Transfer News

The rapid winger was of interest to Tottenham in the off-season, when they were coached by former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo.

Though Nuno's spell at Spurs was short-lived, it appears Antonio Conte is also an admirer of Traore.

TOP STORY: SPURS TO MAKE TRAORE MOVE?

Tottenham are looking for reinforcements this month, as they aim to provide Antonio Conte with the resources he needs to push for Champions League qualification. However, they were dealt a blow this week when Conte confirmed Son Heung-min is set to miss the rest of January with a muscular injury.

With Son out, Sky Sports believes Tottenham will reignite their interest in Traore, a player they wanted to sign before the season started.

The report also states that Spurs may bring in Traore to provide competition for both an attacking role and right wing-back duties in Conte's preferred 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 shape.

ROUND-UP

- According to Fichajes, two Premier League clubs are interested in signing Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite .

- Sky Sports reports that Aston Villa wish to sign Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Yves Bissouma this month.

- The same outlet has also claimed that Real Madrid's Gareth Bale may consider a move to the Championship, with Swansea City or Cardiff City mooted as possible destinations.

- Fabrizio Romano has said that Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum is unlikely to join Arsenal in January.

- According to the presenter Oriol Domenech on TV3, Barca president Joan Laporta has been telling people close to him that he is very confident of signing Erling Haaland later this year.

- Manchester United are preparing a bid for PSG forward Mauro Icardi, should Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani leave the club, L'Equipe reports.

- Gianluca Di Marzio has reported that Juventushave received several offers for midfielder Arthur, who could leave this month.

The Belgian striker revealed his regret at leaving Inter for Chelsea in August.

Lukaku was subsequently dropped by coach Thomas Tuchel for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

TOP STORY – LUKAKU COULD MAKE STUNNING SWITCH TO SPURS

La Gazzetta Dello Sport claims that unsettled Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku could make a cross-city switch to Tottenham to re-unite with Antonio Conte.

Lukaku and Conte worked together at Inter where they won the Serie A title last term.

The striker revealed his frustrations at Chelsea over the weekend, with Tuchel offering no guarantees about his future.

ROUND-UP

- Erling Haaland will not leave Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window, reports Fabrizio Romano. Haaland has not decided his next destination yet, despite rumours of a pre-agreement with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

- Ara claims Barcelona will offer Ousmane Dembele to Manchester United as part of a swap deal for want-away forward Anthony Martial.

- Tottenham and West Ham United  are both keen to sign Wolves' Adama Traore, claims the Telegraph. Wolves want £20million for the Spanish forward.

- Olympiakos' Guinea international midfielder Aguibou Camara is attracting interest from Milan and Liverpool, claims Calciomercato.

Martinez and Werner are two forwards linked with moves during the close season after impressive campaigns at Inter and RB Leipzig respectively.

And Werner could reportedly fill Martinez's boots at San Siro if the Argentina international makes the switch.

TOP STORY – WERNER COULD REPLACE BARCELONA TARGET LAUTARO

RB Leipzig star Werneris the leading candidate to replace Martinez if the Inter forward joins Barcelona, according to Corriere dello Sport.

Werner has been heavily linked with a transfer to Liverpool, but the Mirror reports the Premier League leaders have withdrawn from talks as they are unwilling to meet his £49.4million (€55m) release clause.

Meanwhile, AS reports Philippe Coutinho could be part of Barca's bid to land Martinez, even as Inter say the only way the 22-year-old will leave is by his reported €111m clause being paid.

ROUND-UP

- Will Barcelonaand Juventus get an exchange deal done? Sport reports Juve are pushing to land Arthur, but the midfielder wants to stay with the LaLiga giants. Miralem Pjanic has been linked with a move to Camp Nou.

- Staying at Barcelona and Mundo Deportivo reports the club are willing to let Ousmane Dembele leave if a good offer arrives. The attacker has been linked with a switch to Paris Saint-Germain, with Neymar reportedly a target for Barcelona.

- DavidLuiz's future appears uncertain. Sky Sports News reports the defender's stay at Arsenal could be coming to an end after one season as his contract expires next month and no talks are planned over a new deal.

- It seems Tiemoue Bakayokocould be set for another transfer. Le 10 Sport says the midfielder, on loan at Monaco from Chelsea, is being targeted by Milan and West Ham, with PSG's interest having eased.

- With Kepa Arrizabalaga out of favour, Chelsea are said to be looking for a new goalkeeper. The Sun says the Premier League side are lining up a £15m (€16.7m) move for Borussia Dortmund shot-stopper Roman Burki.

