Borussia Dortmund have confirmed the signing of Dutch forward Donyell Malen from PSV on a five-year contract.

The 22-year-old, who featured in all four of the Netherlands Euro 2020 matches, is reported to have cost Dortmund up to €40million.

Malen previously spent time in the academies of Ajax and Arsenal, but it is with PSV that he made his senior breakthrough in February 2018.

He went on to make 116 appearances for the Eredivisie side in all competitions and played a direct part in 79 goals, finding the net 55 times himself and setting up a further 24.

Last season was Malen s best to date in terms of his attacking output as he scored 19 times in 32 Eredivisie games to help PSV finish second to Ajax. 

Those 19 goals were scored from 113 sho…

Barcelona director of football Eric Abidal says a bid to bring Neymar back to Catalonia is not impossible .

Neymar left Camp Nou for Paris Saint-Germain in acrimonious circumstances in August 2017 for a world record fee of €222 million but suggestions of a return have lingered ever since.

The Brazil star s time in France has not always been easy with injuries and off-field issues blighting his bid to challenge Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the world s best player.

But he, along with Inter striker Lautaro Martinez, are seemingly on Barca s wish-list.

Abidal told El Mundo Deportivo: It depends on planning, passports and many things.

The important thing for me is the sporting aspect, trying to have a stronger team to reach our goals as …

The second international break provides an opportunity to assess clubs after eight matches of the Premier League campaign.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at who is top of the class and who has to pick up the slack.

Star pupils

How does that look, fans?

— Premier League (@premierleague)

Tottenham – It is safe to say Spurs are exceeding expectations quite considerably so far. Showing no adverse effects from the sale of Harry Kane, new manager Ange Postecoglou has got them playing in a way which maximises the squad’s combined strengths and they have yet to taste defeat.

Arsenal – A first league win over City in eight years was just the confidence boost the Gunners needed as they edged ahead of their title rivals in the table. And as…

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel lauded world class Romelu Lukaku and praised the star s off-field impact after leading the Champions League holders past Zenit 1-0.

Lukaku was the difference on Tuesday, scoring his first Champions League goal for Chelsea, who opened their title defence with a hard-fought victory at Stamford Bridge.

After scoring a brace against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday, club-record signing Lukaku backed that up with a towering 69th-minute header against the Russian champions in Group H.

Lukaku has scored four goals since arriving from Serie A champions Inter and Tuchel hailed the in-form Belgium international.

Things you love to see. 

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)

The performance of Romelu was not eas…

Chelsea star Eden Hazard praised Cesc Fabregas for giving everything to the club amid reports the midfielder is set to join Monaco.

Fabregas, 31, was in tears as he left the pitch after Chelsea s 2-0 FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest, having captained the side but missed a first-half penalty.

The Spaniard won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and an EFL Cup after arriving at Stamford Bridge from Barcelona in 2014.

When asked what Fabregas had given Chelsea, Hazard said: Everything.

In five years, I can say that I was lucky to play with him. Since the beginning, when he came, we saw with the first year we won the double together.

The Blues are through to the fourth round thanks to s brace!

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)

A top …

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Mauro Icardi from Paris Saint-Germain in the January transfer window, according to . It has been reported that Tottenham are looking for a new striker and are keen on bringing the 28-year-old to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Icardi has lost his place in the PSG attack due to the signing of Lionel Messi on a free transfer from Barcelona in the summer of 2021. The Argentina international striker has made four starts and four substitute appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season, scoring three goals in the process.

The former Inter Milan striker made 11 starts and nine substitute appearances in Ligue 1 for PSG las season, scoring seven goals and provding three assists in the process,. Icardi score 12 goals and gave two assists in the…

Napoli have landed highly rated forward Victor Osimhen from Lille in a reported club-record deal said to be worth an initial €50million.

The 21-year-old attacker spent just a single season in France but showed enough to seal a big move to Serie A, with Napoli understood to have given him a five-year contract.

Nigeria international Osimhen moved to Europe in 2017 when he signed for Wolfsburg, but he was allowed to join Belgian club Charleroi on loan and they triggered a purchase option on him just last year after scoring 20 times in 2018-19.

Charleroi quickly made a significant profit on their apparent €3.5m outlay as Lille came calling, bringing him to France in a deal said to be worth up to €15m.

During his solitary season in Ligue 1, Osimhen score…

Kyle Walker believes next season s Premier League title race could be even tougher as Manchester City and Liverpool prepare to take the fight to the final day.

City lead by just a point with two games of 2018-19 remaining and anything but a Reds defeat at Newcastle United on Saturday will ensure silverware is still on the line as the campaign concludes next week.

Both sides have maintained an extraordinary pace, leaving the rest of the top six in their wake, yet Walker expects a response next season.

And with City and Liverpool continuing to improve while Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United try to make up ground, the England defender expects the task to only become more difficult.

It is credit to both teams and both managers that there is a…

Dejan Kulusevski has acknowledged Tottenham have an advantage over their rivals with no European football this year and feels it could make the difference come the end of the season.

Spurs returned to the Premier League summit on Monday night with a 2-0 win over Fulham courtesy of goals from Son Heung-min and James Maddison.

Ange Postecoglou’s resurgent side are next in action on Friday at Crystal Palace, where they could go five points clear at the top with a victory and while Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool have European fixtures to contend with this week, Tottenham can focus purely on league action.

Happy with how the table is looking Spurs fans?

— Premier League (@premierleague)

“Honestly, it helps a lot. Physically, I remember …

While criticising Joan Laporta s management, Ronald Koeman has claimed Barcelona are caught up in their own history as football evolves beyond their identity on the pitch.

The former Barcelona head coach claims Laporta placed unnecessary pressure on him before his dismissal in October last year.

Xavi taking over from the 59-year-old formed part of a narrative that the financially embattled club would return to their roots both on and off the pitch, as part of Laporta s second stint as club president.

In an interview with Esport3, Koeman suggested such a sentiment is ultimately impractical and ignorant of football s evolution, while defending his own tactical choices in charge of the Blaugrana.

I am in favour of dominating the game, he said. If you play …