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Newcastle United’s PIF bosses are backing Eddie Howe to find solutions to the current hole they have slipped into. It is important that this point is emphasised, with noise levels rising regarding the manager’s future.

Yes, Newcastle are 14th in the Premier League, and their away form has gone beyond merely concerning. But the Magpies are also into the last eight of the Carabao Cup, and have made a confident start to their Champions League campaign too.

However, there is an expectation that Howe will make the necessary adjustments to bring United back into contention at the top of the table.

10

Games

7

7

Wins

1

0

Draws

3

3

Losses

3

20

Goals scored

7

9

Goals conceded

8

2.1

PPG

1.16

There is also an acceptance that a difficult summer transfer window and the bitter sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool have knocked things out of kilter. Luckily, Nick Woltemade has been a shining light, and he proved his skill once again this week for Germany.

Nick Woltemade's start to the season

Since joining Newcastle from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee at the end of August, Woltemade has posted six goals for the Toon, quickly bedding in on English soil and proving he has what it takes to succeed Isak in the long run.

Moreover, he has scored three times in his past two outings for Germany, scoring a brace as his side sank Luxembourg in their World Cup qualifier on Friday evening.

Newcastle have their issues this season, but it’s curious that the 23-year-old has made it so his integration in Isak’s still-warm seat has not been one of them.

The 6 foot 6 striker’s unique skillset has seen him dovetail right into a system that has yet to click together, and when wide players like Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga find form, Howe could pull the strings of a frontline capable of throwing down with any defence across Europe.

Of course, football is about more than just the forwards, and there’s another Tyneside star whose performances this season have established him as one of the best in the business.

He’s even worth more than Woltemade.

The Newcastle star worth even more than Woltemade

Newcastle have many fine players contracted to St. James’ Park, but Sandro Tonali is fast emerging as the cream of the crop.

After joining from AC Milan for around £55m in 2023, the 25-year-old faced difficulties, but he rebounded last year and redefined Howe’s midfield, instrumental in a long and brilliant purple patch that led to glory.

Now, he is “the best player by a distance”, according to correspondent Craig Hope, and while Newcastle have some issues in the build-up, Tonali is becoming the defining force alongside Bruno Guimaraes.

Largely, this is because the Italian has become far more progressive on the ball, ranking this season among the top 5% of Premier League midfielders for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.

And he is beginning to revel in a new level of recognition, with pundits and observers from afar coming to understand that Tonali is one of the best in the business.

His market value is a reflection of that. Woltemade might be the talk of the town, and in many ways, rightly so, but Tonali cut from a different cloth. He’s a maestro, endowed with impressive athleticism and unteachable technical skill.

There is talk of him falling into the same financial bracket as someone like Guimaraes, over the £100m mark, and this is indeed an accurate emphasis on the calibre of superstar at Howe’s disposal.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher said that Newcastle had “made a mistake” when signing the midfielder, given his suspension throughout his first year in England, but Tonali is now showing he’s one of the best Premier League signings of recent years, more so, even, than Woltemade.

The two Newcastle United stars who could be sold instead of Bruno and Isak

The Magpies are set to sell players this summer.

ByHenry Jackson Feb 12, 2024

Renuka Singh, Alyssa Healy set to return to action in what will be the first international at the New Chandigarh stadium

Sruthi Ravindranath13-Sep-20251:11

Healy: ‘India a sleeping giant for a long time now’

Big Picture: A dry run for the ODI World CupCan either team get better preparation than this in the lead-up to the ODI World Cup? India get to face the defending champions, while Australia get to play one of the tournament hosts and have a chance to acclimatise to the conditions well before other competing teams.Having won nine of the 11 ODIs they have played this year and having beaten England in their backyard in July, India will carry a lot of confidence into this series. However, Australia can be a formidable opponent: they have beaten India in 12 out of the 13 ODIs since Harmanpreet Kaur’s epic knock in the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-finals.India were whitewashed 3-0 in the last two series they had played against Australia. Four out of the last five times they’ve met in an ICC tournament, India have lost, including the semi-final of last year’s T20 World Cup. India will want to use this series not just as a dry run to get their team combination right but also to come up with plans to get past the Australia hurdle. If India win this series, they will enter the World Cup as favourites.Australia, meanwhile, haven’t played ODIs this year since January, when they wiped England out 3-0 in the Women’s Ashes. The last tournament they played was the T20I series against New Zealand in March. But they have ten players who were also part of the 2022 ODI World Cup side in this squad, and have lost just three out of 28 matches they played since that tournament. So, they will back themselves to shake off the rust and hit the ground running. They will be playing in New Chandigarh, a non-World Cup venue, but they will benefit from some quality practice, specifically against spin in the middle overs, which is expected to play a big role in the ODI World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.Related

