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Liverpool are thought to be eyeing a move for a highly-rated player in a possible swap deal with Luis Diaz this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Liverpool stumble in Premier League title push

The Reds slipped up in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, losing 3-2 away to Fulham, following a bitterly disappointing performance at Craven Cottage.

Alexis Mac Allister’s brilliant opening goal seemingly set Liverpool on their way to another vital three points, but some shocking defending from Andy Robertson and co. along with a generally lacklustre performance saw them 3-1 down at half-time, and they deservedly lost.

It means Arne Slot’s side still need 11 more points to guarantee the Premier League title this season, and while success should still clearly come their way next month, they aren’t always making life easy for themselves at the moment.

Liverpool haven’t quite looked themselves for some time now, crashing out of the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain and losing the EFL Cup final to Newcastle United. While league victories have been recorded against both Southampton and Everton, neither were entirely convincing, and it has heightened the need for summer signings.

Liverpool eyeing Barcelona star Araujo in possible Diaz swap deal

According to Revelo [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are interested in signing Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo at the end of the season as key figures at Anfield are big fans of the player, who earns about £164,000 per week in Catalonia.

He could cost around £64m via a release clause in his contract, but the fee will rise drastically if they cannot agree a deal before the summer.

While a swap deal involving Diaz is far from definite, it is considered a possibility, with the Colombian linked with a move to the Catalan giants plenty of times in recent months and sporting director Deco a big fan.

A new centre-back is a must for Liverpool this summer, given Virgil van Dijk’s age, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez’s injury records, and the fact that Jarell Quansah is still young. In Araujo, the Reds could have a fantastic option, with Barca legend Carles Puyol paying him enormous praise in the past.

“He’s having a very good season, he’s in extraordinary condition. I’ll stick with what they’ve told me, because I don’t know him personally, but he’s very professional, humble, he always gives his best in training and matches and that’s where his performance is. Right now, if he’s not the best central defender in the world, he’s among the top three. He’s young, he still has room for improvement and I think we have a very good central defender at Barcelona for many years to come.”

Araujo has endured a frustrating season for Barcelona, with injuries restricting him to only six starts in La Liga, but the 26-year-old should still be considered a leading option for Liverpool.

The new Fabinho: Slot must sell Liverpool dud after "awful" 4/10 display

Liverpool have some huge calls to make this summer to build on their success in the Premier League.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 7, 2025

A swap deal involving Diaz would arguably be ideal, with doubts persisting over whether the Reds’ No.7 will ever quite become a world-class attacking player like Sadio Mane was on the left wing for so many years at Anfield.

Home is now on the other side of the world for two bowlers who are squaring up against the side they once longed to play for

Nagraj Gollapudi and Shashank Kishore12-Jun-20243:55

‘We’re standing up for the national anthem, just on the other side’

“I did not know. That’s news to me.”Saurabh Netravalkar expresses surprise and delight on being told India head coach Rahul Dravid followed the Super Over he bowled against Pakistan while in the New York subway.Netravalkar, the USA left-arm fast bowler, successfully defended 18 runs by a comfortable margin to help his team record the biggest shock of the T20 World Cup 2024. It was the biggest day in the history of the game for USA, who had gained entry to the 20-team tournament as co-hosts along with West Indies.Related

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• Major League Cricket's conundrum: who exactly is an American player?

• 'We are no walkovers' – USA's Harmeet Singh after win against Bangladesh

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• From computers to cricket: how Saurabh Netravalkar coded USA's greatest script

On the surface, Netravalkar, who led USA between 2018 and 2021, showed no nerves through the over, which stretched to eight deliveries because of a couple of wides. The only thing he was concerned with, he says, was if he had got right how many runs Pakistan needed off the final delivery.”I actually confirmed two-three times with the umpire as to how many runs they need – six or seven,” Netravalkar says over a Zoom call from New York two days after the win. “When he said seven, I gave a sigh of relief that I just have to prevent him from hitting a six.” He sank to his knees in relief and joy after Shadab Khan squeezed out just a single.”I felt very grateful and relieved that, yes, we came over the line, because each individual in the playing XI had made very important – small, yet very important -contributions throughout the game.”Was it was the most important over of his career? Netravalkar has no doubt.”This was the closest game that I have played. And obviously the top-most quality team that we have played so far in our cricketing career. So yes, it was a really special game for each one of us and we will remember it for a long time.”Netravalkar in 2009, in a U-19 World Cup game against Afghanistan•Getty ImagesWhile the US players, who beat arch-rivals Canada in the tournament opener on June 1, soaked up the aftermath of their second win of this World Cup, celebrations were also underway in the middle of night in the housing society in the northern Mumbai suburb of Malad where Netravalkar’s parents live. While his mother Rama was in the US to watch the World Cup, Netravalkar’s “building friends” joined his dad Naresh in the revelry. “We grew up playing in the building, playing rubber-ball cricket in the streets,” he says. “They’ve all been part of this journey. So it’s really special to them as well.”Netravalkar got a second crack at playing top-level cricket when he qualified for the US, where he arrived in 2015 after having abandoned the dream of playing for India earlier that year. He represented India Under-19s in 2010, and made his Ranji debut for Mumbai in 2013, but decided to study computer science at Cornell University in New York in 2015 after he failed to secure a permanent berth in the Mumbai side.Netravalkar, who is now 32, developed his interest in cricket thanks to Naresh. Father and son avidly watched international matches together in the 1990s and early 2000s. Wasim Akram, Chaminda Vaas and Zaheer Khan were some of the fast bowlers Netravalkar imitated during those impressionable years.In 2009, he was picked for a camp organised by the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore for potential future India players. There he remembers bowling to Dravid, still an active international at the time. Netravalkar says Dravid was approachable despite his stature, and happy to pass on tips. “I was a big fanboy of the ’90s and 2000s cricket team. They are like my idols.”The following year Netravalkar was India’s leading wicket-taker at the U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, which also featured the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Jason Holder and Ben Stokes. India’s quarter-final loss to Pakistan meant the adulation Virat Kohli’s team received for winning the championship two years before did not greet the class of 2010, and Netravalkar quietly slipped back into the domestic grind.

