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James Rodriguez wanted to join Atletico Madrid but was denied the opportunity to by Real Madrid, the Colombia international’s stepfather has said.

The No.10 has rarely featured for Zinedine Zidane’s side this season, having had a stop-start campaign on loan at Bayern Munich on loan previously.

He spoke up about the club's refusal to grant him a move to his favoured destination last summer but remained coy as to the identities of the clubs who were after him.

Juan Carlos Restrepo has lifted the lid on the potential deals, stating that the player favoured a switch across town to Los Blancos’ rivals – a desire that was snubbed by his employers.

“James would have preferred to go to Atlético Madrid in case of a transfer. This does not mean that there were no attempts and appreciations from other clubs as well. He feels comfortable in Spain, on a personal level, and was not convinced to change countries,” Restrepo told Radio Marte . 

“It may be that the friendly summer game played a role. But in the end, Real, who wants to dominate in Spain and the world, still considers the player to be important to his team and decided not to sell him. This was the official position.”

He also spoke of a potential move to Napoli, which the player turned down but could be open to in the future.

“I don't think James has closed the negotiations with Napoli, an important club with great prospects,” he said. “In my opinion, as James' adoptive father, I think the point was that in order for someone like him to be transferred, you have to agree in many places and in many ways.

“Whatever the club of his future, we hope the pieces of the puzzle will come together as they did not last year. If it’s a big club like Napoli, great. There must be a solution that satisfies everything on a human level, and on a technical project, and obviously on the economic issue.”

James, who will turn 29 next month, has only featured 14 times across all competitions for Madrid this term, scoring one goal and setting up two more. 

His only league appearance since October came against Real Sociedad on Sunday, in which he started on the right wing before being replaced with 12 minutes remaining.

Eddie Nketiah opened the scoring in Arsenal’s Premier League match against Southampton on Thursday, extending his impressive scoring record this season.

The Anglo-Ghanaian forward pounced on an error from Saints stopper Alex McCarthy to poke home from close range, having chased down an attempted clearance by the keeper.

It was a miserable moment for McCarthy, but was a moment to further highlight Nketiah’s burgeoning talent, as he demonstrated genuine hunger and tenacity to chase down a lost cause and put pressure on the keeper.

It also extended his fine goalscoring run this season, with the forward demonstrating an admirable consistency in front of goal.

This was only his eleventh start of the season in all competitions, but he’s netted six goals across those appearances, with four of those goals coming for Arsenal, and two coming for Leeds United.

The young attacker was on loan at Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds during the first half of the campaign but was recalled by Mikel Arteta having caught the eye on several occasions in the Championship.

Nonetheless, he was rarely used as a starter by Bielsa, with 15 of Nketiah’s 17 appearances in the second tier coming from the bench.

The 21-year-old started for the Gunners against Manchester City in their first match back following the restart, looking sharp despite the one-sided contest and 3-0 victory for Pep Guardiola’s side.

At the weekend, he was introduced from the bench as Arsenal were defeated by Brighton & Hove Albion, and was preferred to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the midweek trip to St Mary’s Stadium.

Nketiah’s goal against Southampton was his third of the calendar year, with some Gunners supporters cheekily noting he’s scored more than Harry Kane and Tammy Abraham combined since the start of 2020.

The youngster has also scored away from home against Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton for Arsenal this term, a return which eclipses Alexandre Lacazette’s goal tally away from the Emirates Stadium.

Despite being at the club all season, the France international has only scored twice away from home since the start of the campaign.

Lewisham-born Nketiah has represented England from U18 to U21 level, but is eligible to represent Ghana’s Black Stars through his ancestry.

Wilfred Ndidi has revealed Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has helped him to grow since his arrival at the Premier League club.

The Nigeria international has developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the English top-flight since joining the Foxes from Belgian side Genk in 2017.

The 23-year-old has had a number of managers since his arrival at the King Power Stadium, including Claudio Ranieri, Craig Shakespeare and Claude Puel.

The Super Eagles star, however, feels he experienced more growth and understanding of the game under the Northern Irish tactician.

“When Brendan came, I saw myself growing and understanding where I can actually grow to,” Ndidi told LCFCQ, as per the club website.

“It’s hard to explain. For me, I could see a path, I could see things differently. Growing in Leicester, I’m trying to understand the game, and now, I can understand it in different directions.

“He’s given me a wider view of where this is supposed to go to make me even better. The statistics are okay, but I can be better than that – that’s the way I can explain it.”

Ndidi has featured 31 times for the King Power Stadium outfit in this campaign across all competitions under the tutelage of the former Liverpool manager.

