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The Boston Red Sox shocked Major League Baseball by trading star third baseman Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Since that move, several stories have surfaced about the dysfunction in the Red Sox organization. An MLB insider detailed another on Monday.

In a piece for Yahoo! Sports, Joon Lee reported on a firing that exemplified the chaos behind the scenes in Boston. Per Lee’s report, Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has become insulated as his front office has lost cohesion. Longtime staffers have felt shut out by him and the "collaborative spirit that once defind Red Sox baseball operations has frayed."

Things only got worse when Breslow brought in a consulting firm in 2024 to help streamline the organization. Firings ensued and things frayed further. That led to an incident that saw the developing tension boil over.

From Lee's piece:

There's a few lessons here. First, always mute yourself during a team Zoom call. Second, maybe Boston should have a tighter hand with Breslow, who had never been in this position before October of 2023.

Whatever is going on with the Red Sox isn't good, and an organizational reset might be in the cards.

Arne Slot eased the pressure when he led his Liverpool side to victory over West Ham United at the weekend, but in a matter of days, the Reds will have hosted Sunderland and travelled to Elland Road to face Leeds United, and that will make a more accurate barometer of this squad’s level.

The pressure has cranked up in recent weeks, and who of a red persuasion could contest the scrutiny? The Premier League champions had lost nine of 12 matches in all competitions before arresting the slump, and after the November international break, Anfield has been left reeling after successive drubbings dished out by Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven.

It’s clear that Liverpool have lost their way, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get back on track. A summer of record-breaking spending has packaged the Reds team with so much quality, but it’s true that Liverpool are an imbalanced outfit.

Sporting director Richard Hughes may need to dig back into the transfer market, which will be upon us in less than a month.

Liverpool's January transfer plans

It’s incredible that after spending more than £400m this summer, Liverpool still need to address a number of areas across Slot’s squad. Namely, Liverpool need a centre-back, and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo has emerged as a leading contender to strengthen the frontline this January.

But with Marc Guehi out of contract at the end of the season and Manchester City also holding talks for Semenyo’s services, FSG may be tempted to look elsewhere.

And according to Caught Offside, Juventus’ rising star Kenan Yildiz has been shortlisted as a Semenyo alternative, having enjoyed a rip-roaring start to the campaign in Italy.

The 20-year-old certainly wouldn’t come cheap. Viewed as one of Serie A’s brightest young stars, Juventus do not want to sell the attacking midfielder, but a concerted approach from FSG could help shift some weight.

With Chelsea also interested, the Old Lady are looking to bank a €100m cheque (translating to £88m) for their prized player.

Why Liverpool want Kenan Yildiz

Yildiz might be young, but he is “already one of the best left wingers in the world”, according to one Serie A scout, and has a far higher ceiling than the 25-year-old Semenyo besides.

Semenyo is the talk of the town in the Premier League, but he’s gone five matches without a goal involvement after such a prolific start to the campaign.

Yildiz, by contrast, is spreading out his output, notching both strikes in Juve’s recent 2-1 league win over Cagliari.

He is a ferocious runner and he is sharp with his playmaking. As per data-driven site FBref, Yildiz ranks among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.

In this he has what it takes to match Semenyo’s athleticism and dynamism. In this he can become one of the Premier League’s finest.

Moreover, Yildiz has only missed one big chance in the Italian top flight, scoring four times.

From a statistical standpoint, Semenyo has probably enjoyed the better season so far, but data only tells so much of a story in football, and Yildiz is clearly making startling progress at such a young age, close now to establishing himself as one of the best in the business.

He is “100% a superstar”, in the eyes of analyst Ben Mattinson, so dynamic and electric down the left flank. His duelling success doesn’t yet match Semenyo, who is one of the Premier League’s most combative wide forwards, and in just a few years, he could be far outstripping the Ghana international.

Whether Liverpool opt to fork out close to £100m for an up-and-coming talent remains to be seen, but Yildiz has already proven that he belongs on the world stage.

Semenyo would be a terrific signing, but the Turkish winger has that special something that suggests he could become one of the very best in the business.

Better move than Semenyo: Liverpool set to table bid to sign £53m "machine"

Liverpool and FSG are considering a host of positions ahead of the January transfer window.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 1, 2025

Manuel Neuer has broken his silence after two costly errors in Bayern Munich’s 3-1 Champions League defeat to Arsenal. The German captain analysed both goals in detail, insisting he had been thrown off balance during the opening strike before acknowledging the huge risk he took when charging at Gabriel Martinelli ahead of Arsenal's second.

