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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reveled in Arsenal’s first win of the 2021-22 campaign as the Gunners demolished West Bromwich Albion 6-0 in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fixture.

Having lost to Brentford and Chelsea in their first two league fixtures of the season, Mikel Arteta’s men put a commanding showing to obliterate the Baggies at the Hawthorns.

The North Londoners got off to an impressive start by taking the lead after the 17th minute. Bukayo Saka sped into West Brom’s area and drilled a low shot that Alex Palmer could only tip into harm’s way with Aubameyang knocking the ball into an empty net.

The Gabon striker doubled his team’s advantage in the 45th minute before setting up Cote d’Ivoire international Nicolas Pepe for the third goal in the goal-laden first half.

Arsenal continued their dominance in the second half as Saka converted a sublime pass from Martin Odegaard in the 50th minute. Auba found the net for the third time in the 63rd minute, while substitute Alexandre Lacazette completed the rout six minutes later.

Impressed with the performance of his team against Valerien Ismael’s men, the African star went on social media to celebrate: “A bit of happiness. Thanks to the fans that came and supported us,” the 32-year-old wrote on Instagram.

Meanwhile, manager Arteta explained what informed the role the former Borussia Dortmund star played against the Championship side while hoping that the return of fans to the stadium will get the best from him.

“I hope they do,” the Spaniard told Arsenal website.

“Obviously he’s a really happy character and he needs that connection with people, with family, with friends, with fans.

“You could see the interaction when he left the pitch. I think that’s something really positive for him, yes.

“I think Auba is really comfortable playing in either position and we have Laca as a nine as well.

“He came on later on. With the players we had available today and the plan [we had], we believed it was better to play Auba upfront.”

Arsenal have progressed to the third round of the competition where they will square up against Bournemouth.

Before then, they travel to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday for their league outing against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

Football Kenya Federation Premier League side Gor Mahia are closing in on former Azam FC striker Mpiana Mozizi.

Mozizi is a free agent after his contract with the Tanzania Mainland Premier League outfit ended and is now being considered for a move to Gor Mahia.

K'Ogalo are set to experience a massive walkout in the ongoing transfer window and their striking department will be largely affected. Already, Jules Ulimwengu and Tito Okello have left, leaving them with only Benson Omalla as the only recognised striker after Wilson Silva and Nichols Kipkirui left even before the season ended.

"Mozizi is our target and we believe everything in terms of talks is close to conclusion," a source close to the development at the club told Goal. "We need to rebuild our team, especially at the front, where we are short of stars, and Mozizi is the kind of player we hope to have onboard.
 
"We recognize the short time we have in the transfer window considering what we must do, but we will do our best to get the right or even better players to replace those who are going to leave eventually."
 
The club's secretary-general, Sam Ochola, said they are going to recruit super strikers, especially with the departure of Okello and Ulimwengu.
 
"All foreign strikers, including Ulimwengu and Tito, have exited," the official noted in an interview.
 
"We are signing three super strikers who will help us reclaim the league title. Our focus is on the continental matches and we are in the process of signing three lethal strikers."

South Africa international Percy Tau has been caught shooting in Al Ahly colours in what could be his unveiling video ahead of his move to Egypt.

The speedy forward is known to be on the radar of the Egyptian football powerhouse, who are keen to add him to their squad ahead of the 2021/22 season which will see them look to retain the Caf Champions League title.

The Red Devils opened talks with Tau's current club Brighton & Hove Albion after the Premier League outfit's manager Graham Potter indicated the 27-year-old player is not guaranteed game time at the English side.

Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane has already confirmed the reigning African champions' interest in Tau having worked with the accomplished attacker at South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns.

Tau, who has won the 2018/19 Belgian First Division B Player of the Season award, rose to become one of the best players on the African continent under the guidance of Mosimane and he was very influential as Sundowns clinched the 2016 Caf Champions League title.

