List of All Articles with Tag 'football'

Erling Haaland’s brilliant brace helped Manchester City kick off their quest for an unprecedented fourth straight top-flight title with victory at promoted Burnley. Just two months on from winning the Champions League to become the second treble winners in English football history, Pep Guardiola’s men returned to competitive action with a bang at Turf Moor. Star man Haaland’s excellent first-half double and a close-range Rodri effort did the damage as City ran out 3-0 winners in the Premier League curtain raiser at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley. The 23-year-old frontman swept the visitors ahead 184 seconds into the new campaign and, with his side having lost skipper Kevin De Bruyne to injury, struck a stunning second off the underside of the bar. That display was not enough to avoid being chided by Guardiola as the teams made their way off at half-time, with the City boss pushing away a TV camera as he berated the striker. Rodri completed the scoring and Burnley substitute Anass Zaroury received a contentious late red card, with Community Shield runners-up City now turning their attention to Wednesday’s Super Cup clash against Sevilla. Both sets of players took the knee before kick-off and initial boos were drowned out by cheers at Turf Moor, where the hosts were behind after just three minutes and four seconds. De Bruyne took a short corner and, following a couple of passes, lifted a cross to the far post, where Rodri headed back across goal for Haaland to direct home impressively. It was a gut punch that De Bruyne tried to add to from distance, but the champions of the Championship stuck to Kompany’s principles. Burnley penalty appeals fell on deaf ears when Zeki Amdouni went down under pressure from Manuel Akanji before Luca Koleosho missed the target after fine, composed build-up. Amdouni wriggled free to get a shot on Ederson’s goal as Burnley continued to threaten City, whose youngster Rico Lewis was hit by an object thrown from the stands. The Lancashire club later confirmed the individual responsible had been identified and removed from the ground by police and now faces a banning order. Lewis was all right to continue, but De Bruyne soon had to leave the field. The skipper recently returned from a hamstring injury and, seemingly out of nothing, signalled to the bench that he had felt something, leading to Mateo Kovacic’s introduction. Burnley quickly attempted to capitalise. Amdouni was stopped by Rodri before the midfielder saw a pass cut out and Lyle Foster bent narrowly wide. But the hosts’ hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Haaland scored an incredible second in the 36th minute. Kyle Walker raced down the right and cut back to Julian Alvarez, who laid off for the Norwegian sharpshooter to sweep a first-time strike in off the underside of the bar. Haaland may have been on course for a hat-trick, but something had upset Guardiola, who pulled him back and scolded him before pushing the away a camera. The striker remained on as the visitors began the second half on top, with James Trafford – signed from City in the summer – tipping over a Rodri effort from distance and then saving a header from the Champions League final matchwinner. Alvarez fired off target after a show of strength by Haaland before City struck a third in the 75th minute as the match appeared to be petering out. Burnley failed to effectively clear a crossed free-kick and Rodri lashed home from five yards after Nathan Ake was blocked out. Alvarez saw a shot blocked before Josko Gvardiol came on for his City debut, with Haaland booed by the Burnley faithful when withdrawn as part of a triple City change. Guardiola made a point of getting up to give Haaland a warm greeting after their earlier exchange. Stewards reacted quickly as a fan attempted to get on the pitch towards the end of a night that had seen Burnley impress against mightily tough opposition. Things got worse for the promoted Clarets. Substitute Zaroury was sent off in stoppage time after his tackle on Walker was judged serious foul play after referee Craig Pawson watched the incident back on the VAR’s instruction. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Anthony Joshua focused only on Robert Helenius amid Deontay Wilder speculation Harry Kane arrives in Germany to seal Bayern Munich move Ally Ewing out to emulate Brian Harman with Open win

Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged it will not be for him to decide what constitutes success in his debut season as Chelsea manager ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Liverpool. The Argentinian will be the fifth coach to lead the team in a Premier League match since Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium bought the club last May and is tasked with picking up the pieces of a disastrous campaign that saw Chelsea finish 12th last season. As with Boehly’s first two transfer windows, there has been a significant turnover of players this summer, with 10 first-team players released or sold and a further six brought in. That flux has been a feature of the American’s time at the helm, with a sweeping clearout of both playing staff and personnel behind the scenes during his first 12 months in control. The previous manager appointed by the ownership, Graham Potter, was sacked just seven months and 31 games into a five-year contract, with the club insisting up until days before he was removed that his job was safe. Pochettino pointed to the path taken by three of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – all of whom had to wait for success to arrive under their current managers. Since their appointments, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta have helped their respective clubs recover from states of relative uncertainty, but the Chelsea coach accepted it will ultimately not be up to him whether he is afforded the same window of time. “I celebrate that these managers can be in place for a long period,” he said. “I was explaining my situation in Paris St Germain and how I knew that we weren’t going to be there the next season (after losing to Real Madrid in 2021), because it was all about winning the Champions League. “It was difficult, because it was a different pressure. We knew about that. I’m not going to complain. We need to work and then it’s not my decision if Chelsea want to be in a similar situation like Liverpool or Arsenal or Manchester City. “I need to work, we need to give our best. Then if the owner is happy with us, then everyone is happy. But it’s not my decision. “But I celebrate when I see coaches like Arteta, Klopp and Pep have a very good run, a nice process at the same club, even when they finish a cycle and they have the opportunity to restart the cycle. “There’s no doubt they are fantastic coaches, it’s only that sometimes you need to renew the team. If they believe in you, fantastic.” Pochettino was asked whether he agreed with the impression of Chelsea as a club in chaos that had been created by a tumultuous last year. The team’s league finish was their worst since 1994, while their goal return was the lowest by a Chelsea side in almost a hundred years. Eliminated from the FA Cup by Manchester City in the third round, they were soundly beaten over two legs by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, an exit confounded by Boehly’s ill-judged declaration that the team would beat the then-European champions 3-0. He was also criticised for entering the dressing room to address the players after defeats, most notably immediately after the loss to Brighton in April when he described the season as “embarrassing”. “If that (chaos) is the impression people have on social media or the fans or people outside of Chelsea, then we need to change the impression,” said Pochettino. “My impression from the outside was that this is a club with the capacity to win. “We talk about Chelsea and Manchester United in the last 10, 15 years. Winning the Premier League, the Champions League. That was my (view). We need to create a different vision and for people to trust the club again Mauricio Pochettino “But of course, (there has been) a difficult situation for the people here, for the fans, for the players, when there is a big change. They need time to settle here. People need time to settle in a big club like this. “For me now it’s about work. We need to create a different vision and for people to trust the club again, to get the result and to try to play good football for the fans. We are selling entertainment. “(The owners) didn’t say to me, ‘If you don’t win the Premier League, we will sack you’. What I want to achieve is everything. To fight for the three competitions we are going to play, the Premier League and the cups. “We need to create this good environment for the players to perform in the best way and then I’m not going to spend energy thinking, ‘If we don’t achieve this…’. “After many years working in different clubs, I’m more relaxed, more mature, more experienced. We’ve improved a lot. One of things we’ve improved in is to be more relaxed. It’s not to think too much when you cannot affect the decision of the people.”

