List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Manchester City have ended their interest in Declan Rice after Arsenal made an improved £105million bid for the West Ham captain. The PA news agency understands the Gunners made their latest offer for the 24-year-old England international on Tuesday after two previous approaches were rebuffed by the Hammers. It was also reported City had a bid totalling £90m knocked back and the treble winners have now decided not to match or try to better Arsenal’s proposition. It is believed the Gunners have offered £100m and a further £5m in potential add-ons. It would make Rice the most expensive British player of all time and eclipses Arsenal’s previous record transfer. It is understood West Ham are unhappy with the payment structure put forward but, rather than dismiss the offer out of hand, are now looking to negotiate. By contrast, Arsenal’s pursuit of Germany forward Kai Havertz has been more straightforward. With a deal agreed with Chelsea, Havertz underwent a medical over the weekend and is expected to be announced as an Arsenal player within the next 24 hours as footage of his arrival video was leaked on social media. Meanwhile, a move for Ajax full-back Jurrien Timber is still being worked on as Arsenal aim to improve a squad that finished second last season. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Tottenham are close to the signing of James Maddison with the Leicester midfielder set to undergo a medical on Wednesday. Spurs entered advanced talks with recently-relegated Leicester earlier this week and have now struck a deal for the England international, the PA news agency understands. Maddison will move to Tottenham in a transfer worth £40m plus add-ons, having already agreed personal terms. The signing of Maddison will represent a major coup for Spurs, who have been long-term admirers of the 26-year-old. Ex-Tottenham boss David Pleat recommended Maddison to chairman Daniel Levy when the playmaker was still a teenager at Coventry, but no move was able to materialise and he instead joined Norwich. Spurs’ interest and desire to eventually sign Maddison never waivered with his time at Leicester only serving to prove he was one of the most creative players in England. During five largely successful years with the Foxes, who won the 2021 FA Cup, Maddison made 203 appearances, scored 55 goals and produced 41 assists. While Maddison was unable to prevent Leicester suffering a shock relegation to the Sky Bet Championship last season, he was still able to hit double figures in terms of goals. Leicester’s battle for survival saw them turn down advances for Maddison in the January transfer window but they have now agreed for him to depart. Newcastle had registered an interest in bringing the midfielder to St James’ Park but decided to pursue a move for AC Milan’s Sandro Tonali, which left the door open for Tottenham to swoop in for their key target. Maddison’s creativity and versatility will boost a Spurs squad that has lacked a player in his mould since Christian Eriksen left in 2020. Once his medical is completed, Maddison will become new Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou’s third signing following Dejan Kulusevski’s permanent transfer and Tuesday’s arrival of Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Read More Arsenal submit British-record bid for Declan Rice Football rumours: Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid Harry Kane must take Bayern Munich transfer chance – and so should Spurs Tottenham complete signing of Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario Kane must take Bayern transfer chance - and so should Spurs Osimhen and five Man United transfer alternatives to signing Kane

An age-old argument, without any definitive answer: when do you let your best player go if the rest of the team needs serious improvement? Is it at the point of emotional guilt-tripping, or when the finances make most sense? Is it when the individual starts creating negativity around the dressing room? Or is it in fact not at all – you keep the top performers and that’s the end of it? Daniel Levy, chairperson at Spurs, has been placed in this position before, but perhaps not when Tottenham have been in such a period of weakness and at such a moment of crossroads. When Luka Modric departed in 2012, Spurs had finished fourth and reached the FA Cup semi-final. A year later when Gareth Bale made his exit, Spurs finished one place further back in the Premier League but actually earned three points more than the campaign previous. The rebuild money across those two summers was perhaps spent in mixed fashion, but it was at a time Tottenham were trying to crack into the top clubs on a regular basis. This time, it’s Harry Kane who looks set for a departure, with Bayern Munich offering up an initial bid – big money, but perhaps not quite big enough just yet – for the striker who has only one year remaining on his contract. Kane has been better, more important, more consistent and longer-serving for Tottenham than either of the two aforementioned stars, or indeed any others they’ve had of late. Yet the club also finished eighth last season, their worst league placing in 14 years, and it’s time for both Kane to move on and Spurs to move on without him. It is not for any reason so crass or emotive or frankly ludicrous as “they owe him”. Spurs do not owe Kane anything. He has been excellent for them, and they have given him the platform to be so. But he clearly has kept his level when the club has lost its own, starting at the most uppermost points of the hierarchy downwards. Kane should be seeking a move for his own prospects, for his own ability to win trophies and his own capacity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greatest centre-forwards of this generation. At Bayern in particular, he’ll very much have the opportunity to do that. Of course, the flip side of the player-based argument is twofold: winning silverware at Spurs might mean more, and so too might claiming the Premier League goalscoring record. Only Kane himself can answer those two factors truthfully, but even if he were to head to the Bundesliga to rack up three or four titles now, there’s very little to suggest his playmaking and goalscoring prowess would have deserted him by the time he turns 33 or 34. A comeback to Spurs once they’ve rebuilt and he’s filled his boots elsewhere? Don’t rule it out. A move abroad is also a risk of its own kind, between adaptation to culture and club, especially in a Euros season. But Gareth Southgate isn’t likely to be leaving out his captain any time soon even if form does desert him – let alone the question of whether there’s even an alternative candidate. And so the decision heads once more to Levy, in charge yet again of overseeing transfers after Fabio Paratici’s enforced exit, and tasked with coming up with a price he finds acceptable for a player the fans value above all others, yet will otherwise surely lose for free in a year. To be blunt, Spurs cannot afford the kind of bluster and brinkmanship Levy has shown before with a far stronger hand. The team needs investment. The team might need outright reshaping, given Ange Postecoglou is almost as far removed from Antonio Conte tactically as he is by way of club interim appointments. Without any kind of European football this coming campaign, Spurs have the chance to make the most of the Australian’s excellent coaching capacity on the training pitch with the additional time between matches the schedule will afford him, so to maximise a season on the fringes they should also be seeking to build the group of players which will benefit him most. While Kane the player is irreplaceable, Spurs can provide Postecoglou with a group to more than make up for what they lose through his sale, if the proceeds are reinvested well and existing players nurtured. Richarlison is the most obvious example, especially as the potential replacement No 9, but Dejan Kulusevski has so much more to give too. Spurs don’t need to gut the building entirely, but they certainly need a better structure than they had last season. Selling Kane is a hard choice, but the right one for the club to move into a new phase of more normalised expectations with long-term prospects for improvement – and the right one for the striker to prove himself on a whole new level, too. Read More Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid Tottenham standing firm on Harry Kane amid interest from Bayern Munich Football rumours: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain weighs up Saudi Arabia move Osimhen and five Man United transfer alternatives to signing Kane Football rumours: Manchester United make last-gasp attempt to sign Harry Kane Range of armband options for Women’s World Cup as FIFA aims to avoid repeat row

Millie Bright has expressed her confidence that she will be ready for England’s World Cup opener as she continues her recovery from knee surgery. The defender, captain of the squad heading to the tournament in Australia and New Zealand in the absence of ACL injury victim Leah Williamson, underwent an operation after limping out of a Chelsea match in March. While Bright expects Saturday’s World Cup warm-up game against Portugal in Milton Keynes will come too soon for a return to action, she is feeling positive about the Lionesses’ opening Group D fixture against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22. The 29-year-old, who has been doing individual work during the squad’s camp at St George’s Park, said: “The knee’s really good. “I think we are a little bit ahead (of schedule) actually. Coming into it, there’s a big chunk of time before the first game, so we’re really confident and everything is going exactly the way we wanted it to go. “I think Saturday will be a little bit too soon. I’m not back with the girls yet and I don’t think we want to rush that. Obviously, we have a lot of time until the first game.” Asked if she thought there was any danger of her being undercooked, Bright said: “No, not at all. “I think the amount of minutes I’ve played leading up to this has been ridiculous, through the roof, so if anything I feel mentally and physically fresher than I’ve ever felt. “I can’t remember the last time I had longer than two weeks off. It’s been a fair few years now. A blessing in disguise I call it, that I’ve mentally and physically been able to completely just have a clean slate and let my body recover. I’ve played through many injuries but this one, I just couldn’t quite get there.” There had been concern for Alex Greenwood after she went down with an injury during Tuesday’s training session, but the Manchester City defender has said she “will be OK”, adding: “(It is) on the shin. It’s sore, but it’s football. It was a tackle, part of the game.” Meanwhile, Aston Villa midfielder Lucy Staniforth has been added to England’s standby list in place of forward Jess Park, who is returning to Manchester City for rehabilitation on a shoulder injury. Staniforth joins Maya Le Tissier on standby and both will remain with Sarina Wiegman’s 23-player squad until the Haiti match, with the European champions set to fly to Australia next Wednesday. Staniforth said: “I looked at my phone and saw it was Sarina and I was thinking ‘what’s going on?’ “I kind of thought once the first week (of England’s pre-World Cup camp, which started on June 19) was out of the way, if there was any chance of getting brought in, it would be then. I was surprised obviously. “I got her to repeat the whole tournament schedule again for me about three or four times because I just kept saying ‘sorry, when are we travelling?’ I just hadn’t followed it because I wasn’t involved. I was so out of the loop. I was buzzing. I wanted to get in the car quick and get straight down there. “I was supposed to go to Ibiza with my mum on Monday which is obviously very unfortunate. My mum was buzzing for me and of course wanted me to go. She wasn’t bothered about Ibiza. She will still go on her own. If anyone sees someone on their own in Ibiza, she’s looking for a bit of company!” Read More Lucy Staniforth added to England’s World Cup standby list amid injury concerns Happiness key to ‘best season’ of my career, says England’s Rachel Daly Kane must take Bayern transfer chance - and so should Spurs Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid

What the papers say Arsenal have entered their third bid, worth £105million for West Ham star Declan Rice after Manchester City had a bid rejected at £90million, the Guardian said. West Ham will reportedly wait for Manchester City to submit another offer on Wednesday. Bayern Munich’s first bid of around £60million plus add-ons for Harry Kane has been deemed too low by Tottenham, the Guardian reported. The club are demanding £100million for the England and Tottenham captain, who is said to be keen to move to the club. Inter Milan are looking to acquire Chelsea’s Romelu Lukaku on loan again next season with an £25million option to buy him at the end of the year, the Telegraph said. Social media round-up Players to watch Kylian Mbappe: Liverpool are set to rival Real Madrid and reach Paris St. Germain’s mammoth transfer fee of £258million for the French superstar, according to Marca. Frenkie de Jong: Manchester United and Bayern Munich are both interested in signing the 26-year-old Barcelona midfielder, 90min reported.

Arsenal have submitted a British transfer record bid of over £100m for the West Ham captain Declan Rice, according to reports. The Gunners have increased their offer for the England international after Manchester City entered the race for the midfielder. Arsenal’s opening bid for Rice was a £75m payment with £15m in potential add-ons, but West Ham were insistent that their captain would not leave for less than £100m. Manchester City’s offer was closer to West Ham’s valuation but Pep Guardiola’s treble-winners also saw their approach rebuffed by the London club. According to the Athletic, Mikel Arteta’s side have now increased their package to £100m with a further £5m in add-ons, an offer which is set to test West Ham’s resolve and could bring Manchester City back to the table. Arsenal have made Rice their top transfer target this summer with manager Arteta holding long-standing interest in the 24-year-old. The Independent understands that Rice would prefer to stay in London and join Arsenal, but he is also open to a move to Manchester and the chance to play under Guardiola. The Premier League champions have lost captain Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona on a free transfer and remain interested in Rice, despite Mateo Kovacic signing from Chelsea in a deal that could reach £30m. West Ham have insisted on a package worth at least £100 million for Rice, which would break the record for an English player, held by Jack Grealish after joining City from Aston Villa in 2021. Read More Reuben Loftus-Cheek close to AC Milan move as Chelsea squad overhaul continues Arteta hypes up Arsenal progress despite pain of losing title race Carra hits Glasto and Frankie sings Frank – Friday’s sporting social

Arkansas Razorbacks legend and former Patriots QB Ryan Mallett tragically passed away on Tuesday, drowning at a Florida beach. He was 35 years old.Former Arkansas football quarterback and New England Patriots draft pick Ryan Mallett passed away on Tuesday at the age of 35.According to report...

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has settled his High Court contract dispute with Everton. The Italian, who spent 18 months at Goodison Park between December 2019 and June 2021, finishing 12th and 10th before returning to the Bernabeu, had lodged a case which court records stated related to “general commercial contracts and arrangements”. Very few details were known about the specifics of the claim but it has now been resolved. “Carlo Ancelotti and Everton Football Club have reached an amicable resolution to their dispute,” said John Mehrzad KC in a statement issued on behalf of the Real Madrid boss. “Carlo has enduring respect and a deep affection for the club’s fans and wishes them and the club the very best for the future.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Manchester City have completed the signing of Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. The treble winners have announced the 29-year-old has signed a four-year contract at the Etihad Stadium after the clubs agreed an initial fee of £25million, with a potential extra £5million in add-ons, last week. Kovacic joins Pep Guardiola’s side after five years at Chelsea, where he won the Champions League and Europa League and made 221 appearances. To be joining this squad really is a dream for any footballer Mateo Kovacic He is City’s first signing of the summer and his arrival compensates for the departure of captain Ilkay Gundogan, who joined Barcelona on a free transfer on Monday after seven years at the club. Kovacic said: “This is a brilliant move for me and I cannot wait to get started with City. “Anyone who has watched this team under Pep knows how good they are. For me, they are the best in the world. “The trophies they have won are clear for all to see, but they are also the best footballing side out there. “To be joining this squad really is a dream for any footballer. I still have plenty of learning and developing to do, and I know under Pep’s management I can become a better player, which is really exciting for me. “My plan now is to rest for a few weeks before coming back to Manchester to prepare for the new season. I want to help this club stay at the top and win more trophies.” Kovacic is a four-time Champions League winner having also enjoyed success in Europe’s elite competition three times with Real Madrid before joining the Blues. A versatile player, he began his career with Dinamo Zagreb and has also had a spell at Inter Milan. He has earned 95 caps for his country and will inherit Gundogan’s number eight shirt. City director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “Mateo is an excellent footballer. “He can play as a ‘six’ or an ‘eight’, has plenty of experience at top-level clubs and he understands the Premier League. “It was a very simple decision to bring him to City because he has the tactical and technical qualities we are looking for in a midfielder. “He is someone we have monitored for a very long time and always we were impressed whenever we watched him. I am delighted he is here. “This is a great signing for this club, and I am very excited to watch what he can do with Pep and the rest of our backroom team.” Kovacic may not be Guardiola’s only midfield reinforcement this summer, with speculation that the champions have had a bid rejected for West Ham’s Declan Rice. The England international is widely expected to leave the London Stadium and has reportedly already been the subject of two failed approaches from Arsenal. It has been claimed City made an offer totalling £90million for the 24-year-old but the Hammers are said to be holding out for a fee of £100million. City have not commented on the reports. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ben Stokes stands by England’s approach ahead of second Ashes Test Tottenham complete signing of Empoli goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario Josh Tongue: From retirement talk to Ashes chance, with the help of Botox jabs

Tottenham have completed the signing of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli. Spurs had been searching for a long-term successor for captain Hugo Lloris, who is approaching the final 12 months of his deal and made clear his desire for a new challenge earlier this month. While discussions took place with Brentford number one David Raya over a potential move across London, his £40million price tag saw Tottenham turn their attention elsewhere. Vicario had long been tracked by the club as a candidate for Lloris and he has now become new boss Ange Postecoglou’s second signing. The Italian, who has been called up to various national team camps, has signed a five-year deal at Tottenham in a move reported to be worth 19million euros (£16.4m). Vicario has starred for Empoli during the last two seasons, saving eight penalties in that period to develop a reputation as one of the most promising goalkeepers in Europe. The 26-year-old started out at Udinese before featuring in the Italian lower-leagues with Venezia, who he helped rise through the divisions up to Serie B. A move to Cagliari followed in 2019 but with chances hard to come by, it took a loan at Perugia and faith from Empoli to earn Vicario an opportunity in Italy’s top flight. During two campaigns at Empoli, the first on loan, Vicario shone to earn widespread praise in his homeland, including from goalkeeping great Gianluigi Buffon. Vicario will now attempt to establish himself in the Premier League and follow in the footsteps of Carlo Cudicini, another Italian stopper who represented Chelsea and Tottenham. The arrival of Vicario now switches Spurs’ focus to the future of Lloris, who could be allowed to leave this summer on a free transfer following 11 years in north London. Fraser Forster deputised last season when Lloris was injured and is contracted to the club until June 2024. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Lucy Staniforth has been added to England’s standby list in place of Jess Park ahead of the Women’s World Cup. The Aston Villa midfielder will travel to St George’s Park on Tuesday to join up with the squad after Park returned to Manchester City for rehabilitation on a shoulder injury. Staniforth joins Maya Le Tissier on standby, with the pair due to remain with the group until their opening match of the tournament against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22. The Lionesses face Portugal in a friendly at a sold-out Stadium MK on Saturday before flying to Australia on Wednesday, July 5. There is concern for Alex Greenwood after she went down with an apparent injury during training at St George’s Park. The Manchester City defender was able to walk off the pitch and had an ice pack applied before heading inside for treatment. Sarina Wiegman’s squad play Haiti, Denmark and China in their group phase fixtures, though as one of the tournament favourites and European Championships winners, they will hope to go the distance this summer. Read More England ‘resilience’ can help Lionesses overcome injuries at Women’s World Cup UEFA to close contract loophole allowing clubs to spread cost of transfers Tottenham standing firm on Harry Kane amid interest from Bayern Munich

Pickleball, America's fastest-growing sport, is taking a toll on players' wrists, legs and shoulders. And it's especially popular with injury-prone seniors, which is driving up the cost burden.