Manchester City are interested in Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, Xavi wants to take Raphinha from Barcelona if he becomes Manchester United boss, Antony the subject of Dutch interest.

Manchester City are eyeing a move for Sporting and Sweden striker Viktor Gyokeres, 26, as a long-term replacement for Erling Haaland. (Sky Sport Switzerland, via Mirror), external

Former Barcelona boss Xavi wants to take the Catalan club’s 27-year-old Brazil winger Raphinha to Old Trafford if he replaces Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Manchester United’s Brazilian winger Antony, 27, could be offered a route out of Old Trafford by his former club Ajax, but the Dutch giants are said to have some reservations about a deal. (De Telegraaf, via Mirror), external

Aston Villa are set to offer 20-year-old Polish goalkeeper Oliwier Zych a new contract amid reported interest from Arsenal and Brighton. (Football Insider), external

Barcelona are tracking River Plate‘s 16-year-old Argentine attacker Felipe Esquivel. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Real Madrid are planning to offer Liverpool and England right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, 26, a contract in the range of £14m-15m per year until the 2029-30 season. (Caught Offside), external

Pep Guardiola has asked Manchester City to pursue RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba, 21, with the Manchester City boss keen to bring in the Frenchman next summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Barcelona and Arsenal are both firmly interested in 20-year-old Colombia and Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran, and the Gunners could be better placed to sign him. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Newcastle are willing to listen to offers for 25-year-old English midfielder Joe Willock in January. (Ekrem Konur), external

GIANT policeman Geoff Capes, who became Britain’s best-loved strongman, has died aged 75.

Shot putter Capes — who stood 6ft 5½in and weighed 26st — represented Great Britain at three Olympics.

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He was Commonwealth champion and European champion twice and since 1980 has been the country’s shot put record holder with a throw of 21.68metres.

But the star was best known as the World’s Strongest Man, who could tear London phone directories in half and bend three-foot long, one-inch diameter steel bars.

But remarkably, his hobby was breeding budgerigars which he held gently in his giant hands.

And he became the president of the Budgerigar Society and was never happier than when he won the world budgie championship and travelled the globe judging bird shows.

Last night fans took to social media to pay tribute to the beloved strongman.

I was a hell of a fighter as well. If the next town came down on a Friday and there were only eight or nine of them I’d say, ‘Go back and get some more.

Geoff on his youth

One said on X: “I watched him as a young man — my sincerest ­condolences to his family and friends, we’ll miss you Geoff.”

Another added: “Sad to hear the passing of Geoff Capes. A fixture growing up on our TV and during athletics coverage.”

Geoffrey Lewis Capes was born in 1949 in Holbeach, Lincs, the seventh of nine children.

And trouble was never far away.

 He remembered: “I was a hell of a fighter as well. If the next town came down on a Friday and there were only eight or nine of them I’d say, ‘Go back and get some more.’

“I’d fight them on my own. I was quite quiet, but there was an inner aggression.

“My headmaster, a guy called Joe Fathers, took great pleasure in trying to knock it out of me. He had a choice of canes.

“On the last day I went into his office, I took the canes off the wall in the office in front of him and walked out.”

Gifted sportsman

Geoff’s salvation was Holbeach Athletic Club where he was coached by BBC athletics commentator Stuart Storey.

A gifted sportsman, Capes represented Lincolnshire at basketball, football and cross-country. But shot put was where he could channel the chip on his shoulder.

Capes said: “I threw in bare feet in a concrete circle — and came second from last.”

Capes would hitch-hike to athletics competitions and was told by Storey that he would achieve great things if he could just direct his energy.

But growing up in the Lincs fens Geoff had a softer side — he was ­fascinated by the natural world and cared for injured birds and animals.

 After leaving school he worked as a coalman and an agricultural labourer before joining Cambridgeshire Constabulary in 1970. He served in the force for ten years.

He was allowed time off to compete at athletics meetings, but on a copper’s salary he could barely afford a daily diet that included six pounds of red meat, a dozen eggs and a large tin of baked beans.

He also consumed two tins of ­pilchards, one and a half pounds of cottage cheese, a packet of cereal, two large loaves of bread with a pound of butter. All washed down with a pint of orange juice and seven pints of milk.

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In his last interview he said: “I ate like a f***ing horse! Anything I could get my hands on. But nearly all protein.”

Capes, who would lift 120 tons in training each week, did sponsorship deals that helped him to bypass the Olympics’ strict amateur rules.

He had advertising slogans “Butcher Brown is the best in town” and his Talbot Estate car displayed “Dewhurst: Master Butchers” on the side.

Capes went on to become the most capped British male athlete of all time, with 67 international credits, and in 1983 he was voted Britain’s best-ever field athlete.

Just before his last Olympics, Moscow 1980, he won Britain’s first strongest man competition and became a household name. Tests of strength such as bending steel bars, lifting a platform of bunny girls, pulling lorries, arm wrestles and tug of war gave the show cult status.

And Capes was soon in demand for everything from 17 pantomime appearances and children’s TV to performances at the London Palladium with Bobby Davro and TV ads.

By 1983 he was officially the world’s strongest man but the following year lost the title to Jón Páll Sigmarsson.

The Icelander who was 11 years younger, taunted: “The King has lost his crown!”

But Geoff swore: “I’ll be back.” The next year he took the title and roared: “The King has not lost his crown!”

Once, at Scotland’s Braemar Games, he used so much resin competing that when he was congratulated by the late Queen, their hands stuck together, causing Her Majesty to roar with laughter.

Geoff’s son Lewis and daughter Emma were both shot putters, while two of his grandchildren, Donovan, 19, and Lawson, 15, train at the shot put ring Capes built in his home village of Stoke Rochford, Lincs.

In a recent interview he said: “I enjoyed my life and I went around the world. How many people can say that?”

Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock called the trio “exceptional” and said they “constantly allowed Barcelona to play”.

Casado, who Warnock said had a natural “understanding of how to read danger” was the deepest of the three midfielders, shielding the defence and winning the ball back for his side.

The former Barcelona B captain only made his first Barcelona start this season, but has become a regular for Haasi Flick’s side, getting the nod in all of their Champions League matches this term, and came up with an assist on Wednesday.

“Casado played twice for Xavi last season and Xavi was told if you put Casado in the team enough, he wouldn’t come out of it,” added Balague.

“Xavi thought he was too short for a holding midfielder, but he’s in now.”

Just ahead of Casado was Pedri, already a superstar and a true champion of the transition, constantly receiving the ball off his defenders and playing it forward.

Pedri joined Barca from Las Palmas in 2020 at the age of 16, won the Golden Boy award in 2021 and, that same year, ended up signing a contract extension which included a 1bn euro (£846m) release clause.

ABU DHABI – Dan Ige shuts down the notion that he should have been awarded a bigger fight at UFC 308.

Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) faces Lerone Murphy (14-0-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) on Saturday’s main card at Etihad Arena (pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Ige is coming off a short-notice loss to Diego Lopes at UFC 303 in June, where he stepped in on just four hours’ notice. Ige was promised a spot on UFC 306, but that didn’t pan out. Instead, he draws undefeated Murphy, but Ige sees many perks in that fight.

“I understand the perspective, but I see this as a reward,” Ige told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day. “I get to fight a guy above me in the rankings. Yes, he’s undefeated, he’s been tested against worthy contenders, but it comes down to self-belief.

“Belief in myself and my team. I believe we have the game plan to beat him, and that’s the beauty of this sport. Anything can happen in MMA so, I’m going to look to go out there and be the first person to beat Lerone Murphy, and I truly believe I could do so.”

Ige rates Murphy’s skills highly, but thinks one major thing separates them.

“I believe we’re pretty similar in a lot of ways as far as our abilities to fight out of both stances,” Ige said. “He’s a little longer, a little more methodical with his movements, and his feints. I definitely believe there’s a pretty big power differential.

“I’m not going to go out there and look to only land big power shots, but I think you’ll see that difference in the fight. When I hit him vs. when he hits me. It’s going to be a great fight, I can’t wait to go out there and test myself against a guy like Lerone.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

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NICKELFORCE (1.40 Ludlow, nap).

He was a big improver on chase debut for trainer Ben Case at Stratford last time. He jumped well and tanked along in winning by five lengths so a 6lb rise looks fair.

TEMPER TRAP (5.00 Nottingham, nb)

Has won his past two in testing conditions. He wasn’t stopping at the end of seven furlongs at Redcar last time so this mile holds no fears. Tim Easterby’s hope can land the hat-trick under 4lb penalty.

LOVE DYNASTY (2.03 Nottingham, treble)

Stormed through the mud to score on debut at Newmarket. He’s been off a year since that effort but he looked a hot prospect for William Haggas.

OPERA KING (4.30 Ludlow)

Completes the Lucky 15. He went close at Market Rasen last month and a 3lb rise in the weights isn’t a problem.

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