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Manchester United have agreed a £35m (40.5m euros) deal with Italian side Atalanta for Brazil midfielder Ederson.
The 26-year-old will sign a four-year deal at United, with the option to extend it by a further 12 months.
Ederson is still to have a medical, with sources saying the transfer should be completed in early July before United’s return to pre-season training begins.
He will become the club’s first signing since Michael Carrick was appointed permanent head coach last month.
The deal will also be subject to £3.9m (€4.5m) in additional payments.
It is the first of what could be up to three central midfield additions to Carrick’s squad this summer.
United are prioritising that area of the field, which has been weakened by the exit of Ederson’s compatriot Casemiro, 34, whose contract expires at the end of the month.
Ederson, who has three internaional caps, was named in Brazil’s 55-man expanded World Cup squad but missed out on manager Carlo Ancelotti’s final selection.
United are also keen on West Ham’s Mateus Fernandes, although the relegated London outfit are looking for a substantial profit on the Portugal midfeidler who cost them in excess of £40m when he joined from Southampton last summer.
United also covet England’s Elliot Anderson, although the Nottingham Forest player would prefer to join Manchester City.
In addition to strengthening their midfield, United are also looking to bring in a left-sided player, with Newcastle’s Lewis Hall among the players on their radar, and striking support for Benjamin Sesko.
They are also still to decide on the precise make-up of their goalkeeping team, which could include Radek Vitek, who enjoyed a superb campaign on loan at Bristol City, where he won all their player of the year prizes.
The 22-year-old Czech told BBC Sport in April he is open minded about the future but wants to play regularly, suggesting he will not return to Old Trafford as back-up to Senne Lammens.
It is understood former first-choice Andre Onana has been told he can find another club, although it is not clear how easily the Cameroon international’s wage demands will be met given he will benefit in an increase from United qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Ederson, 26, has proved adaptable across a number of central midfield roles for Atalanta, scoring 16 goals in 180 games for the Serie A outfit in all competitions.
Driven by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United have revamped their data analysis operation under Michael Sansoni and the former high-ranking Mercedes Formula One has had significant involvement in identifying the right targets, working alongside director of football Jason Wilcox.
Carrick confirmed he had been involved in recruitment meetings from the point he was named as Ruben Amorim’s temporary successor in January.
Charlotte Edwards says there was never any doubt around Heather Knight’s place in England’s World Cup side as the former captain returned to form in a series-clinching win in the third T20 against India.
Knight, 35, made a magnificent unbeaten 70 as England emphatically chased 181 to win the series 2-1, after she had endured a lean start to the summer.
But under pressure in the series decider, Knight, who became England women’s most-capped cricketer last month, was at her fluent best with 10 fours in a 42-ball knock.
“It’s been quite interesting listening to some of the press this week,” head coach Edwards told BBC Sport.
“I think the more that people have been writing her off, the more I just knew she was going to put in a performance like this.
“I spoke to her after her record game [at Chelmsford] about her character and how that is one of her biggest attributes, and we saw that in abundance tonight.
“It was really lovely for her to have that performance going into the World Cup, but there were no doubts in our dressing room about Heather.”
Knight added 137 for the fourth wicket in a flawless stand with Alice Capsey, who made 81 off 43. The pair toyed with India’s wilting bowlers throughout, with Knight reverse-sweeping and scoring cannily behind square while Capsey struck beautifully straight down the ground.
It is easy to forget Capsey is still only 21 years old, having burst on to the English cricket scene as a teenager, and it was a knock that has surely cemented her place in Edwards’ starting XI for the World Cup opener against Sri Lanka on 12 June.
Edwards said it was the best she had seen Capsey play, and praised her work ethic over the winter.
“To play the way she did from that position [38-3], I couldn’t be prouder,” Edwards added.
“We spoke to her at the start of the winter about the areas we wanted her to work on and she has worked so, so hard. Now she’s bearing the fruits of that and there’s nothing more satisfying than to win a game of cricket for England in that manner.”
Caitlin Clark says everybody making a big deal about a heated moment on the bench between her and Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White has gotten it “blatantly wrong.”
“I know there’s a camera on me … but there’s a lot of people out there in the media or on TV that think they know a lot of things, and they’re just blatantly wrong,” the star point guard said on Monday. “It’s just another example of what everybody … want[s] to blow up and make something that is just … not in reality.”
Clark was addressing a moment that occurred during the Fever’s 100-84 loss to the Portland Fire on Saturday. The viral footage appears to show Clark and White having a heated exchange while the team is huddled on the bench. White then subs Clark out for Raven Johnson, having her take Clark’s seat, as they presumably continue to discuss their next play. Kelsey Mitchell and Makayla Timpson appear to try to calm Clark, who can be seen shaking her head while standing behind her coach.
As with many moments involving the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, video capturing the exchange was widely circulated and discussed among fans and pundits online and on TV.
Clark dismissed the moment as just “two people being competitive, two people that really want to win” and pushed back against it being described as “a blow up.”
“I ride for Steph, I ride for these girls. Steph has my back more than anybody,” the two-time All Star said. “Nobody in … our locker room, or Steph, or our coaching staff, thought twice about it.”
Clark’s teammate Lexie Hull was also asked about the moment on Monday during an appearance on Yahoo Sports Daily, and the Fever guard indicated it wasn’t even a blip on the team’s radar.
“That’s part of the game,” Hull said after mentioning the team had been in some foul trouble. “There’s frustrations that rise, and decisions have to be made, and ultimately, this wasn’t something that carried on. This is, in the moment, something that happened, and not something that is talked about now in our locker room or talked about even later on in the game.”
White echoed her players’ sentiments Monday, saying the footage just captured her coaching.
“I was challenging a player,” White said. “It’s coaching. … My relationship with Caitlin is great. … She wants to be coached. I want her to help me be a better coach. We’re both competitive, we’re both stubborn, we’re more alike than different. Hopefully we continue to bring the best out of each other.”
White attributed the attention to Clark’s popularity and how “everything that she does gets clicks.” She also pushed back against attempts to frame these moments as “tense.”
“It’s not a new thing,” White said. “It happens in every sport … and it’s not a story.”
Clark, the 2024 No. 1 draft pick, first gained buzz for her three-point shooting during her college years at Iowa. While her popularity has carried over into her WNBA career, she has more recently been increasinglyscrutinized for her demeanor and perceived disrespect toward coaches and officials rather than for her play. Her injury-plagued 2025 campaign and the Fever’s less-than-stellar start to the 2026 season haven’t helped. The Fever are currently 4-4 and ninth in the WNBA standings. The team went 20-20 in the regular season during Clark’s rookie campaign and 24-20 in 2025 (Clark played just 13 games).
“There’s immense amount of pressure, and sometimes that pressure can get you and frustrate you in different ways,” said Clark. “I want to win. This team wants to win, and I’m the point guard, so it’s on me to help this team and this franchise win.”
Alice Capsey hits 82 whilst Heather Knight finishes unbeaten on 70 as England chase down 181, the highest run-chase in women’s T20 history in England, to secure a six-wicket win against India, sealing an impressive 2-1 series win in Taunton.
The four-time NBA champion has spent his entire playing career with the Golden State Warriors and is under contract through the end of next season.
He has been playing without a shoe deal, however, since parting ways with Under Armour in November.
That won’t be the case when Curry starts his 18th NBA season in the fall. The man who holds the NBA record for most career three-pointers announced on Monday that his Curry Brand is teaming with Chinese sportswear and athletic equipment company Li-Ning for a partnership that is “bigger than a shoe deal” and “bigger than a signature series.”
”This is the partnership of a lifetime. The future of Curry Brand is with Li-Ning,” Curry wrote in a post announcing the deal on his Thirty Ink site. “I couldn’t be more proud to build a long-term vision with Li-Ning that will fuel Curry Brand for years to come and unlock the full potential of this company on a global scale.”
ESPN reports that the deal is for 10 years. Terms were not released.
Curry signed with Nike for the first four seasons of his career before switching to Under Armour in 2013. After announcing his sneaker free agency early in the 2025-26 season, Curry wore shoes from a variety of companies during warmups and games. In April, Curry auctioned off more than 70 pairs of those shoes through Sotheby’s, raising more than $1.7 million for his charitable foundation.
While many of his shoe choices had special significance — like when he honored Kobe and Gianna Bryant by warming up in Nike Kobe 6 Protro “Mambacita” sneakers — Curry also was doing his due diligence as a businessman.
“Throughout my sneaker free agency, I was impressed by the quality, comfort and performance of Li-Ning’s shoes,” Curry said. “It was during that time playing in Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler’s sneakers, that I knew that Li-Ning could be the right partner that can deliver on the innovation and design that I want Curry Brand to stand for.”
Li-Ning (the company) was founded by Li Ning — the Chinese gymnast who won six medals, including three gold, during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics — in 1990. A handful of NBA players have signed with the company , starting with then-Cleveland Cavaliers guard Damon Jones in 2006 and also including former Clippers guard Baron Davis and future Hall of Famers Wade and Shaquille O’Neal.
In addition to Curry’s Golden State teammate Butler, other current NBA stars signed with Li-Ning include Atlanta’s C.J. McCollum and Washington’s D’Angelo Russell.
According to Curry, Li-Ning will open Curry Brand stores in the United States and China.
“We’ll be proudly building Curry Brand into a future leading company that will leave its mark in Basketball, in Golf and across the lifestyle space,” Curry wrote.
“We’ll aim to create game-changing products, launch elevated platforms and bring storytelling that will inspire young boys and girls around the globe. My hope is for young athletes to find the same purpose, joy and drive through sports that I’ve long enjoyed throughout this journey.”
Sophie Ecclestone has a moment to forget as she misses a simple run-out opportunity on the final ball of India’s innings, as they set England 181 to win in the third and final T20 in Taunton.
Welcome back to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, where we’re calling in reinforcements for the home stretch of the NBA season.
The Finals begin Wednesday. All but the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs are left to reckon with their rosters from the sidelines. Some of the recently eliminated teams have major decisions that could affect the market for the Lakers, who, I’m sure you know, are facing some huge roster questions. To break down the offseason, I sent the bat signal out to some of my favorite co-workers for their thoughts.
All things Lakers, all the time.
Get all the Lakers news you need in Thuc Nhi Nguyen’s weekly newsletter.
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What say you?
Joining me at our virtual roundtable are Los Angeles Times reporters Broderick Turner and columnists Bill Plaschke and Mirjam Swanson. With an assist from our assistant editor Dan Loumena, we examine the upcoming offseason.
The biggest question facing the Lakers: Re-sign LeBron James, let him walk as a free agent or hope he retires?
Nguyen: LeBron deciding to retire would definitely make things simpler for the Lakers, but nothing about this franchise can be simple. With how the season ended and the way he played, it feels unlikely that he would walk away at this point. It’ll come down to the money. This free agency class is not very strong. A soon-to-be 42-year-old could be the best of the bunch. But if the Lakers are on the hook for something close to what James made last year, building out the rest of the roster seems untenable. At the right price, he still feels like a player who could help the Lakers.
