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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects Angel Gomes to leave Manchester United on June 30 after failing to agree a new contract with the midfielder.

The teenager was offered a new deal, but Gomes and his representatives have failed to come to an agreement and the 19-year-old is set to leave the club on a free transfer.

Solskjaer had said just last week he was hopeful terms could be agreed to keep the midfielder at the club, but the United manager had changed his tune ahead of the team’s trip to Brighton in the Premier League.

Asked if Gomes would be staying at the club Solskjaer replied: “I’ve got no news, nothing, so it doesn't look like it.”

Pushed further on whether the player would be leaving Solskjaer added: “I've not heard from them last night or this morning, it seems like they haven't managed to agree so the answer is probably short and yes, then.”

Gomes was handed his debut by Jose Mourinho in the final game of the 2016-17 season off the bench against Crystal Palace and has remained part of the first-team set-up since.

However, as contract negotiations stalled he has struggled for game time this season, making just three appearances in the Europa League and he has not been part of the three match-day squads since the Premier League restart.

It is understood United had offered Gomes, who has been training at the club since the age of six, a deal worth around £30,000 a week but he had concerns over playing time and there has been interest from other clubs.

United travel to Brighton on Tuesday night for their third league game since the restart, and despite Graham Potter’s side still being at risk of relegation, Solskjaer is expecting a tough test but thinks having no fans could benefit United.

“They’re a good footballing side, play football and make it hard for you, not been down there myself and fans, of course, they (the fans) matter and have an impact on games and football,” Solskjaer said.

“To get out of this lockdown period is going to be fantastic but at the moment we have to deal with the situation as it is, and as an away team sometimes it helps you but then again when you're at the bottom, the pressure of fans can get to you and give an extra edge.”

Simba SC coach Sven Vandenbroeck has explained the reason his players easily cruised to another Mainland Premier League title on Sunday.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi were crowned champions for the third straight season despite securing a 0-0 draw against Tanzania Prisons at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya City.

Simba were in need of a draw to win the title after the then second-placed Azam FC dropped points against Biashara United in a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Vandenbroeck, who clinched his first league diadem since joining the giants at the start of the season, has now revealed most of his players are dedicated to the course and always use their brains when playing in matches hence the reason they emerged winners again.

“I think I have the best team in Tanzania because in my squad, all the players want to score goals and also defend and it has pushed us to the title,” Vandenbroeck told Goal.

“All my players play as a unit, they push for one agenda and it has always become very easy to win matches, for example, if you look at my captain [John Bocco], he is a striker but sometimes you will find him defending when we are under attack.

“My players use brain football, and it is difficult to counter such players, they play as a unit and at the same time playing using the brain, and they always work together, if one player moves from his position, there is always another player to cover for him.”

Vandenbroeck also took his time to thank the club fans for always rallying behind the team in difficult and good times.

“The fans have also played a huge role to give us the title, they have never given up, they have never disappointed us, they follow us whenever we go to support us and that is why we also push ourselves to do well for them,” Vandenbroeck continued.

Vandenbroeck will be expected to perform better than his predecessor Patrick Aussems who got knocked out from the preliminary stage by UD Songo of Mozambique in Dar es Salaam.

The league victory underlines Simba and Yanga's dominance in the Tanzanian competition in the last decade since the two arch-rivals and Azam FC in one attempt, have bagged the title alone.

Simba's three successful consecutive campaigns, in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and in the 2019/20 seasons has matched Yanga's record achieved in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.

It is the second time Simba have been champions in three straight campaigns as the same fete was achieved from 1993 to 1995 and apart from Yanga and Simba, no other Tanzanian club has managed to win the league gong and defend it in three or more consecutive seasons.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson says he will be forever thankful to Jurgen Klopp for offering him the chance to “become a legend” at Anfield and to continue chasing down major silverware.

A Brazil international is already a fan favourite on Merseyside, with his arrival in 2018 helping to put the Reds on a path which has led to the very top.

Eyebrows were raised when a £65 million ($80m) deal was put in place with Roma, but Alisson has repaid that show of faith by becoming a model of consistency for a Champions League and Premier League title-winning side.

Many consider his value to have soared across two productive seasons in England, with potential for the 27-year-old custodian to get even better.

Alisson intends to continue raising his game under the guidance of Klopp. Asked for his opinion of an enigmatic German coach, he told the Reds’ official website: “The maximum respect I can have for a person, I have for him.

“There’s not many words that I could describe, maybe in Portuguese I can do that better! But yeah, he means, I think, everything for this club, for the squad. He brought us together here, he gave me the opportunity to come to Liverpool, he makes me feel special inside.

“My team-mates make me feel special inside and the supporters also, everybody, but the boss has a special place in everything I think for everybody – for the club and also for the supporters because he gave his life to achieve those things that we are achieving.

“I will always respect him, have big respect for him, and also be thankful to him for bringing me here and giving me the opportunity to become a legend here for Liverpool.”

Klopp has guided Liverpool to domestic, continental and global crowns over the course of the last 12 months, with a 30-year wait for English top-flight title glory ended in style this season, but Alisson insists nobody at Anfield will be resting on their laurels.

He added on ambition for the future: “We did already something special for this club, but you can see from what every player says inside the dressing room that we want to do more.

“This is our desire, we want to win more, win more titles for this club, win more individual awards. We want to be the best team and to be the best we can, the best version of ourselves.

“The sky is the limit so we need to keep pushing, we look forward also for the next challenge. Now the next challenge is the next game, but in a long perspective we have the next season and we will do everything to win that again.”

Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) are determined to make the best out of the AFC U19 Championship that will be played in Uzbekistan in September as they look to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup for the first time ever.

To realise that lofty ambitions, plans are already in place to ensure that the Malaysia U19 head coach Brad Maloney will get the best resources available for selection and that includes Luqman Hakim and Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal.

Speaking to the media, the team manager of the U19 squad Datuk Kamrul Ariffin assured fans that the preparations for the tournament has been going well and fans can expect Malaysia to field the best youth players that country has.

"Wan Kuzri is in the list of 35 players that will be called up and we are in the final stage of his documentation work. We are working hard to fly him back here from United States to join up with the training that will begin this month.

"He's a player we see that can improve the team and he has also stated his interest, so there's no conflict when it comes to the nationality because youth players have until the age of 21 to choose," said Kamarul.

The team is expected to convene on 6 July for the first centralised training after the easing of lockdown restrictions by the Malaysian government.

That being said, FAM are still working towards creating the right Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure the safety of all squad.

At the same time, Kamarul was also pleased to see that Luqman will put on hold his plans to move abroad until the completion of the tournament that sees Malaysia in Group D competing against Qatar, Tajikistan and Yemen.

"I've followed closely the stories surrounding Luqman because he is a key player for us and it is great that he has decided to stay here until the end of the U19 tournament.

"While football is a team sport, Luqman has shown in previous tournaments what he could and is vital to our cause," Kamarul added.

Jesse Lingard has “come a little unstuck” at Manchester United, says Dwight Yorke, with the out-of-sorts playmaker told the time has come for him to “look elsewhere” in the next transfer window.

The Old Trafford academy graduate has found himself slipping down the pecking order in 2019-20. Much has been made of his lack of end product over the course of the last 18 months, with goals and assists proving to be in short supply.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has countered those creative deficiencies by drafting in Bruno Fernandes and handing more prominent roles to the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

The hope is that Paul Pogba will also start to deliver the consistency expected of him, meaning that there is no place for Lingard in the bigger picture.

This not the first time that the England international has generated exit talk, but a change of scenery could now be on the cards. Lingard has already moved to bring in Mino Raiola as his agent, in what is considered another nod towards a move elsewhere, and Yorke believes a fresh start could prove beneficial to all concerned.

The former United striker told Stadium Astro on the back of seeing Lingard get a rare start against Norwich in the FA Cup quarter-finals, but last just 63 minutes: “The jury’s still out.

“We had a lot of hopes, he came through the ranks and we love that. He knows the club through and through, he loves the football club and we thought he was going to go on where Rashford is at the moment.

“He’s come a little unstuck at the moment and he has to find another gear somewhere along the line. At the moment, it’s just not happening.

“At 27 years of age, you ought to be a bit regular. If it’s not happening, maybe he has to look elsewhere. But for now, he’s still got some games and he’s still got to prove himself.

“ I think there is a little bit of a question mark over his name at the moment for sure, he’s fully aware of that, there’s no two ways about that. He knows that he’s not in the team and he needs to do more to get back in.”

Bayern Munich will not be knocked off their perch at the top of the Bundesliga, honorary president Uli Hoeness has warned the club’s rivals in Germany.

Although an early-season slump saw Bayern drop to seventh in the domestic standings under Niko Kovac, they recovered spectacularly once Hansi Flick was at the helm, powering to the title and winning it by 13 points ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, scoring exactly 100 goals in 34 games to boot.

This on-field statement of intent, which was highlighted by their 4-0 win over Wolfsburg on the final day of the season, has now been matched from the boardroom.

“It will be difficult for the others to match us in the future because Bayern is well equipped for the future, even in this coronavirus crisis,” Hoeness told Blickpunkt Sport . 

Each of the last eight Bundesliga titles has ended in the hands of the Allianz Arena club, who have seen the crown surrendered elsewhere on only six occasions since 1999.

Some critics have suggested that the apparent inevitability of their victories is making the Bundesliga boring, but Hoeness is not concerned.

“You can’t expect people at Bayern Munich to work only half a day to make the Bundesliga exciting again,” he said, stating that the direct competition “just need to make more effort” in order to make the title race more engrossing.

Schalke, meanwhile, are reportedly ready to introduce a voluntary salary cap within their club in order to mitigate any effects of the Covid-19 crisis, which saw clubs in Germany go nearly three months without competitive football and return with matches behind closed doors.

Hoeness, though, is more bullish about the future and says Bayern will not go down a similar path.

“You can’t forget the upper limit of salary, so you can’t go any further with these discussions,” he said.

“When the coronavirus crisis is over, football will prosper once again.”

While Bayern’s league commitments for the season have ended, they will play the DFB Pokal final against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, while they are still involved in the Champions League, a competition in which they hold a 3-0 advantage over Chelsea after the first leg of their last-16 clash.

Christian Pulisic has been told that “the sky’s the limit” for him at Chelsea, with fellow countryman Kasey Keller backing the United States international to star in English football.

Big things were expected of the 21-year-old forward when he arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2019.

Having burst onto the scene in Germany at Borussia Dortmund, the Blues were aware of the potential they were buying into.

Pulisic did take a while to find his feet in new surroundings, with no immediate burst out of the blocks enjoyed by the American playmaker.

A hat-trick against Burnley was, however, to light a Premier League fuse, with belief and confidence restored to the youngster’s game.

Another unfortunate setback was suffered when picking up a troublesome injury at the start of 2020, but a coronavirus-enforced break has worked in Pulisic’s favour.

Having returned to full fitness during a three-month hiatus, a key role is once again being nailed down in Frank Lampard’s plans.

Pulisic has found the target against Aston Villa and Manchester City, while also helping the Blues into the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

The desired impact is now being made by the precocious talent, with Keller – who spent several years in England with Millwall, Leicester and Tottenham – of the opinion that his compatriot can reach the very top of the game.

“I thought he was Chelsea's best player for the majority of the match,” former USMNT goalkeeper Keller told ESPN FC after seeing Pulisic catch the eye in a 1-0 FA Cup win over Leicester.

“What he's able to do in not just setting up other players but finding himself in goalscoring opportunities, [Kasper] Schmeichel made a brilliant save or he would have scored in the first half.

“If Pulisic can stay healthy and continue to learn and play better, there's no question I completely agree with Frank that the sky's the limit.

“You've seen that from him this season already. Alright, it's been stop-start, he's had a few injury issues, but now he looks to be back at full form.

“His ability to on the turn skate past defenders and create space for his team going forward and create goalscoring chances not just for himself but for his team-mates, that's a rare gift.

“Like I said, the sky's the limit.”

Pulisic has taken in 26 appearances across all competitions this season, with eight goals and six assists offered to the Chelsea cause.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expects Marcus Rashford to soon be back among the goals for Manchester United.

England forward Rashford has 22 goals for club and country this season, although he is yet to find the net since top-flight football resumed from its coronavirus hiatus.

