Manchester City will walk away from a deal for Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes if they do not believe it offers value for money. The Premier League champions have turned to the Portugal international after ending their interest in West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who faces an uncertain future as the FA investigate potential breaches of betting regulations. City have reportedly had a £47m offer for Nunes rejected with Wolves apparently believing the 24-year-old is worth considerably more than that. But City have a history of abandoning their attempts to sign players – from Harry Maguire to Declan Rice – when they felt the price exceeded their valuation and are willing to do so again if they cannot agree a suitable amount with Wolves. However, Pep Guardiola described Nunes as “one of the best players in the world” after City faced Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League in 2022. Wolves paid £38m for Nunes last summer but he has had an underwhelming spell at Molineux, scoring one goal in 40 games and being needlessly sent off in Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Brighton. However, the summer departures of the long-serving pair of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho meant he was shaping up as key player for Wolves this season. City’s search for midfield reinforcements was given added urgency when Kevin De Bruyne was ruled out for four months with a serious hamstring injury. They have signed Mateo Kovacic and defender Josko Gvardiol this summer while Rennes winger Jeremy Doku should become their third addition. Read More Laporte confirms Man City exit as treble-winner heads for Saudi Arabia Football rumours: Manchester City turn attention to Palace’s Eberechi Eze Bernardo Silva signs new Manchester City contract

Tottenham Hotspur are still some way off agreeing a fee for Brennan Johnson, as Nottingham Forest are completely unmoving from £40m basic price for the forward. The stand-off could yet see Chelsea in late on, as they retain an interest in the 22-year-old. With a lot of the major clubs still looking at attacking signings in terms of wide players and No.9s, Johnson is seen as a player whose versatility and pace up front are of huge value and Ange Postecoglou is hugely keen. Personal terms will not be a problem and Johnson is willing to go to Spurs, but negotiations between the London club and Forest are understood to have been hugely frustrating. Chelsea are nowhere near so advanced, and haven't got to that stage, as they survey potential attackers. The club are prioritising an out-and-out centre-forward but there are not too many obvious choices available, and there is a belief in the market they will move for Johnson late on in the window if his future is not yet agreed. It is therefore a deal that could go to the very last hours of the window. Across the summer regarding the striker options at each club, Spurs sold Harry Kane to Bayern Munich while Chelsea are still looking to offload Romelu Lukaku. Forest signed Chris Wood on a permanent deal from Newcastle, having had him on loan last season. Read More Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink calls for patience at Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino Football rumours: Arsenal put £50million fee on Folarin Balogun as rival circles Football rumours: Manchester City’s bid for Lucas Paqueta set to crumble

What the papers say Manchester City have seemingly pulled the plug on a move for West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta and are instead moving their focus towards 25-year-old Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze, the Times reports. City have reportedly been monitoring Eze for the last six months. The Daily Mail says City are also interested in Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes. But the Daily Express reports the Molineux club are unlikely to sell him so close to the end of the transfer window unless City up their bid. Arsenal forward Nicolas Pepe is reportedly looking likely to move to the Saudi Pro League after rejecting a move to Besiktas, Metro reports. Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku could land at Juventus, who would pay Chelsea £35million for his services, but only if the Italian side can sell Serbia striker Dusan Vlahovic, according to the Evening Standard. West Ham are not giving up on their pursuit of Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus after they had two bids turned down from the club, the Telegraph says. Social media round-up Players to watch Cameron Archer: Sheffield United are close to locking in an £18.5million deal for the 21-year-old Aston Villa striker, according to the Guardian. Youssef En-Nesyri: Sky Sports says West Ham have begun talks with Sevilla to try and strike a deal for the 26-year-old striker. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

As Texas A&M tries to rebuild from a terrible offensive 2022-23 campaign, the Aggies have been able to sell out their allotted season tickets. Does the 12th man believe in their new offense?

LSU football will take on Florida State in Week 1 down a man after Maason Smith was suspended over an NIL from two years ago.

Reggie Bush is suing the NCAA for defamation. Whether or not he wins the court case, he has the upper hand on the NCAA in this one.

No. 1 ranked quarterback Julian Lewis is shunning his home state and choosing to play football at USC in 2026.

