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Bayern Munich enter race to sign Chelsea target Xavi Simons

Bayern Munich enter race to sign Chelsea target Xavi Simons

Independent2 days ago
Bayern Munich have entered the race to sign Chelsea target Xavi Simons, the PA news agency understands.
The London club are understood to be in direct talks with Simons' club RB Leipzig.
However, Chelsea's negotiations could be complicated by German champions Bayern Munich expressing an interest.
Netherlands international Simons is a Barcelona youth product who moved to Paris St Germain in 2019.
He spent a season with PSV Eindhoven in 2022-23 before returning to PSG under a buy-back clause.
He spent the 2023-24 season on loan to RB Leipzig before making the move permanent in January of this year.
Bayern declined to comment regarding Simons. Chelsea have been approached for comment.
It has been reported that Chelsea's deal for Simons could involve Carney Chukwuemeka moving in the opposite direction.
Chukwuemeka spent the second half of last season on loan to Borussia Dortmund.
Chelsea have already brought in forward Joao Pedro from Brighton for a reported £60million, as well as Jamie Gittens from Dortmund.
Noni Madueke has left the Blues to join Arsenal, while goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic is another to have departed Stamford Bridge so far this summer.
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Maro Itoje issues rallying cry to Lions ahead of second Test: ‘Not all games are equal'
Maro Itoje issues rallying cry to Lions ahead of second Test: ‘Not all games are equal'

The Independent

time26 minutes ago

  • The Independent

Maro Itoje issues rallying cry to Lions ahead of second Test: ‘Not all games are equal'

Maro Itoje has warned the British and Irish Lions not to take the Wallabies lightly as they bid to 'do something special' in the second Test in Melbourne. The Lions are hoping to seal the series at the MCG on Saturday after beating Australia rugby in Brisbane last weekend to take a 1-0 lead after an excellent first-half performance. They are strong favourites to win in Melbourne and win the quadrennial affair with a game to spare, though are bracing for a Wallabies backlash after a slow start from Joe Schmidt 's side a week ago. The return of Will Skelton, a former teammate of Itoje's at Saracens, and Rob Valetini are significant boosts for the home side as they bid to match the Lions physically. A crowd of 90,000 or more is expected at the MCG and Itoje believes his side have to be ready for both their opposition and the occasion. 'When you wear this jersey and represent the Lions you know it comes with huge honour and a sense of responsibility, and we know we are not playing a pub team.' Itoje emphasised. 'The Wallabies are a proper team, I played them last year in the autumn [with England] and we lost to them when we were supposed to win. They are a team that can punish you if you don't approach the game properly. 'When you spend time in Melbourne and speak to the locals, they hold the MCG in a really special regard. It's a real opportunity and privilege for us to play there in what will be an amazing stadium and crowd. If it reaches full capacity, it'll definitely be the biggest stadium I've played in. It's something we're looking to relish." The Lions were visited this week by Martin Johnson, who presented the Test side with their shirts having led the touring side on two tours. Fellow England lock Itoje has often saved his best for Lions series and World Cup knockout games, with the 30-year-old long established as a big-match performer. While this will be his 32nd start of a long season, the lock is ready to go again and admits that games like this bring another level out of him. 'As a professional athlete, there's always focus to what you do, but not all games are equal,' Itoje explained. 'Not all games mean the same thing. And this game, last week, these games aren't equal to normal games of rugby. They're special. So naturally, there's a higher level of focus. It requires a higher level of intensity and a higher level of diligence to what you want to do. 'I guess these sort of games are almost the reason why you want to play rugby. You want to play rugby and be a part of these huge occasions maybe a little bit of jeopardy on the line, but more so the opportunity to do something special, the opportunity to do something that lives long in the memory, and create special memories with your friends and colleagues and family.'

England vs Spain: When is it and your ultimate guide to the Women's Euro 2025 final
England vs Spain: When is it and your ultimate guide to the Women's Euro 2025 final

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England vs Spain: When is it and your ultimate guide to the Women's Euro 2025 final

England are through to the Euro 2025 final after beating Italy 2-1 in extra time. They will have the chance to defend their title as champions of Europe against Spain in Sunday's final. Spain are on the hunt for their first European Championship, having beaten Engalnd to win the World Cup in 2023, in a match overshadowed by the behaviour of Luis Rubiales afterwards. Final details Lionesses' journey to the final Ticket information Latest news Our experts pick their England team to face Spain What date is the Euro 2025 final? Sunday, July 27. The Lionesses have had slightly longer to prepare, given that their semi-final was on Tuesday; Spain's was on Wednesday. What time does it start? The kick-off is scheduled for 5pm BST, or 6pm local time in Switzerland. What TV channel is it on? The final will be shown live on BBC One and simultaneously on ITV1 (as well as their respective digital offerings), with coverage starting from 4pm on both channels. What stadium is it in? 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Quarter-final Sweden 2 England 2 (England won 3-2 on penalties) Semi-final England 2 Italy 1 (aet) How did England's semi-final play out? What is the prize money? All 16 teams earned £1.6m in qualifying for the Euros, but the maximum prize money a team can win is £4.4m if they win every game. The only team able to win this maximum sum is Spain as Germany and England both lost in the group stages. There is a £1.5m bonus for the winner on top of their winnings from the previous games and the runners-up will take home almost £700,000 for their efforts. The total prize money is £35.5m, which is an increase of 156 per cent on Euro 2022. England manager Sarina Wiegman is 'not for sale', the Football Association has insisted. Wiegman has led the Lionesses to a third successive major tournament final and has the chance to do what no England manager has done before by winning a trophy on foreign soil. She is contracted with the FA until the end of the 2027 World Cup and, while her future beyond that tournament is uncertain, the governing body's chief executive Mark Bullingham is adamant she is not going anywhere before then. 'We are committed to her until 2027 and she is committed to us,' Bullingham said. 'We have a new [coaching] team coming in for her. We haven't quite started working on the plans for [post] 2027 but I know her focus, hopefully after success on Sunday, will shift quite quickly to 2027.' Asked how much it would take to prise Wiegman away from England, Bullingham replied: 'She's not for sale. No price at all.' Bullingham added that it is unlikely any manager will ever be able to repeat Wiegman's achievements. Sunday's match in Basel will be Wiegman's fifth successive final, having reached two with Netherlands before she joined England in 2021. 'When I spoke before the tournament I said we were lucky to have her and I still feel that way,' said Bullingham. 'I think she has been incredible and her record of managing in five tournaments and reaching five finals is phenomenal. I don't believe anyone has been anywhere near that in the past and I think it will be really hard to do that in the future. She's a really special coach and we're delighted to have her with us.' Our experts pick their England team to face Spain Who should Sarina Wiegman pick in her starting XI for the match in Basel? This is the team that lined up for the semi-final against Italy: There is likely to be at least one injury-enforced change after Lauren James was replaced at half-time because of an ankle injury. Our experts have there say on whether Wiegman should stick or twist for the final, with changes highlighted with a red shirt... As much as I am tempted to change formation and personnel, the final will be a completely different game to the last two England have played. England will need maximum concentration for 90 minutes against Spain and suddenly switching to a more unfamiliar 3-5-2 would not be advisable. You then need to have players off the bench who can make a difference and Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang are undoubtedly their trump cards. You do not want to show them too early, but Wiegman cannot afford to wait as long as she did against Italy to throw them on. The defence will remain the weak point but there is little Wiegman can do to change it now. She will have to persist with the same back four, with the possibility of switching to three at the back if they need a goal. Something has to change in either personnel or formation if England are going to retain their Euros crown. They have stumbled their way through both the quarter-final and semi-final, somehow winning both games when they have been seconds away from defeat. In short, England have not played well and have survived on guts and instincts alone. I would switch to 3-5-2, with a back three of Alex Greenwood, Leah Williamson and Esme Morgan. You could then play Lauren Hemp as left wing-back and Lucy Bronze on the other side. Hemp has the tenacity and physicality of a full-back. That would give you five players in midfield, which should lessen the risks of that area being over run. The injury to Lauren James, who was taken off at half-time against Italy, makes this formation even more appealing. Up top, Michelle Agyemang surely has to start alongside Alessia Russo. The 19-year-old has scored three goals in four games for England and has troubled every defence she has played against. Stubborn Sarina will stick to her selection guns so the spine of the team is largely the same. Esme Morgan performed well under considerable pressure against Italy and maintains her place because Jess Carter's lack of pace remains an issue, although it is not an isolated problem. The Lionesses' defence has been carved open far too easily in this tournament and in the white heat of a final they might not have so many get-out-of-jail-free cards. I have thrown on Grace Clinton for Keira Walsh; Walsh has not had the same impact as in 2022 because teams have figured her out, while Cinton is something of an unknown quantity for opposition. Doubts over Lauren James' fitness means Beth Mead starts, while Chloe Kelly and Michelle Agyemang retain their status as super subs – but must be introduced sooner. It is well known that Sarina Wiegman likes to stick to what she knows and given the injury to Lauren James it is unlikely she will want to risk changing things up too much for the final. Although the temptation would be to start Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly given their contributions in the semi-final, they are best suited to being impact players off the bench although Wiegman may choose to put them on earlier rather than later. I would start Beth Mead given James' likely absence. Given Jess Carter's performance against Sweden, it is hard to see her earning a starting place back against Spain or Germany. Sarina Wiegman's line-ups have not been the problem but rather how the players have been utilised. The back-line needs to be more organised and attacking players need to catch their opponents on counter-attacks. I would leave the back-line unchanged, allowing Esme Morgan to acclimatise to her role in the 4-3-3 formation; her performance against Italy showed promise. Lucy Bronze has been outstanding in this tournament, so I would not want to move her forward. It is Michelle Agyemang's time to step up as a starter, with questions over Lauren James' fitness. After saving her team twice in the knock-out stages, Agyemang will be confident and is exactly the kind of player that can utilise Alessia Russo's tireless delivery into the box.

Chelsea transfer stance on Alexander Isak revealed after 'odds slashed' on deal
Chelsea transfer stance on Alexander Isak revealed after 'odds slashed' on deal

Metro

timean hour ago

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Chelsea transfer stance on Alexander Isak revealed after 'odds slashed' on deal

Chelsea's transfer stance on Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak has been revealed after 'odds were slashed' on a deal in the summer window. Isak has told Newcastle he wants to leave the club before the start of the new Premier League season with Liverpool linked to a huge £150m move. Rumours have emerged that Chelsea are also in the race to sign the 25-year-old Sweden international, who was previously Arsenal's No.1 target. However, according to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are not actively working on a deal to sign Isak and have no interest in entering talks with Newcastle. The Blues are believed to be content with their forward line, which includes £60m new signing Joao Pedro and current striker Nicolas Jackson. 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 we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. Chelsea are instead fully focused on wrapping up deals to sign Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig and Jorrel Hato from Ajax. The update comes after Betfair said on Thursday that odds had been 'slashed' on Isak moving to Stamford Bridge in the summer window. Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: 'With speculation on where Alexander Isak will be playing his football next season at an all time high following reports that he's told Newcastle he wants to leave, odds have been slashed on the 25-year-old to join Chelsea or Man United. 'Enzo Maresca's side are now 9/1 to secure his signature, having previously been 25/1. 'Meanwhile, Man United at now 18/1 to tempt him to Old Trafford, having been 40/1 prior to Thursday's shock announcement.' Like Chelsea, Manchester United are not in the race to sign Isak from Newcastle this summer. Isak has conjured up 62 goals and 11 assists for Newcastle in 109 games across all competitions to date since he joined them from Real Sociedad. Liverpool are thought to be the only English club in the race for Isak, who has also attracted interest from teams in the Saudi Pro League. Newcastle have told Liverpool that Isak is not for sale – but it's believed that a British record offer of around £150m 'could see a move accelerate in the coming weeks'. More Trending Liverpool are reportedly still keen on Isak despite signing a different striker, Hugo Ekitike, from Eintracht Frankfurt for £79m on Wednesday. It's thought that the Reds may have to offload a player before making a bid for Isak, such as Luis Diaz, who has been linked with an exit this summer. Isak was not named in Newcastle's squad for their pre-season tour of Asia this week. He also missed the recent 4-0 friendly defeat to Celtic having been affected by transfer speculation. MORE: Chelsea's Premier League rivals enter race to sign £20m Raheem Sterling MORE: Rio Ferdinand backs Arsenal star to have 'proper breakout year' and drools over Max Dowman MORE: Rio Ferdinand urges Man Utd to 'break the bank' with surprise move for Premier League midfielder

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