Liverpool are stepping up their efforts to sign Crystal Palace midfielder Cheick Doucoure. Jurgen Klopp has insisted on a number six to bolster his squad after missing out on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea, with Romeo Lavia set to follow the Ecuadorian to Stamford Bridge. The Anfield club have had to search for alternative options, with Doucoure likely to be cheaper than both previous targets. Doucoure’s final price could come in at under £60 million, although Palace are wary of losing too many players this summer. The Malian midfielder is understood to be keen to move to Anfield, and personal terms would not be an issue. Liverpool are also looking at Fulham's Joao Paulinha and Nice's Khephren Thuram but the 23-year-old Doucoure is seen as a more viable option to do right now. Klopp is keen to “reload” in the coming weeks as the Reds revamp their squad and starting options. The German said: “We don’t have to always say ‘Milner would have said that and Henderson would have said that and Firmino would have smiled here.’ We should not do it like that. That makes no sense. “We have this kind of new start with this Liverpool reloaded, it’s an exciting thing. Everybody was asking for changes, rightly so, because we were together for a long time. “It’s a new chance for everybody, everybody has to step up. We all share responsibility and it’s not that we should give ourselves too much time to grow into it, let’s do it. “Let’s take the responsibility and go from there and don’t try to be like somebody. Be the best version of yourself and then you have a good chance to help the team in the best possible way.” Read More Big-spending Chelsea close to completing deals for Romeo Lavia and Michael Olise Moises Caicedo completes Chelsea’s dream midfield — but £115m deal could haunt them Chelsea-Liverpool chaos was the perfect result for one team: Brighton

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Stefano Domenicali, chief executive of Formula 1, has hailed the “exciting” partnership between Honda and Aston Martin as the Japanese manufacturer prepare to return to the sport. The two brands announced this week that Honda would be the engine partner for Aston Martin’s F1 cars from 2026. Although the automotive giants had officially withdrawn from the sport in 2021, its engines are still utilised by the two Red Bull teams. But with Formula 1 pushing towards an attempt to be carbon neutral by 2030, Honda have been attracted back. And Domenicali believes their return shows the sport is moving in the right direction. “It is great news for Formula 1 that Honda will partner with Aston Martin to supply power units from 2026,” said Domenicali. “This is further evidence that our global platform and growth provides brands with huge potential, and it also shows that our plans to move to sustainable fuels in 2026 is the right approach to offer the automotive world alternative solutions to decarbonise the planet. “We can all see the incredible commitment Aston Martin has made to our sport and we can’t wait to see the exciting partnership in action, and I want to congratulate both parties on this exciting news.” New rules in 2026 will increase the electrical performance of engines utilised in F1, which has used hybrid engines for nearly a decade. The FIA will also introduce regulations mandating fully synthetic, sustainable fuels at the same time. Honda’s engines have helped Max Verstappen and Red Bull to the last two world titles, with a third likely to be secured this year, but the team has partnered with Ford to build its own engine for the 2026 season. That has opened the door for a partnership with Aston Martin, who are enjoying a promising season after a significant offseason of improvement that also brought former world champion Fernando Alonso to the team. Alonso is currently third in the Drivers’ Championship standings, with Aston Martin the closest challengers to Red Bull in the chase for the constructors’ crown. “Aston Martin is building a team to win in F1,” Martin Whitmarsh, the group chief executive officer of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, explained. “We have been recruiting the right people and investing in the required facilities and developing the right culture and processes to win. “To partner a global motorsport titan like Honda is an extremely exciting and important further step for the team. Both organisations share the same relentless ambition to succeed on track. We are very proud, honoured and grateful to put in place this partnership.” The 2023 F1 season continues in Monaco this weekend. Read More Lewis Hamilton will stay with Mercedes as nowhere else to go – Guenther Steiner Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are the biggest losers from Imola Grand Prix cancellation Ambitious £80m relaunch of World Cup of Motorsport earmarked for end of 2024 Lewis Hamilton ‘receives multi-million pound offer’ to make major change F1 Monaco Grand Prix: Why is practice no longer on a Thursday? F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Monaco GP?

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Gary O’Neil has been appointed as the new Wolves head coach on a three-year contract following the departure of Julen Lopetegui. Here, the PA news agency looks at the key issues in his in-tray at Molineux. Steady ship and pick up morale It has been a turbulent summer at the club. Relegation was ultimately avoided with something to spare last season, but then problems began as the reinforcements Lopetegui wanted did not arrive and some key players left. With rumours of disquiet growing louder by the week, the players left have effectively been told throughout pre-season that they are not good enough. Morale will likely be low and one of O’Neil’s first tasks will be to restore some order. Get the fans onside As well as getting the players on board, O’Neil is going to have to win over the fans. After the high-profile appointment of Lopetegui, a former Spain and Real Madrid coach with a strong reputation, the arrival of the former Bournemouth boss is underwhelming by comparison. It was clear some supporters were beginning to tire of Lopetegui’s complaints and perhaps felt replacing him now was better than allowing the situation to deteriorate further, but they could be forgiven for having doubts about the new man at the helm. Despite making an impression at Bournemouth last season, he remains relatively inexperienced and needs to prove himself. Identify modest targets The root of Lopetegui’s problems with the club was their need to balance the books. After spending heavily prior to the Spaniard’s arrival, a tightening of the purse strings has been necessary to ensure compliance with Financial Fair Play regulations. The implication from Lopetegui was that he was not aware of the extent to which this was necessary and consequently felt let down. After that rumpus, O’Neil should be more aware of the club’s financial constraints. The squad will need strengthening in areas, particularly in terms of strikers, and he will need to identify realistic targets. Make a point to Bournemouth This will not be in his in-tray as such, but O’Neil will also be driven by personal ambitions as well as those of the club. He took over in difficult circumstances at Bournemouth early last season, when Scott Parker was sacked after saying his squad was “under-equipped” to compete in the Premier League. He took the same group of players and guided them to a 15th-placed finish. His subsequent dismissal by the Cherries was widely regarded as harsh. By making an impact at Molineux he can undoubtedly make a point. Prepare for Old Trafford There will be little time to settle before the first game of the Premier League season arrives, and it is hardly a straightforward opener. Wolves travel to Manchester United on Monday. He will need to catch up quickly on Wolves’ pre-season performances, analyse what he has at his disposal and put a team together. It is a tall order but, in terms of assessing United, he may at least have some recent work to fall back on, having faced Erik ten Hag’s side in his penultimate match with Bournemouth. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live