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There is now a “real prospect” of Liverpool completing the signing of an “extraordinary” France international as they seek to break out of their recent rut.

Van Dijk's leadership breaks Liverpool slump

The Premier League champions are back in action away to Brentford on Saturday evening, looking to build on Wednesday’s 5-1 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk revealed after the win in Germany that he held a meeting with just the players at the start of the week, following a dreadful run of form.

“On Monday everyone was sad because we lost to Man United at home,” said Van Dijk. “It was tough under the circumstances so on Monday we came together but it wasn’t a crisis meeting. Nobody wants to lose four games in a row but it was the situation we faced.

“Obviously we also had a proper debrief with the manager but we also had a separate one as players. I wanted to say some things. It’s not something I do after every game. After my meeting everyone was happy!”

Away from Liverpool’s on-pitch duties, an exciting new transfer rumour has emerged, with FSG seemingly planning to spend their way out of their recent run.

Liverpool in race to sign Champions League winner

Speaking to TEAMtalk, journalist Dean Jones claimed that Liverpool have a “real” chance of signing Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, but face competition for his signature.

Camavinga has a €1bn release clause in his Real Madrid contract, but stands out as a wonderful option for Liverpool, should he and Xabi Alonso fail to fully click at Madrid, resulting in Los Blancos cashing in for a more reasonable figure.

The 22-year-old Frenchman has won two Champions League crowns in his career, as well as a couple of La Liga titles, while Carlo Ancelotti has called him an “extraordinary” player, which is high praise from a legendary manager.

Liverpool have signed a Salah-type player who's got the "pace of Torres"

Liverpool are watching before their eyes the birth of a superstar.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 24, 2025

Camavinga would bring class, elegance and substance to Liverpool’s midfield, not to mention being able to shine at left-back, and given his age, he could mature into a genuinely world-class midfield at Anfield. Arne Slot does have great depth there, but if the chance arises to sign him, it would be foolish to say no.

Rookie pitcher Cam Schlittler put the Yankees on his back on Thursday night, pitching eight shutout innings against the rival—and his hometown—Red Sox to help New York advance to the American League Division Series for a second consecutive season.

Over eight frames, the 24-year-old allowed just five hits, no walks, and struck out 12 Boston batters on 107 pitches—and also made some pretty impressive MLB history in the process.

As relayed by ESPN's Jeff Passan on X (formerly Twitter), Schlittler is the first pitcher in baseball history to go eight innings with no walks and 12 strikeouts in a postseason game.

Factor in that it was the rookie's first-ever postseason appearance, against the team he grew up rooting for—Schlittler is a Walpole, Mass. native—and it made the night that much more special.

MLB World Reacts to Cam Schlittler's Dominant Performance vs. Red Sox

The MLB reacted justly to Schlittler's incredible performance against the Red Sox on Thursday night. Here's a look at some of the best posts across X (formerly Twitter):

The Yankees will now take on the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS. Game 1 from Rogers Centre is set for Saturday, Oct. 4 at 4:08 p.m. ET.

MLB fans hoping to learn which players were selected to the 2025 All-Star Game were met with a suprise Sunday afternoon.

ESPN's MLB All-Star selection show aired almost10 minutes later than expected thanks to a cornhole tournament on the network's airwaves.

The Camping World Pro Tour's Pro Doubles Final featured a spirited matchup in which Tony Smith and Mark Richards topped Cheyenne Bubenheim and Jordan Power. It was scintillating action all the way until the end. And in all likelihood it supremely annoyed a whole lot of people.

Below is what viewers tuning in for the selection show saw:

Look, I'm not trying to tell them their business or anything, but maybe that wasn't ESPN's best programming decision.

In the end, the rosters were unveiled and all was well, but not before a doubles cornhole tournament got its moment in the sun.

Longtime Los Angeles Dodgers great Clayton Kershaw became the 20th pitcher in MLB history to tally 3,000 career strikeouts on Wednesday night when he fanned Vinny Capra in his team's eventual 5-4 win over the Chicago White Sox.

The 37-year-old received a standing ovation following the inning-ending K. Then, after the game, the Dodgers' grounds crew took the time to dig out the pitching rubber on which he accomplished the feat and awarded it to the ten-time All-Star. Take a look:

As it turns out, the pitching rubbers in the MLB are absolutely —and far bigger than fans were aware of, because most of it stays out of view beneath the dirt. Here's a look at some of the best reactions to the revelation across X (formerly Twitter):

You learn something new every day.

The USMNT will play Senegal on May 31 in its second-to-last World Cup warmup friendly, U.S. soccer announced Thursday morning. The 19th-ranked African side will travel to Charlotte, North Carolina to face off Mauricio Pochettino's side, a week before the U.S. host Germany in Chicago. The two teams have never played in an international competition.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Facing off against the African giants

  Senegal round out a tough pre-tournament slate for the USMNT ahead of the World Cup. The two sides have never played each other in international competition, but the 19th-ranked CAF powerhouse have been consistently the top team in their federation of late. They won the 2021 AFCON and are littered with top level talent – especially in attacking positions. 

  Head coach Mauricio Pochettino welcomed the addition of another elite opponent as the U.S. continue to diversify their pre-tournament schedule.

  “We are so happy to have such a great team in Senegal as our fourth opponent in the matches leading up into the tournament,” Pochettino said. “In the year leading up to the World Cup, we will have played at least one team from five different confederations, which is incredibly valuable for our preparations. We are looking forward to an amazing crowd in Charlotte.”

  Senegal arrive as one of Africa’s most consistent forces. Led by 2019 African Footballer of the Year Sadio Mané, the Teranga Lions went unbeaten in CAF World Cup qualifying (seven wins, three goals conceded) and won the 2021 AFCON. They will appear at their third straight World Cup in 2026 and were drawn into Group I with France, Norway and the FIFA Playoff 2 winner.

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• AFP
  

  USMNT in good form on return to Charlotte

  The USMNT come into the friendlies in good form. After a tough Gold Cup final loss, Pochettino's men have improved with every friendly. They are undefeated in their last five, and come off a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Uruguay in November. The friendly against Senegal will help them prepare for the variety of styles they could face at the 2026 World Cup – which they will host – U.S. Soccer said. 

  This will be the USMNT’s second-ever match at Bank of America Stadium. The team last played in Charlotte during the 2023 Gold Cup, when a Jesús Ferreira hat trick propelled the U.S. to a 6–0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in front of more than 40,000 fans.

  Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream, who has earned 79 caps and captained the U.S. 25 times, is one of the city’s strongest links to the national team.

• Rounds off a challenging slate

  The Senegal fixture will complete a challenging slate leading up to the World Cup for the U.S. Pochettino's side will face off against Belgium, Portugal and Germany. All four teams are in the top 20 of FIFA's rankings. Portugal, Germany and Belgium are in the top 10.

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  Ready for the World Cup

  The announcement comes a week after the USMNT learned their fate at the World Cup next summer. They will face off against Paraguay and Australia, as well as the winner of a European playoff to round off what would seem to be a kind group. If Turkey qualify, the USMNT will have played all three of their group opponents within the last year. 

Enzo Maresca is currently enduring a tricky period as Chelsea boss, with his side suffering somewhat of a decline in form over the last couple of weeks across all competitions.

The Blues are currently enduring a run of four games without a win, with three of which coming in the Premier League – resulting in a drop in the current standings.

After the last three matches, the Italian’s side have now dropped from second in England’s top-flight, down to fifth and now sit eight points off leaders Arsenal.

However, Maresca will have the chance to strengthen his squad in the upcoming January transfer window, potentially kickstarting any chance of securing the title.

Even though the window is a few weeks away, the hierarchy have already wasted no time in targeting numerous players to try and strengthen the squad in key areas.

Chelsea’s transfer targets ahead of the January window

Over the last couple of weeks, Chelsea have been just one of the Premier League clubs touted with a potential winter move to land RB Leipzig Castello Lukeba.

It’s been reported that the Frenchman could be available for a fee in the region of £52m this winter, but the Bundesliga side are currently unwilling to offload the youngster.

The 22-year-old is a left-footed centre-back, something which is a huge selling point to the hierarchy amid the absence of Levi Colwill this season.

However, he’s not the only target currently on their radar, with Barcelona central midfielder Marc Casado another option being considered by the Blues board.

According to one Spanish outlet, Maresca’s men have already made contact with the LaLiga outfit over a potential move this winter, but it’s unclear if they would sanction a move.

It also states that the Spaniard is seen as one of the club’s targets for the upcoming window, with the youngster seen as an excellent option to bolster the options in midfield.

Why Chelsea’s latest target would be Caicedo 2.0

Spending big money on a midfielder isn’t alien to Chelsea, with the club previously spending a then English-record transfer fee on the signature of Moises Caicedo.

The Ecuadorian international cost a reported £115m from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2023, with the 24-year-old making himself a fan-favourite in the process.

He’s already racked up 117 appearances for the Blues to date, starring at both ends of the pitch – as seen by his tally of seven goals including a screamer against Liverpool this season.

However, his disciplinary record has held him back at times, as seen against Arsenal last month, when he received a straight red card for a reckless tackle on Mikel Merino.

There’s no denying that Caicedo remains as one of Maresca’s most important players, but the club could be about to land their next version of the midfielder this January with a move for Casado.

The 22-year-old has made 11 appearances in LaLiga so far this campaign, subsequently producing numerous incredible figures and leading one analyst labelling him “world-class”.

When comparing his stats to those of Caicedo in the last few months, the Barca star has managed to outperform him in multiple key areas – subsequently showcasing his incredible talents.

Casado has dominated the Blues star in possession so far this campaign, as seen by his better pass completion far and more passes completed into the final third per 90.

Such numbers could make him yet another ball-playing option for the manager, which could help them get out of the current slump they find themselves in.

His talent with the ball at his feet is further reflected in his tally of more take-ons completed, whilst also completing more progressive carries per 90, which could help the Blues create more chances.

However, with the ball, Casado has been just as impressive, subsequently achieving more blocks and clearances per 90 than the £115m man in 2025/26.

It’s currently unclear if the Barca star would want to make the move to England, but it’s evident he would offer Chelsea a top-level player in their hunt for added success.

The prospect of the Spaniard operating alongside Caicedo is one for the fans to get excited about, with such a partnership potentially operating together for many years to come.

Chelsea's next star: BlueCo have signed a talent who's like Estevao & Caicedo

The hugely exciting wonderkid has been compared to two of Chelsea’s best players.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

3 days ago

He is the first South African to play 500 T20s – how do his numbers match up to the others who’ve got to the landmark, and who’s likely to get there next?

Sampath Bandarupalli26-Sep-2024David Miller featured in his 500th T20 match on Wednesday night in Guyana, playing for Barbados Royals against hosts Guyana Amazon Warriors. Miller marked the occasion with an unbeaten 34-ball 71. Who else is in the exclusive 500 club and how does Miller’s numbers match up? Here’s a run through.

The first South African in the club

Miller is one among six players with 500-plus T20 appearances and the first from South Africa to get to the landmark. This elite club is dominated by West Indians – Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell – while Pakistan’s Shoaib Malik is the other member.Related

• Pollard: We need to produce next batches of Bravos, Pollards, Narines

• David Miller: 'As you get older, you understand your game a lot better'

Miller is also the first specialist batter to feature in 500 T20 matches, with all the others playing (for big chunks of their careers at least, if not all through) as allrounders.

16 years for Miller’s 500

Miller needed 16 years and 172 days to complete 500 T20 appearances, having debuted in 2008. He took the second-longest time to 500 T20s after Malik, who needed 17 years and 283 days. Malik is also the oldest to the landmark – he was 41 years and two days old in 2023 when he played his 500th T20.