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Real Madrid have reportedly abruptly ended their interest in Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate amid his poor form for the club. The France international is in the last year of his contract and so far has shown no signs of extending his stay on Merseyside. However, his hopes of a dream move to Los Blancos appears to be over ahead of the January transfer window.

Konate issues Liverpool rallying cry amid contract uncertainty

Last season, Liverpool appeared to be in a huge bind as key trio Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold were in the last few months of their Liverpool deals. Fortunately for the Reds, captain Van Dijk and star forward Salah signed new two-year contracts, but Alexander-Arnold chose to leave, before eventually signing for Madrid. Liverpool have reportedly been trying to extend the stay of defender Konate, whose terms run until 2026, but so far, no breakthrough has been struck. The Frenchman was linked with Los Blancos earlier this year, and amid that speculation, he gave a rather coy comment on his future. 

He said a fortnight ago: "My agents continue to discuss with Liverpool. I hope my decision will be made very soon so I can announce it." He also rubbished claims the Reds had approached him with a new contract.

It seems, however, that this contract uncertainty has led to Konate taking his eye off the ball, with the ex-RB Leipzig man making a string of mistakes this season – the latest of which was in his side's humbling 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. 

After that loss, he wrote on social media: "We have to take this moment on the chest. Criticism is part of football, and we’ll fight back every time and come through this storm. In these moments, the fans matter most. The ones who stand with us in the good times and the bad – the ones who sing for us even in the difficult moments! Your voice and your support mean everything to us. We know we need to improve and we’ll keep fighting for you. Always."

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesReal Madrid move on from Konate

According to The Athletic, Liverpool tried to extend Konate's deal way back in 2023. But fast forward to the present and it is uncertain where he will be playing in 2026. The report states that Madrid have informed Liverpool they now have 'no interest' in signing the 26-year-old. That could strengthen the Reds' hand in the contract negotiation stakes, although Konate will be able to talk to foreign clubs in January in regards to a possible pre-contract agreement for the summer. The former Sochaux man has chalked up 150 appearances for Liverpool, and over the years, he has been a competent ally to team-mate and fellow defender Van Dijk. Although his form has nosedived this season, manager Slot continues to pick the 6ft 4in player, partially because they are short on defensive options. Their inability to land Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is looking more and more costly.

Konate sent Liverpool contract message

Former Liverpool ace Vladimir Smicer believes that Konate should decide on his Anfield future as soon as possible. If he does that, the Frenchman's form could improve.

He told BOYLE Sports: "We've seen this last season with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah. Two players stayed, one went. Personally, I don't like this situation (with expiring contracts). I think for the players, it's better when they know their future. At the moment, I can't see if Ibrahim Konate is sure about his next move. Anytime he's not performing at the top level, the fans question his contract situation. It's normal, it will always be like this.

"If you commit your future, then the fans will say, 'Okay, maybe he was not good today' – but because the situation is like this, anytime he makes a mistake, they will say, 'He will go.' That will be in his head. We experienced this situation last season with three players, but personally, when I was playing, I always wanted a long-term contract. It's better for your confidence, for your life, for your position in the team. I knew my future, and I committed to the team. I’d like Konate to decide as soon as possible what he's going to do in the future."

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AFPWhat comes next for Konate?

With Madrid pulling the plug on a potential Konate move, the France ace will hope to fire Liverpool to victory this weekend away at lowly West Ham. Subsequent games against Sunderland and Leeds United could reportedly determine the fate of Reds boss Slot.

The two hottest National League teams over the past two months also happen to have been waiting the longest to win their first World Series. The Brewers (37–10 since June 20) and the Padres (29–20) have been around since 1969. The way they have been playing baseball gives their fans reasonable hope that this is finally the year.

Both teams are fun to watch. Both excel at traditional baseball values. The Brewers and Padres each rank among the three best pitching staffs in baseball, the four best defensive units as far as turning batted balls into outs and the five toughest teams to strike out. What’s not to like?

