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Juventus are "well advanced" in contract talks with Paulo Dybala, according to chief football officer Fabio Paratici.

Dybala, 26, is out of contract in 2022, but has been linked with a renewal in Turin after enjoying an impressive season.

Paratici confirmed talks with Dybala were in progress and a fair way down the track, with the playmaker set to stay at Juve.

"We often speak with his entourage and we are moving forward, despite all the difficulties related to the commitments and the movement due to the games that are played every three days," he told Sky Sport .

"Even in this period, we are talking quite frequently and we are well advanced."

Juve clinched a ninth successive Serie A title on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria.

Paratici was full of praise for coach Maurizio Sarri, who secured the league crown in his first season in charge.

"Sarri has made an incredible climb in his career and he's in the place he deserves to be," he said."He is certainly one of the protagonists of our season."

Dybala came off against Sampdoria due to a suspected thigh injury in a worry ahead of the Champions League resuming next month.

The Argentina forward was clutching the top of his left thigh as he made way for Gonzalo Higuain five minutes before half-time.

Coach Sarri had already been forced into one change, with Danilo coming off following a clash of heads with Gaston Ramirez.

Juve continue their league campaign with matches against Cagliari and Roma next week before hosting Lyon in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on August 7.

Dybala was linked with a Juventus exit before the start of the season and was reportedly close to a move to Tottenham but ultimately stayed put in Turin. 

That decision has paid off for both club and player with the 26-year-old scoring 17 goals and adding a further 14 assists across 45 appearances to date this season.

The former Palermo player returned from the enforced break due to the coronavirus pandemic in a rich vein of form, scoring in five straight Serie A matches. 

Former Kaizer Chiefs defender Isaac Mabotsa has predicted that Kaizer Chiefs will win the Premier Soccer League (PSL) race but the long break from football could complicate matters between Amakhosi and their closest challengers Mamelodi Sundowns.

Chiefs lead the standings and are four points ahead of second-placed Sundowns. If football resumes, Chiefs will have to play eight games to complete their campaign, while Sundowns have a played a game fewer than the leaders.

Giving the example of Barcelona, who came back to complete the La Liga season as a side which lost steam, Mabotsa feels that most PSL teams will return with their tempo affected following four months of inactivity.

Barca led the La Liga race by two points before football was suspended in Spain but when play resumed, they finished as runners-up, five points behind eventual champions Real Madrid.

“It’s going to be tough. They [PSL teams] have been inactive for too long in terms of rhythm,” Mabotsa told iDiski TV.

“If you look at it, teams like Barcelona, for me, are struggling. There are a lot of things happening there but if in terms of rhythm, most teams will suffer.

“Yes, as you are saying, it [the season] should be completed but to be honest Chiefs are leading at the moment but you never know what’s going to happen. Let’s wait and see what’s going to happen.”

With Downs having played a game fewer than Chiefs, the title race is likely to end as a tightly-contested affair which makes it a tough call for Mabotsa to predict, although he tipped his former club to cross the finishing line first.

“The team that has a chance to win the league at the moment are Chiefs but let us not write Sundowns off because, for me, either of them will lift the league,” said Mabotsa.

“Even Wits were in the title race but the way things happened disturbed them and I don’t think they will come back. But I will give it to Chiefs and then if Chiefs fail, definitely Sundowns will take it.”

The likes of Orlando Pirates, SuperSport United, Bidvest Wits and Maritzburg United have outside chances of ghosting into the race and become champions.

Harry Maguire has vowed reaching the Champions League is only the start for this Manchester United team, as the captain said standards must continue to rise at Old Trafford.

A 2-0 win at Leicester City, Maguire's former club, on the final day of the Premier League season meant Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team finished in third position.

That had seemed a highly unlikely prospect at the start of the year, but the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in January transformed United's season.

Maguire pointed to that as a big factor in United's improvement, as he celebrated victory at the King Power Stadium.

"As a club we expect to be in the Champions League but the last few years have been tough," Maguire told Sky Sports.  "At the start of the season, the majority of people probably didn't expect us to be in the top four at the end of the season. We always had great faith in ourselves.

"Next season we've got to keep improving."

Maguire said United had been "far too inconsistent, dropping silly points" early in the campaign.

"Performances weren't good enough in parts of the games and we were getting punished," said the England defender. "We've been a lot better of late and to come from the position we were in shows the great character that we've got in this group."

Maguire was asked what had changed about United, allowing them to surge up the table.

"It's hard to say. Obviously bringing Bruno in in January has made a big difference. He put us 1-0 up today," Maguire said. "Big players turn up in big moments. It was a nervy, edgy game but we deserved the three points."

Fernandes slotted a penalty home in the 71st minute, with Jesse Lingard sealing the points in stoppage time.

Leicester sat third when the Premier League resumed after its three-month suspension, triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

They fell away badly and finished fifth, and Maguire had sympathy for his old club, now led by Brendan Rodgers.

"To finish fifth in the Premier League for this club is a huge achievement – a great set of players and a great manager," Maguire said. "I'm sure they'll have a bright future."

Former Ghana and Bayern Munich defender Samuel Osei Kuffour and national team coach CK Akonnor have praised the Black Stars' recent Covid-19 donation.

The four-time African champions joined the fight against the pandemic on Friday as they donated items worth GH¢100,000 (€14,797) to the Ghana Football Association for onward distribution to the people of Ghana on Friday.

In the absence of captain Andre Ayew and other notable members of the squad, Black Stars Management Committee chairman George Amoakoh made the presentation on behalf of the team.

“Well, I think it means a lot, in my opinion, to the people of Ghana, and we have to congratulate the boys for thinking about other people," Kuffour, a current Management Committee member of the Black Stars, said as reported by the GFA’s official website. "They didn’t think for themselves alone, but to think about the health of the people of Ghana is very touching."

The presented items included Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand sanitizers and branded face masks.

“They have done it individually which I know. but for them to come together as a team to do it shows oneness, togetherness and it shows that the team spirit is very, very high," Ghana coach Akonnor added. "We have always known them to be taking bonuses and others. But this time around, they have decided to give back to society.

"They have shown a lot of love."

Ghana’s domestic season has been massively hit by the coronavirus pandemic as the 2019-20 campaign has been cancelled.

The Black Stars have also been affected too as their 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying games in March and June have been rescheduled.

“It is a good sign because they have always shown the desire to reconnect with the fans and the Ghanaian public, and they couldn’t have done it in a better way in a more trying time than this," remarked Fred Pappoe, also a member of the Management Committee. "We can only thank them for doing that and we only hope and pray that this kind of relationship will be both ways and then it will continue forever."

As at Sunday July 26, Ghana has recorded 32,437 cases of coronavirus. These include 3,349 active cases, 28,927 recoveries and discharges and 161 deaths.

Jose Mourinho hailed Tottenham's push to seal a spot in the Europa League as the Portuguese manager made sure to point out how much the club has improved since he took over.

Spurs locked up a sixth-place finish with a point on Sunday, as Mourinho's side finished the Premier League season with a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

Despite ending the season with a draw, Tottenham did enough to climb all the way to sixth place and seal an automatic spot in the Europa League.

When Mourinho took over following Mauricio Pochettino's dismissal, Spurs sat in 14th place, having earned just 14 points from as many matches in the Premier League.

Harry Kane scored the opening goal for Spurs just 13 minutes on, but a Jeffrey Schlupp goal early in the second half was enough for the two sides to split the points.

And, although Mourinho admitted the performance wasn't quite what the club hoped for, Sunday's result did seal a positive end to what was an overall disappointing campaign.

Under the Portuguese boss, the club completed quite the turnaround, with Mourinho pleased with the progress made so far even if there was a long way to go.

“The season was crazy, since they played the Champions League final it has been up and down and really hard," Mourinho told Sky Sports.

