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Metro
5 minutes ago
- Metro
Man Utd send message to RB Leipzig after Newcastle's bid for Benjamin Sesko
Manchester United have indicated to RB Leipzig they are ready to match Newcastle United's transfer offer for Benjamin Sesko. Sesko has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer after another impressive season in the Bundesliga. The 22-year-old scored 18 goals during his first season at Leipzig and a further 21 last season to attract interest from several European clubs. Arsenal expressed interest in Sesko earlier in the summer before prioritising a move for Viktor Gyokeres and signing him from Sporting for £64m. Manchester United were also interested in Gyokeres, who played under Ruben Amorim in Portugal, and have turned their attentions to Sesko after seeing the Sweden international join Arsenal. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you. Amorim is keen to welcome a new striker to Old Trafford following Rasmus Hojlund's struggles in the Premier League following his £72m move from Atalanta. While Sesko has emerged as a top target for the Red Devils, they face major competition in the transfer race from fellow Premier League club Newcastle United. Newcastle are preparing for the potential departure of superstar striker Alexander Isak and saw a £69.8m offer for Sesko rejected by RB Leipzig. While Manchester United are yet to bid for Sesko, Sky Germany say they are 'ready to match' Newcastle's offer. Leipzig were reportedly happy with the overall sum of Newcastle's bid but told the Magpies the payment structure needed to be adjusted. Sesko is said to be open to joining either Premier League club, with Sky Sports suggesting he is leaning towards Man United despite their woeful 2024-25 campaign. There is also the possibility of players being used in a deal to sign Sesko, with RB Leipzig reportedly interested in signing Rasmus Hojlund in a player-plus-cash deal. Hojlund said last week he intended to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his place in the team but the decision may be taken out of his hands. More Trending Sesko missed RB Leipzig's pre-season friendly against Atalanta on Saturday ahead of his expected departure from the club. Speaking on the same day, Marcel Schafer, RB Leipzig's managing director for sport, confirmed clubs had made approaches for Sesko. 'We won't go into detail on that but when I say that several clubs have shown strong interest and have made approaches, it's obvious what has happened,' he said. If Sesko joins Manchester United, he would become Amorim's third summer signing following Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Chelsea agree £20m transfer deal to sell forgotten striker MORE: Manchester United vs Everton UK time, TV channel, how to watch and team news MORE: Ruben Amorim reveals Man Utd's new transfer 'rule' as club identify top target
Daily Mail
5 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Transgender pool star loses discrimination case as judge explains why ban from competition must stand
A transgender pool player has lost a discrimination case against one of the sport's main organisers in a landmark ruling in the UK. The English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) banned players who were not born as biologically female from its women's competitions in August 2023. Professional player Harriet Haynes took the body to court, claiming the exclusion was 'direct discrimination' against her on the grounds of her gender reassignment. However, in a judgment published on Friday, a court dismissed her claim and said that the ban was the only 'reasonable' way to ensure 'fair competition'. Speaking after the ruling, Haynes' representatives said they were 'naturally disappointed' with the decision and are weighing up whether to appeal. The judgment is the first to apply the newly established legal definition of a woman as someone who is biologically female, introduced after a Supreme Court decision. The EBPF previously said that its ladies' events would only be open to those born female, claiming the decision was intended to ensure 'equality and fairness for all'. Haynes was surprised by the EBPF's crackdown and did not believe she held an unfair advantage because she went through male pubery. She later told The Independent: 'All I've ever wanted is to be able to play like any other woman.' Handing down his judgment, His Honour Judge Parker concluded that pool is a 'gender-affected activity' and that excluding those born as male from the female category was necessary to 'secure fair competition'. He also said the claim 'could not survive' the Supreme Court's decision in April. The EBPF said it was delighted with the ruling and that it welcomes transgender players in its 'open' category. It also argued that players who were born male and went through male puberty hold specific physical advantages in cue sports. According to the body, these include an ability to generate higher break speed, greater hand span to bridge over balls and a longer reach. A spokesperson said: 'The court found that pool is a game in which men have an advantage over women and that allowing only those born as women to compete in our women's competitions is necessary to secure fair competition.' In her claim, Haynes said her exclusion from the Kent Women's A pool team had caused her distress, and that she had been subjected to hurtful comments online. She also claimed the ban violated the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to respect for an individual's private and family life. The EBPF, however, said the rule did not discriminate against Haynes on the grounds of gender reassignment as 'she was born male'. They added that 'if she had been a transgender person who was born female, she would not have been excluded'. Matt Champ, senior associate at Colman Coyle, who represented Haynes, said: 'We and our client are naturally disappointed with the court's decision that it was bound to follow the much-criticised Supreme Court case of For Women Scotland and dismiss our client's case for gender reassignment discrimination. 'However, whilst the judge dismissed the case based upon For Women Scotland, we take some solace in the fact that he found that, if he was not bound by that decision, he would have agreed with our client and found that the need to show that exclusion was "necessary" so as to comply with the Equality Act 2010 would have been on the defendants, that was a hotly contested issue at trial. 'More importantly, the judge also found that if he were required to decide it, he would have found that the EBPF's actions were not capable of being a "proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim" and so the defendants' secondary case would have failed. 'But, obviously because of the judge's reliance on For Women Scotland, the claim still had to be dismissed. We are reflecting on the judgment and our next steps which will include whether or not we appeal.'
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Joe Root and Harry Brook give England hope after Mohammed Siraj let-off
Joe Root and Harry Brook kept England in the hunt for a record breaking chase in their series decider against India as the fifth Rothesay Test sped towards a thrilling day four finish. Chasing a massive 374 to take the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 3-1, the hosts reached lunch at 164 for three with their top two batters at the crease. Ben Duckett and stand-in captain Ollie Pope departed as India made inroads towards squaring the series 2-2, but a typically dependable 23 not out from Root and a counter-attacking unbeaten 38 by Brook left things in the balance. Brook hit four fours and two sixes in 30 balls before the break but was almost caught by Mohammed Siraj, who held on to a skier at fine leg before stepping over the boundary rope. Siraj had snatched the momentum with the last act on Saturday evening, bowling Zak Crawley with a clinical yorker, and was soon causing more problems for Duckett. He turned his overnight 34 into a fourth half-century of the series but never really settled in lasting 40 awkward minutes. He was beaten eight times, edging three deliveries and missing five more. Siraj was responsible for most of his troubles but it was Prasidh Krishna who got the rewards, coming on at the Pavilion End and striking lucky with his fourth ball as Duckett threw the kitchen sink at a drive. After seeing England fail to claim six catches in the third innings, KL Rahul showed them how it was done with a rock solid take at slip. Krishna, gamely filling the considerable boots of Jasprit Bumrah, came desperately close to pinning Root lbw for just three but saw his huge appeal rejected. Ball-tracking showed it was clipping leg stump, but not enough to overturn the decision. After an hour's play England had scraped together 37 runs, briefly accelerating as Pope hit three fours in an over off Krishna, including one classy on-drive. But that was the end of a cameo rather than the start of something more substantial, Siraj charging in and nailing him in front of the stumps. At 106 for three, India had taken control but the arrival of Brook brought a screeching gear shift. He went for all-out aggression, at one stage lashing 27 runs in eight balls. That included a crunch through midwicket and a lavish six over cover off Akash Deep before his near miss at fine-leg, risking his wicket but picking up six more for his efforts. Siraj looked mortified as he realised he had overbalanced, with the English fans revelling in his anguish. Krishna, meanwhile, had to quietly shelve the celebrations he had already started to perform.
