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Manchester United-linked Jack Grealish "belongs" in the Champions League, according to his ex-Aston Villa team-mate Rudy Gestede.

Grealish capped a superb first season back in the Premier League by scoring in a 1-1 final day draw with West Ham, which ensured that Dean Smith's side avoided an immediate return to the Championship.

That effort took his tally to eight top-flight goals in 2019-20, and earned him plenty of plaudits from fans and experts across England, many of who believe he is now ready for the next step in his fledgling career.

United legend Ryan Giggs has been among those to back Grealish to complete a move to Old Trafford, insisting he has the "mentality" to succeed at one of the world's biggest clubs.

Tottenham have also been credited with an interest in the 24-year-old, but another former Red Devil, Michael Owen, says he has it on good authority that the playmaker has "his heart set" on a switch to Manchester.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men secured a top-three spot and Champions League qualification by beating Leicester in their last outing of the campaign, while Spurs had to settle for sixth and a place in the Europa League.

Gestede, who played with Grealish at Villa Park between 2015 and 2017, says the opportunity to play on Europe's biggest stage is a huge draw for his old colleague, who he believes will soon win a place in Gareth Southgate's England squad.

“He was talented when I was there. He was a young player with a lot of potential, and in the last few seasons, he’s shown he’s got the shoulders to carry it," the former Villa striker told Talksport.

“Now he’s the captain of the team, so he’s got a bit more responsibility and he’s dealt with it very well. He deserves to be in the spotlight. He deserves a call from England probably very soon.

“I think there’s two choices: the first choice, to build Aston Villa with Jack Grealish as the main guy and to make sure they spend money on good players to get Villa back to where they should be.

“Or, Jack Grealish could choose to leave to a bigger team because he doesn’t want to wait too long to build something, and he wants to play in the Champions League straight away. I think he’s got the quality for this.

“It’s not an easy to decision. The club have got a contract with him and they’ve got to decide if they sell or not. I’ve just read that they’ve put a very high price for him and it could be difficult to move for him. He’s got the ability and the talent to play in the Champions League, so that’s where he belongs.”

Kieran Tierney deserves to be compared with legendary Arsenal left-back Nigel Winterburn, says Lee Dixon, with the Scotland international making a positive impression in north London.

The Gunners moved to buy into the potential of a highly-rated 23-year-old during the summer of 2019.

Unfortunate injuries have been suffered by Tierney during his time at Emirates Stadium, but his debut campaign did deliver 24 appearances and FA Cup glory.

He grew stronger as the season wore on, while also being moved into a left-sided centre-half berth as part of a three-man defence, and is being tipped for a bright future at Arsenal.

Dixon believes that will be the case, with it easy to see why Tierney has already being likened to an iconic figure from the Gunners’ past.

A man who once thrived in a right-back berth for Arsenal told talkSPORT of Tierney: "He's been likened to Nigel Winterburn already and the fact that's on your CV, that someone's actually gone: ‘Oh, he's very similar to Nigel when he got in the side’.

"(He's got) that hunger, that desire, that willingness to run all day.

"That should be a given, but sometimes it isn't. We look at young players today and we're sometimes critical about their effort.

"We look at them and go: ‘He should be doing this, he should be doing that’.

"But the fact that he seems to have adapted to the way [Mikel] Arteta wants him to play, he can play in a few positions - I was really impressed with him when he first came."

Dixon added: "Obviously, he got the injuries.

"I'd seen him play, but not an awful lot, and I think you get a real essence of a player when you watch him week in, week out because you see him have bad games and how he gets through them.

"Nigel very rarely had a bad game but when he dipped below his normal standards he'd get 7/10.

"And you'd think: ‘Wow, if that's your bottom level...’"

Arsenal spent £25 million ($30m) luring Tierney away from Celtic and handed him a contract through to the summer of 2024.

England defender Danny Rose has detailed his experiences of being racially profiled, stating: "I just laugh because I know what's coming".

Rose, who concluded the 2019-20 Premier League season on loan at Newcastle United from Tottenham, has previously spoken out over receiving racist abuse on the football field – most notably when representing England at both Under-21 and senior level during matches against Serbia and Montenegro respectively.

Speaking to The Second Captains  podcast, the 30-year-old said the football authorities' attempts to deal with such incidents have been "laughable".

However, he also pointed out his negative experiences as a black Englishman are often rooted much closer to home, citing frequently being stopped by police while driving and a recent exchange in the first-class carriage of a train.

"My attitude towards it is it's happening again, and I have to get on with it. Someone's going to get a laughable fine and it's business as usual next week," he said. "But it's not just football. I got stopped by the police last week, which is a regular occurrence whenever I go back to Doncaster, where I'm from.

"Each time it's, 'Is this car stolen? Where did you get this car? What are you doing here? Can you prove that you bought this car?'. That's been happening since I was 18, since I was driving. And you know, each time it happens, I just laugh because I know what's coming and it's just how it is.

"One of the last times I got on the train, I got on there with my bags and straight away the attendant says, 'Do you know this is first class?'. I say, 'Yeah, so what?' and they say, 'Oh well, let me see your ticket then'.

"So, I showed the lady my ticket and, this is no word of a lie, two white people walked on the train right after me and she said nothing, and I said, 'Well, are you not going to ask for their tickets?' and she said, 'Oh, well, no, I don't need to'."

Rose continued: "People might think it happens, but to me that's racism. These are the sort of things I have to put up with. This is everyday life for me.

"I feel embarrassed to even complain in a way and bring this up when you see the incident in America where a black man lost his life at the hands of people who are supposed to protect and serve.

"Whenever I do complain about things, you hear people say, 'you're on this money, so get on with it'. I give up with hoping things will change because that's some people's mentality towards racism."

The incident in America, the death of George Floyd while in police custody, sparked protests across the world.

Rose explained how the decision for Premier League players to take a knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement emerged from suggestions made in a WhatsApp group shared by the captains of each club.

"It was a beautiful thing that had been suggested. I just hope it is as powerful as it looks on TV in years to come," he said.

"I have no idea [how much impact it can make]. You have to wait and see. There's never been such a devastating incident as what had happened in America with George Floyd passing away. That's one of the biggest things that I've seen in the world, but things have happened in the past and after a month or two it's just business as normal.

"I hope this is something now that will catch everyone's eyes, ears and minds. All we can do now is wait and see. Hopefully, nothing like that happens again and there is equality everywhere – in football and the world."

However, in further explaining his latest dealings with police in his hometown, a wearied Rose conceded a lifetime of similar experiences makes it hard for him to envisage genuine change.

"When this happened last week, I'd just left my mum's house. I was pulled up in a car park, the engine was off," he said. "The police pulled in, they brought a riot van, three police cars and they questioned me saying we've had a report that we've had a car that was not driving correctly.

"I'm like, 'Okay, why does that make it my car?'. They got my DL [driving license], they breathalysed me.

"Honestly, it's just one of those things to me now. I don't understand what I can do or who I can complain to anymore. This first happened to me when I was 15 and now, I'm 30. It's 15 years of this on and off the field happening and there's no change whatsoever.

"I don't want to be repeating the same words that I say, and people end up saying, 'Oh, be quiet – he's always moaning' but those are my experiences. I'll be honest: that will not be the last of my experiences."

Stats Perform News approached South Yorkshire Police for their comments on Rose's observations.

Mesut Ozil’s struggles at Arsenal have Jack Wilshere baffled, with the former Gunners star admitting that something must be going on “that we don’t know” because the World Cup winner has the potential to be “unbelievable” alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

The talismanic Gabonese striker continues to deliver the goods in north London, with his latest outing seeing him net a match-winning brace in a 2-1 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea.

The same cannot be said for Ozil, with the German playmaker playing no part in that contest having been completely frozen out of Mikel Arteta’s plans.

The 31-year-old’s representatives maintain that a contract through to 2021 will be honoured, but transfer talk is building with another window open and a move is starting to make sense for all concerned.

Wilshere, who once played alongside Ozil during his time at Emirates Stadium, is surprised to see a proven performer being overlooked as his creative qualities should be perfect for the fearsome frontmen he would be looking to feed.

“In terms of his footballing ability, I loved playing with him. He’s one of my favourite players to play with. He’d give you the ball at the right time, the right pace,” Wilshere told talkSPORT of Ozil.

“So I’m surprised he’s not playing, but I don’t know what’s going on there with that.

“There must be something that we don’t know because I can’t see why he’s not playing in terms of his footballing ability.

“Especially with Aubameyang, the type of player he is, you can imagine Ozil sat behind him feeding him balls. It would be unbelievable.

“It’s obviously something that we don’t know about. I’m sure Arteta has definitely got a plan and he’s putting that into practice.

“I’m sure we’re going to find out in the next couple of weeks what’s been going on.”

Ozil signed a lucrative contract with Arsenal in January 2018 having edged his way towards the end of his previous deal.

The Gunners are hoping to avoid being put in a similar situation with Aubameyang, with Wilshere among those looking for fresh terms to be thrashed out with a world-class performer.

He added on Aubameyang: “It’s massive for the club that they get him to stay. You can see what he brings.

“I was there when he signed and straight away from the first training session, you knew that he was world class. He scores goals with his left and right foot, he can beat a man.

“I was lucky enough to play with a few players like that, but he was one of the best. If I was in his shoes? Arsenal’s a massive club. He’s the captain, the fans love him, he’s got the respect of the whole club.

“If I was him I’d stay, but it’s easy for me to say that. Listen, as I said, it’s important they keep him because he’s their go-to man, he’s their best player, he’s their leader.

“When the team is down, everyone looks to him to do something and he’s come up with the goods.”

Inter Milan have named Alexis Sanchez in their Europa League squad for the final knockout round games as they continue discussions with Manchester United over signing the Chilean on a permanent deal.

Sanchez has spent the entire campaign on loan at the Serie A team after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made it clear the 31-year-old did not fit into his structure at Old Trafford.

The suspension of football due to the outbreak of Covid-19 saw Sanchez’s current loan deal extended to allow the attacker to complete the league campaign. However, that deal is set to expire later this week.

An option of another short-term loan to allow Sanchez to compete in the Europa League knockout tournament in Germany has been mooted and the two clubs are discussing a permanent deal with the Chile international not part of Solskjaer’s long-term plans.

Inter have named Sanchez in their Europa League squad which means he will be able to play in the fixture against Getafe on Wednesday, a one-legged clash after the initial game was postponed due to the pandemic.

However he will only be able to compete in the subsequent games, should Inter progress, if an agreement is reached between the two sides.

Sanchez signed from Arsenal in January 2018 but has failed to impress at Old Trafford and his huge wages have proved to be a sticking point when negotiating deals to try and get him off their books.

He has impressed for Inter since the restart, scoring three goals and grabbing seven assists in the league, and they will be hoping he can help them progress in the Europa League.

Should Inter and United both progress through to the quarters and then the semis, they would are set to face each other in the final in Cologne on August 21.  

Chris Smalling finds himself in a similar position at Roma, in that unless an agreement is reached between United and the Italian side for either a permanent deal or a long-term loan agreement, he will not be able to feature in the final Europa League games, should they progress, as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the week.

Jose Mourinho has hailed Lucas Moura for making important "sacrifices" during a turbulent season for Tottenham, insisting he "did everything" he possibly could to help the team.

Lucas took in 47 appearances across all competitions for Spurs in their latest campaign, scoring seven goals and laying on five assists.

Although those numbers fall some way short of his best tallies in the famous white shirt, his overall contribution has been crucial in the absence of a number of key performers.

Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Steven Bergwijn, Dele Alli have all take in spells on the sidelines this year with serious injuries, leaving Mourinho short on attacking options.

Lucas has been the only constant presence in his squad, and has played in a variety of different positions to help cover the absence of his team-mates in the final third.

The Brazilian ultimately played a vital role in Tottenham's run to a sixth-placed finish, which ensured that they salvaged a Europa League spot.

Mourinho is grateful to be able to rely upon a player like Lucas when the going gets tough, and says he is a great "example" to the rest of the squad.

The Spurs head coach told the club's official website: “With all the problems we had, Lucas is probably one of the few players that was here the day I arrived and never stopped, apart from some extreme fatigue he had because he was playing every match.

“He did everything for us during the season. He played in every position. He played as a striker when we had no strikers. He had no rest, he had to play every match in every competition.

“It’s really amazing and shows the team player that he is - a team player, a consistent player, a player who sacrifices himself for the needs of the team.

"We have more, and I’m a fortunate coach, but Lucas is a good example.”

Tottenham won four of their last six top-flight games to qualify for Europe, as Mourinho saw his first-choice attacking players return to full fitness to link up with Lucas once again.

Spurs beat Arsenal, Newcastle and Leicester before signing off with a draw away at Crystal Palace, after which the Portuguese boss pointed out that they would have finished fourth if the competition had started when he replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November.

Victor Moses has been named in Inter Milan squad for the final stages of the 2019-20 Europa League while Kwadwo Asamoah has been excluded.

The Black and Blues will take on Getafe in the Round of 16 in a single-legged tie which will be played behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a statement from Inter, the former Super Eagles winger made the 41-man list submitted by the club to Uefa for the competition but the Ghana international was left out.

Moses reunited with his former manager Antonio Conte in January on loan from Premier League club Chelsea after cutting short his 18-month loan with Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce.

The versatile player has made 17 appearances across all competitions since joining the side and has featured twice for the Italian outfit in the Europa League.

Moses’ loan deal is expected to run out in August but could be handed an extension to enable him to compete in the European competition.

The wing-back will hope to clinch the Europa League trophy for the second time in his career, having previously won it during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Ghana international Asamoah has struggled for game time since he suffered a knee injury last year, having previously been a key member of Inter since 2018.

The 31-year-old full-back has featured in 40 league games for the Black and Blues since he joined the club from rivals Juventus.

Last month, former Ghana international Laryea Kingston advised the defender to leave the San Siro outfit to reignite his career elsewhere.

“For me, I think he still has years ahead of him. So far, he’s done very well for himself but he still has some years in him if he makes up his mind,” Kingston told Goal.

“My only problem is he’s not playing regular football now. That’s my only worry. But if he finds himself a club where he can play week in week out, trust me he still possesses a lot of qualities.

“He plays wing-back or left full-back but sometimes he goes up and you can see he has the eye for assists and sometimes he can also strike.

“It would be good for him to move to a team where he would be able to play in his comfortable position – No.10 or around the box. He can be great and get to the peak that he wants to be.”

Turkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce is believed to be interested in the signature of Asamoah, who has 74 caps for Ghana.

Cape Town City midfielder Ayanda Patosi says he was not friends with former coach Benni McCarthy, at first, and admits he didn’t work hard after his arrival at the Citizens.

The Bafana Bafana international is currently on loan with Foolad Khuzestan FC in Iran and reveals he thought the going would be easy for him in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) following his return from KSC Lokeren in Belgium three years ago.

Following their frosty relationship, media reports surfaced that the 27-year-old was not managing his private life in a professional manner whilst some reports suggested weight problems led to him being sidelined by the Bafana legend.

"I was not a friend of his, in the beginning, I didn't work well with him. But before I knew Benni from Belgium, he was an assistant coach in one team when I was playing that side," Patosi told the South African Football Journalists Association.

"So we came together at Cape Town City, I thought PSL would be easy. I didn't work [hard], I didn't give him the confidence for him to say that he has a player he can believe and trust that can win games.

"I was not focused on football, I was starting to hang out with friends, I didn't realize Benni was doing all that to help me become a better player. I didn't understand what Benni wanted to do with me but I began to realize when I sat back and spoke to him and to Mr. John [Comitis]."

‘Pato’ also detailed how he ended up realising he’s not in the Mother City for a holiday, saying that the former Uefa Champions League winner didn’t care about big players, but wanted hard workers in his team.

"I realized he wanted the best out of me in the end and I'm not in Cape Town for holidays,” he added.

“I'm here to work, playing for Cape Town City doesn't mean I'm on holiday, I can't just do what I want and expect to perform well on the field.

"He's a coach who doesn't give s sh*** if you are a star or a big player or something, he treats everyone in the dressing room the same.

