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Glasgow Rangers insider The 4th Official has now revealed some fresh exit news involving Calvin Bassey.

The Lowdown: Bassey a wanted man

As per The Times, there is strong interest from the Premier League in the 22-year-old.

The Daily Record reported that scouts from Aston Villa were sent to watch him play in the Gers’ Scottish Cup final win against Hearts last weekend.

As seen by the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Kieran Tierney and Odsonne Edouard over the years, a move to the Premier League from the Scottish Premiership is hard to turn down, so Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side may find it difficult to keep Bassey this summer.

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The Latest: More clubs interested in Bassey

According to The 4th Official, a respected podcaster who regularly breaks Ibrox news and updates on their official Twitter page, Villa are one of more than six clubs who are reportedly ‘interested’ in signing Bassey.

They tweeted: ”According to my sources, Rangers have over 6 clubs interested in Bassey right now and Aston Villa are one of them.”

The Verdict: Worrying

Bassey is clearly a player who will be in high demand given his impressive performances on the big stage, as he was described as ‘astonishing’ by BT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves in their Europa League final loss against Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties.

As per Football Insider, the Teddy Bears are lining up new contract talks with the 22-year-old and will offer him a ‘massive’ pay rise to try and convince him to stay at Ibrox. However, Premier League clubs should be able to offer him more money, and overall a more competitive level of football for Bassey.

Nonetheless, it looks likely that he will leave the Light Blues, providing that the price is right.

In other news, the Gers are now set for a ‘huge’ off-field boost

As if being pipped to the Premier League title wasn’t a big enough blow, it looks as though Liverpool will have to battle for Champions League success without one of their key men on Saturday 28th.

What’s the latest?

That is according to a report shared by The Athletic’s James Pearce, who claims that Jurgen Klopp is concerned that Spanish maestro Thiago will not be fit for the Champions League Final against Real Madrid, due to the injury that occurred in the final game of the Premier League season against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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Speaking after the game, Pearce took to Twitter to say: “Thiago set to undergo a scan. Would be a massive blow if he misses the CL final.”

Bad news for Liverpool

Thiago’s injury on the final day of the Premier League season serves as a massive blow for Klopp and co.

After what was a tricky start to life in English football last season, the Spaniard has been nothing short of sensational for the Reds in their original hunt for the unprecedented quadruple.

Whilst he has managed one goal and four assists along the way in the league, his game is not about direct end product as such.

It’s his ability to dictate the play and create for teammates that makes him so important in Klopp’s side.

His average of 3.21 shot-creating actions and 3.42 tackles per 90 are evidence of his split ability to carry out both parts of the game with excellence, whilst his average of 96.89 touches per 90 are exceptionally high also.

He’s a key asset for Klopp in possession and with his average of 70.67 carries per match, he is an enabler for Liverpool.

Although, if his record against Real Madrid is anything to go by, it might be best if he isn’t included in the Liverpool squad to face the La Liga giants on Saturday 28th – having won one, drawn five and lost seven against Los Blancos in the 13 times he’s played against them.

That said, if the Spanish dynamo does miss the final weekend, Klopp and the club’s adoring supporters will be gutted.

In other news: Terms agreed: Liverpool closing in on “magnificent” £60m gem, he’s Thiago 2.0 

The big prize on the horizon is the ODI World Cup, but it’s only nine months until the next men’s T20 edition takes place in West Indies and the USA

Firdose Moonda and Andrew McGlashan28-Aug-20233:47

Would Lungi Ngidi beat Marcus Stoinis in an arm-wrestling contest? We asked him

Dewald Brevis

You probably already know this name but if you don’t, remember it: Dewald Brevis. Tipped to become South Africa’s next big batting thing since finishing as the leading run-scorer at the 2022 Under-19 World Cup, Brevis has had to wait 18 months to crack the senior side and has racked up a host of domestic accolades in the meantime. Apart from deals in the IPL, CPL and MLC, he was the 13th highest run-scorer in last season’s SA20 and the second-highest in the domestic T20 competition, where he smashed an incredible 162 from 57 balls against Knights – the fifth-highest score in the format ever. He is known for his audacious batting ability, fearless strokeplay and love for boundaries so expect some big shots if he gets to make his debut.Related

