One of the targets Leeds United have for the January transfer window seems to be a new striker. Despite bringing Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha in for free over the summer, they have been lacklustre in front of goal, and are now set to sign a new number nine.

Indeed, that player could be Troy Parrott. The former Tottenham Hotspur star is said to be a key target for the Whites going into the winter transfer window.

However, the 49ers will not have a clear run at his signature, with Wolverhampton Wanderers also keen on the £20m-rated star.

Indeed, the Irish international is a man in excellent goalscoring form, sparking such interest.

Why Leeds want to sign Parrott

£20m is a small fee in the current transfer market, and Parrott certainly seems like he’d be worth that sort of price. The 23-year-old has been in excellent goalscoring form this season for both his club, Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar, and his country, Ireland.

For the Dutch top-flight side, the Spurs academy graduate has bagged an impressive 14 goals in 15 appearances, chipping in with a couple of assists, too. His form in the Eredivisie has been scintillating, with seven goals in eight appearances.

However, what has really stood out of late is Parrott’s form for Ireland.

He became a national hero earlier in the month, bagging five times in just two World Cup qualifiers to help guide his side to the playoffs and keep their dream of going Stateside next summer well and truly alive.

The 33-cap Ireland star kicked off November’s qualifiers by scoring twice to sink Portugal in a 2-0 win. Next up was a game against Hungary, in which the centre-forward bagged a remarkable hat-trick, scoring the third in stoppage time, to secure a 3-2 win and a playoff spot.

To fund the signing of Ireland’s striker, though, Leeds might first have to sell one of their highest earners.

The player Leeds must now sell

After a summer of heavy spending under the new 49ers regime, there is no saying just how much Leeds will have at their disposal in January.

The reported £20m fee for Parrott isn’t too expensive in the grand scheme of things, but who knows how much the Whites have left in the bank?

Thus, it might be the case that Jack Harrison has to depart the club in January. He has not been in good form this season after returning to the club following two years on loan at Everton, and isn’t necessarily loved by the fans. They even booed him in a preseason friendly upon his return.

Indeed, Harrison has not been the most trusted lieutenant this season under Daniel Farke. He’s played ten times in the Premier League, but has only started once and has racked up just 262 minutes.

Whilst the Stoke-born winger has yet to bag this term, he has scored 34 times and assisted 32 for Leeds across his career.

Perhaps the highlight of that was a hat-trick away to West Ham United back in 2022. However, he simply can’t reach that sort of form nowadays.

As for his time as an Everton player, those were a forgettable couple of seasons. The former Middlesbrough star played 73 games for the Toffees, but could only muster nine goals and assists.

Premier League legend Gary Neville said at the end of last season that his “quality’s been poor” for the Merseysiders.

It is easy to see why Harrison might be the fall guy for Leeds if they are to sell someone. Valued at £10.5m by Transfermarkt, he is also the second-highest earner at the club, on £90k per week, a yearly total of £4.68m.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

£100k

£5.2m

Jack Harrison

£90k

£4.68m

Sean Longstaff

£80k

£4.16m

Daniel James

£75k

£3.9m

Noah Okafor

£72.5k

£3.77m

Selling Harrison this winter could help Leeds raise the funds they need to add to their squad up front. Depth on the left wing is not necessarily an issue, with Noah Okafor and Wilfried Gnonto both fighting it out for a starting spot out there.

If Leeds can help themselves sign Parrott by selling Harrison, a player who hasn’t exactly set the world alight with his form this term, then it might be an excellent piece of business.

He's a lot like Bielsa: Leeds could sack Farke for "special" 4-2-3-1 manager

Leeds United could finally dismiss Daniel Farke and replace him with their next Marcelo Bielsa.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 24, 2025

After two All-Star seasons with the Braves, Atlanta chose to pick up pitcher Chris Sale’s $18 million club option on Wednesday, ’s Jon Heyman reported. He will remain in Atlanta for the 2026 season.

Next offseason, when Sale is 37 years old, he will become a free agent.

The 2024 Cy Young award winner started in 20 games this past season. Sale posted a 2.58 ERA and a 1.066 WHIP—His ERA was the best amongst his fellow Braves starting pitchers this past season. He threw 165 strikeouts (a team-high) over 125.2 innings pitched, while giving up 102 hits, 36 earned runs and 11 home runs.

Atlanta is believed to be in the market for another starting pitcher this offseason, so we’ll see who the team shows interest in to possibly join Sale in the rotation in 2026.

The Braves went 76–86 this past season and missed the playoffs after going to seven consecutive postseasons.

MatériaMais Notícias

Segundo informações  jornal inglês ‘ExWHUEmployee’, o 9° colocado da Premier League, West Ham demonstrou interesse em Fabrício Bruno, zagueiro do Flamengo e um dos destaques da Seleção Brasileira na última convocação.

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➡️ Tudo sobre os maiores times e as grandes estrelas do futebol no mundo afora agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Futebol Internacional

O jogador já destacou o desejo à diretoria do clube rubro-negro de se transferir para o futebol europeu, e os Hammers já avançam negociações com o zagueiro para atuar ao lado de Lucas Paquetá na Premier League.

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➡️ No Lance! Betting você tem o melhor do futebol europeu para apostar! Abra a sua conta já!

Com contrato até dezembro de 2028, a diretoria do time carioca já tinha imposto o valor de mercado de Fabrício, estipulando um valor de 18 milhões de euros, e a ideia dos londrinos é que o atleta de 28 anos assine para jogar a pré-temporada na Inglaterra. Com isso, Léo Ortiz ganharia espaço entre os titulares do técnico Tite.

– As negociações por Wesley e Fabrício Bruno estão avançando, o West Ham espera fechar os negócios em breve. Wesley (Corinthians) é visto como um empolgante jovem talento bem avaliado, já Fabrício Bruno como um zagueiro experiente com sua trajetória na Seleção iniciando – disse o perfil West Ham Brasil

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Um dos destaques da seleção de Dorival Junior, Fabrício Bruno foi elogiado por diversos portais ingleses após a vitória do Brasil por 1 a 0 sobre a Inglaterra, nos amistosos de março.

O West Ham, por ter encerrado a temporada na 9ª colocação da Premier League, não poderá disputar nenhuma competição europeia.

Tudo sobre

Fabrício BrunoFlamengoPremier League

The Blue Jays find themselves in a 2-1 hole in the World Series after losing an 18-inning Game 3 thriller to the Dodgers on Monday night.

While Shohei Ohtani's legendary performance and Freddie Freeman's heroic home run are the biggest storylines coming out of the marathon game, a decision by Blue Jays third base coach Carlos Febles probably has Toronto fans still fuming.

In case you missed it, the Blue Jays had a chance to take a lead in the 10th inning but those hopes came to a stunning end when Davis Schneider was thrown out at home to end the inning. This all happened after Nathan Lukes hit a shot down the right field line that rolled all the way to the wall.

Schneider tried to score on the play, running all the way from first, but was easily thrown out after a perfect relay by the Dodgers.

Here's how that played out:

If Febles didn't send Schneider there the Blue Jays would have had runners on second and third with two outs and Vlad Guerrero Jr. coming to the plate.

Here's a different angle of the play that shows just how bad of a decision it was to send Schneider, as he was just reaching third when Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman received the throw from Teoscar Hernández.

That was a brutal way to end the inning for the Blue Jays, especially with so much being on the line.

Now, if Schneider stayed at third the Dodgers probably would have walked Guerrero to load the bases with two outs and could have still gotten out of the inning without giving up a run but it sure seems like that would have been a better opportunity for the Blue Jays than running into an easy third out at home.

Fans had reactions to that move:

Game 4 is Tuesday night bak at Dodger Stadium with Ohtani on the mound for the Dodgers. The Blue Jays will need a win to avoid falling into 3-1 hole.

