Liverpool agree £40m deal to sign Kerkez from Bournemouth
Liverpool have agreed a £40m deal to sign left-back Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth.The 21-year-old Hungary international is set to join the Premier League champions after two seasons with the Cherries.Bournemouth have already signed Adrien Truffert from Rennes as his replacement.Liverpool's deal for Kerkez comes with the Reds close to completing a club-record £116m move for Bayer Leverkusen attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.They have also signed Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong from the German club for £29.5m.More to follow.
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The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Will Spain serve up a helping of pain for England's misfiring youngsters?
Venganza is on the cards in Trnava on Saturday night when England take on Spain at the European Under-21 Championship quarter-finals. There are constant reminders on the Channel 4 coverage in the UK that 'we' are the holders, despite the fact there are only a couple of remaining members from the squad that defeated La Rojita in the final in Batumi two years ago. It's a night that Oliver Skipp will never forget. There is another stark difference between then and now: England were properly decent at that point. This current crop have stumbled their way into the last eight like a weary boozer, six pints deep, picking his way through an All Bar One terrace on a hot day. Galavanting is not part of this England team's repertoire; instead meekness is the summary of what they have offered. After a promising defeat of the Czech Republic, they stumbled to a goalless draw against the might of Slovenia before losing to Germany B in their final group game. Spain, on the other hand, have breezed to this stage, sweeping past Slovakia (3-2) and Romania (2-1). The more worrying news for England is that the Spanish are favourites and an inquisition should be expected. They've still got memories of Curtis Jones's winner in Georgia two years ago, although the more galling moment remains James Trafford making an injury-time penalty save from Abel Ruiz to secure the silverware for England. Revenge, it seems, is best served in a partially full stadium in Slovakia's seventh biggest city. If we're looking for positives out of the Germany game for England, then young Bournemouth midfield scurrier Alex Scott, who scored in the second half, was decent. He reckons it's only a matter of time before the floodgates open for Carsley's pups. 'The lads score goals every single day but it's not quite clicked yet in the games. The quality we have in this team, it's a matter of time before the goals start flying in,' he whooped. They'll need to win possession off the ball-hogging Spaniards before they can pepper the goal with shots. How will they do that, then? 'Replicate what the lads did two years ago,' he mused. 'It is going to be a tough team. Every Spain team is very good on the ball, very calm and composed.' In preparing to soften any blow, England need not worry, even if a hammering is handed out. Why? Because they have one of their own in Spain's squad. Leeds United striker Mateo 'Matty' Joseph Fernández-Regatillo is leading the line despite possessing 10 England Under-20 caps. Born in Santander to an English father and Spanish mother, Joseph spent the first 19 years of his life in his homeland before being attracted by the bright lights of Yorkshire to learn about real football, none of that tiki-taka nonsense. Giving Joseph a proper football education might now backfire on England, but it does guarantee that at least one proud bulldog will make it to the semi-finals, whatever happens. Join Taha Hashim for red-hot Copa Gianni updates from Flamengo 0-0 Chelsea at 7pm (BST). The American dream. We guess the cowboy won …' – Botafogo remind PSG chief suit, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, of the insult he hurled at their owner John Textor, also chief suit at Lyon, after the Brazilian side's shock 1-0 Copa Gianni victory over the Bigger Cup champions. Re: the thinly veiled contempt from the Juventus players standing behind Donald Trump (yesterday's Football Daily), brought to mind this scene from The Simpsons …' – Adam Clark. The photo in yesterday's Football Daily makes Mr Infantino look very much like Mickey Mouse in his magnum opus, Fantasia. On reflection, Mickey Mouse is a perfect description for Mr Infantino, and his mate Donald shares many comparisons with [Snip – Football Daily lawyer]' – Joe Carr. Given the PFA has a young player of the year award, isn't it only fair they also have an old player of the year award (over 78s perhaps? – Football Daily Ed)? I had a really good game with my dog in the garden recently so surely I qualify and I'm even older than James Milner' –Martyn Shapter. Please send your letters to Today's winner of our letter o' the day competition is … Joe Carr, who gets some Football Weekly merch. We'll be in touch. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, can be viewed here. In the past few days, thirsty shoppers in supermarkets around Britain may have spotted a big promotional display from an energy drink offering them a chance to meet England's Lionesses. So far, so ordinary, right? Not if you were doing your big shop in Cardiff, where Tesco upset regulars who would have preferred to get the chance to meet their own national team's players instead. The Welsh FA's chief suit, Noel Mooney, took to his social media disgrace of choice to roar: 'We are Cymru!' And one shopper told the BBC it was 'deeply offensive', adding that Tesco should have 'read the room' with Wales taking on England in Euro 2025 next month. Tesco apologised for the own goal, saying the display was 'incorrectly' put up and promised that 'many of our colleagues and customers will be supporting their home nations' in the Euros. Lucozade sport, gets others irked, fast. It's all going on at Liverpool, with Florian Wirtz coughing for the Anfield doctor and Milos Kerkez packing his bags at Bournemouth and heading up the A338, A31, M27, M3, A34, M40, M6, M62 and round Queen's Drive in a £40m deal. Harry Kane can't wait to face Boca and their bouncy fans at Copa Gianni. 'They're loud and they're passionate,' roared Kane. 'So, yeah, I'm looking forward to the atmosphere. You know, sometimes it brings out the best in you as a player.' Lionel Messi has delivered on his end of the Faustian bargain, pinging in a free-kick to give Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Porto at Copa Gianni. Hannah Hampton has vowed to try to replicate Mary Earps's main character energy after being confirmed as England's first-choice goalkeeper for the Euros, though she'll probably have to effing swear more to do that. 'We're gonna miss her as a person here,' she sniffed. 'She's a big personality in this team. Now l have got to just go and live up to her legacy. I'll give it my best shot.' Daniëlle van de Donk has done one from OL Lyonnes to London City Lionesses, both of whom are owned by Michele Kang. New Rangers boss Russell Martin will watch his team take a high-wire approach to playing out from the back for the first time in a Scottish Premiership match, when they face Motherwell away in their season-opener. Full fixtures here. And Bruno Fernandes has joined Mohamed Salah on the six-man shortlist for the PFA Premier League player of the year gong, with Arsenal's Mariona Caldentey the favourite for the WSL's award. From heat to unrest: Alexander Abnos on how five major storylines are shaping up at Copa Gianni. Is Cole Palmer playing down the fuss before Chelsea's clash with Flamengo? Of course he is! Jacob Steinberg on the 'normal' kid who does exceptional things. Why is Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike hot property in the summer transfer window? Ben McAleer explains. 'Family. They're the only ones you can depend on,' said Tony Soprano. New Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso is reaching for that same ethos, explains Nicky Bandini, as the Azzurri try to avoid the unthinkable prospect of failing to qualify for a third straight World Cup. And the Rumour Mill picks over the latest gossip, including speculation over comings and goings at Liverpool. We rewind to 1966 and a new bridge under construction outside Old Trafford, home of Manchester United, in time for the World Cup games to be held there that summer. The ground hosted three matches in Group Three: Portugal 3-1 Hungary, Portugal 3-0 Bulgaria, and Hungary 3-1 Bulgaria.
Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Telegraph
‘Expectations were already high for Royal Portrush 2025 – but they've gone to another level'
I am, of course, very proud and excited that Royal Portrush is hosting the 153rd Open Championship this July. The buzz around here is electric, and for good reason. We're not just preparing for a major golf tournament; we're getting ready to share the unique magic of Northern Ireland with the world. Hosting The Open here is a monumental undertaking, having experienced it all before in 2019, but this year we are stepping it up considerably from six years ago. It goes without saying that the ground staff and greenkeepers have been working so hard for months to get everything right for July. Years of planning go into every single detail to help us achieve the week we want. We work hand-in-glove with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews to plan everything from crowd flow and transportation to player facilities and media ops. Royal Portrush is slightly different from other venues that have hosted The Open in that our 18th green has grandstands all around it, creating a real amphitheatre environment. And the players don't use the clubhouse here – they have their own area created for them, complete with restaurants, gyms and everything they could possibly need for their week at Portrush. It's like building a small city. The hospitality pavilion at the second green and third tee is new for this year and is a huge three-tiered structure. We're expecting almost 280,000 people here over the four days of competition. What happened at the Masters with Rory McIlroy winning in such dramatic fashion means everything has just cranked up another few notches – if that was even possible. So while our greenkeeping team works tirelessly to get the course in championship condition, there's security, traffic management, catering and volunteer coordination that all needs organising. Hundreds of volunteers give up their time, and they're the lifeblood of the event. And communication is key. Keeping everyone informed, from local residents to the thousands of spectators. It's a colossal effort, a real team effort. But seeing it all come together and witnessing the world's best players take on our course, that makes it all worthwhile. And if we have an event that's anything like 2019, we'll be in for a treat. When people ask me about the must-see holes here, I find it so tough to choose, but if I had to pick a couple, the fifth hole is a firm favourite. It's a short par four, just 370 yards from the elevated tee. You're driving downhill towards the sea, and then it dog-legs slightly to the green. The second shot is a treat – to the green perched right above Whiterocks beach. The views are simply stunning. You can see right out past Dunluce Castle all the way to the Giant's Causeway. It's an iconic hole, one you often see gracing magazine covers, and during The Open it's a real risk-reward challenge for the players. Spectators love watching them go for the green from the tee. But our most notorious hole – and one you'll see the spectators gather for in a more ghoulish way – is the 16th: Calamity Corner. From the championship tee, it's a 236-yard beast. It plays slightly uphill over a great chasm between the tee and the green. There are no bunkers here but, believe me, none are needed. There's plenty of danger there as it is. These two holes really encapsulate the challenge and beauty of Royal Portrush. Visitors will discover that Royal Portrush is truly unique. It's the setting. We are on the stunning Causeway Coast here and the coastline is just beautiful. The views are incredible—you can see across to Scotland and right across Donegal. From a golf course perspective, we're fortunate to have quite a deep site. Most links courses are quite low-lying and narrow, but we have a wide site, and the land moves in different directions. No two holes run consecutively in the same direction on the Dunluce Links, and there are quite a few elevation changes, which is unique for a links course. This means plenty of opportunities for spectacular views and scenery while you play. Beyond Royal Portrush, this region is a golfing treasure trove. I love playing other courses like Royal County Down, where I trained as a club professional in the 1990s, and the new St Patrick's Links at Rosapenna. Away from golf, there's so much to do. We're spoiled for choice. Being in the pro shop, I get to hear what visitors love, and it's always the Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. But they love the coastline too, all the way to Ballycastle because it is so stunning. You're spoilt for choice when it comes to food – Portrush Harbour is a real foodie hotspot. My favourite restaurant there is Mermaid, which serves up amazing seafood dishes, but Neptune & Prawn, a casual Asian food and drink bar, is also great, and the Harbour Bistro is also very popular. Wash that down with a drink at the Springhill Bar on Causeway Street – it hosts traditional Irish music nights, which are a big hit with both the locals and tourists. Further afield you have all the Game of Thrones filming locations, such as Ballintoy Harbour, while Rathlin Island, with its wildlife and rugged beauty, is also a must-see. If you're a true die-hard fan of the show you can also take the Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge. Visitors are absolutely spoiled for things to do and see. A week is not enough – especially if you are here in Open week and there's golf to watch too! There was a real legacy from the 148th Open when it was held here in 2019. The impact is still being felt. Shane Lowry's incredible win inspired the next generation of golfers for sure. Combined with what Rory has already achieved even before his Masters win this year, and it really encourages young people to get into the game. We do a lot of work in local schools, and it's wonderful to see so many young people inspired by The Open and the opportunity to see the best players in the world right here. Hosting The Open is a privilege, and sharing this special place with visitors is a joy. They are truly lucky to experience the beauty and magic of Royal Portrush and the Causeway Coast. Golf offers and packages For island of Ireland golf offers and packages visit our partners at: Golf Escapes, Golf Escapes – Northern Ireland, Your Golf Travel, Golfbreaks & Golfbreaks – Northern Ireland
BBC News
27 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cup final loss will leave 'bitter taste' for Celtic
Charlie Mulgrew believes defending champions Celtic will be fired up for the start of the next campaign after missing out on a treble last begin their quest for a fifth successive Premiership title at home to St Mirren on 3 second league match is away to Aberdeen, who prevailed on penalties in May's Scottish Cup final to deny Celtic a domestic clean sweep."I think the cup final will leave a bitter taste and they'll be thinking 'we need to get back at it'," said Mulgrew, who played for Celtic between 2010-16, winning seven trophies."When you look back it's hard to criticise last season, with how well they did in the Champions League, but trebles have become such a regular thing."Celtic have won all three main prizes on eight occasions, most recently in the 2022-2023 39, reckons the return of Scotland defender Kieran Tierney is "massive", while suggesting winger Nicolas Kuhn "could probably be replaced" and expects to see more new arrivals in all areas of the pitch."Brendan Rodgers will looking at all positions to keep everyone on their toes," he said."I think another centre-back is one of the main things they'll be looking at. You'd imagine a winger or two will come in."Rodgers is entering the last year of his contract in what is the manager's second spell at Celtic Park but Mulgrew does not think there is any rush to agree new terms."We'll have to wait and see," he said. "Maybe just honour the contract and see where that takes the club and where everybody sits. Then everybody can decide."
