Bitcoin sellers were losing steam, market analysis said as ongoing BTC price downside brought the market closer to $60,000.

Barcelona'nın İspanyol oyuncusu Lamine Yamal, İspanya Birinci Futbol Ligi'nde (LaLiga) sezonun oyuncusu seçildi.

LaLiga'dan "O bir harika çocuk" notuyla yapılan açıklamada, futbolcunun fotoğrafı paylaşılarak 18 yaşındaki sağ kanat oyuncusunun LaLiga'da sezonun oyuncusu seçildiği duyuruldu.

2026 FIFA Dünya Kupası'nda da İspanya milli takımının formasını giyecek genç oyuncu, geçen sezon LaLiga'da 28 maçta 16 gol kaydetti.

Trabzonspor, yaz transfer dönemindeki ikinci imzasını Sidny Lopes Cabral'a attırdı. Bordo-mavili ekip, transferin mali detaylarını Kamuyu Aydınlatma Platformu'nu (KAP) duyururken genç oyuncu kulüp tarihine geçti.

Trabzonspor, Beşiktaş'tan bonservisini aldığı Ernest Muçi'nin ardından bir transferi daha resmen duyurdu. Bordo-mavili takımdan yapılan açıklamada Sidny Lopes Cabral'le 5 yıllık sözleşme imzalandığı belirtildi.

TRANSFERİN MALİ DETAYLARI

Yaz transfer döneminde Trabzonspor'un ikinci imzası olan Sidny Lopes Cabral için yapılan anlaşmanın mali detayları da duyurulmuştu. Trabzonspor'dan KAP'a yapılan açıklamaya göre Benfica'ya 3 taksit halinde 7 milyon Euro ödenecek.

CABRAL KULÜP TARİHİNE GEÇTİ

23 yaşındaki futbolcu böylece Trabzonspor tarihinin en yüksek bedelli ikinci transferi olarak kayıtlara geçti. Ernest Muçi'nin bonservisi için bordo-mavililer Beşiktaş'la 8.5 milyon Euro'ya anlaşmış ve kulüp rekorunu kırmıştı.

SIDNY CABRAL'IN KARİYERİ

Sidny Lopes Cabral kariyerinde daha önce Feyenoord, Twente, Helsingborg, Rot-Weiß Erfurt, Viktoria Köln ve Estrela formalarını da giymişti. Cabral, oynadığı takımlarda toplam 140 maça çıkarken 12 gol ve 24 asist kaydetti.

Fenerbahçe Başkan Adayı Hakan Safi açıklamalarda bulundu. Safi, rakibi Aziz Yıldırım'a göndermelerde bulundu.

Fenerbahçe Başkan Adayı Hakan Safi, HT Spor'a açıklamalarda bulundu. Sarı lacivertliler için hedeflerini açıklayan Safi, yarıştaki rakibi Aziz Yıldırım'a göndermede bulundu.

Hakan Safi, Fenerbahçe başkan adaylığını ateşten gömlek olarak değerlendirdi.

Safi, "Cesaretli birisiyiz. Fenerbahçe'mizin tarihin en iddialı kadrosunu kuracağımı söyledim. Doğrudur, kurmaya da başladık. Seneye aday olsam daha mantıklıydı ama ateşten gömleği giydim. Fenerbahçe'de de kendi becerdiğim işlerle beraber burada da bir şeyler yapabileceğimizi hissettim, gördüm ve kendi oyunumu kurmak için de Fenerbahçe'de başkanlık makamına talip oldum. Şimdi bu oyunu benim yöntemlerimle kuracağız, benim ve arkadaşlarımın yöntemleriyle kuracağız" dedi.

FENERBAHÇE'DE NELER YAPILACAK VE NELER YAPILMAYACAK?

“Neleri yapmayacağız? Bir kere camiamıza yukarıdan bakmayacağız, kibirli olmayacağız. Herkesi dinlemeye çalışacağız. Kimseyi de ötekileştirmeyeceğiz, herkesi kucaklamaya çalışacağız. Fenerbahçelileri hep ötekileştirme var. O onun adamı, bu bunun adamı, o onun adamı diye bizi ne yazık ki parçalara böldüler. Atı alan Üsküdar'ı geçiyor, biz hala içimizdeki o kavgayı bitiremedik hala. Ama sıkıldık artık.”

FENERBAHÇE'DE LİMİT VAR MI?

"Bana diyorlar ki, 'Kontratı yok.' Kontratı yanımda getirdim, akşam açıklayacağım bunları da. Ben işimi ıslak imza atmadan söylemem. Benim hayatım öyledir. Sözü verdiğim zaman da sözümden asla dönmem, dönen adamlarla da çalışmam.

Bize, "Limit yok, getiremezsin! Parayı nasıl sokacaksın?" diyorlar. Allah'tan dertlerimiz böyle; "Para yok" demiyorlar da "Parayı nasıl sokacaksın?" diyorlar. Geçmişte Kerem Aktürkoğlu ile ilgili nasıl yaptıysak, yine yapacağız.

Taraftarlarımız rahat olsun. Bu işi yapacak maddi ve manevi gücümüz var. Yaptıklarımız, yapacaklarımızın teminatıdır.

Kerem Aktürkoğlu transferinden sonra seçimi kaybettik. Bana, "İstiyorsan bu transferin sorumluluğunu bırak." dediler. Ben de Fenerbahçe camiasına vermiş olduğum sözden dolayı, "Söz, paradan değerlidir." dedim ve transferin tüm yükümlülüklerini yerine getirdik."

AZİZ YILDIRIM'A GÖNDERME

"Rakibimize bakın. 2018'de seçimi kaybettiğinden beri hiç güzel bir şey söyledi mi? Ne Ali Koç için ne de Sadettin Başkan için...

Bir tane loca mı aldı, bir tane sponsorluk mu yaptı?

Ben 10 yıldır Fenerbahçe'nin emrindeyim."

"YAVAŞ YAVAŞ AÇIKLAYACAĞIZ"

"Ben iki seçim geçirdim biliyorsunuz. Birini kazandık, birini kaybettik. Dolayısıyla teşkilatlanmanın da doğru olduğunu düşündüğüm için de ilk defa 185 derneğimizden grupları buralara soktum. Çok eleştirildik ama benim inandığım model buydu. Ne yaptık? Hem akil adamlar yaptık, YK'da iş insanları yaptık, finansçılar yaptık, hukukçular yaptık, kadınlardan birilerini aldık ve derneklerden birilerini aldım. Böylece konsey dediğimiz konsey yönetimi yaptık. Aynısını da Futbol A.Ş.'de de yapmaya çalıştım. Onu da yavaş yavaş açıklayacağız.

Sadettin Başkanımıza teşekkür ediyoruz. Oryantasyonlarımızı yapmamız için bize gerekli fırsatları verdi. Kulübü zaten biz, sorunlarını, dertlerini, finansının ne olduğunu biliyorduk. Tekrar üstüne bir oryantasyon daha yaptık.

Biz ilk önce dünya yıldızlarımızı getirelim, yerli yabancı da; sonra derdimiz hangi topçunun gideceği olsun, onları yapmak daha kolay. Ne dedim ben? İki tane dünya yıldızı yerli, iki üç tane de dünya yıldızı yabancı diye söyledik. Dolayısıyla bunları getirmek de kolay değil, ben bunlarla aylardan beri biz çalışıyoruz bunlarla."

"BEN DE KENDİ BİLDİĞİM YOLDA DEVAM EDİYORUM"

“Ben dedim ki, 'Türkiye Ligi'ni bilen hoca' dedim. Tanımını da yaptım, sonra da bombayı sizlere bıraktım. Siz de sağ olun, aylardan beri bunlarla konuşuyorsunuz. Ben de kendi bildiğim yolda devam ediyorum. Biz tabii ki hedeflerimiz, hayallerimiz 1+3 yıl. Ama ilk önce Fenerbahçe'mizin ilk yılında şu şampiyonluk sıkıntısını ortadan kaldırmamız lazım. O yüzden ortaya attığım iddia doğruydu, kendi adıma hala aynı yerdeyim: 'Türkiye Ligi'ni bilen hoca'.”

“Maldini gibi kişileri Türk futbolunda çoğaltmamız lazım. İleride, bakarsınız Maldini ile Fenerbahçe'nin menfaatleri doğrultusunda bir kulüp satın alırız. Benim bir projem var. Fenerbahçe'ye Anadolu’da beş, Belçika veya Portekiz’de de bir takım satın alacağım. Fenerbahçe her zaman futbolcu alıp, yetiştirip ve satabilen bir yapı içinde olmalı.”

MERİH DEMİRAL VE LUİS SUAREZ TRANSFERİ

"Futbolcularla konuşup anlaşırken, kulüpleriyle de görüşüyoruz. Onların da bu işlerden haberi var ama birileri bunları manipüle etmeye çalışıyor. Seçimi aldığım an bunları kontrata dökeceğim."

Fatih Terim, A Milli Takım'ın 2026 Dünya Kupası'ndaki şansını değerlendirdi. Terim, Arda Güler ve Kenan Yıldız'dan övgüyle bahsederken, "İki olağanüstü yetenek; gelecekte Ballon d'Or için yarışabilirler ve milli takım için büyük işler başarabilirler." dedi.

A Milli Takım'ın eski teknik direktörlerinden Fatih Terim, 2026 Dünya Kupası öncesinde değerlendirmelerde bulundu. Tuttomercato'ya verdiği röportajda Terim, Hakan Çalhanoğlu'nun takımdaki rolünün önemine vurgu yaparken Arda Güler ve Kenan Yıldız'ın gelecekte çok daha büyük başarılara imza atabileceklerini söyledi.

“Birçok kişi Türkiye'yi Dünya Kupası'nın potansiyel sürpriz takımı olarak görüyor. Siz de aynı fikirde misiniz?” sorusunu Fatih Terim şöyle yanıtladı, “Türkiye'nin Dünya Kupası'nda büyük bir başarı elde etmesinin milyonlarca insan tarafından ‘sürpriz’ olarak değerlendirilmesinin nedenini anlıyorum. İspanya, Fransa, Brezilya,Arjantin, İngiltere ve Portekiz gibi takımların doğal favori olarak görüldüğü bir turnuvada, çeyrek finale veya daha ötesine ulaşmamız kesinlikle beklenmedik bir durum olurdu. Ancak Türkiye'nin büyük bir potansiyeli var. Bu turnuvada, insanların ‘sürpriz’ olarak gördüğü şeyi ‘normal’ bir şeye dönüştürmek istiyoruz. Önemli olan istikrarı sağlamak. Son üç Avrupa Şampiyonası'na katıldık ve 24 yıl sonra Dünya Kupası'na geri döndük. Bu başarı çok önemliydi. Her zaman söylediğim şey şu: Her zaman orada olmalıyız, istikrarı sağlamalıyız ve başarı gelecektir.”

Terim sözlerine şöyle devam etti, "Kısa süreli turnuvalarda planlama çok önemli. Oyuncular 40 veya 50 maçtan oluşan çok yoğun sezonlardan geliyorlar ve hemen milli takımlarına katılıyorlar. Bu kolay değil. Fiziksel ve zihinsel hazırlık gerektiriyor. En iyi yaklaşım adım adım ilerlemektir. Önce grup aşamasını olabildiğince iyi bir şekilde geçmek, ardından son 16 turuna, çeyrek finallere ve ötesine geçmek. Bence Türkiye için sınır yok. Önemli olan turnuvada olmak. Türkiye'nin Dünya Kupası'na ihtiyacı var ama Dünya Kupası'nın da Türkiye'ye ihtiyacı var. Çünkü ülkemiz sadece büyük turnuvalarda oynamıyor, onları yaşıyor ve aydınlatıyor. Taraftarlarıyla, enerjisiyle ve duygusuyla her zaman iz bırakıyor."

"VINCENZO'YA HER ZAMAN İNANDIM"

A Milli Takım'da Vincenzo Montella'nın yakaladığı başarıya şaşırmadığını belirten Terim, “ Hem kişiliği hem de tecrübesi ve yeteneği nedeniyle Vincenzo'ya her zaman inandım. Türkiye ile Montella arasında büyük bir uyum oluştu.. Kariyerinin büyük bir bölümünü 30-35 milyon taraftarı olan Galatasaray gibi dev bir kulüpte geçiren biri olarak, sorumluluğun ne demek olduğunu biliyorum. Ama milli takımda, tüm bir ülkeyi temsil ediyorsunuz. Özellikle Türkiye gibi duygusal açıdan yoğun ülkelerde, işler kötü gittiğinde eleştiriler çok daha sertleşiyor. Euro 2024'te de benzer bir durum yaşadık ve orada her zaman teknik direktörü desteklemenin önemini vurguladım. Oyuncular zaten birbirlerini iyi tanıyorlar. Bir araya geldiklerinde sıfırdan başlamıyorlar, neredeyse bir kulüp takımı gibi bir sistem halinde çalışıyorlar. Bu onların en büyük avantajlarından biri. Bunun Amerika Birleşik Devletleri'nde de böyle devam edeceğinden hiç şüphem yok, kalbim onlarla birlikte.” açıklamasında bulundu.

"OLAĞANÜSTÜ BİR OYUNCU"

Hakan Çalhanoğlu'nu önemine vurgu yapan Terim şunları kaydetti, "Hakan'ı çok uzun zamandır tanıyorum. Olağanüstü bir oyuncu ve gerçek bir lider. Milli takımda ilk maçına çıktığında birlikteydik ve bugün ülkesi için 100'den fazla milli maça çıktı. Yıllar içinde istikrarlı bir şekilde gelişmeye devam etti. Artık sadece mükemmel bir oyuncu değil, aynı zamanda takımı yönetebilecek ve büyük sorumluluklar üstlenebilecek bir rol model. Hem Inter hem de milli takımımız için bir ikon.

ARDA GÜLER VE KENAN YILDIZ SÖZLERİ

Arda Güler'in ve Kenan Yıldız'ın gelecek çok daha büyük başarıları elde edebileceklerini söyleyen Terim, "Türkiye'nin Dünya Kupası'nda en umut vadeden takımlardan biri olarak kabul edilmesinin sebebi onlar. Kenan, Juventus'ta 10 numarayı giyiyor ve takımın geleceğini etrafında kuracağı bir oyuncu. Arda ise Real Madrid'de üç sezondur oynuyor. Onun için mutluyum. Real Madrid'de oynamak bile bir gurur kaynağı ama kendini kanıtlamayı başarması daha da büyük bir başarı. Ve bunu başarıyor. İki olağanüstü yetenek; gelecekte Ballon d'Or için yarışabilirler ve milli takım için büyük işler başarabilirler. İzlenmesi gereken diğer oyunculardan biri Can Uzun. 2005 doğumlu ve gelecek sezon büyük bir isim olacak başka bir yetenek. Ve Türkiye'nin Avrupa'nın en iyi kalecilerinden birine sahip olduğunu da belirtmeden geçemem. Uğurcan Çakır, birinci sınıf bir kaleci."

Galatasaray'da Mauro Icardi'yle yolların ayrılması bekleniyor. Bu durumda Abdülkerim Bardakcı, 1. kaptan olacak. Asıl sürpriz ise Victor Osimhen konusunda yaşanabilir.

Galatasaray'ın mevcut kadrosunda 1. kaptan Mauro Icardi... İkinci sırada ise Abdülkerim Bardakcı bulunuyor. Sezon içinde ayrıca Lucas Torreira, Yunus Akgün ve Barış Alper Yılmaz gibi isimler de kaptanlık bandını taktı. Arjantinli yıldız Icardi ile yolların ayrılması bekleniyor.

MOTİVASYONU ARTACAK

Bu durumda Abdülkerim Bardakcı, takımın 1. kaptanı olacak. Diğer isimler konusunda büyük bir sürpriz hazırlığı var. Hakkında çok sayıda transfer söylentisi bulunan Victor Osimhen'in kalması durumunda, kendisine de kaptanlık verilecek. Böylece oyuncunun motivasyonunun daha da yukarı çıkarılması planlanıyor.

3. SEZONUNA GİRECEK

Victor Osimhen, takımdaki ilk sezonunu kiralık olarak geçirdi. İkinci sezonda bonservisi alındı. Önümüzdeki yıl ise Galatasaray'daki 3. senesi olacak. Nijeryalı dünya yıldızı, Sarı-Kırmızılı ekiple 2 yıl üst üste şampiyonluk sevinci yaşadı. Tribünlerle arasında ise inanılmaz bir bağ bulunuyor.

Fransız golcü Kolo Muani için masada bulunan Juventus'a 40 milyon euro çekildi. Bu rakam; oyuncuyla adı anılan Galatasaray ve Fenerbahçe gibi takımlar için de geçerli...

Juventus, Randal Kolo Muani'nin transferini kısa sürede bitirmek istiyor. PSG, İtalyan ekibinden 40 milyon euro talep etti. Serie A temsilcisi 25 milyon euro önerdi. İtalya basınındaki haberlere göre; Juve teklifini 30-35 milyon seviyesine çıkarabilir. Şu anda pazarlıklar sürüyor.

GELECEK PLANLAMASINDA YOK

27 yaşındaki santrforun adı Galatasaray ve Fenerbahçe'yle de anılıyor. PSG'nin talep ettiği 40 milyon euroluk bonservis bedeli, bütün kulüpler için geçerli olacak. 1.87 boyundaki santrforun PSG ile 30 Haziran 2028 tarihine kadar mukavelesi var. Ve gelecek sezon planlamasında kesinlikle düşünülmüyor.

95 MİLYON EURO ÖDEMİŞLERDİ!

PSG, Fransız yıldızı 2023 yazında Eintracht Frankfurt'tan transfer etmişti. O dönemde 95 milyon euro bonservis bedeli ödediler. Kolo Muani, Ligue 1 temsilcisinin en büyük hayal kırıklıklarından biri oldu. 1.87 boyundaki futbolcu, geride bıraktığımız sezonu Tottenham'da kiralık geçirdi. Orada da beklentilerin çok altında kaldı.

Premier Lig'deki maç sayısı: 30

Süre: 1.669 dakika

Gol: 1

Asist 1

Fenerbahçe'de Marco Asensio'nun geleceği belirsizliğini koruyor. Oyuncunun ülkesine dönmek istediği konuşuluyor. Bu arada Real Sociedad ve Espanyol, resmi teklif yapmak için yeni başkanı bekliyor.

Fenerbahçe sezon başında PSG'ye 7.5 milyon euro ödeyerek Marco Asensio'yu kadrosuna katmıştı. Mukavelede ayrıca +500 bin euroluk bonus maddesi bulunuyor. İspanyol yıldızla 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar sözleşme yapıldı (+1 yıllık uzatma opsiyonu var). 1.82 boyundaki futbolcu, harika bir sezon geçirdi.

DAHA DA YUKARI ÇIKARDI

30 yaşındaki futbolcu, Süper Lig'de 25 maça çıktı. Sahada 1.879 dakika kaldı. 11 gol ve 13 asist üretti. Sakatlık problemi yaşamasaydı, bu rakamları daha da yukarı çıkarabilirdi. Asensio'nun yeni sezonda kalıp kalmayacağı ise belli değil. Çünkü tecrübeli futbolcunun, ülkesi İspanya'ya dönmek istediği konuşuluyor.

AYRILMAK İSTERSE

Şu anda Espanyol ve Real Sociedad kulüpleri ciddi şekilde devrede... Fakat resmi teklif yapabilmek için Fenerbahçe'nin yeni başkanını bekliyorlar. Sonrasında belirsiz ortamı bitecek. Her iki başkan adayının da yıldız ismi tutmak istediği öğrenildi. Ancak oyuncu ayrılmak isterse, teklifler değerlendirilebilir.

Dünya Kupası kadrosunda bulunan Samet'in Çaykur Rizespor'la mukavelesi 30 Haziran'da bitiyor. Gelecek sezon nerede oynayacağı ise henüz belli değil..

A Milli Takım Teknik Direktörü Montella'nın en fazla eleştirildiği seçimlerden biri Samet Akaydin... Üstelik bu durum yeni değil... Çok uzun bir süredir tecrübeli stoperin çağrılması sorgulanıyor. 32 yaşındaki savunmacı, ABD'de kendisini gösterecek. Ancak kulüp takımı konusunda tam bir belirsizlik var.

TRABZONSPOR İDDİALARI

1.90 boyundaki futbolcunun, Çaykur Rizespor'la sözleşmesi 30 Haziran'da bitiyor. Yani boşa çıkacak. Önümüzdeki sezon nerede oynayacağı netlik kazanmadı. Şu anda Trabzonspor iddiaları var. Ancak konuyla ilgili somut bir adım görülmedi... TFF'nin 10+4'lük yabancı kontenjanı sonrasında yerli oyuncuların önemi arttı.

TURNUVANIN ARDINDAN

Samet'in, dev organizasyon sonrasında transfer konularına girmesi bekleniyor. Tecrübeli isim şu anda bütün konsantrasyonunu Dünya Kupası'na verdi. 32 yaşındaki futbolcu bu sezon Süper Lig'de 29 karşılaşmaya çıktı. Sahada 2.571 dakika kaldı. 3 gol ve 1 asist üretti.

Trabzonspor'un 2025 yazında bonservisiyle kadrosuna kattığı Onuachu, inanılmaz bir sezonu geride bıraktı. Nijeryalı forvet konusunda birçok Suudi Arabistan ekibinin harekete geçtiği öğrenildi.

Trabzonspor, bir dönem kiralık olarak formasını giyen Paul Onuachu'yu bu sezon başında bonservisiyle birlikte bitirmişti. Southampton'a 5.67 milyon euro ödendi. İngiliz ekibinin sonraki satıştan %20'lik pay hakkı bulunuyor. Nijeryalı forvetle 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar mukavele yapıldı. Kontratta ayrıca +1 yıllık uzatma opsiyonu mevcut (çift taraflı).

DAMGASINI VURDU

32 yaşındaki santrfor, Süper Lig'de 30 maça çıktı. Sahada 2.525 dakika kaldı. 22 gol ve 2 asistle sezona damgasını vurdu. Doğal olarak talipleri de arttı. Şu anda birçok Suudi Arabistan ekibinin, Trabzonspor'a 10 milyon euronun üzerinde teklifler ilettiği konuşuluyor.

DURUM DEĞİŞEBİLİR

Yönetim, Onuachu'yla yola devam etmek istiyor. Fakat tekliflerin seviyesi iyice yükselirse durum değişebilir. Bu durumda Nijeryalı yıldızın yerine yeni forvet arayışları başlayacak. Önümüzde uzun bir transfer sezonu var. Bu sebeple yönetimin Nijeryalı yıldızla ilgili bir süre daha bekleyeceği öğrenildi.

Suudi Arabistan ekibi Al-Hilal bu yaz Uruguaylı golcü Darwin Nunez'i elden çıkaracak. Uruguaylı forvetin adı Galatasaray'la da anılıyor. Peki son durum ne?

Al-Hilal sezon başında Liverpool'a 53 milyon euro ödeyerek Darwin Nunez'i kadrosuna katmıştı. 26 yaşındaki futbolcuyla 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar mukavele yapıldı. Ancak işler pek de planlandığı gibi gitmedi. Sezonun ikinci yarısı öncesinde Uruguaylı futbolcunun lisansı çıkarılmadı.

HİÇBİR HAMLE GELMEDİ

Al-Hilal onu içinde bulunduğumuz yaz döneminde elden çıkaracak. Oyuncunun talipleri arasında Galatasaray'ın da bulunduğu söyleniyor. Peki son durum ne? İşin gerçeği; Sarı-Kırmızılılar'dan şu ana kadar bu yönde hiçbir hamle gelmedi. Darwin Nunez'le şu takımların ilgilendiği konuşuluyor:

Barcelona

Borussia Dortmund

FENERBAHÇE'NİN DURUMU

Fenerbahçe'deki başkan adaylarından birinin de 1.85 boyundaki golcüyle ilgilendiği söyleniyor. Bu konudaki sorunun yanıtı ise seçim sonrasında ortaya çıkacak. Nunez kesinlikle Suudi Arabistan'dan ayrılmak istiyor. Şu anda seçeneklerini değerlendiriyor.

Trabzonspor Başkanı Ertuğrul Doğan, Kamerunlu kaleci Onana'nın kalmasını istediklerini söylemişti. Ancak maliyetler sebebiyle yolların ayrılması bekleniyor.

HT Spor'a konuşan Trabzonspor Başkanı Ertuğrul Doğan, "Andre Onana ile hemen hemen her gün görüşüyoruz. Burayı çok sevdi. Biz kalmasını istiyoruz. Fakat herkesin kendi hayatı ve planları var. Saygı duymak lazım. Ben önümüzdeki günlerde bir aksilik yaşayacağımızı düşünmüyorum. Ancak yaşanırsa da yönetim gerekeni yapar. Aynı kalitede başka bir kaleci buluruz" ifadelerini kullanmıştı.

OPSİYON MADDESİ YOKTU

Bordo-Mavililer bu sezon başında Kamerunlu eldiveni Manchester United Kulübü'nden kiralamıştı. Taraflar arasında herhangi bir satın alma opsiyonu yoktu. Onana'nın İngiliz ekibindeki sözleşmesi 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar devam ediyor. Trabzonspor'un oyuncuyu tekrar kiralaması ise bu kez çok olası gözükmüyor.

BAŞKA ADRESLERE GİDİLECEK

Çünkü maliyetler fazlasıyla yüksek. Manchester United'ın önceliği de oyuncuyu satmak... Tekrar kiralanması halinde ise çok yüksek bir kiralama bedeli talep edecekleri öğrenildi. Yani 30 yaşındaki file bekçisinin önümüzdeki sezonda Bordo-Mavili formayı tekrar giyme ihtimali düşük... Fırtına, başka adreslere gidecek.

Trabzonspor, 4 Büyükler içinde transfer dönemine en hızlı giriş yapan ekip oldu. Bordo-Mavililer, yerli havuzunu güçlendirmek için şimdi de Adil Demirbağ'ın peşine düştü...

Konyaspor'la çok iyi bir sezon geçiren Adil Demirbağ'ın kontratı 30 Haziran 2027'de bitecek. Yani sözleşmesinin son senesine girdi. Yerli oyuncu havuzunu güçlendirmek isteyen Trabzonspor, 28 yaşındaki stoper konusunda kolları sıvadı. Kulüpler arasında ilk temaslar başladı...

BEŞİKTAŞ'IN DA İLGİSİ VARDI

Şu anda pazarlıkların olumlu geçtiği öğrenildi. 1.85 boyundaki futbolcunun adı uzun süre Beşiktaş'la da anılmıştı. Şu anda ibre tamamen Bordo-Mavililer'e dönmüş gibi gözüküyor. Adil bu sezon Süper Lig'de 24 maça çıktı. Sahada 2.088 dakika kaldı. 2 gol ve 2 asist üretti.

YÖNETİMİN KARARINA BAĞLI

Adil, seçeneklerini değerlendirmeyi planlıyor. Fakat ayrıldığı durumda da Konyaspor'a iyi bir para kazandırmak istiyor. Çok kısa süre içinde bu transferin netleşmesi bekleniyor. 2020 yazında Adana Demirspor'dan alınan tecrübeli savunmacı, bu tarihten beri Konyaspor forması giyiyordu.

Galatasaray, Nordsjaelland forması giyen Caleb Yirenkyi için ara transferde uğraşmıştı. Yaz döneminde de adımlar atılması bekleniyordu. Ancak devreye son olarak Real Madrid girdi!

Galatasaray, merkez orta saha bölgesini kesinlikle güçlendirecek. Listedeki adaylardan biri de Nordsjaelland forması giyen Caleb Yirenkyi idi... 20 yaşındaki futbolcu konusunda devre arasında bazı adımlar atıldı. Fakat Danimarka ekibi, 30 milyon euroluk bonservis beklentisinde indirime gitmedi...

BEKLENTİLERİ SABİT

Cim-Bom'dan yaz döneminde de bir hamle bekleniyordu. Ancak devreye hiç beklenmedik bir takım girdi... Dünya devi Real Madrid'in oyuncu için iletişime geçtiği öğrenildi. Nordsjaelland'ın bonservis beklentisi ise sabit... 30 milyon euroyu masaya koyan herkes, oyuncu cephesiyle görüşebilecek.

DENGELERİ DEĞİŞTİRDİ

Bu sürpriz gelişme sonrasında oyuncunun Real Madrid'e daha sıcak yaklaşması bekleniyor. Ganalı futbolcunun, Nordsjaelland ile 30 Haziran 2030 tarihine kadar mukavelesi var. Galatasaray ve Real Madrid dışında Porto ile Strasbourg da Yirenkyi ile ilgileniyordu. Madrid'in hamlesi, bütün dengeleri değiştirdi.

Fenerbahçe'de bu yaz Oğuz Aydın'la yolların ayrılması bekleniyordu. Ancak milli futbolcu, Dünya Kupası'nda iyi bir performans gösterirse, Sarı-Lacivertli ekipte devam edebilir.

Fenerbahçe, 2024 yazında Alanyaspor'a 6 milyon euro ödeyerek Oğuz Aydın'ı renklerine bağlamıştı. O dönemde Galatasaray da devredeydi. Ancak Kanarya işi bitirdi. 1.83 boyundaki kanat oyuncusuyla 30 Haziran 2028'e kadar mukavele yapıldı. Beklentiler büyüktü. Fakat işler pek beklendiği gibi gitmedi.

TRABZONSPOR VE RUS EKİPLERİ

Öyle ki; Oğuz'un geride bıraktığımız sezonun devre arasında satılma durumu vardı. Trabzonspor ve bazı Rus ekipleri onu istedi. Ancak anlaşma sağlanamadı. 25 yaşındaki futbolcunun, içinde bulunduğumuz yaz döneminde elden çıkarılması bekleniyordu. Fakat Dünya Kupası her şeyi değiştirebilir.

BELİRLEYİCİ UNSUR

Oğuz milli formayla iyi bir performans sergilerse, Fenerbahçe'de devam etme ihtimali ciddi şekilde yükselecek. Yeni başkan ya Aziz Yıldırım ya da Hakan Safi olacak. Kazanan tarafın getireceği hoca, Oğuz'la ilgili son kararı verecek. Ve bu karardaki en önemli belirleyici unsur; Dünya Kupası olacak.

Tekrar Süper Lig'e yükselmek isteyen Bursaspor'da transfer çalışmaları sürüyor. Yeşil-Beyazlılar, sol kanat için Amine Boutrah'ı düşünüyor. Kulüpler arasındaki pazarlıklar da başladı.

1. Lig'e yükselen Bursaspor, tekrar Süper Lig'de boy göstermek için iddialı bir kadro oluşturmaya çalışıyor. Timsah, sol kanat konusunda Amine Boutrah ismine yoğunlaştı. Fransız futbolcu için harekete de geçildi. Şu anda Bastia Kulübü'yle bonservis pazarlıkları yapılıyor.

AYRILMAK İSTİYOR

25 yaşındaki oyuncu bu sezon Ligue 2'de 28 karşılaşmaya çıktı. Sahada 1.921 dakika kaldı. 2 gol ve 3 asist üretti. Amine Boutrah'ın Fransız ekibiyle 30 Haziran 2028 tarihine kadar mukavelesi bulunuyor. Tahmini piyasa değeri ise 1.2 milyon euro... 1.71 boyundaki futbolcu, takımdan ayrılmak istiyor.

OLUMLU GEÇİYOR

Bursaspor ve Bastia arasındaki temasların olumlu geçtiği öğrenildi. Kısa süre içinde durumun netleşmesi bekleniyor. Amine Boutrah'ın adı, Eyüpspor'la da anılıyordu... Asıl yeri sol kanat olan Fransız futbolcu, 10 numarada ve forvet bölgesinde de görev yapabiliyor. Yani hücum anlamında tam bir joker...

Beşiktaş'ın yabancı kaleci adayları arasında Freiburg'dan Noah Atubolu'nun da olduğu öğrenildi. Kartal, 1 yıl mukavelesi kalan oyuncunun durumunu takip ediyor. Ancak takip konusunda yalnız değil!

Beşiktaş bu yaz kesinlikle yabancı bir kaleci getirmeyi hedefliyor. Listedeki isimlerden biri de Freiburg forması giyen Noah Atubolu... 24 yaşındaki eldivenin Alman ekibiyle mukavelesi 30 Haziran 2027'de bitecek. Yani sözleşmesinin son senesine girmiş durumda...

İSTEDİĞİ RAKAMLARI BULAMADI

Freiburg Yönetimi, ona defalarca yeni kontrat önerdi. Fakat 1.90 boyundaki eldiven, rakamları düşük bulduğu için olumsuz yanıt verdi. Bu yaz satılacak. Çünkü takımda kalırsa, önümüzdeki sezonun ardından bedelsiz ayrılacak. Böylece Freiburg'un para kazanma ihtimali kalmayacak.

İTALYA-İSPANYA-İNGİLTERE

Beşiktaş, 1.90 boyundaki futbolcunun durumunu takip ediyor. Ancak oyuncuyu şu takımlar da izliyor:

Milan (İtalya)

Atletico Madrid (İspanya)

Brighton (İngiltere)

Yani Kartal'ın işi kolay değil... Noah Atubolu'nun geleceğiyle ilgili kararını kısa süre içinde vermesi bekleniyor.

Galatasaray, önümüzdeki hafta Midtjylland Kulübü ile masaya oturacak. Milli futbolcu Aral Şimşir konusundaki belirsizliğin kısa süre içinde çözülmesi bekleniyor.

Galatasaray uzun süredir Aral Şimşir konusunda girişimlerde bulunuyor. Ancak resmi temasların önümüzdeki hafta içinde gerçekleştirileceği öğrenildi. Galatasaray yetkilileri, Midtjylland Kulübü ile masaya oturacak. Milli futbolcu için talep edilen taban fiyat, 15 milyon euro seviyelerindeydi...

ÖNEMLİ BİR AVANTAJ

Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu'nun 10+4'lük yabancı kontenjanının ardından genç yabancıların dışında yerli isimlerin de değeri arttı. Aral'ın, Midtjylland ile 31 Aralık 2029 tarihine kadar sözleşmesi bulunuyor. 23 yaşındaki futbolcu, hücum hattında çok değerli bir alternatif...

TAM BİR JOKER

Asıl yeri sol kanat olan milli futbolcu aynı zamanda sol tarafta ve 10 numara bölgesinde de görev yapabiliyor. Önümüzdeki hafta yapılacak görüşmelerin ardından bu transferde mutlu son yaşanması bekleniyor. 1.75 boyundaki futbolcu da Galatasaray'a çok sıcak bakıyor...

Hem Galatasaray hem de PSG Kulübü, Lokomotiv Moskova'nın 20 yaşındaki 10 numarası Aleksey Batrakov'la ilgileniyordu. Fransız basınında çıkan haberlere göre; durum biraz değişti!

Galatasaray'ın 10 numara adayları arasında Lokomotiv Moskova'nın genç yıldızı Aleksey Batrakov da bulunuyordu. Bu transferin önündeki en büyük engel ise PSG Kulübü'ydü... Ancak şu anda işler epey değişmiş gibi gözüküyor. Fransa basınında çıkan haberlere göre; PSG, Aleksey Batrakov'dan vazgeçti.

20 MİLYON EUROLUK BEDEL

20 yaşındaki futbolcunun 20 milyon euroluk serbest kalma bedeli bu yaz devreye girecek. 16 milyon euro, Rus ekibine ödenecek. 4 milyon euro ise oyuncunun temsilcisine verilecek. Galatasaray, PSG'nin aradan çekilmesiyle birlikte gaza basmaya hazırlanıyor...

KONTENJANA FAZLASIYLA UYUYOR

Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu, son anda bir değişiklik olmazsa yeni sezondaki yabancı kontenjanının 10+4 olacağını açıklamıştı. Aleksey Batrakov, genç yabancı kriterini fazlasıyla karşılıyor. Çünkü daha 20 yaşında... Cim-Bom'da konuyla ilgili ciddi bir hareketlilik bekleniyor. 1.73 boyundaki futbolcu bu sezon Rus Ligi'nde 28 maça çıktı. 13 gol ve 10 asistle adeta şov yaptı.

Galatasaray'da Noa Lang'ın opsiyonu kullanılmamıştı. Sarı-Kırmızılılar, sol kanat konusunda yeniden hamle yapacak. Ve listedeki alternatiflerden birinin Osasuna forması giyen Victor Munoz olduğu öğrenildi.

Galatasaray'da transfer çalışmaları sürüyor. Devre arasında Napoli'den kiralanan Noa Lang'ın 30 milyon euroluk satın alma opsiyonu kullanılmadı. Şu anda sol kanat için farklı alternatiflere gidildi. Onlardan ağustos ayına kadar beklenen yanıtlar gelmezse ibre tekrar Lang'a dönebilir.

6 GOL VE 2 ASİST

Cim-Bom'un sol kanat için oluşturduğu listede Osasuna forması giyen Victor Munoz'un da bulunduğu öğrenildi. İspanyol futbolcunun, La Liga temsilcisiyle 30 Haziran 2030 tarihine kadar sözleşmesi bulunuyor. 22 yaşındaki oyuncu, ligde 34 maça çıktı. Sahada 2.670 dakika kaldı. 6 gol ve 2 asist üretti.

DURUMUNU YOKLADILAR

1.73 boyundaki futbolcu, İspanya Milli Takımı'nın da bir parçası... Galatasaray'ın şu anda aracılarla birlikte oyuncunun durumunu yokladığı öğrenildi. Genç yetenekle birçok önemli takım ilgileniyor:

Real Madrid

Barcelona

Aston Villa

Newcastle United

Cim-Bom, şartlar uygun olur ve başka bir takım da resmi teklifte bulunmazsa şansını zorlayacak. Aksi halde diğer seçeneklere geçiş yapılacak.

Google has documented a native link between Google Business Profile and Google Analytics, bringing local metrics like calls and directions into GA reports.

The post Google Analytics Is Adding Google Business Profile Data appeared first on Search Engine Journal.

Qadın futbolçulardan ibarət Azərbaycan millisi bu gün dünya çempionatının (DÇ-2027) seçmə mərhələsində növbəti matçına çıxıb.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, C Liqasının 3-cü qrupunda yer almış millimiz Macarıstan yığması ilə qarşılaşıb.

Mehdi Hüseynzadə adına Sumqayıt şəhər stadionunda keçirilmiş oyunu Sloveniyadan olan hakimlər briqadası idarə edib. Matçın baş hakimi Vanya Yankoviç olub.

Siyasət Əsgərovun baş məşqçisi olduğu kollektiv bu görüşdə istədiyi nəticəni qazana bilməyib. Görüş rəqibin 2:1 hesablı qələbəsi ilə başa çatıb. Azərbaycan millisinin heyətində 74-cü dəqiqədə Xanım Əsədova fərqlənib.

Xatırladaq ki, yığmamız Macarıstana səfərdə də 0:1 hesabı ilə uduzmuşdu. Azərbaycan millisi daha əvvəl baş tutan matçlarda evdə və səfərdə Andorranı (3:1 2:0), həmçinin Bakıda Şimali Makedoniyanı (2:0) məğlub edib.

Xatırladaq ki, Azərbaycan millisi hazırda bu qrupda 9 xalla 2-ci pillədə qərarlaşıb. Macarıstan yığması isə 13 xalla qrup lideridir. Şimali Makedoniya yığmasının 3, Andorra seçməsinin 1 xalı var.

DÇ-2027-nin seçmə mərhələsi
C Liqası, 3-cü qrup
5 iyun

Azərbaycan – Macarıstan 1:2
Hakimlər: Vanya Yankoviç, Staşa Şpur, Helena Buh, Aleksandra Çesen
(Hamısı Sloveniya).
Mehdi Hüseynzadə adına Sumqayıt şəhər stadionu.

Azərbaycanlı FİFA referiləri Əliyar Ağayev və Tural Qurbanov milli komandalar arasında keçiriləcək beynəlxalq yoxlama oyunlarına təyinat alıblar.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə AFFA-nın saytı məlumat yayıb.

Xəbərdə bildirilir ki, Əliyar Ağayev Minskdə keçiriləcək Belarus – Suriya matçını idarə edəcək. Belarus millisinə məxsus stadionda baş tutacaq görüşdə Zeynal Zeynalov və Elşad Abdullayev yan xətt hakimləri kimi fəaliyyət göstərəcəklər. Yerli referi İhar Şumilau isə dördüncü hakim funksiyasını yerinə yetirəcək.

Tural Qurbanov isə Kişinyov şəhərində yerləşən “Zimbru” stadionunda Moldova – Bolqarıstan qarşılaşmasının baş hakimi olacaq. Ona yan xətt hakimləri Akif Əmirəli və Cəmil Quliyev kömək edəcəklər. Moldovalı Roman Jitari dördüncü hakim kimi fəaliyyət göstərəcək.

Qeyd edək ki, hər iki oyun iyunun 5-də keçiriləcək.

Azərbaycanın birinci vitse-prezidenti Mehriban Əliyeva Avropa çempionu olmuç minifutbol üzrə Azərbaycan milli komandasını təbrik edib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, bununla bağlı birinci xanımın sosial şəbəkə hesablarında paylaşım edilib.

Paylaşımda bunlar qeyd edilib:

“Avropa çempionatının qalibi olan Azərbaycan minifutbol yığmasını təbrik edirəm. Milli komandamızın bütün üzvlərinə möhkəm cansağlığı, güc, enerji və yeni-yeni qələbələr və nailiyyətlər arzulayıram!”

Xatırladaq ki, minifutbol üzrə Azərbaycan milli komandası Slovakiyada təşkil edilmiş Avropa çempionatının qalibi olub. Elşad Quliyevin baş məşqçisi olduğu kollektiv ötən gecə baş tutmuş final qarşılaşmasında Ukrayna yığmasını 2:0 hesabı ilə məğlub edib.

Bu, sonuncu dünya çempionatının da qalibi olan Azərbaycan millisinin ikinci Avropa çempionluğudur. Komandamız daha əvvəl 2022-ci ildə bu titula sahib çıxmışdı. Mehriban Əliyeva ilə yanaşı, Azərbaycan Respublikasının Prezidenti İlham Əliyev də milli komandamızı bu uğuru münasibəti ilə təbrik etmişdi.

ABŞ, Kanada və Meksikanın ev sahibliyi edəcəyi dünya çempionatının startına 10 gün qalıb. “Futbolpress” yeni rubrikaya başlayır – bu müddətdə qrupları, komandaların mundiallardakı çıxışlar və şansları haqda məqalələr dərc edəcək.

Ötən yazılarımızda A, B, C və D qrupunu dəyərləndirdik. İndi isə E qrupuna nəzər salaq:

Qrup E
Almaniya
Kürasao
Fil Dişi Sahili
Ekvador

Almaniya

Dünya çempionatının favoritlərindən sayılan “panzerlər” mundiallar tarixinin ən uğurlu komandaları arasındadır. Almaniya yığması tarixində dörd dəfə dünya çempionu olub. Onlar rekordçu Braziliyadan bir “qızıl” geri qalır. Bu dəfəki hədəf isə rekorda şərik olmaqdır.

Son illərdə eniş dövrünü yaşayan Almaniya yığması sonuncu dəfə 2014-cu ildə mundialda çempionluq yaşayıb. Həmin vaxtdan sonra nəticələr qeyri-stabildir. Yulian Naqelsmannın rəhbərliyi altında yenidən iddialı olmağa çalışan “panzerlər” qrupun da favoritidir.

Almaniya millisi mundiallarda:
114 oyun, 68 qələbə, 20 heç-heçə, 26 məğlubiyyət.

Kürasao

Qrupun “sirli qutu”su Kürasao yığmasıdır. Tanınmış mütəxəssis Dik Advokatın rəhbərlik etdiyi komanda tarixində ilk dəfə dünya çempionatında mübarizə aparacaq.

Mundiallarda iştirak edən ölkələr arasında ən kiçik iştirakçılardan olan Kürasao Karib hövzəsini təmsil edir. Komandanın heyətinin dəyəri 25.75 milyon avrodur. Kürasao yığmasında PSV-dən Armano Opispo, “Şeffild Yunayted”dən Tait Çonq, “Midlsbro”dan Sontye Hansen kimi futbolçular çıxış edir. Ümumiyyətlə, heyətdəki bütün oyunçular legioner həyatı yaşayır.

Dünya çempionatına ilk dəfə vəsiqə qazanan Kürasaonun ən güclü silahı məhz baş məşqçisi Advokatdır. Mütəxəssis “Reyncers”, PSV, “Zenit” kimi klublarda işlədiyi dönəmlərdə qazandığı kuboklarla tanınır.

Fil Dişi Sahili

Afrikanın ən güclü futbol ölkələrindən biri olan komanda qrupda ikinciliyə əsas namizəddir. “Fillər” ləqəbli kollektivin birinci yeri tutması belə sürpriz olmaz.

Fil Dişi Sahili yığması dördüncü dəfə dünya çempionatında mübarizə aparacaq. Futbol dünyasına tanınmış ulduzlar bəxş edən futbol ölkəsi hələ mundialda qruplardan çıxa bilməyib. 2006-20214-cü illərdə üç dəfə dünya çempionatına yollanan “fillər” mübarizəni də erkən dayandırıb.

Fil Dişi Sahili yığmasının heyətinin dəyəri yarım milyarddan çoxdur – 522.10 milyon avro. Komandada ən dəyərli oyunçu Yan Diomandedir. “Leypsiq” forması geyinən 19 yaşlı hücumçunun qiyməti 90 milyon avrodur. Gənc futbolçulardan formalaşdırılan kollektivdə “Mançester Yunayted”dən Amad Diallo, “Sportinq”dən Osman Diomande, “Qalatasaray”dan Vilfrid Sinqo, “İnter”dən Ange Bonni kimi ulduzlar var.

Fil Dişi Sahili yığması mundiallarda:
9 oyun, 3 qələbə, 1 heç-heçə, 5 məğlubiyyət.

Ekvador

Qrupun Cənubi Amerikadan olan tək təmsilçisi Ekvadordur. Komanda Amerikada son 25 ildə ən sürətli inkişaf edən kollektivlərdəndir. Ekvador tarixində beşinci dəfə mundialda mübarizə aparacaq.

Yığmanın ən böyük uğuru 2006-cı ildə 1/8 finala yüksəlmək olub. Həmin vaxtdan sonra komanda dünya çempionatlarında qrupdan çıxa bilməyib.

Heyətin dəyəri 368.70 milyon avrodur. Komandada “Çelsi”dən Moyzes Kaysedo, PSJ-dən Villian Paço, “Arsenal”dan Pyero İnkapye kimi adlar var. Hər mövqedə “ulduz”u olan ekvadorlular mundialda sürpriz etmək potensialında olan yığmalardan hesab edilir.

Ekvador millisi mundiallarda:
13 oyun, 5 qələbə, 2 heç-heçə, 6 məğlubiyyət.

E qrupunun afişası:
14 iyun Almaniya – Kürasao
15 iyun Fil Dişi Sahili – Ekvador
20 iyun Almaniya – Fil Dişi sahili
21 iyun Ekvador – Kürasao
25 iyun Ekvador – Almaniya
25 iyun Kürasao – Fil Dişi Sahili

Şahin Cəfərov

Qadın futbolçulardan ibarət Azərbaycan yığması bu gün dünya çempionatının seçmə mərhələsi çərçivəsində növbəti oyununu keçirib.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, C Liqasının 3-cü qrupunda yer alan milli Macarıstanla qarşılaşıb.

Mehdi Hüseynzadə adına Sumqayıt şəhər stadionunda keçiriləcək oyun saat 18:00-da başlayıb. Görüş rəqibin qələbəsiylə başa çatıb – 2:1.

Millinin yeganə qolunu Xanım Əsədova vurub.

Siyasət Əsgərovun rəhbərlik etdiyi kollektiv qrupda 9 xalla 2-ci, Macarıstan yığması isə 13 xalla 1-ci pillədə qərarlaşıb. Şimali Makedoniyanın 3, Andorranın 1 xalı var.

“Liverpul”dan ayrılan Endryu Robertsonun yeni ünvanı məlum olub.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, şotlandiyalı müdafiəçi “Tottenhem”ə keçib. Bu barədə klubun mətbuat xidməti məlumat yayıb. Cinah oyunçusu ilə müqavilənin detalları açıqlanmayıb.

Robertson Şotlandiya millisinin dünya çempionatı üçün heyətində yer alır. O, mundialdan sonra yeni klubuna qoşulacaq.

“Mançester Yunayted” qapıçısı Tom Hitonla müqaviləni uzadıb.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, bu barədə klubun mətbuat xidməti məlumat yayıb. 40 yaşlı qolkiperin sözləşməsi 2027-ci ilin yayına kimi artırılıb.

Hiton 2021-ci ildən “Mançester Yunayted”də çıxış edir. O, komandanın heyətində cəmi üç oyuna çıxıb.

Source

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Chelsea could be back in the running for Mike Maignan just months after he signed a new Milan contract, as the total revamp of the club and Champions League failure changed the situation.

The goalkeeper had been pushing for the exit and seemed to be leaning towards Stamford Bridge last summer, when his contract was running down.

Despite the very real risk of losing him as a free agent, the Rossoneri rejected all offers and continued talks, which paid off with a new agreement until June 2031.

Maignan no longer sure of Milan

However, a lot has happened in recent weeks, because Milan failed to qualify for the Champions League, in response firing coach Max Allegri, director of sport Igli Tare, CEO Giorgio Furlani and technical director Geoffrey Moncada.

They still haven’t replaced any of those figures and the future looks increasingly uncertain, which is irritating the old guard.

That includes Maignan, as Calciomercato, Sport Mediaset and others warn the France international is ready to reconsider if Chelsea made a new proposal.

He joined Milan from Lille in 2021 for €16.4m and will turn 31 next month, while playing for France at the World Cup.

Others likely to leave following the earthquake behind the scenes are Rafael Leao and Adrien Rabiot, the latter potentially following Allegri to Napoli.

Mauro Icardi is set to leave Galatasaray when his contract expires on June 30 and has expressed a clear desire to return to Serie A, with Juventus, Milan and Roma all mentioned as potential destinations for the 33-year-old Argentine.

According to Fabrizio Romano, via CalcioMercato.it, Icardi has already indicated his openness to a return to Italian football, the league where he made his name during spells at Sampdoria and Inter between 2011 and 2019.

His four-year stint at Galatasaray yielded 77 goals and 25 assists in 134 appearances, demonstrating that his instinct for goal remains as sharp as ever despite the lower profile of the Turkish league.

Juventus, Milan and Roma lead Icardi chase as Gasperini identified as key factor in Giallorossi interest

Juventus are perhaps the most obvious suitors, with the club in need of a striker following the uncertainty surrounding Dusan Vlahovic’s future.

Milan’s interest is less defined given the ongoing leadership vacuum at the club, but Icardi’s profile as an experienced, prolific centre-forward fits the attacking reinforcement they desperately need.

At Roma, it is reported that Gian Piero Gasperini is a significant admirer of the Argentine’s goalscoring instincts and is seeking a deputy for Donyell Malen.

Como, Lazio and Fiorentina are also monitoring the situation, though all three are considered less likely destinations at this stage.

Icardi would arrive on a free transfer, an increasingly rare opportunity to add a proven goalscorer at no cost, though his salary demands will require careful consideration from any interested party.

Udinese director Gianluca Nani insists ‘Inter have not asked us’ for Oumar Solet, but he expects Arthur Atta to gain attention. ‘A mix between Jude Bellingham and Zinedine Zidane.’

The Friulani finished comfortably mid-table in Serie A, as usual by using their impressive scouting network to dig out new talents that can then flourish at the Bluenergy Stadium.

Among them, defender Solet is reportedly the centre of a €25m bid from Inter to reinforce their back three next season.

Udinese on Solet and Atta interest

“Solet is one of the players who has a lot of interest, but he is not the only one,” Udinese director of sport Nani told Tuttomercatoweb.

“We don’t need to sell, but our approach means if offers become an opportunity for both the player and the club, then it is taken into consideration. The important thing is to build a competitive squad.”

However, while it is claimed by multiple sources that Inter already agreed personal terms with Solet’s entourage, the same is not true for his club.

“We received many calls about Solet, but not from Inter. I imagine they do like him, but there are no negotiations with Inter, whereas other clubs asked for more concrete information,” revealed Nani.

“I won’t tell you the figures, these are private negotiations. There is nothing ready to be finalised, just interest at this stage for him and other players. I’d be worried if they didn’t call me.”

Another of the Udinese talents expected to move on soon is Atta, the midfielder who scored six goals and provided four assists in 34 games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

When describing the 23-year-old Nani makes some bold claims.

“He is an extraordinary player, for me a mix between Jude Bellingham and Zinedine Zidane. This tells you how highly I rate him. I would not want to sell Atta, but if it happens, it means an offer has come in that neither us nor the player could resist.”

Udinese also have an option to buy Nicolò Zaniolo outright from Galatasaray for either €10m, or €5m plus a 50 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

“We do have that option, he manifested his appreciation for that idea, and we are very happy with his performance. It’s not an economic situation, we just need to sit around a table at the right moment and decide what to do,” explained the director.

Italy will face Belgium in the Under-17 European Championship Final after beating Spain on penalties, with goalkeeper Christian Lupo the hero three times.

Lecce youth team player Lupo had already made the difference on 29 minutes when parrying the penalty from Imga following a Bonifazi foul.

Daniele Franceschini’s Azzurrini had instead taken the lead from the spot through Croci in the first half following a Mario Diaz handling offence.

Enzo Alves came so close to an equaliser with his header off the crossbar from a corner, but moments later a loose ball fell at the feet of Urrestarazu to tap in and draw Spain level.

At 1-1, it went directly to a penalty shoot-out, and Italy emerged triumphant thanks again to the heroics of Lupo.

He saved two spot-kicks from Mencia and Enzo Alves, while Italy converted all four of their attempts to sweep through to the Final.

That will be against Belgium on Sunday June 7, kicking off at the Lillekula Staadion in Tallinn at 18.00 UK time (19.00 CEST).

The Azzurri already won the European Under-17 tournament in 2024, reaching the Final in 2013, 2018 and 2019.

Highlights: Italy 1-1 Spain (5-3 pens)

Milan have made initial contact over a potential move for Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio.

According to Portuguese outlet Record, via MilanNews, the identity of who is driving the interest at the club remains unclear given Milan’s current leadership vacuum – yet the Rossoneri are linked with a move.

The 24-year-old defender made 46 appearances across all competitions this season, contributing three goals and three assists, and is contracted to Sporting until 2030.

His market value is estimated at around €40 million by Transfermarkt, and he is expected to feature for Portugal at the World Cup in the coming weeks.

Milan’s defensive search continues despite leadership uncertainty at Casa Milan

The approach comes at an unusual moment for the club, who have been without a CEO, sporting director, technical director and head coach for eleven days following the wholesale dismissal of Giorgio Furlani, Igli Tare, Geoffrey Moncada and Massimiliano Allegri.

The fourth floor of the club’s offices, as the Italian press has noted, remains conspicuously empty, making it difficult to establish which figure within the club has initiated contact with Sporting.

Nevertheless, the interest in Inacio reflects a genuine need.

The Serie A side’s defensive options require reinforcement regardless of who eventually takes charge, and the Portuguese international’s technical profile, composed, left-sided and comfortable in possession, fits the kind of modern centre-back the club have been seeking.

Whether the pursuit can be formalised before the Rossoneri’s new structure is in place remains to be seen.

Inter have re-signed Aleksandar Stankovic from Club Brugge for €23m, but Gazzetta reports that the midfielder’s stay at San Siro remains unlikely as the Nerazzurri are prepared to receive €40m offers from the Bundesliga and the Premier League.

Serbian midfielder Stankovic, son of ex-Inter star Dejan, has returned to Inter from Club Brugge as the fresh Serie A champions have activated their option to re-sign the 20-year-old for €23m.

Will Stankovic stay at Inter in 2026-27?

Stankovic spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan in Belgium, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 55 appearances across all competitions, attracting interest from several clubs across Europe.

As already reported in May, Stankovic’s agent has been informed about interest from Premier League clubs that are ready to bid €40m to sign the promising central midfielder.

Stankovic is a product of the Inter academy and has already worked under Cristian Chivu in the Nerazzurri’s Primavera team in 2022-23, alongside Francesco Pio Esposito.

Gazzetta reports that Chivu would gladly test Stankovic during the pre-season, so the midfielder’s stay at Inter remains a possibility.

At the same time, however, the Nerazzurri are aware that they’ll likely receive big-money offers for the 20-year-old this summer, particularly from England and Germany’s Bundesliga.

Gazzetta notes that Inter are open to selling Stankovic for €40m, so it’s currently unlikely that the Serbia international will remain at San Siro beyond the summer.

Gian Piero Gasperini has shot down reports Roma could sell Gianluca Mancini to rivals Inter. ‘I already told him, he’s not going anywhere, he wants to stay too.’

There had been days of rumours from Sky Sport Italia and others that Inter had set their sights on Mancini to bring more experience to their back three next season.

The 30-year-old is only under contract until June 2027, so unless a new deal is drawn up, they risk losing him as a free agent next summer.

Gasperini clinging to Mancini

However, Gasperini spoke at an event in Bergamo and assured he would put a barricade up to block any such transfer.

“I already told him, he’s not going anywhere,” said the coach.

“Inter can do what they want, but the fact is the player wants to stay too.”

Nonetheless, some sacrifices will have to be made, and Gasperini is well aware that Roma have to make sales by June 30 to balance the books.

“What everyone wants is to continue together. I would gladly keep all my players, but there are some requirements of financial balance, so we’ll need to do well to hang on to the best players.”

They should include Paulo Dybala, whose contract expires on June 30, but who seems eager to put pen to paper on an extension with a big pay cut.

Roma have been heavily linked with new signings including Olympique Marseille winger Mason Greenwood.

“I don’t want to talk about players who are not in my squad,” replied Gasperini when asked about the England international.

“Our ambition is to build a team that is better than the current one, but the fundamental aspect is building on the group that fought to the final whistle of this season.

“There is a solid core we need to keep hold of, introducing new players who can raise the bar.”

Niccolò Pisilli has drawn a striking parallel between Italy interim coach Silvio Baldini and his Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini, describing both as coaches who demand intensity, high pressing and a relentlessly proactive approach to the game, while also revealing that Baldini’s influence extends well beyond the tactical.

Speaking at a press conference from the Coverciano training centre amid Italy’s training camp, the 21-year-old midfielder was full of praise for Baldini’s character as much as his coaching.

“The coach is a very genuine, sincere person who transmits deep values to us,” Pisilli said, with quotes via TuttoMercatoWeb.

“He often speaks to us about things that go beyond football. It is up to us to take them on board. In the two or two and a half hours of daily training he tells us we must be 100% focused on what we are doing, because those hours are where our improvement as footballers and as people happens.”

Pisilli credits patience and hard work for Roma breakthrough after difficult start under Gasperini

On the connection between Baldini and Gasperini, Pisilli was specific.

“I link the two coaches in their desire to press high, to go and get opponents early and to always be proactive,” he said.

“At the start of the season I had difficulty finding space, but I always tried to give my maximum in training and absorb what the coach was asking of me. In December I got more opportunities and I think I was good enough to take them. Fortunately the season ended in the best possible way, both personally and as a team.”

Pisilli also addressed Italy’s painful World Cup qualification failure with characteristic honesty.

“It was a massive disappointment, we all wanted to be playing at the World Cup this summer,” he said. “Inside the pitch we gave everything we had, but a series of episodes and circumstances influenced the game. The team was 100% focused on the objective.”

Looking ahead, he called for Italy to continue giving young players the platform they deserve.

“I hope there will always be more and more space for young Italians because many of us have shown during the year, even with our clubs, that we are great footballers,” he said.

Interim Italy coach Silvio Baldini has raised eyebrows, and closed eyes, by getting the Azzurri to train blindfolded ahead of the friendly with Greece.

The Under-21 coach has taken the job temporarily for two friendly matches after Gennaro Gattuso’s resignation and the failed World Cup play-offs.

He already oversaw the 1-0 win in Luxembourg on Wednesday, where he gave senior debuts to 15 players in a totally experimental side.

Now he is preparing for Sunday’s trip to Greece and is taking an unusual approach to the training sessions.

Italy testing out different methods

The Nazionale social media accounts released the video of his players doing exercises with a blindfold covering one eye.

#Nazionale #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/NFYMQGFQWX

— Nazionale Italiana (@Azzurri) June 4, 2026

Baldini is not new to this sort of thing, as he already employed the technique at club level with Palermo and Pescara, and again for the Under-21 team.

Seeing only out of one eye affects depth perception, but he also believes that it will help players to use their other senses and not rely too heavily on just one.

He also feels it can make the ‘weaker’ side stronger with use, so covers the ‘dominant’ eye.

Liverpool are looking to add more quality to the attacking unit, and they have identified Francisco Trincao as a target.

According to a report from Correio da Manha, they want to sign the 26-year-old attacker as a replacement for Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian International has left the club, and Liverpool will need to replace him properly.

Trincao has had an outstanding season with Sporting CP, and the opportunity to move to the Premier League could be exciting for him.

The 26-year-old has played in England for Wolves, but he failed to make his mark in the Premier League. He will feel that he has unfinished business in English football, and he will look to join Liverpool and prove his quality in the English top-flight.

The player is in impressive form right now, and he scored 13 goals last season. He managed to pick up 15 assists as well. He can operate on the flanks as well as in the central attacking midfield role. His ability to slot into multiple attacking roles and perform at a high level could make him an asset for Liverpool. They need to replace Salah’s goalscoring ability and creativity. The Portuguese international could be an interesting option for them.

The report claims that despite the managerial change at Liverpool, the move for Trincao is likely to be unaffected. It remains to be seen whether Andoni Iraola is prepared to get the deal done.

Liverpool have had a disappointing season and finished fifth in the Premier League table. They will look to push for the League title next year, and they need quality additions during the summer transfer window.

The post Liverpool committed to summer swoop for 28-G/A star despite Iraola arrival appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Roony Bardghji has been linked with a move away from Barcelona, and multiple Premier League clubs are keen on signing him.

According to Sports Boom, Aston Villa, Leeds United and Everton are monitoring the situation of the 20-year-old Swedish attacker, and it remains to be seen whether they can get the deal done.

Barcelona would be prepared to sanction his departure for a fee of €20-25 million. They are looking to add more quality to the team and believe that selling the Swedish attacker would generate funds for their own signings. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old attacker needs to play regularly at this stage of his career, and he is unlikely to get those opportunities at Barcelona. Moving to the Premier League would be ideal.

The report claims that Bardghji has not given up on his dream of making the cut at Barcelona, and he wants to go out on loan this summer and return to Barcelona after a successful season. It remains to be seen how the situation develops.

Everton, Aston Villa and Leeds United could use more quality on the flanks, and the Swedish attacker would be ideal for them. He was highly rated across Europe before he moved to Barcelona. He has technical attributes to compete at a high level, and regular football in the Premier League could help him develop further. He has the attributes to develop into a star for all three Premier League clubs.

The asking price is reasonable for a player of his potential, and he could justify the investment in future. It remains to be seen whether the three Premier League clubs decide to act on their interest with an official proposal to sign the player.

The report claims that Leeds United are currently leading the race for his signature. Aston Villa have secured Champions League qualification for the upcoming campaign, and they could be an attractive destination for the attacker as well.

The post Leeds lead the race for €25m Barcelona talent wanted by Aston Villa and Everton appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool have confirmed Andoni Iraola as their new manager, and he’s already looking to improve the team during the summer transfer window.

According to a report from Sports Boom, he is planning to sign Alex Scott from Bournemouth. The 22-year-old has impressed with his energy, technical ability and work rate at the Premier League club, and there is no doubt that he would be a quality acquisition for Liverpool.

The Premier League side needs to improve in the middle of the park, and they need someone who will add control, composure and defensive cover to the team.

Bournemouth were hoping to agree on a new deal with the 22-year-old central midfielder, but negotiations over a new deal have stalled. Liverpool are closely monitoring his situation, and they are now looking to get the deal done.

The opportunity to join a club like Liverpool will be exciting for Scott. He would also get to play under his former manager. He is a young player with a lot of potential, and regular football at Liverpool could help him further develop. He knows the way Iraola likes to play, and he could settle in quickly and make an immediate impact.

Meanwhile, Scott is an important player for Bournemouth, and he is unlikely to be a cheap acquisition. It will be interesting to see whether Liverpool is willing to pay up to get the deal done.

They have struggled to control games in the middle of the park this season, and signing a quality central midfielder like Alex Scott would be a step in the right direction. Ideally, they should look to invest in a reliable defensive midfielder as well.

The post Iraola wants 22-year-old as first Liverpool signing as PL star weighs up his future appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Everton are interested in signing Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale during the summer transfer window.

According to a report from Sports Boom, they want to sign the 28-year-old goalkeeper to compete with Jordan Pickford for the starting spot. Pickford has been a key player for Everton, but they are looking to add more competition for places. It could help both players improve.

The 28-year-old was on loan at Newcastle United last season, and the Magpies have decided against signing him permanently. Ramsdale is now looking to sort out his long-term future, and he wants to join a top club.

It remains to be seen whether Everton can get the deal done. The 28-year-old goalkeeper will not want to play for Southampton in the second division of English football next season. It would make sense for him to join a Premier League club. He should look to join a club where he can play regularly. He was a squad player for Newcastle last season, and he will not want to sit on the bench at Everton next year. It remains to be seen how the situation develops.

The player made just 12 appearances in the Premier League with Newcastle last season. He needs to play more often at this stage of his career. He is at the peak of his powers, and he could make a big difference at Everton.

Everton have the financial muscle to get the deal done, and Southampton are unlikely to stand in his way.

The goalkeeper is keen to remain in the Premier League next season and hopes the two clubs can sort out a move quickly. He will look to sort out his future and focus on his football once again.

The post Everton looking to sign 28-year-old Premier League ace after Newcastle snub appeared first on CaughtOffside.

In a short blog, Valve confirmed that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame devices, which were announced in November last year, are coming this summer. However, the blog post was about the Verified program. The blog post itself is aimed at developers and announces that the Steam Machine and Steam Frame are being included in the Verified program. The said program launched with the Steam Deck and allows users to know how the game runs on the handheld before buying. According to Valve, the Steam Machine's requirements to get a Verified badge will be almost identical to the Steam Deck. As...

We're done with the battery life and charging tests of the Oppo Pad 5 Matte Display (also known as the Pad Air5). The tablet combines a 10,050mAh battery with the 4nm Dimensity 7300 Ultra and a 12.1-inch 120Hz IPS LCD, which is a notable selling point on this machine. It's the Matte Display Edition, essentially an anti-glare screen. It's TÜV Rheinland certified for a 97% cut to reflections and a 70% reduction in harmful blue light. It delivers in real life, too. It's easily legible in strong daylight, making it a good companion for some on-the-go web work. Alright, on to...

MUNICH (AP) — Harold Kreis is leaving as coach of Germany's ice hockey squad after failing to make the medal rounds at the Olympics and world championship in quick succession led his boss to saying the men's team had “stagnated”.

The German hockey association said in a statement on Friday that the two parties had “mutually agreed to terminate their collaboration with immediate effect”.

Kreis’ contract had been due to run until Germany hosts the world championship next year.

The Canada-born Kreis has spent decades as a player and coach in Germany and made an impact within weeks of taking over the national squad in 2023, taking his team to the world championship final before losing 5-2 to Canada.

However, Germany lost in this year's Olympic quarterfinals to Slovakia and failed to make the last eight at the world championship last year and this year.

The association's sporting director said that parting company with Kreis wasn't easy, “but at the same time we see that the development of the men's national team has stagnated recently and this overall sporting assessment led to our decision.”

Kreis called his three years in charge “a special time that I look back on with great gratitude.”

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Chelsea could be back in the running for Mike Maignan just months after he signed a new Milan contract, as the total revamp of the club and Champions League failure changed the situation.

The goalkeeper had been pushing for the exit and seemed to be leaning towards Stamford Bridge last summer, when his contract was running down.

Despite the very real risk of losing him as a free agent, the Rossoneri rejected all offers and continued talks, which paid off with a new agreement until June 2031.

Maignan no longer sure of Milan

COMO, ITALY – JANUARY 15: Mike Maignan of AC Milan looks on during the Serie A match between Como 1907 and AC Milan at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on January 15, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

However, a lot has happened in recent weeks, because Milan failed to qualify for the Champions League, in response firing coach Max Allegri, director of sport Igli Tare, CEO Giorgio Furlani and technical director Geoffrey Moncada.

They still haven’t replaced any of those figures and the future looks increasingly uncertain, which is irritating the old guard.

That includes Maignan, as Calciomercato, Sport Mediaset and others warn the France international is ready to reconsider if Chelsea made a new proposal.

He joined Milan from Lille in 2021 for €16.4m and will turn 31 next month, while playing for France at the World Cup.

Others likely to leave following the earthquake behind the scenes are Rafael Leao and Adrien Rabiot, the latter potentially following Allegri to Napoli.

Iraola’s First Four Liverpool Games Offer Early Glimpse of New Era

Liverpool supporters have their first indication of what life under Iraola could look like, with the club’s opening four fixtures of pre-season now confirmed. While competitive action remains some weeks away, the schedule offers an intriguing introduction for the Spaniard as he begins work at one of football’s most demanding clubs.

Following his appointment as Liverpool head coach, attention has quickly shifted from the boardroom to the pitch. Fans are eager to see how Iraola stamps his authority on a squad that has grown accustomed to competing at the highest level. Before the Premier League fixtures are released, Liverpool’s first four games provide an early opportunity to assess the direction of travel.

Familiar Faces Await in Opening Fixtures

Iraola’s first four games as Liverpool manager will come against opponents that offer a mixture of familiarity and contrasting challenges.

The opening assignment is a pre-season clash with Sunderland in Nashville, Tennessee, on 25 July. It will be the first time supporters see Liverpool under their new head coach, albeit in unofficial circumstances. Four days later, Liverpool face Wrexham in New York before continuing their United States tour against fellow Premier League side Leeds on 2 August in Chicago.

The fourth fixture brings Iraola’s first appearance at Liverpool’s home ground when Monaco visit on 9 August. While friendlies rarely provide definitive answers, there will be considerable interest in the tactical ideas, intensity and structure he introduces.

These first four games are likely to be viewed less as results-driven contests and more as a chance to establish foundations. Training ground principles often emerge gradually, but supporters will be keen to identify the hallmarks that made Iraola one of the most highly regarded coaches in English football.

Liverpool Journey Begins With Fresh Expectations

The significance of these opening matches extends beyond fitness and preparation. Every managerial appointment at Liverpool carries expectation, scrutiny and excitement in equal measure.

Iraola arrives with a reputation for progressive football, aggressive pressing and tactical flexibility. Those qualities earned widespread admiration during his previous work and ultimately persuaded Liverpool to entrust him with one of the biggest jobs in European football.

For supporters, the first four games represent a first glimpse of how those ideas translate to a squad built to challenge for major honours. Pre-season often provides clues rather than conclusions, but those clues can be revealing.

Questions surrounding formations, player roles and recruitment plans are unlikely to be answered immediately. What fans will hope to see is a clear identity emerging from the outset.

Emotion Behind Anfield Ambition

Speaking about his move, Iraola made it clear that the emotional connection with Liverpool was a major attraction.

“I’ve been the other side – I still remember the goal Chiesa scored at the end of the first game of the season!” he said.

“We were there with 2-2 thinking that probably we could take something. He scored and the place erupted. It was crazy, no? I want now to feel this from the other side.

“At the beginning when you arrive at any club, I think you need to kind of prove a little bit yourself. You need to earn the right also to belong. I want to do this as quickly as possible so I can also celebrate with them and I can be part properly of those celebrations.”

His comments offer insight into a coach who understands the scale of the challenge ahead. Liverpool managers are judged not only on results but also on their connection with the supporters and the culture of the club.

That appreciation of the environment may prove important as he seeks to establish himself quickly.

Road Towards Competitive Action

While Liverpool’s first four games will attract significant attention, the broader focus remains on preparing for the Premier League campaign.

The fixture list will be released on 19 June, revealing the identity of Iraola’s first competitive opponents and potentially setting up an early reunion with former club Bournemouth.

Before then, these opening encounters against Sunderland, Wrexham, Leeds and Monaco provide valuable stepping stones. They will allow players to regain rhythm, enable coaching staff to implement ideas and give supporters their first chance to evaluate the new regime.

Liverpool will also face Como later in pre-season, but it is the opening four fixtures that carry the greatest intrigue. They represent the first chapter of a new story and the beginning of what everyone connected with Liverpool hopes will be a successful era.

For now, anticipation is building. Iraola’s first four games may be friendlies on paper, but for Liverpool supporters they will feel like the first meaningful glimpse of the future.

Who’s the best NBA free agent in the summer of the 2026? There’s not a lot of great options. LeBron James remains the biggest name, but he’s set to turn 42 years old midway through the season. Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu are both solid players, but they were most recently in a sixth man role. Norman Powell can get buckets, but his defense is a bit of an eyesore, and he’s older than you might think at 33. There’s a nice list of restricted free agents — Jalen Duren, Peyton Watson, Walker Kessler, Tari Eason — but it’s going to be hard to pry them away from their teams.

For my money, the best available NBA free agent this year is Austin Reaves. Reaves will turn down his  $14.9 million player option to become an unrestricted free agent in early July, and he could cash in in a huge way thanks to a depleted marketplace.

Reaves’ max contract would be five years, $239 million if he re-signs with the Los Angeles Lakers. If he signs with another team, the most he could get is four years, $178 million. Given the leverage he has right now, it’s no surprise that Reaves and his representation are pushing the Lakers for the full max. Los Angeles Times reporter Brad Turner went on local TV on Thursday night and said “based on what I understand and what I keep hearing, Austin wants the max.” Turner added that he’s not sure Reaves will give the Lakers a hometown discount. Watch the video here:

Reaves signed what was a considered a very team-friendly team last time he was a free agent — and he easily out-played it. In the summer of 2023, the guard agreed to a four-year, $54 million that had a player option in the final season. Negotiating that option was a brilliant move by Reaves’ agents, and now he gets to hit he open market again at 28 years old.

The Lakers are entering a pivotal summer. This is their big chance to build around Luka Doncic, and they need to get it right. Los Angeles has Reaves, James, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, and Maxi Kleber all coming off the books. Do any of these players fit the Lakers’ long-term vision around Luka? If so, they will work to re-sign them, but only if the front office believes they still have enough flexibility to continue to build out the team.

The Lakers are slated to have about $48 million in cap space this summer, second most behind only the Chicago Bulls. Chicago doesn’t seem like a threat to sign Reaves at the moment under a new front office led by Bryson Graham. Would the Brooklyn Nets — potentially armed with $44 million in cap space — get involved? That seems more possible. Here’s the cap space leaders this summer, via insider Keith Smith.

Of course, teams can create cap space pretty easily. Got a bad contract on your hands? Brooklyn or Chicago would likely be willing to take it for the low, low price of a promising young player or future draft picks.

Is there another free agent the Lakers could value over Reaves? Given the way Doncic gets the most out of his centers, I like the idea of Los Angeles targeting Duren with a max offer sheet. It’s possible Detroit would match to retain him, but it would feel like a hard decision after Duren’s disappointing playoff run this year.

How much should the Lakers offer Austin Reaves?

Reaves is an awesome offensive player who struggles on defense. Can you really win a championship with two weak defenders like Doncic and Reaves on the floor at the same time? You better have three awesome defenders around them if so. Reaves graded out as the 30th best player in the NBA this season by EPM by being the 27th best offensive player and the 156th best defensive player. That’s just one metric, but it doesn’t seem too crazy to me.

If I’m the Lakers, I’m trying to get Reaves to sign for under $40 million annually when his max would put him at $47.8 million per year. Given how the current CBA is squeezing salaries for mid-level players, I just can’t see Reaves getting his full max anywhere, including LA.

A fair offer for Reaves would be four years, $150 million with a player option on the final season. That’s an average of $37.5 million per year. The Lakers could front-load the deal to maintain more cap space going forward.

This is such a critical summer for the Lakers if they ever want to build a championship team around Luka. Figuring out what to do with Reaves is their first big decision.

There are two kinds of transfer rumors I generally post on Cartilage Free Captain. One type looks at rumors that drop from reliable to semi-reliable sources that have real connections, making them plausible to write and/or talk about. This is a distinction from the numerous Bat Country rumors emerge like demons from a Hellgate with frightening regularity and that we generally ignore until (if?) they end up being repeated from a reliable or semi-reliable source.

Which then brings me to the OTHER kind of transfer rumor I like to post, which is “this is a badly sourced rumor that probably isn’t real but I’d like it to happen” rumor. That’s what this one is. There is a twitter report from Pedro Almeida, ostensibly a Portuguese journalist with Connections™, that says that Tottenham Hotspur have made a €50m bid for 23-year-old Como attacking midfielder Martin Baturina.

I do not know if this is a real rumor or not, but Martin Baturina is an amazing player, would be an excellent addition to Tottenham Hotspur’s playing squad, and I would like this to happen very, very much, thank you.

When you think of Como, you probably first think of Dele, who had a brief loan there as he tried to resurrect his playing career. Think a little harder and you’ll remember this is the home club of Nico Paz, a midfielder whom Spurs tried to sign last summer, and who is very likely going to be sold to one of the big Spanish clubs for an astronomical fee this summer.

Como has a lot of good players, and Baturina is one of them. In his first season at Como after signing from Dinamo Zagreb last summer, Baturina has tallied 8G+4A in all competitions, including World Cup qualifiers. He’s a full Croatia international who was named part of Croatia’s World Cup squad. He’s also extremely passy, and there are people in Carty Free’s Slack chat that say he’s about as close to a Christian Eriksen analogue as Spurs are likely to get in today’s transfer marketplace.

Check out his passing and chance creation statistics. Me likey.

He’s apparently had some finishing issues this season, so his shot and shot conversion numbers look a little less exciting. He played most of his minutes at Como (2100 minutes all told) in the attacking band, either centrally or as a left sided inside forward. In that role he appears to have served in a role better suited to assisting his teammates than getting his owns shots.

But the Green Bars speak for themselves somewhat — Baturina is a good young player who if Spurs don’t sign him first will likely end up at a Bayern, Barca, or Madrid in a few years, assuming his production continues to rise and he continues to improve.

That said there’s a giant Nico Paz-sized obstacle in the way of this transfer rumor being a thing. If Paz is sold for big money this summer, the sense is that Como are going to want to try and retain the remaining good players they do have so they can eventually sell them again for big money, and Baturina looks poised to be one of Como’s future stars. Now, that’s not necessarily to say that Spurs can’t buy him even if Paz goes — famously, football players and clubs both like money and that’s something Spurs definitely still have, even after two 17th placed finishes.

Como, however, is unlikely to want to part with him so it’ll probably take an overpay to get him and his club on board. I’m actually okay with Spurs overpaying for someone like Baturina in this case — Spurs are in a situation where they might need to overpay for the players that they really, really want. But if they’re going to spend northwards of €50m for a player like Baturina, we better hope that they’ve nailed their scouting because it’s a big, big swing.

Thankfully, I think Baturina is probably the real deal and I’d be okay for purchasing a player with his skillset, ability, and potential. With Xavi Simons out for at least the rest of the calendar year, James Maddison only barely healthy and also ageing, and Dejan Kulusevski being… well, whatever he is right now, signing a new attacking midfielder would make a ton of sense, especially one with such high upside as Baturina.

Again, I’m not saying this rumor is real, accurate, or even exists. But I hope it is, because I think a player like Baturina is exactly what Roberto De Zerbi and Tottenham Hotspur need to improve. If Spurs haven’t actually bid for him, they should.

The 2026 French Open continued its reputation as one of the most stylish stops on the global social calendar, with Chris Pine and Lily Collins among the biggest celebrity names attending the tournament in Paris.

Actress Lily attended Day Nine of the championship on 1 June, appearing alongside her husband Charlie McDowell as they enjoyed the action at Roland-Garros. 

On the same day, Chris Pine was also spotted courtside with his girlfriend Keana Sky Wenger, adding a Hollywood presence to the Grand Slam atmosphere.

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Day Nine also welcomed a strong mix of entertainment and fashion figures. Emily in Paris actor William Abadie attended the event, alongside Kaya Scodelario, both joining the crowds at Stade Roland-Garros as the tournament entered a key stage.

The French Open once again proved to be a major celebrity draw as well as a sporting event, with Paris providing the backdrop for courtside glamour. See all of this year's attendees here...

© Getty

Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell

Lily attended Day Nine of the championship, joined by her husband Charlie McDowell as they watched the action at Roland-Garros.  

© Getty

Salma Hayek and François-Henri Pinault

Salma, 59, and François-Henri, 64, caught the game between Dutch Jesper De Jong and German Alexander Zverev on Sunday. The latter eventually clinched the win over three straight sets, 7-6, 6-4, 6-1.

© Getty Images

Maria Sharapova

Former tennis champion Maria Sharapova made an appearance at Roland-Garros during the 2026 French Open.

© Getty Images

Chris Pine and Keana Sky Wenger

Chris Pine was spotted courtside with his girlfriend Keana Sky Wenger, adding a Hollywood presence to the Grand Slam atmosphere.

© Getty

Kaya Scodelario

Kaya Scodelario attended Day Nine at Stade Roland-Garros, joining the crowds as the competition intensified.

© Getty

William Abadie

William Abadie, known for Emily in Paris, also attended the event at Stade Roland-Garros as the tournament reached a key stage.

'Strong Candidate' Identified To Replace Brayan Bello In Red Sox Rotation originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox have a rotation vacancy after optioning Brayan Bello to Triple-A Worcester following Thursday's rough start. A rookie could return to the majors to fill the spot.

MLB.com's Ian Browne called Jake Bennett a "strong candidate" for a promotion to start Tuesday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Before then, the newly acquired Joe La Sorsa will replace Bello on the active roster.

Boston acquired Bennett from the Washington Nationals last December in exchange for hard-throwing pitching prospect Luis Perales. Bennett posted a 2.27 ERA in Washington's farm system last season.

The 25-year-old made his MLB debut on May 1, allowing one run over five innings in a win over the Houston Astros. Bennett was shakier in his second turn, relinquishing four runs in a loss to Tampa Bay.

After being sent back down to Triple-A, Bennett has made a strong case for another big-league opportunity. He's allowed two combined runs in his last three starts, amassing 22 strikeouts over 15 frames.

WooSox interim manager Iggy Suarez said Bennett "keeps shoving" and is "doing all he can do" to prepare for another promotion, per Tommy Cassell of Worcester T&G Sports. The former second-round pick allowed one hit over five scoreless innings on Tuesday.

Although he struggled in his last start against Tampa Bay, Boston may still see Bennett as the best choice for the American League East matchup. The Rays have a .304 weighted on-base average against left-handed pitchers this season, down from a .330 wOBA versus righties.

A setback in Garrett Crochet's recovery could create a long-term rotation opening if the Red Sox don't return to Bello. Bennett may draw another opportunity to join fellow rookie southpaws Payton Tolle and Connelly Early in Boston.

More MLB: Yankees Legend Pinpoints Exact Moment When Red Sox's Season Went Off Rails

With less than a week before the start of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA made a controversial change to its water-bottle policy. After indicating fans would be allowed to bring reusable water bottles into events, FIFA reversed course, telling ticket holders they are "no longer permitted."

In an interview with The Athletic, New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would follow up with FIFA over that change, calling it "concerning."

"It's concerning. It's concerning because the heat we're talking about is not just heat that the players are playing under. It's also the the heat that spectators are going to be subjected to for arguably a longer period of time, as they will be there before the game starts and after the game finishes.

"And so that is something we are going to follow up on to better understand what the rationale is. Because we don't want anyone to be skimping on water because of the cost of the water at the stadium if they otherwise would be drinking it. We want to make it easy to have some water."

Matches at MetLife Stadium are expected to start June 13 and will run through July 19. Extreme temperatures are expected during games, per NPR, leading to concerns about heat-related illnesses.

Those temperatures won’t just be limited to New York and New Jersey. Temperatures across all venues are expected to be high, causing Toronto mayor Olivia Chow to also weigh in on the policy change.

Chow called it a “pure money grab,” and urged FIFA to hand out free water bottles to fans as a way to make up for the last-minute change.

In a statement to The Athletic on Thursday, FIFA said the change was made for “safety and security” reasons. The organization said there will be “additional heat mitigation and alternative hydration strategies at FIFA World Cup 2026 stadiums.”

Mamdani — an avid soccer supporter and Arsenal fan — has already had productive talks with FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Amid concerns of rising ticket costs, Mamdani was able to secure 1,000 $50 tickets for the event, which were sold to New Yorkers as part of a lottery system. Those tickets include a free bus trip to and from the stadium.

While Mamdani has had success negotiating with FIFA in the past, it’s unclear whether he can convince the organization to once again change course on its water-bottle policy. For now, fans who want water at games can purchase it from venues inside the stadium, with profits of those sales benefitting FIFA and its affiliates.

Mac Jones did not throw for the San Francisco 49ers this past week due to “Just a little soreness in my shoulder,” according to Jones. He said, “Everything’s clean and looks good, so just kind of being precautionary, I guess, is the word. But yeah, I’ll be ready for training camp.”

Jones reflected on his role and what his job is for the 49ers: “Whenever I’m needed, that’s my job: to support Brock. It’s his team, and he played very well towards the end of the year, and I feel like it was just a lot of fun. We want to continue that — the good vibes in there — and I’m looking forward to trying not to focus on the future, just focus on now.”

Jones recently received added incentives and bonuses to his contract. He earned it after helping the 49ers salvage their season last year while Brock Purdy was out. There are no playoffs in 2025 without Jones, and the Niners know that, which is why Jones was compensated.

How much differently would this offseason have been for Jones had he signed a one-year deal? He looked at it from another angle, saying, “It’s hard, because what if it went the other way? What if I was on a one-year deal and played like crap? And then, I’m on the street.”

Jones said it in a joking manner, but he could’ve also signed a one-year deal, rode the bench all season, and been right back in the same situation. This time around, the 49ers are hoping that’s the case, where Jones doesn’t take the field. Seventeen-plus games of Purdy give the 49ers the best version of themselves.

As for Jones, he’s not stressing this upcoming season: “Any years you can get in the league, just being on a team is a blessing for me. And obviously, I have a higher ceiling than just that, but that’s the basis. You want to make sure you’re good to go. So, I’m not stressing about it. I think it’s all good.”

Perhaps one of the reasons Jones signed a multi-year contract was so he could have the same coordinator for consecutive seasons for the first time since college:

“I think people are seeing what type of teammate I can be, and to do something again twice is sometimes good. Honestly, since college, I haven’t had the same coordinator since 2019 in back-to-back years, so this will be the first time. It’ll be interesting to see if I can stack a good year. Yeah, the one-year versus two-year thing is definitely a legit question, but it’ll all work out how it’s supposed to.”

We shouldn’t rule out Mac staying around in the Bay Area and becoming Purdy’s backup for the foreseeable future:

“I also love it here, and I’m not really in the business of leaving good people, so I’m not mad about it at all. I think it’s a great organization, and I did a lot of fun stuff last year, but it’s a new year. I feel like this is the first year I’ve had the same offensive playbook, being in the NFL, so that’s kind of nice. If you go to a new team, you’ve got to learn a new playbook again and kind of do everything over, so it’s good. I’m excited, and really, just looking forward to this summer and getting everything going again.”

The market will dictate whether Jones returns next season. It’s a strong quarterback draft class, which might help the Niners keep Jones.

The Brooklyn Nets are hoping to make significant improvements to the roster this offseason after ending the 2025-26 NBA season with a lowly 20-62 record that put them in position for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While Brooklyn ended up with the No. 6 pick, they can still select a talented player to potentially pair with Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves.

"He bet on himself, he stands to make five-years, $241 million from the Lakers, if they offer him that deal. Or, if he goes to a team at Chicago or a team like Brooklyn, can get four-years, $178 million," Brad Turner of Spectrum Sportsnet said of Reaves. Turned laid out what Reaves is looking at this summer as a free-agent as he stands to make the most money by getting the max with the Lakers, but he might go elsewhere if Los Angeles is trying to convince LeBron James to stay as well.

"Those teams will kind of lurk around, but based on what I understand, what I keep hearing, Austin wants the max," Turned continued on Reaves. "Is he willing to give the Lakers a home time deal? I'm not so sure about that. Maybe he does, but maybe his reps don't want to because their job is to get him the maximum he can."

With the Netsexpected to be one of just a few teams to have the salary cap space to pay a player of Reaves' price range, it will be interesting to see if they would be willing to pay him the max. Brooklyn could practically free up around $48 million this offseason, but if they give Reaves the max, he would be making $44.5 million per year, essentially eating up most of the available cap space.

At that point, the conversation for Brooklyn centers around whether Reaves is the answer to the Nets getting back to competing for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference as soon as possible. Reaves, 28, is coming off the best season of his five-year career as he's averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 49.0% from the field and 36.0% from behind the three-point line in 51 games played.

"Based on what I understand, what I keep hearing: Austin wants the max. Is he willing to give the Lakers a hometown deal? I'm not so sure about that" - @BA_Turner on Austin Reaves pic.twitter.com/tCMgicHEtY

— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) June 5, 2026

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets may have to pay Lakers' Austin Reaves the max in free-agency

Teenage Barcelona striker Lamine Yamal was named player of the year in la Liga on Friday after spearheading the club's drive to the title.

The winger succeeds his Brazilian teammate Raphina, who won the award in 2025.

Yamal missed much of the first half of the campaign with groin issues but still managed 16 goals and 12 assists in the 28 Liga games he played.

ati/dmc/pb

We asked for your views on what one thing needs to change at Tottenham before the new campaign and why.

Here are some of your comments:

Steve: We need a top-quality centre forward... for a change. Disappointingly, Solanke hasn't made the grade.

Phil: The big one for me is a player. It has to be the position of goalkeeper. Tottenham need a world-class goalkeeper to strengthen the defence. Unfortunately last season the number one Vicario was nowhere near the required standard, nervous on crosses and corners. Terrible with the ball at his feet and much too prone to making silly mistakes. He alone must have cost the team at least 10 points last season. Not sure whether Kinsky is the answer but huge credit goes to him for coming back and helping the club stay in the Premier League after the terrible time he had in the Champions League match against Atletico Madrid.

Robert: The two major issues De Zerbi needs to solve are the weak player mentality and the crippling injury list that has plagued the squad for the past two seasons.

Colin: If everybody stays fit I think we have a competitive team for next year, the new manager seems to be switched on with how to get the best out of the players. We need a world-class striker to complete the team, we've never come close to replacing Kane. Richarlison and Solanke are not the answer.

Robin: We need Harry Kane back. Not only on the field but just around the club. Same with Son. Both are amazing influences on the club and the fans and team mates. But in reality we need a real goalscorer. Not an occasional one, which is all we have. Sad.

Richard: Two players that can score 20-plus goals in a season.

Jonesy: Recruitment, recruitment, recruitment - we need to stop fishing in the bargain basement at the 11th hour of every transfer window and sign the players that improve our starting 11 early in the window. We have to avoid a re-run of last summer's debacle at all costs - if the player won't commit within reasonable time then move on because he's probably not going to be right for us anyway.

The ACC/SEC Challenge pairings have been released, and Duke will be playing Florida in the Swamp.

This is the first time that Duke has visited Florida since both teams were in the SEC in 1937 – 89 years ago.

It’s also going to be a Top 5 clash, and a chance for Florida to avenge their defeat in Cameron last season.

In years past, this would have been played on a neutral court. We give Jon Scheyer a ton of credit for being willing to play true road games. It’s also pretty cool to see just how fired up those crowds are to play the Blue Devils.

This adds to an already crazy non-conference schedule that will see Duke play Michigan, Illinois, UConn, Michigan State, Gonzaga, Georgia, and now, the Gators. And don’t overlook the exhibition games. It looks like Duke is heading to Kansas, for one, and possibly Tennessee for the other.

Here’s how the rest stack up:

• Arkansas at North Carolina
• Auburn at Clemson
• Boston College at Georgia
• Wake Forest at LSU
• Pitt at Missouri
• Syracuse at Oklahoma
• Ole Miss at Virginia Tech
• South Carolina at NC State
• Florida State at Tennessee
• Texas at Louisville

There’s plenty of time to think about all this, but first impressions: Arkansas at UNC should be revealing. No one really knows what to expect with a new coach and roster. It’ll be telling.

We think Clemson could certainly take Auburn, and it’s in Littlejohn, which is a great advantage.

BC will have a tough time winning at Georgia.

Wake Forest at LSU? That’s tough, too. Will Wade has more money to spend, so probably the Tigers.

Pitt at Missouri. The Tigers have a great freshman class, so for the moment, we’d take them.

Syracuse is rebuilding, but Gerry McNamara has chops. We’ll take the ‘Cuse.

Ole Miss vs. the Hokies? Chris Beard is a great coach, but the Rebels finished last year at 15-20. We have no idea what kind of talent he brought in. For right now, we’d take the home team here.

We’ll go with NC State over South Carolina. Justin Gainey should have his team playing great defense.

Everyone is going to take Tennessee over FSU, and it’s logical. However, the ‘Noles had a major flaw last season, with no post game. Have you seen Marcis Ponder? When we saw he was 7-0 and 300+ lbs, we assumed he was going to have to trim down. Well, maybe not. The guy looks like an absolute unit. Rick Barnes might be able to get him in foul trouble, but nobody is pushing that guy around.

Texas at Louisville should be fun. Right now, we’d go with the Cardinals. Their inside game should be a load, and if they can defend the perimeter, it could be a long night for the Longhorns.

• Duke Visits Florida in ACC/SEC Challenge
• Men’s Basketball to Host Duke in SEC-ACC Challenge
• 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge Matchups, Schedule Revealed for Duke, UNC, John Calipari’s Arkansas
• Florida basketball to face Duke again in ACC/SEC Challenge
• Florida, Duke set for top-5 showdown in O’Dome during SEC-ACC Challenge
• Florida to host Duke in college basketball’s 2026 ACC/SEC Challenge
• Men’s Basketball to Host Duke in SEC-ACC Challenge
• Florida basketball hosts Duke for first time in nearly 90 years for 2026 SEC/ACC Challenge
  

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Former Liverpool midfielder Ray Houghton says it will be a "strange start" for Andoni Iraola as the new Reds boss, with so many of his players away at the World Cup, but there will still be pressure on him to "hit the ground running".

"Arne Slot winning the league then finishing fifth and that not being enough has put huge pressure on whoever takes over, because it pressurises you coming in as a new manager to get things right straight away," Houghton told BBC Radio Merseyside.

"It will be difficult for him because a lot of players are on World Cup duty. He would love to have his players in as early as possible because he wants to get his mantra and way of playing across to them.

"I think it's going to be a strange start for the new manager, having to deal with players not being there until August. From the fans' point of view, there has to be patience. We can only judge him when he's had time to work with his full squad.

"But he'll have to hit the ground running and make sure he gets what he wants across to his players very quickly.

"Every Liverpool manager is under pressure to challenge for trophies. You're at one of the biggest clubs in world football so there should be that pressure."

• Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds

Kidderminster Harriers have added a second new signing in preparation for the club's return to the National League after agreeing a deal for midfielder Max Brogan.

The 24-year-old has been with Scunthorpe since the start of 2024-25 but spent the second half of last season on loan with Leamington, where he scored in a 3-2 defeat by Harriers at the end of April.

Brogan has also had spells with Solihull Moors and Hednesford Town and was part of the Scunthorpe side that won promotion to the National League at the end of 2024-25.

He becomes new Harriers boss Paul Wotton's second new addition following the arrival of another attacking midfielder Callum Dolan.

We asked for your views on what one thing needs to change at Leeds United before the new campaign and why.

Here are some of your comments:

Sam: Strong identity of how we are going to play, leading to positive recruitment and a clearout of those who don't appear to have a place in that system. This may mean players who are favourably looked upon moving on: Piroe, Gnonto, James, etc.

Graham: The club needs to get rid of those players who are not up to the mark and there's several of them and make sure that any incoming players are of sufficient proven qualities to add positively to the team. In the past there have been too many just making up numbers. Now's the time for quality, not quantity, of playing staff.

Mike: A proven goalscorer alongside Calvert-Lewin. We have the creativity, just someone to help put it in the back of the net.

Eric: After the fantastic news about Ampadu re-signing a long-term contract, the next important step is to secure Farke's contract. In the transfer window, we need a proven striker and goalkeeper, any additions after that will hopefully be a bonus to the wider squad availability, but the management and recruitment team need to act swiftly to secure any new personalities ready for the start of the new season. Leave it too late and we will miss out on the top players that are available.

Ben: Farke's timing of substitutions needs to change. Someone needs to sit down with all last season's matches and make him see that leaving it as late as he does costs us points.

Liam: I'd like to see Longstaff given a chance to secure a first-team role; he had a calming influence on the midfield when he came on at the end of games last season and has a wicked eye for goal too. Also, I think it's the end of the road for Aaronson. He's a great guy and runs his heart out for Leeds, but we need to buy a new number 10 who can deliver lots of assists and a few goals.

Lar: Would love to see a new centre forward, midfield strengthening and a centre-back.

Kev: Four new quality players who are not just benchwarmers. Three or four out. Good progress on the stadium redevelopment and make it easier for everyone to get a ticket.

Ole Miss baseball will look to extend its postseason winning streak with a road trip to national four seed Auburn for the Super Regional round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Rebels swept the Lincoln Regional last weekend with two wins over Arizona State and one win over national 13 seed Nebraska. Auburn took a gut punch in the first game of its regional with a loss to Milwaukee but rallied out of the loser’s bracket to win and advance on Monday.

This series guarantees an SEC team will advance to Omaha for the College World Series with Ole Miss’ last trip in 2022 when it won a national championship and Auburn’s last trip also in 2022 where it went 1-2 including a loss to the Rebels.

Auburn head coach Butch Thompson is originally from Mississippi, which announcers will probably say a few dozen time this weekend, so prepare yourself for that story. He has absolutely revitalized this baseball program in his time at Auburn with five super regional appearances since 2017.

Starting game one for the Rebels will be reliable veteran Hunter Elliott who brings an unbeaten record in the postseason to the mound. Last Friday, he was touched up pretty good by Arizona State in a game Ole Miss won in 14 innings, so this will need to be a bounce back start for the junior lefthander. Elliott currently sits at 316 strikeouts for his career, which is 16 behind second place all time, so why not go ahead and get that done tonight?

Auburn will send Andreas Alvarez to the bump with a 10-3 record this season and a 3.52 ERA. He has struck out 103 batters in 79.1 IP, but in his most recent outing against NC State, he went 5.2 IP with four earned runs and only one strikeout with more than 100 pitches.

Both of these starters could go 5+ innings, and both bullpens have the ability to shut down the opposing lineups. This super regional is set to possibly be one of the lower scoring compared to the rest. What is concerning for Ole Miss fans there is that its offense has been spotty and inconsistent relying on its pitching staff to give it opportunities to pull ahead.

The folks at Kalshi give Auburn a 67 percent chance to win this series and go to Omaha, and right now it feels like Ole Miss needs better baseball this weekend than last to advance. It will all come down to how the team shows up and how this lineup is seeing pitches.

First pitch on Friday is set for 7 p.m. CT and is broadcast on ESPN2. First pitch for Saturday is 4 p.m. CT, and if necessary Sunday has a to be determined start time.

We asked for your views on what one thing needs to change at Manchester City before the new campaign and why.

Here are some of your comments:

Bobby: I think City don't need to massively sign Anderson as a Silva replacement. They have Foden, who, with some proper guidance with a new manager, can grow into the Silva role. They should perhaps target a cheaper replacement option like Adam Wharton or Alex Scott and that way the club won't be in a Grealish situation again.

Harry: For one, we just need to announce the new manager. We also desperately need to get Rodri and Gvardiol new contracts. On top of that, we need a duelling, ball-winning midfielder and right-back depth to back up Nunes. If we're selling Savinho then replacing him would be great, but the market for wingers is woeful and doing so is very unlikely.

Ian: We need a good up-and-coming striker so that Haaland doesn't have to play all the time.

David: We need a stronger defence, strengthen both full-backs and a great defensive midfielder.

Youssef: The one thing we need to sort is the 115 possible charges. Everyone always talks about it and it will be really delightful to get that out of the way, even if it means a points deduction. I don't think we need to strengthen any positions, maybe just a right-back. Other than that, Manchester City is perfect.

We asked for your views on what one thing needs to change at Fulham before the new campaign and why.

Here are some of your comments:

Paul: Sign Kieran McKenna and Liam Delap - the two most underrated men in the Premier League.

Graham: I feel that we need a new manager that will put some fire back into the side. We have some good players that need a manager to push them to believe in themselves and win more games. If available, Thomas Frank would be a good fit, closely followed by Oliver Glasner or Mauricio Pochettino. Either of these managers would certainly want to bring in a centre forward that would could improve our scoring abilities. Come on you Whites, win a trophy next season.

Oliver: We need a manager and a striker, Thomas Frank and Ivan Toney would do for starters.

Dave: For a start we need an experienced manager, preferably one that's managed in the Premier League! Two new midfielders, two new strikers, two full-backs! Unload Smith Rowe, Harrison Reed, see if we can get a good price for Andersen and replace with another class centre-back. We may have a chance of Europe next season.

Andy: Urgency. We do everything slowly every year. Recruitment, negotiations, even releasing the new kit. I have no idea why we're consistently the slowest club in the league to get anything done, but we are and every summer we end up with new players not being able to start games until October because they arrived too late to be up to speed.

Bob: All respect to Kieran McKenna but we need the best proven Premier League manager we can get. We also need to get these players' contracts that have expired sorted urgently. No point in waiting and then losing them. We do need to freshen the side up in some positions. Again, not waiting, do the groundwork now. There are some very good players being made available now.

Robert: We desperately need a forward who will get 15-plus goals a season. We also need a player who can make goals and score a few as well. If we can get two such players and replace Silva with a more attacking manager, we will be fine next season.

Houston Dash midfielder, Maggie Graham, has signed a contract extension through the 2029 season according to an announcement by the club this morning.

Graham now has the longest guaranteed contract with the club along with 19-year-old rookie, Linda Ullmark.

“When we discuss the future of our organization, (Graham) is at the center of those conversations. She embodies the qualities we value most as a club through her professionalism and competitive spirit. We are thrilled that she will remain in Houston for years to come,” said President of Women’s Soccer, Angela Hucles Mangano. “This extension also reflects our confidence in her trajectory as a player and our commitment to retaining individuals who can help shape the culture and ambitions of our team.”

The 23-year-old midfielder has played in all 12 matches for the Dash in 2026, and has four goal contributions with three goals and one assist so far in the season.

“When I arrived, I was looking for an environment where I could challenge myself and continue to grow on-and-off the field. Over the last two seasons, the Dash has given me that opportunity and so much more,” Graham said. “One of the things I value most about being here is without question the people I get to share this journey with. I love the group we have in our locker room and the environment they create at the facility and on match day.

“That has made Houston a very special place for me. We also have a clear vision for what we want this club to become, and I’ve seen the commitment throughout the organization to keep raising the standard every day. We have a talented group, strong leadership and a lot of belief in what we’re building together.”

Graham joined the Dash in 2025 as an important member of the Dash midfield, but usually playing in a more defensive role. She scored in her first professional match in the season-opener against the Washington Spirit and had five more goal contributions across 1,520 minutes. Her season was cut short due to a shoulder injury in September, sending her to the Season Ending Injury list, but has been a vital member of the Dash’s midfield in 2026.

The Dash currently hold the 11th spot in the NWSL standings and are three points away from the final playoff spot with nearly tw0-thirds of the season left. Houston play their next match on July 3, against the Washington Spirit.

We asked for your views on what one thing needs to change at Crystal Palace before the new campaign and why.

Here are some of your comments:

Sam: New contracts should be given to our crucial midfield duo of Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada after appointing Pierre Sage as new manager. The priority is keeping crucial players while adding more strength in positions that need it, for example, a stronger left-winger. Although Pino is developing well, we need a player who can get more goals and assists in that position.

Lee: Physical evidence of the new stand and ground improvements are needed. Plus the first-team squad being beefed up in all areas. Also more proof that there's a tangible pathway from the under-21s and under-18s to the first team and players that have been on loan given a chance in the first team pre-season. The academy is finally finished and more backing for the women's team in the WSL to stay there and grow.

Ollie: Clearly there will be a new manager - hopefully to be announced very soon - and in terms of the squad, much will depend on which players leave and whether any of the young players on loan and on the fringe of the squad are deemed good enough to play a role next season. I think we should sign three first-team ready players to build a stronger squad to compete in the Europa League and Premier League next season, given the obvious struggles we had this year from mid-season onwards, once the toll of playing three times a week really kicked in. If any key players leave, such as Wharton, Kamada or Mateta, they will need to be replaced well too.

Joe: Assuming minimal outgoing transfers, adding depth to the squad, namely in central midfield and wing back, should be the top priority. Palace were really humming along until mid-autumn when the fixtures from the Conference League, League Cup and Premier League began to pile up. It was clear that Palace did not have the depth to navigate all of its competitions.

Mark: Dougie Freedman was an incredible director of football who recommended an incredible manager. Pierre Sage could be a great replacement for Glasner but he will need an excellent recruitment team behind him for the rebuild. I think that should be in focus now to get ready for Palace going up a level.

Gary: We need to do our transfer business early instead of waiting until the end of the window. Then we won't miss the better players.

We asked for your views on what one thing needs to change at Chelsea before the new campaign and why.

Here are some of your comments:

Scott: Very simply I think what needs to change most at Chelsea is discipline around the club. Player power, bad attitudes, red cards, 'I'm bigger than the club' - all this nonsense has to stop.

Adam: Delap gone for a start, along with the two left wingers we have. Penders to start, and sadly, we are in a position after spending billions that half the squad still needs improving.

Kazuki: Management needs to continue showing that they are learning from their mistakes. Signing Alonso was a great step in the right direction, but if they do not sign an experienced player whom Alonso wishes to sign and sign another young winger instead, then that might mean we may need to get ready for another frustrating season. As long as management learns, then it'd be far better than replacing them. We know that from the Abramovich era.

Steve: As a long-time supporter, I honestly don't know what "the plan" is and what the steps and relevant timetable is. I feel so distant from the club I have known for nearly all my life. We have a stadium that is below optimum capacity for the Premier League and where I sit in the East Stand is over 50 years old and it feels it. There is some grand talk but no detail. Just tell us what your intentions are and stop treating us like strangers.

David: I'd like us to begin acting like a competitive football club again rather than as a player-trading business. The owners need to understand and embrace our footballing culture and stop thinking they know better than other US owners who own Premier League clubs. A big part of it is that they have to stop interfering. Bring in top execs and let them run the club, just as Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal have. Immediate steps by August would include the hiring of a top sporting director to work alongside Alonso, a major reduction in the huge number of players on the books and, using the fees generated to sign two or three very competitive, experienced players in their late 20s. We have to start to change the culture of the club this summer because if we don't I really fear for the future of the club.

The Los Angeles Chargers addressed their pass rush in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Akheem Mesidor 22nd overall. The 25-year-old Mesidor enjoyed a strong five-year college career (including the first two at West Virginia and the final three at Miami), totaling 208 tackles, 52.5 tackles for loss, 35.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles across 65 games. His accolades include Second-Team All-Big-12 in 2020 and First-Team All-ACC in 2025.

Mesidor enjoyed a strong senior campaign with the Hurricanes, setting career highs. He notched 63 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks (led ACC), and four forced fumbles in 15 games. He also posted 67 pressures, a 20.8% pass-rush win rate, 15 run stops, and a 4.9% stop rate.

In his rookie season, Mesidor will compete against Bud Dupree for the team’s top backup role as the situational pass rusher coming off the bench to replace Odafe Oweh. He may take over as the starter in 2027 if either Khalil Mack retires or departs in free agency, or if Tuli Tuipulotu is unable to sign an extension before testing the open market next March.

The Los Angeles Chargers ink a 25-year-old rookie with a fully guaranteed deal

According to Adam Schefter, the Chargers have signed Akheem Mesidor to a four-year, fully guaranteed $20.456 million contract on Thursday, including a $11.337 million signing bonus, per his agents Robert Bailey and Drew Rosenhaus. Spotrac projects his cap hits to be $3.719 million in 2026, $4.649 million in 2027, $5.579 million in 2028, and $6.508 million in 2029. In addition, since Mesidor was a first-round pick, his deal includes a fully guaranteed 5th-year option for 2030, with the decision due in May 2029.

Chargers and first-round pick Akheem Mesidor have agreed on a four-year, fully guaranteed deal worth $20,456,392, per agents Robert Bailey and Drew Rosenhaus. pic.twitter.com/wXcsnyPiaz

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 4, 2026

Here’s Lance Zierlein’s scouting report

“Mesidor is an instinctive, high-effort edge rusher with a fluid rush style and a deep toolbox. He bursts upfield and can shrink the corner while punishing oversetting tackles with inside counters. He strings moves together with effortless mid-rush adjustments, utilizing harmonious hands and feet to carve efficient tracks into the pocket.

“He’s a problem for guards when reduced inside, too. His urgency shows up in run defense, where he uses play strength and short-area quickness to disrupt blocking schemes and stay around the football. He won’t be as long as most edge-setters and his anchor at the point is just average. The talent and motor are obvious, but his age and injury history could push some teams to discount his grade below what the tape shows.”

He projects as a good starter within his first two years.

The post Los Angeles Chargers: Ink 25-Year-Old Rookie with Fully Guaranteed Deal appeared first on Gridiron Heroics.

The recruitment of 2028 four-star cornerback Keaton Fields has exploded since the beginning of the year. Schools such as the Texas Longhorns, Oregon Ducks, Michigan Wolverines, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes, Alabama Crimson Tide, and more have extended scholarship offers.

The Florida State Seminoles, who are looking to land their first commitment in the 2028 cycle, have now added their name to the list. Fields announced his offer from the Seminoles on Thursday afternoon.

"After a great conversation, I am grateful to receive a division 1 offer from Florida State," Fields said on social media.

Fields is one of the top overall players in the country. He's the nation's No. 16 recruit and the No. 2 cornerback per 247Sports composite rankings. In the state of Arizona, he's the No. prospect as well.

His sophomore year at Hamilton High School was a strong one. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder registered 43 tackles, six tackles for loss, four interceptions, five pass breakups, and one forced fumble. Fields was named a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American for his performance.

With an offer on the table, FSU needs to get Fields on campus for a visit sometime in the summer or during the 2026 season.

After a great conversation, I am grateful to receive a division 1 offer from Florida State.@DBcoachadams@CoachDixonDBs@fortygram@CoachPTBarrett@COACHBAINES@Coach_TomJ@BrandonHuffmanpic.twitter.com/M3Jwv9LKVa

— Keaton Fields (@Keaton_Fields14) June 4, 2026

Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Matthew on X @StarConscience

This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: FSU Football: Seminoles offer 2028 cornerback Keaton Fields

Michigan football had the top recruiting class in the Big Ten for all of a day or two, but with Maxwell Miles, the Las Vegas (Nev.) Centennial three-star safety, flipping to Minnesota, the Wolverines fell back down the rankings. However, it didn't even take a full week for the maize and blue to rise back up to 16 commits in the class, and with that, they regained the Big Ten lead.

With 2027 Katy (Tx.) Tompkins four-star cornerback Blake Jenkins -- the No. 280 player in the 247Sports Composite -- having committed on Thursday night, the Wolverines moved back up to the top spot in the Big Ten. Though, unlike before, when they were No. 6 overall, they're now No. 7 nationally. Even still, they're ahead of everyone else in the Big Ten according to the 247Sports Composite team rankings.

Here is where each team in the Big Ten currently stands:

• 7. Michigan Wolverines - 16 commits - 12 4-stars, 4 3-stars
• 8. UCLA Bruins - 20 commits - 10 4-stars, 10 3-stars
• 9. USC Trojans - 13 commits - 1 5-star, 8 4-stars, 4 3-stars
• 10. Oregon Ducks - 14 commits - 13 4-stars, 1 3-star
• 11. Ohio State Buckeyes - 13 commits - 2 5-stars, 9 4-stars, 2 3-stars
• 12. Penn State Nittany Lions - 20 commits - 6 4-stars, 14 3-stars
• 15. Minnesota Golden Gophers - 27 commits - 4 4-stars, 23 3-stars
• 17. Washington Huskies - 16 commits - 7 4-stars, 9 3-stars
• 19. Wisconsin Badgers - 17 commits - 7 4-stars, 10 3-stars
• 24. Nebraska Cornhuskers - 11 commits - 6 4-stars, 5 3-stars
• 31. Indiana Hoosiers - 11 commits - 3 4-stars, 8 3-stars
• 33. Rutgers Scarlet Knights - 14 commits - 13 3-stars
• 31. Iowa Hawkeyes - 10 commits, 1 4-star, 9 3-stars
• 45. Michigan State Spartans - 9 commits - 1 4-star, 8 3-stars
• 52. Northwestern Wildcats - 8 commits - 8 3-stars
• 53. Maryland Terrapins - 9 commits - 8 3-stars
• 60. Purdue Boilermakers - 6 commits - 6 3-stars
• 71. Illinois Fighting Illini - 4 commits - 1 4-star, 3 3-stars

Michigan is also ranked No. 10 in the Rivals team rankings, although it is behind No. 7 Ohio State, No. 8 USC, and No. 9 Oregon there. And the 247Sports proprietary rankings have the Wolverines at 14th overall, behind No. 7 Penn State, No. 8 UCLA, No. 10 USC, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 12 Oregon, and No. 13 Minnesota.

This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Michigan football back in Big Ten recruiting lead after latest commit

Recent reports said that Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez was looking to make a record breaking bid if he was reelected. He initially blatantly denied that Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise was the target of that bid, but soon afterward a report came out that he may indeed be the star on their radar.

We now have information from Fabrizio Romano (captured by @iMiaSanMia) that Pérez reportedly fell in love with Michael Olise during the intense Champions League quarterfinal clash between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid. According to him, the Madrid chief believes the winger would be a perfect fit for José Mourinho’s current system and is planning to see how the German giants respond to a massive €150 million bid on Tuesday.

Despite the looming mega offer from Spain, Bayern Munich have always maintained that Olise is strictly untouchable. Pérez, though, is clearly willing to shatter records to hand Mourinho a primary target, viewing Olise as the ideal profile to elevate Madrid’s transition play. However, Bayern’s firm stance reflects how vital the young attacker is to their own long term project. Turning down a €150 million sum would be a massive statement of intent, showing that the Bavarian hierarchy values squad stability and elite talent far more than a pure financial windfall at this stage of their development.

Should Bayern Munich consider selling Olise if a historic €150 million offer actually arrives? Let us know in the comments!

Mauro Icardi is set to leave Galatasaray when his contract expires on June 30 and has expressed a clear desire to return to Serie A, with Juventus, Milan and Roma all mentioned as potential destinations for the 33-year-old Argentine.

According to Fabrizio Romano, via CalcioMercato.it, Icardi has already indicated his openness to a return to Italian football, the league where he made his name during spells at Sampdoria and Inter between 2011 and 2019.

