Dean Smith has revealed that he wanted to sign Jamie Vardy for Charlotte FC.

Smith managed Vardy during his time in charge at Leicester City in the spring of 2023, though it was an ultimately unsuccessful period, as the Foxes were relegated to the Championship.

The ex-Aston Villa boss still hoped the 37-year-old could have been persuaded to join up with him in the United States, but Leicester’s subsequent promotion back to the Premier League ended any real hopes of a reunion.

He said: “I did text him and see if he wanted to come over to America, but I knew that was going to be hard once he took Leicester back to the Premier League."

Smith backed Vardy to shine on his return to the top flight, as long as the veteran striker is managed correctly.

“It’s just his enthusiasm for the game, he doesn’t train as much as he used to and he won’t get as many minutes as he used to, but if he’s used right, he’ll be really, really good [this season]. You saw the goals he scored in the Championship.”

Smith’s side, however, are reportedly in talks with Newcastle United over the signing of winger Miguel Almiron.

The Magpies are open to selling, but it is rumoured it would be difficult to persuade the Paraguayan to return to the United States, where he spent time at Atlanta United, winning MLS Cup before moving to St James’ Park in 2019.

Charlotte have already signed Fulham stalwart Tim Ream this summer.

The MLS transfer window closes on Wednesday.

Scott Parker hailed his Burnley players for delivering a statement result in his first game at the helm as they thrashed Luton Town 4-1 in their Championship opener.

Parker took over as Clarets boss in July following Vincent Kompany's move to Bayern Munich, tasked with masterminding an immediate return to the Premier League after they finished 19th last season.

His reign began with a trip to Kenilworth Road to face Luton, who were relegated alongside Burnley last term and have also been tipped to compete for promotion.

Goals from Josh Brownhill, Wilson Odobert, Dara O'Shea and Vitinho saw the visitors record an eye-catching win, taking them second in the early-season Championship standings, behind Sheffield Wednesday.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Parker expressed pride in his players for the way they carried out his gameplan, saying: "A lot of hard work goes in, but you never really know until you reach this point where you are. 

"This week has been intense in terms of our gameplan and how to get a result.

"I've got nothing but praise. As a coach it was very enjoyable to see. This is a big result, it's a tough place to come. 

"We had to show a different side to us in certain moments. I said to the players, at times, we're going to have to revert back to men. I was proud of that."

Luton boss Rob Edwards, meanwhile, was left to lament defensive shortcomings after seeing a youthful Hatters backline cut open time and again. 

"I'm not going to sugar-coat it. We have to deal with our vulnerabilities better," Edwards said.

"There wasn't much in the game first half, we conceded from two poor moments and then obviously the scoreline affects everyone's emotions.

"We'll progress, get better, some key players will return and we'll get one or two in as well. We've got to accept it and appreciate we're going to improve in the coming weeks."

Pep Guardiola has described Jack Grealish suffering an injury on the eve of the season as a "blow", but he has not given up hope of the Manchester City man facing Chelsea on Sunday.

Grealish was absent as City beat Manchester United to win the Community Shield on Saturday, triumphing 7-6 on penalties after Bernardo Silva's late header salvaged a 1-1 draw.

Guardiola has now revealed Grealish suffered from discomfort in training ahead of the match, in another blow after he was left out of Gareth Southgate's England squad for Euro 2024.

That omission came after Grealish endured an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign, making just 10 starts across all competitions after playing a key role in securing the treble one season earlier.

However, Guardiola has given Grealish a chance of facing Chelsea in City's Premier League opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and is confident he will be fit for their first home game against Ipswich Town six days later.

"Apparently it's not much. In the last two days, he didn't feel good, he had discomfort," Guardiola told reporters.

"We trained with the lineup, the starting XI and he was training but in the last two days, the feeling was not good.

"We talked with the doctors and he was not fine and that's why we didn't want to take a risk. I don't think it's a big issue but he could not be there.

