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England manager Gareth Southgate has backed Dean Henderson to remain at Manchester United and challenge David de Gea for the number one goalkeeping role.

Henderson has returned to Old Trafford after impressing on loan at Sheffield United last season, his exploits earning a new five-year contract in Manchester.

The 23-year-old, who has been included in Southgate's squad for England's Nations League fixtures against Iceland and Denmark, is in line to compete with United star De Gea for starting honours.

Southgate feels the time is right for Henderson to challenge himself at the Theatre of Dreams following two successful seasons with Sheffield United.

"I think it's an opportunity for him really, " Southgate said. "Of course, he could take another season out and gain another year of Premier League experience but at his age as a goalkeeper you can't just think about the international situation. 

"You are building a career and here's an opportunity to challenge for the shirt at Manchester United if they are asking him to stay in the building.

"If I was him and I had the chance to push to be the Manchester United number one, then I'd make the same decision he has. He's got the chance to train every day in front of the manager, to influence him and put David de Gea under pressure for his place.

"I think for his career it's a logical decision given the number of matches United will have next season."

Southgate's England will face Iceland on September 5 before clashing with Denmark three days later in a Group A2 doubleheader in the 2020-21 Nations League. England have not played since their 4-0 rout of Kosovo in November due to the coronavirus pandemic.

After signing his new deal with the Red Devils, Henderson was quick to thank Sheffield and declare his ambition to play regularly for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side moving forward. 

"The pathway that I have been on for the past five years has been fantastic for my development and the invaluable loan period at Sheffield United has been part of that," he said

"The goalkeeping department at United is excellent; there are three top-level goalkeepers who have achieved so much in the game and I look forward to working with the group.  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. Now I am looking forward to joining up with the England squad and then preparing for the season ahead."

Sukhwinder Singh has had several memorable moments with the Blue Tigers.

The veteran coach took charge of the national team for the first time in 1998 and had won the SAFF Championship the following year. But the most memorable period of the coach’s career with the national team came during the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup when India managed to beat continental giants UAE.

Ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in 2000, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had organised an exposure trip to England as preparation for the qualifiers. India were supposed to play two friendly games against English clubs Fulham FC and West Bromwich Albion.

Sukhwinder Singh fondly remembered the memories from the England tour and how they had prepared before travelling to England.

“In 2000, we went to England for preparation. Before the trip, then central sports minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi had called me to his office and told me that it was a good trip and a good exposure tour and wished us the best,” Singh told Goal.

“P.K ‘da’ (Banerjee) was our Technical Director at that time. During our training sessions, we used to work on the English style of football and how they can trouble us. We focused on our endurance, fitness and opposition crosses which is the typical English way of football. I remember P.K Banerjee appreciating our training methodology and also praising me personally.”

The former India coach vividly remembered the experience in England and suggested how the Indian team came very close to beating West Bromwich Albion.

“In England, the first match we played was against Fulham. We defended well against a very strong Fulham side, they had five World Cup playing players in their squad. We defended well throughout the game, but in the latter stages of the match they got one free-kick and scored and after that, they scored again and we lost 2-0.

“After that match, I told my boys that our defensive organisation was good but we were losing ball very easily. In the second match against West Brom, we held them to a 0-0 draw. I remember Bhaichung (Bhutia) could have scored from (I.M) Vijayan’s pass and we could have won that game. Bhaichung would have finished that eight out of 10 times but at that moment, he couldn’t. After the game, the West Brom manager (Gary Megson) congratulated me personally in our dressing room.”

The 2002 World Cup qualifiers had turned out to be a disappointment for the Indians as they had crashed out of the qualifiers from the very first round after finishing third in the Group stages behind UAE and Yemen.

But one of the most memorable wins of the Indian team in the last two decades also came in that campaign. In their very first match of the qualifiers, India had stunned eventual group toppers UAE as they had won the clash 1-0 in Bengaluru, courtesy Jules Alberto’s solitary strike.

Singh reminisced the fond memories of beating UAE in Bengaluru and said, “In the World Cup qualifiers, the most memorable match has to be against UAE which we won 1-0 in Bengaluru. It was a splendid performance by the boys.”

The legendary coach was all praises for Igor Stimac’s current national team and also praised how the team played against Asian champions Qatar and had managed to hold them to a goalless draw in Doha last year.

“The current Indian team is doing very well. They might have struggled in some matches in the World Cup qualifiers but their best performance came against Qatar which they drew 0-0. They played really well,” said the former JCT coach.

Sudeva FC announced that they will make their maiden appearance in the 2020-21 I-League with an adventurous decision to field an all-Indian squad.

The Delhi-based outfit were handed a spot in the I-League by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) recently.

"I have a strong conviction that we will be able to perform much better than people expect from a side without foreign players. It could also be an eye opener for me but anyhow," co-owner of the club, Anuj Gupta told Goal while explaining of the club's decision. The coronavirus pandemic also being another factor why the club chose the policy of playing with only Indian players.

Goal hereby lists out instances how teams have fared when they have fielded all-Indian squads in the I-League.

AIFF XI/Pailan Arrows (2010-2013)

The first team to sport an all-Indian squad in the I-League dates back to the 2010-11 season. A pilot project of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) comprising of India U-19 and U-23 was formed in 2010 and was called AIFF XI. They were initially supposed to be play in the 2010-11 I-League second division. But with Mahindra United disbanding their side, the Indian FA pitted the young Indian team among the big boys in the I-League in what proved to be quite a fruitful season for the AIFF XI. 

Under Scottish coach Desmond Bulpin, the squad comprised the likes of Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, Pritam Kotal, Prabir Das, Lalrindika Ralte and Jeje Lalpekhlua and earned a respectable ninth place finish in the 14-team league with 29 points from 26 games. The AIFF XI recorded seven wins with Jeje scoring four times each in the victories over Air India (5-2) and Mohun Bagan (5-4) to amass 13 goals in the season.

The team played as Pailan Arrows for the next couple of seasons due to sponsor commitments. Sukhwinder Singh was in charge in 2011-12 season and they finished 13th among 14 teams, avoiding relegation thanks to their immunity. It must be noted that the Arrows lost the likes of Jeje, Lalrindika and Gurpreet before that season. CS Sabeeth finished as the joint-top Indian scorer with nine goals that included a hat-trick against Chirag United Kerala.

Arthur Papas-led Arrows mustered a slightly better performance in the 2012-13 I-League with wherein they avoided relegation by merit on account of finishing eighth with 23 points from 26 outings. Halicharan Narzary and Milan Singh were the topscorers for the side that season.

The club was disbanded in 2013.

Indian Arrows (2017- )

After India successfully hosted the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, the AIFF brought the project back. The idea was to give the players who participated in the World Cup apart from a few promising youngsters competitive football and instated the team in 2017-18 I-League as the Indian Arrows.

Though the Arrows were praised for their competitive showings in 2017-18 I-League season, Luis Norton de Matos' boys finished bottom of the pile with 15 points from 18 games. Most of the players from that squad have by now earned themselves first team contracts with Indian Super League (ISL) outfits while the likes of Amarjit Singh Kiyam and Narender Gahlot have even broken into the Indian national team under Igor Stimac.

In the 2018-19 I-League, under Floyd Pinto, the Arrows finished eighth among 11 teams. Players like Prabhsukhan Gill, Boris Singh, Jitendra Singh, Ashish Rai, Amarjit and Rahul Praveen shined as they won six matches and drew three. The Indian Colts even qualified for the 2019 Super Cup by defeating Kerala Blasters 2-0 before being ousted 3-0 by eventual champions FC Goa.

The Indian Arrows were placed at the bottom in the 2019-20 season when the season was cancelled after 16 matches due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This time, a new brand of Indian youngsters flourished under the guidance of Shanmugam Venkatesh. Players like Lalbiaklua Jongte, Ashish Mishra, Hormipam Ruivah, Givson Singh, Ricky Shabong, Ayush Adhikari and Vikram Singh Pratap all caught the eye.

It must be noted that the Arrows squad kept changing significantly every season.

Shillong Lajong (2018-2019)

Shillong Lajong fielded an all Indian squad in the I-League this season after the management of the Meghalayan outfit decided not to sign any overseas player.

However, the bold move to field a squad comprising mostly of academy talents didn't pan out well for them as they got relegated that season. Lajong lost 11 of their 12 matches in a winless streak of matches. They finished the season with a mere 11 points from 20 matches with a win-draw-loss record of 3-2-15 amid a number of lopsided results and a goal difference reading a negative 33.

All eyes will now be on Sudeva FC's aspirations of doing well with an all-Indian line-up and their dream of nurturing youngsters to provide for a supply line for the Indian national team.

During the Malaysian competitions suspension, Selangor boss B. Satiananthan had been quoted as saying that his side would be gunning for a top-two finish in the Malaysia Super League when competitions resume.

Team captain Taylor Regan then wrote on his social media that they aim to collect the maximum 21 points from the remaining seven league matches.

In the run up to the league resumption, the Red Giants then won all four of the friendly matches they took part in.

But when the crunch time came, they faltered. In their round five match at newly-adopted home ground UiTM Stadium against Petaling Jaya City (PJ City) on Saturday, a lacklustre Selangor could only muster a goalless draw against the visitors.

Despite dominating the match throughout with superior possession against an opposition that offered little threat, Satiananthan's attackers failed to create many meaningful chances to break the deadlock. They are now in eighth place on six points, four points adrift of second-placed Terengganu FC, with six league rounds remaining. Furthermore, they have not won their last four matches.

However, the experienced coach is adamant that his charges are still on track to bag an Asian competition slot through a top-two league finish, as he said to the press after the encounter.

