William Saliba has said he wants to show Arsenal his "true face" next season.

The France international has still not played for the Gunners since his transfer from Saint-Etienne in 2019, reportedly worth around £27million (€31.5m).

Loan moves with Saint-Etienne, Nice and Marseille have followed, but now the 21-year-old centre back is eager to finally show his parent club what they bought three years ago, although he admits he does not know if the Premier League club still want him.

Speaking to Telefoot, Saliba said: "I belong to Arsenal, I still have two years left [on my contract].

"I will be back with Arsenal. I have played zero matches and I still want to show them my true face and have the chance to play for these fans and this great club.

"But it doesn't just depend on me. In any case, to leave like this, would be a shame."

Saliba enjoyed a strong 2021-22 season at Marseille, finishing second in Ligue 1 and reaching the semi-finals of the inaugural Europa Conference League.

He played 36 games in Ligue 1, keeping 13 clean sheets, and attempted 490 passes more than any other player in the French top flight (3,044), completing 599 more than anyone else (2,834).

Asked to describe his campaign in one word, he said: "Surprising, or magical. It's my first full season. I was keen to show who I really am. It's a very positive assessment and really I'm very happy with my season.

"And that's why I had this little lump in my stomach saying to myself: 'Here you go to a club and you mustn't laugh, you mustn't have fun, you must play every game thoroughly.'

"It's as if I stayed at least two or three years, it's really special. Even if I don't come back to Marseille, I'll never forget. Thanks to OM, I spent a great course in my career and it was they who boosted me."

Alexandre Lacazette has played his final match for Arsenal, the north London giants confirmed on Thursday.

Arsenal announced the striker's time with the club will come to an end by the end of June, when his contract expires.

Lacazette moved from Lyon to Arsenal in 2017 for an initial €53million (£46.5m) but made his intentions to depart Emirates Stadium clear during the 2021-22 campaign.

The 30-year-old suggested he wanted to play in the Champions League, where he has never featured for Arsenal, but admitted he would be open to re-signing for boyhood club Lyon.

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas and director of football Vincent Ponsot responded by outlining their desire to bring the forward to the Groupama Stadium.

The Ligue 1 side, who will not play in Europe next season after finishing eighth in the French top flight, could soon secure the services of Lacazette.

"Laca has been a fantastic player for us," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. "He's been a real leader on and off the pitch and has been a very important influence to our younger players.

"His commitment with us has been exceptional and we wish him and his family success and happiness."

Lacazette endured a disappointing scoring campaign last season as Arsenal finished fifth, missing out on Champions League qualification to north London rivals Tottenham.

The striker only scored four times across 30 Premier League games, his worst tally since the 2012-13 season when he found the net just three times in Ligue 1 for Lyon.

Nevertheless, Lacazette looks back fondly on his time in England.

"Five years ago, my dream came true.. To sign for Arsenal," he wrote on Instagram. "It's been an honour to wear the jersey, to be a part of this family.

"I won trophies, I met real and nice people, and I fell even more in love with this club. Good luck for the future of the club and the fans, it's been a pleasure. Once a Gunner, Always a Gunner."

Lacazette, speaking to Arsenal's official website, said it was time for "a new experience and a new adventure".

He said: "When I came to Arsenal, I was a bit like a kid with big names, big players, a lot of pressure, and I was not talking so much.

"Year after year I started to talk more, my English got better, my relationships with people at the club got stronger and with the players as well. So I'm happy for who I am now and where I came from.

"I'll keep in contact with my team-mates, with the coaches, with the club. I supported Arsenal since I was young, so obviously I'm going to keep supporting them. I know I will come back to the stadium as well."

Hugo Ekitike appears to be nearing a move to Newcastle United after Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot confirmed the club had received a "very concrete" offer from an English club.

Ekitike was one of the breakout stars of the 2021-22 season across Europe's top five leagues.

The 19-year-old scored 10 goals and assisted three more in Ligue 1, contributing a goal involvement every 98 minutes on average.

Attempting only 31 shots, Ekitike's conversion rate of 32.3 per cent was the second-best among players with 20 or more attempts across Europe, far outperforming his expected goals total of 7.0.

This sensational form has attracted attention from a host of clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund both linked.

But big-spending Newcastle have long been seen as Ekitike's most likely destination, with the player even turning down a move to Tyneside in January.

Reports this week have suggested the forward is now more open to a move with a fee almost agreed; a figure in the region of £30million (€35m) has been mooted in France.

And Caillot hinted at an agreement in an interview with France Bleu, explaining a deal could only be held up by Ekitike again rejecting an unnamed club's advances.

"[The offer] is very concrete," the Reims chief said. "And on the table, there is one that suits us very well.

"[It is] an offer that, in my opinion, is interesting sportingly for the player, and it is now up to him to make his choice; it is not up to me to do it.

"From now on, it is his advisers who must make progress on this issue. And if at the time of speaking it is not done, it is because his advisors have not yet wished to move forward with this club."

Pressed on the identity of the club, with an apparent reference to Newcastle, Caillot added: "We remain discreet but good. It is an English club, so we understood which club we are talking about."

English reports have been less firm on the price Newcastle would pay, but Caillot said: "Let it be clear: for €20m, Hugo Ekitike will not leave."

Reims are set to receive a significant fee for a player who had not started a single Ligue 1 match just a year ago, with the president confident they will cope with his departure.

"[Reims general director] Mathieu Lacour has been telling me for years that we had a nugget in reserve," Caillot said. "Where I was surprised, like all the fans, was the speed with which he stood out.

"It's true, he was helped by the context, because in fact he was the fourth striker in the hierarchy and then injuries made him able to show all his qualities.

"It also makes me smile today, because we sometimes have the impression that it would be the end of Stade de Reims if he were to leave us, when a year ago there were 90 per cent of people who did not know him."

Sven Botman acknowledged interest from Milan and Newcastle United as he confirmed his desire to leave Lille before the 2022-23 season.

Botman has established himself as one of the standout defenders in Ligue 1 over the past two seasons, winning the title with Lille in 2020-21.

His form has unsurprisingly prompted interest from elsewhere, with Milan and Newcastle both linked with moves since the January window.

A transfer to one of these clubs now appears highly likely, with Botman asked if he had played his last game for Lille.

"I don't know, but I think so," the centre-back told AD. "I intend to take a step.

"Talks are under way now. I won't go into all of that, but it's going well. I do hope that the transfer for the new season is completed. Preferably also for the pre-season, yes."

Pressed specifically on Serie A champions Milan and resurgent Premier League outfit Newcastle, Botman said: "Those clubs are interested, yes. I can't and won't say much more about it.

"What I want is to take a nice step towards a nice competition. I am also looking forward to a new step.

"I am aware of what I want – that is not necessarily to that club or that competition. You weigh all kinds of things and then the total picture has to suit you. I must have a very good feeling about it."

As well as that move, Botman has ambitions for international recognition, still waiting on a Netherlands call-up with Virgil van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt among his Oranje rivals.

"I'm just patient," he added. "Ultimately, I hope that one day I can be a permanent fixture in the Oranje selection.

"I don't think I'm in a position right now to necessarily need an explanation. I just have to show that I belong there. I'm not in a hurry, but the Oranje is of course a goal."

"It's not up to me. That should be determined by others and especially the national coach. I haven't spoken to him one-on-one yet.

"I have not been selected now and so I have to show extra that I do belong there. Do I feel ready? Yes, I think I can do that, although of course I still have a lot to learn.

"The Oranje has good defenders. If one or two are missing, you hope to be able to fill that. But hopefully that will come."

With Manchester United confirming Paul Pogba is to leave the club as a free agent, six years on from his £89million return and a decade after his first departure, talk will inevitably turn to the midfielder's next destination.

