Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe said Neymar is the centre of the club's project as he hailed the Brazilian star.

Neymar joined PSG from Barcelona in a world-record € 222million deal in 2017, but he has been repeatedly linked with a return to his former club or LaLiga champions Real Madrid.

The PSG forward pledged to remain in Paris alongside Mbappe prior to Sunday's shock 3-2 Ligue 1 defeat to Lorient.

Mbappe – who is also out of contract in 2022 – has similarly been tipped to leave PSG for Madrid amid doubts over his future but talked up his relationship with superstar team-mate Neymar.

"I've always thought that great players were made to play together - and that's clear between us two," Mbappe told France Football.

"Our roles were established when I arrived in Paris: Neymar is the centre of the project and I'm here to help him.

"[This is] because when I arrived at PSG, I was only an emerging star and I had to prove myself on the pitch."

Mbappe has scored 106 goals and set up a further 54 in 148 appearances for PSG.

Since his debut for the club on September 8, 2017, the only players in the top five European leagues to have registered more goal involvements are Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (186) and Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi (206).

Neymar, meanwhile, became the first PSG player since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2015 to convert two penalties in the same game as the French giants fell to Lorient on Sunday.

It was only the second time in Neymar's career he has converted more than one penalty in the same game in the top five European leagues, having achieved the feat with Barca in October 2015.

"Neymar knows how to do everything," Mbappe added. "He's the best in the world.

"When he arrived in Paris, we realised everything he could do. He's not a player simply for putting on a show and dancing when you're winning 5-0. He also knows how to do spectacular things at 0-0.

"I don't know if everyone is aware, but Neymar understands everything. He has an instinct that makes him know how to do everything straight away."

Liverpool have made their second defensive signing of transfer deadline day by bringing in Ozan Kabak from Schalke on loan.

The 20-year-old has joined the Premier League champions until the end of this season, subject to international clearance.

His move follows the arrival at Anfield earlier on Monday of fellow central defender Ben Davies from Championship side Preston North End for a reported £1.6m.

Kabak started his career with Galatasaray before joining Bundesliga outfit Stuttgart in January 2019.

He was unable to prevent his new side from suffering relegation and was duly snapped up by Schalke after they activated the €15m release clause in his contract. 

He impressed across 28 appearances in all competitions last season, but he has struggled this term with Schalke sitting rock bottom of the Bundesliga after just one win in 19 games. 

They let in a whopping 38 goals in Kabak's 14 Bundesliga appearances, while the Turkey international conceded the second-highest number of fouls (21) and is the only Schalke player to have been dismissed in the league. 

He did, however, won more duels (99) than any of his team-mates.

Kabak completed his move while still in Germany and will travel to Merseyside later this week.

Jurgen Klopp's side host Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday before welcoming league leaders Manchester City to Anfield for a crunch clash this weekend.

Shkodran Mustafi has signed a short-term contract at Schalke after leaving Premier League side Arsenal.

Mustafi's deal at Emirates Stadium was due to expire in June and the Germany defender will now play out the remainder of the current campaign back in his homeland with Bundesliga strugglers Schalke.

The 28-year-old joined the Gunners from LaLiga outfit Valencia in 2016 and leaves with two FA Cup winners' medals.

However, Mustafi fell down the pecking order at Arsenal and only three of his 2020-21 appearances have come in the Premier League after recovering from hamstring surgery.

"Musti has been a key player for us for a long period of time," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

"He played a very important part in my first season as manager and I'd like to thank him for his professionalism and for always being ready when called upon.

"Everybody at Arsenal wishes Musti well at Schalke."

Mustafi will be reunited with Sead Kolasinac, who is on loan at Schalke and embroiled in the fight to help the Bundesliga's bottom club avoid relegation.

A World Cup winner in 2014, Mustafi arrives in Gelsenkirchen as a replacement for Ozan Kabak in Christian Gross' squad after the Turkey international joined Premier League champions Liverpool on loan until the end of the season.

Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has joined Cagliari on loan for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. 

Rugani spent the first half of the campaign on loan at Ligue 1 outfit Rennes but he made just two appearances.

The 26-year-old has appeared 101 times across all competitions for the Bianconeri, winning the Italian title five times and the Coppa Italia on three occasions.

He has made seven appearances for Italy, the last of which came in a friendly against Netherlands in June 2018.

Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo has joined Nice on an initial loan deal until the end of the season.

The Ligue 1 club have the option to buy the 21-year-old for €8.5million when the loan concludes, in an agreement that could be worth an additional €7m to Barca in variables.

Todibo joined Barcelona from Toulouse two years ago when he was regarded as one of the brightest young talents in European football.

His two LaLiga games in the Blaugrana's ultimately successful 2018-19 title defence yielded neither a win nor a goal, with a 0-0 draw at Huesca on debut followed by a 2-0 loss at Celta Vigo.

This is Todibo's third consecutive January move after he joined Schalke on loan last year, going on to make eight Bundesliga appearances before a €25m purchase option was declined.

Opportunities to progress at Barcelona this season were hindered by a positive coronavirus test in August.

The switch to Nice has been made possible by Benfica agreeing to terminate Todibo's loan without the player making a single appearance in the Portuguese top flight.

Liverpool have made their second defensive signing of transfer deadline day by bringing in Ozan Kabak from Schalke on loan.

Mauricio Pochettino is convinced star forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will still be at Paris Saint-Germain next season. 

Brazil superstar Neymar joined after being bought out of his Barcelona contract for €222million in 2017, making it the most expensive transfer in football history.

He has been repeatedly linked with a return to Spain, either at Barcelona or Real Madrid, but the prospects of such a move now appear remote as those clubs battle with the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Madrid have also been linked with a move for World Cup-winning attacker Mbappe, whose contract with PSG is due to expire at the end of next season.

Neymar's deal runs out at the same time but Pochettino, who took over from Thomas Tuchel last month, believes PSG are doing everything in their power to ensure the pair will be lining up for the French champions at the start of the 2021-22 campaign. 

"I believe that both will stay, and will stay a long time at PSG," he told RMC Sport. "And I have no doubts, I am very optimistic. The club is working to succeed in keeping them with us."

Asked if he knew this for certain or whether it was just a feeling, the former Tottenham boss responded: "It's a feeling, but it's also what I see. Neymar and Kylian are happy. They are having fun here and I also believe the club is working to keep them."

Mbappe has scored 106 goals and set up a further 54 in 148 appearances for PSG. Since his debut for the club on September 8, 2017, the only players in the top five European Leagues to have registered more goal involvements are Robert Lewandowski (186) and Lionel Messi (206).

Pochettino was full of praise for the France international, who he says has the football intelligence of someone much older than 22. 

"The other day I was talking to one of his team-mates about him and we were like: 'Who doesn't love Kylian? His smile, his energy' 

"He's young, a world champion at 19. With the talent he has, it's normal to be in love with Kylian. Everyone around him loves him. 

"He's only 22 but he's a very mature boy. He looks like a 35-year-old trained man already. He's very mature and very intelligent, very intuitive, and he understands that there are periods in football, ups and downs. 

"You have to be positive and you have to keep working to change those difficult times. But we have no doubts. Obviously we are talking with Kylian, but we are talking also to all other players."

PSG will hope to bounce back from Sunday's embarrassing 3-2 defeat to Lorient when they host Nimes on Wednesday.

Premier League champions Liverpool have signed centre-back Ben Davies from Preston North End for a deal reportedly worth £1.6million.

The 25-year-old has signed a long-term contract with Jurgen Klopp's side and could make his debut against Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday. 

Davies made his Preston debut in January 2013 before spending time on loan at York City, Tranmere Rovers, Southport, Newport County and Fleetwood Town. 

He cemented his place in the Lilywhites' first team during the 2017-18 campaign, making 35 appearances across all competitions. 

He went on to make a further 98 appearances for Alex Neil's side, 19 of which have come this season. 

Davies' arrival at Anfield gives Klopp's side some much-needed cover in the heart of defence. 

With Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez long-term absentees and Fabinho and Joel Matip struggling with injuries, Jordan Henderson and the inexperienced Nat Phillips were the centre-back pairing for Sunday's 3-1 win over West Ham.

Andrea Pirlo cited the 2-0 loss to Inter in January as a turning point for in-form Juventus as they prepare to face Antonio Conte's side once again, this time in the Coppa Italia. 

Arturo Vidal and Nicolo Barella scored the goals as Inter deservedly triumphed at San Siro last month, the defeat inflicting further damage on the reigning champions in their bid for a 10th straight Serie A title. 

However, since that setback in Milan, Juve have won four games in a row without conceding. That run includes lifting the Supercoppa Italiana at the expense of Napoli, as well as a Coppa Italia quarter-final success over second-tier SPAL. 

Next up in the competition is a two-legged tie with Inter and, having been second best in the previous meeting, Pirlo is confident his side learned a valuable lesson from that game.

