Erling Haaland sends one-word message to former team-mate Jadon Sancho after winger leaves Man Utd for Borussia Dortmund loan

Erling Haaland sent a heartwarming message to former team-mate Jadon Sancho after the winger left Manchester United for Borussia Dortmund on loan.

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Sancho signs for DortmundEnds Man Utd nightmare at least until the summerHaaland shares a message for SanchoWHAT HAPPENED?

Sancho spent four successful years at Dortmund before moving to United in 2021 for a reported fee of £73 million ($93m). However, during his stay at Old Trafford, he failed to match expectations and has been in exile since August after a public spat with Erik ten Hag. The winger has switched back to his former employers with the hope of reviving his sinking career on a loan deal, reportedly worth €4m (£3.4m/$4.3m) with no buy-back option.

Haaland was excited to see his close friend embark on a fresh challenge in his former stomping ground and wrote "beautiful" in his Instagram story while quoting Dortmund's post.

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The duo spent a year together at Signal Iduna Park where they forged a close friendship. They lifted the German Cup together in 2021 when Sancho scored 16 goals and laid on 20 assists. A week before, Haaland expressed his admiration for Sancho by labelling him as a 'proper baller' in his Instagram story with a picture of the German Cup in front of them.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite his previous achievements, Sancho struggled to replicate his Dortmund form in his two-and-a-half seasons at United, scoring 12 goals and providing six assists since his arrival. The off-the-field incidents also hampered his progress and his row with Ten Hag over a social media post was the final nail on the coffin.

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Sancho is geared up to prove his critics wrong by shining at Dortmund in his second coming. He might be handed an opportunity to feature when the Black and Yellows return to action on Saturday in the Bundesliga against Darmstadt.

A big blow for Liverpool! Jurgen Klopp confirms Kostas Tsimikas has 'definitely broken' collarbone after collision with coach on touchline during Arsenal match

Kostas Tsimikas has broken his collarbone after colliding with boss Jurgen Klopp in Saturday's game against Arsenal, the Liverpool boss confirmed.

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Tsimikas takes out Klopp and injures collarboneNudge from Saka sends defender into managerLiverpool's left-back woes continueWHAT HAPPENED?

Tsimikas and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka were chasing a loose ball when the Arsenal forward bumped the Greek defender off balance and into Klopp. Tsimikas was in visible discomfort and had to be withdrawn. It was revealed at half-time on that he had been taken to hospital and the manager has since confirmed the worst.

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Klopp told : "It was massively overshadowed by Kostas Tsimikas collarbone issue, definitely broken, so he is out for a long time. The other issues we will have to see. It is hard for us to swallow with the Robbo [Andy Robertson] situation."

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The injury to Tsimikas adds yet another headache at full-back for Klopp, who is already missing his starting left-back, Andy Robertson, with a shoulder injury. Joe Gomez, who replaced Tsimikas, is not a natural left-back and won't be seen as a long term solution in that position.

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The Greek full-back will be out for an extended period of time after suffering the latest injury in what will come as a huge blow to an already depleted Reds team.

Majority of Afghan T20 league's foreign contingent stays back after blast

Barring eight, the overseas contingent involved in Afghanistan’s domestic T20 tournament has decided to stay back after being convinced of presidential-level security by Afghanistan president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani

Nagraj Gollapudi and Mohammad Isam18-Sep-2017A majority of overseas players and coaches involved in the Shpageeza Cricket League, Afghanistan’s domestic Twenty20 tournament, has decided to remain in the country, despite an incident last week when a suicide bomber reportedly detonated explosives at a checkpoint en route to the Alokozay Kabul International Cricket Ground in Kabul. Eight foreign personnel, most from South Africa and Zimbabwe, left the country.The blast, which killed three persons including the attacker, took place last Wednesday afternoon, during a league match between Boost Defenders and MIS Ainak Knights.Although the match resumed once security officials gave the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) the nod, there was concern among the overseas players and officials and their respective cricket boards. Cricket South Africa was one of the first boards to revoke the no-objection certificates of its players, while Zimbabwe Cricket, too, asked players to return immediately.Four South Africans (Cameron Delport, Morne van Wyk, Glenton Stuurman and Abdul Razak), two Zimbabweans (Hamilton Masakazda and Solomon Mire), and West Indian Rayad Emrit chose to leave, while former South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs, who was the head coach of Speen Ghar Tigers, was the only overseas official to depart. According to the ACB, Emrit played two further matches after the blast before flying home to Trinidad to be with his wife who is pregnant.Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura, Sikandar Raza, Johnathan Campbell, Ryan Burl, Richard Ngarava, Tendai Chisoro, Luke Jongwe, Richmond Mutumbami and Vusi Sibanda, former Pakistan allrounder Abdul Razzaq, Sri Lanka’s Ashan Priyanjan, and Oman cricketers Bilal Khan and Zeeshan Maqsood were among those who opted to stay back, along with overseas coaches Adam Hollioake, Andy Moles, Gus Logie, Gordon Parsons and Umesh Patwal. Former Australia batsman Dean Jones and former Zimbabwe captain Alistair Campbell, who are part of the commentary team, also opted to stay back.According to Shafiqullah Stanikzai, the ACB chief executive, Afghanistan’s interior minister Wais Bamrak met all the teams on the evening of the blast and conveyed to them the message from president Mohammad Ashraf Ghani that the government would ensure their safety. Last Saturday, Ghani invited the overseas players and officials to his palace in Kabul, which is adjacent to the team hotel. Ghani, who is also the patron-in-chief of the ACB, told players and officials that they would receive presidential-level security.Ghani’s words had a positive effect, and Zimbabwe allrounder Raza also stated that security had been increased around the teams and the team hotel immediately after the blast. “The security has improved. The radius of the safe zone has grown bigger,” Raza told ESPNcricnfo. “After the incident, there are two ways to look at it. One way is that the incident happened close to the ground. The other way to look at it is that the security forces managed to stop that guy from getting in. So, security did work.”Raza admitted that there was a “moment of fear” following the blast as security personnel assessed the situation. “There was a moment of fear, but once we realised that everyone was safe and nobody was hurt or dead, I think it brought us to our feet again,” he said. “The game stopped and we tried to find out what exactly had happened. We managed to find out that the security forces had done their job and the man was stopped. The sound itself was pretty loud and there was a moment of fear. But we got out of it pretty quickly and that’s why we went out and played the game.”Cricket is the most popular sport in a country that has been war-torn for decades. According to Raza, the Shpageeza League had “houseful” crowds for every match. “I just hope the tournament can finish smoothly now and we are hoping such incidents don’t happen again because all lives matter and are worth the same. From the cricketers’ point of view, we certainly don’t want anyone to lose their lives for us.”

Neymar sends touching message to Santos after Al-Hilal star’s former club suffer relegation from Brazilian top-flight for first time in 111 years

Neymar posted a message of support to Santos after his former team were relegated from the Brazilian Serie A for the first time in their history.

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  • Santos relegated on last day of Serie A
  • First time club have been demoted
  • Neymar posted supportive message to club
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The Sao Paulo side were beaten 2-1 by Fortaleza while Bahia beat Atletico Mineiro 4-1 and Vasco da Gama bested Red Bull Bragantino to overtake Santos and confirm the fate of Neymar's former team. Had Santos won or either Bahia or Vasco failed to beat Atletico, the club would have avoided the drop to Serie B.

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  • WHAT NEYMAR SAID

    Neymar posted images of himself during his time at Santos, adding the caption: "Santos always Santos".

  • WHAT RODRYGO SAID

    Alongside Neymar, Real Madrid sensation Rodrygo, who came through the ranks at the Brazilian club before leaving in 2019, wrote his support on Instagram: "I’ll be Santos even if the ball doesn't go in, even if the stadium remains silent, even if the Sacred Mantle fades, even if victory is far away. I’ll be Santos, whether the journey is long, if the journey is hard, Santos in my chest & my soul, my chants & in my palms.”

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    This is the first time Santos have ever been relegated from the top-flight in their history. Their demise is one of the more eye-opening outcomes of a chaotic Serie A campaign. At the other end, Botafogo surrendered an incredible 13-point lead at the top of the table to end up losing the title to Palmeiras.

‘Marcus Rashford needs to have a look at himself’ – Man Utd forward slammed for ‘petulance’ after disappointing campaign reaches new lows against Newcastle

Manchester United legend Steve Bruce slammed Marcus Rashford for his poor body language on the pitch against Newcastle United.

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  • Steve Bruce slams Marcus Rashford
  • Performed poorly against Newcastle
  • Has scored just two goals this season
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    The former United defender was unhappy with the striker's attitude on the pitch as he produced another poor performance in a 1-0 loss at Newcastle on Saturday night. The England international was deployed on the right flank by Erik ten Hag, but was subbed off just after the hour mark as he had a night to forget against the Magpies.

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  • WHAT STEVE BRUCE SAID

    Speaking to , Bruce said: "The body language of some of the players doesn’t look right. We’ve been talking now and the first one you look at is why all of a sudden Marcus Rashford, after how good he was, how good he played for England a few weeks ago, [has gone] to what you see now. Is he not happy playing on the right, what is wrong? We aren’t going to know what has happened behind the scenes if anything has happened.

    "When he comes off, he shows that petulance, he is not happy. I think he needs to have a look at himself, to start with. It’s not just him, you look through the nucleus of the side and they have been blown away by Newcastle. That is the worry."

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    Ten Hag did not publicly criticise Rashford after the game but the Dutch manager said that he would have a chat with him directly in private.

    Among a series of criticisms, former Red Devils skipper Harry Maguire came to his colleague's support as he claimed that the 26-year-old is just experiencing a rough patch of form.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR MARCUS RASHFORD?

    The English forward has managed to score just two goals in the 2023-24 campaign to date, in stark contrast to his brilliant run of form last season where he scored 30 goals across all competitions. Rashford is expected to be back in action on Wednesday when United face Chelsea in a crucial Premier League fixture.

Chelsea: Poch Opens Talks To Sign £80m "Crown Jewel" At Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are edging closer to signing Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo following a recent update by renowned transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

What’s the latest on Moises Caicedo to Chelsea?

The Stamford Bridge outfit could now finally see Caicedo at the club sooner rather than later, with the Italian now tweeting:

“Chelsea are set to open talks with Brighton for Moisés Caicedo as negotiations between clubs starting within 24/48h.

“Personal terms, not as issue — now Chelsea prepared to ‘attack’ the deal.

“Never easy or fast negotiations with Brighton. Chelsea, on it.”

Chelsea had a £55m bid rejected in January, and he will cost a lot more now should the Blues get a deal over the line in the coming weeks, with some reports suggesting that the Segulls will demand in the region of £80m.

Will Moises Caicedo join Chelsea?

It looks as though Chelsea have beaten off competition from Arsenal and Manchester United for the Brighton starlet as evidenced by the Romano update and the £60k-per-week gem could be a dream signing for Mauricio Pochettino as he looks to form a new-look midfield ahead of next season.

The Ecuador international could link up in the middle of the park with Enzo Fernandez as N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic have both departed west London recently.

Caicedo could enjoy success at the heart of the Chelsea midfield as he completed 2209 passes last season, the seventh most in the Premier League while ranking second in the top flight for tackles, making 100 over the course of the season and Pochettino would be signing a tenacious player who will fight for every ball while also being able to dictate play with his excellent passing ability.

It’s no wonder that he is being courted by a plethora of teams this summer, as he could improve pretty much every side in the division, perhaps aside from Manchester City and the Argentinian will be desperate to get a deal over the line soon.

A move from the South coast to the big city lights shouldn’t faze Caicedo, especially with his experience at the World Cup last year with Ecuador, and it appears as though he is ready to take his game to the next level and challenge for trophies.

If he continues his current upward trajectory, could he even become one of the finest players that Ecuador has ever produced? Historian Enrico Castro-Montes certainly thinks so, dubbing the 21-year-old as being a “crown jewel of a new generation” and this wonderful praise goes to show just how highly regarded he is.

Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo.

Finally securing his signature would ensure Pochettino gets his business off to a wonderful start, especially as Chelsea will have beaten off clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester United, who both could offer the Brighton gem Champions League football next term.

It shows the appeal of Pochettino and the project he is clearly trying to build at the Stamford Bridge side, and with Caicedo the beating heart, it could be a dream move for all parties.

Arsenal: Arteta "Progressing" In Talks For Another Signing

Arsenal are "progressing" in talks to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia and are "close" to an agreement on personal terms, according to reports.

Who will Arsenal sign this summer?

The north Londoners have their eyes on multiple additions this summer as they look to strengthen Mikel Arteta's ranks and challenge again for next season's Premier League title.

