British number one Katie Boulter edges past Ajla Tomljanovic at Queen's
British number one Katie Boulter battled through her grass court singles season opener to claim a 7-6 (4) 1-6 6-4 victory over Australian qualifier Ajla Tomljanovic at Queen's.
The 28-year-old, who secured a doubles victory alongside compatriot Emma Raducanu on Monday, was broken in her opening game, but found herself in a position to serve for the set after taking a 5-3 advantage.
But Tomljanovic immediately broke back, eventually forcing an opening set tiebreak in which she was edged out by an emphatic winner from Boulter.
Tomljanovic held the first game of the second set before Boulter, who struggled with her first serves, bounced back from a pair of double faults to make it 1-1.
The qualifier then seized control, winning five straight games to force a deciding set, and made it six games in a row when she claimed the first game of the third.
Boulter began to swing the contest in her favour, breaking Tomljanovic's serve three times to make it 5-4 and, with the Australian serving to stay in it, digging deep to see herself through after nearly two-and-a-half hours.
Earlier, Heather Watson set up a second-round meeting with fourth seed and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina after upsetting world number 27 Yulia Putintseva, 107 places above her in the rankings, 6-4 6-3.
Former British number one Watson won all four of her break points to see off her Kazakh opponent in an hour and 22 minutes.
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BBC News
11 minutes ago
- BBC News
Brighton flop to Europe's hot property - is Gyokeres ready for next step?
"I don't think he's the guy," Rio Ferdinand says of Viktor Gyokeres. "I've watched him probably three times really, really closely. And three times I've gone: 'He ain't getting that opportunity in the Prem'."Gyokeres has scored a phenomenal 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting, also contributing 26 assists for the Lisbon Sweden forward averaged more than a goal per game in the season just gone, with 54 in 52 appearances. Yet former Manchester United captain Ferdinand is not convinced Gyokeres, who has been strongly linked with the Red Devils, is a good fit for his old clubs, however, are circling for the former Brighton player after an outstanding couple of seasons with Sporting, where he played under United boss Ruben club president Frederico Varandas says they have not received an offer for the striker and they are also not prepared to let him leave for a rumoured 'gentleman's agreement' of £ addition to his 39 goals in Portugal's Primeira Liga in 2024-25, Gyokeres helped himself to another six in the Champions League - including a hat-trick against Manchester doubts remain over Gyokeres' ability to transfer his prolific form in Portugal to the Premier Premier League winner Ferdinand, speaking on his own podcast, Rio Ferdinand Presents, asks: "Is there enough - after he's physically matched - to get him a goal?"Gyokeres has gone from leaving Brighton without playing a single minute of Premier League football to becoming one of Europe's most prolific marksmen - via loan spells in the Championship at Swansea and Coventry, and in Germany with St who are seeking a clinical finisher to end a five-year wait for a major trophy, have also been linked along with Juventus and Saudi Pro League club how has Gyokeres established himself as one of this summer's hottest transfer targets after leaving Brighton, aged 23, without making a Premier League appearance? The one that got away? Brighton have developed a reputation as masters of the transfer market, renowned for developing young talent and selling them on for hefty January 2019, they signed Alexis Mac Allister from Argentinos Juniors for an undisclosed, but reportedly small fee. The midfielder went on to win the World Cup with Argentina in 2022 before joining Liverpool in a £55m deal in Moises Caicedo signed from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for £4m in 2021. Two years later he joined Chelsea in a deal worth a British record £ however, is failed to make the grade, Brighton allowed him to join Coventry for a small fee in July 2021 after an unspectacular return of three goals in 19 Championship appearances during a loan spell with the Sky years later he went to Sporting for £20.5m after scoring 38 times in 91 league games across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 playing in Lisbon, Gyokeres has scaled new heights and he is reportedly now valued by the Portuguese champions at £ has also performed on the international stage as part of an exciting attacking line-up for Sweden, alongside Newcastle's Alexander Isak and Tottenham's Dejan scored nine goals in six games for his country - including four in one match against Azerbaijan - in the 2024-25 Nations it is not just his goals that have earned him attention. Gyokeres is known for his intelligent movement and intense work-rate, while his blend of physical strength, technical skill and tactical awareness have earned him admiring glances from is a creator as well as a goalscorer, with a lot of his chance creation coming from his love of running with the Gyokeres the one that got away as far as Brighton are concerned?"Players develop at different rates," Brighton's long-serving chief executive Paul Barber told The Athletic, external last November."In 2021, when Viktor was transferred to Coventry, his pathway here wasn't clear and, with his contract running down, he wanted a permanent home."We have to accept the decision to sell for what it was at that time - right for the player, and right for the club."What Viktor has gone on to do is fantastic." 'Viktor, pass the ball. Pass' Gyokeres' former team-mates and coaches remember a young boy who cried when he lost. They talk about a "stubborn kid" who was "wild, really aggressive" and would occasionally come to blows with team-mates. "I remember the older players were sometimes telling him to calm down a little bit, because he was always going all-in," Magni Fannberg, who handed Gyokeres his first-team debut for Swedish club Brommapojkarna in 2015, told the Times., externalThere are stories about Gyokeres' single-mindedness, focus and Sandberg Magnusson, who played with Gyokeres at Brommapojkarna, adds: "There was one training session I was screaming at him, 'Viktor, pass the ball. Pass'. And he didn't [look at] me. I was so frustrated."David Eklund, academy scout at the club, tells BBC Sport: "He was never a superstar like Dejan Kulusevski [another Brommapojkarna youth product]. But he scored goals. That's it."He had a strong mentality but he's a really nice guy. He always worked hard and had the idea of being a top player, training every day. He wanted to prove people wrong."Dennis Lawrence, who was part of Mark Robins' backroom staff at Coventry when Gyokeres was there, says: "I had to laugh the other day when I saw he scored a free-kick for Sporting. At Coventry, he would try free-kicks [in training] and I would say, 'No, you're not on free-kicks, Viktor'."But his mentality is, 'no, I know I can do this.' "And he's scoring these incredible free-kicks now. He's got that ability to focus on and achieve anything he wants."It all started on the gravel pitches of his local grassroots club in Stockholm, IFK Aspudden-Tellus. Gyokeres was five at the time and he credits his father, Stefan, in his development. "Making that journey together helped me a lot. We'd share good and bad moments," says Gyokeres, who has since gone on to make a big impression - on and off the he was the cover star for Vogue Scandinavia, who described the player as Swedish football's "pride and glory". Will Gyokeres flourish in a tougher league? Take a glance at the list of leading goalscorers in Europe's top leagues in 2024-25 and the usual suspects are there. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe managed 31 in his debut season in La Liga, Mohamed Salah contributed 29 goals as Liverpool claimed the Premier League crown, while Robert Lewandowski finished on 27 during Barcelona's title-winning season - one more than England captain Harry Kane's tally for Bayern who is 6ft 2in (1.89m), managed 39, though the Primeira Liga is not considered one of the top five leagues in question for suitors is whether he could be quite so prolific in a stronger league. He has just turned 27 and is still to play a single game in Europe's top five divisions - hence Ferdinand's is perhaps worth noting 35% of his goals in 2024-25 came from penalties, as he successfully converted all 19 of his he move to Old Trafford he may have to rely more on open-play goals as he would be unlikely to dislodge Bruno Fernandes as penalty-taker. United's captain rarely makes a mistake from 12 yards, scoring 38 of 42 spot-kicks since joining, excluding little denying that Gyokeres is a goalscorer, but will he be such a success against elite-level defences?
