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Paul Pogba says life at Manchester United “is about trophies”, with the World Cup winner urging the FA Cup and Europa League-chasing Red Devils to ensure that an opportunity to land two pieces of silverware does not “go away”.

A testing 2019-20 campaign could still deliver a positive finish at Old Trafford.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has his side closing in on a top-four spot, and the Champions League qualification which goes along with that, while major honours are also in his sights.

United have made their way to the semi-finals of the FA Cup while also having one foot in the last eight of the Europa League.

Pogba has helped the Red Devils to that continental crown once before, back in 2017, and is determined to ensure that a chance to add to his personal medal collection is not passed up.

The France international told United Review: “United is about trophies, we know that. And there are trophies we know we can get and we can win.

“We don’t want to let this opportunity go away. We’re going to do our best to go and get those two trophies by giving everything.

“We feel great. That is the mentality now – you have a positive mentality when you have a good result, but you also have to have the ability to get through the games like we did in the last few games.

“Every game is a final and we have to get the result that we need, that’s the mindset. It’s never enough for us, we have to carry on and keep fighting and keep pushing yourself to get better and better.”

Confidence is surging through the collective ranks at Old Trafford, with United having pieced together a 17-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

Solskjaer is eager to point out that nothing has been achieved yet, but Pogba is among those feeling buoyant.

The 27-year-old midfielder added on the progress being made by the Red Devils: “Like I said before, it’s about the team. You can call it a proper team.

“Sometimes before, we were maybe too defensive or too offensive and we didn’t have this balance or this control; now you can see we have that balance and there is more structure and we’ve been working hard on that.

“The improvement is huge and you can tell that. It’s always good to have that improvement, but you don’t want to stop it, you know you have to keep working.

“There is a lot of stuff to do, we are not there yet but we are on the way, and if we keep doing what we’re doing now, then I think there is nothing that can stop us to get to where we should be.”

United will be back in Premier League action on Monday when they take in a home game with Southampton.

Jurgen Klopp has set a date for his departure from Liverpool, with the German planning to head home when his contract at Anfield expires in 2024.

The enigmatic 53-year-old committed to fresh terms with the Reds in December 2019 and, since putting pen to paper, a first English top-flight title in 30 years has been delivered on Merseyside.

The Premier League crown has been added to the Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup prizes collected over the course of a memorable 13 months.

The challenge facing Klopp is to build on that success and establish another dynasty for Liverpool.

He intends to oversee that project, but is also starting to piece together plans for the next chapter in his career.

“Four years in Liverpool,” Klopp told SWR Sport when asked how long he intends to stick around in England.

Asked if he intends to head back to Germany at that point, the Reds boss said: “Definitely to live, after my career. Most likely even to Mainz.”

Klopp concedes that anything is possible once his association with Liverpool comes to a close, with the opportunity there for him to work in another club role, a national team post or “do nothing for a year”.

A man who has been at Anfield since October 2015 is, however, aware that no long-term plans can be set in stone at this stage.

He added: “In five years the world can look very different again.”

Much has changed during his time on Merseyside, with the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 presenting another unexpected challenge.

Liverpool have wrapped up a long-awaited title triumph with no supporters in attendance to acknowledge the achievement, but Klopp maintains that a “crazy” party will be held once public health concerns have been eased.

He said on getting fans back into stadiums: “The moment we can do that again, we want to celebrate the title. Even if that is a little strange, that you celebrate a title several months later.

“But Liverpool is an exceptional club, we will surely get something done. We're going to try to celebrate the title in a crazy way.

“We want to celebrate life. People can now plan longer so that they can be there. Maybe we can make something out of it that hasn't been done before.”

South African Football Association (Safa) chief executive officer Tebogo Motlanthe says it is not practical to expect the 2019/20 PSL season to resume in July 2020.

This comes after the PSL's acting chief executive Mato Madlala sent out a letter to Motlanthe, informing him of the decision by the league’s Board of Governors (BoG) during their meeting on Thursday.

