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Europe’s government bonds surged and the euro weakened after fresh warning signs over the health of the region’s

After Chelsea experienced their worst season since the establishment of the Premier League, American owner Todd Boehly has taken significant measures to bring about change at Stamford Bridge. The Blues went through a revolving door of three managers last season, including Thomas Tuchel (now at Bayern Munich), Graham Potter, and interim manager and club legend Frank Lampard. Now, Mauricio Pochettino, who previously led London rivals Tottenham to a Champions League final, will take over the reins and attempt to restore stability to a club that won the Champions Leauge as recently as 2021. This summer, the club has witnessed an astonishing number of departures already, with several key players leaving who played pivotal roles at Stamford Bridge over the past few seasons. Among those having exited are Edouard Mendy, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mateo Kovacic, Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount, and Christian Pulisic. These departures mark the beginning of a new era at Chelsea and may be the transformative change required for the club to regain its place in Europe. Here are the latest transfer rumours regarding the Blues: Michael Olise After a summer of outgoings so far for the west London club, Chelsea now appear to be turning their focus to incomings as they look to assemble a squad that can improve on last season’s miserable campaign. One player reportedly being eyed up is Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise, with RMC Sport suggesting that the Blues have tabled a bid for the French winger. Olise is said to have a £35m release clause in his contract, which runs until 2026, with Chelsea willing to pay above the buyout clause to secure preferable terms of payment for the 21-year-old. Chelsea are not alone in their interest in the playmaker, with Arsenal, Manchester City and PSG also said to be interested in Olise. Elye Wahi Another position Chelsea are keen to strengthen is the striker position. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has departed for Marseille while Romeulu Lukaku appears to not be in Pochettino’s plans. Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku have already arrived but Chelsea are also keen on French youngster, Elye Wahi. According to Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea have reached advanced negotiations with Montpellier for a deal to bring the 20-year-old to the club. The Frenchman scored 19 goals in 33 games in Ligue 1 last season with Chelsea reportedly keen to loan out the striker this season before bringing him into the first-team picture the following season. Marc Guehi After Wesley Fofana picked up a second long-term knee injury, Chelsea are said to weighing up a move for a centre-back in this window. Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah remain on the books but, according to The Evening Standard, the club is said to be weighing up a move for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi. The 23-year-old left Chelsea for Crystal Palace for £18 million in 2021 with no buy-back clause inserted into the deal. A fee of around £50m is said to be required to bring the English defender back to west London after a couple of impressive seasons for the Eagles. Moises Caicedo With Kovacic, Kante and Mount departing, Chelsea will look to bring in some central midfield replacements. According to The Evening Standard, one such player that the Blues may target is Brighton’s Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian was a key player as Brighton finished sixth but has been the subject of much interest from the league’s biggest club. Brighton turned down a £70m bid by Arsenal in January and look set to demand £100m for their prized asset. Reports suggest that a £60m bid has already been rejected but the London club believe that a fee in the region of £80m could be agreed with Brighton. Callum Hudson-Odoi Chelsea’s outgoings are not done for the summer, however, with Callum Hudson-Odoi the latest to be linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old had an unsuccessful loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen last season and is reportedly training with the Under-21’s currently. Hudson-Odoi only has one year left on his contract with The Evening Standard reporting that the winger has agreed personal terms with Fulham ahead of a move to the Premier League side. Lazio are another team said to be interested in the winger but the Serie A club are yet to table a formal bid. Read More Arsenal transfer news: Record Declan Rice bid, Jurrien Timber and Granit Xhaka latest Manchester United transfer news: Mason Mount bid accepted, David De Gea and Andre Onana latest Tottenham transfer news: Harry Kane latest after Bayern Munich bids and trio on centre-back list Mason Mount’s sale is one part of Chelsea’s ‘masterplan’, but what comes next? Dybala or Vlahovic: Which Serie A striker should Chelsea sign? Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers

Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford will square off in Las Vegas this weekend, in one of the biggest fights of this generation. Fans have waited for this bout for years, and finally it has materialised, with the unbeaten Americans clashing on Saturday to crown an undisputed welterweight champion. Spence, 33, is the WBC, WBA and IBF champion, while Crawford, 35, holds the WBO title. Spence will carry a professional record of 28-0 (22 knockouts) into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford is 39-0 (30 KOs). Spence has not fought since April 2022, when he stopped Yordenis Ugas to collect the WBA belt, while Crawford most recently competed in December, retaining his title with a knockout of David Avanesyan. Here’s all you need to know about one of the most-anticipated fights in years. When is it? Spence vs Crawford will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday 29 July. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 30 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday), with ring walks for the main event expected at 4am BST (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? In the UK, the event will air live on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) pay-per-view, at a cost of £19.95. In the US, the card will be on Showtime pay-per-view, priced at $84.99. Odds Spence – 29/20 Crawford – 13/20 Draw – 12/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Errol Spence (WBC, WBA, IBF champion) vs Terence Crawford (WBO champion) (welterweight) Isaac Cruz vs Giovanni Cabrera (lightweight) Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago (vacant WBC bantamweight title) Yoenis Tellez vs Sergio Garcia (super-welterweight) Steven Nelson vs Rowdy Montgomery (super-middleweight) Jose Salas Reyes vs Aston Palicte (super-bantamweight) Jabin Chollet vs Michael Portales (lightweight) Justin Viloria vs Pedro Borgaro (super-featherweight) Demler Zamora vs Nikolai Buzolin (lightweight) Kevin Ventura vs DeShawn Prather (welterweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC 291 time: When does Poirier vs Gaethje start in UK and US this weekend? Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes How to watch Spence vs Crawford online and on TV this weekend The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes

One of the most-anticipated fights in years will take place this weekend, as Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion. The Americans have been linked for a long time, and they will finally go head to head in Las Vegas on Saturday, with the southpaws putting their titles and unbeaten records on the line. Spence, 33, carries the WBC, WBA and IBF belts into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford, 35, is WBO champion. Spence has a professional record of 28-0 (22 knockouts), and Crawford is 39-0 (30 KOs). Spence has not fought since April 2022, when he stopped Yordenis Ugas to collect the WBA belt, while Crawford most recently competed in December, retaining his title with a knockout of David Avanesyan. Here’s all you need to know about one of the biggest fights of this generation. When is it? Spence vs Crawford will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday 29 July. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 30 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday), with ring walks for the main event expected at 4am BST (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? In the UK, the event will air live on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport) pay-per-view, at a cost of £19.95. In the US, the card will be on Showtime pay-per-view, priced at $84.99. Odds Spence – 29/20 Crawford – 13/20 Draw – 12/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Errol Spence (WBC, WBA, IBF champion) vs Terence Crawford (WBO champion) (welterweight) Isaac Cruz vs Giovanni Cabrera (lightweight) Nonito Donaire vs Alexandro Santiago (vacant WBC bantamweight title) Yoenis Tellez vs Sergio Garcia (super-welterweight) Steven Nelson vs Rowdy Montgomery (super-middleweight) Jose Salas Reyes vs Aston Palicte (super-bantamweight) Jabin Chollet vs Michael Portales (lightweight) Justin Viloria vs Pedro Borgaro (super-featherweight) Demler Zamora vs Nikolai Buzolin (lightweight) Kevin Ventura vs DeShawn Prather (welterweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC 291 time: When does Poirier vs Gaethje start in UK and US this weekend? Another boxing robbery: Maxi Hughes deserves justice for heist that shames the sport George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes What time does Spence vs Crawford start this weekend? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings George Kambosos reacts to ‘robbery’ claims after controversial win over Maxi Hughes

Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal have made a world-record €300m (£259m) bid for Kylian Mbappe, as Paris Saint-Germain are intent on selling the player this summer. The French champions have sounded out pretty much every major European club as regards a potential deal but the general feeling has been that the 24-year-old only wants to go to Real Madrid when his contract runs out next year. Mbappe sparked this entire saga by telling PSG he had no wish to sign a new deal last month. With Real Madrid keen to hold their nerve and not move for the French star until next summer, primarily for reasons of Financial Fair Play, Al Hilal are willing to give all parties a potential out with even a one-year deal that could see Mbappe earn €700k for a season. One of the issues right now is almost that Mbappe has priced himself out of most moves, with all but about three or four clubs unable to afford him. Chelsea are among the clubs to have considered a move, but the feeling is the price would be too high and that it would take a lot to convince Mbappe anyway. Read More Wayne Rooney hopes Marcus Rashford builds Man Utd legacy after signing new deal Wayne Rooney hopes Marcus Rashford builds Man Utd legacy after new deal Kylian Mbappe greeted by enthusiastic crowds during Cameroon visit

The UFC’s ‘BMF’ title returns this weekend, as Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje clash for the unique status of the promotion’s ‘baddest motherf*****’. Poirier stopped Gaethje in an entertaining fight in 2018, and the Americans have since gone on to win the interim lightweight belt on separate occasions, though both have come up short in two undisputed-title fights each. Now, however, they have the chance to add another accolade to their resumes. Poirier, 34, and Gaethje, also 34, will go head to head to crown a new BMF champion, with the title having previously been seen just once in the UFC – when the now-retired Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz in 2019. In the co-main event of UFC 291, former light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz welcomes Alex Pereira to the division, in the latter’s first fight since losing the middleweight belt in April. Elsewhere, there are plenty of exciting match-ups on the card. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 291 takes place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday 29 July. The early prelims are set to begin at 11.30pm on Saturday (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 30 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Odds Poirier – 10/13; Gaethje – 11/10 Blachowicz – 10/11; Pereira – 10/11 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Main card Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje 2 (lightweight – vacant ‘BMF’ title) Jan Blachowicz vs Alex Pereira (light-heavyweight) Stephen Thompson vs Michel Pereira (welterweight) Tony Ferguson vs Bobby Green (lightweight) Michael Chiesa vs Kevin Holland (welterweight) Prelims Trevin Giles vs Gabriel Bonfim (welterweight) Derrick Lewis vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima (heavyweight) Roman Kopylov vs Claudio Ribeiro (middleweight) Jake Matthews vs Miguel Baeza (welterweight) Early prelims CJ Vergara vs Vinicius Salvador (flyweight) Matthew Semelsberger vs Yohan Lainesse (welterweight) Miranda Maverick vs Priscila Cachoeira (women’s flyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Tom Aspinall finally banishes ghosts of the past with UFC London triumph UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year ‘The Rock’s shoes can go f*** themselves’: UFC fighter hits out at company’s sponsors UFC 291 fight card in full as Dustin Poirier faces Justin Gaethje How to watch UFC 291 online and on TV this weekend When is the next UFC event?

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will clash to crown a new ‘BMF’ champion at UFC 291, in what could be the fight of the year. Five years after Poirier stopped Gaethje in a thrilling bout, the Americans will square off again, with the vacant ‘baddest motherf*****’ belt on the line in Utah. Since their first in-ring meeting, the lightweights have lost two undisputed-title fights each, but both men have crafted impressive resumes nonetheless. And Poirier, 34, and Gaethje, also 34, will look to bolster those resumes here, as they fight for the BMF title, which has only been on the line once before. In 2019, the now-retired Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion. In the co-main event this weekend, former light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz welcomes Alex Pereira to the division, in the latter’s first fight since losing the middleweight belt in April. Elsewhere, there are plenty of great fights on the card. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 291 takes place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday 29 July. The early prelims are set to begin at 11.30pm on Saturday (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 30 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Odds Poirier – 10/13; Gaethje – 11/10 Blachowicz – 10/11; Pereira – 10/11 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Main card Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje 2 (lightweight – vacant ‘BMF’ title) Jan Blachowicz vs Alex Pereira (light-heavyweight) Stephen Thompson vs Michel Pereira (welterweight) Tony Ferguson vs Bobby Green (lightweight) Michael Chiesa vs Kevin Holland (welterweight) Prelims Trevin Giles vs Gabriel Bonfim (welterweight) Derrick Lewis vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima (heavyweight) Roman Kopylov vs Claudio Ribeiro (middleweight) Jake Matthews vs Miguel Baeza (welterweight) Early prelims CJ Vergara vs Vinicius Salvador (flyweight) Matthew Semelsberger vs Yohan Lainesse (welterweight) Miranda Maverick vs Priscila Cachoeira (women’s flyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Tom Aspinall finally banishes ghosts of the past with UFC London triumph UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year ‘The Rock’s shoes can go f*** themselves’: UFC fighter hits out at company’s sponsors When is the next UFC event? UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year Tom Aspinall finally banishes ghosts of the past with UFC London triumph

ESPN presenter and former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop collapsed live on air in a scary moment during the channel’s coverage of a pre-season friendly between Real Madrid and AC Milan The game was being played in around 30-degree heat in Pasadena, California, with Hislop providing coverage from the touchline alongside host Dan Thomas. The frightening incident happened during the build-up to the game. As seen in the video above, the 54-year-old Hislop began wobbling before falling forward into Thomas and on to the ground. This sparked immediate concern on the touchline as a couple of nearby workers rushed over and Thomas can be heard saying “ Shak. Shak. We need some help.” ESPN quickly cut to a break after Hislop’s collapse but later had good news for viewers, with an update on the former Trinidad and Tobago international’s condition. “My mate, Shaka, not here, but as it stands, it’s good news,” Thomas stated at half-time. “He’s conscious, he’s talking, I think he’s a little embarrassed about it all. He’s apologised profusely. Not a man who likes people to make a fuss of him. “Obviously far too early to make any sort of diagnosis, but the important thing is, that Shaka’s conscious and we spoke to his family as well, because you imagine seeing that happen live. We spoke to his wife and things are looking OK.” Hislop, played over 250 Premier League matches for Newcastle, West Ham and Portsmouth during a distinguished playing career and has become a popular pundit in the USA since his retirement. AC Milan led 2-0 at half-time, when Thomas delivered the update on Hislop’s condition, with Fikayo Tomori and Luka Romero netting their goals. Real Madrid made eight changes at the break and Federico Valverde scored a quick-fire double to level things up before Vinicius Jr’s 84-minute goal ensured it ended 3-2 to the Spanish side. Read More Carlo Ancelotti hails Jude Bellingham as ‘complete midfielder’ after Real debut Tottenham consider Brazil striker with Harry Kane’s future in the balance

Football heavyweights Brazil and Germany both get their Women’s World Cup campaigns underway on Monday as they look to lay down an early marker in pursuit of the trophy at the tournament in Australia and New Zealand. Germany are generally seen among the top five most likely winners and Martina Voss-Tecklenburg’s side boast plenty of world-class quality in the likes of Alexandra Popp, Sara Dabritz and Lea Schuller. They face big underdogs Morocco in their opening game and the Atlas Lionesses will make history as the first Arab team to play at a Women’s World Cup, having shown their class during a surprise run to the final of last year’s Africa Cup of Nations. Monday also sees Brazil and their 37-year-old superstar Marta kick things off with a clash against Panama, while Italy and Argentina do battle in the first game of the day. Elsewhere, France suffered a blow early in their campaign as they were held to a 0-0 draw by a battling Jamaica, who earned a first-ever Women’s World Cup point. That came a day after England began with a win but the Lionesses were pushed all the way by Haiti in what was a close contest in Brisbane. Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty in the first half was enough to earn England a narrow victory, but goalkeeper Mary Earps had to make a big stop to protect their lead late on. Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Jamaica brilliantly draw with France and reaction as Lionesses defeat Haiti

For the world’s most-accurate predictor of the British pound, it all started with the wake-up call of Brexit.

Maxi Hughes was robbed of victory in a boxing ring on Saturday night in the fight of his life. Hughes is one of the most decent and honest men in the British boxing business and he deserves some justice for the heist. The robbery took place in a boxing backwater in Oklahoma when Hughes fought George Kambosos in defence of his IBO lightweight title. However, the real prize was the right to be ranked as the IBF’s No 1 contender. Hughes boxed a simple, smart, careful 12 rounds and Kambosos, once a renowned world champion and attraction, fought like a man who only had to show up. In the end, that is all he had to do. At the finish of 12 controlled rounds from Hughes, he placed a ceremonial cowboy hat on his head to take the verdict; there was a long, long delay and that is never good for justice in a boxing ring. Hughes had stopped smiling before the decision was announced. One judge went 114-114, one went with 115-113 for Kambosos and the third, a man called Josef Mason, delivered the fully outrageous score of 117-113 for Kambosos. The Mason score means that in his opinion from ringside, Hughes managed to win just three rounds. I watched the fight live and watched it again; the American commentary team are silenced by the verdict. And so was I – Hughes won as many as nine rounds in a display of old-fashioned boxing. It was a delight to watch. It was not a slugfest, nobody famous outside of boxing was in the ring, nobody ripped their top off to reveal their naked breasts and, presumably, there will be no justice for Hughes. Right now, boxing is an event sport, and this fight was not, if I’m being brutally honest, an event. In the ring at the end, Kambosos, who is a nice enough man, tried his best to hide his feelings. He knew. However, in the often-ridiculous realm of boxing conspiracies, there is a huge fight for Kambosos against a boxer called Teofimo Lopez; Kambosos shocked Lopez in 2021 to win three versions of the world title. Last month Lopez shocked Josh Taylor in New York. It is a simple storyline to follow and not pleasant to even be considering that dark forces could be at play. It still feels like incompetence, not corruption. Hughes, meanwhile, has always worn his heart out on his sleeve. “It was a bit of a kick in the b*****ks,” said Hughes. “I feel pretty silly standing here in my cowboy hat. I won that fight. I won it clearly.” Hughes has never been a mainstream boxer, never been one of the boys and men that promoters protect and develop. Hughes is from the other side of the boxing tracks. It has been a long and hard boxing road for Hughes in fights that he was often expected to lose. He lost for the sixth time in 34 fights, but this was the hardest loss to accept. He is 33 now, enjoying the career it looked like he would never have. He entered with the IBO lightweight title, a belt that can be used as a ticket to much bigger things. “I made him miss, I picked him off, I controlled the fight,” said Hughes. “I took this fight, I asked for it, I pushed for it, and I only did that because I want to earn the dollars to provide for my family. That is why I box.” At the end, the Kambosos interview was drowned by boos and Hughes had to take a break from talking to accept the applause. It was a tiny victory for the Yorkshire man on a night when the latest blatant heist took place in a boxing ring. It will continue, but it would be fair if Hughes could get some recognition for his part in a bad, bad night for officials at ringside. Read More Muhammad Ali’s ‘comedy’ fight shows why Fury vs Ngannou isn’t the joke you think it is The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Tyson Fury: Netflix viewers in awkward mix-up after misreading title of boxer’s Netflix documentary series Anthony Joshua slammed by Carl Froch for criticising ex-coach Anthony Joshua explains key change in mentality ahead of Dillian Whyte fight Teofimo Lopez makes retirement U-turn and calls out major name

France suffered a blow early in their Women’s World Cup campaign as they were held to a 0-0 draw by a battling Jamaica as the group stages continue in Australia and New Zealand. Les Bleues came into the tournament under new coach Herve Renard after Corrine Diacre’s controversial reign was brought to an end just four months before the tournament. But Renard could only watch as his side were stifled by the relentless pressing of the Reggae Girlz with Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw and Drew Spence leading the way for the underdogs in a deserved goalless draw, despite Shaw’s late red card for a second booking. The Netherlands, runners-up four year ago under Sarina Wiegman, earlier battled past World Cup debutants Portugal 1-0 in Group E thanks to Stefanie van der Gragt’s early header. The Dutch were defeated by the United States in the 2019 final, and will face the defending champions later in the group stage. The USA began their defence with a 3-0 win against Vietnam on Saturday. Elsewhere, England opened their Women’s World Cup campaign with a win but the Lionesses were pushed all the way by Haiti in what was a close contest in Brisbane. Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty in the first half was enough to earn England a narrow victory, but goalkeeper Mary Earps had to make a big stop to protect their lead late on. Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog Read More England survive Women’s World Cup scare — but Haiti highlight problems for Lionesses to solve Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup?