Harry Kane is close to signing a new deal at Bayern Munich, Arda Guler has agreed a new contract with Real Madrid and Liverpool are leading the race for Bournemouth‘s Alex Scott.
England striker Harry Kane, 33, has agreed a new deal in principle with Bayern Munich, who are finalising the paperwork on a contract extension until summer 2029. (Sky Sports), external
Premier League clubs are keeping tabs on 22-year-old Italy midfielder Issa Doumbia, who joined Sporting from Venezia in the summer for 26m euros and has an 80m euro release clause in his contract. (Tuttomercatoweb – in Italian), external
A number of Premier League clubs watched Austria’s 19-year-old midfielder Jacob Hodl at Vitality Stadium on Thursday as Sturm Graz played Bournemouth. (Football Insider), external
Leeds United striker Lukas Nmecha, 27, is yet to agree a new deal as the German, who is out of contract in the summer, wants more playing time. (Teamtalk), external
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson is under increasing pressure at the Championship club and ex-Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is open to the role should a vacancy arise. (Talksport), external
AC Milan are looking at Bournemouth‘s Alex Scott, Bayern Munich have held fresh talks with Manchester United‘s JJ Gabriel and Liverpool are interested in Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.
Bayern Munich have held fresh talks with 16-year-old Manchester United attacking midfielder JJ Gabriel but they have not made him an offer as there is a feeling he is leaning towards a move to Spain, with Barcelona and Real Madrid favourites to sign him. (Sky Sports Germany), external
Porto have increased the release clause in the contract of 20-year-old Brazil forward William Gomes to 100m euros (£85m) amid interest from Liverpool.(A Bola – in Portuguese), external
Chelsea remain interested in a move for Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, 22, after missing out on him in the summer but the Blues will not pay the Ligue 1 club’s 70m euro (£59m) valuation for the Senegal international. (Goal), external
Manchester City made an approach to sign 17-year-old USA forward Mathis Albert from Borussia Dortmund in the summer. (Goal), external
And you probably figured Freddie Freeman would get it going. You had faith in playoff risers Max Muncy, Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández — and in the Dodgers’ playoff-proven offense overall.
You were not, however, so bullish on the bullpen.
That was the proverbial, annual question mark entering the best-of-five National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, whom the Dodgers vanquished with a 4-1 victory Wednesday at Truist Park to set up an NL Championship Series rematch with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Edwin Díaz, the Dodgers’ purported closer, had a disastrous, injury-marred first season with the team — or he was having one.
That left Tanner Scott — last season’s purported closer — handling the bulk of the ninth-inning duties this season, and he finished with a career-high 25 saves. But you were going to have to see him sustain that in the postseason to believe in Scott, whose first season with the Dodgers also was so disastrous that he wasn’t even included on the playoff roster.
The Dodgers are paying Díaz $69 million and Scott $72 million. A steep price and a sign of how badly the team wants to avoid having to turn to starting pitchers to finish off important postseason games, as they have in the past with Julio Urías, Walker Buehler and, last season, Yamamoto.
But until now, the Dodgers haven’t had much but frustration to show for their investment in Scott or Díaz — who were two names among four, including Roki Sasaki and Evan Phillips, that manager Dave Roberts suggested could close games in the playoffs.
It was a tangled trust tree that needed lots of water.
Or how about champagne? Maybe ice-cold beer?
Because after Alex Vesia, Edgardo Henriquez, Scott and Díaz combined to get the final 13 outs of Game 4 without giving up a run, they helped lead the charge in the clubhouse afterward, dousing one another to celebrate.
In the series, the Braves went one for 23 (.043) with runners in scoring position. That, according to OptaStats, is the second-lowest such batting average in a postseason series in history — and it doesn’t happen without a bullpen being locked in; the Braves went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position against the Dodgers’ relief pitchers.
In the deciding Game 4, Vesia took the baton from Glasnow with two outs and two runners on in the fifth, got the inning’s final out on one pitch and came back out in the sixth. He gave up a double but got Drake Baldwin to line out before handing the ball to the hard-throwing Henriquez, who hit 100 mph or higher on 11 of his 15 pitches, retired five of six batters and earned his first postseason win.
Then Scott had the inning of his Dodgers career in the eighth — sitting down the Braves’ 3-4-5 hitters with a nasty array of sliders and fastballs. He punctuated his performance with a fastball on the corner that ended the inning and wound up costing Atlanta its final ABS challenge.
And, finally, in closing, Díaz.
