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Former Asante Kotoko star Frimpong Manso is delighted by the club's new policy to purely depend on their current side and youth system for first-team talent.

After constituting a new board in May, club life patron Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has ordered the Kumasi-based outfit to stay off the transfer market for the next year as part of measures to enforce a new direction for the side.

Arguably Ghana's biggest club and believed to be the nation's richest outfit, Kotoko are known for their unrivalled financial clout in the transfer market on the local scene.

“I am really excited about the directives from Manhyia [Palace] to the Board to develop Youth side for Asante Kotoko. It is surely the start of an exciting moment for the club," Manso, also a former coach of Kotoko, told Opemsuo FM.

“In developing the young players, it demands experienced hands that really have the pre-requisite skills about youth development.

"And I would want to plead with the Board to consider the old players of the club who are coaches, and understand the cultural perspectives of the club.

“This is a project that needs support from all and sundry to see it happening soon. It is a difficult project but when it fully matures, its results are nothing short of the best."

Manhyia Palace chief of staff Manhyia Palace Kofi Badu confirmed this development after the club's board meeting last month.

The Manhyia Palace is the seat of Otumfuo.

"Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has directed that the club should not recruit any new player for at least a season,"  Badu said as was announced by the club.

"The reason is to temporarily stop the player attrition rate and enable us to work with the current crop of players, who the Asantehene thinks have the quality to push the club to the top."

With 23 titles, Kotoko are the most successful club in the history of the Ghana Premier League (GPL).

In May, the club was almost handed a transfer ban by Fifa over the transfer Ghana forward Emmanuel Clottey from Tunisian side Esperance in 2015.

The transfer breach resulted in a $240,000 [€218,915] loss for the club.

Norwich City sporting director Stuart Webber assumed responsibility for the club's relegation from the Premier League, acknowledging his transfer work was comparable to sending someone to war without a gun.

The Canaries were thrashed 4-0 by West Ham at home on Saturday, condemning them to relegation after looking doomed for months.

Norwich were promoted from the Championship as title winners last season, but of the three teams to come up, they have struggled the most – though Aston Villa could yet join them back in the second tier.

But Webber, who is highly regarded for his work with the previously financially crippled Canaries, absolved Daniel Farke and the players of blame, urging supporters to point the finger at him.

"Frankly, we've not been good enough and people don't like to hear that. People want to look for reasons and delve deeper, in the end it comes down to quality," he told reporters in a wide-ranging news conference on Monday. "I said to someone the other day, it's like we've gone into a war without a gun, and guess what? We've been shot.

"Even when you have money, unless you have real money and you can spend money to get top quality, you can also go and waste a lot of money. That's one thing I'll make no apologies for, that's one thing I was refusing to do.

"I was not going to put this club in the state I found it – frankly, if people don't like that, I'm okay with it. If people above me don't like it, then I'll go, but I'm not going to leave this place in the state I found it in.

"Could we have done better? Of course we could, I'm the first to admit that. I'm sure when we go through this, people will want to look for someone to blame – blame me. Don't blame the players, don't blame Daniel, don't blame the staff or the board, blame me. I can take it because I don't read it. It doesn't affect me."

Relegation will likely increase the chances of some of Norwich's many talented young players attracting interest, with Max Aarons, Todd Cantwell, Ben Godfrey, Emiliano Buendia and Jamal Lewis all considered promising prospects.

But Webber has warned potential suitors they will still have to pay a premium, insisting Norwich will be negotiating from a position of strength.

"We are difficult to negotiate with when we are selling, and we hold all the cards on our young players," he added. "Not one of them has less than three years left on their contracts. They owe us, we owe them.

"They are homegrown, and British players cost more. That is almost a Premier League tax these days. We are fortunate we have a few of them. I am sure there will also be interest in our younger ones, but that will be on our terms.

