crystal palace chase bundesliga duo as they seek guehi replacement

Crystal Palace chase Bundesliga duo as they seek Guehi replacement

Crystal Palace are looking for a new centre-half in the German Bundesliga, with other clubs showing interest in Guehi.  With captain Marc Guehi the subject of interest from clubs like Newcastle United, Palace are now searching for a replacement.  Bayer Leverkusen defender Odilon Kossounou and VFL Wolfsburg’s Maxence Lacroix are both on the Palace’s radar.  Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports: “Understand Crystal Palace are considering Odilon Kossounou as well as Maxence Lacroix as centre back options. “It all depends on Marc Guehi exit with Newcastle set to bid again soon.”

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arsenal 'sound out' brazil serie a's vitor reis

Arsenal ‘sound out’ Brazil Serie A’s Vitor Reis, Real Madrid also interested

Arsenal could explore the South American market again. This time it’s for Brazilian prodigy Vitor Reis. According to an X post from Diario AS’ Edu Borges, the Gunners are one of three Premier League sides who have ‘sounded out’ Palmeiras for teenager Vitor Reis.  Reis is only 18, but he has stunned spectators with his performances in recent weeks. He has started 10 matches for Palmeiras since the beginning of July. He just made his senior debut as a substitute against Fortaleza at the end of June.  Borges, who works for AS, states that besides Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have also monitored Reis. But, he claims that Real Madrid are also scouting the defender.  Reis has been captain of Brazil’s Under 17 team since the beginning of last year. He started all but one game at the South American Under 17 Championships as his club won 7 of their 9 fixtures.  Although Reis only made his debut for Palmeiras back in June, he has been attracting interest from clubs.  Spanish newspaper Diario AS wrote on their website: “Among Reis’ qualities as a player, two particularly notable traits are his good positioning and tactical intelligence.” He signed a new contract with Palmeiras at the start of August with his deal ending in 2028. He can play as a right-sided defender or left-sided defender which could be crucial for Mikel Arterta’s club if they sign him.  West Ham signed Palmerias’ Luis Guilherme earlier this summer while Real Madrid just concluded Endrick’s signing in 2023. Vitor could be the next Brazilian Serie A star to join European football. 

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brighton activate £40M release clause for leeds georginio rutter

Brighton activate £40M release clause for Leeds’ Georginio Rutter

Brighton have triggered the release clause for Georginio Rutter as they gear up to tighten their midfield ahead of the new season.  The Seagulls bids have been rejected several times, but now the clause has been triggered. Leeds must now accept and it is up to Rutter to decide if he wants to join the club.  Rutter scored 8 goals last term while assisting 16 in 51 appearances for the club which clearly impressed Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler. Leeds have already sold Archie Gray to Tottenham and Crysencio Summerville to West Ham this summer. Losing Georginio would be another huge blow to a club seeking promotion.  Georginio will need to decide his future fast ahead of the transfer deadline. But Leeds are reportedly trying to get him to stay after he just signed with them last year. 

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ajax makes move for arsenal goalkeeper aaron ramsdale

Ajax makes move for Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale

Ajax have shown interest in Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.  The Athletic reports Ajax have asked the Gunners about taking Ramsdale on-loan for the season. But, Arsenal have rejected the offer.  The Gunners informed Ajax that Ramsdale will only leave the club for an outright cash deal. Meanwhile, Ramsdale is ready to leave Arsenal this month after losing his first-choice status to David Raya last season. 

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chicago fire sporting director georg heitz to leave club

Chicago Fire sporting director Georg Heitz to leave club

Chicago Fire announced on Monday, that sporting director Georg Heitz will leave the club. This will be after the 2024 MLS season.  Mentioning personal reasons, Heitz will return to Switzerland after five seasons managing Chicago’s football operations. He will remain on the board of directors at partner club FC Lugano. And will keep playing a major role in the relationship between both teams. “I’d like to express my deepest gratitude to [Chicago Fire owner] Joe Mansueto and his family for their unwavering trust and loyalty. Their commitment to the club is exceptional, and working alongside them has been an honor,” Heitz said in an official statement. “… Although the results have fallen short of our expectations, I am proud of our progress in other important areas and the working culture we’ve established, which will serve the organization well moving forward.” Heitz became Chicago sporting director in December 2019. During his stint, the Fire signed 10 homegrown players. They also completed two major outbound transfers: goalkeeper Gaga Slonina joining Chelsea FC and forward Jhon Durán joining Aston Villa.  He also presided over the signing of Swiss player Xherdan Shaqiri and club-record signing Hugo Cuypers.  Additionally, Chicago formed MLS NEXT Pro affiliate Chicago Fire II. They set up an international, multi-club network by buying of Swiss Super League side FC Lugano during Heitz’s tenure.  But, the Fire failed to reach the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs under Heitz. With nine matches left in their 2024 campaign, Chicago are 14th in the Eastern Conference. They are on pace to miss the postseason for the seventh straight season.  “Georg recently informed me of his decision to step away from the Fire after the season, and while I respect his choice to return to Switzerland, his presence and leadership will be greatly missed,” Mansueto said in a release. “I would like to sincerely thank Georg for his dedicated efforts to expand our football operations and build a structure that will set the club up for success.”