His four-year stint at Galatasaray yielded 77 goals and 25 assists in 134 appearances, demonstrating that his instinct for goal remains as sharp as ever despite the lower profile of the Turkish league.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY – April 21: Como linked Mauro Icardi of Galatasaray celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Turkish Super League match between Galatasaray and Pendikspor at Rams Park on April 21, 2024 in Istanbul, Turkey. (Photo by Ahmad Mora/Getty Images)

Juventus, Milan and Roma lead Icardi chase as Gasperini identified as key factor in Giallorossi interest

Juventus are perhaps the most obvious suitors, with the club in need of a striker following the uncertainty surrounding Dusan Vlahovic’s future.

Milan’s interest is less defined given the ongoing leadership vacuum at the club, but Icardi’s profile as an experienced, prolific centre-forward fits the attacking reinforcement they desperately need.

At Roma, it is reported that Gian Piero Gasperini is a significant admirer of the Argentine’s goalscoring instincts and is seeking a deputy for Donyell Malen.

Como, Lazio and Fiorentina are also monitoring the situation, though all three are considered less likely destinations at this stage.

Icardi would arrive on a free transfer, an increasingly rare opportunity to add a proven goalscorer at no cost, though his salary demands will require careful consideration from any interested party.

There has never been a speck of doubt on Lamine Yamal’s quality, and the player has only gone on to defy logic game after game.

Last year, he finished as the runner-up for the Ballon d’Or behind only Ousmane Dembele and there were massive expectations on him ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

Not only did the player continue to deliver under that pressure but he also exceeded all expectations of him by developing into a great goalscorer alongside being a prolific creator.

The best player in Spain

Earlier today, Yamal was officially crowned La Liga’s Player of the Season for the recently concluded campaign ahead of even Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe. Needless to say, the accolade is truly deserved.

The best player on the planet? (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images for Laureus)

While continuous minutes did indeed take a toll on his developing body at various junctures in the season, Yamal consistently stayed as one of the league’s best creators and was instrumental in Barcelona’s charge to the title.

In 26 starts and 28 appearances in the competition, Yamal racked up 16 goals and 11 assists and ended the season as the team’s highest goalscorer and La Liga’s highest Spanish goalscorer.

He was crowned La Liga’s Player of the Month thrice in the season – in November, December and April – and thus became the first-ever player to do so.

In a race against time

The fact that Yamal won the Player of the Season while suffering from pubalgia for a significant part of the opening stages and a hamstring injury for the tail-end of the season is staggering and a testament to his greatness.

Will Yamal start Spain’s first game of the World Cup? (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

He missed the team’s final stretch of the campaign due to an injury and is currently in a race against time to make it to Spain’s first game of the FIFA World Cup.

His recovery is progressing well as matters stand and there is good hope that he will be available for the first game in the event. Yet, Luis de la Fuente and Co. will be wary of his recent injury and look to field him only when he is back to 100% fitness.

Is Mitchell Robinson playing tonight in Game 2 vs. Spurs? Game status for Knicks center originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After winning the first game of the series, the New York Knicks will look to take a two-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals with a victory in Game 2 on Friday night. 

One player to keep an eye on heading into the game is Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. 

Mitchell Robinson is 'probable' for Game 2 of 2026 NBA Finals

Mitchell is dealing with a fractured fifth metacarpal in his right hand, but he's currently listed as "probable" for Game 2 on the official injury report, indicating that he'll likely be available to play barring any late setbacks. His final status will be determined prior to tipoff on Friday night. 

Despite the injury, Robinson played in the first game of the series and tallied 2 points and 6 rebounds in 13 minutes of action. 

This story will be updated. 

More NBA news: 

• Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving provides major offseason injury update
• Anthony Davis reveals which Lakers player he misses the most, and it's not LeBron James
• Cleveland Cavaliers' James Harden provides NBA retirement timeline
• New Orleans Pelicans new head coach reveals plan for Zion Williamson
• Nikola Jokic's backup gets brutally honest about his future with Denver Nuggets

The scheduling gods haven’t done a ton of favors to Justin Gainey in his first year as head coach, but he did get a nice break in the ACC-SEC Challenge: NC State is going to host South Carolina, which is coming off a 13-19 season.

South Carolina is going to look entirely different this season, of course, in this new era of immediate remodeling, but it’s still not going to be a very good team. The Gamecocks finished last season at No. 96. in the Pomeroy Ratings.

NC State’s basketball history against South Carolina is not extensive, but some of it I remember, mostly against my will. When I heard about this matchup, I immediately thought about that one time in college that I saw these teams play (as one does), but also needed to go back and verify that it really did happen. Which it did.

Julius Hodge scored 26 points in that game, and NC State ran about 5.5 guys deep. I could not tell you one single thing about it. If I had known at that time how important Julius Hodge was going to be, then I’d have some images from that game, and all the others, I’m sure. They’ll happily hand you a banana ticket but withhold the time machine, and so it goes.

The best player to never win a Grand Slam is a win away from never having to be called that again.

In a Roland-Garros defined by upsets up and down the draw, world No. 3 Alexander Zverev advanced to the final with a 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win over No. 26 seed Jakub Mensik on Friday. He will face the winner of the later semifinal between Matteo Arnaldi and Flavio Cobolli in the final on Sunday.

It will be Zverev’s fourth career Grand Slam final. Obviously, the first three didn’t go so well.

He completely collapsed against Dominic Thiem in the COVID-addled 2020 US Open.He took a 2-1 set lead over Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 Roland-Garros before getting crushed in the final two sets. He got bulldozed by Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open.

All three of those opponents were top 5 players. Zverev has not had to face a single opponent with that degree of difficulty in this tournament, and won’t have to in the final, either. He is the lone elite player left, after shocking upsets at the expense of Sinnerand Novak Djokovic and injuries to the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and several other young talents.

Mensik could have been a challenge. At 6-foot-5, he’s one of the best servers on tour and brings a strong enough baseline game to the table to have won the 2025 Miami Open in the past. It was his first career Grand Slam semifinal, though, and that really showed as the match went on.

Alexander Zverev was the more consistent player in Roland-Garros semifinal

Both men are huge servers, but Mensik’s most important shot was inconsistent on a windy day in Paris. He’s just not built to win against top opponents when that’s happening, especially when he’s also making regularly making unforced errors in winnable points.

Mensik got only 60% of his high-speed first serve in (with more misses early), and won only 49% of his second-serve points.

The players were on serve in the first set until a pair of Mensik double faults gifted Zverev a break, leaving him on his back foot through the end of the second set.

The match was interrupted in the third set when Mensik, who has struggled with the conditions at Roland-Garros this tournament, needed to take a medical timeout. He seemed to return renewed and soon picked up a break on his way to a third set win.

Zverev immediately picked up a break in the fourth set, though, and didn’t grant his opponent any more ground. He was the player who took better advantage of his opportunities throughout the match, winning 4-of-7 break points compared to Mensik’s 1-of-4, not to mention a favorable discrepancy in winners and forced errors.

Can Alexander Zverev really do this?

Since the third round or so, it has been evident that anything other than a Zverev title would have been a surprise. It certainly wasn’t fair accompli, as the German’s mental game has failed him before in the face of big opportunities. He’s the third-ranked player in the world, but hasn’t won a tournament since Munich in April 2025.

Now he’s guaranteed to face a lower-ranked Italian in the final, not the Italian he’s dropped nine straight matches against (Sinner). He will be heavily favored. He will be heavily scrutinized, as he’s hardly the most popular player on tour due to domestic abuse allegations from two women (which he denies) and an array of on-court incidents. He will be the player to watch, and we won’t know until Sunday whether that’s a good thing.

What might be already fair to say is that he probably won’t have a more straightforward opportunity for a Grand Slam for the rest of his career. At 29 years old, with most of the other tennis elite in their early 20s, that can’t be wasted.

Nothing that happens in the NHL takes place in a void, where it doesn’t affect other teams in one way or another. Such is the case with Dylan Larkin’s reported trade request, and what that means for the New York Rangers during this offseason.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman was first to report that the Detroit Red Wings captain and Michigan native requested a trade from his hometown team on Thursday. The Red Wings just missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th consecutive year, finishing seven points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wild card into the postseason from the Eastern Conference.

Larkin’s played 808 NHL games, all with the Red Wings, but just five in the playoffs since they selected him with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2014 draft. His frustration with that, and hockey boss Steve Yzerman, apparently is at the root of his desire to leave Motown. Last year, Larking called Yzerman out publicly for not doing more to fortify the Red Wings roster ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. Yzerman sniped back at Larkin, pointing out that Detroit’s leadership group — led by Larkin, its captain — needed to do more to get the Red Wings over the hump and back into the playoffs.

Yzerman is not one to be backed into a corner. So, it’s interesting to see how this reported trade request plays out. Larkin enters the fourth season of an eight-year, $69.60 million contract next season, and, importantly, has complete no-trade coverage through 2027-28. So, if he’s serious about moving on, Larkin’s got plenty of leverage.

“There’s a lot to unpack here,” Friedman reported. “First, should mention that no one would comment. Not Larkin, not agent Pat Brisson, not Red Wings Executive Vice-President & GM Steve Yzerman.”

Friedman stated multiple sources confirmed the trade request, and later Thursday, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan also confirmed the report.

So, OK, that’s a mess for the Red Wings. But what does it have to do with the Rangers?

How Rangers offseason plans affected by Dyan Larkin trade request from Red Wings

If Larkin does indeed land on the offseason trade market, everyone’s got to take notice. He’s 29, scored 30+ goals five straight seasons and six times overall, is a respected captain, and helped the United States capture gold at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.

So, again, how does this specifically affect the Rangers?

Rangers likely not players if Larkin traded

If the Red Wings do trade Larkin this summer, it’s extremely unlikely the Rangers will be part of the frenzy. First, New York already is locked in to veteran centers Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller, plus still has Vincent Trocheck. It’s not that the Rangers don’t need Larkin, but he’s a positional redundancy.

True, they could move Miller to wing and go with a dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle with Zibanejad and Larkin. But that’s, as stated above, unlikely.

A big reason for that is the Red Wings will demand a haul in return for Larkin. This isn’t simply jettisoning a disgruntled player. This is the long-time face of the Red Wings, their captain and best forward, and hometown boy.

The Rangers are building their roster and prospect pool back up. The can’t afford to trade away any of their best young players like Gabe Perreault, nor move the No. 5 overall pick in this year’s draft. Pretty hard to imagine a plausaible fit for Larkin.

Larkin either muddies or helps Rangers trade market for Trocheck

So, if the Red Wings do look to trade Larkin, how does that affect the market for Trocheck? While there’s a case to be made that the Rangers should keep the 33-year-old, it’s expected Trocheck will be traded to move the organizational retool along. Trocheck is a valuable commodity — a two-way center who plays all game situations, is one of the best in the League at the face-off dot, has excellent leadership skills, and proven to be a big-game player.

Plus the $5.65 million AAV over the next three years of his contract makes Trocheck even more valuable to interested teams, one of which could’ve been Detroit, which sought a 2C to play behind Larkin before this latest detour.

Of course, if the Red Wings do look to move Larkin, that will affect the market for Trocheck. They’re not dissimilar players, though Larkin is more proven offensively and is four years younger. But he makes significantly more money, has one more year on his contract, and would cost more to acquire in terms of assets. So, if you’re an interested team, there’s plenty to weigh.

But if you seek a quality center this summer, now you have two really good options — three, if you believe the St. Louis Blues will move Robert Thomas. Larkin’s availability does cut into Trocheck’s market, which grew exponentially when Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Evgeni Malkin, and even Charlie Coyle re-upped with their current teams instead of hitting unrestricted free agency July 1.

So, now there’s more competition on the center market. You can argue that the Rangers can try and leverage the high price that the Red Wings are expected to seek. Maybe that somehow works in New York’s favor. But mostly, this means the Rangers — and Trocheck — aren’t the only high-end game in town this summer. And that could, in theory, affect what goes down with Trocheck.

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When Christian Parker left the Philadelphia Eagles to become the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator, the reaction was immediate. This wasn't the loss of a random assistant coach. Parker had quickly established himself as one of the NFL's brightest young defensive minds. He helped develop Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into All-Pro-caliber players and earned praise throughout the organization for his teaching ability and attention to detail. His players weren't shy about admitting he had left a void.

In many ways, the departure felt like the beginning of a larger problem. At the time, some believed Parker might eventually become the Eagles' defensive coordinator when Vic Fangio retired, so questions were raised about the status of the succession plan, as the responsibility for coaching the defensive backs was now split between Roy Anderson (cornerbacks) and Mike Pellegrino (secondary). The Eagles also stayed in-house in their quest to replace Parker, promoting Joe Kasper to defensive pass game coordinator. This is his second stint with Philadelphia after a brief stay in Miami as part of the Dolphins' coaching staff.

During his time with the Dolphins, Kasper coached the safety position, helping develop a unit that finished third in the league in sacks (56). Miami finished tied for eighth in takeaways (27) and ranked tenth in total defense.

The Eagles weren't simply losing a respected assistant. They appeared to be losing a potential heir apparent. Fangio's age naturally led to questions about how much longer he intended to coach, but good news came recently. Coach Fangio has no intention to retire any time soon, and that has certainly lessened the sting of Parker's exit.

Succession concerns quiet for now as Christian Parker explores an earned opportunity

Had retirement arrived sooner rather than later for Coach Fangio, Philadelphia would have lost both its defensive architect and the coach many believed could eventually replace him. That possibility made Parker's exit feel much larger than a typical coaching departure.

The Cowboys didn't hire him by accident. Parker's reputation has grown steadily around the league, and it wouldn't be surprising if he eventually emerges as one of the NFL's top coordinators. Given Dallas' visibility and national profile, he could even find himself in the conversation for Assistant Coach of the Year honors to conclude this season if the Cowboys' defense performs well.

That reality may be difficult for Eagles fans to stomach, but it's also the price of success. Good organizations lose talented coaches. Philadelphia has experienced that reality repeatedly over the years, but Vic Fangio's continued stay changes the conversation somewhat.

The silver lining is that Fangio isn't showing any signs of walking away. His recent comments reinforce that. That changes the outlook considerably. Gone are the conversations about Philadelphia painting themselves into a corner by losing such a good coach. Would it have been nice to keep Parker in the building? Absolutely, but the fear surrounding his departure was always tied to what might happen next. The Eagles now gain valuable time to develop another future leader on the defensive staff.

Christian Parker's departure remains a loss. There's no reason to pretend otherwise, but Philadelphia can now afford to view Parker's departure for what it really was: a good coach receiving an opportunity he earned, not the beginning of a defensive crisis.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles losing Christian Parker doesn't sting as much months later

Udinese director Gianluca Nani insists ‘Inter have not asked us’ for Oumar Solet, but he expects Arthur Atta to gain attention. ‘A mix between Jude Bellingham and Zinedine Zidane.’

The Friulani finished comfortably mid-table in Serie A, as usual by using their impressive scouting network to dig out new talents that can then flourish at the Bluenergy Stadium.

Among them, defender Solet is reportedly the centre of a €25m bid from Inter to reinforce their back three next season.

Udinese on Solet and Atta interest

PARMA, ITALY – NOVEMBER 29: Oumar Solet of Udinese Calcio celebrates during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio 1913 and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Ennio Tardini on November 29, 2025 in Parma, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“Solet is one of the players who has a lot of interest, but he is not the only one,” Udinese director of sport Nani told Tuttomercatoweb.

“We don’t need to sell, but our approach means if offers become an opportunity for both the player and the club, then it is taken into consideration. The important thing is to build a competitive squad.”

UDINE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 15: Oumar Solet of Udinese celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between Udinese Calcio and US Sassuolo Calcio at Stadio Friuli on February 15, 2026 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

However, while it is claimed by multiple sources that Inter already agreed personal terms with Solet’s entourage, the same is not true for his club.

“We received many calls about Solet, but not from Inter. I imagine they do like him, but there are no negotiations with Inter, whereas other clubs asked for more concrete information,” revealed Nani.

“I won’t tell you the figures, these are private negotiations. There is nothing ready to be finalised, just interest at this stage for him and other players. I’d be worried if they didn’t call me.”

Another of the Udinese talents expected to move on soon is Atta, the midfielder who scored six goals and provided four assists in 34 games between Serie A and the Coppa Italia.

When describing the 23-year-old Nani makes some bold claims.

“He is an extraordinary player, for me a mix between Jude Bellingham and Zinedine Zidane. This tells you how highly I rate him. I would not want to sell Atta, but if it happens, it means an offer has come in that neither us nor the player could resist.”

Udinese also have an option to buy Nicolò Zaniolo outright from Galatasaray for either €10m, or €5m plus a 50 per cent cut of the future sale fee.

“We do have that option, he manifested his appreciation for that idea, and we are very happy with his performance. It’s not an economic situation, we just need to sit around a table at the right moment and decide what to do,” explained the director.

Leeds United are preparing for Karl Darlow to leave Elland Road this summer and are considering signing Newcastle United goalkeeper Nick Pope, (h/t Daily Mail).

Darlow played a key role for Leeds as the club secured their Premier League status for another season, keeping five clean sheets in 22 appearances (goals prevented -1.50).

However, his contract with the club is up this summer, prompting Leeds to enter the market for a replacement, and they have landed on the experienced Pope.

The England international (10 caps) kept seven shut-outs in 27 league appearances, recording goals prevented of -3.50, but it ultimately wasn’t enough.

Newcastle have gone out to sign a new goalkeeper, paving the way for Leeds to pounce for Pope, who has a year left on his deal and will likely move for a very affordable sum.

It is worth noting that Leeds have other options on their transfer shortlist, and there is no guarantee they will push hard to land the outstanding 34-year-old shot-stopper.

However, Pope would represent a short-term fix rather than a solution for the future.

Leeds have worked hard to re-establish themselves in the league and should target players who can grow with the project, not keepers in the final stages of their careers.

There is a reason Newcastle are willing to move on.

Pope remains a capable shot-stopper, but his mobility and overall reliability have declined. His underlying numbers last season were among the weakest in the division.

A more sensible target for the West Yorkshire club would be Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez.

The 28-year-old is expected to attract interest this summer and, despite occasional high-profile errors when playing out from the back, he remains a strong goalkeeper.

Sanchez posted a respectable goals prevented figure of +1.70 last season and is still firmly in his prime years.

His experience, athleticism and potential resale value make him a far more logical investment for the Peacocks.

If Leeds are spending money on a new No. 1, they should be looking forward rather than backwards, and Sanchez fits that brief far better than Pope.

Manchester United risk losing out on another key target to their noisy neighbours as Manchester City hold a key advantage in the race for Morgan Rogers, according to a transfer expert.

The Heir to Bruno

Since signing for Aston Villa in 2024, Rogers has established himself as one of the best attackers in the Premier League, offering a potent combination of ball-carrying and goal-scoring threat.

The England international is set to play a key role for the Three Lions at the World Cup this month. However, his future in Birmingham once the tournament in North America comes to an end is far from certain.

Despite Unai Emery’s side winning the Europa League – with Rogers scoring in the 3-0 win over Freiburg – and qualifying for the Champions League with a fourth-placed finish in the Premier League, the 23-year-old is looking for a new challenge.

The Villans’ preference is for their best players to remain at Villa Park, with Emery understood to consider the Halesowen native his standout star. However, there is growing acceptance that this summer is the right time to cash in amid growing financial difficulties off the pitch.

This has put virtually every top club in England, as well as European champions Paris Saint-Germain, on red alert over a potential deal – with Villa understood to be looking to spark a bidding war.

The Red Devils are one of the strongest suitors for Rogers, with Old Trafford chiefs viewing him as a potential successor to Bruno Fernandes.

The Villa talisman’s versatility, capable of playing through the middle or out on the left, means he could line up alongside Fernandes before eventually moving inside to the No.10 role when the Portuguese superstar’s time at Old Trafford finally comes to an end.

Man City’s ace in the hole

Along with United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City are also gunning for Rogers’ signature, with all three having already held initial talks, according to TEAMtalk.

Ben Jacobs confirms United’s interest, while revealing a sale worth around £80 million is “expected” as it “suits all parties.” Villa could even sanction it “before the [World Cup] for the right offer.”

Crucially, the talkSPORT reporter claims City hold a buy-back clause for Rogers, having sold him as a youngster to Middlesbrough in 2023 without making a first-team appearance. It was at the Riverside Stadium, under the tutelage of Michael Carrick, where he truly flourished and attracted interest from Villa.

Interestingly, Jason Wilcox was previously City’s academy director, having brought Rogers to the Etihad from West Bromwich Albion in 2019, with United’s sporting director understood to mirror Carrick as remaining a huge fan of their former protégé.

Jacobs states City have “held a conversation about potentially triggering” the clause, though “nothing is advancing yet” on a deal, even if Rogers would be open to returning to his former club.

Final Thoughts

Rogers ticks virtually every box – young, hungry, versatile, Premier League-proven – INEOS look for in a new signing. A new left-winger is also on the agenda for United to bring more balance to Carrick’s forward line, making the 6’2″ wizard a leading target – with the player himself “very open” to a switch to M16.

But the ace in the hole City hold – an unusual one, as buy-back clauses normally only apply to “direct transfers – i.e. Rogers’ move from Middlesbrough”, Football365 states – gives them the advantage over the Red Devils for yet another English talent, having seemingly already won the race for Elliot Anderson.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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Ever since he tore up the locker room at Oakmont, golf fans have been looking for reasons to dunk on Wyndham Clark. He served up a reason on a silver platter immediately after his Byron Nelson win with one simple comment.

Open some grape? Welcome to Cringe City, USA, folks, where Wyndy C is the mayor. 

Fortunately for Clark, the boys from the well-known Pardon My Take podcast had him on as a guest this week and gave him a chance to redeem himself. Few things are better for image rehabilitation than an appearance on PMT, and Clark did his best to defend his corny phrase. 

"In the moment, I didn't--you know, sometimes I'm like, is this PC to say that we were just going to get absolutely sloshed?" Clark said. 

As both hosts Dan "Big Cat" Katz and PFT Commenter quickly pointed out, yes, that would have 100 percent been better. In Wyndham's defense, that probably would be a bad look, as would "we're going to get f---ed up," at least in the eyes and ears of the masses:

His most salient point? "Would you want to party with me if I said 'let's have some wine'?" No, no we wouldn't. Open some grape is certainly not much better, though. We'll call this a draw. 

Insider Reveals What Celtics Can Learn From Knicks-Spurs NBA Finals Matchup originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics were a great regular-season team this year, but they weren't built to go far in the playoffs. They didn't even make it out of the first round, blowing a 3-1 lead to the Philadelphia 76ers and losing in seven games.

Had they advanced, the Celtics likely would have lost to the New York Knicks, who swept the 76ers and are now in the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

While Boston's early exit was blamed on its 3-point shooting woes, the Celtics were also doomed by a lack of depth. With their season on the line, they were forced to rely on less talented and relatively inexperienced players like Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza and Hugo Gonzalez, who simply aren't championship-caliber players yet.

Accordingly, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe thinks Boston needs to improve its depth if it wants to compete with elite teams like the Knicks, Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder.

.@GwashburnGlobe says #Celtics can learn from the Knicks and Spurs' depth:

"You're not gonna be able to get by with Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza... Are you trusting them as one of your rotation guys in a conference finals to get it done? The answer is probably no."

NEW BIG 3 NBA… pic.twitter.com/RuR9H0dSY1

— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) June 4, 2026

"You're not gonna be able to get by with Jordan Walsh, Luka Garza... Are you trusting them as one of your rotation guys in a conference finals to get it done? The answer is probably no," Washburn said on Thursday's episode of the Big 3 NBA podcast.

Part of the issue is that the Celtics have so much money tied up in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, who account for 70 percent of their cap space. That makes it harder for Boston to put high-quality players around them.

Meanwhile, Jalen Brunson and Victor Wembanyama are on team-friendly deals, allowing their teams to build much deeper rosters.

Accordingly, the Celtics may need to consider moving on from Brown or Tatum soon to free up some payroll and put a better supporting cast around one of their superstars, similar to what the Thunder have done with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

More NBA: Colin Cowherd Explains Why Celtics Should Be Terrified Of Knicks' Success

Mariners projected to have a J.P. Crawford problem at MLB trade deadline originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Seattle Mariners are sitting atop the American League West with a 33-30 record, as they've rebounded nicely from a rough start to the season.

But this team does still have a few issues to address over the summer. Of their issues, the biggest one is the offensive production of the team, with Seattle likely needing one more slugger to complete the roster.

However, as Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly pointed out, the Mariners are projected to have a J.P. Crawford problem at the MLB trade deadline, as the veteran Mariners shortstop is going to make adding talent a bit trickier this season.

Mariners have a J.P. Crawford trade deadline problem

"Still, this feels like a team in need of another bat. The question is where that bat would play defensively," Kelly writes. "... And even though he's in a contract year, J.P. Crawford is going to continue to have a starting spot in the infield."

Josh Naylor is entrenched at first base, Cole Young is the second baseman, and Colt Emerson is the third baseman. Brendan Donovan might also factor into those spots, along with his role in the outfield.

Randy Arozarena, Julio Rodriguez, and a red-hot Luke Raley aren't going anywhere either. The only feasible spot for a new hitter is at designated hitter, but that's assuming Donovan, Cal Raleigh, or Dominic Canzone aren't starting there.

Crawford at shortstop is the most obvious candidate to be replaced, as his defense has been a big issue for Seattle this season. But, with a .757 OPS, he's not that bad of a hitter that the Mariners need to shake things up so drastically.

MORE: Cubs’ cost to trade for Tarik Skubal from Tigers revealed by ex-MLB GM

While Seattle could use another hitter this season, it's going to be hard to find a spot on the roster for a new slugger. Crawford is a big reason why, as he's not going anywhere despite being one of the more obviously replaceable players in the lineup right now.

This is a problem for the Mariners, but it's not necessarily a bad one to have. It's a crowded lineup, and if fully healthy, there's not really any open spot on the entire roster.

It will be interesting to see how Seattle handles the trade deadline, as they could focus on bullpen help and less so on offensive upgrades, as there's not really a path for a new face to get into the lineup consistently based on how everyone is playing right now.

More MLB news:

• 5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for Cardinals
• Ex-MLB GM projects White Sox to sell at trade deadline despite 2026 success
• Tarik Skubal being traded by Tigers would help him in free agency
• Yankees’ Ryan McMahon problem has a $25 million release solution
• Phillies extending Cristopher Sanchez to his $107 million deal was genius

Jonas Omlin and Borussia Mönchengladbach have parted ways a year before his contract expires, as he returns to FC Basel.

The goalkeeper previously played for the Swiss side from 2018 to 2020 and has just signed a contract with his home club until 2029.

Omlin moved from HSC Montpellier to Borussia Mönchengladbach in January 2023 for a fee of around €9million in total.

Since then, the goalkeeper has only made 36 appearances for the Foals, equating to a cost of around €250,000 per match.

“It feels a bit like coming home, and I’m incredibly excited to see the amazing fans at St. Jakob-Park again," the 32-year-old said.

"I have so many positive memories of FC Basel. I won my first title here with the team, and my performances at FC Basel earned me a call-up to the national team.

“Now I’m really looking forward to returning with a wealth of experience and helping FC Basel compete for titles again,” he added. 

The Colts were presented with a challenging decision in regards to Daniel Jones’ contract in 2026.

On the surface signing him back was a no-brainer. He led the Colts to one of the most prolific offensive starts we’ve seen in quite some time. He commanded the huddle and was finally someone Shane Steichen felt like he could trust.

More importantly the alternatives to having someone else were scarce.

Were you going to go back to Anthony Richardson, the QB the staff had essentially given up on? No.

Were you going to insert yourself in the Kyler Murray or Kirk Cousins sweepstakes, and ride the QB carousel yet again? No.

Were you going to draft a QB without a first round pick with plenty of other needs on the roster? No.

So Daniel Jones had leverage in the situation.

But there also is an elephant in the room.

Daniel Jones has unfortunately struggled to remain healthy… and just tore his achilles which ended eventually the Colts’ season as well. So there was obviously a lot to think through.

The Colts eventually landed on a two year deal that I think was fair for all involved.

To boil it down gives the Colts the length they desired with the compensation that Jones’ desired.

So what now? What can we expect?

It goes without saying this is a prove-it year for Daniel Jones. Not that he hasn’t proved he can be successful with the Colts, he’s already proven that. Instead that he can prove that the beginning of the 2025 season wasn’t just a flash in the pan.

This play from Daniel Jones first start with the Colts always stands out to me because it shows something the Colts have been lacking at the position for a long time.. true command of the huddle.

Watch him ID the pressure with a hard count and then flip the protection while getting Down on a out breaking hot route to move the sticks.

And it wasn’t just one play either.

Daniel Jones worst enemy in New York was undoubtedly pressure. Teams blitzed him like crazy for that reason. That was until he developed real trust.

Trust with his offensive line to block it, trust with his wide receivers to punish it, and trust with his play caller to give him the answers for it.

Anthony Weaver and Vance Joseph (the Colts first two opponents to start the year) blitzed Jones like crazy.. and they paid the price.

It was surgical, methodical, and downright frustrating for defenses that thought they could roll out the blueprint that had been used ever since Daniel Jones got into the league.

But it wasn’t until Jeff Ulbirch threw the kitchen sink at the Colts in Germany that the trend unraveled a bit. Jones inability to move in the pocket made it harder to trust the things he was so used to trusting.. after all he was playing through injury trying to protect himself on every drop back.

So the question becomes.. will that continue?

Daniel Jones wasn’t just demonstrating trust with his ability to combat pressure, he was also demonstrating his ability to diagnose pre and post snap pictures and throw on time with confidence.

Colts are running a very popular route combination in their offense: a crosser and an in-cut. When Daniel Jones sees that the buzz defender is going clog up the initial crosser by Downs, he knows he can keep him in that spot and rip the in-cut coming behind it from Pierce.

He puts this ball in the perfect spot at the perfect time… while knowing he’s about to take a massive hit in a crucial spot in the game.

Those were the early successes. The ones the Colts need to see continue. But it be disingenuous to not talk about the failures. We’ve already talked about Jones’ struggle to stay healthy, but we didn’t talk about the spike in turnovers.

Around the bye week you could start to feel Jones stray from the fundamentals that had given him so much success in the early part of the season. He didn’t have an interception problem, but rather a fumbling problem. The Colts offense was moving so efficiently, that Jones really wasn’t used to having to sacrifice negative plays.

Outside of the inability to diagnose pressure, his time in New York was also colored by Jones ability to make a bad play worse— and that made its way to Indianapolis. The Falcons and the Steelers showed that.

Interceptions are going to happen, fumbles might too, but it can’t become a habit.

So what does the future look like? While this is undoubtedly a make-or-break year for the Colts, I’m not sure I’m evaluating Daniel Jones on wins and losses. I know that sounds odd, and I’m sure Colts fans—who are more than justified in wanting their team to win games and make the playoffs—probably hate that I typed that out.

So let me explain.

Chris Ballard needs to make the playoffs. He decided to trade for Sauce Gardner at the deadline for two first round picks and a young receiver who could make the current depth chart feel a bit deeper at the moment.

Shane Steichen needs to make the playoffs. He’s heading into his fourth year with nothing but mediocre results. There’s context to those results, but eventually time outweighs context. It’s time for Shane Steichen to coach a complete season— not just shows small sample sizes of brilliance.

While Daniel Jones is the QB of this football team and absolutely is tied to both Chris Ballard’s and Shane Steichen’s job status, I don’t necessarily view 2026 as a make-or-break year for Jones in that way.

If Daniel Jones plays an entire season and has a universally great year but the defense is so bad that the Colts still can’t get over the hump, is the new regime (if there is one) going to sprint to find a new answer at QB? I don’t think so.

But if the Colts sneak into a wildcard spot and Daniel Jones shows regression— or even another injury— the picture then changes.

Ultimately, when you’re the quarterback of a team that has not lived up to its potential, you’re directly tied to the team’s performance. But Daniel Jones is an odd case—a quarterback trying to prove that he can be the reason the Colts finally end their nearly decade-long ride on the quarterback carousel.

With the 2026 NFL Draft now over it is time to move on to the 2027 NFL Draft. The 2027 NFL draft class has potential to be an extremely talented draft class with many elite prospects and a great quarterback class, and here is a look at some of the top players and quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Previewing The 2027 NFL Draft Class

2027 NFL Draft Top Prospects

Ohio State once again has a top-tier wide receiver prospect in Jeremiah Smith, and Smith could be not only the best wide receiver in the 2027 NFL draft class, but the best receiver prospect Ohio State has ever had. Smith led the Big Ten in receiving yards in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, and in just two seasons already has 29 total career touchdowns. The All-American receiver has a tremendous combination of size and speed, and he is already a very well-rounded receiver. Smith has the ability to get open on all levels of the field, he has reliable hands, is a good route runner, and has incredible run-after-the-catch ability.

Along with Smith at the top of the draft board is a group of talented defensive prospects. Like Smith, Leonard Moore made an immediate impact as a freshman. The Notre Dame cornerback recorded seven total interceptions and 18 total pass deflections during his first two seasons, and he was named an All-American during the 2025 season. Moore led all cornerbacks in 2025 with a 91.8 overall PFF defense grade and a 92.5 PFF coverage grade.

Edge rusher Colin Simmons, out of Texas, has elite athletic ability. He has a quick first step, along with incredible bend, and a great motor as a pass rusher. In his first two seasons at Texas, Simmons recorded 21 sacks, including an SEC-leading 12 sacks during the 2025 season. He has also recorded six forced fumbles in his first two seasons. Dylan Stewart joins Simmons as the top edge defender in the 2027 NFL draft class. The South Carolina edge defender has an elite first step and great bend around the edge. He is a tremendous athlete with good length and a very high ceiling as a prospect.

2027 NFL Draft Quarterbacks

The 2027 quarterback class has a chance to be one of the best in recent history, and Arch Manning could be the top quarterback in the class. Manning had a bit of a slow start to the 2025 season, but he had a strong finish to the season. He has prototypical size for the position, along with good mobility and overall athletic ability. Manning has good arm talent as well, but he will need to improve his consistency with decision-making and accuracy in the short area of the field.

Dante Moore had a chance to be one of the top quarterbacks taken in the 2026 draft class, but chose to return to school for another year. Moore is an accurate passer who was highly productive last season, helping lead Oregon to the College Football Playoff semifinals with 30 passing touchdowns and a 71.8% completion percentage.

Julian Sayin was also a highly productive and accurate quarterback who led his team to the College Football Playoff. Sayin led the entire country in completion percentage in his first season as a full-time starter, completing 77% of his passes. He throws the ball with a quick release and great anticipation, but he does not stand out with great arm strength or mobility.

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers has elite upside as a prospect with tremendous arm talent and mobility. However, he was also an inconsistent player last season who needs to improve his accuracy and ability to go through progressions. CJ Carr was a highly productive passer for Notre Dame immediately in his first year as a starter last season. He has good accuracy and anticipation, and with another productive season, could have a chance to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Darian Mensah had elite production at both Tulane and Duke, helping lead Duke to an ACC Championship in 2025. He will now be the next quarterback for Miami (FL). Drew Mestemaker is another potential top quarterback prospect who will be with a new team in 2026, transferring from North Texas to Oklahoma State. Mestemaker is a former walk-on at North Texas who had a breakout season in 2025 with a nation-leading 4,379 passing yards. If he continues to play at a high level in the Big 12, he could be a high draft pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Both Trinidad Chambliss and Jayden Maiava also returned to school after incredibly productive seasons in 2025.

Main Photo: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Roanoke Catholic School (Va.) Celtics have seen a number of high school football transfers come through this off-season, but none might bigger than the one they received earlier this week.

[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]

Class of 2027 4-star offensive tackle Elijah Hutcheson has confirmed with Rivals that he’s transferring from Roanoke (Va.) North Cross School to Roanoke Catholic (Va.). Hutcheson is the No. 91 overall prospect, No. 7 offensive tackle and No. 2 in the state of Virginia in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. 

Hutcheson continue to compete in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA), which includes programs like Benedictine (Va.) and Trinity Episcopal School (Va.), respectively.

The 6-foot-6, 255-pound offensive tackle made his commitment to the Florida Gators early last month and now heads into his senior campaign prepared to play with a new high school football team.

“I feel like Florida is a school where I can see myself growing into the person I want to be, religiously and in the real world,” Hutcheson told Gators Online earlier in May when he made his commitment to Florida.

“They have great people inside their program, but they also have great people in their Gator Made program. Hearing all the things that Gator Made does for the players, that might have been the first thing I’ve heard from a school that made me tear up. They really care about making you more than just a football player and want you to be set with your goals.”

The Celtics finished the 2025 high school football season with a 5-5 record and as the state’s No. 290th ranked team, according to the Virginia High School Football Massey Rankings. Roanoke Catholic with some of the off-season additions via student-athlete transfers projects to be one of the state’s Top 25 high school football teams.

Scouting Summary: “Hutcheson looks the part of a future SEC starter at left tackle. He has a long frame with good length and does not carry much bad weight right now. There is plenty of room to keep adding mass the right way once he gets into a college strength and conditioning program. As his body continues to develop, he should be able to carry more weight without losing his movement skills. He will need to get stronger and continue building his base, but the upside here is very high.” – Gators Online publisher Corey Bender

Actor, West Ham fan and captain Jarrod Bowen's father-in-law Danny Dyer says he is "still processing" the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show, he said: "I'm still processing it all, it hurts. I'm very close to it.

"Three years ago we won the Conference League, he [Bowen] scored the winner, and three years later we're relegated.

"They've broken my heart most of my life like that."

He continued: "We've had a lovely three years but the thing about us is we're one of those clubs where we're never going to go to the next level because whenever we get a good player, they leave us.

"They go to a bigger club and that's always going to be the case for us."

Bowen's future remains uncertain, while the 29-year-old also missed out on selection for Thomas Tuchel's squad for the upcoming World Cup.

"I know he wants to stay but I've got no answers about that at all," Dyer added.

"He's devastated by it [relegation]. I can't tell you how much he takes it to heart."

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

With the 2026 World Cup rapidly approaching, Neymar is currently on a specialized training program to recover from a Grade II calf muscle strain. Amid mounting concerns over the superstar’s availability, manager Carlo Ancelotti offered a highly reassuring fitness update during his latest press appearance.

“I think Neymar’s situation is very clear. He is doing excellent individual work. Tomorrow (Saturday) he will undergo an MRI, and if everything goes well, he will rejoin the main group next week,” Ancelotti confirmed during his press conference.

While the rest of the Brazilian squad travels to Cleveland on Friday to face Egypt in their final pre-tournament friendly on Saturday, Neymar will not be making the trip. Instead, he will remain at the team’s base camp in New Jersey to continue his focused rehabilitation process.

The former Barcelona forward was named on the bench during Brazil‘s emphatic 6–2 victory over Panama in their emotional Maracana send-off match. However, he did not see any minutes on the pitch, as the medical staff is entirely prioritizing his long-term availability for the World Cup.

While the national team brass desperately wants Neymar on the pitch for their June 13 opener against Morocco, Ancelotti recently reiterated that they will not rush his recovery.

The Italian tactician emphasized that if Neymar is not 100% ready for the opening match, the staff will simply focus on getting him in peak condition for their second Group C fixture against Haiti on Friday, June 19.

Ancelotti to rest some players in final friendly

Carlo Ancelotti opted not to reveal his full starting lineup for Saturday’s warm-up match against Egypt, but he guaranteed that he would be resting Gabriel Magalhaes.

The manager noted that the center-back showed signs of heavy fatigue following his grueling shifts for Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final. Flamengo’s Leo Pereira is expected to step into the heart of the defense to replace Gabriel.

Additionally, tactical tweaks during recent training sessions suggest further squad rotation, with Bournemouth’s Rayan filling in for Lucas Paqueta in midfield and Douglas Santos slotting into the left-back position in place of Alex Sandro.

Colorful has a new iGame LAB design for its RTX 5090 D v2, designed for overclocking, alongside its new X870E Vulcan White OC motherboard. Colorful Offers Powerful Overclocking With Its iGame RTX 5090 D v2 Arcanix Graphics Card & iGame X870E Vulcan W OC V14 Motherboard The manufacturer is displaying two of its iGame OC series products at Computex, which include an RTX 5090 D V2 graphics card and an X870E motherboard. First of the two products that we want to talk about is the Colorful iGame GeForce RTX 5090 D v2 Arcanix 24 GB graphics card. We recently reported […]

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We have seen very little of The Witcher 4 to date, so we still have no idea how the game will play and how different it will be from its predecessor. However, a recent discovery suggests the new entry in the series may address what is widely considered one of the series' biggest issues: the combat system. As spotted by Reddit user Lymbasy, Jacqueline Kate Salsman, former senior combat designer at Santa Monica Studio for God of War and God of War Ragnarok, has joined CD Projekt Red as an Expert Gameplay Designer, and is now working on The Witcher 4. […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/the-witcher-4-address-weakest-element-god-of-war-combat/

After developer Milestone delivered two Hot Wheels Unleashed games that were surprise arcade racing hits, we now know what the studio is following those games up with, though the news didn't hit the airways the way Milestone intended. Hot Wheels Infinite Rush is the next Hot Wheels game from Milestone, with the title, and even trailer, leaking ahead of its official Summer Game Fest 2026 reveal. First reported by the very reliable Billbil-kun at Dealabs, Milestone returns to the Hot Wheels franchise after the last Hot Wheels game, Hot Wheels Let's Race: Ultimate Speed was developed by Bamtang Games and […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/hot-wheels-infinite-rush-leak-ahead-of-summer-game-fest-reveal-release-date/

Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Pro, reportedly launching next year, could blur the lines between the Galaxy S27 Ultra and the Galaxy S27+ because the company is said to equip it with ‘top of the line’ features that should make it an instant hit for consumers who don’t wish to move to the upcoming iPhone 18. Now, a new rumor claims that there’s another reason to be excited about this release, but those looking forward to the Galaxy S27 Ultra will be severely disappointed. Samsung could equip the Galaxy S27 Pro with a 5,000mAh battery, the same capacity as the Galaxy S26 Ultra, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/galaxy-s27-pro-another-upgrade-to-make-it-a-best-seller/

KLEVV is showcasing its upcoming DDR5 memory portfolio at Computex, including super-fast 10 GT/s speeds & 4R kits with up to 256 GB capacity. KLEVV's Latest CRAS DDR5 CUDIMM Memory Kit Has A Blistering Fast 10,000 MT/s Profile The KLEVV CRAS Vα RGB is one of the many DDR5 memory modules that KLEVV is showcasing at Computex, but what makes this module the most interesting is its ultra-fast speed of 10,000 MT/s. The kit is designed for Intel's CUDIMM platforms, such as the Core Ultra 200S series, and features two 24 GB modules for a total of 48 GB capacity. […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/klevv-pushes-ddr5-to-blistering-10000-mtps-with-new-cudimm-memory-amd-expo-ull-4r-cudimm/

Fraudly is a multilingual scam detection platform that helps people determine whether a website, online store, or link can be trusted before sharing personal information or making a purchase. By combining AI-assisted analysis, threat intelligence, reputation data, and website trust signals, Fraudly turns complex security information into clear, easy-to-understand advice for everyday users. Unlike many security tools designed for cybersecurity professionals, Fraudly focuses on helping consumers make informed decisions online.

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Find Me People is a free Chrome Extension designed to save you 15-20+ hours a year. Many companies hide their contact information to avoid refunds or reduce customer service, but we help you find those hidden contacts, skip chatbots, and save up to 10 minutes per page. Considering the average person has 60+ customer service interactions a year, often needing refunds, the time and cost savings really add up.

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Divide is a Chrome extension that analyzes your online purchases and instantly recommends the best credit card to use. It considers reward rates, credit utilization, and your financial health to give smart recommendations with confidence scores. For large purchases, it suggests splitting payments across multiple cards to maximize rewards while protecting your credit score. Stop guessing which card to use and get instant recommendations that save money and improve your credit health.

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Visa is testing private stablecoin settlement on Canton with Brale, exploring whether institutions can use blockchain without exposing sensitive transaction data.

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Most attribution models were built for a world where people clicked links. Someone searched, clicked a result, landed on a page, and eventually converted. 

Analytics platforms could connect those actions together and give you a reasonably clear picture of what was working.

The system wasn’t perfect, but at least the path was visible. Now, AI-generated search experiences are making the path a lot harder to see.

A buyer might ask ChatGPT for the best project management software, Google’s AI Overview for cybersecurity vendors, or Claude for recommendations before putting together a shortlist.

Your company could appear in every one of those conversations — and never receive a click. That gap between influence and measurable traffic is why you need to rethink attribution.

AI answers accelerate the zero-click trend

Search has already been moving toward zero-click experiences for years.

Featured snippets, knowledge panels, local packs, and similar features have steadily reduced click-through rates by answering more questions directly in the SERP.

Generative search pushes that further by compressing what was once a multi-click research process into a single interaction. Users can compare vendors, evaluate recommendations, and gather information without ever leaving the SERP.

For brands, this means losing visibility into parts of the buyer journey. But it also means new opportunities are emerging to influence decisions before a website visit ever occurs. 

Dig deeper: What 4 AI search experiments reveal about attribution and buying decisions

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The limits of traditional attribution

For years, attribution has relied on website visits as the primary signal that marketing activity influenced a decision.

The sequence was straightforward: Someone searches for something. They click a result. They land on a website. Analytics software records the visit and, if things go well, connects that session to a lead, sale, or conversion.

AI is starting to break that relationship between discovery and measurable traffic.

A prospect may encounter your brand multiple times through AI-generated answers before ever visiting your website. By the time they arrive, the journey can look deceptively simple in analytics:

• Direct visit.
• Branded search.
• Conversion.

The interactions that introduced your brand, shaped consideration, or influenced vendor selection may never appear in reporting.

As more discovery and evaluation occur within AI systems, attribution captures a smaller share of the decision-making process. It still records the website visit, but most of what happens beforehand stays invisible. 

The challenge is that these interactions are harder to measure, not that they matter less.

The rise of invisible influence

The same interactions that are becoming harder to measure are also creating new opportunities to influence how buyers discover, evaluate, and compare options.

A buyer may discover your company through one channel, then use AI to compare vendors, explore alternatives, and build a shortlist before ever visiting your website. Along the way, they could encounter your brand through recommendations, category comparisons, citations, and other AI-generated responses that help establish familiarity and reinforce credibility.

That influence can take many forms:

• Inclusion in “best options” lists
• Recommendations within category comparisons
• Mentions in industry-specific prompts
• Citations within AI-generated answers
• References during early-stage research and evaluation

These interactions may never generate a click, but they can still shape which companies buyers consider, which vendors make the shortlist, and how brands are perceived before a formal evaluation process begins.

As these moments of influence become more common, you’ll need new ways to understand their impact.

Dig deeper: Why AI visibility starts before search and ends with citations

How to measure influence beyond clicks

Traditional attribution still has value. Website visits, conversions, referral sources, and channel performance remain important signals. But the reality is that attribution data provides a less complete explanation of how buying decisions are made.

As AI becomes more integrated into how buyers research and evaluate options, you need a broader view of influence. That means looking beyond conversion paths alone and incorporating signals that explain how awareness, consideration, and decision-making develop over time. Here are a few places to start.

1. Assisted conversions

AI-generated recommendations often influence decisions long before a buyer enters a measurable funnel. Assisted conversion reporting can help identify which channels consistently drive conversions, even when they aren’t the final touchpoint.

2. Branded search growth

One of the clearest signals that AI visibility is creating awareness is an increase in branded search activity. If more buyers are searching specifically for your company after encountering it in AI-generated recommendations, comparisons, or citations, branded search volume may rise even when AI referral traffic remains minimal.

3. Direct traffic trends

Direct traffic should never be treated as a standalone measure of AI influence. However, unexplained increases in direct visits can sometimes indicate that buyers are learning about your company elsewhere and returning later through direct navigation or branded search.

4. Brand visibility within AI systems

Visibility inside AI systems is becoming a meaningful signal in its own right. Tracking how often your brand appears in relevant prompts, comparisons, recommendations, and citations can help reveal whether AI systems view your company as a credible source or option within a category.

No single metric can fully explain AI-driven influence. The goal is to combine traditional attribution data with emerging signals of visibility, consideration, and recommendation to build a more complete picture of how decisions are being shaped.

Dig deeper: The micro-macro shift: How to measure AI visibility now that precision is gone

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A more complete view of influence

Website visits, conversions, referral sources, and channel performance remain valuable signals. But buying decisions are increasingly shaped by interactions that happen before a prospect ever reaches a website.

As AI becomes a more common part of how people discover, research, and evaluate options, you’ll need a broader understanding of influence and the role it plays throughout the buying process.

The organizations that adapt most effectively will combine traditional attribution data with emerging signals of visibility, consideration, recommendation, and brand discovery.

A more complete picture of influence starts with recognizing that the buyer journey extends beyond the interactions analytics platforms can easily observe.

Search used to be about retrieval. You’d open multiple tabs. Compare sources. Read reviews. Cross-reference information. Decide for yourself.

But increasingly, search is becoming something else entirely: delegation.

Users are realizing they no longer need to compare 15 different pages or bounce between Google, Maps, reviews, forums, and videos to make a decision. For the first time, there’s an easier option. They can ask AI to do the heavy lifting instead.

In many ways, this is the closest most people have ever come to having a personal assistant. Historically, delegation was a luxury reserved for people with human support around them, someone who could research options, summarize information, and make recommendations. In practice, that meant the wealthy.

Now, that capability has been democratized. Everyone has access to an assistant, and that changes search behavior fundamentally. Users want synthesis over retrieval, recommendations over exploration, and reduced effort over exhaustive research. They want help evaluating options and making decisions.

This is a behavioral shift. Where we used to “phone a friend,” we now ask an LLM.

Why users are delegating

At the heart of this shift from search to delegation is basic human psychology. Our brains are wired for cognitive ease. We naturally gravitate toward behaviors that reduce effort, simplify decisions, and save time.

AI tools do exactly that. They remove friction from the decision-making process by allowing users to use fewer tabs, make fewer comparisons, carry less cognitive load, and get faster outcomes.

Users also appear increasingly comfortable with answers that are “good enough” and delivered quickly, rather than “perfect” answers that require significant effort to uncover. 

For years, search behavior was built around gathering as much information as possible before making a decision. AI has changed that value exchange. Users don’t need every possible answer. They need confidence that the answer is sufficient.

Up to 61% of AI users say that they are using these tools because of their speed and ease, Reflect Digital’s SearchPulse research found. (Disclosure: I’m Reflect Digital’s founder and CEO.)

As technology has become embedded in everyday life, our expectations around convenience have evolved alongside it. It’s a story as old as the discovery of fire. These days, we’re already conditioned to optimize more of our lives than ever before, and AI is becoming another mechanism for doing exactly that.

Dig deeper: The delegation boundary: How AI decides which brands win

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Delegation in search won’t look the same for everyone

One of the biggest mistakes businesses can make right now is assuming this shift to delegation is happening evenly across all audiences and search journeys. It isn’t.

AI search adoption varies significantly depending on factors such as household income, profession, and digital confidence. 

Users also delegate differently depending on the task they’re trying to complete. Take vacation planning as an example. Building an itinerary for a trip is a perfect delegation task. Traditionally, this would require multiple tabs, maps, travel sites, and constant comparison between locations, timing, and logistics.

Now, users can ask AI a simple question like: “Plan me a five-day itinerary around Tuscany with wine tasting, scenic towns, and minimal driving.” That’s decision outsourcing.

But choosing the vacation itself may still involve more exploratory behavior. Users may still want to browse destinations, look at imagery, watch videos, or validate ideas independently before narrowing down their options.

The key point is that delegation is contextual. Businesses need to understand where delegation naturally fits within their audience’s decision-making process.

How to identify delegation opportunities in your audience

The important thing to understand is that delegation is rarely universal across an entire customer journey. AI adoption isn’t binary. People delegate specific types of decisions. They delegate specific types of decisions.

A useful way to identify delegation opportunities is to look for moments where users experience:

• High cognitive load.
• Too many variables.
• Time pressure.
• Repetitive comparison.
• Decision fatigue.
• Information overload.

These are the moments where delegation becomes appealing. To assess what that means for your specific audience, ask yourself:

• Where does our audience get overwhelmed?
• Where are they comparing too many options?
• Where are they trying to save time?
• Where are they repeatedly asking for reassurance or recommendations?
• Which parts of the journey are effort-heavy rather than emotionally enjoyable?

The more effort a task requires, the more likely delegation becomes. Then compare those answers against the areas where users may still want exploration:

• Inspiration.
• Entertainment.
• Identity expression.
• Aspirational browsing.
• Emotionally led decisions.

For example, users may delegate building a travel itinerary but still enjoy exploring vacation destinations themselves.

That distinction matters. The businesses that win in this new search environment will understand not just what their audience is searching for, but also what they’re trying to offload.

Dig deeper: Why your brand isn’t making the AI recommendation set

What delegation behavior actually looks like

Once you start looking for it, delegation-driven decisions become surprisingly easy to spot.  It often appears as users asking AI to narrow down options, recommend the best fit, validate decisions, summarize information, compare choices, and reduce effort. 

That means searches become more like:

• “What’s best for me?”
• “What would you recommend?”
• “Compare these options.”
• “Give me the top three.”
• “Summarize this for me.”

Traditional search behavior, meanwhile, is more exploration-heavy and involves deep comparisons, source checking, manual research, and detailed information gathering.

Most users will switch between the two modes depending on what they’re searching for and why. But businesses shouldn’t rely purely on internal assumptions or gut feel to understand where these delegation moments exist.

Gut feelings will only get you so far. To truly understand this shift, you need to speak to your audience. That means combining behavioral observation with direct research, such as:

• Surveys.
• Customer interviews.
• Roundtables.
• Usability testing.
• Journey analysis.
• Search behavior analysis.
• AI prompt analysis.

The goal of this research is to understand where users experience friction, become overwhelmed, seek reassurance, want recommendations, and feel comfortable outsourcing decision-making.

The real competitive advantage comes from understanding what your audience no longer wants to do themselves.

Dig deeper: Brand depth determines what AI systems recommend

What this shift to delegation search means for content strategy

This is where the shift becomes commercially important. Right now, businesses need both search-support and decision-support content because both behaviors still exist.

Search-support content is designed for exploration. It tends to be comprehensive, highly detailed, comparison-driven, educational, and deeply indexable. It supports users who still want to research extensively and validate decisions themselves.

Decision-support content serves a different purpose. It needs to be synthesized, recommendation-oriented, clearly structured, trust-heavy, and outcome-led.

This type of content helps both users and AI systems quickly understand what you offer, who it’s for, when it’s appropriate, and why it should be trusted.

For example, a traditional search-support page might compare every CRM platform feature in detail. A decision-support page might clearly explain: “Best CRM for a 50-person B2B sales team with limited implementation resources.”

One page supports exploration. The other reduces decision-making effort.

Websites increasingly need to support two parallel journeys: humans who are exploring and humans who are delegating. Or, put another way, they need to support journeys for both people and AI agents.

A simple way to audit your content for delegation behavior

If delegation is becoming part of your audience’s decision-making process, the next question is obvious: How do you know whether your content supports it?

A useful starting point is to audit your existing content through two lenses: exploration support and decision support.

Does this content help someone explore?

This is traditional search-support behavior:

• Detailed explanations.
• Comparisons.
• Educational depth.
• Broad keyword coverage.
• Manual research support.
• Multiple options without strong direction.

This content is designed to help users gather information and evaluate independently.

Does this content help someone decide?

Decision-support content reduces effort. It helps users, and increasingly AI systems, move toward action faster through:

• Clear recommendations.
• Summarized takeaways.
• Structured comparisons.
• Strong trust signals.
• Direct answers.
• Contextual guidance.
• Outcome-focused language.

One of the easiest ways to spot gaps is to ask: “If an AI system landed on this page, would it clearly understand what we recommend, who this is for, and why it matters?”

Many businesses currently have large volumes of exploration content but very little decision-support content. That creates a gap. Delegation isn’t just about being discoverable anymore. It’s about being usable within a decision-making process.

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Dig deeper: From searching to delegating: Adapting to AI-first search behavior

The risk of misunderstanding this shift

Some businesses are already making the mistake of abandoning traditional search behavior too early. That is a serious error because traditional search isn’t disappearing.

Delegation behavior can’t be ignored either. Different audiences, moments, and decision types now require different search experiences. The businesses that succeed won’t be the ones chasing every AI trend. They’ll be the ones who deeply understand:

• When users want exploration.
• When users want delegation.
• How to support both effectively.

That’s because users increasingly seek help evaluating options and making decisions.

The brands that succeed in the future of search will be those that deeply understand their audience and let that knowledge guide their strategy.

The best TV ads don’t just generate awareness. They generate searches.

When a high-impact campaign airs, viewers immediately turn to Google, YouTube, and other platforms to learn more, find products, or continue engaging with a brand. The challenge isn’t generating that interest. It’s being ready to capture it.

A recent World Cup campaign from Fox Sports shows exactly how this process works — and why SEO and PPC planning need to start long before an ad goes live.

A World Cup ad that created more than awareness

On May 13, creative intelligence platform DAIVID published new data ranking the most emotionally engaging World Cup ads released so far, and Fox Sports’ promo “Miracle” led the field by a clear margin.

DAIVID tested 31 World Cup ads released online and ranked them by the intensity of positive emotions they generated, the measure most closely linked to long-term brand impact. Here’s how the top five shook out:

Adidas’ “Backyard Legends” and Pepsi’s “Football Nation Is Here” narrowly missed making the top five. DAIVID will update the rankings throughout the tournament, meaning the creative competition is far from over.

But that table shouldn’t just be an advertising scorecard. It also represents a demand map. Every brand in the top five is generating search interest right now, weeks before the World Cup kicks off on June 11. The question isn’t whether their branded terms are seeing spikes in traffic, but whether their search teams are ready for it.

Now, let’s talk about that Fox spot in a bit more detail. Created by Fox Sports Marketing and Special US, and directed by Lance Acord, “Miracle” imagines Team USA doing the unthinkable: winning the World Cup, including a dramatic 3-2 victory over five-time champion Brazil in the 97th minute. 

U.S. soccer star Christian Pulisic sends in a corner kick, the ball is headed home in the dying seconds, and the country erupts. Soccer players end up on currency. Times Square is taken over by revelers.

Then, just as reality starts to reassert itself, in walks Mike Eruzione, captain of the legendary 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team that miraculously beat the Soviet Union against all odds, with the only line the ad needed: “What? You don’t believe in miracles?”

The spot is set to Elvis Presley’s “The Impossible Dream.” Yes, really. They lean hard into Americana. And it works.

When DAIVID ran it through its AI-powered creative testing platform, trained on tens of millions of human responses, “Miracle” earned a creative effectiveness score (CES) of 6.99 out of 10, placing it in the top 14% of all ads ever tested by the platform, well above the industry average of 5.8. 

It generated intense positive emotions in 56.1% of viewers, 15.2% higher than the average ad. It held attention all the way to the end, with 66.9% still watching in the final three seconds versus an industry norm of 58.2%. Viewers were also 35% more likely to remember Fox as the brand behind it.

Three emotions drove its success: excitement (+85%), hope (+72%), and pride (+61%), all significantly above industry averages.

Ian Forrester, CEO and founder of DAIVID, puts it plainly: 

• “The conventional wisdom in advertising is that you make people laugh, or you make them cry. These are the reliable emotional levers. Hope is harder. It asks the audience to believe in something, which is a big ask in this time of economic and political turmoil. Fox Sports didn’t just clear that bar, they set a new one.”

That’s a masterclass in emotional advertising. It highlights a direct business problem that needs solving — fast.

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Why this is a search marketing problem, not just an advertising one

Here’s what happens the moment that Fox spot airs during a major broadcast window: millions of viewers grab their phones. They search “U.S. World Cup 2026,” “Christian Pulisic,” “Fox World Cup schedule,” “Mike Eruzione 1980,” “The Impossible Dream Elvis,” and dozens of other queries the Fox search team may or may not have prepared for.

According to a white paper called “TV Ads and Search Spikes: Toward a Deeper Understanding,” 75% of incremental search activity occurs within the first two minutes of an ad airing. Not the first hour. The first two minutes.

If your search campaign isn’t already live, optimized, and fully funded at that moment, you won’t just miss the opportunity, you’ll actively route warm, brand-interested traffic to your competitors.

This is the fundamental strategic failure that still plagues most organizations: Search marketing is treated as a last-click discipline, siloed from the creative and media teams that generate demand upstream. Search is the digital bridge for video-driven interest. Far too many brands let that bridge wash out every time a high-impact ad airs.

4 query types TV ads generate (and how to prepare for them)

The “Miracle” spot is instructive because it generates not one type of search query, but four distinct categories, each requiring a different strategic response.

Branded queries 

These are the most obvious searches you’ll see after an ad airs: “Fox Sports,” “Fox World Cup.” Basically, they’re your brand terms. If you’re Fox, you’re already winning these. But are you capturing 100% of impressions? 

Budget should surge the moment an ad goes live to absorb the volume spike, with established brands expecting up to a 20% lift in branded search volume during a major campaign.

Campaign queries 

These searches emerge from the creative itself, such as “U.S. wins World Cup,” “Miracle ad,” or “Impossible Dream commercial.”

They only exist because the ad aired. If Fox’s search team didn’t prebuild landing pages and keyword groups around these terms before the first broadcast, they left money on the table.

Asset queries 

Viewers often search for memorable elements featured in the creative, including songs, athletes, celebrities, or story references.

For the Fox ad, these might look like “song in Fox World Cup ad,” “who is Mike Eruzione,” “Christian Pulisic World Cup commercial.”

Viewers searching for the Elvis track or the 1980 hockey captain are highly engaged, highly curious, and highly convertible. These queries need to be anticipated in keyword planning sessions — not discovered two weeks after launch.

Category queries 

Some viewers skip the brand entirely and search for solutions, products, or viewing options related to the campaign’s broader theme.

For the Fox ad these might look like “how to watch World Cup 2026,” “World Cup streaming options,” “where to watch U.S. soccer.” 

A viewer, emotionally moved by “Miracle,” who then searches for one of these terms and lands on a competitor’s streaming service would be a direct cost of poor planning. 

Bidding only on brand terms during a TV flight while ignoring category-level terms is, bluntly, strategic negligence.

Dig deeper: AI for video advertising: 5 best practices for PPC campaigns

The 10/90 rule: Technology is the easy part

The good news is that search platforms now offer automated tools to sync bidding with broadcast schedules, detect search spikes, and adjust budgets in real time.

The bad news is that these tools may do about 10% of the actual work. The other 90% is human, and it has to happen before the ad airs.

That means you need to be in the room when the creative is being storyboarded to:

• Flag searchable hooks, such as songs, athletes, and visual gags, that will need keyword coverage.
• Prebuild landing pages that maintain visual and verbal continuity with the broadcast creative.
• Align search, video, and content teams around the questions viewers are likely to ask after seeing the ad.

Getting that alignment right matters. A viewer who searches “Fox Miracle ad” and lands on a generic programming grid will bounce immediately. The cognitive dissonance alone kills the conversion.

Viewers are also increasingly asking conversational questions triggered by video content.  Using our example, these might include “how does the Fox streaming app work,” “who plays in the World Cup this summer,” or “is Christian Pulisic injured.”

YouTube descriptions, structured metadata, and FAQ content need to be optimized for these queries before a campaign launches, not after.

Measuring what matters

While traditional TV metrics measure exposure, branded search volume measures intent. These are not the same thing, and confusing them is one of the most expensive mistakes in modern marketing.

The right framework is a Branded Search Lift Model (BSLM):

• Establish a rigorous baseline using 90 to 120 days of historical data (not the standard four weeks, which is too short to control for seasonality).
• Apply a time-series forecasting model to project expected volume without advertising.
• Measure the gap between expected and observed searches during and after the campaign.

That gap, incremental search lift, is your most honest signal of whether the creative is working. It can also serve as a diagnostic tool to identify where the funnel is leaking.

For “Miracle,” the emotional data suggests the spot will generate significant search activity across all four query categories, particularly for asset and category queries. 

The hope-and-pride emotional signature that DAIVID identified tends to drive social sharing, which in turn drives a fourth conversion pathway: 

• TV → Social → Search → Conversion. 

That means hashtag volume and social mentions should be tracked alongside search lift as correlated signals of a campaign that’s genuinely breaking through.

Dig deeper: The SEO shift you can’t ignore: Video is becoming source material

The feedback loop that changes everything

Here’s where this gets genuinely exciting: The relationship between TV creative and search data is reciprocal.

Search lift data is a low-cost, real-time proof of concept for your most expensive media investments. By running small-scale tests on YouTube or CTV and monitoring branded search lift for each creative variant, teams can identify which ads actually trigger digital action before committing massive budgets to traditional broadcast.

Conversely, TV performance data can and should inform search strategy. If “Miracle” generates a 60%+ spike in branded search, as emotionally resonant ads have been shown to do, that’s not just a media win. 

It’s a creative brief for the next campaign, a signal about which emotional levers to pull again, and evidence that should be sitting in front of every senior marketer and media planner in the organization.

The brands winning this game aren’t treating search and video as separate disciplines. They’re running them as a single, integrated demand engine. Video creates curiosity, search captures it, and data from both channels sharpens the creative for whatever comes next.

Barney Worfolk-Smith, chief growth officer at DAIVID, frames the opportunity well: 

• “For tentpole events like the World Cup, it’s a smart move to think more strategically about the relationship between TV and SEM. When effectiveness testing shows you’ve got a genuine firecracker of a TVC on your hands, that’s the moment to tighten the connection even further. This highly emotive Fox Sports campaign is a powerful reminder of the link between emotionally resonant advertising and uplifts in next-step intent.”

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Search belongs in the creative brief

Fox’s “Miracle” spot works because it dares viewers to feel something unfashionable. Hope. Possibility. The audacity of imagining a different outcome.

Search marketers should take the same lesson to heart when approaching their counterparts in TV and video. Stop waiting to be invited to the post-launch debrief. Walk into the creative brief. Ask what’s searchable. Plan the SERP with the same rigor applied to the media buy.

The dance has already started. The question is whether you’re going to watch from the bleachers while your competitors capture every lead you paid to generate, or whether you’re going to join in.

Fenerbahçe Kulübü Başkan Adayı Hakan Safi, sarı lacivertli kulüpte pazar günü yapılacak seçimle ilgili açıklamalarda bulundu.

Fenerbahçe Kulübü Başkan Adayı Hakan Safi, sarı lacivertli kulübün 7 Haziran Pazar günü yapılan kongresi öncesinde açıklamalarda bulundu. beIN Sports' konuk olan Hakan Safi'nin açıklamaları şöyle:

"AKİL ADAMLAR GRUBU OLUŞTURACAĞIZ"

"Ben 15 ay yöneticilik yaptım Ali Koç başkanlığında. 1999'dan beri Fenerbahçe'nin kongre üyesiyim. Bir gün bu göreve talip olursam diye her gün kendimi hazır hissettim. Yöneticiliğim döneminde 2 seçim geçirdim. 53 yaşındayım ve 13 yaşından beri ticaret yapıyorum. Yönetim kurulu listemde iş insanları, hukukçular, kadın üyelerimiz, teşkilatlarımızdan arkadaşlarımız var. Böyle bir karma yönetim oluşturduk. Bir de akil adamlar grubu oluşturacağız. Cemil Turan, Abdullah Kiğılı, Uğur Dündar gibi isimler her ay toplantı yapacağız ve Fenerbahçe'nin durumunu konuşacağız"

"64 BİN 500 KİŞİLİK STAT İÇİN ONAY ALDIK"

“Stadyumun 64 bin 500 kişiye çıkarmak için onayımızı aldık. İnşallah stadımızı 2027 Mayısı'nda startını vererek 1.5 yıl içerisinde büyüteceğiz. Stadın çatısını kaldırarak bu büyümeyi gerçekleştireceğiz.”

“FENERBAHÇE'Yİ 2050 YILINA HAZIRLAYACAĞIZ”

"Biz hesaplarımızı 1+3 yıla göre yapıyoruz. Olağanüstü seçimlerden yorulduk. Kendi ticari ve sosyal hayatımda başarılı olduğum gibi bu işte de başarılı olacağıma inanıyorum. Bizler Fenerbahçe'nin kongre üyeleri olarak kulübümüzü 2050 yılına hazırlamamız gerekiyor."

"MALDINI BUGÜN TÜRKİYE'YE GELİYOR"

"Mourinho ile 1.5 yıl çalıştım. Benim gözümde dünyanın en iyi 3 hocasından birisi. Bu işe sabır göstermemiz lazım. Yöneticilik yaptığım dönemlerde kendime bir futbol aklı yerleştirmeye çalıştım. Maldini bugün Türkiye'ye geliyor. 'Senin kampanyanda yanında olmak istiyorum pazar gününe kadar' dedi. Maldini bizim futbol yüzümüz. İki topçuya kendi telefon açtı, hiç görevi olmamasına rağmen."

“BU AKŞAM DA BİR SÜPRİZİMİZ OLACAK”

"Fırsat transferlerini ağustos ayından değil, bugünden yapmak istiyoruz. Kilit noktalara transfer yapmak istiyoruz. Sporting'in gol kralı oyuncusuyla (Luis Suarez) anlaştık. Tabii ki kulüpleriyle de görüştük. Merih Demiral'la görüştük. Mazbatayı aldıktan sonra bunların hepsini resmi imzaya götüreceğiz Bu akşam da bir sürprizimiz olacak. Kum saati çalışmaya başlasın."