Thierry Henry has warned Kylian Mbappe that no player is bigger than the club, urging the Paris Paris Saint-Germain star to conform to tactical demands amid reports he may seek an exit.
World Cup-winning forward Mbappe signed a bumper three-year extension in Paris ahead of the 2022-23 season, seemingly ending speculation over a move to Real Madrid.
On Tuesday, however, PSG advisor Luis Campos was forced to address reports that Mbappe wants to leave in January, stating the France international has never expressed such intentions to the club.
The 23-year-old responded with a first-half penalty at the Parc des Princes against Benfica, becoming PSG's top scorer in the Champions League as he surpassed Edinson Cavani's 30-goal benchmark.
Reports suggest Mbappe has become unsettled for numerous reasons, including being unwilling to operate out wide, but Henry says his fellow Frenchman must play where he is instructed.
"Nobody likes to be exposed to what you are not good at," Henry said on CBS Sports. "You just don't like it. But there is something that is bigger than anything else and that is the club.
"Did they make him feel like the club was the most important thing or did they make him feel like he was more important than the club?
"I will use my own story. I didn't like to play out high and wide for Barcelona. I hated it, but I did it for the team.
"I didn't like it. After a hundred caps and I don't know how many goals I scored for France, I had to play on the left.
"I didn't hear anyone say, 'Oh, what a nice gesture!' to go on the left instead of players who had fewer goals and fewer caps.
"There is only one rule. If the boss asks you to do something, you do it; if it's good for the team. If it's bad for the team, I would get the argument."
PSG sit level on eight points with Benfica at the Group H summit after Joao Mario cancelled out Mbappe's opener with a spot-kick of his own, earning a point for Roger Schmidt's side.
Lindstrom joins Everton on loan from Napoli
Everton have completed the loan signing of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli, the club confirmed on Friday.
Lindstrom will join the Toffees for the 2024-25 season with the deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.
The 24-year-old becomes the fourth addition at Goodison Park following the arrivals of Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison.
Lindstrom arrives after a difficult season with Napoli, playing just 416 minutes in 22 league appearances for the Serie A side.
The Denmark international arrived in Naples from Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 14 goals in 80 appearances, helping the German side lift the Europa League in the 2021-22 season.
“I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton," Lindstrom said in his first interview with the club.
"This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit.
“I actually heard of Everton’s interest a while ago – not only from now but previously. England is very similar to Denmark so I will feel at home quickly.
“I’ve spoken to the manager. It sounds as though he likes the way I play football and I can be a good fit for the team with my speed, so now I want to deliver."
The search for another attacking option out wide had been the priority at Everton, having seen Arnaut Danjuma return to Villarreal following the completion of his loan deal, and the sale of Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa.
Everton managed 40 goals last season, the second worst in the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United (35), and Dyche believes Lindstrom has a lot to offer in the final third.
"Jesper is a player with very good ability who can operate in a number of different attacking roles, which will benefit us heading into the new season," said Dyche.
"He joins us with a range of different experiences. He is hungry and eager to succeed with us, and that's a strong starting point as we look to add more productivity to our attack."
Maguire labels England criticism 'ridiculous' following Euro 2024 display
Harry Maguire has defended his England team-mates after their performance at Euro 2024, labelling the criticism as "a bit ridiculous".
England reached back-to-back European Championship finals but suffered the same outcome in Berlin as they did at Wembley three years ago.
The defeat against Spain saw Gareth Southgate become the first head coach in the history of the tournament to end up on the losing side in two finals.
Southgate called time on his eight-year tenure in charge of the Three Lions two days after the tournament ended, winning 59.8% of his 102 games in charge.
Despite this, underwhelming performances in Germany saw cups thrown towards the former England head coach as supporters jeered the players.
Southgate came under fire for his defensive approach, though only Walter Winterbottom (383) and Alf Ramsey (224) have overseen more England goals than his 213.
However, Maguire has come to the defence of his team-mates.
“Yes, performances might not have been amazing but it is tournament football," Maguire told BBC Sport.
"It is not as expansive. There are far less risks taken. You can’t afford to make mistakes or get caught going out in a full press. You saw throughout the tournament there were not many high-scoring wins.
“I just don’t know what the media or fans expected of this team. Was it to go and beat Serbia 4-0 in the first game and then beat Denmark 3-0? Did they think it was just going to be a walk in the park?”
Under Southgate's stewardship, England reached more major tournament finals in four attempts (two) than they did in their first 23 appearances at the World Cup and Euros (one).
Maguire played 63 times during Southgate's time in charge, a total only bettered by Harry Kane (81), Kyle Walker (70), Jordan Pickford and John Stones (both 68).
Maguire was forced to miss the tournament having picked up an injury in May, forcing him to miss Manchester United's FA Cup success against Manchester City.
Euro 2024 was the first major tournament he has missed during his international career, having become a mainstay in central defence alongside Stones.
Maguire's 17 appearances at major tournaments saw him keep seven clean sheets, but he insisted that missing out on Euro 2024 was difficult for him to comprehend.
"To miss out was tough," said Maguire.
“It has been really frustrating, working all season to get myself mentally and physically at the top of my game and be in a position to feel I could really make a difference for Manchester United and my country."
Slot keen to work with current Liverpool squad amid transfer concerns
Arne Slot is keen to work with the current Liverpool squad before rushing to make any signings ahead of his first season in charge at Anfield.
Liverpool are one of only two Premier League sides yet to conduct any business in the transfer window, along with Fulham, who are expected to soon bring Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe to Craven Cottage.
Concern over a lack of transfer activity remains rife among some Reds supporters as they look to improve on their third-place finish last season and close the gap to both Manchester City and Arsenal.
However, Slot explained the lack of incomings and his ongoing discussions with Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, saying: "The first aim is to work with these players.
"There is an important line at the club that young players come through.
"Our standards are really high when it comes to bringing in new players. Of course, Richard and I are trying to improve the squad where possible."
Liverpool are continuing their pre-season preparations in the United States, with Slot naming Mohamed Salah among his 28-man squad for the three fixtures.
The Reds face Real Betis in Pittsburgh on Saturday, before taking on Manchester United and Arsenal, but left-back Andy Robertson is expected to play no part Stateside.
Scotland international Robertson returned to Kirkby last week but did not feature in the pre-season defeat against Preston North End.
The 30-year-old is almost certain to miss all three games as he continues to recover from an ongoing injury he carried during Scotland's woeful Euro 2024 campaign.
"He is not fully fit yet. But we are expecting him at the end of the tour – maybe just after the tour – to be fully fit again," Slot added.
"He took a small injury into the Euros and afterwards he had to recover from that after playing those games. But we will expect him back after our tour – he joined us over here."
Slot was also asked about the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has one year remaining on his current deal and has reportedly garnered interest from Real Madrid.
When probed about the 25-year-old's future, Slot provided a response that echoed predecessor Jurgen Klopp.
"My answer would probably be a bit boring and I think it's the same answer you've heard for the last five, six or seven years," said Slot. "Contract situations are not discussed at this place. Keep trying, I would say!"
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