It was deadline day Friday in the summer transfer window for Europe’s five big domestic leagues.
The English Premier League again leads overall spending — about $2.4 billion and counting — and once again Chelsea is first in line with an outlay of $290 million.
Among the big names in European soccer that could be changing jerseys were Ivan Toney (Brentford), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Jadon Sancho (Manchester United) and Victor Osimhen (Napoli).
But England’s top tier remains the most lucrative, even if its spending is down slightly from a year ago.
More evidence of the Premier League’s draw: Teams in the second-division Championship have spent more than 200 million euros ($221 million) to strengthen their squads. That’s the seventh-highest expenditure among leagues worldwide.
United bolsters midfield, Palace gets Nketiah
United signed Uruguay defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial 50 million euros ($55.7 million). It takes the club’s summer spending on new players to around $240 million. United had earlier signed striker Joshua Zirkzee, center backs Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt, and full back Noussair Mazraoui. The 23-year-old Ugarte looks set to be the long-term replacement for Casemiro.
Crystal Palace had a busy Friday spending that Michael Olize money. The club added striker Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal for a fee reported to be $39 million. Nketiah is in search of playing time and grew up in south London. Arsenal might be clearing some space for a late signing. Earlier, Palace signed center back Maxence Lacroix from Wolfsburg for a reported fee of 21 million euros ($23 million). The move reunites the 24-year-old French player with Palace manager Oliver Glasner, who coached the German club for two seasons.
Napoli lands McTominay, Gilmour
Italy is back over the $1 billion mark again in overall spending — the second highest in Europe.
A pair of Scotland midfielders — Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour — are headed to Napoli. McTominay joined on a fee of $33 million from Man United, where the midfielder had been since he was five. United manager Erik ten Hag lamented the pressure that clubs are under to sell “homegrown” players — because of the good profit margin — amid the league’s financial regulations. Gilmour arrives from Brighton for a fee of about $20 million.
Romelu Lukaku joined Napoli on Thursday, reuniting with manager Antonio Conte, who had coached Belgium’s all-time record scorer at Inter Milan.
Bayern done buying
Bayern Munich signaled early Friday that it was done spending. The Bavarian powerhouse spent about 100 million euros ($110 million) combined for Portugal midfielder João Palhinha and forward Michael Olize as it aims to recapture the German title it lost to Bayer Leverkusen last season.
Leverkusen kept most of its double-winning team together, while last season’s surprise second-place team Stuttgart was ransacked by rivals.
The highest-profile signing by a German club on Friday was Netherlands defender Lutsharel Geertruida moving to Leipzig from Dutch club Feyenoord. Geertruida was a key player for Feyenoord last season under coach Arne Slot, who’s now at Liverpool. He also played two games for the Netherlands at Euro 2024.
The most talked-about transfer on deadline day in Germany was one that didn’t happen. Leverkusen and Germany defender Jonathan Tah was a target for Bayern, and was linked with Barcelona. The defender confirmed on Friday he was staying put.
Reminder: Mbappé was free
The summer’s biggest move came with no transfer cost at all when Kylian Mbappé joined Real Madrid after his contract expired at Paris Saint-Germain. La Liga was on course to be the lowest spender among the big five — it entered the final week at just under $600 million.
Zaha to Lyon
Veteran forward Wilfried Zaha joined French club Lyon from Galatasaray for a modest fee of $3 million. The 31-year-old Zaha spent most of his career at Crystal Palace before playing last season in Turkiye, where he helped Galatasaray win the domestic league title.
Transfer deadline day: Premier League leads spending in Europe
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Transfer deadline day: Premier League leads spending in Europe
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum progressing well, but won’t return until ‘fully ready’
- Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month
But what won’t change is the Celtics’ front office’s prudence in making sure he has the space and time to make a full recovery.
Boston president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said the All-Star is progressing well following surgery last month. But asked about whether the team had put a potential timeline on Tatum’s return, Stevens was definitive that there would be no rushing the star’s rehabilitation.
“We don’t and we won’t,” Stevens said Wednesday night following the first round of the NBA draft. “We won’t put a projected timeline on him for a long, long time. ... It’s baby steps right now. He’s actually progressed great, but I don’t know what that means in regard to projected timelines. But that will be in consultation with him ... and everybody else to make sure when he hits the court he is fully ready, and fully healthy. And that will be the priority.”
Tatum is expected to miss most if not all of next season. It has already had implications for next season, with the team opting to trade Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday – both key contributors from the 2024 title team – in an effort to get the team’s salary under the luxury tax second penalty apron.
