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 Former Manchester United defender Raphael Varane has joined Serie A newcomers Como on a two-year deal.The 31-year-old France international, a World Cup winner in 2018, has headed for Italy after leaving Old Trafford earlier this summer when his three-year stay drew to a close with the expiry of his contract.A statement on Como’s official website said: “Como 1907 are pleased to announce the signing of French defender Raphael Varane, who played for Manchester United last season, on…

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 emailsKit Harington has defended his new play for hosting dedicated performances for Black audiences. Slave Play, now running at the Noel Coward Theatre in London’s West End, attracted controversy earlier this year when it was announced there would be two Black Out nights during the show’s 12-week run.The initiative is aimed at welcoming an “all-Black-identifying audience” that is “free from the white gaze”. A spokesperson for Rishi Sunak, who was prime minister at the time,…

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 Harry Maguire says missing Manchester United’s FA Cup win and England’s run to the Euro 2024 final was the “toughest moment” of his career.Having been replaced as captain during a summer of speculation about his future this time last year, the 31-year-old stayed put and fought his way into the starting line-up under Erik ten Hag.But Maguire was unable to play in United’s FA Cup final win against rivals Manchester City due to a calf injury, 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 emails Suddenly, smaller stocks seem to be making bigger noise on Wall Street.After getting trounced by their larger rivals for years, some of the smallest stocks on Wall Street have shown much more life recently. Hopes for coming cuts to interest rates have pushed investors to look at smaller stocks through a different lens. Smaller companies, which often carry heavy debt burdens, can feel more relief from lower borrowing costs than huge multinationals. Plus, critics…

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 Aston Villa have wished Moussa Diaby farewell as their exciting winger and record signing will now join Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad.Diaby joined Villa from Bayer Leverkusen last summer for a fee worth nearly £52m, and swiftly became a mainstay in Unai Emery’s side.The Frenchman amassed 10 goals in all competitions but, after an electric start to his Premier League stint, struggled to make Emery’s starting lineup towards the end of last season.Now, the 25-year-old will,…

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the worldSign up to our free Morning Headlines emailCaptain Sir Tom Moore’s daughter has been warned her company could be struck off the government business register.Management consultancy Maytrix Group, of which Hannah Ingram-Moore is a director, failed to file its accounts by the deadline of 31 May.It is the seventh time in 11 years that the company has been issued with such a warning, records show.Maytrix has been given notice that it could be forcibly closed and removed from the Companies House register after missing the deadline.Companies House…

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 United will press ahead with controversial plans to cut 250 jobs as part of the major overhaul being conducted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos. On Tuesday, 23 July, hundreds of staff members were informed that they are at risk of redundancy, with the club’s new ownership looking to cut around 25 per cent of the current workforce, which currently stands at over 1,100 staff. United fly out to California for their pre-season tour of the…

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 emailsYou never forget your first love. And Edna loves Harry. Except Harry is the cheeky Northern member of a British boyband, a handsome void who has a propensity for flicking his lovely hair, and Edna is a 14-year-old schoolgirl who, in the words of her pal, writes “psycho fan fiction” and posts it on the internet. This is Fangirls, a new musical about the euphoria and misery of being a teenage girl with an obsession. Aptly,…

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 The latest in the ever-growing litany of Chelsea managers will make his debut this week as Enzo Maresca’s Blues side will embark on their first preseason match, facing Wrexham in Santa Clara, California in the wee hours of Thursday morning (BST).Chelsea supporters had mixed reactions to Maresca’s appointment. The fact that he learned the managerial trade from the revolutionary mind of Pep Guardiola is a definite positive, though the Italian is largely unproven, only completing his first…

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 Preseason offers a golden opportunity for players and managers to sound one another out. New managerial arrivals such as Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca, Liverpool’s Arne Slot, and Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler will waste no time imparting their tactical wisdom upon their new squads ahead of their Premier League debuts.A handful of Premier League clubs have already begun their pre-season campaigns. The scrutiny facing Erik Ten Hag intensified following a 0-1 defeat on the road to Norwegian side Rosenborg, though…