After a dominant first MLB season that saw him start the All-Star Game, finish third in the National League CY Young award voting, and win NL Rookie of the Year, Paul Skenes isn't resting on his laurels.

The Pittsburgh Pirates' young ace told the on Saturday that he is experimenting with two new pitches at the club's spring training site in Bradenton, Fla.

Skenes, already armed with six different pitches, intends to add a running two-seam fastball and a cutter to his already-impressive arsenal.

"With the cutter in itself, he’s had his slider and he tried to throw it two different ways,” Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin said, "So he has a sweeper, he has a slider, it was just a pitch to be able to consistently get one shape with and be able to be a strikable pitch to be more efficient. With the sinker, it’s just something that he wanted to play with and kind of see where it goes from there."

If posed the question, opposing hitters would probably say the last thing they want to see from Skenes is more offerings. In 2024, MLB batters hit just .197 against Skenes, who also posted a stellar 33.1 percent strikeout rate, which would have ranked third among starters who recorded at least 70 innings pitched.

And now, Skenes will have two more pitches to keep hitters off-balance, in addition to his triple-digits fastball, sweeper, slider, curveball, changeup and sinker-splitter hybrid called the splinker, which is already one of the most lethal put-away pitches in the major leagues.

So, why does Skenes need more offerings?

"Getting ahead, winning the 0-0, 0-1, 1-1 [pitches], winning those counts, that stuff is important," Skenes told ESPN.

Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA while striking out 170 batters in 133 innings pitched across 23 starts in 2024. Pittsburgh begins Grapefruit League play on February 22 against the Baltimore Orioles and opens the 2025 season on the road against the Miami Marlins on March 27.

England will go into their T20I series against South Africa without both Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith this week, prompting head coach Brendon McCullum to concede they must learn how to cope better with their busy international schedule.Duckett, Smith and Harry Brook have been ever-present for England across their 15 international fixtures to date this summer, and all spent August playing in the Hundred. All three players will miss next week’s brief tour to Ireland, and McCullum has prescribed an additional week’s rest for his ODI openers so they can “freshen up” ahead of a busy winter away.It means that Duckett and Smith will miss consecutive T20I series less than six months out from a World Cup in the format, when better planning would have seen them skip the ODIs instead. In their absence, Phil Salt – who missed England’s most recent T20Is on paternity leave – looks set to open the batting alongside either Tom Banton or Will Jacks.Related

• South Africa beat England and the rain to leave Cardiff 1-0 up

• ECB chair says crammed Hundred schedule is 'short-term issue'

• Bethell admits he 'probably should have played more' this summer

• Bethell, Root tons, Archer four-for see England hand out record thrashing

England face a tight turnaround between the Ashes and the T20 World Cup this winter, interspersed with white-ball tours to New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Rob Key, England’s managing director, claimed last year that their upcoming schedule was “easing” when expanding McCullum’s role to cover white-ball cricket but it shows few signs of doing so.A one-day gap after the Hundred final meant that England’s players did not train together as a full squad ahead of Tuesday’s first ODI in Leeds, in which they were thrashed by seven wickets. ECB chair Richard Thompson acknowledged the crammed fixture list was an issue on Sunday, but admitted that it is unlikely to change significantly within the ongoing broadcast rights cycle.”The scheduling isn’t ideal,” McCullum said after England’s consolation win in Southampton. “That’s just the way it is and it’s not going to change, so we’re going to have to find ways to deal with it… We’re just going to have to find ways to be able to hit the ground running a bit quicker than what we did in this one.”I spoke to [Duckett] and I said, ‘I think you need to freshen up. You’ve played so much cricket and you’re such an influential player for us over the next few months.’ He’ll have a decent break at home, as will Jamie Smith… It gives the other guys opportunities, and it’s exciting, too. If we just rely on 11 players, then we’re not really going to be competitive.”One of those “other guys” is Sam Curran, who will bat in the top six against South Africa after winning a recall through his performances for Surrey and Oval Invincibles. McCullum has never previously picked Curran for one of his teams, and told him in an “honest conversation” over breakfast earlier this summer that he needed to “bang the door down” as a batter.”The message to Sam was that a lot’s come to you quickly and you’ve had a lot of success and a lot of fame, and a lot of things have fallen your way,” McCullum said, “but, of late, your performance had just tailed off a bit… With us resting both Jamie and Ben, it gives us the opportunity to bring Sam in and he’ll get his chance to bat in the top six.”England are expected to stick with the spin-heavy strategy they trialled against West Indies in June for this week’s series as they prepare for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. Curran will likely be their third seamer, with Jacob Bethell and Jacks supplementing Adil Rashid and either Liam Dawson or Rehan Ahmed as spin options.Bethell and Jacks acted as England’s fifth bowler in the ODIs against South Africa but their combined 10 overs in a tight defeat at Lord’s were hammered for 112 runs. McCullum said it was “really hard” to balance the side without a genuine allrounder, but has already spoken to Brook about how to give his part-time options “slightly more in their favour”.”We’ve just got to be a bit smarter with it… Utilising the big side of the ground, or also trying to set slightly more defensive fields,” McCullum said. “They don’t need to take 3 for 30 off 10 overs. They’ve just got to find a way to be able to create pressure and hold for a period so that our attacking guys can come in.”We won’t always be married to that [balance] but at the moment, we want to make sure that we’ve got that familiarity within our batting group – particularly in the middle order, as they adjust to some new roles so that they get more and more comfortable with how each of them is going to play.”McCullum said that England’s record 342-run thrashing in Southampton had provided them with “an incredible blueprint” in ODIs during an “oscillating” series. “We got hammered in the first one, we were within one blow in the second, and we dished out a pretty good performance in the third… It shows that there’s not a huge gulf between the two teams.”

With 11 gameweeks gone and the final international break of 2025 underway, the Premier League table is starting to form a true representation of where teams stand.

Sunderland’s hot start has turned into sustained success after their draw with title chasing Arsenal, while Liverpool’s downfall is more than just a blip.

Opta have ranked every team in the top flight by game state, or how much time they spend playing from behind in matches, and it’s more bad news for Arne Slot…

Rank

Team

Percentage of mins played losing

1

Crystal Palace, Chelsea

13%

2

Man City

14%

3

Arsenal

17%

4

Newcastle United

18%

5

Sunderland

21%

6

AFC Bournemouth

22%

7

Everton

24%

8

Aston Villa & Man Utd

26%

9

Fulham

30%

10

Brentford, Tottenham, Leeds, Nottingham Forest

32%

11

Brighton

35%

12

Burnley

36%

13

Liverpool

37%

14

West Ham

47%

15

Wolves

58%

1 Chelsea and Crystal Palace

It has been a promising start to the campaign for both Chelsea and Crystal Palace, with Enzo Maresca’s side potentially still in a position to mount a title challenge, given that they are currently just six points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Palace, on the other hand, continued their unbeaten run from last season into the ongoing campaign, which ultimately came to an end after a record 19 matches, with Everton emerging 2-1 winners at the Hill Dickinson Stadium at the start of October.

Both London clubs have just spent 13% of their matches in losing positions, with the Eagles very much on course to mount a push for Europe, having taken 17 points from their opening 11 games.

2 Manchester City

Man City have also emerged as title contenders, with their most recent victory undoubtedly their most impressive to date, dispatching of reigning champions Liverpool 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Having won six of the last eight Premier League titles, City can never be written off, and they have spent just 14% of their matches trailing up to this point, with Erling Haaland in the form of his life, scoring a whopping 14 goals in the Premier League alone.

3 Arsenal

Having finished in second place three years on the spin, Mikel Arteta will be hoping this is finally the Gunners’ year, and the early signs have been very positive, having opened up a four-point gap at the top of the table.

Arsenal have had to show resilience at times, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a stoppage-time equaliser against Man City back in September to cancel out Haaland’s early opener, which earned them what could prove to be a vital point in the Premier League title race.

Arteta’s side were also behind for the majority of the game against Newcastle United, but late heroics from Mikel Merino and Gabriel secured a 2-1 win.

Some other victories have been much more routine, however, battering Leeds United 5-0 back in August, while also recording a comfortable 2-0 win at Burnley earlier this month, which means the north Londoners have been in a losing position just 17% of the time.

4 Newcastle United

Newcastle, on the other hand, won’t be feeling anywhere near as positive about their start to the campaign, currently sitting in 14th place, seven points behind bitter rivals Sunderland, despite only spending 18% of their games trailing.