"If it is top clubs, like when Leicester City came in for James Maddison, you have to respect they can pay him and us a lot of money, and the player has his own personal ambitions, but will we sell someone on the cheap just because they say they want to go? No chance.

"The staff here know I am fair, and it won't be deluded figures we ask for, but we also need good characters to get us back up. We got just over £20million for Maddison, after one season in the Championship, and we needed the money.

"So, what I would be saying to people is, please have a look at that before you pick up the phone to us. That has set the benchmark for our club."

Toronto FC played out a 2-2 draw with DC United in their opening game of the MLS is Back Tournament played inside ESPN’s Wide World of Sports Complex

Ayo Akinola’s double powered Greg Vanney’s men to a 2-0 lead in the first half, but DC United levelled the scores in the last 45 minutes despite having one of their players sent off.

Akinola put the Reds ahead after 12 minutes with a screamer after receiving the ball from Alejandro Pozuelo, the 20-year-old unleashed a powerful shot past goalkeeper Bill Hamid.

A minute before the half-time break, he completed his brace with Pozuelo providing the assist again. Pozuelo won possession in the attacking third with a high press before racing towards the back post where Akinola was wide open for the simplest of finishes.

DC United looked to be dead and buried before the half-time whistle after Junior Moreno was sent off by referee Fotis Bazakos for a second caution.

Nevertheless, that did not deter Ben Olsen’s side as they braved the odds in the second-half to ensure that the game ended on a no winner, no vanquished note.

Debutant Federico Higuain pulled one back for the Black and Red in the 84th minute – four minutes after replacing Ulises Segura.

He wasted no time making an impression, scoring a delightful chip before Frederic Brilliant headed home the equaliser past goalkeeper Quentin Westberg in the 91st minute.

Akinola could have sealed the winner for Vanney’s team but Hamid deflected away his header – which also robbed him of the chance of completing a hat-trick.

Toronto FC come up against Montreal Impact, who bowed 1-0 to New England Revolution, in their next game on July 16.

Born to Nigerian parents in Detroit, the forward - who has represented the United States at the U15, U17 and U20level - is eligible to play for the Americans, Canada and Nigeria at senior level.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had reached out to him to switch his allegiance to his fatherland, however, Akinola’s response was that he would make his choice at a later stage.

The MLS is Back Tournament is a month-long World Cup-style championship launched by Major Soccer League to mark the league's return to action after being shut down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

John Makwatta and Jesse Were will seek to continue with their goalscoring exploits for Zesco United when the National Super League resumes in mid-July.

Zesco United, also home to Kenyan internationals Ian Otieno and David Owino, will face Kansanshi Dynamos on July 19 at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.

Kitwe United will host Police College on July 18 in what will be the first match for the Super League since the suspension. The match which will be hosted at the Levy Mwanawasa and will kick-off at 13:00.

Ugandan goalkeeper Mathias Kigonya and his Forest Rangers teammates will take to the pitch in the second match at the same stadium at 15:00.

After the Zesco United vs Kansanshi Dynamos Sunday’s tie, Buildcon FC will tackle Power Dynamos at the Ndola Stadium as well.

All the matches will be honoured without the attendance of fans as a measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

“The Football Association of Zambia [FAZ] wishes to re-affirm its message that the resumption of the Super League and National Division One will be under closed doors,” Zambia’s FA said in a statement.

FAZ general-secretary Adrian Kashala explained why the spectators will have to watch the actions on their screens at home.

“We would like to re-emphasise that the league will resume as indicated this weekend behind closed doors. The health situation in the nation, as guided by the authorities, still requires that we observe the guidelines provided,” Kashala said.

“Only people that are part of the matchday squad, stadium staff, security personnel and media are expected to be at the stadia.”

Kashala also confirmed media personnel who intend to cover the proceedings will not be allowed to carry out interviews.

“Our colleagues in the media will be allowed access to stadia subject to observing the guidelines,” the FAZ official explained.

“Media personnel will not be allowed any contact with the players. We will have the broadcast partner SuperSport and also club media officers stepping in to fill the gap.”

Zambian is the third in Africa to resume their domestic competitions Burundi and Tanzania.

The Ligue A of Burundi has since ended while the Tanzanian league is ongoing and fans have been allowed to attend with the strict observation of health guidelines. 

Gor Mahia skipper Kenneth Muguna has hinted he could leave the club this transfer window.

The former Western Stima midfielder is among the players who have been linked with a move away from the Kenyan champions ahead of the new season.

Muguna, who won the 2017 Kenyan Premier League (KPL), Player of the Year Award, before joining K’Ogalo, has taken to his social media pages with a strong message indicating he may not be at the club for next season.

“A new challenge, maybe,” Muguna, who has 18 months left on his contract, wrote on his Twitter handle.

In a previous interview, Muguna admitted he will not hesitate to jump ship if the right deal arrives in the next transfer window.

“I cannot say about tomorrow because I have 18 months left on my contract with the club,” Muguna was quoted by People Sports.

“However, when something comes up and it is good enough, we will consider it as long as due process transpires.

“For now it is a wait-and-see approach as we weigh options because so far three clubs have shown interest, so we are just waiting for the right time.

“This is our job as players and so we will always be knocking on doors. As long as the pocket is right, players will get motivated to play.

“At the end of the day, the right environment will be the driving force behind a player’s performance, after all, we have mouths to feed.”

Gor Mahia coach Steven Polack is on record as stating he does not want to lose any player from his current squad ahead of next season.

“If you ask me, I know very little about contracts of my players because I never signed them,” Polack told Goal in a previous interview.

“I don’t know which player is running down a contract or which player wants to go.

“But as a coach, I want to keep all my players, I have to fight and keep my players it is not good to lose your players so I have to fight to keep the squad intact, you need all your good players available.”

Apart from Muguna, who has been linked with a move to Tanzanian giants Simba SC, Gor Mahia could also lose defender Joash Onyango.

Blackburn Rovers defender Darragh Lenihan has heaped praise on Tosin Adarabioyo for his exceptional performances at the club and he hopes Rovers can retain him for the 2020-21 season.

Adarabioyo has been in excellent form for the Championship outfit since his arrival on a season-long loan from Manchester City last summer.

The 22-year-old is a regular figure in Blackburn’s defence this term and he has made 33 league appearances so far with three goals to his name.

Lenihan, who has partnered the Nigerian descent in the defence on several occasions this season, praised Adarabioyo’s personality and the quality he has added to Mowbray’s team.

The Irish right-back hopes Blackburn can devise a transfer plan to retain his services.

"As a player and a person, he has just been exceptional. Extremely professional in the way he goes about and does the right things,” Lenihan told Lancs Live.

"Jeez, it would be really good to get him back but I fully believe that he could potentially be playing in Man City's team next season. That's how good I think he is.

"He's been brilliant since he's come in, gone about the business and when he has played he's done ever so well. He's brought us that quality that you can see throughout the game.

"It will be a miss if we don't get him back but fingers crossed we can potentially work something for the new season."

Adarabioyo has been at Man City from the age of five and his current deal with the Citizens will expire in June 2021.

Although he has played across all levels of England's youth set-up, the 22-year-old is still eligible to play for Nigeria at senior level.

He will be looking to help Blackburn secure maximum points when they travel to Millwall for their next Championship outing on Tuesday.

Former Atletico Madrid star Diego Forlan wants Sergio Aguero to return to La Liga before he brings an end to his playing career.

The Argentine attacker spent five years in the Spanish top-flight with Atletico, scoring 100 goals in 230 appearances for the capital club as they won the Europa League and UEFA Super Cup.

The striker moved to Manchester City in 2011 and has enjoyed a successful nine years in England.

Aguero has scored an impressive 254 goals in 370 appearances in all competitions, lifting four Premier League titles as well as the League Cup five times and the FA Cup on one occasion.

The 32-year-old has a year left on his contract with Pep Guardiola's team, though the club are reportedly set to offer him an extension.

Forlan, however, would rather see his former team-mate return to Spain in the near future.

"It would be great to see Aguero again in La Liga, he arrived in Spain very young but played good football," the former Uruguay star said.

"It would be spectacular for La Liga."

Forlan and Aguero's former side are currently fourth in La Liga, level on points with Sevilla and 14 points behind leaders Real Madrid with two matches left to play.

Diego Simeone's team are unbeaten in their last 15 matches in all competitions and will face RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals of the Champions League after eliminating title holders Liverpool in the last round.

And Forlan has been impressed by Atleti's current form since La Liga returned from the three-month coronavirus-enforced suspension.

"Everybody demands Atletico get to the top of the table, but their return since the pandemic has been very good," he added. "And in August they will have the chance to play in the Champions League."

The 41-year-old also endorsed Barcelona's pursuit of Inter star Lautaro Martinez, as he believes the 22-year-old Argentina international could take over as the Camp Nou side's star forward.

"He would be a good option to replace Luis Suarez or Lionel Messi when the moment will come and he can start adapting to Barcelona," he said.

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett was left "gobsmacked" to see Leicester star Jamie Vardy avoid a red card for kicking Shkodran Mustafi during the 1-1 draw with Arsenal last week.

The England striker's boot caught the side of the Gunners centre-back's head as the pair tumbled to the ground following a challenge for the ball in the first half of the Premier League clash.

Referee Chris Kavanagh appeared not to spot the incident, however, as Vardy went unpunished and eventually netted the equaliser for the Foxes in the 84th minute of the clash.

While VAR did not intervene to punish Vardy, it was called upon later in the game, leading to Arsenal attacker Eddie Nketiah being dismissed in the second period, just four minutes after he came off the bench.

The inconsistency infuriated manager Mikel Arteta, who told reporters after the match: "If [Nketiah] can be a red card then Leicester has to play with 10 men after 42 minutes – that has to be a red card as well."

And the Spaniard was not the only one perplexed by the decision to let Vardy stay in the game, as Hackett said it proves there is a crisis of leadership in the Professional Game Match Officials Board, which is responsible for setting and improving refereeing standards across English football.

“Let me make it quite clear Jamie Vardy should have been sent off," the 76-year-old said to Football Insider.

“That was a very clear and deliberate act, in my opinion he knew what he was doing.

“I was absolutely gobsmacked that VAR didn’t intervene, my phone started buzzing after that. I had Mark Halsey on the phone saying: ‘How can that not be a red card?’.

“I just couldn’t believe it, he’s had a look at where the player is and he’s whacked him with his boot!

“I’m getting inundated with emails asking why is the standard of refereeing in England declining so badly, let me tell you this: it’s through lack of leadership and lack of firm management.

“You can quote me on this, the PGMOL is being run like Butlin’s holiday camp!”

Logrono defender Nothando Vilakazi has shared her excitement about her move to Spain, describing the switch as a "dream come true".

The Primera Iberdrola outfit secured the services of the Banyana Banyana star last week from the South African Sasol Women's League side TUT ladies, who she helped to the title in 2019.

Having signed, the South African became the sixth signing as Gerardo Leon's team gear up for the 2020-21 season, having ended in seventh and with a Women's Cup semi-final the last term.

On her return to European football, having played for Lithuanian side Gintra Universitetas before - Vilakazi is looking forward to playing for the Spanish Primera Iberdrola outfit.

“I can’t wait to get that side, I am itching to get back on the field after the whole world was sidelined by Covid-19," Vilakazi told Safa.net.

"I am so happy and excited that I have been able to secure this move to Spain, which is one of the top leagues when it comes to women’s football.

"To be honest, I am excited and nervous at the same time excited about the move, but also nervous that I am going to a new country, which means new beginnings. This is really a dream come true."

The 31-year-old becomes the third South African woman to join a Spanish top-flight outfit after the stints of Ode Fulutudilu and Jermaine Seoposenwe, with Malaga and Real Betis, respectively.

She is the third Banyana player to move in 2020 after Thembi Kgatlana, Linda Motlhalo, Bambanani Mbane and Seoposenwe joined Benfica, Djurgarden, Dinamo Minsk and Sporting Braga respectively.  

And the TUT Ladies product has promised to be a good football ambassador of her country on her second adventure in Europe.

“I am confident this new venture will, without doubt, improve my football, which in return will benefit the national team immensely," she continued.

"All the players who are based abroad are ambassadors and we need to set good examples and standards for those that are back home or those that will follow in our footsteps, so yes there is a lot of pressure on all of us – but it is the kind that motivates us to well and represent our country most outstandingly.

“I am confident this will help Banyana Banyana to be stronger as we now have several players moving abroad.

"I believe that more players should join overseas teams for the benefit of women’s football in South Africa. Let’s just hope that what we are doing will open more doors for the talent we have in our country.”

UEFA could come under public pressure to review its Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations and procedures after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) quashed Manchester City's two-year European ban, according to sports lawyer Rob Jones.

The initial sanction, including a €30 million (£27m/$34m) fine, was announced by UEFA in February after it found City guilty of breaching FFP rules between 2012 and 2016. 

UEFA had launched an investigation after a series of articles published by Der Spiegel in November 2018 alleged the Premier League club had artificially inflated sponsorship revenues. 

City took the case to CAS, which found in their favour on Monday.  While fined a reduced €10m for failing to co-operate with the investigation, the suspension from European competitions was overturned. 

CAS is yet to publish the full written reasons for its decision but stated most of the alleged breaches were "either not established or time-barred" due to a five-year limit in UEFA's regulations.

While there may be public calls for reform, Jones says any potential review of UEFA's FFP rules and procedures, and their implementation, will depend on the reasons CAS outlines for its decision.

Asked by Stats Perform News how significant the decision is, Jones said: "If it's detailed in the final award that there were procedural irregularities and conduct that UEFA were responsible for that has had a meaningful impact on the decision that has been made by CAS, then UEFA will be under a lot of pressure to make reforms of its procedures.

"I don't think, looking at the media release, that there are ground-breaking, fundamental principles that have been decided as unlawful and affect other sports disputes procedures.

"But the final award may reflect on some procedural issues that UEFA may need to address. And if that is the case then they will be under a lot of pressure - and not that they're not under a lot of pressure anyway at the moment - to reform the FFP regulations. 

"It seems to the general public like the rules don't have teeth … surely the current FFP is not fit for purpose and they'll be under a lot of pressure for a review of it. 

"I know the president of UEFA has been talking about a luxury tax and other sorts of reforms generally. I think they are slightly delayed at the moment because of the pandemic. 

"But certainly there will be a lot of pressure to at least review, if not conduct some minor or more material reforms on their policies and procedures." 

Ahmed Elmohamady has charged his Aston Villa teammates to repeat Sunday’s winning mentality when they take on Everton in their next Premier League outing on Thursday.

The Claret and Blue Army ended their 10-match winless run in the English top-flight against Crystal Palace on Sunday, thanks to Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan's brace.

They are unmoved from the 19th spot on the league table after the win, and are four points adrift of safety after gathering 30 points from 35 games.

Ahead of their final three games in the Premier League season, Elmohamady, who has made 16 league appearances so far, urged his teammates to keep fighting and aim for maximum points against Everton, Arsenal and West Ham United in the coming days.

“There’s always pressure when you’re in the relegation zone, but you have to keep fighting,” Elmohamady told the club website.

“We have three games left and we have to try and win them all to stay in the Premier League.

“In the final three games, we have to win. There is no other option. We have to go to Everton with a mentality like today, keep a clean sheet and get the three points.”

Sunday's brace was Trezeguet's first goals in the Premier League since December, bringing an end to his 18-game goal drought.

In congratulating his Egyptian teammate, Elmohamady thinks the strikes would give 25-year-old winger confidence to score more and help Aston Villa’s fight against relegation.

“Goals are always good for confidence,” he said.

“He’s worked hard on the training ground and in games, and now that he’s got his goals he’ll play with more confidence and freedom. Hopefully he can score two or three more goals over the next few games.

“In the last few games we’ve created a few chances but just lacked that final touch, the final ball, which we found today.”

Nemanja Matic says Mason Greenwood reminds him of Arjen Robben - and there aren’t many young players in world football who compare to his Manchester United team-mate.

The 18-year-old forward has seen his star rise since the Premier League resumed in June, a key part of his side’s flourishing attack with four goals and one assist in his last three games.

Matic says Greenwood has developed since making his first-team bow in March 2019, and praised his effect on the rest of the dressing room.

“There are not many players his age of that level,” Matic told Stats Perform News. “He has this natural instinct for goals.

"There is a big difference from now to six months ago. He is young and he is changing, and his approach to training and to everything is different.

“He's a great person, great for the changing room.

"He is quiet, I have to say, but the boy is always very positive and we are happy to have him in the team."

Greenwood has 16 goals and five assists to his name so far this season, a remarkable tally for a teenager in his first full campaign at senior level.

United are keen for him to keep his feet on the ground but Matic has high hopes for him.

Asked which player he most reminds him of, Matic picked one of the 21st century’s most dangerous attackers.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on the lad, but if I had to say someone, it would be [Arjen] Robben," Matic said.

Matic also added to the inevitable comparisons being made between Greenwood and fellow United academy graduate Marcus Rashford.

"I think that when he has seen players who came through the academy, he has seen Marcus as a role model and he has tried to follow those steps, it was easier too for him to see that someone can achieve big things coming from the academy, so I am happy for him," he added.

"It is important to have players from the academy. They are making big players, good people, it's important they are good people for the changing room.

"The expectation from our fans is high and they have to be ready to play at the highest level."

Jack Grealish would be a “bit-part player” at Manchester United, according to Stephen Warnock, with the Aston Villa playmaker considered to hold little sporting and commercial value to the Red Devils at £80 million ($101m).

That is the price tag the 24-year-old midfielder is said to have around his neck heading towards the next transfer window.

United are among those said to be mulling over a big-money raid on Villa, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer having had Grealish in his sights for some time.

The Red Devils have, however, seen Bruno Fernandes thrive in their engine room, with World Cup winner Paul Pogba now fit and firing alongside him.

Solskjaer can also call upon the likes of Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood in wide attacking berths, with there seemingly little room for Grealish at the Theatre of Dreams.

Warnock concedes as much, with the former Villa defender considering it unlikely that United will splash the cash on a player who would add little more than depth to their ranks.

He told Stadium Astro: "It's the going rate for players, but for £80m I want someone who's going to start week-in and week-out.

"When you think about his global appeal for Manchester United, is he going to sell you shirts week-in and week-out to repay a lot of that money that he's going to cost? I'm not so sure he will.

"But who else will buy him for £80m with the pandemic that we're coming out of and can clubs afford to shell out £80m?

"I don't think they can. That figure would have to come down considerably and I think it will as well."

Warnock, who spent four years at Villa between 2009 and 2013, added: "If he was to join a club like Manchester United then being around better players, playing higher up the pitch and not having to do three or four jobs on the football pitch that he feels he has to do drag the team back up to where they need to be, I think he'll be a far superior player in a much better team.

"Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows that and he understands the qualities that Jack Grealish possesses, it adds to the quality of United's squad.

"Would he play every week? That's what Jack has to work out in his head.

"If he was to go to United, is he happy being a bit-part player?"

