Nottingham Forest's preparations for a first season back in Premier League have continued with the signing of full-back Omar Richards from Bayern Munich.

The upcoming campaign will see Forest competing in the top flight for the first time since getting relegated in 1999 – since then, they have also spent three years in the third tier.

It seems they are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to avoid dropping straight back down to the Championship next year, with Richards' reported £10million (€11.8m) signing taking them up to £46m spent already – only eight Premier League clubs have paid more in this window.

Richards becomes their fifth signing ahead of the new with, with Forest having already brought in Taiwo Awoniyi, Moussa Niakhate, Giulian Biancone and Dean Henderson, who joined on loan.

Former England Under-21 international Richards only joined Bayern last year, signing on a free transfer after his Reading contract expired.

The London-born left-back made 17 appearances in all competitions as Die Roten won the Bundesliga, but he is back in England and set for a first opportunity in the Premier League, signing a four-year contract.

He is the third new Forest signing to have come from the Bundesliga after Awoniyi and Niakhate, who joined from Union Berlin and Mainz respectively.

High-profile debutant Hector Herrera led an inspired fightback for the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, with his side equalising twice to earn a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas.

After coming from behind and scoring an injury-time winner last time out in the Texas derby, the Toros hit the lead relatively early via captain Matt Hedges in the 27th minute.

Somewhat overshadowing the derby, Mexico international and recent high-profile signing Hector Herrera made his debut for the Dynamo, and it transformed the match.

Herrera moved to his natural position deeper in midfield upon his introduction, and his quick thinking at the dead ball allowed for Thorleifur Ulfarsson's equaliser in the 69th minute.

Jesus Ferreira scored in the 93rd minute for what appeared to be a winner for Dallas, but Teenage Hadebe scored a second equaliser for the Dynamo in the 111th minute, in what was a heated second half.

The Toros have not won in the MLS since May, bringing the LA Galaxy, Minnesota United and Nashville in contention for a home playoff in the Western Conference, despite Real Salt Lake's 2-2 draw against the Colorado Rapids.

Austin FC moved to second spot in the West, meanwhile, earning a 3-0 win over Atlanta United. Sebastian Driussi came off the bench to round out the scoring after a goal and assist from Ethan Finlay in the opening 20 minutes, setting up Felipe Martins.

Portland Timbers were 3-0 winners over the Seattle Sounders, while Charlotte defeated Nashville 4-1. In other inter-conference play, Toronto FC played out a 2-2 draw with the SJ Earthquakes while Sporting KC defeated CF Montreal 2-1. 

New York RB kept top spot in the Eastern Conference, but could only manage a 1-1 draw against a nine-man Cincinnati, following second-half dismissals for Allan Cruz and Luciano Acosta. Elsewhere in the East, Derrick Etienne scored a double off the bench to give Columbus Crew a 3-2 victory.

New York City moved to within a point of their cross-town rivals and Philadelphia Union, with a Valentin Castellanos brace helping them to a 4-2 win over the New England Revolution.

In Saturday's final game, a Damion Lowe own-goal in the 92nd minute handed Orlando City the three points, defeating Inter Miami 1-0..

Talismanic Jamaica Reggae Girlz forward Khadijah Shaw insists the team will rely on the experience of being in similar situations ahead of Monday’s must-win CONCACAF W Championship encounter.

Heading into the final match of group A, the Jamaicans find themselves in third spot, behind Haiti on goal difference with both on three points.  Only the top two teams from each group will advance to next year’s tournament, with the third-place team heading to a playoff.

The Reggae Girlz made history by qualifying for the 2019 edition of the tournament.  On that occasion the team also found themselves in a tight situation, needing to beat Panama to secure a spot.  On that occasion, the team prevailed in a dramatic penalty shootout win.

“We’ve been on this journey before.  When we qualified for the World Cup and we beat Panama, we lost to the US, so it’s not new to us it’s just to bounce back,” Shaw said in assessing the situation.

“We know what’s at stake.  So, it’s just to regroup, look at our mistakes, and hopefully not let it happen in the next game,” she added.

 “They’re a physical team that always gets the job done and that’s credit to them.  Going into that game we just have to match that physicality and effort and play our game.  Once we come out doing what we know we can do best I think we can get the job done.”