The letter indicated PSL matches will take place in a biologically safe environment in Gauteng and the games are scheduled to start on Saturday, July 18 with football having been suspended in the country since March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I would like to express utter surprise at the contents of the letter, coming as it does only a few hours after we agreed at our meeting today [at the request of the NSL] that we cannot conduct any substantive deliberations due to absence of Mr Murphy due to ill health,” Motlanthe told IOL.

PSL's compliance officer Michael Murphy has been ensuring that all 16 PSL clubs and 16 National First Division (NFD) teams undergo coronavirus testing protocols.

“The unilateral confirmation of training venues and the date for resumption on 18 July 2020 by NSL is against the spirit of our meeting and resolution of the Joint Liaison Committee," Motlanthe added.

"Sadly, it also undermines Minister (of Sport) Nathi Mathethwa’s directive that the association should play an overarching role in this matter.”

Motlanthe insists that football can only resume after August 1 and he also stressed the importance of match officials undergoing testing protocols.

“I wish to reiterate two critical factors we outlined at the meeting today (Friday): that we are committed to the resumption of play under safe conditions wherein the safety of players, team officials, match officials and other participants is not compromised,” he explained.

“Secondly, that for the reasons outlined at the meeting and in the presentation, I have since sent you, it is not practical to expect the resumption of play before 1 August.

“It is for this reason that we agreed to invite the management of the referees’ department to our next meeting to outline their project timelines, which will then enable all of us to take informed, responsible decisions."

The PSL will hold a press conference on Monday, July 13 at 12pm regarding the resumption of the season.

Manchester City will be able to play in next season's Champions League after their two-year ban from UEFA competitions was lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The club will still have to pay a fine, which has been reduced from €30 million (£25m/$33m) to €10m (£9m/$11m).

City were initially punished by UEFA in February, when they were banned from competing in the Champions League or Europa League for two years and given a €30m fine for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.

In its initial statement confirming City's punishment, UEFA said that it found the Premier League club guilty of "overstating its sponsorship revenue in its accounts and in the break-even information submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016."

A statement from the CAS said City did not overstate their sponsorship contributions but did fail to cooperate with UEFA authorities.

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

"As the charges with respect to any dishonest concealment of equity funding were clearly more significant violations than obstructing the CFCB's investigations, it was not appropriate to impose a ban on participating in UEFA's club competitions for MCFC's failure to cooperate with the CFCB's investigations alone."

City responded to the verdict with a statement which read: "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."

The ruling also has an impact on the clubs currently below City in the Premier League table.

If the ban had been upheld, the team finishing in fifth place - currently occupied by Manchester United - would have qualified for the Champions League, with Europa League qualification extended to sixth and seventh.

Questions will now be asked over the long-term viability of UEFA's FFP model after the outcome of what could come to be viewed as a landmark ruling.

However, the governing body said it remained "committed to its principles" in a statement reacting to the verdict.

"UEFA notes that the CAS panel found that there was insufficient conclusive evidence to uphold all of the CFCB’s conclusions in this specific case and that many of the alleged breaches were time-barred due to the five-year time period foreseen in the UEFA regulations," a statement read.

"Over the last few years, Financial Fair Play has played a significant role in protecting clubs and helping them become financially sustainable and UEFA and ECA remain committed to its principles."

UEFA's Financial Fair Play regulations aim to maintain the financial health of European football clubs in order to avoid ruination of teams. This is effectively achieved by limiting the net losses a club is allowed to make over a specified time period.

City immediately denied the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB)'s findings and initiated an appeal against the decision at the first opportunity, with club CEO Ferran Soriano emphatically declaring: "The allegations are not true. They are simply not true."

UEFA's investigation into the matter was prompted by the publication of a number of allegations by German magazine  Der Spiegel, which drew on documents said to have been obtained by whistleblowers Football Leaks, in 2018.

Animosity has been bubbling between the Premier League giants and European football's governing body for almost a decade now, and the latest clash has further strained the relationship.

Fans of City have made a habit of booing UEFA's anthem when it is played ahead of Champions League games, something that has intensified since 2014, when the club first fell foul of Financial Fair Play.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith has praised Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan and Ahmed El Mohamady for their five-star performances against Crystal Palace.

The Egypt internationals were at their best to help the Claret and Blue Army secure a 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in Sunday’s Premier League game.

Trezeguet showed he has fully adapted to the English top-flight with his heroic display at Villa Park after arriving in England last summer from Turkish Super Lig side Kasımpasa.

The forward put his side in front, moments before the half-time break and then completed his brace in the second half with another fine finish.

The double is his first in the Premier League since completing an £8.75 million transfer to the Claret and Blue Army and now he has five goals in the division.

His effort also ensured Villa ended a 10-game winless run in the English top-flight, having last tasted victory against Watford in January.

The victory boosted the Claret and Blue Army’s relegation survival battle and Smith has hailed the performance of the 25-year-old.

“He’s a good, bright player. His attitude is spot-on, he works his socks off and he deserved those goals,” Smith told the club website.

“It’s funny, we’re getting to a stage now, and I said this would happen, where players like Trezeguet and Douglas Luiz, players who were new at the start of this season, look accustomed to Premier League football now.

“I’m pleased for him to get the brace, they were two good finishes and it will do him the world of good.”

Smith also praised Trezeguet’s compatriot El Mohamady for his solid defensive display to ensure they kept a clean sheet in the encounter.

The full-back frustrated several efforts of Palace to get back into the game and was a thorn in the flesh of influential forward and Ivory Coast international Wilfried Zaha.

“We put some really good balls into the box and had some chances from counter-attacks,” he continued.

“But the thing that will please me is we defended resolutely and I thought Ezri Konsa was outstanding at the back.

“And Elmo as well, who came in late after Kourtney pulled out with a groin injury during the warm-up. I thought he dealt with Zaha expertly.”

Trezeguet and El Mohamady will hope to continue their fine performances in Aston Villa’s remaining three league games against Everton, Arsenal and West Ham to help the club avoid relegation.

Mikel Arteta has been advised to “choose a system” and “buy accordingly” at Arsenal, with Martin Keown still looking for the Gunners to dip into the transfer market for defensive reinforcements.

Leaks at the back continue to undermine the efforts of those at Emirates Stadium.

Those flaws were exposed again in a 2-1 north London derby defeat to arch-rivals Tottenham, with the good work overseen by Arteta over recent weeks undone in another error-strewn display.

The highly-rated Spanish coach has vowed to get to the bottom of Arsenal’s issues in an important area of the field, but is still having to experiment at present.

Arteta appears unsure as to whether he should be favouring a standard back four or a three centre-half approach, with Keown calling for clarity ahead of a foray into the next recruitment market.

The legendary former Gunners defender told the Daily Mail after seeing Heung-min Son and Toby Alderweireld seal local bragging rights on Sunday: “Both goals conceded by Arsenal could have been avoided. That's the bottom line. Not for the first time, sloppiness was their undoing.

“It had looked like progress was being made of late, with Mikel Arteta's men keeping three consecutive Premier League clean sheets. Were it not for Eddie Nketiah's sending off — and then conceding a late equaliser against Leicester — it might have been four.

“But then they go and do this.

“Let's start with the first goal — the equaliser which arrived three minutes after Alexandre Lacazette's excellent opener. Sead Kolasinac had the ball and Kieran Tierney was open on the wing. But he didn't pass to him.

“Instead, he looked backwards and opted for David Luiz. Yet rather than play it to Luiz's left foot like he should have done, he went for his right. It gifted Son Heung-min a run on goal and Spurs were back in it.

“Arsenal had 76 per cent possession in the second half. They looked in control. But they were undone by a set-piece.

“Tierney, 5ft 10in, marked 6ft 2in Toby Alderweireld. The Tottenham defender won and that was that.

“There were positives for Arsenal. Dani Ceballos was promising in midfield, while keeper Emiliano Martinez was probably their best player. But Arteta needs to decide which way he wants his team to play — three or four at the back — and buy players who suit his preferred system.

“Harry Kane and Son posed problems. We saw Shkodran Mustafi diving in — maybe that's because he doesn't feel he's going to get cover from Luiz behind him.  

“Choose your system, Arteta, and buy accordingly.”

Arteta has revealed in the recent past that transfer plans are being drawn up at Emirates Stadium, with the hope being that more funds will be made available to a team with obvious room for improvement.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Serge Aurier is in mourning after his brother Christopher was shot dead in Toulouse, France on Monday.