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During most of the Pakistan innings, USA left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh fielded on the boundary. The Pakistan green enveloped the Grand Prairie stadium.Harmeet Singh bowls in a schools game in Mumbai in 2007, when he was 14•Prasad Gori/Hindustan Times/Getty Images”It was very solid support for Pakistan throughout the game,” Harmeet says on the same Zoom call after we finish the chat with Netravalkar. “A lot of green shirts.”He says that as underdogs USA were not expecting big support despite being the host country. With cricket not on the radar of the average American sports fan, the support mainly comes from the South Asian diaspora. “Till the time we actually made 18 runs in the Super Over, the Pakistani fans were really loud,” Harmeet says. “But a lot of them live in the US, so I think you are pretty much able to convert a lot of Pakistani fans into US fans. From shouting ‘Pakistan ‘, by the end of the match I heard those change to ‘USA, USA.'”Harmeet moved to the US in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2020, when he received an offer from USA Cricket, who back then were making a concerted effort to recruit overseas players to play for them soon after getting ODI status.Harmeet decided he would take the plunge, and it proved a turning point for the talented left-arm spinner, whose career had stalled after a promising start. He has permanent-resident status in the US now, like Netravalkar. Also like Netravalkar, he comes from Mumbai. He played two U-19 World Cups for India – in 2010 and 2012. Among his contemporaries were Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who are currently playing for India in the World Cup.Having watched Harmeet during the 2012 U-19 World Cup, former Australia captain Ian Chappell, in column on this site, urged India to blood the spinner soon so he didn’t stagnate. It was prescient advice.In the 2013 IPL, where he was part of Rajasthan Royals, Harmeet’s name was dragged into the spot-fixing scandal. Although he was cleared by the BCCI subsequently, Harmeet struggled to find opportunities to play for Mumbai, his home side. He had stints playing for Jammu & Kashmir and Tripura in the Ranji Trophy, but derived no joy. So when USA Cricket called, he took the offer.Answered prayers: Netravalkar in a huddle during practice ahead of USA’s first game, against Canada•AFP/Getty ImagesFour years on, with the USA now one win away from making the Super 8, Harmeet says that back then if you had told him he would be playing in a World Cup, he would never have believed it.”When I made the move in 2020, mid-Covid, it was like investing in a property with no building [on it]. So I invested in just the land. And now we have structures. Now we have things coming up. The guys who came with me [team-mates from South Asia] – we all call ourselves early investors in USA cricket.”Like Netravalkar and the rest of his USA team-mates, Harmeet has played cricket mostly indoors over the years, worked day jobs (at times more than one, in the case of some players) and travelled around the country to play weekend cricket. All so they can be ready for big days like in Dallas against Pakistan last week.”Personally, thinking about a World Cup, getting into a World Cup from a situation where all the club cricketers were practising indoors, and then beating Pakistan on a world stage, it is a big deal,” Harmeet says. “Everybody’s goal is to play the World Cup for your country and win it and everything, which [playing for India] couldn’t happen for whatever reasons, but I’m trying to live my own dream in a different way.”

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Netravalkar and Harmeet are part of a group of five players in the US World Cup squad who were born in India. The others are US captain Monank Patel, the player of the match in the Pakistan game, who moved from Gujarat; former Delhi batter Milind Kumar, who took a brilliant catch to dismiss Iftikhar Ahmed in the Super Over; and Nisarg Patel, who too was born in Gujarat.On Wednesday, Netravalkar and Harmeet get to play against the country they originally dreamed of playing for at the World Cup. Both men say it will be an emotional moment.Harmeet (second from left) does his thing for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy in 2009•Getty Images”It’s been a very transformative journey for me, filled with ups and downs,” says Netravalkar, who works for software giant Oracle in San Francisco. After the Pakistan win, a screen grab of his Slack out-of-office message was all over social media. It said he would be away from work until June 17, when the group phase of the World Cup ends. Netravalkar is not thinking ahead to whether he might have to extend his leave of absence in case USA make it to the Super 8s. His employers have been cooperative and understand he has stretched himself to fulfil his responsibilities at work, he says.Netravalkar is a man of varied interests. Among other things, he plays the ukelele and sings along in Marathi. It was his “destiny”, he says, to become eligible to play for USA; in 2018, soon after he moved, the ICC relaxed the norms for a player to be able to represent an Associate country from seven years as a resident to three. “But [destiny] comes only when you have the right intent and you put in those extra yards that things then start aligning for you,” he says. “You can look back and connect the dots, but you can’t look forward. So the best thing you can do is be in the present moment and do the best that you can.”Harmeet, who is 31, lives in Houston with his wife and two young kids. In an interview with the before the World Cup, he spoke about the harrowing experience of watching his mother, Paramjit’s, last rites on a screen after she died of Covid in 2021. Back in Mumbai when he was a teenager with stars in his eyes, she regularly accompanied him from Borivali in the north of the city to Shivaji Park Gymkhana in Dadar – a trip of about an hour from their home – on the local train so Harmeet could get the best coaching possible. He says he is living her dream too, playing the World Cup.By Harmeet’s reckoning, the first turning point in his career came when he watched Rohit Sharma play the 2006 U-19 World Cup. Harmeet had enrolled at Swami Vivekanand International School in Borivali, the school Rohit had studied in, to help launch his cricket career. “He was someone who gave us the hope that this [dream of playing for the country] is achievable. And he was going out there like a rock star and performing as well. He played a big role in India winning the 2007 [T20] World Cup. At that point I said I want to play the U-19 World Cup. And in 2010, I lived that dream, and then 2012 again.”In 2009 when Harmeet made his Ranji debut, Rohit was in the Mumbai side. Does Harmeet fancy opening the bowling against his former team-mate and Virat Kohli, who are favourable match-ups for left-arm spinners in the powerplay? “Looking forward to catching up. Hopefully we get him out early,” Harmeet says, laughing.Netravalkar with his brothers in red, white and blue. “It’s been a transformative journey for me, filled with ups and downs,” he says•AFP/Getty ImagesNetravalkar wants to meet Rohit and Dravid, as well as Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah. He is also keen on meeting his good friend Suryakumar Yadav, his old captain at Mumbai, who put out a post on social media in appreciation of Netravalkar’s Super Over performance against Pakistan: ” [Respect, brother.] Very happy for you and your family back home.”

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For Harmeet, Netravalkar, and every Indian in the US squad, it will be a proud day to play the mother country in the World Cup.Harmeet doesn’t want to get carried away by the emotion. He believes USA can look Rohit’s India in the eye. “I’m trying to think less about the India factor,” he says. “They are one of the best in the world, but it’s T20. It’s a helpful wicket.”I said this before the World Cup as well, especially for [playing against] India and Pakistan, that these morning games bring us big time into the game. In the morning you don’t see a lot of 200-run games. If you bowl half-decent, you can get someone [out for] 150 or 160. And if you get that, any Associate team or anybody feels that they can chase it because a couple of big overs and you are run a ball. Like you saw New Zealand upset [by Afghanistan]. On reasonable, helpful wickets Associate teams can do a lot of wonders.”The way we played the first two games, we’ve not worried about the results. We have been right up there on the body language. We have been right up there on the attitude. We have shown character. We have not panicked under pressure. We played the best of the best fast bowling now [Pakistan]. It just shows the world that US has so much potential and so much to offer.”Before the Pakistan match, you saw Netravalkar sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and while he will do so again on Wednesday, he says he will also sing the Indian anthem. “Oh, absolutely! I mean, I’m an Indian, so I would put it like, ‘India is my [birthplace] and this is my [workplace]. So I respect both.”It’ll be nice for me, a great feeling for me.”

How to stay No. 1 is a new challenge facing the game’s think tank in Australia

Andrew McGlashan09-Oct-2022The WBBL has been the undisputed leader in domestic leagues for the women’s game, but it has been warned it can’t take that position for granted with the increasing opportunities around the world.As the tournament, which begins on Thursday, prepares for its first normal edition in two seasons following the impact of the pandemic, there are already signs that the competition won’t always have the first call on the leading overseas players.Related

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India’s Smriti Mandhana has opted out having flagged recently that she would monitor her workload – it’s understood she had agreed on a deal with Sydney Thunder – while fast bowler Issy Wong has effectively been withdrawn by the ECB. Fellow England player Danni Wyatt, who has signed for Brisbane Heat, will have a delayed arrival as her workload is managed.”This is a very real challenge,” Rachael Haynes, the Sydney Thunder captain who will play her final season before retirement, told ESPNcricinfo. “People have often looked at it in the men’s space, but it is happening in the women’s game as well. It’s already started.”Some of the best players in the world are choosing not to come out and play and take a break during this time. I think the competition needs to be really proactive around it and not just assume the WBBL will always be the best competition and people will always want to come out and play it.”While the WBBL remains the most well-established and star-studded women’s league in the world – the leading spinner in the world, Sophie Ecclestone, will play for the first time this year and the best allrounder, Sophie Devine, returns for Perth Scorchers – the next 12 months will start to give a clearer picture of what the future may look like. The Hundred in England now has two years under its belt and, while debate rages around its impact on the men’s game, it has widely been considered a success for the women.The future of women’s leagues

March: WPSL/WIPL

April: Fairbreak

August: Hundred

September: WCPL

October/November: WBBL

The WIPL is expected to launch next March and the PCB have announced their own league to run along the men’s PSL. The CPL added a women’s competition for the first time this year while the invitational Fairbreak competition, which started this year in the UAE, has ambitions to be a regular offering. Currently, the WBBL, Hundred and WIPL have unofficial windows in the first edition of the women’s Future Tours Programme.Australia allrounder Ashleigh Gardner has suggested the WBBL may need to consider reducing the length of the tournament so that it is a shorter commitment for those coming from overseas. To balance that out, she offered the solution of a state-based T20 competition to ensure domestic players do not lose out on their volume of cricket in a season.”I think [the WBBL] is the best tournament in the world, we have the best domestic players in the world, and that’s where the Big Bash needs to think about how we are going to keep the best internationals coming over,” she told ESPNcricinfo. “Whether that’s potentially reducing games, it’s something that us Aussie players have spoken about. But, on the flip side, our state girls only get 12 WNCL games then the Big Bash so they don’t actually get a lot of cricket.Rachael Haynes: “I think the competition needs to be really proactive around it and not just assume the WBBL will always be the best competition and people will always want to come out and play it.”•Getty Images”So if it is actually [about] pulling games back in the Big Bash to get those internationals, then potentially having a T20 tournament that’s state-based to change it up. That’s what they do over in England with the Hundred and their own T20 tournament. If we did replicate something like that, think around the 10-game mark [for WBBL] would be perfect. It’s a long commitment to come here for 14 games and potentially finals. We need to have some good things to lure the best players in.”Currently, each team is allowed up to five marquee players, which are classified as those with CA central contracts or overseas internationals, and there can be a maximum of three from each. For example, Sydney Sixers’ roster is made up of three Australian players (Gardner, Alyssa Healy and Ellyse Perry) and two overseas (Suzie Bates and Ecclestone). Whereas Thunder only have four marquees made up of Haynes, Tammy Beaumont, Chloe Tryon and Amy Jones.”It might be about having a bit more flexibility in the contracts and the number of internationals you are able to have as part of your squad so if someone wants to play only a portion of the season it’s not at the disadvantage of the club who might want to get them,” Haynes said. “This competition needs to continue to aspire and really lead the way like it has done in the past, but can’t assume it will also be the case.”However, Haynes and Gardner are of no doubt that it is good for the women’s game that these conversations now need to be had.”It’s a really good space to be in, absolutely, and probably the silver lining is it’s not just more playing opportunities for internationals, it’s more opportunities for everyone,” Haynes said. “So our domestic players, too, we’ve seen over the last couple of years players like Sammy-Jo Johnson, Georgia Redmayne, played the Hundred where a couple of years ago those opportunities just didn’t exist. So it’s a really positive thing, not just from the playing side but financially, they are getting better compensation, so it’s a more viable career.””It just shows where the game’s gone and globally where it’s going,” Gardner said. “There’s been a lot of chat about the WIPL starting. So potentially to be involved in that, and the Hundred has been good for cricket in England and the global game. There’s certainly plenty of tournaments which are really good and we want to keep the WBBL as the best one, so how can we do that and keep those players coming back.”

Dominant position enhanced by desperate decision-making from opponents

Andrew Miller16-Jan-2021Batsman error is a curious concept. It’s what all bowlers are looking to cause when they turn at the top of their mark, by applying sufficient pressure to force the fatal misjudgement, or by setting a crafty trap and springing it on the unwitting. Because, as Jack Leach finally proved with an outstanding delivery late in the day to Kusal Mendis, it’s only a glorious handful of balls that are genuinely unplayable.So what are we to make of the batsman errors in this contest so far? Specifically the Sri Lankan ones, for England, despite an afternoon of rather harder toil than they might have envisaged after the first innings, still have the first Test at their mercy, with a hefty lead in the bank and two more days on a wearing deck to reassert their authority.But even in the midst of an otherwise valiant rearguard, the one wicket to fall in the first 59 overs of Sri Lanka’s second innings was another self-inflicted wound of the type that came in a torrent on day one. With only one man back on the rope at deep backward point, even England’s unofficial Maker of Things to Happen, Sam Curran, struggled to take the credit for a wide outswinging long-hop to a well-set Kusal Perera, and his coy puff of the cheeks as Leach completed the catch rather gave the game away.Related

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“You don’t take Test wickets for granted but, yeah, that wasn’t the way I expected,” Curran said at the close. “The way things happened for us on day one aren’t going to happen very often, but you don’t take those days for granted because when they do come you’ve got to enjoy them. In the second innings, Sri Lanka fought really hard, which we expected, but we stuck in there as a bowling group, keeping the scoring rate as low as possible in really tough conditions.”To be fair to Perera, his second-innings dismissal was not remotely as culpable a dismissal as his first-day aberration – a second-ball reverse sweep to Dom Bess that set in motion one of the most preposterous five-wicket hauls in Test history. However, it was in keeping with a contest in which England have so far claimed just three wickets out of 13 with good deliveries, and the first two of those might well have been resisted by less skittish opponents.There was Stuart Broad’s legcutter to Mendis, an outstanding piece of thinking against an opponent who at that stage had not scored a run in four innings, but it still required a nervy hard-handed thrust to seal the deal. As for Dilruwan Perera, his second-ball inside-out drive against Bess was perhaps not the ideal response to a well-flighted delivery on off stump.In mitigation for England, this match is effectively their warm-up fixture, because a low-key intra-squad warm-up in Hambantota wasn’t nearly enough of a gallop after nearly five months in mothballs for most of the squad. But with five more Tests to come in the next two months, including four against a ferociously drilled India who are currently dredging new reserves of spirit on their tour of Australia, the worry for Joe Root’s men is that they might not find the freebies quite so easy to come by from here on in.”No-one’s really played much cricket so you’d expect a bit of rustiness and a lack of rhythm, but the guys fought hard in humid, sweaty, hot conditions,” Curran said. “The build-up was what it was, we have no complaints. Rooty was very clear that we need to hit the ground running which we luckily did on day one. But day four is going to be a test for us, because we’ve got a lot of overs in our legs now, and we’ve got to come back and keep fighting.”Sam Curran celebrates his breakthrough with Dom Bess•SLCAnd for that reason, it’s hard to pick too many holes in a team who are still favourites to complete an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in Asia – all of them in Sri Lanka, following their 3-0 clean sweep two winters ago.They’ve got some significant bench-strength to come as well – for the India leg of the winter, if not before – including James Anderson, who seemed the pick of the bowlers in Hambantota, as well as Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer, two men whose methods might prove especially effective in Asia, not to mention Moeen Ali – now finally released from his Covid quarantine.However, the likelihood of Moeen returning for the second Test is slim, given both his own lack of match practice, but also the fact that Leach and Bess are now finally getting enough overs themselves to start feeling a hint of rhythm. Leach in particular – one of the stars of that last Sri Lanka campaign – had bowled a grand total of 52 first-class overs in the 12 months leading up to this Test, through a combination of illness and life in the England bubble. It’s little wonder he has needed a session or two to locate his range.”Line, length, pace … everything really! I probably came up a little short,” Leach told Sky Sports at the close. “I’ve been short of match overs for a little bit of time. You can do as much as you want in the nets but you need that stuff in games. I found I bowled a little bit short when I tried to bowl quicker, that’s something to think about for tomorrow.”The good news for England is that their game plans, though lacking the requisite meat on the bone, do seem to be firmly in place. In particular, the use of Mark Wood in a series of two- and three-over bursts has been encouraging – and the fierce lifter that slammed into Perera’s top hand was an early example of the shock value of a raw quick, even on an unconducive deck.At the other end, Stuart Broad produced another inventive and economical display of out-of-the-box seam bowling – showing echoes of Darren Gough’s methods from his triumphant tour of 2000-01, going through the wall, round the wall, sometimes even under the wall with an attempted slow yorker to Lahiru Thirimanne late in his second spell, in a bid to prise a rare and precious opening.However, Broad was blowing by the end of his eighth over, and sixth maiden – a state of affairs that reiterated the importance of England’s spinners. It’s all very well inverting the pyramid and turning to your seamers to bowl the spinners’ holding overs, which was a secret of England’s success here two years ago, but it does increase the onus on those spinners to attack with the utmost discipline.Instead, Bess in particular found his good fortune from the first innings being rebalanced in a leaky display, while Leach’s own struggles seemed to have been summed up in his 16th over, when Mendis propped forward to a decent biting delivery and lobbed a simple chance to short leg. Sadly for England, however, that fielder only materialised one ball later – Leach’s economy rate of close to four an over had rather negated the option of being attacking.But late in the day, Leach found his fizz at last, and with a nightwatchman at the crease alongside the steadfast Thirimanne, Root remains confident that his side is on course to close out the contest.”When you come and play here, and at this ground in particular, you’ve got to remember how quickly things can change, and how difficult it can be to start your innings,” Root said at close, after establishing England’s dominance with his magnificent 228.”It’s really important as a bowling group that we remember that. You’ve got to make those first 10-15 balls count against a new batter, and remember you’re always in the game throughout, because there’s always that one ball somewhere if you get it in the right spot and fortune’s on your side.”You’ve just got to work hard and try and be as patient as possible, and keep applying as much pressure as you can for long periods.”

Tensions were high between the Red Sox and Astros at Fenway Park Saturday.

Benches and bullpens cleared after the seventh inning because Astros relief pitcher Hector Neris thought Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story was stealing signs as he stood on second base. Neris intentionally balked Story to third so he could get off second base and presumably stop looking at his grip and communicating to the plate.

Once the inning ended, Neris had some words for Red Sox third base coach Kyle Hudson as both teams headed to their respective dugouts which caused benches to clear. The skirmish deescalated from there with an umpire holding back Neris and both sides quickly moving on.

That didn't stop current NESN analyst and former Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks from taking a nicely-timed shot at the Astros for their history with sign stealing.

"Imagine the Astros being mad about stealing signs," Middlebrooks said on the Boston broadcast. "But guess what? That's part of the game when you can see the grip in a glove."

The Astros were disciplined by the league for illegally using a video camera system to steal signs during games in 2017 and '18. They won the World Series in '17 and were stripped of their first- and second-round picks in '20 and '21 as part of the sanctions. The league suspended general manager Jeff Luhnow and team manager A.J. Hinch for the '20 season for failing to prevent the violations before the two were fired after the punishment was announced.

