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There are four months until "The Game," but it's never too early to stir the pot when discussing Ohio State vs. Michigan.Eleven days ahead of 2023 Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis, the tension between Ohio State and Michigan has only become more heightened, thanks to Michigan me...

Brent Venables is building his Oklahoma football team way differently than how Deion Sanders is rebuilding his Colorado football program.It is a shame that Brent Venables' Oklahoma Sooners and Deion Sanders' Colorado Buffaloes aren't conference rivals.Venables is entering year...

Lionel Messi has completed his move to Inter Miami on a deal running to 2025, the Major League Soccer outfit have announced. The 36-year-old Argentina superstar revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end. With the deal now officially done, Messi is in line to make his debut for his new employers on Friday against Mexico’s Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup. The World Cup winner said in a statement from the club: “I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States. “This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.” Inter Miami are co-owned by former England captain David Beckham, who said: “Ten years ago, when I started my journey to build a new team in Miami, I said that I dreamt of bringing the greatest players in the world to this amazing city. “Players who shared the ambition I had when I joined LA Galaxy to help grow football in the USA and to build a legacy for the next generation in this sport that we love so much. “Today that dream came true. I couldn’t be prouder that a player of Leo’s calibre is joining our club, but I am also delighted to welcome a good friend, an amazing person and his beautiful family to join our Inter Miami community. This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. Lionel Messi “The next phase of our adventure starts here, and I can’t wait to see Leo take to the pitch.” MLS commissioner Don Garber said: “We are overjoyed that the greatest player in the world chose Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer, and his decision is a testament to the momentum and energy behind our League and our sport in North America. “We have no doubt that Lionel will show the world that MLS can be a league of choice for the best players in the game. We look forward to seeing his debut for Inter Miami in our Leagues Cup tournament later this month.” Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi arrives after a season in which he helped his country to World Cup glory in Qatar, as well as PSG to the Ligue 1 title, as in his first campaign with them in 2021-22. That adds to an already huge trophy haul on his CV that features four Champions League successes from his years with Barcelona, for whom he scored a staggering total of 672 goals. Joining Miami sees Messi – who has also netted more than 100 international goals – reunite with boss Gerardo Martino, who he previously worked under with Barca and Argentina. Martino was appointed in June after the club sacked Beckham’s ex-Manchester United team-mate Phil Neville. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Neal Skupski rewards brother Ken’s travelling exploits with Wimbledon win History-making Marketa Vondrousova thought Wimbledon win would be ‘impossible’ Mike Dean to leave referee’s body PGMOL this summer

Wales captain Aaron Ramsey has completed a return to his boyhood club Cardiff on a two-year contract. Ramsey made 22 appearances for the Bluebirds as a teenager and six more on loan from Arsenal in 2011 and remains their youngest ever player. Having played for them in the 2008 FA Cup final, he went on to win the competition three times with the Gunners and added a Serie A title and a Coppa Italia with Juventus and a Scottish Cup on loan at Rangers before joining Nice. He has played in Europa League finals with Arsenal, for whom he made over 350 appearances, and Rangers and for Wales at two European Championships and a World Cup. Ramsey told Cardiff’s website: “It feels unbelievable to finally be back here. I always thought one day I’d come back, and now it’s the perfect time to do that. “To be back with my family and around familiar faces is just brilliant, so I’m delighted to be back here now. I’ve missed that a lot in the last year or so, so it was important for me to be back around them. “Obviously I’m a Cardiff City fan and watching them over the years since I’ve been away, we’ve had some low points but some big highs as well, being in the Premier League and representing Cardiff on the big stage. That’s a target of mine – to try and help my team-mates and this club to get back to the top. “I owe so much to Cardiff, to the fans, to everybody who has been at the club when I was here as a young boy coming through. For me now to come full circle, to be part of this team now, and hopefully achieve the goals we want, there’s no better feeling than that.” Ramsey’s seven-year-old son Sonny has also joined Cardiff’s academy, signing his contract alongside his father.

Mike Dean is set to leave his role with referee’s body the Professional Game Match Officials Limited. After retiring from his on-field career at the end of the 2021/22 season, Dean became a dedicated VAR and also spent time coaching match officials. The 55-year-old, who started officiating in 1985, progressed through the ranks to referee in both the Football League and Premier League, taking charge of more than 550 matches in the top flight. Also on FIFA’s international list, Dean refereed the 2008 FA Cup final between Portsmouth and Cardiff at Wembley, and was one of the most recognisable officials in the English game. “PGMOL would like to place on record its recognition of Mike’s achievements as well as his immense contribution to refereeing and the game as a whole,” a PGMOL statement read. “We thank him for his dedication to the organisation over a sustained period of time and wish him every success for the future.”

Arsenal have completed the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United for a club and British player record transfer fee. The Gunners will pay £100m for the England international, plus an additional £5m to come in bonuses. It also marks the biggest fee received by the Hammers for a single deal. Enzo Fernandez cost Chelsea £105.6m earlier this year in what will remain the most expensive signing for a British club, but Rice’s fee eclipses that of Jack Grealish last summer to make him the most expensive British player ever. Rice, aged 24, becomes the second major midfield arrival of the summer for Mikel Arteta’s side after the capture of Kai Havertz from Chelsea late in June and will wear No 41. It is expected that the new pair, along with captain Martin Odegaard, will form a regular midfield trio for Arsenal, as they attempt to go one better than last season when they finished Premier League runners-up behind Manchester City. Rice was briefly linked with the champions, though they fell out of the running once the north London club raised their bid to record levels. He will now carry the burden of expectation at the Emirates Stadium heading into the new campaign, both due to the size of the fee to sign him and because he’ll be operating at the base of a midfield which appears decidedly attack-heavy. The role could therefore also be a departure from the one in which he operated at West Ham, where he had more licence to roam forward as a ball carrier. Having won 43 caps for England, Rice was already a key player under Gareth Southgate at international level and will now hope to elevate his game even further with a step up on the club stage His final match for the Hammers saw him lift the Europa Conference League trophy after defeating Fiorentina in the final. Rice had earlier penned an open letter to Hammers fans confirming his departure from the club for which he made 245 appearances. He said: “I want you to know how tough a decision it has been for me to leave an environment that I have loved and cherished so much. This club and its supporters will always be in my heart, and forever a part of who I am. “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game. “Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience. I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new club.” Arsenal manager Arteta stated his excitement at the signing, saying: “We’re really happy that Declan is joining us. He is a player with tremendous ability, who has been performing at a high level in the Premier League and for England for a number of seasons now. Declan is bringing undoubted quality to the club and he is an exceptional talent who has the potential to be very successful here. “Declan has great experience in the Premier League at only 24 years old. He has captained a very good West Ham team and as we all saw, he recently lifted a European trophy. The responsibility and role he has taken on has been very impressive and we are really excited that he is joining us.” Read More How Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal compares with other big-money transfers Declan Rice confirms ‘tough’ West Ham departure with Arsenal move imminent Declan Rice leaves West Ham for record fee with Arsenal move imminent The eye-watering sums behind Declan Rice’s record transfer to Arsenal Arsenal complete signing of Ajax defender Jurrien Timber Frank Lampard reveals he wanted to sign Declan Rice when he was Chelsea boss

Declan Rice has completed his transfer from West Ham to Arsenal in a British record £105million deal. The England midfielder’s departure from the club he joined a decade ago was confirmed by the Hammers on Saturday afternoon, with Arsenal announcing the switch had been completed. Rice’s move to the Emirates Stadium on a long-term contract sees him become the most expensive English player in history and follows on from the former Irons captain having guided his old club to victory in the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina. Earlier on Saturday, Rice had penned an open letter to West Ham fans, revealing the desire of playing in the Champions League – which Arsenal will next season – was one of the reasons behind his “tough” decision to leave. West Ham’s joint-chairman David Sullivan confirmed last month the east London club had a gentleman’s agreement with Rice to allow him to leave this summer after the player turned down the offer of a highly-lucrative new contract. Rice made 245 appearances for the Irons, with his last helping secure a first trophy since 1980. “This club and its supporters will always be in my heart and forever a part of who I am,” Rice said. “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game. “Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience. “I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new club.” Rice is the latest addition to an Arsenal squad which has already been strengthened over the summer, with the arrival of Netherlands defender Jurrien Timber having been confirmed on Friday. German international Kai Havertz has moved from Chelsea, while the Gunners have also seen France defender William Saliba and Reiss Nelson commit their futures to the club on new long-term contracts. With Granit Xhaka having left to join Bayer Leverkusen, the arrival of Rice will further bolster Mikel Areta’s midfield options as Arsenal look to close the gap on Manchester City after finishing runners-up in the Premier League last season. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Proud Alex Fitzpatrick has no issue being billed as brother of major-winner Matt How Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal compares with other big-money transfers Carlos Alcaraz: Wimbledon final against Djokovic will be best moment of my life

Declan Rice has become the most expensive British footballer in history with his long-awaited transfer from West Ham to Arsenal finally being completed. Rice was dropped from Chelsea’s academy aged 14 but he was picked up by West Ham where his determination and dedication shone through. He made his senior debut for the Hammers aged 18 before establishing himself as a key player in the team. After the retirement of Mark Noble last year, Rice was his natural successor as club captain, and finished his West Ham career lifting the club’s first piece of silverware since the 1980 FA Cup when they won the 2022/23 Europa Conference League. Now, after years of speculation, the energetic midfielder – who is a cornerstone of Gareth Southgate’s England team which reached the European Championship final in 2021 and World Cup quarter-finals last year – will make the step up to a club playing Champions League football when he joins Mikel Arteta’s Gunners. Here is a closer look at the eye-watering numbers involved. A record sum Arsenal are paying £105m for Rice to make the five-mile switch from the London Stadium to the Emirates Stadium, surpassing the £100m Manchester City paid Aston Villa for their captain Jack Grealish and setting a new record for a British player. And it will be narrowly short of the most expensive signing by a Premier League team, after Chelsea paid £105.6m for Argentina’s World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez in January. City played their part here, though: they fought for Rice’s signature and the ensuing bidding war forced Arsenal to come up with a huge, unrejectable offer. Clearly Arteta had made Rice his top priority to lead another title challenge this season, and after falling short to Pep Guardiola’s City in the league, he wasn’t going to be beaten in the transfer market too. That £105m fee is an initial £100m with a further £5m of potential add-ons, depending on Arsenal’s success during Rice’s stay at the club. A giant pay rise Rice will be getting a chunky bump in salary too. He was paid only £60,000 per week at West Ham, a generous annual salary for most but a small paycheque compared to many of his England peers, like Tottenham’s Harry Kane (£200,000 per week), Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford (£200,000), Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling (£350,000) and Grealish (£300,000). Rice turned down a new contract reportedly worth around £100,000 per week to stay at West Ham and is now set to earn £250,000 per week at Arsenal. That will see him vastly increase his annual salary from around £3m to £13m, and that is before endorsements and other earnings. He will be Arsenal’s second-highest earner behind only Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus (£265,000). Hourly rate Rice’s new £250,000-a-week salary works out at £36,000 per day, and £1,488 per hour. That’s not just during the working day but every hour round the clock, even when he’s asleep. And presumably, he sleeps well. Top earners For all Rice’s riches, he remains some way short of the best-paid Premier League stars. Manchester United’s Casemiro earns £350,000 per week, and even he is eclipsed by Manchester City’s star duo, Erling Haaland (£375,000) and top dog Kevin De Bruyne (£400,000). And yet De Bruyne seems thoroughly mistreated when you compare his pay packet to the three global superstars taking home far more. Kylian Mbappe is paid £1.6m per week by Paris Saint-Germain, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both take home around £3.5m each week, at Inter Miami and Al-Nassr respectively. Rice has some catching up to do. Read More Declan Rice signs for Arsenal in record £105m transfer deal How Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal compares with other big-money transfers Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber – this is Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal now How Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal compares with other big-money transfers Declan Rice confirms ‘tough’ West Ham departure with Arsenal move imminent Declan Rice leaves West Ham for record fee with Arsenal move imminent

Liverpool midfielder Fabinho has been left out of the squad travelling to their training camp in Germany after the club received an official bid for the player. The PA news agency understands a £40million offer for the Brazil international has been made by Al-Ittihad, one of four Saudi Arabian clubs owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund. Receipt of a “serious, official” offer prompted discussions within the club which resulted in a decision, taken in consultation with Fabinho, to withdraw the player from the squad which flew out on Saturday. Captain Jordan Henderson, who has also been the subject of speculation linking him to a reported £700,000-a-week offer from Al-Ettifaq – managed by former team-mate Steven Gerrard – has travelled with the squad as there has been no bid for him as yet. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

England midfielder Ella Toone believes the Lionesses’ person-centred approach to the World Cup has prevented players from feeling “like robots” as they deal with the more difficult elements of travelling halfway around the world. Should the European champions advance from their July 22 Haiti opener all the way to the August 20th Sydney final, they will have spent nearly two months in tournament co-hosts Australia, with a nine-hour time difference and more than 10,000 miles between the Lionesses and loved ones at home. While England have quickly gotten down to business in their Queensland training sessions, they have also been permitted plenty of downtime including organised whale-watching and zoo trips or casual bonding with team-mates at the tranquil team hotel. Toone said: “We’re just normal people, aren’t we? And it’s hard to be away from home, and it’s sometimes hard to be on camp for such a long period of time, but that’s why we’ve got to make a home-away-from-home and I think that’s what we’ve done really well. “We’ve got a fantastic group of players who want the same goal, and yeah, I think we have to have that environment where we can feel like we’re at home, and we’re not just robots on camp and doing the same thing day in and day out. “It’s nice to have a bit of time off and spend time together as well, and get to see beautiful Australia as well, it definitely helps us feel like we’re not robots.” England manager Sarina Wiegman earlier in the week used the “robot” analogy when she spoke about how the holistic human approach taken by the Lionesses coaching and support staff was a deliberate choice, drawn partially from her own experience as a Netherlands international. The boss recalled moments where she found it difficult to balance the serious task of preparing for big competitions with the more fun side of travelling to take on the world with her team-mates. Toone was part of Wiegman’s squad for last summer’s Wembley triumph, and is eager to help any of the six Lionesses – Niamh Charles, Laura Coombs, Lauren James, Esme Morgan, Katie Robinson and Katie Zelem – for whom this World Cup will be their first major tournament. “Some days will be hard,” Toone added. “But you’ve got to speak to people, tell them how you’re feeling. But I think we’ve all been there, we’ve all had days where they’re all going to be a bit harder than other days. “We’re away from family for a long time which is hard, and obviously the time difference doesn’t help. You’ve definitely got to lean on the people around you, you’ve got to open up and understand that days are going to be tough but it’s how you deal with that and how you get on with it.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Republic of Ireland coach Vera Pauw admits her players “feared for their bodies” in their abandoned Women’s World Cup warm-up match against Colombia on Friday. Midfielder Denise O’Sullivan was taken to hospital with a shin injury and the game was halted after just 20 minutes following a number of rough challenges, with the Football Association of Ireland describing it as “overly physical”. Scans have revealed the North Carolina Courage captain has not sustained any fractures but the extent of a soft tissue injury has still to be discovered. “It was something I had never experienced before in my 47 years being involved in football, not as a player, not as a coach,” Pauw told Sky Sports. “It started lively, a good game, normal, and then the atmosphere built up to becoming over-physical. “Then there came a huge challenge on Denise, a challenge not within the rules of the game and she was in awful pain. “I went to the coach of Colombia and I said: ‘I need help from you, we need to calm this down. We all want to go to the World Cup’. The players were extremely upset and had fear for themselves. Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw “The players were extremely upset and had fear for themselves. We are not a team who fear tackles or challenges. “I took them away to calm things down, brought them to the bench. We discussed it and there was contact with the president and the CEO of the FAI. “Collectively we knew it would not come right any more and if it went on we would put our players into a potentially-serious situation. “We had a calm discussion with the ref and they called off the game.” Ireland open their World Cup campaign against Australia and Pauw remains optimistic O’Sullivan will be fit. “We have hopes she can make the game but we need to see, the first 48 hours are very important in these soft tissue injuries,” she added. The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) released a statement which said, while the training of its teams was “framed within the rules of the game, healthy competition and fair play”, it respected Ireland’s decision. “The Colombian Football Federation informs that the friendly match… between the Colombia women’s national team and Ireland was suspended because the Irish national team preferred not to continue playing when 23 minutes of the first half had elapsed,” said the statement from the FCF, which has been contacted for further comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Declan Rice confirms ‘tough’ West Ham departure with Arsenal move imminent Declan Rice leaves West Ham for record fee with Arsenal move imminent Alex Greenwood happy with ‘humble’ England’s chances at Women’s World Cup

Declan Rice’s ambition to play “at the very highest level” was behind his “tough” decision to leave West Ham. The 24-year-old’s departure from the club he joined a decade ago in a club-record £105million deal – making him the most expensive English player in history – was confirmed by the Hammers ahead of his imminent move to Arsenal. Rice’s last act as a West Ham player was to become only the third captain in their history, behind Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to lift a major trophy after last month’s Europa Conference League victory over Fiorentina. But the England international wants to play in the Champions League and that is something Arsenal can offer. In a letter to fans, Rice said his goodbyes after “an absolute whirlwind of emotion” over the last few weeks. “I want you to know how tough a decision it has been for me to leave an environment that I have loved and cherished so much,” he said. “This club and its supporters will always be in my heart, and forever a part of who I am. “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game. “Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience. “I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new club.” Joint-chairman David Sullivan revealed last month the club had a gentleman’s agreement with Rice to allow him to leave this summer after the player turned down the offer of a highly-lucrative new contract. “I am sorry to see Declan leave us but I believe that everyone at West Ham United should be very proud of the part we have played in his journey from the Academy of Football at Chadwell Heath to becoming the most valuable young player in English football,” he said in a statement. “I would like to make it clear to our supporters that we did not want to sell Declan. We wanted to build our team around him and made a series of improved, long-term contract offers to secure his future. “However, once Declan made it clear that he wished to move on and seek a new challenge, the club felt it would not be right to stand in his way, acting in the best interests of West Ham United.” Rice made 245 appearances for the club, his last helping secure a first trophy since 1980, and manager David Moyes was understandably sad to see him leave. “I’d like to personally thank Declan for everything he has done during his time at West Ham United,” he said. “Obviously it is sad when we say goodbye to someone who has been with us for so long but we must now look forward. “As history shows, no player is ever bigger than the club. “Our entire focus now is on building upon the success we enjoyed last season, adding to our talented Europa Conference League title-winning squad as we enter our third consecutive season in Europe, and continuing to develop the best young talent through our successful academy.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Declan Rice leaves West Ham for record fee with Arsenal move imminent Alex Greenwood happy with ‘humble’ England’s chances at Women’s World Cup Ireland’s Niamh Fahey says nothing can truly prepare team for World Cup opener