Central midfield is the position to really look out for, as a wide variety of sources claim they're stepping up their pursuit of West Ham star Declan Rice and have already had bids rejected for the England international.

They're apparently "serious" about signing Rice and remain confident of doing a deal, having already agreed personal terms, while the likes of Man City star Ilkay Gundogan and Lavia are also being repeatedly linked.

Further forward and in defence, Gunners supporters could see the likes of Kai Havertz join from Chelsea with talks advancing and terms also agreed there, and Ajax defender Jurrien Timber is at the centre of real interest.

Following Southampton's relegation from the top flight, Lavia is a player who could well be on the move, as he attracts interest from Arteta, Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool (The Independent).

romeo-lavia-liverpool-premier-league-transfers

Arsenal have been in talks for the 19-year-old, as reported elsewhere, but Football Insider have a really promising update on their efforts to sign him.

According to their information, Arsenal are "progressing" in negotiations for Lavia, with personal terms "close to agreement". This is part of a potential quadruple spending spree and Arteta could see as much as £300 million spent in total this summer.

As well as Lavia, it is believed Rice, Havertz and Timber are all still in ongoing discussions to make a move to the Emirates Stadium.

How has Romeo Lavia done at Southampton?

Having signed for the Saints last year on a deal from Man City, Pep Guardiola has since been very impressed with his efforts at St. Mary's.

Speaking to City's official website, Guardiola held special praise for the Belgium international, who has gone on to make 29 league appearances.

“I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing,” said the City boss.

“We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton.

“(It’s a) good experience to go to the Premier League and play at this early age. So important.”

Lavia also averaged a higher pass accuracy (86.4%) than any Southampton player in the Premier League last campaign.

Andrey Santos, Kobbie Mainoo and the teenage wonderkids set for breakout Premier League seasons in 2023-24

There are host of talented teens looking to follow in the footsteps of Alejandro Garnacho and Evan Ferguson from last season

One of the joys of any Premier League season is when young players breakout and become household names almost overnight. Fans are always energised when a teenager, whether they are homegrown or otherwise, makes an impact on the first team, and heading into the 2023-24 campaign, there are plenty of talents who look set to emerge.

When GOAL produced this list ahead of the 2022-23 season, we predicted the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Evan Ferguson, Romeo Lavia, Levi Colwill, Stefan Bajcetic and Julio Enciso would make their mark over the next nine months, so who do we believe will be able to do something similar this time around?

With the proviso that only players born in or after 2004 are eligible, and that players must have 15 or fewer Premier League appearances under their belt, here's the 2023-24 list of teenage talents who could breakthrough in the English top flight:

Getty ImagesFacundo Buonanotte (Brighton)

The most experienced player on this list in terms of Premier League appearances, Facundo Buonanotte played 13 times in the top-flight for Brighton last season, and even got himself on the scoresheet during a defeat at Nottingham Forest.

The Seagulls paid around £6 million to bring the 18-year-old to the south coast from Argentine side Rosario Central in January, and it is hoped he will follow in the footsteps of Ferguson and Enciso in making an impact under Roberto De Zerbi.

An attacking midfielder who can play further forward, he has been compared to Alexis Mac Allister in the past, and could yet end up being his compatriot's long-term replacement in the Brighton line up.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesYoussef Chermiti (Everton)

Youssef Chermiti is a new arrival into the Premier League having moved to Everton in the days leading up to the new campaign. The Toffees have agreed to pay an initial £13m for the 19-year-old, who arrives from Sporting CP.

A physically imposing striker with a touch that belies his size, Chermiti scored three goals in the Primeira Liga last season, and arrives into Sean Dyche's squad to provide back-up for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Given the England striker's injury issues, though, there is a good chance that Chermiti will get plenty of opportunities to impress over the course of the season.

Getty ImagesBobby Clark (Liverpool)

The son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee Clark, Bobby Clark joined Liverpool from the Magpies in 2021 and has made excellent progress since arriving on Merseyside. He made his first-team debut in August 2022, but his cameo in the 9-0 win over Bournemouth remains the 18-year-old's only Premier League appearance to date.

An energetic central midfielder, Clark has been given opportunities to impress during pre-season by Jurgen Klopp, and as the Reds continue to redevelop their midfield, Clark will be hopeful of following Bajcetic into the team over the course of the season.

