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      Ex-Barcelona and Championship star rips up his own contract after activating shock release clause to become free agent

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      MARTIN BRAITHWAITE is a free agent after ripping up his own contract at Espanyol.The former Middlesbrough striker activated a release clause in his deal with the Spanish club.Martin Braithwaite is a free agent after triggering a release clause in his Espanyol contractCredit: GettyThe Danish striker previously spent two years in England with MiddlesbroughCredit: GettyAs a result, he is now free to join another side after departing Espanyol a year early.His contract had been due to expire at the end of the upcoming season.In a statement, Espanyol said: “RCD Espanyol thanks Braithwaite for his professionalism and wishes him luck in his new professional challenges.”Braithwaite joined Espanyol from Barcelona in 2022, scoring 32 goals in 78 appearances across two seasons.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, he could not prevent the club from avoiding relegation from La Liga in 2023, before a fourth place finish in the second tier last term.Despite missing out on promotion, the 33-year-old finished as the league’s top scorer with 22 goals.Prior to his spell in Spain, the Dane spent two years in England with Middlesbrough.He scored nine goals in 40 appearances in between loan spells at Bordeaux and Leganes.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSAt international level, Braithwaite has ten strikes in 69 caps for Denmark.Being a free agent is unlikely to have an immediate financial impact on the forward thanks to his business portfolio away from football.Top 10 highest paid footballers in the world revealed with no Premier League players making the top fiveBraithwaite has amassed a net worth of £250million to become one of the sport’s richest players.His wealth is mainly thanks to his investment in a real estate business in 2017.Meanwhile, he also owns a clothing line and a restaurant in Barcelona with his wife.Braithwaite’s business empire includes a clothing line and restaurant in BarcelonaCredit: Getty More

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      Premier League new-boys Ipswich set for shock £15m swoop to bring relegated keeper back to top flight

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      IPSWICH will swoop for Burnley keeper Aro Muric in a shock £15million deal.Muric, 25, struggled to make an impact in the Premier League last season.Ipswich will swoop for Burnley keeper Aro Muric in a shock £15million dealCredit: GettyThe move comes after Ipswich and Brighton failed to agree for a deal over Carl Rushworth — the Seagulls would prefer to loan him, not sell.The Tractor Boys will pay an initial £10m for the Kosovo international, with add-ons of up to £5m.The 25-year-old, who joined Burnley from Manchester City in July 2022, was second choice to James Trafford last season.He won his place back and played the final 10 games, but was unable to prevent the Clarets being relegated to the Championship.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSHe made 41 Championship appearances the season before as Burnley won promotion to the top flight in 2023.Ipswich were looking for a new goalkeeper after Vaclav Hladky left the club at the end of the season after his contract expired.Boss Kieran McKenna has already signed Omari Hutchinson, Ben Johnson, Jacob Greaves and Liam Delap this summer.As it stands, Ipswich have Christian Walton and Cieran Slicker as their two senior goalkeeper options, but Walton made just four appearances last season.Most read in FootballEURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSBorn in Switzerland, Muric joined Manchester City’s youth team at 16 years old.He made five League Cup outings for the Pep Guardiola’s title winning side in 2018/19.Behind the scenes with Burnley goalkeeper James TraffordBefore having loan spells at NAC Breda Nottingham Forest, Girona Willem II and Adana Demirspor over the next four seasons.Muric joined Burnley for £3m in 2022 and still has two years left on his contract at Turf Moor.Chelsea made two of the biggest transfers ever in January 2023 More

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      Premier League clubs sniffing around 15-year-old EFL wonderkid who’s set to bag first-team role this season

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      STEVENAGE are fighting off Premier League interest in rising star Ryan Doherty — who is in their first team at just 15.The League One outfit gave the midfielder 45 minutes against Luton in a behind-closed-doors game last week.Ryan Doherty has drawn interest from a host of Premier League academiesCredit: Stevenage FCBoro do not want to lose the smooth-passing talent but may have to if a major offer comes in.Doherty, who plays primarily as a midfielder has progressed quickly and his development has alerted Premier League sides to his ability.The Prem clubs interested remain unnamed, but it is thought that a host of top flight outfits are keen to acquire his services for their academies.Doherty is set to feature regularly in the first team squad next season under new boss Alex Revell.read more football newsThe schoolboy also impressed in his 30 minutes against Watford on Saturday.Stevenage held Championship side Watford to a 2-2 draw at the Lamex Stadium.Stevenage often give opportunities to youngsters after playing 15-year-old goalkeeper Max Woodford against Crystal Palace U21s in the EFL trophy last season. And fans took to social media to praise the talented teenager.Most read in EFLBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSOne wrote: “Doherty is incredibly impressive. Hope he gets a chance to play in League One before the elites swoop in.”Another said: “Cracking little player – won’t be around for much longer, I wouldn’t have thought.”England’s Billion Pound Players: The Clash with SpainA third declared: “Great stuff, always fresh to see a young prodigy break through.”While another added: “Someone born in 2009 now playing for the Boro, seems like it was only yesterday!”Inside humble Ollie Watkins’ remarkable rise from non-league to England’s Euro 2024 heroNINE summers ago Ollie Watkins went on a lads’ holiday after helping to save Conference South side Weston-Super-Mare from relegation, writes Dan King.Now he’s just fired England into the Euro 2024 final with a sensational 90th-minute winner.And even helped Aston Villa qualify for the Champions League last season.Watkins arrived on the Somerset coast as a teenaged striker on loan from League Two Exeter in December 2014.His 10 goals in 24 league games were a big factor in stopping Weston from slipping into the sixth tier for the first time in their history – and in giving them something to celebrate on a post-season trip to Spain.But it was also his workrate and attitude that earned him the respect of the dressing room, and helped him take the first significant steps on the road to stardom.Ryan Northmore, boss of Weston at the time, said: “His goals saved the club from relegation. But he contributed much more than his goals, which is really important when you’re scrapping away for your lives.“He wasn’t just sat at the top of the pitch waiting for the ball to come. He would roll his sleeves up and get involved in all aspects of the game.”Days after joining, Watkins made an instant impact with an equaliser against Farnborough.Team-mate Tom Jordan said: “He always struck me as the kind of lad who had his eyes wide open to different aspects of the game.“Sometimes you would have loan lads come in from a League club to non-League and they would be looking at you like they were doing you a favour.“His attitude was very different. He was coming in thinking, ‘I’m going to learn from this experience’.”It was during Watkins’ spell at Weston that the then Walsall boss Dean Smith spotted him.Smith would later take the striker to Brentford and bring him to Villa, where he has reached new levels under current boss Unai Emery.But Watkins has never forgotten the part that Weston played in his rise to the top.One of his Villa shirts is on display there, he has spoken to young players coming through and happily tells the local press how important and enjoyable his time at the club was.And he even helped fund an end-of-season boys’ trip to Spain due to his fines for being late – although he was allowed to join the rest of the squad.Read all about Ollie Watkins’ incredible rise in full… More

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      Sheff Utd facing disciplinary probe after rivals complain that investors trying to buy club have already broken rules

