Harry Kane is in Germany to seal his move to Bayern Munich in a deal that could rise to £120million.

Tottenham’s record goalscorer landed in Munich on Friday night for a medical ahead of his transfer to the Bundesliga giants.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou had revealed earlier in the day that the move was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night.

It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m, the PA news agency understands.

Reports on Friday morning initially suggested Spurs had refused to give Kane permission to travel to Germany, but they were squashed by Tottenham and hours later he set off for Munich via a private jet from London Stansted airport.

Postecoglou, speaking before Spurs’ trip to Brentford on Sunday, said: “Fair to say I don’t have a blow-by-blow account, but my understanding is it has progressed to the point where it looks like it will happen.

“From that perspective, at least it gives us some clarity and we move forward without Harry.

“From my perspective it is just about understanding where we are at and the information I have at the moment is the deal is imminent but, like with all these things, you leave yourself some leeway.

“But moving forward and training today preparing for Brentford, we are doing it without Harry.

“It is best Harry speaks for himself in terms of the decision, but no doubt he is one of the greats of this football club and that never changes.

“I am only new in the building, but (it is) fairly evident Harry Kane will always be one of the greats for this football club.”

It remains to be seen whether the deal will be done in time for Kane to play any part in Bayern’s DFB Super Cup match with RB Leipzig on Saturday night.

However, with the clash taking place at Bayern’s Allianz Arena home, the England captain could well be unveiled to supporters before kick-off.

Bayern saw bids for Kane, who is in the last 12 months of his contract at Spurs, reportedly turned down in June and July but they made their intentions clear, with honorary president Uli Hoeness and president Herbert Hainer speaking openly in the media about the player’s desire to join the Bundesliga champions.

A third bid was submitted last Friday and Spurs spent all weekend deliberating before chairman Daniel Levy rejected the offer on Monday.

With noises coming out that Kane, who scored four goals in a friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday, had enjoyed working with Postecoglou, confidence started to grow that he could spend the season with his boyhood team.

But Bayern’s latest bid proved enough for an agreement to be reached and, after taking his time to weigh up the decision, Kane decided to end his 19-year stay at Spurs.

It means his pursuit of Alan Shearer’s Premier League scoring record will be put on hold, with the Tottenham forward still 47 goals off equalling Shearer’s tally of 260.

However, the move will almost guarantee him the first major trophies of his career, as well as giving him a shot at Champions League glory.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel has been a long-term admirer of Kane but was coy when asked about the forward ahead of Saturday’s match with Leipzig.

Tuchel told a press conference: “We are working with full pressure on this deal.

“I understand there are a lot of ifs and whens. All options are open. The first is to have him as a player and at the moment he is not yet that.

“This is a big deal. We are trying to take the England captain away from the Premier League.”

Pep Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be out for “a few weeks” after being forced out of Manchester City’s opening-day win at Burnley.

City launched their defence of the Premier League title by cruising to a 3-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley as Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half before Rodri slammed home a third midway through the second.

Victory over former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley was tainted by De Bruyne’s 23rd-minute withdrawal, with Guardiola revealing his talisman had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season.

Guardiola said: “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but will be a few weeks out.”

De Bruyne returned from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June but lasted only 36 minutes.

Asked if the Belgium midfielder had returned too soon to start against Burnley, Guardiola said: “Maybe. Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong, when it is 65 it is the fatigue of the muscle.

“We have to talk with the doctors and him. He was one year a long time injured, he came back from that position.

“He is down. He fought a lot. The final of the Champions League. He felt really good. I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes. He is disappointed, but he is strong and will be back.”

Guardiola appeared to be involved in a furious bust-up with Haaland as the players left the pitch at half-time and the Spaniard explained why both were so animated.

He added: “We discuss a lot. Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo (Silva) don’t give it, it was one minute left and 0-2.

“A minute earlier (the ball went) to Mateo Kovacic and we lost it. We have to finish at 0-2 and go to the second. I understand Erling, he wanted the ball, but Bernardo took the right decision.”

Kompany, who won four Premier League titles at City, steered Burnley to the Sky Bet Championship title in his first season in charge and handed five summer signings their debuts.

The Belgian said his new-look side will only get better and there were positives to take from their performance.

