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The Champions League group stage draw has unsurprisingly served up a series of interesting matchups, with a potential clash between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo topping the trends.

In Thursday’s event conducted in the Turkish capital of Istanbul, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City were drawn together in Group A, setting up a possible duel between PSG’s Messi and Ronaldo, should the latter player seal a transfer from Juventus to English side City before the summer transfer window closes on August 31.

A meeting between the world’s two iconic football superstars will rekindle their El-Clasico rivalry during their La Liga days with Barcelona and Real Madrid.

German side RB Leipzig and Belgian outfit Club Brugge complete the four teams in Group A.

Other fixtures which have also generated interest are the encounter between Bayern Munich and Barcelona in Group E, the duel between Chelsea and Juventus in Group H, the tie between Manchester United and Villarreal in Group F, and the match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool in Group B.

Below are the best reactions to Thursday’s draw:

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has dismissed suggestions that the French giants would be adding Cristiano Ronaldo to their squad. 

Having already shocked the world of football this summer by signing Lionel Messi from Barcelona, the Parisians have been recently linked with another multiple Ballon d'Or winner. 

But their chief insists that there are no negotiations ongoing for the Juventus star, while also offering a terse update on Kylian Mbappe's future. 

What was said? 

While the presence of Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes in Paris sparked speculation that a deal could be forthcoming, the club chief shot down those reports.

"Ronaldo? We do not have any talks open with him," Khelaifi told reporters at the UEFA Champions League draw on Wednesday, which saw PSG paired with another side tipped to make a move for the ex-Real Madrid star, Manchester City. 

"It's the draw for the Champions League, it's the very highest level and the best competition," he added when asked about the draw, which also grouped PSG with RB Leipzig and Club Brugge.

"It's normal, if we want to go the furthest [the goal] is to win every match and work. We love this kind of match.

"Manchester City? They are one of the best clubs in the world, with a top team. But we will be ready for this match."

Mbappe's future

Mbappe is another man rumoured to be on the move, with Real Madrid showing strong interest in the PSG ace. 

They will have to pay dearly for the privilege, however, and Khelaifi remains defiant about the France forward's future. 

"We have always been very clear on the position, and we are not going to repeat every time," he fired when quizzed on Mbappe. 

Madrid director Emilio Butragueno was equally tight-lipped, telling Vamos: "I cannot say anything else that you don't know, this is the truth. We should be patient and wait. We have a very good squad and further than this, what you already know."

Further reading 

Alexia Putellas has been named the UEFA Women's Player of the Year as Barcelona scored a clean sweep of awards on Thursday.

Champions League winners Barcelona dominated the awards, after the club won the 2020-21 Champions League by defeating Chelsea 4-0 in the final. 

All six awards were won by Barca players, though Irene Paredes earned the prize for her exploits with PSG before she made the move to Catalonia this summer.

Putellas holds off Barca team-mates

Putellas faced competition for the award from two of her Barca team-mates who were also named finalists: Jenni Hermoso and Lieke Martens.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta hailed his side's achievements on Twitter, saying: "We are very happy that your excellence, work and effort are being recognized."

Who won the other women's awards?

In other awards, Paredes was named the Defender of the Year. Paredes recently moved to Barcelona but won the award for her exploits with PSG. She beat out Magdalena Eriksson and Mapi Leon for the prize.

In addition to being named Player of the Year, Putellas was also named Midfielder of the Season, coming out on top ahead of her Barcelona team-mate Aitana Bonmati and Chelsea's Ji So-Yun.

Sandra Panos won the Goalkeeper of the Season, the Barcelona shot-stopper beating out competition from Christiane Endler and Ann-Katrin Berger.

Another Barcelona star, Hermoso, was named Forward of the Season, finishing ahead of two club team-mates: Martens and Caroline Graham Hansen.

Finally Barcelona boss Lluis Cortes was named Women's Coach of the Year, coming out on top ahead of Sweden's Peter Gerhardsson and Chelsea's Emma Hayes.

Further reading

Wisla Krakow attacker Yaw Yeboah has stated his viral sublime goal in the Polish league was inspired by Paris Saint-German duo Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr.

The winger made global headlines earlier this week after dancing his way through Gornik Leczna’s defence to score an incredible solo effort.

The goal has been reported around the world and shared by top sport and football outfits on social media, including world football’s governing body Fifa.

“I’m a creative player, an attacker. And of course, if you’re a creative player, you have to create something by your own sometimes. The team needs this,” Yeboah, who was on the books of Manchester City from 2014 to 2018, told TV3 .

“This is something that I do a lot of time here in training. Everywhere I find myself playing, I just want to have fun, I just want to have the ball, enjoy the ball on my feet, do the trick that I could do, and I watch a lot of videos of Messi, Neymar, all these great players, and they also do the same thing like that.

“So when I had the ball, I said, ‘Okay, why not?’ I have the talent, ability, confidence, why not try like them, because they also do that in training and they take it to the game. So I have been doing that a lot in the training and anywhere I find myself playing.”

Yeboah’s goal helped Wisla to a 3-1 away win at the Ekstraklasa.

It was his third goal in five season appearances for the club he joined from Spanish La Liga fold Celta Vigo last year.

“It’s a great feeling to wake up and see my video everywhere trending and everyone talking about it in the world. I’m happy for that, to do this and for people to share it as well, and I feel great. I’m proud of that,” added the 24-year-old.

“Before the game, I had a chat with the coach and he told me, ‘Yeboah, you’ve got the talent, you’ve got everything. When you’re in the final third, do what you can do.’ When I had this ball particularly, I was thinking now is the time for me to also show my individual skills.

“I believe in myself and also I had the confidence to do that. And then, of course, I had the talent, the ability for it. When I had the ball, there was no other option. I was looking for a pass but after quick thinking, I was like, ‘Okay, just do something. Do what you can do.’ I have the confidence to show my ability on the pitch, so I took the ball, made some tricks and it was successful.”

Yeboah, a full Ghana international, last earned a Black Stars call-up ahead of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Chelsea star Jorginho has been named UEFA Men's Player of the Year following his heroics for both club and country in the 2020-21 season. 

The Brazil-born midfield ace was a vital part of the Blues engine room as they fought to Champions League glory. 

And he repeated the feat over the summer to help deliver the Euro 2020 trophy to Italy.

Tough competition

Jorginho was one of three players chosen as finalists for the Player of the Year award. 

Chelsea team-mate N'Golo Kante was also included in the final shortlist, as was Kevin De Bruyne, who enjoyed yet another sparkling year for Manchester City. 

Ultimately, though, Jorginho's exploits at both club and international level were judged to have put him ahead of his two rivals, leaving him with the prestigious UEFA award.

What other awards were handed out? 

Prizes were presented by UEFA in a variety of categories during and following Wednesday's Champions League group stage draw , marking out players in each position as well as the best coach. 

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea as reigning Champions League winners figured highly, with Edouard Mendy named Goalkeeper of the Year and Kante winning the award for best midfielder. 

Coach of the Year also went to Stamford Bridge, as Thomas Tuchel was honoured for a fine campaign with the Blues.

The defensive award went to Manchester City enforcer Ruben Dias, while Erling Haaland was named Europe's best forward thanks to his incredible exploits for Borussia Dortmund last season. 

Further reading 

Ghana football icon Asamoah Gyan believes the nation must not be obsessed with the title heading into the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

The Black Stars are set to make another attempt for potential first success in 40 years at the January 9 – February 6 championship in Cameroon.

In the first round, Ghana have peen pitched against Morocco, Gabon and Comoros in the group stage.

“Talk is cheap. It is easy for me to say Ghana will win but do we have the tools? I have seen a lot of good players who have never tasted the tournament before. That is why I will say let us qualify from the group first and then analyse the team and see whether we can win or not,” Gyan told TV3.

Gyan has so far appeared at seven Afcon tournaments, helping Ghana to the final at Angola 2010 and Equatorial Guinea in 2015.

With the exception of the last gathering in Egypt where the Black Stars suffered a Round of 16 exit, the 35-year-old made at least the semi-finals in all his other outings.  

“I feel like I did my best. In football, anything can happen. I have been closer to it on so many occasions; I went to the final two times,” said the former Sunderland, Udinese and Stade Rennes striker.

“2015 was our chance but we blew it away but I always believe in destiny. I did what I had to do to make sure Ghana wins it.

“There might be surprises, anything can happen. I may not be up now but you might see me in January who knows. Personally, I am satisfied with what I have done. People may disagree but for those who understand football, they know.

“Not winning it [Afcon] until now is a bit frustrating. I always ask myself why because I was in a generation that could have won the Africa Cup easily but sometimes I also tell myself that if I could not win it, somebody in my genes can win it.”

Gyan is Ghana’s all-time top scorer and most capped player, with 51 goals in 109 international outings.

Manchester United winger Amad Diallo said he is happy with his new number 16 shirt after Raphael Varane inherited the no. 19 from him.

The 19-year-old recently returned from an international assignment with Ivory Coast at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and he was welcomed with a slight change in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

After signing a five-year contract from Real Madrid earlier this month, Varane got the shirt number worn by the Ivorian star in his first five months at Manchester United.

Diallo, on his part, sees his new jersey number as an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of club legends Roy Keane and Michael Carrick who wore the no. 16 during their playing stints at the club.

“When I was told that I was getting the number 16 shirt, I was happy because I know that Michael Carrick had previously worn that shirt for a long time and so it is a number worn by a legend of the club,” Diallo told the club's website.

“So I have to respect the number and the players who wore it before me.”

The arrival of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund this summer is set to limit Diallo’s chances in Solskjaer’s squad this season and Goal understands that he could leave on loan before the close of the summer transfer window.

A week ago, Ivory Coast coach Patrice Beaumelle advised the former Atalanta youngster to look for a new club for adequate playing time ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon next year.

“We are four or five months before Afcon and I would love him to play more games,” Beaumelle said.

"When you have talent like Amad Diallo has, he needs to show it and to improve on the field.

"I think that if he is not playing too much for Manchester United for now it is better to go on loan to show he deserves to be in the line-up or to play more for Manchester United."

Egyptian giants Al Ahly have announced the signing of Percy Tau as their new player from Brighton and Hove Albion.

The Bafana Bafana star joins the Egyptian giants on a yet to be disclosed lenghth of his deal and becomes the first South African player for Al Ahly.

He still had a year left on his contract with the Premier League club but after struggling to cement a place in the Brighton team, Tau opted to team up with his former Mamelodi Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane in Cairo.

"I choose history," Tau said in a video as Al Ahly announced "The Lion of Judah is here."

After another video of his imminent unveiling by the reigning African champions was leaked on Thursday morning, it became certain that he is an Al Ahly player.

This ends weeks of speculation about his future as he appeared unhappy with lack of game time at Brighton, while Mosimane openly declared intention to bring him to Egypt.

After arriving at the Seagulls in January 2021 from loan stints in Belgium, Tau managed just three Premier League appearances and featured in the FA Cup as many times.

But he seemed to have impressed Brighton manager Graham Potter in a pre-season friendly against Luton Town early August, but talk of him going to Al Ahly still intensified. 

Al Ahly also announced the signing of Mozambique attacking midfielder Luis Miquissone from Simba SC and 21-year-old left-back Karim Fouad from Nogoom FC on Thursday.

When Tau was getting closer to joining Al Ahly, the imminent move divided opinion in South Africa.

For a player who had played Uefa Champions League football, some felt moving back to Africa would be a step back in his career after having played at the highest level in Europe. 

He featured in the Champions League with Belgian side Club Brugge, facing Real Madrid and PSG in what was regarded as the epitome of his career.

Bafana legend Lucas Radebe and ex-Kaizer Chiefs winger were one of the prominent figures against Tau joining Al Ahly.

But the player had the support of South Africa coach Hugo Broos who felt the move to Egypt would afford him regular game time which would benefit Bafana Bafana.

Now having moved to Al Ahly, Tau is almost certain to be available for Bafana’s 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers next month after concerns that Brighton would not release him to travel to a red-listed country.

Paris Saint-Germain will take on Manchester City in one of the biggest early draws of the Champions League group stage, while holders Chelsea will face Juventus and Barcelona and Bayern Munich will also square off following today's draw in Nyon.