Telegraph
13 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Freddie Burns interview: Bath fans remember me as a t--- so I'm supporting Leicester
He has just returned to his hometown of Bath, having swept the board at the Japanese League One awards, but Freddie Burns insists he has no mixed loyalties ahead of the Premiership final on Saturday. The former England fly-half had once grown up dreaming of playing at the Rec, and managed that feat for three seasons, having signed for Bath in 2017. Yet it was his heroics in the 2022 final, when he dropped the match-winning goal for Leicester Tigers in their 15-12 victory against Saracens that copper-fastened his sense of loyalty. 'I just feel more connected to Leicester,' says the 35-year-old. 'There is something special about Leicester, something different. I had great support from the Bath fans as well, but once you help a team win the Premiership that changes things. 'Bath fans probably remember me as the t--- who dropped the ball over the line, whereas the Leicester fans see me as the guy who kicked the drop-goal for them. That probably sums it up, mate.' The costly blunder he refers to came in a Champions Cup match for Bath against Toulouse in 2018, when he started celebrating a 'try' before touching the ball down. Humiliation followed seconds later as Maxime Médard took full advantage of Burns's showboating by knocking the ball out of his hands. Five minutes to go... Chance to win the game... "Oh he's dropped it!" A brutal moment for Bath star Freddie Burns 😣 — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) October 13, 2018 They were underwhelming times for Bath – and for Burns, too. But at Leicester he found himself again when he returned for a second spell at the club in 2021 with Steve Borthwick as director of rugby. He recalls the time when his match-winning cameo for England against the All Blacks at Twickenham in 2012 suggested a dazzling Test career lay ahead of him. After a decade of frustration, when he found himself thrust into centre stage in the final against Saracens after just 24 minutes when George Ford was forced off with an Achilles injury, he was determined to seize the moment. 'I still remember the look on Steve Borthwick's face when George went down,' Burns says with a chuckle. 'He ran from the top of the stands down to try to get a message on. I think everyone was thinking, 'Oh f---, Fred's going on, what is going to happen?' But I always felt through my career, I always thrived in those bigger games. I remember seeing a few things in the first 20 minutes when I thought if we were a little bit braver, there would be a few opportunities for us.' The magnitude of the dropped-goal only hit him for the first time on the train up to Leicester with his parents to watch the semi-final victory over Sale Sharks last Saturday. 'I have always hated sitting in the pocket,' he says. 'I never liked those 10s who were happy to drop back deep for a few phases. Any drop-goals I have hit in my career, I have always hit them last-minute. 'We had a few phases, and I felt like we had Sarries on the ropes for a bit. All I remember is seeing Jasper Wiese running over Jamie George and Maro Itoje and as soon as I saw that and it gave us a little nudge forward, I knew I had to hit it. 'I didn't want to wait too long in case we got turned over. I am not religious or spiritual in any way, but it was the only time in my career that I felt there was something else at play. It felt like it was meant to be. I didn't feel stressed or nervous. It was like something else took over. 'I was completely taken aback by the reception I got last Saturday when I went back. I cop a lot of flak from the boys, but I don't think it is a moment that will ever quite sink in.' THE GREATEST MOMENT IN FREDDIE BURNS' LIFE! 🤩 Comes on to replace an injured George Ford, picks up an injury himself, soldiers on, and kicks the drop-goal to win the match 🤯 Simply incredible! #GallagherPremFinal — Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 18, 2022 He showed his colours while standing on a bridge to watch the 'Tigers' prowl' as the players walked to the stadium and was handed a green flare to let off by the club's chief executive, Andrea Pinchen. 'I just hoped Dan Cole would see me because I knew he would have muttered something like what I nutter I was,' he adds. 'I might have to sneak another flare in this Saturday.' On Saturday Burns is working for Talksport as a pundit and, having returned from Japan, where he won all the second division awards – most valuable player, player's player of the season, top try-scorer and top points-scorer for Toyota Shokki Shuttles – he hopes to keep playing on next season. He could even end up in the Premiership again at some stage. Does he think Leicester can upset the odds once more? Under the stewardship of Johann van Graan, Bath have been transformed into an English powerhouse again and Burns finds himself supporting the underdogs in Saturday's final, but he is adamant that Michael Cheika's side can repeat the 2022 triumph. 'Look in some ways I am in a win-win situation,' he says. 'If Bath win, I would be really pleased for guys like Tom Dunn and Charlie Ewels, who I played with. But on the flip side, there are guys like Ben Youngs, Dan Cole and Julian Montoya who are finishing up with the Tigers and I would love to see them have a great send-off. 'I think it is Bath's final to lose. But look at last year. I thought Northampton were the best team in the league last year, and they probably should have lost to Bath, who were the better team on the day. 'I think the defensive side of Leicester has improved massively in the latter part of the season and they can definitely cause an upset.'
