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Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain helped Juventus move seven points clear at the top of Serie A with a resounding 4-0 win over 10-man Lecce at the Allianz Stadium.

Fabio Lucioni's first-half dismissal left lowly Lecce, who had started brightly, facing a daunting task yet it needed a moment of brilliance from Dybala to open the scoring after 53 minutes.

Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi were guilty of woeful misses in the opening period but the former lashed home his 23rd Serie A goal of the campaign from the penalty spot before excellently setting up Higuain.

Matthijs de Ligt added a fourth that was harsh on Lecce as Maurizio Sarri's men stretched their lead on Lazio, beaten 3-2 by Atalanta last time out, albeit their rivals have a game in hand.

Andrea Rispoli flashed wide on the half-volley as Juve were carved open after four minutes.

Gabriel parried Adrien Rabiot's long-range shot and Ronaldo drilled wide of the right post as Juventus came to life and soon found themselves a man up.

Rodrigo Bentancur, playing in his 100th game for Juve, caught Lucioni in possession 40 yards from goal and the centre-back chopped down his opponent to earn the straight red.

Ronaldo incredibly put a close-range header from Dybala's corner over the top when unmarked then teed up Bernardeschi, who missed an even bigger sitter when blazing high from inside the six-yard box.

Gabriel was in action again to keep out Leonardo Bonucci's header just after the restart but was powerless to stop Dybala opening the scoring.

Evgen Shakhov's careless pass was picked up by Ronaldo, who teed up the Argentina forward to curl a sumptuous left-foot effort into the top-right corner from the edge of the area. 

It was game over just after the hour when Ronaldo lashed home the penalty he won after being tripped by Luca Rossettini.

The Portugal superstar would have had another had Gabriel not kept out his point-blank header but his ingenious backheel after a fine run deflected into the path of Higuain, who drilled home the third.

De Ligt then nodded in Douglas Costa's corner as Juve ultimately ran out comfortable winners.

What does it mean? Juve put pressure on Lazio

The coronavirus-enforced break stemmed Lazio's momentum and there is a sense there can be no more slip-ups from Simeone Inzaghi's side. If there are, then Juve's path towards a ninth straight title will be even clearer.

Ronaldo makes amends in style

There was no excuse for a player of Ronaldo's calibre missing the first-half chance he did.

But he was at his brilliant best in the second, first laying on for Dybala to beat the otherwise brilliant Gabriel, before going on to score a penalty he earned himself and finishing a mazy run with an exquisite flick that, with a little help, found its way to Higuain to score Juve's third. It was some response from the Portugal great.

Lucioni's panic undoes Lecce's hard work

Up until the red card there is an argument to say Lecce were the better team, certainly the more ambitious going forward. Lucioni's dismissal may be harsh to some but his lapse stemmed their progress, though Shakhov's carelessness was not much help either.

Key Opta Facts:

- Juventus have won seven home matches in a row for the first time since April 2018 in Serie A.
- Juventus have conceded only one goal at home in 2020, no team in the top-five European Leagues have conceded fewer goals in this period.
- Lecce are the 20th different side Cristiano Ronaldo has scored against in Serie A - the Portuguese player has found the net against 20 of the 21 teams he has faced in the competition so far.
- No player has scored more home goals than Ronaldo in 2019-20 (16 alongside Ciro Immobile).
- Paulo Dybala has scored his 50th goal at home in Serie A.

What's next?

Juventus continue their bid for the title at Genoa on Tuesday, while Lecce next face Sampdoria.

Liverpool's ascent to become Premier League champions under Jurgen Klopp has given Mikel Arteta belief that he can plot a similar revival at Arsenal.

Manchester City's 2-1 loss to Chelsea on Thursday meant the Reds were confirmed as champions of English football for the first time in 30 years.

In the intervening period, Arsenal won four league championships and they finished above Liverpool in Klopp's first season in 2015-16.

However, the two have gone in opposite directions since, with the Reds having claimed twice as many points as the Gunners' 43 from 31 games.

Arteta, only appointed as the Gunners' head coach in December, admires how Klopp has transformed Liverpool and thinks it should serve as encouragement to his current squad.

"They've come so far as a club and as a team in the last few seasons," Arteta said at a media conference.

"I think they set a very clear club culture that they have been able to transmit to the supporters and generate belief.

"I think they have a very clear philosophy with the way they want to play, the way they approach every game, and then they've got some really good recruitment.

"Starting from the staff and the coach and all the players they signed, they are specifically for the way they want to play so congratulations to them."

Asked whether Liverpool are an inspiration for Arsenal, Arteta replied: "Well, yes, because they were in a very difficult position four years ago and they made a lot of right decisions – some difficult decisions, some unpopular decisions but the right decisions for them.

"They have been very consistent with their messages, very clear messages from top to bottom, and a ruthless mentality to go every game with the mentality to win the game."

Klopp took Liverpool to two cup finals in his first campaign, though Liverpool lost on both occasions.

FA Cup glory may be Arteta's most realistic goal this term too given his side are 11 points adrift of the Champions League places with the Gunners set to face Sheffield United in the quarter-finals on Sunday.

"We are very excited," Arteta added. "It is a competition that is very linked to this football club – that has won it more times than anybody else in this country.

"The players are excited, having the chance to go to Wembley even if it's empty, it's such a special occasion so we'll try hard.

"We're going to face a difficult opponent for sure but the boys are excited about it."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted he does not know how much money he will be given to spend in the summer transfer window.

The Manchester United manager had previously said the club would look to ‘exploit’ the transfer market and there was hope they could bring in a couple of targets at least.

Executive vice chairman Ed Woodward explained it would not be ‘business as usual’ this summer due to the impact of Covid-19 and while the club still expects to be active Solskjaer said he does not know what a post pandemic budget will look like.

“I think the pandemic has hit everyone really hard. I still think we need to wait and see how things are panning out to know the real effects of the pandemic, to know what kind of financial state we are in. You see some teams invest, some teams don’t. We’ll have to take a big look at things ourselves to see how hard we’ve been hit,” Solskjaer said.

“I know the club has announced a few numbers before. It’s not for me to say here now we are going to have X amount because I don’t really know.

“I don’t really know how hard we have been hit. We are a financially strong club, but we are also probably being hit more than anybody else. Let’s see how quickly we can get our fans back into the stadium and of course the league position is going to be important for us this season.

"If we can get a trophy, the FA Cup or the Europa League. The Europa League will also qualify us for the Champions League, there’s still a lot of uncertainty and these three or four months, every businessman in the world, every footballer in the world, I think everyone is still unsure what the effect will be.”

One player’s future who remains up in the air is Paul Pogba. The Frenchman has been open to a move away from Old Trafford for a while but the financial impact of the pandemic could see the midfielder staying for at least another season and Solskjaer wants to keep the France international in his squad.

“Yes we are looking to keep Paul here and we are looking to keep the best players here anyway,” he said.

Pogba started with Bruno Fernandes for the first time in the 3-0 win against Sheffield United on Wednesday and Solskjaer spoke about how he plans to continue to fit the pair in the same side.

“I am certain that they can play well together yes because they have proven both in training in the games when they play together that it's exciting,” Solskjaer said about the duo.

“There will be rotations and times when Paul will play up with Bruno sometimes deeper. Sometimes he will play in a diamond. Of course it has been encouraging to see them together but its also encouraging to see how Nemanja [Matic], Scott [McTominay] and Fred are making it difficult for me to leave them out which is good for me as a coach.

“You want to give Paul the chance to get 100 percent fit and back to his best. He has been out for so long but I think it says everything about the quality of the boy in his performances.”

Former Liverpool manager Sir Kenny Dalglish has revealed Sir Alex Ferguson sent the club a message of congratulations and peace after they wrapped up the Premier League title on Thursday. 

Chelsea's 2-1 win over Manchester City handed the Reds the title with seven games to play and Jurgen Klopp's side a remarkable 23 points clear atop the ladder. 

The title was Liverpool's first in the Premier League era with Ferguson's Manchester United currently boasting the most with 13 to their name. 

But despite the stats and the fierce rivalry between the two clubs, Ferguson was able to put that aside and extend his congratulations to the Reds, which Dalglish was impressed by. 

“He has contacted us to say congratulations - you are not at war!” Dalglish was quoted as saying by the Mirror. 

“There is competition between all the old foes, but at the end of the year you send a letter of congratulations to say well done.

“That continues and it is a great compliment. You may be rivals but to have the intelligence so that you are magnanimous enough to send in a letter saying congratulations.

“The people who you’ve been competing with all your life in football, they would wish it was themselves who won, it but they are proud to pay homage to other people as well.”

The two managers were often at odds while in charge of their respective teams with both not above taking a shot at the other in press conferences. 

Thursday's long-awaited title triumph was a long time coming for Dalglish, who feels Klopp can continue to bring success to Anfield in the years to come. 

"The last two years and since Jurgen's come in has been very positive,” Dalglish told BT Sport. “He's been fantastic and epitomises everything Liverpool Football Club stands for. Whatever they got, they have deserved it.

"Onwards and upwards. We have a lot more happy days to look forward to as long as Jurgen is here. Liverpool from top to bottom in the football club have been fantastically supportive.

"You know how much it means. It's hard work to dominate the English league beside quality like Manchester City, by the way!"

Kevin-Prince Boateng made a second-half appearance while Abdoulay Diaby was on the scoresheet as Besiktas clinched a 3-0 win over Konyaspor in Friday’s Turkish Super Lig game.

Ghana international Boateng made a return to Sergen Yalcın’s side after missing their victory over Denizlispor last weekend, owing to Achilles tendonitis problem.

Diaby, meanwhile, started the encounter and impressed, scoring his fourth league goal of the season at Vodafone Park.

With only 15 minutes into the contest, Konyaspor suffered a huge blow when they were reduced to 10 men as Amir Hadziahmetovic was shown a straight red card.

The Black Eagles soon capitalised on their numerical advantage when Burak Yilmaz opened the scoring in the 40th minute.

Moments before the half-time break, Mali international Diaby then doubled the lead after receiving a sumptuous assist from Burak Yilmaz.

Jeremain Lens added the third for the Vodafone Park outfit in the 52nd minute to compound the woes of their visitors.

In the 70th minute, Boateng was introduced into the game, replacing Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and played his part to ensure his side maintained their three-goal lead and clinched the maximum points.

Egypt international and Arsenal loanee Mohamed Elneny made way for Kartal Yilmaz with six minutes left to play while Diaby was replaced by Guven Yalcin.

With the result, the Black Eagles are fifth on the Super Lig table with 50 points from 29 games, one point below Europa League qualification spot.

Boateng joined Besiktas in January on loan from Serie A side Fiorentina and has featured in eight league games since his arrival at Vodafone Park, scoring two goals.

Diaby, meanwhile, teamed up with the Black Eagles last summer on loan from Sporting CP and has made 34 appearances across all competitions, scoring four goals and providing two assists.

The African stars will hope to help Besiktas extend their winning run to three games when they take on Kayserispor on July 6.

Bayern Munich superstar Robert Lewandowski has won the Bundesliga's Player of the Season award.

It has been some campaign for one of European football's most feared marksmen and he became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Bundesliga matches earlier this term.

Lewandowski has scored against each of the teams currently playing in Germany's top flight, having netted against Fortuna Dusseldorf for the first time on matchday 29.

Having chalked up 33 league goals this term, Lewandowski is a shoo-in to be the Bundesliga's top scorer for the fourth time in five seasons.

Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho was second, with Kai Havertz of Bayer Leverkusen third for an award decided by fan votes and experts.

Timo Werner, Amine Harit, Erling Haaland and Serge Gnabry were also in the running for the prize, for which Lewandowski received a whopping 50 per cent of the vote.

Bayern wrapped up an eighth straight league title this month and can still win a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble.

While Lewandowski has arguably been in career-best form, he declared earlier this month that he is yet to hit his peak at the age of 31. 

"I am not yet in the best period of my career. Soon (I'll be). But all of these are just numbers," he told France Football.

"I am confident that the best moment of my career will come quickly. I know this is not my last contract. I want to play longer and stay in shape.

"I have all the time in front of me to think about the future, but I feel really good. I'm going to celebrate my 32th birthday next August, but that doesn't mean that I feel this age.

"For me, it doesn't matter in terms of everything I do, my involvement in and outside of football. What I want is not just staying on top for the next two or three years, I’m looking at the longer term.

"I don't even think about the Ballon d'Or, even if, in my life, I believe that anything is possible."

Jordan Henderson is among the best captains Liverpool have ever had, according to former manager Sir Kenny Dalglish.

The Anfield side were crowned Premier League champions on Thursday after Manchester City's 2-1 defeat to Chelsea gave Jurgen Klopp's men a 23-point lead at the top with seven games to go. 

Henderson, who joined from Sunderland in 2011 during Dalglish's last spell in charge, has been the team's captain since Steven Gerrard's departure in 2015 and helped guide the club to Champions League success last season.

After his role in securing Liverpool's first top-flight title success in 30 years, Dalglish says he has earned his place among the club's biggest legends.

“Jordan will be the only Liverpool captain who has lifted this trophy and be a Club World Cup winner as well," Dalglish told The Mirror.

"He is up there with the captains who have picked up the Champions League.

"[When I signed him] I saw somebody who was better than what we had at that time. That was on the pitch. Then when you get into discussions, he was very balanced, his dad came with him for the conversations which was for me a good sign.

“He had a secure home life which helps and he was determined to be a success in football. If I hadn’t given him a chance, it would have been me who would have been wrong. I’m not being modest; you see something you like it and you get it.”

