Sports

Negotiations have moved quickly over the past 24 hours, with the two clubs now close to reaching an agreement for the Brazil international. The final decision, however, will belong to Martinelli.

Morgan Rogers opened the scoring for Chelsea, while Gonçalo García later got Fulham back into the game with a goal on his debut. Both players gave their new supporters something to celebrate, even though only one side would leave with the points.

Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa will put their long-standing friendship aside when Chelsea face Fulham in the Premier League, with the former Liverpool teammates meeting for the first time as opposing managers. The fixture represents another chapter in a relationship that began at Anfield nearly two decades ago and later continued at Real Madrid and with the Spanish national team.

Just two minutes after entering the game, Gordon created space before finding Raphinha, who finished the move to register his second goal of the night and put Barcelona firmly in control.

Manchester United's interest in Balde is not new, but the situation surrounding the Barcelona defender appears to have changed.

Nigerian businessman, Tony Elumelu, said oil theft losses at his company's assets have fallen from 97% to 2%, saying the turnaround has restored profitability and made it easier for the company to obtain dollars without relying on personal connections at the central bank.

Julian Alvarez's future at Atletico Madrid has taken another dramatic turn after the forward was subjected to a hostile reception from his own supporters during the club's 2-2 draw with Villarreal.

Mohamed Salah wasted little time making his mark at Trabzonspor, scoring twice on his first Turkish Super Lig start as his new side defeated Istanbul Basaksehir 2-1. The 34-year-old forward was handed his first league start since completing his move to Turkey and responded with a performance that reminded supporters of his goalscoring instincts.

Newcastle wasted little time putting Liverpool under pressure and took the lead after only five minutes. Gakpo found the target with a controlled strike from outside the area, giving Newcastle goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek little chance.

Brighton opened their Premier League campaign with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Aston Villa, producing a devastating first-half performance at the Amex Stadium.