Ajax have signed Calvin Bassey from Rangers for a fee of €23million (£19.6m) that could rise to €26.5m (£22.6m) with add-ons.

The 22-year-old defender is likely to be the replacement for Lisandro Martinez, who is close to sealing a move to Manchester United to be reunited with former boss Erik ten Hag.

Bassey has signed a five-year-deal at the Johan Cruyff Arena, and the Eredivisie champions confirmed he has already joined his new team-mates in Austria at their pre-season training camp.

Though born in Italy, Bassey is a Nigeria international, and became a regular at Rangers last season as he starred in their run to the Europa League final, dispatching the likes of Borussia Dortmund, Braga and RB Leipzig along the way.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men ultimately lost in Seville to Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, but Bassey impressed on the night and had been subject of interest from several clubs across Europe during the transfer window.

He made 65 appearances in all for Rangers after signing from Leicester City in 2020, winning the Scottish Premiership in 2020-21 and the Scottish Cup last season.

Rangers moved to replace Bassey on Tuesday when they signed centre-back Ben Davies from Liverpool for a fee of £3m, with a further £1m in add-ons.

Barcelona new signing Raphinha believes the club's system favours his style of play, after he shone on his debut in a 6-0 win over Inter Miami. 

The Brazilian winger played the first half against the MLS side, scoring Barca's second goal and assisting two more, describing it as "one of the best" debuts he has ever had. 

Raphinha arrived from Leeds United in one of the Blaugrana's bigger deals of this transfer window, and immediately looked at home in their colours in Florida.

With the promise of a restorative campaign ahead at Camp Nou this term, the Selecao star does not fear that adapting to life at the club will be a problem, saying his approach to the game slots in neatly within their tactics.

"I don't think [it will be a problem], because it's a system that favours my style of play," he stated. "I already have the skill for playing wide as a winger.

"I came here, just like the rest did, to help Barca. I know that Barca can help me a lot, and the players. So, I think one helps the other and that's how we get the results.

"It's certainly very easy when you play with high-quality players, like the ones we have in our squad. Everything becomes much easier.

"Obviously, I'm adapting to the team's style of play, and I think they're going to help me a lot, and I'll do my best to help everyone."

Raphinha was arguably the pick of the players for Barca against Miami, and admitted that his dream debut was something he had hoped for - particular with a pre-season iteration of El Clasico against Real Madrid looming next.

"I am very happy to be able to score my first goal and to be able to play a good game," he added. "Obviously when you make your debut, you try to put in a good performance, and it was one of the best debuts I've ever had.

"I am very happy, and I hope to continue contributing to the team. Of course, playing a Clasico, we always want to score against the rival, and I really want to play these games, which for me are the best.

"By scoring goals we can achieve victory, which is the most important thing and helps us maintain confidence for the rest of the season."

Roma have completed the signing of free agent Paulo Dybala following the expiration of his contract with Juventus.

The Argentina international spent seven trophy-laden years in Turin, winning Serie A five times and being part of the side that were runners-up in the Champions League in 2016-17.

Dybala's departure was confirmed earlier this year and, despite links with a move to the Premier League, Inter appeared the frontrunners for the 28-year-old's services.

But Simone Inzaghi's side brought Romelu Lukaku back on loan from Chelsea, with their move for Dybala seemingly stalling as a result as Napoli and Roma began to show interest in the striker.

Head coach Jose Mourinho reportedly played a significant role in convincing Dybala to choose the Giallorossi, where the forward has signed a three-year contract.

Speaking to the club's official website following the announcement, Dybala said: "The days that have led up to me signing this contract have been filled with so many emotions.

"The speed and determination with which Roma demonstrated just how much they wanted me made all the difference.

"I am joining a team that is on the up, a club that continues to put in place strong foundations for the future, and a coach, Jose Mourinho, that it will be a privilege to work with.

