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New York Times
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Ben Greenhalgh won a TV show, joined Mourinho's Inter and lost his Champions League medal on a golf course
'And next he's gonna meet the big boss, Jose Mourinho. I think it will finally sink in that he's an Inter Milan player when he's given that shirt,' Jamie Redknapp, the former England midfielder and Sky presenter, says. Ben Greenhalgh laughs as he remembers what happens next. 'I nearly leave Mourinho hanging in a minute!' Advertisement We are watching a rerun of Football's Next Star, the television show that was broadcast on Sky One in 2010 with the prize of a six-month contract at Inter for the winner. More than 7,000 boys entered before being whittled down to the final 10, who stayed together in a villa overlooking Lake Como. 'Every week, it was a case of, 'We want to be here next week, and that's all we were fighting for',' Greenhalgh says. 'I don't think we were ever fighting for who was going to win.' Essentially, it was football's version of the X Factor with Marco Monti, the technical director at Inter's academy, playing the role of Simon Cowell. Greenhalgh not only ended up winning the show and signing for Inter but, remarkably, also finished the season with a Champions League medal around his neck (he later lost it on a golf course, but that's another story). It was a surreal experience for a 17-year-old A-level student who had never been around professional football before. 'Look, that could have been terrible!' Greenhalgh says, cringing as we watch the moment when Mourinho, who was Inter's manager at the time, congratulates him and waits for the handshake that almost never comes. Greenhalgh was too busy trying to take in the enormity of it all. A TV show that he had entered in the early stages 'as a laugh' was now turning his life upside down, propelling him from the fringe of the first-team at non-League Welling United, who were playing in the sixth tier of English football at the time, to training alongside some of the greatest players in the world at Inter. Those close to Greenhalgh were every bit as excited as him. 'I'm still with Grace!' Greenhalgh says, his face lighting up as the camera pans to his girlfriend. 'I've got three kids with her now!' Greenhalgh's relationship with Inter didn't last anything like as long, which was probably to be expected. By the start of 2011, the left winger was back in England, on trial at Brighton, following a successful loan spell with Como in Serie C, Italy's third tier. He rejoined Welling later the same year. Advertisement The experience at Inter, however, was unforgettable. Greenhalgh brings along to the interview a signed shirt that Patrick Vieira gave him, tells stories about Mario Balotelli and his Lamborghini, marvels at the way the Inter players worked so hard for Mourinho and, more than anything, feels privileged to have had a front-row seat for the most successful season in the club's history. 'My six-month contract began in January (2010), so it went to the end of the season,' Greenhalgh explains. 'Everything was high-flying because they were on for the treble at this time – they've got through the group stage in the Champions League, they're in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia and they're top of the league as well. It was some experience.' Inter created history by winning all three competitions, and although Greenhalgh played for the reserves and the under-18s rather than the first team, he was in the right place at the right time when it came to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu. 'Before the final, we played a game at Real Madrid City (the Spanish club's training ground) against Bayern Munich,' he says. 'It was called the 'UEFA Under-18 Challenge', and that's now become the UEFA Youth League. We also won 2-0 (the same scoreline as the first team). 'Some of us then travelled with the match-day squad, staying in the team hotel, and then sitting just behind them at the game. Just being able to experience those types of matches was ridiculous, really.' And what about the medal? 'We managed to get one because… they were just handing them out in the changing room afterwards!' Greenhalgh says, smiling. All of which explains why the supporters at non-League side Margate, who play in the Isthmian League South East Division (the eighth tier of English football), sing what they do on a match day. 'Champions League, he's won that too. Now he's at Margate, playing in blue.' Advertisement Greenhalgh, who is the player-manager at Margate, breaks into laughter. 'That's a good song. I've had some bad songs,' he says. 'At Tonbridge Angels – and I loved it when I was there – I'm about to take a free kick on the edge of the area, and they go, 'We got Super Ben Greenhalgh, he runs around the park…' 'I'm listening to it thinking, 'Oh wow, I've got a song.' 'And then they go, 'He looks like (British TV celebrity) Rylan Clark', and I think, 'Oh no!'' In his younger days, when he was still at school and before he grew a beard, Greenhalgh looked more like Cristiano Ronaldo, so much so that he was a body double for the former Manchester United and Real Madrid player in a television commercial. 'I started coaching for a guy called Mike Delaney, who also ran a company called Select Sports Artists,' he explains. 'Mike was one of the big ones at the time when it came to body-doubling adverts and he managed to get me Ronaldo, which was obviously massive. I was 16 and this was Ronaldo in his prime. And, fair play to Ronaldo, I've been to so many shoots where the players are there for 10 minutes maximum. But he was there for about three to four hours. He was even doing kick-ups with us.' That line of work provides another chapter to a colourful life story that includes a playing CV unlike any other. Greenhalgh's list of clubs, in order, reads: His time at Inter jumps off the page and, naturally, is a constant source of ribbing on the non-League circuit. 'I get banter all the time about it,' says Greenhalgh, who is also the academy director at Dartford Town, whose first team are one league above Margate. 'When it comes down to it, it's always going to be the thing that I'll be known for. It's been 15 years and it's still memorable.' Looking back, the fact that he joined Inter via a reality TV show was always going to pose challenges for him in Italy. There was even a wrangle at the outset between Welling and Inter, Greenhalgh recalls, over whether the non-League club were entitled to a transfer fee for him, delaying his registration. 'Welling started asking Inter for £100,000,' he says. Advertisement Greenhalgh also felt under added pressure to prove himself, not helped by the way the reserve team coach spoke about him in front of the other players. 'I remember him introducing me and it was like, 'He's won a TV show, he's with us now.'' Perhaps that kind of reaction was inevitable, even if it didn't need to be announced in that way. With or without his unusual backstory, Greenhalgh quickly realised that elite professional football is a dog-eat-dog world, especially for those who are still trying to prove themselves. 'When you're in the reserves or the under-21s of a top club, the chances of you breaking through are so slim. So these players are doing absolutely everything to get in, even injuring people,' Greenhalgh says. 'I used to play against a right-back who went on and played for Bayer Leverkusen. Not a very good footballer, in my opinion. But he would smash me every training session.' Not that Greenhalgh is in any way bitter or resentful about any part of his experience at Inter. He had the time of his life at the club, still speaks to several of his former team-mates and cherishes all the memories, including the episode on the television show when he was thrown in at the deep end with the first team. 'That was probably one of the biggest times ever in football where I did freeze a bit,' he says. 'I hadn't warmed up and you're suddenly playing with Lucio, (Ricardo) Quaresma and players like that, who you've seen on TV. I got the ball and I'd just pass because you didn't want anything to go wrong.' Some of the Inter first-team players went out of their way to be friendly towards Greenhalgh, including Vieira, who gave him a shirt that he had worn in the Milan derby. Greenhalgh also warmed to a teenage Mario Balotelli. 'At the time, I was 17 and he was 19 – he did not look 19. He was absolutely huge. He could have still played for the under-21s, that's what we found funny. Advertisement 'To be fair to him, he'd come and watch us. He rocked up in his Lamborghini for one game and he blocked the gateway for the coach to come in. The coach driver gets out and says, 'Can someone move this?' And he just said, 'No.' So they ended up having to park down the road and all their players had to walk.' As for Mourinho, Greenhalgh was fascinated by his approach. 'Interestingly, he wouldn't run training sessions too much. But you respected him because of his aura. Everything he said, you believed. 'I couldn't believe the manner that the players worked so hard for him, but then also how relaxed training was. There was no intensity to training. But then loads of tactical information, and then absolutely 100 miles an hour on a match day.' Realistically, Greenhalgh was never going to make it at first-team level at Inter, although he does sometimes wonder whether he should have stayed for longer at Como, where he spent half a season on loan and enjoyed his football. Instead, he came back to England in search of a professional club but was left with the feeling that he had been out of sight and out of mind in Italy. It was a different story for Connor Smith, the Irishman who finished second to Greenhalgh in Football's Next Star. 'I still speak to Connor, he's Barnet's assistant manager and they've had a brilliant year (winning promotion to the Football League),' Greenhalgh says. 'After we finished the show, me and Connor trained with Watford for four months because my contract (with Inter) didn't begin until January. I was still back and forth to Italy, but more for the camera stuff. Connor managed to get himself a deal at Watford and that probably propelled his career in England. And I think that's the one thing I always struggled with: my career never took off in England.' Greenhalgh ended up in Scotland at one stage, playing for the former England captain Terry Butcher at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, although it was another sport that grabbed his attention there. 'I was always a reasonable golfer,' he says. 'I was something like a 12 handicapper. But Scotland completely changed me.' Advertisement In fact, he spent so much time on the golf course in Scotland that he turned professional in 2015. Two years later, Greenhalgh posted a picture on Twitter showing him finishing first at a pro-am tournament. 'I ended up winning a little bit of money, but I was still a footballer playing golf,' he says. Over the moon to win my first PGA professional golf competition & to break the course record! Still hasn't sunk in Thanks to @TheAddingtonGC — Ben Greenhalgh (@BenGreenhalgh) July 14, 2017 That much was clear to anyone who played golf against him – and not because of his swing. Greenhalgh – and he shakes his head when he tells this story – used his Champions League winners' medal as a golf marker for a while. 'I took it off the ribbon mainly because I think, when I was young… it was brilliant, but I felt like I hadn't played in it (the final). So we were doing it as a laugh with my friends, just as a story to try and get in other golfers' heads. Like, 'Oh, what's that?' Because everyone uses medallions anyway. 'But it went missing at Aldenham Golf Club and, luckily, I knew the pro, who'd had it handed in. When I look back now, I think I was an absolute idiot doing those sorts of things. From there, I got it back on the ribbon, put it in a glass box and it's at my mum and dad's house now.' Greenhalgh hopes that Inter get their hands on the famous trophy again on Saturday, when they face Paris Saint-Germain in Munich in the Champions League final. There are similarities, he says, between the current side and Mourinho's team. 'They're hardworking and they've got that tenacity where when things are going badly for other teams, they really jump on it. They're almost bullies – and that's what the Inter team were under Mourinho. 'I look back at it now and that was an unbelievable Inter team. But I do think they overachieved – they beat 2010 Barcelona in the semi-final! But that was when Mourinho was at his finest.' It was also when Greenhalgh was living the dream. (Credit: Ben Greenhalgh)
Fox News
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Patrick Mahomes says Travis Kelce 'doesn't seem like a guy' who's retiring soon
On the eve of the 2025 Super Bowl, it was reported Travis Kelce was considering retirement and what happened in the big game could influence his decision. The Kansas City Chiefs' dreams of a three-peat vanished, and Kelce announced he would be returning for the 2025 season. It goes without saying Kelce is approaching the end of his career. He posted career lows in yards and touchdowns and, for a second straight season, failed to make an All-Pro team after doing so in eight consecutive years. He's also had two consecutive seasons without eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yardage. "If it's the last ride, you would never know," Mahomes told reporters Thursday at Chiefs practice. "The way he's talking about football, the way he's talking about working and trying to be even better this year than he was last year, he doesn't seem like a guy like it's his last ride, like he's tired of the job." Kelce, 35, initially said he was "kicking every can I can down the road" regarding his decision to retire. But, ultimately, "I f---ing love playing the game of football." "I still feel like I can play at a high level and possibly at a higher level than I did last year. I don't think it was my best outing. I think I let my guys down in a lot more moments than I helped them," Kelce said on "New Heights" in March. "Especially if you look at my track record and how I've been in years past. I want to give it a good run. I have a bad taste in my mouth in how I ended the year and how well I was playing and how accountable I was for the people around me. And I love so many people in Kansas City, both in that facility and in the community, and it's home for me. "I don't want to leave that life yet. I've put in a lot of hard work and put in a lot of focus into being the best that I can for KC. Last year, it didn't end well for us, and I feel like there is a responsibility in me to play out the contract I initially signed to give Kansas City and the Chiefs organization everything I've got, and that's what I'm gonna do, man." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
New York Times
7 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
Lions OTAs observations: Jared Goff-John Morton relationship, more Jameson Williams hype
ALLEN PARK, Mich. — It's a new year for the Detroit Lions. They have new players. They have new assistant coaches and coordinators. However, Dan Campbell remains the same. He's the constant variable for this franchise, with so many moving parts in this equation. Talking to him for the first time in nearly two months, that was evident Friday. Campbell was on hand to discuss Detroit's offseason and OTA practices. He wants his team to have the same mentality it carried as its ascent to contender status began. One of his best traits is his ability to focus on what matters and get others to do the same. Advertisement That's what he's tried to do this month. These OTA sessions, however limited, give Campbell and his staff a chance to evaluate what they have before the pads go on in training camp. And as disappointing as last year's abrupt finish was for this group, they've quickly moved on. Campbell won't let them dwell, won't let them get complacent and won't let them think they're good enough to coast through a season. 'We've gotten to where we've gotten because we haven't been complacent and we have gone and put the work in again and done all the little things that you have to do to win games and win a division again,' Campbell said. 'And so, we got to do that all over again.' OTA Week 1 💪 — Detroit Lions (@Lions) May 30, 2025 Much has been made of Detroit's 2025 schedule. They play 12 nationally televised games. They play the two Super Bowl teams — the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs — on the road. Seven of their nine road games come against 2024 playoff teams, while the other two — the Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears — should be competitive in 2025. And the list of quarterbacks includes Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford, Jayden Daniels, Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott. They have their work cut out for them. And Campbell can't wait. 'I love the schedule we have this year because this is the type of schedule that builds you for the postseason,' Campbell said. 'Like, man, you better be on it. And we're going to get tested. Early and often and all year long, and it's freaking awesome. It's really how you want it. So, we'll be ready to go when the time's right.' At this point, the Lions understand the regular season is just the precursor. They've had a 9-8 season, playing some of the best football in the league, only to fall short without a chance to prove themselves. They've gone 15-2, only to stumble at home in their first playoff game. Advertisement Campbell and the Lions will take it week by week, but they see the value in having a tough schedule. In some ways, it makes your path to the playoffs more difficult. But if you've faced playoff-caliber teams before you meet them in playoffs, you don't have to prep as much as you normally would, and have a better feel for how they might look to attack you. If the Lions are as good as they think they can be, this schedule will harden them and prepare them for the postseason. And remember: those teams have to play the Lions. That sentence has a different meaning now compared to past years, in part, because of Campbell's leadership. Perfect mentality to take into the season. Speaking for the first time since the 2024 season ended, Goff was asked about the potential narratives to come, as life without Ben Johnson unfolds. His comments were, uh, pointed. 'Well, it won't be unless you guys write about it,' Goff said. Fair enough, Jared. However, it is worth writing about — for a couple of reasons. The first: Campbell wants Goff to be as comfortable as possible. He identified Morton as a fit because of his work with Goff in 2022. It was a prerequisite for the job and something Campbell laid out before he started interviewing candidates. It's one of the most important relationships on the team, so it warrants some attention. But while acknowledging that, we can also acknowledge that Goff isn't the same kid he was in Los Angeles, trying to live up to his No. 1 overall pedigree and keep a demanding coaching staff happy. He's matured. He's grown. He reads defenses better. He gets the Lions into good plays and out of bad ones with the control he's been given. He's one of the NFL's best tight-window throwers and always knows where to go with the football. As a husband and a soon-to-be father, Goff has experience both in football and life. His game has aged gracefully, and the Lions are in a good place because of him. It's worth mentioning because of how far he's come. Advertisement In other words, Goff doesn't need a handler. He just needs a coordinator who will continue what the Lions have already built. He believes he has that in Morton. 'I love Johnny Mo,' Goff said. 'I have familiarity with Johnny. Some of it's changing, some of it's remaining the same. The biggest challenge is just getting on the same page with what we like, and we're just constantly working through that. No different than any of the new coaches here. Learning what we like, what we've done, getting used to the way Dan wants to play games. We'll be fine. Like I said, Johnny's done a hell of a job up to this point, and he's only getting better.' 'I think he and Johnny are going to work well together,' Campbell said. 'They have worked well together. They've been working this offseason together, tweaking things. They, you know, talk to each other, call one another, making sure that both were comfortable with what we were doing, and everything we do is always going to start with the quarterback, especially Goff. So, he's going to be fine.' That sound you're hearing is the Jameson Williams hype train leaving the station, with seemingly every player and coach aboard, ready to have their tickets punched. The newest conductors? Campbell and Goff. 'He's already made it, man,' Goff said, when asked what it'll take for Williams to make the next step. 'It's been awesome to see. He's done a hell of a job. Just continue to do what he's done, and just get more consistent — and he's done that. He really has. He's working hard, he's being a leader now, which is fun to see him grow into that and show guys how he wants to do things. He's talking to me a ton. It's fun, man.' 'The sky's the limit for him,' Campbell said. 'He's exactly where we want him to be right now at this point, man. He's been here, he's grinding, he's getting better. Scottie's freaking grinding him, it's awesome. We expect him to have a huge season. We really do, man.' Advertisement Williams said he finally feels like a veteran. That's saying something, considering he's been everyone's little brother since he arrived. But you can start to see it. The Lions have four rookie receivers here for OTAs, and Williams has become a sounding board for them. He has answers to their questions, he offers tips and advice and gives detailed responses about coverages. Campbell said Williams has gotten stronger, too, which will be key for him as he faces physical corners. Everyone here is impressed with how far he's come. Except, well, Jamo. He knows he's always had this in him. 'I wouldn't say I changed anything,' Williams said. 'Just to go out there and be the best, work the hardest. My dad, he always texts me, 'Outwork everybody.' No matter who it is, outwork everybody.' So, you know, that's just my mentality. I guess, just going into year four, you know, I got a little pep in my step. You know, I'm becoming a vet, moving over from the rookie stage, and I'm just ready to play more football and be more consistent for my team.' — The following players were either limited or did not practice: Myles Adams, Brodric Martin, Levi Onwuzurike, DJ Reader, Josh Paschal, Tyleik Williams, Mekhi Wingo, Derrick Barnes, Jack Campbell, Malcolm Rodriguez, Brian Branch, Terrion Arnold, Khalil Dorsey, Miles Frazier, Kenny Yeboah, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Isaac TeSlaa, David Montgomery and Sione Vaki. Additionally, Frank Ragnow and Alex Anzalone were not in attendance. — Here's what Campbell had to say about players who might sit because of contract issues: 'I think what's great is that any player that I talk to, I have a relationship with and there's an open line of communication. Whatever I say to those players, I'm not going to say to you guys. I never will. …Listen, I'm not worried about anything. I know this, we're in late May. Is it even June yet? I don't even — we're not even June. So, life's good. We're going to be just fine.' — Campbell confirmed the Lions will host joint practices with the Dolphins and Texans — two with Miami and one with Houston. — An interesting nugget from Campbell: When Morton was a senior offensive assistant with the Lions in 2022, Campbell said Morton would often give him and Ben Johnson play calls for certain situations — like third-and-12 — for the Lions to run. Campbell said Morton's done this throughout his NFL career — not just in his stint as Jets OC. Advertisement — With so many players out or limited, it was hard to get a feel for the defense. Hutchinson, Tyleik Williams, Roy Lopez and Marcus Davenport took first-team reps. Ennis Rakestraw was a first-team corner. Jack Campbell directed traffic with Anzalone out. — Lions G Tate Ratledge spent the majority of his day repping at center with the first-team offense. Ragnow was not in attendance and the Lions want Ratledge to cross-train at both center and guard. Glasgow and Mahogany were the first-team guards next to Ratledge, with Glasgow playing some center as well. — Staying on the topic of center reps, how about a bit of a surprise? Colby Sorsdal was one of the players repping at center on Friday. An interesting development for a player who'll need to fight for his roster spot this year. Ratledge, Mahogany and Frazier could all pass him on the guard depth chart, so adding center responsibilities could help his chances of sticking around. — Keep in mind things were somewhat limited, but at least during the time we were out there, Detroit's backup quarterbacks — Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen — didn't particularly flash. A lot of checkdowns, overthrows and would-be sacks. Detroit's second-string defensive line was ahead of its second-string offensive line, which is typical in offseason practices. Of note: Hooker was always the first reserve QB out on the field. — Sixth-round DE Ahmed Hassanein had a would-be sack in one of the team periods vs. the No. 2 offense and immediately turned to defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers and yelled. Coaches were hyped. Hassanein was hyped. That's the energy you should come to expect from him in practice. He's gonna bring it every day. — Rakestraw got a lot of work with Terrion Arnold out and spent the majority of his time on the outside. Seems like the Lions like Amik Robertson and Avonte Maddox at nickel and want to develop Rakestraw on the outside. I thought he had a strong day. He put the clamps on Jameson Williams on a rep. Goff was looking his way and had to check down to Tom Kennedy. Williams had to adjust his jersey after the play, which gives you an idea of the physicality Rakestraw plays with. On another rep in the 7-on-7 period, Rakestraw had a near-interception on a pass from Goff intended for Kennedy. Jack Campbell and D.J. Reed both singled out Rakestraw as an early standout. — Morice Norris quietly had a good day. With Branch out, Norris spent quite a bit of time next to Joseph in team periods and walk-throughs. The 2024 UDFA has an opportunity to seize the No. 3 or 4 safety job. Advertisement — Marcus Davenport swatted a Goff pass intended for Craig Reynolds at the line of scrimmage, which drew some praise from the coaching staff and teammates. Later in practice, he jumped offsides and was clowned by players on offense. The trash talk from this bunch is hilarious to watch. And focusing on Davenport for a second — it's good to see him out there after another injury-shortened season. It's fair to ask how long he'll be able to hold up, but he seems locked in as the starting edge opposite of Hutchinson right now. — Goff spent a few minutes talking strategy with Morton after practice. A little thing, but nice to see as that relationship is crucial for this team. (Photo of Jameson Williams: Amy Lemus / NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Forbes
8 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Alexander-Arnold Transfer Sees Liverpool Benefit From Club World Cup Money
Liverpool FC has indirectly received some of the $1 billion prize pot available for clubs competing in this summer's inaugural expanded FIFA Club World Cup. The Premier League champion received a fee of around $11 million from Real Madrid for Trent Alexander-Arnold, who, were it not for the La Liga side's participation in the Club World Cup, would have left on a free transfer at the end of June. Real Madrid will likely receive at least $40 million for its participation in the Club World Cup, and could double that if it wins group stage matches and goes deep into the knockout stages. It clearly feels it is worth spending some of that to get its new signing a month early. Alexander-Arnold had been linked with such a move for some time, and after the 2025 winter transfer window closed at the end of January, it became increasingly evident he would leave for the Spanish capital this summer. Contracts for soccer players in the European leagues generally run until the end of June, as most of the seasons in UEFA are played across a fall-to-spring schedule. This is the case in the English Premier League, meaning Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool deal came to an end on June 30. The issue for Real Madrid was that the Club World Cup begins earlier in June, so Alexander-Arnold would not be able to play for them in the group stage unless they paid a fee to Liverpool for his contract. Real Madrid's first game is against Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, on June 18, before games against Pachuca in Charlotte on the 22nd, and Red Bull Salzburg in Philadelphia on the 26th. FIFA, with the agreement of the national associations involved in the tournament, implemented a special transfer window to open ahead of the Club World Cup. This special window runs from June 1 to June 10 in order to allow participating clubs to sign players, especially for the tournament. Real Madrid has taken advantage of this pre-tournament transfer window to sign Alexander-Arnold, but it has ended up costing them $11 million to get the deal done before the Englishman's contract expired at the end of the month. However, they will easily be able to cover this fee using the money received for Club World Cup participation. It could be said that the team to has really taken advantage of this transfer window is Liverpool, who ended up with a not insignificant fee for a player it was about to lose for nothing. Liverpool could be criticized for letting Alexander-Arnold's contract run down in the first place, but as the saga unfolded, it became increasingly clear that the player's intention was to see his contract out and allow Real Madrid to sign him on a free transfer. Real Madrid could have waited until the knockout stages and signed Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer as originally planned, as its last 16 game will likely come on July 1 in Miami Gardens, but decided it wanted Alexander-Arnold for the entire tournament. Winning all three group stage matches alone will earn the club $6 million. It also emerged, via reporting by the Athletic, that Real Madrid were open to paying $45 million to sign Alexander-Arnold in January, but Liverpool decided the player was of more value to them than the money as they looked to end the season strongly, and eventually did so, winning the Premier League. Though it is not participating in it, the Club World Cup has worked out well for Liverpool. The club can now put that money towards the $40 million fee for Jeremie Frimpong, whose signing, perhaps not coincidentally, was officially confirmed on the same day as Alexander-Arnold's departure.
CTV News
9 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
‘The outcome absolutely matters': Roughrider back-ups get chance to prove themselves as team rests starters in preseason finale
Saskatchewan Roughriders head coach Corey Mace looks down during the first half of CFL football action in Regina, on Sunday, June 23, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Heywood Yu