Could a return to Juventus - the club where he won four consecutive Serie A titles between 2012 and 2016 - reignite Pogba's career, or would a move to newly crowned European champions Real Madrid hold greater appeal?

If not, could Pogba, who was born in a Paris suburb and enjoyed the greatest moment of his career when lifting the World Cup with France in 2018, join a host of other big names at Paris Saint-Germain? 

Or could the 29-year old choose to make one of the most controversial moves in Premier League history by joining United's cross-city rivals Manchester City?

As Pogba weighs up his next move, Stats Perform looks at four potential destinations for the enigmatic midfielder.

The return: Could Pogba refresh a flagging Juventus? 

Juventus is the club that made Pogba's career, with the midfielder making 178 appearances during a trophy-laden four-year spell under Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri, starring alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio as the Bianconeri dominated Serie A.

With Allegri back at the helm and Juventus requiring fresh energy in midfield after consecutive fourth-placed finishes in Serie A, could Pogba be a key part of the Bianconeri rebuild? He's certainly not shown an aversion to returning to former clubs in the past.

The European champions: Is Pogba the man to succeed Blancos legends?

Having won a record-extending 14th European title by beating Liverpool last week, Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid don't appear to be in dire need of reinforcements. 

However, the aging midfield trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Casemiro cannot go on forever – Modric, along with team-mates Karim Benzema and Dani Carvajal, equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of five Champions League titles this term. With president Florentino Perez still smarting from Kylian Mbappe's public rejection of Madrid, adding Pogba to Los Blanco's stacked engine room could also fulfil his need for a marquee signing. 

The homecoming: Will PSG's new project appeal?

Mbappe's decision to remain in the French capital was presented as a monumental coup for PSG, and given their penchant for adding star names, could a move for his France team-mate Pogba now make sense?

Pogba, who managed more Premier League assists (38) and chances created (231) than any other United player since re-joining in 2016, could be the man to add some creativity to a workmanlike midfield featuring the likes of Idrissa Gueye, Danilo Pereira, and Ander Herrera, as PSG look for the right combination to win their first European crown.

The controversial move: Could Pogba follow in Tevez's footsteps? 

Having already wrapped up the coveted signature of Erling Haaland, Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has confirmed the Premier League champions are targeting more incomings in the upcoming transfer window, while rumours linked Pogba with a stunning cross-city switch last month.

While Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said City should not go "anywhere near" the Frenchman, Pogba would likely excel in Pep Guardiola's technically gifted side. Replicate Carlos Tevez's infamous move from red to blue? He couldn't, could he? 

Manchester United and Chelsea are experiencing significant transformation this off-season, albeit for varying reasons.

While the Red Devils undertake yet another rebuild under a new manager, Chelsea are in the midst of ownership takeover.

It is reportedly creating the perfect storm for a shock transfer.

TOP STORY – MANCHESTER UNITED MAKE SHOCK MOVE FOR MOUNT

New Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is considering a move for Chelsea midfielder  Mason Mount according to the Sun.

The England international has seen talks for a renewed contract at Stamford Bridge stall, amid the prolonged takeover of the club by Todd Boehly.

In dire need to rebuild his midfield, and following Mount since his loan spell with Vitesse Arnhem, Ten Hag has reportedly already relayed United's interest with Mount's camp.

Liverpool and Manchester City have also made enquiries for Mount meanwhile, who according to reports, remains one of Chelsea's lowest-paid players. 

ROUND-UP

– Liverpool are tracking Rennes forward Martin Terrier as a replacement for Sadio Mane should he depart, according to the Mirror.

– Barcelona boss Xavi has held talks with Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves over a potential transfer, per Sport.

– Oleksandr Zinchenko is attracting interest from Everton and Newcastle United, the Athletic reports.

– The Guardian are reporting that Inter are exploring the possibility of a return for Romelu Lukaku.

LaLiga plans to take Paris Saint-Germain to court over Kylian Mbappe's contract extension, with Javier Tebas insisting he will not "allow a European club to destroy the ecosystem of European football".

