Tag Futebol

Southampton are building for a campaign back in the Championship and could now be about to make a transfer statement ahead of the new season, according to reports.

Will Still begins to lay down authority at Southampton

Despite suffering relegation in acrimonious circumstances last term, Southampton appear to be heading back in the right direction after appointing Will Still to lead them forward.

The former RC Lens coach has added Paul Trollope to his staff as an assistant, which is something Rickie Lambert believes can have a major impact behind the scenes in the Saints’ quest for promotion.

He explained: “Trolls has bought me twice, at Bristol Rovers and at Cardiff. He’s an excellent manager. I went to see him and Rob Edwards at Luton to see how they were working together there. Honest to god, the way they worked together was one of the best I’ve seen.

“Trolls as a person is one of the best. His sessions are brilliant, his knowledge about the game…he’s an excellent addition to Southampton.”

In the field of recruitment, Southampton have turned their attention to Sunderland goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, and their interest could intensify if Aaron Ramsdale’s relegation release clause is activated this summer.

Southampton and Still want to sign new £4m+ forward with 11 goals in 24/25

The Saints are looking for a swift return to the Premier League.

BySean Markus Clifford May 30, 2025

Finances could be available for Saints to spend over the next couple of months. Taylor Harwood-Bellis has been the subject of a rejected £19 million bid from Porto, and he may be a candidate to bring in funds for Still to ignite a rebuild on the South Coast.

Paul Onuachu is moving to Trabzonspor after an uninspiring spell at St Mary’s. His departure may now have paved the way for an exciting new arrival, per recent developments.

Southampton agree deal to sign Damion Downs

According to Sky Sports journalist Marc McAdam, Southampton have agreed a deal to sign FC Koln striker Damion Downs and the ‘finer details’ of his move to the South Coast club will be ironed out after the United States international returns from the Gold Cup.

Believed to be coming in for £6.8 million, he will likely take Onuachu’s place in the squad ahead of the new campaign. He is set to be involved in the Gold Cup final against Mexico on Monday, 7th July.

Earning plaudits after a return of 11 goals and six assists in 32 appearances across all competitions for FC Koln, the Werneck-born man also managed to direct 25 of his 60 shots on target in Bundesliga.2.

Fresh faces are needed for Southampton to gain the hunger needed for a tilt at promotion back to the top-flight, and Downs is someone who could now have a big part to play under Still’s guidance.

Norwich City have now reached a £2.1 million agreement to complete their fifth signing of this summer, according to a recent report.

Canaries active early in the summer window

It has been a busy few weeks for the Canaries since their 2024/25 Championship campaign came to an end. Not only have Norwich brought a new manager in, in the form of Liam Manning, but they have also made four new additions in the short time the transfer window has been open.

Nottingham Forest submit bid to sign "brilliant" £13m ace from Norwich

Nottingham Forest have now made an official bid to sign a player from the Championship.

ByBrett Worthington Jun 12, 2025

Midfielder Jacob Wright became Norwich’s first signing of the summer, as he joined the club on a permanent basis from Manchester City. He was then followed by goalkeeper Daniel Grimshaw, who has joined from Plymouth Argyle. Defender Harry Darling joined the Canaries early this week, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal after rejecting a contract offer from Swansea City.

Norwich have since added a fourth signing this week, as they have announced the arrival of another goalkeeper in the form of Louie Moulden. Moulden joins the club on a free transfer after his contract at Crystal Palace expired, and he has signed a two-year deal at Carrow Road. Moulden is “buzzing” to be at Norwich and is “looking forward to getting started”.

He told Norwich’s media team: “Buzzing to be here, really happy. Obviously, it’s a huge club with great fans. And I’m really looking forward to getting started now.

“I want to show my quality to the manager, push the other goalkeepers and see where that takes us.”

Norwich reach £2.1m agreement to complete 5th signing this summer

It could be three signings in a week for the Canaries, as according to Dutch outlet De Telegraaf, Norwich have reached an agreement with Ajax to sign defender Jakov Medic.

Medic had the option of many Championship clubs this summer, but his preferred destination was Carrow Road. The report states that the Canaries have agreed a 2.5 million euro (£2.1m) fee plus bonuses and a percentage of a resale should Medic leave Norwich.

The 26-year-old has been at Ajax since August 2023, when he joined the club from FC St. Pauli. He spent the 2023/24 campaign with the Dutch side but played just six games in the Eredivisie, as well as three games in the Europa League. His game time with his parent club didn’t improve last term, and he was sent out on loan to German side VfL Bochum, where he played 23 times in the Bundesliga.

Apps

23

Starts

17

Goals

1

Touches per game

45.0

Passing accuracy per game

30.1 (88%)

Interceptions per game

1.0

Tackles per game

0.6

Balls recovered per game

3.3

Clearances per game

4.9

Medic, who is a centre-back by trade but can also operate in a defensive midfield role, will join Darling as a defensive signing this summer. The Canaries already have the likes of Shane Duffy, Ruairi McConville and Jose Córdoba as centre-back options, but it is likely Medic and Darling could form a partnership now at the heart of Norwich’s defence.

Chelsea are now aiming to seal the signing of a key target by the end of this month, according to Fabrizio Romano, and Enzo Maresca’s side are very keen to strike a deal for the player as soon as possible.

Chelsea set for "huge" Premier League clash with Newcastle United

On the field, Chelsea are putting full focus into their race for Champions League qualification, and face a “huge” trip to St James’ Park, where they will take on fellow top-five contenders Newcastle United.

Related Shields pushing Chelsea to sign £90m Villa star amid belief price may drop

The Stamford Bridge recruiter is very keen.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 10, 2025

Chelsea will be fully aware of the tough task facing them on Sunday, having already lost at St. James’ in the Carabao Cup this season, but they’ll also go into the contest on a high after beating Premier League champions Liverpool last weekend.

Chelsea’s final Premier League fixtures

Date

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

Maresca’s side have picked up form again, winning their last three league games, with Newcastle coming as a very well-matched opponent. Both sides are level on points and goal difference, but a win up north has the power to all but seal Chelsea’s place in the Champions League draw next season, depending on results elsewhere.

“It’s a big one, it’s a huge one,” said Maresca on Chelsea’s clash with Newcastle.

“United will be a big one, Forest will be a big one. Now we have three more games, all of them are going to be big games. For sure, Sunday is a chance to start in the right way. We are on a good run, in a good mood, and hopefully, we can play a good game and win the game.”

Maintaining their place in the top five and qualifying for the Champions League will also have a knock-on effect when it comes to their summer transfer plans, as already confirmed by Maresca, so a lot is on the line.

Chelsea want to sign Dean Huijsen "by the end of May"

One of their top targets, according to widespread reports, is Bournemouth defender Dean Huijsen.

The Spaniard’s £50 million release clause has piqued interest from across England and beyond, with Chelsea reliably believed to have held serious talks with Huijsen’s camp ahead of the summer window, which opens on June 1.

According to Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, Chelsea now want to seal a deal for Huijsen by the end of May, as they seek to finalise an agreement as soon as possible amid the fierce competition for his signature.

“The idea of the three main Premier League clubs involved in this story, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, is to do the deal now as soon as possible,” said Romano.

“Now it means by the end of May, so to close the deal this month.”

The 20-year-old has seriously impressed over his debut campaign in England, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp lavishing praise on Huijsen as an already “complete” defender.

“If you’re creating a footballer, the modern-day centre-back, you’ve got a bit of the influence from the Netherlands, the influence from Spain, where they come out with the ball and all the great defenders they’ve had,” said Redknapp.

“And then you’ve got that Italian mark on it as well, so the journey, the mixture that he’s got, is pretty perfect, and now he’s found himself in the Premier League. The elements are good, everything is right for him. You have to get all the right ingredients to be a top player.

“He’s a complete player, this young man.”

Manchester United have now agreed personal terms with a striker following talks with his entourage, but they must shell out €75m (£64m) to get a deal done, according to a report.

Man Utd's striker pursuit heating up

Following the late heroics against Lyon to progress to the Europa League semi-finals, Ruben Amorim would’ve been hoping to ride the momentum into the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend, but his side came up short in a 1-0 defeat.

It was a drab affair at Old Trafford, with Rasmus Hojlund once again failing to find the back of the net in the Premier League, having scored just one goal in his last 18 games, which highlights the need for a replacement to be brought in this summer.

The Red Devils and INEOS are now stepping up their pursuit of a new striker, and they are believed to be on the verge of signing Wolves star Matheus Cunha, having held positive talks over a deal for the Brazilian.

