Looking for Soccer News?

Ashleigh Plumptre has expressed her delight after committing herself until 2023 with FA Women's Championship side Leicester City women.

Since joining Jonathan Morgan’s side after spells at Notts County and LA Galaxy, she has been a key figure in the Foxes squad.

Also, Plumptre played a key role in the club’s promotion to the top division of women’s football in the just-concluded season.

In a chat with the club website, the 23-year-old defender revelled in the extension by stating that Leicester City have provided so much for her.

“This is my hometown club and to have achieved what we have in my first full season of being here was amazing,” she said.

“Being around the city that I grew up in and being around my family for at least another two years, being at a club that has provided so much for all of us on the women’s side already. I can’t complain, there’s nothing else I could ask for really.

“It’s nice because I look back on the pictures from when I was at the Centre of Excellence and I pretty much look the same, I’ve just got a foot taller!

“It’s crazy to think it’s been 14 years; it’s gone so fast. I remember my time there like it was yesterday.”

The Foxes square up against Manchester City in the quarter-final of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup. To reach this stage, they silenced Manchester United 3-2 in a fifth-round clash.

“We’re all really excited because we finished the league and the FA Cup in a really good place. Obviously, Man United was a really good test right at the end of the season,” she continued.

“Not only when we’ve had a long season but having to play a team that just missed out on a Champions League spot, and we’d already won the league, so we had to be prepared to play against a team like that.

“But it put us in good stead because we got a good result. Those are the types of teams we want to be competing with next year. It’s just been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest, but mostly success this season.”

Born to a Nigerian father and a British mother, Plumptre is eligible to represent the Super Falcons despite representing England at U15, U17, U19 and U23 levels.

Thibaut Courtois has insisted that Eden Hazard will "100 per cent" remain at Real Madrid next season. 

Hazard's first two seasons at Real have fallen short of expectations, as injuries and lack of form have seen him fail to live up to his €100 million (£86m/$122m) transfer fee from Chelsea.

But amid talk Madrid could look to cut their losses, Hazard's team-mate for club and country has backed him to remain at the Bernabeu. 

What was said?

"I'm 100% sure he's staying. He doesn't want to move. Only the Madrid press writes about the desire to leave," Courtois said in an interview with Le Soir.

"He wants to continue, play free of injuries and win titles," the Belgium goalkeeper continued. 

"At Real Madrid there is criticism all the time and for everyone. Gareth Bale was criticized, but he won the Champions League and scored a double in the final in Kyiv.

"We all know that in Madrid there is pressure and criticism from the press and the fans. But Eden can handle that. I know him well enough to say it. He can still change everything.

"He still wants to be an important player for Madrid and win titles."

Hazard happy with Ancelotti arrival

After taking over as Madrid head coach this week, Carlo Ancelotti will now have plenty of influence over Hazard's future at the club. 

Hazard has yet to work under the Italian but has said he is excited by the prospect of having him take over in the Spanish capital.

The 30-year-old is set to represent Belgium at the Euros this summer before he embarks on his third season with Madrid. 

Hazard has been limited to just 43 games across all competitions with Real, contributing a modest tally of five goals and eight assists.

Further reading

William Troost-Ekong and Jamilu Collins have been ruled out of Nigeria’s second leg international friendly against Cameroon because of injury.

The Watford and Paderborn stars suffered different knocks as the Super Eagles bowed 1-0 to the Indomitable Lions on Friday at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium – with Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s first-half effort settling the encounter.

While Collins was in action from start to finish, Troost-Ekong was replaced in the 90th minute by Galatasaray centre-back Valentine Ozornwafor – who was making his Super Eagles debut.

Coach Gernot Rohr confirmed this development while disclosing that he would try a new approach against Toni Conceicao’s men on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, we lost two other players to injury and it’ll be difficult for the second game in defence because Ekong and Collins are out; they cannot play, so I think we’ll have to manage this difficult situation,” the German tactician told media per Brila Fm.

“But it will be an opportunity, perhaps also to play with three defenders only, and to change the system a bit; to try something different, that’s why we are happy to have this second game.”

Also, Rohr took positives from the Super Eagles’ defeat to the five-time African kings stating he was satisfied with the showings from his side.

“The most important thing is not the result because it was just a test match. It was interesting to see some new players because we had to manage the situation and we did well,” Rohr told the Super Eagles media team.

“I think we had 17 shots on the goal while Cameroon only had three, they had only one on target which was the goal and we had six on target.

“Like I said, the result is not the most important thing in a friendly, the most important thing is to learn, to see some interesting things, to test some new players and to see what we want to do in September for the World Cup qualifiers.

“Our domination was not good enough because we had to score in the beginning of the game, but we didn’t and when you don’t score you get punished.”

Nigeria are billed to take on Mexico at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 3 before their squaring up against Cape Verde and Liberia in September’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Ronald de Boer understands the resistance to his brother Frank's deployment of the 5-3-2 formation with the Netherlands national team, adding that Oranje legend Johan Cruyff "would turn in his grave" if he saw it – but stresses that there is still a place for it on the international stage.

De Boer saw his side held to a 2-2 draw against Scotland in their first warm-up game ahead of Euro 2020, with a late Memphis Depay goal needed to salvage a share of the spoils against Steve Clarke's side.

Throughout, the Oranje trialed a more defensively minded formation than their traditionalistic 4-3-3. The formation's shortcomings earned blowback post-match from both players and pundits - but their coach's sibling can see both the merits and flaws of such a tactic.

What has been said?

"Johan Cruyff would turn over in his grave," De Boer told  De Telegraaf  of the formation ahead of the Netherlands' final warm-up against Georgia.

"But he would also do that [if he saw the] games of Barcelona under Ronald Koeman. While it is still a very attractive system, it is about how you fill it in.

"When you have two very good opponents against you, it is useful to put someone between your two central defenders. Then you always have certainty and you also play offensively."

The bigger picture

Having missed out on qualification for the 2018 World Cup, De Boer will now lead the Netherlands to their first major tournament since they finished third at the 2014 World Cup.

That gap means that a clutch of generational talent will be competing in their maiden competition for their country - though in a cruel dash of fate, captain Virgil van Dijk will miss out through injury, while goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen is absent following a case of Covid-19.

They will face Ukraine, North Macedonia and Austria in Group C, and are favoured to reach the knockout stages.

Further reading

Manchester United forward Amad Traore scored the winning goal as Ivory Coast secured a 2-1 comeback win over Burkina Faso on Saturday. 

Ajax star Lassina Traore opened the scoring at the Stade Alassane Ouattara D'Ebimpe in the 15th minute and the effort separated both teams at the break. 

Later in the second half, Ibrahim Sangare inspired Ivory Coast's fight-back with his equaliser in the 72nd minute and the game was looking to end as a draw until Traore's brilliance stoppage-time. 

The Manchester United teenager scored gsi first international goal for the Elephants with his free-kick in the 97th minute.

Traore got his maiden invitation to the national team this year and he made his debut against Niger in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on March 26. 

Patrice Beaumelle's will aim to maintain their fine form when they travel to Cape Coast for another friendly game against Ghana on June 12.

Orlando Pirates midfielder Fortune Makaringe has thanked the club's fans for their support during the 2020/21 season. 

The 28-year-old player was speaking after the Buccaneers ended the campaign with a 0-0 draw with Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila (TTM) in a PSL match at Orlando Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The result saw the Soweto giants finish third in the league for the second season running and they booked their place in next season's Caf Confederation Cup. 

Makaringe acknowledged the support from the Bucs fans, who were forced to watch the team's matches from home as supporters are not allowed in stadiums due to Covid-19 restrictions. 

"My message to the supporters is, they should always be faithful to the Orlando Pirates badge," Makaringe told the club's official social media platforms after the game. 

"We know that we gave them heart attacks, but they always stuck with the club. We are really happy."

Makaringe is among the Pirates players, who have come under heavy scrutiny from frustrated Bucs fans on social media this season due to his inconsistency.

