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Wojciech Szczesny says Juventus proved their hunger to win trophies with their Supercoppa Italiana victory over Napoli on Wednesday.

Lorenzo Insigne missed a penalty with Cristiano Ronaldo’s close-range finish proving enough to win the first silverware of the Andrea Pirlo era.

Juve have been off the pace in Serie A so far this season, currently finding themselves 10 points behind leaders AC Milan – though they do have a game in hand.

Szczesny missed the immediate post-match celebrations but says Juve are eager to make sure they have more to enjoy by the end of the season.

" They immediately took me to another room to do the doping tasts, so I didn't have the opportunity to celebrate with the boys,” he told Sky Sports.

“It's a shame because they enjoyed it! But we are only two days away from the match against Bologna [on Sunday] and we need to move on immediately.

“[Giorgio] Chiellini thanked me, but if we didn't concede a goal, it's also thanks to his great performance. Against Napoli we have shown that this team is so hungry to win trophies.

“This year we [could win the title] for the tenth year in a row and this shows the hunger we have and we don't want to stop there. We go until the end.”

Szczesny says Juve need to strike the right balance of elegance in attack with hard work in defence.

“When we are building attacks we need to keep things light, but when we lose the ball we have to eat up the pitch to win it back. We are trying, and what we did against Napoli was the perfect balance.

“We were compact, tight, and we suffered to win. To win games, a team like Juve has to have motivation and hunger.

“We need to regain our place in the table because where we are now is not enough. We want to fight for the Scudetto.

“Against Bologna, we have to play well with the ball and be careful in the defensive phase. Then with the quality we have in attack, we will have chances to score.”

Former Chelsea, Leicester City and Germany defender Robert Huth criticised Havertz's performance and body language in the match at the King Power Stadium. Indeed, Lampard did haul off the £70 million signing from Bayer Leverkusen in the 67th minute but little changed after his withdrawal.

Ahead of an FA Cup clash with Luton, Lampard has hit out at critics of Havertz's work rate.

"I can officially say from working with Kai that desire is absolutely not part of the issue. Is he as confident right now, at this minute, as he can be or will be? No, because he is having a tough moment, as are other members of the squad," Lampard told reporters.

"Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah are players who were here at a similar age to Kai. They went away and took time and came back, and now they are absolute Premier League legends.

"I don’t want to build Kai up and put that pressure on his shoulders, but there clearly has to be a time with young players who come to this league, where people have to give them time, patience and sometimes a little bit of wriggle room.

"It’s not that everything will just happen in a few months or in one performance.

"He has a style that maybe when things aren’t coming off, people want to jump on. I’ve seen players like that over the years, some amazingly talented players. But, let me tell you, his desire, the ground he covers in games is big, the data and the stats are big, and he needs time because we’ve seen this story so many times with players.

"I know him well, he’s a good lad and my job is to coach him like I coach the young players that came through last year in this team and made real names for themselves, to keep improving him.

"And now is the time to give him confidence and show my support for him and he’s got my absolute support."

Havertz's lack of form, along with fellow new signing Timo Werner, is increasingly coming to define Lampard's season with both players enduring 11-game goal droughts in the league.

The German pair, along with Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy all arrived over a summer when Chelsea overhauled their squad.

After finishing fourth last season Chelsea have dropped to eighth currently, leading to suggestions the club did not need to bring in as many players as they did over the summer.

Lampard, though, hit back at the idea that his squad has become too big. 

"I don’t agree with that," he added. "I had two other windows where I was here. The first window we couldn’t [sign players], the second window we didn’t bring anyone in.

"Off the back of the year, the club’s trying to improve at all times and what we did do is try and invest predominantly in younger players and for that you maybe have to wait your time. They’re for the present and they’re also for the future.

"I don’t see that [Chelsea signed too many players]. People can speculate as much as they like but for a club you’re always trying to move forward. I believe heavily that these players can be good players for the club.

"They are very good players. At this moment it’s a tough time for everyone."

Jurgen Klopp admitted that a new centre-back would benefit Liverpool, but says the Reds’ recent slide has changed nothing in terms of the club’s ability to act in the transfer market.

The reigning champions are in their worst run of form in four years, without a win in five Premier League matches and having failed to score in their last four.

On Thursday, they lost their proud 68-game unbeaten home record, losing 1-0 to Burnley on a miserable night at Anfield. Title favourites a month ago, they now sit fourth, and could fall behind both Tottenham and Everton should those two teams win their games in hand.

With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez sidelined with long-term knee injuries, it was expected that Liverpool would bring in a central defender in the January window to alleviate some of the pressure.

But with little more than a week remaining until deadline day, it seems likely there will be no such movement, with Klopp explaining the situation to reporters on Friday ahead of his side’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Manchester United.

Asked if the last few weeks had changed anything in terms of the club’s thinking around transfers, he replied: “No, nothing changed. Sorry, short answer!”

Later, he would elaborate on the theme.

“I am not a five-year-old kid any more and if I don’t get what I want I start crying,” he said. “Most of the time in my life I didn’t get what I want, to be honest!

“I am responsible for a big part of this club but there are people who are responsible for the whole thing, and I cannot make their decisions. I know they are with us, I know they want to support us, and they do.

“Now we talk about a centre-half. Yes, it would help, 100 per cent. Would we score more goals with a centre-half? I am not sure. Would it give us more stability in specific moments? Probably, yes.

“But it’s not about that. We never, ever spoke in the transfer window like this because that would be an excuse and we don’t need that. What we have to do is improve the football in the decisive areas with this squad, and not sit here and be disappointed or frustrated with some decisions. I’m not.

“Of course we know what we would do in an ideal world but the world is not ideal and not just for us. We have to deal with the situation.

“A centre-half last night would not have won us the game so we don’t have to talk about that. I know it is a good thing for you to talk about but for me it is just not that important.

“Everything is on the table, everything is clear, and we just have to work on the football stuff.”

Klopp also dismissed the idea that he was facing his biggest challenge since arriving on Merseyside in 2015.

“Everything we did in the last five years felt like a challenge, to be honest,” he said. “But yes, there is now a different challenge.

“It is not like we win the league and I put my feet on the desk and smoke a cigar and think ‘well done, from now on everything will work without me doing anything’.

“It’s not a situation we want, and if we are not happy with a situation then we should work, and that is what we will do.

“I believe 100% we can change it with this squad. We don’t say ‘if we don’t get this or that we can’t perform’ or whatever. We are very self-critical. We know what we did, and we know we have to change it as well.” 

Spanish Primera Iberdrola side Madrid CFF have completed the signing of Osinachi Ohale for the rest of the 2020-21 season, Goal can confirm. 

Before now, the Nigeria international had previously excelled in Spanish football during her one-year spell with CD Tacon [currently Real Madrid], featuring in 15 matches and scored twice.

Despite having six months left on her one-year contract with AS Roma, the defender agreed to part ways with the Italian club after playing just three times and scoring once for Elizabetta Bavagnoli's side.

Having teamed up with the Madrid-based side, the 29-year-old is now also back to the Spanish capital and will stay with the Matapinoneras until the end of the 2021 summer.

The signing of Ohale will boost the defensive line of Oscar Fernandez's team as they seek to build on their fine form this season, sitting in the seventh place with 25 points from 14 matches.

Following her unveiling, she becomes the third Nigerian at the club after compatriots Chidinma Okeke and Rita Chikwelu. 

This also increases the Nigerian stars in the Spanish top flight to seven, along with Eibar's Charity Adule, Barcelona's Asisat Oshoala, Sevilla's Toni Payne, Atletico Madrid's Rasheedat Ajibade and Madrid CFF duo Chikwelu and Okeke.

Before her Madrid CFF move, she had starred for Nigerian sides Delta Queens and Rivers Angels, and followed that up with her first professional spell at NWSL side Houston Dash in the United States.

She went on to enjoy stints with Vittsjo and Vaxjo in Sweden.