Bangladesh are on course to take a 1-0 lead against Ireland after dominating the third day of the Sylhet Test. The visitors ended the day on 86 for 5, trailing by 215 runs after a century from Najmul Hossain Shanto, along with Litton Das’ 66-ball 60 helped Bangladesh amass on 587 for 8.Once they declared, Nahid Rana struck the first blow in the fourth over when he cleaned up Cade Carmichael for 5. It was a thundering inswinger that Carmichael couldn’t keep out, as Rana revved up the pace in his first spell.Ireland found a bit of consolidation for the next hour, with Harry Tector and Paul Stirling finding a bit of rhythm. Stirling struck seven fours as he raced towards a second fifty in the match. However, a bit of tardy thinking cost him dearly. After Litton missed a stumping off Taijul Islam, Stirling’s attempt for a single was ill-timed. He couldn’t turn back in time, as he was caught short of the crease, falling for 43 off 59 balls.Tector followed him back swiftly, lbw to Taijul for 18, before Shadman Islam took a brilliant catch at cover to get rid of Curtis Campher towards the end of the day. Murad took that wicket, before also trapping Lorcan Tucker lbw for 9.Earlier, Mahmudul Hasan Joy scored a career-best 171, which is the second-highest score by a Bangladeshi opener. Shanto’s century was his eighth in Tests, and fourth as captain.Mahmudul could add just two runs to his overnight score before Barry McCarthy had him edge behind with a late outswinger. Mominul Haque fell in McCarthy’s next over, undone by a lifter for 82. Shanto and Mushfiqur Rahim put on a recovering act with a 79-run fourth-wicket stand.The acceleration came during the Shanto-Litton partnership, when they added 98 runs for the fifth wicket, at 5.49 per over. Litton smacked eight fours and a six, before Tector took a splendid catch running back from mid-on to dismiss him.Shanto, who struck 14 fours, fell to Andy McBrine on the second ball after reaching his century. He was very much leg-side dominant with his boundaries, along with a few straight drives for fours.The 23-year-old left-arm spinner Matthew Humphreys was Ireland’s best bowler, taking his second five-wicket haul in his fourth Test. He finished with 5 for 170 while McCarthy picked up two wickets, both on the third morning.

Namibia have qualified for the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup and will be one of the three hosts of the 2027 edition as well

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Dec-2025

Gary Kirsten has been appointed consultant for the men’s national teams of Namibia and will work with Craig Williams, the former Namibian cricketer who is the head coach of the men’s national team in the build-up to the next T20 World Cup, to be played in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.”It is indeed a privilege to work with Cricket Namibia. I have been thoroughly impressed with the dedication and determination to create a high-performance cricket environment,” Kirsten said in a Cricket Namibia statement. “Their new state-of-the-art cricket stadium is a testament to their commitment to making sure their national teams are competing with the best cricket countries in the world. Their senior men’s national team is performing well, and I look forward to adding value to their preparation for the T20 World Cup in February next year.”Namibia, a team on the rise in men’s T20 cricket, qualified for each of the last three T20 World Cups, in 2021, 2022 and 2024, and are in the mix for the upcoming one too, and will also be one of the three hosts for the 2027 edition, with South Africa and Zimbabwe.”Kirsten’s appointment as consultant reflects Cricket Namibia’s commitment to strengthening its high-performance environment and supporting the existing coaching structure,” a statement from the board said. “His blend of international playing experience, coaching success, and passion for player development brings valuable insight and added depth to the Eagles [men’s national team] setup.”Kirsten, one of South Africa’s best batters from 1993 to 2004, turned to coaching after retiring. He was first part of the team that founded a cricket academy in Cape Town and took up roles at various levels in South Africa before becoming India’s head coach in 2007. Under him, India won the 2011 ODI World Cup. He was subsequently appointed head coach of the South Africa national team and has also held positions with a number of teams across the world in T20 franchise leagues. Most recently, he served in an aborted stint as head coach of the Pakistan men’s team in 2024.

Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign an “agile” Emiliano Martinez replacement, who has been in impressive form so far this season.

Villa eyeing new goalkeeper amid Martinez uncertainty

Martinez is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, but he has looked shaky at times this season, off the back of major interest from Manchester United during the summer transfer window, before they ultimately decided to bring in Senne Lammens.

The Argentinian was criticised for not doing more to prevent Lukas Nmecha’s goal in the 2-1 victory against Leeds United, although the performances against AFC Bournemouth and Wolverhampton Wanderers were much more encouraging.

That said, with the shot-stopper now 33-years-old, and Villa willing to accept January bids, potential replacements are now being identified, including Manchester City’s James Trafford and Real Madrid’s Andriy Lunin.

According to a report from Sky Sports, a Bundesliga star is also of interest to Unai Emery’s side, namely Borussia Monchengladbach’s Moritz Nicolas, who wants to move to a top club next summer, given his ambitions to play in Europe.

A number of clubs are in the race for Nicolas, who stands at 6’3, including Villa, who view the colossus as a successor to Martinez, although the Argentina international remains under contract until the summer of 2029.

Aston Villa plotting £18m bid for "tremendous" defender, Martinez is a big fan

The Villans are planning a move for a new centre-back, who is also being targeted by Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025 "Agile" Nicolas in top form in the Bundesliga

The 28-year-old was nominated for Borussia Monchengladbach’s Player of the Season award last season, as a result of being the second-best goalkeeper in the Bundesliga in terms of xG prevented, conceding just 25 from an xG of 33.5.

After the nomination, the Monchengladbach star received plaudits from board member Roland Virkus, who said: “Mo is very agile for his height and is also really good with his feet.”

Having averaged a save percentage of 74.8% per 90 over the past year, the German places in the 81st percentile, when compared to other goalkeepers, which suggests he could be a solid replacement for Martinez, with the Villa goalkeeper averaging 71.1%.

Not only that, but the former Roda JC man has already amassed five Bundesliga clean sheets this season, including three in his last four matches, most recently making four saves to keep RB Leipzig at bay in a 0-0 draw.

Nicolas clearly has the quality to be Martinez’s successor, but Aston Villa should look to keep hold of their goalkeeper if possible, given that he is already proven in the Premier League, showcasing his quality by making three saves from inside the box against Wolves last time out.

While England, Australia and South Africa have already qualified for the knockouts, India, NZ, Bangladesh, SL and Pakistan are fighting to join them there

Sampath Bandarupalli18-Oct-2025 • Updated on 19-Oct-2025

India – Matches 5, Wins 2, Points 4, NRR 0.526

If India beat New Zealand and Bangladesh, they will finish on eight points and will make it to the semi-finals. They will, however, have to keep an eye on other results if they win only one of their next two games. If India’s third win of the tournament comes against New Zealand, they need to ensure their net run-rate is healthy enough to be ahead of Bangladesh, who could also finish with three wins if they beat Sri Lanka and India.Related

• South Africa look to keep winning as Pakistan hope to make a late charge

• Knight and Smith stay cool in the heat of the battle

• England in semi-finals after India unravel in tense finish

• Another washout for Pakistan; SA through to semis

• 'It's extremely frustrating' – Captain Sophie Devine on New Zealand's back-to-back washouts in Colombo

A washout against New Zealand can also be a good result for India, even if they lose to Bangladesh (and New Zealand lose to England), unless one of Sri Lanka and Pakistan don’t end up with six points.If both of India’s games in Navi Mumbai get washed out, they will qualify for the semi-finals, but only if England beat New Zealand. If one of Sri Lanka and Pakistan are tied on six points with India in the aforementioned scenario, India will progress with a better net run-rate.