United's return to Premier League action at Tottenham was Rashford's first appearance since suffering a double stress fracture of his back.

Although the 22-year-old supplied a pair of assists for Anthony Martial in last week's 3-0 victory against Sheffield United, he also spurned a pair of glorious chances to get on the scoresheet.

After that match, Solskjaer urged his team to be more clinical as a collective, but he has no concerns over Rashford individually.

"Of course Marcus has been out for a while but I think he's looked sharp, he came on and looked sharp against Norwich," the United boss said ahead of Tuesday's trip to Brighton and Hove Albion.

"Against Sheffield United he missed one or two chances but the goals he created is what we're focusing on and he's on his way to his best season ever. I'm looking forward to him getting more minutes and he'll definitely score a goal soon."

Rashford appeared as a substitute after the hour as Norwich City took United to extra-time in Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at Carrow Road, with captain Harry Maguire proving a more unlikely matchwinner in the 118th minute.

A semi-final encounter against Chelsea awaits with United the form team in England – their unbeaten run stretching back 14 games to a mid-January reverse against Burnley at Old Trafford.

"The players are working really hard and want to do as well as they can and, for me, as a team we're trying to implement our ideas," Solskjaer said. "Talk about 14 games, we can talk about the next one - go into the next game knowing you've won the previous game. It's a good place to be in."

United are firmly in the hunt for a top-four finish and victory at Brighton would move them level on points with Wolves in fifth and two shy of four-placed Chelsea – albeit having played a game more than Frank Lampard's Blues.

"I think every year you're in the Champions League is a great experience, for the players it's a step forward," Solskjaer added. "For us it's what we're striving to do, winning trophies, and we need to focus on one game at a time and there are so many teams that want that place.

"We can't get distracted about looking too far ahead and onto the next one."

Belgian First Division A side Genk have announced the arrival of their African stars Paul Onuachu and Eboue Kouassi.

The duo departed the Luminus Arena in May to their home countries following the outbreak of coronavirus which forced football activities into a hiatus.

Onuachu joined the Blue-White last summer from Danish side Midtjylland and has become a key component of Hannes Wolf’s team.

The Nigeria international scored 10 goals and provided two assists in the recently ended 2019-20 campaign, helping his side to finish seventh.

Kouassi, meanwhile, teamed up with the Blue-White on loan in January from Scottish giants Celtic and delivered convincing showings which earned him a permanent deal.

Genk confirmed the Ivorian returned to the Luminus Arena on Thursday while Onuachu arrived on Saturday.

“Paul Onuachu and Eboue Kouassi are back in Genk after a stay in their home country - Nigeria and Ivory Coast respectively,” read a statement from the club website.

“Flying back from the African continent to Europe in corona times proved far from obvious.

“Onuachu trained until mid-May and then left for Nigeria. He returned to Genk via Paris on the night from Friday to Saturday.

“After the end of the group training, Eboue Kouassi continued to train individually for a while before flying to his native country. He has been back in our country since Thursday evening.”

The African stars have joined the rest of the squad in training ahead of their pre-season games in preparation for the 2020-21 campaign.

Onuachu, who started his career with Ebedei in Nigeria moved to Denmark in 2012 and teamed up with Midtjylland.

The 26-year-old forward bagged 52 goals in 135 league games during his seven-year stay with the MCH Arena outfit.  

The impressive performances immediately caught the attention of Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr, who handed the lanky striker a call-up in March 2019.

The forward made his debut for the West Africans against Egypt in a friendly and has now featured six times for the side.

He was part of the Super Eagles team that finished third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt and will hope to continue his fine showings for his club in order to enjoy more playing time with the national team.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta needs to take an axe to his squad this summer, according to David Bentley, who says that around half of team is not worthy of playing for the club.

Since returning to action following the coronavirus pandemic, the Gunners have seen their hopes of reaching the Champions League next season fade with defeats against Manchester City and Brighton.

Although they have subsequently bounced back by defeating Southampton and reaching the FA Cup semi-finals with a dramatic success over Sheffield United on Sunday, major changes are required to make the Emirates Stadium outfit competitive again on a national scale, according to their former academy product.