- Staying at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are also reportedly eyeing a left-back. The Mirror reports they are keeping an eye on developments around Ajax full-back Nicolas Tagliafico, who could be available for around £22m (€24.5m).

Madrid were stunned by third-tier side Alcoyano in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, sparking fresh talk about Zidane's position at the helm.

Zidane is under fire, but the Frenchman may get more time.

TOP STORY – ZIDANE BEING QUESTIONED AS REAL MADRID BOSS

Zinedine Zidane is being questioned more than ever as Real Madrid head coach, according to AS.

The report says he will remain at the helm until the Champions League, which will resume in February, and former star forward Raul is the top candidate to replace him.

Madrid are second in LaLiga, seven points behind Atletico Madrid, who also have a game in hand.

ROUND-UP

- Pogba may be happier at Manchester United. The Daily Star reports United are increasingly confident the midfielder will see out his contract, which runs until 2022, despite interest from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

- Christian Eriksen looks set to leave Inter, but it remains to be seen where he ends up. The Telegraph claims Leicester City have ruled out a loan move for the midfielder due to his wage demands.

- RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano is set to be the subject of speculation for months to come. Goal reports Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea have shown interest in the defender, who is also wanted by Bayern Munich.

- Dele Alli wants to reunite with Mauricio Pochettino at PSG. 90min says the Tottenham midfielder has asked chairman Daniel Levy not to block a potential switch this month.

- Arsenalappear set to strengthen in January. Sport reports midfielder Martin Odegaard is very close to joining the Premier League club on loan from Real Madrid.

The defender has been strongly linked in recent days with a switch to OL, who next season will be aiming to atone for a disappointing 2019-20 campaign.

Sakho, 30, joined Palace in 2017 after spells at Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain and has won 29 caps for France, albeit just two since 2015.

Injuries have impeded Sakho this season and he has made just six Premier League starts for Palace during the disrupted campaign, which has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

That appearance record is what worries ex-Bayern Munich defender Sagnol, who is concerned Lyon may face a hefty price tag for a player with a track record for missing a large number of games.

Sagnol, France's 2006 World Cup right-back, told French broadcaster RMC's After Foot show: "When an English club allows a player who is just 30 to leave, it's not a good sign.

"The Premier League demands a lot physically, athletically and in terms of intensity. It's a league that wears you out.

"In terms of character, yes, I think he can bring a lot to this team. The lack of character has been a recurrent evil at Lyon for three or four years. But he can only bring that if he isn't injured regularly."

Sagnol admitted he had not seen Palace or Sakho in recent action, adding: "But I think if he had been in good form, we would have seen him back in the France team.

"We haven't seen him back and that's not very positive. For me, when we have a big transfer in terms of price and salary, you have to reduce the risks of a mistake for French clubs. With this, I think there are a lot of risks."

The long pursuit of Sancho has resulted in a deal that Stats Perform understands will see United pay £72.9million (€85m) for Sancho, with no add-ons included within the deal.

It makes the 21-year-old the fourth most expensive signing in United's history, behind Paul Pogba, Harry Maguire and Romelu Lukaku.

He has signed until 2026, with United having the option to extend that agreement for another year.

United were keen on Sancho last year but could not drive through a deal at the time, with Dortmund reluctant to sell one of their chief assets.

However, they have now been persuaded to part company with a player who scored twice in their DFB-Pokal final win over RB Leipzig last season.

Sancho established a strong understanding with the much-coveted Erling Haaland while at Dortmund and now joins a United side who have ground to make up on neighbours Manchester City.

He will look to build a similar rapport with his Manchester United team-mates, having experienced the agony of losing the Euro 2020 final on penalties alongside Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford.

Both Sancho and Rashford missed from 12 yards in the shoot-out as Italy prevailed after a 1-1 draw following extra time to deny England a first major title since the 1966 World Cup.

Having joined Dortmund in 2017, Sancho scored 50 goals and provided 57 assists in 137 appearances across all competitions for BVB.

It was City that Sancho left to join Dortmund in August 2017. He had come through the youth ranks with Watford initially before moving as a 14-year-old to the Etihad Stadium.

The balance of power in Manchester, and indeed in English football, remains weighted in City's favour after they won the Premier League title by 12 points from second-placed United last season.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have Sancho among his attacking options for his team's opening Premier League game against Leeds United at Old Trafford on August 14.

