Sports
Iraola Gets Involved As Liverpool Press Ahead With Diomande Signing
Liverpool have a major task on their hands this summer as they look to replace club legend Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian’s nine-year spell at Anfield came to an end last month.
Across nine seasons, Salah made 442 appearances, registered 380 goal contributions and won a handful of trophies and personal accolades, including a Champions League and two Premier Leagues.
Given the scale of the job at hand, Liverpool are expected to sign at least two wingers this summer with RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande the Reds’ top target.
Leipzig are expected to demand a significant transfer fee in excess of £100million and Liverpool aren’t the only ones showing interest in the Ivorian with PSG also pushing to sign the attacker. However, it looks as though the Reds have now made clear progress in their pursuit of Diomande.
Diomande wants to play for Andoni Iraola
According to Liverpool reporter James William, Diomande is ‘eager to join Iraola’s plans’ as the Reds make progress in their attempt to sign the 19-year-old.
Additionally, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool have been in ‘constructive dialogue’ with Leipzig and Iraola is ‘actively pushing’ for his new employers to get a deal done.
He Wants to Join: Liverpool Step Up Pursuit to Sign ‘Outrageous’ Star
Liverpool need to find a Mohamed Salah replacement.
With a move to Merseyside seemingly Diomande’s preference, it looks as though Liverpool are in a strong position to beat PSG or any other interested clubs to the teenager’s signature.
However, the report from TEAMtalk adds that Leipzig are expected to demand a fee in the region of €130million, having only signed the winger from Leganes a year ago for around €20million.
Have Liverpool found their Salah replacement?
Whether they can get a deal over the line is yet to be seen, but it certainly feels as though Liverpool have found a suitable replacement for Salah in Diomande.
Still just 19, the teenager has significant potential and is already performing at a high level. Last season saw the winger score 13 goals and register 10 assists in 36 appearances for Leipzig, while he starred in the Ivory Coast’s 1-0 win over Ecuador in their World Cup opener on Monday.
At his best, Salah was dynamic, versatile and potent in front of goal. Those are all characteristics Diomande is demonstrating with room for improvement that a move to a more competitive league like the Premier League will provide.
Salah’s legacy at Anfield cannot be replicated but it does appear as though Liverpool have identified a winger who could significantly fill the void that the Egyptian is leaving behind.
Sports
Rangers Could Lose Nicolas Raskin As European Giants Eye Transfer
Rangers are facing the possibility of losing a key star this summer, as Gianluca Di Marzio claims that a Serie A side are eyeing a regular starter from Ibrox.
It comes as the Glasgow outfit are facing a few big changes over the course of the next few weeks, with Danny Rohl set to leave the club and join RB Salzburg.
Derek McInnes is ready to take over, as he seems set to join from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts, following the same path as Lawrence Shankland, who has already joined the club.
Further switches are expected in the transfer market if Rangers are to compete at the top once again, but there could be exits before any new arrivals.
Nicolas Raskin Transfer Interest
Reports from Gianluca Di Marzio claim that Nicolas Raskin has emerged as a key target for Serie A side Atalanta in the summer transfer window.
The midfielder is wanted by Maurizio Sarri, as his side prepare for another important campaign in the Italian league, as well as the Europa Conference League.
Raskin, who has been described as “phenomenal” during his time with Rangers, is currently away on international duty with Belgium at the World Cup.
The 25-year-old was included in Rudi Garcia’s 26-man squad, and made his World Cup debut when featuring from the bench in the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with Egypt.
It remains to be seen whether Raskin will make his decision on his future during or after the competition, but his involvement could mean there’s a wait for any transfer to be decided upon.
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Rangers Should Cash In On Raskin
As Rangers look to address key areas of the squad, there will be a need to move some players around to help free up space for a proper refresh.
Raskin is one of the players the club should look to move on, as he enters the final two years of his contract at Ibrox, as doubts continue over his long-term future.
The Belgian has picked up over 140 appearances for Rangers, but injuries have ruled him out of some key games in the past two seasons.
McInnes Asks Rangers to Make £8m Celtic Target His First Signing
Derek McInnes is already outlining his transfer demands ahead of Rangers appointment
If the team can pick up some fresh faces in the midfield to add a little more bite, as well as some quality in possession, then raising funds will also be important.
Raskin has been a great servant for the club, but his time could be coming to an end soon.
Sports
Arsenal and Man Utd Suffer Transfer Setback
Manchester United and Arsenal are both expected to be big spenders in the transfer window this summer on the back of successful respective seasons.
The Gunners lifted the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years as well as reaching the Champions League final where they were beaten on penalties by Paris Saint-Germain. Meanwhile, United recorded a third-place finish in the top-flight on the back of their worst-ever season in the Premier League.
As both clubs strive to be amongst the big hitters in England and in Europe, they are often linked with the same players. That has already been the case this summer, and it looks as though both are set to miss out on a target to one of Europe’s elite.
Bayern deal blows to Arsenal and Man Utd
According to TEAMtalk, Bayern Munich have agreed a deal ‘in principle’ with Eintracht Frankfurt over the signing of left-back Nathaniel Brown who has been subject to interest from both Arsenal and United.
The report continues that Bayern are also set to sign forward Ismael Saibari from PSV Eindhoven, who United have also been linked with previously. It is understood that the German giants are expected to spend a total of €110million for the duo.
Both players are currently in North America at the World Cup with Germany and Morocco respectively and are expected to have medicals while with their nations ahead of the proposed transfers.
The Gunners had reportedly made contact with Brown’s representatives, identifying the left-back’s versatility as valuable but were informed that talks with Bayern were at an advanced stage. United had also been seen off by the Bundesliga champions.
Both clubs need a left-back
Although Brown was never strongly linked with either Arsenal or United, the 23-year-old would have been a useful signing for both clubs with the left-back position one both could do with strengthening.
Arsenal rotated between the likes of Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapié and Myles Lewis-Skelly throughout last season while United now have only Luke Shaw following Tyrell Malacia’s release.
Both teams will be looking to go far in the Champions League and both cup competitions next season alongside pushing at the top end of the Premier League, meaning depth will be crucial.
Brown is one of Europe’s up-and-coming left-backs on the back of an impressive campaign for Frankfurt. The 23-year-old made 42 appearances across all competitions last term, scoring four goals.
He is now Germany’s go-to left-back and scored in their 7-1 opening World Cup win over Curaçao last week. However, he looks set to remain in his homeland and sign for Germany’s biggest club, Bayern, instead of moving to England.
Sports
Clear Verdict Given After Lionel Messi Avoids Red Card vs Algeria
A verdict has now been given after Lionel Messi controversially avoided punishment for a bad challenge during Argentina’s opening 2026 World Cup match against Algeria.
Messi, 39 next week, became the World Cup’s joint all-time leading goalscorer alongside Germany legend Miroslav Klose after scoring his 14th, 15th and 16th goals in a 3-0 win for the reigning champions.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, whose chances of winning the prestigious individual accolade for a record-breaking ninth time have increased following his latest hat-trick, scored his first goal in the 17th minute with a strike from outside the box which flew past Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane – son of France great, Zinedine.
Messi went on to complete his hat-trick in the second half with two more goals in 16 minutes, securing another World Cup Player of the Match award in the process.
Messi Avoids Punishment For Poor Challenge
However, many football fans on social media are convinced Messi should have been sent off following an incident involving Algeria defender Aissa Mandi.
Argentina were only 1-0 up at the time when Mandi was left in pain on the ground following Messi’s poor challenge. Watch the incident below:
To the surprise of many, the incident wasn’t penalised by Polish referee Szymon Marciniak – who took charge of the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France – or VAR.
According to the Daily Mail, fans have reacted by claiming the 2026 World Cup is already ‘rigged’, with one person commenting: “Messi escaping red. No VAR check. Jesus. Just give Argentina the trophy”.
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Pundits Cast Clear Verdict Over Messi Incident
Amid the social media furore, ESPN’s pundits have cast a clear verdict over the incident, explaining why Messi should have been sent off.
Former Manchester City and England Under-21 defender Nedum Onuoha said: “I’m going to approach this the same way Messi did and I think it should have been a red card, in my opinion. It feels like the moment was missed.
“When the player was on the floor, you could see Messi had a level of concern towards him because he knew that he’d potentially just done something that could get him in trouble.
“The referee’s probably missed it – and I understand why he’s missed it – but for the video assistant referee [VAR] to look at that and say ‘no, that’s all fine, there’s nothing more to it’… I personally think that’s worthy of a red.
“In the commentary, they didn’t even say anything happened. We watched the video of it and were like ‘that’s quite bad’ and they were like ‘yeah, well you know, it’s good to see Messi pressing’.”
Onuoha’s co-pundit, the former Venezuela international Ale Moreno, went even further by claiming it was “100% a red card for Lionel Messi. It should have been.”
Moreno continued: “I tell you what else is concerning, and it plays along this narrative that great players get preferential treatment… when he was about the score a hat-trick, and the goalkeeper Zidane actually made a save, they showed [FIFA president] Gianni Infantino smiling and was like ‘oh man, that was close!’
“It does play into that narrative that these guys get different sort of treatment.”
He added: “Why is Szymon Marciniak not being called over to see this? It should have been a red card for Lionel Messi.
“As much as I love Lionel Messi, that was a clumsy challenge, a bad challenge, you’re raking the back of someone’s calf all the way from the knee down to the ankle. Should have been a red card.” Watch the clip below:
Argentina face Austria in their second Group J match on June 22 before taking on Jordan five days later. Austria secured a 2-1 win over Jordan in the group’s other opening fixture.
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