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Mikel Arteta sees record signing Declan Rice as Arsenal’s “lighthouse” as the north London club look to win the Premier League. Fresh from completing big-money moves for Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber, the Gunners completed their British record £105million acquisition for the West Ham captain on Saturday. Rice’s arrival is a huge shot in the arm for Mikel Arteta’s improving side, who beat perennial Premier League champions Manchester City to the England international’s signature. It is a deal that Arsenal hope can next season help topple Pep Guardiola’s men at the top as they look to win a first league title since 2004. “I see him like a lighthouse – that he is willing to put light in others and improve others and make the team better and that is a huge quality,” the Gunners boss said. “For me, to be a midfielder you have to have that and he’s got it 100 per cent. “The way he talks and presents himself, the ambition he has and the passion towards the game. That is exactly what we needed. “It’s his leadership, his aura, the experience he already has in the league he is going to bring and the team to a different dimension I think.” Rice flew to the United States with his new team-mates on Sunday and the following morning worked on an exercise bike next to the pitch where many of the group trained. The 24-year-old laughed and joked with Eddie Nketiah in the sweltering Washington DC sunshine and Arteta has been impressed by the way he has adapted to a new set-up. “I think you all know his leadership, his personality, the experience that he already has at 24,” the Gunners boss said of Rice. “Very smooth (transition into the group). He’s already very close already with a few of the boys, he obviously knew a few of the boys from the England camp as well. He seems very happy.” Arteta has brought a 29-man squad to the United States, where Arsenal’s tour gets under way against Wayne Rooney’s Major League Soccer All-Stars on Wednesday evening. Friendlies against Manchester United in New Jersey and Barcelona in Los Angeles follow, with Arteta grateful to have key acquisitions Rice, Timber and Havertz over the line in time to work with them Stateside. “Very pleased obviously as you can imagine,” he said. “We signed the players that we wanted, we signed them early and they start to adapt to the team really fast. “We have some time now to prepare and for them as well to gain the best chance to express themselves in the right way. “To adapt obviously they need to experience a few days how it looks like (at) Arsenal.” Arsenal have spent nearly £200million already this summer but Arteta suggested there could yet be more to come. “Let’s see,” he said pitchside at George Mason University. “It’s a lot of time still in the market and a lot of expectations are in some of our players as well, so we will have to see and how things develop in the next couple of weeks. “We will be alert, there’s still time do things, there’s still time as well for exits obviously. I’m sure things will move.” Arsenal have crossed the Atlantic at an exciting time for football in North America, where Lionel Messi’s mammoth move to Inter Miami should take the sport to new heights. “I think the attention it’s going to do, the level, the attraction, I think it’s incredible for the league to bring a player with such a status here,” Arteta said. “It tells you the ambition of the league, where they want to take it and the direction this has taken I think is extremely positive for the league.” On facing Rooney’s All-Star team at Audi Field on Wednesday, the Arsenal boss added: “Great, a lot of expectations. It’ll be a special atmosphere and something we haven’t done before so looking forward to it.”

