Edmilson: Neymar can emulate Ronaldinho at Barca

Virgil van Dijk highlighted the importance of Champions League football for Liverpool in their bid to improve the squad for next season.

Jurgen Klopp s side suffered elimination from Europe s elite competition with a resounding 6-2 aggregate defeat against Real Madrid in the last 16.

Sitting six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham in the Premier League with a game in hand over the north London side, Liverpool face a fight to secure their spot in next season s competition.

Significant departures may also be on the cards, with Roberto Firmino already announcing he will leave upon the expiration of his contract, and Van Dijk understands being able to offer Champions League football may be crucial in the hunt for new additions.

Obviously, players are going…

Competition: Premier League

Market: Everton to beat Watford

Odds:

The Premier League continues this weekend for even more exciting action in the world s most competitive league. The table is incredibly tight which means that a single win can often see a side rise up a number of places in the table, and with this in mind, Everton travel to face Watford on Saturday.

Watford have been in poor form recently as their good start to the season has made way for a very disappointing run of results. After 27 games they have won eight, drawn six and lost 13, scoring 37 goals and conceding 47 times. In their last five they have only won once, losing twice and drawing twice, which has seen them onto 30 points. Their current tally is incredibly disappointing…

The Champions League s quota for direct group-stage qualification has been increased from 22 to 26 teams, while UEFA also announced changes to kick-off times. 

Although the format of the competition remains the same from the group stage onwards, UEFA has revealed a number of alterations will come into effect at the start of next season for both the Champions League and Europa League.

Chief among those changes for the Champions League is the increase in teams going straight into the group stage, with the allocation increasing by four.

The Europa League will see a similar change, with 17 clubs now going directly into the group phase, plus another 10 dropping into the competition from the Champions League play-offs and third qualifying round.

There is als…

Nice defender Romain Genevois has signed a contract extension that will keep him at the Ligue 1 club until 2017.

The 26-year-old has been a regular for Nice since joining on a free transfer from Tours in 2012 and has put pen to paper on a one-year extension.

Nice finished a lowly 17th in the French top flight last season, but Genevois who can operate as a centre-back and a right-back is confident he can continue to progress with the Cote d Azur club.

This is something that we have been preparing for a while, Genevois told Nice s official website.

We took the time to do things right and I am very pleased to have signed.

I m glad I have played so much, touch wood that it lasts. I hope to continue my progress and even reach new levels.

…

Jose Mourinho feels Tottenham s rebuilt team spirit is key to their improved form.

Jan Vertonghen s injury-time header earned a 2-1 win at Wolves on Sunday that moved Spurs within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table.

Mourinho s men have taken 12 points from a possible 15 since he succeeded the sacked Mauricio Pochettino, with Tottenham also progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Wolves were unfortunate to see their 11-game unbeaten league run end as Mourinho revelled in his side s new-found unity.

Sometimes football is strange, Mourinho told a news conference. It could have been the same game but, without that goal, Wolves would be one point ahead of us and we would not be so happy. But a winning team starts w…

Mikel Arteta knows Arsenal have a huge task on their hands after a 2-1 defeat to Everton left the Gunners without a Premier League win in seven games.

Arsenal will drop to 16th by the end of the weekend if Brighton and Hove Albion defeat lowly Sheffield United on Sunday.

The Gunners points return of 14 from as many games this season is their worst record at this stage since the 1974-75 campaign (converted to three points per win).

Arteta s side have failed to score from open play in any of their past five Premier League away games, with their two goals on the road since Alexandre Lacazette s strike against Liverpool coming from the penalty spot.

Nicolas Pepe restored parity from 12 yards after Rob Holding s own goal put Everton ahead on Saturday, but Yerr…

If Lionel Messi s intention to retire from internationals was not enough, Sergio Aguero claims a number of Argentina players are considering their futures.

Messi, 29, dropped a bombshell following Argentina s 4-2 penalty shoot-out loss to Chile in the Copa America Centenario final on Sunday, revealing he is walking away from the national team.

Argentina s all-time leading goalscorer was in tears after blazing his spot-kick over the bar as the South American giants lost a third consecutive final, having gone down to Chile on penalties last year, while they were beaten by Germany in the 2014 World Cup decider.

And Aguero reportedly among some of the Argentina players weighing up their international careers  added more fuel to the fire, when he told reporters: The…

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo is seemingly closing in on his move to Manchester City after he was pictured arriving at Manchester airport on Tuesday.

Bravo has been widely tipped to make the move to the Etihad Stadium throughout the transfer window after spending the last two seasons at Camp Nou, during which time he has won La Liga and the Copa del Rey twice and the Champions League in 2015.

City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed that a deal was close at a news conference on Tuesday when he said: I cannot deny what everyone knows.

But until a deal is complete, I cannot answer.

Welcome to

— Manchester Airport (@manairport)

Manchester airport s official Twitter account posted pictures of Bravo arriving and he could make his Premier…

Anzhi Makhachkala midfielder Odil Ahmedov has suggested Premier League side Arsenal are interested in securing his services.

The 25-year-old has reportedly attracted interest from a number of clubs throughout Europe, and helped his side to a third-placed finish in the league this season.

And Ahmedov is confident he would be star for the London club.
It is true I have interest from Arsenal their scouts have watched me in every match this season, Ahmedov told Izvestia.
If I move there, I could be a huge success but there is no bid yet.
The Uzbekistan international joined the club in 2011 from Pakhtakor Tashkent, and has gone on to make 60 appearances for the team in the Russian Premier League.
He appeared as a substitute as Anzhi lost 4-3 on penalties to CSKA Moscow in…

Jamie Carragher has urged Liverpool to act swiftly to sort out the future of striker Luis Suarez.

The Uruguay international has become disillusioned with life in England and expressed his desire to leave Anfield, citing the negative media reaction to his 10-match ban for biting Chelsea s Branislav Ivanovic as one of the major factors in his decision.

He has been strongly linked with a move to La Liga side Real Madrid, with reports on Thursday suggesting that Napoli may now also have entered the race for his signature.

Retired defender Carragher believes the club must make a swift decision on the forward, but insists they must get the full value for the player if they do decide to sell him.

Liverpool can t just roll over and accept Luis Suarez will leave, but if h…