The ex-Scotland hero was quick to give credit to coach Klopp, too, adding that the German has rare qualities.

"Obviously Liverpool fans and the players adore Jurgen, but there are a lot of opposition fans who think he is a good fella, too," he said.

“You don’t get that with too many managers. You don’t get that. That is quite unique. Jurgen is the perfect fit for Liverpool. He is perfect.

“I am sure he is Scouser. Some people are suited to clubs because of the personality they have and the beliefs they have are similar and that is exactly what Jurgen has.

“He is very comfortable in himself because he knows what he does is an honest effort and commitment to success, and he doesn’t mind sharing that success.

“He knows what he is doing is the right way for him. Some people might feel intimidated, but when the club had success there were always people in and around the football club. I think that is important to have that.

“He is very comfortable and he enjoys sharing the success he has with everybody.”

Maurizio Sarri admits he does not know if Miralem Pjanic will remain at Juventus beyond the end of the season but is not overly concerned by reports over the midfielder's future.

Pjanic played 90 minutes as the Bianconeri overran 10-man Lecce 4-0 in Friday's Serie A contest to open up a seven-point lead over Scudetto challengers Lazio.

The future of Pjanic has been the topic of much debate amid reports he is headed to Barcelona in a swap deal that will see Arthur move to Turin.

Sarri spoke before the game to say he has had no update on such a deal and continued to follow a similar party line when speaking to Sky Sport Italy following the win.

"I don't know if Pjanic will no longer play with Juventus, I have not received any communication," the Juve head coach said. 

"These are not things that interest us, the market only starts in September. Miralem's a professional, he understands situations quickly. 

"I don't know anything at the moment, but I'm not worried."

Sarri added: "He'll be with us until the end of August. I hope he'll stay with us even beyond that, but these are decisions that will be made at a later stage."

Juve were slow off the mark against Lecce and the game remained 0-0 until half-time despite a straight red card for Fabio Lucioni.

But the floodgates opened in the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo teeing up Paulo Dybala to score a brilliant opener before doubling the lead from the penalty spot.

Ronaldo was again influential for Gonzalo Higuain's strike, with Matthijs de Ligt rounding off the rout.

Sarri was particularly happy for Higuain given how the coronavirus crisis has affected the Argentine striker, an issue he had spoken about pre-game.

"He had a difficult time on a personal and global level, because the coronavirus emergency hit him a lot and left a mark on him," Sarri added. 

"He has returned, had a minor injury and is now getting back into shape. I am happy that he scored immediately, he is a player who will give us a lot in this season finale."

Kevin De Bruyne says Manchester City can still make it an unbelievable season despite missing out to Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

City’s defeat at Chelsea on Thursday night confirmed Jurgen Klopp’s side would be crowned champions for the time in 30 years and the Belgian midfielder admitted Liverpool deserved it.

“We knew it was impossible [to catch them after lockdown],” he said. “You are always disappointed when you don’t win, but I think we are honest enough to say Liverpool were better this year.

“I think we worked really hard, we played really well but we weren’t good enough and that’s no problem for us to admit.

“If everything goes to plan for us then I think we still have 13 or 14 games, so we still have a lot to play for and a lot of objectives.”

City won a domestic treble last season and can still add the FA Cup and Champions League to the Carabao Cup glory in March for another trio of trophies.

Their FA Cup defence continues with a difficult trip to Newcastle on Sunday and De Bruyne says the critics have been too quick to put the boot in on Pep Guardiola’s side after failing to win a third successive Premier League title.

“In comparison with a lot of other teams we are doing alright,” he added. “We are still second, so that means after Liverpool we are the second best team.

“I think we have still got big chances in the FA Cup and Champions League. Imagine if we come out after winning these cups, it will be an unbelievable season. We have got a lot to play for and look forward to it.”

While City haven’t matched their form of their previous two campaigns, De Bruyne has been in devastating form with 16 assists and 10 goals this season.

The 28-year-old is in the running for the Player of the Year awards - an accolade never won by a City player despite four Premier League title triumphs for the club.

“Two years ago I was second and we won the title 20 points ahead, so I don’t know how people decide,” he said.

“I think I have a chance. It is not me who decides and I think I can make my own analysis of how this season has gone. Whatever you get in the end is nice, but we will see.”

Jurgen Klopp has vowed Liverpool will not stop after winning the Premier League, with the manager promising his team will continue to improve.

The Reds have enjoyed a sensational season and wrapped up their first English title in 30 years on Thursday when Chelsea defeated second-placed Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.

Having won the Champions League last season too, Klopp is overjoyed at Liverpool's progress under his stewardship.

However, he does not see it as the culmination of his efforts, with the German stressing there is much more to come from his players.

"The last 13 months were pretty special for us, it's true," he told reporters.

"I would like to involve the year before because it was an incredible time in my football life. I didn't experience it before - not that good - the consistency the boys show is so exceptional. 

"We will not stop, we really have to stay focused, because we see the opportunity. I will promise we will improve. But this will not mean we will win everything, but that we will improve. City is exceptional, so I cannot promise that we will win something. 

"If you ask my team at Mainz, they worked hard. Dortmund as well. This group is a mix – we have a lot of world class players, but other clubs do too. 

"The consistency comes from the mix of determination, buying into ideas, attitude, character, personality. That's what makes this group special. They are confident because we won, but they are humble. If they stay humble, we have a good chance to be successful.

"It helped massively that we won the Champions League. It helps from a confidence point of view – from the nearly man to a winner. We get a super push from our supporters, every two weeks we have the best atmosphere in football. 

"We have a good situation, we use our history instead of being held back by it. We will make sure we are still good from now on."

Klopp knows with Pep Guardiola at City at a time Chelsea and Manchester United are looking resurgent, the champions will face fierce competition going forward.

"If you want to win the league, it's pretty much not allowed to lose a game," he added.

"City have never stopped since Pep was there. We will try not to stop, to improve, to make things special. Tomorrow we train, that's how it is. 

"We have a common dream. We have big dreams. The more people dream the more important and stronger it gets. So we will not stop. 

"If you really go into detail, you'll see we have been doing this for three, four years. The intensity was never less, we were not as successful. 

"The boys are more experienced, more convinced. But we know other teams are there and will do a lot to improve their situation. 

"There will be hard fights, and the hard fight starts now."

Mikel Arteta warned his squad that he only wants players who are prepared to ‘jump on the boat’ amid reports Matteo Guendouzi is eyeing the Arsenal exit door this summer.

The 21-year-old has been in the headlines this week after clashing with Brighton striker Neal Maupay moments after the final whistle during last weekend’s 2-1 defeat at the Amex Stadium.

Guendouzi, who grabbed the Brighton striker round the throat during the incident, escaped a retrospective ban from the Football Association but didn’t avoid punishment from Arteta, who left him out of his matchday squad for Thursday night’s victory at Southampton.

It is the second time the Spaniard has disciplined the midfielder since taking over in December and French publication L’Equipe reported on Friday that Guendouzi would be open to a transfer this summer, amid reported interest from Inter Milan, Manchester United and Juventus.

The report stated that Guendouzi had made his feelings known during an internal disciplinary meeting with Arteta and the Arsenal hierarchy earlier in the week.

It was also suggested that Arsenal had indicated the club would not stand in Guendouzi’s way should a suitable offer arrive.

And when quizzed on whether he believed the midfielder, who joined from Lorient in 2018, would definitely be part of his squad next summer, Arteta stopped short of offering any guarantees.

“All the players that are here, I am counting on them,” said Arsenal’s head coach. “If they want to jump on the boat, they are more than welcome and that’s always my mindset.

“I am here to help all of them to improve individually and collectively and that is my job.”

On whether the meeting involving Guendouzi took place earlier in the week, Arteta added: “As I said in the press conference [after Southampton], whatever internal issues we have we will deal with them privately and I am never going to make any of that public.”

Guendouzi has started just four of the 13 Premier League games Arteta has taken charge of since he replaced Unai Emery in December, with the Spaniard preferring the double act of Granit Xhaka and Dani Ceballos in his midfield.

The France Under-21 international could return to the squad for Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Sheffield United, with Kieran Tierney also set to feature despite limping off with cramp against Southampton.

Cedric Soares will be absent again but is closing in on a return after his facial injury, while David Luiz will return from his two-match suspension.

That the conversation around Wolves' Adama Traore has so completely shifted over the course of the season is a testament to the player, as well as the management of Nuno Espirito Santo.

Where once a perceived lack of end product frequently caveated his blistering pace and impressive bulk, now reports indicate he may well be the one to take no less a team than the champions to another level.

When players come good in this manner, there is often a temptation to construe it as a middle finger to the critics. The implication is usually that the player in question was always that good, but that the punditocracy perhaps suffered from a collective blind spot.

However, in the case of Traore, this is just something else altogether.

There has been no shortage of speedsters in the Premier League. Pace is the single most fetishized attribute in the league, but at the same time, by virtue of its ubiquity, it is almost considered a matter of course. The lack of it is, in most cases, the bigger talking point.

So when Traore was zipping past full-backs and recording league-obliterating dribbling numbers while at hapless Middlesbrough, it was considered a piece of statistical freakishness rather than anything truly seismic.

There was also the fact that little concrete was coming of it. 

His first season at Boro, he managed a paltry one assist over 16 starts as the club were relegated, and although his output in the Championship increased (five goals, 10 assists in 26 starts), he was back to his ineffectual worst (one goal, one assist) upon joining promoted Wolves in 2018/19.

It is one thing to terrify the opponent, but quite another for that sense of dread to take on a tangible aspect and poke them in the side with the cold point of a keen blade.

His numbers also seemed to legitimize the idea that he was fundamentally unsuited for the big stage, seeing as his two Premier League sojourns had ended in disappointment.

Whereas some might have been tempted to cut their losses, Nuno set about making a more impactful player. His opening gambit in 2019/20: Traore as a wing-back in a position-share with fantasy darling Matt Doherty.

It was a role to which he took with relish, able to start his runs from a deeper position and also, by virtue of needing to spend time in the defensive third, build up his tactical understanding of the game – positioning, timing of pressing actions, challenging in the air; some of the things Aitor Karanka, who had coached him at Boro, famously said he lacked.

The Wolves manager’s use of the word 'building' to describe the process was quite apt, but the key to unlocking Traore has always been to throw convention out of the way. Build to a plan, but keep the specifics malleable.

A stunning breakaway brace in the 2-0 victory over Manchester City at the Etihad having switched to a central attacking role in-game showcased just how much that education had rubbed off.

His decision-making on the counter and at speed, in particular, caught the eye, and no doubt indicated to Nuno he was ready. He only played twice more at wing-back after that, and once assists in consecutive matches snapped a three-game winless run in November, Traore has not looked back.

He has also struck up a very interesting on-field relationship with Raul Jimenez, with the Mexican often the beneficiary when Traore goes a-chugging down the right: the pair have combined for 10 goals this season in the Premier League, the highest goalscorer-assister combination in the league.

Already, he is up to four goals and nine assists in the league this season. With eight matches still to play, that’s a more impressive return than he actually managed in the second tier of English football. It is perhaps the clearest indication yet that the 24-year-old is finally able to draw from that well of seemingly infinite ability.

It is no surprise then that Liverpool have been linked, and while Nuno noncommittal in his response to that line of questioning, it will not be lost on anyone that Jurgen Klopp is an admirer of player. In the build-up to their meeting in December, the German manager singled him out when discussing the threat Wolves posed, and he will no doubt relish adding him to his newly-crowned champions.

The obvious question is where he might fit in. as Liverpool is currently constituted, it is highly unlikely he would displace Mohamed Salah, nor would he expect to. Yet the interest seems genuine enough.

What he would be, however, is an undeniable upgrade on Xherdan Shaqiri.

The Switzerland international has only made six appearances this season, and while that has largely been down to the excellence of the regular front three, he has also had a number of fitness concerns. Although he has a contract at Anfield through to 2023, signing Traore would certainly see him most disenfranchised.

Aside being the first-choice back-up option for either of the two wide roles, Traore would also present Liverpool with the option of switching to a 4-2-3-1, especially when chasing the game.

In that system, Salah often moves into a central striking role, with Roberto Firmino playing behind him. Traore on the right of that would inject real directness and menace, and it would be interesting to see him develop a relationship with Trent Alexander-Arnold; the former driving to the byline, the latter arcing his menacing deliveries from deeper positions.

Then again, perhaps none of this even comes off. However, the plausibility of it, however theoretical, is the clearest indication of Traore’s growth and readiness for the jump to a higher level.

The postponed Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue finals will take place on July 24 and 31, respectively, the French Football Federation (FFF) has confirmed.

Both matches were postponed in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, with prime minister Edouard Philippe announcing all sporting events had been halted in an attempt to control the spread of Covid-19.

Although that led to the premature conclusion of Ligue 1, with final places in the table decided on a points-per-game basis, the FFF delayed a decision regarding the two cup finals, giving rise to the possibility the showpiece events could go ahead at a later date.

With the virus largely under control in France, provisional dates in late July were put forward as possibilities.

The FFF confirmed those dates on Friday, with the Coupe de France final between Paris Saint-Germain and Saint-Etienne set for July 24.

PSG will then contest the Coupe de la Ligue finale a week later, with Lyon their opponents on that occasion.

The French champions recently returned to training, with three players and a member of the club's staff testing positive for the coronavirus.

Meanwhile, after the departures of Thomas Meunier and Edinson Cavani upon the expiration of their contracts, Thomas Tuchel believes Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League prospects are "different but not impossible".

Up to 5,000 supporters are expected to be allowed into the Stade de France to watch the two cup matches after it was confirmed last week that stadiums will be able to open at a reduced capacity next month.

It will be the last iteration of the Coupe de la Ligue following a September 2019 decision to suspend the competition, owing to a desire to reduce the French football season's schedule.

While the two cup finals will be held to signal the close of the 2019-20 season, the 2020-21 season will begin on the weekend of August 22.

The Champions League final is scheduled for August 21, and the Ligue 1 schedule will be adjusted for Paris Saint-Germain or Lyon should either said make it to that final game.

There will be five midweek matchday throughout the upcoming season, with the season running through May 23.

Asante Kotoko head coach Maxwell Konadu has revealed reports that he has requested for a sporting director are totally false.

The Kumasi-based side are enjoying a new lease of life following the appointment of a new board of directors.

Media speculation claimed Konadu has put forward a request of a sporting director to the new leadership.

"There's no truth that I am recommending a new sporting director," Konadu told Kumasi FM.

"We are in isolation, praying, and planning to amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, so we haven't decided any sporting director role to beef up my technical department.

"We have a new board of directors. Let's allow them to take charge and plan the best for us in every department in the club. If the board needs a new director or players, they will contact me but I haven't received anything.

"We shouldn't start anything that will yield misunderstanding between the playing body, board, technical team and management.

"Let's allow all departments to focus on the progression of the club. We are now putting things in order.”

Kotoko's new board, a nine-member unit, was announced in May.

The set-up is led by Kwame Kyei, who has been at the helm of affairs for the last three years.

Jude Arthur (Board Chairman for Ghana Commercial Bank), Kwadwo Boateng Gyamfi (Board Chairman Ghana EXIM Bank), Kwasi Osei Ofori (Chairman Erdmark Group/ CEO Rocksure Mining Ltd), Lawyer Kwamina Mensah (Corporate Lawyer), Alhaji Lamine (Businessman), Joseph Yaw Adu (Retired Director of Sports at Kwame Nkrumah University Science and Technology), Baffour Kwame Kusi (Otumfuo's Ankobeahene), and Evelyn Nsiah Asare (Acting Head of Sports at Sunyani Technical University) complete the board.

The board has been "charged with an ambitious task to rebuild the Asante Kotoko brand not only for its performance on the sporting field but as a viable economic entity".

The Porcupine Warriors are the most successful club in the history of the Ghana Premier League, with 23 titles.

The Kumasi-based outfit have also won the FA Cup on 10 occasions, the last success coming in 2000.

At continental level, Kotoko conquered Africa twice - in 1970 and 1983.

Borussia Dortmund are in talks with Real Madrid to extend Achraf Hakimi's loan deal, says sports director Michael Zorc.

The 21-year-old joined the German side on a season-long loan from Madrid last summer but his impressive performances in the Bundesliga have seen him linked with other clubs.

Madrid were reportedly open to giving the Morocco international a chance in the first-team while Bayern Munich were said to be interested, though his agent denied talks with the latter .

Inter have emerged as one of the top contenders to land him, however, after it was reported by Sky Sports  they are in advanced talks over a €40 million deal to bring him to Italy.

Dortmund, meanwhile, were hoping to keep Hakimi on loan for another 12 months with an option to buy him and reports in Germany say they are not willing to spend big this summer due to the financial hit they have suffered during the coronavirus crisis.

Zorc said that his side his side are looking to work out a deal with his parent club, but admits they have limitations when it comes to fighting for the full-back.

"We know what we can and cannot do in the Hakimi case," he told  Sport1 .  "We are in close contact with Real Madrid. He's still our player for a few days."

Hakimi has scored nine goals and assisted a further 10 in 44 appearances for Dortmund this season.

Madrid boss Zidane said last week that he is happy with the progress he has made during his spell in Germany , but stopped short of promising he would have first-team opportunities in the Spanish capital next term.

Dortmund appear to have signed a replacement for the full-back, having signed Thomas Meunier in a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.

The 28-year-old Belgium international, who spent four years with the French giants, has signed a contract that will run to June 2024. 

Dortmund have sealed second place in the Bundesliga, as they sit 10 points behind champions Bayern Munich and six ahead of RB Leipzig. 

Lucien Favre's side play their last game of the season at home to Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Uefa has confirmed the allocated venues and kick-off times for the postponed Women's Champions League final stage schedule.

Last week, Uefa confirmed that the remaining fixtures of the 2019-20 club tournament will be concluded as a mini-competition from the quarter-finals onward following the coronavirus shutdown.

Uefa also named two Spanish venues - San Mames Stadium in Bilbao and Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian as the host venues in August.