They don’t hit many home runs.

There is a difference between playing regular season baseball and tournament baseball. If the Brewers or Padres are going to win the World Series, they must defy a decade of data that suggests you need more power than those teams possess to win it all.

Milwaukee ranks 18th in home runs and 13th in slugging. San Diego is even more power starved. It ranks 29th in home runs and 25th in slugging.

Why does that matter? The past five World Series champions ranked among the four top home run hitting teams in baseball (in order from 2020: 1, 3, 4, 3, 3).

No team has won the World Series ranked in the bottom half of home runs or with fewer than 199 home runs since the 2015 Kansas City Royals, who ranked 24th with 139 homers. The Brewers are on pace to hit 174 homers. The Padres are on pace to hit 136 homers, which would be the lowest for a full-season world champion in 28 years.

We love to think that putting the ball in play and small ball wins in October. That may have been true once. Not now. The game is far different today than in 2015, when a team like the Royals could slash their way to a title. Compared to 2015, today’s game has 13% more homers, 10% more walks, 7% more strikeouts, 4% fewer hits and 52% fewer sacrifice hits.

Consider how baseball changed in the postseason last year as compared to the regular season. As you might expect, hitting and slugging decreased. The batting average dropped by 12 points. Counterintuitively, home runs went .

2024 MLB Hitting

AVG

SLG

H/G

HR/G

Regular Season

.243

.399

16.4

2.24

Postseason

.231

.378

15.3

2.28

You would think small ball tactics would play up in a more difficult hitting environment. But home runs became even more important. As hits become rarer, the quick strike of the home run swing becomes more necessary. Winning a game without a home run was harder to do in the postseason last year than in the regular season.

Team Games With No Home Runs, 2024

W–L

Pct.

Pct. of Wins

Regular Season

519–1,123

.316

21.4%

Postseason

9–20

.310

20.9%

The notion that teams who put the ball in play are best equipped for the postseason has not been true for years. The correlation between winning it all and home runs has become much stronger than the one between winning it all and avoiding strikeouts.

MLB Ranks by World Series Champions

Home Runs

Strikeouts

2024 Dodgers

3

12

2023 Rangers

3

17

2022 Astros

4

2

2021 Braves

3

20

2020 Dodgers

1

4

2019 Nationals

13

4

2018 Red Sox

9

5

2017 Astros

2

1

2016 Cubs

13

22

Average

5.7

9.7

Ideally, you want it all, like the championship Astros teams: power with the ability to make contact. But if you had to lean toward one, you would take the power.

Milwaukee is not power-starved. Though it ranks below average in home runs, its power is on the upswing, as the addition of Andrew Vaughn and the revival of Brice Turang lengthen the lineup. The Brewers have improved their slug for a third straight month. Their .532 slug this month threatens to set a franchise record, eclipsing the .510 mark from June 1982. If they keep this up, we will have to look at them differently.

MORE: SI:AM | The Brewers’ Streak by the Numbers

San Diego has a low power ceiling, though the deadline additions of Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn help. Three players—Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Gavin Sheets—have hit almost half of the team’s home runs (52 of 105). Only four teams in the wild card era ever made the playoffs with a slug worse than the Padres’ .382 mark (2014 Cardinals, Royals and Athletics and the '22 Rays).

The Padres have the potential for more power, especially if Jackson Merrill (six HR in 81 games since returning from a hamstring injury) recovers to his 2024 form and Tatis (no home runs in his past 79 at-bats) gets on a run, though expectations should be recalibrated. Since he returned from his PED suspension and shoulder surgery, Tatis has good power but not the elite power he showed in his first three seasons.

Tatis Jr. Splits by Age

G

SLG

EV

OPS+

20-22

273

.596

93.2

160

24-26

364

.456

92.7

120

The Brewers and Padres each have a well-defined identity and a clear path to the title. Milwaukee pressures teams with baserunning, bunting, putting the ball in play, catching the ball and clean baseball. Their pitching staff has wipeout stuff at the front of the rotation and back end of the bullpen. In a telling measurement of pure stuff—and a harbinger of what it takes to win in October—Brewers pitchers allow the fifth lowest slugging percentage on pitches

The toughest team to slug against on challenge stuff? The Padres. Their path to victory is built on putting the ball in play and shortening games with a deep bullpen.

Neither team relies heavily on power. If the usual rules of engagement apply to tournament baseball, the Yankees (first in home runs), Dodgers (second) and Mariners (third) are best equipped for the title, with the Cubs (seventh), Mets (eighth) and Tigers (ninth) in the next tier.

But past is not always prologue. Home runs may be the coin of the postseason realm in recent years, but at any point that can change in the small sample size theater of the postseason. The Brewers and Padres were not built to follow the unwritten rules of October, but to break them.

There were a number of records made in Headingley as England scripted another memorable win

Sampath Bandarupalli24-Jun-2025371 – The target England chased down at Headingley. It is the second-highest fourth-innings chase for England in Test cricket and the second-biggest by any team against India. The highest was when England chased down 378 against India in 2022 at Edgbaston.ESPNcricinfo Ltd350 – The runs England needed to score at the start of the fifth day’s play. Only one team has successfully chased a higher total on the last scheduled day of a Test match – 404 by Australia against England on day five of the 1948 Headingley Test.1 – India became the first team to lose a Test match after scoring five individual centuries. Only once before has a team lost a Test with four hundreds – Australia against England in Melbourne in 1928.835 – Runs that India aggregated in the Headingley Test, the fourth-highest to end up on the losing side. The previous highest for India in a losing cause was 759 against Australia in 2014 in Adelaide.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 – Number of Test matches with 350-plus totals in all four innings. The previous two such instances came in the Ashes – in 1921 in Adelaide and in 1948 in Headingley.1673 – Runs aggregated by England and India at Headingley, the highest for any Test match between the two sides. The previous highest was 1614 runs in Manchester in 1990, which ended in a draw. The 1673 runs are also the fifth-highest aggregate for any Test match not to end in a draw.5 – Number of successful 300-plus chases in the fourth innings at Headingley. The only other venue with more than two successful 300-plus chases is Durban’s Kingsmead with three.ESPNcricinfo Ltd149 – Ben Duckett’s score is the highest by any batter in the fourth innings of a Test match against India, bettering Joe Root’s 142* at Edgbaston in 2022.Duckett’s 149 is also the second-highest score by an England opener in the fourth innings, behind Mike Atherton’s 185* against South Africa in 1995.188 – The opening partnership between Duckett and Zak Crawley is the fifth-highest in the fourth innings of a Test match. It is also the second-highest for England, behind the 203 by Atherton and Graham Gooch against Australia in 1991.12 – Batters to have ended on the losing side despite scoring hundreds in both innings of a Test match, Rishabh Pant joining the list after the Headingley Test. The last of the previous eleven was Brendan Taylor against Bangladesh in 2018.

Aston Villa's Europa League clash with Young Boys was disrupted by ugly scenes on Thursday night at Villa Park. Donyell Malen was hit on the head by an object thrown from the crowd after scoring his side's opening goal of the match, while the game had to be halted for several minutes just before half-time after violence broke out in the stands among the away supporters.

Getty Images SportUgly scenes at Villa Park

Malen headed Aston Villa into the lead on 27 minutes but was pelted with missiles from the crowd as he celebrated his goal. One of objects hit Malen on the head and appeared to have caused a cut. The Dutch star bagged another goal just before half-time which brought more ugly scenes and caused the game to be stopped for several minutes as trouble broke out in the away end. Television footage showed seats being ripped up and fans clashing with police. Young Boys captain Loris Benito was seen running over to the stands to plead with fans to behave, with the game eventually restarting after a five-minute delay.

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Malen in great form for Villa

Malen's goals continue his fine form for Aston Villa. He now has six goals so far this season for Unai Emery's side, three of those have come in the Europa League and the other three in the Premier League. Emery had hailed Malen before the game, telling reporters: "Everything he's achieving now you can see it before in the training session. He is helping the team in the structure we have, tactically to do our tasks. He is very important for us."

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Getty Images SportAston Villa enjoying Europa League life

Aston Villa have certainly been enjoying life in the Europa League this season. Emery's side came into Thursday's game having won three of their four matches in the tournament so far. After taking on Young Boys, Villa wrap up their group phase with fixtures against Basel, Fenerbahce and RB Salzburg.

“Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different,” Fahima Khatun said

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-2025

Shorna Akter’s catching attempt wasn’t deemed good enough•Getty Images

Third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan’s decision to reprieve Heather Knight against Bangladesh came under the scanner after England escaped to a four-wicket win in their women’s World Cup 2025 match in Guwahati.In the 15th over of England’s chase of 179, Knight chipped legspinner Fahima Khatun to the covers, where Shorna Akter dived to her right and seemed to have taken a low catch. Knight started walking, but the on-field umpires referred it to the TV umpire, who felt that the fielder did not have her fingers under the ball and ruled it not out. Knight was on 13 at that point. She went on to finish unbeaten on 79 off 111 balls, taking her side home with 23 balls to spare.”At first look, I thought it was out,” Knight said after the match. “I thought it carried and thought it was a fair catch and walked off. But the TV umpire decided otherwise. I certainly had a bit of luck today. But probably with the year I have had, I deserved a little bit of luck. I tried to ride it and really make it count.”Related

TV umpiring slip-ups come under the scanner at Women's World Cup

Shining Knight sweeps in to rescue England

Knight scraps to help England overcome Bangladesh scare

The tricky bit about these non-dismissals was that the TV umpire gave her ruling while saying the replays available to her were “inconclusive”. In the first instance, of the caught behind, an on-field decision of out was overturned on “inconclusive” evidence, which might have gone against Bangladesh. In case of the “catch” in the covers, too, replays seemed to suggest that the fielder had her fingers under the ball, but the on-field umpires hadn’t really given the batter out to start with.But so convinced was Knight of the legality of the catch that she had reached the boundary line before walking all the way back.Fahima, who finished with 3 for 16 from her ten overs, certainly felt the catch-that-wasn’t affected the final result.”It was a disappointing decision for us,” she said. “Every player in our team felt it was a clear dismissal. The decision was overturned after being given out, which was disappointing. We all know how crucial that wicket was. Had the call gone our way, there was every chance the outcome of the match could have been different.”This was one of the three reprieves for Knight, who was batting for the first time in international cricket since her return from a hamstring injury. She was ruled out caught behind on the first ball she faced. But a review saved her, after replays showed that Marufa Akter’s inswinging delivery had missed her inside edge and brushed the front pad instead. The impact, as it turned out to be, was well outside the line of off too. Then, in the seventh over, she was given lbw but used the DRS successfully once again. Ball-tracking showed that this time, the ball would have bounced over the stumps.”It was the first time I was out three times in an innings and had them overturned, that’s for sure,” Knight said. “It was a case of refocusing. I knew I didn’t hit the ball, and it was tricky conditions as well. It was swinging quite a lot, [which] can make it tricky for the umpires as well. But that’s the joy of DRS, isn’t it? It’s great to have that in place.”

Manchester United are rivalling Premier League rivals Liverpool and Arsenal for the signing of Bayern Munich and France winger Michael Olise.

The 23-year-old has arguably matured into one of the best wingers in world football, excelling in a Bayern shirt since joining from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2024.

