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There are so many questions going into the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees. Can Aaron Judge step up on the massive October stage? Will Cleveland's elite bullpen be able to navigate through if this thing goes to six or seven games? Is Jose Ramirez poised to become a household name after years of excellence? How much trust should Yankees fans really have in Carlos Rodon?

And finally, will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce be in attendance for any of the action?

We have clarity on that last issue as Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that he'd heard the power couple would be in the Bronx for Game 1.

Kelce grew up near Cleveland and has thrown one of the worst ceremonial first pitches in the franchise's history. Swift has been largely focused on football fandom over the past few years but like Bo Jackson, is extremely versatile.

It will be interesting to see just how often the TBS broadcast cuts away to their seats for reactions during play. The urge will be extremely strong but there are also some people who won't like that very much to consider.

It wasn’t the perfect performance, but Chelsea are now through to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

At one point in their clash away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Enzo Maresca’s men looked like they were going to run away with it.

Unfortunately, some really sloppy play and defending in the second half let the Old Gold right back into it.

With that said, Chelsea managed to get out of there with the win, and one player in particular showed why he could be another Cole Palmer, and no, it wasn’t Estevao.

Chelsea's standout stars vs Wolves

One Chelsea starter who did his chances of playing more minutes well on Wednesday night was Andrey Santos.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Brazilian ace started in the middle of the park and made an instant impact, scoring the opening goal just five minutes in.

It was a well-taken shot from just outside the area, but that wasn’t all he did, as he ended the game with 100% of his tackles won, ten ball recoveries and seven of eight ground duels won.

In short, it was an excellent all-action display from the 21-year-old and just the sort of showing fans were hoping to see from him this season.

One of his teammates who wasn’t quite as impactful, but is still worthy of praise, is Estevao.

The Brazilian wonderkid didn’t make any key passes or complete more than two crosses, but he did score a sensational chip to make it 3-0 in the 41st minute.

Finally, while he didn’t get a goal involvement like his midfield partner, Romeo Lavia, helped to keep things ticking over in the middle of the park for the Blues.

In his 61 minutes of action, the young Belgian completed 54 of 59 passes, played one key pass, took 67 touches, made seven ball recoveries and won five of six duels.

Perhaps the best thing you can say about the former Southampton gem’s performance is that Wolves scored two of their three goals when he was off the pitch.

With all that said, there was another Chelsea player who stood out above all the others and showed just why he could be another Palmer-type star.

Chelsea's new Palmer-type star

When it comes down to the player who impressed most on Wednesday night, it’s impossible to look past Jamie Gittens, and it’s the summer signing who could be the club’s new Palmer-type star.

Now, it’s important to caveat that this doesn’t mean he will become as good a player as the Blues’ number ten – few players ever will be – but there are some similarities.

For example, both of them have come from Manchester City’s academies, both can play out wide, the former Borussia Dortmund gem is almost certainly going to be involved in the senior England setup at some point, and, crucially, Gittens is capable of the incredible.

Yes, the 21-year-old has indeed underwhelmed so far this season, but against Wolves, he showed that he has it in him to utterly dominate an opposition and drag his side to victory.

For example, he provided the assist for Santos to open the scoring, and then, just ten minutes later, he did even better, setting up Tyrique George with a tap-in he simply couldn’t miss.

Then, if that wasn’t enough, the Reading-born monster made sure his side didn’t throw the game away by scoring an absolute screamer to make it 4-2 in the 90th minute.

It was the sort of goal you’d expect a player of Palmer’s calibre to score, and perhaps an indication that the Blues might have another superstar on their hands.

Overall, it really was, as one content creator put it, a “masterclass” of a performance from Gittens, and one that should see him remain in the team for the next few games.

Not Caicedo: Chelsea's "joke of a footballer" is now looking like Lampard

The international monster is beginning to embody Frank Lampard’s greatness for Chelsea.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 29, 2025

Despite their financial constraints, Barcelona remain confident of signing a new world-class No.9 to replace Robert Lewandowski, with Bayern Munich star Harry Kane one of the options being considered. Lewandowski is in the final few months of his existing contract and is expected to leave the club as a free agent next summer as the Catalan giants are unlikely to offer him a new deal.

• Lewandowski likely to leave Barcelona

  With just a few months left on Lewandowski's current Barcelona contract, the 37-year-old striker has been closely linked with a move away from the Spanish side next summer as a free agent. The Polish forward's representative, Pini Zahavi recently claimed that the striker could leave the Catalan side, saying: "Lewandowski's contract with Barcelona expires in the summer of 2026, and no decisions have been made yet. We'll have to wait and see what happens in the coming days." 

  With the Lewandowski chapter possibly coming to an end, the Catalan giants have started to prepare for life beyond their star striker. According to , the club have prepared a shortlist of five forwards, which includes world-class options like Julian Alvarez and Kane. 

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  Can Barcelona afford to sign a world-class No.9?

  The report adds that Barcelona's financial department remains confident that the club would be able to secure the transfer for a top striker, with the club's eyes on Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez. But to afford the new player, they will have to return to La Liga's 1:1 rule. Once Lewandowski leaves, €40 million (£35m/$46m) will be freed up with which the new transfer can be funded.

  As of now, Barcelona are close to achieving the 1:1 balance, with pending payment for the VIP seat instalments due in December. In the 2024-25 settlement, €70m out of the €100m (£88m/$116m) has already been paid and the club will receive the remaining €30m by December. With that they will be able to match the 1:1 balance. 

  A second clause will be to draw up a financial structure to cover the transfer amount and Barcelona believe that the projected revenue growth after full opening of the Camp Nou will help them to cover that ground. 

• Which players are linked with Barcelona

  After ruling out the prospect of signing Erling Haaland due to the financial requirements, the favourite candidate to replace Lewandowski as Barcelona's main No.9 is Alvarez from Atletico. The shortlist also consists of Bayern and England star Kane, along with Galatasaray's Victor Osimhen, Borussia Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy and a low-cost option in Etta Eyong. 

  The latter, who just joined Levante in the summer, said this week that his dream is to play for the Catalan club and labelled Camp Nou icons Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto'o as his childhood idols.

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  Yamal wants Lewandowski to stay

  While Barcelona have not offered Lewandowski a new deal, their star attacker Lamine Yamal reportedly wants the veteran striker to stay. The relationship between the two players at opposing ends of their respective careers has apparently strengthened both on and off the field. Yamal is said to view the ex-Bayern star as 'a mentor', with there being a productive understanding between the pair as they look to pose problems to La Liga and Champions League opponents.

  Yamal now wants to see Lewandowski remain in his current surroundings beyond the summer of 2027, when free agency is set to be reached. He is said to be of the opinion that there is nobody better suited to continue fostering his development, while providing much-needed leadership.

  The veteran forward has also been linked with a move to Serie A giants AC Milan as Zlatan Ibrahimovic reportedly wants to sign him, while there have also been reports that claimed that the 37-year-old might even consider announcing his retirement from professional football.

FOR THE second consecutive year, MLB’s class of free agents is headlined by one crowned jewel.

Juan Soto’s production through his age-25 season puts him in a cohort with players like Mickey Mantle, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. For anyone who thought Shohei Ohtani’s record-breaking $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers signed last year would hold up, Soto and agent Scott Boras had other ideas. The generational hitter made history with a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets that sent shockwaves throughout the sport.

While Soto's historic contract is the headliner of the offseason and beyond, there’s a lot of intrigue in this year’s free agency class. There’s plenty of options for shoppers in tax brackets high and low, with starting pitching as usual in high demand.

In ranking the 50 best free agents available, factors like past recent production, age, health history and position scarcity were taken into consideration. And, as has become tradition, we’ll be making signing predictions for each player in our top 50, with each team meriting at least one mention even though it’s highly unlikely certain small-market teams will cash out the dough to swim in this part of the free agent pool.

Without further ado, let’s get to the list.

Legendary coach Arrigo Sacchi has slammed the Italy squad after their 4-1 loss to Norway in World Cup qualification, saying that manager Gennaro Gattuso may need to take them back to the basics to rebuild their confidence and overall structure. The Azzurri, having missed out on the last two World Cups, will have to navigate the play-offs to secure a place at the competition next year after finishing second in their qualifying group.

• Italy collapse in 4-1 loss to Norway

  Italy entered the match needing an improbable 9-0 victory to secure automatic qualification for the World Cup, but their hopes quickly faded despite a positive start. Pio Esposito opened the scoring early, and Italy defended well to hold a 1-0 lead at half-time. However, the second half saw a complete shift in momentum. Antonio Nusa equalised in the 60th minute, sparking Norway’s comeback. Erling Haaland then delivered a swift and decisive brace, effectively taking the game out of Italy’s reach. Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen added a late goal to complete the rout. The heavy defeat ended Italy’s hopes of automatic qualification, leaving them to face the pressure of the play-offs once again.

  Gattuso apologised to the fans after the heavy defeat, saying: “We must apologise to our fans because 4-1 is a heavy defeat. It's a shame because we had a very good first half, where we played as a real team.”

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  Sacchi suggests Italy to go back to basics

  In an interview to , ex-Azzurri coach Sacchi criticised the Italian players for committing errors that cannot be made at the highest level. 

  "We need to acknowledge our limitations," he said. To do so, however, requires a generous dose of humility. Here, we need to behave like a teacher teaching the alphabet to first-grade children, and mind you, I'm not exaggerating. I hear talk of formations, playbooks, attacking tactics, but do we really understand that we need to work in depth on the basic concepts? In my opinion, a training camp at Coverciano would be useful before the March match. But I'm sure the clubs would oppose such a request from the coach. I remember well the battles I had to fight when I was on the national team bench. In Italy, individual interests and selfishness always prevail, and people don't want to understand that building a team—and the national team is a team—takes time, patience, and training, lots of training. But mine, I already know, are just empty words.

  "I saw individual and team errors that, at a certain level, just can't be made. I'm looking for an explanation in the psychological attitude, perhaps in the second half. The Azzurri got a bit scared, they lost heart and were afraid to win, I don't know… The fact remains that in all four goals we conceded on Sunday night there were glaring errors that a Serie A player cannot make. The defenders made all sorts of mistakes, some turned their backs on the opponent who was crossing, some left Haaland free to shoot in the middle of our area, some botched the pass while building up, some got fooled by counterattack feints. No, we really won't get far like this."

• Sacchi believes Italy have no need to feel the pressure

  Italy have not featured at a World Cup since 2014. Their last two attempts ended in play-off heartbreak – first against Sweden in 2018, then in a stunning defeat to North Macedonia in 2022. With that history looming in the background, the upcoming play-offs carry enormous weight. Sacchi believes that after the damaging loss to Norway, Gattuso should look to rebuild the team's morale before the play offs.

  "No fear [for the play-offs], ever. But I see a lot of unknowns. After taking four slaps like that, I don't think the atmosphere is calm and relaxed," he  said. "Therefore, we need to rebuild the morale of the entire group. I'm worried, and not a little, about the pressure the national team will be under before the decisive matches. This is not a team that, in my opinion, can handle such a heavy burden. I think it would be wise, after analysing the mistakes made and looking for suitable solutions, to put an end to the controversy, eliminate the doubts and focus everyone on the objective. Right now, everything is needed except tension."

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  Gattus's preparations for the play offs

  Gattuso will seek to build on Sacchi’s suggestions as he guides Italy toward the play-offs. He plans to study the 4-1 loss to Norway in detail, identifying both strengths and weaknesses within the squad. His focus now is on assembling the best possible team, refining tactics, and ensuring Italy are fully prepared to win the play-offs and secure World Cup qualification.

Celtic have been meticulously assessing options to succeed Martin O’Neill in the dugout and may now have identified a new figure that could become a serious contender to take the Scottish Premiership champions forward.

At 73 years of age, O’Neill deserves plenty of plaudits for taking a step out of his comfortable stable of punditry work for another spell in charge of his old side, even if he may only be around for a brief period of time.

The victories over Falkirk and Rangers brought back some much-needed morale to the Celtic dressing room. However, the Bhoys’ defeat to FC Midtjylland in midweek prompted the former Republic of Ireland boss to make his stance clear on a longer stay in Glasgow.

He told TNT Sports: “I will be here as long as the football board wants me, it’s as simple as that. That could be at the end of the week, it could be after the Kilmarnock game. I just don’t know.”

Later, he added after being asked if he was in constant discussions with the hierarchy, fuelling speculation that he may not be in charge beyond the international break: “No I’m not and I don’t really want to be. I just want to be told when my time is up.”

Kjetil Knutsen continues to be in the Celtic running as his Bodo/Glimt contract comes to an end. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is a Parkhead candidate due to his sterling work at Portman Road.

With speculation bound to continue over the coming days, a new name has entered the picture as a potential successor to interim coach O’Neill.

Celtic place Brian Barry-Murphy on manager shortlist

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Celtic have shortlisted Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy as a managerial candidate to take over permanently at Parkhead.

Middlesbrough are also on the hunt for a new head coach as Rob Edwards completes a controversial move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, though the Scottish champions appear ready to throw a spanner in the works amid their links to the City Football Group.

Previously, he was head coach at Rochdale before a spell in charge of Manchester City’s elite development squad, and he has also further coaching experience in a technical role at Leicester City.

Celtic could land an alternative manager with a secret release clause

Cardiff City find themselves fourth on 26 points and could go top of the table should they win their game in hand. Predominantly adopting a 4-2-3-1, the Bluebirds have been an attacking force this campaign, scoring the joint-third most goals in League One.

Nevertheless, managing Celtic is a whole different kettle of fish due to the pressures associated with the role. It remains to be seen who will be trusted to lead their bid to retain the Scottish Premiership title.

Freddie Freeman was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Monday after suffering an ankle injury in what the team described as a shower "mishap."

After missing Monday's game, Freeman won't be in the lineup again on Tuesday, though he told reporters that he's hoping to be ready to play come Wednesday's series finale against the Atlanta Braves.

Freeman also offered an explanation as to how he managed to injure his ankle in the shower, informing reporters that because of a leak in the main shower at his home, he had to use the guest room's shower. When he tried stepping into the bathtub/shower setup, he slipped and fell, tweaking his ankle in the process, per Fabian Ardaya of .

Freeman had undergone offseason surgery on that same ankle following the team's World Series title, so it stands to reason that the Dodgers erred on the side of caution. X-rays on Freeman's ankle were negative, and Ardaya reports that the veteran first baseman received as much as three hours of treatment on Tuesday as he works to get back to action.

If Freeman is unable to play Wednesday, is next chance to take the field will be on Friday when the Dodgers take on the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Saturday afternoon saw Leeds United suffer yet another defeat in the Premier League, condemning them to a spot in the relegation zone this week.

The Whites lost 3-2 away to Manchester City, after a late Phil Foden goal managed to secure the three points for Pep Guardiola’s side late on.

Despite the result, there were some positives to take from the game. Daniel Farke’s side defended with plenty of heart, with two of City’s goals coming inside the first minute and stoppage time. It was also good to see both Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha on the scoresheet.

Yet, not all of their attackers shone. Daniel James did not put in his best performance, continuing his tough start to the season.

Dan James' season in numbers at Leeds

It was certainly a disappointing showing from James against Guardiola’s men. Normally such a direct presence in attack with his electric pace, the Welshman perhaps did not have the impact he or Farke may have hoped.

The former Manchester United star really struggled to get into the game, having just 12 touches of the ball, failing to create a chance and not having a shot. Journalist Graham Smyth of the Yorkshire Evening Post gave him a 5/10 for his performance and said he did not “get to do too much” going forward.

Indeed, that has been the theme of this season for the former Manchester United winger who has not really managed to get a good run of games together. He’s featured ten times in the Premier League, but has only played 352 minutes, the equivalent of 3.9 full 90-minute games.

He is off the back of good form for Wales, too. In the November international break, he helped his country reach the World Cup playoffs, assisting against Liechtenstein and scoring against North Macedonia.

James’ future at Leeds is arguably up in the air, given his lack of game time this season and poor performance against City. Leeds have an attacker out on loan who could leapfrog him, too.

Leeds are brewing a Dan James replacement

This summer, the West Yorkshire side loaned out some good players, perhaps coinciding with their attacking additions of Nmecha, Calvert-Lewin and Noah Okafor. Largie Ramazani is one example of an attacker out on loan.

Another is currently plying his trade for Yorkshire rivals Hull City. It has been a superb season for a certain Joe Gelhardt, who has shone for the Tigers in the Championship. The versatile forward has played as a number 10 and on the right so far this term.

He’s done that to great success in the 2025/26 campaign. The Liverpool-born attacker has nine goals and two assists to his name in 18 second-tier appearances this term. The most recent one of those strikes was a winner away to Stoke City in the 90th minute this weekend.

Indeed, Gelhardt’s attacking numbers this season are impressive. He’s averaging 0.72 goals and assists and 0.53 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, which rank him in the top 6% and 19% of Championship forwards, respectively. He is extremely efficient in the final third.

This sort of form is surely pleasing to see for Farke and Leeds. A player like James has struggled to have an impact in the first team this term, and with Gelhardt’s form and output, it is easy to see how he could leapfrog the Welshman.

The former Wigan Athletic star has played senior football at Elland Road. Whilst he only has 10 goals and assists in 57 games, the signs of his talent are there. Jamie Carragher has even described the 23-year-old as a “special” player in the past while long-time Merseyside Boys’ manager Tim Wyatt even said that Gelhardt caught the eye just as much as Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney did when they were all 14 years of age.

Looking ahead to the future, it is easy to think that the forward could break into Leeds’ squad and have a real impact. James has underwhelmed this term, and it is quite conceivable that he could be overtaken by Gelhardt.

He’s not played a first-team game for the Whites since last October when he appeared as an eight minute substitute against Norwich in the Championship. It would be some turnaround if he could work his way back into Leeds’ plans.

Leeds eyeing move for 4-3-3 Farke successor who has admirers at Elland Road

The Whites are struggling for form in the Premier League and could now change tact in the dugout.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 28, 2025

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan looks set to leave the club at the end of the season as a free agent, with no new contract talks scheduled with the Serie A side. Juventus are closely monitoring the situation and are interested in bringing the Frenchman to Turin, while several Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, are also considering a move for the highly-rated keeper.

• Maignan to leave Milan at the end of the season

  With his contract expiring at the end of the season, Maignan can begin negotiating with other clubs as early as January, raising the possibility of leaving Milan on a free transfer. Milan had reportedly offered an extension until 2028, increasing his salary from €2.8 million to €5.5m per year, but he has not been convinced to sign on the dotted line with reporting that no further talks are scheduled between the goalkeeper and club. Juventus have emerged as serious contenders for his signature, hoping to capitalise on the uncertainty and secure one of Europe’s top goalkeepers without a transfer fee.

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  Juventus facing competition from Chelsea

  Premier League clubs have also shown strong interest in Maignan, who has been a key player at Milan since he joined from Lille in 2021, with Chelsea emerging as the most serious contender. The London club are actively searching for a long-term replacement for Robert Sanchez and view Maignan as an ideal fit. Chelsea attempted to sign him in June but failed to reach an agreement with Milan. In fact, they were close to finalising a deal this summer before Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri intervened to block the transfer, partly influenced by the club’s ongoing efforts to sign Strasbourg right-back Guela Doue.

  Chelsea’s chances may now improve, especially as Juventus’ renewed interest in the 30-year-old comes at a difficult moment for the Italian side. UEFA has opened fresh proceedings into alleged financial irregularities between 2022 and 2025, raising the risk of further sanctions. This could weaken Juventus’ ability to compete financially for a top signing.

  With Maignan able to begin talks in January and Milan hesitant over his renewal due to concerns about his long-term fitness, the transfer race is increasingly favouring Premier League bidders – particularly Chelsea, who remain determined to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

• Maignan's impact at Milan

  The France international made an immediate impact at San Siro after replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma, helping the Rossoneri to the Scudetto in the 2021-22 season while recording the most clean sheets in Serie A. His shot-stopping, leadership and calm presence quickly made him one of the league’s standout goalkeepers. However, the following two seasons were disrupted by injuries that affected his consistency and availability, leading to concerns within the club about his long-term reliability. Despite those setbacks, Maignan has returned strongly in the current campaign. He has kept four clean sheets in the league and delivered decisive moments in big matches, including saving penalties from Paulo Dybala and Hakan Calhanoglu in crucial wins over Roma and Inter, respectively. His resurgence has re-established him as a key figure for Milan while also attracting interest from major European clubs.

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  Can Milan extend Maignan's contract?

  Milan have reignited their Serie A title hopes under Allegri, highlighted by Sunday’s derby win over Inter thanks to a goal from Christian Pulisic. With no European commitments this season, Milan are serious title contenders, and the allure of silverware could be used to persuade Maignan to extend his contract. Juventus remain interested, viewing Maignan’s European experience as a valuable asset to rotate with Michele De Gregorio. Meanwhile, Chelsea are expected to reopen talks with his entourage, recalling their previous agreement with the goalkeeper. Enzo Maresca could push for the move, seeing Maignan as a potential final piece to strengthen Chelsea’s title ambitions. Maignan’s decision will be pivotal for Milan, with clubs across Europe keen to secure one of the continent’s top goalkeepers.

Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s may have been slightly distracted while trying to make a play Sunday night.

During the top of the third inning of the New York Yankees' matchup with the Boston Red Sox, Chisholm was being interviewed live on the field by ESPN's crew. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a grounder in Chisholm's direction at third base, which he snared, then spun and threw the ball to first. That's where things went awry.

Chisholm's throw was wide of first base by a mile and he yelled "Dammit!" as it flew past first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.

Video is below.

Rafaela was credited with an infield single and advanced to second on Chisholm's throwing error.

Some will immediately decry the fact that a live interview was going on during the game and say that kind of thing should stop. But, honestly, the in-game interviews are one of the best additions to baseball broadcasts in years. It was actually really cool seeing the guy talking to the broadcasters attempting to make a play, as well as his genuine reaction when he messed up.

Here's hoping we see more of this stuff.