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Antoine Griezmann took a 40 per cent wage cut to rejoin Atletico Madrid from Barcelona, Goal can confirm.

Griezmann completed a surprise return to Atletico on deadline day, with Barca sanctioning his departure on an initial season-long loan deal.

The Frenchman was one of several first-team players to leave Camp Nou over the summer as the Blaugrana sought to reduce their overall salary costs, and he made a big sacrifice in order to make sure the move went ahead.

What terms did Griezmann agree to?

Goal understands Griezmann agreed to almost halve his weekly earnings in order to head back to Wanda Metropolitano, where he previously spent five years before joining Barca in 2019.

Atletico did not pay any fee for the loan, but they can extend his temporary contract by one more year if Barca sign off on it next summer, at which point further payments would be required.

The Rojiblancos will give the Blaugrana a maximum of €40 million (£34m/$47m) including add-ons to make the move permanent if Griezmann plays at least 50 per cent of their matches in the 2022-23 season.

If the 30-year-old does not hit that mark then Atletico won't owe Barca anything, but such a scenario would likely only arise if he suffered a serious injury.

What went wrong for Griezmann at Barca?

Griezmann was revered as one of the top strikers in Europe upon his arrival at Camp Nou two years ago, but struggled to settle at Barca under the weight of a €120 million (£103m/$142m) price tag.

The World Cup winner was regularly played out of position to accommodate Lionel Messi, who also left the club in the summer before joining Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer, and only managed to score 35 goals in 102 appearances.

When will Griezmann make his second debut for Atletico?

Griezmann is currently away on international duty with the French national team, but he will report back to Wanda Metropolitano after his country's World Cup qualifying clash with Finland on Tuesday.

The experienced forward could then be in line to make his second debut for Atletico on Sunday, with a trip to Espanyol on the cards for Diego Simeone's side.

Further reading

Nigeria have arrived in Sao Vicente for Tuesday's 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifying match against Cape Verde.

The Super Eagles initially landed at the Amilcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island because the Cesaria Evora Airport in Sao Vicente was closed.

A few hours later, it was opened and they connected to Sao Vicente via the chartered Air Peace flight that took them out of Lagos in the early hours of Monday morning.

The encounter is scheduled to take place at the Estadio Municipal Aderito Sena in Mindelo but the Super Eagles will be without their UK-based stars due to travel restrictions.

Rangers duo Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo, Leicester City's Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho, Everton's Alex Iwobi, Watford's William Troost-Ekong and Oghenekaro Etebo have left camp to return to their respective clubs.

The Premier League banned players from travelling to red-listed countries on the British government's coronavirus watch.

Nigeria started their qualification campaign for Qatar 2022 with a 2-0 win over Liberia at the Teslim Balogun Stadium on Friday, thanks to Iheanacho's first-half strikes.

The win shot them to the top of Group C with three points after Cape Verde settled for a 1-1 draw with Central African Republic in their opening fixture on September 1.

Tuesday’s match in Mindelo is expected to be on an artificial pitch and in a closed stadium, however, Gernot Rohr’s men familiarised themselves with the conditions by training at the Legacy pitch of the National Stadium, Lagos on Saturday.

Victory over the Blue Sharks would stretch Nigeria’s dominance in Group C and they have been boosted with monetary promise if they could secure all three points on the road.

Before they took off from the Muritala Mohammed International Airport on Monday, the CEO of Air Peace Allen Onyeama vowed to give the Super Eagles 20 million naira if they win.

The three-time African champions have previously met Cape Verde just once in an international friendly fixture which ended in a goalless draw in January 2013.

Harvey Elliott has handed Liverpool an injury concern after withdrawing from England's U21 squad for their latest European Championship qualifier against Kosovo on Tuesday.

The FA have confirmed the news in an official statement, with Tottenham's Ryan Sessegnon also forced to pull out after picking up a knock in training.

"Harvey Elliott and Ryan Sessegnon have withdrawn from the England men's under-21s squad to play Kosovo on Tuesday," the statement reads.
 
"Liverpool player Elliott reported for international duty with an injury sustained during his side’s recent draw against Chelsea. Following further assessment, it has been decided that the 18-year-old is unlikely to play any part in the game in Milton Keynes so has returned to his club."

More to follow.
 

Ex-Bayern Munich and Fiorentina star Franck Ribery is set to sign for Serie A new boys Salernitana, Goal can confirm.

Ribery has been without a club since leaving Fiorentina at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, with La Viola ultimately deciding against extending his two-year stay at Artemio Franchi Stadium.

The 38-year-old was linked with a return to Bayern at one stage but now appears to be extending his stay in the Italian top-flight, with Salernitana reportedly set to hand him a one-year deal.

What are the terms of the deal?

The Campania-based outfit will also have the option to hand Ribery a one-season extension if they manage to avoid relegation from Serie A, and Goal can confirm he will undergo a medical at the club's training ground on Monday before being officially unveiled.

Over 13,000 fans are expected to welcome the Frenchman to Estadio Arechi as he becomes the most high profile signing in the club's 102-year history.

Ribery was greeted by Salernitana sporting director Angelo Fabiani and team manager Salvatore Avallone upon his arrival at Naples Capodichino airport, and is eager to begin the next stage of his illustrious career that now spans over two decades.

How did Ribery perform for Fiorentina?

Ribery signed for Fiorentina on a free transfer in August 2019 after leaving Bayern, where he won nine Bundesliga titles and the Champions League among a whole host of other honours while establishing himself among the top wingers in European football.

The former France international was unable to reach the same heights with La Viola, but still managed to record five goals and ten assists in 51 appearances across all competitions for the club.

When could he make his debut for Salernitana?

Should Ribery's presentation at Salernitana run smoothly, he will join up with his new team-mates later this week to begin full training ahead of the resumption of the 2021-22 season.

Avallone's lost their first two fixtures before the international break, but could be boosted by the presence of Ribery when travel to Torino on Sunday.

Further reading

Maritzburg United chairman Farouk Kadodia says they are open for Orlando Pirates to loan them Siphesihle Ndlovu “to further mature his career” as he feels the player’s development stalled since joining the Soweto giants.

Kadodia believes the midfielder rushed to move to Pirates when he was signed by Milutin Sredojevic in 2019.

He has struggled to reproduce the same form which established him as a key player at Maritzburg before the Buccaneers came calling.

“The reality is that when Ndlovu was on form when we reached the Nedbank Cup final a few seasons ago, he needed one or two more seasons with us,” Kadodia told the media as per Sowetan Live. 

“I think agents try to rush players for their own benefit to the big clubs. I definitely feel for Ndlovu because I feel that the kind of talent that he has, now it’s parked in a parking bay.  

“We need his club to come on and say if he needs more game time and we are not going to use him, then they must send him to Maritzburg. If Pirates don’t use him and want us to further mature his career, then they are welcomed.”

Ndlovu has managed to feature in just one Premier Soccer League this season, a substitute appearance for 12 minutes against Marumo Gallants, and also came on for the last nine minutes in the MTN8 defeat by Swallows FC.

This is after he made 21 league appearances last season under Josef Zinnbauer and played 13 PSL games the previous term which was his debut in a Pirates shirt.

With Ndlovu struggling to establish himself as a key Pirates player, Kadodia fears Maritzburg's 21-year-old striker Bongokuhle Hlongwane needs to gain more experience before making a move.

Hlongwane, a newly-capped Bafana Bafana forward, was linked with a move to Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns during the last transfer window.

“He is a young boy and he needs to develop his career very well,” added Kadodia. 

“Football is very wicked. Big clubs come and speak to him and spoil him, and the player obviously gets that financial temptation. We, as the club, want to see the player happy. It is not all the time that a player would want to stay here. 

“We’ve seen a lot of our players going to big clubs and we also have aspirations and we will do our best to keep players at Maritzburg so they can be groomed correctly. 

“The dangerous part is that many players that go to wrong big clubs don’t have game time and that’s where we have an issue of football agents. They have to guide the players correctly.”

Romelu Lukaku has handed Chelsea an untimely injury scare by admitting that he will be undergoing a scan on a "minor issue" before returning to Stamford Bridge from international duty.