But Stevens said All-Star Jaylen Brown has already been back to the Celtics’ training facility since he had minimally invasive surgery to clean up his right knee. Brown is doing some light ball handling and work around the rim, Stevens said.
“We said be ready for training camp and I think he’ll probably be going full well ahead of that,” Stevens said.
While Stevens said league rules wouldn’t allow him to address the pending trades of Porzingis or Holiday, he said anything they do this offseason is with an eye toward regaining flexibility after multiple seasons with a high payroll.
“As far as whatever moves that those are a apart of, they’re all separate and hard and things that you’re going to have to do your best to make sure you put yourself in the right positions,” Stevens said. “We knew this was coming. This isn’t a huge surprise. ... The biggest thing for us is making sure that we balance that, maximizing what we can with regard to what we bring back so we can continue to build and grow.”
Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe first picks of 2025 NBA Draft
- The Mavericks’ announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top pick
- The San Antonio Spurs followed with the No. 2 pick, which they used to select Rutgers freshman guard Dylan Harper
Cooper Flagg anticipated the moment for many months.
Still, when Flagg heard his name called No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in the NBA Draft, he felt a flurry of emotions.
“I’m feeling amazing,” Flagg said as he stood with his family. “It’s a dream come true, to be honest. I wouldn’t want to share it with anybody else.”
The Mavericks’ announcement ended a months-long buildup for the 18-year-old Flagg, who had long been projected as the top pick. The only question was which team would get the chance to select him, and Dallas earned that opportunity when it won the NBA Draft lottery last month, despite having just 1.8 percent odds of moving into the top spot.
Flagg figures to quickly provide a new face of the franchise for the Mavericks, who drew ire from their fan base for trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
The 6-foot-9, 205-pound Flagg helped guide Duke to an NCAA Final Four appearance while averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks as a freshman. He won the Wooden Award as the nation’s best player while taking home ACC Rookie of the Year and ACC All-Defensive Team honors.
The San Antonio Spurs followed with the No. 2 pick, which they used to select Rutgers freshman guard Dylan Harper. The son of longtime NBA player Ron Harper will join a talented roster that includes prized big man Victor Wembanyama.
Harper said he could not wait to get to San Antonio to prepare for the season.
“I’m feeling everything — all the emotions mixed in one bucket,” Harper said. “I think when you play with a bunch of great players, it brings the best out of you. They’ve got a great young core over there. I’m just ready to get in there and make an impact any way I can with those guys.”
At No. 3, the Philadelphia 76ers selected guard VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor. He was named Big 12 Freshman of the Year after averaging 15 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Bears.
The Charlotte Hornets selected Duke guard Kon Knueppel next, which gave the Blue Devils two freshmen in the top four picks. Now, Knueppel will stay in North Carolina to play in the NBA.
“It was a big spotlight at Duke,” he said. “(We) freshmen didn’t shy away from that, and it prepared us for the next level. Hopefully, that will carry over.”
The Utah Jazz selected Ace Bailey out of Rutgers to round out the top five picks. Harper and Bailey marked the highest draft picks in Rutgers annals.
The next three selections featured three more freshman guards: Texas’ Tre Johnson to the Washington Wizards at No. 6, Oklahoma’s Jeremiah Fears to the New Orleans Pelicans at No. 7 and BYU’s Egor Demin to the Brooklyn Nets at No. 8.
The Mavericks had the No. 1 overall pick for the second time in franchise history. When they owned the top selection in 1981, they drafted DePaul’s Mark Aguirre over Indiana’s Isiah Thomas.
Pacquiao ‘hungry’ for comeback after four-year layoff
- The 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon faces World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19, four years after his last fight ended in defeat
- Pacquiao said while his recovery times were now slightly longer, he had not noticed any drop off in his physical conditioning
LOS ANGELES: Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday that his lengthy layoff from boxing has reignited his passion for the sport as he prepares for next month’s world welterweight title comeback against Mario Barrios.
The 46-year-old Filipino boxing icon faces World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Barrios in Las Vegas on July 19, four years after his last fight ended in defeat.
Pacquiao has reunited with long-time veteran trainer Freddie Roach for next month’s title tilt, and spoke to journalists on Wednesday as he worked out at the Hall of Famer’s Wild Card gym in Hollywood.
“Four years rest has been good for me,” Pacquiao said after showing off some impressive hand speed in an open pads session.
“I’ve been in boxing for so many decades, so it’s good for my body to rest for four years.
“Now I’m back, I’m hungry to fight again. I’m hungry to fight in a big fight like this. To work hard, have discipline, everything like that.”
“I’ve missed boxing. I feel like the passion, the fire in my eyes, working hard — it’s still there.”
Pacquiao said while his recovery times were now slightly longer, he had not noticed any drop off in his physical conditioning.
“I’m fast, I can move like I did before. I can run in the mountains with the young boxers, so I’m happy,” he said.
“I’m enjoying this training camp. There’s a couple of adjustments for bodily recovery. We have to control the body, give my body time to rest and recover.”
Pacquiao, who won 12 world titles in eight different weight classes during a glittering professional career that began in 1995, refused to be drawn on whether his comeback next month would be “one and done” or just the first step of a full-fledged return to the sport.
“It’s hard to say,” he said when asked about future bouts. “Now I’m back so one at a time, after this fight we can plan whatever we want.”
For some in boxing, however, Pacquiao’s return to the ring represents an unnecessary risk.
British promoter Eddie Hearn was the latest to cast doubt on the wisdom of the Filipino’s comeback earlier this month, predicting that the 30-year-old Barrios will be “too young and too strong” for Pacquiao.
Pacquiao smiled on Wednesday when asked for his response to Hearn’s remarks.
“Just watch on July 19th,” he said. “It will be a good fight.”
Borussia Dortmund defeat Ulsan HD 1-0 to win Group F
- With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta
A 36th-minute goal from Daniel Svensson was all Borussia Dortmund needed to put away winless Ulsan HD in a 1-0 Group F win in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta with an opponent that has yet to be determined. Fluminsense, which could have won the group with a victory over Mamelodi Sundowns, also moves on to the knockouts as the group’s No. 2 seed.
While the score indicates a close match, Dortmund dominated the pitch, putting 11 shots on goal among their 28 overall attempts. Compare that with Ulsan’s three shot attempts, all on goal and all occurring within a 16-minute period in the second half.
Dortmund put the pressure on early and often to open the match, ripping off 20 shots — eight on goal — in the first half. While Ulsan didn’t even get a shot off during the first 45 minutes plus stoppage time, goalkeeper Jo Hyeon- woo continued to deny Dortmund with seven saves.
That included a seven-minute stretch midway through the first half during which BVB put four shots on goal, only for Hyeon-woo to turn away each attempt.
Dortmund did not relent, however, and it paid off in the 36th minute as Svensson collected a touch pass from Jobe Bellingham in the box and put a left-footed shot past the keeper to put BVB in front 1-0.
Both Serhou Guirassy and Bellingham had prime chances to add to that advantage in the closing minutes of the half. Again, though, Hyeon-woo stood his ground to keep Dortmund from extending its lead.
Ulsan strung together their first strong chances at goal early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Kang Sang-Woo’s attempt from the right side of the box was saved by BVB’s Gregor Kobel. The goalkeeper was tested again in the 60th and 64th minutes as Kobel saved left-footed blasts by Lee Jin-Hyun and Ko Seung-Beom, respectively, to maintain the one-goal edge.
That was all that Ulsan (0-3-0, 0 points) could muster, however, as the South Korean side wrapped up Club World Cup play last in Group F. Hyeon-woo finished the day with 10 saves.
Mbappe returns to Real Madrid training at Club World Cup
- The French superstar was taken to hospital last Thursday
- Alonso said: “He is doing better, he is recovering“
PHILADELPHIA: Kylian Mbappe returned to training on Wednesday after missing Real Madrid’s first two matches at the Club World Cup in the United States due to illness, the Spanish giants confirmed to AFP.
The French superstar was taken to hospital last Thursday for tests and treatment after suffering gastroenteritis, before later being released.
He played no part in Real’s opening game at the tournament, a 1-1 draw with Saudi side Al-Hilal in Miami, or the 3-1 defeat of Mexico’s Pachuca at the weekend.
Coach Xabi Alonso did indicate after the latter game that Mbappe was on the mend, saying: “He is doing better, he is recovering.”
Real posted images of Mbappe in training on Wednesday on their website, as the squad worked out at their Florida base before traveling north in the afternoon to Philadelphia.
That is where Madrid will take on Red Bull Salzburg of Austria on Thursday in their last Group H match and will be looking for a victory which will confirm their progress to the last 16 in first place in the section.
A draw can also take them through to the next round, with Manchester City and Juventus the possible opponents in the last 16.
Mbappe has scored 43 goals in 56 appearances since joining Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain
last year.
His last game was for France in a 2-0 win away to Germany in the UEFA Nations League on June 8.
