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The agent of former Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva has claimed that the Ligue 1 champions “lost two years” of progress when they appointed Unai Emery as their head coach.

The Spaniard arrived in France after enjoying great success in Spain with Sevilla, where he won three Europa League titles.

Such triumphs would not follow him to the French capital, however. Under his guidance, PSG claimed two domestic trebles but twice failed at the Champions League at the last-16 stage, notably giving away a 4-0 first-leg advantage to Barcelona in a matchnow known as the infamous ‘Remontada’.

Emery was subsequently not retained and under Thomas Tuchel, the Parisians have enjoyed something of a bounce. Last season under the German, they reached the final of the Champions League before falling narrowly to Bayern Munich 1-0 in Lisbon.

Paulo Tonietto believes they would have reached that goal more swiftly had they not appointed Emery in the first place.

“PSG lost two years the day they recruited him,” the agent told L’Equipe. “His problem is that he has trouble managing the stars.  In Paris, it was the players who solved the situation after Neymar and [Edinson] Cavani clashed on-field over a penalty. When he went to Arsenal, the first player he got angry with was Mesut Ozil

“He's a good coach to play in the Europa League, not the Champions League. The suit was too big for him. He was a terrible coach for PSG. 

“If there had been a coach of another calibre during these two years, PSG would have already won the Champions League.”

Tonietto also reflected on the 6-1 second-leg loss to Barcelona, a match in which Silva’s performance came under question.

“The person foremost responsible for the Remontada is Emery,” the agent said. “He put Angel Di Maria on the bench. When he came on, the team played better before the final collapse.

“Against Real Madrid in a 3-1 loss in 2018? Emery made bad changes by putting Dani Alves through the middle to bring in Thomas Meunier. At the same time, Zinedine Zidane brought on Marco Asensio, who was decisive.”

Tuchel was a notable ally of Thiago Silva, campaigning for him to stay at the club even after his contract expired following the Champions League final. The Brazil international has since signed for Chelsea.

Cameroon striker Henrietta Akaba will lead Minsk when they take on South Africa striker Rhoda Mulaudzi's Dinamo-BSUPC in the Belarusian Women's Cup final in the Belarusian capital on Monday.

It is a match which will see the defending champions take on a side which was launched earlier this year.

It will also be their third meeting in all competitions this year, with Dinamo claiming 1-0 at home and 2-1 away victories in the previous two encounters in the ongoing domestic league campaign.

To reach the finals, Minsk eliminated Neman on a 2-0 aggregate semi-final win, while Dinamo bounced out nine-time record winners Bobruichanka after a 12-3 victory on aggregate last month.

Back-to-back defeats to Dinamo have seen Minsk's dominance in Belarus hugely threatened by the emergence of Maleyew Yury's team, who hold a nine-point lead on the league log. 

Ahead of Monday's showdown, Minsk will be without their biggest asset and 2019 Belarus Women's Player of the Year, Emuidzhi Oghiabekhva for the first time since 2016, who left this month.

Besides Nigeria's Oghiabekhva, compatriot Chioma Wogu will also be missing for Minsk, due to injury, but they are now set to unleash their new signing Akaba against Dinamo.

While Akaba will lead Minsk's attack, compatriot defender Alvine Njolle and Cote d'Ivoire midfielder Nadege Cisse will be key in their quest to avoid losing out on the Cup title for the first time since 2013.

On the other hand, Dinamo are aiming to celebrate their first-ever domestic title and also maintain their incredible winning streak of 19 consecutive wins in all competitions this season.

They boast of five Africans in Cameroon's Claudia Dabda along with joint-top scorer Salimata Simpore from Burkina Faso and South Africa trio Rhoda Mulaudzi, Bambanani Mbane, Lebogang Ramalepe.

With head-to-head advantage over Minsk, Dinamo will hope to prove their mettle by ending their rivals' dominance at the Dinamo Stadium.

While Minsk will need to rediscover their winning mentality to derail Dinamo's maiden title dream, as they look destined to lose the race to retain the league crown with six games left to go.

On Monday evening, history will be made as Minsk eye their ninth title to equal Bobruichanka's record, while Dinamo are seeking to become the eight different winner of the competition since 1992.

Mark Bosnich has backed Dean Henderson to take the No 1 jersey from David de Gea at Manchester United.

Henderson returned to Old Trafford last week after an impressive two-year loan spell at Sheffield United, and committed to fresh terms which will see him remain at Old Trafford until 2025.

The 23-year-old told United's official website after the announcement was made: "The faith that the manager and the club have shown in me with this contract means a lot to me and will continue my progression as a goalkeeper. I’ll be giving everything to improve every day so that I can play as many games as possible for this great club."

De Gea has been the Red Devils first-choice shot-stopper for the best part of eight years, but a dip in form over the past two seasons has seen his reliability between the sticks questioned.

The Spain international made several high-profile errors in 2019-20, most notably during the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, with suggestions now that Solskjaer should look to replace him in order for United to start challenging the elite once again.

Bosnich, who had two spells in goal for United during his playing days, thinks Henderson has been brought back to do exactly that, as he told Sky Sports: "The fact that he’s signed such a long-term deal, he’s obviously part of their long-term plans.

"Whether or not it’ll be at the start of the season, I think at some time during next season – unless De Gea starts off and he’s doing absolutely fantastic – I do believe that Dean Henderson will take over.

"Obviously De Gea, over the last 12 months, hasn’t been quite the goalkeeper he is and I believe that now the contract is done and signed, if De Gea continues his in and out form, that Dean Henderson will take over.

"The only thing that will stop that is De Gea performing out of his skin if he starts again – and that’s only good for the club either way."

All eyes will be on Solskjaer when he picks his starting XI for United's first game of the new season against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on September 19.

The Red Devils finished third in the Premier League last season, but failed to win a single trophy, and will be expected to push for major honours across all competitions when the action resumes.

Football Kenya Federation (FKF) presidential aspirants led by Sam Nyamweya have confirmed they will give direction on the next course of action on Tuesday just a day after they skipped the nomination exercise.

The four aspirants – Nyamweya, Nicholas Musonye, Twaha Mbarak, and Sammy Sholei – had revealed on Sunday that they will not hand in their papers on Monday, and true to their word they skipped the exercise held at FKF’s Goal Project.

The officials have now confirmed they will hold a major press conference on Tuesday to show the way forward and called on other aspirants to join their course of action because the exercise is already flawed.

“We said we will not present our papers today [Monday] and we have done exactly that,” Nyamweya told Goal on Monday. “Nothing will change, we will not take part in an already rigged exercise, we will instead, follow other channels to have the exercise stopped.

“Apart from the presidential aspirants, even our NEC members have not handed in their papers and that shows you how bad the exercise is being conducted, no one is having faith in the exercise, they have decided to bend the law to favour the incumbent and we will not accept that.

“We don’t care how many years it will take to have the exercise done, but all we need is to have a proper election, with all stakeholders taking part, not a one-sided exercise.”

Mbarak, on his part, told Goal they will issue the way forward in a press conference on Tuesday.

“We are inviting you to the press conference and this is where we will unleash the way forward,” Mbarak told Goal. “We will not accept to go into a contest in an already rigged process, the incumbent has already rigged himself back into the office and it will be a waste of time to participate in the exercise.

“I can assure you we will not stop at that, we already have a case in court challenging the process and we will continue to press and get justice, only the court will be able to help us.”

Mbarak added: “I want to assure you that we will not have an election again, the exercise has been stopped twice and I can assure you, it will be stopped again because FKF has refused to follow the raid down laws.”

The Electoral Board has already set October 17 as the date for the national elections which will be preceded by grassroots polls held across the 47 counties on September 19.

It will be the third time in a year that the FKF will be holding elections. The previous two exercises were nullified by the Sports Disputes Tribunal (SDT) last December and in March this year, with SDT chairman John Ohaga ruling the rules of engagement were flouted on both occasions.

Chelsea legend Petr Cech believes Kepa Arrizabalaga can still succeed at Chelsea despite a poor 2019-20 season that has resulted in speculation the Spaniard may be sold.

Kepa was dropped on numerous occasions during the season by Blues boss Frank Lampard, and was benched for Willy Caballero in the FA Cup final defeat against Arsenal with the club eager to sign a new shot-stopper this summer.

Cech - who played 11 years at Chelsea, winning four Premier League titles and a Champions League - understands Kepa failed to perform last campaign but insists the club retains faith he will a top class goalkeeper in the future.

"Kepa struggled last season, that is unquestionable," Cech - now a technical and performance advisor at Chelsea - told  Sport.cz.

"But the club invested in him and gave him a long-term contract because they believe he has the qualities and attributes to be successful. 

"Additions will be made to the squad, perhaps even in goal, and this is what is being discussed now.

"But nobody is giving up on Kepa and we all hope he has a great future."