The former Swallows FC academy player, who replaced Siphesihle Ndlovu in the starting line-up ahead of the clash with TTM, understands that the criticism they receive from the supporters. 

"We are grateful for everything that they have been doing for us, we know that there is always going to be negative and positive criticism," he added.

"But it all comes from the heart and what they love the most which is the team. They are doing it because they love us and we also love them. We will always play for them at all costs."

Makaringe, who is nicknamed Maestro, was one of the most used players by Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer this term as he made 43 appearances across all competitions. 

Maestro grabbed three assists and four goals including one in the 2020 MTN8 which the Buccaneers won after defeating Bloemfontein Celtic in the final.

He joined Pirates from Maritzburg United in June 2019. He made 27 appearances across all competitions for Bucs in the 2019/20 season and he grabbed two assists.

Kaizer Chiefs stand-in coach Arthur Zwane conceded that the club should be setting a higher target than a top eight finish.

Samir Nurkovic’s 26th minute goal enabled Chiefs to leapfrog Galaxy into eighth place on the final day of the season.

However, such is the tight nature of the log that in the penultimate round of matches in midweek, when Chiefs secured a 3-2 win over Golden Arrows, they had still been in danger of getting sucked into the relegation fight.

The Glamour Boys hardly threatened against Galaxy and capitalised on an error to score the game’s only goal. And on the day it was the home side who made more of the play.

“We have been travelling a lot as a team,” Zwane said in his post-match interview with SuperSport TV.

“We went to Venda, we came back, we played on Wednesday and we knew that our energy levels would drop too soon. So we had to try manage the game, more than to play pound for pound, because Galaxy are a very good team.

“Yes they gave us a run for our money. But I give credit to the boys, they had to dig deeper, they gave their level best even when you could see they couldn’t run anymore.”

Together with the team’s other assistant coach Dillon Sheppard, Zwane has been in charge for the last two matches, following the dismissal of head coach Gavin Hunt.

While relieved to have made the top eight, he admits it’s not what a team like Chiefs should be celebrating.

“They kept on pushing until; the end. All we wanted was to pick up the maximum points, to be in the top eight. Though that’s not how it’s supposed to be for a team of Kaizer Chiefs’ calibre. But yes, we had to scrape through this one just to be in the top eight.”

Bruno Fernandes admits to taking inspiration from all areas of Cristiano Ronaldo's game, with the Manchester United midfielder following in illustrious footsteps at Old Trafford.

A fellow countryman started out on his path to superstardom with Premier League heavyweights, with the first of five Ballons d'Or and as many Champions League crowns secured while in England.

Ronaldo has gone on to cement a standing as an all-time great, with Fernandes taking important lessons from the 36-year-old when it comes to seeking continuous improvement and shrugging off any setbacks.

What has been said?

Fernandes, who has become the latest Portuguese talisman in Manchester, has told United's official website of emulating his idol and current international colleague: "Growing up, everyone knows Cristiano was my favourite player.

"I think it was a little bit of everything. When Cristiano began to take his first steps in the national team, it was in the Euros in our home country [Euro 2004], so I was nine years old. That year stays with everyone because we lost the final in Portugal, we saw him crying after the final, he was a young boy who was starting to shine and from there I started to watch him. 

"It wasn’t because he plays in my position because that wasn’t the case, but it was the way he worked every day, the mentality he had, the capacity he had to give 100 per cent in every game at a high level, for me it was like a motivation, like you always have to do better. He was scoring goals every game, but game after game he was still trying to improve, get better.

"My mentality comes a little bit from understanding what sort of player you want to be. Do you want to be that player who has a good season, and maybe goes up and down, up and down, or do you want to be the player who always wants to be at the top? Okay, you will have bad games for sure, everyone has – Cristiano has had bad games, 100 per cent – but the point is, coming back from a bad game.

"Coming back with the mentality that is, 'okay I didn’t play well in that last game and I really need to do well in this one'. The mentality to do better day after day is really important for me. I’m improving a lot because of this, and that was my biggest motivation."

