Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has confirmed via social media he suffered a jaw injury at the hands of burglars on Sunday.

Aubameyang has been linked to a move to Premier League side Chelsea before Thursday's transfer deadline, but it remains to be seen whether this injury affects any potential deal.

It is reported that Aubameyang was assaulted by a group of armed intruders, who threatened his wife and two children, with The Times claiming the former Arsenal forward had been held at gunpoint.

Aubameyang confirmed the injury through social media, saying via Twitter: "On Sunday night, some violent cowards broke into our home and threatened my family and my children, just to steal some stuff.

"They injured my jaw but I will recover in no time, and thank God no one else was physically harmed.

"The feeling that we are no longer safe in our own home is hard to understand and describe, but as a family, we will overcome this and stand stronger than ever."

The jury in Ryan Giggs' trial has been discharged after failing to reach verdicts in the former Manchester United winger's domestic violence trial.

Giggs had been on trial at Manchester Crown Court for four weeks after he was accused of assaulting his former girlfriend Kate Greville, causing actual bodily harm, and using controlling and coercive behaviour against her from August 2017 to November 2020.

The ex-Wales international and manager was also charged with the common assault of Ms Greville's younger sister, Emma.

Giggs, who resigned as Wales boss in June, denied all charges laid against him.

A jury of 12 was sent out to consider its verdicts last week, before one member was discharged due to illness.

Judge Hilary Manley on Tuesday stated she would accept verdicts on which at least 10 of the 11 jurors agreed, but they were unable to agree verdicts on any of the charges after deliberating for 22 hours and 59 minutes.

Giggs will discover on September 7 whether he will face a retrial.

 

Juventus youngster Nicolo Rovella has joined fellow Serie A side Monza on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 20-year-old midfielder had been used as a late substitution in each of Juve's opening three league games this campaign.

However, the Bianconeri announced on Wednesday that Rovella will now link up with Monza for the next nine months.

Italy Under-21 international Rovella was signed by Juventus in a deal worth a reported €20million in January 2021 and remained with Genoa for the second half of last season.

He has made 46 appearances in the Italian top flight, 29 of those being starts, and has assisted five goals.

Roma have completed the signing of Olympiacos midfielder Mady Camara on a season-long loan deal with the option to buy.

The Guinea international is the seventh arrival at the Stadio Olimpico during this transfer window, following in the footsteps of Nemanja Matic, Mile Svilar, Zeki Celik, Paulo Dybala, Georginio Wijnaldum and Andrea Belotti.

Camara, who will wear the number 20 for the Giallorossi, spent four seasons with Olympiacos, winning three league titles.

The 25-year-old was linked with a host of clubs across Europe in this window but is now looking forward to his new challenge with Roma.

"I am very happy to be here," Camara told the club's official website. "Roma represents a great opportunity for me.

"It will be a challenging season, between cups and the league, but I am here to give my contribution and help the team in every competition in which we participate.

"Seeing the Olimpico and the Giallorossi fans was magnificent; I can't wait to play for them."

Camara could make his Roma debut when the Giallorossi travel to Udinese in Serie A on Sunday.

James Rodriguez says he would walk from Qatar to Valencia in order to join the LaLiga club.

The Colombia international only joined Al-Rayyan from Everton last September, but is eager for another move before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

James is contracted to the Stars League side until June 2024, but the former Real Madrid playmaker wants to link up with Valencia's new signing Edinson Cavani for another spell in Spain.

Speaking to El Chiringuito on Twitch, the 31-year-old said: "If it were up to me, I would go there [Valencia] on foot. But if I went on foot I would arrive late because then the transfer market closes.

"Seriously, it's a great club with a good fan base and now Cavani has arrived too. If they want someone to assist Cavani, I'm there."

Uruguay striker Cavani completed a move to Valencia this week as a free agent after his Manchester United contract expired.

RedBird Capital Partners on Wednesday completed a €1.2billion takeover of Serie A champions Milan.

It was confirmed in June that RedBird had agreed a deal to acquire Milan from Elliott.

The American private investment firm is now officially the owner of the Rossoneri, with Yankee Global Enterprises (YGE), the owner of the New York Yankees, entering into strategic partnership and acquiring a minority equity stake in the club.

Gerry Cardinale, RedBird founder and managing partner, said: "Our vision for Milan is clear: we will support our talented players, coaches and staff to deliver success on the pitch and allow our fans to share in the extraordinary experiences of this historic club. 