According to Europe 1, Christopher was fatally shot and was hit in the abdomen by a suspect. He was confirmed dead after he was taken to the hospital.

The suspect is on the run and police have started an investigation into the matter.

The deceased was a professional footballer like his brother, they both started their career at Lens.

After leaving Lens, Serge Aurier teamed up with Toulouse in 2012 and then joined Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

The defender joined Premier League club Tottenham in 2017 for a fee of €1.5 million on a four-half year deal and has been a key member of the side.

Aurier has featured in 54 league games for Tottenham since his arrival in England and this season he has been a consistent figure for Jose Mourinho’s men.

The Ivory Coast international has made 39 appearances across all competitions for the Lilywhites in this campaign.

It is uncertain if he would feature against Newcastle United on Wednesday.

Pablo Hernandez fired Leeds United to the brink of a return to the Premier League as his late goal at Swansea City earned a priceless 1-0 win. 

The former Swansea player came off the bench for the second half and scored in the 89th minute, sparking delight in the visitors' ranks. 

Spanish midfielder Hernandez found the bottom left corner after Luke Ayling cut the ball back, just as Leeds looked like being frustrated. 

Now they sit three points clear of second-placed West Brom and six ahead of in-form Brentford, who occupy third spot, and only three rounds of games remain. 

Leeds have been absent from the top flight of English football since their relegation in 2004, which came just three years after a run to the Champions League semi-finals. 

Veteran manager Marcelo Bielsa was persuaded to stay for this season, having gone agonisingly close last term to the elusive promotion. 

Now, though, Leeds look ready to end their long wait, with games against Barnsley, Derby County and Charlton Athletic to come and a maximum of four points required. 

The latest step on the road back to the elite came a day after the death was announced of one of their greatest players, England World Cup winner Jack Charlton, who spent his entire club career with Leeds. 

While their win against Swansea could prove crucial in ending Leeds' time in the Championship, Bielsa stressed he isn't celebrating just yet. 

“What we feel is we are more relaxed, more light, because we are giving the steps that we had to," he said post-match. “Of course, when you score at the end of the match it’s a higher feeling, emotion.

“When the match progressed our possibilities were growing and in the last 30 minutes I think we deserved to impose to score and get the difference we got at the end.

“I cannot enjoy this, what you feel is that you are giving a step forward. The only thing I can enjoy is the last objective if we get it.”

Bielsa's side next face Barnsley on Thursday night at Elland Road before backing up a few days later with an away game against Derby. 

Jose Mourinho wants to lead Tottenham into the Europa League, but compared playing in the competition to Lewis Hamilton winning Formula Two.

Spurs recorded a 2-1 Premier League win over Arsenal in the north London derby on Sunday, climbing into eighth in the table and boosting their chances of qualifying for European competition.

Mourinho is eager to qualify for the Europa League, even though the Spurs head coach compared it to Formula One world champion Hamilton racing at a lower level.

"The Europa League is not the biggest competition in Europe," he told a news conference.

"But it's the second and when a club wins the Champions League or when a player wins it or a manager does, well, if you ask Lewis Hamilton if he wants to win Formula Two or 3000 or whatever you call it, I don't think it will be a great deal for him.

"But it's a competition and I prefer to play Europa League than not to. I think it's a title Tottenham would like to get. Of course at [Manchester] United, it's a club with a dimension that thinks about the Champions League, but we played in the Europa League and we won it.

"I think we should do everything to play in the Europa League next season and we should fight for that."

Mourinho led United to the Europa League title in 2017, 14 years after winning the UEFA Cup with Porto.

With a decision over Manchester City's European ban set to be made on Monday, Spurs sit three points behind sixth-placed Wolves and two adrift of Sheffield United with three games remaining.

Mourinho believes he could have led Tottenham to a top-four finish if he had been in charge for the entire season, having replaced Mauricio Pochettino in November last year.

"I know that I could even look to the situation in a selfish point of view and say since I arrived if the championship arrived in that moment there, even with all of the problems after that, I think we would be fourth or fifth," he said. 

