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Lille star Victor Osimhen has been announced as the winner of 2020 Marc-Vivien Foe prize.

The Nigeria international saw off competition from compatriot Moses Simon (Nantes), Saint-Etienne’s Denis Bouanga, Montpellier’s Andy Delort, Monaco’s Islam Slimani plus Rennes’ trio of Mbaye Niang, Hamari Traore and Edouard Mendy.

Thanks to his awe-impressive form in his maiden season in France, the youngster had the votes of the jury made up of African sports journalists.

Osimhen joined the Mastiffs from Belgian First Division A club Sporting Charleroi as a direct replacement for Cote d’Ivoire star Nicolas Pepe who joined Premier League outfit, Arsenal.

He became an instant hit at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, delivering admirable performances that endeared him to the club’s fans.

With French football cancelled in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Super Eagles star ended up with 18 goals and six assists in 38 appearances across all competitions – a feat that earned him Lille’s player of the season accolade ahead of Benjamin Andre and Renato Sanchez.

Thanks to this achievement, he succeeds last year’s winner Pepe as well become the second Nigerian after Vincent Enyeama (2014) to claim the individual prize since inception in 2009.

Osimhen burst into the football scene at the 2015 U17 Fifa World in Chile, where he bagged the topscorer’s award, Silver Ball as well as helped Emmanuel Amuneke’s Golden Eaglets to the world title.

The same year, he was named as Africa’s Youth Player of the Year by the Confederation of African Football.

After a failed stint at Wolfsburg, he joined Charleroi on loan where he scored 20 goals in 36 outings across all competitions for the Zebras.

The Ultimate Strikers Academy product also caught the attention of senior national team selectors and earned his Eagles’ debut against Togo in 2017.

He played a part in Gernot Rohr’s team third-place finish at the 2019Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

Although Osimhen is expected to remain at Lille until 2024, his French outfit has received several offers for the Nigerian with owner Gerard Lopez recently disclosing to that there are a number of suitors from three different leagues in Europe.

Paul Pogba "can get Manchester United competing for titles" if he adds consistency to his game, says Roy Keane.

Pogba was tipped for stardom after rising through the youth ranks at Old Trafford, but ultimately decided Juventus was the best place for him to continue his development in 2012.

The World Cup winner emerged as one of the finest midfielders of his generation in Turin, while getting his hands on four Serie A titles.

United forked out £89 million ($110m) to lure the 27-year-old back to Old Trafford in 2016, as he declared he still had unfinished business in Manchester.

Pogba has since contributed 31 goals and 32 assists in 150 appearances for the Red Devils, while adding the Europa League and Carabao Cup to his trophy collection.

However, the France international has often been criticised for his perceived lack of commitment, amid persistent links with Spanish giants Real Madrid. Speculation over Pogba's future was raging before the coronavirus-enforced break in the current campaign, which has proved a frustrating one for the playmaker due to a persistent ankle injury.

However, the ex-Juve star regained full fitness while in lockdown, and has forced his way back into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans since the Premier League restart earlier this month.

Keane is now hoping to see Pogba fulfil his full potential at Old Trafford, and prove his doubters wrong in the process.

“Obviously Pogba has had his critics because he is so talented,” The United legend told the Irish Independent. “If you are not performing week in, week out people are going to get on your back. I always say there is a compliment in that.

“People know he’s an outstanding talent but for some reason, it hasn’t gelled. He obviously had the injury problem this season.

“Just because a player is having a difficult time doesn’t mean they aren’t giving their all. Sometimes a player might be carrying a few knocks. Players lose a little bit of confidence.

“Everyone is quick to criticise Pogba for his off-the-field stuff, but let me tell you if Pogba was winning week in and week out for United people would tolerate his off-the-field activity, his social media activity.

“The key for Pogba, if he wants to become a really important player for Man United, is consistency. It’s no good turning up every two or three weeks and producing your piece of magic.

“I think he is more than capable of doing it, he has done it before. But do it week in and week out and get Man United competing for titles. I have a lot of time for him. I think he’s a talented boy.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has revealed why Simba SC were crowned Mainland Premier League champions on Sunday.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi needed just a point to ensure they kept the league title and their performance at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya against Tanzania Prisons gave them just that even though the hosts gave an equally brave fight to keep the champions at bay.

The Belgian coach has now congratulated Simba for winning the title and said they achieved the fete because they were the most consistent side in the top-flight in this campaign.

