Richarlison has revealed he rejected a move to the Saudi Pro League and wishes to stay at Tottenham for the coming season.

The Brazil international joined Spurs from Everton in a deal worth a club-record £60million in 2022, only to struggle throughout his debut season in North London.

He scored just once in 27 Premier League games in 2022-23 but enjoyed a resurgent 2023-24 under Ange Postecoglou, netting 11 times in 28 matches, only 18 of which were starts.

However, with Tottenham reportedly interested in a move for Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke, who has a £65m release clause in his contract, Richarlison's future has been called into question.

In an interview with ESPN Brazil, the 27-year-old revealed he received a substantial offer from an unnamed club in Saudi Arabia, but he wishes to remain in England to bolster his international aspirations.

"The money was high, but my dream is bigger," the forward said of the Saudi offer.

"There has been an offer but my dream of playing for the Brazilian Selecao and in the Premier League speaks louder."

Richarlison's 11 league goals last term came from a total of 62 shots worth 9.59 expected goals (xG), while he hit the target with 53.2% of his efforts and netted with 17.7%.

Nine of his strikes, however, came within an eight-match span between mid-December and early February. 

He only scored once in 12 league outings before that run began on December 10, and once in eight appearances after it ended on February 3, with a calf injury curtailing his season and preventing him from representing Brazil at the Copa America.

Santi Denia views Friday's Olympic gold medal match versus France as an opportunity for Spain to underline their status as European football's finest. 

La Roja have enjoyed a terrific 2024 to date, with the country's senior and under-19 sides both claiming European Championship titles last month.

Those successes came on the heels of Luis de la Fuente leading the senior team to UEFA Nations League success in 2023, and his men overcame heavyweights Croatia, Italy, Germany, France and England on their impressive run to Euro 2024 glory.

Olympic hosts France lie in wait in Friday's gold medal match at the Parc des Princes, where Denia is backing his team to bring more pride to their country.

"We are delighted that we are a benchmark in Europe and the world, it is a job that has been done for years," Denia said at Thursday's pre-match press conference.

"We have improved and continued to work, believing in a model of play and a profile of players that represent us.

"If we have been waiting for the gold medal for so many years, it is a challenge and an additional excitement."

Spain's only previous gold medal at the Olympics came on home soil at Barcelona 1992, when a team featuring the likes of Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique beat Poland 3-2 in a thrilling final.

Captain Abel Ruiz, who joined Girona in June, is keen to follow in the footsteps of that legendary side.

"We are motivated, we know that the gold is something very important for the country and for us," he said.

"It is something that could be historic and for which we have fought hard, we have been in the training camp for 40 days and it is a lot of effort. We are really looking forward to the final."

Thierry Henry believes France's journey to the Olympics final has been a success, whether they finish with a gold or silver medal against Spain in Paris. 

Henry has led France to a first final at the Games since their win against Brazil in 1984, a time when he was preparing for his first senior season with Monaco's reserves.

Les Bleus entered the competition with one of the strongest teams on paper, but Henry faced a difficult task in assembling his squad.

The likes of Kylian Mbappe, Bradley Barcola and Warren Zaire-Emery were refused permission to compete in the Games by their clubs. 

However, Henry was quick to praise his group of players that have taken part in the tournament, saying his dream has already come true.

"This event is special because (in our sport) you don't think about finishing second or third, or winning a medal," Henry said. 

"So our story is a success - let's make it better.

While Henry has the opportunity to add an Olympic medal to his World Cup and European Championship successes as a player, he was keen to look at the bigger picture. 

"Did I ever think I would be part of an Olympic team? Never. I'll tell you why it's different for me," Henry said.

"I was never with my family watching me performing. When I say performing, you understand what I mean, obviously I'm not performing on the field anymore.

"But I never had my kids at a stadium looking at me with my team, being an 'actor', because when I had my kids I was almost at the end of my career.

"Maybe that's what was missing."

Mikel Arteta has said he has seen "something different" from striker Gabriel Jesus since last season, as the Brazilian impressed against Bayer Leverkusen. 

Jesus, who scored four goals in 27 Premier League appearances last term, was on target with a fine finish against the Bundesliga champions on Wednesday. 

The 27-year-old failed to score in his last 10 league appearances after returning from a knee injury, with Kai Havertz starring in the number nine position in his absence. 

However, Arteta has been impressed with Jesus' displays in pre-season, but has set his striker a challenge of becoming more consistent this year. 

"I said from day one, the first feeling when I saw him after talking to him at the end of the season is that he was something different," Arteta said.

"I could sense it. His energy was different, the way he looks is different, the way he’s moving is different. He really wants it.

"Now it’s about finding that consistency and doing it in any context, against any opponent, against any formation, any day, every three days, for 90 minutes, for 30 minutes, for 70 minutes.

"If you produce in those circumstances? It looks good."

The encounter against Xabi Alonso's side saw the return of both Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka into the first-team fold after their Euro 2024 campaign with England. 

But there was no sight of Jurrien Timber and new £42m signing Riccardo Calafiori, with Arteta able to explain their omission from the squad. 

"Jurrien had a little discomfort in his foot in the last few days and obviously, after the amount of time he’s been out, we didn’t want to take any risks with him," Arteta said. 

"In regard to Riccardo, so much happened to him in one week! He’s come into a new environment with a different methodology and different training, so we are managing him, and we want to do it slowly and in the best way possible.

"Hopefully he will be available to play some minutes on Sunday."

Arsenal conclude their pre-season preparations against Lyon this weekend ahead of their Premier League opener against Wolves at the Emirates six days later.

Arsenal continued their preparations for the new Premier League season with a convincing 4-1 triumph over Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen. 

Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus gave the Gunners a comfortable advantage at half-time, with Kai Havertz adding a fourth in the second half. 

Substitute Adam Hlozek would take the shine off an otherwise impressive performance from Mikel Arteta's side late on, but Arsenal were worthy winners at the Emirates. 

A frantic start to proceedings saw Zinchenko give the hosts the lead in the eighth minute as he rifled home Havertz's cutback from the edge of the area. 

Matej Kovar was picking the ball out of his net again less than a minute later, as Leverkusen were caught playing out from the back with Trossard remaining composed to slot home. 

Another mistake from the Bundesliga champions was punished seven minutes before half-time, this time by Jesus, who saw his long-range effort evade the grasp of Kovar. 

The result was put beyond doubt just after the hour mark when the returning Bukayo Saka saw his cross deflect kindly into the path of Havertz for an easy finish. 

Xabi Alonso's side showed a glimpse of the football that saw them win 28 of their 34 league games last year, with Hlozek rounding off a fine move with a delicate chip over David Raya. 

Arsenal face Lyon in their final pre-season fixture on Sunday before starting their quest for that elusive Premier League title against Wolves six days later. 

Data Debrief: Gunners turn on the style

Arsenal impressed in their penultimate pre-season fixture against a strong Leverkusen side, with promising signs to show they can go one better this season. 

Arteta's side out-performed their expected goals (xG) by 2.6, with six of their nine shots on target, registering double the amount of touches in the box when compared to their opponents. 

Trossard was a particular standout for the Gunners, recording the most touches in the opposition box (seven) while also making the most passes in the final third (19), a total only bettered by Leverkusen's Granit Xhaka (24) and Edmond Tapsoba (21). 

Sturm Graz came from two goals down to secure an unlikely draw against Paris Saint-Germain in their first game since Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid. 

Ibrahim Mbaye and Carlos Soler had given the Parisiens a two-goal advantage with just 12 minutes on the clock, but their Austrian opponents would respond. 

Amady Camara would pull a goal back for the hosts three minutes later, with Otar Kiteishvili levelling the scores just before half-time. 

Substitute Marco Asensio had the opportunity to win the encounter late on for the Ligue 1 champions, but Luis Enrique started his pre-season preperations with a draw. 

PSG opened the scoring at the 28 Black Arena through 16-year-old debutant Mbaye, bouncing the ball over the onrushing Daniil Khudiakov after being found by Asensio. 

Soler, who captained the side in Austria, found the target three minutes later when Randal Kolo Muani's cross picked him out unmarked inside the area. 

But Kamara halved the deficit in double quick time, picking the pocket of Naoufel El Hannach on the edge of the area before finishing beyond Matvey Safonov. 

The comeback was completed in the 43rd minute in some style, as Kiteishvili took aim from distance to find the bottom corner. 

Data Debrief: PSG struggle without stars

Enrique is without some of his top performers in front of goal, but his PSG side had more than enough quality on the pitch to claim victory in Austria. 

The Parisiens accumulated an expected goals (xG) of just 1.06, 0.18 fewer than their opponents. PSG managed nine shots in the encounter, four fewer than Sturm Graz.

16-year-old Mbaye did impress on debut, however, recording the most shots (three), shots on target (two) and touches in the opposition box (four) than anyone in the PSG side. 

Alejo Veliz has completed a loan move from Tottenham to Espanyol, the La Liga club confirmed on Wednesday. 

Veliz, who has made eight appearances for Spurs since signing from Rosario Central in 2023, joins Espanyol on a season-long deal. 

The 20-year-old was limited to 45 minutes of action under Ange Postecoglou last campaign, scoring his first goal in a 4-2 defeat to Brighton in December.

Veliz joined Sevilla for the second half of the 2023-24 season, but again struggled for game time and played six times in La Liga, totalling to 31 minutes. 

Espanyol won promotion from the Segunda Division last season after beating Real Oviedo in the promotion play-offs. 

Manolo Gonzalez is aiming to bolster his attacking options following the loss of top scorer Martin Braithwaite, who completed a permanent move to Brazilian side Gremio last month. 

Alejo Veliz has completed a loan move from Tottenham to Espanyol, the La Liga club confirmed on Wednesday. 

Veliz, who has made eight appearances for Spurs since signing from Rosario Central in 2023, joins Espanyol on a season-long deal. 

The 20-year-old was limited to 45 minutes of action under Ange Postecoglou last campaign, scoring his first goal in a 4-2 defeat to Brighton in December.

Veliz joined Sevilla for the second half of the 2023-24 season, but again struggled for game time and played six times in La Liga, totalling to 31 minutes. 

Espanyol won promotion from the Segunda Division last season after beating Real Oviedo in the promotion play-offs. 

Manolo Gonzalez is aiming to bolster his attacking options following the loss of top scorer Martin Braithwaite, who completed a permanent move to Brazilian side Gremio last month. 

Charlotte FC have bolstered their defensive ranks with the arrival of Fulham defender Tim Ream on a free transfer. 

Ream, who spent nine years at Craven Cottage, has signed a two-year deal and returns to the United States 13 years after joining Bolton from the New York Red Bulls.

The 36-year-old made 312 appearances for Fulham, more than any other player in the 21st century apart from captain Tom Cairney (325), ranking 25th on the all-time list. 

During his time with the Cottagers, Ream won promotion to the Premier League on three occasions, twice via the play-offs, with the other seeing Fulham crowned as champions during the 2021-22 season. 

Ream helped Fulham to a 13th place finish last year, keeping three clean sheets in his 18 outings. 

“I’m really excited to join Charlotte FC and return to the US for this next chapter of my career,” said Ream. 

“In all my conversations with the people around the club, it was clear this organisation and city were the right places for my family and I to continue our journey.

"I’m here to win, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the team as we prepare for a key stretch of matches that will propel us toward the playoffs as we fight for our first trophy.”

Ream will link up with former Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith in Charlotte and will be eligible for the club's next MLS fixture against former side NYRB on August 24. 

Ange Postecoglou believes his Tottenham side are benefiting from the solid foundations that were set last season.

Spurs have won four of their five pre-season games, with the one loss being a narrow 2-1 defeat to Bayern Munich.

Postecoglou's free-flowing, front-foot approach garnered plaudits last season, as Spurs finished fifth.

The Australian believes his side are now becoming even more receptive to his ideas now that he has been at the club for over a year.

He told The Athletic: "You can see the growth. I've been doing this for a long time, so I really feel last year we laid some really strong foundations in terms of some underlying core values that I saw from the first day we got back into pre-season.

"You know, process is a pretty boring word, but that’s the founding of how you build things. Once you've built it, then everyone can see whether it’s beautiful or ugly. But I love that you can build things in football and I think a lot of that is reflective of life — certainly my life."

The Spurs head coach believes a less is more approach is what works in terms of motivating his players right now, especially considering how fast-paced and challenging his style of play can be.

He said: "The way we play is very demanding. So you're looking for how much you really have to push players — and the less you feel you need to push them, the more you know they're actually buying into it.

"Some of that is just the way they talk and their behaviour around the place. I'm looking at how they’re embracing what we’re trying to do from a football perspective, but also beyond that."

Postecoglou’s side are next in action on Sunday where they face Bayern again, this time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has announced that Derek King has been appointed as the Caretaker Coach of the Trinidad and Tobago Men's Senior Team. King will step into the role immediately following the departure of Angus Eve late last month.

King's appointment comes at a crucial time as the team prepares for the upcoming Concacaf Nations League matches in September against Honduras and French Guiana. With his extensive experience and deep understanding of Trinidad and Tobago football, King is well-positioned to lead the team during this transition period, the TTFA said in a statement on Tuesday.

Having served as assistant coach under the outgoing Head Coach Angus Eve, King has been an integral part of the senior team setup. His familiarity with the players and the team's dynamics will be invaluable as he takes on this new responsibility.

In addition to his recent role, King boasts an impressive track record as a coach. As Assistant Coach to Stephen Hart, he helped guide Trinidad and Tobago to successive Gold Cup quarterfinal appearances in 2013 and 2015 and achieved a FIFA ranking of 49th in the world. King first took on the role of Assistant Coach in 2012.

King's coaching prowess is also evident from his leadership of the National Under-20 Men's Team to victory in the 2014 Caribbean Championship, showcasing his ability to guide and develop young talent.

Upon his appointment, King expressed his honor and readiness to lead the national team. "I am honoured to take on this responsibility and lead our national team during this important time," King stated. "Our immediate focus is on the upcoming Nations League matches, and I am confident that with good planning, hard work, and dedication, we can achieve positive results. I look forward to working closely with the players and staff to ensure we get the results and performances we all desire."

The TTFA is confident in King's ability to steer the team towards success in these important matches while the search for a new full-time head coach continues. The association extends its best wishes to Derek King and the Men's Senior Team as they embark on this new chapter.

Sophia Smith believes the United States have "so much potential" after her extra-time winner sent them through to their first Olympics final since 2012.

The 23-year-old's 95th-minute strike proved the decisive goal of the USWNT’s 1-0 semi-final victory against an injury-stricken Germany.

The result means new coach Emma Hayes will have the chance to go for gold in her first major tournament at the helm.

Smith dedicated her goal to the effort of the whole US squad under the ex-Chelsea boss.

"I just saw an open net in front of me and knew I had to step up in the big moment," Smith told NBC. "I felt I had to do that for this team, we've been working so hard.”

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has emphasised the need to make adjustments to his side's defence as he looks to eradicate some bad habits.

The Blues conceded 63 goals last season, which was more than any other side that finished in the top six.

They have leaked goals during this pre-season too, with four conceded in losses to both Celtic and Manchester City, before they went down 2-1 to Real Madrid in their final friendly of their U.S. tour on Tuesday.

And Maresca is aware of the changes that have to be made to avert the issue, mainly concerning the line of defence.

He said: "One of my first meetings with the squad was about the amount of goals we conceded last year with the defensive line very high.

"We are not working on defensive lines so high. It’s a habit last year, or years ago, I don't know.

"We are trying to drop the defensive line a little bit, usually about four or five metres, just to have some advantage.

"Last year we conceded many goals with this problem. Hopefully, we can solve it soon."

Chelsea looked more defensively solid against Madrid, restricting the Spanish giants to only three shots on target and an expected goals (xG) of just 1.10.

That is a positive to take into their final pre-season friendly, which takes place on Sunday against Inter.

Chelsea open their Premier League campaign against champions Manchester City a week later.

Milan beat Barcelona 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 friendly draw in which Robert Lewandowski scored twice for the Blaugrana.

The Rossoneri stormed into a 2-0 lead inside 15 minutes at M&T Bank Stadium on Tuesday. 

Having teed up Luka Jovic's opener with a neat ball across the six-yard box, United States star Christian Pulisic further delighted the American crowd with a dazzling run and finish to double Milan's lead.

Cutting in from the left, Pulisic skipped beyond his marker before lashing a fine effort high into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Yet Barca were back in the contest in the 22nd minute when Lewandowski coolly picked out the bottom-right corner from the edge of the area.

A slick move from Hansi Flick's team saw them draw level midway through the second half - Pau Victor laying it up for Lewandowski to tap home.

But with Lewandowski off the pitch, Barca could not get over the line in the shootout, with Mikayil Faye seeing the decisive penalty saved.

Data Debrief: Blaugrana can take the positives

Despite the shootout loss and the sluggish start, it was an excellent performance for much of the match from Barca, who had 17 shots to Milan's four and created 1.72 expected goals.

That being said, Milan's xG (1.02) shows that the Rossoneri did get into good positions despite their low shot count, and Barca will have to tighten up defensively ahead of their LaLiga campaign.

Lucas Vazquez and Brahim Diaz scored as Real Madrid ran out 2-1 victors over Chelsea on Tuesday.

In the final game of their U.S. tour, Chelsea failed to recover after going 2-0 down inside the opening 27 minutes at the Bank of America Stadium.

Vazquez's deflected shot crept into the bottom-left corner to open the scoring in the 19th minute, with Dani Ceballos claiming to have got a touch, though the replays were inconclusive.

There were no question marks over Madrid's second goal, with Vinicius Junior sliding a ball in behind for Diaz, who coolly rounded Chelsea's new goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen before slotting in from a tight angle.

Raheem Sterling squandered a great chance to tee up Christopher Nkunku for a tap-in, though Chelsea did pull one back when Noni Madueke headed in from Enzo Fernandez's teasing cross.

Nkunku drilled straight at Andriy Lunin from close range in the best chance of the second half, as Chelsea suffered their third defeat in the space of five games of their U.S. tour.

Data Debrief: Vinicius steals the show

Vinicius could not get going at the Copa America earlier this summer, as Brazil crashed out in the quarters, but the wing wizard had the beating of Chelsea's defenders.

He set the tone early on when he dribbled beyond Reece James and almost got a shot off, while his assist for Diaz's goal was a perfectly weighted throughball.

In his 66 minutes on the pitch, Vinicius created a team-high three chances, while completing two of his six dribbles and having 10 touches in the opposition area.