"I'm satisfied with today, apart from the failure to net three points. My team could not capitalise on their chances despite having a bigger share of the possession. When you fail to put away your chances, you're going to end up desperate [late in the match]. We were up against a team that lost their earlier match (2-0 to Terengganu) and they predictably responded by parking the bus against us.

"They had tried to play against Terengganu only to lose, so they came out today with the aim of avoiding another defeat. I expect the same from Sabah who will face next week. They lost today against Terengganu, so next week they will play defensively too. My job as the head coach is to come up with a different tactic to counter this gameplay. Maybe I'm just an old coach with outdated tactics, unlike those brilliant Caucasian coaches!

"But nothing has changed; we still want to finish the league campaign in the top two. Sure, we're far behind where that is now, but all we need is to win one or two matches. Take Perak who had been in second place before this weekend. They lost (1-0 to Melaka United) instead and now they've dropped down. What's important is that my players have tried their best. We will be criticised for the draw but that's something I have to accept," explained the former Malaysia national team head coach.

The Malaysian coaches association chief also took the time to question a particular decision by the match referee; Fairuzi Mat Desa, who according to Satiananthan failed to delay the final whistle accordingly for an injury time stoppage given for an apparent cramp picked up by PJ City goalkeeper Kalamullah Alhafiz, who needed treatment.

Selangor vs PJ City. Photo by Sports Regime

"Four minutes were given for stoppage time, yet players kept dropping, and only 4 minutes 20 seconds were played. I don't understand it. I think in the next generation (life) I'd like to be a referee just to learn how they calculate [the time]. PJ City made two simultaneous substitutions, there was a slight issue, and then their goalkeeper dropped down six, seven times. I know it should have been four minutes plus.

"The ref did not help. It kills the game. For me, if they continue like this, I'll just tell my goalkeeper to keep going down in injury time in order to gain advantage. If the referee is strict, no one would dare do something like this. I know it's up to their discretion, but referees should have the guts to time the match properly. The fans are going to say that I'm giving an excuse for the draw, but I'm giving an advice to the referees for the sake of improving football, because I live and breathe it," he pointed out.

He also addressed recent rumours that the club is looking to replace him with a German coach when his contract ends after the season ends. The rumoured candidate is reportedly a 1990 World Cup winner, as a player.

"I don't care about my future and the club can decide on what they want. I'm a professional who will still do his job and there's more than one team in Malaysia. The players have given their 100 per cent and I haven't seen any of them trying to undermine me. I don't care, they can bring in anybody [as new head coach]." 

Barcelona have confirmed the signing of Senegal youth international Moussa Ndiaye from Aspire Academy on a three-year deal with the option of a two-year extension.

The Spanish giants announced that the 18-year-old left-back has a release clause of €100 million after the total cost of his transfer was around €500,000.

Ndiaye has proven to be a versatile player and can play in both the centre of defence and the flanks. He helped Senegal to a second-place finish at the 2019 Africa U-20 Cup of Nations in Niger and he was named the Player of the Tournament.

He also played a starring role at the 2019 Wafu Cup of Nations and was named the Man of the Match in the final game as Senegal defeated Ghana on penalties to win the regional title in Thies last October.

Ndiaye joins compatriot Moussa Wague at Camp Nou, but he will team up with Barcelona B – the club's reserve team – for the 2020-21 season.

Thanks to his outstanding performances on the international scene, Ndiaye was nominated for the 2019 Caf Youth Player of the Year award but he lost to Inter Milan new signing Achraf Hakimi earlier this year.

In his reaction to the transfer, the 18-year-old described the switch from Aspire Academy in Senegal to Camp Nou as an honour and pride for him.

“An honour and great pride to join a club as prestigious as Barcelona, work continues,” Ndiaye wrote on his Instagram page.

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has warned there will be "no excuse" for failure as he called on his side to battle for the Premier League title in 2020-21. 

The Red Devils have not won the top-flight crown since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho coming and going on the bench in the intervening years. 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer became the club's fourth manager in just five years when he replaced Mourinho in December 2018, and he helped restore the club's Champions League place last season by finishing third behind runaway champions Liverpool and Manchester City. 

Matic, however, has set his sights higher for the coming campaign and believes there is no reason to think United cannot topple their rivals on Merseyside and reclaim the title. 

“From the next season there is no excuse. We have to go with everything," the midfielder explained on the UTD Podcast.

"We have to fight for the title because I felt that this year we dropped some points too easy. 

“We allowed Liverpool to win [the title], I don’t know, 10 games before the season finished. They won the league, so we cannot allow that. We need to fight to the end. We have to play with more confidence, with more responsibility. 

“My personal target is to win the league with United and I am sure that everyone wants to do the same. We have to promise our supporters that we will do our best - exactly what we have done after [the coronavirus lockdown] when we started to play again. That’s Manchester United. 

“We have to win five, six consecutive games then you can drop some points, then again you have to do that run. Like that we can win the league. In the beginning of the season we were not stable, we won one or two games then we lost and we drew. Proper United is exactly what we did after [lockdown] and I hope we can continue like that next season.”

