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• Ederson slams reports of rift with Man City backup Ortega

  Ederson has hit out at reports of a rift between himself and fellow Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

  The Brazilian was substituted after suffering a fractured eye socket in City's penultimate game of the Premier League season, a vital 1-0 win over Tottenham. 

  Ortega replaced him and made a brilliant save to deny Son Heung-min as City maintained their slender lead over Arsenal at the top of the table, sealing an unprecedented fourth straight title by beating West Ham five days later. 

  Ortega was widely lauded for his role in that triumph, and an article published by The Athletic this week suggested Ederson took issue with that praise.

  However, the goalkeeper – who missed the Copa America as a result of his injury – has now moved to shut down those suggestions with a post to his Instagram story.

  "I would like to clarify that the note published by The Athletic yesterday, referring to my alleged dissatisfaction with a co-worker, is completely false," he wrote. 

  "The alleged day reported was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult days of my career, when I suffered a fracture that prevented me from playing in the final stretch of the season and, consequently, from representing my country in the Copa America.

  "At the time of the injury, my only thought was to continue in the match, defending City in the fight for the title. 

  "But the emotion of the match would be greater than the reality and, inevitably, I would not be able to continue as I would have liked due to the damage it caused, completely blocking my field of vision. I remain focused on preparing for the season."

  Ederson has been linked with a transfer in recent days, reportedly attracting interest from Saudi Pro League clubs.

• Lindstrom joins Everton on loan from Napoli

  Everton have completed the loan signing of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli, the club confirmed on Friday. 

  Lindstrom will join the Toffees for the 2024-25 season with the deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.

  The 24-year-old becomes the fourth addition at Goodison Park following the arrivals of Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison. 

  Lindstrom arrives after a difficult season with Napoli, playing just 416 minutes in 22 league appearances for the Serie A side. 

  The Denmark international arrived in Naples from Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 14 goals in 80 appearances, helping the German side lift the Europa League in the 2021-22 season. 

  “I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton," Lindstrom said in his first interview with the club. 

  "This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit.

  “I actually heard of Everton’s interest a while ago – not only from now but previously. England is very similar to Denmark so I will feel at home quickly.

  “I’ve spoken to the manager. It sounds as though he likes the way I play football and I can be a good fit for the team with my speed, so now I want to deliver."

  The search for another attacking option out wide had been the priority at Everton, having seen Arnaut Danjuma return to Villarreal following the completion of his loan deal, and the sale of Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa.

  Everton managed 40 goals last season, the second worst in the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United (35), and Dyche believes Lindstrom has a lot to offer in the final third. 

  "Jesper is a player with very good ability who can operate in a number of different attacking roles, which will benefit us heading into the new season," said Dyche. 

  "He joins us with a range of different experiences. He is hungry and eager to succeed with us, and that's a strong starting point as we look to add more productivity to our attack."

• Slot keen to work with current Liverpool squad amid transfer concerns

  Arne Slot is keen to work with the current Liverpool squad before rushing to make any signings ahead of his first season in charge at Anfield. 

  Liverpool are one of only two Premier League sides yet to conduct any business in the transfer window, along with Fulham, who are expected to soon bring Arsenal midfielder Emile Smith Rowe to Craven Cottage.

  Concern over a lack of transfer activity remains rife among some Reds supporters as they look to improve on their third-place finish last season and close the gap to both Manchester City and Arsenal. 

  However, Slot explained the lack of incomings and his ongoing discussions with Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, saying: "The first aim is to work with these players.

  "There is an important line at the club that young players come through.

  "Our standards are really high when it comes to bringing in new players. Of course, Richard and I are trying to improve the squad where possible."

  Liverpool are continuing their pre-season preparations in the United States, with Slot naming Mohamed Salah among his 28-man squad for the three fixtures.

  The Reds face Real Betis in Pittsburgh on Saturday, before taking on Manchester United and Arsenal, but left-back Andy Robertson is expected to play no part Stateside.

  Scotland international Robertson returned to Kirkby last week but did not feature in the pre-season defeat against Preston North End.

  The 30-year-old is almost certain to miss all three games as he continues to recover from an ongoing injury he carried during Scotland's woeful Euro 2024 campaign. 

  "He is not fully fit yet. But we are expecting him at the end of the tour – maybe just after the tour – to be fully fit again," Slot added. 

  "He took a small injury into the Euros and afterwards he had to recover from that after playing those games. But we will expect him back after our tour – he joined us over here."

  Slot was also asked about the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has one year remaining on his current deal and has reportedly garnered interest from Real Madrid.

  When probed about the 25-year-old's future, Slot provided a response that echoed predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

  "My answer would probably be a bit boring and I think it's the same answer you've heard for the last five, six or seven years," said Slot. "Contract situations are not discussed at this place. Keep trying, I would say!"