Lee Johnson claims his Hibernian side were up against an Aston Villa side with “almost superhuman” qualities in their 5-0 Europa Conference League thrashing at Easter Road. It was the Midlands club’s first European tie in 13 years and the first leg of their qualifying play-off tie was won by the interval thanks to three headers, two by England international Ollie Watkins and one from Jamaica’s Leon Bailey. Watkins grabbed his hat-trick three minutes after the restart with and Douglas Luiz adding a fifth from the spot in the 74th minute to make next week’s second leg at Villa Park all but academic. It was Johnson’s 500th competitive game in management and he tried to put the defeat into context as he turned his attention to the visit of Livingston in the Premiership on Saturday. He said: “I think we have a really good, honest bunch of players. I trust them and they give their all every day. “There is a difference. Premier League players now are almost superhuman in their athleticism. It’s the super-elite from all over the world and that’s what you get. “It was a good experience, and I don’t think it will affect confidence going into the Livingston game. “But the physical recovery is really key for us because we are a team that needs to use our running power and our physicality at our level to maximise our performances. “I’m still proud of the club for being at this level on this stage. The reality is we have an English League One budget against a fantastic multi-international standard Aston Villa. “It was clear there was a gulf in class, I can’t deny that. “At half-time we wanted to salvage some pride and look like we were going to go and win the half. We started it pretty well and got behind them, but that’s the difference – one break, one poor positional error, one quality pass and a great finish. “Having played against Premier League teams in the past, you cannot make positional errors because they’re punished. “So I hope this experience is a good one, because your lessons can become your teacher. We can grow from having felt the quality of the athleticism, the touch and the tactical work that Villa did tonight.” Villa boss Unai Emery was pleased with the way his side approached their biggest away win in Europe. He said: “If we weren’t competitive and serious we could have had problems. “We spoke before the match about how we had to respect the opponents and be focused and consistent in our game plan. “We knew if we weren’t we could have lost. We were focused and disciplined and consistent for 90 minutes. That is the mentality I want to create here.” Emery revealed he replaced goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with Robin Olsen for the start of the second half because the World Cup winner “had a small pain and we didn’t want to take a risk with him”. Former Hibs favourite John McGinn captained Villa and was a powerhouse in midfield to the delight of his boss. “He is amazing,” said Emery. “I know you love him here more than me, but I think he is amazing. “He always wants, from the first minute to the 90th minute, to run and to be competitive. “I am very happy with him. And not only as a player, as a person as well. His commitment is very high. “He is always positive, always smiling. In bad moments, in good moments, he always keeps the same mentality. It is fantastic.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Great Britain’s Josh Kerr wins stunning 1500m gold at World Championships Aymeric Laporte announces Manchester City departure Bernardo Silva signs new Manchester City contract

Bernardo Silva has committed his future to Manchester City after he signed a new contract with the club until 2026. Silva has again been linked with a summer switch away from the Etihad Stadium, with Barcelona reportedly chasing his signature for a number of years. The Portugal international has ended speculation over his future for now by signing a new deal after his previous terms were due to expire in 2025. “I’ve had six incredible years at Manchester City and I’m delighted to extend my time here,” Silva said. “I am going into my seventh season at City. Since I arrived, I can only remember one season where we weren’t successful, so to be here until now meant trophies, meant winning a lot and I like to win. It is good to win. “It is not easy to be a winning team. It is a very good feeling and I wanted to keep it that way. We heard that four in a row was never done in the Premier League before, so we want to try that. Bernardo Silva “It has been a dream in terms of what we have achieved, the prospects of what we can still do. In six years, we have won five Premier Leagues, one Champions League and all of the cups. I couldn’t have it much better to be honest. “What we achieved last season is something unique and we are going to try and grab that opportunity again this season. “We heard that four in a row was never done in the Premier League before, so we want to try that because it is so tough.”