Related Better than Cunha: Man Utd to step up move for 'one of PL's best players'

Man Utd appear to be closing in on a move for Matheus Cunha – but is he the best target?

Posts ByRobbie Walls Apr 22, 2025

Cunha is not the only option, however, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap also on the list of targets ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), there has now been a promising update in Manchester United’s pursuit of Victor Osimhen, as they are believed to have reached an agreement in principle on personal terms.

United have held talks with Osimhen’s entourage, and negotiations appear to be going well, with the striker seemingly keen on a move to Old Trafford this summer, and Amorim’s side are now becoming more determined to get a deal done.

A deal will not be cheap, however, as the Red Devils will have to fork out the forward’s €75m (£64m) release clause, which only applies to clubs outside of Italy.

"World-class" Osimhen could be huge upgrade on Hojlund

Lauded as “world-class” by members of the media, the Nigerian is enjoying a fantastic season on loan at Galatasaray, amassing an incredible 30 goals in 35 matches across all competitions, while also providing seven assists.

Albeit playing in a much weaker league, the 26-year-old is vastly outscoring Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, and he has proven himself in one of Europe’s top leagues in the past, scoring 26 Serie A goals en-route to Napoli’s title triumph in the 2022-23 season.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Turkish Süper Lig

25

21

4

Europa League

7

6

2

Turkish Cup

3

3

1

Osimhen could be a fantastic signing for Man United this summer, at which point signing a new striker should be one of their main priorities, given that Hojlund and Zirkzee cannot be relied upon as a regular source of goals.

From messy breakups to simmering feuds to returning prodigals, this season has it all

Alagappan Muthu18-Mar-2025When something unbelievable happens on TV, it becomes a part of our real life. We talk about it the next day, long after the reveal, still basking in it. It’s the standard soap-opera high, and the IPL has been tapping into it for 18 years. Its even had an evil twin.By actively shuffling its talent through that chaos engine called an auction, this tournament replenishes itself, creating potential for the most unpredictable outcomes, not to mention immediately recognisable storylines born out of putting the same old players in fun new roles. This season we’ll see the return of a prodigal son, the start of a new feud, a lot of heartbreak and much more.Related

Spotlight on Rahul and Pant as DC and LSG begin new season with new hope

Shardul Thakur joins LSG as replacement for injured Mohsin Khan

IPL 2025 FAQs: What's new this season? Any changes in format?

KKR vs RCB rivalry: Exciting, intense and dramatic encounters over the years

Gill wants Gujarat Titans to 'maximise the powerplay'