Plaschke: There is no “right price” for the Lakers and LeBron. He’s still one of the best players in the game, and he’ll demand to be paid like it, but the Lakers aren’t going to want to pony up. Not for a third option. Not for a 42-year-old consistent injury threat. And not for a guy who, if they give him what he wants, they’ll have no chance to begin building what they want, which is a championship. Bring back LeBron James? Pass.
Swanson: There absolutely is a right price — for the Lakers. Will that be the right price for LeBron? What if a low-low price of $20 million-ish would do it? Higher than the mid-level but far less than he’s used to? I think there’s a world where the Lakers can make a $20-million to 30-million pay cut make sense for LeBron — and I think he’s waiting to see if they can do it.
LeBron is such a Rorschach test because everyone hears what he says and so many of us perceive it differently. What I heard when he spoke about his future on the recent “Mind the Game” podcast was A) not someone who’s lost his love for the game, B) someone who really enjoyed last season’s Lakers team, C) someone who’s L.A.-lifestyle-loving family is going to have a lot of sway in this latest Decision and D) someone who was letting it be known that he isn’t making the call until “late-June into August,” by which time the music will have all but stopped on the NBA’s annual musical chairs number.
I take that to mean that LeBron is going to sit back and see what the Lakers do with the money they’re going to be reallocating to other players and whether it brings them closer to contention. If they do that, I think he comes back for another hurrah for substantially less — and they should want him! He’s not only one of (if not the) best players of all time. He was still a massively productive player at 40 and 41. He led the Lakers to a playoff series victory against Houston and was their most dependable player on the court for much of the Oklahoma City series in which they were otherwise completely overmatched.
Turner: Let’s be clear first: LeBron is one of the best free agents in a market that is not strong this offseason. That, alone, puts the Lakers in a precarious situation, because they know it’s a weak market and so do James and his representatives. James’ asking price and what the Lakers are willing to pay him will be the test for both sides. It’s called negotiations and James and his people already are letting the media machine suggest James wants the same $52.3 million he earned last season again. Or if not, James, rightfully, wants to know how the Lakers will build their team if he does take a pay cut. He proved his worth again in the playoffs, leading the Lakers past the Houston Rockets with Doncic out and Reaves playing in just two of those games. The Lakers will have to pay The Man.
Austin Reaves is expected to opt out of his contract to enter unrestricted free agency. The Lakers can bring him back for up to five years and $241 million. Other teams can sign him for up to four years and $178 million. What should the Lakers do?
Austin Reaves controls the ball during the first half of Game 6 against Houston.
(Ashley Landis / AP)
Plaschke: Bring back AR. He got batted around a bit in the playoffs, but he was trying to return too soon from his oblique injury. Judge him by his entire body of work, which meshes perfectly with Luka’s body of work. Give AR what he wants. Bring him back.
Swanson: Unless the Brooklyn Nets or Atlanta Hawks or Memphis Grizzlies want to massively overpay, Austin is coming back. He loves L.A. and L.A. loves him back. But I don’t think anyone thinks Austin is going to get $240 million from the Lakers, it’s more likely going to be a five-year, $200-million deal — that extra year the Lakers can offer being the sweetener in any potential bidding war.
And the Lakers shouldn’t overpay him, because they need to make sure he’s on a tradeable contract — in case they can’t figure out how to overcome Austin’s and Luka’s redundancies as defensively suspect shot-makers. Or if his toughness doesn’t override his unfortunate susceptibility to injury. Or if uneven playoff performances in the future put a lid on the Lakers’ postseason potential. You know, just in case.
Turner: He wants to return and the Lakers want him back. At what price is the question. Reaves earned $13.9 million last season and has a player option for next season at $14.8 million. He’s going to bet on himself and decline that option for a bigger payday. At the very least, Reaves will earn $40 million or more per season. The Lakers know a few teams have their eyes on Reaves. Reaves and his representatives know they can get up to five years and $241 million from the Lakers, and that’s what they want.
If the Lakers and LeBron do not come to an agreement, what other options do they have via trade or trying to sign a star?
Nguyen: The Lakers are trying to remodel the roster to fit around Luka Doncic, which means they need shooting, defense and a perfect pick-and-roll partner. Despite lingering hamstring injuries, Denver’s Peyton Watson, who is a restricted free agent, was an intriguing name, especially with a potential homecoming for the former UCLA Bruin. Detroit’s Jalen Duren is a restricted free agent and coming off an underwhelming postseason run, which could complicate negotiations for the third-team All-NBA player. If Cleveland is willing to part with one of their big men after getting swept out of the Eastern Conference finals, maybe the Lakers could lurk around for a big trade. Come draft night, the Lakers have three first-round picks available to trade: 2026, 2031 and 2033.
Swanson: The Lakers need to target stars in their roles. Most of those guys Thuc Nhi mentioned would be good — though Duren’s playoff nosedive would make me not want him at his going price. For the Lakers, it’s: Shooters wanted, defenders wanted, ATHLETES wanted. Think the New Orleans Pelicans’ Trey Murphy or maybe Herb Jones. And bring back Rui Hachimura, a big-bodied shooter who we trust in the clutch. Build Luka a suitable army, as much as possible, with the cap space and draft picks they’ve been saving for this offseason.
Turner: Here’s the thing: The Lakers can re-sign LeBron and AR and still use the mid-level exception that will be about $15 million to sign a free agent. Denver’s Peyton Watson is a name that has been attached to the Lakers. The problem is he is a restricted free agent and the Nuggets can match any offer he receives. Also, if the Lakers make him an offer, the Nuggets have 48 hours to make a decision. During that waiting period, the Lakers would have cap space tied up and could lose out on other free agents. But word around the NBA is that the Nuggets will shed some salaries so they can pay Watson because they need young, athletic wings.
