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Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool enter talks for £43m star as transfer 'approved' by striker
Liverpool are enjoying a busy summer transfer window and are set to finalise Florian Wirtz's move to Anfield with the German international expected to undergo his medical on Friday Liverpool are set to move a step closer to finalising their British record transfer for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz. The Germany international is expected to begin his medical on Friday ahad of his £116million move. It marks a quick start to the transfer window by Arne Slot's side who have seen the addition of Jeremie Frimpong. The Reds have already said goodbye to Trent Alexander-Arnold and Caoimhin Kelleher to Real Madrid and Brentford respectively. And there is more to come as the Premier League champions move to sign Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth to strengthen their options at full-back. A new forward could be on the agenda too with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike of interest. There could be more exits too. Andy Robertson, Jarell Quansah and Federico Chiesa all have uncertain futures at Anfield. Mirror Football takes a look at some of the latest Liverpool transfer news and rumours. Liverpool enter talks Liverpool are ready to rival Chelsea for Malick Fofana, as Lyon demand £43m for his exit. Fofana, 20, is said to favour a move to Merseyside. According to L'Equipe, Chelsea have opened talks over a move but Liverpool have made contact with the player's new agents, after he joined Roc Nation. Manchester United are also claimed to have a strong interest in the player. Earlier in the year, Fofana's then agent Bobo Fofana hinted Anfield could lie in the youngster's future. "The choice of heart would be Liverpool," he said earlier this year. "He has the potential to enter the rotation, and above all, we would like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and El-hadji Diouf." Darwin approves transfer Darwin Nunez has given his approval on a move to Napoli, according to reports in Italy. Sky Sport Italy claim the Serie A champions Napoli have started talks to sign Nunez and the Uruguay international, 25, has 'already given the ok'. But Liverpool's demands could yet prove problematic. The Reds have set a £59.8m asking price and want £55.6m of that to be paid up front. Chiesa message New Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso has revealed Federico Chiesa must find more playing time to feature in his squads going forward. The former AC Milan midfielder and manager was speaking at his unveiling having replaced Luciano Spalletti. 'In these days, I called 35 players [who did not make the squad], I spoke to everyone,' he said. 'Even Chiesa, whom I told to play consistently. "There are players who have been out but who can lend a hand. The pitch speaks: if you do things well, the doors of the national team are open." Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Ronnie O'Sullivan rekindles Laila Rouass romance as couple make £2m decision
Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to quit the UK for the Middle East after a series of snooker struggles over the past few months but his partner Laila Rouass looks set to join him after the pair got back together Snooker legend star Ronnie O'Sullivan has reportedly rekindled his relationship with former fiancee Laila Rouass just nine months after they separated. The Rocket announced his split from the Strictly Come Dancing star last year following 13 years together. And that split coincided with what was arguably O'Sullivan's most difficult spell on the snooker table. He had barely played in 2025 heading into this year's world championship. But it now appears that he has reconciled with Rouass, with reports suggesting that the pair are now together. According to The Sun, the couple are now back together and have plans to move to Dubai together. They have apparently put their £2million Epping Forest home up for sale ahead of the move. A source said: 'They have been back together for a while. The time apart gave them time to think about what they want and what is important to them — and that is being together. 'Ronnie is moving to the Middle East and Laila is going with him. They've talked about living in Dubai, which is just a two-hour flight from where Ronnie has his snooker academy in Saudi Arabia. 'He has spoken to people on his snooker circuit about the move and is excited about a clean break from the UK for him and Laila. They have had their issues in the past but Ronnie and Laila have worked through it and seem really happy again. The people who know them think they make a great couple and just want them to live a happy, quiet life.' 'They've been on and off before but Ronnie really wants to make it work with Laila," they added. "She will be joining him in the Middle East and they'll see how it goes.' The news of the couple's reunion comes after Rouass broke her silence on their original separation back in March. Taking to Instagram, she said: "Break ups can strip you down to your essence,' she wrote. 'I got through mine by using pain as fuel to take control because no matter what, we will lose parts of ourselves in relationships. It's normal, don't beat yourself up. Is Ronnie O'Sullivan the best snooker player of all time? Share your thoughts in the comments below "One thing I'm conscious of not doing is trying to get back where I was. No, I'm discovering who I've become. I've gone through various emotions... hurt, pain, anger but what I've realised about anger is that it's bottomless." O'Sullivan only reached the World Championship semi-finals in May and was eventually defeated by eventual champion Zhao Xintong at the Crucible. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Arsenal announcement imminent with striker decision and Zubimendi deal next
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal finished second in the Premier League last season - the third year in a row in which they have ended as runners-up - and are looking to make the step up Arsenal are close to announcing their second big contract renewal of the summer after tying Gabriel down to a new deal. Myles Lewis-Skelly is set to become the next player to sign fresh terms, with an announcement about a new deal for the teenager expected imminently. Lewis-Skelly enjoyed a breakthrough season last term after making his Premier League debut in September 2024. A midfielder at youth level, he showed his quality at left-back for the senior side and earned his first minutes for the England national team in the position. Things aren't going to stop there, though. Arsenal finished second in the Premier League again last season, but were further off a title win than in each of the two previous campaigns, and will want to do something about that. That something is further transfer investment as well as new contracts for key players. Co-chair Josh Kroenke has already indicated there will be money to spend, with new sporting director Andrea Berta at the forefront of the summer business. We've already got a reasonable idea of what comes next, with some names mentioned throughout the early part of the window. Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at some of the next steps. Which striker arrives next? One thing which became clear in the second half of last season was Arsenal's need for attacking reinforcements. Kai Havertz's return from injury will make things easier, but a new number nine remains a priority. A number of names have been mentioned, but unless something changes drastically in the coming weeks then it will be either Benjamin Sesko or Viktor Gyokeres. Sesko looks the more likely, though his agent Elvis Basanovic indicated he won't be leaning on RB Leipzig to lower their asking price. "Even if there may be - or will be - a strong desire of the player to move to a certain club, we will never force or blackmail RB Leipzig," he told Givemesport. "I believe this is not the right way, because the way you actually exit from the club shows your values. Values that you are bringing into a new club. Zubimendi announcement For a while, it looked as though Martin Zubimendi was destined to become Arsenal's first summer signing. The Spain midfielder is still more likely than not to end up in North London, but it won't be the speedy process some anticipated. "Of course there are options, but it's true that it seems like it's going to be a different, long summer, and I don't know how it will end," Zubimendi said during the international break. "I don't think thinking about it right now is my priority. I'm here with the national team, which I think is already quite demanding, and if I have to say something, then I will." A move to North London would see the Real Sociedad star reunited with former club team-mates Martin Odegaard and Mikel Merino. They're unlikely to be joined by ex-colleague Alexander Isak, though, with the Swede set to stay at Newcastle. More new contracts Gabriel and Lewis-Skelly's new deals are just the start. There have been tentative talks about a new deal for Leandro Trossard, who is about to enter the final year of his current deal, but there are some other huge priorities beyond that. One of those extensions looks to be relatively straightforward. Ethan Nwaneri. Formal discussions with the teenager began early in Berta's tenure, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see a new deal announced this summer. Bukayo Saka is also expected to renew a deal currently running until 2027, while there is optimism William Saliba will do the same. However, Real Madrid remain keen on Saliba and it remains to be seen how easy it is for the Gunners to fend off that interest. Keeper comes in Arsenal's loan move for Neto last summer always looked like a bit of a stopgap, and so it proved. The Brazilian is due to return to parent club Bournemouth, having barely featured during his year in London. The Gunners still need a longer-term backup to David Raya, though. For a while, it looked as though Joan Garcia might be that man, but he has now officially completed a move to Barcelona. Instead, it's another Spaniard who appears to be on the way. Kepa is available for a knock-down £5million fee, and looks like an absolute no-brainer for Arteta. What else might happen? The other area where there are questions is wide left. A new deal for Trossard might solve the problem, but there have also been murmurings of a new face to bolster the front line in addition to a new number nine. Once again, Barcelona stand in the way when it comes to one of those targets. Nico Williams is understood to favour a move to Catalunya, and appears to be drawing ever closer to choosing Barca over Arsenal. Another option is Real Madrid star Rodrygo, who found opportunities harder to come by last season. He played and assisted in new manager Xabi Alonso's first match in charge on Wednesday, but is thought to be available for the right price - the question is whether Arsenal will be willing to pay it.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Full details as Premier League prepare to announce 2025-26 fixtures
The Premier League are set to reveal the fixture schedule for the new season and Mirror Football has taken a look at everything you need to know before the announcement The new Premier League season will get underway in August and the fixtures will be released this week. Liverpool will be looking to mount a successful title defence, having won the league in Arne Slot's first season in charge. Arsenal, who have now finished second in the last three campaigns, are hoping to win their first title since 2004 and Manchester City will also be looking to bounce back after a disappointing campaign. Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland will all be back in the top flight after earning promotion from the Championship, with Leicester, Ipswich and Southampton suffering relegation. There will be a total of 380 matches played, with Sky Sports due to broadcast at least 215 and TNT Sports set to show 52. It will be the first full season with semi-automated offside technology after that was introduced during the last campaign, while Puma will be the official match ball supplier after it was announced that they would be replacing Nike. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at everything you need to know before the announcement... When is the fixtures schedule released? The Premier League will release the fixtures schedule on Wednesday, June 18. What time are the fixtures released? The schedule will be announced 9am BST. When will we know matches picked for TV? Some of the dates will be changed throughout the season due to games being selected for TV coverage and those announcements will come at different intervals throughout the campaign. Before last season, the Premier League told supporters that they are "committed to giving supporters a minimum of six weeks' notice on UK broadcast selections until December 2024, and five weeks' from January 2025 until Matchweek 37." Who has the rights to TV games this year? Sky Sports will broadcast a "record minimum" of 215 Premier League games next season, an increase from the 128 they showed last season, while TNT Sports will also broadcast some matches. Amazon Prime Video will not show any action this year after their six-year broadcast deal concluded last Christmas. How is the Schedule produced? The Premier League say that putting together the schedule, in full, takes up to six months. It is a process that is managed by an IT company, Atos, whose main headquarters are based just outside of Paris. An AI system has all manner of information concerning the football calendar thrown into it - including European dates, international games, domestic cup competitions and also what lower league schedules look like - as well as concerns such as geography and policing concerns. Clubs are then placed into a pairing grid - for example, Aston Villa and Wolves are often paired opposite one another, so when Villa are at home, Wolves are away - which will define when they play at home and when they'll head away and the system thus randomises a set of fixtures for all 20 clubs. Those fixtures are then manually verified by Atos staff before being verified further by representatives of the Premier League and Football League. Any issues, and the process is repeated until a new set of fixtures are generated which meet the requirements.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Kleberson on Man Utd regrets, Cristiano Ronaldo and ‘big signing' Matheus Cunha
EXCLUSIVE: Former Manchester United and Brazil star Kleberson talks to Mirror Football about his time at Old Trafford, meeting Cristiano Ronaldo and the Red Devils' signing of Matheus Cunha Kleberson had the world at his feet back in 2003. Fresh from winning the World Cup just 12 months before, he became the first-ever Brazilian to sign for Manchester United. Supporters were understandably excited after a fresh-faced Kleberson was pictured alongside a teenage Cristiano Ronaldo on the Old Trafford touchline after putting pen to paper with the Red Devils. But the former midfielder struggled to hit the heights expected of him in the Premier League having made just 30 appearances for the club over two seasons before being allowed to join Turkish giants Besiktas. Kleberson, though, has no regrets from his time with United. Speaking exclusively to Mirror Football, he said: 'Everything goes fast in that time. I signed a professional contract in 1999, I win the league in Brazil in 2001 and then in 2002, I was in the World Cup winning squad with Brazil. And then 2003, I signed for the biggest club in the world in Manchester United. 'It all happened so fast. It's so fast. Unfortunately, I got a lot of injuries that push me back. I only say that because when I got an injury, I got back 100% to play, I need to compete against Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo who started to fly. 'It's not easy. I know I won the World Cup at the time and at a big name Manchester United but it took time to get to a better level. But injuries didn't help me at that time. 'But I was the first Brazilian in the Reds jersey, the first to score in Old Trafford and my sons are born there. I have great memories, I really enjoyed that time.' While Kleberson's injuries limited his contributions for United, the man who he was unveiled alongside - Cristiano Ronaldo - enjoyed plenty of success. The five-time Ballon d'Or scored 118 goals across his first spell before his record move to Real Madrid. Kleberson knew he was destined for stardom after meeting him for the first time. He said: "It's so funny because when I get into Old Trafford to sign my contract, I remember I was on a table with a lot of agents. And then a young guy was there. I asked 'who's that kid?' And it was Cristiano Ronaldo. 'I was told he played in a friendly game for Sporting vs United and he destroyed the game. Before Cristiano, they tried to bring Ronaldinho and I think 'wow, that kid is probably special'. 'As soon as I saw that kid on the field, his dribbling, his technical quality, it's amazing. But one thing is was how focused he was. He was really focused on the things he wanted to see, concentrated. "He wants to get better quickly. He had a special mentor in Sir Alex Ferguson and he put him in the right direction. Ferdinand, Roy Keane and Gary Neville helped him to improve. But the strong mind he had at that time really impressed me. To see him score goals in a final for Portugal, that kid never stops.' With it now being over two decades since Kleberson became the first Brazilian to sign for the club, United have once again turned to a Selecao star in the transfer market. Ruben Amorim's side quickly paid Matheus Cunha's £62.5m release clause to sign him from Wolves. Kleberson believes he could be just the answer the club are looking for to solve their goalscoring woes. He added: 'It's a big signing for Man United. I really enjoy watching Cunha play. 'He starts to play in my town in Coritiba. I really enjoyed watching his game against Paraguay. It was the first time I watched him this close. 'He does a little bit more close movement, a lot of runs without the ball, diagonal moves. It's a big signing. I think United are going to be scoring well with him.' Another Premier League player who has been on the move this summer has been Jorginho. The Arsenal midfielder was allowed to leave the Emirates Stadium to sign for Brazilian side Flamengo ahead of the Club World Cup. And Kleberson believes that the Italian could have a big impact for his former side in the USA this summer. He said: 'I think that's a big signing for Flamengo because of the experience he brings for the club, it's amazing. 'He's a leader. He wants to come to Brazil, wants to play in the Maracana and now he can help the club a lot. But for this tournament, it's a great signing and he's going to be helping Flamengo a lot in some of the games.' Kleberson was speaking ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025. Watch all 63 games live on DAZN for free. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