New Zealand – Matches 5, Wins 1, Points 4, NRR -0.245

New Zealand’s next match against India will be an all-or-nothing game for them, and a loss will end their World Cup campaign. If they win both their next two games, New Zealand will make it to the semi-finals.If New Zealand beat India but lose to England, they will have to hope Bangladesh beat India, but after losing to Sri Lanka. Even a washout in the game between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will be a positive result for New Zealand in the above scenario.Sri Lanka can finish with six points if they defeat Bangladesh and Pakistan, while Pakistan can finish on six if they beat South Africa and Sri Lanka. But New Zealand have a better net run-rate. However, if Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka, New Zealand will have to hope for a washout in Navi Mumbai when India face Bangladesh.New Zealand will make the semi-finals irrespective of other results if they beat India and their match against England gets washed out. A washout against India will be good for New Zealand only if they defeat England and India don’t bag two points against Bangladesh. They can progress to the semi-finals if both their remaining games are washed out, but only if none of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan get to six points.Bangladesh and Pakistan are fighting to stay alive in this World Cup•ICC/Getty Images

Bangladesh – Matches 5, Wins 1, Points 2, NRR -0.676

Bangladesh still have an outside chance of reaching the semi-finals. They will need to win their next two matches, against Sri Lanka and India, and hope England do them a favour by defeating New Zealand. If New Zealand also beat India and finish on six points, then Bangladesh will be through by virtue of more wins.If both India and New Zealand finish on six points, then Bangladesh have to look at winning big in their last two games, as their net run-rate is well behind India’s.

Sri Lanka and Pakistan – Matches 5, Wins 0, Points 2 (NRR -1.564 and -1.887)

Despite having no wins so far, both Sri Lanka and Pakistan are still in the race for the semi-finals.Sri Lanka have to win their remaining two matches against Pakistan and Bangladesh and hope India lose both their remaining games. They will also need England to beat New Zealand on the last day of the league stage.Sri Lanka will be tied on six points with New Zealand in the above scenario, but will be behind on net run-rate if they don’t win big in their remaining matches.The same is true for Pakistan, who will have to win their last two games, against South Africa and Sri Lanka, by margins that take their net run-rate ahead of New Zealand’s.

Stina Blackstenius came to the rescue as a beleaguered Arsenal limped to a nervy 2-1 win over Women's Super League basement side Liverpool on Saturday. Former Reds star Olivia Smith banged in a sublime individual goal before Beata Olsson levelled up for a well-earned first-half equaliser. The Gunners were poor for lengthy spells but substitute Blackstenius' quality finish gave the home fans a huge sigh of relief.

Much of the build-up to the game centred on Canada international Smith facing her old side, and, sure enough, the livewire forward gave Arsenal the lead with a 25-yard strike after beating three defenders in the 16th minute. But an all too familiar story played out on the pitch for the Gunners as they failed to grab a second and were punished on the half-hour mark when Olsson tucked the ball home for a relatively soft equaliser. The Swedish forward, who became the first WSL player to score in four of her first five starts, was the home side's tormentor-in-chief as the north London team were second-best for sustained periods. 

England forward Alessia Russo spurned some good opportunities in front of goal as Arsenal regrouped in the second half, and then substitute Stina Blackstenius was denied by some heroic, last-gasp defending by Gemma Evans. But the Swede grabbed the winner three minutes from time when she emphatically whacked a terrific finish into the top corner in front of nearly 35,000 fans. The result sees Arsenal climb up to third in the WSL for the time being, whereas Liverpool are rock bottom.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Anneke Borbe (4/10):

The pressure was on the keeper on her Arsenal debut but she didn't look convincing in between the sticks. She was flat-footed and didn't get a strong enough hand on the ball to keep out Olsson's goal. Not a good first outing.

Emily Fox (5/10):

Got into some dangerous positions but some of her decision-making at important moments wasn't quite good enough.

Lotte Wubben-Moy (6/10):

Probably should have given Arsenal an early lead but her header from two yards out somehow hit the post. However, she did make some good recovery tackles.

Steph Catley (5/10):

Was undone by Mia Enderby's through ball, but she was well out of position anyway. Her place could now be under threat.

Taylor Hinds (6/10):

Fired in some nice crosses into the box against her old team and didn't do much wrong before being taken off.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Frida Maanum (5/10):

The experienced campaigner didn't do a great deal on and off the ball and was hooked before the hour mark.

Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

The Spaniard was one of Arsenal's few lively players in the first half as her creativity and crosses into the box caused problems. But even some of her passing was downright sloppy.

Kyra Cooney-Cross (5/10):

Even though she isn't a defender, Cooney-Cross' slack marking allowed Liverpool to draw level – an opportunity they duly took. Not the Aussie's best day.

Getty Images SportAttack

Beth Mead (5/10):

The England stalwart provided some dangerous deliveries into the box but was part of an attack that was too cumbersome.

Alessia Russo (5/10):

Played with her back to goal on a number of occasions but when she did get into good positions, she wasted some big chances. 

Olivia Smith (7/10):

Was able to conjure something out of nothing as Arsenal's lukewarm attack uninspiringly huffed and puffed. Faded as the game wore on.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Caitlin Foord (4/10):

Initially added a bit more dynamism off the bench but made a right meal out of a golden chance after the hour mark and some of her passing was very shoddy.

Katie McCabe (6/10):

Didn't really have much to deal with as Arsenal turned the screw in the second half.

Stina Blackstenius (7/10):

The striker was caught offside on too many occasions, with the Swede not needing to make her runs so early. She should have made it 2-1 but wasn't clinical enough when one-on-one with the keeper, but spectacularly took her goal at the end.

Kim Little (6/10):

The captain was competent enough when she was introduced. 

Laia Codina (N/A):

Had no time to make an impact.

Renee Slegers (6/10):

Her second-half substitutes helped wrestle the game's momentum back to Arsenal but she will be worried how her players don't put away teams and have lengthy lulls. 

Suspended Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk is in line for a surprise return to action next month after not featuring for over a year, according to reports.

Mykhailo Mudryk banned for positive drugs test

Mudryk’s absence from Chelsea’s first-team setup has now exceeded twelve months, with the Ukrainian international last appearing competitively on November 28 last year before his career ground to a dramatic halt.

The 24-year-old tested positive for meldonium, a performance-enhancing substance prohibited under anti-doping regulations.

Following confirmation of his B sample analysis in June, the FA formally charged Mudryk, leaving him facing a potential ban ranging between two and four years if found guilty.

Throughout the ordeal, Mudryk has maintained complete innocence, and even voluntarily undertook a lie detector test which supported his version of events.

Ukrainian sports journalists have theorised that contaminated stem cell treatment administered during international duty may explain the adverse finding, suggesting the injection originated from cattle previously exposed to meldonium.

Chelsea sanctioned the record £88.5 million transfer from Shakhtar in January 2023, initially viewing him as a transformative attacking signing after hijacking Arsenal’s deal.

However, his Stamford Bridge career proved underwhelming even before the suspension materialised, with inconsistent performances failing to justify the enormous investment.

The club reassigned his prestigious number ten shirt to Cole Palmer following Mudryk’s suspension, signalling their acceptance of a prolonged absence.

Chelsea also reinforced their attacking options by striking deals for Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens in the summer, further blocking any potential pathway back into Enzo Maresca’s plans.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

Reports have suggested that, once Mudryk is eligible to play again, Chelsea could allow the forward to join sister club Strasbourg on loan in a bid to reignite his career.

Mykhailo Mudryk in line for January return as Sevilla eye Chelsea loan deal

Now, according to journalist JM Villalba and Canal Sur Radio, that eligibility could be as early as next month.

Speaking to the Spanish broadcaster, Villalba has reported that Mudryk will be able to play again after January 17, and this has piqued interest from La Liga side Sevilla.

The club are considering a deal for Mudryk once he comes back midway through next month, which is a surprise when factoring in how very little we’ve heard about the winger’s return timeline.

If Mudryk is indeed eligible for a January renaissance, BlueCo should certainly green-light a temporary move away for him.

He quite simply needs game time and renewed confidence following the lengthy layoff, controversy and serious drop down Maresca’s pecking order, with the Spanish top flight potentially providing that needed reintroduction to competitive action.

That being said, it should be a dry loan with no option or obligation to buy, with Chelsea poised to make a key decision about Mudryk’s long-term future.

He still has six years remaining on his current contract, giving the Blues plenty of time to do so.