"I don't want to be selfish and only look at it as a fan, hypothetically, not yet, finishing above Arsenal. I would love to play in the Europa League. It's not a competition that I'm in love with or like very, very much to play, but when you cannot play Champions League, you play Europa League. 

"Because in my career I only played Europa League twice and I won it twice, it wouldn't be bad to play a third time and win a third time. We have to fight until the end to try to try to finish in a Europa League position."

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he was proud of Raheem Sterling for the way the forward has fought against racial injustice.

Sterling has enjoyed another fine season on the pitch, but the England international is also helping the fight against racism amid movements around the world.

The forward scored a hat-trick in City's 5-0 Premier League thrashing of Brighton on Saturday, moving onto 27 goals this season – the most he has netted in a single campaign.

While Guardiola has praised Sterling's performances, he also lauded the 25-year-old for his work off the field.

"People forget that behind the shirt they are human beings," he told reporters.

"I've said many times to my players, 'I know for a long time you've been told you're special, but you're not. All you can do is play football, but you are not an architect, you are not a politician, you are not a doctor, you are not a thousand, million things you can do. You can just play football'. That doesn't make us special.

"But we are human beings at the same time like all the architects, politicians, doctors, journalists. They have feelings and they defend the humanitarian issues in the best possible way.

"I like it because when you have a commitment to society to make a better society for yourself and for your kids, this commitment helps to become a better player. The big athletes always make a commitment, a compromise for society.

"I think Raheem and many, many of our players, a lot of people are trying to make a better world.

"It's difficult, in the world we're living, but I'm proud. I'm really proud of what he is doing and he knows, as a club, myself as a person, we support him 100 per cent."

After back-to-back 5-0 wins, City host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Guardiola also singled Sterling out for praise after seeing his winger bag a clinical hat-trick against Brighton. 

"All credit to hime. Not just for the three goals, it's important for what we have ahead of us," Guardiola told a news conference on Saturday.

"His development as a player is because he wants to improve and we are so delighted with his performance. Raheem himself knows exactly what he has to do. He's a huge competitor and is self-confident, aggressive, he loves to score goals.

"We have wingers with the mentality to score goals which is so important."

Mumbai City FC centre-back Sarthak Golui is optimistic about the immediate future of Mumbai City and Indian football as a whole, after the takeover of the Islanders by the City Football Group.

A self-confessed Manchester United pointed at how rivals Manchester City have benefited after CFG took over. They became Premier League champions four times, FA Cup winners twice and won several other titles in the last nine years.

Sarthak is hoping that Mumbai City will experience something similar. However, he is more interested in the long-term positives that could emerge out of this deal. Better facilities and improvements at the grassroots level will show that the CFG is interested in the long-term development of the sport in the financial capital of the country.

“I am excited to be a part of this team. With CFG, I hope that Mumbai football is benefited heavily in the long run. I am sure that they gave it enough thought before completing the takeover and are well aware of the potential of football in Mumbai,” he said.

“I hope that this takeover proves effective not just for Mumbai but for Indian football as well. We can see how the seven teams (Manchester City, New York City, Melbourne City, Yokohama Marinos, Sichuan Jiuniu, Girona and Montevideo City Torque) that were taken under the umbrella before us have developed very well. Manchester City has been a different team after the takeover. I hope that we will experience the same.

“I also hope that they have a long-term goal with the club and will bring about transformations in the academies, facilities and grass-root level development of the sport.

The centre-back who is also capable of playing as a right-back also voiced his welcome to ATK-Mohun Bagan. Sarthak spent two of his formative years at Mohun Bagan and is excited at the prospect of playing against his former club in the Indian Super League (ISL) in the upcoming season.

He said - “I want to wish (ATK-Mohun Bagan) a successful journey. I know the fans very well, having been part of the club for two years. I know that the emotion and passion for the game there is off the charts.

“This merger is great for Kolkata and Indian football. I am excited to go back to Kolkata – where I belong – and play against my former club, which is the biggest club in the country. Both are champions and the merged entity will be difficult to beat.

At just 22, Sarthak is very mature and has shown that he could be the face of the national team’s defence in a few years. He is thankful to Stephen Constantine and Igor Stimac for providing him with the opportunity to display his prowess and is hoping to become a regular in the international stage.