The midfielder currently ranks third in Premier League top tacklers with 96 tackles behind teammate Ricardo Pereira and Manchester United’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

His solid defensive performances ensured the Foxes’ third place on the Premier League table, behind leaders Liverpool and Manchester City.

Leicester are winless in their last two games after recording draws with Watford and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Ndidi, who has made 113 league appearances since joining the Foxes, will hope to help his side bounce back to winning ways when they take on Chelsea on Sunday.

Juventus head coach Maurizio Sarri says he has no concerns about Miralem Pjanic's suitability to his plans despite talk of an imminent deal which would see the midfielder head to Barcelona.

Arthur has agreed to join Juventus from Barcelona, setting up a deal that will see Pjanic move in the opposite direction.

The two deals are disconnected, with Arthur set to switch to Juve for €70 million (£63m/$79m) and Pjanic poised to move in the other direction for €60m (£55m/$67m).

Rumours of these deals have persisted for many weeks, with both clubs said to see the arrangement as a useful way of balancing the books amid the financial uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, but Arthur was reportedly not interested in a move until a change of heart in the past few days.

Speaking ahead of Juve's Serie A clash with Lecce on Friday, which could stretch their lead over Lazio at the top of the table to seven points, Sarri insisted he has not been told by the club that Pjanic is bound for the exit.

He also made it clear he is not pushing for the midfielder to leave despite suggestions Pjanic is not wholly compatible with Sarri's preferred system.

"If he is sold, it'll be for other reasons. He is not under discussion from a technical point of view," he said on Thursday. "But the club haven't given me any signals in that sense, so I don't take it into consideration.

"The discussions between him and me are on technical and mental aspects. He mustn't worry if he misses a game, but he has to react quickly.

"I'm happy with Miralem and I'm sure, in that role, he can improve further."

When asked specifically about Arthur, Sarri replied: "Arthur is a Barcelona player and I don't want to talk about him."

Sarri had appeared irked by the fact Barca counterpart Quique Setien spoke about the rumours this week, claiming Arthur was affected by the speculation.

"Given how things are, we need all of our players and we'll try and isolate ourselves from this situation and the media who are reporting on and talking about these rumours," Setien said. "We need him to be focused. It's true it is a difficult situation but we have to overcome it somehow."

Polokwane City manager Clinton Larsen says the ministry of Sport and Health is not responsible for running football in South Africa but the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is.

He also discussed his hopes and fears for the restart of the PSL. The Rise and Shine boss shared his sentiments after an announcement by the Sports minister Nathi Mthethwa who gave the clubs under the PSL banner, the go-ahead as to returning to training on the field of play on Monday.

Larsen also explains how the coronavirus pandemic has affected his players and technical team, saying nobody in football has ever experienced such a long time with no active football.

“Well, basically the teams rely on the PSL for correspondence and we are waiting for the PSL to send us an email as they do to all the clubs, [to say] listen you have the green light,” Larsen told Goal.

“I understand teams are testing and stuff like that but the PSL is the one and not the ministry of health or the ministry of sport. These two ministries do not run football in South Africa but the PSL and Safa [South African Football Association].

“These are the only bodies that can notify the clubs to say you can return to training now and which protocols must be put in place.

“Yes, there was a document sent to all the clubs from the PSL clearly stating that testing must be done two to seven days prior to beginning training. So, if you look, some teams tested outside of that window which means they’ll have to test again.

“So, I think it also comes down to interpretation, some teams have been interpreting it [the contents] differently but I’m sure the league will clear that up shortly.

“Yes, there is a glimmer of hope but remember training and playing are two different things and a lot can happen between us starting to train and play you know.

"So, like I said it’s up to all 32 teams to follow the protocols put in place religiously, and that is left to be seen if the teams comply. So, we’ll just have to wait and see.

“Hopefully everybody does and we take back to training and playing again. So, it’s up to the clubs now to follow these strict measures put in place so that we can get on with football.”

Speaking about the state of mind of his players and his technical team where they have to train from the comfort of their homes, the former Bafana Bafana midfielder says it’s a challenging time for everyone.

“I don’t think anybody in football has seen this before. Three months without football is unheard of. Yes, four weeks in the past in the case of the off-season and you come back for pre-season,” he added.

“Three months is the longest any player had to be out. So, it’s difficult for coaches and players. We won’t be surprised by a lot of injuries on a return like it has happened across Europe.

“I hope we will get the necessary time for the players to get up to speed but I do believe there will be injuries across all clubs. I just hope the powers that be will give the necessary time to go back to prepare for the matches.”

Sami Khedira has revealed the stark warning Germany received at half-time during their 7-1 demolition of Brazil at the 2014 World Cup.