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manchester united ready offer for brighton striker evan ferguson

Manchester United ready offer for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson

Manchester United are deciding a move this month for Brighton striker Evan Ferguson. The Red Devils had had a long-term interest in the Irish national and could sign him this month. The new United technical director Dan Ashworth signed Ferguson from Bohemians when he was in charge of transfer at Brighton.  According to the Daily Star, Ashworth could now want to reunite with Ashworth in the coming weeks.  United  believe they can draft Evan Ferguson for £50m before the summer market ends.

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judge hits 299th hr for winning margin

Aaron Judge hits 299th HR for winning margin: ‘Such an incredible hitter’

Outfielder Aaron Judge continues to expand his legacy. On Sunday afternoon, he hit his 42nd home run of the season off Rangers left-hander Andrew Chafin. That was in the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium, helping New York to an 8-7 victory over Texas.  “It was a win. It was another good one. I’m happy to win the series and get back [to] the winning ways,” Judge said. Judge’s shot was three pitches after Juan Soto hit his second home run of the game and 30th of the season. It gave the Yankees an 8-3 lead at the time, which turned out to be essential. Similarly, the Rangers scored three in the eighth and one in the ninth before Clay Holmes cleared a four-out save.  “Every time Judge hits a home run, it’s incredible. It was a tough pitch outside of the strike zone. The ball went out,” Soto said. “He is such an incredible hitter.” Judge entered the game on track to his 56 homers for the campaign, which would be six short of the American League record he set in 2022. He could become the third player to have multiple 60-plus home run seasons, joining Sammy Sosa (three) and Mark McGwire (two). Judge has 42 homers through 119 team games this season. He had 46 through that number of games in 2022. He played his 952nd career game, and is one home away from 300 for his career.  The lowest matches needed to attain 300 career home runs in AL/NL history is 1,087, set by Hall of Fame Ralph Kiner, who did most of his damage with the Pirates from 1946-53.  “I try to remind myself every now and then that I take him for granted,” manager Aaron Boone said. “His greatness … I’m getting to watch over there every day what he is able to do and be just the player that he has become. It is remarkable.” For Judge, hitting this milestone will only be relevant if the Yankees win the match.  “[The numbers] are not what we play for,” Judge said. “I’m just here to help this team win and put them in a good position. Hopefully, it comes with a win. It would be something special.” Soto has batted in front of Judge for a greater part of the campaign, and he knows that means he will often get something to hit.  “You have to make sure you are swinging because they are not walking you at all,” Soto said. “It’s always great to hit in front of him. … They are always trying to attack the strike zone like [the Rangers]. They know he is coming behind me, but they want to make sure they get me out before facing him. They leave the lefty [Chafin for Judge]. At the end of the day, we did our job and helped the team win the ballgame.”

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a'ja wilson crowned mvp of women's basketball tournament

A’ja Wilson crowned MVP of women’s basketball tournament at 2024 Olympics

Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson added another title to her legendary career. The two-time WNBA champion received the MVP title for the women’s basketball tournament at the 2024 Olympics.  Wilson assisted in propelling Team USA women to an exciting victory over France in the final to win an eighth straight gold medal for the United States.  “It’s amazing,” Wilson said after the win. “It truly is a dynasty that we have built here at USAB and it has been incredible. And I am so proud of the resilience that my team showed. We could have fumbled it many times, but we pulled through. To say I am a two-time gold medalist, I am so blessed.” Wilson scored 21 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the 67-66 victory and averaged 18.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over six matches at the Olympics.  Additionally, she was listed among the All-Star Five for women’s basketball at the Paris Olympics alongside teammate Breanna Stewart, Gabby Williams of France, Alanna Smith of Australia and Emma Meesseman of Belgium.  The eight straight golds snapped a tie with the American men’s program that won seven in a row from 1936-68. The USA women’s win came less than 24 hours after the U.S. men’s team also defeated France in the match. This was the first time in Olympic history that both gold medal games featured the same two teams. 

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nix heads four scoring drives in broncos preseason debut

Bo Nix heads four scoring drives in excellent Broncos preseason debut

Jarrett Stidham might have gotten the start, but rookie Bo Nix started the scoring for the Denver Broncos.  Nix, the 12th overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, made his preseason debut in the Denver’s Sunday’s 34-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. He led the Broncos on four scoring drives to highlight a remarkable initial showing.  In five drives, Nix was the quarterback that led the Broncos to two touchdowns and two field goals, with a laser of a 1-yard touchdown to Marvin Mims.  “It was a good day,” Nix said postgame. “I thought we ran the ball efficiently. Made some good plays in the pass game. Converted some third downs. Got points when we needed to; it was a good job going into half with points and coming out with points, felt like that was a good point in the game. Overall, I thought we did a good job, a huge team win.” Nix completed 15 of 21 passes for 125 yards for his final line. His touchdown has a 102.3 passer rating, complemented by three runs for 17 yards. Meanwhile, Stidham was 4 of 7 for 37 yards, no TDs, an interception and 32.1 rating. In all fairness to the veteran, neither his interception nor the two futile drives were on him.  “All three of them did a good job,” Payton said, including Zach Wilson, who played for most of the second half and concluded 10 of 13 passes for 117 yards. Nonetheless, the highlights were for Nix and the first-rounder delivered a spectacular performance. His release was quick, his scrambling capacity sensational, and his command of Sean Payton’s offense was on the mark for his first time.  Early in the week, Payton announced that Nix would start for the Broncos in the Week 2 preseason game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, August 18th. 

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