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Paris Saint-Germain had long expected Kylian Mbappe’s letter, such was his overt dissatisfaction with how everything was going, but that was emphatically not the case with the rest of Europe. Monday’s news that the French star would not be signing his one-year contract extension caused “a scramble” around the continent’s top clubs. “Nobody was prepared for this,” one well-placed figure says. It instantly saw a number of sporting departments do a lot of investigation on Tuesday, to see if any deal might be possible. That’s the power of Mbappe, who has probably succeeded Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in becoming one player who clubs will drop everything for. It also speaks to that power that the player’s camp didn’t even feel the need to reach out to potential suitors beforehand. There were no backdoor soundings here. The door was instead blown off, with Mbappe himself then casually insisting he would still see out next season with PSG. That is dependent on a range of circumstances. Mbappe’s decision came down to some simple factors, though. While the primary issue was the club’s failure to progress at Champions League level, he is also conscious of how globally sidelined he is for most of the club season. Mbappe only really plays in about eight high-profile matches a year outside of tournaments, if even that. It is why so much is built up to those Champions League last-16 games. An irony is that this is a world PSG have also created. Their 2011 takeover fostered an almost one-team league in France, that just doesn’t command attractive broadcasting offers outside the country or Qatari station BeIn Sport. Mbappe destroying Ajaccio and Guingamp may make for a nice highlight reel on social media, but the interest for most fans doesn’t last beyond the time it takes to scroll up the feed. It’s all the more incongruous a situation given that Mbappe is the first player to truly realise the power that the Messi-Ronaldo era afforded the most famous players, especially those of his class. He gets it even more than they do. As such, he needs a move for the benefit of his life ambitions, not just his football ambitions. One increasing complication is that Mbappe faces a very modern dilemma. Just like Messi in 2021, his sheer value has actually limited his options. There are only a handful of clubs who could afford him in the current market. They are Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid. New Financial Fair Play constraints meanwhile limit that further. When one “big-six” executive was asked on Tuesday whether his club would be interested in pursuing a move, they just laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.” City have a long-standing interest in Mbappe from 2017, but they – again – have the issue that came up with Messi in 2020 and 2021. It would take a complete rearrangement of their squad in order to accommodate him. This is really a profound illustration of FFP’s positives, even as there is so much debate about the regulations. They are visibly preventing the same small group of clubs hoarding even more players. Many might consider that a bit of a joke given Chelsea’s movements over the last year, but they almost need to sell an entire starting XI before they can even think of Mbappe. United offer a more interesting option, especially as they are actively looking for a No 9 – especially a fast one – and could come up with the budget. The issue is that it would prevent strengthening elsewhere, which raises another great variable in all of this. There remains the uncertainty of the sale of the club, as Qatar seek to buy United through Sheikh Jassim. PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi’s involvement in discussions is now well known. Mbappe going to a Qatari-owned United could offer a clean solution for a lot of involved parties here, if not necessarily for the wider game. It would also display a further issue with state involvement in the sport, way beyond FFP. There are still a number of circumstances that need to change for that prospect to become a serious one, though. All of which again leaves Madrid as the most serious option. That has long felt like his career destiny, and the Spanish club have taken longer-term steps that make it even more likely. Madrid have spent the last few years reshaping their budget for more vintage Bernabeu outlay, and this had already been anticipated as the first summer window since 2019 where they go big. Even they didn’t expect this Mbappe news, though. It has caused a rethink in their transfer plans, with that already from another rethink after the surprising departure of Karim Benzema for Saudi Arabia. The idea in the last two weeks had been that Madrid would bring in Jude Bellingham and a two-year option like Harry Kane – with that move more advanced than many had anticipated. Tuesday instead brought intensive talks about what to do next. Mbappe is there to be signed. Florentino Perez may have had a bit of a huff when the player rejected them for PSG last summer, with some Bernabeu executives even making empty claims about the French star never being allowed to play for Madrid in the future, but Monday night ensured all of that was forgotten in a flash. The main problem may be political rather than financial. Such is the current relationship between Madrid and PSG that Perez does not want to give the Qatari-owned project any money in terms of a fee, and PSG do not want to sell to Madrid. The French champions are “livid” at the entire situation, particularly with Mbappe himself. They had long realised the need to restructure the club – especially in the wake of the Champions League defeat to City in 2020-21 – and the idea had been to do exactly as their French star wanted. They were actually going to go for a Madrid-style realigning, seeking to go for younger talent in a high-pressing style, with the Parisian Mbappe the centre of this. He has now disrupted all of that, while disrupting the entire transfer market. Read More Kylian Mbappe breaks silence after speculation over PSG exit What next for Kylian Mbappe? Real Madrid, Man Utd and other options for PSG forward How Jude Bellingham can become the anti-Haaland for Real Madrid Football rumours: Man United, Real Madrid and Chelsea fight for Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe breaks silence after speculation over PSG exit Real Madrid or Man Utd? What next for Kylian Mbappe

Manchester City boss Gareth Taylor has signed a one-year contract extension to keep him in charge of the Women’s Super League side for the 2023-24 season. The 50-year-old was appointed in May 2020, succeeding Nick Cushing, and went on to oversee City winning a delayed FA Cup final in November of that year and the League Cup in March 2022. They were also FA Cup runners-up in 2021-22. Having finished second and then third in the WSL in the previous two seasons, the team missed out on the Champions League spots in 2022-23 with a fourth-placed finish. At the start of the campaign they were knocked out in the qualifying rounds of the European competition for a second successive year. After seeing the likes of Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh, Georgia Stanway and Caroline Weir leave the club last summer, City lost their first two league games, then bounced back by going unbeaten in the next 14, winning 12, before finishing with three defeats and three victories across their final six matches. Taylor, whose tenure has featured 79 wins from 109 games in all competitions to date, said: “I’m very happy to have signed a new deal with the club – it feels great to have gotten it over the line. “I’m very happy to be able to commit to City for another season, and 2023-24 is one that I’m so excited about. “We have been in a transitional period over the past 12 months, and the women’s game has changed so much during my three years in charge. I know that there is pressure on us to succeed, but I enjoy that – I have always challenged myself throughout my career and that’s now more important than ever as a coach Gareth Taylor “We were fortunate to win trophies in each of my first two seasons, and although we haven’t been successful on that front this past year, the pride I’ve taken has come in different forms. “I’ve really felt that it has been so enjoyable in terms of where the team is at, where I think that they can go and what they can achieve for this football club. “I know that there is pressure on us to succeed, but I enjoy that – I have always challenged myself throughout my career and that’s now more important than ever as a coach. “I really want to try and squeeze every single last drop out of what I feel I’m able to do personally, and I believe that this group of players have the ability to turn those nearly moments into actual moments with the support of myself and the staff to get us to the next level.” Managing director Gavin Makel said: “We’re very pleased to have Gareth commit himself to the club for another year. “Together, we are building an exciting team full of talented players, both young and experienced, all with a shared vision of beautiful football and on-pitch success. “Gareth is someone who embraces the City Football Group methodology in its entirety, and it has been really pleasing to see him grow as a coach over the past three years. “Nils (Nielsen, the team’s director of football) and I are very much looking forward to continuing our work with him next season alongside this amazing group of players, with the future being incredibly bright for Manchester City.”

Chelsea will begin the new Premier League season with the visit of Liverpool. It was a bruising first year in charge for new owner Todd Boehly and he will hope the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino brings stability and much-improved results. Chelsea are expected to embark on a clearout of fringe players to thin down a bloated squad. Fixtures for the 2023/24 campaign were released on Thursday, less than three weeks after the conclusion last season and only five days on from Manchester City securing that historic treble. Following two seasons disrupted by the Covid pandemic, the most recent campaign was longer than ever to make space for the first Fifa men’s World Cup and also saw fixtures shuffled around following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The 2023/24 season is therefore expected to see a return to a relatively ‘normal’ schedule. However, City’s involvement in December’s Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia will force at least two of their games to be rescheduled. Chelsea’s 2023/24 fixtures 13/08/202316:30Chelsea v Liverpool 19/08/202315:00West Ham United v Chelsea 26/08/202315:00Chelsea v Luton Town 02/09/202315:00Chelsea v Nottingham Forest 16/09/202315:00A.F.C. Bournemouth v Chelsea 23/09/202315:00Chelsea v Aston Villa 30/09/202315:00Fulham v Chelsea 07/10/202315:00Burnley v Chelsea 21/10/202315:00Chelsea v Arsenal 28/10/202315:00Chelsea v Brentford 04/11/202315:00Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea 11/11/202315:00Chelsea v Manchester City 25/11/202315:00Newcastle United v Chelsea 02/12/202315:00Chelsea v Brighton 06/12/202320:00Manchester United v Chelsea 09/12/202315:00Everton v Chelsea 16/12/202315:00Chelsea v Sheffield United 23/12/202315:00Wolverhampton v Chelsea 26/12/202315:00Chelsea v Crystal Palace 30/12/202315:00Luton Town v Chelsea 13/01/202415:00Chelsea v Fulham 31/01/202420:00Liverpool v Chelsea 03/02/202415:00Chelsea v Wolverhampton 10/02/202415:00Crystal Palace v Chelsea 17/02/202415:00Manchester City v Chelsea 24/02/202415:00Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur 02/03/202415:00Brentford v Chelsea 09/03/202415:00Chelsea v Newcastle United 16/03/202415:00Arsenal v Chelsea 30/03/202415:00Chelsea v Burnley 03/04/202419:45Chelsea v Manchester United 06/04/202415:00Sheffield United v Chelsea 13/04/202415:00Chelsea v Everton 20/04/202415:00Brighton v Chelsea 27/04/202415:00Aston Villa v Chelsea 04/05/202415:00Chelsea v West Ham United 11/05/202415:00Nottingham Forest v Chelsea 19/05/202416:00Chelsea v A.F.C. Bournemouth Read More Premier League fixtures LIVE: Opening weekend, Christmas matches and full schedules for every club Burnley fixtures released for Premier League 2023/24 season Man City to begin Premier League title defence at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley 10 of the most memorable opening-round games in Premier League history

The Premier League fixtures announcement has thrown up some intriguing encounters in the opening round. Vincent Kompany’s promoted Burnley will host his former club and treble winners Manchester City, while fellow new boys Luton visit Brighton and Chelsea welcome Liverpool. Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the most memorable opening-round Premier League fixtures from previous years. 1992: Sheffield United 2 Manchester United 1 This game was not a classic like those below but it did feature the first Premier League goal. Brian Deane scored it, then won it for the hosts from the spot after Mark Hughes had levelled. Fortunes soon changed as Alex Ferguson’s side won the title and the Blades were relegated. 1994: Sheffield Wednesday 3 Tottenham 4 This launched what was meant to be a continental new era for Spurs, with Jurgen Klinsmann leading the line after a move from Monaco. He delivered too, scoring and then performing one of the Premier League’s most memorable celebrations – a dive to live up to his reputation. 1996: Middlesbrough 3 Liverpool 3 It was shirts-over-your-head time at the Riverside as Fabrizio Ravanelli marked his Boro debut with a hat-trick. The White Feather took on Liverpool’s Spice Boys and nearly came out on top but, at the end of the season, Boro went down despite the Italian’s 16 goals. 1996: Wimbledon 0 Manchester United 3 David Beckham’s majestic lob from his own half triggered one of the English game’s most celebrated and high-profile careers. Beckham was a well-established prospect before he caught Neil Sullivan napping – but this goal certainly helped him make a name for himself. 2016: Arsenal 3 Liverpool 4 The hosts took the lead through Theo Walcott, who recovered from seeing a penalty saved by Simon Mignolet to score just 69 seconds later. However, Jurgen Klopp’s side stormed back as Philippe Coutinho (2), Adam Lallana and Sadio Mane put them 4-1 ahead, before Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers set up an exciting finish to a thrilling game. 2017: Arsenal 4 Leicester 3 The night started perfectly for Arsenal as new signing Alexandre Lacazette marked his league debut with a goal after just 94 seconds, only for Shinji Okazaki to level three minutes later. Jamie Vardy then capitalised on poor defending to twice put the Foxes ahead either side of Danny Welbeck’s equaliser. However Aaron Ramsey levelled, then fellow substitute Olivier Giroud’s 85th-minute goal settled a breathless encounter in Arsenal’s favour. 2017: Watford 3 Liverpool 3 Stefano Okaka gave Watford an eighth-minute lead, with Abdoulaye Doucoure re-establishing their one-goal advantage shortly after Mane equalised. Roberto Firmino levelled from the penalty spot after debutant Mohamed Salah was fouled, with the Egypt international then poking Liverpool ahead – only for Miguel Britos to equalise and give Marco Silva a positive first outing as Watford boss. 2020: Liverpool 4 Leeds 3 Champions Liverpool were given a scare by a fired-up Leeds side playing their first top-flight match in 16 years but ultimately a Salah hat-trick proved decisive. Three times the Reds were pegged back after taking the lead with a Salah penalty, a Virgil van Dijk header and another Salah strike, with equalisers coming from Jack Harrison, Patrick Bamford and Mateusz Klich. Salah finally settled the contest with a second spot-kick two minutes from time. 2021: Brentford 2 Arsenal 0 Brentford announced their arrival in the Premier League in style as goals from Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard secured a memorable 2-0 win over Arsenal. The Bees finally came full circle as their last match in the top flight, in May 1947, was a 1-0 home defeat against Arsenal. 2022: Manchester United 1-2 Brighton Erik ten Hag endured a chastening reminder of the size of the job he had taken on at Manchester United as his first game in charge ended in a 2-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford. Starting with Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, United were thoroughly outplayed in the first half as two Pascal Gross goals in the space of nine minutes gave the Seagulls a deserved lead. Ten Hag’s men did improve after the break once Ronaldo had come on, but only found the back of the net through an Alexis Mac Allister own goal and were unable to get a leveller.

Liverpool's Premier League fixtures for the 2023/24 season have been announced. Here are the key dates for your diary, including when the Reds will take on the likes of Man Utd, Man City and Everton.

The Premier League 2023/24 fixtures have been released and TNT Sports will kick off a new era for the channel on 12 August. Following a Eurosport merger, BT Sport will change its name to TNT Sports. And the first match following the rebrand will see Arsenal host Nottingham Forest at Emirates Stadium. Premier League fixtures LIVE: Opening weekend, Christmas matches and full schedules for every club The game will kick off at 12:30pm and will be the second match of the season following Burnley vs champions Man City on Friday 11 August. Here is the opening round of fixtures for the 2023/24 Premier League season: Premier League festive period 2023/24 11/08/202320:00Burnley v Manchester City 12/08/202315:00A.F.C. Bournemouth v West Ham United 12/08/202312:30Arsenal v Nottingham Forest 12/08/202315:00Brighton v Luton Town 12/08/202315:00Everton v Fulham 12/08/202317:30Newcastle United v Aston Villa 12/08/202315:00Sheffield United v Crystal Palace 13/08/202314:00Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur 13/08/202316:30Chelsea v Liverpool 14/08/202320:00Manchester United v Wolverhampton Read More Premier League fixtures LIVE: Opening weekend, Christmas matches and full schedules for every club England’s future is about to be defined – and it’s out of Gareth Southgate’s control Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports? Eurosport merger explained

Manchester City will kick off a bid for a fourth straight Premier League title away to Burnley, managed by their...

There’s a new American football superstar with hundreds of thousands of followers and a host of celebrity pals. His name is Madden San Miguel, but everyone knows him as 'Baby Gronk', and the really remarkable thing is that he’s only 10 years old. He’s gaining a reputation as one of the most impressive youth football players around and he’s been pictured with the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Olivia Dunne and Shaquille O'Neal. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter But who is he? This is everything you need to know about Baby Gronk. His name is inspired by NFL star Rob Gronkowski, who played tight end for the New England Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before his retirement in 2021. His fans are regularly treated to videos of him training and playing football, putting in impressive appearances for a player so young. He’s also already visited close to 20 college football programs. Things stepped up a gear for the sporting prodigy in March when he posed for a picture with gymnast and influencer Dunne. @theqbplug Baby Gronk is TAKING OVER the Sports World 🤯 His dad, Jake San Miguel, spoke to The Athletic and said that his aim – aside from getting him to the NFL – was to grow his son’s profile so that he could set him up for life by making him a millionaire by the time he leaves high school. “I don’t think my son is a God or better than all these other kids out there. His goal is to go to the NFL. But the NFL is rare,” he said. “So my goal is to build him a platform and a following where he is making money now and it’s going into a savings account.” @theqbplug This 10-Year-Old is RICHER than you! “That way he can live a good life without struggle or worry. It’s the insurance behind sports. You don’t have to go pro anymore. Like Livvy Dunne, she’s set for life already because of the internet.” How has Baby Gronk managed to be pictured with so many high-profile celebs and influencers? Well, it turns out his dad is a marketing man with plenty of contacts. "I do marketing," the dad said. "On that end, I can't give too much because I wouldn't want to give away what I do. It's a brand. It's a movement. I do all of that. I manage everything. "I know a lot of people. I have friends who played in the NFL. I have friends who coach in the Power 5. Former teammates from my high school team. I know people who run social medias for a lot companies." Some have raised concerns about the way Baby Gronk’s dad has been handling the new found fame. One video shows the 10-year-old appearing on the Bring The Juice Podcast, with his dad stopping the interview in order to feed answers to his son. Sam Miguel Jr. was asked whether he’d take social media star Dunne to prom, and he was prompted by his dad: 'You gotta say "I already DM'd her, and asked her, and she said yes."' The social media charge is clearly being led by San Miguel Sr. Golf influencer Paige Spirinac has also called him out after he DM’d her, clearly feeling that a collab wouldn’t fit with her brand. “Are u ever in Dallas Tx?” the first message she received read. The second said: “We gotta collab.” ESPN Sportscenter anchor Ashley Brewer also revealed that San Miguel had been in touch to ask the broadcaster to do a story on Baby Gronk. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Bangladesh's fast bowlers destroyed the Afghan top order to leave the tourists 35-3 at lunch on the second day of the one-off Test, after the...

Thursday's transfer rumours include Barcelona potentially selling Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Raphinha, PSG's willingness to negotiate with Real Madrid over Kylian Mbappe, Man Utd dropping interest in Harry Kane & more on Thiago, Vitor Roque.

What the papers say Manchester United have ended their interest in signing Harry Kane from Tottenham, The Guardian reports. The Spurs’ asking price for the 29-year-old was unrealistic, the Red Devils felt, despite Erik ten Hag making the England striker his primary summer target. Also in the Guardian is talk that Arsenal have emerged as strong contenders to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea. The 24-year-old has also been identified as a target for Real Madrid. The forward’s contract expires in 2025 but he has told the club of his desire to leave this summer. Newcastle United are pushing hard to complete a deal to sign Inter Milan’s midfielder Nicolo Barella in a deal thought to be worth around £50 million, the Daily Telegraph says. The 26-year-old and Leicester City’s James Maddison are the Magpies’ two main targets. And the Mail writes that Manchester City will resist loan offers for midfielder James McAtee as Pep Guardiola wants him to be part of his treble-winning squad next season. The 20-year-old has been earmarked for the club’s senior side. Social media round-up Players to watch Dusan Vlahovic: Gazzetta dello Sport reports via Football Italia that Juventus want at least 80m euros (£68m) for the 23-year-old but Chelsea have told the Italians they can pick between five players in a swap deal for the Serbia striker. Kalidou Koulibaly: Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport says the 31-year-old Chelsea defender is also wanted by Inter Milan.

Clint Frazier singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Chicago White Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-4 after losing starter Mike Clevinger and manager Pedro Grifol