"It doesn't matter if you are Ayanda Patosi or Teko Modise or someone - if a young player comes and works hard and puts a hand on coach Benni, he doesn't care.”

Meanwhile, Comitis recently told Goal they are still weighing better offers for the two-time Belgian Cup winner, saying Foolad have tabled a loan offer but the Khayelitsha-born player wants a permanent move.

The Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has cracked the whip and meted out punishment on fired Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael.

The 60-year-old Belgian was sacked by the Jangwani Street-based giants a week ago for alleged racist remarks when he compared the country's fans to monkeys in an astonishing tirade.

Eymael made the remarks immediately after Yanga had secured a 1-1 draw against Mtivwa Sugar, which saw the team drop from the second spot in the 20-team league table, by tearing into the club's supporters, whom he claimed were ignorant about football and lambasted the conditions he had been working in since arriving in Tanzania.

"The fans can only shout and are like monkeys who are barking ‘babababa’," Eymael told local journalists in audio obtained by Goal. "These fans do not know anything about soccer.

"This place is not for me, playing in pitches at a level of seventh or eighth division in Europe is not for me. The changing rooms, too, are not for me.

"I am not enjoying your country, you are uneducated people. I don’t have a car, what is that?

"I do not have wifi and I do not have DSTV. No, no, no!"

The TFF has now issued a statement confirming they have decided to ban the coach for two years and also fine him Tsh8million for his uncouth conduct.

“The TFF disciplinary committee has decided to ban coach Luc [Eymael] for two years and also fine him Tsh8million for the racist comments he made towards Yanga fans,” stated the statement by TFF on their social media pages.

During the audio interview, Eymael also announced he was looking to leave the East African giants and depart Tanzania for good.

"My wife is absolutely not enjoying here and this is disgusting to me, I am disgusted,” he continued.

“The only pleasure that I have is the pitches are always full when we are playing, full of our fans, but working in these conditions is not for me.

“I do not want to stay here. I would prefer that they release me let me just do my last game and let me go."

Eymael also proceeded to accuse the referees of bias, claiming that the country's officials were favourable to Yanga's bitter rivals Simba.

“You know, [the] officiating was always against us and [was] only favouring Simba, not giving us even a clear penalty," he complained.

 "Things like that are not for me.

“I said to the sponsor: Do your own things and you cannot be able to win the league because you are not an organised team, you are not an organised club.

“The officiating is always against you because you are a poor club.”

In a recent interview with Goal, Eymael defended himself from the racist allegations, claiming he has never been a racist and never will be.

“I am not a racist, and you know that very well,” Eymael told Goal. “I have coached in Africa for the last ten years and my record is there to speak for itself, I have never gone to the extent of being a racist because I am not a racist.

“I don’t want to dwell on what happened, because it already happened, I apologised immediately to Yanga fans and Tanzanian people because of the comments and now it is time to move on.

“You can see even some players from Yanga are supporting me, even those I worked with in Kenya are behind me, because they know I am not a racist, this issue has been too much for me now, and gone too far, it is even destroying my family and kids.

“I don’t want to talk anything about it anymore.”

Eymael has previously worked in South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, and Tunisia.

The Europa League has been whittled down to 16 teams, with possible paths to the final being mapped out.

Arsenal were a high-profile exit from the last-32 having been beaten in extra-time by Olympiacos, while reigning champions Chelsea are featuring in the Champions League rather than the second-tier competition.

Who are the favourites to win the Europa League?

Manchester United are 7/4 (2.75) favourites with bet365 to win the Europa League for the second time in four years.

The Red Devils previously lifted Europe’s second-tier cup competition in 2017 when they beat Ajax 2-0, the most recent trophy won by one of England’s most famous clubs.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side eased out of Group L and brushed past Austrian side LASK Linz 5-0 in the first leg of their last-16 clash, having already beaten Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate in the last-32.

Inter are 11/2 (6.50) to win the Europa League after finishing third in their Champions League group and dropping into the competition.

The Italian side placed behind Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund in Group F and face a tricky last-16 tie against Getafe, who were chasing a top four finish in La Liga before a run of one win in 12 games.

Bayer Leverkusen represent Germany's best chance at Europa League glory at 13/2 (8.50) after dropping down from the Champions League and comfortably beating Porto in the last 32.

The Bundesliga side won 3-1 at Rangers in the first leg of their last-16 clash and are in good stead as they look to win this tournament for the second time in their history.

Wolves are 8/1 (9.0) to mark their return to European football in impressive style by lifting their first major trophy since 1980.

The Premier League side were runners-up in the first-ever UEFA Cup - as it was then known - in 1972, losing 3-2 to Tottenham on aggregate, and have not taken part in continental competition since 1981.

Nuno Espirito Santo's side came second in a tough group and eased past Espanyol in the last-32 before being drawn against Olympiacos - conquerors of Arsenal - in the next round.

Sevilla are 9/1 (10.0) to maintain their position as the most dominant club in Europa League history by winning it for a sixth time.

As well as three victories under former Arsenal manager Unai Emery, the Liga side also claimed the trophy in consecutive seasons under Juande Ramos in 2006 and 2007.

They qualified from Group A after taking 15 points and face Roma in a blockbuster last-16 tie.

Who are the Europa League underdogs?

Getafe have emerged as surprising underdogs at 14/1 (17.0) following impressive campaigns in both La Liga and the Europa League.

Jose Bordalas' men finished eighth in the Spanish top-flight and were runners-up in their Europa League group, with their odds shortening thanks an impressive win over last season's Champions League semi-finalists Ajax.

bet365 offer 14/1 (15.0) that Roma win their maiden Europa League this season.

The Italian capital club previously lost in the final in 1991 when they went down 2-1 to Serie A rivals Inter and struggled past Gent in the round of 32, meaning their tie against Sevilla is likely to prove even tougher.

Shakhtar Donetsk also clock in at 16/1 (17.0) to win their second Europa League, having also lifted the trophy in 2009 when they beat Werder Bremen 2-1 in the final.

Who are the Europa League outsiders?

Basel are available at 25/1 (26.0) with bet365 to win the tournament ahead of their last-16 clash with Istanbul Basaksehir out at 66/1 (67.0).

Olympiacos can also be backed at 66/1 (67.0) after stunning Arsenal in the last 32, while Wolfsburg are also available at 66/1 (67.0).

It is 100/1 (101.0) that Copenhagen win the tournament, and Eintracht Frankfurt are 200/1 (201.0) outsiders after losing 3-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie at home to Basel.

Odds correct at the time of writing. Please gamble responsibly.

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) giants AFC Leopards have listed three local players as key transfer targets and hope to sign them ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Derrick Otanga, Musa Masika and Peter Thiong’o are the players Ingwe have set their eyes on and have reportedly held individual talks with them.

Otanga, who was among 12 players to leave Wazito recently, is seen as a promising goal scorer who will be key for the team in the next campaign.

He made his name during the 2018/19 season as he scored 13 goals for the now relegated Sony Sugar.

His exploits for the Sugar Millers saw him land a lucrative deal with Wazito but his season at the club was not as fruitful as expected.

With Wazito struggling for stability and results, Otanga did not find his goal-scoring touch and the exit from the Nairobi club has now made AFC Leopards add him to their wishlist.

Masika is seen as another good option for the striking department and chairman Dan Shikanda has reportedly vowed to ensure he is signed.

Masiak, 19, is currently with Wazito.

Kakamega Homeboyz’ Thiong’o, whose contract Goal understands has ended, is another player the 1998 league champions want to bring on board.

Thiong’o has been one of the outstanding wingers in the KPL and that is why Ingwe have prioritised his signing. He has also reportedly attracted interest from Wazito and AFC Leopards' traditional rivals Gor Mahia.

AFC Leopards are yet to sign any players so far and in a previous interview, Shikanda confirmed they will only acquire three to five experienced players to bolster their relatively young squad.

Midfielder Austin Odhiambo is the only player who has been linked with a move away from AFC Leopards so far although Elvis Rupia’s situation remains largely unresolved.

AFC Leopards lost key players in the middle of last season due to the economic hardships they underwent, especially when SportPesa left as a sponsor.

Ismail Diarra, Vincent Habamahoro, Tresor Ndikumana, and captain Soter Kayumba were among the foreigners who left after going for months without pay.

Brian Marita and Whyvonne Isuza are the local players who ditched the club for KPL rivals Tusker and Wazito, respectively.

Casa Mbungo, after steadying the AFC Leopards boat as a coach, also exited in December and left the team under his former assistant coach Anthony Kimani.

Alphonso Davies is planning to spend “as long as possible in Germany”, with the Canadian teenager having burst onto the European scene at Bayern Munich.

At just 19 years of age, the promising left-back has enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2019-20.

Having been acquired by Bayern from the Vancouver Whitecaps, the expectation was that the promising youngster would be eased into the fold at the Allianz Arena. It did not take Davies long, though, to prove his worth and nail down a regular role for the Bundesliga champions.

He is now being tipped to reach the very top of the game, with interest in his ability expected to be shown along the way. Davies is, however, feeling settled in Munich and believes he will spend many years on the books at Bayern.

The talented teenager told The Players’ Tribune of his meteoric rise to prominence: “When I got to Bayern, I wasn’t too nervous. I just wanted to show people that I could play at this level. Since I had come such a long way, I wanted to play with a smile on my face. I still remind myself of that.

“Since then I have won two league titles, two German cups and become the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year. So yeah, I’m still smiling.

“That said, no matter how much time I spend in Germany, North America will always be home. When I went back there last year for the Audi Summer Tour, which is always a big part of our preseason, I enjoyed it a lot.

“This year we were supposed to go on tour to China, but then Covid-19 happened. So to make up for that, Audi and Bayern have set up the Audi Digital Summer Tour, where you guys can follow our routines and activities in real time through digital platforms. I hope it can help people get to know me even better. If kids can relate to me through it, that would be amazing.

“I have thought about what my career will be like when I’m not so young anymore. I want to stay in Germany for as long as possible. When I’m ready to retire - many, many years from now - I’ll definitely get my coaching badges. Then who knows where I’ll end up? Maybe somewhere in Europe, or even back home in Canada.

“Anyway, that’s far away right now. I’m still 19, so I don’t want to think too much about the end of my career. I have had a lot of big dreams ever since I was a kid, and Bayern are helping me achieve those dreams - but trust me, there is more to come. I’m just getting started.”

Davies, who is also capable of operating as a left winger, has made 39 appearances for Bayern this season and may have a few more to come as Hansi Flick’s side prepare to resume their pursuit of Champions League glory.

New KCCA FC striker Brian Aheebwa has revealed leaving his former team Mbarara FC was like a child moving away from his mother owing to the emotional attachment involved. 

The Kampala-based side finished second in the Ugandan Premier League and is bolstering the squad to challenge for the title next season.

After annulling the top tier owing to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (Fufa) also announced the 13-time league champions, who were second at the time, will represent Uganda in the Caf Confederation Cup.

"Leaving Mbarara City has been a hard decision for me because it has been home and it takes courage for a child to move away from his mother to go and start a new life," Aheebwa said as quoted by Sports Nation.

"Mbarara is where I grew up, it is where I studied."

The striker scored eight goals for the Ankole Lions and helped them to a seventh-place finish with 36 points after 10 wins, six draws and nine losses. However, the 21-year-old feels it was time for him to get a new challenge elsewhere.

"Me joining KCCA has really been amazing," Aheebwa revealed excitement.

"I had to take up this big step in my career. I’m very excited to join KCCA, it is a club that has top players and staff and I was happy when coach Mike [Mutebi] called me. 

"It motivated me, it gave me hope that I can play football at a higher level."

Joining a top team like KCCA comes with its own challenges - there are established players already and there is no guarantee of first-team football.

However, that does not worry the youngster, who has made it clear he is ready for the challenge.

"I want to achieve many goals, I know it’s going to be tough competition but I know that the higher you go the hotter it becomes, so I will cope up because we have good players and this will help improve my game as well," he concluded.  

 Aheebwa was the sixth signing at the club - others signed before him are Bright Anukani, Charles Lwanga, Denis Iguma, Italian Stefano Mazengo Loro, and Ashraf Muguma.

With the FA Cup now safely secured, Arsenal’s attention will switch this week to accelerating talks over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s new contract.

The Gunners captain - who scored both goals in Saturday’s 2-1 win against Chelsea at Wembley - is into the final year of his current deal and Mikel Arteta is desperate to keep hold of his top scorer, who found the net 29 times in all competitions last season.

Discussions have been ongoing for weeks with the 31-year-old, but a firm contract offer has not yet been made. All parties wanted to focus on the club’s attempts to win a 14th FA Cup.

For Arsenal, victory at Wembley was vital to ensure they would be competing in the Europa League next season; participation in that competition could see their revenue boosted by up to £35 million ($45.8m).

With that now guaranteed, they will look to tie down Aubameyang for a further three years. An offer is expected to be submitted in the coming days which will mean a significant increase on the current £200,000 ($262,000) per week deal he signed in 2018.

Speaking after Saturday’s FA Cup win against Chelsea, Aubameyang gave little away about his future but Arteta was hopeful things could move forward.

“I hope so,” said Arsenal’s head coach. “Everything is based on my conversations with him, how he sees his future, what I expect from him, the team that I want to build around him and the conversations I have with the people who are very influential around him.

“The club, we all respect and admire him, the players are all behind him. We know the players that we have and we have to value him. I think if we reach all of those points, we'll make progress.”

Barcelona are interested in Aubameyang, after president Jose Maria Bartomeu admitted they will not be able to sign Inter striker Lautaro Martinez or PSG star Neymar. Barca view Aubameyang as a cheaper alternative who could come in to bolster their frontline next season.

Arsenal are hoping to see off that interest by acting quickly and tie Aubameyang deal to his new deal imminently. They also want a swift resolution to the talks as they know the striker’s future is key to what other business they do this summer and whether they need to sign a replacement.

Should he decide not to extend his stay in north London, the club will have to decide whether to cash in on the forward or keep him for next season before letting him leave on a free.

Despite securing Europa League football, money is still exceptionally tight at the Emirates. A large chunk of this summer’s transfer budget will have to come from moving players on to generate funds and free up space on the wage bill.

Arsenal are planning a significant overhaul of the squad and are looking to sell Matteo Guendouzi, who has not featured since his clash with Neal Maupay following Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton in June and his subsequent failure to apologise during disciplinary talks with Arteta and the club’s hierarchy.

Guendouzi has not even been training with the senior side and had been forced to do his work on his own during early morning sessions at London Colney before the first team even arrive.

The France midfielder has been offered to various clubs across Europe, with Arsenal open to a straight cash deal for the 21-year-old or the possibility of including him as part of a swap deal for some of their key targets, which include Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey.

Mesut Ozil is another player Arsenal are looking to offload. The Gunners would save around £18m ($24m) in wages should they manage to get the German off the books this summer, but Ozil and his agent remain insistent he will see out the final year of his £350,000 ($457,000) a week deal, despite not playing a single minute of football following the restart.

Arsenal are also open to offers for Sead Kolasinac, Mohamed Elneny, Lucas Torreira, Sokratis and Rob Holding. Henrikh Mkhitaryan meanwhile, who still has a year left on his deal, could be allowed to terminate his contract so he can complete a permanent move to Roma, an agreement that would save Arsenal just under £10m ($13m) in wages.

Discussions will also be had with Alexandre Lacazette, who is now into the final two years of his deal in north London. Arteta is an admirer of the forward, but a decision must now be made on whether to offer the 29-year-old a new contract or try to move him on to help fund a rebuild.

Arteta wants to add a box-to-box midfielder this summer with Partey the priority target, although Porto’s Danilo Pereira is on a list of possible alternatives to the Ghana international, who has a release clause of £45m ($58.8m).

Dani Ceballos is looking likely to return for another season-long loan spell from Real Madrid, while Willian could move to the Emirates on a free transfer from Chelsea, with Arsenal keen on luring the Brazil international across London.