The 28-year-old striker, who returned to west London in a £98 million ($136m) deal during the summer transfer window, has been away with Belgium in World Cup qualifying action.

He collected his 100th cap for his country against the Czech Republic on Sunday, with a caution in that contest meaning that he will be suspended for the clash with Belarus on Wednesday.

What has been said?

With his international break over, Lukaku has revealed that he will be returning to England early - but only after undergoing further medical tests.

He told HLN after marking a century of appearances for his country with his 67th goal for Belgium: "I’ll have a scan of my thigh first. I have been struggling with a minor issue for a while. Then I will return to Chelsea."

Will Lukaku be ready for Chelsea's next game?

Lukaku appears to be suggesting the niggling fitness concern is nothing to worry about.

Chelsea have already seen him open his goal account for the club, with a debut effort recorded against London rivals Arsenal.

Lukaku is expected to inspire a Premier League title challenge for Thomas Tuchel's side this season, and if fit he should start Chelsea's return to domestic action on Saturday at home to Aston Villa.

Further reading

Kenyans have taken to social media to call for the sacking of coach Jacob ‘Ghost’ Mulee after the team registered a 1-1 draw against Rwanda in their second match of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers on Sunday.

The Harambee Stars went into the game against Amavubi after a 0-0 draw against Uganda in their opener at Nyayo Stadium and despite striker Michael Olunga putting them ahead in the 10th minute, the home team levelled in the 20th minute courtesy of Abdul Rwatubyaye.

The latest result has left many Kenyans losing hope of the team reaching their first-ever World Cup appearance in Qatar despite assurance by coach Mulee, who was appointed as a replacement for Francis Kimanzi on October 23, 2020.

The fans are blaming Mulee for the poor selection of the squad and they feel the Harambee Stars will conclude the campaign without winning a match.

Others have also likened the 53-year-old tactician to Arsenal’s under-fire manager Mikel Arteta, who is yet to win a Premier League match this season, from the three played.

Another section has, however, absolved Mulee from blame, and pointed a finger at the Football Kenya Federation, accusing them of not giving the team enough preparations, which include friendly matches, before the qualifiers, and also for sacking Kimanzi, who they believe was doing well with the team.

Below is how Twitter reacted to Kenya’s latest draw at Nyamirambo Stadium in Kigali.

ATK Mohun Bagan and SC East Bengal continue to remain absent from their respective Calcutta Football League (CFL) fixtures.

While East Bengal did not turn up on September 3 for their match against United Sports, ATKMB followed suit the next day when they were supposed to lock horns against Kidderpore SC. Indian Football Association (IFA), the governing body for football in West Bengal, secretary Joydeep Mukherjee maintained his stance that these matches will not be cancelled and three points will be awarded to the opposition. 

Will ATK Mohun Bagan and East Bengal concede walkovers?

"We are sticking to our schedule. If any team fails to turn up three points will be awarded to the opposition. The same applies for East Bengal and Mohun Bagan," Mukherjee confirmed to Goal. 

It is unlikely that both East Bengal and Bagan will play a single match in the competition. In the CFL opener against George Telegraph, the Green and Maroons did not arrive at the venue. The opposition waited for the Mariners to turn up for 15 minutes as per the regulations but even after the stipulated time when Bagan did not turn up, it was treated as a walkover and three points was awarded to George Telegraph. 

Will SCEB & ATKMB be relegated from CFL?

IFA had formulated a shorter version of the CFL due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, it was decided that there will be no relegation for this edition of the competition.

"All the 14 clubs had previously decided that there will be no relegation. Hence the neither Mohun Bagan nor East Bengal will be relegated. However, both the clubs have mentioned that they do not have youth teams and a reserve team. I do not understand how this works. Nevertheless, it seems to me that the club officials want to play but other stakeholders of the club are not willing to participate," Mukherjee had stated earlier. 

Jorginho's agent Joao Santos has opened the door to a transfer away from Chelsea, claiming "it would be a dream for him to return to Italy".