"As an opponent, I have always admired the atmosphere created by the Roma fans - I now cannot wait for the chance to salute them while wearing this shirt."

Dybala's move to Roma sees him maintain his ties with Italian football, having now spent a decade in Europe following a move to Palermo in 2012.

He scored 103 goals in 299 Serie A appearances across his spells with Palermo and Juve, with his highest return in a single league season coming in a 22-goal haul for the Bianconeri in 2017-18.

Roma finished sixth in Serie A in 2021-22, but lifted their first major trophy since 2007-08 as they defeated Feyenoord to win the Europa Conference League.

Mourinho will be hoping Dybala can form a formidable duo up top with Tammy Abraham as the Giallorossi look to close the gap on Serie A's top four in the upcoming campaign.

Leah Williamson is hopeful that England manager Sarina Wiegman will be in the dugout for Wednesday's Women's European Championship quarter-final against Spain.

Wiegman missed the final group game against Northern Ireland after testing positive for COVID-19, though England had already qualified as Group A winners prior to the 5-0 victory in Southampton.

The Dutch coach will need to test negative before the last-eight clash at Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex Stadium, and is not the only member of the England camp to test positive, with goalkeeper Hannah Hampton being ruled out of the Spain game for the same reason on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the game, Lionesses captain Williamson acknowledged the frustration of being affected by COVID, but believes the squad preparation means they should not be too adversely affected.

"It's frustrating. For somebody like Hannah, we want her around the team and it's disappointing for her to miss out," Williamson said. "And obviously, Sarina, we'll see how that that works out.

"Ideally, you'd have everybody available, but I think we're lucky that we're such a well-prepared team. Despite the frustration, I think it doesn't derail us at all, which is obviously a massive sort of well done to the staff and everybody around the team for making sure it doesn't."

England eased through the group stage, beating Austria 1-0 at Old Trafford in the opening game before thrashing Norway 8-0 in Brighton to secure their place atop the group, and Williamson had words of praise for Wiegman, who has made a big impact on the Lionesses.

Since her appointment in September, England have won 15 and drawn two of her first 17 outings, scoring a remarkable 98 goals while conceding only three.

"Obviously, it'll be a massive, massive bonus for us [if Wiegman is present]," Williamson said. "Sarina's experience and character speaks for itself, and she's great at connecting with us.

"Obviously, it's great to have her influence, and it's not changed anything in terms of the information that she provides, but naturally having her around the team is a good thing as well.

"I think we're sturdy enough to survive without her, as we showed the other day, but I think to have her back [would] be great, obviously."

Roma have completed the signing of free agent Paulo Dybala following the expiration of his contract with Juventus.

The Argentina international spent seven trophy-laden years in Turin, winning Serie A five times and being part of the side that were runners-up in the Champions League in 2016-17.

Dybala's departure was confirmed earlier this year and, despite links with a move to the Premier League, Inter appeared the frontrunners for the 28-year-old's services.

But Simone Inzaghi's side brought Romelu Lukaku back on loan from Chelsea, with their move for Dybala seemingly stalling as a result as Napoli and Roma began to show interest in the striker.

Head coach Jose Mourinho reportedly played a significant role in convincing Dybala to choose the Giallorossi, where the forward has signed a three-year contract.

Speaking to the club's official website following the announcement, Dybala said: "The days that have led up to me signing this contract have been filled with so many emotions.

"The speed and determination with which Roma demonstrated just how much they wanted me made all the difference.

"I am joining a team that is on the up, a club that continues to put in place strong foundations for the future, and a coach, Jose Mourinho, that it will be a privilege to work with.

"As an opponent, I have always admired the atmosphere created by the Roma fans - I now cannot wait for the chance to salute them while wearing this shirt."

Dybala's move to Roma sees him maintain his ties with Italian football, having now spent a decade in Europe following a move to Palermo in 2012.

He scored 103 goals in 299 Serie A appearances across his spells with Palermo and Juve, with his highest return in a single league season coming in a 22-goal haul for the Bianconeri in 2017-18.

