BBC.com

That's all we've got for you today folks. Thanks for all your reaction to Raheem Sterling and Ivan Toney being left out of their side's opening game of the new Premier League season.

The opening round of fixtures concludes later as Leicester host Tottenham, which you can follow live here.

Until then, click on the summary points above or to the left to catch up on today's latest stories, and hopefully you'll join us again from 07:00 BST on Tuesday.

Al-Shabab interested in Wolves' Podence

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter

Saudi club Al-Shabab are interested in Wolves forward Daniel Podence.

There has been no bid for the 28-year-old yet but the once-capped Portugal international could leave Molineux before the end of the transfer window.

Wolves remain relaxed over the situation and would be happy to keep Podence, especially after selling Pedro Neto to Chelsea for £54m. It is understood, though, that if Al-Shabab - or another club - offered £10m then the club is likely to sell.

Al-Shabab have former Atletico Madrid midfielder Yannick Carrasco and Italy international Giacomo Bonaventura in their squad.

Podence joined Wolves from Olympiakos in January 2020 and has made 106 appearances, scoring 16 goals. He returned to Olympiakos on loan last season, scoring 15 times in 45 games.

'It feels like people are waiting for Postecoglou to fail; that's deeply unfair'

Leicester v Tottenham (20:00 BST)

In the first week of the new season, Chris Sutton's opponent is The Courteeners frontman Liam Fray.

Sutton's prediction: 1-3

I'm hearing a lot of nonsense about Tottenham and how their manager Ange Postecoglou "needs a good start" to the new campaign. I don't understand why he is under pressure at the start of his second season.

The Spurs fans were bored and fed up every weekend under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but they were entertained last season and almost made the top four too - all without Harry Kane.

Nobody can argue that Ange didn't make progress, so why is he being questioned? It feels like people are waiting for him to fail and I think that's deeply unfair.

I don't think it will bother Postecoglou, though. He will just plough through it. He has managed for a long time and has had huge success.

I'm expecting Spurs to have another good season under him, especially now they have signed Dominic Solanke, which looks like an astute bit of business.

Leicester will be well-organised under Steve Cooper, and they probably stand the best chance of staying up out of the three promoted clubs, but I think Spurs will be too strong for them.

Liam's prediction: 0-2

I like Ange a lot and I love watching James Maddison too. Maybe Solanke could bring the best out of Son Heung-min again. I see Spurs being a big threat to Manchester United for getting that fourth spot.

'Time will tell' whether Foxes are ready for Premier League return

Leicester v Tottenham (20:00 BST)

Leicester City

New Leicester boss Steve Cooper is aiming to repeat his feat of keeping an unfancied, newly-promoted side in the Premier League after being tipped for relegation, as he did with Nottingham Forest.

"I've had it before - that's for sure - so it's not a new thing for me," he said. "It wasn't the case last time [with Forest] and let's hope that's the same this season."

"This is a very hard-working and together group of players," he added.

"We want to keep a lot of that going, whilst balancing the challenge of the Premier League and what might need to change or adapt. Everything has been gearing to being ready, but time will tell."

'We feel a lot more settled'

Leicester v Tottenham (20:00 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou: "It's been a different pre-season. We feel a lot more settled and better prepared for what's ahead. There were a lot of unknowns last year at this time. Having said all that, it didn't stop us from having a great start to the season.

"We've had a solid pre-season. For the most part, everyone has contributed to that. These last sort of seven days, we've had everyone in and the level of training has gone up from the tour.

"The pleasing thing is pretty much everyone on the list is available and that will be important for us."

Young striker Cannon could come in for Foxes

Leicester v Tottenham (20:00 BST)

Leicester City

Leicester City will look to kick off the Steve Cooper era in a positive fashion but they'll have to deal with a few absentees when they face Tottenham later.

Defender Connor Coady is expected to be out until September with a hamstring injury while forward Patson Daka has undergone surgery after suffering damage to his ankle during the club's final pre-season friendly at Lens.

Striker Jamie Vardy is a doubt after picking up a knock during pre-season and if the Foxes have two significant absentees up top, Tom Cannon could be selected. The 21-year-old joined from Everton in last summer and scored twice in 13 Championship games last season.

Seagulls continue to entertain under new boss

What we learned from opening weekend

Shamoon Hafez

BBC Sport football news reporter

Eyebrows were raised during the summer when Brighton replaced the experienced Roberto de Zerbi, who left by mutual agreement, with relative unknown Fabien Hurzeler as their new manager.

At 31 years and 173 days old, the German became the youngest permanent manager of a Premier League team and the first boss to be born after the competition started in 1992.

The former Germany youth international gave debuts to summer signings Yankuba Minteh and Mats Wieffer at Everton, and both impressed, although Kaoru Mitoma was the star of the show, running the home defenders ragged throughout and capping his superb performance with a goal.

The tricky winger could have had more goals as the Seagulls won 3-0 and continued to play the enterprising football they played under Graham Potter and De Zerbi, which saw them qualify for last season's Europa League.

West Ham signings will need time to gel

What we learned from opening weekend

Some have tipped West Ham to challenge for a top-four finish given the summer signings they have made under new boss Julen Lopetegui, but they began their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 home defeat by Aston Villa.

New signings Max Kilman and Guido Rodriguez started, while Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville, made their debut off the bench.

But despite getting back in the game in the first half through Lucas Paqueta's penalty, the Hammers were stung by Jhon Duran's late winner.

West Ham were punished for defensive frailties last season when they conceded 74 league goals, the most ever by a side to finish in the top half, and the Hammers’ highest total since 1967.

Conceding preventable goals is a bad habit they will have to break under Lopetegui, who said this was "the first step" as his new team aims to meet their fans' new expectations.

'I think I fancy Arsenal for the title'

What we learned from opening weekend

Arsenal

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was at pains to stress, after his side opened their campaign with a 2-0 win at home to Wolves, that there are no guarantees they will once again be Manchester City's main challengers for the Premier League title.

The Gunners missed out on the top spot by two points in May, finishing runners-up for the second consecutive season despite winning 16 of their final 18 games.

"This is a new story, this season," said Arteta. "A beautiful one hopefully, that we have to write from the beginning. This is the first chapter of that. Let's write some beautiful ones."

The general consensus is that Arsenal have strengthened further, with the arrival of Italy defender Riccardio Calafiori bolstering what was already last season's meanest defence.

And while they may still be missing a clinical finisher up front to push them over the line, Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer believes this could be their year.

"Arsenal took the title race right until the last game of the season, so they weren't that far away," he said. "Four titles in a row for Man City is an amazing achievement. But to go again? I think I fancy Arsenal for the title."

Havertz could lead Arsenal title challenge

What we learned from opening weekend

Steve Sutcliffe

BBC Sport

It took Kai Havertz until the 30 September to score for Arsenal during his first campaign at the club last season.

This term, it took him just 25 minutes to get up and running.

And with no sign of a new central striker being added to reinforce Mikel Arteta’s squad, it could prove to be a positive development in Arsenal’s quest to win the Premier League after finishing as runners-up in the previous two seasons.

The Gunners closed a five-point gap to two to Manchester City over those years. If the Germany international can weigh in with a heavier contribution than the 13 top-flight goals he delivered last year, Arsenal’s hopes of silverware will surely be buoyed.

And on this evidence there are signs his relationship with Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s top scorer in the previous campaign, is one that could flourish, with the England winger laying on the opening goal and then seeing Havertz repay the favour in the second half to seal a 2-0 win over Wolves.

Man City still know how to get the job done

What we learned from opening weekend

Tom Mallows

BBC Sport

Manchester City had their pre-season disrupted by key players having extended breaks following summer internationals.

That includes England trio Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker - who were fit enough to make the bench - and Spain midfielder Rodri, who was left out entirely after only resuming training last week. Manager Pep Guardiola also said that Bernardo Silva was "not ready", yet the Portugal midfielder still played 90 minutes.

That pre-season disruption perhaps explains a solid if unspectacular performance in their 2-0 win at Chelsea, albeit one where they always had an element of control. The performance of Mateo Kovacic in the absence of Rodri pleased Guardiola.

City lost three out of four league games when Rodri did not play last season, but a composed display - and a fine goal - from the Croatia midfielder suggests his absence may not be as keenly felt this time around.

Thumbs down to Sterling's statement

While Erling Haaland's opening goal earned a big thumbs up from his manager, Raheem Sterling's statement has garnered the opposite response from BBC Sport readers.

First thing this morning we asked readers to vote with their thumbs as to whether they felt Sterling was right or wrong to release his statement asking for "clarity" about his place in the team, after being left out of the squad for Sunday's match at home to Manchester City.

A clear majority of - 1,358 at the last count - gave a thumbs down to the England forward's actions, with 413 giving a thumbs up in support of his public message to the club's hierarchy.

Leyton Orient have signed versatile forward Jamie Donley on a season-long loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Donley made his Premier League debut for Spurs last December against Manchester City, one of four appearances he's made so far.

The 19-year-old has been part of the club's academy since 2013 and has also made seven appearances for England's under-19 side, scoring five goals.

Donley said he wanted to "get first-team football under my belt" by joining Orient.

"I'm a team player. I like to score, assist and defend. I'll do whatever I can to help the team win, and will do what the staff ask of me.

"I played left-back for Tottenham in pre-season, I can play in midfield and anywhere across the front three," he said.

He becomes the O's seventh signing this summer, ahead of their League One game away to Charlton on Saturday.

1. Tottenham Hotspur sign Wilson Odobert from Burnley for undisclosed fee until 2029  BBC.com
2. Burnley winger Odobert completes Tottenham Hotspur switch  Lancashire Telegraph
3. Tottenham Complete Signing of Wilson Odobert  GIVEMESPORT

Tottenham have suspended Yves Bissouma for their Premier League game at Leicester City on Monday after footage appeared to show the midfielder inhaling laughing gas.

Spurs have made the move despite the 27-year-old apologising for a "severe lack of judgement", having posted a video of himself on social media on Saturday which showed him inhaling from a balloon.

Possession of nitrous oxide - also known as laughing gas or NOS - for recreational use has been a criminal offence in the United Kingdom since 2023 and can result in a two-year prison sentence.

"We've suspended him from Monday's game," said Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.

"Beyond that, there's also some trust-building that needs to happen between Biss and me, as well as Biss and the group. That's what he needs to work hard at from now on - to try to win that back. He's going to have to earn that.

"The door is open for him and, hopefully, we can help him realise the decisions he makes impacts more than just him.

"Hopefully, it allows him to make better decisions moving forward."

Bissouma, who joined Tottenham from Brighton for £30m in 2022, played for 45 minutes in Spurs' friendly defeat against Bayern Munich on Saturday afternoon, before posting the video.

"I've been in the game for a long time and every time a situation like this arises, I've tried to look at them in a couple of different ways," said Postecoglou.

"One is, there's a person involved and, in this case, it's Biss and he's made a really poor decision.

"There are still sanctions involved, and some of those include education.

"The second part of that is he's a footballer and he has responsibilities. He has a responsibility to the club, team-mates, our supporters and everyone associated with the club and he's failed in those duties, so there's got to be sanctions for that."

Postecoglou further explained his disappointment at Bissouma's behaviour.

"There's the personal ramifications, because it's illegal," said the former Celtic manager.

"Then there's the professional responsibility - the example you set as a professional footballer - because there are so many people who follow the Premier League and we're all in a pretty privileged position.

"He's made a poor choice. But within that context, we all make mistakes, there should always be an opportunity there for rehabilitation and redemption for every human being, including footballers.

"That's up to Biss now."

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Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane was given a standing ovation at former club Tottenham as the German side beat Spurs 3-2 in a pre-season friendly.

Kane came on as a late substitute on his first trip back to the London club who he left to join Bayern last summer in a deal worth £86.4m plus add-ons.

The England captain was applauded when he came on and also when he went on a solo lap of honour at the end of the game.

Kane said he "probably shouldn't have been playing" as he only returned to training on Friday, having helped England reach the final of Euro 2024, but he "was always going to play 10 minutes and it was good".

He added: "Everything was really rushed through last year, so we didn't have a chance [to say goodbye], but it was great way to say thank you to all of them.

"The reception I got was amazing and great to clap them around the pitch after, those who stayed behind, and I will always be thankful for every Spurs fan for the support they've given me through my whole career. It's been incredible.

"I just appreciate them seeing me and me seeing them again."

Kane and Eric Dier, who left Tottenham to join Bayern in January, were also given gifts by Spurs prior to kick-off for their services to the club.

Tottenham also introduced new signings Dominic Solanke, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall to their fans before the game started.

When the action got under way, Dejan Kulusevski put Spurs in front only for goals from Dayot Upamecano, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller to give Bayern a 3-1 lead.

Kulusevski grabbed a second to reduce the deficit but the Bundesliga club, managed by Vincent Kompany, held on.

Following the exit of Solanke, Bournemouth managed a 3-2 win against Girona.

The Cherries went ahead through a Justin Kluivert penalty only for Christian Stuani and Joel Roca to put the Spanish club 2-1 in front.

Luis Sinisterra equalised for Bournemouth before Daniel Jebbison converted a close-range finish for the winner.

Aston Villa ended their pre-season schedule witha 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund in front of a 81,365 crowd.

Argentina keeper Emiliano Martinez and England defender Ezri Konsa returned for Villa after their respective returns from international duty at the Copa America and Euro 2024.

Konsa conceded a spot-kick for a challenge on Karim Adeyemi, with Emre Can scoring from the penalty spot to give last season's beaten Champions League finalists the lead before they quickly added a second through Julian Brandt.

Forwards Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran were not in the squad for Villa, who open their Premier League campaign at West Ham on Saturday, 17 August.

Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who has been charged by the Football Association over betting breaches, played for West Ham for the first time in pre-season as they hosted Celta Vigo and won the game on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

Jarrod Bowen gave the Hammers the lead before Mihailo equalised for the Spanish side.

Paqueta then put the home side back in front only for Pablo Duran to level again for Celta Vigo.

Summer signings Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville came on for West Ham in the second half before they went on to win on penalties at a London Stadium where the attendance was impacted because of a boycott by fans over changes to ticket concessions this season for Under-21s and pensioners.

A Harvey Barnes strike gave Newcastle United a 1-0 win against Brest, while Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored an equaliser for his side as they drew 1-1 with Roma, who took the lead through Lorenzo Pellegrini.

Wolves were beaten 1-0 by Rayo Vallecano, while Leicester City were on the end of a 3-0 loss at Lens in France.

Brighton made it four wins from four in their pre-season campaign as they beat Villarreal 4-0.

Joao Pedro gave the Seagulls the lead before goals from Danny Welbeck and Yankuba Minteh.

Brighton, who appointed Fabian Hurzeler as manager in the summer after the exit of Roberto de Zerbi, scored their fourth when Welbeck added his second with a late penalty.

New Fulham signing Emile Smith Rowe, who joined the Cottagers from Arsenal, scored with a shot from a tight angle as his side beat Hoffenheim 2-0 in Germany.

Adama Traore added a second for Fulham, who start the Premier League season with a game against Manchester United on Friday, 16 August.

Dominic Solanke will be hoping he can make it third time lucky.

After two previous spells at clubs in English football's 'big six', Solanke's move to Spurs from Bournemouth, which could be worth up to £65m, provides him with another chance to prove he belongs on the biggest stage.

He was unable to make the breakthrough he wanted as a youngster at Chelsea and Liverpool, but last season's prolific campaign with the Cherries established the 26-year-old as one of the country's leading forwards.

BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella said: "Bournemouth didn't want to sell but will feel the bid of £55m plus £10m add-ons they accepted represents the value of Solanke's £65m release clause.

"They initially didn't expect anyone to hit that number, but some flexibility was shown on payment terms given Solanke was pushing to leave to play European football and try to earn a future place with England."

There are mixed views about Solanke's price tag, especially considering last season's 19 goals was the first time he has scored more than 10 in a Premier League campaign.

So is Solanke value for money for Tottenham? And where does he fit among their attacking options?

Solanke will be playing in the Europa League with Spurs in the coming season and hoping a move to one of the Premier League's 'big six' will help him add to his solitary England cap.

And a look at last season's headline stats suggests he has more than earned another crack at the big time.

He finished the campaign as the Premier League's fourth top scorer with 19 goals, five more than anyone else playing for a bottom-half team.

But there must have been a time when Solanke thought another opportunity like this would not come again.

The Chelsea academy product was prolific at youth level for the Blues and played a key role in England Under-20s' World Cup win in 2017, finishing joint-top scorer with four goals.

However, his sole Chelsea appearance came as a substitute in a Champions League win against NK Maribor in 2014, and he moved to Liverpool for about £3m at the end of his contract in 2017.

The striker earned his only England cap as a 75th-minute substitute against Brazil in November 2017, but struggled to establish himself at Liverpool.

He made 21 appearances in his first season at Anfield, 16 of them from the bench, scoring just once - and did not play for the Reds the following campaign before joining Bournemouth for £19m in January 2019.

Questions about his goalscoring abilities remained - he netted just three times in his first 42 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth.

And after an impressive 29 goals to help the Cherries up from the Championship, he again struggled to recreate his output in the top flight, with just six Premier League goals in 2022-23 - including a goal drought of more than 17 hours.

However, just when Solanke was in danger of being written off, he enjoyed a season to remember.

When Harry Kane left Tottenham last summer for Bayern Munich, manager Ange Postecoglou did not sign a striker to replace the club's all-time leading scorer.

But with Spurs having finished with just 74 goals last campaign - the least in the top seven - it is no surprise to see them try to boost their firepower.

Kinsella said: "The signing of a new striker was never supposed to spark the exit of Brazil striker Richarlison, with Postecoglou confirming his faith in him.

"He believes they needed another option as they missed Richarlison when he was injured, with no natural alternative.

"Postecoglou believes Solanke will be the perfect fit for his system. That is down to his running ability, pressing skills and goal output.

"He isn't going to pin all his hopes on Solanke scoring goals though, as his style of play should mean players from all over the pitch will chip in."

So what do the stats say?

Solanke was only the 10th player in Premier League history to score as many as 19 goals for a bottom-half team - with no player's goals worth more points to their club than his last season, according to data analysts Opta.

He compares well in other areas as well, ranking fourth in the Premier League for expected goals (xG) in 2023-24 (19.6), third for shots (109) and sixth for touches in the opposition box (239).

Son Heung-min ranked best for Tottenham last season with 85 shots, 12.09 xG and 227 touches in the opposition box.

Solanke's numbers also suggest he is a good fit for Tottenham's intense pressing game, with Spurs one of the few teams who pressed more than Bournemouth last campaign.

Opta say Solanke led the Premier League last season for pressures (1,242), pressures in the final third (703) and pressures in the final third resulting in a turnover (142).

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has admitted the Cherries will struggle to replace Solanke, saying: "Dominic deserved to be called up for the Euros and to not be was a blow for him. He has given us everything he has but to sign someone like Dom is almost impossible."

Despite his stunning campaign last time round, there will still be questions about Solanke's value.

His 19 goals last season were actually an underperformance compared to his non-penalty xG by 0.6 - and he scored just six goals in his only other full Premier League season for Bournemouth.

Football Transfers, external, a platform which uses player data algorithms to derive Estimated Player Values (ETV), believes Solanke is worth £33.1m, but suggests there are a number of reasons why he has been sold for more than that.

Being an English player in a deal involving two clubs is one factor, as has the dearth of alternative striking options.

Brentford's Ivan Toney has only scored four league goals since his return from an eight-month betting ban and is two years older than Solanke, while Everton's Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 27, has struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons.

Football Transfers' Paul MacDonald said: "All in all, Solanke is overvalued for a player who hasn't played Champions League, isn't an international regular, and isn't particularly young any more.

"But he's one of the best players in that position who is available and he's got a decent strike rate over a few seasons compared to his peers."

Tottenham Hotspur have signed England striker Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in a deal worth up to £65m.

Spurs will pay an initial £55m with £10m in add-ons for the 26-year-old, who has signed a contract until 2030.

Solanke, who has one cap, is Tottenham's fourth signing of the summer after Yang Min-hyuk, Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou has been looking to strengthen his attack since England captain Harry Kane left for Bayern Munich last summer.

Solanke joined Bournemouth for £19m in 2019 from Liverpool, who are understood to have a 20% sell-on clause on any profit made by the Cherries from his sale.

He enjoyed the best season of his career in 2023-24, scoring 21 goals in 42 appearances.

Solanke is expected to attend Spurs' pre-season friendly against Bayern at Tottenham Stadium at 17:30 BST on Saturday.

He could make his Premier League debut for his new club in their opening game of the season against Leicester City at King Power Stadium on 19 August.

Solanke progressed through the youth ranks at Chelsea - twice winning the FA Youth Cup - but made just a solitary senior appearance and spent the 2015–16 season on loan at Vitesse Arnhem.

He joined Liverpool in May 2017 after his contract expired at Stamford Bridge but managed just one goal in 27 appearances for the Reds.

Solanke helped England win the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and was named as the player of the tournament after scoring four goals.

The Reading-born striker joined Bournemouth in January 2019 and scored 77 goals in 216 games for the Cherries.

Bournemouth chief executive Neill Blake said it was "no surprise that a team of Tottenham’s calibre has shown an interest" in Solanke.

He said: "When we identified Dominic as a target and brought him to the club five years ago, we did so with the understanding that this was always a possibility.

"This move has developed quickly but Dominic has remained professional throughout and I'd like to thank him for that. It's a testament to the character he has always shown while at this club, on and off the pitch.

"We're pleased to secure a club-record fee for Dominic and he also leaves with everyone’s sincere well wishes at Bournemouth."

Thank you and goodbye

Thank you for keeping us company today while we brought you the latest football news.

If you'd like a recap, click on the links in the summary points for the biggest news stories, or read more:

Carsley named interim England manager

Chelsea agree £54m deal for Wolves winger Neto

Alvarez wants 'new challenge' - Guardiola

Spain take on hosts France in the men's gold medal match at 17:00 BST at the Olympic Games, get all the latest updates here

Also, the EFL season kicks off tonight, follow live text updates of the opening night from 19:45 BST here

Take care!

Ashworth meets Man Utd women

Emma Sanders

Senior Women's Football Reporter

Manchester United Sporting Director Dan Ashworth spent the morning with the women’s players and staff before training at St. George's Park today.

He watched their session, listened in on the morning briefing and then delivered a talk to all members of the squad. In his speech, he re-emphasised his commitment to women’s football.

He referenced his work at previous clubs Brighton and Newcastle which included the creation of a purpose-built training ground at the Elite Football Performance Centre in Lancing, and overseeing Newcastle Women’s transition to a full-time model.

Ashworth also spoke about his time working within the FA - where he was director of elite development - and how he saw first-hand the success of women’s football in the country.

Amid a summer of uncertainty and restlessness at the club following their decision to move the women out of their training facility to make way for the men’s first team, this was a well-received gesture by Ashworth, with players and staff said to be encouraged by his words.

The departures of England goalkeeper Mary Earps, captain Katie Zelem and Spain duo Irene Guerrero and Lucia Garcia caused anxiety but United have responded by signing four players this summer.

They are set to announce the signing of Canada midfielder Simi Awujo, while talks with Leicester goalkeeper Lize Kop continue.

Don't look at the schedule

Simon Stone

BBC Sport

Manchester City's season may not finish until 13 July, which is the date for the final of the Club World Cup in the United States.

That's 48 weeks - and no more than five before the 2025-26 Premier League campaign begins.

It is a punishing schedule - and that is without factoring an expanded 36-team Champions League.

Little wonder Pep Guardiola has decided the best way to deal with it is not to look at the calendar.

Basically, once we get past the September international break, City will be playing every midweek.

Szmodics saga has disrupted Blackburn's preparations

Blackburn v Derby (Fri, 20:00 BST)

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter

Blackburn's preparations ahead of their Championship opener with Derby tonight could have been smoother.

Talks between Rovers and Ipswich for star striker Sammie Szmodics have rumbled on for six weeks and have disrupted boss John Eustace's plans, with the Tractor Boys having several bids rejected.

While discussions continue for last season's 27-goal Championship top scorer Ipswich have not been prepared to pay an inflated fee while Blackburn have been frustrated at the length of time negotiations are taking.

The Ireland international, contracted to Ewood Park until 2026, wants the Premier League move having publicly said he was eager to test himself in the top flight earlier this year.

There is no agreement yet but the length of time and effort invested into the transfer - from both sides - still suggests there is a deal to be done.

Szmodics is training with the Rovers squad and could still be involved at Ewood tonight.

ICYMI: Chelsea agree £54m deal for Wolves winger Neto

Nick Mashiter

BBC Sport football news reporter

And to recap that earlier story, Chelsea have agreed a deal worth 63m euros (£54m) for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Pedro Neto.

The Portugal winger is now scheduled to have a medical before finalising a move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea finally struck a deal with Wolves - an initial 60m euro fee with 3m euros in add-ons - after having two bids rejected.

The 24-year-old has been linked with a move from Molineux for the past 12 months.

He has made 135 appearances and scored 14 goals since joining from Lazio in 2019.

Get more on this developing story here.

Spurs team news

Tottenham Hotspur v Bayern Munich (Sat, 17:30 BST)

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur are taking over Bayern Munich at home in a pre-season friendly tomorrow and manager Ange Postecoglou has given fans an update on the team news.

He told Spursplay that while Destiny Udogie is set to feature, Richarlison is not likely to make an appearance.

"They're both progressing well," said Postecoglou. "Destiny will get some game time tomorrow.

"Richy's only had a week of training so he probably won't get game time but he's had a good week of training so that's the important thing. Everyone else is healthy and ready to go."

Cristian Romero, Giovani Lo Celso, Rodrigo Bentancur and Micky van de Ven were all not a part of other pre-season games because of their participation in major tournaments this summer but are set to feature tomorrow.

Postecoglou said: "From our perspective, we made sure they all had a decent break as they all had pretty big tournaments - particularly the South Americans.

"It's really good to get them back in the building as they add to the quality and intensity of our training, it's good to have them back."

Postecoglou is one of the best coaches in the world - Bissouma

Nizaar Kinsella

BBC Sport football news reporter

Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma believes Ange Postecoglou to be "one of the best coaches in the world" and credits him with taking his game to the next level.

The 27-year-old said he is playing his best football under Postecoglou, who enters his second season at Spurs after narrowly missing out on Champions League qualification by finishing fifth last season.

When asked about the Australian's impact on the squad, Bissouma told BBC Sport: "He is one of the best coaches in the world. As a coach, he is top and as a human he is unbelievable. He is like a dad for us.

"We are working hard for him and really enjoy spending our time with him. We are working again and going again and we'll see [where it takes us]."

Bissouma added: "I am playing my best football with him and he has given me the opportunity to do that.

"He has given me confidence and happiness - it is amazing for me and I am really happy playing for him. But there is also more to come."

'We have high expectations of ourselves'

Newcastle v Girona (19:30 BST)

Eddie Howe says he is "very comfortable" with having qualification for European competition as Newcastle's target this season.

Speaking to the media ahead of the games against Genoa and Stade Brestois in the Sela Cup, he said: "We have to have high expectations of ourselves and we have to push ourselves internally.

"I think it's slightly different when you're in my position, because yes, you can have your targets, but nothing's going to be given to you. You have to earn the right to get to that point. And we have a very difficult Premier League season ahead because the competition is so high. We have to improve from last year.

"We've been working hard in pre-season to improve certain aspects of our play. Hopefully that shows by the time we kick off and we can build consistency and confidence in our game early.

"When I look at the squad, with the majority of the players fit, we look really strong. It is a very competitive squad.

"We have a couple of players to get back into the group. Callum Wilson and Matt Targett are the closest and they will make a massive difference. Obviously, there are then the longer term ones behind them."

Tottenham Hotspur are in advanced talks with Bournemouth about a £60m deal for striker Dominic Solanke.

The 26-year-old's release clause of about £65m was confirmed by Bournemouth owner Bill Foley in an interview with BBC Sport last month.

The two clubs are however negotiating a fee below that for the striker, who has played once for England.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou wants to reinforce his attack after failing to replace England captain Harry Kane following his move to Bayern Munich last summer.

Solanke enjoyed the best season of his career last term, scoring 21 goals in 42 appearances for the Cherries.