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Atletico Madrid are close to signing Giacomo Raspadori from Napoli after making progress in talks over a €20 million (£17m/$21.5m) transfer.

Atletico and Napoli near agreement for RaspadoriItalian striker confident move will happenCould join Simeone’s training next weekFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , Atletico are in advanced talks with Napoli over Raspadori. Negotiations began with Napoli valuing the forward at €30m (£25m/$32m) and Atletico offering €20m (£17m/$21.5m). Recent progress including flexible payment terms from the Italian side has brought the deal close to completion. Raspadori has already hinted to team-mates and friends that his move to Wanda Metropolitano is imminent.

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If the deal goes through, Raspadori would become Atletico’s seventh signing of the summer. The Italy international has won two Serie A titles in his three seasons at Gli Azzurri and is viewed by Simeone as a dynamic, modern forward who can add mobility and depth to the attack. His arrival would also increase competition for starting spots, especially with Los Rojiblancos aiming to challenge in La Liga and Europe.

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The 25-year-old is admired for his versatility and is able to play as a central striker, second forward or winger. Atletico’s sporting director Carlos Bucero is convinced that his technical ability, work rate and tactical intelligence make him a perfect fit for Simeone’s high-energy system. The club see him as a long-term asset who can grow into a leading attacking role, much like Antoine Griezmann did in his early years at the club.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR RASPADORI AND ATLETICO MADRID?

Final details of the transfer, including payment structure and potential add-ons, are being ironed out. Once agreed, Raspadori is expected to travel to Madrid for his medical and could join Atletico training as early as next week. Los Rojiblancos face Newcastle in a pre-season friendly this weekend before kicking off their La Liga campaign on August 17 against Espanyol.

Michail Antonio has confirmed that he is in discussions with clubs both in England and abroad as he plots his return to football.

Antonio in discussions with clubsJamaican striker left West Ham on free transferAiming to regain fitness and form ahead of World CupFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Antonio departed West Ham this summer as a free agent after ten years at the club. The forward, who was lucky to survive a huge car crash in December, had been continuing his rehabilitation with the Hammers even after his contract expired in June, but has now left and is seeking a new opportunity. He has revealed that he is in discussions with a number of clubs interested in adding the versatile player to their ranks.

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Speaking to talkSPORT, Antonio said: "I'm speaking to clubs right now to see where the best offer is for me to go, and we'll just see how it goes.

"To be honest, there's a mixture [of different clubs], we're talking to clubs here, we're talking to clubs abroad, but I'm going to leave it very vague – talk to clubs in England and abroad."

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Antonio has been replaced in the West Ham squad by Callum Wilson – released by Newcastle following the expiration of his contract in June. The English forward had been in and out of the Magpies squad in the past couple of seasons owing to a lack of consistency and injury problems, but will now be looking to fill a useful hole vacated by the Jamaican.

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Antonio will assess all the options he has on the table and then make a decision on his next club. Any choice will likely be made with an eye on next summer's World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico where Antonio will be aiming to lead the line for Jamaica.

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski has admitted he is still haunted by his Ballon d’Or disappointment at Bayern Munich. The Poland international was favourite for the 2020 award before it was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and then came second to Lionel Messi in the vote the following year.

Lewandowski opens up on Golden Ball woesClaims peak career form was overlookedTips Yamal, Raphinha for future awardsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lewandowski looked a shoo-in for the 2020 Ballon d’Or after an extraordinary season with Bayern Munich. His lethal finishing had powered the German giants to a domestic and European treble, and he sat at the very top of the world game. But in a twist that still gnaws at him, the award was scrapped entirely that year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was a decision that denied Lewandowski his best chance at footballing immortality, and one that he has not forgotten.

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Determined to prove himself again, Lewandowski returned in 2021 with an even more jaw-dropping individual campaign. The striker smashed Gerd Muller’s long-standing Bundesliga record with 41 goals in a single season, firing Bayern to a ninth straight league crown. 

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Still, when the Ballon d’Or votes were counted, it was Messi who claimed the Golden Ball. The Argentine had enjoyed a stellar year of his own, scoring 38 goals, assisting 14 more, and leading Barcelona to Copa del Rey glory. Crucially, he had also spearheaded Argentina’s Copa America triumph, their first major title in nearly three decades.

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WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

Messi used his victory speech to praise Lewandowski, telling the audience he “deserved” the 2020 honour. But for the Polish forward, the sentiment did little to ease the hurt.

