Massimiliano Allegri says it is "useless" to discuss the transfer market as Juventus prepare to start the Serie A season against Sassuolo on Monday.

Paul Pogba, Angel Di Maria, Gleison Bremer and Filip Kostic have arrived at Juve during the transfer window, while Leandro Paredes and Memphis Depay have also been linked with moves to Turin.

Juve midfielder Adrien Rabiot is reportedly a target for Manchester United and on Sunday, Allegri suggested Arthur – who is sidelined with an ankle injury – could also move on.

But the Bianconeri coach is determined to avoid being distracted by transfer talk ahead of the clash with Sassuolo at the Allianz Stadium.

He said: "It is useless to talk about the transfer market, the club thinks about it. Players who left have been replaced, we must think about tomorrow's match.

"Sassuolo are coming from a bad defeat in the Coppa Italia [3-2 against Modena], but they have taken on important players like [Andrea] Pinamonti."

Meanwhile, Allegri believes suffering a 4-0 friendly thrashing against Atletico Madrid could be a blessing in disguise for Juve as they attempt to mount a title challenge.

He said: "We had three important friendlies, the last one ended badly and we had worked a lot during the week. The defeat did us good to make us raise our antennas, I have heard too many triumphalisms around.

"Juventus has the duty to try to win, the competitors have strengthened. There are four or five suitors [for the Scudetto] and we are among them. We have to work in silence, improve the team from all points of view.

"I think it is a job that we are doing every day, the club has been very good at replacing those who left. Let's think about the championship before the market closes, three at home and one away.

"We will have to suffer, like in all games. It has always been the strength of winning teams, respect the opponent. We need to do well when we have the ball and improve without the ball."

Allegri added he is yet to decide whether new winger Kostic will start on Monday following his move from Eintracht Frankfurt.

"Kostic is a player who crosses very well, he has arrived for two days and among other things he has been back and forth," Allegri said. "I still have to decide between him, [Weston] McKennie and [Juan] Cuadrado."

Rabiot and striker Moise Kean are not available for Juve's season-opener due to suspension, as the Bianconeri bid to improve on successive fourth-placed Serie A finishes.

Christophe Galtier revealed Leandro Paredes is in demand and gave a strong indication he could leave Paris Saint-Germain before the transfer window closes.

Paredes is reported to have agreed terms with Juventus and a move is expected to go through if Adrien Rabiot joins Manchester United.

The Argentina midfielder has been frustrated by a lack of playing time at PSG, who he joined from Zenit in 2019.

Paredes replaced Vitinha for the final 20 minutes of the champions' 5-2 Ligue 1 thrashing of Montpellier on Saturday, but Galtier is unsure whether he will still be at the club when the transfer window closes on September 1.

The PSG head coach said in a press conference: "The situation Paredes is very different from Mauro Icardi's.

"Leandro has many requests and I don't know what will happen between now and the end of the transfer market. I know he wants to play, but he has a calm mood."

Galtier has strengthened his midfield with the signings of Vitinha and Renato Sanches, keeping Paredes down the pecking order.

The 28-year-old only started 15 games for PSG last season.

Los Angeles FC showed why they are the MLS' best team this season as they hammered Charlotte 5-0 to move six points clear atop the Western Conference, with a game in hand.

LAFC controlled the first half, creating 12 shots to Charlotte's four, but after 45 minutes the sides went into the half-time break locked at 0-0 as the home side's attacks continued to falter in the final third.

Whatever the advice was during the break seemed to work a treat, with Jesus Murillo finding the breakthrough in the 49th minute when he headed home a stylish lofted through ball from Diego Palacios. That opened the floodgates, with Jose Cifuentes making it 2-0 10 minutes later, and Cifuentes then turned distributor in the 73rd minute to set up Carlos Vela for 3-0.

Cristian Arango got in on the fun to put home LAFC's fourth in the 76th minute, and an own goal in stoppage time from Charlotte captain Anton Walkes completed the rout.

Earlier in the day, it was Orlando City jumping up into the Eastern Conference's top-six with a 1-0 upset win away from home against New York Red Bulls.