That is largely because the Magpies have developed a very bad habit of conceding late goals, with Rio Ngumoha scoring a dramatic late winner for Liverpool in August, while Gabriel’s 96th-minute winner ensured Arsenal secured a 2-1 victory in September.

Should Eddie Howe’s side be able to cut out conceding late on, however, there is still plenty of time to have a successful season, as the European places remain within touching distance.

5 Sunderland

Few would have predicted Sunderland to be flying high near the top of the table, but it has been a fantastic start, having made the Stadium of Light a fortress, most recently holding Arsenal to a draw, courtesy of Brian Brobbey’s late heroics.

Having taken 19 points from their opening 11 matches, the Black Cats are already nearly half-way to the magic 40 point mark, which would almost certainly secure Premier League safety.

There are some tricky fixtures on the horizon, with trips to Liverpool and Man City penciled in for December, but Regis Le Bris will no doubt be delighted with how things are going, with his side spending just 21% of their matches in a losing position.

6 AFC Bournemouth

Having lost some key players in the summer, including Milos Kerkez, Ilya Zabarnyi and Dean Huijsen, Bournemouth may have been expected to struggle, but that certainly hasn’t been the case.

The Cherries are once again looking like they could mount a push for Europe, as one of five teams currently on 18 points, having spent just 22% of their matches trailing.

7 Everton

It has been a solid, if not spectacular, opening 11 games for Everton, taking 15 points, which leaves them firmly in mid-table, exactly where they were probably expecting to be.

The Toffees have been chasing the game just 24% of the time, which is respectable, given that they have had some very tricky fixtures, already travelling to both Anfield and the Etihad Stadium.

8 Aston Villa and Manchester United

Both Aston Villa and Man United were very poor at the beginning of the campaign, with Unai Emery’s side failing to score in any of their opening four games, while the Red Devils suffered a 3-0 defeat in the Manchester derby and a disappointing 4-2 loss at Brentford.

However, since then, the Villans have gone on to win eight of their last ten matches in all competitions, and things are also looking up at United, having taken 11 points from their last five Premier League games.

A European push could be on the cards for both sides, who have been in losing positions 26% of the time.

9 Fulham

Marco Silva has managed to stabilise the Cottagers in the Premier League, but the manager is now under serious pressure, with his side just one point above the relegation zone following the 2-0 defeat at Everton last time out.

It is still too early to panic, but the early signs certainly haven’t been positive for the west Londoners, who have spent 30% of their matches in a losing position.

10 Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United, Nottingham Forest

The Thomas Frank era is now well underway, but Tottenham are still yet to put a consistent run together, with victories on the road against the likes of Manchester City and Everton being cancelled out by disappointing home defeats against Aston Villa and Chelsea.

That said, despite being one of four clubs who have spent 32% of their matches behind, Spurs are currently fifth in the standings, two points above Brentford, who have arguably surpassed expectations under the helm of new manager Keith Andrews.

Things aren’t looking quite as rosy for Leeds, who are now just one point above the relegation zone, as a result of losing four of their last five matches, while Nottingham Forest are already on their third manager and currently sit in 19th place.

Wrexham are being advised to splash more cash in the January transfer window, despite seeing Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac oversee a record-breaking recruitment drive in the summer of 2025. Phil Parkinson has suggested that calls to spend again may be ignored, with the Red Dragons not expecting to be particularly busy in the new year.

• Record spend: Wrexham invested £30m-plus in summer window

  More than £30 million ($39m) was invested in fresh faces at SToK Racecourse ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. On the back of three successive promotions, another overhaul of Parkinson’s squad was required in order to have it ready for life in the second tier.

  Not every deal done has been a resounding success, despite bringing plenty of Premier League pedigree to North Wales. It was, however, always going to be tricky bedding in 13 new arrivals and getting them to hit the ground running.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Transfer plans: What Wrexham have in store for January

  With consistency having been an issue at times, there have been calls for Wrexham to strengthen again when another market opens for business on January 1. Parkinson, though, is now seeking stability and continuity.

  Quizzed on his transfer plans, Wrexham’s manager told : “We'll monitor the injury situation, but we made a lot of changes in the summer and I feel we're only just getting a settled feel in the building. We won't be making too many changes in the January window. We want to continue to work with the players we've got. When you bring in 13 players, that's a big turnaround.”

• EFL pundit tips Wrexham to splash the cash

  Former EFL player turned pundit Don Goodman is among those to have advised Wrexham to ask Reynolds and Mac for more money early in 2026. He has told : “What you are seeing at the minute is loads of teams that are evenly matched and that gives a real opportunity. And it could be that Wrexham might not get a better opportunity. So, with that in mind, I think there probably will be money available in January, if necessary.

  “If they go and spend money in January, I would expect it to be quality over quantity. I would expect maybe it would be a couple of players brought in that would go straight into the starting 11 and improve them rather than players brought in for the squad.

  “When I look at that table, they are one of four teams, from 11th to 14th, on 21 points, which is four points off a play-off spot. I would expect them to have a real go, and spend some money in January. I don't know whether financial fair play will kick in and play a part so they'll have to really be careful and get some out before getting some in. But I would expect them to have a go.”

  Parkinson is aware of what is being said by others, but that does not mean that he has to listen. He has done things his way at Wrexham since taking the reins in 2021 – enjoying a historic run of success in the process.

  He added when asked again if he could look to heed Goodman’s advice and dip into the transfer market for quality over quantity: “I don't think we'll need a lot. We're always looking and, of course, you never rest on your laurels as a manager or as a group of staff, but equally, I don't want to disrupt the group too much.”

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  Another promotion push? Next up for Wrexham

  Reynolds and Mac have always been prepared to dig into their pockets if Parkinson feels the need to bolster his ranks. Record revenue has been generated by the Red Dragons, and that is helping to further enhance any recruitment budgets.

  Wrexham are, however, in a relatively comfortable position at present. With Parkinson welcoming players back from injury and fresh faces feeling more settled in new surroundings, another promotion push cannot be ruled out. A return to Championship action after the November international break will be made when taking on Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fluminense anunciou a contratação do atacante Marquinhos. O atacante de 20 anos assinou vínculo com o Tricolor das Laranjeiras até o fim do ano. O atleta pertence ao Arsenal, da Inglaterra, e chega ao clube por empréstimo com opção de compra.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

– Estou muito feliz. É uma oportunidade muito grande na minha carreira poder representar a armadura do Fluminense. Estou muito contente e espero que a gente escreva uma história bonita, com títulos e muitas vitórias. O Fluminense um clube que almeja grandes coisas e isso foi o que me fez vir para cá. O objetivo para a temporada é conquistar o máximo possível de títulos. Se conseguirmos o bicampeonato da Libertadores seria maravilhoso – declarou o novo reforço do Flu.

CATCHAAAAUUUM ⚡️⚡️⚡️ pic.twitter.com/iFotweIs7b

— Fluminense F.C. (@FluminenseFC) February 15, 2024

Marquinhos foi revelado pelo São Paulo e vendido ao Arsenal em junho de 2022. O jovem atleta chegou a ser emprestado ao Norwich, da Inglaterra, e Nantes, da França. O atacante de 20 anos acumula diversas convocações para seleções de base, conquistou a medalha de ouro nos Jogos Pan-Americanos de Santiago-2023 e foi o camisa 10 do Brasil na disputa do Pré-Olímpico da Venezuela.

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➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

Marquinhos se tornou a sétima contratação do Fluminense para 2024. O Tricolor das Laranjeiras já havia anunciado o goleiro Felipe Alves, o zagueiro Antônio Carlos, os meias Renato Augusto, Terans e Gabriel Pires, e os atacantes Douglas Costa e Jan Lacumí.

Tudo sobre

Fluminense

Pakistan brought in Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf for Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2025

Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha at the toss•AFP/Getty Images

Toss India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to field in the Asia Cup Super Fours match against Pakistan keeping in mind the dew in Dubai. He said there was a lot of dew around when India trained on the eve of the match.India went back to their first-choice XI, bringing back Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy. Out went Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, who played against Oman once India had ensured their qualification for the Super Fours stage. As expected, Axar Patel was fit for the match after he went off the field with a blow to the head during the game against Oman.Pakistan, who had chosen to bat first in historically bowl-first conditions in their group game against India last Sunday, were looking to correct themselves had they won the toss, but didn’t get the opportunity to make that choice. Pakistan made two changes themselves, bringing in Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf for Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah. That meant Haris Rauf stayed in the XI. Both Talat and Ashraf are seam-bowling allrounders.The captains didn’t shake hands with each other or match referee Andy Pycroft at the toss.Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Mohammad Haris (wk), 6 Hussain Talat, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.

Chelsea’s transfer strategy over the last few seasons has seen them sign plenty of hugely talented players.

The likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Estevao and Marc Cucurella, for example, are some of the most exciting in the Premier League.

However, the Blues have also signed more than their fair share of flops, some of whom still need to be moved on as soon as possible.

This includes an international centre-back who was once compared to John Terry.

The worst centre-backs signed under Todd Boehly

While Chelsea have made at least one poor signing in practically every position since Todd Boehly and Co took charge, they seem to have had particular bad luck at centre-back.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

For example, ranking as one of the worst signings the club have made over the last few years is Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly.

The Blues paid Napoli around £33m for the then-highly rated and vastly experienced defender in 2022, and to their credit, it seemed like a good signing at the time.

After all, the monster centre-back was long seen as one of the best in his position in Europe, but it quickly became apparent that the West Londoners had picked him up a few years too late.

He was slow on and off the ball, prone to mistakes, and simply looked out of place in the Premier League, and was sold to Saudi Pro-League side Al-Hilal after just one year.

Another defender who has failed to live up to expectations at Stamford Bridge, or even get close to them, is Benoit Badiashile.

The former AS Monaco gem joined the Blues in January 2023 for a fee of around £35m, and at the time, fans thought the club had just secured one of the best up-and-coming defenders in French football.

After all, he made his debut for the Ligue 1 side at just 17 years old, and by the time Chelsea came knocking, he had already amassed an impressive tally of 135 appearances for them.

Standing 6 foot 4 inches tall and described as the “complete centre-back” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his speed, power and ability on the ball, it seemed like he would be a hit.

Unfortunately, while he wasn’t as bad as Koulibaly, he has still made far too many mistakes and was limited to just 16 starts across all competitions last season.

There might be a way back for the Frenchman now he’s fit again, but the same cannot be said for one of his teammates, who was once compared to the iconic John Terry.

The Chelsea player compared to John Terry

One of the members of Chelsea’s ‘bomb squad,’ Maresca and Co. need to get rid of Axel Disasi as soon as possible, for his benefit as much as the club’s.

It’s hard to imagine it now, but when the 27-year-old centre-back first joined the Blues, in the summer of 2023, there was a fair deal of excitement from fans and pundits alike.

After all, here was a French international who had made a brief appearance in the World Cup final the winter before and someone who was one of the most exciting defenders in Ligue 1.

In fact, just a few years before his move to Stamford Bridge, talent scout Jacek Kulig compared him to Virgil van Dijk and described him as “a true hidden gem” who was “born to play in England.”

The Gonesse-born titan’s time in West London couldn’t have got off to a better start, either, as on his debut, he scored a header to earn his side a point against Liverpool.

Unfortunately, over the following months, he would begin to struggle with the quality of the league, but then-boss Mauricio Pochettino kept him in the team, and away to Manchester City in February, he got his rewards.

The former AS Monaco ace was sensational against the champions, and according to Jamie Carragher, his “John Terry performance” was the reason the Blues left the Etihad with a point.

Appearances

61

Minutes

4974

Starts

56

Goals

5

Assists

2

Points per Game

1.89

That is just about the highest praise a Chelsea defender can get, and unfortunately, he has not performed anywhere close to that level since.

The following season saw him stay at Stamford Bridge for the first half, but he was sent on loan to Aston Villa for the second half, where he made ten appearances and failed to stamp his authority on the backline.

Things have gotten even worse this year, as, at the time of writing, the only appearance he has made was for the club’s U21S against Reading’s U21S last week.

Unfortunately, it is clear that Maresca has no intention of even including Disasi in his squad this season, so considering he’s earning £80k-per-week, and for his own sake, Chelsea should look to sell him as soon as possible.

Chelsea teenager who's "truly ridiculous" looks like a right-footed Palmer

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 13, 2025

Arsenal have now discovered where they stand in the race to sign Malick Fofana, according to recent reports, and the winger has made his mind up on a move to Barcelona.

Despite how impressive the Gunners have been so far this season, their left-hand side remains their biggest weakness. The form of Martinelli remains inconsistent and he remains sidelined, whilst Leandro Trossard is now 30 years old and not a long-term option. After addressing their striker problem by signing Viktor Gyokeres in the summer, Arsenal must do the same on their left-hand side.

Arteta must drop 5/10 Arsenal star who lost the ball every 4 passes

Arsenal were uncharacteristically ropey against Sunderland on Saturday.

By
Matt Dawson

Nov 9, 2025

That said, given that they sit top of the Premier League with an excellent defensive record and set-piece threat, those in North London will be in no urgent rush to panic buy any potential improvements.

Their 2-2 draw against Sunderland on Saturday was the first time that Arsenal have dropped points in the Premier League since September and they’ve not lost a game in all competitions since August. Everything is pointing towards major silverware at long last for Mikel Arteta.

In an ideal world for those at The Emirates, Arsenal will march towards Premier League glory and then find themselves in the perfect opportunity to welcome any other improvements.

Already, the champions-elect have been linked with moves for the likes of Javi Guerra in what would see another La Liga talent arrive and he’s not the only one on their reported shortlist.

Recent reports have also shared Arsenal’s interest in Lyon’s Fofana, who is one of the most-wanted wingers around European football. Those same reports even revealed where the Gunners stand in the race to secure his signature.

Fofana dream revealed as Arsenal find out transfer position

According to Sport in Spain, Arsenal are now the most interested side in signing Fofana alongside Chelsea in a frustrating blow for Barcelona. The Belgium star has made his desire to complete a move to the Premier League no secret, with his agent admitting earlier this year that he dreams of moving to Liverpool.

Whilst that may seem like a blow for the likes of Arsenal, it is reportedly the Gunners who are at the front and centre of the race to secure his signature and not the Reds. Potentially with the Premier League title in hand, those in North London stand every chance of swaying Fofana, who has his sights set on English football instead of a move to Barcelona.

Fofana’s agent, Bobo Fofana, said back in March: “The choice of the heart would be Liverpool. He has the potential to become a regular, and above all, we’d like to see him succeed African legends such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and Elhadj Diouf.”

A player who’s been described as “explosive” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Fofana is not a talent that Arsenal will want to miss out on, especially if it is to title rivals Liverpool.

Arteta has Arsenal's best finisher since Van Persie & it's not Gyokeres

The U.S. scored early and never stopped, putting five past a strong Uruguay side in their final match of 2025.

To close out 2025, the U.S. men’s national team lined up two final tests. The first was handled with ease – a 2-1 win over Paraguay that stretched the unbeaten run and nudged the U.S. into their final exam against Uruguay, one of the world’s true heavyweights.

If Paraguay was a passing grade, then Tuesday was an A+++. Extra credit was on the table, and somehow the U.S. claimed all of it in a stunning dismantling of Uruguay.

Goal after goal went in and, by the time the U.S. finally eased off, the scoreline read 5-1. With manager Mauricio Pochettino rotating heavily – nine of 10 outfield players changed – the U.S. lined up against Uruguay and absolutely dominated. Alex Freeman scored twice, Sebastian Berhalter added a goal and an assist, and Tanner Tessmann and Diego Luna chipped in as well, sealing the USMNT’s most emphatic win of the Pochettino era. It marks the first time the USMNT has scored five goals against a CONMEBOL nation, a World Cup winner, or a FIFA top-30 opponent – according to TruMedia Sports' Paul Carr. 

It started early, and from Uruguay’s perspective, it unraveled quickly. Berhalter’s superb finish in the 17th minute set the tone, and the U.S. were four goals up by the 43rd, when Luna punished an overwhelmed Uruguay side yet again. A bicycle-kick strike from Giorgian De Arrascaeta gave Pochettino something to bark about, and the U.S. seemed to take the hint. Four minutes after Rodrigo Bentancur’s 65th-minute red card, Tessmann made it five, putting the final stamp on a statement win.

This was the last time the USMNT will take the field until March, when they enter their final pre-World Cup window. And as sendoffs go, this was a remarkable one for Pochettino’s first full year in charge – a year full of hurdles that somehow ends with the U.S. looking better than ever.

GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Raymond James Stadium…

AFPGoalkeeper & Defense

Matt Freese (5/10):

Didn't have to do much, but surely should have done better on the goal. The U.S. survived the initial ball in, but not the sequence, as his decision to come out of the net ultimately cost the U.S.

John Tolkin (6/10):

A pretty good game, all things considered. Got forward well and was never challenged defensively. Drew a few fouls, too.

Auston Trusty (7/10):

Credited with the assist on Freeman's second, although that was all Freeman, to be fair. Defensively, he was super steady and nearly prevented the goal before the bicycle kick.

Mark McKenzie (6/10):

Not quite as good as Trusty, but still pretty good. In truth, he wasn't challenged too often, and there wasn't much he could do on the goal given the quality of finish.

Alex Freeman (9/10):

What a performance. Scored two goals, both very different, and handled anything Uruguay well defensively, too. A night to be proud of for the Florida native.

Sergino Dest (7/10):

Another one with an "assist" but, again, all Berhalter. Given more freedom as he essentially played as a midfielder, but did more defensive work than you would expect.

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Sebastian Berhalter (9/10):

Set piece superstar. His goal is a Goal of the Year contender, and his assist was stunning, too. Fun fact: he now has a USMNT goal and his dad doesn't.

Aidan Morris (7/10):

A good shift in midfield against a talented Uruguay unit. Never looked phased and seemingly never had to work too hard, either.

Timothy Tillman (6/10):

Played a little bit higher, but wasn't overly involved outside of the first few minutes. Not a bad game, but was certainly overshadowed by the goal scorers on the pitch. 

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Diego Luna (7/10):

Lovely finish from a player who has provided a few of those this year. Didn't create too much danger otherwise, but really took his chance well.

Haji Wright (7/10):

He was good at holding the ball up, springing several U.S. attackers thanks to his ability to occupy the Uruguay defense. Didn't get a goal, but deserved one for all of the hard work he did.

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Folarin Balogun (5/10):

Hardly got a touch of the ball as Uruguay sat back while down a man.

Gio Reyna (8/10):

Another game, another assist, as he set up Tessmann's goal. Uruguay made it easy for him by not pressing, but that ball in was fantastic.

Tanner Tessmann (9/10):

Came off the bench to score his first USMNT goal with a lovely headed finish.

Brenden Aaronson (6/10):

Got a few touches, but didn't get much else.

Max Arfsten (7/10):

Came on late but was actually pretty involved, even with the sting taken out of the game.

Cristian Roldan (N/A):

Tossed in with two minutes left to run around a little bit.

Mauricio Pochettino (9/10):

Was surely in dreamland through this one. While Uruguay looked lethargic and unenthused, the USMNT pressed like dogs right up until the final whistle. A statement win that allows the U.S. to end 2025 on the highest of notes.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are now ready to take drastic action to move Jadon Sancho on from the club in 2026.

Sancho struggling on loan at Aston Villa

The Red Devils winger is under contract until the end of the season, although there is an option to extend that by a further 12 months to protect his value after joining for £70m.

Sancho has not played in the Premier League for Man Utd since 2023 and has had loan spells at Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and now Aston Villa, where he is for the 2025/26 season.

However, the 25-year-old has struggled to make an impact at Villa Park, playing just 69 minutes of top flight football in the current campaign.

Sancho did come on for Villa in the first half in the recent 1-0 win against Man City, although he was then substituted in the closing stages by Unai Emery, who said it was “embarrassing” for the attacker.

Yet to start for Villa in the Premier League, Man Utd will soon have a decision to make, extend Sancho’s contract until 2027 or allow him to leave for free.

Man Utd ready to let Sancho leave for £0

As reported by talkSPORT, Man Utd and Ratcliffe are resigned to losing Sancho for free in 2026 instead of triggering the clause in his contract to protect his transfer value.

The Red Devils are willing to cut their losses on Sancho one year ahead of schedule, saving £200,000-a-week in wages which works out at more than £10m for the 2026/27 season.

Of course, that means United won’t receive a transfer fee next year for the “crazy talent”, bringing to an end what has been a woeful Old Trafford stint.

Sancho has scored 12 goals in 83 appearances for Man Utd, registering six assists and playing just over 5,000 minutes in a Red Devils shirt.

Earlier in 2025, Ratcliffe called Sancho a “thing from the past” alongside the likes of Antony, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund, players who INEOS were still “buying” after their transfers under the Glazers.

“If you look at the players we are buying this summer, that we didn’t buy, we’re buying Antony, we’re buying Casemiro, we’re buying Onana, we’re buying Hojlund, we’re buying Sancho. These are all things from the past, whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out.

“For Sancho, who now plays for Chelsea and we pay half his wages, we’re paying £17m to buy him in the summer. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future.”

Fergie said Man Utd flop would reach Neville's level but he left for £2.5m