Sports
Transfer rumors, news: Chelsea, Man United eye new Germany star Ouédraogo
RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouédraogo is a target for Chelsea and Manchester United, while Paris Saint-Germain will go up against Real Madrid to sign Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
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TRENDING RUMORS
– Chelsea and Manchester United are among the clubs monitoring RB Leipzig midfielder Assan Ouédraogo with interest from top clubs is becoming more concrete, Sky Sports Deutschland reports. The 19-year-old, who has registered three goals and three assists for his club so far this season, made waves last week when he scored less than two minutes into his senior international debut for Germany. Ouédraogo doesn’t have a release clause, so a summer departure is only realistic if Die Roten Bullen receive a top offer. The Sky report adds that, despite the links with Premier League giants, Ouédraogo’s focus is set on qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League with Leipzig and going to the FIFA World Cup.
– Paris Saint-Germain are vying with Real Madrid and a host of other big clubs to sign Bayern Munich centre-back Dayot Upamecano as a free agent in the summer, according to Sky Sports Deutschland. The Bavarians are working intensely to renew the 27-year-old’s contract with a deal until 2030 or 2031 being discussed. Upamecano has also shown positive signs towards a renewal but there is still no signature on the contract, which means interest from giants across Europe will continue. This all comes after a report in Bild at the weekend linked Chelsea, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Internazionale with the France international.
– Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder João Gomes has had his head turned by interest from Manchester United, although they add that there is still a battle to complete a January transfer, TEAMtalk reports. There is a belief that it will take up to £50 million to sign the 24-year-old despite Wolves stating that they are not willing to let him leave. The Red Devils have also been linked with Nottingham Forest‘s Elliot Anderson, Crystal Palace‘s Adam Wharton, Brentford‘s Yehor Yarmolyuk and Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Carlos Baleba.
– Juventus and Premier League clubs are interested in signing Mike Maignan as a free agent when his AC Milan contract expires in the summer, reports La Gazzetta dello Sport, although they add that the Rossoneri are still trying to extend the goalkeeper’s deal. Massimiliiano Allegri had already persuaded club and player to continue together last summer, and the Serie A club is now offering the 30-year-old an extension for two or three seasons at €5m a season.
– AC Milan are plotting a transfer for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, according to TEAMtalk, who add that the 28-year-old is keen to make the move. There is currently plenty of interest in the France international, as he is entering the final 18 months of his contract and negotiations regarding wages have stalled. While there is interest from the Premier League, Mateta’s heart is set on a move to Serie A.
EXPERT TAKE
1:12
Berbatov: There’s still a long way to go for Man United
Dimitar Berbatov discusses Manchester United’s disappointing 1-0 defeat to ten-man Everton at Old Trafford.
OTHER RUMORS
– Manchester City is one of the clubs to have considered a move for Real Madrid winger Rodrygo but are only likely to make an approach if Savinho goes to Tottenham Hotspur. (Football Insider)
– Real Madrid want to re-sign former academy product Nico Paz from Como, who the midfielder joined on a permanent transfer in the summer of 2024. (TyC Sports)
– Napoli have the most concrete interest in Freiburg midfielder Johan Manzambi and have already held initial talks regarding a move for the 20-year-old. (Sky Sports Deutschland)
– Atalanta value Ademola Lookman and Éderson at €50m each and Honest Ahanor at €40m, while Marco Carnesecchi, Giorgio Scalvini, Marco Palestra and Raoul Bellanova could also leave for the right figure. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Inter Milan have concerns about their goalkeeper department and are prioritising Cagliari’s Elia Caprile as they look for a signing in the position. Parma’s Zion Suzuki and Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu are also being considered. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Tottenham Hotspur will look to extend Luka Vuskovic‘s contract, as his performances on loan at Hamburg have attracted interest from Bundesliga clubs including Borussia Dortmund. (TEAMtalk)
– Marseille want talks with Brighton & Hove Albion about permanently signing midfielder Matt O’Riley, who is currently on loan at the Ligue 1 club, as they are aware of growing interest from top European clubs. (Sky Sports)
– Juventus and several German clubs are interested in Ferencvaros midfielder Alex Toth, who has a contract until 2027 and is valued at €15m. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Roma are interested in Schalke centre-back Mertcan Ayhan, while Galatasaray and other European clubs have been considering the 19-year-old. (Rudy Galetti)
– Villarreal and Eintracht Frankfurt have entered the race to sign Elversberg striker Younes Ebnoutalib, with a winter transfer being discussed for a value of around €10m. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Fabio Silva is already considering leaving Borussia Dortmund despite only joining from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer. (Sky Sports Deutschland)
– There could also be a temporary departure from Borussia Dortmund, as a January loan is being looked at for Julien Duranville. There hasn’t been any contact with potential loan clubs yet. (Sky Sports Deutschland)
– Genoa have asked Roma for information about signing Nicolo Pisilli on loan in January. (Nicolò Schira)
– Hoffenheim are working to sign St. Gallen striker Alessandro Vogt, who has a release clause worth around €2.7m and is also the topic of interest from Wolfsburg. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Paris FC are monitoring Strasbourg midfielder Rabby Nzingoula, while the 20-year-old has also received interest from abroad. (Le10 Sport)
– Amir Richardson isn’t in Fiorentina’s plans and is ready to leave the club in January. (Nicolò Schira)
The BMF legacy is used to a certain type of fight that Holloway vs. Oliveira just didn’t bring.
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CORALVILLE, Iowa — Yu Sakamoto beat Riley Rayome of North Central (IL) 4-3 to win the 117-pound crown and clinch the team title for McKendree on Saturday night at the inaugural NCAA women’s wrestling championships.
After a wild scramble in the final seconds, a challenge by North Central and a review, Sakamoto’s win gave McKendree a 167-166 lead over Iowa — which finished with three individual champions and a runner-up but had no remaining competitors with two matches remaining. The Bearcats finished with 171 points and third-place North Central had 123.5.
Grand Valley State’s Katerina Lange, the No. 1 seed, beat second-seeded Claire DiCugno of North Central 4-1 to claim the 138-pound title and become the first women’s wrestling national champion.
North Central’s Bella Mir won at 145 pounds, beating No. 1 seed and former teammate Reese Larramendy of Iowa in the first round to avenge her only regular-season loss. The second-seeded Mir — an Iowa transfer and the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion, Frank Mir — reversed a takedown attempt, immediately rolled and pinned Larramendy with 34 seconds left.
Iowa’s Valarie Solorio, the No. 2 seed, beat fourth-seeded Rayana Sahagun of Grand Valley State by technical fall in the second round to win the 103-pound title. Sahagun beat No. 1 seed Heather Crull on criteria (7-7) in the semifinals.
Lehigh’s Audrey Jimenez pinned Sage Mortimer of Grand Valley State just 1:19 into the first round to claim the crown at 110 pounds.
Quincy’s Xochitl Mota-Pettis won at 124 pounds, beating Shelby Moore of McKendree by technical fall (10-0) in the second round.
Cameron Guerin of McKendree beat Alexis Janlak of Aurora on criteria (5-5) to win the championship at 131 pounds in the final match of the night.
Iowa’s Kennedy Blades, the No. 1 seed, pinned third-seeded Tiffani Baublitz of East Stroudsburg in 1:19 to claim the 160-pound crown.
Iowa’s Kylie Welker outscored Destiny Rodriguez of McKendree 11-0 in the first round to win the 180-pound title by technical fall.
McKendree’s Tristan Kelly beat Sabrina Nauss of Grand Valley State by technical fall (11-0) in the second round to secure the national championship at 207 pounds.
WASHINGTON: An Ultimate Fighting Championship event to be staged on the White House’s South Lawn in June will be headlined by Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, the UFC announced Saturday.
The lightweight championship clash will top a bill of six fights set to take place on the US Flag Day holiday and the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump, who is an avowed UFC fan.
The June 14 event has been dubbed “UFC Freedom 250,” in reference to the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations this summer.
Topuria is one of the UFC’s top-rated fighters and a double-weight champion who has won all 17 of his fights.
A former featherweight champion, he earned the lightweight belt last year by knocking out Brazil’s Charles Oliveira before temporarily stepping away from the sport for personal reasons.
Born in Germany to Georgian refugee parents, Topuria moved to Spain as a teenager, and has both Georgian and Spanish citizenship.
In Topuria’s UFC absence, Arizona native Gaethje won an interim lightweight title, but will now have a chance to capture the undisputed championship.
The 37-year-old American has a 27-5 record in UFC.
Trump has said a stadium for more than 100,000 people would be constructed in front of the White House for the fight, although organisers have since said the event is expected to host some 3,000 to 4,000 people at the heart of Washington DC.
Large screens to view the event are expected to be raised in other places near the White House for larger crowds to watch the show.
The event was originally announced for July 4, which is Independence Day in the US, before being moved to Trump’s birthday.
The Republican president has also unveiled plans for an IndyCar race on the streets of Washington to mark the 250th anniversary of the country’s independence.
UFC is the largest and most successful organisation in the burgeoning world of MMA, a blend of martial arts disciplines like jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, boxing and wrestling.
Bouts take place in an eight-sided ring — dubbed “The Octagon” — bounded by a chainlink fence.
With few exceptions — such as eye-gouging — male and female fighters are allowed to employ almost any technique to attack their opponent.
The sport’s popularity with young men — a key demographic in the 2024 US election — and Trump’s long association with the UFC have made the president a regular fixture at some of its more high-profile events, where he is greeted like a rock star.
Its brutal nature and high injury rate mean the sport is controversial, with doctors decrying the potential for brain damage amongst fighters who are repeatedly hit in the head, though it has gained increasing mainstream acceptance in recent years.
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