Roma finished sixth in Serie A in 2021-22, but lifted their first major trophy since 2007-08 as they defeated Feyenoord to win the Europa Conference League.

Mourinho will be hoping Dybala can form a formidable duo up top with Tammy Abraham as the Giallorossi look to close the gap on Serie A's top four in the upcoming campaign.

Adrien Rabiot will miss Juventus' tour of the United States for "personal reasons".

The France international confirmed on Instagram that he will not travel to the USA with his team-mates on Thursday.

"In agreement with the club and for personal reasons, I will stay in Italy to finish my physical training." the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder wrote.

Rabiot has just a year remaining on his contract with the Bianconeri.

The 27-year-old has been linked with Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester United.

Rabiot made 45 appearances in all competitions last season and the 32 times he featured in Serie A was more than any other Juve midfielder.

His 43 tackles won in Serie A was the most by a Juve midfielder in the 2021-22 campaign, while he had an impressive pass completion rate of 83.3. 

The Turin giants face Club Deportivo Guadalajara at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday before taking on Barcelona in Dallas next Tuesday, then come up against Real Madrid in Los Angeles four days later.

Julian Nagelsmann has questioned Barcelona's transfer dealings in this window after the club completed a move for Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski.

The Poland international has made the move to Camp Nou in a €50million deal, including add-ons, signing a four-year contract with the Blaugrana.

The veteran striker has already linked up with his new squad and was in the crowd for their 6-0 pre-season rout of Inter Miami on Tuesday.

Yet Bayern boss Nagelsmann has been left baffled by the club's transfer activity, given their well-publicised financial difficulties.

Barca have also signed Raphinha from Leeds United in a deal reportedly worth up to €67million, including add-ons, despite facing stringent fiscal limits.

"They got a lot of new players, not only Robert," Nagelsmann said.

"I don't know how to be honest, it's the only club in the world that can buy players without money. It's kind of weird and crazy."

Barca also have signed Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen on free transfers, but questions remain over registering their new recruits.

The Blaugrana will likely have to offload players in order to free up financial cap space to fit La Liga's rules, with Frenkie de Jong long linked with a move to Manchester United.

Bayern, meanwhile, have moved to strengthen with the transfer of Matthijs de Ligt this week from Juventus, following their earlier purchase of Sadio Mane from Liverpool.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has rubbished rumours linking the English champions with a swap deal for Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar.

French outlet Le Parisien reported that PSG had offered Neymar to City as part of a swap deal earlier in the off-season that would have seen Bernardo Silva go the other way.

According to the report City declined the proposal but Guardiola clarified the story was not accurate.

"I am so sorry for Le Parisien, but it is not true," Guardiola told reporters in Houston ahead of their pre-season game against Club America on Wednesday.

"I am sorry for them because the information they have received is false.

"Neymar is an incredible player and by my information, he is a nice guy. Let him express himself at Paris.

"Manchester City bought 150 players every summer, and it is not true. I am sorry for Neymar, of course."

It has been reported this off-season that PSG have put 30-year-old Neymar on the market, while Guardiola reiterated his belief that Bernardo would stay at City last month amid links with Barcelona.

City have landed several key players this off-season, with new signings Erling Haaland, Kalvin Phillips, Julian Alvarez and Stefan Ortega Moreno, while Bernardo has established himself a pivotal player in City's midfield.

The English champions won the race to land 21-year-old Norwegian forward Haaland from Borussia Dortmund, with expectations high for his impact at a club which appeared to lack an out-and-out striker last term.

"We cannot put too much pressure on these players," Guardiola said.

"We need to get them houses, apartments in Manchester, and in the sessions what we want them to do will increase.

"The first impressions of Julian, Kalvin, Erling, and Stefan were really good – they seem like good people.

"Having good vibes in the locker room is more important than tactics."