• Johnson, Hardie and Short confirmed for T20I debuts against South Africa

• Hardie, Sangha and more – four new names in Australian cricket

• Marsh excited to unfurl Johnson and Sangha in South Africa

• Brevis ready to 'just run straight into' Australia as South Africa debut beckons

Josh Inglis

As is often the lot of the reserve wicketkeeper, Josh Inglis has carried a lot of drinks for Australia. It was something noted by George Bailey, the selection chair, when this squad was named. The three matches against South Africa will offer Inglis his best run of games since facing Sri Lanka in early 2022. Having initially been earmarked as a potential finisher around the time of the 2021 T20 World Cup, he impressed against Sri Lanka batting at No. 3 and No. 5. It seems likely he will again slot in higher up the order, with finishing duties left to the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Tim David. Inglis will want to take his opportunity, though, because Matthew Wade’s T20I is not as over as it appeared after last year’s World Cup and he is now with this squad as Glenn Maxwell’s replacement, although is not expected to keep wicket in the series.

Matthew Breetzke

It’s been a slow burn for top-order batter Matthew Breetzke, who has consistently been among the top domestic run-scorers but has not found a place in a national squad until now. In the 2021 CSA Provincial T20 Cup, he was the second leading run-scorer and went on to enjoy his most profitable summer the following year. In the 2022-23 season, he averaged just under 40 in List A cricket and close to 50 in T20s. He offers stability in the top three, safe hands behind the stumps and the experience of six years on the domestic scene and will hope he can use this series to start to establish him on the international stage.Dewald Brevis is one of the most talked-about young batters in South Africa•SA20

Matt Short

Assuming David Warner reaches next year’s T20 World Cup as he has planned, there’s a spot vacant alongside him. The uncapped Matt Short, last year’s BBL player of the season after 458 runs and 11 wickets, is among the contenders and Steven Smith’s withdrawal from this series should ensure he gets an opportunity. It could be that he opens with Adelaide Strikers team-mate Travis Head in what may develop into a tussle for a World Cup spot. He is coming off the back of playing the Hundred for Northern Superchargers where he had a strike-rate of 166.66. Short’s offspin, which he has bowled in the powerplay, is another strong to his bow.

Donovan Ferreira

A surprise big-earner at the SA20 auction last year, Donovan Ferreira was picked up for R5.5 million (approx US$300,000) by Joburg Super Kings and was the fifth-highest purchase of the tournament. But the Chennai-backed squad knew what they were doing. Ferreira proved himself as a finisher with the bat in the previous two season’s domestic tournaments and has subsequently also earned IPL, CPL and Zim Afro T10 deals. In the last of those, he grabbed headlines when he hit five successive sixes in one match. With Quinton de Kock rested from the T20Is, he could take the gloves at least once, with Tristan Stubbs and Breetzke also likely to be given opportunity and should see this as a chance to be considered for next year’s T20 World Cup.Can Matt Short translate his BBL form onto the international stage?•Getty Images

Spencer Johnson

From Australia’s perspective, no one is going to be watched more over the next few weeks than Spencer Johnson. At 27 he is starting to make up for lost time after a string of injuries; the speed of his elevation to the international stage is remarkable. The selectors have an eye on him as an option across all formats and he will now remain in South Africa for the ODIs due to Mitchell Starc’s groin injury. Given the condensed nature of the schedule he will likely play two of the three T20Is and then also be rotated through the 50-over matches.