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He earned his second consecutive save with an efficient, eight-pitch, 1-2-3 inning. He isn’t the closer, not officially. But, darn, is he important: “For us to win the World Series,” Roberts said, “he’s got to be a relevant part of this equation … I’ve got to trust him.”
The way Díaz is dealing, why wouldn’t he? Díaz has given up just one hit in three postseason innings. And he’s feeling good.
“The last two nights it’s been amazing,” Díaz said. “That’s why I came here, to win games and close games like this one. So I’m really happy.”
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers’ president of baseball operations, raved about Díaz’s resilience, referencing the roller coaster of a season that included an 8.68 earned-run average, neck and elbow injuries, a stint on the injured list and in triple A.
“He would say, ‘Hey, I’m ready to come back,’” Friedman said. “And it was like, ‘Hey, we need to see more, we need to see this really lock in.’ And at every turn, he said, ‘Whatever you guys need … anytime you want me to pitch, I’ll be ready.’
“It was never a question of the heartbeat and his ability to handle these moments. It was about just getting him right mechanically and getting back to the stuff that we’ve all seen over the years.”
Vesia is similarly impressed with his friend Scott’s resurgence.
“Going back to last year with ups and downs and adversity and all that stuff, we definitely leaned on each other,” said Vesia, who missed the World Series after the October death of his newborn daughter, Sterling Sol.
“And, you know, for this year to watch [Scott] really take off and have a great year, it’s been awesome, you know? It’s really awesome. With the closing role being undefined and all that stuff, he stepped up. Every year, there’s always guys that step up.
“Now, we got eight more.”
Eight more wins to three-peat, and no weak links anywhere.
Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay has returned to training at Napoli following his recent heart surgery.
The 29-year-old’s ablation procedure – a minimally invasive operation to correct irregular heart rhythms – took place in Manchester last month and was described as “a complete success”.
And Napoli said: “On Wednesday, Scott McTominay underwent further diagnostic tests, which showed that he is fit to play.
“The Napoli player therefore resumed training with the rest of the team after the period spent training separately.”
McTominay was substituted after 56 minutes of Napoli’s 2-1 Serie A defeat by Como in August. A mild benign arrhythmia was discovered, prompting the corrective treatment.
According to the NHS,, external an arrhythmia is when the heart beats too quickly or too slowly, or the heartbeat is not steady.
The British Heart Foundation explains, external that a cardiac arrhythmia ablation involves using heat or cold energy to create tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.
During his absence, McTominay missed four Scotland fixtures, including Tuesday’s Nations League defeat by Slovenia.
The Scots’ next games are against Switzerland and North Macedonia in November.
One is Catholic, the other Jewish. One was a star linebacker for a private high school, Loyola, the other a star receiver for a public high school, Newbury Park. Both wear the same jersey number at UCLA, No. 20.
Scott Taylor and Shane Rosenthal became roommates last year and based on their many smiles, witty comeback lines and football success, it’s clear they’ve become best friends and best teammates.
“It’s cool,” Rosenthal said.
“We just get along really well,” Taylor said.
They share an apartment with two other UCLA players, punter Lennox Miller and defensive back Kuron Jabari.
Whatever initial concerns or perceived stereotypes they may have had quickly vanished after learning about their similar upbringings, goals and expectations to be good students and good people.
“I hosted him on his official visit,” Taylor said. “Hosted him for dinner, took him to Westwood. We have a lot of the same priorities, doing the right things, eating the right food, going to bed at the right time. Little things.”
Said Rosenthal: “We’re on the same timing for everything. He plays defense. I play offense. We’re able to watch film together, talk about football, talk about what he sees from the defense, talk about what I see from the offense and how we go at each other in practice.”
Taylor, a 6-foot-4, 241-pound sophomore who’s never seen a steak he didn’t want to eat, “is a damn good cook,” said his grandfather, Bill Thomason, a former Loyola principal and basketball coach. Thomason once bought his grandson Omaha Steaks as a birthday gift.
“They were so good,” Taylor said.
He sometimes drives home on Sundays to cook steaks for family members. And he eats them, too.
In the competition for who cleans the room the best, Rosenthal wins in a landslide.
“He might be the cleanest guy in the country,” Taylor said. “He might be an All-American cleaner.”
Said Rosenthal: “I definitely feel like I’m the cleanest guy in the apartment.”
As for washing clothes, both said there are no irons in sight. They learned how to do laundry at home but it appears parents are always welcome to help.
Taylor is dating a girl who’s Jewish but Rosenthal gets no credit as a matchmaker since they’ve been seeing each other well before Rosenthal arrived. “There’s usually two Jews in the apartment,” Rosenthal said.
Taylor has become a key pass rusher for the 4-0 Bruins going into Saturday’s game against Oregon. Rosenthal, also a sophomore, has received playing time as a gunner on punts while being a backup receiver. He’s the state-record holder in high school football with 24 career interceptions, so tackling on special teams is something he does well while waiting for the opportunity to show his receiving skills.
Taylor has used weight training to build up his body and give himself an NFL-like stature. It started back during the pandemic when he was 13. He decided to walk down the street to the local fitness center that was allowing kids to use the equipment for free — as long as they were 15. Somehow, he convinced them he was 15. When the business started charging him, he got his mom’s credit card, became a paid member and the rest is history. He has the talent to be on par with former UCLA linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
He also possesses the ability to comfortably talk in public. He was the only UCLA player chosen to answer questions from the media after Bob Chesney was introduced as head coach last December. On Tuesday, Taylor welcomed a group of middle school students touring Spaulding Field with high-fives and fist-pumps.
Taylor remembers his first impression of Chesney addressing the team.
“He’s a great communicator to you guys,” Taylor said of Chesney. “He’s also a great communicator to us. Everything’s crystal clear about what we’re supposed to do, what our role is since Day 1. He showed up and said, ‘If you guys choose to stay here’ and … this is before the portal even opened. ‘If you guys choose to stay here, we’re gonna do something special, so if you choose to stay, be ready to work, be ready to compete.’”
Taylor said the foundation of strong relationships within the team is important.
“It’s really special the connection we have,” he said. “And I think that speaks to who we are as a team because it’s really easy to play hard for each other when we’re so close off the field.”
If Chesney ever decides to host a team barbecue, Taylor is ready to lend his steak-cooking skills, with Rosenthal at his side.
He felt the issue prior to the match, but played 70 minutes in central midfield alongside Elliot Anderson before being substituted.
Arsenal defender Ezri Konsa has also been ruled out of the fixture at Wembley as a precautionary measure, with the 28-year-old to return to the Premier League champions for treatment on an injury.
Bournemouth are due to play nine games between 10 October and 8 November.
Alongside their weekend Premier League commitments, they will play on Wednesday or Thursday for four consecutive weeks, facing Sturm Graz, AC Milan and Sparta Prague in the Europa League and Aston Villa in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.
England coach Thomas Tuchel was effusive in his praise for Scott after the Croatia match.
“First start and what a start, what a performance,” said Tuchel. “He is so smooth on the ball, his decision making is at the highest level.
“He plays with so much confidence. He is so active, so confident. The work rate off the ball.
“He is just the complete package. He gave us a lot of mobility and a lot of variety and work rate in the centre of the pitch.”
Scott made his England debut in a 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in Prague on Tuesday, before his full debut four days later.
He joins French forward Eli Junior Kroupi on Bournemouth’s injury list, with the 20-year-old still unavailable after sustaining a foot problem in pre-season.
The Cherries are 17th in the Premier League and are winless after five matches, drawing three times and losing twice.
They return to Premier League action at Chelsea on Saturday (15:00 BST) and play Sunderland, Manchester United, Leeds and Ipswich prior to the November international break.
Bayern Munich are eyeing a potential January move for Barcelona forward Dani Olmo, 28, with a valuation of about £60m for World Cup-winning Spaniard. (Sky Sports), external
Juventus could be set to reignite their interest in Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, 33, whose future atLiverpool is in doubt. (Football Italia) , external
Barcelona will need to sell players in January to fund any incoming transfers, with Inter Milan and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni, 27, on their shortlist. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Barcelona rule out Alvarez signing from Atletico Madrid, Liverpool will not allow Wirtz departure, and Chelsea target English midfield duo.
Barcelona have ruled out signing Argentina forward Julian Alvarez from Atletico Madrid in January, with the 24-year-old waiting to see whether Paris St-Germain or Arsenal make a bid for him, or whether he should stay put. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external
Liverpool will not countenance selling Germany midfielder Florian Wirtz, 23, to Bayern Munich in the January transfer window, while the German giants would only consider making a move next summer if France winger Michael Olise, 24, turns down a new deal. (Christian Falk – Bayern Insider/Bild), external
Bournemouth‘s Alex Scott, 23, and Crystal Palace and England’s Adam Wharton, 22, are Chelsea‘s primary midfield targets, with the West London club no longer interested in Monaco and Senegal’s Lamine Camara, 22. (CaughtOffside, external)
Aston Villa are keen to tie Argentina midfielder Emi Buendia, 29, to a new contract as a reward for his outstanding form (Mail), external