The bigger picture

Fernandes boasts the same relentless drive for perfection as Ronaldo, with the 26-year-old stating on a regular basis that he will not settle for second best at United.

He is doing all he can to put the Red Devils back on a trophy trail, with a further 28 goals and 18 assists added to his impressive tally in 2020-21.

Those efforts were not enough to deliver major silverware, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer forced back to the drawing board.

There has been talk of Ronaldo being drafted back into those plans, as he approaches the final year of his contract at Juventus, but no deal has been discussed as yet and recruitment plans continue to be pieced together ahead of the summer transfer window.

Further reading

Nigeria’s defeat to Cameroon in Friday’s international friendly is nothing to lose sleep over, according to coach Henry Makinwa.

Although the Super Eagles put up an imposing display against the Indomitable Lions, they bowed 1-0 at the Wiener Neustadt Stadium.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s 37th minute encounter separated both teams in the affair that saw Abraham Marcus, Valentine Ozornwafor and Terem Moffi make their international debuts.

The loss has continued to generate contrasting opinions from the football sphere, with some claiming Gernot Rohr’s men are off-guard for the Africa Cup of Nations slated for 2022.

Nonetheless, the former Abia Warriors and Katsina United handler claims there is nothing to worry about, picking out the positives against Toni Conceicao’s team instead.

“No cause for alarm because defeat is a possibility in football. Now that we ended up on the losing side, it should be taken as a loss as nothing more,” Makinwa told Goal.

“Before the game against Cameroon, it was obvious that Nigeria could not use all their players due to injuries, logistic reasons and maybe restrictions on travelling due to Covid-19.”

On Tuesday, both teams lock horns again in the second leg of June’s international friendlies.

When asked about the grey areas the Nigerian technical crew should correct ahead of the encounter, the former Vitoria Setubal and Rapid Bucuresti forward says all necessary correction lies on the table of Eagles’ German handler.  

“The changes to be made are known only to the head coach because he knows exactly what went wrong [in the first leg] and the immediate solution,” he continued.

“People can speculate from outside, but the stakeholders know what the next step is.

“All I want to implore Nigerians to do is keep supporting the boys before, during and after the next game. Up Super Eagles!”

Before taking on Cape Verde and Liberia in September’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers, the West Africans are billed to take on Mexico at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 3.

The last meeting between the two countries was in a friendly match en route to the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil.

After 90 minutes of entertaining action, the Super Eagles and El Tri settled for a 0-0 draw at the Georgia Dome, with goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa making a couple of fine saves to deny Stephen Keshi’s men.

Clement Lenglet has vowed to see out the summer transfer window on Barcelona's books despite generating talk of an imminent move being made.

Change is on the cards at Camp Nou, with Ronald Koeman looking to bolster his ranks after being cleared to take in a second season at the helm.

Eric Garcia is among those to have been acquired, adding to the competition Lenglet faces at centre-half, but a 25-year-old France international expects to stay put.

What has been said?

Quizzed by Eurosport on his future plans, Lenglet has said: "I do not see myself leaving.

"I re-signed a new contract last season. I will be at Barca next season."

Lenglet's record at Barca

The Frenchman has just completed his third season in Catalunya, having been snapped up from Sevilla in 2018.

He is up to 133 appearances for the Blaugrana and has been a regular throughout his time at Camp Nou.

There are, however, holes at the back for Barca to plug and that could deliver more comings and goings in upcoming windows.

The bigger picture

A final decision on Lenglet's future could rest with Koeman, as the Dutch coach starts preparations for 2021-22.

He has fended off questions regarding his future to earn the right to see out a two-year contract.

Copa del Rey glory was secured last season, in a testing campaign for all concerned on and off the field, and Lenglet is pleased to see stability being sought.

He added on his current coach: "He did a good job in his first year. 

"We had some somewhat complicated periods but also others with a quality of play, wins and a positive image. 

"I hope that we will continue the work undertaken and progress next year. We are heading in the right direction."

Further reading

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Robson Muchichwa insists former coach Gavin Hunt failed to build the team and did not deserve to continue being at the helm.

The 56-year-old was fired on May 28 owing to consistent struggles in the PSL that threatened to drag Amakhosi into a relegation battle. 

The now 45-year-old believes the tactician failed at Amakhosi since he did not do what was expected of him.

Why is Muchichwa considering Hunt a failure?

"For me, he failed; he failed because I didn't expect him to go out there and win things, of which if he did, that was going to be a bonus," the Zimbabwean said in an interview on Kickoff.

"But we were expecting him to rebuild the team, give direction to the team, of which none of those has materialised because now the team was even number 12. Which shows there was no direction there."

Who is the ideal coach for Chiefs?

"I think for me I don't want to say bring this one or bring that one, but look for somebody who is more organised, who knows what he is doing," Muchichwa continued.

"Somebody who can look at that situation at Chiefs and say 'Okay, what am I going to do to improve the situation?' That's the type of a person who is needed now.  

"They might bring whoever, I don't care. As long as he’s got all those qualities I have just mentioned, then that's the right person for Chiefs."

Meanwhile, the club sneaked into the top eight on the final day of the PSL season with a 1-0 win over TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday afternoon. 

The only goal of a somewhat cagey game between teams eighth and ninth on the log, was scored by Samir Nurkovic in the 26th minute.

The 13-time champions finished the 2020/21 season with 36 points from the 30 matches played. They managed just eight wins in the whole season, 12 draws, and 10 losses. The Soweto heavyweights scored 34 goals and conceded 37 in the process.

Massimiliano Allegri's coaching mentor, Giovanni Galeone, claims a man back at Juventus for a second spell snubbed approaches from Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain during a previous stint with the Bianconeri.

A highly rated 53-year-old finds himself back in Turin two years on from being relieved of his duties in the same post on the back of five Serie A title triumphs.

Allegri saw his stock soar during that trophy-laden tenure, with questions asked of his future plans by leading sides in Spain, England and France as high-profile posts became available or change in said dugouts was mulled over.

What has been said?

Galeona, who had Allegri work under him at Pescara and has played a leading role in the shaping of a productive coaching career, has told Il Bianconero: "The last year that he was at Juventus, Allegri said no to five big offers. Chelsea tried twice in the space of 15 days and he always rejected every proposal.

"Then Real Madrid contacted him more than once, while Arsenal, PSG and Manchester United also tried. This was all in the space of a year, but he always said no.

"I do think that if Juve hadn’t called, he would be in Madrid now, even though he wasn’t entirely convinced by the organisation there. Nobody is, really."

Was Juve return the right choice?

Allegri was the favoured option of Real to replace Zinedine Zidane when it became apparent that the French tactician would be heading for the exits.

Juve, though, moved quickly to replace managerial rookie Andrea Pirlo with an experienced head.

Galeona believes the right call has been made by all parties, despite the Bianconeri enduring a testing 2020-21 campaign that left them scratching around for Champions League qualification in the final round of Serie A fixtures.

He added on Allegri heading back to the Allianz Stadium: "If he’d returned last year, I don’t think I would’ve agreed to it, but now I am truly happy on his behalf, because the club realised it made a mistake by sacking him."

Further reading

Gareth Southgate insisted England are "more determined than ever" to kneel before matches in response to fans booing the action on Wednesday. 

The Three Lions took a knee prior to their friendly against Austria at the Riverside Stadium, which led to scattered boos ringing out around the ground.

Teams across the Premier League kneeled prior to every match in 2020-21 to call attention to racial injustice worldwide. 

What was said?

“We feel more determined than ever to take the knee,” Southgate said at a press conference on Saturday.

“We accept there might be an adverse reaction and we’re just going to ignore that and move forward.

“We accept that there could be elements of the crowd that boo. We’re prepared to go through that. That’s the stance we are going to take going into the tournament.

"Those people [that boo] should put themselves in the shoes of the young players. How would they feel if their kids were in that situation?”

Midfielder Kalvin Phillips added that England's players were "confused and disappointed" to hear fans booing prior to kickoff.

What's next for England?

England will close out their Euro 2020 preparations on Sunday when they take on Romania in a friendly at the Riverside Stadium.

With the match taking place at the same venue as Wednesday's game, England players could hear a similar reaction to fans prior to kickoff.

The Three Lions will play their first game of the Euros on June 13 when they face Croatia at Wembley. They will then take on Scotland five days later before finishing the group stage with a clash against Czech Republic.

Further reading

PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns ended their excellent season in style as they claimed a 3-0 win over Cape Town City on Saturday afternoon.

Lyle Lakay's perfect free-kick and a brace by Peter Shalulile was enough for the Brazilians to bag maximum points at Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

It was the visitors who started the game on a high and Kennedy Mweene was called into action after just three minutes.

A good pass from the midfield caught the defenders out of position and Fagrie Lakay managed to put himself in a one-on-one situation with the Zambia shot-stopper. However, the latter pulled off a great save to send the ball out for an unfruitful corner.

Mosa Lebusa was forced out with an injury two minutes later, and Kenya international Brian Onyango was introduced in his place.

The champions were not that dangerous in the opening minutes, but when they got their opportunity, they made it count.

The Citizens conceded a free-kick in a dangerous position in the 10th minute, and Lyle Lakay rose to the occasion, leaving the goalkeeper glued to his spot as he watched the ball sail into the corner of the goal.

It was the fourth league goal for the 29-year-old in 24 league matches in the campaign.

The visitors upped their tempo hoping to get an equalizer, but the Brazilians stood firm at the back to ensure they didn't leak an equaliser.

Namibia forward Shalulile had a massive chance to score his 14th goal of the season when he beat the offside trap, but his shot went narrowly wide with goalkeeper Marc Anderson well beaten.

Miscommunication in Masandawana defence allowed Fagrie Lakay to steal possession before sprinting clear in the 41st minute and he unleashed a fierce strike that Mweene - who was deputising for Ugandan Denis Onyango - kept out.

But it was the hosts who ended the first half in the ascendancy with Shalulile coming close twice. In the 43rd minute, his feeble shot from a great position was calmly collected by the goalkeeper while his header moments later, missed the target by inches. 

Three minutes after the restart, Mweene had to be alert to stop a rocket from Mduduzi Mdantsane who had been slipped into the danger zone by a teammate.

Morena Thapelo was then forced to make a goalline clearance from the resulting corner. 

Lyle Lakay almost doubled the advantage in the 60th minute from another set-piece from about 20 yards, but hawk-eyed Anderson pushed the ball out for a corner.

The dangerous Shalulile was rewarded for his hard work in the 75th minute when he danced his way past two defenders, before calmly slotting home to double the advantage.

The Namibian was at it again in the 82nd minute, this time around tapping in a Morena pass to score his 15th of the season and his 31st in two PSL seasons.

Tusker FC became the first team to reach the quarter-finals of the FKF Shield Cup after a 1-0 win over minnows Luanda Villa at Ruaraka Grounds in Nairobi.

The Brewers went into the match knowing a win will see them storm into the last eight and they did exactly that as Henry Mejja scored the all-important goal in the 34th minute.

The win also ensured the Brewers, led by coach Robert Matano, kept alive their hopes of clinching a double this campaign as they are also in the race for the FKF Premier League title.

The veteran Matano rotated his squad with goalkeeper Robert Mboya starting ahead of regular Emery Mvuyukure, while captain Hashim Sempala was restored in the squad alongside Eugine Asike, who partnered Rodgers Aloro at the heart of the defence.

It was Tusker who threatened from the onset and in the 13th minute a sweeping ball from their own half was diverted to Mejja by the speeding Sempala, but before he could pull the trigger towards goal, the chance was snuffed out by a Villa defender.

Tusker continued to attack their opponents and Boniface Muchiri should have made it 1-0 in the 23rd minute but his well-thought effort went inches wide.