Barcelona are hoping to strike a deal with the Gunners which would see Philippe Coutinho return to the Premier League, most likely on loan, while Arteta is hoping to add another centre-back to his ranks to join William Saliba, who has now joined on a permanent basis following the end of his loan spell with Saint-Etienne.

The Gunners are interested in Malang Sarr, who is now a free agent having left Nice, and Axel Disasi, who plays for Stade de Reims. They have also been linked with Diego Carlos from Sevilla. 

Simba SC spokesperson Haji Manara has explained why they did not score more than six goals against Namungo FC on Sunday during the FA Cup final.

Manara claims Simba had to score just two goals against Namungo who are known to be supported by the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa.

The tie at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Sumbawanga ended in a 2-1 win for Wekundu wa Msimbazi. The vocal official had also claimed Simba are above all the competition in Tanzania.

“We could have scored more than six goals against Namungo but because it is a team supported by our Prime Minister [Kassim Majaliwa], we had to show some respect,” Manara told reporters.

“We played with the courtesy and that is why we wasted chances willingly for the respect of the Premier and football.

“In Tanzania, Simba are only playing because it is what is required from them was it not a requirement, there is no team Simba should be playing against in this country.

“We should be elsewhere in Africa playing with teams equal to Simba. But because Tanzania is our country, we have to play here."

Meanwhile, Azam FC defender David Mwantika has confirmed he is on his way out of the club after eight seasons.

“On Friday, I spoke with the management of the club who were keen to add me another year on my contract but I prevailed upon them to just release me so that I can go and face a new challenge,” Mwantika told Mwanaspoti.

“My current contract has five months remaining.

“After the talks, we unanimously agreed that I should become a free agent so I can be free to enter into negotiations with any club and that I can play anywhere be it in the country or outside.

“I have been at the club for the last eight seasons but frankly, I can say that only in five seasons did I play real football. That is because many things did happen concerning me at the club.”

Azam, on numerous occasions, had wanted to offload the defender on loan but he declined such moves. A recent move saw the club push him to join Lipuli FC but he did not accept the deal.

Liverpool must up their game to defend the Premier League title, according to James Milner, who says "if we’re at the level we’re at now next season, it won’t be good enough".

Jurgen Klopp's men became the first team to win the top-flight trophy with seven games left on June 25, after storming clear of their main rivals before the coronavirus-enforced break in the season.

Liverpool had won 27 of their opening 29 fixtures when the countrywide lockdown came into effect, and they faced an anxious wait to resume their march to glory amid calls for the campaign to voided.

The Premier League was eventually cleared to restart on June 17 amid a significant drop in Covid-19 cases across Britain, and the Reds got back to business with a draw against Everton and a comfortable win over Crystal Palace.

They were named champions for the first time in three decades following Manchester City's defeat at Chelsea, but their coronation was soured somewhat as they fell to a heavy loss at Etihad Stadium in their next outing.

Liverpool were beaten 4-0 by City after being given their first guard of honour, and went on to drop more points against Burnley at Arsenal before wrapping up the year with wins against Chelsea and Newcastle.

Klopp's side ended up recording 99 points, but fell short of City's all-time record due to their patchy form over the last few weeks.

Asked how the Reds will make sure they rediscover their consistent streak to stay on the silverware trail in 2020-21, Milner told the club's official website: “I think it’s getting that balance right. We have to enjoy it because we know how hard it is to win trophies, we’ve been very good to do it but also lucky to win the amount of trophies we have had this year.

“Trent [Alexander-Arnold] thinks it’s absolutely easy! He just turns up and wins trophies every year! I can assure you, with the amount of years I’ve had in my career, it’s not that easy.

"The amount of training sessions in the rain, the times when you’re injured and that sick feeling you get when you lose a game or even a five-a-side at Melwood. We’re shocking losers, all of us.

"When you win something, you have to enjoy it. That’s what it’s all there for, that’s the hard work and you look at the teams you have beaten to get there – it’s an incredible achievement.

“It’s a short career and you don’t want to waste a season or two seasons thinking, ‘We were that good a team but we took our eye off the ball and didn’t deliver.’ That would be criminal and something we definitely don’t want to look back at.

“We have a couple of weeks to enjoy this and enjoy being champions and then, as soon as next season starts, it’s down to the fans to carry on enjoying it and enjoy being champions for us. We have to do our job, get on that field and be even better. If we’re at the level we’re at now next season, it won’t be good enough.”

Former City midfielder Milner added on winning the third Premier League crown of his career and going down in the history books at Anfield: “It’s always special as it’s incredibly difficult to do.

“But how long this club has waited and how desperate they were for it, you see the history, all the times they’ve won it before and the Wall of Champions. I’ve said a number of times to you guys how desperate I was to change the numbers on that board and to be able to do it a few times in a year is great and special.

“It’s special when you’re driving around the city and seeing the flags outside people’s houses and how much it means to everyone. It means a lot to us because it’s what we’ve been striving to achieve as a group.

“The fans have waited so long and you think of the different generations: people have seen it before and have been desperate for it to happen again; fans who weren’t born the last time it happened and have heard about all this success but have never seen it themselves.

“When you think about those generations, it does make it special and you feel proud to be a part of it.”

Asante Kotoko skipper Felix Annan has stated winning the Caf Champions League sits top of his targets at the club.

The Porcupine Warriors are preparing for a second successive campaign in the elite continental inter-club championship, having received a ticket from the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Executive Council following the premature termination of the 2019-20 domestic football season.

Annan has been with the club since 2015, initially joining on loan from Ghana Premier League (GPL) counterparts Wafa.

“My wish is to win trophies, especially the CAF Champions League, before my tenure ends at Asante Kotoko. It is my aim to help the team win trophies especially the Champions League," Annan, who was appointed captain of Kotoko ahead of last season's Champions League campaign, said, as reported by Footballghana.

"So as far as I’m here, as far as each and every day I’m working for this club, I’m going to try and help the team when I’m asked upon so that we can also win something the fans will remember us for.

“I also want to leave a legacy so I will be remembered one day, after all I did my best and I gave my best for the club."

To stand a chance of winning their first continental title since 1983, Kotoko will have to move beyond the Champions League first round, where they were eliminated last season.

“It is highly possible Kotoko can represent Ghana in Caf Champions League looking at the players and the pedigree of Maxwell Konadu," former player Michael Akuffo told Akoma FM.

“Konadu was the coach that led us to win the Ghana Premier League in 2012 and he has a lot of technical qualities.

“It is a matter of psyching the players and they also believe in themselves that the Caf Champions League is not beyond our reach.

“Every generation has its kind of players and the current squad is made of some quality ones, so Kotoko can play well in Africa.

“The players must give their best to ensure Kotoko is represented well in Africa."

Kotoko won the first of their two Champions League titles in 1970.

Willian has again turned down an offer of a two-year contract from Chelsea, but the winger has delayed making a final decision on his future.

The 31-year-old still wants to play in the Blues' probable final game of the season as they aim to overcome a 3-0 first leg home defeat against Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Saturday.

Frank Lampard is facing a selection crisis for the match with Christian Pulisic, Cesar Azpilicueta, Pedro and Billy Gilmour all out injured, while Jorginho and Marcos Alonso are suspended.

Willian is aiming to recover from his Achilles problem which caused him to miss the FA Cup final against Arsenal, amid offers from five clubs.

His agent, Kia Joorabchian, told  talkSPORT last week : “I don’t think he’s done a U-turn or any kind of turn. He’s always been very much in the same mode. We had big offers – one from MLS which required him to move on July 1 – but he’s always wanted to finish the season at Chelsea and the day after the season has finished he would decide.

“He has two concrete offers from Premier League clubs on the table, an offer from an MLS club, and two other offers from Europe. He is going to make his decision after the last game of the season.”

The MLS club is understood to be Inter Miami, but Arsenal are thought to be the front runners due to Willian's desire to remain in London and play at the highest possible level.

The other offers are rumoured to be from Barcelona and Inter, although Goal has been told that the Catalan giants are no longer moving for the winger.

The Blues' chances of keeping their January 2013 signing from Anzhi Makhachkala appear to be slim as they are immovable on the length of contract that they are willing to offer.

Chelsea have recently upped their one-year contract policy for players over 30 to two years, but are unwilling to push that again to three for the Brazil international.

“It is his decision, I haven’t got that answer," Lampard said of the situation to reporters on Saturday. "I know the situation at the club’s end. I have a great relationship with Willian, but I don’t actually know what the decision is.

"If that happens over the next whatever days, as he said, then that would be good for me in either way. Of course, I am very happy with Willian. He has been brilliant for me this season with his input and work ethic, within the squad.

"It is his choice and I respect his choice. He has been a great servant for Chelsea if he decides to move on, and if he does decide to move on then Chelsea will move on and we have to look forwards ourselves.”

Indeed, the Blues have already moved forward having signed two competitors for Willian's place in both RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner and Ajax playmaker Hakim Ziyech at a combined cost of £84 million ($105m).

Chelsea have now turned their focus to signing Bayer Leverkusen's Kai Havertz,  but the Bundesliga club have yet to open talks over a fee.

Arsenal need to be bringing in another centre-half during the summer transfer window, says Stewart Robson, with Mikel Arteta told that the likes of Rob Holding and Sead Kolasinac are “not good enough” to deliver future success.

The Gunners ensured that they brought down the curtain on their 2019-20 campaign with major silverware when beating Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final.

Holding lined up alongside David Luiz and Kieran Tierney as part of a three-man defensive unit in that contest.

Robson believes faults in his game were exposed against Chelsea, despite landing a winners’ medal, while there are still question marks hanging over Brazil international Luiz and his ability to deliver on a consistent basis.

Arteta is expected to try and address those issues over the summer with recruitment plans being drawn up, and movement is being predicted in and out of Emirates Stadium when it comes to defensive personnel.

"They've still got to get good centre-halves," Robson, who spent six years with Arsenal in his playing days, told ESPN FC.

"Holding I think proved that he's not going to be quite good enough. Every time someone ran at him they got past him. David Luiz is past his best and still got mistakes in him.

"Sokratis [Papastathopoulos] isn't going to be there I would imagine for too much more, won't get many games. Kolasinac I'm not sure he's quite good enough to make Arsenal go to that next level.

"A good quality centre-half who is good in the air and can defend well, that's got to be their priority."

Arsenal are among those to have been linked with a move for Manchester City centre-half John Stones, with the England international seemingly edging towards the exits at the Etihad Stadium.

Ex-Gunners star Ray Parlour has told talkSPORT: “Arsenal are desperate for a centre-half, so why don’t they take a chance and try to put in a bid for Stones?

“He’s had a bad time in recent years and he hasn’t really gone to where City thought he might go to, but you don’t become a bad defender overnight, he just needs a bit of coaching. That’s where it could be key with Arsenal, because obviously Arteta has worked with him over the last few years at Man City.”