Serie A side Fiorentina have agreed a season-long loan deal for Bournemouth defender Alex Jimenez, who is currently suspended by the Premier League club pending an investigation into social media allegations.
Loan deal includes permanent transfer option
The agreement between the two clubs features a 20m euros (£17m) option to make the switch to Italy permanent next summer.
This temporary departure allows the 21-year-old to resume playing competitive football while the Cherries continue their internal disciplinary process.
He was removed from first-team duties on the south coast in May following what was described by the club as a serious matter relating to online posts.
Rapid rise halted by off-field controversy
The Spanish youth international initially arrived at the Vitality Stadium on loan from AC Milan before adapting seamlessly to English football.
His impressive performances earned him a permanent contract in February, committing him to the English club until the summer of 2031.
Before his suspension, the promising full-back made 32 appearances across all competitions last season and found the net on one occasion.
He will now look to rebuild his career in Florence as the investigation surrounding his off-field conduct remains unresolved in England.
Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right thumb sprain, ruling him out of a starting role in next week’s American League All-Star team.
The roster move is retroactive to Friday, meaning the 23-year-old was absent during a commanding 14-1 defeat to the Chicago White Sox.
Neither the injured slugger nor Athletics manager Mark Kotsay were available to speak to reporters following the announcement.
Rookie of the year sidelined again
This latest setback marks the second time the reigning American League rookie of the year has landed on the injured list, having previously missed time with a strained left hip flexor in May 2025.
Before sustaining the thumb injury, the prolific hitter was enjoying another stellar campaign with a .266 batting average, 20 home runs, and 66 runs batted in.
His exceptional discipline at the plate has also been evident this season, as he currently leads the league with 76 walks.
Serven called up as reinforcement
In a corresponding transaction to provide immediate squad cover, catcher Brian Serven has been recalled from Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas.
The 29-year-old brings parts of four seasons of major league experience, though he holds a modest career batting average of .188 across those appearances.
However, the backup catcher arrives in Chicago in strong minor league form, having hit .308 with 18 doubles and seven home runs in 55 games for Las Vegas this year.
Newcastle United have identified Botafogo midfielder Danilo as a potential replacement for Bruno Guimaraes amid strong transfer interest from Arsenal.
The Magpies are actively planning for life without their influential captain on Tyneside.
Recruitment chiefs view the 25-year-old as an ideal candidate to rebuild the midfield following Sandro Tonali’s recent £100m departure to Tottenham Hotspur.
Enquiries made for former Forest star
Eddie Howe’s side have already enquired about the availability of the energetic South American.
However, they are yet to present a formal offer and face stiff competition from fierce Premier League rivals.
Both Arsenal and Manchester United have reportedly held club-to-club talks with the Brazilian giants regarding a prospective deal.
The former Nottingham Forest player only returned to his homeland last summer after recovering from a serious broken leg.
A calculated risk for Howe’s rebuild
His impressive performances in South America over the past 12 months have now sparked an unexpected opportunity to return to the English top flight.
Prizing the talismanic Guimaraes away from St James’ Park would leave a significant tactical and leadership void in Newcastle’s setup.
Targeting the ex-Palmeiras youngster aligns with a broader Tyneside recruitment strategy focused on acquiring emerging talent with high ceilings.
Recent arrivals like Banzoumana Toure and Sean Steur highlight this structural shift towards investing in youth rather than established veterans.
With Russian outfit Zenit St. Petersburg making concrete advances, the North East club must accelerate negotiations to secure their preferred midfield target.
Tottenham Hotspur have ended their pursuit of Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha following the recent arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
The North London club have been the world’s biggest spenders this summer, investing a record £235m into Roberto De Zerbi’s squad.
However, the Premier League side opted against triggering a £25.9m option to buy the Portugal international after a successful loan spell last season.
Negotiations over a reduced fee ultimately collapsed as the German giants held firm on their valuation.
Midfield additions close the door
Any lingering hopes of a permanent return were extinguished when Spurs secured lucrative deals for Tonali and Fernandes.
The English club now boast a heavily congested midfield engine room.
Pape Matar Sarr, Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur are already competing for starting spots under the Italian tactician.
Bayern demand permanent sale
German football journalist Christian Falk confirmed that negotiations between the two clubs have been completely terminated.
Talks with Tottenham over signing João Palhinha are 100% dead in the water. Palhinha would also be keen to return to his native Portugal.
The 29-year-old is reportedly wanted by former employers Sporting Lisbon.
However, the Lisbon outfit prefer a loan deal with an option to buy, which directly conflicts with Bayern’s financial strategy.
Bayern are firm: they want the money now. They had calculated that they would get €30m-35m if Tottenham had triggered his buy clause.
The Bavarian club had budgeted for a significant windfall from the English side and must now seek alternative buyers for the holding midfielder.
De Zerbi’s unfulfilled wish
Missing out on the combative enforcer denies De Zerbi one of his primary summer objectives.
Speaking at the end of the previous campaign, the head coach strongly expressed his desire to retain the player.
Palhinha is one of the best, as a player for sure, but as a guy. I want to see the player with the same passion, the same attitude, the same spirit.
Despite that glowing endorsement, the subsequent midfield overhaul has forced the club to shift their focus towards securing new attacking options before the transfer window closes.
Arsenal are weighing up a summer move to re-sign their former defender Dinos Mavropanos following West Ham United’s relegation to the Championship.
The Greece international is expected to be highly sought after and could depart the London Stadium as part of a major squad overhaul.
Despite his team dropping into the second tier, the 28-year-old was recently crowned the Hammers’ Player of the Year following an impressive individual campaign.
A familiar face in north London
Mavropanos originally joined the Gunners from Greek club PAS Giannina in January 2018.
He arrived as one of Arsene Wenger’s final signings but struggled to cement a regular starting role.
The towering centre-back managed just seven first-team appearances during his initial two-year spell in the capital.
Following successful loan spells in Germany, Stuttgart purchased him permanently for £5m in 2023 before West Ham paid £21m for his services a year later.
Squad reshuffle and title-winning impact
The reigning Premier League champions currently boast an abundance of right-footed central defenders, including William Saliba and Cristhian Mosquera.
However, Ben White has been heavily linked with a summer departure after falling down the pecking order under Mikel Arteta.
Mavropanos actually aided his former club’s title charge during the recent domestic run-in.
The defender scored three late-season goals for Nuno Espirito Santo’s struggling side.
Crucially, this included a vital strike against title rivals Manchester City which helped secure Arsenal the Premier League trophy in May.
Arteta praises former defender
Arsenal’s manager has been monitoring the defender’s progress and recently praised his development away from the Emirates.
Speaking after the crucial goal against City, the Spaniard highlighted his former player’s undeniable resilience.
“He is a very, very good character,” Arteta explained.
“A player that was signed just before I arrived as well, and he had a long-term injury as well, and he didn’t get that many minutes.”
“But it’s good to see him doing really well.”
England ended a miserable five-Test losing streak by ruthlessly dismantling a 14-man Fiji 73-8 during their Nations Championship clash in Liverpool.
Replacement back-rower Henry Pollock was the standout performer, crossing the whitewash for a sensational second-half hat-trick as the hosts cruised to victory.
The Pacific Islanders were reduced to 14 men for half the encounter after scrum-half Simione Kuruvoli received a straight red card for kicking out at Ellis Genge.
This numerical advantage allowed the home side to cut loose and register their largest ever winning margin over their Southern Hemisphere opponents.
Record win eases pressure on the hosts
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso delighted the 50,209-strong crowd at the Hill Dickinson Stadium with an acrobatic finish down the left flank after the interval.
Meanwhile, Bristol’s South African-born centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and Saracens’ teenage wing Noah Caluori both capped off memorable Test debuts by scoring off the bench.
Fly-half Fin Smith also enjoyed a flawless afternoon from the kicking tee, successfully converting nine of the staggering 11 tries scored by his team.
While the scoreboard reflects absolute dominance, the overall value of this triumph must be weighed against a remarkably disjointed performance from the visitors.
Fiji fail to recreate past glories
The Fijians famously shocked the rugby world by defeating their opponents at Twickenham in August 2023, before pushing them to the brink in the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals shortly afterwards.
During a subsequent autumn meeting amid a strong run of English form, the islanders remained within three points on the hour mark before eventually succumbing to a 38-18 defeat.
However, this current iteration of the squad lacked the cohesion and discipline required to condemn their hosts to what would have been their worst losing streak in two decades.
Instead, a heavily penalised and thoroughly outclassed away side offered little resistance as a rejuvenated English squad ran riot across the park.
India bowler Kranti Gaud has made history by becoming the first woman to go on the Test honours board at Lord’s after securing a five-wicket haul against England on day two.
The historic milestone was sealed when Shafali Verma took a spectacular diving catch on the rebound in the slip cordon.
That stunning piece of fielding resulted in the dismissal of Lauren Bell to give the visiting seamer her fifth scalp of the innings.
Spectacular reflex catch seals history
The hosts were continuing their first innings on the second day of the Test match when the landmark dismissal occurred.
“Oh that is superb!”
The commentary box erupted as the sensational grab brought the iconic London crowd to its feet.
Verma had to react instantly after the ball deflected sharply, managing to pluck it inches from the turf.
A milestone moment at the Home of Cricket
Prior to this tour, no female cricketer had secured a spot on the famous dressing room boards at the historic venue.
The Indian fast bowler’s name will now be permanently etched alongside the legends of the men’s game who have achieved the same feat over the past century.
Her brilliant spell puts the tourists in a commanding position as they look to press their advantage in this landmark fixture.
Chelsea are prepared to sell Alejandro Garnacho for £50m this summer in a permanent deal, ending his spell at Stamford Bridge just one year after he joined from Manchester United.
The 22-year-old desires regular first-team football, a status that cannot be guaranteed in west London ahead of the upcoming campaign.
Consequently, the Blues are prioritising a definitive exit over any potential loan arrangement for the Argentine forward.
Discussions are currently ongoing between club officials and his representatives to secure an agreeable resolution within the next fortnight.
Underwhelming debut campaign
The former Red Devil was notably absent from the start of pre-season training while his immediate future remains unresolved.
He originally arrived at the club last year for £40m following Manchester United’s defeat to Tottenham in the 2025 Europa League final.
However, the lightning-fast winger struggled to cement a consistent starting spot during a difficult transitional season.
He managed a modest return of eight goals and four assists across 43 appearances in all competitions.
Alonso demands total commitment
If their £50m valuation is met by suitors, the London side would generate a significant profit on a player who has attracted widespread interest.
Multiple clubs across the Premier League, mainland Europe, and Saudi Arabia are reportedly monitoring his availability.
This impending departure coincides with the arrival of new head coach Xabi Alonso, who officially began his tenure on Thursday.
The Spanish tactician has immediately outlined his non-negotiable standards for the revamped squad.
“You need to be willing to pay the price to compete at the highest level,” said Alonso.
The new manager firmly emphasised that collective team success must completely supersede any individual ambition.
“You can’t hold back anything. You need to give everything you have for the benefit of the team.”
Alonso believes there is already a solid foundation present at the training ground, relying on established squad members to instil work ethic into younger talents.
“That culture we are able to build here will, 100 per cent, be transmitted onto Stamford Bridge.”