Archive September 1, 2025

Sunderland in Brobbey talks & agree Geertruida loan

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Nizaar Kinsella
Football journalist
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Sunderland are interested in signing Ajax striker Brian Brobbey and have agreed to pay RB Leipzig’s Lutsharel Geertruida an initial loan.

After Chelsea chose to recalled loanee Marc Guiu as Liam Delap’s replacement due to a hamstring injury, the newly promoted Premier League side wants to sign a forward.

Brobbey, 23, might make a rumored £21.6 million move to the Stadium of Light.

The striker has eight international caps with the Netherlands and has 56 goals and 24 assists for Ajax overall.

Meanwhile, Sunderland have agreed to pay his Dutch compatriot Geertruida an initial loan with an option to purchase, with the 25-year-old having a medical on Monday.

Geertruida, who primarily plays right-back, made 35 appearances for Leipzig last year before being allowed to leave the German club.

In manager Regis Le Bris’ squad, he is anticipated to be Sunderland’s 13th signing of the summer, adding to existing defenders like Nordi Mukiele, Omar Alderete, Reinildo Mandava, and Arthur Masuaku.

Sunderland have already spent £141.5 million in the transfer window, which is a British record for a promoted club, compared to Nottingham Forest’s £142 million in the summer of 2022.

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Why mid-table safety for newcomers London City wouldn’t satisfy Asllani

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Emma Smith
Kent’s Cobdown Park is home to a BBC Sport journalist.

For the time being, Cobdown Park, home to the newly promoted Women’s Super League team’s training facility, is a construction site.

There are temporary cabins atop the club offices, and there are a lot of dirt stands where a new pitch will be laid with diggers seated behind one goal.

Lionesses are the first fully independent team in the history of the competition to not be associated with a men’s club or another organization. They were first promoted to the WSL this year for the first time.

However, Kosovare Asllani, their captain, is not anxious to see how things will turn out in the top flight.

The Sweden international tells BBC Sport, “Personally, I would not be happy for us to be a mid-table team at the end of the season.” “The top four would be a good season,” they say.

This reflects Cobdown Park’s defining quality, which is ambition.

Lionesses made the summer move to make their 28-acre Ditton base a top destination for both girls and women’s football.

When American businesswoman Michele Kang took over their position in December of that year, their attempts to ascend to the top echelons of the game began. Asllani, 36, who has more than 200 caps for Sweden and won the WSL with Manchester City in 2016, was signed last summer by them.

Asllani will help the Lionesses begin their first WSL campaign, which will take them away from Champions League holders Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on September 6 after winning the second-tier title last year with a 2-2 draw at second-place Birmingham City.

The forward still runs the highest level; she captained Sweden at Euro 2025 and won the game-winning goal against England in the quarter-final.

Every day, I meet a new signing.

When asked if a mid-table finish would represent a successful season, she replies, “It would be acceptable and maybe realistic.” “We are entering the world’s best women’s league,” she said.

You always want to reach the highest possible level, though, from a personal standpoint. Saying I’m happy with mid-table would violate all of my principles.

It’s a huge challenge to enter the WSL’s top end. Only four organizations, including Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Manchester City, have ever finished in the top three since 2015.

Survival is the aim for the most well-known clubs. The teams that have won the Women’s Championship in the past two seasons, Bristol City in 2023-24, and Crystal Palace in last year, have both come back straight after that.

Lionesses, however, have a different feeling.

Sweden's quarter-final against England at Euro 2025Images courtesy of Getty

They are undoubtedly investing the funds to prevent a relegation fight. Twelve players have signed this summer, in addition to the new training facilities.

These include seasoned internationals like England’s Nikita Parris and Dutch midfielder Danielle van de Donk, as well as Elena Linari, the Italian centre-back named in the Euro 2025 team.

Asllani laughs back, “I met a new player every day and I went back for two weeks after the Euros.” However, I’ve learned the names of everyone.

We are on the roof of a house while we are building it.

Asllani’s first WSL game since leaving Manchester City in August 2017 will be her debut.

England has won two European championships since that time, and the women’s game’s face has almost completely changed.

Because I’m Swedish and they beat us in the semi-finals, England winning the Euros in 2022 left a lasting impression in this nation. Asllani claims that it was a breakthrough.

If another country had won, you wouldn’t notice a lot of a difference in the structure of women’s football, I’ve said to many players.

However, “You see it in England, it piques your interest, it causes a lasting impression, and the players are treated as they deserve, just like the men piqued your interest.”

