SPORTS

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Real Madrid will rival Barcelona in the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain striker Neymar this summer, according to reports in the Spanish press on Friday. Madrid have shifted focus to Neymar after the close of the English Premier League’s transfer window on Thursday ended their hopes …

  London, United Kingdom | AFP | Crystal Palace striker Wilfried Zaha had hoped to be lining up on the opening weekend of the Premier League season for Everton against the London club. Instead Zaha is still at Palace amid reports of growing tension with his boyhood club after they blocked …

Manchester, United Kingdom | AFP | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insisted on Friday that Manchester United can cope without Romelu Lukaku following the striker’s transfer to Inter Milan, saying that it was time for him to move on despite the lack of a replacement. Lukaku joined the Serie A club on Thursday, …

Berlin, Germany | AFP | Niko Kovac’s Bayern Munich launch their 2019/20 season as German Cup title holders in the first round this weekend, but the traditional season curtain-raiser will be overshadowed this year by a string of scandals rocking football in Germany. While coaching prodigies Julian Nagelsmann and David Wagner …

Toronto, Canada | AFP |  Serena Williams and Japan’s Naomi Osaka booked a rematch of last year’s US Open final in the WTA Toronto quarter-finals after straight-set triumphs Thursday. Reigning US and Australian Open champion Osaka broke at love in the final game to defeat Polish teen Iga Swiatek 7-6 (7/4), …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Premier League clubs splashed out well over £1 billion ($1.2 billion) in the transfer market arms race ahead of the start of the new season on Friday. The vast majority of that sum was again spent by ‘top six’ powerhouses Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Arsenal significantly bolstered their defence in the final hours of the Premier League transfer window by completing the signings of Kieran Tierney and David Luiz on Thursday. Scotland international Tierney had been a target all summer for the Gunners and agreement of the payment structure of his £25 million …

  Inter Milan announce signing of Lukaku from Man United Rome, Italy | AFP |  Romelu Lukaku has signed for Inter Milan from Manchester United on a five-year deal, the Serie A club announced on Thursday. “The Belgian footballer, arriving from Manchester United on a permanent basis, has signed a …

Miami, United States | AFP |  Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde claimed on Wednesday that Philippe Coutinho is set to stay at Camp Nou despite strong interest in the unsettled Brazilian from the Premier League. The latest status update came after Croatian Ivan Rakitic score a 79th-minute winner to see off Napoli …

Toronto, Canada | AFP |  Serena Williams looked solid in her first match since losing the Wimbledon final, defeating 20th-ranked Elise Mertens of Belgium 6-3, 6-3 on Wednesday at the WTA Toronto tournament. The 37-year-old American, one crown shy of a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title, advanced in 75 minutes …