World Cup winner Mbappe was widely expected to join Real Madrid when his PSG contract expired in June but instead opted to sign a new three-year deal in the French capital.

That left Madrid and LaLiga infuriated, with Tebas claiming the agreement between PSG and the France international was "an insult to football".

Vincent Labrune, president of France's Professional Football League (LFP), responded by questioning LaLiga chief Tebas' "latest attacks against Ligue 1 and one of our clubs", calling his counterpart's behaviour "completely inappropriate".

France's National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) echoed Labrune's sentiments, suggesting Tebas' "offensive, hateful remarks, without restraint or foundation, bring shame and discredit to him".

But Tebas has once again hit back by promising to denounce PSG in an investigation as he questioned how the Ligue 1 champions can circumvent financial fair play guidelines.

"The complaint that we are going to file with UEFA has already been drafted and is being examined," Tebas said at a news conference on Tuesday. 

"But we are not going to stop there, we are going to go to France, we have already hired French lawyers and we are going to denounce the position of PSG before the economic control body.

"We are going to denounce this situation before the courts administrative there. We are not going to allow a European club to destroy the ecosystem of European football."

Tebas also claimed PSG had "lost €300-400million over the last three seasons", referencing reports from French newspaper L'Equipe as he continued his scathing summary of the Parisians.

"This year – it's L'Equipe who says it, not me – PSG will go up to €600m in payroll, they will end the season with a loss of €300m and with higher commercial incomes than Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barca, something nobody believes," he added.

"With these losses and a payroll of €600m, more than Madrid, than Barca, renewing Mbappe is impossible...if there is no deception in the sponsorship or higher capital contributions to what UEFA has established."

As for Labrune's previous response, Tebas insisted he would not comment before then going on to question Qatar Sports Investments' (QSI) ownership of PSG again.

"The problem is the attitude of the owners of the club, because they have no limits, they don't care about losses," he continued.

"They put in as much money as they want, they cheat you with sponsors linked to the state. That is the problem."

Nuno Mendes has signed a four-year contract at Paris Saint-Germain after the Ligue 1 club triggered their purchase option.

The Portugal left-back initially joined PSG on loan from Sporting CP last year as the final signing of a busy transfer window in which Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos also arrived, among others.

While Messi and Ramos each failed to perform to the levels expected of them in their debut seasons in France, Mendes was a steady presence as Mauricio Pochettino's men won the title.

He made 37 appearances in all competitions, including 27 in Ligue 1 – 18 as a starter – as he created 19 chances and provided a single assist.

Mendes will now have the opportunity to add to that tally in the coming campaign after PSG made use of their option to buy the 19-year-old, as was expected.

His signing has reportedly seen PSG pay Sporting €40million.

Lionel Messi spoke about the difficulties of his first season with Paris Saint-Germain, with injuries and COVID-19 playing a big factor in his preparation.

Messi, 34, scored six goals and gave 14 assists in his 26 Ligue 1 appearances, while scoring five goals in seven Champions League fixtures, but he missed league games, domestic cup games and a Champions League date due to various ailments.

After collecting his seventh Ballon d'Or, he has committed to the French giants for next season, which he believes will be far more fruitful.

Speaking to TyC Sports, he said it was difficult going from his comfortable setup in Barcelona to take on a new challenge, and it was all made even tougher by his lack of training availability.

"[The Barcelona exit] happened and it was a hard change, a difficult year honestly, because it was not easy to adapt," he said.

"At Barcelona, I had team-mates who I had been playing alongside for many years. They knew me by heart. This was all new to me. 

"I started late in Ligue 1 because I arrived late at the club. Then I had a blow to the knee and was out for a while, and between one thing and another I didn't play a lot, I couldn't do three to four games in a row. 

"During holidays, I said: 'after this, a new year arrives, I'm going to arrive with all the batteries, I'm going to change. That's it, the adaptation is over' – and COVID caught me."