Chelsea have experienced a busy transfer window so far, with the likes of Timo Werner, Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Malang Sarr joining the club already, while German playmaker  Kai Havertz is tipped to also sign with the Blues imminently.

With the transfer window open until October, three weeks after the Premier League season begins, Cech believes there is still plenty of movement left for clubs to make as they all bid to navigate the difficult financial situation brought on by coronavirus.

"The issue of reinforcements is now very much alive," Cech said. "The transfer window is until the end of October this year so there will be a lot of changes after the league begins.

"And the question is how much the coronavirus pandemic will affect everything."

Chelsea begin their Premier League campaign with a trip to Brighton, who they drew with 1-1 in a friendly on Saturday.

Their first home match will see champions Liverpool come to Stamford Bridge, before they travel to newly promoted West Brom and host Crystal Palace in a tricky start to the campaign.

Kerala Blasters are in advanced talks with Argentine attacking midfielder Facundo Pereyra as they look to shore up their attack for the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) season, Goal can confirm. 

The Argentine is likely to sign for the Kochi-based club if everything goes to plan.

He started his career in Buenos Aires for Estudiantes in 2006 and remained there until 2009. He was sent out on loan to Chilean professional club Palestino, where he scored once and assisted on two other occassions. 

Pereyra has also played in the Europa League for PAOK Thessaloniki, FK Qabala, and Apollon Limassol. In 16 Europa appearances, he has scored and assisted once. 

His most productive spell came in 2014-15 season for Greece professional side PAOK where he scored 11 goals and provided four assists in 30 appearances. He matched his goal-scoring tally with Limassol in 2018-19 in just 20 games. 

He has remained teammates with former Chennaiyin player Andre Schembri at Limassol in the 2018-19 season. He has also plied his trade in the Mexican premier league, Liga MX, with Necaxa. 

The creative midfielder can also be deployed in the wings as he spent significant time on the wide areas during his stint with PAOK.

Kerala Blasters had signed Colombian defender Oswaldo Henriquez earlier but he decided not to join the club due to fears over the Covid-19 situation. Blasters also had to part ways with Tiri and Bartholomew Ogbeche. With Sergio Cidoncha already in the squad, Pereyra could be the club's second overseas player for the season.

Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) have once again kept faith in the academy after promoting Dominic Ayella to the senior team ahead of the new season.

The 18-year-old striker, who is currently a student at Masaka Secondary School was unveiled by the Lugogo giants on Sunday.

In a classy unveiling ceremony, Ayella, who was scouted by KCCA during the 2019 Copa Coca Cola tournament, was driven in a blue Mercedes Benz with customised number plates, all the way to Lugogo Stadium, where he changed into the yellow jersey and kicked the ball around the stadium.

“It is time to welcome another signing [Dominic Ayella],” the former Ugandan Premier League (UPL) champions wrote on their social media pages.

Ayella has also responded after signing the deal by stating: “I am very happy to have signed for KCCA, looking forward to great memories and winning titles.

“Every finish line is the beginning of a new race...time for real football now!”

KCCA under coach Mike Mutebi has always banked on players from their academy, whom they promote to the senior team at each and every transfer window.

Ayella becomes the club’s eighth signing after Denis Iguma, Charles “Neymar” Lwanga, Italian midfielder Stefano Mazengo Loro, Ashraf Mugume, Brian Aheebwa, and Andrew Samson Kigozi.

In a recent interview, coach Mutebi revealed his main intention was to sign players below 20 years of age because he wants to groom players that can stick at the club for a long time.

“We are interested in players who are in their early 20s because we want to groom players that can stay at the club for some time,” Mutebi told the club’s official website.

“The idea is to give the players long term contracts to keep the team stable if we are to compete at the top level.

“We want to have at least three players in each position and competing at the top level if we are going to meet our goal to compete at the top level especially on the continent.

“When we suffered injuries last season especially with the core of the team, we did not have able replacements. But now that we have at least two to three players in every position I am quite sure we shall compete at the top-level next term.

“I am signing players who I know have potential and who are young and hungry to adapt to the modern way of playing the game the game.”

KCCA will represent Uganda in the Caf Confederation Cup while Vipers SC, who were declared champions for the last campaign, will take part in the Champions League.

Mikel Arteta's unique "philosophy" was clear to see in the Community Shield final, according to Martin Keown, who says the Arsenal boss "deserves a great deal of credit" for delivering the second trophy of his reign at Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners built on their triumph in last season's FA Cup final by picking up another piece of domestic silverware on Saturday.

Arteta's men beat Premier League champions Liverpool after a dramatic contest at Wembley, which ultimately had to be decided via a penalty shoot-out.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's stunning goal opened the scoring with just 12 minutes on the clock, but the Reds eventually found an equaliser through Takumi Minamino deep into the second half.

With no extra time granted in the 2020-21 curtain-raiser, the match went straight to penalties at the end of the 90 minutes, and Liverpool's Rhian Brewster ended up being the only man to fluff his lines from 12 yards.

Aubameyang made the young forward pay for hitting the crossbar by dispatching the winning penalty to wrap up a 5-4 victory for Arsenal, who lifted the Community Shield for a record-breaking 16th time.

Keown was hugely impressed by the Gunners' performance at Wembley, and hailed Arteta for the way he set his side up to beat Liverpool for the second time in two months - with a 2-1 win recorded in the last Premer League meeting between the two sides in July.

The former Arsenal defender wrote in his latest column for the Daily Mail: "Mikel Arteta will happily take this win and he deserves a great deal of credit. In the last 50 days, Arsenal have got the better of Liverpool (twice), Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final and Chelsea in the final.

"The players had only a handful of training sessions together in the build-up, but we saw a well-coached side cause Jurgen Klopp’s team problems.

"You could see the philosophy behind the opening goal as Arsenal went from back to front in less than 20 seconds. There was a real identity to this performance under Arteta.

"His back three was sturdy and you wonder whether that is the system he is ready to stand by.

"Mohamed Elneny came back from his loan at Besiktas looking secure in midfield alongside Granit Xhaka.

"Emiliano Martinez looks worthy of being Arsenal’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Bernd Leno.

"Of course, we’re all wondering whether Aubameyang will stay and, judging by Saturday, it seems more likely that he will.

"This was a good day out for Arteta’s Arsenal."

Keown added on the significance of Arsenal securing back-to-back domestic trophies: "Say what you want about the Community Shield — whether you think it is a trophy or a glorified friendly — but the act of securing silverware is never a bad habit to have."

Tusker FC are on the verge of losing striker Timothy Otieno, who is in Zambia to negotiate a deal with the National Pension Scheme Authority Stars Football Club (Napsa FC).

The Kenya international was in a fine form for the Brewers in the abandoned 2019/20 season, scoring 14 goals to finish top of the goal scorer's chat. It is for this reason the Zambian outfit have shown interest in him and are keen on securing his services ahead of the new season.

"It is true Otieno has left, he is in Zambia to negotiate a deal with a top tier team," Tusker FC coach Robert Matano confirmed to Goal.

"Yes, he is a good player whose quality is undoubted and as a team, we would have loved to keep him. However, some things are beyond our control and all we can do is wish him the best."

The striker joined the 11-time Kenyan Premier League (KPL) champions in 2018 from Gor Mahia, a team he helped win the league title.

The Brewers hope they will have a say in the league race in the new campaign, but the veteran tactician says he cannot do anything since nothing has been made clear on when the season starts.

"We can not say the team is close to signing anyone, it will be a blatant lie," Matano revealed when asked about the plans in the current transfer window," he added.

"It is not clear when the league will start, and some decisions depend on that. All I can do is continue planning hoping more light will be shed on when everything starts again.

"However, as it is right now, I cannot say we have done anything, no we have not but we hope soon we will."

The Ruaraka side have lost goalkeeper Emery Mvuyekure, whose contract with the club expired and he opted against extending his stay. He revealed he is on his way to South African giants Orlando Pirates.

The 30-year-old disclosed that he is among the three goalkeepers on the Pirates radar after impressing in the preliminary round of selection.  

Mvuyekure will be hoping to emulate Olivier Kwizera, who played for Free State Stars in the PSL, between 2016 and 2019. 
 

The preparations for the 2022 World Cup is in full swing in Qatar. The host country are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to 'Deliver' Amazing'. Qatar have now secured around 15000 accomodation facilities to meet the demands of the fans visiting the country for the World Cup.

To ensure the delivery of accommodation options for the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Housing and Governmental Buildings Department of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADLSA) and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2020 to lease residential properties that would be used as lodging for visitors during the marquee event, set to kick off on 21 November 2022.

After reviewing hundreds of landlord requests to be a part of the accommodation plan, 150 properties have been given the nod in the first batch. These are fully furnished and would provide 15,000 additional rooms for use during the tournament. 

As part of this initiative, there are plans to sign five-year renewable contracts with homeowners so that it can be used beyond the tournament.  This will be done keeping in mind Qatar’s long term government housing needs, a key part of Qatar National Vision 2030.

Speaking on this occasion, Yousef bin Muhammad Al Othman Fakhro, Minister of ADLSA said: "We are pleased to complete the first phase of this project and secure thousands of rooms for guests of the State of Qatar. Through cooperation with the private sector, these rooms can be used during the tournament and then leveraged for future government housing needs."

He also confirmed that the online application portal is still open, and real estate owners can register their properties to take advantage of this distinct opportunity.

His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC, commented, “We succeeded in securing thousands of rooms more than two years before the start of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world as a result of this cooperation with the Ministry of Administrative Development Labour and Social Affairs, and we are very pleased with this key achievement."

Al Thawadi added, “The SC will continue its commitment to work with its local partners to provide sustainable accommodation options in a way that contributes to strengthening the local economy and supporting the continued development of the business sector and Qatar’s preparations to host the tournament."

The government understands that this project would support the local economy through greater participation of the private sector during the preparation period for the tournament and beyond.

Jack Grealish should be a part of England's midfield, according to Danny Murphy, who says Gareth Southgate is "wrong" to leave the Aston Villa star out of his plans.

Southgate named his 24-man squad for upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against Iceland and Denmark last week.

Manchester City's Phil Foden, Manchester United striker Mason Greenwood and versatile Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who has never played in the Premier League, were all handed first call-ups, but Grealish was snubbed despite playing a key role in Villa's survival bid last season.

The 24-year-old was widely regarded as one of most consistent performers in the top-flight in 2019-20, as he stood out in a struggling side lacking quality in several other areas of the pitch.

Grealish contributed eight goals and six assists to Villa's cause, and his final day strike in a draw against West Ham ensured that Dean Smith's side escaped relegation.

Southgate justified the playmaker's omission by insisting that there are players ahead of him in the pecking order, but Murphy believes the Three Lions coach is missing a trick by pinning him down as a winger.

"I feel for Jack Grealish," the former England international told the Daily Mail. "He was superb for Aston Villa last season, one of the standout English players in the Premier League, and was the key to his side's survival. So it was a huge blow for him to be left out of the England squad for the Nations League games.

"Gareth Southgate said he sees Grealish as a winger, maybe as a No 10, and he has a wealth of talent in those areas with Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood.

"It's true, England have tremendous quality in attacking areas. Where I think Southgate is wrong is seeing him only in those positions. At his best, I believe Grealish is part of the midfield trio behind the front three."

Murphy is confident that, despite Southgate's comments, Grealish will eventually be given the chance to step onto the senior stage with his country due to his strong mentality.

"It is a bit predictable that England chose the orthodox options," he added. "The misconception about Grealish is that people see him as just a dribbler. He's not. He has a superb range of passing and can open teams up from this deeper position.

"I feel for Jack but he is determined. His time will come. He will get his chance."

Portuguese champions FC Porto have announced the signing of Zaidu Sanusi from rivals Santa Clara.

The defender signed a five-year deal with the Blue and Whites which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2025.

The Nigerian full-back is FC Porto’s third signing this summer after also acquiring the services of Claudio Ramos and Carraca.

The 23-year-old will join Super Eagles defender Chidozie Awaziem, who was on loan to Spanish side Leganes in the 2019-20 campaign, at the club.  

He will also link up with Senegal duo of Mouhamed Mbaye and Mamadou Loum as well as Mali’s Moussa Marega, Cameroon’s Vincent Aboubakar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo defender Chancel Mbemba.

Sanusi is looking forward to working with manager Sergio Conceicao and hopes to help the Estadio do Dragao outfit win many titles in the 2020-21 campaign.

“I am extremely happy to play for FC Porto. I can’t explain it, but I am thrilled to wear this shirt,” Sanusi told the club website.

“I hope to do a good job and help the team. We are going to win everything this season.

“The club and the fans can expect me to give everything. I received a lot of messages from FC Porto fans, and that made me happy.

“I still haven’t talked to him [Sergio Conceicao], but I’m sure we will talk a lot. From now on, he’s my coach, so we will be talking a lot, I’m sure. I’m extremely motivated to start working.”

Sanusi is no stranger to Portuguese football, having spent most of his career playing in the European country.

The left-back started his exploits in the country in 2016 when he teamed up with Gil Vicente, but did not make a single appearance for the club before he was sent on loan to Mirandela.