"We, in this group of matches managed to get results and to perform. Not today, it was not the best. But in this period we played well, get results and be solid to put ourselves in the position to get in the Europa League

"From a personal point of view I'm happy because since I arrived we would be fourth which is good with all the problems we had."

Now, with European football secured, Mourinho can look ahead towards continuing to make his mark on the Spurs squad.

The club faces several departures, with Jan Vertonghen and Michel Vorm set to leave, but Mourinho says that he expects to improve the squad this summer.

"When all the players are available we showed in this last period where we belong," he said at his post-match news conference. 

"After lockdown we finished third or fourth in the table. That is where we belong. I want to have my team, my players, not a medical room full of players, a pitch full of players. 

"We want to keep our very good players and after that improve the squad. Are we going to buy 10 players. No? Are we going to pay £100 million ($125m) for a player? No.

"But let's see. The market is very strange. I don't know if we will start working pre-season with any new players or something that is going to go through the whole period.

"We are going to keep the structure of the team because we have absolutely no interest in selling our best players.

"I enjoy working with [chief scout] Steve Hitchen and we are very connected with [Daniel] Levy and the board.

"We're going to do what is possible and hopefully next season we can give the fans a very good season."

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is looking forward to a brief period of respite as he watched the season end with his side overcoming Newcastle 3-1 at St James’ Park.

Dwight Gayle put the home side into the driving seat less than 30 seconds into the match – the quickest goal the Reds have ever conceded in Premier League play – but they roared back as strikes from Virgil van Dijk, Divock Origi and Sadio Mane guided them to the win.

It concludes a successful campaign in which the Anfield side ended a 30-year wait without the domestic league title, albeit one protracted because of the coronavirus crisis, which caused a hectic conclusion to the campaign.

With the new season due to start on September 12, Klopp is looking forward to winding down for a fortnight before getting right back to work ahead of the new season.

“I'm not going to the office for a while. I will be together with my family, that's all I need. Two weeks and a couple of days and we start again. It will be especially difficult next season - four weeks shorter [break]. We will use that and go again,” he told Sky Sports.

“The boys played an incredible game, not a perfect game. Like you say in this country: a dead rubber.

“I didn't like the goal we conceded but it helped to make clear [what they faced]. We made so many changes after a long time of playing with similar line-ups. It's not fair on their judgement because they need to get used to their game.

“We really worked in the game and got better and better and better even before the changes. But the changes helped massively. I liked the game. It's far away from being perfect but over the season we did not just win games when everything was perfect, we won a lot of difficult games too.”

Although Liverpool’s break is shorter than they are accustomed to, they will have to watch on as Europe’s elite compete for the Champions League, after the defending continental champions were knocked out of the competition at the last-16 stage by Atletico Madrid. 

Tosin Adarabioyo has picked Blackburn Rovers’ 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday as his memorable moment during the 2019-20 season.

The 22-year-old, who spent the entire season on loan at Blackburn, was a key part of Tony Mowbray's defensive set-up and played in 34 games.

Aside from his defensive contributions, Adarabioyo also scored crucial goals for the Rovers, which include his first professional goal - in the match against Wednesday - in November 2019.

He picked the encounter because his 88th-minute equaliser inspired a late Blackburn comeback, and the defender also expressed his appreciation to the fans who showered him love during his temporary stint at the club.

“The moment that stands out was the win over Sheffield Wednesday at home,” he told the club website in his farewell chat. “It was my first goal, and then Bucko [John Buckley] went on to get that dramatic winner late on.

“It was a goal that put us back into the game and helped us get the win, a great day for all of us.

“I love our fans, they've given me lots of support and a lot of love ever since I walked through the door. I've come here, I've had the song, which I really appreciate, it's just a shame they haven't been in stadiums for the final games.

“I'm very thankful to them, they've been fantastic all season and I certainly wish them and everyone at the club all the very best for the future."