Guardiola also did not close the door on further signings, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko – who is set to join Arsenal – all departing.

"We will see about signing, [Manchester City director of football] Txiki [Begiristain] and his department are scouting, he’ll know what is best for the team," he said.

Caretaker Barcelona boss Oscar Hernandez conceded it will be the "first and last time" he runs a game from the touchlines, after his side's 6-0 win over Inter Miami on Tuesday.

There were six different goal scorers for Barca as they played the opening game of their tour in the United States, with Gavi, Memphis Depay and Ousmane Dembele adding to first half-goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raphinha and Ansu Fati.

With Xavi denied entry into the US reportedly after recent visits to Iran in the past five years with Qatari club Al-Sadd as a player and coach, his assistant was tasked with taking over on match day.

The 45-year-old, who was also an assistant at Al-Sadd, said post-match that he hopes his brother's issues can be resolved quickly, with Barcelona still to play Real Madrid, Juventus and New York Red Bulls.

Nevertheless, he was content with Barca's performance.

"Hopefully it will be my first and last game," Hernandez said. "The situation is not easy for Xavi, but let's hope a solution is found and tomorrow he can be with us.

"We are very happy, because despite being a friendly, things have been seen. Those at the front have been very switched on and deploying mechanisms that we have worked on. We have to create competitiveness and that is how we will grow."

After confirming his transfer from Bayern Munich on Saturday, Robert Lewandowski did not make an appearance but the older Hernandez sibling believes he will an influential addition going forward.

"With his arrival we make a huge leap in quality, because he is a top player in the world," he said.

"The club has made a great effort, but we needed a top player. In addition, he is a footballer with a lot of commitment.

"For Xavi and the coaching staff it is a blessing to have so many forwards, because competitiveness is going to make the team grow.

Hernandez also saved special mention for Ansu Fati, who missed significant amounts of last season due to hamstring injuries.

Along with making it 3-0, the 19-year-old was impressive on Tuesday, providing Barcelona with dynamism they sorely lacked in the last campaign.

"It's like a new signing and a signing at a very high level," the assistant said. "He's growing a lot, physically he's getting better and better and we're very happy, because he's a reference."

Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic disclosed that players were only informed of Sebastien Haller's tumour after their loss to Valencia.

Dortmund played their first foreign opponent in preparations for the upcoming season on Monday, with a Goncalo Guedes brace helping Valencia to a 3-1 win in Austria.

It was overshadowed by news of Haller's diagnosis of a testicular tumour, however, ruling him out indefinitely, after the 28-year-old travelled back to Dortmund for medical tests over the weekend and missed the game.

Terzic admitted it was hard to focus on the task at hand upon his discovery of the news as the team prepared to depart for the match, but wished the Ivory Coast international a speedy recovery.

"The week went very well until yesterday," Terzic said on Tuesday. "The message from Sebastien Haller shocked us. Personally, I found out about half an hour before leaving for the game.

"Accordingly, it wasn't easy for us to think about tactics, pressing and passing again. We still tried to make it as professional as possible. We didn't talk to the team about it before the game, but informed the team afterwards.

"Sebastien Haller left us yesterday and traveled to Germany for further investigations. We keep our fingers crossed for Sebastien and the entire Haller family that he will recover as soon as possible."

Initially taking over from Lucien Favre in December 2020, Terzic was reappointed as the first team coach on a permanent basis in the off-season following Marco Rose's departure.

The 39-year-old revealed he has experienced a smoother transition into the role as Dortmund boss, despite Haller's recent diagnosis.

While he believes it will take time for his BVB side to be truly ready for the season ahead, the added time to work on patterns of play has made his job less chaotic.

"The biggest difference is that when I first became head coach, I was told on a Sunday morning and we had an away game on Tuesday night," Terzic said.

"You couldn't prepare many things and decided a lot quickly and intuitively. We now have weeks of advance notice to plan this preparation and the match opponents, to shape the group and to promote the integration of the newcomers. That's a key difference.