At 32 the Serbian is one of the elder statesmen in the Reds squad, as Solskjaer has attempted to rebuild his side around youth, in particular the potent attacking trio of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood. 

But he continues to play a key role at Old Trafford and, fresh from signing a new three-year extension, Matic signalled that he was delighted to continue with the club he joined from Chelsea in 2017. 

“I signed a new contract and I’m very happy that the club believes in my work,” he added.

“I have to say when your club offer you a new contract it means something. That means you are doing a good job and I was very, very proud when we started to talk about a new contract. 

“I didn’t think a lot, I said to my agent, ‘Of course I want to sign’. My family is happy. My son almost started to cry because he can stay in the same school. From September he is under 10 he is also playing at United so for my family it is also great.”

Arsenal full-back Kieran Tierney said the club deserve to be in the Premier League's top four and Champions League following their Community Shield victory over Liverpool.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winning penalty as FA Cup holders Arsenal edged Premier League champions Liverpool 5-4 in a shoot-out to claim the Community Shield at Wembley on Saturday.

Takumi Minamino's first Liverpool goal cancelled out Aubameyang's 12th-minute opener in London, where Arsenal's transformation continued under head coach Mikel Arteta in the new season's curtain-raiser.

Arsenal only managed to finish eighth last season, consigned to Europa League football for a fourth consecutive campaign but Tierney insisted confidence is on the rise at Emirates Stadium.

"The spirit is one of the main things in the changing room, belief and spirit and we've got that, we're building on it," he said. "We're just looking to continue and keep building this way.

"Think that comes from the manager and the staff. It's continued from what we've done last season and building on it. When we came back in last week we've just continued. We've never had too long off so last season doesn't feel too long ago.

"Coming into games like this we're starting to believe more and more and I think that's what it's all about, belief and spirit. Mikel's drilled that into us since day one, defensive organisation and the transition. That's what we do every day in training, we watch videos on it. It's not by luck and it's not by chance. It's by hard work.

"The fans and the club deserve to be in the Champions League. They deserve to be top four and we want to do as well as we can, as best as we can and put up a fight in every single came we come up against this year."

Arsenal are set to open their 2020-21 Premier League season at newly promoted Fulham on September 11 with star striker Aubameyang nearing a new deal at the Emirates. 

"We are close," Arteta told BT Sport about negotiations with Aubameyang after their Community Shield triumph. 

"Big games, big moments, big players. He has responded really well to that kind of pressure. He was magnificent in the FA Cup final and the same today."

Rangers have matched a record that has stood for 114 years and made SPL history by securing a sixth successive clean sheet in the Scottish top flight.

Steven Gerrard’s side have been in impressive form at the start of their 2020-21 campaign.

The Old Firm giants are determined to prevent arch-rivals Celtic from claiming a 10th successive crown.

The best possible start has been made to that quest, with the Gers collecting 16 points from their opening six games.

Rangers have found the target on 11 occasions through that run and are yet to concede

Aberdeen, St Mirren, St Johnstone, Livingston, Kilmarnock and Hamilton have all tried and failed to breach the Gers’ back line.

The Accies are the latest side to come unstuck against Gerrard’s side, with the Glasgow giants claiming a 2-0 win on Saturday which has them three points clear at the top of the table.

Rangers made history in the process of securing that success.

They have become the first side since the rebranding of the SPL in 1998 to open a season with clean sheets in six consecutive outings.

You have to turn the clock back to 1906 to find the last Scottish side to have achieved that feat.

Celtic did so early in the 20th century, as they keep Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Morton, Hearts, Third Lanark and Airdrie at bay.

Wille Maley was Hoops boss at that time, with Gerrard now able to boast a similar defensive record.

He had goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin to thank for keeping the Gers blemish-free against Hamilton, with the 32-year-old custodian making one stunning save in the second period of that fixture.

The Ibrox outfit will not be action again until facing Dundee United on September 12, with an early international break being taken in during the 2020-21 campaign.

Gerrard will be looking for a notable run to continue in that outing, allowing the Gers to build on their ever-growing confidence.

Back in 1906, Celtic were able to take their impressive haul of shut-outs to eight before finally allowing an opponent through, with Partick Thistle and Queen’s Park also failing to find the target against them in the Glasgow Cup.

New Crystal Palace signing Eberechi Eze hailed the quality of Wilfried Zaha after playing alongside the Ivorian forward in the Eagles’ 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in a pre-season friendly.

The 22-year-old Anglo-Nigerian moved a short mile from Queens Park Rangers in a five-year deal worth a reported £20 million on Friday.

He was thrust into the starting XI on Saturday afternoon, playing alongside Zaha and Ghana international Jordan Ayew, the duo getting the goals while Eze was taken off in the second half for Jeffrey Schlupp.

Eze enjoyed his first outing in a Palace shirt but was most appreciative of Zaha.

"It was good," he said on the club website after the game. "[I] enjoyed it. Linking with the attacking players was fun, it was good for me to get my fitness up and it’s just been a good performance.

"[Wilfried Zaha is] an amazing player. It’s good to play with guys like him and guys of his quality, because they see things others don’t see and it makes life a lot easier for yourself."

Eze asserted that his fitness is in shape having already started doing that with QPR and he is fully aware of what manager Roy Hodgson’s demands are.

"[Fitness] is good. I’ve obviously been training with QPR, doing a bit. But games like this are what I need to top me up,” he continued.

"I know that [roaming] is what the manager wants me to do, he wants me to link-up and feel free to go where I want to go and where I feel comfortable - which is obviously inside. But it gives me a license to be free, which is good."

Hodgson praised Eze’s performance as excellent and a promising debut, saying he hardly did any wrong in the 45 minutes he played.

"He was excellent in the first half. It was as if he’s been with us longer than one day and one day’s training,” Hodgson said.

“His understanding of the position was very good...It was a very promising debut for the team. I don’t think he did very much wrong at all and, like the other forwards, he got in for plenty of goal chances and shots at goal. We’re looking forward to working with him."

The lack of transfer movement at Manchester United should not concern the club’s supporters, says Darren Fletcher, as “every agent in the world links their players” to the Red Devils.

A loyal fan base at Old Trafford are trying to distinguish which rumours have substance and which are merely noise during the current window.

Several high-profile performers have been linked with moves to Manchester, but no deals have been done as yet.

Jack Grealish appeared to be a top target at one stage, with the Aston Villa midfielder able to offer the creativity that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is seeking to bring into his ranks.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho has also seen a big-money switch mooted, but negotiating a deal for the England international is proving to be tricky.

Atletico Madrid star Saul Niguez is another to have sparked talk of interest from United, as has Ajax schemer Donny van de Beek, while Napoli centre-half Kalidou Koulibaly is registering on the recruitment radar of a number of Premier League outfits.

Fletcher believes Solskjaer will show his hand at some stage, with the ambitious Red Devils needing to strengthen if they are to hit ultimate targets.

He is, however, reading little into the lack of movement, with recent purchases proving that patience can be rewarded.

Ex-Red Devils midfielder Fletcher told reporters of goings on at Old Trafford: “The problem with this is that every agent in the world links their players to Manchester United, so fans get their hopes up and see that, then it's 'why are we not doing this'?

“The recruitment under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been fantastic so I would just like the fans to trust the manager, trust the board and trust the people in charge.

“Their track record so far has been fantastic since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been the manager. They're identifying the right targets, they're being patient.

“Like everything, Manchester United transfers are the most difficult because of the money involved and they want to maximise it. It's no different in this current situation (with Covid-19).”

Solskjaer’s side will not be opening their 2020-21 Premier League season until September 19 at home to Crystal Palace, with the start of their campaign pushed back by a week after reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Temwa Chawinga helped Wuhan maintain their 100 percent record after defeating sister Tabitha Chawinga's Jiangsu Suning 3-0 in a Chinese Women's Super League encounter on Saturday.

Temwa and Tabitha were set up against each other for the first time after both competitively turned out together for Malawian club DD Sunshine, then to Swedish side Kvarnsveden and the national team.

They went head to head on the back of their impressive start to the season, having scored two goals each to inspire their respective teams to back-to-back victories in two matches so far.

Besides the grudge contest between the sisters, Wuhan aimed to avenge their home and away defeats at the hands of Jiangsu last season, with both matches ending 1-0 in favour of the champions.

Wuhan made the brightest start in the match as they gained an early lead when Liu Shanshan beat goalkeeper Peng Shimeng with her superb strike from a free kick in the 10th minute.

Wuhan doubled the lead when goalkeeper Shimeng denied Liu Shanshan's attempt off Han Peng's corner but Wang Shanshan was in the right position to fire home the rebound in the 26th minute. 

After the break, Wuhan continued from where they left off and were rewarded with the third in the 53rd minute when Shimeng saved Liu Shanshan's effort for Wang Shanshan to tap in the winner.

Temwa was in action from the start to finish as Wuhan claimed their third win in a row, while sister Tabitha could not rescue holders Jiangsu from their first defeat of the season.  

The result means Wuhan are now second on the log with nine points from three matches, while Jiangsu are fourth with six points.

Wuhan will aim to consolidate on their winning run against Beijing Phoenix in their next encounter, while Jiangsu will eye a return to winning ways against Zhejiang on Wednesday.

Chelsea have made an improved bid of €20 million (£18m/$24m) for Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Goal can confirm.

With the future of current No.1 Kepa Arrizabalaga in doubt, the Blues have identified Mendy as an ideal option to provide competition for the Spaniard. 

The Sun reported earlier in the week that Rennes turned down Chelsea's offer of €17m (£15m/$20m) for Mendy, and Frank Lampard's side have now returned with an improved bid. 

The Blues made Kepa the most expensive goalkeeper ever in 2018, paying £72 million ($93m) to bring him to Stamford Bridge from Athletic. However, the 25-year-old has failed to live up to expectations in London.