The possible link between repetitive heading and cognitive impairment in later life has again been highlighted in new data published on Monday. The University of Nottingham’s FOCUS study, co-funded by the Football Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association, gathered information on heading frequency from 459 retired players aged 45 and over. Players who recalled heading a ball 15 times or more per match or training session were found to be 3.53 times more likely to score below the test threshold in the cognitive status assessment than players who said they headed the ball up to five times, the FOCUS study found. Players who recalled heading a ball six to 15 times were also 2.71 times more likely to score below the test threshold than the lowest-frequency heading group. The study said its findings suggested “repetitive heading during a professional soccer career is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment in later life”. It concluded further study was required to establish the upper threshold for heading frequency to mitigate this risk. The FA has already taken steps to reduce the possible risk posed by repetitive exposure to heading by issuing guidance for players in children’s and adults’ game. Adults at grassroots and professional level are now advised to perform a maximum of 10 ‘higher force’ headers per week in training. As well as restrictions on heading in training for under-18s football, the FA is entering the second season of trialling the complete removal of heading in under-12s football. FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said on the FOCUS Study: “This study is another step in understanding any potential link between neurogenerative disorders and former professional footballers. “Since funding the FIELD study, we have continued to invest in research to gain a greater understanding of the area and potential risk factors. “More research is required to fully understand the issues and we welcome a global approach to do that. “Whilst there is no doubt of the overall benefit to health of playing football, by addressing potential risk factors whilst we continue to invest in medical research, we will ensure that millions can continue to enjoy our national sport.” The FIELD study found in 2019 that footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease compared to age-matched members of the general population. The first part of the FOCUS study, published in June, found 2.8 per cent of retired professional footballers in its study reported medically diagnosed dementia and other neurodegenerative disease compared to 0.9 per cent of controls. This meant former professionals were found to be 3.46 times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases compared to the control group. The study also showed retired footballers in the study were twice as likely to fall below established thresholds in some dementia testing than the general population. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leon Taylor hails ‘coming of age’ moment for Team GB’s female divers Cameron Smith has no point to prove defending Open title he won before LIV move An in-depth look at the rapid rise of Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz

Wheat and corn prices on global commodities markets jumped Monday after Russia pulled out of a crucial deal allowing the export of grain from Ukraine.

Brentford are the only Premier League team to have made the top 10 in a report assessing the country’s most sustainably-run clubs in the top four professional divisions. The Bees are the sole top-flight representatives among the best performers in the Fair Game Index published on Monday. This Index looks at all 92 clubs who were in the Premier League and the EFL last season, rating the performance of each on a weighted scoring system based on financial sustainability, governance, fan engagement and equality standards. Fair Game, a group of clubs and industry experts which campaigns for football reform, believes clubs’ performance against sustainability criteria should be used to determine how the bulk of the centrally-distributed broadcast revenue is allocated. League Two club AFC Wimbledon finished top in the Index. The Dons scored well across the board, underpinned by a firm commitment to never put the club’s financial status at risk. The club aim to always stay well below UEFA’s recommended wage-to-turnover ratio of 70 per cent, nurture homegrown talent and engage with the local community. Newly promoted League One team Carlisle are second, with Cambridge in third. No club who featured in the Championship last season made the top 10, with fourth-placed Plymouth promoted into the second tier at the end of last season. Brentford finished in 10th overall. Cambridge came top on governance in the Index, Lincoln led the way on equality standards and Exeter were first on fan engagement. Three of the six lowest-ranked clubs in the Index are Championship sides – Cardiff, Middlesbrough and League One play-off winners Sheffield Wednesday, while Premier League side Nottingham Forest had the lowest rating of all. Despite Forest being bottom, Premier League clubs had the highest average Index score – 50.0 – driven primarily by revenue being such a big factor in the financial sustainability, but were the worst performing on average for fan engagement. Championship clubs had the lowest average Index score – 38.1 – with clubs often spending beyond their means to either chase the Premier League dream or avoid the drop-off in income that follows relegation to League One. Fair Game has lobbied the football authorities to make clubs’ sustainability central to how much funding they receive, as the Premier League, EFL and the Football Association continue their talks on a ‘New Deal For Football’. Should they be unable to reach an agreement, the Government has said the new independent regulator for English football (IREF) should have backstop powers to impose a settlement via arbitration. Fair Game, which has consistently called for independent regulation, is also lobbying to ensure any backstop settlement includes consideration of how sustainable clubs are. Currently Fair Game says 12 per cent of the Premier League’s annual television income is distributed to the EFL and the wider pyramid. It says this should increase to 25 per cent, and also favours the introduction of a 10 per cent transfer levy on deals involving top-flight clubs, and deals between top-flight clubs and overseas teams. The fan-led review, published in 2021, called for a levy to be brought in but the proposal was not included in the Government’s white paper on football governance published earlier this year. Fair Game has also launched a tool allowing users to calculate how much clubs would earn based on their Fair Game Index score with the distribution percentages as they are now, and how that would change if the percentage increased and a transfer levy was introduced. Fair Game found 92 per cent of clubs outside the Premier League would be better off under its distribution model than the one currently in operation. Fair Game’s chief executive Niall Couper added: “The Fair Game Index paints a realistic picture of what our game could look like, a future where football chooses to reward well-run clubs. “Fair Game are working hard with communities, experts, football interest groups, fans, clubs and politicians to transform this picture into reality. “For the first time, the building blocks are in place.” Shadow Sports Minister Jeff Smith said: “Ahead of another football season, we still have no financial settlement for English football, meaning more clubs could face the brink. “We urgently need a football regulator to look at clubs’ sustainability, with the backstop powers to resolve football funding, but despite warnings for years the Government has dragged their feet on setting it up. “The Government should bring forward a football bill as soon as possible.”

Did Ron DeSantis really say, "mmm, hungwy?" No.

Marcus Rashford is close to signing a new five-year contract with Manchester United to keep him at Old Trafford until he is 30. The England international is yet to put pen to paper but a deal has been agreed after months of talks between the forward and United. Rashford, who only has a year left on his current contract, could otherwise have left on a free transfer in 2024 but manager Erik ten Hag has long been confident the Mancunian would commit his future to the club. The 25-year-old won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award after scoring a career-best total of 30 goals last season as he flourished under Ten Hag. He scored in United’s Carabao Cup final win over Newcastle and struck in nine consecutive games at Old Trafford, equalling a club record set by the Busby Babe Dennis Viollet. Rashford, who had scored just five times in a troubled 2021-22, struck twice on his debut as an 18-year-old in 2016 and has gone on to get 123 goals in 359 games for his only club. He is currently the 18th highest scorer in United’s history, three goals behind his former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and his new deal offers him the chance to join the four players who have found the net 200 times for them. Ten Hag is trying to buy a forward this summer to relieve the burden on Rashford, with Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund the likeliest candidate. Midfielder Mason Mount has already joined with goalkeeper Andre Onana set to become their second signing. Read More Manchester United on the brink of Andre Onana signing The stumbling block in Manchester United’s pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat Mason Mount echoes iconic Manchester United No 7 in energetic debut

Lionel Messi has been introduced to Inter Miami’s fans during a special event hosted at the MLS club’s DRV Pink Stadium. During the ceremony, which was dubbed The Unveil and broadcast live, the 36-year-old Argentina superstar greeted Inter Miami owner David Beckham with a hug before receiving his pink No 10 jersey. Messi told the crowd: “I want to thank all the people of Miami for their welcome and love since I arrived in this city. “The truth is that I’m very excited and very happy to be here in Miami and to be with you. “I can’t wait to start training and competing. I’m here with the desire I’ve always had to compete, to want to win, and to help the club continue to grow.” The stadium was practically full, despite the event being delayed by poor weather. Beckham said during the broadcast that it made for a “typical Miami welcome for one of the greatest players to ever have played the game”. He added: “The fact that we have our fans in here, celebrating this moment… this is what we have created and we’re very proud of that.” Joining Messi onstage was former Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, whose arrival at Inter Miami was officially announced earlier on Sunday. Busquets, 35, who had spent his entire playing career at the Nou Camp, left Barca at the end of the season and will be reunited with former team-mate Messi, whose own move to Miami was confirmed 24 hours earlier. Speaking during The Unveil event, Inter Miami’s primary owner Jorge Mas called Messi “the best player to ever don boots”. He said: “When David and I first met and we dreamt of what Inter Miami represents, it started off with the freedom to dream. “And we dreamed of not only bringing elite players and the best players but the best player to ever don boots — and his name is Lionel Andres Messi.” Messi revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end. With the deal now officially done, Messi is in line to make his debut for his new employers on Friday against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi arrives after a season in which he helped his country to World Cup glory in Qatar, as well as PSG to the Ligue 1 title, as in his first campaign with them in 2021-22. That adds to an already huge trophy haul on his CV that features four Champions League successes from his years with Barcelona, for whom he scored a staggering total of 672 goals. Joining Miami sees Messi – who has also netted more than 100 international goals – reunite with boss Gerardo Martino, who he previously worked under with Barca and Argentina. Martino was appointed in June after the club sacked Beckham’s ex-Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville. Read More Sergio Busquets joins former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami Beckham brightens smile on Messi mural to welcome superstar signing to Miami Inter Miami appoint Lionel Messi’s former boss Gerardo Martino as head coach The sporting weekend in pictures Sergio Busquets joins former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi at Inter Miami Lionel Messi seals Inter Miami move as MLS welcomes ‘greatest player in world’

New Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou has admitted last week’s meeting with Harry Kane was “nothing earth-shattering” but still a good chat amid Bayern Munich’s growing efforts to lure the forward to Germany. Kane has entered the final 12 months of his deal with Spurs and speculation over his future has heightened in recent weeks. The England captain returned to training on Wednesday and held a meeting with Postecoglou, but the Australian has played down its significance. Postecoglou told reporters at a press conference, via football.london, from the WACA Ground in Perth: “I had a good chat with Harry. “Nothing earth-shattering as people are seeking. Just a good chat, introduced myself, spoke about the club and where we can improve.” Bayern appeared to up the ante regarding Kane at the weekend with the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness claiming an agreement over personal terms had been reached with the Spurs forward. “Harry Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if he keeps to his word then we’ll get him, because then Tottenham will have to buckle,” Hoeness told German TV channel Sport1. “Kane wants to play internationally and luckily for us Tottenham will not be active internationally next year. “He now has another opportunity to come to a top club in Europe. “Up to now, the father and the brother have always stood by what they promised. If it stays that way, that’s OK.” Kane was spotted interacting with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy upon arriving in Australia this weekend for the club’s tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore. While Bayern continue to push to secure the services of the England captain and have reportedly lodged two bids for the forward, Spurs’ stance remains the same, they have no intention of selling Kane. Spurs’ record goalscorer has also been offered a new contract that is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, it is understood. Kane is yet to make a decision on the new deal but Tottenham and chairman Levy continue to stand firm on their desire to keep the striker. Bayern honorary president Hoeness added: “Levy is clever, he doesn’t name a number. First we have to get him to name a number. “Of course he plays for time. I think he’s a savvy, super professional, I appreciate him a lot – but I don’t think there are people on the other side who have been doing it since yesterday.” Read More Harry Kane in Tottenham’s pre-season Asia-Pacific tour squad but no Hugo Lloris Spurs boss Postecoglou ‘not losing sleep’ over star striker Harry Kane’s future Ange Postecoglou excited about ‘leader’ James Maddison’s role at Tottenham Ange Postecoglou makes his pitch to Harry Kane to be part of Tottenham rebuild Spurs in talks to sign Wolfsburg centre-back Micky van de Ven Republic of Ireland sweating on fitness of Denise O’Sullivan ahead of opener

Republic of Ireland midfielder Denise O’Sullivan is in a fitness race ahead of her side’s World Cup opener after she sustained a soft tissue and bone bruise injury to her lower leg, manager Vera Pauw has said. O’Sullivan was taken to hospital after the Republic’s friendly with Colombia on Friday was aborted after 20 minutes due to what the Football Association of Ireland later described in a statement as an “overly physical” contest. An initial scan revealed the North Carolina Courage captain had not suffered any fractures, but Pauw would not make any predictions about whether or not O’Sullivan would be ready to start against Australia on Thursday night. Republic of Ireland Australia Canada Nigeria Speaking during the Republic’s training session in Brisbane on Monday, Pauw said: “We decided to be completely open about it, I’ve asked her if that was possible and she’s OK with that. “She’s off the boot and she’s been walking around. She’s going to do the bands now, core stability, then we start to run with her and we see where she is. “We will only know more after today and then we need to make it step-by-step and we work towards it, and if not it’s not, and if so then everybody is happy I think. “It’s a soft tissue and bone bruise, so it depends also on how much pain it is and how much she can bear and not getting other injuries with that, but the first thing is can she run on it? And you don’t know until you do it.” It’s not an ordinary game, but we have to bring it back to the tasks of the game, and at the end it’s the same pitch as what we have back home, right? Vera Pauw Pauw was otherwise feeling optimistic ahead of their group opener, when Ireland will make their long-awaited World Cup debut in front of over 80,000 fans at Sydney’s Stadium Australia. She said: “Of course we’re getting closer and closer. The last dots on the ‘i’ and then we’re ready. It’s not an ordinary game, but we have to bring it back to the tasks of the game, and at the end it’s the same pitch as what we have back home, right? “Pitches everywhere in the world have the same dimensions, and that is what this actually is. But I’m not saying, I’m not going in the direction (of) it’s a normal game, because of course it’s not a normal game.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

In some respects, it was merely a confirmation of the inevitable; in another, an indication of the dramatic pace of change Erik ten Hag has brought to Manchester United. Harry Maguire had barely returned to pre-season training when he was informed he was being stripped of the captaincy. Which, as he finished last season as the fifth-choice centre-back, behind not just Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane but also Victor Lindelof and left-back Luke Shaw, may simply feel logical. Especially as United are open to offers to Maguire, as Gareth Southgate has warned he needs to play to retain his England place and as there is little prospect of him upturning the pecking order at Old Trafford. It may have been another way of ushering him towards the exit. Yet it completes a two-year unravelling: Maguire had been the endearing underdog, the former Sheffield United and Hull player who had become an unlikely national hero – ‘Slabhead’, the ungainly surprise star of a run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, then the world’s most expensive central defender, then an anointed successor to Bobby Charlton and Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Nemanja Vidic. After the rapid rise came the precipitous fall from grace. Ten Hag often praised Maguire’s attitude; off the field, he was a fine ambassador last season. On the pitch, however, he lost his place after August’s 4-0 embarrassment at Brentford; just when it seemed Maguire may at least rehabilitate himself as a decent deputy, he was horribly culpable for United’s Europa League exit at Sevilla. As with David de Gea, another supposed talisman who was at fault then, this summer has brought an end to an era. Maguire’s problems arguably date back to the summer of 2021; a few weeks earlier, he had reached a personal peak, named in the team of the tournament for Euro 2020, he had excelled for England. If Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival altered the trajectory of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign at Old Trafford, so, too, for the Norwegian’s chosen captain. The sense was that Ronaldo saw himself as a more fitting skipper. Maguire’s form fell off a cliff; he came to look more clumsy and cumbersome, haunted and hapless. He was sent off in Solskjaer’s final game, the thrashing at Watford; a few weeks earlier, he was terrible on his return to Leicester. He was not aided by the manager rushing him back when semi-fit; just as he had done when fast-tracking Maguire to the captaincy after only a few months at Old Trafford, Solskjaer seemed to overestimate him. It may have made Keane’s criticism more vitriolic; certainly Maguire was not flattered by comparisons with predecessors. The status of the United captaincy and the size of the club and his £80m price tag configured a pressure that, ultimately, felt too much. There was, though, something sad about the way he became a figure of fun. The United captaincy has felt something of a hospital pass in recent years. Maguire at least prospered for much of his first 18 months with the armband, if not the last two years. Before him, United’s official skipper tended to be injured, ageing or otherwise sidelined: Michael Carrick made just five appearances in 2017-18, Antonio Valencia just nine the following season and Ashley Young lost his place after inheriting the mantle from the Ecuadorian. Go back to 2016-17 and Wayne Rooney spent much of the second half of the campaign outside Jose Mourinho’s preferred side. Maguire’s powers waned, too, but at a younger age. If United have spent large swathes of the last 16 seasons being led by vice-captains and senior professionals, now Maguire has had two terrible seasons: one in the team, one outside it. Now, too, a team who have looked rudderless at times, especially in the torrid 2021-22, seem to have several leaders: Bruno Fernandes, the de facto skipper for much of last season, Varane, who wore the armband against Leeds last week, the charismatic Martinez, the hugely experienced Casemiro. The probability is that Fernandes will become Maguire’s full-time successor: an automatic choice who appears immune to injury and takes responsibility, he has a compelling case, despite his occasional petulance. It is apparent Ten Hag felt the situation with Maguire was unsustainable. He acted decisively. And in the process, he has pushed Solskjaer’s United further into the past. Read More Harry Maguire dropped as Manchester United captain by Erik ten Hag The stumbling block in Manchester United’s pursuit of Sofyan Amrabat David de Gea, Sir Alex Ferguson’s last player, ends 88 years of Manchester United history

A dozen years ago, Arsenal sought reinforcements at the heart of the midfield. The callow pair of 20-year-olds, Francis Coquelin and Aaron Ramsey, had started the historic humiliation of an 8-2 thrashing at Old Trafford. Arsene Wenger promptly signed a leader for who the prospect of playing for Arsenal had a greater allure than a lucrative contract to stay in David Moyes’ team. The similarities between Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice may end there; the former West Ham captain marked his arrival at Arsenal by speaking of a determination to spend “my best years at this great club” whereas, for the old Evertonian, it amounted to his last years as a player and, arguably, Goodison Park saw his him at his peak. At £105m, Rice cost rather more than his new manager. He arrives with Arsenal not at a low ebb but at a relative high, following their highest finish for seven years and with their best points total since the Invincibles. Manchester has a different pertinence now. By preferring Arsenal to Manchester City, he may have done the Premier League a wider service; Arteta needed Rice more and pursued him for longer but had Pep Guardiola secured the services of his former assistant’s top target, it would have been still harder to envisage anyone overhauling the champions. There is a cold logic to Rice’s decision, too, and not merely in the way his England sidekick Kalvin Phillips has floundered at City: tempting as it must have been to be presented as Ilkay Gundogan’s replacement, Rodri’s presence means Rice would only have been second choice for his optimum role. Instead, a team is being rebuilt around him. At Arsenal, he will have a significance commensurate with his record price tag; a new trio of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz and Rice has a bold look. There are dual reasons why Arteta’s choice of a midfielder has particular intrigue. One is his background in the position, and the other his managerial apprenticeship at Guardiola’s shoulder. It is notable that one of his midfield recruits so far – the January arrival Jorginho – was a target when they were together at City and that Oleksandr Zinchenko, converted into an inverted left-back by them at the Etihad, has adopted the same duties in the capital. Rice can seem the anti-Jorginho: less a regista, more a driving runner, scarcely a metronome, but often an all-action figure. It also makes him the antithesis of Arteta the player. Arteta the manager, however, has shown a fondness for defensive midfielders, whether the incumbent Thomas Partey, the new recruit Rice or Moises Caicedo, a wanted man in January, with the physical power he lacked. Rice’s move has echoes of Jack Grealish’s transfer to City for another nine-figure sum and not merely because each has traded the captaincy at one of the Premier League’s middle class for a place in the ranks among the aristocracy. Despite the huge outlay, the former Aston Villa man was given different duties by Guardiola; for Rice, too, the job description may change. He has spent much of his time at West Ham in a pair with Tomas Soucek, often with the quite old-fashioned division of labour where one can go forward if the other remains back. Arsenal’s midfield has a lone pivot and, with Havertz coming in and Granit Xhaka leaving, seems to have acquired a more attacking aspect. Rice will have to shoulder a huge responsibility. Unless he is teamed up in tougher games with Partey or Jorginho, the closest thing he may have to a partner could be Zinchenko in his hybrid role of full-back and wing-half. There will also be a stylistic shift: West Ham tended to have under half of possession, even when finishing in the top seven. Arsenal have rather more and Rice can expect greater involvement on the ball. But a theme of Rice’s career has been the way he has risen to challenges and surpassed expectations, and not merely those of Chelsea when they infamously released him. On day one at Arsenal, he spoke of