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Newcastle United squeezed into the Champions League by the skin of their teeth at the end of last season.

Eddie Howe won’t be complaining, but the Englishman will be desperate to bolster several areas of his first-team squad ahead of next season.

The club will have money to spend thanks to securing a spot in Europe’s top club competition, but Howe must spend it wisely to ensure Newcastle give a better account of themselves next term.

One area of concern is the defence. Across 48 matches in all competitions, the Magpies conceded 58 goals.

As such, bringing in another centre-back or two could be a shrewd move by the manager, no doubt about that.

Both Fabian Schar and Dan Burn are on the wrong side of 30, and while they did a solid job throughout the 2024/25 campaign, the latter notably earning an England call-up, it is evident that replacing them sooner rather than later is a priority for Howe.

Schar, in particular, was impressive at times in the heart of the Newcastle defence.

Fabian Schar's statistics in 2024/25

The Swiss defender has been with the Magpies since the summer of 2018, and he has been a regular under a succession of managers at St James’ Park.

Winning the League Cup last term was the culmination of seven years of consistency for Schar, and it was well deserved. Like a fine wine, he seems to just get better with age.

Fabian Schar’s Newcastle statistics

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2024/25

42

6

1

2023/24

47

5

3

2022/23

41

1

3

2021/22

26

2

2

2020/21

19

1

0

2019/20

27

2

0

2018/19

28

4

1

Via Transfermarkt

The 33-year-old has played 230 competitive matches for the club and last season saw him feature in 42 games, his second-highest tally for a single season since arriving in 2018.

Across his 34 Premier League games for the Toon in 2024/25, Schar helped them keep ten clean sheets. Furthermore, the defender won 46% of his total duels, averaged 1.1 tackles per game and recovered 3.9 balls per game.

It was his attacking statistics that stood out more than most, however. When compared to his positional peers in the top flight last term, Schar ranked in the top 7% for non-penalty goals (0.12), in the top 1% for total shots (1.23) per 90 and in the top 9% for progressive passes received (0.67) per 90.

These attacking abilities certainly helped play a big part in the club securing a top-five finish in the Premier League, and it is likely that Howe will keep Schar around for another season at least.

With just one year left on his deal, next summer could be the perfect time for him to bow out of St James’ Park.

This summer should be spent eyeing a long-term replacement for the Swiss titan. Might Howe have eyes on a major upgrade?

Newcastle among favourites to sign Schar replacement

Howe has spent the early days of the summer eyeing up attacking talent. Names such as Anthony Elanga, Jack Grealish and even Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo have all been linked with moves to the northeast this summer.

Any one of those players would instantly improve Howe’s side, that’s a certainty. But taking a step back and realising that building from the back should be his main priority.

The club have been keen on Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi for quite some time now. Might this summer be the perfect opportunity to strike?

According to journalist Pete O’Rourke, Newcastle and Arsenal are battling head-to-head in order to land the Englishman before the end of the summer window.

Being in the Champions League next season has made the Magpies one of the favourites in the pursuit of the defender, as this is the level he will be looking to play at next season.

His contract expires next summer, meaning Palace will be keen to cash in when the iron is hot. As such, he should reportedly be available for around £40m.

There is no doubt that Guehi would be a much better option for Howe than Schar next season, especially after coming off the back of another strong Premier League campaign.

Why Newcastle must sign Marc Guehi this summer

Schar enjoyed a solid season, but switching him for Guehi would make Newcastle favourites to secure another top-five spot in the top flight.

Despite the Swiss’ ability in the final third, Guehi actually outshone him here, registering more goals and assists (five vs four) compared to Schar in the Premier League last season, but he also recorded a higher shots-on-target percentage (46.7% vs 27.5%) and generated more shot-creating actions (44 vs 37) over the course of the season.

Furthermore, the Englishman also won more tackles (34 vs 21) than Schar in the top flight, while tackling a higher percentage of dribblers (66% vs 40%), making more blocks (55 vs 38) and winning more aerial duels (68 vs 56) compared to the Swiss defender.

This comparison indicates that Howe must be doing everything he can in order to bring Guehi to the north of England.

Previously hailed as “unbelievable” by podcast host Aaron Moniz, Guehi has plenty of Premier League experience, having clocked up 132 appearances in the competition.

Add in the fact that he has been capped by England 23 times, it becomes evident that the 24-year-old is one of the country’s standout defenders of his generation.

If Newcastle miss the boat on the Palace star, it will likely haunt Howe. There are other areas in the squad that need to be strengthened also, but with attacking stars like Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes, Howe is stocked in this regard.

With three of his four senior centre-backs aged 31 or older, this department needs some freshness injected into it ahead of 2025/26.

Guehi would be a wonderful signing and his profile fits what Howe is searching for in a defender. With Arsenal also looking to secure his signature, the Toon need to act fast to sign their man.