The Sun
14 minutes ago
- The 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 EXCLUSIVELY reveal. 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. Today, 05:00 By Ian Tuckey 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. Today, 04:30 By Ian Tuckey 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. Today, 03:00 By Ian Tuckey '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 considering going on strike to force through a dream move to United or Arsenal. Gyokeres, 27, is furious with Sporting for going back on their word over a transfer promise to him and plans not to play for the club again. 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.' Today, 01:00 By Ian Tuckey 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 Borussia Dortmund winger is back at Manchester United after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. Manager Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate Sancho back into his first team – meaning the 25-year-old is searching for a fresh start. And SunSport understands Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring developments. 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, but they've now opted for Jobe Bellingham. Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Sancho couldn't seal a £25million switch to Chelsea. 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. 11th Jun 2025, 00:16 By Ian Tuckey 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. Petrovic, 25, enjoyed a successful loan stint at Strasbourg this past season and recently returned to the Blues' squad. 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 The Telegraph, that is why the Serbia international asked to be omitted from manager Enzo Maresca's squad for the Club World Cup. Chelsea chiefs understand Petrovic's position and thus relations between the player and the club remain good. 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 - West Ham being one of them - as well as teams from Europe. 11th Jun 2025, 00:14 By Ian Tuckey 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. 11th Jun 2025, 00:09 By Ian Tuckey 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.' 11th Jun 2025, 23:42 By Ian Tuckey 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 know Marc because I coached him when he was younger. "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.' 11th Jun 2025, 23:29 By Ian Tuckey 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. 11th Jun 2025, 22:57 By Ian Tuckey 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 Manchester United supporters. 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. 11th Jun 2025, 22:35 By Ian Tuckey 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. 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." 11th Jun 2025, 22:15 By Ian Tuckey 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 £127million deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz. And they are prepared to battle Bayern Munich for £100m-rated winger Barcola, 22. Liverpool have also not given up all hope of prising Alexander Isak away from Newcastle. Kop chiefs would still love 23-goal Isak to lead their new-look frontline. 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 PSG. The Anfield giants have already spent £29.5m on Wirtz's Leverkusen team-mate, defender Jeremie Frimpong, 24, with another £40m-plus earmarked for Bournemouth's 21-year-old left-back Milos Kerkez. 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. By Ian Tuckey 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. 11th Jun 2025, 21:26 By Ian Tuckey 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. 11th Jun 2025, 21:19 By Ian Tuckey 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 considering going on strike to force through a dream move to United or Arsenal. Gyokeres, 27, is furious with Sporting for going back on their word over a transfer promise to him and plans not to play for the club again. 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.' 11th Jun 2025, 21:15 By Ian Tuckey 'Prem clubs queue for Sancho' EXCLUSIVE: Three Premier League clubs are battling to sign Jadon Sancho, SunSport can reveal, writes HENRY TOMLINSON. The former Borussia Dortmund winger is back at Manchester United after Chelsea rejected the chance to make his move permanent. Manager Ruben Amorim has no plans to integrate Sancho back into his first team - meaning the 25-year-old is searching for a fresh start. And SunSport understands Aston Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle are all monitoring developments. 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, but they've now opted for Jobe Bellingham. Despite netting in the 4-1 Europa Conference League final win over Real Betis, Sancho couldn't seal a £25million switch to Chelsea. 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. 11th Jun 2025, 21:02 By Ian Tuckey 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. 11th Jun 2025, 19:24 By Ian Tuckey 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. 11th Jun 2025, 19:17 By Ian Tuckey 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. 11th Jun 2025, 18:42 By Ian Tuckey 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." 11th Jun 2025, 18:25 By Ian Tuckey 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.
