Cristiano Ronaldo helped Karim Benzema "on and off the pitch" while at Real Madrid, but Los Blancos' current talisman knew he could do more when his former team-mate departed.

Ronaldo is Madrid's all-time leading goalscorer, having netted 450 times in all competitions between 2009 and 2018, when he joined Juventus.

Benzema has since picked up the mantle, however, scoring a remarkable 131 goals in the past four seasons. While Ronaldo's Manchester United future is in doubt, his old strike partner is thriving.

Of players in Europe's top five leagues last term, only Robert Lewandowski (50) – who will go up against Benzema in LaLiga after his switch from Bayern Munich to Barcelona – scored more goals in all competitions than the France forward, who averaged a goal every 88 minutes.

Asked ahead of the Super Cup clash with Eintracht Frankfurt whether Ronaldo's exit had directly benefited his own form, Benzema told a news conference: "It's true I've scored more goals but when Cristiano was here we had a different style, I provided more assists and he helped me on and off the pitch.

"I knew I could do more [at the time] and when he left it was the time to change my game and ambitions, I'm doing that at the moment."

Benzema's form has seen him emerge as a favourite to win this year's Ballon d'Or, a bid only strengthened by Madrid's success in LaLiga and the Champions League last campaign.

But the striker is simply focused on his team's exploits, adding: "I'm not like that in terms of whether I'm the best or not, I always give my all for this club, the best club in the world.

"I have to give more and more every year, it's true I had a very good season, but other people can comment on if I'm the best in the world. I'm focused on helping my team in matches, that's all I can say.

"I'm not thinking about [the Ballon d'Or], there's trophies to win every year, that's very important. I always stress the importance of success for the team that leads to individual success."

For Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, there is little doubt that he has the best forward in world football at his disposal.

Asked if Madrid, who wanted to sign Kylian Mbappe before Benzema's compatriot signed a new deal with Paris Saint-Germain, needed to bring in a back-up striker before the transfer window closes, Ancelotti replied: "We have strikers, plenty of them. Benzema, Mariano [Diaz], [Eden] Hazard, Rodrygo, Vinicius [Junior], have I forgotten any?

"When you're missing the best striker in the world, there are alternatives, but it's impossible to replace Benzema, no player in the world can replace Karim. If anything happens, we will adapt."

Georginio Wijnaldum has revealed former Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah was among those who advised him to join Jose Mourinho's Roma.

Having left Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer last year, Wijnaldum headed to Roma on a season-long loan deal last week.

Wijnaldum lifted the Champions League and Premier League trophies during a successful five-year spell at Anfield, but his impact was limited during a frustrating 2021-22 campaign in the French capital.

While the Netherlands international made 38 appearances in all competitions for PSG last season, fellow midfielders Danilo Pereira (2,623), Marco Verratti (2,621) and Idrissa Gueye (2,043) all played more than his total of 1,992 minutes for the Ligue 1 winners.

After becoming the latest arrival of a busy transfer window at the Stadio Olimpico, Wijnaldum said former Giallorossi winger Salah, alongside Kevin Strootman and PSG wing-back Achraf Hakimi, encouraged him to move to Italy.  

"First of all, I wanted to come because of the effort the club put in to sign me as a player," Wijnaldum told a news conference on Tuesday. 

"Also, I spoke with Mo Salah and Kevin Strootman about Roma, about the club and the city, and I only heard good stories about it. 

"I even spoke with Achraf Hakimi about it, even though he played at Inter Milan, he said [Roma] was a beautiful club and a beautiful place and I would be happy here. So that convinced me a lot.

"I know the club, we played them twice when I was at Liverpool [in the Champions League in 2018], and the atmosphere at the Olimpico was amazing – so I knew that I would be playing for a club with a great atmosphere and beautiful supporters.

"But that was basically the only thing I knew, so I asked for some advice from Mo and Strootman and they had good stories." 

Wijnaldum has joined the likes of Nemanja Matic and Paulo Dybala in signing for Roma ahead of the new Serie A campaign, and added the influence of Mourinho was another factor in his decision to head to Italy.

"When I arrived, we spoke more about football things. I think his record as a manager speaks for itself," the midfielder said of the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss.

"The things he did in football, the prizes he won and the clubs he managed, it's unbelievable. 

"I think every player wants to work with him and I am the same. From the moment I spoke to him, I told myself I really wanted to join the club – but that was the case even before.

"I think the thing that convinced me the most was the amount of effort the club, through Mr [director of football, Tiago] Pinto and the manager, put in to sign me. At that moment I felt really wanted and appreciated by the club and that helped me make the decision."

Timo Werner has rejoined RB Leipzig from Chelsea on a four-year contract.

The Germany forward failed to live up to expectations since moving from Leipzig to Stamford Bridge for a fee of £47.5million (€50m) two years ago.

Although reports suggested his return would initially be on loan with an option to buy, the Bundesliga club have instead secured him on a contract that expires in 2026.

The 26-year-old scored just 10 Premier League goals in 56 appearances for the Blues, having arrived at the club with 95 goals for Leipzig between 2016 and 2020 to his name – that remains a club record.

Werner was not included in Thomas Tuchel's squad for Chelsea's 1-0 win over Everton in their first game of the Premier League season, and he said farewell to the club in a social media post on Tuesday.

Werner wrote: "Dear Blues, today marks the end of my journey with Chelsea FC.

"I am incredibly grateful for the time I spent at this special club. At this point I would like to express my appreciation for my teammates, the coaches and staff, and especially for you, the special supporters of Chelsea Football Club.

"I felt so much love and support throughout the last two years and I will never forget how you guys stood behind me in good and in challenging times!

"We lifted trophies like the Champions League together and I will always remember the song you wrote and chanted for me. I'm already looking forward to hopefully playing at Stamford Bridge again one day! See you soon, Timo."

Soon after, Leipzig confirmed the transfer had been completed.

Their statement read: "Timo is back – and is now snapping again for RB Leipzig!

"Our record goalscorer (95 goals) is returning to the Bundesliga after two years in the English Premier League with Chelsea and is again hunting for goals for the Red Bulls.

"The attacker has signed a four-year contract until 2026."

Despite Werner's failure to live up to the hype after his £47.5m (€50m) switch to Stamford Bridge two years ago, his tally of 23 goals in all competitions since he joined Chelsea is the joint-highest in the Blues' squad, alongside Kai Havertz, who also arrived from the Bundesliga in 2020.

With 17 assists, Werner has directly contributed to 40 goals in his 89 appearances, putting him behind only Mason Mount (46 goal involvements in 108 games).

Only Mount has had more shots than Werner (191) in the last two seasons for Chelsea, though the former Stuttgart star converted just 12 per cent of those efforts while missing 32 big chances (defined by Opta as an opportunity from which a player would be reasonably expected to score), showing his profligacy in front of goal.

Werner scored 28 Bundesliga goals in his last season with Leipzig, outperforming his expected goals (xG) of 21.

Oliver Glasner is disappointed to see Filip Kostic leave Eintracht Frankfurt, but is happy that the Juventus-bound winger will leave the club a hero.

Kostic looks set to have played his last match for Frankfurt, with the versatile winger having been left out of the Bundesliga side's squad to face Real Madrid in the Super Cup on Wednesday.

Since he signed for Frankfurt from Hamburg in 2018, Kostic has played more games (167) and started more matches (161) than any other player for the club in all competitions.

His 30 goals trails only Andre Silva (45) and Luka Jovic (31), while he is way clear in terms of assists (56) and chances created (420), with 269 of them coming from open play.

Indeed, Kostic's tally of 1,702 passes played into the opposition's box, including crosses, is almost 1,300 more than second-best Daichi Kamada.

Glasner knows Kostic, who has excelled as a wing-back, will be a huge miss as he explained why he feels the move is bittersweet.

"Today it's as if I'm laughing and crying," Glasner told a news conference at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium. "Filip left his mark on our attack, it's never nice to lose such a player.

"It definitely weakens us, but I also have this laugh, thinking about how the season started last year with Filip when he went on strike and didn't want to play.

"I had a lot of conversations with him about playing 100 per cent for the team. I asked him that when he left Frankfurt, to please leave as a hero, and now he's leaving as a hero, he was the player of the year and he won the Europa League. I'm really happy for him, but yes it's sad [that he is leaving]."

Glasner acknowledged he was surprised at how swiftly Kostic's move, which has been speculated on for weeks, transpired between Frankfurt's 6-1 defeat to Bayern Munich on Saturday and Wednesday's encounter with Champions League winners Madrid.

As such, he suggested Frankfurt's system will not change for upcoming games, but that it may be open to tweaks over the coming weeks.

"[On Monday] it became more and more clear that Filip could leave. You won't see a big system change [against Madrid] but it is possible we change things in the next weeks or months, that is the job of the coach, to find the best system," he added.

"I didn't maybe expect it to be so quick. I had a feeling, even after the Bayern match, that he would play. Well, this dream was broken.

"But every time someone leaves it's an opportunity and I prefer to see the opportunities, not what is missing. It will be an opportunity for other players. It's not like it's a complete shock, the club is prepared and the transfer window is still open."

Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp echoed Glasner's sentiment, but was confident his team-mates have not been shaken by Kostic's departure.

Trapp said: "The topic of Filip, we've had it every year at the beginning of the season. It's sad, Filip did something historic for the club, did a lot with the club, he's leaving as a hero who was a big part of this achievement.

"But it's part of football, part of businesses. We have a team capable of showing good performances without Filip, but it's nothing that shocked us or has shaken us after the speculation of the last weeks. It's a departure that hurts but nothing that will shake us too much."

Isco is determined to prove he is still capable of performing at an elite level after ending his spell in the Real Madrid wilderness by joining Sevilla.

The midfielder, a five-time Champions League winner who made 353 appearances during a nine-year spell with Los Blancos, fell out of favour following Carlo Ancelotti's return to the Santiago Bernabeu last year.

He left the Spanish capital following the expiration of his contract in June, having made just three starts during Madrid's double-winning 2021-22 campaign, playing just 406 minutes in all competitions.

Sevilla swooped to sign the 30-year-old on a free transfer on Monday, and Isco hopes the move will revitalise his career.

"I want to show the level that I have and that I have never lost. It's normal for there to be doubts, but I'll take care of dispelling them," he told the club's media channels after signing a two-year deal.

"It has been a difficult summer, different. I've had too many vacations, I've taken advantage of them to get in shape and now I can't wait to play again, which I haven't done for a while.

"I'm not complaining, I've been lucky because I've played for big clubs and I've won almost everything, but I don't like to think too much about the past but about what's to come."

Isco's arrival in Seville will see him reunited with a familiar face in Julen Lopetegui, who coached him at Madrid in 2018 and during a spell as Spain boss between 2016 and 2018. 

And the playmaker is excited to work with him at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, adding: "He has always trusted me and I like his football, what he proposes. It is a football that is more suitable for my style.

"I thank him for his confidence, which for a footballer is paramount. The confidence he has given me, it has always been the maximum. Now it's up to me to restore his confidence on the pitch and show him that he's not wrong."

Isco could make his Sevilla debut when they begin their LaLiga campaign at Osasuna on Friday. 

Everton have completed the signing of midfielder Amadou Onana from Lille.

Onana, who joined Lille from Hamburg in 2021 and made 43 appearances for the Ligue 1 side last season, has signed a five-year contract with the Toffees.

Frank Lampard has been eager to reinforce his midfield ranks, and Onana represents something of a coup for a club that finished 16th in the Premier League last term.

The 20-year-old Belgium international, who only made 15 starts for Lille, looked set to join West Ham, but Everton reportedly matched the Hammers' offer, agreeing a fee of £25.3million (€30m) with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £33.7m (€40m).

After sealing his move, Onana told the club's website his desire to learn from Lampard was a key factor in enticing him to Goodison Park. 

"It feels great to join Everton. I know it's a big, big club, one of the biggest in England. It's something I want to be part of for many years," he said. 

"Everyone here showed they really wanted me and they have a plan for me, so I really appreciated the talks I had with the manager and director of football [Kevin Thelwell]. They told me how they wanted me to play and I enjoyed it. 

"They both have a lot of ambition and that's the type of guy I am, so it matches. 

"The manager was one of the big reasons. He played at the highest level, won many things and was a midfielder, too. It means a lot to have interest from him and I think he can teach me many things."

Onana, who was in attendance as Everton lost 1-0 to Chelsea on Saturday in their Premier League opener, is set to be one of two midfield signings, with Idrissa Gueye on the verge of rejoining from Paris Saint-Germain.

Gueye was sold to PSG in 2019, having signed for Everton from Aston Villa in 2016.