The draw so far

Group A: Manchester City, PSG

Group B: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool

Group C: Sporting, Borussia Dortmund

Group D: Inter, Real Madrid

Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona

Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United

Group G: Lille, Sevilla

Group H: Chelsea, Juventus

Further reading

Ricardo Pepi has been called up for the U.S. men's national team in upcoming World Cup qualifiers next month, moving a step closer to committing full-time to the Stars and Stripes despite overtures from Mexico.

The 18-year-old FC Dallas forward converted the winning shootout kick in the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday as his rise to stardom continues, and his finishing ability could prove to be a huge long-term boost for the USMNT.

Pepi is a dual-national with youth experience in both USMNT and El Tri camps, and according to FIFA regulations, players can change allegiances before the age of 21 if they have played three or fewer competitive matches at the senior level.

The USMNT squad in full

GOALKEEPERS: Ethan Horvath (Nottingham Forest), Zack Steffen (Manchester City), Matt Turner (New England Revolution)

DEFENDERS: George Bello (Atlanta United), John Brooks (Wolfsburg), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona), Mark McKenzie (Genk), Tim Ream (Fulham), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Miles Robinson (Atlanta United), James Sands (New York City FC), DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)

MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)

FORWARDS:: Brenden Aaronson (RB Salzburg), Konrad de la Fuente (Olympique Marseille), Jordan Pefok (BSC Young Boys), Ricardo Pepi (FC Dallas), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Gio Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Tim Weah (Lille)

A closer look at the squad

The USMNT squad features the likes of Pulisic, who was previously a doubt after testing positive for the coronavirus. 

It also includes Gold Cup winners in Matt Turner, Goerge Bello, Miles Robinson, James Sands, Walker Zimmerman, Sebastian Lletget, Kellyn Acosta and Cristian Roldan, who will join up with many of the USMNT's regulars that triumphed in the Nations League earlier this summer.

Among the absentees are Yunus Musah, who is still battling an injury at Valencia, and Daryl Dike, who slowed down a bit at the Gold Cup as he continued a marathon year for club and country.

What did Pepi say about his decision?

“I want to start by saying that I am a Mexican-American and that I am super proud of my heritage,” Pepi told FCDallas.com. “It’s something that will never be taken away from me, no matter what national team I play for.

"I made this decision because I felt the USA trusts me and I think that’s due to [USMNT head coach] Gregg Berhalter and how he emphasized this to me. I had good talks with Gregg and I feel I can make an impact with the USA and help this national team really do something special now and in the future.”

He continued: “I said that when I made this decision it would be with the heart. It’s been made with the heart. If I put that jersey on, I am fighting for it until I can’t fight anymore. So yes, I am ready to play.

Pepi's NXGN rise

The attacker, who has received stylistic comparisons to Erling Haaland, has broken out this season with nine MLS goals in just 20 appearances.

His All-Star Game penalty contribution ensured his presence would be recognized by a nationwide audience.

The decision about his national team allegiance, however, will be difficult, especially as his on-field exploits mean the USMNT and Mexico will likely push harder for his talent.

And while participating in upcoming World Cup qualifiers for the United States may seem like a good sign for Berhalter, the truth is that his mind is not yet made up.

“Yes, I am still thinking about who I'm going to represent,” Pepi said to MLS.com this week. “It’s so hard – it's actually very hard. I don't know, I've spent about three, four months thinking about this decision. And I feel like I'm in the same place every day. I can't lean one way or I can't lean the other way. I'm just stuck in the middle.”

USMNT World Cup qualifying opponents

The U.S. will play El Salvador, Canada and Honduras as it begins its qualifying campaign next month, with the first of those matches taking place on September 2.

So, if Pepi plays in all three of those games, he would reach the limit of USMNT matches before being permanently tied to the squad. One more appearance after that with the Stars and Stripes at the senior level would mean he could never appear for Mexico again.

Further reading

Canada forward Janine Beckie believes the team’s victory over the U.S. women’s national team at this summer’s Olympic Games can do wonders for the future of what has been a relatively one-sided rivalry.

After that semi-final win over their neighbours, the Manchester City forward was part of the team at the top of the podium at the end of the women’s football tournament at Tokyo 2020, beating Sweden on penalties in the gold medal game.

Reflecting on the summer, Beckie had huge excitement not only about the achievement, but about the future of the game in Canada after securing the team’s first major title – and their first win over the USWNT in 20 years.

