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Rafael Devers has exclusively been a designated hitter this season, despite what he and the teams that employ him have wanted. Devers, a former All-Star third baseman, lost his position in Boston when the team signed Alex Bregman and then traded him to the San Francisco Giants where he has also been reluctant to transition to first base.

On Tuesday, WEEI's Will Flemming revealed that Devers had stood up Giants legend Will Clark when he first arrived in San Francisco. While Devers was taking some reps at first ahead of the team's game on Tuesday night, the origin of Flemming's story surfaced.

Will Clark had told the story of Devers not coming out to practice with him not once, but three times during his first series in San Francisco. Clark told the story on his podcast with Eric Byrnes a week ago and even said he understood why Devers didn't come out to work with him.

"So Matt Williams and Bob Melvin want me to go out there and work with him around first base," said Clark. "No problem. And we weren't gonna like go through anything physical. We're just going to walk through and say hey look if the throw's coming from over there stand this way, if the throw's coming from over there, stand that way. It wasn't gonna be this big thing. And Friday, Saturday, Sunday he did not come early. At all. Period. Not at all. In fact, he didn't even hit on the field, right?"

Clark then explained exactly what he thought had happened that weekend.

"I know what the f— happened," he continued. "I said he didn't want to go out and be at first base and be 20 feet in front of their frickin' dugout with what went on in Boston and now he's working with me at first base. He didn't want to have to go through all that bullsh– through the press and the media. And so I completely understand. But Rafael Devers, next time I'm in San Francisco, your ass will be on the field at first base. Just letting you know that."

Clark went on to say that Devers would be on first even if it meant he had to grab him by the "back of the neck" and drag him out there himself.

Devers went 2-for-12 with a home run as the Giants won two of three games in that series vs. the Red Sox.

Michael Klinger, the former Australia batter and current director of cricket at Washington Freedom in the MLC, has joined Welsh Fire in a senior management role and will also take over as head coach of their Women’s Hundred team.Klinger’s appointment, on a two-year contract, further strengthens ties between Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Washington Freedom, whose owner – Sanjay Govil, the US-based tech entrepreneur – acquired a 49% stake in Welsh Fire during the Hundred equity sale earlier this year.Klinger will retain his role at Washington Freedom, and will work closely with Fire’s general manager Mark Wallace to oversee recruitment for both the men’s and women’s teams.Gareth Breese, who oversaw the women’s squad in this year’s Hundred, will stay on as an Assistant Coach in the restructured team, while Mike Hussey – Klinger’s fellow Australian – retains his role as head coach of the men’s team.In the 2025 Hundred season, Klinger was head coach of Manchester Originals women’s team, and has also served in coaching roles at Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League in India, the Melbourne Renegades Men’s Team in the Big Bash League and the Sydney Thunder Women’s team.”I’m thrilled to be taking on an expanded role with Welsh Fire, leading list management for both the men’s and women’s teams, alongside being Head Coach of the Women’s side,” Klinger said.”I’d like to thank Manchester Originals for the opportunity to work with them last year. It was a fantastic and rewarding experience for which I’m very grateful.”This new role allows me to combine coaching with a broader strategic focus and to continue strengthening my connections with the Washington Freedom organisation, as well as with the current management and coaches at Welsh Fire.”Glamorgan and Welsh Fire CEO, Dan Cherry, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Michael to the Welsh Fire family. From his career to date, Michael’s experience, pedigree and enthusiasm matches our long-term strategic vision of ambition and success for the franchise.”Michael adds real quality to our recruitment and coaching capabilities, while his arrival allows Mark to focus directly on implementing our wider cricket strategy. We are hopeful that Gareth Breese will stay on to support Michael after leading the team to the final in 2024.”It’s great also to continue our partnership with Mike Hussey. Mike is an outstanding leader who has made great strides with our Men’s team in recent years. We are all excited for this new chapter as we maximise our partnership with Sanjay Govil and his team to take progressive steps forward on and off the field.”

يخوض نادي الزمالك مباراة قوية أمام منافسه زيسكو يونايتد الزامبي، اليوم الأحد، بالمواجهة التي تجمعهما ضمن لقاءات بطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

وتقام المباراة بين الزمالك وزيسكو يونايتد، على أرضية استاد القاهرة، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات ببطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

(محدث) تشكيل الزمالك أمام زيسكو يونايتد في الكونفدرالية.. الجزيري وبيزيرا يقودان الهجوم

وكان الزمالك قد تأهل إلى دور المجموعات ببطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية على حساب ديكاداها الصومالي.

