Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola admitted he is short of wingers ahead of the new Premier League season.

The Reds had a new bid of £60m for Yankuba Minteh rejected by Brighton on Friday night and remain far apart in Paris Saint-Germain’s valuations of Bradley Barcola, with the Champions League winners wanting £145m for the France international. They also reportedly enquired about the availability of Real Madrid’s Endrick.

Liverpool have brought in one winger this summer, in Victor Munoz from Osasuna, but are yet to replace Mohamed Salah, while there are no plans to replace Curtis Jones after he was sold to Inter.

“As a manager, it’s an easy one for me,” Iraola said. “I wanted the players from the first day on July 13, I wanted everyone here, all the positions doubled with top-level players. But you understand how the competition works and the market is open when you start the competition, we have to adapt as coaches to this situation.

“I hate these two weeks or 10 days that we have because there is a lot of uncertainty but not (just) in Liverpool but everywhere. You are asking what we need, there are certain situations that for me are clear, especially on the wing because we don’t have enough players specifically to play in those positions.”

On a day where various high-profile transfer targets have been notable from their absences from matchday squads, it’s now the turn of Arsenal fans to examine Atletico Madrid’s line-up for any sign of Julian Alvarez...

And as the last name on the bench, there he is. The Argentinian has been pushing for a move away - something which is now turning sour - but an Atleti exit won’t be materialising quite so imminently, it seems.

He may be in line for a hostile reception if he comes on.

Did we say Villa were two down at the Amex?

Make that four, and a man down. Fans are already heading to the exits. Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez won’t be discouraged from doing the same.

Speculation is heightening over the possibility of another couple of high-profile exits after Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez were left out of the Aston Villa squad to face Brighton today.

However, in better news for Villa fans, the club are trying to land one of the highest-rated young defenders in Europe.

The Athletic reports that the club have made an approach for 22-year-old Club Brugge defender Joel Ordonez.

This looks to be well timed - the Villans are already two down against the Seagulls, with the first being a comical own-goal...

Manchester City have agreed a €100m deal with Lille to buy midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

The 18-year-old is set to become City’s second big-money midfield signing of the summer, and the third most expensive player in their history, as they continue their busy first summer under Enzo Maresca.

Bouaddi will arrive as City step up their overhaul in midfield after the departures of captain Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders.

City will pay an initial €95m deal with a potential €5m in add-ons for the Morocco international.

Tottenham will listen to offers for midfielder Pape Matar Sarr before the deadline, according to transfer journalist Sacha Tavolieri.

Sarr, who was not involved in the opening day defeat to Brentford due to a hamstring injury, is the subject of interest from Galatasaray.

Tottenham have spent heavily on upgrading their midfield this summer with £180m spent on Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes alone.

Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez were absent from Aston Villa’s matchday squad named to face Brighton in their Premier League opener amid rumours of an imminent exit for both.

Villa frontman Watkins is wanted by Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, and his omission from the travelling squad to the south coast will only heighten speculation.

Goalkeeper Martinez has also been heavily linked with a departure from Villa Park, as he was last summer, but misses out on the squad due to a lack of match fitness following a recent return from his post-World Cup break.

Manager Unai Emery says he wants to keep Watkins but has already confirmed that bids have been made for the England international.”

Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez are part of the Manchester City squad to face Bournemouth this afternoon, but Tottenham target Savinho is absent.

Winger Savinho is set to join Spurs in a deal that could reach £85m, while Marmoush is also wanted by Tottenham in a separate deal.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, has been linked with a move to Newcastle United as the Magpies look to add a central midfielder.

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guehi, Gvardiol, Anderson, Lewis, O'Reilly, Foden, Semenyo, Haaland

Subs: Rulli, Marmoush, Kovacic, Cherki, Nico, Grealish, Ait-Nouri, Reis, Nunes

Chelsea have ruled that Jamie Gittens will stay at the club this season after rejecting an approach from Roma to take the winger on loan, according to TalkSport.

Gittens was a £51m signing from Borussia Dortmund last summer but opportunities could be limited this season, with no European football under Xabi Alonso, and with Morgan Rogers, Cole Palmer and Pedro Neto all competing for places alongside Joao Pedro.

Liam Delap, Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk are among the attacking players that Chelsea will try and move on before the deadline, but Gittens, who scored one goal in 27 appearances last term, is set to and fight for his place.

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has stunned Premier League fans by shaving off his iconic long hair before the new season.

The 26-year-old Norway star, whose flowing blond hair has become as central to his Viking image as his record-breaking scoring feats, unveiled a “military-style buzz-cut” before City’s opening game of the season against Bournemouth on Sunday.

“This beautiful long hair, time to let it go,” Haaland said on his YouTube channel. “I was thinking of doing it after the World Cup but I was so busy so I didn’t do it. The season starts now so it’s time to get a fresh start.”

Haaland revealed that he had previously received advice from Sweden forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, another prolific long-haired striker, to follow the example of the Bible’s Samson. “He said: ‘never cut your hair because the strength is in the hair,’” Haaland said.

Haaland’s YouTube video included stunned reactions from his girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen, as well as former manager Pep Guardiola, Oasis frontman and City fan Noel Gallagher, City team-mate Jack Grealish, and former PSG and Milan striker Ibrahimovic.

“You look about 10 years old,” Grealish replied. “What the f--- did you do?” Ibrahimovic said. “No way,” Guardiola laughed, before adding “you are lucky you have hair”.

Haaland will unveil his new look when City face Bournemouth at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon. Haaland said he hoped he scores a header in the first game of the season and vowed to celebrate by rubbing his newly-shaved head.