Gossip: Sunderland monitor Nice goalkeeper
Sunderland have held talks with Nice over a deal for 25-year-old Poland goalkeeper Marcin Bulka. (Fabrizio Romano), externalWant more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip columnFollow the gossip column on BBC Sport
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The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Lando Norris storms to Austrian F1 GP pole as angry Verstappen slumps to seventh
Lando Norris claimed pole position for the Austrian Grand Prix by half a second at the Red Bull Ring, beating Ferrari's Charles Leclerc into second and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri into third. It was the perfect comeback for the British driver after his disappointment at having to retire when he crashed into Piastri at the last round in Canada. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was struggling for grip and finished in seventh. Lewis Hamilton was fourth for Ferrari and George Russell fifth for Mercedes. For Norris this was just the result he required after his title hopes took a battering when he made the misjudged move against Piastri in Montreal, dropping him to 22 points behind the Australian. At the Red Bull Ring this weekend Norris had insisted his error in Canada had ultimately resulted in a positive outcome, that he and the team emerged stronger now the seemingly unavoidable clash had finally happened. That is credible but it is inescapable that misjudgments like that in Canada could cost him the title. For all the psychological compartmentalising and rationalisations, that must weigh heavy. He said in Montreal he knew he had to make fewer errors, a theme he returned to in Austria. 'I've been making more mistakes and I've been behind,' he said. 'That's been clear. It's very close between us and Oscar's certainly been a bit more comfortable than I have this season, that's the way it is and I've had to try to improve and step up more.' Certainly he did so in qualifying with a lap that was all but untouchable. Notably the McLaren team principal, Andrea Stella, said the crash would have left Norris's confidence bruised and that the team would rally round him. They are still seeking to find a way to adjust the car to suit him and their upgrades this weekend to the front aero, rear aero and, crucially for Norris, the front suspension, to improve the feel he has for the front of the car, look to have paid off. Certainly Norris looked comfortable in qualifying, which has been his achilles heel this season. In Austria, it all appeared to come together and he looked in complete control from the off. Norris had dominated the first two sessions of qualifying and while Piastri opened the running for the first hot laps in Q3, he managed only a tidy lap that was swiftly eclipsed by his teammate. Norris was quicker in all three sectors and over two-tenths up on the Australian on top of the time sheetsin 1min 04.268sec, while Verstappen struggled a six-tenths back in sixth. For the final runs Russell improved, as did Leclerc, and Piastri knew he could do better but Norris once more looked confident. The British driver went quicker still through every sector with a lap of 1:03.971, half a second up on Leclerc, an absolute chasm. A late yellow flag when Pierre Gasly spun was costly for both Piastri and Verstappen, who both had to back off, with the Dutchman, struggling all afternoon, left almost a second back. An unhappy Verstappen described his car as so lacking in grip in every type of corner that it was 'completely undriveable'. The Dutchman will be dissatisfied by the result, especially after Red Bull brought what is likely to be their last major upgrade of the season to the race with a revision to the floor of the car it was hoped would help address the balance issues that have plagued it all year. 1. Lando Norris (McLaren) 1min 03.971sec 2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) 1:04.492 3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 1:04.554 4. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) 1:04.582 5. George Russell (Mercedes) 1:04.763 6. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) 1:04.926 7. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 1:04.929 8. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) 1:05.132 9. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) 1:05.276 10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) 1:05.649 Q2 11. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 1:05.128 12. Alex Albon (Williams) 1:05.205 13. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) 1:05.226 14. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) 1:05.288 15. Oliver Bearman (Haas) 1:05.312 Q1 16. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) 1:05.329 17. Esteban Ocon (Haas) 1:05.364 18. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) 1:05.369 19. Carlos Sainz (Williams) 1:05.582 20. Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber) 1:05.606 All of which will also fuel further speculation about the Dutchman's future, which has already dominated this weekend, when the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, confirmed that he was once more interested in persuading the world champion to leave Red Bull and join his team. The second session was red-flagged for 10 minutes when, as had occurred in Japan earlier this season, trackside grass caught fire, ignited by the sparks from the titanium skid blocks beneath the car.
Metro
27 minutes ago
- Metro
Arsenal star Mikel Arteta sold for £9m linked with shock Premier League return
A former Arsenal star Mikel Arteta sold for just £9million, could make a surprise transfer back to the Premier League, according to reports. While no new signings have been confirmed yet, Arsenal have been busy this summer transfer window, especially with regards to their midfield. They are set to buy Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and Christian Norgaard from Brentford, who will replace the released Thomas Partey and Jorginho. Another Premier League side overhauling their midfield is newly-promoted Sunderland who have the difficult task of replacing Jobe Bellingham, who was sold to Borussia Dortmund. To do so, it has been widely-reported that the Black Cats will pay a club-record £30.5m to sign Habib Diarra from Strasbourg. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. The highly-rated 21-year-old was also a target for Leeds, Brighton and Everton, and notably scored for Senegal in their historic win over England earlier this month. But French outlet RMC Sport claim that Sunderland are also interested in signing Lazio midfielder Matteo Guendouzi who spent two years at the Emirates. Guendouzi knows Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris well having worked with him at Lorient but it remains to be seen whether the France international would consider a transfer. The 26-year-old only moved to Lazio on a permanent deal last summer and is considered a key player, but the Serie A club may be forced to sell due its financial situation. Signed by Unai Emery in 2018 for £7m, Guendouzi quickly established himself in Arsenal's first-team despite his tender years, going onto make 82 appearances for the club in two seasons. Appearances: 82 Goals: 1 Assists: 5 Yellow cards: 20 Red Cards: 1 It was expected that he would become a key player for the Gunners for many years to come but he fell out with Arteta after multiple disciplinary issues on the training ground. More Trending The final straw came in June 2020 following a post-match altercation with Brighton's Neal Maupay, during which he grabbed the striker's throat, with Arteta exiling Guendouzi from training. Guendouzi would never again play for Arsenal, loaned out to Hertha Berlin and Marseille before leaving for good in 2022, and upon departing north London said: 'I will never forget any minute spent with the Gunners jersey. 'I will never forget the Emirates Stadium. I will never forget the fans. I won't forget the city. I will never forget everything I've been through here. I will never forget that my only will was to defend with pride Arsenal colours. 'Thanks to all of those who believed in me during my time here, during the good and the bad moments. I can only wish the best to the club and its fan who deserve so much, trust me! 'Goodbye Arsenal, I will never forget you and will be a Gooner forever.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Can Estevao Willian play against Chelsea in Fifa Club World Cup quarter-finals? MORE: Natalie Sawyer hits back at Arsenal criticism over Christian Norgaard transfer MORE: Marcus Rashford rejects three Premier League clubs as Barcelona send message to Manchester United
Times
29 minutes ago
- Times
Irish bookie BoyleSports takes £100m punt on UK high streets
Ireland's biggest independent bookmaker has placed a £100 million bet on Britain's struggling high streets, with plans to open hundreds of new shops. The family-owned BoyleSports, a staple on high streets in Ireland, wants to open 200 new shops and create 1,000 jobs in what its bosses say is the UK's under-appreciated market. The move comes as BoyleSports is expected to be controversially unveiled as the new front-of-shirt sponsor at the Premier League football club West Ham United. BoyleSports, which operates 390 shops across Ireland and the UK, was founded by John Boyle in 1982, who remains on the company's board as chairman. Some 70 outlets are in the UK at present. The UK expansion will be funded by its shareholders, Vlad Kaltenieks, the company's chief executive, said. The move may be viewed as counterintuitive given the retreat from the high street by the likes of William Hill, Coral and Ladbrokes in recent years as they concentrate on online gambling operations. The number of betting shops has fallen every year for the past ten years, according to the Gambling Commission, although numbers dropped by only 1.4 per cent last year. The pandemic had a profound impact: some 1,808 shops have closed since Covid-19 hit, the equivalent of one in five of the number of shops pre-lockdown. UK bookmakers have instead turned their attention to US online markets, where sports betting is being legalised on a state-by-state basis. With America expected to be the world's biggest regulated market, UK betting companies have used their online expertise to partner with American firms. Kaltenieks said that this had resulted in UK betting shops becoming an under-appreciated market. Like other firms operating in the UK, BoyleSports was fined £2.8 million by the Gambling Commission in 2020 for failing to comply with money-laundering risk assessments. Kaltenieks said that it complies with all legal requirements, and that compliance was one of the firm's priorities. It is precisely because the UK is heavily regulated that makes the new investment attractive, he added. 'The UK is one of the most exciting, well-regulated and competitive betting landscapes in the world, and we believe we offer something genuinely different to customers,' he said. 'As a family-owned, independent business, we've built a loyal customer base in Ireland by focusing on trust, service and a seamless experience and now we're rolling that approach out even more widely across the UK.' There has been speculation over a potential tie-up with West Ham United over the past few weeks. The company declined to comment on such a deal, though it is understood that the club could unveil the new sponsorship deal as early as this week. Premier League teams have agreed to withdraw gambling sponsorship from the front of their matchday shirts by the end of the upcoming 2025-26 season following a campaign by gambling industry critics.
