List of All Articles with Tag 'epgb sports'

Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg’s promised cage fight could take place in Rome’s Colosseum. Mr Musk suggested that the mixed martial arts bout could happen in the historic arena, which long ago served as the home of gladiatorial contests. Now it could see the two billionaires face off in a battle that could see the two revive some of that history, according to Mr Musk. He tweeted that there was “some chance” that the fight happened in the Colosseum, joking that he would need to work on his endurance as he shared a clip from The Life of Brian. The minister of culture has reached out to Mr Zuckerberg to propose the location, TMZ reported. Both the billionaires are said to be intrigued by the idea, the site said. That request was passed on to Dana White, the head of the UFC who has expressed an interest in co-ordinating the fight. The three have been negotiating about the details of the fight daily, TMZ reported. It is not clear where in the Colosseum the fight could actually take place. While it could once hold tens of thousands of people, it can no longer host more than a few hundred people inside special temporary seating, and it has hosted few large events in recent times. The fight between the two billionaires originally appeared to begin as something of a joke, after rumours that Mr Zuckerberg was looking for a competitor and Mr Musk tweeted that he was “up for a cage match”. Mr Zuckerberg replied to that tweet in a post with the caption “send me location”, and the fight appears to now be moving forward. That has led to much speculation over how the two men would fight, and suggestions that it would be the biggest face-off in history. The details of any such event are far from agreed – but that has not stopped speculation about who would actually win such a battle. Read More Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg: Who would win a cage fight? Elon Musk’s sparring partner says he’s ‘extremely impressed’ by his strength Elon Musk picks UFC legend to train him for Mark Zuckerberg fight

Henry Cejudo’s dream of fighting on the anniversary of his Olympic gold-medal win has been derailed by injury, the ex-UFC champion has said. Cejudo was due to face Marlon “Chito Vera” at a UFC Fight Night on 19 August – the 15th anniversary of his wrestling triumph for the United States at the Beijing Games. However, a shoulder injury will prevent Cejudo, 36, from competing this summer, denying him the chance to bounce back from a recent loss. Cejudo, one of just four dual-weight champions in UFC history, retired from mixed martial arts in 2020 but returned in May, losing to bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling on points. “Unfortunately due to my right shoulder, I won’t be able to fight,” Cejudo said on Instagram on Thursday (29 June). “I’ve already torn my left shoulder, where I was out for about a year. I don’t want it to tear further than what it already is. “The cat’s out the bag. It’s actually a 50 per cent tear. I stretched it out to as much as I possibly could, because I love that Chito Vera match-up, but between my shoulder and my baby expected on 25 October, it’s the best decision for me and my family to not fight in August. “Nothing changes with my future goals. I want my title back. When I’m back to 100 per cent, you’ll see me in the Octagon again. But until then, I need to heal. I hope the UFC can find a replacement to fight Chito, so he could stay on the card. I would’ve loved to fight him in Boston on the 15-year anniversary of my gold medal. But I’ll be back.” Cejudo won the UFC flyweight title in 2018 and claimed the bantamweight belt in 2019. He retained each title once and vacated both prior to retiring in 2020. In May, he returned to MMA and attempted to reclaim the bantamweight title by challenging Sterling, who beat Cejudo via split decision. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism as Michael Chandler’s team dominate Tyson Fury’s ‘game-changing’ return to be announced in ‘next week or so’, Frank Warren says Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg: Who would win a fight between tech titans? Strickland vs Magomedov live stream: How to watch UFC Fight Night online and on TV this weekend

