Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has welcomed the additional competition for a starting spot at Barcelona and says landing Robert Lewandowski "is what the club is all about".

Barca pulled off a coup of sorts earlier this week when bringing in prolific striker Lewandowski from Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to €50million.

Lewandowski outscored every other player across Europe's top five leagues last season with 50 goals in 46 appearances, six more than next-best Karim Benzema.

The Poland international's 312 Bundesliga goals with Bayern and Borussia Dortmund is the second-most of any player in the competition's history, behind only Gerd Muller (365).

Lewandowski's arrival could see February signing Aubameyang playing a bit-part role this term, but the ex-Arsenal man is relishing the chance to link up with his former team-mate.

"I was really excited because I know him well, we played together at Dortmund and had some nice times over there," Aubameyang told ESPN.

"I was just happy and when this was official we are reunited and we had some fun words about the past.

"I’m really happy because this is how Barcelona will compete, with great strikers and that's what this club is all about.

"Obviously I think we have more experience, we can maybe do better than the past in Dortmund, I am sure about that. 

"Personally, I will try to give my best and I'm sure he will [as well]. We will hope we have better numbers than in the past."

Aubameyang scored 13 goals in 23 games for Barcelona after arriving at Camp Nou in early February – more than double that of any of his team-mates over the same period.

He scored at a rate of one goal every 116 minutes, compared to a goal every 80 minutes for Lewandowski with Bayern across the whole of the 2021-22 campaign.

However, asked if he has been informed by head coach Xavi if he will be used alongside Lewandowski, Aubameyang said: "Yes, a little bit.

"He was talking to all of us that we have to compete this year to win titles. Of course, when you talk about trophies we need a competitive team.

"That's why we have a lot of strikers and midfielders and defenders. This is the way to achieve things this season."

Ousmane Dembele also signed a new contract with Barcelona in what has been a positive transfer window, despite the Catalan giants' well-publicised financial issues.

"That's definitely a boost," Aubameyang said of Dembele's new deal. "He's one of the best players I've ever played with.

"I'm sure about that because his quality is something crazy and every time I play with him I enjoy it on the pitch. I'm really happy he re-signed.

"Everyone was a bit scared because we didn't know if we would re-sign or not. In the end he did. 

"I'm sure he knows Barcelona is one of the best clubs in the world so this is the place to be."

Jonas Vingegaard is poised to win his first Tour de France title on Sunday after all-but finishing off the job in a stage 20 time trial that was won by Wout van Aert.

Vingegaard's Team Jumbo–Visma team-mate Van Aert produced a stunning ride to win the 40.7km stage from Lacapelle-Marival to Rocamadour on Saturday.

Dane Vingegaard - who went into penultimate stage with a near three-and-a-half minute lead over rival Tadej Pogacar - crossed the line 19 seconds slower than Van Aert in second spot, but eight quicker than the third-placed two-time defending champion.

Vingegaard is set to secure the general classification title in Paris and was understandably emotional after finishing the time trial, embracing his wife as the scale of his achievement sunk in.

It could have been a very different story though, as Vingegaard came within inches of crashing in the closing stages, with his tyres clipping a grass verge and almost hitting a wall.

Geraint Thomas, who sits third in the GC standings, also put in a strong showing, finishing in fourth place.

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff has bemoaned the disappointing upgrade package introduced for the French Grand Prix, with a clear verdict that it is "not good enough".

A frustrating weekend so far for Mercedes has seen them struggle to find their best approach, despite optimism about an upgrade package that has been introduced for the 12th round of the 2022 season.

Both Hamilton and Russell looked to be in danger of elimination in Q2 but pushed through on their final laps, following the introduction of fresh tyres, though neither showed enough to be much of a threat to the front row and Wolff was disappointed by the showing.

"We knew that once we got the new tyres on and were driving in anger a little bit that we were going to be a third force, like we have been all season, but it's just not good enough," he told Sky Sports.

"You can see when you're a little bit on the back foot, your expectations are on a certain level for the race weekend and then it doesn't come together, the freestyling starts.

Charles Leclerc was full of praise for Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz after he provided a tow down the straights to help Leclerc edge Max Verstappen for pole position in the French Grand Prix.

Sainz, who starts at the back of the grid following a fourth engine change of the season, looked to be the quickest throughout qualifying before switching his approach in Q3 to help Leclerc finish ahead of his title rival.

It secures Leclerc's seventh pole of the season and the 16th of his career as he looks to rejuvenate his title bid following difficulties in recent races, and he was clear it would have been a harder task without Sainz.

"I struggled all weekend to put a lap together, but I managed to do it. I have to say, I also had the help of Carlos and that was amazing teamwork," he said on the grid.

"Without Carlos it would have been much more close so a huge thank you to Carlos and I hope that he can join us in the fight for the win tomorrow. 

"The car feels good but it's difficult to understand what the Red Bull guys have done yesterday, as there was loads of difference in terms of lap times, so let's see how it goes tomorrow."

Verstappen looked to be in fine form with the Red Bull ace showing great pace throughout the free practice sessions, but he couldn't quite put it together in qualifying and sits behind Leclerc at the start – the sixth time in 2022 the pair have been on the front row together.

"Overall, I think we were lacking a bit in qualifying, just with general grip. It was a bit more tricky than I would have hoped but we still have a decent race car," Verstappen said.

"Hopefully, tomorrow will come to our favour. We're quick on the straights, so hopefully we can use that tomorrow. It's going to be a bit warmer. Clearly, Ferrari have been very quick again."

Sergio Perez will start third, bouncing back after struggling to find pace in the practice sessions, and admitted it had been a difficult few days.

"It's been a good recovery over the whole weekend, I have been struggling a lot, I think it has been my worst weekend up to qualifying really but we managed to recover well," he said.

Perez sits ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who will start fourth, which means Mercedes' wait for a top-three start on the grid continues, with it already being their longest stint into a F1 season without one.

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:30:872
2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.304
3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.463
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +0.893
5. Lando Norris (McLaren) +1.160
6. George Russell (Mercedes) +1.259
7. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) +1.680
8. Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri) +1.908
9. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) No Time
10. Kevin Magnusson (Haas) No Time

Brooke Henderson remains in the lead at the Evian Championship, but a round of 65 from Ryu So-yeon on Saturday saw the South Korean move within two shots at the top of the leaderboard.

After back-to-back rounds of 64, Henderson carded a steady 68 on the third day in France, opening with a bogey before making four birdies and 13 pars to finish on 17-under overall.

Henderson, who won her first major at the Women's PGA Championship aged 18 in 2016, missed a chance to give herself an extra cushion as she slightly pulled a birdie putt on the 18th hole.

Ryu had managed a 67 and 66 on the first two days in Evian-les-Bains, and saw improvement again on Saturday as she carded eight birdies, despite also bogeying the fifth and 10th holes.

World number three Nelly Korda, who had been in second place overnight, struggled to replicate her positive start as the American carded an even-par round of 71, tied for sixth overall.

Sophia Schubert sits two shots further back in third after going round in 66, while Carlota Ciganda and Kim Sei-young are tied for fourth after carding 67 and 68 respectively.

World number one Ko Jin-young produced six birdies and two bogeys for a round of 67, sitting on 11-under-par in joint-sixth place heading into Sunday.

The only player to best Ryu's 65 was Albane Valenzuela of Switzerland, who produced an impressive round of 64 to move from tied for 30th to tied for 11th.

Erik ten Hag says there can be no excuse for Manchester United's "unacceptable" second-half display after they let a two-goal lead slip in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.

Jadon Sancho's third goal of pre-season and a Matty Cash own goal put United in a commanding position at half-time in the friendly at Optus Stadium in Perth.

However, the Red Devils were unable to see out a fourth win in four outings, as Leon Bailey pulled one back and Calum Chambers headed in a 93rd-minute leveller.

While disappointed his side dropped off after the break, Ten Hag is glad it happened in a friendly rather than in a competitive contest.

"I said in the dressing room, a drop of focus is unacceptable, but I'm happy because now I can tell them it cannot happen [again]," he said in his post-match news conference.

"[At the start of the second half you] have to get out of the dressing room and back in your plan and your focus and back to your performance and that is what we didn't do.

"We had a lot of movement behind the defending line, scored two great goals, so we were 2-0 up at half-time, and then our focus dropped."

United's fourth and final friendly in 11 days on their tour of Thailand and Australia was played in wet conditions, with concerns raised over the quality of the pitch ahead of kick-off.

Ten Hag did not want to use the playing surface as a reason for their shortcomings.

"It can be that the guys are tired, but that's not an excuse. They have to perform and it is what we didn't do in the second half," he said.

"It was the focus. I don't want to make excuses about the pitch or weather. No matter what, we have to perform.

"Football is a sport of mistakes and we have to decrease the mistakes. That's clear, but I have seen a lot of progress in these two weeks.

"In the first half I saw really good football, really controlling and dominating the game, but we have to learn from what happened in the second half. 

"It's not possible that you go 2-0 [ahead] and then throw it away."

United face Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano next weekend in their final outings ahead of taking on Brighton and Hove Albion in their opening Premier League match.

Gabriel Jesus has revealed he was persuaded to join Arsenal after Edu and Mikel Arteta 'surprised' him with data on his career and how he can improve his game.

The Brazilian forward joins the north London side after five trophy-laden years at Manchester City, where he worked with Arteta during his spell as assistant manager to Pep Guardiola.

Jesus' arrival comes amid a period of transition within Arsenal's attack, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining Barcelona in January and Alexandre Lacazette returning to Lyon on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract.

Arsenal's capture of Jesus is a major statement of intent and comes in a recruitment drive that has seen the Gunners splash over £100 million for the second season in a row, with Oleksandr Zinchenko the latest arrival having also swapped City for Arsenal.

Giving up Champions League football to join Arsenal, the decision to move came in a crucial period for Jesus ahead of the World Cup later this year and Jesus has admitted he was 'surprised' by what was presented to him.

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been penalised for excessive engine usage, meaning he will start the French Grand Prix from the back of the grid.

Sainz sits in fourth place in the drivers' championship, and finished the final practice in second place. 

However, he will now start Sunday's race from the back after Ferrari took their fourth new engine of the season, one more than is permitted.

This penalty has been added on to the 10-place sanction that he had been given for the new electronics control unit that Ferrari opted for on Friday.

He will be joined at the back of the grid by Kevin Magnussen of Haas, who was penalised for changing power unit components.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fastest in the final practice, with the reigning champion clear of Sainz's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who finished third quickest.

Leonardo Bonnuci feels Matthijs de Ligt's comments on his desire to depart Juventus showed a lack of respect to the Bianconeri, after the latter completed his move to Bayern Munich.

The Netherlands international sealed his switch to the Bundesliga champions from Turin earlier this month, ending his three-year stint at the Allianz Stadium.

De Ligt made no secret of his desire to move away from Juve, particularly after missing out on the Scudetto in each of the last two seasons.

But while Bonucci wishes his former defensive partner the best, he admits he had to address some of his words before he departed.

"De Ligt’s exit didn’t surprise me because certain comments made it clear he didn’t want to stay at Juventus," the Italy international stated after the Bianconeri beat Guadalajara 2-0 in a pre-season friendly in Las Vegas.

"But I think at the end of the day, you need to be respectful. The group he was with for three years helped him grow, and the club invested in him.

"I wish him the best, but certain comments he made on international duty were not very nice. We spoke about it after our holidays, and he understood.

"Bayern are a great club, but just being at a top club doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win."

Bonucci, meanwhile, has not given up hope of completing his club trophy cabinet.with Juventus, despite their recent drop in form.

A multiple Serie A and Coppa Italia winner during his time in Turin - along with a Euro 2020 triumph with the Azzurri - the Champions League remains the last major club honour to elude him, having been a beaten finalist on two occasions.

"When I joined, my dream was to have a great career and win everything," he added. "I’ve almost achieved it; I’m 90 per cent there. I’m just missing that tiny piece, which hurts us Juve fans.

"Let’s hope that over the next two years of my contract we can find stability in Europe again. Winning is always difficult. The first step is to reach the quarter-finals, then you need luck.

"In a season so unique, anything can happen, so why not believe in Juve’s future in Europe?"

Bernarda Pera claimed her second WTA title in as many weeks by defeating Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-4 in the Hamburg European Open final.

The world number 81 continued her rich vein of form, having also captured the Budapest Grand Prix crown last weekend.

Pera, who won four out of six break points, stretched her winning streak to 12 matches, while she has also now reeled off 24 sets without reply.

Kontaveit had prevailed as a commanding straight-sets winner when the pair faced off in the opening round at Wimbledon four weeks ago.

Champion in St Petersburg and runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Doha, the Estonian became the fourth player to appear in at least three finals this season after Swiatek, Ons Jabeur and Veronika Kudermetova.

But the top seed was broken in the opening game by Pera, who won 16 out of 19 points on her first serve as she stormed through the first set.

The American then rescued two break points in the second set, while converting two of her own to secure consecutive breaks and move to the brink of the title.

Kontaveit dug deep; breaking back and winning eight of the next 11 points to stay alive at 5-4, but a long forehand in the next game sealed the deal for Pera.

Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado believes "a very strong Juve is being born" ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Colombia international was speaking after a 2-0 friendly win over Mexican side Guadalajara in Las Vegas; Marco Da Graca and Mattia Compagnon on target at the Allegiant Stadium.

Juventus struggled at the beginning of last season, but they soon picked up under head coach Massimiliano Allegri and finished fourth in Serie A to ensure Champions League qualification.

While they have lost key defender Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich, the Bianconceri have brought in the likes of Angel Di Maria and the returning Paul Pogba on free transfers, as well as Bremer from Torino.

Cuadrado was positive about both the Guadalajara win and the future of Juventus, telling the club's official channels: "[It was] a beautiful evening, even if it was a friendly match.

"For us, it is always important to seek victory, and we have. Chivas are a good team, but we now want to also do well in the next matches.

"A very strong Juve is being born, with many quality players, great new arrivals."

And it is clear that head coach Allegri is putting the players to work ahead of the forthcoming Serie A campaign.

When asked what the boss was asking of them in pre-season, Cuadrado replied: "Run, run, run."

Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in Australia will provide important experience for the forthcoming season, following a second-half fightback from Steven Gerrard's side. 

Jadon Sancho scored his third goal in four pre-season games with a first-half volley, which was added to by an own goal, but Leon Bailey pulled one back for Villa in the second half before Calum Chambers' equaliser in the dying moments.

The draw ends United's perfect pre-season run so far, having won each of their three games prior to the clash against their fellow Premier League side, but Ten Hag has seen the positives and believes the setback can provide an education for the upcoming season.

"First half, it was a decent performance, second half, we came back out of the dressing room and we had to control the game but we gave it away. That is no good, so that is a lesson," he told MUTV.

"From the players, the team, I think there has been a lot of progress. There's been some positive aspects. 

"In the end there was a setback but that is also a part of the season because a season is not always getting up, you will also have setbacks that you have to deal with."

United face Atletico Madrid in Oslo later this week in their penultimate pre-season match, before bringing their preparations for 2022-23 to a close against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford next Sunday, and Ten Hag has outlined how he wants his team to continue to play in those games.

"We now play a different type of football against different systems, I think that will also be the case when we play the two Spanish teams," he added.

"What we want is to play proactive football, we want to play with initiative, we want to play attacking football. That is also what we have seen today over a long period but in the end, you have to control the game and that's what we didn't do."

Kyler Murray had no desire to continue his NFL career anywhere other than with the Arizona Cardinals, the quarterback said after signing a five-year, $230.5million contract extension.

Murray and the Cardinals finally reached agreement on a deal that contains $160m guaranteed on Thursday, rewarding him for three seasons of largely stellar play and Arizona's first playoff appearance since 2015 last season.

Negotiations between the two franchises had not always appeared to be harmonious, particularly in late February when Murray and his agent Erik Burkhardt released a statement seemingly urging the Cardinals to prioritise signing the former to a long-term deal rather than simply talking about it.

But, with the saga behind them, Murray is now fully focused on his ultimate goal in the NFL.

"My job is to fulfill my promise and bring a championship here. There's no question about it," Murray said.

"There's no other place that I wanted to be this whole time. And I mean that."

Murray prompted a heated reaction on social media when he deleted all photos relating to the Cardinals from his Instagram account following his appearance in the Pro Bowl.

"All the social media stuff and all that, that's going to happen regardless," Murray added. "Play good, they love you. Play bad, they hate you.

"It is what it is. That's just this day and age. You've got to have tough skin. So, I've grown up in it. So, it's nothing new."

Before being selected as the first overall pick by Arizona in 2019, Murray was picked ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and signed a contract with the A's.

Asked if this extension ends any prospect of Murray eventually switching to baseball, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim interjected and could not resist a dig at the A's, who have parted with a host of their stars in recent times and have the second-lowest payroll in MLB at $48.5m.

"Did you guys see the payroll of the Oakland A's versus this contract?" Keim replied. "Enough said."