A proposed switch to Liverpool is "not an option" for Ibrahima Konate, according to RB Leipzig's sporting director Markus Krosche.

Reports surfaced on Monday claiming the reigning Premier League champions have made "significant progress" in their pursuit of the 21-year-old, who is said to have a €40million (£34m) release clause.

The highly rated centre-back, who was part of the France team that defeated Russia at the European Under-21 Championship on Sunday, revealed how his phone was "ringing all over the place" following the reports, though he insisted he was focused solely on the remainder of the season.  

And Krosche, speaking exclusively to Stats Perform News, said he did not think a move to Liverpool would come to fruition, insisting the Bundesliga club are the perfect fit for the defender. 

"I can't say anything on that topic. I think that this is not an option for Ibu [Konate]," Krosche explained. 

"He has a long contract with us and he knows what we mean to him and what he means to us. He was unlucky last year as he had a longer injury but this year he is in a good way and he is an extremely important player that has a lot of potential. 

"We want to help him to further develop, and we play internationally, have a very good team, so I don't see a reason for him to leave us."

Konate has not committed an error that led to a shot in any of his 15 games for Leipzig this season across all competitions.

Injuries have restricted his appearances, though, as he has played just 17 Bundesliga matches since the start of last season, and he did not feature in the Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool.

The Reds have been linked with many prospective centre-back reinforcements after struggling with their own injury issues for much of the season.

Leipzig will be particularly keen not to lose Konate given his defensive colleague Dayot Upamecano has already agreed a move to Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

Konate and Leipzig are in the middle of a title tussle with Bayern, whom they play on Saturday, while Liverpool are languishing in seventh with the possibility of missing out on Champions League football hanging over their heads.

Sergio Aguero will leave Manchester City at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, the club have confirmed.

Aguero is the club's record goalscorer with 257 goals and will bring to an end a glittering 10-year stint at the club when his contract expires in June.

He joined from Atletico Madrid in 2011 and has gone on to cement his position as one of the club's greatest ever players.

The Argentina international has won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and five EFL Cups at City.

He is likely to win a fifth English top-flight crown this season, with City 14 points clear of second-place Manchester United, while they will also contest next month's EFL Cup final with Spurs.

Aguero's 257 goals cane in 384 appearances for City, with unquestionably his most famous strike coming against QPR in May 2012.

United looked set to seal the Premier League title on the final day of the season, but Aguero popped up deep into stoppage time to secure a 3-2 win and deliver City's first-ever Premier League crown.

He became City's record scorer in November 2017 when he struck in a Champions League win over Napoli, breaking Eric Brook's 78-year record.

Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak revealed a statue of Aguero has already been commissioned to stand alongside those of his former team-mates, David Silva and Vincent Kompany, outside the Etihad Stadium.

Al Mubarak told the club's official website: "Sergio's contribution to Manchester City over the last 10 years cannot be overstated. His legend will be indelibly etched into the memories of everyone who loves the club and maybe even in those who simply love football.

"This is not yet the moment for farewell words and speeches. There is still much to achieve in the remainder of the time we have with Sergio, and we look forward to his contributions to the challenges which lay ahead.

"We look forward to the opportunity to bid Sergio a fitting farewell at the end of the season."

Aguero – the Premier League's highest-scoring overseas player – has endured an injury-hit 2020-21.

He has made just 14 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals – the most recent of which came in a 3-0 win over Fulham earlier this month.

Sergio Aguero will leave Manchester City at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, the club have confirmed.

Ibrahima Konate has revealed how his phone was "ringing all over the place" following reports on Monday that Liverpool are working to finalise a deal for the RB Leipzig defender.

The highly rated centre-back was part of the France team that defeated Russia at the European Under-21 Championship on Sunday, a much-needed result after they had lost their opener at the tournament.

There was no rest for Konate on Monday, however, as stories circulated that Liverpool are hoping to wrap up his signing ahead of next season.

The Athletic detailed how the Premier League champions have made "significant progress" in their pursuit of the 21-year-old, who is said to have a €40million release clause.

Konate, though, is only focused on the remainder of the season, despite the speculation surrounding his future.  

"I woke up, I saw my phone ringing all over the place, I just wanted to tell them: 'Hey, I played yesterday, I'm tired, leave me alone'," he said, according to quotes in L'Equipe.

"We can't focus on that, there is the Euros and then the return to my club. You have to focus on that, not on the external things."

