Former Lille boss Rene Girard has backed midfielder Idrissa Gueye to succeed with Paris Saint-Germain. The Senegal international has been in the ranks of Everton for the past three seasons but he is now expected to make the return to Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, who are set to pay around £28m to secure his signature.

Speaking to Le Parisien, Girard spoke about his association with Gueye at former club Lille while citing that the midfielder has the credentials to succeed with the French champions, he said: “Yes, because even if the team has scavengers, like Verratti, he does not have the same volume of play as Idrissa. I am sure that they will be complementary and that he will quickly find his place. His qualities allow him to play recuperator or runner, or even on one side. He will no doubt often be associated with Marco Verratti, but he can hold a sentry post without any problem. I had done it in Lille. A player like Kanté has raised his level of play as the competition has grown. Idrissa can do all that.”

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has said that the Blues are aiming to play with a high intensity and dominant games next season. The west London giants ended the previous campaign on a high with Europa League success and Azpilicueta is aiming to carry on the good traits for the new season where they will be managed by Frank Lampard.

Speaking to the club’s official website, he said: "I’m really looking forward to the new season," he told the club's official website. We’ve all had a good break, which was needed after a long season with the Europa League running until the end of May.It’s always a lot of hard work during pre-season but it’s the work you have to put in, to create a good base for our physical condition. We want to play with high intensity and we want to be dominant in games, the manager has explained how he wants us to play and we are all enjoying the camp so far."

Former Tottenham Hotspur ace Darren Bent believes Gareth Bale has a good chance of heading to the Premier League with Spurs this summer. The Wales international has endured a torrid spell with Real Madrid in the past couple of seasons and his future remains uncertain with manager Zinedine Zidane returning to the helm.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Bent said that Bale should have do difficulty in returning to the Premier League with Spurs, considering the club are moving in the right direction after reaching the final of last season’s Champions League, he told: “I can see him coming back [to England] but where is the difficulty. You look at Spurs and he knows the club, they're going in the right direction, a new stadium, brilliant manager, young team. He'll go to where suits him best and he'll have a number of options. When you look at the teams in the Premier League, it comes down to Tottenham and Manchester United.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has said that he has no plans to leave the north London club and is motivated to take the team to the next level. The Argentine had recently presented doubts over his future by stating that he could leave Spurs after the Champions League final but he has now dismissed the prospect of doing so.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Pochettino revealed that Spurs have some of the best facilities in the world and he is keen on taking the club to the top of the ladder, he said: “Tottenham, for me, is the best club in the world. When we talk about facilities - this training ground, a stadium that is the best in the world - there is no better club. We need to make that step. Of course, we realise we can continue in this process, we can put Tottenham with the best teams in the world.”

Arsenal defender Stephan Lichtsteiner has admitted that he could head through the club’s exit door this summer. The Switzerland international has just one month remaining on his existing deal with the Gunners and he appears disinterested over an extension amid the reduced gametime over the course of his debut campaign with the club.

Speaking to Evening Standard, Lichtsteiner acknowledged that he cannot assure his stay at the north London club next term, considering the proceedings during the backend of the season, he said: “I see it being quite difficult to stay but we are going to see what happens. I don’t know anything. The only important thing is the Europa League Final now. I really want to win this cup and bring this club back to the top level, back to the Champions League and winning important titles.”

The Scottish National Football Team has never looked short of top-class talent but has consistently struggled to live up to their billing. A succession of poor managerial appointments, poorer performances and a general lack of cohesion between both has left the Scots desperate for some stability and form going into Euro 2020 qualifiers.

The recent sacking of the much-maligned Alex McLeish is an opportunity for the SFA to start again with yet another clean slate. How can they leave their failings in the past and make a genuine challenge to compete in Europe’s premier international competition?