He said: “It is progress again. This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time.

“You want to get a result, that is a given, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.”

Second-half substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in the closing stages after his yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker was changed to a red after referee Craig Pawson watched a replay on the pitch-side moniter.

Kompany added: “The crowd has always been behind us. I wish we could’ve turned the momentum again in the last 20 minutes and created some more danger, but with the red card the game kind of settled.

“We had enough today to get something. I am not saying a result, but to get on the score sheet.”

Pep Guardiola confirmed Kevin De Bruyne will be out for “a few weeks” after being forced out of Manchester City’s opening-day win at Burnley.

City launched their defence of the Premier League title by cruising to a 3-0 win at newly-promoted Burnley as Erling Haaland struck twice in the first half before Rodri slammed home a third midway through the second.

Victory over former City captain Vincent Kompany’s Burnley was tainted by De Bruyne’s 23rd-minute withdrawal, with Guardiola revealing his talisman had injured the same hamstring that had kept him out at the end of last season.

Guardiola said: “Hamstring again. Same position. It depends on the magnitude of the injury, but will be a few weeks out.”

De Bruyne returned from a similar problem in time to start in the Champions League final in June but lasted only 36 minutes.

Asked if the Belgium midfielder had returned too soon to start against Burnley, Guardiola said: “Maybe. Maybe it was my mistake, but when he is injured after 15-20 minutes it is not something wrong, when it is 65 it is the fatigue of the muscle.

“We have to talk with the doctors and him. He was one year a long time injured, he came back from that position.

“He is down. He fought a lot. The final of the Champions League. He felt really good. I prefer to start and make 50-55 minutes. He is disappointed, but he is strong and will be back.”

Guardiola appeared to be involved in a furious bust-up with Haaland as the players left the pitch at half-time and the Spaniard explained why both were so animated.

He added: “We discuss a lot. Erling wanted the ball immediately and Bernardo (Silva) don’t give it, it was one minute left and 0-2.

“A minute earlier (the ball went) to Mateo Kovacic and we lost it. We have to finish at 0-2 and go to the second. I understand Erling, he wanted the ball, but Bernardo took the right decision.”

Kompany, who won four Premier League titles at City, steered Burnley to the Sky Bet Championship title in his first season in charge and handed five summer signings their debuts.

The Belgian said his new-look side will only get better and there were positives to take from their performance.

He said: “It is progress again. This team has to be the worst it is ever going to be this season, at this moment in time.

“You want to get a result, that is a given, but there are other things which create a foundation for the season – tackling, pressing, running at defenders one-on-one.”

Second-half substitute Anass Zaroury was sent off in the closing stages after his yellow card for a challenge on Kyle Walker was changed to a red after referee Craig Pawson watched a replay on the pitch-side moniter.

Kompany added: “The crowd has always been behind us. I wish we could’ve turned the momentum again in the last 20 minutes and created some more danger, but with the red card the game kind of settled.

“We had enough today to get something. I am not saying a result, but to get on the score sheet.”

Mauricio Pochettino acknowledged it will not be for him to decide what constitutes success in his debut season as Chelsea manager ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Liverpool.

The Argentinian will be the fifth coach to lead the team in a Premier League match since Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium bought the club last May and is tasked with picking up the pieces of a disastrous campaign that saw Chelsea finish 12th last season.

As with Boehly’s first two transfer windows, there has been a significant turnover of players this summer, with 10 first-team players released or sold and a further six brought in.

That flux has been a feature of the American’s time at the helm, with a sweeping clearout of both playing staff and personnel behind the scenes during his first 12 months in control.

The previous manager appointed by the ownership, Graham Potter, was sacked just seven months and 31 games into a five-year contract, with the club insisting up until days before he was removed that his job was safe.

Pochettino pointed to the path taken by three of Chelsea’s Premier League rivals – Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool – all of whom had to wait for success to arrive under their current managers.

Since their appointments, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta have helped their respective clubs recover from states of relative uncertainty, but the Chelsea coach accepted it will ultimately not be up to him whether he is afforded the same window of time.

“I celebrate that these managers can be in place for a long period,” he said. “I was explaining my situation in Paris St Germain and how I knew that we weren’t going to be there the next season (after losing to Real Madrid in 2021), because it was all about winning the Champions League.

“It was difficult, because it was a different pressure. We knew about that. I’m not going to complain. We need to work and then it’s not my decision if Chelsea want to be in a similar situation like Liverpool or Arsenal or Manchester City.

“I need to work, we need to give our best. Then if the owner is happy with us, then everyone is happy. But it’s not my decision.

“But I celebrate when I see coaches like Arteta, Klopp and Pep have a very good run, a nice process at the same club, even when they finish a cycle and they have the opportunity to restart the cycle.

“There’s no doubt they are fantastic coaches, it’s only that sometimes you need to renew the team. If they believe in you, fantastic.”

Pochettino was asked whether he agreed with the impression of Chelsea as a club in chaos that had been created by a tumultuous last year.

The team’s league finish was their worst since 1994, while their goal return was the lowest by a Chelsea side in almost a hundred years.

Eliminated from the FA Cup by Manchester City in the third round, they were soundly beaten over two legs by Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, an exit confounded by Boehly’s ill-judged declaration that the team would beat the then-European champions 3-0.

He was also criticised for entering the dressing room to address the players after defeats, most notably immediately after the loss to Brighton in April when he described the season as “embarrassing”.

“If that (chaos) is the impression people have on social media or the fans or people outside of Chelsea, then we need to change the impression,” said Pochettino. “My impression from the outside was that this is a club with the capacity to win.

“We talk about Chelsea and Manchester United in the last 10, 15 years. Winning the Premier League, the Champions League. That was my (view).

“But of course, (there has been) a difficult situation for the people here, for the fans, for the players, when there is a big change. They need time to settle here. People need time to settle in a big club like this.

“For me now it’s about work. We need to create a different vision and for people to trust the club again, to get the result and to try to play good football for the fans. We are selling entertainment.

“(The owners) didn’t say to me, ‘If you don’t win the Premier League, we will sack you’. What I want to achieve is everything. To fight for the three competitions we are going to play, the Premier League and the cups.

“We need to create this good environment for the players to perform in the best way and then I’m not going to spend energy thinking, ‘If we don’t achieve this…’.

“After many years working in different clubs, I’m more relaxed, more mature, more experienced. We’ve improved a lot. One of things we’ve improved in is to be more relaxed. It’s not to think too much when you cannot affect the decision of the people.”

Erling Haaland’s brilliant brace helped Manchester City kick off their quest for an unprecedented fourth straight top-flight title with victory at promoted Burnley.

Just two months on from winning the Champions League to become the second treble winners in English football history, Pep Guardiola’s men returned to competitive action with a bang at Turf Moor.

Star man Haaland’s excellent first-half double and a close-range Rodri effort did the damage as City ran out 3-0 winners in the Premier League curtain raiser at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley.

The 23-year-old frontman swept the visitors ahead 184 seconds into the new campaign and, with his side having lost skipper Kevin De Bruyne to injury, struck a stunning second off the underside of the bar.

That display was not enough to avoid being chided by Guardiola as the teams made their way off at half-time, with the City boss pushing away a TV camera as he berated the striker.

Rodri completed the scoring and Burnley substitute Anass Zaroury received a contentious late red card, with Community Shield runners-up City now turning their attention to Wednesday’s Super Cup clash against Sevilla.

Both sets of players took the knee before kick-off and initial boos were drowned out by cheers at Turf Moor, where the hosts were behind after just three minutes and four seconds.

De Bruyne took a short corner and, following a couple of passes, lifted a cross to the far post, where Rodri headed back across goal for Haaland to direct home impressively.

It was a gut punch that De Bruyne tried to add to from distance, but the champions of the Championship stuck to Kompany’s principles.

Burnley penalty appeals fell on deaf ears when Zeki Amdouni went down under pressure from Manuel Akanji before Luca Koleosho missed the target after fine, composed build-up.

Amdouni wriggled free to get a shot on Ederson’s goal as Burnley continued to threaten City, whose youngster Rico Lewis was hit by an object thrown from the stands.

The Lancashire club later confirmed the individual responsible had been identified and removed from the ground by police and now faces a banning order.

Lewis was all right to continue, but De Bruyne soon had to leave the field.

The skipper recently returned from a hamstring injury and, seemingly out of nothing, signalled to the bench that he had felt something, leading to Mateo Kovacic’s introduction.

Burnley quickly attempted to capitalise. Amdouni was stopped by Rodri before the midfielder saw a pass cut out and Lyle Foster bent narrowly wide.

But the hosts’ hopes of a comeback were short-lived as Haaland scored an incredible second in the 36th minute.

Kyle Walker raced down the right and cut back to Julian Alvarez, who laid off for the Norwegian sharpshooter to sweep a first-time strike in off the underside of the bar.

Haaland may have been on course for a hat-trick, but something had upset Guardiola, who pulled him back and scolded him before pushing the away a camera.

The striker remained on as the visitors began the second half on top, with James Trafford – signed from City in the summer – tipping over a Rodri effort from distance and then saving a header from the Champions League final matchwinner.

Alvarez fired off target after a show of strength by Haaland before City struck a third in the 75th minute as the match appeared to be petering out.

Burnley failed to effectively clear a crossed free-kick and Rodri lashed home from five yards after Nathan Ake was blocked out.

Alvarez saw a shot blocked before Josko Gvardiol came on for his City debut, with Haaland booed by the Burnley faithful when withdrawn as part of a triple City change.

Guardiola made a point of getting up to give Haaland a warm greeting after their earlier exchange.

Stewards reacted quickly as a fan attempted to get on the pitch towards the end of a night that had seen Burnley impress against mightily tough opposition.

Things got worse for the promoted Clarets.

Substitute Zaroury was sent off in stoppage time after his tackle on Walker was judged serious foul play after referee Craig Pawson watched the incident back on the VAR’s instruction.

Tottenham’s record goal-scorer Harry Kane has landed in Germany to complete his move to Bayern Munich in a deal that could rise to £120million.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed on Friday afternoon that Kane’s transfer to the Bundesliga champions was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night.

It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m, with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m, the PA news agency understands.

Reports on Friday morning initially suggested Spurs had refused to give Kane permission to travel to Germany, but they were squashed by Tottenham and hours later he set off for Munich via a private jet from London Stansted airport.

Kane landed at his soon-to-be new home city on Friday night to complete his medical ahead of a landmark move.

Postecoglou, speaking before Spurs’ trip to Brentford on Sunday, said: “Fair to say I don’t have a blow-by-blow account, but my understanding is it has progressed to the point where it looks like it will happen.

“From that perspective, at least it gives us some clarity and we move forward without Harry.

“From my perspective it is just about understanding where we are at and the information I have at the moment is the deal is imminent but, like with all these things, you leave yourself some leeway.

“But moving forward and training today preparing for Brentford, we are doing it without Harry.

“It is best Harry speaks for himself in terms of the decision, but no doubt he is one of the greats of this football club and that never changes.

“I am only new in the building, but (it is) fairly evident Harry Kane will always be one of the greats for this football club.”

Kane faces a race against time to officially sign early enough to feature in Bayern’s DFL-Super Cup match with RB Leipzig on Saturday night.

However, with the clash taking place at Bayern’s Allianz Arena home, England captain Kane could well be unveiled to supporters before kick-off, even if the paperwork is not completed in time.

This is not the first summer in which Kane’s future has dominated headlines after Manchester City had a failed pursuit in 2021.

Kane sat out the first match of that season – coincidentally against City – but Pep Guardiola’s side never got close to agreeing a fee with Tottenham for the forward.

With Kane now into the last 12 months of his contract at Spurs, speculation over his future this time always felt more significant.

Bayern saw bids reportedly turned down in June and July but made their intentions clear, with honorary president Uli Hoeness and president Herbert Hainer speaking openly in the media about Kane’s desire to join the Bundesliga champions.

A third bid was submitted last Friday and Spurs spent all weekend deliberating before chairman Daniel Levy rejected the offer on Monday.

With noises coming out that Kane, who scored four goals in a friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday, had enjoyed working with Postecoglou, confidence started to grow that he could spend the season with his boyhood team.

But Bayern’s latest bid proved enough for an agreement to be reached and, after Kane took his time to weigh up the decision, he decided it was the right time to end his 19-year stay at Spurs.

