Author: INDEPENDENT

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Premier League clubs have agreed a deal in principle to introduce an overall spending cap for future seasons.It is understood that 16 clubs voted in favour of the new guidelines, with Chelsea abstaining and the three dissenting votes coming from Manchester City, Manchester United and Aston Villa.Utilising a concept referred to as “anchoring” or “tethering”, it is expected that spending on transfers, wages and agents’ fees would be linked to the amount that the league’s bottom clubs…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailSouth Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham leaped to Donald Trump’s defence on Sunday as he dismissed the former president’s New York hush money trial saying “I think the whole thing is a crock”.The longtime Mr Trump ally appeared on CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday where he railed against the trial and branded the former president’s long list of legal woes as examples of “selective prosecution” – but declined to say that he should have full immunity from…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Thiago Silva will depart Chelsea at the end of the season, with the veteran defender bringing to an end a four-year stint at Stamford Bridge.Silva joined the club on a free transfer in August 2020 on an initial one-year deal, but extended his stay and has remained a consistent starter under Mauricio Pochettino.The 39-year-old was part of the side that won the Champions League in 2021, featuring in the final against Manchester City as Chelsea secured a…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsPedro Sanchez has said he will continue as Spain’s prime minister despite his wife being investigated over corruption claims.He announced his decision on Monday morning after taking several days away from public duty to consider quitting.The legal complaint against his wife, Begona Gomez, was filed by a legal platform that claims Ms Gomez used her position to influence business deals.On Wednesday, Mr Sanchez said the move was a personal attack on his family and he…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter On such days, Manchester City may be the unconvincing unstoppables. This was scarcely the most glorious demonstration of Pep Guardiola’s philosophy but churn or grind out four more wins and they will have a fourth consecutive Premier League title, regardless of what Arsenal do.Weakened by injury and illness, put under pressure by Nottingham Forest, below par with their passing, City still prevailed. It may have been the result of champions. It is harder to claim it was…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsRussia has jailed two journalists on extremism charges for working with a group founded by the late opposition politician Alexei Navalny.Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin have been accused of producing content for Navalny’s YouTube channel, NavalnyLIVE, run by the Foundation for Fighting Corruption. The organisation, which is dedicated to investigating corrupt practices by Vladimir Putin, his associates and the ruling elite, has been declared an “extremist” body by the Kremlin.Mr Gabov, arrested on Saturday, was…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Manchester City are waiting to see if Ederson is out for the rest of the season and will have to sit out their pursuit of the double after suffering a shoulder injury in the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.The goalkeeper, who was substituted at half-time after being hurt in a collision with Forest defender Willy Boly, left the City Ground with his arm in a sling.“It doesn’t look good,” admitted manager Pep Guardiola. “We see tomorrow with…

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsWorld Central Kitchen, the humanitarian group that saw seven of its aid workers killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month, said they resumed operations in Gaza on Sunday.Citing the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, the group said they were restarting operations “with the same energy, dignity, and focus” to feed as many people as possible while also mourning the loss of their seven colleagues and friends.“We have been forced to make a decision: stop…

Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for freeSign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter Arsenal’s slim Women’s Super League title chances were effectively ended as 16-year-old substitute Issy Hobson’s stoppage-time equaliser earned Everton a 1-1 draw at Walton Hall Park.Alessia Russo had put the third-placed Gunners ahead 10 minutes from time, slotting in the follow-up after Toffees goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan had blocked Beth Mead’s shot with her leg.But the hosts equalised through Hobson in the fifth added minute, the teenager nodding the ball past Gunners keeper Manuela Zinsberger to become the…

Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inboxGet our free Inside Washington emailPresident Joe Biden talked with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday amid a fraying of the two leaders’ relationship and criticism on a major US cable news network directed at the prime minister by a relative of an American held by Hamas.The White House readout of the call described the two men as having discussed “ongoing talks to secure the release of hostages together with an immediate ceasefire in Gaza”, a day after the US president attended…