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Joe Willock has joined Newcastle on loan from Arsenal.

The 21-year-old will spend the rest of the season with the Magpies, joining Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Shkodran Mustafi in heading out the door on transfer deadline day.

Arsenal and Newcastle began talks over a temporary switch for the England Under-21 international on the final day of the January transfer window.

The midfielder was eager to make a move in search of regular playing time in the Premier League, having seen his chances at Arsenal diminish over the last few weeks.

Willock, who joined the Gunners at the age of four, has made 17 appearances and scored three goals in all competitions for Mikel Arteta's team this season. He has been limited to two brief substitute appearances in the Premier League in 2021.

"I'm delighted to bring Joe to Newcastle until the end of the season. He is a very exciting and talented young player who can get up and down the pitch and can score a goal from midfield," coach Steve Bruce told the club's website.

"He has made a very decent impact at Arsenal after coming through the ranks and to make nearly 80 appearances for the club by the age of 21 says much about his development, ability and character.

"He is very keen to come here and test himself and he'll be a great addition to the squad."

Willock is the sixth player to leave Arsenal in the January transfer window. The Gunners loaned Sead Kolasinac to Schalke and William Saliba to Nice, while Mesut Ozil, Sokratis and Mustafi all left on free transfers.

Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard joined on loan from Real Madrid and goalkeeper Mat Ryan was loaned from Brighton.

He is Newcastle's only signing of the winter transfer period, while right-back DeAndre Yedlin joined Galatasaray in a free transfer on the final day of the window and 25-year-old winger Rolando Aarons was joined Huddersfield earlier in January.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has lavished praise on January deadline-day signing Ozan Kabak, talking of him as a future captain.

Klopp went some way to easing his defensive woes on deadline day by signing Kabak on loan from Schalke and Ben Davies in a permanent deal from Preston.

The Reds have an option to turn Kabak’s deal into a permanent arrangement in the summer, and Klopp’s comments suggest he expects that to happen.

Kabak has swapped a relegation scrap in the Bundesliga for a title push at Liverpool, and Klopp feels the Turkey international has the tools required to make the transition - having been given a glowing assessment from his friend and former Schalke boss David Wagner.

“Dave was already very, very positive about him,” Klopp told the club's official website. “He came very young to Germany and everybody was clear he was a massive talent.

“He is only 20 now. He plays in his second club [in Germany]; he is at Schalke and unfortunately they are in a bad position in the moment.

"For him, I think it’s a really good moment to make the move because, like each player in the world, you need a stable team around you and that’s what we can deliver.

“We deliver a stable team and you can play your position, you don’t have to be 20 with pretty much everything on the pitch and not allowed to make mistakes anymore.

“He’s really a big, big talent and we are really looking forward to working with him.”

With Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip long-term absentees, and Fabinho struggling with niggling issues, Kabak could get an early chance to impress in the Premier League.

Klopp believes the youngster is ready to seize his chance, and has the makings of a future leader of the club.

“Dave always said he will be a future captain of a team. He is a proper personality,” Klopp said.

“When you go abroad in that young age, to another country and play for other clubs, he could have played in Turkey in each club he wants. Goes then to Stuttgart, goes then to Schalke. He could have gone anywhere but he wanted to make football steps and we are a proper football step for him.

“He wants to learn but he can deliver already.”

The deal is subject to international clearance, so he is not available to face Brighton on Wednesday and is unlikely to be thrown in at the deep end against Manchester City at the weekend, so his first action could come at Leicester on February 13.

Liverpool have confirmed that Joel Matip will miss the rest of the season with an ankle ligament injury.

The Cameroon international suffered the injury in Thursday’s 3-1 win over Tottenham, and Jurgen Klopp revealed on Monday that the 29-year-old would not be available for the remainder of the campaign.

Klopp said: “Unfortunately, we found out now after everybody looked at it that Joel will be out for the rest of the season.

“But he will be ready for the start of the next pre-season and finally everything will be sorted.”

The news explains why Liverpool have dipped into the transfer market, signing two new centre-backs on deadline day.

Ben Davies joined from Preston in a £1.6 million ($2.1m) deal, and that deal was followed by the loan signing of Turkish international Ozan Kabak from Schalke. The Reds will have the option to make that deal permanent in the summer for a fee of £18m ($24.5m). 

Matip’s absence, though, is a sizeable blow. He joins Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez as a long-term casualty, with Klopp suggesting the former Schalke man, who has a long history of injury issues on Merseyside, had played through the pain barrier for the sake of the team.