“It feels odd actually,” R Ashwin said in a video posted by Chennai Super Kings, where for the first time since 2015 he was wearing yellow again. In that time, he’s captained a different franchise, he’s been to two finals, he’s experienced Chepauk from the visitors’ dugout and seemed to make it a point to do really well against his old employers – eight wins in 12 games along with 15 wickets and two Player-of-the-Match performances. That’s twice as much as he won at CSK. Dude was winning the breakup.In November, CSK brought Ashwin back for INR 9.75 crore. They’ve only ever spent more on five players in auctions, and he’s got right down to business, which, according to some shaky cam footage of training sessions, includes downloading the secrets of playing the helicopter shot from MS Dhoni. Or was it actually an upload?Last year, Shreyas Iyer received the IPL trophy from the heads of the organisation that culled him from its central contracts list•AFP/Getty Images”I invited him for my 100th Test to hand over the memento,” Ashwin, who is looking at a major personal landmark, said at a book launch on Sunday. “It was in Dharamsala and I wanted to make that my last Test. He couldn’t make it. But I didn’t think he’d hand over the gift of getting me back to CSK. It’s a much better one.”Coincidence is Shreyas Iyer becoming Ranji Trophy champion a few days after he was cut from the BCCI’s central contracts list. Then he became IPL champion, Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy winner, and Champions Trophy winner, and it was clear he was the jilted ex showing off his revenge bod. Fate even conspired to have Roger Binny, the head of the organisation that tore up his contract, hand out the silverware – and white jackets – in all but one of those tournaments. Kolkata Knight Riders, what have you done?!Punjab Kings are ready for a new beginning, and they didn’t waste any time putting their very expensive good-luck charm front and centre.All was not well at Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. The face of one of those franchises leapt up on the shop window when he casually wondered, in front of the entire world, “if I go to the auction, will I be sold or not and for how much?” We’re not saying that put the competition on notice that a high-performing, easily marketable asset was up for grabs and that they’d do well to carve out a significant portion of their budget for him. But we’re also not not saying it. Rishabh Pant landed himself an INR 27 crore payday and will be playing for a team whose owner berated their previous captain on live TV.”Disrespect,” KL Rahul said, when ESPNcricinfo asked him about the one thing that made him really angry, and it was hard not to think of that night when he stood in stunned silence, unable to reconcile that 167 runs could be scored in 9.4 overs while his boss demanded answers for all of it happening on his watch. Accountability is important, and being mauled like that does warrant a debrief if only so it doesn’t happen again. IPL captains are prone to being summoned out of bed in the dead of night to explain the decisions they make – even the really minute ones like why they poked their nose at a 42-degree angle instead of 45. It’s part of the job. It’s just that all this usually takes place behind closed doors.Glenn Maxwell has a long and complicated history with Punjab Kings, his not-quite-new team•BCCIRahul has now moved to DC. Isn’t that nice? Now there are neatly-drawn enemy lines. Look for them this Monday because those two teams kick off their IPL campaigns against each other.In a case of actual love lost, Glenn Maxwell and Royal Challengers Bengaluru are no longer together. But there’s still something there. When they had the exit meeting, they “ended up talking about the game for half an hour”. Does that sound like two parties who are ready to move on? All we can do is hope that his new franchise treats him right and helps mend his broken heart. Where is he off to again? *checks notes* Oh damn.Jos Buttler is in need of mending as well. He looked like a ghost in the Champions Trophy and though most people put that down to his own personal performance as batter and leader of England, the real reason was obviously that he was distraught he won’t get to go play with Yuzvendra Chahal anymore. Feelings that probably surfaced when another Rajasthan Royal, Sanju Samson, with whom he’s shared a dressing room for seven years, found his way to Buttler’s table at dinner, a blubbering mess himself. Good luck following that, Gujarat Titans.There is a Steve Smith on X, a normal guy with a regular job, who gets spammed every time his rather more famous namesake does things in cricket. Potentially, there is also a Mitchell Starc somewhere out there who must have received a message meant for someone else, because his rather more famous namesake had no idea KKR were going to drop him. The retention deadline had long passed and Starc – the white-ball GOAT not the made-up rando – had to learn that the team he helped win the IPL had moved on in the media. It’s going to be fun when they come up against each other this year (April 29 in Delhi). Based on words caught on a stump mic, this guy with a WMD for a left arm also has a long memory.

The England phenom has had a tough time dealing with slow and low pitches

Alagappan Muthu28-Apr-2023Harry Brook has a highest score of 13 at his IPL home ground.At his best, he is a batter who forces a rethink about what cricket even is because he has this habit of hitting good balls for boundaries. More to the point, he has been able to do so with ease away from home. Test hundreds in Rawalpindi, Multan, Karachi and Wellington proved that England had unearthed a gem.The IPL obviously took notice. He went for INR 13.25 crore at the auction. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who went in with the biggest purse, were fairly happy with their purchase. They have a history of underwhelming middle orders. So to pick up the next big thing in the sport, a man who weaves most of his magic from No. 5, constituted a big win.Related

Harry Brook: 'I think I've watched my hundred back about 25 times'

Misfiring batters under spotlight as Capitals, Sunrisers seek a lift

Sunrisers' self-destruct sequence

Half-time report: CSK and Titans fly, but mid-table logjam leaves everything to play for

Only nobody thought it would go like this. Or maybe they should have.Those runs in Pakistan came on flat tracks. The ones in New Zealand had pace and bounce. This is India, and six out of seven times, he’s found himself dealing with conditions that are slow and low.Brook began IPL 2023 in the middle order, where he had a tendency to commit too early and lose his shape. He’s built a whole lot of muscle memory playing cricket in places where the ball comes on to the bat. So as soon as he sees one on a length, he’s into the drive on the up. He hasn’t always accounted for how, over here, the ball stops on the pitch.Sunrisers tried to mitigate this by pushing Brook up to open where he had a better chance of having the ball come on to his bat, and for one glorious night at Eden Gardens, it worked.

