Julian Alvarez has been badly advised, says Atletico Madrid’s CEO (DeFodi via Getty)
Atletico Madrid CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin insists the club will not sell Julian Alvarez to Arsenal or Barcelona and believes the Argentine forward has been badly advised during the summer transfer window.
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Alvarez, meanwhile, has faced abuse from Atletico supporters as a section of fans chanted against him during the 2-0 win at home to Malaga on Wednesday, while signs saying ‘Julian OUT’ were seen outside of the club’s training ground on Friday.
Speaking to EFE on Friday, Gil Marin insists that Atletico remain fully behind Alvarez and accused rival clubs of being disrespectful in their pursuit of the Argentina international.
Julian Alvarez has faced abuse from Atletico Madrid fans for wanting to leave the club (Shutterstock)
‘Atletico Madrid, like all great clubs, is built with great players, and I’m certain that Julian is one, as well as a great professional,’ Gil Marin said.
‘We must compete based on our values, with homegrown talent and the best players from outside that we can bring in.
‘We are going to help Julian and continue to take care of him so that he can give us his full potential, because we need him to continue competing among the greats of Europe.
‘We must understand that Julian has not had the best advisors around him regarding his professional career in recent months.
‘We cannot allow other clubs and their affiliated media to dictate what we have to do, dictate our sporting strategy, and disrespect us.
‘That’s precisely what they’re trying to do – divide us. It’s clear we’re not as powerful as they are but we have values. We Atletico fans won’t let them corrupt us. Atleti is strong when we’re all together.’
Two teenagers have been left with severe injuries after being attacked by a man with a sword at a Swedish high school.
The pupils had just returned to the Brinell High School in the small town of Fagersta, central Sweden, following their summer break.
A massive emergency response was triggered when a man armed with a sword entered this afternoon, with two boys seriously injured, while a third suffered wounds of which the extent is unknown.
Police confirmed in a statement that the alarm was raised at 2.06pm about ‘suspected deadly violence’, and they immediately sent ‘all available resources’ to the school.
The spokesperson declined to address whether anyone had been killed but said that one person at the scene was later taken into custody and that there was no longer any danger to the public.
Local reports have further claimed that the suspect was shot in the leg by officers.
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A man with a sword attacked students on their first day back after the summer break (Picture: Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)
Public broadcaster SVT cited anonymous sources in their reports that the individual arrested was an 18-year-old former student who had a previous assault conviction.
His home was raided after his arrest, with police also investigating a mysterious TikTok account where an image of a sword was shared around 25 minutes prior to the attack.
It is unknown whether the account is connected to the suspect, but it had previously shared pictures and videos praising mass murderers.
The suspect wore a helmet during the sword attack, and students recalled fleeing for their safety.
‘We just all ran,’ said Abdulrahem Salmo.
He added that he had seen one victim with a bloody stab wound to their arm.
A huge emergency response was triggered (Picture: Reuters)
‘Then people called the police, and we just all ran from there because we were afraid.’
Madelene Jansson, whose daughter goes to the school, also spoke to local newspaper Fagersta-posten outside, explaining that she was sent a text message by her child, saying ‘somebody had been stabbed, and the police were on their way’.
‘Then it all just went off. It feels unreal,’ she told the paper.
Several police officers were seen coming in and out of a cordon surrounding Brinell, which has 450 students aged 16 to 20.
The incident triggered a mass lockdown, with measures implemented for eight other schools, which were later lifted.
Public buildings were also locked down in Fagersta, a town with a population of 13,000.
Other schools and public buildings were put on lockdown (Picture: Fredrik Sandberg/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images)
‘We are moving into high alert status to marshal our resources and gain the clearest possible picture of the situation,’ the Vastmanland county authority said in a statement.
The Swedish government has been liaising with the police force in the aftermath of the attack, with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson urging people to allow the emergency services to work without disturbance.
‘Our thoughts are with all those affected,’ he added in an X post.
Social Democrat leader Magdalena Andersson also wrote: ‘All of Sweden stands together with Fagersta at this difficult time.’
The sword attack comes 18 months after the worst mass shooting in Swedish history.
A gunman opened fire at a school in Orebro, also in central Sweden, killing 10 people before shooting himself.
Understandably, Eamonn has been absent from his breakfast show for the past four months, a gig he took on in 2022, originally alongside Isabel Webster before co-host Ellie Costello took over.
He’s also been inactive on social media, his last post being a picture of his granddaughters shared shortly after his stroke, with Eamonn vowing to ‘get well soon’ in the caption.
Now, however, it’s claimed that Eamonn’s future at GB News is uncertain, as TV bosses ‘barely hear’ from him, and it looks unlikely he’ll return.
As reported by the Daily Mail, GB News big wigs have had ‘limited contact’ with Eamonn since he went off, with his eldest son, Declan, in charge of his affairs for the time being.
The broadcaster, 66, suffered a stroke and was hospitalised (Picture: Ian West/PA Wire)
‘Everyone has started to accept Eamonn won’t be coming back to do the same job as he did before,’ an insider said.
‘They have barely heard from him in months, and he isn’t on social media anymore.
‘Declan has been really conscious not to cause his dad any more stress.’
The source added that, before Eamonn’s stroke, he was ‘going back and forth with lawyers’ over his £10million divorce from Ruth Langsford, from whom he split in May 2024 after 14 years of marriage.
‘Anything work-related has been going through Declan.’
Eamonn is reportedly on a £450,000 salary at GB News, making him one of its highest-paid stars.
Ellie Costello has been holding the fort at GB News (Picture: GB News)
But while he’s gone, Ellie, 32, is taking the helm, alongside a variety of co-presenters.
The publication adds that she has been instructed to ‘keep the show on the road’, although many feel the channel is now ‘in limbo’ without Eamonn.
Ellie is reportedly finding the switch-ups ‘extremely stressful’, as she is ‘often left wondering who will be sitting beside her each morning’, despite being praised for her ‘incredible job’.
Prior to Eamonn’s set-back, there were already rumours that he could retire, with some staffers believing it was time for him to ‘bow out gracefully’ and return just for special broadcasts.
This followed a series of live TV mishaps, such as the time he fell off his chair and went clattering to the ground.
Ultimately, insiders believe the screen ‘legend’ should now be allowed to ‘enjoy his retirement’, saving him from publicly ‘declining’.
Eamonn had a ‘tough year’ last year, also due to health issues and his divorce from Ruth Langsford (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
‘Waking up in the early hours of the morning would take its toll on the healthiest of people,’ the source continued.
‘Eamonn admittedly loves it; he did the same thing at Sky News for years, but it has had an impact.’
They’ve claimed that the fast-paced environment ‘is not conducive to his health’, leaving other employees unhappy as higher-ups won’t ‘just admit he is not coming back’.
In the aftermath of Eamonn’s stroke, GB News issued a statement to update viewers.
‘Eamonn was taken ill last week, and it was later confirmed he had suffered a stroke,’ they shared four days later.
‘He is currently responding well to treatment.
Bosses don’t know whether he will be coming back to the breakfast show (Picture: Instagram/Ellie Costello)
‘Eamonn has asked for privacy as he focuses on getting better.’
Clearly optimistic about him returning, the message concluded: ‘His colleagues and everyone at GB News wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to the People’s Channel when he is ready to return.’
The stroke was the latest in years’ worth of health woes for the ex-This Morning host, who has been open about his struggles since his chronic pain began five years ago.
He’s since undergone extensive physical therapy in a bid to regain independence but requires mobility aids to get around and has often been seen in a wheelchair when out with his girlfriend, Katie Alexander.
Eamonn also suffered a fall at home last May, and an ambulance had to be called.
Reflecting on his health shortly after, he admitted it had been a ‘tough year’ as he navigated life post-divorce.
‘I have been basically disabled for a year and a half or so, and I have to have a carer to do the smallest, simplest things, and it’s humiliating and humbling,’ he told The Sun.
‘But thank goodness that carers are available.’
Reps for Eamonn Holmes have been contacted for comment.
Ilja Dragunov has ditched WWE after seven years (Picture: 2024 WWE)
WWE superstar Ilja Dragunov has left the company after seven years.
The so-called Mad Dragon, who was also known as Unbesiegbar and The Czar, was born in Russia and raised in Berlin, and made his name across the UK and Europe before signing with WWE in 2019.
A report has since emerged from PWInsider confirming that the 32-year-old wrestler’s contract has expired, and he’s leaving the company.
During his time with WWE, Dragunov won the United States, NXT and United Kingdom Championships.
In 2023, he won Male Superstar of the Year in the official NXT Year-End Awards, while he and Carmelo Hayes won Match of the Year for their bout at NXT No Mercy.
He was considered one of the best wrestlers in the world (Picture: Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images)
Despite capturing gold and delivering every time he was between the ropes, fans feel like WWE could have done more with Dragunov, who has been hailed by people as ‘genuinely one of thebest wrestlers’ in the world.
‘Bro how did WWE fumble this badly. I have mad respect for Ilja, I hope he finds MAJOR success wherever he ends up. Sad that his talent was wasted,’ wrote BrBl112.
‘Imagine fumbling a talent like Ilja Dragunov,’ agreed X user @undeniableheel, while other fans said they were ‘speechless’ over his shock departure.
Others called out the fact that WWE never ran Ilja versus GUNTHER on the main roster, despite their epic battles across the independent scene and NXT UK.
@WrasslinDragons ranted: ‘It is an absolute, utter, unforgivable, inexcusable shame that we never got Gunther vs Ilja Dragunov on the main roster. What a fumble.’
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His final WWE match came as part of the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the eve of WrestleMania 42 in April.
Late last year, Ilja had an incredible run on SmackDown, beating Sami Zayn for the United States Title on October 17 in his first match back after over a year of action due to injury.
He went onto hold the gold until losing it to Carmelo Hayes on December 19, after eight successful title defences in a series of match of the year contenders.
He said: ‘There’s a certain way to my persona to carry myself, and how I compete and how I fight and how I do the things that I do, and if I can’t do them that way anymore, where is the sense, right?
‘I don’t do that for just like, I don’t know, fame or being like a celebrity or whatever, I just do that because I can fully express myself in this business. That is my reason. Number one.’
Ilja Dragunov could have been legit main eventer in WWE
Metro’s WWE expert Alistair McGeorge breaks down Ilja’s exit.
News Ilja Dragunov has left WWE comes as a shock, but there’s a lot we still don’t know.
His contract reportedly expired, but it’s not clear whether that was a decision made by him or the company, which could change things.
I’ve seen Ilja wrestle live numerous times, from the Ritz in Manchester to Wembley Stadium, and had the pleasure of interviewing him a few times.
He had all the potential and talent to be a major player in the company, and his run as United States Champion was a highlight of SmackDown in 2025.
If WWE had pulled the trigger on a main roster feud with GUNTHER, they would have had a ready made headliner for any of the various European PLEs between two stars guaranteed to get people invested.
It remains to be seen where he’ll go from here, but if Tony Khan was smart, he’d already be trying to tempt him to AEW in time for All In London at Wembley Stadium on August 31.
Bryan died three years after being diagnosed with ALS, a motor neuron disease that causes increased paralysis.
The couple, who had been together for eight years, did not reveal his illness as she has now revealed he had asked her ‘not to share’.
‘I know why he asked me not to,’ she said on the Smartless podcast but admitted that had ‘isolated her in the process’.
Around half of ALS patients are given a three-year prognosis, although some live for far longer, but Sandra said she was ‘grieving Bryan four years before he passed.’
Bryan died from ALS after eight years together (Picture: Jackson Lee/GC Images)
‘There was something that had shifted’ she said. ‘My person left a lot earlier than the body left. I don’t think I ever dealt with that until after he passed, because you’re just on this treadmill.’
‘And plus the entire world was locked in with a pandemic. It was literally like the final diagnosis, even though he was ill for half of our relationship.’
She explained that the diagnosis came at almost the same time as ‘the cloak of the pandemic’, which saw everyone shut inside to prevent Covid’s spread.
‘I have a child with severe asthma, I was panicking,’ the Practical Magic star recalled. ‘I had two young kids, that were navigating it, especially a little girl who saw him as a father figure…
‘I wasn’t allowed to tell anybody. My sister was the only one who knew for a while. It’s a huge weight.’
She eventually told friend Jennifer Aniston after keeping the diagnosis secret (Picture: INSTAGRAM/Jennifer Aniston)
In January 2024, Sandra was seen scattering his ashes in the Bahamas to mark his final resting spot.
An insider said at the time that, after the couple first met in 2015, they exchanged their informal ‘vows’ there in 2017 and frequently took family holidays there.
Her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado had previously confirmed he was also scattered in Wyoming on the banks of Snake River, in a video on Instagram.
On the day that would have been his 58th birthday, she posted: ‘Happy birthday, Bry. Sandy brought you to the river, just as she promised.’
Sandra scattered Bryan’s ashes in the Bahamas (Picture: Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
An insider told People at the time: ‘It was very important to her that when she and his family made the initial statement of Bryan’s passing, those who were on this journey with her and Bryan, from the beginning, were recognised.’
The couple had met when Bryan, a photographer, oversaw a photoshoot for Sandra’s son Louis, who she adopted in 2010.
They also shared Sandra’s adopted daughter Laila, 12, and an adult daughter named Skylar from Bryan’s previous relationship.
Konsa will undergo his medical in the coming days and is Arsenal’s fourth new summer signing after Illan Meslier, Christos Tzolis and Bruno Guimaraes.
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Analysing Konsa’s move to the defending champions, Ferdinand told his YouTube channel: ‘I think this is a magnificent signing. A player in his prime who knows exactly who he is and what he is.
‘There’s no frills about him. He’s a solid, really, really, really good Premier League defender.
‘Arsenal are advancing in talks with Konsa from Aston Villa for 51million pounds plus add-ons. I think it’s an absolute steal in today’s market.
Arsenal have agreed a deal for Ezri Konsa (Picture: PA)
’28 years old, minimum four or five years of really, really solid, dependable service, and he provides vital cover in two areas: centre-half and right-back.
‘You’ve got Ben White, who seems fit now, but has had injuries in the right-back area. You’ve got Timber, who hasn’t been able to stay fit as well, and William Saliba’s injury concerns as well.
‘He’s going to be great cover. Someone who can come in there and just play straight away, no questions asked. And that versatility at the top level, the reliability as well, both right-back and centre-half, absolute steal.’
Mikel Arteta was keen to strengthen his side’s defence (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal will begin their title defence on Friday against newly-promoted Coventry City at the Emirates.
And Ferdinand believes that the imminent arrival of Konsa only puts them in a stronger position to successfully defend their title this season.
‘If you go and get him, that just reinforces why I think Arsenal are going to go and win the league again, because it’s a sensible and very good signing,’ he added.
Rio Ferdinand praised Arsenal’s signing of Konsa (Picture: Getty)
A man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and attempted murder (Picture: UKNIP)
A woman is dead and another is injured after a stabbing in Shepherd’s Bush.
Officers were called to Askew Road, Shepherd’s Bush this morning and found two women with stab wounds.
One of the victims, 52, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another woman, 32, was taken to hospital where her injuries are being assessed.
A man, 48, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
He was also taken to hospital as a precaution but discharged into police custody.
Neighbours reported a huge emergency response after 8.30am this morning, with Askew Road closed for hours.
Detective Inspector Richard MacKenzie, who is leading the investigation, said: ‘Our enquiries continue at pace as we work to establish the full circumstances of this deeply tragic incident. Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victim and injured woman.
‘We believe this to be an isolated incident within a residential address, but we know it will cause concern locally. Our officers will remain in the area throughout today.
‘We will update the community when we can, and I encourage anyone with any information, CCTV or doorbell camera footage which could support the investigation to contact us.’
Ukrainian drone strikes into Russia has led to widespread fuel shortages (Picture: Contributor/Getty Images)
Russia has threatened to retaliate after British-made drones were used for the first time by Ukraine in strikes against Putin.
Moscow’s embassy in London warned the UK would pay a ‘higher price’ if it becomes more involved in the war in eastern Europe.
According to Russian state media, the embassy accused the UK of ‘deliberately betting on an escalation of the Ukraine crisis, while hypocritically claiming to be striving for peace’.
Repeating a common slur against Ukraine, the statement continued: ‘The United Kingdom is thus acting as an accomplice and accessory to the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks of Ukrainian neo-Nazis seeking to contain our country and to inflict maximum damage upon it using the hands of others.
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‘London’s actions will inevitably have consequences, for which it will have to answer.
‘The deeper its involvement in this conflict and the greater its support for the terrorist machine of Kyiv, the higher the price will be.’
The intervention comes after it was reported that drones made by two UK companies had been deployed by Ukraine to attack Russian oil refineries.
Zelensky’s campaign against the vital Russian resource has caused mroe than £35bn in economic damage, according to estimates, and has led to fuel shortages in the country.
The Sunday Times said the Nyan drone, made by Callen-Lenz, a subsidiary of defence giant BAE Systems was used by Ukraine.
Another drone was also said to have been used in long-range strikes, but was not named by the newspaper for security reasons.
The Nyon drone has a wingspan of 150 miles so can only strike parts of Russia close to Ukraine.
The flying weapons reportedly struck oil refineries in Volgograd and Yaroslavl, near Moscow.
The Russian Embassy’s ominous rhetoric about the use of British drones was escalated by a Kremlin TV propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, who issued a nuclear threat to the UK.
The Putin ally demanded British arms factories that deliver weapons to Ukraine be hit and sunk.
Andy Burnham has continued to maintain British support for Ukraine since entering office (Picture: Simon Jones / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
He said: ‘Hit them with Poseidon [underwater nuclear drone]. Give the British three days to learn to breathe underwater, then hit them with Poseidon.
Putin already threatened last week to seize British vessels after a Western crackdown on his shadow fleet tankers, which are trying to avoid sanctions on Russian oil.
US intelligence recently suggested the Russian president could sanction an attack against Nato territory within weeks to dampen the alliance’s support for Kyiv.
Ukraine has used other British-made weapons to hit Putin’s territory before.
Storm Shadow cruise missiles have previously been deployed by Ukraine’s air force to strike targets across the border.
The UK, US and France have occassionally given the green light for their weapons to be used to attack Russia, but approval has become less frequent amid dwindling stocks and fears from Donald Trump that it will spark an esclation.
Goals from Riccardo Calafiori, Kai Havertz and Odegaard ensured the English champions picked up the first piece of silverware up for grabs this term, with City offering very little by way of response at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Summer signing Christos Tzolis shone in the Welsh capital, assisting Havertz and Odegaard either side of half-time after Calafiori had opened the scoring just 23 seconds into the contest.
Bruno Guimaraes was also handed his debut following a high-profile £75million summer move from Newcastle and looked comfortable in the middle of the park alongside the impressive Myles-Lewis Skelly.
Mikel Arteta’s men will no doubt be looking to carry their barnstorming form into the opening match of their Premier League title defence when they play host to newly promoted Coventry City at the Emirates on Friday.
Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, will be under pressure to oversee immediate improvements on the back of a lacklustre and disjointed performance from City, who kick off their top-flight campaign at home to Bournemouth in a week’s time.
‘We played some brilliant football, we showed our level,’ Arsenal captain Odegaard said shortly after the final whistle.
The Gunners breezed past City to get their hands on the Community Shield (Picture: Getty)
Odegaard put Arsenal out of sight just moments into the second half (Picture: Getty)
‘We showed we’re ready, serious and want to do it again.
‘We want to attack it. When you get a taste of how nice it is, you want to do it again.
‘We want to win everything.’
Arteta’s men start the new Premier League season against Coventry City on Friday (Picture: Getty)
On debutant Guimaraes, Odegaard went on: ‘I think he has been unbelievable since the first moment.
‘He has come in here and feels like such a natural part of the team although we had some big fights in the past.
‘He has been such a natural part of the team and you see his quality on the pitch, he is so good on the ball but he is also a fighter and he wins the ball.
‘Christos [Tzolis] as well on the left, he had two assists today and a strong performance. I think everyone was good today so it was good to see.’
City new boy Anderson struggled in the middle of the park (Picture: Matt Impey/Shutterstock)
Facing the media after the Gunners’ triumph, Arteta followed Odegaard in applauding new boy Tzolis, highlighting the winger’s ‘intelligence’ and ‘quality’ in the final third.
‘He’s come into the team and really organically he’s fitted in,’ the Arsenal head coach told reporters.
‘He’s a really intelligent boy, and he has a massive quality, which is that in the last 30 metres, he is so composed to pick people out in and around the box or to finish.
‘He has shown that two or three times, and he was decisive.’
Guimaraes made his Arsenal debut in Wales (Picture: Getty)
Asked if there was room for improvement in Tzolis’ game, the Spaniard added: ‘With more quality around him, the numbers will be higher. It is not a coincidence.
‘He is a really consistent player in everything he does and, yes, I’m really impressed with him.’
Arsenal have now lifted the Community Shield on 18 occasions in their history – just three short of Manchester United’s total, who hold the record with 21 victories.
Arteta has steered the north Londoners to three of these wins as a manager, lifting the prize in 2020 and 2023 prior to the team’s latest triumph.
He also won the Community Shield twice as a player, first in 2014 and then again 12 months later.
