Related items

• Ederson slams reports of rift with Man City backup Ortega

  Ederson has hit out at reports of a rift between himself and fellow Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

  The Brazilian was substituted after suffering a fractured eye socket in City's penultimate game of the Premier League season, a vital 1-0 win over Tottenham. 

  Ortega replaced him and made a brilliant save to deny Son Heung-min as City maintained their slender lead over Arsenal at the top of the table, sealing an unprecedented fourth straight title by beating West Ham five days later. 

  Ortega was widely lauded for his role in that triumph, and an article published by The Athletic this week suggested Ederson took issue with that praise.

  However, the goalkeeper – who missed the Copa America as a result of his injury – has now moved to shut down those suggestions with a post to his Instagram story.

  "I would like to clarify that the note published by The Athletic yesterday, referring to my alleged dissatisfaction with a co-worker, is completely false," he wrote. 

  "The alleged day reported was, without a doubt, one of the most difficult days of my career, when I suffered a fracture that prevented me from playing in the final stretch of the season and, consequently, from representing my country in the Copa America.

  "At the time of the injury, my only thought was to continue in the match, defending City in the fight for the title. 

  "But the emotion of the match would be greater than the reality and, inevitably, I would not be able to continue as I would have liked due to the damage it caused, completely blocking my field of vision. I remain focused on preparing for the season."

  Ederson has been linked with a transfer in recent days, reportedly attracting interest from Saudi Pro League clubs.

• Nurnberg 3-0 Juventus: Motta's men thrashed in first pre-season friendly

  Thiago Motta's first game in charge of Juventus ended in defeat as an unfamiliar Bianconeri side was thrashed 3-0 by 2. Bundesliga outfit Nurnberg on Friday.

  The likes of Timothy Weah, Nicolo Fagioli and Dusan Vlahovic were limited to substitute roles as Motta selected a young side at Max-Morlock-Stadion, with the latter hitting the post with a second-half penalty at 1-0.

  Caspar Jander had earlier given Nurnberg a 19th-minute lead, and they put some gloss on the scoreline with two late strikes after Vlahovic's missed spot-kick.

  Substitutes Dustin Forkel and Tim Janisch both converted from inside the penalty area in the final four minutes as Motta's reign began in disappointing fashion.

  The Bianconeri are next in action versus Brest on Saturday, with a further friendly against Atletico Madrid in the diary before they begin their Serie A campaign at Como on August 19.

  Data Debrief: Juve's second string miss their chance

  It's fair to say few of the youngsters selected by Motta made a big impression, with the Bianconeri only managing two shots to Nurnberg's seven before they rang the changes at half-time.

  No Juventus starter created a chance in Bavaria, and things did not get much better when Motta made his changes, with Vlahovic in particular enduring a disappointing outing. 

  He only had 18 touches, one of them coming when he struck the woodwork from 12 yards.  

• Lindstrom joins Everton on loan from Napoli

  Everton have completed the loan signing of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli, the club confirmed on Friday. 

  Lindstrom will join the Toffees for the 2024-25 season with the deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.

  The 24-year-old becomes the fourth addition at Goodison Park following the arrivals of Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison. 

  Lindstrom arrives after a difficult season with Napoli, playing just 416 minutes in 22 league appearances for the Serie A side. 

  The Denmark international arrived in Naples from Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 14 goals in 80 appearances, helping the German side lift the Europa League in the 2021-22 season. 

  “I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton," Lindstrom said in his first interview with the club. 

  "This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit.

  “I actually heard of Everton’s interest a while ago – not only from now but previously. England is very similar to Denmark so I will feel at home quickly.

  “I’ve spoken to the manager. It sounds as though he likes the way I play football and I can be a good fit for the team with my speed, so now I want to deliver."

  The search for another attacking option out wide had been the priority at Everton, having seen Arnaut Danjuma return to Villarreal following the completion of his loan deal, and the sale of Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa.

  Everton managed 40 goals last season, the second worst in the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United (35), and Dyche believes Lindstrom has a lot to offer in the final third. 

  "Jesper is a player with very good ability who can operate in a number of different attacking roles, which will benefit us heading into the new season," said Dyche. 

  "He joins us with a range of different experiences. He is hungry and eager to succeed with us, and that's a strong starting point as we look to add more productivity to our attack."