Pep Guardiola is hoping Manchester City complete the signing of defender Josko Gvardiol within the next few “hours or days”. The 21-year-old Gvardiol was undergoing a medical with City on Friday afternoon ahead of his proposed move from RB Leipzig. The treble-winners are closing in on a deal for the Croatia international and are understood to have agreed a fee of 90million euros (£77.6m) with Leipzig. Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Arsenal at Wembley, City boss Guardiola said: “Regarding Gvardiol – what a beautiful surname he has – he’s doing a medical test. “Everybody knows he’s here, and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, the next days.” Put to Guardiola that completion of the deal would give him six central defenders, he said: “The season is so long, there is many, many games. (It is) absolutely not (too many).” When asked if, after Gvardiol, City would be done in the transfer marker, Guardiola said: “I don’t know. I think it is going to move, something. Not yet.” City have already this summer signed Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, while outgoings have been fellow midfielder Ilkay Gundogan going to Barcelona at the end of his contract and forward Riyad Mahrez joining Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ahli. Everybody knows he’s here, and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, the next days Pep Guardiola on Josko Gvardiol Kyle Walker has been linked with Bayern Munich and Bernardo Silva with Barcelona and Saudi Arabia, and Guardiola said: “They are so important players for us. We want them, we are going to do everything. “It’s not like Gundo, finishing a contract – they have a contract. We want them to stay because they want to stay, and to replace these two players is so, so difficult. “We lost two incredible players for us, Ilkay and Riyad in the last seasons were massively important, incredible goals and assists and personalities in the biggest stages and big important games. To lose Kyle and Bernardo would be so difficult.” He added, when asked more about Silva: “I want to work with guys who want to stay…but after that we have to get an offer…a proper offer. “If they want him, they will take a plane, come here and talk with our sporting director, the CEO, to arrive at an agreement. “For us to buy a player is £10-15m more expensive than other clubs, all the time it’s like that. And the same guys, when they want our players, really important players, first they have to make an offer – and it didn’t happen. “Some players feel they want a new experience. I will not be the guy to say ‘no’, but you have to take an agreement with an important part of the club, the business, (to) make a deal happen. “In the case of Bernardo and Kyle, we talk many times over the last months and even years how important they are for us, how we want them and we will continue to do it until the end. “What is going to happen I don’t know but it is not going to happen if both clubs don’t arrive. “They are massively important players. When we lose these type of players we have to go to the market to buy replacements, and it doesn’t cost £10m, £20m, £30m, £40m, £50m – it’s more expensive than that.” Last month City ended their interest in signing Declan Rice from West Ham after Arsenal bid £105m for the England midfielder, who subsequently made a British-record switch to the Gunners. Asked if he had been disappointed to miss out on Rice, Guardiola said: “Absolutely not. Declan Rice decided to go to Arsenal, the offer was incredible, and all the best. I think for England he is and will be important, and Arsenal bought an incredible player.” Meanwhile, Juanma Lillo has returned to City’s coaching staff. The 57-year-old Spaniard was previously on Guardiola’s backroom team for two seasons from the summer of 2020 before departing to become head coach at Qatari outfit Al Sadd. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Warren Gatland hails Leigh Halfpenny’s professionalism ahead of 100th Wales cap Gareth Southgate understands criticism of Jordan Henderson following Saudi move Iain Henderson backs Ireland wing Jacob Stockdale to fight for World Cup spot

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Sean Dyche says Jordan Pickford answered his critics with a crucial double save in Everton’s 2-2 draw at Sheffield United. Pickford recovered from scoring an unfortunate own goal earlier in the game to ensure his side left Bramall Lane with a point, miraculously denying Oli McBurnie twice at the death. He tipped a header onto the underside of the crossbar and then recovered to turn the follow-up effort onto the post as Everton got their league season up and running after three successive defeats. Pickford and his team-mates have come under the spotlight following their winless start to the season, but Dyche believes the England goalkeeper proved himself. “Like everyone, he had some question marks recently because the team were conceding big moments,” Dyche said. “Every player should be questioned because that’s the world we live in. Every top player gets questioned, that is part and parcel of being a top professional. It should be a stimulus if anything. “But it shows again what a top keeper he is, I thought his all-round performance was very good. “He was very unlucky with their second, quite obviously, and made two fantastic saves, when it is really important to do so. If that goes against you everyone is scratching their heads, but he made sure it doesn’t happen. “The madness of football, we could have ended up losing it; Jordan makes those saves at the end and you think ‘how mad is football?’ – it would have been an injustice if it went against us but it didn’t.” Abdoulaye Doucoure scored Everton’s first Premier League goal of the season as they went ahead early, but Cameron Archer’s first strike for the Blades levelled things up. Archer was involved again soon after as his shot hit the post and rebounded off Pickford’s back and into the net as the Blades took a half-time lead, only for Arnaut Danjuma to level after the break. Pickford then came up with his heroics and Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom knows his side need those moments to go in their favour this season. “It’s an unreal save, the second one he doesn’t know too much, it hits his head and the post, but it’s a big moment,” Heckingbottom, who also saw his side earn their first point of the season, said. “It’s another example of why we love the game and how fine the margins are. “We are not stupid, we know that we are going to need a lot of those moments to go in our favour this season, of course we are. Today it didn’t. “But I can’t grumble, I think it was a really good game and probably a fair result.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Jack Dempsey ready for ‘epic’ World Cup as Scotland mainstay There is no substitute for international cricket – England’s Jonny Bairstow Day five at US Open: Novak Djokovic avoids shock as Iga Swiatek upsets best mate

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Players have been shown a range of armbands highlighting social issues which could be worn at this summer’s Women’s World Cup. FIFA is consulting with players and national associations over the bands in a bid to avoid a repeat of the row over the rainbow-coloured ‘OneLove’ armbands which dominated the early stages of the men’s World Cup in Qatar last year. The PA news agency understands there are different bands highlighting a range of issues and causes, including support for the rights of indigenous peoples, inclusion, gender equality, education for all and ending violence against women. Other bands carry the slogan ‘Unite For Peace’ and ‘Football Is Joy, Peace, Hope, Love, Passion’. The only bands set to feature something resembling a rainbow design are those supporting inclusion. FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in March that everyone had learned lessons from the ‘OneLove’ armband row, and that a “solution” would be in place for the start of the Women’s World Cup. FIFA has asked players to provide feedback on its proposal. One option could be that different bands are worn as the tournament progresses, similar to an initial plan FIFA unveiled on the eve of the Qatar World Cup. England and Wales’ men’s teams were threatened with unlimited sporting sanctions on the day of their opening matches in Qatar last year if their respective captains Harry Kane and Gareth Bale wore the ‘OneLove’ armbands, starting at a yellow card for the skippers. The bands were part of a wider season-long campaign which began last September, but would have sent out a particularly strong message in Qatar where same-sex relationships are criminalised. Leah Williamson, who had been due to captain England at the finals prior to her suffering a season-ending injury in April, had been hoping to wear the ‘OneLove’ armband this summer. The Football Association, for its part, is understood to be in regular contact with FIFA over the issue in a bid to avoid any repeat of what happened in Qatar. FIFA has been approached for comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leicester and Sale to face holders La Rochelle in Heineken Champions Cup pool Manchester United make improved bid of up to £50m for Chelsea’s Mason Mount Arsenal agree fee with Chelsea to sign Germany forward Kai Havertz

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No. 4 seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia held off Italy's Lucia Bronzetti 6-3, 7-6 (5) on Thursday to reach the