Playing his 28th game at the ground and 53rd in Bangladesh, he said the key was to “trust the method”

Mohammad Isam01-Mar-2023You would think the best reply to a spinning, fizzing delivery at the Mirpur monster, is to blunt it with a dead bat. Think again.The Shere Bangla National Stadium pitches, raging turners with uneven pace and bounce often from the same spot, reward the proactive batter who looks to pick singles and find the odd boundary. Staying deep inside the crease, being iffy on the front foot and unable to pick the turning ball often gets you into trouble here. Batters who negate the raging turner are often the ones with quick hands and feet movement, and eyes wide open.Dawid Malan’s unbeaten 114, his first century in Asia across formats that led England to a thrilling three-wicket win in the first ODI, had most of the elements of the perfect Mirpur innings. Malan was confident about every shot he played, which is the most crucial aspect of playing on these pitches. You cannot leave anything to chance.Malan also played an understated knock – most unlike Bazball, or England’s normal white-ball approach. Malan specialises in the slow-burner, and here in Mirpur, it became the perfect pairing.Malan’s secret weapon is his vast experience in Bangladesh, something that escaped many Bangladeshis, and a fact that would surprise many fans here. This was Malan’s 53rd match overall in Bangladesh, his first for England though. He had played for Prime Doleshwar Club in the Dhaka Premier League for two seasons, in 2013-14 and 2014-15. English players usually go to Australia during their winter but in those two seasons when the PCB denied NOCs to Pakistani players, the DPL clubs went after many English and Afghan players.Malan, who was still three years away from his international debut, lapped up the experience, scoring 902 runs in 24 matches, averaging 56.37 with a century and six fifties. He was one of only two batters to breach the 900-run barrier in those two seasons, after Rony Talukdar’s 919 runs.Malan said that this experience in Bangladesh was a priceless asset to have when tackling the tricky chase of 210 in Mirpur. His stints here also include four seasons in the BPL. He played two matches for this season’s eventual champions Comilla Victorians too.”The more you can play in different conditions, the more your game grows,” Malan said after his match-winning knock. “Whether you are successful in the past or not, it is just great to learn in different conditions. I have had some experience here. It is not the easiest wicket to start on. It is to trust the method to get through the tough times, and cash in towards the end, especially when it gets dewy.Dawid Malan took England over the line•Getty Images”I think Owais Shah messaged me that Ravi Bopara got in touch to play a few 50-over games for Prime Doleshwar. It was brilliant to play two seasons for them. It helped my game. You get to play the ball a lot squarer in England.”Here, the wickets are skiddy during the day. It gets better as the game goes on and gets slower in the evening. I had to learn to spin in a different way than I played in England. It helped my game progress massively before the franchise stuff happened. It was a massive help.”Malan called it probably the best innings of his career, including domestic knocks, simply because of how well he tackled the difficult conditions, with wickets also falling regularly at the other end.”I think even domestic cricket, talking about knocks that you, when you retire you can walk away, think it was extremely satisfying, this was definitely up there. Just the situation of the game, to be out there in the end. It is one of my better innings in my whole career.”It got a bit dewy, and the ball was skidding on. We started early because the dew plays a massive factor here. We thought that it might get slightly easier in the end, if we were still in the game. The key was to keep yourself in the game as long as possible.”Malan said that he was craving for opportunities in ODIs for a long time, and that patience finally paid off. “It is great to be playing ODIs for England,” he said. “I have carried the drinks since 2017, waited for the opportunity.”I’ve only played 16 games now, so it is great to get a bit of a run. It is obviously due to the scheduling, injuries, etc. I have absolutely loved it. It has been really good. It is always nice to contribute to win games.”Related

• Jason Roy, Sam Curran seal England's series with 132-run victory

• Will Jacks' ODI debut dash highlights England calendar crunch

• Bangladesh's home record under threat as England eye impressive series win

• Bangladesh pick Talukdar after eight years for England T20Is

• Hathurusingha: Overcoming pace-bowling challenge will be biggest test

Malan explained that it was key to take the game deep in these type of conditions, rather than think that a low run-rate or a high asking rate is fatal. He said that once the chase goes beyond 35 overs, it becomes easier for the chasing side.”I think the hardest thing is that you feel that you are behind the game,” he said. “You can be a long way behind in your feelings of the game, but actually in the context of the game, you are actually two or three shots away from bringing the game back in the balance.”If you are 80 in 23-24 overs, you’d panic in a normal game. You’d try to put your foot down. But you can lose the game in the first 30-35 overs here. But if you are still batting by that time, you are in a good shout to win the game.”Malan’s understanding of the game, particularly in Bangladesh, paved the way for England to take a crucial 1-0 lead. Playing his 28th match at this venue, he showed how crucial having the experience of alien conditions can turn out to be even in a pressure situation.

