Latest news with #now-England
Daily Mirror
08-08-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Alexander Isak sealed transfer despite 'protection' and was at centre of ugly club fallout
Liverpool's Alexander Isak is no stranger to transfer sagas, having been told to train alone by Newcastle United following the Premier League champions' £110million bid Alexander Isak's tense standoff with Newcastle United is unwanted but not unknown for the Liverpool transfer target. After making his intentions clear that he wants to explore opportunities away from St James' Park, the Reds have had a bid worth £110million offer knocked back by the Magpies. Despite Newcastle's repeated claims that Isak isn't available, the 25-year-old has been told to train alone after missing the pre-season tour to Asia. As things stand, it would come as a massive shock if he features in Eddie Howe's squad for their Premier League curtain-raiser against Aston Villa on August 16. Liverpool remain interested in Isak and could table a fresh offer before the transfer deadline. However, they will not be held to ransom despite offloading Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich and agreeing to sell Darwin Nunez to Al-Hilal. With the clock ticking, Mirror Football looks back on the various transfer sagas Isak has already been at the centre of in his career... Real Madrid snub and Tuchel row During his teenage years as a rising star with AIK Solna in Sweden, Isak caught the attention of numerous European giants, with Real Madrid among the suitors. He agreed a deal with the La Liga giants just after turning 17, before having second thoughts. Instead, he chose Borussia Dortmund, drawn by their track record of nurturing promising youngsters. Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, he explained: "Everyone knows that Borussia is a good club to develop at as a young player because so many of them are in the first-team. I want to play here and I am waiting for my chance, and I'll take it when it comes." However, his arrival only created friction behind the scenes between then-boss Thomas Tuchel and the club's top brass. Tuchel made it abundantly clear Isak wasn't his choice by admitting in a press conference that he'd never heard of the youngster, forcing chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke to issue an apology to the player. The now-England boss was furious that he hadn't been involved in discussions about the deal. When quizzed about Isak, he curtly responded: "Talk to [Dortmund sporting director] Michael Zorc [about it]." Tuchel departed the club shortly after but Isak still struggled for opportunities as three different managers came and went within a year. A temporary stint in Dutch football with Willem II helped resurrect his career before his switch to Real Sociedad for a modest £7.5m in 2019. Buyback clause Despite offloading him for a relatively small fee, Dortmund included a buyback option of approximately £26m in the deal. With Isak finding the net regularly for Sociedad, Dortmund mulled over bringing him back to Signal Iduna Park as a long-term successor to Erling Haaland. Nevertheless, with Isak determined to remain in Spain, Sociedad struck a £5m agreement with Dortmund to scrap the clause in 2021. Isak made his feelings clear, saying: "I'm fully aware that there is a clause. "All I can say is that Dortmund is in my past and not in my future. I'm doing very well here, and I'm not thinking about going back at all. I'm only focusing on Real Sociedad at the moment." Arsenal interest As Isak's reputation soared, he began catching the eye of Premier League sides, with Arsenal among those keen on him. The Gunners made an attempt to secure his signature in early 2022 but were unable to reach a deal. Sociedad sporting director Roberto Olabe responded to the speculation surrounding Isak by declaring the club was "well protected" thanks to his release clause, believed to be around £75m. Perennial nearly-men Arsenal have been hunting for a world-class striker ever since, finally landing one this summer with Viktor Gyokeres' arrival from Sporting CP. Isak forces move Newcastle didn't need to fork out £75m for Isak's services, though there were fraught talks as they battled to complete the transfer, ultimately stumping up a club-record £63m for the forward. Just before the switch materialised, Sociedad were still anticipating Isak would remain at the club, with president Jokin Aperribay revealing to Spanish media: "We did not expect Isak to leave." Nevertheless, once Isak's agents made Sociedad aware of their client's ambition to join Newcastle, they were left with little choice. Whether a similar scenario unfolds with Liverpool over the next few weeks remains to be seen.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
£1,000 invested in Greggs shares when Dan Burn was born is now worth…
Sadly, when Newcastle United defender Dan Burn was born, the London Stock Exchange hadn't introduced its SEAQ (Stock Exchange Automated Quotation) system — that would happen in 1993. However, I believe Greggs (LSE:GRG) shares were changing hands for around 50p per share when Dan Burn was born. The stock is up 3,870% since then. Clearly, both the sausage roll maker and now-England centre back have come good over the past 33 years. And if an investor had placed a £1,000 investment into Greggs when Dan Burn was born, they'd now have £39,700. That's quite the return. Greggs has performed exceptionally well over the past 30 years due to its ability to adapt and reposition itself in a changing retail landscape. Originally a traditional bakery, Greggs shifted its focus to become a leading food-to-go chain, targeting on-the-go consumers rather than competing directly with supermarkets. This strategic move was crucial, as it allowed the company to expand its offerings, such as hot drinks, breakfast items, and marginally healthier choices, meeting evolving consumer demands and broadening its appeal. Greggs also excelled at maintaining affordability and accessibility, opening stores in high-traffic locations like train stations and airports, which helped drive consistent growth even as other high street retailers struggled. The brand's strong community roots, commitment to value, and willingness to innovate — evident in popular launches like the vegan sausage roll — have cemented its reputation as a staple of British food culture, leading to rising sales and sustained profitability. As some of you will know, I'm not the biggest fan of Greggs stock. And the reason is simply the valuation. Looking ahead, Greggs is set to experience a fall in earnings in 2025 but a recovery in the years after. In 2025, the company's price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is forecast at 14.7 times earnings, with earnings per share (EPS) projected to reach £1.35. The dividend per share is anticipated to be £0.6803, resulting in a dividend yield of 3.42%. Moving into 2026, Greggs's P/E ratio is expected to decline slightly to 14.3, reflecting continued earnings growth. EPS is set to increase to £1.394, while the dividend per share rises to £0.701. This progression lifts the dividend yield to 3.53%. It's a modest but important increase. By 2027, the P/E ratio is projected to fall further to 13.7, with EPS rising to £1.447. The dividend per share is forecast at £0.7402, pushing the dividend yield up to 3.72%. The problem is the earnings growth and the dividends aren't enough to satisfy the P/E ratio in my view. In fact, a dividend-adjusted P/E-to-growth (PEG), even excluding this year's reversal in earnings, is wholly unattractive and well over two. Personally, it's not a stock I'm considering. It may, however, given its rising dividends, be right for other investors. I'm also a little concerned about the longevity of its baked goods' popularity in an increasingly health-conscious environment. The post £1,000 invested in Greggs shares when Dan Burn was born is now worth… appeared first on The Motley Fool UK. More reading 5 Stocks For Trying To Build Wealth After 50 One Top Growth Stock from the Motley Fool James Fox has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Greggs Plc. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. Motley Fool UK 2025 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Sun
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Arsenal vs PSG LIVE SCORE: Champions League semi-final on SOON as Mikel Merino starts in midfield – stream FREE, updates
'We're a better team now' These two teams have already met this season, of course. That game - during the group phase of the Champions League, saw Arsenal come away with a 2-0 victory. Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka scored two goals in a five-minute spell to give the Gunners a great win. But Enrique says there are "big differences" in his team from that game, with the defeat helping them to become a better side. He said: "We played on October 1, seven or eight months ago. "There are big differences. I rewatched that game and looked at how far we've come. "We're a better team now and we've shown it throughout the competition. "The tough group stage hurt us at first, but over time, it helped us improve." PSG, like Arsenal, have never won Europe's top competition and have also reached the final just once. That came in 2020 when now-England manager Thomas Tuchel was in charge - the French giants lost 1-0 to Bayern. Enrique added: "When we say we want to make history, we're talking about doing something that nobody has done before us. "The team has a lot of confidence, and sometimes we're less brilliant, but that's part of life. "PSG have never won the Champions League? Neither have Arsenal. "We mustn't let that stop us from performing at the highest level, we have to keep that in mind but concentrate on what we have to do."
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Steve Borthwick labelled a ‘tall Eddie Jones' and 'not a people person' by former boss Geordan Murphy
Steve Borthwick 's former boss at Leicester Tigers has labelled the England head coach as a 'tall Eddie Jones ' and 'not a people person' in an extraordinary attack. Geordan Murphy worked briefly with Borthwick before leaving Leicester as Borthwick took charge of the club, eventually leading them to a Premiership title. A club legend as a player, Murphy endured a difficult time as a coach at the club and appears not to have seen eye-to-eye with the now-England boss during his latter months at the club. The ex-Ireland full-back has claimed that Borthwick made it clear that he did not wish to be Murphy's friend on arrival at Welford Road, and believes he shares similarities with his former England mentor Jones. Borthwick worked as an assistant under the combative Australian before taking the Leicester role and eventually succeeding him with the national team. 'If [England] do think of getting rid of Steve, then the questions have to be asked, and fingers pointed elsewhere as well because he effectively is a 'Tall Eddie Jones',' Murphy claimed, speaking to Prime Casino. 'That's what I'm hearing in camp, that his behaviour is very similar to Eddie. So why would you get rid of one bloke and replace him with an English clone? 'There's a lot of people who've been complicit in making that decision, so I think it looks bad for a lot of people. So, no I don't think you do get rid of him. I don't think they can get rid of him. I think they'll stick with him. But that's good for everyone else!" England players have insisted that the environment has improved dramatically since Borthwick's arrival, though there was familiar coaching upheaval with the departures of strength and conditioning guru Aled Walters and defence coach Felix Jones. Murphy was promoted to director of rugby at Leicester in July 2020 in a change that coincided with Borthwick's arrival as head coach. The Irishman was removed from his role just months later ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season. Murphy added: 'I never played with Steve. I played against him. I played against him, played England-Ireland, played Leicester-Bath, Leicester-Saracens against him. I worked with him very briefly at Leicester during the pandemic. He can coach; I think he's a good coach - that's it. 'We are certainly not friends. That's all I know. When I briefly worked with Steve that was something that he made very apparent. He said to me, 'I don't want to be your friend'. 'That makes it very difficult when you're in a working environment and somebody comes to you and says that. He just cares about being a good coach. I only really saw him on the surface so I didn't really get to know him too well. 'He's very single-minded, very focused on facts and figures. He's certainly not a people person. That wouldn't be something that would ever be said about him.' England take on France on Saturday at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham having lost seven of their last nine games.