Sanusi impressed on loan to earn a permanent deal with Mirandela in 2018 and featured 74 times for the club during his two-year stay.

The defender then teamed up with Santa Clara in 2019 and made 24 league appearances for the Estadio de Sao Miguel outfit before his departure.

Sanusi could make his debut for FC Porto when they take on Sporting Braga in their next league game on September 20.

Argentina's president Alberto Fernandez has called on Lionel Messi to return to his homeland and end his career with Newell's Old Boys. 

Messi's future has dominated headlines over the past week after he handed in a shock transfer request at Barcelona. 

Any Camp Nou exit is now shrouded in controversy with La Liga recently declaring the Argentine attacker isn't allowed to leave the club for anything short of his mammoth €700 million (£624m/$823m) release clause. 

Despite that, a number of clubs continue to be linked with moves for Messi with Manchester City leading the race but Paris Saint-Germain, Inter and Juventus also linked with interest. 

At 33 years of age and on the back of another strong season individually, Messi can still clearly compete at a top European club but that hasn't stopped Argentinians dreaming of a possible homecoming. 

Fans of Newell's Old Boys recently paraded through the streets of Rosario in support of Messi returning to the club he represented as a junior and now Argentina's president has also voiced his desire to see such a reunion sooner or later.  

"You are in our hearts and we have never seen you play in our country," Fernandez said in a message directed at Messi via C5N.

"Give us the pleasure of ending your career with Newell's Old Boys, your club."

Fernandez, who supports Buenos Aires side Argentinos Juniors, went on to admit he remains a bigger fan of Diego Maradona. 

"The great merit of Maradona is that he played alone against the world," Fernandez said. "I've never seen a player like Maradona. I admire him deeply - more than Messi, to be honest, because he comes from the Argentinos' youth. He was a kind of gladiator, with incredible strength."

Messi's battle to secure a move away from Barca is now threatening to become a drawn-out saga, even though he has already decided that he no longer wishes to play for the club.

The 33-year-old purposely failed to report for medical testing at the club's training facility ahead of the new season in order to put pay to any lingering doubts over his mindset.

Rafael van der Vaart believes Donny van de Beek deserves a transfer to Manchester United as he lauded the Ajax star ahead of his switch to Old Trafford.

United are closing in on the signing of Ajax midfielder Van de Beek after reaching an agreement over a fee with the Eredivisie giants, who left the Dutchman out of Saturday's friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Van de Beek had also been linked to La Liga duo Barcelona and Real Madrid, but the 23-year-old Netherlands international appears set for the Premier League in a deal that could rise to £40 million (€45m/$53m).

Former Ajax and Netherlands star Van der Vaart, who also played for Tottenham in the Premier League, praised Van de Beek and believes the Red Devils will benefit from his addition.

"Donny deserves this transfer so much," Van der Vaart told NOS. "He has played excellent for Ajax.

"And Manchester United really need this kind of player in their team. This transfer is fantastic for us [Dutch people] too. We are all going to follow him now. This move is so deserved."

Academy product Van de Beek has spent five seasons in Ajax's first team, accruing close to 200 appearances in all competitions for the Amsterdam outfit.

Van de Beek was one of the star performers for Ajax as they embarked upon a memorable run to the semi-finals of the 2018-19 Champions League.

He scored eight Eredivisie goals and supplied five assists in the coronavirus-hit 2019-20 season, while he managed 10 goals across all competitions.

After being left out of Ajax's squad over the weekend for a friendly against Frankfurt, Erik ten Hag confirmed Van de Beek's future at the club was up in the air and a key reason behind his omission.

"The fact that Donny did not play does indicate a direction," he said. "The request not to let him play did not come specifically from one side. We do that together.

"Agreements have been made about a possible transfer, and if that possibility arises, you must also co-operate."

Ajax kick off their next Eredivisie campaign on September 13 against Sparta Rotterdam with the coronavirus pandemic seeing no title handed out last season. 

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra made a surprise return to the football pitch over the weekend as he turned out for Brentham FC - a club currently playing in the 11th tier of English football. 

Evra, who stopped playing professionally in 2019, played as a left winger and was wearing the number 11 shirt for the match which saw North Greenford United triumph 3-2. 

The Frenchman's cameo was filmed by a number of shocked spectators with his own team-mates left pinching themselves after sharing the pitch with a Champions League winner. 

Evra took to social after the match to thank Brentham for letting him play and joked that he hope he made Ryan Giggs proud by wearing the number 11 shirt. 

"Thanks for letting me playing with you guys. Such a good day, don’t worry Giggsy I honoured your number the best I could," Evra tweeted.

Evra, who wore the captain's armband for the game, was also filmed on the bench by a team-mate after being substituted and joked: "I’m not tired, it’s my toes from Senegal you know, in Europe I’m 39, but in Africa I’m 57!”

Brentham clarified after the game that Evra's surprise cameo was the result of the Frenchman seeking some match fitness before playing in Soccer Aid next month. 

Evra has been a regular participant in the charity match organised in support of UNICEF, with this year's match to take place at Old Trafford with fellow former Red Devil Wayne Rooney set to manage England's side. 

During his time at Manchester United, Evra won five Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. His move to Juventus in 2014 also yielded silverware as he won Serie A and the Coppa Italia in successive seasons. 

After announcing his playing retirement, the Frenchman signalled his intent to become a manager when the time is right. 

"I started training for the UEFA B Coaching License in 2013, now I want to finish it and then go on to get the UEFA A license," Evra said in 2019. 

"Sir Alex Ferguson said two of my players will be great managers and he mentioned me and Ryan Giggs. It was a big compliment. 

"I don't want to do it straight away so I will work in TV and with my brand. I need maybe another year to enjoy life after so many sacrifices before becoming a manager.

"I know I can do it. I can't dedicate myself 100 per cent right now."

Moroka Swallows captain Lebohang 'Cheeseboy' Mokoena is pleased to have proved his doubters wrong after leading the Birds back to the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

The Soweto giants secured automatic promotion to the elite league after clinching the National First Division (NFD) title with a 3-0 win over Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on the final day of the season on Sunday.

Mokoena, who had successful spells with Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, struggled to find a new club in the top flight league after leaving Ajax Cape Town in 2017 with the Urban Warriors having been relegated to the NFD.

The former South Africa under-23 international was clubless for a year before joining then-NFD side Maccabi FC in 2018 and later moved to Swallows ahead of the current season.

"This is a moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I'm grateful that God has given me this opportunity because a lot of people wrote me off," Mokoena told the media. 

"They said 'Cheeseboy is no longer [the same player]. Cheeseboy will never play football again'.

"I'm not here for the love of money, but I'm here because of the passion and talent that God has given me. All praise goes to God. Also the support I got from my family, my wife and kids.

"I would like to thank them from the bottom of my heart for keeping me in good shape and keeping me going in terms of what I love doing."

Swallows had a slow start to the current season, but the team started performing well after coach Brandon Truter was brought in to replace Zeca Marques in September 2019.

"It has been really tough. We did not start well, then we had coach Truter coming in. We had a lot of changes. We changed a lot of things," the experienced player added. 

"We had to work on the attitude, humbleness and unity of the team. We actually achieved that. Everyone knew that they had a role to play.

"We had a difficult time during the break which was enforced by Covid-19. It did take its toll on us. We were frustrated," Mokoena, who netted four goals in 27 league games for Swallows this term, said. 

The PSL and NFD seasons were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic in March and the two competitions only resumed in a Biologically Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng earlier this month.

The 33-year-old believes that their individual training sessions on Zoom were key to the team's promotion to the PSL as they only struggled with injuries in their last game against Tshakhuma on Sunday.

"We came into camp early and we had the [coronavirus] tests done. We did Zoom sessions at home as individuals. That paid off because it really sustained us for the remaining six games that we had in the bio-bubble.

"We only struggled in the last game with me pulling a muscle at some stage. It was already wrapped up. We believed in the team. Everyone knew what they had to do."

Swallows are back in the PSL for the first time since they were relegated from the top-flight league to the NFD at the end of the 2014/15 campaign. 

Ajax Cape Town and Tshakhuma will participate in the PSL promotional/relegation playoffs after finishing second and third respectively on the NFD standings. 

They will be joined by the team which will finish 15th on the PSL standings this season.

Real Betis have confirmed the signing of Claudio Bravo following his release from Manchester City.

The Premier League side confirmed the goalkeeper's departure earlier this month when he reached the end of his contract and entered talks with Betis.

Having already enjoyed spells at Real Sociedad and Barcelona, the shot-stopper will return to La Liga for next season.

The 37-year-old, who was linked with a move to New York City FC in March, has signed a one-year contract at Betis with an option for another year included in the deal.

Bravo will team up with former City boss and compatriot Manuel Pellegrini, who took charge of the Spanish team at the start of August.

It was Pellegrini who urged Betis to move for the experienced number one as they looked to strengthen at the back, having conceded 60 goals in the league last season.