Reports of Tau’s move to Ahly being imminent escalated this week after South Africa head coach Hugo Broos revealed that the left-footed player would be joining the Red Devils in the next few days.

The Belgian tactician explained he had told Brighton that they wanted Tau for the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana in September this year, only to be told he was no longer their player.

Tau's announcement as a new signing for the North African giants looks imminent after a video emerged of him at Mokhtar El-Tetch Stadium which is owned by Al Ahly on Thursday morning.

The Bafana Bafana star, who is nicknamed Lion of Judah, can be seen posing for the cameras while wearing the Red Devils' colours. 

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Tuesday’s announcement of the decision by Premier League clubs to decline to release players for the September international window to countries on the UK’s red list has sent shockwaves all around the world of football.

While a statement on Wednesday by Fifa President Gianni Infantino called “on a show of solidarity from every member association, every league and every club, to do what is both right and fair for the global game” and revealed overtures have been made to the British Prime Minister for a relaxing of travel regulations, it is unclear whether this fire brigade response will bear fruit.

As it stands, all affected countries must begin to make alternative arrangements.

Nowhere will the effect be felt more keenly than in Africa, which has more representatives in the Premier League of any continent outside of Europe; and as much as South America and Asia combined, which (along with Africa) have the largest concentration of red list countries.

Nigeria, which accounts for the largest percent of the continent’s contingent, is not itself on the red list.

So, while it may in theory be able to get players released for the September 3 World Cup qualifier against Liberia in Lagos (the guidelines for action differ for the fully vaccinated and the unvaccinated, although there is an exemption for sportspeople who stay within a bubble), the trip to Cape Verde four days after will no doubt see the Super Eagles shorn of some of its more established and recognizable stars.

There is an added layer of difficulty, however, to the fact that most of those absentees play in the same zone on the pitch.

Wilfred Ndidi, Oghenekaro Etebo and Alex Iwobi have, for the better part of four years, been Nigeria’s starting midfield trio, and Frank Onyeka, who made his international debut in 2019, would have provided crucial depth.

It is unclear at this time whether the Scottish Premier League will toe the same line; if so, Joe Aribo could also miss out. With all the starting and depth options in midfield missing, there is some outside-the-box thinking required for Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr.

Nowhere is this dire situation replicated.

Vice-captain William Troost-Ekong is a big miss, but his absence would hardly be terminal with Chidozie Awaziem waiting in the wings; Kelechi Iheanacho has only just regained prominence with the national team; and Emmanuel Dennis would likely not have gotten into the team anyway, being still in the process of reviving a career that seemed headed for the ‘wasted potential’ heap.

In midfield, however, potential replacements are less obvious.

Beyond resident squad factotum Abdullahi Shehu, who may finally get to play in his natural position, the pickings are slim.

Not even a look at some of the other midfielders Rohr has capped in his time at the helm offers much.

Ramon Azeez has yet to feature in any capacity for Granada this season, having spent the latter half of the 2020/21 season on loan at Cartagena. Ogenyi Onazi has not featured at international level for Nigeria since 2018, and last played in Lithuania for Zalgiris. (He joined Turkish Super Lig club Denizlispor a few days ago).

Despite playing regularly for Serie A newboys Salernitana, Joel Obi has been persona non grata since 2018 as well.

It may be necessary then to cast the net wider.  

This could take in some more fringe options, especially former youth internationals who have yet to make the jump to the Super Eagles.

The likes of Kelechi Nwakali will, naturally, come to mind. Volatile and mercurial as he may be, the former under-17 star remains a gifted footballer, and seems to be working out his kinks in Segunda Division with Huesca.

So far this term, he has started both league matches for Marcos Espinoza’s side, and may be the biggest beneficiary of this most recent uncertainty. Bologna’s Kingsley Michael, a teammate of Nwakali’s at youth level, is another who may be considered.

Malmo’s Innocent Bonke has been crucial in his side’s advancement to the Uefa Champions League Group Stage, and former Manchester United youth prospect Tosin Kehinde has been in fine form with Danish club Randers.