Manchester City are now willing to make an unexpected decision about Rodri’s future at the club in an attempt to sign Jude Bellingham from Real Madrid in 2026.

The Citizens were in a ruthless mood against Liverpool before the international break, with Pep Guardiola overseeing his 1000th game as a manager in classic, dominant style.

Injured £150k-a-week Man City star in protective boot, will miss 20+ games

He’s had more surgery.

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 14, 2025

It was the first time that the Citizens have sent a damning statement to the rest of the Premier League about their title credentials this season and former player Micah Richards believes that they could yet beat Arsenal to the crown once again.

What has made City’s quietly impressive form even better is the fact that they’ve coped without Rodri. In the Spaniard’s absence last season, they looked a shadow of their controlled best. This time around, as Rodri continues a stuttered recovery from an ACL injury, Nico Gonzalez has provided Guardiola with the perfect replacement.

It’s allowed City’s Ballon d’Or winner to slowly work his way back to his best, but has also welcomed some interesting reports about his long-term future at the Etihad. Some in Spain have even gone as far as to suggest that Rodri could yet be sacrificed as part of another £100m+ deal.

Man City willing to spend £100m+ to sign Bellingham

According to those reports in the Spanish media, Man City are now willing to spend €150m (£133m) to sign Bellingham in 2026 and could be prepared to use Rodri as a makeweight in any potential deal with Real Madrid.

There’s been more unrest at the Bernabeu since the arrival of Xabi Alonso, with Vinícius Jr particularly struggling with the Spaniard’s call for discipline, and that has opened the door for a number of potential exits.

Whether Bellingham is among those is the question that many will be asking. There’s no doubt that he — as one of the best midfielders in the world — would take City back to the level that resulted in Premier League dominance not so long ago.

Former Real boss Carlo Ancelotti has been one of many iconic names to hand Bellingham plenty of praise in recent years, having told Gary Lineker on the Rest is Football podcast earlier this week: “I think Jude is a fantastic player.

“If I have to compare, we were talking about Kaka. He is this kind of player, a really intelligent player, who is physically really strong, fantastic to arrive in the box at the right time.”

Every current manager in the 2025/26 Premier League ranked

After officially signing his record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets last week, Juan Soto shockingly revealed that he hadn't spoken to any of his former Yankees since they lost the 2024 World Series in October.

"I haven't talked to any of those guys," the outfielder said at his introductory press conference in New York. "We talked to them through playoffs, end of the playoffs but after that… I haven't talked to any of [them]."

While this was certainly a strange admission considering that a) the Yankees were in the running for Soto up until the very end and b) he had just played the entire 2024 season alongside them—there was actually a simple explanation for his radio silence.

MLB insider Bob Nightengale shared on X this week that, "The reason there was no communication between Juan Soto and his former Yankee teammates simply is that Soto changed his cell phone number. He was bombarded by outside calls during his free agency and wanted privacy."

Nightengale also added that, "Soto now is reaching out to former Yankee teammates."

In the end, the Yankees came up short—offering Soto a 16-year, $760 million contract—one year longer and $5 million shy of what owner Steve Cohen and the Mets ponied up.

The 26-year-old's mega-deal to play baseball in Queens is the largest in American sports history.

Landon Donovan offered a positive assessment of the United States men’s national team following its 2-1 win over Paraguay during the November 2025 friendlies, noting signs that the squad is beginning to form a clearer identity as it continues preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil. He commended the team’s continued progress under the current coaching staff, led by Mauricio Pochettino.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Growing cohesion and style

  Donovan highlighted how each match has shown increased confidence and tactical clarity, noting that despite frequent lineup rotation, players are embracing clearly defined roles that contribute to a more recognizable on-field identity.

  “Another excellent performance by the men’s national team,” Donovan said on social media. “Seems like the team is getting better and better, growing in confidence. The roles are clear, even though the players are changing a decent amount, but the roles are clear, and you’re starting to see a clear identity."

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• Pochettino’s imprint taking shape

  Donovan also highlighted how the squad’s mentality has evolved under Pochettino. He noted that with questions of attitude and commitment no longer overshadowing performances, the team is now showcasing a clearer tactical identity that reflects Pochettino’s style.

  “Now that the fight piece, the pride to play for your national team is no longer a conversation, you’re actually starting to see this team play in a more distinct way that is very Pochettino,” Donovan explained.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Donovan praises Reyna’s resurgence

  Donovan pointed to Giovanni Reyna’s performance as a major positive, noting the midfielder’s first goal and assist for the national team since March 2024. He said Reyna’s 70-plus minutes – highlighted by sharper decision-making and increased confidence – reflect the level the team needs from him.

  “That’s the Gio we need, that’s the Gio we want, and why he is so valuable to this team. So hopefully this is a stepping stone for Gio, hopefully he can do it again on Tuesday," Donovan said. 

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  What comes next for the USMNT after the win

  The USMNT will now face Uruguay in their final game of the 2025 international window on Nov. 18. 

The final result in Game 1 of the wild-card series on Tuesday at American Family Field was all too familiar for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Brewers got out to a 2–0 lead over the New York Mets in the first inning on an RBI single by catcher William Contreras and Rhys Hoskins getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. And when the Mets struck with three runs in the top of the second, Milwaukee claimed back the lead with two runs in the fourth.

However, the Mets pounced again in the fifth inning with a five-run rally to take the lead for good in an 8-4 win.

Per Opta STATS, Milwaukee is the first team in MLB history to blow a multi-run lead in four straight postseason games.

The Brewers had a 3–0 lead in Game 1 of the 2023 National League wild card series against the Arizona Diamondbacks but lost 6-3. In Game 2 of that series, they jumped out to a 2-0 lead and fell 5-2 to end their season.

Three years ago, in Game 4 of the 2021 NLDS, the Brewers led the Atlanta Braves 2–0 before suffering a 5-4 season-ending loss.

That's tough for any franchise to swallow.

Aiming to avoid any further unfortunate history, the Brewers will turn to right-handed pitcher Frankie Montas to start Game 2 on Wednesday against lefthander Sean Manaea and the Mets.

The biggest uncertainty surrounding the Los Angeles Dodgers heading into the postseason was the strength of their pitching. Despite a slew of key pitchers sidelined with injuries, the Dodgers' depleted pitching staff has been sensational in October, and over their last three games in particular.

After defeating the New York Mets, 9-0, in the opener of the NLCS on Sunday night, L.A. has tied the all-time MLB record for the most consecutive scoreless innings in postseason history. They have not surrendered a run in 33 innings, going all the way back to the second inning of their Game 3 NLDS loss against the San Diego Padres.

Since then, it's been smooth sailing on the mound for the Dodgers, who blanked the Padres in the last two games of that series and delivered another scoreless outing during Sunday's Game 1 against the Mets.

Not only have they tied the record previously held by the Baltimore Orioles, who threw 33 straight scoreless innings in the 1966 World Series, the Dodgers have set the record for the most consecutive scoreless frames in National League postseason history.

Jack Flaherty toed the rubber on Sunday night, throwing seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts. He passed the baton to Daniel Hudson and Ben Casparius who handled the final two innings of the contest.

L.A. will look to continue its prolific pitching run on Monday when they host the Mets in Game 2.

Club Brugge and Barcelona played out a six-goal thriller on Wednesday night as the spoils were shared in an entertaining 3-3 draw. The Belgian side responded to back-to-back Champions League defeats with a solid point. Barcelona, meanwhile, came from behind three times to secure what could prove a precious result in their bid to book their place in the last 16 of the competition.

