No sooner had Alexis Sanchez finally set foot in America than Manchester United’s lone star found himself thrust into Jose Mourinho’s plans for the second game on tour.
Sanchez has been training on his own at Carrington this week since a visa problem prevented him from flying with the rest of the United squad to California last weekend.
The 29-year-old touched down in Los Angeles on Friday where United have been training at UCLA and staying in Beverly Hills.
Liverpool’s move for Alisson Becker triggered a massive reaction among Reds supporters and has many thinking that the clubs 28-year league title drought could end this season.
That seems presumptuous, though, completely ignoring the reigning champions and their 100 points. And Manchester City haven’t stood still either, signing Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez. They’ve sold nobody and can look forward to a full season from Benjamin Mendy this time around. Liverpool already have a fair amount of ground to make up.
Cristiano Ronaldo has paid the Spanish tax man £12.1million and accepted a two-year suspended prison sentence.
It appears the 33-year-old Juventus forward is wasting no time clearing debts and cutting all ties with Madrid and Spain following his transfer from Real to Juve. There are also suggestions he plans to pull his business interests out of the capital.
Spanish radio station Cadena Cope reported that Ronaldo has deposited the £12.1m and will also pay a further £4.7m in fines and costs. He will never have to serve the prison sentence because first offences for administrative crimes involving terms of two years or less are not custodial in Spain.
Liverpool’s 29-man squad rose in the early hours on Saturday morning to board their flight to America for their pre-season tour.
The Reds are preparing to visit Charlotte, East Rutherford and Ann Arbor during an eight-day trip.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and new signing Naby Keita were among the travelling party, with the first two returning from the World Cup, while goalkeeper Loris Karius travelled despite his uncertain future.
Karius cut an anxious figure at Manchester Airport with the knowledge that Liverpool broke the world transfer record for a goalkeeper with the acquisition of Alisson for £65million this week.
The good news is that Jose Mourinho still has five games and 21 days to knock Manchester United into shape. This was the first match of pre-season and we know not to get carried away just yet.
However, the United manager admits he is ‘worried’ about the new campaign and that’s understandable. Reinforcements are on the way – 12 World Cup stars and Alexis Sanchez – but not soon enough for Mourinho’s liking.
Most of them will not be available when United start the season at home to Leicester City at Old Trafford on August 10. He will have to lean heavily on the current group, and there is clearly still a lot of work to be done.
Jurgen Klopp suggested that Liverpool have finished their summer spending after sealing a world record £65 million deal for Roma keeper Alisson.
So far this transfer window Liverpool have also spent £44m on Monaco midfielder Fabinho and £13m on winger Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke, as well as confirming the purchase of RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita for £48m.
Klopp’s comments indicate that the Merseysiders’ long-running £60m pursuit of Lyon attacker Nabil Fekir is at an end.
Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com: ‘I don’t know. We will see.
An update to this story as Manchester United have confirmed Alexis Sanchez’s visa issue has been resolved and he will now travel to the United States to begin preseason training.
The Chile international will now fly out to Los Angeles to join his team-mates and could feature for United against San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday.
Alexis Sanchez has trained alone at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground having been unable to join their US pre-season tour due to issues over his visa.
Chelsea have been offered the chance to re-sign Petr Cech as Thibaut Courtois looks destined to move to Real Madrid.
The Stamford Bridge club are also interested in Kasper Schmeichel and Gianluigi Donnarumma amid expectations that the Belgian will leave west London this summer.
Arsenal are open to selling Cech to provide manager Unai Emery with the funds needed to continue rebuilding his squad.
Emery is still keen to sign Steven N’Zonzi, who won the World Cup with France this summer. The manager worked with N’Zonzi at Sevilla.
Liverpool are on the brink of making Alisson the world’s most expensive goalkeeper after agreeing a world recod £67.5million deal with Roma.
The Brazil international broke off from his holiday in Sardinia on Wednesday to head to Merseyside and is set to sign a six-year contract.
He will have a medical on Thursday after Michael Edwards, Liverpool’s sporting director, reached an agreement with his Roma counterpart Monchi that will see the Anfield club pay £58.5m up front with £9m in add-ons.
Joe Hart, Riyad Mahrez and their Manchester City team-mates have arrived in Chicago ahead of their first pre-season test against Borussia Dortmund.
The likes of Phil Foden and Oleksandr Zinchenko looked fresh-faced as they made their way off the plane following an eight-hour flight across the Atlantic.
Mahrez, Manchester City’s record signing, is in line to make his debut this week after finalising his £60million move from Leicester.
Joe Hart could also be given another chance to impress Pep Guardiola as the experienced goalkeeper has returned from his season-long loan spell at West Ham.