Both offer something fresh and unseen, having not represented Nigeria previously at any level.

Interesting options though these are, there is cause for concern in the simple fact of timing and stakes.

While Rohr is expected to have the measure of a group containing Liberia, Cape Verde and the Central African Republic, having so many inexperienced players making their debuts is far from ideal. 

It is the obverse of the optimum method for blooding and integrating young talent, and worse still it may put Nigeria on the back foot immediately.

Praia is a difficult away trip at the best of times for most teams in Africa.

These lads, expected to sink or swim, could end up washed out in embarrassing circumstances.

Having elected not to freshen up his options during the most recent international window for the pair of friendlies against Cameroon, Rohr can however have few excuses.

The circumstances may have been difficult to predict, but ultimately the German will need to face up to the consequences of his decisions if Nigeria is to get off to the strongest possible start in World Cup qualifying.

MLS commissioner Don Garber shot down the prospect of his division ever merging with Liga MX, even as the competitions have collaborated more than ever in recent years.

Asked about long-standing rumors on a unified North American top-flight during the MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday, Garber said he didn't think it would ever happen, in part because of the logistical hurdles that would emerge.

The leagues have separate unions, contractual policies and season structures. Additionally, travel between the countries in a combined format could prove exhausting to teams over the course of a full season.

What has been said?

"I don't think we'd ever do that," Garber said on FS1. "I think we can get the benefits of a merger without actually having to go through the process with unions and structure.

"You get a great All-Star Game, you expand the Leagues Cup, the Campeones Cup. You have so manny different programs that deliver all of that value for fans regardless."

New MLS All-Star format

The All-Star Game on Wednesday pitted MLS' top players against Liga MX stars in an attempt to draw interest from both the U.S. and Mexico viewership markets.

Collaboration between the leagues has been a hot topic, with Liga MX president Mikel Arriola discussing the issue with Goal last week.

Said Arriola: "It’s super intuitive to continue increasing presence of the Mexican teams there, especially to grow hand in hand with MLS because if we don’t grow hand in hand with MLS, what will happen is that if they have larger sizes in their squads in [wages] and they will continue to remove players from us."

Further reading

It’s a battle between one of the more in-form teams thus far in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign against one of five teams without a single point after two rounds of matches when Manchester United take to the field at Molineux Stadium to face Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Yet the Premier League has the capacity to surprise and the next game could potentially change the fortune of a team and send them on a positive or negative spin of results, which makes this an intriguing match!

LIVENow gives you the opportunity to catch Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men in action as they seek to return to winning ways after the 1-1 draw at Southampton in their second straight away fixture.

The match at St Mary’s last week saw Mason Greenwood continue his superb individual start to the new season with his second goal in the campaign in as many games as United fought back from a goal down to claim a vital point.

Former Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho is yet to make his first start for his new club but with more minutes on the clock with a substitute appearance against Southampton, the talented 21-year-old is definitely in contention against Wolves.

For just S$10, you can purchase the online match pass for this exciting game that will kick-off at Molineux on Sunday (Aug 29) at 11:30pm, without the worry of costly monthly subscriptions.

On the home front, Bruno Lage has the unenviable task of following up on Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves and it has been a challenging start to the season for the former Benfica manager.

Two games played and still without a single point to show, Lage will be looking at the return of key player in Daniel Podence as well as Trincao’s dazzling performance against Tottenham Hotspur last time out to give the team a boost this Sunday.

With LIVENow, you have the flexibility to stream this Wolves v Man Utd game on various devices from PC to Mac, Chromecast to dedicated iOS/Android applications and many more, to see if United’s form continues or Wolves coming out of their early season rut.

When the two last met in the same venue, it was the final game of the 2020/21 season, so it wasn’t that long ago when Anthony Elanga and Juan Mata secured a 2-1 win for United as they finished last season on a high.