“I don’t know what the thinking is at boardroom level because Arsenal need to ship out half the team and get a good core in. That’s difficult but can be done. The major problem is that we don’t know if they’re singing from the same hymn sheet at boardroom level,” David Bentley, speaking exclusively to 888Sport, said.

Bentley pinpointed David Luiz as a symbol of the club’s current struggles.

“I don’t know if it’s because of a lack of preparation in getting players in but the recruitment with the back four is a problem. It always has been. David Luiz is problematic,” he said.

“He’s a great technical player but if you want to bring the youth through and create a winning mentality is he really the type to help with that? I was surprised at the new contract.

“I don’t know why they didn’t look to bring in Gary Cahill or someone like that, over David Luiz. Maybe Luiz is more fashionable. Cahill has the core ability and has been there and done it. He would have been more of a fit for Arsenal.

“You look at Liverpool – and Manchester United are trying to do it – and they build a solid foundation that allows the players to express themselves. If you have solid back-four and solid spine of the team it’s easier for the young players to step into that. Instead Arsenal leak goals and look vulnerable.”

Arsenal currently lie ninth in the Premier League standings with seven games remaining and find themselves 11 points behind Chelsea in fourth, while they still have four of the top five to play.

Read the full 888sport interview with David Bentley here.

Gareth Bale is “getting shafted” by Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid, claims David Bentley, with the Wales international a player who can “do anything” and deserving of greater respect.

A dream switch to Spain in 2013 for the forward got off to a perfect start, with decisive contributions in Copa del Rey and Champions League successes.

Bale has collected a Liga title and three more European crowns since then, while passing the 100-goal mark for the Blancos, but his Santiago Bernabeu adventure has become something of a nightmare.

Form and fitness issues are now seemingly never far away, with the 30-year-old becoming an easy target for a demanding fan base that is never afraid to make scapegoats of those that they consider to be underperforming.

Madrid boss Zidane also appears to have bought into that way of thinking, with the Frenchman choosing to overlook Bale on a regular basis across his two spells at the helm.

That has led to inevitable exit talk, but Bentley believes that a man he saw enjoy a meteoric rise to prominence at Tottenham is being unfairly treated by those reluctant to acknowledge his true value.

The former Spurs winger told 888sport: “Gareth Bale. He could do anything. We had numerous players when I was there who were talented and young footballers. We had loads.

“It’s only when I look back that I see we were a really great football team. We didn’t win anything but should have with [Luka] Modric and [Rafael] van der Vaart and [Jermain] Defoe, but Gareth Bale could do anything.

"His tackles were better. His free-kicks were better. He could throw it longer than anyone else and run faster and was stronger. He could leap and get up for a header. Literally an all-rounder.

“I just can’t believe what’s happening to him at Real Madrid. I think Zidane isn’t happy that Gareth scored a better goal than him. It sounds like a personal thing.

“The thing is Bale isn’t arrogant. He’s quiet. He will eat his dinner and not say much so maybe they then think he’s arrogant and just wants to play golf and not socialise, but he just wants to get on with what he’s getting on with.

“It annoys me because I always looked out for him. I watch him still at Real Madrid to see how he’s doing. He’s a lovely boy, well he’s a man now, and he’s done so well for himself. He is so successful yet he’s getting shafted.”

Bale earned his move to Madrid after starring in the Premier League, with there no plenty of talk that Harry Kane could soon tread a similar career path away from Tottenham.

Bentley concedes that the prolific striker is another who will be generating plenty of interest, but he cannot see a home-grown star being lured away from north London unless an “extraordinary offer” is tabled.

The ex-England international said of Kane: “When you have Daniel Levy in charge people won’t leave unless it’s financially correct for the football club.

“We will have to see how badly the club miss out on gate revenue because that’s what the stadium was built for and Champions League football is where the players want to be, but nobody will leave unless there is an extraordinary offer that’s for sure.”

Read the full 888sport interview with David Bentley here.

AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda is confident they will no go 30 years without winning the Kenyan Premier League (KPL) title.

Shikanda, during the club's virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM), said AFC Leopards are determined to win the league title soon to avoid staying for long like how the English Premier League side Liverpool did.

Liverpool won their first title after a 30-year wait and Leopards, who won their last title in 1998 are keen to avoid that length of a period without a trophy.

