The 22-year-old had emerged as a player of interest for the Scottish champions earlier this year, with reports in May claiming Celtic had outlined their plans in an attempt to persuade him to make the move to Glasgow.
Italian side Sampdoria were also credited with an interest, although Basel ultimately won the race after stepping up their pursuit in recent weeks.
According to reports, the Swiss club have agreed a fee of around €3 million with Azerbaijani side Sabah FK to secure the signature of the wideman.
Basel officially confirmed Malouda's arrival this week as they continue reshaping their squad ahead of the new campaign.
He arrives as the replacement for Benie Traore, who recently departed for Major League Soccer after joining New York City FC.

#interest #side #celtic

Multiple sources are now reporting that PSG are closing in on Maghnes Akliouche.
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Ben Jacobs confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the Ligue 1 champions have agreed a €50m [£42.7m] deal for the France International.
The claim appears to have been corroborated by transfer news expert Fabrizio Romano on the same platform.
Liverpool were understood to have explored the option earlier in the window.

#download #updates #straight

FC Barcelona have unveiled their away kit for the 2026/27 season, developed together with Nike and the Kobe brand. The new shirt represents the second chapter of a growing collaboration that highlights a shared competitive mindset.
The shirt and the entire collection combine a black base with a gradient fading into purple at the bottom, along with gold details and graphic elements linked to Kobe Stealth, the identity of the Kobe Bryant brand.
Among the standout details are a print inspired by snakeskin texture, the FC Barcelona crest with an iridescent finish, the Kobe logo on the chest, and a Kobe Bryant quote hidden inside the collar that captures the 'Mamba Mentality': "Leave the game better than you found it".
The launch campaign features players such as Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie De Jong, Alejandro Balde, Ewa Pajor and Patri Guijarro, among others.
The garment has only been presented as a commercial product; its official debut on the pitch has not yet been confirmed. It will arrive during pre-season, coinciding with the first-team's opening fixtures.

#bryant #shirt

Real Madrid will play their third pre-season friendly match tomorrow when they take on Serie A side Fiorentina in Austria.
Having faced Spanish sides Alcorcon and Leganes in training matches at the club's training facilities so far, Saturday's fixture comes as a bigger test for Jose Mourinho's new-look Real Madrid outfit.
With the squad list now announced, Real Madrid have confirmed that two of their five new signings – Denzel Dumfries and Carlos Espi – will be travelling to Austria.
Carlos Espi is in the squad. (Photo courtesy: Real Madrid official website)
Dumfries, signed from Inter Milan by activating his €20 million release clause, joined the pre-season training earlier this week and has had a number of sessions under his belt already.

#madrid #austria #carlos

Rob Key, the ECB's managing director of men's cricket, believes it was "too soon" to install Harry Brook as England Test captain after overlooking the Yorkshireman in favour of Joe Root.
Root's return as full-time skipper was confirmed on Thursday alongside the appointment of Stephen Fleming as England's new head coach following the retirement of Ben Stokes and departure of Brendon McCullum.
Brook, who leads England in white-ball cricket, was elevated to the vice-captaincy ahead of last year's Ashes and has since served as Stokes' deputy.
He was not promoted, though, when Stokes missed the second Test against New Zealand earlier in the summer, and has again missed out on the role despite expressing an interest.
Key explained that he and Fleming had discussed the captaincy at length before the new coach's appointment, with the pair agreeing that Root – who has already led England in a record 65 Tests – was the right man for the job at this moment.

#brook #test #missed

Has the worst been avoided?
A few weeks after being excluded from all domestic competitions by the DNCG and threatened with judicial liquidation, Girondins de Bordeaux may finally have found a buyer.
According to information from Sud-Ouest confirmed by L'Équipe, the investment fund Sparta Capital has reportedly secured the €10 million required to provide the funds needed to keep the club running ahead of the appeal hearing before the CNOSF.
This sale therefore marks the end of the Gérard Lopez era. As a reminder, the businessman bought the club in 2021 before overseeing its drop to Ligue 2, followed by administrative relegation to the fourth division.
It should be noted that L'Équipe specifies that Gérard Lopez reportedly sold the club for a symbolic one euro, as he no longer wished to invest in this historic French football club.

#club #reportedly #girondins #bordeaux

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez will miss the start of the new season due to injury.
Gomez, 29, was forced off within 10 minutes of Liverpool's first friendly of pre-season against Sunderland after suffering a muscle issue.
Liverpool went on to win that game in Nashville 4-2 without their longest serving player, but manager Andoni Iraola nevertheless admitted that Gomez's setback was "probably the worst news" he could have been dealt on his managerial bow for the Reds.
Iraola has now confirmed Gomez will face a spell on the sidelines and while he does not yet know for how long, he says it will be "impossible" for the Englishman to make a return before Liverpool's Premier League opener against Newcastle on 23 August.
Speaking at a press conference in Chicago on Thursday morning, he said: "Joe has a muscle injury. I think it was quite clear since he complained straight away so it will depend how he evolves, but he will be some weeks off.

#sunderland #reds

Most tickets to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics cost hundreds of dollars, and the most coveted seats at dozens of high-profile events cost more than $1,000, according to fans who won the opportunity to purchase tickets in LA28 presales.
LA28 organizers have not publicly released a full price catalog, but fans have compiled spreadsheets with a complete list of prices for all 800-plus ticketed events. The Athletic, via screenshots and screen recordings, has independently confirmed many of the prices, which range from $28 (for the least desirable seats at lower-profile events) to $5,519 (for a lower-level seat at the opening ceremony).
The prices, across the board, are by far the highest in Olympic history. In many cases, tickets to LA28 are more than twice as expensive as an equivalent ticket at the 2024 Paris Olympics — whose prices sparked controversy in France.
The L.A. organizing committee's justification is similar to the one that guided FIFA's 2026 World Cup approach. "Pricing is rooted in heavy ****** ytics and extensive market demand research around entertainment and live sports in the U.S.," an LA28 spokesperson told The Athletic. In other words, Americans are accustomed to paying a lot for sports tickets.
Beyond the opening and closing ceremonies, the single most expensive sporting event at the 2028 Games is the men's basketball final. The top two ticket categories are reserved entirely for hospitality package buyers, who get courtside seats. A Category C seat — in the lower bowl along the sideline or in a corner — costs $3,350.

#prices #lower

Gianni Infantino's position as Fifa president is growing untenable as regional governing bodies continue to officially reject his plan to sell-off stakes of the World Cup to private investors.
Uefa's 55 member **** ociations insisted they would not participate in any Fifa tournament until plans for the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) were withdrawn and have confirmed that they will even boycott the next World Cup should they go through.
World Cup boycott latest: Infantino's senior adviser quits after Fifa refuses to back down over Uefa protest
Concacaf, the governing body for North America and the Caribbean, reiterated their own concerns over the lack of consultation and rejected the proposal, as did the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) who called for an "urgent review of its governance" at Fifa - piling more pressure on Infantino.
Fifa has so far refused to back down, insisting that "nobody is selling football" while **** erting that their consultation process was "disrupted by incorrect media reports", a move that felt like it was right out of the Donald Trump playbook.

#boycott #gianni

Lazio's hopes of signing Spanish striker Carlos Espi from Levante have faded, with Real Madrid pulling off the coup.
In recent weeks, the Biancocelesti were said to be tracking the 21-year-old centre-forward who played an instrumental role in Levante's survival last season. The young bomber netted 11 goals in 26 appearances, including decisive strikes towards the end of the campaign.
In addition to Lazio, the Spaniard had also attracted interest from the Premier League, with Hull City also on this trail. But on Thursday evening, Espi completed an out-of-the-blue transfer to Real Madrid, who identified him as the right replacement for Fulham-bound Gonzalo Garcia. The 15-time European champions confirmed the move with the following statement (via ESPN).
Real Madrid C.F. and Levante U.D. have agreed to the transfer of Carlos Espí, who will be tied to our club for the next five seasons, until June 30, 2031
Unfortunately for Lazio fans, missing out on transfer targets has become the norm rather than the exception. This summer, the management failed to finalize a deal with Bayern Munich for Jonathan Asp Jensen, who was keen to join the Italian capital side, but eventually had to accept a move to Deportivo La Coruña.

#madrid #espi #levante #spanish

Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones has fuelled transfer speculation by liking Inter's Instagram post announcing John Stones' transfer.
Stones has joined the Nerazzurri on a free transfer, and the Serie A giants confirmed his arrival on Thursday.
Their announcement on Instagram received over 350,000 likes, including one from Stones' compatriot Jones.
Curtis Jones likes Inter's Instagram post announcing John Stones' transfer
The Liverpool midfielder is a long-time Inter target, and the Nerazzurri are expected to continue talks to sign him over the next few weeks.

#curtis

A consortium led by former Newcastle director Amanda Staveley is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire a significant stake in West Ham United.
The group, which includes Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, is understood to be targeting the 25 per cent shareholding currently held by Vanessa Gold.
Ms Gold inherited the shares following the death of her father, David Gold, in 2023 and has since indicated her willingness to sell. This potential investment comes amidst a period of flux for West Ham's ownership structure.
Last month, the club announced that Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky was poised to become the largest shareholder, having agreed to purchase an additional stake from the Gold family. This deal would see Kretinsky's share increase to 43 per cent, surpassing David Sullivan's current 38.8 per cent, though this transaction remains unconfirmed.
Sullivan, who resigned last month following historic allegations of misconduct which he denies, has not yet disclosed his plans for his own shares.

#staveley #deal #stake

Marc-André ter Stegen is one step away from becoming Ajax's new goalkeeper. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has confirmed the news with his trademark "Here we go," announcing that the signing will be made official this very weekend.
The deal went through moments of uncertainty due to disagreements between the two clubs. The high salary of the German international led to a tug-of-war over what percentage of his wages each side would cover.
In the end, the financial doubts faded after the final plan was clarified with Barça and the player's camp. Both boards gave the green light after resolving the financial split that had threatened the agreement.
The transfer timeline is already set: the goalkeeper is traveling to the Netherlands today. This Saturday he will undergo the required medical examination and put pen to paper on the official contract.
"There were never any doubts," Romano declared, sealing one of the biggest bombshells of the transfer window. Ter Stegen is now beginning a new chapter between the sticks in Amsterdam, bringing his long spell in Barcelona to an end.

#goalkeeper

Digital advertising spending in 2026 is expected to expand unevenly. According to the IAB's 2026 Outlook Study, overall US ad spend is projected to grow by 9.5% this year, with social media advertising growing 14.6%, well outperforming the broader industry. However, growth is not evenly spread across advertiser sizes, with larger consumer firms lowering marketing expenditure as one of the fastest ways to maintain profitability amid wary consumers and narrowing margins.
That's the backdrop in which Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) is placing a significant bet: while the biggest social platforms compete for the same narrowing pool of massive brand advertisers, Reddit is slowly opening the door to small and medium-sized businesses that couldn't previously manage the cost of creating a personalized ad campaign.
That shift became clear when Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) released a beta version of Reddit Community Intelligence on July 10, an AI-powered, free-form ad generator that provides advertisers with AI-generated creative recommendations customized to certain communities instead of forcing them to start from scratch. The tool is deliberately designed to make campaign creation easier for advertisers targeting community-specific audiences, which have traditionally found platform advertising too resource-intensive to bother with.
Wall Street research desks realized the structural significance of the self-service shift. On July 13, Citizens ***** yst Andrew Boone confirmed his Market Outperform rating and $240 price target for Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT), citing automated self-service technologies as a key revenue driver. Boone emphasized that lowering friction for smaller advertisers enables Reddit to capture previously untapped performance budgets, resulting in long-term, lower-funnel revenue streams.
Crucially, Reddit's advertising momentum was accelerating even before the Community Intelligence tool shipped. On July 10, Jefferies, drawing on conversations with agencies, added that Reddit, Inc. (NYSE:RDDT) continued to gain share in social media advertising through the second quarter. Agencies said that this was due to the platform's large and growing audience, growing reach, and more personalized targeting, a read that preceded the Community Intelligence launch and shows the platform was already winning before the tool even shipped.