It means Kane’s pursuit of Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal-scoring record will be put on hold, with the Tottenham forward still 47 goals off equalling Shearer’s tally of 260.

He will leave N17 as the club’s leading marksman after he surpassed Jimmy Greaves’ 266-goal record in February with the winner against Manchester City.

Kane will also get the chance to fulfil his career-long ambition of winning trophies at Bayern, while remaining in the Champions League.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel has been a long-term admirer of Kane, but he was coy when asked about the forward ahead of Saturday’s match with Liepzig.

Tuchel told a press conference: “We are working with full pressure on this deal.

“I understand there are a lot of ifs and whens. All options are open. The first is to have him as a player and at the moment he is not yet that.

“This is a big deal. We are trying to take the England captain away from the Premier League.”

Fred is set to leave Manchester United after a deal worth up to 15million euros was struck with Fenerbahce.

The 30-year-old midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 and has made 213 appearances for the club.

Fred is now heading to Turkey to join Fenerbahce, who have agreed a deal in principle the PA news agency understands is worth an initial 10million euros (£8.6m), rising to a possible 15m euros (£12.9m).

The Brazil international, whose United contract was due to expire next summer, is flying out to Istanbul for a medical on Saturday.

A club statement read: “Manchester United can confirm an agreement in principle has been reached with Fenerbahce for the transfer of Fred.

“The Brazil international is set for a switch to the Turkish Super Lig, subject to a medical, agreeing personal terms and receiving international clearance to process the move.

“The 30-year-old leaves so many positive memories from his time at Old Trafford, where he has been a hugely popular individual, both as a person and as a player.

“Everybody at the club would like to wish the very best of luck to Fred for the future, as we await confirmation that the deal is completed.”

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.”

Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales is convinced eye-watering Saudi Arabian investment in domestic football will not derail their mission on Tyneside.

The Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, which owns an 80 per cent stake in the St James’ Park outfit, bought majority holdings in four of the nation’s biggest clubs – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad – in June, sparking a transfer flurry which has taken some of the game’s biggest names to the Saudi Pro League in return for vast pay packets.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and French counterpart Karim Benzema are among those to have headed for the Middle East, while the Magpies have themselves benefited – to raised eyebrows in some quarters – with Allan Saint-Maximin’s move to Al-Ahli, having unlocked a Financial Fair Play conundrum with what is understood to have been a £30million cash injection.

Asked to explain the difference between that and the more modest approach adopted on Tyneside, where the total transfer spend over the four windows since the new owners took charge currently amounts to around £350million, Eales said: “An investment was made and Financial Fair Play is the regulation, so within those parameters everybody knew what the guard rails are in terms of what you can spend and how you can spend it.

“Our job is to try to now grow Newcastle United to where we want it to be within the regulations which every club has to follow.”

While Newcastle’s spending has been huge in comparison to that under previous owner Mike Ashley, PIF’s investment in the club, which has prompted repeated accusations of sportswashing, has been relatively modest for a sovereign wealth fund worth in the region of £514billion.

However Eales, who admitted the success or otherwise of the Pro League could spark pressure for a change to spending regulations in Europe, insists the owners are not frustrated by their inability to throw money at the Premier League club as they have been able to do at home.

He said: “The reality is they came in and it has been incredible, fighting relegation to finishing 11th, then finishing fourth. We have very shrewd operators in our ownership group.

“We have got a great skill-set and set of people who have experience in various businesses. They understand it is a long-term plan not short-term.”

Summer swoops for Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento had bolstered Eddie Howe’s squad for a campaign in which the club will look to build upon last season’s top-four finish while at the same time renewing their acquaintance with the Champions League after a 20-year absence.

However, the arrivals of Barnes and Livramento were eased by Saint-Maximin’s departure amid questions over a PIF-backed club buying from another within the fund’s sporting portfolio.

However, sporting director Dan Ashworth, who confirmed there was no other formal bid for the Frenchman despite interest elsewhere, insisted the undisclosed fee represented the player’s market value.

Ashworth said: “We are absolutely convinced it is fair market value and without going into the actual price it was, there is plenty evidence of players of similar age, similar position, similar ability, similar CV that are moving for similar amounts outside the Saudi league.”

