that Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana is set to seal a £20m move to Liverpool next week.

The 26 year old was one of the stand out performers in the Premier League during the 2013/14 campaign, making it into the PFA Team of the Year alongside teammate Luke Shaw.

Both players are set to be named in Roy Hodgson’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil, and both are expected to begin next season at new clubs with runners-up Liverpool leading the race to secure the services of the Saints’ captain.

Lallana has been with the south coast club since the age of 12, making his professional debut in a league cup victory over Yeovil Town in 2006.

He has made 265 appearances for the club in total, and in that time won promotion from…

Diego Simeone has urged Atletico Madrid to seize on a unique opportunity as they chase a domestic and European double.

A draw with Barcelona last weekend ensured Atletico lifted the Liga title for the first time since 1996, but rather than celebrate their achievements, Simeone s men must focus on Saturday s UEFA Champions League final.

Their opponents in Lisbon will be city rivals Real, who are going in search of a historic 10th title in Europe s elite club competition.

Atletico s transformation under Simeone has been impressive with the Europa League and Copa del Rey already won since he took over in 2011, but this season the head coach has guided them to a new level.

Victory over Real would see them lift their first Champions League title and the 44-year-old wa…

Kylian Mbappe could have his pick of clubs in LaLiga and the Premier League after firing Monaco to Ligue 1 glory, former Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho says.

The teenage attacker has scored 26 goals in all competitions this season, helping the principality club to the Champions League semi-finals and break Paris Saint-Germain s dominance of French football.

Manchester rivals City and United and Spanish champions-elect Real Madrid have been strongly linked with close-season moves for Mbappe that could see sums tipping nine figures.

Carvalho was a substitute alongside Mbappe before he emerged from the bench to make his debut against Tottenham in the 2015-16 Europa League and, having won the Premier League with Chelsea before playing in Spain with Real Madrid, t…

that Gary Cahill is closing in on a new contract with Chelsea.

The defender’s current deal runs out at the end of next year and, despite the club’s struggles this season they are unlikely to let a player of his stature enter the final year of his contract.

Cahill moved to Stamford Bridge from Bolton Wanderers in January 2012, and has so far racked up one hundred and seventy-one appearances for the Blues in all competitions, scoring fourteen goals.

He has winners medals in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Europa League and Champions League while internationally he has been capped forty times for England with three of those appearances coming at last summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil.

The twenty-nine year old played as Chelsea thumped M…

Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu has been forced to retire from playing competitive football due to a hereditary heart condition, but in his announcement, the 24-year-old said he would remain involved in the game in some capacity.

The Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi is keen to help.

I m ready to help him.

Roberto De Zerbi on Enock Mwepu being forced into retirement from football because of health issues

— Football Daily (@footballdaily)

…

Prediction: Sweden to win 3-0

Best Odds:

Bookmaker: 

Sweden and Armenia will face each other in a friendly international this weekend. The match is slated to kick off at 7:45pm UK time on Saturday and will be held at Venue Friends Arena in Solna.

Sweden 

Sweden will be looking to use the match against Armenia as a warm-up game to the Euro 2020 finals this summer. Janne Andersson’s side s game against Armenia is their final friendly before they kick off their Group E campaign with a match against Spain.

The Blue and Yellow will head into the match against Armenia on the back of a 2-0 win against Finland. Robin Quaison and Sebastian Larsson scored the goals.

Team News:

Quaison will lead the line for Sweden, while  Marcus Berg shou…

Barcelona leapfrogged Catalan rivals Girona into second place in LaLiga after Lamine Yamal’s second-half goal handed them a 1-0 win against Real Mallorca.

The 16-year-old winger netted his sixth goal of the season in the 73rd minute, cutting inside on to his left foot and lashing a shot into the corner to break the visiting sides’ resolve.

Mallorca striker Vedat Muriqi had headed against the crossbar with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen beaten, as Barca’s six-game unbeaten run in the league came under threat.

Pride

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)

Victory drags them to within five points of leaders Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.

Defending Serie A champions Napoli’s mini revival stalled as Torino hit back to earn a 1-1 dra…

Barcelona are a tough proposition but Real Madrid will gain the upper hand when the Spanish giants clash in the first classico of the season on Monday, Real s Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo predicted Thursday.

Barcelona is still a very difficult team. Barca is a very strong team, especially when they play at home. They are there to fight for the league title, he told reporters on the sidelines of a promotional event.

We know they are playing at a good level and for this reason it will be an important and beautiful game. May the best team win. And the best team will be Madrid, the 2008 FIFA World Player of the Year added.

Ronaldo rejected suggestions that the match would be decisive like a final, claiming it is just another match .

We have one point…

Michael Tarnat and Jurgen Jung have left their roles within the Bayern Munich youth set-up by mutual consent.

Tarnat, who was the side’s sporting director, and Jung, the youth scouting director, asked to be released from their positions according to a statement on Bayern s website.

The statement continued: Different views on the future focus of the club s youth section led to the step. FC Bayern thanks Michael Tarnat and Jurgen Jung for their work and wishes them all the best for their professional and private future.

Tarnat spent six years at Bayern during his playing career before returning in a coaching capacity following his retirement, while Jung joined the Bundesliga champions in 2012.

…

Laurent Blanc and Paris Saint-Germain are seemingly prepared to lose Ezequiel Lavezzi for nothing in the off-season after ruling out a January move for the Argentine.

Lavezzi will be a free agent at the end of June when his contract with the French champions expires, unless the club and player can come to a new agreement.

But a new deal to remain in the French capital seems unlikely, with the Argentina international heavily linked with a return to Italy, which is reportedly his preferred destination according to his agent.

Lavezzi joined PSG from Napoli in 2012 for almost €30 million and has made over 150 appearances for Blanc s team, but the French coach will not be tempted to try and recoup some of the investment made in the forward by selling him in the curr…