Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Casemiro is closing in on a transfer to Manchester United, with the Real Madrid midfielder wanting a fresh challenge.

News broke on Thursday that United were confident of striking a deal for the 30-year-old, who has been a mainstay of Madrid's midfield in recent years.

It has been widely reported that a fee in the region of £51million (€60m) has been agreed for the Brazil international, with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £59.4m (€70m).

Casemiro trained with Real Madrid's squad on Friday ahead of Saturday's LaLiga game against Celta Vigo, but in his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti confirmed a transfer is in the works.

He said: "We've spoken this morning, he wants to try a new challenge, a new opportunity. I understand this, also the club does.

"Because of what he has done in this club, his desire and due to everything he has done for this team, we need to be respectful of this.

"There are negotiations between the clubs, he is still a Real Madrid player but it looks like he is now willing to depart. If he is departing we have a lot of resources to replace him."

Asked if he had attempted to sway Casemiro's decision to leave, Ancelotti replied: "No.

"I've always talked a lot with him in my second time at Real Madrid. I just listened to his desire, I think there's no turning back. This is what he wants.

"If everything goes well, the negotiations go well, we just need to wish him the very best.

"It is difficult to speak anyway because I don't know what's going to happen in the next few hours, if he's staying or leaving, but if he leaves we will always be thankful to him because he's been a wonderful player with us."

Only nine days ago, Casemiro was named man of the match as Madrid saw off Eintracht Frankfurt to win the Super Cup.

Though Ancelotti knows Madrid are set to lose a key player, he does not believe the task at hand for Los Blancos this season changes.

"There were some rumours and yesterday I realised this could happen but the plans are not going to change, Real Madrid's plans will always be to fight until the end, compete in every single competition for every single title, and we will do it with or without Casemiro," he added.

"Everybody knows he has been a player for us, and we love the kind of guy that he is."

Should his move to Old Trafford go through over the weekend, Casemiro could make his United debut on Monday against arch-rivals Liverpool, although he still has to undergo a medical and sort his visa.

United have lost their opening two Premier League games, going down 2-1 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion before suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford.

Girona have announced the signing of Reinier on a season-long loan from Real Madrid, following the Brazilian's temporary spell with Borussia Dortmund.

The 20-year-old was signed by Madrid in January 2020 from South American side Flamengo, where he won the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores in 2019.

Having signed a six-year deal with Madrid, Reinier joined the Castilla team before signing a two-year loan deal in August 2020 with Borussia Dortmund – which expired in June.

During his time in the Bundesliga, Reinier scored a solitary goal and was largely utilised as a substitute last season.

He was also part of the Brazil side that won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

A move to Girona will allow Madrid to keep a closer eye on him and help Reinier to adjust to the rigours of Spanish football ahead of his return to the capital at the end of the season.

Borussia Dortmund will not sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, according to the club's chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.

The Bundesliga side had been linked with a move for Ronaldo after it was revealed new arrival Sebastien Haller will miss a significant period due to being diagnosed with a testicular tumour last month.

Haller had been signed as the replacement for Erling Haaland, who left for Manchester City earlier in the transfer window. 

The former West Ham and Ajax striker underwent surgery in the first stage of his treatment, with Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl confirming Haller would be out "for a few months", but adding further treatment plans were still being discussed.

With Ronaldo reportedly angling for a move away from United in order to play Champions League football, links appeared that suggested he could sign a short-term deal at Dortmund, though the club completed a move for veteran striker Anthony Modeste from Koln last week.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Watzke confirmed his admiration for Ronaldo, and even acknowledged the notion as "charming", but ruled out a move for the 37-year-old.

"Cristiano Ronaldo and Borussia Dortmund? That's very charming at first glance. He is one of the greatest players the world has ever seen," he told reporters.

"The only catch is that there is no contact at all between the parties involved and certainly no transfer."

We are just three weeks into the new Premier League campaign and already fantasy football managers are getting twitchy over their team selection.

While a number of big-name players have made a fast start to the season, others have yet to get going and some tough decisions have to be made.

Whether you're looking to make up ground on the leaders or consolidate your position among the early pacesetters, matchday three presents a chance to get points on the board.

With the aid of Opta data, Stats Perform has picked out a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker for your consideration.

DEAN HENDERSON (Everton v Nottingham Forest)

David de Gea's shaky start to the season at Manchester United has coincided with Henderson's good form at Nottingham Forest, where he is spending the season on loan from Old Trafford.

Henderson conceded twice against Newcastle United on the opening weekend, but he starred in last week's 1-0 win over West Ham to give Forest lift-off on their top-flight return.

No goalkeeper has made more saves (11) or prevented more goals (2.2) in the Premier League than Henderson this season, while his save percentage of 75.52 since the start of 2019-20 is the best of any keeper to have recorded at least 50 saves.

RAYAN AIT-NOURI (Tottenham v Wolves)

Wolves are seeking their first win of the season at the third attempt this weekend, having so far struggled to find a way past opponents with just one goal in two games.

That is not down to a lack of trying from Ait-Nouri, as only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aaron Cresswell (six) have created more than his four chances among defenders.

Ait-Nouri's expected assists (xGA) return of 0.53, meanwhile, is bettered only by Alexander-Arnold (0.97) and Reece James (0.48) in the same positional category.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE (Newcastle United v Manchester City)

Picking up from where he left off last term, De Bruyne has assisted a goal – and scored one of his own – in each of City's opening two Premier League matches.

The Belgium playmaker's three direct goal involvements this term is bettered only by former team-mate Gabriel Jesus, who has scored two and assisted two for Arsenal.

De Bruyne has been involved in 24 goals in his past 22 games in the competition, and he is one of four players to have scored and assisted in 20 different games since 2015-16.

OLLIE WATKINS (Crystal Palace v Aston Villa)

England international Watkins may be seeking his first goal of the campaign, but he chipped in with two assists in last week's victory over Everton.

The 26-year-old has now been involved in six goals in his past seven Premier League matches, scoring three and assisting three, having also ended last season strongly.

That form could spell bad news for Palace, as only against Liverpool (five) has he been involved in more top-flight goals than he has against the Eagles (three).

After plenty of transfer speculation, Ajax have decided to lock up 21-year-old defender Jurrien Timber on an improved contract, adding one extra year to tie him to the club through 2025.

Timber, who already has eight international caps for the Netherlands, has been with Ajax since 2014, and tallied 50 Eredivisie appearances across the past two seasons, netting four goals.

He was one of three Ajax players that Manchester United and former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag showed strong interest in, having secured Lisandro Martinez and being priced out of a move for Antony.

Timber was the recipient of last season's Marco van Basten Award for AFC Ajax Talent of the Year, following in the footsteps of recent winners Ryan Gravenberch, Sergino Dest and Matthijs de Ligt, who all proceeded to leave the Eredivisie in search of bigger challenges.

He will be 24 when his new contract expires, and he will have another chance to impress in the European spotlight this season during Ajax's Champions League campaign.

Jesus Manuel Corona saw his World Cup ambitions crushed on Thursday as the Sevilla winger suffered leg and ankle injuries that should keep him sidelined until early next year.

The Mexico international was expected to play a key figure for his country at Qatar 2022, but that plan can seemingly now be shelved as he faces up to five months on the sidelines.

Corona, often known by his nickname 'Tecatito', broke his left fibula and ruptured ankle ligaments in training with Sevilla.

The club said in a statement that the injury occurred without any contact from a team-mate, adding that Corona was rushed to hospital for tests that revealed the devastating extent of his injuries.

"Tecatito will be operated on this afternoon for the injury by Dr Najarro at the FREMAP hospital," Sevilla stated. "Initially, this type of injury requires a recovery of between four and five months."

With the World Cup taking place in November and December, it appears inevitable that Corona will play no part.