On Friday, the draw of the final stage took place at the Uefa's headquarters in Nyon, with a quarter-final tie between Oshoala's Barca and Atletico Madrid to take place in Bilbao on August 21.

Holders Lyon will battle Bayern Munich at the same venue on August 22 while Glasgow City will tackle Wolfsburg in San Sebastian on August 21 before Arsenal will face Paris Saint-Germain next day.

The winner of Glasgow City/Wolfsburg will take on the victor of  Atletico/Barcelona in San Sebastian in the semi-finals on August 25, while Arsenal/PSG will engage Lyon/Bayern in Bilbao the next day.

The winner of the first semi-final will face the winner of the second semi-final at the Anoeta Stadium, San Sebastian on August 30.

On Oshoala's part, she will look to return from holiday in high spirits on July 13 as Barcelona seek to repeat their fairytale run last season, when they battle Atletico in the first-ever all-Spanish tie.

In last year's finals, Oshoala came on late to net a consolation goal for the Catalans to become the first African to score in a Uefa Women's Champions League final against Lyon.

This term, she has continued to shine brightly, netting 26 times in all competitions to help Luis Cortes' side secure their first league title in five years, without recording a defeat in 21 matches.

Having won two titles, the four-time Africa Women's Player of the Year will be keen to inspire her side to a continental success.

Kylian Mbappe says seeing Lassana Diarra and Gianluigi Buffon leave Paris Saint-Germain had a big effect on him. 

The 21-year-old striker joined the French giants from Monaco in 2017 and spent a year with each of Diarra and Buffon.

French midfielder Diarra joined PSG the following January and retired from the game just over a year later having made just 19 appearances, while legendary goalkeeper Buffon spent a season with the Ligue 1 champions before returning to Juventus in July 2019.

Mbappe has seen many players come and go at PSG since he arrived, but he misses Diarra and Buffon more than anyone else.

"He was Uncle Lass, a big brother you could count on," Mbappe told L'Equipe  of his relationship with the ex-Chelsea, Arsenal and Real Madrid player. 

" He has often told me about his career, his clubs. He made mistakes, so he gave me advice. He helped me during complicated times.

"The highest level, he knows. He knows what he is talking about. He went to a lot of clubs all over the place. He left home very early, and alone.

"I always liked listening to the senior players. Buffon was also very important to me.

"But Lass didn't just speak to me. He confided in those who were coming through. He also spent a lot of time, notably with Presnel Kimpembe and he always played this role even when he was not playing. And that is very important.

"He was not the one we have sometimes heard people talk about. Lassana was highly respected in the locker room.

"It did something to me to see him go. It also affected me to see Buffon go.

"Lass had told me about his plans, I knew what he wanted to do but I didn't think he was going to work that hard. Because he works very hard. I am still in contact with him."

Mbappe won another Ligue 1 title this season as PSG were declared champions after the campaign was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The France star was top of the top-flight's goal charts for the second time in a row, having netted 18 times in 20 league matches.

Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez has tipped Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane to win the PFA Player of the Year award.

The Senegal international has been in excellent form for the Reds this season, scoring 15 Premier League goals and 19 in all competitions with the Merseyside outfit claiming the title for the first time in 30 years after City failed to beat Chelsea on Thursday night.

Jurgen Klopp’s men lost out to the Citizens by a single point last season. Mane was also joint top-scorer in the Premier League alongside his teammate and Egypt international Mohamed Salah and Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the previous campaign with 22 goals apiece.

Mane is up against the likes of Salah, current holder and Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling as well as Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy, who leads the top scorer's chart this season with 19 goals, for the award.

“I think it would be Mane,” Mahrez said when asked by BT Sport for his choice as reported by Metro.

“Not too many skills, he’s not a player of skills, but he’s efficient.

“He scores goals, like [Mohamed] Salah, when he was at Southampton, he was good, but he wasn’t as good as now.

“He’s improved a lot technically and in front of the goal. He scores a lot of goals now because he improved a lot. So yeah, I think this year it should be him.”

The PFA Awards was set to take place in Manchester on April 26, the first time it would be held outside London, but was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Mahrez was the recipient of the PFA POTY in 2016 after he played a crucial role towards Leicester City winning an unprecedented league title for the first time ever, scoring 17 goals and providing 10 assists.

He became the first-ever African to win the award but it was not long before another African in Salah won it two seasons later after scoring 32 league goals, which made him the highest scorer in a 38-game league season, surpassing Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 31 strikes in the 2007-08 campaign with Manchester United.

Mahrez joined Manchester City from Leicester in 2018 and has won another Premier League title along with the FA Cup and two League Cups, scoring 23 goals and providing 27 assists in 84 competitive appearances.