Neymar has hit back at Thomas Meunier after his former team-mate suggested the Brazil international has "lost his magic" at Paris Saint-Germain.

Meunier, who spent three seasons with Neymar at PSG prior to joining Borussia Dortmund in 2020, made his comment in an interview with German outlet Kicker this week.

"I have to admit that I was a big fan of Neymar when he was still playing at Barcelona," Meunier said. "In Paris, however, he lost his magic, from my point of view."

Neymar is approaching his five-year anniversary at PSG and remains the world's most expensive player following his €222million switch from Barcelona in August 2017.

The 30-year-old has made 144 appearances for the Parisians and won 11 trophies, though tellingly he has yet to lift the Champions League with the Ligue 1 giants.

And the former Barcelona star has not taken kindly to Meunier's criticism, which he responded to on social media on Tuesday.

Commenting on a post showing Meunier's remark on Instagram, Neymar responded "this boy talks too much", accompanied by a laughing emoji.

Neymar has scored exactly 100 goals for PSG in all competitions, which is 71 fewer than team-mate Kylian Mbappe has managed in the same number of seasons.

The Santos youth product scored 19 league goals in his maiden campaign with the Parisians but has since failed to manage more than 15 in any of the four seasons since.

Bordeaux have been cleared to remain in Ligue 2 just three days before they are due to start the season.

The club were facing the prospect of dropping into the third tier of French football due to financial irregularities.

Les Girondins were relegated after finishing bottom of Ligue 1 last season and were last month told they would be in the Championnat National for the 2022-23 campaign following a DNCG (National Directorate of Management Control) investigation of their finances.

The six-time champions of France, who reportedly have debts close to €40million, immediately announced their intention to appeal, but the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed their sanctions will stand this month.

There was good news for Bordeaux on Wednesday, though, when they discovered they will not face a further demotion after demonstrating the "current and future financial robustness" of the club.

A statement on the club's official website said: "Today, the executive committee of the French Football Federation (FFF) held a special meeting to approve the recommendations of the National Olympic and Sporting Committee (CNOSF) issued on 25 July, thus definitively confirming that FC Girondins de Bordeaux will be able to play in Ligue 2 this season.

"Following the lead of the Commercial Court and the CNOSF, the FFF has now formally acknowledged the current and future financial robustness of our club, and the fact that we are more than adequately prepared to play in Ligue 2 this season, in full compliance with the relevant sporting regulations."

Bordeaux are scheduled to face Valenciennes in their first game of the Ligue 2 on Saturday, but it remains to be seen if the fixture will go ahead.

Sebastien Haller is expected to be out of action for "a few months" after undergoing the first stage of treatment for a testicular tumour, Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl has announced.

The 28-year-old striker left Dortmund's pre-season training camp in Austria last week after complaining of feeling unwell, with subsequent tests discovering the tumour.

Haller, who joined the German club from Ajax earlier this month in a club-record deal reported to be worth €36million, confirmed on social media that the first stage of his treatment had been successful.

Providing another update on Wednesday, Dortmund chief Kehl said further treatment plans are still being discussed and no exact return date had yet been fixed for the Ivory Coast international.

"Sebastien was operated on last week. We asked for patience at the time," Kehl said at a news conference. "The therapy is currently being discussed. There are various options.

"Sebastien will be out for a few months, but once we can be more precise about that we will communicate it."

Haller excelled in the Netherlands with Ajax during a prolific 18-month spell that included 11 goals in just eight Champions League appearances in the 2021-22 season.

That included a four-goal haul in Ajax's first group-stage match against Sporting CP, as well as goals in both of their fixtures against Dortmund.

All in all, he scored in all but one of Ajax's Champions League matches – the exception being a 1-0 defeat to Besiktas in the second leg of the last 16.

Haller's layoff is a major blow to Dortmund's hopes of challenging 10-in-a-row champions Bayern Munich for the Bundesliga title this term, but they have been tipped to bring in another striker before the season begins.

"We are working on options and ideas, but there is nothing specific at the moment," Kehl said. "He will be out for two months and we have a tough schedule until November, but our squad offers options."

An Atletico Madrid fan group has called for the club to rule out signing Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he represents "the antithesis" of the team's values.

The Manchester United forward returned to training on Tuesday, having missed the pre-season tour of Asia and Australia, and is reportedly pushing to leave due to his desire to continue playing in the Champions League.

Suitors for Ronaldo's services have not been forthcoming, however, although Atletico have been linked with bringing the former Real Madrid superstar back to the Spanish capital.

Fans have made it clear they are not keen on the idea though, with Atletico's International Union of Fan Clubs (Union Internacional de Peñas Atletico de Madrid) issuing a statement on the matter.

"In light of the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, if it is more than a simple rumour without any basis, we express our absolute rejection of his hypothetical joining of our club," the statement read.

"The aforementioned player represents the antithesis of the values that constitute the hallmarks of our Atleti, such as the effort, generosity, modesty and humility of those who want to defend our values.

"Even in the highly unlikely hypothetical case that a player in steep decline such as Cristiano Ronaldo could guarantee us a trophy, we wouldn't accept his signing.

"The sense of being a part of our Atletico feeling isn't within his reach, unfortunately for him, and as such he could never receive our affection or recognition.

"As such, we ask the club to reject his possible signing, if it has indeed been considered at any time."

The fans will likely have been pleased to have heard Atletico president Enrique Cerezo declare a move for Ronaldo was "practically impossible" on Tuesday.

Fulham have confirmed the signing of Wolfsburg and Switzerland right-back Kevin Mbabu ahead of their return to the Premier League.

Reports suggest Fulham will pay £4.6million (€5.5m) plus add-ons for the 27-year-old, who made 24 Bundesliga appearances last season.

Marco Silva's newly promoted side have been active in the transfer market ahead of their season opener against Liverpool on August 6, acquiring Sporting CP's Joao Palhinha, Manchester United's Andreas Pereira and Shakhtar Donetsk winger Manor Solomon.

No German top-flight team bettered Wolfsburg's tally of 11 clean sheets last term (Bayern Munich also kept 11), although only six teams in the division conceded more than the 54 goals shipped by Die Wolfe.

After signing a three-year deal with the option of a further 12 months at Craven Cottage, Mbabu told Fulham's website: "I'm happy to be here as a Fulham Football Club player. It's a relief and now I can focus on my goals and the club's goals, and help the team to be successful.

"The first step is to stay in the Premier League, stay stable in the league, and then why not aim for the top 10?"

Mbabu has 22 caps for Switzerland and will hope to feature when they take on Cameroon, Brazil and Serbia in the World Cup group stages in Qatar later this year.

Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn has admitted the Bundesliga champions "discussed" the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portugal international is widely reported to be pushing for an exit from Manchester United just one year after re-joining the club from Juventus due to his desire to continue playing in the Champions League, where he is the competitions all-time leading scorer.

Suitors for Ronaldo's services are not forthcoming, however, with Atletico Madrid stating a move was "practically impossible" despite being linked to his services – and Bayern have now also ruled out a transfer.

While the German giants have a spot in their attack to fill following Robert Lewandowski's move to Barcelona, Ronaldo is not the man they're after with Kahn saying he "doesn't fit" the club's ethos.

"We discussed this topic. otherwise we wouldn't be doing our job properly," the former goalkeeper told BILD.

"Personally, I think Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest-ever footballers. 

"But we came to the conclusion that, despite the esteem that we hold him in, he wouldn't have fitted our philosophy at the moment."

Ronaldo returned to training with United on Tuesday having missed the club's pre-season tour of Asia and Australia due to family reasons and it's reported he will hold talks with the club regarding his future.

The veteran forward was a shining light for United in an otherwise disappointing campaign in the 2021-22 season, finishing as the club's highest Premier League scorer with 18 goals - with only Tottenham's Son Heung-Min and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah netting more (both 23).

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez in a reported €57million (£48m) deal.

An agreement on the fee was reached between the clubs on July 17, and the player has now signed a five-year-deal, with the option of a further year.

The 24-year-old follows former coach Erik ten Hag to Old Trafford in a move that is thought could potentially rise to €67m (£56.5m) with add-ons.

Martinez's arrival marks the latest building block of the Dutchman's restructuring of the English giants, who posted a worst-ever points total in the Premier League era last term (58).

They also conceded the most goals they ever have in a Premier League campaign (57), something Ten Hag will hope the Argentina international can help improve.

Speaking to the club's official website following the announcement, Martinez said: "It's an honour to join this great football club. I've worked so hard to get to this moment and, now that I'm here, I'm going to push myself even further.

"I've been lucky enough to be part of successful teams in my career and that's what I want to continue at Manchester United. There will be a lot of work to get to that moment, but I firmly believe that, under this manager and coaches, and together with my new team-mates, we can do it.

