The Netherlands international emerged as a top target for Tottenham this summer as part of Roberto De Zerbi’s grand rebuild in north London.
In addition to bringing in midfielders Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes in for a combined fee of £185million, Spurs have also signed Omar Marmoush and Savio from Manchester City to refresh their attacking options.
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De Zerbi this week teased another ‘bomba’ signing would arrive before next week’s transfer deadline day.
But The Athletic report Gakpo has decided against a move to north London and has decided to join City in the coming days.
All parties are now working on a final agreement with a fee still to be agreed with Liverpool.
Gakpo wants City over Tottenham (Picture: Shutterstock Editorial)
The Times report The Reds are looking for a fee of around £85million – similar to the deal that took Brazilian winger Savio from City to Spurs.
Gakpo, 27, has started both of Liverpool’s Premier League games this season, scoring against Newcastle United last Sunday and providing an excellent assist in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.
Andoni Iraola’s side are on the brink of signing Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth £123million.
Spurs suffered their second defeat of the season on Saturday night (Picture: Marc Atkins)
The right-footed Frenchman prefers to play on the left wing where Gakpo has predominately featured during his time on Merseyside.
Liverpool are still on the hunt for a right winger having seen offers rejected for Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh, also exploring a move for Crystal Palace wideman Ismaila Sarr.
News of Gakpo rejecting Tottenham came as the north Londoners suffered a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday evening.
Spurs have lost their opening two games of the Premier League for the first time in 15 years.
The latest batch of banned ’76’ number plates has been revealed (Picture: Nissan)
Over 500 new ’76’ number plates have been banned by the DVLA before they can cause offence on UK roads.
Twice a year, a specialist panel for the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency conducts a review of plate combinations and blacklists any that could be deemed inappropriate or provoke the public.
For example, last year, due to ongoing affairs, the DVLA banned combinations **25 RUS and **UKR, referring to Russia and Ukraine, along with other political references.
The decisions are reached based on what letters each number can appear to represent and the phrases they can spell out, whether it be mild swear words or serious racial slurs.
As a result, as well as combinations alluding to Gaza and Yemen, words such as ‘bomb’ are banned, plus the letters ‘STD’.
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Now, a new batch of sensitive combos has been forbidden with the arrival of the ’76’ plate, which poses challenges due to the number 7 possibly resembling an ‘I’, ‘T’, or ‘A’, and the number 6 used as a ‘B’ or ‘A’.
Driving with a non-compliant plate can result in a £1,000 fine (Picture: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
Consequently, the DVLA has removed hundreds of registrations referring to war, religion, violence, race, political messages, and sexual innuendos.
Among the 523 banned registrations are AA76 RYN, AU76 WTZ, SH76 GED, and WW76 NKR.
Also banned are BJ76 OOB, GO76 WAR, HH76 OMO, NA76 ZZE, and NU76 SAC.
While the DVLA makes ‘the vast majority’ of plate combinations available for use, they’re hot on spiking any that could be interpreted wrongly.
A spokesperson previously explained to Metro that ‘the DVLA withholds any combinations of numbers and letters where we consider that they may cause offence, embarrassment or are in poor taste’.
As for the penalty for cruising around with a non-compliant plate, it can be confiscated by police, and you can be fined.
Police can stop motorists whose plates may be illegal (Picture: Getty Images)
Drivers may also fail their MOT as a result
Additionally, number plates must be clearly displayed and cannot be ‘rearranged or misrepresented to ‘form names or words, so that they are hard to read’.
This may include fixing bolts to change any of the characters.
Plates must comply with font and style requirements, too. This means using the Charles Wright 2001 font and having the legally required thickness, size, and spacing between letters.
Motorists who don’t properly display their registrations can be fined up to £1,000.
Most recent police data published last year shows that 21,683 drivers were recorded or stopped for illegal number plate offences in the UK in 2024.
It’s been an emotional week for the residents of the eponymous village – and for the viewers at home, no doubt! – as what was meant to be the happiest day of the bride and groom-to-be’s lives ended in tragedy.
After finding out that Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) had conspired with Caleb Miligan (William Ash) to get her out of the village as a way of destroying Joe, Dawn rushed back home to reunite with fiancé Joe at the marquee.
Jimmy’s vehicle subsequently drove through the venue and led to his death, with Joe urging Dawn to get to safety before the marquee went up in flames.
A major explosion ensued, with Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) racing to rescue Joe. To everyone’s shock, Joe was still alive when Graham emerged from the blaze and he was rushed to hospital.
Dawn, meanwhile, went into early labour and delivered the baby, with an emotional Joe watching on by her side.
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In the village, Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler) was tasked with telling her children that Jimmy had sadly died in the incident while the village mourned one of their own.
Kim Tate (Claire King) later headed up the crash site, where she grilled DS Ramsden on the investigation, hoping to get some clue as to what transpired.
Out of sight, a guilty Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) loomed, panic written all over her face. The question is: just what does she have to feel guilty about?
The end of the week might be upon us but it’s not the last Emmerdale we have to look forward to as the show is on Sunday (August 30) to make up for the lack of episode on Tuesday. Here’s what’s coming up.
What happens next in Emmerdale? Spoilers for Sunday, August 30 episode
The aftermath of the tragedy that unfolded this week continues to send shockwaves through the village as loved ones struggle to cope in the wake of the atrocity and emotions run high.
DS Ramsden is on the case (Picture: ITV)
Grief is aplenty for Nicola and the Kings.
Can they navigate and come to terms with a post-Jimmy world? Elsewhere, Joe and Dawn adapt to life following the birth of their child as they make plans for the future.
In terms of the investigation, DS Ramsden keeps a watchful eye over the scene of the crash. Will she discover what really transpired?
Gabby is hiding something it seems (Picture: ITV)
We are yet to discover what caused Jimmy to crash into the marquee so answers will no doubt soon have to emerge.
In scenes set to air next week, Ramsden relishes the emotional pain she’s inflicting on a villager in the police interview room. But is this in relation to the crash or her own personal vendetta against Kim?
And just what is the reason for Gabby’s guilt?
Next week will confirm that something is very much weighing on her mind – but you’ll just have to keep watching to find out what it is.
Emmerdale airs these scenes Sunday August 30 at 8pm on ITV1 or stream from 7am on ITVX or YouTube.
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
Alvarez left the Etihad Stadium after two-and-half years in Manchester in 2024, joining Atletico for £82million.
His future in the Spanish capital has been in doubt throughout the summer with Barcelona and Arsenal eager to sign him. A move to the Camp Nou remains Alvarez’s clear preference but Atletico are adamant that move won’t happen, refusing to do business with the Catalan giants.
Atletico are willing to sell to Arsenal who remain interested in taking the 26-year-old to the Emirates in a deal that could be worth a staggering €150million (£130m).
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Alvarez missed training for a third consecutive day on Friday having been booed off the pitch by his own fans last Sunday.
And amid a tense stand-off between Alvarez and Atletico with Arsenal and Barcelona watching on from the sidelines, City have entered the race in a stunning development to the saga.
Marca report Enzo Maresca’s side are exploring the move and have made initial enquires into a reunion with the Argentine in the final days of the transfer window.
A loan arrangement has been suggested by the publication although negotiations between the clubs are still to formally begin.
Alvarez won two Premier League titles at City (Picture: Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
Alvarez’s only options as it stands are to leave the Estadio Metropolitano for the Premier League or reconcile with Atletico.
Marca claim however City could face the same challenges as Arsenal with Alvarez very reluctant to return to England.
Alvarez joined City from River Plate for a modest £14million in January 2022, helping Pep Guardiola’s side win the Treble in his second season in Manchester. He scored 36 times in 103 appearances for the club.
Arsenal meanwhile are still prepared to make an offer for Alvarez but will only do so if they are given sufficient encouragement by the player’s camp, which has not been forthcoming at this stage.
However, reports in Spain this week have suggested Alvarez has been made increasingly aware that a move to the Emirates may be his only option this summer if he wishes to leave Atletico.
It’s been quite a week on the Square – and more drama awaits (Picture: BBC / Metro)
It’s that time of week again when EastEnders fans must wait until the following Monday for a new visit to the Square and viewers are no doubt eager to find out what’s next given the big developments this week.
Jack had caught Amy texting Craig and, horrified, the Branning patriarch wasted little time meeting with his colleague, ready to give him a piece of his mind for speaking to his daughter.
But Craig’s revelation about Amy’s role in Joel’s attack left Jack reeling. He wasn’t sure what to make of Craig but ultimately showed gratitude towards his colleague, offering to give him a character reference amid his disciplinary.
Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), who reconnected with Priya earlier this month, has no idea that his fiancé is pregnant and he’ll no doubt be devastated when he discovers that the baby is not his.
It’s been quite a week in Albert Square and, if you’re eager to know what next week has to offer, here’s everything we can currently offer you about what Monday’s (August 31) edition of the BBC One soap has in store.
What happens next in EastEnders? New spoilers for Monday, August 31
Much of the next episode revolves around the Hawkins clan, who make an unexpectedly swift return following their brief visit to the Square earlier this month.
Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) is at a loss for words when sisters Gemma (Patricia Potter) and Jodie (Anna Constable) rock up – and this time they’ve got Nicola’s son Ryder (Felix Uff) in tow.
Nicola’s world is turned on its axis (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
The siblings urge Nicola to let them stay and, despite her initial reluctance, Nicola agrees – but only if mum Rose (Marian McLoughlin) stays away.
It seems like Nicola gets what she wants – that is until Gemma’s hubby Ned (Jamie Bamber) subsequently arrives with Rose!
Hawkins’ Assemble? Not quite, as Nicola refuses to let them stay under her roof, with Gemma and Ned tasked with finding alternative arrangements.
The Hawkins make their mark on Albert Square (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
Harry (Elijah Holloway) offers Ryder and Jodie somewhere to stay, urging his mum to make peace with Rose. Ned, meanwhile, heads over to speak to Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) but he is taken aback to see old mate Alfie (Shane Richie).
It proves to be quite a day for Nicola and just as she thinks she’s got her head around everything, she arrives at the Vic to find her extended family all gathered – with Alfie having offered Gemma and Ned a place to stay.
Oh boy.
Elsewhere in the Square, Priya is pressured by Ravi to tell the kids about their engagement but, still reeling from her pregnancy secret, she is struggling to keep a grip on everything.
Priya is overwhelmed (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) bribes Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) and Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) to help with her wedding when she sees them planning Kim’s (Tameka Empson), with Priya getting roped in too.
Priya, however, is overcome with nausea soon afterwards and steps outside, where Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) spots her. Priya reveals her pregnancy but urges Penny to keep shtum.
Talk about kicking things off in a big way!
Will the truth come out about Craig and Amy? (Picture: BBC / Jack Barnes / Kieron McCarron)
The question is: Will there be any further developments for Amy and Craig?
The storyline was left on Friday with the pair deciding to keep the fact they’ve been in contact a secret, as they shared another kiss – but will Jack find out the truth?
EastEnders airs these scenes Monday August 31 at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
Nicolas Jackson is deemed surplus to requirements at Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
Atletico Madrid have given up hope of signing Nicolas Jackson, with the out-of-favour Chelsea forward reportedly on the cusp of a big-money move to Aston Villa.
Jackson joined up with Chelsea again this summer following a season-long loan spell with Bayern Munich, but played no part in the Blues’ 3-2 victory over Fulham on Monday night.
Aston Villa have been keeping close tabs on Jackson’s situation for well over 12 months and have stepped up their pursuit of the attacker over the last few days, with Ollie Watkins expected to depart for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal.
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According to Spanish newspaper AS, a proposed move to Atleti appears ‘increasingly unlikely’ and Jackson looks set to become Unai Emery’s newest addition at Villa Park.
Jackson had been identified as a potential replacement for wantaway Atleti forward Julian Alvarez at the Metropolitano Stadium, but the La Liga giants must now consider alternative options if they are to reinforce their frontline.
It’s claimed Jackson has agreed personal terms with Villa and Emery’s side also have a verbal deal in place over a fee believed to in the region of £60-65million.
Jackson’s days with Chelsea are seemingly numbered (Picture: Venron Yuen/Nexpher via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
The Senegal forward has been left in limbo this summer (Picture: Getty)
Jackson is expected to put pen to paper on a six-year contract with Villa, tying him to the club until 2032.
Villa are said to have been keen on Jackson ‘for several summers’ and Watkins’ impending departure has only intensified their interest heading the final week of the transfer window.
Emery has been left upset and frustrated by the recent departures of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Ezri Konsa for Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, and is desperate to bring in an attacker with Premier League experience before Tuesday’s deadline.
Jackson has racked up 30 goals and 12 assists in 81 appearances for Chelsea since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Villarreal at the start of Mauricio Pochettino’s reign back in 2023.
The Senegal international enjoyed an encouraging debut season in west London, netting 14 times in the Premier League, but struggled for form the following campaign before being sent to Germany on loan.
He still has seven years remaining on his current contract with Chelsea.
Emery wants a player with Premier League experience to replace Watkins (Picture: Getty)
Facing the media ahead of Villa’s thumping 4-0 defeat to Brighton, Emery made no secret of the fact star striker Watkins could soon be set for the exit door.
‘We have an issue with him, it’s clear. He is another player, we have had offers for him,’ the Spaniard told reporters.
‘He is our player, I don’t want to sell him. It can change because if it is a good option for him, good option for the club and I can replace him in the squad.
Watkins is expected to depart Villa Park for the Saudi Pro League (Picture: PA)
‘This is the routine we have and we did before with the players they are losing. With Ollie, he is here, and he has always been up and down in his performance.
‘He is a fantastic striker, we always believe in him and we supported him and he did it. Now he is our player and there is ten days more or less to finish the transfer window.
‘We will see what happens. He is our player, I am happy with him and in case he stays with us, he is going to continue playing his level.
‘If he is leaving it will be for the best three ways. One is him, another is the club and another is the team.’
On Martinez’s future, Emery added: ‘He transmitted to us the possibility to have another challenge in his career.
‘Not now, even last year, he was thinking in case he can have one possibility to change and he didn’t do last year, and he performed fantastic with us.
‘This year again, he transmitted us the possibility to have another challenge, and we decided to sign [Zion] Suzuki because I think he’s a fantastic goalkeeper in case Martínez is leaving.’
Emma Corrin (left) plays Elizabeth in the new version of Pride and Prejudice (Picture: Netflix/Ludovic Robert)
Who else can’t wait for the season of yearning to begin?
I am, of course, referring to the imminent release of Netflix’s adaptation of Pride and Prejudice this autumn. More than 20 years after Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen bewitched us, body and soul, the streamer is bringing a new spin to Jane Austen’s romance, helmed by author Dolly Alderton.
This week is the Edinburgh TV Festival, an annual event celebrating its 50th anniversary where several of the biggest companies in television reveal the biggest projects that they have in the pipeline.
On Wednesday, Metro attended as Netflix gave a sneak peek at its six-episode Pride and Prejudice, revealing more footage of Emma Corrin as Elizabeth Bennet and Jack Lowden as Mr Darcy, as well as a first glimpse of Jamie Demetriou as the infamous Mr Collins.
I have no qualms with saying that Stath Lets Flats actor Jamie could end up being the secret standout star of this entire series.
He had big shoes to fill when he first took on the role of the Bennets’ dreaded cousin, who’s set to inherit everything when Mr Bennet dies, hence Mrs Bennet’s even greater desperation to find wealthy husbands for her daughters.
Get ready for Jamie to make you cringe like hell as Mr Collins (Picture: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
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The most recent Pride and Prejudice adaptation that often comes to mind (aside from other spin-offs like Austenland and the Bridget Jones franchise) is the 2005 movie.
The film was steeped in romanticism, wistful looks, gentle hand grazes, and a declaration of love so powerful it still pops up regularly when I’m scrolling through Instagram reels. But the leads, Keira and Matthew, weren’t the only ones who gave scene-stealing performances.
There are many actors in the stellar ensemble who deserve shoutouts, but no one could have been as infuriating, as boring, as inadvertently hilarious as Tom Hollander was playing Mr Collins in the 2005 movie. His admiration for the Bennets’ boiled potatoes has become a cult classic quote, and you can find it embossed on T-shirts, cards and tote bags on Etsy.
So who could follow in Tom’s footsteps, to make audiences cringe with secondhand embarrassment as Mr Collins demonstrates his complete lack of social awareness? Enter comedy icon Jamie.
Without giving away spoilers before the trailer is widely released, the snippet that we saw of the Fleabag actor as the Bennet family’s cousin made my toes curl up with discomfort. So yes, it seems that he’s nailed Mr Collins’ mortifying manners spot on.
Mr Collins (Tom Hollander) tries to win the affections of his cousin Elizabeth in Jane Austen’s story (Picture: Working Title/Kobal/Shutterstock)
Not only does Elizabeth not appreciate Mr Collins’ advances, her heart is elsewhere (Picture: Alex Bailey/Working Title/Kobal/Rex/Shutterstock)
There will be so much attention placed on the leads Emma, as Elizabeth, and Jack, as Mr Darcy, particularly given the latter is being touted as a frontrunner to play James Bond. But I hope that Jamie receives the adulation that he deserves if his entire performance is as awkwardly amusing as the clip we were given the opportunity to watch early.
Earlier this year, the 38-year-old admitted how ‘surprised’ he was when he was cast as Mr Collins in the series, but relished taking on a role different to ones he’d done in the past.
‘There’s so many ways to skin that character. And that challenge freaked me out. I was really, really, genuinely surprised when I got the part,’ he told NME.
‘I really do feel like I’ve taken part in something that doesn’t resemble anything I’ve done before.’
Fans celebrated his casting, with one called Past-Ad-2282 writing on Reddit: ‘Jamie is perfect for Mr Collins. PERFECT.’
‘Straight up made me want to watch this now, I love the Demetriou siblings!’ vensie remarked, while another added: ‘Oh my god I am such a big fan of his and I KNOW he will do it right.’
Pride and Prejudice is due to premiere on Netflix this year.
