Vitor Pereira has dismissed short-term fears over Matheus Cunha’s commitment to Wolves after the striker expressed a desire to leave.
Brazil international Cunha said in an interview with the Observer that he has told the club he needs to “take the next step” and fight for titles in his career.
The former Atletico Madrid player has a £62.5m release clause in the four-and-a-half-year deal he signed in February.
Wolves are 17th and nine points above the Premier League relegation zone before Tuesday’s home game against West Ham, and head coach Pereira has no immediate concerns about Cunha as the club look to secure their top flight status.
“He is committed. This is the present. The future, I don’t know”, Pereira said.
“He knows his potential. He is a top player. It’s normal he has the ambition to fight for titles. It’s natural. It happens with other players. But the most important thing is to be committed and help the team to achieve our targets. At the end of the season we will see”.
Cunha, who scored Brazil’s goal in their 4-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to Argentina last week which cost Dorival Junior his job, has scored 15 times for Wolves this season.
He is currently halfway through a four-game ban for acting in an improper manner when he was sent off for clashing with Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez in Wolves ‘ FA Cup defeat on 1 March.
The 25-year-old will sit out the visit of the Hammers and Saturday’s trip to Ipswich before being available to face Tottenham on 13 April.
Prince Harry called his decision to step down from Sentable ‘ devastating’. Nearly a week on from the shock announcement, the row has deepened with troubling claims
Harry said he was “truly heartbroken” to be resigning as a trustee of Sentebale(Image: Dominic Lipinski – Pool/Getty Images)
The crisis at Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale is showing no signs of slowing down. According to its under-fire boss Dr Sophie Chandauka, tensions began brewing after Harry quit royal life and headed to America. But her account of the bitter row is at complete odds with Harry’s camp, with sources close to the Duke branding her claims ‘baseless’.
Amidst all the shock allegations, one moment that seems to be a central focus of the feud is a rather awkward exchange involving Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle. A now-viral video shows Meghan directing Dr Chandauka to another spot on stage at a Sentable polo match last year.
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The tense exchange caught the attention of eagled-eyed royal fans at the time, with many noting just how awkward it was when the charity chairwoman was forced to duck under the trophy Harry was holding, in order to move where Meghan was directing her to stand. But now the clip has taken on a whole new meaning, as Dr Chandauka claims that when it went viral at the time, Harry asked her to make a public statement to defend Meghan, and she refused.
READ MORE: Prince Harry phone call that ‘changed everything’ in nightmare charity row
Dr Sophie Chandauka has been the Sentebale chair since July 2023(Image: PA)
Speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, the lawyer said: “The choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage. The international press captured this, and there was a lot of talk about the Duchess and the choreography on stage and whether she should have been there and her treatment of me.” She continued: “Prince Harry asked me to issue some sort of a statement in support of the Duchess, and I said I wouldn’t.”
Claiming that in her view, a statement would add fuel to the fire and increase the ‘ trolling ‘ against Meghan, Dr Chandauka said of her decision: “I said no, we’re not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine”.
READ MORE: Prince Harry’s charity chair sheds new light on awkward viral moment with Meghan Markle
It appears that this refusal contributed to the dispute which has ultimately ended in Harry’s resignation. It comes as fresh allegations have emerged about Prince Harry’s alleged reaction to Dr Chandauka’s refusal to publicly defend Meghan.
The Duke Harry allegedly sent an ‘unpleasant’ message to the head of his former African charity, asking her to “explain herself”. Sources told The Telegraph that the message was “unpleasant in tone” and used ‘imperious’ language leaving the charity chair “taken aback”. The Mirror has approached the Sussexes for comment.
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso both stepped down as patrons(Image: Getty Images for Sentebale)
Harry and Meghan are yet to comment publicly on the row, but Sussex insiders have told Mail Online that Dr Chandauka’s account on the fundraising event in Miami is “highly misleading”.
And following the lawyer’s interviews at the weekend, a source close to Sentebale’s former trustees and patrons said they “fully expected this publicity stunt”. “They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth”, the source added.
Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood is “improving” but remains an injury doubt for Manchester United’s visit to the City Ground on Tuesday.
