Liverpool-linked midfielder Ruben Neves is "99 per cent" likely to stay at Wolves beyond the end of the transfer window, according to head coach Bruno Lage.

Neves, who has emerged as a key figure since arriving at Wolves in 2017, had reportedly been targeted by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United earlier in the transfer window after entering the final two years of his contract.

More recently, Liverpool have been touted as suitors for the Portugal international after Jurgen Klopp acknowledged the Reds may have to recruit a midfielder to ease their injury crisis.

Neves assumed the captain's armband at Wolves after Conor Coady was loaned to Everton, and scored a stunning long-range goal in their 1-1 draw with Newcastle United on Sunday.

The 25-year-old has scored 19 non-penalty goals for Wolves in all competitions, 16 of which have come from outside the penalty area. Since joining the Molineux club, he has scored four times as many goals from outside the box than any of his team-mates.

With Neves performing well despite Wolves' failure to win any of their first four Premier League games of the season, Lage is confident of retaining his services.

"Ruben is playing very well, that's why he was so important last season," Lage said. "He's started in a good moment. He has been amazing since the first day here. Now it's time to continue to work.

"I am 99 per cent he will stay with us for one more year. I can say 100, but you never know with the market.

"He is happy here, he is our captain and I am sure that he will be here to play for us. You can see that he is focused on his team and his game."

Although Neves looks set to stay at Molineux, defender Willy Boly could depart after failing to turn up for the Newcastle fixture despite being named in the matchday squad.

Boly has been linked with big-spending Premier League new boys Nottingham Forest, and Lage accused him of trying to "force something" after seeing his side pegged back late on in Sunday's draw.

Sampdoria director Carlo Osti has confirmed the club are set to sign Harry Winks on loan from Tottenham.

The Spurs academy graduate has fallen down the pecking order under Antonio Conte, leading the 26-year-old to seek further playing opportunities.

Capped 10 times by England, most recently in 2020, Winks started only nine Premier League matches last season and the signing of Yves Bissouma from Brighton and Hove Albion has provided further competition in midfield.

Winks was reportedly holding out for a loan move to a Premier League side but suitors had not come forward, which appears to have resulted in him taking the opportunity to move to Italy.

Speaking following Sampdoria's 4-0 defeat to Salernitana, which left the side with just one point from their opening three Serie A matches, Osti confirmed Winks is due to arrive imminently.

"We have an agreement with Tottenham, we are defining the last details with the agents, we hope to conclude as soon as possible," he Sky Sport Italia.

Winks will join a growing British contingent in Serie A which includes Fikayo Tomori at Milan and both Tammy Abraham and Chris Smalling with Roma.

Jude Bellingham has no interest in leaving Borussia Dortmund this window amid reported interest from Liverpool, according to BVB sporting director Sebastian Kehl.

Liverpool are rumoured to have turned their focus to the England international in order to bolster their midfield ranks prior to Thursday's transfer deadline.

However, Kehl insists there has been no formal approach made for Bellingham as he categorically ruled out a sale in the final days of the transfer window.

"There has been no request for him," Kehl told Sky90. "Honestly, I know that from the player and his family. 

"Jude has no interest in going anywhere this summer. He will stay with us. That I can guarantee to you today. I can see he feels super comfortable with us."

Bellingham has made a big impact for the Bundesliga giants since arriving from Birmingham City two seasons ago.

Despite only turning 19 in June, Bellingham started 44 games for Dortmund in all competitions in the 2021-22 season – four more than any other player.

He has also racked up 15 senior caps for England and became the youngest player to represent the Three Lions in a major tournament at last year's Euro 2020.

With Bellingham's reputation continuing to grow after he impressed across BVB's first four games of the new season, it has also been reported that Liverpool are prepared to wait until January to bring him in.

Asked if he expects the teenager to be at Dortmund at the end of the season, Kehl replied: "I hope so," adding the youngster will "want to take the next step at some point."

Dortmund have started the 2022-23 season with three wins and a defeat, leaving them a point off early pacesetters Bayern Munich and Union Berlin.

Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte has no doubt Son Heung-min will hit the goal trail soon, declaring the forward's temperament would even make him a perfect son-in-law.

Son shared the Premier League's Golden Boot award with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah last season but is yet to find the net in the 2022-23 campaign.

Harry Kane has instead been the main provider of Spurs' goals in their four games so far, and it was Kane's double that saw off Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Sunday.

Yet Conte has no concerns over Son, who he believes is the perfect example to his squad of an upstanding man.

"Sonny is a really sensible player. He's a top man, a really good guy. If I had to find a husband for my daughter, I would like it to be a person like him," Conte said in a news conference.

"In these moments maybe he's suffering a lot because he is not scoring, but he has to continue to trust in himself because in every game he has a chance to score.

"He has to be calm. We trust him. For sure he's a bit disappointed he's not scoring, but it's no problem for me. Son will always be part of my football vision."

Kane has now scored 201 league goals across his career, including 14 outside the top flight while on loan with Leicester City, Millwall and Leyton Orient.

He also matched Andy Cole on 187 Premier League strikes, becoming the joint third highest goalscorer in the competition's history, behind Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney.

The England captain could have had a hat-trick, but Forest goalkeeper Dean Henderson kept out a second-half penalty. 

Henderson has now conceded from just one of the five Premier League penalties he has faced, the best record of any goalkeeper to face at least five spot-kicks in the competition, and Conte refused to criticise Kane for failing to beat the Manchester United loanee.

"I think he didn't miss the penalty; it was a big, big save from the goalkeeper. It was an incredible save," Conte added.

Kane atoned for his failed spot-kick attempt, which ended his run of 15 consecutive spot-kicks scored in the league for Tottenham, with a stooping header to make it 2-0 in the 81st minute, with Spurs' big-money signing Richarlison supplying a fine cross to tee up his fellow forward.

Richarlison was the subject of a hefty challenge from Brennan Johnson soon after, with the Brazil attacker having frustrated Forest by performing kick-ups close to the touchline.

"I wouldn't want my players to do what Richarlison did. It wouldn't be accepted here," said Forest head coach Steve Cooper, though Conte defended his player, insisting Richarlison meant no disrespect.

Harry Kane expressed his pride after moving to joint-third in the Premier League's all-time goalscoring charts with a brace in Tottenham's entertaining win over Nottingham Forest.

Kane scored the 200th league goal of his career after just five minutes at the City Ground, and although he saw a second-half penalty saved by Dean Henderson, the England captain atoned by nodding home a late second to secure a 2-0 win.

In doing so, Kane joined Andy Cole on 187 Premier League goals. Only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) have now scored more in the competition's history.

Kane described that duo as two of the all-time greats as he looked to take his goalscoring exploits even further after firing Spurs to victory on Sunday.

"It's still a long way away, for sure, but I still feel fit, I feel I have many more years left in the locker," Kane told Sky Sports of Shearer's record.

"Every season I want to score goals, I want to be amongst those names, and I'm excited for the challenge.

"Alan and Wayne are two of the best strikers England have ever had so to even be in that category is nice for me. 

"But for sure, I want to keep pushing myself, see how far I can go, and so far it's been a good start to the season."

Kane's talismanic display followed another record-breaking performance last week, when he surpassed Sergio Aguero to become the highest Premier League goalscorer for a single club in a win over Wolves. 

Meanwhile, having taken 10 points from their first four Premier League games, Spurs have made their best start since they opened the 2009-10 campaign with four consecutive victories.

They have also gone unbeaten through their first four league matches for just the second time in 13 seasons. The last time they did so, in 2016-17, Mauricio Pochettino led them to a second-placed Premier League finish.

And Kane believes Antonio Conte's men are well placed to push for major honours, adding: "I'm not going to rule anything out, but also I know there's a lot of top, top teams in the Premier League and the Champions League.

"Of course, we're aiming to be successful and win something, as I've said for a long, long time now. We just can't get carried away," he added.

"We've started really well, we've got a great squad and a great manager. I can feel amongst the fans a lot of excitement, which is great, but it's a marathon, not a sprint.

