Category Sports News

Sunderland have signed midfielder Enzo le Fee on a four-year deal from Roma after a successful loan spell with the club.

Le Fee will join the Black Cats from the Serie A side on 1 July for an undisclosed fee and becomes the club’s first signing of the summer.

The 25-year-old was a key part of Regis le Bris ‘ promotion-winning squad, making 18 appearances following his January arrival, scoring once and adding three assists.

“I said before the play-off final that my heart was in Sunderland – I wanted to stay, and this made it the most important game of my life. Together, we did it”, Le Fee told the club website.

“From the moment I arrived, I have enjoyed my football, my team-mates, and our supporters. We shared an incredible experience, and now we get to take the next step.

Sheffield Wednesday have been charged by the English Football League with multiple breaches of its regulations relating to payment obligations.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri has also been charged with “causing the club to be in breach of EFL Regulations despite his commitment to fund their cash requirements”.

The charges relate to the club failing to pay players ‘ wages on time and in full in both March and May this year.

The club and Chansiri have 14 days to respond to the charges.

Wednesday said in a statement on the club website: “The club continue to seek a resolution regarding outstanding salaries due for the month of May at the earliest possible opportunity.

March’s wages were eventually paid in full on 7 April, with the club saying it was a” temporary issue “due to debts owed to Chansiri, whose family control the Thai Union Group, the world’s largest producer of canned tuna.

The Thai businessman has been in charge of the Hillsborough side for 10 years and his tenure has been littered with financial issues.

Wednesday were placed under a registration embargo in both 2023-24 and 24-25 seasons and were deducted six points in 20-21, a season where they were relegated from the second tier, for breaching spending rules.

Bowler Gus Atkinson is a doubt for the first Test against India later this month because of a right hamstring strain – adding to England’s injury concerns among their seamers.

The 27-year-old was injured during the one-off Test against Zimbabwe last month and was subsequently ruled out of the ongoing one-day international series against West Indies.

It had been hoped the paceman would be fit for the series opener against India at Headingley on 20 June but it is understood he is struggling to regain fitness.

Chris Woakes is expected to play for England Lions against India A this week as he continues his comeback from an ankle injury, while Brydon Carse has recovered from a foot injury to play in the three ODIs against West Indies.

Essex bowler Sam Cook, who made his international debut in the win against Zimbabwe, and Durham’s Matthew Potts would be candidates to play in Atkinson’s absence.

Another is Nottinghamshire seamer Josh Tongue. He took two wickets against Zimbabwe and could be added to the Lions squad to play India A this week in an attempt to maintain rhythm.

Atkinson has quickly become a senior member of England’s attack following the retirements of Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

He has played in 12 of England’s 13 Tests since making his debut at the start of last summer and has taken 55 wickets in that time – the most of any bowler in the world.

Test captain Ben Stokes had been considering playing for the Lions in the four-day game which starts on Friday in Northampton as he manages his return to bowling after hamstring surgery but is not expected to feature.

England will likely name their Test squad within the next week.

International friendly: Scotland v Iceland

When: Friday, 6 June Where: Hampden Park Kick-off: 19: 45 BST

The guy who was most recently Scotland’s first-choice goalkeeper is 42 and currently out injured. His likely replacement doesn’t have a club.

The next two in line – depending on your view of the pecking order – have been in and out of the Kilmarnock team this season and made just a handful of senior appearances respectively.

All other contenders for the position are either out of form or out of favour.

That has led head coach Steve Clarke to recently suggest Scotland’s lack of options in goal has been an oversight.

When announcing the squad for these matches, Scotland head coach Clarke admitted concern at the dearth of goalkeepers coming through, adding it had been “probably an oversight” given the quality of options over the past two decades.

He pointed to injured veteran Craig Gordon, and retired duo David Marshall and Allan McGregor, as the kind of talent that currently just isn’t there.

The answer, in his view, lies in giving young goalkeepers an early opportunity to play competitively.

“A lot tend to be kept in squads to sit on the bench”, said Clarke. “They are working with good people and learning good habits but only in training.

” Maybe we can find a way to get these young goalkeepers out to clubs in League 1, League 2, the Championship at an earlier age where they play and do well.

Gunn returns to the squad for these friendlies and seems likely to start despite currently being a free agent after leaving Norwich City.

With 15 caps, the 29-year-old was first choice at Euro 2024 before injury struck, allowing Gordon, 42, to reclaim his spot. Now it’s his chance to turn the tables.

Uncapped duo Robby McCrorie and Cieran Slicker provide back-up, with the latter having played just 10 minutes as a substitute for Ipswich Town all season.

McCrorie made 20 Premiership starts for Kilmarnock, while the majority of Scottish top-flight goalkeepers come from other countries.

Other recent squad members, such as Rangers ‘ Liam Kelly and Zander Clark at Hearts, are also lacking game time.

“I wouldn’t say there has been an issue”, Gunn said on Tuesday. “I think the nation’s been blessed with top goalkeepers for many years. Things happen in cycles.

” The three guys here training with us this week all look top-quality young keepers, but it’s about experience and game time in big games.

“I was quite inexperienced when I came into the squad. Playing at the Euros was a big learning curve for me and a big opportunity.

While it often proves futile to speculate on the next big thing, Clarke clearly thinks hope lies with Callan McKenna, who has joined the squad this week in training.

The 18-year-old was number one for Queen’s Park in the Scottish Championship at the start of season 2023-24, before joining English Premier League side Bournemouth, where he is part of their development squad.

The fact Clarke has brought him into the fold supports the idea that experience of the international environment is key, but not just in training over the longer term.

McCrorie, 27, and the 22-year-old Slicker will undoubtedly do everything in their power to stake their claims over the coming days, but Clarke’s openness on this subject suggests he believes he needs more options for the future.

Brentford have signed goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool to replace Netherlands stopper Mark Flekken, who has left the Bees to join Bayer Leverkusen.

The move for Republic of Ireland international Kelleher is for an initial £12.5m, which could rise to £18m with add-ons, and Flekken has been sold for a fee in the region of £8m.

Kelleher has signed a five-year contract with Brentford, who have the option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

Liverpool have sold the 26-year-old with Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili joining them in July to compete for the number one shirt with established first choice Alisson Becker.

“I don’t think it was very difficult for me to leave [Liverpool],” said Kelleher. “I felt for my own career that the time was right for me to go, to be a number one and to play every week.

Kelleher played in 25 Premier League games for Liverpool since making his debut five years ago.

He also made more than 40 cup appearances for the Reds and won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups and a Uefa Super Cup in his time at Anfield.

“We have scouted him in the past and were aware that he had a year to go on his contract with Liverpool this summer,” said Brentford director of football Phil Giles.

“When Mark Flekken had the opportunity to move to Bayer Leverkusen, we immediately thought about Caoimhin as his replacement.

Flekken, who has signed a three-year deal with Leverkusen, had been at Brentford since joining from Freiburg in May 2023.

The 31-year-old made 77 appearances for the west London club and helped them finish 10th in the Premier League last season.

“Mark has proven to be a seamless replacement for David Raya, who set an extremely high standard during his years with us,” added Giles.

“We were expecting Mark to be our goalkeeper for many more years, however when Bayer Leverkusen made it known that they wanted to do this transfer, and Mark made it clear that he was interested in moving closer to home and with a possibility of Champions League football, we turned our attention towards how all parties could make this happen.

“Mark has done a great job for us and leaves with our thanks and support.”

Leverkusen recently appointed former Ajax and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag as their new manager following the departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

“Mark Flekken possesses a wide range of skills that a goalkeeper in modern top-flight football must possess,” said Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes.