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Aston Villa Agree £20m+ Deal to Sign Atletico Madrid Star Matteo Ruggeri

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Aston Villa have agreed a deal worth in excess of £20m to sign Atletico Madrid star Matteo Ruggeri, according to Marca.

The Villans have had a very busy summer so far after bringing in Johan Manzambi, Joao Gomes, and Alejandro Garnacho, while they have lost Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne, and Morgan Rogers.

Unai Emery is keen to bolster the squad after they won the Europa League and qualified for the Champions League, and a new left-back to compete with Ian Maatsen is among the priorities, which has seen them move for the Italian.

Aston Villa Agree Deal for Ruggeri

Matteo Ruggeri

Ruggeri, who has been described as ‘extraordinary’, has been deemed surplus to requirements at the Wanda Metropolitano by Diego Simeone heading into the new season, and Villa have moved to strike a deal for the 24-year-old.

According to a report in Spain, Villa have now agreed a deal worth an initial €18m (£15.4m) plus a further €6m (£5.1m) in add-ons to sign the left-back after making him a top target.

The only thing left is to get the green light from Ruggeri himself before a move to Villa Park is finalised, although it is understood that he is leaning towards accepting the move despite interest from Juventus, Roma, and a late enquiry by Liverpool.

Ruggeri was scheduled to fly to Korea with Atletico Madrid as part of their pre-season training camp, but the deal is now so advanced that he is not expected to be on the flight with his teammates.

It is now expected that he will join up with Emery’s squad this summer and compete for a starting spot for the Villans, with the Premier League outfit delighted to get a deal over the line before the new season begins.

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Brock Lesnar’s 5-Word Response to Boxing Jake Paul After WWE Retirement

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Brock Lesnar has announced his retirement from professional wrestling after 26 years in the ring, but he’s already been asked about what his future could hold in combat sports.

The multi-time WWE Champion appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday, revealing his SummerSlam appearance on Saturday was the last of his career, closing the curtains with a defeat to Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell.

“I’m here today to let the world know I’m retired,” he told the show. “Saturday was a very emotional day for me. When Obi Femi slammed me at WrestleMania, I was like, I can’t do this again. I think I’m done. I still had some fuel in the tank.”

Brock Lesnar’s Illustrious Career

Brock Lesnar

Lesnar is regarded as one of the greatest and most complete combat athletes of all time. The farm boy from South Dakota, in his words, won the wrestling NCAA Division 1 National Championship in 2000 for the University of Minnesota.

After making his WWE debut in 2002, he quickly became “The Next Big Thing”, going on to win the King of the Ring. That year, using his famous F5 finishing move to beat Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, he became the youngest WWE Champion at the age of 25.

In 2004, for a brief stint, Lesnar switched the ring for the field, joining the Minnesota Vikings, adding an NFL player to his accolades before being released. Later, he would demonstrate his dominance in the UFC, going on to win the heavyweight championship before eventually returning to the squared circle.

The Beast Incarnate has a unique career, being the only person to have championships in WWE, UFC, NJPW, IGF, and NCAA.

Brock Lesnar in the UFC

During his retirement announcement, Lesnar said: “I’m just so grateful to be 49 years old and have been able to do what I did in this lifetime. I thank God and everybody that supported me.”

Brock Lesnar Asked About Fighting Jake Paul

The two-time All-American Champion was asked if he would be interested in a celebrity boxing match against the likes of Jake Paul. However, he shut these rumours down, responding with: “I ain’t doing jack s***.”

Jake Paul rose to fame in 2013 with his brother Logan as social media personalities. Making short clips on the platform Vine before debuting on Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” alongside pop star Olivia Rodrigo.

Jake Paul

In 2020, Jake Paul made his professional boxing debut against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib. The 28-year-old began his career with six consecutive wins before losing to Tommy Fury. Most recently, he lost to Anthony Joshua in a sixth-round knockout, where he sustained a double jaw break. That fight attracted 33 million viewers globally.

In July, The Problem Child teased on ‘The Pat McAfee’ show a fight against former five-time world champion Terence Crawford, as well as a move to MMA.

He said: “If the paycheck is big enough, I’ll fight anybody.”

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Chelsea Fans Praise Mykhailo Mudryk on Return From Ban vs Juventus

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As preparations continue ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League season, Chelsea took on Juventus in their latest pre-season friendly. It was an interesting occasion as Mykhailo Mudryk returned to action for the first time in 615 days.

Having spent time in Australia, the Blues’ summer tour has since taken the club to Asia, where they took on Juventus in Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park. New boss Xabi Alonso has overseen a thrilling 6-4 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers and a drab 2-1 loss to 10-man rivals Tottenham so far this summer, and would have been hoping for signs of improvement against Juventus.

The first half wasn’t particularly engaging, but debutant winger Geovany Quenda caught the eye. After the break, things didn’t really pick up for the Blues as they went on to lose the game 1-0 with Edon Zhegrova scoring a brilliant winner.

A raft of substitutions can explain away the result, as Alonso got the chance to learn a little more about his squad. Mudryk’s introduction certainly was fascinating as he returned to action after his lengthy ban.

Mudryk Returns From Drug Ban

Mudryk had not played for Chelsea since November 2024. After an “adverse finding” for the banned substance meldonium, the Ukraine international was hit with a significant ban of four years by the FA, but lodged an appeal to CAS against the punishment.

In July, it was revealed that the ban had been lifted, with an FA statement reading: “The FA can confirm that the anti-doping disciplinary proceedings against Mykhailo Mudryk were resolved with the agreement of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on 30 July 2026. In the context of that agreement, Mr Mudryk has accepted his commission of Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs) and accepted a period of ineligibility.”

While Mudryk only got on for eight minutes, he would have been delighted just to get back onto the pitch. Picking up a great ovation from the crowd and even his own teammates, he replaced Nicolas Jackson in the 82nd minute and was tidy as he completed 3/4 attempted passes.

The winger finished the game with a respectable 6.6 SofaScore rating, having had three carries and one unsuccessful dribble from his nine touches, losing the ball three times. He also won one tackle and one ground duel.

Fans Praise Mudryk Cameo And Question Chelsea Teammate

Despite not being on the pitch for long, Chelsea fans were encouraged by what they saw from the winger. One said: “Mudryk did well, no doubts at all.”

Another praised him for looking fit despite his long absence: “About Mudryk, he just got back and can play right away, meaning he kept up his fitness and training the whole time he was out.”

Others even suggested he should be above Jamie Gittens in the pecking order, having outshone his teammate in his brief cameo:

“Gittens isn’t flourishing. Mudryk did better than him in just 10 minutes.”

Others added: “Bro we cannot loan Mudryk. He has to stay, Gittens is horrible.” And: “Not even running a gimmick, Mudryk is still better than Gittens.”

One more wrote: “Mudryk is already clear of gittens I don’t wanna hear about being rusty.”

A final fan summed up the feeling, as they said: “Mudryk, after 2yrs out & roughly 15mins, looked more threatening than many LHS attackers we’ve had. He won’t suddenly become super productive (this season at least), but his mentality to just continue to attack and be positive helps so much. Good change of pace.”

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Luis Figo Calls for FIFA President Gianni Infantino to Resign

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With each passing day, FIFA president Gianni Infantino appears to be losing more and more support. A former Ballon d’Or winner is the latest to call for his resignation.

Infantino has faced huge backlash for his scheme to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors. Once made public, the likes of UEFA and CONCACAF were quick to reject the proposal, and the European footballing body has since led the way in declaring no confidence in the FIFA head.

The Welsh FA then came out as the first nation to withdraw support for Infantino ahead of the FIFA presidential election in March 2027. Adding to the voices of dissent, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham insisted to GIVEMESPORT that Infantino should step down.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino REUTERS/Jennifer Gauthier

Infantino’s popularity is as low as ever, and it won’t help that respected footballers are turning on him. Former Portugal star Luis Figo is among those to speak out, as he called for the administration’s resignation:

“Today I join others from across our game and call for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA President. Infantino has debased the office that he promised to elevate.

“He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve.

“He has lost the support of his senior staff, his closest advisers, the vast majority of people who devote their lives to this sport and even, it would seem, the FIFA Peace Prize winner.

“It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go. Now.”

Figo is best known for his time in Spain, where he won two La Liga titles with Barcelona, before controversially moving to Real Madrid in 2000 – which was the same year in which he won the Ballon d’Or. It’s interesting that he directly references the FIFA Peace Prize during his comment.

Infantino drew great criticism when he awarded US president Donald Trump the inaugural peace prize. It was even reported that this was a source of “deep embarrassment” for some within FIFA.

With Infantino losing popularity, it remains unclear if he even retains support from Trump. There have been reports that the US president has been privately ignoring phone calls from the FIFA boss, while publicly Trump has denied having any involvement in the failed plan to privatise the World Cup.

Figo’s Rage Continued as He Slammed Infantino

Luis Figo REUTERS/Eloisa Sanchez

In a written article for the Daily Mail, Figo continued his outcry against Infantino. He wrote: “What I have seen exposed in the last 10 days is the lowest, most deceitful and cravenly self-interested behaviour I have ever witnessed,” before asking:

“If it was such a good idea, why not tell your members when you had them all in a room before the World Cup Final?”

He then slammed the FIFA boss for land a $30m-a-year job for himself, noting: “It’s not honest when you fail to mention that, after you have delivered the head of the World Cup on a platter to your mates in DC, they are going to give you a job worth five times your current salary.”

He added: “Football does need a discussion about money. But not the money that could go out of the game to investors or on bloated administrator salaries. I mean the money that should be spent on building pitches and training coaches to make sure that every child in the world has the chance to fall in love with the most beautiful sport on the planet.”

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