Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the signing of Netherlands international Victoria Pelova on a free transfer following her departure from north London rivals Arsenal.
The 27-year-old makes the switch across the capital after spending three highly successful years with the Gunners in the Women’s Super League.
During her tenure in red, the dynamic midfielder was instrumental in securing the Women’s Champions League title in 2025.
She also added two League Cups and the Champions Cup to her impressive trophy cabinet before crossing the north London divide.
Overcoming injury to secure Spurs switch
The Dutch playmaker demonstrated remarkable resilience by successfully returning from a severe anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year.
Bouncing back from that significant knee problem, she proved her match fitness by making 30 appearances across all competitions during her final campaign at Arsenal.
On the international stage, the versatile star boasts a wealth of experience with 71 senior caps for the Netherlands.
She has been a trusted and consistent member of the Dutch national squad across the last four major international tournaments.
A fresh start under Martin Ho
The new signing revealed that positive discussions with Spurs manager Martin Ho heavily influenced her decision to join the Lilywhites.
“It feels nice to be here, I had a lovely welcome from everyone,” said Pelova.
“When I had conversations with Martin Ho, he was so good and it felt immediately right to go to Spurs.”
“I can’t wait for the season, and I’m so happy to be here.”
Arsenal defender William Saliba has revealed he rejected the club’s attempts to send him on loan to Newcastle United or Crystal Palace before his breakthrough season.
The French international was initially frozen out of the first-team picture after Mikel Arteta took charge at Emirates Stadium.
Having been signed by former manager Unai Emery, the young centre-back found himself sidelined and was instructed to find a temporary move away from north London.
Refusing a Premier League switch
Following a productive spell in his homeland with Nice, the defender was told not to report for pre-season training ahead of the 2021-22 campaign.
Arsenal management preferred that their promising prospect gain valuable Premier League experience with a domestic rival.
However, the player was adamant that a return to France was the best option for his ongoing development.
“Arsenal wanted me to go to Newcastle United or Crystal Palace, but I didn’t want to do that.”
William Saliba speaking to L’Equipe
The Marseille turning point
Instead of remaining in England, the highly-rated stopper faced a difficult choice between Lille and Marseille.
Despite some initial reluctance regarding the intense atmosphere at Stade Velodrome, he chose the latter after being convinced by then-manager Jorge Sampaoli.
“Jorge Sampaoli really wanted me. I went to Marseille and things moved so quickly.”
That decision proved transformative, as the imposing defender played almost every match and earned his first senior cap for the France national team by March of that year.
Establishing Emirates dominance
Upon returning from his successful stint in Ligue 1, the centre-half was immediately integrated into Arteta’s starting line-up.
He has since developed into one of Europe’s premier defenders, forming an imperious partnership with Brazilian team-mate Gabriel.
Together, the pair have provided the defensive foundation for Arsenal’s consecutive Premier League title challenges over the past two seasons.
Lewis Hamilton believes his vast experience will prove decisive in the 2026 Formula 1 title battle after claiming his first victory for Ferrari to close the gap on championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
The seven-time world champion triumphed at the recent Spanish Grand Prix, ending a six-race winning streak for Mercedes at the start of the season.
That landmark victory in Barcelona reduced the deficit at the top of the drivers’ standings to 41 points.
Focus firmly on Austrian Grand Prix
With momentum building ahead of this weekend’s race in Spielberg, the 41-year-old remains grounded about the prospect of a record eighth world crown.
“In terms of the championship, I’m not letting that stuff… I’ve been here before, I know what I have to do.”
“There’s a long way to go. We’re not arriving at this weekend thinking about the championship. We’re thinking about this weekend, executing the best we can.”
Engine upgrades to close the gap
The Scuderia are introducing their first major power unit upgrade of the 2026 campaign in Austria.
This development aims to bridge the performance deficit to both Red Bull and Mercedes.
“This weekend we do have a new engine. It’s a step, it’s not the whole gap, but it’s a step, it’s one foot forwards, which I’m really proud and thankful for.”
Despite the boost, the British driver concedes his former employers remain the benchmark.
“Still Mercedes are the team to beat, they’ve won everything else and they’ve been just incredible this year. They’ve got a great car, it’s an amazing team – a world championship team.”
“We have a real battle on our hands and it’s going to take absolutely everyone full hands-on deck for the rest of the year to even come close to competing with them, but I don’t think it’s impossible.”
A surprising reception from rivals
The breakthrough win in Spain followed a difficult debut season with the Italian marque, where the sport’s most successful driver failed to secure a single podium finish.
Following the introduction of sweeping new technical regulations for 2026, the veteran racer has enjoyed a resurgence, securing consecutive runner-up spots before his recent triumph.
Reflecting on the milestone victory, he admitted to being caught off guard by the exceptionally warm reception from his fellow competitors on the grid.
Red Bull will introduce their biggest car upgrade in years at this weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix in a final attempt to prevent four-time world champion Max Verstappen from leaving the team.
The 28-year-old has endured a frustrating start to the 2026 Formula One season, securing just one podium finish in the opening seven races.
Speculation over the Dutchman’s future has intensified after he reportedly rejected an offer to extend his contract until 2032.
Exit clause threatens Red Bull future
Reports suggest the reigning constructors’ champions are facing a race against time due to a performance clause in their leading driver’s current deal.
This stipulation allegedly allows him to walk away ahead of the 2027 campaign if he is not within the top two of the drivers’ championship by the summer break.
Sitting in seventh place with just 55 points, the former title-winner is currently 60 points adrift of second-placed Lewis Hamilton.
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli currently commands the championship standings with 156 points following an era of renewed dominance for the German manufacturer.
Weight reduction key to Austrian upgrade
To arrest their alarming slump, the Milton Keynes-based outfit are preparing an extreme overhaul of the RB22 chassis for their home race in Spielberg.
The highly anticipated modifications will represent the Austrian manufacturer’s biggest update in years.
Blick
Engineers are aiming to significantly reduce the overall weight of the vehicle to meet the strict 768kg minimum limit.
Team management hope this drastic development will close the gap to their rivals and restore confidence within their camp.
A recent resurgence from Ferrari, highlighted by Hamilton’s milestone victory in Barcelona, has further emphasized the urgent need for improvements at Red Bull.
Former two-division champion Conor McGregor has promised a clinical demolition of Max Holloway when he makes his long-awaited UFC return in Las Vegas on 11 July.
The 37-year-old will step into the octagon at UFC 329 for a welterweight showdown, ending a five-year absence from the sport.
He has not competed since suffering a broken leg during a first-round defeat to long-time rival Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
A planned comeback against Michael Chandler two years ago was ultimately derailed by a training injury.
Targeting a spectacular comeback
Despite the lengthy hiatus, the Irishman insists he is fully prepared to make up for lost time in Nevada.
Speaking to former American football player Nate Burleson, the Dublin-born fighter confidently predicted a devastating finish.
“It’s going to be a demolition. I know the damage he has taken.”
“I know I will just have to touch him, and after that, it will be clinical. A win alone is not just enough. It must be spectacular and that is what it will be.”
Revisiting a decade-old rivalry
Next month’s headline clash will be the second time these two renowned strikers have traded blows.
They previously met early in their respective promotional careers back in 2013, with McGregor securing a unanimous decision victory in Boston.
Since that initial encounter, the Hawaiian veteran has captured both the undisputed featherweight championship and the ceremonial ‘BMF’ title.
However, the former dual-weight champion remains unconvinced by his upcoming opponent’s evolution inside the cage.
“Is he really? I do not really see it. I do not really see vast improvements.”
“In fact, the improvements he made was after the fight he had with me where he adopted some of my moves. Then what did he do? He went on to win the world title.”
Future welterweight ambitions
Looking beyond July, the controversial striker plans to remain highly active in the 170lb division.
He remains open to launching a renewed title run and has welcomed a potential future match-up with lightweight contender Justin Gaethje.
“For sure I have it in me to make a title run. I am a 170lb fighter now. I have already held the 155lb, unified, UFC world title.”
“I am open for business. I wish for activity. I have got a great fight in front of me.”
Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie has completed a permanent £45m transfer to Arsenal from Bayer Leverkusen following a highly successful season-long loan.
The 24-year-old originally arrived in North London last summer with a purchase option attached to the initial agreement.
He quickly became an integral part of Mikel Arteta’s squad, making 39 appearances across all competitions.
The versatile centre-back’s consistent performances helped the Gunners secure the Premier League title during his debut campaign in English football.
Leverkusen confirm transfer clause triggered
Following his milestone appearances, the Bundesliga outfit officially announced that the criteria for a permanent switch had been fulfilled.
“The conditions for the purchase option were met and defender Hincapie will therefore continue his career with the London club in the Premier League in the coming years.”
This permanent acquisition solidifies the defensive line for the reigning English champions ahead of their upcoming title defence.
World Cup focus shifts to Germany clash
The former loan signing is currently representing his country at the World Cup.
His national team are preparing to face Germany in a crucial group-stage fixture this Thursday.
Securing his long-term club future allows the talented South American to focus entirely on his international duties on the biggest stage.
McLaren and Red Bull are appealing the Monaco Grand Prix result after Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was reinstated to the podium, with Oscar Piastri warning the situation sets a dangerous precedent for Formula 1.
The dispute centres on a successful appeal by the French outfit earlier this month regarding pit lane speeding penalties.
Gasly originally had 10 seconds added to his race time but successfully overturned the sanction by providing evidence that Monaco’s pit lane distance was measured incorrectly by the FIA.
This reversal bumped the French driver back up to third place, demoting Isack Hadjar to fourth and Piastri to fifth.
The danger of a ‘tricky precedent’
While Gasly opted not to pit and simply had time added to his final classification, several other competitors served their contentious penalties during a Safety Car period.
Drivers such as George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Franco Colapinto are therefore unable to retroactively appeal their punishments in the same manner.
The Australian driver believes this unusual sequence of events could encourage teams to ignore in-race penalties in the hope of successfully arguing their case post-race.
Uncertainty over final results
“I’ve never seen a race like that, where there’s so many pit lane speeding penalties, and in my case specifically, I knew I wasn’t speeding either,” said Piastri.
“The risk that we have now is any time a team or a driver feels that a penalty is potentially wrong, or they have a chance of changing it, you go through this whole cycle where we still don’t officially know the results of the race a month later.”
The formal protests will be heard by the FIA International Court of Appeal, which serves as the highest and final tribunal in global motorsport.
Governing body officials have yet to confirm a date for the hearing in Paris, though the comprehensive legal process is expected to take several weeks.
Seeking regulatory fairness
The 23-year-old McLaren star clarified that the protest is focused on regulatory fairness rather than being a personal grievance against his Alpine rival.
“It is nothing against Pierre or Alpine,” added the former Formula 2 champion.
“It’s more just that if we hadn’t known that certain things hadn’t played out the way they did, we would have made different decisions in the race.”
Emma Raducanu’s participation at Wimbledon is in doubt after the British player missed scheduled practice and was seen wearing an orthopaedic boot just days before the tournament begins.
The 2021 US Open champion was reportedly spotted leaving the Aorangi Park practice complex on Wednesday evening wearing a protective device on her right leg.
She then failed to appear for a scheduled midday training session at the All England Club on Thursday.
Representative downplays concerns
Despite the alarming images emerging so close to her home Grand Slam, her management has insisted there is no serious underlying issue.
“Emma is absolutely fine. She will play tomorrow.”
Thomas Houchin, one of her representatives, offered the reassuring update to ease growing spectator anxiety.
The former British number one had been pictured practicing on Monday but did not book any court time across the following two days.
Recent grass-court preparations
The talented right-hander recently enjoyed an excellent run to the final of a grass-court warm-up event, narrowly losing to former Wimbledon semi-finalist Donna Vekic.
However, after playing five matches in quick succession, she opted to rest and declined a wildcard into this week’s Eastbourne tournament.
Following that intense schedule, the Briton admitted she had been managing minor physical issues.
“Dealing with a few niggles over the past few weeks.”
She notably slipped on the grass during a recent quarter-final tie and required a medical timeout, although she managed to complete the tournament without obvious discomfort.
Ongoing fitness struggles
Injury setbacks have been a persistent theme of her career since that historic breakthrough in New York.
A post-viral illness previously forced the Grand Slam winner to miss almost the entire clay-court swing after the Indian Wells tournament in March.
Missing the impending major would represent a significant blow for the home favourite, who has twice reached the fourth round at SW19.
Main draw action at Wimbledon commences on Monday, with the official draw taking place this Friday.