"It's a blow because he did pre-season and had rhythm and was aggressive, in the third and fourth game he was really, really good and Jeremy [Doku] was on holiday, Savinho as well.

"It is what it is. During the season, it happens many times with discomfort and injuries. Maybe against Chelsea, he will be ready. I am pretty sure for Ipswich he will be ready."

Grealish contributed to just four goals in all competitions last season (three goals, one assist), his worst tally since joining City in 2021 (six in 2021-22 and 12 in 2022-23).

Scott Parker enjoyed a fine start to his reign as Burnley head coach as the Clarets opened their Championship campaign with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Luton Town. 

Josh Brownhill’s low finish opened the scoring inside six minutes before Wilson Odobert added a second before the break. 

Tahith Chong halved the deficit early in the second half and the hosts pushed for an equaliser against one of the sides they joined in being relegated from the Premier League last term.

However, Dara O'Shea headed in a third to kill off any hopes of a comeback, then Vitinho's late strike added a further flourish to the scoreline. 

The win takes Burnley up to second – behind Sheffield Wednesday – in the table at the conclusion of matchday one, while Luton sit 23rd, only above Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle.

Data Debrief: Clinical Clarets make flying start

The full-time scoreline did not tell the entire story of Monday's game, with Burnley only slightly edging the expected goals (xG) battle by 1.21 to 1.07.

Parker's men also spent long periods chasing the ball with Luton enjoying 57.9% of the possession, yet the Hatters could not make that count.

They only hit the target three times throughout the match while creating two big chances to Burnley's four.

Barcelona saw their 11-year run of victories in the Joan Gamper Trophy come crashing to a halt on Monday as Monaco trounced Hansi Flick's side 3-0 at Montjuic.

Flick was without several big names from the start as the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys played host to Barca's traditional curtain-raiser, though Robert Lewandowski started and the likes of Lamine Yamal, Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres featured as substitutes.

Any hopes of a positive start to his reign were dashed by an impressive Monaco side after a goalless first half, Lamine Camara pouncing on a loose pass from Inigo Martinez to slot home a 50th-minute opener.

Breel Embolo added a second just seven minutes later, the Switzerland international timing his run to perfection before lifting a clipped finish past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Adi Hutter's visitors then added further gloss at the death, following a spate of Blaugrana changes. Substitute Christian Mawissa latched onto a loose ball on the right side of the area, then curled a delicate finish into the bottom-left corner to cap a poor night for Barca.

Data Debrief: Barca's long reign ends

Not since a 2012 defeat to Sampdoria had Barcelona been beaten in the Joan Gamper Trophy, with an 8-0 rout of Santos and victories over Juventus, Arsenal and Tottenham among their standout results through an 11-year winning streak.

Barca may have been without several big names, but Flick now has food for thought ahead of his first game in charge in LaLiga, at Valencia on Saturday. 

This is the first time they have lost by three or more goals without scoring in the Joan Gamper Trophy since 1981, when they were beaten 4-0 by Koln.

Borussia Dortmund have completed the signing of Maximilian Beier from Hoffenheim, shelling out a reported €28.5million fee for the Germany international.

Beier enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023-24, netting 16 Bundesliga goals to finish fifth in the league's scoring charts behind Harry Kane (36), Serhou Guirassy (28), Lois Openda (24) and Deniz Undav (18).

The 21-year-old, who won the second of his two senior international caps against Switzerland at Euro 2024, had 25 shots and scored six goals following a carry in the Bundesliga last term.

Both of those figures were the second-most of any player in the competition, with Xavi Simons recording 27 such shots and Guirassy netting seven times following a carry.

Beier's signing comes after Dortmund allowed Niclas Fullkrug to join West Ham in a €31.5m (£27m) deal earlier this month, and sporting director Sebastian Kehl is certain they have signed the perfect replacement.

"Maxi was our absolute dream player after the departure of Niclas Fullkrug," Kehl said. "Despite his young age, he is already very composed on the pitch and impresses with his pace, his willingness to run and his goal threat. 