• Neuer admits risk decision in 3-1 loss

  Bayern suffered their first defeat of the season as Arsenal capitalised on key errors from Neuer in a dominant 3-1 Champions League win. The 39-year-old captain was directly involved in the two decisive moments of the night, first failing to claim a corner for the opener and later rushing out of his box against Gabriel Martinelli for Arsenal’s third.

  Neuer firstly addressed the criticism surrounding Arsenal’s opening goal, where he failed to claim Bukayo Saka’s corner before Jurrien Timber headed home. However, he offered a slightly different perspective in the mixed zone. 

  “The opponent obviously throws me off balance, that's clear. Then I'm also in a different position than I would have liked and can't get forward as much,” he explained, pointing out that Arsenal had aggressively targeted him during set pieces. “You know how they do it with set pieces, and the referees know that too, and I'm not a goalkeeper who throws himself to the ground. Maybe that would have helped in this situation. But basically you have to keep going until the referee blows his whistle and there's possibly a free kick. But there was no criticism from my side. These things will eventually work in our favour, and then we'll score a goal like that."

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  Neuer explains his case but faces heat from legend

  Neuer also offered a detailed breakdown of his decision-making during Martinelli’s decisive goal, stressing that the game state forced him into a high-risk intervention, explaining why he rushed off his line.

  "When you're behind, you simply have to take a bit more risk, and in that situation, the pass was initially good because it wasn't really going in deep. I could already see that Martinelli was running against [Joshua Kimmich] and was also a bit faster than Jo. I knew then that it would lead to a one-on-one situation and a great chance. I tried to clear it beforehand, and he took him down well. The touch was simply crucial, and then I couldn't reach it anymore, although I knew I was taking a big risk."

  This second error also sparked even sharper criticism from ex-Bayern and Germany midfielder Michael Ballack, who said: “That wasn't necessary. Manuel made the wrong decision there. If he goes for the ball, he has to get it, he knows that himself. He decided to take the risk, and is being punished for it.”

  Despite the errors, the veteran goalkeeper had kept Bayern alive earlier in the match with several high-level interventions. He finished with five saves, far more than the single stop made by Arsenal’s David Raya. However, Bayern’s structural issues meant those moments were overshadowed by their disorganised second-half performance.

• Kompany’s side collapsed after half-time

  Beyond Neuer’s blunders, the Bavarians' inability to escape Arsenal’s press was a recurring theme. While the Gunners advanced up the pitch with fluid combinations, Bayern were forced into rushed clearances and disorganised transitions. Neuer identified duels, second balls, and poor structure as the key factors that cost them control.

  Arsenal, meanwhile, demonstrated efficiency that Bayern lacked. After surviving chances from Kimmich, Serge Gnabry and Lennart Karl, the hosts seized the momentum. A brilliant delivery from Riccardo Calafiori set up Noni Madueke for 2-1, before Martinelli punished Bayern’s late surge forward.

  The defeat ended Bayern’s unbeaten run in all competitions and extended Arsenal’s own streak to 16 matches.

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  Kompany seeks answers before crucial fixtures

  Bayern now face the task of responding quickly, with pressure building on boss Vincent Kompany to address the team’s vulnerabilities in defensive transitions and set-piece organisation. Neuer’s errors will naturally dominate the talks, but Bayern’s wider positional problems have become harder to ignore.

  The German champions must regroup ahead of their next Champions League fixtures and Bundesliga challenges, while Kompany seeks stability in a squad that has shown in the moments of brilliance but worrying moments of collapse. Neuer, meanwhile, will be expected to bounce back immediately, and Bayern will need him at his best if they are to avoid further setbacks in Europe.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider returned to the mound Tuesday after a lengthy stay on the injured list, but things didn't go all too well for him in his first start since April 16.

Strider surrendered four earned runs, six hits and one walk while striking out three batters across 4 1/3 innings during the team's 5–3 defeat against the Washington Nationals. He didn't have his best stuff throughout his outing, and he acknowledged as much after the game.

During his postgame media address, Strider candidly reflected on his outing, taking ownership for his lackluster performance and how that impacted his team.