He described the frustration of trying to work through his sickness, and his club's heart-breaking Champions League defeat against eventual champions Real Madrid.

"I couldn't train, I came back and spent a month and a half without even being able to run because it strongly affected my lungs," he said.

"I wasn't scared, but they tell you so many things. They wouldn't let me do anything. I wanted to start, and I even started before I should have started, and that was worse. 

"Later, when I was halfway there, the Real Madrid thing happened and that killed us. It killed me and the entire dressing room in general and all of Paris because they had a great dream in that competition… it was a blow."

Saint-Etienne have "strongly condemned" crowd trouble following the club's relegation from Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Auxerre secured promotion to the top flight with a 5-4 penalty shoot-out victory after the two sides were level at 2-2 on aggregate.

There were ugly scenes after Saint-Etienne's 18-year stay in Ligue 1 was brought to an end, with fans storming onto the pitch.

Flares were thrown at the main stand, while players appeared to be targeted by supporters, who also clashed with police and security staff on the field.

Saint-Etienne vowed to take action following a dark day for the 10-time champions of France.

A club statement said: "Despite an exceptional and reinforced deployment of nearly 500 agents, many supporters invaded the pitch at the final whistle of the match against Auxerre.

"Some were guilty of several degradations and acts of violence towards players, the security agents, police and the fans in the Pierre-Faurand stand

"ASSE strongly condemns these acts, gives its full support to those affected and will initiate the necessary legal proceedings."

The end of the club season means individual awards are dominating the discourse right now in European football. Well, if you can't beat them, join them.

Rather than just run through the usual categories highlighting the best player and best coach – although we will do that, too – why not focus on some alternative prizes?

The NBA Awards provide a fine blueprint, rewarding superstars alongside breakout performers, recovering veterans and valuable bench players.

Relying heavily on Opta data, we'll steer clear of team honours – a blow to Wout Weghorst, whose eight blocks (leading all forwards in Europe's top five leagues) might have carved out a spot leading the All-Defensive First Team – but there remains plenty to go at...

Most Valuable Player

Only one player had more goal involvements than Karim Benzema (39) in the top five leagues this season, and Real Madrid would really rather not talk about the man top of the charts. That other leading France forward had a hand in 45 goals, yet the value of Benzema's contributions to a LaLiga title triumph separates him from the rest.

Benzema's goal involvements were worth 29 points across the season, the most of any player, with Kylian Mbappe, of course, second on 28. Just considering Benzema's 27 goals, he accounted for 20 points – trailing Dusan Vlahovic (22 points) alone.

Required to perform repeated rescue acts in the Champions League, too, Madrid's number nine played only 2,596 minutes in LaLiga – or 75.9 per cent of the full season. He was therefore involved in a goal every 67 minutes, narrowly second in this regard behind Erling Haaland (66 minutes) among those to play 1,000 minutes or more across Europe.

Coach of the Year

Were this the NBA, Carlo Ancelotti would surely also qualify for the Lifetime Achievement Award. In guiding Benzema and Madrid to the LaLiga title, the Italian became the first coach to win each of Europe's top five leagues, following successes in Serie A with Milan, the Premier League with Chelsea, Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain and the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich.

Ancelotti, also the oldest LaLiga-winning coach at 62, earned only two more points than Zinedine Zidane had in finishing second in the prior season, but Madrid maintained this high standard despite losing both of their senior centre-backs heading into the campaign as they seemingly saved for the now failed pursuit of Mbappe.

Meanwhile, Everton, the team Ancelotti left for his second Madrid stint, finished 20 points short of their 2020-21 total, spending the season battling relegation rather than chasing Europe and perhaps putting his work at Goodison Park in context.

Rookie of the Year

Given the differences between the NBA and Europe's top five leagues, it is difficult to quantify exactly how many players might be considered 'rookies', let alone identify the best of them. Someone like Luis Diaz, for example, played his first minutes in the top five leagues this season, yet he had already scored goals in the Champions League and Copa America so surely doesn't fit the bill.

On the other hand, Hugo Ekitike definitely does.

Among the nine players who were teenagers at the start of the season and finished with 10 or more goal involvements, only Ekitike had never previously started a game in Europe's top five leagues. His 13 involvements in 2021-22 (10 goals, three assists) arrived every 98 minutes on average, the best rate of this group and the 18th-best overall – just behind Neymar (also 98 mins) and ahead of Son Heung-min (101 mins).

The 19-year-old Reims forward, who turned down a transfer to Newcastle United in January before sustaining a thigh injury, scored with an astonishing 32.3 per cent of his shots – second behind Wissam Ben Yedder (34.7 per cent) among players with 20 or more attempts – and has been linked with moves to PSG and Borussia Dortmund, as well as St James' Park.

Defensive Player of the Year

As elsewhere, many of these awards focus on offensive talents, so there is a dedicated category for the best defender – and there could really only be one winner this year.

Injury restricted Virgil van Dijk to 371 minutes in 2019-20, and he was badly missed by Liverpool in their title defence, as they conceded 42 Premier League goals – their most since shipping the same number in the season before the centre-back's 2018 arrival.

With Van Dijk fit again this term and missing only four matches, the Reds conceded the joint-fewest number of goals across the top five leagues (26, tied with Manchester City). No defender played a part in more clean sheets (21).

Those figures show the impact Van Dijk had on the team as a whole, but his performances in individual battles were equally impressive. The Liverpool man won 73.5 per cent of his duels and 77.5 per cent of his aerial duels – both the best marks of defenders to make 30 or more appearances in the top five leagues.

Comeback Player of the Year

Okay, so the NBA no longer highlights a Comeback Player of the Year, but the NFL continues to identify an individual who has overcome the adversity of the previous campaign, allowing us to recognise one of the stories of the season.

Of course, for the reasons outlined above, Van Dijk might have had a claim to this prize in any other year, yet he is beaten this time by a player who actually won Serie A in 2020-21.

Within weeks of that title triumph, Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020, prompting fears for his life and then, even after his recovery, his career.

But Eriksen was fitted with an ICD, left Inter, joined Brentford in January and promptly won each of the first five Premier League games he started for the relegation-threatened Bees. Finishing with seven victories from 10 starts, only nine players in the top five leagues created more chances over this period than Eriksen (29, including four assists).

Most Improved Player

There were no shortage of players showing signs of significant improvement in 2021-22. Five-goal Euro 2020 forward Patrik Schick starred on the club stage at last, Newcastle striker-turned-midfielder Joelinton enjoyed a resurgence and Vinicius Junior was outstanding as Benzema's foil, but Christopher Nkunku stood head and shoulders above the rest as he swiftly established himself among Europe's elite.

Nkunku had scored a mere six goals and assisted the same number for RB Leipzig in the 2020-21 Bundesliga, but those goal involvements increased dramatically from 12 to 33 this season, ranking fifth across Europe's top five leagues and joint-third when excluding penalties (32). With 20 total goals and 13 assists, the newly capped France international was one of just 12 players to reach double figures in both categories.

Of players to feature in at least 20 games in each of the past two campaigns, only Moussa Dembele (20) and Schick (15) improved their season-on-season goal tallies by a greater margin than Nkunku (14); Dembele alone (24) showed greater improvement in terms of goal involvements (21).

In a season in which Leipzig recovered from a slow start to make the top four by a single point, Nkunku's contributions were vital. He had a hand in 45.8 per cent of their Bundesliga goals and 50.8 per cent of those he was on the field for.

Twelfth Man of the Year

The NBA's Sixth Man of the Year is recognised as the season's most impactful bench player, which feels like a nice addition here.

Were this a long-standing European football award, it might have by now been renamed in honour of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who scored 17 goals in 84 Premier League substitute appearances – one every 88 minutes on average. Given Rodrygo Goes and Eduardo Camavinga largely reserved their heroics for the Champions League, the 2021-22 equivalent in the top five leagues could be Matheus Cunha.

Ben Yedder scored the most goals from the bench this season, but those seven counted towards 25 in total as he also started 29 matches. Cunha was restricted to only eight starts for Atletico Madrid, yet he scored three and assisted four in 21 outings as a substitute, matching Ben Yedder and Ignacio Pussetto with a Europe-high seven such goal involvements.

Atletico's man in times of need, Cunha contributed to vital goals, too. He was one of only two players to both score and assist in the same game as a substitute on more than one occasion (also Arnaud Nordin), with the second of those two performances seeing the Brazil forward introduced against Valencia with his side 2-0 down; Cunha scored seven minutes after his introduction and later teed up the winner in a 3-2 victory, justifying his season-long role as a super-sub.

Saint-Etienne fans stormed the pitch in troubling scenes after a penalty shoot-out defeat to Auxerre confirmed their relegation from Ligue 1 on Sunday.

The Ligue 1-Ligue 2 play-off at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard ended 1-1 on the night and 2-2 on aggregate, with Hamza Sakhi's 51st-minute strike for Auxerre cancelled out by Mahdi Camara and extra time failing to produce a winner.

Ryad Boudebouz missed the first spot-kick of the shoot-out and that proved costly as Auxerre went on to triumph 5-4 and secure their spot back in the top flight.

The winning penalty was taken by Auxerre captain Birama Toure and preceded home supporters storming the pitch in frightening scenes, with flares and smoke bombs launched in the direction of the turf, with reports some were also thrown towards the directors' boxes.

Some fans also appeared to target Saint-Etienne players on a regrettable night for the joint-most successful club in Ligue 1 history, who have won the title 10 times – the same amount as Paris Saint-Germain.

Gianluigi Donnarumma hailed the "perfect year" after Paris Saint-Germain and Milan won their respective leagues, but the goalkeeper has no regrets after leaving the Rossoneri.

Donnarumma was met with widespread condemnation by the Milan supporters after not renewing his contract, before opting to join PSG on a free transfer ahead of the 2021-22 season following his successful Euro 2020 campaign with Italy.

The 23-year-old kept five clean sheets in his 17 Ligue 1 appearances as he shared the goalkeeper duties with Keylor Navas, with PSG securing a record-equalling 10th Ligue 1 title.

Milan, meanwhile, edged out Inter to secure their first Serie A crown in 11 years, much to the delight of Donnarumma.

"After winning the title, the perfect year was the Scudetto of Milan and I congratulate them, they did an incredible job and I'm proud of them," said Donnarumma in a news conference on Sunday.

"I have no regret, I'm happy with what Milan have done and I wrote to all my team-mates to congratulate them."

Donnarumma was also praised the performance of fellow goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was on top form to help Real Madrid to a 1-0 Champions League final victory over Liverpool on Saturday.

Courtois pulled off nine stops in the final, the most on record since Opta began recording data in 2003-04, as Madrid secured a 14th European Cup, more than double any other side.

"I saw the match and he played an incredible match, he kept Real Madrid standing until the end," Donnarumma said of Courtois.

"It made me feel a bit like we could have been there, but unfortunately football is like that. They won and I congratulate Courtois, he made great interventions."

Donnarumma's focus now turns to the 'Finalissima' between Italy and Argentina at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, in a meeting between the European Championship and Copa America winners.

Italy defeated England on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley before missing out on World Cup qualification for Qatar after play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

"We must not forget what we did at the European Championship, this is a fantastic group and they gave us an incredible result," Donnarumma added.

"The disappointment of not qualifying for the World Cup is still fresh, we are still disappointed. It hurts, some guys will no longer be with us but we young people must bring Italy back to where it deserves."

Roberto Mancini will have Giorgio Chiellini to call upon for one final game before his international retirement, and Donnarumma says Italy will miss the experienced centre-back.

"We will miss everything about Giorgio, both on and off the pitch he was a point of reference for Italian and world football, especially for us young people," he continued. 

"He gave us great help, now we want to give him great joy. He will be missed on the pitch, he is truly fantastic and will always give you a hand, even just with a simple word."

Kylian Mbappe will not have long to wait until he wins the Ballon d'Or, according to Barcelona great Patrick Kluivert.

Mbappe was widely expected to join Real Madrid when his Paris Saint-Germain contract expired in June, but opted to sign a three-year extension in the French capital.

The 23-year-old cited the project changing at PSG as he hopes to secure a maiden Champions League success.

Mbappe was in scintillating form this campaign as he scored 28 league goals, a tally only bettered by Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (35) across Europe's top five leagues.

The France international also added 17 assists, with no player in Europe's biggest leagues managing more direct goal involvements (45) – Les Bleus team-mate Karim Benzema ranked second with 39.

Mbappe will look to deliver World Cup glory for France in Qatar later this year, and Kluivert believes it will only be a matter of time before the PSG talisman wins the Ballon d'Or.

"Mbappe is one of the best players out there at the moment," former PSG director of football Kluivert told Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo.

"I congratulate him on his recent renewal with the team. I think he will win the Ballon d'Or shortly."

Kluivert also discussed his former club Barca, who ended LaLiga in second despite languishing in ninth when Xavi took charge after Ronald Koeman's dismissal in late October.

Xavi will now be tasked with rebuilding in the transfer window as he looks to close the gap on Champions League and LaLiga winners Real Madrid.

Kluivert played with Xavi at Camp Nou, and backed his former team-mate to transform Barca's fortunes.

"Next season he will have many possibilities to improve the team, I have a lot of faith in him," Kluivert said.

"The club has very good young players who know the values ​​of the club. I am confident that Barca will return to where it was."

France coach Didier Deschamps has backed Paul Pogba to find a new club and arrest his slump in domestic form, as he hailed the upcoming Aurelien Tchouameni.

Pogba endured another frustrating season with Manchester United, who finished sixth in the Premier League and will hope Erik ten Hag can transform their fortunes next campaign.

World Cup-winning midfielder Pogba is widely expected to depart Old Trafford when his contract expires in June, with Juventus seemingly in the running to bring the 29-year-old back to Turin, while Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked.

Pogba has come under scrutiny for failing to replicate his international performances for France, who he will not feature for in upcoming Nations League games due to injury.

Deschamps heaped praise on Pogba's efforts for his country and expects the France star to move on from United after another underwhelming campaign.

"Pogba has had a lot of injuries, with his club's results not up to par," Deschamps told a news conference on Saturday.

"He too will have to change scenery this summer."

Deschamps additionally spoke of players who may have struggled on club duty, saying: "There has to be credit for what they have been able to do with the France team."

Tchouameni has enjoyed another productive season in Ligue 1 with Monaco, leading to reports he could join Liverpool, Chelsea or Real Madrid in the next transfer window.

The midfielder appeared 35 times in Ligue 1 this campaign, with only Wissam Ben Yedder (37) and goalkeeper Alexander Nubel (38) featuring more for Philippe Clement's side.

The 22-year-old represents a threat at both ends of the pitch, leading Monaco's charts for successful opposition-half passes (932), while making the most tackles (86) and winning the most duels (260).

Tchouameni will compete with the likes of N'Golo Kante, Adrien Rabiot and Matteo Guendouzi for a spot in midfield, and Deschamps is delighted to see the Monaco man coming into contention.

"He doesn't have the experience of Pogba and Kante, but he has potential... I took him on quite early, and in his head, he has the necessary maturity," Deschamps said.

"It's good to have these young people who make sure the older players do not rest on their laurels! The young players continue to grow, and even the others who are not selected are also growing.

"It's the new generation. Today a 19-year-old, it can seem a bit presumptuous, they go to the big clubs, but they have no worries, they do everything to succeed."