Then there’s the Deandre Ayton situation. Can the Lakers upgrade at center?
Deandre Ayton defends against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort during the playoffs.
(Kyle Phillips / Associated Press)
Nguyen: It feels likely that Deandre Ayton will be back on his player option. It’ll be hard for him to get anything better on the open market. But the Lakers definitely need more out of that position. If he comes back with Luka and Austin, “run it back” is starting to give “running in circles” while Oklahoma City and San Antonio run circles around everyone else in the West.
Plaschke: DA is going to take the Lakers’ money, so this feels like a moot point. A better question is, how can they get rid of him once he’s back? His motor doesn’t run at 100% all the time, and at this level, that is inexcusable.
Swanson: Yeah, DA proved he is who we all thought he was: A great talent with wavering focus. But remember, he’s not taking very much of the Lakers’ money; dude is on an $8-million contract. Together he and [Jaxson] Hayes make close to $13 million. Considered the price tag, the Lakers actually got a lot of bang for their buck.
Now, can either of those guys stop Wemby? Of course not. Can anyone on the planet, though? Uh, no. So, sure, the Lakers could spend big to upgrade at center, but it wouldn’t make much of a difference. They’d be better served to save money in the post — and potentially on LeBron — and spend it on wing defenders and shooters, which is where they can hope to counteract the top teams.
Turner: DA underperformed most of the season and was even less impressive in the playoffs against OKC. Teams are not lining up to get him, so he’ll probably pick up his player option of $8.1 million next season. Portland center Robert Williams is an unrestricted free agent that, when healthy, is an upgrade if the Lakers look his way. He earned $13.3 million last season and the Lakers could use the mid-level exception to entice him. He’s a really good defender and the sort of lob threat that Doncic loves to have on his team.
Favorite thing I ate this week
A Vietnamese bar spread: Salt and pepper chicken (top left), salt and pepper tofu (bottom left), baby clams with shrimp chips and sesame crackers (center), Vietnamese BBQ pork skewers (top right) and mango salad (bottom right).
(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)
When I was growing up, my parents had an open door policy. Family members dropped by basically unannounced on random weekdays after work or weekend afternoons to sit around our table, share a few drinks and snack on some bites. In Vietnamese, we call it “nhậu.”
It means “to go drinking,” but just as important as the cold beer is the spread of snacks that kept my uncles and aunts drinking, laughing and hanging out for hours together.
You don’t need a reason to nhậu. You just need friends, food and beer. While my friends helped stock the fridge with drinks this week, I shared some of my Vietnamese favorites. We grazed on salt and pepper chicken, salt and pepper tofu, baby clams with shrimp chips and sesame crackers, BBQ pork skewers and mango salad. It was just like Vietnam except without the oppressive humidity.
The sentencing of Aspiration co-founder Joseph Sanberg to 14 years in federal prison on Monday brings the NBA a step closer to concluding its nine-month investigation into the Clippers allegedly circumventing the salary cap.
Sanberg pleaded guilty in October to federal charges of conspiring to bilk investors out of $248 million for portraying the now-defunct Aspiration as a “socially-conscious and sustainable banking services and investment products” firm.
The NBA has declined to comment on the status of the probe centered on $60 million invested in Aspiration by Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and the $28-million contract Clippers star Kawhi Leonard signed with Aspiration for endorsement and marketing work that he never delivered.
Players are allowed to have separate endorsement and other business deals, but at issue is whether the Clippers participated in arranging the side deal beyond simply introducing Aspiration executives to Leonard. Doing so would be a violation of Article 13 of the NBA collective bargaining agreement, punishable by a $4.5-million fine, the loss of a first-round draft pick and the voiding of Leonard’s contract.
The NBA draft takes place June 23-24 and the Clippers have three picks, including the fifth overall selection. The league is not expected to release its findings until after the NBA Finals, which begin Wednesday between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs.
Clippers officials haven’t commented on the investigation. But Leonard, who has one year left on a three-year, $149.5-million contract that will pay him $50.3 million next season, told The Athletic after the Clippers’ season-ending game April 15 that “I think we’re going to be in the clear. I’m not stressing.”
Otherwise, among the few public comments about the investigation were letters submitted to federal court judge Stephen V. Wilson ahead of Sanberg’s sentencing by Ballmer and the law firm conducting the probe on behalf of the NBA.
The letter from Dave Anders of Wachtell Lipton stated that Sanberg provided documentation and information helpful to the NBA investigation during two in-person interviews.
“In all our dealings with Mr. Sanberg, both directly and through his counsel, he provided information that was consistent with our review of contemporaneous documents and other evidence,” Anders wrote. “Mr. Sanberg’s cooperation substantially assisted our investigation, including our ability to develop a more complete understanding of key events.”
Ballmer countered by asking Wilson for a stiff sentence in a five-page Victim Impact Statement posted on social media by his lawyer, David N. Kelley.
“Sanberg continues to exploit his fraud of Mr. Ballmer for his benefit, providing information to the NBA in return for a sentencing letter that the league submitted on his behalf,” Kelley wrote. “The reliability of Sanberg’s information is suspect given that he has pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges, and the government has made its own determination that he is not credible.”
Before handing down the sentence, Wilson made it clear that Sanberg’s credibility was questionable.
“He portrays himself as a do-gooder who was in business to help the world, but he did personally gain from his fraud,” Wilson said, later adding, “I would put the grade of his fraud at the zenith.”
Ballmer, a former longtime CEO of Microsoft who has owned the Clippers since 2014, accused Sanberg of targeting him for his well-known interest in environmental sustainability and exaggerating their relationship to convince others to invest in the fraudulent company. He said he met Sanberg only once.
Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration in September 2021. A month later, the Clippers announced a $300-million sponsorship deal with the company. Ballmer nearly granted Aspiration naming rights to the team’s new $2-billion venue as well, but instead chose financial services firm Intuit. Ballmer made an additional $10-million investment in Aspiration on March 9, 2023.
Ballmer was added in November as a defendant in a civil lawsuit against Sanberg and several others associated with Aspiration. Ballmer and the other defendants are accused by 11 investors in Aspiration of fraud and aiding and abetting fraud, with the plaintiffs seeking at least $50 million in damages.
Kelley contended that Ballmer was added as a defendant because of his “visibility and resources,” and portrayed the Clippers owner as a victim, saying “Mr. Ballmer’s losses are not measured solely, or even primarily, on a balance sheet. They are measured in the reputational damage that will take years to remediate, and in the chilling effect on future endeavors intended to do good.”
The lone public comment about the investigation from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came during All-Star Weekend in February at the Intuit Dome when he described the issue as “enormously complex.”
“You have a company in bankruptcy, you have thousands of documents, multiple witnesses that needed to be interviewed,” Silver said.
The investigation was triggered by reports from podcaster Pablo Torre that Leonard’s sponsorship deal with Aspiration was to circumvent the salary cap. Torre and the staff of “Pablo Torre Finds Out” won a Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting for their efforts.
Alexander Zverev ensured his pursuit of an elusive Grand Slam title remained on track with a comprehensive victory over highly-rated teenager Rafael Jodar to reach the French Open semi-finals.
Second seed Zverev is the highest-ranked man left in the singles draw after a series of shock exits in Paris.
The German has long been tipped for Grand Slam glory but has struggled in the pressure moments, suffering defeat in three finals and seven semi-finals.
He came up short against Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 French Open final, despite leading by two sets to one, and has fallen four times in the Paris last four alone.
Tuesday’s meeting with 19-year-old Jodar was billed as a potentially tricky tie, with the Spaniard tipped to be a future star.
But Zverev, 10 years Jodar’s senior, used all his experience to come through 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 6-3.
“I want to keep going and win the matches ahead of me – that is my goal and my aim,” Zverev said.
“Today was a very good test against a very good player.
“I am happy to be in the semi-final but for now, that is it.”
Kostyuk was overcome with emotion following her historic meeting with Svitolina, which came a day after one of Moscow’s largest assaults on Ukraine in recent months.
She has been vocal in her criticism of Russian players who have failed to denounce the war and, like her compatriots, has maintained a policy of not shaking hands with opponents from Russia and its ally Belarus.
On the apparent reluctance of her Russian counterparts to speak about the war, Kostyuk said: “For me, it’s not frustrating anymore. They are all grown-ups.
“They are clearly aware of what’s going on. If this is something that they want to avoid talking about, they have to live with this, not me.
“I don’t know how you can sleep at night peacefully when you know that this is going on and you have nothing to say about it.”
Asked about facing a Ukrainian player next, Andreeva told the media: “It doesn’t matter who I play. I really try to play against the ball that is coming at me and focus on the game.”
Driven to deliver the title for Ukraine, Kostyuk will head into her semi-final on a 17-match winning streak on the clay this season.
“I still think it [the title] is very far. I have two matches to play and hopefully you will come and support me on Thursday,” Kostyuk told the crowd, who gave her a standing ovation and waved Ukrainian flags.
Asked if she would perform another backflip at Roland Garros, just as she did after beating Andreeva to win the Madrid Open last month, Kostyuk added: “In Madrid I practised the day before the final.
“I don’t need to practise here – I did it a month ago – but I promised I will only do it again when I win a final.”
Spinner Shoaib Bashir has been backed as England’s first-choice spinner for the first Test against New Zealand after being overlooked for the entire Ashes series.
Bashir has been named in a 12-man squad for Thursday’s series opener at Lord’s and will take his place in the XI, with England pondering the make-up of their pace attack.
Uncapped seamer Sonny Baker is also in the 12, possibly vying with Gus Atkinson for the final spot in the team.
Bashir has not played for England since the third Test against India on this ground last July, when he took the final wicket to win a thrilling contest despite having broken a finger.
The 22-year-old returned to fitness in time for the Ashes tour, but was ignored by England for the entirety of their 4-1 defeat.
While Bashir struggled in tour matches and in the nets, England explained his absence by pointing to conditions that were not helpful to spin bowlers.
“We firmly believe in Bash as an international cricketer,” England head coach Brendon McCullum told BBC Sport.
“When I look back to why he wasn’t required in Australia, it wasn’t to do with how the ball was coming out of his hand per se, we just felt the conditions were not conducive to spin bowling – as did Australia.
“We remain hugely confident and optimistic about Bash as a cricketer and the role he can play for us.”
A judge at the Old Bailey has fined UK Athletics £350,000 with £44,000 in costs after hearing how a paralympic athlete died when equipment fell on him at a training ground in east London.
Shot-putter Abdullah Hayayei was killed when a metal cage collapsed as he prepared for the World Para-athletics Championships in 2017.
He had previously represented the United Arab Emirates at the Rio Paralympics when he competed in the javelin and shot put.
Judge Richard Marks KC described Mr Hayayei’s death as “tragic, untimely and wholly avoidable.”
He also handed UKA’s former head of sport, 79-year-old Keith Davies, a 175-hour community service order after hearing how he was in charge of the equipment, which had been assembled with vital base plates missing.
The court heard how a strong gust of wind had collapsed the cage and Mr Hayayei had died of head injuries after being hit by a heavy metal bar.
The athlete was a 36-year-old wheelchair user who lived with cerebral palsy.
The court heard from his widow Badriah, who said his death had left her coping alone with five young children.
UK Athletics had pleaded guilty to a charge of corporate manslaughter at an earlier hearing in February. Mr Davies pleaded guilty to a breach of health and safety law at the same hearing.
The investigation and legal process following Mr Hayayei’s death has taken nearly a decade to complete.
Police said their investigation had involved years of meticulous work by detectives which uncovered photos from around a dozen athletics events where the same cage had been used by the UK Athletics officials. They showed the restraints were not being used to secure the equipment.
Sentencing, Judge Marks said Mr Hayayei’s death was an accident which sooner or later was “waiting to happen”.
Earlier in the hearing, Prosecutor John Price KC told the court that in the years following the incident, UKA attempted to blame the athlete’s death on Mr Davies, and even “tried to point the finger” at the Newham venue.
He described a statement later submitted by UKA as “a deeply unworthy document by a national sporting body and one of which it should be ashamed”.
Fining UKA, the judge agreed that it had been “most unattractive” but it was “a stance” that was adopted by their previous team of managers.
It had been disavowed by the current leaders of the organisation who had expressed “sincere regret”.
UKA, he said, is essentially “a club of passionate members” and was aimed at developing elite athletes and sport at a grassroots level.
He noted that the organisation had a turnover of £13.8m in 2025 with a projected loss of £400,000. He granted UKA six years to pay the fine in instalments.
In a statement, UK Athletics said it was “deeply sorry” and that “substantial changes” have been made around safety and governance.
“While nothing can undo what happened, there has been a determined focus on learning from these events and ensuring stronger standards and safeguards are in place throughout athletics,” UK Athletics said.
“We respectfully accept the court’s decision today and remain committed to continuing that work with the seriousness and responsibility this case demands.”
For those associated with the club, the desire to watch a successful team next season is blended with a need to shake off the damage Eckert’s actions have caused.
One of the more egregious conclusions drawn by the EFL investigation into Southampton’s practices was that the young analyst intern who was caught spying outside Middlesbrough’s training ground had raised concerns about the task he was given, but was put “under extreme pressure” to carry it out by more senior personnel, including Eckert.
In many workplaces, a senior staff member pressuring a junior colleague into performing a task which violates industry rules would be met with a swift and significant punishment.
But Solak told BBC Sport that the intern was at fault for not kicking up more of a fuss, saying: “I believe that our junior intern felt personally it’s wrong, and he didn’t feel right for doing this, and I think he should have expressed that stronger.”
Solak insisted he has subsequently offered the intern analyst a full-time job with the club.
But the treatment of a young, inexperienced member of staff has raised concerns about the club’s culture.
“The club has lacked in terms of leading on the problem, and sorting out their own mess,” Tessem adds.
“I hope they have all learned a very harsh lesson. When you’ve been caught red handed, you need to take responsibility for the situation.”
If Southampton do manage to keep Eckert in his job, then the question of whether the club really has learned that lesson will continue to be asked.
Benfica are looking to appoint a successor to Jose Mourinho, who has left the club and signed a three-year deal to become Real Madrid’s new head coach.
Mourinho, 63, took over at Benfica for a second spell in September and led them to third place in the Primeira Liga.
Silva joined Fulham in July 2021 from Everton and guided them back to the Premier League in his first season, following the club’s relegation to the Championship a year earlier.
The Cottagers finished 11th in the top flight last season, level on 52 points with Chelsea.
Swansea City midfielder Ethan Galbraith said his calf injury is “all good” after being included in Northern Ireland’s squad for friendlies with Guinea and France.
Galbraith had not played since the friendly draw with Wales at the end of March, which came after Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off defeat by Italy.
In April, Swansea boss Victor Matos said he would prefer the 24-year-old was rested for June’s international window, but Galbraith said he had conversations with his club manager and the medical team.
Having missed the remainder of Swansea’s Championship campaign, Galbraith said he had been “ticked off” by the club’s medical team to link up with Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland face Guinea in Spain on Thursday before facing France in Les Bleus’ World Cup send-off in Lille on 8 June.
“I’m happy to able to come to camp”, Galbraith said.
“I spent six or seven weeks just with a physio, so that was quite long just training by myself but it is all good now.
“When you spend time off the pitch it’s obviously frustrating. So having these games is absolutely brilliant for everyone, but coming off the back of an injury, it’ll be good to get back out there.”
After an impressive first season at Swansea, where he has been deployed at right back as well as in midfield, Galbaith has been linked with a move to the Premier League, as well as Championship rivals Wrexham, but he says his focus is on his current club.
“It’s nice when you see people are saying that you are doing good things, but at the moment I’m a Swansea player and will just try and focus on Swansea.”
Liverpool are in advanced talks with Andoni Iraola as they look to appoint a new head coach following the sacking of Arne Slot.
Iraola left Bournemouth at the end of the season and is the clear favourite for the role at Anfield.
Liverpool are keen to make an appointment at the earliest possible opportunity and want a manager who fits their preferred playing style, which is to deliver front-foot, aggressive football.
No approaches have yet been made with regard to Iraola’s potential coaching staff, but the 43-year-old Spaniard is keen on bringing his assistant at Bournemouth, Tommy Elphick, a lifelong Liverpool fan, with him.
BBC Sport understands that Elphick has had no contact yet from the Reds but would be interested in the opportunity.
The former Bournemouth centre-back, 38, turned down the opportunity to become the Bristol City manager last week in order to assess his other options.
The hiring process at Anfield is being led by Richard Hughes, Liverpool‘s sporting director, who previously worked with Iraola at the Cherries.
The Reds sacked Slot on Saturday, just a year after the Dutchman guided them to the Premier League title.
“Being so close to a childhood dream of mine, to play in a World Cup, and now it has been taken away from me with an injury. It’s been a tough one to get my head around.
“Your support and kind messages over the last few days mean the world to me and haven’t gone unnoticed, so thank you so much.
“I’ll see you all back doing what I love again soon, but until then, let’s get behind the team and cheer them on. Come on Scotland!”
Scotland have qualified for their first World Cup finals since 1998.
Head coach Steve Clarke and his squad left Glasgow for the United States on Sunday and face Bolivia in their final warm-up friendly on Saturday in New Jersey.
Scotland start their Group C campaign against Haiti on Sunday, 14 June before playing Morocco and Brazil.
PHOENIX — The “Beat L.A.” chants at Chase Field rose and fell for the final four innings, sometimes spurred organically, at other times prompted by the immense videoboard looming above center field.
And as the Dodgers’ offense continued to sputter, the Diamondbacks surged with a trio of home runs, giving the fans exactly what they asked for Monday night.
“Overall, I thought we had some good at-bats and barreled up some balls,” Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker said after the 4-1 loss. “But they made some nice plays and we just weren’t able to get the runs across, so just kind of how it goes sometimes.”
Tucker was one of five Dodgers in the starting lineup who went hitless. Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani was the only Dodger with multiple hits (three). And a quiet offensive night for the Dodgers wasted a quality start from starter Emmett Sheehan.
Sheehan held the Diamondbacks (32-27) to two runs and three hits in 6⅓ innings, carrying forward a recent trend for the Dodgers’ rotation, which entered Monday with a National League-best 3.05 ERA.
“I think it’s probably the back half of the rotation,” manager Dave Roberts said before the game. “To see what [Justin Wrobleski’s] done, to see what Roki [Sasaki] has done, to see what Emmet’s done — I think for me we’ve raised the floor of the starting rotation. The top end guys are kind of who they are, which is great. But every night we have a really good chance to win because of the starting pitcher.”
Monday was another one of those nights. But the Dodgers’ offense didn’t hold up its half of the bargain.
Sheehan — like Wrobleski and Sasaki this week — benefited from an uptick in velocity. His fastball averaged 95.9 mph on Monday, a season high and 1.7 mph above his average.
“I think it’s honestly just trying to relax early, and throw harder later in my delivery,” Sheehan said. “Before I was getting a little too tense, and that’s something the coaches mentioned to me. And it’s a bunch of other things too, but we’ve been working hard on it.”
Sheehan’s velocity has fluctuated all season, which he and the team attributed to inconsistent mechanics.
Dodgers starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan delivers during the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday.
(Rick Scuteri / Associated Press)
“It’s definitely been a process,” pitching coach Mark Prior said last month about syncing Sheehan’s delivery. “And it’s been a grind for him. Because he feels like some days he has it, some innings he has it; and other innings he doesn’t. It’s been kind of a roller coaster for him. It’s just part of the game.”
At times, his lower half was opening too quickly, throwing off the way his legs worked with his upper half. But on the days his timing was in sync, his velocity would often tick up, and everything would fall into place.
On Monday he was nearly perfect through the first 5⅓ innings, with the exception of Corbin Carroll’s first-inning double. He’d induced plenty of soft contact, plus three strikeouts, all in the first two innings. All three were put away with sliders.
“I thought he was really good — certainly deserved better,” Roberts said. “The fastball was good, slider was good, used the curveball, minimized hits.”
Then with one out in the sixth, Sheehan tried to work back from a first-pitch ball with a fastball up to Diamondbacks rookie Tommy Troy. The No. 9 hitter roped it beyond left field for his first major league home run.
After the Arizona lineup turned over and Sheehan retired Ketel Marte and Carroll to get out of the inning, Roberts stuck with the right-hander against switch-hitting Geraldo Perdomo and right-handed Nolan Arenado in the seventh.
With one out, Sheehan hung a slider to Arenado, who put the Diamondbacks up with a solo blast. And that would spell the end of Sheehan’s strong outing.
Reliever Jack Dreyer, making his first appearance since being activated off the 15-day injured list (left shoulder discomfort), gave up a two-run homer to Marte in the eighth inning to round out the Diamondbacks’ scoring.
The Dodgers’ offense managed just five hits against Diamondbacks starter Eduardo Rodriguez, and were robbed of two by center fielder Jorge Barrosa, who made diving catches on line drives hit by Will Smith and Andy Pages.
“He made some nice plays out there for them,” Tucker said. “We did all we could really do. Once the ball leaves the bat, it’s out of our hands. So we had some good swings, good at-bats, it just didn’t go our way sometimes.”
The Dodgers eked across a run in the third on a Freddie Freeman groundout with runners on second and third. And the Arizona bullpen faced the minimum over the final three innings.
TJ Rumfield hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and the Colorado Rockies used a five-run eighth to rally past the Angels 9-8 on Monday night.
Hunter Goodman put Colorado ahead 8-6 with a three-run homer in the eighth. Jake McCarthy homered earlier for the Rockies, who have won more games this season (23) than they did before the All-Star break last year.
Jorge Soler’s two-run triple for the Angels tied it 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth.
McCarthy doubled in the ninth to move Kyle Karros to third before Rumfield drove him home with a sac fly to right field for a 9-8 lead. McCarthy finished two for four at the plate, including a solo homer in the third for a 2-0 lead.
Troy Johnston plated Colorado’s first run with an RBI single in the first, and Sterlin Thompson added an RBI single in the fifth to pull the Rockies to 5-3.
Karros’ RBI double in the eighth sparked the five-run rally. Tyler Freeman tacked on an RBI single and Goodman capped the outburst with his 14th homer — a three-run drive over the left-field wall.
Antonio Senzatela (5-0) threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings for the win. Kyle Freeland gave up six runs, five earned, and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Kirby Yates (0-1) gave up the go-ahead run in the ninth.
José Soriano pitched the first 4 2/3 innings for the Angels, giving up three runs on three hits and striking out seven. He also hit two batters with pitches and walked seven — a career high. He became the first Angels pitcher to issue seven free passes in a game since Garrett Richards on Sept. 2, 2013.
Jo Adell hit an RBI single in the third before Jose Siri drilled his second career grand slam to put the Angels up 5-2 in the third. Vaughn Grissom scored on a throwing error by Goodman in the fifth for a 6-3 lead.
The EFL’s commission said it was “deplorable” of the club to have used junior staff members to “conduct the clandestine observations”.
Solak admitted that such a culture was “unacceptable”, but he blamed “a huge amount of misunderstanding, ignorance and arrogance, we have dysfunctions in the club, but we will actually make an effort for people to understand that whoever orders them to do something, that is putting them out of their comfort zone, they have every right to refuse”.
When asked about the analyst intern who had been sent to spy on opposition training sessions, and who had been caught doing so at Middlesbrough, Solak said: “I don’t see really this culture when somebody is really making junior staff do something they don’t want.
“I believe that our junior intern felt personally it’s wrong, and he didn’t feel right for doing this, and I think he should have expressed that stronger. I’m pretty sure that if [he had] come to us, the top management, actually it would be the seniors who would be punished, not him.
“I have a lot of pity. I’m sorry for what he had to go through. And we obviously would like him to stay in the club and we offered him a prolonged job with the club.”
When asked how he felt about the club staff other than Eckert who were aware of the spying, Solak said, “This whole thing was happening within the environment of our analysts. I think we have a couple of guys that are foreign analysts, so for them you could say probably that they didn’t have a clue that this was against the rules. And then we have probably five or six British analysts. How come they either didn’t know or they didn’t tell? I don’t know. But this is something that will be additional soul-searching for us. Tonda came out and said ‘it was my mistake. Ultimately I did wrong.’ And by this action he gave time to everybody below him not to take investigation or punishment, in a way. But I am definitely very focused that we come to the understanding of this because this is the only way it will never happen again.”
It has been reported that some of Southampton’s players want to leave and may even consider taking legal action against the club over lost promotion bonuses. The team beat Middlesbrough over two legs to reach the play-off final, before they were ejected from the competition.
Solak said: “Honestly, it’s on them to decide. I had a very open conversation with them, and they were actually very nice. And you could see that they are hurting. But through that, they still behaved as gentlemen. You go through things, but life is fair.
“If you are a player of Southampton that really has quality to play in Premier League, I’m pretty sure you’ll play in Premier League this season or the next.”
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — As Augie Lopez trotted around the bases late Monday night, the small contingent of USC fans could finally be heard at Blue Bell Park. With one towering blast to right field, the Trojans’ designated hitter silenced Texas A&M’s rowdy 12th Man.
Lopez’s three-run home run helped push the Trojans over Texas A&M 7-1 to reach the NCAA super regional for the first time in 21 years.
Lopez silenced most of the sellout crowd of 7,042, making it easy to hear USC fans serenading him during the College Station Regional Final.
“Augie! Augie! Augie!” USC fans chanted after Lopez returned to the dugout. After the win, he was named the regional’s most outstanding player.
It took a while, but the offense showed up to propel USC (47-16) to the Chapel Hill Super Regional against North Carolina.
Until Lopez’s blast, Texas A&M right-hander Clayton Freshcorn had slowed down a USC offense that had scored 48 runs combined while winning three consecutive games out of the losers’ bracket, including 14 on Sunday night against Texas A&M (41-16), to force the winner-take-all final.
USC right-hander Grant Govel, who had thrown 89 pitches over 5⅔ innings on Friday, retired the first seven Aggies before Bear Harrison hit a solo home run to left-center field in the third.
The Aggies ran out a threat in the fourth. Chris Hacopian drew a leadoff walk. Ben Royo kept the inning alive with a two-out single to left. Jorian Wilson followed with a single to shallow right-center field. Second baseman Abbrie Covarrubias was positioned perfectly to field the ball in the outfield, but his throw to first wasn’t in time.
Fortunately for the Trojans, Adrian Lopez alertly threw home to easily nail Hacopian by several feet to end the inning.
Covarrubias tied the score 1-1 with an RBI single to left-center in the fifth. One out later, Covarrubias stole second. Augie Lopez broke the tie with a single to right-center.
Two innings later, Lopez crushed his three-run blast.
Wales international Hannah Cain is leaving Leicester City following the club’s relegation from the Women’s Super League (WSL).
The 27-year-old forward is one of three players, external who will leave the Midlands club when their contracts expire at the end of the month, but Leicester have confirmed Wales goalkeeper Olivia Clark will remain with the Foxes for 2026-27.
Cain joined Leicester from Everton in 2020 and helped the club gain promotion to the WSL in her first season.
“After six unforgettable years, I feel that now is the right time for me to say goodbye, ” Cain said on social media.
“This club has been so much more than just a place to play football. It’s been a place where I’ve grown, learned, created lifelong friendships, and made memories that I’ll cherish forever.”
Cain is currently with the Wales squad preparing to face Montenegro and Czech Republic in their final Women’s World Cup qualifying fixtures and is yet to indicate where she will play next season.
“While it was always going to be difficult to leave, I’m incredibly grateful for everything this club has given me,” she added.
“I’ll always look back on these years with pride and appreciation.”