"I want to see a team aware of their strength," Pirlo - who confirmed Gianluigi Buffon will start in goal - told the club's television channel.

"It will be the first round, because it's a 180-minute game, so tomorrow it will be important to manage it well, because it won't be decisive.  

"The match against Inter in the league taught a lot, first of all, when we are not on the right track, we are not ourselves, but from there we started with great performances.” 

As for Conte, he is wary of a repeat of what happened to Inter in the competition in the 2019-20 season, when they lost 1-0 at home to Napoli in the first leg of the semi-final. A 1-1 draw was not enough in the return fixture, meaning they were knocked out by the eventual winners. 

"You always need to be very respectful of very strong teams, and we'll certainly need to put in an excellent performance,” the former Chelsea boss told the media.

"The upcoming 180 minutes will determine who progresses, and the first match will be important. Last year, we lost 1-0 to Napoli at home and didn't manage to turn things around at the San Paolo despite playing very well. We will need to perform and try to do our best."

The Nerazzurri will be without Romelu Lukaku on Tuesday due to suspension after he received a yellow card for his part in a confrontation with Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the previous round. 

Conte, though, is confident he has enough strength in depth at the position to cover for the absence of the influential Belgian. Lukaku scored twice at the weekend against Benevento in Serie A action, taking his tally for the campaign in the league to 14 goals in 16 appearances. 

"It's not the first time that Romelu has been missing," Conte said. "We will have Alexis and Lautaro, who I'm sure will do well.  

"Romelu is feeling good, he responded on the pitch and scored two goals against Benevento. Now, he's being forced to rest due to his suspension and will work hard to be in good shape when he returns in the league."

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has opened an inquiry into the clash between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku in Inter's Coppa Italia win over Milan.  

The former Manchester United team-mates were involved in a heated exchange in which Ibrahimovic appeared to tell the Belgian forward: "Go do your voodoo s***, you little donkey".  

It was suggested Ibrahimovic was referring to comments made in 2018 by Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, who said Lukaku had declined a contract extension because a "voodoo message" told him to move to Chelsea - a transfer that never transpired.  

Some accused Ibrahimovic of racially abusing Lukaku, with the Swede responding by stating on Twitter: "In ZLATAN's world there is no place for RACISM." United midfielder Paul Pogba also tweeted to say his old team-mate was "the last person I'd think of as racist".  

Both players were booked following the incident before Ibrahimovic picked up a second caution for a foul in the second half of the game.

As part of the inquest, match referee Paolo Valeri has been summoned to explain his decision to book both players in the aftermath. 

A statement read: "This morning, FIGC attorney Giuseppe Chine opened an inquiry into the verbal dispute between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku in the Coppa Italia quarter-final between Inter and Milan on January 26. 

"As part of this inquest, Chine has decided to summon referee Paolo Valeri, who will, in the next few hours, be called upon to give his statement regarding the sanctions that were handed out to both players during the game." 

Lukaku had cancelled out Ibrahimovic's opener in the tie at San Siro before Christian Eriksen sealed Inter's progression to the semi-finals with a stoppage-time free-kick. 

Sami Khedira hopes to repay Hertha Berlin for bringing him back to the Bundesliga by helping the club enjoy success on the pitch. 

The German midfielder has returned to his homeland to try and kick-start his career having been frozen out at Juventus this season. 

Khedira won five Serie A titles during his time with Juve but featured sparingly across the previous two campaigns as he was hampered by injury issues.

However, the 33-year-old – who was part of the Germany squad that won the 2014 World Cup – insists he is fit and ready to get back playing again with Hertha, who have struggled so far this term. 

"Hertha made great efforts to sign me and offered me the opportunity to return to the Bundesliga," Khedira said. 

"I'm grateful for that and I honestly cannot wait for the moment when I'll be wearing the blue and white shirt on the pitch for the first time. 

"I feel great physically would like to use the experience I have gained in recent years to help the team and lead Hertha to more sporting success."

Khedira won the Bundesliga with Stuttgart in 2006-07 and also had domestic and European success during his time with Real Madrid, including lifting the Champions League trophy in 2014. 

Now, though, he has joined a Hertha side that sit just above the relegation places. They recently made a coaching change, bringing back former boss Pal Dardai to try and improve their fortunes. 

"Sami Khedira is a successful leader on the pitch and a name that is recognised around the world. I am delighted that we have been able to bring him to Hertha BSC," said Hertha CEO Carsten Schmidt. 

"I am convinced that with his personality on and off the pitch, he will give our young team the stability it needs to be successful."

As well as Khedira, Hertha also confirmed the arrival of winger Nemanja Radonjic from Marseille on deadline day, initially on loan for the rest of the season but with an option to buy. 

Roma have confirmed the signing of defender Bryan Reynolds, initially on loan for the rest of the season but with an obligation to buy.  

Teenager Reynolds, who had also been linked with Juventus, arrives from Dallas for a loan fee of €100,000, describing the move as a “dream come true” as he continues his career in Europe.  

The 19-year-old has also provisionally agreed a four-year contract should he join on a permanent basis, with an initial fee set at €6.75million. However, as part of the terms, there are a number of performance-related clauses that could be worth a total of €5.65m.  

MLS will also retain the right to 15 per cent of the profit on any future sale of the highly rated full-back, after factoring in the total amount already paid for the player at the time of his departure.  

"I am excited and humbled to join Roma. It is a dream come true," Reynolds said. 

"After speaking to the club, I quickly realised that this is the ideal place for me to improve and develop as a footballer.  

"My challenge now is to keep improving day after day: I will work hard to achieve great things for this club."

Reynolds has represented the United States at youth level, including recently being involved in a training camp for the Under-23 squad.  

Roma had already added Stephan El Shaarawy during the January window, the forward returning for a second spell with a club he previously represented between 2016 and 2019.  

However, it remains to be seen whether Edin Dzeko will be on his way out; the striker has not been involved with the first team for recent games due to a rumoured disagreement with coach Paulo Fonseca.  

Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta confirmed talks over a potential swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez did not get off the ground, so the striker is left waiting to see if he will be moving on before the deadline.

A disappointed but not disheartened Terry Fenwick, coach of Trinidad and Tobago said the team failed to stick to the game plan which resulted in the 7-0 drubbing at the hands of the United States on Sunday night.

The famous Bergkamp name is set to grace English football once again after Mitchel, son of Arsenal legend Dennis, joined Championship club Watford.

The Hornets announced that, following a trial spell, the 22-year-old has signed a six-month contract with the option of a further deal, subject to international clearance.

Midfielder Mitchel will continue his development with Watford's under-23 side having opted to move to England after nine years at Dutch side Almere City.

Dad Dennis won the Premier League three times during his 11-year stint at Arsenal, while he sits fourth on the Netherlands' all-time scoring list with 37 goals in 79 international appearances.

Mitchel admits he has become accustomed to comparisons with his famous father but is now plotting his own path in the professional game.

"When I was younger it was difficult [to be compared all the time] but I've adapted to it now," Mitchel told Watford's official website.

"It's just my name and I'm my own player and hopefully I can leave my own legacy. He's been amazing to me and for me. He's my number one fan and has always been there for me. 

"It's a privilege to have him as my dad and to work with him on my game."

Watford have also signed Maurizio Pochettino, son of Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio, during a busy transfer window as they look to seal a quick return to the Premier League.

Dan Gosling is another new arrival, while Glenn Murray's season-long loan from Brighton and Hove Albion has been terminated.

Inter never came close to completing a swap deal for Edin Dzeko and are not expecting any departures before the transfer deadline, Giuseppe Marotta has revealed. 

Media speculation suggested the Nerazzurri could be set to bring in striker Dzeko in a player exchange with Roma, who would get Alexis Sanchez in return.

However, the switch will seemingly not be happening this month and, according to Marotta, talks never actually reached an advanced stage. 

Dzeko's future in Rome remains unclear amid a reported disagreement with coach Paulo Fonseca. He has scored seven league goals in 15 appearances this season but has not featured for the first team since coming on as a late substitute in the Coppa Italia tie against Spezia on January 19. 

"It was a bit of audacity on the part of the agents of the two players," Inter CEO Marotta told the media on Monday about the rumoured Dzeko-Sanchez switch.  

"Apart from a meeting between the directors, we never got into the heart of the negotiations."

Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen and Ivan Perisic - a reported target for Everton - are set to remain at Inter, meaning Antonio Conte will continue to work with the squad he has at his disposal.

Marotta pointed to the financial impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as a need to be cautious in the transfer market.

Asked if the club are now closed for business in this window, he replied: "Yes.

"We are faced with an extraordinary event. The pandemic has had a strong impact and the model of the past is not sustainable.

"At this moment, we have to deal with the cost of labour - it must be reviewed in order not to risk a default. 

"We will not entertain any negotiations for big transfers and big salaries."

Inter sit second in Serie A, two points behind leaders Milan. They are also through to the last four of the Coppa Italia, where they will go up against Juventus.