The Guardian

Men’s transfer interactive | Women’s transfer interactive Get in touch: email Dominic and follow us on Bluesky The Rumour Mill is the only place to start, if you will forgive the self-promotion, given I was tasked with writing today’s edition. A merry-go-round of wide forwards could be upon us in the final days of the window. Continue reading...

Al-Hilal’s signing from Villa is thrown straight into big game against Al-Ahli and faces the highest of expectations Ollie Watkins and Ivan Toney spent 33 minutes on the pitch together a few weeks ago in Miami as England beat France 6-4 in a game for third place at the World Cup. They will be reunited on Tuesday in Riyadh for Al-Hilal v Al-Ahli, the first big clash between title hopefuls in the S…

Kenin wins 6-2, 7-6 (6) in late-night contest Williams loses 15th straight tour-level match First-round clash finally begins at 12.13am Sunday had become Monday by the time Venus Williams finally emerged beneath the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, her entrance pushed deep into the night after Novak Djokovic’s bruising defeat by Argentina’s Mariano Navone went the five-set distance. The first …

Today’s chatter is talking about its dreams again Elite football clubs splash out millions on their scouting efforts these days, gather reams of data and spend countless meticulous hours assembling their recruitment plans, yet somehow the final days of the transfer window remain a desperate scrap, for some, to recruit players. After an underwhelming start to the season and with a slightly threadb…

Podcast host expresses discomfort at attending medal ceremony AFL’s attitude towards women needs to change, she says The partner of one of the AFL’s most prominent players has boycotted next month’s Brownlow medal ceremony, describing the event as one that “doesn’t align” with her values in the wake of the sector’s response to the alleged sexual assault at the Sydney Swans’ team hotel. Writer Dee…

Newcastle players look revitalised, Liverpool’s curious transfer strategy and a worrying start for Palace Amid the concerns at Manchester United, one player unquestioned is Senne Lammens. The goalkeeper produced some important first-half saves against Ipswich to keep his side in the game in difficult circumstances. A relaxed character, the Belgian is a calming influence in an emotional environmen…

The wicket was not as bad as the one in June but presented enough challenges for the MCC to call in specialists The performance of the Lord’s pitch during its previous Test, against New Zealand in June, was so appalling that it was followed by an apology from the MCC and a scathing unsatisfactory rating from the International Cricket Council. The MCC got ahead of the game in this Test by issuing …

The 21-year-old had never gone past six rounds before Hrgovic defeat and his corner should have adapted strategy The end, when it came for Moses Itauma, was as shocking as it was worrying. Late on Saturday night, moving into the championship rounds of his first world heavyweight title fight , the 21‑year‑old had dictated the pace and dazzled Filip Hrgovic with his speed and skill. The 34‑year‑old…

Former jockey reflects on remarkable story from overcoming hardship to breaking barriers as the first trainer of black or Asian heritage at Flat racing’s HQ “It’s just unbelievable, isn’t it?” Gihan Arnolda says as he reflects on his first three months as a trainer: five winners from 33 runners, £50,000 prize money banked and a string that is, according to the much-respected Timeform operation’s …

Mariano Navone wins 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 to end Serb’s hopes Djokovic vomits numerous times and has to fight off cramps The first night session of the US Open this year was approaching the three hour mark when Novak Djokovic walked briskly to the corner of the vast Arthur Ashe Stadium court, bent down and vomited the contents of his stomach straight into the towel bin. This was neither t…

Basketball Australia refers proposed rule changes to Fiba Idea aimed at delivering more highlights met with mixed reactions The slam dunk has long been a staple of basketball, its biggest billboard, showcasing the athleticism and ferocity of its athletes. Now, some within the game want more. The Australian men’s professional league, the NBL, has lodged a request with the sport’s rule-makers about…

Ollie Robinson’s metronomic medium-nip represents the new age – sometimes, you just get the heroes you need Each age makes its own heroes. Two hours from the end of the final day of the second-last Test at the fag‑end of the post‑Bazball summer, the cheer from the Lord’s crowd at deep fine leg had something pointed about it, a crackle of event glamour. Ollie Robinson turned as he ambled back and …

A lack of offers and problems in finding a replacement may be behind the move, but that does not mean it cannot work The first chant of the match was for Marcus Rashford, Manchester United’s returning rogue son, the one banished for 18 months, first to the Midlands and then Catalonia. Every football fan loves an academy product who has risen up the ranks, from scrawny child to getting 76,000 off …

Ballon d’Or winner Putellas leads influx of superstar names at independent club aiming to bridge gap to very best Guardian writers’ predicted position: 4th (NB: this is not necessarily Suzanne Wrack’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) Last season’s position: 6th Continue reading...

Arsenal manager says dropping players ‘affects wellbeing’ Serie A allows 25-player matchday squads and La Liga 23 Arsenal have asked the Premier League to increase the size of matchday squads, with Mikel Arteta saying the current system is detrimental to player welfare. Top‑flight clubs can name 20 players for games, including a minimum of three homegrown players. In Spain’s La Liga, clubs can na…