“I want to congratulate them for winning the league, I am a guy who loves fair play and I think I have to congratulate them for the latest fete,” Eymael told Goal on Monday.

“The difference between Simba and Yanga on the league table was already too big when I arrived, I think Yanga was number six when I arrived to take over but already moving from number six to two is not bad but Simba also deserved to win the crown because they were the most consistent side in the league.”

Asked on whether he will plan to give Simba a proper challenge in the new season, Eymael said: “I am not talking about that, for now, I am thinking first of all to finish the league as high as possible and we must make sure we keep second position to the end and also on Tuesday we have a domestic Cup fixture and our target is to reach the semi-final.

“One game at a time is the solution, each game as its own story and it is very important to tackle the matches a game at a time, we don’t want to start thinking about next season when we still have matches to play.”

It is the first league title for Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck who arrived in December 2019 to take charge of the second most successful Tanzanian club. The successful outing will also mean Simba have maintained their slot in the Caf Champions League competition.

The league victory underlines Simba and Yanga's dominance in the Tanzanian competition in the last decade. 

Timu ya Wananchi have won the league five times while Wekundu wa Msimbazi had clinched it four times in the last 10 seasons.

Simba's three successful consecutive campaigns, in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons have matched Yanga's record achieved in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

Coach Asaph Mwebaze has pointed out some reasons that make Ugandan players fail to make it, especially in foreign leagues.

The former Onduparaka FC coach reveals lateness is one of the weakest areas Ugandan players must work to confront and improve if they have to realise the best in their careers.

“Arriving somewhere that is either an hour away or just five minutes, always being punctual — that’s called planning,” Mwebaze told Sports Nation.

“It’s a skill that many of our players think isn’t part of the game, yet the game is played on time parameters. Players arrive at any time and will always have good stories that catch the sympathy of the listener.”

According to Mwebaze, who has been in the coaching scene for more than two decades, Uganda's work ethics are questionable and has contributed to their failures at times.

“It’s about endurance, comparison and drive. Footballers in Uganda lack the work ethic, that requires the individual to treat the job with respect it deserves,” added the tactician.

“I often challenged them with musicians and their perfectionism. Players don’t realize that they play for an audience or spectators who have paid money from their jobs for this entertainment.

“This would push them to perform with respect to the fan who is parting with hard-earned money. But with little or no hard work they fall by the wayside.”

Mwebaze also questioned the footballers' effort in regard to what they do.

“Honestly, this is basically the same thing as work ethic. Most of the players put very little effort into the game,” explained the coach.

“At Maroons FC and Onduparaka where there were facilities and equipment, very few or none would put in an extra effort before or after the coaching instructions. None would try to perfect a skill which they would always try to do during a game.

"Skills like the penalty kick, free kick, corner kick or any of the standard situations. At one club a player candidly told me classes were a waste of their time.”

Body language, according to Mwebaze, is another aspect Ugandan stars must work to improve on.

“I have realized that this element also lets Uganda players down at times. To be successful you need this kind of confidence that strikes a person in the first interaction,” he concluded.

“Most players won’t look at you straight in the eyes or offer their hand in greeting. A player would enter an office and lean on the wall or sit on a chair in a sleeping position.

“This in most places would easily end the player's career instantly. Football is much about body language and expression, for without it most is lost.”

East Bengal, who have been on a signing spree in the off-season, have bit of a 'contractual situation' on hand with their new recruits. The new signings have all been handed contracts set to be executed between themselves and 'East Bengal Club'.

However, it has to be noted that 'East Bengal Club' do not have sporting rights to compete in the I-League, or for that matter, any recognised football tournament. The sporting rights is currently with Quess East Bengal - the Joint Venture between the club and their investors Quess Corp who have reportedly decided to end the venture.

Talks are on between the club and Quess in order to negotiate the transfer of sporting rights.

The club are also looking for potential investors and are seeking help from the West Bengal Government to participate in the Indian Super League (ISL) for the 2020-21 season.

As such, the players have been promised that their contracts will be executed again, on existing terms, under the new entity that will enjoy the sporting rights once the sporting rights are eventually transferred back to the club.

For formality sake, the players will have sign a contract again, under the new entity's name.

As of now, the players will not be able to play football next season as 'East Bengal Club' with whom they have signed does not have any sporting rights. The club has, however, promised the players that their contracts will be changed accordingly as and when the new entity is decided and they get the rights to play.

It is not a new development with respect to the club but just an explanation of what happened a while back. East Bengal communicated this to the players when they returned the contracts to the players recently.

