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The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
Chelsea sign 19-year-old Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax
Chelsea have completed the signing of Netherlands defender Jorrel Hato from Ajax in a deal worth a reported £37million. The 19-year-old, who has been capped six times by his country, has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge. He becomes the Blue s' eighth signing of the summer transfer window. 'I'm very excited, I'm so happy to be here,' Hato, who can operate in central defence or at left-back, told the Premier League club's website. 'I thought a lot about my future and wanted to take the next step in my career. Chelsea is the best place for me to do that so I'm very happy.' Hato joined Ajax's academy from hometown club Sparta Rotterdam in 2018 and signed his first professional contract aged 16 four years later. He scored four goals in 111 appearances for the Eredivisie giants, with his international debut coming as a substitute in a 6–0 win against Gibraltar in November 2023. Club World Cup champions Chelsea begin the new top-flight season on Sunday, August 17 at home to London rivals Crystal Palace.
The Independent
a few seconds ago
- The Independent
England forced into final-day decider despite Joe Root and Harry Brook tons
Joe Root and Harry Brook hit what looked to be series-clinching centuries in England's classic fifth Test decider before India stormed back to set up an agonising day five finish. Facing a towering target of 374 at the Kia Oval, England looked to be home and dry on 301 for three but Brook (111) and Root (105) both stumbled with victory in sight. Jacob Bethell also fell to a dreadful shot as they faltered to 339 for six when bad light and rain intervened – needing another 35 amid unbearable tension and increasingly unplayable bowling. They had been all set to peel off perhaps the most audacious chase of the Bazball era, and the second highest in their history, with apparent ease when they fell foul of a nasty twist in the tale. Jamie Smith and Jamie Overton will be the men at the frontline on Monday morning, with the live prospect of Chris Woakes being needed to bat at number 11 with a badly dislocated shoulder. England's late stumble started when Brook threw his bat and wicket away, hurling the kitchen sink at Akash Deep and skying a catch to mid-off. Then the jittery Bethell produced an ugly swipe to drag down his stumps, before Root succumbed to spiralling tension under leaden skies. An India team who looked like they had thrown in the towel a couple of hours earlier were now flying, working Root over with a series of big lbw appeals then having him caught behind for 105 as the pressure got to the calmest player in the England set-up. Things had been following an entirely different script as he Brook shared a 195-run stand and Root looked primed for the central role. Upon reaching his 39th Test ton, Root produced a white headband featuring Graham Thorpe's name and likeness and wore it while looking to the skies. Thorpe, one of Root's batting mentors, took his own life last year and the headbands have raised more than £150,000 for the MIND charity this week. India now have a chance to leave with a 2-2 draw and avoid a bitter case of deja vu. Having watched England make 378 for three at Edgbaston in 2022 and 373 for five at Headingley in the first match of this series, they were in grimly familiar territory as Brook and Root feasted. India dismissing Zak Crawley with the last act of Saturday evening and made a promising start by removing Ben Duckett (54) and Ollie Pope (27) to make it 106 for three in a testing morning session. Prasidh Krishna, gamely filling the considerable boots of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, came desperately close to pinning Root lbw for just three but saw a huge appeal rejected. There was no DRS call and although ball-tracking showed it clipping leg stump, it would not have been enough to overturn the decision. India's fielders were chirpy as Brook stepped to the middle but his arrival 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 Deep before a near miss at fine-leg, risking his wicket but picking up six more as a mortified Siraj carried a catch over the boundary rope. A combination of defensive fields, passive captaincy and tired bodies left India short of answers as Brook and Root ruthlessly milked the situation, scoring a steady stream of low-risk runs and waiting for the chance to hit fours. A ragged full toss from Ravindra Jadeja and a woeful misfield from Deep, who kicked the ball over the ropes after declining to use his hands, suggested the game was up as the required runs dropped to double figures. Brook looked to speed up after reaching a well-deserved hundred, lashing Deep for back-to-back fours, but chipped a bizarre catch to mid-off as he launched his bat in the opposite direction. It was now England's turn to have a crisis of confidence. Root took tea on 98 and safely ticked off his hundred, but the sense of safe progress evaporated as soon as Bethell paid for a rush of blood to the head. Stuck on five from 30 balls, he aimed a flat-batted swipe at Krishna and dragged down his middle stump. Suddenly India had the ball nipping around and Root in their sights. He survived three lbw appeals in rapid succession amid stifling tension, then wafted carelessly outside off to edge Krishna behind. With 37 still needed and the pressure peaking, he was furious with himself. India held all the cards when the weather turned and both sides will resume with hopes of a famous win.
Daily Mirror
a minute ago
- Daily Mirror
Aston Villa star John McGinn launches scathing attack on 'unfair' Premier League rules
Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn has hit out at the Premier League's spending rules, which he feels are unfairly holding the club back and giving the 'big six' an advantage John McGinn has criticised the Premier League's spending rules, arguing that they are hindering Aston Villa and giving the 'big six' an unfair advantage. This summer, the club's owners, V Sports, have been unable to splash out to strengthen Unai Emery's squad in a bid to secure another Champions League finish. Villa have two routes to UEFA's elite club competition next season: through their league position and the Europa League, which they qualified for after finishing sixth last term. Villa have only brought in two players this summer - one of whom could be loaned out: Zepiqueno Redmond, who joined on a free transfer at the start of last month. Goalkeeper Marco Bizot has been the only other addition, coming from Stade Brest to replace Robin Olsen. As a result of being in Europe, Villa must also comply with UEFA's squad cost rules this summer, which restrict spending on wages relative to a club's revenue. Villa narrowly missed out on a return to the Champions League on the final day of last season after a 2–0 defeat to Manchester United, but the result was tainted by a mistake from referee Thomas Bramall. He blew his whistle when Morgan Rogers won the ball from Altay Bayindir before putting it in the back of the net, meaning VAR couldn't overturn the decision. At that point in the match, Villa were already in the top five because Newcastle were losing to Everton, so even a draw would have been enough to cross the line. "There will be a tinge of jealousy watching the Champions League this year, but our aim is to go as far as we possibly can in the Europe League, try to get back into the Champions League, which helps the club not only for next season and for many years moving forward," McGinn told Birmingham Live exclusively. "We have seen the impact it has now. I don't know any details about that, but you don't have to be clever to realise that if you want to compete with the big boys, there are rules which are pretty much unfair if you ask me. "We have got owners who want to invest in the team and want to spend to kick the club on, but they are not allowed to do it. It's tough to see. The rules are similar for a lot of the clubs." Despite his dislike of the rules, McGinn feels they could unite Villa this season. "I think it [being at a disadvantage] unites everyone, the manager and the players," he said. "It's the same for every supporter that they want a new toy. When you've not got them in the summer, you think, 'oh, where are they'. But then you realise that we are actually alright here. "We just signed Bouba [Kamara] on a new long-term contract, and he is one of the best midfielders in Europe. We have held onto some big players. It's not all doom and gloom. We are positive going into the new season and make it a special one. "Ever since the manager has come in, we have achieved something which we haven't done before. He is as motivated as us to do the same." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
