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AC Milan target Granit Xhaka is in talks with Saudi Arabian club Neom over a possible transfer that would see the midfielder earn a sizeable wage.

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• Granit Xhaka greenlit Saudi move
• Midfielder to snub AC Milan
• Also has new interest from Turkey

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Milan's plan for a midfield revolution has hit a roadblock. According to , the 32-year-old has reached a verbal agreement with Saudi club Neom SC. The Swiss midfielder can reportedly earn up to €10 million per year should the move go through. This comes as a blow for Milan who were planning to re-negotiate with Bayer Leverkusen after their failed bid for Club Brugge's Ardon Jashari.

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  The Saudi club have contacted Bayer Leverkusen, and the two clubs have been discussing transfer fees. Reportedly, the German club have put a price tag of €6m on the ex-Arsenal player. The negotiations are progressing well, with the clubs expected to reach an agreement this week. Turkish giants Fenerbahce are also keeping tabs on Xhaka and might make a move for the midfielder should his switch to Saudi fall through.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Xhaka's future has been extremely uncertain after the departure of former head coach Xabi Alonso. The player was also in talks with Milan earlier and had agreed to a move to Italy, but the clubs could not reach an agreement. The talks eventually died down further after Milan's bid for Jashari. After Brugge rejected Milan's initial bid, the Italian club wanted to reopen talks for the Swiss player, but Saudi's involvement brings new complications.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LEVERKUSEN?

  The 2023-24 Bundesliga champions wanted Xhaka to continue in Germany, having lost many key players such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Jonathan Tah. New head coach Erik ten Hag had major plans for the central midfielder and wanted him to lead the team in the upcoming season. However, with many clubs interested, it will be a hard task for the Dutch manager to hold onto the midfielder.

Georgia Stanway insists she is "fed up of talking" as England prepare to play the Netherlands in a do-or-die European Championship group clash.

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• England must win to keep qualification in own hands
• Lionesses lost to France in opening game
• Face another tricky test

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Stanway insists the Lionesses are ready to "put things right on the pitch" against the Netherlands after a disappointing defeat to France in their opening game of the European Championship. That defeat means that Sarina Wiegman's side must win to keep their qualification hopes in their own hands, but they face a tricky test against a Dutch team who thumped Wales 3-0 in their opener.

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  England are, of course, reigning champions, and also reached the 2023 World Cup final, and Stanway insists that she and her team-mates are ready to show exactly what they are made of in what has turned into a do-or-die fixture.

• WHAT STANWAY SAID

  Stanway told reporters: "What we want going forward is to make actions and stop talking. I didn't want to do the press conference today because I'm fed up of talking now.

  "It's time that we focus and we want to put things right on the pitch in order for us to be able to talk. We want to create action from what happened on Saturday and the only way to do that is the game."

  She added: "We want the game to come around as quick as possible. We want to make change.

  "We've spoken about wanting to be 'proper England' and going back to what we're good at and our traditional style of football — tough tackles and remembering why we're here. Sometimes it's about blocking out the noise and getting on the pitch and getting stuck in.

  "I had a message from someone I know that said: 'It is just like a bad night out and you want to forget it as much as possible. Move onto the next one. That's exactly what we're going to do."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  England face the Netherlands at 5pm on Wednesday. Defeat is not an option if the champions want to retain their title.

Brazilian superstar Neymar is one of the game's great entertainers but his ability to go to ground has also been highlighted by one former referee.

• Neymar picked up reputation for diving
• Former ref says his antics were legendary
• Brazilian now plying his trade with Santos

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Neymar has entertained millions of fans all over the world during spells with Barcelona, PSG and the Brazil national team. The forward's skill and goalscoring ability have never been in question but he's also come under fire for his theatrics over the years. Neymar acquired a reputation for diving during his time in Europe and in World Cups with Brazil, and former Champions League referee Felix Brych has admitted he had to learn how to handle the superstar.

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• WHAT BRYCH SAID

  Brych was asked which player produced the best dives in football and told Focus: "Well, it's been difficult for the diving kings because of the video referee. But before that, of course, I knew my stuff. Neymar was practically legendary, and certainly not without reason. The more his face contorted in pain, the more calmly I let the game play out. A player in severe pain immediately falls to the ground and doesn't roll around the field forever."

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  Neymar has never been shy in hitting back at suggestions of diving and has said his critics will "never understand" his theatrics. The forward has previously claimed his dribbling ability has made him a target for tough treatment and has also highlighted his injury record as evidence of the harsh tackles he has had to face on the pitch.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?

  Neymar is currently back in Brazil with boyhood club Santos but is currently embroiled in a relegation scrap in the Brazilian Serie A.

The packed summer soccer schedule has affected attendance across the top professional leagues in the U.S.

• MLS, NWSL see attendance dip
• Comes amid busy summer of soccer
• Garber confident league will rebound

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Both MLS and the NWSL have reportedly seen their attendance dip this in 2025 amid a busy summer of soccer across the United States.

  Both leagues set attendance records in 2024, but neither is on pace to match last season's figures, per Sports Business Journal. According to the report, MLS has seen a 5.9 percent decrease in attendance while the NWSL has seen a four percent decrease. Numbers are up in the USL Championship and USL League One, though, as they've seen 5.2 percent and 17.3 percent rises, respectively.

  Even with the decline, MLS is still averaging 21,838 fans, which is about even with the league's 2023 numbers. The numbers are slightly skewed, though, by FC Dallas' stadium renovation, which has limited attendance, as well as Inter Miami playing fewer league matches in total and fewer games in NFL-sized venues.

  Even if the league's numbers hold, it would likely still leave MLS right among the top 10 best-attended leagues in the world, as they were last year. The NWSL, meanwhile, may have been impacted by the Gold Cup, which was played in eight of the league's 14 markets.

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  The dip comes amid a busy summer of soccer, one in which the U.S. hosted both the Gold Cup and the Club World Cup. The latter, which played an expanded tournament for the first time, reportedly sold nearly 2.5 million tickets for 63 matches and featured some of the world's biggest clubs.

  In the end, Chelsea took down Paris Saint-Germain in the finale. The Gold Cup, meanwhile, reportedly sold 538,999 tickets for 22 sessions across 12 different markets.  In total, 21 of MLS's 30 clubs played in markets that played host to matches in either the Club World Cup or Gold Cup this summer.

  The Club World Cup was often the subject of debate centered around burnout, both for players on a physical level and for fans on a financial level. With the World Cup coming to the U.S. next summer, there has never been more high-level soccer in the U.S., with many fans forced to pick and choose which events to attend as ticket prices continue to be the subject of debate as well.

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  WHAT DON GARBER SAID

  MLS commissioner Don Garber reflected on the attendance dip during the league's All-Star Game.

  “I’m confident that we will finish [the season] with another increase in our attendance,” Garber said. “And, by the way, when you’re constantly growing, it’s hard to continue to increase, but that’s our goal.

  “By the end of Leagues Cup, there’ll be close to four million fans that will attend professional or national team soccer matches [in the U.S. and Canada] this summer, which is really an astounding number."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  American soccer's domestic seasons continue as MLS clubs play in the Leagues Cup this weekend, while the NWSL returned to its regular season slate after an international break.

Borussia Dortmund have set their sights on two Barcelona youngsters as they look to strengthen their squad for the coming campaign.

• Dortmund are pursuing Barcelona youngsters
• Both lack first-team prospects under Flick
• A decision expected post Barca’s Asia tour

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Dortmund are targeting two young Barcelona players, seeking reinforcements for both left-back and midfield positions, according to . BVB’s focus is on right-back Fort, 19, and 17-year-old midfielder Fernandez. Both players have been involved in Barcelona’s pre-season squad but face limited prospects of first-team opportunities under coach Flick.

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  WHAT IS THE BACKGROUND?

  Fort, a Spanish youth international, is being pursued by several clubs including Paris FC, AC Milan, Mallorca and Ajax. Barcelona’s preference is a loan or a permanent move with a buy-back clause, as Fort struggles to break into the team, with Jules Kounde and Eric García ahead of him. Fernandez, a product of La Masia, is under contract until 2027 and is seeking guarantees of playing time. Dortmund, known for developing young talents are one of several clubs to have made concrete proposals for the creative midfielder.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Fort made 17 league appearances last season, mainly from the bench, and has 30 senior matches for Barcelona. Fernandez featured in the pre-season, getting 15 minutes against FC Seoul, but first-team minutes have been scarce. Both players are established Spain U19 internationals.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Decisions on both Fort and Fernandez are expected after Barcelona’s pre-season tour of Asia concludes. Dortmund continue to monitor the situation, with any progress hinging on Barcelona's willingness to negotiate favourable terms, including possible loan agreements or retaining rights through buy-back clauses. BVB recently strengthened their squad with Daniel Svensson at left-back and Jobe Bellingham in midfield, but remain in the market for further youth signings.

Crystal Palace have lost their appeal against being expelled from the Europa League, with the FA Cup winners dropping into the Conference League.

• Eagles won first major trophy in 2025
• Took appeal to Court of Arbitration for Sport
• Must make do with Conference League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Eagles won their first major trophy in 2025, seeing off Manchester City in historic style at Wembley. Success there earned them qualification for the Europa League. A multi-club ownership saga quickly broke out, though, with UEFA initially dumping Palace into the Conference League.

  The Premier League outfit took their legal argument to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), hoping to be granted permission to grace the competition they believed they had secured the right to play in.

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  However, CAS has ruled against Palace. The Eagles did not put arrangements in place regarding multi-club ownership prior to UEFA’s deadline on March 1. John Textor did eventually sell his stake in the club to Woody Johnson – owner of the New York Jets NFL franchise.

  Textor is also involved with French giants Lyon, who secured Europa League qualification themselves in 2024-25. Palace argued that he never had decision-making influence at Selhurst Park, but that argument has fallen on deaf ears.

• WHAT CAS SAID

  A statement from CAS read: “The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an appeal by Crystal Palace FC (CPFC) against UEFA, Nottingham Forest FC and Olympique Lyonnais (OL) concerning a decision by UEFA to remove CPFC from the UEFA Europa League 2025/2026 due to a breach of UEFA multi club ownership regulations. As a result, CPFC will be admitted to compete in the UEFA Conference League 2025/2026.

  “The appeal sought to annul the decision by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 11 July 2025 which found CPFC and OL non-compliant with multi club ownership regulations. Alongside the annulment of the decision, CPFC requested readmission to the UEFA Europa League with Nottingham Forest or OL’s admission rejected.

  “After considering the evidence, the Panel found that John Textor, founder of Eagle Football Holdings, had shares in CPFC and OL and was a Board member with decisive influence over both clubs at the time of UEFA’s assessment date. The Panel also dismissed the argument by CPFC that they received unfair treatment in comparison to Nottingham Forest and OL.

  “The Panel considered that the UEFA Regulations are clear and do not provide flexibility to clubs that are non-compliant on the assessment date, as CPFC claimed.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The ruling represents a severe financial blow to Palace, who could lose around £20 million ($27m) in prize money. It is claimed that the Eagles could now open another legal case as they seek financial compensation.

Manchester United's stance on a move for Gianluigi Donnarumma has been revealed with the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper reportedly nearing an exit from the Parc des Princes. The Italian goalkeeper is understood to be open to calling time on his PSG career, but only if the right club comes knocking. PSG offered him an upgraded contract in a bid to secure his long-term commitment, but Donnarumma rejected the terms.

• Donnarumma tipped for PSG exit
• Man Utd linked with the 'keeper
• Any deal depends on the future of Onana

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  United have been tipped to bring a replacement for much-maligned current No.1 Andre Onana, with Donnarumma thought to be among the 'keepers on their radar. However, the Red Devils won't make a formal move for any new shot-stopper unless Onana leaves. After Aston Villa batted away their approach for Emiliano Martinez earlier this summer, United officials have been clear that no permanent signing is on the table unless a vacancy emerges, as revealed by

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  Onana, who has been criticised throughout his first two seasons in England, is on track to reclaim his starting berth after an injury layoff when United host Arsenal this Sunday in a mouth-watering Premier League clash. With no immediate threat to his position, the idea of bringing Donnarumma to Manchester has been quietly shelved.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Despite his refusal to commit, PSG will not strong-arm Donnarumma into a transfer or pressure him into accepting an unsuitable destination. The Italian remains adamant that he will dictate the circumstances of his exit, ensuring both timing and opportunity suit his ambitions. His stance comes in the wake of PSG’s acquisition of Lucas Chevalier from Lille, a move widely seen as a sign that the French champions are preparing for life beyond Donnarumma.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  United have already made significant moves in the transfer market, with the latest being the addition of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. With the transfer clock ticking, the Old Trafford hierarchy is focusing on reinforcements that can impact in open play rather than replacing their current first-choice goalkeeper. Carlos Baleba is being linked with a move to Old Trafford to add more steel in midfield, but Brighton are adamant that they will not sanction a sale unless they receive more than £115m, a number that Chelsea coughed up for Moises Caicedo in 2023.

Chelsea have been knocked back by Inter after tabling a €50 million (£43m/$58m) bid for Alessandro Bastoni as they search for cover for Levi Colwill.

• Colwill suffered serious knee injury
• Chelsea searching for replacement
• Bastoni one of Europe's best centre-backs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , the Blues made a surprise approach for the Italy international, who has developed into one of the best centre-backs in world football at San Siro, but their offer fell below the Serie A giants' valuation and was predictably rejected.

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  Chelsea have lost central defender Colwill for most of the season after the England international suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and Maresca has admitted he has told the club he wants another player brought in as cover. Josh Acheampong partnered Trevoh Chalobah at the back during the Blues' goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday, with the likes of Wesley Fofana and new signing Jorrel Hato left unused on the bench. Benoit Badiashile and Tosin Adarabioyo are also currently unavailable due to fitness issues.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The summer transfer window closes on September 1 and the Blues are expected to be busy up until the deadline despite already signing the likes of Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Hato in recent months. They hope to force out Christopher Nkunku to make room for Xavi Simons, while Manchester United outcast Alejandro Garnacho is also pushing for a move to Stamford Bridge.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?

  Chelsea will hope to bring in another defender but next up on the playing field is a trip to London rivals West Ham on Friday night.

Thomas Muller marked his first Vancouver Whitecaps start with a dramatic penalty, later revealing how Robert Lewandowski once borrowed his technique.

• Muller scored late penalty to seal 3-2 win on his first start
• Admitted record at Bayern declined as Lewandowski replaced him
• German star stepped up despite not being the designated taker

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Muller scored a dramatic match-winning penalty in the 14th minute of stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory for his new club, Vancouver Whitecaps, against St. Louis City, fooling former Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki to open his account in his first start for the MLS side.

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  Muller was once the first-choice penalty taker at Bayern Munich but was eventually replaced by Lewandowski after missing crucial spot-kicks, notably in the 2016 DFB-Pokal final and at Euro 2016. The 35-year-old revealed that he took the vital penalty for Vancouver despite Brian White being the designated taker, citing his experience and a sense of responsibility in the high-pressure moment.

• WHAT MULLER SAID

  Speaking on Lewandowski copying his technique, Muller told reporters: "There were reasons why I was no longer the number one penalty taker at FC Bayern. My percentage has declined somewhat over the years. I think I overdid it with the techniques in the end. With Lewandowski, it was the other way around. He copied my technique and improved it. He also outfoxed goalkeepers, but took the penalty even more firmly."

  On his decision to take the kick, he added: "Of course, I continued practicing penalties in private. I wasn't supposed to be Vancouver's first taker, since Brian White had already converted the first one. But as an experienced player, I do see myself as responsible, and that's why I took the penalty."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MULLER?

  After his heroic start to life in MLS, Muller will aim to help Vancouver build momentum as they continue their campaign. The World Cup winner has already established himself as a key player and will be central to the Whitecaps' push for a playoff position. Muller also confirmed he will briefly return to Germany in the coming days to "pack a few extra pairs of underwear."

Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso says the situation surrounding Dani Ceballos has been resolved and his plans remain the same as before.

• Marseille pulled the plug on Ceballos deal
• Alonso happy to retain the Spaniard
• Says his plans remain unchanged

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ceballos was close to joining Marseille this summer with an agreement in place between the French club and Madrid. However, due to Ceballos's timid response, the Ligue 1 side backed out of the deal. With Ceballos back in the squad and reportedly wanting to fight for his place in Madrid, Alonso was asked about his stance on the ex-Arsenal player. The Madrid head coach said the situation has been resolved and that he's happy to see him stay.

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  Speculation started to gain traction that Ceballos was interested in signing for Real Betis with the Spanish club interested in bringing him back soon after it was revealed that Marseille had dropped their pursuit. However, Alonso has ruled out any possible transfer before the window closes on Monday.

• WHAT ALONSO SAID

  In the press conference at Valdebebas, Alonso explained the situation, saying: "I spoke with Dani the other day. Obviously this situation has arisen, one that has finally been resolved: he's staying. What I thought before this last week and what I think now doesn't change at all. Ceballos has stayed here and is just another member of the squad. I'm happy he's here.

  "The details of what happened are better than his, obviously. But it does seem like the decision is final. Dani will continue to play the same role he was going to have. This circumstance has arisen, but it doesn't change my opinion of him. How much will he play? Nobody knows that. Not even me!"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

  Ceballos is reportedly willing to fight for his position at the club. The club are also willing to keep him for the time being but will listen to offers that match their €15 million (£13m/$16m) price tag. Madrid will face Mallorca in their upcoming league fixture on August 31.