Klopp said: “In the end, we have to admit that he probably did that.

“The situation is just, the season started and Joel was injured when the season started, unfortunately. We should not forget that at Schalke when he was there he played pretty much all the time completely through, he never had something.

“Then he was unlucky with a [Kalidou] Koulibaly challenge against Napoli in the last second [in December 2018], in the Everton game [June 2020] kind of things, a little bit with the foot here and there.

"If something started and then the situation is like our situation – that nobody can really wait because of our situation with Virgil out and Joe out – we always had to try to find the first moment when he is able to play again.

“It was really unlucky because it was a brilliant challenge he made actually, he saved our life in that moment in the Tottenham game when he won the challenge against Son.

“But he injured his ankle and played the game on and now is out for the season, so you can imagine how much he tried to stay on the pitch and tried to help us.

“We will wait for him. He has now the rest of this season, then the summer, then the pre-season to get ready again and he will be ready again.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thinks his players should have made more of a fuss over Manchester United’s disallowed goal after it was revealed it was a mistake to rule it out.

Anthony Martial thought he had equalised against Sheffield United only for his close range finish to be chalked off after it was deemed Harry Maguire had fouled Aaron Ramsdale in the build-up. Solskjaer was aggrieved at the decision at the time and revealed in his press conference that the delegates’ report from the game said the goal should have stood.

And the United boss thinks referee Peter Bankes might have changed his mind had the players put a little more pressure on him.

“I think whenever a team feels unfairly treated there will be a reaction but human error is.. I have no problem with human error. Absolutely no problem. And I understand why the decisions were made. Unfortunately, they went against us and they were wrong. That’s football for you but that’s maybe what VAR should have been in for. Maybe we should have made more of a fuss about it,” Solskjaer said.

“We are a bunch of nice lads. Maybe we should have really hung on to that or made them look at it before the game started again, so those are things that we have to learn from and use as motivation or energy. You are not going to expect to get anything for free.”

As Solskjaer’s side prepare to host Southampton in the league and get back to winning ways the United boss hit back at claims that they have been getting all of the luck when it comes to decisions.

“There has been a narrative for too long about the decisions we have got for us and I can look at many decisions this season that we feel haven’t,” Solskjaer continued. “Even the first league game, Victor… they agreed on that one. That wasn’t a penalty. But that doesn’t change where we are now. We just move on.”

After defeat to Sheffield United and a draw against Arsenal, Solskjaer is looking for his side to move on against Southampton on Tuesday night. Having fallen behind Manchester City at the top of the table Solskjaer is looking for his team to go on a consistent run.

“Every team is in the same situation and position. Whoever recovers the best and performs the best will win, whoever's coping with the situation the best. We want to put a run together. Since 1 November, we've lost against Sheffield United and that's the only defeat we've had in the league,” he said.

“We need to get back to performing at that level and standard. Sometimes you've got to be lucky and sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. More times than not, it's best to just focus on yourself and keep on being consistent in your behaviours. If you prepare the same way and approach a game the right way, you'll get results.”

Arsenal’s squad trimming has continued, with Shkodran Mustafi joining Schalke on a deal until the end of the season.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said prior to the January transfer window that he was keen to trim some flab from his squad.

Mesut Ozil has been the highest-profile departure, with the former Germany international joining Fenerbahce. In doing so, the club cleared a sizeable chunk of wages from the monthly bill.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos joined Olympiakos earlier this month after being released from his contract, William Saliba, Sead Kolasinac and Matt Smith have left on loan, while Matt Macey joined Hibernian on a permanent basis.

World Cup winner Mustafi emerged as a possible departure towards the end of January, and he was linked with a shock move to Liverpool.

Premier League champions Liverpool had been in desperate need of defensive cover on account of injuries to Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Joel Matip.

Mustafi was reportedly considered, but Reds boss Jurgen Klopp turned his attentions to Preston’s Ben Davies and Ozan Kabak, with Mustafi then thrashing out a deal with Schalke.

Speaking on deadline day, Arteta said: “We have decided [who could leave today] and we are working on it.

“You will find out before 11pm. I cannot speak about any individual players. What we want to do, the conversations we've had, the various reasons - let's see if we can get something done tonight."

Following confirmation of the deal, Arteta paid tribute to Mustafi.