Brugge raced into an early lead as Carlos Forbs beat the offside trap and presented Nicolo Tresoldi with an easy chance to tuck past Wojciech Szczesny. The lead, though, lasted just two minutes as Barcelona hit back with a bang through Ferran Torres, who easily beat Nordin Jackers from close range.

And Barca missed the chance to go ahead in the 10th minute as Fermin Lopez, who provided the assist for Torres, struck the outside of the left post. The hosts made the Spanish champions pay for their profligacy as they were ahead again in the 17th minute following a rapid counter. Forbs and Christos Tzolis linked up well, with the former on hand to follow up his early assist with a well-taken effort past Szczesny.

Barcelona huffed and puffed for an equaliser in the second half as Fermin forced a fine Jackers stop six minutes after the break, and their pressure finally paid off on the hour mark as Lamine Yamal slalomed his way through a sea of Brugge bodies, played a neat one-two with Fermin before finishing superbly past Jackers.

Parity, though, lasted just two minutes as Forbs again ruthlessly exploited Barcelona's high defensive line to delicately dink past Szczesny to score his second and Brugge's third.

Barcelona were again level with a little over 10 minutes to go as Yamal's cross was turned past Jackers by Tzolis as the La Liga giants looked to claim a pressure victory in Belgium. And while Barca dominated, they rode their luck late on as Szczesny came close to committing a costly error in injury time in an entertaining stalemate.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from the Jan Breydelstadion…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Wojciech Szczesny (4/10):

  Was left exposed by Barcelona's high defensive line for all three goals. Did deny Seys at his near post minutes after the break. Came very close to committing a costly effort in second-half injury time.

  Jules Kounde (6/10):

  Played Forbs onside for Tresoldi's opening goal. Hit the crossbar midway through the first half.

  Ronald Araujo (5/10):

  Captained Barcelona on the night but struggled to marshal the Blaugrana backline against this rapid Brugge attack.

  Eric Garcia (5/10):

  Made a vital clearance early on from a Tzolis cross. Hit the bar in the second half but looked lost at the back whenever the Belgian side pushed forward.

  Alejandro Balde (4/10):

  Really struggled against Forbs. All three Brugge goals came down his side and almost conceded a second-half penalty.

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• AFP
  

  Midfield

  Frenkie de Jong (7/10):

  Dictated the tempo in the middle of the park and linked the defence and attack well.

  Marc Casado (6/10):

  Tidy on the ball but offered little going forward. Came off after an hour.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Lamine Yamal (9/10):

  Hauled Barcelona level on the hour mark with a fine finish following neat link-up play with Fermin and forced the third with a cross from the right that was inadvertently turned past Jackers by Tzolis. Saved the Spanish side in Belgium.

  Fermin Lopez (8/10):

  Provided the assist for Ferran's equaliser and clipped the post shortly after. Forced a good Jackers save after the break and linked up well with Yamal for the winger's goal.

  Marcus Rashford (6/10):

  Had a few first half chances, the best of which forced Jackers into a low stop shortly before the beak.

  Ferran Torres (7/10):

  Bagged a rapid leveller after Barcelona had gone behind with a well-taken finish. Came close to adding a second on the stroke of half-time after rounding Jackers. Replaced after an hour.

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  Subs & Manager

  Robert Lewandowski (5/10):

  Saw a low drive blocked by Ordonez with 15 minutes to play. Evidently still short of match fitness.

  Dani Olmo (6/10):

  Offered Barcelona more drive from midfield after replacing Casado on the hour mark.

  Pau Cubarsi (N/A):

  Came on for Garcia in added time.

  Gerard Martin (N/A):

  Replaced Balde for the final seconds.

  Hansi Flick (5/10):

  Got his tactics completely wrong as the Barcelona defence looked completely exposed whenever Brugge pushed forward. Yamal spared his blushes.