“Stephen Constantine gave me the opportunity to join the senior players after I played with the U23s. Playing at the SAFF Championship helped me a lot. Igor Stimac has been supportive since day one. And he was a centre-back too and likes to share his experiences. This really helps me and the other defenders,” he said.

“In five years from now, I see myself playing for the national team on a regular basis. I hope that dream comes true."

Vinit Rai, a self-confessed Manchester United, admitted that he was too shy to speak to former United legend Steve Coppell about his time at the club when the duo were at Kerala Blasters.

Coppell has played in 322 competitive games for Manchester United and scored 53 goals. The Englishman was the head coach of the Indian Super League (ISL) franchise from Kerala in the 2016-17 season when they reached the finals only to lose to ATK on penalties in Kochi.

“When I was at Kerala Blasters, I was fortunate to work under Coppell. I learned so many things from him, he is a top guy and a very (nice) human being.

“I was just a kid that time, I did not have the guts to talk to him personally and ask things about Manchester United. I was struggling to get minutes so I was just trying to work hard so that I can prove myself. I never really asked him anything about Manchester United,” said Rai who played two games under Coppell’s tutelage at Blasters when he was still in his teens.

The 22-year-old from Manipur stated that he began following Manchester United since the days of Cristiano Ronaldo back in the summer of 2003.

“I used to watch Man Utd a lot when Cristiano Ronaldo was there. I still follow their games. Manchester United have a history of getting comeback wins, that is the most important thing I like about them, they never give up. I support Real Madrid too but I follow the Premier League,” said Rai in a chat with Manchester United Delhi fans.

Rai was asked to choose between Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri to which he favoured the latter but also explained his reasons for the same.

“Both Bhutia and Chhetri are true legends. I will go with Chhetri because I have played with him and have learned a lot from him. He will come and talk to me, give me tips. The way he eats, his hard work and dedication, I follow him,” opined Rai.

Sarthak Golui hails his father's contribution behind his rise as a professional footballer. The Mumbai City FC defender has played in top clubs like Mohun Bagan, FC Pune City and has also donned the national team jersey on four occassions. 

The defender is one of the sought-after young talents in Indian football, thanks to his versatiity. He came into national conscience after impressing under Ranko Popovic at FC Pune City.

"I started playing football for my father. He has always been supportive of me because this is his dream too and he has been an inspiration for me. He still helps me because he was also a defender during his playing time. He wanted me to play as a centre-back so he could help me. “After every game, he calls me to point out each of my mistakes. He has been my biggest supporter and critique," stated Golui during an online chat session with the Indian Super League (ISL). 

When the Indian Super League (ISL) commenced back in 2014, most teams spent heavily on the foreign contingent and brought some high profile, top quality players. Borja Fernandes, the central midfielder, was amongst the most impressive players in the first few years as he helped ATK win two league titles during his time with the Kolkata outfit. He rates Fernandes very highly amongst the overseas players who have featured in the ISL.

He also spoke of his footballing idols, namely Deepak Mondal and Mahesh Gawli.

“Borja Fernandes is my favourite player to have played in the ISL. As a defender, John Terry is my favourite player of all time. In Indian football, I have always looked up to Mahesh Gawli and Deepak Mondal. Mahesh helped me a lot during my academy days. When I was going through a hard time, he offered me suggestions and motivated me a lot."

The former Mohun Bagan defender was asked to share his thoughts on who he thinks is the best striker he has come across in the Indian Super League (ISL). Interestingly, Golui named former FC Goa centre-forward Ferran Corominas, who is the top scorer in the competition with 48 goals from 57 matches in his three years at the club. Whereas, in European football Robert Lewandowski is his favourite hitman, who has scored 51 goals in this campaign across all competitions.

"Coro is the best striker in the ISL. Internationally, I like Robert Lewandowski," concluded the defender. 

Dominic Solanke is happy to have helped Bournemouth end their nine-game winless run in Premier League with a brace in their 4-1 comeback victory against Leicester City.