It may feel like men's football has hardly been away, but Europe's top leagues are already into pre-season, meaning it promises to be a busy few weeks as teams ramp up preparations for the 2022-23 campaign.

Of course, pre-season is a little more compact this year because of the first ever mid-season World Cup, which is due to begin in November.

The World Cup's place in the calendar means the domestic season is starting earlier and finishing later than usual.

You can expect plenty of noteworthy games before the end of July. They may not mean a great deal in the grand scheme, but these games can offer a degree of intrigue, whether bitter rivals are facing each other or new signings are beginning their integration.

Below, Stats Perform has identified some notable matches that may be worth keeping tabs on before the end of the month.

Manchester United v Liverpool - July 12, 14:00 BST

Erik ten Hag's first match in charge of United will be against fierce rivals Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday. The Dutchman may not have made all the signings he would surely have liked before jetting out for pre-season, but seeing his new squad in action on the pitch for the first time may give him a better idea of what the club's transfer priorities should be.

RB Leipzig v Liverpool - July 21, 18:15 BST

The first of successive friendlies against 'Red Bull' clubs (they play Salzburg six days after this), and some Liverpool players will find themselves in familiar surroundings when they go to Leipzig. This should provide a good test of the Reds' fitness ahead of facing Manchester City in the Community Shield nine days later.

Bayern Munich v Manchester City - July 23, 00:00 BST

Pep Guardiola faces his former team in what will be the first ever soccer game played at the famous Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Arsenal v Chelsea - July 23, 01:00 BST

London rivals Arsenal and Chelsea are the main attractions in the Florida Cup, which confusingly is not just being played in the Sunshine State. However, the Gunners and Blues will be playing their contest in Orlando.

Tottenham v Roma - July 23, 19:15 BST

Spurs versus Jose Mourinho. Say no more.

Barcelona v Real Madrid - July 24, 04:00 BST

This Las Vegas clash will be by no means the first time Barca and Madrid have played a Clasico during pre-season. Their clashes are always worth watching, regardless of the stakes.

Bon diaaaaaaa!  pic.twitter.com/JdnE523QIs

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 9, 2022

Barcelona v Juventus - July 27, 01:00 BST

After tussling with Madrid in a Clasico, Barca face another European heavyweight in Juventus at the Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Arsenal v Sevilla - July 30, 12:30 BST

The Emirates Cup is usually a solid option for pre-season entertainment. Arsenal's visitors this year are Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla, who finished fourth in LaLiga last season.

Real Madrid v Juventus - July 31, 03:00 BST

Having signed Angel Di Maria and seemingly being about to announce Paul Pogba's arrival, Juventus will be under pressure to pose more of a threat in Serie A and Europe next season. In that case, who better to test themselves against than Champions League winners Madrid? This game will be played at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.

Manchester United v Rayo Vallecano - July 31, 16:00 BST

This one may buck the trend in that it is not necessarily a clash between two current European high performers, but it is noteworthy as being Ten Hag's first Old Trafford game.

Saul Niguez is eager to demonstrate his growth upon returning to Atletico Madrid after a "complicated" loan spell at Chelsea last season.

Despite racking up 24 appearances across all competitions, the midfielder endured a difficult temporary stint with the two-time Champions League winners.

Indeed, he made just five starts in the Premier League, while only completing a full 90 minutes on three occasions under Thomas Tuchel.

Nevertheless, Saul insists that his stint with the Blues was hugely beneficial experience for him – both as a player and a person.

And upon returning to his parent club, the Spain international is hoping to use those learnings to his advantage as he fights for a place in Diego Simeone's side.

"I'm looking forward to coming back home and I'm mentally at my best," Saul told the club's official website.

"I know that I come from a loan period in which I haven't had many minutes, and that I have to work hard, persevere and make a lot of sacrifice to get a place in the team.

"There is a very high level of competition; we have an enormously competitive team. 

"I can only be grateful to all the people at Chelsea for their trust and to my team-mates for making the year so easy for me and helping me, and to Atleti for making it easier. 

"I come with a lot of humility, thinking about working and helping the team in whatever way I can and from wherever I can. 

