Former Manchester City defender Aleksandar Kolarov has announced his retirement after leaving Inter.

Kolarov's contract at San Siro officially expires at the end of June, bringing an end to his two-season stay with the Italian giants.

The 36-year-old made just 15 appearances for Inter in all competitions, seven of those being starts, after joining from Serie A rivals Roma in September 2020.

He previously enjoyed a spell with Lazio in the Italian top flight prior to joining City in 2010 for a seven-year stint.

The 94-cap Serbia international won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two EFL Cups with City.

In a statement released to ANSA on Sunday announcing his retirement, left-back Kolarov said: "I always knew that sooner or later this moment will come.

"Although I am sorry that I am closing one chapter of my life, I am grateful that I managed to achieve what has always been my dream.

"I thank all the people who followed me in this first part of my career."

"First of all, to every team-mate in the clubs in which I played as well as in the football team of Serbia, my homeland, which I have always represented with great pride. 

"I thank the clubs, presidents, managers, coaches, technical staff, doctors, economists, physios and all those who helped in my career, and worked hard from the background."

Kolarov, who started his career with Serbian sides Cukaricki and OFK Beograd, intends to remain in football by taking up a new role.

"I am coming to the end of this phase in my life, feeling great satisfaction with what I have achieved," he said.

"Now I am already focused on my 'other' life in the world of football. I will soon start training as a sporting director and scout at the national football centre of the Italian Football Federation in Coverciano."

Milan's Serie A triumph played out amid a tumultuous boardroom backdrop.

And the Rossoneri's notoriously thrifty project could now test Paolo Maldini's patience, with the need to bolster their squad for domestic and continental competitions not yet being met.

The Italian champions reportedly losing out on long-desired targets could potentially bring the subject of Maldini's future to the fore again.

TOP STORY – MILAN TO LOSE OUT ON SANCHES, BOTMAN

Milan look set to miss out on the signings of Lille pair Renato Sanches and Sven Botman, according to Calciomercato.

Although the Rossoneri had agreed personal terms with Sanches several months ago, Paris Saint-Germain are set to double Milan's offer to Lille of €15million.

They face a similar dynamic with defender Botman, who also agreed personal terms with Milan, as fellow long-term suitors Newcastle United attempt to swoop.

With Maldini and right-hand-man Ricky Massara's contracts to expire at the end of the month, these failings will likely create inconvenient tension.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea are interested in signing Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Meanwhile, The Sun is reporting the Blues are set to sign Ousmane Dembele, but the winger will demand a starting spot instead of a squad role.

– Manchester United are hoping Barcelona reduce their asking price for Frenkie de Jong, per The Athletic.

– Liverpool are bracing for the eventual departure of Mohamed Salah as contract renewal talks stall, the Mirror reports.

Barcelona have signed England defender Lucy Bronze after she announced her departure from Manchester City last month.

Bronze, named The Best FIFA Women's Player in 2020, had been linked with a move to the United States but has instead made a shock switch to Champions League runners-up Barca.

The 30-year-old won five trophies during two spells with City, having been a European champion in three successive seasons with Lyon between 2017 and 2020.

And the full-back will be confident of adding to those successes with the Blaugranes, who have won three consecutive Spanish top-flight titles and lost out to Lyon in last month's Champions League final, having thrashed Chelsea to claim the European crown in 2021.

Barcelona Femeni's official twitter account posted an image of Bronze alongside the caption "welcome to your new home" on Saturday, before the club's website revealed she had signed a two-year deal.

Bronze told the club's media channels: "I'm very happy to play for a club like FC Barcelona, one of the biggest teams in the world. I really want to start working with the team.

"After a couple of conversations, you can't say no to Barca."

Barcelona beat their own world-record crowd for a women's game in April, hammering Wolfsburg 5-1 in front of 91,648 spectators at Camp Nou.

Before joining up with her new club, Bronze will play a crucial role in England's bid to win the European Championship.

The Lionesses will get their campaign underway against Austria at Old Trafford on July 6, looking to reach their first major final since Euro 2009.

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly assessing his options for next season as he does not feel he fits in the aggressive press-from-the-front system expected to be implemented by incoming manager Erik ten Hag.

The 37-year-old showed he is still more than capable of contributing at the highest level in 2021-22, scoring 18 goals in 30 Premier League appearances and six in seven in the Champions League.

With one year remaining on his contract, the Portugal icon would demand a fee, but there are reportedly some familiar faces interested in acquiring his services.

TOP STORY – RONALDO SHUNS TEN HAG, WANTS OUT OF OLD TRAFFORD

Jose Mourinho is said to be enquiring about the possibility of bringing Ronaldo to Roma, with the Italian club hoping the legendary coach can move the needle and convince him to return to Serie A, according to La Repubblica.

Mourinho will reportedly have to compete with the nostalgia factor as Sporting CP have also thrown their hat in the ring, with the thought Ronaldo may want to finish his career where it began at the Primeira Liga club he called home before he was first picked up by United in 2003.

If the five-time Ballon d'Or winner truly decides his time with United is up, as the report from the Italian outlet claims, there will undoubtedly be a bevy of suitors willing to bring in one of the game's most marketable superstars.

ROUND-UP

– Arsenal are said to be "cautiously optimistic" of signing Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus, although Sky Sports is reporting the club are hoping to pay closer to £30million, rather than the £50m asking price.

– According to The Athletic, Arsenal are also targeting Leeds United winger Raphinha and Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez.

– ESPN is reporting Chelsea are investigating whether it is possible to replace Romelu Lukaku with Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski. 

– United are expecting Barcelona to lower their asking price for Frenkie de Jong due to their financial problems, according to the Guardian.

– The Daily Mail is reporting Everton view Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis as a potential replacement for Richarlison if he leaves during this transfer window.

Southampton have completed the signing of Manchester City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, paying a reported £12million for the Republic of Ireland international.

Bazunu, who has 10 caps for his country but never played for City's first team after joining from Shamrock Rovers in 2019, has signed a five-year contract.

The transfer news will be even sweeter for Southampton fans given Bazunu spent the 2021-22 campaign on loan at local rivals Portsmouth, winning the club's Player of the Season award.

Ralph Hasenhuttl's team ended the 2021-22 Premier League season in 15th after failing to win any of their final six games, and will lose the experienced Fraser Forster to Tottenham at the end of his contract this month.

Southampton used three different goalkeepers in their league fixtures last term, with Forster's 19 appearances making him the most frequently selected Saints shot stopper.

With a save percentage of 66.02 per cent, Forster, as well as Alex McCarthy (61.97 per cent), and Willy Caballero (54.55), struggled between the sticks for Southampton, and Hasenhuttl says Bazunu's experience of working with Pep Guardiola's men makes him an ideal acquisition.

"He is a goalkeeper with a very modern style of play, comfortable in the build-up phase, who has developed physically through some very important loan moves early in his career," he said.

"He is already an international goalkeeper, which is very rare for his age.

"Coming from Manchester City, we know he has learned from some of the very best coaches and team-mates, and coming here gives him more opportunities to develop his game through playing in the Premier League."

For Bazunu, who was behind Ederson, Zack Steffen and Scott Carson in the City pecking order, the move represents a chance to play regular Premier League football.

"The biggest thing is opportunity - the fact that I can come here and have a chance to play regular football," the 20-year-old said.

"Just to be given that opportunity to fight for my place is the biggest thing that I could've asked for."

Arsenal are set to make their first big splash of this transfer period with the signing of 22-year-old Porto midfielder Fabio Vieira.

The Gunners have been linked with various big names – including Raheem Sterling, Youri Tielemans and Christopher Nkunku – but have struggled to get deals over the line for players that could be considered key signings.

Vieira, who has made 20 appearances for Portugal Under-21s, was a move that came out of left-field, but those that call the Emirates Stadium home will hope it proves to be a masterstroke.

TOP STORY – VIEIRA'S MOVE TO ARSENAL REACHES FINAL STAGES

According to ESPN, a deal in the range of €40million is said to be in place, with Vieira said to be heading to London for his medical on Friday before finalising a five-year deal.

The talented attacking midfielder – who played in both the number-10 role and as a second striker – finished the Primeira Liga season with six goals and 14 assists from 27 appearances. Nobody in Portugal's top division had more assists.

Vieira reportedly had a €50m release clause with Porto, but the club were happy to accept the reduced figure.

It could be the start of a big week for Arsenal, with ESPN also mentioning they are leading the race for Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus in a deal that could be worth up to £50 million.

ROUND-UP

– According to The Sun, Liverpool remain interested in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham, but they will remain patient and not pursue him in this transfer period.

– Inter have turned down a €50m bid from Paris Saint-Germain for Milan Skriniar, holding firm at an asking price of €80m, according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Newcastle United target Sven Botman is reportedly favouring Milan if he is to leave Lille, per Football Insider.

– The Telegraph is reporting Southampton have agreed to a deal worth up to £15m for 20-year-old City goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu, while The Athletic claims they are also interested in 18-year-old City midfielder Romeo Lavia.

– Fulham and Wolves will reportedly compete for the signature of Sporting midfielder Joao Palhinha, according to 90min.

LaLiga chief Javier Tebas continued his feud with Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, explaining the complaint to UEFA over financial fair play was to defend competition.

City were the subject of the first LaLiga complaint back in April, while the league lodged another against PSG on Wednesday regarding breaching financial fair play rulings.

The latter complaint continued Tebas' most recent conflict with the Ligue 1 side, who managed to keep World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe in Paris despite persistent interest from Real Madrid.

Tebas claimed the agreement between PSG and Mbappe was "an insult to football", promising to denounce the French side in court before duly obliging and filing to European football's governing body.

LaLiga cited practices "altering the ecosystem and the sustainability of football" and "only serving to artificially inflate the market with money not generated in football itself".

Tebas, speaking at the Club Consultative Platform (CAP) meeting on Thursday, reiterated his frustrations with PSG and suggested his actions were in the interest of football.

"Do the clubs or the leagues have a responsibility towards our hierarchically superior institutions?" he said. "Am I obliged to report when I consider that there are irregularities?

"I think so, and that is also governance. If we looked the other way in matters of economic control and the cheating that is done, we would breach our governance rules.

"We want the competition to be as clean as possible and these clubs do a lot of damage to economic control."

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was also referenced in the LaLiga complaint, with a conflict of interests cited due to his role as European Club Association chairman and his responsibilities as the organisation's delegate to UEFA's executive committee.

Tebas insists the complaint was not solely in the interests of LaLiga, but also for the benefit of European football.

"[There is] a clear conflict of interest," he added. "He is a buyer of UEFA rights, we have to denounce him.

"We are not doing it to defend the Spanish clubs, who have enough with our most demanding economic control, we are doing it to safeguard the ecosystem of European football, which is in danger."

Madrid president Florentino Perez indicated his hopes for a European Super League are still alive earlier in the week, with the judicial process still ongoing.

Juventus and Barcelona are the other two teams harbouring ambitions of a breakaway league, and Tebas says they are right to do so as UEFA and domestic leagues cannot govern over state-run clubs.

"The three clubs in the Super League are trying to strengthen themselves, rightly so, with this argument, they say that UEFA is not capable of fighting against the state clubs and they accuse them, on occasions, of coexistence," he continued.

"For this reason, these state clubs do a lot of damage to the football ecosystem, because they compete unfairly, with an inflating impact in terms of salaries, and question the credibility of UEFA and the financial control system.

"That is why it is important to denounce it and say it clearly."

Manchester City and Liverpool will come straight out of Champions League midweek action into the fire of a Premier League showdown in October.

After battling to the final day of the 2021-22 campaign in a title tussle that City edged, few would be surprised to see Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp's teams again battling it out for supremacy.

Chelsea, no longer owned by Roman Abramovich, will look to stake a claim, while Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal will hope to improve on last season's efforts.

A host of early season games catch the eye, perhaps none more than the Old Trafford clash between Manchester United and Liverpool on August 20.

Liverpool twice outclassed United last season, but it could be a different story now Erik ten Hag has moved into the Red Devils top job. The former Ajax head coach would make a major early statement if his team can deliver on that day

Here, Stats Perform looks at key games in the new season, after the fixtures were released on Thursday.

Chelsea v Tottenham - August 13

After a tricky opener at Everton, Chelsea face Tottenham in their first Stamford Bridge game of the campaign. It will mean Antonio Conte again returning to the club where he was a Premier League and FA Cup winner, looking to give Spurs an early season lift.

Chelsea will be a team to keep close tabs on in the post-Abramovich era, and last season's third-placed finishers will have an early examination of their credentials against the side who snatched fourth in May. These two are likely to be battling to finish as London's top team again, but could either finish any higher than third in the table this time around?

Newcastle United v Manchester City - August 20

Are Newcastle United going to pose any threat to the top six? This fixture might give us an indication.

Eddie Howe's side will have home advantage against the champions, and the Saudi-backed Magpies, thrashed 5-0 and 4-0 by City last season, must show greater defiance this time around.

Manchester United v Liverpool - August 20

Games against Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford will mark Erik ten Hag's introduction to the Premier League. Going on last season's evidence, there is no guarantee United will breeze through those assignments, but they will hope to have banked six points by the time they encounter Liverpool, their fiercest rivals.

Jurgen Klopp's side walloped United 5-0 and 4-0 in the 2021-22 campaign, underlining the gulf in class between the two squads, and Ten Hag surely cannot afford such a similar morale-draining outcome this time.

Everton v Liverpool - September 3

Derby day. Will Frank Lampard's Everton kick on after the relief of avoiding relegation last term, or can Klopp's Reds follow last season's league double with another win at Goodison Park?

Anything other than a Liverpool victory would be a major surprise, of course, as Lampard battles to make his mark on Merseyside.

Manchester City v Tottenham - September 10

Sandwiched between the first two rounds of Champions League group games, this cheeky little number is one to watch. Tottenham did the league double over City last season, inflicting two of their three defeats in the competition.

Pep Guardiola will know what damage the likes of Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Dejan Kulusevski can inflict, but can he stop those lethal Spurs counter-attacks this time?

Derby double: Arsenal v Tottenham, Manchester City v Manchester United - October 1

This promises to be quite some weekend, with north London and Manchester bragging rights up for grabs. Tottenham's 3-0 win over Arsenal in May paved the way for Spurs to pip their neighbours to a place in the Champions League, which left the Gunners hurting. In the north west, United barely threatened a top-four finish last term, and it is hard to see how Ten Hag mounts any sort of challenge to City's supremacy in the new campaign.

There was a 35-point gap between the sides at the end of the season, and it is essential that United at least get much closer. Games such as these can be catalysts for change, or they can be an opportunity for a side such as City to show their teeth and inflict more damage. Both return games are scheduled for January 14.

Liverpool v Manchester City - October 15

After the fourth round of Champions League group games in midweek, Liverpool and City switch their combined focus to this Anfield heavyweight battle. They are scheduled to play again on April 1, but this tussle on Merseyside provides the first Premier League meeting of the season between the title favourites.

Both league games finished 2-2 last season between these sides, while Liverpool sank City's hopes in the FA Cup semi-finals, only to miss out on the Premier League title after final-day high drama.

Could new recruits Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez make their mark on the hottest fixture on the calendar?

Nottingham Forest v Liverpool - October 22

A welcome return to the top-flight calendar for a classic fixture. Forest were a major force in the English game for many years, and a 23-year absence from the Premier League has made the heart grow fonder.

This City Ground game will stir up memories of Brian Clough's sides going head-to-head with those of Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish, and the classic games that ensued. Forest are unlikely to threaten the top six in the new campaign, but their presence among the elite again under Steve Cooper's assured leadership could see them serve up one or two big shocks.

Chelsea v Manchester City - January 2

The World Cup puts the Premier League campaign on hold for six weeks in mid-season, with a December 26 resumption soon followed by this meaty match-up.

By this point of the season, it should be reasonably clear which direction these teams are heading towards, and there can be no Qatar 2022 hangover for the players.

City took 1-0 wins home and away last season when these sides met in the league. Their second clash of the 2022-23 campaign comes on the penultimate weekend, pencilled in for May 20, and that could turn out to be even more significant than this contest.

Arsenal v Manchester United - January 21

Nobody expects Arsenal or United to win the Premier League this season. The Gunners have not lifted the trophy since their 2003-04 'Invincibles' season, while United were last champions in 2012-13.

Expect a barren decade in the competition to be completed for the Red Devils, but also expect an improvement under Ten Hag's leadership. This fixture carries a slowly diminishing cachet, but the prospect of Mikel Arteta and Ten Hag jostling for position in and around the Champions League places means it could be a massive moment in the season for these flagging yet still proud giants. They also meet in early September, but the stakes will be higher come this contest.

Manchester City's Premier League title defence starts with a trip to West Ham, where Erling Haaland will be eyeing a fast start.

Pep Guardiola's side were in danger of throwing away the cherished prize when trailing 2-0 at the London Stadium in May before salvaging a draw and recovering from the same deficit to beat Aston Villa on a dramatic final day to edge out Liverpool.

Haaland's arrival from Borussia Dortmund is a stellar signing for a City side seeking a seventh Premier League crown. His first opportunity to wow the home faithful will come against Bournemouth, with the first Manchester derby taking place at the Etihad Stadium on October 1.

Anfield is the destination two weeks later for a showdown with Jurgen Klopp's charges, who visit the blue half of Manchester in April.

After the break in domestic action for the Qatar World Cup, City head to Leeds United on Boxing Day, host Everton on New Year's Eve and visit Chelsea in their opening game of 2023, while January also includes a trip to Old Trafford.

The reigning champions' final home game is against Chelsea and they wrap up the season by visiting Brentford.

Manchester City's 2022-223 fixtures in full:

07/08/2022 - West Ham (a)
13/08/2022 - Bournemouth (h)
20/08/2022 - Newcastle United (a)
27/08/2022 - Crystal Palace (h)
31/08/2022 - Nottingham Forest (h)
03/09/2022 - Aston Villa (a)
10/09/2022 - Tottenham (h)
17/09/2022 - Wolves (a)
01/10/2022 - Manchester United (h)
08/10/2022 - Southampton (h)
15/10/2022 - Liverpool (a)
18/10/2022 - Arsenal (a)
22/10/2022 - Brighton and Hove Albion (h)
29/10/2022 - Leicester City (a)
05/11/2022 - Fulham (h)
12/11/2022 - Brentford (h)
26/12/2022 - Leeds United (a)
31/12/2022 - Everton (h)
02/01/2023 - Chelsea (a)
14/01/2023 - Manchester United (a)
21/01/2023 - Wolves (h)
04/02/2023 - Tottenham (a)
11/02/2023 - Aston Villa (h)
18/02/2023 - Nottingham Forest (a)
25/02/2023 - Bournemouth (a)
04/03/2023 - Newcastle United (h)
11/03/2023 - Manchester City (a)
18/03/2023 - West Ham (h)
01/04/2023 - Liverpool (h)
08/04/2023 - Southampton (a)
15/04/2023 - Leicester City (h)
22/04/2023 - Brighton and Hove Albion (a)
26/04/2023 - Arsenal (h)
29/04/2023 - Fulham (a)
06/05/2023 - Leeds United (h)
13/05/2023 - Everton (a)
20/05/2023 - Chelsea (h)
28/05/2023 - Brentford (a)

Manchester City will start their Premier League title defence at West Ham, while Frank Lampard will host his former club Chelsea with Everton on the opening weekend.

City pipped Liverpool to their fourth English top-flight crown under Pep Guardiola and there will be significant interest around their August 7 opener at London Stadium, where new signing Erling Haaland could make his debut after arriving from Borussia Dortmund.

Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool will aim to mount another title charge in the 2022-23 campaign and they go to newly promoted Fulham for their first game.

Chelsea eased into third place last term and their first league game of the Todd Boehly era sees them travel to face Blues great Lampard at Everton, who narrowly avoided relegation to maintain their top-flight status.

Manchester United finished in a disappointing sixth last campaign, with a 4-0 thrashing at Brighton and Hove Albion a low point, and they host the Seagulls in what will be Erik ten Hag's first game in charge.

Arsenal will visit Crystal Palace on August 5 as the season's opening game, while promoted side Bournemouth are at home to Aston Villa.

Antonio Conte's Tottenham sneaked into the Champions League last season and open their campaign at home to Southampton, with Nottingham Forest playing their first top-flight fixture in 23 years away at Newcastle United, who climbed out the relegation zone under Eddie Howe in the previous term.

Testing opening for Liverpool, Guardiola faces late Blues clash

Liverpool were in the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple for much of the 2021-22 season, but fell short and ended up with just the EFL Cup and FA Cup crowns to their name.

Klopp's side will be tested in the opening weeks of the season, facing four – United, Chelsea, City and Arsenal – of the traditional 'big six' sides in the first 11 games, alongside a Merseyside derby at Everton on September 9.

The first clash between United and Liverpool will come just three matchdays into the season, with the Reds visiting Old Trafford on August 20.

Liverpool then head Chelsea and Arsenal either side of the late September international break, with champions City travelling to Anfield just a week after the Gunners trip.

Supporters in Manchester will eagerly await October 1 for the first meeting between United and City at Etihad Stadium, while the first north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal comes on the same day.

The Premier League title race went down to the wire last campaign, and City could face a tough task if it does so again as they host Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea in an enticing clash on the penultimate weekend.

Premier League opening weekend fixtures:

Crystal Palace v Arsenal
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
Everton v Chelsea
Fulham v Liverpool
Leeds United v Wolves
Leicester City v Brentford
Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest
Tottenham v Southampton
Manchester United v Brighton and Hove Albion
West Ham v Manchester City

Darwin Nunez is "more flexible" than Erling Haaland and an ideal fit for Liverpool, according to one of his former coaches.

Nunez joined Liverpool from Benfica on Tuesday, with the Lisbon club confirming the fee to be £64million (€75m), and a further £21.4m (€25m) in potential add-ons.

The Uruguayan striker netted 34 times in 41 games in all competitions for Benfica last season.

Meanwhile, Manchester City - who pipped Liverpool by one point in a compelling Premier League title race last month - clinched the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund after triggering his release clause of a reported £51.2m (€60m).

Haaland scored a monstrous 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund during two-and-a-half seasons in the Bundesliga, and talk has already begun about whether he or Nunez will do better in English football.

Former Almeria assistant manager David Badia worked with Nunez during the 2019-20 season in the Spanish second tier, with the forward netting 16 goals in 32 league games before a €24m move to Benfica.

In an exclusive interview with Stats Perform, Badia said he believes Nunez is a different type of player to Haaland, and backed him to settle quickly into Liverpool's system.

"I don't want to say they are similar because I think Darwin could be maybe a little bit more flexible," he said. "He's a player that can change the direction a little bit faster than Haaland.

"Maybe Haaland is a little bit more powerful and when he starts [running] he breaks everything in front of him, but I think that [Nunez] can change direction a bit faster and, for the style that Liverpool has, I think he is more of a fit."

Badia, who has been managing in Cyprus since leaving Almeria in January 2021, believes Nunez could be in the conversation for the Ballon d'Or during his time at Anfield.

"I think that nobody spoke about Darwin," he said regarding whether he can challenge Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in future for the prestigious award. 

"I mean, maybe in the publicity, he has not [got] the brand that the other two have.

"It's going to be a very clever move from Liverpool, because it's looked like everybody was looking [at] Haaland... nobody was saying nothing about Darwin.

"But I know him, I follow him, and I knew that the [club] who is going to take him is going to [get a] cheaper [deal]."

Badia also outlined his first impressions of Nunez when he joined Almeria from Penarol in 2019, when he worked as an assistant to then-head coach and former Real Madrid midfielder, Guti.

"In a few training sessions that we took... we could see that [Nunez] had something special. We saw that the Almeria was [too] small for him," Badia added.

"Everything that he was doing was on another level. The speed of execution was completely [different] compared to the rest of the players of the league, not only in the team of the league of the second division in Spain.

"He was a really important player for the team, also his team-mates knew that he was going to leave earlier, that he was not going to stay longer because everybody was watching him in the stands.

"We knew that this team is coming, the other team is coming, and then in the end we knew that in a short period he was going to leave and he was going to go on his way."

La Liga have filed complaints to UEFA regarding Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain for "continuously breaching" financial fair play regulations.

The Spanish division made an initial complaint in April regarding Premier League champions City and has followed it up with another complaint about French giants PSG.

La Liga also cited conflict of interests regarding PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, due to his role as European Club Association chairman and his role as the organisation's delegate to UEFA's executive committee. 

In a statement, La Liga said their complaint was due to the fact that the clubs are "continuously breaching" FFP regulations and believe that "these practices alter the ecosystem and the sustainability of football" and "only serve to artificially inflate the market with money not generated in football itself."

The confirmation of the complaints falls after a big month for both clubs, with PSG confirming a new contract for star striker Kylian Mbappe prior to Real Madrid's Champions League success and City landing Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund – with both players previously heavily touted for a move to Spain.

Both City and PSG have previously been investigated for allegedly breaching FFP regulations, with both clubs fined in 2014 and having transfer spending limited – but a ruling to ban City from European competitions due to "serious breaches" was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after appeals from the English side.

PSG boast the two most expensive transfers of all-time with their captures of Mbappe from Monaco and Neymar from Barcelona in 2017, with the deal to sign the Brazilian costing €222 million.

Last year, City made Jack Grealish the most expensive Premier League transfer in history with a £100m transfer from Aston Villa.

Despite La Liga's complaints about the spending of the two clubs, Spanish sides dominate the list of the most expensive signings in football history with five of the top ten all seeing a Spanish side complete the signing.

Manchester City are looking to make a big midfield signing in this transfer window, with Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips reportedly at the top of their wish-list.

Phillips, 26, has been with Leeds his entire senior career, and excelled on the world stage when he started every game in England's run to the Euro 2020 final.

He was rewarded for his excellent international play with England's 2020-21 Senior Men's Player of the Year award, and may have the opportunity to parlay that into Champions League football at the Etihad Stadium.

TOP STORY – CITY SETS SIGHTS ON LEEDS' PHILLIPS

Phillips' stats of one goal and three assists in his past two Premier League campaigns do not tell the story of his impact, as he is arguably England's best defensive midfielder.

After 12 years with Leeds, Phillips has reportedly played his last game for the club, with The Sun claiming City have prepared a £60million bid.

ESPN mentions a factor working in Phillips' favour with City is that he will count as a homegrown player for Champions League purposes, and that Pep Guardiola views him as a strong fit for both the number-six and number-eight roles in his set-up.

ROUND-UP

– The Manchester Evening News is reporting Manchester United remain in discussions with Barcelona for Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but they are not willing to pay the current £85m price-tag.

– Liverpool and City are both monitoring 17-year-old Barcelona midfielder Gavi, despite his release clause reportedly coming in at £85m, according to Marca.

– RB Leipzig have set a price of £100m for teams chasing Christopher Nkunku due to the Frenchman not desiring a move away this transfer period, with the Independent reporting interest remains from Arsenal, United and Paris Saint-Germain.

– According to the Telegraph, Newcastle United are moving on from Lille defender Sven Botman after the asking price was raised from £30m to £36m.

– The Telegraph is reporting that Tottenham have joined the race for Everton's Richarlison, with the asking price set at £50m.

Erling Haaland will not guarantee more success for Manchester City, according to Liverpool great and television pundit Jamie Carragher.

City confirmed Haaland's arrival on Monday after agreeing personal terms and passing a medical, with the Norway striker signing a five-year contract.

The announcement came just over a month after City initially revealed they had reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund over a deal reportedly worth £64.2million (€75m).

At Dortmund, Haaland developed into one of the world's most feared strikers, scoring 86 goals in 89 games across all competitions, averaging one every 84 minutes.

Over the same period, only Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski (123 in 108 matches) boasted a better scoring rate among players from Europe's top five leagues.

City have largely gone without a recognised central striker for the best part of two years, with Sergio Aguero having left in 2021, though he had not been a regular during his final campaign in 2020-21.

Fans of other clubs might fear Haaland's signing takes City another step closer to domination and, while Carragher accepts such concerns are well-founded, he is adamant the 21-year-old's arrival brings no guarantee of greater success.

"It's a worry for the rest of the Premier League," Carragher told Sky Sports. "We are talking about one of the world's greats, even at such a young age, but I don't think anyone should be raising the white flag too early because it's going to be really interesting how he fits into the team.

"Pep Guardiola hasn't really used a central striker in the last couple of years and he's still been very successful. So, it will be really interesting to see how he settles, but from the Premier League's point of view, I think it is fantastic that we've got one of the world's leading players right now joining our league.

"That doesn't always happen, certainly at a young age, and a lot of his best years are going to be in the Premier League. So, it'll be really exciting for everyone to watch, but it's obviously going to be a tough proposition trying to stop Manchester City."

Elaborating on his comment regarding how Haaland fits into the team, Carragher suggested the striker will probably not make a huge difference to City's points total in the Premier League.

But in the Champions League, where the margin for error in two-legged ties is much less forgiving, he could be decisive.

"They have so many players now who don't play through the middle. They keep the ball so well and they control the game so well. Maybe they will lose a little bit of that," Carragher continued. "So, I don't think it's a forgone conclusion that means City are going to win everything.

"They have a great team and a great manager, and I actually think Haaland coming in won't make that much of a difference in terms of how many points they get. They always get in the mid-90s for points anyway, which is a remarkable feat.

"He may have been brought in just to make that difference in those games where they just fell short, maybe more in the Champions League than the Premier League, actually.

"He'll change, he'll evolve, he's still a lot to learn, he's a young player. He'll learn off one of the greatest coaches in world football. He'll bring things to his game. But he should also remember not to change too much. He is what he is. Powerful, his pace, the goals he gets.

"That's what I'm intrigued with, how he fits into that Pep Guardiola style which is a bit more slow and technical than the end-to-end type of football you see in the Bundesliga."

Harry Kane says the arrivals of Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez in the Premier League will drive him to improve in an enticing Golden Boot race.

Kane has won three Golden Boot awards in the English top flight – in 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2020-21 – and managed 17 goals this season as Tottenham qualified for the Champions League.

Spurs team-mate Son Heung-min shared the accolade for the most Premier League goals with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah this season, the pair scoring 23 goals each.

Jurgen Klopp looks set to add more firepower to his attack at Anfield, with Nunez close to joining Liverpool for an initial fee of £64million (€75m) from Benfica.

Nunez has scored 48 goals in 85 games for Benfica in all competitions and averaged 1.2 goals every 90 minutes in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola bolstered his own wealth of attacking options with the Premier League champions Manchester City by triggering Haaland's release clause at Borussia Dortmund.

The Norway international scored 86 goals in 89 games for Dortmund since joining from Salzburg in January 2020, averaging a goal every 84 minutes across all competitions.

Kane cannot wait to compete with the duo next season as the Premier League adds more talismanic talent to their ranks.

"Look, I think the battle for the Golden Boot is always tough," Kane said at a pre-match news conference while on Nations League duty with England on Monday. 

"The Premier League has produced some top strikers around the world for a number of years now.

"I think every season I've been playing it's always been a tough battle to win that Golden Boot and it's no different.

"You expect the top strikers to want to play in the Premier League and with those two new signings, that's gonna be the case.

"I think it helps me as a player to have good competition, it drives me to improve and get better. I look forward to the challenge."

The build-up to Kane's 2021-22 campaign was filled with distraction as City tried and failed to secure the services of the England striker, attempting to replace the void left by Sergio Aguero at the Etihad Stadium.

Kane will likely have a smoother pre-season this time around and will look to utilise that to prepare for another campaign under Spurs head coach Antonio Conte.

"I try and focus on myself to begin with. Going into any season I have things I want to achieve and goals I want to reach," he added.

"I try not to focus too much on other players in that aspect, I can't control what they do.

"But what I will do is continue to work hard and improve and after this game have a nice break but then look forward to what will be a tough pre-season.

"And then I'll get ready for the new season as I have done for the last seven, eight years now."