"Musti has been a key player for us for a long period of time," Arteta told the club's official website. "He played a very important part in my first season as manager and I’d like to thank him for his professionalism and for always being ready when called upon. Everybody at Arsenal wishes Musti well at Schalke.” 

Mustafi was one of those given the green light to move on, and Gunners great Paul Merson is happy to have seen him leave the club.

When asked if Arsenal could afford to let Mustafi go, Merson said on Sky Sports: “Yeah, and he'll keep that record going at Schalke.”

Merson was speaking in reference to Schalke being in dire relegation trouble.

Schalke will hope Mustafi can prove Merson wrong, as they are in need of a defensive boost.

After a torrid first half of the Bundesliga season, Schalke are rooted to the foot of the table.

They have won just one game so far this season, and have eight points to their name.

Schalke are nine points behind Arminia Bielefeld, who occupy the relegation play-off spot in the Bundesliga, and have moved for experienced heads to help their cause.

They brought in attacking quality in January when signing veteran striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar from Ajax.

Liverpool have completed the deadline-day signing of Ozan Kabak from Schalke, subject to international clearance.

The 20-year-old defender will move to Anfield on loan until the end of the season, with the Reds having the option to make the move permanent in the summer for a fee of £18 million ($25m).

Kabak, a Turkey international who moved to Schalke from Stuttgart in 2019, will be the first of two signings on a busy day on Merseyside. He will be joined by Preston centre-back Ben Davies, who finalised his switch earlier on Monday.

Goal understands that Liverpool will pay an initial loan fee of around £1m ($1.4m) for Kabak, while the deal for Davies could be worth in excess of £1.6m, should all performance-related add-ons be triggered.

The Reds had been insistent that it would be a quiet window, but they were forced to alter their stance as the club’s injury crisis at centre-back worsened significantly during January.

As things stand, all four of Jurgen Klopp’s senior options are sidelined. Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez are likely to miss the rest of the season, while there are fears that Joel Matip’s ankle ligament injury, suffered in the 3-1 win over Tottenham last week, could keep him out for a significant time too.

Fabinho, who has performed superbly since moving back from midfield, is also nursing a muscle problem that has kept him out of the last two matches. The Brazilian will miss Wednesday’s home game with Brighton but could be fit to return for Sunday’s blockbuster clash with Manchester City.

Liverpool considered a number of options once it became clear that they would have to dip into the market. They were offered the chance to sign Croatian international Duje Caleta-Car from Marseille, but that deal was dependant on the French club sourcing a replacement for the 24-year-old before the Ligue 1 deadline.

That meant that Kabak became their primary target. A medical was completed in Germany on Monday morning, with Schalke pressing on with a deal to sign Shkodran Mustafi from Arsenal as a replacement.

Born in Ankara, Kabak emerged through the ranks at Turkish giants Galatasaray before moving to Stuttgart in January 2019.

Five months later he was on the move again, joining Schalke in a deal worth €15m following Stuttgart’s relegation. He has since made 36 appearances, emerging as one of the few bright spots of a dismal 2020 for the Gelsenkirchen outfit, who sit rock bottom of the Bundesliga at present.

His career in Germany has not been without controversy. In September he was banned for five games and hit with a €15,000 Euro fine after being caught spitting at Werder Bremen’s Ludwig Augustinsson.

Kabak apologised to Augustinsson via Twitter afterwards, insisting the incident, for which he was shown a red card, was an accident.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have also completed the signing of goalkeeper Liam Hughes. The 19-year-old, a Northern Ireland U21 international, will be part of the club's U23 squad.

A deal to sign highly-rated forward Kaide Gordon from Derby is also expected to be finalised, with the 16-year-old joining the Reds' academy setup. 

Liverpool are considering an offer from Southampton to take Takumi Minamino on loan for the rest of the season.

The Saints have made contact with the Reds late on the final day of the transfer window as they look to bolster their forward line.

No decision has been made by Liverpool at this stage, but sources have told Goal that they would be open to a deal for the Japan international, who has found first-team opportunities hard to come by this season.

Minamino has made 17 appearances in all competitions this season, but was included in the starting XI on just seven occasions. He has started just twice in the Premier League.

The last of those starts, at Crystal Palace in December, saw him net his first league goal for the club, but he has been given only six minutes of playing time since – as well as a 61-minute outing against an Aston Villa youth team in the FA Cup. 

Southampton have moved having missed out on a deal for Bournemouth’s Joshua King, who looks set to join either Everton or Fulham. But with less than two hours remaining in the window, they face a race against time to get the switch completed, if Liverpool decide to sanction it.

Liverpool confirmed the signing of centre-back Ben Davies from Preston earlier on Monday, the 25-year-old completing a surprise £1.6 million ($2.1m) switch. 

They are hoping to confirm another new defender before the deadline, with Ozan Kabak set to sign on loan from Schalke, with the option of a permanent £18m ($24.5m) transfer in the summer.

Sepp van den Berg, the 19-year-old Dutch centre-back signed from PEC Zwolle in 2019, has joined Preston on loan for the rest of the season, while goalkeeper Liam Hughes, 19, has arrived from Celtic and will be part of Barry Lewtas’ U23 setup.

A move for Derby teenager Kaide Gordon, 16, is also being pursued. 

Liverpool, who are currently four points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City, are next in action on Wednesday when they host Brighton. Four days later, they go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola's side.

East Bengal can leapfrog Bengaluru on the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) standings table when the two sides meet at the Tilak Maidan at Vasco, on Tuesday evening.

TV CHANNELS & LIVE STREAM

The Star Sports Network have the exclusive broadcasting rights of the ISL in India.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

 TEAM NEWS

East Bengal Possible XI:   

Injured - None
Doubtful - Raju Gaikwad
Suspended - None

Key Players - Bright Enobakhare, Jacques Maghoma

Bengaluru Possible XI: 

Injured - Ashique Kuruniyan, Juanan
Doubtful- Xisco
Suspended - Erik Paartalu    

Key Players - Sunil Chhetri, Cleiton Silva

Josep Maria Bartomeu has denied leaking Lionel Messi’s Barcelona contract to the media.

There was a furore on Sunday when Spanish newspaper El Mundo ran leaked documents detailing the contract of the world’s best player.

The details of the contract revealed that Messi picks up fixed incomes and bonus payments which amount to €138m (£112m/$167m) in annual earnings.

Barcelona were quick to express their fury, and said legal proceedings would be taken.

Following the newspaper splash, focus shifted to who was responsible for the contract getting in the hands of El Mundo.

Fingers were pointed in the direction of Bartomeu, who resigned from his position as president of Barcelona last year, but he has denied being responsible.

"It's a very serious issue and it's totally illegal to leak professional contracts," Marca quotes Bartomeu as saying. "Speaking on TV and making accusations is easy, but it's not a joke and this will end up in court.

"I hear certain media suggest that someone from the outgoing board or I have leaked this contract. And this is totally false.

“This is a very serious issue, it is totally illegal to filter professional contracts and this will end up in court because neither Barca nor Messi can accept that this crime comes to nothing.
 
"I don't know who it was. In fact in the club only four or five people have access to the contracts, so do the Cuatrecasas lawyers who participated in the negotiation and the LFP also has a copy of all the players’ contracts.”

Eyebrows were raised at the amount of money Messi is paid, but Bartomeu has said he is worth every cent and the club could comfortably afford to finance the contract prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The player deserves the amount because he generates in excess of that, both for his sporting contribution and for his commercial contribution,” Bartomeu said. “Without the crisis due to the pandemic, Barca can easily pay these figures and those of the other players."

The saga is likely to rumble on for some time yet, but Barca will hope Messi and his team-mates can retain focus as they push for honours in the second half of the season.

Jurgen Klopp admitted Liverpool would not normally buy a player from Preston to solve their defensive crisis, but says he is excited about new signing Ben Davies' potential.

Liverpool signed the 25-year-old centre-back from the Championship side for a total of £1.6million ($2.1m).

Davies made 145 appearances for Preston, having made his debut for the club in a League One clash in January 2013.

The Reds' back line has been plagued by injuries, with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip currently out, while midfielder-turned-defender Fabinho has missed the last two games with a muscle problem.

Klopp is hoping the new arrival will alleviate some of their defensive troubles, telling the club's website: "What I like about Ben is it just shows that each situation creates opportunities. I think it’s probably clear that in a normal transfer window, without any issues, we would not look at Preston if there’s a player for us or something like that. It’s not really likely. 

"But since we saw him and since our situation got clearer and clearer – the problems we had – when we saw him we got really excited about it and thought: ‘Wow'.

"He’s a boy who played his whole life for Preston, is around the corner pretty much. We see the potential really. We see the quality and we see the potential as well because he’s 25 and there’s a lot to come for him.

"I love a lot about his play. He’s a really good footballer, looks like a proper leader in this Preston team, good in challenges, looks football smart, can play different positions because he played in a back three and a back four and all these things. That makes him really interesting so I’m really looking forward to working with him.

"I know for him it’s an opportunity and I see it exactly the same for us, that it’s a really good thing to do."

The German coach is impressed by the confidence Davies showed in making the move to Anfield and believes he will rise to the challenge.

"We could have asked and he said: ‘I’d prefer to stay at Preston or go somewhere else where I play 40-odd games per season'. So this is a challenge but it’s an opportunity – a big, big opportunity. I see it exactly like that," he said.

"We have centre-halves and what we have to bring in is different qualities and that we are all really ready for the challenges ahead of us.

"It can be a wonderful story and it’s all about Ben and me to make sure this story will be really great. And we believe 100 per cent in development. I’m sure he wants to learn still - we are ready to teach still, to coach still. I’m really looking forward to meeting him."

Manchester City academy star Jayden Braaf has joined Italian club Udinese on loan for the rest of the season.

Sources previously confirmed to Goal that the Serie A side wanted the highly-rated winger, who has yet to break into Pep Guardiola's first team.

Udinese have signed Braaf on a six-month loan move and negotiated an option to buy the player for an undisclosed fee at the end of the deal.

City were open to a loan switch for the highly-rated winger, who has also been watched by a number of German clubs including RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund.

The 18-year-old Dutchman joined the club from PSV in 2018 and quickly established himself as one of the top prospects in the club's academy.

He has drawn comparisons with England international Jadon Sancho, who also came through City's system as a youngster before establishing himself in the Bundesliga with Dortmund.

Although he has spent time training with the first-team squad, he is yet to make a first-team appearance.

After missing the start of the campaign through injury, Braaf was part of the U18s side that won the FA Youth Cup for the first time in 12 years.

From that team, Cole Palmer, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Tommy Doyle and Liam Delap have all featured for Guardiola's side this season.

Braaf, however, is keen to prove himself and with a step-up to the first team not seen as likely any time soon, a loan switch suits the player and both clubs.

The Netherlands U18 international is believed to be valued at around £8 million (€9m/$11m) and for any permanent deal, and City are likely to want a sell-on clause.

Braaf, who attracted interested from Chelsea before joining City, has a contract with the club until 2023.

Meanwhile, City goalkeeper Aro Muric has ended his loan spell with Girona at joined Willem II in the Netherlands for the rest of of the season.

The Kosovo international, who signed a contract extension keeping him at City unitl 2024 in the summer, made just four appearances for the Spanish club.

He has previously had loan spells at Nottingham Forest and NAC Breda, although the latter was cut short when he returned to the Eihad Stadium to deputise for Ederson after an injury to Claudio Bravo.

DeAndre Yedlin has joined Galatasaray on a free transfer from Newcastle.

The U.S. men's national team defender has signed a deal with the Turkish giants that runs until summer 2023 and will net him around €2.6 million ($3.1m/£2.3m).

The right-back spent four and a half years at Newcastle, having joined from Tottenham in 2016, and made six Premier League appearances for Steve Bruce's side this season.

Bruce admitted there was no place in the squad for the former Seattle Sounders man, saying: "Quite simply we have had three right-backs at the club now and DeAndre is suited to wing-back. It’s been no secret that we have made changes to a back four.

"I want to wish him best of luck playing in Turkey for a huge club like Galatasaray. He's a great professional and a great lad.

“Sometimes you have to let one out to bring somebody in so it could be a busy day for us."

Yedlin took to Instagram to bid farewell to the Magpies, writing: "Been a pleasure [Newcastle]... made some great friends and memories over the last 4.5 years! Love to the fans for making me feel welcome from day 1! Wish nothing but the best for the club in the future!"

Yedlin is just one of three signings Galatasaray confirmed on Monday.

The Super Lig side have also confirmed the signing of Gedson Fernandes on loan from Benfica, having agreed to pay the Portuguese side €500,000 ($603,000/£441,000), while the player will pocket €650,000 ($784.000/£574,000).

Fernandes joined Tottenham on loan from Benfica in January 2020 and was supposed to stay at the north London side until the end of the season.

But the 22-year-old midfielder was unable to secure a place in Jose Mourinho's team. After making seven appearances in the Premier League last term, he did not feature in the English top-flight in 2020-21.

