Jose Mourinho's Roma threw away a two-goal lead and squandered a late penalty as they lost 4-3 to 10-man Juventus in a whirlwind Stadio Olimpico clash.

The game was set up nicely after an early goal for each team from Tammy Abraham and Paulo Dybala, before a chaotic second period saw two strikes from distance by Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Lorenzo Pellegrini put the hosts apparently in charge.

However, a remarkable seven-minute turnaround saw goals from Manuel Locatelli, Dejan Kulusevski and Mattia De Sciglio put Juventus in front, before a Wojciech Szczesny penalty save from Pellegrini completed a miserable final 20 minutes for the Giallorossi.

Juve suffered a blow when Federico Chiesa was forced to come off with a knee injury in the first half following a tackle from Chris Smalling, and then saw Matthijs de Ligt sent off for a second yellow card in a handball incident that led to Roma's spot-kick, but they held on for a famous win in the Italian capital.

Kylian Mbappe is widely expected to join Real Madrid at the end of this season.

The 23-year-old attacker has stalled on a new contract offer at Paris Saint-Germain.

Madrid have been circling for Mbappe's signature for a long time and had multiple bids rejected in 2021.

TOP STORY – MBAPPE COULD STILL RE-SIGN WITH PSG

Mbappe could spring a surprise and renew his current PSG deal prior to the end of this season, claims Le Parisien.

The 2018 World Cup winner had been expected to become a free agent when his contract expires on June 30 and join Madrid .

Le Parisien claims that PSG have hope that Mbappe may pen an extension to force a transfer fee from Los Blancos, should they pursue a move. Mbappe is still undecided on his future, according to the report.

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- Manchester United 's superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo has held crisis talks with his agent Jorge Mendes as he considers his future with the Red Devils, according to The Sun. Ronaldo reportedly may leave United depending on their choice of a new permanent manager.

- El Nacional claims that Liverpool are ready to offer Barcelona teenager Gavi a deal worth £80,000 (€96k) per week to secure his signature, while Manchester City are also interested. Barca have a £42m (€50m) release cause in the 17-year-old's contract.

- Arsenal want to sign a new midfielder in January with Lyon's Bruno Guimaraes on their radar while a loan deal for Arthur Melo was discussed but has not advanced to talks with Juventus yet, claims Fabrizio Romano.

- Argentinean forward Dario Benedetto is set to return to his homeland to join Boca Juniors from Marseille although the deal may take several days to complete, reports Cesar Luis Merlo.

- Nicolo Schira claims that Newcastle United have opened discussions with Sevilla on a four-year deal to sign Brazilian defender Diego Carlos .

- West Ham United and Newcastle may be priced out of their pursuit for Marseille's Boubacar Kamara,  who wants a £150,000-per-week (€180k) deal according to The Sun.

Massimiliano Allegri says he will need "a year or two" to make Juventus Serie A title contenders ahead of Sunday's crunch clash at Roma.

Juve boss Allegri won five consecutive league titles during his previous spell at the club, but took on a rebuilding job when he returned to Turin last May.

The Bianconeri are fifth in the table ahead of their trip to the Eternal City, 11 points adrift of leaders Inter and the champions have a game in hand.

Allegri reiterated that he will need time to make Juve a huge force once again.

"I came here knowing that this year we needed to start changing the team, [in order to] be back challenging for the title in a year or two," Allegri said.

"We could have done better so far, but it's a matter of experience, it's normal to pay for our mistakes.

"In football, things don't miraculously change in a short time."

Juve are three points ahead of Roma and Allegri is expecting a huge battle with Jose Mourinho's side.

"Tomorrow will be an important match," he continued. "Roma have excellent individuals and a coach capable of preparing them in the best possible way. Competitiveness and technique will be key.

"Against Napoli we expected to win and get within two points of them, coming from a positive period, but we still kept the gap unchanged. We need to improve the quality of our passes, but we are growing. January will be important.

"We are working to improve our game. We want to reach our Champions League goal, and then there are still many other ambitions.

"To win, you need to have quality as well as technique, and it is only with experience that you learn that."

Allegri will be absent from the touchline for the encounter with Roma, after being handed a one-match ban and a €10,000 fine by the Italian Football Federation following a furious outburst at referee Simone Sozza at the end of the 1-1 draw with Napoli on Thursday. 

Juve have the opportunity to win three consecutive league games against the Giallorossi for the first time since 2014.

Adama Traore has 18 months left to run on his Wolves contract, and it does not appear he will rush to sign a new deal.

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.

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- 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 Juventus have received several offers for midfielder Arthur, who could leave this month.

Aaron Ramsey has not had the best of times since moving to Juventus.

The Wales midfielder joined Juve from Arsenal in 2019 on a four-year deal.

Ramsey has only managed 70 appearances in an injury hit two and a half years with Juventus.

TOP STORY – RAMSEY TO LEAVE JUVENTUS IN JANUARY

Aaron Ramsey is set to exit Juventus in the January transfer window, reports Sky Sports.

Italian transfer supremo Gianluca Di Marzio claimed that Ramsey is likely to return to the Premier League, having already turned down an offer from Burnley .

Newcastle United have been linked with Ramsey, along with Everton.

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- Bayern Munich will consider swapping Kingsley Coman with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele in the off-season, reports L'Equipe. Coman's contract expires in 2023 and negotiations on a new deal have stalled.

- Sky Sports have reported that Newcastle are contemplating a bid for Lucas Digne. The full-back is set to leave Everton this month after a falling out with Rafael Benitez, though supposedly prefers a move to London, with Chelsea and West Ham also said to be interested.

- Everton, meanwhile, hold an interest in Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff and have already made a bid, according to the Daily Mail and Sky Sports.

- Paris Saint-Germain may look to sign Lyon's Lucas Paqueta next off-season, so say L'Equipe.

- Manchester United are determined to secure Wolves' Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves in January, according to The Sun.

- Lazio have opened talks with Liverpool on a deal for Belgium international forward Divock Origi, claims LazioNews24.

- According to Sky Sports, five Premier League clubs have held talks with Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho.

Alvaro Morata will not be leaving Juventus in the January transfer window but Aaron Ramsey is set to depart, head coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.

Morata is on loan at Juve from Atletico Madrid but reports in Spain suggested the former Real Madrid striker was poised to join Los Blancos' Clasico rivals Barcelona.

AS reported that a deal was "95 per cent" done for the Spain striker to join on a six-month loan deal with a purchase option included, with Barca coach Xavi reportedly keen to make him the latest addition to their forward ranks after the arrival of Ferran Torres from Manchester City.

However, speaking prior to Thursday's Serie A clash with Napoli, Allegri said he has no intention of letting Morata end his second stay in Turin.

"Alvaro Morata will not leave, he is a [high] performance footballer. The problem with him is that he is given a wrong label," Allegri said.

"He is very important: I talked to him and I told him not to leave. Case closed."

However, Wales midfielder Ramsey – who earns a reported £400,000 a week at Juve - looks increasingly likely to move back to the Premier League.

The 31-year-old has been linked with a return to Arsenal, as well as Newcastle United who have money to spend following their big-money takeover. Everton have also been credited with an interest, while a formal approach by Burney was reportedly rejected by Ramsey.

Allegri added: "Aaron Ramsey is now set to leave Juventus. We're working on it. 

"There are no other changes or transfers in our plans, this is 99 per cent sure."

Juventus are fifth in Serie A and 12 points adrift of leaders Inter ahead of the resumption of the league following the mid-season break.

Napoli head coach Luciano Spalletti will not be present on the touchline against Juventus after testing positive for COVID-19.

Spalletti's side have been ravaged by coronavirus issues over the mid-season break, leaving them somewhat short-handed for the trip to Turin on Thursday.

To make matters worse for the Naples outfit, their boss Spalletti returned a positive result for the virus on Tuesday that will keep him away from the Allianz Stadium as he heads into self-isolation.

On the same day, Napoli announced Mario Rui and fellow full-back Kevin Malcuit were isolating, while Andrea Petagna came into close contact with a positive case but was later given the all-clear.

That trio joins a host of stars within the Napoli ranks who will be absent for the clash with Massimiliano Allegri's side due to COVID-19 issues.

Hirving Lozano, who has featured in all of Napoli's 25 games in all competitions this term, was confirmed as unavailable last Tuesday after contracting the virus while back in Mexico.

Talisman Victor Osimhen, Fabian Ruiz and Eljif Elmas, all of whom are regular starters for the Serie A outfit, are also among the notable absentees ahead of the visit to the Bianconeri.

Reports in Italy suggest due to the ongoing situation at the club and across the country, the game could still yet be called off if local health authorities order Napoli to quarantine.

That would ban Spalletti's team from travelling to Juve and cancel the meeting between the two sides who sit third and fifth in Serie A respectively.

Barcelona midfielder Miralem Pjanic has warned Alvaro Morata and Matthijs de Ligt to think carefully before joining the Catalan club.

Morata is currently on loan at Juventus from Atletico Madrid, but reports suggest new Blaugrana head coach Xavi wants to further bolster his attack by signing the forward after already acquiring Ferran Torres.

Barca cannot register Torres, or any other potential signings, until they have offloaded players to negotiate salary-cap difficulties, though they have been linked in recent days to numerous attackers.

Club president Joan Laporta seemingly feels his LaLiga outfit are back in the market after telling the world that Barca have returned, with speculation even suggesting a move for Erling Haaland.

However, Pjanic, who is currently on loan at Besiktas, called for caution for any player considering joining his parent club.

He told Tuttosport: "Morata has had an amazing career so far. He played for big clubs like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Juventus. Sometimes players need motivation, but I would think twice before leaving a club where they feel good.

"Morata knows what to do, Barcelona hired Xavi, a coach who knows the club really well, I don't know the details, but I've always heard that Morata was happy at Juventus even if when Barcelona call you always need to think about it."

Pjanic endured a torrid time after leaving the Bianconeri in 2020 for Camp Nou, where he clashed with former Barca boss Ronald Koeman and was subsequently loaned to Besiktas at the start of this season.

He extended his encouragement to consider any potential move carefully to De Ligt, who has been a long-term target of Barca ever since coming through at his boyhood club Ajax.

After initially underwhelming in Turin following his €75million transfer, De Ligt has flourished under Massimiliano Allegri this campaign, ranking second among Juve defenders for minutes played in Serie A (1,293), while he last committed an error leading to goal in his debut 2019-20 season.

Indeed, among defenders to player 700 or more minutes in this year's Serie A, no player has been dribbled past fewer times than De Ligt (just once) but his future remains in doubt.

The centre-back's agent Mino Raiola revealed in December that his client would be open to new challenges away from the Allianz Stadium, yet Pjanic is unsure whether that is the best thing for De Ligt.

"De Ligt has three years left in his contract with Juventus, he has the right commitment, but I don't know if Barcelona are interested," he added.

"He made a great choice by deciding to join Juventus and work with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, he is happy at Juventus and when you are happy, it's better not to leave. We'll see if he will have the motivation to leave."

Juventus are set to have the pair available for their home clash with Napoli on Thursday, currently sitting fifth in the league – 12 points behind leaders Inter ahead of their first game of 2022.

Barcelona want to sign Alvaro Morata and it would appear the Juventus striker wishes to join Xavi's team.

After bringing in Ferran Torres, Xavi would reportedly like to add experienced Spain international Morata to his ranks at Camp Nou.

Morata has scored five Serie A goals for the Bianconeri this season.

TOP STORY – JUVENTUS WANT MORATA REPLACEMENT BEFORE AUTHORISING BARCA SWITCH

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona target Morata has informed Juve of his desire to leave the club in January.

Massimiliano Allegri met with the 29-year-old on Monday, with the upshot being that Juve will only grant Morata his move should they be able to find a replacement.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Mauro Icardi is seen as a possible option for the Bianconeri, who are having a poor season in Serie A, sitting 12 points off the summit.

However, further complicating matters in Morata's potential switch to Barca is that he is on loan at Juve from Atletico Madrid, who would need to authorise any transfer.

ROUND-UP

- Erling Haaland , who has been holidaying in Marbella, has told people close to him that he sees his next destination being Spain, with Real Madrid and Barcelona on high alert. That is according to Marca.

- Sky Sports believe that Romelu Lukaku will stay at Chelsea after holding talks with Thomas Tuchel following his comments in an interview with Sky Italia, which resulted in the striker missing Sunday's clash with Liverpool.

