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Ghana international Christian Atsu believes he has failed to reach his full potential as he moves toward the twilight years of his career.

Currently unattached, the 29-year-old is searching for a new club after leaving Premier League side Newcastle United last season.

He is famously remembered for a big move to Chelsea in 2013, which disappointingly ended without an appearance for the club.

“I know I could have reached a higher level by now because I believe with all my heart even when I was leaving for Europe, I knew I will play football to the highest level," said the Ada Foah-born, as reported by Sportsworldghana.

“I know this is not my level, the level I am supposed to be but there are a lot of things behind it which I don’t want to make public."

Atsu recently revealed a possible move away from Europe, stating: "I have a lot of offers but I think I will leave Europe but I cannot say anything for now."

The winger developed through the youth system of Portuguese giants Porto before heading for Rio Ave on loan for his first senior season in Europe.

It was indeed a breakthrough campaign for the attacker who made 27 league appearances for the Rioavistas, making 23 starts and scoring six times.

It was at this time that he earned his first senior Ghana call-up for a game against Lesotho in 2012, capping an impressive bow with a sublime goal after coming on as a second-half substitute. He has gone on to play at multiple Africa Cup of Nations tournaments and the 2014 World Cup.

Back at club level, he did enough to impress Porto who handed him a first-team place in the 2012-13 season.

After just one season with the Dragons, he was snapped up by Chelsea but tight competition for playing places at Stamford Bridge meant he spent the entire duration of his association with the club out on loan, playing for Vitesse Arnhem in the Netherlands, Everton, Bournemouth, Malaga and Newcastle United.

In 2017, he helped Newcastle to secure Premier League promotion, after which the club decided to permanently secure his services from The Blues.

Earlier this month, he announced his departure from The Magpies after five years with the club.

Leeds United have reached an agreement to sign Barcelona defender Junior Firpo for €15 million (£13m/$18m), Goal can confirm.

Leeds have won the race for Firpo's signature ahead of several Premier League and Serie A clubs, with the 24-year-old set to be unveiled at Elland Road in time for the start of their pre-season campaign.

Firpo will become the Yorkshire outfit's first summer signing when the transfer is made official, with Barca eager to push it through as quickly as possible amid a financial crisis at Camp Nou.

Why have Barca decided to sell Firpo?

Firpo is the third player Barca have decided to offload in recent days, after Jean-Claire Todibo's permanent move to Nice and the release of Matheus Fernandes.

More outgoings are expected in the coming weeks as the Blaugrana seek to continue reducing their wage bill after posting debts in excess of €1bn at the start of the year.

However, Goal understands that Firpo's former club Real Betis will receive 15 per cent of the final transfer fee, and Barca will only be allowed to reinvest €3.2m in new players due to La Liga restrictions.

Why has Firpo chosen Leeds?

West Ham, Southampton, Inter and AC Milan have also been linked with Firpo in recent months, but he has opted to join Leeds to link up with head coach Marcelo Bielsa.

The Argentine head coach put in an express request for the former Spain Under-21 international, and he will likely slot straight into the starting XI when the 2021-22 Premier League season kicks off in August.

Firpo at Barca

The left-back will leave Camp Nou after failing to establish himself as a regular since joining from Betis in the summer of 2019.

Jordi Alba continued to be preferred over Firpo, which limited him to 41 appearances, with 22 starts, for Barca over two seasons.

Firpo's playing time continued to decrease in 2020-21 under Ronald Koeman, as he played in just seven league matches under the Dutch manager.

Further reading

Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane has responded to reports indicating that the club is interested in Orlando Pirates forward Thembinkosi Lorch.

The 27-year-old winger has not only been linked with a move to the Egyptian champions but Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns as well in recent months. 

Lorch is one of the best players in the country having been named 2018/19 PSL Footballer of the Year and Players' Player of the Season.

Mosimane is known to be a big fan of the Bloemfontein-born player, but the former Mamelodi Sundowns coach has explained that if Al Ahly were to sign Lorch from Pirates, the first person he would call is Pirates chairman  Irvin Khoza.

"There are rumours going around that Al Ahly wants T, Lorch," Mosimane wrote on his official Twitter page on Tuesday. 

"If that has to happen, firstly I will humbly call the Chairman [Man of Honour], and ask for his blessings."

Egyptians fans are familiar with Lorch with the Bafana Bafana international having mesmerised the Egypt defence during the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match in Cairo. 

The gifted attacker went on to score the only goal of the match as Bafana claimed a 1-0 victory over the Pharaohs at Cairo International Stadium. 

Lorch's agent, Jazzman Mahlakgane recently refuted speculation indicating that the former Chippa United player is unhappy at the Soweto giants .

Mahlakgane also dismissed reports stating that the Bafana Bafana international is keen to push for a move away from Pirates in the upcoming July-August transfer window.

The former Cape Town All Stars player is the third PSL player to be strongly linked with Al Ahly since Mosimane joined North African giants from Sundowns in September 2020.

The reigning African champions were keen to sign Sundowns playmaker Gaston Sirino in the last two transfer windows, but the two clubs couldn't agree on a transfer fee.

While Chiefs' star striker Samir Nurkovic is reportedly on the radar of the Red Devils ahead of the new 2021/22 season.

The Serbian marksman played a key role in helping Chiefs reach the Caf Champions League final where they will face Al Ahly on July 17. 

Frank de Boer has stepped down as Netherlands head coach following their disappointing Euro 2020 campaign.

De Boer was handed a two-year contract after replacing Ronald Koeman as the national team boss last September, but has taken the decision not to remain in charge through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The Netherlands suffered a surprise last-16 exit to the Czech Republic in the European Championship, and he has taken full responsibility for their failure while citing a desire to remove himself from a potentially volatile situation.

What's been said?

The 51-year-old announced his decision in an official statement on Tuesday, which read: "In anticipation of the evaluation, I have decided not to continue as national coach. The objective has not been achieved, that is clear.

"When I was approached to become national coach in 2020, I thought it was an honour and a challenge, but I was also aware of the pressure that would come upon me from the moment I was appointed.

"That pressure is only increasing now, and that is not a healthy situation for me, nor for the squad in the run-up to such an important match for Dutch football on its way to World Cup qualification.

"I want to thank everyone, of course, the fans and the players. My compliments also to the management who have created a real top sports climate here."

Nico-Jan Hoogma, director of football for the Netherlands FA, added: “Despite all of Frank's efforts, the goal of at least reaching the quarter-finals has not been achieved.

"We had bet on a better European Championship, but that didn't work out. The choice for Frank turned out differently than we had hoped.

"A successor must now be found by me, after good internal consultation. It is imperative to do so, because on September 1 we will be playing the important qualifier against Norway in Oslo. We will now evaluate further, broader than just the coach, sharpen the profile, and do the work that can be expected of us here.”

What was De Boer's record?

De Boer, who suffered managerial failures at Inter, Crystal Palace and Atlanta United after having previously won four Eredivisie titles in charge of Ajax, was chosen to replace Koeman after his sudden departure for Camp Nou last year.

He took charge of 15 matches, including the final four matches of their 2020-21 UEFA Nations League campaign and their first three games of 2022 World Cup qualification.

Under De Boer, Netherlands won eight matches - including all three Group C matches at Euro 2020, against Ukraine, Austria and North Macedonia - but lost three, most crucially the 2-0 defeat to Czech Republic in Budapest on Sunday.

Further Reading

Willian Jose has claimed that he had an offer from Manchester United on the table in 2020 but Real Sociedad blocked his potential switch to Old Trafford.

United reportedly targeted a whole host of strikers in last year's winter transfer window amid a shortage of options up front, eventually managing to secure a loan deal for Odion Ighalo - who played for Shanghai Shenhua at the time.

Willian Jose has now revealed that he was one of the players on the Red Devils' original shortlist, while bemoaning a lack of support from the Sociedad board after seeing the proposed transfer fall through.

What's been said?

The Liga outfit allowed the Brazilian to join Wolves on a short-term loan deal in January, but is still baffled as to why they decided against selling him for a hefty fee when United came calling.

“I think they have not treated me well,” Willian Jose told Spanish publication Noticias de Gipuzkoa. “I expected a little more. When I renewed my contract, I had spoken with Roberto Olabe about there being some interested teams, from the Premier League and also from La Liga.

“I spoke with Roberto, and he told me that if a big team which played in the Champions League came in for me, they would let me go. I stayed calm.

“Then came Barcelona and an offer from Manchester United. I saw that it was an opportunity that I could not miss out on because life is like that. You have to take advantage of opportunities, and I saw that it was the opportunity.

“In the end, things did not go well, and this year they let me go to Wolves.

“I don’t understand why a few months ago they didn’t want to let me go for €23 million and now they have let me go. Football is sometimes difficult to understand.”

