Juventus have signed defender Gleison Bremer from Torino for a reported €40million fee, plus add-ons.

Massimiliano Allegri's side lost Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich on Tuesday but have swiftly acted to bring in Serie A's Defender of the Year from the 2021-22 season.

Bremer looked set to join Inter after announcing his intention to leave Torino, seeking Champions League experience to boost his World Cup squad hopes for Brazil in Qatar in November.

But the 25-year-old will still be playing his football in Turin next campaign after Juve confirmed Bremer's arrival on a five-year contract from their city rivals.

Bremer caught the eye in Serie A last season, making the most recoveries (284) and leading the charts for aerial duels won (132).

The centre-back also led the way across Europe's top five leagues for interceptions (105), averaging 3.3 per 90 minutes.

Bremer will hope to get his first taste of Serie A action for Juve when Allegri's side start their league campaign at home to Sassuolo on August 15.

Robert Lewandowski declared "I want to make history" as he addressed Barcelona supporters in Miami following his move from Bayern Munich.

The Poland international pushed for a move to Camp Nou throughout the close season, with Barca finally securing the talisman in a deal worth up to €50million, including add-ons.

Lewandowski, who scored the most goals in Europe's top-five leagues across all competitions last season (50), has signed a four-year contract with the Blaugrana, with a €500m buyout clause included.

The 33-year-old appeared alongside Barca president Joan Laporta in the United States, where the Blaugrana are on a pre-season tour, and was quick to outline his ambitions to leave a legacy with the LaLiga giants.

"I am very happy to be here. It took a lot to get here, but I have finally arrived," Lewandowski said on Wednesday, a day after watching his new team-mates beat Inter Miami 6-0.

"This is wonderful. Yesterday I saw the team win and I saw that it is a team with a lot of potential and great quality.

"I love belonging to this club with so much history. I am very happy, it is a club with many titles.

"As a striker, I want to score goals to help the team, that's the best solution. It's a new challenge for me. In football, you always have to be hungry and I am.

"I always want to score and I always want to win. I want to make history here."

Lewandowski scored the most goals in each of the past five seasons in the Bundesliga, where he is the competition's second-highest scorer in history (312), behind only Bayern legend Gerd Muller (365).

Xavi will hope Lewandowski can partner with new arrivals Raphinha, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen as Barca look to remove the gap to LaLiga champions Real Madrid in the upcoming campaign.

Bruno Fernandes claims to be in the dark regarding Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United future, as he hit out at criticism of his own performances last season.

Ronaldo has reportedly asked to leave Old Trafford less than a year after returning from Juventus, with United having stumbled to a sixth-placed Premier League finish last term.

The 37-year-old has scored 140 Champions League goals, 15 more than his closest rival Lionel Messi, and his desire to feature in European football's premier club competition has been reported as an important motivation behind his desire to leave.

Ronaldo has yet to train with Erik ten Hag's team ahead of the new season, missing the club's tour of Asia and Australia due to family reasons. 

While United remain steadfast in their desire to keep the forward, Fernandes says any decision made by Ronaldo must be respected, but claims to know nothing of his compatriot's intentions.

"I don't know, obviously Cristiano was our top scorer last season, he added goals to us, but obviously it's not on me, it's the club that has to make the choices and Cristiano makes his own choice," Fernandes said, in comments reported by the Athletic.

"I don't know what's going on in his head, if he wants to leave, it's all news. I didn't ask him that.

"The only thing I asked Cristiano, when he didn't turn up [for pre-season training], was if everything was okay with the family. He told me what was going on, that's it and nothing more.

"We have to respect the decision of everyone. I don't know what Cristiano said to the club, to the manager, I don't know what is going on in his head, but we have to respect his space.

"From everything we know, he had some family problems, so we have to give him some space and that's it."

Ronaldo top-scored with 24 goals in all competitions for United last term, and was the only player to register more strikes than Fernandes (10), who also topped the club's assist charts with 13.

Yet the creative midfielder attracted criticism for a perceived lack of discipline on and off the ball, an assessment he rejects after caretaker boss Ralf Rangnick struggled to implement a high-pressing style.

"I don't understand that type of question of keeping the ball or whatever it is," Fernandes said.

"I keep the ball when I think I have to keep it, I try a pass when I think I have to do it. Sometimes it goes good, sometimes wrong. 

"Obviously when it goes wrong, I know that shouldn't be the one, but sometimes when you play in the number 10 position you have only a few seconds to think and control the ball and make the pass.

"I understand of course that someone has his own opinion, but when I arrived in 2020, I was losing the same amount of balls in those six months, and then the year after I lost the same amount of balls, but I scored 28 goals so people don't complain about that. 

"Last season, because I scored 'only' 10, people start complaining, but I'm okay with that, I don't worry.

"I know I always give my best, I always try to help my team-mates. They know that even when I miss the passes, I'm trying to give something to them, so I'm okay with that.

"Obviously I will have to do what the coach demands from me, and what he demands from me I will do."

United have won on all three of their pre-season outings under Ten Hag to date, and will begin their first Premier League campaign under the Dutchman at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on August 7.

Bayern Munich do not need to sign a like-for-like replacement for Robert Lewandowski, the Poland international has insisted.

Lewandowski was finally granted his wish earlier this week when Bayern allowed him to join Barcelona in a deal worth up to €50million including add-ons, as the striker penned a four-year contract with the Blaugrana.

The 33-year-old, who will have a €500m buyout clause at Camp Nou, scored 50 goals across all competitions last season – the most across Europe's top five leagues.

Lewandowski's 312 Bundesliga goals are also the second-most scored by any player in the competition's history, behind Gerd Muller (365), while he leaves Bayern having accumulated 344 goals and 57 assists across 375 appearances in all competitions.

Sadio Mane had already been signed by Julian Nagelsmann's side in preparation for Lewandowski's exit, though the Senegal international spent most of his time at Liverpool playing from the left.

But Lewandowski cannot foresee Bayern struggling for goals during the upcoming campaign, with the Bundesliga champions still having the likes of Kingsley Coman, Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala to call upon.

"I think Bayern have so many talented offensive players that you don't necessarily need a number nine, a real centre forward," he told German outlet BILD. 

"Bayern's attack is outstanding, they can manage it very well, even without a one-on-one replacement for me.

"There's Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller, Jamal Musiala. The players are given more responsibility for scoring goals and can grow in this role."

Bayern will begin their Bundesliga campaign without Lewandowski at Eintracht Frankfurt on August 5.

Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie is relishing a "great opportunity" to play alongside Paul Pogba after the former Manchester United man made his Bianconeri return.

Having spent six seasons at Old Trafford following a then-world record £89million (€105m) move in 2016, Pogba re-signed for the Turin giants on a free transfer earlier this month.

The 2018 World Cup winner has declared his move to be a return "home", having won four consecutive league titles with Juventus between 2012 and 2016.

Pogba scored 28 league goals during his first spell with the Bianconeri, making him the third-highest French goalscorer in the club's Serie A history after David Trezeguet (123) and Michel Platini (68).

The midfielder has also registered 22 Serie A assists, leaving McKennie excited by the prospect of playing alongside the creative 29-year-old.

"It's a great opportunity," he told GOAL. "He can play a lot of passes that a lot of people can't play, and I feel like I make a lot of runs that a lot of people have to be able to play those passes to get it to me.

"To have someone of his calibre in the midfield, it's definitely something that I'm looking forward to. But at the same time, for me, it's as important on the field as off the field.

"His energy, his vibe, his personality, I can kind of relate to it in so many ways and I think it's good for the players here and good for me.

"He knows how to let loose sometimes and joke around sometimes but also when it's time to work, it's time to work. It's something that I can definitely feed off."

Meanwhile, having made just 21 Serie A appearances for Juventus last season, McKennie was touted for a potential move away, with a number of Premier League clubs suggested as possible destinations.

But Massimiliano Allegri declared last week the club have no intention of selling the midfielder, and while McKennie admits he finds it difficult to ignore transfer speculation, he expressed gratitude for the his coach's support.

"That's one of the biggest things as an athlete and as a player, you want to be where you're wanted, where you're valued," the United States international added.

"I've seen things that I didn't even know about, that I see on the transfer rumours. It's stuff that I'm like, 'oh, wow. I've never heard of that' and, obviously, it's very hard to ignore."

Bayern Munich players must share the goalscoring burden after Robert Lewandowski's move to Barcelona, according to Joshua Kimmich, who hopes new arrival Matthijs de Ligt can contribute at both ends of the pitch.

Lewandowski completed his long-awaited move to Camp Nou earlier this week, having declared "something had died" within him after netting 50 goals in all competitions during his final season with the Bundesliga champions.

The Poland international has scored a total of 312 Bundesliga goals, with 238 of them coming during an eight-year spell with the Bavarian giants, and finished as the league's top goalscorer in each of the last five seasons.

Bayern had already added Liverpool's Sadio Mane in a bid to lessen the impact of Lewandowski's exit, but Kimmich believes the Senegal forward cannot replace the 33-year-old's goals alone.

"With Lewy we lose a lot of goals, which we all have to make up for collectively," he told Bayern fans at an event in Washington, D.C. 

"Sadio Mane is a great player, but I don't think he's the player who scores 40 or 50 goals in the end. Sadio is hungry, wants to win titles, wants to score goals and move forward. We hope to see that from him.

"He brings other qualities with him, so that another might score more goals. We have a few attacking players who can be dangerous.

"It's also one of my targets to score more goals. There were three goals last season, that can definitely be improved."

Having received an estimated €50million for Lewandowski's services, Bayern announced the signing of Netherlands international De Ligt on Tuesday, as they bid to strengthen in defence.

Kimmich believes reinforcing Bayern's backline could make all the difference after the loss of Lewandowski's goals, though he also backed the defender to contribute going forward.

"Matthijs de Ligt has the skills to lead, organise and direct," Kimmich added. "Hopefully he will score a goal or two for us, which is important after Lewy's departure. 

"The 50 goals have to go somewhere! It's good for us when we have someone at the back who's good at tackling, who can organise, and also scores goals. We have great quality in the central defender position.

"Without Lewy, it's even more important to work better at the back. And as long as we're winning the games, it doesn't matter if we have a number nine."

Meanwhile, Kimmich could feature alongside a new midfield partner next term after the club signed Ajax's breakthrough star Ryan Gravenberch for a reported fee of €19m.

And the 27-year-old was enthusiastic about Gravenberch's progress since joining, adding: "He's doing really well in training. 

"[He's a] super boy, very sure on the ball, technically top, physically good. He's 19 years old, it's impressive that he's already at such a high level. He can be very helpful to us."

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Edouard Mendy have made the final three-man shortlist for the African Football's (CAF) Men's Player of the Year award.

The trio all plied their trade in the Premier League last season, though Mane has since left Liverpool to join Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Mane scored 23 goals in 51 games for Liverpool in his final season at Anfield, winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup and reaching the Champions League final, as well as scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out to win the Africa Cup of Nations for Senegal in February.

His former Reds team-mate Salah was on the losing Egypt side in that AFCON final, but had a stellar club campaign in 2021-22, scoring 31 goals in 51 games for Jurgen Klopp's men.

Mendy did not enjoy the same success for Chelsea as he had in 2020-21 when he won the Champions League, though kept 22 clean sheets in 49 games in all competitions in 2021-22, and did lift the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues, while also being a part of the successful Senegal team at the AFCON in Cameroon

The seven players to miss out from the 10-man longlist released last week are another Liverpool man in Naby Keita, Mendy's new Chelsea and international team-mate Kalidou Koulibaly, as well as Riyad Mahrez, Vincent Aboubakar, Karl Toko Ekambi, Achraf Hakimi and Sebastien Haller.

Due largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been three years since the award was handed out, with Mane winning in 2019 ahead of Salah and Mahrez.

The final three for the Women's Player of the Year award are Grace Chanda of Zambia and BIIK Kazygurt, Ajara Nchout Njoya of Cameroon and Inter, and Asisat Oshoala of Nigeria and Barcelona.

The winners of both awards will be announced on Thursday.

Jos Buttler must be granted time and patience to help England "evolve" as a white-ball side after a disappointing start to his captaincy following Eoin Morgan's international retirement.

That is the message from Joe Root, whose 86 at Durham on Tuesday was not enough to stop Buttler's team falling to a 62-run defeat against South Africa.

England lost back-to-back white-ball series against India before the defeat in the first of a three-match ODI series with South Africa following Buttler the appointment of Buttler as Eoin Morgan's successor. 

Buttler has also failed to deliver with the bat since taking the captaincy, passing 50 just once in his past seven innings - including three single-figure scores.

Though the wicketkeeper-batter has lost five of his first seven games in charge, Root has backed Buttler as England go through a transitional period following Morgan's retirement.

"I think for Jos and a number of the guys who've been around this setup for a couple of years, there's been a lot of change in a very short space of time," said the former Test captain.

"And that sometimes can just take a little bit of getting used to and there's not been that time yet where you can really sit and reflect and sort of work things out.

"So I think there has to be some sort of understanding towards that. But they are big figures that you mentioned, influential players, and that creates great opportunities for guys to step right up and really take hold of a few positions within the team and not just in terms of performance, but in filling those leadership voids as well.

"There are some very talented players, some great cricket minds that can go on and do some special things like Eoin has done and Ben [Stokes] has done as well for the last seven to 10 years."

The ODI retirement of Test captain Stokes, who has stepped away from 50-over internationals as he says playing in all three formats is "unst, gives Buttler another issue to contend with in his middle order.

While Stokes embodied the attacking and front-foot approach that Morgan's team embraced en route to winning the Cricket World Cup final in 2019, Root urged England to now adapt and evolve.

"I think as a team, you've always got to look to evolve," he added. "You always do. And I think we did that very well over a four-year period. 

"I don't think we just said 'right this is how we're going to do it for four years and we can't move away from that.'

"I think we grew and we evolved and developed and became good in different situations in different conditions around the world. We had to be if we were going to be consistent and take some of the best teams on in their own conditions.

"I think that's exactly as things will have to happen moving forward as well. I know Jos has got a great cricket mind, he understands this game brilliantly.

"He's going to be a great captain. And I don't think these results are a fair reflection of the way that he's going about his business as a leader.

"Sometimes it does take time for things to bed in. I don't think it will take that long with him. I just think that we haven't had a lot of the format. We've had a very busy schedule."

Lille midfielder Renato Sanches will join either Paris Saint-Germain or Milan, according to Les Dogues president Oliver Letang.

Sanches has been heavily linked with a move to the French capital as he enters the final 12 months of his contract, but Letang insisted at the end of June that the Ligue 1 champions had made no contact.

Milan are the other European side interested in the 24-year-old, with reports suggesting the Rossoneri have a €15million deal in place with Lille should they fail to agree a transfer with PSG.

Letang, speaking at a news conference on Wednesday to welcome Guinea forward Mohamed Bayo to Lille, confirmed Sanches will leave, though he remains unsure to which club yet.

"Renato has two very good possibilities, two very big clubs," he told reporters. "If he is still with us, it is because we have not reached an agreement with the clubs concerned.

"Renato is going to leave, to which club I don't know. I will keep the nature of these discussions confidential. It will be Paris or Milan."

PSG have already brought in Hugo Ekitike and Vitinha as the first signings of former Lille coach Christophe Galtier's tenure.

Sanches would provide another creative presence in midfield for Galtier's side, having created the most chances of any Lille player during his three league campaigns at the club (88 – since 2019-20).

Last season, the Portugal international also led the Lille charts for assists (five – level with Burak Yilmaz) and ranked third for successful passes in the opposition half (724).

Sanches will be hoping a move to either Milan or PSG will boost his hopes of featuring at the World Cup in Qatar for Portugal in November.

Adrien Rabiot will miss Juventus' tour of the United States for "personal reasons".

The France international confirmed on Instagram that he will not travel to the USA with his team-mates on Thursday.

"In agreement with the club and for personal reasons, I will stay in Italy to finish my physical training." the former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder wrote.

Rabiot has just a year remaining on his contract with the Bianconeri.

The 27-year-old has been linked with Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester United.

Rabiot made 45 appearances in all competitions last season and the 32 times he featured in Serie A was more than any other Juve midfielder.

His 43 tackles won in Serie A was the most by a Juve midfielder in the 2021-22 campaign, while he had an impressive pass completion rate of 83.3. 

The Turin giants face Club Deportivo Guadalajara at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Friday before taking on Barcelona in Dallas next Tuesday, then come up against Real Madrid in Los Angeles four days later.

Andrew Wiggins became an NBA champion and All-Star in the 2021-22 season, but he has revealed he regrets getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

The 27-year-old small forward took his game to a new level last season, helping the Golden State Warriors win the NBA title.

Wiggins averaged 17.2 points with a career-best three-point percentage of 39.3 per cent along with 4.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the 2021-22 season. He was a key contributor during the playoffs too, averaging 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

But the 2014 NBA Draft top pick reflected on his prolonged decision to get vaccinated on the eve of the season. The situation threatened to evolve similarly to Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, who saw his season sidetracked.

"I still wish I didn't get [vaccinated], to be honest with you," Wiggins told FanSided.

"I did it, and I was an All-Star this year and champion, so that was the good part, just not missing out on the year, the best year of my career.

"But for my body, I just don't like putting all that stuff in my body, so I didn't like that and I didn't like that it wasn't my choice. I didn't like that it was either get this or don't play."

Jos Buttler lauded the efforts of Ben Stokes after his ODI retirement, stating the all-rounder's Cricket World Cup final heroics at Lord's in 2019 "will live long in the memory".

Stokes announced on Monday that Tuesday's clash against South Africa, which ended in a 62-run defeat for England, would be his last in 50-over internationals as he looks to prolong his career in other formats.

The England Test captain was unable to leave his mark on his final outing, finishing with 0-44 in his five overs with the ball and scoring just five with the bat.

Yet Stokes still finishes as one of just three players to score 2,500 or more runs and take 50-plus wickets in men's ODIs for England (2,924 runs, 74 wickets), alongside Paul Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff.

Those numbers are impressive but his World Cup-winning unbeaten 84 in the 50-over final against New Zealand before scoring eight in the Super Over will remain his crowning moment in the format.

Buttler, who batted alongside Stokes in that Super Over, was quick to recall his World Cup heroics as the white-ball captain thanked his team-mate for his relentless efforts on a consistent basis.

"From myself and all England fans, we want to say thank you for everything he has done in this form of the game," Buttler told BBC Test Match Special. 

"I know three years ago will live long in the memory but every day he turns up for this team, he puts in 100 per cent. He's been a fantastic ambassador for us in ODI cricket and we'll miss him."

Buttler suffered back-to-back series defeats against India in T20I and ODI cricket to start his captaincy, before losing the first of the three-match series against South Africa at Chester-le-Street.

The wicket-keeper batsman has passed 50 just once in his last seven white-ball outings and acknowledged it may take time for his new England side to adapt to life without former skipper Eoin Morgan.

"We just haven't quite played to our potential yet this summer. We are a different team at the minute," he added.

"There is a pretty inexperienced bowling attack with not loads of games under their belt and I think we're learning about those guys and about us a team.

"It certainly feels like a little bit of a changing of the times for us, it certainly feels that we need to rebuild from another point of view.

"We haven't quite found our rhythm in 50-over cricket as we have for a long period of time, but I'm sure it is not far away and it will feel like we're getting back to where we need to be.

"We've got fantastic players with an opportunity and other guys waiting in the wings to come back. I'm very confident in the team."

The Atlanta Falcons signed Eddie Goldman in early July to provide depth on the defensive line, but he is stepping away from the game before ever stepping foot on the field with his new team.

Goldman informed the Falcons on Tuesday that he is retiring from the NFL.

The announcement came less than two weeks after the 28-year-old signed a $1.12million, one-year deal with Atlanta on July 6.

A second-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2015, Goldman spent his entire seven-year career with Chicago, which included opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns.

He returned in 2021, playing in 14 games while totalling 22 tackles.

Over his career, Goldman appeared in 81 games with 73 starts, compiling 175 tackles with 13 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Goldman had one year remaining on a four-year contract worth $42million before the Bears decided to release him on March 14.

Matthijs de Ligt leaving Juventus for Bayern Munich is a "good sign" for the Bundesliga champions and the German top flight, according to Julian Nagelsmann.

The centre-back joined Bayern in a deal worth a reported €80million and signed a five-year contract on Monday, ending his three-year spell in Turin.

De Ligt became the fourth arrival this transfer window for Bayern after the additions of Sadio Mane and Ajax duo Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch.

Bayern reportedly beat away interest from Chelsea and Manchester United for De Ligt, who played 2,675 minutes for Juve last season – the most of any outfield player.

Nagelsmann, speaking to reporters on Bayern's pre-season tour in the United States, insists the signing of De Ligt will help his side and German football develop.

"I'm very happy that we got him. He's still very young and he's already had a great career," coach Nagelsmann said. 

"It's a good sign for us and for the whole Bundesliga that we got him. He's a leader and he can do other things, mentoring the players. I hope he can get to know his team-mates soon.

"Of course we don't have [Robert] Lewandowski anymore, so it's important that he also brings his strengths in front of goal as well. I'm hoping for seven or eight goals!"

Lewandowski scored 50 goals in all competitions last campaign, the most across Europe's top five leagues, but has left for Barcelona in a transfer worth up to €50m on a four-year contract.

Though Nagelsmann acknowledged Bayern will miss the talismanic striker, the 34-year-old suggested it is the time for other players to step up in his absence, such as Kinglsey Coman.

"He's one of the most important players for us. He's very good at solving one-on-one situations, whether he's playing left or right," Nagelsmann said of the France international.

"He's also great at crossing and finishing well. He could score more goals in the future. There were many situations in the past where he could have scored.

"We don't have Lewandowski anymore and we need players like him, Sadio, Thomas [Muller and] Jamal [Musiala].

"He's also an important part of the dressing room and speaks German very well. Last season was great but I'm already looking forward to the new season with him."

Lewandowski's 312 Bundesliga goals are the second-most scored by any player in the history of the competition, behind Gerd Muller (365), and team-mate Alphonso Davies is sad to see the forward leave.

"We didn't ask him about his decision. It was his and his family's decision. We wish him all the best," Davies said.

"It's a shame he left us because he's one of the best strikers in the world. But we still have enough quality in the squad.

"Matthijs is an incredible talent, strong, fast, a leader. It's good for us that he's coming. He will bring quality and especially leadership.

"Sadio is a great player and a great person. He's just a good guy and a hard worker."

Barcelona have confirmed the final agreement to sign Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich for €50million, including add-ons, on a four-year contract.

The Poland international travelled to Miami to meet his new team-mates on Sunday, the day after Barca confirmed they had struck an agreement in principle with Bayern.

Lewandowski subsequently passed his medical, with Bayern "officially" announcing his departure on Tuesday.

Barca soon confirmed the transfer details for the talismanic striker, who will have a €500m buyout clause.

The 33-year-old scored 50 goals across all competitions last season, the most across Europe's top five leagues, as Bayern lifted their 10th Bundesliga title in a row.

Lewandowski broke Gerd Muller's long-standing Bundesliga record by scoring 41 goals in a single season in the 2020-21 campaign, while his 43 league goals in 2021 serve as the record for a calendar year in Germany's top tier.

The forward's 312 Bundesliga goals are the second-most scored by any player in competition's history, behind Muller (365), while he leaves Bayern having accumulated 344 goals and 57 assists across 375 appearances in all competitions.

Though Julian Nagelsmann was reluctant to let Lewandowski leave, he suggested Bayern's game plan will become more "unpredictable" after his departure.

"When someone like Robert plays up front, you play more crosses," he told reporters on Bayern's pre-season tour in the United States. "The way we're going to play will change. It's a new Bayern Munich.

"It will be a challenge – and I like challenges. It's good for everyone, we have to find new ways and be creative.

"In the past it might have been easier for the opponent to prepare for our game. Now we're going to be even more unpredictable."