- The Daily Mail, citing Gianluca Di Marzio, claim that Barcelona are monitoring the situation of Lukaku's Chelsea team-mate Andreas Christensen, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

- Another Chelsea defender into the last six months of his deal is Antonio Rudiger, with Sky Sports reporting Real Madrid , Bayern Munich , PSG and Juve have all entered talks with the Germany international's representatives. 

- According to The Daily Mail, Newcastle United are aiming to sign Zenit striker Sardar Azmoun. The Iran forward has agreed personal terms with Ligue 1 club Lyon, but the French side may be unable to match Zenit's asking price for the 27-year-old.

Ralf Rangnick says Edinson Cavani will "definitely" not be allowed to leave Manchester United during the January transfer window.

Cavani has only started three games for the Red Devils this season, but came into the side for the Premier League defeat of Burnley last Thursday after his strike at Newcastle United rescued a 1-1 draw.

The Uruguay striker has been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Juventus, having become frustrated with a lack of opportunities at Old Trafford.

But interim boss Rangnick has told Cavani, who is under contract until the end of June, he wants him to stay at United. 

"He knows that I will definitely not let him go," said the German.

He added: "I told him from the very first day that, for me, he is a highly important player. He is probably the only one who can play as a striker back to goal and face to goal.

"And, as I said, his professionalism, his work ethic is just amazing and I told him that I desperately want him to stay until the end of the season. He knows that. He also knows how highly I rate him and how highly I respect him.

"We will definitely need Edi. I would rather have another Edi on top of that but for me it's clear that Edi has to stay."

One player who is expected to be on his way out of United is Anthony Martial, who has told the club he wants to leave.

Sevilla are reported to have had a loan offer for the forward rejected and Rangnick says he will only be allowed to move if the deal is right for all parties.

"He made it very clear that he wants to leave and, in a way, I can understand his wish to leave and to try to play more regularly somewhere else," Rangnick said.

"But, again, it's a question not only of what he wants to do but it's also a question of which kind of clubs are interested in him and do they meet the demands of the club, so we have to wait and see."

United will look to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches when they entertain Wolves in the Premier League on Monday.

Juventus face being without captain Giorgio Chiellini on their return to Serie A action next week after the defender tested positive for coronavirus.

Chiellini has featured in 11 of Juve's 25 matches this season in all competitions and was in contention to start Thursday's clash with third-placed Napoli.

However, the 37-year-old returned a positive COVID-19 test at Juve's training ground on Saturday and will now serve a period of self-isolation.

Italy international Chiellini, who is fully vaccinated, had already recently spent a period in quarantine due to being in close contact with someone who had contracted the virus. 

He is the third Juventus player after Arthur and Carlo Pinsoglio to test positive upon their return to training this week.

A statement on Juve's official website read: "During today's screening procedures for the resumption of competitive activity, Giorgio Chiellini tested positive for COVID-19.

"The player is already observing the foreseen measures and has been placed in isolation, in compliance with the health protocol in force."

Napoli also face being without players for the showdown at the Allianz Stadium as Hirving Lozano, Lorenzo Insigne and Fabian Ruiz have recently tested positive.

After their meeting with Napoli, fifth-placed Juve – who have won four and drawn one of their last five league games – face Roma in Serie A and Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana. 

January 1 ushers the start of a new year and, for many, a chance for a fresh start. That is particularly true in the world of football as it signals the day the transfer window opens and some of Europe's top talents can plot a lucrative move elsewhere.

A number of the sport's top talents, including Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, are due to be out of contract at the end of 2021-22 and can therefore open talks with teams abroad in January.

While the futures of Mbappe and Pogba will be heavily discussed in the coming weeks, other big names across the continent will also become that little more attractive to buyers given their availability on a free (notwithstanding their lucrative salaries, of course!).

Stats Perform looks at the best players soon to be out of contract and therefore available to sign pre-contract agreements elsewhere from January 1.

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)

Where better place to start than with a goalkeeper potentially seeking a new destination. Lloris has spent 10 seasons with Tottenham and has captained the side for the past six years, while also skippering the France national team since 2012.

Spurs have historically been reluctant to offer long-term deals to players in their 30s and that policy could see them lose one of European football's finest goalkeepers from the past decade. He has racked up 392 appearances for Tottenham, keeping 131 clean sheets in the process.

Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

Martial did not quite transform into the superstar forward many were expecting upon joining United from Monaco six years ago, but neither has the France international been as big a flop as some would suggest.

Indeed, since making his Premier League debut in September 2015, only Marcus Rashford (57) has scored more goals for United than Martial's 56. Those goals have come from an expected goals (xG) return of 43, with that xG differential of 13 the largest of any player at the club in that timeframe.

Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)

Chelsea face the prospect of losing four defenders without receiving a fee of any sort at the end of the campaign, with Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta and Rudiger all nearing the end of their respective contracts.

Tying down Rudiger to fresh terms should be the priority, given there has arguably been no better defender in the Premier League since Thomas Tuchel first took charge of Chelsea on January 27, backed up by the centre-back's Premier League-leading 17 clean sheets over that period.

Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

No player has quite dominated the transfer column inches in the same manner as Pogba in recent years and, with no sign of a new contract being signed anytime soon, it now looks certain the 28-year-old will depart United for a second time.

Pogba may have struggled for consistency at Old Trafford, not helped by niggling injury issues, but he has averaged one assist per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season – a tally not matched by any player to have played more than once.

Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)

PSG rejected multiple offers from Real Madrid in 2020, but as it stands they are powerless to stop one of the game's leading lights departing at the end of the season.

As well as breaking a number of goalscoring records, Mbappe's 215 direct goal involvements in all competitions since making his PSG debut in September 2017 – 147 goals of his own and 68 assists – is a tally bettered by only Robert Lewandowski (242) and Lionel Messi (246).

Marcelo Brozovic (Inter)

Inter have so far been able to persuade Nicola Barella and Lautaro Martinez to extend their stays at San Siro, but Brozovic's future remains unclear heading into the new year.

Brozovic was a key part of Inter's Scudetto-winning side last term, featuring in 33 of their 38 games, and has started all 19 of their matches this campaign. Only Ruben Dias (1,713), Joao Cancelo (1,803) and William Saliba (1,840) have played more successful passes than the Croatia international (1,681) among players from Europe's top five leagues in 2021-22.

Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Gareth Bale and Isco are two high-profile Madrid players set to move on either in January or at the end of the season, but as well as trying to seal Mbappe's signing, Madrid's other priority might be ensuring Modric does not bring an end to his decade-long spell at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2022.

Proving that age is just a number, 36-year-old Modric has been as good as ever for LaLiga leaders Madrid this season. The six big chances created by the midfielder in 2020-21, leading to four assists, has been bettered by only four others in the division.

Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)

Dembele has struggled to come close to justifying his hefty transfer fee, reported to be an initial €105million, but he was recently described as having the potential to be the best attacking player in the world by head coach Xavi.

Barca president Joan Laporta is also eager to keep hold of Dembele, who has managed 30 goals and 22 assists in 126 appearances since his debut in September 2017, meaning he has been directly involved in 0.6 goals per 90 minutes. For comparison, that is an identical number to Antoine Griezmann during his short-lived stint at Camp Nou.

Denis Zakaria (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Strongly touted as a target for the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Zakaria will depart Borussia Monchengladbach in 2022 after confirming to the German club that he intends to run down his contract.

The defensive midfielder averages 52.3 passes every 90 minutes and 47.1 successful ones, the latter being the ninth-most this season among Bundesliga midfielders with at least 500 minutes played. Among the same group of players, only seven average more than his two successful dribbles every 90 minutes – all of those being more attack-minded players.

Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

Dybala has indicated that he wants to remain a Juventus player beyond this season but the longer talks over a new deal drag on, the more unlikely it appears he will still be in Turin six months from now – and that would be a major blow for the Bianconeri during an already difficult period.

The Argentina international has eight goals and four assists in 17 appearances this term, without being at what many would consider his best form – at least three more direct goal involvements than Juve's next most threatening player Alvaro Morata and double that of Federico Bernardeschi in third.

Barcelona are in the market to bolster their squad in January.

The Spanish giants have financial challenges to overcome.

