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Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Liverpool's new £79m striker Hugo Ekitike reveals why he joined the Premier League champions and issues warning to their title rivals after impressive Anfield debut
Hugo Ekitike has opened up on his decision to join Liverpool in a £79million deal and issued a warning to their Premier League title rivals after impressing in his first appearance at Anfield. The Frenchman was part of the Reds squad that contested the second of two matches against LaLiga side Athletic Bilbao on Monday, assisting the side's opener in a 3-2 win, following a 4-1 victory for the less experienced roster hours earlier. Ekitike was one of five new signings to feature for Arne Slot 's free-spending side, who were playing in their first home match since the tragic death of forward Diogo Jota, as the Premier League champions put the finishing touches on their preparations for the new campaign. Liverpool saw off competition from the likes of Newcastle and Manchester United to secure the 23-year-old's signature and after making a great first impression in front of the home support, Ekitike claimed that made the switch from Eintracht Frankfurt 'to win'. 'We have a group of competitors,' he told LFCTV. 'We want to win everything. We are going to give 100 per cent. I am going to give 100 per cent. I am here to win.' The young forward linked up well with his new team-mates despite Monday's clash being only the second time he has turned out alongside them. The France Under 21 international hailed his new colleagues, adding: 'I enjoy playing with them. 'Outside of the pitch they are good guys. We have some little things to fix, on the ball. I have things I can do better. I am going to enjoy playing with them for the season.' Ekitike's acquisition is the most recent by Liverpool this summer but it is unlikely to be their last piece of business before the window closes at the start of next month. Darwin Nunez, who scored in the first match at Anfield, has been heavily linked with a move away this summer and is attracting interest from AC Milan and Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal. Meanwhile, the Reds are eyeing an audacious move for Newcastle United star Alexander Isak and saw an opening £110m bid rejected on Friday. The Reds are next in action in the Community Shield, where they will face FA Cup winners Crystal Palace at Wembley. They begin the defence of their Premier League title at home against Bournemouth on August 15.
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Premier League 2025-26 preview No 3: Bournemouth
Guardian writers' predicted position: 10th (NB: this is not necessarily Ben Fisher's prediction but the average of our writers' tips) Last season's position: 9th Three months ago, Bournemouth won at Arsenal for the first time to maintain their hopes of qualifying for Europe with three games to go. It was an impressive comeback victory built on set pieces, Dean Huijsen heading the equaliser from Antoine Semenyo's long throw – cue the Chill Guy meme celebration – before Evanilson poked in a scruffy but well-worked winner from a corner. Bournemouth came up short in their quest to play in Europe as a positive season fizzled out after three wins from their final 15 matches. And now three of their back five from that day have departed – Huijsen for Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez for Liverpool and Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was on loan from Chelsea, for Arsenal. The expectation is that Illia Zabarnyi will become the next high-profile exit, with Paris Saint-Germain pushing to sign the 22-year-old. The fact Bournemouth sold Huijsen to Real in a £50m deal after a single season and 36 appearances serves as a reminder of the club's journey across the last decade, and their continued eye for smart business. The thing worth remembering is that while it appears Bournemouth have been decimated, those on the inside recognise this is how their buy-low, sell-high model works. The downside is the breakup of a brilliant, buccaneering defence. Whether Bournemouth can cope with a flurry of key departures remains to be seen but this summer they moved to find a permanent goalkeeping solution in Djordje Petrovic, a £25m signing from Chelsea. Finding a commanding No 1 capable of holding down the position had been a priority after acknowledging the stability rival clubs had gained from making similar moves. Petrovic, who shone on loan at Strasbourg last season, would appear a solid platform on which to build. But for a team that operated with a thin squad last season, it is impossible to shake the sense that starting over represents a daunting task. Andoni Iraola led Bournemouth to 56 points last season, their record tally in the top flight, as they finished ninth, equalling their best finish. His appointment two years ago, driven by the now Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, has proved a masterstroke and last term enhanced the reputation of Iraola, the definition of a hands-on coach, among rivals. The 43-year-old is into the final 12 months of his contract and while he prefers working on rolling contracts, another extension is up in the air. Iraola, who does a good line in self-deprecation, is a self-confessed fidget: he clicks a multi-colour pen throughout interviews and tapes over some of his fingers for superstitious reasons. 'It's stupid,' he said. 