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Norwegian Media Fume at ‘Scandal’ vs England

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England booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over Norway in Miami, but it was far from straightforward.

Stale Solbakken’s side led through Andreas Schjelderup’s early strike and will rue Alexander Sorloth’s decision not to play the ball to Erling Haaland in a glorious two-on-one soon after.

Jude Bellingham dragged Thomas Tuchel’s men level just before the break, and Norway saw a second goal chalked off by VAR when Haaland was penalised for pushing Elliot Anderson ahead of Torbjorn Heggem’s effort. England survived a testing second half before Bellingham struck again in extra-time, pouncing on a mistake from goalkeeper Orjan Nyland to send the Three Lions through.

Norwegian Outlets Fume Over Camera Wire Controversy

Erling Haaland in action for Norway Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA via Reuters

VG, Norway’s biggest newspaper, were adamant Nyland’s goal-kick was interfered with before Bellingham’s equaliser, reporting that the Norwegian camp believes Orjan Nyland’s shot from goal was stopped by a camera wire before England equalised, adding:

“It’s absolutely sick that something like that can happen.”

NRK echoed the fury, insisting the officials should have intervened: “The Norwegian team was furious after England tied the game 1–1. Before the goal, Orjan hits the camera wire across the field, so the ball is shorter than it should have been. The referees should have looked into that. If it turns out that the ball hit the cable, we are in for the refereeing scandal of the ages.”

Dagbladet Praise Solbakken’s Side Despite Exit

Norway squad at World Cup REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Not every outlet dwelled on the controversy. Dagbladet instead focused on the mood back home, writing: “Snipp, snipp, snoot… last night the World Cup adventure was over for Norway. England won 2-1 in the quarter-finals. But rarely have Norwegian players been more cheerful after a loss. The World Cup ended up as a huge, Norwegian party.”

The paper noted that Solbakken’s squad will be honoured at Oslo’s Castle Square in the coming days, crediting the manager with uniting the nation “in a way no one else has done before.”

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Tottenham Offered Chance to Sign Randal Kolo Muani After Club U-Turn

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Tottenham Hotspur have been offered the chance to sign a big-money striker as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season, according to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Tottenham and ENIC have gone into overdrive in the summer transfer window to ensure Roberto De Zerbi has the squad he needs to lead the club up the Premier League standings, having only confirmed survival on the final day of last season.

Spurs have already brought in half-a-dozen players to transform their defence and central midfield, including breaking their transfer record twice to first sign West Ham United’s Mateus Fernandes, and then Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali.

The north London outfit will surely need to sell some players next for financial reasons as well as reducing the size of the squad, with Cristian Romero, Luka Vuskovic, Guglielmo Vicario and Richarlison among those heavily linked with an exit from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham’s next transfer priority is to boost their frontline, with talk that they want to add a new left-winger and a new centre-forward to De Zerbi’s squad, especially if Richarlison does go.

Eli Junior Kroupi of Bournemouth is a confirmed target, but they have been offered another player.

Tottenham Offered Chance to Sign Kolo Muani

kolo muani via Reuters

After an underwhelming season-long loan spell at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Spurs had seemingly decided not to try and sign Randal Kolo Muani on a permanent deal from Paris Saint-Germain.

Instead, the €90m (£77m) forward has been keen to join Juventus with talks underway between the two clubs, but PSG have grown frustrated by the lack of progress over a move.

The Champions League holders have now performed a big U-turn and have opened the door for other European clubs to sign the 27-year-old.

According to Jacobs, speaking on the latest episode of GIVEMESPORT’s Market Madness Podcast, Tottenham are one of the clubs who have been contacted over a move for the France international.

The journalist said: “Now, what’s happening is PSG have moved from giving preference to Kolo Muani’s desired move to opening the door to both English and, I’m told, German suitors as well, because they want to get this deal done, they want to facilitate the sale, and it’s currently not progressing with that move to Juventus.

“So now PSG have to start looking at other options, and that’s where Spurs come in. I’m not aware that Spurs have made a decision on Randal Kolo Muani yet, and if they want to try and do that deal, and the expectation was that he would just go. But it’s PSG driving the possibility to other clubs and offering him back to Tottenham and others to see whether there’s a deal to be had because they’re not making progress at the moment.

“But Kolo Muani has got one preference; he wants to go to Juventus, and we still shouldn’t discount that move.”

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Tottenham Have Number One Winger Target

Savinho in action for Manchester City via Reuters

Tottenham are determined to land a new left-winger this summer, but despite links with the likes of Rafael Leao and Cody Gakpo, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Manchester City forward Savinho is their ‘number one, two and three’ target for the position.

Spurs tried to sign the Brazilian last summer and it appears as though their interest in the player is still strong, even though De Zerbi only joined the club a few months ago.

The north London outfit need to offer a number that will convince City to sell, with the former Premier League champions knowing they have money to spend after their £185m outlay on Fernandes and Tonali.

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Referee’s Interesting Comment About Goal Controversy

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England secured qualification for the semi-final of the 2026 World Cup with a controversial 2-1 victory against Erling Haaland’s Norway.

Thomas Tuchel’s side progress to the next round after another Jude Bellingham brace, with the winning goal coming in extra time. The Real Madrid midfielder had equalised with a left-footed drive in the first-half after the Three Lions fell behind early.

But there has been a lot made about that equaliser. Norway will feel hard done by after claims emerged that the goal could’ve been ruled out. That’s because many believe the ball collided with a spidercam in the build-up, which would mean anything that happened after would be considered irrelevant.

FIFA Explained Why England’s Goal Stood

Jude Bellingham Goal vs Norway Omar Aziz via Reuters

Despite many viewers and the Norway goalkeeper being adamant that there was contact between the ball and the camera, the referee and VAR didn’t get involved at all.

That’s because, according to FIFA, the sensor inside the football didn’t detect any contact. A statement released by the governing body said:

“Before England’s goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the ‘heartbeat of the ball’ when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball.”

Norway’s Manager Reveals Conversation With Referee

Stale Solbakken (Norway) Dylan Martinez via Reuters

Several members of Norway’s playing and coaching staff immediately appealed to the referee, Clement Turpin. However, manager Stale Solbakken admitted he was not one of them.

Speaking after the defeat, Solbakken revealed the conversation he had with Turpin following the half-time whistle, as they could be seen in discussion on the pitch. He told reporters (per The Guardian):

“He said that he didn’t see it himself and that he didn’t get any message that it actually happened.

“Since FIFA says that there was no touch, he can’t do anything about it. But the ball fell down straight in front of the bench, so it did. Everyone saw what happened. I think it’s pretty clear that it did. It was a strange thing.”

So, despite the referee simply not seeing the alleged incident, he also wasn’t alerted that it may have been a possibility. However, the Norwegian boss conceded he didn’t have a leg to stand on as FIFA are claiming there was no touch of the camera.

Maintaining the fact he believes the wrong decision was reached, he added: “I can sit here and cry but I don’t want to do that. We have done everything we could – the players have been phenomenal throughout the tournament. OK it was bizarre but it’s part of football and why it is the best sport in the world because things like that can happen. We have to accept it.

“It was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it takes this direction. It became a misunderstanding among our players, and it was a bad moment for us. We can’t do anything about that.”

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Arsenal About to Formally Open Talks to Sign Bruno Guimaraes

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Arsenal are now expected to formally open talks with Newcastle United over a deal to sign midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, according to a new update from GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Arsenal have had a quiet start to the summer transfer window, with the addition of goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer their only incoming business so far, with Piero Hincapie also completing a permanent move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Gunners had looked to sign Leicester City sensation Jeremy Monga, but that deal was hijacked by Manchester City and he has joined Enzo Maresca’s side instead.

If reports are to be believed, two of the north London outfit’s biggest transfer priorities this summer are in central midfield and in attack.

Arsenal have made Aston Villa and England star Morgan Rogers their top attacking target, although their Premier League rivals are said to value him at a British transfer record fee of £130m.

The Gunners have also been linked with Christos Tzolis of Club Brugge and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez, among other names, but in midfield it is Guimaraes who is their key target.

Jacobs: Arsenal Set to Open Formal Guimaraes Talks

Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes smiles as he walks into St James' Park via Reuters

Newcastle have already lost Anthony Gordon and then Sandro Tonali from their midfield this summer, and they are determined to keep hold of the Italian’s former engine room partner.

However, Mikel Arteta is said to be particularly keen to bring the Brazil international to the club, and the ‘world-class’ player himself has made it clear that he would also like to join the Gunners if the deal was right for Newcastle.

Newcastle sources have denied any club-to-club contact yet, which has left the Tyneside outfit ‘astonished’ given what has been out in the media, but now Jacobs has confirmed on GMS’ latest Market Madness podcast that they are set to formally open talks with their Premier League rivals over a move.

He said: “Arsenal are expected to formally open talks with Newcastle United for Bruno Guimaraes, even though Newcastle flatly deny any contact and say the player is not for sale. And this is going to be really interesting because I don’t think we’re going to get an Alexander Isak situation where the player returns from the World Cup and starts throwing his toys out the pram or saying he doesn’t want to play for Newcastle United.

“Guimaraes is not like that. He’s been Newcastle through and through. They call him a Brazilian Geordie, and yet it’s very clear the player would like to join, and that has been directly communicated to Newcastle United. My understanding is that a lot of the talks so far have taken place through so-called super agents with mandates to do the deal and intermediaries.

“And in those verbal conversations, Arsenal have made it clear they’re prepared to go up to £60-65m, and Newcastle’s valuation of Bruno Guimaraes, if they change their not-for-sale stance, is more like £80-90m.”

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Arsenal Hold Talks to Sign ‘France’s Best Midfielder’

Manu Kone Roma via Reuters

Arsenal are considering other midfield options too, according to reports, with one claiming that they have held talks over a potential deal for AS Roma and France midfield star Manu Kone.

Kone starred in the Les Bleus midfield after starting the World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco, and there is an expectation that he will be sold by the Serie A outfit this summer as interest in him grows.

Roma are said to value the 25-year-old at around the £50m mark, which would mean he would be cheaper than Guimaraes.

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