Uruguay's Facundo Torres netted the game's only goal in the 17th minute to make it five matches without a win for the Red Bulls, who still sit fourth in the East.

In a back-and-forth contest, Cincinnati came back from an early 1-0 deficit to lead 2-1 at half-time through goals to Brandon Vasquez and Brenner, only to be denied the three points by an Andrew Gutman equaliser in the 83rd minute.

The East's bottom side DC United continued to struggle on their way to a 1-0 away loss against the New England Revolution, while the top side in the East, the Philadelphia Union, made it look easy as they treated their home fans to a 4-1 pummelling of the Chicago Fire.

Inter Miami held onto the seventh and final Eastern Conference playoff spot with their 3-2 win against New York City, thanks in large part to Alejandro Pozuelo's brace, with one assist coming from Gonzalo Higuain.

Austin FC came back from 3-1 down at half-time to steal a 4-3 win against Sporting Kansas City, with Sebastian Driussi netting the winner in the 94th minute, while Federico Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne injected some Italian flavour with a goal each to help Toronto FC defeat the Portland Timbers 3-1.

The struggling Colorado Rapids will be the more pleased of the two sides after a 1-1 draw against the Colombus Crew, and a first-half double from FC Dallas' Jesus Ferreira was the catalyst in a 4-1 victory against the San Jose Earthquakes.

CF Montreal's Romell Quioto scored a penalty and missed a penalty in a 3-2 win against the Houston Dynamo to strengthen their second-placed position in the East, and a four-goal first half from Los Angeles Galaxy – including a goal and an assist for Chicharito – was more than enough to prevail 5-2 against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Inter boss Simone Inzaghi was not pleased with his side's performance in their 2-1 win away from home against Lecce, saying a team with title aspirations can not be relying on a 94th-minute winner.

The Italian giants – who had the best goal difference in Serie A last season (plus 52) – opened the scoring just 81 seconds in, when loan signing Romelu Lukaku headed home Matteo Darmian's cross from point-blank range.

Inter controlled 70 per cent of the possession in the first half and appeared good value for their lead, but the entire complexion of the contest changed two minutes into the second half when Assan Ceesay tucked home his left-foot finish low and hard across Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic after a slick counter-attack.

The 1-1 score would hold until the game's dying moments, when an Inter corner found Lautaro Martinez's head, who flicked it on for substitute defender Denzel Dumfries to force home at the back post.

Speaking to DAZN after the win, Inzaghi said there were positives to look at, but ultimately his side needs to be more emphatic against a newly promoted team playing their first Serie A game in seven years.

"A team like ours cannot win these games [in stoppage time]," he said. "We put a lot of heart on the pitch because we won in the 94th minute, but we have to analyse the game. 

"I am fortunate to have strikers who can play together like [Edin] Dzeko and Lukaku who allow us to play directly, especially on a pitch that was not in great shape at the end, with the midfielders coming in behind them. It is an option that will also be seen in the future.

"We had an excellent half hour, then we got nervous, losing the measures and conceding the equal goal. We could have scored the double before, but a team like this can't suffer so much, and you can't wait until the last moments to win."

When probed further about Lukaku, Inzaghi added: "Lukaku? I am happy, he is working hard, he is back and has a great desire and availability. 

"He can improve like everyone else, but he works like everyone else. He is a driver and he will score a lot of goals from here."

Top Turkish club Galatasaray are rumoured to be interested in acquiring the services of Jamaica international Shamar Nicholson.

The 25-year-old forward only recently secured a move to Russian club Spartak Moscow last summer from Belgian team Charleroi FC for 8m euros and has a contract until 2026.

The current situation with Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, which has led to the club being suspended from all European competition, could see the player being allowed to leave the team.

Initially, the club had expressed an interest in both Mauro Icardi, who was expected to leave PSG, and Andrea Belotti, who left Torino, but either deal materialised.  So far this season, Nicholson has played 98 minutes in 3 games but failed to score a goal.

Last season, Nicholson, who played a total of 34 matches with Charleroi and Spartak Moscow jerseys, scored 21 goals and made 7 assists.