"I don't enjoy failing, and certainly not at the expense of the team. We sent a pretty good guy [Bryce Elder] down [to Triple A] that was supposed to pitch in my spot. That's not lost on me. It's kind of the nature of the game. I think it's important to have that perspective when the goal is to win. That takes 26 guys. The guy who's starting on the mound is a big component in coming out and winning every day, so if I can't be better, I don't need to be out there. I think everybody has that mentality at any position. I'm going to have to work to be better," Strider said, via Justin Toscano of

"I certainly want to play, but I take no joy in not giving us a chance. If I don't feel like I can provide for the team, then I don't take much pleasure in losing games for us," he added.

Strider enjoyed a sensational 2023 season, during which he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting and made the All-Star team. That season, he struck out a league-best 281 batters and owned a 3.86 ERA. Injuries have derailed him a bit of late, however, keeping him sidelined for all but nine innings of the 2024 season and again impacting him at the start of the '25 campaign.

Considering his dominance in previous years, Strider knows he's not living up to expectations on the mound, and offered some rather harsh self-assessment of his performance.

Strider's next scheduled start is slated for Sunday, May 25 against the San Diego Padres.

The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland was full of praise for one Everton star, who played a pivotal part in Thierno Barry’s first goal for the club against Nottingham Forest.

Everton ease past Nottingham Forest

After battling to beat Bournemouth in midweek, Everton had the chance to move up to fifth in the Premier League with victory over Nottingham Forest and David Moyes’ side duly obliged. The Toffees had the perfect afternoon against former manager Sean Dyche, with Barry capping off a fine afternoon with his first goal since arriving for £27m in the summer.

It’s been some time coming for the summer signing, who has smashed the woodwork, had VAR intervene and everything in between before finally getting the chance to wheel away in celebration at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

It’s Moyes who should take plenty of credit. After all, it is the veteran manager who decided to stick with his goal-less forward, only to reap the rewards 90 minutes later.

Everton now ready to compete in race to sign "physical" La Liga star in £35m deal

The Toffees are seeking a defensive reinforcement.

By
Tom Cunningham

Dec 5, 2025

Aside from the forward’s first goal for the club, it was a fine display from the Toffees all round. The hosts wasted no time before getting going, with Nikola Milenkovic’s own goal handing them the lead as early as the second minute.

It was then Everton’s to lose and Barry’s effort just before the break all but put them out of sight, before Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added a third in the 81st minute.

For all their goalscorers, however, it was another player who received the praise of Boyland for the role he played in Everton’s second goal before the break. The Athletic reporter dubbed Iliman Ndiaye “brilliant” in the build-up as the Frenchman continued his role as the Toffees’ talisman.

Boyland heaps praise on "brilliant" Ndiaye

Boyland watched on as Everton struck Nottingham Forest on the counter on the brink of half-time, praising Ndiaye as “brilliant” when he raced past the halfway line before finding goalscorer Barry.

Barry will steal the headlines, but Ndiaye deserves plenty of credit. He has been Everton’s main man since arriving last season and has more than played his part to take Moyes’ side into the top five, for the time being at least.

By the time that the final whistle sounded against Forest, the winger had one assist to his name and had even completed 13 defensive contributions – summing up his impact at both ends.

If those at the Hill Dickinson Stadium are to secure a shock European place this season, then Ndiaye’s role will be more important than ever.

Everton launch enquiry to sign "superb" £40m South American forward for Moyes

Chelsea’s ownership group has reportedly beaten Manchester United and Manchester City in the chase for Mohamed Zongo, one of Africa’s most exciting young footballers, with the Burkina Faso midfielder set to join Strasbourg in 2027 when he turns 18. The deal, agreed with Sporting Football des Cascades Tenakourou, marks the latest step in Chelsea’s long-term recruitment project, which has increasingly focused on identifying global talent years before they reach senior breakout status.

• City and United left frustrated in youth recruitment battle

  According to both Manchester clubs had made formal contact with the Tenakourou Academy as they intensified their efforts to secure Zongo. City, whose global scouting system spans every continent, regarded Zongo as a profile perfectly aligned with their multi-club model. United’s pursuit was equally vigorous. Under INEOS, the club has doubled down on youth-focused recruitment, with recent additions such as U17 World Cup standout Sekou Kone. Zongo’s ability to operate as a No. 10, an advanced wide creator or a roaming central midfielder made him an attractive fit for Ruben Amorim’s fluid, mobility-driven blueprint. His growing reputation as a "next-gen Yaya Toure" only amplified interest, with coaches noting his blend of physical maturity and technical composure.

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  BlueCo beat their opponents to Zongo

  Strasbourg, part of the BlueCo network, has been earmarked as the ideal environment to further Zongo’s development. The French side’s track record of transitioning young talents into senior football and their proximity to elite European competition have been deemed as key factors in edging out interest from both Manchester clubs. Zongo became one of the breakout stars of November’s Under-17 World Cup in Qatar, where Burkina Faso reached the quarter-finals. The midfielder featured in all six matches, scoring twice and assisting three more. His tournament highlight came in the round-of-32 victory over Germany, having previously bagged a crucial strike against the Czech Republic in the group phase. Even in Burkina Faso’s narrow 1-0 elimination by eventual semi-finalists Italy, Zongo was at the heart of their threat, striking the woodwork twice.

• Chelsea’s youth pipeline continues to grow

  Zongo becomes the latest addition to Chelsea’s vast youth recruitment network, which has rapidly expanded under the club’s multi-club ownership model. The pipeline now includes upcoming arrivals such as Sporting CP winger Geovany Quenda and striker Emanuel Emegha, who was signed via Strasbourg earlier this year. Further additions, including FC Kairat winger Dastan Satpayev and Corinthians left-back Denner Evangelista, are expected to join once they turn 18 next summer, while Ecuadorian defender Deinner Ordonez is scheduled to complete his switch in January 2028. Chelsea’s strategy is clear: acquire elite teenage talent early, develop them across a multi-club pathway and integrate only those who hit top-tier benchmarks into the first team. Zongo is viewed as a prospect with that level of potential.

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  Chelsea’s Champions League setback casts shadow over busy run

  Chelsea may be celebrating a major future signing off the field, but their evening in Italy ended in disappointment after a 2-1 defeat to Atalanta in the Champions League. Joao Pedro’s first-half strike gave them a deserved lead on Tuesday night, but a flat second-half showing proved costly as Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere turned the match on its head. For manager Enzo Maresca, the defeat was particularly painful, coming on his return to Italy. Chelsea, who produced a blistering display to dismantle Barcelona in their previous Champions League outing, looked well placed to back it up before their intensity faded dramatically in Bergamo.

  The aftermath carried its own drama. De Ketelaere could not resist aiming a playful jab at Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho, who had admitted before the match that he "hadn’t watched much of Atalanta recently." Speaking to Sky Italia, De Ketelaere smirked: "Now he knows who we are. For us, it's not possible to play games like Saturday's against Verona and then maybe win a match like today. We need to improve our consistency. We were coming off three wins and then there was this bad defeat, but we know we have great quality, and we proved it today."

  There is little time for Chelsea to dwell on the loss. They host Everton on Saturday before travelling to Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup, followed by a daunting Premier League run featuring Newcastle, Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Manchester City.

The Boston Red Sox locked up one of their top young talents on Wednesday afternoon, agreeing to an eight-year, $130 million contract with rookie Roman Anthony. In his first game since putting pen to paper, he looks to have already earned the respect of one of MLB's most accomplished veterans.

As the 21-year-old outfielder—already batting leadoff for his Boston squad—approached the plate at Fenway Park, catcher Salvador Perez seemingly congratulated him with a pat on the back. Anthony responded with a "thank you" to the nine-time All-Star before giving him a wave and stepping into the box.

Take a look at the awesome moment here:

Classy stuff.

Anthony is slashing .282/.400/.428 throughout his rookie campaign with two home runs and 19 RBIs while his Red Sox, winners of an MLB-best seven straight games, sit at 64-51 atop the American League wild-card standings.

Kade Anderson's beginning to his MLB career was a bit more unusual than most draft prospects, largely because he didn't know where the city he was drafted to was located.

Anderson was the third player taken off the board in this year's draft, getting selected by the Mariners. The LSU product was the first lefty and the second pitcher taken in the draft, and is heralded as one of the most exciting prospects in his class.

After growing up in Louisiana and playing his college ball for the Tigers, Anderson is already experiencing a bit of culture shock with the move out to the Pacific Northwest. In fact, the 21-year-old admitted to reporters that he wasn't even aware of where Seattle was when the Mariners drafted him.

"I knew, kind of, a little bit of where it was, but had to really make sure. It's really shocked me how nice it is here. Super excited to get to learn the area… excited to just venture. I got to go to the fish market and do all of the cool Seattle things and learn what Seattle's all about," said Anderson.

While the weather in Seattle has been beautiful this summer, hopefully Anderson doesn't become disillusioned about the volume of rain that's to come. Still, he seems to have been thoroughly enjoying his time in the Pacific Northwest and seemed plenty eager to learn about his new surroundings.

Anderson was dominant at LSU, recording a 3.18 ERA with 180 strikeouts and 35 walks in 119 innings. Now, he becomes the latest arm in a Mariners organization that already boasts a grade-A pitching staff.

Crystal Palace are now rivalling Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of a former Real Madrid player, who “never puts a foot wrong.”

Palace keen on new centre-back with Guehi set for exit

Marc Guehi was hardly short of suitors before the international break, with the centre-back’s move to Liverpool falling through on deadline day, but the Englishman has once again put himself in the shop window courtesy of his performance against Wales.

The Three Lions haven’t conceded a single goal in World Cup qualifying, with Guehi helping his side continue their fantastic defensive record against Wales last week, while also assisting England’s opening two goals.

The 25-year-old has remained a consummate professional, having not downed tools in order to force through a move, but it appears as though an exit is inevitable, given that the Palace captain was left very unhappy with his move to Anfield breaking down.

Consequently, Crystal Palace have now started looking at potential replacements for the defender, and they have now joined the race for Lazio defender Mario Gila, who is also being targeted by Tottenham, Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states all the aforementioned Premier League clubs are keeping close tabs on Gila, who could command a huge transfer fee.

Crystal Palace now plotting move for £31m "freak of nature" to replace Wharton

The Eagles are looking to sign a new central midfielder, amid widespread interest in Adam Wharton.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 15, 2025

The Italian club are only willing to listen to offers in the region of €45m – €50m (£39m – £43m), which is regarded as an affordable fee for Spurs, but would be a club-record signing for Palace, eclipsing the £32m spent on Christian Benteke back in 2016.

Gila could be exciting replacement for Guehi

Of course, no Crystal Palace fan will want their FA Cup-winning captain to leave, but given that he has shown no interest in signing a new contract, it is wise to start thinking about potential replacements.

Moreover, the Lazio defender could be an exciting option, given that he is experienced in Europe, having featured in the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League with Lazio.

The ex-Real Madrid man has also received plaudits from Lazio sporting director Igli Tare, who seemed to suggest he is destined for the top level, saying: “He is fast, intelligent and never puts a foot wrong. He can become one of the top 3-4 defenders in the world and it wouldn’t surprise me if Real wanted him back.”

As such, it would be a real coup if Palace were able to sign Gila, but the capture of Yeremy Pino in the summer showed that Selhurst Park is now becoming an attractive destination for top players.

For the first portion of Tuesday night's Blue Jays-Yankees showdown, it felt like Toronto was gonna run away with it and handily eliminate New York from the postseason in just three Division Series games, a prediction strongly supported by the Blue Jays' 6–1 lead after the top of the third.

But the pinstripes eventually battled back and not a moment too soon, fueled entirely by a well-timed and momentum-shifting three-run homer from Aaron Judge that tied the game. Shortly after, New York took the lead and didn't lose it again, ultimately forcing a Game 4 and keeping their postseason hopes alive for at least another day.

Adding some more grandeur to the victory, the night's five-run recovery is tied for the second-largest comeback in Yankees' postseason history, on par with the 2010 ALCS Game 1 and the 1997 ALDS Game 1 (both of which are series that New York would go on to lose), per MLB researcher Sarah Langs.

The team's largest postseason rally, however, came in Game 4 of the 1996 World Series, which the Yanks won 8–6 vs. the Braves. They would then go on to win the championship that year in six games.

Outside of the Bronx, the largest comeback win to avoid postseason elimination specifically happened in Game 5 of the 2008 ALCS, when the Red Sox came back from a seven-run deficit to defeat the Rays and force a Game 6 (Tampa Bay would later eliminate Boston in Game 7).

After that, you have a six-run Cardinals rebound in Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS, then various five-point rallies from the 2002 Angels (WS Game 6), the 1995 Mariners (ALDS Game 4), and—you guessed it—the 2025 Yankees in ALDS Game 3.

We'll see what the Yanks can pull off next come Game 4, slated for Wednesday, Oct. 8, with first pitch at 7:08 p.m. ET.