In the latest Transfer News, Liverpool target Porto's Otavio as they prepare for a life without Salah. While Neymar looks to surely leave PSG in the summer.

Porto's Otavio on Klopp's radar to replace Moh Salah

Liverpool are set to make a move for FC Porto winger Otavio in the summer transfer window, according to a new transfer rumour which has emerged.

The 27-year-old has become a key player for Porto over the years, catching the eye with his performances on the right wing and racking up 237 games for the club.

The Portuguese side believe an official offer of around £34m will be made by Jurgen Klopp's club in what is expected to be a pivotal week for the player's future. Brazil-born Portugal international Otavio has a release clause of around £51m in his contract.

But it is understood the Primeira Liga side are willing to do business at around the £38m mark and the player's agent, Israel Oliveira, is in England trying to get a deal over the line for the 27-year-old.

Otavio can operate out wide or in the No.10 role and was the subject of a bid from Leeds last week which fell just short of £26m. It was rejected by Porto, who signed the player from Internacional in his homeland in 2014. Otavio represented Brazil at age group level but in March 2021 he became a Portuguese citizen and he made his debut for his adopted nation later in the year.

Leeds are also expected to come back with a bigger offer this week. Liverpool signed Colombia star Luis Diaz from Porto in January.

Liverpool are following up their interest attacking players having sold Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich. Mane said in a farewell interview with the club's website how it will be weird to start next season in the Bundesliga as he paid tribute to Reds boss Klopp.

Latest Transfer News: Neymar Saga over at PSG?

According to RMC Sport, Neymar is now considering a departure from Paris Saint-Germain Neymar is now seeking for clarification regarding club's intentions concerning his future.

In an interview with Le Parisien, PSG president Nasser Al-Khlelaïfi spoke about a possible departure for Neymar:

"A possible departure of Neymar this summer? What I can tell you is that we expect all the players to do much more than last season, much more! They all have to be at 100 per cent".

Whilst the PSG number 10's contract was automatically extended to 2027, it was reported last week that Luis Campos is looking to sell Neymar – with QSI allegedly being in complete agreement that the Brazilian should leave the club.

In private the Brazilian has expressed multiple times his need to 'feel loved' by the club in order for to get the best performances from him – however at PSG the hierarchy are no longer hiding the fact that they would like to see the player leave.

For more Latest Transfer News, follow Sportz Point.

The UEFA Champions League is the pinnacle of club football, boasting the best talent from around the globe. Over the years, African players have made a significant impact on Europe's elite competition, with many of them showcasing their skills but also finding the back of the net consistently.

From legendary strikers to dynamic wingers, this article highlights the top 10 African players with the most goals in Champions League history, celebrating their remarkable achievements on the grandest stage of European football.

10 most successful African Players with most goals in the UEFA Champions League:

10. Sebastian Haller| 12 Goals | Ivory Coast:

While the Ivorian found the net just 10 times in 48 games for the Hammers, he experienced a career revival at Ajax, netting an impressive 32 times in 50 games. Sebastian Haller made his Champions League debut in the 2021-22 season, scoring in his first seven games in the competition, including four in his debut against Ruben Amorim’s Sporting. Haller scored just one more UEFA Champions League goal and was given just 10 minutes in the German side’s 2024 final defeat to Real Madrid.

9. Rabah Madjer | Algeria | 12 Goals:

Madjer is considered one of the best players in the history of Algerian football and shot to renown as a Porto player in the 1980s. He scored six goals on Porto’s first UEFA Champions League winning run, including the equalizer against Bayern Munich in the final at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion. Madjer retired in 1992 and twice managed his home country, having played in their first ever World Cup in 1982.

8. Vincent Aboubakar | 14 Goals | Cameroon: 

Aboubakar made his UEFA Champions League debut in 2014 with Porto, scoring a goal in a 6-0 thrashing of BATE Borisov. He came back with a goal in the return fixture at home to Shakhtar and scored his first knockout goal against Basel but was an unused substitute in both quarter-final legs against Bayern Munich, including the 6-1 defeat that sent Porto out.

In the next two seasons, one spent at Porto and the other at Besiktas, Aboubakar netted six times but failed to get out of the group stage. He scored his final Champions League goals in 2017 with a brace against Monaco but was injured for the last 16 tie against Liverpool, a 5-0 defeat at the Estádio do Dragao.

7. Seydou Doumbia | 15 Goals | Ivory Coast:

Doumbia scored 15 UEFA Champions League goals in 31 games for three different clubs in his career. He moved to Basel in 2016, scoring just once in six games before ending his European run at Sporting in the 2017-18 season. He made his debut with CSKA Moscow, scoring five times in the 2011-12 season, but never hit that height again.

6. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Gabon | 17 Goals:

 Aubameyang primarily scored his goals with Dortmund, he managed just two for Chelsea, but Gabon’s all-time top scorer never made it past the UEFA Champions League quarter finals having twice exited at that stage in 2014 and 2017. Aubameyang is, however, the all-time top goal scorer in Europa League history, netting 34 times in 62 games.

5. Riyad Mahrez | Algeria | 20 Goals:

Riyad Mahrez kicked things off with two goals in Leicester’s opening group match against Brugge before finding the net two more times ahead of the knockouts. He played every minute of Leicester’s knockout run but could only manage a single assist in that time. 

In the 2020-21 season, Mahrez was a crucial player on Manchester City’s run, scoring in the quarters before three goals against PSG in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. However, he could not find the net as City lost 1-0 to Chelsea in the final. By the time of the 2023 win, Mahrez had fallen down the City pecking order and stayed on the bench for the whole of the 1-0 win against Inter.

4. Sadio Mane | Senegal | 27 Goals:

The 2019 and 2022 African Player of the Year Mane was a talisman in Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool rebuild. Joining in 2016, Mane along with Salah and Roberto Firmino combined to be a lethal front three with the Senegalese player scoring 10 goals in the 17-18 UEFA Champions League season, a figure only beaten by his team-mates and Cristiano Ronaldo. Moving to Bayern Munich in 2022, Mane struggled to replicate his Liverpool form but still scored three goals in the group stages before departing for Al-Nassr in 2023.

3. Samuel Eto'o | Cameroon | 30 Goals:

The four-time African player of the year winner, a figure only matched by Yaya Toure, scored most of his UEFA Champions League goals for Barcelona including six in their 2005-06 triumph and four in the 2008-09 win under Pep Guardiola. Moving to Inter in 2009, Eto’o became the fourth player in history to win back-to-back Champions Leagues at different clubs and played every game in the Jose Mourinho-masterminded run. Still considered by many to be the best African player of all-time, Samuel Eto’o was a deadly mix of pace and clinical finishing.

2. Didier Drogba | Ivory Coast | 44 Goals:

With 10 goals in 10 finals, the Ivorian was the man for the big occasion, and he made his UEFA Champions League debut with Marseille in 2003, scoring five goals in six games. Getting his move to Chelsea the following season, Drogba hit the same number in the 2004-05 campaign but managed just one goal in seven appearances the next year. 

He scored twice in the 2008 semi-final to set up a clash against rivals Manchester United, but a John Terry slip in a rain-soaked Moscow denied Chelsea their first UEFA Champions League title. But that success would come in 2012 with Drogba playing a starring role in the final.

1. Mohamed Salah | Egypt | 50 Goals:

Considering he scored just three goals in his first 15 UEFA Champions League appearances, betting on Mohamed Salah to one day become the leading African goal-scorer would have seemed a waste of money back in 2016. Famously a second choice of Klopp – the German preferred Julian Brandt – Salah hit 10 goals in his first UEFA Champions League season at Anfield, propelling Liverpool to their first final since 2007 but an early injury caused by Sergio Ramos forced him to the sideline as Real Madrid won 3-1 in Kyiv.

Hello and welcome to another UEFA Champions League night. Tonight, we will cover the high-intense match-up in the UCL 2024-25 Round of 16 as Liverpool will go against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg at the Parc des Princes, Paris.

Despite a ruthless performance from PSG, Liverpool snatched a slender 1-0 victory at the Parc des Princes, thanks to a late strike from Harvey Elliot and a supreme goalkeeping performance from Alisson, who made nine saves throughout the game. 

Read Also | Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Champions League 2024-25 | Match Preview, Head-to-head, Possible Lineups and Fantasy XI Prediction

Both teams are in contention to qualify for the quarters, as the game will offer a high-quality footballing action for the fans. So, sit back and relax as Soumit Bhattacharya brings you the buildup, news, images, live scores, news, and updates of the Liverpool vs Paris Saint-Germain match from our webdesk.

