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."

The New Jersey Devils are set to begin with competition for the starting goaltender position when training camp opens in a few months.

Vitek Vanecek agreed on Tuesday to terms on a $10.2million, three-year contract with the Devils, a deal that will give him a salary just slightly less than incumbent starter MacKenzie Blackwood.

New Jersey acquired Vanecek from the Washinton Capitals at the NHL draft to provide some depth after the team used a franchise-record seven goalies last season.

"There's an opportunity for me, you know, to play lots of games, and I'm really happy for it," Vanecek said. “And then I will battle with Mackenzie, you know, and that's, that's what I need."

The 25-year-old Blackwood, who is going into the final year of his contract, made a team-high 24 starts in 2021-22, but also missed nearly three months due to a heel injury.

The 26-year-old Vanecek started 38 games for the Capitals last season, going 20-12-6 with a 2.67 GAA and .908 save percentage.

Blackwood, meanwhile, went 9-10-4 with a 3.39 GAA and .892 save percentage last season after going 46-41-12 with a 2.83 GAA and .911 save percentage in his first three seasons with New Jersey.

"We feel really good about, again for another summer, adding depth to our goaltending and watching Mackenzie and Vitek challenge each other and push each other," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said at the draft. "You have to have depth. You saw teams in the playoffs lost depth and ended up losing a series."

The Devils missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year last season and have just one playoff appearance since the 2012-13 season.

Thomas Tuchel suggested Armando Broja will remain a Chelsea player amid transfer speculation, while the Blues head coach still wants a "couple more" arrivals at Stamford Bridge.

West Ham, Everton and Newcastle United are reportedly interested in Broja, who scored six goals in 32 Premier League appearances on loan at Southampton last season.

With Romelu Lukaku loaned back to Inter, the future of Timo Werner somewhat uncertain and Kai Havertz arguably more suited to a deeper role, the 2022-23 campaign could be a breakthrough one for Broja at Chelsea.

While Tuchel's preference seems to remain with Havertz as a false nine, the Blues boss outlined his expectations that Broja will stay with his side for the upcoming campaign.

"I don't expect him to leave," Tuchel told a news conference. "We are aware of interest and offers, which just tells us there is a lot of potential, and the owners and me will take this decision together in the end, also with the player.

"Right now when he arrived, it's clear he's trying to impress and is just trying to become a Chelsea player as soon as possible.

"After his loan at Southampton, the situation was very clear for him to make the next step, to show his improvement and make an impression in pre-season.

"Unfortunately he injured himself and of course there is a lot of noise going on because there are offers and interest in him. Let's see how this goes but I'm pretty calm about it because we know the situation and we have a contract."

Tuchel has already brought in the experienced Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly from Manchester City and Napoli respectively, but lost Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Lukaku.

The Chelsea coach previously stated his top target was Sterling, who scored 17 goals in all competitions for City last season, a tally bettered by only Riyad Mahrez (24) and Kevin De Bruyne (19).

But Tuchel acknowledged he would now like a couple more signings, with Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde among those linked with the Premier League side.

"I have a figure and I think we need a couple more players in to improve the squad," he added. "We were third last season and there was a gap between us, Manchester City and Liverpool.

"In general if you want to fight, even for the same position, you need to improve. You can never stand still because if you stand still then other teams will overtake you.

"Given the situation that we even lost players, it's common sense for me that we need to bring new quality to the team to maintain our level.

"It's always the dream of every manager that you find players in the same league and who can adapt maybe quicker than other players, but it's also a very individual process.

"Of course we see that Raheem knows many players from the national team and he is very familiar with the habits of English clubs so this is very nice to see.

"For Kalidou, it's a big help that we have some French guys, that we have Edou [Mendy] his team-mate in the national team and of course Jorginho who is a big help from Napoli to make this process faster.

"Both of them should be huge players for us and that's why we need to speed things up."

"England have won the World Cup – by the barest of margins. By the barest of all margins. Absolute ecstasy for England. Agony, agony for New Zealand!"

Those were the words from commentator Ian Smith that stick long in the memory from the dramatic 2019 World Cup final, England winning the 50-over competition after a culmination of four years of planning.

But Smith's dramatic exclamation, the spectacle, and the complete chaos at Lord's would not have been possible without Christchurch-born Ben Stokes.

England were reeling at 86-4 chasing 242 in tricky conditions against an unrelenting New Zealand attack, before Stokes – aided by a fortuitous dive – struck an unbeaten 84 to take the final to a Super Over.

Not satisfied with his fifth half-century of the tournament, and arguably the greatest white-ball innings of all time, Stokes added eight runs in the subsequent Super Over as England were crowned world champions on the bizarre boundary countback ruling.

The all-rounder's crowning moment in white-ball cricket came just three years after conceding four consecutive sixes in the last over of the T20 World Cup final as Carlos Braithwaite powered West Indies to victory.

That response typified the gritty character of Stokes, whose decision on Monday came to prolong his Test captaincy and career with England.

Here, Stats Perform looks back at the data underpinning a remarkable ODI career, which came to an end after Stokes' last outing against South Africa at home ground Durham on Tuesday.

Australian dominance

Stokes will further haunt Australian cricket after his Headingley heroics, though he laid the platform for years of torment in ODI cricket.

The 31-year-old posted his maiden ODI fifty against Australia in Perth in 2014 and recorded his best career figures in the format against England's fierce rivals, taking 5-61 in 2013 at Southampton.

He also managed his highest score in 50-over internationals against Australia, finishing unbeaten on 102 in the Champions Trophy in 2017 at Edgbaston in a one-sided victory for England.

Despite playing his most ODIs against India (20), Stokes accumulated his most runs against a single country when playing Australia (652 in 17 matches).

While enjoying various clashes with Australia, Stokes' ODI career ended with somewhat of a whimper, managing just 48 runs in three innings against India before scoring only five in his final match at Durham.

Though failing to deliver in the closing stages of a glittering 50-over international career that spanned 11 years, Stokes retired having scored 2,924 runs at an average of 38.98.

That included three centuries, 21 fifties and just six ducks, having bludgeoned 238 fours and 88 maximums. His strike rate of 95.26 is the sixth-highest among England batters to have played over 50 innings.

With the ball, Stokes bowled 518.2 overs – 3,110 deliveries – and claimed 74 dismissals at an average of 42.39, going at just over a run-a-ball six runs per over throughout his career.

The complete cricketer

"No way! No, no way! You cannot do that, Ben Stokes," Nasser Hussain exclaimed on Sky Sports as Stokes produced a remarkable leap and one-handed catch over his head to dismiss Andile Phehlukwayo in England's World Cup opening 104-run win over South Africa in 2019.

Stokes will take rightful plaudits for his batting and bowling achievements, but credit must also be granted for his fielding ability – a star in all three facets of the game.

Only seven players have taken more catches for England in ODI cricket than the 49 of Stokes.

He is also part of an exclusive club of players to take three catches in a single ODI innings for England, with Chris Woakes (four against Pakistan in 2019) the only player to take more in one match.

Employed in the hot zones where the ball is expected to go, whether that be deep-midwicket, long-on or extra cover, Jos Buttler's side will sorely miss Stokes' athleticism and gun fielding.

Leaving a Lord's legacy

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. The inevitability of Stokes' Lord's heroics was undeniable, though none could expect victory to come about in the fashion it did.

He scored five fifties and averaged 66.4 across 10 innings in the World Cup that ended with the defining innings of a game viewed by many as the greatest of all time.

Yet without a contentious umpiring decision in a moment of carnage and a Trent Boult overstep on the boundary, Stokes would never had the opportunity to be the hero for England.

Stokes, requiring nine off three to win the final, produced a despairing dive and saw his outstretched bat deflect the ball to the boundary for four overthrows and six runs in total – a clear umpiring mistake.

But with two needed off the final ball, Stokes opted to nudge a full toss into the leg side, appreciating a one would keep England in the game as opposed to taking the risk of being caught, such was his calculated thinking amid the chaos in Lord's sun.

More heroics were to follow in the Super Over, smashing eight off just three balls to take England to 15 before Buttler and Jason Roy's run-out of Martin Guptill sealed a memorable triumph.

Fittingly, Stokes finished with five fours and two sixes in his match-defining 84 off 98 deliveries, the most times a player found the rope in the final that was decided by boundary countback.

If his ODI legacy is defined by one game, it should be the one in which he held his nerve while chaos ensued all around him.

Roma's potential acquisition of Paulo Dybala can shift the balance in Serie A and make Jose Mourinho's men Scudetto contenders, according to former Giallorossi boss Fabio Capello.

Having left Juventus as a free agent when his contract expired at the end of June, Dybala was strongly linked to Inter and Napoli, but now appears set to join Mourinho's Europa Conference League winners.

With reports on Monday suggesting Dybala was close to joining Roma, the Argentina international arrived in Portugal, where the side are holding a pre-season training camp, for his medical.

Dybala scored 82 goals in 210 Serie A appearances for the Bianconeri after arriving from Palermo in 2015, including 25 from outside the penalty area, more than any other player has managed during that time in the competition.

Among current Roma players, captain Lorenzo Pellegrini's nine is the highest such tally, and Dybala's imminent move has led to suggestions the Giallorossi could better last season's sixth-placed league finish.

Asked by Il Messaggero whether the Argentine's arrival could shift the balance at the top of Serie A, Capello responded: "I would say yes. He is a great player, one of those who make the difference. 

"[He can] raise the level of the team and change something in Serie A, because Roma are now in the group of favourites.

"If Mourinho calls you himself, it becomes really difficult to say no."

Capello led Roma to the most recent of their three Serie A titles in 2000-01, edging out Juventus by just two points in a tense title race.

The legendary tactician believes there are likenesses between Mourinho's side and his Scudetto winners, adding: "The comparison is plausible. I see many similarities. 

"I think that Mourinho, as happened to me in that season, will try to guarantee balance in a team with enormous offensive potential. 

"Roma, after all, was doomed to attack; we had Cafu and [Vincent] Candela outside. I needed some cover."

Manchester City favourite Pablo Zabaleta believes Pep Guardiola's men have signed the world's best player in Erling Haaland, as he refuted suggestions departing winger Raheem Sterling was a club legend.

Having scored a remarkable 86 goals in 89 appearances during a two-year spell at Borussia Dortmund, Haaland agreed to sign for City in May before officially joining the Premier League champions on July 1.

In his final campaign with the Bundesliga outfit, Haaland scored 29 goals in 30 games in all competitions, putting away 65.8 per cent of his big chances as he became one of world football's hottest properties.

Haaland is part of a City squad embarking on a pre-season tour of the United States, and could make his bow when they face Mexican giants Club America in Texas on Thursday.

Zabaleta, who made 333 appearances for the club between 2008 and 2017, believes City have acquired the world's finest in the Norwegian striker, and hopes his arrival will fire Guardiola's team to a first Champions League title. 

"He's a big lad, eh? I saw him and was like, 'wow'," Zabaleta told Sky Sports. "He was one of the main players on the market and a lot of top teams were looking to sign him.

"We're all very pleased to have him at the club, I think he's got that connection already with Man City, because of his dad playing for the club.

"For me, I would say he's the best player in the world. 

"He's a world-class player, he's a great signing, the same as Kalvin Phillips. Fernandinho left and the club needed to bring someone in to replace him. He's been really good at Leeds.

"All the players have been doing everything they can to make the club better, domestically they won everything, they have been very successful [and] dominated English football for the last 10 years.

"The Champions League is probably one of those competitions the club is looking for. I'm confident, hopefully they can win it soon."

Haaland's arrival has been facilitated by City allowing versatile attackers Sterling and Gabriel Jesus to leave for Premier League rivals Chelsea and Arsenal respectively.

After joining from Liverpool in 2015, Sterling scored 91 goals and recorded 42 assists in 225 Premier League appearances for City.

Only Sergio Aguero with 184 has scored more goals in the competition for the club, while only David Silva (93), Kevin De Bruyne (85) and Aguero (47) have laid on more goals for team-mates.

Sterling also won four league titles, one FA Cup and five EFL Cups with the club, but Zabaleta does not believe that is enough to put him alongside some of the most illustrious names in City's history, as he accused the England forward of showing a lack of respect for City since departing.

"I think the word 'legend' these days in football is a bit overused sometimes," he added. "I think he's done a great job for the club, he came at a very young age, and he's been absolutely brilliant for the club.

"When I say 'legend', for me, it's Silva, Aguero, [Vincent] Kompany, those guys are on a different level. That's why they have statues outside of the club.

"Raheem, he's been great, so we wish him all the best. He went to a team which obviously is a big contender for the Premier League, I wish him all the best, he's a great lad.

"But Man City is always the most important thing and when you come to this club you have to give 100 per cent respect. The moment that you leave you always have to talk nicely to the club that you've been playing for, so I wish he could behave in that way."

Meanwhile, City announced on Tuesday that Sterling's old number seven shirt will be worn by full-back Joao Cancelo during the 2021-22 season.

England tackle Spain in a heavyweight quarter-final as the knockout stages of Euro 2022 get under way on Wednesday, with records already tumbling and data quirks around every corner.

The tournament has just passed its halfway stage in terms of the total number of games, with 16 of 31 having been played, and already more spectators have seen the finals in England than have attended any previous Women's Euros.

UEFA said 369,314 tickets were sold for group-stage games, with the soaring popularity of the women's game meaning the tournament attendance record of 240,055, set in the Netherlands five years ago, has been obliterated.

Sarina Wiegman's free-scoring England Lionesses have played an instrumental part in the tournament's success to date, with the host nation rallying around a team who scored a record 14 goals in the group stage, with Beth Mead's personal haul of five goals so far also a new all-time best for the group round.

Now the knockout stages await and the stakes are raised. Stats Perform, assisted by data from Opta, has looked at the tournament so far, plus each last-eight game, to see where the title might be won and lost.

The story so far

England have been the deadliest finishers, scoring 14 goals with a conversion rate of 24.6 per cent. Sweden sit next on that list, putting away 23.5 per cent of chances to net eight goals, five of which came in their final group game against Portugal.

France have scored all eight of their goals in the first half of their games, while England have hit nine before the interval and added five afterwards. The Netherlands have only scored twice prior to half-time in their games but have netted six second-half strikes, the most of all teams.

Switzerland exited after losing in painfully familiar fashion, with a second-half capitulation in going down 4-1 to the Dutch. The Swiss kept three first-half clean sheets in Group C but were pushovers after the interval, conceding eight times. In sharp contrast, all three of the goals Spain have shipped have come in the opening 45 minutes.

Spain have played the most passes overall, excluding crosses. Their total of 2,052 passes has come with an 86.0 per cent accuracy rate, while England have attempted the second highest number of passes (1,674) with a competition-leading 86.5 per cent precision.

The Spanish national team are famed for their possession-based, attractive football, teasing their way through defences with clever passes. Yet four of Spain's five goals have been headers, compared to three of 14 for England.

Mead sits top of the goal involvements list with seven (five goals, two assists), which puts her comfortably ahead of England team-mate Fran Kirby and Sweden's Kosovare Asllani, both of whom have scored once and set up three goals for a total of four involvements each.

Spain have the top five on the list of players with the most passes in the opposition half, led by defender Mapi Leon who has played 176 passes with a success rate of 90.3 per cent. For passes into the final third, Leon's accuracy dips to 83 per cent.

Best is still to come...

QUARTER-FINAL 1: Spain v England – July 20, Brighton

England have a record of played two, won two in previous Women's Euros quarter-finals, beating Finland 3-2 in 2009 and then edging France 1-0 five years ago in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Spain have lost both of their previous games at this stage, going down 3-1 to Norway in 2013 and suffering a penalty shoot-out defeat to Austria in 2017, following a goalless draw.

Four of England's starters from the 2017 win over France have played in every game so far at these finals: Lucy Bronze, Mille Bright, Kirby and Ellen White.

England have never lost on home soil against Spain (P7 W4 D3), with the teams battling out a 0-0 draw when they last met in February. However, Spain have beaten England three times before when taking all 15 previous encounters into account, losing six and drawing six.

Including a 20-0 win over Latvia last November, England have scored 98 goals in their 17 games under head coach Sarina Wiegman, scoring an average of 5.8 goals per game and only conceding three times.

Mead's haul of five goals so far matches Jodie Taylor's Lionesses record haul from the last Euros, which won her the Golden Boot. Spain have scored five goals in total during this tournament, with five different scorers.

QF2: Germany v Austria – July 21, Brentford

Germany are one of two teams, along with England, who have yet to concede a goal. That does not bode well for Austria, who are making their second appearance at this stage after beating Norway in the last round of group games.

The Austrians will start as big underdogs against the eight-time champions (winners once as West Germany, seven times as Germany), with Germany having won 15 of their most recent 16 games when going beyond the group stages. That had been a 15-game winning run until Denmark halted it in the 2017 quarter-finals, scoring a surprise 2-1 win.

Austria might need Barbara Dunst's luck to change if they are to stand any chance. Dunst has had 11 shots and created eight chances for Austria so far in this tournament, but she has yet to score or have an assist. She had the most direct involvements in shots (19) without scoring or assisting of all players in the group stage.

QF3: Sweden v Belgium – July 22, Leigh

Sweden are the highest-placed team on the FIFA ranking list, sitting second, behind the United States. They are quietly going about their business in England, and it would be a major surprise for them not to reach the semi-finals from this tie.

Including penalties, Sweden scored more goals from set-pieces than any other side in the group stage (5). Belgium might be concerned by that, given two of the three goals they have conceded came from dead-ball scenarios.

Of the eight quarter-finalists, Belgium scored the joint-fewest goals (3) in the group stage, had the fewest shots (21), the fewest shots on target (11) and the lowest expected goals total (2.6). The Red Flames surely need to find more of a spark for this big game.

QF4: France v Netherlands – July 23, Rotherham

France will be playing a fourth consecutive match in Rotherham, a town which is twinned with the French city of Saint-Quentin.

This is also a fourth consecutive Women's Euros quarter-final for France, who have lost each time at this stage, including a penalty shoot-out defeat to the Netherlands in 2009. They were beaten on spot-kicks by Denmark in 2013, and then slumped 1-0 to England in 2017. France have lost star striker Marie-Antoinette Katoto to an ACL knee injury, so memories of fast-flowing football in their opening 5-1 win over Italy are becoming distant.

Defending their title this time, the Netherlands have lost Euro 2017 player of the tournament Lieke Martens to injury and star goalscorer Vivianne Miedema has been sidelined of late after a COVID-19 positive test.

Yet the Dutch have progressed on each of the two occasions they have reached the quarter-finals previously, with the win over France in 2009 followed in 2017 by a 2-0 victory over Sweden.

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus in a deal worth a reported €80million.

The Netherlands international has agreed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions, ending his three-year stint in Turin.

De Ligt becomes Julian Nagelsmann's fourth signing of this window after Sadio Mane and former Ajax duo Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch.

The defender had two years remaining on his contract at Juventus - for whom he played more minutes than any of his outfield team-mates in Serie A last season (2,675).

Bayern have reportedly agreed to pay the Bianconeri an initial €70m, with a further €10m in add-ons.

Speaking to the club's website after his signing was confirmed, De Ligt said: "I'm very happy to become a player for this great club. FC Bayern are the most successful club in Germany, one of the most successful clubs in Europe and in the world.

"I felt the genuine appreciation from the sporting management, the coach and the board right from the start, which convinced me. On top of that, FC Bayern is a brilliantly run club with big aims. I'm very glad that I'm now becoming part of the FC Bayern story."

Bayern president, Herbert Hainer, added: "Matthijs de Ligt was a top target for us. With signings like this, the big aims that we have are achievable.

"The future face of our team is increasingly taking shape, and this transfer is an important building block in the overall concept that we're gradually putting into place. De Ligt should become a mainstay at FC Bayern."

Bayern Munich have completed the signing of Matthijs de Ligt from Juventus in a deal worth a reported €80million.

The Netherlands international has agreed a five-year contract with the Bundesliga champions, ending his three-year stint in Turin.

De Ligt becomes Julian Nagelsmann's fourth signing of this window after Sadio Mane and former Ajax duo Noussair Mazraoui and Ryan Gravenberch.

The defender had two years remaining on his contract at Juventus - for whom he played more minutes than any of his outfield team-mates in Serie A last season (2,675).

Bayern have reportedly agreed to pay the Bianconeri an initial €70m, with a further €10m in add-ons.

Speaking to the club's website after his signing was confirmed, De Ligt said: "I'm very happy to become a player for this great club. FC Bayern are the most successful club in Germany, one of the most successful clubs in Europe and in the world.

"I felt the genuine appreciation from the sporting management, the coach and the board right from the start, which convinced me. On top of that, FC Bayern is a brilliantly run club with big aims. I'm very glad that I'm now becoming part of the FC Bayern story."

Bayern president, Herbert Hainer, added: "Matthijs de Ligt was a top target for us. With signings like this, the big aims that we have are achievable.

"The future face of our team is increasingly taking shape, and this transfer is an important building block in the overall concept that we're gradually putting into place. De Ligt should become a mainstay at FC Bayern."

Lieke Martens, the Netherlands' star performer in their Women's Euro 2017 success, will play no further part in the Oranje's title defence.

The former Barcelona winger, who has just joined Paris Saint-Germain, was the Player of the Tournament in the previous Women's Euros.

The Netherlands won that tournament in surely the highlight of an outstanding year for Martens, who was also the UEFA Women's Player of the Year and The Best FIFA Women's Player.

And the 29-year-old had appeared set to play a key role for the Netherlands again in England, creating a joint-high seven Oranje chances in the group stage – including assisting Danielle van de Donk's winner against Portugal – and attempting six shots herself.

But the Netherlands announced on Tuesday the injury Martens had sustained in their third match against Switzerland would rule her out for the remainder of the finals.

"Lieke Martens suffered a foot injury during the match against Switzerland," a post on the team's Twitter page read.

"Further investigation has shown that it is no longer possible for her to take action during this European Championship. Lots of luck, Lieke."

The Netherlands face highly fancied France in the quarter-finals in Rotherham on Saturday.

Sergio Busquets is hopeful Robert Lewandowski will prove to be LaLiga's signing of the season after he joined the Blaugrana from Bayern Munich.

Lewandowski sealed his long-awaited move to Camp Nou on Monday, having expressed his desire to leave Bayern after scoring 50 goals in all competitions for the Bundesliga champions last season. 

The 33-year-old has finished as the Bundesliga's top goalscorer in seven separate seasons, equalling the record set by fellow Bayern great Gerd Muller, and will now spearhead Barca's bid for a first league title since 2018-19.

Speaking to Inter Miami's media channels ahead of Barca's pre-season friendly against the Major League Soccer side, both Busquets and new team-mate Andreas Christensen heaped praise on the Poland striker.

Asked whether the capture of Lewandowski represented LaLiga's signing of the season, Busquets said: "Well, at the media level, because of his name, it could be. But before starting any competition and before playing matches, it is not that useful to value this. 

"Hopefully we will be saying this when the season is over and after he had a great season individually, because that will mean that the collective also went well. 

"Hopefully it will be like this."

Former Chelsea defender Christensen has joined Lewandowski in moving to Camp Nou during the transfer window, and he believes the experience of the eight-time Bundesliga champion will be invaluable for Xavi's side.

"It's obvious that he's got the qualities, he's won a lot of trophies, he's got the winning mentality that we need," Christensen said.

"So I think he brings all these qualities. I think it's quite obvious what they are. So I don't think I need to mention it but yeah, everyone's just happy that he's here.

"He can push us and you know, share his experiences. I think it's just a good thing for the team."

Meanwhile, Busquets has just one year remaining on his contract with the Catalan giants, and refused to rule out a future move to MLS after claiming to have followed the league when former team-mate David Villa joined New York City.

"I have always liked this league a lot since David Villa came to play here," the 34-year-old added. "I started following the league when I can, because of the time difference.

"I'm not dismissing anything. It is true that this is my last year of contract, and everyone knows that.

"But I am focused on finishing well this season, which is full of things at both club and national team level. My focus is to enjoy, compete to the maximum and show my best level and in the future, we will see. 

"I have always said that I like coming to the US and their league a lot. But the future is still unknown, because there isn't anything yet and it is too early."

Erik ten Hag said he was already seeing improvements in Manchester United's pressing after a 3-1 friendly win against Crystal Palace, but insisted there remains "a lot of work to do" ahead of the new season.

United maintained their 100 per cent winning record across pre-season with a routine triumph over Patrick Vieira's out-of-sorts side in Melbourne, with Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho netting before youngster Will Fish received a late red card.

In opening the scoring with a neat volleyed finish, Martial became the first United player to score in three consecutive pre-season contests since 2007, when Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney did so ahead of a season in which United won the Premier League and Champions League.

As United finished a lowly sixth in the Premier League under caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick last season, their lack of an organised pressing style came under fire.

United ranked just 12th in the Premier League for possessions won in both the final and middle thirds of the pitch last season, as Liverpool topped both charts, and 37-year-old forward Ronaldo received particular scrutiny over his contributions outside of his clear goal threat.

After Tuesday's win, Ten Hag told MUTV: "We are happy with the improvement we see, but we see also there is a lot of work to do."

Asked specifically about United's pressing, he said: "That is a demand on the team, we press, we press all day. 

"If we can, we do it high on the pitch, if we can't, we do it in a lower block, but we have to do it together, as a team. The timing of the press, I still see switches we can't afford, we can prepare a better press. 

"I think also on the ball [we can improve]. We played well, but you see at 2-0 up or 3-0 up the belief is increasing, then with the ball we can delay, we can postpone so that opponents come out, and then speed up."

While Ronaldo's future at the club remains subject to speculation after he reportedly asked to leave for a Champions League club, Ten Hag is demanding greater off-the-ball work from all his forwards.

"I hope we can convince them [the attackers] to do a lot of work, a lot of running," he added. "You see, they put a lot of energy into the defence and they get rewarded by scoring goals, winning balls high up the pitch.

"No opponent likes to be pressed on the defensive line. I think it's a big advantage when you can do that, but you need the whole team."

Creative midfielder Bruno Fernandes is also relishing United's new, high-octane style, adding: "I think that we're much more aggressive now, firstly with the three guys up front; when they press, they press really strong.

"It makes where we recover the ball much closer to the goal. We are much more fresh to do that, we have more freedom when we recover the ball and we're playing much better on the ball too."

New Arsenal signing Gabriel Jesus does not want to be the "main man" at the Emirates Stadium.

The Brazil international joined the Gunners from Manchester City earlier this month for a reported fee of around £45million and made a positive start at his new club, scoring three times in his first two appearances in pre-season.

Despite many believing the player's desire to leave the Premier League champions was to take on a higher profile role at another club, Jesus has told reporters he does not want to be a "superstar", insisting he just wants to enjoy playing football.

Speaking to reporters during Arsenal's pre-season tour of the United States, Jesus said: "I don't want to be the main man, I don't want to be a superstar. I don't want to do these things. I want to play football, this game. So why not play football, enjoy football, what I love to do, you know? 

"I've come to help and to learn with the guys. There are amazing players here as well. So I've come to join a club where everyone's going to win together."

When asked why he chose to sign for Arsenal, the 25-year-old said: "First of all, it was when Edu [technical director] came to talk to me and asked me how I am, how I feel as a person, and then after as a football player on what I want in the future.

"So yeah, I think the conversation between me and Edu was amazing, because I was so happy with the project of the club. I was so happy to be at the club. And then I straight away said 'yes, I think my way is in London.'"

Jesus spent six years at Man City, scoring 95 goals in 234 appearances for Pep Guardiola's side in all competitions.

Since he signed for City, excluding penalties and of players who have played 5,000+ minutes in this period, only Sergio Aguero (0.91) and Mohamed Salah (0.88) have a better goal involvement per 90 minutes in the Premier League than Jesus (0.81).

However, with the added competition of new arrivals Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez at the Etihad Stadium, Jesus has moved south in search of more regular game time, but said his final conversation with Guardiola was a positive one.

"It was a good conversation between me and [Guardiola], it was really good," he said. "You know, I respect that because we have an amazing relationship because he called me when I was young in Brazil. And then I accepted and came to work with him.

"He’s one of the greatest managers of all-time, and yeah, I have a good relationship with him."

His new manager, Mikel Arteta, worked with him during the Spaniard's time as part of Guardiola's backroom staff prior to being hired by Arsenal, and Arteta spoke of the "special energy" Jesus has brought already.

"He's [always] with a smile on his face," he told reporters. "He feels important, he's bringing a special energy to the group.

"Obviously a big experience, because of the way he's been managed, handled and the expectation he had to fulfil at City, and he's doing it naturally like he is."