Aston Villa

More from Villa boss Dean Smith who faces his old club Brentford.

"I was certainly cheering them on to get into the Premier League and I’m looking forward to pitting my wits against my old assistant, Thomas Frank.

"He’s a football man and got a really good way about him. He understands the game.

"Their progress has been there for all to see over the last seven or eight years.

"I really enjoyed my three years there, it will be emotional."

Aston Villa

Villa boss Dean Smith seems happy with what he's got.

"We’ve brought some quality players in and I believe we’ve got some of the most talented youngsters in the Premier League within our squad," said Smith.

"I don’t feel that we need to stretch out anywhere else.

"I felt we were pretty much done in the transfer market. I think we have some of the most talented youngsters in the Premier League."

One person who is going out is striker Wesley.

"He is having a medical with someone to go on loan.

"We think a lot of him and he needs to get game. It’s in his best interest to get match minutes. He definitely has a future."

Aston Villa

Let's hear from Aston Villa manager Dean Smith now who welcome Premier League newcomers and Smith's former club Brentford to Villa Park tomorrow.

Team news:

"Ollie Watkins will train with us today and if he gets through training, he’ll be available for selection."

He did confirm that Leon Bailey, Bertrand Traore, Morgan Sanson and Keinan Davis remain sidelined.

Just 10 minutes away from the Europa League draw.

We'll do our best to make it as easy as possible to follow.

Quote on the Manchester Evening News, external Twitter feed, "he had his head turned by the idea of easy money."

Thought that was going to be a football story for a minute. Nope crime.

Newcastle United

More from Newcastle boss Steve Bruce: "We're disappointed [about our start] but some of the stuff we've played I've been pleased with - performances have been decent.

"We haven't got any points on the board so with an international break coming up it'd be nice get up and running."

Hope he is packing his thermals. It gets chilly up there in the winter.

Newcastle United

Image source, Getty Images

Newcastle midfielder Matty Longstaff is close to joining Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen on loan, Magpies boss Steve Bruce has confirmed.

The 21-year-old, who famously scored the winner against Manchester United on his Premier League debut for the Magpies in October 2019, found his chances at St James' Park limited last season during which a contract wrangle and injuries hampered his progress.

"It's happened very, very quickly over the last couple of days," Bruce said

"We've said now for a good couple of weeks it's important for young Matty to go and play some football.

"He had a difficult year through one thing and another last year, so it's a great opportunity for him to go and play, it's quite as simple as that."

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce is doing his media rounds to preview his side's meeting with Southampton on Saturday.

Sounds like some good news for the Magpies, who are chasing their first win of the season, with Bruce saying he expects to key forward Allan Saint-Maximin available.

"Saint-Maximin had a kick on the top of his foot and it was a bit sore but we expect him to be okay," said Bruce.

"Paul Dummett is back in and around it and it's touch and go for Saturday for Isaac Hayden but everybody else is okay."

Time to hear from Newcastle boss Steve Bruce...

BBC Radio 5 Live

More from former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon on Madrid's pursuit of Kylian Mbappe from Paris St-Germain.

"It seems that the player stands by his decision to leave and that is always the main part in a transaction like this.

"Real have not really made big, big signings in the last two or three years and we have a weak team in comparison with other teams because of the lack of signings.

"It is surprising because the player will be free in only six months.

"We sold [Raphael] Varane and [Martin] Odegaard. It is too much but we knew PSG paid 222m euros for Neymar a few years ago.

"It is not the best moment to spend so much money because of the pandemic, it has hit everyone hard and football and Real Madrid is no exception.

"But if it is the moment that they want the player then they have to pay what PSG is asking for."

Image source, Getty Images

Another little Ronaldo statistic his 67 goals in the Champions League knockout stages, is 16 goals more than Manchester City have scored as a club at that phase of the competition.

Could he be the man to help last term's beaten finalists realised their dream of winning the competition?

England under-21 head coach Lee Carsley has named a 24-man squad for his first games in charge of the Young Lions.

The group begin a new Uefo Euro qualifying campaign in September, when they host Kosovo in Milton Keynes.

Prior to that they travel to Bucharest to play a match against Romania, who will be joint hosts of the next under-21 European Championship finals with Georgia in 2023.

Plenty of familiar faces but also some new boys. Liverpool's Harvey Elliott has been handed his first England Under-21 call up. The midfielder joins James Garner, Cole Palmer, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Valentino Livramento, Charlie Cresswell and Jacob Ramsey in Carsley's new-look squad.

There's also a first call-up at any level for goalkeeper Etienne Green, who plies his trade in France with Saint-Etienne.

Image source, @England

Paul: Did someone say City have a wage structure?

Anon: Ronaldo isn't a Utd legend he's respected. He tried to leave a year earlier. Portugal would play better without Ronaldo in the team, everything has to go through him. Juventus have realised that. Pep will pull the last few strands of hair out trying to change an old pro like Ronaldo!

Surely this Cristiano Ronaldo move must be close. Even Opta are going big with their stats.

Jonny: Can you even be a legend at two different clubs? Because I would argue that Cristiano Ronaldo built his legacy at Real Madrid. And if it wasn't for his continued success in Spain, his achievements at United would look a whole lot less legendary.

Stuart Mitchell: Dennis Law playing for City/United is a completely different scenario and different circumstances, always a United legend. Carlos Tevez is more relatable though he was never a club legend. Cristiano Ronaldo will burn all his bridges at United if he does this, can't imagine Sir Alex Ferguson is happy.

Image source, Getty Images

Paris St-Germain are set to hand a hotly-anticipated debut to Lionel Messi on Sunday (19:45 BST) when they face Reims in Ligue 1.

Hotly-anticipated unless you are playing in the Reims back four.

"For the French League it is an enormous boost. Everybody is overwhelmed because all our families and friends have been asking for tickets for weeks," Reims defender Thomas Foket told the Euro Leagues Podcast.

"There is also Neymar and [Kylian] Mbappe. It is not a thing to focus on only Messi because they are so strong elsewhere. If (my teammates don’t help) it will be a difficult night. I hope he is still be in his vacation mood and not at his best.

BBC Radio 5 Live

Has anyone remembered that Kylian Mbappe could be on his way to Real Madrid?

The Spanish side have made a £137m bid for the PSG striker.

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon spoke to 5 live Breakfast earlier and gave his take on it all.

“It’s surprising that a very high price is at stake, but Real Madrid is willing to have the player. The player is willing to leave. When that happens, the signing is imminent.

“He’s going to be free on the 1st of January, but Real is willing to have the player now. If you want that, you have to pay the money the club owner is asking for. That’s what it seems is going to happen.”

“Now he’s the most desirable player for any team. He’s fast. He’s young. He’s strong. He’s a goal-scorer.”

Feels a bit like a Coventry/Tottenham away shirt that one, circa 1986-87.

Suppose fashion just goes round and round. Anyway it brings us nicely round to the first pair of Premier league news conferences.

Newcastle's Steve Bruce and Aston Villa boss Dean Smith coming up shortly.