Dean Smith has revealed that he wanted to sign Jamie Vardy for Charlotte FC.

Smith managed Vardy during his time in charge at Leicester City in the spring of 2023, though it was an ultimately unsuccessful period, as the Foxes were relegated to the Championship.

The ex-Aston Villa boss still hoped the 37-year-old could have been persuaded to join up with him in the United States, but Leicester’s subsequent promotion back to the Premier League ended any real hopes of a reunion.

He said: “I did text him and see if he wanted to come over to America, but I knew that was going to be hard once he took Leicester back to the Premier League."

Smith backed Vardy to shine on his return to the top flight, as long as the veteran striker is managed correctly.

“It’s just his enthusiasm for the game, he doesn’t train as much as he used to and he won’t get as many minutes as he used to, but if he’s used right, he’ll be really, really good [this season]. You saw the goals he scored in the Championship.”

Smith’s side, however, are reportedly in talks with Newcastle United over the signing of winger Miguel Almiron.

The Magpies are open to selling, but it is rumoured it would be difficult to persuade the Paraguayan to return to the United States, where he spent time at Atlanta United, winning MLS Cup before moving to St James’ Park in 2019.

Charlotte have already signed Fulham stalwart Tim Ream this summer.

The MLS transfer window closes on Wednesday.

Pep Guardiola has described Jack Grealish suffering an injury on the eve of the season as a "blow", but he has not given up hope of the Manchester City man facing Chelsea on Sunday.

Grealish was absent as City beat Manchester United to win the Community Shield on Saturday, triumphing 7-6 on penalties after Bernardo Silva's late header salvaged a 1-1 draw.

Guardiola has now revealed Grealish suffered from discomfort in training ahead of the match, in another blow after he was left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024.

That omission came after Grealish endured an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign, making just 10 starts across all competitions after playing a key role in securing the treble one season earlier.

However, Guardiola has given Grealish a chance of facing Chelsea in City's Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and is confident he will be fit for their first home game against Ipswich Town six days later.

"Apparently it's not much. In the last two days, he didn't feel good, he had discomfort," Guardiola told reporters.

"We trained with the lineup, the starting XI and he was training but in the last two days, the feeling was not good.

"We talked with the doctors and he was not fine and that's why we didn't want to take a risk. I don't think it's a big issue but he could not be there.

"It's a blow because he did pre-season and had rhythm and was aggressive, in the third and fourth game he was really, really good and Jeremy [Doku] was on holiday, Savinho as well.

"It is what it is. During the season, it happens many times with discomfort and injuries. Maybe against Chelsea, he will be ready. I am pretty sure for Ipswich he will be ready."

Grealish contributed to just four goals in all competitions last season (three goals, one assist), his worst tally since joining City in 2021 (six in 2021-22 and 12 in 2022-23).

Brentford have completed the signing of Fabio Carvalho from Liverpool in a transfer potentially worth up to £27.5million.

The Bees will pay an initial £22.5m plus a potential £5m in add-ons for the 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who has struggled for minutes since his 2022 arrival at Anfield.

Carvalho enjoyed a breakout campaign with Fulham as they romped to the Championship title in 2021-22, scoring 10 goals in 36 league outings for Marco Silva's side.

He then joined Liverpool in a £5m deal but only made 21 appearances for the Reds overall, enjoying loan spells with RB Leipzig and Hull City in the last two seasons.

Carvalho has signed a five-year contract with Thomas Frank's Bees, with Liverpool also retaining a 17.5% sell-on clause as part of the deal.

Frank told Brentford's website of the deal: "Fabio is a player with a lot of qualities. He can play in all the front three or four positions in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. 

"His best position is probably as a number 10 or coming in from the left. Offensively, he has great abilities on the ball: he can go past players, slide a pass, create chances and get on the end of chances. 

"He's a type of player that we don't have many of in the squad so he will add that something extra for us. We're very pleased to see him come in and push the team forward."

Carvalho – who was capped up to under-18 level by England before switching allegiance to Portugal to represent their under-21 side – is Brentford's second major signing ahead of 2024-25, after they spent €33m (£28m) to sign Club Brugge forward Igor Thiago.

Pedro Neto has declared he wants "to make history" at Chelsea after completing his move from fellow Premier League side Wolves.

The Portugal international joined Chelsea in a £51.4million deal on Sunday, becoming the Blues' ninth senior signing of the transfer window.