Mexico will face Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Poland in Group C at Qatar 2022.

The Mexican Football Federation sent best wishes via the national team's Twitter account, wishing Corona "a lot of strength" and adding: "We know that you will give everything to come back and you will do it in the best way."

Corona only joined Sevilla in January, moving to Spain after a successful six-and-a-half-year spell in Portugal with Porto.

Barcelona will have to switch their targets after Pep Guardiola appeared to close the door on Bernardo Silva leaving Manchester City.

Playmaker Bernardo has been linked with Barcelona for much of the current transfer window, with Xavi looking to build a team capable of challenge for LaLiga and Champions League honours.

However, former Barcelona head coach Guardiola has been insistent he wants the 28-year-old Portugal international to stay at City.

On Thursday, Guardiola said Bernardo would be in Barcelona next week, but only on City duty as the clubs play a charity fundraising friendly at Camp Nou.

The match will benefit research into motor neurone disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

It is a condition suffered by former Barcelona goalkeeping coach Juan Carlos Unzue, as well as Stephen Darby, who is the husband of Steph Houghton, captain of Manchester City Women.

Speaking on Catalunya Radio, City manager Guardiola told Unzue how he sees Bernardo's future.

"On Wednesday you will see him play," Guardiola said. "Of course! And what is certain is that he will do it with us, City. Bernardo and 10 others will play."

Bernardo has been with City for five years, winning four Premier League titles among a host of honours and establishing himself as a key cog in Guardiola's midfield.

Guardiola said City welcomed the chance to raise money for a worthwhile cause next week.

"It's a gift to return to the Camp Nou to play a solidarity game to fight against [MND]," he said, quoted widely in the Spanish press.

Praising Unzue, Guardiola added: "Life has given him a punch, and he gets up every time. With his gestures and actions he helps many people."

Napoli have completed the signing of striker Giovanni Simeone from Hellas Verona.

Simeone, who is a son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego, has joined Napoli on an initial loan with an obligation to buy if certain clauses are triggered.

Napoli announced the signing on Thursday, with Simeone opting for the number 18 shirt.

The 27-year-old has spent the past six seasons in Serie A with Genoa, Fiorentina, Cagliari and Verona, whom he only joined permanently in June after impressing on loan.

He scored 17 goals in the Italian top flight last season – a tally bettered only by Lautaro Martinez (21), Dusan Vlahovic (24) and Ciro Immobile (27) – while assisting five more.

Five-cap Argentina international Simeone's arrival at Napoli comes on the back of the club's record goalscorer Dries Mertens departing on a free transfer this window.

Napoli have also waved goodbye to fellow regular goalscorer Lorenzo Insigne since the end of last season, as well as David Ospina, Kalidou Koulibaly and Arkadiusz Milik.

Luciano Spalletti's side are believed to be closing in on further deals for Giacomo Raspadori from Sassuolo and Tottenham's Tanguy Ndombele.

Reigning MLS Cup winners New York City continued their recent slump after suffering a third straight loss, going down 3-1 at home to playoff hopefuls Charlotte FC.

Charlotte's win moves them up to 10th in the Eastern Conference, with the visitors scoring twice in the final quarter of an hour to claim victory.

The defeat means City have only managed one point from their past four games and sit third in the east with 42 points from 25 games.

Karol Swiderski had put Charlotte ahead in the fourth minute despite goalkeeper Sean Johnson's best efforts on the line, but City levelled before the half hour mark via Maxime Chanot's 30-yard strike into the top corner.

City's Anton Tinnerholm struck the crossbar from range before Charlotte found an avenue to victory with Swiderski's clever back-heel for Brandt Bronico to restore their lead in the 77th minute.

The visitors won an injury time penalty after video review which ex-Leicester City defender Christian Fuchs coolly converted to seal all three points.

Domenico Criscito lashed in a spectacular 75th-minute equaliser to earn Toronto a 2-2 draw with New England Revolution.