Tottenham’s record goal-scorer Harry Kane has landed in Germany to complete his move to Bayern Munich in a deal that could rise to £120million. Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed on Friday afternoon that Kane’s transfer to the Bundesliga champions was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night. It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m, with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m, the PA news agency understands. Reports on Friday morning initially suggested Spurs had refused to give Kane permission to travel to Germany, but they were squashed by Tottenham and hours later he set off for Munich via a private jet from London Stansted airport. Kane landed at his soon-to-be new home city on Friday night to complete his medical ahead of a landmark move. Postecoglou, speaking before Spurs’ trip to Brentford on Sunday, said: “Fair to say I don’t have a blow-by-blow account, but my understanding is it has progressed to the point where it looks like it will happen. “From that perspective, at least it gives us some clarity and we move forward without Harry. “From my perspective it is just about understanding where we are at and the information I have at the moment is the deal is imminent but, like with all these things, you leave yourself some leeway. “But moving forward and training today preparing for Brentford, we are doing it without Harry. “It is best Harry speaks for himself in terms of the decision, but no doubt he is one of the greats of this football club and that never changes. “I am only new in the building, but (it is) fairly evident Harry Kane will always be one of the greats for this football club.” Kane faces a race against time to officially sign early enough to feature in Bayern’s DFL-Super Cup match with RB Leipzig on Saturday night. However, with the clash taking place at Bayern’s Allianz Arena home, England captain Kane could well be unveiled to supporters before kick-off, even if the paperwork is not completed in time. This is not the first summer in which Kane’s future has dominated headlines after Manchester City had a failed pursuit in 2021. Kane sat out the first match of that season – coincidentally against City – but Pep Guardiola’s side never got close to agreeing a fee with Tottenham for the forward. With Kane now into the last 12 months of his contract at Spurs, speculation over his future this time always felt more significant. Bayern saw bids reportedly turned down in June and July but made their intentions clear, with honorary president Uli Hoeness and president Herbert Hainer speaking openly in the media about Kane’s desire to join the Bundesliga champions. A third bid was submitted last Friday and Spurs spent all weekend deliberating before chairman Daniel Levy rejected the offer on Monday. With noises coming out that Kane, who scored four goals in a friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday, had enjoyed working with Postecoglou, confidence started to grow that he could spend the season with his boyhood team. But Bayern’s latest bid proved enough for an agreement to be reached and, after Kane took his time to weigh up the decision, he decided it was the right time to end his 19-year stay at Spurs. It means Kane’s pursuit of Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal-scoring record will be put on hold, with the Tottenham forward still 47 goals off equalling Shearer’s tally of 260. He will leave N17 as the club’s leading marksman after he surpassed Jimmy Greaves’ 266-goal record in February with the winner against Manchester City. Kane will also get the chance to fulfil his career-long ambition of winning trophies at Bayern, while remaining in the Champions League. Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel has been a long-term admirer of Kane, but he was coy when asked about the forward ahead of Saturday’s match with Liepzig. Tuchel told a press conference: “We are working with full pressure on this deal. “I understand there are a lot of ifs and whens. All options are open. The first is to have him as a player and at the moment he is not yet that. “This is a big deal. We are trying to take the England captain away from the Premier League.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live ‘One step at a time’ – Anthony Joshua shuts out Deontay Wilder comparisons Ally Ewing out to emulate Brian Harman with Open win ‘Honorary Welshwoman’ Shabnim Ismail brings international spirit to Welsh Fire

The Premier League is back! The new season gets underway tonight with newly-promoted Burnley hosting the reigning champions Manchester City at Turf Moor. It’s been two months since the conclusion of the 2022/23 season saw City defeat Inter Milan and claim a treble of trophies in the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. Pep Guardiola will be hoping to repeat that success in this new campaign but City have been updating their squad this summer. Captain, Ilkay Gundogan, has moved to Barcelona, and Riyad Mahrez has joined Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli. Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol have since joined up with the champions and could feature in their first league game for the club this evening. Get all the latest Premier League betting sites offers Burnley, meanwhile, are hoping to build on an outstanding season in the Championship under boss Vincent Kompany. They notched up 101 points in 46 games, scoring the most goals (87) and conceding the fewest (35) after a successful rebuild in the second tier. As Kompany prepares to face off against his old team he’ll be hoping that the Clarets bring this form and skill into the Premier League. Follow all the action as the Premier League returns with Burnley hosting Manchester City: Read More The Premier League is having an identity crisis – but one thing can save it Premier League 2023/24 predictions: Champions, top four, relegation, best signing, top scorer and more Pep Guardiola expects Man City’s standards ‘to drop’ this season

Manchester United have agreed to sell midfielder Fred to Fenerbahce for €15 million. The Brazil international will end his five-year stay at Old Trafford and join the Turkish club, providing he passes his medical, agrees personal terms and gets international clearance. Fred, who had also attracted interest from Galatasaray and Fulham, has scored 14 goals in 213 games for United, was a first-choice under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and, even as a squad player, made 56 appearances under Erik ten Hag last season. Fenerbahce will pay an initial €10 million plus a further €5 million in add-ons. The 30-year-old only had one year left on his contract and, while Fred cost £52 million in 2018, United believe it is a good deal for a player who could have left on a free transfer next summer. He joins Anthony Elanga and Alex Telles among their summer sales as United look to raise funds after spending around £170 million this summer. United could also sell Harry Maguire, after accepting a £30 million offer from West Ham, while they are in talks with Nottingham Forest about Dean Henderson and Real Sociedad for Donny van de Beek. Read More Manchester United delay decision over Mason Greenwood’s return David Moyes: Man City bid for Lucas Paqueta was nowhere near our valuation Erik ten Hag has no regrets over Harry Kane ahead of Bayern Munich move

Eight additional criminal complaints were filed Thursday in connection with an investigation into alleged student-athlete gambling at Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, court records show.

Manchester United have delayed their announcement of whether Mason Greenwood has a future at the club as they consult with members of their women’s team, among others, until after the start of the season. United have conducted a thorough investigation into the forward over the last six months and had intended to announce their decision at some point before Monday’s opening game against Wolves. The Carabao Cup holders intend to talk to stakeholders including the club’s commercial partners, fans and the women’s team – three of whom, Mary Earps, Ella Toone and Katie Zelem, are at the World Cup, which finishes on 20 August– and explain their findings. United believe it is important to take more time to reach and describe the right decision amid concerns about a sensitive issue. Greenwood has been suspended by the club since January 2022, when he was arrested on suspicion of raping and assaulting a woman. He was charged in October 2022 with rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and controlling and coercive behaviour, which he denied. Those charges were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Services in February 2023 because key witnesses withdrew their involvement. Greenwood has not played for United since January 2022 and has two years left on his current contract. Read More David Moyes: Man City bid for Lucas Paqueta was nowhere near our valuation Erik ten Hag has no regrets over Harry Kane ahead of Bayern Munich move Can Arsenal better Man City? Talking points as the Premier League kicks off

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith explained why the Big Ten was eventually able to add Oregon and Washington, resulting in the hostile takeover and eventual death of the Pac-12.Mo money, mo problems...It was all a dream. I used to watch Pac-12 After Dark! Now we are left with a Pacific...

Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee with Brighton for Moises Caicedo, but the Reds face a battle to land the Ecuadorian amid fierce competition from Chelsea. Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Friday morning a deal has been struck which could see Liverpool pay in the region of £110million for the midfielder, who has attracted intense interest from Chelsea this summer. Chelsea’s third and most recent offer for Caicedo was £80m, substantially below Brighton’s valuation of a player who they signed for £4m from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in February 2021. However, while Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is resigned to losing Caicedo, Chelsea are not yet out of the running and will be mulling over whether to make a fresh bid as it is understood the 21-year-old Ecuador international would prefer a switch to Stamford Bridge. Klopp wants to reinforce his options in the middle of the park with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho going to the Saudi Pro League last month while Naby Keita and James Milner also recently left the club. They signed Caicedo’s ex-Brighton team-mate Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig but missed out on Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in June in a deal that could rise to £115m. “I can confirm the deal with (Brighton) is agreed, whatever that means because we want the player and not any kind of agreement, we will see,” Klopp said. “We are a club that doesn’t have endless resources, we didn’t expect a couple of things happening in the summer, like Henderson and Fabinho (leaving), stuff like this. “We didn’t think about that before the summer, to be honest, and then it happened. We gave (attempting to sign Bellingham) a go and the club was really stretched. We will see (what happens with Caicedo).” As for whether Caicedo will undergo a medical in Merseyside on Friday or if signing the youngster would be Liverpool’s final business of the summer window, Klopp was tight-lipped. “I’ve said what I know,” he added. “Let’s do it step by step, let’s see what happens in the next hours or days.” The Caicedo fee is upwards of the previous British record of £107m that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January and dwarfs Liverpool’s own highest transfer payment of £75m for Virgil van Dijk in 2018. De Zerbi said on Friday: “I would like to answer only one time (on Caicedo). I’ve already forgotten Moises. Moises is leaving and is not important for me now.” Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino was coy when asked about Caicedo but the tug-of-war between the Blues and Liverpool is an intriguing subplot ahead of their showdown on the opening weekend of the Premier League season on Sunday in west London. “I never talk about players that don’t belong to us,” the Argentinian said. “I am so respectful. “What I can tell you is we are working really hard to try to add more players to the squad, to add quality. When we have some update to be made for you, the club will do. “It’s obvious, when you look at the squad compared with last season, too many midfielders leave the squad. We have different options, we are working hard to try, to see.” Klopp, whose side missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing fifth last season, was reminded of his critical comments on paying nine-figure sums for players six years ago. After Manchester United signed Paul Pogba for a then-world record £89m, Klopp said: “If you bring one player in for £100m and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney. The day that this is football, I’m not in a job anymore, because the game is about playing together.” However, Klopp accepted he was mistaken for questioning the wisdom of such fees on Friday and admitted prices for players will only increase with Saudi Arabia muscling in as a rival to Europe’s top leagues. “Everything changed,” Klopp said. “Do I like it? But did I realise I was wrong? Definitely. That’s the way it goes, it will not go the other way around again, Saudi Arabia will not help with that. “I’m not blaming anybody, it’s just the market with a lot of money. “In the end, we as a club have just to try to make sure that with our resources, we get the best possible team together. We really try everything to get the best squad for us. “We are not in a dreamland so we can’t just point on players and bring them in, there’s a lot of work to do these kinds of things. Sometimes one door closes then the other door opens up. “If people want to throw my quotes from five or six years ago, absolutely no problem. I realise now I was wrong, it’s easy to admit that.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Saudi spending won’t compromise owners’ aims for Newcastle, says Mapgies CEO Today at the World Cup: Spain and Sweden set up semi-final clash Dewi Lake puts injury troubles behind him to lead out Wales at Twickenham

Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales is convinced eye-watering Saudi Arabian investment in domestic football will not derail their mission on Tyneside. The Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, which owns an 80 per cent stake in the St James’ Park outfit, bought majority holdings in four of the nation’s biggest clubs – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad – in June, sparking a transfer flurry which has taken some of the game’s biggest names to the Saudi Pro League in return for vast pay packets. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and French counterpart Karim Benzema are among those to have headed for the Middle East, while the Magpies have themselves benefited – to raised eyebrows in some quarters – with Allan Saint-Maximin’s move to Al-Ahli, having unlocked a Financial Fair Play conundrum with what is understood to have been a £30million cash injection. Asked to explain the difference between that and the more modest approach adopted on Tyneside, where the total transfer spend over the four windows since the new owners took charge currently amounts to around £350million, Eales said: “An investment was made and Financial Fair Play is the regulation, so within those parameters everybody knew what the guard rails are in terms of what you can spend and how you can spend it. “Our job is to try to now grow Newcastle United to where we want it to be within the regulations which every club has to follow.” While Newcastle’s spending has been huge in comparison to that under previous owner Mike Ashley, PIF’s investment in the club, which has prompted repeated accusations of sportswashing, has been relatively modest for a sovereign wealth fund worth in the region of £514billion. However Eales, who admitted the success or otherwise of the Pro League could spark pressure for a change to spending regulations in Europe, insists the owners are not frustrated by their inability to throw money at the Premier League club as they have been able to do at home. He said: “The reality is they came in and it has been incredible, fighting relegation to finishing 11th, then finishing fourth. We have very shrewd operators in our ownership group. “We have got a great skill-set and set of people who have experience in various businesses. They understand it is a long-term plan not short-term.” Summer swoops for Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento had bolstered Eddie Howe’s squad for a campaign in which the club will look to build upon last season’s top-four finish while at the same time renewing their acquaintance with the Champions League after a 20-year absence. However, the arrivals of Barnes and Livramento were eased by Saint-Maximin’s departure amid questions over a PIF-backed club buying from another within the fund’s sporting portfolio. We are trying to build the plane while we are flying it Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales However, sporting director Dan Ashworth, who confirmed there was no other formal bid for the Frenchman despite interest elsewhere, insisted the undisclosed fee represented the player’s market value. Ashworth said: “We are absolutely convinced it is fair market value and without going into the actual price it was, there is plenty evidence of players of similar age, similar position, similar ability, similar CV that are moving for similar amounts outside the Saudi league.” The trajectory since Amanda Staveley’s consortium took up the reins at St James’ in October 2021 has been inexorably upwards, and the plan is to continue that resurgence both on the pitch and off it, where £10million has been invested in the training ground and a feasibility study commissioned to look into ways in which the 52,000-capacity stadium could be expanded. Commercial revenue and global supporter engagement are also major focuses for a club which has high hopes for sustained success. Eales said: “We are trying to build the plane while we are flying it. We won’t always get everything right. For us, it’s about getting Newcastle United rightfully back to where it should be.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Today at the World Cup: Spain and Sweden set up semi-final clash Dewi Lake puts injury troubles behind him to lead out Wales at Twickenham Roberto De Zerbi insists Brighton retain their ‘soul’ despite star departures

Spain and Sweden became the first sides to reach the World Cup semi-finals on Friday. The two sides will meet in the last four after Spain beat the Netherlands 2-1 and Sweden overcame Japan by the same margin. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at a tense day of action and what is in store in the remaining two semi-finals. Spanish history A controversial game in Wellington saw Spain reach the last four for the first time. VAR was a main talking point with Esther Gonzalez’s effort for Spain disallowed for offside on review. Referee Stephanie Frappart then overturned her decision to give Netherlands a penalty before VAR intervened again to give Spain a spot-kick for Stefanie van der Gragt’s handball. After all the controversy, teenage winger Salma Paralluelo came off the bench to score Spain’s 111th-minute winner. Super Sweden Sweden outplayed Japan to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the fifth time. Amanda Ilestedt’s close-range finish and Filippa Angeldahl’s penalty put them in full control six minutes into the second half. Japan did mount a late revival with Riko Ueki sending a penalty against the crossbar and fellow substitute Honoka Hayashi firing home three minutes from time. But a Japan equaliser would have been an injustice and Sweden rightfully took their place in the last four once again. First-time winners guaranteed The exit of 2011 World Cup winners Japan means a new name will be carved on the trophy. Four-time winners the United States were also beaten by Sweden in the previous round, while two-time champions Germany failed to make it out of the group stage. Norway, the only other country to win the Women’s World Cup back in 1995, were beaten in the last 16. As well as Spain and Sweden, Australia, France, England and Colombia are still in the hunt for a first World Cup triumph. England – and Becks – expects The Lionesses head into their quarter-final clash against Colombia with the pre-tournament words of former England captain David Beckham ringing in their ears. Forward Alessia Russo revealed how “heartthrob” Beckham had boosted Sarina Wiegman’s squad before their departure for Australia and New Zealand. “He was really nice. It was a pinch-me moment in terms of what women’s sport nowadays has done,” Russo said of the pre-World Cup chat. “It was amazing actually. He has been one of my idols – and heartthrobs – ever since I was a little girl.” Post of the day Quote of the day It was a pinch-me moment in terms of what women’s sport nowadays has done England's Alessia Russo on meeting David Beckham What next? Quarter-final: Australia v France (0800)Quarter-final: England v Colombia (1130) Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Dewi Lake puts injury troubles behind him to lead out Wales at Twickenham Roberto De Zerbi insists Brighton retain their ‘soul’ despite star departures David Moyes: Man City bid for Lucas Paqueta was nowhere near our valuation

West Ham manager David Moyes hopes to be able to complete deals for both James Ward-Prowse and Harry Maguire – but stressed Manchester City’s bid for midfielder Lucas Paqueta was “not anywhere near” the club’s valuation. Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse is having a medical ahead of his transfer to east London, while Maguire remains in discussions with United about the terms of his exit from Old Trafford. West Ham are understood to have knocked back an initial £60million approach for Paqueta from the Premier League champions. “We’ve had an offer from Manchester City, but at the moment it’s not anywhere near meeting our valuation,” said Moyes. Despite initial frustrations in the summer window, the Irons have added Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez to the squad in a £35million deal from Ajax, with Ward-Prowse set to follow. “James Ward-Prowse is having a medical just now. We’ve agreed a fee but it’s not right I speak about him as he’s not yet our player,” Moyes told a press conference. United boss Erik ten Hag was giving little away when questioned on Maguire’s future, stressing the England defender would be available for Monday’s game against Wolves even though the club had accepted a bid from West Ham, understood to be around £30m. On the situation regarding Maguire’s expected arrival, Moyes said: “We’ve had a bid accepted from Manchester United, but while he’s not our player I’m not in a position to discuss him really.” After seeing former captain Declan Rice complete a new British transfer record move to Arsenal in a £105m deal, West Ham have been trying to reshape the squad for next season – when they will also compete in the Europa League – if not as quickly as Moyes would have liked. “It’s not about us having £100million to spend, but the fees being charged by clubs for players,” the West Ham boss said. “We sold Declan – I actually think Declan was quite cheap, to be honest – and there has nearly not been a player we have gone for under £40million. We have been very active, as you all know, trying to get players in.” West Ham have also seen Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Vlasic depart as Moyes looks to push the group on from last season’s success in winning the Europa Conference League. “You need to look at the amount of players Chelsea bought – you need a number you can work with and a balance of players in each position, and all those things come into it when you try to sign them,” Moyes said. “I just walked through the corridor and looked at all the pictures of us winning a European trophy and it was incredible what we did. “We’re going into this season with a great deal of positivity. We have a great feeling and we want to keep it.” West Ham open the new Premier League season at Bournemouth on Saturday. Alvarez, though, will not be available as he continues fitness work since being away at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Mexico. “They have always done well and they have a new approach this season under Andoni Iraola,” Moyes said of this weekend’s opponents. “It is always a hard game at Bournemouth, but we had a good win there last year and we hope we can get another one tomorrow.”