Neto was paraded to supporters at Stamford Bridge at half-time of the 1-1 pre-season friendly with Inter later the same day.

And the 24-year-old is raring to make his mark at Chelsea after bringing an end to his five-year stay with Wolves.

"It's a big club, with big ambitions," he told the club's official website. "I know the history the club has. 

"I'm really looking forward to meeting my teammates, meeting the staff, and meeting everyone else, because I want to make history with the club.

"It's a young squad with really talented players. I played against Chelsea last year and I know the team we have. 

"I can’t wait to meet them and work with them because we can do great things."

Neto is coming off the back of his most productive campaign yet in the Premier League, having tallied nine assists in 20 appearances in 2023-24.

That is despite being limited to just 1,518 minutes of playing time owing to two hamstring injuries, with those the latest of numerous setbacks during his time in England.

Indeed, the Portuguese has not played over 20 league games in a single season since 2020-21 when featuring 31 times.

Neto's 0.53 assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League was the sixth-best return of any player to have played at least seven times.

Despite his injury issues, Neto declared in the same interview that he is feeling in "peak" form and raring to go at his new club.

"I want to do my best, help the team achieve their goals, and put Chelsea where they deserve to be: at the top," he added.

"My expectations for myself are always high. The expectations here are high, so I'm looking forward to showing people why I'm here, and that I deserve to be at the very top level."

Neto is in line to make his Chelsea debut against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City next Sunday on the opening weekend of the new season.

AC Milan have signed Emerson Royal from Tottenham on a contract until June 2028 with an option for a one-year extension, the Serie A club announced on Monday.

The financial details were not disclosed by either club, but British media reported that the deal was worth around €15million (£12.85m), plus €3m (£2.57m) in add-ons.

The 25-year-old Brazil international, capped 10 times, joined Spurs in 2021 from Spanish side Barcelona.

He also had spells at Brazil's Atletico Mineiro, having started his youth career at Ponte Preta.

Emerson Royal, who made 101 appearances for Spurs across all competitions, will wear the number 22 shirt at Milan.

Manchester City's director of football Txiki Begiristain described Julian Alvarez as a born winner after sanctioning his €95million (£81.5m) move to Atletico Madrid.

Atleti will pay an initial €75m (£64.5m) plus €20m (£17m) in add-ons for the Argentina international, who has penned a six-year contract with the Spanish giants.

His departure, which has netted City a club-record transfer fee, comes after two successful seasons with the club, with whom he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Alvarez scored 36 goals in 103 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, with 19 of those coming in 54 outings last season, the forward playing more games than any other City player.

Alvarez also helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup during his time at the Etihad Stadium, and Begiristain has nothing but warm wishes for him as he departs.

"Everyone at Manchester City wishes Julian all the very best with the next stage of his career – he has been a pleasure to work with," he told the club's website.

"His attitude has been first-class since he first walked through the door here. That's why he has improved so much.

"The trophies he has won already tell their own story – he is a winner. I look forward to watching him develop further in the remainder of his career."

Last week, City boss Guardiola confirmed Alvarez had indicated a desire to test himself in another league, and he will now look to end Los Colchoneros' three-year wait for a major trophy upon linking up with Diego Simeone's team.

"Today I say goodbye to this amazing club, with a lot of emotion," Alvarez said in a farewell statement. 

"These have been two very special years. During this time, I have grown and learnt a lot - both as a player and as a person.

"To the directors and the technical staff, thank you for your confidence and support. Your teachings and vision have helped me to develop so much.

"To my team-mates, thank you for every moment we have shared, for the effort and dedication in every training session and every match. I have learnt a lot from each and every one of you and I remain with memories and friendships that will last forever.

"To the fans, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great support and for making me feel at home from the very first day. I will always be extremely proud to have been part of this family.

"Manchester City will always have a special place in my heart. I wish you every success in the future and I will keep on supporting the club wherever I may be."

Julian Alvarez has left Manchester City to join Atletico Madrid in a deal reportedly worth a potential €95million (£81.5m).

The Spanish club will pay an initial €75m (£64.5m) up front and then a further €20m (£17m) in possible add-ons.

Alvarez has made 103 appearances in two seasons for City since joining from Argentine giants River Plate in 2022.

A World Cup winner with Argentina, Alvarez has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the Super Cup and the Club World Cup during his time in Manchester.

The 24-year-old, who helped Argentina win the Copa America this summer before representing his country at the Paris Olympics, featured in 54 games in all competitions for City last season, more than any other player, though 15 of those were substitute appearances.

Alvarez scored 19 goals, outperforming his 17.5 expected goals (xG) while contributing 13 assists, a tally only bettered by Kevin De Bruyne with 17.

However, City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed Alvarez wanted to test himself with a new challenge at Atleti, where he has signed a six-year deal.

His departure marks a club-record sale for City.

Atletico had already strengthened their attack following the departures of Alvaro Morata and Memphis Depay with the signing of Alexander Sorloth from Villarreal.

They have also agreed a deal to sign midfielder Conor Gallagher from Chelsea as Diego Simeone looks to bolster his squad for next season.

Meanwhile, Atleti are reportedly in talks with the Blues over a deal for Joao Felix, after Samu Omorodion's proposed move to Stamford Bridge fell through.

David de Gea never considered retirement despite spending over 12 months out of football between his Manchester United exit and his arrival at Fiorentina.

De Gea left Manchester United as a free agent in 2023 after being heavily criticised throughout Erik ten Hag's first season at Old Trafford, with Andre Onana replacing him with a view towards implementing a more possession-based approach.

The Spaniard won one Premier League title, one FA Cup, two EFL Cups and the Europa League throughout his 12-year stay with United, while Petr Cech (162) is the only goalkeeper to ever better his 147 Premier League clean sheets.

However, he found it difficult to find another club and spent the entire 2023-24 campaign out of the game amid rumours linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia.

Having finally landed in Serie A with Raffaele Palladino's Viola, De Gea says he never thought about hanging up his gloves.

"Man United is a top, top club and my heart will always be there," the 33-year-old said at his unveiling on Monday.

"I never thought about retiring, it was just difficult to find motivation for a new chapter after 12 years at a top club like Man United.

"I finally felt that at Fiorentina."

De Gea won the Premier League's Golden Glove by keeping 17 clean sheets in his final season with United, though his total of 43 goals conceded came from a figure of just 41.45 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced.

He was also criticised for a perceived inability to build from the back, with his pass completion rate of 68.33% ranking a lowly 13th among all goalkeepers to make at least five Premier League starts. 

Pep Guardiola is confident new signing Savinho will be able to adapt to the demands of Manchester City’s packed schedule.

The 20-year-old attacker made his debut in City’s Community Shield victory over Manchester United on Saturday, with the Premier League champions triumphing on penalties following a 1-1 draw.

He joined Guardiola's side on a five-year-deal from Troyes, having impressed last season while on loan at Girona.

The Brazilian helped Girona qualify for their first-ever Champions League campaign with the second-most goal contributions in the squad (19), registering nine goals and 10 assists.

Guardiola is confident he can maintain those levels with City, telling the club's website: "He is so fast in transitions, so fast and he can do 30 or 40 games. 

"I know he can play every three or four days. This is one of the details at which we take a look – how reliable the player is to play every three or four days, otherwise he cannot play in the big teams because the demand is like that.

"I had the feeling he is so strong to play regularly – a lot of games, a lot of minutes."

Last season, City played a total of 59 competitive matches as they achieved their fourth Premier League title in a row.

That tally means they have now played 120 matches over the last two seasons, having completed a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble in 2022-23.

Savinho will likely bring something different to City's attack, attempting 216 dribbles last season, a staggering 110 more than any Girona team-mate, and completing 104.

"His impact has been good. He’s so fast. He has to try to understand English a little and communicate with his mates," said Guardiola.

"But last season at Girona he was one of the best players in the league. Important.

"Michel, the manager, helped him a lot to grow up and be the player we believe he is. He is a young player, a good transfer for the club, and we are really pleased."

As well as stamina, Savinho will bring creativity to the Etihad, having created 53 chances at Girona last season, a tally bettered only by Aleix Garcia among his team-mates.

His attacking output was on display during his debut, as in just 34 minutes on the pitch, he contributed the joint-most crosses on the City team with four, despite Guardiola's men struggling to produce their usual attacking threat, creating chances worth just 0.48 expected goals (xG).

That creativity will benefit City from both sides owing to Savinho’s versatility, another factor attracting Guardiola to the signing.

"He is going both sides, playing right and left," he added.

"Jack [Grealish] just can play left, Oscar [Bobb] can just play right. Bernardo [Silva] can play right. Phil [Foden] right and left. Jeremy [Doku] and Savinho can play both sides."

Manchester City open their Premier League campaign against Chelsea on Sunday.

Wesley Fofana was thrilled to make his first appearance in over a year for Chelsea after featuring in their pre-season friendly against Inter at Stamford Bridge.

The defender played 69 minutes in Chelsea's 1-1 draw with the Serie A champions, in which a late goal from Lesley Ugochukwu cancelled out Marco Thuram's 26th-minute strike.

Fofana has made only 20 appearances for Chelsea since signing from Leicester City in 2022.

He suffered a cruciate ligament tear last summer which ruled him out of last season, but feels he is now fully recovered.

"I'm feeling very good, I'm very happy after a long time. I felt a bit stressed but I enjoyed the moment. It is good to be back at home," Fofana told Chelsea's media channels.

"It is hard [waiting for this moment] because football is my life. When you're not playing for a long time for sure it is hard.

"I stayed concentrated on the work to get back quickly and now I'm back I feel good."

The Frenchman impressed on his return, contributing to Chelsea's attacking play with the second-most final third entries on the field for the Blues with six, only second to Enzo Fernandez (14).

Such numbers were indicative of Fofana's higher position on the pitch compared to centre-back partner Levi Colwill, who sat slightly deeper in defence.

And boss Enzo Maresca was happy with his side's improved attacking output, despite a failure to fully capitalise on an accumulative expected goals total of 2.27.

"The team is improving on the ball and off the ball. We created six or seven clear chances. It's important to create chances and then we want to score more," he said.

Fofana also played his part in Chelsea's defence off the ball. Despite not making any tackles, he made the most clearances (two) and interceptions (two) for the Blues.

"Off the ball the team was very aggressive recovering most of the time on the ball. I'm very happy because we are improving," Maresca added.

Chelsea open their Premier League campaign against Manchester City on Sunday.

Rio Ferdinand remains "uncertain" about Matthijs de Ligt ahead of his reported £42.9million switch from Bayern Munich to Manchester United. 

De Ligt, who made 30 appearances in all competitions for Bayern last term, is set to reunite with Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford having played under the Dutchman at Ajax. 

United are after defensive reinforcements following the departures of Raphael Varane and Willy Kambwala, having just endured a campaign that saw them concede the most goals in a season in their Premier League history (58). 

However, Ferdinand, who made 312 appearances across a 12-year stint with the Red Devils, is unsure whether De Ligt's arrival will solve their issues. 

"I watched him at Ajax and he was brilliant in that year when Erik ten Hag was the manager, and they got to the semi-final [of the Champions League]," Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel.  

"He was brilliant, commanding, everything you want in a defender.

"He's had a lot of injuries, hasn't started many games over the last two or three years and Man United are spending £45-50million on him.

"Is he going to come into Man United and make a difference? I think it's a big ask for him and all eyes are going to be on him.

"Big pressure, big opportunity for him, but there's a lot of uncertainty I think with this signing because of his previous seasons with two big clubs (Juventus and Bayern Munich) not going as well as we'd have anticipated."

He then added: "I don't think he's the answer, but it's a great opportunity for him to go in there and go, 'You know what guys? I'm going to rectify my last couple of seasons.

"That's not the real me, and I'm going to show you."

Chelsea have completed the signing of Pedro Neto from Wolves, with the Blues shelling out €60million (£51.4m) plus add-ons for the Portugal international.

Chelsea have been busy in the transfer market once again as they approach their first season under Enzo Maresca, with Neto becoming their ninth senior signing ahead of 2024-25.

The winger spent five seasons at Wolves after arriving from Braga in 2019, and 2023-24 was his most productive campaign yet as he tallied nine assists in 20 Premier League appearances.

However, two hamstring injuries limited him to just 1,518 minutes in the competition last term, and he has not made over 20 league appearances in a single season since 2020-21.

Neto will be hoping to remain fit this campaign as Chelsea set their sights on Champions League qualification, having finished a disappointing sixth under Mauricio Pochettino last term.

Neto's arrival was confirmed at half-time during Chelsea's final pre-season friendly versus Inter on Sunday, with the 24-year-old signing a seven-year contract before telling the club's website: "I feel really grateful to have joined this club. 

"I have worked really hard in my career to be here and I'm looking forward to getting on the pitch with this shirt."

Neto could make his Chelsea debut against Premier League champions Manchester City on matchday one of the Premier League season next Sunday, before returning to Molineux for a swift reunion with Wolves one week later.

Neto's arrival is the most expensive sanctioned by the Todd Boehly regime this off-season, taking Chelsea's overall spend to an estimated £161m.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Filip Jorgensen, Omari Kellyman, Aaron Anselmino, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, Marc Guiu and Tosin Adarabioyo have also joined ahead of 2024-25, with Ian Maatsen, Lewis Hall and Omari Hutchinson all being moved on for significant fees. 

Wolves head coach Gary O'Neil has confirmed Pedro Neto is set to complete a big-money move to Chelsea, describing the winger as "irreplaceable".

Neto has become a fan favourite throughout five years at Molineux, and a return of nine assists in just 20 Premier League outings made 2023-24 his finest season to date, despite two hamstring injuries limiting him to just 1,518 minutes.

Of the 11 players to better Neto's nine assists in the Premier League last term, only Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne – who recorded 10 assists in just 1,227 minutes – spent less time on the pitch than Neto.

Wolves are set to receive €60million (£51.4m) plus add-ons for Neto, but O'Neil does not believe it is possible for them to source a direct replacement.

Instead, after working to a tight budget as the club battled profit and sustainability concerns last season, O'Neil will use the funds to strengthen his squad as a whole. 

"He's irreplaceable for a club like us at this moment," O'Neil told the Express & Star of Neto's departure.

"He's a top winger in world football and we knew it would be a challenge to keep him because of that. He was quite emotional as he's been here for a long time.

"Obviously his last few seasons have been hampered by injury, but when he's fit and free flowing there's not many like him in world football. I'm gutted to lose him.

"We're not going to go and sign another Pedro Neto, it's about using it well enough to replenish the squad in a few areas – a wide player being one."

Reece James has suffered another injury setback ahead of the Premier League season after sustaining a hamstring injury.

The right-back reportedly felt some discomfort during a training session after returning from the club's pre-season tour of the United States, though it is thought to only be a minor issue.

James started all five of Chelsea's pre-season friendlies so far but has already been ruled out of their final preparation game against Inter at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues captain was already set to miss the first three games of the Premier League campaign, having received a second red card in the penultimate match of last season against Brighton, resulting in a four-match ban.

However, his latest injury could rule him out of Chelsea's upcoming Europa Conference League play-offs against Braga or Servette later this month.

It is the latest in a series of setbacks, with James only starting five league games in 2023-24 after having surgery last December.

Harry Kane has backed Dominic Solanke to succeed at Tottenham after joining from Bournemouth on Saturday.

Solanke signed a six-year contract with Spurs in a record £65million deal and was introduced to the fans ahead of their pre-season friendly against Bayern Munich later in the day.

The striker, who scored 19 Premier League goals for Bournemouth last season, has been brought in to fill the centre-forward gap left behind by Kane last year.

And the England captain believes Solanke will fit nicely into Ange Postecoglou's style of play.

"It should be great. Dom's a great player," Kane said.

"He plays with high intensity, high speed. For sure, he's going to get good chances in this team with the way that Ange plays. You saw that here with the way two top teams went at it toe-to-toe.

"I think it's a really good signing. I've just seen him in the dressing room and wished him all the best and I hope he has a great season."

Kane made a brief cameo appearance off the bench for Bayern on Saturday, playing the last 10 minutes as Vincent Kompany's side sealed a 3-2 win.

It was the first time the 31-year-old had returned to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since leaving, and he received a standing ovation from the home fans when coming onto the pitch.

Having left Spurs before the start of last season, Kane was not given a send-off by the club, but he was grateful to get the chance to show his appreciation after the game.

"I had an amazing career at Spurs, so many great memories, and it was great to see the fans again, obviously some of the players, the staff who I've had a lot of relationships with," Kane added.

"The game itself, I probably shouldn't have played, I only had one training session, but it was important for me to play 10 minutes or so, so good to get back out there.

"I didn't get a chance [to say goodbye]. This was a great way to say thank you [to the fans]. The reception I got was amazing; it was great to clap them around the pitch after with them staying behind.

"I will always be thankful to every Spurs fan, the support they've shown me throughout my career has been incredible, and I appreciate me seeing them and them seeing me again."