Harmanpreet says India believe they can beat Australia 'any day'

Australia ready to embrace 'little bit of unknowns' at ODI World Cup

Healy hopes wicketkeeping 'tinkering' avoids recurrence of injury

She gets knocked down but she gets up again: Sneh Rana's journey

Form GuideIndia WLWWW (last five matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWWIn the spotlight: Alyssa Healy and Sneh RanaA ruptured plantar fascia at the 2024 T20 World Cup, a knee injury during the WBBL, and a stress fracture in the right foot during the Women’s Ashes. Australia captain Alyssa Healy has been dealing with recurring injuries since late last year which also affected her wicketkeeping. But she made a strong comeback for Australia A in the recent white-ball series against India A, making scores of 91 and 137 not out in the last two one-dayers and also keeping wicket, saying she made a few wicketkeeping ‘tinkering’ to avoid such injuries. A force for Australia in World Cups, she will hope to remain injury-free as she gears up for her first ODI World Cup as captain.Offspinner Sneh Rana has been on a roll ever since her comeback into India’s white-ball sides. A superb WPL season resulted in an ODI call-up, and she impressed immediately with 15 wickets in five games in the tri-series in Colombo in May. She followed that up with three wickets in the ODIs against England. With India expected to go spin-heavy for this series, and the World Cup that follows, Harmanpreet indicated during the squad announcement press conference that Rana will continue to be crucial in the middle overs.Alyssa Healy is set to return to action from injury•Getty ImagesTeam news: Renuka Singh returns from injuryWith Renuka Singh back for the series from injury, she is expected to start ahead of Arundhati Reddy, who had played the ODIs against England, with Kranti Goud as the other fast bowler. India are also likely to go in with Rana, N Sree Charani and Deepti Sharma as spin options.India (probable): 1 Pratika Rawal, 2 Smriti Mandhana, 3 Harleen Deol, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Jemimah Rodrigues, 6 Richa Ghosh (wk), 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Sneh Rana, 9 N Shree Charani, 10 Kranti Goud, 11 Renuka SinghWill Australia tinker with the XI that last played against England in January? Though left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux is back in the side after a lengthy injury lay-off, she has not been given the green light to play. Healy said Molineux wasn’t “quite ready for the ODI format” and that Australia are “ready to have her back when she’s ready to go” at the press conference on the eve of the first ODI.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt, wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ash Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Georgia Wareham, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Megan SchuttPitch and conditionsThis will be the first international fixture at the New Chandigarh stadium, which has hosted 11 IPL matches in the last two years, so the conditions are a bit of an unknown for both sides. The weather is expected to be a bit cloudy on Sunday, with the possibility of showers in the afternoon, and clear for the rest of the day.Georgia Voll and Ash Gardner at the nets•PTI Stats and TriviaIndia last beat Australia in an ODI at home in February 2007. They have lost all ten encounters since.Harmanpreet is set to become the third Indian to feature in 150 Women’s ODIs.Megan Schutt is set to become the ninth Australian to feature in 100 Women’s ODIs.Since June 2024, Smriti Mandhana has scored 1346 runs in 23 ODI innings, 581 runs more than the next best batter. She has scored six hundreds in this period, three more than any other batter.Quotes”No doubt, they [Australia] have been very dominating. They have played well all over the world and dominated. But we are also at a stage where, as a captain, we have the belief we can beat them on any day. The processes in the last one and a half years has been good, we have improved quite a lot. Even in England, we beat one of their best sides. These show that we are on the right track.”
“This is the most stable Indian team I’ve seen and I think they’re in a really good place heading into this World Cup, so I’m looking forward to that challenge. The rivalry continues to grow. I know how much they love beating Australia and I know how good they are in their home conditions and that’s really a challenge for us. I think it’s going to be a really enjoyable, hard-fought series.”

Three-time MLB All-Star and 2008 World Series champion Mark Teixeira is launching a political career.

The former baseball star who helped the New York Yankees capture the 2008 World Series title is running as a Republican in Texas' 21st Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. The 45-year-old's bid is to replace the seat vacated by Congressman Chip Roy, who announced that he will not be seeking re-election. Roy will be running for the state's attorney general position.

"As a proud Texan and lifelong conservative who loves our country, I'm ready to fight for the principles that make Texas strong and America exceptional," Teixeira said in a statement. "…I'm running to ensure District 21 remains prosperous and free for generations to come."

Teixeira played 14 seasons in the major leagues and was a career .268 hitter with 409 home runs and 1,298 RBI.

Serhou Guirassy’s future at Borussia Dortmund has taken a decisive turn as new details reveal his release clause will drop to around €50 million in summer 2026, down from the €75m figure once reported. With Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and other elite clubs granted exclusive access to the clause, interest is intensifying as Dortmund prepare for potential replacements.

Guirassy's exclusive clause to be activated next summer

Guirassy’s contract saga has taken centre stage again after Sky Sports confirmed that his release clause at Dortmund is still active, but not for the upcoming winter window. Instead, it becomes valid in the summer of 2026, and its value is set to drop dramatically.

The striker’s exit option will fall to around €50m (£44m/$57m), a sharp decrease from the €60-75m (£52m/$69m – £61m/$80m) range discussed last summer. Dortmund insiders have described the clause as “staggered,” meaning it becomes more financially accessible over time.

According to , the clause is exclusively available to seven clubs: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United.

These teams can activate it directly, while all others, including suitors in Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 or the Saudi Pro League, must negotiate higher fees with Dortmund.

Guirassy, who has become Dortmund’s attacking anchor, is keeping his options open and has made it clear that he would only consider a move to a top-tier club capable of offering titles and Champions League ambitions.

AdvertisementgettyGuirassy not interested in Saudi switch

Although Saudi clubs continue to circle Europe’s biggest names, Guirassy has no interest in heading to the Saudi Pro League. This summer, he rejected a €20 million-per-year offer from Al-Hilal, believing the move would come too early in his career.

Since joining Dortmund in 2024 for €18m, Guirassy has delivered exceptional output with 38 goals and nine assists in 50 matches. A brief dip in form earlier this season raised concerns, but he responded emphatically with a brace in Dortmund’s 4-0 Champions League win over Villarreal, reminding suitors of his reliability at the highest level.

His contract runs until 2028, but the looming release clause means Dortmund know they may struggle to keep him if a major club acts decisively in 2026. For now, Guirassy remains fully committed to Dortmund’s project, tying his long-term future to the club’s ability to compete for titles.

However, Germany legend Oliver Kahn is convinced the striker wants to leave the club, predicting a summer transfer for him.

Dortmund eye Hoffenheim striker as Guirassy's replacement

With Guirassy’s departure a genuine possibility, Dortmund have started preparing for life without their star striker. The club is seriously exploring a move for Fisnik Asllani, Hoffenheim’s rising Kosovo international.

Asllani's release clause is set at €30m which will be active from summer 2026, making him a realistic and financially viable option. Dortmund had considered signing him last summer, but the player chose to extend his contract until 2029.

Now, the interest is back, but competition is intense. Bayern are monitoring Asllani as a rotational attacking option, while Barcelona have emerged as fresh contenders. The striker has delivered six goals and three assists this Bundesliga season and continues to grow after a breakout loan spell at Elversberg.

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AFPWhat's next for Dortmund and Guirassy?

From struggling for minutes at Lille to breakthrough spells at Rennes and Cologne, Guirassy transformed himself at Stuttgart with a remarkable 30 goals in 30 Bundesliga games before moving to Dortmund. With his release clause dropping and Europe's biggest clubs circling, Dortmund face an inevitable challenge. Whether Guirassy stays will depend on the club’s progress, their ability to compete at the top, and how aggressively the seven eligible giants pursue him in 2026.

For now, Dortmund remain focused on the present they view him as an ideal successor who is strong in the air, composed inside the box, and young enough to develop into a long-term No. 9.

They have received plenty of criticism for it over the last couple of years, but Chelsea seem determined to continue building a team full of exciting young talents.

For example, the West Londoners added Jorrel Hato, Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Estevao to Enzo Maresca’s side this summer.

However, one player who is just that little bit older than them is Liam Delap, who, at 22, is arguably still a prospect, but at the same time, needs to start delivering on a more consistent basis.

If he does do that, there is also more than a passing chance he could establish himself as an England regular; if not, Cobham is already producing an incredible gem who could surpass him for club and country.

Delap's route into the England team

While Thomas Tuchel arguably has the strongest England squad for a very long time, a narrative that has been doing the rounds this international break is that, after Harry Kane, there aren’t many, if any, obvious strikers to take as backup for the World Cup.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

For example, Ivan Toney is still playing in the Saudi Pro-League, Ollie Watkins has just one goal and no assists in 16 games this season, and Dominic Solanke is still out injured.

In fact, the search for a backup number nine has been so desperate that there are now genuine conversations around recalling Danny Welbeck ahead of the summer, and while he deserves to be in the conversation, he’ll be 35 this month, so he is not a long-term option.

This, then, is how, even though he’s not had the best of starts this season, Delap could very realistically find himself on that plane to the World Cup next summer.

After all, even though he was playing for a really relatively poor Ipswich Town side last season, the former Manchester City prospect was still able to rack up a reasonable enough tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances.

So, if he can rediscover some form this year, there is surely a place in Tuchel’s squad with his name on it, but if not, one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects in a long time could eventually usurp him for club and country.

The Chelsea gem who could usurp Delap

Cobham have long produced Premier League-level youngsters who have gone on to star for Chelsea or other sides, and it looks like Shumaira Mheuka is the next one up.

The 18-year-old goalscoring machine began his footballing journey on the south coast with Brighton & Hove Albion, but made the move to Stamford Bridge in 2022.

In the two and a half years since, the youngster has gone from strength to strength and is without a doubt one of the most exciting up-and-coming centre-forwards in the country.

For example, even though he was just 16 at the start of last season, he ended the campaign with 11 goals and three assists in 30 appearances across the u18s and u21s.

However, while his exploits last year were impressive, what he has been able to do this year has been utterly remarkable.

Appearances

61

Goals

34

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

So far, the teenage phenom, whom talent scout Jacek Kulig has dubbed “Cobham’s finest,” has scored 13 goals and provided three assists in 12 appearances for the youth sides, totalling 997 minutes.

In other words, he is currently averaging 1.33 goal involvements per game, or one every 62.31 minutes, which is frankly ridiculous.

If that wasn’t enough, the Birmingham-born monster is also doing the business for the national side, racking up a tally of 14 goals and three assists in 20 appearances for the u19s.

With numbers and performances such as these, it’s easy to see why Kulig described the youngster as “the future of Chelsea and English football.”

Ultimately, if Delap doesn’t start performing for Chelsea soon, there is every chance he could be replaced by Mheuka, who could also soon make his way into Tuchel’s plans.

Bye-bye Tosin & Chalobah: Chelsea submit bid to re-sign "the world's best CB"

The iconic defender would be excellent for Chelsea, but bad news for Tosin and Chalobah.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 20, 2025

The 2025 MLB season is fully into its stretch run, and the playoff picture has solidified. While a number of the usual suspects will likely reach the playoffs, a lot has happened since the All-Star break.

When digging into the numbers of baseball's second half, several surprising, even shocking trends have emerged. The Brewers have emerged as a powerhouse. Kyle Schwarber and Nick Kurtz have been the second-half MVPs. Meanwhile, a number of teams and players are doing things you wouldn't expect.

What follows is a look inside the numbers of the surprising trends across baseball since the All-Star break.

14.3 — fWAR by Blue Jays hitters, best in baseball, to go along with a team-wide 131 wRC+, again, the best in baseball.

8.7 — fWAR produced by the Dodgers pitchers, best in MLB since the All-Star break, a full 1.5 points higher than the Reds and Phillies, who sit in second place. Their team FIP (3.37) is also tops by a wide margin over the Pirates (3.73).

197 — Runs scored by the Astros, which ranks 29th in MLB. Only the Cardinals (185) are worse. Houston's hitters have a collective fWAR of 5.2, worst in baseball among contending teams in the second half.

265 — Runs by the White Sox since the break. That ranks fifth in baseball.

287 — Runs by the Brewers since the break, best in baseball.

3.57 — Team ERA for the Brewers, second-best in baseball behind the Dodgers. So Milwaukee is scoring the most runs and has the second-lowest team ERA since the break.

4.93 — ERA of Mets pitchers since the break, 24th in baseball and worst among contending teams. Their collective WHIP (1.41) ranks 26th and is also the worst among contenders.

14 — Second-half home runs by Trent Grisham, which is second on the Yankees. Aaron Judge's 11 home runs since the break are actually tied for fourth on the team with Jazz Chisholm. (Giancarlo Stanton leads the club with 16.)

20 — Second-half home runs for Kyle Schwarber to lead MLB. The Phillies slugger is slashing .230/.348/.592 with 54 RBIs and a wRC+ of 154 since the All-Star break. The pending free agent seems to have earned himself an obscene amount of money with his performance over the past few months.

21 — Stolen bases by (*) Juan Soto… to lead all of baseball since the All-Star break. Weird. Soto had 25 total stolen bases over the past three years entering 2025 and had never topped 12 in a season before. He only stole 11 bases in 96 games in the first half.

33 — Wins for the Brewers since the All-Star break, best in baseball.

154 — Second half wRC+ for Rafael Devers, who is slashing .269/.367/.538 since the break with 14 home runs. After a slow start in San Francisco, he has found his groove offensively.

220 — Second half wRC+ by Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, by far the best in baseball. Kurtz is slashing .361/.474/.715, his OPS of 1.189 leads baseball, as does the 3.0 fWAR he has produced.

2.5 — fWAR for Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, best among MLB starting pitchers since the break. He is 5–3 with a 2.67 ERA and a sparkling 2.13 FIP. With Zack Wheeler out for the season, he's Philadelphia's best starter heading into the playoffs.

0.84 — ERA for Cubs rookie Cade Horton, best among qualified starting pitchers since the break. Horton has a 7–1 record in 10 starts, has produced 1.6 fWAR, and is just what Chicago needed after losing Justin Steele for the season.

1.74 — ERA for Paul Skenes since the All-Star break. His 2.11 FIP is the best among qualified pitchers since the break, and he's averaging 11.37 strikeouts per nine innings. If anything, the Pirates star has gotten better as his second season has gone along.

99.5 — Average fastball velocity for Hunter Greene since the break. The best among MLB starting pitchers. The Reds ace is 2–1 with a 2.35 ERA since the break.

101.6 — Average fastball velocity for Padres reliever Mason Miller since the break, best among all MLB pitchers. He's 0–0 with two saves and a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings in that time and is averaging an eye-popping 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings. This one may not be surprising, but like Skenes, he appears to be getting better as his second full season goes along.

An unlikely England recall isn’t out of the question for controversial Marseille star Mason Greenwood, according to one of his team-mates, who has vowed to do all he can to help the former Manchester United winger back into the Three Lions reckoning. Greenwood has been in prolific form for the Ligue 1 side again this season and is believed to be keen on return to the England squad.

Greenwood revival in south of France

Greenwood joined Marseille in July last year, leaving Manchester United following charges of attempted rape, assault, and controlling behaviour, which were discontinued after key witnesses withdrew and new material emerged which meant there "was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction." After a successful loan spell at Getafe, Marseille signed him permanently for a reported £26.7 million ($35.3m), with the forward quickly becoming a key player under Roberto De Zerbi. 

His career has seen a resurgence, with him becoming Marseille’s top scorer last season and continuing his form into the current campaign. In the recent Champions League clash with Newcastle, Greenwood delivered an excellent performance. He was a constant threat from the right wing, creating four chances and providing the cross for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's first goal as Marseille secured a crucial 2-1 victory. 

And USMNT star Timothy Weah, son of former Paris St-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea striker George, has promised to do all he can to help Greenwood make a remarkable return to to the England team. 

AdvertisementAFPWeah: 'I'm super proud of him'

After the victory over Newcastle, Weah told : "When I speak about Mason it’s a special feeling because it’s very rare in a lifetime that you get to share the pitch with such an amazing player and amazing character. We’ve grown closer since I've joined the team and been here. Hopefully he gets that call-up soon. I’m super proud of him. He's having an amazing season and hopefully I can help him to reach those heights that he's aiming for."

England boss clear on Greenwood position

Greenwood has made just one senior appearance for the England national team when he was brought on as a substitute in a Nations League match against Iceland in September 2020. But there was controversy afterwards, as he was sent home shortly along with team-mate Phil Foden for breaching COVID-19 quarantine rules by bringing female companions back to the team hotel. He has not been called-up to the England squad since. 

And while he is eligible to play for Jamaica, he holds hopes he could return to the England set-up, but Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel says he isn’t being considered for selection at the moment. Speaking in September, Tuchel said: "I have not spoken to him until now. I have not spoken to him or his camp. My understanding was that he tries to play for Jamaica so we didn't give it another thought. He was not in the mix at the moment, and he is not in our thoughts for our team."

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AFPGreenwood 'not wanted' by Jamaica players

Greenwood has also been tipped to switch allegiance to Jamaica after gaining his passport earlier this year. Steve McClaren resigned as Jamaica's head coach after the team failed to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, following a 0-0 draw with minnows Curaçao earlier this month. However, Jamaica's World Cup dream is not over and can qualify through the inter-confederation play-offs. But former Arsenal youngster Isaac Hayden has slammed the possibility of Greenwood changing his mind and joining up with the Reggae Boyz if they qualify for the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. 

Hayden said: "I've only played for Jamaica for a year, and there was some resistance to me when I started, but I have played 12 games and everyone can see my passion and the way I play the game. The quality of the player, his numbers, what he is producing, is of the highest level. But it comes down to principle and integrity. If players can just rock up because of a World Cup, it would make the whole thing a farce. That would say a lot about the player, and the organisation for allowing that to happen."

Manchester United have now reportedly set their sights on signing an impressive Ligue 1 defender, who has left their scouts blown away.

INEOS draw up 2026 transfer plan

To their credit, Man United got their summer transfer window fairly spot on. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Senne Lammens all look like solid signings, whilst Benjamin has shown flashes of his true quality. And results proved before the international break that a turnaround under Ruben Amorim is still possible.

Even if Monday’s 1-0 loss against the 10 men of Everton brought them back down to reality, one defeat in their last five games represents much-needed improvement.

INEOS have never stopped backing their manager and recent reports have claimed that they’re ready to return to the transfer market to improve his squad even further in 2026.

The plan, according to the Express, is to sign two wing-backs and a midfielder next summer, with the likes of Elliot Anderson among their top targets.

The Nottingham Forest star has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season even as his side sacked Nuno Espirito Santo and then Ange Postecoglou before hiring Sean Dyche.

Thomas Tuchel has been impressed enough to grant Anderson a starting place next to Declan Rice in his England side, which is now his to lose ahead of the World Cup.

The unfortunate news for Man United is that his price will only increase if he enjoys a successful tournament, even though reports have already claimed he’ll cost them over £100m.

The midfielder is also not the only name on United’s shopping list. INEOS have also reportedly set their sights on signing Ligue 1 defender Jeremy Jacquet.

Man Utd plotting "bargain" Jeremy Jacquet move

According to Caught Offside, Man United are now plotting a move to sign Jacquet from Stade Rennais after the young defender impressed their scouts in France.

The Red Devils have reportedly joined Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace in the race to sign the 20-year-old and it’s easy to see why.

Dubbed “imposing” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Jacquet is reportedly available for as little as €30m (£26m), which Caught Offside’s Mark Brus described as a “bargain” deal.

Having already signed Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven in recent years, adding Jacquet to their ranks would complete Amorim’s back three for years to come.

Man Utd receive bid for "insane" £105k-p/w player, he's said yes to January move

The Red Devils have received a proposal ahead of the January transfer window, with a sale now edging ‘closer’.

1 ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

With Harry Maguire still yet to sign a new contract ahead too, the young centre-back may have the chance to come straight into Man United’s starting side next summer in an attempt to make an instant impact.

Worse than Bruno & Casemiro: Amorim can't start Man Utd duo together again

“We aren’t able to create the momentum in our batting, we are trying to figure out how to solve that,” admits Sidra Nawaz

Madushka Balasuriya08-Oct-20250:58

Nawaz: ‘We are not being able to build momentum with the bat’

Pakistan knew they needed to be near perfect to beat Australia, an opponent they had failed to overcome on 16 prior occasions, and for around 22 overs, they were.There were diving catches, lightning quick stumpings, and your proverbial livewire acts of fielding. The conditions, too, were tailor-made; there were a few raised eyebrows when Pakistan opted to bowl first, but with the caliber of spinners they had in their ranks, they were confident of challenging Australia’s batters.That confidence was vindicated swiftly, as a combination of skillful bowling, efficient catching and some uncharacteristic errors in batting from a large chunk of Australia’s batting unit, saw the defending champions stumble to 76 for 7.Related

Clinical Mooney curbs attacking instincts to save the day for Australia

Mooney's rescue act for the ages denies Pakistan a historic win

Pakistan had never beaten Australia, and now they were closer than ever. But like a car crash in slow motion, the opportunity that had presented itself before them was snatched away brutally.”When they’re [Pakistan are] flying, they’re up and about. If you get a little partnership going, they can get a little bit flat, and you can open the game up that way,” Beth Mooney said after the game.”I sort of knew we had a long time to bat, so we didn’t have to do anything too rash.”That same sentiment was echoed by Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana during the post-match presentation.”We were on top after 20 overs in the first innings. After that, Beth Mooney played well and our girls’ energy came down. We need that energy until the last ball.”Mooney had struck a match-winning 109 off 114 deliveries to take the game away from Pakistan. That 109 was just five short of Pakistan’s eventual tally in their chase.Mooney’s innings also served to highlight the weaknesses prevalent in Pakistan’s batting unit. While Mooney rotated the strike – she took 44 singles across her innings – and shelved her attacking instincts to steer the game back towards her side, Pakistan lost wickets from the get-go.A game that started with ‘how good is this’ ended with ‘how did that happen’ for Fatima Sana•ICC/Getty ImagesSidra Amin struck 35 from 52, but no other batter in Pakistan’s top six reached double digits. While there is the mitigating factor that their last two games have been against Australia and India, and their first match in this tournament was against a Bangladesh outfit that is proving to be dangerous with the ball, Pakistan will know that a high score of 159 across those games is not good enough.”It is quite disappointing for us also because we were batting well previously. We did well in the Qualifiers, we did well in the series against South Africa in the lead up to the World Cup,” Sidra Nawaz said after the game.”Here, we aren’t able to create the momentum in our batting, we are trying to figure out how to solve that, and do well in our upcoming matches.”While Nawaz’s comments hold a modicum of truth – there were two scores of 287 and 255 against South Africa in Lahore – Pakistan’s unreliable batting unit has been a problem for some time now.Across 35 innings since the 2022 World Cup, they have managed a score of 250 or more just five times. Even accounting for low-scoring chases, this has been a fairly worrying record, and it’s something they will need to address sooner rather than later if they are to support the best efforts on the field.

The Phillies' comeback against the Dodgers in Game 2 of the National League Division Series fell short on Monday.

The Dodgers took a 4-0 lead in the seventh inning, but the Phillies fought back with a run in the eighth inning. After holding the Dodgers without a run over the final two innings, the Phillies added two more runs early in the ninth inning.

The Phillies were trailing by just one run when Bryson Stott came up to the plate. With no outs and Nick Castellanos on second base, Philadelphia was in good position to tie up, if not win the game with a walk-off. Phillies manager Rob Thomson decided to have Stott bunt, and though he got the ball down, the Dodgers were able to get Castellanos out at third. The Dodgers got the final two outs of the game on the next three plate appearances, and took a 4-3 win.

Thomson explained the unpopular choice to have Stott bunt after the game, saying, “Left on left, we’re trying to tie the score. I liked where our bullpen was at, compared to theirs."

"Mookie did a great job of disguising the wheel play," Thomson added. "We teach our guys if you see wheel, just pull back and slash because you're getting all kinds of room in the middle. Mookie broke so late that it was tough for [Stott] to pick it up."

The Dodgers now have a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series after Philadelphia failed to win either of their first two home games. The Phillies will head to Los Angeles where they'll face elimination when they play on Wednesday.