Olise has six assists already in the Bundesliga this season, which is more than Bruno Fernandes (three) and Bryan Mbuemo (one) combined in the Premier League, with a half-dozen league goals also coming his way, outlining his end product.

The Frenchman is a hugely sought-after player, which is no great surprise, given his age and talent – Liverpool have been linked with a move – and Bayern will be desperate to fend off any interest in him.

United may have spent big on attackers in the summer transfer window, bringing in Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but they are likely to be on the lookout for further additions in 2026, in order to make competition for places as fierce as possible.

Man Utd in the mix to sign £123m-rated Michael Olise

According to Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United are showing “serious interest” in £123m-rated Bayern star Olise, but Liverpool and Arsenal are also in the race to snap him up.

Olise would be a spectacular addition for United, with Bayern centre-back and teammate Dayot Upamecano heaping praise on his brilliance in the past, saying: “He’s a magician. His technical level is very high. He can do everything. He can score, set up, and even defend.”

That said, the one confusing aspect of United potentially signing him is the fact that he plays a similar role to Mbeumo, in terms of being a left-footed right winger who cuts inside to wreak havoc.

It could be argued that the Red Devils don’t need both, especially with Amad Diallo continuing to grow as player in that role, with those funds being focused on other key positions, such as central midfield.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation" Assan Ouedraogo

He has a massive future in the game.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 25, 2025

That’s not to say that United should pass up the chance to bring in Olise, though, and beating Liverpool and Arsenal to him would be a massive statement, and he has the talent to light up Old Trafford for years to come.

Man Utd have advantage over Chelsea in race for "midfield sensation"

David Moyes has been reluctant to rotate at Everton this season. The Merseysiders are 14th in the Premier League after a summer of sweeping change, yet signings such as Tyler Dibling and Merlin Rohl remain on the fringe.

In fairness, Moyes did say at the start of the season that Everton’s deep-rooted issues would take more than one summer to eradicate and remould into something progressive, but some are questioning why more is not being made of the resources at hand.

Everton

14th

19

Man United

8th

20

Tottenham

6th

20

Brentford

12th

21

However, there is one change the Scotsman would love to make that hasn’t been possible. Indeed, Jarrad Branthwaite continues to languish on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, and his return would do the Toffees the world of good.

Moyes needs Branthwaite back at Everton

Branthwaite is arguably Everton’s best player. Certainly, he would be the most profitable, with Manchester United billed £70m for the potential signing of the England international last year. No move came to fruition.

But he has yet to grace the Hill Dickinson pitch, having sustained an injury in pre-season. Several weeks ago, a complication in the defender’s muscular recovery led to surgery, and now he is set for an extended spell on the sidelines, with some sources suggesting he will not be ready until after the new year.

This is a powerful and front-footed centre-half whose 6 foot 5 presence demands respect. Much has been made of Everton’s struggles in the final third this season, but we must also acknowledge the ramifications of not having your best defender fit for the opening months of the campaign (this was also true for Sean Dyche last year, when the Blues started off on a four-match skid).

Michael Keane has done a fine job in stepping in for the younger man this season, arguably outplaying the vice-captain James Tarkowski beside him, but there’s no question that Branthwaite, described as an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, would walk back into the line-up when fit enough to do so.

Everton have made headway this season, but further improvements are needed if Moyes’ side are to break the surface of expectations and find a space among the heavyweights in the Premier League.

Moyes, to be sure, must be more open to unleashing those bit-part members of the squad. Perhaps they could make a marked difference. There’s one youngster who is considered an elite talent, and yet he has not featured this term. Moyes must now unleash him.

Moyes must unleash "generational" youngster

This summer, Everton completed a wave of signings. The most notable addition was Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City, while big buys included Dibling and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry.

But the arrival of Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich, for around £8m, has fallen under the radar. The 19-year-old is an attack-minded left-back, though his versatility permits moonlit roles further up the field and even in an alternative right-back placement.

It is his dribbling that stands out most. Last season, while out on loan in La Liga with Real Valladolid, Aznou averaged two dribbles per game, which stood as the second-highest success rate of any defender in the Spanish top flight (data via BBC).

The Moroccan has even been described as a “generational talent” by the aforementioned Kulig, and it’s curious to note he is alongside Branthwaite in having yet to make his first-team debut for Moyes’ side.

The difference is that he has not been injured, but rather, kept from the action by his manager. Seven times in succession, he has sat on the bench in the Premier League, and seven times in succession, he has remained unused.

There are concerns about the player’s physicality, but there is undoubtedly a reluctance on Moyes’ part to unleash youngsters. Last month, Dibling started against Crystal Palace and ended the 63-year-old’s 185-match streak of not naming a teenager in the starting line-up. Dibling was hooked at half-time.

It has been said that Everton are open to loaning the teenager out this winter, sending him somewhere for a short stay and with the view toward providing him with a suitable environment for growth.

There is reason to this possible route, but whether it is truly the best course of action for an Everton side in need of more dynamism down the flanks is another question. However, Branthwaite before him went out on loan with PSV Eindhoven and returned to the Premier League a better player for it.

Perhaps Aznou could emulate his fellow defender in this regard, heading out for the second half of the campaign before returning next summer and shining thereafter.

Vitalii Mykolenko is limited in his attacking output, with data platform FBref ranking the Ukrainian among the bottom 9% of full-backs in the Premier League this season for shot-creating actions per 90 (0.86). Likewise, Jake O’Brien has been dependable in his makeshift right-back role, but he is naturally a centre-back and his game reflects this.

The left-footed Branthwaite’s return and the robustness he adds could actually be perfect for Aznou as the Morocco international looks to establish himself on Merseyside. It’s a debate with substance on both sides: Aznou could help Everton with his progressiveness this year, and yet a slow, gradual integration might be better for his long-term development.

Patience was always going to be required for a young and talented full-back whose experience on the major stage is shallow. In this, Moyes’ decision to keep him on the sidelines is understandable.

However, many would not agree. There have been opportunities to unleash Aznou, and instead, he plies his trade under Paul Tait’s wing in the development squad.

There’s a sense that Everton are going to attack the January transfer window and target a new centre-forward and fresh full-backs besides. Might it be that Aznou is the answer to the club’s issues down the wings?

In La Liga last season, he won an average of 2.2 tackles and 5.8 duels per game (as per Sofascore), triumphing in 51% of that latter metric.

Work is needed, of course it is, but surely this wonderful and exciting prospect deserves a chance to shine after Everton won the summer tussle for his signature.

Everton flop "failed a succession of managers", now he's saving Moyes

This Everton veteran is proving to be the unlikely signing of the summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025

Danny Welbeck has been backed to mentor Benjamin Sesko as the forward is sensationally linked with a return to Manchester United. The striker might be approaching his 35th birthday, but he has been backed to retrace his steps to the Old Trafford dressing room, where he will find a struggling 22-year-old Slovenian desperate to find his feet in the English top-flight.

Welbeck's stunning renaissance at Brighton

Under Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, Welbeck has rediscovered the sharpness and efficiency in front of goal that once made him one of Carrington's brightest academy graduates. He has already scored six Premier League goals in 11 appearances, which has sparked a transfer rumour linking him back to United. The Red Devils are struggling for goals, and Sesko's latest injury has added to the urgency of recruiting a striker in the January transfer market. He came off the bench in the 58th minute during the recent Tottenham clash in London and nearly delivered the decisive moment before Spurs’ Micky van de Ven produced a superb recovery tackle. His evening ended in frustration after he was forced off with a knee issue. 

Speaking about the injury, Ruben Amorim said: "I have no idea. Because it's the knee, we never know. I'm concerned with the injury because it's in the knee. We need Ben to be a better team. We have to check everything, we have to check what has happened with him."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesA veteran reborn on the south coast

Welbeck has scored in 17 consecutive Premier League seasons, and his recent form shows that the striker is far from slowing down anytime soon.  Former Scotland international Don Hutchison believes United would be foolish not to consider bringing Welbeck back, arguing that his leadership and experience could be transformational for Sesko, who has scored just two goals in 11 appearances. For Hutchison, the former Arsenal striker represents the kind of steadying influence the young Slovenian needs around him.

In an interview with he said: "I mean, it'd be a brilliant fit. He'd be a fantastic signing because Danny Welbeck's one of those players, where if he went back to Man United, it would be like when Jonny Evans returned.

"When Johnny Evans went back there a couple of years ago, he was happy to be a sort of mentor inside the dressing room. He was happy to be a mentor to the players that were playing. He was happy to play his part when needed. He was happy to be on the bench. I think Danny Welbeck going to Man United would be a really good fit in terms of he can still play, he can still score goals, he's still really fit. But he would still have the attitude where it would be a fantastic move forward, being back to Man United with the knowledge that he'd be mentoring the likes of Sesko. I think it would be a perfect move."

England calls growing louder

Alan Shearer also weighed in on Welbeck’s revival, insisting that Tuchel would be right to keep him in contention for the 2026 World Cup. 

Speaking to BBC Sport, Shearer noted the scarcity of genuine alternatives behind Harry Kane, and said: "If you look at the forward options in Tuchel's last squad there aren't many obvious stand-ins for Harry Kane. Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka aren't going to fill that role and Ollie Watkins hasn't been firing for Aston Villa, so any English striker scoring goals in the Premier League is going to be talked about.

"It's seven years since Welbeck's last cap and he's 35 this month but Tuchel isn't worried about the future. His only focus is the six weeks of the World Cup so there's no reason why Welbeck couldn't be involved if he keeps scoring and stays injury free."

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Getty Images SportA final chance to force a World Cup narrative

Although Welbeck was overlooked by Tuchel for the November internationals, he still has several months to influence selection ahead of England’s World Cup build-up. With his form peaking at precisely the right time and his goals driving Brighton forward, the window of opportunity remains firmly open. Welbeck will next be in action after the international break when Brighton host Brentford at the Amex on November 22. 

No Healy, no Gardner but it’s no problem for Australia, who retained the Ashes in style

Andrew McGlashan20-Jan-2025Losing two key players in the hours leading up to a match, one of which is the captain, would be enough to unsettle a lot of teams, but Australia barely put a foot wrong in an emphatic performance at the SCG that retained the Ashes.It’s not job done yet for the home side, with memories of the 2023 drawn series still lingering, but it was a notable display of composure and depth.”That was a pretty special win after some great performances in the ODIs,” Beth Mooney, who made 75 off 51 balls, said. “There’s a lot of excitement within the group to do it in that fashion.”Related

Healy in doubt for rest of Ashes series as she misses first T20I

Mooney and King help clinical Australia retain Ashes

A couple of hours before the start confirmation came through that Alyssa Healy was out of the match and her prognosis for the rest of the series does not sound encouraging. Then, when the team sheet dropped, Ashleigh Gardner, who made her maiden international hundred three days ago in Hobart, was missing due to a calf strain. That was suddenly a lot of runs, wickets and experience missing.”It’s happened a little bit to us in recent times,” Mooney said.” So I think we’re a well-oiled machine when this happens. These things come up a little bit in high-performance sports. Thankfully we’ve got great support staff and a great group of players that put our arms around each other.”Rather than being knocked out of kilter, Australia came racing out of the blocks. Georgia Voll, making her T20I debut, cracked her fourth ball for four and then added three in a row against Charlie Dean in the third over. She was lbw without adding another run, but the tone was set. At times, England’s fielding fell to pieces under the pressure.Mooney led the way as a senior player with an expertly-paced innings, dispatching some wayward lines from the England bowlers but also drawing them into errors by her use of the crease. Phoebe Litchfield, elevated to No. 3, unfurled a magnificent switch-hit for six and stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath continued her batting revival with 26 off just 9 balls.

“This group’s hungry to keep getting better and I think the really important thing is that we’ve got the personnel that can keep pushing the boundaries”Beth Mooney

In the field, Kim Garth, playing her first T20I for a year, struck with her opening ball before coming in for punishment from Sophia Dunkley with 22 runs taken from her second over. But just as there was a modicum of pressure on Australia, Alana King, in her first T20I since the 2023 World Cup, bowled Nat Sciver-Brunt first ball and produced a maiden in the fifth over.Still, when England reached the 10-over mark at 96 for 3 with Dunkley having made a 24-ball fifty they had an outside chance. King then pinned Heather Knight lbw straight after drinks and that was about that.”Whilst it’s disappointing, obviously for Ash and Midge [Healy] tonight, I thought Georgia Voll played exceptionally well at the top of the order,” Mooney said. “Kim Garth hasn’t played a T20 for a little while and took [a wicket] early in the game. And obviously Alana King was back in the T20 side. So it probably was a great showcase of our depth in the end.”King is having a huge impact on this Ashes with 13 wickets now in four matches. “At the moment, it just looks like she’s going to take a wicket every ball,” Mooney said. She wants to take the game on. Those are the players that you want in your team. You throw them a ball in that situation. That fifth over…probably changed the momentum of the game pretty significantly in our favour.”It was a significant evening, too, for stand-in captain McGrath. She led in the three ODIs against India last December, but this was Australia’s first T20I since their World Cup exit to South Africa when McGrath was also standing in for the injured Healy.Amid the batting riches in Australian cricket there had started to be some speculation about McGrath’s place but her innings here followed the 38-ball half-century in the last ODI. She then claimed the wicket of Dunkley that removed any lingering potential threat to Australia.”It was really nice to see T-Mac at the other end have that partnership with me and score runs as freely as she did,” Mooney said. “I think she’s unlocked her game again.”Mooney added that Australia would enjoy the SCG victory, knowing that the Ashes are safely in their grasp again, but focus will quickly turn to Canberra where they can be won. “Hopefully, the conversation in the dressing room is we’ve got a play on Thursday like we’re on no points and that’s the start of the series,” she said. “This group’s hungry to keep getting better and I think the really important thing is that we’ve got the personnel that can keep pushing the boundaries.”Talk of 16-0 whitewash, though, was off limits – for now. “Let’s just get it to 10-0 and we’ll talk about that again,” Mooney said.On current form, few would bet against them having a chance to go for it.

The Chicago Cubs have been loving the production they've received from Kyle Tucker since acquiring him in an offseason trade with the Houston Astros.

Despite his strong season during his first year in Chicago, the Cubs have yet to work out a contract extension for the standout outfielder. With his future in the Windy City uncertain, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal floated an idea, which he described as "wild and crazy" that would see Tucker make a stunning move to the AL East in free agency.

Here's what Rosenthal had to say, via :

Tucker will be in the market for a massive new contract this offseason, and if the Cubs aren't willing to pony up for the 28-year-old, he could make a surprising turn and entertain the idea of playing for his hometown team.

Tucker is a Tampa native who played high school baseball at Plant High School before being drafted by the Astros with the No. 5 pick in the 2015 draft.

Rosenthal reports that the Rays are expected to get off the hook for Wander Franco's contract following the latest update in his legal saga, which could free up some money for Zalupski to take a big shot in free agency during his first offseason as the team's owner.

This season, Tucker is slashing .280/.384/.499 with 17 home runs, 56 RBIs and 60 walks in 95 games. He'll be in line for a contract that could approach $500 million in total value. If the Cubs won't go there, perhaps Zalupski and the Rays will.