However Molineux hasn’t been the easiest of grounds for United to visit as before that they only managed to pick up a single point from two matches with Wolves last beating the Red Devils in the 2018/19 season.

CLICK HERE now to sign up and stream the Southampton v Man United game on the device of your choice and see for yourself how this game will pan out!

The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has determined that Nice's next match will take place behind closed doors following the chaos that marred Sunday's meeting with Marseille. 

Referee Benoit Bastien was forced to abandon the game midway through the second half after violence from both fans and players and staff on the pitch; because Marseille players refused to return from the dressing room, they were assigned a 3-0 forfeit defeat.

Further sanctions are expected next month, but for now Nice supporters will not be able to attend the Allianz Rivera for the club's upcoming clash with Bordeaux.

What was said? 

"In view of the serious violence that occurred during the OGC Nice - Olympique de Marseille meeting (3rd matchday in Ligue 1 Uber Eats), the LFP's Disciplinary Commission decided to place the case under investigation and pronounced two precautionary measures," the LFP's statement explained on Wednesday.

"Total closed-door match on the Allianz Riviera for the OGC Nice - FC Girondins de Bordeaux meeting scheduled for Saturday August 28, 2021 at 5 p.m. [CET]

"Suspension from the bench, referee's locker room and all official functions of Mr. Pablo Fernandez, fitness trainer for Olympique de Marseille.

"At the end of the investigation which will be issued on Thursday, September 8, the Disciplinary Commission will determine the final decisions to be taken concerning: The behavior of supporters of OGC Nice and the invasion of the field. The behaviour of the players in the game on the lawn. The fate of the meeting."

What happened in Nice? 

Marseille star Dimitri Payet had been the target of projectiles tossed from the stands earlier in the match, and tempers flared when he threw a bottle back into the crowd in the 74th minute after being struck as he prepared to take a corner kick.

Soon after, fans invaded the pitch, sparking an all-out brawl as they faced up to Payet and his Marseille team-mates.

Marseille coach Jorge Sampaoli and several members of his backroom staff, including Fernandez, who was seen to allegedly punch an intruding fan on the pitch and has now been banned indefinitely, also found themselves in the thick of the action as events quickly spiralled out of control. 

Now both Nice and Marseille must wait to find out the appeal result of the abandoned game, currently deemed a Marseille forfeit, as well as whether either side will face points deductions or other punishments as a result of Sunday's fracas. 

Further reading 

FC Sheriff wrote their names into Champions League history on Wednesday as they clinched Moldova's first-ever group stage berth. 

The club went into the second leg of their play-off against Dinamo Zagreb in a commanding position and only needed to avoid defeat to be assured of their spot. 

A 0-0 draw in Croatia was sufficient to write a new chapter in the story of one of Europe's most intriguing football clubs. 

A marathon journey

Sheriff were certainly made to work for their berth alongside heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Juventus and holders Chelsea. 

Having begun the 2021-22 Champions League in the first qualifying phase, the Moldovans had to negotiate three rounds and six games in order to set up this final clash before the group phase. 

The club dispatched Teuta of Albania, champions of Armenia Alashkert and Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade prior to taking on Dinamo, and their hopes of an improbable place in the first round proper received a giant boost last week when the Croatians were thrashed 3-0 in Tiraspol. 

Wednesday's goalless draw was therefore sufficient for Sheriff to go through at Dinamo's expense, prompting jubilant scenes of celebration on the pitch. 

Moldova's finest - sort of

The club has long enjoyed a pre-eminent position in Moldovan football, winning nine of the last 10 titles and six in a row from 2015 onwards.

Whether or not Sheriff is actually in Moldova, however, is a matter of dispute. Tiraspol is the capital of Transnistria, a breakaway state located on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border in which the majority of its citizens are ethnic Russians rather than Moldovans.

While unrecognised by any member of the United Nations - although Russia maintains a consulate and army presence - Transnistria is run as a de facto semi-independent presidential republic, while in 2014 its parliament issued a failed request to form part of Russia following the occupation and annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region. 

As a further curiosity, it is the only state in the world which continues to use the Soviet hammer and sickle symbol on its national flag.

Further reading 

Manchester City have drawn third-tier Wycombe as their third-round Carabao Cup opponent as they look to win the competition for a fifth straight time.

Pep Guardiola's men have at least on paper a more favourable draw than rivals Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea, who each must face a top-flight side.

The third round will take place in late September, with official dates for each match yet to be announced.

Carabao Cup draw for third round

While Manchester City face Wycombe, Liverpool will meet Norwich City, Manchester United play West Ham and Chelsea encounter Aston Villa.

Arsenal, who had to play in the second round of the competition, will meet Wimbledon after trouncing West Brom 6-0 on Wednesday, while Tottenham get Wolves.

Man City's recent success in the competition

Manchester City have knocked out Tottenham, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Arsenal in the Carabao Cup finals across the past four campaigns, padding their trophy cabinet in the process.

Last year, they also secured the Premier League title but fell short in the FA Cup and Champions League.

Further reading

Bayern Munich manager Julian Nagelsmann applauded the work of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in Bayern Munich's widest margin of victory since 1997, as the Bavarians defeated Bremer SV 12-0 in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday.

Choupo-Moting contributed to seven goals, scoring four and assisting three, and notched a hat-trick in just 27 minutes.

The Cameroon international has a limited role in the Bundesliga as a secondary option to Robert Lewandowski, and Nagelsmann was pleased the forward "stepped on the gas" when given the opportunity.

What has been said?

"Choupo did very well and also defended super," Nagelsmann told reporters. "I give him credit for defending so well with the status he has. Regardless of whether you get a lot of playing time or not, you have to step on the gas.

"There were a lot of nice combinations and good things. It was a nice evening. It was a lot of fun that we won the game clearly. There were a lot of positive things in it, even if it still takes a little time to perfect things." 

On the overall effort, the head coach said: "That the game would be one-sided was to be expected. They did well in the first six minutes and were brave.

"We didn't talk about a result, it was about a certain seriousness. At half-time, we said that we wanted to use the game for counter-pressing. We did a great job of that in the second half. We also have to credit the team for that."

Bayern's historic victory

The Bavarians earned their largest winning margin in all competitions since 1997, when they defeated DJK Waldberg 16-1 in the DFB-Pokal.

Outside of the Waldberg outcome, Bayern had never won by at least 12 goals since being promoted to the Bundesliga in 1965.

Further reading

Mikel Arteta has backed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to get back to his best now fans are back inside stadiums.

The Arsenal captain scored his first goals of the season on Wednesday night as he bagged a hat-trick in Arsenal’s thumping 6-0 win at West Brom in the Carabao Cup second round.

It was a near perfect night for Arsenal after such a miserable start to the season, and Arteta believes having supporters back inside grounds could be just what Aubameyang needs to get him back to the sort of form he showed during his first two seasons at the club.

What has been said?

When asked if having fans back inside stadiums could make a difference to Aubameyang and bring the best out of him, the Arsenal boss said: “I hope they do.

“Obviously he is a really happy character and he needs that connection with people; with family, with friends, with fans. You could see the interaction when he left the pitch and I think that is something really positive for him, yes.”

What else did Arteta say?

The Arsenal boss believes the morale-boosting win at The Hawthorns could be the perfect tonic for his players after back to back defeats in the Premier League.

Nicolas Pepe, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette were also on target in the 6-0 success, which saw Aaron Ramsdale make his debut in goal and Martin Odegaard impress on his first start since returning from Real Madrid on a permanent basis.

“When you lose a game, as quick as possible you have to win,” said Arteta. “Today’s game is going to give us some confidence. We had players who played some first minutes.

“Auba, after his covid, to get some minutes and score three goals for his confidence is going to be great. Overall I think a really positive night.”

Further reading 

PAOK have announced the return of Chuba Akpom on a loan from Championship club Middlesbrough until the end of the 2021-22 season.

The 25-year-old spent two full seasons with White-Blacks between 2018 and 2020, and he enjoyed his best goalscoring form in Greece with 14 goals in 53 league appearances.

His huge impression earned him a move to Middlesbrough in September 2020 but he appears to have dropped in the pecking order at the Riverside Stadium having played just 19 minutes of football this season.

Akpom will be looking to enjoy another success at PAOK after he played a crucial role in ending their 34-year wait for the Greek top-flight crown in the 2018-2019 campaign.

“Boro striker Chuba Akpom has returned to Greece to link up with his former club PAOK on loan until the end of the season,” the Championship club announced.

“The 25-year-old joined Boro from the Greek Super League club 12 months ago and made an immediate impact, scoring twice in his first two games. He has totalled five in 40 appearances since arriving on Teesside and has figured just once this season.

“Chuba is returning to the club where he enjoyed the most successful period of his career – netting 18 goals in 79 appearances and playing a central role in PAOK’s first league title success for 34 years.

“The former Arsenal youngster was also a cup winner in Greece and helped PAOK to the brink of Champions League qualification.”

The 25-year-old started his career at Arsenal as a six year-old boy and developed through their youth ranks before making his first-team debut in a Premier League match against Sunderland in September 2013.

In his quest for regular first-team action, the Anglo-Nigerian was loaned to Brentford, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sint-Truiden before he eventually left the Emirates Stadium permanently for PAOK in 2018.

Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has admitted that the entire club was thrilled to hear Harry Kane would be staying put for the 2021-22 season. 

Kane brought to an end a summer of speculation on Wednesday when he committed his immediate future to north London. 

Manchester City had been closely linked to a transfer for the forward, but ultimately failed to land their man - to the delight of Nuno and his team. 

What was said? 

“Great news. Fantastic news for everybody,” Nuno said ahead of Spurs' Europa Conference League clash with Pacos Ferreira on Wednesday. “We are all very happy. One of the best players in the world. We are all delighted to have one more option for the season ahead of us.

“I think since Harry joined us he has been working, so this is what we value. His attitude in training sessions has been great. It’s finished, Harry is going to be with us. He worked today, he is an option for tomorrow. Like I said, fantastic news for everybody.”

The ex-Wolves boss is also trying to avoid thinking about what might happen in 2022, with Kane clarifying in his statement that he would not be leaving "this summer". 

“I am not worried at all. It’s day by day, he’s an option for tomorrow,” he added. “This is the only thing and this is my only thought, try and make the best decisions to help the team tomorrow and Harry is one of the options.

“I think it’s up to us and everybody, the player himself, to get his motivation. There should not be any kind of doubts in terms of motivation to play for Spurs. Amazing club, good team. We are in a process and we need everybody involved.”

Back to the first team? 

Having arrived late to pre-season training amid the rampant transfer speculation, Kane has featured just once for Tottenham so far this term, a brief stint off the bench against Wolves. 

When asked whether he could feature on Thursday in Portugal, though, Nuno remained tight-lipped.

“We trained today, it was a fantastic session, all the boys involved who played the previous game,” he said. “We sill have to decide the starting eleven for tomorrow.”

Further reading

Former Ghana head coach James Kwasi Appiah has revealed he has decided to take a sabbatical away from the dugout.

The 61-year-old has been away from the limelight following his last job with the Black Stars, with whom he has had two spells.

At club level, he has coached Ghana Premier League giants Asante Kotoko and Sudanese outfit Al-Khartoum.

"Coaching isn't easy in Ghana, and it contains much pressure. Ghanaians always seek results, and it gives you the coach much pressure,” Appiah told Rainbow Sports.

"I can decide to come back into coaching any time but am not willing to come in now. It may be a call to work for the Football Association as a technical director, but I think I need to rest.

"I have decided to step aside and rest from coaching now. If I want to coach, there are about 10 clubs who are inquiring about my services. I think I need to rest to gain my strength with my age now.