"We will look to leverage our global sports and media network, our analytics expertise, our track record in sports stadium developments and hospitality to deliver one goal – maintaining Milan’s place at the summit of European and world football."

RedBird’s portfolio of global sports and entertainment investments includes Fenway Sports Group (the owner of Liverpool, the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Penguins), Ligue 1 club Toulouse and Indian Premier League franchise the Rajasthan Royals.

On the partnership with YGE, Cardinale said: "We have a multi-decade relationship with the New York Yankees and the Steinbrenner family that has resulted in the creation of some of the most successful businesses in sports, entertainment and hospitality. 

"We are very pleased to continue our partnership with them and will look to explore opportunities together to broaden our fan reach and expand commercial opportunities that are only available to franchises that operate at the highest levels of sports globally."

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has revealed his surprise at the departure of former team-mate Casemiro to Manchester United.

The Brazil international ended his nine-year stay at the Santiago Bernabeu when he swapped LaLiga for the Premier League earlier this month for a reported fee of £60million (€70m).

Casemiro, who made his United debut as a substitute during Saturday's 1-0 win at Southampton, enjoyed a trophy-laden stint alongside Kroos in the heart of Los Blancos' midfield.

Together, they won four Champions League crowns and two league titles, and the 30-year-old's decision to leave the Spanish capital was one that came out of the blue, according to Kroos.

 

Speaking on his podcast Einfach mal Luppen, Kroos said: "The decision surprised me to do that. He has made the decision for himself to do something new again.

"He's 30 and knows for sure that he won't need to do that in two or three years. There were more and more reports, it somehow got hotter.

"In the beginning, I would not have expected it at all, I thought it was just a rumour at first. But there are one or two newspapers here that are a bit better informed.

"As more and more people reported and talked about details, I was awake at three or four o'clock at night when I was sick. Then I just wrote to him [asking] if he would really leave me alone."

Wolves have bolstered their attack with the arrival of striker Sasa Kalajdzic from Stuttgart.

The Austria international has put pen to paper on a five-year contract at Molineux, with the option to extend for an additional 12 months.

Kalajdzic becomes Wolves' fifth signing of this transfer window after Hwang Hee-chan, Nathan Collins, Goncalo Guedes and Matheus Nunes.

The 6ft 7in forward, who netted 23 goals in 57 league games for Stuttgart, is looking to testing himself in the Premier League. 

"I'm really thankful and really happy to be here. It was the club that wanted me the most in the end," Kalajdzic told the club's official website.

"In my career, at my age, it's important to feel where the next step is and, in the end, I had the feeling Wolverhampton is the best step for my development.

"Everyone tells me the Premier League is the toughest league; it's the NBA of football. I'm just excited to prove myself against the best, because in this league, the best players are playing."

Wolves are seeking their first league win of the season when they travel to Bournemouth on Wednesday, while Kalajdzic could make his debut when Bruno Lage's side welcome Southampton this weekend.

Paulo Dybala's fine performances for Roma are good news for Argentina with the 2022 World Cup on the horizon, according to Jose Mourinho.

Two goals from Dybala against Monza on Tuesday – his first for Roma – fired the Giallorossi to the top of the Serie A table with a 3-0 win.

The forward, signed from Juventus in this transfer window, had not scored more than once in a Serie A match since April 2018.

But this brace took Dybala to 100 goals in the competition for his career; he is only the eighth player since 2004-05 to pass 100 goals and 50 assists.

Roma coach Mourinho is working to ensure Dybala remains in top condition, having started all four matches so far this season but been substituted in each of them.

Dybala never started 30 league games in a single season for Juve, too often beset by injury problems that also impacted his international career.

In this form, Dybala will have a key role for Argentina in Qatar in November, so Mourinho is expecting gratitude from Albiceleste coach Lionel Scaloni.

"In the other games, he couldn't quite pull off the things he wanted to at times, but he never showed the wrong attitude," Mourinho said of Dybala after the Monza game. "Great.

"For me, there can be times when a talented player helps his side but he's also a bit isolated from it.

"But with us, Paulo is a great talent who also plays for and with the team. Right now, when it comes to the defensive side of the game, he's doing a great job for us – and that's not something that he was born to do.

"When he came off today, he said to me: 'Boss, if I carried on I would have got my third.' I told him: 'Get it against Udinese instead!'

"It's important to manage him a bit, because he has had a bit of bad luck with injuries in the past and he did not play a huge amount last season. Right now, his levels are improving.

"For us, he’s great, and I can already see what is going to happen in Qatar. Maybe the Argentina coach should offer us a bottle of wine."

Dybala has scored only three goals in 34 caps for Argentina; he has started just one match at a major tournament and was restricted to 77 minutes in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

Chelsea are looking to make another massive long-term investment, with reports they are aggressively moving for 20-year-old RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol in a deal that would cost £77.4million (€90m).

Gvardiol, who has 10 senior international caps for Croatia to his name, has established himself as one of the most exciting young defenders in Germany.

He has been linked to a host of elite clubs, but Chelsea appear to be at the front of the queue and would allow the centre-back to stay at Leipzig until next year.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA PLAN ANOTHER CENTRE-BACK SPLURGE FOR GVARDIOL

The Stamford Bridge club have made a number of big defensive signings in this window, with Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella set to be followed by Wesley Fofana.

Koulibaly is 31, though, and has joined veteran Thiago Silva at the heart of the defence, explaining why Chelsea may already be looking at a succession plan.

Fabrizio Romano says the Blues are "in advanced talks" with Leipzig over a deal that would be completed now but only see Gvardiol make the move in 2023.

ROUND-UP

– PSV forward Cody Gakpo appears destined for the Premier League, with The Telegraph reporting Everton, Leeds United and Southampton are all interested in a player believed to be valued around £30m.

– The Telegraph has named a list of potential Fulham targets, including former Chelsea winger Willian, Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa, Roma winger Justin Kluivert and Marseille forward Bamba Dieng

– The Daily Mail is reporting Brighton and Hove Albion are investigating a move for Billy Gilmour, although Chelsea's lack of depth in midfield could complicate matters.

– Aston Villa forward Douglas Luiz has some high-profile admirers, with Matheus Leal reporting Liverpool have submitted a £20m bid, and The Telegraph adds Atletico Madrid are also prepared to make the same offer.

Leicester City are negotiating a deal for their potential Fofana replacement in 24-year-old Reims centre-back Wout Faes, believed to be worth £17.2m, according to the Daily Mail.

Jamaica international Andre Blake insists will be business as usual but acknowledges the significance of the moment as he prepares to make a 200th appearance for Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise.

Should the player make the starting line-up, as expected, against Atlanta United on Wednesday it should mark his 200th appearance for the club, the second most in franchise history and most for a goalkeeper.

The goalkeeper was the first overall signing of the Union in the 2014 MLS Superdraft and 9 years later has gone on to be one of the club's most consistent and recognizable players.  The goalkeeper who led the team to the MLS Supporters Shield in 2020 and second place in the U.S Open cup in 2014, 2015, and 2016 was also named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2016 and 2020.

“In a sense, it’s just another number, just another game,” Blake told the Daily Times. “That’s what keeps me humble. But in another sense, it’s a great achievement. You’d have to be in the league for quite a number of years to be able to have 200 starts. It’s a big deal, obviously, but it’s how you look at it. I’m very happy for that moment, but the show must go on.”

Blake has recovered from an early tumultuous spell in 2015 after injuring his right then his left knee.

Inter head coach Simone Inzaghi was proud of his team's "mature" performance after they ran out 3-1 winners over Cremonese at San Siro on Tuesday.

Joaquin Correa and Nicolo Barella scored first half goals to set them on the way to victory and Lautaro Martinez added a third with a precise finish, before David Okereke netted a late consolation.

The win for Inter is a positive response after they were beaten 3-1 by Lazio on Friday, and three points move them into second above rivals Milan, who they face on Saturday.

Inzaghi was pleased with his side's response to the defeat against Lazio, telling DAZN: "I am very happy, we won a difficult match against a team that collected less than they deserved.

"We have one point more than last year, the condition is improving, we know that we will face many matches, we must definitely improve.

"We were criticised after the match against Lazio, against a very strong team, but there was a lot of noise about this defeat, but today we played a mature game."

When questioned on the significance of moving above Milan ahead of Saturday's derby, Inzaghi replied: "It means nothing.

"It seems to me too early to look at the standings. Tonight I saw the reaction of a mature team."

Stefano Pioli criticised Milan after a poor performance resulted in a goalless draw with Sassuolo, but the head coach expects better in Saturday's derby against Inter.

The Rossoneri have two wins and two draws in the first four games of their Serie A title defence, though the display on Tuesday away at Sassuolo left much to be desired.

Pioli's side were far from their best, perhaps fortunate to share the spoils after Mike Maignan was required to save a Domenico Berardi penalty in the first half.

Having missed a chance to collect three points, Milan opened the door for Inter, Roma and Napoli to leapfrog them in the early stages of the 2022-23 Scudetto race.

Fierce rivals Inter are next up for Pioli and the Milan coach acknowledged there must be an improvement on this latest showing.

"It was not a Milan of quality, technique or decision-making," Pioli said. "We played football that was too frenetic, we weren't able to read the game and this made it complicated.

"It made it dirty, ruffled and with little rhythm. We struggled to find spaces. We started well, I liked the beginning very much, then we lost calmness and we were in too much of a hurry in the search for the opponent's goal.

"I have already seen the players, they have spoken more. We lacked quality and calmness, they are aware and it is important. I think that the next matches will be different."

Asked whether preparations were different due to the looming clash with Inter, Pioli added: "We recovered after [Saturday's 2-0 win over] Bologna and tried to prepare for the game well from a tactical point of view.

"Saying something to the team for the derby will be easy. It is a derby, the rivalry is high and we know how much the result can weigh and we will prepare for it in the best possible way."

Fast-paced play and a never-say-die attitude characterised Milan's route to Scudetto glory last season – a facet that was largely missing against Sassuolo.

Milan's championship-winning season has changed the way Pioli's side are judged, and the coach urged his players to rise to that challenge.

Pioli said: "Our expectations have increased and we have to hold them up, but that's right, it's a privilege."

Jurgen Klopp jokingly ordered his Liverpool players to pay him as much attention as they paid Steve Kerr when the Golden State Warriors coach visited the Reds' training ground.

Kerr won five NBA championships as a player and has been crowned a winner four times as a coach, with the Warriors defeating the Boston Celtics to claim victory in the 2022 NBA Finals.

The American also guided Golden State to 73 wins in the 2015-16 season, breaking the record for the most wins in an NBA campaign.

Kerr took the chance to visit Liverpool's Kirkby base during his off-season, meeting the players and coaching staff after he watched over their training session.

While coaching methods and man-management styles may have been expected to be discussed, Klopp revealed no such conversations took place between the two top bosses.

"We didn't have this kind of conversation, to be honest," Klopp said, when asked if there was a coaching element to their talks. "We had a very private conversation."

Klopp's players, who play Newcastle United on Wednesday, were so awestruck in the presence of Kerr that their German boss hoped they could show as much interest when he addresses them.

"A fantastic guy. It was a pleasure to meet him," Klopp said. "I took a picture when he spoke to a couple of the players and said to the boys, 'If you looked one time as concentrated when I talk to you, it would be really cool'.

"I told him what we were doing. The training grounds for football and basketball look slightly different and he liked everything that he saw.

"The one moment I was really, really happy I didn't become a basketball coach was when he said he has to do press every day. Wow. That would be a killer. But he has a four-month break."

Klopp added: "He is one of the greatest in the game – absolutely outstanding. You can be seen as big as you want in public. Smart people stay still, are very grounded and are just good people. It was a real pleasure to meet them."

Paris Saint-Germain have signed midfielder Fabian Ruiz from Napoli.

Fabian has agreed a five-year deal with the Ligue 1 champions, becoming their fifth new recruit in the transfer window following the arrivals of Vitinha, Renato Sanches, Nordi Mukiele and Hugo Ekitike.

The Spain international has ended a four-season stay at Napoli, where he lifted the 2019-20 Coppa Italia, as he moves to the French capital for a reported initial €21.5million fee.

Fabian said: "I'm very happy to sign for Paris Saint-Germain. It's a joy for me to start this new stage of my career in this country.

"And I'm proud to come to one of the best clubs in Europe with the best players in the world. It's a truly exciting challenge."

The 26-year-old scored seven goals and provided four assists as Napoli finished third in Serie A last season, completing more passes (1,966) than any other Partenopei player in the competition.

Since he joined Napoli in 2018, only Dries Mertens and Ruslan Malinovskyi (both 15) have scored more goals from outside the penalty area in Serie A than Fabian (13).

His arrival to bolster the PSG midfield, along with Portugal duo Sanches and Vitinha, comes after Christophe Galtier allowed Georginio Wijnaldum to join Roma.

Fabian's exit represents another blow for Napoli after the departures of key trio Mertens, Lorenzo Insigne and Kalidou Koulibaly.

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