Latest news with #Play-OffFinal
Belfast Telegraph
42 minutes ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Top German outfit make move to sign impressive Northern Ireland defender with eight-figure bid
The club from Lower Saxony are determined to prise the Ballymena native away from the Stadium of Light. However, Sunderland will be reluctant to sell one of their most important players ahead of their return to the Premier League. At the very least, the owner Kyril Louis-Dreyfus is likely to demand far in excess of the £10m on offer. Wolfsburg finished 11th in the Bundesliga in the 2024/25 season and are managed by Dutch coach Paul Simonis. Full-back Hume began his career at Linfield, enjoying a loan stint at Ballymena United during the 2020/21 season. He joined Sunderland from the Blues in January 2022. The 23-year-old has played 132 games for the Black Cats, helping the club to promotion to the Premier League in the 2024/25 campaign thanks to a Play-Off Final victory over Sheffield United at Wembley. Hume made his senior debut for Northern Ireland in 2022 and has since earned 22 caps.
Belfast Telegraph
5 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Irish League club set for financial boost as Northern Ireland striker on verge of League One switch
The 21-year-old is on the move from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth more than £1million. Linfield will also net a financial boost after Taylor joined Forest from the Blues as a teenager in 2020. He spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at League One outfit Wigan Athletic from Forest, scoring 10 goals and providing seven assists in 42 appearances. The striker claimed both the Players' Player of the Year and Player of the Year prizes, becoming the first loan signing since Chelsea's Reece James (2018/19) to achieve the feat. Taylor will be hoping the move helps him add to his nine senior caps for Northern Ireland after making his debut against Lithuania in 2021. His international comrade Jamie Donley has joined Championship club Stoke City on loan. The 20-year-old Tottenham Hotspur forward was hot property following an impressive loan stint in League One with Leyton Orient in the 2024/25 term. He scored eight goals and provided 10 assists as the O's made the Play-Off Final. Although several Championship sides were keen on his signature, Stoke got the deal over the line. Donley said: 'I had a few teams after me, but I decided on Stoke when the gaffer (Mark Robins) called while I was away on tour with Spurs. 'The way he wants to play, both in terms of attacking and defending, definitely suits me. 'I've heard a lot about the coaching staff and how the manager improves young players. 'You can see that in the history he's had in working with different teams. 'I'm very much a team player, Stoke City fans can know I'll work really hard whether that's defensively or making options to receive the ball to play forward. 'I enjoyed a really positive loan last year, I know about the pressure of men's football now and how people look to you to contribute in games. 'I took to that pressure well and I want to carry that on here at Stoke City.' In the Sports Direct Premiership, Crusaders have signed defender Odhran McCart following his departure from Ards. Glenavon have made goalkeeper Tadhg Ryan available for transfer.
Belfast Telegraph
6 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Tottenham Hotspur and Northern Ireland ace set for loan move to Championship club
The 20 year-old Tottenham Hotspur forward is hot property following an impressive loan stint in League One with Leyton Orient last term, where he scored eight goals and provided 10 assists as the Os made the Play-Off Final. Although several Championship side are keen on his signature, Stoke not looks like his most likely destination for another loan spell, with Spurs reluctant to sell their talented youth product. The Antrim-born footballer switched allegiances from England to Northern Ireland earlier this year, after winning caps at Under 17 and Under 19 level for the Three Lions. He made his senior debut for Michael O'Neill men against Switzerland in March and has since won two more caps.
Daily Mirror
02-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool miss out on windfall as secret £40m transfer clause ignored
Liverpool included a clause in their transfer agreement with Sheffield United from five years ago and unfortunately for Arne Slot it did not pay off in the end as the Reds failed to receive a boost Liverpool have missed out on a handy cash windfall after former player Rhian Brewster departed Sheffield United. The forward signed for Derby County on a free transfer earlier this week after failing to agree to a new contract with the Blades ahead of another season in the Championship. Brewster has signed a two-year contract with the Rams and departed Bramall Lane after featuring 42 times for Sheffield United last season, as the side fell in the Play-Off Final at Wembley Stadium. The 25-year-old scored just nine goals in 119 appearances for the Yorkshire side and joins a Derby squad that have already signed strikers in Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang from Luton Town and Charlotte FC in recent weeks. The striker was offered fresh terms by United, who he joined in 2020, but has instead chosen to make a move to the Midlands. And as a result Liverpool have missed out on the opportunity to rake in some cash. When Brewster joined Sheffield United in a £23.5million deal, the Reds ensured they were protected in the even the forward found success. The Anfield team included two clauses in the transfer agreement that saw the former Chelsea academy ace depart. As part of a club-record fee for the Blades, they were also rerquired to agree to a sell-on and buy-back clauses. Liverpool inserted the ability to see Brewster to return to Merseyside for £40m should they be persuaded his performances warranted the fee. And the Reds also ensured a a 15 per cent sell on-clause was in place but with Brewster leaving Sheffield United for free, that has unfortunately not paid off. Nevertheless, the ex-Liverpool forward has found another opportunity to prove himself. 'I'm very happy and very delighted to join this great club," Brewster said after joining Derby. "It's been busy but after speaking to all the boys and the manager and stuff like that, it was a no-brainer. "I feel this is a big opportunity for me - and one I had to grab with two hands. Hopefully, I can show that this year. 'I know Ben Osborn from being at Sheffield United and also Kane Wilson through playing with England at youth level. For me, the project that John Eustace has set out, for me, was a no-brainer to be involved with. It sounded really good and is something that I want to be a part of, heading to bigger and better things with this club. 'There is so much more for me to do - I've got a point to prove. I feel like I can always get better, no matter how old you are. There are always things to learn. I believe that will happen here with the manager, staff and players alongside helping me along the way.'
Belfast Telegraph
03-06-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
NI defender set to be part of bidding war as Premier League and La Liga clubs circle
The 23-year-old full-back, who was excellent in their Play-Off Final win over Sheffield United to ensure Régis le Bris' side would return to the top tier for the first time since 2017, is understood to not only be on the radar of Everton and Wolves but also several La Liga teams. Seen as a modern full-back who is capable of both doing the defensive and offensive side of the game, Hume has long has his admirers after having nine goal involvements for Sunderland in the Championship last season, three of which were goals. Now it has emerged that Everton and Wolves are the two front-runners from the Premier League for his signatures, the former in particular keen to secure his signature as a replacement for Seamus Coleman. The Republic of Ireland international has not yet signed a new deal for next season with the Toffees but, even if he does, after several injury-impacted seasons David Moyes will surely be looking to who will replace him long-term. Similarly, Wolves are on the look-out for a new right-back as they continue to struggle to agree fresh terms with captain Nélson Semedo, whose contract expires in just a few weeks. Fenerbahce star Bright Osayi-Samuel has been a name bandied around Molineux, however it is believed that Hume has emerged as a leading contender to fill the gap left by the Portuguese international. An obstacle to any potential deal is that Hume, who is already tied down to Sunderland until 2027, has a team option in his contract to extend his stay at the Stadium of Light by a further year, which could be exercised in order to drive up his value even further. Sunderland will also be keen not to lose another key piece of their promotion squad, especially since Hume has been with them since they were in League One and that they are also set to lose Jobe Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund. The Wearside club have reportedly agreed a £30million deal with the German side, who previously had Bellingham's brother Jude on their books, which would represent a rough start to their summer dealings on their return to the Premier League. Any potential transfer would be good news for Linfield, however, as they are due to receive 15 per cent of Hume's sell-on fee when he leaves Sunderland, a clause that was written into the £150,000 transfer that sent the defender to the Stadium of Light from Windsor Park back in January 2022. With Hume valued at £15million, that could lead to around £2.25million coming back into the Linfield coffers, a significant windfall for the Sports Direct Premiership champions.
