What the papers say

Liverpool are ramping up their bid for 23-year-old midfielder Cheick Doucoure after missing out of Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea this summer, the Independent reports. The price to lure the Crystal Palace star to Anfield is reported to be around £60million, but the Eagles could be hesitant to sell Doucoure after already losing a number of players this summer.

The Daily Mail says Liverpool are also interested in Netherlands international midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. The 21-year-old at Bayern Munich is reportedly open to leaving the club due to a lack of playing time.

Newcastle United are set to pay £30million for 18-year-old full-back Lewis Hall after Chelsea put him up for sale, according to the Telegraph.

West Ham are hoping to use some of the money gained from the monster Declan Rice sale to sign a flurry of players. The Guardian says Montpellier striker Elye Wahi, Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos and Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou are all on the club’s watchlist.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Jesse Lingard: West Ham are scoping out the 30-year-old midfielder who is now a free agent after his contract expired with Nottingham Forest, Football Daily said.

Aleksandar Mitrovic: The Guardian says the Fulham and Serbian striker is looking like the next Premier League player to head to the Saudi Pro League.

Jurgen Klopp called for clarity on time-wasting offences after Trent Alexander-Arnold was booked for taking too long over a thrown-in during Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea on Sunday.

This season has seen the introduction of measures to try and keep the ball in play for a greater proportion of matches, with significant increases in added time seen over the Premier League’s opening weekend.

It is hoped that adding on time to reflect the length of pauses to the game will deter players from delaying the re-start of play.

But Klopp believes the yellow card shown to the Alexander-Arnold in the 67th minute at Stamford Bridge whilst the score was 1-1 was unfair since the defender was looking for a player to throw the ball to.

“I think last season some teams stretched it, definitely,” he said. “And we are not one of these teams, we never were. I knew we would get a yellow card – probably the first yellow card – for time wasting with a throw-in.

“When Trent is looking for a player and tries to find a player, this is a tactical thing – he cannot just take the ball and throw it.

“Maybe we have to clarify it a little bit, but besides that I think too many teams stretched it and did it too obvious and that’s why everybody thinks we should watch a bit more football.

“I don’t know exactly what the net ball in play time was today, but that’s how it is now. It was not a problem today for me, to be honest. What was it, first half six minutes? Because of the VAR decisions. And second half, five, I think.

“That’s a lot but this is a time where we try to sort it like that. I am not sure that will last forever but at the moment it’s like that and we have to deal with it.”

Liverpool led early in west London thanks to Luis Diaz’s well-taken breakaway goal and thought they had doubled their lead when Mohamed Salah slotted home, only for VAR to adjudge the striker was offside.

Chelsea levelled through debutant defender Axel Disasi and had a second goal of their own from Ben Chilwell chalked off after a video check, as the sides played out an entertaining draw.

The game was characterised by a lack defensive control in midfield from both sides, though Chelsea have since beaten Liverpool to the £115million signing of Moises Caicedo from Brighton and look set to land Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, who has also been courted by the Reds.

“We should’ve solved it better,” said Klopp of his team’s difficulty in midfield. “The best way to avoid these kind of things (is) obviously controlling the game (which) we could’ve done, because when we did that we passed in the right moment and kept the ball in the right moment and created one v one situations on the wing, so it was really tricky for Chelsea to deal with.

“It’s the first game, not the last, so we have a lot of things to improve there’s no doubt about that, but I saw already a good basis.”

Of the two clubs’ competition over Caicedo and Lavia, he added: “(More players) is usually what a Chelsea manager wants, and usually they get it.”

Mauricio Pochettino insisted Chelsea have put the disappointment of last season behind them after watching his new-look team open their Premier League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

The hosts endured a difficult start against Jurgen Klopp’s side and deservedly fell behind to a breakaway goal by Luis Diaz after 18 minutes, guided into the bottom corner from Mohamed Salah’s fine pass.

They were saved from going further behind when VAR intervened to rule out Salah’s strike for offside as Liverpool dominated for much of the first half.

But Chelsea slowly eased their way back and were level when defender Axel Disasi, making his first start, stole in to touch home from Ben Chilwell’s header eight minutes before the break.

