Looking for Soccer News?

Jurgen Klopp has explained Liverpool's decision to loan Takumi Minamino to Southampton, admitting he didn't give the Japan star enough chances to shine at Anfield this season.

Minamino departed late on deadline day after the Saints were able to agree a short-team deal for the 26-year-old. Southampton will pay a £500,000 loan fee, though Liverpool rejected their request to insert an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.

Signed from Salzburg last January, Minamino has made 31 appearances for the Reds since. Only 12 of those, however, have been starts, and only four of those starts have been in the Premier League.

His last came at Crystal Palace in December, when he scored his first Premier League goal, and Liverpool's opener, in a 7-0 win. Since then, and despite the champions' form dipping dramatically after Christmas, he has been limited to just six minutes in the league.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Klopp explained the thinking behind allowing him out on loan.

"We really thought about it," he said. "Takumi is an incredibly good player. We didn’t give him enough chances, that is the truth.

"Sometimes for different reasons. Sometimes it was just the size when defending set-pieces, because we were not tall enough. These kind of things make the difference why one player plays and another does not.

"There were not a lot of clubs where I thought it made a lot of sense but Southampton is one. He is there for 17 games. If he stays fit I think there is a good chance for him to play all 17 games which helps everybody.

"The only thing he was lacking was a couple of games in a row. That is difficult here. I would have loved to keep him just to have the option, but in the end Takumi is a long-term project, he always was. We see a lot of potential in him and so it absolutely makes sense he gets out and hopefully plays 17 games, then comes back in a different mindset and confidence level. I hope it is a win-win situation."

Minamino could make his debut against Manchester United on Tuesday evening having completed the necessary paperwork in time.

"He just has to enjoy football again there," Klopp added. "He is an outstanding professional, top talent, really good player.

"But the problem is we have a really good squad. My job is to make decisions based on what I imagine could be the outcome in the game. The people fighting for a place with him were in a really good shape, Shaqiri when he came back was in really good shape and we all know what Divock did in the past.

"Sometimes, as I said before, just the size can make a difference. It didn’t often work out that Taki could play or come on, and that’s 100 per cent my fault as well. But we both think now, Taki and I, that we can sort that by playing him 17 times in the Premier League.

"He doesn’t have to change anything or improve anything, he just has to play football, gain confidence and rhythm, and he will be fine."

Andre Villas-Boas has sensationally offered to resign as Marseille boss due to the club's decision to sign Olivier Ntcham against his wishes.

Marseille snapped Ntcham up from Celtic on the final day of the January transfer window, with the defender arriving at Stade Velodrome on a six-month loan deal.

The French outfit will reportedly have the option to buy the 24-year-old outright for £4.5 million at the end of the season, and he could be in line to make his debut in a Ligue 1 fixture away at Lens on Wednesday.

However, Ntcham's arrival has not gone down well with Villas-Boas at all, with the Portuguese now seeking to cut his time with OM short after being undermined by the board.

Villas-Boas claims to have made it clear that he did not want to sign Ntcham, and has expressed his desire to leave the club ahead of their latest domestic outing.

"It's a decision that was not made by me. This is a player I said no to," the 43-year-old told a press conference.

"I was not aware of it, I learned of the signing when I woke up and went on the number one Marseille website. I submitted my resignation saying that I didn't agree with the sports policy.

"The board has not yet given me feedback. I do not want money, I just want to leave. This club has already experienced two or three years of randomness in terms of its transfers and I cannot accept that."

Villas-Boas' announcement comes on the back of a turbulent week for Marseille which saw a number of supporters arrested for assaulting officers and throwing smoke bombs at their training centre.

OM fans went too far with the protests against the running of the club on and off the pitch, having seen their team suffer three Ligue 1 defeats on the bounce.

Villas-Boas insists that the incident played no part in his choice to resign, though, and has pledged to continue giving his all to Marseille's cause until he is officially relieved of his duties.

"Now I am focused on Lens. For me, they are the team of the year. We are not going to be able to prepare in the best conditions," he added.

"And I will continue until such time that the board asks me to leave. This has nothing to do with the incidents that occurred on the weekend.

"It is related to the sporting side. Even the departure of Nemanja (Radonjic), I was informed in the evening… I am waiting for a response from the board, and if it is a no, we will continue.

"I don’t want the club’s money, nor Frank’s (McCourt) money. I simply want to leave. I want to be clear with you."

With Mesut Ozil finally moved on and funds freed up from other deals during January, Kevin Campbell claims the summer transfer window is going to be “key” for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal.

The Gunners have worked hard over recent weeks to “clear the decks”, with the likes of Sead Kolasinac, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos also offloaded on loan or permanent deals.

Arteta is starting to shape the squad he inherited from Unai Emery in his own image, with the creative talents of Martin Odegaard snapped up from Real Madrid on an agreement through to the end of the season.

It remains to be seen whether the Norwegian sticks around in north London, with various other playmaking targets said to be in the Gunners’ sights.

Whoever they bring in, Campbell admits that a big window is approaching, with Arsenal hoping to enter that in the best possible shape by surging towards a finishing post in 2020-21.

“I think you have to look at this season first,” former Gunners striker Campbell told Sky Sports, with a welcome return to form helping to keep top-four dreams alive for Arteta’s side.

“You need to look at what is being done, getting that dressing room up to speed, getting the culture is really important.

“Now, for the second half of the season, there is no disruption in the dressing room. They are on a bit of a run at the moment. Mikel Arteta is looking for the results to improve.

“Then when you look at next season, the summer window is going to be the key.

“There is room on the wages side to bring players in and now the team has got to reflect Mikel Arteta. It is going to be his team from the summer, so I think it’s really important that he gets it right.”

Campbell added on Arsenal’s business over the winter, with the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, William Saliba and Reiss Nelson being allowed to leave on loan: “I think Mikel Arteta had to clear the decks.

“There were some players there who weren’t playing, who were on high wages, so we needed to clear room there.

“There were also some young players that needed game time, they need to develop, but they are not going to get the game time at Arsenal.

“Maitland-Niles is a prime example – England international who just isn’t getting enough game time. With the Euros coming up, he wants to play a part for England.

“He is an immensely talented player but I’m not sure about what’s going on in the background at Arsenal and why he’s not getting starts. He wants to play in the centre of midfield and Arsenal have an abundance of talent in that position, so I can only wish him well.”

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has tested positive for coronavirus.

The Spanish giants confirmed the news in an official statement on Tuesday, which reads: "Real Madrid CF would like to inform that our president Florentino Perez has tested positive in the Covid-19 tests that he periodically undergoes, although he is not showing any symptoms."

Perez will now spend the next 10 days in quarantine, and will have to post a negative test after that period in order to return to work at Santiago Bernabeu.

The 73-year-old was re-elected for a second term as Madrid president back in 2009, having presided over the club's ninth European Cup triumph and run to two La Liga titles during his first spell in the boardroom.

The Blancos have reached even greater heights over the last 11 years, with a further four Champions League crowns added to the club's ever-growing trophy collection.

Madrid have also taken their tally of La Liga triumphs up from 31 to 34, the latest of which was delivered by Zinedine Zidane in 2019-20.

Zidane's men have, however, been unable to maintain the same levels of consistency this term, slipping 10 points behind leaders Atletico Madrid in the table.

Perez has been laid low with Covid-19 two weeks after French head coach Zidane posted a positive test of his own, which meant he was missing from the dugout during fixtures against Alaves and Levante.

Blancos defender Nacho Fernandez also took in a spell in self-isolation after contracting the illness last month, and was not risked for the team's latest fixture despite having now been cleared to take part in training again.

Madrid lost 2-1 at home to Levante on Saturday and now have a mountain to climb if they are to retain the Liga trophy at the end of the season.

Zidane could be back on the sidelines when the defending champions travel to Estadio El Alcoraz to take on Huesca on Saturday, which is now a must-win game for his side.

The 13-time European Cup winners will play host to Getafe three days later, before their focus shifts to another home fixture against Valencia on February 14.

Western Stima have appointed Abdalla Juma as their new coach to replace Paul Ogai, who was fired, a couple of days ago.

The Kisumu-based side has been inconsistent in the league this season, and have collected just five points from the nine games they have played. It is for this reason the team had to make changes to change their fortunes. 

"We have appointed [Abdalla] as our new coach effective immediately," Stima chairman Laban Jobita confirmed to Goal on Tuesday.

"As a club, we have decided to hand him a two-year deal. We are confident he will help us perform well and help the team reach the set objectives. Having coached top teams in the country, I am confident he will deliver." 

The veteran tactician had initially coached top-tier teams AFC Leopard, KCB and Talanta who are currently plying their trade in the National Super League. He comes into the club as a free agent.

"We will support him in every way possible to try and help the team get back to where it is supposed to be," Jobita added.

"He will have a look at the players before deciding where to strengthen. It will be up to him to know who remains and who goes."

Earlier, the administrator had revealed Powermen will have to strengthen since the current players cannot get the players off the danger zone.

"We must bring in new players in the short transfer window," Jobita told Goal.

"I am afraid the players we have cannot get us out of our current position. So we have to get players who will help us move upwards on the table before it is too late.

"I am waiting for the report from the technical bench and then we implement it as soon as possible."

Currently, the team has 30 players and the administrator has hinted more than 10 will be released to create space for a few new ones.

"We want to have a total of 22 players as opposed to the current number," he added.

"The 22 players will include those we are signing but for us to do so, we have to release others. We want to perform well in the remaining matches of the season and we must have players who will help us achieve the same." 

Kylian Mbappe says he is happy to fill a support role at Paris Saint-Germain, with Neymar considered to be “centre of the project” at Parc des Princes.

Sizeable investment in the French capital has allowed the Ligue 1 heavyweights to assemble a star-studded squad.

Mbappe, as a World Cup winner, is a talismanic presence in Mauricio Pochettino’s ranks, but he is far from being the only one to fall into that category.

Brazil international Neymar was the man to raise expectations in Paris to never before seen heights, with his record-breaking €222 million (£200m/$262m) transfer in 2017 capturing the imagination and dominating the headlines.

He has been hinting at the signing of fresh terms this season, while urging Mbappe to do likewise, and there is a close bond between two superstar forwards that share similar ambitions.

“I always believed that great players were made to play together,” Mbappe, who has been linked with Real Madrid and Liverpool, told France Football.

“And then, it was clear between us. Neymar is the centre of the project, and I am there to help him. Because, when I arrived, I was only a shooting star who had to earn my standing. In the hierarchy, I am behind him and was even behind [Edinson] Cavani at the time.”

Mbappe has offered no indication that he is considering signing a new contract at PSG, but he is looking to make the most of every opportunity he gets to work with Neymar – a man that has helped to take his game to even greater heights.

“I will not forget how he helped me at the beginning,” Mbappe, who moved to Paris in the same transfer window as the South American, added.

“When you are 18 and you arrive in such a locker room, it is never easy. In these big clubs, your success is 60 per cent down to your football and 40% to your acclimatisation in the dressing room.

“That a top player helps you find your place in such an environment, obviously, that helps. And that cannot be forgotten.

"With Neymar, I learned a new kind of football. And thanks to him, I was able to enrich my game because he likes to rely on other attackers, play with one touch, two touches, he also asks you to vary your movements and to diversify your game.

"He really knows how to do everything. And better than everyone.

“I don't know if everyone is aware of it. Ney, he understands everything. It's beautiful, it's good but it's not easy. Because he is very demanding and his game requires those alongside him to be very aware mentally, always on alert.

“By buying a great player like him, you also buy a level of requirement that reflects on all the others.

"He listens to me. We are between 70 and 80% of our potential. I know that we can do even more.”

Mbappe has seen questions asked of his form this season, while Neymar has picked up more injuries, but they still have 28 goals between them and have PSG back in the hunt for domestic and continental honours.

Juventus remain capable of winning “anything every year” because “when you have Cristiano Ronaldo with you, you always start 1-0”, says Christian Vieri.

The Bianconeri have not been at their dominant best in 2020-21, with questions being asked of the decision to hand their managerial reins to rookie coach Andrea Pirlo.

They are, however, just seven points off the pace in the ongoing defence of their Serie A title and are safely through to the last 16 of the Champions League and semi-finals of the Coppa Italia.

With there still all to play for, and with a five-time Ballon d’Or winner in their ranks , Vieri believes more major silverware can be secured this season by an ambitious outfit.

The former Bianconeri striker has told Stats Perform News : “Listen, Juventus can win anything every year. They have a fantastic side.

“When you have Cristiano Ronaldo with you, you always start 1-0.

“Pirlo is a fun guy. He is the opposite of what everyone sees. He is a fun dude, he takes the p*ss out of you the whole day.

“Of course, everyone is different on TV, right? He is calmer. You never see him go crazy. He is the opposite of [Antonio] Conte. You see Conte, it's like he is playing.

“It's his first experience. He is having a good time. He won a trophy already. You win games and lose games, it's part of coaching. Maybe lose more games than win, some coaches do that. But he is happy coaching, that's what he wanted to do.

“He has an amazing team. He can win everything this season. Let's see what happens. Nine years in a row winning the Scudetto, of course, sooner or later you will lose it because motivation-wise, you can't have that motivation every year.”

Juve are set to face arch-rivals Inter in the last four of the Coppa Italia on Tuesday, with Vieri expecting progress to be made in that competition before going on to chase down another domestic league title.

The ex-Italy international added: “They have 23 fantastic players. They have a big, long bench. [Paulo] Dybala stays on the bench, [Juan] Cuadrado stays on the bench, Arthur stays on the bench… they're fantastic players.

“I don't think the other benches are as strong as Juve's. I think Juve are still the strongest. But motivation wise, you can't win forever.

“Inter have a fantastic team this season. [Achraf] Hakimi, [Arturo] Vidal, [Ashley] Young, [Alessandro] Bastoni, they're all good players. They're solid, more solid defensively than three to four months ago. Up front they're fantastic. Anyone can win.

“Against Juve, Inter played fantastically [in Serie A]. Technical wise, physically. Let's see what happens in the semi-final.”

If Liverpool "fancied" Takumi Minamino "they wouldn’t have let him go" to Southampton, according to Harry Redknapp, who says Jurgen Klopp has no use for the winger.

Liverpool snapped up Minamino from Austrian outfit Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020, which was seen initially seen as a smart piece of business.

The 26-year-old had shone during his five-year stay at Salzburg, and even found the back of the net against the Reds in a Champions League group-stage encounter, impressing with his dynamic style of play in the final third of the pitch.

However, Minamino's first year at Liverpool had been underwhelming, with the Japan international only managing to score four goals through 31 appearances across all competitions.

Anfield officials took the decision to send him out on loan to Southampton until the end of the season on deadline day, which Redknapp has taken as proof of Klopp's lack of faith in Minamino.

“Well, he’s not done it at Liverpool, has he?” the former Saints manager told Sky Sports. “If Liverpool fancied him they wouldn’t have let him go.

“They wouldn’t be letting players go out on loan if they weren’t any use to the squad.

“If he [Klopp] felt that he was of any use then he would have kept him there. But his form hasn’t been good and he hasn’t looked good enough, to be fair, at the moment.”

Minamino will now be charged with helping Southampton challenge for European football, with Ralph Hasenhuttl's side currently sitting 11th in the Premier League standings.

The Saints are four points behind Tottenham, who currently occupy the final Europa League spot, but they did enjoy a brief spell at the top of the table earlier in the season.

Supporters will hope that Minamino's presence can reignite the club's season, but he will not be registered in time to make his debut against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

The Liverpool loanee could feature in a home fixture against Newcastle on Saturday instead, with Southampton due to continue their latest FA Cup campaign away at Wolves five days later.

Scott McTominay has revealed how he learned of the decision to pass Manchester United’s captaincy in his direction, with the midfielder considering that call to have been “a test”.

A product of the Red Devils’ famed academy system was handed the armband for an FA Cup third-round clash with Watford.

Having been asked to lead from the front, McTominay ended up grabbing the only goal of the game in that contest.

The 24-year-old hopes to have shown that he can be a leader, with questions having been asked this season of whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has enough of those players at his disposal.

Quizzed by United Review on how his manager informed him that he would be skippering the side against the Hornets, McTominay said: “He didn’t really say much. He just said ‘captain tomorrow’ and looked at me. I just smiled; I didn’t want to let off too much emotion but I was so, so pleased.

“For the manager, I presume every decision he makes with me and other players is a test. It’s not just ‘oh I’ll give him the captaincy for no reason’, it’s a test. Everything in life is a test and you have to pass those tests.

“It’s important to really show people that you can be an example at this football club and not let things go to your head.

“With something like the captaincy, it would be easy to then start doing things differently and shouting and screaming and not playing how you normally would, but that doesn’t make any difference to me.

“Whenever I’m on the pitch with H [Harry Maguire] I feel like there are 11 captains on the pitch who need to be vocal and leaders as well.”

McTominay has passed the 100-appearance mark for United in the current campaign and hopes his game can be taken to even greater heights in the months and years to come as he seeks to prove his worth under the brightest of spotlights.

“I think every game is a chance to improve. Every game at this football club is hugely scrutinised in every detail,” the Scotland international added.

“For me, it’s about doing my best every time I play and wanting to improve all the time and working with the manager and the coaches.

“That’s about it for me, I don’t really dive too much into form and different things like that. If the team is winning and you’re consistently playing to the best of your ability and you’re always looking to improve, then that’s a good season for me in terms of numbers and statistics.

“I find people get too caught up in ‘oh he made this many tackles, or he made this many interceptions'. As a player, you know when you’re playing well and you know when other people are playing well.

“That ‘eye’ test is the best form of judging football players and just forgetting statistics.

“I can’t remember many games when there hasn’t been 11 players who haven’t played well and it’s about improving on that.”

United, who have taken just one win and five points from their last four Premier League games, will be back in action on Tuesday when they play host to Southampton.

Mikel Arteta says it is “too early” to rule Arsenal out of top-four contention, with the rejuvenated Gunners climbing away from relegation danger to put themselves back in the race for Champions League football.

North London heavyweights stumbled out of the blocks this season, making their worst start to a campaign since 1974-75.

Serious questions were asked of those on and off the field as nervous glances were shot over collective shoulders at a basement battle unfolding behind those at Emirates Stadium.

A welcome return to form was, however, enjoyed during the hectic festive period and that momentum has delivered 16 points from the last 18 on offer.

Arsenal are now up to tenth, eight points adrift of the top four, and Arteta believes they remain in the mix to secure a return to elite European competition for 2021-22.

The Spanish tactician has told reporters ahead of a trip to Wolves on Tuesday: “I think it’s too early [to be ruled in or out] because there are a lot of points, you have to be consistent.

“You don’t just depend on yourselves so let’s stick to what we can do, what we can do better and the better we do that the bigger chance at the end of the season there will be to fight for that.

“There are things that are not really in our control at the moment, but many of them are and that’s the things that we have to do as well as possible.

“You see the results every weekend and you go: ‘Wow, very surprised’. And most of the time it’s not one or two, it’s more than that.

“It tells you how difficult the season has been for everybody and how much things can change.

“Look for example at Man City, where they were two-and-a-half months ago and where they are right now and you cannot believe it, but that’s the reality in this league.

“I think it’s the case of the competition in this league and the amount of mistakes that we make for ourselves in crucial moments of games that leads to the team losing those games.

“The moment we corrected that we were much stronger. I think confidence is a big factor and if you’re losing games and cannot explain why then players tend to have bad fears sometimes, or not be that convinced that they can actually win every single game.

“But when you get into a good run of form then it’s completely the opposite and it’s what is happening at the moment.”

Alongside their Premier League efforts, Arsenal also have the chance to book a Champions League place through the Europa League – with Arteta’s side readying themselves for a last-32 showdown with Benfica in that competition.

Simba SC have received an invite to visit the Tanzania parliament in Dodoma as they prepare for their Mainland Premier League and Caf Champions League matches.

The Wekundu wa Msimbazi are preparing for a grueling campaign, as they are set to take part in the Champions League group stage and also defend the league title for the fourth season in a row.

With the league set to resume on Thursday, Simba Information Officer Haji Manara has confirmed the team will travel to Dodoma for their league match against Dodoma Jiji on Wednesday the same day they have been invited to visit parliament.

“The team will resume training on Wednesday after we gave them a day off on Tuesday and they will leave Dar es Salaam in the morning of Wednesday heading to Dodoma,” Manara said as quoted by Sokalabongo.

“We gave the players a day off after winning the Simba Super Cup and we expect them to return on Wednesday in readiness for the league resumption and also Champions League matches.

“We leave for Dodoma in the morning of Wednesday ahead of our match against Dodoma Jiji on Thursday at Jamhuri Stadium, but before the match, we have been invited to visit parliament.

“At parliament, we are going there to get blessings from the ministers putting in mind we are going to represent the country in the Champions League where we play our first match on February 15, so after parliament, we will play the league and return to Dar es Salaam immediately so as to prepare for another league match against Azam FC on Sunday.”

Simba coach Didier Gomes Da Rosa has already expressed his satisfaction with the squad after they managed to lift the Super Cup.

The Msimbazi giants were crowned champions of the competition despite a 0-0 draw against Tout Puissant Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the final played at Mkapa Stadium.

The hosts were handed the trophy by virtue of having beaten Al-Hilal of Sudan 4-1 in the opening match and thus their head-to-head record was better than the Sudanese side, who had beaten TP Mazembe 2-1 in their opening fixture.

“I am very happy to all my players for giving their best and I think we are on a good way to continue our campaign for both Champions League and Premier league assignments,” Da Rosa said as quoted by Daily News.

“This game against TP Mazembe was much better than the previous as we improved defensively and I can see a good future.”

In the Champions League, Simba have been drawn to play defending champions Al-Ahly of Egypt, AS Vita from DRC Congo, and Sudanese giants Al-Merrikh.

Jamshedpur FC continue to be active in the transfer market as Amarjit Singh has left the club to join FC Goa, while ATK Mohun Bagan's Boris Singh is set to be a new addition to their camp.

Since the transfer window has ended, both players will terminate their contract with their existing clubs and join their new outfits as free agents. 

Amarjit Singh will certainly add more steel in the middle of the park for FC Goa, who are to participate in the AFC Champions League this season. His signing will boost the depth in squad given the number of injuries they have had lately with Brandon Fernandes, Seriton Fernandes and James Donachie being on the treatment table.

His performances for the India national team have been noteworthy. He made his debut against Curacao in the King's Cup in Thailand in 2019. He had an impressive outing against the hosts and was an important cog in midfield as India beat the War Elephants. 

Amarjit joined Jamshedpur from Indian Arrows and played eight matches in the previous edition of the Indian Super League (ISL). 

However, due to a fracture in his arm, he had to miss most of India's World Cup qualifiers. He returned to action in ISL this season but has struggled to get minutes under Owen Coyle. 

Meanwhile, Boris Singh would hope that his fortunes would change after joining Jamshedpur. While he did well with Indian Arrows but since then, he hasn’t played a single game for the Kolkata outfit.
 
The right-back, who was also deployed as a winger, played for India at the Under-17 World Cup and made a name for himself. He is known for his blistering pace and ability to take on defenders. Owen Coyle, the Jamshedpur FC coach, has time and again stressed on the importance of having players with pace on the flanks, a trait which suits the brand of football he professes.

But he will have to displace Laldinliana Renthlei from the right-back position at Jamshedpur FC.

Wazito FC coach Francis Kimanzi has conceded his team will not shy away from signing new players to reinforce the team if need be.

The Football Kenya Federation Premier League charges are enjoying their best-ever start in the top-tier. After 10 games, they are third on the table with 20 points, three less than leaders Tusker FC.

The tactician has further explained the process involved before deciding whether to sign players or not.

"At the moment we are still checking for [possible recruitment] but after analysing the current players we have," Kimanzi told Wazito online.

"After that, we will make a decision; if there is a position that needs to be strengthened then we can bring one or two players.

"However, we try to give a lot of confidence and push the ones available. But when a team needs balance, we are not going to shy away from [bringing reinforcement]."

After the release of Derrick Otanga, Elvis Rupia, Pistone Mutamba, Paul Kiongera, and Victor Ndinya in the recent past, the team has struggled to get a replacement. 

The tactician had earlier confirmed he is in the market for an established striker to help boost his attacking department.

"Yes, we are targeting a striker who can help us improve our attack, but currently, our options are limited," Kimanzi told Goal.

"It is a challenge to get a quality striker during the mid-season transfer window. We are, however, looking around to see if we can secure one. But if not the case, then we will have to work with what we have.

"We want to continue pushing harder and ensure we build a quality team that will consistently perform."

The former Harambee Stars coach also explained why his charges are not going for the league title despite their good start.

"I cannot say we are challenging for the league this season," Kimanzi continued.

"It is an unrealistic objective which will put the team under unnecessary pressure. Currently, it is all about one game at a time. We are still under the process of building a team for the long term and not setting unrealistic goals."

Championship side Middlesbrough have announced the signing of Neeskens Kebano on loan from Fulham.

The 28-year-old midfielder completed his move to the Riverside Stadium on transfer deadline day after successful medicals.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo international made 10 appearances across all competitions for the Craven Cottage outfit this season, including five Premier League games.

The forward will link up with compatriots Britt Assombalonga and Yannick Bolasie, who recently teamed up with the club from Everton on loan.

Middlesbrough manager Neil Warnock confirmed he has been making frantic efforts to secure the signature of the forward and expressed his delight with the successful transfer.

“It’s a deal I didn’t think would happen. We’ve been after Neeskens for a few weeks now and we’ve managed to get it over the line which is a real plus for us,” Warnock told the club website.

“Mendez-Laing and Yannick are both lacking match fitness whereas Neeskens has been involved and playing. He’s another string to our bow and we’re looking forward to him joining us.”

Kebano joined Fulham in 2016 and has made more than 100 appearances for the club across all competitions.

The centre-forward played a prominent role in the Cottagers’ promotion to the Premier League in 2018 and in 2019-2020, where he made 19 league appearances, scoring five goals, including his wonder freekick against Cardiff City in the Championship play-off semi-finals.

The attacker started his career with Ligue 1 side Paris Saint-Germain but after struggling to establish himself in the first team, he moved to Sporting Charleroi in Belgium.

After two years with Charleroi, the forward teamed up with rivals Genk and made a key impact with the side before earning a move to Fulham in 2016.

Middlesbrough are seventh on the Championship table after gathering 40 points from 27 games and Kebano will hope to help them secure promotion to the Premier League at the end of the campaign.

The attacker could make his debut for the Riverside Stadium outfit when they take on Brentford in their next league game on Saturday.

Kebano has 28 caps for DR Congo since he switched his allegiance to the side from France in 2014, having featured for the European country at various age-grade competitions.