Filippo Bernadeschi had put Toronto ahead with a 31st-minute spotkick, but the Revs replied with goals either side of half-time from Tom McNamara and Justin Rennicks.

But Criscito intervened when Toronto took a corner short to Michael Bradley who lobbed to the edge of the box towards the former Italy international, who rifled in a left-foot volley.

Eastern Conference leaders Philadelphia Union were beaten 1-0 by FC Dallas with US international Jesus Ferreira scoring the only goal in the 34th minute.

Paul Arriolo broke down the right flank and passed centrally for Ferreira, who showed good skill to create space inside the box and fire a low strike past Union goalkeeper Andre Blake.

New York Red Bulls reinforced their status as playoffs contenders with a 2-1 win at struggling Atlanta United while Vancouver Whitecaps defeated Colorado Rapids 2-1.

Robert Lewandowski has vowed great things are on the horizon for Barcelona, believing the Blaugrana have waited "too long" for silverware.

The striker, who completed his €50million move from Bayern Munich last month, made his debut for the Catalan giants against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday.

Although he failed to find the net in the goalless draw at Camp Nou, the Poland captain had a strike disallowed by VAR while he also hit the woodwork. 

Barca are looking to regain the LaLiga title this season, having last donned the crown in 2018-19, while they finished 13 points behind eventual champions Real Madrid last term.

Meanwhile, it is now 16 months since the Blaugrana's last taste of silverware; Lionel Messi's brace inspiring them to a 4-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the 2021 Copa del Rey final.

But Lewandowski is convinced it is only a matter of time before the wait is over.

"I think it's been too long for Barcelona without winning titles," he said via quotes reported in Marca. "I'm sure we're going to win them.

"When I first knew that Barcelona were interested in bringing me to the club, at all times I thought it was the perfect time, for me and for the club.

"I didn't want to play my whole life in one league. In the Bundesliga, everything went well, it was a good experience for me, but I knew it was another step for my career to go to LaLiga."

Lewandowski will hope to open his Barca goalscoring account when Xavi's side travel to Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Juventus and Milan target Domenico Berardi has signed a new contract with Sassuolo that will keep him at the club until 2027.

Berardi impressed again for Sassuolo in the 2021-22 season, scoring 15 times in Serie A – the third consecutive campaign the forward has posted double figures in the league.

He also recorded the most assists in the Italian top flight (14) and was the only Serie A forward to manage double figures for both goals and assists.

The 28-year-old has been at Sassuolo his entire career, but there had been suggestions recently that he could be tempted by a new challenge.

He was linked to Juventus, who co-owned him between 2013 and 2015, while Liverpool and Milan were also among those reportedly interested in the Italy international.

However, it was announced on Wednesday that he had pledged his future to the club for a further five years.

Berardi was in the headlines for the wrong reasons last week after he was involved in a heated spat with a Modena fan.

Sassuolo were eliminated from the Coppa Italia by their Serie B hosts at Stadio Alberto Braglia, with their loss followed by Berardi apparently chasing an opposing supporter outside the ground.

The footage went viral, but Berardi took to social media to offer an explanation, suggesting his family had been targeted off the pitch to spark his ire.

Rangers captain James Tavernier has reaffirmed his commitment to the Scottish Premiership giants by signing a new long-term deal.

The 30-year-old is into his eighth season at Ibrox and has been a regular in each of those, during which time he has helped Rangers win four trophies.

Tavernier, the last remaining player from Rangers' time in the lower divisions of Scottish football, was only under contract until the end of next season.

However, Rangers announced on Wednesday that the right-back has agreed fresh terms on a deal that will take him to a decade in Glasgow.

"I just want to spend more years here and have that security," Tavernier, who has made 353 appearances for Rangers, told the club's official website.

"It is such a great place to play football and I can't wait to see what the coming years have to bring.

"I am settled here, my family are settled here, so it was a no-brainer to get the contact extension over the line."

