Newcastle are hoping to push through a club record-breaking deal for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali within days, the PA news agency understands.

Sporting director Dan Ashworth has been pictured in the Italian city after he flew out to try to negotiate the terms of a move which it is understood would exceed the club’s £60million swoop for Sweden striker Alexander Isak last summer.

Reports from Italy have suggested the 23-year-old, who is expected to captain his country in their opening Group D fixture against France at the European Under-21s Championships on Thursday evening, has agreed to the switch.

A successful conclusion to the talks would take Newcastle’s transfer spending under their new owners past the £300million mark.

Head coach Eddie Howe has identified Tonali as the holding midfielder he needs to allow Bruno Guimaraes in particular to thrive in an advanced role.

Howe has vowed to strengthen his squad for the new campaign, during which the Magpies will play Champions League football for the first time since the 2002-03 season, as he attempts to challenge on both the domestic and European fronts.

The 45-year-old guided the club to a fourth-place Premier League finish and the Carabao Cup final last season as they took a major step forward, but he is expecting a response from the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea this time around in the race for the top four.

Howe has been at pains to point out the spending restrictions under which the club must operate, but at the same time has signalled his intention to recruit quality rather than quantity this summer.

Tonali, who was a substitute in the senior Italy side’s 2-1 Euro 2024 qualifier defeat by England in March, made 48 appearances for Milan in all competitions last season and started both legs of their Champions League semi-final defeat by city rivals Inter.

Fulham are serious contenders in the race for Southampton skipper James Ward-Prowse.

The Cottagers are targeting the midfielder, who is interested in a move to Craven Cottage, the PA news agency understands.

Southampton are likely to ask for close to £30million for their captain – who has three years left on his contract – after relegation from the Premier League last season.

West Ham want Fulham’s Joao Palhinha to replace Declan Rice, which would then see the Cottagers line up Ward-Prowse.

Arsenal have had two bids rejected for Hammers skipper Rice this week, although champions Manchester City are reportedly preparing their own offer.

The Hammers are also interested in England international Ward-Prowse but he would prefer a switch to west London.

The 28-year-old sees Marco Silva’s style as the best fit for him as he looks for a route back to the top flight.

A move to Fulham would also see him link up with former Saints team-mate Harrison Reed, with the pair having come through the academy at St Mary’s.

Brentford, given their threat from set pieces, also held an interest in Ward-Prowse but they were quickly rebuffed by the Saints star.

He will leave the club this summer having been unable to keep Southampton in the Premier League after they finished bottom.

They had three managers as Nathan Jones replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl in November – but lasted just 14 games before being sacked – and Ruben Selles was unable to save the Saints.

Southampton appointed Russell Martin on a three-year deal from Swansea on Wednesday, with the Swans looking to bring Michael Duff in from Barnsley.

Martin will have to mount a promotion charge in the Championship without Ward-Prowse, who has made 409 appearances and scored 55 goals for the Saints and is one goal short of David Beckham’s Premier League free-kick record of 18.

Saints could also lose Romeo Lavia, with the midfielder wanted by Liverpool and Arsenal.

Tottenham have accelerated their search to find Hugo Lloris’ long-term successor by opening talks with Empoli over the signing of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.

Spurs captain Lloris, 36, is approaching the final 12 months of his deal and revealed earlier this month his desire to seek a new challenge when in an interview with media in France he described his situation as “the end of an era”, having been at the club since 2012.

Discussions took place with Brentford number one David Raya over a potential move across the capital, but the £40million price tag placed on the Spanish international has stalled the move.

Tottenham have now shifted focus to Vicario and are confident of securing his services with talks under way with Empoli, the PA news agency understands.

The 26-year-old has starred for the Serie A mid-table outfit during the last two seasons, saving eight penalties in that period, and has recently been involved in Italy national team squads to highlight his growing reputation.

Reports suggest a bid in the region of 19million euros (£16.4m) will be enough to prize Vicario away from Empoli.

It would make the Italian keeper Ange Postecoglou’s second signing since he was announced as head coach on June 6, following the permanent transfer of former loanee Dejan Kulusevski last weekend.

