Liverpool sealed their deal for striker Hugo Ekitike while Marcus Rashford said Barcelona “feels like home” after joining the LaLiga champions on loan from Manchester United.
At Euro 2025, Aitana Bonmati’s extra-time winner saw Spain set up a final clash against England with a 1-0 win over Germany.
Liverpool land Ekitike
Liverpool have completed the signing of striker Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt.
A deal was reached between the two clubs on Monday for the 23-year-old to join Arne Slot’s Premier League champions, which the PA news agency understands to be for a guaranteed £69million plus a potential £10million in add-ons.
The striker, who scored 22 goals for Frankfurt in all competitions last season, flew to England on Tuesday to undergo a medical ahead of the deal’s completion and will now travel to Asia to join his new Liverpool team-mates on their pre-season tour.
Barca feels like home to Rashford
Marcus Rashford said Barcelona “feels like home” after joining the LaLiga champions on loan as he refused to criticise Manchester United.
Rashford has become the first of United’s five wantaway players to find a way out of Old Trafford, landing the move he has desired since January when he instead joined Aston Villa on loan until the end of the season.
Barca’s agreement includes an option to make the deal permanent. That clause is reported to be 35million euros (£30.3million) and PA understands the deal sees Barcelona cover Rashford’s wages for the campaign.
“I want to win the biggest trophies and feel like Barcelona is a huge club in the football world so it is the perfect place,” Rashford said.
“It feels like home. I feel I made the right decision. I’m excited to get going and eager to play the first game in front of the fans.”
Nothing for Lionesses to prove
Lucy Bronze insisted England had nothing to prove after booking their place in the Euro 2025 final with a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory over Italy in Geneva.
The defending champions were the heavy favourites in the semi-final, but it took another tournament-saving late equaliser from 19-year-old substitute Michelle Agyemang and Chloe Kelly’s extra-time winner to ensure England would fight on.
The Lionesses’ never-say-die attitude has elicited plenty of deserved praise, but opening their tournament with a loss to France, then twice eking out knockout victories from the brink of elimination, has also sparked concern about England’s ability to overcome their toughest challenge yet – a meeting with Spain for the title.
“It’s hard to stay at the top in international football, so many teams, they have performances, then it’s up and down, they develop, but this team just keeps fighting until the end,” Bronze said.
“I feel like we didn’t have anything to prove because we’ve been there, we’ve done it many, many times.
“It’s just the fact that the game’s getting better, international football’s not as easy as it used to be. Everybody’s fighting and everyone wants to win and everyone feels like they can win.”
Bonmati sends Spain to final
Aitana Bonmati’s extra-time winner saw Spain reach the European Championship final with a 1-0 win over Germany.
Spain eventually found the breakthrough with seven minutes of extra time remaining when Bonmati was played down the right and struck from a tight angle to send her side into Sunday’s showpiece, where they come up against England in a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final.
What’s on today?
Hibernian travel to Denmark to face Midtjylland in the first leg of their Europa League second qualifying round tie.
Northern Ireland side Larne host Kosovan side Pristina in the Conference League second qualifying round, whilst fellow Irish Premiership outfit Linfield travel to Lithuanian side Zalgiris and Shamrock Rovers of the League of Ireland travel to Gibraltar to play St. Joseph’s.