Of course, the Astros are completely turned over from that time and as another interesting wrinkle, current Red Sox manager Alex Cora was the Astros' bench coach during the '17 season. But it was certainly a fair shot from Middlebrooks because any time sign stealing comes up, you can't help but think of the Astros' scandal.

It looked like it would be the week that would end Daniel Farke’s time at Leeds United. One that would all but condemn the Yorkshire giants to a swift return to the Championship. And yet.

While last weekend’s Etihad fight-back ultimately proved in vain, that second-half showing has sparked new life into the Elland Road side, having since claimed four valuable points at home to both Chelsea and Liverpool in recent days.

Unlike in midweek, however, the Whites were far from at their best this time around, with Hugo Ekitike surging the away side into what appeared to be an unassailable two-goal lead.

This is not the Liverpool side that claimed Premier League glory last term, though, nor is it the Leeds outfit which meekly fell to relegation two years ago – they’re made of sterner stuff.

Aided by the reckless Ibrahima Konate, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s spot-kick sparked a frantic finale at Elland Road, with Anton Stach levelling things up just two minutes later.

Man of the moment Dominik Szoboszlai then looked to have popped the Leeds balloon, before Ao Tanaka came up trumps at the death – cue bedlam, delirium, and a queue of writers not quite sure what to make of it.

Tanaka the hero in stunning second-half fight-back

It was all going so wrong for Farke and co, with Joe Rodon gifting an opener to that man Ekitike, before the Frenchman netted a second almost within a minute to make it 2-0 on the 50-minute mark.

There looked to be no way back, with Leeds drifting toward defeat, before a trio of changes sparked the game into life.

Up stepped Wilfried Gnonto, Brenden Aaronson and the aforementioned Tanaka to alter proceedings, with the three late arrivals making an impact in all three goals for the home side.

Indeed, it was Gnonto’s direct run which drew the foul from Konate for Leeds’ first, while Aaronson laid on the assist for Stach, as Farke’s men levelled things up just two minutes later.

The headline-grabber, however, was Tanaka, with the Japanese midfielder – who had been replaced by Ilia Gruev in the starting lineup – pouncing at the backpost to snatch a point in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

That moment aside, the 2024 summer signing also notably won 100% of his duels after entering the fray, as per Sofascore, with the decision to start Gruev in his place seemingly backfiring as far as Farke is concerned.

Tanaka will surely be reinstated into the fold next time around, while fellow substitute Gnonto should also be in the mix for a regular starting berth again.

Why Leeds sub now needs to start every game

While Tanaka may have stolen the show in stoppage time, the game truly appeared to change due to the added dynamism of Gnonto in attack, with Leeds looking rather blunt prior to that.

Chalkboard

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

Noah Okafor, for instance, was hooked just after the hour mark, having made just five passes in all, while registering just 14 touches, with the Whites in need of a spark to ignite their limp forward line.

As ever, it was the diminutive Italian who proved to be just that, cleverly drawing the foul from Konate with his fleet of foot inside the area, representing one of two fouls he would win in that late cameo.

Direct and penetrating, the 22-year-old also notably recorded a stellar 100% pass accuracy even while seeking to make things happen for his side, having even recorded more touches (17) than Okafor despite his limited time on the field.

From Championship hero to peripheral Premier League figure, Gnonto has not had the game time he would’ve liked in 2025/26, with a calf injury limiting him to just seven top-flight outings thus far.

Games

43

Starts

26

Goals

9

Assists

6

Big chances missed

6

Big chances created

10

Key passes*

1.1

Pass accuracy*

81%

Successful dribbles*

1.0

On the evidence of Saturday night, however, he should well be a regular fixture moving forward, now that he is fit and firing again, with Leeds simply looking a different team with the speedy forward spearheading the attack.

As noted by Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, who awarded him an 8/10 match rating, Gnonto was ‘bright, lively, tricky’, having fearlessly taken the hosts forward time and again.

With a trip to Brentford now next on the agenda next weekend, the former Zurich starlet should surely be deserving of a recall to the starting XI.

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Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jordan Montgomery told reporters on Tuesday that he will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, meaning he will miss the entire 2025 season.

Montgomery exercised a $22.5 million player option for the 2025 season and is expected to become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He likely will play for a new team in 2026 as Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick previously said he regrets giving the pitcher a contract in the first place.

Last season—his first year with the Diamondbacks—Montgomery pitched 117 innings in 25 games, posting a 6.23 ERA (the worst in his career when pitching more than two games). He notched 83 strikeouts and 44 walks while giving up 149 hits, 83 runs and 14 home runs.

Montgomery was part of the 2023 World Series-winning Texas Rangers after he was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals in July of that season. Coincidentally, he pitched against the Diamondbacks in Game 2 of the World Series, giving up a 9-1 loss.

He pitched in six postseason games that year, pitching in 37 2/3 innings and posting a 2.63 ERA. He had 24 strikeouts, while also allowing 42 hits, 12 runs and three home runs.

PCA refuses to rule out strike action amid concerns player welfare is being disregarded

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Sep-2025 • Updated on 25-Sep-2025

The Rothesay County Championship will remain a 14-match competition next season after counties rejected a proposal to cut the number first-class games to 13.The decision to retain the existing structure, with 10 and eight teams in Division One and Two respectively, came after the alternative option failed to receive the two-thirds majority backing from the 18 Professional County Cricket Clubs (PCCs) required for change. Voting opened on Friday and concluded on Tuesday, prior to the final round of the 2025 campaign.The conclusion comes at the end of a county-led review into the domestic structure which the England and Wales Cricket Broad (ECB) announced on the eve of the Championship season. Several parties within the game, namely the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA), felt the schedule was asking too much of players, and urged counties to reassess a packed fixture list.Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, PCA chief executive Daryl Mitchell refused to rule out the possibility of strike action*, although he said it was not something the players’ union “would look to encourage” at this stage.”We will be led by the players,” he said. “The WhatsApp group last night was pretty animated and there were some high emotions.”We are a union. I don’t think any union would rule out the possibility of strike action if their members wanted it. We are completely at the behest of our members on that. We will have those conversations if they are deemed necessary by the player reps and our members.”I don’t think that’s where we’d like to get to. It would have a negative impact on the counties and a negative impact on the game, and that’s not something we’re seeking to do.”It’s not something that has been discussed in great detail. It’s also something that is very easy to say and more difficult to execute because there are implications. Players not being paid is one, the amount of members that would need to vote is another. At this stage I don’t think it’s something we would look to encourage.”In an earlier vote in July, counties agreed to cut the Vitality Blast men’s competition to a 12-match group stage (currently 14), moving to three regional groups of six teams each. However, the PCA have lamented the lack of meaningful change, believing their concerns about player welfare have not been heeded.”Unfortunately, the decision-makers have failed to ensure our premiere red-ball competition remains a standout in world cricket by evolving,” Mitchell said in a statement released by the PCA. “Not just to meet the needs of modern professionals, but to provide a product that captures the imagination for all.”Players appreciate the small tweak to the Vitality Blast schedule, however, we are yet to see a fixture list. At the very least, we expect to see a significant reduction in back-to-back fixtures.”With the continuation of a 14-game Championship season, an indicative schedule for 2026 we have seen suggests there will be two games in nine days following The Hundred, this cannot be acceptable. We now need to ensure the best possible schedule can be created in a structure that remains not fit for purpose.”PCA chair and Warwickshire seamer Oliver Hannon-Dalby added: “The players’ voice must be heard and while we recognise scheduling concerns go well beyond county cricket with a cluttered international calendar and similar issues in other sports, we cannot relent in our ambition to create minimum standards to allow for a safer schedule.”This week’s second, final, vote featured a 13-match County Championship proposal which would have split the 18-clubs into a top tier “Championship” of 12 teams divided into two conferences. The top three of each conference would then be pooled to compete for the title, with the bottom six determining the two sides relegated to a “Championship Two” made up of the remaining six counties. That option also included increasing the One-Day Cup to 10 group-stage matches.The retention of the existing structure does at least mean players, staff and supporters know what is at stake in the final round of the season, which began on Wednesday.Yorkshire, Durham and Hampshire are fighting against joining Worcestershire, whose relegation from Division One was confirmed last week. Leicestershire and Glamorgan have already secured promotion from Division Two.*September 25, 1.30pm BST – This story was updated with Mitchell’s comments

Ruben Amorim has put some credit in the bank in recent weeks, having overseen an upturn in performances and results at the Manchester United helm.

But the Red Devils’ three-match winning run in the Premier League was halted on Saturday’s draw against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. It was a creditable result, even if the performance left plenty to be desired.

Negativity has hung over Old Trafford like a brooding cloud for far too long, but Amorim will sense the first signs of a shift, with his side not only more fluent as a unit but demonstrably stronger from a mental standpoint too.

While impactful additions like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have helped refashion the outfit’s attack, they have been joined by a number of players, finding form after such bleak and low-ebb efforts last year.

Amorim's resurgent Man Utd stars

Cunha and Mbeumo are difference-makers, but no one has personified Manchester United’s budding resurgence under Amorim quite like Amad Diallo.

Amad salvaged a draw in that 2-2 battle at Forest last weekend, with that late volley salvaging a result and easing his own frustrations at being beaten by Morgan Gibbs-White in the air after the break. There it was that Casemiro’s first-half goal was cancelled out.

The Ivorian is a nifty little playmaker, with quick feet and an eye for goal that requires only a glance back at the weekend for proof, that strike very much pressed firmly in fans’ minds.

But his reshaped role as a wing-back has come at the expense of attacking freedom. Amad is not a natural defender, but neither is he a lost cause when against the ball. He works well on the flank of that line, adding to a defence that still searches for its final form.

But it’s getting there. Harry Maguire did not play against the Tricky Trees, but he has proven himself to be an important player this term. Likewise, Matthjis de Ligt is starting to come into his own after previously toiling through his first campaign in England.

And Casemiro’s strike to open the scoring underscored once again his own revival. Jamie Carragher’s acerbic comments have fallen flat, with the Brazilian now something of a linchpin in the centre for a side that has proven unable to find answers in the engine room.

But there’s an even bigger turnaround taking place at the Theatre of Dreams. Yes, one of United’s longest-serving stars appears to have found his finest form in some time.

Struggling Man Utd star is now undroppable

Manchester United have been through a lot over the past 12 years. Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement was always going to knock Old Trafford out of kilter, but no one expected the club to have fallen from their perch as they have.

A trophy-winning identity has been maintained throughout, but inconsistencies have been rife, and too many frustrating players have been signed, unable to find the form that their skillsets demand.

Chief among these cases would be that of Luke Shaw, who has come a long way in a short amount of time this year.

Not only enjoying a prolonged run of fitness, the England international is performing resolutely in a left-sided centre back berth, and that after playing as if he “didn’t want to tackle anyone” toward the start of the campaign, as was said by Roy Keane, who also declared the defender has been “getting away with murder for years”.

Undoubtedly, Shaw has been put through a career-long wringer in terms of fitness levels. He left Southampton and joined Man United for a fee in excess of £30m in 2014, and after more than 11 years of service, the 30-year-old has 297 games chalked off.

Many times, he has languished in the infirmary, never quite able to build up that natural athleticism and energy and technical ability to a point of recognition as one of the best left-backs in the world.

But, having started each of his side’s ten Premier League matches so far this season, there’s reason to be excited as Shaw continues to make headway. He is sharp and aware and robust in his defensive duties.

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Goals conceded

2

Touches

85

Accurate passes

65/74 (88%)

Possession lost

9x

Dribbles

1/1

Recoveries

1

Tackles

2/2

Interceptions

3

Clearances

1

Ground duels

4/5

Aerial duels

3/4

The point gained at Forest proved this. In isolation, it was a frustrating performance, not quite slick enough and disappointing to have conceded twice after the interval, having worked hard to take the advantage into the break.

But we are not talking in isolation here. United played with heart and understanding, and Shaw was at the centre of this, building upon months of work. The Manchester Evening News noted he ‘will play himself back into the England squad’ with a continuation of these performances.

Keane would be the first to rejoice at Shaw’s rejuvenation. There has been no vendetta against the experienced ace, but rather, a deep disappointment relating to the club’s struggles to kick on. Shaw has been at the epicentre of this, too often injured and too often out of sorts. But no longer. This is a player who has rediscovered his self-belief and the joy of wearing the United badge.

This Saturday’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur – in London – will mark the perfect chance to enter the November international break with a real sense of progress. Amorim, undoubtedly, will field Shaw in his starting line-up, with the defender’s composure and ease on the ball now blended with renewed defensive iron. He is undroppable at this moment in time.

As the early-season form at Man United will attest, there is a long road to walk before the Red Devils and Shaw can look back and nod at efforts well expended.

Silverware is needed, and stability in contention at the top of the table. Whether United will do it is anyone’s guess, but so far, so good.

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Manchester United now hold an advantage in the race to sign Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand, with the midfielder being targeted as a replacement for Casemiro.

Casemiro has repaid Ruben Amorim’s faith in him with some fantastic performances this season, most recently picking up a goal and an assist in the 4-2 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, while also making a number of other important contributions.

Statistic

Number completed

Tackles

3

Interceptions

2

Ground duels (won)

6 (4)

The Brazilian was lauded by Amorim after the match, with the 40-year-old suggesting he should be a role model for the other United players, saying: “I think he gives a lot of experience,

“He’s so important for us. Today he run a lot. He had to press so high and then return, and he’s doing that. So, I’m really pleased with him. And the other guys need to look at Casemiro.”

However, the 33-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford remains up in the air, given that his contract is set to expire next summer, and the Red Devils are now lining up moves for new midfielders, with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson emerging as a target.

A deal for Anderson could be on the expensive side, however, with it being reported Forest could hold out for £120m, and the England international is not the only target on the shortlist…

Man Utd hold advantage in race for Hjulmand

According to a report from Football Insider, Man United hold an advantage in the race for Sporting CP midfielder Hjulmand, given his links with Amorim, with the Portuguese manager signing the Dane from Lecce back in 2023.

The central midfielder has a £70m release clause in his contract, but there is now a feeling he could be available for the cut-price fee of £50m, which will also be welcome news for the Red Devils.

Amorim is known to be a big fan of the 26-year-old, but there may be competition for his signature, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City also in the race.

With it also being revealed that United don’t plan to trigger the extension clause in Casemiro’s contract, the Sporting star could be brought in as a replacement, and he may be a solid option, having impressed for club and country.

The Denmark international displayed his ball-striking ability with a fantastic goal against England at Euro 2024, and there are signs he could have a positive influence in the Man United dressing room, having been dubbed a “leader” by sporting boss Rui Borges.

It would be a shame to see Casemiro depart, but the 33-year-old is on massive wages, raking in £350k-a-week, so it could make sense to sign a younger midfielder this summer, and Hjulmand, who’s made 12 Champions League appearances, may now be ready to test himself at a top club.

Find out the latest on Man Utd's move for Conor Gallagher Man Utd set to push for "amazing" English signing, £52m bid in the works

The Red Devils have identified a new top target in midfield, and they could make a move in the January transfer window.

ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025