Xavi Simons has been given Tottenham’s No.7 shirt after completing his transfer from RB Leipzig for a £51.8m (€60m/$70m) fee.
Frank: “I’m really pleased”
Simons: “I will bring flair”
New signing takes shirt from club legend Son
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RIGA (Latvia) – Following the disqualifying foul for an act of violence committed by player Filip Petrusev during the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 game between Portugal and Serbia on August 29 in Riga, Latvia, the FIBA Disciplinary Panel has imposed the following sanctions in accordance with FIBA Regulations:
a suspension of one FIBA Official Game, suspended for a probationary period of three years;
a monetary fine of EUR 5,000
If the player commits the same or a similar offense during the probationary period, he will be immediately suspended for one game, in addition to any sanctions imposed for the new offense.
FIBA will make no further comment on this decision.
Kyrie Irving will miss most, if not all, of the coming season due to a torn ACL, which has Dallas wanting to bring in some point guard depth behind D’Angelo Russell. Specifically, the Mavericks plan to re-sign Dante Exum, who has been with the team for a couple of seasons but is now a free agent.
To make that happen, the Mavericks are waiving and stretching 2023 first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper, a story broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
This was not a surprise. Dallas is hard-capped at the second apron and was within $1.5 million of that line, it needed to clear cap space to sign Exum, even to a veteran minimum contract. The team had tried to trade Prosper, but other teams wanted a second-round pick attached to take on his $3 million contract. Dallas could create enough space to sign Exum by waiving and stretching Prosper, spreading his $3 million over three seasons on the books.
Once Prosper clears waivers, expect the Mavericks to announce the deal with Exum.
Prosper becomes a free agent and has shown enough flashes in Dallas to garner interest from other NBA teams.
It was a punishing Friday afternoon for American men’s tennis as Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe were bundled out of the US Open less than an hour apart, leaving only Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul still standing in the singles draw.
Shelton, the No 6 seed and one of the leading contenders to end the United States’ 22-year wait for a men’s grand slam champion, was forced to retire from his third-round match against France’s Adrian Mannarino with a shoulder injury. It was the 22-year-old’s first career retirement, coming as he led by two sets to one before disaster struck late in the third.
After landing heavily on his left arm while stretching for a ball, Shelton grimaced and told his father and coach, Bryan: “I did something to my shoulder. I don’t know what it is.” He later admitted the pain was “really high” and said: “I’ve never retired before. I’m not a guy who would retire if I could continue.” Despite a mid-set visit from the physio and a tactical switch that saw him attempt 13 serve-and-volley plays in the fourth set alone, he could not protect his advantage. Mannarino leveled the contest and, as the crowd braced for a decider, Shelton bowed his head on the changeover and called it off. The Frenchman advanced 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, ret.
Shelton left Louis Armstrong Stadium with his shoulder wrapped in ice, a towel over his head and fighting back tears. Still, he struck a philosophical tone: “I was playing really well, I was in form, a lot of confidence … but I’ve got a lot to be grateful for. You won’t hear me pouting about how bad things are with the summer that I’ve had.”
For the 37-year-old Mannarino, ranked 77th in the world, it was a bittersweet breakthrough: his first win over a top-10 opponent at a major in 23 attempts and his first appearance in the second week of the US Open. He will face the Czech No 20 seed, Jiri Lehecka, for a place in the quarter-finals.
If that setback was not dispiriting enough for the home crowd, Tiafoe soon followed. The 17th seed, a semi-finalist in New York in two of the past three years, fell flat against German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff before an overflow crowd on the Grandstand court. The 35-year-old struck 14 aces and never allowed Tiafoe to find rhythm, closing out a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (9) upset to reach the last 16 here for the first time.
Frances Tiafoe suffered his earliest US Open defeat since 2019 on Friday afternoon. Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
“I played extremely passive today. I didn’t put any pressure on him at all,” Tiafoe said. “It’s going to be hard to swallow how I played today and being out of the US Open this early. I haven’t been this down in a very, very long time.” He also bemoaned the quick conditions on Grandstand, saying he was “late on everything” and never found his timing.
Struff, who had already toppled the No 11 seed Holger Rune, extended an unlikely run after failing to win a match at Flushing Meadows since 2020. His reward could be a fourth-round meeting with Novak Djokovic, who was due to face Cameron Norrie in Friday’s night session. For Tiafoe, it marked his earliest exit in New York since 2019.
The American had not even realized Shelton had retired until told in his press conference. “That always sucks to go out like that,” he said. “Especially in a grand slam [in a match] where he was probably going to win.”
The twin blows leave just two American men standing. Fritz, last year’s runner-up in Queens and a Wimbledon semi-finalist in July, was scheduled to play Swiss qualifier Jérôme Kym on Friday night. Paul, a 2023 Australian Open semi-finalist, had survived a five-set epic against Nuno Borges that ended in the early hours of the morning.
Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph remains the most recent men’s major title for an American. On a bruising afternoon in Queens, the odds of that drought coming to an end next week narrowed considerably.
NEW YORK – Five-times major winner Carlos Alcaraz is used to playing under the U.S. Open’s bright lights but thrived under the afternoon sun as he brushed aside injury concerns to beat Italy’s Luciano Darderi 6-2 6-4 6-0.
Organisers typically save the Spanish second seed for the prime time evening slot but gave dayside ticket-holders a treat as they scheduled Alcaraz’s third-round affair for the first match of the day on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“It’s just the second match that I played (at) 11:00 am or 11:30 am,” he said. “I just went to bed at 11:00 pm, 11:15 pm. That for me is really weird, to be honest, which I am really proud about it.”
Early bird Alcaraz had no apparent issues pushing his extraordinary run this season further – with a 42-2 record since April – and setting up a fourth-round meeting with Arthur Rinderknech of France.
“Every time that I step on the court, I’m just locked in since the first point until the last one,” said Alcaraz, who unexpectedly exited in the second round a year ago.
“I’m taking last year as motivation coming into this year, be more hungry, ambitious to do great things here.”
The 2022 champion took control of the first set immediately, breaking Darderi with a forehand winner in the second game and again on set point when his opponent hit the ball into the net.
Darderi had three double faults before dropping serve with a backhand error in the fourth game of the second set but found his competitive spirit when he broke back from the baseline in the seventh.
Alcaraz gave his legions of fans a brief fright as he took a medical timeout with the physio after the ninth game, telling the staff member that he had begun to feel something wrong with his right knee earlier in the set.
The concern was short-lived as Darderi committed another double-fault on set point and Alcaraz sprinted through the third set, later telling reporters he had only met with the physio as a precaution.
Alcaraz also quashed rumours that he went out for a meal with rival Jannik Sinner this week after photos of the duo at a New York restaurant set social media ablaze.
“It was a coincidence. We could have gone to have lunch or to eat together but it was just a coincidence,” he said.
“It wouldn’t be weird if we go together to have dinner, so probably one day.” REUTERS
LENS, France (AP) — A red card for Brest goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki was the defining moment of its 3-1 loss at Lens in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Brest was winning 1-0 thanks to a first-half goal from Mama Balde until the game changed when Majecki was sent off for clattering an opponent outside his box 10 minutes into the second half.
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Florian Thauvin hammered home the penalty kick to level the score.
Morgan Guilavogui side-footed in from close range after Majecki’s replacement could only parry a powerful volley from the edge of the box.
Adrien Thomasson converted a low cross in stoppage time to complete Lens’ fourth straight win against Brest.
Manchester United have made progress in their attempts to move on Antony and Rasmus Hojlund but the PA news agency understands there is work to do to finalise both deals.
The Red Devils have already sent Marcus Rashford on loan to Barcelona, while Alejandro Garnacho is completing a £40million switch to Chelsea, and their attempts to trim the squad further advanced on Friday evening.
Real Betis are understood to have agreed a deal in principle worth up to £25m with achievable add-ons, plus a 50 per cent sell-on clause, for Antony. However, it has been reported that there are issues to resolve with the proposed transfer, particularly over the Brazil international’s wages and overall financial package.
The winger, who has not lived up to the lofty price tag of more than £80m United paid Ajax for him in 2022, spent the second half of last season on loan with the La Liga club and could be on his way back permanently if contractual arrangements can be ironed out.
Hojlund was not part of the so-called “bomb squad” that included Antony, Rashford, Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia but is another seemingly heading towards the exit.
The Denmark international has underperformed since his big-money switch from Atalanta two years ago and looks ready to return to Serie A to join former United midfielder Scott McTominay at reigning champions Napoli.
The loan deal reportedly involves a clause that would see Hojlund move permanently for 44m euros (£38m) if Antonio Conte’s side qualify for the Champions League.
Mikel Arteta has backed Eberechi Eze to make an impression on his debut as Arsenal prepare to face Liverpool on Sunday without several key attacking players including Bukayo Saka. Arteta is, however, close to having a new defensive option in Piero Hincapié after loan terms were agreed with Bayer Leverkusen.
The England forward Saka will miss the trip to Anfield after picking up a hamstring injury against Leeds last Saturday, although Arteta was hopeful the winger could be back after the international break. The Arsenal manager also confirmed Kai Havertz had undergone surgery on a knee problem that will keep him out for several weeks. Martin Ødegaard and Leandro Trossard are major doubts for the game against the champions.
Ødegaard was named in Norway’s squad for their World Cup qualifiers but has not trained since sustaining a shoulder injury in the 5-0 win over Leeds.
Arteta said there was a chance his captain could play against Liverpool but believes Eze, who scored winners for Crystal Palace at Anfield in April 2024 and in May’s FA Cup final against Manchester City, is eager to make an impact after his arrival for a fee worth up to £67.5m last weekend.
“I think he’s the type of player that loves those scenarios and those moments,” the manager said. “I think the moment he starts to play, we will see how the team will react and what connections will flourish from his interventions. I’m very confident that he’s played in the league for so many years.
“We have to put him in the positions and scenarios where he can deliver those moments which are the reason why we brought him here: to give us something different, something unexpected, and we will adapt to more what is necessary as we know the outcome of that is really big.”
Arsenal agreed a deal with Bayer Leverkusen to sign Hincapié on an initial loan, with an option to make the Ecuador defender’s move permanent next summer for €52m (£45m).
Hincapié, who is understood to have already agreed personal terms for his move to north London, is expected to complete his medical over the weekend before becoming Arsenal’s eighth signing of the summer. His impending arrival is likely to lead to the departure of Jakub Kiwior to Porto in a loan deal that includes an obligation for the Poland defender to make the move permanently next summer for up to €27m, with interest also building in Oleksandr Zinchenko
Piero Hincapié is close to offering Mikel Arteta another versatile defensive option. Photograph: Jürgen Fromme/firo sportphoto/Getty Images
Arteta’s side have already spent more than £250m on new players in this transfer window and Arsenal had been looking to structure their move for Hincapié as an initial loan so they do not fall foul of Uefa’s regulations on financial fair play. They are believed to have discussed the deal with Leverkusen officials on Friday and reached an agreement over the 23-year-old, who had a release clause of €60m but expressed his wish to leave. Hincapié, who can play as a left-sided centre‑back or left-back, joined the Bundesliga club from the Argentinian side Talleres in 2021 and has 46 caps for his country.
Kiwior had interest from Crystal Palace but preferred to join Porto, who have agreed to pay around £2m to take the 25-year-old on loan for the season before he completes his permanent move. Arsenal did not want to sanction his departure until they had secured a replacement and are now stepping up their efforts to offload other fringe players before Monday’s transfer deadline.
Marseille have enquired about signing Zinchenko, although the Ukrainian’s wages could be a stumbling block. Fulham and Palace have both been in talks over Reiss Nelson, while Stuttgart are expected to step up their efforts to sign the Portugal midfielder Fábio Vieira before the end of the window.
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Ben White and Christian Nørgaard are also struggling to be available for the Liverpool game as Arsenal’s injury concerns have continued from last season, when they were without Saka, Ødegaard and Havertz for lengthy spells.
Arteta revealed that Arsenal had been looking into why they have been dealing with so many absences and said they were “continually monitoring and evolving the needs of the players and the schedule”.
He said Saka’s repeated problems were a big concern. The forward was out for more than three months after surgery on his right hamstring in December and has picked up the latest injury in his other leg.
“He does not need surgery,” said Arteta. “It’s not as bad as the previous one. He felt something, so he will be out for a couple of weeks. But it is obviously a concern, a big one, especially when we talk about a sprinter and a player that gets into that zone very often in a football match, who needs that burst, that change of rhythm of pace to be as threatening as possible.
“But we will learn again as to why it happened and make him stronger. Unfortunately injuries are part of a career. He hasn’t had that many, to be fair, with the amount of games that he has played at his age but it is something that we want to eradicate.”