"The preparations won't be finished next Friday either, but it will still take some time before we're where we want to be at the end and we're showing consistently good football with a lot of automatisms. It will still take a little time, but we are on the right track."

Reggae Girlz coach Lorne Donaldson insists the team was prepared for a battle of attrition with Costa Rica after several recent close encounters between the teams.

A second-half extra-time goal from Kalyssa van Zanten secured a 1-0 win for Jamaica in a hard-fought encounter against their Central Americans in the third-place playoff.  The win capped off a successful tournament for the Jamaicans who secured third place and with it a chance to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.

Having successfully secured a spot in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Jamaicans will now have the chance to make more history when they face defending champions Canada in a home-and-away play-off next year.  Getting past Costa Rica proved to be a challenge. 

“We knew it was going to be a very tight game.  Every time we play Costa Rica it comes down to the second half or overtime so we figured if we could get some speed on the field late on, we could get something, and Kiki came on and had a good finish,” Donaldson said.

The last 6 matches between the teams have been decided by a 1-0 score line with Costa Rica winning 3 of the matches with one draw.  The coach was also full of praise for the young goal scorer.

“She’s been in a few games she’s a rookie, she’s a young player so she got over excited but this game she was calmer.  When we looked in her eyes when I spoke to her, I told her you to have a goal in your boot and gave her some confidence but she has been growing confident.”

Barcelona have confirmed the final agreement to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for €50million, including add-ons, on a four-year contract.

The Poland international travelled to Miami to meet his new team-mates on Sunday, the day after Barca confirmed they had struck an agreement in principle with Bayern.

Lewandowski subsequently passed his medical, with Bayern "officially" announcing his departure on Tuesday.

Barca soon confirmed the transfer details for the talismanic striker, who will have a €500m buyout clause.

The 33-year-old scored 50 goals across all competitions last season, the most across Europe's top five leagues, as Bayern lifted their 10th Bundesliga title in a row.

Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's long-standing Bundesliga record by scoring 41 goals in a single season in the 2020-21 campaign, while his 43 league goals in 2021 serve as the record for a calendar year in Germany's top tier.

The forward's 312 Bundesliga goals are the second-most scored by any player in competition's history, behind Muller (365), while he leaves Bayern having accumulated 344 goals and 57 assists across 375 appearances in all competitions.

Though Julian Nagelsmann was reluctant to let Lewandowski leave, he suggested Bayern's game plan will become more "unpredictable" after his departure.

"When someone like Robert plays up front, you play more crosses," he told reporters on Bayern's pre-season tour in the United States. "The way we're going to play will change. It's a new Bayern Munich.

"It will be a challenge – and I like challenges. It's good for everyone, we have to find new ways and be creative.

"In the past it might have been easier for the opponent to prepare for our game. Now we're going to be even more unpredictable."

Roma's potential acquisition of Paulo Dybala can shift the balance in Serie A and make Jose Mourinho's men Scudetto contenders, according to former Giallorossi boss Fabio Capello.

Having left Juventus as a free agent when his contract expired at the end of June, Dybala was strongly linked to Inter and Napoli, but now appears set to join Mourinho's Europa Conference League winners.

With reports on Monday suggesting Dybala was close to joining Roma, the Argentina international arrived in Portugal, where the side are holding a pre-season training camp, for his medical.

Dybala scored 82 goals in 210 Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri after arriving from Palermo in 2015, including 25 from outside the penalty area, more than any other player has managed during that time in the competition.

Among current Roma players, captain Lorenzo Pellegrini's nine is the highest such tally, and Dybala's imminent move has led to suggestions the Giallorossi could better last season's sixth-placed league finish.

Asked by Il Messaggero whether the Argentine's arrival could shift the balance at the top of Serie A, Capello responded: "I would say yes. He is a great player, one of those who make the difference. 

"[He can] raise the level of the team and change something in Serie A, because Roma are now in the group of favourites.

"If Mourinho calls you himself, it becomes really difficult to say no."

Capello led Roma to the most recent of their three Serie A titles in 2000-01, edging out Juventus by just two points in a tense title race.

The legendary tactician believes there are likenesses between Mourinho's side and his Scudetto winners, adding: "The comparison is plausible. I see many similarities. 

"I think that Mourinho, as happened to me in that season, will try to guarantee balance in a team with enormous offensive potential. 

"Roma, after all, was doomed to attack; we had Cafu and [Vincent] Candela outside. I needed some cover."

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus in a deal worth a reported €80million.

The Netherlands international has agreed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions, ending his three-year stint in Turin.

De Ligt becomes Julian Nagelsmann's fourth signing of this window after Sadio Mane and former Ajax duo Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch.

The defender had two years remaining on his contract at Juventus - for whom he played more minutes than any of his outfield team-mates in Serie A last season (2,675).

Bayern have reportedly agreed to pay the Bianconeri an initial €70m, with a further €10m in add-ons.

Speaking to the club's website after his signing was confirmed, De Ligt said: "I'm very happy to become a player for this great club. FC Bayern are the most successful club in Germany, one of the most successful clubs in Europe and in the world.

"I felt the genuine appreciation from the sporting management, the coach and the board right from the start, which convinced me. On top of that, FC Bayern is a brilliantly run club with big aims. I'm very glad that I'm now becoming part of the FC Bayern story."

Bayern president, Herbert Hainer, added: "Matthijs de Ligt was a top target for us. With signings like this, the big aims that we have are achievable.

"The future face of our team is increasingly taking shape, and this transfer is an important building block in the overall concept that we're gradually putting into place. De Ligt should become a mainstay at FC Bayern."

Erik ten Hag wished his former Ajax striker Sebastien Haller well after Borussia Dortmund's new signing was forced to leave the club's pre-season training camp due to a testicular tumour.

Haller enjoyed a stellar season under Ten Hag's management of the Eredivisie giants in 2021-22, scoring 21 league goals and netting 11 times in eight Champions League games to earn a move to Bundesliga giants Dortmund.

But Haller stepped away from his new club's pre-season training camp in Switzerland on Monday after feeling unwell during a session, with subsequent tests revealing the tumour.

The Ivory Coast international told social media followers he was focused on his recovery on Tuesday as Dortmund pledged to offer an update on his condition when possible. 

Haller began a fruitful relationship with Ten Hag when the Dutchman became Utrecht coach in 2015, the striker plundering 30 goals across two seasons under him before the duo were reunited at Ajax in 2020.

Speaking after his Manchester United side posted a 3-1 pre-season win over Crystal Palace, Ten Hag sent a message of support to Haller.

"It's horrible," he told MUTV. "I have a fantastic relationship with him.

"He's my friend, he was my striker for several years with Utrecht and Ajax, and when you hear such news it's devastating.

"My thoughts are with him, with his family, and I hope he will recover quickly."

Meanwhile, Haller's current coach Edin Terzic described the situation as "brutally difficult" as he joined Ten Hag in sending his best wishes to the striker. 

"Of course, we were shocked to hear the news yesterday," Terzic told Dortmund's media channels. "I personally heard it about half an hour before we were preparing to leave for the game [a 3-1 friendly loss to Valencia].

"It was not easy for all of us to find the switch, we tried to do it as professionally as possible, but then we didn't talk about it with the team before the game, but informed the team after the game.

"Now I ask you to understand that it is brutally difficult for us. The diagnosis is still pending. 

"Sebastien left us last night, went to Germany today for further examinations, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for Sebastien and his whole family that he will get well as soon as possible.

"First of all, it is about the human being Sebastien Haller getting well again. 

"As for the sportive issues that come with this loss, we haven't thought about those yet because we are still awaiting the diagnosis. We don't even know yet how long he will be out."