Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has rejoined Monaco on a season-long loan deal.

The 25-year-old returns to Ligue 1 just two years on from a reported £40million move from the Principality club.

Monaco have the option to sign Bakayoko on a permanent deal, with the prospective fee reportedly set at £38m (€42.5m).

I am very happy to come back to AS Monaco, a club with which I keep fantastic memories, he told Monaco s website.

Since 2017, I had the opportunity to have two very good experiences with Chelsea and [AC] Milan.

I hope to be able to integrate as quickly as possible in this collective, in an environment that I already know, and especially with the desire to bring to the group what I know how to make a good season.

Vice pre…

Cheikhou Kouyate and Ismaila Sarr scored inside the final 25 minutes as Senegal overcame Equatorial Guinea 3-1 to reach the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals. 

Aliou Cisse s side were comfortably the better team in the first half and they deservedly went ahead in the 28th minute when Famara Diedhiou coolly slotted past Jesus Owono after being played in by Sadio Mane.

Equatorial Guinea thought they had been given the chance to draw level shortly after the interval when Iban Salvador clipped against Kalidou Koulibaly s hand in the penalty area, but referee Victor Gomes overturned his initial decision after being encouraged to review the incident by the VAR.

They were not to be denied in the 57th minute, though, Jannick Buyla controlling Pablo Ganet s pass and f…

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed there are several COVID-19 cases within the Gunners camp, as he called on the Premier League to make a decision on whether games continue.

The clubs are set to convene in the coming days to determine whether matches should go ahead amid rising coronavirus cases in the United Kingdom.

Arsenal s trip to Leeds United was the only fixture to go ahead on Saturday, with the other postponed. There are three matches set to be played on Sunday.

Albert Sambi Lokonga missed out at Elland Road after returning a positive test result and Arteta, who contracted the virus in March 2020, revealed there have been a number of cases detected within the club and the training ground will be closed.

There are a lot of games being su…

Diego Simeone believes Atletico Madrid have fallen short of their objectives this season, but conceded it is difficult to compete with the best team in the world in Real Madrid.

Although they are set for a fourth-place finish in LaLiga, Los Rojiblancos are 21 points adrift of Carlo Ancelotti s newly crowned champions.

Atleti fell to Borussia Dortmund following a 5-4 aggregate defeat in the Champions League quarter-finals, while they were soundly beaten by Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey semi-finals.

And as a third successive trophyless season comes to pass at the Metropolitano Stadium, Simeone admits his side could have done better.

We have the responsibility to get into the Champions League every year. You can be left out, but you can also be champio…

While Manchester City might have thought they had a golden chance to lay down another marker on Saturday evening, the Premier League leaders eventually suffered what was an action-packed 3-2 defeat at home against Tottenham.

Despite storming their way to a stunning Champions League romp out in Portugal a few days ago, the Sky Blues rather drastically failed to build off of that momentum as they eventually fell to their first domestic defeat since the end of October.

Watching their buffer at the top of the table get cut down to just six points, there is no doubt that Saturday s display at the Etihad has breathed life back into Tottenham s charge for a top-four finish this season.

With England skipper Harry Kane really breaking Manchester City s hearts after a rem…

Swansea City captain Ashley Williams is ready to talk if Napoli make an approach for his services, according to the player s agent.

Reports in Italy this week suggested that Napoli coach Rafael Benitez was preparing to make an offer after being impressed by the defender during the Italian club s UEFA Europa League meetings with Swansea.

Williams, who is out of contract at the end of the end of next season, has long been linked with a transfer to Arsenal, but a switch to Serie A could tempt him.

His agent, Peter Smith, however, insists that talk of a move to Italy is just speculation at present.

There has been talk of meetings with the club or with Rafa Benitez, but there s no truth in that at the moment, Smith told Napoli Calcio Live.

Clearly we are talking…

Germany head coach Hansi Flick is confident Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz can return just as strong after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The 18-year-old sustained the damage in Saturday s 1-0 Bundesliga loss to Cologne when twisting awkwardly on the turf 28 minutes into the contest.

Wirtz has earned four senior caps for Germany, having made his debut last September, but is now in a battle to be fit and ready for the World Cup in November.

The news is a big blow for Flick ahead of his first tournament in charge of Germany, but the ex-Bayern Munich boss has faith that Wirtz will make a full recovery.

He is one of the greatest talents that German football has produced in recent years, Flick told the DFB s official website. 

…

Real Madrid are interested in signing Evan Ferguson from Brighton and Hove Albion, according to . The report has claimed that former La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners Madrid are looking for young talents, and that Ferguson is on their radar.

Ferguson is one of the best young strikers and has been very impressive in the Premier League with Brighton. The Republic of Ireland international striker has made 25 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. The 18-year-old has scored 10 goals and given two assists in those games.

Madrid are at the top of the La Liga table at the moment with 15 points from five matches. Meanwhile, Brighton currently find themselves fifth in the Premier League table with 12 points from five matches, just three points behind lea…

Harry Kane showed Manchester City what they missed out on with a sensational double as Tottenham stunned the Premier League leaders 3-2 in a frantic finale on Saturday. 

England captain Kane was heavily linked with a move to City in the close season and sat out Spurs season-opening win over Pep Guardiola s side before eventually staying put. 

The Tottenham talisman played a role in Dejan Kulusevski opening his Spurs account this time, and then Kane put the visitors back in front after Ilkay Gundogan s equaliser. 

Riyad Mahrez s stoppage-time penalty appeared to have salvaged a draw for City, but Kane headed home in the fifth added minute to leave the champions advantage over Liverpool at the summit at six points, having played a game more.

Tottenham…

Disgraced former UEFA president Michel Platini will address the Congress of European Football s governing body on Wednesday.

UEFA will announce Platini s successor at its 12 Extraordinary Congress in Athens and the former France international has had a request to attend the event accepted.

Platini resigned as UEFA chief in May after the Court of Arbitration for Sport elected not to overturn his ban from all football-related activity.

The suspension, relating to a $2 million (£1.3m) disloyal payment made by then FIFA chief Sepp Blatter in 2011, was reduced from six to four years. The 61-year-old denies any wrongdoing.

The FIFA Ethics Committee has informed UEFA that Michel Platini will be allowed to address the 12th Extraordinary UEFA Congress in Athens …