Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes is looking forward to “trying something different” as he begins life without his long-time assistant Tony Docherty alongside him.

The pair have worked together for the bulk of the past 15 years, at St Johnstone, Bristol City, Aberdeen and Killie.

However, 52-year-old Doherty took the opportunity to emerge from his close friend’s shadow when he accepted an offer to become manager of newly-promoted Dundee at the end of May.

McInnes has reshaped his backroom team over the past few weeks by promoting coach Paul Sheerin to an assistant role and bringing in former Partick Thistle manager Alan Archibald as first-team coach.

“I wasn’t always sure, I’d never really had any indication from Tony that it was something he wanted to do but I can see a lot of sense in (him taking) the Dundee job,” said McInnes when asked about Docherty’s surprise move into management.

“He lives in Dundee, he knows (Dundee sporting director) Gordon Strachan. And I think once they spoke to him they convinced him it was the right thing for him.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for him and I’ve no doubt he’ll do everything he can to be a success there. We wish Tony well. We had a long relationship and we’ll still have a strong relationship, it’s just not a working relationship any more.

“He’s busy with his stuff and I’m busy with mine. I’ve got Alan in now to add to me and Paul and I’m delighted to get Alan in, he’s a manager who only a few years ago got Partick into the top six.

“Archie’s been a good friend to me since we played together at Dundee United so I’m delighted to get him in.

“That’s what happens in football, things change. It’s more unusual that you work together for that length of time.

“A lot of time people say you should change your assistant every few years to keep you fresh so this is an opportunity for both of us to try something different.”

McInnes is hoping Kilmarnock – who secured their Premiership survival on the last day of last season – can emulate St Mirren next term by forcing their way into the top six.

The Buddies joined the big five city clubs of Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibernian in the top half last term.

“I think every club outwith the big five would have wanted to be St Mirren last year,” said McInnes.

“It’s incumbent on Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen to be in the top six along with the Old Firm, and St Mirren managed to be that other team.

“We have got to all strive for that. It’s a challenge to do it but St Mirren managed it last year and we need to try and be that team this year.”

James Maddison has revealed a conversation with Ange Postecoglou over seeing a “different Tottenham team” convinced him to move to the club.

Maddison completed a £40million transfer to Spurs from Leicester on Wednesday, agreeing a five-year deal.

England international Maddison has gained plenty of admirers since joining Leicester in 2018 and Newcastle were among the clubs interested in his signature this summer, but it was a promise from new Tottenham manager Postecoglou which left a mark on the 26-year-old.

“I’m absolutely thrilled,” Maddison said in his first interview with club media.

“I feel I have a good understanding of Tottenham and now I’m a part of it, have this lovely white shirt on, and it feels brilliant. I am ready to go.

“Being a Spurs player now is something I’m very excited about. You come here and get a feel for the club, for the people.

“Speaking to the manager is very important. To have a decent chat with him and get his thoughts on how he sees Spurs going this season.

“He said, ‘whether you come or not, you’ll see a completely different Spurs team under me’, and it kind of stuck with me that he said that. It made me think that is the self belief I have in myself.

“I spoke to Daniel (Levy) as well and they both spoke very highly of everything about the club, about me and things like that are so important. Building a good relationship with him, with Daniel, speaking to other players.

“Obviously I know a lot of the lads anyway and have played against them for many years. Myself, my agent, my family, we’re all really happy with the decision and I can’t wait to get going.”

Spurs have been long-term admirers of the 26-year-old.

Ex-Tottenham boss David Pleat recommended Maddison to chairman Levy when the playmaker was still a teenager at Coventry, but no move was able to materialise and he instead joined Norwich.

Spurs’ interest and desire to eventually sign Maddison never waned with his time at Leicester only serving to highlight he was one of the most creative players in England.

During five largely successful years with the Foxes, who won the 2021 FA Cup, Maddison made 203 appearances, scored 55 goals and produced 41 assists.

Maddison’s creativity and versatility will boost a Spurs squad that has lacked a player in his mould since Christian Eriksen left in 2020.

He added: “Christian was one of my favourite players when I was growing up, especially in the lower-leagues.

“When he was in hot form for Tottenham, wearing the iconic number 23, Eriksen was someone who would produce quality moments for this football club. To swap shirts with a player like that, of his ilk, was very special.”

While Maddison has made the move from the King Power Stadium to Tottenham, Harry Winks is set to go the other way, the PA news agency understands.

Spurs have agreed a £10m deal with Leicester for Winks, who spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Sampdoria.

Winks, 27, had been a regular at Tottenham under Mauricio Pochettino, but fell out of favour during the tenures of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Academy graduate Winks headed to Italy last summer in search of first-team football and his transfer to Leicester will not be announced until later this week, with his loan spell at Sampdoria not officially ending until Friday.

New boss Postecoglou is set to cast his eye over the rest of the squad – with Tottenham’s non-internationals reporting to Hotspur Way on Saturday – before any further decisions are made on outgoings.

Spurs’ focus has turned to bringing in reinforcements in central defence.

Tottenham have an interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Edmond Tapsoba and Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven, but no approach has been made for either yet, PA understands.

Michael Beale is confident Abdallah Sima is already “aligned” to Rangers’ style of play after the Brighton forward sealed a season-long loan move to Ibrox.

The cinch Premiership club confirmed the recruitment of the 22-year-old Senegalese, who becomes their fifth signing of the summer.

Sima played against the Gers for Slavia Prague in the Europa League in March 2021, just months before earning a £7million move to Brighton.

He has so far struggled to establish himself with the Premier League club and has spent time on loan at Championship side Stoke and French Ligue 1 team Angers.

“We are delighted to have Abdallah join us for the forthcoming season,” Beale told Rangers’ website. “He is a player I’m excited to work with, he has excellent variety in his game and can fulfil a number of attacking positions in our team.

“He has recently turned 22 years old and has experienced playing in three domestic top divisions, in the Europa League and is a senior international for Senegal.

“We met a few weeks ago and discussed at length his alignment to our style of play and his future development as a player.

“He is someone I have followed closely since his breakthrough in the Czech Republic and I am extremely pleased to have Abdallah join the squad at the very start of pre-season.

“I would also like to say thank you to the staff at Brighton who have been excellent since our initial contact a number of weeks ago.”

Sima, who scored five goals in 34 appearances for Angers last term, follows Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland and Sam Lammers in signing for Rangers this summer as Beale continues reshaping his squad following the departure of high-profile players like Allan McGregor, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

The attacker, who will join up with his new team-mates on July 1, is excited about his move to Glasgow.

“Rangers is a big club with a big history,” he said. “I played here for Slavia Prague two or three years ago and when I came here I liked it so for me it is very exciting to join Rangers.

“I spoke with Michael Beale and it was a very natural conversation, he told me about Rangers and about how we will be playing. I already knew a bit about how Rangers play so when they called me I was very honoured.”

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign England midfielder Mason Mount for an initial £55million from Chelsea, the PA news agency understands.

The Red Devils will pay an additional £5m dependent on appearances and success.

The 24-year-old is understood to have agreed a five-year contract, with an option for a further year.

Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe is ready for her side to embrace “unknown territory” as they continue preparations for the Women’s World Cup.

Ireland have been drawn in Group B of this summer’s global showpiece alongside Canada, Nigeria and tournament co-hosts Australia, who they face in their opening match on July 20.

It marks an historic moment for the Irish women, who will be competing for the first time in a major tournament finals and McCabe is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

“It’s unknown territory for us, we’ve never qualified for a major tournament before, this is all new for us,” she told the PA news agency.

“So we’re just going to take it in our stride, I think taking it day by day and ultimately focusing on what’s important, which is training and the football side of things.

“It’s going to be an amazing summer, it’s something we’ve dreamt about for as long as we’ve been playing football.

“So to say we’re actually on the way there now next week after we play France in our send off game, heading to our first major tournament is going to be fantastic.

“We’ve got a really tough group, Australia – the hosts, Canada – Olympic champions, one of the best teams in Africa…

“By no means is it going to be easy, but we’re certainly not going to go there to just take part in it and happy to be there, we’re going to compete and really challenge ourselves.”

Ireland have been preparing for the tournament with recent friendlies against current World Cup holders the United States and Zambia.

The will also face France next Thursday before travelling to Brisbane, where they play Colombia in another warm-up six days before their opener against Australia.

They kick off their campaign against the Matildas at Stadium Australia in Sydney, a ground which holds 81,500 fans and McCabe believes the size of the venue shows how far women’s football has grown.

“I’m hoping we drown out the Australian fans, the Irish fans there – we’ve got the best fans in the world with the support we get all over the place, it’s fantastic,” the Arsenal player added.

“It speaks volumes the stadium’s getting moved from a 40,000 seater to an 80,000 seater, it goes to show that it’s going to be the hottest ticket in town and this World Cup is going to be a new one in women’s football.

“You think the growth of the game went through the roof the last few years, it’s only going further now.”

Aberdeen manager Barry Robson has welcomed Peter Leven to his backroom staff.

The 39-year-old former Kilmarnock and MK Dons midfielder will take on the first-team coach role vacated by Liam Fox, who left at the end of last season to become Hearts’ B team coach.

Leven began his coaching career in Middlesbrough’s academy and had a spell as assistant at Killie under Lee Clark and then Lee McCulloch, while his most recent roles have been abroad in Belarus and then Russia.

“Peter is someone I have known for a while,” said Robson told the Reds’ website.

“I was on my pro licence with him and I was really impressed. He’s really intense, enthusiastic and he also has great contacts all over Europe which will be really beneficial as we prepare for the challenges which lie ahead in European football this season.

“He’s also worked with young players who are getting close to the first team so that wide-ranging coaching experience will be invaluable as he supports the pathway for young talent here at Aberdeen.”

Leven is relishing the opportunity to work alongside Robson and his assistant Steve Agnew.

“Aberdeen is a huge club, so I am delighted to be given the opportunity to be part of Barry’s staff,” he said.

“Barry has a clear vision of what he wants to achieve this season and has high standards driven by himself and his coaching staff, so I am really excited about the challenge which lies ahead.”

For all the talks about his winless streak in eight friendly games, Jamaica's Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said he never paid much attention to those numbers as the fact remained that he was yet to lose a game at a major tournament.

In fact, Hallgrimsson, who registered his first win since taking the reins to guide the Reggae Boyz late last year, pointed out that the team's 4-1 drubbing of Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago in their second Concacaf Gold Cup Group A fixture on Wednesday, was a strong indicator that time and greater consistency, could lead to better results going forward.

Prior to this Gold Cup triumph, Hallgrimsson had lost 0-3 to Argentina, 0-1 to Trinidad and Tobago, and 2-1 to Qatar and Jordan respectively, in friendly fixtures. His record also includes, 1-1 and goalless score lines with Cameroon and Trinidad and Tobago, also in friendlies, followed by a 2-2 Nations League stalemate with Mexico and more recently a 1-1 stalemate with United States in their Gold Cup opener.

While for some the victory Demarai Gray (14th and 28th), Leon Bailey (17th) and 17-year-old Dujuan "Whisper" Richards (90+2), who became the youngest scorer in the history of the tournament, was a relief, the Icelandic tactician said the focus was more on building a competitive team.

Andre Rampersad (49th) got the consolation for the twin island republic.

"It didn't affect me at all, I was not counting," Hallgrimsson declared during a post-game press conference at Citypark in St Louis, Missouri. 

"I will tell you another fact, I haven't lost a competitive game for Jamaica and that is what matters, the competitive matches. I am pretty sure this team will grow, there are a lot of young players starting to play for us and they will only grow as the tournament gets older. That is the important thing about tournament like these.