The eventual world champions were 5-0 up at the break on a historic evening at the Estadio Mineirao after Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira had all netted inside the first 30 minutes.

Khedira recalled how manager Joachim Low told his side in no uncertain terms that showboating in the second half wouldn’t be tolerated.

"Jogi said to us: 'Great! But the game is not over yet. If I see anybody messing around, I'll take him off immediately’,” Khedira told Sport Bild. “He took the euphoria completely out of the question, and said: ‘We are starting again at 0-0 and I want us to win the second half as well’. It was a perfect message from him.

“We were all in each other’s arms. Even those who didn’t have access to the dressing room at half-time. Everyone was together, and the message came from the top: ‘Enjoy it, but keep your feet on the ground’.”

Germany did win the second half as well. Andre Schurrle netted a brace, with Oscar’s 90th-minute strike providing scant consolation for a distraught home crowd.

Even approaching six years from the game, the result remains close to unbelievable.

Despite losing star man Neymar to injury, Brazil remained contenders for the World Cup on home soil and were expected to compete with Germany in the semi-final in Belo Horizonte.

Khedira says friends and family were blowing up his phone after the game, such was the global reaction to the scoreline.

"I got messages from all over the world,” he said. “It wasn’t even like a birthday. I just couldn’t read everything.

“Everybody was writing to me, ‘Unbelievable!’, ‘Mad!’, ‘What’s going on?’. Tunisians, Germans, people that I didn’t even know to be football fans.”

The reaction to the defeat shaped Brazilian football in the years that followed, a national disaster on par with the infamous ‘Maracanazo’ defeat to Uruguay at the 1950 World Cup.

The two sides have only met once at full international level since, with Brazil able to take some amount of revenge with a 1-0 friendly win in Berlin in 2018. Brazil's side also prevailed over Germany on penalties in the final of the 2016 Olympic tournament.

The combined bid of Australia and New Zealand has been awarded hosting duties for the 2023 Women's World Cup, beating Colombia in the bidding process.

Australia and New Zealand were awarded the tournament on Thursday, winning the vote 22-13 to earn the right to host what will be the first Women's World Cup to feature 32 teams.

The combined bid was initially tagged as the favourite after earning a superior score from FIFA's technical evaluation of the bids, with the Australia/New Zealand bid receiving a score of 4.1 out of five, with it "appearing to present the most commercially favourable proposition", according to FIFA.

Colombia, meanwhile, was given a score of 2.8, with FIFA determining that there would need to be "a significant amount of investment and support from both local stakeholders and FIFA".

The Colombian women’s program has come under fire in recent years, with national team speaking out about a lack of financial support, few camps and poor conditions from the federation.

However, a late swing from UEFA changed the bidding landscape, with voting members determining that the Women's World Cup is a “development tournament”, the Guardian reported, while encouraging its representatives to back Colombia.

The 2019 Women's World Cup was held in France, with the U.S. women's national team beating the Netherlands in the finale to win the country's fourth title.

With Thursday's announcement, New Zealand and Australia will become the first Oceanic countries to host the tournament as well as the first two-country bid to be selected.

The first iteration, held in 1991, was held by China, with Sweden hosting four years later before two consecutive tournaments in the U.S.

In 2007, the competition returned to China before being hosted by Germany and Canada in the run-up to France's 2019 tournament.

New Zealand had been among those to register interest for 2019 hosting duties, joining England, South Korea, South Africa and France, but pulled out relatively early in the bidding process.

South Korea and South Africa were also among those to register early interest in hosting this time around, with Brazil, Japan, Belgium and Bolivia also pursuing hosting duties at various points.

The 2023 Women's World Cup will be held in July and August of that year, while the qualifying process will begin in 2021 and end in 2022.

Former France international Christophe Dugarry has stated it would be a “great sign” if Eduardo Camavinga stayed back at Rennes amid the ongoing rumours of interest from Real Madrid.

The teenager was a key cog in the Red and Blacks midfield last season, clocking 2,783 minutes of competitive football.

In Ligue 1, Camavinga made 24 starts on the 26 occasions when he was named in the matchday squad, with Rennes finishing a strong third and thus progressing into the Champions League where they will participate from the third qualifying round.

Camavinga scored one goal and provided two assists in the French top-flight and also averaged 33.4 accurate passes per game at 88%, 4.2 tackles per game, 1.4 interceptions and also averaged 8.6 total duels per game (58%).

“It would be a great sign sent to French football. We can say no. It would be a beautiful message. We would see that it is possible if Rennes keeps him,” Dugarry told RMC Sport as per FootMercato.