But they did not wait for long as Mejja finally broke the deadlock, the striker racing onto a long ball from Humphrey Mieno, before calmly slotting it past the Villa keeper for a 1-0 half-time lead.

In the second half, Matano moved to make a triple change, with Apollo Otieno, Kepha, and Muchiri coming on for Chris Onyango, Brian Marita, and Jackson Macharia, but they could still not break down the Villa rearguard which opted to defend and use counter-attacks.

In another match, Equity Bank came from a goal down to sink Vegpro 2-1 to reach the quarter-finals. Equity, led by coach John Baraza, scored their goals through Jacob Onyango, who grabbed a double, while Lusuma Oscarscored for Vegpro.

The Brewers will now have to wait for the other top teams, including Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards, Ulinzi Stars, Kariobangi Sharks,  to play their matches to learn their next opponent.

Aston Villa are leading Arsenal in the hunt for Norwich playmaker Emi Buendia, Goal can confirm, with Dean Smith's side putting a "very good" offer on the table.

The 24-year-old, who has made Argentina's senior squad for the first time during the latest round of international fixtures, has seen his stock rise since arriving in England back in 2018.

It is not known if the Gunners have tabled an offer for Buendia, with Villa now seen as the front runners to sign him having made their move.

How much will it take to land Buendia?

Norwich are looking for around £40 million ($57m) from any deal involving Buendia, who has been one of their star players over the last few seasons.

Villa are the ones to have shown greater willingness to get near that figure, with a big-money bid having been made.

It is unclear if Arsenal have made an official offer for the player although they seemingly need to act fast to avoid missing out on the Argentine.

Will Arsenal sign him?

Mikel Arteta continues to weigh up his options when it comes to additions in his creativity department.

Martin Odegaard impressed during his short-term loan from Real Madrid and remains of interest to the Gunners.

He is, however, returning to Real Madrid and it remains to be seen what role he'll have under new head coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Buendia is an alternative option that has registered on the Emirates Stadium radar for some time.

Villa, who have seen questions asked of Jack Grealish's future and will not be signing Ross Barkley on a permanent basis, are also in the mix.

They have moved to the front of a recruitment queue, but no deal has been done and that is keeping the door open for rivals to join the scramble for a much sought-after signature.

Further reading

Kaizer Chiefs sneaked into the top eight on the final day of the PSL season with a 1-0 win over TS Galaxy at the Mbombela Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The only goal of a somewhat cagey game between teams eighth and ninth on the log was scored by Samir Nurkovic in the 26th minute.

While the home side had plenty of ball possession in the opening half, they struggled to create openings against what was generally a well-organised Chiefs defence.

There was, however, a deflected effort from Nation Ndlovu which was not too far off, as well as a low angled drive from Masilake Phohlongo which drew a good save from Bruce Bvuma.

The breakthrough for Chiefs came after 25 minutes, via a long throw-in, as Galaxy defender McBeth Mahlangu headed Reeve Frosler's delivery towards his own goal, where Nurkovic was lurking and the Serbian sniper needed no further invitation as he headed the ball into the goal.

Ten minutes later Frosler was earning his keep in his own box with an excellent intervention to deny Mxolisi Macuphu the chance to shoot.

Macuphu did get a chance to go for goal a few minutes before halftime when he got on the end of a Mahlangu cross, but his header flew straight into Bvuma's hands.

The first opening of the second stanza fell to Amakhosi, although Pogiso Sanoka did well to snuff out the danger by getting between Nurkovic and the Galaxy goal.

Just after the hour mark the Rockets appeared fortunate not to concede a penalty after Luckboy Mokoena seemed to bring down Lebogang Manyama inside his own box.

As was the case in the first half, the Mpumalanga side were to have a lot of the ball, but again struggled to penetrate a stubborn Chiefs defence.

Amakhosi were close to adding an insurance goal 10 minutes before full-time when Nurkovic beat two defenders and played in a tantalising cross, but a slight deflection meant that Nkosingiphile Ngcobo was unable to make contact from five yards out.