It could be 'East Bengal Club Private Limited', a firm registered in 2019 with Pronab Dasgupta and Debabrata Sarkar as its directors.

There has been a lot of noise surrounding the future of East Bengal ever since arch-rivals Mohun Bagan merged with ISL outfit ATK. East Bengal went on a signing spree after the end of the season, recruiting a fair few number of players.

The players the Red and Golds have signed this summer are Milan Singh, Mohammed Rafique, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Rino Anto, CK Vineeth, Vikas Saini, Pritam Singh, Anil Chavan, Girik Khosla, Sankar Roy, Keegan Pereira, Mohammed Irshad, Bikash Jairu, Cavin Lobo, Sehnaj Singh, Loken Meitei, Rafique Ali Sardar, Angousana Luwang, Gurtej Singh, Novin Gurung, Lalram Chullova and Balwant Singh. They have also retained the services of goalkeeper Mirshad Michu.

Paolo Maldini believes Gianluigi Donnarumma is the best goalkeeper in the world as AC Milan try to keep the Italy star.

Donnarumma has established himself as the undisputed number one keeper at boyhood club AC Milan since debuting as a 16-year-old in 2015, however, his future is often a topic of discussion.

The likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea have been linked to Italy international Donnarumma, who is out of contract in 2021 as AC Milan look to discuss a new deal.

And Milan technical director Maldini heaped praise on Donnarumma prior to Sunday's 2-0 Serie A victory over Roma at San Siro.

"It is certainly Milan's duty to try and keep hold of an important player like Gigio, for what he represents as a symbol, a player who came up through our youth academy and, in my humble opinion, because he is the best goalkeeper in the world," Maldini told DAZN.

Speaking in March when questions of his future at AC Milan started to emerge, Donnarumma made it clear he had a special connection with the club.

"The Rossoneri colours mean a lot to me, because I grew up here," the 21-year-old said in a Q&A via the club's official channels.

"I have always been a Milan fan and I can't help but give my best for this shirt.

"The first goal is the one I share with the club and the one we have set ourselves at the beginning of the season.

"The personal goal is to always give my best and try to concede as few goals as possible."

The future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also making headlines after joining AC Milan on a free transfer from LA Galaxy in January.

Ibrahimovic has scored four goals in 10 games across all competitions since returning to Milan for a second spell.

The 38-year-old's contract expires at the end of the current campaign and Maldini added: "As for Ibrahimovic, these are two different situations. Gigio's contract is not running down, whereas Ibra's is."

AC Milan are currently sitting in seventh position on the Serie A table - a mammoth 27 points adrift of leaders Juventus with 10 matches to play.

They are also 15 points adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta in the final Champions League qualifying position.

Xavi has revealed his staff are preparing "a lot" to coach Barcelona as the Camp Nou great eyes a return.

The current Al-Sadd boss was linked with the Barca vacancy earlier this year when the La Liga champions sacked Ernesto Valverde, before they turned to Quique Setien in January.

Barca have struggled to convince this season – the titleholders now two points behind bitter rivals Real Madrid in the race for La Liga glory with six matches remaining.

While outlining his future plans for Barca, the 40-year-old insisted he will not come back unless he has the control to make decisions.

"The biggest hope I have now is to be Barca coach and get Barca back to winning ways," Xavi, who has led Al-Sadd to Qatari Super Cup and Qatar Cup silverware, said via Sport.

"Not me but these players and Barca triumphing. And as a consequence, our technical staff, who are preparing for it a lot and it makes us really excited."

Xavi, who won 25 trophies during his playing career with Barca, added: "I'm a club man. I would like to return at the right moment to start a project from zero.

"I've said it a lot of times but I want to take footballing decisions at Barcelona.

"It's clear that after the elections the stage would be set, of course. I'm not ruling anything out.

"They came for me in January, we were speaking. I told them the circumstances and timing weren't right."

Barcelona's next presidential election will take place in the summer of 2021 - usually a date in June - with current leader Josep Maria Bartomeu not seeking re-election.

Xavi's former team-mate Juan Antonio Pizzi believes the club legend is the 'future of Barcelona' and he is destined to return to his roots at manager when the right opportunity presents itself.

"I think he evaluated the situation very well – there is the fact that he would be coaching former team-mates – but also the fact that he would be going home perhaps without the experience of having managed in La Liga," Pizzi said. 

"I think that led him to take the decision that he eventually took, to say: ‘Give me some time. I want to coach Barcelona and I think I’m prepared to do it but I think I have to develop myself a little bit more’.