“If it stays like that, I would be happy. You don't have to succumb to the call of earnings and money. It's a crack! It would be a purely sporting choice; it would resemble what I want to see in football. You have to know how to keep your best players.”

Rennes president Nicolas Holveck recently revealed that no offers have been made for Camavinga neither have they attached a price tag on him, citing that there might not be any big offers this summer owing to the financial difficulties caused by the coronavirus pandemic which initially halted football activities.

"We are coming out of an incredible crisis. When you listen to the big clubs, I'm not sure there will be big moves this summer," Holveck told the media when Rennes returned to training on Monday.

"We have not set a price but we have determined that he will stay with us this season because we are ambitious.

"He is a very thoughtful boy, he knows where his sporting interest is. We didn't receive any offers."

Real Madrid – the rumoured interested party in Camavinga, currently lead La Liga tied on points with Barcelona but with a superior head-to-head record.

Chippa United have denied that releasing Rhulani Mokwena had anything to do with allegations of conducting an unsanctioned group training session.

On Wednesday, Chilli Boys confirmed that they had decided to part ways with Mokwena after he joined the club as the head coach last March.

Mokwena took charge of only one match which they drew 0-0 against Bidvest Wits in a PSL clash on March 07 and shortly after that, the season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Chilli Boys allegedly broke the government's Level 3 lockdown regulations by holding a group training session at Kings Beach in Port Elizabeth last week.

Chippa's chief operations officer Lukhanyo Mzinzi has revealed what transpired between the 35-year-old tactician and the club.

"His departure has nothing to do with the reports that the club trained in one place which is not authorized under the lockdown regulations.It had nothing to do with that. It is a business decision," Mzinzi told IOL.

"We had a short-term contract with coach Rhulani. Some call it a loan contract. That contract is ending next week Tuesday or at the end of the month if I may say.

"We worked well with the coach, he was just unfortunate to have only overseen one match because of circumstances beyond our control."

Mokwena had joined the Eastern Cape-based club on loan from Orlando Pirates and he is now expected to return to the Soweto giants.

“So, we've not extended the loan deal. We've allowed him to go back to Orlando Pirates," Mzinzi continued.

"The decision was taken based of the business interests of the club. In as much as we love our coach, it was a business decision that we took.

"There's uncertainty at the business and we had to take business decisions. What is happening at the club affects everyone. We will allow him to go back to his parent club."

Mzinzi added that they did not have an idea of who would replace Mokwena, but he indicated that they have options.

"No one can tell when the league will kickstart. We have to comply with all the rules and regulations before we can start to think about playing," he added.

"We have assistant coaches and development coaches. We haven't discussed that matter."

Inter will have to do without head coach Antonio Conte in the dugout for Sunday’s Serie A clash with Parma due to suspension.

The ex-Chelsea boss saw his fifth yellow card of the season on Wednesday, as he watched his side play out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Sassuolo at San Siro.

The Nerazzurri led 2-0 in that encounter thanks to goals from Ciccio Caputo and Romelu Lukaku, but were pegged back to 2-2.

Another strike from Borja Valero after 85 minutes seemed to have won the match for Conte’s side but Giangiacomo Magnani’s late equaliser cost them two points and dealt them a major blow in the title race. It was shortly after that effort that Conte saw yellow.

“I think we deserved much more considering how much we created, whereas I don’t recall any Samir Handanovic saves,” Conte said of the match in his press conference. “It’s something we keep repeating in this pattern and are paying a heavy price.

"I am very disappointed and so are the lads. When you play this type of game and put so much into it, you have the chance to win despite the difficulties in the key area of midfield, you have to take home the three points. We didn’t do that, it’s disappointing and troubling.

“We had the chances to finish it and we didn’t. I don’t know what more we can do other than keep working.

“I am happy with the performance, we’ve got to be more careful on the details. That is where we can grow and improve.”

To make matters worse for Inter, who are eight points behind leaders Juventus with 11 fixtures remaining and four back from second-placed Lazio, they will have to do without centre-back Milan Skriniar after he was dismissed, rendering him unavailable for the next three games.

The Slovakia international, who was dismissed for “making an offensive remark to the referee along with a blasphemous exclamation” has also been fined €10,000 (£9,000/$11,200). 

As well as the trip to Parma at the weekend, he will sit out a home encounter with Brescia next Wednesday as well as a clash with Bologna in Milan on July 5.

Liverpool have announced that England international full-back Nathaniel Clyne’s contract with the club will not be renewed.

The right-back, who has been capped 14 times for his country, will depart the Anfield club upon the expiry of his current deal on June 30, having not played a single match this season.