Moreover, you can follow us on Twitter for all the updates. Join our Telegram and WhatsApp channels to get all the news and scorelines.

Following the conclusion of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg, we can presume the potential entrants into the UCL quarter-finals, whereas the fate of some match-ups will be decided in the second leg.

Liverpool, the league phase leaders, managed a hard-fought 1-0 win against PSG; whereas ten-men Barcelona snatched a narrow 1-0 victory over Benfica. Real Madrid emerged victorious by 2-1 in the Madrid Derby against Atletico Madrid.

On the contrary, Bayern Munich thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 and Arsenal ran riot over PSV, winning 7-1 to practically secure their advancement to the next round of the competition.

Read Also | UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Knockout Stage Draw: Round of 16, Quarter-Final, and Semi-Final

UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg Round Up

Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa

Aston Villa salvaged two late goals to triumph 3-1 over Club Brugge in the first leg of the RO16 tie at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium.

Leon Bailey opened the account for Aston Villa in only three minutes into the game. Club Brugge quickly answered with Maxim De Cuyper scoring in the 12th minute. 

However, Bruges defender Brandon Mechele scored a cheeky own goal to hand Villa the lead in the 82nd minute. Following that, Marco Asensio scored from the spot in the 88th minute, securing a two-goal lead for Aston Villa in the first leg.

Real Also | Club Brugge vs Aston Villa Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16: Aston Villa will face Club Brugge in the second leg with a two-goal lead

Real Madrid 2-1 Atlético Madrid

Real Madrid impressively managed a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the 'Madrid Derby' against Atletico Madrid, in one of the biggest fixtures of UCL 2024-25 RO16 this season.

Rodrygo scored a spectacular goal from Los Blancos in the fourth minute of the game, with Julian Alvarez canceling it out with another world-class strike in the 32nd minute.

However, Brahim Diaz scored the winner for Real Madrid in the 55th minute to hand Atletico a one-goal deficit ahead of the second leg.

Real Also | Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Real Madrid secure narrow victory over Atletico Madrid in the first leg of the Round of 16

PSV 1-7 Arsenal

Arsenal ran demolition over PSV, crushing the Dutch side 7-1 in the first leg at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands, practically securing their quarter-final tickets.

Jurrien Timber opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 18th minute, as Ethan Nwaneri doubled the lead in the 21st minute. Mikel Merino extended the lead in the 31st minutes, but PSV pulled off a goal from Noa Lang's spotkick in the 43rd minute.

Arsenal's scoring spree continued in the second half, with Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard scoring consecutively in the 47th and the 48th minute. Odegaard completed his brace in the 73rd minute, and Ricardo Calafiori put the final coffin on the nail in the 85th minute.

Borussia Dortmund 1-1 LOSC

Borussia Dortmund and Lille OSC shared an exciting 1-1 stalemate in the first leg at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, with everything to play for in the second leg.

Karim Adeyemi netted an absolute banger in the 22nd minute of the match. Following that, Borussia found the equalizer in the 68th minute with Haraldsson tapping the ball home.

Feyenoord 0-2 Inter Milan

Inter Milan earned a dominant first-leg lead over Feyenoord, winning 2-0 in Rotterdam to manage a two-goal cushion ahead of the reverse fixture.

Marcus Thuram found the breakthrough for Inter in the 38th minute with a volleyed strike. Shortly after the break, Lautaro Martinez doubled the Nerazzurri's lead with a superb strike, also becoming Inter's all-time leading goalscorer in UCL.

The Italian outfit were close to adding a third goal from the spot, but Piotr Zieliński's penalty was well saved by Feyenoord custodian Timon Wellenreuther.

Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Bayern Munich eased past Bayer Leverkusen in the first-ever all-German tie in the UCL, beating the Bundesliga counterparts 3-0 at the Allianz Arena.

Harry Kane opened the account for Bayern only nine minutes into the game, scoring a powerful header. In the 54th minute, Jamal Musiala extended the lead as he slashed it home from a rebound.

Leverkusen defender Nordi Mukiele was shown a second yellow and was sent off in the 62nd minute, resulting in the third goal for Bayern. Harry Kane completed his brace in the 75th minute by scoring from the penalty spot to hand Bayern a comfortable victory.

Read Also | FC Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25: Kane's Brace leads Bayern to dominant 3-0 Win over ten-men Leverkusen

Benfica 0-1 Barcelona

Keeper Wojciech Szczęsny's trusted gloves resisted the fall of a ten-men FC Barcelona against Benfica in the first leg at Estádio da Luz, leading them to a slender 1-0 victory.

Defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the 22nd minute of the game, following a straight red card. Barcelona were down to ten men, but Wojciech Szczęsny became unbreakable beneath the sticks, making a massive eight saves on the way.

The only goal of the match came off Raphinha's magical feet, as the Brazilian found the back of the net with a sublime long-ranger strike that went past Trubin through the left-bottom corner.

PSG 0-1 Liverpool

It was another Champions League classic at Parc des Princes as Liverpool salvaged a narrow 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in an electric encounter.

Liverpool custodian Alisson Becker became absolute impregnable against continuous efforts from PSG attackers, especially Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Alisson was only beaten once in the 20th minute, when a marvellous curler from Kvaratskhelia ended up in the net, but was cancelled for offside.

Alisson made nine saves in the whole game, whereas Liverpool earned the winning goal in the 87th minute as Harvey Elliot fired his strike past Donnarumma, only 47 seconds after coming off the bench.

Read Also | Paris Saint-Germain vs Liverpool Highlights UEFA Champions League 2024-25 | Alisson puts up a masterclass in Paris; Elliot's late strike sinks a ruthless PSG

For his part, Mohamed Salah has been dazzling the football world with astonishing performances and record-breaking feats. Just recently, he accomplished something incredible that had fans and analysts all in madness.

The only thing more incredible about this is that Lionel Messi has reached this insane milestone 13 times in his career. This gives a sense of Messi’s consistency, of course, a level that few, if anyone could have matched, and context to Salah’s achievement. Let’s break down the stats, and how the two superstars compare.

Mohamed Salah's 2024-25 season so far:

The Egyptian Talisman scored his 25th goal of the 2024-25 Premier League season in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Manchester City. Liverpool is at the top of the table and 11 points ahead of the second-placed Arsenal.

The Red's remarkable season has been led by Mohamed Salah, whose strike at the Etihad put his team in front and made it 25 goals for this season- six ahead of the Golden Boot contenders, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland.

Mohamed Salah's UCL 2024-25 Stats:

Matches Played: 7*

Goals: 3*

Assists: 4*

Goal Contribution: 7*

Total Attempts: 25*

Mohammed Salah's Premier League 2024-25 Stats: 

Matches Played: 27* 

Goals: 25*

Assists: 16*

Goal Contribution: 41*

Lionel Messi's 13 seasons with 50+ Goal Contributions:

No player in football history has a better rate or more consistency in front of goal than Lionel Messi. Messi's record of 50+ goal contributions (goals + assists) in a single season 13 times, most famously his 105 Goal Contribution in 2011-12 season.

Messi has maintained the best level of performance. His ability to score and assist with such solidity across different leagues. From his early years at Barcelona to his later success, Messi’s impact on the game has been unparalleled, making him without doubt one of the greatest players to ever play the game.

Messi's 13 Seasons with 50+ Goal Contributions:

The FIFA Puskas Award is among world football's most prestigious individual honors. It is given annually to the players who score the most beautiful goal of the year. Established in 2009 and named after the legendary Hungarian striker Ferenc Puskas, the award recognizes skill, creativity, and breathtaking moments that capture football fans worldwide. Over the past decade, some of football's biggest names as well as least-known talents, have claimed the honor of unforgettable strikes. Here is the full list of the past decade's FIFA Puskas winners:

FIFA Puskas Winners (2015-2024):

 10. Alejandro Garnacho | Manchester United | 2024:

Manchester United's winger Alejandro Garnacho won the FIFA Puskas Award for the overhead kick goal against Everton in Goodison Park. The Argentine International scored the goal in the third minute of the match and the Red Devils won that match by a 3-0 scoreline on 26 November 2023. 

He became the second Manchester United player to win the FIFA Puskas Award. Cristiano Ronaldo was the first Manchester United player, who won the FIFA Puskas Award for his long ranger against Porto.

2024 FIFA Puskas Award top 3 Nominees:

9. Guilherme Madruga | Botafogo-SP | 2023:

PRÊMIO PUSKAS PARA GUILHERME MADRUGA! 🇧🇷pic.twitter.com/dWp8KDlCaV

— ⚽ (@DoentesPFutebol) January 15, 2024

Guilherme Madruga won FIFA Puskas Award for the Overhead Kick goal against Novorizontino in Brazilian Serie B. The Botafogo Star scored the goal from outside of the box with an exceptional overhead kick. It Was the winning goal for the Botafogo-SP and Guilherme's first goal for the club.

2023 FIFA Puskas Award top 3 nominees:

8. Marcin Olesky | Warta Poznan | 2022:

Marcin Olesky is an amputee footballer, and he plays for Warta Poznan and Poland national amputee football team. The Polish international scored an overhead kick goal, and there was no other goal like in the nominee this one. Despite being an amputee, his dedication to football is exceptional. Olesky's physical disadvantage did not stop him from scoring an overhead kick, and pulling off the most valuable individual award.

2022 FIFA Puskas Award Nominees:

7. Erik Lamela | Tottenham Hotspurs | 2021:

The Argentine international scored the FIFA Puskas Award-winning goal in a North London derby. After a ball was played across the Arsenal box to him, he wasted no time and scored the goal with a beautiful rabona flick, the ball curled between Thomas Partey's legs and finished right into the bottom corner. Unfortunately, the Gunners pulled off an epic comeback and won the game 2-1 and Erik Lamela was sent off later in the second half.

2021 FIFA Puskas Award nominees:

 6. Son Heung-min | Tottenham Hotspurs | 2020:

The Korean international's absurd strike that saw him pick the ball up on the edge of his own box and dribble the entire length of the pitch before scoring it home.  On the day, Tottenham beat Burnley 5-0 in the Premier League, but the highlight of the match was Son's exceptional FIFA Puskas Award-winning goal. It was a fantastic solo effort that will go down as one of the best goals in Son Heung-min's whole career.

2020 FIFA Puskas Award top 3 nominees:

5. Daniel Zsori | Debrecen | 2019:

Imagine scoring on your senior team debut and scoring the winner against the league leaders in the 93rd minute with an outrageous overhead kick. Daniel Zsori did that against Ferencvaros in the Hungarian league. He started his senior career in the most emphatic fashion possible. His effort edged out Lionel Messi's dink against Real Betis.

4. Mohamed Salah | Liverpool | 2018:

Mohamed Salah wins the FIFA Puskas Award 2018 for this cracking goal against Everton! 🔴 🇪🇬 pic.twitter.com/MCn7zjd9S5

— The Anfield Buzz (@TheAnfieldBuzz) September 24, 2018

The Egyptian Talisman's effort was decent as he dribbled away two Everton defenders and curled a beautiful effort into the top corner past Jordan Pickford. But is that goal worth it to pull off the FIFA Puskas Award? Cause Salah had scored many goals like this in that season. Amazingly, it beat Cristiano Ronaldo's incredible overhead kick for Real Madrid against Juventus.

2018 FIFA Puskas Award nominees:

3. Olivier Giroud | Arsenal | 2017:

The former French international scored his FIFA Puskas Award-winning goal against Crystal Palace with a scorpion kick. Does the goal deserve to win the FIFA Puskas Award? Cause Henrikh Mkhitaryan did something similar a week before Giroud's goal. Giroud's goal no doubt was a brilliant strike, no one can deny that.

2017 FIFA Puskas Award nominees:

2. Mohd Faiz Subri | Penang | 2016:

It's one of the most remarkable free-kicks ever produced in professional football. Mohd Faiz Subri scored an exceptional free-kick in Malaysian Super League clash between Penang and Pahang back in 2016. With a set piece near the touchline, he aimed and fired an incredible goal that sailed into the top corner, Faiz Subri won the FIFA Puskas Award goal by this goal.

2016 FIFA Puskas Award nominees:

1. Wendell Lira | Goinesia | 2015:

The Brazilian scored his acrobatic effort for Goinesia a 2-1 win over Atletico-GO. Every football fan loves acrobatic goals or overhead kick goals, but this one is not that good. Arguably, in second-place was Lionel Messi's incredible solo goal against Athletic Club in the 2015 Copa del Rey final. No one can deny that Lira's goal is beautiful, but Messi's goal is something else.

2015 FIFA Puskas Award nominees: