Wolves have been dealt a blow ahead of the upcoming Premier League season after star striker Raul Jimenez was ruled out for "a number of weeks" with knee and adductor injuries.

Jimenez, who returned to first-team football 12 months ago after a fractured skull saw him sit out the majority of the 2020-21 campaign, is reportedly likely to miss at least a month of action after limping out of a 3-0 friendly win over Besiktas.

"Raul came off in the game against Besiktas after he stretched for the ball and felt something in his knee and his groin," an update on the club's official website revealed. 

"Scans reveal that he has suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his knee and a minor strain of his adductor. Neither injury is very serious but he is expected to be out for a number of weeks."

The 31-year-old's setback is a blow ahead of a season that will also see him feature in the World Cup in Qatar, where Mexico will face Poland, Argentina and Saudi Arabia in Group C.

Jimenez, a key man in Mexico's attack, has 30 goals in 97 appearances for El Tri, a tally bettered only by six players in their history – led by ex-Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez with 52.

The injury represents a blow for Wolves, who are now set to begin the season without a recognised centre forward after loaning youngster Fabio Silva to Anderlecht.

Jimenez has scored 40 Premier League goals since moving to Molineux in 2018, over twice as many as Wolves' next most prolific player in that time - Diogo Jota with 16.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOP STORY – DE JONG DECISION OVER ENGLISH SUITORS

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

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

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

ROUND-UP

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

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

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

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

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

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

West Ham have completed the signing of Gianluca Scamacca, with the Italy striker arriving from Sassuolo.

The Hammers have reportedly agreed to pay an initial £30.5million (€36m) plus £5m in add-ons for the 23-year-old, who scored 16 goals in 36 Serie A appearances last season and has signed a five-year contract at West Ham, with an option for a further year.

Only five players - Ciro Immobile (27), Dusan Vlahovic (24), Lautaro Martinez (21), Giovanni Simeone and Tammy Abraham (both 17) - bettered that return, with Scamacca averaging a goal every 134.63 minutes.

He also converted 70.59 per cent of his big chances last term, a figure only bettered by Gianluca Caprari (83.33) and Vlahovic (73.91) among players to hit double figures, and Scamacca will hope to aid West Ham's chances of breaking into the Premier League's top six.

"I am really excited to join West Ham. I've waited a long time for this moment – it's been a dream to play in the Premier League," Scamacca said in a club statement. 

"I feel like West Ham is the perfect team for me. They showed they really wanted me and when I spoke to the manager there was an instant understanding.  

"I can't wait to play and show the supporters what I can do in the West Ham shirt – I hope we will love each other." 

David Moyes' side ended another promising campaign in seventh last time out, also reaching the Europa League semi-finals one year on from a sixth-placed finish.

Scamacca, who has won seven caps for Italy since making his international bow last year, emerged as a hot property last campaign and was linked with a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain before West Ham made their move.

He will join a West Ham attack that scored 60 league goals last term, as Jarrod Bowen (12) and Michail Antonio 10) both reached double figures.

"We've been looking to add more strength to our attacking options for a while, so we're delighted to have got Gianluca in," said Moyes. 

"He comes really well recommended – and we're looking forward to working with him. He's a young centre-forward with a really bright future ahead of him." 

West Ham begin their 2022-23 Premier League season at home to champions Manchester City on August 7.

Cristiano Ronaldo joining Atletico Madrid from Manchester United is "practically impossible", according to the Spanish club's president Enrique Cerezo. 

Rumours have persisted for the entirety of the transfer window that the former Real Madrid man wants out of Old Trafford after just one season back in Manchester, with the Red Devils having failed to qualify for the 2022-23 Champions League. 

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, 37, has been linked with a host of top European clubs, including Chelsea and Bayern Munich, while more recent reports speculated that he could make a switch to Atletico. 

But that looks to have been put to bed by Cerezo, who told COPE: "I don't know who invented this story about Cristiano Ronaldo to Atletico Madrid. 

"It's definitely not true. It is practically impossible for him to come to Atletico Madrid." 

Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes were at United's training ground on Tuesday for crunch talks over his future. 

Atletico will face off against United in a pre-season friendly on Saturday as they build up to the 2022-23 season. 

Raphinha has thanked Marcelo Bielsa for setting him on the road to stardom with Barcelona and Brazil after their time working together at Leeds United.

Tricky winger Raphinha's form for Leeds in the 2021-22 campaign in particular earned him his first caps for Brazil and ultimately led to a big-money switch to Barcelona this month.

The 25-year-old contributed to 29 Premier League goals for Leeds – five more than any team-mate – with his goal involvements helping to keep them in the division last season.

Across his 19 months in England's top flight, only Tottenham's Son Heung-min (131) created more chances than Raphinha's tally of 129, highlighting his creativity.

Raphinha thrived in Bielsa's physically demanding system, and also impressed under the Argentine coach's successor Jesse Marsh in the back end of the previous campaign.

Having now cemented his place in the Brazil squad ahead of the World Cup, and hit the ground running with new club Barca, Raphinha remains indebted to Bielsa.

"He is a coach who helped me a lot from the first moment I arrived at Leeds," Raphinha told Mundo Deportivo. 

"He always demands more, always demands maximum performance. He helped me get to the national team and helped me get to Barca. 

"If it wasn't for his teachings, as a group or individually, I probably wouldn't be here."

Raphinha spent only one season at Sporting CP and Rennes before heading to Leeds in October 2020.

Now at a fourth club in as many years, the Porto Alegre native has already made himself a fan favourite with his winning goal in this week's friendly against Real Madrid.

"I hope it'll be the first of many Clasico goals," Raphinha said. "Being a Clasico, it gave me a unique sensation, one that's difficult to explain. It made me very happy."

Christian Eriksen revealed Erik ten Hag's brand of football was a major factor behind his desire to join Manchester United, as he targets World Cup duty with Denmark.

Eriksen arrived at United on a three-year deal this month, having impressed during a short-term spell at Brentford as he made his comeback from suffering a cardiac arrest at the European Championship in June of last year.

Several sides expressed an interest in the midfielder – including his old club Tottenham – but Eriksen decided to link up with another former Ajax favourite in new United boss Ten Hag.

United have impressed in pre-season as Ten Hag bids to implement a more proactive style of play at Old Trafford, and the playmaker is relishing the prospect of turning out for the Dutchman's new-look team.

Asked how influential Ten Hag was in his decision to join United, Eriksen told the club's website: "Very. I want to come here to play football, I didn't come just for the logo itself.

"To speak with the manager, and hear his ideas and have conversations with him on football terms, was great for me to get the decision of coming to Manchester United.

"I think, with the idea of the manager coming in and the ideas he had, and also with my conversations with him, I could see myself playing football in Manchester.

"I think my style of play hopefully fits in his ideas, and it's hopefully something that will connect in a good and positive way. So of course, this style of football, I think it suits me.

"At the same time, it's a very, very big club – if not the biggest. It has a big history, and it's a nice feeling to be part of something that is that big in history.

"The only aim is to go as high as possible and see where it takes us, the aim is definitely to win something."

Eriksen scored one goal and added four assists in 11 Premier League appearances for Brentford, creating 30 chances after making his Bees debut in March, a tally bettered only by Martin Odegaard (38) and Kevin De Bruyne (42) throughout the division.

Meanwhile, since Eriksen made his Premier League bow for Tottenham in September 2013, only De Bruyne (85) has racked up more than his 66 assists in the competition – despite the Dane spending 18 months at Inter and a further half-season out of the game.

Having left Spurs for the Serie A giants in January 2020, Eriksen doubted whether he would return to the Premier League, but he remains grateful for Brentford's role in his comeback.

He said: "I think from my career path, before my incident in the Euros, I wasn't planning to go back to the UK at all. To sit here is definitely something I didn't expect.

"Back then, I wanted to try something new and left Spurs after more than seven years. I went to Italy and it started off tough but ended up being a very, very good place."

Asked about his time with Thomas Frank's Bees, Eriksen added: "I'm forever grateful for what they did. They showed they cared from day one, for wanting me back and being able to give me the stage to perform."

Eriksen also made an emotional return to international football in March, scoring with his first touch in Denmark's defeat to the Netherlands.

With Kasper Hjulmand's team preparing for a World Cup campaign in Qatar later this year, Eriksen says featuring at the tournament for a third time remains an ambition.

"From when I did my rehab last year, that was the aim. The dream was obviously to be back and in condition to go to the World Cup if I could," Eriksen said. "It's something I think we all dream about, playing in the World Cup. It's something that you keep with you forever."

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said that goalkeeper Alisson is nearing a return from injury, though he will not feature in the Reds' friendly with Salzburg on Wednesday.

The Brazil international suffered an abdominal injury in his side's pre-season match with Manchester United two weeks ago, but he is now close to being back between the sticks.

It comes at a good time for Liverpool, with a game on Saturday against Manchester City in the Community Shield at Wembley rapidly approaching.

Klopp's squad update came ahead of the game with Salzburg, who have already started their league season with a victory and sit top of the table after the opening round of fixtures.

"The season in Austria started already so they are obviously at a completely different stage to us. We will feel that," Klopp told the club's website.

"We have three days later our big starting game of the season [v City]. So, of course we will have to make changes. 

"This afternoon is an important session as well; in this moment I don’t know who can take part in it. We need to have a look and we will play the game. It’s pre-season so we have to get through it and then we have to deal with it.

"Obviously Diogo [Jota] is not here, that's clear, but from the boys who are injured but are here, [Alisson] is the closest – definitely not for Salzburg but then we will see. He is close to getting back I think."

The former Borussia Dortmund head coach was also asked whether players would play 90 minutes in the Community Shield, to which Klopp replied: "That’s not a problem with the Saturday game.

"This pre-season we had to do slightly different and we wanted to do as well. All of them will play for the first time 90 minutes on Saturday, all of them. But that’s how we did the training.

"For City, it’s not really different, they came back from America probably yesterday or something like that. So it will be a tough one."

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United's training ground on Tuesday as the superstar forward looked to resolve his future.

The 37-year-old was accompanied by his agent, Jorge Mendes, and it was anticipated there would be talks with new manager Erik ten Hag.

Former United boss Alex Ferguson was also seen arriving at the Carrington training HQ, Sky Sports News said, and it was not immediately clear if the Scot's appearance was connected to Ronaldo's presence.

Ferguson has been one of the most influential figures in Ronaldo's career, signing him from Sporting CP in 2003 and nurturing his talent until Real Madrid prised the Portuguese away six years later.

Ronaldo missed United's tour of Thailand and Australia and, as of Tuesday morning, had yet to take part in any pre-season team training sessions, with that being put down to family reasons.

He is thought to have asked for a move away from Old Trafford and has been training in Portugal.

United cannot offer Ronaldo the prospect of Champions League football in the season ahead after last term's disappointing sixth-place finish in the Premier League.

That has been portrayed as a key reason for Ronaldo considering a future away from United, less than a year after he began a second spell with the Red Devils.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner called time on his Juventus career to rejoin United, who were then under the leadership of his former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Now former Ajax boss Ten Hag is at the helm and has made it clear he wants Ronaldo to stay at the club.

Ronaldo scored 18 Premier League goals last season – only Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (both 23) netted more. He scored 24 goals in all competitions to finish as United's leading scorer, with 14 more than next-best Bruno Fernandes. No other United player reached double figures.

Ten Hag said last week that Ronaldo figured firmly in his plans.

"It is clear – he is not for sale," Ten Hag said while in Australia. "I planned with having him and I am looking forward to working with him. I am well-informed he also has an option [for a further season]."

United have just two more friendlies to go, against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano next weekend, before kicking off their Premier League campaign on August 7.

Atletico have been among the teams linked with a possible move for Ronaldo, who reportedly turned down a lucrative offer to join an unnamed team in Saudi Arabia.

Liverpool youngster Luke Chambers has signed a new deal with the Premier League side.

The 18-year-old started Liverpool's recent friendly defeat to Manchester United in Bangkok and was a second-half substitute against Crystal Palace in Singapore.

He signed his first professional deal last year and has now extended those terms, though Liverpool did not announce how long the new contract will run.

Chambers, who can play left-back or centre-back, has been a part of the Reds' academy since the age of six and regularly captained the Under-18 side last season, and was part of the England squad that won the European Under-19 Championship in Trnava earlier this month.

Manchester United midfielder Fred believes Erik ten Hag is "building something great" at Old Trafford, as the Brazilian targets a "flying" start to the upcoming Premier League campaign.

United won each of their first three friendlies under Ten Hag before ending their tour of Asia and Australia with a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.

Having recorded their worst ever Premier League points tally (58) and defensive record (57 goals conceded) last term, results appear to be looking up for the Red Devils, for whom a 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool represents the high point of pre-season to date.

Fred has started all four friendlies as Ten Hag looks to implement a positive style of play at Old Trafford, and was effusive in his praise of the team's off-season work.

"I believe the team spirit is getting stronger," the Brazilian told the club's website. "We're working hard this pre-season so we can be flying when the league starts, that's the priority.

"We're building something great here, I hope it all works out over the season.

"Of course, there's a lot of quality with the young players, they've been impressing the manager as well.

"They've been great in training and in matches during this pre-season. I hope they can help us, the older players look to help them to settle into the team as well. Hopefully they can do great things with us in the future."

Only six United players – among them Cristiano Ronaldo, David de Gea and Harry Maguire – played more Premier League minutes than Fred last term (2,035 across 28 games), and the 29-year-old also recorded his best ever goals and assists tallies (both four) in the competition.

But Fred says he is content with playing the role of "piano carrier" next term – a common Brazilian phrase for those who allow others to thrive through their defensive work.

"Last season, I played a bit further forward under Ralf [Rangnick], he gave me a bit more freedom to get in the box to score and assist," Fred added.

"We'll see what Erik asks of me now, he may want me more in the build-up of play.

"As I just said, regardless of scoring, I want to help my team-mates. I want to carry the piano on the pitch for them to score and help the team.

"The most important thing is that we achieve our goals to take us as far as possible."

Leicester City are yet to receive any offers for Youri Tielemans despite reported interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, according to club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.

Belgium international Tielemans has been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium after entering the final 12 months of his contract with Leicester, for whom he made 32 Premier League appearances last term.

The midfielder has recorded 120 league outings for the Foxes since joining – initially on loan – in January 2019, a tally only bettered by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (127) during that time.

Meanwhile, only Harvey Barnes (24) and James Maddison (19) have bettered Tielemans' 18 league assists for the side since his arrival from Monaco, and only four Leicester players have managed more than his 18 league goals.

Tielemans' creativity has seen him linked with Arsenal and Manchester United, the latter as a potential alternative to Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, but Srivaddhanaprabha says Leicester are yet to receive any concrete proposals.

"It's nothing. There haven't been any offers yet. There hasn't been anything concrete or a proposition yet," he said at the launch of an artificial pitch in Thailand.

Meanwhile, having finished an underwhelming 2021-22 Premier League season in eighth position, Brendan Rodgers' side are yet to sign a single player during the transfer window.

But Srivaddhanaprabha pledged reinforcements will arrive in due course, adding: "Premier League football is one of the focal points for the King Power Group. You may see that the reinforcement is quite slow, this is because the market is changing quite quickly. You have to wait until the end of August. I think there is still time."