Brentford have announced the signing of Denmark midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard in a reported £12.6million (€15m) transfer.

Damsgaard leaves Serie A, where he had played for Sampdoria since 2020.

The 22-year-old scored only two goals in 46 league games in Italy, providing four assists, but he caught the eye at Euro 2020 last year as Denmark reached the semi-finals.

Damsgaard scored twice, including a spectacular first goal in the 2-1 last-four defeat to England, as well as adding an assist.

Brentford coach Thomas Frank said of Damsgaard, who has signed a five-year contract: "Mikkel is, in my opinion, another classic Brentford signing.

"He is a young player with big potential to develop further. We know we can help Mikkel reach his highest level, we have the staff here that have experience in doing that."

Damsgaard will hope to help plug the creative gap left by Denmark team-mate Christian Eriksen, who left Brentford for Manchester United after a successful short-term spell at the club last season.

Rory McIlroy considered Tuesday "a good day" for members of the PGA Tour, as he felt the attempts of LIV Golf rebels to enter the FedEx Cup had made the dispute around the breakaway series "personal".

A judge ruled ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship that LIV Golf players were not eligible to compete in the play-offs.

Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford had filed a restraining order to allow them to play this week's tournament, while 11 LIV Golf stars put together an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.

McIlroy, who said he was following the proceedings live on Tuesday, was delighted the trio had not been granted access after abandoning the Tour for the lucrative new Saudi-backed league.

"From my vantage point, common sense prevailed, and I thought it was the right decision," McIlroy said.

"And now that that has happened, I think it just lets us focus on the important stuff, which is the golf, and we can all move forward and not have that sideshow going on for the next few weeks, which is nice."

The four-time major winner, who finished third as Cameron Smith – reported to be the next LIV Golf signing – won The Open last month, was asked if the struggle between players on either tour had become "personal".

"Yeah – and it was when that lawsuit was filed last week or whenever it was," McIlroy replied.

"The thing that I would say [is that] I certainly have a little more respect for the guys that haven't put their names to the suit. Yeah, it's become a little more personal because of that."

And while delighted with the outcome on Tuesday, McIlroy knows there will be plenty more battles ahead.

Explaining his outlook, the Northern Irishman said: "Guys are going to make their own decisions that they feel is best for them, and that's totally fine.

"I don't begrudge anyone for going over to play LIV or taking guaranteed money. If that's your prerogative and what you want to do, totally fine.

"But I think where the resentment comes from, from the membership of this tour, is the fact that they want to try to get their way back in here with no consequences.

"Anyone that's read that PGA Tour handbook or abided by the rules and regulations, that would feel very unfair to them.

"That's sort of how it played out, and I think everyone that has abided by the rules was... There's such a long way to go – it's like you've birdied the first hole, but you've still got 17 holes to go – but it was a good day for the Tour and for the majority of the membership yesterday."

McIlroy has been prominent in his opposition to LIV Golf, and he revealed on Wednesday he had received an offer from the Premier Golf League, but not from the latest threat to the PGA Tour.

The 33-year-old was therefore asked if he enjoyed his role as an unofficial spokesperson for the PGA Tour.

"Not really," McIlroy replied, but he does feel his game has somehow benefited from his being at the centre of a storm when off the course.

"I don't feel like it's my job to be up here and stick up for the Tour or be a spokesperson," he said.

"It's just sort of the role that I've found myself in, especially coming on the PGA Tour [policy] board this year. It was a great time to agree to do that...

"I've said this to a few people: I feel when I then get myself inside the ropes, it's like no one can get to me, and it's really nice.

"So, it's actually made the golf part of it way more enjoyable. And I sort of appreciate it a little bit more, because of all the other stuff that's going on.

"If anything, it's probably helped my golf, just because I can get out there and I can not think about it and compartmentalise everything and maybe enjoy competing a little bit more – or at least appreciate it a little bit more with everything else that's going on."

Chelsea have allowed Malang Sarr to join Monaco on loan with an option to buy.

The 23-year-old centre-back will move to the Ligue 1 club for the 2022-23 season, with Monaco then able to make the arrangement permanent for a reported €15million (£12.7m).

Monaco's purchase option could become mandatory if certain conditions are met, according to widespread reports.

Sarr joined Chelsea on a free transfer in August 2020 but was soon sent out on loan to Porto, where he made 19 appearances across all competitions.

He returned to Stamford Bridge for the 2021-22 season and became a member of the first-team squad, playing 21 times on all fronts, though only eight of those were in the Premier League.

In joining Monaco, Sarr returns to Ligue 1 after a two-year absence having previously been regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in Europe during his breakthrough as a teenager at Nice.

Sarr is Monaco's fourth signing of the window after Takumi Minamino, Breel Embolo and Thomas Didillon.

Monaco saw their Champions League qualification hopes ended on Tuesday when a 3-2 defeat after extra time away to PSV saw them suffer a 4-3 aggregate loss in the penultimate stage of qualifying.

Cleveland Browns standout return specialist Jakeem Grant will miss the 2022 season with a torn left Achilles tendon, head coach Kevin Stefanski announced Wednesday. 

Grant, a second team All-Pro as a punt returner in each of the last two seasons, was hurt during Tuesday's practice and underwent an MRI that confirmed the injury. 

"I really feel awful for Jakeem," Stefanski said in a statement. "We've witnessed how hard the young man has worked since he got to our team. 

"We all realise injuries are a part of our game, but that doesn't make it any easier to accept, especially for someone that works as hard and carries himself like Jakeem."

The Browns signed Grant to a three-year contract worth up to $13.8million in March to be their primary return man and compete for snaps at slot receiver after the team released Jarvis Landry. 

One of the game's premier returners, Grant has averaged 10.3 yards per punt return with four touchdowns and 24.5 yards per kick return with two touchdowns over six NFL seasons. His six combined touchdowns on kick and punt returns since 2016 are tied with Jacksonville Jaguars' Jamal Agnew for the most in the league over that period. 

As a receiver, Grant has totaled 100 catches for 1,140 yards and seven touchdowns for his career. The 29-year-old had career highs of 36 receptions and 373 receiving yards with the Miami Dolphins in 2020. 

A sixth-round pick of the Dolphins in 2016, Grant had spent his entire career with Miami before being traded to the Chicago Bears in October.  

Grant's injury gives rookie David Bell, a third-round pick in this year's draft, the inside track to be Cleveland's No. 3 receiver behind Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. Second-year pro Demetric Felton will likely take over on returns barring any additional roster moves.  

Bernardo Silva is frustrated about Manchester City players apparently not getting as much credit as they deserve.

City have won four of the past five Premier League titles, a feat only previously managed by Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

Pep Guardiola's arrival in 2016 has undoubtedly had an impact on their domination, with the Catalan coach quickly establishing a team identity that has made them one of the most entertaining and ruthless sides in Europe.

But Bernardo, who joined a year after Guardiola, thinks City are not as appreciated as they should be, with the Portugal international suggesting the end-of-season awards are evidence of this.

Last season, the Professional Footballers' Association's (PFA) Team of the Year contained only three City players – including Bernardo – to Liverpool's six and Jurgen Klopp took the managers' award, despite City winning the title.

While that does appear to be an anomaly, with City boasting the most Team of the Year representatives and Guardiola claiming the managers' prize in each of their previous three title-winning campaigns before last season, Bernardo still feels the champions are judged differently to the rest.

Asked specifically if he gets the praise he deserves, Bernardo – who took the opportunity to go off on a bit of a tangent – told ESPN: "From Man City fans, definitely. I feel a lot of support, and they show a lot of appreciation for what I do.

"From outside, it's difficult. I'm not complaining here, but I feel like other clubs get a lot more credit than Man City for doing less.

"For example, when I was at Benfica – a huge club in Portugal with more fans, more everything – you do something nice and they make it look like it's great. Here at Man City, you do something great and they make it look like it's just good.

"Again, I'm not complaining, but playing in the Premier League and winning four titles in five years and checking the Premier League Team of the Year every year and knowing that we're never the team that has the most players.

"We don't have the best manager, we don't have the best players, but we still win four Premier Leagues in five years? It just doesn't make sense. It probably shows that Man City players don't get as much credit as they should.

"For me, it doesn't matter honestly. I'm happy with the titles that we have and with the memories that in the last five years, we won four times. Of course, we don't get the credit that we deserve."

Pep Guardiola has no excuse not to win the Champions League with Manchester City given Erling Haaland's talent, according to Fabio Capello.

City were Premier League champions last season but again came up short in Europe, losing to eventual winners Real Madrid in the semi-finals.

The perennial league winners are still waiting on their first taste of glory in the Champions League, which Guardiola himself has not won since 2011.

Widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the modern game, Guardiola's failure to deliver success in Europe's elite club competition has regularly been used as a source of criticism.

And Capello – a European champion as Milan coach in 1994 – now believes City must succeed this season.

New superstar striker Haaland marked his Premier League debut with two goals in a win at West Ham, and Capello spotted the final piece of the City jigsaw.

"This year there is a favourite for me: Manchester City," the ex-England manager told Il Mattino. "There is no race.

"They finally have a powerful centre-forward in Haaland. He has power and speed.

"I saw the match against West Ham and I realised that this time Guardiola has no excuse: he has to win the Champions League.

"Even if, in the end, they'll tell him that he [only] won the Champions League first with [Lionel] Messi and then with Haaland."

Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy has pleaded not guilty to an additional rape charge.

Mendy appeared at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday to enter the plea ahead of his trial.

The 28-year-old attended court back in May when he entered pleas for nine charges of sexual offences – he then denied seven counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape.

Mendy also denies this further count of rape.

The offences, reported by seven different women, allegedly occurred between October 2018 and August last year, with all purported to have taken place at Mendy's home.

Mendy will go on trial with co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, who denies eight counts of rape and four of sexual assault between July 2012 and August 2021.

Both men are expected to stand trial later this week, with proceedings unlikely to conclude before November.

Mendy was suspended by City on August 26, 2021, and has not played for them since.

Reported Manchester United target Cody Gakpo believes he is more likely to stay at PSV than leave if they qualify for the Champions League.

The 23-year-old winger has been linked with several Premier League clubs in this transfer window, with Leeds United and Arsenal initially considered potential destinations.

United then emerged as apparent suitors following their shock 2-1 home defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on matchday one of the Premier League season.

Although the Red Devils have signed Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen, it has been a frustrating window for new manager Erik ten Hag, with several other areas of the squad widely deemed to be lacking quality in depth.

Defeat to Brighton only further highlighted some of United's issues, and reports early in the week suggested a £35million bid was being prepared for Gakpo, a winger who is capable of playing through the middle.

But Gakpo will seemingly be happy to stay at PSV if they can reach the Champions League group stages – they are due to face Rangers in their qualification play-off after the Eredivisie side saw off Monaco in a 4-3 aggregate win that was secured by a dramatic 3-2 success after extra time in Eindhoven on Tuesday.

Asked about his future after the game, Gakpo told ESPN: "We must first focus on and try to make it to the Champions League.

"Then it is more likely that I will stay. I don't think I have said anywhere that I am leaving, so there is definitely a chance that I will stay.

"I'm open for a cup of coffee with the management – or coffee for them and water for me. We'll see how it goes."

Gakpo appeared to be a backup option after United were unable to lure Antony away from Ajax, who reportedly value the Brazilian at approximately €82m (£70m).

It was rumoured that United hoped the presence of former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy – who is head coach at PSV – might have been able to encourage an agreement, but it would appear Gakpo is in no rush to depart.

Cameron Smith has vowed he will come forward when he has any announcement to make on his future, although the world number two is reported to have already agreed to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Smith is the Open champion and would represent another major coup for the breakaway golf league.

Fellow Australian Cameron Percy indicated Smith would be joining LIV Golf this week, telling RSN Radio that the 28-year-old and Marc Leishman were "gone".

Smith subsequently responded to these claims in a news conference ahead of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Tuesday.

"My goal here is to win the FedEx Cup play-offs," he said. "That's all I'm here for.

"If there's something I need to say regarding the PGA Tour or LIV, it will come from Cameron Smith, not Cameron Percy.

"I'm a man of my word, and whenever you guys need to know anything, it will be said by me.

"Like I said, I'm here to play the FedEx Cup play-offs. That's been my focus the last week and a half, that's what I'm here to do. I'm here to win the FedEx Cup play-offs."

However, Wednesday brought an exclusive report from The Telegraph claiming Smith had signed a $100million-plus deal with LIV Golf.

The report says an initial offer of around $100m was made to Smith ahead of The Open, but he is set to be boosted by his new status as a major winner.

An announcement, The Telegraph said, would likely follow the FedEx Cup play-offs, with Smith second in the standings.

Chris Eubank Jr will face Conor Benn and renew the two families' rivalry 29 years on from their fathers' second fight.

Chris Eubank twice faced Nigel Benn, beating him in their first bout in November 1990 before the pair drew the rematch three years later.

The latter meeting took place on October 9, 1993, and their sons will now take to the ring on October 8, 2022.

Benn's son Conor is still undefeated, with a 21-0 record that he will put on the line against Eubank Jr (32-2) at the O2 Arena in London.

"It's definitely a legacy fight," he said. "There was obviously a great rivalry between Eubank Sr and my dad, Nigel Benn.

"It's a fight that's even still spoken about now. It was one of the greatest British rivalries.

"So, the legacy lives on. It really is for the legacy, this fight. For me, it feels like the stars are aligned for this moment, to be honest."