“Liverpool went for 30 years without a Premier League title. We have gone 22 years and we don’t want to go the Liverpool way. We are keen to build a team that will lift the KPL title sooner,”  Shikanda assured during the AGM.

The chair, who has been in office for the last year, acknowledged the difficulties they underwent during the cancelled season. He, however, states there is a need to work even harder in the coming seasons so as to achieve the set targets.

“AFC Leopards look to the future with renewed confidence after a difficult season that saw the departure of a key sponsor and now the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic,” the chair added.

“We are encouraged by the fact that we have managed to ensure the club ran smoothly and met our league obligations. Going forward we need to up our game to compete favourably.”

AFC Leopards have already signed a sponsorship deal with Betsafe for the next three years but Shikanda says they must work hard and bring more financial partners on board.

“It may not be enough, but it is a sign of confidence by sponsors. We call upon for more corporates to partner with AFC Leopards,” continued the former Ingwe star.

With the transfer window ahead, Shikanda revealed players are going to be signed and others will exit. Rumours though have had that they target former captain Duncan Otieno and ex-Gor Mahia star Harun Shakava.

On the reported list of those expected to leave, Eugene Mukangula and Musa Saad have been named.

“The team is intact as there are no departures so far. There are those whose contracts will be renewed and others let go when the time comes," Shikanda concluded.

“We will definitely have some arrivals to reinforce the team.”

England international full-back Kieran Trippier has criticised Tottenham for the way in which his move to Atletico Madrid was handled.

Former manager Mauricio Pochettino and chairman Daniel Levy were particularly targeted by the 29-year-old, who claims that their failure to give him assurances over his future led to his departure from a club that had just reached the Champions League final.

Indeed, Trippier claims that his preference would have been to remain with Spurs rather than make a £20 million ($25m) move to Spain.

“I did knock on his [Pochettino's] door, and I said I have an opportunity to go to Atletico Madrid,” he told The Beautiful Game podcast.

“If I am part of your plans, then I will stay. He didn't give me a yes, and he didn't give me a no in his office. So as a player you think: ‘Oh right okay, no problem.’

“Then I went to the chairman and told him the exact same. I had a conversation with the manager, and I said am I part of your plans? If I am, no problem but I have a great opportunity here to go to Atletico Madrid.

“Going back to what I said before, in March/April I hear off people I trust that they've tried to offload me. Offering me to clubs.”

Pochettino had previously insisted that the deal was instigated by the player. 

The Argentine said: “The only conversation when he arrived after the summer was when he came to see me, he asked me for a meeting, and said: ‘Gaffer, I think I have a good possibility and for different reasons I would like to accept the offer from Atlético Madrid.’

“He didn’t ask me nothing. He only communicated whether the club were going to accept the offer. Nothing more. It wasn’t a conversation – Do you want me? Or don’t you want me?”

Trippier has proven to be a regular at Atletico Madrid, where he has featured on 29 occasions this season, most notably in the club’s 3-2 extra-time victory over Liverpool at Anfield which eliminated the Champions League winners and allowed Diego Simeone’s men to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition, which will be played in Lisbon in August.

Raul Jimenez continues to offer hope to suitors such as Manchester United and Arsenal, with the Wolves striker welcoming talk of possible transfers involving “many millions”.

A standout season has been enjoyed by the Mexico international in 2019-20. His personal-best goal return has been raised to 24 across all competitions, with the 29-year-old having shown no sign of rustiness on the back of a coronavirus-enforced break.

Jimenez’s efforts are continuing to keep Wolves in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League, while Europa League glory is also possible.

The decision by those in the West Midlands to snap him up from Benfica has been fully justified, with the target found on 41 occasions in 91 appearances. That prolific return is earning the Mexican plenty of admiring glances from afar, with leading sides in England and Spain said to be mulling over moves.

Jimenez has been keeping the exit door propped open, admitting any interest from Barcelona or Real Madrid would be difficult to ignore. He has also spoken of his pride at earning links to domestic rivals of Wolves, with his price tag said to have soared to around the £90 million ($111m) mark.

Jimenez is enjoying being swept along for the ride at present, with no definitive call on his future offered once again when discussing the speculation he is generating with Telemundo.

“First of all I am very happy here with the Wolves,” Jimenez said. “I am in a place where from the first moment we made an incredible connection.

“I am no stranger to all that [the rumours], every day a new team comes out, every day a new offer comes out, I do not know how many millions.

“It is good to know that they are talking about you, but what I have to do to make that happen is to continue doing my job here with the Wolves.”

Jimenez drew a blank in his last outing against Aston Villa, but he does have two goals to his name since the restart and has helped Nuno’s side to move into fifth spot in the Premier League table – three points adrift of Chelsea and the final Champions League place.

Paolo Maldini believes Gianluigi Donnarumma is the best goalkeeper in the world as AC Milan try to keep the Italy star.

Donnarumma has established himself as the undisputed number one keeper at boyhood club AC Milan since debuting as a 16-year-old in 2015, however, his future is often a topic of discussion.

The likes of Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea have been linked to Italy international Donnarumma, who is out of contract in 2021 as AC Milan look to discuss a new deal.

And Milan technical director Maldini heaped praise on Donnarumma prior to Sunday's 2-0 Serie A victory over Roma at San Siro.

"It is certainly Milan's duty to try and keep hold of an important player like Gigio, for what he represents as a symbol, a player who came up through our youth academy and, in my humble opinion, because he is the best goalkeeper in the world," Maldini told DAZN.

Speaking in March when questions of his future at AC Milan started to emerge, Donnarumma made it clear he had a special connection with the club.

"The Rossoneri colours mean a lot to me, because I grew up here," the 21-year-old said in a Q&A via the club's official channels.

"I have always been a Milan fan and I can't help but give my best for this shirt.

"The first goal is the one I share with the club and the one we have set ourselves at the beginning of the season.

"The personal goal is to always give my best and try to concede as few goals as possible."

The future of Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also making headlines after joining AC Milan on a free transfer from LA Galaxy in January.

Ibrahimovic has scored four goals in 10 games across all competitions since returning to Milan for a second spell.

The 38-year-old's contract expires at the end of the current campaign and Maldini added: "As for Ibrahimovic, these are two different situations. Gigio's contract is not running down, whereas Ibra's is."

AC Milan are currently sitting in seventh position on the Serie A table - a mammoth 27 points adrift of leaders Juventus with 10 matches to play.

They are also 15 points adrift of fourth-placed Atalanta in the final Champions League qualifying position.

East Bengal, who have been on a signing spree in the off-season, have bit of a 'contractual situation' on hand with their new recruits. The new signings have all been handed contracts set to be executed between themselves and 'East Bengal Club'.

However, it has to be noted that 'East Bengal Club' do not have sporting rights to compete in the I-League, or for that matter, any recognised football tournament. The sporting rights is currently with Quess East Bengal - the Joint Venture between the club and their investors Quess Corp who have reportedly decided to end the venture.

Talks are on between the club and Quess in order to negotiate the transfer of sporting rights.

The club are also looking for potential investors and are seeking help from the West Bengal Government to participate in the Indian Super League (ISL) for the 2020-21 season.

As such, the players have been promised that their contracts will be executed again, on existing terms, under the new entity that will enjoy the sporting rights once the sporting rights are eventually transferred back to the club.

For formality sake, the players will have sign a contract again, under the new entity's name.

As of now, the players will not be able to play football next season as 'East Bengal Club' with whom they have signed does not have any sporting rights. The club has, however, promised the players that their contracts will be changed accordingly as and when the new entity is decided and they get the rights to play.

It is not a new development with respect to the club but just an explanation of what happened a while back. East Bengal communicated this to the players when they returned the contracts to the players recently.

It could be 'East Bengal Club Private Limited', a firm registered in 2019 with Pronab Dasgupta and Debabrata Sarkar as its directors.

There has been a lot of noise surrounding the future of East Bengal ever since arch-rivals Mohun Bagan merged with ISL outfit ATK. East Bengal went on a signing spree after the end of the season, recruiting a fair few number of players.

The players the Red and Golds have signed this summer are Milan Singh, Mohammed Rafique, Eugeneson Lyngdoh, Rino Anto, CK Vineeth, Vikas Saini, Pritam Singh, Anil Chavan, Girik Khosla, Sankar Roy, Keegan Pereira, Mohammed Irshad, Bikash Jairu, Cavin Lobo, Sehnaj Singh, Loken Meitei, Rafique Ali Sardar, Angousana Luwang, Gurtej Singh, Novin Gurung, Lalram Chullova and Balwant Singh. They have also retained the services of goalkeeper Mirshad Michu.

Coach Asaph Mwebaze has pointed out some reasons that make Ugandan players fail to make it, especially in foreign leagues.

The former Onduparaka FC coach reveals lateness is one of the weakest areas Ugandan players must work to confront and improve if they have to realise the best in their careers.

“Arriving somewhere that is either an hour away or just five minutes, always being punctual — that’s called planning,” Mwebaze told Sports Nation.

“It’s a skill that many of our players think isn’t part of the game, yet the game is played on time parameters. Players arrive at any time and will always have good stories that catch the sympathy of the listener.”

According to Mwebaze, who has been in the coaching scene for more than two decades, Uganda's work ethics are questionable and has contributed to their failures at times.

“It’s about endurance, comparison and drive. Footballers in Uganda lack the work ethic, that requires the individual to treat the job with respect it deserves,” added the tactician.

“I often challenged them with musicians and their perfectionism. Players don’t realize that they play for an audience or spectators who have paid money from their jobs for this entertainment.

“This would push them to perform with respect to the fan who is parting with hard-earned money. But with little or no hard work they fall by the wayside.”

Mwebaze also questioned the footballers' effort in regard to what they do.

“Honestly, this is basically the same thing as work ethic. Most of the players put very little effort into the game,” explained the coach.

“At Maroons FC and Onduparaka where there were facilities and equipment, very few or none would put in an extra effort before or after the coaching instructions. None would try to perfect a skill which they would always try to do during a game.

"Skills like the penalty kick, free kick, corner kick or any of the standard situations. At one club a player candidly told me classes were a waste of their time.”

Body language, according to Mwebaze, is another aspect Ugandan stars must work to improve on.

“I have realized that this element also lets Uganda players down at times. To be successful you need this kind of confidence that strikes a person in the first interaction,” he concluded.

“Most players won’t look at you straight in the eyes or offer their hand in greeting. A player would enter an office and lean on the wall or sit on a chair in a sleeping position.

“This in most places would easily end the player's career instantly. Football is much about body language and expression, for without it most is lost.”

Young Africans (Yanga SC) coach Luc Eymael has revealed why Simba SC were crowned Mainland Premier League champions on Sunday.

The Wekundu wa Mzimbazi needed just a point to ensure they kept the league title and their performance at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya against Tanzania Prisons gave them just that even though the hosts gave an equally brave fight to keep the champions at bay.

The Belgian coach has now congratulated Simba for winning the title and said they achieved the fete because they were the most consistent side in the top-flight in this campaign.

“I want to congratulate them for winning the league, I am a guy who loves fair play and I think I have to congratulate them for the latest fete,” Eymael told Goal on Monday.

“The difference between Simba and Yanga on the league table was already too big when I arrived, I think Yanga was number six when I arrived to take over but already moving from number six to two is not bad but Simba also deserved to win the crown because they were the most consistent side in the league.”

Asked on whether he will plan to give Simba a proper challenge in the new season, Eymael said: “I am not talking about that, for now, I am thinking first of all to finish the league as high as possible and we must make sure we keep second position to the end and also on Tuesday we have a domestic Cup fixture and our target is to reach the semi-final.

“One game at a time is the solution, each game as its own story and it is very important to tackle the matches a game at a time, we don’t want to start thinking about next season when we still have matches to play.”

It is the first league title for Belgian coach Sven Vandenbroeck who arrived in December 2019 to take charge of the second most successful Tanzanian club. The successful outing will also mean Simba have maintained their slot in the Caf Champions League competition.

The league victory underlines Simba and Yanga's dominance in the Tanzanian competition in the last decade. 

Timu ya Wananchi have won the league five times while Wekundu wa Msimbazi had clinched it four times in the last 10 seasons.

Simba's three successful consecutive campaigns, in the 2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20 seasons have matched Yanga's record achieved in the 2014/15, 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons.