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There's a new favorite to win the National League Rookie of the Year award at FanDuel Sportsbook. 

San Diego Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill has passed Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes in the latest odds, moving to -120. Skenes is still -105 to win the award, but it's clear that Merrill, who has been gaining momentum for weeks, is now the favorite.

This odds movement was something that was predicted by our own Reed Wallach, who pointed out the possibility of the Pirates shutting down Skenes later this season once the playoffs are completely out of reach.

After Skenes was viewed as a virtual lock to win the award earlier this month, Merrill has continued to make a case, hitting .289 with 17 homers and 69 runs batted in for a Padres team that has the top wild card spot in the National League.

Skenes (7-2, 2.30 ERA) has cooled off a bit since the All-Star break, posting a 3.13 ERA across five starts. While he's still pitching extremely well, Skenes isn't the runaway favorite due to his lack of game time in the MLB (16 games).

With Merrill at 122 games and counting, this market could shift further in his favor if Skenes is shut down the for the season at some point in the next month.

The Mr. October of the New York Yankees went yard again in Game 1 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers—and no, it’s not Aaron Judge. 

Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton blasted a jaw-dropping two-run homer out of Dodger Stadium to give his team a 2–1 lead in the to of the sixth. Stanton sent Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty’s pitch into the left-field seats in a booming hit that “scraped the sky,” per Fox announcers. It marked Stanton’s 17th career postseason home run and his first in the World Series.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and many others in the sports world couldn't help but marvel at Stanton’s monstrous homer.

So, too, did Dodgers star Freddie Freeman.

Fox cameras caught Freeman completely awestruck on the field as he watched Stanton’s moonshot leave the ballpark. 

Simply no words.

Stanton has now crushed a home run in each of his last four games for the Yankees. The ball traveled 412 feet and reached a max speed of 116.6 mph, marking the hardest-hit batted ball in the World Series under Statcast, according to MLB’s Sarah Langs. 

With his 17th playoff homer, Stanton moves up in the all-time rankings and is tied with Bryce Harper, David Ortiz and Jim Thome in career postseason home runs.

Football fans far and wide, heading into the 2025/26 Premier League season, must have been expecting that Liverpool would continue their domestic dominance.

It started well for Arne Slot’s Reds, too, as they went about defending their status as reigning champions, with five straight wins picked up in league action in the early stages of the campaign.

However, since they got the better of Everton in the Merseyside Derby in mid-September, it has all gone rather pear-shaped for the Reds, with an alarming six defeats now collected in all competitions, pushing them down to a dire seventh position in the Premier League standings.

Things have to change, and quickly, with many of the players Slot and Co. purchased in the summer failing to live up to their grand expectations.

Liverpool's most underwhelming signings

Liverpool really didn’t hold back this summer when breaking the bank.

Indeed, a jaw-dropping £415m in total was spent on revamping the Reds, with the triumphant top-flight champions waving goodbye to the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Trent Alexander-Arnold in the summer for mega money.

Unfortunately, despite sitting at the top of this above list with their spending power, a lot of their high-profile signings have flopped so far at Anfield, with Florian Wirtz – who cost a whopping £116m just on his own – still yet to pick up a single goal or assist in league action, culminating in the German being labelled as “pretty average” by ex-Liverpool midfielder, and compatriot, Dietmar Hamann.

Milos Kerkez has also been subject to some scathing criticism, with the £40m recruit looking like a shadow of his expansive AFC Bournemouth best, particularly against Crystal Palace last time out in the EFL Cup, as Ismaila Sarr confidently collected two goals down his left flank.

Another former Liverpool favourite in Jason McAteer, has even suggested that the move to the Reds was “too big for him”, amid concerns he looks “lost” donning the number six jersey.

Thankfully, Hugo Ekitike has shone in spurts as another flashy new signing, but there is one dud that is extremely concerning now, as Slot potentially has to contend with his own Naby Keita-style blunder.

The £280k-per-week star who is Slot's own Keita

Glancing over Liverpool’s most expensive signings of all time is an intriguing read.

Of course, they struck gold when landing Virgil Van Dijk for £75m as he remains the club’s top leader to this day. But, when you

scroll down more, you’re then greeted by Keita’s name, who is still Liverpool’s eighth most expensive recruit at the £48m mark.

Keita did, of course, have a stunning goal up his sleeve at Liverpool – as evidenced in this glittering highlight package – but he didn’t consistently shine bright enough to justify his once club-record fee, with injuries galore often stopping him in his tracks.

Fast forward to the present, and an eerily similar tale could now be unfolding with Alexander Isak, with the ex-Newcastle United striker – who is prone to an injury niggle himself – yet to get up and running at Anfield, after breaking the Reds’ transfer record when joining in the summer for a ludicrous £125m.

After all, Liverpool must have thought they’d sealed the signing of the window when landing the £280k-per-week hotshot, considering he was once branded as a “world-class” talent at Newcastle United by ex-boss Eddie Howe when burying a lethal 62 strikes from 109 games.

But, caution should have been exercised here in trying to temper expectations, considering Jurgen Klopp also hailed Keita as the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when sealing his services, only for everything to fall apart.

Indeed, as is the case looking at the table above, Isak has only one paltry goal next to his name so far in his uncomfortable new surroundings, with the extortionate number nine already falling foul of sitting out five games for club and country this season through injury issues.

The hope will be that it doesn’t get as bad as Keita’s injury situation got, with his penultimate season in England seeing him miss a staggering 40 games with recurring trips to the treatment room.

He looks set to miss Liverpool’s must-win clash with Aston Villa on the weekend, to add insult to injury.

Isak, additionally, has the pressure of being known as a lethal goalscorer weighing him down, as the burden of being Liverpool’s most expensive signing proves, yet again, to be a debilitating hindrance, rather than a badge of honour.

The Reds waited a year for Keita to arrive, after initially signing him in advance in 2017, only for the move to end in disappointment.

Having waded through a whole summer saga before landing Isak, it looks as if the Swede could be heading for similar frustration at Anfield.

"We never speak about this in here" – Slot stunned at Liverpool press conference

It took the Dutchman by surprise.

By
Charlie Smith

Oct 31, 2025

Lionel Messi admits that he and wife Antonela Roccuzzo are “constantly talking” about a future return to Barcelona. They bid an emotional farewell to Camp Nou in 2021 when, amid financial struggles for La Liga giants, no new contract could be agreed. The Messi family headed to Paris, before ending up in Miami, but they remain determined to retrace steps to Catalunya at some stage.

• Back to Barcelona: Messi's grand plan

  Plenty of tears were shed when severing career-long ties with Barca. There has been talk over the last four years of a return being made in a playing capacity, but Messi has now committed to a new contract in South Florida that will keep him in MLS through the 2028 campaign.

  While turning out again for the Blaugrana has become unrealistic, Messi still intends to return to a spiritual home – having recently been given a secret tour of Barcelona’s iconic revamped stadium.

  The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner told during that surprising visit to familiar surroundings: “I really want to go back there, we miss Barcelona a lot. My wife and I, the kids, are constantly talking about Barcelona and the idea of moving back. We have our house there, everything, so that's what we want. I'm really looking forward to going back to the stadium when it's finished because since I left for Paris, I haven't been back to Camp Nou, and then they moved to Montjuic.”

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  Emotional farewell: Messi denied a proper goodbye

  Messi added on finding himself back at Camp Nou, having made so many special memories there down the years: “It's going to be strange going back to the new stadium and seeing it because the last time I saw it was a long time ago, and it's going to be exciting to relive and remember everything that was, even though the stadium is different. I'm grateful for the constant affection and have nothing but thanks.”

  The iconic 38-year-old got emotional again when casting his mind back to the day that saw him leave Barcelona in a professional capacity, with that decision being made against everyone’s wishes. He said: “I was left with a strange feeling after leaving, because of how everything happened, because I ended up playing my last years without fans, because of the pandemic. After spending my whole life there, I didn't leave the way I imagined, the way I dreamed.

  “I imagined, as I said, playing my whole career in Europe, in Barcelona, and then, yes, coming here like I did, because that was my plan, what I wanted. And well, the farewell was a bit strange too, because of the situation, because of everything. But well, I think the fans' affection will always be there, because of what I said, because of everything we've been through.”

• Happy memories: Messi relives his time at Barcelona

  Having become a global icon during his time at Camp Nou, with the brave decision being taken to leave Argentina and head for Europe in his early teens, Messi added when asked to pick one standout moment from his record-shattering spell with Barca: “I'll take everything I experienced during that time, how much I grew as a person and as a player. That's it, I'll take all of that. When I see images and memories, I get flashes of what happened, of that season, of what we experienced, and I'll take it all.

  “Being part of this club, having arrived as a child and having grown up and spent my whole life in Barcelona. I'm grateful to God for taking me to that place when I was a boy, and also for the birth of my children in the city, and for the entire club and the city in general because I left as a child, grew up, and spent my whole life there. There are so many things, not only at the club but in the city, that I have to cherish.”

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  Messi's Barcelona record: Appearances, goals and trophies

  Messi took in 778 appearances for Barcelona, on the back of making his debut in 2004, and scored 672 goals. He won 35 trophies – including 10 La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns – and cemented his standing as an all-time great.

  He is now chasing down more success in the United States, having moved to America after two seasons in France, and is still hoping to grace the turf at Camp Nou again – in a friendly or exhibition match – before the day comes to hang up his boots for the final time.

The Kansas City Royals and Cincinnati Reds swung a big trade Friday night in the early stages of the MLB offseason.

The Reds officially announced they acquired right-handed pitcher Brady Singer from the Royals in exchange for infielder Jonathan India and outfielder Joey Wiemer.

Singer, 28, has spent all five of his big league seasons with the Royals. Over 127 appearances (124 starts), Singer has registered a 4.28 ERA and 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He's coming off one of his best seasons in '24, logging a 9–13 record with 3.71 ERA and 8.5 K/9 over 32 starts.

Singer will join the Reds' young rotation in 2025, a group that consists of Hunter Green, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo—all 26 years old or younger—and veteran Nick Martinez.

The 27-year-old India never quite lived up to the expectations he set by winning the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year award, as his .269/.376/.459 slash line, 21 homers and 69 RBIs all stand as his career highs. In 151 games last year, India batted .248/.357/.392 with 15 homers and 28 doubles.

As it stands now, India will likely split time at second base with Michael Massey, who is coming off a career-best offensive season. India has never played another position in the big leagues besides second.

Wiemer, a fourth-round pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2020, owns a career .201/.279/.349 slash line with 13 homers and 11 stolen bases. He never solidified a role in Milwaukee's crowded outfield and was sent to the Reds as part of the Frankie Montas deal at the trade deadline in July.

Celtic manager target Kieran McKenna is now thought to be keen on leaving Ipswich Town to take over at Parkhead, and he is a frontrunner alongside one other boss.

What McKenna has said about Celtic job

The Ipswich Town boss has been linked with taking over from Brendan Rodgers in Glasgow, with the Hoops taking their time in regards to appointing their next permanent manager.

Martin O’Neill is currently doing a solid job in interim charge, defeating Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden Park at the beginning of November.

O’Neill’s first game in caretaker charge was a 4-0 win over Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership, and talking after that, McKenna was quizzed on a potential move to Parkhead. A Hoops supporter growing up, McKenna called Celtic “a really big football club” but was coy on any move north.

“It’s not something that I’ve followed greatly. I used to coach Martin’s nephew, which is my closest link to Martin O’Neill. Rory Fallon, who is a very good footballer and no other big links there. I think he got a good result last night.

“It’s a really big football club growing up. Again, we all have our affinities. I don’t think everyone has to go around and announce what they were. There are clubs that we support and clubs that we follow.

“But yeah, of course, it’s a really big football club. Again, we’re in a really busy, really important stage of the season, going into international next week with three big games.”

Celtic manager twist on Martin O'Neill after Desmond relationship revealed

Now, a new promising development has emerged over McKenna moving to Glasgow.

Kieran McKenna "wants the Celtic job"

Speaking to The Go Radio Football Show, relayed by 67 Hail Hail, journalist Mark Guidi claimed that McKenna “wants the Celtic job” and is a “clear front runner” for the vacancy alongside Bodo/Glimt’s Kjetil Knutsen, 57.

Guidi also hailed the work O’Neill has done so far in his short interim period.

McKenna’s Ipswich side currently sit 10th in the Championship with a game in hand, three points outside the playoffs.

Many would have expected the Tractor Boys to make an immediate return to the Premier League under the “sensational” McKenna after splashing the cash, but by the looks of things, a move to Celtic for the manager is a possibility.

Alejandro Zendejas’ standout form with Club América has put him on the radar of several MLS clubs. Fresh off a strong Apertura 2025, the USMNT winger is drawing interest from LA Galaxy, Atlanta United, and the Portland Timbers, who see an opening to lure América’s top star back to the league where he began his career. The 27-year-old has five goals and three assists in 10 appearances this season.