"There's a lot of games to play and we've just got to make sure we keep knocking them off and when we're not playing well, keep winning games.

"Obviously we've still got a World Cup, so after the World Cup, we'll see where we're at and go from there."

Kane was assisted by Dejan Kulusevski for the opener before nodding home Richarlison's terrific outside-of-the-boot cross for his second, as the former Everton man impressed after replacing Son Heung-Min from the bench.

With Son failing to find the net this season despite Tottenham's impressive form, Kane hailed the newfound competition in their attack. 

"If you want to be a top team, you're going to have to compete for every position. I think that's what we've created with the squad that we have now," Kane added.

"Richie, whenever he's had an opportunity to play, whenever he's trained, he's done really, really well. He's biting at the bit to play. We have a lot of games coming up so we're going to need everyone.

"I know Sonny might be frustrated with not scoring yet this season, but Sonny's a really important player for us and if we're going to achieve anything this year, we need him to keep doing what he's doing, working for the team. He'll pop up with goals, no doubt.

"When players are maybe not quite at it, you need players from the bench to make an impact and Richie's doing that.

"I think we've got a fantastic manager, we've got a really strong squad. I think we're going to need that squad over the next period until the international break because we've got a game every three or four days.

"It's really important that players coming in who haven't quite started a lot of games yet are ready, but yeah, we're in a good place."

Cody Gakpo has claimed Manchester United "are a serious option" as the transfer window draws to a close.

The window shuts on Thursday, with United set to be one of the busier clubs.

Erik ten Hag's side are reportedly closing in on the signing of Ajax forward Antony, which could see them splash out £85million (€100m) on the 22-year-old.

Gakpo has also been mentioned as a target, with the winger – who plays for Ajax's rivals PSV – possessing a similar style to Antony.

On Sunday, Gakpo provided a timely reminder of his quality with two assists and a goal in a 6-1 rout of Excelsior, and subsequently suggested United are still interested in his services.

The 23-year-old also claimed United are one of several options, though he is not averse to staying at PSV.

"There are also other options, United are a serious option," he told ESPN. "I can hear it all. I try to shut myself off from it, but it's difficult.

"It's going to be hectic, I think. I can't say anything about it at the moment. As I said before, the whole picture has to be right. It is a puzzle and in the coming days I will see which puzzle fits best.

"For me it is certainly not a punishment to stay at PSV. I'll hear about it all in the coming days."

Asked if he had any thoughts on Antony's potential switch to United, Gakpo said: "It's nice for him, but it has no influence on me."

Harry Kane scored twice and missed a penalty as Tottenham maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a 2-0 win at Nottingham Forest. 

Kane finished beyond Dean Henderson to score the 200th league goal of his career early on, though Spurs were forced to withstand long periods of pressure as Forest produced a lively display.

Antonio Conte's team should have made the points safe when Steve Cook bizarrely handled on his own goal-line 55 minutes in, but Kane's spot-kick was well saved by Henderson to his right.

Yet Kane atoned as he nodded home Richarlison's cross in the 81st minute, making the Spurs striker the Premier League's joint-third highest goalscorer in the process. 

Tottenham needed just five minutes to hit the front through a swift counter-attack, as Kane took Dejan Kulusevski's pass in his stride before stroking into the bottom-left corner from 18 yards out. 

Kane was almost joined on the scoresheet by Son Heung-Min when he bent an effort over the bar 10 minutes later, before the England captain sent a low strike narrowly wide of the bottom-right corner.

But Forest gave as good as they got, going close through long-range efforts from Lewis O'Brien and Morgan Gibbs-White before the break.

Forest should have levelled when Ryan Yates headed Gibbs-White's cross narrowly wide, but were then indebted to Henderson for making his second penalty save of the season to deny Kane after Cook's handball.

However, the Manchester United loanee's heroics ultimately counted for nothing when Richarlison's outside-of-the-foot cross provided Kane with a simple finish to wrap up a win that marks Tottenham's best start to a season since 2009-10.