Grealish is currently trying to help steer Villa towards Premier League survival, but they remain inside the bottom three as things stand – four points from safety with three games left to take in.

Frank Lampard insists Chelsea were never “pinning hopes” on Manchester City’s European ban being upheld, with those in west London determined to earn Champions League qualification.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has overturned UEFA-imposed sanctions on City that would have seen them ruled out of continental competition for two years.

Pep Guardiola’s side will be back among the elite in 2020-21, with the intention of those at Stamford Bridge being to join them.

Inconsistency is making life a little difficult in that quest at present, but Chelsea’s fate remains squarely in their own hands.

A ban for City would have meant that they could slip as far as fifth and still book a Champions League berth, but Lampard insists his focus has always been on finishing inside the top four.

The Blues boss told reporters ahead of a home date with relegated Norwich on Tuesday: “I genuinely don't see beyond the games at hand. We've got a few games now, we know that. We want to win them and then see if it gets us European, Champions League football for next season.

“I was never pinning my hopes on it being an extra team getting in or not, we worry about ourselves.

“If we win enough games now we can get into the Champions League.”

Lampard added on whether pressure on his side has now been ramped up: “I don’t know. We are sitting third, it is in our hands.

“I wouldn’t want the players to be thinking that there is an extra place, can we relax a little more? It can’t be the way.

“The pressure is there to get Champions League football. It is just what happened [with City], it is clear now. It’s the position and we have to fight for it.”

Chelsea are already piecing together ambitious plans for next season, with deals done for the likes of Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner .

The plan is to give them a Champions League stage to grace, with Lampard confident that even more top talent can be lured to west London.

He said when asked whether missing out on the top four would impact his recruitment plans: “Not really a question just for me and it is a hypothetical one for me to answer before the event, hence why I don’t jump forward into that.

“We have brought a couple of players into the club already, which shows positivity about where we want to go.

“We know the club not being able to do business in the last two windows has meant we haven’t been able to bring in, move players out and I think that is as an important thing than bringing players in at times, to keep freshening up the squad and keeping the competitive nature of it.

“I know where I want to go with the squad, but that has to be a fluid conversation with the club. Of course, economics will come into it, so we will cross that bridge when it comes.”

Arsenal are being held back by basic errors and certain players placing too much emphasis on statistics, says Paul Merson, with the Gunners warned that the combined forces of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger could not help them if players “can’t pass the ball five yards”.

Sead Kolasinac struggled on that front during a north London derby clash with Tottenham on Sunday, with the Bosnian defender teeing up Heung-min Son to cancel out Alexandre Lacazette’s opener.

He had been looking to pick out David Luiz, but a wayward pass slipped past his Brazilian colleague and into the path of the clinical Korean forward.

Questionable marking from a set-piece then allowed Toby Alderweireld to grab what would prove to be the winner for Spurs, with Mikel Arteta once again left cursing his luck after seeing individual mistakes undermine the collective effort.

Merson admits that is proving to be a regular occurrence for an inconsistent outfit, with the former Gunners star telling Sky Sports: “Against Spurs, I don't care if you've got Pep Guardiola sitting on Jose Mourinho's lap, on top of Sir Alex Ferguson's lap, on top of Arsene Wenger's lap and all four of them are one manager: if you've got a defender who can't pass the ball five yards to another defender, you are in trouble.

“When the manager puts on a training session and you're doing five-yard passes to start off with, everybody is moaning: ‘What the hell are we doing this for? Who can't pass the ball five yards?’ But that is why. It's concentration, so you can keep on doing it without even thinking about it, like you're brushing your teeth in the morning.

“It's just a really, really poor pass. But that's Arsenal, they have that ability to shoot themselves in the foot. He could play that in his sleep, he didn't even have to turn around.

“But this raises another question, and I don't know why footballers do this. All Kolasinac has to do is dink that down the line, but if he sticks it down the line and a defender comes across and clears for a throw in, that doesn't count as a completed pass in the stats. Footballers are so obsessed with pass percentages. Defenders want 88, 89, 90 per cent pass completion, but they're all five-yard passes to each other! Who cares? Honestly?

“There are so many stats now, and players are scared of them, so try to play the easy ball! If that ball reaches David Luiz, what is he going to do with it? I'll tell you: he'll roll it back to the goalkeeper, the goalkeeper will get closed down, and he will clear it up to halfway, which is where Arsenal were to begin with! It's just common sense. These are international players!

“All these players should care about is keeping clean sheets: that should be like scoring a hat-trick for a defender. You want defenders who think that way.”

Arsenal, who have slipped to ninth in the Premier League table, will seek to get their bid for European qualification back on track when they play host to champions Liverpool on Wednesday.

La Liga president Javier Tebas has responded angrily to Manchester City’s successful appeal against their two-year European ban.

City had been banned from participating in UEFA competitions for two years and fined €30 million (£25m/$33m) for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

However, the Premier League side appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and on Monday, their appeal was found successful.

City’s UEFA ban was lifted, meaning they will play in next season’s Champions League, and their fine reduced to €10m (£9m/$11m).

"Manchester City FC did not disguise equity funding as sponsorship contributions but did fail to cooperate with the UEFA authorities," read the CAS statement.

"The CAS award emphasized that most of the alleged breaches reported by the Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB were either not established or time-barred," added CAS, which will publish its full written reasons over the coming days.

La Liga chief Tebas was supportive of City’s ban, and is clearly unhappy to see it repealed.

“We have to reassess whether the CAS is the appropriate body to which to appeal institutional decisions in football,” he said.

“Switzerland is a country with a great history of arbitration, the CAS is not up to standard.”

After City were originally banned in February, Tebas said on Twitter: “UEFA is finally taking decisive action.

“Enforcing Financial Fair Play rules and punishing financial doping is essential to the future of football.

“Years ago, we called for severe action against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Better late than never.”

City had maintained their innocence throughout the process, and there will surely be a sense of relief for Pep Guardiola and his players.

A statement from the club said: "Whilst Manchester City and its legal advisors are yet to review the full ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the club welcomes the implications of today’s ruling as a validation of the club’s position and the body of evidence that it was able to present.

"The club wishes to thank the panel members for their diligence and the due process that they administered."

Manchester City have already qualified for next season’s Champions League and are still in with a chance of lifting this season’s trophy.

They hold a 2-1 lead over Real Madrid ahead of the home leg of their as yet unfinished last-16 tie.

Mohun Bagan have named Spanish midfielder Joseba Beitia as their Player of The Year for the 2019-20 season.

The Spaniard was in excellent form throughout last season and played a crucial role in guiding the club to their second I-League title. Beitia played 16 matches during the campaign, scored three goals and provided three assists.

Sajal Bag, a member of the Mohun Bagan U-18 team has been named as the Best Youth Player of the season.

Every year, Mohun Bagan celebrate July 29 as ‘Mohun Bagan Day’ in a grand manner to commemorate the famous IFA Shield triumph over British regimental side East Yorkshire in 1911. Unfortunately, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the club has decided against organizing a grand celebration.

The club’s highest honour, the ‘Mohun Bagan Ratna’, will be awarded to former Indian Hockey legend Gurbux Singh and former Bengal and Mohun Bagan Cricketer Palash Nandi.

The awards would be presented in person to the people who are in Kolkata. Those who are presently unavailable in Kolkata will be given the award later. 

Here is the list of awardees in 2020:

Mohun Bagan Ratna

Shri Gurbux Singh (Hockey)

Shri Palash Nandi (Cricket)

Lifetime Achievement

1. Shri Ashok Kumar (Hockey)

2. Shri Pranab Ganguly (Football)

3. Shri Monoranjan Porel (Athletics)

Best Football Player (Senior)

Joseba Beitia

Best Youth Player

Sajal Bag (U18 team)