How did Willian Jose perform at Wolves?

Wolves turned to Willian Jose after seeing star forward Raul Jimenez suffer a fractured skull, in the hope that the 29-year-old could help fire them to a third successive top-10 finish in the Premier League.

However, Wolves ended up finishing the 2020-21 campaign down in 13th, and the Sociedad loanee managed to score just once in 17 top-flight outings.

Willian Jose's record at Sociedad

Willian Jose initially joined Sociedad from Deportivo Maldonado in 2016, and has since made 170 appearances for the club, scoring 62 goals.

The one-time Brazil U20 international still has three years remaining on his contract with Sociedad, but is once again being linked with a move away from the Anoeta in the summer transfer window.

Further reading

Jose Mourinho admits that a "childish" trait cost Memphis Depay at Manchester United, but the Portuguese claims to have always believed in the Dutch forward's ability and is backing him to shine at Barcelona.

The highly-rated Netherlands international was a promising youngster when taken to Old Trafford by fellow countryman Louis van Gaal in 2015, but left for Lyon 18 months later after taking in 53 appearances and scoring only seven goals.

Mourinho was the man to sanction a permanent move elsewhere, with Depay struggling to fulfil his potential in Old Trafford as questions were asked of his temperament and character.

What has been said?

Explaining why a man linking up with Barcelona this summer as a free agent failed to make the grade in England, ex-United boss Mourinho told talkSPORT: "I read something about Wayne Rooney telling that Memphis went to a reserve match playing with the kids and he arrived with this big Rolls Royce and his cowboy hat and that was a little bit of Memphis.

"Good guy, really good guy. Good professional. He is a really good professional, people can look at him and think this is another party boy.

"He is a good professional, I think he has got now his maturity in Lyon, which is what sometimes players need.

"Sometimes they go too early to the biggest clubs where they are not ready to cope with it and understand at the biggest clubs there is internal competition and you cannot play all the time.

"There are fantastic players to fight with you for a position. They lose a little bit of their sense of reality and they become a little bit childish, which was, in the end, what happened.

"When he decided to go to Lyon, it was a great move for him. Now he goes to Barcelona with maturity and a good football age.

"I believe the Barcelona culture of football will help him to live long in this important part of his career.

"Good memories of him and I repeat: he was a good professional."

The bigger picture

Depay spent four-and-a-half seasons with Lyon after bidding farewell to United, with his game changing markedly in France.

He was transformed from a tricky winger into a productive frontman, with the target found on 76 occasions through 178 appearances.

A role as team talisman has also been taken on an international level, with the Netherlands often looking to Depay for inspiration.

That standing will be enhanced after becoming a Barcelona player, with the 27-year-old approaching his peak as he prepares to link up with Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Antoine Griezmann at Camp Nou.

Further reading

Matheus Fernandes has been released by Barcelona after taking in just 17 minutes of game time for the Liga giants.

The Brazilian midfielder saw a move to Camp Nou put in place back in January 2020, with that switch completed once a loan spell at Real Valladolid had come to a close.

He arrived in Catalunya with high hopes, and with a contract signed through to 2025, but figured off the bench in just one Champions League fixture and has now seen his deal ripped up.

What has been said?

Confirming a parting of ways on the club's official website, the Blaugrana said: "FC Barcelona has informed Brazilian player Matheus Fernandes that the club no longer requires his services and is terminating the contract he had until June 2025.

"The player, who was born in Itaboraí on 30 June 1998, arrived at Barca in the 2020 winter transfer window, but spent the remainder of the season on loan to Valladolid. 

"He then joined the Barca senior team in the pre-season of 2020-21."

The bigger picture

Matheus made his solitary appearance for Barca against Dynamo Kyiv on November 24, 2020.

He had been acquired in a deal with Palmeiras that was worth €7 million, with there the potential for a further €3m to be paid in add-ons.

No further investment in the South American will be made as he has been freed to find another club.

Barcelona are in the process of freshening up their ranks, with a number of comings and goings being mooted.

Deals have already been tied up for Eric Garcia, Sergio Aguero, Emerson Royal and Memphis Depay, with the promise of more to come, while the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Samuel Umtiti are seeing exits mooted.

Further reading

Former Egypt international striker, Ahmed Hossam Hussein, more popularly known as Mido, has stoked the flames ahead of the July 17 Caf Champions League final, saying Kaizer Chiefs are way inferior to Al Ahly, whom he tips to win comfortably.

