Mary Earps insists there are “so many more levels” for England to reach ahead of their quarter-final meeting with Colombia on Saturday.

After finishing goalless in normal time, the Lionesses progressed to the final eight with a penalty shoot-out win against Nigeria with Chloe Kelly smashing home the decisive spot-kick.

It was a tricky test for Sarina Wiegman’s side, who were reduced to 10 when Lauren James was sent off for a stamp on Michelle Alozie, but Earps believes “the best is yet to come”.

“I think it’s an exciting time to be an England player for sure, but we have to earn that right every day,” the goalkeeper said.

“And I think that we’re constantly looking to improve and drive performance and drive our standards and I think that that’s the best thing about it.

“We’re not sitting here – of course we’re happy that we’re here and grateful that we’re here, but we’re not satisfied, we’re not done, and there’s still more levels we want to go to.

“I really believe the best is yet to come. I think there’s so much talent in the group, and so many more levels we can go, I really do believe that.”

Aside from their 6-1 rout of China, the Lionesses’ tournament has seen them edge some tight games, including two 1-0 victories in the group games.

Excluding the two spot-kicks that went past her in the 4-2 shoot-out victory against Nigeria, Earps has conceded only one goal in England’s four games.

“I think the most important thing to note about that is the fact that we’ve been winning games,” Earps added.

“We’re in a results business, and we’ve earned the right to be in the position we’re in today. But obviously I experience training every day, I know the players personally, and I’ve had the privilege of working with them for some time.

“I can see it just day to day. I just can see the talent in the team. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think we’ve been bad by any means, but I think you have (only) seen glimpses of what we’re capable of.

“We as a team know the standard we want to get to. Our efforts have been 110 per cent and we’ve driven out and we’ve grinded out those results.”

Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick on his Al Ahli debut as the former Liverpool striker got the much-hyped Saudi Pro League season up and running with dash of star power.

A host of big-name player from Europe’s top clubs, including Premier League stalwarts and Champions League winners, have been attracted to the oil-rich Gulf state in a trolley dash worth almost half a billion US dollars leading up to the 2023/24 campaign.

Firmino arrived as a well-paid free transfer from Anfield and the Brazil forward enjoyed a memorable start as he inspired a 3-1 win for Al Ahli over Al Hazem in Jeddah.

The 31-year-old, who was handed the captain’s armband, netted twice in the first nine minutes as he linked up with fellow imports Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin and rounded off the scoring midway through the second half.

There was an assist apiece for former Manchester City winger Mahrez and Newcastle old boy Saint-Maximin, but not all of Al Ahli’s high-profile acquisitions excelled.

Edouard Mendy, the former Chelsea goalkeeper, was enjoying a quiet evening until he side-footed a clearance straight to opposition forward Vina and found himself chipped from 25 yards as he scrambled back into position.

The error did not cost the home side, who were promoted last season and are one of several sides to have built a star-studded squad with the assistance of the Saudi Public Investment Fund.

Firmino opened his account with a powerful near-post header in the sixth minute and doubled his tally soon after when Saint-Maximin sprayed a pass wide for Mahrez, who left the striker a close-range tap-in.

He made the match ball his own in the 72nd minute when his headed effort from Saint-Maximin’s curling cross was saved, hooking his leg round to finish on the rebound.

Firmino has been joined in the league by his former Liverpool team-mates Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Sadio Mane, while Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante also take their place among the A-list cast of recruits.

Tottenham’s record goal-scorer Harry Kane has landed in Germany to complete his move to Bayern Munich in a deal that could rise to £120million.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou confirmed on Friday afternoon that Kane’s transfer to the Bundesliga champions was “imminent” after a breakthrough in negotiations between the clubs was reached on Wednesday night.

It left the ball in Kane’s court and he decided on Thursday to leave his boyhood club for Bayern, who will pay an initial £100m, with add-ons potentially taking the deal up to an overall fee of £120m, the PA news agency understands.

Reports on Friday morning initially suggested Spurs had refused to give Kane permission to travel to Germany, but they were squashed by Tottenham and hours later he set off for Munich via a private jet from London Stansted airport.

Kane landed at his soon-to-be new home city on Friday night to complete his medical ahead of a landmark move.

Postecoglou, speaking before Spurs’ trip to Brentford on Sunday, said: “Fair to say I don’t have a blow-by-blow account, but my understanding is it has progressed to the point where it looks like it will happen.

“From that perspective, at least it gives us some clarity and we move forward without Harry.

“From my perspective it is just about understanding where we are at and the information I have at the moment is the deal is imminent but, like with all these things, you leave yourself some leeway.

“But moving forward and training today preparing for Brentford, we are doing it without Harry.

“It is best Harry speaks for himself in terms of the decision, but no doubt he is one of the greats of this football club and that never changes.

“I am only new in the building, but (it is) fairly evident Harry Kane will always be one of the greats for this football club.”

Kane faces a race against time to officially sign early enough to feature in Bayern’s DFL-Super Cup match with RB Leipzig on Saturday night.

However, with the clash taking place at Bayern’s Allianz Arena home, England captain Kane could well be unveiled to supporters before kick-off, even if the paperwork is not completed in time.

This is not the first summer in which Kane’s future has dominated headlines after Manchester City had a failed pursuit in 2021.

Kane sat out the first match of that season – coincidentally against City – but Pep Guardiola’s side never got close to agreeing a fee with Tottenham for the forward.

With Kane now into the last 12 months of his contract at Spurs, speculation over his future this time always felt more significant.

Bayern saw bids reportedly turned down in June and July but made their intentions clear, with honorary president Uli Hoeness and president Herbert Hainer speaking openly in the media about Kane’s desire to join the Bundesliga champions.

A third bid was submitted last Friday and Spurs spent all weekend deliberating before chairman Daniel Levy rejected the offer on Monday.

With noises coming out that Kane, who scored four goals in a friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Sunday, had enjoyed working with Postecoglou, confidence started to grow that he could spend the season with his boyhood team.

But Bayern’s latest bid proved enough for an agreement to be reached and, after Kane took his time to weigh up the decision, he decided it was the right time to end his 19-year stay at Spurs.

It means Kane’s pursuit of Alan Shearer’s Premier League goal-scoring record will be put on hold, with the Tottenham forward still 47 goals off equalling Shearer’s tally of 260.

He will leave N17 as the club’s leading marksman after he surpassed Jimmy Greaves’ 266-goal record in February with the winner against Manchester City.

Kane will also get the chance to fulfil his career-long ambition of winning trophies at Bayern, while remaining in the Champions League.

Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel has been a long-term admirer of Kane, but he was coy when asked about the forward ahead of Saturday’s match with Liepzig.

Tuchel told a press conference: “We are working with full pressure on this deal.

“I understand there are a lot of ifs and whens. All options are open. The first is to have him as a player and at the moment he is not yet that.

“This is a big deal. We are trying to take the England captain away from the Premier League.”

Fred is set to leave Manchester United after a deal worth up to 15million euros was struck with Fenerbahce.

The 30-year-old midfielder moved to Old Trafford from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018 and has made 213 appearances for the club.

Fred is now heading to Turkey to join Fenerbahce, who have agreed a deal in principle the PA news agency understands is worth an initial 10million euros (£8.6m), rising to a possible 15m euros (£12.9m).

The Brazil international, whose United contract was due to expire next summer, is flying out to Istanbul for a medical on Saturday.

A club statement read: “Manchester United can confirm an agreement in principle has been reached with Fenerbahce for the transfer of Fred.

“The Brazil international is set for a switch to the Turkish Super Lig, subject to a medical, agreeing personal terms and receiving international clearance to process the move.

“The 30-year-old leaves so many positive memories from his time at Old Trafford, where he has been a hugely popular individual, both as a person and as a player.

“Everybody at the club would like to wish the very best of luck to Fred for the future, as we await confirmation that the deal is completed.”

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from August 11.

Football

Alan Shearer was prepared to go to extreme lengths to protect his record Premier League goals haul, as Harry Kane neared a move to Bayern Munich from Tottenham.

Former Spurs stars Gary Lineker and Ramon Vega stuck up for Bayern.

Jamie Carragher defended Liverpool’s lavish spending…

…but soon had a, er, change of heart.

JJ Watt was buzzing before Burnley’s Premier League return against Manchester City.

Swansea announced a new signing in a creative way.

Luis Enrique opted for a bird’s eye view.

Andres Iniesta was hard at work with his new club Emirates.

Golf

Sergio Garcia is still loving LIV life.

F1

George Russell met up with Daniel Ricciardo.

Basketball

Dwyane Wade was feeling the love.

Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee with Brighton for Moises Caicedo, but the Reds face a battle to land the Ecuadorian amid fierce competition from Chelsea.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Friday morning a deal has been struck which could see Liverpool pay in the region of £110million for the midfielder, who has attracted intense interest from Chelsea this summer.

Chelsea’s third and most recent offer for Caicedo was £80m, substantially below Brighton’s valuation of a player who they signed for £4m from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle in February 2021.

However, while Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is resigned to losing Caicedo, Chelsea are not yet out of the running and will be mulling over whether to make a fresh bid as it is understood the 21-year-old Ecuador international would prefer a switch to Stamford Bridge.

Klopp wants to reinforce his options in the middle of the park with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho going to the Saudi Pro League last month while Naby Keita and James Milner also recently left the club.

They signed Caicedo’s ex-Brighton team-mate Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig but missed out on Jude Bellingham, who joined Real Madrid in June in a deal that could rise to £115m.

“I can confirm the deal with (Brighton) is agreed, whatever that means because we want the player and not any kind of agreement, we will see,” Klopp said.

“We are a club that doesn’t have endless resources, we didn’t expect a couple of things happening in the summer, like Henderson and Fabinho (leaving), stuff like this.

“We didn’t think about that before the summer, to be honest, and then it happened. We gave (attempting to sign Bellingham) a go and the club was really stretched. We will see (what happens with Caicedo).”

As for whether Caicedo will undergo a medical in Merseyside on Friday or if signing the youngster would be Liverpool’s final business of the summer window, Klopp was tight-lipped.

“I’ve said what I know,” he added. “Let’s do it step by step, let’s see what happens in the next hours or days.”

The Caicedo fee is upwards of the previous British record of £107m that Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernandez in January and dwarfs Liverpool’s own highest transfer payment of £75m for Virgil van Dijk in 2018.

De Zerbi said on Friday: “I would like to answer only one time (on Caicedo). I’ve already forgotten Moises. Moises is leaving and is not important for me now.”

Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino was coy when asked about Caicedo but the tug-of-war between the Blues and Liverpool is an intriguing subplot ahead of their showdown on the opening weekend of the Premier League season on Sunday in west London.

“I never talk about players that don’t belong to us,” the Argentinian said. “I am so respectful.

“What I can tell you is we are working really hard to try to add more players to the squad, to add quality. When we have some update to be made for you, the club will do.

“It’s obvious, when you look at the squad compared with last season, too many midfielders leave the squad. We have different options, we are working hard to try, to see.”

Klopp, whose side missed out on Champions League qualification after finishing fifth last season, was reminded of his critical comments on paying nine-figure sums for players six years ago.

After Manchester United signed Paul Pogba for a then-world record £89m, Klopp said: “If you bring one player in for £100m and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney. The day that this is football, I’m not in a job anymore, because the game is about playing together.”

However, Klopp accepted he was mistaken for questioning the wisdom of such fees on Friday and admitted prices for players will only increase with Saudi Arabia muscling in as a rival to Europe’s top leagues.

“Everything changed,” Klopp said. “Do I like it? But did I realise I was wrong? Definitely. That’s the way it goes, it will not go the other way around again, Saudi Arabia will not help with that.

“I’m not blaming anybody, it’s just the market with a lot of money.

“In the end, we as a club have just to try to make sure that with our resources, we get the best possible team together. We really try everything to get the best squad for us.

“We are not in a dreamland so we can’t just point on players and bring them in, there’s a lot of work to do these kinds of things. Sometimes one door closes then the other door opens up.

“If people want to throw my quotes from five or six years ago, absolutely no problem. I realise now I was wrong, it’s easy to admit that.”

Kilmarnock goalkeeper Will Dennis vowed his team would take the initiative on the road as well as at home following their shock win over Rangers.

A Killie starting team featuring seven summer signings opened their cinch Premiership campaign in style with a 1-0 win at Rugby Park last Saturday.

Manager Derek McInnes is looking to improve their away form this season and Killie now have the chance to lay down another marker when they travel to Edinburgh to face Hearts on Sunday.

Dennis said: “We don’t go into games thinking we are just going to sit back and let the better teams take control of us. We go in there with a mentality that we can beat anyone.

“It’s a fortress with the fans we have got, you saw that on Saturday, they turned up in their numbers and boosted us for 90 minutes-plus and got us over the line.

“Going to play a different team doesn’t change the way we want to play, we go in with the same mentality of wanting to win and come away with something.”

Dennis was one of those seven summer signings after moving to Ayrshire on loan from Bournemouth.

The 23-year-old said: “I heard good things. A few lads from Bournemouth have been up here on loan. Zeno Ibsen Rossi was here and I was in digs with him. We used to sit and watch his games on TV.

“So I knew this was a nice family-oriented club and a good place to come. I jumped at the chance.”

Dennis has had an experienced group of goalkeepers to work with at Bournemouth including former Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc, Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale, former Chelsea player Asmir Begovic and Darren Randolph, once of Motherwell.

“They have been brilliant,” he said. “I learned a lot, especially when I was younger.

“We had Artur Boruc and Asmir, a few of the big names in football as goalies, different types of goalies and you take bits from each individual.

“Aaron Ramsdale is a couple of years older than me but you take parts of his game and just seeing where he is now, it motivates you to push to get to where you think you can, or where you know you can get to in the future.”

Newcastle chief executive Darren Eales is convinced eye-watering Saudi Arabian investment in domestic football will not derail their mission on Tyneside.

The Gulf state’s Public Investment Fund, which owns an 80 per cent stake in the St James’ Park outfit, bought majority holdings in four of the nation’s biggest clubs – Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli and Al Ittihad – in June, sparking a transfer flurry which has taken some of the game’s biggest names to the Saudi Pro League in return for vast pay packets.

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and French counterpart Karim Benzema are among those to have headed for the Middle East, while the Magpies have themselves benefited – to raised eyebrows in some quarters – with Allan Saint-Maximin’s move to Al-Ahli, having unlocked a Financial Fair Play conundrum with what is understood to have been a £30million cash injection.

Asked to explain the difference between that and the more modest approach adopted on Tyneside, where the total transfer spend over the four windows since the new owners took charge currently amounts to around £350million, Eales said: “An investment was made and Financial Fair Play is the regulation, so within those parameters everybody knew what the guard rails are in terms of what you can spend and how you can spend it.

“Our job is to try to now grow Newcastle United to where we want it to be within the regulations which every club has to follow.”

While Newcastle’s spending has been huge in comparison to that under previous owner Mike Ashley, PIF’s investment in the club, which has prompted repeated accusations of sportswashing, has been relatively modest for a sovereign wealth fund worth in the region of £514billion.

However Eales, who admitted the success or otherwise of the Pro League could spark pressure for a change to spending regulations in Europe, insists the owners are not frustrated by their inability to throw money at the Premier League club as they have been able to do at home.

He said: “The reality is they came in and it has been incredible, fighting relegation to finishing 11th, then finishing fourth. We have very shrewd operators in our ownership group.

“We have got a great skill-set and set of people who have experience in various businesses. They understand it is a long-term plan not short-term.”

Summer swoops for Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento had bolstered Eddie Howe’s squad for a campaign in which the club will look to build upon last season’s top-four finish while at the same time renewing their acquaintance with the Champions League after a 20-year absence.

However, the arrivals of Barnes and Livramento were eased by Saint-Maximin’s departure amid questions over a PIF-backed club buying from another within the fund’s sporting portfolio.

However, sporting director Dan Ashworth, who confirmed there was no other formal bid for the Frenchman despite interest elsewhere, insisted the undisclosed fee represented the player’s market value.

Ashworth said: “We are absolutely convinced it is fair market value and without going into the actual price it was, there is plenty evidence of players of similar age, similar position, similar ability, similar CV that are moving for similar amounts outside the Saudi league.”

The trajectory since Amanda Staveley’s consortium took up the reins at St James’ in October 2021 has been inexorably upwards, and the plan is to continue that resurgence both on the pitch and off it, where £10million has been invested in the training ground and a feasibility study commissioned to look into ways in which the 52,000-capacity stadium could be expanded.

Commercial revenue and global supporter engagement are also major focuses for a club which has high hopes for sustained success.

Eales said: “We are trying to build the plane while we are flying it. We won’t always get everything right. For us, it’s about getting Newcastle United rightfully back to where it should be.”

Malky Mackay insists Ross County will give St Johnstone every respect in the Staggies’ first home cinch Premiership game of the season on Saturday.