'But I have done it for so many years that I continue doing it.' Bournemouth's 80-year-old billionaire owner, Bill Foley, flew from the US in April to formally open the club's £35m state-of-the-art training complex and on the same visit he shared another welcome nugget: he has agreed a deal to buy their Vitality Stadium home, allowing Bournemouth to expand its capacity to about 20,000. The Cherries have been locked into an onerous lease with the property company Structadene, which bought the ground in 2005, then known as Dean Court, for £3.5m, a deal that helped the club avoid administration. Foley – via his Black Knight consortium – added the Portuguese club Moreirense to his stable, which includes investments in Lorient, Hibernian and Auckland FC. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion There was so much noise about Kerkez's departure for Liverpool that the arrival of his replacement, signed before Kerkez officially headed for Anfield, went under the radar. Adrien Truffert has the tools to be a breakout star in the Premier League. Bournemouth sealed the signing of the 23-year-old Belgium-born left-back for an initial £11.4m from Rennes, a fee the Cherries – and some of their top-flight rivals who have tracked the full-back – regard a snip given his profile. Truffert, capped once by France in 2022, was captain of Rennes and made his 150th Ligue 1 appearance in May. Perhaps it is a quirk of fate that as a toddler he lived in Bournemouth for a year with his family. Daniel Adu-Adjei spent the first half of last season on loan at the bottom of League Two, scoring two goals in 17 appearances for relegated Carlisle, so it would be quite the jump if he is involved. The 20-year-old striker, born in Hammersmith to Ghanaian parents, has impressed in pre-season, scoring against Everton, and trained regularly with the first team at the beginning of this year. His father, William, regards Tony Yeboah as one of his closest friends, while Daniel is studying a nutrition course funded by the Professional Footballers' Association, his go-to dish a BBQ pulled chicken burger. 'At Carlisle, I lived by myself and had to cook all my dinners so I learned a lot,' he said. Few players had as satisfying a summer as Alex Scott. Even an awkward face mask, the result of a fractured jaw sustained against Aston Villa in May, could not dampen his spirits. Scott starred for England as Lee Carsley's under-21s won the European Championship in Slovakia, starting all five matches, though he was forced off through injury in the final. Bournemouth paid Bristol City £25m to sign Scott two years ago but his progress has been stop-start and he began only eight matches last season, largely owing to a lengthy knee injury. Scott, 22 this month, is a throwback midfielder, a cute passer with an endearing appetite to get his hands dirty. Everybody is craving to see more of his talent.
Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
AFL coach Simon Goodwin is sensationally SACKED by the Melbourne Demons after a string of controversies and losses
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has been sacked, with the board losing faith in the team's direction. The 48‑year‑old was reportedly told on Monday night after the club's win over the West Coast Eagles. Goodwin's future had been in doubt after opening the season with five straight losses, followed by another five‑game losing streak that crushed their finals chances. He will receive a payout of nearly $1million for next season despite being contracted through 2026. Goodwin has spent much of the past few years navigating a string of controversies that have repeatedly threatened to overshadow his premiership success. In early 2022, reports surfaced that the club board had considered standing him down over allegations of bullying, gambling with players and an incident at the Sorrento Hotel, but a review cleared him to continue. Melbourne Demons coach Simon Goodwin (pictured with wife Kris) has been sacked by the club after a season of poor results and ongoing controversies The Demons had just notched up a big win against the West Coast Eagles before the decision to cut ties with Goodwin Court documents lodged by former president Glen Bartlett and his partner later claimed Goodwin had used illicit drugs and behaved poorly after the 2019 grand final, accusations the coach and the club strongly rejected as unsubstantiated. Goodwin has consistently denied all drug rumours, saying they have damaged his reputation and hurt his family, while CEO Gary Pert has maintained the allegations are false and that the coach retains full board support. In mid‑2025, his handling of player welfare came under scrutiny when he publicly mentioned captain Max Gawn's private struggles, a revelation that reportedly blindsided Gawn and raised questions about internal trust. That came on the heels of a disastrous collapse against St Kilda, when Melbourne blew a 46‑point final‑quarter lead. Around the same time, a threatening social media post about Goodwin was reported to the AFL and police, although it was later revealed to be a hoax. The announcement still came with a degree of shock for Demons fans, after the club notched up a relieving 83-point win over the West Coast Eagles. 'I've said it all along, it's not about me,' Goodwin said after the win. 'It's about the footy team and the footy club and we think we've been building something throughout the year without outcome and sometimes that can be really tough for our supporters and it can be tough for people internally. 'But I'm really clear about what we're building and what we're trying to build and what we're trying to transition into and I can see it unfolding. 'But we need to learn how we turn the process into outcome and today was a part of that, but we've still got work to do.' The Melbourne Demons are 13th on the AFL ladder with a 7-13 record and three rounds left of the regular season. MORE TO FOLLOW