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      SHEFFIELD UNITED are facing a disciplinary probe after rivals complained to the EFL over their proposed takeover.A group of US investors are trying to buy the Blades and have been accused of breaking rules by conducting transfer business before completing their takeover.Manager Chris Wilder is unable to make signings until the takeover is completeCredit: ReutersSunSport has learned the EFL have received reports that representatives of Sheffield United’s incoming owners, a mystery group based in California, have become involved in transfer negotiations.The EFL are believed to be looking into the matter which could result in disciplinary action.Birmingham are also being investigated over alleged breaches of EFL regulation 86, as a group seeking to buy the club last year are accused of running operations despite not receiving formal approval or passing the owners and directors test. The proposed £35m takeover by Maxco subsequently collapsed, but the EFL still charged the individuals involved, with former Charlton chief executive Matt Southall, former Barcelona striker Maxi Lopez and local businessman Paul Richardson all given bans from acting as directors.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe EFL have subsequently reminded all their members that incoming owners cannot act on behalf of the club they are seeking to buy, which has led to several querying Sheffield United’s recent transfer activity.With the Blades in limbo while the takeover drags on the club are in a difficult position, with the Championship season starting in less than a month. Chris Wilder’s squad is in desperate need of reinforcements after 10 players were released following relegation from the Premier League last season, with four loan players also leaving Bramall Lane.Sheffiled United have been on the market for some time, with owner Prince Abdullah last year agreeing a £100milllion-plus deal to sell to Dozy Mmobuosi.Most read in EFLBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSBut the Nigerian businessman failed to satisfy the EFL’s owners and directors test and was later charged with fraud in the United States. The club remain hopeful that the two unnamed Americans fronting the consortium will complete a deal before the start of the season.Fans ask ‘did the Year 8s have the gym booked out’ as EFL star forced to do fitness induction in CANTEENThe bidders have not been named, but are understood to be the founders of a capital investment fund based in California. Although the pair are eager to maintain a low profile they are believed to have attended Blades games last season.Sheffield United and the EFL declined to comment. More

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      Supercomputer predicts Wayne Rooney’s first season in charge of Plymouth and final Championship table

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      A SUPERCOMPUTER has predicted the final Championship table after the fixture list was released.The season kicks off on August 9 with two games as Blackburn take on newly promoted Derby and recently relegated Sheffield United head to Preston.Wayne Rooney is expected to narrowly keep Plymouth upCredit: AFPWayne Rooney has landed the Plymouth job and his reign starts away to Sheffield Wednesday. And the supercomputer at Grosvenor Sport reckons it could be a tough season ahead for the former Manchester United and England star. They believe Plymouth will find themselves in a relegation battle but will narrowly avoid the drop by six points.And after simulating every Championship match over 1,000 times, the statisticians claim Blackburn, Cardiff and Oxford will go down instead.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSAt the other end of the table, Burnley are expected to immediately bounce back to the Premier League and win the league.The prediction comes despite the Clarets not yet appointing a new boss after Vincent Kompany left for Bayern Munich.Burnley have been linked to Scott Parker, Ruud van Nistelrooy and West Brom manager Carlos Corberan.Leeds lost to Southampton in the play-off final last month and have been tipped to gain automatic promotion next year.Most read in ChampionshipBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSHull, Middlesbrough, Watford and Norwich are set to battle it out in the play-offs.And after a valiant effort in the Premier League, Luton are expected to miss out on the top six by two points.Wayne Rooney claims Trent Alexander-Arnold ‘can’t defend’ and says he ‘shouldn’t be near’ England’s midfieldSheffield United also went down from the top-flight last season but are once again expected to have a tough year.The Blades will start the season on minus two points for breaking financial rules and are only expected to climb as high as 17th. More

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      League One announce never-before-seen opening day fixtures but supporters say ‘already not a fan of this’

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      THE EFL have announced that League One games will start at 5:30pm on the opening weekend in a broadcasting first – and fans are not happy.All EFL fixtures are set for live broadcast on Sky Sports during the first weekend – including matches scheduled for 3pm on Saturday.The Sky fixtures for the Championship, League One and League Two were all announced on WednesdayCredit: GettyBut League One fans have been left reeling with the late kick-offs on the opening weekendCredit: Getty Images – GettyThe 2024/2025 season will see the launch of a brand new five-year broadcast deal between the EFL and Sky Sports – with talkSPORT holding national radio rights for the next four years.This will replace the current iFollow service for UK based supporters.The new deal will allow League One fans to watch their teams on the telly over 20 times a season for the first time.In most cases, 3pm kick-offs on Saturday are not allowed to be shown by domestic broadcasters under Article 48 of Uefa’s statutes.read more football newsBut the new-look opening weekend will NOT be subjected to the 3pm blackout for the first time ever.Yet all League One first day fixtures will start at 5:30pm on August 10, with League Two being offered all 3pm slots.However blackout restrictions will remain in place for the rest of the season, meaning more games will be played outside the traditional time slot.Footie fans have a deep love for Saturday 3pm kick offs – there is a notion that something about football is lost if a game doesn’t kick off at that time.Most read in EFLBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSThe blackout idea came about to ensure football matches still attract large attendances despite some games beginning to be televised.And League One fans – particularly those with long away trips – are not impressed with the change to more evening kick-offs.Fans ask ‘did the Year 8s have the gym booked out’ as EFL star forced to do fitness induction in CANTEENOne fuming Leyton Orient fan wrote: “5:30 kick off on the first day? already not a massive fan of this new broadcast deal.”Another wrote: “Opening day kicks off at 5:30pm. Which is annoying!”A third commented: “Pardon? Oh no I don’t like this.”While another said: “Wow only League 2 have been given Saturday 3pm games – Sky Sports are well and truly ruining football!”A fourth chimed in: “Those EFL kick-off times across on the opening day are hideous, 11 games kicking off at 5.30 in the third division.”Another user wrote: “RIP traditional 3pm kick-offs on a Saturday.”The regular EFL season will begin on the weekend of 10-11 August and run until 3 May 2025.Who are these famous footballers?BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS More

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      Man Utd legend Ruud van Nistelrooy closing in on return to English football and must decide Red Devils flop’s future

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      MANCHESTER UNITED legend Ruud van Nistelrooy is reportedly closing in on the vacant Burnley job.Van Nistelrooy, 47, has emerged as the favourite to replace Vincent Kompany following the Belgian’s Bayern Munich move.Ruud van Nistelrooy is closing in on the Burnley jobCredit: GettyVincent Kompany ditched the Clarets to take charge at Bayern MunichCredit: AlamyAnd Dutch outlet De Telegraaf claims a deal is close for Van Nistelrooy to return to English football after five years as a United player.Craig Bellamy has been in charge of Burnley as interim boss in the wake of Kompany’s shock departure.SunSport exclusively revealed this month that Frank Lampard was a contender to take charge at Turf Moor.And Alan Pardew was also being considered by Clarets chiefs.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLHowever, it appears Van Nistelrooy look set for his first managerial spell since leaving PSV Eindhoven a year ago.The Premier League and FA Cup winner was hailed for his playing style during a 12-month spell there, bringing through stars like Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo and Chelsea’s Noni Madueke.Burnley are said to be keen to build on Kompany’s intricate style of play.And Van Nistelrooy, a 70-time Holland international who also won two titles at Real Madrid, appears to be the perfect fit.Most read in ChampionshipEURO 2024 FREE BETS AND OFFERSEURO 2024 LIVE: KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ALL THE LATEST NEWS FROM GERMANYThere will be several pressing items to sort out if he takes charge at Turf Moor, namely the future of former United flop Wout Weghorst.The striker has returned from a loan move in Germany with Hoffenheim and still has a year left on his Burnley contract.After several loans, the Clarets are finally determined to cash in on the £12million signing from Wolfsburg in 2022.And Ajax are reportedly showing an interest in Weghorst, who scored the winner in his side’s 2-1 group stage victory over Poland at the Euros on Sunday.Ruud van Nistelrooy’s career stats

      Den Bosch, 1993-1997: 71 games, 20 goals

      Heerenveen, 1997-1998: 40 games, 16 goals

      PSV, 1998-2001: 90 games, 77 goals

      Man Utd, 2001-2006: 219 games, 150 goals

      Real Madrid, 2006-2010: 96 games, 64 goals

      Hamburg, 2010-2011: 44 games, 17 goals

      Malaga, 2011-2012: 32 games, 5 goals

      Holland, 1998-2011: 70 games, 35 goals

      Trophies: Eredivisie x2, Johan Cruyff Shield (PSV); Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, Community Shield (Man Utd); La Liga x2, Spanish Supercup (Real Madrid)

      Managerial career:

      PSV Reserves, 2021-2022: P38 W11 D11 L16

      PSV, 2022-2023: P51 W33 D10 L8 More

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      Emotional moment Millwall manager Neil Harris chokes back tears as he reveals heartbreak over death of Matija Sarkic

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      MILLWALL boss Neil Harris has paid an emotional tribute to keeper Matija Sarkic following his tragic death.Sarkic passed away at the age of 26 on Saturday after reportedly falling ill while on international duty.Matija Sarkic passed away on Saturday at the age of just 26Credit: RexMillwall boss Neil Harris held back tears while opening up about Sarkic’s passingNow Millwall manager Harris, 46, has opened up about how he found out the devastating news, while he also spoke glowingly about the brilliant young shot-stopper.In an interview with the club, he said: “First thoughts have to go with Matija’s parents and his brothers.”He was a wonderful son and a wonderful brother who was a very caring, good man.”Getting the call at 7am first thing on the weekend, you know it’s not going to be positive news.READ MORE IN FOOTBALL”But you could never imagine the devastation in the moment that you find out that such a good man at such a tender age has lost his life.“Words find it hard to explain how you feel. It makes it very emotional for me because I have a 22-year-old son myself. Matija is only a few years older, so anybody in life can relate to something like that.”Devastating news for the family and our football club.”Clearly choked up while talking about the loss, Harris continued: “There is no surprise that when you read obituaries on social media and that people so close to him talk so fondly of him, they talk about his radiant smile, human nature and goodwill.Most read in Football”I only worked with Matija for a three-month period. I was with him last Thursday at the training ground and he had a huge smile on his face about going to see the family in Montenegro that evening.”He had a great summer. He performed so well for his nation against Belgium and had been to his brother’s wedding.MATIJA SARKICAll you need to know about his career:
      Clubs:
      Aston Villa (2015-2020)
      Wigan (Loan 2017/2018)
      Stratford Town (Loan 2018/2019)
      Havant & Waterlooville (Loan 2019)
      Livingston (Loan 2019/2020)
      Wolves (2020-2023)
      Shrewsbury (Loan 2020/21)
      Birmingham (Loan 2021/22)
      Stoke (Loan 2023)
      Millwall (2023/24)
      Honours:
      Birmingham City Player of the Season 2022
      International:Montenegro (9 caps)

      “As a character in the training ground, every day, win, lose or draw, he came in with a smile on his face.”He wanted to be better. That was his thought process. People shouldn’t think of him as a laidback goalkeeper who was quite calm on the football pitch, he was very driven.”He had high aspirations for himself to keep moving forward. He wanted to build his caps up for his country but also drag us forward. “I can’t praise him highly enough as a human being in the time I knew him, but also as a professional as well.”It doesn’t always feel right to talk work in moments like this, but in Matija’s case, it does. He loved the game and loved his job.”Sarkic began his career in Anderlecht’s academy before being snapped up by Aston Villa in 2015.The Grimsby-born stopper joined Wolves in 2020 and found form in loan spells with Shrewsbury, Birmingham – where he was named Player of the Season in 2022 – and Stoke.That convinced Millwall to make a permanent move last summer and Sarkic made 33 appearances for the Lions, who won five games in a row to end the season 13th in the Championship.READ MORE SUN STORIESHe was named player of the match in his last outing for Montenegro as he made nine saves in a 2-0 defeat to Euro 2024 hopefuls Belgium – his ninth international cap.The talented No1 also received the player of the match award in Millwall’s final game of the season – a 1-0 win over Swansea. More