List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

Manchester United are set to sign Andre Onana after agreeing a €51m (£44m) fee with Internazionale and personal terms for a five-year deal with the Cameroon international goalkeeper. The 27-year-old will undergo a medical and is then due to link up with his new teammates for pre-season, when he is likely to make his first appearance on the tour of the United States. Onana, who will be reunited with manager Erik ten Hag after their time together, will be the replacement for David de Gea, who left earlier this month after making 545 appearances in 12 years at Old Trafford. United have a club option to extend Onana’s contract for a further year, until 2029. He will become United’s second summer signing, after Mason Mount, and the Carabao Cup winners were determined to bring in new recruits early in pre-season. Onana’s fee could rise by a further €4m in add-ons and he is another key player to leave Inter after their Champions League final defeat, with Edin Dzeko moving to Fenerbahce and Marcelo Brozovic to Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia. United are expected to sell Dean Henderson after Onana’s arrival, with Nottingham Forest interested in the England international, who had a loan spell at the City Ground last season. Ten Hag’s next target would be to get a centre-forward, with Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund the likeliest candidate. Read More Onana, that’s his name – the lowdown on Manchester United’s new goalkeeper Ryan Giggs hoping to ‘rebuild life’ after domestic abuse charges are dropped Manchester United agree deal with Inter Milan for goalkeeper Andre Onana

Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana has undergone reconstructive surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament. The 22-year-old centre-back begins his rehabilitation at the Blues’ Cobham training ground while the squad travel to the United States on a pre-season trip. Fofana, who joined the Londoners from Leicester in 2022 for £75million, featured just 15 times for Chelsea in the Premier League last season as he suffered a number of injury setbacks. This latest problem comes two years after the Frenchman broke his leg in a pre-season friendly for Leicester against Villareal which saw him miss a large part of the 2021-22 campaign. Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, Alfie Gilchrist and Bashir Humphreys are the remaining centre-back options at Mauricio Pochettino’s disposal in the US as he prepares for Thursday’s opening pre-season clash against Wrexham. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Chelsea consider move for Harry Maguire to help cover for the injured Wesley Fofana.

In an ideal world, the Chicago Cubs would've made a significant step forward in 2023. Selling at the deadline is the right decision moving forward.Give Jed Hoyer, David Ross and Co. some credit, they have said all the right things leading up to the MLB trade deadline. In fact, the Cubs are ...

Who are the sleepers at the 2023 British Open that could win at Royal Liverpool? Let's break down our Open Championship dark horse picks and longshots.Pack your bags for Royal Liverpool Golf Club this week, either literally or figuratively, as we are heading to famed Hoylake for the 2023 Op...

The Atlanta Braves received an injury scare courtesy of Eddie Rosario. While it's unclear if an IL stint will be necessary, Rosario's hamstring issue is more evidence Alex Anthopoulos should trade for an outfielder.Rosario left the Braves last game against the Chicago White Sox with a ...

Immaculate Grid baseball answers, clues, hints and connections for Grid 107 on July 18th featuring the Yankees, Phillies, Brewers, Mariners and MarlinsHello everybody! Good morning to all, I hope your favorite team won last night, unless you are a Reds or a Giants fan, as mother nature had other...

Jesse Watters' mother was on his debut show.

Chelsea have confirmed Wesley Fofana has undergone surgery on an ACL injury.

Republic of Ireland midfielder Ruesha Littlejohn believes footballers cannot shy away from the spotlight if they want to escalate the growth of the women’s game. The 33-year-old is one of 23 women selected by manager Vera Pauw to represent the Republic in their first World Cup, a monumental moment that has drawn unprecedented attention to the team and individual players. The full World Cup experience comes with corresponding changes off the pitch – more photo shoots and social media followers among them – a fact of life Littlejohn encouraged the players at this Australia and New Zealand-hosted tournament to embrace like England’s Lionesses after their Euro 2022 victory blasted them into their country’s consciousness. Speaking at the Girls in Green’s team hotel in Brisbane, she said: “It’s full on. The other day we were doing pictures and I was shattered, and I kind of felt sorry for the camera guy because I was just dead tired. Hopefully the pictures look OK. “But look, this is it, we wanted to be here and now we’re going to need to embrace the change and manage all the way. I’m not a superstar so I think it’s going to be different for me but it could be different for the likes of Denise [O’Sullivan] and Katie [McCabe]. “Look at other teams. Like, you see the Lionesses, how their lives have probably changed massively. It’s probably been a big adjustment for some of them and I’m sure it’s not always easy. “I’m sure there’s moments where they’re like, ‘oh, leave me be’. Let me go and get a Nandos and leave me in peace please’. But look, that’s where the game’s going and we kind of need to embrace that and learn now to deal and manage situations.” The effects of England lifting the European trophy last July were keenly felt throughout the following 2022/23 domestic Women’s Super League (WSL) season, which according to a league report saw attendances up 173 per cent compared to the previous campaign. All but one of the WSL’s 12 sides broke a club or stadium record during a season that also set the three highest attendance records in the English top flight, including the league record 47,367 who turned out for the North London Derby between Arsenal and Tottenham at the Emirates. Littlejohn’s side are now just two sleeps away from their World Cup opener, when they will face Group B rivals and tournament co-hosts Australia in Sydney, and says “you know it’s on party mode back home”. It will be some time before the legacy of the World Cup in the Republic of Ireland crystallises, but ex-Aston Villa player Littlejohn is already starting to notice a shift. The native Glaswegian, who swapped allegiances through her Irish grandparents after representing Scotland at youth level, added jokingly: “It was the Euros last summer. Obviously deep down I’m gutted that England won. “I’m just about over it. It was great for the game there, the WSL. It’s only going in one direction and I think the change that they’ve made is massive, and now you can see the change that hopefully we can all make on this world stage. “It’s just exciting to see. You can even see that, round about the hotel, there’s a few young girls running about with Ireland tops on. I mean I would have never been taken anywhere to a different country to watch a game of football. “I don’t know how these people are getting to do it, but that’s amazing that there’s so many people tuning in and it’s a reality for people now. This can become a job for you. You can go and do this too if you want to do it.”

The England women’s team took the decision to pause controversial negotiations over World Cup bonuses in order to show it was “on their terms”, but also make clear their anger and disappointment with the Football Association over an issue that could have developed into a huge distraction on the eve of the tournament. There is similarly a determination the issue isn’t parked once the competition ends, and that the federation have got the message over how payment structures need to be clarified going forward. There has still been some debate over the merits of the strategy, particularly as the FA had already been insistent that all discussions be delayed until after the campaign. While that could be seen as bending to what the association want, there is also the risk now that the England squad lose their leverage in the event of going out of the competition unexpectedly early. The dispute most directly comes from the players’ feeling that the FA should top up the guaranteed Fifa prize money with performance-related bonuses, in the same way that similar elite sides like Australia and USA do. The wider context is nevertheless a frustration that the squad went through the same issues over Euro 2022, and that has only belatedly been resolved, rather than immediately after the competition in the way that had been promised then. That is why there has been scepticism throughout these negotiations. The players ultimately feel there has not been sufficient clarity or transparency through any of the process. That is the major point of contention for the players, and feeds into why the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has been pushing for a collective bargaining agreement, in the same way that American and Australian players have. For its part, the FA has argued that the full budget for an expensive trip will not be known until afterwards, while there has been some concern that this is being pushed by agents and the PFA, who are representing the players in this. A different position has also been that not all the discussions should become about prize money, since this is supposed to be about the “holistic” growth of the women’s game, too. That is also why the players took the unprecedented decision to release a statement on the eve of a World Cup, however, in order to show they have been pushing it and they are “disappointed” with the association and make a stand that women’s teams shouldn’t constantly have to battle for everything. “Last year we presented the FA with concerns relating to our bonus and commercial structures,” a statement read by the entire squad read. “The hope was that discussions would lead to a solution before the commencement of our World Cup. “We are disappointed that a resolution has still not been achieved. We view the successful conclusions of these discussions, through player input and a transparent long term plan, as key for the growth of Women’s Football in England. With our opening game on the horizon, we Lionesses have decided to pause discussions, with full intentions of revisiting them following the tournament. “We collectively feel a strong sense of responsibility to grow the game. And while our focus now switches fully to the tournament ahead, we believe every tackle, pass, and goal, will contribute to the work we are committed to doing off the pitch. We look forward to playing for our country this World Cup, with pride, passion, and perseverance. Thank you for your support, Your Lionesses.” That move has at least staved off the possibility of a damaging “civil war” that could negatively affect what can be a historic competition for the England team, although some in the game have questioned why they didn’t fully use their considerable leverage. This is also the matter of some debate, however. While the presumption would be that national heroes and European champions would enjoy public support against a bureaucratic federation, online discussion has so far been mixed, with a lot of discussion about the women’s game potentially going the same financially driven way as the men. The players have naturally been intent on completely ignoring this, of course, and the main concern is now ensuring they maximise an opportunity to make history in Australia and New Zealand. The feeling is that they have asserted themselves by parking this on their terms, and also making it publicly clear how aggravated they are by the FA’s stance. It is an issue that will now be put off until the World Cup campaign ends – although it could well be dictated by how the tournament pans out. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup start date, fixtures and full schedule World Cup 2023 fixtures from England vs Haiti to route to the final FIFA Women’s World Cup start date, fixtures and full schedule Can France handle injuries after overcoming Women’s World Cup crisis?

Inter Milan goalkeeper Andre Onana is set to join Manchester United after a deal was struck with both player and club, the PA news agency understands. The 27-year-old will replace David De Gea as first choice between the posts for United boss Erik ten Hag, who previously worked with Onana at Ajax. Here, the PA news agency asks why Onana is the man selected to take the gloves at Old Trafford. Why does Ten Hag like Onana? Since being appointed as United boss last summer, Ten Hag has been keen to instil in his team a structure of playing out from the back. That means he wants his goalkeeper and defenders to be comfortable in possession, happy to have the ball at their feet and build attacks themselves. De Gea, for all of the shot-stopping prowess that brought two Premier League Golden Gloves his way, was never a goalkeeper who seemed pleased to be given such a role. Onana is different and revels in the role and proved it in Inter’s Champions League final run last season. He is already accustomed to Ten Hag’s approach and it will be hoped he can settle straight into the United system without much need for adaptation, his abilities also bringing a calming influence to a backline that wilted under the pressures that comes with Ten Hag’s preferred method of play. Where have I heard of Onana before? Two years ago Onana was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, with Arsenal among the reported suitors. Those links materialised at a time when Onana was serving a ban for violating UEFA’s doping rules – his initial one-year suspension reduced to nine months on appeal. Having tested positive for the diuretic drug Furosemide, Onana claimed to have taken his wife’s medication by mistake. His ban began in February 2021 and featured for Ajax just six times the following season before leaving for Inter when his contract expired. What is his international pedigree? Well, there is more drama there, too. Born in Nkol Ngok, just south of Cameroon’s capital Yaounde, Onana played for the youth teams of his home country. He was handed his senior international debut in September 2016, just months after being given his Ajax bow, and went on to make 34 appearances. The last of those – to date – came in Cameroon’s opening game of the 2022 World Cup, a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland. He was then dropped by manager Rigobert Song and left the Indomitable Lions camp following an alleged bust-up with the head coach over his tactics. Onana soon announced his retirement from international football and, so far, has not made a return to the Cameroon set-up. So what will he bring to the Red Devils? Having worked together in Amsterdam, Ten Hag will no doubt believe he can get the best out of Onana at United. With a goalkeeper to play the way Ten Hag wants to approach the game, it should spread confidence in a squad which looked short of it at times last season. Onana also has plenty of silverware in his cabinet, winning the Eredivisie three times with Ajax, also claiming the KNVB Cup twice and picking up a runners-up medal following defeat in the 2017 Europa League final against United. He went on to win the 2023 Coppa Italia with Inter, where he once again came up on the losing side of a major European final after the 1-0 loss to City in June. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live