Bayern Munich were indebted to Matthijs de Ligt's heroics against Paris Saint-Germain and Yann Sommer offered the centre-back a sweet reward for his pivotal Champions League intervention.

Julian Nagelsmann's side recorded a 3-0 aggregate triumph in the last-16 on Wednesday after Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Serge Gnabry secured a 2-0 second-leg triumph at Allianz Arena.

However, PSG should have twice restored parity in the tie in the first half as Alphonso Davies thwarted Lionel Messi from close range before De Ligt cleared off the line with Vitinha firing at an open goal.

The latter chance came from an inexplicable Sommer error as he squandered possession inside his own area and the goalkeeper joked a deserved treat will await for De Ligt's last-ditch efforts.

"I will leave a truck filled with Swiss chocolate on his doorstep!," Sommer said on DAZN, before attempting to explain his error.

"The problem was, I had my solution to pass to [Josip] Stanisic but it was closed, then I had no more solution," he added.

"It was unbelievable what De Ligt was doing there, of course, I'm not happy with [my part] in the scene. 

"It's amazing how he thinks and saves me. If that goes wrong, then this game looks very different."

De Ligt's hooked clearance at full stretch proved the difference as Bayern kept a fourth straight clean sheet in the Champions League, their longest run in the competition without conceding.

While Sommer hailed his centre-back team-mate, Gianluigi Donnarumma was left to rue a "disappointing" performance as PSG were dumped out at the last-16 stage in Europe for a second straight term.

"There's a lot of disappointment in the dressing room," the Italy international told Canal Plus. 

"In the Champions League, the small details make the difference. We could have done better in the first half, we didn't. We're all annoyed and disappointed."

Bayern Munich beat relegation-threatened Stuttgart 2-1 on Saturday to reclaim Bundesliga top spot from Borussia Dortmund on goal difference.

In-form Dortmund defeated RB Leipzig 2-1 on Friday to reach the summit, but Bayern responded well at Mercedes-Benz Arena as they made it four wins in five league outings.

Matthijs de Ligt's 25-yard drive shortly after clearing an effort off the line gave Bayern the lead six minutes before half-time, with the game having been evenly matched until that point.

The visitors added a second through Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the 62nd minute and saw out the victory, despite Juan Jose Perea pulling back a late goal for Stuttgart, boosting confidence ahead of facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Fabian Bredlow produced a sublime save to keep out Leon Goretzka's early header, but Bayern did not look entirely comfortable against Stuttgart's high press and gave away chances.

Goalkeeper Yann Sommer was equal to Silas Katompa Mvumpa's near-post effort and De Ligt was then well positioned to hook Konstantinos Mavropanos' header off the line.

De Ligt was involved at the other end two minutes later as his low shot caught out Bredlow, who reacted late and could not keep the ball out despite getting a hand to it.

Kingsley Coman fired straight at Bredlow early in the second half, but Choupo-Moting slotted home a second for Bayern after being played in by Thomas Muller.

Head coach Julian Nagelsmann introduced substitutes Sadio Mane, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry for the visitors, but it was Stuttgart who scored the next goal through Perea's angled header in the 88th minute, before fellow substitute Tanguy Coulibaly headed inches wide in a major let-off for Bayern.

Kylian Mbappe was desperate to help Paris Saint-Germain as he returned from injury against Bayern Munich, and remains confident of their progress in the Champions League.

Mbappe had been a doubt for Tuesday's last-16 first leg between PSG and Bayern at the Parc des Princes.

However, the World Cup Golden Boot-winning forward was named on the bench and appeared in the second half, introduced shortly after Kingsley Coman had scored the opening goal.

That would prove the decisive strike in a 1-0 Bayern win as Mbappe twice had the ball in the net but was twice denied by offside calls.

Although PSG have now lost three matches in a row in all competitions within a single season for the first time since 2011-12, the late rally that included Mbappe's disallowed goals provided cause for optimism ahead of the return match in Munich next month.

"We have to remember the end," Mbappe told Canal+. "We have a disadvantage, but we have seen that we are able to put them in difficulty. We're going to go there to qualify.

"It was unpredictable, I wasn't supposed to play, but I wanted to help my friends. We worked day and night.

