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Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool eye Semenyo to replace Salah

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Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool eye Semenyo to replace Salah


Chelsea will make a fresh attempt to sign Spain striker Samu Agehowa, while Liverpool are plotting a move for in-form AFC Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

Mohamed Salah’s poor form has Liverpool considering a January move for Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, according to the iPaper. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United both scouted the Ghana winger during the last transfer window, but it’s the Reds that are firming as favorites to sign the in-form 25-year-old. The upcoming Africa Cup of Nations may play a big role in whether the mooted £75 million move is made; Salah will lead Egypt at the continental tournament but, with Ghana failing to qualify, Semenyo will be available to play club football throughout the fixture-heavy January period.

– Chelsea are prepared to make an £87m offer to FC Porto for striker Samu Agehowa next summer, according to Record. The Blues had been close to signing the Spain international from Atlético Madrid in the summer of 2024, but the move collapsed and he joined Porto instead. Samu scored 25 goals in his first season in Portugal, and has netted eight goals in nine games so far this term. The 21-year-old has a contract at the Estádio do Dragão until June 2029.

– Stuttgart have set their fee for Angelo Stiller at €50 million with Manchester United among the clubs who have expressed an interest in the midfielder but the 24-year-old’s valuation could still rise, according to Sky Sports Deutschland. While Stiller has a €40m release clause, the Bundesliga club can buy that out and make his transfer fee freely negotiable. Meanwhile, TEAMtalk reports that United are looking to January with their list of options featuring Sporting CP‘s Morten Hjulmand, Crystal Palace‘s Adam Wharton, Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Carlos Baleba, Borussia Dortmund‘s Jobe Bellingham and Porto’s Victor Froholdt. The Red Devils are optimistic that they can reunite coach Ruben Amorim with Hjulmand for £50m despite the 26-year-old’s £70m release clause, with this coming due to Sporting’s relationship with their former manager.

Sky Sports Deutschland have offered an insight into the domino effect that could happen regarding free agent centre-backs in the summer. A final decision hasn’t been made on David Alaba‘s future but he is likely to leave Real Madrid, while the Saudi Pro League is watching the situation of his teammate Antonio Rüdiger with his future uncertain despite an offer having been tabled for a contract that runs until 2028. Liverpool‘s Ibrahima Konaté could be the replacement if either of them leave, while Marc Guéhi could replace the Frenchman at Anfield but is also wanted by Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Dayot Upamecano could also move despite Bayern wanting to extend his contract to 2030.

– Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is weighing up a January loan move with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Manchester City and Brentford all looking at the 20-year-old, according to TEAMtalk. Mainoo remains committed to the Red Devils, but the feeling is that he needs more minutes to aid both his development and ambitions to represent England at the FIFA World Cup. Man United’s lack of depth in midfield has raised questions about whether they will be willing to allow a loan move.

– Barcelona are monitoring Mallorca winger Jan Virgili and could look to re-sign him, as reported by Diario Sport. The 19-year-old left the Blaugrana for €3.5m this summer as he didn’t want to be part of a reserve team any longer, but Barca included a clause that would see them receive a percentage of the funds from his next move and another clause that would allow them to re-sign him. Virgili marked his return from the Under-20 World Cup by providing the assist for Vedat Muriqi‘s equaliser in Mallorca’s win against Sevilla.

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN’s Sam Tighe looks at how well Samu Agehowa would fit in at Chelsea:

In the summer of 2024, Samu looked all set for a move to Chelsea, following the conclusion of his gold medal-winning campaign with Spain in the Olympics, but the move fell through and João Félix joined instead.

That’s a series of events that the Blues have likely regretted ever since, as Samu has continued to blossom into one of Europe’s top young strikers at FC Porto — while Félix made minimal impact before being jettisoned to Saudi Arabia.

The Spain international is a powerhouse No. 9, able to bully defenders using his huge frame. Look back at his goals catalogue while on loan at Deportivo Alavés and you’ll see opponents literally bouncing off him and hitting the deck. He can back into centre-backs Romelu Lukaku-style, or hit the channels and stretch the pitch.

His time at Porto has given him useful experience of playing in a dominant team setup, as before all of his football had come for lesser sides who played more reactive football. This would aid a transition to a club like Chelsea, who are quickly developing a “type” that they like up front — Samu, Liam Delap and Marc Guiu are all battering ram centre-forwards.

OTHER RUMORS

– AC Milan had a scout at Parma’s goalless draw against Genoa to watch goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. (Nicolò Schira)

– Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Willian Pacho could extend his contract in the coming weeks, with an offer on the table to extend his deal by one year so it lasts until 2030. (Le Parisien)

– Clubs from across Europe are monitoring Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta. (Rudy Galetti)

– Massimiliano Allegri has given his approval for AC Milan to extend Fikayo Tomori‘s contract with initial informal discussions already taking place. (Calciomercato)

– Rodez centre-back Mathis Magnin is being monitored by various Ligue 1 clubs having impressed in Ligue 2. (Rudy Galetti)

– Several European clubs, especially from Italy and England, are monitoring Copenhagen centre-back Gabriel Pereira. (Rudy Galetti)

– Barcelona will not move in the January transfer window unless they suffer injuries. (AS)

– Bologna have turned down a “huge” offer from Saudi Pro League club Al Qadsiah for Riccardo Orsolini, and the Rossoblu are in talks to extend the winger’s contract until 2029 with the option for another year. (Nicolò Schira)



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World Cup teams finalize US base camps as host cities prepare for global crowds

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World Cup teams finalize US base camps as host cities prepare for global crowds


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With the 2026 FIFA World Cup just three months away, cities across the United States are racing to finalize training facilities that national teams will call home during the global tournament.

Among them is Kansas City, which will serve as the base camp for defending champion Argentina national football team, a major win for the region as it prepares to welcome both players and tens of thousands of international fans.

Base camps are critical to World Cup operations. They serve as home headquarters where teams live, train and recover while traveling between match sites throughout the competition.

WORLD CUP 2026: WHAT ARE THE HOST COUNTRIES, CITIES, STADIUMS?

World Cup 2026 signage is displayed in Kansas City, one of the tournament’s host cities. (Olivianna Calmes)

“From private practice fields to player recovery rooms, these facilities are designed to support some of the biggest names in soccer,” said Alan Dietrich, who has worked closely with organizers.

Local leaders have spent more than a year pitching their cities to international teams, hoping to showcase not just athletic facilities but the broader community.

“We started actually over a year ago with countries beginning to visit,” Dietrich said.

WORLD CUP DEMAND SPARKS LODGING SCRAMBLE IN KANSAS CITY

Tourism officials say the opportunity extends far beyond the sport itself. Hosting a base camp allows cities to introduce themselves to global audiences and build long-term international relationships.

2026 FIFA World Cup bid

To show support for Kansas City’s bid for the men’s 2026 FIFA World Cup, the KC2026 Bid Committee and Outfront media installed a 90×90-foot banner on Main Street in Kansas City, Missouri. (Jill Toyoshiba/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“We knew that the World Cup was going to be kind of our first chance and probably our biggest chance to be engaging these international markets,” said Devin Aaron with Visit KC.

locker room area in kansas city world cup training facility

A locker room shows the “We are FIFA 2026 Kansas City” sign in Sporting KC training facility (Olivianna Calmes)

Early expectations had Argentina basing in Miami, but Kansas City ultimately stood out during the selection process.

“When Argentina visited, they really loved it here,” Dietrich said. “They loved our facilities, they loved our people.”

The team will train at Sporting Kansas City’s Compass Minerals National Performance Center, a state-of-the-art facility in Kansas City, Kansas that will serve as Argentina’s training home base during the tournament.

THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP LESS THAN 100 DAYS OUT! HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW

The complex features multiple professional grade fields and elite level training amenities designed for international competition.

Inside, players will have access to private dining areas, meeting rooms and dedicated recovery spaces designed to help them rest between matches.

beds in resting room at training facility for 2026 world cup team

A resting room for World Cup players (Olivianna Calmes)

“If they’ve traveled a lot and they’re tired, they can come in here, turn the lights out and get a nice nap,” Dietrich added.

Up to 100,000 Argentine fans are expected to travel to Kansas City during the tournament, a preview of the global crowds set to flood World Cup host cities across the U.S.

Across the U.S., cities selected as host sites and base camps are preparing for similar surges, as teams finalize training locations and fans follow their national squads.

map of world cup host cities

Cities across the US which are hosting World Cup games (Fox News)

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The 2026 World Cup will be the largest in history, expanding from 32 to 48 teams and spanning host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, with each location competing for global visibility and long-term economic impact.



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Sources: Antoine Griezmann to sign 2-year deal with Orlando

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Sources: Antoine Griezmann to sign 2-year deal with Orlando


Antoine Griezmann is set to sign a two-year deal including an additional one-year option with Orlando City SC, multiple sources told ESPN Sunday.

The Atlético Madrid attacker left for Orlando on Sunday night after his team’s 3-2 derby loss to Real Madrid to finalize the move, sources added, with Griezmann expected to begin playing for the MLS side in July.

Griezmann will remain with Atlético until the end of the season, which still includes a Champions League quarterfinal tie with Barcelona and a Copa del Rey final against Real Sociedad.

The former France star, who was on the 2018 World Cup winning team, retired from international duty in 2024.

ESPN reported in February that Griezmann was in talks to make a move to Orlando before the end of the LaLiga season, but sources said he decided to put the move on hold to finish out the year with Atlético.

Griezmann is Atlético’s all-time leading scorer with 210 goals, but he has yet to win a major title with Diego Simeone’s team.

Simeone has said repeatedly that he would support any decision that Griezmann, a longtime Atlético Madrid veteran, made. His current deal with Atleti runs through 2027.

Major League Soccer’s summer window opens on July 13.

ESPN’s Gustavo Hofman and Jeff Carlisle contributed to this report.



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Notre Dame men join women in winning inaugural three-weapon title

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Notre Dame men join women in winning inaugural three-weapon title


SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame’s Ahmed Hesham won the men’s saber Sunday, and the Fighting Irish men joined the women in winning the inaugural three-weapon national championship at the Joyce Center.

Hesham defeated St. John’s Adham Moataz 15-12 in the final after a third-place finish last season.

Notre Dame finished with 91 points, 10 better than runner-up Columbia. St. John’s (63), Harvard (62) and Pennsylvania (58) rounded out the top five.

Notre Dame’s Chase Emmer fell short in defense of his foil title after losing 15-8 to Columbia’s Sam Kumbla in the final.

Fighting Irish freshman Kruz Schembri made it to the épée final before losing to North Carolina’s Youssef Shamel 15-7.

The Fighting Irish trio led all three disciplines after the first day.

Notre Dame won 14 co-ed championships, including six of the last eight. The Fighting Irish won last season’s title in the final year of the combined men’s and women’s team championship.

Notre Dame edged Columbia 102-99 on Friday to win the first women’s three-weapon title. Eszter Muhan won the épée for the Irish.



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