"In addition, he can be used in different positions and in different systems. His development is certainly not over yet and we will help him to become even better. 

"He's a down-to-earth guy who is willing to learn and whose hard work and commitment make him an excellent fit for BVB."

Brentford have completed the signing of Fabio Carvalho from Liverpool in a transfer potentially worth up to £27.5million.

The Bees will pay an initial £22.5m plus a potential £5m in add-ons for the 21-year-old attacking midfielder, who has struggled for minutes since his 2022 arrival at Anfield.

Carvalho enjoyed a breakout campaign with Fulham as they romped to the Championship title in 2021-22, scoring 10 goals in 36 league outings for Marco Silva's side.

He then joined Liverpool in a £5m deal but only made 21 appearances for the Reds overall, enjoying loan spells with RB Leipzig and Hull City in the last two seasons.

Carvalho has signed a five-year contract with Thomas Frank's Bees, with Liverpool also retaining a 17.5% sell-on clause as part of the deal.

Frank told Brentford's website of the deal: "Fabio is a player with a lot of qualities. He can play in all the front three or four positions in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1. 

"His best position is probably as a number 10 or coming in from the left. Offensively, he has great abilities on the ball: he can go past players, slide a pass, create chances and get on the end of chances. 

"He's a type of player that we don't have many of in the squad so he will add that something extra for us. We're very pleased to see him come in and push the team forward."

Carvalho – who was capped up to under-18 level by England before switching allegiance to Portugal to represent their under-21 side – is Brentford's second major signing ahead of 2024-25, after they spent €33m (£28m) to sign Club Brugge forward Igor Thiago.

Pedro Neto has declared he wants "to make history" at Chelsea after completing his move from fellow Premier League side Wolves.

The Portugal international joined Chelsea in a £51.4million deal on Sunday, becoming the Blues' ninth senior signing of the transfer window.

Neto was paraded to supporters at Stamford Bridge at half-time of the 1-1 pre-season friendly with Inter later the same day.

And the 24-year-old is raring to make his mark at Chelsea after bringing an end to his five-year stay with Wolves.

"It's a big club, with big ambitions," he told the club's official website. "I know the history the club has. 

"I'm really looking forward to meeting my teammates, meeting the staff, and meeting everyone else, because I want to make history with the club.

"It's a young squad with really talented players. I played against Chelsea last year and I know the team we have. 

"I can’t wait to meet them and work with them because we can do great things."

Neto is coming off the back of his most productive campaign yet in the Premier League, having tallied nine assists in 20 appearances in 2023-24.

That is despite being limited to just 1,518 minutes of playing time owing to two hamstring injuries, with those the latest of numerous setbacks during his time in England.

Indeed, the Portuguese has not played over 20 league games in a single season since 2020-21 when featuring 31 times.

Neto's 0.53 assists per 90 minutes in the Premier League was the sixth-best return of any player to have played at least seven times.

Despite his injury issues, Neto declared in the same interview that he is feeling in "peak" form and raring to go at his new club.

"I want to do my best, help the team achieve their goals, and put Chelsea where they deserve to be: at the top," he added.

"My expectations for myself are always high. The expectations here are high, so I'm looking forward to showing people why I'm here, and that I deserve to be at the very top level."

Neto is in line to make his Chelsea debut against reigning Premier League champions Manchester City next Sunday on the opening weekend of the new season.

AC Milan have signed Emerson Royal from Tottenham on a contract until June 2028 with an option for a one-year extension, the Serie A club announced on Monday.

The financial details were not disclosed by either club, but British media reported that the deal was worth around €15million (£12.85m), plus €3m (£2.57m) in add-ons.

The 25-year-old Brazil international, capped 10 times, joined Spurs in 2021 from Spanish side Barcelona.

He also had spells at Brazil's Atletico Mineiro, having started his youth career at Ponte Preta.