But after an ordinary start to the season, they are ready to get busy to build Xavi a stronger squad.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA TO MOVE FOR LAPORTE

Barcelona could move for another Manchester City star, with The Sun reporting that the Blaugrana want to sign Spain international Aymeric Laporte.

The defender has lost his starting spot to John Stones and is said to be unsettled at City.

Barcelona announced a deal to sign Ferran Torres from City this week.

ROUND-UP

- Juventus have no interest in a potential swap deal with Barcelona whereby Alvaro Morata would trade places with Memphis Depay, reports Football Italia.

- Newcastle United are set to complete their first piece of January transfer business by signing Lille defender Sven Botman, claims the Mail.

- Liverpool are interested in Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka, claims the Express. Saka is contracted to the Gunners until 2024.

- Liverpool have also pitched a contract offer to Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, reports Ansa.

Borussia Monchengladbach have confirmed Denis Zakaria will leave the club at the end of the season.

The announcement comes less than 24 hours after Germany international Matthias Ginter revealed on Instagram that he will be letting his contract expire in 2022.

Switzerland international Zakaria has been with the club since joining from Young Boys in 2017 and has largely been a regular throughout his time with Die Fohlen.

The 25-year-old defensive midfielder, who can also play at centre-back, has been linked with several of the world's biggest clubs, such as fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Barcelona and Juventus.

While no club has yet emerged as the favourite to land Zakaria, he has at least provided clarity to Gladbach as he prepares to enter the final six months of his contract.

A statement on Gladbach's website read: "Denis Zakaria… has informed Borussia that he would like to leave the club after five years in the summer."

Sporting director Max Eberl expressed his satisfaction with having matters resolved ahead of the second half of the season, with Gladbach languishing just two points above the bottom three at the halfway stage.

"I told the boys in no uncertain terms that I would like everything that has nothing to do with Borussia and the second half of the season to be clarified by the end of this year," Eberl said.

"I want everyone to focus on the club, the second half of the season and this situation. The players should use the next few days to clarify their concerns left and right, and we will also make a few decisions so that we can start preparing for the second half of the season cleanly and clearly."

Like Ginter, Zakaria will be able to begin negotiating with other clubs once he enters the final six months of his contract – which expires on June 30 – later this week.

Whoever lands Zakaria will be adding a potentially formidable option to their midfield.

Nominally a defensive midfielder, Zakaria sees plenty of the ball and is good with his distribution: he averages 52.3 passes every 90 minutes and 47.1 successful ones, the latter being the ninth-most this season among Bundesliga midfielders with at least 500 minutes played.

He is just as comfortable carrying the ball, however.

Among the same group of players, only seven average more than his two successful dribbles every 90 minutes – all of those are more attack-minded players, such as Jamal Musiala, Christopher Nkunku, Jude Bellingham and Florian Wirtz.

When compared only with players who generally occupy central or defensive midfield roles, Zakaria comes out on top for total carries (208), and is well clear in terms of carry distance, his 2,407.3 metres being 400 metres more than anyone else.

He has also progressed the ball further up the pitch (1,227m) than any other comparable player, with Suat Serdar the only other similar midfielder to surpass 1,000m, highlighting his importance to getting Gladbach on the front foot.

While Zakaria is helped in these metrics by the fact he has played at centre-back this season, that does only account for a short amount of time in the grand scheme.

Gladbach are having a poor season, but Zakaria is managing to show his strengths.

Napoli face being without Hirving Lozano for their upcoming Serie A clash with Juventus after the forward tested positive for coronavirus.

The 26-year-old has featured in all 25 of Napoli's matches in all competitions this season, starting 17 of those, and has three goals and three assists to his name.

However, Napoli announced on their official website on Tuesday that Lozano will now serve a period of self-isolation after contracting COVID-19 while back in Mexico.

Lozano, who is asymptomatic and has been vaccinated, must return a negative test before he is cleared to fly back to Italy.

It is a further blow for Luciano Spalletti's side as Lorenzo Insigne and Fabian Ruiz have also tested positive for coronavirus over the past seven days.

Napoli are scheduled to face Juventus at the Allianz Stadium on January 6 in a battle between the sides third and fifth in Serie A.

The Partenopei have slipped from top spot after winning just two of their previous eight league matches, while Juventus have taken 13 points from the last 15 available.