Related "I've been told" – Crystal Palace could receive "reliable" Newcastle player in Guehi swap

The Eagles could get a player in return.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jun 11, 2025

Arsenal are ready to move in with a contract offer for one of their key transfer targets this summer, as Andrea Berta looks to give Gunners boss Mikel Arteta his full backing ahead of a crucial 2024/2025 campaign.

Arsenal flying high after impressive 3-0 win over Real Madrid

The north Londoners blew everyone away with a stunning 3-0 victory over European champions Real Madrid in the Champions League earlier this week, courtesy of two sensational Declan Rice free-kicks and a great finish from emergency striker Mikel Merino.

Arsenal want to finalise £17m deal for Fabregas target "as soon as possible"

The former Gunners star is apparently eyeing him for Como.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 8, 2025

The statement performance in Europe gifts Arsenal a huge advantage heading into the Bernabeu second leg, with Real Madrid star Eduardo Camavinga also set to miss the next game after he was sent off in added time.

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

Crystal Palace (home)

April 23rd

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

With nothing left to play for in the Premier League, the north Londoners could still make history this season, and the prospect of Arsenal going on to clinch their first ever Champions League crown has been made all the more real after Tuesday’s heroics.

“We’re going to enjoy the win, because we feel we deserve to do that, but we know it’s just half-time, and we’re going to have to be even better in Madrid to go through,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s second leg in Madrid.

“They [the players] were talking about it immediately. You know, great, enjoy it, and now let’s prepare for Saturday very well, and then we’ll have the time to prepare for the next challenge in Madrid. But they are all very excited. We have our time, and we are just, again, in the middle of it, at half-time, however you want to call it. There is still so much to do here.”

Berta’s priority potential summer signings will have been watching Arsenal’s 3-0 dismantling of Real with serious curiosity, and a good run in Europe may well contribute towards the Italian’s mission to tempt them with a move to the Emirates.

Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres is believed to be a leading candidate to reinforce Arsenal’s striking options, and a report now claims they’re ready to make the Swede an intriguing proposal.

Arsenal offer Viktor Gyokeres a £192,000-per-week contract

Arsenal are ready to open club-to-club talks for Gyokeres, according to recent media sources, but Just Arsenal now report they’ve already got their eyes on securing personal terms for the former Coventry City striker.

The outlet claims Arsenal are preparing to offer Gyokeres a contract worth up to £192,000-per-week, which would run until 2030, they’re currently favourites to land the 26-year-old ahead of both Chelsea and Man United.

While the latter two sides are both engaged in talks with Gyokeres’ reps, they haven’t matched Arsenal’s financial conditions, meaning Arteta’s side are out in front as things stand.

The forward has bagged 44 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions, a truly incredible feat of proficiency, and reports suggest that he’d be allowed to leave for around £62-70 million – far lower than his £83 million release clause.

Following another prolific campaign in the Primeira Liga, it is a wonder why Gyokeres is still waiting for his big move, with some calling the player a “massively underrated” centre-forward.

The Australia allrounder produced a stunning spell of seam and swing to dismantle Mumbai Indians

Vishal Dikshit12-Mar-20245:01

‘A chocolate ice cream and brownie’: How Perry celebrated her six-for

The crowd in Delhi finally turned up for the WPL. A sea of blue had spread far and wide on the stands occupied by 22,834 people, likely the most attended match in the city this tournament. The jerseys were predominantly of Mumbai Indians, the flags were all blue too, some hawkers were even selling the India Test whites outside the ground, having probably come downhill from Dharamsala after an early finish. The colour of the three stripes on its sleeves? You guessed it.You’d have to squint your eyes to spot even a hint of red at the ground. Even the few seats that were vacant in the first tier were painted blue. The music blaring in between overs was almost all Punjabi, as often is in Delhi, apart from some Hindi movie songs.Related

Ellyse Perry: 'We're lucky to play in front of such big and fanatical crowds'

Beth Mooney 74*, Shabnam three-for keep Gujarat Giants' faint playoff hopes alive

WPL 2024 scenarios – RCB, Warriorz and Giants in three-horse race to third place

The Perry show floors Mumbai, puts RCB in playoffs

There was absolutely nothing the Royal Challengers Bangalore players could have looked at and thought of “home” on this neutral ground. The RCB fans that had flocked the stands in Bengaluru in the first leg were over 2000kms away now.Ellyse Perry was seemingly unbothered by all this. What might have worked for her was that she had probably played more T20s at this ground – three at the 2016 T20 World Cup – than a lot of the Indian players featuring in the WPL. It showed in how she nearly struck three times in her first six balls after having gone wicketless this WPL.First Sajeevan Sajana’s catch wasn’t taken at extra cover because the fielder lost the ball in the lights. Then she jagged one so sharply towards leg that Nat Sciver-Brunt played all over it and yet survived the lbw. The very next ball Sajana was almost caught at the circle. It was as if Perry knew all about this fresh pitch while others were still finding their way.In her next over when Perry pegged Sajana’s off stump back with a cutter, she jogged along expressionless towards extra cover, as if saying, “yeah, what else do you bowl on this pitch?” The crowd loved it and rooted for her as if she was from Saket and not Sydney.

I’ve been working on it a little bit, especially with our coaches back home and kind of felt very suitable conditions for me tonight; the ball nipped around a little bit and it was really good funEllyse Perry

The real celebration came when she had Harmanpreet Kaur chop on off a wide delivery that didn’t even move off the pitch at a regulation 114.2kmh. Not expecting a wicket off it, Perry stuck her tongue out in between her lips that went from ear to ear. There was now a deafening roar from the same crowd that had cheered for Harmanpreet in a record chase a few days ago. The Australia allrounder whose jaw-dropping fielding in the deep had hurt India in the dying moments of the T20 World Cup semi-final a year ago was getting louder shrieks than the India captain, who bagged a duck.Two balls later in her spell, Perry belted out an appeal for lbw after an inducker that was on a length perfect enough to beat Amelia Kerr. But Perry’s finest gambit was the wicket of Amanjot Kaur. The price of the wicket not the most rewarding, but the manner of dismissal so spectacular that it could create the most poignant memory in Perry’s T20 career of 366 matches. Delivered from just wide of the crease, she made the ball seam in so sharply that Amanjot was beaten by both pace and movement off the pitch to hear the ball rattle the stumps behind her.Perry was making the ball talk on her own terms as if this was one of the seaming pitches in Australia (nevermind the lack of bounce). On a ground where even the slightest of width was pummeled by Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh on successive nights over the weekend, Perry targeted the stumps with unflinching accuracy and perception of the right length.She got all her six wickets bowled or lbw, and 22 of her 24 deliveries landed on good length or short-of-good-length to fetch her all her six wickets for just 11 runs. Perry’s 6 for 15, the best figures in the WPL, was only her second five-wicket haul in T20s and the second-best bowling figures for an Australian in T20s.”I’ve really enjoyed bowling,” Perry said after being named the Player of the Match. “Sometimes I think I go years just getting walloped around the ground everywhere, and then every now and then it kind of goes my way. I’ve been working on it a little bit, especially with our coaches back home and kind of felt very suitable conditions for me tonight; the ball nipped around a little bit and it was really good fun.”Ball by ball, Ellyse Perry’s devastating spell against Mumbai Indians•ESPNcricinfo LtdCharlotte Edwards, head coach of Mumbai, has watched Perry’s excellence since the allrounder’s international debut nearly 17 years ago, and was also her second Test wicket. Having worked with her closely in the WBBL for Sydney Sixers – where Edwards is head coach and Perry the captain – the coach was “surprised” by the movement off the pitch in Delhi, but not by Perry’s performance.While recalling how she had called Perry “the greatest female player we’re ever going to see,” in 2019, Edwards said: “She’s a wonderful cricketer and I’ll still stand by what I said five years ago. She is the greatest player that I’ve seen play the game with bat and ball and in the field and as a person.”What I admire most about Ellyse is the fact that it doesn’t matter if she’s playing club cricket or WPL or international cricket, she plays it the same way and that’s really highly commendable and something I absolutely love.”Having restricted Mumbai to their second-lowest total, 113, Perry then chaperoned the “tricky chase” with an unbeaten 40 that also saw her fittingly smash the winning runs for four.The music had now switched to English, the crowd was chanting “Aar See Bee, Aar See Bee” and “Perry, Perry” in turns, and now even a few RCB jerseys had turned up in Delhi of all the places.

Umesh Yadav, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shivam Dube and others who have impressed despite not being sure starters leading into the season

Shashank Kishore24-Apr-20223:19

Manjrekar: You can see Kuldeep’s angst, wanting to prove himself again

Umesh Yadav
Role: Powerplay specialistUmesh Yadav has been a revelation in the powerplay•BCCIIt wasn’t until the accelerated rounds, right at the end of the mega auction in February, that Umesh Yadav found a team at his base price of INR 2 crore (approx USD 260,000). Kolkata Knight Riders, with whom he won the IPL in 2014 and played until 2017, raised the paddle to boost their bowling stocks. But what were his chances of featuring regularly? At Delhi Capitals, even Avesh Khan, uncapped at the time, had pipped him to be the third seamer behind Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. Here, Knight Riders had picked Shivam Mavi as their first-choice seamer. But the unavailability of Pat Cummins and Tim Southee meant there was an opening. Enter Umesh, and he has taken the powerplay by storm. Five games in, he surged to being the second-highest wicket-taker in this period with six wickets and an economy of 5.77. Those numbers have somewhat dwindled over the last three games, but that he has gone from being a back-up to being the front and centre of their pace-bowling plans speaks of his improvement.Kuldeep Yadav
Role: Middle-overs stranglerKuldeep Yadav has returned among the wickets for Delhi after being left out by Kolkata•BCCIFrom being wrapped in cotton wool in 2014 to being released by Knight Riders in 2021, Kuldeep Yadav’s career has seen every possible twist and turn. He was no longer the bowler teams yearned for. Injuries didn’t help his case either. The flight went missing. The bite had disappeared. He was pushing them through flatter. Varun Chakravarthy’s emergence pushed him down the pecking order and eventually out of the squad. Delhi Capitals were among two teams to bid for him, and eventually signed him at INR 2 crore (approx USD 260,000). He has featured in every game so far and is third in the race for the purple cap. At Capitals, he feels at home and enjoys the feeling of being a key spinner once again. The revs on the ball are back, he’s not afraid of tossing it up and being hit, and as a result, it’s coming out of his hand beautifully. As it happened, his best performance – 4 for 35 in an exhibition from the Kuldeep of old – came against his former team.Aiden Markram
Role: Dependable No. 4Aiden Markram has seamlessly fitted in the Hyderabad middle order•BCCIDoubts over his place in the Test side had pushed Aiden Markram to the edge. He was given an ultimatum by Dean Elgar, the Test captain. He had become a walking wicket, confidence at its lowest ebb. But the change of format, a bit of freedom and a new environment has led to a transformation. He has emerged as Sunrisers Hyderabad’s dependent No. 4 even when striking at 150.79. His 190 runs so far, including a best of 68*, have helped Sunrisers surge to five straight wins. He is one of the reasons why Sunrisers have the best average (49.85) among all the middle orders (Nos 4-7) this season. In the absence of a designated frontline spinner, now with Washington Sundar also ruled out temporarily because of an injury, Markram has given Kane Williamson an added bowling option too.Shahbaz Ahmed
Role: Batting allrounderShahbaz Ahmed’s stable progress helped Dinesh Karthik tee off against Delhi•BCCIShahbaz Ahmed is a batter who can bowl handy left-arm spin, and not the other way round. Those in the Bengal set-up believe he’s good enough to be a top-six batter in red-ball cricket but hasn’t been able to do so only because of the make-up of the squad. He has only been sparingly used with the ball but has held his end most times. He can give you an over to two in the powerplay. If there’s some bite on offer, he has been summoned in the middle overs, especially to play with the long leg-side boundaries to get batters hitting against the turn. With the bat, he has been an aggressor who has managed to not just bring out the big shots but hold one end up to allow the likes of Dinesh Karthik to tee off, like he did against Capitals. While Karthik made a sensational 34-ball 66 not out, Shahbaz’s contribution was an equally important 21-ball 32 not out in a 97-run stand that turned the game around. He started at Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2020, where opportunities were far and few. Over time, Royal Challengers had seen enough of him to put in a bid. And so far, he has justified his inclusion.Shivam Dube
Role: Six-hitterShivam Dube has brought his six-hitting side to the fore•BCCIThree significant scores as a six-hitter, including an unbeaten 95 against his former franchise. Can it get sweeter? Shivam Dube has brought with him refreshing clarity as a batter that was missing until this season. That he was playing for his third IPL franchise in three seasons tells you a story of unfulfilled potential. At Royal Challengers, he was the designated finisher expected to take the pressure off AB de Villiers. That was enough pressure to contend with even without facing a ball. At Royals, he was given a middle-order role, expected to take the innings deep before teeing off. At Chennai Super Kings, he has been given license to bat freely, and this seems to have helped him with his shot selection. He lines up bowlers, plays to the field and has shown impeccable timing. He has struggled with the ball though, especially in the death. That 25-run 19th over against Lucknow Super Giants with 34 needed is a blot in what has otherwise been a coming-of-age season.

Bengal coach says BCCI must take a look at Rajkot surface which was ‘dusting on the first day’

Shashank Kishore in Rajkot09-Mar-2020The Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) has reacted strongly to Bengal coach Arun Lal’s criticism of the Rajkot pitch after the opening day of the Ranji Trophy finals. In a press release issued on Wednesday, the third day of the final, the SCA defended their curator, who worked under the BCCI neutral curator, to prepare the surface “in less than four days” owing to the semi-finals between Saurashtra and Gujarat.Mahendra Rajdev, SCA chief curator said: “I was surprised to see the rather critical statement of Mr. Arun Lal, the Bengal coach, after the first day’s play when Bengal held the upper hand. The pitch may not have had extra bounce which Bengal bowlers were looking for, but that does not make the wicket poor. It is a rather hasty and poor judgment by the Bengal Coach and it may not be beneficial for their own players when the coach makes a statement like this. It is the same pitch for both the teams, which was prepared under the neutral curator from the BCCI.”In their first Ranji Trophy final in 14 years, Bengal faced the very real possibility of seeing the match run away from them on the first day itself. They had lost the toss on a on a visibly dry surface that threatened to negate their three-pronged pace attack – one that had ensured no team has crossed 250 against them this season. Saurashtra were batting in their own conditions, and they had India’s No.3 padded up in the pavilion.There was hardly any nip with the new ball and Wriddhiman Saha kept collecting deliveries below his knees. The signs were evident that the pitch would get increasingly up-and-down as the game wore on. In all of the first session, maybe five or six deliveries deviated off the deck. It was not a surface that pleased Lal, and he minced no words in asking the BCCI to look into a pitch he said could be a “disgrace”.”Very poor wicket,” Lal said after the first day’s play. “The board has to look at things like this. The ball is not coming up. The surface is dusting on the first day. You’ve got neutral curators, why not send them 15 days before? Imagine, a fast bowler is running in with one slip in the first session of a final, with the knowledge that it won’t carry. It could be a disgrace if the ball starts rolling through on the third day, there’s a good chance of it happening as well. This isn’t the wicket you prepare for a final, involving two sides that have fought hard to finish at the top.”Vishvaraj Jadeja, who hit one of two half-centuries scored on the day, agreed that the pitch was not the typical one found at the SCA Stadium, but felt the home team’s total of 206 for 5 at stumps (Cheteshwar Pujara having retired hurt because of a throat infection and a fever) was reasonable.”This isn’t your typical Khanderi pitch,” Vishvaraj said. “I can’t say we’re safe, but it’s not easy to score. There is low bounce, the ball is holding onto the deck. It’s not easy to score against both pace and spin. I won’t say I am surprised, but this is a tough pitch. My dismissal, the ball cut back in suddenly when the same delivery earlier did nothing. We lost one wicket too many. If we get 100-150, we will be in an excellent position.”

“The board has to look at things like this. The ball is not coming up. The surface is dusting on the first day. You’ve got neutral curators, why not send them 15 days before? This isn’t the wicket you prepare for a final, involving two sides that have fought hard to finish at the top.”Arun Lal, Bengal coach

That Saurashtra didn’t manage a more commanding position was down to Bengal’s doggedness and patience. Shahbaz Ahmed, Bengal’s only frontline spinner, was introduced in the eighth over. There was hardly any turn. Yet, Bengal kept repeating their boring methods, over and over again. Not allowing a flurry of boundaries, stringing together tight overs in the hope of wickets. Once it was clear merely accuracy wasn’t enough, Ahmed went to an over-the-wicket line to the right-handers, looking to pitch the ball outside leg. While this may have seemed like a negative tactic, Bengal knew what they were doing. Ahmed’s first seven overs went for just 10.”On the face of it, you can call it negative or whatever, but it was a plan, a proper strategy that comes with the knowledge of having seen such wickets,” Lal said. “He was incredible, to do a containing job when absolutely nothing was happening was a superb effort from him.”That control allowed Bengal to not let the match slip away as Saurashtra’s Day 1 run-rate was just 2.54. Lal said, half in jest, that if he had a magic wand he’d not want to see Saurashtra add to their overnight 206, but “anything under 300 will be a job well done, even if it will still be a big challenge from there.”On a tricky pitch, with Pujara still potentially capable of coming out to resume his innings, the Bengal bowlers’ performance has kept them in the hunt. This story has been updated to reflect SCA’s response to Arun Lal’s comments

The 2025 MLB playoffs are heating up as teams battle for a shot at the World Series title.

While 12 teams entered the postseason bracket, 18 went home early. Of those teams on the outside looking in, eight are in search of new managers. What follows is a look at all the available managerial openings across the league, ranking them by their attractiveness to potential applicants.

8. Colorado Rockies

There is not much here to love, and manager Bud Black was mercifully let go in the middle of the season.

The Rockies lost 119 games in 2025 and had the worst run differential (-424) MLB has seen since 1899. The team has lost 100-plus games in three straight seasons and has a .356 winning percentage over the past four years. The bad part? The Rockies haven't taken advantage of their awful play to build for the future. MLB Pipeline ranks their farm system 24th in baseball, meaning there isn't much help on the way.

Catcher Hunter Goodman had an excellent season, so there's a plus, and former first-rounder Charlie Condon isn't too far away. But this year's first-rounder, Ethan Holliday, is just 18 and likely years from the big leagues, and the team's ownership doesn't seem interested in spending to improve the current roster. This isn't quite a dead-end job, but any manager taking it would be smart to get long-term job security.

7. Minnesota Twins

The Twins sold hard at the deadline and wound up finishing 70-92, and looking like a team trending in the wrong direction. Rocco Baldelli was fired following the season, but, honestly, this was not his fault.

There isn't much to be excited about here. Byron Buxton hit 35 home runs, Luke Keaschall had a nice debut season, and Joe Ryan has become a real frontline starter. Top prospect and former No. 5 overall pick Walker Jenkins is in Triple-A and clearly not far from making his debut. Beyond that, the Twins do have a deep farm system ranked No. 2 in baseball, but it will take time to see that come to fruition.

The biggest issue here is the unstable ownership situation. The Pohlad family tried to sell the franchise for about a year, then all of a sudden flipped a switch and opted to keep it. Instead, they took on minority owners in an attempt to pay down more than $425 million in debt. The roster might be better in the future, but right now things up and down the franchise look bleak.

6. Los Angeles Angels

The Angels are this high simply because the other two spots are abysmal right now. Ron Washington is out after a 72-90 season, but he didn't have much to work with. Owner Arte Morenos's club has one of the worst farm systems in baseball, the worst contract in the sport, and already has $126.9 million committed for 2026 for a roster that isn't any good.

The Angels had a bad season, and don't have much to be excited about. Mike Trout had the worst year of his career, Taylor Ward hit 36 home runs but doesn't offer much upside, and Rendon is still an active major leaguer and will make $38.6 million in 2026 to essentially be an empty uniform. Fans can get excited about 24-year-old shortstop Zach Neto, but… yeah, that's about it.

Moreno's franchise needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom.

5. Washington Nationals

The Nationals aren't close to winning a title, but there are a lot of solid building blocks in place. Washington should have been better than 66-96, which is why Dave Martinez lost his job in July.

James Wood, C.J. Abrams, and Dylan Crews can create the core to a really nice middle of the order, third baseman Brady House should hit once he's adjusted to the bigs, and with the right guidance, MacKenzie Gore could turn into a legit No. 1 starter. Meanwhile, righty Travis Sykora and shortstop Seaver King should supplement that group soon.

On top of that, the team only has $47.2 million in payroll committed for 2026, but $32.8 million of that is going to Stephen Strasburg, who retired in August of last year. Yikes. They currently only have $14.4 million committed to their active roster, which is the lowest in baseball. There's plenty of room to add here.

4. San Francisco Giants

The Giants looked like a playoff team for a chunk of the 2025 season, then they traded for Rafael Devers and fell apart. A late-season run almost got them into the postseason, but it didn't save Bob Melvin's job. There's some good stuff here. Devers, Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and youngster Bryce Eldridge fill out what can be a dangerous lineup, while Logan Webb and Robbie Ray are expensive, but can still get it done on the mound.

The issue here is depth: San Francisco doesn't have it. With Eldridge moving to the big leagues, the team's best prospects are all years away from joining him. The franchise has money and isn't afraid to spend, which means free agency could be the route to contention.

3. Texas Rangers

This job has been filled by Skip Schumaker, but it's worth going over the positives here. This is a team ready to compete now, but the future doesn't look great. The Rangers won the World Series in 2023, but have struggled to a .491 winning percentage over the past two seasons. Bruce Bochy parted ways with the franchise after the 2025 season.

The lineup boasts some juice with Corey Seager, youngster Wyatt Langford, and Marcus Semien, while the rotation is led by Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom. Evan Carter and Jack Leiter are both young talents who could emerge more consistently as well.

The downside here is that the Rangers' system boasts the No. 6 prospect in baseball, Sebastian Walcott, and not much else. The future third baseman or corner outfielder could reach the big leagues next season, but 2027 is more likely. Other than that, help is most definitely not on the way, so Texas will need to look outside the franchise to find the help it needs.

2. Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles were the most disappointing team in baseball during the 2025 season, which is why Brandon Hyde was fired in May. Despite a rough season that ended with a 75-87 record, there's a reason expectations were so high.

Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Jackson Holliday, Colton Cowser, Coby Mayo, and uber-prospect Samuel Basallo combine to create the best young core in the game. On the mound, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Grayson Rodriguez, and Kyle Bradish front a crop of excellent starters. Talent is not the problem here.

It's also worth noting, new owner David Rubenstein seems willing to spend to win, which should come in handy when the team needs to supplement its roster. Don't be shocked if Baltimore is active this offseason.

1. Atlanta Braves

Injuries played a big part in the Braves flopping to a 76-86 record in 2025, but the team never seemed to get off the ground, even when healthy. Brian Snitker retired at the end of the season and will move into an advisory role as a result.

Still, with a rotation fronted by Spencer Strider, backed up by Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and Grant Holmes, good things should be coming in the near future. On offense, Matt Olson remains an All-Star slugger, rookie catcher Drake Baldwin looks like a cornerstone, and the team still has Ronald Acuna Jr. and Austin Riley.

While that all sounds great, there are some downsides. One is the $214 million in payroll already committed for 2026, which likely limits the team's ability to build. The 28th-ranked farm system in baseball is also a drag on the organization. But any manager taking this job knows he has an excellent general manager in Alex Anthopoulos. This is a job where a new hire could win quickly.

Hugo Ekitike scored both goals – including the fastest of the Premier League season – as Mohamed Salah made an earlier-than-expected return in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Brighton at Anfield, but it was another Reds star drawing all the praise.

Liverpool rampant in win over Brighton

Cameramen barely had time to shift their focus off Salah, back in the squad after being dropped for his explosive comments about being “thrown under the bus” by the club, when Ekitike struck after just 46 seconds.

Salah held talks with Arne Slot on Friday after his midweek Champions League omission and would have expected to wait until the second half for a chance to redeem himself – at least in most observers’ eyes.

But Joe Gomez’s injury released him from the bench, where he was for his fourth successive match sharing the occasional joke with Andy Robertson, midway through the first half.

It was not the change Slot wanted to make with the game still evenly poised but one he could not avoid without creating more headlines. However, set-piece coach Aaron Briggs gave the instructions as Slot was in conversation with Dominik Szoboszlai, his new right-back.

And it was the Hungary star, not match-winner Ekitike, who was impressing BBC commentator Chris Sutton, in part due to that ability to move into different positions.

Touches

70

Passes (successful)

53 (49)

Shots

2

Duels (won)

5 (3)

Salah immediately combined with Alexis Mac Allister to almost set up Ekitike and the Kop broke into Salah’s song before he was involved again as Ekitike volleyed wide.

Liverpool’s 4-2-3-1 formation, with Florian Wirtz playing off the left, does not suit Salah due to the additional work-rate required but when from a Brighton counter-attack Szoboszlai made the lung-busting run to snuff out the danger Salah was not far behind in the tracking-back stakes.

And after the Egypt international forced Bart Verbruggen into his first save of the second half at the expense of a corner and the unmarked Ekitike headed home the chant for the Frenchman was quickly replaced with a louder one for Salah, closely followed by another for Slot.

Last weekend Salah, now destined for the Africa Cup of Nations, had suggested this could be his last match but talks will continue between the club and his representatives in an attempt to resolve the situation.

He finished the game paired with Alexander Isak, the British record-signing bought to eventually replace his weight of goals, but – perhaps symptomatic of his season – missed his moment by firing over Federico Chiesa’s cross in added time.

Salah applauded all four sides at the final whistle, lingering in front of the Kop as they sang his praise, and fans will hope this is au revoir and not farewell.

Amid the Salah circus it was easy to forget the improvement in the Liverpool’s performance, their third win in five unbeaten, and the growing prowess of Ekitike.

His first-minute goal, taking a touch before unleashing a shot which was still rising as it hit the roof of the net, came as a result of Yankuba Minteh’s risky cross-field clearance headed down by Joe Gomez.

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Minteh and Diego Gomez both had chances to equalise but the first half was controlled by Liverpool aided by the growing understanding between Wirtz and Mac Allister.

Ekitike continued to pose a threat in the second half but could not find a finish to match the quality of his driving run, although Brighton were becoming more dangerous with Diego Gomez hitting Alisson’s right-hand upright and Brajan Gruda dragging wide.

After Ekitike fired over when Mac Allister released Salah the Egyptian took matters into his own hands with the shot which led to the Frenchman’s second goal.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes's abilities on the mound are electric enough—but it's his straightforward public persona that has endeared him even more to long-suffering Pirates fans.

Case in point: Skenes's reaction to the Thursday firing of manager Derek Shelton. When asked about the dismissal, the pitcher refused to mince words.

"Unfortunately, I wasn't shocked," Skenes said via KDKA-FM in Pittsburgh. "At the end of the day, we're (12-26), whatever it is. Someone's gotta be held accountable. Unfortunately, right now, it's him."

Skenes has remained a top hurler this year, starting 3-4 with a 2.77 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings. However, Pittsburgh is far from contention—and a fanbase that has seen three playoff trips in the past 33 years is running out of patience.

"I don't know if it fixes the root of the issue, which is that we need to play better," Skenes told reporters. "That's been the messaging today. That's been the messaging for a little bit now."

It’s make-or-break time for Eddie Howe in the Newcastle United dug-out.

Howe has now overseen 190 games in charge of the Magpies, with recent 3-1 defeats picked up away at West Ham United and Brentford surely ranking high when scanning over some of the most abject performances served up during his long-standing tenure.

Former Magpies goalkeeper Tim Krul has come out to say Howe will still go down as “one of the legends of the club”, despite his poor current form in the hot seat, resulting in Newcastle sitting in a lowly 14th position in the Premier League.

All these glowing words will ultimately mean nothing, though, if Howe can’t turn around this concerning rut, with many a selection decision for the under-pressure boss to ponder over now during the international break, in an effort to save his job.

How Howe can save his job at Newcastle

Howe must know he’s under pressure now, with the usually calm and relaxed 47-year-old cutting a dejected figure after the away defeat at the Bees.

He will surely have come to the realisation he cannot rely on the first-teamers he has picked throughout his spell on Tyneside to continue to come up trumps, with the likes of Nick Pope and Joelinton potentially put to one side – owing immediately to injury – but also due to their recurring poor performances as the Toon slide down the division.

It’s a sad decline in real time for both the Brazilian and the ex-Burnley shot-stopper, with Aaron Ramsdale the likely candidate to replace Pope long-term, after he kept a clean sheet when last selected in the EFL Cup.

The faltering Magpies could look to the January transfer window to try and nail down a lasting replacement for Joelinton, but Jacob Ramsey did impress in flashes at the Gtech Community Stadium, winning five duels and amassing two key passes.

Howe could also be willing to gift Harvey Barnes some more first-team chances to save his skin, with the number 11 bagging his first Premier League goal of the season against Brentford to raise a rare smile.

With Anthony Gordon also being stricken by injury, and Anthony Elanga yet to get off the mark after a £55m summer move, the manager’s dependable super sub could be in for a start against Manchester City, after the break concludes.

There is also the major problem of Newcastle’s leaky defence that Howe will need to address, with one first-team figure – who was once even likened to Magpies’ great Alan Shearer – now in grave danger of being shelved for good.

Newcastle's "Shearer-like" star could be given the boot

As the aforementioned Krul touched upon, Howe will be viewed as a heroic icon down the line when his Newcastle tenure does expire, having guided the often trophyless Toon to an EFL Cup triumph just last season.

On that memorable day at Wembley, Dan Burn, all 6-foot-7 of him, got the ball rolling against the heavily fancied Liverpool, with that powerful header too fierce for Caoimhin Kelleher to palm away.

Sky Sports’ Gary Neville even heralded this moment as being “Shearer-like” from the Blyth-born defender, as the passionate number 33 scored an all-important strike, much like Shearer managed during his Tyneside peak, time after time.

Still, Howe cannot afford to be swept up in sentiment right now involving the ageing defender, with a red card picked up against Brentford resulting in the away side collecting a depressing fifth league defeat of the season.

Burn vs Brentford

Stat

Burn

Minutes played

73

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

61

Accurate passes

20/32 (68%)

Accurate crosses

0/1

Possession lost

18x

Tackles won

1/2

Interceptions

0

Clearances

11

Blocked shots

1

Ball recoveries

1

Total duels won

8/17

Stats by Sofascore

It wasn’t just the dismissal, though, that would sting from Burn’s off-performance, with the four-time England international also failing to lead by example when only winning eight of his 17 duels, on top of also giving away possession 18 times.

For Howe to save his job, he will need to ditch using Burn as a left-back option, with one content creator certainly right in his assessment now from earlier in the season, that the 33-year-old staying in that spot for the foreseeable future is the “stuff of nightmares.”

It will be a tough call to get rid, with Burn even once being noted as one of the “best signings” his manager has ever made, by Howe himself.

But, with his fralities being exposed all campaign long now, it could be a necessary alteration to bring Lewis Hall in, so Howe lives to see another day at St James’ Park.

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Crystal Palace are keen on signing an “insane” centre-back who once pocketed Erling Haaland, with it now being revealed he wants to leave his club in 2026.

Parish reveals why Guehi's Liverpool move fell through

Palace were expected to sell Marc Guehi during the summer transfer window, given that it was their last chance to cash-in for a sizeable fee, but the move fell through on deadline day, with Steve Parish recently revealing why he didn’t sanction the move.

The chairman said: “I decided in the end that, based on the advice that I got and with what I think, that we would have a better season if we kept Marc.

“If we were fighting between the difference of 10th and 14th, if that was going to be the difference between keeping Marc and letting Marc go, then probably we would have said right, ‘We should take the money.”

Crystal Palace now rivalling Tottenham for £43m former Real Madrid defender

Palace have joined the race for a new centre-back, with Marc Guehi poised to leave on a free transfer next summer.

ByDominic Lund Oct 15, 2025

With their captain still on the books, however, the Eagles are showing signs they could be capable of pushing for a European spot this season, sitting sixth in the Premier League table, having lost just one of their opening seven matches.

However, Crystal Palace will be powerless to prevent the 25-year-old from leaving on a free transfer next summer, meaning bringing in a new centre-back will be one of the most important tasks, and they are keen on signing Inter Milan’s Yann Bisseck.

That is according to a report from SportsBild (via Sport Witness), which reveals the German wants to move when the January transfer window opens, amid concerns about losing his spot in the World Cup squad next summer.

The 24-year-old has fallen down the pecking order at Inter this season, having failed to impress, which means the Italian club are open to sanctioning a departure for €20m to €25m (£17m – £22m).

"Commanding" Bisseck once pocketed Haaland

Despite struggling at Inter so far this season, the one-time Germany international could be a solid replacement for Guehi, having been lauded by Ben Mattinson last term, with the scout particularly impressed by his ball manipulation.

The Inter defender has also put in some top performances in the Champions League in the past, keeping Haaland quiet in a 0-0 draw at the Etihad Stadium last season, during which the Norwegian was limited to just one shot on target and an xG of 0.33.

Bisseck is vastly experienced at the top level, having made 13 appearances for Inter en-route to their loss in the final last season, which suggests he could be a fantastic signing for Crystal Palace.