"I really want to show that, despite having had a complicated year, it has been very good for me to improve and grow in many aspects, both sporting and personal."

The Jamaica Football Federation is saddened after receiving news that Jedine Carr's life was taken by the bullet of a gunman on Friday while she travelled to football training.

Jedine was a member of the Jamaica Under-15 team that traveled to China to participate in the Chinese Football Development Exchange Programme in 2018. 

She was called to the Under 17 National Training squad, played Under 15 football for St. Thomas and was a member of the Yallahs High team which participated in the aborted ISSA School Girls Competition in 2020. Her most recent games were played with the Proven Girls Academy in the ISSA Construction 2022 Reinas Cup. 

“I call upon Jamaicans to stand up to this bulging monster called crime and fight against what now seems to be a passive acceptance of it,” said Michael Ricketts, President of the JFF.

“We are losing so many young and industrious people to gun violence.  Jedine did everything right and was making big strides to brighten her future when her life was snuffed out. Profound condolences to her family, friends, teammates and the St Thomas Football Association. Please stay strong in these challenging times,” Ricketts added.

Gareth Bale hailed the "incredible reception" he received after being presented to the Los Angeles FC fans for the first time since his move to the MLS leaders.

The former Real Madrid and Tottenham forward recently joined the MLS franchise on a one-year deal, which could be extended through to 2024, following his departure from Los Blancos.

The Wales international will be hoping for plenty of game time ahead of the World Cup later this year, and what will be the Dragons' first appearance at the finals since 1958.

Bale arrived in California on Friday and received a rapturous reception at the Banc of California Stadium when he was paraded to the supporters ahead of his new side's 'El Trafico' derby against rivals LA Galaxy.

LAFC ran out 3-2 winners and the 32-year-old is excited by the ongoing project at the franchise formed back in 2014.

"What an incredible reception I had when I came in," he told ESPN.

"The best prep [for the World Cup] is to play games.

"I want to come here. I want to play games and make my stamp and do as best I can to try and help LAFC win a trophy.

"And I can help with the youngsters because it's a very young team here, give them advice, seeing what I do in terms of professional standard and try to help them.

"The league is a growing league. It was an exciting opportunity I felt was right for me and my family.

"It's very new, but it's something that's really glamorous. It's just a very attractive club."

Luka Jovic's underwhelming Real Madrid career is over after Fiorentina confirmed the Serbian's arrival on a two-year deal.

Jovic cost Madrid €60million in 2019 after impressing for Eintracht Frankfurt, but his career has almost gone in reverse ever since.

He scored just two goals in 27 appearances during his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, before then spending half of the 2020-21 campaign on loan in Frankfurt.

That spell was similarly unimpressive but he returned to Madrid for last season, scoring once in 19 games as Los Blancos won a LaLiga and Champions League double.

However, he now gets the opportunity for a clean break and the chance to re-establish himself away from the high-pressure environment of the Bernabeu.

The deal itself appears rather unusual as Madrid are said to have yielded Jovic on a free transfer but will still pay half of his wages for the next two years.

Jovic's Madrid contract was due to run until 2025, but seemingly part of the arrangement with the transfer would see the final year of his agreement nulled.

In 2024, when Jovic's Fiorentina contract expires, they will have the option to again sign him on a free transfer, though Madrid reportedly retain a percentage of any future transfer.

Madrid's statement read: "Real Madrid C. F. and ACF Fiorentina have agreed a deal for the transfer of Luka Jovic.

"Our club would like to express its gratitude for his work and dedication during his time at Real Madrid, where he has won one Champions League, two LaLiga titles and two Spanish Super Cups.

"Real Madrid wishes him and his family all the best in this new period of his life."

Los Angeles FC prevailed in a five-goal thriller in their 'El Trafico' derby against Los Angeles Galaxy, holding on for a 3-2 win.

In a clash between two of the Western Conference's top-four sides, league-leading LAFC struck first as Jose Cifuentes broke the deadlock 17 minutes in with a header from the edge of the six-yard box.

It would be the only goal of the opening half, before the scoring barrage began with Galaxy's equaliser through Samuel Grandsir at the 55-minute mark.

Cifuentes again found himself on the end of a dangerous cross in the 70th minute, heading home his second goal, before teammate Cristian Arango made it 3-1 just two minutes later with his right-foot hit from outside the box.

Rayan Raveloson set up a thrilling finish when he trimmed the margin back to 3-2 in the 81st minute, heading home Victor Vazquez's cross, and Raveloson almost equalised with a chance in the 87th minute, but he could not find the back of the net.

According to expected goal data, Raveloson's miss in the 87th minute was the best chance of the entire game for either side (0.54 expected goals).

Meanwhile, it was one-way traffic at Philadelphia's Subaru Park as the Philadelphia Union hammered DC United 7-0.

Both Alejandro Bedoya and Julian Carranza netted braces in the first 37 minutes, before Mikael Uhre made it 5-0 heading into the half-time break.

Uhre was the Union's third player to bag his second goal when he made it 6-0 in the 59th minute, and after Carranza missed a golden opportunity for a hat-trick from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, he made it up for it with his third goal of the contest just three minutes later.

Minnesota United showed supreme finishing in Friday's last game, defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 despite neither side finishing with an expected goal.

Minnesota finished up on the expected goal count 0.91 to 0.74, but a late barrage saw them storm home after falling behind 1-0 in the 66th minute from substitute Lucas Cavallini's goal.

Their response was sharp, equalising five minutes later through Kemar Lawrence's left-foot hit from a tight angle, before Luis Amarilla put Minnesota ahead 2-1 with his long-range blast following a costly turnover in midfield.

Franco Fragapane's 88th-minute sealer ensured there would be no late twists as Minnesota held on for the result.

Jamaica international Leon Bailey has vowed to silence his critics ahead of the new season after an underwhelming start to life in English topflight football.

The 24-year-old winger joined English Premier League (EPL) club Aston Villa last summer amid a flurry of high expectations for everyone involved in the deal.  The player has, so far, failed to live up to many of those expectations.

Bailey’s problems have in the main stemmed from being unable to take the pitch.  Two thigh injuries and an ankle injury saw the players miss significant time on the sideline.  In fact, the forward has only been able to take part in 18 matches, with just 7 starts.

The player has given glimpses of his tremendous potential in a cameo against Everton last September, assisting one goal before scoring a belter.  Bailey suffered a season-ending injury but has since returned to action for the Jamaica national team where he scored in the CONCACAF Nation’s League.  It is a trend the forward intends to continue.

“Talk the same talk you did last season,” Bailey warned his critics via Instagram.

“New season incoming, I’m coming for everything they said I couldn’t achieve, mark my words.”

Angel Di Maria has officially joined Juventus on a free transfer, departing from Paris Saint-Germain after seven seasons in Ligue 1.

Di Maria, 34, has won league titles with Benfica, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, and netted 14 goals with 21 assists in his seven Champions League campaigns playing for the French giants.

Over the past decade, his 131 assists in Europe's top-five leagues trails only Thomas Muller (149 assists) and Lionel Messi (174).

In Di Maria's first interview as a Juventus player, he said coming to the historic club is something that had been on his bucket list.

"[It means] everything, because I have been in every country, in the best team, and I was missing Italy," he said.

"The best team in Italy is Juve, it is the biggest club and I was very excited, very eager to come.

"I knew that last year Juve couldn't win the Scudetto or the Coppa d'Italia, and I think that the motivation to come and to be able to achieve everything with Juve was something very nice, and that's why I said yes.

"For me it's a new step in my career… from the moment I said yes, I'm seeing it on the first day, all the people here are like a family, all the time looking after you. That makes me very happy."

When asked what he could promise the Juventus fans, Di Maria said he can guarantee that his will to win will never be in question.

"I think the only thing I can promise the fans is my effort," he said. "My sacrifice, the mentality of wanting to win – and to be able to achieve as many titles as possible.

"I will always leave everything on the field, as I have always done. That will never be lacking.

"Hopefully we can win all the titles and we'll all be very happy."

In Juventus' first statement on the Argentine's signing, they called him "a world-class forward, capable of scoring exceptional goals, but also able to coordinate the entire frontline, often sending his teammates through on goal."

It finished saying: "He is Angel Di Maria. And he is a Juventus player."

Reggae Girlz head coach Lorne Donaldson believes the team will have to play its best game against Haiti if it is to secure one of the automatic spots to the FIFA women’s World Cup from the Concacaf W Championship.

Locked on three points each after two games, the Caribbean teams are set for a winner-take-all showdown on Monday, which will see the victor secure a spot at the global football showpiece event next year.

The stakes of the game will be even higher for the Reggae Girlz who must win to advance as they will head into the encounter trailing but goal difference.  By most metrics, the Haitian team has had a more impressive tournament to date.
The team began with a strong showing against the United States, who defeated them 3-0, a score that based on the run of play slightly flattered the Americans.  The USA went on to defeat the Jamaicans 5-0.  In their second match, the Haitians went on to devastate hosts Mexico 3-0.  The Jamaicans had only defeated the Mexicans 1-0, albeit missing several other presentable opportunities to score.  The Haitians unit has so shown a high level of fitness, skill, and extraordinary organization. It is a challenge Donaldson believes the team can meet.

“Coming into the tournament I always said Haiti would have a big part to play in this tournament.  They have been to the last U-17 championship, and they have been to the last U-20 championship.  So, people don’t understand the type of players Haiti has, they all play in France,” Donaldson said.

 “Their fitness is what most impresses me, their discipline, they have been playing together as a group for a long time.  They are well organized.  We have to go in now and try to execute.  We have to play one of our best games and we have to play football to win,” he added.

“If coming into the tournament, myself, the players if you had offered us this situation to be in, we would have taken it.”

Andrew Price has been appointed as Head Coach of Calabar’s Manning Cup team, the school announced in a statement on Friday.

Price is a seasoned coaching professional with over 30 years of experience as a player and coach.

He was the National Premier League’s Coach of the year in 2012 and was the assistant coach of the Reggae Girlz team that participated in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

Additionally, Price continues to mentor and support youngsters through the Boys’ Town Football Club, with whom he has been associated for the past 20 years.

According to the statement released by Calabar on Friday, Price will be “responsible for the overall football programme and for coaching the Under-19 football team to develop students’ skills so that they may excel in football.”

The statement continued: “He is expected to deliver a competitive programme that contributes to the holistic development of the students in keeping with the school’s objective of producing rounded, capable young men with excellent leadership skills.”

Calabar are three-time winners of the Manning Cup with their latest triumph coming in 2005.

Tottenham have signed Clement Lenglet on a season-long loan from Barcelona.

The France defender becomes Spurs' fifth signing of the transfer window as they look to build on last season's fourth-place finish.

He follows Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and Fraser Forster in making the move to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ahead of Antonio Conte's first full season in charge.

The deal, confirmed by both sides on Friday, is subject to international clearance and Lenglet receiving a work permit. There is no option to make the transfer permanent.

Lenglet won LaLiga in his first season at Camp Nou after making the move from Sevilla in 2018.

He added the Copa del Rey to his list of honours last season but made just seven league starts in 21 appearances in 2021-22, falling out of favour under Xavi.

Lenglet could make his competitive debut for Spurs when they begin the 2022-23 Premier League campaign against Southampton on August 6.

Atletico Madrid have confirmed the signing of winger Samuel Lino from Gil Vicente, with the 22-year-old signing a five-year deal with the Spanish giants.

Diego Simeone's side finished third in LaLiga last season, although their qualification for the Champions League appeared far from certain for long periods of the campaign.

Atletico have now moved to add creativity to their ranks by signing Lino, who scored 26 goals in 99 appearances for the Portuguese club, for a reported fee of €5.85million (£6.9m).

A statement on the club's website read: "Samuel Lino is a versatile player who can play on both wings, standing out for his speed and his great ability to face rival defenders.

"In this way, our club gets the services of a young player, with experience in European football and with a great projection."

Lino, meanwhile, revealed the prospect of working with Simeone was a big motivation for the move, saying: "It means a lot because he is one of the best coaches in the world and one of the longest in charge. 

"He has a gigantic history, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with him and for him to help me grow."

The winger is the second player to arrive at the Wanda Metropolitano in the close-season after Axel Witsel joined the club after leaving Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer.