England Under-21s made it three wins from three and dumped Germany out of the European Under-21 Championship with a 2-0 win in their final group game in Batumi.

Two goals in the opening 21 minutes from Cameron Archer and Harvey Elliott were enough to secure another three points as England topped Group C with maximum points while holders Germany were sent crashing out without a win to their name.

England made an explosive start and hit the front after just four minutes when Jacob Ramsey’s clever through ball found Archer and he calmly tucked the ball past Noah Atubolu to make it 1-0.

The Young Lions nearly doubled their advantage six minutes later when the ball fell to Ramsey inside the area but his low drive went wide of the far post.

Lee Carsley’s side did make it two in the 21st minute thanks to a wonderful solo effort from Elliott. The Liverpool midfielder collected the ball inside his own half, drove at the German defence into the penalty area before coolly slotting home to make it 2-0.

Germany needed to win to have any chance of qualifying and their first chance came on the half-hour mark but Brentford forward Kevin Schade’s shot from inside the area found the hands of James Trafford.

Schade was Germany’s main threat and he had another chance to pull one back just before half-time when he sprinted down the right-hand side but saw his effort tipped away by the keeper.

Germany may have been facing an early exit but they posed little threat in the second half as England continued to probe, with half-chances falling to Cole Palmer after Elliott had forced a great save from Atubolu.

James Garner came close to a third with 15 minutes to go after some neat link-up play but the Everton midfielder could not steer his effort on target from close range.

Germany’s best chance of the game came three minutes from time when Finn Ole Becker’s powerful deflected effort was palmed away by Trafford, who secured another clean sheet alongside three straight 2-0 wins.

Polish full-back Mateusz Zukowski has left Rangers to join Slask Wroclaw.

The 21-year-old moved to Ibrox on a three-and-a-half-year contract from Lechia Gdansk in January 2022.

However, the Poland Under-21 international made only one first-team appearance, in a Scottish Cup win away to Annan just weeks after his arrival.

Zukowski has been allowed to leave Rangers and return to his homeland for an undisclosed fee.

“Everyone at the club wishes Mateusz Zukowski the very best of luck for the future,” Rangers tweeted as they confirmed his departure.

Meanwhile, Rangers appear to be close to finalising a fifth new signing of the summer, with Brighton forward Abdallah Sima reportedly undergoing a medical on Wednesday ahead of a proposed season-long loan at Ibrox.

The 22-year-old Senegalese played against the Gers for Slavia Prague in the Europa League in March 2021, just months before earning a £7million move to Brighton.

Sima has struggled to establish himself with the Seagulls so far, however. He spent part of his first season in England on loan at Stoke before being farmed out to French Ligue 1 side Angers last term, scoring five goals in 34 appearances as they finished bottom of the table.

Rangers have already signed Kieran Dowell, Dujon Sterling, Jack Butland and Sam Lammers this summer as manager Michael Beale continues reshaping his squad following the departure of high-profile players like Allan McGregor, Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos.

Edouard Mendy has become the third player to leave Chelsea for Saudi Arabia this summer after the club confirmed he has joined Al-Ahli.

A fee of £16million is understood to have been agreed for the goalkeeper, who lost his place in the team to Kepa Arrizabalaga during the second half of last season.

The 31-year-old had risen to become one of the most highly-rated keepers in the world after helping Chelsea to win the Champions League in 2021, but played only once for the club after returning from the World Cup in Qatar, costing his side a goal after a mistake in a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in May.

The PA news agency understands that new manager Mauricio Pochettino decided weeks ago that Arrizabalaga would be his first choice to start next season in goal, rendering Senegal international Mendy surplus.

He joins N’Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly in having swapped Stamford Bridge for clubs in the Saudi Professional League, with the pair having joined Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal respectively.

Another Chelsea outcast, Hakim Ziyech, is understood to be on the brink of moving to the Gulf state after a deal was struck for him to join Al-Nassr, where Cristiano Ronaldo also plays.

The club are eager to clear as many of their unwanted players out as possible before June 30 so that the sales can be included in financial accounts for 2022/23.

PA understands confirmation will come this week of Kai Havertz’s £65m move to Premier League rivals Arsenal, after Mateo Kovacic joined champions Manchester City on Tuesday. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has agreed a £15m move to AC Milan.

A £55m bid from Manchester United to sign Mason Mount remains on the table after the England international told Chelsea he wants to leave, but on Wednesday the clubs remained apart in their valuation of the player.

St Mirren have signed Middlesbrough goalkeeper Zach Hemming on a season-long loan

The 23-year-old Englishman has returned for another stint in Scotland after spending the last two campaigns on loan at Kilmarnock, where he made 54 appearances.

Hemming, who is yet to make a first-team appearance for Boro, has also spent time on loan at Darlington and Blyth Spartans.

“I’m delighted to be here,” he told the St Mirren website.

“I remember seeing the team when I was at Kilmarnock and it seems very structured and everyone knows their role in the team.

“The manager knows how capable I am and what I can do so I just want to impress. I can’t wait to get going.”

Hemming arrives at St Mirren at a time when last season’s number one Trevor Carson is being linked with a move away from the Paisley club.

“Zach is someone that we have been looking at for a while,” said manager Stephen Robinson. “We watched him at Kilmarnock and I know the goalkeeping coach at Middlesborough.

“We’ve had really good reports on Zach and we’ve seen him at close hand so I’m very confident that he will come in and do well.

“He’s a young, enthusiastic goalkeeper and we’re delighted to have him in.”

Roma head coach Jose Mourinho has been hit with a 10-day suspension for the start of the Serie A season over comments he made about a referee.

Mourinho has been sanctioned by the national federal court of Italy’s football federation, the FIGC, after describing official Daniele Chiffi as “the worst referee (he) had ever seen” after Roma’s match against Monza on May 3.

The Portuguese, who has also managed Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, will not be allowed to appear on the touchline or in the club’s dressing room on matchdays during the first 10 days of the new domestic campaign.

He has also been fined 50,000 euros (just over £43,000).

Last week Mourinho was banned for four matches by UEFA for abusing English referee Anthony Taylor at the Europa League final on May 31.

Though his missed penalty saw the Reggae Boyz dropping points in their Concacaf Gold Cup opener against United States, winger Leon Bailey says it doesn't take away from the fact that he gave his best for the team.

With Jamaica up 1-0 in the first half of the game, Bailey could have doubled the lead but hit his 12-yard kick at a decent height for Matt Turner, in goal for United States to block. However, the Aston Villa man had a second bite at the cherry as the rebound came right into his path, but even then, he failed to capitalise with an empty net at his mercy.

The game ended 1-1 after Brandon Vazquez's 88th-minute strike, cancelled out Damion Lowe's 13th-minute goal at Soldier Field in Chicago.

While not using added pressure as an excuse, Bailey said critics have little idea of what it is like being a player of his calibre tasked with performing efficiently at all times.

"Do you know how much pressure I'm always under when I'm representing the national team? But that's no excuse for me because I've been in the game for too long now. I've been a professional for eight years. I'm used to pressure," Bailey said during a pre-game press conference on Tuesday.

The former Genk and Bayer Leverkusen player has often been heavily scrutinised for his style of play, as he tends to hog possession of the ball and oftentimes over dribbles, and, as a result, thwarts the team's progress in the process.

Still, Bailey, who made his Reggae Boyz debut in 2019 and has so far logged three goals and four assists in 19 games, rubbished those claims, while expressing his unwavering passion for leaving it all on the field.

"It has nothing to do with the way I play. If you watch how I play, you will see that I always try to do my best, I always work hard, and no matter what, I'll always give 110 per cent for my nation, and that will never stop," he declared. 

"If that means I didn't perform well, then so be it. When I walk off the pitch I want to know that I gave my 110 and I did that against the US and nobody's ever going to take that away from me. Once my family is good, the team is good, we're all good, I'm good. 

"I'm always going to be there for my teammates and so they're always there for me as well and that's what really matters. At the end of the day, football is a sport in that you win some, you lose some, you make mistakes, and you go again. That's just life and football," Bailey added.

The 25-year-old and the new-look Reggae Boyz team will be hoping to make amends when they take on leaders Trinidad and Tobago in their second Group A contest at City Park in St Louis, Missouri, this evening at 6:30 pm Jamaica time.

Meanwhile, United States and pointless newcomers St Kitts and Nevis, who went down 0-3 to the Soca Warriors in their open game, will do battle at 8:30 pm.

Reggae Boyz Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who is still hunting his first win since taking the reins, knows the importance of this fixture with their Caribbean rivals and, as such, is backing his team to come good.

"The second game is always important. A win for Trinidad would get them through. We know what we are facing; we need to get good results against them. We just want to go out there so we can have a good performance and hopefully a win. That's the only thing we are thinking about at this stage of the tournament," Hallgrimsson said. 

In their most recent meeting on Jamaican soil, Trinidad and Tobago won 1-0 with the other contest ending in as a goalless stalemate. 

“The Trinidad games we played in Jamaica, there was a lot of long balls, there was a lot of fight everywhere on the pitch; it was not played much on the ground, those matches. We kind of played the same style in those games. It wasn’t pretty to watch, so, hopefully, we can do better. When we have the ball, we can hopefully play better than we did in Jamaica," the Icelandic coach stated.

“We will not get anything for free. We will face hard tackles, a lot of balls to fight for — the first balls, the second balls, we have just been talking about that. We are growing as a unit, as a team, and the understanding between the players about the tactics is increasing as we play more games together. We will grow as a team,” he ended.

Chelsea and other European clubs will no longer be able to spread a transfer fee across more than five years of a player’s initial contract after UEFA closed a loophole in its regulations.

The Blues have signed a number of players on lengthy deals over the last two transfer windows, including handing eight-and-a-half-year contracts to Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk in January.

The transfer fees are then spread evenly over the course of that contract, meaning the longer it is, the smaller the annual payments recorded on the club’s accounts.

For instance, a £100million fee would be amortised at £20million a year with a five-year contract, but at only £12.5m a year if a deal was eight years.

There is still nothing in the rules – which come into force from July 1 – preventing a club from spreading the cost by extending a contract, but for amortisation purposes that extension itself could not be for more than five years either.

Clubs can still sign players to longer contracts if their national associations allow it, but the cost of the transfer fee must be amortised over the first five years unless the contract is extended.

UEFA said the new regulations would not apply to deals already done, but would “ensure equal treatment of all clubs and improve financial sustainability”.

European football’s governing body has also moved to prevent clubs colluding to inflate the value of players for accounting purposes.

This follows the capital gains scandal involving clubs in Italy, which led to the entire Juventus board resigning in November last year.

Clubs must assess whether a transaction counts as a straight swap, in which case it must be accounted for in line with international standards. International Accounting Standard (IAS) 38 states that if it is not possible to calculate the fair value of a player, profit on a sale cannot be recognised.

UEFA confirmed Lisbon’s Jose Alvalade Stadium would host the 2025 Women’s Champions League final, and announced plans for a minimum standards framework for women’s national teams to ensure equality of player welfare standards and travel and training conditions. UEFA said the detail would be announced in due course.

The 2024 and 2025 Europa Conference League finals are set to be staged in Athens and Wroclaw in Poland respectively. The Athens venue is a new arena, so will be assessed during AEK Athens’ European competition matches and Greece’s Euro qualifiers before being confirmed officially in December.

Europe’s third-tier men’s club competition will be rebranded as the UEFA Conference League from 2024-25, dropping the word ‘Europa’ from its title following research among fans and commercial partners to further distinguish it from the Europa League.

Everton will consult with fans as part of their considerations over whether to move into their new stadium midway through the 2024-25 season.

Chief stadium development officer Colin Chong, who was recently installed as interim chief executive after a boardroom shake-up, insists the development at Bramley-Moore Dock is ahead of schedule and the club have never committed to a move-in date.

Everton will definitely not start the campaign after next in their new ground, with test events scheduled for the final months of 2024, but a huge decision remains over whether to re-home the team in the middle of a season considering the associated upheaval leaving Goodison Park could cause.

“I can confirm, after overcoming a full winter where we lifted the heaviest materials in the most challenging climate, we are confident the stadium will be completed in the final months of 2024,” said Chong.

“This means we won’t be starting the 2024 season at Everton Stadium but, to reiterate, the club has never publicly confirmed an intention to begin the 2024-25 season at our new home.

“If the project remains on schedule, it raises the question as to whether the club moves in mid-season or alternatively, do we wait and give the Grand Old Lady (Goodison) a fitting send-off before commencing competitive league games for the senior men’s team at the start of the 2025-26 season.

“Whatever decision is reached, it won’t be based on sentiment; it will be reached in consultation with fans, while also considering the impacts it will have across our football club in terms of our football operation, our commercial partners and third-party contracts, our staff, seasonal workflows and the impact, of course, on supporters.

“Moving mid-season may offer some commercial benefits, but also presents a series of challenges and hurdles that could negatively impact other aspects of the club – and other commercial considerations.

“What I can say categorically is that, today, the project is several weeks ahead of schedule, with another winter to come.”

Liverpool forward Fabio Carvalho is set to complete a loan move to RB Leipzig but the prospect of midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai swiftly moving in the opposite direction is currently unlikely.

The Bundesliga club have been pursuing Carvalho for some time and it is understood they initially wanted an option to buy permanently.

However, Jurgen Klopp was not prepared to countenance that but he does want the 20-year-old to gain more first-team experience after he made just 21 appearances, most of them as substitute, in his first season after joining from Fulham.

Completely separate to the Carvalho deal, the PA news agency understands Liverpool have had a meeting with Hungary international Szoboszlai’s representatives but as yet he remains one of many options Klopp is hoping to bring in to reinforce his midfield.

It is understood the 22-year-old has a buyout clause in the region of 70million euros (£60.5million) which expires on Friday but Liverpool have not made any move in relation to that, although that does not rule out them subsequently trying to negotiate a lower fee with Leipzig.

Every FIFA Women's World Cup sees young players come to the fore and explode into popular consciousness and Jamaica’s rising goalkeeper Liya Brooks is hoping that next month's showpiece in Australia and New Zealand will present with her moment of glory.

It may seem far-fetched given the fact that she has more experienced counterparts Rebecca Spencer and Sydney Schneider to contend with, but much like Schneider rose to prominence during the Girlz World Cup debut in France 2019, the American-born Brooks knows it is by no means impossible.

In France, Schneider, then a 19-year-old rookie, pulled off a stunning penalty save in the Reggae Girlz opening game against Brazil, though they inevitably lost 0-3.

Brooks, 18, is yearning for a big break like that when the Girlz do battle in Group F against France, Brazil and Panama at the July 20 to August 20 World Cup, but until then, she is focused on putting in the necessary work to continue impressing Head coach Lorne Donaldson and his assistants.

"Of course, there’s a competition, and I'll certainly fight for that spot in the starting team which would mean a whole lot to me at this point in my career, but I just want what is best for the team. So even if I wasn’t the one, then that’s ok," Brooks told SportsMax.tv from her base in the United States. 

"I just have to put in the work. Plain and simple and I’ll do that without hesitancy, especially going to college now, I know that will no doubt take my fitness and lifestyle to another level, and I can’t wait for that as well," she added.

Though she is still basking in the fact that she was selected in Donaldson's final squad, Brooks, who earns her Island stripes through her mother Tandi Nelson-Brooks, revealed that celebrations will be low-key, as she braces for her freshman year at Washington State University.

"It’s a great feeling being selected for my first World Cup. There’s nothing like it, because it is the highest stage of competition in both the men and women’s game, so of course it’s a very big achievement. 

"Unfortunately, there are no real celebrations. I’m off to college so an eight-hour car ride is all the celebration I’ll be doing, but I’ll be happy to celebrate a little with my new teammates, who I'm sure are just as happy as I am," she shared.

Still, the sense of pride and accomplishment Brooks feels cannot be understated having successfully transitioned from Under-17 and Under-20 representation, where she showed immense ability, which caught the senior Reggae Girlz coach staff's attention since their historic tour of South Korea late last year.

"It’s extremely massive. It puts my name on the international map at the senior level at an early stage, but for me it just makes me hungrier to strive for more than a spot on the roster next time," Brooks declared. 

"I want to play and being around the senior players have shown me that there is always work to be done, but I’ll learn from those around me and use my own experiences along the way to get there. The aim is always to push as hard as possible and to be a better player and these experiences will help me to improve," she noted.

That said, the tall and agile goalkeeper admitted that the initial stages of her transition were nerve-wracking and did indeed test her mettle but credited her more senior counterparts for their guidance in ensuring she held firm.

"It definitely wasn’t easy and still isn’t. The team itself is great and very welcoming, but I personally struggle with my own confidence and that’s what can bring down my performance at times. The team recognized that and encouraged me instead," she explained.

"Becky [Spencer] and Syd [Schneider] are amazing. They are excellent players and even better people. Alyssa [Whitehead], our goalkeeper coach, is as well. All three of them inspire me and push me to be a better player whether they know it or not. That made it really fun, and they got me through even my physically tough training," Brooks ended.

Aberdeen have continued their summer recruitment drive by adding Liverpool defender Rhys Williams on loan shortly after sealing the return of influential midfielder Graeme Shinnie on a permanent contract.

The Dons announced on Wednesday morning that 31-year-old Shinnie, who captained the club during a fruitful spell on loan from Wigan in the second half of last season, had moved to Pittodrie on a three-year deal.

And just a couple of hours later, they concluded a season-long loan deal for England Under-21 international centre-back Williams, who has made 14 starts and a further five appearances off the bench for Liverpool’s first team.

Manager Barry Robson is delighted to have been able to bring Shinnie back to Aberdeen for a third time after he enjoyed four years with the club between 2015 and 2019, as well as last term’s stint in the Granite City. He skippered the Dons in both spells.

“Graeme is a captain, a real leader and is Aberdeen through and through,” said the manager.

“We’re absolutely delighted to get him back. This is where he belongs and his impact on the team and club last year was there for all to see.

“He is well aware of the level of expectation at this club and his wealth of experience will be a major advantage as we head into a busy season.”

Shinnie played a crucial role in turning around Aberdeen’s fortunes last season, taking the armband and leading the side back into Europe with a third-placed finish in the cinch Premiership.

“My full focus was always on returning here. It’s a club I love. I feel like I am back home again,” said Shinnie.

“I’m looking forward to the season ahead. It’s going to be tough but we’re building a squad now that is going to be ready for what lies ahead and being able to play in the group stages of a European competition is something I’ve always wanted so there are exciting times ahead.”

Williams has had spells on loan at Swansea and Blackpool in recent seasons since making all of his appearances for his parent club in the 2020/21 campaign.

“Coming from Liverpool, Rhys joins us with a great pedigree,” said Robson.

“He’s athletic, tall and we think we can improve him and give him the platform to continue his development. I’ve no doubt he’ll become a real asset for the team.

“We’ve developed a good understanding with Liverpool, and I think they trust us with their players.

“The squad is starting to take shape now ahead of what will be a busy season. That said, we have still got a lot of work to do, and I expect the next few weeks will be busy with more new arrivals.”

The move north reunites Williams with his former Liverpool colleague Leighton Clarkson, who recently signed a permanent deal with the Dons after impressing on loan last term.

“I’m really pleased to be here,” he said. “When I knew there was an opportunity to come to Aberdeen on loan I spoke to Leighton and he couldn’t speak highly enough about his experience.

“I actually met some of the boys during the summer so there will be a few familiar faces in the dressing room which I’m sure will help me settle quickly.

“There’s a lot to look forward to this season, particularly with European football, and I can’t wait to get started and show everyone what I am capable of.”

Alessia Russo admits she has found being the subject of transfer talk “tough” and is glad to be in camp with England focusing on this summer’s World Cup.

It was announced two weeks ago that Russo would be leaving Manchester United on the completion of her contract at the end of June, something she described at the time as the “hardest decision I’ve ever had to make”.

The 24-year-old has been linked with Arsenal, who had a world-record bid for her rejected in January.

Asked how much of a distraction transfer speculation had been, Russo said: “Towards the end of the season it was tough and then the summer has been tough.

“But that’s football, that’s the state of the women’s game. I just turned it off, took a break on holiday and completely switched off with all my friends and family.

“Then coming back into an environment like this is perfect because you’re competing, you have a huge tournament ahead and my full focus is on England.

“You’ve just got to get things sorted, and there’s kind of no nice time to sort things like that out.

“But now I’m here it’s nice to have full focus on an absolutely massive tournament coming up.”

Russo’s departure from United is set to see her no longer playing at club level alongside England midfielder Ella Toone, and she said: “It’s hard, she’s my best friend and will be forever, but that is football.

“And we were friends before we played at United together, we’ve been friends since we were 12 or 13, so I know the friendship is for life now and she’ll definitely be one of my bridesmaids one day!”

Both Russo and Toone produced memorable moments as substitutes during England’s triumphant Euros campaign on home soil last summer – a standout one from Russo being her back-heeled effort against Sweden in the semi-finals, one of four goals she scored at the tournament as she came off the bench to replace the now-retired Ellen White in each match.

A year on, she is heading into the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which gets under way on July 20, having made seven starts for Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses across 2022-23, helped United achieve a club-best finish of second in the Women’s Super League and been named the division’s player of the year.

Russo, who has stressed “it’s going well but there’s lots more to come” from her, said: “I went into the Euros wanting to enjoy every moment, make sure I soaked it all in and not leave with any regrets. I think I did exactly that and that’s my same message going into this tournament.

“The competition is going to be so high out there but if I just go in, relax and enjoy it and never take a day out there for granted, then hopefully it will make me play my best football.

“That’s what people ask me about, that (back-heeled) goal – no, you probably won’t see it again, and that’s OK. But it was just because we felt like we could play with our instincts and we feel when you’re a little kid.

“That’s what makes this team so special – when you go out on the pitch you feel comfortable and confident. That’s ultimately what wins us important games.

“I think there’ll be plenty more of that this summer, people feeling like they’re able to try something. That comes from Sarina too, putting trust in the players.

“There’s always a target on England’s back for football. I think we feel really good. It (the Euros) was an incredible summer, we saw what we can do, and now it’s time to go and produce again on the world stage.”

Manchester City have ended their interest in Declan Rice after Arsenal made an improved £105million bid for the West Ham captain.

The PA news agency understands the Gunners made their latest offer for the 24-year-old England international on Tuesday after two previous approaches were rebuffed by the Hammers.

It was also reported City had a bid totalling £90m knocked back and the treble winners have now decided not to match or try to better Arsenal’s proposition.

It is believed the Gunners have offered £100m and a further £5m in potential add-ons. It would make Rice the most expensive British player of all time and eclipses Arsenal’s previous record transfer.

It is understood West Ham are unhappy with the payment structure put forward but, rather than dismiss the offer out of hand, are now looking to negotiate.

By contrast, Arsenal’s pursuit of Germany forward Kai Havertz has been more straightforward.

With a deal agreed with Chelsea, Havertz underwent a medical over the weekend and is expected to be announced as an Arsenal player within the next 24 hours as footage of his arrival video was leaked on social media.

Meanwhile, a move for Ajax full-back Jurrien Timber is still being worked on as Arsenal aim to improve a squad that finished second last season.

Graeme Shinnie has returned to Aberdeen after joining on a three-year contract from Wigan.

The 31-year-old is embarking on his third stint at Pittodrie after spending the second half of last season on loan with the Dons.

A former Aberdeen captain, Shinnie enjoyed a four-year spell with the club after joining from Inverness in 2015.

“Graeme is a captain, a real leader and is Aberdeen through and through,” said boss Barry Robson.

“We’re absolutely delighted to get him back. This is where he belongs and his impact on the team and club last year was there for all to see.

“He is well aware of the level of expectation at this club and his wealth of experience will be a major advantage as we head into a busy season.”

Shinnie, who played a crucial role in turning around Aberdeen’s fortunes last season, taking the armband and leading Robson’s side into European football with a third-placed finish.

“My full focus was always on returning here. It’s a club I love. I feel like I am back home again,” said Shinnie.

“I’m looking forward to the season ahead. It’s going to be tough but we’re building a squad now that is going to be ready for what lies ahead and being able to play in the group stages of a European competition is something I’ve always wanted so there are exciting times ahead.”

Arsenal have launched a £105million bid to land West Ham skipper Declan Rice – although their London rivals are seeking a faster payment structure before accepting the offer.

The PA news agency understands Arsenal’s third bid, which would see Rice become the most expensive British player of all-time, was made on Tuesday.

It is believed to be a £100million offer with £5million in add-ons, eclipsing Arsenal’s record transfer as the Gunners aim to fend off interest in Rice from Premier League champions Manchester City.

However, it is understood West Ham are unhappy with the payment structure put forward but are looking to negotiate rather than dismiss the offer out of hand.

Arsenal have already had two bids knocked back for Rice, who they have admired for a long time, while City are also now making moves to sign the 24-year-old.

Things have gone much smoother for Arsenal in their pursuit of Germany forward Kai Havertz.

With a deal agreed with Chelsea, Havertz underwent a medical over the weekend and is expected to be announced as an Arsenal player within the next 24 hours as footage of his arrival video was leaked on social media.

Meanwhile, a move for Ajax full-back Jurrien Timber is still being worked on as Arsenal aim to improve on a squad that finished second last season.