The Dingwall outfit began their league campaign with a creditable performance against champions Celtic last week but still left Parkhead with a 4-2 defeat, while the Perth side’s opener ended in a 2-0 home loss to Hearts.

Mackay told the club’s official website: “It’s going to be a tough one for us. It has always been good games between the two clubs.

“I know Steven MacLean will have them well organised. I thought they were actually excellent at the weekend against a good Hearts side, very stuffy and didn’t give them too many chances in the game.

“They are a bit like ourselves, they are trying to rebuild and have some new players in the door.

“I am delighted to get the game here, our first home league game after last Saturday’s game at Celtic Park. We are under no illusions, it will be a tough game.”

Mackay is delighted to have added 25-year-old defender Ryan Leak from Salford to his squad earlier in the week.

He said: “Ryan has come in and joined us. We lost two experienced centre-backs this year in Alex Iacovitti and Keith Watson.

“He is someone who played over 30 game for Salford last year, he is left-footed, has good balance and is a big boy as well and is keen to come and join us. So delighted to get him in the door.”

Paris St Germain manager Luis Enrique is hopeful a solution can be found to the club’s ongoing contract dispute with forward Kylian Mbappe.

The France captain’s future is facing uncertainty following links with a move to Real Madrid and reports earlier this week that he has been frozen out of first-team training.

A decision not to sell Mbappe this summer could result in PSG losing him for nothing next year but when asked about his future, Enrique stressed that the club is “bigger” than anyone else.

“It is something that has already happened in the past and there was a positive solution before I was here,” the PSG boss told a press conference.

“I hope and wish that, just like in the past, the same thing will happen again and that the club and the player will reach an agreement.

“That is what I would like. The club’s philosophy is very clear, the club is bigger than any players, any coaches, and that is something I fully agree with.”

Mbappe is not the only player linked with a move away from the Parc des Princes with reports suggesting Marco Verratti and Neymar may also be looking to leave.

According to reports in France earlier in the week, Brazil forward Neymar has indicated he wants to leave the club – but Enrique remained tight-lipped about the futures of those players.

“With regards to the players you mentioned, Marco Verratti and Neymar, conversations with the players are private,” he added.

“I will not talk about what they have said, what I have said, I don’t think that is professional, I prefer to keep that internal.

“Of course my words say something but my actions say more and the actions that I take will show my ideas.”

PSG have been linked with Ousmane Dembele throughout the transfer window and Enrique hinted that a deal for the Barcelona forward is close.

He said: “Ousmane Dembele isn’t a PSG player today, I don’t know what exactly the situation is but he is not a PSG player yet.

“He is 99 per cent but not 100 per cent, he won’t be in the squad tomorrow of course.”

PSG’s Ligue 1 title defence begins on Saturday with a home fixture against Lorient, who beat them 3-1 in the league in April.

This will be Enrique’s first match in charge of the team since replacing Christophe Galtier at the start of July and he is looking forward to getting started with the club.

Enrique said: “I’m very happy to be playing this first home match, and I hope we win and that there’s a good atmosphere so that we can all have a good time together.

“Since I arrived, I’ve been put in the best possible conditions, now I’m trying to build a team and I’m motivated to do that.”

Spain and Sweden became the first sides to reach the World Cup semi-finals on Friday.

The two sides will meet in the last four after Spain beat the Netherlands 2-1 and Sweden overcame Japan by the same margin.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at a tense day of action and what is in store in the remaining two semi-finals.

Spanish history

A controversial game in Wellington saw Spain reach the last four for the first time.

VAR was a main talking point with Esther Gonzalez’s effort for Spain disallowed for offside on review.

Referee Stephanie Frappart then overturned her decision to give Netherlands a penalty before VAR intervened again to give Spain a spot-kick for Stefanie van der Gragt’s handball.

After all the controversy, teenage winger Salma Paralluelo came off the bench to score Spain’s 111th-minute winner.

Super Sweden

Sweden outplayed Japan to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the fifth time.

Amanda Ilestedt’s close-range finish and Filippa Angeldahl’s penalty put them in full control six minutes into the second half.

Japan did mount a late revival with Riko Ueki sending a penalty against the crossbar and fellow substitute Honoka Hayashi firing home three minutes from time.

But a Japan equaliser would have been an injustice and Sweden rightfully took their place in the last four once again.

First-time winners guaranteed

The exit of 2011 World Cup winners Japan means a new name will be carved on the trophy.