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  MLS clubs circle América’s standout winger

  The three teams are reportedly closely scouting Zendejas and evaluating whether to move for him in the upcoming transfer window, according to journalist Ekrem Konu.  His consistency with América this season has elevated his value and renewed MLS interest.

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  Familiar territory for Zendejas

  Before becoming a key figure in Liga MX, Zendejas came up through FC Dallas’ academy and debuted professionally in MLS. Though he previously declined opportunities to return, the door has never been fully shut. During MLS All-Star week in July, he acknowledged the possibility, but stressed he was happy with. 

  “Obviously, I miss home… [MLS] is a goal for me, but I'm happy where I'm at right now,” he said. “They treat me good… I’m in a very good spot, and hopefully I’ll look to MLS down the road.”

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  His current form with América

  Zendejas, 27, is delivering one of his most complete seasons in Mexico and remains a core piece in André Jardine’s system. His one-on-one ability, versatility on the wings, and steady production have made him the face of América’s attack this season.

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  Playoffs ahead

  America kick off a highly anticipated Liga MX quarterfinal on Nov. 26 against Monterrey. 

The Baltimore Orioles are making a change to the starting rotation, demoting veteran starter Charlie Morton to a bullpen role amid his struggles early in the season, manager Brandon Hyde announced Wednesday.

Morton signed with the Orioles this offseason on a one-year, $15 million deal. Early on, the results have been disappointing. Through his first seven starts, the 41-year-old owns a record of 0-6 and has a 9.45 ERA. He's struck out 26 batters across 26 2/3 innings while surrendering 28 runs, including six home runs, and an MLB-high 21 walks.

Now, Morton finds himself designated to a bullpen role as he looks to iron out the kinks in his performances and get back on track. In his lengthy career, which has consisted of 390 pitching appearances, Morton has only come out of the bullpen on three occasions, and just once prior to the 2025 season.

Each of his last two appearances for the Orioles have been in relief. Baltimore used Keegan Akin as an opener ahead of Morton against the Detroit Tigers on April 26, though the right-hander was still credited with a loss after surrendering three runs and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. More recently, he pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief work during a blowout against the New York Yankees on April 29.

After those outings, the Orioles decided to make it official in relegating Morton to a bullpen role, though Hyde indicated the door was not closed on a possible return to the rotation for the 18-year veteran.

It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to say that Tottenham Hotspur’s season is going off the rails, and fast.

Thomas Frank’s side look a million miles from the one that made a positive start back in August, and following their loss to Fulham on Saturday night, sit tenth in the Premier League.

The North Londoners have become utterly toothless in attack and porous at the back, and they are showing no signs of improving.

Fortunately, reports are now linking Spurs with a player who might be able to help improve the side in both halves of the pitch, someone who’d be a significant upgrade on the increasingly disappointing Rodrigo Bentancur.

Spurs target Bentancur upgrade

While he is far from the only one, Bentancur has been seriously disappointing for Spurs this season, and a million miles from the player fans were excited to watch every week a few years ago.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, in the club’s recent derbies against Chelsea and Arsenal, he looked completely off the pace.

For the first game, respected Spurs writer Alasdair Gold awarded him a rather generous 5/10 match rating. Then, for the latter, he awarded him a 3/10 rating for his inability to gain a foothold in the game.

In short, if it wasn’t already clear last year, this season has made it clear that the Lilywhites need a new midfielder who can help the defence, but also has the power to lend a hand to the attack at times.

Fortunately, it would appear that the club are well aware of this and are looking at a Premier League star who could do just that.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Spurs are now interested in Carlos Baleba.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the North Londoners have now entered the race for the Brighton & Hove Albion star, who is also a key target for Manchester United.

However, on top of the potential competition, the Cameroonian’s price tag could be a hurdle, with the report stating that the Seagulls still value him at €100m, which is about £88m.

Yet, even though this would be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, Baleba’s ability and potential make it one Spurs should pursue, especially as he’d be a huge upgrade on Bentancur.

How Baleba compares to Bentancur

Now, the first thing to say is that, yes, so far this season, Baleba’s form has dropped somewhat.

However, that could be due in part to the transfer saga he went through in the summer, the inconsistent form of Brighton overall, or the simple fact that he is still just 21 years old.

However, even so, the Cameroon international was sensational last season, and a slight dip in form does not take away from the fact that when he is on song, he is incredible to watch.

Moreover, when comparing his underlying numbers to Bentancur’s from last season, even though he is so much younger, he still comes out ahead in most metrics.

For example, when it comes to the attacking side of the game, the Douala-born gem does better in metrics like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, key passes, successful take-ons, carries into the final third and more, all per 90.

Impressively, despite tending to start a little deeper than the Uruguayan, the Seagulls star also ranked incredibly closely for goal-creating actions.

Unsurprisingly, he also blows the 28-year-old away when it comes to the defensive side of things, winning more tackles, making more blocks, recovering the ball more often and winning more of his aerial duels, despite being shorter.

With numbers such as these, it’s not hard to see why respected analyst Ben Mattinson described the former LOSC Lille star as “one of the best midfielders in the league” last year.

Finally, on top of clearly outperforming the Lilywhites midfielder when it comes to underlying numbers, another reason Baleba would be an excellent upgrade is that he’s happy playing in central or defensive midfield.

Therefore, he’d be a perfect option for a double pivot, as he could interchange with someone like Lucas Bergvall and, in turn, make life for opposition midfielders far harder.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Spurs should do what they can to bring the Brighton ace to N17, as he’d be an excellent addition to the team and an instant upgrade on Bentancur.

New Soldado: Frank must bin Spurs flop who had fewer touches than Vicario

Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank must drop this flop who is becoming the new Roberto Soldado.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 30, 2025

Liverpool's misfiring squad held forthright talks in a bid to end the dreadful run of form following the shock 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest last weekend. The Premier League champions are floundering in the league and face a mountain of worrying injuries, while high-profile summer signings have failed to integrate into the team, and Reds forward Cody Gakpo has revealed details of the players' candid conversation.

• Reds' season fails to launch

  The English champions' defence of their title has imploded so far this term, undone by defensive vulnerabilities and difficulties in adapting to Arne Slot's system, particularly following key player departures and injuries. Gakpo's form has mirrored the team's inconsistency, bagging three goals and two assists in 12 appearances. While his goal contributions per 90 minutes are respectable, he has faced scrutiny, along with the club's new signings, as the team has lost eight of their first eleven games in all competitions. Gakpo himself has acknowledged a feeling of "embarrassment" after some losses and participated in "honest" team discussions, highlighting the collective responsibility to improve. 

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  Gakpo: 'We have to stick together'

  Gakpo said: "After the game on Saturday it was a kind of embarrassment as we lost 3-0 at home in front of our own fans. We know they are here to help us in every tough situation but we have to give them something back as well. In the days after that, I don't want to say angry, but we tried to speak together and be honest with each other about what we have to do to perform better on the pitch."

  He added: "We also know we have to stick together to put in good performances and get wins. Everybody is aware we have to take responsibility on and off the pitch. This was a conversation you have with a team-mate, it wasn't really a meeting, but we are aware we have to take responsibility. That's what we spoke about, we are honest because otherwise there's no point in speaking.

  "There were games we got back level and then lost the games in the last minutes – Palace and Chelsea and United. We've shown we can fight back but not been able to maintain that. We have to not go behind and then score more goals. I wouldn't really want to say it plays on your mind, but when it happens a couple of times then yes. That's why we train – to change that."

• Staying in touch with PSV players

  Gakpo enjoyed a prolific and successful career at boyhood club PSV, emerging as a star academy graduate. He made his first-team debut in February 2018 and became a central figure, primarily as a left-winger or forward. Gakpo made 159 appearances, scoring 55 goals across all competitions for the senior team. His standout season was 2021-22, where he bagged 21 goals in 47 games and was named Dutch footballer of the year. He won several trophies, including the Eredivisie title in 2017-18 and two KNVB Cups. 

  And ahead  of the Champions League clash at Anfield, he revealed he stays in touch with some of his former team-mates. Gakpo said: "From time to time I speak to someone. All the lads who were there when I was there. Not about the match (against Liverpool), I don't talk about this. More about how it's going and how they are."

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  Trip to London after PSV clash for Liverpool

  Liverpool head south to West Ham on Sunday in a crucial Premier League match at the London Stadium as both teams are struggling with poor form and mounting injuries. The Hammers, currently 17th in the table, are hoping to capitalise on the Reds' recent slump, leaving them in 12th position. But Slot's side have history on their side against West Ham, winning 86 of their 153 total meetings, and are heavily backed as favourites despite their current form.