"All our players have to be healthy for the return leg, everyone has to eat well and sleep well. When you have our team and you play attacking football, they are not comfortable."

Mbappe was clearly offside the first time he netted, but it was a marginal decision against Nuno Mendes that saw the second struck off.

"It's the new football, it's VAR," Mbappe added. "If it was offside, it's like that.

"From what I've seen, there's room [to be optimistic] for the return leg."

Mbappe should be available from the start for the second leg on March 8, and Bayern defender Matthijs de Ligt told BT Sport: "You saw in the last 30 minutes. When he [Mbappe] comes in, it's a different team.

"We have to be really concentrated in the second leg."

Julian Nagelsmann expects to be without Sadio Mane for the first leg of Bayern Munich's Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain but says there is a chance he could feature in the second.

Mane was ruled out of the World Cup in Qatar after suffering a fibula injury in November.

The Senegal forward, who joined Bundesliga champions Bayern from Liverpool last June, underwent surgery and is on the road to recovery.

Bayern head coach Nagelsmann does not envisage Mane playing a part in the clash against PSG at the Parc des Princes on February 14.

However, if Mane does not suffer any setbacks, Nagelsmann hopes he may be able to call upon the 30-year-old for the showdown with the Ligue 1 champions at the Allianz Arena on March 8.

Nagelsmann said during a press conference in Doha on Thursday: "He's [Mane] an important player. If everything goes well, then it could be the case that he returns in time for PSG.

"We will see how he reacts to the workload. Personally, I'm not yet considering him for the first leg."

Bayern will face Salzburg on Friday in a friendly before resuming the Bundesliga season with a trip to RB Leipzig next Friday.

Matthijs de Ligt will not face the Austrian side due to an ankle injury, but new signing Daley Blind will be included after joining the Bavarian giants following his release by Ajax.

Nagelsmann said of the Netherlands full-back: "He will play tomorrow. He still needs some time, because the intensity in training is a bit higher.

"You can tell that he has a lot of experience and he looks confident on the ball. He will be the player that we imagined he'd be."

Matthijs de Ligt is hoping Bayern Munich land their goalkeeper target as they chase Yann Sommer to plug the gap left by injured captain Manuel Neuer.

Defender De Ligt said it "would be nice" to have a new number one in place as 10-in-a-row German champions Bayern prepare for a fresh trophy push in the second half of the season.

Neuer's broken leg, which he suffered during a skiing accident, has thrown a curveball Bayern's way, with the club unexpectedly having to consider the goalkeeping position.

Swiss shot-stopper Sommer, 34, is out of contract at the end of June. He has keen admirers at Bayern, but Borussia Monchengladbach sporting director Roland Virkus indicated his club were not willing to negotiate a sale.

Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann hinted that was perhaps posturing on Gladbach's behalf, and three weeks remain in the transfer window to get a deal done.

Asked about the Sommer situation, De Ligt said on Tuesday: "It's difficult for me to say. Manuel is now out for half a year, and of course that's not good for the club.

"But it's not my job to say which goalkeeper we should buy. It would be nice to have a new goalkeeper on the pitch, but I can't influence that."

Bayern have Neuer's understudy Sven Ulreich as an option, but they look certain to bring in a goalkeeper before the window closes, whether that is Sommer or not.

Away with Bayern this week at a Doha training camp, De Ligt is delighted Bayern have brought in his Netherlands team-mate Daley Blind, following the defender's release by Ajax.

Blind arrived on a free transfer last week, in a surprise move that De Ligt is convinced can prove a shrewd piece of business for the Bundesliga leaders.

The 32-year-old Blind played at the World Cup for his country, and De Ligt said: "He's a very good player. With his experience, he can have very good games for us and help us."

Matthijs de Ligt has no issues with being left out of Louis van Gaal's starting line-up for the Netherlands' past three games as he "expected to play nothing" at this World Cup.

De Ligt came on as a 93rd-minute substitute in the Netherlands' 3-1 win over the United States in Saturday's last-16 encounter.

That marked the 23-year-old's first appearance for the Oranje since starting in their World Cup opener, the 2-0 win over Senegal, having been demoted to the bench by Van Gaal for the ensuing three games.

"It's not so frustrating, honestly," De Ligt told The Athletic. "Every player wants to play but we are a group of 26 players.

"Honestly, I have played more than I expected to play at this World Cup. I expected to play nothing. I'm quite okay. We won together and we are in a quarter-final."

The defender, who has established himself at Bayern Munich since his off-season switch from Juventus, has seen Ajax 21-year-old Jurrien Timber take his place alongside Nathan Ake and Virgil van Dijk in Van Gaal's back three.

"No, it's just the way of playing," De Ligt replied when asked if injury was behind his non-selection. "Maybe the coach doesn't put me in the team and I am okay with that. I expected it.

"So for me it's fine. I know my role and I train hard every day to be important for the team."

Meanwhile, Van Dijk backed 23-year-old Netherlands team-mate Cody Gakpo to take the next step in his career.

Gakpo, who scored in all three of the Dutch's World Cup group-stage wins, has been linked with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

"Are Manchester United and Real Madrid the same level at this moment? No disrespect, not at all," Liverpool defender Van Dijk told The Athletic.

"I think he definitely has a next step in him. I definitely feel like it could happen. Whether it happens in the winter or next year, time will tell.

"But he's a great boy. Works hard, is very talented and there's definitely more in him. We are very pleased he's doing so well and long may it continue."

Gakpo would not be drawn on his future after the win over USA, while United defender Tyrell Malacia backed him to step up should an opportunity arise.

"He's good enough for the top, there's no doubt," Malacia said.

Manuel Neuer and Lucas Hernandez were back in Bayern Munich training on Monday, with their respective hopes of being fit for the World Cup seemingly receiving a boost.

Bayern captain Neuer had been struggling with a shoulder injury that forced him to miss six games, but he returned to goalkeeper training ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash with Inter.

As recently as last week Nagelsmann did not want to commit to Neuer being ready to feature for Germany at the World Cup, saying he is not a "mystic".

But he appears hopeful of being able to call upon the 36-year-old away to Hertha Berlin on Saturday.

"We hope he'll be available again for the weekend. He came through training well and didn't show any reaction. But we'll have to wait and see," Nagelsmann told reporters.

Tuesday's game will also come too soon for Hernandez, not that the match has much riding on it – Bayern and Inter are already confirmed as Group C winners and runners-up respectively.

However, the France international is close to a return to action after suffering an adductor tear in September, with Monday seeing him take part in full team training.

Thomas Muller remains sidelined for the time being as well.

The Germany attacker has struggled lately with a hip issue, and Nagelsmann accepts he may not even be available to face Hertha.

"We'll reduce Thomas's workload this week and see how things are for the weekend," Nagelsmann said.

"But I'm leaning more towards him not being back at the weekend."

Matthijs de Ligt is a new name to be added to the injury list for Tuesday with a minor knee injury, leaving Nagelsmann's squad down to its bare bones as they look to end the group stage with maximum points.

"We will have to rotate a bit because we have some injured players who shouldn't play more than 45 minutes," he added.

"Nevertheless, we want to win the game. Anyone can show themselves. It's still a Champions League game and 18 points would be nice."

However, Nagelsmann suggested he will not give chances to youngsters who do not deserve an opportunity as he bemoaned the Under-19s' Youth League elimination after winning none of their first five group games.

"We'll take everyone but we'll see [on Tuesday] whether [youngsters] get chances," he continued.

"In general, I'm a friend of the fact that you have to earn success. You have to develop your genes, which is particularly important for young players at FC Bayern Munich.

"Success is part of a good education. You're doomed to win here at the club, so it's a shame we were eliminated so early in the Youth League.

"At FC Bayern, you always have to be the best in the youth teams so that the step-up to the pros isn't so big."

Former Juventus coach Fabio Capello thinks the Bianconeri enjoyed the best transfer window of any Serie A club, but still believes they are not favourites to lift the Scudetto.

Juventus have claimed two wins and three draws during a solid if unspectacular start to the new season, and have faced criticism for their ponderous style of play under Massimiliano Allegri.

Their underwhelming performances have come in the aftermath of a window in which the Turin giants acquired Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Gleison Bremer, Filip Kostic and Leandro Paredes.

