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A16 SPORTS
Tuesday 8 augusT 2023
Mbappe’s standoff with PSG continues amid report that Neymar

now wants to leave the French club

By Jerome Pugmire will be sold this summer to
Associated Press prevent him leaving for
PARIS (AP) — As Kylian free at the end of the sea-
Mbappe’s transfer stand- son, and left him out of a
off with Paris Saint-Germain preseason tour to Japan
continues, it remains un- and South Korea. Having
clear if the star striker will already lost record seven-
even be in the squad when time Ballon d’Or winner Lio-
PSG begins its league sea- nel Messi, PSG now seems
son at home against Lorient to be in danger of losing its
on Saturday. two remaining superstars as
And now Neymar’s future well. Messi’s move to Inter
at the club suddenly looks Miami came after the Ar-
uncertain as well. gentine World Cup winner
France’s leading sports decided not to sign a one-
daily L’Equipe reported year contract extension
on Monday evening that PSG had offered him.
Neymar has told the club But after years of pander-
he wants to leave this sum- ing to its star players, nota-
mer, increasing the turmoil bly Zlatan Ibrahimovic and
surrounding the defending Neymar, PSG is showing a
French league champion. firm intent not to be pushed
PSG said the club would around. After being left
not comment on Neymar’s PSG’s Kylian Mbappe stops to sign autographs for fans as he leaves the Paris Saint-Germain out of the preseason tour,
situation, when contacted training complex, Friday, July 28, 2023 in Poissy, outside Paris. Speculation is mounting as to where Mbappe posted a photo
by The Associated Press. Mbappé will play his first game of the season. (AP Photo/Lewis Joly) of himself online after train-
The 31-year-old Neymar, ing with some fringe play-
who joined for a world re- Mbappe, who also joined in could request a massive Mbappe informed the club ers last week. He stopped
cord fee of 222 million eu- 2017, wants to play for PSG signing-on fee and a higher in June that he would not to sign autographs as fans
ros ($244 million) from Bar- this season and then leave salary. He has been heavily take up the extra year on waited outside the club’s
celona in 2017, is under on a free transfer once his linked with a move to Real his contract until 2025. PSG training complex, on the
contract until 2025. contract runs out, when he Madrid. responded by insisting he outskirts of Paris. q

Lucas Glover wins Wyndham Championship. Justin Thomas’

season ends by inches

Associated Press ground, stunned that his the top 70 players. break when his tee shot on portant putt at Sedgefield
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — birdie chip hit the base of Glover is one of them, clos- the 18th bounced off a Country Club.
Lucas Glover looked to the the pin and stayed out, ing with a 2-under 68 for a cart driven by security and It was the second time in
sky and held back tears af- leaving him out of the Fe- two-shot victory over a fal- went into the rough, keep- three years that Henley let
ter winning the Wyndham dEx Cup playoffs by about tering Russell Henley and ing it out of the trees. one get away at Sedge-
Championship on Sunday, the same small margin that Byeong Hun An. He started Thomas needed one more field.
sending him to the PGA kept his ball out of the cup. the week at No. 112, and birdie to get into the top When play resumed, he
Tour postseason with more Such were the range of the victory his first in two 70. His birdie chip checked took the lead with a two-
opportunities ahead of emotions at Sedgefield, the years moved him to No. and hopped against the putt birdie on the par-5
him. final tournament before 49. Another good week base of the pin and stayed 15th, and then everything
Justin Thomas fell to the the lucrative postseason for in Memphis, Tennessee, out. Standing at the back went wrong in a bogey-bo-
would set him up for the of the green, he saw a gey-bogey finish.
all the signature $20 million video board project him at His mediocre tee shot on
events next year. No. 71. He missed by nine the par-3 16th came down
The timing couldn’t have FedEx Cup points. the slope at the front of the
been better for the 43-year- Now he has to wait three green and took one more
old Glover. Sunday would weeks to see if his worst turn into a deep divot hole.
have been the birthday of season this is the first time He chopped that out to
his late grandfather, who Thomas has failed to make 35 feet and made bogey.
got him into the game and the playoffs will cost him a He sent his tee shot on the
sent him to the late Dick pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup 17th into the trees, and his
Harmon to hone the skills of team. next shot buried in a deep
a future U.S. Open cham- Glover now has five PGA hole in thick rough. He had
pion. Tour wins separated by 18 to scramble for bogey. He
What he did was keep his years, and there might not shot 69.
poise amid a two-hour have been another except Henley tied for second with
storm delay when he had for deciding to switch to Byeong Hun An (67). Billy
Lucas Glover poses with the trophy after winning the Wyndham four holes left and was a long putter, a move in- Horschel, who shared the
Championship golf tournament in Greensboro, N.C., Sunday, locked in a battle with Hen- spired by Adam Scott. He 54-hole lead with Glover,
Aug. 6, 2023. ley. Glover finished with had been battling the yips, didn’t make a birdie until
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton) four pars, getting one good and he made every im- the final hole. q