At the international level, she has helped Nigeria to four African Women's Cup of Nations titles and featured at three Fifa Women's World Cups with the Super Falcons across her 26 appearances.

Following her announcement, she is expected to make her Madrid debut when the club take on Real Betis in their next fixture on January 23.

Uganda Cranes' chances of making it to the quarter-final of the African Nations Championship suffered a blow when they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Togo in a Group C game played at the Stade de la Reunification in Douala on Friday. 

Paul Mbowa scored an own goal to give the West Africans the lead, but Saidi Kyeyune equalized with a screamer before Richard Nane sealed the win in favour of the Sparrowhawks with a well-taken volley.  

Coach Johnny McKinstry opted to start Denis Iguma in place of Paul Willa, while experienced midfielder Tonny Mawejje came in at the expense of Karim Watambala. 

With Milton Karisa injured, Muhammad Shaban took his position while Ibrahim Orit was preferred ahead of Vianne Sekajugo.

The East Africans who started the game on a high, putting their opponents under pressure from the off.

In the third minute, an Iguma rocket from about 35 yards narrowly missed the target. 

The Sparrowhawks won a corner in the sixth minute; Ismail Ouro-Agoro rose highest and headed it past goalkeeper Charles Lukwago. However, Mbowa managed to make a goal-line clearance to deny him a certain goal.  

In the 23rd minute, Joachim Ojera was fouled on the edge of the 18-yard area by Messan Toudji. However, Bright Anukani wasted the opportunity as he played the set-piece straight into the path of his opponents.

Just over 10 minutes later, Abdoul-Halimou Sama committed a foul about 20 yards from the Togolese goal. Skipper Mawejje was tasked with the responsibility of taking the free kick, but he failed to get the ball past the wall and the chance was lost.

Uganda were the better side in the first half but failed to capitalise on the chances they had. Despite sharing the possession, the Sparrowhawks were indecisive in the final third and lost possession regularly.

Togo started the second-half more strongly and managed to win a corner in the 48th minute. They caught the Cranes off guard with the subsequent short corner, and the unmarked Abdou-Samiou Tchatakora connected with a header. The unfortunate Mbowa deflected the ball into his own net as he attempted to push it out.

Three minutes later, Kyeyune equalized with a 40-yard strike that hit the underneath of the crossbar before crossing the line.

The Sparrowhawks were not done, and they reclaimed their lead in the 57th minute. Nane spotted Lukwago out of position, and unleashed a strong volley which also hit the inside of the crossbar before bouncing into the net.

In the 70th minute, Lukwago had to be at his best to deny Ouro-Agoro who was let loose by the defenders in a dangerous area. The ball went out for an unfruitful corner. 

Earlier, reigning champions Morocco were held to a goalless draw by the impressive Rwanda at the same venue.

The Atlas Lions lead Group C with four points, with Togo on three, while Rwanda and Uganda are on two and one respectively

Uganda XI: Charles Lukwago, Denis Iguma, Aziz Kayondo, Mustafa Mujuzi, Paul Mbowa, Shafiq Kagimu, Tonny Mawejje, Bright Anukani, Ibrahim Orit, Joachim Ojera, Muhammad Shaban

Togo XI: Abdoul-Moubarak Aigba, Bilal Moussa, Abdoul-Sabourh Bode, Messan Toudji, Marouf Tchakei, Abdou-Samiou Tchatakora, Yendoutie Richard Nane, Ismail Ouro-Agoro, Abdoul-Halimou Sama, Kokouvi Dodzi Amekoudi, Kparo Jarry Ahoro

Sevilla want to sign Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gomez from Atalanta, sources have confirmed to Goal, but they face a struggle to get a deal done with plenty of competition for his signature.

The Argentine has scored 50 Serie A goals in 209 appearances since joining Atalanta in 2014, but is set to leave the club after falling out with manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

Gomez has not played since mid-December after an argument during a Champions League group stage match with Midtjylland, and has trained separately to the rest of the squad.

In December, Goal reported that Gomez had asked to be sold to AC Milan or Inter, while Paris Saint-Germain had also emerged as an option.

Sevilla have now entered the race but, with the 32-year-old having a contract until 2022, the Serie A side are asking for a considerable transfer fee.

Atalanta want around €15 million (£13m/$18m) for Gomez, with Julen Lopetegui’s side hoping to bring that figure down. That task could prove more difficult if another club comes in with an offer but Sevilla do have one advantage, with Atalanta unwilling to listen to offers from any of their Serie A rivals.

Atalanta are currently sixth in Serie A after third-place finishes in each of the last two seasons but, only one point off third with half the season still to play, have no desire to strengthen a competitor with one of their star players.

They have fared well without Gomez, winning four and drawing three of their seven league games since he went into exile, but they would understandably prefer to see him move abroad.

If he were to leave on loan, Atalanta would demand a mandatory purchase option to prevent the possibility of him running down his contract and joining a Serie A rival on a free transfer.

Gomez, meanwhile, wants to join a club of enough stature to allow him to fight for a place in Argentina’s squad for the next Copa America, which would be his first major tournament for his country.

He would be able to play for Sevilla in their Champions League last-16 tie with Borussia Dortmund after recent changes to UEFA regulations, while Lopetegui’s side are having a good season, currently fifth in La Liga.

Gomez has been close to joining Sevilla in the past but, expected to sign under Jorge Sampaoli in 2016, the club opted to sign Franco Vazquez instead.

Anam Imo and Faith Micheal are back in Pitea and joined their Swedish Damallsvenskan club in training for the first time this week.

The Super Falcons pair entered fresh contracts with the Swedish outfit last November following the end of the 2020 Damallsvenskan season before departing for Nigeria for the festive holiday.

Imo had ended two years with 2019 champions Rosengard, where she scored 10 goals in 40 outings to join the LF Arena outfit on a three-year deal, in continuing her professional stint in Sweden.

Commenting on her acquisition, the club's sports director Leif Strandh hailed the youngster's arrival, while extolling her quality.

“It feels good that Imo chooses to continue his football career here in Piteå," she told the club website. 

"She has the potential to become very good and possesses qualities that we, of course, will try to further develop and benefit from as early as next year. 

"However, you have to remember that she is only 20 years old so I think it is important that the expectations are not too high for her."

On Micheal's part, she addressed speculation about her future, agreeing to a new one-year deal with the club, having netted nine times in 207 outings since joining from Linkopings in 2011 .

Following her contract extension, the defender, who will turn 34 in February, opened up on her decision after starring in all games to help the 2018 champions escape relegation last term.

In an Instagram post, the Super Falcons duo confirmed their training return to the club for pre-season in the build-up for the 2021 season.

No pre-season roster has been confirmed yet, but Imo and Michael will be keen to excel in the 2021 Damallsvenskan season when their club open the new campaign at Vittsjo on April 17.

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari has paid tribute to Joe Erico, who died after a brief illness on Thursday.

Erico featured prominently for the senior national team at the 1976 Africa Cup of Nations, where the West Africans finished third.

The former goalkeeper went into administration after calling time on his professional career and had the opportunity to serve as an assistant coach of the Super Eagles.

In a statement from Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President eulogized the contribution of the Super Eagles ‘legend’ to the development of Nigerian football.

“President Buhari commiserates with family, NFD over the death of Joe Erico,” the President said he was saddened to learn of Erico’s death,” read the statement.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is saddened to learn of the passing of former Nigeria senior team goalkeeper and one-time assistant coach of the Super Eagles, Joe Erico.

“Commiserating with the family of the legendary player and tactician, as well as the Nigeria Football Federation, the President avers that the nation will forever remember him for his tireless devotion to duty, ensuring victory for Nigeria when it mattered most in football.

“President Buhari believes that Coach Erico’s guidance as a veteran would have availed much for the Nigerian football community, but it pleased his Maker to call him home at such a time.