SRH bought Brook for a lot of money. That automatically brings scrutiny. They made some of his team-mates bat out of position to give him the best chance of success. That brings a whole different kind of pressure

Outside of that innings, though, Brook has made 63 runs in 73 balls with seven fours and no sixes. This is not uncommon for an overseas player dealing with their first IPL. Especially because a lot of them, like Brook, grow up in conditions that are the polar opposite of what they face here, of what they are asked to immediately overcome. Eoin Morgan and Aaron Finch, two World Cup-winning captains, know exactly what Brook’s going through right now.It is totally on him to do better but also, should his team have put so much on his plate? They bought Brook for a lot of money. That automatically brings scrutiny. They made some of his team-mates bat out of position to give him the best chance of success. That brings a whole different kind of pressure.Abhishek Sharma was acquired for INR 6.5 crore at the mega auction ahead of IPL 2022. That was huge for someone who had played only 22 matches in the tournament, and was yet to hit a fifty. But he repaid their faith immediately, finishing the season as their highest scorer. And here’s the rub – Abhishek opened in every single one of those 14 innings. Now, one year later, he doesn’t have a fixed position. He’s batted at the top twice. One innings at No. 4 and one at No. 5.For what it’s worth, Brian Lara, the Sunrisers coach, likes it this way. He sees Abhishek’s left-handedness as an advantage in the middle order.1:27

Should Brook continue to open for SRH?

And as for Brook, well, a former Sunrisers coach, the one who took them to the title in 2016, believes he will provide a handsome return on the investment.”This is a long-term play,” Tom Moody said at the start of April on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out. “I feel that Sunrisers have identified a very, very exciting young player. He’s only 24 years old. And they see him as a ten-year-plus project. So a lot of people will look back in time and think, ‘gosh, they got him at a steal’. You know, he’s now part of that franchise. A bit like an AB de Villiers was for RCB.”Moody has since pointed out that Brook isn’t playing on instinct like he used to, which makes sense. He is with a new team, in a new country, answering to the largest cricket-watching audience in the world. Some of them had already got to him. “I went on to social media, people were calling me rubbish, and you start to doubt yourself a little bit.” It almost feels like he’s given a little too much thought to proving he belongs in the IPL.This is the part where a senior player should have stepped in and picked up the slack. Like, maybe, Sunrisers’ other big buy at the 2023 auction. Mayank Agarwal was supposed to be the experienced Indian batter they could rely on. Instead, he’s averaging 23, striking at 111 and contributing roughly 25% of the wickets they have lost to spin (five of 22).All of this combined has left Sunrisers with a huge problem, and because it’s at the top, it’s trickling down into everything they are trying to do.

His numbers are stunning despite lacking the kind of support Bumrah and Rabada have had

Vishal Dikshit31-Oct-2020Jofra Archer runs in to bowl as casually as you would if a kitten was after you. But he delivers the ball as fiercely as you would if you were to bounce out a tiger shark charging at you.Archer has been doing this all tournament now – running in at a pace you think is not his quickest, picking wickets as regularly as you’ve been attending Zoom meetings recently, bouncing out top-order batsmen for fun, returning in the death overs to scare the lower order and the tail, and then going back to play his XboX. And just like that, he has 19 wickets from 13 games for the Rajasthan Royals with a stunning economy rate of 6.69, which is far better than even Kagiso Rabada’s 8.13, Jasprit Bumrah’s 7.18 and Mohammed Shami’s 8.67, who are all marginally ahead of him on the wicket-takers’ list.But there’s one thing each of those bowlers has that Archer doesn’t: strong bowling support from the other end. The Royals’ over-dependence on Archer shows in many ways. It’s evident in the statistics, in their use of Archer against the opposition’s top batsmen, in the way oppositions look to see his spell off and target the other bowlers, and how the Royals seem handicapped when they need one more over of tight bowling from the other end to sustain the pressure when Archer has just finished his over. But there’s nobody to turn to.If Rabada has Anrich Nortje to share the responsibility, Bumrah is flanked by Trent Boult and James Pattinson, and Shami has had Arshdeep Singh of late in the powerplay or Chris Jordan at the death. Archer is standing tall and alone at the top for the Royals. Their next best bowler (Shreyas Gopal) on the wicket-takers’ list is not even in the top 20 overall, and their next best quick bowler is not even in the top 30: it’s 19-year-old Kartik Tyagi, who has impressed but can’t be expected to share such a responsibility at this stage of his career. The more experienced Jaydev Unadkat has four wickets with an economy rate of nearly 10 an over, and Ankit Rajpoot has only two while leaking 11.70 runs per over.In short, Archer’s 19 scalps are exactly half of the 38 wickets the Royals pace bowlers have picked this IPL, and while his economy rate is well under seven, the others collectively concede 10.51 per over. According to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Starts, Archer’s bowling impact is also twice as good as the next best Royals bowler in IPL 2020.This over-dependence was briefly evident on Friday night against the Kings XI Punjab when the Royals wanted Archer to bowl his raw pace to Chris Gayle upfront. And to make that happen too, they needed Archer to strike early because Gayle has been batting at No. 3 this IPL. With his same casual-looking run-up, Archer bounced out Mandeep Singh with a ferocious 144kmh delivery at the end of the first over, and out walked Gayle. Even more casually.Jofra Archer whistles a bouncer past Chris Gayle•BCCIArcher must have been itching to bowl his next over to Gayle, hoping that he would retain strike. Instead, he gets a boundary off an inside edge, and Archer has to bowl to KL Rahul again. He waits long, for another five balls, before Rahul finally takes a single and he can bowl to Gayle. Archer bangs the ball in, it whizzes past Gayle’s chin as he drops his hands and Archer’s two overs are done after having bowled only one delivery to Gayle.The Royals have needed Archer’s two overs so desperately at the death that they haven’t bowled more than two of his even once in the powerplay this IPL. The temptation is there to make him bowl a third in a row this time. Gayle is still fresh; get him early and the middle order could stutter. The season is on the line. Two legspinners have to be bowled later, and Gayle will pounce on them.But Archer is taken off. It’s probably to contain the damage at the end.”There’s always a consideration to bowl Jofra in many phases of the game but he’s got only four overs and we’ve got to position that in the best way we see,” the Royals coach Andrew McDonald told the commentators during the game on Star Sports. “It’s always a consideration to get two great overs upfront and then the third over is always going to be questionable but we need a couple of other bowlers in support there. We saw Varun [Aaron] almost got the breakthrough as well, so it’s always bowling around him (Archer) most importantly.”Lack of support from the other end has also meant the Royals can’t use him the way the Delhi Capitals bowl Rabada or how the Mumbai Indians employ Bumrah. Because of Nortje and the spinners for the Capitals, and Boult and Pattinson for Mumbai, Rabada and Bumrah bowl just one over in the powerplay, one just after the halfway mark, and two precious overs at the death. Archer, on the other hand, has mostly been bowling two in the powerplay and two at the death, leaving a lot of space in the middle overs for oppositions to cash in on.On Friday, the Royals managed two points because their batting has stepped up in the last couple of games. Now, they have just the one game left to reach 14 points which can possibly get them a playoff spot. With this being Archer’s best IPL – in terms of both wickets and economy rate – all the Royals need is for someone to bowl with the same intensity as Archer for one more match to not let their season end on Sunday.

After carrying a 10-game win streak heading into the 2025 All-Star break, the Boston Red Sox have returned to their middling ways. The Alex Cora-led squad has regressed to playing at or below .500 ball and, with less than a week to go before the MLB trade deadline, has some big decisions to make on whether they want to buy—or sell—ahead of the second half of the season.

For the sake of this exercise, let's assume that Boston's front office—led by Craig Breslow—is going to be buyers prior to July 31 deadline. With a loaded outfield, a hit or miss infield, and a pitching staff that could certainly use some help, here are three players who would be perfect fits for the Red Sox down the stretch of the 2025 campaign:

3. 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn, Baltimore Orioles

After losing Triston Casas to a significant knee injury and trading Rafael Devers—who now apparently wants to play the field—to the San Francisco Giants, the Red Sox have a major hole at first base. Platooning Abraham Toro and Romy Gonzalez is simply not a recipe for postseason success.

Meanwhile, 1B/DH Ryan O'Hearn is having a career year in Baltimore, hitting .282 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI. The 31-year-old was named an All-Star for the first time this season, and with his squad sitting well below .500 and virtually out of playoff contention, it'd be wise for them to move off of him and continue building for the future.

