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England Under-21s became back-to-back European champions after a stunning 3-2 win over Germany in the final.
Elsewhere, Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund for £55 million, including add-ons.
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Delayed
Away from the Under-21 European Championships, Chelsea are in Club World Cup action.
They are 1-0 up against Benfica, but the match has been delayed for 30 minutes.
This is due to a sever weather warning due to lightning.
But if lightning strikes again between now and the 30 minutes, then it resets, so this game could be delayed for quite a while.
In a statement, FIFA said: “Due to adverse weather conditions in Charlotte, including the risk of lightning in the vicinity of Bank of America Stadium, the FIFA Club World Cup match between SL Benfica and Chelsea FC has been suspended.
“A 30-minute break has been foreseen.
“FIFA will follow the established safety protocols, and the match will resume as soon as it’s safe to do so.”
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‘I am so proud’
England Under-21 manager Lee Carsley was delighted to have won his second European Championships.
Speaking about the achievement, he said: “The commitment they’ve shown over the last 28 days, and the instructions they’ve taken on board.
“They have so much belief . This squad believes it can win, and that is the kind of squad we need – I am so proud of them.
“I am so happy for them to be European champions for the second time is a great achievement.
“The challenge now is to do it again in two years.
“Any setback we’ve had, they’ve got on with.
“I didn’t think we played great tonight. I thought we sat too deep and didn’t have enough control, but we won’t remember that in a couple of days.”
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England Under-21s 3-2 Germany Under-21s – FULL TIME
THEY’VE DONE IT!
ENGLAND ARE BACK-TO-BACK EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS AT UNDER-21 LEVEL!
Jonathan Rowe is the hero with a winner in extra time after a wonderful cross.
They had taken a 2-0 lead through Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson, but they conceded twice in a short period of time.
And then from Rowe’s goal, it was some heroic defending!
Germany threw everything they had at England, but Lee Carsley’s men have done it!
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GOAL! England Under-21s 3-2 Germany Under-21s – Jonathan Rowe
WHAT AN IMPACT!
Jonathan Rowe scores with his second touch!
Edward Norton-Cuffy has the ball on the right, and he plays it back to Tyler Morton.
Morton doesn’t even take a touch, and he whips a first-time cross into the box that David Beckham would have been proud of.
It is absolutely perfect, and Rowe adjusts brilliantly to guide a header into the bottom corner of the net.
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England Under-21s 2-2 Germany Under-21s – FULL TIME
We are going to extra time!
Germany com back from 2-0 down to take this final all the way.
The Young Lions had a two-goal lead through Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson.
But Paul Nebel scored one and created another before hitting the crossbar in the closing stages of the match as well.
And as extra time starts, Elliott and James McAtee are off for Jonathan Rowe and Ethan Nwaneri.
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England Under-21s 2-2 Germany Under-21s – Chance
Huge opportunity!
England should be back in the lead!
It’s a brilliant move down the left that ends with Omari Hutchinson pulling a ball back to the edge of the area.
Substitute Edward Norton-Cuffy arrives.
He makes contact with the strike, but it hits it straight at the goalkeeper.
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GOAL! England Under-21s 2-2 Germany Under-21s – Paul Nebel
OOOOOOOOO, BACK ON TERMS!
Paul Nebel turns from provider to goalscorer.
A corner from the right isn’t cleared properly, and it comes to the winger.
He is allowed to cut in from the left in the box and take aim.
His strike takes a slight nick off Jay Stansfield that sends the ball into the top corner.
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England Under-21s 2-1 Germany Under-21s – Chance
Back underway for the second half, and England are playing well!
Tino Livramento rolls a pass into James McAtee that gets him on the half-turn.
He drives at the heart of the German defence as Livramento and Jay Stansfield make unselfish runs to take men away.
The space opens up for McAtee, and he slides an effort past the post.
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GOAL! England Under-21s 2-1 Germany Under-21s – Nelson Weiper
GAME ON!
Out of nothing, Germany are back in this game.
It’s good wing play from Paul Nebel as he twists Jay Stansfield into knots.
He then delivers a peach of a cross, and there is Weiper to bullet a header into the back of the net.
Weiper did well to leave himself on Tyler Morton, meaning he had a free header and converted with aplomb.
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England Under-21s 2-0 Germany Under-21s
Well, that is brutal!
Alex Scott is on the receiving end of a late tackle, and after trying to carry on, he’s decided he can’t.
The clearly emotional Bournemouth midfielder looks gutted as he trudge off.
Tyler Morton comes on in his place to join Elliot Anderson in the middle of the park.
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England Under-21s 2-0 Germany Under-21s
This is sensational!
England start a move at right-back with Tino Livramento, who finds Elliot Anderson.
Anderson flicks the ball back into Livramento’s path, and the right-back charges forward.
He then spots the inside run of Omari Hutchinson and threads the pass to him.
Hutchinson guides a pass into James McAtee, who plays a clever ball into the six-yard-box for Jay Stansfield and his strike is deflected behind for a corner.
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England Under-21s 2-0 Germany Under-21s – Omari Hutchinson
FLYING!
England Under-21s are running riot here, and it’s Omari Hutchinson with the goal.
Harvey Elliott dinks the ball down the middle for James McAtee, and he is away.
He wriggles into the box and flicks a pass out to Hutchinson.
The Ipswich winger doesn’t try to be too clever and just smashes the ball low and as hard as he can.
It flies through the goalkeeper’s legs and ends up in the back of the net.
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England Under-21s 1-0 Germany Under-21s – Chance
That had top be 2-0!
Harvey Elliott bursts away down the right and slides a pass out to the left.
James McAtee controls in the box and squares a pass across the goal.
It is begging to be put away, but Jay Stansfield doesn’t slide in, and the chance goes.
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GOAL! England Under-21s 1-0 Germany Under-21s – Harvey Elliott
DREAM START!
Harvey Elliott gives England the perfect start to the match.
He starts the move by trying to thread a ball through the German defence that hits the back of a defender and runs for Omari Hutchinson.
His shot is blocked, and it comes back out for Elliott.
The Liverpool man takes a touch and finds the bottom corner to score his fifth goal of the tournament.
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England Under-21s vs Germany Under-21s – Kick-off
Right, we are underway in the European Championship Under-21s final.
England are looking for their second consecutive win in this tournament.
Lee Carsley has guided the Young Lions to back-to-back to finals, and the team he has named is very strong.
Here are the two starting XIs.
England: Beadle, Livramento, Cresswell, Quansah, Hinshelwood, Scott, Anderson, Elliott, McAtee, Hutchinson, Stansfield
Subs: Edwards, Hackney, Fellows, Rowe, Norton-Cuffy, Simkin, Gray, Egan-Riley, Iling-Junior, Nwaneri,Sharman-Lowe, Morton
Germany: Atubolu, Collins, Oermann, Arrey-Mbi, Brown, Gruda, Martel, Reitz, Nebel, Woltemade, Weiper
Subs: Rosenfelder, Knauff, Rohl, Tresoldi, Thielmann, Ernst, Ulrich, Siebert, Jander, Baum, Wanner
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Gittens there
talkSPORT understands that Chelsea have now reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund for Jamie Gittens.
The Blues had hoped to wrap up his signature before the Club World Cup, but they failed to agree a fee.
However, the two sides have now reached an agreement in principle.
The English winger will undergo a medical this evening before joining Enzo Maresca’s men.
Including add-ons, Chelsea will pay £55 million, and he will sign a seven-year deal.
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Roll up, roll up
talkSPORT understands that Brighton are looking for over £60 million to sell Joao Pedro.
Chelsea and Newcastle United are leading the race for the versatile attacker, with the latter having a £50 million bid turned down.
There has been another from a different top-flight side also rejected.
The Toon are expected to come back in with another offer, while the Blues feel confident that they can sign the Brazilian.
Pedro can play up front, as a second striker or on either wing, which explains why he is in such high demand this summer.
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Pog-back
Paul Pogba is back in football!
Monaco have announced the signing of the French international after he returned from his reduced doping ban.
He has penned a two-year deal with the Ligue 1 side and will get to play Champions League football.
The 32-year-old had his contract mutually terminated by Juventus in 2024 and has been a free agent since after his initial four-year ban was reduced to 18 months.
He has not made a professional appearance since September 2023, but he will be eyeing a spot in Didier Deschamps’ World Cup quad next year.
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Pay day
Fabrizio Romano has revealed what he believes to be the prize of Liverpool’s buyback clause for Jarell Quansah.
The young centre-back is set to join Erik ten Hag at Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £30 million with an additional £5m in add-ons.
However, if the Reds want him back later down the line, it will cost them an initial £60m.
Burt with add-ons, you could be looking at a fee closer to £70m for Quansah.
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Denied
Burnley have rejected Newcastle’s offer in the region of £26m for James Trafford, talkSPORT understands.
Talks between the two clubs continue and Trafford is keen on the move.
This is the second bid the Toon have seen turned down by the Clarets in the last week.
Burnley are looking for around £30m to part ways with the goalkeeper.
However, Newcastle’s Nick Pope appears to think he’ll be joined on Tyneside by Trafford very soon.
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Duran on the move
Jhon Duran is set to leave Al-Nassr and return to European football.
Turkish giants Fenerbahce, managed by Jose Mourinho, are pushing agree a deal for the former Aston Villa striker just six months after his exit to Saudi Arabia.
Al-Nassr are seriously considering revisiting a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, who almost joined in January, but signed Duran instead.
The 21-year-old stunned Villa fans when he left the club midway through a free-scoring season for the Premier League club.
Duran scored 12 goals in 29 games in all competitions for Villa before choosing to sign for Al-Nassr in a £65million deal in January.
He has managed 12 goals in 18 games since his move to the Middle East, where he admitted he is living out a boyhood dream by playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Duran penned a five-year contract with Al-Nassr, where he earns £16.7million per year in wages, but could call it quits already.
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Mbeumo latest
Manchester United remain in talks with Brentford over a deal to sign Bryan Mbeumo.
The winger is provisionally booked for a medical with the Red Devils next week, talkSPORT understands.
Meanwhile, the clubs remain in discussions over a transfer fee and the structure of the potential deal.
United have seen a bid worth a total of £55million knocked back for the Cameroon international.
However, they are now understood to be preparing an approach worth more than the £62.5million paid for Matheus Cunha.
The Brazilian joined Ruben Amorim’s side from Wolves earlier this summer.
Tottenham have also shown an interest in Mbeumo following former Bees boss Thomas Frank’s appointment.
The 25-year-old scored 20 goals in 38 Premier League appearances last season, with only Mohamed Salah, Alexander Isak and Erling Haaland scoring more.
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Bayern chase
Bayern Munich will have to pay a club record fee to sign Nick Woltemade this summer.
The Under-21 Euros top scorer is in action for Germany against England tonight.
Vincent Kompany’s side have already agreed personal terms with the striker.
However, Stuttgart have slapped a £100million price tag on Woltemade, according to German outlet Kicker.
Both Arsenal and Liverpool have previously been linked with a move for the 23-year-old this summer.
Woltemade has his heart set on a move to the Bundesliga champions, though.
Bayern had been hoping to agree a fee in the region of £43million for the forward.
With three years remaining on his deal, Stuttgart are keen to keep hold of their man, however.
He has scored six goals in four appearances for Germany at the Under-21 Euros to fire them into the final.
His summer scoring streak follows a 12-goal haul in the league for Stuttgart last season.
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Fred the Red
Liverpool have snapped up former Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman on a free transfer.
The 28-year-old will join the Reds upon the expiration of his deal with Preston North End.
Woodman came through the ranks at Crystal Palace before he moved north to join Newcastle’s academy in 2013.
He went on to make nine total appearances for the Magpies over the course of eight seasons.
Woodman also spent time on loan at the likes of Hartlepool United, Crawley Town, Kilmarnock, Aberdeen and Swansea City.
He eventually settled at Preston in June 2022 and made 138 appearances for the Lilywhites.
Woodman was even named Preston’s Player of the Year in 2022/23.
The 28-year-old will now join a goalkeeping unit at Anfield which includes Alisson and Armin Pecsi, with Giorgi Mamardashvili to officially join on January 1.
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Pedro stays put?
Brighton have rejected offers worth in excess of £50m for João Pedro from Newcastle and one other Premier League club, talkSPORT understands.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has made Pedro his top forward target and the Magpies are expected to increase their bid.
Chelsea are also interested in signing the Brazilian international.