The former Liverpool striker scored his first two league goals for Eddie Howe's side in the 67th and 87 minutes as the hosts grabbed their first win since February 1 at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the crucial win, Bournemouth still find themselves placed 18th spot in the league table but Solanke believes the result would give them confidence for their final three matches of the season.

The Cherries are scheduled to play Manchester City, Southampton and Everton in the coming days.

“We know it's going to be a really tough game and Leicester are a top team,” Solanke told Sky Sports.

“We know the last few weeks have been difficult for us and in the last game, we showed a lot of fire but couldn't get the win. But today, we went all out and managed to get a good result.

“I'm just happy it came at a time like this when we need to get goals, something we did not manage to get in the last few games and today, the boys were on fire and we were ready to go.

“I just think we did not have anything to lose and when we were one nil down, we knew today was a must-win game to fight for the next few games, to get a result to stay in the Premier League and we went a bit more of attacking and it worked.

“It's a massive boost, as I said the last game against Tottenham we didn't get to win but today we did and we can take the confidence to the last three games.”

The Cherries boss Eddie Howe also reserved praise for the 22-year-old after his heroics in the second half.

"He deserves great credit. I've always believed that Dom's an outstanding player,” Howe said.

“He's got a lot of expectation on his shoulders and rightly so because he's an outstanding player, technically very good, he's very intelligent and I do think there are a lot of goals in him.

“I think he's proved that today because it was two really good finishes, both totally different, but he's a player we totally believe in."

Youssef En-Nesyri was on the scoresheet to help Sevilla extend their unbeaten run to 15 games following their 2-0 victory over Mallorca in Sunday’s La Liga game.

The 26-year-old joined the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan outfit in January from Spanish rivals Leganes on the back of his fine performances for the Cucumber Growers. 

En-Nesyri signed a five-year deal of around €25 million with the Nervionenses and has since been living up to expectations. 

The forward came off the bench to make his 16th league appearance and made a significant contribution to ensure his side claimed all three points in the match.

The Nervionenses last tasted defeat in February against Celta Vigo and they aimed to extend the impressive form by hitting the ground running at Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.

After earlier missing a number of scoring chances, Lucas Ocampos opened the scoring from the penalty spot for Julen Lopetegui’s men in the 41st minute.

Moments after the hour mark, En-Nesyri was introduced for Oliver Torres and the forward made an almost immediate impact.

The Morocco international found the back of the net from his compatriot Yassine Bounou’s assist 19 minutes after he was brought on.

Bounou was in goal throughout the game for Sevilla, Benin’s Jules Kounde also on parade for the entirety of the match while Ghana international Idrissu Baba made a second-half appearance for Mallorca.

With the victory, their 18th this season, the Nervionense maintain their fourth place on the league table after 66 points from 36 games.

En-Nesyri has now made 20 appearances across all competitions for the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan outfit and scored five goals.

The 23-year-old forward will hope to continue his brilliant performance when Sevilla take on Real Sociedad in their next league game on Thursday.

Barcelona president Jose Maria Bartomeu has reiterated the likelihood that Lionel Messi will end his career at the club. 

The 33-year-old is currently contracted until the end of next season with Barcelona holding talks with the Argentina attacker about an extension. 

While there's been speculation suggesting Messi is unhappy with Bartomeu and the club's leadership, all signs point towards him remaining at Camp Nou for the foreseeable future. 

Bartomeu confirming that initial talks between player and club are positive with the Barcelona president confident a renewal will be secured soon. 

"We've spoken, we are speaking and we will continue to speak with Messi," Bartomeu told TV3 via Marca. 

"He wants to finish his career here, we will definitely renew with him, I am in no doubt that he will stay here." 

Messi has enjoyed a stellar season to date and became the first player in La Liga history to score 20 and assist 20 goals or more in the same season when he assisted Barcelona's winning goal against Real Valladolid on Saturday.

Quique Setien admitted after that match that the Barcelona star needs a rest but the club couldn't afford to substitute him in the tight game with their La Liga titles hopes hanging by a thread. 

In all competitions this season, Messi has scored 27 goals and contributed a further 25 assists as he once again proves just how invaluable he is at Camp Nou. 

With Messi continuing to set records at the age of 33, Luis Garcia recently backed the Argentine star to continue playing until at least 2025. 

"Why not? The way he is playing, adapting his style to the game is impressive," Garcia told La Liga.

"Every year he shows us something different but keeps up the same amount of goals, of assists. Even getting more every year!

"He's adapting, he doesn't spend so much time up front because he knows it's harder, so he drops a little more.  He shows why he's so intelligent. He adapts his game to what the team needs in every game. 

"I could see him playing in 2025, easily!"

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says that the club has spoken with Inter regarding a deal for Lautaro Martinez, but there is nothing imminent as the Catalan side remains focused on their goals for the current season.

Martinez has been heavily linked with Barcelona for months, with the La Liga side reportedly keen to bring in the Argentine this summer.

The Inter forward is seen as an eventual replacement for Luis Suarez, who, at age 33, has missed portions of this season due to injury.

Barcelona have no intention of activating the €111 million (£100m/$125m) release clause that is currently in the Inter star's contract, especially in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Inter chief executive Giuseppe Marotta, meanwhile recently told DAZN that the club "does not want to sell its champions" unless the player demands a move.

And, with Martinez remaining coy over his future, it appears that Barcelona will wait before making a real push to sign the forward, with Bartomeu saying that the club is prepared to wait until the transfer market becomes clearer.

“The coming market will be very different. The big clubs will be limited by economic problems, but Barca are always a market-mover," Bartomeu told TV3. 

"In Lautaro's case the negotiation is halted right now. We spoke to Inter a few weeks ago. We are in an assessment phase.

"We have spoken with Inter about Lautaro, but not recently. We will wait to finish the season and re-assess everything."

In order to finance a move for the striker, Barca will likely need to sell to raise funds. One player that appears likely to leave is Philippe Coutinho, who has been on loan with Bayern Munich.

However, Bayern have made it clear that they will not be buying the Brazilian star, whose future remains uncertain.

“The result of our transfer business has not been the one we wanted," Bartomeu said. "Coutinho has not had a big star's luck, he has never quite worked out.”

Barcelona currently sit second in La Liga, one point behind Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.

Up next for Barca is a match against Osasuna, the club's penultimate game of La Liga's campaign.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood are the toast of the town at Old Trafford right now, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer plans to give the prodigious trio all the freedom to match the exploits of another famous Manchester United attacking line. 

The young forwards - Martial is the eldest at 24, while Greenwood is still three months shy of his 19th birthday - have caused a storm at United since the Premier League resumed in June following the interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Ably assisted by the likes of Bruno Fernandes and a fit-again Paul Pogba further back, between them the three have scored nine goals in five league outings to inspire the new-look Red Devils, who have netted 15 in the same time-frame to record four wins and a draw to strengthen their top-four push. 

Stellar forward lines are nothing new at the club, from 1960s legends George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law to the more recent partnership forged between Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez which helped deliver Champions League glory in 2007-8. 

And Solskjaer believes that like those illustrious predecessors, United's new goal-getters must temper freedom with discipline in order to keep taking the world by storm. 

“It’s not new for United,” the Norwegian said when asked by reporters if the likes of Barcelona's famed MSN trident served as inspiration for his young stars. 

“Did you not watch Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez when they were playing, when Sir Alex Ferguson gave them some freedom but within a framework and structure?

"So we do work a lot on patterns and positions and where we want the players to be.

“But within that we understand that you might pop up on the right or the left, or be in different positions, but we have to fill different positions.

“There has been too much, last year, sometimes this year, players who want to gravitate over to the left, and go on there and play tippy-tappy football.

“That’s something we wanted to get rid of and we’ve been more progressive and more disciplined in our positions.”

Greenwood in particular has stood out in the weeks following the Premier League's restart, scoring four times in his last three starts to make himself an automatic choice for Solskjaer. 

The manager is in no doubt with regards to his potential, and called on him to keep working hard in order to add to his already impressive goal tally. 

“I’ve said it many times, he can go as far as he wants,” he added. “He has the talent to go so far and is creating chances himself.

“Our job is to get him into positions where he can finish, because he does hit the target.

“He’ll make the goalkeeper have to work, so keep on giving him chances and he’s got a chance to score more.”