Tottenham Hotspur are now pushing hard to sign an “unpredictable” midfielder, having submitted an opening offer of £61m.

Spurs looking to strengthen in midfield

Tottenham are looking to strengthen their options in the middle of the park, amid Joao Palhinha receiving criticism for some of his performances this season, with Jamie Carragher left unimpressed by the Portugal international’s display against Chelsea.

At one point in the disappointing 1-0 defeat, Palhinha opted to play the ball backwards, rather than into an attacking area, which irritated Carragher, who said: “Now, we’ve spoken about courage, now we can talk about quality. Palhinha hasn’t got the quality.

“For me, for a player playing in central midfield for Tottenham, that is a pass you have to be able to make. He can’t make it, so… he goes back.”

Palhinha has remained a key player for Thomas Frank, but Yves Bissouma’s career at Spurs could be coming to an end, with the north Londoners deciding to sell the 29-year-old, as a result of an off-field incident.

Consequently, Frank may need to bring in a new midfielder in the near future, and Tottenham are ramping up their pursuit of Atletico Madrid star Pablo Barrios, according to a report from Spain,

Indeed, the Lilywhites are now pushing hard to sign the central midfielder, having submitted an opening offer of €70m (£61m), although it could be difficult to get a deal over the line, given that the Spanish club are unwilling to sanction a departure.

The 22-year-old has a €120m (£105m) release clause included in his contract, and they are not willing to sell him for less, so Spurs may have to increase their offer significantly to get a deal done.

Tottenham rivalling Liverpool for "incredible talent" worth "over €100 million"

There is lots of competition for his signature.

ByBen Goodwin 2 days ago "Unpredictable" Barrios catching the eye in La Liga

Scout Ben Mattinson has given an overview of the Atletico star’s key strengths, describing him as an “unpredictable creative passer”, whose “weight of pass is top”, while also praising his ability to score goals.

Not only that, but the Spaniard is also skilled at winning back possession, averaging 1.38 interceptions per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 86th percentile, when compared to other midfielders.

The four-time Spain international has been a key player for Atletico this season, making 22 appearances across all competitions, and he recently put in an impressive performance against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, picking up an assist in a 3-2 victory.

Barrios could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham, but with Atletico insisting the release clause is paid in full, they may need to smash their existing record transfer fee to get a deal over the line.

Manchester City are now preparing a move for an “incredible” Premier League player, following a direct request from Pep Guardiola.

Man City stepping up pursuit of new attacker

Man City are looking to maintain the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the table, and Phil Foden could be key to their chances of reclaiming the Premier League title, having received high praise from Guardiola after the victory against Sunderland.

The 54-year-old said: “Phil is incredible. He is scoring a lot of goals. He came to me after the game and said he didn’t feel well today and look what happened how he runs, in behind, regain the ball.”

“When he is in this momentum and this mood, he is a gift and a diamond. He is top.”

Although City have been very impressive from an attacking point of view this season, with Erling Haaland also impressing, they remain keen on bringing in additional attacking options, and a number of targets have been identified ahead of the January transfer window.

Target

Current club

Goal involvements in 2025-26

Estevao

Chelsea

6

Arda Guler

Real Madrid

8

Antoine Semenyo

AFC Bournemouth

9

Yan Diomande

RB Leipzig

11

According to a report from Spain, Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has also been identified as a priority target, with Pep directly requesting the signing of the attacking midfielder, given the level of his performances this season.

The Man City boss is willing to push to make the move happen, such is his level of interest, although the Toffees remain in a strong negotiating position, with Dewsbury-Hall contracted until 2030, having arrived from Chelsea for £28m back in the summer.

City are particularly fond of the Everton star’s versatility, with Pep regarding him as a ‘complete midfielder’, who would be a perfect fit in his system.

"Incredible" Dewsbury-Hall impressing at Everton

Lauded for his “incredible interplay” with Jack Grealish by writer Garrett Post earlier this season, the 27-year-old has kicked on since arriving at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the summer, chipping in with four goals and three assists in 15 Premier League outings.

Worryingly for Everton, however, the Englishman was withdrawn early in the first half against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon, after clutching his hamstring.

With the Shepshed-born midfielder potentially set for a spell on the sidelines, pursuing him in January wouldn’t be ideal, and there are doubts over whether City even need to bring in another attacking midfielder.

Foden has been fantastic this season, amassing nine goals and five assists in 20 matches across all competitions, while Pep also has the likes of Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders at his disposal.

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ByTom Cunningham 3 days ago

As such, there is arguably little point in signing Dewsbury-Hall, and strengthening in defence may be a better idea, having conceded a combined six goals in the victories against Leeds United and Fulham.

Gill had suffered a neck injury during the first Test against SA, while Hardik had injured his left quadriceps during the Asia Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2025

Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya “are looking healthy and fit” ahead of the first T20I against South Africa, India captain Suryakumar Yadav said ahead of the series opener in Cuttack on Tuesday.”Both [Gill and Pandya] are looking healthy and fit,” Suryakumar said. Gill had suffered neck spasms during the first Test against South Africa in Kolkata, while Hardik was out with a quadriceps injury he suffered during the Asia Cup in September.Gill is yet to play since his injury, but Hardik made a comeback in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Playing for Baroda, he picked up a wicket in each game, but more importantly, bowled four overs both times. With the bat, his 77 not out off 42 against Punjab helped his team chase down 223.”What you saw in the Asia Cup also, when he [Hardik] was bowling with the new ball, he opened up a lot of options, combinations for us with respect to the playing XI,” Suryakumar said. “That’s what he brings to the table. His experience, the way he has done well in all big games, all ICC events, ACC events. I think that experience will count a lot and his presence will definitely give a good balance to the side.”With Gill back in the side, Suryaumar made it clear that Sanju Samson would have to compete with Jitesh Sharma for a spot in the middle order. He also emphasised that all batters apart from the openers need to be flexible with respect to their position in the order.”Sanju, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order,” he said. “Now the thing is, other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible. He did really well when he opened the innings but Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserves to take that spot.”But we gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which is actually good to see a player being flexible to bat anywhere from No. 3 to 6. That’s one thing I have told all the batters that other than openers, everyone has to be very flexible. Both [Samson and Jitesh] are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have lovely players like both of them. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. In fact, both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to the team and a good headache to have.”

فتح عمر مغربل، الرئيس التنفيذي لرابطة الدوري السعودي للمحترفين لكرة القدم، الباب أمام محمد صلاح مهاجم ليفربول، للرحيل عن الريدز، في الفترة المقبلة.

ويرتبط محمد صلاح بالرحيل عن ليفربول خلال الفترة المقبلة، وذلك في ظل الخلاف الذي حدث بين اللاعب وإدارة النادي الإنجليزي والمدرب آرني سلوت.

واتهم محمد صلاح إدارة ليفربول بعدم تنفيذ الوعود المقدمة له، إلى جانب اعترافه بأن علاقته مع مدربه قد تدمرت بالكامل.

طالع| سكاي سبورتس تصدم ليفربول بشأن رغبة محمد صلاح.. وموقفه من الدوري السعودي

وقال “مغربل”، خلال الجلسة الحوارية بعنوان النموذج السعودي: “بناء دوريات مستدامة من خلال التطوير والحوكمة والخصخصة في منتدى كرة القدم العالمي: “محمد صلاح مهاجم ليفربول مرحب به في دوري روشن، لكن الأندية هي المعنية في التفاوض مع اللاعبين وصلاح أحدهم”.

وتابع بحسب وكالة أنباء الشرق الأوسط: “الدوري السعودي أصبح اليوم محط أنظار العالم، وهذا التحول انعكاس لتقدم ملموس في معايير الاحتراف، وقوة المنافسة، ومؤشر على أن كرة القدم في المملكة غدت خيارًا مهنيًا حقيقيًا لعدد كبير من اللاعبين الذين وجدوا في الدوري وجهة قادرة على تطوير مسيرتهم”.

