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Daily Mirror
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Alexander Isak to Liverpool twist as Eddie Howe drops huge Newcastle transfer bombshell
Eddie Howe has spoken out on the future of Alexander Isak at Newcastle and admits that the hierarchy will ultimately make a decision on whether or not to sell the Swede Newcastle boss Eddie Howe insists the club have not put a timescale on a decision regarding Alexander Isak's future but confessed that the Liverpool target could leave the club this summer. The Swedish striker, who has become the team's leading light over his three years at St James' Park, has expressed a desire to explore his options away from the Magpies. It means Newcastle, despite winning a trophy and qualifying for the Champions League, could lose their best player. If Isak were to leave it would require a British-record transfer fee to tempt Newcastle and, currently, Liverpool are the only Premier League club to come forward. There is also interest in Saudi Arabia. Isak just enjoyed his best season to date in front of goal but is not part of the team's pre-season preparations at present, largely down to the speculation surrounding his future. Howe claimed there would be no immediate decision made as the club weigh up what's best in the long run. He said: "I wouldn't put a timescale on it. I think with these situations it has to be right for the football club, and everything then is taken into context below that. "But the club will make the right decision with all the information that it has, and ultimately to try and move the club forward in whatever way that is. Then it's up to us to make good decisions the other way and try and improve the squad as best we can. That's what we're trying to do, regardless of Alex's situation. "But I think there's a wider picture here. There's a whole football club that has to make the decision. The ownership, together with the board of directors, especially with the money involved in modern day transfers. The manager of course has an opinion, but ultimately the decision will rest with the board." He added: "Of course there's things going on behind the scenes (with Alex). He will be aware he's in the news every day, and I'm sure that's not easy for anyone in that situation. Conversations that happen between Alex and the club or Alex and myself will stay private for obvious reasons. We do share a really good relationship with him. "He's been magnificent for us and he's very popular in the dressing room. We'd love him to continue his journey at Newcastle. I certainly hope he stays. And I said (last weekend) I was confident that he'd stay. I don't see anything that's going to change that opinion of mine at the moment, but it's football and who knows what the future may bring. "All I would say on the broader picture is whatever happens has to be right for Newcastle. We're in a very strong position financially. We're determined to be successful. We are ambitious. We've got a great season ahead of us. We need to add to the squad and continue to improve, and the journey can continue in an upward trajectory.' Liverpool have just spent £79m to land Hugo Ekitike as their new No 9 from Frankfurt, but that may not stop them going back into the market to explore a deal for Isak. Already the Reds have spent more than £200m but still have the scope to spend considerably more if needed. It would be a huge blow to Newcastle, who have made no secret about their ambitions. They've been able to invest gradually since their Saudi owners came in and have retained their top talent up until now.
Daily Mirror
16 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Team GB Olympic gold medal winner is among Tour de France's highest paid athletes
The Tour de France represents the pinnacle of cycling and there are several riders competing this year who are paid a fortune, including a Team GB Olympic hero Cycling fans won't be shocked to learn that three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar is the sport's top earner for 2025. But he's not the only one raking money in as the peloton races towards Paris. While cycling may not boast the same lucrative reputation as other mainstream sports, it's clear that the very elite can earn a pretty penny. Take yellow jersey-wearer Pogacar, for example, who penned a new contract with UAE Team Emirates XRG in 2024 reportedly worth £7million per year. That figure proves it's not only on the track that the Slovenian, who crashed earlier on in this year's Tour, tends to be miles ahead of the competition. Remco Evenepoel, the second-highest earner at the Tour de France, earns an annual salary of just £4.3m - nearly half of Pogacar's earnings. Yet, the Dutchman could have topped the list himself, having reportedly declined an £8.7m per year offer from Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. Instead, he chose to stay with Soudal-Quick Step and received a more modest wage increase. As for the Red Bull team, rider Primoz Roglic can take his bronze to the bank on a reported £3.9m salary. Pogacar's compatriot was a latecomer to the sport, only turning pro at 23. But 12 years on, it's safe to say he's made up for lost time. Joint fourth place goes to Jonas Vingegaard and Mathieu van der Poel, who are each believed to earn £3.5m per year on their current deals. Vingegaard, 28, was reportedly earning just £400,000 per annum when he clinched the first of his two Tour de France titles in 2022, but his value has soared since then. Meanwhile, Alpecin-Deceuninck's Van der Poel had to pull out of this year's Tour after being diagnosed with pneumonia. The Dutchman was third in the green jersey standings when he withdrew, following the second rest day. Wout van Aert and Brit Adam Yates are just outside the top five earners, bringing in £3m and £2.35m, respectively. Van Aert, who shares a fierce rivalry with compatriot Van der Poel, is hailed as one of cycling's most versatile athletes due to his success across various disciplines. The same can be said for Britain's Tom Pidcock, one of the few on this list not currently competing in the Tour de France. Although he has previously represented Ineos Grenadiers in the competition, the Yorkshire-born double Olympic gold medallist in cross-country doesn't seem likely to return anytime soon. Pidcock, from Leeds, earns a solid £2.3m annually, similar to Ineos' Egan Bernal, another notable absentee from the 2025 Tour. The 2019 Tour champion hasn't yet returned to the top levels of the sport following serious injuries sustained in a training accident in Colombia three years ago. Bernal reportedly earns £2.2m per year, the same as Grenadiers team-mate Carlos Rodriguez, who finished seventh in last year's Tour and is hoping for better in 2025. The 24-year-old signed a new contract until 2027 a couple of years ago, evidence Grenadiers knew exactly the kind of talent they had on their hands early on. 10. Carlos Rodriguez (£2.2m) 9. Egan Bernal (£2.2m) 8. Tom Pidcock (£2.3m) 7. Adam Yates (£2.35m) 6. Wout van Aert (£3m) 5. Mathieu van der Poel (£3.5m) 4. Jonas Vingegaard (£3.5m) 3. Primoz Roglic (£3.9m) 2. Remco Evenepoel (£4.3m) 1. Tadej Pogacar (£7m)
The Guardian
16 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Australia v British & Irish Lions: second Test
Update: Date: 2025-07-26T08:52:31.000Z Title: Content: Pre-match reading Update: Date: 2025-07-26T08:52:26.000Z Title: Content: There's much to ponder and reflect on as we head towards kick-off at the MCG so why not let me know what's on your mind on the email? Update: Date: 2025-07-26T08:52:20.000Z Title: Teams Content: Joe Schmidt has reinforced the Wallabies pack with the return of Will Skelton and Rob Valetini, plus David Porecki starting at hooker. The backline is unchanged from last week, which is a little surprising given how absolutely terrible Jake Gordon was at scrum-half. For the British & Irish Lions, Andy Farrell makes three changes with Bundee Aki, Ollie Chessum, and Andrew Porter brought into the starting XV, replacing Sione Tuipulotu (injured), Joe McCarthy (injured), and Ellis Genge (benched). Owen Farrell is a test Lions once more, albeit on the bench, where he is joined by other changes: Jac Morgan, Blair Kinghorn, and James Ryan. AustraliaTom Wright, Max Jorgensen, Joseph Suaalii, Len Ikitau, Harry Potter, Tom Lynagh, Jake Gordon; James Slipper, David Porecki, Allan Alaalatoa, Nick Frost, Will Skelton, Rob Valetini, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson (c)Replacements: Billy Pollard, Angus Bell, Tom Robertson, Jeremy Williams, Langi Gleeson, Carlo Tizzano, Tate McDermott, Ben Donaldson British & Irish LionsHugo Keenan, Tommy Freeman, Huw Jones, Bundee Aki, James Lowe, Finn Russell, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong, Maro Itoje (c), Ollie Chessum, Tadhg Beirne, Tom Curry, Jack ConanReplacements: Ronan Kelleher, Ellis Genge, Will Stuart, James Ryan, Jac Morgan, Alex Mitchell, Owen Farrell, Blair Kinghorn Update: Date: 2025-07-26T08:46:22.000Z Title: Preamble Content: The notion of something being romantic can get a lot of stick these days. This is likely due to the over saturation of romcoms, the tendency towards mawkish nostalgia on local Facebook groups, or publishing private personal events on social media for the purposes of engagement - 'can you believe he proposed to me in the Aldi where we met? #lucky #romance #leggingsonoffer'. The British & Irish Lions is, or should be, an unabashedly romantic endeavour. The coming together of nations in this way shouldn't have survived the advent of professionalism in 1995-6; yet it did via the weight of history, the sentiment of fans home and abroad, and the real feeling of the special place it holds for players. A lot of romance. Historically this was bolstered by the difficult task presented to touring Lions, who had to travel across the world with a scratch team in order to try and beat usually the best outfit in the world. After all, you might as well focus on the romance when you are highly likely to lose – which they did, often. Heading into the second test of this tour in a couple of hours, there is a yearning for some romance. Can Australia in this second act create some tension to head into week three? For an hour of the first test, this appeared unlikely, as the plot of a competent but uninspiring hammering looked easy to extrapolate to the final act of three-nil win for the visitors. But, in the closing scenes the Wallabies mustered something – however small - to flicker the emotions. Is this something that can be fanned into a performance to level the series and have us all hanging on the third test? We'll know in a few hours.
