Reggae Boyz striker Shamar Nicholson has joined Ligue 1 outfit Clermont Foot on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Russian giants Spartak Moscow.

The 26-year-old scored eight goals in 30 appearances for Spartak after joining them from Belgian side Charleroi in December 2021.

His best result with Spartak came in his first season when they won the Russian Cup 2-1 over rivals Dynamo Moscow.

Nicholson has scored 10 goals in 33 appearances for the Reggae Boyz and was in the squad for their quarterfinal run at the Concacaf Gold Cup in the USA this year.

Sergio Ramos has returned to boyhood club Sevilla after signing a one-year deal with the Andalusian club.

The 37-year-old former Spain and Real Madrid captain, a free agent after leaving Paris St Germain in June, has returned to Sevilla 18 years after leaving to join Real Madrid.

Sevilla announced on their official website that Ramos had passed a medical on Monday morning before signing a 12-month contract.

LaLiga club Sevilla said: “Sevilla FC have reached an agreement for the signing of Sergio Ramos.

“The academy graduate is returning to the club 18 years after he signed for Real Madrid in 2005, aged 19.”

Ramos progressed through Sevilla’s academy, making his first-team debut as an 18-year-old, and went on to make 49 appearances in all competitions before joining Real Madrid in 2005 for £23million.

He scored 101 goals in 671 appearances in total for Madrid during a trophy-laden 16 years, which included five LaLiga titles and four Champions League wins, before joining PSG on a two-year deal in 2021.

Ramos, who won two Ligue 1 titles with PSG, made a record 180 appearances for Spain, scoring 23 goals, and won both the World Cup, in 2010, and the European Championship, twice, in 2008 and 2012.

Central Coast Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery is on a five-man shortlist to become the next Hibernian manager, the PA news agency understands.

Hibs have received permission from the A-League champions to hold talks with the 42-year-old former Scotland Under-21 international.

But reports in Australia claiming that Montgomery has already been selected as Lee Johnson’s successor are premature.

Hibs have spoken to two candidates and plan talks with three more this week, including Montgomery.

Former Hibs manager Neil Lennon has been among the favourites for the role and had declared himself open to discussions.

Leeds-born Montgomery initially moved to Mariners as a player in 2012 after making almost 400 appearances for Sheffield United.

He has been captain, assistant coach, youth coach and head of football at the club before taking over as head coach in August 2021.

Montgomery led Mariners to their second A-League Grand Final success with the help of a hat-trick from former Hibs striker Jason Cummings in a 6-1 triumph over Melbourne City in June. Recent Aberdeen signing James McGarry was also in the team.

Other players he has coached include Hibs full-back Lewis Miller, Kye Rowles of Hearts and former Tynecastle loan striker Garang Kuol.

Mariners owner Richard Peil last year claimed Motherwell had expressed interest in Montgomery before appointing Steven Hammell as manager.

Peil told Australian media outlet ftbl.com.au in August last year that Montgomery was destined for England’s top flight.

He said: “Monty knows we are on a three-year plan and I was never going to let him go. We were pleased by their approach because it shows what Monty and (assistant) Sergio Raimundo are doing here is something special.

“But I was always going to fight tooth and nail to keep him in Australia. I never had any intention of supporting him going to the SPL.

“He’ll coach in the EPL at some point. It’s just a matter of time. He’s a young coach, and like he tells all our players, you have to be patient and go through the process.

“I’m sure this will be the first of many approaches for him over the next few years.”

Johnson lost his job after Hibs lost their opening three cinch Premiership games and suffered a 5-0 home defeat against Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League play-offs.

Former skipper David Gray led the club to a 2-0 league win at Aberdeen on Sunday in his third spell as caretaker manager.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers believes his side’s victory at Ibrox can be a big moment in their development as a team.

The Scottish champions had not scored in their previous two matches and were without four injured centre-backs against Rangers, while their starting full-backs could not complete the game.

But, after dominating the first half and leading through Kyogo Furuhashi, Celtic shut out Rangers in the second half as they came under sustained pressure for long spells.

A back four of Anthony Ralston, Alexandro Bernabei, Liam Scales and recent signing Gustaf Lagerbielke finished the game with a clean sheet along with the help of two good saves from Joe Hart.

Rodgers, whose side moved four points ahead of their city rivals in the cinch Premiership, told Celtic TV: “In football, you can’t play perfectly all the time.

“We want to create opportunities and we want to score, but when you have those days where maybe you are away from home and you’re under pressure, you have to show that resilience. And they had that in bucketloads.

“So I’m so happy for the players. I think they have been on death watch by the media for the last week or so, coming into this game.

“But for me, as a coach, it was about staying calm, working the players and knowing that they’re going to grow and develop and this is a big part of the development – to come and win away at Ibrox.

“When you consider what this group is missing in terms of players, but not just players, influential players, to come here and show that desire and drive to get a result is really impressive.

“So it’s a big moment for the squad – they can feel what it’s like to get this win and I’m really happy for them.”

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis says his club are on a path to becoming a “dominant force in English football”.

After securing survival in their first Premier League season in 23 years last term, Forest are looking to kick on and have made a decent start, winning two of their four opening games, including a 1-0 win at Chelsea on Saturday.

Marinakis has again invested heavily, with a splurge of signings on transfer deadline day as seven players arrived at the City Ground.

Divock Origi, Ibrahim Sangare, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Nicolas Dominguez were among those and Forest now look to have a much stronger squad than last year.

And Marinakis, who has also made a significant investment in the club’s infrastructure, wants to see his club back at the top table of English football.

“Our vision for the club is clear and unwavering: we are on a path to re-establish Nottingham Forest as a dominant force in English football,” he said in a letter to fans.

“This journey is not just about the short-term, it’s about building a sustainable future. We are investing in youth development, nurturing young talent, and building a squad that can compete at the highest level for years to come.

“The players we have brought in are fighters and winners who understand and believe in our vision for the future of this great club.

“When players of the talents of those we have brought in this summer choose Nottingham Forest over the other dominant European clubs chasing their signatures, you should know that they choose us because we have shared with them our vision and they have fully invested in what it is we want to achieve.”

Forest were able to recoup over £45million on Brennan Johnson, who was sold to Tottenham, and Marinakis paid tribute to a player who came through the City Ground ranks.

“He is the ultimate young professional and his contributions to the club he loves have been enormous – helping us achieve promotion back to the Premier League and instrumental in helping us retain that status on the final home game of last season,” the owner added.

“In moving to Tottenham Hotspur he has also provided his boyhood club with the financial means to reinvest and continue to grow.

“We thank him for being part of our family and giving so much of himself to us. Go well, Brennan, be strong and healthy and we wish you every success.”

Only near perfection between now and Christmas can rescue Michael Beale’s Rangers project, according to former Ibrox captain Craig Moore.

Beale incurred the wrath of many Rangers fans inside Ibrox on Sunday after they watched their team follow a 5-1 Champions League play-off thrashing by PSV Eindhoven with a 1-0 defeat by Celtic.

Beale only took charge in November last year but his summer recruitment has come under scrutiny after the European disappointment and a slow start to the cinch Premiership season, which has seen Rangers lose two of their first four matches.

Beale’s only win in six games against Celtic came after the Hoops clinched the title last season and Moore believes it could take a major effort for him to get another derby chance.

The former Australia defender felt Rangers did not create enough chances or use the energy of the home crowd as Celtic dominated the first half before defending the lead that Kyogo Furuhashi gave them just before the interval.

Moore told Sky Sports: “The concerning thing was Celtic were nowhere near full strength and Rangers were virtually at full strength at home. It wasn’t good enough.

“What the supporters want to see is when you see sign nine new players and talk about improving the starting 11, and only three start this particular match, there’s concerns in terms of the mixed messaging.

“It’s a tough situation because, once you get the swell of support against you here, then it could be very, very difficult to come back from.

