Crystal Palace are on the brink of signing PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Walter Benitez on a free transfer.
Benitez, whose contract with the Dutch club expires this month, has completed a medical and Palace will announce the signing once all the relevant documents have been completed.
The Argentina goalkeeper, 32, was an ever-present in PSV’s league campaign as they won the Eredivisie title, beating Ajax to the trophy by a point.
Benitez started 11 of PSV’s 12 Champions League fixtures last term as they reached the last 16, where they were defeated 9-3 on aggregate by Arsenal.
EXCLUSIVE: Lucien Laviscount has praised his Emily in Paris co-star Lily Collins for the way she’s been ‘doing everything’ as she juggles motherhood with her leading-lady duties
Lucien is opening up about filming on Emily In Paris(Image: Schweppes)
It’s all action – and a bit of fizz – on the Emily in Paris set as Lucien Laviscount gives us the inside scoop on what it’s really like filming the hit Netflix show with new mum Lily Collins. Now in its fourth season, the cast are currently shooting in Rome before heading back to Paris – but according to Lucien, the real star of the show is Lily, who’s juggling motherhood with her leading-lady duties like a total pro.
“She’s doing everything,” he tells us. “She’s got a newborn, she’s doing it all — and she’s doing it with such grace… I’m gonna use the word ‘paza’. I’ve never used the word paza in my life, but she’s got that.”
Lily welcomed her first child, Tove Jane McDowell, on January 31, 2025, via surrogacy with her husband, Charlie McDowell, sharing the good news on Instagram at the time.
Lucien plays heartthrob Alfie in Emily in Paris(Image: STEPHANIE BRANCHU/NETFLIX)
Lucien, 32, who plays heartthrob Alfie in the series, says reuniting with the cast has been like no time has passed at all. “It’s so bizarre… life’s been going on for everyone, but it only feels like a couple of weeks,” he says. “We’re getting the scripts through, it’s like, ‘Oh sh*t, this is crazy.’ It’s going off!”
He also had us laughing talking about his Schweppes campaign — a cheeky nod to his Caribbean roots and growing up with ginger beer at his grandma’s. “Schweppes was like the fancy stuff we bring out at Christmas,” he shared, adding with a grin, “It was like a perfect little match, to be honest.”
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Filming continues over the summer with plenty of drama ahead – both on screen and off – and Laviscount promises this season is one to watch. “Everyone’s really excited about what’s to come,” he says. “It’s all there to play for, really.” Fizzing with energy, we say!
After months away from filming Emily In Paris, Lily’s return to set was always going to be a welcoming affair. But Netflix star brought the entire set to a standstill as she returned to work with her four month old daughter in tow.
Cradling her in her arms, the 36 year old actress looked the picture of happiness as she was surrounded by her cast mates and crew as they cooed over her baby girl, named Tove. And it looked as though the four month old was also in her element as she playfully smiled and sat comfortable in the arms of various pals of the actress.
Lucien teamed up with Schweppes to honour his roots(Image: Schweppes)
The actress was seen dressed in a blue and white floral trouser suit for her role as Emily Cooper for the new series of the show, in photos shared by the Daily Mail.
Waiting in the wings to step in for parent duties in case Lily was to be whisked off to shoot a scene, was her husband and father to her daughter, Charlie McDowell. Standing aside, Charlie placed a muslin cloth over his shoulder in case he needed to take over and comfort his daughter.
The new series of the show is being filmed in Rome instead of Paris as Lily’s character is now creating a new life for herself in the historical city with her on-screen boyfriend Marcello, played by Eugenio Franceschini.
Back in January, Lily and Charlie welcomed their daughter via surrogate. Sharing her happy news with her 29 million followers, Lily posted: “Welcome to the center [sic] of our world Tove Jane McDowell. Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again…”
Unfortunately, both Lily and Charlie were criticised by a few people on social media for using the aid of a surrogate to fulfil their dreams of becoming parents, as they claimed they had bought the privilege.
Lily welcomed her baby girl via surrogate earlier this year(Image: @lilyjcollins/instagram)
While others likened surrogacy to “human trafficking.” This forced Charlie to publicly address the comments and labelled the comments as “unkind.”
He wrote: “It’s OK to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s OK to not know the motivations of a surrogate regardless of what you assume.”
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A month after the birth, Lily took to Instagram once again to share with fans how Valentines Day took on a new meaning for her now that she was a mother. On February 14, she wrote: “I truly can’t imagine feeling more love. Valentine’s Day (and every day) just got a whole lot sweeter.”
Lucien Laviscount is Schweppes’ brand ambassador – starring in two short films, featuring its new purple Tropical Soda, to inspire more of those special social moments with loved ones this summer.
With Love Island celebrating 10 years, we’re taking a trip down memory lane and looking at the Love Island couples that are still going strong despite the ups and downs
These Love Island couples are the ones still going strong(Image: @tomclare__/Instagram)
It’s the show that’s delivered drama and romance by the shedload, with the new series promising more – but how many Love Island couples have stood the test of time? Here are the pairs who have proved the doubters wrong…
Millie Court and Liam Reardon
Liam, 25, and Millie, 28, had one of the most talked-about journeys on series seven in 2021 – from Casa Amor heartbreak, to winning the whole thing. After leaving the villa, the pair moved in together but sadly called it quits in 2022.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Millie and Liam rekindled their romance in 2023, and by 2025, they’re firmly back on and happier than ever. They’re keeping things more low-key this time around, and fans are rooting for the couple to go the distance. Second time’s the charm, right?
Millie and Liam rekindled their relationship after a brief split(Image: Instagram/@milliegracecourt)
Molly-Mae Hague and Tommy Fury
Molly-Mae, 26, and Tommy, 26, are arguably Love Island’s biggest success story – and they didn’t even win! The pair met on series five in 2019 and despite some major bumps in the road, are still a strong unit, building an empire together.
The couple welcomed a daughter, Bambi, in January 2023, and embraced family life. Despite a shock split in 2024, they have reunited and we have our fingers crossed for the continuation of their love story.
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Molly and Tommy rekindled their romance this year(Image: Instagram)
Tom Clare and Molly Smith
Tom, 25, and Molly, 31, might not have coupled up in the villa, but fate clearly had other plans! After their separate stints on Love Island – Tom in the 2023 winter series and Molly in Casa Amor in 2020 – the pair connected on the 2024 All Stars series and sparks flew.
Fast forward to 2025, and the pair – who now live together in a new home in Manchester, are still going strong, sharing glam date nights and matching holiday snaps all over their socials.
Tom and Molly won Love Island All Stars in 2024(Image: Instagram)
Camilla Thurlow and Jamie Hewitt
Camilla, 35, and Jamie, 33, met on series three in 2017, and quickly won hearts with their genuine connection. They made it all the way to the final where they came second.
Now, the pair are happily married and doting parents to daughters Nell, born in 2020, Nora, who arrived in 2022, and nine-month old son, Brodie
Camilla and Jamie are still going strong since 2017(Image: Instagram)
Nathan Massey and Cara De La Hoyde
Nathan, 32, and Cara, 34, were the cheeky sweethearts of Love Island series two, going from flirty banter to full-blown romance right before our eyes. They won the 2016 series – and each other’s hearts – for good.
Despite a brief split in 2017, the pair reunited and tied the knot in 2019. Today, they’re the proud parents of two adorable children: son Freddie, born in 2017, and daughter Delilah, who arrived in 2020. Still playful and totally smitten, these two are pure couple goals.
Cara and Nathan won the second series of the show(Image: DAILY MIRROR)
Uma Jammeh and Wil Anderson
Uma, 24, and Wil, 23, were the surprise golden couple of Love Island 2024. After a rocky start for Wil and some serious villa drama, it was Uma who truly brought out his softer side – and fans were instantly hooked.
Since leaving the villa, the couple have been inseparable, sharing romantic getaways, loved-up selfies, and major couple energy. It’s still early days, but Uma and Will are showing all the signs of a lasting match.
Uma and Wil continued their relationship after a shock dumping last year(Image: Splash News / SplashNews.com)
Olivia and Alex Bowen
Olivia, 31, and Alex, 33, are true Love Island royalty. The pair met on series two back in 2016, when Alex walked in as a bombshell, but no one predicted just how strong they would become.
The couple are now married and share a son, Abel, born in 2022, and are expecting a baby girl, proving that villa love can last well beyond the final fire pit.
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Olivia and Alex are expecting baby number 2(Image: Insatgram)
British junior Hannah Klugman suffered defeat on her WTA main-draw debut as she lost to Yulia Putintseva at the Nottingham Open.
The 16-year-old, runner-up in the French Open girls final in May, fell 6-2 6-2 to world number 27 Putintseva in the first round.
Klugman is one of a number of highly-rated British juniors, having won the prestigious Orange Bowl junior championships in Florida aged 14.
But Putintseva was a step up in quality, with the Kazakh winning the Birmingham Classic title on grass last year.
“I felt very uncomfortable on my first match on grass, having done a long period on clay, so I struggled today,” Klugman said.
“It was a tough one against a top player – I’ve never played against someone like that.
Klugman struggled on serve against Putintseva, hitting five double faults and winning just five of 18 points on her second serve.
She held just once in a first set that featured six breaks of serve, with Putintseva winning four of the final five games.
The Briton improved in the second set, moving around the court with more ease but an unfortunate bounce at the net wrong-footed her and Putintseva passed her to break for a 4-2 lead.
Putintseva then held before breaking Klugman once again to wrap up victory in 70 minutes.
Clara Tauson also advanced on the first day of the WTA 250 tournament, beating Australia’s Kimberly Birrell 7-5 2-6, but new Queen’s champion Tatjana Maria withdrew before her first-round match.
British junior Hannah Klugman suffered defeat on her WTA main-draw debut as she lost to Yulia Putintseva at the Nottingham Open.
The 16-year-old, runner-up in the French Open girls final in May, fell 6-2 6-2 to world number 27 Putintseva in the first round.
Klugman is one of a number of highly-rated British juniors, having won the prestigious Orange Bowl junior championships in Florida aged 14.
But Putintseva was a step up in quality, with the Kazakh winning the Birmingham Classic title on grass last year.
“I felt very uncomfortable on my first match on grass, having done a long period on clay, so I struggled today,” Klugman said.
“It was a tough one against a top player – I’ve never played against someone like that.
Klugman struggled on serve against Putintseva, hitting five double faults and winning just five of 18 points on her second serve.
She held just once in a first set that featured six breaks of serve, with Putintseva winning four of the final five games.
The Briton improved in the second set, moving around the court with more ease but an unfortunate bounce at the net wrong-footed her and Putintseva passed her to break for a 4-2 lead.
Putintseva then held before breaking Klugman once again to wrap up victory in 70 minutes.
Clara Tauson also advanced on the first day of the WTA 250 tournament, beating Australia’s Kimberly Birrell 7-5 2-6, but new Queen’s champion Tatjana Maria withdrew before her first-round match.
In Berlin, two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur made good use of her lucky loser status, coming past Caroline Dolehide 7-6 (7-5) 6-1 to reach the second round.
Former Real Madrid and Wales star Gareth Bale is part of a US-based consortium’s attempt to take over League One club Plymouth Argyle.
Talks with the private equity firm are said to be at an early stage.
Plymouth owner Simon Hallett said last month that a previous agreement to sell a stake in the club had fallen through.
Bale would be following the lead of former Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric, who has become part of the group that acquired control of Swansea in November 2024.
The Croatia midfielder took on a minority stake in April this year with the stated aim of generating worldwide attention on the Welsh club.
Legendary NFL quarterback Tom Brady previously became part of the new Birmingham City’s ownership group, while Wrexham have generated huge amounts of revenue from publicity attached to their Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Plymouth were relegated to the third tier last season after an ill-fated return to the Championship.
The ambitious pre-season appointment of Wayne Rooney as manager did not work and his replacement Miron Muslic resigned at the end of the season and joined German club Schalke.
Former Manchester United midfielder and Watford boss Tom Cleverley was appointed as manager on 13 June.
It is not known what role, if any, five-time Champions League winner Bale will have at Plymouth should the planned takeover succeed.