Mostafa Mohamed has joined on loan from Egyptian side Zamalek until summer 2022. Galatasaray paid €1.6m ($1.93m/£1.4m) upfront for the loan and have an option to buy him for €3.3m ($4m/£2.9m) when the deal expires.

They will pay the player €900,000 ($1.1m/£795,000) before signing him to a permanent deal.

Arsenal have confirmed Kieran Tierney will miss Tuesday's Premier League game with Wolves, but the Gunners have been boosted by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang returning to training.

Tierney sat out Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday due to discomfort in his right calf - and manager Mikel Arteta revealed at his press conference on Monday that the Scotland star had not returned to training with the rest of the squad.

“They haven’t been able to train yet with us, so I think it will be really difficult for them,” Arteta said of Tierney and Bukayo Saka. “I don’t know, we are going to try until the last minute - see how they are feeling.”

Saka, who also missed the draw with the Red Devils, is in contention to face Wolves on Tuesday after returning to training, but Tierney will not participate in the game.

“Kieran is continuing to be assessed for discomfort in the right lower leg,” the club said in a statement. “Kieran is unavailable for Tuesday’s match.

“Bukayo Saka missed Saturday’s match with a sore hip. Bukayo has now returned to full training and his availability will be assessed ahead of Tuesday’s match.”

Aubameyang has not featured for the Gunners since pulling out of the squad on the eve of the FA Cup game with Southampton on January 23.

It was subsequently revealed that the Gabon international’s mother had been taken ill.

The forward said in the middle of last week that he had returned home and was hopeful of joining the squad soon, but he missed the United match amid talk that he needed to quarantine after leaving the Arsenal bubble. Aubameyang's return to training indicates he produced negative coronavirus tests, and is in contention for the trip to Wolves. 

Dani Ceballas and Pablo Mari, meanwhile, have shaken off calf injuries and are in contention, but January signing Mat Ryan is still struggling with a hip problem and will not be able to sit on the bench as cover for first-choice goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

The draw with United resulted in Arsenal dropping to 10th in the table, eight points behind Leicester who currently occupy the fourth Champions League qualification spot.

Liverpool have completed the £1.6million ($2.1m) signing of Ben Davies from Preston.

The Reds will pay an initial £500,000 ($675,000) for the 25-year-old centre-back, with a further £1.1m ($1.5m) in performance-related add-ons. 

Davies underwent a medical on Monday morning after Liverpool moved ahead of Celtic in the race to sign him over the weekend. He has signed a long-term contract and is expected to train with his new team-mates for the first time on Tuesday. 

Liverpool are expected to follow up his purchase with the signing of Ozan Kabak, who is set to join on loan from Schalke, with the option of an £18m ($23m) permanent move in the summer. 

Sepp van den Berg, meanwhile, is to join Preston on loan for the rest of the season as part of the Davies deal.

Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Davies admitted he was surprised to get the chance to join the current Premier League champions, but said he was desperate to make a good impression at Anfield.

He said: “I’m obviously delighted to be here. It’s a huge opportunity.

"Obviously it came as a bit of a surprise when it first came but once you start to get your head around it, the opportunity that is in front of me is incredible. I’d be silly to not make the most of it and learn off the players.

“I’ve never actually been to Anfield and I haven’t had a look around yet. I had a quick look out and had a look at the pitch and it looks like carpet, which obviously you’d expect.

“I haven’t actually walked out of the tunnel yet, so I’m looking forward to that. Just to be in this kind of atmosphere is brilliant.”

Davies, who has made more than 140 appearances for Preston and enjoyed loan spells with York, Tranmere, Southport, Newport County and Fleetwood, will wear the No,28 shirt at Anfield.

“I want to come in and play games to start with," he added. "I want to get my foot in the door and make myself a Premier League player rather than obviously a Championship player. And then take it from there really,” he said.

“I know we’ve got some top players here and players I can certainly learn from. Once you get your foot in the door then you’re here as well. Hopefully I can take my chance and then move forward with it.

“I’m looking forward to coming in and playing in front of everyone and showing everyone what I can do. I’m sure a lot of fans and people don’t know [me], or haven’t even seen me play.

“It’s definitely an exciting time and I think they’ll quite enjoy watching me when I’m playing well.”

Wigan Athletic have re-signed winger Viv Solomon-Otabor until the end of the 2020-21 season.

The Englishman of Nigerian descent impressed in the first half of the campaign, providing two assists amid numerous impressive displays for the League One side.

However, his progress was curtailed following an injury setback in a league outing against Plymouth Argyle on October 24, 2020.

Even at that, the Super Eagles prospect, who is close to full fitness after a lengthy injury layoff, will remain with Leam Richardson’s squad for the next six months.

Reacting to this development, the former Birmingham City star is aiming to set the DW Stadium alight after securing his future.

“I’m pleased and also happy to be back fit. I’m working again and training with the team and being able to get back to myself again - like I was before I was injured - is good and I am pleased to sign until the end of the season,” Solomon-Otabor told Latics TV.

“This week gives me a full week’s training to be in contention to play Saturday whether that’s from the beginning or coming off the bench and playing a part and showing everyone that I’m back playing.

“It’s been tough; I’ve never had a long-term injury where I’ve had an operation before, so it was mentally challenging for me, my family and my close friends.

“It was a process and I needed to get over it and get back to myself again and get as fit as possible. It’s a blessing to be back and be able to compete with the boys and play.”

“I can’t thank the club enough; all the staff and everyone for the support and for their help coming in in the mornings - Saturday and Sunday - to help me ultimately get fit and get back to what I was doing before I was injured which was playing football and enjoying it.

“Now that I’m back everyone can be happy and proud when I step out on the pitch and show the work that has been done together.

“I really appreciate what the club have done for me in the last three to four months.”

Wigan are in danger of getting relegated to League Two having accrued 21 points from 23 outings and are second from bottom on the table.

Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena says that new signing Rushine De Reuck was not brought in to plug the gap left by the late Motjeka Madisha.

De Reuck’s signing from was officially announced on Saturday, the same day Madisha was also officially declared deceased by Sundowns.

Signed from Maritzburg United, De Reuck arrived at Chloorkop amid a serious centre-back crisis following injuries or illness to players like Brian Onyango and Bangaly Soumahoro as well as Ricardo Nascimento and Ricardo Nascimento, who have since recovered.

But Mokwena insists that the Bafana Bafana star was not signed as a direct replacement for Madisha.

“It becomes very difficult because a lot of people are saying he is a replacement for Madisha,” said Mokwena as per Phakaaathi.

“It is very difficult to replace Madisha, I don’t think we will replace Madisha and I don’t think De Reuck, in his own qualities and in respect to the quality that he has, I don’t think he views himself as a replacement of Madisha.

“If you look at Madisha’s profile, at the age of 23 years old he was something you don’t get in this country. He had already played in the Fifa Club World Cup, in the Caf Champions League and he won it. That extensive experience, not only in regards to just club football but also international football.

“Losing a player like that becomes really difficult replacing someone of that calibre. May his soul rest in peace, it is a huge loss for us. Not just from a technical perspective but from a human quality perspective. They did not come any better than ‘Ace’, but we have got to move on.”

De Reuck has been tipped for a new role at Downs, where he could be roped in to play as a defensive midfielder.

Coetzee has also been converted into an anchorman and is now a part-time central defender.

With Masandawana being forced to frequently change their starting line-up due to injuries and the coronavirus, as they recently admitted, Mokwena reiterated that they do not have a rotation policy at the club.

“We don’t have a standing principle in relation to squad rotation. I think at this moment in time, one of the most important things for us and even most teams is that we need a little bit more consistency with the line-ups so that the team cohesion can improve,” Mokwena said.

“We are trying to have the same players in a couple of games to try and have consistency because the reality is, because of the circumstances we are in relation to society is that we cannot have the same players on the pitch in consecutive matches.”

Mauricio Pochettino is confident Kylian Mbappe and Neymar will commit to Paris Saint-Germain.

The attacking duo’s futures at the club have been the subject of widespread debate.

Neymar has been linked with a return to Barcelona, the club he left for PSG in 2017, while Real Madrid hold a long-standing interest in Mbappe.

PSG are in a state of flux following the sacking of Thomas Tuchel in December, but the arrival of Pochettino as the club’s coach has instilled the feeling that a long-term project is in the making.

Neymar moved to clarify his future in an interview on Sunday, when he said that he wanted to remain at PSG and felt Mbappe was of the same mindset.

“I am happy today. I am truly happy," the Brazil star said in an interview with TF1. 

"Things have changed a lot. I can’t exactly explain why. But today, I am feeling good. I have adapted. I am calmer and I am happier. I want to stay at PSG.