Sancho is the only player from Europe's top five leagues to have scored 10 goals or more and had at least 15 assists across all competitions in each of the past three seasons while playing at that high level.

United's penalty shoot-out defeat to Villarreal in the Europa League final in May means they remain without a major honour during Solskjaer's reign, which began when he was initially placed in caretaker control in December 2018 after Jose Mourinho was sacked.

Sancho, currently on duty with England at Euro 2020, has become a star since making the decision to leave Manchester City and head to the Bundesliga in 2017.

The 21-year-old, who has only made one European Championship appearance so far for Gareth Southgate's team, will reportedly cost United £72.9million (€85m) and has been a long-term target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Indeed, a prospective move to Old Trafford for Sancho was one of the major talking points ahead of the 2020-21 season, but United have had to bide their time.

It appears they are to finally get their man. Using Opta data, Stats Perform assesses just what Sancho can bring to United, as well as how he stacks up against some of the Red Devils' current attacking options.

TAKING DORTMUND BY STORM

Sancho had to be patient upon his arrival at Dortmund, but by the end of the 2017-18 season he had broken into the first team, scoring once in 12 league appearances.

He went from hot prospect to star turn in a stunning 2018-19 campaign, however, and has made 137 appearances in all competitions for the German side, playing 9,901 minutes and scoring 50 goals from 100 shots on target.

Since Sancho made his Dortmund debut, only Erling Haaland (57) – another rumoured United target – and Marco Reus (51) have scored more goals, while Sancho has also provided 57 assists, easily a team high.

Sancho has crafted 285 chances, 104 more than any of his Dortmund team-mates, with Raphael Guerreiro (181) ranking second, while he has created 65 'Big Chances', those which Opta define as an opportunity from which a player would be expected to score.

Among players in Europe's top five leagues, only Sancho and Lionel Messi have created over 180 chances, scored at least 30 goals and provided more than 40 assists in all competitions since the start of the 2018-19 campaign.

COMPARISONS TO UNITED'S CROP

Sancho's close friend and England team-mate Marcus Rashford all but confirmed the move to Old Trafford on social media on Tuesday, and he will be one of the wide players competing for a place in United's attack.

In 104 Bundesliga appearances, Sancho netted 38 times, averaging a goal every 197 minutes. That betters Rashford's ratio of a strike every 223 minutes in 79 Premier League appearances for United, while Anthony Martial (55 goals from 167 games) and Daniel James (six goals from 48 appearances) also fall short of Sancho's goals-per-minute average.

Of the quartet, James leads the way in terms of shooting accuracy (63.41 per cent), though Sancho's shots-to-goal conversion rate of 33.63 per cent in the league is far better than any of the three United forwards, Martial (24.02) the closest to him.

Though perhaps not as versatile as Rashford and Martial, who can both lead the line as well as play out wide, Sancho has recorded 45 assists, 15 more than Rashford (30), 19 more than Martial (26) and 38 more than James (seven), while his chances created total of 219 tops the comparison table by some distance – Martial ranking second with 177.

The former City youngster's dribble success rate of 52.21 per cent is also clear of his soon-to-be fellow United wingers, while his passing accuracy of 84.18 per cent could just prove the difference as United look to mount a title challenge, with Rashford, Martial and James not quite so consistent when it comes to the final ball.

Another player who could be competing with Sancho for a place in the side is Mason Greenwood, who has played much of his football on the right flank for United.

The teenager scored 12 goals in all competitions last term, four fewer than Sancho.

Sancho, who played fewer minutes, boasted a better shot conversion rate in the campaign – 21.33 per cent from 75 efforts, compared to 12 per cent of 100 attempts – while his 18 assists is over three times more than Greenwood's tally of five.

Despite his struggles cementing a place in the England first team, the numbers suggest Sancho should have little trouble fitting in at Old Trafford.

Sancho has been tipped to join Premier League giants Manchester United, while the Dortmund star is also reportedly wanted by Chelsea, Liverpool and Barcelona.

Haaland – who only arrived at Dortmund from Salzburg in January – is apparently coveted by LaLiga powerhouse Real Madrid following his stunning start to life at Signal Iduna Park.

Langerak spent five years at Dortmund, winning two Bundesliga titles among other honours under Jurgen Klopp, and the Australia international believes there is plenty of time for Sancho and Haaland to eventually move on – pointing to the examples of Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan.