Manchester City midfielder Maximo Perrone has joined Spanish side Las Palmas on a season-long loan, the Premier League champions have announced. The 20-year-old Argentinian joined City from Velez Sarsfield in January and has since made two substitute appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side. Perrone has also been an unused substitute twice this term but will now continue his development with the Gran Canaria-based LaLiga club. A statement from City read: “Maximo Perrone has joined Spanish La Liga side UD Las Palmas on loan for the 2023/24 season.” City, meanwhile, are hoping to complete the signing of Belgium winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes. The 21-year-old was due to complete formalities with the treble winners after they agreed a fee of £55.5million with the French club earlier this week. Doku will become City’s third signing of the summer transfer window after the arrivals of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol. City have also been linked with Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace, with a move for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta now seeming unlikely. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Manchester United have received interest in Mason Greenwood after the decision was taken for the homegrown forward to leave Old Trafford, the PA news agency understands. The 21-year-old has been suspended by the club since January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. Greenwood was facing charges including attempted rape and assault until the Crown Prosecution Service announced six and a half months ago that the case had been discontinued. The forward remained suspended by United throughout that period and the club announced on Monday it had been mutually agreed he would leave following an internal investigation. United are working with Greenwood’s family to help find the right move and PA understands the club have received multiple expressions of interest in the young forward. Clubs in the free-spending Saudi Pro League have been strongly linked with the one-cap England international but Steven Gerrard has rubbished speculation that he could join his side Al-Ettifaq. The former Rangers and Aston Villa manager labelled a story saying his team were considering offering the 21-year-old a deal as “fake news”, while it has been reported a move for the player is seen as too risky by Saudi clubs. Teams in Turkey and Italy have been linked with Greenwood, who is under contract until 2025, with the option of a further year, and is understood to remain on full pay. United boss Erik ten Hag will be asked about the investigation at Friday’s press conference previewing the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. Saturday’s match is set to see more protests against the ownership, with the 1958 supporter group planning an hour-long sit-in after the match as fans look to keep pressure on the Glazers. It is now nine months since the owners announced they were conducting a strategic review, with the sale of United one option being considered. PA understands the Glazers have been warned about an intense backlash if they do not sell following bids from Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Sources close to prospective owner Sheikh Jassim were awaiting updates on their offer as of Wednesday, so too those close to fellow bidder Ratcliffe as the interminable process drags on. On the field, United have some squad shaping to do before the transfer window closes on September 1. Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir is understood to have undergone a medical and could possibly sign if back-up Dean Henderson departs. A return to Forest had been expected earlier in the summer, but a move to Crystal Palace is potentially on the cards. United are looking to ship out centre-back Eric Bailly and Ipswich, managed by former United coach Kieran McKenna, have made a move for left-back Brandon Williams. Scott McTominay looks set to stay having been of interest to West Ham, who defender Harry Maguire rejected a move to last week. Donny van de Beek’s future remains unclear. Facundo Pellistri and Alvaro Fernandez have attracted loan interest, while youngster Noam Emeran is closing in on a permanent move to Dutch side Groningen.

The Women’s World Cup final had barely started and England realised they were in a bind. Spain’s possession was dragging the players all over the pitch and completely distorting Sarina Wiegman’s shape, which meant they had to press that bit higher. As soon as they did that, however, Aitana Bonmati and those around her just passed their way into even more open space. “That’s the quality of Spain,” a magnanimous Wiegman said afterwards, almost resigned to their superior quality. But that is also a new twist on a vintage problem, one which may point to the future for both England and the game. It’s just over a decade since Premier League midfielders – and the rest of the world – were finding the exact same challenges against Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets in the men’s game. The comparisons have already been made with this Spanish midfield, led by Aitana. The success of Spain’s men ended up influencing the entire sport, creating a spate of technically adept players, which has now come full circle. Frenetic pressing reigns for men, but it took over a decade. The women’s game is at the other side of the curve. Spain represent the extreme example of an ongoing transformation, that has already seen the technique of European academies take the game – and the ball – away from the United States. It is going to have increasing influence. It may also pose a problem for England. Because, in recent years, English academies have been among the few in Europe not producing this type of player. It is why, for all the optimism after another international final, there is an issue to work out if this is to be the start of an era rather than just the end of a cycle. There isn’t a single English midfielder at any of the top WSL clubs in Arsenal, Manchester City or Chelsea. At least one manager in the division is known to have complained about it, pointing to a lack of quality coming through in that area. “There’s no one in the pipeline,” one involved source says. England is obviously still producing a lot of talent, but it’s mostly in other positions. There’s also a feeling that this tournament – and especially that landmark final against Spain – showed England are missing exactly that approach. That is something that has been said before. An obvious response here is that Georgia Stanway is at Bayern Munich and Keira Walsh at Barcelona. That’s part of the issue, though. Stanway is superb in that role but was made isolated by Spain's superior numbers here. The Barcelona players deeply respect Walsh as a world-class midfielder, but not primarily for that pace of pass. The main point was that Spain were able to just play around and through them. And, having had such success with this, the rest of the world is going to seek to emulate Spain further. England may not be able to in the same way, for some time, because they lack that kind of player. It similarly points to a schism that was already evident throughout this World Cup, and again goes back further in the men’s game. Spain’s midfield technique both comes from and facilitates a deeper ideology. Without that, Wiegman had to go to a more pragmatic approach. That may have to continue if she does stay in the job, but could be an even bigger issue for her successor. That doesn’t mean it is a terminal problem, or even completely prohibitive to more trophies. English academies are still producing so much talent in general. They just need to get back to thinking about a specific type of talent in midfield, and also about how to stop such players. It is the future of the sport. Read More Fans wait overnight for Lionesses return – but team use private airport exit Spanish president’s kiss was an abuse of power that never should have happened Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: England head home after final heartbreak Lionesses receive surprise reception as they start journey back to England England’s impact will last far longer than pain of World Cup final defeat How not to win a World Cup: Spain, Jorge Vilda and the story of a complicated victory