having “more levels to go up to”. Improvement has been a constant in recent years and Rice can cast a gaze at new teammates and see a host who have progressed significantly under Arteta. He belongs in the same bracket as others for different reasons. Arteta came to the Emirates Stadium in the austerity era under Arsene Wenger where most of the prices were small, buys were generally designed to produce profits and the occasional loss-making deal felt a greater problem. Under Arteta, there has been more of a willingness to stretch themselves and there are several, such as Ben White and Aaron Ramsdale, for whom Arsenal were initially accused of paying over the odds; there is, though, a logic to paying over the odds for the right player, if not the wrong one, and sometimes fees can soon seem more justifiable. He will be part of an English core, too, even if it is possible that only Ramsdale, Bukayo Saka and him start in the strongest side. Arteta has a youthful local contingent, just as Wenger did with Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carl Jenkinson and Kieran Gibbs when the Spaniard signed. Yet in another respect, there is only one parallel with Rice in the Frenchman’s long reign. Not since Sol Campbell has an automatic choice for England joined Arsenal. Rice’s move across London is more costly and less controversial but if there is pressure on Arsenal’s record buy, there is less rancour around him. But, like Campbell 22 years ago, he is a statement signing nonetheless. Read More Declan Rice signs for Arsenal in record £105m transfer deal The eye-watering sums behind Declan Rice’s record transfer to Arsenal ‘Please don’t say you’re going Arsenal’: Stormzy reacts to Declan Rice’s transfer news How Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal compares with other big-money transfers Declan Rice confirms ‘tough’ West Ham departure with Arsenal move imminent Declan Rice leaves West Ham for record fee with Arsenal move imminent

New Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has admitted last week’s meeting with Harry Kane was “nothing earth-shattering” but still a good chat amid Bayern Munich’s growing efforts to lure the forward to Germany. Kane has entered the final 12 months of his deal with Spurs and speculation over his future has heightened in recent weeks. The England captain returned to training on Wednesday and held a meeting with Postecoglou, but the Australian has played down its significance. Postecoglou told reporters at a press conference, via football.london, from the WACA Ground in Perth: “I had a good chat with Harry. “Nothing earth-shattering as people are seeking. Just a good chat, introduced myself, spoke about the club and where we can improve.” Bayern appeared to up the ante regarding Kane at the weekend with the club’s honorary president Uli Hoeness claiming an agreement over personal terms had been reached with the Spurs forward. “Harry Kane has clearly signalled in all conversations that his decision stands – and if he keeps to his word then we’ll get him, because then Tottenham will have to buckle,” Hoeness told German TV channel Sport1. “Kane wants to play internationally and luckily for us Tottenham will not be active internationally next year. “He now has another opportunity to come to a top club in Europe. “Up to now, the father and the brother have always stood by what they promised. If it stays that way, that’s OK.” Kane was spotted interacting with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy upon arriving in Australia this weekend for the club’s tour of Perth, Bangkok and Singapore. While Bayern continue to push to secure the services of the England captain and have reportedly lodged two bids for the forward, Spurs’ stance remains the same, they have no intention of selling Kane. Spurs’ record goalscorer has also been offered a new contract that is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, the PA news agency understands. Kane is yet to make a decision on the new deal but Tottenham and chairman Levy continue to stand firm on their desire to keep the striker. Bayern honorary president Hoeness added: “Levy is clever, he doesn’t name a number. First we have to get him to name a number. “Of course he plays for time. I think he’s a savvy, super professional, I appreciate him a lot – but I don’t think there are people on the other side who have been doing it since yesterday.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Wimbledon 2023: Women’s history made as men’s game has a changing of the guard It will be surreal – Chloe Mustaki cannot believe she will play at a World Cup From Chris Eubanks to Mirra Andreeva – Wimbledon’s headline makers in 2023