Lampard dropped Kepa late in the 2019-20 season after a string of inconsistent performances, opting for veteran Willy Caballero instead. 

The Blues boss is now hoping to bring in another option between the posts, though Kepa could be heading for an exit with Sevilla and Valencia having registered interest in a loan.

But Kepa's wages could prove problematic for the Liga sides, meaning Chelsea could have three goalkeepers in their first-team squad should Mendy arrive. 

Rennes are determined to hang on to the 28-year-old, however, after the Senegalese international helped his team to their first ever Champions League spot with a third-place finish in Ligue 1 last term.

Mendy only arrived at Rennes last summer following several solid campaigns with Stade de Reims, and has a contract through 2023.

Having started last week's Ligue 1 opener against Lille, Mendy missed his side's win over Montpellier on Saturday due to personal reasons.

Rennes have yet to respond to Chelsea's bid, as Lampard continues to spend big in the hope of building a contender for the 2020-21 Premier League title. 

The Blues have already brought in a host of new faces ahead of the start of the season including Ben Chilwell, Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva.

Their most expensive signing appears yet to come as well, as they continue to close in on a move for Bayer Leverkusen star Kai Havertz.

The 21-year-old would cost Chelsea £90m ($118m), with £72m ($95m) coming up front and a further £18m ($24m) in instalments.

Mikel Arteta refused to reveal whether Arsenal had received any bids for Emiliano Martinez following the goalkeeper’s starring role in Arsenal’s Community Shield success against Liverpool on Saturday.

Martinez, who impressed during the final 12 games of last season having replaced the injured Bernd Leno, was brought into the side to face the champions at Wembley and made two excellent saves to deny Sadio Mane as the Gunners beat Jurgen Klopp’s side 5-4 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes.

The 27-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away in recent days, with Aston Villa one of several sides believed to be showing an interest.

But, speaking after his side’s victory at Wembley, Arteta would not be drawn on what he described as "speculation."

“Emi has shown in the last few months what he is able to do for this football club,” sad Arsenal’s head coach. “I am convinced that he has the level to play for us consistently at that level.

“He showed that today in a final. But I cannot stop the speculation. That is something I cannot stop and what other people can write about us.”

When asked whether any firm bids had arrived for Martinez, Arteta added: “I am not going to discuss publicly what is happening with other players.”

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who is also being linked with a move away, was another player who impressed during the victory against Liverpool.

The Gunners’ academy product was named man-of-the-match having lined up on the left side of Arsenal’s 3-4-3 formation against the champions and has since been called up by England for the upcoming Nations League games against Iceland and Denmark.

Maitland-Niles, who is wanted by Wolves, told BT Sport “I’m an Arsenal player until I’m told otherwise” when quizzed about his future immediately after the full-time whistle.

And Arteta said his decision to pick the 24-year-old was another indication of the trust he now has in him.

“He has to be able to convince me every day in training that he can compete at this level,” said the Spaniard. “Not once every three months but every three days. The way he is playing at the moment is showing me that he can do it.

“His mentality and the way he is going about every single detail about the preparation of a football game is much better than before. I am delighted and very happy for him because he is really changing a lot of things around him to become the player he can be.

“The best way to show a player how his manager thinks about him, is to give him the chance to play or not. And today in a final again he started. He played the 90 minutes, like he did against City in the semi-final and Chelsea as well in the final.”

Nico Kovac’s appointment at AS Monaco was supposed to signal a new lease of life for Henry Onyekuru but, despite a small sample size of one game, doubts could creep in again.

The attacker was selected in the former Bayern Munich trainer’s first Ligue 1 game against Stade de Reims but was withdrawn at half-time after an underwhelming showing at Stade Louis II. Onyekuru lost possession on four occasions, won a single duel from five tussles and, surprisingly, played just one shot at goal in 45 minutes, which was blocked.

For a frontman whose principal asset has always been his goalscoring, it was quite meagre that he could only muster one attempt of Les Monegasques’ 13 in the opening 45 minutes.

His replacement Sofiane Diop was more lively, completing nearly twice as many passes as the 23-year-old Nigeria attacker (17-9), attempting two shots at goal while winning fouls for his side.

Also, the 20-year-old France youth international won four of five total duels after the interval and largely got involved in the game more, evidenced by the fact he made 29 touches to Onyekuru’s 15.

While the below-par showing doesn’t indicate as to how the former Everton man will perform throughout the season, a desire to start on a positive note has surely been defeated. This continued a disappointing year for the West African forward whose goalscoring potential was so great that the Merseyside giants swooped after his breakthrough 16/17 campaign at Belgian side Eupen.

Work permit issues meant that transfer never truly got off the ground but encouraging spells at Anderlecht in (17/18) and Galatasaray (18/19) suggested Onyekuru could still become a pretty consistent wide forward who got a fair share of goals. While reaching the level of African icons like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah may have been out of reach, there was a feeling that the young inside forward could reach a level below the brilliant Liverpool pair.

Unfortunately, the year-long decline for the ex-Eupen forward came about after a transfer to Monaco last year.

Indeed, he started the first two games of the campaign, and even assisted Islam Slimani’s strike against Nimes, but was soon dropped by Leonardo Jardim as a major move to another top-five league in Europe quickly turned sour.

A hamstring injury sustained in the opening months of the campaign meant the forward couldn’t show what he was capable of and was already down the pecking order by the time he returned.

Onyekuru’s last league appearance for the Ligue 1 outfit, a 15-minute cameo against Stade de Reims, came in September, a truly telling fact. The attacker was rarely seen on matchdays by the time Robert Moreno replaced Jardim in December, weeks before another temporary return to Turkey to play under Fatih Terim.

Even though a return to the Yellow-Reds promised much, the Monaco loanee didn’t thrive at the Turk Telekom Stadium the second time around as Terim’s troops ended sixth, outside the European spots.

There were mitigating factors for the forward’s inability to pick up where he left off months earlier when he netted 14 league goals in 31 appearances (28 starts), with the team’s topsy-turvy season a contrast to the settled atmosphere in 18/19.

In fairness, Onyekuru wasn’t at his sharpest in front of goal either, with his confidence seemingly shot after a fairly miserable six months in the Principality. Statistics showed that he missed seven clear-cut chances in just 10 appearances, a contributing factor to his return of a solitary strike on his short second spell.

The mere fact that the loanee missed only eight in his 14-goal campaign proves his finishing wasn’t as top-notch as it was previously, raising questions about him and his stalled development.

The new season is still in its infancy, but another disappointing performance when presented with another opportunity to make his mark in the French top flight under Kovac. Monaco play Metz on Sunday afternoon and it remains to be seen if the Croat will give Onyekuru another opportunity in the starting line-up.

Despite stalling in the last 12 months, the hope for the once-prodigious forward would be to return to the goalscoring form he showed in Belgium and Turkey. Still 23, Onyekuru has time to reach his potential and a better season in the Principality this year would put him on the right path.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has taken on the blame for Rhian Brewster's decisive miss in their penalty shoot-out defeat to Arsenal in the Community Shield.

The Premier League champions finished seven places and 43 points ahead of the Gunners last term, but Arsenal ultimately lifted the trophy on Saturday at Wembley.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave the Gunners an early lead with a fine strike but Liverpool, who attempted to dictate proceedings, levelled 17 minutes from time through Takumi Minamino.

The game went to penalties and Aubameyang netted the decisive kick after Brewster failed to convert, as the Gunners won the shootout by a 5-4 margin.

Klopp was insistent that the miss won't damage the 20-year-old, who looks set for his first season with Liverpool's senior squad after playing on loan for Swansea City last term.

“This will not harm Rhian,” said Klopp. “If anyone is to blame, it is me. I wanted him in the position because he is a real finisher and confident. Today, not. That happens in life and in football.

“We all have to learn and prove we can deal with defeats. If he would have scored and someone else missed, it is the same theme. There are bigger reasons than that. Missing it like this is possible. I have never seen him miss one but it happens.”

Liverpool were made to rue wastefulness in front of goal and perhaps a lack of sharpness in attack, with Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah all unusually subdued, and their issues in the final third did not go down well with Klopp.

He told BT Sport: "Today I was sad. When you play against a formation like this – which happened to us pretty much always, not only when we are 1-0 down, even when it's 0-0 a lot of teams play like this – then you need to be in the final third really fresh.

"You want to force it sometimes, create angles, create crosses, passing in behind, all this kind of stuff. The rhythm for that fell a little bit. 

"We couldn't create exactly the chance we wanted but we had two of them and the third one that we scored with. Against a team with the quality of Arsenal, on some days it must be enough.

"When you finish it off, it is enough. When you don't finish it off it's not enough and today it was not enough."

Klopp was adamant Arsenal hardly threatened after taking the lead, adding: "I think they had exactly two shots at goal and one situation that was similar.

"After a long diagonal ball, we left Neco [Williams] alone and Auba could come inside to finish it off. The the other moment Ali [Alisson] made a save. That was it, pretty much," he said.

"Apart from that we had to play against a low block with an incredible counter-attacking threat. In these games you need then the final touch.

"In the end we created enough moments but we should have created more. We had the ball a lot but had to play around.

"We had a few good moments, Sadio had chances, we deserved the equaliser for sure and then could have scored more.

"We didn't do that and have to take it. A penalty shoot-out can always be a bit of a lottery. We were unlucky there and congratulations to Arsenal. We respect the competition."

Liverpool begin their Premier League title defence at home to promoted Leeds United on September 12.

Leeds United have confirmed the signing of Robin Koch, with the Freiburg defender arriving in a deal estimated to be worth around £13 million ($17m).