"There's absolutely no reason why any of them should leave," Langerak, who now plays for Japanese side Nagoya Grampus, told Stats Perform. 

"For example, Lewandowski left Dortmund [in 2014] at around 24-25. [He was] smashing it at Dortmund and he's been smashing it at Bayern Munich. Went there as the absolute starting striker. The same as Gundogan. He came at 21 and left at 24-25 [in 2016]. Went to Manchester City and he's killing it.

"There's no rush for those guys to leave when they have the perfect situation. Haaland could go 10 games without a goal and the fans would celebrate him like no tomorrow. They'll never get on his back or criticise him.

"It's the perfect scenario where he has the blessing or support of the whole club and city. It's sort of engrained in Dortmund's tradition to have good, young, hungry players. 

"When the time is right, maybe they will leave, but I don't see why they should when they'll be playing Champions League regularly, hopefully advancing to the latter stages, and pushing for Bundesliga titles. There's only a handful of clubs who are bigger and better than Dortmund."

There is also uncertainty over Mario Gotze's future at Dortmund, where the 27-year-old German is out of contract at the end of the season.

World Cup winner Gotze, who managed just 502 minutes of Bundesliga action prior to the coronavirus pandemic, has been linked to Serie A sides Milan, Roma and Lazio.

"Mario is a really good friend of mine. He was my very first room-mate when I arrived at Dortmund [from Melbourne Victory in 2010]. He is a fantastic, fantastic guy," Langerak said.

"The most professional player – he is up there with Lewandowski in terms of professionalism. It's really good to see two of the absolute players in their prime and they're the most professional, doing the extra work.

"It's difficult for him now. Hopefully he can find a good solution, whatever that might be. I don't think it's been ruled out that he won't stay at Dortmund. That's how it goes with different coaches, systems and players – things change fast. 

"It could be that Mario starts the next couple of games, does well again and the world looks completely different for him. Whatever path he goes down in the future, I'll be following it. I'm sure he will do really well because is very humble, hardworking that wherever he goes, he will make a good impression."

Gotze may get a clearer picture of what the future holds when the Bundesliga resumes on Saturday, with Dortmund hosting bitter rivals Schalke behind closed doors amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Germany's Bundesliga was postponed in March with defending champions Bayern four points clear of Dortmund through 25 matches atop the table.

Langerak, who believes Dortmund can win the title this season, added: "It's positive the Bundesliga is getting back underway because everyone wants to watch some football. Me personally, I can't wait until it kicks off. So, I'll be all over it, like the rest of the world watching every minute.

"Behind closed doors, the atmosphere will be lacking. We played a couple of friendly games maybe two months ago in a big stadium with no fans and it really is a different atmosphere.

"It not only shows to the fans but to the players, far out, football without fans really is nothing. It's going to be a huge challenge for Bundesliga players because they won't be used it. It's a massive, massive difference.

"I can only imagine the first game back for all the players and clubs in front of full stadiums, it's going to be the biggest party and the most exciting thing."

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men squandered numerous chances in a 2-1 loss to Sevilla in Cologne.

United have been heavily linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund star Sancho, who scored 20 goals in 2019-20.

Former United star Scholes believes the Premier League club need to spend money on an attacker, saying Sancho would have delivered in Germany.

"I don't think they played badly, I thought they were really good against a really good Sevilla team, but that 15, 20 minutes after half-time, with all them chances, you've got to score them," Scholes told BT Sport.

"We're talking about quality, we talk about spending money on centre-forwards and wide players, and you talk about hundreds of millions these days to get these players, but these are the players that win you trophies, these are the ones that win you medals.

"We know all this Sancho thing is going on, but they need to start spending the money. If they want to win trophies, they've got to start spending the money.

"Okay, created chances tonight, but if Sancho was in that team tonight I think United are scoring."

Winners of three Europa League titles since 2014, Sevilla will face either Inter or Shakhtar Donetsk in the final on Friday.

There is a growing belief that the two clubs have agreed to a deal that would see Juve pay Barca €10million and send Pjanic to Camp Nou in exchange for Brazil international Arthur.

Rumours of such a deal have persisted for many weeks, with both clubs said to see the arrangement as a useful way of balancing the books amid the financial uncertainty brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, but Arthur was reportedly not interested in a move until a change of heart in the past few days.

Speaking ahead of Juve's Serie A clash with Lecce on Friday, which could stretch their lead over Lazio at the top of the table to seven points, Sarri insisted he has not been told by the club that Pjanic is bound for the exit.