The trajectory since Amanda Staveley’s consortium took up the reins at St James’ in October 2021 has been inexorably upwards, and the plan is to continue that resurgence both on the pitch and off it, where £10million has been invested in the training ground and a feasibility study commissioned to look into ways in which the 52,000-capacity stadium could be expanded.

Commercial revenue and global supporter engagement are also major focuses for a club which has high hopes for sustained success.

Eales said: “We are trying to build the plane while we are flying it. We won’t always get everything right. For us, it’s about getting Newcastle United rightfully back to where it should be.”

Mauricio Pochettino conceded Chelsea may be forced back into the transfer market for attacking reinforcements following the injury to Christopher Nkunku.

The France international, signed in the summer from RB Leipzig, was one of the standout successes of the team’s pre-season tour of the United States with three goals in his five games, but sustained a meniscus injury to his knee against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago and is unlikely to play again before December.

The 25-year-old underwent surgery this week and has begun his rehabilitation but it is understood that the club expect a 16-week recovery period, rendering the need for added attacking options suddenly more urgent.

Chelsea registered their lowest goalscoring return in almost a hundred years last season with just 38 Premier League goals, and there had been optimism that in Nkunku and fellow new signing Nicolas Jackson a solution had been found.

It is understood there is no update on the future of out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku, who was pictured at Cobham in a Chelsea tracksuit this week despite having made clear his desire to return to Italy where he spent last season on loan at Inter.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having departed and Armando Broja recovering from injury, it leaves Jackson as the club’s only recognised striker available for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool.

“We feel sorry about (Nkunku) because he was doing well,” said Pochettino. “He was an important player for us, his quality is there, one of the best offensive players, can play in different positions.

“It’s a big issue for us. But now it’s about not thinking too much about the injuries, and being positive.

“We’re working on the market also because we’re going to miss one player like this, offensive. The club is working to try to find a solution, maybe short-term, maybe long-term, to add the right profile.”

Pochettino would not comment on Chelsea’s pursuit of Moises Caicedo, insisting on the need to be respectful of Brighton whilst the clubs remain locked in a standoff over their valuations of the player.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Friday that Liverpool have agreed a deal with Brighton for the midfielder, believed to be a British-record £111m, but Caicedo is understood to favour a move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s third and most recent offer was £80million, well short of what owner Tony Bloom believes the player to be worth.

Liverpool and Chelsea endured hugely disappointing campaigns last season and started the summer in significant need of squad renovation, though success so far in the transfer market has been mixed.

The Reds have made just two first-team signings, with Caicedo’s former team-mate Alexis Mac Allister having joined alongside Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, whilst Chelsea have undergone a more comprehensive overhaul with over £180m spent on six signings.

Pochettino said he believed the rebuild his club faces is more challenging than the one Klopp is dealing with at Anfield, made tougher in part by the recent high turnover in personnel.

However, he added that he would not allow his players to use it as an excuse on Sunday.

“I think we are more in transition than Liverpool,” he said. “Because I am new here, and Klopp is for seven years at Liverpool. In seven years you can anticipate the transition, you can see what is going to come, you can be ahead of the problems.

“Of course, we are Chelsea, the history of the club is to win, even if we are in transition, people know we cannot give the message that we are in transition. We need to win and we need to be ready to win. And we are going to be ready win against Liverpool.

“The mentality for the players and the whole club is about how to compete in the best way to be strong and to really believe in us. I’m not going to accept a different way to think.

“Excuse? OK, for other people, but no excuse for us, because we need to be strong.”

Roberto De Zerbi insists leading Premier League clubs “can’t buy our soul” as Moises Caicedo edges closer to becoming the latest star name to depart Brighton.

Albion have accepted a British record transfer fee in the region of £110million from Liverpool for the Ecuador midfielder, although reports suggest he would prefer to join Chelsea.

The Seagulls, who start the new season at home to newly-promoted Luton on Saturday, have become accustomed to selling key players for hefty fees.

Argentina World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister moved to Anfield earlier this summer, while Arsenal pair Ben White and Leandro Trossard, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella and Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma also left the Amex Stadium in the past two years.

De Zerbi is resigned to losing 21-year-old Caicedo but had a defiant message as he focused on further strengthening his squad going into a campaign which will include Europa League football.

“I’ve already forgotten Moises,” said the Italian. “I’m really proud for the players we have in the squad. We have to complete the squad.

“We want to improve the squad because we lost Mac Allister, we lost (Levi) Colwill (on loan from Chelsea last season), maybe we lose Caicedo.

“We have to be ready because when the players leave it’s because they played well but the credit is for the club, for the players, for us, the coaches.

“The big clubs can buy the players but they can’t buy our soul and our spirit. That’s not on the market and this is more important than the players when they leave.

“The money is not my work, is not my job. I can answer only about the transfer market in general. Moises is leaving and is not important for me now.”

West Ham manager David Moyes hopes to be able to complete deals for both James Ward-Prowse and Harry Maguire – but stressed Manchester City’s bid for midfielder Lucas Paqueta was “not anywhere near” the club’s valuation.

Southampton midfielder Ward-Prowse is having a medical ahead of his transfer to east London, while Maguire remains in discussions with United about the terms of his exit from Old Trafford.

West Ham are understood to have knocked back an initial £60million approach for Paqueta from the Premier League champions.

“We’ve had an offer from Manchester City, but at the moment it’s not anywhere near meeting our valuation,” said Moyes.

Despite initial frustrations in the summer window, the Irons have added Mexico midfielder Edson Alvarez to the squad in a £35million deal from Ajax, with Ward-Prowse set to follow.

“James Ward-Prowse is having a medical just now. We’ve agreed a fee but it’s not right I speak about him as he’s not yet our player,” Moyes told a press conference.

United boss Erik ten Hag was giving little away when questioned on Maguire’s future, stressing the England defender would be available for Monday’s game against Wolves even though the club had accepted a bid from West Ham, understood to be around £30m.

On the situation regarding Maguire’s expected arrival, Moyes said: “We’ve had a bid accepted from Manchester United, but while he’s not our player I’m not in a position to discuss him really.”

After seeing former captain Declan Rice complete a new British transfer record move to Arsenal in a £105m deal, West Ham have been trying to reshape the squad for next season – when they will also compete in the Europa League – if not as quickly as Moyes would have liked.

“It’s not about us having £100million to spend, but the fees being charged by clubs for players,” the West Ham boss said.

“We sold Declan – I actually think Declan was quite cheap, to be honest – and there has nearly not been a player we have gone for under £40million. We have been very active, as you all know, trying to get players in.”

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West Ham have also seen Gianluca Scamacca and Nikola Vlasic depart as Moyes looks to push the group on from last season’s success in winning the Europa Conference League.

“You need to look at the amount of players Chelsea bought – you need a number you can work with and a balance of players in each position, and all those things come into it when you try to sign them,” Moyes said.

“I just walked through the corridor and looked at all the pictures of us winning a European trophy and it was incredible what we did.

“We’re going into this season with a great deal of positivity. We have a great feeling and we want to keep it.”

West Ham open the new Premier League season at Bournemouth on Saturday.

Alvarez, though, will not be available as he continues fitness work since being away at the CONCACAF Gold Cup with Mexico.

“They have always done well and they have a new approach this season under Andoni Iraola,” Moyes said of this weekend’s opponents.

“It is always a hard game at Bournemouth, but we had a good win there last year and we hope we can get another one tomorrow.”

Erik ten Hag says the Premier League will miss Harry Kane but the Manchester United boss has no regrets about deciding to go for Rasmus Hojlund over the Bayern Munich-bound star.

Having wrapped up deals for midfielder Mason Mount and adventurous goalkeeper Andre Onana, the Old Trafford giants turned their attention to filling the glaring need for a striker.

Tottenham sharpshooter Kane has long been admired by United but the club instead plumped for potential by signing Atalanta talent Hojlund.

“First of all we have chosen a striker and we are really happy with our choice,” Ten Hag said of the Denmark international.

“(Kane) is a great striker. That’s clear, he’s really a goal maker and apart from that he has all the conditions and abilities that you want to see in a striker.

“It’s a miss for the Premier League, absolutely.”

