Soccer: Lukaku set to make Chelsea move?

Belgian international Romelu Lukaku arrived in London to complete what would be a club record signing by Chelsea for the Inter Milan striker, British and Italian media reported on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old is set for a 97.5 million-pound ($135.26 million) move from Serie A to the Champions League holders.

Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport reported Lukaku flew to London's Biggin Hill airport by private jet from Nice with his agent Federico Pastorello after spending the afternoon in Monaco.

Britain's Sky Sports television reported he had a medical in Milan earlier in the week and was set to sign a five-year contract.

The now-prolific striker joined Chelsea in 2011 but made only 15 appearances and was sold to Everton in 2014 after loan spells at West Bromwich Albion. He moved to Manchester United in 2017 before heading to Italy in 2019.

Lukaku scored 24 league goals in the 2020-21 season to help Inter clinch their first Serie A title in 11 years.

($1 = 0.7208 pounds)

Liverpool's Jones to miss season opener due to concussion protocols

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has been ruled out of their Premier League season-opener at newly-promoted Norwich City on Saturday because of concussion protocols, manager Juergen Klopp said.

Jones was substituted during the first half of their pre-season friendly win against Osasuna on Monday following a collision.

"He had a slight concussion so we just have to follow the protocol," Klopp told Liverpool's website. "He is fine, but that's the protocol. He is available for training from Sunday on I think."

The 20-year-old is the second player to be ruled out ahead of their league opener after defender Andy Robertson sustained ligament damage.

Man City's Foden ruled out for three to four weeks more

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden will be out of action for three to four weeks more, ruling him out of the start of the Premier League season, he said on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old England international missed last month's European Championship final defeat by Italy on penalties and has been absent from City's pre-season training.

"It (the foot) is still a little bit sore, it's such a shame to do it just before the Euro final, it was really unfortunate but I'm working hard in the gym," Foden told Sky Sports. "Hopefully, I can get back as soon as possible.

"I'd say around three to four weeks more. Hopefully, it flies by and I can just get back out on the pitch."

Champions City kick off the season at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and Foden also looks likely to miss the games at promoted Norwich City and Arsenal.

England have World Cup qualifiers against Hungary, Andorra and Poland in early September.

City's first league match after the international break is at Leicester City, who beat them in the Community Shield, on September 11.

Row deepens over La Liga private equity deal

Squabbling between Spanish football's power brokers over a tie-up between its elite leagues and a private equity firm intensified on Wednesday, as the body representing lower-tier professional sides joined the two biggest in rejecting it.

La Liga, which covers the top two soccer divisions, announced last week it would get 2.7 billion euros ($3.2 billion) of funding from CVC Capital Partners, with 90% of that going to clubs and the firm in return getting 10% of La Liga's revenue and a 10% stake in most of its business.

On Wednesday, as two sources said Goldman Sachs would contribute a 1 billion euro syndicated loan to CVC's planned investment, Spanish Football Association RFEF said it was firmly opposed.

RFEF, which is responsible for professional and amateur clubs from the third division downwards, said it would widen inequalities and make the "reasonable development" of the professional game in Spain impossible.

That drew an angry response from La Liga president Javier Tebas, who suggested the Spanish FA had not properly considered the proposal. "Of course, they don't fail to attack La Liga ... even if they haven't studied the documents," he said in a tweet.

La Liga, which had said the deal would strengthen its clubs and give them funds to spend on new infrastructure and modernisation projects as well as increasing how much they could spend on players' salaries. Later on Wednesday said it strongly rejected the RFEF's criticisms.

It said it had provided the Spanish FA with all relevant documentation and hosted a meeting at which the RFEF did not raise any objections.

The RFEF also said it had also noted "various complaints and comments" from first and second division clubs.

On Tuesday, Real Madrid said they would launch civil and criminal lawsuits against Tebas and CVC Capital Partners' chief Javier de Jaime Guijarro over the deal.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta said it would have allowed the Catalan giants to re-sign superstar Lionel Messi, who on Tuesday joined Paris St Germain.

Despite that, the club were opposed to a deal that would be tantamount to "mortgaging the club's rights over the next half-century", he added.