"I also want Kylian to stay. We want PSG to be a great team. I want to continue to play football and be happy, that is the most important thing.”

Mbappe has not broken cover, after saying earlier this season that he was considering his options, but Pochettino has been asked for his feelings on the subject and is convinced his star attackers are keen to stay and help the club in their quest for Champions League glory.

"I believe that Neymar and Mbappe will stay, I have a feeling, and will stay a long time at PSG,” Pochettino told RMC. “And I have no doubts, I am very optimistic. The club is working hard to keep them with us.

“Ney and Kylian are happy. They are having fun here.”

Asked directly for his thoughts on Mbappe not giving a public statement of commitment, Pochettino said: “I'm not here to comment on Kylian's words, but I think it was positive that he came out and was honest.”

Neymar’s comments came on the same day that PSG suffered a shock loss to Lorient to surrender top spot in Ligue 1, and the club will hope the focus can be on battling for honours in the second half of the season.

Harambee Stars and Al-Duhail SC striker Michael Olunga has revealed former Arsenal and Netherlands forward Robin van Persie was his idol.

Speaking of his love for the Premier League winner, Olunga is also confident that his rise will inspire younger players to try and achieve their dreams.

The former Gor Mahia and Thika United forward will be appearing in Fifa Club World Cup competition for the first time after he switched from Kashiwa Reysol to the Qatari champions.

“Robin Van Persie was my role model,” Olunga told beIN Sports.

“I feel I learnt something from van Persie and I can transmit it to the young future generations that are looking up to me. I also hope that I can continue to give more people hope not only in Kenya but also in Africa both on the pitch and outside the pitch.

“Playing in Fifa Club World Cup gives hope to the young players in Kenya and across Africa. They can compete at the highest level of football and compete with the best teams in the worked.

“And if I can be able to play then it means that impossible is nothing. If you work hard, be consistent and have the patience then you never know what is written for you as a player.

“It is going to be a big moment for me and I hope it can represent the people who are behind me.”

Should Al-Duhail see off Al Ahly, they will face Bayern Munich in the semi-final and the striker has said that would be a big dream for him and his teammates.

“It is every player’s dream to be at the semi-final of Fifa Club World Cup. Beating Al Ahly and facing Bayern Munich is a dream for everyone in our dressing room,” the Harambee Star explained.

“It is going to be a big moment if we can achieve the fete and compete against the best European club of last season.

“We cannot skip the fact that we have to play Al Ahly, and you cannot prepare for something that you do not know it is going to happen. But I can say for sure we are preparing hard for the Al Ahly game and it is going to be a big test for us.

“I know each player is yearning for the next phase. As the coach said, we have to plan for the job that is in front of us and later if we can progress we can see how to approach the [Bayern Munich] game.”

Olunga has already played three games for the Qatari champions and scored a hat-trick against Al Ahli in the Round of 16 of the Emir Cup.

Sami Khedira may well have got his career back on track after sealing a move to Hertha Berlin from Juventus.

The former Germany international - who said recently that he had not given up hope of representing his country again - has ended his time in Turin by making a move back to the Bundesliga.

Khedira had been linked with Tottenham and Everton, and fuelled the transfer speculation by saying he was enamoured by the prospect of playing in the Premier League.

However, he has now returned to his home country by signing for Hertha on a free transfer.

“In Sami Khedira we are getting a top player who has been under contract with some of Europe’s top clubs. He will help us immediately with his experience in the Champions League, Serie A, La Liga and also with the national team at the World Cup and European Championships,” Hertha sporting director Arne Friedrich told the club’s official website.

“We were together at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and played together on the pitch. I know the leadership qualities that he has and am therefore very pleased he is a Hertha BSC player.”

The 33-year-old former Real Madrid and Stuttgart midfielder is looking forward to aiding Hertha in their bid to climb away from relegation trouble.

"Hertha made great efforts to sign me and offered me the opportunity to return to the Bundesliga,” Khedira said. “I'm grateful for that and I honestly cannot wait for the moment when I'll be wearing the blue and white shirt on the pitch for the first time.”

Khedira has not played a game since June of last year, but he revealed before Christmas that he had been training hard and has said he is ready to get back on the pitch.

“I feel great physically would like to use the experience I have gained in recent years to help the team and lead Hertha BSC to more sporting success,” he said.

If Khedira is fit and ready for action, the 2014 World Cup winner’s Hertha debut could be a baptism of fire as they face Bundesliga and European champions Bayern Munich on Friday.