2. SP Dylan Cease, San Diego Padres

A newcomer to the 2025 trade market, San Diego Padres Dylan Cease is a "surprise name" being floated around in discussions as we approach next week's deadline.

Despite sitting at just 3-10 this season with a 4.59 ERA, Cease is a proven ace who's pitched at a high level since his MLB debut in 2019. Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran has been a favorite of the Padres for a while now and, with San Diego's apparent willingness to now move off the righty, the two squads could kill two birds with one stone here.

For what it's worth, Boston reportedly did some "due diligence" on a trade for Cease this past offseason.

1. SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

Joe Ryan is the prized possession here for the Red Sox.

A dependable front-end starter who's still under contract for two more arbitration years in Minnesota, Ryan would be far more than a rental for Boston. The 29-year-old is 10-5 in 21 appearances this season while holding a 2.82 ERA, striking out 137batters, and allowing just 38 earned runs.

Boston would likely need to give up Duran and more to acquire Ryan, but having another reliable arm in between Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello—not only down the stretch of this season, but beyond—would be more than worth the cost.

The Colorado Rockies finally ended their devastating 22-series losing streak on Tuesday night by beating the Miami Marlins 3-2. They won Monday night and Tuesday, putting them ahead 2-0 in the three-game series—that's an official series win.

And, the Rockies sealed the win with a pretty epic ending. In the bottom of the ninth with the Rockies leading 3–2 and one out away from victory, Marlins pinch hitter Heriberto Hernandez crushed a ball to center field. Off the bat, it looked like Hernandez had tied the game, but center fielder Brenton Doyle spoiled the Marlins' chances by running over and reaching up for an incredible catch.

Check out Doyle’s heroic play.

This was Colorado's 11th win of the extremely disappointing season. Before Monday's win, the Rockies became the quickest MLB team to reach 50 losses in a season since 1884. Now, they're on a two-game winning streak.

The Rockies will look to sweep the Marlins on Wednesday afternoon. After that, they will go on to face the NL East leading New York Mets starting on Friday.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now registered their interest in signing Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, alongside a whole host of rival Premier League clubs.

Fosun would’ve been hoping Rob Edwards could breathe new life into a Wolves side that have massively disappointed so far this season, but the manager was on the receiving end of a defeat in his first match in charge, with Crystal Palace emerging as 2-0 winners at Molineux on Saturday.

Edwards’ side actually looked better from an attacking point of view, recording an xG of 1.79, compared to 1.27 from the Eagles, but they were unable to take their chances, with both Jhon Arias and Ladislav Krejci squandering big opportunities.

Things are looking bleak for the Old Gold, who are still searching for their first win of the Premier League season, and now sit nine points from safety, given that they have the worst attacking and defensive records in the top flight, scoring seven and conceding 27.

As such, if the Wanderers are to stand any chance of avoiding the drop, they may need to make major improvements at both ends of the pitch in the upcoming transfer window, and they have now made an approach for a new centre-forward.

Wolves make approach to sign Gonzalo Garcia on loan

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, in a report for Football Insider, Wolves are one of a number of clubs in the race for Real Madrid forward Garcia this January, although it remains to be seen whether they will be willing to sanction a departure.

The Spanish side are concerned about a lack of attacking depth, which means they may not be willing to let the 21-year-old leave, despite several English sides queuing up to get a deal done, with O’Rourke saying: “If Real Madrid are willing to loan him out, I’m sure it’s more than just Leeds will be interested in him. I believe Brighton, Villa and Wolves have all registered interest.

“A lot will depend on Real Madrid. If there’s any injuries to their forwards then it might mean there’s no chance that Garcia goes out and loan.”

Hailed as a “goal machine” in the media, the youngster clearly has a lot of potential, having starred for Madrid at the Club World Cup in the summer, bagging four goals and an assist in six outings out in the USA.

Wolves are in dire need of a fresh injection of quality in attack, having failed to score in four out of their last five Premier League games, with Jorgen Strand Larsen failing to impress, finding the back of the net just once in 10 top-flight outings.

As such, a move for Garcia would make sense, but it will be strange if the Real Madrid ace is willing to move to a club in huge danger of relegation, given that there is likely to be plenty of other options on the table.

Wolves prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing

Wolves now prioritising move for ex-Man City target as Edwards' first signing

The Midlands side are ready to back their new manager.

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 22, 2025