Blackburn Rovers finished the campaign in 11th after earning 63 points from 43 Championship outings.

Adarabioyo admitted the team’s regret after missing out on the play-offs, however, he feels satisfied with the improved playing minutes he got this season.

Last season, the Man City defender was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion where he played 30 league games – four games fewer than he managed at Ewood Park.

“We were all disappointed that we didn't get over the line and get into the play-offs, but looking back, I've really enjoyed my time at the club," Adarabioyo added. “We were desperate to get into the top six and it was heartbreaking that we couldn't quite do it in the end.

“It's been a long season with everything that's gone on, and it was mainly down to a few results as to why we didn't get ourselves over that line.

“It's been a great experience to be amongst some great lads," he added. "On a personal level, I feel like I've had a lot of good performances and have shown people what I can do.

“Last season I didn't play at centre half as much as I'd have liked to, so I'm delighted to have played regular football at the heart of the back four."

Super League Champions Zesco United lost 2-0 to Power Dynamos in a Sunday friendly match played at Trade Fair Ground in Ndola.

Both sides fielded strong sides and after a cagey opening, George Chisala handed Dynamos the lead in the 20th minute after Ian Otieno's error in the Zesco goal allowed his effort from the half-way line to bundle into the net. 

Zesco tried their best to draw level and had a few good chances of their own, before Alex Ngonga eventually put the game to bed with his superb strike in the 85th minute.

The loss comes at a time Zesco United are fighting to regain ground and eventually defend their league title. The Ndola club is fifth with three fewer points than current leaders Nkana FC.

George Lwandamina’s side is preparing to face Lusaka Dynamos during the next match league match while Power Dynamos will face second-placed Forest Rangers.

The champions drew in their first match when the league resumed when they recorded a 1-1 scoreline against Kansanshi Dynamos.

Before the Kansanshi Dynamos tie, two players from Zesco United tested positive for the coronavirus and Lwandamina has assessed the impact of the pandemic.

“It is very difficult when you are working on certain things and suddenly you receive that kind of news [confirmation of positives cases],” Lwandamina told the club’s portal.

“I agree that we have a good number of players but it’s not everyone who can play and more especially the time I got the news, it was when I had announced the team.

“I was forced to start calling those who were not in my team. Their first impression was that I was calling them because they were affected by the test results. But I tried to talk to them and explained the circumstances.

“I encouraged them to prepare themselves for a game they were not supposed to play. That’s not enough for players.

“We have been together in the camp including those who are sick. I know we will need to go through another test which I am sure is costly for the club, but to be certain we have to do just that.”

The former Yanga coach resigned to the fact that the situation is completely out of his control.

“It is not just about Zesco United players. Psychologically, this is going to affect everyone,” he concluded.

“The worst part of psychology is that it takes a lot of energy and stresses someone to the point that one can’t play football.

“There is nothing like good planning. You can plan but when Covid-19 test results are out, you find that everything that you had put on paper is gone. It is difficult for everyone.

“It’s only God himself who will decide if those who are in charge can’t decide, God will decide for us.”

Jeffrey Schlupp is happy with Crystal Palace's performance in the 2019-20 Premier League season after the Eagles ended their seven-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Black Stars wideman finished off a Jordan Ayew assist in the 53rd minute as the hosts peg back Spurs at Selhurst Park on Sunday.

The strike stretched his tally to three goals after 17 league appearances this season, despite struggles with varying injuries during the campaign.

Crystal Palace finished the English top flight season in the 14th place with 43 points, nine points clear of the relegation zone, and the versatile Ghanaian is overall content with how they've performed

“We’ve been safe quite early on, Schlupp told the club website. "Since the restart, results haven’t been what we wanted but we wanted to finish off the season well and I think we’ve done that today.

“We’ve had some key injuries. All in all, it has been a good season for us; we wanted to maybe challenge for something a bit higher in the league but it didn’t happen."

Schlupp ended the campaign with 17 assists, of which 11 were from the start, and registered three goals and one assist.

“We had some disappointing results but it was important for us to finish well and hopefully we can take that into the next season," he continued. “We deserve a good break first and foremost, and then we get straight back into it with a shorter pre-season than normal and pick-up where we left-off after today.”

The Premier League resumed action in June without fans in stadiums after the coronavirus hiatus that spanned over three months.

Since winning their first game against Bournemouth after the restart, Palace suffered seven straight defeats in the league before sharing the spoils against Tottenham at home.

Schlupp believes the missing atmosphere in the stadium might be the cause of their poor run of results.

“Our fans are massive for us," he concluded, "and as you can see from the restart we’ve not had the best of results and you can maybe put that down to missing our fans.

“We look forward to hopefully having them back soon and to giving us that push that we need for next season.”

Liverpool have matched Manchester City for most wins in a single Premier League season after signing off on 2019-20 with victory over Newcastle United. 

The Reds clinched their first Premier League crown and 19th overall title in the English top flight at the end of June after leading for almost the entire season. 

It was also the club's first league crown since 1990, ending a barren run of three decades without finishing on top domestically.

By winning with seven games to spare Jurgen Klopp's men set a new record, one of many over the course of a dominant campaign that was interrupted for almost three months by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Sunday saw the Reds visit St. James' Park for their final league outing, and despite an early scare they had few problems in seeing off Newcastle's challenge. 

Virgil van Dijk struck towards the end of the first half to cancel out Dwight Gayle's opener after just 25 seconds, while Divock Origi and Sadio Mane were on target after the break to seal a 3-1 win for the visitors. 

It was Liverpool's 32nd win of the Premier League, a number just one team in history has reached before. 

Manchester City recorded 32 victories in consecutive seasons in 2017-18 and 2018-19, as Pep Guardiola's men won back-to-back titles. 

City, however, remain in sole possession of the overall record for points in a single season, having picked up 100 in 2017-18. 

Liverpool finished just one shy of that milestone on 99 after taking their foot off the accelerator once the title was secured - they dropped 10 points in their last nine games with the title destined for Anfield, more than in the 29 matches beforehand - but nevertheless beat the club record set in 1978-9 of 98 (adjusted for three points for a win) under legendary manager Bob Paisley.

Sunday's victory was also the club's 14th away from home over the course of 2019-20, another record in Premier League history. 

Andre Ayew scored the only goal of the game as Swansea City secured a 1-0 win over Said Benrahma’s Brentford in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final.

The Ghana international who was in action from start to finish, scored the 81st-minute winner after benefitting Jay Fulton's assist, having earlier missed a penalty.

The strike made up for Ayew's missed spotkick, which had been saved by David Raya in the 64th minute.

The 30-year-old has now scored 16 goals after 45 league appearances this campaign as Steve Cooper's men aim to secure the final promotion slot to the Premier League.

Algeria star Said Benrahma was also in action for Brentford but his contribution was not enough to help the visitors avoid defeat at the Liberty Stadium.

The 24-year-old, who is reportedly a transfer target for Chelsea, could not add to his tally of 17 goals and eight assists before he was replaced by Joel Valencia in the 85th minute.

In his reaction, Ayew disclosed that he did not give up after missing the penalty and Swansea City will get ready for the return fixture in London on Wednesday.

“It was important to get a win today,” he told Sky Sports at the end of the game.

“When you are the penalty taker sometimes maybe you are going to miss but in important moments I shouldn't. I knew I was going to get back into it and I didn't give up.

“We have an advantage of one goal and I hope it’s going to be enough.

“Firstly, we need to get into the final before thinking about anything else. I'm only focused on that, we've had a good game and it's good to come out here with a goal.

“It's just the first half that has been played so the second half will be played in three days and we have to get ready for that.”

Ayew will be hoping to help Swansea City build on their win when they visit Brentford at Griffin park for the second leg on July 29.