Four-time winners the United States were also beaten by Sweden in the previous round, while two-time champions Germany failed to make it out of the group stage.

Norway, the only other country to win the Women’s World Cup back in 1995, were beaten in the last 16.

As well as Spain and Sweden, Australia, France, England and Colombia are still in the hunt for a first World Cup triumph.

England – and Becks – expects

The Lionesses head into their quarter-final clash against Colombia with the pre-tournament words of former England captain David Beckham ringing in their ears.

Forward Alessia Russo revealed how “heartthrob” Beckham had boosted Sarina Wiegman’s squad before their departure for Australia and New Zealand.

“He was really nice. It was a pinch-me moment in terms of what women’s sport nowadays has done,” Russo said of the pre-World Cup chat.

“It was amazing actually. He has been one of my idols – and heartthrobs – ever since I was a little girl.”

Post of the dayQuote of the dayWhat next?

Quarter-final: Australia v France (0800)
Quarter-final: England v Colombia (1130)

Mauricio Pochettino conceded Chelsea may be forced back into the transfer market for attacking reinforcements following the injury to Christopher Nkunku.

The France international, signed in the summer from RB Leipzig, was one of the standout successes of the team’s pre-season tour of the United States with three goals in his five games, but sustained a meniscus injury to his knee against Borussia Dortmund in Chicago and is unlikely to play again before December.

The 25-year-old underwent surgery this week and has begun his rehabilitation but it is understood that the club expect a 16-week recovery period, rendering the need for added attacking options suddenly more urgent.

Chelsea registered their lowest goalscoring return in almost a hundred years last season with just 38 Premier League goals, and there had been optimism that in Nkunku and fellow new signing Nicolas Jackson a solution had been found.

It is understood there is no update on the future of out-of-favour striker Romelu Lukaku, who was pictured at Cobham in a Chelsea tracksuit this week despite having made clear his desire to return to Italy where he spent last season on loan at Inter.

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having departed and Armando Broja recovering from injury, it leaves Jackson as the club’s only recognised striker available for Sunday’s Premier League opener against Liverpool.

“We feel sorry about (Nkunku) because he was doing well,” said Pochettino. “He was an important player for us, his quality is there, one of the best offensive players, can play in different positions.

“It’s a big issue for us. But now it’s about not thinking too much about the injuries, and being positive.

“We’re working on the market also because we’re going to miss one player like this, offensive. The club is working to try to find a solution, maybe short-term, maybe long-term, to add the right profile.”

Pochettino would not comment on Chelsea’s pursuit of Moises Caicedo, insisting on the need to be respectful of Brighton whilst the clubs remain locked in a standoff over their valuations of the player.

Jurgen Klopp confirmed on Friday that Liverpool have agreed a deal with Brighton for the midfielder, believed to be a British-record £111m, but Caicedo is understood to favour a move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea’s third and most recent offer was £80million, well short of what owner Tony Bloom believes the player to be worth.

Liverpool and Chelsea endured hugely disappointing campaigns last season and started the summer in significant need of squad renovation, though success so far in the transfer market has been mixed.

The Reds have made just two first-team signings, with Caicedo’s former team-mate Alexis Mac Allister having joined alongside Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, whilst Chelsea have undergone a more comprehensive overhaul with over £180m spent on six signings.

Pochettino said he believed the rebuild his club faces is more challenging than the one Klopp is dealing with at Anfield, made tougher in part by the recent high turnover in personnel.

However, he added that he would not allow his players to use it as an excuse on Sunday.

“I think we are more in transition than Liverpool,” he said. “Because I am new here, and Klopp is for seven years at Liverpool. In seven years you can anticipate the transition, you can see what is going to come, you can be ahead of the problems.

“Of course, we are Chelsea, the history of the club is to win, even if we are in transition, people know we cannot give the message that we are in transition. We need to win and we need to be ready to win. And we are going to be ready win against Liverpool.

“The mentality for the players and the whole club is about how to compete in the best way to be strong and to really believe in us. I’m not going to accept a different way to think.

“Excuse? OK, for other people, but no excuse for us, because we need to be strong.”

Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers feels getting up to speed in competitive matches following knee surgery is the “perfect” solution after playing through pain for most of last season.

The centre-back played the full game as Celtic began their cinch Premiership campaign with a 4-2 win over Ross County last Saturday, despite only getting 45 minutes of pre-season action.