“I adore Arsenal playing at the Emirates, which is amazing for English women’s football. It will be a historic day to play our first WSL game there.

Significant investment pressure comes with it. And despite Asllani’s ambitious words, it would be remarkable if their debut campaign challenged the established WSL order.

They are also creating that challenge as they construct a new training facility.

Asllani describes the new team as “building from scratch.” “We are building the house, and the roof is about to be constructed.

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Villa exploring move for Man Utd winger Sancho

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Simon Stone
Chief football newscaster

Aston Villa are looking into signing Manchester United’s ineffective winger Jadon Sancho.

Prior to the window’s closing, the 25-year-old turned down a move to Italian side Roma, and Juventus had also expressed interest.

Sancho has spent the last 18 months on loan at Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund, but neither club has made a permanent commitment.

United were fined £5 million by Chelsea for breaking their contract to sign the England international.

Sancho left United for £73 million four years ago, but he last played in the Community Shield in August of that year.

Sancho’s purchase of Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez will not be linked to United’s interest in him.

According to United sources, Martinez and Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens have also been discussed for signing.

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Putin blames West for Ukraine war at China-led SCO summit

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Russian President Vladimir Putin has blamed the West for igniting the war in Ukraine, insisting Moscow’s assault was provoked by years of Western provocations.

Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin on Monday, Putin accused NATO of destabilising the region and dismissed claims that Russia triggered the war.

“This crisis was not triggered by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, but was a result of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West”, Putin told the gathering of regional leaders. He was referring to the 2013-14 pro-European uprising that toppled Ukraine’s then-President Viktor Yanukovych.

Russia responded to the revolution by annexing Crimea and backing separatists in eastern Ukraine, leading to a conflict that has left tens of thousands dead and devastated large parts of the country.

Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 escalated the fighting, prompting sweeping sanctions from the United States and the European Union and deepening Russia’s isolation from the West, though not from the rest of the international community.

Putin said Western efforts to draw Ukraine into NATO were a key driver of the war, reiterating that Russia’s security concerns must be addressed before any peace deal can be reached.

“For the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, the root causes of the crisis must be addressed”, he said.

The Russian president highlighted talks he held with US President Donald Trump in August, describing the discussions as “opening a way to peace”. He praised diplomatic efforts from Beijing and New Delhi, saying their proposals could “facilitate the resolution of the Ukrainian crisis”.

Putin met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday to discuss Ukraine and said he would expand on those talks in bilateral meetings with leaders on the sidelines of the summit. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are also attending.

Moscow and Beijing have promoted the SCO as a counterweight to Western-led alliances, with Putin arguing the world needs a “system that would replace outdated Eurocentric and Euro-Atlantic models”.

Despite repeated calls from Trump for Moscow and Kyiv to negotiate, peace efforts have faltered. Russia has rejected ceasefire proposals and demanded that Ukraine cede more territory, conditions Kyiv has dismissed as unacceptable.

“For the Ukrainian settlement to be sustainable and long-term, the root causes of the crisis must be addressed”, said Putin.

Part of the source of the conflict “lies in the ongoing attempts by the West to bring Ukraine into NATO”, he said.

Liverpool Agree Isak Deal With Newcastle For British Record Fee — Reports

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According to reports from Liverpool, Premier League champions Liverpool have agreed to pay a record transfer fee for Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.

According to reports from The Athletic and The Telegraph, among other outlets, the Swedish forward is expected to sign with the Reds in a deal worth about £130 million ($176 million).

Before signing a six-year deal with the Merseyside club, Isak will go through a medical, according to The Athletic, which will take place on Monday.

According to the reports, the fee will surpass Chelsea’s £106 million purchase of Enzo Fernandez for the Premier League in 2023.

Isak, 25, helped Newcastle qualify for the Champions League with 23 goals in the Premier League last season, behind only Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Salah.

Morocco Will Be the First African Country to Qualify for the World Cup in 2026.

After making clear that he wanted to move to Liverpool, he has been the subject of a drawn-out and agonizing transfer saga this summer. He has been training separately from the rest of the Newcastle squad.

Earlier this summer, Newcastle reportedly turned down an initial £110 million offer for Isak.

The deal grew closer on the heels of the Magpies signing of German international striker Nick Woltemade for a club-record fee that was said to be worth up to £69 million.

