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Arne Slot has confirmed that he will be holding talks with Mohamed Salah at the end of a mutinous week at Liverpool, but has stopped short of announcing whether or not the Egyptian forward has a role to play in the Reds’ Premier League clash with Brighton. Salah was dropped for a Champions League trip to Inter after speaking out against the club.

What Salah said in explosive outburst against Liverpool & Slot

Two-time title winner Salah, who has spent eight memorable years on Merseyside, has not taken kindly to seeing bench duty across three consecutive top-flight fixtures. He saw no game time as Liverpool were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw away at Leeds.

Speaking to reporters after that contest at Elland Road, as his restricted role and working relationship with Slot were addressed, Salah said: "Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That's how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame. I got a lot of promises in the summer and so far I am in the bench for three games so I can't say they keep the promise.

"I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club."

AdvertisementGOAL Private talks: Slot to sit down with frustrated Salah

Having faced plenty of criticism for airing his grievances in public, Salah was subsequently left out of a 1-0 victory over Inter at San Siro in elite European competition. He will be heading off on Africa Cup of Nations duty once a meeting with Brighton is taken in on Saturday.

Quizzed on whether Salah will be involved against the Seagulls, Dutch tactician Slot said of collective plans at Anfield: "What I need is a conversation with him and the next time I speak about Mo should be with him and not in here. There's not much more I can say. I speak to him today and the outcome determines how things will look tomorrow.

"You can try (the question) in multiple ways but I said the next time I speak about him should be with him. I think there's been a lot of conversation since last week between his representatives and ours."

Asked if Salah needs to say sorry to anyone that he has offended, Slot added: "An apology? Normally I'd say you've had your three questions!"

Do Liverpool want Salah to say? Slot answers future question

Liverpool’s manager went on to say when quizzed again on his talismanic No.11 and whether the 250-goal forward has a long-term future with the Reds: "Who made the call (to leave Salah out of squad for Inter)? I think we decided as a club and I was part of that not to take him to Inter. I am always in contact with them with line up and squads, that is always left to me. I talk to Richard Hughes more than Michael Edwards, we speak about many things.

"Do I want him to stay? Another way of asking but the next time I speak about Mo will be with him. I have no reasons not to want him to stay."

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Getty ImagesTransfer rumours: Salah linked with Saudi Pro League clubs

Salah only committed to a two-year contract extension with Liverpool back in April, with the reigning PFA Player of the Year intended to remain on Merseyside through to the summer of 2027 – taking him to a decade of service with the Reds.

Serious questions are now being asked of whether that deal will be honoured, with big-spending teams in the Saudi Pro League reportedly ready to test the Reds’ resolve when another transfer window swings open in January. If Salah really does feel as though he is being forced out, as he becomes a supposed scapegoat for struggles in 2025-26, then the 33-year-old will likely open himself up to discussions with interested parties.

Lionel Messi and Thomas Müller strolled into the final, but the semifinals still left us plenty to unpack – including fresh questions about Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano’s future in San Diego.

And just like that, the stage is set. The Vancouver Whitecaps and Inter Miami will play for the MLS Cup on Saturday afternoon. That’s a tasty one: Lionel Messi on one side, Thomas Müller on the other, two legends anchoring two genuinely strong teams gearing up for a proper final.

But what about the games that got them here? MLS delivered two highly watchable – if not particularly close – semis over the weekend. Miami battered NYCFC, 5-1. Vancouver saw off San Diego 3-1. The results were perhaps a little predictable. But the margin of victory for both games? Not a chance. Still, it sets things up pincely – and does provide a forum for reflection. NYCFC were underdogs, and actually made a decent account of themselves in the game. SDFC could have played Vancouver even, but a couple of rough breaks – and the fact that they dealt with the reported internal turmoil of strife between their head coach, Mikey Varas, and their star player in Hirving 'Chucky' Lozano – made things trickier. 