Koch, 24, has impressed in the Bundesliga since moving from Kaiserslautern in 2017, earning his first Germany cap last year against Belarus in the nation's European Championship qualifying campaign. 

And he will now pursue his career with the Premier League new boys, who reportedly pipped Tottneham to the signature of the highly rated centre-back. 

"Leeds United are pleased to announce the signing of Robin Koch from Bundesliga side SC Freiburg for an undisclosed fee," the Whites revealed in a statement published on the club's official website on Saturday. 

"The 24-year-old has signed a four-year deal at Elland Road, running until the summer of 2024."

After losing out in the Championship play-offs in 2018-19 during Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa's first season at Elland Road, having led the table for a large part of the campaign, Leeds ensured their return to the top flight after a 14-year absence this summer by finishing top of the English second tier, 10 points clear of nearest challengers West Brom.

And they have wasted no time in strengthening their ranks as El Loco prepares to get to grips with the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and the rest of the division's heavyweights. 

Koch is the side's eighth new face of the current window, following hot on the heels of Rodrigo who became the club's record signing when he completed a move from Valencia earlier on Saturday. 

Former Lorient goalkeeper Illan Mesler has also arrived at the West Yorkshire team, who have additionally signed a number of young faces including ex-Arsenal trainee Sam Greenwood and Fulham teenager Cody Drameh. 

Leeds mark their return to the Premier League with a baptism of fire, travelling to Anfield to take on runaway 2019-20 champions Liverpool on September 12. 

The Whites then face Fulham and Sheffield United before hosting Manchester City in the fourth round of fixtures on October 3.

Sevilla have won the race for the highly coveted Oscar Rodriguez, who arrives from Real Madrid on a five-year deal.

Oscar, 22, will reportedly cost Sevilla €16 million (£14.2m/$19m) for 75 per cent of his ownership rights, with Madrid retaining the remaining 25 per cent.

"Real Madrid C. F. and Sevilla F. C. have agreed the transfer of Oscar Rodríguez," the Merengue signalled in a statement released on the club's official website.
 
"Real Madrid would like to thank Oscar for his dedication, professionalism and exemplary conduct throughout the time he has been at our club and wishes him the best of luck in this new chapter."

The gifted midfielder came through Madrid's academy but had spent the two previous seasons on loan with Leganes in LaLiga, helping them to preserve their top-flight status in 2018-19.

Leganes were unable to repeat the feat in 2019-20 as they were relegated on the final day of the season, but Oscar still managed to enjoy a fine campaign individually.

His haul of nine goals made him Leganes' top-scorer and he also supplied a pair of assists.

A fine technician and dead-ball specialist, Oscar's arrival will help alleviate the loss of Ever Banega.

Experienced Argentine playmaker Banega joined Saudi Arabia's Al-Shabab after helping Sevilla to a sixth Europa League crown against Inter.

Oscar had been strongly linked with several other clubs, particularly Milan, but he moves to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan where he will get a taste of Champions League football.

The transfer caps a special couple of weeks for the midfielder, who received his first call-up to Spain's senior side on August 20.

It is reported that, as part of the deal, Sevilla will keep Madrid informed of any bids they receive for highly rated centre-back Jules Kounde.

Schalke midfielder Weston McKennie has completed a move to Juventus. 

The 22-year-old joins the Italian champions on a one-year loan deal worth €4.5 million, with Juve holding an €18.5m (£16.5m/$22m) purchase option plus up to €7m in bonuses if certain performance-related clauses are met.

Juve will also have the option to purchase McKennie should he not meet those clauses.

The U.S. international moves to Serie A after establishing himself as a key player at Schalke, where he made his debut on the final day of the 2016-17 season.

McKennie would go on to make 74 more appearances in the Bundesliga over the next three seasons, playing a variety of roles in midfield and defence for the Royal Blues.

The 2019-20 campaign saw McKennie set career highs in Bundesliga appearances with 28, and goals with three.

McKennie becomes the first signing made by new Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo, who took over from Maurizio Sarri earlier this month.

The U.S. international will join Arthur Melo as new arrivals in Juve's midfield, with the Brazilian's move from Barcelona in a swap deal involving Miralem Pjanic confirmed in June.

Meanwhile, Pirlo has also begun to move players out as midfielder Blaise Matuidi left the club this summer to join MLS outfit Inter Miami,  while Goal has reported that  Gonzalo Higuain and Sami Khedira have both been told they can leave .

Juventus won their ninth consecutive Serie A title in 2019-20, but the club once again fell short in Europe when they lost to Lyon in the Champions League round of 16. That defeat meant the club's Champions League drought reached 24 years, with the Bianconeri last winning in 1996.

On the international level McKennie made his USMNT debut in 2017 and has gone on to earn 19 caps for his country, scoring six goals.

The Texas native had been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Southampton, Newcastle and Leicester among those reported to be interested. 

A reported switch to fellow Bundesliga outfit Hertha also didn't materialise, with Schalke looking to sell the USMNT man to raise funds amid a difficult financial period for the club.