Offalyness and Ulster derbies - the RTÉ GAA Podcast
Jacqui Hurley and Rory O'Neill are joined by former Kilkenny star Jackie Tyrrell and ex-Offaly forward Nigel Dunne to look ahead to the weekend's Gaelic football and hurling championship action.
League champions and former All-Ireland favourites Cork need a result against Waterford to avoid a Munster SHC stage exit while Dublin and Galway meet for what is effectively a Leinster semi-final.
In football, there are two tasty Ulster derbies in the shape of Donegal v Tyrone and Armagh v Derry while Leinster finalists Louth and Meath are back in action, against Monaghan and Cork respectively.
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The Irish Sun
34 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Transfer news LIVE: Liverpool in for Barcola EXCLUSIVE, Chelsea urged to sign Guehi, Prem clubs queue for Sancho
THE thrills and spills of the summer transfer window are well underway with some huge deals in the pipeline. Liverpool are set to swoop for PSG star Bradley Barcloa SunSport can Elsewhere, Chelsea have been urged to sign Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi And Premier League clubs are queuing for Jadon Sancho's signature after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. Follow ALL the latest news, moves and completed deals with our live blog below... By Elanga back on radar Arsenal are tipped to show serious interest in ex-Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga. The £60million-rated Swede was outstanding for Nottingham Forest this season. The 23-year-old notched six goals and 11 assists as a Premier League ever-present, helping Nuno Espirito Santo's men finish seventh. TBR Football claim Arsenal are just one of the Prem rivals keen on the pacy attacker. Copy link Copied By Gunners and Chelsea face Williams fight Athletic Bilbao are trying hard to persuade Arsenal target Nico Williams to sign a new deal. Spain's Euro 2024 has long-been the Gunners' preferred option as a new winger. But Chelsea and Bayern Munich are also reportedly monitoring the 22-year-old. Williams is under contract until 2027, with a reported £40m release clause. Reports in Spain suggest that fee is a stumbling block. And now it's claimed Athletic are working harder than ever to extend their star man's stay. Copy link Copied By 'Blackmail and insults won't work' Sporting's president has furiously hit back at Manchester United target Victor Gyokeres saying: 'Threats and blackmail don't work,' writes MARTIN BLACKBURN . The Sweden striker is He believes he had a gentleman's agreement to leave the Portuguese giants for £50million with a further £8million in add-ons but that claim has been rubbished by president Frederico Varandas. And the Sporting chief insists he will not be bullied into letting the ex-Coventry forward move to the Prem on the cheap this summer. Varandas said: 'Sporting will not accept blackmail and insults – you should know me better by now. 'One thing is certain, we will not accept £50m plus £8m. As of now, Sporting has not received any bids for Gyokeres. 'He is a fantastic professional, to this day he has had zero offers. He has a three-year contract with Sporting.' Copy link Copied By Villa, Spurs and Toon keen on Jadon EXCLUSIVE: Three Premier League clubs are battling to sign Jadon Sancho, SunSport can reveal, writes HENRY TOMLINSON . The former Manager And SunSport understands Villa are thought to be keen on a loan deal for the player, but United would prefer cash to free up funds for a rebuild. Newcastle and Tottenham both see Sancho as a strong option as they look to build squads that can compete in the League and the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund were also tracking Sancho, Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Chelsea had initially loaned Sancho from United and had agreed to buy him for £25million, unless they dropped below 14th or coughed up a £5m penalty clause. Copy link Copied By Djorde stays at home to help move away Chelsea's Djordje Petrovic asked to be left out of the Club World Cup squad to focus on his future. And following his impressive performances in Ligue 1 the goalkeeper wants to be a guaranteed starter, something the West Londoners cannot offer him. According to Thus, both parties agreed that Petrovic would be best served trying to sort out his future instead of travelling to the US. And should the keeper fail to secure a permanent move away to another club that meets his demands then he will rejoin Chelsea for pre-season training in July. Strasbourg have expressed an interest in signing the Serbian permanently this summer. However, there is also interest from various Premier League sides - Copy link Copied By Foxes 'turn down Norwich bid for keeper' Leicester have reportedly rebuffed an initial Norwich bid for keeper Jakub Stolarczyk. The Pole, 24, has struggled for game time since arriving at the King Power Stadium four years ago. Copy link Copied By Cherries pal tips Milos for Liverpool Justin Kluivert believes Bournemouth team-mate Milos Kerkez will "probably" join Liverpool. Hungary star Kerkez is tipped to end the Reds' search for a long-term successor to Andy Robertson at left-back. And Dutch winger Kluivert told Voetbal Primeur: 'He'll probably go there. I hope so for him. 'He hasn't really said goodbye yet, but I hope he'll make it happen there.' Copy link Copied By Chelsea urged to go for Guehi Chelsea have been urged to pursue Marc Guehi. Ex-Blues striker Tore Andre Flo coached Crystal Palace's England centre-back when he was at Stamford Bridge from 2019-2021. But Gueho never broke into the first team, being loaned to Swansea before a permanent move to Palace. The ex-Norway, Sunderland and Leeds star told "I worked for the academy for a few years. He's a great boy and I would love for him to be at Chelsea. 'He's such a strong defender. He's quick and he would fight for you and for the club. "That would be a very good signing.' Copy link Copied By Modric set for Milan Real Madrid legend Luka Modric will reportedly sign for AC Milan soon after the Club World Cup. The Croatia and ex-Spurs midfielder, 39, is a six-time Champions League winner. Sky Sports say Modric will undertake a medical but play for Real during the CWC. He'll then switch to his first spell in Italy. Copy link Copied By Broadcasting boost for Prem clubs Premier League chiefs have axed a little-known broadcasting rule ahead of next season, writes ALEX SMITH . There have been restrictions in place to stop youth-team matches being shown at the same time as senior top-flight games. But that blackout has reportedly been lifted for the 2025/26 campaign. Under-21 games in the Premier League 2 can now be live streamed even if they clash with fixtures on Sky Sports or TNT Sports. Official club channels are ready to "take the lead" in showing the action. But there are rumours of a TV deal in the coming years should viewing figures be significant. The rule change is a major boost for football fans up and down the country - especially Viewers have long complained about MUTV not showing enough youth-team fixtures live. Just 14 of 35 Under-21 games were shown last season and just eight of those were Premier League 2 clashes. Copy link Copied By Rashford hits back at online critic Marcus Rashford appeared more than frustrated when a fan responded negatively to an upbeat message from the star on Instagram. The Manchester United striker's future is unclear after his successful loan with Aston Villa. Credit: Getty But there have been tentative links with Barcelona - rated his dream destination. Rashford posted a video of himself going through a training routine. He added the words: "Feeling better again" - along with a grinning emoji. But when the clip was re-posted, one social media user responded: "Every pre-season he does these photo shoots but then goes to see boxing matches half way round the world days before important matches! "Makes no sense if you are feeling good one month before the season starts." The fan didn't back up his suggestion But Rashford replied online: "I'm feeling good because I'm now injury free pal." Copy link Copied By Kop in for PSG ace Barcola EXCLUSIVE: Liverpool are set to swoop for Paris Saint-Germain star Bradley Barcola — pushing their summer spending over £300MILLION, writes DAN KING . The Premier League champs intend to spend big on another attacker even after they complete a British-transfer record And they are prepared to battle But if the Toon insist on a fee of around £150m for the 25-year-old Sweden international, Liverpool will bow out and look for an alternative. And Barcola has emerged as a spectacular Plan B after doubts emerged over his future with Champions League winners The Anfield giants have already spent £29.5m on Wirtz's Leverkusen team-mate, defender But it is the prospect of Barcola teaming up with Wirtz, 22, and Anfield icon Mo Salah, 32, which will have fans pinching themselves. Barcola, who is Bayern's No 1 target, is no longer part of PSG's first-choice front three. Copy link Copied By Gunners linked to '£60m Elanga' Arsenal are tipped to step up interest in ex-Manchester United winger Anthony Elanga. The £60million-rated Swede was outstanding for Nottingham Forest this season. The 23-year-old notched six goals and 11 assists as a Premier League ever-present, helping Nuno Espirito Santo's men finish seventh. TBR Football claim Arsenal are just one of the Prem rivals keen on the pacy attacker. Forest ace Anthony Elanga now has 22 caps for Sweden Credit: EPA Copy link Copied By Ex-Utd midfielder set for Marseille Marseille say ex-Manchester United midfielder Angel Gomes has agreed a deal in principle to join them. The four-cap Englishman, 24, has been a big success with Lille. But he's certain to leave on a free transfer in the summer. And he appears certain for a reunion with ex-Red Devils striker Mason Greenwood at Lille's French rivals Marseille. Sky Sports believe Gomes will sign a three-year deal. Copy link Copied By Sporting warn Viktor Sporting's president has furiously hit back at Manchester United target Victor Gyokeres saying: "Threats and blackmail don't work," writes MARTIN BLACKBURN . The Sweden striker is He believes he had a gentleman's agreement to leave the Portuguese giants for £50million with a further £8million in add-ons but that claim has been rubbished by president Frederico Varandas. And the Sporting chief insists he will not be bullied into letting the ex-Coventry forward move to the Prem on the cheap this summer. Varandas said: 'Sporting will not accept blackmail and insults – you should know me better by now. 'One thing is certain, we will not accept £50m plus £8m. As of now, Sporting has not received any bids for Gyokeres. "He is a fantastic professional, to this day he has had zero offers. He has a three-year contract with Sporting.' Copy link Copied By 'Prem clubs queue for Sancho' EXCLUSIVE: Three Premier League clubs are battling to sign Jadon Sancho, SunSport can reveal, writes HENRY TOMLINSON . The former Manager And SunSport understands Villa are thought to be keen on a loan deal for the player, but United would prefer cash to free up funds for a rebuild. Newcastle and Tottenham both see Sancho as a strong option as they look to build squads that can compete in the League and the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund were also tracking Sancho, Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Chelsea had initially loaned Sancho from United and had agreed to buy him for £25million, unless they dropped below 14th or coughed up a £5m penalty clause. Copy link Copied By Zubimendi worth more than £51m Reports in Spain are claiming that Arsenal will pay Real Sociedad MORE than his £51m release clause to seal the deal. The Gunners have faced competition from Real Madrid for Zubimendi's signature, but appear to be set to sign the midfielder in the coming weeks. Spainish outlet AS claim that Arsenal will instead pay just shy of £60m spread over three instalments. Copy link Copied By Pep pips Gunners to Nypan Manchester City look to have beaten off Arsenal and Aston Villa to the signature of Norwegian starlet Sverre Nypan. The Etihad club insisted they were not interested in the Rosenborg midfielder, 18, earlier this year but they have now made their move. An £11 million deal is being finalised but the plan would be to send him out on loan next season – possibly to sister club Girona. Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Copy link Copied By Brighton to seal Babis deal Greek wonderkid Babis Kostoulas is undergoing a Brighton medical. SunSport's KOSTAS LIANOS says: "Final deal between #BHAFC and Olympiacos is €35m (£29.7m) with €2m (£1.7m) in add-ons. "Kostoulas will sign five-year deal and will soon join Fabian Hurzeler's team for pre-season." The striker, 18, was eyed by Arsenal and Manchester United. He's already been already been compared to Argentine legend Gabriel Batistuta. Copy link Copied By Dortmund play down Sancho reunion talk Jadon Sancho's transfer saga deepened tonight. The Manchester United winger, 25, has been on loan at Chelsea. But Sancho and the Blues failed to agree terms over a permanent deal. Now the 23-cap Englishman's former club Borussia Dortmund have dampened talk of a reunion. Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said: "Of course, contact with Jadon is always there, in some way, because we have a very long history. "We have other priorities at the moment, and therefore the Sancho issue may have been played more in the media than discussed internally." Copy link Copied By Germans keen on Liverpool defender Bayer Leverkusen are interested in Liverpool centre-back Jarell Quansah - as Florian Wirtz prepares to go the opposite way. Quansah, 22, has also been linked with Newcastle. Liverpool reportedly value the former England Under-21 star at around £30million. Sky Sports say any move for Quansah would be separate from the Reds' looming deal for German attacking midfielder Wirtz. Copy link Copied By You won't get a Devil of a bargain Man Utd are ready to stay 'resolute' when it comes to the valuations of players they expect to leave this summer. The Red Devils are set to shift on a number of big name players with raising funds one objective for the board in the coming weeks and months. According to Ben Jacobs, United are willing to sell Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Antony to bring in some cash. But the Old Trafford top brass want to ensure they are getting the right fee for each player and won't sell just for the sake of getting the stars off the books. Copy link Copied By Open and shut case for transfers This unusual two-part summer transfer window has seen its first half come to an end. The reason this year's summer market is different is the revamped Club World Cup, which will begin this coming Sunday. To accommodate clubs wanting to sign players ahead of the controversial tournament, the transfer window opened early on June 1. But due to FIFA's rules stipulating the transfer windows in a calendar year when combined cannot be greater than 16 weeks, a break had to be inserted – therefore the first window closed tonight at 7pm BST. The initial 10-day period applied only to the 20 national associations with teams playing in the Club World Cup to allow them to register players for the group stages of the competition. That includes England, with Manchester City and Chelsea set to compete in the tournament. The summer transfer window reopens on June 16 and will remain open until September 1. Teams participating in the Club World Cup who sign players from this date can register them for the knockout stages of the competition. Copy link Copied By Mini window shuts tonight The mini transfer window will slam shut this evening at 7pm. But it will reopen before the start of the Premier League season. Clubs will be able to be active again from June 16. It will then shut again for the summer on September 1. Copy link Copied By Top Arsenal and Man Utd target 'wants transfer' Viktor Gyokeres has reportedly made it clear he wants to leave Sporting Lisbon. The in-demand striker believes it id the right time to move on and make the next step. The claims have come from Portuguese outlet A Bola, which revealed he had better proposals last summer before choosing to stay. The Swede is heavily linked with Manchester United but Arsenal have also been tipped with an interest. The Gunners could move for the striker should they miss out on Benjamin Sesko. Copy link Copied 1 …
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Nine big questions ahead of a blockbuster weekend of Sam Maguire Series drama
There are eight seismic fixtures taking place in the final round of the Sam Maguire group stages. It also signals the end of this current system. The group phase will be abolished after this year with a new qualifier-style format in place next year. Several intercounty managers have criticised this move, which was voted on at Congress last February. Was it the right call? This is just one of many big questions ahead of a blockbuster weekend. Should we get rid of this format? All-Ireland winning manager Kieran McGeeney is adamant that the GAA made the wrong move. Galway boss Pádraic Joyce and Wicklow's Oisín McConville have said similar. 'It is great this year,' agreed former Mayo manager James Horan on the Irish Examiner's Gaelic football podcast. 'Everything seems to be working right this year, with rules and everything else. It is all combining and working out ok. Should we get rid of it? If you take this year on its own, you would say no but what were we saying this time last year or the year before that? Too many games etc. Overall, the sample size of one year isn't enough to make a decision. Changing it might be the right play.' Next year, the last 16 will play in a Round 1 with provincial finals and league positions still determining placings. They will then be divided into Round 2A and 2B. Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney feels the GAA made the wrong move with the current format. File picture: Ryan Byrne/Inpho The eight Round 1 winners will comprise Round 2A with the victors advancing to the All-Ireland quarter-finals. The losers will meet the winners of the losers' stage in Round 2B to fill the remain four places in the last eight. 'I would get rid of it,' agreed Paul Rouse on the Examiner podcast. 'I think it's worth trying the new one.' How will Cork defend? Roscommon's front six against Meath was frightening. Dylan Ruane, Ciaráin Murtagh, Enda Smith, Diarmuid Murtagh, Daire Cregg and Ben O'Carroll all started and scored. Cork must combat that threat. Enda Smith didn't have a shot in his previous two games against Galway or Kerry but he caught fire in Dr Hyde Park, kicking three two-pointers from four attempts. Ben O'Carroll is their leading assister in championship as well as scoring 1-10 from play. They are the priority. 'Traditionally I was man-on-man everywhere; it evolved over time,' said Horan. Cork will take on Roscommon in Round 3 of the All-Ireland SFC. File picture: Tom Beary/Sportsfile 'I haven't coached with the new rules yet but in games in the past we had very good man-markers to go specific on an influential player for the opposition. But players are so smart now, they go ahead of the ball, get their marker and pull him out past the ball to create little zones for players to run through. 'If I'm centre-half back and Ben O'Carroll is there, running out away from the ball where you know he isn't really a shooting risk even if he gets the play, I am not moving away from the direction of the ball. On those occasions, you let him go and hold strong.' Do Kerry need to chase two-pointers? After a league lacking in orange flags, Kerry kicked seven two-pointers last time out. Plenty of that was due to officiating and two-point frees. From play, they converted three of six attempts. Meath consistently shoot from outside the arc, converting five against Roscommon. Don't expect Kerry to go chasing them, but they will create opportunities for David Clifford and Sean O'Shea. Who is the leading contender for Player of the Year? The current favourite remains David Clifford or his brother, Paudie. Michael Murphy is nearby. That says as much about their All-Ireland ambitions as it does their form. Right now, as we begin to move towards knockout football, who else has impressed? 'Conor Glass for the sheer majesty of his performance against Galway,' said Rouse. Once again, Kingdom talisman David Clifford is one of the hot favourites to be crowned the Player of the Year. File picture: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile James Horan went for Armagh's Oisin Conaty: 'When did he get to this level? I think he has been absolutely amazing. That left footed point the last day, took the ball running away from goal and ran around a few, that is a serious level this guy is operating at now consistently.' Galway's Matthew Thompson is the current runaway favourite for Young Footballer of the Year. Can a player survive in the new rules without pace? 'They will struggle,' according to Galway boss Joyce. 'That has been the case at intercounty over the last few years. Unless you have pace, you will struggle. Probably more so now. 'You are going away from the traditional positions on the pitch. It is three back, eight workhorses in the middle and three up top. When the ball goes up, you need your wing-backs and wing-forwards coming at pace up the pitch and being able to control the ball at high speed.' Do you need height? In a late blitz, Mayo made widespread late changes. Sean Morahan came in at full-back. Even without Donnacha McHugh, David McBrien was able to operate further out the pitch and let Morahan take Mark Bradley, with Jack Coyne on Darragh Canavan and Enda Hession on Darren McCurry. Cathal McShane's departure has left Tyrone struggling for height in attack. File picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile Tyrone's lack of height inside made it easier to defend against them. The news last month that Cathal McShane had stepped away from the panel has left a void. Can Clare throw a spanner in the works? Eight games without a win. Clare's history in this version of the All-Ireland SFC is not good. However, they now face Leinster champions Louth, who lost their last two since a historic outing in Croke Park. Are Down the kickout innovators? Ronan Burns has been in sensational form for Down. He made two point blank saves from Daire Ó Baoill and Aaron Doherty against Donegal. The 20-year-old has remarkable variety with his kickouts, getting a whole host of them off short despite the new limitation on the ball having to travel outside the arc. 'They are getting away a high percentage of kickouts for sure but the way I look at it, the press that was put on for some of those was watery at best,' said Horan. 'It would spur you on as an opposition. Maybe set a trap, let them have a few and go in for the smash. The kickouts, I don't think that much has happened yet. It is bog standard, an overload here and a run there. We are at the early stages.' Can Mayo get after Donegal in the middle? Colm Reape went long with every kickout against Tyrone. Donegal have shown a huge reliance on Michael Murphy for restarts and Shaun Patton's fitness is a live concern. Personnel will dictate so much on Sunday. Patton, Jason McGee, Donnacha McHugh and Diarmuid O'Connor are required for their respective teams.
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Bulls need to keep the rag to beat Leinster
It didn't affect the results of their previous two meetings but Bulls figure they must be more disciplined than ever against Leinster in Saturday's URC final. Jake White's men finished second in the table behind Leinster but are bottom of the log when it comes to discipline. They had 16 players sin-binned and four red-carded, while Leo Cullen's men have had just four yellow cards against them after 20 games. The South Africans also overcame a yellow card in last season's semi-final against Leinster to prevail, while they survived a late red card in this season's round 13 game to win it at the death. In addition, they were also able to see off the Sharks last weekend, 25-13, despite having three players in the bin at various stages. While it may appear that their run-ins with the officials may be more a feature than a bug, Marcel Coetzee reckons improvement in that area is a must if they are to turn Leinster over for a fifth time in seven URC meetings at Croke Park this weekend. "I think it's something we addressed as a squad, you know," said the back row, who played for Ulster between 2016 and 2021. "It just makes things harder for you, and playing against a quality side like Leinster, you can't afford to have one guy in the bin or two guys in the bin. "You need all the feet on the pitch and it's going to take work rate to stop their onslaught, so we don't want to let the guy next to you down by being reckless and stuff. "So yeah, in soft moments we need to up our game and just keep building on our DNA that's been working for us this whole season." Bulls knocked Leinster out at the semi-final stage in 2022 and 2024 and 34-year-old Coetzee says they had a Grand Final meeting with the eight-time champions somewhere in the back of their minds. "It's a winning machine and they back their systems" "They're a championship side so they'll always be in the running, in the play-offs, they are always at the top of the log and you have to respect that," said Coetzee, who has 31 Springboks caps. "It's a winning machine and they back their systems and their structures. "Yes, that was a saying from coach Jake early in the season but you know play-offs, anything could have happened, it just so happens that the first team gets to go to the final and the second team gets to play them in the final. "Look, it's all excitement, it's all enjoyment. "We played each other a couple of times in the seasons prior to this and we know each other very well, and I think that's just going to make the contest more exciting this weekend." The Pretoria-based side will become the second South African team to play at Croke Park, the home of the GAA, after the Springboks lost to Ireland there in 2009. Coeztee said: "From what I've heard it's a very special place. It's got a great atmosphere when the crowds attend. "We talk about a special final, what a special event to play in. We at the Bulls are looking forward to the challenge.