Deontay Wilder has hit out at Andy Ruiz Jr, labelling his prospective opponent a ‘short, fat fighter’ as talks between the heavyweights stall. Wilder last fought in October, knocking out Robert Helenius in the first round, a month after Ruiz Jr outpointed Luis Ortiz. Wilder, 37, and Ruiz Jr, 33, have since been linked to one another, but a bout between the Americans seems no closer to being confirmed. Wilder has now blasted Ruiz Jr, telling ES News on Thursday (29 June): “Me and Andy are two different people. Andy was only a champion for the blink of an eye. I’m a five-year, 10-title-defence champion. “What I possess is power, I put people on the edge of their seats every time, people come to see my God-given talent. On the other hand: Andy, what are we seeing from him? A short, fat fighter with small hands that make him look fast. That’s it. “You ain’t putting nobody on the edge of their seats, ain’t nobody getting excited. The only reason this fight would be exciting is because they wanna see how fast I would knock him out. Andy’s a one-round fight.” Wilder, who held the WBC heavyweight title and was unbeaten before losing the belt to Tyson Fury in 2020, also took aim at Ruiz Jr’s father. Addressing Andy Ruiz Sr’s claim that Wilder had offered Ruiz Jr a 70/30 purse split, Wilder said: “Let’s ask Andy’s dad, ‘What was the offer given?’ Because we ain’t talked about no money, so how does he know if it was a 70/30 offer? “I didn’t talk to Andy’s daddy about any type of money whatsoever. Andy’s gonna be 33 years old, f***ing broke, can’t support his children, because his daddy made decisions for him – decisions that he should’ve made for himself. “I hate when people try to make decisions for fighters. They’re the ones risking their lives; his daddy ain’t risking his life, but he wanna grab the money. What percentage is he getting out of his son? Let’s ask that, since you wanna talk about money. “Stop allowing your son to miss out on things, because if he misses out on this one, that’s gonna be the end of his career – and then it’s gonna be on you. They’re talking about 50/50? You ain’t nowhere compared to me. Stop that.” Wilder is also in talks with Anthony Joshua over a potential clash in Saudi Arabia at the end of this year or early in 2024. Prior to his knockout win over Helenius, Wilder suffered back-to-back stoppage defeats by Fury. The Briton took the WBC title from the “Bronze Bomber” in 2020 and retained the gold against Wilder in a 2021 rematch. The pair previously fought to a controversial draw in their first clash, in 2018. Meanwhile, Ruiz Jr shot to fame by stunning Joshua to win the unified heavyweight titles in 2019. The Mexican-American beat the Briton via TKO to claim the belts, which Joshua regained on points in a rematch later that year. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder’s teams meet in London for talks over Saudi Arabia fight Tyson Fury’s ‘game-changing’ return to be announced in ‘next week or so’, Frank Warren says Marshall vs Crews-Dezurn live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Ben Whittaker on his life-changing moment: ‘I was bleeding and crying – it flipped a switch’ Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder’s teams meet in London for fight talks Dillian Whyte responds to claims he ‘turned down’ Anthony Joshua fight Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch

After a disappointing 2022/23 Premier League campaign, which saw Tottenham finish eighth in the table, significant changes are taking place around the club. Having sacked manager Antonio Conte in late March, results only got worse after his departure. Former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has been entrusted with the task of revitalising Spurs and will be assessing a new squad to achieve this goal. Heading into the transfer window, the club appeared keen to address three major issues: an attacking midfielder, a centre-back and a goalkeeper. With the £40 million signing of James Maddison from recently relegated Leicester City, it seems they have resolved one one of those issues, while signing goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli in Serie A, for a reported fee of £17.2m, solves another. Meanwhile the club remains in the news for departures too - and once again superstar Harry Kane finds himself surrounded by transfer rumors. Here’s all the latest regarding Spurs. Harry Kane After months of speculation about Tottenham’s all-time leading scorer, Harry Kane, potentially leaving the club, it would not be surprising if the superstar Englishman ultimately remained. The long-standing rumours of Kane possibly joining Manchester United were put to rest when club chairman Daniel Levy decided not to allow the transfer to a domestic rival. Subsequently, Real Madrid emerged as the next potential destination. However, the Spanish club swiftly realised that they could not afford the substantial price tag associated with Kane, particularly after already spending £88m on Jude Bellingham. This has resulted in Bayern Munich emerging as the sole remaining suitor in the market, but the two clubs seem to have a significant gap in their valuation of the transfer fee. According to German newspaper Bild, Kane and the German side have reached an agreement on personal terms. However, the £60 million offer made by Bayern, as reported by Sky Sports appears to fall well short. Despite the current disparity, Sky reports that Bayern is planning to return with a revised offer in the coming days. Tottenham maintains their stance of not wanting to sell Kane, and according to the Evening Standard, would require an offer in the range of £100m to even consider a deal. Hugo Lloris French national and Tottenham captain, Hugo Lloris, appears to be on the verge of departing the club after an eleven-year tenure. Lloris revealed to the French outlet Nice-Martin that: "We have reached an important moment, whether it be for the club or me. It’s the end of an era. I have a desire for something else. I will carefully study what is possible.” With the new signing of Guglielmo Vicario, Lloris’ departure seems all but set in stone. Although limited information has been disclosed about Lloris’ destination, it is safe to assume that his future lies away from White Hart Lane. Mickey van de Ven The Dutch centre-back Mickey van de Ven has appeared as one Tottenham’s three main centre-back targets. The 22-year-old van de Ven currently plays for Bundesliga side, Wolfsburg, who Fabrizio Romano has reported have been in touch with Tottenham. Van de Ven appeared in 36 matches across the Bundesliga and German Cup this past year and according to the Daily Mail is set to require a fee in the range of £26m. Van de Ven would be a great addition for the North London club that needs defensive reinforcements. Edmond Tapsoba Edmond Tapsoba has emerged as another key target for Tottenham in their pursuit of a centre-back. The 24-year-old Burkina Faso native currently plays in the Bundesliga for Xabi Alonso’s side Bayer Leverkusen. Tapsoba gained valuable experience this season, featuring prominently in both the Champions League and Europa League, accumulating a total of 47 appearances. His impressive performances have caught the attention of Tottenham as they seek to bolster their defensive options. Spurs may not be the sole Premier League side enticed by Tapsoba, as per the Daily Mail, Liverpool are also reportedly interested. Tosin Adarabioyo Tosin Adarabioyo, a player from fellow London club Fulham, seems to be another potential centre-back target for Spurs. According to the Evening Standard, a new contract agreement between Fulham and Adarabioyo has fallen through, and with only one year remaining on his current deal, it appears likely that he may leave Craven Cottage. However, Spurs face competition in their pursuit of Adarabioyo, as Ligue 1 clubs Monaco and Rennes are reportedly interested in the English international as well. While Adarabioyo is said to prioritise sporting opportunities over domestic location, Spurs remain actively involved in the race for the talented defender. Read More Harry Kane builds new family home near Chelsea training ground Arsenal winning race for Rice but Bayern face uphill struggle to capture Kane Rumours: New Harry Kane bid and Hammers target trio including Maguire Tottenham complete James Maddison signing in £40m deal Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid Kane must take Bayern transfer chance - and so should Spurs

Anthony Joshua’s team have removed a rematch clause that was at risk of derailing a rematch with Dillian Whyte, according to Eddie Hearn. Joshua and Whyte have been in talks over a 12 August clash, eight years after “AJ” knocked out his fellow Briton to avenge an amateur defeat by Whyte. However, the latter this week expressed frustration with a rematch clause inserted by Joshua’s team – one that has now been removed, per Hearn. The 44-year-old, who promotes both heavyweights, told Boxing Social on Thursday (29 June): “Firstly, a lot of people talk about rematch clauses. When there’s such a huge A-side in the fight, you have to do your job as a promoter. Every huge name that I’ve worked with in boxing has a rematch clause in their fights. “Secondly, it’s me that requests that. Let me tell you the main reason why: Anthony Joshua is about to fight Deontay Wilder for $50million or $60m; he’s choosing to take a dangerous fight a few months before, where if he loses, he’s quite out in the wilderness – and also loses [the opportunity of] the Wilder fight in December. “So if we’re giving that opportunity to someone else, of course we’re gonna look for a rematch clause. Not against my will, but probably against my advice, Anthony Joshua came out last night and said: ‘I don’t give a f*** about the rematch clause, I’m gonna knock him out, so just tell him to sign the contract. Give him a complete, simple contract.’ “Dillian Whyte replied and said, ‘I’m not gonna do any promotion around the event, I don’t want a rematch clause,’ so we’ve just gone back now and given him no rematch clause, 12 August, done. The worry I have is: I sent that email, and 10 minutes later, Sky Sports are running a story... It’s like, do you want this fight, or is this some kind of mission to land another fight? “The great news now is: They have the contract, no rematch clause, 12 August – absolutely nothing in the contract of any regard that’s gonna cause anyone any problems. Let’s see. I don’t think they’re gonna sign it; I hope they do. AJ wants this fight bad, it’s the fight that he wants. “But we want to announce on Saturday. It’s Thursday now, we’ve got 48 hours. I’m not gonna put a deadline [on it], because it starts rattling people, but the deadline’s on us to announce the fight – and other opponents that we’ve got ready to go. I know Dillian loves a big fight, it’s there for him. Hopefully he signs.” Whyte, 35, last fought in November, narrowly outpointing Jermaine Franklin to bounce back from a TKO loss to Tyson Fury last April. Joshua, 33, also beat Franklin on points in his most recent fight. The former two-time world champion defeated the American at London’s O2 Arena in what was a crucial win after two straight losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Tyson Fury’s ‘game-changing’ return to be announced in ‘next week or so’, Frank Warren says Joe Joyce vs Zhilei Zhang rematch date revealed as Briton eyes revenge Marshall vs Crews-Dezurn live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Dillian Whyte reveals why Anthony Joshua rematch is being delayed Carl Froch criticises Tyson Fury legacy – and sets challenge to prove greatness Dillian Whyte responds to claims he ‘turned down’ Anthony Joshua fight

Players at Women’s Championship side London City Lionesses have sent an email to their owner, Diane Culligan, urging her to sell the club. Under Culligan’s leadership, the London City Lionesses broke away from the Millwall Lionesses in 2019 and formed as a fully professional club, earning a third-place finish in the 2022/23 second tier, just three points off Bristol City who earned promotion to the WSL. But a report from BBC Sport claims the players feel the club is in danger of ceasing to exist without improved funding and structure, leading the squad to plead for action. BBC’s Emma Sanders reports having obtained access to the email sent to Culligan by all 20 London City Lionesses players, with the team currently lacking a permanent manager and facing significant financial concerns. The players implored Culligan to make a change by way of either new investment or a new majority owner to demonstrate the same courage displayed a few years ago when she created the club. “With the increasing lack of staff in key roles, a small number of players contracted, the ongoing management of injured players, the question of a manager still to be addressed, and the financial instability with the last payday, the team is filled with much doubt and a shadow of uncertainty has been cast over the club,” part of the email from players to the owner read. “In these challenging times, we as a team want to respectfully plead with you to think of the future and explore alternative ways to run this club. “The harsh reality is that without immediate action due to pre-season looming, we risk undoing all the great work that you and London City Lionesses have achieved, and also put the future of players currently contracted to the club at risk. By seeking new owners and investors who can inject much-needed financial stability, we can secure the longevity of our team.” The Lionesses found themselves at the top of the table in January, but their manager, Melissa Phillips, departed to join WSL side Brighton. The season took a somewhat unfavorable turn for the club after Phillips’ departure, but the club still managed to secure a third-place finish. In their email, the Lionesses made it clear to Culligan that they value the dedication she has shown in bringing the club to this stage, but they believe it is now crucial to allow the club to thrive in its current state. In their email, they requested her to, “once again be bold, and consider all possible avenues for the survival and growth of our club.” The club issued a statement in response to the email written by the players, conveyed to BBC Sport, insisting it remains focused on running “the club in a sustainable manner.” “We continue to strive for excellence both on the pitch and in how we manage the club. As part of this we are in active discussions with globally recognised strategic investment partners to assist with our growth. We remain committed to providing the best possible environment for the players and staff as they navigate the highly competitive Women’s Championship and seek promotion to the Women’s Super League.” The BBC report further indicates that only four players will remain under contract from 1 July, while one player had to wait for over two months to receive confirmation that a severe injury would be addressed by the club. Regardless of the outcome of the situation, it is hoped that the London City Lionesses can regain some stability and in time for when the Women’s Championship resumes in August. Read More Millie Bright offers injury update ahead of Women’s World Cup England women’s star Alex Greenwood suffers injury scare in training Staniforth added to England’s World Cup standby list amid injury worry Millie Bright offers injury update ahead of Women’s World Cup England women’s star Alex Greenwood suffers injury scare in training Staniforth added to England’s World Cup standby list amid injury worry

Eni Aluko has hit back at the “racist, sexist and misogynistic” people who sent her abusive messages after she voiced a theory regarding Declan Rice’s potential move to Arsenal. The Gunners were seemingly struggling to agree a price with West Ham United for the midfielder and had two offers rejected before Manchester City entered the race. Arsenal then upped their bid to £105m as City decided against pursuing the transfer. Aluko’s theory was that City never wanted to sign Rice and that Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had asked his friend, and City manager, Pep Guardiola to put in a bid to force Arsenal’s owners to match the Hammers’ valuation and get the deal over the line. She added that this tactic was something she used to do while working as a director of women’s football for Aston Villa and sporting director of Los Angeles-based Angel City FC. “Safe to say I suspected Rice wasn’t going up the M6 to Manchester! I’ve had a lot of laughs on this today, it was very quiet from the pile-on brigade – somehow a lot of haters went missing. Apologies are much quieter than disrespect,” wrote Aluko in a thread on Twitter before adding: “Disagreement is part of the job. But disagreement should never be used by people to be sexist, racist, misogynistic to women in football. It’s an absolute disgrace and I won’t ignore it for the benefit of a lot of men who project their own jealousy & insecurity spouting abuse. Women in football are not going away. Get used to it. “We know our stuff, we speak from a place of professional insight and experience. Take it or leave it, agree, disagree but if you choose sexism, racism, misogyny to disagree, you are the problem and you’re exposing yourself. “If you spend your time attacking women in football, you are exposing the fact you can NEVER be at the same level. You’re entitled to opinion, don’t abuse it to be racist, sexist and misogynistic.” She also posted a video on Twitter with the caption: “My DMs are a bit quiet, looks like the clowns have run away #DeclanRice #TransferTea.” The video was accommpanied by several crystal ball and laughing emojis, followed by a clown emoji as she smiled and shook her head. Arsenal’s deal for Rice has been agreed in principle with £100m in guaranteed cash plus £5m in bonuses. Read More Havertz transfer leaves Chelsea fans conflicted: ‘You won’t be missed’ Arsenal winning race for Rice but Bayern face uphill struggle to capture Kane Rumours: New Harry Kane bid and Hammers target trio including Maguire Havertz transfer leaves Chelsea fans conflicted: ‘You won’t be missed’ Arsenal winning race for Rice but Bayern face uphill struggle to capture Kane Rumours: New Harry Kane bid and Hammers target trio including Maguire

Tottenham Hotspur have officially announced the signing of James Maddison. The England midfielder joins Spurs from Leicester City for £40 million, following the club’s relegation to the Championship last season. Maddison, 26, has signed a five-year deal with the north London club. “Hello Tottenham Hotspur fans, James Maddison here, can’t wait to meet you all. Come on you Spurs!” he said, in a separate video posted to Tottenham’s social media. Maddison made 203 appearances for Leicester during his five years at the club and scored 10 Premier League goals last season, but was unable to prevent the Foxes from slipping to relegation. Read More ‘Very high’ expectations on England’s Lionesses at World Cup, Georgia Stanway says Exclusive: WWE star Rhea Ripley recalls how Triple H helped save the Judgement Day Moment Just Stop Oil protesters throw paint over Lord’s pitch during Ashes Test

Michael Chandler has insisted that his fight with Conor McGregor will go ahead, despite fears that the latter has missed the deadline to compete in 2023. Chandler vs McGregor was announced by the UFC in February, but no date, location or weight class has been announced for the fight, and it appears that McGregor is unable to compete until next year due to United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) rules. The former UFC champion is seemingly still absent from the Usada testing pool, and athletes must be in the pool for six months and return two negative results – and zero negatives – in order to fight in the UFC. However, Chandler has reassured fans that the fight will go ahead – regardless of when. The American, 37, told ESPN on Wednesday (28 June): “Listen, I understand everybody wants answers, they want results. With a fight of this magnitude – the most exciting guy in mixed martial arts versus the biggest superstar in mixed martial arts – people want answers, and they want them on their timeline. “Their timeline is now. ‘I want my answers yesterday.’ I’m with everybody else, of course, but just let the process play out. Just know that Michael Chandler steps in the cage against Conor McGregor, we put on an electrifying event, and I separate him from his consciousness in the second round. “If there’s one thing I know about Conor: He cares about his public persona, he cares about how people see him, he cares about where he is now and what he has become to the fans. [If you’re not coming back], you don’t do a documentary saying you’re coming back; you don’t tell everybody it’s the greatest comeback in combat-sports history; you’re not out there promoting yourself and saying, ‘This is my game forever, you’ll do what you’re told;’ and calling yourself the pound-for-pound king. “Conor’s coming back. There’s one guy he’s fighting: His name’s Michael Chandler, he’s from High Ridge, Missouri. We are gonna put butts in seats, it’s gonna be an electrifying performance, but I knock out Conor and then maybe he retires after that – we’ll see.” Chandler and McGregor are coaching opposing teams of athletes on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, which began airing in May and will conclude in August. After five episodes, Team Chandler has a 5-0 lead over Team McGregor. This month, Irishman McGregor denied an allegation that he had sexually assaulted a woman at an NBA Finals game. McGregor, 34, was accused of assault in a bathroom at a Miami Heat fixture on 9 June. McGregor also recently released McGregor Forever, the second documentary around his career, and you can read The Independent’s review of the Netflix series here. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism as Michael Chandler’s team dominate How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg: Who would win a fight between tech titans? Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism Conor McGregor complains as his team lose yet again on The Ultimate Fighter Conor McGregor’s team fall to 0-3 on The Ultimate Fighter

Chelsea’s biggest issue last season was the inability to simply put the ball in the back of the net. Only four teams scored fewer Premier League goals than the Blues (38), with even relegated pair Leeds and Leicester netting more. Strengthening the frontline was always the priority for a west London side in need of a refresh this summer. Yet they had to strike a balance. Chelsea’s squad remains incredibly bloated, though the departures of N’Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly have helped, at the very least, cut the wage bill. Hakim Ziyech, Kai Havertz, Edouard Mendy and Mason Mount are expected to follow the pair out of the Stamford Bridge exit as the squad is streamlined. We’re not yet in July but the Blues have at least made their first move to correct their goal issues: Christopher Nkunku has arrived from RB Leipzig on the back of a solid Bundesliga campaign that saw him net 16 times – no player in Germany’s top tier scored more. The 25-year-old won’t be the only forward to rock up in the capital, however, with Nicolas Jackson set to follow suit. Jackson was prepped for a move to Bournemouth in January, only to fail a medical, and was subsequently linked with a move to Aston Villa this summer – yet Chelsea have won the race for the 22-year-old, who scored 12 goals and provided four assists in LaLiga last season, a fine return for a player who registered just 1,603 minutes of game time. Of those 12 goals, 10 were scored since the turn of the year. Only former Real Madrid hitman Karim Benzema (12) bagged more in Spain’s top tier in the first half of 2023. Crucially, Jackson knows exactly where the goal is. Feed the Senegalese star and he’ll score. Of the 120 players to muster 25 or more shots, Jackson returned the best conversion rate (29.3 per cent) in the 22/23 LaLiga campaign. Despite a goal-shy season, Chelsea still averaged the eighth most key passes per game (9.9) in the Premier League, a return that can be improved upon, but a reasonable base nonetheless. In addition, the Blues ranked tenth for big chances created (57), yet in turn missed the sixth most (52). Kai Havertz was the biggest offender, missing 14 clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, but with the German set to leave for Arsenal there is room for a new striker at Stamford Bridge. Jackson, by contrast, performed superbly when the chances were laid out on a plate, returning a clear-cut conversion rate of 56.3 per cent, the best in Spain’s top flight last season. However, there is more to Jackson’s game than scoring goals. He’s not an old-fashioned No 9 but rather a modern-day forward, who looks to link the play as well as get on the end of chances. An average of 1.2 key passes per 90 minutes is a respectable average, while a pass success rate of 76.4 per cent from 17.9 passes per 90 are solid figures for a striker. With Mauricio Pochettino expected to use a 4-2-3-1 setup, he’ll need his leading frontman to work his way into the box and, where needed, hold up possession before laying the ball on for his teammates. Jackson, then, ticks the right boxes. Considering the exciting wingers at Pochettino’s disposal – who’ll undoubtedly benefit from a full pre-season in a settled environment under the Argentine’s watchful eye – and the possibility of Nkunku operating in the No 10 role as a second striker, Jackson’s willingness to bring others into play means Chelsea should quickly dwarf their 38-goal haul from last season. The Senegal star isn’t perhaps the same headline-stealing hitman in the form of Victor Osimhen that some supporters may crave, but then if Jackson is the ideal fit, is that really an issue? Chelsea will be landing a player who will benefit the current crop of attackers on the books at Stamford Bridge and, over the longer term, can become the complete centre-forward with the right coaching. Pochettino, after all, did turn Harry Kane into a world-beater. Read More Mateo Kovacic completes move from Chelsea to Manchester City Koulibaly exits Chelsea to become latest star joining Saudi Pro League Manchester United increase Mason Mount bid Chelsea owners buy stake in French team as part of multi-club ownership plans Robertson appreciative as Newcastle remember Tiote – Wednesday’s sporting social N’Golo Kante, the midfield miracle worker who changed football

Renowned mixed martial arts coach Javier Mendez has predicted that Mark Zuckerberg would beat Elon Musk in the pair’s proposed cage fight, saying the Facebook CEO is ‘more of a dog’ than his counterpart. Zuckerberg and fellow tech billionaire Musk, who is the owner of Twitter and CEO of Tesla, have agreed to fight one another, and Mendez has made a confident pick for the prospective bout. Mendez coached former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and currently trains lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, and the American told Grosvernor Sport: “The big advantage Zuckerberg has over Elon is that he’s actively training and he’s more of a dog right now, because he entered a jiu-jitsu tournament, so that tells me a lot about him. “From the little bit I’ve seen of Zuckerberg, he likes to engage and go at it. He’s very competitive. If I'm not mistaken, he did very well in a legitimate jiu-jitsu tournament, so he might have the dog in him because he was not afraid to expose himself. “All things considered, Zuckerberg is way ahead of Musk, but you won’t really know until you see what Musk possesses. If Elon has no martial arts training whatsoever, he’s really behind. What he’d have to do is get in there and start slinging punches right away. Since Elon is bigger, does he have the power to go with the size? Does he have the speed to go with the size?” Mendez, 52, also advised Musk to focus on preventing takedowns, given Zuckerberg’s grappling experience. “My number-one priority for Musk would be to see how hard he could hit and how easy it would be for him to keep the fight standing up,” Mendez said. “Because Zuckerberg is so ahead of him with the jiu-jitsu, I would want Musk to think about ways to prevent takedowns. But you can't avoid a takedown just by trying to avoid it; you have to avoid it by striking. “Elon would need to learn how to strike and keep his distance, but he has to strike – otherwise it’s a matter of time before Mark would get him down. So, he has to learn defensive, distance striking, because he doesn’t want to go to the ground with Mark. That’s the first thing I’d want to see. “You’ve also got to put him in bad positions on the ground. You can’t just practise stand-up, because if you just do stand-up, you're being an idiot. You might trip, and then you are on the ground; he needs to be prepared for the ground. I’d prepare him for everywhere, but the main objective would be to learn to strike. He is bigger, so he could utilise his size.” UFC president Dana White has insisted that Zuckerberg, 39, and Musk, 52, are ‘dead serious’ about a fight. Musk also seems to have agreed to train under UFC legend Georges St-Pierre, who offered to coach the Twitter and Tesla boss. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Elon Musk picks UFC legend to train him for Mark Zuckerberg fight Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg’s battle of the billionaires is an ego trip worth taking Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg ‘dead serious’ about cage fight, says UFC boss Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg ‘dead serious’ about cage fight, says UFC boss Strickland vs Magomedov and full UFC Fight Night card this weekend What time does Strickland vs Magomedov start in UK and US this weekend?

