4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on Man Utd transfer news LIVE: Mainoo contract BOOST, Mateta EXCLUSIVE, Rashford eyed by Barcelona – updates
MANCHESTER UNITED are braced for a monumental summer transfer window – with Ruben Amorim expected to overhaul the squad with comings AND goings.
The United boss will be keen to keep 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo at the club, and the Red Devils have an option to extend the youngster’s contract by 12 months, SunSport can exclusively reveal.
Amorim is chasing a reunion with Sporting strike sensation Viktor Gyokeres, and the Red Devils have received an almighty boost with PSG reportedly pulling OUT of the running.
Elsewhere, SunSport can exclusively reveal that Man Utd are monitoring Crystal Palace forward Jean-Phillippe Mateta ahead of the summer window.
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on Couple who made £2billion on PPE will NOT be quizzed at Government inquiry sparking fury from ‘deeply shocked’ families
A COUPLE who made nearly £2billion on Covid PPE will not give evidence to the government inquiry – sparking fury from the families of victims.
Sarah and Richard Stoute won a mega deal at the height of the pandemic to supply medical gowns and masks.
Former nurse Sarah Stoute pictured in the CaribbeanRichard Stoute, 54, became a director of wife Sarah’s firm in 2004
But it later emerged that £1.4billion of the kit they supplied via their firm Full Support Healthcare was binned.
Despite this, the pair have not been asked to appear before the £200million Covid Inquiry as it investigates the £12billion of public money handed out to businesses.
Samuel Akinsanya, whose mum Esther, a 55-year-old NHS nurse, died from Covid in April 2020, is among those to hit out.
He said: “I am deeply shocked.
“The Stoutes secured lucrative government contracts for PPE, often without proper scrutiny or competitive processes.
“The Government’s award of these contracts led to significant financial waste and compromised the safety of frontline workers like my mother.”
The latest stage of the inquiry comes five years after the pandemic lockdown, which transformed Britain and left more than 200,000 dead by June 2023.
The inquiry is supposed to look at all facets of procurement, yet they have deemed it unnecessary to seek evidence from some of the main protagonists in one of the biggest scandals of the pandemic
After the pandemic outbreak, the Stoutes moved their company offshore to tax haven Jersey, cloaking its finances in secrecy.
The couple have claimed they benefited from a “tip-off” about the spread of coronavirus from China at the end of 2019, enabling them to quickly boost the supply of medical kit.
Retired teacher Marion Mack, whose daughter Rebecca, a 29- year-old NHS nurse, died from Covid in April 2020, was another to blast the couple.
Marion, 64, said: “The Stoutes have profited from other people’s misery.
“It’s just greed, and it’s crazy they are able to get away with something like that.
“They should be called to give evidence.”
The Covid inquiry, led by former judge Baroness Heather Hallett, began its public hearings in June 2023.
The latest hearings began on Monday and are expected to last a further three weeks.
A mountain of thousands of PPE containers were found dumped near a nature reserveSolentThe Stoutes have not been asked to appear before the £200million Covid Inquiry chaired by Baroness HallettAFP
BIGGEST SCANDALS
They are expected to investigate the controversial “VIP lane” for suppliers — amid claims that firms with links to government ministers were able to secure lucrative deals without proper scrutiny.
Nicola Brook, of law firm Broudie Jackson Canter, which represents more than 7,000 families from Covid-19 Bereaved Families For Justice UK, said: “The inquiry is supposed to look at all facets of procurement, yet they have deemed it unnecessary to seek evidence from some of the main protagonists in one of the biggest scandals of the pandemic.
“How can crucial questions be answered about how these contracts were won and what was or wasn’t delivered when major players in the whole process aren’t even being questioned?”
Bassetlaw MP Jo White said: “Those who have profited out of Covid . . . must be questioned and challenged.
“We need transparency and accountability.
“The bereaved deserve to see them [Mr and Mrs Stoute] challenged at the inquiry.”
A spokesman for the UK Covid-19 Inquiry said: “The inquiry does not need evidence from individual companies about specific orders of PPE to investigate this issue thoroughly.
“Its focus is on how the Government responded to suppliers’ offers.”
A detailed report will be written following the latest hearings.
It is likely to be published next year and will contain recommendations for future decision-making.
29-year-old nurse Rebecca Mack was among the victims of Covid during the pandemic
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on Hamas fanatic FILMS himself arriving in Britain on small boat after terror thug posted pics with assault rifles
A FANATICAL Hamas supporter from Gaza has filmed himself arriving in Britain on a cross-Channel migrant boat – triggering a major security scare.
Palestinian influencer Abu Wadei is seen on his TikTok feed flicking a V for victory sign as he sits at the front of a boat packed with migrants in orange lifejackets.
Hamas supporter Abu Wadei filmed himself arriving in Britain on a cross-Channel migrant boatTiktokWadei has posted violent imagery of himself toting assault riflesThe man is currently said to be in the UK after he arrived on a small boat packed with migrantsTiktok
Jewish community leaders in the UK reacted with horror yesterday amid fears Wadei’s arrival could herald a flood of dangerous supporters of the bloodthirsty terror group.