What does it mean? Solid Spurs keep up strong start

While Tottenham's early-season performances have not always been convincing, they have gone unbeaten through their first four Premier League games for just a second time in the last 13 years.

The last time Spurs did so (when picking up eight points in 2016-17), Mauricio Pochettino led them to a second-placed finish and their first defeat of the season came after 13 games. Their promising results will raise hopes Conte can lead them to a similar achievement this term.

Kane brings up another landmark

Having broken the Premier League's one-club goalscoring record against Wolves last week, Kane needed just five minutes to score his 200th league goal on Sunday, later recovering from a missed penalty to net for the 187th time in the Premier League.

It puts him joint third in the Premier League's all-time goalscoring charts, alongside Andy Cole. Only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) are now ahead of the England captain, who has scored against 31 of the 32 teams he has faced in the Premier League. Only Brentford have prevented him from finding the net, doing so twice.

Dejan-vu as Kulusevski creates again

Kulusevski made a valuable contribution to Spurs' successful bid for a top-four finish after arriving from Juventus in January, and the Sweden international has picked up where he left off this season.

After laying on the opener, the 22-year-old has two Premier League assists this season and 10 since his debut in February. No other player has teed up as many goals in the competition in that time.

What's next?

Tottenham face London rivals West Ham in their next Premier League outing on Wednesday, while Forest visit champions Manchester City.

Ajax head coach Alfred Schreuder has lamented "everything is about money", as winger Antony reportedly nears a move to Manchester United.

The Brazil international looks to be on the brink of moving to United, with the clubs reportedly close to agreeing a fee rumoured to be worth £85million (€100.1m).

United manager Erik ten Hag worked with him during his time as Ajax head coach, and the wide-man has been open in his desire to reunite with his former boss.

Antony went public about wanting the move in an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano, saying: "I'm not asking Ajax to release me.

"I'm asking Ajax to sell me with the highest bid ever for Eredivisie player. I've been insisting on this theme since February so that the club could rebuild the team with peace of mind.

"I was very happy in Amsterdam, I won titles at Ajax, made friends and built part of my career, but now I reinforce that I am ready and full of motivation to follow my story and my dreams."

The 22-year-old was left out of Ajax's squad for their 2-0 league win over Utrecht as it appears his wish to move looks close to coming to fruition, and Schreuder is disappointed with the situation.

After Sunday's victory, Schreuder told ESPN.nl: "Everything is about money. I think this is sad.

"But this is our world. It's very sad and I don't approve that these things at all."

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone will not be put off signing Sergio Reguilon as a replacement for Renan Lodi, despite the defender's affiliation with Real Madrid.

Spain international Reguilon is out of favour under Antonio Conte at Tottenham, and is seeking a move away prior to next Thursday's transfer deadline.

Atletico are reportedly eager to bring in the 25-year-old on an initial loan with a view to making the deal permanent at the end of the season.

Reguilon spent 15 years of his career on the books of Atletico's fierce rivals Real, where he emerged through the youth system and made 22 first-team appearances.

But as Atletico look to sign a full-back to replace Nottingham Forest-bound Lodi, Simeone pointed out his side have had success when recruiting former Los Blancos players in the past.

"The club's working on signing a replacement for Lodi – let's see what happens in the next four days of fun," Simeone said at a press conference ahead of Monday's trip to Valencia.

"Juanfran had previously played for Real Madrid, as had Filipe Luis – both are now part of the history of this club.

"Even today, Alvaro [Morata] is doing well; Mario [Hermoso] gave a lot to the title-winning squad two seasons ago. 

"[Marcos] Llorente was off the charts when we won the title. I look at all these as football players."

Reguilon, who spent the 2019-20 season on loan with Sevilla, made 67 appearances in his first two seasons with Spurs, but has not yet featured this campaign.

It has been the same story for Lodi, who has yet to play any minutes in the 2022-23 season, and is eager to move on with an eye on Brazil's World Cup 2022 squad.
 
"Renan wants to play continuously. Because of his situation, that is not happening," Simeone said. "He is looking for a club where he believes he can get that.

"There are people who like to compete and others who prefer to change teams to get the minutes that theoretically gets them in a better position for the World Cup."

Erling Haaland has vowed to become "even better" once he has fully settled in at Manchester City after scoring his first Premier League hat-trick.

The 22-year-old scored a couple of poacher's finishes before clinically completing his treble as City recovered from two goals down to beat Crystal Palace 4-2 on Saturday.

Haaland scored three Bundesliga hat-tricks for Borussia Dortmund before joining City last month and wasted no time in securing his first for the Premier League champions.

He is the fourth player to net at least six goals in his first four Premier League games, and the first to do so since Diego Costa netted seven for Chelsea in the 2014-15 season.

While Haaland has hit the ground running at the Etihad Stadium, the Norway international ominously warned there is more to come in a stark warning to defenders.

"Of course it takes time but I know it will come and get even better. It's not easy to come to a new club, a new country so it has been a good start," he said.

"It was a really good feeling to turn the game around. We had the mentality to trust each other and keep going.

"It's about trying to continue what we are doing. It was about small adjustments and we did that and got results. We had to listen to the manager."

The win over Palace marked the first time City have recovered from two goals down at half-time in a Premier League game at the 54th attempt.

A John Stones own goal and a Joachim Andersen header had put Palace in control.

But Bernardo Silva instigated City's latest comeback in the 53rd minute and Haaland took over with his 19-minute treble in just his second home outing for the club.

Now on six goals for the season, Haaland joked his next target is chasing down father Alfie's tally of 18 - scored with Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and City.

"It’s a proud moment for me and my family," Haaland said. "But my dad will probably say he had more goals in the Premier League than me so I will chase that."

Newcastle United were without club-record signing Alexander Isak and key man Bruno Guimaraes for Sunday's clash with Wolves.

Isak joined Newcastle in a £59million (€70m) deal from LaLiga side Real Sociedad on Friday.

However, the striker is not eligible to play for Eddie Howe's side against Wolves as he has not yet received a work permit, meaning he will have to wait for his Premier League debut.

Howe instead selected Chris Wood, who scored twice for Newcastle last season after signing from Burnley in January, to lead the line in the absence of Callum Wilson, who is out with a hamstring injury.

Newcastle are also without influential midfielder Guimaraes after the Brazil international sustained an injury in Wednesday's EFL Cup tie with Tranmere Rovers.

Guimaraes only came on as an 85th-minute substitute in that 2-1 comeback win.

Alfred Schreuder says there has been no change of stance at Ajax over Antony's future, with the Manchester United target again left out of their squad.

Antony missed last week's win over Sparta Rotterdam and on Sunday was absent once more as Ajax faced Utrecht. 

The Brazil forward is a target for United, who have reportedly had several bids turned down for the 22-year-old, with speculation on Friday claiming a £76million (€89.4m) offer was rejected.

In an interview with journalist Fabrizio Romano, Antony pleaded with Ajax to sell him for "the highest bid ever for a player in the Eredivisie", as he explained he had made his desire to leave clear to the club earlier in 2022.

Antony's public request has not seemingly had the desired impact just yet, with the Eredivisie champions said to be holding out for a fee of £85m (€100m).

Speaking to reporters prior to the Utrecht match, Ajax head coach Schreuder said: "The situation is the same. We discuss this internally, also with the player. 

"The situation has not changed. He [is] at the club, we talked about it."

Schreuder did, however, suggest Ajax are readying themselves for life without Antony, by adding: "I want to focus on the guys who will be there."

Brendan Rodgers has suggested wantaway Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana is on the verge of completing a move to Chelsea.

Leicester rejected three bids from their Premier League rivals for Fofana, but they have reportedly agreed to sell the centre-back for a fee of £75million.

The 21-year-old Frenchman was not included in the Foxes squad for a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on Saturday, as Rodgers says he was not in the right frame of mind to play any part.

Fofana has been training with Leicester's under-23 squad after making it clear he wants to join the London club before the transfer window closes on Sunday.

Rodgers has given a strong indication Fofana is close to getting his wish.

The Foxes boss said following the loss to 10-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge: "It's the same with any player. For me if they decide they want to move and see their future elsewhere it is better to have it done as quickly as you possibly can.

"You have to prepare a team and a group of players and you have to maybe replace that player. Every coach will tell you the same. It doesn't benefit anyone if it drags on. So we will see what happens over the weekend."

Rodgers added: "No doubt that when the window shuts everything calms down.

"We have been unable to add [to the squad] and there has been a lot of speculation about our top players so there is no doubt it has been difficult. But it will stop on Thursday and then we can move on but until then we have to keep fighting."

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel was tight-lipped over a move for Fofana, stating: "No, I can't tell you nothing about that."

Liverpool's hunt for midfield reinforcements is heating up, with the club reportedly investigating the possibility of bringing in Borussia Dortmund's England star Jude Bellingham in the January window.

As well as a Bellingham deal – which would likely have to exceed £100million – the Reds are also weighing up potential moves for Wolves' Ruben Neves and RB Leipzig's Konrad Laimer.

Football Insider is reporting Liverpool and Dortmund have reached a "verbal agreement" on a price for Bellingham, although the Bundesliga club has been consistent with their stance that they want to hold onto him for this season.

Laimer, on the other hand, only has one more year on his contract, and has told Leipzig he will not sign an extension, making him the most likely of the three to be on the move.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL LOOK AT LAIMER AND NEVES

Laimer, 25, is coming off a season with four goals and four assists in 26 Bundesliga games, and has shown he can produce against quality opposition, with a goal and two assists from his home and away fixtures against Bayern Munich.

The 90min report believes Laimer may be angling for a move to the Bundesliga champions after proving himself against them, but Liverpool could try and take him to Anfield.

Meanwhile, Wolves have been able to fend off interest for Neves from fellow Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Arsenal, but with two years left on his deal, now would be the time to cash in if his long-term future is not at Molineux.

ROUND UP

– The Mirror are reporting if Antony leaves Ajax , the Eredivisie champions will try to land Aston Villa's Anwar El Ghazi as a replacement.

– According to Sky Sports, Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka has told the club he wants to be sold to Manchester   United .

– The Sun claims Chelsea are considering terminating Ross Barkley's contract, which pays him £200,000 per week.

– Barcelona are working on moves for Bernardo Silva and Marcos Alonso , according to the Daily Mail. 

– talkSPORT report  West Ham are in talks with Adnan Januzaj to bring the 27-year-old back to the Premier League, as he is available on a free transfer after leaving Real Sociedad.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could not be certain Cristiano Ronaldo will still be at the club after next week's transfer deadline.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford a year ago and, although he finished the 2021-22 season as United's top scorer with 18 Premier League goals, he could not prevent the club having a dreadful campaign.

United registered their worst points tally in Premier League history and failed to record a positive goal difference for the first time in over 30 years.

As a result, United comfortably missed out on Champions League qulification for this season, which seemed to be the root of widespread pre-season reports suggesting Ronaldo wanted to leave.

He was linked with several clubs, including Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Napoli and Atletico Madrid, but no move materialised and he eventually linked up with Ten Hag's squad towards the end of pre-season after missing their tour of Australia and Thailand.

Although there are reportedly no clubs currently interested in him, uncertainty stoked by press speculation continues to cloud Ronaldo's future; and while Ten Hag says he wants the Portugal striker to stay, he was hardly convincing when asked if that will be the case.

Speaking following Saturday's 1-0 win at Southampton, during which Ronaldo endured an error-strewn second-half cameo, Ten Hag said: "We plan with him. So we want him to stay. So that is what we want."

Ten Hag was then asked if Ronaldo would definitely remain if he wanted him to stay, and the Dutchman looked unsure as he hesitated to answer.

With something of a shrug, he replied: "I hope so."

The transfer window closes on Thursday, and United are expected to be active in the market before then.

Ajax's Antony and Cody Gakpo of PSV are the two attackers who have been most prominently linked with United in recent weeks, with the former publicly pleading for his club to sell him on Friday.