An age-old argument, without any definitive answer: when do you let your best player go if the rest of the team needs serious improvement? Is it at the point of emotional guilt-tripping, or when the finances make most sense? Is it when the individual starts creating negativity around the dressing room? Or is it in fact not at all – you keep the top performers and that’s the end of it? Daniel Levy, chairperson at Spurs, has been placed in this position before, but perhaps not when Tottenham have been in such a period of weakness and at such a moment of crossroads. When Luka Modric departed in 2012, Spurs had finished fourth and reached the FA Cup semi-final. A year later when Gareth Bale made his exit, Spurs finished one place further back in the Premier League but actually earned three points more than the campaign previous. The rebuild money across those two summers was perhaps spent in mixed fashion, but it was at a time Tottenham were trying to crack into the top clubs on a regular basis. This time, it’s Harry Kane who looks set for a departure, with Bayern Munich offering up an initial bid – big money, but perhaps not quite big enough just yet – for the striker who has only one year remaining on his contract. Kane has been better, more important, more consistent and longer-serving for Tottenham than either of the two aforementioned stars, or indeed any others they’ve had of late. Yet the club also finished eighth last season, their worst league placing in 14 years, and it’s time for both Kane to move on and Spurs to move on without him. It is not for any reason so crass or emotive or frankly ludicrous as “they owe him”. Spurs do not owe Kane anything. He has been excellent for them, and they have given him the platform to be so. But he clearly has kept his level when the club has lost its own, starting at the most uppermost points of the hierarchy downwards. Kane should be seeking a move for his own prospects, for his own ability to win trophies and his own capacity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the greatest centre-forwards of this generation. At Bayern in particular, he’ll very much have the opportunity to do that. Of course, the flip side of the player-based argument is twofold: winning silverware at Spurs might mean more, and so too might claiming the Premier League goalscoring record. Only Kane himself can answer those two factors truthfully, but even if he were to head to the Bundesliga to rack up three or four titles now, there’s very little to suggest his playmaking and goalscoring prowess would have deserted him by the time he turns 33 or 34. A comeback to Spurs once they’ve rebuilt and he’s filled his boots elsewhere? Don’t rule it out. A move abroad is also a risk of its own kind, between adaptation to culture and club, especially in a Euros season. But Gareth Southgate isn’t likely to be leaving out his captain any time soon even if form does desert him – let alone the question of whether there’s even an alternative candidate. And so the decision heads once more to Levy, in charge yet again of overseeing transfers after Fabio Paratici’s enforced exit, and tasked with coming up with a price he finds acceptable for a player the fans value above all others, yet will otherwise surely lose for free in a year. To be blunt, Spurs cannot afford the kind of bluster and brinkmanship Levy has shown before with a far stronger hand. The team needs investment. The team might need outright reshaping, given Ange Postecoglou is almost as far removed from Antonio Conte tactically as he is by way of club interim appointments. Without any kind of European football this coming campaign, Spurs have the chance to make the most of the Australian’s excellent coaching capacity on the training pitch with the additional time between matches the schedule will afford him, so to maximise a season on the fringes they should also be seeking to build the group of players which will benefit him most. While Kane the player is irreplaceable, Spurs can provide Postecoglou with a group to more than make up for what they lose through his sale, if the proceeds are reinvested well and existing players nurtured. Richarlison is the most obvious example, especially as the potential replacement No 9, but Dejan Kulusevski has so much more to give too. Spurs don’t need to gut the building entirely, but they certainly need a better structure than they had last season. Selling Kane is a hard choice, but the right one for the club to move into a new phase of more normalised expectations with long-term prospects for improvement – and the right one for the striker to prove himself on a whole new level, too. Read More Man City ‘to submit improved offer’ for Declan Rice after Arsenal bid Tottenham standing firm on Harry Kane amid interest from Bayern Munich Football rumours: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain weighs up Saudi Arabia move Osimhen and five Man United transfer alternatives to signing Kane Football rumours: Manchester United make last-gasp attempt to sign Harry Kane Range of armband options for Women’s World Cup as FIFA aims to avoid repeat row