Denzel Dumfries scored a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Inter began their Serie A campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Lecce, as Romelu Lukaku scored on his Nerazzurri return.

Lukaku required just 82 seconds to head home the opener on his second Inter debut, but Simone Inzaghi's side looked set to make a stuttering start when Assan Ceesay levelled three minutes after the break.

But substitute Dumfries was on hand to convert from a corner deep into stoppage time as Inter made a winning start to the new campaign.

Having watched champions Milan beat Udinese in their own season-opener early on Saturday, Inter ensured they matched their rivals' exploits at the outset of what is likely to be another thrilling title race.

Neymar scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain made it consecutive wins to start the Ligue 1 season with an emphatic 5-2 victory over Montpellier at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.

The champions started their title defence with a 5-0 win against Clermont last weekend in Christophe Galtier's first league game in charge, and they followed that up with a ninth success in their past 10 league games against Montpellier, despite a penalty miss from Kylian Mbappe midway through the first half.

The France international made amends soon after when his cross was turned into his own net by Falaye Sacko, before Neymar doubled the hosts' advantage from a second penalty of the game.

Neymar and Mbappe scored either side of Wahbi Khazri's goal for the visitors, while there were late efforts from debutant Renato Sanches and Montpellier's Enzo Tchato Mbiayi. 

Milan recovered from conceding just two minutes into their Serie A title defence to beat Udinese 4-2 at San Siro on Saturday.

The opening game of the season in the Italian top flight for the Rossoneri saw a penalty from Theo Hernandez, two goals from Ante Rebic and another from Brahim Diaz guide them to three points, despite conceding twice to the visitors through Rodrigo Becao and Adam Masina.

New signings Charles de Ketelaere and Divock Origi were named on the bench for Stefano Pioli's side, with the former introduced for the final 20 minutes and the latter for the final seven in front of their new fans. 

It was a losing start for new Udinese head coach Andrea Sottil, though he will have been buoyed by his team's ability to keep Milan honest in a game that was more open in the first half than Pioli would have liked.

It was far from an ideal start for the hosts as Udinese took the lead in just the second minute when Becao headed a Gerard Deulofeu corner in at the near post.

That advantage did not last long though as a VAR check led to a Milan penalty being awarded on 10 minutes after Brandon Soppy was judged to have fouled Davide Calabria, with Hernandez calmly dispatching the spot kick.

The champions were in front just four minutes later when neat play from Diaz gave Calabria the chance to cross to Rebic, who swept the ball past Marco Silvestri.

Deulofeu made a mess of a chance when in on goal, but Udinese were level just before half-time when two more former Watford players combined, with Roberto Pereyra crossing for Masina to head in at the far post.

If Milan made a slow start in the first half, Udinese managed to trump it in the second as Nehuen Pereza and Masina made a mess of a Hernandez cross from the left, allowing Diaz to prod the hosts back in front just 34 seconds after the restart.

Diaz had been a thorn in Udinese's side all game, and won the ball inside the opposition's box on 68 minutes before squaring to Rebic to lift his finish into the roof of the net to seal the win.

Manchester United suffered one of their worst defeats in Premier League history as Erik ten Hag's side barely laid a glove on Brentford in a 4-0 defeat on Saturday.

Ten Hag was looking for a response to last weekend's 2-1 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion and was able to hand Cristiano Ronaldo a start, but all United got was a humiliation.

David de Gea was at fault twice as Josh Dasilva and Mathias Jensen put Brentford two up inside 18 minutes, before Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo ensured Brentford became only the third side to put four past United in the first half of a Premier League game.

While the Bees could not inflict further misery on Ten Hag and United, it mattered little as the damage was already done.

United gave Thomas Frank's men a helping hand for the opener as De Gea inexplicably let Dasilva's 25-yard effort squeeze into the bottom-right corner after Ronaldo had been robbed.

The floodgates then opened.

Shortly after United escaped a similar situation, Christian Eriksen was dispossessed inside his own box following an ill-advised pass from De Gea, and Jensen applied a disguised finish with 18 minutes played.

The off-balance Mee nodded in at the back post as United failed to cope with the hosts' physicality, and by the 35th minute it was 4-0 – Dasilva racing onto a clearance to play an exquisite pass into the box where Mbeumo held off Luke Shaw to score.

Ten Hag made three changes at the break and that at least helped stem the flow of goal concessions.

United improved as an attacking threat, with Ronaldo presented with a couple of half-chances and Eriksen testing David Raya with a header.

But still Brentford eased to a famous victory.

What does it mean? Urgency of United's squad rejuvenation laid bare

The Brighton loss was bad. This was simply embarrassing. The issues with United's squad were obvious last season, with Ralf Rangnick suggesting they needed 10 new signings to be competitive.

While Rangnick was ultimately cut loose from his deal to become a consultant, it is difficult not to look back on those comments now given how bad United have been in their first two games of the season, and the fact only three new players have come in.

Granted, there remains a bit of time in the transfer window, but if United cannot make significant improvements over the next eight days, Liverpool could enjoy another Old Trafford mauling.

Thomas Frankly exceptional

While Brighton won the midfield battle against United last weekend, they did not do what Brentford did. Frank set his team up to press with such intensity and it worked a treat.

Dasilva's goal was fortunate but was the result of pressing Ronaldo, and then Jensen's strike was a product of pressuring United as they attempted to play out from the back. The visitors proved they are way off being able to play Ten Hag's brand of football.

David de Howler

It feels a little unfair to focus on one particular United player because so many of them were poor, but De Gea's error for the opener was truly horrific and he needlessly put Eriksen in danger for the second with a pass that was not on. Those goals gave them a mountain to climb.

What's next?

Ten Hag's hunt for a first win as United boss continues a week on Monday with the visit of bitter rivals Liverpool to Old Trafford. Brentford go to Fulham two days earlier.

Napoli are closing in on the signing of Verona striker Giovanni Simeone as Luciano Spalletti said the Serie A club are beginning a "new cycle" following a host of big-name exits.

Spalletti's team threatened a first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona era before tailing off to finish third last season, but have since seen the likes of Kalidou Koulibaly, Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne depart.

Reports have suggested Napoli will combat the losses of Mertens and Insigne – the top two goalscorers in the club's history – by bringing in Verona striker Simeone on an initial loan deal.

Simeone – the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone – scored 17 Serie A goals last season, a tally bettered only by Ciro Immobile (27), Dusan Vlahovic (24) and Lautaro Martinez (21).

The Argentine averaged a goal every 157 minutes throughout the campaign, converting 55 per cent of his big chances.

Ahead of Napoli travelling to Verona for their Serie A opener on Monday, Spalletti revealed the striker's arrival was imminent as he pledged to rebuild the Partenopei's side.

"If everything is okay, of course he will come, we are waiting for him, if you stay, say hello to him too!" Spalletti said amid reports Simeone was undergoing a medical with Napoli.

"He is one we need and Naples is what he needs, it is a correct purchase.

"We will do our best right away, and that I am convinced that we will make the fans fall in love again, as happened last year.

"Now we are talking about a Napoli that no longer sees in their ranks the most important players, and there is talk of players for a new cycle.

"It's a responsibility that stimulates me a lot. Of course, a little support from the city and society is needed, the most difficult things are those of the changing room dynamics.

"They changed without [Faouzi] Ghoulam, [David] Ospina, Mertens and Insigne. In addition to the game dynamics there are those of character, and we have to recreate those there. I'm not afraid of anything." 

Kylian Mbappe claimed it is a "big lie" to say players do not care about winning the Ballon d'Or as he named Karim Benzema and Sadio Mane as his main rivals for this year's award.

Mbappe was named on a 30-man shortlist to be named the best player in the world on Friday, having scored 39 goals in all competitions as Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 title last season.

No player across the top five European leagues matched Mbappe's total of 60 goal contributions across the 2021-22 campaign, although his France team-mate Benzema is the clear favourite after helping Real Madrid to the Champions League and LaLiga trophies. 

In an interview with France Football, Mbappe, who has previously backed Benzema to win the award, acknowledged he was desperate to be named the world's best.

"I've always wanted to do it early, without limiting my dreams. I want to win it and I don't mind admitting it," he said.

