England Under-21s reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2023 as Group C winners following a comfortable 2-0 victory against Israel.

Anthony Gordon’s header put them in front in the 15th minute before Emile Smith Rowe doubled the lead in the second half.

Lee Carsley’s side, guaranteed top spot after beating the Czech Republic in their opening match, will meet Germany in the final group game on Wednesday.

After starting brightly, England nearly took the lead after some quick passing around the box was finished by Smith Rowe, but his backheeled effort was ruled out for offside.

They continued to attack with Gordon firing a promising ball into the box and Curtis Jones’ shot was well defended by Gil Cohen.

The dominant start was rewarded with quarter of an hour gone when a brilliant cross from Morgan Gibbs-White on the left found Gordon in the centre of the box and the Newcastle forward nodded the ball into the bottom corner.

England were in charge but Israel sparked into life in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

Dor Turgeman had the first opportunity with his header going wide of the post and Ethane Azoulay had a better chance in stoppage time when his direct free-kick from the edge of the area was saved by James Trafford.

England had an opportunity to double their lead three minutes after the break when Gibbs-White threaded a great ball through to Noni Madueke, but his effort flew wide.

Daniel Peretz made a great punch to clear the danger from Gibbs-White’s curling free-kick before a solid spell of pressure from Israel saw Karm Jaber’s effort go wide.

England eventually earned their second through Smith Rowe in the 68th minute with an excellent finish from the Arsenal forward drilled low into the left corner.

They continued to push and substitute Cameron Archer nearly made it three, but Peretz made a solid save from a tight angle.

A great run from Harvey Elliott down the centre found Cole Palmer on the right, but his shot was easily blocked and cleared by the Israel defence before Yoav Hofmeister made a solid challenge to stop Jacob Ramsey’s attempted shot in the final minutes.

Kalidou Koulibaly has left Chelsea after only one season to join Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal.

Senegal captain Koulibaly moved to England last summer from Napoli on a four-year deal in a transfer reported to be worth £34million.

The centre-back went on to make 32 appearances for Chelsea during a difficult season, but has now departed Stamford Bridge

A club statement read: “We would like to thank Kalidou for his contributions on and off the pitch during his time at Stamford Bridge and wish him well for the next stage of his career.”

Koulibaly is not the first Chelsea player to make the move to Saudi Arabia. N’Golo Kante agreed to join Al-Ittihad on a free transfer following the expiration of his deal with the Blues.

A number of high-profile names have moved to the Saudi Professional League during the past six months.

Karim Benzema has already agreed to join Al-Ittihad after 14 seasons at Real Madrid, following Cristiano Ronaldo who moved to Al Nassr from Manchester United in December.

Wolves captain Ruben Neves has also agreed a £47m move to Al-Hilal.

After Koulibaly and Kante, Chelsea outcasts Edouard Mendy, Romelu Lukaku and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have also been linked with moves to the Gulf state.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says it still “hurts deeply” to have missed out on the Premier League title, but he is happy with the progress he has made after taking over a club that had lost its “soul”.

The Gunners led the Premier League title race for 248 days last season before they were eventually chased down by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, who went on to win the treble, leaving the Gunners trophyless for a third straight season.

Arteta admits it still pains him that his side fell short but feels there were plenty of positives to take from last term, and from his tenure overall.

In an interview with Marca, the 41-year-old Spaniard said: “To this day, it still hurts me deeply, not having won the Premier (League) after spending 10 months fighting with City.

“But that’s the sport. That said, what has been achieved with such a young team is worthwhile. That is clear to me too.”

The Spaniard, who took over at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019, continued: “This started (over) three years ago. I was Pep’s assistant at City, we played against Arsenal and I saw that the soul of the club had been lost.

“It was not enjoyed, it was not felt. I knew that there was the option, shortly after, of being on the other bench and I knew that this club is so big that you had to connect the team with the fans. It has been hard to do, and now I feel happy.

“We have a clear identity, there is union and we are full of energy. That’s the biggest thing. From top to bottom, they all push in the same direction.”

Arteta responded to a question about reports linking him with a move to Paris St Germain, where he spent an 18-month loan spell during his playing career, by insisting he was “happy” and “grateful” to be with the north London club.

“I can only say that I am happy at Arsenal,” he said. “I feel loved, valued by our owners, Stan and Josh (Kroenke), and I have a lot to do here at this club. I am happy and tremendously grateful to be at Arsenal.”

The Gunners kick off their 2023-24 campaign against Nottingham Forest on August 12.

Heimir Hallgrimsson’s wait to register his first win as Jamaica’s Head coach has been prolonged, as his Reggae Boyz squandered an opportunity from the penalty spot, as well as a lengthy lead, and were held to a 1-1 stalemate by United States in their Concacaf Gold Cup Group A opening fixture on Saturday.

Defender Damion Lowe gave the Reggae Boyz a 13^th minute lead, which was later cancelled out by substitute Brandon Vazquez in the 88^th minute to rescue a point for United States in a contest that lived up to its billing in entertainment value for the massive crowd at the Soldier Field in Chicago.

Though they will be pleased with the point, the Jamaicans will also feel hard done given the fact that Leon Bailey should have converted from the 12-yard spot. But take nothing away from United States goalkeeper Matt Turner, whose save on his birthday proved the difference, though Reggae Boyz captain Andre Blake was also at his best between the sticks to spare their blushes.

Both teams started positively and signalled intentions with a few direct passes from the back into the attacking third to keep their respective defensive units on their toes.

Jamaica found a break in the eighth minute with Bailey finding debutant Demarai Gray out wide, the Everton winger showed glimpses of his nippy footwork and later played a dangerous pass inside that was cleared by the United States defence. 

The host responded almost immediately and caught Jamaica's defenders flat-footed with Jordan Morris finding loads of space in the final third to get a shot off from close range that was kept out by Blake who got down well to his left.

Still, United States struggled to deal with the pressure posed by the new look Reggae Boyz as again set pieces proved their undoing when the Jamaicans eventually broke the deadlock.

After Bailey was fouled by Jordan Morris, Gray delivered a perfectly weighted free kick which was expertly met by Lowe with a diving header that gave Turner in goal for United States, no chance at a save.

Jamaica should have doubled the lead from the penalty spot just before the half-hour mark when Amari’i Bell’s long throw inside the danger area was headed on by Michail Antonio to Kevon Lambert, who was taken out by Aidan Morris’s high boot.

Mexican referee Cesar Ramos quickly pointed to the spot and Bailey confidently stood over the ball, but the Aston Villa winger badly fluffed his lines, sending his penalty at a perfect height for Turner to save. He had a grand opportunity to make amends but steered the rebound wide as well.

That missed opportunity gave United States hope and they gradually found their rhythm, though they were assisted by some sloppy Reggae Boyz defending at times. One such occasion was in the latter stages of the first half, when Jordan Morris easily waltzed his way through on goal and it took some brilliance from Blake to deny him.

With momentum in their favour, United States came out lively on the resumption as Head coach BJ Callaghan made the adjustments with the introduction of Vazquez, Cristian Roldan and Djordje Mihailovic, who injected some tempo into their attacking thrust, as they probed for the equalizer.

A gorgeous interplay by United States in the 70^th minute paved the way for Roldan to get a shot off from close range, but Blake again came up big to keep the Reggae Boyz in front.

As the game drew closer to its climax, the Jamaicans withdrew into a defensive posture, desperately trying to preserve their lead which would have not only handed Hallgrimsson his first win eight games, but also condemned United States to their first Gold Cup opening loss.

The victory would have also been Jamaica’s second against United States at this tournament following their semi-finals triumph in 2015.

However, all that went out the window when Vazquez pounced on a poor clearance from a Jesus Ferreira cross to put the ball away from close range.

This stalemate represents an opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago or St Kitts and Nevis to assume early pole position in the group, provided they separate themselves in Sunday’s fixture.

Teams: Jamaica -Andre Blake, Dexter Lembikisa, Damion Lowe, Adrian Mariappa, Amari’i Bell (Kemar Lawrence 65th), Bobby Reid, Joel Latibeaudiere, Kevon Lambert, Demarai Gray (Daniel Johnson 90th), Leon Bailey (Shamar Nicholson 90th), Michail Antonio (Corey Burke 75th)

Subs not used: Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Jahmali Waite, Dishon Bernard, Javain Brown, Kaheem Parris, Jonathan Russell, Dujuan Richards

Booked: Lowe (3rd), Lawrence (83rd), Blake (85th)

United States: Matthew Turner, Deandre Yedlin, Matt Miazga, Aaron Long (Jalen Neal 46th), John Tolkin (Brandon Vázquez 82nd), Alejandro Zendejas (Djordje Mihailovic 66th), Aidan Morris, James Sands, Jordan Morris (Cade Cowell 55th), Jesús Ferreira, Alan Soñora (Cristian Roldan 66th)

Subs not Used: Sean Johnson, Gabriel Slonina, Bryan Reynolds, Miles Robinson, Dejuan Jones, Gianluca Busio

Booked: None

Referee: Cesar Ramos (Mex)

Assistant referees: Alberto Morin (Mex); Marco Bisguerra (Mex)

Fourth Official: Fernando Guerrero (Mex)

Var: Erick Miranda (Mex)

Avar1: Jorge Perez (Mex)

England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley believes the versatility of his players gives him plenty of options to find ways of winning as he looks to secure their place in the knockout stages of the European Championships.

Victory over Israel on Sunday would take England into the quarter-finals, having won their opening game in the tournament for the first time since 2009, when they reached the final.

Carsley’s team selection in beating the Czech Republic saw him pick seven midfielders, with Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon playing as a striker.

The manager thinks that flexibility is advantageous.

“We’ve tried to come up with two or three ways of exploiting the opposition,” he told a press conference.

“We’ll try and find gaps and spaces. It surprises me that there is surprise (at his team selection). The players nowadays are multi-functional.

“I see that we’ve got a lot of players within this squad that can do different roles.

“Part of the squad selection was having that flexibility to play with a different kind of nine (striker).

“I see pretty much any of the forward players, whether they’re wide players or forwards, being able to do that nine.

“You get a different type of nine with Anthony than you would with Cole (Palmer) or Curtis (Jones) or Emile (Smith Rowe). We’ve got plenty of options.

“The way we’ve picked the squad, when we make a change it shouldn’t affect the team too much.”

Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle will miss the game against Israel, who drew 1-1 with defending champions Germany, after he sustained a minor knee problem in training while Norwich defender Max Aarons is ill.

The Sugar Boyz are preparing for their historic first match in the Concacaf Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale.

At training on Thursday morning, Coach Austin Dico Huggins said the team celebrated their qualification to the Gold Cup, but are now focused on their match on Sunday.

“We already celebrated. We already had our fun. So now...we are at the training field getting ready for our game and Sunday," Huggins said from the training pitch of DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.

"The players are very happy to be in this situation. So, we are now ready to work," he added.

Coach Huggins made it clear that St. Kitts and Nevis is not just content with qualifying, but are prepared to compete with the other teams in the tournament.

“We are here to compete. We're small but as a local saying always goes, we're small but we tallawah. So we're gonna be there competing, working hard to ensure that we are successful and we get the job done,” Huggins said.

Meanwhile, for the St. Kitts Nevis fans in the diaspora who have been attending the games, Coach Huggins expressed appreciation and is looking forward to the continued support of fans at home and in the US.

The Sugar Boyz will play Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday at the DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale at 3:30 pm, followed by the United States on Wednesday, June 28 at 9:30 pm at Citypark, St. Louis, and Jamaica on July 2^nd at 7 pm at The Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara.

Brendan Rodgers is adamant Celtic are getting a better manager this time round than the one that won all seven domestic trophies available to him during his previous spell in Scotland.

The Northern Irishman returned to Parkhead on Monday, almost four and a half years after he left to take charge of Leicester.

In his time at the Foxes, he oversaw FA Cup glory in 2021 and back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the Premier League before things unravelled in his closing season, culminating in his sacking in April as they spiralled towards relegation.

Rodgers explained that his football philosophy remains largely unchanged since he was previously at Celtic but he feels he is returning as a more astute operator overall.

“In terms of how we play my teams always play with an attacking philosophy,” he said. “We always set out to win. That’s never changed. When my teams are at their best that’s what they do.

“I am a better manager than when I sat here seven years ago (at the start of his first spell) and certainly than four years ago.

“Experiences good and bad always help you, and that was the beauty of coming back here. It’s an amazing club and hopefully we can continue moving forward.”

Rodgers is excited about immersing himself back into the Scottish football scene and living in the country once more, even though his home near Glasgow was broken into shortly after his departure for Leicester.

Asked if he was looking forward getting to grips with the cinch Premiership and battling for the title once more, he laughed: “Yes, and battling with the media, that was always good fun!

“I have to say, Scotland brought me a lot of happiness on and off the pitch when I was here. Obviously the joy at Celtic was amazing and how successful we were.

“Off the pitch I had a lot of respect for the city and country as a whole, hence why when we were thinking of coming back, it was not just about the football side.

“Even though the last moments here were difficult off the field, it still didn’t change for us the feelings we had here at Celtic.

“I’m delighted to be here from a professional perspective taking on all the teams, and also from a family perspective.”

Rodgers will find himself going up against an old colleague from his Chelsea and Liverpool days in the shape of Michael Beale, who is now the manager of Celtic’s city rivals Rangers.

The Gers are widely deemed to be stronger now than when they finished third – behind Aberdeen – in both of Rodgers’ first two seasons at Celtic.

“All you can do is beat the opposition in front of you,” he said when asked about the challenge he expects from Rangers. “When I arrived seven years ago, Rangers were just getting promoted.

“They had just beaten Celtic and had a feeling they could win the league. Obviously in the next number of years we were able to focus on ourselves and that allowed us to win trophies and have success. It’ll be exactly the same here.

“Michael is a coach I knew from my Chelsea days, and then he came to Liverpool when I was manager there, I have known him over a period of time.

“He is an excellent coach. But my focus will be purely on Celtic and improving us as a team and that will be my thought process every day.”

Demarai Gray has had much success at the club level, coming through the youth system at Birmingham City, winning the Premier League with Leicester City, had a brief stint with German club Bayer Leverkusen and is now at home with Everton.

But Gray has always really enjoyed redefining the expectations of himself by pushing to the next level, which is why his move to represent Jamaica could not have come at a better time, as he believes there is much for him to achieve on the international stage.

The 26-year-old represented England at the under-21 level where he earned 26 caps between 2016 and 2018 and was a member of the senior team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia but did not feature in any game.

It is the lack of opportunities with the England senior team, that influenced Gray's decision to obtain a Jamaican passport through his maternal grandparents, and he has set himself a long-term goal of helping the Reggae Boyz reach a major tournament.

"Obviously the country has been trying to get a hold of me for a long time, so when you feel wanted and valued, it is always great for my confidence based on where I am at in my career and the things I want to achieve and stuff. Now is the right time to hit those targets and I'm getting to the peak of my career so I'm ready, I'm at a good point and I want to create memories and history with the country," Gray declared.

"We (the players) respect the support of the fans, me personally, I love the vibe and the culture and hopefully with the fans, we can come together as one big nation and create good things. Obviously, now it's time for the Gold Cup but in the long run, I think we will keep improving, keeping getting stronger as a team and with the support of the fans we can do special stuff," he added.

The winger's first assignment with the Reggae Boyz will be a baptism of fire of sorts, as Heimir Hallgrimsson's side are set to open their Concacaf Gold Cup campaign with Group A against reigning seven-time champion United States at Soldier Field in Chicago later this evening at 9:06pm Jamaica time. Trinidad and Tobago and first-timer St Kitts and Nevis are also a part of the group.

Having endured the lengthy process that comes with switching allegiance, Gray is intent on making it count by producing a string of his usual quality and eye-catching performances.

"It's good to finally be her I kind of feel like it's been a long time coming, it was not a simple process so to get it over the line in time for this tournament was important and good for me. 

I'm just grateful and obviously proud to represent Jamaica and hopefully I can put in some good performances, score some goals and create some history for Jamaica," Gray reasoned.

"I am feeling good after a fairly short break, I'm refreshed, obviously the conditions are tough here but over the next few days, hopefully, I will adapt to it and hopefully I'll get off to a good start," he said. 

That Gray found it so easy to settle in with the Reggae Boyz, comes from the fact that he has not only rubbed shoulders with the other English-based players before, but because they all have the same ambition and goal --to make Jamaica proud.

"I am excited to be around the boys I know it’s a strong team everyone is together, and the vibes is good and stuff so it's good so far. I played with A'mari [Bell] at the youth level and Bailey in Germany where he helped me settle in there as well and he was on me about joining the (Reggae Boyz) team and Wes Morgan as well when he was at Leicester told me about stuff here and the ambitions," Gray shared.

"Then I met the manager and he expanded on it, so collectively a lot of people influenced my decision but personally I've been looking forward to doing this, so it's good to finally settle in. Where I am at now in my career, there are things I want to achieve and I feel like I can do that here in Jamaica and like I said, the whole team is positive and I feel like it's a good start being here at the Gold Cup, it's an achievement," he noted.

Given his blossoming form, his confidence on the ball and his willingness to take on his man, the soft-spoken player will certainly complement the likes of Bailey, Michail Antonio, Shamar Nicholson and others in what is without a doubt, a quality team on paper.

"Like a lot of the boys are saying, it's probably the strongest squad they have been involved in, so I am happy to influence and play my part to help the team achieve things in the tournament and obviously in the future as well, reach the next World Cup and things like that.

"So, I think it's exciting times for Jamaica, not only now, because the next few years, it's only going to get stronger. So we can look long term, but for now, we are just focused on this tournament and making sure that we get a good start," Gray ended.

Former senior Reggae Girlz captain Konya Plummer expectedly worked her way back to full fitness to book her spot on Lorne Donaldson's 23-player squad to the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next month.

In fact, there were no real surprises to the selections made by Donaldson and his assistants Xavier Gilbert, Ak Lakhani and Laura Thomas, as all the main protagonists –many of whom were a part of the historic 2019 team in France –will be present at this July 20 to August 20 showpiece.

Obviously, form was a big decisive factor in the squad selection and Donaldson, in a previous interview, made that very clear, though in the same breath, he admitted that he had 18 or 19 players locked in, which meant he only had four or five positions to fill.

Donaldson ideally kept a large bulk of the Cup of Nations squad for team harmony purposes, especially since he stressed the need for cohesiveness, so there were only a few changes from that 24 that went down under in February. 

Goalkeepers Rebecca Spencer, Sydney Schneider, and their 17-year-old understudy Liya Brooks, who seem found the liking of Donaldson and his assistants since their historic tour of South Korea in September last year, were always safe.

So too was Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, Tiernny Wiltshire, Deneisha Blackwood, and Vyan Sampson in the defensive line, along with midfielders Havana Solaun, Drew Spence, Solai Washington, Atlanta Primus, and attackers Khadija Shaw, Jody Brown, Paige Bailey-Gayle, Cheyna Matthews, and Kameron Simmonds.

Simmonds, 19, and Washington, 17, have consistently been logging minutes since the Cup of Nations tournament in Australia and as expected, found favour with the coaching staff as they are viewed as players who can add flexibility to the attacking front.

Both are relatively inexperienced but were effective in those games against Czech Republic, Australia, and more recently Sheffield and these World Cup debutants could be difference-makers from the bench.

At one point there were concerns that Donaldson's faith in Trudi Carter reduced as the months go by, and it was evident by her omission from the camp in England. However, the nippy attacker, currently without a club since her contract with Spanish Liga F club FC Levante Las Planas expired, proved her readiness at a just-concluded camp in Jamaica.

Ohio State midfielder Peyton McNamara, who, like the other young players, always commanded the coaching staff's attention and the 22-year-old was rightly handed a spot, especially with Siobhan Wilson of Birmingham City, missing out due to injury.

Sashana "Pete" Campbell, who wasn't called upon since she picked up an injury at the Concacaf Women's Championship in Mexico, reported fit and healthy for the recent camp and made the cut, as an emergency alternative to fill the centre back or full back positions, if needed.

That said, a lot of emphasis was placed on the readiness of Plummer and the 25-year-old, who only resumed training late last year, after giving birth to her son, erased all doubts about her readiness for a second-consecutive World Cup appearance, as she hit competitive mode at the right time to make a return to the squad in the heart of the defence.

Versatility was always expected to be a characteristic held in high regard if players want to go the distance at the global showpiece and Tiffany Cameron is a perfect example, given her ability as an attacker and now as a right full back.

It is that show of versatility that secured Cameron's place in the final 23.

Prior to the Cup of Nations tournament, Cameron did not get many minutes, until she accepted the fact that she would not make the squad as an attacker.

Despite logging over 14 goals and 10 assists in over 15 games for her Hungarian top-flight club FC Gyor, Cameron, who could be considered an important leader in the Reggae Girlz group, embraced change and made the right full back position her comfort zone. She is expected to rotate the position with Wiltshire and possibly Chantelle Swaby.

Donaldson beamed about the makeup of the squad, pointing out that players, Plummer, Carter and Campbell, in particular, selected themselves. 

"We always try to pick the best possible squad, things changed along the way with injuries and so on, but the players consistently turned up and proved to us that they were worthy of their positions. Konya and Trudi came in and did well, two veteran players, we know what they were capable of I didn't select them, they selected themselves because even though they are without clubs, they committed themselves to the task by training on their own and did very well when they came into camp," Donaldson told SportsMax.tv. 

"It is basically the same for the young players, they did well camp after camp, they proved they belong among the veterans, and we had no choice but to put them in. Their fitness was also on par, and we have no doubt that they will give a good account of themselves," he added.

Meanwhile, Kayla McKenna, formerly McCoy, who missed out on the 2019 showpiece at the very last minute due to injury, has now been given another shot, as she has been doing well with Scottish Women’s Premier League Club Rangers.

"Kayla again, is a veteran she picked up an injury when we were in England, but we have been in contact with her club, and they assured us that she will be ready for the World Cup. She is one of those players who brings value to the attack as a point player so we know she will do well," Donaldson noted.

"Where Campbell is concerned, she is a very versatile player, who can give us quality work in any position between defence and attack. So, if she if she is needed, we can have her come in because she has a lot of quality. So, we feel like it's a very balanced squad, Trudi, Jody and Vyan are also versatile, so it's a squad we like, and we just have to wait and see what happens," he shared.

Racing Louisville's Satara Murray and Brighton's Victoria Williams missed out on selection along with Rachel Jones, and 2019 veterans Chinyelu Asher and Marlo Sweatman, both of whom have been absent from the squad for quite some time. Mireya Grey and Olufolasade Adamolekun, who were also present in France, also failed to make the cut.

The Girlz will contest Group F alongside France, Brazil and Panama at the World Cup.

World Cup Squad: Goalkeepers: Rebecca Spencer, Sydney Schneider, Liya Brooks

Defenders: Allyson Swaby, Chantelle Swaby, Konya Plummer, Tiernny Wiltshire, Tiffany Cameron, Deneisha Blackwood, Peyton McNamara, Sashana Campbell (Alternate player)

Midfielders: Havana Solaun, Vyan Sampson, Drew Spence, Atlanta Primus, Solai Washington, Trudi Carter

Forwards: Khadija Shaw, Jody Brown, Paige Bailey-Gayle, Kameron Simmonds, Cheyna Matthews, Kalyssa Van Zanten, Kayla McKenna

Christopher Nkunku has vowed to “give everything” for Chelsea after completing his move to Stamford Bridge.

The France forward this week signed a six-year contract with the Blues as the club finalised his reported £63million switch from RB Leipzig.

The 25-year-old had committed to moving to Stamford Bridge when he signed a pre-contract agreement last December.

Chelsea will hope he can bolster an attack that scored only 38 goals in the Premier League last season.

“We can say that I am a hard worker,” Nkunku told the club’s website, chelseafc.com. “I will give everything for the club, for the fans and to help the team bring some trophies, to give the best of my football.

“I hope I will make them as happy as I am to be here at this club.”

Nkunku scored 23 goals in 36 appearances for Leipzig in an injury-hit 2022-23 in which he was forced to miss the World Cup.

Chelsea’s struggles in the second half of last season, when they limped to a 12th-placed finish, have not dampened his enthusiasm for the move.

He said: “I think the project was good for me. It is a good project for me to develop myself as a player and a man also.

“And this is a good city, after all, and for sure I want to improve in football and I want to win trophies and improve myself also.”

Nkunku is the first new player to arrive at Chelsea since former Tottenham and Paris St Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as manager.

The pair have not yet met.

“I have not had a chance to speak to him, not yet,” said Nkunku, who began his career at PSG.

“I spoke to some of my friends from Paris about him a little bit. I speak about him a little bit with some of the players.

“They told me that he’s a very good coach and I’m excited to work with him.”

Bournemouth have signed winger Justin Kluivert from Italian club Roma for an undisclosed fee.

The 24-year-old, who was capped twice by the Netherlands in 2018, has agreed a “long-term contract” at Vitality Stadium.

He becomes the Premier League club’s first signing since the appointment of head coach Andoni Iraola following the sacking of Gary O’Neil.

Cherries chief executive Neill Blake said in a statement: “We are delighted to have made Justin our first signing ahead of the new season.

“He was coveted by a number of clubs across Europe and his arrival is a sign of his ambition which is matched by ours.

“Justin is an exciting and versatile attacking player who has an eye for goal. He is pacey, direct and boasts a high level of technical ability.”

Kluivert, the son of former Netherlands striker Patrick Kluivert, began his career at Ajax before moving to Serie A in 2018.

He scored nine goals in 68 appearances for Roma and spent last season on loan at Valencia following similar spells with RB Leipzig and Nice.

Brendan Rodgers is intent on improving Celtic’s fortunes in Europe as he prepares to return to the Champions League stage.

The newly-appointed Hoops manager had two cracks at the continent’s elite competition during his previous stint at the club in 2016 and 2017, but mustered only three points on each occasion.

When the Hoops got back into the Champions League group phase last year under Ange Postecoglou, they collected just two points.

Rodgers admits the tournament poses a formidable challenge for any Scottish club, but he believes it is possible for Celtic to become more competitive.

“Your bread and butter is always Scotland, you have to ensure that you have dominance here,” he said. “But I’d like to think we can do something in Europe.
“It’s well documented over the years when the club hasn’t qualified (for the Champions League) or hasn’t had a great record in terms of European football, so even though that’s a challenge in terms of the resources other clubs in Europe have, it’s a great challenge for us.

“We’ve got Champions League football this season and we hope to have European football after Christmas, that’s a great challenge for us all.”

Rodgers would love to lead Celtic to the last 16 of the Champion League, while even parachuting into the latter stages of the Europa League would represent progress on previous campaigns.

“We all know the challenges of the Champions League and if you can get through to the knockout stages, that’s a big step for a Scottish team,” he said.
“When you go into Europe, there are competitions now where, with that little bit of luck and quality, you can go a long way.

“For us, it’s about getting through a qualification phase and seeing where it can take us. Europe is a great challenge for us, and it’s something we have to embrace.”

Wolves have confirmed the departure of captain Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal for a club record £47million.

The Portugal midfielder scored 30 goals in 253 appearances during six seasons at Molineux.

Neves wiped away tears in an emotional video posted on the Premier League club’s Twitter account, saying he had made “thousands of memories which will last forever”.

Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs told his club’s website: “Ruben is the embodiment of everything you look for when trying to bring players into a football club: a leader, a humble man and an extremely talented footballer who took Wolves to a different level.

“He was part of a great era for this club and will go down as one of our best ever players.

“We are grateful for everything he has done for Wolves and wish him and his family the very best for the future.”

Neves, who had one year remaining on his contract, was part of the Wolves team which won the Sky Bet Championship title in 2018 following his move from Porto.

The 26-year-old then helped Wanderers to two consecutive seventh-placed finishes in the top flight, in addition to an FA Cup semi-final in 2019 and the Europa League quarter-finals in 2020.

He becomes the latest high-profile player to move to Saudi Arabia.

Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante have already completed free transfers to Al Ittihad this month, while Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al Nassr in December.

Shortly before announcing the deal, Wolves posted a video on social media in which Neves sobbed and struggled to contain his emotions.

“Wolves, six seasons, 253 games, champions of the Championship, five years of Premier League football, an FA Cup semi-final, our European adventure and some huge wins,” he said.

“And thousands of memories which will last forever, what an unbelievable journey. I’ve worked with so many great people along the way.

“Every single moment was unforgettable.”

Brendan Rodgers is relishing the opportunity to build on the “great foundation” left by Ange Postecoglou at Celtic.

The Northern Irishman has returned to take charge of the Hoops on the back of a campaign in which his predecessor won five of the six domestic trophies available, including a treble last season, before leaving earlier this month to become manager of Tottenham.

Rodgers admits it is rare for him to take on a new job when the team is already in such a position of strength and he feels the fact he shares similar ideas to Postecoglou about how the game should be played can help ensure a smooth transition.

“I come to a club for one of the very few times in my career where it has an upward feel to it,” he said. “A lot of the jobs I’ve gone into, the teams have been suffering and I’ve gone in to pick it up.

“Here I’ve come in with a great foundation on the back of the great work Ange has done over the last couple of years.

“I’ve not spoken to Ange, but I’ve exchanged messages with him. I’ve spoken in depth to John Kennedy who has been a pivotal person at the club and who will be my assistant.

“I’ve obviously watched Celtic as well. The football philosophy is not too different in terms of how we would work and how a Celtic manager is perceived to work with his team.

“It’s an attacking club. You have to win and you have to win stylistically in a certain way. Ange has obviously done that and hopefully in my period to follow we’ll be able to continue doing that. It’s a continuation of that and hopefully building on that.”

Rodgers is “excited” about the squad he has inherited but is keen to make quality additions over the coming months ahead of the Champions League, which gets under way in September.

“It’s a good time to strengthen whenever you’ve done so well,” he said. “A team coming off the back of a treble, I’ve been in that position before and we were able to do another treble, so I understand the feeling now over the course of the summer and what it is you need over this period, and that will be about strengthening.

“I’m also really excited to work with the players here because it’s a young squad and there is still a lot of growth within that. I’m really looking forward to getting to see them over the course of pre-season.

“There’s only a few players that were here from when I was here. It’s an exciting squad and now is a really good time to add to it.”

Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan says the club are now aiming to be “number one” after their transformation from relegation strugglers to Champions League participants.

The Magpies finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the Carabao Cup final last season, just over a year they had been battling to get out of the bottom three.

The catalyst for the improvement was the club’s takeover by the Saudi-led consortium headed by Al-Rumayyan and Amanda Staveley in 2021.

“It is a great achievement to start with,” Al-Rumayyan told NUFCTV in an interview reflecting on his first full season at the helm.

“Did we expect to do that? Yes. We have the ingredients for success. We have the will. We want to achieve the best positions we can.

“(We) have the right people in management – the technical director (Dan Ashworth), the manager (Eddie Howe) – and we have the right players. To top it all, we have a great fanbase.

“If you have the right people and the will, and the right processes and funds, if you put all these together I think it is a great recipe for success and that is what we are achieving right now.

“Finishing in the top four, our revenue is increasing. Remember, you have to work within the financial fair play framework, so the more revenue we will have, the more players we will have ready.

“Then the Champions League will add more revenue for us. The sponsorship is improving and that’s more funds and more revenue.

“If you put all these things together, I think we should have an ambition and aspiration to be number one.”

Al-Rumayyan, who was wearing a suit lined with black and white stripes and the club crest, described his first visit to St James’ Park as “one magical, electrical moment for me.”

He added: “We have one of the best fanbases in the EPL and potentially the world.”