Salah, who announced his decision to leave Anfield in March, told reporters in December that his relationship with head coach Slot had broken down.

The winger, winner of a record four Premier League Golden Boot awards, scored 29 times in the 2024-25 Premier League as the Reds won the title in Slot’s first season in charge.

But he has been unable to match the heights of last term, finding the net just 12 times in 40 games in a season that sees the defending champions languishing in fifth in the Premier League.

“I think Salah’s trying to vindicate himself and make himself feel better because he’s had a very poor season,” said Rooney.

“So I think he’s been very selfish in what he’s done in the two occasions. It’s a shame and fans will be on his side, but I think when you look deeper into it and having been in a dressing room in a similar situation to that as well, Mo Salah knows exactly what he’s doing.

“That’s your manager. You can’t publicly disrespect him twice the way he has and get away with it. And that’s where if I was Arne Slot, I’d have to pull rank and just say, listen, you’re not coming anywhere near the place on Saturday, whether you like it or not. I really doubt he will do it, but I think he should.

“Of course he deserves a good send off but does he deserve it just for this? It’s the second time he’s done it. it’s just a shame to see one of the great icon of Premier League players leave the Premier League probably in this situation.”

Heading into Sunday’s final round of the 2026 PGA Championship, it felt as if it was anyone’s game, because it practically was. An unprecedented 21 players were within four shots of 54-hole leader Alex Smalley, but it was Englishman Aaron Rai who managed to separate from the pack at Aronimink and not look back en route to becoming a major champion.

Rai, who entered the week ranked 44th in the world, came out of the gates on Sunday firing, but after making a four-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, he quickly fell into the inevitable stretch every player faced during the final round in having to stay patient and take what the golf course was giving him.

Aaron Rai of England tees off on the 2nd hole during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) (David Cannon/Getty Images)

After a poor tee shot on the difficult par-3 8th hole, and then airmailing the green with his bunker shot, disaster quickly came into the equation, but the 31-year-old managed to convert a four-foot putt for bogey. It was one of those bogeys that was a momentum saver, and the momentum was used on the very next hole.

Rai reached the gettable par-5 9th hole in two and sank a 40-footer for eagle. It was a nice bonus heading into the back nine, which played as the hardest side throughout the week, but Rai didn’t subscribe to that narrative on Sunday.

As the entire field and golf tournament as a whole fell into neutral for what felt like multiple hours with the final groups making the turn, Rai stepped on the gas.

Aaron Rai of England hits his second shot on the 16th hole during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images) (David Cannon/Getty Images)

JIM FURYK SAYS TIGER WOODS WILL HAVE A SPOT ON HIS 2027 RYDER CUP STAFF DESPITE DUI ARREST

After picking up another birdie on the par-4 11th, it was his birdie on the 299-yard par-4 13th that he may look back on as the moment.

Left with a very dicey bunker shot from 40 yards, Rai had the option of playing it relatively safe and leaving himself 20 or so feet up the hill for birdie. Or, he could fly the golf ball to the hole and bring in a slope falling away from the hole just beyond the flag. He didn’t hesitate and walked off the green with yet another birdie and a two-shot advantage.

JON RAHM APOLOGIZES AFTER HITTING VOLUNTEER WITH FLYING DIVOT AT PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: ‘INEXCUSABLE’

Despite the 13th hole being drivable for every player in the field, Rai’s birdie actually picked up a shot on plenty of the contenders on Sunday. Nick Taylor, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele each made bogey on the hole, while Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, and Smalley weren’t able to take advantage of the short hole either.

Rai officially put a hand on the door to slam shut by reaching the par-5 16th hole in two and making one of the more comfortable birdies you’ll ever see, and officially slammed it shut with a 68-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.

Rai played his final 10 holes in six-under par and without a blemish on the scorecard before signing for a 65 and a three-shot victory at nine-under overall.

The five-under round marked his lowest score in a major championship by two. A major championship Sunday for the round of your life is special stuff.

Rai being the last man standing among the likes of Ludvig Aberg, McIlroy, Rahm, Reed, and Schauffele — who all began the day within three shots of the lead — has a feeling of randomness about it, which was the theme for the week at Aronimink.

Aaron Rai of England acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green during the final round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 17, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Entering the week, the most common prediction was that players were going to be able to pick apart the Donald Ross-designed golf course. A lack of trees and water hazards made way for a bomb-and-gouge approach. Or so we thought.

Rai began the week ranked 160th on the PGA Tour in average driving distance, and finished the week ranked 66th in driving distance among the 82 players who made the cut.

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While Rai is known for being among the shortest hitters on the PGA Tour, he’s also made a habit of being an incredibly streaky putter. The flatstick is often a villain for Rai, but it was his best mate throughout the week as he finished fourth in the field in strokes gained on the greens.

With his victory, Rai became the first non-American to hoist the Wanamaker Trophy since Australian Jason Day did so in 2015, and the first European to find the winner’s circle at the PGA since Rory McIlroy in 2014.

Nantes home match against Toulouse in France’s top flight was abandoned with 22 minutes played after hooded ultras stormed the pitch and threw flares.

It was an apparent protest against Nantes’ relegation from Ligue 1 this season, having won just five of their 33 league games.

Supporters threw flares then broke through barriers and entered the field at the Stade de la Beaujoire with the score 0-0 as the stewards struggled to hold them back.

The players ran down the tunnel as police entered the pitch to quell the protest, eventually forcing the fans to retreat.

Referee Stephanie Frappart eventually called off the game nearly 40 minutes after the match was first suspended.

“The decision to permanently stop the match has been made for security reasons,” she said.

Sunday’s game was the last of the season for both teams and Nantes manager Vahid Halilhodzic’s final game at the club.

“The Yellow and Greens wanted to end the season tonight with a victory at the Beaujoire stadium, for coach Vahid’s last match and for pride, against Toulouse FC,” Nantes said in a statement on their website.

“However, following the use of pyrotechnics in the stands and a pitch invasion in the 22nd minute (0-0), the authorities and the refereeing team decided to abandon the match.”

France’s Minister of Sports, Marina Ferrari wrote on X that the incident was “unacceptable”.

“I condemn these actions with the utmost firmness and offer my support to the players as well as to the fans who came to experience this moment peacefully.

“The definitive interruption of this match, decided by the prefect, was necessary. Such incidents cannot be tolerated.

“I wish to commend the swift intervention of the stadium staff and law enforcement. Everyone must take responsibility to ensure the identification of those responsible for these acts of violence, who must be sanctioned with the utmost severity.”

Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts after his team defeated the Detroit Pistons 125-94 in Game Seven of the Second Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Little Caesars Arena on May 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images/AFP

Donovan Mitchell is going home after Round 2 of the playoffs again.

This time, it’s a good thing.

Mitchell’s breakthrough moment has arrived. He’s going to the conference finals for the first time in his career. And that series will begin at Madison Square Garden, a bonus for the native New Yorker.

READ: NBA scores today: Cavaliers vs Pistons – Game 7

Nothing better than celebrating with your fiancée after the Game 7 win 🥹💯@TheRealCocoJ x @spidadmitchell pic.twitter.com/4Ua1ndIKII

— NBA (@NBA) May 18, 2026

In his ninth season, Mitchell has reached the NBA’s final four. He and the Cleveland Cavaliers rolled past the Detroit Pistons 125-94 on Sunday night in Game 7 — on the road, no less — of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Their reward is a trip to New York for Game 1 of the East finals against the Knicks on Tuesday.

“Me and my fiancee joked that we were going home regardless, so we might as well play some basketball while we’re at the crib,” Mitchell said. “It’s going to be special, for sure.”

Mitchell had 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in Sunday’s romp. And when his night was over with 4:01 remaining, he had handshakes and hugs for anyone wearing Cleveland colors. He leaned down to wrap his arms around a seated Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson, who said before the game that he wanted Mitchell to be himself in Game 7.

The result?

“It was better than Donovan Mitchell,” Atkinson said. “Is that possible? … It started with him, his defense, rebounding, and then when he gets in the paint and starts making other people better, you know, the dishes, dish-offs to our big guys, that was the key, I felt like, to the game. He had complete control of the game.”

READ: NBA Playoffs: Cavaliers crush Pistons in Game 7, advance vs Knicks

Mitchell was brought to Cleveland in September 2022 in a trade with Utah, with the Cavaliers betting — correctly, it turned out — that he would be the last piece of their post-LeBron James rebuild and help them return to the playoffs.

They got to the first round in 2023, then lost in the second round in 2024 and 2025. This year, the conference finals await after the third-biggest road win a team has ever had in a Game 7.

“I’ll follow him into war,” Cavs forward Jarrett Allen said.

Mitchell has been an All-Star in each of the last seven seasons, was one of eight players to receive at least one vote in this year’s MVP balloting and will likely be an All-NBA pick for the third time.

But there was a void — the deep playoff run.

Not anymore.

“Couldn’t be happier for him, to make that next step,” Atkinson said. “He’s going home to New York. He kept this thing together this year when things weren’t going great. He was the beacon, the light … he carried us on the court.”

Added the Cavs’ Sam Merrill, who grew up in Utah and was a Jazz fan when Mitchell was there: “You’re not going to find a guy more happy for him than I am. But I know he wants more. We all want more.”

There were so many near-misses for Mitchell along the way. Mitchell’s Utah team wasted a 3-1 lead in the 2020 playoff bubble against Denver in the West semifinals, falling in seven games. A year later, the Jazz were up 2-0 in Round 2 against the Los Angeles Clippers, who ended up winning in six. He got hurt in Round 2 against Boston as that series fell apart for Cleveland in 2024, and last year the Cavaliers went 0-3 at home in the second round against Indiana on the way to a five-game ouster.

He was part of a No. 1 seed in 2021, part of a No. 1 seed again last year, and never got out of Round 2.

Until now.

“We can’t really look at it and say, ‘All right, we did it, we got to the conference finals,’” Mitchell said. “Hey, man, that’s not the end-all. We’ve still got more to do.”

Manchester United transfer news continues to ramp up ahead of the window opening this summer

Manchester United are reportedly making moves in the transfer market ahead of the summer window, having already secured Champions League qualification for next season. The club returns to European football after a two-year absence, and the prospect of continental competition can only strengthen their ability to attract new talent.

Midfield reinforcements will be their primary focus, with several signings required in that area. Casemiro has been confirmed as departing, while Manuel Ugarte could also be heading for the exit door.

There is no shortage of potential targets, both within the Premier League and further afield. The MEN rounds up the key headlines surrounding Old Trafford.

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Tonali ‘up for sale’

Sandro Tonali is available for transfer and will depart Newcastle United this summer, according to Corriere della Sera. The Italian publication reports that United are frontrunners to sign the midfielder.

Newcastle are anticipating a substantial offer from a Premier League club. The Reds are apparently ahead of their English rivals in the race.

United would seem ready to welcome Tonali, who is said to be open to the move. As an Italian playing abroad, several Serie A clubs are interested in the boyhood Milan fan.

Newcastle’s valuation, however, appears beyond the reach of clubs such as Juventus. Reports suggest a deal for Tonali would cost well in excess of £70million, with some Italian outlets claiming the fee could reach £87million (€100million).

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United interest in record deal

Manchester United have been monitoring Christos Tzolis over recent weeks, according to Gazet van Antwerpen. Aston Villa and Juventus are also said to have shown similar interest, though the publication suggests United’s interest has been particularly strong.

Sport Witness reports that both Premier League clubs have made enquiries regarding the Club Brugge winger. Tzolis has notched 19 goals and contributed 24 assists across 49 appearances in all competitions, with three fixtures remaining in the Belgian Pro League champions’ play-off campaign.

There is reportedly a general acceptance in Bruges that the Greek international will depart this summer. Crystal Palace tabled a £28million bid twelve months ago, but his club are now holding out for a Belgian record-breaking fee.

The current benchmark is £34million, the figure Milan agreed to pay Brugge for Ardon Jashari last summer. Having stood firm on their demand for a higher fee for the Swiss international than they received for Igor Thiago, it appears that figure will serve as the starting point for any future negotiations.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.