Burnley’s bid to rescue Victor Moses from the distress of being left in limbo in warring Russia has been blocked by the Premier League.

The Spartak Moscow player is still stuck in the capital, isolated from family and friends.

Moses, a former Chelsea wing-back, is considered out of contract until June 30 this year, and can be signed under special dispensation granted by FIFA and UEFA.

There has been a temporary amending of the statutes governing transfers due to Russia’s war on Ukraine.

According to Sky Sports, Burnley have tried to provide Moses with the opportunity to play again, earn a salary, and be reunited with his family in England, but the Premier League does not want to accept any such request, citing the sporting integrity of the competition.

The Premier League has come under criticism for its stance.

Former Finland captain Tim Sparv told Sky Sports News: “We need to do everything we can to help players get out of Russia, a country led by a dictator.

“We need to give them the chance to go and play somewhere where they feel safe. This is a humanitarian issue.”

Serie A and the Bundesliga have also barred clubs from using the special dispensation on the grounds of sporting integrity.

Roman Abramovich has reportedly travelled to Poland to mediate between Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden.

The oligarch took the train to Poland on Thursday using his Portuguese passports, reports claim.

TVN reporter Jakob Stachowiak said on social media: “Yesterday he came to Poland in secret from Ukraine by the smart train.

“Interestingly, he used a Portuguese passport. Perhaps there will be an informal meeting with the president. Has Putin sent a billionaire?

“The oligarch got to Poland from the territory of Ukraine, where he was allegedly talking to President Volodymir Zelensky.”

Potential Chelsea buyers will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Thomas Tuchel and Marina Granovskaia before a £2.5billion takeover.

Chelsea have whittled down their list of potential buyers to just a handful of consortiums.

The Blues are now set to choose from options that includes a group involving Seb Coe, ex-Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton and two American businessmen.

And according to The Times, all parties will be given the opportunity to hold talks with manager Tuchel and director Granovskaia.

Chelsea’s buyout candidates are mulling over the reported need to commit £1billion to future investment.

Apart from the club’s £3bn takeover valuation, the Blues are said to want guarantees of huge funding for Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

The four consortiums in the running are thought to be: Chicago Cubs owners the Ricketts family, former Liverpool chairman Sir Martin Broughton aided by Sir Seb Coe, LA Dodgers part-owner Todd Boehly, and Boston Celtics and Atalanta co-owner Stephen Pagliuca.

Meanwhile, the controversial Ricketts family are reportedly willing to pledge the £1bn squad funding Chelsea want as part of a takeover deal.

The Telegraph say the Chicago Cubs owners – whose offer sparked criticism from Blues fans due to historical racism claims – have already come forward to meet the demand.

The mega-rich family are on the four-bid shortlist to buy out Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich despite a #NoToRicketts social media campaign.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has issued Chelsea transfer target Ousmane Dembele – also linked with Manchester United – a blunt warning amid a contract stand-off.

Laporta is still holding talks with Dembele, whose deal with Barca runs out in June, and insists he will have to lower his wage demands if he wishes to stay at the Nou Camp.

As reported by Fabrizio Romano, the Barca bigwig has told the winger he will have to adapt to the club’s new salary scale that is set to come into effect next season.

Laporta also confirmed negotiations are underway with Gavi, Ronald Araujo and Sergi Roberto.

Romano tweeted: “Barcelona president Laporta tells [Mundo Deportivo]: ‘We’ve no news for Ousmane Dembele contract.

‘If he wants to stay, he will have to adapt to our salary scale for next season. ‘Talks are underway with Gavi and Araujo. Sergi Roberto? It’s in the hands of his agent’.”

Dembele has been linked with a Premier League move this summer and Chelsea are among the clubs keeping tabs on him.

Former Chelsea star Cesc Fabregas has expressed his problem with the new trend in modern football, saying “it has changed so, so, so much.”

In an interview with Marca, Fabregas was asked if football itself was still the same as the one that took him to be champion of world with Spain.

Fabregas didn’t hold back with his answer, leaving no doubt that he believes some aspects of the modern game have been taken too far.

“Football has changed so, so, so much. The change started about four or five years ago and now it’s quite notable. I’ve had various managers and it’s not just happened with one or two. It’s happened with four or five. This thing is here to stay.

“They are methodologies based on a lot a automatisms, in which the manager basically tells you where you have to pass the ball in every moment. The player has to be positioned in their exact place. It’s becoming a robotic game.”

For a player who thrived off creativity and the ability to manipulate the ball, the physical side of the game is taking over too much according to the Catalan.

“Then there’s the game of the GPS. Many managers are obsessed with the numbers. If you don’t get to these numbers, you’re not prepared to play, if you rest, you have to do these numbers in order to maintain your level…”

“Sometimes I’m a bit old-school’ in that respect. I have experienced great moments, great periods in my career in which I managed, without training, great seasons both physically and mentally. Now it seems like if you don’t train, you can’t be good. Everything is based on science, numbers and GPS.”

Regardless of what is preferable, as Fabregas says, this is here to stay