Tavernier skippered Rangers to the Scottish Premiership title two seasons ago and led the team in last season's Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

He previously represented the likes of Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United, Wigan Athletic and Bristol City.

Sevilla have completed the signing of defender Tanguy Nianzou from Bayern Munich for a reported fee of €20million.

Nianzou has signed a five-year deal with the Andalusian side.

The 20-year-old came through the youth setup at Paris Saint-Germain before moving to Bayern in July 2020.

He made 28 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga giants across two seasons, scoring his only goal for the club in a 4-0 win against Union Berlin in March.

Nianzou is the fourth arrival of the transfer window for Sevilla, joining Marcao, Isco and Alex Telles as head coach Julen Lopetegui looks to mount a challenge in LaLiga and the Champions League.

He could make his debut in Friday's LaLiga clash with Real Valladolid. 

Timo Werner "lost a bit of the fun" playing under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea after losing his place in the side ahead of returning to RB Leipzig.

Germany international Werner sealed a permanent move back to Leipzig last week, just two years on from joining Chelsea in a £47.5million (€50m) deal.

Werner struggled to live up his price tag at Stamford Bridge as he scored just 10 Premier League goals in 56 appearances, and 23 goals in 89 games overall.

The 26-year-old found playing time hard to come by in the 2021-22 campaign, starting just 15 out of a possible 38 league matches – only the 15th most of all Chelsea players.

After bringing an end to his Stamford Bridge stay, Werner has explained he opted for a return to Leipzig as he wants to play regularly again with an eye on Qatar 2022.

"For me, having fun playing football is the most important thing," Werner, who won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, told the Einfach mal Luppen podcast. 

"I was very successful at Chelsea, but in the end I lost a bit of the fun because I didn't play regularly any more.

"I think the coach's game system didn't suit me perfectly. So it was clear to me that I wanted to take a new step. I'm at an age where I want to play as much as I can."

As well as playing a part in last year's Champions League triumph, Werner also won the European Super Cup and Club World Cup with Chelsea.

Werner was spotted in the Stamford Bridge stands during Sunday's 2-2 draw with Tottenham and says he will forever be connected to the west London side.

"I really associate Chelsea with great successes – the greatest of my career," he said. "It'll always be a special club for me. I'll stay in contact with many players from the team."

Werner contributed to 40 goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea, which was bettered only by Mason Mount (46 goal involvements in 108 games) during his time at the club.

The ex-Stuttgart star netted just 36 minutes into his second debut for Leipzig in last week's meeting with Koln, scoring from his only attempt, yet it was only enough for a 2-2 draw.

"I would have liked a win to start," Werner said. "Still, I can't complain because the team have welcomed me back and I was involved right away.

"We have a great squad here and, if we improve further, we can achieve a lot with this team in terms of trophies."

Beth Mead, Lena Oberdorf and Alexia Putellas have been announced as the final three contenders in the running to win the 2022 UEFA Women's Player of the Year accolade.

The trio had been named on the initial shortlist of 22 players, which has now been whittled down to just three names ahead of next week's award ceremony in Istanbul.

Arsenal attacker Mead is rewarded for an impressive showing at the Women's Euros, where she was crowned Player of the Tournament after leading the scoring charts in England's triumph on home soil.

Oberdorf won the Young Player of the Tournament award after helping Germany to another final, having also played a crucial role in Wolfsburg winning the domestic double last season.

Spain star Putellas was absent from the tournament through injury, but the 2021 Ballon d'Or Feminin winner enjoyed the most prolific season of her club career thanks to 34 goals in Barcelona's clean sweep of Spanish trophies in 2021-22.

Wolfsburg and Germany striker Alex Popp narrowly missed out on the top three, while Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and Spain finished fifth in the voting.

UEFA also announced the Women's Coach of the Year nominees on Wednesday, with England coach Sarina Wiegman joined by Sonia Bompastor and Martina Voss-Tecklenburg of Lyon and Germany respectively.