Betis finished 15th in the Spanish top flight in 2019-20, five points clear of the relegation zone despite losing their last three matches.

Bravo is their second signing of the summer transfer window, following right-back Martin Montoya's switch from Brighton.

The Chile international spent four years with City after making the move from Camp Nou at Pep Guardiola's request. Although he started off as the first-choice goalkeeper at City, he was dropped after some disappointing performances and Brazil international Ederson was signed to take his place.

Bravo made 61 appearances in all competitions but was limited to just 17 matches in the 2019-20 campaign as they finished second to champions Liverpool.

He was trusted to line up in goal throughout the Carabao Cup campaign, which culminated in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa to seal Bravo's sixth trophy with the club.

He is the third player to leave the English side this summer, following German winger Leroy Sane, who left to join Bayern Munich, and club legend David Silva after his free transfer to Sociedad.

Meanwhile, last season's Premier League runners-up signed centre-back Nathan Ake from Bournemouth and 20-year-old winger Ferran Torres from Valencia.

Arturo Vidal has taken what could be a parting shot at Barcelona, claiming they've only had "13 professional players" in recent times but stressing he'd never join arch rivals Real Madrid.

Vidal, 33, has been deemed expendable at Camp Nou with new manager Ronald Koeman not naming him as one of his key players moving forward. 

The Chile international has been linked with a return to Juventus with fellow Serie A side Inter reportedly circling as well. 

While seemingly accepting his time in Barcelona is nearing an end, Vidal isn't happy with how details of his future have been leaked and has taken a not so subtle swipe at the club that is currently locked in a very public battle to keep Lionel Messi. 

"The last three years are not what a team like Barcelona deserves," Vidal told Daniel Habif's YouTube channel. 

"The best team in the world cannot have 13 professional players. You cannot always win with DNA. Messi is the best in the world, an extraterrestrial, but he needs help so that better results can be achieved.

"I have never understood placing the players with that word [transferable]. It is very ugly. If a player wants to leave or you want to sell him, find him a team but don't say so. It is to pass it on, and each person needs respect."

Vidal, added, in a playful tone about his situation: "I am in a situation of being thrown away to see if someone wants to receive me." 

While open to a return to Italy next season, Vidal was quick to shut down any suggestions he could sign for Zinedine Zidane's side. 

"I have earned the complete affection of the people of Barcelona, that is why I would not play for Real Madrid," he said. 

Prior to Barcelona's 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, Vidal had turned heads by declaring that Barcelona were the best team in the world, despite the fact they had finished second in La Liga. 

Vidal moved to Camp Nou in 2018 from Bayern and has gone on to make 96 appearances for the club in all competitions, winning two trophies in the process. 

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez brashly tried to put off Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk prior to their 5-4 penalty shootout victory in the Community Shield on Saturday.

After the match finished deadlocked at 1-1 after 90 minutes at Wembley Stadium, Gunners captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang went with his Reds counterpart Van Dijk for the coin toss to see who would take the first penalty during the shootout.

Both 'keepers for each team - Martinez for Arsenal and Liverpool's Alisson - also viewed the flip with the referee alongside their team captains.

With Liverpool winning the toss, Van Dijk chose for the Reds to take the penalty and Martinez decided to engage in friendly banter questioning the Dutch defender's decision.

"You sure? Are you sure?" Martinez asked Van Dijk, while Aubameyang can be seen trying to hide a smirk.

Martinez had the last laugh in the penalty shootout, as Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster slammed his shot off the cross bar in the only miss to give the Gunners their second trophy in a month - having won the FA Cup on August 1.

Aubameyang put Arsenal ahead in the match after only four minutes with a stunning curling strike before Takumi Minamino forced an equaliser with 17 minutes left on the clock.

Martinez also engaged in mind games towards the Reds players during the shootout, most notably when youngster Curtis Jones stepped up to the spot.

The Argentine goalkeeper's future at the Emirates is in doubt - with Bernd Leno locked in as the club's No.1 - and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admitted that nothing was certain and Martinez could leave the club.

"We are in the market but there is a lot of speculation," Arteta said after the Community Shield victory.

"Emi has shown in the last few months what he's capable to do for this football club, I am convinced he has the level to play for us consistently at that level, he showed that today in a final.

"I cannot stop the speculation or what people write about us."

Arsenal will start their Premier League campaign on September 12 at newly-promoted Fulham, while Liverpool will host Championship winners Leeds United the following day.