Postecoglou officially begins his role at Tottenham on July 1, the club’s first day of pre-season, but is still finalising his coaching set-up

It was confirmed on Monday that John Kennedy and Gavin Strachan would not follow Postecoglou in swapping Celtic for Spurs after the duo were announced as part of Brendan Rodgers’ backroom staff.

Ryan Mason, who took charge of Tottenham’s final six matches of the 2022-23 campaign, is set to remain at the club and be part of Postecoglou’s coaching set-up but the vacancy of goalkeeper coach is still to be finalised.

Rumours linking Manchester City with West Ham’s Declan Rice gathered pace on Thursday as the treble winners remained the focus of considerable transfer speculation.

Reports suggested City were poised to launch a bid for the highly-regarded England international, who is expected to leave the London Stadium this summer.

Rice has already been the subject of interest from Arsenal, who have reportedly had two bids – the second worth up to £90million – rebuffed by the Hammers.

City did not comment on the reports when contacted by the PA news agency.

It is already shaping up to be a busy summer at the Etihad Stadium, with the club seemingly not standing still following their successes of last season.

Captain Ilkay Gundogan looks set to leave City for Barcelona having apparently turned down a new contract.

It is understood the Germany midfielder has been offered a three-year deal by the Spanish champions on more lucrative terms than those proposed by City.

City were keen for the 32-year-old to stay but were unwilling to match Barca’s overtures. City had tabled a one-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.

Given the player’s age, this was a pragmatic decision and Gundogan will depart with their blessing.

He made 304 appearances in seven years at City and won 12 major trophies, culminating in this year’s treble triumph.

As skipper he lifted the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies. He also played a key role in the run-in, not least scoring both goals in the FA Cup final win over Manchester United – the first of which came in record fashion after just 13 seconds.

City already have one midfield replacement in the pipeline having agreed an initial fee of £25million with Chelsea for Croatia international Mateo Kovacic. The final deal could be worth £30million if certain conditions are met.

The 29-year-old, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, had been entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge. He would arrive at City as a four-time Champions League winner after three successes with Madrid and one at Chelsea.

A deal for Rice, if pursued, would dwarf that. West Ham accepted after their recent Europa Conference League win that their 24-year-old captain was likely to move on before next season.

They reportedly value him in the £100million bracket. He has one year remaining on his contract but the Hammers have an option to extend that by 12 months.

There is also uncertainty over the future of three other senior City players in defenders Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo, and midfielder Bernardo Silva.  All three have been linked with moves away.

Former Everton goalkeeper Asmir Begovic believes the “inconsistency” of people running the club has made life difficult for players and staff.

The ex-Bosnia and Herzegovina international’s contract officially ends next week but his departure from Goodison Park has already been confirmed, ending a two-year stay during which time the Toffees have twice only narrowly escaped relegation.

Everton are also facing a Premier League charge for breaching profit and sustainability rules – having made cumulative losses of more than £430million over the last four seasons – and, in the wake of numerous supporters’ protests, the chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director and former striker Graeme Sharp left their roles last week.

The future of long-serving chairman Bill Kenwright, the main target for fans’ anger, was due to be announced in the following 48 hours but 10 days on he remains in post.

The PA news agency understands Kenwright, who has spent 19 years in his current role, was planning to step down last week but the intervention of owner Farhad Moshiri has complicated matters and left senior figures at the club in the dark about the next move.

“We obviously had some financial issues and a lot of inconsistency (with) people running the place so that makes it very difficult for the staff and the players,” Begovic, speaking to talkSPORT, said of his experience at the club.

“Certainly difficult. When I go back two years, people say: ‘Why in the world Everton?’

“It’s easy to say now but at the time, you were looking at a fantastic football club with a fantastic group of players.

“When you get in there, you realise there are bigger issues.”

American investors MSP Capital are close to agreeing a deal to buy a stake in the club, possibly up to 25 per cent, and those negotiations could also explain why a new board members have not been installed as they are believed to want two representatives at executive level.

Everton’s players are due to return to pre-season training on July 6, just over a week before their first friendly against Stade Nyonais, in Switzerland but full-back Nathan Patterson has already spent a few weeks at the club’s Finch Farm training ground working on his recovery from a hamstring injury which ended his campaign prematurely.

Billy Gilmour was delighted to end a challenging season on a high with an impressive display in Scotland’s 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Georgia.

Gilmour won the official man-of-the-match award after making light of the sodden conditions with an excellent display of possession football.

The midfielder was making his first competitive start for Scotland this season after forcing his way into the Brighton team in the final weeks of the campaign.

Gilmour had been unfortunate to see the man who signed him from Chelsea, Graham Potter, leave for Stamford Bridge a week after the transfer. He took some time to get into Roberto De Zerbi’s team and also had to cope with being the victim of a stalking campaign last autumn by a woman who was sentenced in court to a suspended prison term on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old started five of the last eight games of the Premier League season, which included a 6-0 win over Wolves, a draw with Manchester City and wins over Manchester United and Arsenal.

And he was able to depart for his summer break in good spirits after helping Scotland maintain their 100 per cent record in Group A of the European Championship qualifiers.

“I am really happy with my first start in a while,” the former Rangers youth player said. “I am just happy to be back out there playing, with a smile on my face, doing what I love. It’s a good feeling.

“It’s been a challenging season. Towards the back end I got quite a few opportunities at Brighton, so I am thankful and happy. I have worked hard. It was a good way to end the season.”

Scotland moved eight points clear at the halfway mark of their group, although Spain have two games in hand and are nine behind.

Gilmour said: “We have shown a real togetherness. We are doing well as a team and the manager is making sure we are working hard and challenging each other every day in training. It’s really good for Scotland. Everyone is pushing each other.”

Scotland overcame torrential conditions and a near two-hour delay to clear water off the pitch to beat Georgia through goals from Callum McGregor and Scott McTominay.

“It was tough,” Gilmour said. “One minute the game was going ahead and the next it’s not.

“It was a crazy night but mentally we had to be focused and ready and big thanks to the fans staying behind and the ball boys helping out, cleaning the pitch and making sure it was playable.

“The first 10-15 minutes was crazy, just to adjust, you think you can win it and then it holds up. But we got it sorted. Everyone stuck together, helped out and we got three points.”

Gilmour was focused on the game rather than being distracted by the prospect of finishing the match on Wednesday and delaying summer breaks.

“I was too busy sitting down trying to keep myself ticking over,” he said. “There might have been a couple of shouts of ‘replay tomorrow’ but it was fine after we got the water off the pitch.

“Football came first, obviously with the national team. We were all focused on that and leave summer until after the game. Now we can go and have a break and enjoy.”

Manchester City captain Ilkay Gundogan is poised to join Barcelona, the PA news agency understands.

The Germany international, who is out of contract this summer, now seems unlikely to renew terms with the treble winners.

City had offered the 32-year-old a new one-year contract with the option of a further 12 months but Barca are understood to have presented a more tempting three-year, and more financially-rewarding, package.

City are comfortable with the situation and the player would leave with their blessing.

The development comes on the same day City are understood to have agreed a £30million deal with Chelsea to sign Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic.

The champions are set to pay an initial £25million for the 29-year-old with a further £5m to follow in potential add-ons.

Kovacic, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, is entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

City now expect to complete formalities with the player and an official announcement will follow in due course.

Kovacic’s versatility and experience would go some way to compensating for the loss of Gundogan.

The influential former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League in his seven years at City.

This year Gundogan lifted three trophies as City became only the second English side to win the treble.

The club had been keen to retain his services but, given his age, did not want to match Barcelona’s offer and have taken a pragmatic decision.

Kovacic would arrive at City as a four-time Champions League winner having been a member of Chelsea’s victorious side in 2021 and triumphed on three occasions with Madrid. He also had a spell with Inter Milan earlier in his career.

Russell Martin has been confirmed as Southampton’s new head coach.

The former Scotland international joins on a three-year deal after leaving Swansea.

Martin verbally agreed to take over at St Mary’s last month, while the clubs remained in discussions over compensation.

“It’s a privilege to accept this opportunity at Southampton, a club with such a long and rich history,” he said.

“My aim is to get this club back where it belongs – in the top flight of English football. I am ready for this challenge and will give everything to achieve this aim and to give the supporters a team that makes them proud. I’m thrilled to be here and cannot wait for the work to begin.”

Leicester were also interested in the 37-year-old but Southampton moved quickly following their relegation from the Premier League.

Several of his backroom staff, including assistant Mat Gil, are expected to join Martin.

Southampton and Swansea disagreed over the amount of compensation which should be paid, which has seen the move dragged out.

They had been haggling over £700,000 with Martin’s release clause for Championship clubs and Premier League sides different.

The Saints felt they should pay the smaller amount, around £1.25million, after their relegation from the top flight while the Swans were believed to be holding out for £2million.

Martin guided Swansea to 10th in the Championship last season despite having a bottom-four budget and the youngest squad in the division.

He has been praised for his style and Southampton will be hoping the ex-Norwich defender can guide them back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

They finished bottom after a disastrous season which has seen them use three managers.

Nathan Jones replaced Ralph Hasenhuttl in November but lasted just 14 games, winning one, and was sacked in February. Ruben Selles took charge for the final months of the campaign but was unable to keep Saints up.

Last month chief executive Martin Semmens stepped down from his role following relegation having been in the post since 2019.

Jason Wilcox was announced as Southampton’s director of football in January, joining from Manchester City, and will officially start work next week.

Wilcox added: “Russell has shown fantastic qualities in his managerial career so far and is someone who we believe will thrive in the great environment we have here at Southampton.

“He is a fantastic fit for what we are trying to achieve, with a strong record of developing and nurturing young, talented players to fulfil their potential and deliver results on the pitch. We can’t wait for Russell to get started working with the team at Staplewood as we get ready for the new season.”

Swansea are in talks with Barnsley boss Michael Duff, as revealed by the PA news agency on Sunday, with the former Burnley midfielder expected to be Martin’s replacement.

Manchester United have made an improved bid of up to £50million for Mason Mount as talks continue with Chelsea, the PA news agency understands.

Transfer movement has been slow at Old Trafford this summer, thanks in no small part to the Glazer family dragging their heels over a potential sale.

Despite that uncertainty, United have made a move for Chelsea attacking midfielder Mount, whose Stamford Bridge contract is due to expire next summer.

An initial bid was rebuffed last week by the west London club, who are understood to have turned their nose up at the Red Devils’ latest offer of £45million plus £5million in add-ons.

Chelsea reportedly want an extra £15m but there is a limit as to how far United are willing to go, given the player is soon out of contract and they need to strengthen in other areas this summer.

Mount would certainly help bolster a midfield that the club recognises would benefit from more options and legs, as Erik ten Hag continues to shape the side in his image.

The attacking midfielder came through the ranks at Chelsea, scoring 27 goals and providing 22 assists in 129 Premier League appearances.

The 24-year-old – a Champions League winner with the Blues – has won 36 England caps and started the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.

Arsenal have agreed a fee with Chelsea for the signature of Germany forward Kai Havertz.

The 24-year-old has emerged as a top target for the Gunners in recent weeks as they look to improve a squad that finished second in the Premier League last season.

The PA news agency understands a deal has now been struck between the London rivals, allowing Havertz to discuss terms and undergo a medical.

The deal is believed to top £65million including add-ons, with Havertz now likely to become Arsenal’s first signing of the season.

Having joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen in 2020, Havertz has scored 19 goals in 91 Premier League appearances for the Blues and also hit the only goal of the game as they beat Manchester City to win the Champions League in 2021.

He could swiftly be followed to the Emirates Stadium by West Ham skipper Declan Rice, with Arsenal already seeing two bids turned down.

Rice has been admired in north London for some time but a club-record fee was rejected by the Hammers on Tuesday with a £90million offer not enough to strike an agreement.

Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and Jurrien Timber of Ajax have also been linked with Arsenal this summer.

Arsenal have been forced to pull their new home shirt from shelves while a “design error” is corrected by kit manufacturer Adidas.

The authentic home shirt, with a retail price of £110, has been made temporarily unavailable and Adidas has said supporters who had already purchased the 2023/24 jersey will be refunded.

The shirt honours Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ season 20 years on from when Arsene Wenger’s side went unbeaten throughout an entire Premier League campaign.

Within the design, the outcome of the 38 results is detailed with a row of W’s and D’s to highlight the wins and draws from across the season.

However, the authentic shirt – that which is worn by the players on a matchday – only carried 32 of those results and has since been removed from sale.

“The 2023-24 Arsenal home authentic jerseys are temporarily unavailable while a design error is being corrected,” Adidas said in a statement to the PA news agency.

“We are working closely with the club and our partners to ensure restocked jerseys are available as soon as possible, and are offering full refunds to fans who have already bought one.

“This design error falls short of the standards we set ourselves as a brand, and we apologise to the club and its fans.

“The replica ‘fan’ version of the home jersey is unaffected and widely available now.”

The ‘fan’ shirt is the same design but is a cheaper option for supporters, retailing at £80 through Arsenal’s official club shop.

Harry Maguire’s retrial at a Greek court will be held in February, the PA news agency understands.

The Manchester United and England defender was handed a suspended 21-month sentence in August 2020 following an incident in Mykonos.

Maguire’s legal team immediately lodged an appeal against the conviction for assaulting a police offer and attempted bribery, which United said extinguished the initial court verdict and nullified the conviction.

The retrial was reportedly set to take place earlier this month until the defender’s legal team asked for it to be put back.

PA has been told it will now take place on February 7, 2024, three-and-a-half years after the event.

Maguire does not have to attend the retrial and it is understood the United captain is unlikely to appear given the time of year.

Arsenal are progressing well in talks to sign Chelsea forward Kai Havertz as they prepare to launch a third bid for West Ham captain Declan Rice.

The Gunners are aiming to add to the squad that manager Mikel Arteta led to second place in the Premier League last season.

Rice emerged as a top target earlier this year, but the PA news agency understands a move for Havertz could also now be close to fruition.

The 24-year-old has hit 19 Premier League goals in 91 appearances for the Blues, but could be set to move across London and link up with the Gunners.

It is believed a new bid has yet to be lodged for Havertz, but the difference in valuation between the clubs is close.

West Ham on Tuesday knocked back a second offer for Rice, which would have made the England midfielder Arsenal’s all-time record signing.

The structure of add-ons to Arsenal’s bid is believed to be the issue for West Ham, who are keen to stick to their guns and receive £100million for their skipper.

Arsenal have also been linked with moves for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and Jurrien Timber of Ajax.

Manchester City have agreed a £30million deal with Chelsea to sign midfielder Mateo Kovacic, the PA news agency understands.

The treble winners are set to pay an initial £25million for the 29-year-old Croatia international, with a further £5million to follow in potential add-ons.

Kovacic, who joined Chelsea from Real Madrid in 2018, is entering the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

City will now look to complete the formalities of a move with the player.

Kovacic will become City’s first signing of the summer and give manager Pep Guardiola more midfield options at a time when captain Ilkay Gundogan’s future is uncertain.

Gundogan’s contract expires at the end of this month and the Germany international has not yet agreed new terms.

Kovacic, who won the Champions League three times with Real and once with Chelsea, could be one of several summer departures from the London club as new manager Mauricio Pochettino trims his squad.

N’Golo Kante will join Saudi club Al-Ittihad when his Chelsea contract expires at the end of June, the club has confirmed.

The 32-year-old midfielder joined from Leicester in 2016 and has won the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.

He had been an integral part of the Foxes’ surprise title success under Claudio Ranieri after arriving in England from Caen in 2015, just two years after having played in the French fourth tier.

Chelsea co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley told the club website: “N’Golo’s impact and influence during his time at Chelsea cannot be overstated. His tireless performances in midfield contributed to several trophy wins and has guaranteed him a place in the club’s history.

“We wish him well as he embarks on the next chapter in his career.”

His final season at the club was blighted by injury. He required hamstring surgery in October and was unavailable to former manager Graham Potter until March, in all making only seven Premier League appearances across the campaign.

He becomes the first major departure since Mauricio Pochettino was confirmed as the club’s new manager, with a reduction in size of a bloated first-team squad amongst the Argentinean’s priorities.

Kante, who won the World Cup with France in Russia in 2018, becomes the latest in a succession of high-profile names to move to the Saudi Professional League.

His international team-mate Karim Benzema has already agreed to join Al-Ittihad after 14 seasons at Real Madrid, following Cristiano Ronaldo who moved to Al Nassr from Manchester United in December.

Wolves captain Ruben Neves has reportedly agreed a £47million move to Al Hilal with an announcement expected from the club this week.

At 26 he will be the youngest big name to leave a European club for Saudi Arabia.

Chelsea outcasts Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been linked with moves to the Gulf state.