Martin wants 'powerful' connection between Rangers & supporters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Chronicle
13 minutes ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Sunderland close in on former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka
The PA news agency understands the Black Cats have agreed personal terms with the 32-year-old former Arsenal skipper and are attempting to thrash out a fee with Erik ten Hag's Bundesliga club. Switzerland international Xhaka, who began his career at Basel before heading for Borussia Monchengladbach, spent seven years with the Gunners and is well acquainted with England's top flight. He joined Arsenal in a £35million switch from Monchengladbach during the summer of 2016 and made 297 appearances for the club, winning two FA Cups, before returning to Germany with Leverkusen in July 2023. Xhaka, who has been caped 137 times by his country, won the league title at the end of his first season and made 49 appearances in all competitions, 10 of them in the Champions League, during the last campaign. A combative player, Xhaka was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy in November 2019 after a heated exchange with home fans at the Emirates Stadium.
The Independent
13 minutes ago
- The Independent
Bryan Mbeumo excited to follow in Ronaldo's footsteps at ‘biggest club' Man Utd
Bryan Mbeumo began playing football in a Manchester United shirt with Cristiano Ronaldo on the back and is overjoyed to have the chance to follow in the great's footsteps at the 'biggest club in the world'. After seven weeks and some tense talks between the clubs, the 25-year-old finally completed his move from Brentford on Monday for £65million plus a potential £6million in add-ons. Mbeumo has signed a deal until 2030, with the option of a further season, at what he calls the 'club of my dreams' – one whose shirt he wore as a kid growing up in France. 'From the start I wanted to join this club, this massive club, and now I'm here and I'm just really happy,' the Cameroon international told club media. 'For me, it's the biggest club in the world, in England as well. I think the fans are crazy, the stadium is amazing, and I think every player wants to play here. 'I think my first top was a Manchester United top with Ronaldo behind. It's just such a big club and, yeah, I'm really happy to be here.' Mbeumo says he idolised Ronaldo and Lionel Messi growing up, as well as admiring Neymar and Eden Hazard, and joins Matheus Cunha in bolstering what has been a blunt United attack. The forward says the Brazil international will 'bring something new' to a team that he is excited to get to know better when they head to the United States for their pre-season tour on Tuesday. 'I think it's really important for me joining a new club,' Mbeumo said. 'It's important to create links as soon as possible, automatism as well with the team-mates, so in and out the pitch. 'The spirit is really important. Yeah, create a group, being involved as soon as possible, for me, it's something really important.' Mbeumo links up with United after scoring 20 Premier League goals for Brentford under Thomas Frank, who has since moved on to Tottenham and is someone he sees similarly to new boss Ruben Amorim. 'I think they have similar values,' he said. 'He seems really close to his players and his mentality, his winning thinking every time. This is a thing that I need. 'It seems to be a really good group. I think the spirit is really important for winning and, yeah, with the gaffer I heard only good things about the team.'
Daily Mirror
14 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Top Tech: Best Premier League TV deals with EE, Sky and Virgin's sports plans
The Premier League is weeks away from making a comeback, so TV writer Jake Hackney has broken down the latest deals that provide access to the biggest games from the top flight, as well as the EFL and Champions League. Football fans are counting down the days to the new Premier League season, and there's not long to wait. We're now just weeks away from the 2025/26 campaign, which kicks off on August 15 with Liverpool vs Bournemouth. The opening weekend also comprises several other must-see fixtures, including Wolves vs Man City, Chelsea vs Crystal Palace and Man United vs Arsenal. All of these games will be aired on Sky Sports, which is the leading broadcaster of the Premier League in the UK. From the new season, Sky is ramping up its top flight coverage from 128 matches to a 'record' minimum of 215, alongside coverage of the EFL, SPFL, WSL and Bundesliga. However, Sky isn't the only brand to offer Sky Sports coverage to its customers, with Virgin Media and EE also offering access with their own bundles. This means fans have several options if they want to enjoy the Premier League, as well as the Champions League and Europa League. Ahead of the new season, we've taken a look at the latest sports deals from Sky, Virgin and EE Sky's discounted sports package is the most affordable in our round-up, costing £35 per month for the flagship Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle. This price is for new customers only and is £336 less than the standard £49 price tag. For this, customers can watch nine Sky Sports channels including Main Event, Premier League, Football, F1, Golf and Tennis. There are also more than 100 regular TV channels such as Sky Atlantic, as well as free Netflix and Discovery+ subscriptions. This is only the basic Discovery+ plan though and doesn't include TNT Sports. This can be added to the package for £20 extra, compared to the £30.99 it costs when signing up directly. The same Sky package is available on a 31-day rolling basis for those who prefer flexibility, but it comes with a higher cost of £43 per month and £20 upfront. The main downside with Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle is that the price will go up to the standard £49 after the 24-month term, but this marks the end of a contract and customers are free to cancel if they wish. Sky is also one of the many providers which increases its monthly prices every April. This year saw a 6.2% rise on its TV packages, and while the firm hasn't yet confirmed the April 2026 changes, we may expect something similar. Virgin Media Virgin Media has quietly launched a Summer of Sports sale, with a selection of TV and broadband packages that come with Sky Sports access now more than £330 off. The sale runs until September 2 and is available on three bundle, including the Bigger Combo bundle + Sports. Reduced from £65.99 to £54.99 – a £264 drop – this includes more than 200 TV channels, with eight from Sky Sports such as Main Event, Football and F1. It also provides 516Mbps fibre broadband and is the 'lowest ever monthly price' for this plan. Also at a record low is the Biggest Combo bundle, which offers the biggest discount of £336. Down from £78.99 to £64.99, this offers the same TV and Sky Sports channels and 516Mbps broadband, but also throws in Sky Cinema and a free Netflix subscription. Last up is Virgin's 'best value' package, the Mega Volt bundle. Virgin's most pricey plan is now £120 off as it's dropped from £84.99 to £79.99, but it comes with a lot. With this, customers can enjoy more than 230 TV channels including Sky Sports HD and Sky Cinema HD, plus Netflix, 1,130Mbps broadband and an O2 SIM card with unlimited data, minutes and texts. Virgin also offers a discounted TNT Sports add-on for £18, cheaper than the £30.99 it costs to join direct. Similarly to Sky, a downside of the 24-month plans is that they will increase at least twice during the minimum term. For example, Virgin has already confirmed the Bigger Combo bundle + Sports will rise to £58.49 from April 2026 and £61.99 from April 2027. EE Like Virgin, EE's packages include a triple whammy of TV, sports channels and fibre broadband, but there are some major differences. The brand offers two sports packages, 'Sport' and 'Big Sport'. EE Sport comes with all four TNT Sports channels through Discovery+ Premium, so members can enjoy select games from the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League. It also comes with EE's entry-level Full Fibre 74 Essentials broadband at a total monthly cost of £52.99. However, there's no Sky Sports channels included here. For that, customers must opt for Big Sport, which includes full Sky Sports access through a NOW Sports subscription, on top of TNT Sports and Discovery+ Premium and Full Fibre 74. This bumper bundle comes in at a total cost of £77.99 per month, the most expensive in our round-up. While customers get a lot for their money, it works out more than Virgin 's comparable plan and will eventually increase to £87.99 per month after the April 2027 price rise. However, EE offers customers the flexibility of switching packages at any time during their subscription. This means that while the Premier League takes a break each summer, members could move over to the EE Entertainment bundle to enjoy Sky Cinema until the football returns. The Verdict There's no 'best' deal in this round-up, it ultimately boils down to needs and budget. Those looking for Sky Sports alongside superfast broadband may want to consider Virgin's bundles, while those simply wanting to enjoy the new football season could opt for Sky's TV and sport package. However, those torn between Virgin's and EE's options will want to take a close look at the price and what's included, as there is a clear winner among the two. Virgin's Bigger Combo bundle + Sports with 516Mbps broadband and TNT Sports bolted on as an extra comes to £72.99 per month. While EE's Big Sport plan offers the same TNT channels, it doesn't include regular TV and also offers slower broadband, but for £5 more each month. This comes to £120 over the life of the plan – a big difference considering customers get less for their money. Sky's Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle is the cheapest, but that's because it's something of a no frills plan. That's because it includes around half as many channels as Virgin's TV packages and there's no broadband included, but for shoppers who are happy with their current internet setup and just want to kick back and enjoy the football, this could be the ideal choice.