“The President prays almighty God to grant the soul of the deceased eternal rest and divine comfort for family, friends, associates, and everyone who came in contact with the talented sportsman.”

A close family member of Erico, Tomiwa Aghedo, confirmed that the former Super Eagles goalkeeper complained of stomach pain before he passed away,

“I feel sad informing you that coach Joe Erico passed on this morning [Thursday],” Aghedo told Goal.

“He complained of stomach ache yesterday and he was subsequently rushed to the hospital. Very early this morning he passed away. It’s terrible news at this point in time and every one of us is devasted.

“We are consoled by the fact that he served Nigeria with all his strength and he lived a good life worthy of emulation.”

Phil Neville told the Football Association (FA) that the chance to work as Inter Miami's manager was "too big an opportunity to turn down".

The former Manchester United defender left his role as head coach of England's women's national team on Monday to join the MLS club, after just less than three years in charge.

Neville was set to take charge of Great Britain's women's football team at this summer's Olympics in Tokyo too, a role he had expressed his desire for for many months.

But with his contract with the FA to have expired after that event, when current Netherlands boss Sarina Wiegman would then take over the Lionesses, he told his employers that a role with Inter Miami was something he couldn't refuse.

"I did have a fantastic job and I worked with absolutely fantastic people," Neville said during his first press conference as Miami boss on Friday, explaining his reasons for leaving his roles with England and Team GB.

"I've got to say, the players that I worked with were some of the best players I've worked with and I was sad to say goodbye to them a couple of weeks ago, but I think sometimes in your career you get opportunities that you can't turn down.

"When this opportunity came up, I sat down with my boss at the FA, Sue Campbell, and I said: ‘Look, I've got six months left on my contract. Yes, we've got an Olympics, but this is just too big an opportunity for me to turn down'.

"It's something that I had always aspired to [do], to work in America, but to work for a great football club. Sue didn't stand in my way. I've got to say a massive thank you to Sue for allowing me to follow my dream.

"I’m sad to leave such a great organisation, who will continue to do well. They've got a coach coming in, in Sarina, who will do a fantastic job and hopefully they will go on and get that gold medal that we've all strived for for the last 10-15 years.

"But, ultimately, I think in life you get one opportunity and I think this was my big one opportunity that I had to grasp and I did it with the help of everybody else. I'm really looking forward to the challenge ahead."

Neville's role with Inter Miami will be his first as a leading coach in the men's game, with him having assumed roles as an assistant at Valencia and as youth coaches with both England and Manchester United in the past.

But despite that, he believes he has plenty of experience to take on his next challenge.

"I've got a lot of experience - a lot of experience of being around winners, a lot of experience about winning myself as a player, but actually coaching at the very top level in Spain with Valencia, at Manchester United and with the England national team, getting to a World Cup semi-final," he said.

"In terms of what we want to build here, we've talked about identity, we've talked about connecting with the public.

"We have to behave in a certain way and I call it elite behaviour. Elite behaviour is doing the right thing, every minute of every single day.

"I've lived that myself as a player and I've seen and coached that way, with some of the best players in both the men's and the women's game.

"I'm coming into this job to instil those values into this football club, about what it takes to actually win. I think I know those qualities and what it takes."

Juventus are not in talks to sign Edin Dzeko from Roma, Goal understands, despite rising tensions between the striker and his club.

The capital club have had a humbling week. On Friday, Roma were handed an automatic 3-0 defeat after making an illegal substitution in Tuesday's Coppa Italia last-16 match at home to Spezia - which they had lost 4-2 anyway.

Team manager Gianluca Gombar was sacked by Roma after the debacle. Corriere dello Sport reported that Dzeko and some team-mates had decided not to train in protest at his removal, with a three-hour meeting required to bring the players back round.

However, while training did eventually go ahead, Dzeko has not been included in the matchday squad to face Spezia again in Serie A on Saturday.

The Bosnian was close to joining Juventus over the summer but, while he may still leave Roma, Andrea Pirlo’s side won’t be making another move.

Juventus had a €16 million (£15m/$19m) deal agreed to sign Dzeko last year. However, complications in Roma’s attempt to sign Arkadiusz Milik from Napoli as a replacement meant that the deal never went through.

After flirting with Luis Suarez, Juve eventually signed Alvaro Morata instead, while Milik has this week left Napoli to join Marseille.

With Cristiano Ronaldo, Paulo Dybala and Morata, Juve are reasonably well stocked in attack but are still keen to add a fourth striking option to their squad – but their pursuit of Dzeko is a thing of the past.

Roma, meanwhile, are set to add to their own attacking options with the return of Stephan El Shaarawy, according to Sky Sport Italia.

The 28-year-old winger, who played more than 130 times for Roma between 2016 and 2019, is seemingly set to return on an initial loan deal from Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua. He has reportedly already travelled to Italy to undertake a medical and complete paperwork.

El Shaarawy came through the youth academy at Genoa before moving to AC Milan in 2011. He made his name at Milan before loan spells with Monaco and Roma, eventually moving to Roma on a permanent deal before leaving for Shanghai in 2019.

Roma are also close to completing the signing of 19-year-old defender Bryan Reynolds from FC Dallas, who had previously seemed set to join Juventus.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers believes Kelechi Iheanacho will provide the needed cover for the injured Jamie Vardy.

The 34-year-old attacker is set to undergo hernia surgery which will see him sidelined from action for a couple of weeks.

Vardy has been a consistent performer for the King Power Stadium outfit since teaming up with the side in 2012 from Fleetwood Town.

The forward has racked up more than 120 goals for the Foxes and last season he won the Premier League’s Golden Boot.

Rodgers admitted he would miss the England striker but maintained he had good replacements in Iheanacho and Ayoze Perez.

“We’ve played without Jamie before and scored and won. He’s contributed to the team over these past few weeks even if he hasn’t scored," Rodgers said in a press conference.

“When you don’t have one of the top strikers in the league, it’s always going to be disappointing. It’s not overly concerning. It’s our best chance of getting him back. Ayoze Perez is a natural striker.

“He doesn’t threaten the backline as quickly as Vardy, but he’s a great finisher. I‘ve got Kels who can offer a threat too."

Iheanacho has scored three goals and provided four assists in 18 appearances across all competitions but he is yet to open his account in the Premier League this season.

Emile Heskey recently suggested Iheanacho would not be a perfect replacement for Vardy when the forward finally retires or leaves the club.

The former Leicester City forward advised the King Power Stadium outfit to start looking for the 34-year-old’s replacement.

"When Vardy doesn't play you see a difference in the way they play and effectiveness of them going forward," Heskey said.

"They haven't quite found someone who could actually fill that gap and this is what they are going to be looking at. Can Iheanacho be that next player? I can't see it so they have to go and get someone else.

"I don't know if there are any youth players that can actually take up that mantle now and play them in certain games so they have to go and look out for a new Jamie Vardy".

Leicester City will take on Brentford in a FA Cup fourth-round tie on Sunday and Iheanacho will be expected to lead the attack.

In what wasn't even the most surprising news to come out of 2020, Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were announced as the owners of National League side Wrexham in a move that was apparently eight years in the making.

They're not the only celebrities to have shown interest in investing in football clubs over the years. Natalie Portman spearheads a roster of A-list Hollywood actors as owner of forthcoming NWSL side Angel City FC, set to make their debut in 2022.

So why the trend? Goal takes a look.

The most obvious reason is that ownership in football clubs is a lucrative business.

Hollywood celebrities are wealthy, and even though they wouldn't be able to see the returns of their financial investments until the long-term - investing in sports teams are a long-game investment where it can take years to see the financial returns - they have the means to do so.

Mindy Kaling owns major shares in Swansea City, while Will Ferrell owns an undisclosed amount of shares of Los Angeles FC.

Ownership isn't limited to just the Hollywood elite, of course. Wealthy athletes such as David Beckham is owner of Inter Miami, while LeBron James has a minority stake in Liverpool.

Reynolds and McElhenney will be using their own cash to invest in Wrexham, which is estimated to amount to a figure of around £2 million, planning to use their money to help return Wrexham to the top of the English football pyramid.

Owning football clubs is also a good marketing strategy. It always helps to use your money for the better, and with the case of Reynolds and McElhenney, the duo seem to genuinely care about using their cash to help bring success to a small, lesser-known side such as Wrexham instead of a big-name one.

“Our goal is to grow the team, return it to the English Football League in front of increased attendances at an improved stadium while making a positive difference to the wider community in Wrexham,” they said.

Portman, meanwhile, is passionate about promoting awareness about the women's game within the United States and inspiring young girls to take up soccer as a sport.

Interest in women's soccer has been growing consistently over the years, with Portman eager to lay the foundations for a women's team in Los Angeles.

“It just seems like it was ideal to bring [women’s] soccer to L.A. because we have such passionate fans here, such robust youth soccer,” she said in a statement announcing her part-ownership of the club.

“It’s just an incredible kind of culture shift if we can bring more attention and light and celebration of these incredible athletes.”

Swansea City have announced the signing of Seattle Sounders forward Jordan Morris on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Championship side will have an option to purchase the 26-year-old at the end of the current campaign.

Morris signed with the Sounders prior to the 2016 season and has gone on to become one of the best attacking players in MLS.

The forward has 41 goals and 23 assists in 121 MLS appearances with his hometown club, helping them to four MLS Cup appearances and two championships.

Swansea City head coach Steve Cooper believes that Morris will give his promotion-chasing side a different element in attack.

“Jordan is a high-level player, an international who has played on the highest stage and been successful in the MLS,” Cooper told Swansea's official website.

“He has big ambitions to play in Europe and he had a lot of offers, so to think that we have got him is a really good thing.

“He brings good technique, he is athletic, he is quick and brings a threat. He likes to create and score in those areas of the pitch and we are adding to our attacking threat.

“It’s a different challenge for Jordan, but we are looking forward to working with him."

Morris has become a regular with the U.S. national team since making his debut under Jurgen Klinsmann, and has been capped 39 times, scoring 10 goals. 

“I’m very proud of the player and professional that Jordan has become. He’s been a large part of this club’s success and has more than earned this opportunity to ply his trade abroad,” Sounders FC head coach Brian Schmetzer told the club's website.

“This particular move gives him a chance to showcase his skillset and opens a number of options for his future. On top of that, I am excited to watch him play for Swansea.”

Morris will wear the No.11 shirt for Swansea. After arriving in Wales on Friday, he will not be available for Saturday's FA Cup match against Nottingham Forest.

He could make his Swansea on Wednesday in a league match with Brentford. 

Real Sociedad manager Imanol Alguacil says his side were never in the running to re-sign Martin Odegaard from Real Madrid.

He also confirmed that striker Willian Jose’s proposed switch to the Premier League with Wolves is in the advanced stage of negotiations.

Arsenal are in talks with Madrid over a loan move for Norwegian international Odegaard, with sources close to the deal confirming to Goal that the Gunners are increasingly confident a deal can be done.

There had been suggestions that Arsenal could face competition from Sociedad, where Odegaard spent a successful spell on loan in 2019-20.

However, Imanol says this was never likely.

“I don’t think that was an option at any time,” he told a press conference. “Clearly, with everything that he showed [here], what a good player he is, the team would grow even more, but at no time has there been any possibility that he would return here.”

Odegaard played 36 times for Sociedad last season, scoring seven goals and helping his loan side to a sixth-place finish in La Liga and a run to the Copa del Rey final.

Their top scorer from that successful campaign, the 29-year-old Jose, is now set to leave Spain to link up with Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves.

Nuno has been desperate for a striker in the aftermath of the serious injury to star man Raul Jimenez, with Wolves sat 14th in the Premier League table.

Despite negotiations being ongoing, Jose played for Sociedad on Thursday and scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Cordoba in the Copa del Rey.

Sociedad are hoping to bring in the 24-year-old Carlos Fernandez from Sevilla as a replacement.

"Negotiations are advanced [with Wolves], also with Carlos Fernandez, although I will not assess anything until everything is done.

“For now, we will lose Willy for tomorrow, but I do not want to talk any more because it is very advanced, but not closed and now you know how these things are.

“He understood that he had to play [against Cordoba] to win and in fact he scored both goals.”

Wolves are in cup action themselves as they play minnows Chorley on Friday night, but they could hope to have Jose’s move sealed for their next league game, away at Chelsea on Wednesday.

EA Sports has officially announced the FIFA 21 Team of the Year – and for the first time ever, there’s no space for Lionel Messi.

The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Robert Lewandowski and Kevin De Bruyne are set for huge in-game upgrades on Ultimate Team after more than 10 million votes were cast in the process.

Four members of Bayern Munich's treble winning side - Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies and Joshua Kimmich - made the XI, with Premier League champions Liverpool the only other club represented more than once.

GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

LB: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)

CB: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)

CB: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

CM: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

CM: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)

CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)

LW: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus/Piemonte Calcio) - 98 OVR

ST: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich) - 98 OVR

RW: Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain) - 97 OVR

The final XI was announced on January 22 at 5pm GMT. In the past, cards have been available in packs within hours of the XI being confirmed.

The first set of player ratings were announced shortly after the XI. Ronaldo and Lewandowski received 98-rated cards, with Mbappe at 97.

There had been rumours that Lewandowski could have been in for a 99 rating. He scored 55 goals in 47 appearances in all competitions for Bayern as they won the treble in 2019-20, and has already broken a Bundesliga goalscoring record in the first half of the new campaign.

Messi had previously been involved in every Team of the Year since the promotion began in FIFA 11. He has 14 goals to his name this season after scoring 31 in 2019-20, but Barcelona’s struggles have clearly not gone unnoticed in the FIFA community.

Past TOTYs have seen players gradually rolled out into packs by position, with goalkeeper/defenders out first, followed by midfielders, then forwards.

Details regarding Objectives and Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) have not yet been released, but limited-offer special packs are likely to be available over the coming days.

Team of the Year often comes with a 12th Man vote, for the player who fans were most disappointed to see miss out on the final XI. Messi could therefore see a late reprieve, with Neymar another likely candidate.

Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Alex Iwobi and Jean-Philippe Gbamin will not be involved when they take on Sheffield Wednesday in an FA Cup tie on Sunday.

Iwobi featured prominently in the Toffees’ Premier League win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 12 without displaying any sign of injury.

The Nigeria international has been delivering fine performances for the Goodison Park outfit since the start of the season.

The versatile forward has played 19 games for the Toffees across all competitions this term, scoring two goals and providing three assists, amid other dazzling showings.

Ancelotti has revealed the 24-year-old will not be available for selection against Sheffield Wednesday but assured the forward will return in their next Premier League game against Leicester City on January 27.

The Toffees boss also explained Ivory Coast international Gbamin will also not play a part in the FA Cup tie but will soon be fit enough to train with the rest of the team, having been on the sidelines for more than a year due to injury problems.

"We have Dominic available for the game," Ancelotti, said during a pre-match press conference at USM Finch Farm.

"Unfortunately, we have some players out like Gbamin, Allan, Delph, Digne, Iwobi and Nkounkou. Iwobi and Digne will not be unavailable for only this game – they will be available for the game against Leicester.

"With Jean-Philippe, he is following his individual programme, like Allan and Delph. I think soon he will be able to train with us.

"But we don’t want to put pressure on him because he was out for a long time and when he comes back he has to be ready.

"The other players are in good condition and are ready to play this game and to compete. This competition is really important for us."

Everton will hope to secure victory against the Championship side for a chance to advance in the competition.

Iwobi has made more than 40 appearances for the Toffees since his arrival from Arsenal in the summer of 2019 while Gbamin has featured only two times for the club since teaming up with the Goodison Park outfit from Mainz 05, due to his injury woes.