A move for Konate – who has not committed an error that led to a shot in any of his 15 games for Leipzig this season – would help add depth at what has become a problem position for the Reds.

The former Sochaux player has won 64.7 per cent of his duels in nine Bundesliga games in 2020-21, as well as completing 83.5 per cent of his attempted passes. Injuries have restricted his appearances, though, and he did not feature in the Champions League last-16 tie against Liverpool.

Jurgen Klopp has been without the services of Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez for much of Liverpool's title defence, while Joel Matip is also a long-term absentee.

Ozan Kabak – who joined on loan from Schalke in a deal that includes an option to buy the Turkey international - and Ben Davies arrived in the mid-season transfer window to help provide further defensive options, though the latter has still yet to feature following his move from Preston North End.

Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams have had unexpected first-team opportunities due to key absentees, while Klopp has also utilised midfielders Fabinho and Jordan Henderson as makeshift options at the heart of his back four.

Konate's arrival would help strengthen a defensive unit that has understandably struggled this term, conceding 36 goals in 29 Premier League games.

Liverpool sit in seventh place in the table as they prepare to return to action after the international break with a trip to Arsenal on Saturday.

Gareth Bale is focused on a strong finish to the season, including Wales' Euro 2020 campaign, before contemplating what happens next in his career.

Having become a peripheral figure at Real Madrid, Bale returned to Tottenham for the 2020-21 campaign in a loan move that appeared to be an ideal solution for all parties.

However, the 31-year-old arrived with a knee injury that required rehabilitation, leading to a sedate start to his second spell with Spurs. After waiting until October 18 to feature for the first team, he has completed 90 minutes just once – against Wycombe Wanderers in an FA Cup tie.

Yet there were signs of a return to form prior to the international break, including scoring twice and providing an assist in a resounding 4-0 win over Burnley.

Bale was also on target twice in a Premier League triumph over Crystal Palace, lifting his goal tally into double figures in all competitions.

His immediate focus is on Wales' World Cup qualifying campaign – having lost their Group E opener to Belgium, they host the Czech Republic on Tuesday – while there is no urgency on his part to work out a "solution" to his situation at club level.

"For me, first and foremost, I still have this season, still have plenty of games to go until the Euros," Bale told the media on Monday.

"Going into next season, legally my contract says I have to go back to Real Madrid, which is what I stated. I don't think that was being disrespectful to anybody.

"Real Madrid are my parent club and, as far as I agreed, I'm on loan at Tottenham until the end of the season. That is the plan so far; the reason I left was because I wanted to play games and get match fit, to enjoy my football.

"Obviously, come the summer I will go back to Real Madrid and we will go from there. I think the plan is to go back, whether then I sit down with my agent and decide something, we will do in the summer."

He added: "I want to be playing, but in football it's not just about what you want – it's also about the other side. I'm concentrating on this season – obviously we have a big game tomorrow – a big end of the season with Tottenham, then the Euros in the summer.

"For me, at the moment, I don't need to worry about anything else than this season.

"Regarding next season, after the Euros and my summer holiday, we will sit down and go through something then. Hopefully, we will come up with a solution."

Bale is aiming to finish strongly with Spurs, who have lifted themselves back into the running for a top-four finish in the league. There is also the possibility of securing silverware, with Jose Mourinho's side taking on Manchester City in the EFL Cup final on April 25.

Asked to assess his season so far, the forward replied: "It's been okay. It got off to a slow start as I came into Tottenham with a knee injury. Not having played football continuously for a year and a half, it took a little time to get going.

"The past couple of months I've felt stronger and stronger – I've felt like my form has been there, my speed has been there, I've scored some goals.

"I wish it could have started a lot quicker, but also I'm wise enough to know that it does take a bit of time to get your rhythm back. Now that I'm playing, I feel good and hopefully it can continue for the rest of the season, then into the Euros."

Bale played 84 minutes of last week's 3-1 defeat to Belgium, while he made a late appearance off the bench in the 1-0 friendly win over Mexico on Saturday.

Tottenham and England star Harry Kane said he will decide his future after the upcoming European Championships.

Kane has been linked with Premier League rivals Manchester United and Manchester City, as well as LaLiga champions Real Madrid.

The 27-year-old striker, who emerged from Tottenham's youth team in 2009, is contracted to Spurs until 2024.

But Kane is shutting out speculation over his future as he prepares for Tottenham's EFL Cup final against City next month and England's bid to claim their first piece of international silverware since 1966 at the rescheduled Euro 2020.

"I think that's a hard question to answer right now," Kane told the Telegraph when asked about the noise surrounding his future at Tottenham.

"It's important that all my focus is on the two England games coming up now and the rest of the season with Spurs and then the Euros.

"To be thinking about speculation or rumours would be damaging in terms of my own performance.

"I always like to be focused on one goal and one job and that's to finish strong with Spurs, win these qualifiers with England and hopefully go on and have a great Euros.

"Look, I try to stay out of that speculation as much as possible.

"I'm fully focussed on doing the job on the pitch from now until the end of the summer, and then we'll see where we go from there."

Jose Mourinho's Tottenham are sixth in the Premier League, three points outside of the Champions League qualification places ahead of the April 25 EFL Cup decider against City.

England have been drawn in Group D for Euro 2020, which gets underway in June, alongside Croatia, Scotland and Czech Republic.

Kane has scored 17 Premier League goals this season, while he has netted 27 across all competitions for Tottenham in 2020-21.

Arturo Vidal has received offers to leave Inter but intends to stay at San Siro and win the Champions League next season, according to the midfielder's agent Fernando Felicevich. 

The Chile international joined Inter from Barcelona at the start of the season to reunite with Antonio Conte, having previously won three Serie A titles together at Juventus.

He has featured 30 times in all competitions for Conte's side this season, but was struck down by a knee injury earlier this month that required surgery.

Vidal still has two years to run on his contract, yet that has not stopped speculation that he is a target for the likes of Marseille, Flamengo and Galatasaray.

But while clubs are indeed interested in signing the 33-year-old, agent Felicevich insists his client has no intention of departing the Italian giants at the end of the campaign.

"It is normal for a player at the level of Arturo to receive proposals, but nothing has changed for us," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

"His future is at Inter and he is only thinking about winning the Scudetto in May and trying to win the Champions League next season."

Vidal has appeared 23 times in Serie A this season, 14 of those starts, and has helped Inter to open up a six-point gap over Milan at the summit with a game in hand.

The former Barca, Juve and Bayern Munich man has averaged 2.13 tackles per 90 minutes in the Italian top flight this term, which is the most of any Inter midfielder.

Marcelo Brozovic and Nicolo Barella are next on the list with 1.95 and 1.92 respectively.

Vidal also leads the way when it comes to interceptions, his average of 2.29 substantially more than next-best Stefano Sensi's 1.86.

Another metric he ranks highly in is duels won - only Barella (5.94) averages more than Vidal (5.04), with Roberto Gagliardini (4.83) in third.

Conte will therefore be eager to get the Chilean back to full fitness, and Felicevich delivered a positive update in that regard.

"His recovery programme is almost finished and he will soon be able to return to the pitch and add his contribution to the final stages of the season," he said.

Miralem Pjanic is determined to stay and fight for his Barcelona future despite a disappointing first season at Camp Nou.

Bosnia-Herzegovina playmaker Pjanic joined Barca last year in a deal that saw fellow midfielder Arthur move in the opposite direction to Juventus.

Each European superpower bowing out at the last-16 stage of the Champions League indicates the difficult situations both players entered with their new employers, but while injuries have occasionally hindered Arthur's progress, Pjanic has started to appear surplus to requirements under Ronald Koeman.

Pedri's development into a regular first-team fixture has not helped the 30-year-old's cause and Riqui Puig has been preferred as a midfield option off the bench in recent weeks.

An overall upturn in Barca's form, with a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double a possibility, has done plenty for Koeman's standing, with reports suggesting recently elected president Joan Laporta is happy for the Dutchman to continue as head coach.

Whoever is in charge next term, Pjanic told Mundo Deportivo he does not intend to go anywhere.

"I did not sign for Barca to leave the following year," he said.

"I signed to make history in a club that had been on my path for many years."

Pjanic first worked his way into the affections of Barcelona fans more than a decade ago, when he scored as Lyon dumped Real Madrid out of the Champions League in 2009.

He explained that the Blaugrana were interested in his services as a youngster before almost making the move in 2019 before Antoine Griezmann accounted for most of the transfer budget.

"I decided to start my career in France but I always followed what Barca did," he said.

"Two years ago, [former Barca sporting director Eric] Abidal wanted to sign me, we were talking but the club invested in Antoine and there was no money left for me.

"I had to wait live the dream of being a Barca player. I came to Barca because of my game and my experience as a winner, that's what they asked me to contribute when I signed. 

"They told me that my character and my experience would be vital to grow a generation of young people from La Masia who were climbing very strongly."

Despite his performances serving as a personal complication, Pjanic hailed Pedri as a player of "special intelligence… who will go very far" and also reflected upon a "spectacular" relationship with Lionel Messi, who "explains things about the environment that at first escaped me".

He conceded his relationship with Koeman is more distant, but his "dream" of winning the Champions League at Barcelona remains.

"If I don't play, the next morning I am training harder than ever so that the coaches will notice that I am not giving up," he added.

"Koeman doesn't talk much to players so what I have to do is keep working to be ready when he needs me."

Milan's honorary vice president Franco Baresi has confirmed the Rossoneri will attempt to make Fikayo Tomori's switch from Chelsea permanent. 

Tomori joined Serie A giants Milan on loan in January, and has made a positive impression at San Siro since making his debut as a substitute in a Coppa Italia derby clash with Inter.

The 23-year-old Canadian-born England international has since made seven Serie A appearances (six starts), and started all four Europa League games for which he has been available.

He has helped Milan to two clean sheets and five league victories, with his tally of 12 appearances across all competitions already four times as many as he managed with Chelsea in the first half of 2020-21.

Since his debut on January 26, Tomori has made 30 clearances, three more than any other Milan player, with 15 of those coming with his head – a joint team-high alongside Alessio Romagnoli. 

Tomori tops Milan's tackles attempt metrics, having gone in for 27 with an impressive 63 per cent success rate, while he has recorded 17 blocks, putting him 10 clear of second-best Romagnoli in that regard.

So impressive has Tomori been, Milan will endeavour to sign the defender at the end of the season, according to club great Baresi.

"We'll do everything to sign him on a permanent deal," Baresi told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Two months are remaining until the end of the season, and it's not only up to Milan.

"Tomori is imposing himself with talent and determination. He has shown no fear to play in a new league. Potentially, he can become a great champion. I hope he lives up to expectations."

Behind Tomori, Gianluigi Donnarumma has been in generally excellent form, though Milan's prized asset and Italy's first-choice goalkeeper is entering the final few months of his contract.

Talks are ongoing over a new deal, and Baresi is hopeful an agreement can be struck.

"We know his qualities. He’s grown up at Milan and we know how important he could be in the coming years," he added of the 22-year-old.

Could Luis Suarez return to Liverpool, where he spent three and half seasons from 2011 to 2014?

The Uruguayan forward has been a key part of Atletico Madrid's LaLiga title push this term, with 19 league goals.

The Reds are reportedly keen to bolster their forward options, with Suarez on their list.

TOP STORY – REDS PREPARING SUAREZ OFFER

Liverpool are interesting in the return of Suarez this off-season and are preparing an offer for the Atletico Madrid forward, according to Fichajes.

Reds boss Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants to add experience to his front line and 34-year-old Suarez fits the bill.

Suarez scored 82 goals in 133 appearances for the Reds in his previous stint before joining Barcelona.

ROUND-UP

- Spanish outlet Cope claims that Real Madrid are not contemplating a move for Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo despite widespread speculation of a return. The report says Madrid are focused on the future rather than a veteran player whose career is winding down.

- Barcelona are planning to release Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho this off-season due to their financial issues, allowing them to retain young talent Pedri, Ilaix Moriba and Ansu Fati, according to El Confidencial.

- On the topic of Barcelona, Sport is claiming the Catalans have approved the signings of Georginio Wijnaldum from Liverpool and Memphis Depay from Lyon and are awaiting validation from their new board.

- Diego Costa has reached an agreement to join Benfica as a free agent, according to Mundo Deportivo. Costa left Atletico Madrid in December and returned to his native Brazil.

- Manchester United are considering a move to sign 24-year-old Villarreal defender Pau Torres in the off-season, according to the Manchester Evening News.

- Galatasaray, Flamengo or Marseille are the primary options to be Arturo Vidal's next home as he is set to leave Inter, reports Calciomercato.

Could Harry Kane end up at Real Madrid?

Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland is one of Europe's most sought-after and expensive players, while Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe also commands a hefty fee.

With that in mind, Tottenham's Kane has reportedly emerged as a transfer target in the Spanish capital.

TOP STORY – MADRID ADD KANE TO LIST

Real Madrid are interested in signing Tottenham star Harry Kane, according to SER Deportivo.

Madrid have been heavily linked with in-demand Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

But Madrid's hierarchy reportedly feel a deal to prise Kane from Tottenham may be easier.

