strategy but the important thing is he is staying and I still think it is possible to convince him to sign another renewal.”

French Ligue 2 side Amiens have announced the signing of Molla Wague on a season-long loan from Nantes.

The 29-year-old midfielder teamed up with the Canaries in 2019 after ending his two-year stay with Italian club Udinese.

The Mali international only featured in nine Ligue 1 games for Christian Gourcuff’s men last campaign and has joined the Unicorns to enjoy more playing time.

“Amiens SC is pleased to announce the arrival at the club of Molla Wague, in the form of a loan, from FC Nantes,” read a statement from the club website.

“He will bring his experience to Luka Elsner's squad for the coming season.”

Wague started his career with Les Andelys academy and played for Romilly Pont Saint-Pierre, Rouen and Caen youth teams.

The midfielder was promoted to the Vikings senior team in 2010 and featured 49 times for the side before leaving for Spain to join Granada in 2014.

Wague did not make a single league appearance for the Nasrids as he spent his time on loan with Udinese and Leicester City.

The 29-year-old signed for the White and Blacks permanently in the summer of 2017 but also spent most of his time away from the club on loan.

Wague featured for Championship clubs Watford and Nottingham Forest before he permanently signed for Nantes.

The midfielder featured for France U19 team before he switched his allegiance to Mali, making his international debut in 2013.

Wague has since made 39 appearances for the West Africans and was part of the side to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa.

The midfielder could make his debut for Amiens when they take on Paris FC in their next league game on September 12.

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani says the club are aiming to challenge the Premier League's top six within the next three years.

The Whites returned to the top-flight after a 16-year absence by winning the Championship last season, having narrowly missed out on promotion in 2018-19.

Marcelo Bielsa has worked wonders since taking the top job at Elland Road two years ago, instilling fresh belief into a squad that had previously been devoid of confidence while successfully implementing his own philosophy on the pitch.

Leeds will mark their return to the top-flight with a glamour fixture against reigning Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, and Radrizzani is hoping that they can start building towards a bright future by avoiding an immediate return to English football's second tier.

The Italian businessman wants to see the Whites gradually make their way up towards the top half of the table over the next few years, as he told the Associated Press: "I hope we can stay in the Premier League for two years.

"After that first cycle of two years, I think we will be ready to step up and close the gap with the bigger teams. Obviously, my objective, if I look at a period of three, five years, is to be just behind the top six."

Leeds have spent over £50 million ($65m) on new players during the current transfer window, with £30m ($39m) spent on club-record signing Rodrigo, who moved to Elland Road from Valencia last month.

The Yorkshire based outfit have also been linked with the likes of Edinson Cavani and Julien Draxler, but Radrizzani is wary of disrupting the harmony within the dressing room by making too many changes.

Asked if there will be any further arrivals at the club this summer, the 46-year-old added: "For sure we can invest more, but I think we need to be sensitive about how to go because it´s not always guaranteed that money brings results.

"You have seen last season Aston Villa invested and didn't get relegated in the last game. So good for them, but they were very close. On the other side, Sheffield United invest less and were nonth. So, football is not just about money, it´s about the project and the style to play, the cohesion of the players, the motivation, the mental approach to the game.

"We work at the moment to select players that fit with our system and they fit with the demanding process that Marcelo Bielsa has in place. We chose a lot of hard workers, commitment and discipline, respect. So we identify players that match with this characteristic. We need to be very careful."

Radrizzani went on to dismiss any possibility of qualifying for Europe or emulating Leicester's 2015-16 title winners in the near future, as he added: "It´s impossible. It would be wrong to do it because there is no foundation to do that.

"So obviously, there are teams that have done an unbelievable story like Leicester, but Leicester is an example also of stability and sustainability over time. I think we need to be realistic about what our possibilities are now, and our objective is to stay in the Premier League."