Chelsea paid an initial fee of £50 million ($69m) to sign Jorginho from Napoli in the summer of 2018, tying him down to a five-year contract.

That agreement is due to expire in less than two years, and Santos has now suggested that he could walk away from Stamford Bridge before then.

What has been said?

“He has a contract with Chelsea until [June] 2023,” Santos told Radio Bianconera. “Obviously, it would be a dream for him to return to Italy, hopefully after winning the World Cup.

“We’ll have to see what the market looks like in a couple of years and what the other situations are.”

Who has been linked with Jorginho?

Inter and Roma have been credited with an interest in Jorginho in the recent past, but Juventus has been touted as his most likely next destination should he ever leave Chelsea.

Santos has also revealed that the Bianconeri made a move for the Italy international when Maurizio Sarri was in charge at Allianz Stadium in 2019-20. The pair previously worked together at Napoli and for one season at Chelsea, but Juve were unable to arrange a reunion.

“In the past, when Sarri was the coach, there was a possibility that Jorginho would come to Juventus,” said Santos. “The Juventus director made an approach, it was a possibility."

Jorginho's stellar year

Last season was arguably Jorginho's best yet at Chelsea as he played a key role in their run to Champions League glory and a top-four Premier League finish.

The 29-year-old then built on that platform to help Italy win the European Championships, leading to suggestions that he could be a contender for this year's Ballon d'Or.

Santos thinks he deserves to be in the running, and said: "I think Jorginho has a good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or, because we usually think of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, but nobody has won as much as Jorginho this year.”

Further reading

Manchester City have been given a positive update on the injury which forced Aymeric Laporte out of Spain's World Cup qualifying win over Georgia on Sunday.

The 27-year-old defender was replaced at half-time with early reports suggesting he had picked up a thigh problem.

Luis Enrique has sought to ease those fears, with the Spain boss claiming Laporte was suffering with little more than muscle fatigue from a busy start to the 2021-22 campaign.

What has been said?

Enrique told reporters when asked to deliver a fitness update following a 4-0 win for his side: "Most of the changes were due to some discomfort for the players. I hope there are no serious injuries. That's the bad news.

"Laporte has nothing, it's just a small overload. I don't think they'll even test him."

When will Laporte return to action?

Spain have another qualifier to against Kosovo on Wednesday, but it is unlikely Enrique will take any risks in that contest. That means Laporte could be rested ahead of his return to Manchester later in the week.

If he has suffered no lasting damage, he could be in contention for game time in City's next Premier League match against Leicester on Saturday.

The France-born centre-half was an unused substitute in their opening game of the season against Tottenham - a 1-0 defeat. He has made two starts since, keeping clean sheets in 5-0 wins over Norwich and Arsenal and appears to be back in favour with Pep Guardiola after slipping behind John Stones in the pecking order last season.

Further reading

Jesse Lingard is being backed to rise to the challenge posed by Cristiano Ronaldo's arrival at Manchester United, with England manager Gareth Southgate confident that a talented 28-year-old can see regular game time at club level.

That has proved to be an issue for a confident character in recent times, with a lack of opportunities for the Red Devils leading to a loan spell at West Ham being taken in last season.

No permanent move was made during the summer transfer window, but Lingard - who netted twice in England's most recent World Cup qualifying outing against Andorra - has seen Portuguese superstar Ronaldo added to the ranks at Old Trafford.

What has been said?

Lingard has taken in just four minutes of Premier League football this season but, after starring for his country, Southgate is convinced that he can earn favour with domestic employers, telling reporters: "That’s a situation that we have had with different players over a long period with England.

"It wasn’t long ago that the numbers of English players in the league was low and we would have to pick players that weren’t regulars in their team or on loan. We picked Mason [Mount] from the Championship so we have had to be creative.

"We know Jesse has a challenge and he knows he has a big challenge with the quality of attacking players at United. But they’ve also got a lot of matches in different competitions so hopefully he can take that challenge on and he will take that challenge on.

"He has rebounded brilliantly in the last 12 months from a difficult period and he has shown that he has got quality. It is not necessarily the quality of the opponent but it is performing with the quality of players that we have and stand out. That shows his level of quality.

"I know that I have had criticism for including him in squads but he is just a player that always plays well for us. He is always a threat on goal with bright link play. When we ask him to start wide, we know he will come in and do the give-and-gos.

"He has really good intelligence and works hard without the ball and presses well. 

"[Against Andorra] I thought he was the brightest spark, particularly in the first half as it was the type of game where those players who can manipulate the ball between the lines would shine more than others."

Will Lingard get games for Man Utd?

Lingard's only outing for United this season came as a late substitute in a 1-1 draw with Southampton on August 22.

He has since taken in 96 minutes of action for England, in back-to-back 4-0 victories over Hungary and Andorra, and will be hoping to figure again in a meeting with Poland on Wednesday.

A return to Manchester will be made on the back of that fixture, with the Red Devils counting down the days to a home date with Newcastle on Saturday that could see Ronaldo make his second debut for the club.

Lingard will be pushing hard for minutes there, but he is facing fierce competition for places.

Along with a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, the likes of Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Juan Mata, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek are also looking to fill attacking or creative berths in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans.

Further reading

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has assessed the physical fitness of star player Percy Tau ahead of the 2022 World Cup qualifier against Ghana on Monday at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.

Broos, looking back at how the forward performed against Zimbabwe in their Group G opener, thinks the Al Ahly forward has not reached his top fitness now.

"The more games we play, the better we can be," said Broos in his pre-match presser.

"I can take an example of Percy, we saw on Friday that this is Percy who is not 100% fit he needs games, but the team needs games too.

"It is a young team and players are not used to that level and will need these games to learn a lot. However, everybody is fit for the game, so we have no injury problems."

The former Cameroon head coach also stressed the importance of winning home games in order to have less pressure in the qualifiers.

"When you want to qualify, you need to win your home games and win maybe one outside, and if you can do that, you will be very close," he said.

"We will try to win and even if we play to a draw, Ghana will have a point and we will have two, which means we are still in the running."

Tau, on his part, revealed his expectations for the Ghana game after the stalemate against the Warriors in Harare.

"On Friday, as the coach said, we felt that we could get a win, but a draw also put us in a good position. We have a difficult game against Ghana, we have played them before and so we know each other well and we are looking forward to that game," said the Al Ahly forward.

"We just need to be confident and keep getting better.

"We know it is going to be a difficult game. They won [vs Ethiopia] and, for sure, they are in a good mood, but we are looking forward to the game as we know them better now.

"We want to use the opportunity of playing at home. We also wanted a win in Zimbabwe, but a draw was also good, and so if we get good opportunities at home and use them, it would be better for us going forward."

As Bafana Bafana host the Black Stars, Broos will be taking charge of his second game on the sidelines as head coach.

South Africa will be keen to pick up their first set of maximum points in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers when they host Ghana in a Group G match at FNB Stadium on Monday.

Three days after opening their qualifying campaign with a 0-0 draw away in Zimbabwe, Bafana Bafana are eager for a win, and victory for Hugo Broos’ men will see them claim top spot in this group.

South Africa have an opportunity of going to the Matchday 3 while in control of this pool if they win and Zimbabwe drop points in Ethiopia.

Ghana are currently leaders in this group after edging Ethiopia 1-0 in their campaign opener.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Bafana Bafana were lucky to return home from Harare with no injury concerns but Broos could effect some tactical changes to correct the shortcomings identified from their away draw.

For a second game running, South Africa will be facing hugely depleted opponents after coming up against a Zimbabwe side without key players.

The Black Stars arrived in South Africa without the Crystal Palace duo of Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp, Leicester City’s Daniel Armartey as well as the Reading pair of Abdul Rahman Baba and Andrew Yiadom.

All these England-based players featured against Ethiopia but were barred from travelling to South Africa which is on the UK Covid-19 red list.

Arsenal’s Thomas Partey is out injured and even if he was fit, he would still not have made it to Johannesburg due to the travel restrictions. 

Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus is also out with injury while Stade Rennes’ Kamaldeen Suleymana and Germany-based Daniel Kyereh were not allowed to make the trip to South Africa by their clubs. 

In total, the Ghana squad in Johannesburg is without nine key players who would have had the potential to have a huge say in this game.

Match Preview

Ghana are back in South Africa six months after they held Bafana Bafana to a 1-1 draw in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the same venue.

It was a result that contributed to Bafana failing to reach next year’s Afcon finals and that makes them bent on revenge.

Despite bringing a depleted side to Johannesburg, the Black Stars will be at FNB where they upset South Africa 2-0 in 2005 on their way to a maiden appearance at the 2006 World Cup tournament. 

That’s the only time Bafana have been defeated by Ghana at home, with the other meetings between the two countries in South Africa ending in the hosts winning three times, while four games ended in draws. 

In total, Monday’s match will be the 15th clash between these two sides since 1994. 

No side has dominated the other as each has beaten the other four times while recording six draws and 24 goals have been witnessed in those meetings. 

They have previously met twice in World Cup qualifiers with Ghana emerging victorious on both occasions.

Hansi Flick hailed Leroy Sane after seeing the Bayern Munich winger produce a star turn in Germany's rout of Armenia on Sunday.

Germany took a major step towards qualifying for the 2022 World Cup by thrashing Armenia 6-0, leapfrogging their opponents into top spot in Group J in the process.

Sane was handed another start after netting in Die Mannschaft's 2-0 victory over Liechtenstein, and although he wasn't among the scorers this time Flick was impressed by his overall contribution.

What has been said?

"I think he showed what quality he has," the Germany boss told reporters. "I am happy when he is so agile, so active, because he is on the move with an ease that is impressive. 

"At the moment you have the feeling that he has a lot of self-confidence. That's exactly what he needs. He's on a really good way."

Sane turns a corner

Sane has struggled for form and fitness since joining Bayern from Manchester City in July 2020, and has been subjected to whistles and boos from the fans at the start of the 2021-22 campaign.

However, the 25-year-old's latest performances on the international stage suggest he can still make a big difference in the final third when fully fit, and he could have the chance to build up his confidence even further when Germany take on Iceland in midweek.

Flick on Adeyemi

Flick also reserved special praise for RB Leipzig striker Karim Adeyemi, who became the first player born in this millennium to find the net for Germany when he rounded off the scoring against Armenia.

"Karim showed what he showed in Salzburg at the beginning of this round: that he is a good enforcer in the penalty area and that he acts very self-confidently," said the 56-year-old coach.

Adeyemi, 19, added on marking his international debut in style: "I'm happy about my debut - with one goal straight away, that makes it all the more beautiful."

Further reading

Nat Phillips has talked up the qualities of Liverpool new boy Ibrahima Konate despite seeing the French centre-half provide him with added competition for places at Anfield.

The Reds made the 22-year-old their only notable addition of a quiet summer transfer window, with defensive reinforcements sought following an injury-ravaged 2020-21 campaign.

Phillips, who has signed a new contract on Merseyside, could find himself knocked further down the pecking order but he is embracing that challenge and the acquisition of another quality operator.

What has been said?

Phillips told the Liverpool Echo of £36 million ($50m) signing Konate: "He’s slotted in perfectly. As a person he gets on with the lads really well, he’s not shy but he looks like he really wants to learn and improve. He’s motivated and works hard.

"From what I’ve seen of him in pre-season, he looks like a top, top player and a top defender. Physically he’s unbelievable. He’s so young and still has plenty of time to improve and I’m sure he will do that at Liverpool."

Can Phillips compete for game time?

Phillips made 20 appearances for Liverpool last season as he made the most of enforced absences for others.

The return to fitness of Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip meant most expected to see him head through the exits, either on loan or in a permanent deal, but he is sticking around and looking to make the most of working with superstar team-mates on a daily basis.

Phillips said: "The whole time I’ve been training with the first-team, I’ve had to perform against those boys; Mo, Sadio, Bobby, Jota since he’s come in, Divock [Origi] these attackers that are world-class only improve you as a player because you’re being tested at the top level every single day.

"It’s sink or swim and you have to adapt to that which is something I’ve been doing over the last few years and as a result of that it makes you a better player."

Further reading