“That’s how I want to do it,” he said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aberdeen. “The best way to get fitness is to play games, so it’s perfect for me.

“I feel good, even though I didn’t train with the team until about 10 days ago, I was running on my own for a while. So physically I feel good and I’m ready to play.”

Carter-Vickers had been out for three months after being booked in for knee surgery immediately after Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Rangers.

The 25-year-old had been troubled by knee pain for the majority of the campaign but it was not evident in his impressive performances.

“It was quite a while,” he said. “Long before Christmas I initially did it. The pain wasn’t bad consistently, there were lows and highs, but it was definitely something I needed to get sorted and now that it is I am in a good spot.

“My understanding of the injury was, the likelihood was it was never going to get worse in terms of the actual damage in the knee.

“So it wasn’t too much of a risk. It was just mainly pain management. Some weeks I maybe wouldn’t train at the start of the week, I would just come in towards the end of the week to be ready for the game.

“It was about managing the pain and trying to play 90 minutes at the weekend really.

“I wanted to go as far as I could with it. I wanted to be there to help the team if I could and I still felt I could contribute in a positive way.

“I knew I needed it done but my view was that I would be guided by the management and the physios as to when it should happen.

“They thought that when I did get it done would be the best time, when we had most things wrapped up from last season and also to be ready for the beginning of this season.”

With the league all but wrapped up, the former Tottenham player put in a man-of-the-match display as Celtic beat Rangers to secure a Scottish Cup final meeting with Inverness.

“I knew that was going to be my last game before I played it,” he said. “Not much changed for me mentally, I went out there and tried to perform and help the team. But it was a bit of a weird feeling for me after the game.”

The United States international felt as much a part of Celtic’s title and treble-winning celebrations as if he had his strip on.

And he said: “I enjoyed the cup final to be honest. I was there in my suit watching the game and we won.

“I’m not a real over-thinker. When I’m fit I will play the best I can and when I’m not I can’t do much about it so I just get on with it.”

Manchester United are no longer planning to announce a decision on Mason Greenwood’s future before their season gets under way, the PA news agency understands.

The 21-year-old has been suspended by the Old Trafford club since January 30, 2022, over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online.

Greenwood was facing charges including attempted rape and assault until the Crown Prosecution Service announced six months ago that the case had been discontinued.

The forward has remained suspended by United throughout this period and the club had planned to announce the outcome of their internal investigation before their season starts.

But the PA news agency understands that United will no longer be announcing their decision before Monday’s Premier League clash with Wolves at Old Trafford.

The club are entering into a consultation phase off the back of their investigation process, engaging directly with key stakeholders to explain their decision making and hear feedback.

Partners and fans are among those stakeholders as are the United women’s team, who have a number of players at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

A group of United fans announced on Friday that they planned to protest against the prospect of Greenwood’s return ahead of the Wolves match at Old Trafford.

Academy graduate Greenwood has scored 35 goals in 129 matches for the club, with his last appearance coming on January 22, 2022.

Roberto De Zerbi insists leading Premier League clubs “can’t buy our soul” as Moises Caicedo edges closer to becoming the latest star name to depart Brighton.

Albion have accepted a British record transfer fee in the region of £110million from Liverpool for the Ecuador midfielder, although reports suggest he would prefer to join Chelsea.

The Seagulls, who start the new season at home to newly-promoted Luton on Saturday, have become accustomed to selling key players for hefty fees.

Argentina World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister moved to Anfield earlier this summer, while Arsenal pair Ben White and Leandro Trossard, Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella and Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma also left the Amex Stadium in the past two years.

De Zerbi is resigned to losing 21-year-old Caicedo but had a defiant message as he focused on further strengthening his squad going into a campaign which will include Europa League football.

“I’ve already forgotten Moises,” said the Italian. “I’m really proud for the players we have in the squad. We have to complete the squad.

“We want to improve the squad because we lost Mac Allister, we lost (Levi) Colwill (on loan from Chelsea last season), maybe we lose Caicedo.

“We have to be ready because when the players leave it’s because they played well but the credit is for the club, for the players, for us, the coaches.

“The big clubs can buy the players but they can’t buy our soul and our spirit. That’s not on the market and this is more important than the players when they leave.

“The money is not my work, is not my job. I can answer only about the transfer market in general. Moises is leaving and is not important for me now.”