Capello was impressed by their recruitment, particularly with the decision to replace Matthijs de Ligt with Bremer, but does not believe they will win their first title since 2019-20 this season.

Speaking to SportWeek, Capello said: "Looking at the names, Juventus were the winners. 

"They had a top summer with Di Maria, Pogba, Paredes, all champions that other teams don't have. Bremer is better than de Ligt on a defensive level. 

"Juve have invested in quality, catching up with Inter and Milan. Without the new players they're already among the top teams, while the others lost players."

However, when asked for his title favourites, Capello added: "It's still Inter, even though they lost [Ivan] Perisic and have [Romelu] Lukaku injured. The Belgian is the market coup of the summer. 

"Milan made an important effort for [Charles] De Ketelaere, whom I confess I don't know. 

"Napoli have replaced the departing players with good alternatives. Lazio will also be one to watch."

Juventus spent an estimated €105million during the transfer window, more than any other club in the Italian top-flight.

However, they have been beset by injury troubles in recent weeks, with a knee injury threatening to rule Pogba out of the upcoming World Cup and a thigh problem continuing to plague Di Maria.

Bayern Munich new boy Matthijs de Ligt is quickly adapting to life in Germany, as he hailed the mentality of the Bundesliga giants.

De Ligt, signed from Juventus in a €67million transfer prior to the season, started on Wednesday as Bayern went on to thrash lower-league Viktoria Koln 5-0.

Maiden Bayern goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Mathys Tel gave Julian Nagelsmann's team a 2-0 lead, before second-half strikes from Sadio Mane, Jamal Musiala and Leon Goretzka finished the rout.

And De Ligt believes a defining characteristic he has noticed since arriving in Munich is Bayern's ability to maintain focus in matches they could comfortably cruise through.

"Every game is difficult, even if you play against Viktoria Koln today with a lot of fans here," he said.

"It's always difficult, you have to be concentrated every minute, because you know if you're not concentrated you can get a goal against.

"You feel immediately when you come here – it was the same with Ajax and Juventus – you feel that they want to win, and they want to win big.

"They want to be concentrated at every second, and that for me is really important, and can make me a better player."

When asked why he believes Bayern's new recruits have hit the ground running, De Ligt said: "Yeah, because I think we have a lot of good players, and it's really clear for everybody, also the new guys, how to play. 

"You see the new guys today – Mathys scored a goal, I think Ryan made a goal, and Sadio has already scored a lot of goals.

"I think we're all adapting well, and obviously the help of the team-mates is really important."

Matthijs de Ligt hailed Bayern Munich for their "unbelievable" performance against Bochum but admitted he wants to be playing more for the team.

The Netherlands international started for the first time in Bayern's dominant 7-0 win on the road, opening his account for the club with Bayern's second goal.

Signed from Juventus, De Ligt came off the bench in the German Super Cup victory against RB Leipzig and in the opening Bundesliga game of the season, with early opportunities limited as he entered the weekend with just eight minutes of league football.

De Ligt got his chance on Sunday and capped off his display with a goal in Bayern's rout, before later making it clear he wants to be starting more games – though he acknowledged the fierce competition he faces.

"It's unbelievable, we scored five goals in the first half. It was important that we kept our focus throughout the game," he said. "I'm very happy to have scored my first goal. We need to carry on this way.

"Of course every player always wants to play. But I understood the situation. I came here as a new player from Juventus and [Dayot] Upamecano and [Theo] Hernandez played well. But of course I want to play."

Julian Nagelsmann was pleased by the performance of his new defensive acquisition and praised the display of the back-line, who have conceded just once in the opening three fixtures.

"[De Ligt] got the news early that he was going to play. With the injury on his hand, it was difficult for him but he played well," Nagelsmann said.

"In the first half, two or three times he left his position a bit too early, so there was a chance for Bochum – he pulled away a bit too easy sometimes.

"Overall, he played well. It's always great for a defence, who were criticised last year, to finish a game without any goals against, a clean sheet.

"I think our defensive midfield was very strong today as well. Sometimes last year, we played a little bit too much, were a little bit too complicated. We're happy that we had a clean sheet."

Bayern Munich maintained their 100 per cent start to the Bundesliga season after sweeping aside 7-0 Bochum on Sunday, scoring at least six goals for the second away match in a row.

The defending champions were ruthless in the first half with Leroy Sane, Matthijs de Ligt, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane striking to put the visitors in control.

Mane struck again from the spot in the second half, with substitute Serge Gnabry also getting in on the act after Christian Gamboa had put the ball into his own net.

Bayern wasted no time in breaking the deadlock, Sane and Coman combining in a fine passing move before the former curled past Manuel Riemann with just four minutes on the clock.

Some shaky defending provided encouragement for Bochum but the lead was doubled by De Ligt, heading home Joshua Kimmich's corner after Riemann misjudged the delivery.

Further mistakes from the hosts compounded their misery, Gamboa's header back at goal pounced upon by Thomas Muller and Coman tucking home the rebound after Riemann's save.

Mane saw an effort chalked off for handball but it mattered little as the former Liverpool star made sure immediately after, latching onto Coman's pass and cutting back before striking home.

Bayern added further gloss to the score after the break, Mane smashing home from the spot after Coman won a penalty – taking his tally for the season to three goals in three games.

Things soon got worse, Gnabry's pass poked beyond his own keeper by Gamboa before the Germany international smashed home off the post to take the tally to seven.

Matthijs de Ligt insists he did not "attack" Juventus when pointing out the club had underperformed, although he feels he will be better suited to playing for Bayern Munich.

De Ligt left Juve for Bayern ahead of the 2022-23 season, having widely been seen as failing to fulfil his potential in three years in Turin.

The Netherlands centre-back was outstanding in Ajax's run to the 2018-19 Champions League semi-finals, earning a move to Juve, where he faced a battle for his place.

De Ligt started fewer than 30 Serie A matches in each of his three seasons with the Bianconeri.

There was some backlash then when De Ligt, discussing the possibility of a transfer in June, criticised Juve's back-to-back fourth-placed finishes.

Speaking to De Telegraaf on Saturday, De Ligt explained: "In an interview with NOS in June, I said that – as the club itself thinks – to be fourth tw‪ice in a row with Juventus is not good enough.

"That was not an attack on Juventus. Not at all, because I will always have the utmost respect for this club.

"For me, it was just a fact that no one could be satisfied, that the bar had to be raised, including for me. Maybe it came across incorrectly."

De Ligt added he would "never forget" the help he received from his Juve team-mates in his "development as a footballer and as a person".

However, he likened the style of play in Serie A to chess, saying it is "much more tactical".

Now, De Ligt believes both he and Louis van Gaal's Netherlands team can benefit from his move to Bayern, where the approach is more in line with that he learned at Ajax.

"I am very happy that I was able to experience that [at Juve], that I was able to play that way, because I have learned a lot," he said.

"The reason for going to Juventus was also to become a better defender, even though there were differences with the Dutch national team.

"At Juventus, I often had to stay in the position, while at certain times I was required to go [forward] with the Oranje.

"At Bayern, I want to get my Ajax game back again.

"[Bayern coach Julian] Nagelsmann's playing style is much closer to what Louis van Gaal asks of his defenders: defending high, putting high pressure, connecting well and playing forward a lot.

"I think it's a move that can be good for the Dutch national team and my chances, but I did discuss the transfer with [Van Gaal]. He said he had a great time here."

The 2022-23 season is right around the corner, with plenty to keep an eye on across Europe.

Title battles in England, Spain and Italy could be too close to call, while France and Germany will see rivals trying to knock Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich off their respective perches – while there is even more set to occur in the fight for European qualification and to avoid the drop.

Central to these battles will be the players, both new signings and established members of the old guard, and here are 10 to watch in the year ahead.

Ousmane Dembele – Barcelona

Previously considered to be one of the biggest pieces of evidence on Barcelona's transfer failings in recent years, Dembele turned a corner in the second half of last season to finish the campaign as one of Xavi's most important players.

Dembele finished with 13 assists in LaLiga last term, the most in the competition, 11 of which came in the final 15 games of the season – with the tally being more in that run from February than he accumulated across all competitions combined in the previous two seasons.

Handed a fresh new contract, all eyes will be on Dembele to see whether he is back to his best or whether the former Borussia Dortmund winger, who now has Raphinha for competition, merely had a purple patch.

Matthijs de Ligt – Bayern Munich

It has now been three years since De Ligt shone with the Ajax side that reached the Champions League semi-finals, where his performances made him one of the most coveted players in world football.

Stability was never quite found at Juventus, however, with shoulder injuries hampering his progress and the defender himself admitting the style was a "bit different" in Turin to what he experienced with Ajax.

Now at Bayern, De Ligt will look to return to the heights he was once at and is expected to form an exciting partnership with Dayot Upamecano.

Rafael Leao – Milan

In Milan's title-winning campaign last term, Leao was the team's joint-leading scorer in Serie A with 11 goals, alongside Olivier Giroud, but that was way off the pace in the overall charts as 15 players found the net more times.

Milan's total tally for goals in 2021-22 was 69, less than three of their rivals in the top five, and pressure is on Stefano Pioli's side to improve that return – with the signing of Divock Origi showing the desire to improve their return in the final third, with rivals Inter having strengthened by bringing Romelu Lukaku back to San Siro on loan.

It may all fall upon Leao, however, with the 23-year-old needing to show consistency in order to prove a significant venture into the market next year to replace veterans Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not required.

Djed Spence – Tottenham

Middlesbrough will likely wonder what might had been if they retained Spence's services, having loaned him to Championship rivals Nottingham Forest and seeing him play a key part in their promotion back to the big time.

From September, the only two games Spence missed during Forest's league campaign were the two clashes with his parent club and his displays, including those in the FA Cup against the likes of Arsenal, made him hot property.

Spurs ultimately signed the England U21 international, who could be a contender to break into Gareth Southgate's World Cup squad if he quickly finds his feet in north London. He is a right-back, after all...

Darwin Nunez – Liverpool

Liverpool's prowess in the transfer market is facing its biggest test under Jurgen Klopp, who is looking to rejuvenate what has been a brilliant attacking trio with Sadio Mane moving on and Roberto Firmino's future uncertain.

Having signed Luis Diaz in January, the Reds raided a Portuguese giant again – this time Benfica – for Nunez.

Nunez scored six Champions League goals in the 2021-22 season and plundered a further 26 in the league, averaging a goal every 76 minutes. Nunez certainly has the capability to fill Klopp's Mane-shaped void, even if his style is slightly different to the Senegal attacker.

Matteo Guendouzi – Marseille

Swiftly breaking onto the scene at Arsenal but just as quickly earning himself a bad-boy reputation, Guendouzi flourished in his loan spell with Marseille last season and has now made the switch permanent.

The France international featured in every game for Marseille in the 2021-22 season, starting in 35 of his 38 Ligue 1 appearances, and forced his way back into contention to make Didier Deschamps' squad on a regular basis ahead of Les Bleus' World Cup defence in Qatar.

Guendouzi's growing maturity saw him captain Marseille in a 2-0 defeat against Lille last season and the forthcoming campaign may continue his redemption arc.

Adam Hlozek – Bayer Leverkusen

A name that will be familiar to Football Manager enthusiasts, Hlozek has earned his big move to one of Europe's top leagues after leaving Sparta Prague in his homeland for Bayer Leverkusen and the challenges of the Bundesliga.

Capable of playing across the front line, Hlozek heads to Germany with a stellar record of 29 goals and 30 assists in 91 league appearances in the top-tier in the Czech Republic.

Add in the 24 goals that compatriot Patrik Schick netted for Leverkusen last season along with the creativity of Florian Wirtz from midfield and the result is one that could be extremely exciting.

Vinicius Junior – Real Madrid

A formidable season for Vinicius saw the Brazilian net 17 goals and contribute 10 assists during Real Madrid's La Liga title-winning campaign, only being outscored by team-mate Karim Benzema in the league.

Benzema, who was one of only two players to get more assists than Vinicius last season, is now in the twilight years of his career and will soon surely hand the mantle to the next star forward at the Santiago Bernabeu – with Vinicius near-certain to be that man now Kylian Mbappe has decided to remain in Paris for the time being.

In a World Cup year, Vinicius could enjoy a campaign that sees him take the leading man tag for both club and country come the end of the season.

Hugo Ekitike – Paris Saint-Germain

Arriving into an attacking that already boasts Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi, it remains to be seen just how much football 20-year-old Hugo Ekitike will manage to play for Christophe Galtier's side.

Moving initially on loan, Ekitike, who was also a target for Newcastle United, is certainly one for the future.

With 10 goals and four assists for Reims last term, Ekitike has shown his prowess in the final third and could be a valuable asset in the hunt to end the elusive wait for a Champions League crown.

Samuele Ricci – Torino

Long touted as the next star in Italy's midfield, Samuele Ricci has moved on from Empoli but, to the surprise of some, did not take the leap to one of Serie A's big guns and instead continued his development by joining Torino in January.

Ricci featured 13 times for Torino, including nine starts in what was a stellar breakout year in Italy's top tier, with the 20-year-old having previously been crowned Serie B's best player in the 2020-21 season.

Breaking into Italy's squad in 2022, Ricci's meteoric rise should continue, and he may find himself coveted by some of the biggest clubs across Europe.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Dietmar Hamann has admitted he's "cautious" about the club's deal to sign Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus.

The 22-year-old has swapped Turin for the German capital ahead of the 2022-23 season, following what was a difficult three-year stint in Italy.

De Ligt struggled to establish himself as a core member of Juventus' defence and, as a result, saw his stock fall dramatically after previously being widely considered to be one of the best defensive prospects in world football.

Bayern will hope that he can fulfil that potential in Bavaria but Hamann has urged caution about expecting too much from the Netherlands international.

"The big question will be whether De Ligt is able to lead the defence," he told Sky, "He did a wonderful job in Amsterdam. He didn't make it in Turin. 

"Of course, it was a bigger club, bigger competition and he had very experienced players next to him.

"And I don't know if he's the player who comes here now at 22 and immediately leads a defence that was Champions League winners two years ago.

"He may have two world champions next to him in Pavard and Hernandez. That all sounds wonderful. Whether this can then be implemented in practice remains to be seen."

De Ligt is not the only member of Ajax's 2018-19 Champions League semi-final side that has found difficulties since moving to new teams, with Donny Van de Beek at Manchester United and Hakim Ziyech at Chelsea struggling for regular opportunities – which Hamann pointed out.

"All the players who left the very successful Ajax team three years ago were all at best followers of their new clubs," he added.

"And that's why he still owes the proof that he can lead a defence like that of Bayern Munich. I would be a bit cautious."

Leonardo Bonnuci feels Matthijs de Ligt's comments on his desire to depart Juventus showed a lack of respect to the Bianconeri, after the latter completed his move to Bayern Munich.

The Netherlands international sealed his switch to the Bundesliga champions from Turin earlier this month, ending his three-year stint at the Allianz Stadium.

De Ligt made no secret of his desire to move away from Juve, particularly after missing out on the Scudetto in each of the last two seasons.

But while Bonucci wishes his former defensive partner the best, he admits he had to address some of his words before he departed.

"De Ligt’s exit didn’t surprise me because certain comments made it clear he didn’t want to stay at Juventus," the Italy international stated after the Bianconeri beat Guadalajara 2-0 in a pre-season friendly in Las Vegas.

"But I think at the end of the day, you need to be respectful. The group he was with for three years helped him grow, and the club invested in him.

"I wish him the best, but certain comments he made on international duty were not very nice. We spoke about it after our holidays, and he understood.

"Bayern are a great club, but just being at a top club doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win."

Bonucci, meanwhile, has not given up hope of completing his club trophy cabinet.with Juventus, despite their recent drop in form.

A multiple Serie A and Coppa Italia winner during his time in Turin - along with a Euro 2020 triumph with the Azzurri - the Champions League remains the last major club honour to elude him, having been a beaten finalist on two occasions.

"When I joined, my dream was to have a great career and win everything," he added. "I’ve almost achieved it; I’m 90 per cent there. I’m just missing that tiny piece, which hurts us Juve fans.

"Let’s hope that over the next two years of my contract we can find stability in Europe again. Winning is always difficult. The first step is to reach the quarter-finals, then you need luck.

"In a season so unique, anything can happen, so why not believe in Juve’s future in Europe?"