Wood sustained a hip injury while on international duty with New Zealand earlier this month.
The 33-year-old, who has scored 18 goals in 32 appearances across all competitions this season, missed Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final victory over Brighton.
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo had hoped Wood would be fit for the visit of United in the Premier League, but did not specify when the player would return in his pre-match news conference.
“He’s getting better day by day”, said Nuno.
“We have to assess him day by day, it’s all about him being free and getting better. It’s a big contusion, so it’s very painful”.
Wood limped off just 10 minutes into the second half of New Zealand’s 3-0 win over New Caledonia, which secured their place at the 2026 World Cup.
Forest sit third in the Premier League as they continue to push for a place in next year’s Champions League and Wood has played a crucial part in their success this season.
If Trent Alexander-Arnold does join Real Madrid this summer, fair play to him. I was once tempted to make a big move to Spain myself.
Alexander-Arnold is 26 and out of contract at the end of the season, so he is in a position where he either commits the rest of his career to Liverpool or decides to go to Real – who clearly want him.
If he was to leave Liverpool for any other club you might wonder why, but, because it is Real we are talking about, I don’t think you could question it as a career move.
Real are the biggest club in the world with an incredible history, so it would be a massive opportunity and I’d understand if he felt it was too good to turn down.
Real would appeal to any player
When I told Manchester United in 2010 that I did not want to sign a new deal and put in a transfer request, three clubs came in for me.
Manchester City are often talked about as being one of them, but I don’t think that was ever an option for me – the teams who made an approach were Chelsea, Real and Barcelona.
In my head, I was ready to go and play in Spain and some talks did take place.
A deal with Real looked more likely for a couple of days but it was Barcelona whom I thought about the most, and how I might fit into their side alongside Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets.
In the end I decided to stay at United, but Barca had an incredible team then and any player would have loved to have played in it.
Real are the same now with superstars like Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr, so of course it must be appealing to Alexander-Arnold to think about playing alongside them – anyone would feel the same.
He has been at Liverpool for almost 20 years – since he was six – but the reality is that most players move at some point – that’s why there are so few one-club men like Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher.
Trophies not the only motive
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Winning trophies was the biggest reason I considered leaving United in 2010. I was about to turn 25 and I was concerned about the direction of the club.
I don’t think anyone could say that’s the reason Alexander-Arnold would want to leave Liverpool, because they are on the verge of winning the Premier League.
He’s had a brilliant time there and has already won everything there is to win.
It was a completely different situation for me when I left my boyhood club, Everton, to join United in 2004. I did not want to leave them when I did – I was devastated – but I would have moved on at some point, to try to better myself and win some trophies.
That’s another reason why Liverpool fans might wonder why Alexander-Arnold might leave now, because he is already doing that with them. But, again, it comes back to experiencing a different culture.
If he goes to Real he would be very likely to enjoy even more success in a different country – and have the challenge of not just winning more trophies, but different ones.
Also, we are seeing a lot of young English players go abroad and have huge success there, and I am sure Alexander-Arnold has seen how much they enjoy it.
Could Alexander-Arnold stay after all?
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I get why Liverpool fans are upset and even angry at the thought of Alexander-Arnold leaving – all supporters like to see local lads coming through at their club, and they never like to see them being sold.
I feel like it is the fact he would be going on a free which has upset them the most, but that situation is down to Liverpool as well as Alexander-Arnold.
We don’t know why his contract has been allowed to run down – or whether that is down to him or the club – but it is something Liverpool have done with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk this season too, and also in the past with Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino.
No-one seems to have said much about the other players letting their deals run down, just Alexander-Arnold. I think that’s because he’s a local lad, which feels a bit unfair.
Alexander-Arnold has been an excellent servant to the club, so you can’t begrudge him wanting to try something new.
It would not just be a shame for Liverpool fans if he left because you want to see the best players in the Premier League but, if he does go to Real, I wish him well.
Still, as I found out myself, just because there are talks over a transfer does not mean it will happen.
It is well known that some United fans protested outside my house when they thought I was going to leave in 2010, but I’d agreed my new contract by then.
Alexander-Arnold has not signed anything with Real yet and it would not surprise me if, even after all this speculation, he ends up staying at Anfield after all.
A lot can happen before a contract is signed – as I know from experience.
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy says the club’s spending in the transfer market must be “sustainable” and “smart” after their latest financial results showed a fall in revenue.
For the year ending June 2024, Spurs ‘ total revenue decreased by 4% from £549.6m in the previous 12 months to £528.2m.
Overall, Spurs saw a reduction in their losses after tax for 2024 (£26.2m) in comparison to 2023 (£86.8m)
Tottenham fans have protested against Levy and the club’s owners Enic over how the club is run, including a perceived lack of investment in the playing squad.
Levy acknowledged in notes accompanying the results that he “often read calls for us to spend more” as Spurs are “ranked as the ninth richest club in the world”.
But he said Tottenham’s “spending must be sustainable in the long term”.
“We cannot spend what we do not have, and we will not compromise the financial stability of this club”, Levy said.
“Recruitment remains a key focus, and we must ensure that we make smart purchases within our financial means. Our capacity to generate recurring revenues determines our spending power”.
The club received more in television revenue – £165.9m last year compared to £148.1m in 2023 – but recouped just £1.3m in prize money from Uefa in 2024.
That was a sizable decrease in contrast to £56.2m in the previous year following participation in the Champions League.
Tottenham’s operating expenses, before football trading, decreased by 7% to £453.6m (2023: £487.9m) which was attributed to “fewer football matches and third-party events”.
Match receipts dropped to £105.8m from £117.6m due to nine fewer games.
Tottenham’s net debt increased to £772.5m in 2024 compared to £677.4m 12 months ago.
Last year’s winner I Am Maximus heads the confirmations for the Grand National at Aintree on Saturday.
The Willie Mullins-trained horse, owned by JP McManus, triumphed by seven and a half lengths in the 2024 race.
There are 57 entries remaining, and a maximum of 34 runners will line up on the day after the final field and four reserves are announced on Thursday morning.
McManus is seeking a record fourth victory in the race, and he also has leading hopefuls Iroko and Perceval Legallois.
Mullins has a strong squad which also includes Nick Rockett and Grangeclare West towards the top of the weights, although Capodanno was not confirmed for the race on Monday.
Mr Incredible has been barred from running after either being pulled up or refusing to race in his last four outings.
Others who were guaranteed a run but have not taken up the option are L’Homme Presse, Minella Drama and Velvet Elvis.
Gavin Cromwell, who trains Velvet Elvis, will still be strongly represented with Cheltenham Festival winner Stumptown, Perceval Legallois and Vanillier, the second-place finisher in 2023.
A strong Irish contingent includes bargain buy Hewick, who cost just £800 and won the King George VI Chase in 2023, plus last year’s third-place finisher and 2021 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Minella Indo, and the 2024 Irish Grand National winner Intense Raffles.
Rachael Blackmore, the only female jockey to win the race when she triumphed in 2021 aboard Minella Times, is likely to ride Minella Indo or Senior Chief for trainer Henry de Bromhead.
Frost misses out on National ride
The 14-times British champion trainer Paul Nicholls has five contenders as seeks a second win in the race – Kandoo Kid, Bravemansgame, Threeunderthrufive, Hitman and Stay Away Fay.
Stable jockey Harry Cobden rides Kandoo Kid, while Johnny Burke replaces Bryony Frost aboard Stay Away Fay as she cannot travel over from France as planned.
Iroko has been aimed at the race all season by Oliver Greenall and Josh Guerriero, while the Nigel Twiston-Davies-trained Beauport will carry the colours of Bryan and Philippa Burrough, whose Corbiere won in 1983 as Jenny Pitman became the first female trainer to triumph.
Twiston-Davies, who has won the race twice before, is also set to saddle Broadway Boy.
Following the withdrawals, Celebre d’Allen, Three Card Brag and Twig are guaranteed a run.
Irish trainer Gordon Elliott has snapped up British champion jockey elect Sean Bowen in the absence of injured Jack Kennedy.