Both teams have their sights set on the play-offs final scheduled for Wembley Stadium on August 4.

Musa Barrow continued his rich vein of goalscoring after netting the winner in a 3-2 win over Lecce on Sunday, and provided two assists as well.

The Rossoblu were up against Barrow’s parent club Atalanta in midweek, but Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side lost 1-0 with the Gambian starting and playing for 64 minutes before he was replaced by Nicola Sansone.

This time, the men in red and blue raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening five minutes through former Inter Milan striker Rodrigo Palacio and Roberto Soriano.

Barrow assisted both two goals - the first after holding up a Lecce player before releasing the ball for Palacio to tuck home from close range, and then provided a fine pass to Soriano on the left flank moments later which he blasted home from 25 yards.

Lecce pulled one back just before half-time via Marco Mancosu before Filippo Falco equalised for the visitors in the 66th minute.

Just when it seemed a draw was going to be the likely result, Barrow popped up with the winning goal in stoppage time.

The 21-year-old started a counter-attack with Federico Santander making a run from the centre-circle into the penalty box free of any opposition players.

His effort was, however, palmed away by Lecce goalkeeper Gabriel, the rebound fell to Riccardo Orsolini and he passed the ball to Barrow who riffled in a volley.

Barrow’s goal tally for Bologna now stands at nine coupled with three assists. Six of those goals have come since the restart of Serie A with only one of the games in which he scored ending in defeat (three wins, two draws).

It is also the second time the Gambia international has had a hand in three goals since scoring a brace and providing an assist in a 3-2 away win at Roma on February 7.

Barrow had a very impressive outing on Sunday with a total of 10 shots, two of which were on target.

He hit the woodwork once and missed two big scoring chances. He also had three successful dribbles from five attempts. His contribution still included 83 touches, the highest of any Bologna player, nine key passes and 39 accurate passes at an 81% success rate.

The Rossoblu are in 11th place with 46 points and are very much clear of relegation with games against Fiorentina and Torino left to end their campaign.

Jurgen Klopp insisted Virgil van Dijk needed no further praise after completing an ever-present season for Liverpool, although he acknowledged the defender had surpassed expectations.

Van Dijk played every minute for Liverpool in the Premier League this term as they ended as champions, finishing 18 points clear of previous title-holders Manchester City.

The Netherlands international had similarly started each match of the 2018-19 season as City pipped the Reds on the final day.

Van Dijk has been recognised as one of the league's most accomplished, consistent centre-backs since signing for Liverpool from Southampton, yet Klopp has been just as impressed by his mindset and manner.

"I'm not sure if he needs another hour of praise," Klopp told reporters after Van Dijk scored against Newcastle United in a 3-1 win. "He's good, pretty good. He's a good centre-half.

"No, he's special, his combination of skills is special, his mindset – on top of that – is special.

"This makes him a pretty good centre-half and a good guy as well, which I like a lot. I would work with him as well if he was a little more difficult to be with, but he's really low maintenance.

"He's really nice to have. We knew when we signed him we'd get a really good player, but the package is so special, and we had no idea about that. That makes him really, really exciting."

Of Van Dijk's ever-present record, the manager added with a smile: "He takes his breaks in the games from time to time, which drives me crazy.

"But I get it, I get it. It was his big target, I think, that he could do that again. Hopefully that will be possible for the rest of his career. That would be absolutely special.

"We've tried to rest him but it's difficult. So far, it's went well, and we hope it stays like this, but now he has two weeks off as well, so he doesn't need more, I'm sure."

Klopp was asked how he might describe Liverpool's season and settled on "absolutely exceptional".

"It was exceptional, absolutely exceptional, [a club-record] 99 points," he said.

"Really, how we think about it, it starts on June 1, 2019, because, yes, it was the last game of the last season [the Champions League final win over Tottenham], but for us it was the first game of a pretty special time.

"So, after that, the European Super Cup, the Club World Cup and now the Premier League is absolutely exceptional. Getting 99 points after having 97 last year is absolutely exceptional."

With the Premier League set to restart on September 12, he added: "We have two weeks off and then we still have to write a couple more chapters of the book of this team."

Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan, Marvelous Nakamba, Ahmed Elmohamady and Ezri Konsa have taken their celebration to social media after Aston Villa escaped relegation from the Premier League.

Despite Andriy Yarmolenko cancelling out Jack Grealish’s goal six minutes from full-time, Dean Smith’s men retained their place in the English top-flight at the expense of Bournemouth and Watford, who followed Norwich City to the Championship.

Congo and Angola prospect Ezri Konsa saw every minute of action, with Egypt’s Trezeguet getting substituted for Anwar El-Ghazi in the 90th minute, while Tanzania's Mbwana Samatta was replaced by Keinan Davis with 23 minutes left to play.

Zimbabwe international Nakamba was brought on for Conor Hourihane in the 76th minute.

Just like many of their teammates, the quartet took to Twitter to savour their narrow escape.

Meanwhile, manager Smith claimed securing Aston Villa’s Premier League status gives him a bigger sense of fulfilment than the club’s promotion to the top flight 12 months ago.

“I feel better than I did after getting us promoted last year in the play-offs, and that’s the honest truth," he told the club website.

“It’s been a tough season but a really enjoyable one. I’ve learned a lot, about myself, about the players.

“It’s a magnificent achievement, it shouldn’t be overlooked.

“Whether we got relegated or stayed up, my words would have been the same.

“We had a big turnaround in the summer and we had to rebuild the squad, made 12 changes.

“People looked at the amount of money we spent rather than what we had to do.

“We’re averaging £9.5million per player, which, in the Premier League, is not big by any means."

Leighton Baines has announced his retirement from football following the end of Everton's Premier League campaign.

Former England international Baines – who had been offered a one-year contract extension by Everton – made his 420th and final appearance for the Toffees on Sunday, as Carlo Ancelotti's side went down 3-1 to Bournemouth.

The 35-year-old, who has made nine appearances in all competitions this season, came on as a second-half substitute at Goodison Park.

Ancelotti later paid tribute to the stalward left-back, while suggesting that he could stay on at the Merseyside club in a non-playing capacity even after retirement. 

"Every Evertonian must be grateful to him," the Toffees boss said to reporters after the final whistle.

Baines joined Everton from Wigan Athletic in 2007, going on to become one of the Premier League's most consistent full-backs.

He scored 39 goals for Everton and was the club's first-choice left-back until Lucas Digne's arrival from Barcelona in 2018.

He also made 30 appearances for England following his 2010 debut, making the squad for both the 2012 European Championships and the 2014 World Cup.

Baines' last goal for Everton came in a Carabao Cup tie against Leicester City in December, with the defender scoring a stunning long-range strike late on, only for the Foxes to win on penalties.

Serge Aurier has paid an emotional tribute to his brother Christopher following the latter’s murder in Toulouse earlier this month.

Posting on his Instagram handle after Tottenham Hotspur’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday, Aurier revealed that he had been wearing a shirt emblazoned with his brother’s face and a tribute message underneath his Spurs kit.

Alongside the image, Aurier posted a verse from the Quran and also sent a message to his late sibling.

“May Allah accept our prayers and accept you in His kingdom of paradise,” Aurier wrote on his @TheCrazyChild93 handle. “I love you my little bro.

“I will miss you like mad,” he added. “We’ll take care of everything here, watch over us up there and rest in peace.”

African players such as Medhi Benatia, as well as Aurier’s Ivory Coast teammates Eric Bailly, Franck Kessie and Serey Die commented on the right-back’s post, paying their respects to former player Christopher, who was signed to French fifth-division side Toulouse Rodeo.

The 26-year-old was fatally wounded in the early hours of July 13 when he suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach outside a nightclub in Toulouse.

Police were called after he was discovered by local residents, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at hospital.

French authorities subsequently launched an investigation to find the culprits, with a suspect handing himself in to police a week ago.

While Tottenham invited Aurier to take compassionate leave, the defender played on during the final games of the season despite his loss.

Christopher’s death came in the aftermath of Spurs’ 2-1 victory over Arsenal in the North London derby, but Aurier still featured in subsequent matches.

He played every minute of the victories over Newcastle United and Leicester City, as well as the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on the final day of the season.

The West African ended the campaign with 33 appearances, of which 31 came from the start, and weighed in with five assists and one goal.

The wideman—who captains the Ivory Coast—signed for Toulouse in 2012 after beginning his career with Racing Club de Lens.

He won silverware aplenty at Paris Saint-Germain, and also won the Africa Cup of Nations with the Elephants.

Spanish club Juan Grande have secured the services of Lily Niber-Lawrence ahead of the 2020-21 season on a two-year deal.

Juan Grande completed the signing of the 23-year-old on Sunday, with the midfielder becoming their fourth signing this summer.

The Ghana international will move to San Bartolome de Tirajana after she parted ways with Estremadura following the expiration of her contract at the Primera Nacional division side.

At Estremadura, Niber-Lawrence impressed but they missed a playoff spot, having finished fifth with 38 points from 19 games before the coronavirus suspension and league cancellation in May.

Before her first move abroad in 2019, she started her career with Sekondi Hasaacas Ladies in Ghana before joining Portuguese side Atletico Ouriense, and left for Spain in the same year.

At international level, she represented Ghana at U17 and U20 level before being promoted to the senior team, playing for the Black Queens at the 2018 Africa Women's Cup of Nations.

Her signing emphasizes the ambition of Ruben Lopez's side to clinch a promotion spot in the coming Reto Iberdrola campaign, having ended the last outing in 14th with 16 points from 22 games.

Besides the Ghanaian, Canary Islands striker Judith Acosta, Paraguay midfielder Fanny Godoy and defensive compatriot Daysy Bareiro are the three other new signings for the second-tier club.

Niber-Lawrence will be aiming for an impactful outing on her second season in Spain when Juan Grande take the field in their quest for top-flight promotion in the 2020-21 season on September 21.

Troy Deeney brushed off questions over his footballing future after suffering relegation to the Championship with Watford on Sunday.

The Hornets started the final day of the Premier League season in the relegation zone and were unable to produce a great escape, going down to a 3-2 defeat away at Arsenal.

Watford showed fighting spirit through to the end, though Deeney admitted they had simply not been good enough throughout a campaign that saw three permanent managers in charge.

But he put a brave face on his disappointment to face up to speculation over whether he would hang up his boots.

"I'm not that old, you cheeky b*stard!" the 32-year-old joked to Sky Sports, before apologising for his coarse language on camera.

"You've got to look at the bigger picture. It's not a today moment, it's not about the last week, it's a reflection of the last year.

"We've not quite been good enough at both ends of the pitch and it showed again today. 

"It's frustrating. It's disappointing. It's heartbreaking for the people who work behind the scenes. A lot of people who are at clubs normally get affected by relegation. We feel sorry for them. 

"I will take the stick in regards to what comes social-media wise, but the harsh reality of it is that people will probably lose their jobs because we haven't been good enough.  

"As players, we have to step forward and take that, and as a club and community we will go again."

Deeney caused a stir in October 2017 when saying Arsenal - then managed by Arsene Wenger - had lacked "cojones" after letting slip a lead to lose 2-1 at Vicarage Road.

While the 32-year-old - who revealed he had played through a knee injury for a month - has no doubt some will come back at him for the jibe, he is unsure if he will be at Watford next season.

"I don't know if this is going to be my last game for Watford. You do your job, you front up to it, this is the harsh realities," he said.

"I've got a knee operation next week, but clubs can go in different directions. I'm not saying it is my last game, but if it is, I feel I went out on my shield and gave everything I had."