Lampard, who brought in James Tarkowski, Dwight McNeil and Ruben Vinagre in July, is also keen to bolster Everton's attacking options, with striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin set to miss at least six weeks with a knee injury sustained in training, while Richarlison was sold to Tottenham in June for a reported £50m, with add-ons taking that fee to £60m.

The Toffees have also signed Wolves defender Conor Coady on a season-long loan after losing both Ben Godfrey and Yerry Mina to injury against the Blues.

Robert Lewandowski believes playing under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich represented the ideal preparation for his move to Barcelona, as he compared Blaugrana boss Xavi to his former coach.

Guardiola was one year into a three-season tenure with the Bavarian giants when Lewandowski joined from rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2014, with the striker scoring 67 goals in 100 appearances under him in all competitions. 

Having ended his Bayern career with 344 goals in all competitions, Lewandowski – one of several new faces at Camp Nou – scored for the first time in Barca colours three minutes into Sunday's 6-0 friendly thrashing of Pumas UNAM.

As Xavi looks to lead Barca to a title challenge in his first full season at the helm, Lewandowski identified similarities between with Manchester City manager Guardiola.

"Guardiola's philosophy and his style of caring for and managing the team, I think, basically was Barca at Bayern Munich," Lewandowski told Sport.

"Xavi is very similar to Guardiola. They were both 'sixes', they worked together. They think about football in the same way.

"With that memory in mind, Barca was the only option for me, and it was a great preparation when I was there.

"I didn't talk to Guardiola before signing. But when I was with him at Bayern, it was like a great preparation to get to Barca one day. 

"All the staff were Spanish, there were eight Spanish players. During that period, I had a very good relationship with Thiago [Alcantara] and Javi Martinez. Both of them congratulated me when I signed for Barca."

Lewandowski made his desire to leave Bayern clear on several occasions before finalising a move to Camp Nou and has reiterated his €45million transfer was primarily motivated by a wish to test himself in Spain.

"I feel like a small child who enters a huge store of new toys," he said. "What I feel in Barcelona so far is pure happiness and motivation to start this new chapter.

"In Munich, I was missing new challenges. I won many titles and I recognise that I felt less and less intensity. I needed another challenge, a boost, a change of environment.

"I've always wanted to play in LaLiga, live in Spain, see what life is like here. Twelve years in Germany is a long time. 

"I achieved everything there. I didn't want to stand in front of the mirror in 12 years and say to myself: 'Why haven't you tried?' There would be a lot of unanswered questions."

Lewandowski will hope to make his competitive Barcelona debut when they host Rayo Vallecano in their LaLiga opener on Saturday, with president Joan Laporta confident the Blaugrana will be able to register their new arrivals despite ongoing financial concerns.

Eintracht Frankfurt have confirmed wing-back Filip Kostic will not feature in Wednesday's UEFA Super Cup clash with Real Madrid, with the Serbia international reportedly close to joining Juventus.

Speculation linking Kostic with a move away from the Europa League holders has been rife throughout the transfer window, after he starred with seven goals and 13 assists in all competitions last season.

Kostic, who joined Frankfurt in 2018, also created 112 chances from his left wing-back role during a terrific 2021-22 campaign – almost double the highest tally managed by any of his team-mates (Jesper Lindstom created 57).

With reports now suggesting the 29-year-old is set to join Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus on a permanent deal, the German side will be without him when they face Champions League winners Madrid in Helsinki.

Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krosche told the club's website: "Filip behaved in an exemplary manner last season and played a large part in winning the UEFA Europa League. 

"We've always said that we wouldn't put any obstacles in his way if the offer was good for all parties and that we were willing to talk. We are currently in promising talks with another club and a solution is emerging. 

"We have a broad squad and we have a lot of confidence in the lads, who all deserve their chance and are excited about the challenges ahead. 

"Against this background, we decided – also at the request of the possible new club – to play the game against Real Madrid without Filip."

Kostic now appears likely to join a host of new faces at Juventus, who have already recruited the likes of Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria and Gleison Bremer as they seek to regain the Serie A title. 

Benjamin Sesko has signed for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, although he will not officially become their player until July 2023.

Sesko has been highly sought-after following the 2021-22 season, in which he scored 11 goals in all competitions – including one in a Champions League qualifier – for Austrian side Salzburg.

He previously spent time on loan at second-tier Liefering, scoring 21 goals in 29 league games, while he netted Salzburg's winner in a pre-season friendly against Liverpool in July.

Seen as the next potential star off the Austrian club's production line after Erling Haaland and Karim Adeyemi, Sesko had reportedly been drawing interest from Premier League clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and Newcastle United.

Yet the 19-year-old Slovenia international has instead elected to join Leipzig, Salzburg's sister club.

The Bundesliga side have signed Sesko on a five-year contract that will start on July 1 next year.

Sesko explained how Leipzig's track record of improving youngsters and handing them first-team opportunities is what drew him to the club.

He told the club's official website: "RB Leipzig are one of the best clubs in Germany and are establishing themselves as one of the best in Europe year-on-year.

"A success story has been written here in just a few years and I want to be a part of it in the future.

"The club's philosophy of placing trust in young players and playing attractive, attacking football is a perfect fit for me. The city, the stadium and the whole infrastructure at RB Leipzig, as well as the many good discussions with the club, convinced me that this move is absolutely the right decision.

"My focus is now on the season with Salzburg, that I want to use to continue developing and be as successful as possible."

Christopher Vivell, Leipzig's technical director, said: "Benjamin is one of Europe's best young talents and has a great amount of potential to become one of the best."

"We've managed to pull off a brilliant transfer," said commercial director Florian Scholz. "We're very proud that Benjamin has decided to come to RB Leipzig because he had a lot of offers from other clubs and we had to beat off great competition."

Leipzig are also expected to confirm the return of Timo Werner, the club's record goalscorer, from Chelsea.

They are, however, set to be without Germany defender Lukas Klostermann for several weeks, after he suffered ankle ligament damage.

Sassuolo winger Domenico Berardi has apologised for his actions following the club's Coppa Italia exit on Monday, after the Italy star was involved in a heated spat with a Modena fan.

The Serie A side were eliminated by their Serie B hosts at Stadio Alberto Braglia, with their loss followed by the 28-year-old apparently chasing an opposing supporter outside the ground.

The footage went viral, but Berardi has now taken to social media to offer an explanation, suggesting his family had been targeted off the pitch to spark his ire.

"I want to apologise for what happened outside the stadium after the game against Modena," he wrote on Instagram.

"We are professionals and, above all, we must be examples for youths and kids. Today I didn’t behave as such.

"That's because the things that I love the most, such as my wife and my son, were deliberately involved off the pitch, hurting me deeply. I also renew my apologies to the opposing fans."

Boca Juniors have completed the signing of goalkeeper Sergio Romero on a free transfer.

Romero, who spent six years at Manchester United between 2015 and 2021, has signed a two-year deal with what he called "the biggest club in Argentina".

The 35-year-old started his senior career with Racing Club in Argentina, but moved to Europe, with AZ, in 2007.

Romero, who last played for Argentina in 2018, played for Sampdoria and Monaco prior to joining United, where he was a back-up to David de Gea.

He spent last season at Venezia, making 16 league appearances, though could not help the team avoid relegation to Serie B.

Chelsea are in the market to bolster their defence following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

Thomas Tuchel's side have already added Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £35million.

The Blues are eager to add another centre-back to their ranks before the closure of the transfer window.

TOP STORY – BLUES TO MAKE WORLD-RECORD BID FOR FOFANA

Chelsea are preparing to make a world-record offer for Leicester City's French defender Wesley Fofana, reports Football London.

The Blues' bid would be the highest fee paid for a defender, having had a previous offer declined by the Foxes.

It is believed Chelsea's previous bid was £70m with Leicester insisting he is not for sale. Harry Maguire, sold by Leicester to Manchester United, holds the record for a defender at £80m.

ROUND-UP

– Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, having reached an agreement with the Italian club for an initial £15m fee, according to The Guardian. France international Rabiot is in the final year of his contract with Juventus.

– 90min reports that United target Benjamin Sesko is close to agreeing to a deal with German club RB Leipzig. The report claims that 19-year-old Slovenian forward Sesko will move from Salzburg to Leipzig in 2023.

– United have also reached out to Real Betis on Guido Rodriguez's status according to AS, while the Red Devils are still considering Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports The Telegraph.

– Tottenham have reached an agreement with Udinese for winger Destiny Udogie for more than €20m, claims Fabrizio Romano. Udogie, however, will still on loan at Udinese this season.

– Monaco are keen on signing Manchester United defender Eric Bailly on loan, claims L'Equipe. The Ligue 1 club want the Ivorian, who is under contract until 2024, with an option to buy.

– Fiorentina will rival Villarreal for the signature of Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Argentina international spent time on loan with Villarreal last season.

– Valencia will revive its interest in Tottenham's Bryan Gil following Goncalo Guades' move to Wolves, claims Diario AS.

– The Telegraph claims Milan have re-opened talks with Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech who has been transfer listed.

Chelsea are in the market to bolster their defence following the exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.

Thomas Tuchel's side have already added Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £35million.

The Blues are eager to add another centre-back to their ranks before the closure of the transfer window.

TOP STORY – BLUES TO MAKE WORLD-RECORD BID FOR FOFANA

Chelsea are preparing to make a world-record offer for Leicester City's French defender Wesley Fofana, reports Football London.

The Blues' bid would be the highest fee paid for a defender, having had a previous offer declined by the Foxes.

It is believed Chelsea's previous bid was £70m with Leicester insisting he is not for sale. Harry Maguire, sold by Leicester to Manchester United, holds the record for a defender at £80m.

ROUND-UP

– Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, having reached an agreement with the Italian club for an initial £15m fee, according to The Guardian. France international Rabiot is in the final year of his contract with Juventus.

– 90min reports that United target Benjamin Sesko is close to agreeing to a deal with German club RB Leipzig. The report claims that 19-year-old Slovenian forward Sesko will move from Salzburg to Leipzig in 2023.

– United have also reached out to Real Betis on Guido Rodriguez's status according to AS, while the Red Devils are still considering Lazio's Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, reports The Telegraph.

– Tottenham have reached an agreement with Udinese for winger Destiny Udogie for more than €20m, claims Fabrizio Romano. Udogie, however, will still on loan at Udinese this season.

– Monaco are keen on signing Manchester United defender Eric Bailly on loan, claims L'Equipe. The Ligue 1 club want the Ivorian, who is under contract until 2024, with an option to buy.

– Fiorentina will rival Villarreal for the signature of Tottenham's Giovani Lo Celso, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. The Argentina international spent time on loan with Villarreal last season.

– Valencia will revive its interest in Tottenham's Bryan Gil following Goncalo Guades' move to Wolves, claims Diario AS.

– The Telegraph claims Milan have re-opened talks with Chelsea's Moroccan winger Hakim Ziyech who has been transfer listed.

Galatasaray have confirmed the double signing of Dries Mertens and Lucas Torreira.

The Turkish Super Lig side announced they were in negotiations for both players on Saturday, with images circulating on social media of the pair travelling to Istanbul from Milan.

Mertens, a free agent following the end of his nine-year stint with Napoli, has penned a one-year deal with the club.

The Belgium international won the Coppa Italia twice during his time in Naples and was a member of the Red Devils squad that came third in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

At 35-years-old, Mertens is yet to announce his international retirement and could yet feature at this year's World Cup in Qatar, where Belgium will be in Group F alongside Canada, Croatia and Morocco.

Torreira, meanwhile, had fallen down the pecking order at Arsenal, spending the past two seasons on loan with Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina. He has signed a four-year contract.

Capped 39 times by Uruguay, the midfielder will be aiming to represent the South Americans in Qatar – who sit in Group H with Ghana, Portugal and South Korea.

Inter have confirmed the termination of Alexis Sanchez's contract amid reports the forward is set to join Marseille.

Sanchez arrived at San Siro from Manchester United in 2019, initially on a season-long loan before signing a permanent deal in 2020.

The Chile international was part of the Inter side that won the Serie A title in the 2020-21 season, while he also scored a dramatic 121st minute winner against Juventus in the Supercoppa Italiana in January.

Sanchez only managed five goals in 27 Serie A appearances for the Nerazzurri last season, though just seven of those were starts.

The 33-year-old made 109 appearances in all, scoring 20 goals.

Inter said in a statement on Monday: "FC Internazionale Milano announces that it has reached an agreement for the consensual termination of the contract of the Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez.

"The club would like to thank Alexis for his three seasons in the Nerazzurri, culminating in the winning of three trophies, and wishes him the best for the rest of his career."

Numerous reports have suggested Sanchez's next move will be to Ligue 1, with Marseille said to be offering the former Barcelona man a two-year deal.