Wadei has posted violent imagery of himself toting assault rifles, hurling slingshots and flexing his muscles in front of burning debris in the besieged Hamas stronghold.
The firebrand – whose real name is Mossab Al Qassass aged in his 20s – has 170,000 TikTok followers.
He also has a YouTube channel followed by 189,000 subscribers which collects money via PayPal.
Palestinian Wadei’s social media feeds also show him at a rally declaring he is a member of a violent Hamas “tyre burning unit”.
He rails against Jews in the post, adding that his “loftiest aspiration” is to “die for the sake of Allah”.
The UK-based Campaign Against Anti-Semitism learned of Wadei’s arrival under UK coastguard escort on the south coast of England on Friday.
The group said it had carried out exacting computer “body-mapping” checks comparing images of the boat arrival plus with video and images on Wadei’s online profiles.
CAA officials said they had also taken legal advice on their findings and issued an urgent appeal to the Home Office to take action yesterday.
Wadei’s post of his arrival shows his packed dinghy being escorted to UK shores by a British Border Force patrol boat.
A spokesman said: “We are sure this man is now in the United Kingdom.
“We are asking the Home Office to take immediate action to locate Abu Wadei and ensure that he cannot pose a threat to public security.
“Anyone who may have a track record of being in any way affiliated with Hamas or promoting antisemitic rhetoric must not be permitted to endanger this country.
“If jihadis who want ‘to die for the sake of Allah’ can enter the United Kingdom from Gaza with relative ease, that poses a serious threat to national security.”
Wadei’s TikTok charts what appears to be his journey from the Middle East across Europe ending in a bus stop in France and a migrant campfire before he crossed to the UK.
Another social post suggests Wadei attended an event addressed by Yahya Sinwar – the mastermind of the bloody October 7 attacks killed by Israeli forces last year.
The rabble rouser also appears in footage among men chanting a battle cry referring to a massacre of Jews at the Battle of Khaybar in 628.
His chant concludes: “The army of Muhammad is returning”.
Wadei’s arrival is the latest of a long list of asylum scandals.
The Sun revealed this week that Albanian crimelord Maksim Cela is still here more than two years after claiming he was entitled to stay to protect himself from rival gangsters back home.
More than 2,056 migrants have crossed the Channel in boats so far this year after a surge of 36,816 during the whole of 2024.
More than 150,000 people have arrived in small boats since 2018 and fears have spiralled of a surge from Gaza to Europe amid Donald Trump’s calls to move Palestinians out.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: “We are committed to ending small boat crossings which undermine our border security, and restoring order to the asylum system to ensure that the rules are respected and enforced.
“While it is a long-standing rule that we never comment on individual cases or operational matters, the British public can be reassured that we take all steps necessary at all times to protect the nation’s security.”
A slew of posts show the Palestinian influencer posing with dangerous gunsWadei’s social media feeds also show him at a rally declaring he is a member of a violent Hamas ‘tyre burning unit’
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on Arne Slot salutes controversial hero Darwin Nunez as Liverpool ace escapes red card to lead comeback against Southampton
ARNE SLOT saluted his controversial hero Darwin Nunez — as Liverpool stormed SIXTEEN points clear at the top of the Prem.
The pair had a bitter fallout last month when Kop boss Slot accused the £64million striker of a lazy attitude following his horror open-goal miss against Aston Villa.
GettyDarwin Nunez scored and won a penalty versus Southampton[/caption]
Nunez was perhaps fortunate not to be red carded for wild lunge on Kyle Walker-PetersSky SportsRexVAR decided not to give him a red card[/caption]
But after Nunez escaped a red card for kicking Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters, he turned the game in four second-half minutes by levelling and winning a penalty from which Mo Salah put them ahead.
And Slot declared: “In the second-half, he showed the workrate that he can bring to the team.”
The Dutch boss wildly celebrated in the stands amid his two-match ban for an X-rated rant at ref Michael Oliver as his Reds profited from TWO penalty awards.
First, rookie ref Lewis Smith adjudged Saints’ scorer Will Smallbone had fouled Nunez, then VAR Matt Donohue ruled Yukinari Sugawara handled.
But SunSport’s ex-Prem ref Mark Halsey insisted Nunez was lucky not to be sent off for scything down Walker-Peters.
VAR did look at the incident – and backed Smith’s decision to only give him a yellow card.
Yet Halsey said: “Nunez deliberately kicked an opponent when there was no chance of getting the ball. It was violent conduct.
“On another day, with another referee, it would have been a red.”
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on ‘It is so hard to understand’ – Ruben Amorim says he has no idea why Man Utd fans tell him he is doing a good job
RUBEN AMORIM is bewildered by Manchester United fans telling him he is doing a GOOD job.
Amorim gave a telling insight into his troubled reign at Old Trafford when asked what is the most common thing Red Devils supporters say when they meet him.
GettyRuben Amorim finds the support from Man Utd ‘strange’ considering the results[/caption]
The Portuguese almost laughed at himself and revealed: “They say one thing that is really strange for me: ‘You are doing a good job.’
“It is so hard to understand sometimes. It’s really important for me.”
Amorim appreciates the support of the United faithful so much because he knows that his four months in the job cannot be considered a success at all.
United go into the home clash with Arsenal marooned in the bottom half of the Premier League table after just six victories — and eight defeats — in 18 top-flight matches on his watch.
Amorim, 40, openly admits to making mistakes — particularly in his handling of relationships with staff outside the dressing room.
He told TNT Sports: “When you are a player you just focus on you but when you are a manager you have to focus on a lot of people, not just the players but all the staff.
“All the staff are paying attention to you so you have to pay attention to that, and that is something that I didn’t do very well in the beginning here in Manchester because I was focused on the games.
“At the moment I am starting to get a really good connection with all the staff and the players.”
Amorim won respect from some non-football staff for saying that it was ultimately United’s struggles on the pitch that were responsible for people losing their jobs.
But some inside the dressing room were said to be less impressed about being called out by the new boss and the shadow of United’s incredible success under Sir Alex Ferguson hangs over Amorim — just like all those who have tried to follow in the legend’s footsteps.
Amorim revealed Fergie has been in touch, saying: “He already called me to give me some advice.”
The United boss also said he would consider altering his pre-match routine of handing a water bottle to his assistant in a bid to inspire a change in fortune.
Amorim added: “This is the time to change things, when you are not winning too much.”
Friends of Amorim sometimes feel that he offers too much of himself in interviews and press conferences.
And his answers to a quick-fire set of questions provided more revelations than you would normally expect.
The biggest message that came through was how grateful Amorim is for the fans continuing to believe in him when it seems as though he is doubting himself.
He said: “The way they support us, even when you are losing, in the bad moments, that is the most special thing.”
Amorim was a champion of Portugal both as a player at Benfica and as a coach with their Lisbon rivals, Sporting.
And he longs for the day when United fans can sing his favourite chant, their version of a John Denver classic, in celebration of winning their first Premier League crown since Fergie left in 2013.
Amorim said: “[Take Me Home,] Country Roads that they adapt is perfect. I really dream to win the title and listen to that song at Old Trafford.”
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on James Wade enrages another opponent after ‘LickGate’ storm as controversial darts star kisses former world champion
JAMES WADE gave rival Raymond van Barneveld a kiss on the cheek — days after his ‘Lickgate’ storm.
He greeted Barney with an on-stage peck, having licked Luke Humphries on the neck at the UK Open.
xJames Wade appeared to give Raymond van Barneveld a kiss[/caption]
ITVIt comes just days after his ‘Lickgate’ storm against Luke Humphries[/caption]
GettyHumphries hit out at Wade after the match[/caption]
He posted on X: “Everyone loves to see people be a bad loser but I’m generally one of the best losers in the sport.
“I wasn’t going to give someone, who didn’t deserve my respect after what he was doing through the game, a hug and be all happy about it that’s just my honesty.”
Elsewhere in the Belgium Open there were some shock results.
Humphries was also beaten 6-4 in his clash against Mike De Decker.
While Littler continued his good form and beat Ryan Searle 6-3.
Meanwhile, Wade has admitted that he is aiming to reach the later stages of the tournament.
He said in hisDaily Starcolumn: “The aim in Belgium is to make the quarters or semi-finals and get back to where I belong in the top ten in the order of merit.”
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on Man Utd have option to EXTEND Kobbie Mainoo deal until 2028 in major transfer boost with star on lowest salary in squad
MANCHESTER UNITED have an option to extend Kobbie Mainoo’s contract by 12 months.
The midfielder, 19, has two years left on his current deal, which led to fears manager Ruben Amorim could be forced to sell him in the summer.
AlamyMan Utd hold an option to extend Kobbie Mainoo’s contract[/caption]
But United have a contractual option to keep Mainoo until 2028 — giving them control over his short-term future.
The clause is understood to be one-sided, so Mainoo does not have to agree for it to be activated.
United still hope Mainoo will sign a longer contract as Amorim sees him as key to his plans.
He earns about £20,000-a-week and his representatives want to raise that.
The 12-month option could prove crucial in protecting the England international’s transfer value, which the club have set at £70million.
Chelsea are monitoring Mainoo’s situation with a view to making a summer bid.
But the Stockport-born academy graduate is also thought to favour a move overseas should he seek a transfer.
United declined to comment when contacted by SunSport.
4 weeks agoLatest NewsComments Off on Captain America halts Milan slide, Inter power on
Milan rivals AC and Inter have both scored thrilling 3-2 wins in Serie A, the Rossoneri carried to victory by their American international Christian Pulisic.