What has been said?

“With the U.S., it's always an incredibly difficult challenge,” Beckie told reporters on Thursday. “They're such an interesting team. Obviously, we have massive respect for them. Our rivalry is very fiery and always brings out, I think, the best in both teams. But that was the first time I really felt like we dominated them, I would say more so in the first half, maybe than the second.

“To have won that game, I think it just will spur us on for any time that we face them in the future, that it's not this big giant we have to slay anymore. I think it was the way that we prepared for the game.

“The feeling of beating them on that stage, to then go play for a medal, was pretty incredible. I definitely won't forget how that felt. It was pretty great.”

Christine Sinclair, the all-time top goalscorer in international football, was the only member of Canada’s team who played when they last beat the United States. Now, there will be a whole host of players who know what it feels like. But it’s not just in the national team that this gold medal will have an impact.

“There's really no telling what this has done and will continue to do for the game in Canada,” Beckie explained. “It gives us a lot of, maybe, momentum to make some of the changes that we want to make in the sport in our country.

“I think it gives us a great platform to keep pushing for a domestic league, which is, in our minds, the next huge step for us as a country and our development of young players to be able to see not just Canadian women, but women from all over the world, competing on a professional stage domestically. I think that's probably one of our biggest priorities right now.

“But also, it just completely changes everything for us. We’ve been in the shadows of the U.S., but I think we've been in the shadows of a lot of teams. Hopefully this title brings us some of the respect that I definitely think we deserved a long time ago.”

‘Manchester City want to win the Champions League’

Beckie now goes into the new season with Man City having had a taste of glory – and she wants more.

“You would think, in some ways, that once you have something like this [gold medal], there is a satisfaction that is reached. But if anything, it’s made me hungrier for more,” she said. “It’s something I got to check off my list of things I wanted to win. Obviously, I want to win the World Cup, but those are international trophies.

“We [City] want to win the league this year. We have narrowly missed out in the last couple of seasons. It’s one of the big ones that we expect to win. We put ourselves in a great position last year to win it, but didn’t take care of business in some games so we’re definitely looking to get off to a good start next week.

“The Champions League is also one of the biggest reasons as to why I came to play in Europe. We want to win that trophy and we have an incredible group this year to do that. We had a good run last season, but in the Champions League it only takes one result to make it difficult for you.

“We always put ourselves in a good position to win trophies. We want to retain the FA Cup, we want to get the League Cup back too, so the ambitions at this club are always big.

“We have built a team that is capable of winning multiple trophies so I think this summer spurs [on] my desire to continue to rack up the trophies. It’s definitely a good one to start the year with.”

Man City will begin their WSL season next weekend, playing Everton at Goodison Park. Before that though, they will begin their Champions League campaign, facing Real Madrid, in just their second season as a women’s team, in a two-legged tie. The winner will progress to the group stages.

Further reading

Pre-match shirts are worn as players perform their final warm-up before games. In the past, not much fuss was made over pre-match jerseys but since the popular resurgence of retro football shirts, kit designers have taken the opportunity to create statement shirts that make fine additions to the wardrobe of any fashion-minded fan.

This brings us designs that would not be seen on a regular home kit. Although we are starting to see the outlandish patterns emerge in third shirts, and even away kits, bigger and bolder is better when it comes to pre-match shirts.

Now we know all the basics, here are the best pre-match football shirts that have been revealed so far this season.

Following suit with the post-Queen’s Gambit chessboard fashion trend that everybody is loving, Chelsea has placed the warped checkerboard pattern across all their kits, gear and tracksuits. The blue and yellow colourway combines the home and away colours in one very cool pre-match shirt.

Get it from Nike for £54.95

Whilst Atletico Madrid’s kit for the 2021-22 season is pulling away from clean lines with a worn-white-painted striped pattern instead, their pre-match shirt is geometric heaven. With a bold arrow print all over, the pink shirt is the perfect combination of red and white for Atleti fans and admirers.

Get it from JD Sports for £55.00

This Galatasaray pre-match shirt is bold in vivid orange with an overlay of punchy black graphics. The striking pattern is reminiscent of a big cat, appropriately befitting the Istanbul team’s nickname of The Lions or “Aslanlar”. 

