WHALEXTRA

Eredivisie side PSV have reportedly been offered Brighton & Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson in a surprising transfer saga. The 20-year-old Irishman spent the last six months on loan at  West Ham , but only managed to play 151 minutes and grab one start for the Hammers. According to  Football Insider ,  Brighton  have now offered the former Manchester United target to Eredivisie champions PSV in an attempt to revamp the young striker's career. Brighton are open to a temporary and permanent moves for Ferguson, but would prefer a season-long loan. PSV could be about to lose American ace Ricardo Pepi, with Fulham, Juventus, and Real Betis reportedly all chasing the €30 million-rated striker. Captain Luuk de Jong, now 34 years old, hasn't extended his expiring contract at PSV yet either. The 20-time Republic of Ireland international is under contract until 2029 at Brighton & Hove Albion.

Juventus swept Al Ain aside to record a 5-0 victory in their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup (CWC) match, doing so against a side who had conceded just one goal in their previous seven games. The  Bianconeri  looked bright from the very beginning and established a lead just 11 minutes into proceedings, when a lovely passage of play culminated in  Randal Kolo Muani  rising to head  Alberto Costa ’s cross past  Rui Patricio . While  Al Ain  had shown intent of their own, they struggled to stretch  Michele Di Gregorio  and conceded again when  Francisco Conceicao  jinked his way across the six-yard box and hit a shot that deflected in off  Ramy Rabia .  Shortly after  Khéphren Thuram  saw a shot blocked, the Frenchman offloaded the ball to  Kenan Yildiz , who worked enough space to hit an audacious shot from range that went in off the post just after the half-hour mark. Al Ain showed that they would continu...

Celtic have signed Scotland left-back Kieran Tierney from Arsenal on a five-year contract, the Scottish Premiership champions said on Tuesday. The 28-year-old, who made his senior debut at  Celtic  in 2015, will be back at the club after six years. He made 170 appearances for the Scottish club, scoring eight goals before joining  Arsenal  in 2019. "Everybody's known for a few months and just to be here with the Celtic strip on again just feels amazing,"   Tierney  said. "When you move away from home, you grow up, you learn different things. I was in Spain (with Real Sociedad on loan) for a year, learning a different language and playing in a different league, so I'm definitely a different person. "My ambition is just for Celtic to be as successful as possible, retain our place at the top and continue to win trophies and do well for Celtic."

  Christian Eriksen says that Thomas Frank will be a perfect match for Tottenham if he, as expected, will take over the reigns at the Europa League winning club. It is by now no longer a secret that Thomas Frank is set to become new  Tottenham  coach, and  Christian Eriksen , who spent some of his best years at the club, is exited for Frank to tage charge and replace Ange Postecoglou at the helm.  "It is a perfect match for me with Thomas' history, personality and the club. If it becomes official, I'm sure it's a really nice step. Also for Denmark to get a coach in such a big club as Tottenham. It could be special",  he says and adds: "Now of course it has to happen first, but if he gets it, then I centainly wish him the best of luck", says Eriksen who was coached by Frank, when he played for Brentford in the 2021/22 season.  Also Danish national team coach, Brian Riemer, sees Thomas Frank as the perfect choice for Spurs. club in the Premier ...

Maja Stark captured her first major title in impressive style Sunday, carding an even-par 72 to win the 80th US Women's Open by two strokes over top-ranked Nelly Korda and Rio Takeda. Sweden's  Stark  put on a clinical display on the imposing Erin Hills course in Wisconsin, where back-to-back bogeys to finish her round proved inconsequential as her seven-under total of 281 gave her the victory with room to spare. She became the third player from Sweden to lift the trophy and the first since Annika Sorenstam won her third in 2006. "This just feels huge,"  said Stark, who admitted her best golf "felt like it was so far away" coming into the week. "You always kind of know that it's possible, but there are so many good golfers on this tour ... I (didn't) think I would be able to do it this week." Leading by one to start the day, Stark opened with five straight pars, benefitting from a lucky break at the fifth when her tee shot scooted through t...

  Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has withdrawn from the squad for their opening two World Cup qualifiers this month because of a back injury. The player's club  Real Madrid  said on Sunday that he had been diagnosed with sacroiliitis - inflammation of one or both sacroiliac joints in the area where the lower back and pelvis meet. "The medical staff of Real Madrid and the Royal Belgian Football Association have discussed  Thibaut Courtois ' back problems intensively in the past period,”  the Belgian association added in a statement. "Both medical staffs have come to the conclusion that the goalkeeper is not fit for the upcoming internationals.” The injury may also jeopardise Courtois' chances of playing at the Club World Cup in the United States, where Real Madrid open their campaign  in Miami on June 18th  against Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia. Uncapped Nordin Jackers from Club Brugge will replace Courtois in the Belgian squad for the matches against...

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has decided to stay at the club after much speculation surrounding his future as his contract ran down, according to reports. Yesterday, it was revealed that both  Van Dijk  and Mohamed Salah look set to sign new contracts at  Liverpool , keeping them at the club until 2027. This is whilst defender Trent Alexander-Arnold looks to be leaving for LaLiga giants Real Madrid, bringing his 21-year association with the club he joined as a young boy to an end.  Now, as reported by  Sky  reporter Florian Plettenberg on X, Van Dijk looks confirmed to be staying, which will put many supporters' minds to rest. “Virgil van Dijk will extend his contract with Liverpool!" Plettenberg posted. “The 33 y/o world-class centre-back has decided to stay at #LFC, despite receiving numerous approaches from other clubs - all of which he has turned down.  “Final details are now being discussed. The plan is for ...

The rare smile Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou wore four days ago in Frankfurt was replaced by the more familiar frown as a 2-1 home defeat by Nottingham Forest made it 18 Premier League losses for the London club this season. Tottenham  found themselves 2-0 down after 16 minutes and although they dominated the game thereafter and got a late lifeline through Richarlison, it proved another tale of woe in a season that could become Tottenham's worst in terms of points gained since they managed only 44 in 1997-98. With a tough run-in to come, including a trip to champions-elect Liverpool next weekend, they are down in 16th place with 37 points. Only the bottom three clubs have lost more games. Tottenham's 1-0 win against  Eintracht Frankfurt  which put them in the Europa League semi-finals kept their season alive and Postecoglou could yet deliver on his claim that he always wins a trophy in his second season at a club. But another damaging...

Enzo Maresca refused to plead for the backing of Chelsea's frustrated fans after his spluttering team were booed off during their 2-2 draw against Ipswich on Sunday. Blues boss  Maresca  and his players were jeered at half-time with Chelsea trailing 2-0 against third-bottom Ipswich. Chelsea dominated the opening 20 minutes, but fell behind when Julio Enciso tapped in Ben Johnson's cutback against the run of play. Johnson headed in Enciso's cross to double Ipswich's lead and turn the atmosphere toxic  at Stamford Bridge . That goal saw Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez ignore Maresca's preferred method of building the play from the back, choosing instead to punt the ball long, which led to Ipswich mounting their attack. Although Chelsea fought back through an Axel Tuanzebe own goal and a stunning late effort from Jadon Sancho, the point did little to bolster their bid to qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea sit in sixt...

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has revealed that progress has been made on a new contract with the club ahead of the summer transfer window. The Dutchman has revealed there has been "progress" on contract talks with Liverpool this week after their 3-2 loss to Fulham on Saturday afternoon. Van Dijk  turns 34 in July and opened up about his future which reports have suggested is uncertain at the club.  "There is progress, yeah. I don’t know, we’ll see. Listen, these are internal discussions and we’ll see.  "I love the club, I love the fans and they were there for us again and we wanted to reward them at Fulham. But want I them to be there against West Ham on Sunday again and make the stadium an amazing venue like always for us." Van Dijk’s teammates, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, are set to leave at the end of the season as manager Arne Slot desperately looks for replacements. However, with progress being made with...

Arguably the biggest game of Arsenal's season takes place on Tuesday evening as reigning Champions League holders Real Madrid pitch up at the Emirates Stadium for the first leg of their quarter-final. It's a mouth-watering prospect for anyone connected with either club, and given the way that both managers like their football to be played, the two legs could really be matches for the purist. Mikel Arteta  called on Gunners supporters to "raise the roof" in his pre-match press conference. “I hope, I encourage them (Arsenal fans) to come very early to the warm-up and create (one of) those nights…we haven’t lived many of those at the Emirates, so that’s an opportunity again. When we build history, we have to build moments, and a moment is being built with our people. We have to create that energy, that belief, that enthusiasm.” Losing  Gabriel  to a season-ending injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Gunners, given that the Brazilian powerhous...

Roy Keane   has branded Liverpool as the "champions" and believes the Reds have done enough to win the Premier League title ahead of   Arsenal . Arne Slot's side moved 11 points clear of the Gunners at the top of the table with a comfortable 2-0 win over Manchester City on Sunday. After  Arsenal suffered a damaging 1-0 defeat against West Ham on Saturday , Liverpool had the chance to extend the gap at the top of the Premier League and put one hand on the title. And Slot's Reds did just that, producing a professional performance to beat City and put another huge statement down. Although City started the game on the front foot, Liverpool took the lead in the 14th minute. A well-worked corner ended with Mohamed Salah getting the ball in space and he fired the ball home via a deflection. City continued to probe, but were punished for not taking any of their chances as Liverpool doubled their advantage in the 37th minute. Salah turned provider for this one, laying the ball...

In the end, it was all rather routine as Arne Slot's clinical Liverpool snuffed out Manchester City in the Etihad Stadium rain to put one hand on the Premier League trophy. From the moment  Mohamed Salah  put  Liverpool  in front from a superbly-worked corner routine it looked a foregone conclusion that they would move 11 points clear in the title race. When Salah then set up Dominik Szoboszlai for Liverpool's second before halftime it was game over. Liverpool did not exactly set the pulse racing for the rest of the clash, but as they have done all season they managed the game superbly, soaking up City's possession with ease. Slot's side have scored a league-leading 64 goals yet are not the swashbuckling team that won the title in 2019/20 under charismatic German coach Jurgen Klopp. Dutchman Slot does not give the impression that he is overly-concerned with style marks, preferring the relentlessly efficient accumulation of points. His side had only 34%...

Australia spin bowler Matt Kuhnemann has been reported for a suspected illegal bowling action after his dominant performance in the Test series against Sri Lanka. The left-arm spinner was the most prolific bowler in Australia's 2-0 whitewash in Galle, taking 16 wickets at an average of 17.18. Kuhnemann  will now need to have his action tested to prove its legality. A bowler is allowed 15 degrees of extension in their elbow before a delivery is considered illegal. Cricket Australia (CA) said it was notified of the match officials' report after the second Test in Galle and would support Kuhnemann through the testing process. "Cricket Australia will liaise closely with the ICC (International Cricket Council) and independent experts in line with ICC regulations," CA said in a statement on Wednesday. Kuhnemann's action has never previously been questioned in 124 professional matches dating back to 2017, including five Tests and four one-day internationals. FLASHSCORES

AC Milan coach Sergio Conceicao is expecting a fierce Champions League challenge against struggling Feyenoord, despite the Dutch side appointing an interim coach only on Tuesday. Eredivisie fifth-placed Feyenoord host AC Milan on Wednesday, with Pascal Bosschaart - who has no experience as a senior coach - in charge after the dismissal of Brian Priske. Conceicao  challenged his players to rise to the occasion after falling short of direct qualification for the round of 16. "We have an important match, and we're in this situation because of our own mistakes. We take full responsibility," the Portuguese manager told reporters on Tuesday. "The change of coach is a huge motivation for players. Plus Rotterdam is traditionally a difficult place to play, I was here three years ago with Porto, it's a fiery atmosphere. "We have our problems too. The story of this game will be written by us, it depends on what we do. If we go out there with the right a...

Tottenham Hotspur have signed French forward Mathys Tel (19) from Bayern Munich on a loan deal until the end of this season, the Premier League club said on Monday. Tel joined Bayern from Stade Rennes in 2022 on a four-year deal and extended his contract to 2029 in March last year and has scored 16 goals in 83 appearances for the German club, but has struggled to find a place in the starting side. The 19-year-old has started two Bundesliga games this season and came on as a substitute in six league matches. He has failed to score this campaign. According to media reports, Tottenham have an option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season. Spurs are 14th in the Premier League standings, and their next game is a League Cup semi-final second leg tie at Liverpool on Thursday, with Spurs 1-0 up from the first leg. Ange Postecoglou's side have been severely hampered by injuries this season, with Guglielmo Vicario, Cristian Romer...

Vinicius Junior (24) has silenced rumours about a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, saying he wanted to stay at Real Madrid for "many more years" in an interview published on Friday. "Being able to keep making history here is very important for me and my family. I hope to stay in the team for many more years," he told club media. Spanish media had reported that Vinicius received a stratospheric offer to join a club in Saudi Arabia, which has attracted stars including Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in recent years. Vinicius notched his 100th Real Madrid goal during a Champions League fixture against Salzburg last week, joining a pantheon of legends including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Raul, Alfredo Di Stefano and Brazilian compatriot Ronaldo. "I came here as a boy, at 18 and with lots of dreams. I didn't think I would score so many goals in a short time," he added in the interview. "Entering club history i...

Ruud van Nistelrooy (48) admitted Leicester's 2-0 defeat against Crystal Palace on Wednesday was the lowest moment of his reign at the relegation-threatened club. Van Nistelrooy's side suffered a sixth consecutive loss as they missed a host of chances at the King Power Stadium before Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marc Guehi netted for Palace. Second-bottom Leicester are two points from safety after winning just three of their first 21 league games this season. "There's hope there, the spirit is there in the team, but today is a big blow," Van Nistelrooy said. "It was I think the lowest that we've felt so far in my spell because today we had high hopes of proving ourselves with points and a performance." Former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy, who served as the Old Trafford club's interim boss prior to Ruben Amorim's appointment in November, was hired by Leicester following Steve Cooper's sacking. But the former PS...

African football great Yakubu Ayegbeni (42) says Arsenal must sign a striker to have a chance of winning the Premier League this season, ahead of Liverpool. The Gunners kept up their bid for the Premier League title with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. After being initially put behind by Son Heung-Min’s opener, Mikel Arteta’s side fought back to secure all three points with Dominic Solanke’s own goal and a strike from Leandro Trossard. With the result, Arsenal have moved up to second in the standings, now just four points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. While not dismissing the possibility of the Gunners challenging the Reds to end their 21-year wait, the former Middlesbrough and Everton striker believes the club needs more firepower in attack to make it happen. "This season is proving to be quite challenging. When you look at how Liverpool are...

In a bid to improve the fortunes of Nigerian football and sports at all levels, the federal government has earmarked over N31.4 billion for the renovation and upgrade of critical sports facilities across the country.  This initiative, under the National Sports Infrastructure Development Plan, is part of a broader strategy to rejuvenate the country’s sports sector, elevate athletic performance and restore Nigeria’s capacity to host international sporting events.  At the heart of this ambitious project lies the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, alongside other iconic sports facilities, such as the National Stadium in Surulere in Lagos, Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna, Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu and Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt. These historic sports arenas are slated for substantial upgrades that promise to restore their statuses as world-class facilities.  According to the leadership of the reinstated National Sports Commission (NSC), the initiative refl...