Newcastle United have agreed a deal for Southampton right-back Tino Livramento worth £40m including add-ons, reports BBC Radio Solent.

The 20-year-old joined the south-coast club from Chelsea in 2021 for £5m.

Livramento’s departure comes after Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season.

The England Under-21 defender made just two outings last term after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in April 2022.

He came on as a substitute in Southampton’s final two games of campaign against Brighton and Liverpool.

Livramento played 32 games during the 2021-22 season, 28 of those in the Premier League.

Newcastle have signed Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali and England winger Harvey Barnes this summer as the Tyneside club look to push on from their top-four finish last season.

Eddie Howe’s side begin the new Premier League campaign on 12 August when they host Aston Villa.

Chelsea have agreed a deal with Premier League rivals Brighton to sign goalkeeper Robert Sanchez for £25 million plus add-ons, reports said on Thursday.

Sanchez, who lost his place to Jason Steele during the second half of last season, will offer competition for Kepa Arrizabalaga following the departure of Edouard Mendy to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli.

It is understood the transfer involves an up-front £25 million payment, with an additional sell-on clause included.

Spain international Sanchez, 25, worked with Chelsea goalkeeping coach Ben Roberts when he was at Brighton. Roberts left for Stamford Bridge in September 2022.

New Blues manager Mauricio Pochettino is overhauling his squad following the club’s worst Premier League season in almost 30 years.

Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Seagulls midfielder Moises Caicedo, with Brighton said to be looking for a £100 million fee.

They open their new Premier League campaign at home to Liverpool on 13 August.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has pledged to call out homophobia in football, revealing his deep pride in his gay brother.

Ramsdale, writing for The Players’ Tribune, called his actor brother, Oliver, the “real superstar of the family”, hailing his bravery.

“My brother is gay, and he’s lived his life in an open and authentic way since he went off to school,” he said.

“I’m so proud to say he’s my brother. I haven’t talked about it before, but with everything going on in football right now, I thought it was important to mention.”

He added: “Over the years, I’ve probably bit my tongue a few too many times – both in dressing rooms and on social media – whenever I hear homophobic comments or stupid things being said. And I think maybe my brother has done the same, thinking it would make my life easier.

“Well, all that ends today.

“It’s not the easiest thing to be open like this, but there’s never a ‘right time’.”

A Fulham fan was last month banned from attending matches for three years and fined after engaging in homophobic chanting while Wolves were fined £100 000 over similar behaviour by supporters.

Ramsdale, who recently signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates following a campaign in which Arsenal finished second in the Premier League, said he had many “football dreams” about winning trophies.

But he added: “As a person, I have another dream.

“I want this game I love to be a safe and welcoming place for everyone. I want my brother, Ollie – or anyone of any sexuality, race or religion – to come to games without having to fear abuse.

“And when we lift a trophy at the Emirates Stadium, I want my brother there with me.”

Marcus Rashford on Thursday predicted he could hit 40 goals this season, buoyed by hearing Wayne Rooney is backing him to break his Manchester United scoring record.

Rooney tops the list of all-time scorers at Old Trafford with 253, but having recently signed a new five-year contract, 25-year-old Rashford looks in a good position to one day overhaul that tally.

The 30 goals he scored last season moved him on to 123.

“You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m all about scoring goals and trying to make assists. There’s definitely a chance that it can happen,” said Rashford when asked about Rooney’s all-time United record.

“I’ve actually spoken to Wayne about it – he wants me to do it. He said it would be good for me to do it as I’ve grown up at the club. Hopefully I get the opportunity to try and make it happen.”

In an interview with former United defender Gary Neville on his Overlap broadcast, Rashford said he believes he could hit 40 goals if he can stay fit in the forthcoming season.

“Before last season, I always said let’s get to 20 – for a winger a good benchmark,” he added.

“But this season, I’ve hit 30 so we have to try and push it now and go above and beyond.

“Towards the end of the season, I was struggling with a few injuries, and I probably wasn’t quite at it – that’s when the goals started to dry up a little bit.

“If I can keep that side of it under control, I feel like I can go on and get 35 or 40.”

Fifa said on Friday it was investigating a misconduct complaint involving the Zambian team at the Women’s World Cup, vowing tough punishment if proven.

It provided no details, citing confidentiality, but media reports said the incident involved coach Bruce Mwape allegedly rubbing a player’s breasts.

“We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian women’s national team and this is currently being investigated,” a Fifa spokesperson said.

“Fifa takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident.”

Zambia were eliminated at the group stage of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand and are now back home.

Allegations of sexual abuse in the Zambian women’s set-up surfaced on social media last year, with the Football Association of Zambia opening an investigation.

It said at the time there had been no official complaint, but “we consider these allegations very serious”.

Mwape, appointed in 2018, was repeatedly asked about it at the World Cup.

He denied the accusations, calling them “fake”, and dismissed suggestions he should resign.

“What environment affecting the team in particular?” he responded before their match with Spain – which they lost 5-0 – when pushed on the subject.

“What are you talking about? I would like to know because there is no way I can retire without reason.

“Maybe your reason is because what you are reading from the media or from the press, but the truth of the matter should actually come out, not just on rumours.”

A team spokesperson did not immediately respond on Friday.

Police in New Zealand, where the team was based, said they had not received any complaints.

“However, we were made aware of an alleged incident and after making initial enquiries, no further action was required to be taken,” a police spokesperson said.

STRICTEST CONFIDENCE

Football’s governing body Fifa stressed that any allegations of abuse were handled in the strictest confidence.

“Where guilt is established, Fifa takes the strongest possible sanctions, including removing people from the game for life. Our track record demonstrates this,” it said.

Zambia suffered heavy defeats to Spain and Japan before winning their first-ever World Cup match, downing Costa Rica 3-1.

There have been a series of sexual assault scandals in women’s football in recent times, notably in Gabon, Haiti, the United States and Afghanistan.

Earlier this year, Fifa toughened its disciplinary proceedings for sexual assault or harassment in a revised Code of Ethics.

It removed the 10-year limitation period on prosecuting sexual offences and obliges “member associations and confederations to notify Fifa of any decisions rendered on sexual abuse”.

Mikel Arteta has challenged big-spending Arsenal to deliver a statement of intent ahead of the Premier League season when they face treble winners Manchester City in the Community Shield on Sunday.

Arteta’s side have their sights set on dethroning City as they look to avenge last season’s painful collapse in the title race.

Fuelled by a spending spree of more than £200 million ($254 million) on England midfielder Declan Rice, Germany forward Kai Havertz and Dutch defender Jurrien Timber, Arsenal have an early opportunity to show they are equipped to end City’s three-year reign as champions.

Arsenal finished five points behind Pep Guardiola’s men despite holding an eight-point lead in April and Gunners boss Arteta knows this weekend’s glamour friendly at Wembley offers an opportunity to lay down a marker.

“For sure. After what we did last year, a lot of people are going to talk about what is next,” Arteta said.

“In the end, it will be about playing better and earning the right to win every match.

“We made some important signings, like other teams are doing, but when you are Arsenal, you have to handle that.”

The annual curtain-raiser to the English top-flight campaign does not always prove an accurate barometer for what is to come but it does serve as the perfect appetiser for the Premier League, which kicks off with City’s trip to Burnley on 11 August.

Arsenal’s opener comes against Nottingham Forest the following day in a rematch with the team who ended their title bid with a 1-0 win at the City Ground in May.

While Arsenal have a burning desire to get their hands on the Premier League trophy for the first time since 2004, Guardiola’s side must prove they remain hungry for silverware.

Cementing their status as one of English football’s all-time great teams, City last season became only the second English club to win the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup in a single campaign, matching Manchester United’s achievement in 1998/99.

‘STILL HERE TO WIN’

Two months after Rodri’s goal sealed City’s long-awaited first Champions League crown against Inter Milan, Guardiola’s men are back in action as they attempt to produce an encore to their golden year.

City’s dynastic status ensures they are favourites to become the first English side to win the top-flight title four years in a row.

But there is one legitimate question hovering over the champions as they set off on their quest for a sixth title in seven seasons.

Can Guardiola refocus a squad potentially sated by so much success and possibly unsettled by close-season transfer movement?

City captain Ilkay Gundogan, a key member of Guardiola’s leadership group, has left for Barcelona and Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez has moved to Saudi club Al-Ahli.

Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte have also been linked with moves away from the Etihad Stadium.

Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic has arrived from Chelsea to replace Gundogan and Joao Cancelo is back following a surprise loan move to Bayern Munich last season reportedly sparked by a row with Guardiola.

The club are understood to have agreed a fee with RB Leipzig for highly-rated Croatia international defender Josko Gvardiol.

As well as handling the transfer merry-go-round, the obsessive Guardiola surely spent his summer holidays fretting over City’s ability to avoid a treble hangover.

Jack Grealish’s wild celebrations revealed the sense of fulfillment and relief felt by Guardiola’s players at the climax of an incredible season.

But if there is concern about City’s ability to stay hungry, Guardiola must have been relieved to hear Ruben Dias’s recent rallying cry.

“Even though this team has won a lot in the past few seasons, we are still hungry and we are still here to win again and again,” defender Dias said.

“Actions speak louder than words. We can say what we want but all that matters is what we do when the games start.

“The mentality is there with everyone who belongs to the club.”