Two first-half goals from Khadijah Shaw helped Manchester City trounce Tomiris Turan 6-0 Thursday to set up a Women’s Champions League rematch on Sunday against Real Madrid.

The 12th Annual David “Wagga” Hunt Football Classic kicks off on Saturday, August 20, at 4:00 pm with a clash between defending Manning Cup and Olivier Shield Champions Kingston College and Calabar High School at Calabar High School on Red Hills Road in Kingston.

The goodwill game is the David “Wagga” Hunt Scholarship Foundation’s way of reintroducing the Classic following the two-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Classic was established in 2009 in honour of the late David “Wagga” Hunt, a KC alum, who was a football coach and is also credited with reviving the sport at Calabar.

In 2005, Hunt coached Calabar to their first ever Manning Cup title in 28 years. Calabar also won the coveted Olivier Shield title that year.

The Classic is seen as a unifying force, emblematic of the generosity of spirit and community that Hunt embodied.

Hunt’s dedication to working with youth is the driving force behind the preservation of his legacy since his death in 2007. His mantra for the long-running rivalry between the schools was, “We can be rivals, not enemies.”

Since his passing, the foundation created in his memory offers scholarships to deserving students of both schools.

“I am very proud of the work the DWH Foundation has done since inception and I am eagerly looking forward to our abbreviated Classic, which will be our 12th staging,” said Christopher Hunt, David’s younger, who is also co-chair of the Washington, DC, based foundation.

He disclosed that for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year, the foundation 24 will benefit from scholarships valued at USD$17,000 (J$2.4 million).

“I am very proud and appreciative that we are able to continue to keep David’s memory alive while impacting our boys from both schools,” Christopher said.

Since 2009 the scholarship initiative has disbursed approximately US$5,000 (J$700,000) per selected student, from grades 8 to 13, to defray costs of tuition, books, lunch, technology assistance, and other school-related expenses.

To date, 35 scholarships exceeding US$115,000 (J$16 million) have been awarded to recipients, who are selected based on academic performance and attitude, involvement in extracurricular activities and need.

Through the years, corporate donors based in Jamaica have supported the foundation’s work. They include VM Group, Supreme Ventures Limited, Proven Wealth and the Gibson McCook Relays.

Overseas sponsors GraceKennedy Foods (USA), Steuart Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Spencer Financial, and McIntosh & Associates complete the complement of corporate donors.

All fund the scholarships on an ongoing basis. 

“I wish to express heartfelt gratitude to our corporate and individual sponsors for sticking with us throughout the Covid-19 pandemic despite the constraints,” said Arnold “Dullo” McDonald, co-chair of the foundation’s Jamaica chapter.

“We thank our supporters and spectators of the annual football classic as well.  The goodwill game is being presented as a show of appreciation. We hope they enjoy this in-person event.”

A disappointing opening weekend for Barcelona saw Xavi's men held to a goalless draw against Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou, with plenty to improve upon.

Having seen the transfer window dominated by discussions around the club's transfer additions and the battle to get them registered in time, there was no saving Barcelona from a forgetful opening clash.

Next up is a trip to the Basque country to tackle Real Sociedad, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory on the road against Cadiz and will be encouraged by Barcelona's inability to get going.

Despite Barcelona's dominance in this fixture, it will be far from an easy encounter and the hosts will be keen to pile further pressure upon their Catalan opponents.

Barcelona Basque-ing in glory

Real Sociedad have failed to win any of their last 12 LaLiga matches against Barcelona, drawing twice and losing 10, which is their second-longest winless streak against the Blaugrana in the top-flight after a 17-match winless streak between November 1952 and October 1960 (D3 L14).

Barcelona travel to San Sebastian unbeaten in their last six LaLiga visits to Sociedad (W4 D2) and have won two on the bounce – but the club have only had three or more consecutive away wins against La Real once, four in September 1955.

If Barca do break the deadlock, it could open the floodgates. Since 1955, Real have conceded six or more goals at home in two matches - both of which came against Barcelona, the most recent of which was a 6-1 defeat in March 2021.

It is unlikely La Real will ever have a better opportunity of securing revenge against Barcelona.

Dembele leading the way

In the opening weekend, Barcelona attempted 21 shots on goal without finding the net – their highest total of shots in a game without scoring since drawing a blank against Malaga in November 2016 (29 shots)

Ousmane Dembele, re-signed ahead of the season, was the most creative outlet with five goalscoring chances created, more than any other player in LaLiga, to continue his impressive year to date.

In total, Dembele has created 42 chances and sits behind only Athletic Bilbao's Iker Muniain (53) and Real Betis' Nabil Fekir (45) for chances created in 2022.

Barca's barren run

Barcelona prepare to face La Real having failed to win or even score in their last three LaLiga matches – a run that extends back to the end of the 2021-22 season, where Barcelona finished the campaign with a goalless draw against Getafe and a 2-0 loss to Villarreal.

Never in Barcelona's history has the club gone four LaLiga matches in a row without scoring and they will require a significant improvement on last week's showing if they are to avoid that unwanted record.

In order to find a breakthrough, Barcelona may look towards an aerial route as three of their last five goals against their Basque opponents have come via headers - a major change of approach, as just one of the last 29 against Real have been scored in this way.

With Dembele and Raphinha crossing into Robert Lewandowski, that return may be boosted further.

La Real's recovery

Victory against Cadiz last weekend made it three wins in four LaLiga matches for Sociedad, a significant improvement as they had previously failed to win any of their last four prior to the start of that sequence.

Their includes two wins over Cadiz and a triumph against Villarreal, with the sole defeat coming on the final day of last season with a loss at the hands of Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.

That sequence was vital in securing a spot in the Europa League for La Real, who finished three points ahead of Villarreal and seven ahead of Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao.

Casemiro has been left out of Real Madrid's squad for their trip to Celta Vigo as he nears a transfer to Manchester United.

On Thursday, reports emerged that United were confident of striking a deal for Casemiro, who has been crucial to Madrid's success under Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane.

The 30-year-old trained with Madrid's squad on Friday but Ancelotti confirmed at his pre-match news conference that talks were under way with United.

Ancelotti was unsure if Casemiro would definitely be unavailable for Saturday's LaLiga meeting with Celta, but the Brazil international has now been left out of Los Blancos' squad, suggesting the £51million (€60m) move to Old Trafford is close to completion.

Madrid's coach is confident he has the players within his squad to replace Casemiro, and name-checked new signing Aurelien Tchouameni and Toni Kroos as possibilities in the holding role.

Kroos, however, will not be available for Saturday's match, with reports suggesting he has fallen ill with flu.

Paco Alcacer has signed a permanent deal with Sharjah FC after agreeing to terminate his Villarreal contract. 

Alcacer's future appeared in some doubt earlier on Friday when Villarreal announced Sharjah had decided to "unilaterally annul" the agreement between the two sides for the forward's loan.

The Spain international, who scored 21 goals in 76 games for the Yellow Submarine following a January 2020 move from Borussia Dortmund, had been confirmed as a loan signing by the UAE Pro League club earlier this week.

Villarreal revealed the collapse of that transfer but soon detailed "an agreement for the termination of the contract" with Alcacer.

This allowed Alcacer to instead put pen to paper on a three-year contract with Sharjah, which he announced on Twitter.

"Thanks @VillarrealCF! I've lived unforgettable moments with great team-mates," Alcacer wrote. 

"Now is time to focus on @SharjahFC to do my best during the next 3 years that I will defend this shirt! I'm convinced that I will enjoy this magnificent experience with my family here in UAE."

Erik ten Hag sidestepped questions over Manchester United's pursuit of Casemiro on Friday, with the Dutchman stating he could not comment on the matter.

Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro looks poised to make the move from La Liga to Old Trafford for a reported fee of £51million (€60m).

Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed the Brazil international is set to leave and his arrival would give United a huge lift after a poor start under new boss Ten Hag.

A 4-0 Premier League rout at the hands of Brentford on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion demonstrated the Red Devils' frailties.

Ten Hag refused to give a definitive answer when questioned about a move for Casemiro.

"I cannot tell [you] anything," he stated ahead of his side's home encounter with Liverpool on Monday.

As he prepares for the visit of Jurgen Klopp's Reds - who themselves arrive on the back of a frustrating start to the season - the Dutchman says he has not deviated from his plans despite a thrashing at Brentford that leaves his side bottom of the table.

"Every game is different, but the philosophy and the plan will be the same," he added. "I know the rivalry. We are rivals. We have to win every game, but especially this game."

The former Ajax head coach says United must get the basics right after a shambolic display against the Bees in London.

"I think I made myself clear, I was definitely not happy," he reflected. "You can talk about football philosophy, but the basic stuff has to be good.

"That starts with the right attitude, a fighting attitude on the pitch. I didn’t see that from minute one. You have to bring it every game. A lot went wrong.

"But you don't have to talk about anything when the attitude is not right. It's not difficult to motivate this team. They worked really [well] on the training pitch from the start of the season.

"It starts with yourself. Follow the rules and principles and work hard. If you do that, you will get confidence. We work from game to game.

"We know what is going on when you play against Liverpool, especially when you are Manchester United. You have to be ready."

Villarreal have claimed that Paco Alcacer's loan move to Sharjah FC has been annulled "unilaterally" by the United Arab Emirates club.

Alcacer's temporary transfer was confirmed by the LaLiga side on Wednesday, only for an update to follow on Friday saying the deal was off.

The Spain international joined Villarreal in January 2020 from Borussia Dortmund on a five-and-a-half-year contract, but has scored just 21 goals in 76 games in all competitions for the Yellow Submarine.

Alcacer has suffered several muscle injuries for last season's Champions League semi-finalists and struggled to establish himself in Unai Emery's team.

It appeared to be a new beginning for 28-year-old when the move to Sharjah was announced, but it seems that move has stalled, with no reason yet given for the UAE Pro League club terminating the agreement.

A statement from Villarreal on their Twitter page on Friday read: "Al Sharjah have decided to unilaterally annul the loan agreement they had reached with Villarreal CF for the loan of Paco Alcacer."

Villarreal beat Hajduk Split 4-2 on Thursday in the first leg of their Europa Conference League play-off.

Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have patched up their differences at Paris Saint-Germain, but coach Christophe Galtier has not ruled out the prospect of a sensational departure before the transfer window closes.

Asked whether Neymar might move on before the September 1 deadline, Galtier indicated it was highly unlikely but not entirely out of the question.

A spat between Mbappe and Neymar became apparent during PSG's 5-2 Ligue 1 win over Montpellier last Saturday, with the pair seeming to disagree over penalty duties.

Mbappe missed an early spot-kick but thought he would have a chance to make amends when PSG were awarded a second penalty, only for Neymar to take over responsibility and make no mistake. It was clear Neymar considered he was next in line, but Mbappe may have thought the duty remained his.

It has led to suggestions of a rift between the star pair that could prove disruptive in the dressing room, with Mbappe looking best placed to win any such tug-of-war after signing a bumper three-year contract in May.

He scored later in the Montpellier game but refused to celebrate, to the frustration of a number of team-mates.

Galtier said the matter was put to bed during training this week, saying: "There's no malaise. We have been making plans, saying what we need to say to one another. I can confirm that in all honesty it's been a good week with everyone working hard to prepare well for the game against Lille.

"I have been involved in every session this week and any incidents from the Montpellier game were over from the following day onwards."

PSG travel to face Lille on Sunday as Galtier returns to the club he led to the 2020-21 Ligue 1 title.

Galtier warned that his players have to show maturity when considering who should take free-kicks and penalties.

"We have to show respect," he said. "There are situations in matches when the coach is far away, and my players have to show intelligence to know at which point they can give a present to a team-mate or make things easier for someone else to gain confidence by taking a penalty."

When the topic of Neymar and a possible departure was raised in Friday's press conference, Galtier did not entirely close the door on the idea.

"There are always surprises in the transfer window," the head coach said. "I haven't heard anything about Neymar asking to leave. I can see him training and working hard every day. He is performing well in the games so far.

"There is no feeling that he is on standby. But the transfer window is the transfer window."

For now, Neymar remains firmly in Galtier's plans, and the coach is planning on having Neymar, Mbappe and Lionel Messi as a front three this season, the coach's first campaign since joining from Nice.

If PSG get a penalty at Lille on Sunday, there seems sure to be no squabbling over who takes it.

"Who will take the penalty?" Galtier said. "The players will know it."

Real Madrid have what it takes in the squad to replace Manchester United-bound Casemiro, according to Carlo Ancelotti.

Ancelotti confirmed on Friday that Casemiro had expressed his desire to leave Madrid in order to join United.

The holding midfielder, who has been crucial to Madrid's success under both Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane, is in line to move to Old Trafford for a fee in the region of £51million (€60m), with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £59.4m (€70m).

While Ancelotti has no issues with the 30-year-old's want for a new challenge, Casemiro's departure leaves a void in Madrid's midfield, with the Brazil international having formed a formidable trio with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric.

That midfield conquered Europe last season and led Madrid to Ancelotti's first LaLiga title, and Casemiro's quality was on show again in last week's Super Cup as Los Blancos defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0.

Casemiro was named man of the match after making nine successful tackles and recovering possession 10 times, which were both game highs.

Since the 2015-16 season, Casemiro has won 415 tackles in LaLiga alone, a far better tally than second-best Saul Niguez (382).

Yet with Madrid having signed Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco and the versatility of Kroos, Ancelotti is confident he already has the options in midfield to plug the gap.

"Casemiro has been a key player, who fits perfectly with Kroos and Luka Modric. It's been an incredible combination for all the success we've had in the last few years," Ancelotti said in a news conference.

"Within the squad we have a lot of good replacements. Tchouameni was signed in order to play in this position. We have some other options like Kroos who can play in this position, as he did in the second year I was here as a coach back in 2014 when we won 22 games in a row.

"Replacing Casemiro with another player with his same skills is difficult but we have other players ready to replace him with other characteristics. They can play in this position, but not with the same skills.

"We need to keep in mind that a player like Casemiro, defensively, is more similar to Tchouameni than Kroos, but Toni has some different characteristics and can also play in that position."

Kroos displayed his ball-winning abilities in the Super Cup, as he regained possession nine times, second only to Casemiro, while also having 120 touches and completing 97 passes.

When it was put to Ancelotti that the former Germany international had previously suggested he does not enjoy playing in a holding role, Madrid's boss quipped: "He has never told me that. If he tells me that, it doesn't matter, he will play there!"

Asked if Casemiro had provided his reasons for wanting to leave, Ancelotti said: "I cannot answer. It's his personal decision, he wants to try a new challenge and he's the one who has to explain this.

"Something similar happened when I was Milan's coach. I was feeling really good but I wanted to try something new, even if I was feeling very well there because that club was a family to me, but I thought about trying something new, a new experience, another league and language. It's personal but I understand it.

"He shows his will for this new challenge. We have to respect it. We are not sad, not angry, but at a personal level when you spend so many years with this kind of player, so kind, so professional, it's normal that you're not happy, but we will show respect for his decision."

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann has conceded that lots of clubs would want to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, but suggested his wage demands are preventing most from being interested.

The Bavarian giants were linked with a move for the Manchester United forward earlier in the transfer window after reports emerged he wanted to leave Old Trafford in search of Champions League football.

However, Bayern ruled themselves out of a move, with CEO Oliver Kahn saying it "would not fit into our philosophy".

Ronaldo has been linked with another Bundesliga side in Borussia Dortmund, though their CEO, Hans-Joachim Watzke, also distanced his club from the Portugal international on Friday.

Asked about possible Bundesliga interest in Ronaldo at a press conference, Nagelsmann said: "Honestly, I don't really care if he goes to Dortmund or not. He has a contract at Man Utd.

"He is a great player, he scores many goals, he will score many goals, I don't know at what club, but I don't think that's relevant."

Nagelsmann was asked why he thought that Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, was apparently offering the 37-year-old to various clubs around Europe.

"I think he takes 10 per cent," he joked. "I think Mendes is a lot on the phone. I saw him in a documentary. I think it's okay, it's a good thing the players have agents who are not only about the money but are working… I think it's quite normal he's trying that.

"I think you have to be able to afford him. He's not the youngest guy, it's a huge amount of money. I think there are many clubs who would like to have him, but I think for 15 teams of the Bundesliga, it would be very difficult to pay his annual salary.

"Every club knows he's a really good player, he will score many goals and sell many jerseys, but he also brings more press. You would have to ask Mendes though – I think he knows more."

Bayern have won their first two games of the new Bundesliga season and travel to Bochum on Sunday.

Nagelsmann left most of his new signings out of the wins against Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg, with Sadio Mane the only recent arrival to start either game, as Matthijs de Ligt, Ryan Gravenberch, Noussair Mazraoui and Mathys Tel took their places on the bench.

The 35-year-old coach explained they will need time to get used to things at Bayern and are being eased in slowly, mentioning that despite his two starts, Mane is also having to adapt.

"Even Sadio Mane, who is on a world-class top level, who played for a long time in one of the best leagues of Europe, who won everything, even he says that you have to get used to everything," he said.

"The language, the country, the city, until the family has arrived, all those private things. Until they are done it takes a little time until you are really free in your mind, even Sadio says that.

"Ryan, Nous, they played in the Netherlands [with Ajax], which is a good league but not among the top three in Europe. I guess they need a little bit more time to get used to everything.

"In general, what is important is that those players show in a proactive what they are capable and really pushing the limit, then they will have time on the pitch. I am always very happy when this process goes faster. I always put players on the pitch when I think that they are at 100 per cent that they can replace any player."

Nagelsmann did suggest he could give an outing to De Ligt against Bochum if he recovers from a hand injury, though Jamal Musiala – who has scored three goals in two games already this season – is a doubt with a hip adductor strain.

"I would like to play [De Ligt]," he said. "We still have to wait and see because if he still feels some pain maybe he’s not at 100 per cent, we will decide that tomorrow.

"With Jamal, if it was the Champions League final he would play for sure because he wouldn't need to play afterwards, but with this slight injury with the hip, anything can happen and then you get a muscle injury, it would be way worse and he would be out for five to eight matches. We will see tomorrow if it’s possible."

Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Casemiro is closing in on a transfer to Manchester United, with the Real Madrid midfielder wanting a fresh challenge.

News broke on Thursday that United were confident of striking a deal for the 30-year-old, who has been a mainstay of Madrid's midfield in recent years.

It has been widely reported that a fee in the region of £51million (€60m) has been agreed for the Brazil international, with add-ons potentially taking the deal to £59.4m (€70m).

Casemiro trained with Real Madrid's squad on Friday ahead of Saturday's LaLiga game against Celta Vigo, but in his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti confirmed a transfer is in the works.

He said: "We've spoken this morning, he wants to try a new challenge, a new opportunity. I understand this, also the club does.

"Because of what he has done in this club, his desire and due to everything he has done for this team, we need to be respectful of this.

"There are negotiations between the clubs, he is still a Real Madrid player but it looks like he is now willing to depart. If he is departing we have a lot of resources to replace him."

Asked if he had attempted to sway Casemiro's decision to leave, Ancelotti replied: "No.

"I've always talked a lot with him in my second time at Real Madrid. I just listened to his desire, I think there's no turning back. This is what he wants.

"If everything goes well, the negotiations go well, we just need to wish him the very best.

"It is difficult to speak anyway because I don't know what's going to happen in the next few hours, if he's staying or leaving, but if he leaves we will always be thankful to him because he's been a wonderful player with us."

Only nine days ago, Casemiro was named man of the match as Madrid saw off Eintracht Frankfurt to win the Super Cup.

Though Ancelotti knows Madrid are set to lose a key player, he does not believe the task at hand for Los Blancos this season changes.

"There were some rumours and yesterday I realised this could happen but the plans are not going to change, Real Madrid's plans will always be to fight until the end, compete in every single competition for every single title, and we will do it with or without Casemiro," he added.

"Everybody knows he has been a player for us, and we love the kind of guy that he is."

Should his move to Old Trafford go through over the weekend, Casemiro could make his United debut on Monday against arch-rivals Liverpool, although he still has to undergo a medical and sort his visa.

United have lost their opening two Premier League games, going down 2-1 at home to Brighton and Hove Albion before suffering a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Brentford.

Girona have announced the signing of Reinier on a season-long loan from Real Madrid, following the Brazilian's temporary spell with Borussia Dortmund.

The 20-year-old was signed by Madrid in January 2020 from South American side Flamengo, where he won the Brazilian league and Copa Libertadores in 2019.

Having signed a six-year deal with Madrid, Reinier joined the Castilla team before signing a two-year loan deal in August 2020 with Borussia Dortmund – which expired in June.

During his time in the Bundesliga, Reinier scored a solitary goal and was largely utilised as a substitute last season.

He was also part of the Brazil side that won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

A move to Girona will allow Madrid to keep a closer eye on him and help Reinier to adjust to the rigours of Spanish football ahead of his return to the capital at the end of the season.

Borussia Dortmund will not sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, according to the club's chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.

The Bundesliga side had been linked with a move for Ronaldo after it was revealed new arrival Sebastien Haller will miss a significant period due to being diagnosed with a testicular tumour last month.

Haller had been signed as the replacement for Erling Haaland, who left for Manchester City earlier in the transfer window. 

The former West Ham and Ajax striker underwent surgery in the first stage of his treatment, with Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl confirming Haller would be out "for a few months", but adding further treatment plans were still being discussed.

With Ronaldo reportedly angling for a move away from United in order to play Champions League football, links appeared that suggested he could sign a short-term deal at Dortmund, though the club completed a move for veteran striker Anthony Modeste from Koln last week.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Watzke confirmed his admiration for Ronaldo, and even acknowledged the notion as "charming", but ruled out a move for the 37-year-old.

"Cristiano Ronaldo and Borussia Dortmund? That's very charming at first glance. He is one of the greatest players the world has ever seen," he told reporters.

"The only catch is that there is no contact at all between the parties involved and certainly no transfer."

We are just three weeks into the new Premier League campaign and already fantasy football managers are getting twitchy over their team selection.

While a number of big-name players have made a fast start to the season, others have yet to get going and some tough decisions have to be made.

Whether you're looking to make up ground on the leaders or consolidate your position among the early pacesetters, matchday three presents a chance to get points on the board.

With the aid of Opta data, Stats Perform has picked out a goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker for your consideration.

DEAN HENDERSON (Everton v Nottingham Forest)

David de Gea's shaky start to the season at Manchester United has coincided with Henderson's good form at Nottingham Forest, where he is spending the season on loan from Old Trafford.

Henderson conceded twice against Newcastle United on the opening weekend, but he starred in last week's 1-0 win over West Ham to give Forest lift-off on their top-flight return.

No goalkeeper has made more saves (11) or prevented more goals (2.2) in the Premier League than Henderson this season, while his save percentage of 75.52 since the start of 2019-20 is the best of any keeper to have recorded at least 50 saves.

RAYAN AIT-NOURI (Tottenham v Wolves)

Wolves are seeking their first win of the season at the third attempt this weekend, having so far struggled to find a way past opponents with just one goal in two games.

That is not down to a lack of trying from Ait-Nouri, as only Trent Alexander-Arnold and Aaron Cresswell (six) have created more than his four chances among defenders.

Ait-Nouri's expected assists (xGA) return of 0.53, meanwhile, is bettered only by Alexander-Arnold (0.97) and Reece James (0.48) in the same positional category.

KEVIN DE BRUYNE (Newcastle United v Manchester City)

Picking up from where he left off last term, De Bruyne has assisted a goal – and scored one of his own – in each of City's opening two Premier League matches.

The Belgium playmaker's three direct goal involvements this term is bettered only by former team-mate Gabriel Jesus, who has scored two and assisted two for Arsenal.

De Bruyne has been involved in 24 goals in his past 22 games in the competition, and he is one of four players to have scored and assisted in 20 different games since 2015-16.

OLLIE WATKINS (Crystal Palace v Aston Villa)

England international Watkins may be seeking his first goal of the campaign, but he chipped in with two assists in last week's victory over Everton.

The 26-year-old has now been involved in six goals in his past seven Premier League matches, scoring three and assisting three, having also ended last season strongly.

That form could spell bad news for Palace, as only against Liverpool (five) has he been involved in more top-flight goals than he has against the Eagles (three).

After plenty of transfer speculation, Ajax have decided to lock up 21-year-old defender Jurrien Timber on an improved contract, adding one extra year to tie him to the club through 2025.

Timber, who already has eight international caps for the Netherlands, has been with Ajax since 2014, and tallied 50 Eredivisie appearances across the past two seasons, netting four goals.

He was one of three Ajax players that Manchester United and former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag showed strong interest in, having secured Lisandro Martinez and being priced out of a move for Antony.

Timber was the recipient of last season's Marco van Basten Award for AFC Ajax Talent of the Year, following in the footsteps of recent winners Ryan Gravenberch, Sergino Dest and Matthijs de Ligt, who all proceeded to leave the Eredivisie in search of bigger challenges.

He will be 24 when his new contract expires, and he will have another chance to impress in the European spotlight this season during Ajax's Champions League campaign.