"I am absolute convinced that the future of Xavi and the future of Barcelona will come together at one point, I don’t know if in two years or five years or eight years but Xavi is going to be Barcelona coach, there is no doubt about that."

Churchill Brothers have amicably resolved the dispute over non-payment of dues with Ghanian forward Sadat Bukari, Goal understands. 

FIFA's Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) had previously ruled in favour of the player who filed a case against the club over unpaid salary. But since both parties have mutually agreed to settle the issue at hand, the case has been closed by FIFA. 

Bukari was signed for the 2018-19 I-League season but as necessary arrangements to bring him in India could not be made, the player did not make a single appearance. However, since the contract was signed and the player was willing to play, the club was obligated to pay his salary in its entirety for the contracted period.

Churchill were keen to appeal against this decision in the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), an international quasi-judicial body established to settle disputes related to sport but missed the deadline to do so. They did not even file an "Intention to Appeal" within 21 days of the order. 

The former I-League champions had written to CAS requesting them for a fresh window to file a suit but their plea was rejected. 

Bukari last plied his trade with Cypriot First Division side Aris Limassol and is currently without a club. 

Lately, non-payment of salaries to players has been a subject of discussion in Indian football. The AIFF had pulled Hyderabad FC for non-payment of dues. East Bengal physical trainer Carlos Nodar Paz also lambasted the club over unpaid remuneration. 

Zinedine Zidane believes Karim Benzema's incredible assist in Real Madrid's win over Espanyol may be one of the plays of the season.

Benzema produced a moment of magic to set up Casemiro in Madrid's 1-0 victory that sent them two points clear atop La Liga on Sunday.

The forward's outrageous backheel through the legs of defender Bernardo Espinosa gave Casemiro a simple finish.

Madrid head coach Zidane was unsurprised and believes Benzema's skill could go down as one of the best moments of the campaign.

"It doesn't surprise me. He is a player who invents things," he said, via AS. "And then Casemiro is there. It can be one of the plays of the championship."

Benzema himself was quick to talk down the importance of his contribution, but explained he saw the play evolve before he made the backheel.

"It was a good play, but the most important thing is the goal afterwards," he said afterwards. "Casemiro gets it right. We are very happy."

Pressed on the piece of skill, the French forward added: "I see football like that! I knew Casemiro was coming from behind."

The man who profited from the assist - Casemiro - wasn't surprised by the piece of skill from his team-mate and insisted full credit should go to the target man.

"What Karim did, for me is normal. We all know that the qualities he has aren't of a number nine, but of a number 10," Casemiro said.

"I know him, I know how he plays and the quality he possesses. I asked for the ball in space, and his backheel pass was incredible.

"It's Karim's goal. It's the backheel pass of a number 10 and you have to congratulate him."

The stunning touch swiftly prompted comparisons to ex-Madrid great Guti, who famously teed up Benzema for an open goal with a similarly stunning touch against Deportivo La Coruna in 2010.

As clips were shared of both goals on social media, Guti joined in the conversation to praise his former team-mate.

Sharing a picture of his own assist, the 43-year-old tagged Benzema and posted a series of clapping emojis.

"Magic, friend," he wrote. "Brutal."

The goal lifted Madrid two points clear of rivals Barcelona with six games remaining in the La Liga season.

Majeed Ashimeru, Jerome Onguene, Sekou Koita, Mohamed Camara, Patson Daka, Karim Adeyemi and Enock Mwepu have won the 2019-20 Austrian Bundesliga league with Salzburg after defeating Hartberg 3-0 on Sunday at the Red Bull Arena.

Goals from Andre Ramalho, Hwang Hee-chan and Daka were all Die Die Mozartstadter needed to secure victory in the empty stadium.

With the first-half heading goalless an unmarked Ramalho headed past goalkeeper Raphael Sallinger a beautiful cross from Domi Szoboszlai.

In the 53rd minute, Hee-chan doubled the lead after connecting to an Albert Vallci cross after beating two Hartberg men.

Hee-chan turned provider for Daka six minutes later as the Zambia international tapped in from close range.

With that strike, Daka who was in action from start to finish now boasts of 24 goals in 29 games for Jesse Marsch’s men in the Austrian topflight this season.

His compatriot Enock Mwepu who was handed a starter’s role was replaced in the 70th minute by Zlatko Junuzovic while Adeyemi and Ashimeru were thrown into the fray as substitutes for Hee-chan and Andrea Ulmer respectively.

Salzburg hold an incontestable nine-point lead at the summit of the log meaning that with two games to play nobody can catch the runaway leaders.

With 30 matches played, they have won an impressive 20, with eight draws and just two defeats. The champions have scored 102 times and conceded on 32 occasions.

This triumph also means that they have won the title in the last seven seasons as well as the seventh time they would win a double in their history.

Rapid Wien, meanwhile, will attempt to hold onto second place and automatic qualification into the Champions League group stages next term.

Despite losing 1-0 at home to Wolfsberger AC, LASK can still challenge for the automatic place in Europe’s elite club championship as well as Hartberg with Sturm Graz hoping to qualify for Europa League play-offs.

Unbeaten in their last eight games, Daka and his teammates host Sturm Graz in a dead rubber game before ending the season with an away encounter at LASK on Sunday at the Raiffeisen Arena.

Bayern Munich can win the Champions League and DFB-Pokal to complete a treble of championships, according to former president Uli Hoeness.

The German giants clinched their eighth successive Bundesliga title earlier this month and lifted the trophy after a 4-0 win against Wolfsburg on the weekend.

With the Bavarians to play in the DFB-Pokal final against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, and being in pole position to progress through their round-of-16 Champions League tie versus Chelsea, Hoeness believes Bayern can win the treble - a feat the club achieved famously in 2012-13.

Bayern will go into this weekend's cup final as hot favourites, while their 3-0 win against Chelsea in the first leg at Stamford Bridge puts them in the box seat to progress to the last eight in their European campaign.

"If our team can preserve this form, we have a good chance of winning everything," Hoeness told Blickpunkt Sport.

"I hope that the team can keep the rhythm."

Bayern became the seventh European team to win a treble in 2012-2013, defeating Dortmund in the Champions League final, Stuttgart in the DFB-Pokal, after clinching the Bundesliga by a mammoth 25 points.

This time around, Bayern won the league title by 13 points ahead of Dortmund, but scored an extraordinary 100 goals on their way to sealing the club's 30th German top division championship.

Hoeness praised the team for reaching such an impressive mark and called on the Bundesliga's other teams to improve so Bayern won't waltz to a ninth straight title next season.

"It's really special to score 100 goals in a Bundesliga season. It's a sensational achievement," Hoeness said.

"The other [teams] have to work harder now. You can't expect Bayern to work only half a day to make the Bundesliga more exciting."

Robert Lewandowski has scored a staggering 49 goals for Bayern in all competitions, including 34 in 31 league matches and 11 in only six Champions League games.

On the flank, Serge Gnabry added an impressive 19 goals in his breakout season for the club since joining in 2017, while Thomas Muller broke the Bundesliga assists record.

MLS has announced that 18 players and six staff members have received positive tests as the league prepares to return to play for the first time since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

The league is set to resume on July 8 with the start of the MLS is Back tournament, with each of the league's teams heading to Orlando for a competition that will include a group stage and knockout rounds.

Teams were able to begin training on June 4 and, since training began, a total of 668 players have been tested.

On Sunday, MLS confirmed that, of those 668, 18 have received positive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) tests prior to heading to Orlando.

Prior to travelling to Orlando and entering the league's isolated setup for the tournament, players and staff must complete an additional two PCR tests 24 hours apart and within approximately 72 hours of travel. After that, all of those travelling will be required to take another PCR test and will be quarantined until they receive the result of that test.

Any individual who produced a positive test after arriving in Orlando will undergo a clinical assessment by a healthcare provider while also being moved to the isolation area of the hotel until receiving medical clearance.

Starting on Tuesday, the league will begin providing updates every other day with testing results for all involved in the MLS is Back tournament.

As of Sunday, three MLS clubs have already entered the league's setup in Orlando: the San Jose Earthquakes, FC Dallas and hosts Orlando City.

So far, a total of 329 people have been administered PCR tests on-site, with two tests producing positive results from players who had just arrived in Orlando.

With the tournament nearing kickoff, all teams are required to be settled in Orlando within seven days of their opening match of the tournament.

The tournament will make MLS the first major men's professional sports league to return to play in the U.S., with the NWSL resuming play this past weekend.

Hosts Orlando City will face local rivals Inter Miami in the first matchup of the tournament and the first matchup of the two Florida teams.

Later that night, Inter Miami's expansion partner Nashville SC will face the Chicago Fire.

Inter Milan stepped up their Serie A title chase with a 2-1 victory over Parma in Sunday evening’s encounter, with Victor Moses providing an assist.

Late goals from Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni were all the Black and Blues needed to secure a comeback victory after going down to Gervinho’s opener.

Antonio Conte’s men came into the game following a disappointing 3-3 home draw against Sassuolo on Wednesday and were hoping to take a positive result from Stadio Ennio Tardini.

However, they were pegged back by 15th minutes strike by Gervinho thanks to an assist from Juraj Kucka.

The Ivorian coolly displaced Antonio Candreva and Danilo D'Ambrosio before slotting into the bottom-right corner of goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.

Four minutes later, Inter were handed a penalty owing to Andreas Cornelius’ handball – but a VAR check ruled against the decision as Diego Godin had been offside before the incident.

The visitors’ ambition for a comeback was looking destined to end in vain after substitute goalkeeper Tommaso Berni was shown the red card for dissent from the bench in the 69th minute  - his ushered in Chelsea loanee Moses for Antonio Candreva.

That proved to be the turning point as Conte’s men levelled matters eight minutes from full time through defender Stefan de Vrij after heading home Lautaro Martinez's header.

Victory was guaranteed three minutes later through Godin’s replacement Alessandro Bastoni who headed past Luigi Sepe to the despair of Parma who had Kucka sent off two minutes earlier.

Nigeria’s Moses who was featuring in his sixth Italian elite division game of the season got cautioned by referee Fabio Maresca in the closing stages of the game for time-wasting.

After an impressive shift, Gervinho was replaced in the 86th minute by Gaston Brugman, while Ghanaian superstar Kwadwo Asamoah was an unused substitute by the San Siro giants.

Thanks to this victory, Inter remain third in the log having accrued 61 points from 28 league games – eight points behind leaders Juventus.

They take on struggling Brescia on Wednesday, while Parma face Hellas Verona in a game that could prove key to both teams' European ambitions.

Chelsea signing Timo Werner has revealed his decision to abandon RB Leipzig's Champions League campaign 'hurt', as he prepares to officially head to Stamford Bridge.

The German striker will officially begin his contract with the Blues on July 1 after a £47.5 million ($59m) switch to the Premier League was announced earlier this month.

However, the decision to join Chelsea quickly after the transfer fee was agreed between the two clubs means Werner will miss out the rest of Leipzig's continental campaign.

The Bundesliga club had already progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, with a crushing 4-0 win against Tottenham across two legs.

Werner has contributed four goals in eight matches through Europe's premier club competition, including the winning strike in the first leg versus Spurs in London.

"Of course it hurts me that I can't help out [RB Leipzig] to play in the Champions League. But I'm a Chelsea FC player from July 1st and I'm being paid by Chelsea from then on, Werner told Sportbuzzer.

"It was clear that all parties - Chelsea, RB and my side - should and must settle this. Of course I tried to keep out of the Champions League issue as much as I could because it was clear that I would have to hurt one side. That's why my agent finally agreed it with the clubs."

Werner helped Leipzig finished third in the Bundesliga - contributing 28 goals in 34 matches - before he packed his bags for his London move.

The 24-year-old became Leipzig's record goalscorer in his final match for the club on Saturday, with his two strikes against Augsburg putting him on 95 goals, two more than Daniel Frahn's previous mark.

Despite being not able to participate in Leipzig's Champions League journey, Werner says he will still support his former team and hopes to even attend their quarter-final if the situation allows.

"I am forever connected to Leipzig and RB, will sit in front of the TV during the quarter finals and keep my fingers crossed - maybe I can even be on site in Lisbon," Werner said.

Despite joining Chelsea in the next couple of days, Werner won't be eligible to represent his new club until next season - meaning he can't help the Blues fight for the top four this campaign or feature in the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

Arthur and Miralem Pjanic have signed their contracts with Juventus and Barcelona, respectively, with both teams expected to make an official announcement regarding the midfielders on Monday.

The two clubs agreed a deal earlier this week that will see Arthur leave Camp Nou for Turin for around €70 million (£63m/$79m), while Pjanic will move in the opposite direction for a €60m (£55m/$67m) fee.

Both players underwent medicals at their respective new clubs on Sunday afternoon before putting pen-to-paper on their contracts.

Arthur has signed a five-year deal with Maurizio Sarri’s side, which will see him earn a basic salary of €5m per season, going up to €7m (£6m/$8m) with bonuses.

Though both players will remain at their current clubs for the remainder of the extended 2019-20 campaign, Barcelona wanted the deals completed by the end of June for budgetary reasons.

