Dane scored in 4-1 win over Bournemouth United linked with move for Benjamin Sesko Striker Rasmus Højlund impressed Ruben Amorim with a timely goal in a 4-1 win over Bournemouth but the Manchester United head coach did not offer the 22-year-old any reassurance over his future. Højlund has struggled since his £72million move from Atalanta two years ago but on the day reports claimed United had made their first move for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, the Denmark international responded with the opener in Chicago. Patrick Dorgu and Amad Diallo extended their lead before 19-year-old academy graduate Ethan Williams scored his first senior goal two minutes after coming on as a 70th-minute substitute. “I’m really happy with Rasmus, but I don’t know what is going to happen until the end of the market,” Amorim told reporters at a press conference. “The important thing is that Rasmus is scoring goals. He’s connecting really well with the team. He’s improving. Again, I don’t know what is going to happen until the market is closed. We suffered a lot because of the lack of goals last season.” Matheus Cunha did not play due to fatigue while fellow new signing Bryan Mbeumo is scheduled to make his first appearance against Everton in Atlanta on Sunday. Harry Maguire was replaced by Matthijs de Ligt, who scored an 88th-minute own goal, at half-time as United continue to treat the centre-back with caution. “He had an issue during the holidays, during training. He’s a little bit late (in his training schedule) so we have to be careful with him,” Amorim added. “It’s just a little bit fatigue with the training so we are trying to control everything and saving all the players, to give the exact minutes they need.” Left-back Dorgu, who joined for £25m from Lecce in February, provided the assist for Hojlund before getting on the scoresheet himself and he was another player who caught Amorim’s eye. “He looks more and more like he belongs in Manchester United, and that is hard to do it at 20 years old so I’m really impressed with Patrick,” added the United boss, who was equally happy with Williams’ goal. “I celebrate that goal. It’s not usual, even during the season, but I celebrate that goal because I really like to see the kids that work really well.” Amorim believes the work done in pre-season, something he was not able to do having arrived in November, is paying dividends. “I’m really happy with the players that we had last season. They are improving. We look like a different team today. Let’s continue with that,” he said. “But again, it’s a pre-season game. The pressure is going to be so much different during the season. It’s important for them to understand that the same players can play a different game.” Continue reading...

In a Euro 2025 special, we look at other champions with short-lived leads and young England award-winners Mail us with your questions and answers “Chloe Kelly scored the goal that won Euro 2022 and the penalty that won Euro 2025. Including penalty shootouts, has anybody else scored the winner in two major international tournaments? And which women have dominated a whole competition?” asks Emma Pollard. For a player who has never started a knockout match at a major tournament, Chloe Kelly has had … a reasonable impact. She scored the winner against Germany in extra time in 2022, and the winning penalty in the shootout against Spain on Sunday. Kelly also set up Alessia Russo’s equaliser in the final, played a key role in both goals against Sweden in the quarter-finals, kept England in the tournament with a nerveless penalty in the subsequent shootout, and then scored a 119th-minute winner against Italy in the semi-finals. Semi-final first leg: scored Sweden’s second equaliser in 3-2 win away to Italy Semi-final second leg: scored both goals in 2-1 win (5-3 agg) Final: scored Sweden’s only goal across the two legs against England, which ended 1-1 on aggregate, then scored the winning penalty in the shootout (NB: The tournament began at the semi-final stage) Quarter-final: second goal in 2-0 win over Sweden Semi-final: opening goal in 3-0 hammering of England Final: equalised in the 10th minute v Denmark, then scored in the 89th minute to seal a 4-2 win Last 16: scored two penalties in 2-1 win against Spain Quarter-final: scored both goals in 2-1 win over hosts France Semi-final: didn’t play v England due to injury Final: opened the scoring from the spot in 2-0 win over the Netherlands Continue reading...

Hato, 19, can play at left-back or centre-back Dutch forward Simons could cost up to €70m Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Jorrel Hato from Ajax and have opened talks with RB Leipzig over a move for his Netherlands teammate, Xavi Simons. It is understood that personal terms have been agreed with Hato, a defender who has made more than 100 appearances for Ajax’s first team despite only turning 19 in March. Negotiations with the Dutch side over a fee of around €40m (£35m) are believed to be in the final stages, with Enzo Maresca hoping to add to his options at left-back and in central defence. Continue reading...

The Lionesses’ record under the Dutch coach is impressive but winning the Euro 2025 final could make them immortal Twice in the past week, England’s Lionesses have rolled the dice, ridden their luck, and performed sleight of hand worthy of the magic circle. The question now, as they prepare to face Spain in Sunday’s Women’s Euro 2025 final in Basel, is can they pull yet another rabbit out of the hat? Perhaps the only thing we know for certain is that the country will be watching. More than 10 million saw England’s women claw their way past Italy in Tuesday’s semi-final, a figure that brought in ITV’s highest viewing figures of the year. After that, though, everything is up for grabs. Continue reading...

Euro 2025 final is fifth in a row at major tournaments ‘We are committed to her and she is committed to us’ Sarina Wiegman is not for sale at any price, the Football Association’s chief executive, Mark Bullingham, has said, with praise flooding in for the England head coach as she prepares for her fifth major-tournament final in a row. The Dutchwoman, whose England side will try to defend their European title when they meet the world champions, Spain, in Basel on Sunday, is under contract until after the 2027 Women’s World Cup. She won the 2017 Euros with her homeland and led the Netherlands to the 2019 World Cup final, before takling charge of the Lionesses. On Thursday, Bullingham said the FA would not entertain any approaches for her services. Continue reading...

Today’s fluff is sticky Javi Guerra has shaken his head in the direction of Valencia, turning down a new contract with the Spanish club. One potential reason for not wanting to put pen to paper is that Manchester United are interested in signing the 22-year-old midfielder. Maybe Ruben Amorim will need someone new in the centre of the park if Tottenham are in the market for Kobbie Mainoo, who is yet to agree to an extension of his own and might fancy the bright lights of London and the Thomas Frank revolution. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall can boast of being a Europa League Conference and Club World Cup winner in his first season at Stamford Bridge but he was always on the periphery at Chelsea. Despite being a key player under Enzo Maresca at Leicester, the transfer to Stamford Bridge, where he rejoined the Italian head coach, has not worked out for him. Fulham are hoping his lack of playing time over the past 12 months might mean he is permitted a premature exit and are willing to take him on loan or even a permanent deal. The Blues do like a signing and are in the market for Jorrel Hato. Chelsea have made contract with Ajax over the centre-back about what it would take to prise him away from the Dutch club. Continue reading...

All the news before the big match at Stade de Genève Mail Tom | Russo’s rise | Italy icon Girelli | Power rankings Some pre-match reading to get you’se in the mood, starting with Nick Ames’s scene-setter: In practice nothing comes easily at this stage. It has been tempting to bill this assignment as an inconvenience before an inevitable appearance in the final on Sunday. England negotiated a fiendish group that included France and the Netherlands, their performances mixed, and it felt significant that they overcame a fine Sweden side. Italy are surprise contenders who benefited from appearing in the easier half of the draw. From the outside, it seems England have done the hard part. There is a different feeling inside the camp. “I think it would be really disrespectful to Italy to think we’re favourites,” Wiegman said. “They made the semi-final just like we did and that’s very impressive for any team. Complacency is the biggest mistake you can make. We will have to be at our very, very best to win.” Although it is a hard situation, Jess is a very strong person and she wants to move on, too. She also felt – as we did – that we had to address this. You can’t just let it go, so we did not. “Then we know that there’s a match going on: we want to perform, we’re ready to perform, she’s ready to perform and compete, and that says a lot about her and the team.” Continue reading...

Defender says players feel duty to boost women’s football Kosovare Asllani looking forward to ‘fun’ England clash Lucy Bronze believes every player at the European Championship feels a greater pressure to perform because of the boost women’s football receives as a result of success. “Every single player that puts on a shirt in this tournament probably feels that,” the defender said, as England prepare to play Sweden in their quarter-final on Thursday night. “I can imagine the Swiss team feel that because they’re the home nation. Every other team wants to replicate what England did in 2022, what the Netherlands did before us, and really boost women’s football and we know that success comes from that. Continue reading...

Netherlands midfielder Jill Baijings, who spent last season on loan at Aston Villa, joins on a permanent basis.

England midfielder joins on two-year deal after Ajax exit ‘He will drive standards,’ says head coach Keith Andrews Brentford have completed the signing of Jordan Henderson after Ajax agreed to end his contract a year early. The England midfielder has a two-year deal and becomes the second arrival since Keith Andrews’ appointment as head coach. “He’s still phenomenally fit and he’s still phenomenally motivated to achieve things in the game, having already achieved a lot,” Andrews told Brentford’s website. “With the void of experienced players leaving the building – Christian Nørgaard, Mark Flekken and Ben Mee – it was important to replace that.” Continue reading...

France score four times in the second half to come back and beat Netherlands 5-2 and progress to the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 as Group D winners.

Andries Jonker had maintained that “on some days miracles happen” but this was most definitely not one of them. Admittedly there was a spell when Jonker’s Netherlands teased everyone by threatening France with the prospect of an unlikely elimination but ultimately Delphine Cascarino, Marie-Antoinette Katoto and the rest of Laurent Bonadei’s attacking armoury were far too powerful to be eclipsed. Continue reading...

An increasingly formidable-looking England swept Wales aside to reach the Euro 2025 quarter-finals and send the tournament debutants home without any points, as the Lionesses booked a last-eight meeting with Sweden. The Lionesses finished as the runners-up in Group D after the French’s victory over the Netherlands in Basel, but they will heads into the knockout stages with a strong feeling of positivity and optimism after notching up six goals in St Gallen, while Wales gave their loyal supporters a moment to savour when Hannah Cain netted a second-half consolation in front of their red wall. Continue reading...

Updates from the 8pm BST kick-off in Basel Player guide | Wallchart | Tables | Mail Will The good news from Basel is that, in Andries Jonker and Laurent Bonadei, the Netherlands and France possess two managers who pour scorn on unwritten norms and treat received wisdoms with suspicion. Louise Taylor previews this decider. Continue reading...