VAR was called upon again to disallow Chilwell’s goal two minutes later, but thereafter Pochettino’s side settled and were a ready threat to Liverpool’s back line, with debutant striker Nicolas Jackson spurning the best chance when he fired over the bar from six yards.

The manager reflected on a performance in which he felt his team showed the traumas of last season, when the club failed to challenge for silverware and finished a dismal 12th, had been exorcised.

“I agree from the beginning it was tough, it was difficult,” he said. “Liverpool were better after 15-20 minutes but we started to find our ways to play and our position and what we were working on. And after that, the performance was really good.

“We scored and after we showed a great performance. I think we deserved to win, we conceded only one shot on target against a team like Liverpool.

“(I am) so pleased. It is only the start, the beginning. I can say thank you to the players.

“When we arrived here the first day, we don’t talk about the past, it is a long time ago. You need to move on, even if you are thinking about what happened a few seconds before, it moves on.

“The most important action in football is the next one and that is what we want to settle. We want to talk about the present and the future. We showed the belief and the team keep fighting.”

With the teams still locked in a battle to sign Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, the need for more steel and control was evident in both midfields as attack got the better of defence and the middle of the pitch appeared porous for much of the game.

Chelsea remain in pole position to win the race for his signature, with the Ecuador international believed to favour a move to west London over Klopp’s side.

Pochettino would not be drawn on the progress of any deal but confirmed that the club were still looking to reinforce in midfield before the end of the transfer window.

He was also keen to point to his team’s success in limiting the visitors to a single shot on target during the game.

“Today we concede only one shot on target and we concede a goal, against Liverpool,” he said. “We need good players and to improve the squad, yes, but that is not new and we are working very hard.

“It is about (trying) to find the right profile, the right player, but the team was solid. We concede only one shot on target against Liverpool but for sure we need to create more chances, to have the capacity to score more goals. I think it is the first step.”

The manager hinted that the decision to leave goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga out of the squad, with Robert Sanchez selected for his Chelsea debut, was down to reported interest from Real Madrid.

“The reason he has to explore different situations, different possibilities,” he said. “Yesterday we were talking and the decision is to have all the players who are committed to being in Chelsea for the season.”

Klopp said that he had no issue with the reaction of Salah when he was brought off during the second half.

The forward, who has scored in his first game of the season in each year of his Anfield career and struck the crossbar at Stamford Bridge, was visibly unhappy to be taken off as his side sought a winning goal, but the manager said he felt it was a natural response.

“I can understand because if Mo scored it would have been a new record for goals scored in the opening game but I didn’t think about that,” he said.

“We needed stability and we needed fresh legs. It was super intense for everybody. That’s all I can say about it. His reaction was absolutely OK.”

Mauricio Pochettino’s first match as Chelsea manager ended in a breathless, hard-fought home draw with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

Both sides attempted to kick off the new season with a bang after disappointing campaigns, with the Blues particularly bruised having finished 12th at the end of a humiliating season.

Former Tottenham favourite Pochettino has been tasked with turning Chelsea around and oversaw a promising performance in their Premier League opener, with debutant Axel Disasi cancelling out Luis Diaz’s effort in a 1-1 draw.

The sides also saw one goal apiece ruled out for offside in a helter-skelter encounter that showed how much both would benefit from a midfielder like Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia.

Chelsea and Liverpool will renew their transfer battle for a number six after Sunday’s action-packed clash in the Stamford Bridge sunshine.

Mohamed Salah saw an early effort rattle the crossbar before expertly slipping in Diaz to score a goal that the Egypt star then coolly added to, only for it to be ruled out on VAR review.

Chelsea made the most of that let-off. Disasi levelled from a looping header by Ben Chilwell, who soon rounded Alisson to score only for the VAR to rule him offside as well.

The teams played out an entertaining second half without a winner and Salah looked irked to have been taken off as Liverpool hunted a second.

Chelsea ended strongly but made an uneasy start to Sunday’s game. Carney Chukwuemeka was booked in the fourth minute for a high foot and Diogo Jota mishit poorly after good work by debutant Dominik Szoboszlai.

Liverpool played with more edge than the new-look hosts, with Salah recovering a poor Cody Gakpo pass, turning and continuing to curl a 20-yard right-footed effort off the crossbar.

The former Chelsea player started the afternoon with the bit between his teeth and produced a moment of magic in the 18th minute.

Salah collected the ball on the right, ran at homegrown debutant Levi Colwill and fizzed an exquisite left-footed pass through for Diaz to slide home.

Liverpool’s travelling hordes – who had been subject of unsavoury chants from some Chelsea fans – celebrated wildly.

The west Londoners pushed for a leveller, but their defence continued to look susceptible.

Thiago Silva produced a key block to deny Salah and soon afterwards Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant pass put the forward through to coolly dink over new Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

It looked like a potentially decisive goal, only for the VAR’s intervention to give Chelsea renewed hope. Salah had strayed marginally offside and Pochettino’s Blues quickly capitalised.

Alexander-Arnold sent a threatening Raheem Sterling cross aimed for Nicolas Jackson behind his own goal and Liverpool failed to deal with the resulting corner.

Chilwell kept his cool as Chelsea kept the pressure on, looping a header over for Disasi to stretch and turn past Alisson, sparking 37th-minute celebrations.

Within two minutes the volume went up several more notches. Enzo Fernandez‘s nudged pass put Chilwell through to round Alisson and turn home what Chelsea thought was their second, only for the VAR to step in for offside once again.

Salah and Jackson had further shots as a frantic first half ended 1-1, with play continuing in similar fashion when play resumed.

There was an audible gasp when new Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk whistled just wide from the edge of the box, before Diaz’s weak headed attempt hit Jackson’s hand and went behind. He survived a VAR check for a penalty.

Chelsea had chances at the other end. Chilwell forced Sanchez into a save, skipper Reece James sent a speculative free-kick over and Jackson raced through to get a shot on Alisson’s goal.

Jurgen Klopp rang the changes in search of a winner and Salah looked unhappy to be withdrawn, ripping the strapping off his wrist as he angrily walked off the pitch.

Debutant Sanchez nearly gifted Liverpool a late winner, with his poor pass cut out by Alexis Mac Allister, but Darwin Nunez was unable to capitalise.

The substitute striker saw a curling effort from distance defect narrowly wide in stoppage time, with Chelsea then going close on the counter.

Mykhailo Mudryk went around Alisson following Jackson’s lung-busting run, but Ian Maatsen got crowded out from the cutback.

Jurgen Klopp accepts change at Liverpool was inevitable as he urged his “reloaded” side to find their own way ahead of the start of their Premier League campaign.

Liverpool saw captain Jordan Henderson and fellow midfielder Fabinho leave for the Saudi Pro League for a combined £52million, while Roberto Firmino and James Milner also departed Anfield this summer.

Virgil van Dijk will skipper the side this season as Liverpool try to rebound from last season’s fifth-place finish, which left them outside the Champions League places for the first time since 2015-16.

The Reds have signed World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Hungary captain Dominik Szoboszlai, while Klopp expects a number of youngsters to bloom following the departures of a few big personalities.

Klopp said: “We don’t have to always say ‘Milner would have said that and Henderson would have said that and Firmino would have smiled here.’ We should not do it like that. That makes no sense.

“We have this kind of new start with this Liverpool FC reloaded, it’s an exciting thing. Everybody was asking for changes, rightly so, because we were together for a long time.

“It’s a new chance for everybody, everybody has to step up. We all share responsibility and it’s not that we should give ourselves too much time to grow into it, let’s do it.

“Let’s take the responsibility and go from there and don’t try to be like somebody. Be the best version of yourself and then you have a good chance to help the team in the best possible way.”

Liverpool have had a British transfer record fee in the region of £110m accepted by Brighton for Moises Caicedo but the Ecuador international’s preference for a move to Chelsea muddies the waters.

Chelsea have had a longstanding interest in the 21-year-old midfielder and are reportedly ready to step up with a similar bid, adding an intriguing subplot to Liverpool’s trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues’ 12th-place finish last term – their lowest in almost 30 years – has led to a complete overhaul, with former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino appointed to transform their fortunes.