“I was at the game and coming out of the stadium there was a lot of supporters who were really unhappy with the performance, his selection, the situation.

“He needs a near-perfect run to be able to turn this around.

“Look, Michael Beale is a smart enough man, he’s a good man, but he knows the expectation and what he needs to achieve

“That’s also on the manager, not the players. It’s something that has to be rectified.

“His run now between now and Christmas will have to be near perfect.”

Tottenham are on the verge of offloading both Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele to Galatasaray, the PA news agency understands.

While the English transfer window shut on Friday night, other transfer windows around Europe remain open and Turkish outfit Galatasaray have moved for two players which Spurs view as dispensable.

Outcast Ndombele is set to sign for Galatasaray on loan, with the option to make the move permanent. Meanwhile, Sanchez, who has featured twice under Ange Postecoglou this season, is close to securing a permanent transfer.

The departures of the duo will be a boost to Postecoglou, who has repeatedly made clear his desire to trim a bloated first-team squad that only have Premier League football to concentrate on until January.

Ndombele will get his wish of Champions League football by signing for the Turkish Superliga side, with this set to be his third consecutive loan spell away from Spurs since he joined in 2019.

The French international was originally given a chance to revive his Tottenham career upon Postecoglou’s arrival, but an ankle injury in pre-season was followed with poor time-keeping issues that saw the Australian coach give the green light for Ndombele’s departure.

Sanchez will follow him to Galatasaray in a deal worth in the region of 15million euros, which brings his six-year association with the north London outfit to an end.

Colombia centre-back Sanchez made 207 appearances for Tottenham following his arrival from Ajax but endured a mixed time, with his last outing for the club in a penalty shoot-out defeat to Fulham in the Carabao Cup where his spot-kick was saved.

A 42-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of assault after football pundit Roy Keane was reportedly headbutted at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Footage was posted on social media of fellow Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards pinning a man against a wall in the moments after the alleged assault on Sunday.

The Metropolitan Police refused to identify anyone involved in the incident, but issued a statement that said: “Police are investigating an incident at Emirates Stadium on Sunday, September 3, during which a man was assaulted.

“On Monday, September 4, a 42-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of assault (ABH). The man has been taken into police custody.

“Enquiries are ongoing.”

Sky confirmed that Richards had attempted to “defuse” the situation after the alleged assault following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

A spokeswoman said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media.

“In the footage seen, Micah Richards was acting to defuse a situation.”

Any witnesses or those with information can contact the Metropolitan Police on 101 quoting the reference CAD 6961/3 Sept.

England go into the season’s first international break with cause to worry once more about the lack of homegrown players in the Premier League.

Less than 30 per cent of playing time in the early stages of the campaign has gone to players eligible for England, continuing a running concern for national team boss Gareth Southgate.

Here, the PA news agency looks at what the data can tell us.

Struggle for playing time

Of 86,710 minutes played by Premier League players this season, 25,399 have gone to players eligible for England.

That equates to 29.3 per cent of the available playing time, a slight decline on recent seasons as a peak to nearly 40 per cent in the 2020-21 season was not sustained.

Southgate said during March’s international window: “It has been around 32 per cent (in 2022-23) but that’s down from 35 per cent when I took over and 38 per cent in the years before, so the graph is clear.”

The issue has been part of the ongoing ‘New Deal For Football’ discussions between the FA, Premier League and EFL, which covers the post-Brexit system of Governing Body Endorsements (GBEs) for overseas players, as well as financial distribution, cost controls and the domestic calendar.

There have been 161 England-qualified players (EQPs) used in the 39 games so far, with 20 of those playing over 400 minutes including stoppage time. Eight of those 20 made Southgate’s squad for the upcoming games against Ukraine and Scotland, including Chelsea defender Levi Colwill, who joined Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah in earning a first senior call-up.

Leading clubs

Six clubs have so far given over 40 per cent of playing time to EQPs, a list headed by Everton at 49.4 per cent.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has been ever-present for the Toffees along with veteran compatriot Ashley Young, with James Tarkowski just seven minutes behind. James Garner has been a mainstay in midfield, while defender Michael Keane was replaced after two games by fellow Englishman Jarrad Branthwaite.

Newcastle have three English ever-presents in Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn. Trippier is in this month’s England squad though Pope was surprisingly left out.

Anthony Gordon is another regular, with significant playing time too for Callum Wilson, Harvey Barnes and Sean Longstaff. Newcastle’s total includes just under 90 minutes for Elliot Anderson, the midfielder selected by Scotland for this window but who remains eligible for England until he makes a competitive debut – potentially against the Three Lions next Tuesday.

Crystal Palace have three players in Southgate’s latest squad – Pope’s replacement Sam Johnstone, Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze – after giving over 45 per cent of playing time to EQPs. Arsenal are at 43 per cent, Luton 42 and Chelsea 40.

Fulham lagging behind

At the other end of the scale, Fulham have used only two EQPs so far this season and one of those, Tosin Adarabioyo, has played only 12 minutes.

That leaves Harrison Reed carrying the load in a paltry total of just over seven per cent, the only single-figure mark in the top flight.

Tottenham have fared little better at 11 per cent following the departure of Southgate’s captain Harry Kane for German side Bayern Munich – one of four members of the England squad playing his football overseas, along with Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, Fikayo Tomori of AC Milan and Jordan Henderson following his controversial move to Al-Ettifaq.

Brentford are at 13 per cent without suspended England striker Ivan Toney, with the ever-present Rico Henry instead leading the way.

Burnley are next lowest at 15 per cent with Wolves, Aston Villa and Henderson’s former club Liverpool all giving between 17.5 and 18.5 per cent of playing time to EQPs.

The first international break of the season provides an opportunity to assess each club’s start to the Premier League campaign.

Here the PA news agency takes a look at who is top of the class and who has to pick up the slack.

Star pupils

Manchester City – A 100 percent record of four wins, 11 goals scored, two conceded, top of the table and six-goal Erling Haaland already well into his stride. Did we expect anything else?

Tottenham – So far there have been no adverse effects from the sale of Harry Kane. The squad have bought into Ange Postecoglou’s brand of football and the goals are being shared around. New signing James Maddison’s form has been a huge boost.

Liverpool – The overhaul of their entire midfield has rejuvenated Jurgen Klopp’s side. Darwin Nunez is starting to look a consistent threat and while defensively there are still issues to iron out, things have begun positively.

West Ham – No Declan Rice? No problem. Another team who are so far thriving without their talisman. The Europa Conference League and some shrewd transfer business have contributed to deserved wins over Chelsea and Brighton.

Promising start

Arsenal – Late goals against Manchester United have given the club a much-needed lift after less-than-convincing performances against Crystal Palace and Fulham. Fixtures have been kind but the Gunners now need to build momentum.

Brighton – The aberration against West Ham aside Roberto de Zerbi’s side continue to impress, scoring 11 times in their other three games. Evan Ferguson’s hat-trick in the win over Newcastle was an added boost.

Crystal Palace – Another team to whom the fixture list has been kind, with their only defeat to Arsenal, but still currently exceeding expectations.

Nottingham Forest – Six points from a start which included Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea is probably more than they could have hoped for. Beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge hugely important for a team which won just once away from home last season.

In line with expectations

Brentford – Yet to be beaten but will have been frustrated by draws against Bournemouth and Palace. Eight goals, scoring in every game, with four for Bryan Mbeumo, shows they are managing without the banned Ivan Toney.

Aston Villa – A seventh-placed finish last season has set the benchmark and wins over Everton and Burnley and defeats to Newcastle and Liverpool are in line with that.

Fulham – Losing Aleksandar Mitrovic was a blow and they have been unlucky with some decisions; a draw with Arsenal was encouraging but losing 3-0 at home to Brentford, albeit with 10 men, was not.

Wolves – After a late change of manager hopes were not particularly high but beating fellow strugglers Everton was massive after two opening defeats to Manchester United and Brighton.

Sheffield United – The newly-promoted club may have only one point, taken at home to Everton, but put up a good show against City.

Luton – Tipped to return the Premier League’s lowest points tally, the club’s return to the top flight after 31 years has so far followed that trajectory but it was always expected to be a struggle.

Must to do better

Manchester United – £180million spent in the summer but two defeats – and fortunate to escape with a win at home to Wolves – suggest things have not clicked. Scoring more than one goal in a game only once shows where the issue lies but the hope is new striker Rasmus Hojland will fix that.

Bournemouth – After replacing Gary O’Neil, the man who guided them to safety relatively comfortably last season, Andoni Iraola has to justify that decision and the early indications are he still has a lot of work to do.

Bottom of the class

Chelsea – £1billion spent in a year and yet the club are still to show signs of moving forward under new boss Mauricio Pochettino. A 3-0 win over Luton is no real gauge but defeats at West Ham and at home to Forest show a successful formula has not been landed upon and goals remain a problem.

Newcastle – Hopes were high after a top-four finish but contriving to lose against 10-man Liverpool and then at Brighton have put them on a three-match losing run – and the Champions League has not even started yet.

Burnley – After running away with the Championship to book an immediate return, hopes were high Vincent Kompany’s brand of football could be transferred to the top flight but they have shipped 11 goals in three games and were torn apart by Spurs.

Everton – Entirely predictable the Toffees would find themselves in the bottom three after a financially-restricted summer saw more departures than arrivals. The signing of Beto offers some hope of goals but after home defeats to Fulham and Wolves the season has all the hallmarks of the last two relegation-threatened campaigns.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has made a stunning start to his Real Madrid career following his £88.5million move from Borussia Dortmund in June.

The 20-year-old has hit the ground running in LaLiga and last week was named the division’s August player of the month.

Here, the PA news agency looks at Bellingham’s impact at Los Blancos, after he become only the second Real Madrid player – following Cristiano Ronaldo – to score in his first four LaLiga games for the club.

How has Bellingham played?

Birmingham-born Bellingham has netted an impressive five goals and claimed one assist in Real’s opening four matches, which has seen them take 12 points to sit top of LaLiga.

A debut goal against Athletic Bilbao was followed by a brace away at Almeria in a 3-1 victory, before he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win to Celta Vigo.

The midfielder managed to top that fine start with a stoppage-time winner against Getafe in his first Bernabeu outing as he continues to excel in an attacking role behind Joselu and Rodrygo.

What has the reaction been?

Carlo Ancelotti lauded the new Galactico, who looks set to help Real Madrid rival 2022/23 champions Barcelona at LaLiga’s summit.

The Italian has trusted Bellingham from the get-go, preferring him to the likes of Luka Modric, who has made just one league start so far this term.

Ancelotti told a press conference: “We deserved to win (against Getafe) with a goal from Bellingham who is used to scoring. Bellingham’s quality doesn’t surprise us, the number of goals surprises us.

“Bellingham can reach 15 goals this season.”

The former Birmingham player has won over the Real Madrid fans, who serenaded him after his late winner on Saturday.

He told Real Madrid TV: “It’s the loudest moment I’ve heard in a stadium.

“When they were singing ‘Hey Jude’ at the end, I got goosebumps.

“I just wanted to stand still and listen to them. My legs were shaking.”

What’s next?

Bellingham is in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming games against Ukraine and Netherlands and he looks certain to play a key part in preparations for next summer’s European Championship.

Real Madrid drew Napoli, Braga and Union Berlin in this season’s Champions League group stages which kick off on September 20 and Bellingham’s form could be instrumental if his new club are to claim a record-extending 15th European title.

Gabriel Jesus wants to kick on and get his rhythm back after the Arsenal striker scored for the first time since overcoming a nagging, frustrating knee issue.

The 26-year-old impressed after joining from Manchester City last summer but was laid low in December with an injury sustained in Brazil’s World Cup group game against Cameroon.

Jesus did not return to action for Arsenal until mid-March and had to go back under the knife last month due to irritation with the original knee problem.

The striker made his second substitute appearance since then on Sunday, when he completed a memorable late 3-1 Premier League comeback win against Manchester United.

“I’m feeling good,” Jesus said after the Emirates Stadium triumph. “It’s tough when you just come back from injury.

“After a holiday, I started to feel in my knee again. It was unlucky for me. It’s tough.

“After pre-season, you go and try but you feel in pain. And then I made the decision to do surgery as quickly as possible to come back stronger.

“That was tough, but now I’m getting back. It’s so important to get the rhythm again, so, yeah. I’m back. I feel good and I’m happy.”

Jesus says he felt completely fine at the end of last season and only once felt his knee play up at the end of a training session, but even then it felt fine the next day.

His right knee continued to feel fine during his post-season holiday and the start of pre-season, only for the issue to flare up again.

“When I came back, in the first week, still nothing,” Jesus said. “Then after I started to feel it. And for me, it was (a case of) if I’m not 100 per cent, I won’t be myself. I was trying.

“Personally, I’m good with the pain, so I was keeping playing and training.

“I was feeling it a little bit, but for me it was nothing. But then we hit a point when I couldn’t run or move, so I decided to do a surgery and that was it.”

Asked how mentally tough he found that, Jesus said: “First day is s*** when you just find out. Then the day after you realise you have to keep going, fighting and smile because I have a life.

“God has given me a life, God let me wake up every morning, so I have to be grateful, I’m blessed.

“I can walk, I can be here, I can smile, so nothing to complain. Just believe in God and keep fighting.”

That belief extends to collective success at Arsenal, who head into the international break with 10 points from their first four matches after beating United on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford’s opener was immediately cancelled out by Martin Odegaard, before Declan Rice and Jesus struck in stoppage time after Alejandro Garnacho saw a goal ruled out for the visitors.

“That’s the Premier League,” the Brazil forward said. “Sometimes the game changes a lot. We conceded, we came back, we had a penalty, didn’t have a penalty.

“In my opinion there were some bad decisions from the referee.

“Even with their (disallowed) goal, maybe it was a foul on me, but it was offside.

“Then, after the game changed again, we scored two and we won the game. That’s it.

“When you play a massive game like this against a tough opponent, it’s always like this.

“We tried to win but they have quality as well – behind, in the middle, up front. That’s the Premier League, that’s why it’s the toughest league in the world.”

Jesus now has a fortnight to recuperate and continue to build fitness, while fellow striker Eddie Nketiah gets his first taste of senior international football.

England Under-21s’ all-time top scorer has been named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the first time having scored twice in the opening weeks of the campaign.

“First of all, competition is always good – for me and for him,” Jesus said. “In all positions when you have competition it’s a good thing.

“From day one, I’m a big fan of Eddie because of the way he works and the way he trains is amazing. It’s not easy to come from the academy at a massive club and fight to play in the first team.

“Congrats to him, he’s doing so well and he deserves to be called into the England national team.

“For me personally, it’s good competition. It’s always good for the club because for sure he’s making me better and I’m making him better as well.”

Arsenal return to action at Everton on September 17, with United back in action the previous day as they look to return to winning ways at home to Brighton.

Manager Erik ten Hag said: “We have to improve, definitely. But you see, and also what we have seen last year, we can beat everyone. It was such small margins today, so it could also have been our side.”

Liverpool defender Andy Robertson insists the players have no concerns about “ultimate professional” Mohamed Salah’s immediate future as speculation of a potential world-record bid from Saudi Arabia continues.

Pro League champions Al-Ittihad last week had a £150million offer rejected by Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon, who now considers the matter closed.

However, that has not done anything to prevent suggestions they could return with a bid around the £200m mark for the 31-year-old, who is the world’s highest-profile Arab player.

Manager Jurgen Klopp reiterated the club’s stance after the 3-0 win over Aston Villa, in which Salah scored and had a hand in the other two goals, and Robertson said the squad were united in their belief there would be no departure before Thursday’s closure of the Saudi transfer window.

“For us we block that out, Mo blocks it out. We let other people talk about that,” he said.

“For us there is no concern. For us Mohamed Salah is a Liverpool player and we believe that is what is going to be the case for the foreseeable future.

“He’s the ultimate professional. He does what it does, he is one of the best players in the world and he is professional.

“He lets other people do the talking, let’s other people say what they have to say, but he’s always been committed to Liverpool and you saw that with the performance he put in.

“The club’s position was that it knocked it back, it rejected the bid and that is what the stance was.

“For me Mo has been Mo all week. He’s not been affected; I’ve been around him a lot and he’s not been affected by anything.

“Mo has reacted in the best way possible and I think you have seen that with his performance, I think he was pretty special.”

At every media appearance over the last two weeks Klopp and the players have had to deal with questions about the future of Salah, who has two years left on a contract signed last summer which made him the highest-paid player in the club’s history.

But Robertson said it had not been destabilising or affected the squad’s focus as they made it 10 points from a possible 12 to head into the international break in third place in the Premier League.

“Look, there is speculation around a lot of players and it is how we deal with it and he (Salah) has obviously done well,” he added.

“Our squad is what it is and that’s the squad that is going to go forward now with the window shut.

“It is about getting the most out of the squad, it is about looking forward to the season ahead and trying to do better than what we did last season.”

After some criticism over recruitment following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, coincidentally to Saudi Pro League clubs, Liverpool’s squad looks refreshed and re-energised.

World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, both signed before the start of pre-season, are starting to look like the long-term future of midfield they were brought in to be, with the latter scoring his first goal for the club against Villa in an impressive all-round performance in a comfortable victory.

“I thought it was probably our best performance of the season so far, which is pleasing,” said Robertson.

“I thought they (the midfield) were excellent, but to be honest I thought every player was excellent – even the subs who came on – it was a complete squad performance.”

On Szoboszlai’s goal, a sweetly-struck shot from the edge of the penalty area for which he built a reputation at previous club RB Leipzig, the Scotland captain added: “We’ve maybe not seen as much of it in games as we have seen in training but he’s got a pretty nice strike on him, that’s for sure.

“Technically he is a very gifted player, we’ve seen that already and I think he’ll have a big career here and we are looking forward to being a part of it.”

Police have launched an investigation after footage was circulated on social media following an alleged assault on Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane.

Sky confirmed that fellow pundit Micah Richards attempted to “defuse” the situation at the Emirates Stadium following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

The Metropolitan Police said there had been no arrests but they are investigating an alleged assault after the game on Sunday.

Sky said the alleged assault “immediately” preceded the footage on social media.

Confirming the incident, a Sky Sports spokeswoman said: “We understand the police are investigating an alleged assault by a member of the public immediately preceding the footage circulating on social media.

“In the footage seen, Micah Richards was acting to defuse a situation.”

In their own short statement, the Met said: “Police are investigating following an assault that is alleged to have occurred at the Emirates Stadium during an Arsenal v Manchester United match on Sunday, 3 September.

“There have been no arrests. Inquiries are ongoing.

“Any witnesses or those with information are asked to call 101 ref CAD 6961/3 Sept.”

What the papers say

The now-closed transfer window may have left Fulham midfielder Joao Palhinha with the crumbled wreck of a failed deal with Bayern Munich, but, according to the Daily Mail, there is still room for a deal to be done eventually.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid winger Yannick Carrasco seems likely to ditch Europe after a juicy offer from Saudi Arabia. As per the Daily Star, Saudi pro League club Al Shabab is to offer the 30-year-old £12.8million to sign on before the Saudi trade window closes.

Across the pond , Wayne Rooney looks like he could soon be parting ways with DC United after the US club left him on read when he tried to kick off negotiations for a new contract, the Daily Mail reports.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Sergio Ramos: ESPN reports the 37-year-old defender is closing in on a deal to return to Sevilla. He has been a free agent since July, when his Paris St Germain contract expired.