Emerson Royal, who made 101 appearances for Spurs across all competitions, will wear the number 22 shirt at Milan.

Lautaro Martinez has signed a new five-year deal with Inter, the Italian club announced on Monday.

Martinez, whose previous deal was due to expire in a little under two years' time, is now tied to the reigning Serie A champions until 2029.

Inter confirmed the news on their official website, five days out from the start of their Scudetto defence away at Genoa.

Argentina international Martinez has scored 129 goals in 282 appearances for the Nerazzurri since joining from Racing Club in July 2018.

The 26-year-old topped the scoring charts in the Italian top flight last season with 24 goals in 33 games - 31 of those being starts.

That was eight goals more than next-highest top-scorer Dusan Vlahovic, who netted 16 times in 33 appearances for Juventus.

Inter captain Martinez's 24 league goals came from an expected goals (xG) return of 17.64, highlighting his importance as the focal point of Inter's attack.

Indeed, the forward's 0.81 goals per 90 minutes was the best of any player in the division to have played at least 20 times.

Martinez also created 36 chances - seven of those defined as 'big chances' - for his team-mates and registered three assists.

He will head into the new season on a high after scoring the extra-time winner for Argentina in their Copa America final clash with Colombia last month.

Martinez only played 221 minutes in the tournament yet still scored five times to clinch the Golden Boot, scoring every 44 minutes on average and outperforming his 3.26 xG.

Paulo Dybala's absence from Roma's starting line-up against Everton had nothing to do with the rumours regarding his future, head coach Daniele De Rossi has said.

The Argentina international was brought on for the final 15 minutes of Saturday's 1-1 pre-season friendly draw at Goodison Park, with De Rossi fielding a strong side in Roma's final warm-up game.

Dybala has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League during the close season, but De Rossi is adamant he was not left out for that reason.

"The line-up does not depend on rumours," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Nothing influenced my decisions. I deployed the team that I wanted to see against Everton. 

"The start of the season is near, and we must be more similar to what we want to be. I experimented, like in other games. Those who came to England are all Roma players, then we'll see what happens. 

"This is true not only for Dybala but for everyone. When I was asked if there were players who should stay at all costs, I said no. Whoever wants to leave is free to do so."

Dybala scored 16 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions for Roma last season - a tally bettered only by Romelu Lukaku, who scored 21 goals in 47 outings.

No Roma player, meanwhile, was directly involved in more goals than Dybala's 26, having set up 10 for his team-mates.

The 30-year-old also led the way for chances created (61) and big chances created (15) among Roma players in all competitions in 2023-24.

Twenty-two of those combined goals and assists came in Serie A, which only Olivier Giroud (23) and Lautaro Martinez (27) of Milan and Inter Milan respectively could better.

Fiorentina have confirmed the signing of Morocco international midfielder Amir Richardson from Reims.

The 22-year-old's arrival at Stadio Artemio Franchi comes on the back of helping his nation to a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics in the men's football tournament.

Both clubs announced the transfer on their official websites on Monday.

Richardson appeared 28 times for Reims in his only season at the club last time out and scored three times.

Former Le Havre player Richardson, who was also linked with a Premier League move, has earned seven caps for Morocco at senior level.

He will be unveiled by Fiorentina at a press conference on Tuesday.

Lautaro Martinez has signed a new five-year deal with Inter Milan, the Italian club announced on Monday.

Martinez, whose previous deal was due to expire in a little under two years' time, is now tied to the reigning Serie A champions until 2029.

Inter confirmed the news on their official website, five days out from the start of their Scudetto defence away at Genoa.

Argentina international Martinez has scored 129 goals in 282 appearances for the Nerazzurri since joining from Racing Club in July 2018.

The 26-year-old topped the scoring charts in the Italian top flight last season with 24 goals in 33 games - 31 of those being starts.

That was eight goals more than next-highest top-scorer Dusan Vlahovic, who netted 16 times in 33 appearances for Juventus.

Inter captain Martinez's 24 league goals came from an expected goals (xG) return of 17.64, highlighting his importance as the focal point of Inter's attack.

Indeed, the forward's 0.81 goals per 90 minutes was the best of any player in the division to have played at least 20 times.

Martinez also created 36 chances - seven of those defined as 'big chances' - for his team-mates and registered three assists.

He will head into the new season on a high after scoring the extra-time winner for Argentina in their Copa America final clash with Colombia last month.

Martinez only played 221 minutes in the tournament yet still scored five times to clinch the Golden Boot, scoring every 44 minutes on average and outperforming his 3.26 xG.

Manchester City's director of football Txiki Begiristain described Julian Alvarez as a born winner after sanctioning his €95million (£81.5m) move to Atletico Madrid.

Atleti will pay an initial €75m (£64.5m) plus €20m (£17m) in add-ons for the Argentina international, who has penned a six-year contract with the Spanish giants.

His departure, which has netted City a club-record transfer fee, comes after two successful seasons with the club, with whom he won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

Alvarez scored 36 goals in 103 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side, with 19 of those coming in 54 outings last season, the forward playing more games than any other City player.

Alvarez also helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup during his time at the Etihad Stadium, and Begiristain has nothing but warm wishes for him as he departs.

"Everyone at Manchester City wishes Julian all the very best with the next stage of his career – he has been a pleasure to work with," he told the club's website.

"His attitude has been first-class since he first walked through the door here. That's why he has improved so much.

"The trophies he has won already tell their own story – he is a winner. I look forward to watching him develop further in the remainder of his career."

Last week, City boss Guardiola confirmed Alvarez had indicated a desire to test himself in another league, and he will now look to end Los Colchoneros' three-year wait for a major trophy upon linking up with Diego Simeone's team.

"Today I say goodbye to this amazing club, with a lot of emotion," Alvarez said in a farewell statement. 

"These have been two very special years. During this time, I have grown and learnt a lot - both as a player and as a person.

"To the directors and the technical staff, thank you for your confidence and support. Your teachings and vision have helped me to develop so much.

"To my team-mates, thank you for every moment we have shared, for the effort and dedication in every training session and every match. I have learnt a lot from each and every one of you and I remain with memories and friendships that will last forever.

"To the fans, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the great support and for making me feel at home from the very first day. I will always be extremely proud to have been part of this family.

"Manchester City will always have a special place in my heart. I wish you every success in the future and I will keep on supporting the club wherever I may be."

Julian Alvarez has left Manchester City to join Atletico Madrid in a deal reportedly worth a potential €95million (£81.5m).

The Spanish club will pay an initial €75m (£64.5m) up front and then a further €20m (£17m) in possible add-ons.

Alvarez has made 103 appearances in two seasons for City since joining from Argentine giants River Plate in 2022.

A World Cup winner with Argentina, Alvarez has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, the Super Cup and the Club World Cup during his time in Manchester.

The 24-year-old, who helped Argentina win the Copa America this summer before representing his country at the Paris Olympics, featured in 54 games in all competitions for City last season, more than any other player, though 15 of those were substitute appearances.

Alvarez scored 19 goals, outperforming his 17.5 expected goals (xG) while contributing 13 assists, a tally only bettered by Kevin De Bruyne with 17.

However, City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed Alvarez wanted to test himself with a new challenge at Atleti, where he has signed a six-year deal.

His departure marks a club-record sale for City.

Atletico had already strengthened their attack following the departures of Alvaro Morata and Memphis Depay with the signing of Alexander Sorloth from Villarreal.

They have also agreed a deal to sign midfielder Conor Gallagher from Chelsea as Diego Simeone looks to bolster his squad for next season.

Meanwhile, Atleti are reportedly in talks with the Blues over a deal for Joao Felix, after Samu Omorodion's proposed move to Stamford Bridge fell through.