With the presidential election at Real Madrid just days away, current president Florentino Perez has added fresh intrigue by revealing plans to launch a €150 million bid for a leading player currently competing in the UEFA Champions League.

The announcement comes during a heated election period that has seen transfer speculation dominate headlines in Spain, particularly after rival candidate Enrique Riquelme made bold claims regarding several high-profile players.

Perez distances himself from Haaland speculation

Perez made it clear that the mystery target is not Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku, or any other player currently plying their trade in the Premier League.

The clarification appears aimed at separating his transfer strategy from the controversy created by Riquelme, who recently claimed that Haaland had a release clause and wanted to join Madrid.

Those remarks were quickly dismissed by Haaland’s representatives, while Manchester City publicly rejected the suggestion and even threatened legal action over the use of the striker’s image and name in an election campaign.

Election campaign turns into transfer battle

The June 7 election has increasingly become a contest of transfer promises.

Riquelme previously stated that both Haaland and Rodri could be brought to Madrid under his presidency. The claims generated widespread attention but also drew criticism after Manchester City strongly denied any possibility of Haaland leaving.

What it means for Manchester City?

For Manchester City, Perez’s comments offer some reassurance. By explicitly ruling out Haaland, Doku and other Premier League players, Perez has effectively ended speculation linking Madrid’s upcoming bid to City’s squad.

The situation surrounding Rodri, however, remains less straightforward. The Ballon d’Or winner’s contract situation has been a subject of discussion in recent months, and reports suggest his long-term future could become clearer after the FIFA World Cup.

While Perez has ruled out Premier League targets for this particular €150 million move, Rodri’s name continues to surface in Madrid-related conversations.

Mystery surrounds Madrid’s €150 million target

Perez has not revealed the identity of the player Madrid intend to pursue, only confirming that the target currently plays for a Champions League club outside the Premier League.

With the election approaching and the summer transfer window around the corner, attention will now shift to Tuesday, when Madrid are expected to make their move and potentially unveil the next major chapter in the club’s transfer plans.  Who could the mystery man be?  With Perez clearing out that the player isn’t Erling Haaland, Harry Kane or any player from the Premier League, it is likely that the player could be seen coming from the Champions League winners PSG, who currently have a brilliant crop of players with themselves.   The reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmanne Dembele is also among the players who is receiving a lot of attention lately and could be Perez’s man this year too.  Dembele does bring some similarity to that of the cituation when Cristiano Ronaldo was brought in the club with both players winning the Champions League and Ballon d’Or’s in the club and then becoming a Galactico the following year.  However, there are other stars that could be on the radar too, with thelikes of PSG forwards Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue playing out an incredible season for the French Champions too.  Doue was awarded the man of the match for the UCl final against Arsenal and is considered as a vital player for Luis Enrique’s side with both his attacking and tracking back exploits coming in handy for the side. 

Ahead of his side’s one-off Test against Afghanistan, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir said that the series could be an “ideal opportunity” to try a long-term fourth spin bowling option. Team India will take on Afghanistan in the one-off Test at New Chandigarh from Saturday onwards. In the absence of veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, two young all-rounders, Harsh Dubey and Manav Suthar, have got their India call-ups. Kuldeep Yadav and all-rounder Washington Sundar are other spin options in the squad. It would be interesting to see if Harsh or Manav get the reward of their long domestic grind in the form of a Test cap.

On similarities and differences between Harsh and Manav, Gambhir said during the pre-match presser, “Look, to a certain extent similar, but also a little different as well, because if you see that you do not only see that there are two left-arm spinners, but you also see that the release points, you also see what someone gets off the wicket and the trajectories and everything. And uh, who is probably most suited for red-ball cricket. And this probably is the only Test match where we can think of or looking at someone who could be a fourth spinner. Because after this, we go to Sri Lanka, and we might have to carry four spinners as well. So, this is an ideal opportunity to try someone who could be a long-term fourth spinner as well.”

Gambhir also said that the team has a “more or less a very settled batting line-up, especially at home”.

“We know what way we want to go. But yes, as I mentioned, that we might look at probably giving an opportunity to our finger spinner, who could be a fourth spinner as well. And that this is, again, a Test match is a Test match. I know people can talk about this not being a… in a World Test Championship cycle, but for me, I think it is a Test match that we need to go out there and win for the country. Because you do not differentiate between Test matches, whether it is not part of the World Test Championship, whether it is part of the World Test Championship. That is one of the reasons why we are going to try and play our full strength, even in this Test match,” added the coach.

On the absence of Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel from the Test match, Gambhir said that Jadeja still remains an integral part of the team.

“The chairman of selectors has already made it very clear that Jadeja is an integral part of this team. It was just that we had the opportunity to try another spinner. And I have already said that if you have to pick four spinners for Sri Lanka, this is the perfect opportunity to try a fourth spinner, because we have got Washi, Kuldeep, and Jaddu, uh, who, who are our top three spinners. So, if you have that opportunity, we will give it a try and use that opportunity.” he signed off.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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A coalition of athletes, including several Olympians, have signed a letter advocating against Iran for its history and plans to execute star athletes, as the planned execution of Iranian boxing champion Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani looms.

Sani is a boxing champion, coach and political prisoner who is currently facing an imminent risk of execution in Iran by the Ayatollah.

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He was arrested by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in March 2020 following his participation in the November 2019 nationwide protests, which were initially sparked by a sudden hike in gas prices. The Iranian judiciary charged him with “corruption on earth,” which is a capital offense in the country.

The Olympians, headlined by women’s tennis legend Martina Navratilova and British swimming gold medalist Sharron Davies, call on world governing powers and sports bodies to intervene to prevent the execution.

“Currently, Mohammad Javad Vafaei Sani, a 31-year-old boxing champion and coach, remains on death row,” the letter states.

“We call on the United Nations, international sports federations, and governments to act immediately to save the lives of Iranian dissidents, including athletes. The world must not stand by while Iran silences its champions. We stand with the victims. We stand for justice.”

‘KILLING OFF THE COUNTRY’: IRAN EXECUTES DOZENS, ARRESTS 4,000+ IN WAR CRACKDOWN

The letter also pointed to past incidents of Iranian execution of star athletes in the country, including 19-year-old champion wrestler Saleh Mohammadi, whose execution sparked a global uproar in March.

“Since mid-March, Iran has witnessed a horrific spree of executions of political dissidents, marking one of the most severe crackdowns in the past three decades. Dozens of people have been executed following unfair trials and coerced confessions. The theocratic regime, fearing another uprising, has exploited the cover of war to suppress growing dissent. Several victims of these executions were protesters arrested during the January 2026 uprising. Among them were Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old national wrestling champion, and Sasan Azadvar Joonaghan, a 21-year-old karate champion,” the letter states.

“Tragically, Iran has a grim history of executing athletes for their beliefs, including Habib Khabiri, the captain of Iran’s national football team, who was executed for his affiliation with the PMOI, and Forouzan Abdi, captain of Iran’s national women’s volleyball team, who was executed alongside 30,000 political prisoners during the 1988 massacre. In 2020, Iranian wrestling champion Navid Afkari was executed after participating in peaceful protests in 2018.”

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Saleh Mohammadi, an Iranian wrestling champion reportedly executed over protest participation earlier this year, is shown next to a Tehran billboard featuring Supreme Leaders Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Ali Khamenei, and Mojtaba Khamenei on March 10, 2026. (The Foreign Desk/AFP via Getty Images)

The letter includes a total of 24 athlete signees, including nine Olympians and five Iranians.

• Martina Navratilova — Former World No. 1 Women’s Tennis Player (Czech Republic/United States)
• Soolmaz Abooali — 16-time US Champion and three-time World Champion in Traditional Karate (United States)
• Sharron Davies MBE — Swimmer, Olympic Medalist (United Kingdom)
• Craig Foster AM — Former Captain of the National Football Team of Australia (Australia)
• Alberto Frati — Boxer; Former UBO International Super Featherweight Champion (Italy)
• Nikolai Terteryan — Boxer; European Games Gold Medalist (Denmark)
• Moslem Eskandar Filabi — Olympian; Gold Medalist in Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Asian Games (Iran)
• Tracy Edwards MBE — 1990 Yachtsman of the Year; Skipper of the First All-Female Crew in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race (United Kingdom)
• Bahram Mavaddat — Former Goalkeeper of the National Football Team of Iran (Iran)
• Carilyn Johnson — Ultrarunner; four-time Member of Team USA; two-time Gold and one-time Silver Medalist Team Member at the IAU 24-Hour World Championship (United States)
• Mohammad Ghorbani — Olympian; Gold Medalist in Freestyle Wrestling at the World Championships and Asian Games (Iran)
• Inga Thompson — Cyclist; Olympian; 10-time US National Champion; three-time World Medalist (United States)
• Monica Aksamit — Saber Fencer; Olympic Bronze Medalist; Pan American Games Gold Medalist (United States)
• Manouchehr Arastoupour — Gold Medalist at the World Rowing Masters Regatta (Iran)
• Chris Cook — Swimmer; Olympian; two-time Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist (United Kingdom)
• Eli Bremer — Olympian, Modern Pentathlon (United States)
• Ali Ziaei — Former National Sanshou Champion and Member of Canadian National Wushu Team (Canada)
• Vladyslav Heraskevych — Olympian, Skeleton Racer (Ukraine)
• Shea McAleese — Olympian; Former Member of the New Zealand National Hockey Team; Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist (New Zealand)
• Asghar Adibi — Former Member of the National Football Team of Iran (Iran)
• Elham Asem — Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) Fighter and Referee; BJJ World Amateur Champion; Gold Medalist at the AJP Lisbon and Milan International Championships (Norway)
• Golpar Parvardeh — Gymnast; European Championships in TeamGym Silver Medalist (Sweden)
• Amin Karimi — Kickboxer; 16 B-Class Fights, 14 Wins (Germany)
• James Field — Former Captain of the US International Karate Team; Two-time National Grand Champion; Two-time Pan American Champion (United States)

USC football didn’t lean into the transfer portal this offseason. However, it did pick up receiver Terrell Anderson from North Carolina State. ESPN ranked Anderson as a top-50 newcomer for the 2026 season:

“Need: The losses of Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane left USC with a thin, inexperienced but talented receiver group entering 2026. Adding Anderson via NC State provides both talent and experience, giving the Trojans a reliable, highly skilled veteran presence to help stabilize the room and support quarterback Jayden Maiava in Lincoln Riley’s offense. His versatility this fall will be just as coveted as his NFL level physical tools.

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“Value: Anderson adds size to the receiver room at 6-2 and 200 pounds. At NC State, he earned early playing time as a freshman and steadily increased his production, eventually becoming the Wolfpack’s leading receiver last season. His game is smooth and refined, and he is a polished route runner with an understanding of how to attack a defensive back’s leverage. He does an excellent job selling routes and manipulating defenders with angles in coverage. Anderson is also effective in contested situations, using body control and timing to win 50-50 balls.”

USC has been great at producing one star receiver on an annual basis, but depth has not been a feature of USC receivers in recent years. Terrell Anderson needs to be part of a receiver room in which several quality players emerge, giving Jayden Maiava options and presenting more challenges to opposing defenses.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC football WR Terrell Anderson rated top-50 newcomer for 2026

GIO Stadium will play host to Friday’s
Round 14 NRL game between Canberra Raiders and
Sydney Roosters. The game kicks off at 8:00 pm with Sydney Roosters heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Canberra Raiders vs.
Sydney Roosters
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Friday June 5, 2026 at 8:00 pm

Where: GIO Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Canberra Raiders vs Sydney Roosters Odds

Canberra Raiders vs Sydney Roosters Preview

The Canberra Raiders have an opportunity to build momentum when they host a Sydney Roosters outfit searching for answers after consecutive defeats. Last season’s minor premiers have endured an inconsistent campaign but produced one of their better performances of the year in a convincing win over North Queensland. The Roosters, meanwhile, have gone from six straight victories to back-to-back losses, managing just 16 points across their last two outings. Sam Walker’s influence looms large after his impressive Origin debut, while young Raiders halfback Ethan Sanders continues to gain valuable experience in a difficult role. Recent history points towards another tight encounter, with ten of the last 14 meetings decided by six points or fewer. Canberra has also won four of the last five clashes between the sides, setting the stage for another fiercely contested battle in the capital.

When the schedule comes out in May, fans immediately look at their Week 1 matchup. The Vikings will face their bordering rivals, the Green Bay Packers. Both teams split the series last year, though the Week 18 contest carried no weight.

Week 1, meanwhile, is set to be a massive bout, as the two franchises want to get off to a good start. Green Bay will be without one of its top guys. Micah Parsons, who tore his ACL in December, said that he’ll open the season on the PUP list, the Physically Unable to Perform list.

Kevin Patra, NFL.com, wrote, “Micah Parsons confirmed on Wednesday he won’t be on the field to open the Green Bay Packers’ 2026 season. The star pass rusher spoke to reporters at the team facility, revealing that, in addition to ACL surgery last year, he also underwent a meniscus procedure. Parsons made it clear that there is a strict nine-month rule, starting from the date of surgery, for his rehab, and he’s targeting a mid-October return.”

A mid-October return would certainly cost him games against the Vikings, Jets, Falcons, and Buccaneers. Matchups against the Bears (10/11), Cowboys (10/19), or Lions (10/25) could be realistic return dates for the star defender, who cost Green Bay a pair of first-rounders last year.

Parsons said, “I think the goal has always just been not right now, but longevity with my career here. I think they want that approach. We have a pretty strong nine-month rule. It’s just all about, just through the research and the data, there’s no good outcomes with players coming back early from [an] ACL. Especially if you had other things that had to get fixed up, so it’s just all about completing the rehab to the best of our ability and then seeing where we’re at from there.”

T.J. Hockenson and Christian Darrisaw are two recent Vikings examples of players who couldn’t reach their past heights after ACL recoveries. Hockenson suffered his injury late in the 2023 season and played half of 2024 and the entire 2025 season, with limited success. Darrisaw’s injury occurred in October of 2024. After missing the first couple of games last year, he returned in Week 3 and was in and out of the lineup all year, while never appearing to be fully comfortable.

It remains to be seen how quickly and how successful Parsons’ return is. Few players look as explosive as they did before the injury. Adrian Peterson remains an outlier in that department.

Parsons added, “Not only is it hard to accept that I’ma miss more time than what I want, but obviously hard to accept the injury. It constantly replays in my brain. … I haven’t accepted it yet, but I work hard as hell every day trying to make sure that I will be better when I come out of this.”

He emphasized that his eyes are on the Super Bowl, not the beginning of the year: “The goal for me is to complete the season — not no relapse — and playoffs and pushing towards a championship. The goal isn’t for me to go out there and re-hurt myself trying to force myself to be back in the first few games. The goal has always been playoffs, and I think we’re all on the same page.”

After the two-pick investment and the annual salary of $47 million, the Packers will undoubtedly be cautious with their franchise player, who’s one of the best the league has to offer. Minnesota has been on the wrong side of his talent a few times. Last year, he tabulated a couple of sacks against J.J. McCarthy. He collected four sacks in three wins over the Vikings in his career.

In his first campaign in Green Bay, the 26-year-old appeared in 14 games and registered 12.5 sacks, 41 tackles, and 12 tackles for loss. He possesses a premier combination of speed and power and has the versatility to line up all over the formation.

The Vikings’ rematch with the Packers is scheduled for Week 10, and the five-time Pro Bowler will presumably be back by then.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a German sports nerd, who likes numbers and stats. He chose the Vikings to be his … More about Janik Eckardt

Mateus Fernandes is of transfer interest to Manchester United though West Ham are keen for him to stay for the 2026/27 season

West Ham want Manchester United transfer target Mateus Fernandes to stay for one more year as they aim to be promoted back to the Premier League at the first attempt. The 21-year-old is one of many midfield targets for Michael Carrick’s side as they prepare for Champions League football and life without Casemiro.

The latter’s departure has made it a priority for United to strengthen in midfield this summer. With top target Elliot Anderson deemed too expensive and more likely to join Manchester City, focus has switched elsewhere.

Atalanta star Ederson looks set to arrive at Old Trafford this month for roughly £38million while links to Fernandes, who could cost over double that, have ramped up recently. The Hammers do not look set to let him leave without a fight, however.

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According to The Athletic, West Ham are desperate to keep him at the London Stadium for at least one more year in the hopes of sealing an immediate return to the Premier League. The report adds that they want at least £80m to sell and have not yet received any approaches.

Alongside recruiting in midfield, signing a new left-winger is a possibility with United interested in Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye. Crysencio Summerville, who has been linked to Liverpool and Aston Villa, could become another option with West Ham expected to sell.

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The east London club have, however, at least secured the future of one key staff member with Nuno Espirito Santo set to stay on as head coach next season.

One potential Fernandes boost for United is that he departed Southampton after Premier League relegation 12 months ago which certainly suggests he has not intention of playing in the Championship.

His omission from Portugal’s World Cup squad is another positive as United would be able to wrap up a deal early into the summer window.

If his price tag is deemed too high, Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid and Newcastle United star Sandro Tonali are just a few alternatives, but the trio are also likely to cost a similar amount.

Tonali’s club team-mate Lewis Hall is also of interest to those Old Trafford but the Magpies’ need to raise funds through player sales has decreased following Anthony Gordon’s £69m switch to Barcelona.

El Hadji Malick Diouf, who spent the last nine months with Fernandes, is also a potential option at full-back with Patrick Dorgu now deemed a winger.