"I was in the best moment of my career, I won everything with my club," he said in a new interview with the "I think the difficult thing with that case is until now I don't know why."

Yunus Musah’s future at AC Milan remains uncertain, with the midfielder linked with a potential move to Atalanta amid Nottingham Forest's interest.

AC Milan value Musah at €25mAtalanta negotiating with Rossoneri for dealNottingham Forest also monitoring situationFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to , the Rossoneri are valuing Musah at around €25 million (£21m/ $27m), who is open to the idea of moving to Bergamo, where he would expect more minutes and a clearer role. Notably, Nottingham Forest have also shown interest in the midfielder as they seek more young legs in the Premier League. 

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For AC Milan, the decision is whether to cash in now or give Musah more time to settle. Atalanta, meanwhile, are one of the most active teams in the Italian transfer market this summer. They have already added Odilon Kossounou, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Honest Ahanor, Marco Sportiello and Nicola Zalewski to their squad, with more signings expected before the window closes.

Musah’s versatility in midfield makes him an attractive option for Ivan Juric’s side, who are looking for a more versatile player. The move would also allow the USMNT midfielder to stay in Serie A rather than start over abroad.

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Musah joined AC Milan in 2023 from Valencia on a five-year contract. Despite flashes of potential, he has not managed to become a key player in Milan’s midfield. The 22-year-old played 40 games across all competitions last season, starting 26 times but contributing just three assists. Before interest from Forest and Atalanta, Napoli were also reported to have targeted Musah back in June. Although a move never materialised, reports suggested that Antonio Conte’s side continue to monitor him as the transfer window nears its close.

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Negotiations between Milan and Atalanta are ongoing, and progress is expected in the coming weeks. Forest remain in the background, but Musah’s preference for consistent minutes could give Atalanta the upper hand.

Former West Ham and Crystal Palace defender James Tomkins has backed Oliver Glasner to take the Manchester United job if Ruben Amorim is removed from his position in the coming months. The Red Devils' nightmare start to the 2025-26 campaign continued as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday after being beaten by Grimsby Town on penalties.

Ex-EPL star backs Glasner to replace AmorimAmorim's future at Old Trafford is uncertainMan Utd yet to win a match this seasonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

League Two side Grimsby Town stunned United by taking a two-goal lead within half an hour of play thanks to some disastrous goalkeeping by Andre Onana. Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire then scored in quick succession to drag the game to the tie-breaker. In the penalty shootout, the fourth-tier side emerged victorious against the mighty Red Devils.

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After finishing 15th in the Premier League last campaign and going winless in their first three matches of the new season, Amorim is under immense pressure to perform going forward. If the team's performance does not change drastically, the United management might consider parting ways with the Portuguese coach. In case of the 40-year-old's sacking, Tomkins feels the Premier League giants should snatch away Glasner from Crystal Palace.

WHAT TOMKINS SAID

Speaking to Boyle Sports, who offer the latest Premier League betting odds, Tomkins said: "If the Man Utd job comes up I think Oliver Glasner is definitely a name that will be mentioned, and I believe he was linked to Bayern before. It will be interesting to see how that unfolds, because he's certainly going to be linked with the bigger teams. 

“You're not just talking about keeping all the players at Palace, you're also talking about keeping the manager. It's a difficult situation. 

"However, he's probably the most important of them all because of how he's changed everything there and how well we produce results in the biggest games. So, yes, he's definitely going to be linked with one of the big clubs."

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United will be back in action in the Premier League this Saturday when they take on Burnley at Old Trafford.

Dani Carvajal wants Lamine Yamal's critics to step into the Barcelona star's shoes to understand it's "not easy to manage" what he has been doing.

Carvajal defends Yamal Calls 18-year-old's meteoric rise 'complicated'Believes Barca gem can 'mark an era'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Real Madrid captain has defended his Clasico rival and Spanish national team-mate Yamal from his critics by explaining that becoming one of the best players in the world at the Barcelona sensation's age is a "complicated" situation.

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Yamal has taken unprecedented strides in the past 15 months. After enjoying a breakout season with Barca, the-then 16-year-old was one of the pioneers of Spain's Euro 2024 triumph. Yamal continued to fly high in a near-historic season, as he scored 18 goals and registered 25 assists in 55 games across all competitions, helping the Catalans win La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de Espana. His incredible displays and massive contributions to the collective have seen him become one of the two favourites to lift this year's Ballon d'Or, alongside ex-Barca player Ousmane Dembele.

WHAT DANI CARVAJAL SAID

Speaking on Cadena SER's show, the right-back said: "People have to understand that it's complicated. He's an 18-year-old kid who's already a key player at a club like FC Barcelona, which is one of the best in the world. He's making a difference, he's signed an important contract, his impact has increased dramatically, and well, in the end, it's not easy to manage.

"He'll make mistakes, as we all have. But, in the end, if you perform on the pitch, give it your all, and then have the quality he has, which is undeniable, then in the end he can become a player who can mark an era."

Despite all the praise, Carvajal seemed to avoid engaging in a Ballon d'Or discussion. "He could be among the candidates for the Ballon d'Or, especially because of his youth," the veteran defender said. "In the end, let's not forget that he's 18, and that I was at Castilla when I was 18, so it's very difficult to make a difference at that age in professional football. Since I'm not going to vote, I'm not going to give it to anyone because I'm not the captain, so I'm off the hook."

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Carvajal has so far appeared in Madrid's all three wins to open the 2025-26 La Liga season, of which he started the game against newly-promoted Real Oviedo. Yamal, meanwhile, has continued his breathtaking form, making four direct goal contributions, including two goals. The duo will be expected to play a key role for Luis de la Fuente's Spain, who face Bulgaria on Thursday, followed by a clash against Turkey on Sunday.

Germany centre-back Antonio Rudiger gave a passionate speech to his team-mates after their embarrassing 2-0 defeat to Slovakia on Thursday.

Germany suffered a historic 2-0 defeat to SlovakiaRudiger also criticised for poor performanceRudiger calls for unity and solidarityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Germany's World Cup qualifying campaign got off to a disastrous start with a shock 2-0 defeat to Slovakia in midweek. The defensive performance was particularly poor and amateurish, with the team looking vulnerable throughout the game. At the centre of the criticism is Real Madrid defender Rudiger, whose blunders were instrumental in both of Slovakia's goals. Following the final whistle, the frustration erupted behind the scenes, with players speaking their minds in the locker room.

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This loss marks Germany's first-ever away defeat in a World Cup qualifier and their third consecutive competitive loss. The defeat has sent shockwaves through the national team, which is already facing questions about its collective mentality. Coach Julian Nagelsmann publicly criticised the team for their lack of "emotionality" and for playing with the "handbrake on", and it has since been revealed that he and Rudiger let the team have it in the dressing room after the game.

WHAT RUDIGER SAID

According to , Rudiger took the initiative to address his team-mates personally with the core of the message being unity and solidarity.

"We must act as a team now. We can only get out of this together. No one can help us except ourselves. We can only do it together and with solidarity."

Stuttgart defender Maximilian Mittelstadt reiterated on the same, saying: "The coach, of course, addressed the team. Toni Rudiger also spoke to the team. I don't think there's any need to talk much, though; we all know it simply wasn't a good performance. But we've shown in the past that we're capable of showing a different face."

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Germany have a chance for an immediate response when they face Northern Ireland in their next qualifying match on September 8. The pressure will be immense, and all eyes will be on Rudiger to back up his words with a top-class performance on the pitch.

AB de Villiers proved yet again how much South Africa needs him and how much Test cricket needs him. But does the batsman still need South Africa and Test cricket?

Firdose Moonda in Durban02-Mar-2018If it’s something new you’re after, you’re not going to find it from the second day’s play between South Africa and Australia. But if it’s something tried and trusted and cherished you’d prefer, then you’re in the right place.On a scorecard South Africa’s line-up will not be proud of, one man could hold his head high, the same man who often stands head and shoulders above the rest. AB de Villiers proved yet again how much South Africa needs him and how much Test cricket needs him. And he only needed two balls to make that point.After Nathan Lyon claimed two wickets in four deliveries in his first over, de Villiers defused the tension as he defended the final ball and then danced down the track to whip the first ball of Lyon’s second over through midwicket.That’s AB de Villiers.While everyone else seems to be walking through hot coals, he is floating a magic carpet, wielding a wand, casting spells and making cricketing dreams come true.Not this time.While de Villiers was not overly bothered by anyone in the Australian attack, his team-mates were. They were deceived by the angle from Mitchell Starc, like Faf du Plessis, or cramped in the crease, like Quinton de Kock. They could not offer de Villiers any support, and he recognised the lack of partnerships as “key to our downfall,” which should send South Africa into some deep introspection about their depth.They have to answer questions about whether they have players coming through who can take over from de Villiers, if not immediately, then in the mid-term future. And they have at least one possible answer. Aiden Markram has been talked of as an immense talent across all formats and has the numbers to justify the hype. He has a first class average of 47.73 and also holds the record for the highest individual score – 183 off 138 balls – in a franchise List A game, but since he was made ODI captain for the series against India, Markram has not looked like someone who can boast figures like that and coach Ottis Gibson has noticed it.”I don’t know if the whole responsibility around captaining has been too much for him but it seems he is trying to bat in a way that is not the Aiden Markram I saw in September. I’ve spoken to him about that,” Gibson said after the ODI at Newlands on February 13.Two-and-a-half weeks have passed since and Markram still can’t get out of the 30s, though this was the innings in which he looked most likely to progress. Markram was eye-catchingly aggressive and drove confidently but then had a lapse in concentration on the stroke of tea. Without de Villiers, Markram’s dismissal could have sent South Africa into freefall. With de Villiers, it has given them something, mostly a reminder that they are not a team that can move on from him, as they claimed to have done during the England tour, just yet.So what we really need to wonder is whether AB de Villiers still needs South Africa and still needs Test cricket?AB de Villiers strikes an elegant pose•AFPFinancially, he doesn’t. The IPL alone has provided de Villiers with more income than the average South African will see in a lifetime. On top of that, he has earned the salary of an international sportsman for almost a decade-and-a-half, has had various commercial sponsorships, most notably an MRF deal which is believed to have kept him in the game, and has played in at least one other T20 tournament, the Caribbean Premier League. Though de Villiers often cites financial security as a reason to keep searching for new opportunities in cricket, he is beyond needing a job and he continues to play cricket for non-material reasons.At heart, de Villiers is both the ultimate competitor and the ultimate patriot. He hates losing and he hates losing even more if it’s for South Africa. He still claims to be “loving my cricket,” and is not giving away too much about whether he regards this as final hurrah. “I am taking it one game at a time, I can’t afford to look too far ahead,” de Villiers said. “I am loving the environment and, hopefully, it will continue for a long time.”What de Villiers needs seems to be camaraderie and we all know team spirit is higher when results are going the right way. After beating India in Tests but crashing spectacularly in the white-ball matches, this series is the tipping point for the team. Perform well, and there is something to believe in. Perform poorly, and the doom will descend.South Africa have been in the doldrums before, with de Villiers as part of the squad. In the 2015-16 summer, they lost in India and then to England. What followed was de Villiers taking an almost two-year sabbatical from the longest format. Then, de Villiers hinted this series could be his last. Now, he is not so sure and his team-mates may be the ones that can swing his decision.De Villiers has already made a big impact on what could be his last big series. The rest owe it to him to dig deep and prove they have some big-match temperament, too. Otherwise, it’s de Villiers on his own, and not even the man himself seems to see the sense in that.

India chase down 119 with 11 balls to spare to hand West Indies a 15th consecutive T20I defeat

Vishal Dikshit15-Feb-2023A strangling spell of 3 for 15 with drift and turn from Deepti Sharma set up India’s comfortable six-wicket win against West Indies on a slow Newlands surface in slightly overcast and very windy conditions. India’s second win in a row was more convincing than the one against Pakistan as they chased down a modest 119 with 11 balls to spare to remain second on the Group 2 table behind England, who are also unbeaten and will be India’s next opponent, on Saturday in Gqeberha.The deflating loss was West Indies’ 15th straight in the format and their eighth in a row against India, leaving them fourth on the table. They opted to bat again but never got going because India effectively used as many as five spinners and allowed West Indies’ run rate to touch six only once in the innings. India’s teenage hard hitters Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh played crucial hands in reply with their trademark display of boundaries, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur chaperoned the chase nearly till the end with a patient 33.Is Matthews Vastrakar’s bunny?Hayley Matthews might be pleased with the fact that she and Pooja Vastrakar will be Mumbai Indians team-mates at the WPL. Vastrakar’s first ball in the second over got extra bounce to get Matthews’ outside edge for just 2 to brag of a one-sided record against the West Indies captain: four dismissals in 17 balls for a mere 10 runs. Being their best batter on form, the dismissal hurt West Indies before Shemaine Campbelle and Stafanie Taylor took Rajeshwari Gayakwad for 12 in the fifth over to lift the run rate slightly, finishing the powerplay on 29 for 1.Stafanie Taylor stretchered off the field

Stafanie Taylor, playing in her second match this year after a long injury layoff, batted with increasing fluency, and said at the innings break that she was not yet ready to return to bowling. She fielded for eight overs and then pulled up with what seemed to be a recurrence of the back injury that kept her out for a year and a half since July 2021. She went down at short fine leg and tried to get back up but stalled in her lunge. She then lay on her back and was eventually stretchered off the field, with an ambulance waiting to take her for medical assessment. Shakera Selman, at the post-match press conference, said losing Taylor was a blow because West Indies rely heavily on her experience.

The spin squeeze and the fifty partnershipHarmanpreet brought on spinners from both ends with Deepti, Shafali, Radha Yadav and Gayakwad bowling five in a row that yielded 26 runs around Taylor and Campbelle’s fifty stand. Taylor still looked scratchy and ate up 20 dots in her 40-ball stay on her return from a long injury layoff whereas Campbelle used her feet and the sweep to collect runs. Deepti was the best in that phase with her loopy deliveries in a first spell of 2-0-8-0.And just when Taylor started to open up with boundaries against Gayakwad and Renuka Singh in consecutive overs, and Campbelle smacked Vastrakar over her head to stretch the scoring rate towards six, Deepti returned to remove both set batters in a double-wicket over. Campbelle reverse swept to short third where Smriti Mandhana dived forward for a sharp low catch with both hands and Taylor was trapped lbw for 42 when she moved across to a straight delivery and India used a review to get the on-field decision overturned.Two balls later, Chinelle Henry wanted a second run with a fumble from backward point but the quick throw from Mandhana found her short for her second run-out in as many games, and West Indies were in trouble.Deepti tops the chartsChedean Nation and Shabika Gajnabi steered West Indies from 79 for 4, especially helped by Deepti giving Nation a life on 3 by putting down a chance at long-off. The duo collected a boundary each in the 17th over to make the team score touch 100 before Gajnabi fetched a lucky boundary with a thick inside edge in an over full of yorkers from Vastrakar. Deepti returned in the last over and got to 100 T20I wickets by rattling Afy Fletcher’s middle stump. She now has the most wickets by an India player, across men or women, and with a four-run over finished with 3 for 15.A minor stutter before Ghosh’s finishing touchesAfter chasing down 150 against Pakistan on the same ground, 119 was hardly going to trouble India, especially with Mandhana back in the XI. She struck back-to-back fours before being stumped in the fourth over off Karishma Ramharack for 11, and Jemimah Rodrigues slapped one back for a superb return catch by Matthews in the next over, giving the West Indies spinners some hope of making a game out of it.India were, however, already going at over seven an over because Shafali had started off by blasting three fours in the first four balls of the chase. The first had timing, the second power, and the third the pace of using hard hands as the edge flew over first slip. She swung Ramharack for one too, on the leg side in the last over of the powerplay, before holing out against her with a sweep to long leg.Harmanpreet blocked the good balls patiently but also tore into the attack when they erred. With protection on leg for her sweeps, she unleashed back-to-back boundaries off Afy Fletcher; a caress through the covers was followed by a powerful loft over the same region.With 55 required from 60 and the experienced captain at the other end, Ghosh freed her arms with powerful pulls, and smashed three fours in the space of five balls to seal the game.

Real Madrid are considering making a move for Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton as they look to bolster their midfield.

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Real Madrid looking to sign WhartonEnglish midfielder impressing for the EaglesLos Blancos face competition for signatureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Spanish giants are scouting the English midfielder and are weighing up making a serious bid to test Palace's resolve, according to the . Wharton has shone in the Premier League after signing from Blackburn and making the step up from the Championship – and his performances have not gone unnoticed with some of the biggest clubs in Europe are hunting his signature. Madrid are the latest to take interest.

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Madrid scouts have been watching the midfielder and could see him as a possible option to bulk out their options in the centre of the park. The club have been linked with a last-minute approach for Arsenal-linked Martin Zubimendi as well as Manchester City's Rodri and Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez. New boss Xabi Alonso is keen to add ball-playing midfielder to his squad and Wharton could be the man they stump up a large fee for.

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Since moving to Palace, Wharton has emerged as one of the bright young sparks in the Premier League. Despite struggling with injury for large parts of the 2024-25 season, the midfielder is still considered a key member of the Eagles team that has made the FA Cup final.

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Wharton will see out the rest of the season at Palace. They have two games remaining against Wolves and Liverpool after the FA Cup final before Wharton takes a break over the summer. It is likely teams will come in with bids for the 21-year-old, but Palace will no doubt do all they can to retain his services.