"I want to thank Ajax and their fans for all the support they gave me. I had an unbelievable time there but feel the moment is right to test myself in another environment. Now I am at the perfect club to do this."

Martinez follows Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen through the door at Old Trafford, while Ten Hag has also held crunch talks with wantaway forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

Napoli have announced the signing of central defender Kim Min-jae from Fenerbahce, shelling out a reported €19.5million for the South Korea international in a bid to replace Kalidou Koulibaly.

Luciano Spalletti's team finished third in Serie A after threatening a first Scudetto win since the Diego Maradona era last term, conceding the joint-fewest goals in the division (31, alongside Milan).

But the Partenopei have been in the market for reinforcements since they lost defensive colossus Koulibaly to Chelsea in a €40m deal earlier this month.

Kim, who has 42 caps for his country and will hope to feature when they open their World Cup campaign against Uruguay on November 24, is the man Napoli have signed to fill that void after he enjoyed an impressive one-season spell in Turkey.

Having contributed to Fenerbahce conceding just 38 league goals last term, the towering 25-year-old has penned a three-year deal with the option of two further seasons in Italy.

Reports also suggest Kim will have a release clause of €45million.

Napoli begin their 2022-23 Serie A campaign at Verona on August 15 but have endured a troubled off-season, losing both Koulibaly and Lorenzo Insigne during the transfer window, while president Aurelio De Laurentiis confirmed on Saturday that club legend Dries Mertens is also departing.

Milan defender Fikayo Tomori has dismissed suggestions Inter and Juventus are favourites to take the Rossoneri's Serie A crown next season, declaring: "They also said it last year."

However, the England international acknowledged Inter's loan signing of Romelu Lukaku – who he described as "special" – represents a major coup for Milan's cross-city rivals.

Tomori enjoyed a stellar campaign as Stefano Pioli's men ended an 11-year wait to win the Scudetto last season, contributing to 13 clean sheets in 31 Serie A appearances. 

Meanwhile, the former Chelsea defender topped the Rossoneri charts for blocks (23), interceptions (45), clearances (77) and tackles (73) in his first campaign since making a permanent move to San Siro last June. 

No team conceded fewer Serie A goals (31) or recorded more wins (26) than Milan last term, but Inter's signing of Lukaku and Juventus' moves for Paul Pogba and Angel Di Maria have seen the Derby d'Italia rivals touted as title favourites for 2022-23.

Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, however, Tomori suggested it would be unwise to write off Milan, smiling: "Are they the favourites? They also said it last year and then we won.

"When I arrived in Milan I knew the team was strong and we could win the Scudetto. 

"I knew it was a special club, especially in the Champions League. We are excited and we are still hungry to win."

Lukaku's return to Inter, for whom he scored 24 Serie A goals during a 2020-21 Scudetto triumph under Antonio Conte, represents a significant coup for Milan's rivals.

And Tomori labelled the striker "a special player" as he revealed his high hopes for another Belgian attacker, new Milan arrival Divock Origi.

"The first time I faced him in the derby was my debut in Milan," Tomori said of Lukaku. "I am not afraid but I respect him, he is strong and will be like this again this year. Romelu is a special player.

"Origi is strong and fast, a good sign, I played against him last year [in the Champions League]."

Despite enjoying a dream campaign during his first full season at San Siro, Tomori is still targeting individual improvements, and has no shortage of defensive role models to look up to in Milan.

"I saw [Alessandro] Nesta, [Jaap] Stam, Cafu, all very strong. But the one I liked the most is Paolo Maldini, also because he is back here while we do the interview!" The defender continued.

"[Franco] Baresi is not as tall as me, but he had leadership, and then the position of the body, the voice on the pitch... the same thing for Maldini and Nesta. 

"Personality on the pitch, ability to read the different moments of the match… I want to show these characteristics too."

Milan begin their title defence at home to Udinese on August 13.

Dusan Vlahovic has targeted scoring 30 goals and leading Juventus to the Serie A title in his first full season in Turin, as he bids to become the first player to win the Capocannoniere (top scorer award) and the Scudetto in the same campaign since 2008-09.

Not since Zlatan Ibrahimovic top-scored with 25 league goals for Jose Mourinho's Inter 13 years ago has Serie A's top scorer played for the title winners, leading Massimiliano Allegri to joke recently he hopes Vlahovic does not win the award next term. 

Vlahovic scored 24 Serie A goals last season – seven after leaving Fiorentina for Juventus in January, a tally only bettered by Lazio's Ciro Immobile (27). 

Since making his Serie A debut in September 2018, Vlahovic has hit 51 goals in just 113 appearances in the competition.

With Juve having finished fourth in successive league campaigns, Vlahovic hopes his goals can drive them to silverware in the 2022-23 season.

"I have read that in the last 10 to 12 years the top scorer has never won the Scudetto, but there is always a first time, right?" the Serbian told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"Team goals come before personal ones, it's more important for Juve to win, but if I score 30 goals and we become Italian champions, for me that's fine.

"It's the only gift I want. Everything else passes, only the successes remain.

"In Serbia, Italian football was followed a lot, we push beyond our limits to get victories.

"I grew up with the aim of becoming a winner and I will do everything to make it into Juve's history, given the players who have been here." 

Vlahovic was linked with several of Europe's biggest clubs, including a host of Premier League outfits, before he opted to follow in the footsteps of Roberto Baggio, Juan Cuadrado and Federico Chiesa in swapping Florence for Turin.

While his move to La Viola's rivals was controversial, Vlahovic says Juve's winning mentality made it an easy decision to make.

"It wasn't a difficult choice because Juve is a glorious club, very close to my way of working: fighting, never giving up until the end, believing even when it seems that all is lost is my philosophy and that of the club too," he added.

"We all know what Juve represent in Italy. For me, it is a pleasure and an honour to defend these colours."

Juventus will begin their Serie A campaign at home to Sassuolo on August 15 after wrapping up pre-season with matches against Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri hailed Angel Di Maria as "extraordinary" after the new arrival impressed in the Bianconeri's 2-2 friendly draw with Barcelona.

Allegri also warned the Blaugrana are "back" and ready to compete for silverware after rebuilding their side during a busy transfer window under Xavi.

A brace each for Ousmane Dembele and Moise Kean saw Barca and Juve share an entertaining draw in Dallas, with Di Maria impressing, particularly in the first half.

After the match, Allegri said the Argentine – who won five Ligue 1 titles during a seven-year spell with Paris Saint-Germain before heading to Turin on a free transfer earlier this month – was a top signing for Juve.

"Di Maria is an extraordinary player. He is a champion, and it is a pleasure to see him play," Allegri said. 

"For us, it was a great acquisition."

Juventus were subjected to a tough test against Barcelona, who handed starts to new signings Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen, as Xavi's team recorded 20 attempts and enjoyed 58 per cent of the possession in Texas.

And Allegri was pleased with how his side coped against elite opposition as he warned Barcelona will be back in contention for major honours after their recent spending spree.

"Tonight we had a good match against an important team," Allegri added.

"Without a doubt we could have done better on the two goals we conceded, but we had many scoring chances, I'm happy with how it went. We are working very well and tonight was a good test. 

"Attention, Barcelona are back... they have built an important team to return to win. This draw is worth a lot."

Juventus wrap up their tour of the United States against Real Madrid in Los Angeles on Sunday, before travelling to Israel to face Atletico Madrid in their final outing of pre-season.

Barcelona have confirmed former player Javier Saviola will return to the club as the new assistant manager of their under-19 side.

The Argentine spent a six-year spell at Camp Nou - albeit with two terms on loan at Monaco and Sevilla - between 2001 and 2007, before moving to Real Madrid, where he became a LaLiga winner.

It is with the Blaugrana he is most fondly associated, however, and he follows another former Barca star, Rafael Marquez, through the door to join their coaching roster.

Saviola will be assistant to former team-mate Oscar Gomez at the helm of the Juvenil as they seek a fourth consecutive Division de Honor Group 3 title this term.

During his playing days, the forward - the then-youngest player named in Pele's legendary FIFA 100 list - started out at River Plate, where he also finished his career in 2015 as a member of their Copa Libertadores-winning squad.

He played 39 times for Argentina and was a member of Marcelo Bielsa's squad when they won Olympic gold in Athens in 2004.

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti says Eden Hazard is a "great player" who the Spanish champions need after netting in Tuesday's 2-2 friendly draw with Club America.

Hazard has struggled for impact at Madrid since his switch from Chelsea in 2019 amid a string of injuries, making only 66 appearances and scoring six goals across three seasons.

The 31-year-old Belgian midfielder is fit again and vowed earlier this week to show his best with Los Blancos this season.

Hazard was on the scoresheet from the penalty spot against the Mexican side in San Francisco, with Ancelotti hoping to set him up for a big campaign.

"We need these games to try to give Hazard minutes because Hazard is a great player that we need," Ancelotti told reporters.

"So I use these games to give him minutes. He improved his game compared to the first game."

Los Blancos have one more game in their US tour against Juventus in Pasadena on Saturday prior to the new LaLiga campaign commencing on August 14.

Ancelotti continues to learn about his squad during pre-season, in particular new additions Antonio Rudiger and Aurelien Tchouameni.

On Tchouameni, the Italian said: "He's a different six than Casemiro, who stays more in his position. Tchouameni has the ability and quality to play more in attack. He has also improved on the ball."

Karim Benzema was Madrid's other scorer, equalising for 1-1 with an excellent low strike from outside the box in the 22nd minute.

Benzema, who scored 44 goals in all club competitions last term, had not played any competitive games since May, enjoying a longer break with the World Cup later this year in mind.

"Benzema is in good shape, even if he hasn't done a lot of training sessions," Ancelotti said.

"It's clear that he still needs to improve his physical form. But we are on schedule, working a lot.

"After the game against Juventus we will reduce the pressure a bit to be in good shape for the Super Cup."

The tense Frenkie de Jong transfer saga continues with uncertainty on his Barcelona future.

The 25-year-old Dutchman has two years to run on his Barcelona contract, having postponed part of his deal during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

De Jong is unwilling to accept another pay cut to remain at Camp Nou, though, amid the club's hefty off-season transfer spending.

TOP STORY – DE JONG DECISION OVER ENGLISH SUITORS

Decisions will be made on Frenkie de Jong's future at Barcelona after their United States tour, with interest from Chelsea alongside Manchester United, reports Sport.

De Jong is reluctant to leave Camp Nou, particularly for a move to Old Trafford, despite ending last season out of favour.

However, the Dutchman is more open to Chelsea's advances, but the Blues are unwilling to pay as much as United, leaving the Blaugrana in a bind.

ROUND-UP

– Leicester City have placed a £70million asking price on Wesley Fofana, who is being courted by Chelsea, reports CBS Sports.

– Newcastle United are considering a move for Chelsea's Germany international forward Timo Werner, claims Bild. Juventus are also interested in Werner according to Sky Sports.

– Fabrizio Romano reports that ex-Chelsea midfielder Oscar is pushing for a move from Shanghai SIPG to Flamengo, with talks ongoing.

– L'Equipe believes that Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has agreed to a deal with Ligue 1 club Nice, although Leicester City are yet to approve the move.

– Arsenal and Fulham are in talks over an £8m deal for goalkeeper Bernd Leno, claims Sky Sports.

– Roma head coach Jose Mourinho is trying to woo Manchester United defender Eric Bailly to the Italian capital, reports The Daily Mail.

Xavi has shown faith in the "different" Ousmane Dembele and Miralem Pjanic to play important roles for his sides, following Barcelona's 2-2 draw with Juventus on Tuesday.

Pjanic made a strong first appearance for the pre-season while Dembele scored a poised brace and performed well despite the result, reflecting the confidence shown in him since Xavi took over as Barcelona's head coach last November.

The 25-year-old's first of the night was a particularly impressive solo action, showing his trademark dexterity on a mazy dribble, wriggling his way past three Juve defenders before finishing from an acute angle.

The Barca boss demanded more consistency from the France international post-match, but is buoyed by both his talent and new-found enthusiasm after extending his contract.

"He has shown what he is capable of, making a difference from the right wing with one-on-two actions," Xavi said afterwards. "He is a different player, special and he gives us a lot.

"He has to make a difference, be more consistent, score more goals. I don't know Dembele from before but since I've arrived, I see him happy and he always tells me that he's involved in the project. I see him like that since November, that's why I insisted so much on to stay."

The 42-year-old also saved special mention for another polarising figure among Barcelona fans, Miralem Pjanic, who made his first appearance for the club upon returning from a loan spell at Besiktas.

When asked about the midfielder's performance, the similarly cerebral Xavi was effusive in his assessment.

"I liked it a lot," Xavi said. "He gives us a lot with the ball, he found the interiors very well. He has an exclusive vision of football in general, because there aren't many who see the game like that with their first touch.

"He always looks forward, looks very well for the pass to nine. He has played a great game."