ويتواجد الزمالك على رأس المجموعة الرابعة ببطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، والتي تضم معه أندية المصري وكايزر تشيفز الجنوب إفريقي وزيسكو يونايتد الزامبي. تشكيل الزمالك المتوقع أمام زيسكو يونايتد في الكونفدرالية

حارس المرمى: محمد عواد.

خط الدفاع: فتوح – حسام عبد المجيد – الونش- عمر جابر.

خط الوسط: نبيل دونجا – ناصر ماهر – عبد الله السعيد – بيزيرا.

الهجوم: أحمد شريف أو عدي “الدباغ” – سيف الجزيري.

India captain says the team had not been prevented from looking closely at the pitches at any other venue in this series

Nagraj Gollapudi30-Jul-20252:40

Gill: Levelling series with a young squad will be a big achievement

India captain Shubman Gill has said it was “absolutely unnecessary” for Lee Fortis, the Surrey head groundsman, to prevent the visitors from having a look at The Oval pitch from close quarters during their training session on Tuesday.Tempers flared when India head coach Gautam Gambhir got into an argument with Fortis, who was concerned by the heavy footfall as well as the presence of training gear on the main square, and reportedly told the Indians that they should view the pitch standing 2.5 metres away from the strip.Gambhir was seen wagging his finger at Fortis and telling him that he was “just a groundsman”.Related

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“What happened yesterday, I thought was just absolutely unnecessary,” Gill, who was not at the venue during the incident, said on the eve of the fifth Test at The Oval. “It’s not the first time that we were having a look at the wicket, we have been there for almost two months. A coach has every right to be able to go close quarters and have a look at the wicket and I didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. I actually don’t know why the curator would not allow us to go have a look at the wicket.”Gill said no curator at the four previous venues in the series – Headingley, Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford – had imposed restrictions on viewing the pitch or the square.”As long as I remember, we had never got any instructions. As long as you are wearing rubber spikes or [are] barefoot, you can see the wicket from near,” he said. “We have played four matches already in this series, and nobody stopped us from watching the pitch.”All of us have played so much cricket, we have gone to the pitches so many times, including the coaches and captain, I don’t know what the fuss was about.”0:35

Watch – Gambhir’s heated exchange with Surrey groundsman

With India trailing 2-1 in the series heading into the final Test, Gill was asked whether the pressure of a must-win game could have provoked Gambhir’s reaction.”Not really,” Gill said. “If a pitch curator is going to come and ask us to not look at the wicket and look at the wicket from three metres behind, that’s not something that has happened to us before. We’ve been [playing] cricket for such a long time […] That’s the job of the coach and the captain.”Despite there being several heated moments between the teams since the third Test at Lord’s, Gill said relations between England and India remained strong. He said he had “no regrets” at the way he and his team had behaved during the incidents.”The relation is fantastic, but when you are on the field, you are trying to win a game at the end of the day, and both the teams have been very competitive and sometimes when you are competitive in the heat of the moment, you do or say things that you might not do [otherwise],” he said. “But once the match is over, there is mutual respect between both teams.”

SA were cruising on 92 without loss in pursuit of 181, but eventually couldn’t get seven runs in the final over