Get it from JD Sports for £55.00

This Adidas pre-match shirt sidesteps away from the traditional Manchester United colourway and opts to replace the white with a warm stone colour which elevates the look. The colours look great together, making this a great pre-match shirt with a bold pattern printed all over.

Get it from JD Sports for £50.00

This Juventus pre-match shirt by Adidas takes the standard, almost camouflage-like pattern, and animates it further by using a marble effect for one of the colours. The lime green embroidered Juventus logo stands out really nicely against the charcoal and grey colourway. A good effort!

Get it from JD Sports for £50.00

This pre-match shirt uses Bayern Munich’s classic red and blue colourway but with a marbled tie-dye which really adds to the texture. The blue and white result is similar to clouds, which are not only in fashion but tie in with Bayern’s third kit which features a graphic mountain range.

Get it from JD Sports for £50.00

PSG’s pre-match shirt is covered in numbers in a diamond-shaped pattern. At first, they look like random digits but a little bit of research uncovers they actually stand for the different area codes around greater Paris. In typical Parisian style, the black shirt is fashionable and can be worn casually as well as for training.

Get it from JD Sports for £55.00

This season, Liverpool and Nike have decided to go for a deeper, rich crimson shade of red for their pre-match shirt. This deep colour is used a lot in this season’s training kit, whilst the traditional glossy red is still in use for the home kit. The two shirts are linked by the orange stripe on the sleeve. The horizontal hoops give it a real retro feel.

Get it from JD Sports for £55.00

Nike has gone for a blue snake design throughout all the Inter shirts this season. The home shirt has an all-over snakeskin print and, less abstractly, the away shirt actually features a snake. And like it should, this pre-match shirt marries the two concepts beautifully with a deep blue tangle of snakes design. 

Get it from JD Sports for £55.00

Puma has gone meta with their designs this year. It’s simple yet effective, in traditional sky blue fabric with “City” written in the centre and the Manchester City emblem subtly featured on the back. This is definitely a shirt that can be worn for fashion as well as training.

Get it from JD Sports for £50.00

Club America are known outside of Mexico for their beautiful and flamboyant kits. Whilst their home kit features a bold Aztec pattern, this pre-match shirt is covered with flowers and gives off a similar vibe to a Hawaiian shirt.

Get it from JD Sports for £55.00

This Tottenham pre-match shirt from Nike is covered in a graphic pattern that is completely abstract – you have to look closely to make out the edges of the Nike ticks. Overall, it pulls a great look using the contrasting blues of Tottenham’s stunning galaxy-inspired marble away shirt this season.

Get it from JD Sports for £55.00

Real Madrid’s pre-match shirt has pink and purple flecks which represent the colourful away shirts they have had of late. Adidas even produces Real Madrid swim shorts in this pattern. 

Get it from JD Sports for £50.00

Perhaps overshadowed by their wicked zigzag third kit, this pre-match jersey feels almost understated. It carries that hot pink highlight from that third kit and makes it a feature of the shirt.

Get it from JD Sports for £50.00

Real Madrid right-back Alvaro Odriozola looks poised to make a loan move to Fiorentina as Los Blancos shuffle their squad in anticipation of Kylian Mbappe's arrival at Santiago Bernabeu.

Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe looks set to swap Ligue 1 for La Liga, despite the Parc des Princes outfit knocking back an offer of €160 million (£137m/$188m) from their European rivals.

Now, Madrid are moving to clear further space in their squad and in their purse for the France international, with Spain international Odriozola now in the frame to depart to help pave the way.

Where is Odriozola headed?

The 25-year-old, a member of La Roja's Russia 2018 World Cup squad, first joined Madrid later that summer, having impressed at Real Sociedad, only to find chances limited in the capital.

Over the past three seasons, he has made just 31 appearances in La Liga for Los Blancos, with a further three for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga during an unsuccessful loan spell.

A move to Fiorentina, who have pursued him aggressively ahead of Serie A rivals Inter and AC Milan, seems now most likely, with Odriozola set to discuss the matter with coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Why must Odriozola move on?

Amid a transfer window that has laid bare their financial struggles - albeit not to the extent of rivals Barcelona - Madrid have made few moves in the market, with David Alaba their only new arrival.

But now, they have bitten the bullet and bid for Mbappe, with Los Blancos potentially viewing the World Cup winner as the heir to the throne of the best player in world football.

With squads restricted to 25 players though - and several, like Gareth Bale, hard to move on - they have had to free up the space for any capture, with Odriozola now the man tipped to make way.

The bigger picture

With a deal at Parc des Princes that runs through 2022 - and an apparent refusal to extend, coupled with a professed desire to move to Madrid - PSG may ultimately cash in on Mbappe.

Mere weeks after assembling one of the most fearsome front threes in football after Lionel Messi's arrival as a free agent, the Ligue 1 side will be braced to lose arguably their flagship star.

Mbappe's exit - in spite of the lure to play alongside one of his idols - could well free up a last-gasp reshuffle of PSG's own squad too across the final days of the transfer window.

Further reading

Football Kenya Federation Premier League champions Tusker FC have completed the signing of defender Charles Momanyi from Gor Mahia on a two-year deal

The centre-back has been a rock at K'Ogalo, and played a vital role in helping the team win back-to-back league titles. He has also massive experience in continental assignments, having featured in the competitions consistently since 2017 when he joined the Nairobi-based side from Kakamega Homeboyz.

He comes to the Ruaraka-based side as a free agent after terminating his contract with Gor Mahia two months before the conclusion of the season owing to unpaid dues.

'I come into a good team'

The tough-tackling defender is optimistic about beating stiff competition to get a playing position and has promised to work together with his teammates to achieve great success.

"I am really happy to be joining Tusker because it is one of the biggest clubs in the country. For me, this is another opportunity to show my worth as a player and also challenge myself in a new environment," Momanyi told the club's official portal.

"I am ready for the task ahead. I know the competition will be very stiff but I am ready for it. I come into a good team with good players and I know together we will achieve great success."

Club chairman Dan Aduda was happy with the signing who he believes will add quality to the team. 

"We are glad to have within our ranks a defender with a great experience like Momanyi. He is going to be a very valuable addition to the team."

Who are Tusker targeting?

The confirmation of Momanyi is just a start for the champions who will represent the nation in the Caf Champions League.

Apart from Momanyi, Goal exclusively revealed AFC Leopards' Elvis Rupia is another target. The attacker did not want to extend his contract with the local giants. The former Wazito and Nzoia Sugar striker emerged as AFC Leopards' top scorer in the just-concluded season with 17 goals.  

Clyde Senaji, another player whose contract with Ingwe ended in June, is also among the new players set to be unveiled at Ruaraka. Senaji, a utility player who can play as a central midfielder or a centre-back, had been linked with KCB, but he is now all but set to return to Tusker.

Ex-Kitwe United's Teddy Osok, Shami Kibwana of Kakamega Homeboyz, Kalos Kirenge from Namungo of Tanzania, Patrick Matasi, who left St George SC of Ethiopia recently, Brian Bwire and Daniel Sakari of Kariobangi Sharks, John Njuguna of Ulinzi Stars, and Tyson Otieno are the other players set to be given contracts by the Premier League champions.

Manchester City have entered talks to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus, Goal can confirm.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is keen to leave the club after three years in Turin.

City, meanwhile, are in the market for a striker after missing out on the signing of Harry Kane from Tottenham.

What's the latest?

Pep Guardiola's side have opened negotiations with Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes.

Sources close to the player have said that nothing has been agreed thus far, but that talks are advancing.

Ronaldo, a former Manchester United player, is believed to be open to the move despite saying in the past that he would never line up for one of the Red Devils' main rivals.

The Portugal star was previously offered to City but the Premier League champions only wanted to sign Kane at the time.

But City are still in the need for a new striker after Sergio Aguero left on a free transfer at the end of last season and moved to Barcelona.

On Wednesday, Mendes travelled to Turin for talks with Juventus as he looks to discuss the former Real Madrid star's future.

How much would Ronaldo cost?

Juventus directors sat down with Mendes on Thursday morning to stress that they will not allow Ronaldo to leave the club for free.

The Turin side are looking for around €29 million (£24m/$34m) from any potential buyers otherwise they would suffer a capital loss.

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