Ahead of both sides’ Premier League opener, Klopp said: “They will want to show up, definitely. Poch is a top manager, so they will show up. We have to be ready. We have to be absolutely ready.

“The football they played (in pre-season) you can see it – Poch is there. We played against Mauricio very often when he was at Tottenham, you can see a lot of similarities from that time.

“It’s the first really competitive football game for us this season. We don’t want to waste time, we really want to go for it, but we have to see how it goes.”

Klopp insisted he has not felt the need to remind his charges of last season’s disappointing outcome and is satisfied by what they have done in pre-season.

He added: “The desire, the concentration, the readiness, the openness. I saw a lot of things where my thought was in that moment, ‘OK, they mean business, so let’s give it a go.’ You could see it.

“We are not happy. It’s not that I want to remind the boys every day and say ‘by the way, last year was like this and that.’ That makes no sense. We have a lot of targets and we are highly motivated.”

Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee with Brighton for Moises Caicedo, but the Reds face a battle to land the Ecuadorian amid fierce competition from Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Friday morning a deal has been struck which could see Liverpool pay in the region of £110million for the midfielder, who has attracted intense interest from Chelsea this summer.

Chelsea’s third and most recent offer for Caicedo was £80m, substantially below Brighton’s valuation of a player who they signed for £4m from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in February 2021.

However, while Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is resigned to losing Caicedo, Chelsea are not yet out of the running and will be mulling over whether to make a fresh bid as it is understood the 21-year-old Ecuador international would prefer a switch to Stamford Bridge.

Klopp wants to reinforce his options in the middle of the park with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho going to the Saudi Pro League last month while Naby Keita and James Milner also recently left the club.

They signed Caicedo’s ex-Brighton team-mate Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig but missed out on Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in June in a deal that could rise to £115m.

“I can confirm the deal with (Brighton) is agreed, whatever that means because we want the player and not any kind of agreement, we will see,” Klopp said.

“We are a club that doesn’t have endless resources, we didn’t expect a couple of things happening in the summer, like Henderson and Fabinho (leaving), stuff like this.

“We didn’t think about that before the summer, to be honest, and then it happened. We gave (attempting to sign Bellingham) a go and the club was really stretched. We will see (what happens with Caicedo).”

As for whether Caicedo will undergo a medical in Merseyside on Friday or if signing the youngster would be Liverpool’s final business of the summer window, Klopp was tight-lipped.

“I’ve said what I know,” he added. “Let’s do it step by step, let’s see what happens in the next hours or days.”

The Caicedo fee is upwards of the previous British record of £107m that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January and dwarfs Liverpool’s own highest transfer payment of £75m for Virgil van Dijk in 2018.

De Zerbi said on Friday: “I would like to answer only one time (on Caicedo). I’ve already forgotten Moises. Moises is leaving and is not important for me now.”

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino was coy when asked about Caicedo but the tug-of-war between the Blues and Liverpool is an intriguing subplot ahead of their showdown on the opening weekend of the Premier League season on Sunday in west London.

“I never talk about players that don’t belong to us,” the Argentinian said. “I am so respectful.

“What I can tell you is we are working really hard to try to add more players to the squad, to add quality. When we have some update to be made for you, the club will do.

“It’s obvious, when you look at the squad compared with last season, too many midfielders leave the squad. We have different options, we are working hard to try, to see.”

Klopp, whose side missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing fifth last season, was reminded of his critical comments on paying nine-figure sums for players six years ago.

After Manchester United signed Paul Pogba for a then-world record £89m, Klopp said: “If you bring one player in for £100m and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney. The day that this is football, I’m not in a job anymore, because the game is about playing together.”

However, Klopp accepted he was mistaken for questioning the wisdom of such fees on Friday and admitted prices for players will only increase with Saudi Arabia muscling in as a rival to Europe’s top leagues.

“Everything changed,” Klopp said. “Do I like it? But did I realise I was wrong? Definitely. That’s the way it goes, it will not go the other way around again, Saudi Arabia will not help with that.

“I’m not blaming anybody, it’s just the market with a lot of money.

“In the end, we as a club have just to try to make sure that with our resources, we get the best possible team together. We really try everything to get the best squad for us.

“We are not in a dreamland so we can’t just point on players and bring them in, there’s a lot of work to do these kinds of things. Sometimes one door closes then the other door opens up.

“If people want to throw my quotes from five or six years ago, absolutely no problem. I realise now I was wrong, it’s easy to admit that.”

The new Premier League season kicks off this weekend with clubs still finalising their squads for the challenge ahead.

Champions Manchester City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal will resume battle with the Gunners’ having struck an early blow in the Community Shield, while newcomers Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton begin the task of ensuring their stay among the big boys is not fleeting.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the opening fixtures.

Auf wiedersehen, Harry?

Harry Kane’s “will he, won’t he?” summer saga finally approached its conclusion on the eve of the new campaign as he headed for Germany with a view to tying up a £95million switch from Tottenham to Bayern Munich. The England skipper’s impending departure is likely to dismay fans of a club which drastically under-achieved in finishing eighth last season. Spurs open their campaign at Brentford on Sunday with the travelling supporters contemplating what life after Harry may represent.

Big six backlash?

If last season’s top three had a familiar look about it with Manchester United following their neighbours and Arsenal across the finishing line, there was a measure of turbulence below them as Newcastle disturbed the established order to push Liverpool out of the top four and Brighton claimed sixth spot with Aston Villa hot on their heels. Despite losing Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino to the Saudi Arabian exodus, the Reds have added World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to their ranks with Moises Caicedo also seemingly on his way to Anfield, while James Maddison is perhaps the most eye-catching of Tottenham’s summer arrivals and Chelsea’s spending spree shows no signs of abating as the wounded prepare to fight back.

Baptism of fire

If Gary O’Neil felt hard done by when he was relieved of his duties at Bournemouth in June having steered the club to Premier League safety, it did not blunt his readiness to take on a challenge. The former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough midfielder was parachuted into the hotseat vacated by dissatisfied Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui after the Spaniard and the club decided to go their separate ways as a result of disagreements over recruitment. O’Neil stepped into the void with just days to prepare for Wolves’ opening fixture – a daunting trip to a rejuvenated Manchester United on Monday evening.

Welcome to the jungle

Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton will set foot in the top flight knowing the first and overwhelming priority is survival. Last season was the first since 2017-18 when the three promoted clubs all stayed up, with at least one having made an immediate return to the top flight at the end of each of the previous four. The Hatters last played in England’s top division in 1992, but having worked their way back from the non-league ranks in the last decade, they know all about fighting tooth and nail.

In it for the long haul

Unpopular as it may be with some, referees’ chief Howard Webb has insisted moves to eradicate time-wasting are here to stay, and that means there could be some lengthy matches this season. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester United defender Raphael Varane are among those to have questioned moves to tackle the game’s “dark arts”, as well as behaviour on and off the pitch, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. How will they feel after the weekend?

Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee in the region of £110million for Moises Caicedo as Jurgen Klopp attempts to reinforce his midfield on the eve of the new Premier League season. The PA news agency understands Liverpool have swooped in and had a substantial offer accepted for the 21-year-old Ecuador international, who was attracting significant interest from Chelsea this summer.

Brighton held firm on their valuation of a player who joined them for just £4m from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in 2021, and it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will match Liverpool’s bid. The fee is upwards of the previous British record of £107m that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January and dwarfs Liverpool’s own highest transfer payment of £75m for Virgil van Dijk in 2018.

Klopp has seen Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita and James Milner depart the club this summer but Liverpool have signed Caicedo’s former Brighton team-mate Alexis Mac Allister for £35m in June.

The Reds have also brought in Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig but, after missing out on Jude Bellingham – who joined Real Madrid in June in a deal that could rise to £115m with add-ons – Klopp is keen to get the Caicedo transfer over the line.

Ahead of Sunday’s trip to Chelsea for both sides’ Premier League opener, Klopp said: “I can confirm the deal with (Brighton) is agreed, whatever that means because we want the player and not any kind of agreement, we will see.

