Mbappe hints at impending Real Madrid transfer after winning fifth consecutive Ligue 1 award

Ligue 1 champions Lille had just two players named in the competition s Team of the Season, with runners-up Paris Saint-Germain represented by five.

It was an incredible season for Christophe Galtier s Lille, who had finished fourth in the shortened 2019-20 campaign.

A talented squad full of vibrant, youthful attackers – albeit spearheaded by veteran campaigner Burak Yilmaz – clinched Ligue 1 title number four for the club on Sunday, with their success confirmed when they beat Angers 2-1 on the final day of the season.

PSG finished top in the previous three seasons since Monaco s Kylian Mbappe-inspired win in 2016-17.

Indeed, it is only the second time since 2012-13 that the capital club has not won the title… Not that you would know it when looking…

Brighton and Hove Albion are interested in the services of Glasgow Rangers James Tavernier, according to .

The right back s career started at Newcastle in 2009, and during his four-year stint at St. James Park he was sent on loan to a number of lower-division clubs, making only 11 appearances in the Magpies shirt. In 2014 he made a permanent move to Wigan Athletic, but ended up moving on another loan to Bristol City halfway through the season.

In 2015, he joined Rangers and so far he has made a total of 158 appearances in all competitions for the team now led by Steven Gerrard, finding the net 32 times. This summer, a number of offers from West Bromwich Albion were turned down by the club.

The Seagulls are preparing for life without Bruno, a 37-year-old defender…

Will Smallbone is hoping to take a leaf out of set-piece specialist James Ward-Prowse’s book as he attempts to prove himself invaluable to the Republic of Ireland.

The 23-year-old Southampton midfielder, who spent last season on loan at Sky Bet Championship Stoke, was named man of the match on his senior debut for his country in March’s 3-2 friendly victory over Latvia and will hope for a competitive bow in this month’s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Greece and Gibraltar.

Manager Stephen Kenny is well aware of Basingstoke-born Smallbone’s dead ball capabilities and having spent time on the training ground with free-kick master Ward-Prowse, he is hoping that might aid his cause.

He said: “I always took set-plays going through the academy at Southampton and…

Harry Maguire is honoured to have replaced Ashley Young as Manchester United s captain, with the England defender claiming it is a dream come true .

Young ended his eight-and-a-half-year stay at Old Trafford on Friday, with the England international joining former team-mate Romelu Lukaku and United loanee Alexis Sanchez at Inter.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed in his news conference ahead of United s clash with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday that Maguire – signed from Leicester City for a world-record fee for a defender in 2019 – will take the armband, despite having only been at the club since August.

Maguire has since expressed his excitement at having taken over as club captain, while former United skipper Wayne Rooney also congratulated the 26…

An irritated Ernesto Valverde denied he is leaving Ivan Rakitic out of his Barcelona team due to uncertainty about the midfielder s future.

Rakitic was an unused substitute on Saturday as LaLiga champions Barca were held to a 2-2 draw away to Osasuna.

The Croatia international has only played 44 minutes this season, as a substitute in the 1-0 loss to Athletic Bilbao, amid persistent talk he has been offered to Paris Saint-Germain as part of a proposed deal to bring Neymar back to Camp Nou.

Barca head coach Valverde, though, insisted his team selections are purely tactical.

What do you want me to say? he told reporters when asked about Rakitic. Last year he was playing and Nelson [Semedo] was on the bench. The other day he played well and we stuck with th…

Everton are interested in signing Rodrigo from Leeds United in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that Everton are hopeful of signing the Spain international forward on a two-year deal, but there are clubs in Saudi Arabia who want to secure the services of the 32-year-old.

Leeds will play in the Championship next season after getting relegated from the Premier League. Everton struggled last season and almost went down to the second tier of English football along with Leeds. The Toffees are a big and established club in the Premier League.

Rodrigo made 23 starts and eight substitute appearances in the Premier League for Leeds last season. The 32-year-old Spanish forward scored 13 goals and gave one assist in those games. During the 2021-22 …

Liverpool have confirmed Virgil van Dijk has damaged ligaments in his knee, meaning he is likely to miss most of the rest of the season. 

The Netherlands international was forced off early in the Merseyside derby after a challenge by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who was fortunate that an earlier offside flag meant his lunge went unpunished. 

Van Dijk is set to undergo surgery and the Reds have not put a timescale on his return to action. 

Jurgen Klopp was already dealing with a major injury issue, goalkeeper Alisson missing Saturday s 2-2 draw at Goodison Park due to a shoulder injury sustained prior to the international break. 

So how have Liverpool coped with and without the star defensive duo previously? Time to take a look, with hel…

According to Catalan outlet , the future of Barcelona winger Raphinha is rather unclear at this point, despite his excellent performances in recent matches.

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are believed to be maintaining a long-standing interest in the Brazil international, and there has apparently been an offer for his services of €80 million from Saudi Arabia. Raphinha hasn t shown any desire to leave Barcelona at the end of this season for now, but the club s financial worries might prompt them to put him up for sale nonetheless.

Prior to his move from Leeds United to Barcelona in 2022 for just under €60 million, Raphinha was reportedly of interest to the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City as well. In case Mohamed Salah leaves Anfield at the …

Borussia Dortmund sensation Erling Haaland enjoyed another unforgettable day in his young career on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Norway striker was this week named as the winner of the prestigious Golden Boy award, which recognises Europe s outstanding player under the age of 21.

Just in case there were any doubting Haaland s suitability for the gong, he set about dismantling Hertha Berlin, scoring four times as a rampant Dortmund won 5-2 and closed to within a point of European champions Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga.

Such exploits underline that Haaland is as much a player for the now as he is for the future and an Opta dive into the top marksman in Germany s top flight this season finds him rubbing shoulders with the best in the business.

18 …

Arsenal failed to halt their dismal Premier League form as Everton claimed a 2-1 victory to keep the pressure on Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners, without injured captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, have now gone seven league games without a win after Yerry Mina s header and Rob Holding s own goal lifted Everton up to second.

Nicolas Pepe s penalty had restored parity at Goodison Park, where Arteta spent six-and-a-half seasons as a player, but it was not a platform from which Arsenal could build.

Though Jordan Pickford s error led to David Luiz hitting the post, Mina s 45th-minute header ultimately proved enough for Everton to secure a third straight win.

Michael Keane was just inches away from breaking the deadlock as Everton started in confident fashion, and …