Technical director Paolo Maldini and sporting director Frederic Massara have signed two-year contracts at Milan, the club confirmed on Friday.

The pair's previous deals had expired on Thursday with the end of the 2021-22 season.

However, Maldini had belatedly confirmed he would be staying at the club following a tough start to the close season.

Although Milan won the Serie A title last term with a team built in part by Maldini and Massara, they have struggled to add reinforcements for the coming campaign.

With the Rossoneri in the midst of a takeover, they could not compete with Newcastle United for highly rated defender Sven Botman.

The centre-back was said to be a primary target for Maldini, while reports have suggested Paris Saint-Germain have jumped the queue for Botman's Lille team-mate Renato Sanches.

However, Milan, Maldini and Massara have now come to an agreement that will see two key figures remain in their roles for at least another two seasons.

"This deal highlights the importance of continuity we see throughout the club as we continue to strengthen and grow," Milan said in a statement.

Mohamed Salah landed a bumper new contract through to 2025 and vowed to repay Liverpool's belief in him by firing Jurgen Klopp's Reds to more trophies.

Uncertainty over the Egyptian forward's future had lingered for months, with no clear sign of a breakthrough in negotiations between the club and the player's representatives until a deal was announced on Friday.

With Sadio Mane being allowed to leave for Bayern Munich since the end of last season, the importance of securing Salah was ramped up, and now the 30-year-old has confirmed he will stay at Anfield.

He could have walked away at the end of the 2022-23 season on a free transfer, had he not agreed to new terms, but that worrying prospect has been quashed.

With at least three years more to come of his Anfield career, Salah is convinced he and Liverpool can enjoy huge success in that time.

They threatened a quadruple last term before just missing out to Manchester City in the Premier League title race and losing 1-0 to Real Madrid in the Champions League final, having already pouched the FA Cup and EFL Cup.

Salah said of his new deal: "It takes a little bit of time, I think, to renew, but now everything is done so we just need to focus on what’s next.

"I think you can see in the last five or six years the team was always going [upwards]. Last season we were close to winning four, but unfortunately in the last week of the season we lost two trophies.

"I think we are in a good position to fight for everything. We have new signings as well. We just need to keep working hard, have a good vision, be positive and go for everything again."

In an interview for Liverpool's official website, Salah spoke of the departure of Mane to the Bundesliga and the arrival of Uruguayan frontman Darwin Nunez from Benfica, as manager Jurgen Klopp shuffles his pack.

"I'm so excited, I want to play with him," Salah said of Nunez. "He had a good season last season and played well against us home and away [in the Champions League].

"Sadio's leaving, and I'm going to miss him, he had great seasons with the club, so I wish him all the best, and I wish Darwin also all the best to score many goals for us."

Salah had a stellar 2021-22 campaign, finishing level with Tottenham's Son Heung-min in the race to be the Premier League's top scorer, while also managing the most assists in the competition, racking up 13 to finish one ahead of team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold.

It was the third time that Salah has won the Premier League's Golden Boot, having also been top scorer in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns.

He won the FWA Footballer of the Year and the PFA Players' Player of the Year awards, and taking all competitions into account finished the campaign with 31 goals and 15 assists in 51 appearances, creating 87 scoring chances.

Across his five-season Liverpool career to date, Salah has managed 118 Premier League goals, at an average of one every 126 minutes, a league-best for players who have played at least 100 games in that time.

Salah had been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but Friday's announcement means the former Roma and Chelsea forward's stint with Liverpool is far from over, as he prepares for a sixth season with the Reds.

In a message to supporters, Salah said Liverpool would "try to win all the trophies" in the new campaign.

Hugo Ekitike may end up staying at Reims in this transfer window as he waits on a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Newcastle United have long since agreed a deal with Reims for the forward, but the transfer has not progressed further.

Reports have suggested the demands of Ekitike's agent have put off Newcastle, while the 20-year-old has continued to be linked to other clubs.

And Oscar Garcia, the Reims coach, revealed on Friday the player is in no hurry to leave.

Wantaway Reims stars are said to have a July 10 deadline to secure moves, and with purported interest from Madrid subsequently dismissed, Ekitike's short-term future could still be in Ligue 1.

Garcia told a news conference: "He told me that he wanted to stay, but if Real Madrid or Barcelona arrive...

"I feel Hugo is calm. I spoke with him. He will have no problem staying at the club – and neither will I."

Ekitike scored 10 goals and assisted three more in the league last season, contributing a goal involvement every 98 minutes on average.

Attempting only 31 shots, his 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.

As well as Newcastle and Madrid, Ekitike has been linked with Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain.

Mohamed Salah has ended speculation over his future by signing a new long-term contract with Liverpool.