#rddt #advertising #growing

Most Valuable Promotions and Professional Fighters League on Thursday announced a merger "bringing together world-class boxing, MMA, live events, athlete development, and worldwide content distribution under one fighter-first organization, creating a combat sports company for the new era."
The combined company will operate under the MVP banner. It will be led by Co-Founders and Board Members Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, with John Martin serving as CEO and Board Member.
""Since launching MVP, our goal has always been bigger than just building a boxing promotion. It has been to build the future of combat sports. In less than five years, MVP has become one of the most influential and culturally relevant brands in the industry, producing some of the biggest events in combat sports history, elevating women's boxing to unprecedented heights, and bringing millions of new fans into the fight game. The success of MVP MMA's first event confirmed our belief that there is enormous demand for a modern, fighter-first approach to MMA. This merger accelerates our MMA ambitions while strengthening our ability to continue investing in boxing and MVPW. By combining MVP's audience-building engine, storytelling capabilities, and brand with PFL's roster, infrastructure, and international footprint, we are creating a new global home for combat sports. Under the leadership of John Martin, a world-class media executive with deep MMA knowledge, and investment from leading financiers 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital, MVP is going to achieve great things for fighters, fans, and partners," said Nakisa Bidarian, Co-founder and Board Member of Most Valuable Promotions.
"Over the past seven years, PFL has built the world's No. 2 global MMA company, **** embling one of the sport's most elite fighter rosters while creating a world-class global business with premier media distribution across 34 broadcast and streaming partners, reaching fans in more than 170 countries. At the same time, MVP has redefined how combat sports connects with a new generation of fans, creating events that become cultural moments and proving that athletes, sports, entertainment and creators can all thrive together. This merger brings scale - in operations, in distribution and media rights, in sponsorship, in fighter development and in fan engagement. We're not just combining companies, we're bringing an entire combat sports community together and creating a more powerful platform to accelerate growth. One company, one global stage, millions of fans and we're only just getting started. I'm excited to work with Jake and Nakisa as we build the future of combat sports together, and I'm deeply grateful for the continued confidence and support of our lead investors, 885 Capital and Knighthead Capital Management," John Martin, Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of the new company, said.
"We started MVP to disrupt a broken model. We wanted to give fighters fair pay and a bigger, modernized stage to

Several immigrant business owners are preparing to sue New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his plan for city-owned grocery stores, Fox News Digital confirmed on Wednesday.
The New York Post first reported on Tuesday that the Multicultural Business Coalition's (MBC) board voted to file a lawsuit against the city over Mamdani's plan to open five taxpayer-funded grocery stores that will sell food at prices up to 30% below traditional retailers.
According to MBC Chairman Frank Garcia, the MBC is now planning to send a letter to Mamdani's office in the coming days detailing its upcoming legal plans to protect competing stores, bodegas and other small businesses. If Mamdani does not respond or meet with the organization within the next three weeks, the group plans to take further legal action.
Mamdani Confronted On Failed City-run Grocery Store Attempt In Kansas City, Claims His Plan Will Work
The Multicultural Business Coalition announced efforts to take legal action against New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's taxpayer-funded grocery stores.

#mamdani #business #zohran

Michigan basketball is set to add another blueblood to its schedule.
The Wolverines are in the process of finalizing a two-year deal with Louisville, a program source with knowledge of the plans confirmed to the Free Press. The plan is to play in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena this season, with a "return" trip to be played next season in Indianapolis.
This season's game could potentially be played Dec. 5, though the teams are still finalizing the dates.
This appears to be an ACC replacement for a matchup with Duke in December. That game against the Blue Devils was nixed after being originally scheduled for New York then Miami.
It's yet another big-time name Michigan will play in a schedule that already includes an exhibition against Houston, and nonconference games against UConn (in a rematch of April's national championship game), Villanova and Marquette. That's in addition to the Wolverines' participation in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving week; U-M's slate in that tourney features an opener vs. Creighton followed by a Day 2 matchup with either Miami (Florida) or TCU and a third game against Gonzaga, Kansas State, Baylor or Alabama.

#game #finalizing #play #matchup

Michigan basketball is set to add another blueblood to its schedule.
The Wolverines are in the process of finalizing a two-year deal with Louisville, a program source with knowledge of the plans confirmed to the Free Press. The plan is to play in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena this season, with a "return" trip to be played next season in Indianapolis.
This season's game could potentially be played Dec. 5, though the teams are still finalizing the dates.
This appears to be an ACC replacement for a matchup with Duke in December. That game against the Blue Devils was nixed after being originally scheduled for New York then Miami.
It's yet another big-time name Michigan will play in a schedule that already includes an exhibition against Houston, and nonconference games against UConn (in a rematch of April's national championship game), Villanova and Marquette. That's in addition to the Wolverines' participation in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving week; U-M's slate in that tourney features an opener vs. Creighton followed by a Day 2 matchup with either Miami (Florida) or TCU and a third game against Gonzaga, Kansas State, Baylor or Alabama.

#michigan #wolverines #Miami #schedule

The New York Jets placed veteran edge rusher Joseph Ossai on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list to start training camp, the team confirmed.
Ossai will be ineligible to practice at camp until he passes a physical and gets activated off the list. It adds a bit more pressure for rookie No. 2 overall pick David Bailey to hit the ground running at camp.
Jets general manager Darren Mougey signed Ossai to a three-year contract worth $34.5 million in free agency this offseason. Indications are Ossai is working through a minor undisclosed injury and won't be sidelined for long. For however long Ossai remains on the PUP, it could mean additional reps with the first-team defense for Bailey.
The Jets selected Bailey at No. 2 overall in the 2026 NFL draft to help transform a pass rush that finished 31st in sacks last year with just 26 quarterback takedowns. Bailey was an outstanding college pass rusher who simply needs to defend the run with better mechanics before becoming the all-around playmaker he's capable of being.
Hopefully Ossai is activated off the PUP sooner rather than later. The Jets are counting on his veteran experience to help them field an upgraded defensive line unit this coming season. Until then, Bailey could be afforded more opportunities to shine at training camp.

#bailey

The Seattle Seahawks have some big contract decisions coming up on their big defensive tackles. While time is on their side regarding Byron Murphy II, who isn't even extension eligible until next offseason, this year is the last of Leonard Williams' three-year contract. Williams confirmed that extension talks have been opened, but he didn't go into any real details beyond that.
If you're already antsy regarding the future of one of Seattle's most important players, perhaps this will put you at ease. In a guest appearance on Daily Puck Drop with Jason Puckett, longtime NFL insider Mike Garofalo indicated that a deal is imminent. How imminent? We shouldn't be worrying about it by the time the Seahawks hang their latest Super Bowl banner.
"It is going to be a big number," Garofalo said. "It'll be before Week 1, I'll put it to you like that, and it's going to be a big number from my understanding.
"A lot of teams now are playing defenses that are really relying upon defensive tackles. The Eagles paid both of their guys [Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis] a combined $64 million per year at defensive tackle. It used to be the defensive ends were getting all the money—I mean DTs got paid along the way, but now it's like really big money for these guys because a lot of these defenses, particularly the Eagles, rely upon these defensive tackles to create havoc up front. Same for the Seahawks and what they're doing."
Garofalo is referencing Jalen Carter's $38 million/year extension, which makes him (for now) the highest paid defensive tackle in the league. Jordan Davis' contract extension was three years for $78 million, or $26 million/year.

#garofalo

Curtis Brown and his wife Kim's 2-year-old son Haze drowned in the family's pool in Clovis, California
The couple, also parents to four other children, welcomed Haze after a challenging C-section delivery
Police confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident
Former Brigham Young University football star Curtis Brown and his wife are mourning the loss of their toddler son.
The couple's 2-year-old son Haze drowned in the family's swimming pool in Clovis, Calif., on Sunday, July 26, according to the New York Post. A family member noticed that the toddler was unresponsive in the pool and called first responders.

#curtis #brown #wife #year

Our ******* ysts just identified a stock with the potential to be the next Nvidia. Tell us how you invest and we'll show you why it's our #1 pick. Tap here.
The Industrial Services segment achieved its highest adjusted EBITDA since the Phoenix acquisition, fueled by a significant step-up in terminal handling volumes.
Domestic ******* e performance was bolstered by favorable coal-to-coke yields resulting from improved operating conditions across the fleet.
The Middletown turbine was successfully returned to service in May, earlier than anticipated, restoring power production capabilities for the remainder of the year.
Management confirmed the company is sold out for the full year 2026, with all spot glass and foundry ******* e sales finalized and long-term contracts in place.

#coke

Bologna have officially announced their signing of centre-forward Artem Dovbyk on loan with an option to buy from Roma, following the news that Santiago Castro has moved in the opposite direction on a permanent transfer.
Recent reports indicate that Bologna have agreed to pay a fee of €3m to take Dovbyk on loan for the 2026-27 season and that they will have an option to make the transfer permanent for a further cost of €18m.
This move has gone through on the same day that Castro's move from Bologna to Roma was confirmed: The Giallorossi have signed the Argentine at a cost of €35m plus bonuses, with a 10% sell-on clause also included.
This marks the end of a two-year spell at the Stadio Olimpico for Dovbyk. The Ukrainian had joined in a €38m deal from Girona in the summer of 2024, following a 2023-24 season that saw him claim top scorer status in LaLiga.
Despite netting 12 goals from 32 appearances in his first season in Rome, Dovbyk's 2025-26 season was massively derailed by injury and fitness issues, which limited him to just 14 league outings across the season.

#bologna #option #following #transfer

Bob McElligott has broken his silence after the Columbus Blue Jackets decided not to renew his contract.
The move ends his 17-year run as the team's radio play-by-play voice. Columbus announced that all games will be simulcast across television and radio beginning in the 2026-27 NHL season.
McElligott confirmed the news in a heartfelt post on X. He wrote, "As some of you have heard, I learned today that the Columbus Blue Jackets have decided to simulcast their TV broadcast, and my contract as the team's radio play-by-play announcer will not be renewed."
MORE: Montreal insider says Canadiens are built to pull off Kirill Marchenko trade
He thanked the organization, ownership, and the fanbase for their support. McElligott added, "To the #5thLine , I am especially grateful to you. Your passion, enthusiasm, and caring motivated me and drove me to give you the best broadcast I could."

#blue #jackets #decided

Barcelona have gone to the market to search for a new central midfielder after Frenkie de Jong was ruled out long-term with an MCL tear sustained during the World Cup, according to transfer expert Matteo Moretto. The Dutch international will miss a significant spell, leaving Hansi Flick short in the middle of the park as the new LaLiga season approaches.
The injury alone would be enough to trigger a reassessment of Barcelona's midfield resources, but de Jong's relationship with Flick has also grown strained following several incidents in recent months. That context matters: even before the ligament damage was confirmed, there were already questions about what role, if any, de Jong would play in Flick's plans going forward.
Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong during a match.
The combination of a long-term absence and a fractured working relationship means Barcelona may not simply be filling a gap until he recovers – they could be planning for a more permanent realignment of the midfield.
Marc Casadó could be an in-house option to earn more minutes, but he does not appear to be part of Flick's plans either. Separate reports indicate that Barcelona have set a new asking price for Casadó and that the club has been told to listen to offers for him – hardly the sign of a player being earmarked as a stop-gap replacement.

#frenkie #casad #long #midfield

FC Barcelona have officially confirmed the contract renewal of promising striker Nuhu Fofana, with the 18-year-old signing a new four-year deal that will keep him at the club until 2030.
The agreement was completed one day after Fofana celebrated his 18th birthday and marks another step in Barcelona's long-term commitment to developing talent from La Masia.
As part of the renewal, the forward will become a full member of Barça Atletic and has already begun pre-season training under Juliano Belletti.
Fofana's contract signing took place at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper alongside Jose Ramon Alexanco, Barcelona's director of youth football.
His journey with the club has come full circle. After spending his early years at Barcelona as a Pre-benjamín and Benjamín player, Fofana later left the academy before rebuilding his reputation at Cornella, where his goalscoring ability caught the attention of the Blaugrana.

#Barcelona #contract #signing #nuhu

Saudi ‌Arabia will organise the next three ⁠editions ⁠of the Asian Champions League Elite finals after the Asian Football Confederation's ⁠executive committee confirmed the country's provisional hosting rights had been made permanent.
The Saudis have hosted the first two editions of the event, which sees the quarterfinals, semifinals and final played in ‌a centralised venue, since the continent's premier club competition was restructured before the 2024/2025 season.
Jeddah-based outfit Al-Ahli have won the **** le on the two occasions the city has hosted the ⁠finals, defeating **** an's Kawasaki ⁠Frontale in 2025 before beating Machida Zelvia, also from **** an, in May.
The upcoming edition of the tournament, which ⁠features the domestic champions of the leading competitions from ⁠the region, will ⁠see the league phase expanded from 24 to 32 teams.
The qualifying rounds will start on August 11, ‌with the draw for the league phase to be held in Kuala Lumpur ‌on ‌August 18 and play commencing on September 14.

#league #arabia

Liverpool have confirmed a surprise transfer.
Things are finally starting to kick into gear in the market for the Reds. It's been a messy window so far and pretty fruitless as well.
This may be Richard Hughes' final window in charge of Liverpool, as a move to Al Hilal beckons and his legacy is definitely on the line. Sure, Hughes delivered last summer with big money signings but he also created an imbalance in the squad that cost Arne Slot his job.
Now Andoni Iraola is in charge and his squad is again very thin, it's probably weakened since last season considering several key players have already left.
At the start of the summer Liverpool fans had big expectations for marquee names to arrive and replace the likes of Mo Salah and Andy Robertson.

#Liverpool #last

With Liverpool stating that they have more than 26 million supporters in the USA, there is little surprise over why the Reds chose America as the destination for their pre-season tour.
This has been quite the summer for football here and Billy Hogan, CEO of Liverpool and Fenway Sports Group (FSG), insists the aim is to build on that after what has been a "super difficult year" for the club "for lots of different reasons".
Last week, FSG, which owns Liverpool, confirmed that a consortium led by Amit Bhatia, a British-Indian millionaire businessman, was in talks over a strategic minority investment in the club. Those talks have been ongoing and there is a growing belief that a deal will be done.
"Look, John Henry (the principal owner) and FSG have always said that if there was an interest in an investment that would help the football club, then they would consider it. That was said many years ago and that remains the case here," Hogan tells BBC Sport.
"At this point, I wouldn't say anything different to the statement that a consortium led, managed and represented by Amit Bhatia has come forward and expressed an interest in a minority investment."

#club

Eli Junior Kroupi will not be leaving Bournemouth this summer after being ruled out for three to four months with a fractured metatarsal.
Bournemouth have received enquires fromManchester City and Barcelona in recent weeks for the forward, who scored 13 goals in 33 appearances during an impressive debut campaign with the Cherries. ***** nal have also monitored his situation.
His 13 goals saw Kroupi Junior break the record for the highest number of goals scored by any teenager in their debut season inPremier League history, eclipsing Robbie Fowler and Robbie Keane.
Several sides have contacted Bournemouth to discuss the conditions of a potential deal, though the Cherries have insisted the 20-year-old is not for sale.
Suitors are now set to look elsewhere, following Kroupi Junior's injury in pre-season. Bournemouth have confirmed the forward has undergone 'successful surgery'.

#bournemouth #kroupi #junior #scored