“We are club that doesn’t have endless resources, we didn’t expect a couple of things happening in the summer, like Henderson and Fabinho (leaving), stuff like this.

“We didn’t think about that before the summer, to be honest, and then it happened. We gave (attempting to sign Bellingham) a go and the club was really stretched. We will see (what happens with Caicedo).”

As for whether Caicedo will undergo a medical in Merseyside on Friday or if signing the youngster would be Liverpool’s final business of the summer window, Klopp was tight-lipped.

“I’ve said what I know,” he added. “Let’s do it step by step, let’s see what happens in the next hours or days.”

Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee in the region of £110million for Moises Caicedo as the Reds look to shore up their midfield on the eve of the new season.

The 21-year-old has been on Chelsea’s radar and the Blues – who will take on Liverpool in both sides’ Premier League opener on Sunday – were thought of as front-runners to sign the Ecuador international.

But Brighton have held firm in their valuation of a player who joined them for just £4m from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle two years ago and now the Reds are now poised to sweep in.

The PA news agency understands Liverpool, who are aiming to reinforce their options in the middle of the park following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho this summer, will pay upwards of the previous British record fee of £107m that Chelsea forked out for Enzo Fernandez in January.

The fee for Caicedo dwarfs Liverpool’s own transfer record of £75m, which they paid Southampton for defender Virgil van Dijk in January 2018.

Should Caicedo complete the move, he will be reunited with fellow midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, the Argentinian World Cup winner who left the Seagulls for Anfield in June.

Liverpool have also signed Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig this summer after the departures of Henderson and Fabinho to Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Ettifaq and Al-Ittihad respectively.

Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee of £110million for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo, according to reports.

The 21-year-old Ecuador international has been a target for Chelsea all summer but Brighton have held firm in their valuation.

Now the Reds appear to have stepped in and hijacked the deal to complete their midfield rebuild following the departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

Should he complete the move, Caicedo will be reunited with Alexis Mac Allister, the Argentinian World Cup winner who left the Seagulls for Anfield in June.

The reported fee would eclipse the previous British record fee of £107m that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January.

It would also represent another massive profit for Brighton, who signed Caicedo from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for £4m in 2021.

What the papers say

Chelsea are hoping to finally secure the signature of Brighton star Moises Caicedo, the Guardian reports. The club are hoping to finalise the deal as soon as possible so he can be available to play in their opening match against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Manchester United are keen to sign Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who the Daily Mail says is worth around £30million.

Dutch left-back Ian Maatsen is being chased by Burnley and now West Ham, according to the Daily Mail. The 21-year-old impressed in his pre-season fixtures for Chelsea with West Ham hoping to gain his services on a loan deal.

Italian champions Napoli are interested in Brighton’s 19-year-old forward Julio Enciso, the Telegraph reports.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Benjamin Pavard: Manchester United are hoping to bring the Bayern Munich defender to the club to reunite with former France international team-mate Raphael Varane, French news outlet L’Equipe says.

Max Aarons: The Athletic reports the Norwich City right-back was set for a move to Leeds United, but Bournemouth look set to move in on the deal.

Liverpool continue to be frustrated in their pursuit of Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia after having a third bid rejected by the Championship side.

After their initial two offers of £34million plus £4m and £42m were turned down, the Reds returned with a proposal worth £46m but that too has been rejected, the PA news agency understands.

Saints are understood to be looking for £50m for a player who has made just 29 Premier League appearances in one top-flight season.

Negotiations are expected to continue between the two sides.

Mohamed Salah’s agent, meanwhile, has dismissed speculation linking the forward with a move to Saudi Arabia as the 31-year-old “remains committed” to the club.

A report in the Middle East claimed talks were taking place between the Egypt international’s representatives and Al-Ittihad about a deal said to be worth around £155million over two years to the player.

Salah’s former team-mate Fabinho has already made the move to Al-Ittihad this summer in a £40m transfer.

In that context the £60m fee being touted for Salah – who has scored 139 goals in 231 Premier League appearances – appeared to under-value a player who is only 12 months into a three-year deal which is the most lucrative contract in Liverpool’s history.

And Salah’s representative insists the former Chelsea and Roma forward has no intention of leaving Anfield in any case.

“If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC,” Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas posted on Twitter.

Mohamed Salah’s agent has dismissed speculation linking the Liverpool forward with a move to Saudi Arabia as the 31-year-old “remains committed” to the club.

A report in the Middle East claimed talks were taking place between the Egypt international’s representatives and Al-Ittihad over a deal said to be worth over £155million over two years to the player.

Salah’s former team-mate Fabinho has already made the move to Al-Ittihad this summer in a £40m transfer.

In that context the £60m fee being touted for Salah – who has scored 139 goals in 231 Premier League appearances – appeared to under-value a player who is only 12 months into a three-year deal which is the most lucrative contract in Liverpool’s history.

And Salah’s representative insists the former Chelsea and Roma forward has no intention of leaving Anfield in any case.

“If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer. Mohamed remains committed to LFC,” Salah’s agent Ramy Abbas posted on Twitter.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has laughed off suggestions the club are in the running to put together a loan deal for Kylian Mbappe.

France captain Mbappe has been subject of a world-record £259million bid from Saudi Arabia club Al Hilal, but Paris St Germain could also be open to a temporary move ahead of the possibility of seeing him leave for nothing next year at the end of his current contract.

Chelsea and Barcelona are understood to be among the clubs trying to put together deals for Mbappe, who is reported to have already agreed a deal to sign for Real Madrid on a free transfer and so secure a 160m euro (£138m) signing-on fee.

Anfield has also been touted as a possible destination for the coming season, but Klopp has been quick to pour cold water on those rumours.

“We laugh about it,” Klopp told Sky Germany as he prepared the squad for the final match of their pre-season Asia tour against Bayern Munich in Singapore.

“I can say that I think he’s a really good player, but the financial conditions don’t suit us at all. I wouldn’t like to ruin the story now, but as far as I know, there’s nothing to it.

“It’s possible that someone else from the club is preparing something and wants to surprise me…that hasn’t happened in the eight years that I’ve been here. That would be the first time.”

 

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With Jordan Henderson having left the club to join Saudi side Al-Ettifaq, managed by former Reds skipper Steven Gerrard, Virgil van Dijk is set to captain Liverpool next season.

Klopp revealed he handed the Dutch defender the armband for his leadership – and for his looks.

“Virgil has everything to wish for to be a captain of a football club,” boss Klopp told the Liverpool’s website.

“Number one, he’s probably, let me have a think, definitely the best-looking captain in the Premier League, which is important for team pictures!

“But, of course, personality-wise everything is there. He wants to be a leader, he is a leader.

“He has to step up, like all of us have to step up because we were used to things how they always were and now we have to create something new – a new structure, a new culture – and that’s really exciting. He will play a massive role in that – he has to.”

Fabinho has completed his move from Liverpool to Al-Ittihad, the Saudi Pro League club have confirmed.

The Brazilian becomes the second Liverpool player to move to Saudi Arabia following Jordan Henderson’s switch to Al-Ettifaq.

In a lengthy farewell message posted on social media, Fabinho wrote: “Today I leave my home.

“It’s been five years wearing this jersey and always with the greatest honour and happiness possible.”

Fabinho is also the latest big name to join Al-Ittihad, following the likes of former Real Madrid star Karim Benzema and ex-Chelsea and Leicester man N’Golo Kante.

The 29-year-old joined Liverpool from Monaco in 2018 and enjoyed a glittering career on Merseyside, winning the Champions League and Premier League titles, plus the FA Cup and the Club World Cup.

He added: “Thanks to Liverpool, I reached my highest level and played a World Cup. Thanks to Liverpool, I fulfilled my dream of walking into a stadium with my son in my arms.

“Thanks to Liverpool, I played in the best stadium in the world, with the best atmosphere in the world, which is Anfield.

“Thanks to Liverpool, I lived the biggest match of my life, the comeback against Barcelona, ​​which was only possible thanks to Anfield. That moment will always be in my memory.

“I love this club. Thank you, Reds, for everything we’ve experienced together. You will never walk alone.”

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