The New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley agreed to a contract for the 2023 season. Here are three reasons why the team won negotiations.On July 17, the New York Giants and running back Saquon Barkley were unable to agree to terms on a long-term contract extension. With that, Barkley w...

Fred Kerley will bid to retain his world 100m crown in Budapest on Sunday, but the blue riband event of track and field is arguably as open as...

There is suddenly a little bit of tension about one of the most ambitious plans in football. High-placed sources say this week brings a lot of discussion between Saudi Arabian representatives and those of top players in order to try and convince them to join the planet’s most disruptive competition. Some involved see it as a key period for the Saudi Pro League in terms of keeping the momentum going by getting truly big players. Interest in Neymar and David De Gea is now well known, but representatives are also looking at Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva, and there are offers for a series of Chelsea players. Among them are N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Romelu Lukaku, Kalidou Koulibaly, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Hakim Ziyech. It would represent quite the analgesic for what had been a real headache at Stamford Bridge. Throughout the last few months, the major question at Stamford Bridge, beyond the manager, was who was going to buy the players they needed to sell to trim the squad and meet Financial Fair Play requirements. Everyone “knew they were coming”, to use the industry phrase. Clubs were going to go in low and well under the asking price, as Manchester United have attempted with Mason Mount. Now, a solution has suddenly presented itself. Chelsea could clear a lot of players for big money, allowing Mauricio Pochettino a much cleaner slate to start working with. It has raised a lot of chatter within the game as well as outside. Football officials have privately pointed to the strong relationship between Chelsea majority owners Clearlake and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund [PIF], who have billions of pounds worth of assets managed by the American firm. Many within the game are now asking about Saudi influence on Chelsea but it has long been stressed there was no involvement in Clearlake’s 2022 purchase, and consequently no concern about potential conflicts of interest given the ownership of Newcastle United. The Owners and Directors test would also require that any influence be declared. It is being insisted now at Stamford Bridge that the only discussions taking place are “transactional conversations about players they’re interested in”. Chelsea and the Premier League have been approached for comment. The London club look to have just benefitted from good timing, although the biggest question now is how many players will actually be convinced to move, and “what actually gets done”. Lukaku is already reluctant. Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva would be unlikely to even consider a proposal if it arrives. The very fact such discussions are being had does raise two wider issues for the game. One, in the abstract, is the growing influence of private equity in football. Part of the reason such questions are being asked is that it’s unclear what money funds private equity in such takeovers. The Premier League, for example, doesn’t have to know. There are an increasing number of people in football who see private equity’s influence - going right up to possible deals with Serie A and La Liga - as just as problematic as state ownership, especially with how the potential is there for the two to overlap. There is then the big story of the summer, which revolves around one of the most ambitious and biggest of those states. Offers from the Saudi Pro League are expected to escalate in the next few weeks, as this is viewed as a key stage of the project. Bringing Ruben Neves from Wolves was a coup but they want bigger than that. It is also why there was some disappointment about the “complacency” of Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin about the extent the Saudi Pro League’s growth could distort the game. The Slovenian official gave an interview in the Netherlands on the eve of the Nations League final, in which he said the European game should not be concerned about any player exodus. “No, no, no… I think that it's mainly a mistake for Saudi Arabian football. Why is that a problem for them? Because they should invest in academies, they should bring coaches, and they should develop their own players." “The system of buying the players that almost ended their career is not the system that develops football. It was a similar mistake in China when they all brought players who are at the end of their career.” “Tell me one player who is top, top age and who starts his career and went to play in Saudi Arabia? But it's not about money only. Players want to win top competitions. And top competition is in Europe.” That question is something currently being tested, but a growing view is that Ceferin is wrong to make the comparison to China. Saudi Arabia has a much more developed football culture, with a good level of quality, and part of this project is improving that. There is then the wider issue of the football authorities' general lack of regulation and foresight on the influence of states and private equity groups. The next few days will nevertheless tell a lot, but this is really about the next few years. Read More First golf, now football? Saudi Arabia’s grand plan and the 72 hours that changed everything Sportswashing is about to change football beyond anything you can imagine The year that sportswashing won: A season that changed football forever Saudi Arabia can help Chelsea solve headache — but talks raise issues Carabao Cup 2023/24 fixture dates and schedule revealed Chelsea fixtures released for Premier League 2023/24 season

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Ange Postecoglou appears set to leave Celtic and take over at Tottenham. Spurs fans appear to be split on the selection with some questioning his pedigree, but that will not faze the single-minded 57-year-old. So what do Tottenham supporters need to know about their prospective new boss? – Who is Ange Postecoglou? The Australian, who emigrated from Greece at the age of four, won two titles as a South Melbourne player, where he worked under Real Madrid great Ferenc Puskas, and won four Australia caps before injury forced him to move into coaching at a young age. – What success has he achieved?Postecoglou led South Melbourne to two titles as manager in his early 30s and then spent seven years coaching Australia’s youth teams. He burst back on to the domestic scene, leading Brisbane Roar from finishing bottom of the A-League to consecutive Grand Final victories in 2011 and 2012, with the help of a record 36-game unbeaten run. He took charge of Australia at the 2014 World Cup, won the Asian Cup the following year and led his country to 2018 World Cup qualification before taking charge of Yokohama F Marinos, guiding them to their first J-League title in 15 years in 2019. – And how about in Scotland? He won five out of six domestic trophies during his two years in charge of Celtic, including a treble in what appears to have been his final campaign. European football was the missing piece of the jigsaw. However, Celtic generally performed well in the Champions League this past season – against Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk – while squandering chances that should have got them more than two points on their return to the elite stage. – Does he have the experience for the Premier League? Postecoglou addressed the fact there was a mixed response to his appointment as Celtic manager and was also unfazed by the fact a deal for Eddie Howe had fallen through. “You’re assuming I was second choice, I might have been fifth choice, you never know,” he said at his unveiling. “It doesn’t really bother me. What’s important is that I have been given the responsibility and opportunity.” He also dismissed suggestions he was making a “jump” in standard. “I have coached at a World Cup, I have coached against some of the best teams in the world,” he said. He will not be concerned by the reaction to his Tottenham appointment given his total focus and belief in his process. – What style of football does he employ? Postecoglou has matched success with an attacking style and prides himself on building teams that get people talking and excite the fans. Celtic scored a post-war club record 114 league goals this past season. His goalkeeper will need to pass the ball out, his centre-backs get on the front foot and are aggressive, while he employs inverted full-backs. His team played with two attacking central midfielders and two wingers who have to get in front of goal when balls come in from the other flank, while the centre-forward can expect plenty of chances. His mantra is “we never stop” and even the Celtic ball attendants are in tune with his demand to keep the game moving. – What kind of manager is he? Postecoglou has spoken of his love of a challenge and building something special from scratch. “Just about every job I have had has been an extensive rebuild,” he once said. “Usually you come in when people are needing change. Secondly, the way I get my teams to play is challenging, and requires a major shift, usually both in playing staff and the way we work.” He exerted control over a number of areas of the football department at Celtic and oversaw a massive rebuild while winning the title against a Rangers side who finished 25 points ahead the previous season and reached a European final in his first Scottish campaign. He quickly won respect from Celtic players and fostered a culture of togetherness but also takes a step back from them and lets the dressing room run itself on match days. Australia international Ryan McGowan remarked how he sat next to Postecoglou on a long-haul flight in total silence as his manager does not want to be swayed by personal relationships when making decisions. – What relationship can Tottenham fans expect to have with their manager-in-waiting? Celtic fans bought into their manager’s style of play, how he represented the club and stood up for it in the media, although he very rarely talked about referee decisions. He also understood how important the club is to people’s lives and used that as a motivation. They gave him total backing in return, although success is obviously paramount to that. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Alfie Hewett adapting to his new status as the man to beat in wheelchair tennis Where might Lionel Messi go next after Paris St Germain spell ends? Ange Postecoglou agrees to leave Celtic for Tottenham – reports

Folarin Balogun says he's leaving talk of a move away from Arsenal to his family and representatives. The 22-year-old has been linked with a permanent Emirates Stadium exit after scoring 21 goals out on loan last season.