Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City: Which team has the biggest wage bill in European football? January 10, 2023 Paris Saint-Germain’s signing of Lionel Messi contributed to the club setting a new record for the biggest wage bill in European football history last season. The French champions paid their players and staff €728m (£642m) in 2021-22, a year-on-year increase of 45 per cent, according to a new report by advisory Football Benchmark. It followed [...]
Why Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as a target for Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sport Investments January 9, 2023 Qatar Sports Investments, the owners of Paris Saint-Germain, have identified Tottenham Hotspur as a potential minority investment as they accelerate plans to build a global network of football clubs in 2023. Sources close to QSI said chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also PSG president, held talks with Tottenham executive chairman Daniel Levy last week to [...]
Why Fifa’s crackdown on football agents’ fees could spark a stampede to do deals January 8, 2023 Tougher rules for football agents come into force from Monday as part of a Fifa crackdown that will see agents’ fees capped at three per cent of a player’s salary. Some of the world governing body’s new regulations take effect immediately, such as a mandatory licensing system for all agents, while others, such as the [...]
FA Cup prize money: How much can clubs earn in the third round and what is an FA Cup run worth? January 6, 2023 Ah, the men’s FA Cup third round: the romance of lower league teams getting their shot at Premier League giants, the magic of part-timers upsetting the superstars, and the prize money and other financial rewards that can transform a small football club’s fortunes. This weekend is when the prize money hits six figures, and that’s [...]
Here’s why Chelsea could benefit from handing £33m signing Badiashile a mammoth seven-year contract January 5, 2023 Chelsea raised eyebrows today when they announced the signing of French defender Benoit Badiashile on a mammoth seven-and-a-half-year contract. Players typically agree deals for three, four or five years but the contract handed to 21-year-old Badiashile, who joins from Monaco for a fee of £33m, runs into the next decade. However, the length of the [...]
Cricket champions Surrey swap Adidas for Andy Murray-backed City boys’ startup January 5, 2023 Surrey County Cricket Club have become the latest team to sign a deal with Castore, the Andy Murray-backed British sportswear startup founded by two former City workers. The reigning men’s County Champions today announced a multi-year agreement for their men’s and women’s teams to swap Adidas kit for apparel made by Castore, starting in the [...]
Beth England: Lioness’s transfer sets new Women’s Super League record January 4, 2023 Beth England has become the most expensive signing between two Women’s Super League clubs after completing a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur from Chelsea. The striker, part of the Lionesses squad who won the European Championship last year, has moved across London for a fee of £250,000. That eclipses the previous record £200,000 that England’s former [...]
How does darts prize money compare with other sports? January 4, 2023 Michael Smith’s maiden victory at the PDC World Championship earned the St Helens darts player the No1 ranking and £500,000 in prize money. It also lifted 32-year-old Smith to No1 in the PDC order of merit, with aggregate earnings of £1.24m over the past 24 months. But how does darts prize money compare to the [...]
Zhao Xintong: 2021 UK snooker champion is 10th player suspended in match-fixing probe January 3, 2023 Former UK champion Zhao Xintong has become the 10th Chinese player to be suspended from the World Snooker Tour as part of a match-fixing investigation. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) added Zhao and compatriot Zhang Jiankang to the already lengthy banned list today. Both men are entitled to appeal but it means [...]
Chelsea set to take spending to £350m under Todd Boehly with record Fernandez signing January 3, 2023 Chelsea are set to take their spending under Todd Boehly past £350m in just seven months with a Premier League record deal for World Cup-winning Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez. The Blues will pay Portuguese side Benfica €127m (£112m) to secure the 21-year-old in the January transfer window, according to multiple reports. If completed, the move [...]