The long Test drought between Australia and Zimbabwe is set to continue, but the countries will contest a three-match ODI series in Zimbabwe next year ahead of the 2027 World Cup in southern Africa.Before their Test and ODI tour of South Africa, earmarked for September-October 2026, Australia will have a brief stopover in Zimbabwe for a trio of ODIs, a development first reported by and likely to be officially announced in the coming weeks.The series is to be played in Harare, and possibly Bulawayo, with the flagship 10,000-seat stadium at Victoria Falls unlikely to be ready by then.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that Zimbabwe Cricket had been pushing for a one-off Test match to be included in what would have been a showpiece of the tour. But it will not eventuate with Australia to undergo a heavy Test schedule, playing at least 19 Tests from mid-2026 to the Ashes tour of 2027. An ODI series also looms as important preparation for Australia with Zimbabwe to co-host the next 50-over World Cup along with South Africa and Namibia.Zimbabwe and Australia have only played three Tests against each other with the last two being in October 2003 in a short series best remembered for Matthew Hayden briefly setting a world record score of 380 in the first Test at the WACA.The only Test in Zimbabwe was played in 1999 when a Steve Waugh-led Australia won by 10 wickets in what proved to be wicketkeeper Ian Healy’s last Test match.The ODI series will end an eight-year absence for Australia in Zimbabwe. Australia were part of a T20 tri-series, also involving Pakistan, in 2018 while they last played the 50-over format there in 2014.While Test cricket between the nations remains on pause, Zimbabwe power brokers are confident that England will visit for a one-off Test match as an extension of their tour to South Africa in late 2026-early ’27. It is hoped the match will be played at Victoria Falls, named the Fale Mosi-oa-Tunya International Cricket Stadium.England and Zimbabwe in May ended a 22-year Test drought with a four-day match at Trent Bridge. The countries have played just seven Test matches against each other, with only two in Zimbabwe – a 0-0 drawn series in December 1996.ZC have been actively trying to encourage countries to stopover en route to neighbouring South Africa and long circled late 2026 as opportunities to negotiate rare fixtures with Australia and England.”We are a Test nation, so playing the top countries like Australia and England at home will go a long way to making this format popular in Zimbabwe,” ZC chair Tavengwa Mukuhlani told ESPNcricinfo.”Playing against the best teams will help our players develop their skills in Test cricket. Understandably Australia wants to prepare for the World Cup, but hopefully we can play them in Test cricket in the future.”As ESPNcricinfo reported earlier this month, the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is likely to feature all 12 Full Members in one division.It means teams will have more incentive to play Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland, who aren’t part of the current nine-team WTC. If the 12-team, one division WTC eventuates as expected – a final decision is likely at the ICC meetings in March – it has been widely assumed that those teams will mostly host one-off matches. No extra funding is expected to be available for hosting Tests.But Zimbabwe plans to host longer series in the next WTC, doubling down on their commitment to Test cricket. “Some countries might just play a minimum number of Tests, but we are hoping to play more,” Mukuhlani said. “We will aim to stage two or more Test match series against the likes of Australia and England.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Os torcedores nas redes sociais culparam Rogério Ceni pela eliminação do Bahia na Copa do Nordeste. Após empate sem gols no tempo normal, o Tricolor de Aço foi derrotado nos pênaltis para o CRB, caindo na semifinal da competição.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalWeb reage à eliminação do Bahia na Copa do Nordeste: ‘Gastaram milhões para isso?’Futebol Nacional26/05/2024Futebol NacionalCRB derrota o Bahia nos pênaltis e está na final da Copa do NordesteFutebol Nacional26/05/2024

➡️ Vai dar Brasil? Aposte no Lance! Betting e fature com a Copa América

Além da eliminação precoce na Copa do Nordeste, o Bahia de Rogério Ceni também decepcionou no Campeonato Baiano, sendo derrotado pelo rival Vitória na final do estadual.

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

Após a pausa no Brasileirão, o Bahia de Rogério Ceni vai enfrentar o Atlético-MG na Série A. O duelo será disputado no domingo (2), às 16h, na Arena MRV. O Tricolor de Aço é o vice-líder da competição, empatado em pontos com o Athletico-PR.

continua após a publicidade

Rogério Ceni ainda não conquistou títulos pelo Bahia, mas desde que se aposentou e virou treinador, ele faturou a Florida Cup (2017) pelo São Paulo; a Série B: (2018), Campeonato Cearense (2019, 2020) e Copa do Nordeste (2019) pelo Fortaleza; e o Brasileirão (2020) Supercopa do Brasil (2021) e Campeonato Carioca (2021) pelo Flamengo 

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários de todos os jogos do Brasileirão

Tudo sobre

BahiaRogério Ceni

The World Test Championship is likely to expand to 12 teams from 2027

Tristan Lavalette11-Nov-2025The next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle is likely to feature all 12 Full Members in one division after plans to split nations into two tiers failed to gain widespread support, while a resurrection for the short-lived ODI Super League is also on the cards.A working group, led by former New Zealand batter Roger Twose, tasked with addressing pressing issues over cricket’s three formats provided recommendations to the ICC board and Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) during last week’s quarterly meetings in Dubai.There had been a sense of urgency behind it with countries already having started conversations for bilateral series that will be part of the next WTC cycle (2027-29).A two-tier system, which has cropped up in talks periodically for over a decade, was again among topics discussed when the working group was formed at the ICC annual conference in July.But doubts over whether a funding model could be implemented contributed to scuppering the two-tier model. It had been mooted that India, England and Australia could support those in division two through a financial distribution, but those talks did not go far.Nations likely to occupy division two, such as West Indies, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, were opposed to the idea due to the likely lack of playing opportunities against the bigger nations.Promotion and relegation was also a thorny issue, the big three concerned about the financial impacts of relegation.”We wouldn’t want, as England, we may go through a fallow period, and that means, what, we fall into Division Two and we don’t play Australia and India?” ECB chief Richard Thompson told the BBC in August. “That couldn’t happen. There has to be a sense that common sense needs to play out here.”Instead the working group has proposed a 12-team WTC, with Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Ireland, potentially part of an expanded league for the next cycle, which begins in July 2027. The teams will be expected to play a minimum number of Tests – the exact number is not yet known – during the cycle. No extra funding is likely to be available for hosting Tests – which has been part of the struggle for members such as Ireland.”It guarantees that everyone is playing Test cricket,” a board director told ESPNcricinfo. “Those that really want to play the format now have opportunities and there is an incentive for other teams to play them.”There were also developments on the white-ball formats, with the ODI Super League possibly to be revived, having been scrapped following the 2023 World Cup.The 13-team league, which only began in July 2020, had been developed in a bid to create more context for the waning 50-over format. But it fell by the wayside amid an increasingly cramped calendar much to the chagrin of smaller Full Members and Associates.The proposal did not detail how many teams would be part of a new league, which can only return from 2028.”The Super League could help revitalise the 50-over format,” one administrator said. “Maybe the problem is not that the format is necessarily dead, it’s finding the proper structure.”There does not appear to be any push to increase the number of teams at 50-over World Cups, which will be a 14-team competition in 2027 after being limited to just ten in the previous two editions.The T20 World Cup is also set to remain at 20 teams even though there is a push from some administrators to incrementally increase it by four, with the aim ultimately of getting to 32 teams.Hall of Famers Matthew Hayden and Hashim Amla with the WTC mace•ICC via GettyAssociate members have also put forward a proposal into revamping the T20 World Cup qualifying format. In a similar concept to the men’s Olympic qualifying pathway, and commonly seen in other major sports, a global qualifier would determine the final spots and may feature not only Associates but Full Members who did not automatically qualify through rankings.A global qualifier is hoped to provide a revenue source for Associates, while appeasing some Asian nations who believe the current regional pathway limits their chances of qualifying for T20 World Cups.Associate administrators hope the global tournament can be part of the qualification process for the 2028 T20 World Cup.Despite having some influential support, with leagues popping up around the globe, the 90-minute T10 won’t be an official format.The board is expected to debate these issues at the next ICC meetings early next year.

Sonia Bompastor has rued Chelsea's 'frustrating' loss to Everton on Sunday, a result that leaves the club falling behind Manchester City in the WSL title race. Chelsea have now failed to win their last three league matches following a 1-0 home defeat, despite dominating at Kingsmeadow as the Blues again failed to find the breakthrough as they fell to a narrow loss.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Chelsea dominated but failed to find the breakthrough

  Honoka Hayashi's first half strike was enough to separate the two teams in west London on Sunday as Everton ended Chelsea's historic unbeaten run. It was the first time the Blues had lost a league game under Sonia Bompastor, who succeed Emma Hayes at the Chelsea helm last May.

  Everton's 1-0 victory in the capital saw Chelsea lose a WSL outing for the first time since a 4-3 loss at Liverpool back in May 2024, a run of 34 matches since they last tasted defeat. After falling behind early on, Chelsea peppered the Everton goal, amassing 30 shots and 79% possession as they failed to find the breakthrough.

  And after the defeat at Kingsmeadow, Bompastor lamented the "really frustrating" defeat which leaves Chelsea's title defence hanging by a thread.

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• 'I don't think the players could have done a lot more'

  Following the defeat to Everton, Bompastor said: "It’s a really frustrating result. It's tough, but I think if we analyse the performance and look at the statistics, I don't think the players could have done a lot more. Maybe we could have been more efficient again, more clinical.

  "We created enough shots, crosses, and we hit the woodwork three times. It's just one of these games where the ball didn't want to go in, and it was tough. If you want to win games, you have to make sure you score goals. I think, again, if you look at our statistics, we are creating enough to win the games, but we are just not being efficient at finishing the chances. I think, for now, what we need to solve is more like how we can get back to scoring goals.

  "In the game tonight, we knew we had to be really switched on and focused on the transitions from Everton. I think they scored from one of these early on in the game, and then things changed after we were running after the result."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'We were not focusing at all on the unbeaten run'

  While Chelsea's unbeaten run ended at 34 matches, Bompastor added that her side were not thinking about the streak, stating: "For me, we were not focusing at all on the unbeaten run. It was not one of our aims going into this new season. Our mindset was more like we started the new season from zero.

  "We haven’t won anything yet. We want to be able to compete in every competition. We want to win trophies. Going into every game, we know it will be tough. This league is competitive."

  Defeat at Everton means Chelsea have now failed to win their last three league matches as the Blues struggle in their title defence. Sunday's loss combined with Manchester City's 3-0 win at relegation threatened Leicester means City sit six points clear at the top of the WSL table having won their last nine league outings as they responded perfectly to the opening weekend 2-1 loss to Chelsea.

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• What next for Chelsea?

  Chelsea are next in action at Brighton next weekend as they look to get back to winning ways. The trip to the south coast will be the Blues' final league game of 2025, and they return to domestic action with successive London derbies in 2026 with respective welcomes of West Ham and Arsenal.

  The Blues then kick off February with a decisive trip to league leaders Manchester City, in a game that should have huge ramifications in the WSL title race.

  City, meanwhile, round off the year with the welcome of Aston Villa next weekend, and start 2026 with a home game against Everton and follow up their meeting with the Toffees with a trip to the London City Lionesses.

The U.S. women’s national team will close out January with a friendly against 45th-ranked Chile in Santa Barbara, Calif., marking the program’s first international match in the city. The USWNT will face Chile at UC Santa Barbara, the same campus where the team first held a training camp in 1991 before winning the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in China.

Getty Images Sport'Not a common occurrence'

While Santa Barbara is new for a match, the USWNT have frequently held training camps at the college campus and even played the UCSB women's soccer team that same year they went on to win the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup title. 

“Playing in a city for the first time is not a common occurrence at this point in our history," Hayes said, "So I know our players will enjoy being in beautiful Santa Barbara and our staff are really looking forward to January camp and these matches against two tough South American countries."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesUSWNT's history with Chile

While the USWNT do not have a long history with Chile, the teams have met before – just three times. Chile are ranked 45th in the world and fifth in CONMEBOL, behind Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Paraguay. Their last meeting came in the group stage of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, when the U.S. won 3-0. Before that, the sides played two friendlies in 2018.

Getty Images'Focused on maximizing every minute'

It’s no surprise that 2026 will carry plenty of weight for the USWNT, who will soon enter the countdown toward the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. To set the tone early, Hayes’ side will play two January friendlies – first against Paraguay and then against Chile.

The Americans enjoyed a historic 2025, finishing with a 12-3-0 record. Hayes also capped her first full calendar year in charge with 25 wins.

“This is the start of an important year for our team, and as always, we’re focused on maximizing every minute we get with the players,” Hayes said.

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Getty ImagesWhat will 2026 bring?

The USWNT finished the 2025 calendar year with back-to-back victories over Italy. Hayes once again experimented with new players and personnel to close out the year, and admirably gave 43 players their senior debuts in 2025, the most in a single year since 2001. 

There will likely be a shift to more familiar rosters through 2026 as Hayes fine-tunes her playing pool.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation by MLB, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. While MLB did not initially specify details of the investigation, sources told Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel of that the league's probe is related to gambling.

The Guardians confirmed the news of the investigation in a statement on Thursday, adding that Ortiz, 26, was placed on paid leave.

"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players' Association due to an ongoing league investigation," the team said in the statement. "The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."

Ortiz was slated to make his 17th start of the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday. Joey Cantillo will start in place of Ortiz for the Guardians.

Ortiz has recorded a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings pitched in 2025. Last year, Ortiz racked up 3.1 WAR and pitched to a career-best 3.32 ERA as a starter and swingman out of Cleveland's bullpen.