ROUND-UP

- Wednesday's Marca and Diario AS newspapers are dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo. Marca claims Ronaldo would exit Juventus to return to Madrid, who he left in 2018. Diario AS says Juve are ready to listen to offers for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. Ronaldo has also been linked with former club Manchester United.

- Sport reports Manchester City defender Eric Garcia will join Barcelona on a five-year deal. It will be the first major signing under new president Joan Laporta as the LaLiga giants also eye Haaland and look to re-sign superstar captain Lionel Messi, who has been tipped to join either PSG or City on a free transfer at season's end.

- TV3 claims Ronald Koeman will continue as Barca head coach in 2021-22 following talks with Laporta. RB Leipzig's Julian Nagelsmann and club great Xavi had been linked.

- Inter are ready to reignite their interest in Udinese star Rodrigo De Paul, claims Calciomercato. The Serie A leaders have previously been linked with the Argentina midfielder. Antonio Conte's Inter are also tracking Madrid outcast Isco, according to Sport.

- L'Equipe claims United are considering a move for Tottenham captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris amid doubts over David de Gea. Milan star Gianluigi Donnarumma has also emerged as a possible target.

- Bayern Munich are in talks to sign Madrid attacker Lucas Vazquez on a free transfer, according to AS.

- Liverpool, Juventus and Roma are among clubs interested in Madrid defender Nacho Fernandez, says AS. The 31-year-old is out of contract at the end of 2021-22.

Real Madrid great Fernando Hierro said the LaLiga champions should sign both Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe.

In-demand Borussia Dortmund sensation Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe have been linked with moves to Madrid.

Madrid captain Sergio Ramos believes it would be easier for Los Blancos to sign Haaland instead of Mbappe due to the financial situation caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

But former Madrid skipper Hierro – who won five LaLiga titles and three Champions League trophies among other honours during his career at the Santiago Bernabeu – wants the club to bring in both forwards.

"If I were Real Madrid, I would sign Haaland and Mbappe," Hierro told Radio Marca.

The future of Madrid superstar Ramos is also dominating headlines, with the 34-year-old Spain defender out of contract at season's end and no closer to extending his deal.

Ramos has been linked with PSG and Manchester United and there appears to be a significant chance of him opting to move elsewhere after 16 trophy-laden seasons in Madrid.

"I would like Sergio Ramos to continue and retire at Real Madrid," Hierro said.

"But not because of the time he has been there, but because of his performances.

"He is showing that he is still the best in the world. When there is will, people understand each other.

"There are times when the economic situation is not the most important thing and you have to assess where you want to be."

Juventus forward Alvaro Morata does not believe Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the struggling Serie A champions.

Ronaldo has been linked with returns to former clubs Real Madrid and Manchester United following Juve's Champions League last-16 exit.

Juve – third and 10 points off the pace in Serie A this season – have not progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League since Ronaldo's blockbuster arrival in 2018.

Morata was asked about Juve team-mate Ronaldo and the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future in Turin.

"I don't think that's the case," Morata told El Larguero while on international duty with Spain.

"It would have been the same had he joined another club.

"He's used to winning Champions League finals. It's not a Juventus thing. He's happy in the team.

"Will he return to Real Madrid? We talk about everything except football, really."

Ronaldo surpassed Pele's record after scoring 770 career goals courtesy of his hat-trick against Cagliari on March 14.

The 36-year-old tops the Serie A's goalscoring charts with 23, ahead of Inter star Romelu Lukaku (19).

Wales captain Gareth Bale insists he is not distracted by uncertainty over his future and expects to return to Real Madrid at the end of the season as planned.

The 31-year-old rejoined Tottenham on a season-long loan from Madrid last September after falling out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu under Zinedine Zidane.

Bale has had a mixed time of things since returning to north London, the forward having scored 10 goals and assisted three more in 25 appearances.

There had recently been talk of Bale staying on at Spurs after hitting form, but he was criticised by Jose Mourinho last week and played no part in Sunday's win at Aston Villa.

And with a year still to run on his Madrid contract, the forward believes he will be back in the Spanish capital after representing Wales at the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament.

"It's no distraction," he said at a news conference on Tuesday previewing Wales' opening World Cup 2022 qualifier against Belgium.

"The main reason I obviously came to Spurs was I wanted to play football, I wanted to be match fit. The original plan was only to do a season.

"After the Euros, I have a year left at Real Madrid. My plan is to go back."

Wales' preparations for Wednesday's clash with Belgium, the world's number one ranked nation, have been disrupted by a number of injury withdrawals.

Having already lost Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey from their initial 31-man squad, Tottenham's Ben Davies and fellow defender Tom Lockyer pulled out on Tuesday.

It is a big blow for Rob Page as he once again takes caretaker charge of Wales in the absence of Ryan Giggs, who remains under investigation due to an allegation of assault, which he denies.

"It's not great news for us, two defenders getting injured prior to camp," Page said. "We've assessed them and they're no good. It's not ideal preparation. We’ve got to react to that and pick a team that we think will win us the game.

"I think they're quite significant injuries. It's a shame. But we have to deal with it."

Page also took charge of Wales' three fixtures in November – a friendly draw against the United States, followed by Nations League wins against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

Skipper Bale has been impressed by Page's work in the last two camps but is eager for the situation regarding Giggs to be resolved before the Euro 2020 finals.

"Pagey has done an incredible job. He's addressed the situation amazingly well and kept the consistency," Bale said.  "There are no excuses. We've had another good couple of days and we're fully focused. We're ready to go.

"I think my influence has been the same. We're just trying to keep it the same. Nothing has changed. Going into the Euros, ideally things are sorted, but we understand the situation. The FAW [Football Association of Wales] will be in charge of that, not the players."

Asked about his fitness, having been benched against Dinamo Zagreb and not used at all versus Villa three days later, Bale said: "I didn't play Sunday but I've had a couple of days' training. 

"It's been a quick turnaround. Same for every country. Everyone is in the same boat – we're ready to go.

"It's probably the most match fitness I've had. I'm feeling fresh and ready to go."

Wales have won their opening group match in just five of their 18 World Cup qualifying campaigns, although they have done so in two of the previous three.

The Dragons are unbeaten in four games against Belgium, famously beating their next opponents 3-1 in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

But Belgium enter the match in Leuven in great form, winning 23 of their past 24 qualifying matches since going down 1-0 to Wales in June 2015, and Bale is predicting a tough opening Group E test.

"We know Belgium is a great team and we know we're going to be the underdogs," he said. "But you don't need to be the best team to win a game.

"This is why football is so great. What we showed that night [at Euro 2016] was more heart, desire, belief. When we pull on the Welsh shirt, we believe we have more passion than anyone.

"I think beating a big nation in a qualifier gives us confidence to grow. When you enjoy winning, it breeds more."

Manchester City have been linked with Erling Haaland.

As Sergio Aguero appears headed for an exit, Pep Guardiola wants to bolster his attack.

But Danny Ings has reportedly emerged as an alternative to the expensive and in-demand Haaland.

TOP STORY – CITY TARGET INGS

Manchester City are considering a move for Southampton star Danny Ings, according to Sky Sports.

City's all-time leading goalscorer Sergio Aguero is out of contract at the end of the season and no closer to extending his deal in Manchester.

Pep Guardiola's City are reportedly among the admirers of Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland, who has also been linked with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Juventus.

With Haaland set to command a huge fee, City are eyeing former Liverpool forward Ings as a cheaper alternative.

ROUND-UP

- Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport report Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo is on the brink of being sacked. Juve are out of the Champions League and 10 points off the pace following their shock loss to Benevento. Former boss Massimiliano Allegri has been linked with a return, while La Repubblica claims Atalanta's Gian Piero Gasperini, Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi and Luciano Spalletti are on a three-man shortlist.

- Former Chelsea and Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri is Roma's number one option should they sack head coach Paulo Fonseca, says Gazzetta dello Sport. Fonseca – under pressure in the Italian capital – has also been linked with Napoli, alongside Hellas Verona's Ivan Juric. Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso has been linked with Fiorentina, Torino and Bologna.

- Neymar re-signing with Ligue 1 holders PSG is "just a matter of time", according to Fabrizio Romano.

- Aaron Ramsey is interested in a move to Premier League champions Liverpool, according to Calciomercato. The Juventus midfielder, who left Arsenal for Turin in 2019, is seen as a possible replacement for rumoured Barca target Georginio Wijnaldum at Anfield.

- The Daily Express reports Arsenal are eyeing Barcelona misfit Philippe Coutinho. However, a move will depend on whether Arsenal sign loanee Martin Odegaard permanently from Madrid.

- Xabi Alonso is set to become the new head coach of Borussia Monchengladbach next season, replacing Dortmund-bound Marco Rose. Romano, however, insists no contract has been signed as the former Bayern Munich star remains in charge of Real Sociedad's B team.