"I am convinced that lifting the first one is the most complicated. Once you have officially entered that select group, it will be easier to revalidate it.

"It is a big lie that a footballer is not interested in the Ballon d'Or. It is hypocritical to say that. 

"We all think about that. We talk about a team, and a collective, because in some way it serves to camouflage our ambition, but it is honest to admit that we care. 

"For two years I have been a more real candidate for the award. Before, I was content to be in the top 10. Now, on the other hand, I am among the four or five most regular.

"We don't talk about the Ballon d'Or in January, but we make comments when the lists appear. Later, as the ceremony draws near, it's obviously a topic of conversation in the group. We make our bets, we debate our opinions."

Asked for his own top three, the striker said: "I think Benzema, Mane and me."

Mbappe's first Ballon d'Or nomination came in 2017, when then-Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat Lionel Messi and Neymar to the award.

And the 23-year-old said being among the hopefuls early on in his career gave him confidence that he would make it at an elite level.

"Frankly, it was an honour," he recalled. "I was barely of legal age and I was already associated with those great names. It may seem trivial, but it was something important. A real step forward in my career. 

"Somehow it was a message that served to say that I was among the best. I accredited myself as an elite footballer in the eyes of the world, and it was significant to belong to that list at only 18 years old."

Meanwhile, the headline omission from 2022's list of nominees is seven-time winner and current holder Lionel Messi, who last failed to be nominated in 2005 – when Ronaldinho edged out Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in the voting.

As Mbappe recalled his PSG team-mate's victory last year, he said the Argentina star's nervousness on the eve of the gala demonstrated that his desire to be the best remains strong.

"The morning of the last gala he was nervous because a few hours later he was going to collect a seventh Ballon d'Or. Maybe he was thinking about what he was going to say, how he was going to lift the trophy," Mbappe said.

"I told him it is not possible to be restless after having been there six other times. I would have gone with a cigarette in my mouth! 

"But that shows that he retains the soul of a child and that he is still excited to choose to be the best. He has not tired."

Jose Mourinho is surprised Roma are being talked up as Serie A title contenders given "only Sampdoria and Lecce spent less than us".

The Giallorossi finished sixth last season and won the inaugural Europa Conference League in May.

Roma pulled off a huge coup by signing Paulo Dybala on a free transfer and have since brought in Georginio Wijnaldum on a season-long loan deal.

Mile Svilar and Zeki Celik have also joined the Eternal City giants, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan the most-high profile player to depart – joining Inter as a free agent – and Jordan Veretout also moving on to Marseille.

A 1-0 friendly victory over Tottenham and a 5-0 rout of Shakhtar Donetsk have increased the hype ahead of Roma's first Serie A match of the season at Salernitana on Sunday, but Mourinho is playing down expectations.

The Roma head coach told reporters on Saturday: "There are teams that have an economic potential that is not comparable, I'm not saying the distance between Earth and Mars, but there are people who spend €100-150million per season. 

"We go play and do the best we can. In the championship we finished in sixth place, our squad improved, we lost Mkhitaryan and Veretout, but we took on players with whom we improved, but other clubs also did. 

"For this reason, during this period where I didn't need to talk to journalists, it amazes me when it comes to us in one way, but not about the others. Roma can be a candidate for the Scudetto if they have won 18 titles. 

"Only Sampdoria and Lecce spent less than us. Milan and Inter finished with 25 and 23 points ahead of us and improved. There is a lot of noise around us for an interesting match against Tottenham and Shakhtar. 

"We talk about us, while there is silence around other teams. Lazio spent €39 million, are they candidates for the Scudetto?"

The Qatar World Cup is not a tournament "for fans", says Germany coach Hansi Flick, who believes "football should be there for everyone".

The latest staging of the flagship tournament has been the source of much controversy since it was awarded to Qatar in 2010.

The nation's stance towards women and the LGBTQ+ community was widely pointed to as a problem from the outset, while the deaths of thousands of migrant workers have been reported during preparation for the finals.

Given Qatar's limited accommodation facilities and the move to the middle of the European club season, the competition has presented issues for both fans and players, even beyond those moral debates.

And Flick had supporters in mind as he added his voice to those criticising the 2022 World Cup.

"Basically, I think it is a shame that this tournament will not be a World Cup for fans," he told the Frankfurter Rundschau.

"[I have friends] who would like to fly to Qatar, but choose not to for a variety of reasons. Football should be there for everyone. That is why I say it is not a World Cup for fans."

But Flick recognised making a direct political statement of protest was "a challenge for everyone involved", adding: "We have already had many discussions.

"We will sit down again in September and consider what we can do together with other nations – or want to do."

Flick will lead Germany into a major tournament for the first time after succeeding Joachim Low after a last-16 exit to England at Euro 2020.

They will face Japan, Spain and Costa Rica in Group E, with their first game to be played against the Samurai Blue on November 23.

Carlo Ancelotti hopes Marco Asensio and Dani Ceballos stay at Real Madrid but says Los Blancos will "adapt" if they decide to move on.

Winger Asensio and midfielder Ceballos are in the final year of their contracts with the European and LaLiga champions.

Asensio has been linked with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, while Ceballos is reportedly a target for his former club Real Betis.

Madrid boss Ancelotti knows there are no guarantees the duo will still be at the Santiago Bernabeu when the transfer window closes on September 1.

The Italian told reporters on Saturday: "They are here and working fine. Each one can comment on their future, but I focus on the squad I have with both.

"Until the 31st, it is like that. If something changes in their heads, we will adapt."

The champions start the defence of their LaLiga title at Almeria on Sunday, and Ancelotti is as hungry as ever for more trophies after a magnificent 2021-22 season.

"I have always said that I am passionate about this game," he said. "I'm working for the best club in the world, and that's where the motivation comes from.

"I wake up in the morning, I enjoy my day, and I'm enjoying my life here at Real Madrid. I know it won't be forever, but there's still a hunger, and I'm delighted to be the manager of Real Madrid."

Madrid face a hectic schedule ahead of the World Cup, but Ancelotti expects the bigger challenges to come after the tournament in Qatar.

He said: "Until the World Cup, we won't have many problems. The players will want to go in good condition, and they will prepare well, enjoying the games beforehand. 

"The big question we have is after the World Cup: how the players will return? After the World Cup, they usually go on vacation, and this year, they will return to enter the important moment of the season. 

"You have to assess fatigue, think about giving rest... These are things that we doubt today."

Kylian Mbappe suggests Karim Benzema would have to "stop thinking about the Ballon d'Or forever" if he did not win the top individual award this year.

Benzema is the favourite among the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees announced by France Football on Friday.

The announcement marked the end of an era, with last year's winner Lionel Messi absent from the shortlist for the first time since 2005.

Mbappe is at the forefront of the next generation of contenders, and he told France Football he would put himself on the 2022 podium alongside Benzema and Sadio Mane.

But the forward's France team-mate Benzema is clearly a deserving winner, having inspired Real Madrid to LaLiga and Champions League glory.

Indeed, Mbappe feels Benzema will never take home the Ballon d'Or if this is not his year.

"Of course. He is 34 years old, has just made the season of his life, wins another Champions League by often being decisive," the Paris Saint-Germain striker told France Football.

"Instead of Karim, if I don't win there [in that position], I stop thinking about the Ballon d'Or forever."

It has been a fine week for Benzema, who surpassed Raul as Madrid's outright second-highest goalscorer in a midweek Super Cup win over Eintracht Frankfurt, while he was shortlisted for the UEFA Men's Player of the Year award ahead of his Ballon d'Or nomination.

But prior to the match in Helsinki, Benzema said: "I'm not like that in terms of whether I'm the best or not. I always give my all for this club, the best club in the world.

"I have to give more and more every year. It's true I had a very good season, but other people can comment on if I'm the best in the world. I'm focused on helping my team in matches, that's all I can say.

"I'm not thinking about [the Ballon d'Or]; there's trophies to win every year, that's very important. I always stress the importance of success for the team that leads to individual success."

After Madrid's victory, Los Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti said there was "no doubt" that Benzema was the world's best player.