"I am independent, and I haven't received any offer from any club in Ghana. Samatex and Bibiani Gold Stars haven't sent me any offer, and I think it's just a rumour."

After a seven-year spell as Ghana assistant trainer, Appiah stepped up to the position of head coach in 2012, guiding the Black Stars to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in South Africa and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Under his tutelage at the continental gathering, the four-time champions suffered a semi-final elimination following a defeat to Burkina Faso.

A year later, there was another disappointment for Appiah, this time at the World Cup, as Ghana crashed out at the group stage. It was the first time the West Africans failed to go past the group stage of the tournament, an outcome that ultimately led to his exit.

After coaching Al Khartoum between 2014 and 2017, the coach returned for a second stint with the Black Stars, leading the national team to the 2019 Afcon tournament.

His third championship with the Black Stars ended in a Round of 16 elimination, after which his contract with the Black Stars was not renewed.

Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes will fly to Turin for a showdown with Juventus bosses over the striker's future at the club. 

Ronaldo has seen his name linked with Manchester City, who are in the hunt for a central forward following the end of their pursuit of Harry Kane. 

Goal understands the ex-Real Madrid and United star will figure heavily in talks between the agent and the Bianconeri. 

Will he stay or will he go? 

Mendes arrived in Italy on Wednesday with Ronaldo's future far from certain. The agent will talk to representatives of Juventus over the coming days, in the hope that some sort of resolution can be found between the two parties. 

Ronaldo has been at Juventus since 2018, and has just one year left on his current deal in Turin. 

City bound?

City were finally forced to relent in their efforts to sign Kane when the Tottenham striker publicly pledged his future to the club on Wednesday, stating that he would not leave "this summer". 

Gabriel Jesus is the only senior centre-forward currently at the Premier League champions, and Ronaldo's pedigree and contract situation certainly makes him an attractive transfer prospect. 

Juve though are reluctant to sell and would demand a hefty fee for their superstar, having insisted at the weekend that he would remain at the club despite starting their 2-2 Serie A season-opening draw against Udinese on the bench. 

"Ronaldo is an added bonus for us, because he guarantees a large number of goals," coach Massimiliano Allegri told reporters in the build-up to the Udinese clash. "Obviously, we also have to work as a team to get the best out of an individual.

"He has always trained well, I just read the gossip in the papers. He never told us he wanted to leave. Ronaldo told me that he is staying at Juventus."

Further reading 

Eric Choupo-Moting scored four goals and provided three assists as Bayern Munich battered fifth-tier Bremer SV 12-0 in a DFB Pokal encounter.

 After coming off the bench in the Bavarians' first three matches of the season, Choupo-Moting did not take long to make a statement in his first start in Julian Nagelsmann's team.

The former Stoke City and PSG forward started the party in Bremen with the opening goal in the eighth minute before assisting Jamal Musiala to double their lead, eight minutes later.

The Cameroon international grabbed his second goal of the night a few seconds after Bremer SV defender Jan-Luca Warm turned the ball into the back of his own net in the 27th minute.

Just after the half hour-mark, Choupo-Moting ensured he grabbed his hat-trick as Bayern Munich maintained their 5-0 lead into the break.

Immediately after the restart, Nagelsmann's men continued from where they stopped with Malik Tillman making it six in the 47th minute and Musiala notched his brace a minute later, thanks to another assist from Choupo-Moting.

After goals from Leroy Sane and Michael Cuisance, the Indomitable Lions captain made it 10-0 for the German champions with his fourth goal in the 82nd minute and he bagged his hat-trick of assists four minutes later, after supplying Bouna Sarr to break his duck.

Corentin Tolisso wrapped up the emphatic victory with two minutes left on the clock as Bayern Munich cruised into the second round of the cup competition in style.

Thanks to Wednesday's heroics in front of goal, Choupo-Moting is now five goals from equalling the tally of nine goals he scored in 30 matches in the 2020-21 season.

Meanwhile, the 32-year-old is among the 28 players invited by coach Antonio Conceicao for Cameroon’s 2022 World Cup qualifying games next month.

The Indomitable Lions are in Group D and they are scheduled to play Malawi on September 3 followed by a trip to Ivory Coast three days later.

PSV confirmed Noni Madueke has signed a new four-year contract amid reported interest from Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

This season, the 19-year-old has scored six goals in nine matches across all competitions, which include two goals in two league outings.

Madueke joined the Dutch Eredivisie club on a three-year deal in 2018 after kicking off his career at Tottenham Hotspur and last year, it was extended until 2024 on his18th birthday.

Since he made his debut in the Dutch top-flight in January 2020, the Nigerian descent has established himself as a key player in Roger Schmidt's team with his goalscoring contributions.

"I have felt at home at PSV from day one. We are going to make it a great time together in Eindhoven, with wonderful football evenings,” Madueke told the club’s website.

Meanwhile, PSV's director of football John de Jong admitted that there was a lot of transfer interest from several clubs for the 19-year-old this summer before they agreed on new terms on Wednesday.

“There was a lot of interest from foreign clubs in Noni, but we wanted to connect Noni to PSV even longer,” De Jong said.

“After good talks with Noni and his family, he succeeded in extending his contract until 2025. We as a club are very happy that Noni will stay and we look forward to a successful collaboration.”

Unfortunately, PSV were eliminated from the Champions League after they held Benfica to a goalless draw on Tuesday.

Prior to the draw, they had suffered a 2-1 defeat to the Portuguese club in the first-leg.

Madueke was born in Barnet and he has played for the England youth teams across the U16, U17, U18 and U21 levels, however, he is still eligible to play for either Nigeria or the Three Lions at senior level.

SuperSport United climbed to the top of the PSL standings after securing an impressive 3-1 win over Lamontville Golden Arrows at Lucas Moripe Stadium.

Goals from Sipho Mbule, Teboho Mokoena and Thamsanqa Gabuza inspired Matsatsantsa to their first win of the season and they are now on top of the log on goal difference.

Siphamandla Sabelo made it two goals in as many matches, but the 23-year-old attacking midfielder's goal proved to be a consolation for Arrows, who tasted their maiden loss of the term.

At Harry Gwala Stadium, Maritzburg United recorded their second successive defeat as they succumbed to a 2-0 loss to top-flight debutants, Sekhukhune United.

Chibuike Ohizu was in good scoring form as the Nigerian hitman creased the back of the twice to propel Sekhukhune to their first-ever win in the elite league.

The defeat left Maritzburg at the bottom of the standings and they will be desperate to claim their first win of the campaign when PSL action resumes after the upcoming Fifa international break.

Royal AM, who battled with Sekhukhune for the National First Division title last season, remain winless in their debut appearance in the PSL.

Having purchased Bloemfontein Celtic's PSL status in order to participate in the elite league, Royal AM suffered a 2-1 loss to Cape Town City in an entertaining encounter at Chatsworth Stadium.

Ndumiso Mabena opened the scoring to hand Royal AM an early lead with a sublime strike from a well-taken free-kick.

However, City produced a strong second-half performance following their half-time team talk with coach Eric Tinkler - scoring twice through Mduduzi Mdantsane and Taariq Fielies.

Meanwhile, Stellenbosch FC climbed up to second place on the standings after securing a narrow 1-0 win over TS Galaxy at Danie Craven Stadium.

Ashley Du Preez was the hero for Stellies as the hard-running forward scored the only goal of the match 10 minutes into the second half.

Lastly, AmaZulu FC were held to a 0-0 draw by Swallows FC in an evenly contested match that failed to produce goals. 

Swallows will now take on Cape Town City in the MTN8 semi-final first-leg match on Sunday, while Arrows are scheduled to face Mamelodi Sundowns in another semi-final tie on Saturday.