He also made it clear he is not pushing for the midfielder to leave despite suggestions Pjanic is not wholly compatible with Sarri's preferred system.

"If he is sold, it'll be for other reasons. He is not under discussion from a technical point of view," he said on Thursday.

"But the club haven't given me any signals in that sense, so I don't take it into consideration.

"The discussions between him and me are on technical and mental aspects. He mustn't worry if he misses a game, but he has to react quickly.

"I'm happy with Miralem and I'm sure, in that role, he can improve further."

When asked specifically about Arthur, Sarri replied: "Arthur is a Barcelona player and I don't want to talk about him."

Sarri had appeared irked by the fact Barca counterpart Quique Setien spoke about the rumours this week, claiming Arthur was affected by the speculation.

"Given how things are, we need all of our players and we'll try and isolate ourselves from this situation and the media who are reporting on and talking about these rumours," Setien said.

"We need him to be focused. It's true it is a difficult situation but we have to overcome it somehow."

Spain international Saul posted a graphic with the words: "New club. I'll announce it [in] three days."

Followers immediately thought an impending transfer was coming, but the 25-year-old has another six years left to run on a contract that includes a reported €150million release clause.

While reports in the Spanish media insist the tweet has nothing to do with Saul's future, it echoed Antoine Griezmann famously announcing his Atletico future in a documentary entitled 'La Decision' in 2018. Griezmann confirmed he would be remaining at the club, only to leave for Barcelona a year later.

It has also been claimed Saul is set to announce he has bought part of a club or even invested in an esports team.

So even though it is highly unlikely Saul will reveal he is leaving the Wanda Metropolitano just a week before LaLiga resumes following its suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic, we look at who could be in the market for one of the world's best midfielders.

Manchester United

United have long been credited with an interest in the Atleti star, but they shelled out an initial £46.5m (€55m) on Bruno Fernandes in January. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Fernandes can form a formidable midfield partnership with Paul Pogba, but the Frenchman's future at Old Trafford remains a constant source speculation.

Manchester City

The Red Devils would face competition from local rivals City, though. Fernandinho is not getting any younger and spent much of the 2019-20 campaign at centre-back through necessity, and Pep Guardiola will be looking for a long-term successor who can anchor the club's midfield for the coming years.

Paris Saint-Germain

Any time an elite player is available, PSG will always be linked. The Ligue 1 champions have just completed the signing of Mauro Icardi for a reported €50m and having previously managed to get a UEFA investigation into their finances shut down, they will not be shy in splashing out further to improve their chances of getting their hands of the Champions League trophy.

Barcelona

With Ivan Rakitic expected to be on his way out, Barca's hunt for a new midfielder has reportedly had them looking in the direction of Juventus' Miralem Pjanic, though Arthur refused to be included as part of the deal. The Blaugrana have never been afraid to shell out huge amounts of money and LaLiga's defending champions would no doubt be in the race if Saul was available.

Bayern Munich

Manuel Neuer has signed a new deal at Bayern and David Alaba is set to follow soon, but Thiago Alcantara has reportedly hesitated over extending a contract that is set to expire at the end of next season. Hansi Flick could therefore be in the market for an elite midfielder and Saul would fit the bill. However, Bayern have long maintained they will not spend over €100m on a player.

Other options

If Pjanic is on his way to Barca, and with Adrien Rabiot's future at Juve shrouded in doubt, the Serie A champions would surely see Saul as an ideal candidate to slot into their midfield.

Maurizio Sarri coached Jorginho at Napoli and Chelsea, though, and the Italy international is said to be a target for the Bianconeri. Should he leave Stamford Bridge, the Blues could see Saul as a great replacement.

Martinez has been tipped to swap Serie A side Inter for LaLiga champions Barca in the off-season following his exploits in Italy.

The Argentina international forward scored 16 goals in 31 matches across all competitions before the 2019-20 season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As speculation grows over Martinez's future, Argentina head coach Scaloni discussed the 22-year-old.

"If he plays with Messi he is better, no doubt. Beyond that later he will have to fight for the position as he did in Inter," Scaloni told TyC Sports.

"We have to be calm. If he changes clubs, maybe he does not have to be the undisputed starter, and it will not affect us, as long as he has a number of minutes that allows him to be in force.

"He has a huge future but still has a lot to give."

With Martinez dominating headlines, Scaloni issued a reminder about Sergio Aguero's exploits for Argentina and Manchester City.

Aguero is City's all-time top scorer as he celebrated his 32nd birthday on Tuesday, while he is third on Argentina's overall goals list with 41.

"Talking so much about Lautaro, it is Sergio who is breaking all the records," added Scaloni. "That is why you have to go calmly and wait for the moment of each one."

An option to make the French defender's loan stay a €25million permanent switch has expired, Schalke's head of sport Jochen Schneider announced.

Schalke have been out of sorts in 2020, with January recruit Todibo unable to prevent the team going 11 Bundesliga matches without a win.

Speaking about Todibo, Schneider told the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung on Monday: "The deadline passed yesterday. We no longer have a purchase option.

"Contract extensions are currently not an issue for us. We should rather focus on performance."

Todibo, 20, has made four starts and four appearances as a substitute in the Bundesliga since moving from Camp Nou, playing 363 minutes in the German top flight.

Haller joins Dortmund on a four-year deal in his return to the Bundesliga, following a two-year spell with Eintracht Frankfurt 2017 and 2019.

The 28-year-old has provided four goals and two assists in his six career games against Dortmund, with three of those goals coming in his three games at the Signal Iduna Park, notably in last season's Champions League group stage with Ajax.

Along with identifying Dortmund's need to compete with Bayern Munich this upcoming season, Haller revealed it is a stadium that brings out the best in him, speaking upon the club's release of the transfer.

"The goals are, of course, to fight with Bayern and be first," he said. "Why not? It's an epic stadium, so most of the time it's epic games. I have a good feeling because the pitch is really good, and the atmosphere was always really good.

"Even if I didn't win [with Eintracht Frankfurt], I always have a great memory of this stadium because you are in really good conditions to play football, these games are a reminder that you play a beautiful sport."

Coming off a 34-goal season with Ajax in all competitions, Haller's arrival comes amid a busy off-season for Dortmund, along with the signings of Niklas Sule, Karim Adeyemi, Nico Schlotterbeck and Salih Ozcan.

The Ivory Coast international believes Dortmund represent a "great" opportunity for him in return, but is simply eager to start preparations for the upcoming season.

"I feel great, really happy, proud and also really looking forward to come and play. Training, games, being in the dressing room, everything," Haller said. "This is my life for a few years now and I'm really looking forward to this.

"It was a great opportunity for me with the club, the people at the club and also I know a few of the players. I had a good connection, I just want to have a good time and be successful.

"I can't wait to feel the support of 80,000 fans in the stadium as part of the BVB family. Hopefully over the coming years we'll achieve big things together, and then celebrate them together."

Ramos came through Sevilla's youth system before making his La Liga debut for Los Nervionenses as a 17-year-old in 2004. 

The defender made 39 league appearances for Sevilla before joining Real Madrid in a controversial €27 million move in 2005, going on to win five league titles and four Champions Leagues with Los Blancos. 

After struggling with injuries during a two-year stint in Ligue 1 with Paris-Saint Germain, Ramos was heavily linked with a move to Al-Ittihad, where he could have been reunited with former Madrid team-mate Karim Benzema.

Despite reportedly being offered around €19m per year to join the Saudi champions, Ramos made an emotional return to Sevilla earlier this month, and Del Nido says the club will not forget the sacrifice he made.

Speaking at the Thinking Football Summit, Del Nido told Stats Perform: "We are very happy with Sergio's return.

"First and foremost, we have a great central defender that will help us achieve the objectives we have set for this season. 

"He is a player who was raised in Utrera's youth academy, in Sevilla's youth academy, and he is a player who comes back home as a prodigal son. 

"He is a player with a lot of media attention but the most important thing is the individual and team titles he has won.

"He is a player who has a worldwide impact. We are really happy for him to end as he started. We've signed a great football player and a player that is a Sevilla supporter."

Asked about Ramos rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia, Del Nino added: "Words are really beautiful and really simple to say, but in life, in the end, things are demonstrated with facts. 

"The fact that Sergio has given up a lot of money to play for Sevilla shows the commitment he has, the desire he has, as he said, to hear the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan chant his name. 

"He has shown it with a lot of effort. He waited until we had the money to bring him to the club, then he gave up two economic offers that multiplied the amount he was going to be paid at Sevilla. 

"He has shown his commitment to the club and it is another reason for satisfaction. As we have said, we can only thank him for the effort he has made, among other things, at an economic level."

Ramos made his second Sevilla debut against Las Palmas on Sunday, 18 years and 20 days after playing his last league game for the club against Racing Santander in August 2005.

While Del Nido was delighted to see Ramos reject Al-Ittihad's advances, he believes the financial might of Saudi Pro League sides offers an opportunity for clubs like Sevilla to generate funds.

"We have seen a strong eruption of the Arab market," he said. "They say that clubs from this league invested €600m to €700m. One of the players was our goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou [who joined Al-Hilal].

"We are a club that sells to grow, so the fact there is another league that invests in good footballers is good for us. 

"We have sold good players to Madrid, Barcelona, and clubs of different leagues with a higher economic magnitude than Sevilla and we have continued to compete.

"Now the key is to see if this league is prolonged in time and continues to inject money in Europe. 

"It is true that a player who has earned x millions of euros there, more than what we can pay… that can cause you to not access these players. 

"But the policy we have is to sell to grow. The more leagues invest in good footballers, and if they are from Sevilla, the better for us."

Messi seems set to leave Paris Saint-Germain after the expiration of his contract.

Christophe Galtier said on Friday that Messi would be playing his last game for PSG when the Ligue 1 champions host Clermont on Saturday.

While the club subsequently told AFP that Galtier had "expressed himself incorrectly and that the match against Clermont would be Messi's last at the Parc with PSG this season", according to L'Equipe, it does appear to be the end of the road in Paris for the 35-year-old.

It has been reported that Barcelona are eager to take Messi back to Catalonia, and there is interest from Saudi Arabia, where Karim Benzema is seemingly headed and Cristiano Ronaldo already plays.

MLS side Inter Miami have long been credited with an interest too, however, and former Newcastle United, Portsmouth and West Ham goalkeeper Hislop - who ended his own career in the United States with FC Dallas - would be thrilled to see Messi head across the Atlantic.

"It would be incredibly huge for MLS, which continues to grow in so many ways," Hislop told Stats Perform.

"I think it brings eyes to this league, it brings an appreciation of this league that has based a lot of its growth around bringing young and exciting South American talent to MLS.

"So to have a not-so-young but exciting South American talent in the league does wonders for it.

"I'm a huge fan of MLS, and its growth because I went to university here, so I know exactly what US Soccer was like through the late 80s and early 90s.

"So to see how it's developed today, I think has been incredible just to witness, so I would love to see him in MLS and have had the sport get that exposure like only he can bring."

Messi joined PSG in 2021 and has played a direct part in 66 goals (32 goals and 34 assists) since making his debut, a tally bettered only by Kylian Mbappe (106) among his team-mates in that timeframe.

Yet Messi has at times faced criticism from PSG's fanbase, especially after he was suspended by the club for a making an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia.

Hislop, though, says Messi deserves to play wherever he wants.

"I think Lionel Messi has given this game so much, and at this point, do whatever you want," he said.

"We'll comment and pass judgment on it but he's given this game so much of his life. He's given us all so much to appreciate. I'm all for Lionel Messi doing whatever he wants. I really am."

Skriniar was strongly linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain last year, but no move materialised and the centre-back began renegotiating a new deal with Inter.

However, his agent confirmed on Monday that Inter's offer was ultimately rejected in December, and he has since made clear to the club they are in talks with other teams.

Skriniar, who was sent off in Monday's 1-0 defeat by Empoli, is widely expected to eventually sign for PSG, though Sistici refused to name the clubs he is speaking to.

"The truth is that the decision to place Milan Skriniar on the transfer market in the summer was made by Inter, obviously not by the player," Sistici told TeleNord.

"It was a choice by the club that led to a negotiation between Inter and PSG, of which we had obviously been informed. At a certain point, the negotiation broke down, and we had also been informed of this step, a decision that was not up to us and which the player accepted calmly, with professionalism and absolute respect for the contract.

"Last autumn, we responded to all the meeting requests made by the club. After a series of preliminary meetings, we presented our financial request and subsequently, at the beginning of November 2022, the club presented us with a proposal.

"About a month later, before Christmas, I communicated to Inter the decision not to accept their offer, a choice reiterated at the beginning of January, before the Supercoppa, when I also informed the managers [Giuseppe] Marotta and [Piero] Ausilio that we thought we were free to listen to offers from other clubs.

"Maybe it wasn't mandatory communication, but for the player and myself it was the most correct way to proceed, knowing that seriousness and transparency are the best way to proceed for us. I repeat, we have never missed any appointment with Inter."

He added: "We didn't talk about PSG, just as we didn't leak our and Inter's positions, given that with Inter we had agreed to handle the matter with the right confidentiality, in the interest of serenity and the performance of the team and of the player.

"There are contacts with some clubs. Not Italian [clubs]."

Inter coach Simone Inzaghi responded after the shock loss by saying the club were "trying to resolve" the situation with Skriniar, without clarifying whether he meant by selling the player or making a new contract offer.

At a similar time, PSG coach Christophe Galtier was also asked about Skriniar following the Parisians' 7-0 Coupe de France win over Pays de Cassel.

He did not offer much clarity either, though he acknowledged PSG were convinced last year they had done enough to sign him.

"I cannot say if he will arrive this winter [January], or this summer," he told beIN SPORTS. "He is a player we've been tracking for a long time.

"In fact, we thought that we had already got him last summer."

La Real sold star striker Isak to Newcastle United last Friday in a club-record €70million deal.

That move happened quickly, with Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay confirming the club had expected to keep Isak in this window as recently as the previous weekend.

"It has been a difficult week," he said, presenting Sadiq as a Sociedad player after his signing from Almeria was secured on Thursday.

"It's been a summer full of rumours. When a player's [Isak's] agent tells you on a Monday at 10pm that he's coming to San Sebastian with a club the next day, the first thing you think of is that they have an agreement between them.

"We had a week left and we thought about Real Sociedad; it was not the time to discuss too much but to take action."

He added: "On Sunday, we didn't think that Alex was going to leave; on Monday, we started the talks [with Newcastle]; on Tuesday, we concluded them; and on Wednesday, we started working on the signings."

Fortunately, La Real had a plan, having first fielded interest from Newcastle in Isak earlier in the window.

"We thought we were going to sign two players, which is what we had thought of in June," Aperribay said. "We thought of Sorloth on loan and Sadiq to replace Isak.

"We started those conversations, first with Leipzig and then with Almeria."

Sorloth, who had spent last season on loan at Sociedad, scoring four LaLiga goals alongside Isak, quickly returned on another temporary deal.

But the €20m move for Sadiq took a little more time, concluded after "an intense 48 hours".

Now, though, Imanol's side are in a position of strength, having made a huge profit on Isak while bringing in a player in Sadiq who scored 38 goals across two seasons in the second tier with Almeria and has already added two in three games in LaLiga this term.

His signing was crucial, as fellow attackers Carlos Fernandez and Mikel Oyarzabal remain out injured.

"We had to be aware that when you come out of an injury you don't go from nought to 100," Aperribay said. "We have to support the youngsters and be patient with Carlos and Oyarzabal. That's how we approach the season."

He added: "Sadiq was the first on the list. We knew that with Isak we had a risk that became a reality last week, and we have acted as planned."

United were denied a place in the EFL Cup final on Wednesday, with a 1-0 second-leg victory over rivals Manchester City not quite enough to overturn a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer was again without top-scorer Marcus Rashford, who is facing a lengthy lay-off due to a stress fracture in his back, leaving Anthony Martial and 18-year-old Mason Greenwood as his only striking options.

"We need more goalscorers, we need more goals. That's a definite," said the United manager.

"I need someone who wants to break their nose to score a goal, or their toe. It doesn't have to be the nice ones. We know that."

While United - who sit fifth in the Premier League, six points outside the top four - are running out of time to bring in another forward, Solskjaer is determined to get more goals out of the players already at his disposal.

"I'm challenging them and I need to challenge them more because we can't just score nice goals," he added.

"We're going to get there, no doubt, because these players want to learn. They've improved so much."

Vertonghen, 32, has been linked with a move from Spurs, where he arrived from Ajax in 2012, with his deal coming to an end.

The Belgium international did not rule out staying at the Premier League club, but said Spain and Italy were options, with Inter reportedly interested in his services.

"I want to sign with the right club. That could be Tottenham, but also another club," Vertonghen told Play Sports Kot on Wednesday.

"In any case, it should be a club with ambition. And I want to keep playing in Europe because the national team is very important to me."

He added: "I would like to learn another language. Spain and Italy are options.

"The duration of the contract that is offered to me will also play a role."

The coronavirus pandemic is set to impact clubs financially and affect the transfer market.

But Vertonghen said the situation could help him, revealing there had been greater interest because of COVID-19.

"It may sound crazy, but there has been more interest since the corona crisis," he said.

"I'm a free transfer and some clubs may have a little less money to spend."