Firdose Moonda26-Jul-2025

New Zealand won the T20I tri-series undefeated•Zimbabwe Cricket

Matt Henry defended six runs in the last over against South Africa as New Zealand claimed the Harare tri-series trophy, and remained the only side to successfully defend a total at this venue. In a thrilling contest, South Africa were cruising on 92 without loss in the tenth over in pursuit of 181, but lost 4 for 39 after that.That left them needing 50 runs to win off the last 29 balls. A 43-run stand off 25 deliveries between Dewald Brevis and George Linde put South Africa on the doorstep of victory, but both holed out in the final over as the pressure told, and New Zealand held on.Brevis was on 31 off 14 balls as Henry stepped up to bowl the 20th over, and could not get the first ball away. He lashed out at the second one, which was dug in short, and sent it towards Michael Bracewell at deep midwicket. Bracewell caught it just inside the rope, and the catch was deemed clean to send Brevis on his way.Corbin Bosch hit the first ball he faced in the same area, and a misfield from Bracewell allowed two runs before another aerial shot put Linde on strike. Linde sent Henry to long-on, where Daryl Mitchell took a good, low catch, and left it to Senuran Muthusamy to score four off the last ball. Henry took pace off, Muthusamy swung too early and found fresh air, and New Zealand’s 100% record in the series remained intact. Henry finished as the leading wicket-taker with ten in four matches.Lungi Ngidi got two wickets, and was economical•Zimbabwe CricketAfter comprehensive wins in the four games before this, New Zealand were properly tested in the decider, and will know they could have made things trickier for South Africa with a more challenging total. After Tim Seifert and Devon Conway put on 75 for the first wicket and laid a solid foundation for New Zealand, the subsequent partnerships did not kick on as well as they would have liked. South Africa pulled New Zealand back from 68 without loss in eight overs, and conceded only three boundaries in the last three overs. New Zealand’s innings ended with five wickets in hand.While Henry was the standout bowler of the series, Lungi Ngidi was South Africa’s best bowler. His four overs in the final cost just 24 runs, and across South Africa’s attack, there are still some areas to address. South Africa’s seamers sent down eight wides, totalling 13 runs.South Africa’s spectacular catchingNew Zealand were off to a rollicking start courtesy some poor discipline from South Africa’s seamers in particular. They scored 52 runs in the powerplay, 23 in the 2.3 overs that followed, and threw their bats at anything short and wide. Seifert, the series’ leading run-scorer, was on 30 off 27 balls, and there did not seem to be any way of stopping him – especially as he was using his feet well.Seifert advanced on a wide ball from Muthusamy but took his bottom hand off the bat as he tried to slice it over extra cover and did not get the elevation he wanted. Rassie van der Dussen, fielding there, reacted quickly as he dived to his left and pouched the ball between both palms. Seifert had to go.Tim Seifert and Devon Conway had a 75-run opening partnership•Zimbabwe CricketFive overs later, New Zealand lost Conway for 47, caught at short fine-leg off a top edge. But they were still progressing steadily at 127 for 2 in the 14th over. Ngidi took pace off to Mark Chapman, who played too early and dragged the ball down to deep midwicket. Rubin Hermann appeared to have over-ran the chance but then stood still and stretched overhead, where he plucked the ball from the sky as he fell backwards. Chapman was out for 3.Then, in the final over, with New Zealand pushing towards 180, Bracewell flogged Kwena Maphaka into the covers but didn’t see Linde. He got down low to his left to snatch the ball from close to the ground to snaffle a third stunning grab.Ravindra raids the leg sideWhile Seifert and Conway have been in the headlines for providing the big runs for New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra has more than done his bit – and did so with some flair in the final. He used his wrists to perfection, and punished anything on a leg-stump line. Ravindra scored 47 at a strike rate of 174.07, and threatened to take the game completely away from South Africa. The third ball he faced, from Bosch, was pacy, and was sliding down. But instead of powering it over midwicket, Ravindra guided it fine for four.When Nandre Burger erred with the same line, Ravindra was quicker on the ball, and hit over mid-on. But it was his takedown of Muthusamy which was the most impressive. Ravindra shimmied down the pitch to hit him over long-on, and then swept him strongly over deep-backward square leg to collect two sixes in the over. Two more fours came off Ngidi and Burger. before Ravindra toe-ended Burger to Brevis at deep midwicket.Lhuan-dre Pretorius hit his maiden T20I fifty•Zimbabwe CricketRavindra missed out on what would have been his second successive fifty in the series, and a third in T20Is this year. Against South Africa on Saturday, 38 of his 47 runs came on the leg side.Pretorius’ promise pays offAfter managing only 32 runs from his first four T20I innings, and being shifted from opening the batting to No. 5, all eyes were going to be on Lhuan-dre Pretorius when he was installed back at the top for the final. He started off with a piece of exquisite timing when he hit Henry past mid-on to open South Africa’s scoring with a four, but then faced serious challenges from New Zealand’s attack.Henry found Pretorius’ outside edge, Jacob Duffy hit him on the toe with an inswinging yorker, and Zakary Foulkes shaved the inside edge. Pretorius top-edged Duffy over Seifert with an ugly swing, couldn’t get Adam Milne away, and watched while his opening partner Reeza Hendricks collected 18 of his first 20 runs in sixes. After the powerplay, Pretorius showed his intent when he slog-swept Mitchell Santner for his first six. More convincing boundaries followed off Milne before Pretorius hit Bracewell over long-on to bring up fifty off 33 balls.Pretorius couldn’t get away with trying things for too much longer, and was caught behind as he tried to smash Bracewell out of the ground. But his 92-run opening stand with Hendricks put South Africa in a commanding position to push for the win.Jacob Duffy’s first two overs cost just 13 runs•Zimbabwe CricketDuffy shows why he’s No. 1Jacob Duffy, the recently-anointed leading bowler in the ICC’s T20I rankings, opened with a ball that surprised Pretorius. He only conceded a single in his first over to show why he has summited the rankings. Duffy changed up his pace in the second over and Pretorius could not get him away. He then had Pretorius top-edging, and only really erred when he put the last delivery of that over in Hendricks’ slot and was sent over the sightscreen for six.Duffy’s first two overs cost just 13 runs. He returned for the 16th over, just after Milne had van der Dussen caught at long-on, and dismissed Hermann in exactly the same fashion. Hermann simply did not get enough on it, and South Africa were suddenly in some strife. Duffy thought he had Brevis caught behind later in the over but the ball was called wide. He probably should have bowled the 18th, which cost Foulkes 15 runs and swung momentum South Africa’s way.When Duffy returned for the 19th over, his attempted yorkers went awry, and Brevis hit him for two sixes to put South Africa in a position of advantage. But they could not see it through in what may be put down to inexperience against New Zealand’s more seasoned hands.