"Normally in a FIFA Window when you have players for seven days, eight days, maximum, and you have two matches, there is so little you can do to connect with them at that time. But when you have a tournament like this, you can always add things where you can improve the understanding between individual players. So, it's helping us a lot which is why it's important to be here and that is why it is important to make it to the Copa America next year as well, so we can continue grow as a team," he added.

Hallgrimsson, who was also taken to task about his selection of rising sensation Richards, argued that the late goal scored by the Chelsea-bound prospect, justified the coaching staff's decision.

He reiterated the fact that the former Kingston College talisman, who was making his Gold Cup debut, still have immense scope for improvements which will come in time as Richards learns from his more experienced counterparts.

"Normally I don't like to talk about individual players, but we were criticised for picking the kid and he only needed 10 minutes to score a goal, so that shows why we selected him, and I don't think he knows what he is going to do, the opponents don't know what he is going to do but he is lethal. 

 "I have to admit when he took the shot, I was wondering why he was shooting from that range, but he scored, so he is kind of like the guy that defy the odds a little bit and all teams need players like him. As I said before he has a lot to learn, but he still knows a lot and can do a lot right now," Hallgrimsson shared.

He also spoke highly of Gray, who celebrated his 27th birthday with a brace in only his second appearance as a Jamaican international. 

"Demarai, everybody knew he was a longtime coming, I think we started talking about him coming to Jamaica two years ago so for everyone to see now how good a individual talent he is, taking players on, he is a real quality on the field, and he is fast as well. It will take time for him to really get into the tactics and get to know the players around him, but I think it was a good birthday present he gave to all of us scoring two goals and I think he had a really good game," Hallgrimsson noted.

That said, Hallgrimsson lauded the dominance of his Reggae Boyz unit to not only consistently break down the Soca Warriors 5-4-1 defensive formation, but more importantly, maintain their composure and firm defensive posture for the most parts.

"We have good depth in the squad, not much difference between some players and we have tried these players in these positions before, so it was good to give both Javain [Brown] and Dexter Lembikisa a chance to play and Amari'i was a little bit injured, so we didn't want to risk him so that's why Taxi [Kemar Lawrence] started at left back and did a good job there. But at half time, he felt a little stiffening up, so we moved Dexter to the left and Joel Latibeaudiere played right. 

"So there were a lot of changes going on in these positions and then just the rotations of the centre-backs, I think Dishon Bernard did a really good job, so I hope Jamaicans are happy to see that there is a young centre-back coming up, he showed his strength and character in this game and in generally was really good," Hallgrimsson reasoned.

"I don't think Trinidad created a chance except for the goal, I think that was the only chance they created, so that's good and shows the defensive game we played today (Wednesday)," he ended.

Stephen Robinson is excited about the “raw pace” he has added to the St Mirren attack after entering the Israeli market once more to sign Stav Nahmani on a season-long loan from Maccabi Haifa.

The 20-year-old forward has made 62 appearances in the top division in his homeland, the majority of which came in three loan spells with Hapoel Nof HaGalil, Beitar Jerusalem and Hapoel Hadera over the past two seasons. He has been capped five times by Israel at Under-21 level.

Nahmani, who has managed only 13 appearances for his parent club since making his debut aged 18 in May 2020, has now taken the opportunity to move to Scotland on another temporary deal. St Mirren have an option to turn it into a permanent arrangement.

The cinch Premiership club signed Australian defender Ryan Strain from Maccabi Haifa a year ago and Robinson is hopeful that his latest recruit from the Israeli club will have a similarly positive impact.

“Stav came to us through the same contacts that we got Ryan Strain from Maccabi Haifa,” the manager told the St Mirren website.

“He’s a young player that’s come through the Israeli age groups.

“He’s got a great work ethic and he gives us real raw pace running in behind.

“We hope he can add goals to our team and pace in the forward areas. He’s a real exciting one that can play in a couple of areas across the forward areas.”

Nahmani becomes the second new signing by St Mirren in consecutive days after they announced the arrival of Middlesbrough goalkeeper Zach Hemming on a season-long loan on Wednesday.

Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Angus Eve intends to lift the mood of his dejected players, as they aim to keep their Concacaf Gold Cup campaign alive after being outclassed by Jamaica in a 1-4 loss that has basically eliminated the Soca Warriors from the tournament. 

Trinidad and Tobago's chances of claiming one of two spots from Group A evaporated thanks to goals from Demarai Gray (14th and 28th), Leon Bailey (17th) and Dujuan Richards (90+2). Andre Rampersad (49th) pulled one back for the twin island republic.

Angus and his team still have a glimmer of hope of progressing to the knockout stages, but it will require an unlikely win or draw against powerhouse and favourites United States in their final group fixture on July 2, while hoping newcomers St Kitts and Nevis also pull off an unlikely win over Jamaica by a wide margin.

United States, who hammered St Kitts and Nevis 6-0 currently heads the group on four points, same as Jamaica but with a healthy six-goal difference to Reggae Boyz three. Trinidad and Tobago are third on three points, while the Sugar Boys on their Gold Cup debut are yet to earn a point.

"We just have to pick the guys up, the dressing room is very dejected this is the first match we have lost in about nine for the season and we don't normally concede goals but I thought that the second half when we came back on I thought that we were really in the game and we created a lot of chances," said Angus, who rued what he thought was a handball against Jamaica's defender Damion Lowe.

In real time, it seemed the ball did in fact come off Lowe's hand and Mexican referee Fernando Guerrero thought so too when he initially awarded the penalty. However, by the VAR, the replay showed that the ball came off Lowe's head.

"I think the handball should have been a penalty. Unfortunately, we don't get to see it (replays) on the pitch anymore, at one point we had a tablet where we could see it. From where we were, the hand was in an unnatural position, but it was a penalty and then it wasn't a penalty, we didn't get any explanation as to why not," Angus argued.

Going into the second contest with a 5-4-1 defensive formation after a comprehensive 3-0 win over St Kitts and Nevis in their opener, Trinidad and Tobago seemingly had all their bases covered, but things didn't pan out as Angus expected.

Their defence was easily and consistently broken down by the Jamaicans who were quick to press the ball and the Soca Warriors were at times caught ball watching. In fact, Gray was left unmarked on both occasions when he scored and the one attempt Trinidad and Tobago made at pushing a high line, they were beaten by a timely run from Bailey who went on to beat Nicklaus Frenderup in a one-one-one situation.

The Soca Warriors did come into their own in the second have and looked threatening in open play, though they were unable to get anymore that Rampersad's cheeky heel finish.

Aside from possibly being star-struck, Angus believes there was some positives to work with which he is hoping they can improve on ahead of Sunday's encounter.

"I thought the second half we were way more positive it seems like we settled down better credit to Jamaica, the type of players that they have and the quality that they have in the team, we don't have that type of quality, so it was always going to be a struggle.

"But when you give away soft goals...I thought we gave away a lot of soft goals very early and we had to dig ourselves out of a hole. I think we also started really slow, but as I said I take full blame for it, the aim was to keep the game as tight as possible in the first half so we could go out and express ourselves a little bit more in the second half, but we just didn't defend well," Angus explained.

That said, the tactician gave some insight to his decision not to start three of his best players in what was a vital fixture.

"Triston Hodge had a tight hamstring, Kevin Molino is just coming back into football, and he complained that he was really tired so he didn't feel like he could start and then Auvray had some little knocks and bruises. So, we made the three changes, we were trying to keep the game a little bit tight in the first half so we could probably get those players on. 

"So, we had the plan from the time they got the goals, unfortunately we seem to be a bit nervous, I think big name (players) probably scare us and we made some bad mistakes. But I take full blame for the result because I am the coach of the team," he ended.

Ross County have completed the permanent signing of Eamonn Brophy from St Mirren for an undisclosed six-figure transfer fee.

The 27-year-old striker spent the second half of last season on loan at the Staggies and scored three goals in eight appearances before having his campaign prematurely ended by injury in April.

County have now moved to bring Brophy back to the Highlands.

“We are delighted to welcome Eamonn back to the club,” said manager Malky Mackay.

“His impact during his spell last season was significant and he became a popular member of the squad. His experience in the Scottish game is clear to see and he is another great attacking option added to the squad.”

Brophy joined St Mirren from Kilmarnock in January 2021 – initially on loan – and he went on to make 58 appearances for the Buddies, scoring eight goals.

Defending champions, USA, climbed to the top of Group A of the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup following a 6-0 drubbing of St Kitts and Nevis at CityPark in St Louis Wednesday night.

Jesus Ferreira scored a hat trick and Djordje Mihailovic added two more plus two assists to propel the USA to the resounding victory that sees the home side lead the group on goal difference over Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz who had earlier beaten Trinidad and Tobago 4-1.

The U.S. got on the scoreboard in the 12th minute when defender Bryan Reynolds played a ball into space that midfielder Gianluca Busio ran onto. He cut back across the box where Mihailovic was able to thump in the home the opener.

Reynolds then scored a stunner of his own in the 14th minute. After a corner kick bounced out of the box, Reynolds swung his foot, keeping his shot low and the ball kissed off the post and in for a 2-0 lead.

Next up, it was Jesus Ferreira scoring in the 16th minute, taking a pass from Alejandro Zendejas and running past a defender to fire a right-footed shot into the back of the net for a third goal in four minutes for the defending Gold Cup champion.

Ferreira doubled his tally in the 25th minute, making a run behind and ending up one-on-one with Saint Kitts and Nevis goalkeeper Julani Archibald, who wasn’t able to stop Ferreira’s low right-footed shot that made it 4-0.

And his hat trick was complete in the 50th minute, with Mihailovic finding Ferreira in the box, and the forward putting a quick right-footed shot past Archibald.

The U.S. extended its lead to 6-0 in the 80th minute, swarming forward in transition. Mihailovic finished a move that started down the right wing and saw Christian Roldan register the assist

The Stars and Stripes close out group play against Trinidad and Tobago on July 2, while St Kitts and Nevis faces Jamaica on the same day.

Josh Ginnelly admitted it was “one of the toughest decisions” he has ever had to make after ending his three-year stint at Hearts.

The 26-year-old Englishman joined the Tynecastle club initially on loan from Preston in 2020 and then made the move permanent a year later.

After finishing as Hearts’ second-top scorer last season, however, he has decided, following several weeks of deliberation since the campaign ended, that he will not be renewing his contract.

Hearts said in a statement on Thursday morning: “We can confirm that Josh Ginnelly will not be returning to the club.

“His contract expired last month and despite the club making the best possible offers to retain his services, he has decided his future lies elsewhere. We wish him all the best with his next move.”

Ginnelly made 89 appearances for Hearts and scored 22 goals, 13 of which came in his final season. The forward, who has other options on the table, posted a farewell message on Instagram after his departure was confirmed.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make but after taking time to reflect I’ve decided it’s time for a different challenge,” he said.

“I’m so proud to have played for this amazing club and I feel so proud to look back and see how far we’ve come over the last three years. I’ve made friends for life in the teammates that I’ve met along the way and it’s been an absolute pleasure to have played alongside you all.

“Thank you to all of the staff who coached me through injuries and helped me through one of the toughest times of my career.

“I also wanted to say a special thank you to (long-serving club employee) Clare Cowan. Hearts wouldn’t be Hearts if it wasn’t for you. I wanted to say publicly that I hope you know how appreciated you are.

“Finally, thanks to all of the fans that have stuck by me throughout. You’ve made my time at Hearts and I’ll forever be grateful for the uplifts and constant support. Some fan base. ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. GINO.”

Scotland have added James Morrison to Steve Clarke’s coaching staff.

The former Middlesbrough and West Brom midfielder earned 46 caps for Scotland during his career and was part of the backroom team for their Euro 2024 qualifier wins against Norway and Georgia earlier this month.

Following his retirement in 2019 Morrison joined West Brom’s coaching staff and will continue in his role with the Baggies academy.

He told the Scottish FA website: “It was always a great honour to represent Scotland every time I put on the shirt and it is a privilege to be given an opportunity to work with the men’s national team in a coaching capacity.

“During the recent camp, I witnessed the high standards driven by the coaching staff and players alike and I am thrilled to be a part of the group going forward, at what is a hugely exciting time for the Scotland men’s national team.”

The summer transfer market remains busy with plenty of deals and speculation.

Here, the PA news agency rounds up some of the latest business and stories.

Top story

Arsenal’s pursuit of West Ham captain Declan Rice continues to command the most headlines. After having two bids rebuffed for the England midfielder, the Gunners’ third offer of £100million plus £5m in add-ons was reportedly accepted on Wednesday.

Manchester City had been interested but, after having a £90m bid rejected, decided not to match Arsenal’s proposition.

Done deals

Tottenham completed the signing of James Maddison from Leicester for an initial £40m on Wednesday. The 26-year-old England international has signed a five-year deal and becomes new manager Ange Postecoglou’s third new recruit.

Kai Havertz has crossed London to join Arsenal from Chelsea in a £65m deal and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has also left Stamford Bridge to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli.

Deals closing in

Arsenal are shaping up to be one of the biggest movers in the summer window as they also close on the signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber.

Chelsea are also reportedly in “advanced talks” over Santos winger Angelo Gabriel.

Other gossip

Chelsea’s interest in Brighton’s Moises Caicedo has now apparently been matched by Manchester United. This adds a layer of intrigue to United’s pursuit of Chelsea’s Mason Mount.

Caicedo has emerged as a potential United target after they were knocked back by the Blues over Mount, so it will be interesting to see if this changes the picture.

Meanwhile, Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga, who has a £34m buyout clause, is being looked at by Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Fulham and Nottingham Forest are potential destinations for another Chelsea player, Callum Hudson-Odoi. Liverpool are also being linked with RB Leipzig midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and the German side’s centre-back Josko Gvardiol is another potential target for champions City.

Unlikely move

The future of Tottenham and England striker Harry Kane remains the subject of considerable speculation as Bayern Munich apparently prepare a second bid, but the prospect of this move happening still seems remote.

Bayern’s first offer of £60m was rejected out of hand and the feeling is the Germans would have to up it considerably just to get Spurs to the table. Even then, there has been no indication that Kane would be interested in such a switch.

No move

It was inevitable there would be some interest in Jamie Vardy following Leicester’s relegation but the 36-year-old apparently has no interest in joining Saudi Arabian side Khaleej FC.

What the papers say

West Ham are reportedly interested in three players this summer to help fill the void left by Declan Rice’s expected departure, with the club said to be targeting England international Harry Maguire. The Mirror says the club are also interested in Everton midfielder Amadou Onana and Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria.

Bayern Munich are set to up their offer for Tottenham striker Harry Kane after their initial deal of £60million was rejected by the club, the Sun reports. The new bid is reportedly worth £80million.

Wolves have accepted a deal worth £7.5million from Leicester for defender Conor Coady, the Daily Express says.

The Nottingham Post says Chelsea are willing to let 22-year-old Callum Hudson-Odoi leave the club for £15million, with Nottingham Forest interested in signing the young forward.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Moises Caicedo: Brighton are reportedly set to receive an offer from Manchester United for the Ecuadorian after contact was made earlier in the week, according to Sky Sports.

Dominik Szoboszlai: The Athletic says Liverpool are interested in signing RB Leipzig’s Hungarian midfielder who has a release clause worth £70million.