Isak will be Liverpool’s most recent major acquisition following its lavish summer spending spree, which also included the signing of German international midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Additionally, the Reds have signed Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth, Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, and Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Because of the impact a sale would have on Newcastle’s profit and sustainability calculations, manager Eddie Howe had made the first hint on Friday that he might be willing to let Isak leave.

A sizable return on their investment in Isak would ease any concerns about Profit and Sustainability Regulations, despite the fact that the northeast club was forced to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh last year to avoid a points deduction.

Liverpool haven’t yet appeared like the relentless team that won the Premier League title last year with four games to play despite the arrival of new players.

After defeating Arsenal 1-0 at Anfield on Sunday to finish second place last year, they are still top of the table with three victories from three.

After a goalless draw with Leeds United, Newcastle are now 17th in the standings.

Morocco Set To Be First African Qualifiers For 2026 World Cup

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This week, Morocco, which is led by Ballon d’Or nominee Achraf Hakimi, could become the first African team to qualify for the World Cup in 2026.

Without the Atlas Lions’ unassailable lead in Group E, which would only exist if they won on matchday 7 against Niger in Rabat.

However, a triumph for Tanzania will most likely only cause Morocco to finish in the 2022 World Cup semi-finals.

In Ndola, Morocco will travel to the country on September 8 for a match against Zambia, and if they win, they will need just one point to win the expanded 48-nation global showpiece.

The Moroccans are top of the table with 15 points from five matches in a mini-league that was reduced from six to five before matchday 1.

Without any use, Tanzania has nine points, followed by Zambia and Niger, who each have six, and Congo, who temporarily withdrawn after violating government orders to give them three walkovers.

READ ALSO: Liverpool and Newcastle Agree On A British Record Fee Agreement

Hakimi, a Paris Saint-Germain defender who enjoys combining attacking and defensive play, is considered one of the best right-backs in the world.

In the 5-0 win over Inter Milan in the Champions League, he scored the opening goal for PSG to win the 2024-25 competition. Hakimi also played for the team that won the Club World Cup after finishing second to Chelsea.

Prior to the final club season, Hakimi led Morocco to bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games men’s football competition in third place and third place.

One of the 30 nominees for the 2025 Ballon d’Or is him along with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Borussia Dortmund’s Serhou Guirassy.

He told the Moroccan media, “My dream is to win a trophy with Morocco, either the World Cup or the Africa Cup of Nations.”

Morocco will begin hosting the 2025 Cup of Nations on December 21 as the hosts of the first-ever African Cup of Nations held there since 1976.

a good fit for Egypt

Egypt, led by Salah, is yet another excellent candidate to join the top 48 nations traveling to the US, Canada, and Mexico in June.

First place would be secured by Group A victories over Burkinabe in Ouagadougou and Ethiopia in Cairo.

After FIFA approved renovations to the national August 4 stadium, Burkinabe will look to recent Brentford signing Dango Ouattara for goals.

Nigeria, which qualified for the World Cup with a proud record, has only missed two editions since making their 1994 US debut, when they dominated a group before losing to Italy in the second round.

Three years ago, the Super Eagles lost a play-off game to fierce rivals Ghana thanks to away goals, but they were unable to win the previous World Cup in Qatar.

The star-studded Super Eagles have lost just one of their six games and are now fourth in Group C, six points clear of South Africa’s pacesetters.

Victor Osimhen, a star striker and former African Footballer of the Year, told reporters, “We are desperate to qualify this time.”

If we are unable to feature in a World Cup, Nigerians will still be praising us for being a talented generation.

Our squad is full of stars from Europe’s top leagues, but that alone does not guarantee success. There must be merit to be earned.

Nigeria travels to South Africa for a showdown that will likely have a significant impact on the final placings, hosting Rwanda, the only nation they have defeated so far.

Ghana are enjoying a successful World Cup campaign following their humiliating elimination from the Cup of Nations qualifying group and their failure to advance to the 2025 competition.

The Black Stars will face bottom-placed Chad and host Mali in Group I, and if they win, they could make it to the second World Cup.

Inaki Williams of Athletic Bilbao and Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth are among Coach Otto Addo’s embarrassment at attacking wealthy people.

With only six matches left, Mali were seeded to win the group and enter the World Cup for the first time, but they only managed six victories overall and are six points clear of Ghana.

Matchday 7 begins on Wednesday, followed by Matchday 8 from Sunday. October 8 through October 14 is when the final two rounds are scheduled. The World Cup will be held for each of the nine group winners.