From then onwards though, it was all hands on deck in the Glamour Boys defence as they closed up shop and saw out the match, surviving an anxious four added minutes at the end.

The result saw both teams finish on 36 points, but Chiefs had a +2 better goal difference and so secured eighth spot on the league table and with that, a berth in next season's MTN8.

Orlando Pirates were frustrated by a resilient Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila in their final PSL encounter of the 2020/21 season which ended in a 0-0 draw on Saturday afternoon.

The Buccaneers were looking to end the campaign on a winning note having claimed a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Baroka FC away on Wednesday.

Fortune Makaringe was recalled to the starting line-up as coach Josef Zinnbauer made one change to the team which faced Bakgaga Ba Mphahlele in Polokwane.

While Vhadau Vha Damani were hoping to avenge their 3-0 loss to Pirates in the first round clash after securing safety from relegation by drawing 0-0 with Chippa United on Wednesday.

Coach Dylan Kerr named an attack-minded team with six attackers starting, including Thabo Mnyamane, Meshack Maphangule and Joseph Molangoane.

Pirates started the match brightly with Thembinkosi Lorch looking lively for the hosts as he looked to link the midfield with the attack while operating as a playmaker.

Lorch played a through-ball for Vincent Pule, who was fouled by Tebogo Thangwane, but match referee Thokozani Mkhize surprisingly waved play on.

The Buccaneers continued to create goalscoring opportunities as Vincent Pule's effort narrowly missed the target, before Frank Mhango's shot was blocked by Alfred Ndengane in the box.

TTM had a chance to take the lead, but Thembisani Nevhulamba scuffed his shot and goalkeeper Wayne Sandilands snatched the ball before Maphangule could pounce and score just before half-time.

Pirates continued to search for the opening goal after the restart, but they were let down by some poor finishing as Mhango's shot was blocked by Thangwane and keeper Washington Arubi made a comfortable save from Deon Hotto's effort.

Innocent Maela's effort was bravely denied by Arubi from close range and Aluwani Nedzamba made an important goal-line clearance from Vincent Pule's corner-kick which was curling into the bottom right corner.

The last chance of the game fell for Terrence Dzvukamanja, who had grabbed a late winning goal against Baroka, but the 27-year-old forward failed to keep his free header on target, and ultimately the game ended in a 0-0 draw.

The result saw Pirates secure a third-place finish in the PSL standings for the second season running and they qualified for 2021/22 Caf Confederation Cup, while Vhadau Vha Damani finished their debut season in 12th spot.

Kevin De Bruyne has undergone minor surgery on the fractured eye socket he suffered during Manchester City's outing in the Champions League final, but has handed Belgium a boost as he is set to join their Euro 2020 squad on Monday.

The 29-year-old lasted just an hour of a European showpiece in Porto before being forced from the field following a collision with Antonio Rudiger.

He suffered nose and eye injuries, with fears raised regarding his involvement at this summer's European Championship, but a quick operation has him ready for international duty.

What has been said?

Belgium boss Martinez has told reporters when offering an update on De Bruyne: "It went very well, very positively. We are looking forward to Monday when he will join our squad.

"That small intervention was necessary with a view to the long term. He will not need a long recovery.

"The operation only took 20 minutes. The medical staff is satisfied with the result. De Bruyne is now doing well, that's all."

When do Belgium need De Bruyne?

The Red Devils have one more pre-Euros friendly to take in against Croatia on Sunday.

They are then due to open their quest for continental glory against Russia on June 12, before going on to face Denmark and Finland in their other Group B fixtures.

Martinez's men were held to a 1-1 draw by Greece in their last outing, with there acknowledgment from within a star-studded camp that standards need to be raised.

"We have to show that we have taken a step forward in the preparation," Martinez added.

"We are facing a strong team, with a lot of experience and technical qualities in midfield.

"We are going to have to be sharp and concentrated. It is a test for the group stage of the European Championship, and this is a match we need."

Further reading