Clyne joined Liverpool in July 2015 for a £12.5 million fee from Southampton, signing a five-year deal with the Reds and initially making a very positive impression as he played 52 times in his first season, scoring the only goals he would get for the club in a 6-0 rout over Crystal Palace and in a 1-0 League Cup victory over Bournemouth.

In the following campaign, he featured in all but one of the club’s Premier League matches but injury problems restricted him to a handful of appearances in subsequent years and he featured only four times in the 2018-19 season, including three times as a substitute, making cameos that lasted under 10 minutes.

A loan switch to Bournemouth was secured and under Eddie Howe’s charge he became a regular in the second half of the campaign as the Cherries finished comfortably clear of relegation. He was unable to win back a place at Anfield however and will, therefore, depart the club.

“Liverpool can confirm Nathaniel Clyne will depart the club at the end of this month upon the expiry of his contract,” the Reds posted on their website. “Everyone at Liverpool Football Club would like to thank Nathaniel for his service and wish him all the best in his future career.”

He will be searching for the fourth club of his career, having turned out for four seasons in the Championship with Crystal Palace before his switch to the south coast. At Selhurst Park, he played more than 120 times in the league, scoring a single goal.

The Premier League champions-elect, who could see the title in their grasp should Manchester City fail to win away to Chelsea on Thursday, also announced the departure of a number of academy players from their ranks.

Dan Atherton, Isaac Christie-Davies, Shamal George, Kai McKenzie-Lyle, Jack Walls, Alex Turner and Abel Rodrigues will all leave the side come the end of June.

David de Gea looks as though he “does not trust his back four” at Manchester United, says Paul Parker, with the Red Devils urged to snap up Bournemouth centre-half Nathan Ake as an option to provide greater assurance all round.

Questions are once again being asked of a goalkeeper at Old Trafford who was once untouchable. De Gea was, for several seasons, a model of consistency for the Red Devils as they struggled for such qualities as a collective under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

Various opinions have been offered in the debate regarding the slump from De Gea, with a man now tied to a lucrative new contract seemingly taking his eye off the ball.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has, however, continued to speak out in defence of his favoured No 1, with there no indication that Dean Henderson or anybody else will be taking on starting duties any time soon.

Parker can understand that decision, but the former United full-back does believe that further reinforcements are required in an area of the field that continues to pose unnecessary problems.

He told Eurosport: “It wouldn’t surprise me if De Gea is on edge because he does not trust his back four. When you trust your defence, you play much better.

“I think that United need to make changes in the transfer window. Harry Maguire should not be on the left of the central defence. He should be on the right where he is more comfortable.

“I’d drop Victor Lindelof and bring in Nathan Ake from Bournemouth. Chelsea don’t seem to want him, so now is the time to make a move. He has proven that he is a good defender in a poor team. He’s comfortable on the ball.

“Being left-footed, he would bring the ball forward better than Maguire does from that side, which is needed because Luke Shaw isn’t good enough in attack either. Ake would balance the whole side.

“Every player has a blip, and it’s up to the manager to coach De Gea, to sort him out and stick him out. He can’t just throw him out.

“De Gea knows he needs to justify his contract, and the club can’t afford to stick his £300,000-a-week wages on the bench.”

United have been linked with a number of possible additions ahead of the next transfer window, but the vast majority of their top targets are said to be options for the final third of the field – such as Aston Villa playmaker Jack Grealish and Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has once again stressed on the need to integrate wonderkid Youssoufa Moukoko into the first team.

The 15-year old Cameroonian-German forward has dazzled for BVB in the various youth categories with more than 150 strikes to his name including 34 in 20 outings during the cancelled Under-19 Bundesliga West championship.

Moukoko’s continuous fine displays meant it was difficult for the Dortmund senior team management to turn a blind eye on him and pushed to have the DFB lower the age limit to be drafted into the first team from 17 to 16 which was eventually granted.

This paves way for the Yaounde-born player to make his debut when he turns 16 on November 20.

"The coach and I talked this week about the fact that we want to integrate him into our team, that he immediately learns to train and play with adults," Zorc said in a press briefing ahead of Dortmund’s final Bundesliga game of the season at home to Hoffenheim.

"As a result of the rule change, he can be used in the Bundesliga from November when he turns 16.

"We are very interested in involving the boys from the youth area with us. Of course, we know that we want to be at the top of the Bundesliga, that we want to play a good role in the Champions League. That means it's a big leap from the U-19 to the Bundesliga."

“Introducing young players from their own youth to the professional squad will always remain our focus, that's what Borussia Dortmund stands for".

Dortmund have nothing to fight for in the Bundesliga after Bayern Munich clinched an eighth consecutive title.

The North Rhine-Westphalia outfit are however guaranteed second spot and a place in next season’s Champions League as they hold a seven-point lead over third-placed RB Leipzig heading into Saturday’s finale.

Lucien Favre’s charges lifted the German Super Cup at the start of the season, seeing off Bayern 2-0 at the Signal Iduna Park. They reached the round of 16 of the Champions League but lost out to Paris Saint-German 3-2 on aggregate.

The men in yellow and black also lost out in the same round of the German Cup by the same 3-2 scoreline in a single leg to relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.

Chelsea should be looking to thrash out fresh terms with Willian, says Glen Johnson, as the Brazilian remains a “top player” and would cost upwards of £20 million ($25m) to replace.

As things stand, an experienced South American forward is only tied to the Blues until the end of the 2019-20 campaign. He has agreed a short-term extension that will allow him to see out the current season at Stamford Bridge, but free agency beckons beyond that.

Various landing spots have been mooted for the 31-year-old, from Arsenal to Barcelona, but it may be that an opportunity presents itself for him to remain in his current surroundings.

Willian has been with Chelsea since 2013, making 330 appearances and contributing 59 goals to a cause that has included two Premier League title wins and a Europa League triumph.

As a proven performer at the highest level, Johnson believes those in west London should be looking to accept any demands that are put to them when it comes to extension talks.

The former Blues defender told talkSPORT: “I still think he’s a top player. Those sort of players, those players with that level of professionalism, they are hard to replace.

“Financially, business-wise, trying to replace Willian – how much is that going to cost? You are going to let a top player walk out of the door for nothing. It’s going to cost you a good £20m to replace him.

“I’d definitely like to see him stay there for another year.”

Frank Lampard has suggested that Willian may yet be talked into prolonging his association with Chelsea, with it possible that he could be kept on as World Cup winner Pedro departs.

The Blues boss said, with two seasoned professionals committed through the next few weeks: “Yes, we are still talking with the players and Willian in particular we are talking with him. I always felt confident that they would remain.

“They have been fantastic professionals for the club and servants in all senses and when you have that level of professionalism within you it was a sign that they wanted to stay and see out this season at least. 

“So we will carry on talking and see but I think everybody’s focus now is on these next games, the individuals themselves and us as a club.

“I’m pleased negotiations were relatively easy because both sides wanted the same thing. The two players wanted to make sure they could see the season out with us. At this point we need them in the squad they are both important players for us so I’m happy.”

Chelsea, who continue to occupy a standing inside the Premier League’s top four, will be back in action on Thursday when they take in a home date with Manchester City.

Manchester United have confirmed they will release nine of their academy players when their contracts expire next week.

Demetri Mitchell, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Ethan Hamilton, Dion McGhee, Largie Ramazani, George Tanner, Aidan Barlow, Kieran O’Hara and Alex Fojticek will not be given new deals so will all leave the club when their contracts end on June 30.

The departing players have been offered a support package and been invited back to the club’s Carrington training base for pre-season training to maintain their fitness, while the club have been supporting them in trying to find new clubs.

No player under the age of 19 has been released as the academy are reluctant to let players leave during the current Covid-19 period.

Of the players that have been released Ramazani, who made his senior debut against Astana in the Europa League this season, was offered a new deal but turned it down.

Goal understands the 19-year-old asked for more money but his demands were deemed excessive given his current standing in the squad and he was asking for far more than established first team players were on. It is understood he is likely to join a Spanish second division side.

As well as Ramazani, Mitchell, Borthwick-Jackson, Hamilton and O’Hara have all had first team experience at United, be that on the bench or getting minutes on the pitch.

Head of academy Nick Cox said: “With some of the younger pros that are ending their contracts, we are putting packages in place so that when the season resumes they will come back for a few months with some financial support and a training programme to help them with the next stage of their career.

“This club is a family and looks after its family members. The last thing we wanted to do during this situation was to deliver bad news and release boys into the unknown”

“We made the decision not to release any of the boys [under-9s to under-18s]. The number one priority was getting them back with smiles on their faces, and we will deal with those decisions at another time. We have a duty to help them through this difficult time.”

The only first team player who is out of contract this summer is Angel Gomes. The club have offered the midfielder a new deal but the teenager has yet to agree terms and his contract expires at the end of the month.

Andy Carroll and Javier Manquillo have signed new deals with Newcastle United, while Matty Longstaff has agreed to a short-term extension.

Longstaff's long-term future still remains unclear, however. The midfielder's contract was due to expire at the end of June but he has now signed on for the rest of the campaign.

The 20-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season and he is the subject of widespread interest from clubs across Europe, with Serie A side Udinese having already made him an offer.

He burst onto the scene in October last year when he scored the winner on his Premier League debut against Manchester United at St James’ Park, however he is reportedly still only on wages of £850-a-week and will only remain with Newcastle long term if they offer a significant raise.

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has previously said he is "desperate" for Longstaff - whose old brother Sean is also a first-team midfielder for the north-east club - to stay on Tyneside.

Carroll meanwhile has yet to score since re-joining his boyhood club prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, making 16 appearances in all competitions but only four starts in his second spell at St James' Park. 

The striker, who left for Liverpool on deadline day in January 2011 and then moved on to West Ham, will remain at Newcastle for another year. 

As for Manquillo, the Spanish full-back is now tied to the Premier League club until 2024 after penning a four-year contract, with Bruce delighted to retain the duo. 

"I'm delighted Javier Manquillo and Andy Carroll have extended their contracts longer term," Bruce told the club's website . "They have both made important contributions this season and I'm really pleased we can continue to call on them beyond the summer." 

Nabil Bentaleb and Danny Rose will be staying beyond this month too after their loan deals from Schalke and Tottenham respectively were extended. 

Newcastle also confirmed they have an agreement in principle with Inter to keep Valentino Lazaro, who arrived on loan in January, but Rob Elliot, Jack Colback and Jamie Sterry will all be leaving when their contracts expire. 

Anthony Martial looks happier at Manchester United on the back of his first senior hat-trick, says Mark Hughes, but the Frenchman is still not considered to be a natural No 9.

The highly-rated 24-year-old inherited that prestigious jersey from Romelu Lukaku at the start of the 2019-20 campaign. His efforts so far have lived up his billing as United’s main man in the final third of the field, with a personal-best return of 19 goals recorded.

That haul includes a treble against Sheffield United, with Martial inspiring Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to their latest triumph.

He looked like a predatory marksman in that contest, but questions continue to be asked of whether he can be converted from a speedy winger into a fearsome frontman, like fellow countryman Thierry Henry.

Hughes believes the potential is there for Martial to nail down a role as the go-to man at Old Trafford, but the United legend also concedes that a forward who can look disinterested at times is far from being the finished article.

“He’s always had that potential,” Hughes, who scored 163 goals for the Red Devils across two spells, told talkSPORT.

“He’s a young guy trying to find his potential in a Manchester United shirt. I think he’s maybe looking to take on responsibility, and he needs to do that.

“His first two goals [against Sheffield United] were great finishes, striker’s finishes, which you always like to see from the guy playing down the middle.

“I think he is enjoying playing with the two guys either side of him – [Marcus] Rashford and [Mason] Greenwood – there is a lot of interchanging of positions, and that is the way he likes to play that role.

“He doesn’t like to be stuck in the middle of the park. At times, he looks like that movement to get involved doesn’t come naturally to him when he’s got his back to the goal, he’s happier when he links the play in a deeper position and then drives into the box and gets on the end of things.

“He looked like he was enjoying his game more than maybe he usually does – he gives this impression that it’s all a little bit too much like hard work for him, but he worked his socks off and got the reward with the goals.”

Pressed further on whether Martial can be regarded as a long-term option down the middle for United, Hughes added: “I think everyone accepts that around 26/27/28 years of age, that’s when you are at your peak as a top-line player. So he has got a number of years to go before he gets to that point.

“He is never going to be an out-and-out scorer who will score you 20-30 goals a season.

“I don’t think he’s scored anywhere near 20 goals in a Premier League season yet, but if he nails down that position in the middle rather than being put out onto the wing, then that will affect his ability to get on the end of things.

“If he says to himself ‘I’m going to be the main striker here, I’m going to be playing down the middle’, then I think he’ll get more goals.”

Martial is up to 14 Premier League goals for the current campaign and still has seven games left to take in, as United look to chase down a top-four finish.

Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of former Paris Saint-Germain right-back Thomas Meunier on a free transfer.

The Belgium international had been linked with a switch to the Premier League over the past 12 months, with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham having all been mentioned as possible destinations.

However it is Bundesliga giants Dortmund that have won the race for the 28-year-old, with Meunier signing a four-year contract that will run until 2024.

Explaining his reasons for joining the club, Meunier referenced BVB's passionate support, with the defender having witnessed the famous Yellow Wall up close as PSG dumped the German side out of Europe this season.

The Belgian told the club's official website: "Borussia Dortmund plays exactly the football that I want to play: exciting, authentic and natural. BVB are known for their enthusiastic fans and the atmosphere during the game with PSG at Signal Iduna Park really influenced my decision. 

"I am ambitious and, like when I was in Bruges and Paris, I would like to win titles with Dortmund."

As confirmed by Goal, Meunier, along with his former PSG team-mate Edinson Cavani, had already decided that he wouldn't make himself available for the remainder of the Ligue 1 club's Champions League campaign.

Thomas Tuchel's side are in the quarter-finals of the competition, which will now be staged in Lisbon in August as a mini-knockout tournament after the repercussions of the coronavirus pandemic resulted in a change in format.

However both Meunier and Cavani will be departing when their contracts expire on June 30, dealing a blow to the French capital club's hopes of winning the competition for the first time.

As for Dortmund, sporting director Michael Zorc, who himself signed a new contract with the club until 2022, also revealed that head coach Lucien Favre will be remaining in his position for next season.

He told reporters: "We have a lot of trust internally and will have talks [with Favre] in due course."

Dortmund will finish the 2019-20 campaign in second place, with BVB playing their final match of the Bundesliga season on Saturday as they host Hoffenheim.

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has confirmed that the club are attempting to sign Achraf Hakimi for the 2020-21 season, while young talent Youssoufa Moukoko will soon be integrated into the first-team squad.

Hakimi is currently on a two-year loan from Real Madrid and has made a huge impact during his time with the Bundesliga club, developing into one of Europe's top attacking full-backs.

Indeed, the Moroccan has scored nine goals in 44 games for Dortmund this season, with four of those coming in the Champions League as Lucien Favre's side exited at the last-16 stage at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain.

Hakimi has always stated it is his intention to succeed at Madrid in the long-term, with his agent Alejandro Camano having said that talks with the Liga title hopefuls will be held at the end of the current campaign.

Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has been pleased with Hakimi's development at Dortmund but gave nothing away in regards to whether he has a future at the Bernabeu.

Dani Carvajal has been Madrid's first-choice right-back for some time now, and 21-year-old Hakimi is unlikely to want to settle for a squad rotation role at the Spanish club as he aims to continue his impressive career trajectory.

Zorc has confirmed that Dortmund plan to take advantage of any possible opportunity they may have to extend Hakimi's time at Signal Iduna Park, with the Bundesliga outfit potentially looking at another loan deal.

BVB's sporting director said: "His deal is ending. But we're interested in finding a solution with Real again and find a solution where he will be back playing at BVB next season."

Zorc also confirmed that 15-year-old forward Youssoufa Moukoko, who has made headlines having scored well over 100 goals for the club's various youth sides, will be joining up with the Dortmund first-team and could even make his Bundesliga debut when he turns 16.

He added: "The coach and I talked this week about the fact that we want to integrate him into our team, that he immediately learns to train and play with adults.

"As a result of the rule change, he can be used in the Bundesliga from November when he turns 16. We are very interested in involving the boys from the youth area with us.

"Of course, we know that we want to be at the top of the Bundesliga, that we want to do well in the Champions League. That means it's a big leap from the U-19s to the Bundesliga."

Dortmund have already wrapped up second place in Germany's top flight and will be looking to end the season on a positive note as they face Hoffenheim in their final game of the 2019-20 campaign on Saturday.

FC Goa midfielder Brandon Fernandes feels that the team's newly-appointed head coach Juan Ferrando will need time to build a squad to continue his predecessor's work. 

The India international, in an Instagram live chat with the Indian Super League (ISL), said that Sergio Lobera has left a mark at FC Goa and that his replacement should not be judged too quickly. 

"Sergio Lobera has left a mark. Whenever we played under Lobera, everyone would say Goa would win. Now the expectations will be even more. Juan Ferrando will have to build a team which can perform at the same level.

"It is going to take a while because it is never easy. Even when Lobera came, he got his players but we still struggled a bit in the first season. It will be difficult at the start but I hope we will reach that mark.," Brandon said. 

Brandon is into his fourth year with the Gaurs after having been picked up through the domestic player draft in 2017. With two more years left in his renewed contract, the player is pleased with how his career has shaped up so far. 

He said, "Before the draft, I knew three to four clubs were interested in me. I was hoping Goa would pick me. I knew they would go for me but did not know when. I spoke to the Mumbai City guys and they told me that if Goa had not picked me in the fourth round, they would have gone for me in the fifth round. My dad called me first and he was so happy that FC Goa picked me."

While FC Goa has managed to make a mark with their style of football in the ISL, they are yet to win the trophy. They went close in the last two years and were league winners last season but the trophy has remained elusive. 

"Last year (2018-19) season it was heartbreaking for us. We went on to win the Super Cup (after losing the final). Our main aim then was to win the ISL and it was a bit disappointing (not to win in the 2019-20 season). Hope that we can win the ISL soon."