Still, are the results fair? And is this the dream final? GOAL U.S. writers take a look at a fun weekend of conference finals, and look ahead to what should be a captivating MLS Cup in another edition of… . 

Getty Images SportWhich was the more convincing win: Miami or Vancouver?

Tom Hindle: Miami, no question. That was probably the most dominant performance have turned in all season. Messi didn't have his best game whatsoever, and they still battered an opponent in NYCFC that has been in excellent form of late. Five goals, one real chance conceded, and they look in their best form heading into the biggest game of the year. 

Ryan Tolmich: Both impressive and both, in a way, somewhat expected. Miami and Vancouver are both so far ahead of the teams they beat, which is what makes this such a fun MLS Cup final. As for the more convincing, it's probably Miami, largely because it was just the perfect reminder that they can light up a team unlike any other in MLS history.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhat do San Diego and NYCFC need to do this offseason to go a step further?

TH: San Diego got almost everything right. Perhaps the only thing that derailed things a bit was a bit of defensive frailty that Vancouver exposed. So, yeah, avoid injury, maybe bring in a little center back, and they're contenders next year. As for NYCFC, things look a little trickier. Can Maxi Moralez be counted on to stick around longer? Is Alonzo Martinez going to play any part next season? They need to invest in the attack to get close to where they were this year – even if manager Pascal Jansen did a fine job. 

RT: San Diego will be looking at all of this and wondering "what if?". They had a star striker in Milan Iloski, but now he's in Philly because they were unable to keep him permanently. If they had him, would the outcome change? Maybe not, but it surely would have helped. As for NYCFC, they're close. The big task this offseason will likely be sorting out striker and midfield additions following crucial injuries. If they can do that, they'll be fine.

Getty Images SportDoes Chucky Lozano have a long-term future in SDFC?

TH: If he behaves, yes! The Mexican star was supposedly in, shall we say, disagreement with Mikey Varas on a few occasions this year. If that relationship is properly mended, then they should be able to run things back in 2026. But disgruntled superstars can be a real issue, and with Anders Dreyer around, Chucky might not be the go-to guy, anyway. 

RT: It's looking rocky, at the very least. He wasn't quite the elite presence many would have expected and, towards the end of the season, there was a clash with the coaching staff. Because of that, it's fair to at least wonder if this partnership is one that's going to work in the long run. If it doesn't, Lozano will have options. San Diego will, too, and they've shown a real ability to scout and sign talent. Lozano or no Lozano, one would bet on the club making the right call based on just this one year of evidence.

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Getty Images SportIs it fair to say that Miami are now a good defensive team?

TH: Not really. A couple of defensive good games doesn't make them unreal at the back. But they certainly have found a vital sense of balance from front to back. Let's see if they can keep a good Vancouver team quiet, and then let's talk.

RT: Let's not get carried away! This team still has its frailties, and the path to an MLS Cup is likely outscoring the Whitecaps, not shutting them down. Are they passable defensively? Sure, but no one is mistaking them for some shutdown side. Ultimately, this is a group that defends via its attack, which should scare any opponent into being just a little bit more cautious, given the talent on the field.

Phil Foden and Erling Haaland each missed a pair of sitters as Manchester City fell to a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United which threatens to derail their Premier League title charge. City's two big-game players froze at St James' Park and Harvey Barnes grabbed the headlines instead, giving Newcastle the lead and then snatching the winner after Ruben Dias' deflected equaliser.

The first half witnessed the highest amount of 'Big Chances' created in the league this season and it felt like a competition to determine who could miss the most glaring opportunities. Haaland dinked the ball wide after a wonderful through ball from Jeremy Doku and then aimed straight at Nick Pope after a cut-back from Nico O'Reilly. Foden missed an even better opportunity when he fired wide of the far post after playing a one-two with Rayan Cherki. Newcastle were equally guilty of wastefulness. Nick Woltemade sent a shot and a header too close to Gianluigi Donnarumma. Barnes had the reddest face of all, though, somehow missing the target from point-blank range when meeting a sweeping ball across the box.

City had two penalty appeals turned down, first when Foden fell from a tackle by Fabian Schar – albeit after getting his shot away – and then when a Doku shot hit the arm of Malick Thiaw.

The second half was less frenetic but it delivered on the goals front. Barnes compensated for his glaring miss by nailing the ball into the bottom corner to put Newcastle in front in the 64th minute. The Magpies' joy did not last long as Dias pulled a goal back for City with the help of a big deflection off Schar, but Newcastle came straight back at Pep Guardiola's side, capitalising on some poor goalkeeping from Donnarumma to bundle the ball in after Bruno Guimaraes had headed against the bar.

The goal was given after a long VAR check for offside, meaning City had eight minutes of additional time to find their way back. But it was no use and they had to digest a fourth defeat in just 12 Premier League games, handing a massive advantage in the title race to Arsenal, one day before the north London derby.

GOAL rates Man City's players from St James' Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (5/10):

  Played with fire when his short pass to Foden in the first minute was intercepted then did well to get his body in front of the three Woltemade efforts. There was nothing he could do to stop Barnes' arrow although he made a mess of the two crosses leading to the second.

  Matheus Nunes (5/10):

  Struggled to handle Barnes for much of the game. Had a good first-half from an attacking point of view although his threat faded.

  Ruben Dias (6/10):

  Couldn't stop the move leading to the opener although it wasn't a big error. Got lucky with the equaliser.

  Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

  Made a brilliant goal-line clearance just before the second goal. Despite that, he struggled to contain many of Newcastle's breaks.

  Nico O'Reilly (6/10):

  Good going forward although his botched clearance led to Newcastle breaking the deadlock.

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  Midfield

  Bernardo Silva (5/10):

  Didn't give Gonzalez enough support when doubling up with him in holding midfield and didn't manage to control the game with possession.

  Nico Gonzalez (5/10):

  His good run of form vanished as he was overwhelmed in midfield.

  Phil Foden (4/10):

  Uncharacteristically sloppy in front of goal. He normally buries both of the efforts that came his way, especially the one in the first half which opened up perfectly for him.

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  Attack

  Rayan Cherki (5/10):

  Had a couple of nice moments such as setting up Foden and keeping the move alive for the equaliser but overall didn't get too involved in the game.

  Erling Haaland (4/10):

  A bad day at the office, perhaps feeling the effects of firing Norway to the World Cup. Couldn't get his 100th Premier League goal despite having three chances, two of them you would normally back him to score.

  Jeremy Doku (7/10):

  The one City player who could be pleased with their performance. Created lots of danger in the first half and on another day would have won a penalty for handball.

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  Subs & Manager

  Savinho (5/10):

  Lashed a wild shot over and wide when he should have hit the target.

  Tijjani Reijnders (6/10):

  Gave City more urgency going forward.

  Oscar Bobb (5/10):

  No magic moment like his winner in 2024 as he struggled to get into the game.

  Omar Marmoush (N/A):

  Replaced Foden in the 87th minute.

  Pep Guardiola (5/10):

  Has to be disappointed with how open his side were, conceding a hatful of chances even before the goals arrived. And all the momentum from the Liverpool win is gone.

Chelsea star Keira Walsh claimed that she loves to set up goals more than scoring them but she has changed her 'mindset' under pressure from team-mates and manager Sonia Bompastor. After spending two-and-a-half seasons at European giants Barcelona, the English midfielder returned to her home in February 2025 as the Women's Super League winners signed her.

• Shift in Walsh's position in new season

  Walsh, who is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world at the moment, operated in a deep role after signing for the Blues earlier this year. However, since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, Walsh has been deployed in a more advanced position, which is allowing her to contribute more to the team's attack. The change in position also helped her score her first-ever Chelsea goal last month as Walsh's solitary strike helped her club beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0.

  In the seven Women's Super League matches Walsh played last season, she had only one shot on goal. Compared to that, in the eight matches she has played this season, the midfielder already has 14 shots to her name. 

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  'I've always preferred playing the assist'

  Speaking to , Walsh opened up on her change of role, revealing that her team-mates and coaches have played a role in her development. 

  "It's maybe not position and playing further forward, but Sonia and Cami [Abily, Chelsea's assistant manager] are always telling me to shoot, and it was the same when I played at Barca," she said. "The girls were always encouraging me. For myself, I've always preferred playing the assist or the assist before the assist. That's something that I've always liked doing.

  "It was about me changing my mindset a little bit and still trying to help the team in that respect – maybe it is taking a shot more, and sometimes I was probably overplaying a little bit. It's feeling more confident, and Sonia and Cami really encouraged me to do that. Not a lot of central defensive midfielders do, apart from [Moises] Caicedo. The way I play defensive midfield it is more about breaking lines and trying to break presses, and contributing a little bit more in attack. I'm not known for my big tackles, although I am working on that. When it opens up, Sonia's encouraged me to take the ball forward, and if I feel like a shot is on, then it's being free to do that."

• Walsh aiming 'to be in the right place at the right time'

  Walsh added: "In the position I play, a lot of it will be on the second phase or drop-downs, and maybe from set-pieces with the drop-downs there as well. It's trying to be in the right place at the right time. I'm not as good as Sam Kerr at that, but recently, I feel like I've been lucky with where the ball has landed and opened up for a shot. Previously, I would have tried to make a pass in the box, and with a lot of bodies around, it's not ideal. Cami is always going on at me to shoot, whether it's right foot or left foot. The left foot's not so great, so I try not to do that too much."

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  Injury blow for Chelsea ahead of Liverpool

  Blues boss Bompastor has confirmed that star goalkeeper Hannah Hampton has been ruled out of action for a few weeks due to a quad injury. Speaking ahead of Chelsea's clash against Liverpool on Sunday, the manager said: "Hannah won't be here. She picked up a quad injury. She will be out for a few weeks. We'll see if we see her before the end of the year but I'm not sure. It could be the case, yes."

Happy Hump Day! It’s time to bet on some playoff baseball. 

We are on a 4-0 streak this week, let’s see if we can keep it rolling. 

There are two potential elimination games today, as the Mets and Padres look to close it out at home.   

Best MLB Bets Today

• Mets ML (-112)
• Dodgers/Padres over 7.4 (-120)

Phillies vs. Mets Prediction

Jose Quintana starts at home tonight for the Mets.   The Phillies are typically dominant vs. left-handed pitching, but in his last outing vs. the Phillies, Quintana spun a seven-inning gem, allowing just three hits and no earned runs.  Across three games pitched this season vs. Philadelphia, Quintana has a 2.81 ERA. 

Ranger Suarez starts for the Phillies. Suarez has an ERA of 5.65 since the All-Star Break, allowing 15 earned runs across 22 ⅓ innings pitched in September. He’s making his first MLB start since September 27.  Suarez pitched well in his last outing vs. the Mets in September, allowing two earned runs across five innings pitched.   The Phillies will be ready to go to their bullpen immediately if Suarez struggles in an elimination game.

Phillies relievers have allowed 12 earned runs across just nine innings pitched in the postseason. 

Mets hitters have averaged 5.67 runs per game in the postseason, second only to the Phillies, and they are coming off a 7-2 win vs. the Phillies yesterday.

It’s hard to bet against a 95-win team with a +113 run differential in the regular season, but the postseason is a new ballgame.  

The Mets are hungrier. 

Dodgers vs. Padres Prediction

The rivalry is heating up, and the Padres have a chance to close it out at home Wednesday night. 

The Dodgers will start a bullpen game and have yet to name an opener.  The Dodgers bullpen has allowed six earned runs across 12 ⅔ innings pitched to the Padres in the postseason.  The Padres are averaging a postseason-leading six runs per game. 

The Padres will start Dylan Cease tonight on short rest.  Cease allowed five runs over just 3 ⅓ innings in Game 1 of this series, including a three-run home run shot to Shohei Ohtani.

The Dodgers are averaging the third-most runs per game in the postseason (4.67).

Both managers will have a short leash tonight, but I’ll bet on the bats to be hotter tonight. 

The main focus on Saturday was to give a lot of batting practice to the bowlers

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Jun-20252:01

How might India shape their attack for second Test?

Jasprit Bumrah returned to the nets on Saturday during India’s optional training session and bowled for at least half an hour. A decision on whether Edgbaston will be the second of the three Tests he will play is yet to be taken. On Friday, Bumrah didn’t bowl in the nets, but on Saturday he went full tilt. The final call on Bumrah’s involvement at Edgbaston will involve how he feels about his body going into the Test.Except for the centurions – captain Shubman Gill, vice-captain Rishabh Pant, openers KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal – from the first Test, everybody turned up for the optional training session.The main focus in the nets on Saturday was to give a lot of batting practice to the bowlers after India endured collapses of 7 for 41 and 6 for 31 in Leeds. The last four partnerships aggregated 18 and 29. On their last two tours to England, India’s last four partnerships averaged 19.11 in 2021 and 16.35 in 2018. India will be striving to get similar contributions from the lower order.Related

Kuldeep Yadav is ready. Are India?

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With India trailing, will Jasprit Bumrah play at Edgbaston?

A usual trend in Test cricket is that home lower orders tend to contribute more than their counterparts, largely because of familiar conditions and the superior depth in their own bowling, which means visiting attacks are likelier to tire out or lose sting sooner. Be it through their own bowling or some contributions of their lower order, India’s recent years of being competitive outside Asia and the West Indies featured their lower order matching the home lower orders.India will now take a day off on Sunday before returning for an exhaustive training session on Monday. On the day before the match, they will take it easy. Most likely, only the batters who want throwdowns will turn up. Fast bowlers likely to play the Test on Wednesday will likely take Tuesday off.

أبدى أسطورة نادي ريال مدريد، سعادته بسبب اعتذار فينيسيوس جونيور لجماهير الفريق الملكي ولزملائه، موضحًا أنه مندهش من عدم ذكر الدولي البرازيلي للمدرب تشابي ألونسو في اعتذاره.

فينيسيوس اعتذر لجماهير ريال مدريد وزملائه والرئيس فلورنتينو بيريز، وذلك على هامش ما قام به من أفعال خلال مواجهة الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة يوم الأحد الماضي بالدوري الإسباني.

واعترض فينيسيوس على تبديله من قبل المدرب تشابي ألونسو في شوط المباراة الثاني من الكلاسيكو، ولم يصافح اللاعب مدربه وغادر الملعب ومن ثم عاد إليه مرة أخرى.

ونجح ريال مدريد في هزيمة برشلونة 2-1 بقمة الدوري الإسباني، لينفرد الميرنجي بصدارة المسابقة المحلية بفارق 5 نقاط عن برشلونة.

وأشار بريدراج مياتوفيتش، أسطورة ريال مدريد، أن فينيسيوس قد ارتكب خطأ بعدم ذكر ألونسو في اعتذاره، وذلك في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “ماركا”.

وقال مياتوفيتش: ”لا أعرف من كتب هذا المنشور للفينيسيوس، ربما لديه من يراقب حسابه لكنه ارتكب خطأً، عدم ذكر اسم المدرب يظهر بوضوح عدم وجود صلة كبيرة بينهما على الإطلاق، هذا دائمًا أمر خطير للغاية سواء على اللاعب أو المدرب”.

وأضاف مياتوفيتش في حديثه عن مشكلة فينيسيوس مع ريال مدريد: “أولًا علىيه التعامل بهدوء تام، مع العلم أن المنافسات مستمرة وأنه لا يمكن إفساد أجواء فريق يتصدر الدوري، حيث يتمتع الجميع بعلاقة رائعة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. ريال مدريد يطالب “يويفا” بتعويض 4.5 مليار دولار

وأوضح: ”لا يمكن تحطيم هذه الأجواء بسبب لاعب واحد ولكن عليهم حلها، إما بمطالبة اللاعبين بالجلوس والتحدث، أو باتخاذ إجراء مباشر، ولكن دائمًا بهدوء ومناقشة الأمور داخليًا دون تسريب الكثير من الأخبار”.

وواصل: “أتعلم؟ كان رد فعل تشابي رائعًا وقد فاجأني ذلك، لأنه مدرب شاب قليل الخبرة لكنه لم يكن سيئًا على الرغم من شخصيته القوية”.

وأردف: ”لم يكن الأمر ليفاجئني لو كان تصرف ألونسو مع فينيسيوس من أنشيلوتي أو أي مدرب آخر أكثر خبرة، ما يقلقني بشأن النادي هو أن يكون كل ما يقال بعد يومين من الكلاسيكو، بعد الفوز وتأخر برشلونة بخمس نقاط هو فينيسيوس وتصريحاته، أعتقد أن هذا مبالغ فيه للغاية”.

وتابع: “القرار والسلطة بيد المدرب، فبينما اللاعبون هم أبطال المباراة وقد جلب لنا فينيسيوس فرحة كبيرة، فإن سلوكه، وخاصةً في كلاسيكو شاهده الجميع، كان غير قابل للايقاف، لا أحد يستطيع الدفاع عن تصرفاته واعتذاره يثبت الخطأ”.

واختتم: ”يجب أن يحظى المدرب دائمًا بحماية النادي، لأن الفريق مكون من 20 لاعبًا آخر، ولكن قبل كل شيء أعتقد أنه من المبالغ فيه أن يكون فينيسيوس هو محور الحديث الوحيد بعد يومين من الكلاسيكو”.

أدلى خوان لابورتا، رئيس نادي برشلونة، بتصريحات مطولة قبل مباراة الكلاسيكو المرتقبة يوم الأحد المقبل في بطولة الدوري الإسباني كرة القدم ضد ريال مدريد.

ويستضيف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” قمة منافسات الجولة العاشرة من الدوري الإسباني، موسم 2025/26، بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة.

وقال لابورتا، في تصريحات لصحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “تكون مباراة الكلاسيكو الأكثر تنافسًا، يرغب اللاعبون في تقديم كل ما لديهم، أعلم أن لاعبينا متحمسون للغاية، وأيًا كان من سيبدأ، ستكون لدينا فرصة، أنا مقتنع بأنهم سيمنحوننا شيئًا نتطلع إليه، وأننا سنفوز في البرنابيو، كما فعلوا سابقًا، لقد حدث ذلك في العام الماضي، على سبيل المثال”.

وأضاف: “نحن نلعب على الصدارة، وهذا حافز إضافي، لقد تناولت الغداء مع الفريق أمس بعد التدريب، ويبدو أنهم متحمسون ومركزون للغاية، يعلم فليك أنه لن يتمكن من الحضور، مع أننا قدمنا ​​استئنافًا أخيرًا نطالب فيه بإجراء احترازي (تم رفضه)، سيحضر ماركوس سورج، فليك يحفزه، وكلاهما متحمسان للغاية”.

وعن حصوله على بطاقة صفراء ثانية لتصفيقه تجاه الحكم ومدى غرابة ذلك، قال: “لقد قلت ذلك بالفعل، دون قصد انتقاد الحكام ولكن هناك ظروف يجب النظر فيها، صحيح أن البطاقة الصفراء الأولى قرار الحكم، لكنك تنتظر رد فعل المدرب، وعندما يشهر لك البطاقة من الطبيعي ألا تشعر بالسعادة أو الرضا، انتظار رد الفعل بالنسبة لي كان متعمدًا، كان بإمكان الحكم جيل مانزانو تجنبه، لكنه أمر تقبله فليك”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لاعب برشلونة: ريال مدريد حاول ضمي.. وأسير بوصية جدتي قبل المباريات

وعن التواجد في برنابيو لحضور الكلاسيكو، قال: “صحيح أنه من أجمل المشاعر التي يمكن أن تختبرها في الحياة، إذا كنت من مشجعي برشلونة، فإن البرنابيو مكان يدعوك للحماس والتركيز الشديد على المباراة والأجواء، إذا فزت فسيكون ذلك مذهلًا، لقد حالفني الحظ وحظيت بتجربة تلك الكلاسيكو، وهي مشاعر جميلة حقًا”.

وما إذا كان من الصعب ضبط النفس في مدرجات برنابيو، قال: “عليك ضبط نفسك، لكن الفوز يشعرك بعدم القدرة على ذلك، مع أنهم يقولون إنها مجرد مباراة عادية، إلا أنها ليست كذلك أبدًا، إنها مباراة تحدد اتجاهات، وإذا فزنا – وأنا مقتنع أن اللاعبين سيبذلون قصارى جهدهم للفوز ووضعنا في الصدارة – فهذا يمثل اتجاهًا تصاعديًا”.

واسترسل: “لن أتعب أبدًا من رؤية برشلونة يفوز في الكلاسيكو، هو شئ نحبه كجماهير، بالإضافة إلى الإنجاز الرياضي، يُشعرنا بشيء أكبر، لأنه يتجاوز الجانب الرياضي، إنها منافسة حامية الوطيس، إنه أمر رائع”.

وفيما يتعلق بإلغاء مباراة برشلونة وفياريال في ميامي، قال: “نحن ملتزمون بما تقوله رابطة الدوري الإسباني، لكن ما لا أتفق معه هو قولهم إن البطولة تم تشويها بسبب ذلك، لا أتفق مع ذلك، بخلاف ذلك نحن حققنا سلسلة انتصارات جيدة ضد فياريال على ملعب لا سيراميكا، كانت مباراة للترويج للدوري الإسباني وجلب أموال طائلة، مما كان سيؤثر على الدوري”.

واختتم: “كانت المباراة هناك ستوفر لنا رعايات، لقد كانت وسيلة لتعزيز صورة برشلونة، اقترحوا علينا ذلك ورأينا أنها فكرة جيدة، ووافقنا على تنفيذها، رد فعل رابطة اللاعبين، وكذلك ردود فعل اللاعبين ورفع ريال مدريد القضية إلى المجلس الرياضي الإسباني، أمر محترم، الجميع يفعل ما يراه مناسبًا، لكنني أعتقد أن ذلك أضر بالدوري الإسباني”.

Birmingham City completed the summer transfer window with one of the highest quantities of arrivals in the Championship, despite being quite a way off the highest expenditure.

Tom Wagner and Tom Brady oversaw permanent transfers, loan moves and free agent arrivals for 14 new players for a net spend of just over £3.6 million for Chris Davies. They ranked 7th for highest net spend, and only a small number of teams had more arrivals; however, leading up to deadline day, Davies shared his desire for more arrivals:

“I think we need a little bit of reinforcement, just depth in our defensive area and again, we could do with a bit more depth, maybe higher up the pitch as well. But we have to see what the squad looks like in the next couple of days because there’s a lot of moving parts to it, as I said. But everyone’s trying, we’ll see what happens.”

The Blues did manage to bring in late additions in defender Jack Robinson and winger Patrick Roberts from Sheffield United and Sunderland respectively. However, it now looks like that deadline day didn’t satiate Davies’s desire for reinforcements and so Birmingham are looking to take advantage of the free agent market to bring in a Premier League-proven midfielder.

Birmingham front-runners to sign free agent Oxlade-Chamberlain

Birmingham City are looking to reinforce their midfield options and continue developing into a Premier League quality team by bringing in free agent and former Premier League winner Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Since leaving Liverpool in 2023, Oxlade-Chamberlain has been playing for the Turkish side Besiktas. However, in mid-August, it started being reported that Besiktas were looking to terminate Oxlade-Chamberlain’s contract and that the midfielder was interested in a move back to England. On August 27th, the Turkish side paid off the remaining £1.5 million of his contract, making him a free agent.

While any club could have signed the Nike-sponsored midfielder during the transfer window, clubs focused on deals that required an actual club-to-club transfer, as being a free agent, Oxlade-Chamberlain can be signed at any time.

Ever since the rumours of a contract termination first broke, Birmingham have been one of the most heavily connected teams. Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke has now reported that Birmingham are at the forefront of the race to sign Oxlade-Chamberlain and are the leading candidates. However, they face competition from European teams as well as Premier League side Leeds United.

Opportunity to sign "wonderful" midfielder

If Birmingham can tempt Oxlade-Chamberlain away from his other suitors, they will be receiving a seasoned player with Champions League and International experience.

When he joined Besiktas, his former Liverpool manager, Jürgen Klopp, had plenty of praise, calling Oxlade-Chamberlain “wonderful”.

In the years since Klopp said this about Oxlade-Chamberlain, his injury record hasn’t improved. However, the experience that he can bring to the Birmingham side, having gone through a successful promotion campaign with Southampton and having copious amounts of Premier League experience, will make him an invaluable addition to the team.

A “fantastic” Premier League player has now reportedly opened the door to a potential move to Celtic before the end of the summer transfer window.

Rodgers left agitated over Celtic's business

The Hoops may have won 4-1 at home to Falkirk in the Scottish League Cup second round on Friday evening, but Brendan Rodgers didn’t appear to be in the mood to celebrate.

The Celtic manager produced a spiky response in his press conference when asked about potential summer signings in the next few weeks, suggesting that he isn’t entirely happy about the situation.

“I don’t know, I have just come out of the game here. We will wait to see, we have named the squad before the game. if not that is the squad that we are going with.

“Ok, let me repeat what I have just said. I have just finished the game. During the 90 odd minutes of the game, I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything. There might be, but there may not be, but we have the team that we have.”

Celtic need more signings this month, in order to give a better account of themselves in the Champions League in 2025/26, and they may be buoyed by a new transfer update that has emerged.

"Fantastic" ace hands Celtic transfer boost

According to Football Insider, West Ham midfielder and rumoured Celtic target Andy Irving has “opened the door to a move away” from the London Stadium this summer. Rangers are also in the mix to snap him up.

The 25-year-old wants to “play more regular minutes and is expected to jump at the opportunity to play European football this season”, potentially playing into the hands of the Hoops, who have already seen a £2.5m bid rejected for him.

Reporter Pete O’Rourke said: “There’s a top player in there who wants to be playing regularly at this stage of his career. The chance to move to Celtic or Rangers would be very enticing for him, two big clubs with European football on offer as well. For West Ham, if they were to get a decent offer for Irving they wouldn’t stand in his way.”

Irving could be just what Rodgers is after, in terms of strengthening his options in the middle of the park, with Irving a potentially shrewd signing.

Granted, it hasn’t worked out hugely for the Scot at West Ham, with a lack of minutes coming his way, but he has been lauded by Robbie Horn in the past, not least because of the “fantastic attitude” he has.

“Andy was a really nice lad with a fantastic attitude. He had clearly been brought up by a good family. I could never speak highly enough of him as a person. Even after he left, he would be sending me messages about how our games had gone and the other boys had got on. He showed that interest even after he left, so there were no airs and graces about him.”

"Direct" star wants Celtic move with deal there to be done after talks

The Bhoys could yet get their man…

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 16, 2025

Irving will want to give himself the best chance as possible of making Scotland’s 2026 World Cup squad next summer, assuming they qualify for the tournament, and he would surely benefit more by being a key man at Celtic, playing in the Champions League and enjoying more regular playing time.