logo
Australia winger Irankunda completes Watford switch from Bayern Munich

Australia winger Irankunda completes Watford switch from Bayern Munich

Arab News4 days ago
LONDON: Australia international Nestory Irankunda has joined Watford on a five-year deal from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, the English Championship club announced on Friday.
For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport
The highly-rated 19-year-old, who made his debut for the Socceroos last June, made the switch for an undisclosed transfer fee.
'Nestory can be a very special player and we believe he can realize his potential here, with us,' said Watford sporting director Gian Luca Nani.
We are delighted to confirm the arrival of exciting forward Nestory Irankunda on a long-term permanent deal from Bayern Munich.
Thrilled to have you with us, Nestory! pic.twitter.com/49Gx3svI8D
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) July 18, 2025
'Nestory was extremely sought-after and thanks to our established scouting network and connections we were able to be ahead of others in the race to sign players of this potential.'
Irankunda made his professional debut as a 15-year-old for Adelaide United during the 2021/22 season and came to prominence with an eye-catching performance playing for an A-League select side against Barcelona.
Born in Tanzania to parents from Burundi who moved to Australia when he was three months old, Irankunda chose to represent Australia at international level and was given his first cap by former coach Graham Arnold in June 2024.
He scored his first goal for the country later that month against Palestine in his second appearance for the Socceroos before completing a move to Bayern Munich in an A-League record deal.
He made his fifth appearance for Australia in a 3-1 win over China in October last year during Asia's World Cup preliminaries but has not been selected since by current coach Tony Popovic.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Reports: Liverpool Agree to Sign Frankfurt Striker Ekitike
Reports: Liverpool Agree to Sign Frankfurt Striker Ekitike

Asharq Al-Awsat

time6 hours ago

  • Asharq Al-Awsat

Reports: Liverpool Agree to Sign Frankfurt Striker Ekitike

Liverpool have agreed to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike in a deal worth an initial £69 million ($92 million), according to reports on Monday. The Premier League champions switched their focus to Ekitike following Newcastle's refusal to sell Sweden striker Alexander Isak, who is valued at around £150 million by the Magpies, AFP said. Newcastle and Manchester United were also interested in Ekitike, but Liverpool look set to win the race for one of Europe's hottest young stars. It is believed the Reds have agreed to pay a potential further £10 million in add-ons to sign the 23-year-old Frenchman, whose overall price tag could reach £79 million. Once the transfer is completed, Ekitike will link up with Arne Slot's side on their pre-season tour of Asia. Ekitike scored 22 goals in 48 games in all competitions for Frankfurt last season after joining the Bundesliga club from Paris Saint-Germain. He was an unused substitute during his side's pre-season friendly against FSV Frankfurt on Saturday, with Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller admitting Ekitike's impending departure was "a bitter loss". Liverpool have an opening in their forward line after Diogo Jota's recent death in a car crash in Spain. The Reds are also believed to be willing to sell Uruguay striker Darwin Nunez, while Colombia forward Luis Diaz has been the target of a rejected bid from Bayern Munich. Liverpool have already splashed out £116 million on Germany playmaker Florian Wirtz, as well as signing defenders Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively. Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has also linked up with Arne Slot's side since the end of last season after agreeing his move from Valencia in 2024.

Paret-Peintre paints masterpiece on Ventoux as record setter Pogacar stays in control
Paret-Peintre paints masterpiece on Ventoux as record setter Pogacar stays in control

Arab News

time8 hours ago

  • Arab News

Paret-Peintre paints masterpiece on Ventoux as record setter Pogacar stays in control

MALAUCENE, France: Valentin Paret-Peintre kept his cool in a furnace of pressure and heat, delivering a thunderous victory atop the legendary Mont Ventoux to give France its first win in this year's Tour de France during a breathtaking Stage 16 on Tuesday. The Soudal-Quick Step rider edged out Ireland's Ben Healy in a heart-pounding sprint finale on the Giant of Provence, while Tadej Pogacar remained unshakable in yellow, fending off Jonas Vingegaard on the brutal 21.5km ascent averaging 7.5 percent. Defending champion Pogacar clawed two more seconds from his Danish rival in a final surge to extend his overall lead to 4:15 after setting the record for the climb, riding up in 54 minutes and 41 seconds — one minute 10 seconds faster than the previous best mark set by Spain's Iban Mayo in 2004. The Slovenian also beat the fastest time from the Saint-Esteve bend, where the toughest section starts by clocking 44:48. The previous record was held by the late Marco Pantani (46:00). 'I had a bad day in 2021 on the Ventoux, today was the opposite, I had good legs, I enjoyed myself,' Pogacar, chasing a fourth Tour title, said. 'We will try to go for another stage win. He (Vingegaard) attacked a lot of times but I knew that I could follow the wheel.' Vingegaard suffered a brief crash after the line but said his performance gave him confidence that he was still in contention for a third title. 'How I felt good today gives me motivation, I will keep trying,' he said. Germany's Florian Lipowitz held firm in third, 9:03 adrift of Pogacar, pulling further ahead of fourth-placed Briton Oscar Onley, who lags another 2:01 behind. But the day belonged to Paret-Peintre. 'I honestly didn't believe it,' he said. 'I thought Pogacar would go for victory today. But when we built a real gap, I told myself, you can't let a win on Mont Ventoux slip through your fingers.' Seven riders surged ahead from an early breakaway, carving out a healthy 6:30 buffer as they reached the base of the climb. The air grew thinner, the crowds louder and the landscape more lunar. Survival Spanish climber Enric Mas led the charge, attacking solo 14.2 km from the summit. Behind him, Paret-Peintre, Healy and Colombia's Santiago Buitrago gave chase. As they passed Chalet Reynard, pine forest yielded to desolate, white-stone slopes. Mas and Buitrago fought valiantly but were dropped by the Franco-Irish duo, only to courageously claw their way back. Then came Belgian Ilan Van Wilder, who fought his way back to the group and dug deep for teammate Paret-Peintre to keep the Pogacar-Vingegaard threat at bay. Vingegaard had attacked a handful of times, the first attempt coming 9km from the top, but could not shake off Pogacar, whose acceleration was also not strong enough to drop the Visma-Lease a Bike leader. With 400 meters to go and the gradient spiking to a lung-scorching 10 percent, Healy launched his sprint. But Paret-Peintre, with ice in his veins and fire in his legs, clung to his wheel. In the final, agonizing meters, he surged past, claiming not just a stage win, but also a place in French cycling folklore. He was only the fifth Frenchman to conquer the Ventoux, the mountain that claimed the life of Tom Simpson, who died in hospital after collapsing in the finale of the ascent in 1967. There was a big scare for Tobias Johannessen, who was taken to hospital after being given oxygen by a race doctor immediately after the finish. 'Tobias suffered some right-sided upper abdominal pain during the final climb today. He made it to the finish where he was seen immediately by the race doctors and given oxygen,' the Norwegian's Uno-X team said. 'He is feeling much better but will go to the local hospital for further checks.'

England fight back to down Italy in extra time and reach Euro 2025 final
England fight back to down Italy in extra time and reach Euro 2025 final

Arab News

time8 hours ago

  • Arab News

England fight back to down Italy in extra time and reach Euro 2025 final

GENEVA: Chloe Kelly fired home the rebound from her own penalty to net a 119th-minute winner as reigning champions England pulled off a stunning comeback to beat Italy 2-1 after extra time on Tuesday and reach the Women's European Championship final. England fell behind in the first half but hit back to level through Michelle Agyemang six minutes into second-half stoppage time and when Emma Severini pulled down Beth Mead in the box in extra time, Kelly grabbed the chance to decide the game. Her first effort was saved but she was quick off the mark to rifle in the rebound and send England through to the final where they will face either Spain or Germany. After a come-from-behind penalty shootout win over Sweden in the quarter-finals, England again flirted with disaster, but their late surge floored Italy, whose hopes of reaching a first final since 1997 were crushed. The win propelled England into a third successive major final after their Euro 2022 success and World Cup loss to Spain the following year. With the Italians riding a wave of confidence after a last-minute winner against Norway in their quarter-final, they defended brilliantly and attacked incisively on the break. Their persistence paid off in the 33rd minute of a gritty semifinal when a ball from the right found its way to Barbara Bonansea, who took a touch before lashing it into the roof of the net. England then dominated possession and created a slew of chances as the Italians rode their luck, but too often the English attackers unleashed shots from distance that were easily dealt with or flew harmlessly over the bar. With their hopes of defending their title slowly slipping away, 19-year-old substitute Agyemang snapped up a loose ball in the box and fired home to send the game to extra time. Agyemang almost scored again with an effort deep into the second half of the extra period, out-sprinting and out-muscling the Italian defense only to see her deft lob toward goal bounce back off the crossbar. Sensing that they could avoid a repeat of their quarter-final penalty shootout against Sweden, England poured forward and reaped their reward when Mead was fouled in the box, but there was one more twist in the tale. Kelly took her usual prancing run-up, but Italy keeper Laura Giuliani kept her nerve and saved, only for the England winger to score from the follow-up and seal her side's spot in Sunday's final in Basel. 'I just tried my best for the team. It wasn't supposed to go like that, that penalty, but (I was) ready for the rebound and ready for any opportunity given to me wearing an England badge,' a delighted Kelly said. England defender Lucy Bronze said they had been forced to dig deep to reach the final. 'Yeah, we don't know if it's the easy way it seems this tournament, but we find a way to win,' she said. 'I think it was the 96th minute and then the 118th minute ... we just ... found a way to get the goals and get the ball (in) the last minute.' For Italy, who had defended superbly until England's equalizer, the loss was a devastating blow. 'Obviously, going out like this hurts a lot. Having stood up to the champions should give us a lot of confidence for the future. There are no words to describe the emotions we have experienced on this journey,' coach Andrea Soncin said. 'This evening, for as hard as the girls fought, we definitely deserved a different ending. Many difficult situations to comment on. It's sad, but I am and we are very proud.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store