The Egypt forward only had a year remaining on his previous deal with the Reds and could have departed as a free agent after the 2022-23 season.

Liverpool on Friday revealed Salah has agreed to extend his successful stay at Anfield until 2025.

The 30-year-old helped the Reds win the FA Cup and EFL Cup last season, while they also reached the Champions League final and finished second in the Premier League.

He finished level with Son Heung-min as the Premier League's top scorer in the 2021-22 campaign, but his Liverpool future appeared to be in the balance as negotiations over a new deal dragged on.

Salah's decision to remain on Merseyside is a huge boost for Jurgen Klopp’s side after the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich.

He told Liverpool's official website: "I feel great and [I am] excited to win trophies with the club. It’s a happy day for everyone."

Salah scored 31 goals and provided 15 assists in 51 appearances for the Reds last season.

He scored 23 of those goals in the top flight as Liverpool pushed Manchester City all the way in the title race, only missing out on the final day when Pep Guardiola's team came from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa and regain the trophy.

Salah had been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, but his stint with Liverpool is far from over, as he prepares for a sixth season with the Reds, having arrived from Roma in 2017.

Andre Onana has fulfilled a dream after completing his move to Inter.

Inter confirmed the signing of the Cameroon international on Friday, the day after his contract with Ajax – where he has spent the past six years – came to an end.

Last season's Serie A runners-up did not announce the length of Onana's deal, but it is reported to run through until the end of the 2026-27 campaign.

Onana becomes Inter's fourth signing of the window, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Kristjan Asllani and Romelu Lukaku also arriving, the latter two on loan.

"Dreams come true," Onana posted on his official Twitter page. "Super excited to join my new club, Inter.

"I want to thank the president, the whole board of Inter, the coach and my own team for making my dream reality."

Onana, who served a nine-month suspension last year after taking a banned substance, will provide competition for Samir Handanovic at San Siro.

He becomes the fourth Cameroonian to play for Inter after Samuel Eto'o, Daniel Maa Boumsong and Pierre Wome, and their first African goalkeeper.

Mohamed Salah has ended speculation over his future by signing a new long-term contract with Liverpool.

Lyon director Vincent Ponsot says "the club's integrity is more important" than any signing after conceding defeat in his side's pursuit of Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia.

Ligue 1 side Lyon reportedly negotiated a €13million fee for Netherlands international Malacia, plus €2m in add-ons, and had hoped to conclude the deal this week.

However, it has since been reported that Manchester United trumped Lyon with a £14.7m (€17m) offer for the 22-year-old, with an official announcement said to be close. 

Speaking at the unveiling of Corentin Tolisso on Friday, Lyon chief Ponsot suggested his side are no longer in the running for Malacia due to the spiralling cost of the transfer.

"If we don't have the means to recruit, we can't bring in players of that level, generally speaking, whatever their love for Lyon might be," he said.

"So it's not a case of having the means, but I'm going to be very clear: the institution is always stronger than any player.

"Sometimes there are demands – that's how it is in the world of football – that can't be made. 

"It's true that it can sometimes collapse deals, but we want a left-back and we'll find a good left-back.

"I think the president [Jean-Michel Aulas] is happy to be able to sleep soundly at night and not see the police show up in the morning. Likewise for me."

Malacia came through Feyenoord's youth system and played 136 games for the Dutch side, including 50 appearances in all competitions last season.

The 22-year-old, capped five times by his country, is expected to be announced as Erik ten Hag's first signing as United boss in the coming days.

"I can't say everything. It's still not been completed, ask yourself that question," Ponsot said of interest elsewhere in Malacia.

"He still hasn't signed, but for us it's over. Because the club's integrity is more important. We're proud to be working for a club like this."

Corentin Tolisso is hopeful that his move from Bayern Munich to Lyon will help secure him a return to the France fold ahead of the World Cup.

The 27-year-old's return to Lyon, with whom he started his career, was confirmed on Friday following the expiration of his Bayern contract. 

Tolisso spent five trophy-laden campaigns at the Allianz Arena, but he started just 12 matches in all competitions in an injury-plagued 2021-22 campaign.

He did not feature for France at all last season, with the most recent of his 28 senior caps coming at last year's rescheduled Euro 2020.

But after completing a move back to Lyon on a five-year deal, Tolisso is targeting a place in Didier Deschamps' squad in time for Qatar 2022.

"I didn't talk with [Deschamps about the decision. It was a personal one, though I talked a lot about it with my agents and my family," he said at a news conference.

"We said it was the best decision for me. The future will tell if I was right or wrong. Lyon is the right club for me to return to the French team and go to the World Cup.

"I am very proud and happy to be back in Lyon. The project seduced me. It's a good thing for me and my personal goal, which is to play in the World Cup."

Tolisso was a member of France's World Cup-winning squad four years ago and also won five Bundesliga titles and the Champions League during his time in Bavaria.

Injuries, including a cruciate ligament rupture that ruled the midfielder out for the majority of the 2018-19 season, restricted him to 118 games in five years with Bayern.

However, the Lyon youth product feels he learned a lot with the German giants and does not believe his injury issues are any longer a concern.

"I learned on both a human and professional level," he said. "I remember the trophies and how we won them. There are many things to remember. 

"I remember a lot of positive things. Of course, there were not only positive things, but that's also part of life, that's how it is. The negative experiences helped me to grow.

"I have gained more maturity and experience; I have learned a lot at Bayern Munich in these five years. I grew and learnt a new system, a new culture, a new mentality.

"As for the injuries, I passed the medical, which is already a good point. It's true that I had problems.

"I previously said that my worries were more psychological and mental than physical, for reasons I won't necessarily reveal today. 

"A lot of things have been going on in my head over the last year that have influenced the large number of injuries I've had. I did a lot of physical preparation. 

"Now I am ready. I passed some [physical] tests yesterday. It went extremely well so everyone can be reassured about my fitness. There will be no problem."

Marseille have confirmed the exit of Jorge Sampaoli as coach, with the Argentine departing Stade Velodrome just under a year and a half after his arrival.

The 62-year-old succeeded Andre Villas-Boas at the helm of the Ligue 1 outfit last March, and guided them to a second-place finish behind champions Paris Saint-Germain in his only full season in charge.

Yet just weeks after earning Champions League qualification, the former Albiceleste boss is on his way after reportedly growing frustrated with a lack of transfer activity and ambition from the club.

"[We] would like to sincerely and warmly thank the work of Jorge Sampaoli," read an official club statement.

"We are satisfied with the progress made and the emotions experienced together, but following a long reflection, the two parties [...] have agreed to put an end to this stage [of their careers].

Club president Pablo Longoria will now begin a search for a successor to Sampaoli, who leaves with 36 wins from 67 games in charge, and with a season still to run on his contract.

The official start of the new club season brought confirmation of a number of transfers in Serie A – and Andrea Belotti will also soon be on the move.

Striker Belotti, who is out of contract with Torino, was not among those listed on the league website as having secured a new club.

But Torino released a statement early on Friday to confirm the Italy man would be departing, having scored 113 goals in 251 appearances across all competitions in seven years since signing from Palermo.

"Dear Andrea, we take note of your decision to undertake a new experience," the club said. "From today, our paths separate.

"We have lived together seven seasons, which in modern football represents a very strong bond, always sharing with the same passion joys and sufferings, emotions and disappointments.

"We thank you for all that you have given us, proud with the contribution of everyone of what you have become for Il Toro, and we greet you with a big good luck for the continuation of your career."

Belotti becomes a free agent, but one man who had similarly reached the end of his contracts has found a new home at Inter.

Confirmation of a deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the ex-Roma midfielder, had been anticipated. Andre Onana, the Ajax goalkeeper, was also expected to join the Nerazzurri.

Although Inter did not officially announce either signing immediately on Friday, their names appeared on the Serie A list alongside Romelu Lukaku and Kristjan Asllani.

FIFA has confirmed it will utilise semi-automated VAR offside technology at the Qatar 2022 World Cup later this year, says head of refereeing Pierluigi Collina.

The move to introduce further advancements in the VAR process for this year's showpiece tournament has been ongoing over the past few months.

Following trials at the Arab Cup and Club World Cup, the fresh processes – which can cut VAR decision-making from 70 seconds to 25 seconds – is set to be implemented in the Gulf State in November.

Collina, a former World Cup final referee when he took charge of Brazil's win over Germany at Korea/Japan 2002, says the time is now to bring in semi-automated technology, which will further enhance decision-making.

"We are very positive. It is ready," he stated. "I read about robot referees. I understand this is very good for headlines, but it is not the case.

"The match officials are still involved in the decision-making process. The semi-automated technology only gives an answer when a player is in an offside position when they play the ball.

"The assessment of interfering with an opponent and seeing if a handball or foul was committed remains at the discretion of the referee. Our goal is to get referees taking decisions correctly on the field.

"If something wrong should happen, the referee may take advantage of the technology to get a better vision of what happened – but there will still be room for discussion."

Semi-automated technology will make use of in-ball sensors, dedicated multi-tracking camera rigs and 29 rapid data points on players to help calculate exact positions.

The Qatar 2022 World Cup opens on November 21, with Senegal facing the Netherlands and England squaring off with Iran before the hosts play the official opening game against Ecuador.

Corentin Tolisso has returned to Lyon on a five-year deal after leaving Bayern Munich.

The 27-year-old midfielder left Lyon to join Bayern for a fee of €41.5million in 2017 and experienced five successful years with the Bavarian giants.

Tolisso won five Bundesliga titles, lifted the Champions League in 2021 and the DFB-Pokal twice.

A World Cup winner with France in 2018, he also won the Club World Cup and the European Super Cup two years ago.

Tolisso was available as a free agent after his Bayern contract expired and has opted to move back to the club where he started his career.

He told the club's official website: "I'm very happy to come back and be part of the club's new project.

"Lyon is my city, it's where I grew up, where I feel good and I come back with great pleasure.

"I felt a lot of love from the supporters and I can't wait to vibrate with them again at Groupama Stadium."

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas said: "This is a very big day for me. Corentin is a very great player and also a great man. We are continuing ambitious recruitment based on OL DNA"

Tolisso will be reunited with Alexandre Lacazette, who also returned to Lyon after leaving Arsenal.

Paolo Maldini is glad that Milan can now "plan for the future" after confirming he has reached an agreement with the Serie A champions to stay on as technical director.

Club legend Maldini was considered one of the main architects behind Milan's first Scudetto success in 11 years last season thanks to his work behind the scenes.

He has held a boardroom position for the past four years, three of those in his current role, and helped sign the likes of Theo Hernandez, Rafael Leao and Mike Maignan.

The 54-year-old was due to be out of contract come the end of Thursday, but he announced shortly ahead of that deal expiring that he will remain in the job.

"Everything is sorted. We renewed at the last minute, but we did it," Maldini told reporters outside Milan's headquarters.

"I am very happy to be here and ready to plan for the future, with even more victories. There's still time [this transfer window]. We started a bit late, but we'll recover lost time."

Director of football Frederic Massara is also reported to have signed an extension to the contract that was due to expire on Thursday.

According to reports from Italy, the delay in reaching an agreement with the pair was down to the lack of funds being made available for transfers this window.

Milan have already missed out on Sven Botman to Newcastle United, while Paris Saint-Germain appear to have pipped the Rossoneri to fellow Lille player Renato Sanches.

Stefano Pioli's men begin their 2022-23 Serie A campaign with a home match against Udinese on August 13. 

Paris Saint-Germain have completed the signing of midfielder Vitinha from Porto for a reported fee of €40million, marking their first new arrival of the transfer window.

Barring the permanent capture of Nuno Mendes – who spent last season on loan in Paris – Vitinha is the club's first signing of a new era, with Christophe Galtier widely expected to succeed Mauricio Pochettino as head coach.

Luis Campos, the hugely successful former Monaco and Lille sporting director, has already come in to drive PSG's transfer business – including this first buy.

Vitinha has signed a five-year contract at the Parc des Princes.

The 22-year-old Portugal international returned from a disappointing loan spell with Wolves to play a key part in Porto's Primeira Liga triumph last season, scoring two goals and providing three assists as the two-time European champions finished six points ahead of Sporting CP.

PSG are set for a busy window, having already secured Kylian Mbappe to a lucrative new contract, having fended off Real Madrid's long-standing interest in the France forward.

Further signings are expected in the French capital, with the club reported to have serious interest in Inter defender Milan Skriniar and Lille midfielder Renato Sanches.

PSG begin the 2022-23 season in the Trophee des Champions against Nantes in Israel on July 31, before the Ligue 1 campaign commences the following week, with the defending champions on the road against Clermont.

Sven Botman considered Newcastle United "a little better" than Milan as he weighed up his transfer options, settling on a "dream" Premier League move.

Lille defender Botman is expected to complete his move to Newcastle on Friday, with a deal in principle announced earlier this week.

That reported £31.8million (€37m) agreement brought to an end a long-running saga, with the centre-back the subject of interest from both Newcastle and Milan.

Botman discussed the merits of signing for both clubs following a January window in which neither could convince Lille to sell.

Milan initially seemed favourites to finally land their man following the 2021-22 season, but they could not match Newcastle's offer.

And Botman explained to De Telegraaf: "Newcastle's great project and the chance to play in the Premier League were two decisive aspects in making a decision.

"Milan had also given me good feelings, but Newcastle more so; they seemed a little better.

"I've been dreaming of the Premier League all my life and now this dream comes true."

Botman revealed he was concerned after missing out on a January transfer, believing such opportunities "only pass once".

But he was ultimately pleased to stick around, face Chelsea in the Champions League and depart Lille "in the right way", still joining Newcastle.