Nuno Espírito Santo is still waiting for his first win as West Ham manager since taking over from Graham Potter last month, and the January window could represent a lifeline amid their torrid state of affairs.

West Ham fall to another defeat with January looking vital

Last Friday, it was Leeds United’s turn to inflict yet another damaging defeat on West Ham.

Early goals from Brenden Aaronson and former Tottenham defender Joe Rodon piled more misery on Nuno, with a late consolation from summer signing Mateus Fernandes coming as too little, too late for the Portuguese’s side.

Nuno is still tinkering with his West Ham team as he looks to discover the best formula to steer them away from this season’s relegation dogfight.

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West Ham 0-2 Brentford

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After raising eyebrows with his rather questionable team to play Brentford last Monday, Nuno opted to play Lucas Paqueta as a false nine yet again at Elland Road, with Andy Iriving and Tomas Soucek chosen to start in midfield, similar to their defeat a few days prior.

Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman were also called upon once more to play as the starting centre-back pair, but just like their defeat against Brentford, they had no joy as Leeds gave West Ham a mountain to climb early doors.

Nuno apparently doesn’t fancy Callum Wilson or James Ward-Prowse, with the latter excluded from all of his matchday squads so far and a January exit appearing likely for the Englishman.

It is becoming abundantly clear that West Ham may not have a good-enough squad to compete at this level, so reports have begun flooding in that chairman David Sullivan and co are planning to be active when the transfer window reopens.

In a bid to save their season, it is believed that Nuno has urged both Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to sign a new defender, midfielder and forward in January, with Sky Sports also reporting funds will be available for West Ham to spend.

Niclas Fullkrug’s injury problems have been a thorn in West Ham’s side since his transfer from Borussia Dortmund last year, and the need for a reliable goalscorer is evident given Nuno’s reported stance on Wilson.

Callum Marshall is another option to lead the line, but so far, Nuno is still reluctant to hand the Northern Ireland international a chance to prove himself as he reaches for makeshift options like Paqueta.

Taking this into account, West Ham are in the market for a new number nine this winter, and Real Madrid starlet Endrick is believed to be a key target.

The Brazil international, thanks to a combination of fitness issues and competition for places, has struggled to establish himself as a Real regular, despite firing them to a Copa del Rey final last season before Los Blancos eventually lost out to Barcelona.

Endrick was a target for West Ham last January on loan, and their long-term interest has remained.

According to some reports, West Ham have already held talks with Real about signing Endrick on a temporary deal ahead of January, and the Hammers are also fond of his teammate, Gonzalo Garcia.

Endrick preparing to leave Real Madrid after alleged West Ham talks

Now, as per reports from Spain, Endrick is “preparing to leave” Real amid these alleged West Ham talks, but it is no guarantee that the teenager chooses a switch to east London amid a growing clamor for his services.

Endrick, who is still widely regarded as one of Brazil’s brightest upcoming talents, could also make a move to Brentford.

Keith Andrews’ side are named as a “clear” candidate for his signature, while La Liga sides like Real Sociedad and Sevilla are also keen on snapping up the ex-Palmeiras sensation who cost Real £53 million to sign back in 2022.

While West Ham are firmly in the mix, they’ll need to move quickly ahead of what looks likely to be a scramble for Endrick when the January window opens.

However, going by Carlo Ancelotti’s past praise of the striker, it could definitely be worth the effort.

It is fair to say that Celtic’s actions on deadline day at the end of the summer transfer window did not go down very well amongst a large section of the fanbase.

Such was the reaction to the club’s work on deadline day, the Scottish Premiership champions felt they needed to release a statement explaining their processes and why they failed to bring in any strikers before the window slammed shut.

One interesting line to pick out from the statement is the following: “The Club plans our recruitment and player trading strategy responsibly and consistently, ensuring the squad can be strengthened for the short, medium and long term, while also seeking to ensure the development and progression of our Academy players. Our objective is to create Champions League players.”

This is an interesting line to pick out because the Hoops opted to cash in on Adam Idah on deadline day, despite the fact that they had failed to sign a high-calibre number nine to that point.

Celtic then had to dip into the free agent market to sign Kelechi Iheanacho the day after deadline day because they were unable to sign a replacement for Idah before the window closed.

These decisions have left the Hoops in a position where their squad looks much weaker in the short-term than it did at this point last summer, which brings the aforementioned part of the statement into question.

Why Celtic have a problem in the number nine position

Celtic have sold Idah and Kyogo Furuhashi in 2025, raking in up to £17m in the process, but have only spent £1.5m on striker signings in that time.

Shin Yamada was brought in from Kawasaki Frontale for a fee of £1.5m this summer as the only senior striker who was not signed on a free transfer by the club in 2025.

The Japanese centre-forward scored two goals in 21 matches in the J1 League in 2025 before his move to Celtic, which shows that the club did not sign a player who was in form and ready to hit the ground running.

That has proven to be the case. Yamada has failed to score in five appearances for the Scottish giants in all competitions so far this season, per Sofascore.

League football in 2025	Iheanacho	Yamada	Kenny
Appearances	16	23	10
Goals	2	2	2
Big chances missed	2	10	3
Big chances created	0	2	1
Assists	2	1	1
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, all three of Celtic’s natural number nine options have struggled for league goals in 2025, as all of them have failed to score more than two goals and missed more ‘big chances’ than they have scored goals.

These statistics show that the Hoops have a clear problem in the centre-forward position in the short-term, at least, after they allowed Kyogo and Idah to depart without replacing them with ‘Champions League players’.

Kenny, who scored his first goal for the club against Aberdeen, has shown promise with two goals in ten appearances and one start in the Premiership to date, but he was an unused substitute in both games against Kairat, which suggests that Brendan Rodgers does not fully trust him yet.

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Looking back, therefore, Celtic may regret their decision to sell Hyeon-gyu Oh to Genk in the summer of 2024, because his current form suggests that he would have been an upgrade on Idah and could have solved their attacking woes at Parkhead.

Why Celtic should have kept Hyeon-gyu Oh

Rodgers sanctioned a deal to sell the number nine to Genk for a fee of £2.3m in order to facilitate the permanent signing of Idah from Norwich City for £9.5m.

As you can see in the graphic above, the Ireland international was unable to replicate his prolific loan spell during his time as a permanent player at Parkhead, which led to him being sold to Swansea for a deal that could reach £7m.

That immediately suggests that Rodgers and Celtic made the wrong call to sign Idah on a permanent deal, particularly for the finances involved, because they were then willing to take a loss on him after just 12 months.

Oh’s form since moving on from the Hoops last summer only adds further evidence to that case, as he has been a huge success in Belgium with Genk, and caught the eye for his country.

The 24-year-old marksman delivered a goal and an assist for South Korea in a 2-2 draw with Mexico during the international break. That led to Korean football account Fighting Stripes Football claiming that Oh “has the potential to be Korea’s best ever striker” because of his technical qualities and his top-class mentality.

It is now down to the striker to go on and fulfill that potential, but a goal and an assist against a very respectable footballing nation in Mexico is a good way to start.

Oh’s form in Belgium for Genk also shows that the striker has been on fire since his move away from Celtic, and that he could have been an upgrade on Idah if the Hoops had kept him in Glasgow.

24/25 season per 90	Oh (Pro League)	Idah (Premiership)
xG	1.03	0.71
xG on target	1.31	0.86
Goals	1.33	0.68
Shots on target	3.10	1.90
xA	0.18	0.14
Assists	0.30	0.00
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the South Korea international delivered more goals, more shots on target, more xA, and more assists per 90 than Idah at league level in the 2024/25 campaign.

Oh scored nine goals from 6.95 xG in 684 minutes of football for Genk in the Pro League, per Sofascore, which shows that he was incredibly clinical in front of goal and more than made the most of the minutes that he got on the pitch.

Such was the impressive nature of his performances for Genk, Stuttgart were reportedly set to clinch a £24m deal for the striker, before they backed out of a move after the medical brought up a red flag over an old ACL injury.

Whilst the move did not go through, the fact that Stuttgart were willing to pay £24m for a player who was let go by Celtic for £2.3m last year shows that the club made a mistake when they cashed in on him in 2024.

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Therefore, Celtic messed up by selling Oh last year because he could have offered more to the team than Idah and been the striker that Rodgers is now sorely lacking.

Barcelona have reportedly come under investigation for allegedly avoiding taxes linked to the signing of Brazilian winger Malcom in 2018. The club are accused of paying €10 million to intermediaries for “non-existent” services, with police also probing former president Josep Maria Bartomeu and several ex-executives for financial misconduct.

• Fresh scrutiny over Malcom’s 2018 transfer

  Barcelona have found themselves at the centre of another financial storm, with reports from and the Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan police) alleging irregularities in the 2018 deal to sign Malcom from Bordeaux for €42m (£35m/$46m). Investigators claim Barca paid €10m to Business Futbol Espana (BFE) for “intermediation services” that either never existed or were significantly overvalued.

  The payments, made between 2018 and 2020, were allegedly used to disguise tax obligations by altering the original employment contract between the club and the player. According to police, the adjustment reduced the declared income and effectively bypassed Treasury payments owed from the transfer.

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  Deepening trouble for Bartomeu and former board members

  The scandal is part of a wider investigation into financial irregularities under Bartomeu’s presidency, with former executives including Oscar Grau, Jordi Mestre Masdeu, and Francisco Schroder Quijano also implicated. Prosecutors believe the group mismanaged club funds and concealed the real nature of several payments from the board.

  In a related probe, Bartomeu has also been charged over alleged €30m (£25m/$33m) in commissions tied to transfers of Neymar and Antoine Griezmann claims that stem from a complaint filed by current president Laporta. The Mossos report suggests such practices caused damages worth millions to the club and its shareholders.

• Police uncover altered contracts and fake invoices

  Investigators discovered that the contract originally signed with Malcom included €10m in payments spread over three years, later changed to €1.5m directly and €8.4m routed through BFE. This alteration, described as a “clear modification” by Mossos officers, effectively removed the player’s income tax withholding of around 50 percent.

  Further evidence pointed to a second “framework agreement” between Barca and BFE, predated to 2019 but actually signed in 2020. Out of 12 invoices examined, nine were deemed unrelated to real services, potentially false billing amounting to €740,000. Police suggest these were designed to complete the €10m owed to intermediaries during the Malcom deal.

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  What happens next for Barcelona

  The investigation remains ongoing, with Spanish courts yet to determine whether formal charges will be filed against the club itself or just the individuals involved. Laporta’s board has reportedly conducted a “preventive tax regularization” to avoid sanctions and distance the club from past management’s practices.

Club Brugge striker Nicolo Tresoldi confessed that he "dreams of wearing the AC Milan shirt" one day, adding that he regularly watches Massimiliano Allegri's team. This past summer, the Rossoneri signed Swiss international Ardon Jashari from Brugge in what was a record transfer fee received by the Belgian Pro League giants. Tresoldi dreams of following a similar pathway to the Serie A.

Tresoldi assist not enough in UCL defeat to Atalanta

Club Brugge head coach Nicky Hayen continued to place his faith in young forward Tresoldi on Tuesday, with the former Hannover wonderkid delivering an assist for Christos Tzolis' 38th-minute strike, which fired the Belgian heavyweights into the lead against Atalanta in their Champions League encounter. However, it wasn't enough as second-half goals from Lazar Samardzic and Mario Pasalic dented Brugge's hopes of recording successive wins in the competition.

AdvertisementAFPTresoldi wants to play for AC Milan

Speaking to reporters after the game, the Italy-born German said: "I'm happy to play for Club Brugge, but one day I'd like to experience the thrill of playing in Italy. I dream of wearing the AC Milan jersey; I'm a fan and I follow the Rossoneri a lot."

Ardon Jashari has already set benchmark at Brugge

Over the summer, Club Brugge received a club-record transfer fee worth €39 million (£34m/$46m) from Milan after intense negotiations between the two clubs. Tresoldi, who has scored nine goals in 18 games for the Germany under-21 side, will be determined to put himself in the spotlight with similarly strong showings in the Champions League this season. The Cagliari-born striker has scored two goals and registered as many assists in six Champions League outings (which include qualifying play-offs).

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Getty ImagesWhen will Jashari feature for Milan again?

Jashari is currently recovering from a compound fracture on the right fibula, which he sustained following a collision in training with team-mate Santiago Gimenez. It is expected that the young midfielder will return to team training in November or early December. As for the Rossoneri, they will take on an in-form Juventus side on Sunday, with the motive of going into the international break as Serie A leaders.

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank has been dealt a recruitment blow, following news about a key attacking target.

Spurs are already no stranger to transfer mishaps this summer, and supporters will remember their famously botched move for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White all too well.

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The 25-year-old, at one stage, was all set to undergo his medical at Hotspur Way ahead of a £60 million move, but Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis put a grinding halt to the transfer after believing Spurs made an illegal approach.

What followed was weeks of back and forth, an alleged second bid over his £60m release clause and repeated reassurances that Gibbs-White was still keen on a move to north London – only for the England international to pull an out-of-nowhere U-turn (Alasdair Gold).

Gibbs-White penned a club-record £150,000-per-week new deal at the City Ground, announcing the contract on Forest’s media channels with Marinakis looming over his shoulder – ending all hope of Tottenham signing the ex-Wolves star.

Despite how advanced the move was, it shows just how quickly things can change in any moment, and no deal is done until contracts are signed on the dotted line.

Losing out on Gibbs-White was made all the more heartbreaking when James Maddison collapsed to the turf in pre-season with an ACL rupture, with the England international expected to miss a large portion of this season as a result.

Spurs once planned to head into the new season with both Gibbs-White and Maddison at Frank’s disposal, but considering neither are available for the Dane, Tottenham have since intensified talks to sign Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

Reliable reports suggest that Daniel Levy has reached a verbal agreement for Eze as Palace actively scour the market for a replacement, which may be crucial before Oliver Glasner’s side give their final green light to the deal.

This is somewhat backed up by big-name outlets, like Sky Germany, who report that talks are very advanced.

With Eze on the verge of a move to N17, it is worth noting that Tottenham have also been in talks to sign Man City winger Savinho in a separate deal (Fabrizio Romano).

Tottenham dealt Savinho transfer blow after Man City decision

The 21-year-old, valued at around £60 million, would come in as a direct replacement for club legend Son Heung-min, but according to BBC Sport columnist and La Liga expert Guillem Balague, Tottenham may need to start looking elsewhere.

That is because Man City have now decided that Savinho is set to stay, despite his talks with Tottenham, and other reports suggest that Levy is already weighing up alternatives, like Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche.

Pep Guardiola may well be thrilled by this decision from Sky Blue officials, as the Spaniard is on record calling the Brazil winger an “extraordinary” player, whilst hoping that he remains at the Etihad Stadium for many years.