Ten Hag says he will miss the challenge of facing Kane, who Bayern are understood to be forking out an initial £100million for with add-ons able to potentially take it up to £120m.

Quizzed on whether United were ever serious candidates to sign the England captain, he said: “I don’t think that I have to go into that discussion or to give an opinion about that.

“We are professional. The processes we do are really careful, we consider a lot of things.

“But finally we make decisions and we don’t take decisions overnight. There’s a strategy behind every decision and we are happy with the squad we have now.”

While Kane looks set to start a new chapter in Germany, everyone at United will be hoping their move for rough diamond Hojlund pays off.

The 20-year-old arrived for an initial £64m fee that could rise to £72m with add-ons, signing a five-year deal with the option of a further season.

But United fans will have to wait to get a first glimpse of their new frontman as Hojlund is dealing with a back issue that the club are confident is not a long-term issue.

“He had a small issue,” Ten Hag said. “He’s not on the levels where our players are in this moment, so now we have to train him.

“The prognosis is difficult always to say but we are confident and we are positive.”

New boy Hojlund will be sidelined for Monday’s Premier League opener against Wolves, with Amad Diallo, Tyrell Malacia and Kobbie Mainoo also out.

Anthony Martial did not play a minute in pre-season as he recovers from a hamstring injury, while back-up goalkeepers Tom Heaton and Dean Henderson remain absent for the curtain raiser.

Ten Hag is confident in the shape of his squad ahead of the new season and suggested Harry Maguire could be involved against Wolves despite United accepting a £30m bid from West Ham for their former captain.

“Of course (he is available),” the Dutchman said.

The frantic final few weeks of the transfer window are likely to dominate the start to a campaign that United get under way with some large clouds hanging over them.

A decision has yet to be made on suspended Mason Greenwood’s future and a group of United fans are planning to protest against the prospect of his return ahead of facing Wolves.

There is also a planned protest by the 1958 group against the Glazer family as the interminable potential takeover process rolls into the new campaign.

Asked about the fan protest and how frustrating it was for him that the ownership issue has not been resolved, Ten Hag said: “I’m sure that the fans will support the team.

“I think we construct that last season, the connection between fans and team.

“I think we only made it stronger in the pre-season, we’ve seen that in the tour but also now back in the UK I think there’s a really strong support and there’s a really good vibe around the team and between the fans and the team.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Luton boss Rob Edwards will fulfil a dream when he sends his team into Premier League action for the first time at Brighton on Saturday.

Edwards took charge at Kenilworth Road in November last year and guided a club which less than a decade earlier had been plying its trade in non-league football back into the top flight after a 31-year absence.

Life since victory in the Sky Bet Championship play-off final has been something of a whirlwind, with the Hatters busily preparing for their latest – and perhaps biggest – challenge on and off the pitch, but Edwards admits he will feel a huge sense of pride when the dream finally becomes a reality.

He told a press conference: “I’m really proud. It’s hard because you don’t always think about it, you just think about what’s next and don’t always have time to reflect.

“It’s been an aim of mine for long time. I think most people would agree the Premier League is the highest level.”

The game at the Amex Stadium could see skipper Tom Lockyer make his first competitive appearance since collapsing on the pitch early in the play-off final, the result of a heart scare which has since been addressed by surgery.

Edwards added: “This is extremely important and special for Tom. That day was made special by knowing he was OK.

“It was the most scared I’ve ever been during a football game. Health is the most important thing and it’s great to have him back.

“He’s had his own journey as well – he was in the National League and now leading his team out in the Premier League.”

Edwards’ hand has been strengthened since promotion by the arrival of nine summer signings, perhaps the most eye-catching of them former Everton and England midfielder Ross Barkley, and there could be several debuts, particularly with Jordan Clark, Dan Potts, Gabe Osho and Reece Burke all on the casualty list.

Excitement levels are understandably high, but Edwards knows there is a long and tough season ahead.

He said: “We’ve got a big season ahead and it’s been a long time coming since the final kick at Wembley. The elation turns quite real and now we feel ready.

“The fans are the most important people at any football club. They are the most important to me, they’re here before us and they’ll be here after us.

“They’ve been through some really bleak times in the past, so hopefully they can enjoy these moments because they deserve it.”