Given the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Juve would struggle to pull off an expensive transfer so needed to agree a swap deal that would include one of their high earners heading in the opposite direction.

The Catalan giants have been targeting Pjanic for some time, but the deal was held up as Arthur was initially reluctant to make the move to Italy.

However, a breakthrough was reached on Saturday evening that allowed the clubs to press ahead with the double deal.

Arthur has made 72 appearances for Barcelona since joining from Gremio in the summer of 2018. The Catalan giants viewed the midfielder as a key part of their first-team squad, but Goal revealed last month they would be open to selling the 23-year-old should the right offer arrive.

Pjanic, meanwhile, has been a regular in the Juventus line-up, making 36 appearances in all competitions this season for the Turin giants, who are on the brink of a ninth successive Serie A title.

They currently sit four points clear of Lazio at the top of the table with 10 games remaining.

The Bosnia-Herzegovina international has won three league titles and the Coppa Italia twice with the Bianconeri since joining from Serie A rivals Roma in 2016.

Newcastle United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester City on Sunday, but Steve Bruce clearly liked what he saw from Kevin De Bruyne.

De Bruyne was typically influential in City's dominant 2-0 win at St James' Park , opening the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half after Fabian Schar's foul on Gabriel Jesus.

That goal set the holders on their way to a quarter-final victory that Raheem Sterling wrapped up after Dwight Gayle improbably missed a chance to equalise from point-blank range.

So taken was former Manchester United captain Bruce by the performance of De Bruyne, who also scored a wondergoal for City in their Premier League meeting with the Magpies in November, he joked Newcastle would be signing the Belgium superstar.

Interrupting De Bruyne's post-match interview with City's club media, Newcastle boss Bruce grabbed a grinning De Bruyne and told the reporter: "He's going to stay here.

"He's going to stay here, come here - that's an exclusive out of Newcastle tonight. He's had enough of Manchester City and he's going to come and play for Newcastle."

Bruce was able to confirm the arrival of one new signing post-match: former Motherwell goalkeeper Mark Gillespie on a free transfer.

Newcastle could soon be in a position to make more expensive signings with a controversial Saudi takeover still being investigated by the Premier League . 

With question marks remaining over the deal however, Bruce has called for clarity so that the club can remain focused for the remainder of the season. 

"I think everybody needs a bit of clarity," he said post-match. "And if I am led to believe it is the Premier League that are stalling all of the negotiations then they have to come and make a decision sooner or later.

"It is not healthy for anybody. As I have said for me personally, and we have another game on Wednesday now and we have a wonderful opportunity.

"We can't use that [the takeover] as an excuse but we need a bit of clarity and get it put to bed one way or another."

Real Madrid moved two points clear at the top of LaLiga on Sunday, capitalising on Barcelona's draw at Celta Vigo by beating the Espanyol 1-0.

Zinedine Zidane's men led the league by virtue of their superior head-to-head record going into the weekend and were boosted by Celta's late equaliser against Barca on Saturday.

Madrid made sure not to pass up the opportunity to build a gap at the summit as Casemiro scored following a wonderful Karim Benzema assist in an entertaining if ultimately narrow away victory.

The capital club have control of the title race with just six matches remaining, although it was not all one-way traffic at RCDE Stadium despite bottom side Espanyol's accommodating defending.

Madrid looked similarly shaky at times in the first half as Sergi Darder saw an early deflected shot trickle wide before Wu Lei wastefully blasted over.

Former Madrid goalkeeper Diego Lopez scrambled to keep out an ambitious Casemiro attempt and watched both Sergio Ramos and the Brazil international head over, the captain missing the target from point-blank range.

Benzema was next to try his luck and draw a save from Lopez, whose busy outing continued with a double stop from Casemiro and Eden Hazard in a goalmouth scramble prompted by his own failure to deal with a high cross.

Casemiro's fifth effort before half-time finally evaded Lopez to break the deadlock, though, as Benzema teed up his team-mate with a cute backheel through Bernardo Espinosa's legs.

Madrid's momentum was slowed by the break, yet subsequent speculative Espanyol efforts from distance did not cause Thibaut Courtois significant concern as another win was sealed.

What does it mean? Madrid reinvigorated since restart

Defeat to Real Betis in March saw Madrid hand pole position back to Barcelona, but the coronavirus pandemic swiftly prompted the suspension of the season.

Zidane's side have entertained since the restart and could have run up a handsome scoreline against Espanyol. Crucially, though, they have won five straight matches, striking a balance between style and substance, while Barca have twice dropped points.

Casemiro in control

Nominally a holding midfielder, Casemiro provided Madrid's chief attacking threat in the first half. He appeared to be involved in each and every attack and deserved a goal long before it arrived courtesy of a gorgeous piece of skill from Benzema that meant, this time, Casemiro could not miss.

Wu wide of the mark

Madrid may have given up more chances than usual in recent weeks, but opponents must still make sure to take their opportunities when they arrive. Wu's profligacy saw Espanyol fail to do so. He should have hit the target when well placed in the first half and then aimed a tame shot into Courtois' clutches shortly after the break.

Key Opta Facts

- Madrid have conceded 21 goals after 32 games in LaLiga this season, their second-best total at this stage in the competition, after 1987-88 (20 goals).
- Benzema is the third LaLiga player to reach double figures for goals (22) and assists (10) this season in all competitions, after Lionel Messi (26 and 21) and Luis Suarez (16 and 11).
- No team has recorded more wins against a single opponent in LaLiga history than Madrid versus Espanyol (W104 D33 L35).
- Benzema has been directly involved in six goals in his past six LaLiga away games against Espanyol (four goals and two assists), this after having not been involved in any of his previous three such matches at RCDE Stadium.

What's next?

Madrid host stuttering Getafe on Thursday, the same day Espanyol's unlikely bid to avoid the drop takes them to Real Sociedad.

Inter relied on two defenders to get them out of trouble as Stefan de Vrij and Alessandro Bastoni scored late on to snatch a 2-1 win at Parma in a dramatic Serie A clash.

With Antonio Conte watching on from the stands as he served a touchline ban, Gervinho's 15th-minute goal looked set to be enough for Parma to secure a valuable win in their push for Europe.

Yet Inter fought back in the closing stages – De Vrij rather fortunately turning home Lautaro Martinez's header before Bastoni headed in the winner three minutes later to consolidate Inter's place in third.

Bastoni's goal came almost immediately following the restart after Inter's equaliser, with Juraj Kucka's dismissal for dissent having caused a lengthy stoppage.

After drilling wide with his first attempt, Gervinho made no mistake with his second opportunity, calmly rounding Antonio Candreva and Danilo D'Ambrosio before slotting into the bottom-right corner.

A VAR check for an Andreas Cornelius handball looked set to result in Inter being awarded a penalty four minutes later, only for the officials to spot Diego Godin had been marginally offside.

Cornelius squandered two great chances to put Parma 2-0 up prior to the break, first blazing over when one-on-one with Samir Handanovic before slicing wide from Jasmin Kurtic's cross.

With Inter's substitute goalkeeper Tommaso Berni having received a red card for complaining from the bench, the visitors' comeback efforts seemed set to prove fruitless when Romelu Lukaku curled wide and Alexis Sanchez saw a stinging strike saved.

Yet their luck finally turned in the 84th minute – De Vrij in the right place to flick Martinez's header on into the net.

Kucka was given his marching orders while Inter celebrated, and Inter swiftly made their numerical advantage count as Bastoni headed in from point-blank range to deal the final blow to his former club.

What does it mean? Inter fending off Atalanta… for now

Atalanta's victory over Udinese earlier had lifted them to within a point of Inter, whose slim title hopes all but faded with a draw against Sassuolo last time out. However, the Nerazzurri have just about managed to keep their rivals – who they face in their final league game of the season – at bay.

Bastoni the hero from the bench

With Godin having struggled up against Cornelius and Gervinho, Bastoni was introduced in the 73rd minute, yet it was at the other end of the pitch that the former Parma youngster made a telling impact, having been in the right place at the right time to turn in his second Serie A goal for Inter.

Cornelius' misses prove costly

Inter were made to pay for Roberto Gagliardini's glaring miss against Sassuolo, but this time they were the benefactors of two dreadful attempts from Cornelius, who could have put Parma out of sight before the break.

Key Opta Facts

Inter have gained 32 points away from home this season, the most of any team in Serie A.
Inter have scored 13 headed goals in Serie A, at least two more than any other team this term.
De Vrij has been involved in six goals for Inter this season with three goals and three assists.
Gervinho is just the third Parma player to be involved in 10 or more goals in back-to-back Serie A seasons since 2004-05, joining Domenico Morfeo (2004-05 and 2005-06) and Sebastian Giovinco (2010-11 and 2011-12).

What's next?

Inter take on struggling Brescia on Wednesday, while Parma face Hellas Verona in a game that could prove key to both teams' European hopes.