It is the Chiefs’ first-ever appearance in the Champions League final and they come up against nine-time African champions Al Ahly, who are also the titleholders. 

In remarks which might not be well-received by some Chiefs fans, Mido suggests the South Africans will be at the mercy of the Cairo giants as he gives them no chance against Africa's club of the century.

“Al Ahly produced a huge performance against Esperance and the victory must be credited to Mosimane first and then his players," Mido said on the Al Nahar Channel as per IOL.

“The Kaizer Chiefs match will be the easiest final for Al Ahly in their history [in the competition]. History will also remember that Al Ahly defeated Esperance home and away in the African Champions League semi-final without considering any other circumstances.”

Al Ahly convincingly defeated Esperance 4-0 on aggregate in the semi-finals to reach the final.

On the other hand, Chiefs dismissed Wydad Casablanca after beating the Moroccans 1-0 away, before a 0-0 draw at home.

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane is already talking about successfully retaining the Champions League crown.

“It is important that our team has made it to the final. We did our best to reach the final and of course, when you are in the final, you want to win the cup because you are already there,” Mosimane told the Al Ahly website.

“I do not have personal emotions on Kaizer Chiefs, no personal emotions and that is what I did also when I faced Sundowns. The match against Kaizer Chiefs is not about me and it is not about South Africa, It is about my team and the 90 minutes we have to win the title.”

Interestingly, Al Ahly have prevailed on two previous occasions when they met South African opposition in the Champions League final.

In 2001, they held Mamelodi Sundowns 1-1 at Loftus Versfeld, before upstaging the Brazilians 3-0 at home in the second leg.

Twelve years later, they again secured a 1-1 draw against Orlando Pirates in Johannesburg, before beating the Buccaneers 2-0 in Cairo. 

Jamal Musiala's former sports teacher has revealed that Gareth Southgate has been watching the Germany teenager since he was 10 years old.

Musiala is currently featuring for Germany at the European Championship, having earned a place in Joachim Low's squad following an impressive breakthrough season at Bayern Munich.

The 18-year-old previously represented England at U15, U16, U17 and U21 levels, but chose to switch allegiances earlier this year, and is now hoping to feature for Germany against the Three Lions at Wembley on Tuesday.

What's been said?

Musiala's old school team coach Tony Mesourini has recalled how the midfielder initially caught the eye of Southgate back in 2013.

The former Chelsea youngster was playing for his primary school at the time, and took part in a training session overseen by Southgate before starring in the final of the 'npower Kids Cup' at Wembley.

"After training, I talked to Gareth about how the team had trained," Mesourini told Goal and SPOX. "He was very impressed with our team, especially our striker Jamal."

Musiala went on to score as Corpus Christi earned a 2-0 victory over a Portsmouth-based school in the final.

"Jamal played a key role in helping us achieve this triumph with his goals," Mesourini said of his contribution.

The former PE teacher added on Musiala's enthusiasm for the game and confidence in his abilities: "Jamal was incredibly inquisitive.

"For example, he wanted to know which footballers had already scored a hat-trick at Wembley. Before the game, he told me that he too wanted to score a hat-trick."

Southgate's praise for Musiala

Southgate reserved some words of praise for Musiala in his final press conference before England's clash with Germany, while also admitting he would have liked to see him choose to represent the Three Lions.

"With Jamal, he's a very good young player, him and Jude [Bellingham] were in youth matches I've watched in the past," said the England boss.

"We were hopeful he would stay with us but totally understand his decision, and it's nice for him that he's been able to get some minutes in this championship."

Musiala's career record so far

Musiala become the youngest player to feature in the Bundesliga for Bayern when he made his debut for the club against Freiburg last June, and has since nailed down a regular spot in the team.

The talented young playmaker has scored seven goals in his opening 38 games for the German champions, winning his first league title along the way, and already has four caps to his name at international level, with his latest appearance for Germany coming in their 2-2 draw with Hungary in the Euros group stage.

Further reading 

Ex-England defender Stuart Pearce has hit out at Liverpool for denying Mohamed Salah a chance to play at the 2020 Olympic Games.

The 29-year-old wanted to be part of the Egypt team in the competition that will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

However, the Reds are reluctant to let one of their key players leave considering the fact that they want all their players fit to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

But the former centre-back is unhappy with the club's stance over the attacker who wants to be part of the squad to play in the Olympics.

"Of course Jurgen Klopp doesn’t want Salah at the Olympics because he’s supposed to look after the interests of Liverpool Football Club," Pearce told talkSPORT.

"You want Mo Salah to stay, but if I was a manager of a club or a coach I would never, ever stop a player representing his country, whatever level that might be.

"If I was a manager at any club and a player came to me and said to me, ‘I want to represent my country, I would not be selfish enough to turn around and say, ‘no’.

"All the international experiences I’ve had as a footballer, the biggest achievement of my football career is captaining my country.  

"For me to then step into the world of management and have a total sea change, which managers do, by the way, all of a sudden international managers ring me up and say ‘release this player, release that player’ then they become club managers and try to block their players."

The 59-year-old has further suggest the Olympics are bigger than the World Cup and one cannot understand its magnitude until one has a chance to experience it.

"It blows your mind how big the Olympics are. They are bigger than the World Cup. As a global event, the Olympics are bigger than the World Cup," Pearce continued.

"The World Cup is just football, by the way, the Olympics is every sport. You don’t understand how big the Olympics are until you’re on the inside of it, the vastness of it, the kitting out of it."

The English charges have also denied Takumi Minamino and Ibrahima Konate a chance to represent Japan and France, respectively, in the aforementioned competition.

Granit Xhaka has dropped another hint that his future lies away from Arsenal, with the Roma-linked midfielder admitting: "It is always interesting to learn a new language."

The Switzerland international put in an inspirational performance for his country against France at Euro 2020 on Monday, with a stunning fightback allowing the Swiss to overcome the reigning world champions on penalties.

Xhaka will miss a last-16 encounter with Spain through suspension, but he remains in the headlines as questions continue to be asked of his club commitments.

What has been said?

With Roma said to be closing in on a deal for the 28-year-old, he was asked after a remarkable clash with France whether he will soon be conducting post-match interviews in Italian.

Xhaka said: "Not yet… it is always interesting to learn a new language.

"Let’s see, everyone knows what Roma represent. Now, I am an Arsenal player, I will speak after the tournament."

The bigger picture

Jose Mourinho, who was relieved of his managerial duties at Tottenham in April, is preparing a raid on north London after taking the reins at Roma.

He has seen plenty of Xhaka down the years and clearly believes that his qualities will aid a Serie A cause in the Italian capital.

His top target has admitted that Arsenal "know what I want to do", with there every chance that a contract through to 2023 will be broken.

Xhaka's stock is rising on European Championship duty, with ex-Gunners boss Arsene Wenger among those to have been singing his praises.

The Frenchman told beIN Sports after seeing his fellow countrymen throw away a 3-1 lead in normal time before Kylian Mbappe missed a decisive spot-kick in a shootout: "Xhaka was exceptional, all his choices were good.

"He was the one who rallied the troops before the penalties."

Further reading

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane says they will not read much into Kaizer Chiefs’ struggle for form in their domestic assignments, but will focus on their Caf Champions League exploits.

The Cairo giants are set to clash with Chiefs in the Champions League final at a neutral venue, the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca on July 17.

After Amakhosi endured a torrid season back at home as they nearly missed out on a top-eight Premier Soccer League spot, they have been a different outfit in Africa. 

In the PSL, they would be beaten by relegation-threatened teams but they have recorded major away victories in the Champions League including in Cameroon and Angola, as well as the famous 1-0 win over Wydad Casablanca in the first left of the semi-finals.  

“You never know with them, they can play a very good game and sometimes they do not show the same performance,” Mosimane told the Al Ahly website.

“They lost 4-0 to Wydad in a neutral venue and then they went to face Wydad in Morocco and won. They defeated Simba 4-0 at home but lost 3-0 in Tanzania.

"You must not try to make sense out of it, just focus on the game. Their best games were in the Champions League not in the domestic league, so we will focus on their games in the Champions League.” 

Chiefs will be making their first-ever appearances in the final of Africa’s elite club competition and they will be Al Ahly’s second South African opposition in this tournament this season after Mamelodi Sundowns.  

They are familiar opponents to Mosimane from his time in the PSL. 

“I knew Kaizer Chiefs when I was in South Africa but I do not know that much about them this season because they changed the coach and removed him to bring another coach,” continued Mosimane. 

“In the domestic league, they did not play very well. Normally, they are always second, third, or fourth behind Mamelodi Sundowns, it is like Al Ahly and Zamalek here in Egypt. They are a good team but this season in the league, they were in 12th position at some stage.  

“You must not look at their performance in the league; you must focus on their journey in the Caf Champions League because it is not easy to reach the final.” 

Al Ahly are the defending champions and Mosimane will be looking for his third Champions League crown.

Nigeria Minister of Sports, Sunday Dare, has hit back at ex-Super Eagle Samson Siasia, stating he is lying about recent allegations.

The former striker and coach of the West African country recently stated he has been neglected despite giving his best during his active days. But the Government official has rubbished the allegations.

"Samson Siasia is not telling the truth, the Ministry and the Federal Government will come out with the facts, the cash he collected, and the efforts we made," Dare said as quoted by Soccernet.

"He is not telling the truth, the government and my ministry will soon reveal the amount of cash he got."

In an earlier interview, Siasia hit out at the government for abandoning their legends in their time of need.

The former striker played for the Super Eagles from 1984-1999, making a total of 51 appearances and scoring 16 goals in the process.

He was among the players who won the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations title and has also had two stints as a coach of the national team.

Despite his sacrifices, the now 53-year-old believes he is not getting what he deserves and was neglected by his country.

"I am a legend, I have played, broke my leg for this country, and also coached," Siasia said as quoted by AllAfrica.

"If I played for America - yes I have an American passport but I played for Nigeria - if I was like Michael Jordan, [the American government] would take it upon themselves. 

"The Nigerian government has not done well when it comes to my case."

This comes after the government approved the promise made of rewarding the 1994 Super Eagles squad with houses. 

Following a memo by Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the allocations in their states of preference, noting that six players and three members of the technical crew received their houses already.

Those who are entitled to get the houses are Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Ike Shorounmu, Uche Okechukwu, Siasia, Efan Ekoku, Sunday Oliseh, Benedict Iroha, Isaac Semitoje, Mutiu Adepoju, Emmanuel Amunike, Victor Ikpeba, Austin Eguavoen and Wilfred Agbonavbare (Deceased).

Others are Uche Okafor (Deceased), Thompson Oliha (Deceased), Stephen Keshi (Deceased), Christian Chukwu, Dr Akin Amao, Stephen Edema, Col. A Asielue and B. Aromasodun.

Kaizer Chiefs communications manager Vina Maphosa has confirmed the club is “at an advanced stage” in their transfer activity to retain the services of certain players ahead of the Caf Champions League final against Al Ahly. 

Some Chiefs players have their contracts expiring on June 30 while the club is already preparing to meet Al Ahly on July 17 in neutral Morocco. 

With players like Khama Billiat, Willard Katsande, Bernard Parker, Ramahlwe Mphahlele, Bruce Bvuma and Lebogang Manyama would be needed to the Champions League final but have their deals running out on Wednesday. 

“What I can confirm is that we’re very busy [on the transfer market]. We’re definitely busy discussing‚ engaging‚ and targeting,” said Maphosa as per Sowetan Live. 

“That activity is at an advanced stage. The only thing we can’t tell you is how far we are, but once we finish we will inform you.” 

But with some reports linking Billiat with a move to Pitso Mosimane’s Al Ahly or Zamalek, Chiefs’ contract negotiations with the Zimbabwean could be complicated. 

Contract talks also come after some Chiefs players were rumoured to be on their way out of the club but the return of coach Stuart Baxter has offered hopes to some that they could stay. 

The club has, however, declined to mention those who could receive new deals.  

“At Kaizer Chiefs you’ll never hear us talking about contracts at any given time,” Maphosa said. 

“The only time you'll hear us talking about them is when we make the announcement – we don’t communicate the process. When everything has been finalised that’s when I get names from the football administration.   

“The new coach [Baxter] has just arrived and we’re in the middle of the Caf Champions League. The focus from the coach has been on the team and I haven’t seen a lot of administration activity with the coach.” 

Chiefs will be able to sign new players after their Fifa ban ends later this week, having not been able to do so for two transfer windows.

Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has finally been handed a new jersey number ahead of the 2021-22 Premier League campaign.

The former Atletico Madrid star, who joined the Gunners from the Spanish champions at the beginning of last season, will now wear jersey number five.

Arsenal have confirmed in a statement on their official website: “Thomas Partey will wear the No. 5 shirt for the forthcoming season, changing from the No. 18 he wore following his arrival from Atletico Madrid in October.

Talking about the change of number, Partey said: “I like the No. 5 because it's one of the most important numbers in the team and it is also a lucky number for me.”

The 28-year-old wears the same number for the Ghana national team and it was also his favourite while with Atletico Madrid.

He is expected to be a key figure for the Gunners in the new season as Mikel Arteta plans to challenge for top positions.

The Spanish tactician handed the big-money signing 33 appearances across all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign.

Partey is still waiting on a first goal for the Gunners but does have three assists to his name.

He will be hoping to take his game to greater heights next campaign, with only 18 Premier League starts so far.

Steering clear of untimely injuries will be key to those plans, with Arsenal needing stability and continuity if they are to break the shackles that continue to hold them back.

In a recent interview, Partey said about his first season at Arsenal and hopes for the immediate future: "Well I think everybody has seen it, there’s been ups and downs. We’ve had good times and bad times, but this is my first season and I think I had to adapt to how they play, get used to my teammates.

"I think now I’m getting used to them and I know with hard work everything will be okay for the next season.

"Of course, it’s not easy. The Premier League is one of the best leagues in the world and if you want to be there you have to be able to do everything well. So I like this challenge and I’m ready to do everything."

Thomas Partey is changing squad numbers at Arsenal, with the £45 million ($62m) midfielder trading in No.18 for No.5 at Emirates Stadium.

The Ghana interntional was a big-money addition at Emirates Stadium during the summer transfer window of 2020.

Big things were expected of him, but individual struggles mirrored those endured by the Gunners as a collective and the hope is that a "lucky" shirt will deliver an upturn in fortune during a second season in English football.

What has been said?

Explaining his decision to move down Arsenal's squad list, Partey has told the club's official website: "I like the No.5 because it's one of the most important numbers in the team and it is also a lucky number for me. 

"It's the number I've worn for the past few years, so for me it's one of the best numbers."

Who has worn Arsenal's No.5 in the past?

Greece international defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos was the last man to fill Arsenal's No.5 shirt.

He saw his contract terminated in January by mutual consent, allowing a return to his homeland to be made at Olympiacos.

Gabriel Paulista has also filled number five for the Gunners, as has Thomas Vermaelen.

Prior to that two iconic figures that helped Arsenal to Premier League title glory donned that jersey, with Martin Keown passing the baton on to Kolo Toure.

Partey's record at Arsenal

Niggling knocks prevented the former Atletico Madrid star from making the desired impact in north London.

He is, however, a proven performer at the highest level and will be confident of raising his game once clear of any injury issues.

The 28-year-old has taken in 33 appearances for Arsenal across all competitions so far, registering three assists as he waits on a first goal for the Premier League heavyweights.

Further reading

Pedri, Eric Garcia and Pau Torres are among a whole host of Spain's Euro 2020 players to have been named in the Tokyo Olympics squad.

Luis de la Fuente named his 22-man squad for the summer games on Monday, including a number of players currently starring at the European Championship. All of the 22 players will travel to Japan, but only 18 can be registered, with the other four on standby in case of injuries.

Those who have been selected to play will only have a 10-day turnaround period between the Euros and the Olympics if Luis Enrique's side make it all the way through to the final at Wembley on July 11.

Who else has been selected?

In addition to Villarreal defender Torres and Barcelona duo Pedri and Garcia, Real Sociedad winger Mikel Oyarzabal, Athletic Club goalkeeper Unai Simon and RB Leipzig's Dani Olmo will also be required to take part in the games after finishing their duties with the senior team.

Real Madrid pair Dani Ceballos and Marco Asensio have been included alongside Sociedad's Mikel Merino as the three overage players in the line-up, while Blancos centre-back Jesus Vallejo and Barca's Oscar Mingueza have also made the cut.

What's been said?

"The Olympic Games are a continuation of Euro 2020. I'm sure that everything that happens in the Euros will be positive for people to get hooked on us," Fuentes said after confirming his squad.

"These guys are the present and the future of Spanish football."

The Spain U23 boss added on the importance of the three over-23s in his final selection: "Asensio, Ceballos and Merino are just part of the group.

"We have been together for many years and they all know each other. They all bring veteran experience."

Fuentes also jumped to the defence of Simon, who conceded an own goal from Pedri in Spain's last-16 win against Croatia after failing to control his team-mate's backpass.

"I know Unai Simon. I know of his strength and his integrity," he said. "Yesterday he had an exceptional reaction after a difficult moment.

"He is doing very well."

When do the Olympics begin & who have Spain been drawn with?

The Tokyo Olympics will officially begin on July 22, but the football competition kicks off a day earlier, and is scheduled to run through to August 7.

Spain's U23s have been drawn in Group C alongside Egypt, Argentina and Australia, with their first fixture against Egypt set to take place on the same day as the opening ceremony.

Spain's U23 squad for Tokyo Olympics in full:

Goalkeepers: Alvaro Fernandez, Unai Simon, Alex Dominguez.

Defenders: Oscar Mingueza, Jesus Vallejo, Eric Garcia, Pau Torres, Oscar Gil, Juan Miranda

Midfielders: Marc Cucurella, Jon Moncayola, Martin Zubimendi, Dani Ceballos, Mikel Merino, Carlos Soler, Pedri

Forwards: Bryan Gil, Marco Asensio, Dani Olmo, Mikel Oyarzabal, Rafa Mir, Javi Puado.

A triple whammy has hammered the Italian sector if that saying applies to a national market. 

First, there was a prohibition on all gambling-related marketing, followed by the pandemic's impact and attendant lockdowns, and lastly, to add insult to injury, a tax hike while the virus was still raging. However, the internet sector has shown remarkable resiliency, and recent M&A activity in the industry suggests that future prospects are bright, at least at the top of the tree.

It may seem strange that when talking about the status of the Italian internet market in the previous year, the lines of a long-dead popular British legend spring to mind. Nonetheless, some of the lines delivered by Gus Elen, a cockney singer and comic, seems to be appropriate.

Similarly, the Italian gaming industry would argue it'd be doing OK if it weren't for the virus (Covid-19), its accompanying lockdowns, restrictions on gambling marketing, and recently increased taxes. Recent data backs up this assertion. Per Ficom Leisure, revenue from all internet sectors increased about 95% in February in comparison to the same period in the previous year, before the initial lockout.

The gross gaming revenue (GGR) for February was just €351 million, shy of the previous high of €359 million established in December. Almost all non-AAMS casinos and sports betting sites listed at Siti Scommesse Non-AAMS remained up upwards of 160 per cent year-on-year in March, and online casinos had their second-highest sum since the regulation began.

This backs the overall optimistic image for online or virtual gaming and, since sports resumed in June of the previous year, online sports income. "Due to the result of the lockdowns, a bulk of additional players have registered online accounts," explains Senior partner at Ficom Leisure in Rome, Christian Tirabassi. 

'We expect this trend will continue since many gamers have (grown acclimated to) wagering and gambling on the internet and on smartphones."

According to Fabio Schiavolin, CEO of Snaitech, 2020 demonstrated clearly the consumer appeal of online gaming, with Snaitech's sales jumping 58 per cent over the last year, which was considered a record-breaking year.

He adds that "2020 data demonstrated a clear indication of the digitalization of demand for all goods and services, supported by the 2020 retail lockdown with consumers enjoying the digital offer with greater confidence."

Betting shop managers at Snaitech are among the converts. "We have been concentrating a lot on acquiring online gamers via our points of sale for a long time now, sharing the income with the shop managers and establishing a true omnichannel perspective of the customers," Schiavolin explains.

"Even the most hesitant retailers have realized the significance of capitalizing on business digitalization, which has been their sole source of income in the months following the pandemic. We have been able to boost compensation to aid the retail network to deal with the problem and recover stronger when the opening is permitted, as we always concentrate on partnerships."

The Covid-19 outbreak and AAMS influence on Italian football clubs were one of the most visible challenges the gaming industry has faced in the last 12 months. Land-based gambling and gaming, in particular, were subjected to lengthy unavoidable closures and, as of the moment of writing this content, had yet to see any signs of returning. 

"Online sales have indeed been greater over the last 12 months, but they've not been sufficient to reimburse for the sector losses caused by shop closures," Alexander Martin, CEO of SKS365 explains.

However, the omnichannel endeavour was critical to the Italian business a long time before the new coronavirus came into the country in early 2020.

The Italian gambling industries were dealt a major hit when the Dignity Decree was passed in 2019, and practically all casino sales promotion was banned. However, the gambling businesses also had a role to play in the abrupt low level of awareness.

Lacking the formerly accessible assortment of advertising stimuli, the necessity to discover ways to push clients online prompted a more determined effort to use the retail presence as a lead generation tool. As a result, even when the latest marketing limits took effect in Italy, there was a seemingly counterintuitive increase in GGR.

The restriction on betting-related promotion appears to have had the effect of consolidating market share amongst those half-dozen major companies. Martin points out that SKS365 has become one of the big six sports betting operators holding a market share of over 10%, accounting for approximately three-quarters of total GGR.