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Getty ImagesAmario Cozier-Duberry (Arsenal)

One of the stars of Arsenal's run to the FA Youth Cup final last season, Cozier-Duberry's displays certainly caught Mikel Arteta's eye, who included the teenager in his matchday squad on six occasions over the course of the campaign.

Cozier-Duberry is yet to make his first-team bow, but the 18-year-old's tricky wing play has earned comparisons to Bukayo Saka, and there is some hope that he can become the England star's primary back-up over the next couple of years.

What did Jose Mourinho do after the 2023 Europa League final?

It’s safe to say Anthony Taylor has made a few enemies with his referee performance in last night’s Europa League final.

What’s the latest on Anthony Taylor and Jose Mourinho?

Meeting at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Sevilla played Roma in a scrappy encounter which ended 1-1 after 90 minutes before eventually being settled on penalties after a goalless extra time.

Two fine saves in the shootout from Yassine Bono, allowed Gonzalo Montiel the opportunity to win the tournament for Sevilla.

He actually missed the penalty but referee Taylor was advised by the VAR of an encroachment, and so the Argentine – who also netted the decisive penalty in the World Cup final – scored here at the second attempt to bring the trophy back to Spain yet again.

Throughout the game, however, much of the focus was on the officiating of the Premier League official as he handed out 13 yellow cards – a record for a European final.

Both teams had cause to be upset with the Englishman though. First of all, he failed to spot a possible foul on Ivan Rakitic shortly before Paulo Dybala’s opener.

Fans were furious right after that incident, taking to Twitter to make their feelings known.

Sadly for Taylor, things didn’t get any easier from there as he failed to give some big calls in Roma’s favour either.

Most notably, he failed to award the Serie A side a penalty for this potential handball inside the box.

After the defeat, Jose Mourinho – who had been booked during the game – seemed absolutely enraged with the referee’s display.

Speaking to the press (via Sky Sports), he publically questioned Taylor’s performance saying:

“It was an intense, vibrant game with a referee who seemed Spanish.

“It was yellow, yellow, yellow all the time.”

What’s more, the 60-year-old – who had just lost a European final for the first time in his career – was then spotted in the car park confronting the English official.

It’s certainly a shameful way to take defeat, even if the referee wasn’t at his best on the day. But then again, that’s just classic Mourinho.

Leeds Could Suffer Blow In Bid To Sign £18k-A-Week Ace

Leeds United could struggle to sign Rangers winger Ryan Kent if they are relegated to the Championship ahead of next season, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Is Kent leaving Rangers this summer?

The Whites are on the verge of going down from the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, following three years back in the top flight. Destiny is out of their hands, with Everton knowing that victory over Bournemouth at Goodison Park will send both Leeds and Leicester City to the Championship, as well as Southampton.

In truth, it would take something fairly special for the Whites to remain in the division at this point, as they look to avoid the drop in dramatic circumstances for a second year in a row.

Once the summer transfer window arrives, much of the focus will be on new signings, although the calibre of players they are able to bring in could be dependent on which league they are playing in in 2023/24. One individual who has been linked with a move to Elland Road is Kent, who could leave Rangers at the end of the campaign.

The £18,000-a-week winger's current deal expires this summer, and it doesn't look as though he will sign an extension at Ibrox.

rangers-ryan-kent-champions-league-leeds-transfer

Could Leeds miss out on Kent move?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, transfer expert Jones claimed that Leeds' potential move for Kent could be scuppered if they go down this weekend:

"I don't know that Kent would be willing to play in the Championship. I don't think that's what his vision is going to be at this stage, so we'll have to wait and see exactly how the two align."

In fairness, the lure of the Premier League will be great for Kent this summer, so the thought of suddenly representing Leeds in the Championship is unlikely to appeal to him.

This is someone who played in the Europa League final for Rangers last season, and he has racked up 90 goal contributions (33 goals and 57 assists) in 218 appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants. His attacking quality could be a real asset for the Whites if he did decide to join – Steven Gerrard once called him "sensational" – but it would be hard to begrudge him a move elsewhere if a top-flight club came calling.

It highlights just how big Sunday's action is for the Leeds, with a miracle survival act proving to be so huge when it comes to signings in the summer window.

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