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After watching on as Liverpool seemingly jumped ahead of them in the race to sign Florian Wirtz, Bayern Munich have reportedly turned their focus towards payback in the form of recruiting one particular Anfield star this summer.

Liverpool submit first Wirtz offer

Whilst it was Manchester City and Bayern who found themselves battling for Wirtz’s signature, it has been Liverpool who have grabbed hold of the headlines. Sending shockwaves through Europe, the Reds have stolen a march on their rivals and are reportedly set to sign the Bayer Leverkusen star in what could quite easily be the deal of the summer in all regards.

Having already lifted the Premier League in their first season under Arne Slot, it’s clear that those at Anfield mean business after deciding against splashing the cash last summer.

Alongside Wirtz, rumours have also indicated that Liverpool are pushing to sign the midfielder’s Leverkusen teammate, Jeremie Frimpong, to replace the Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez.

Liverpool’s interest in Wirtz is a fairly open secret already and Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes had his say on the potential move earlier this week, telling reporters: “There is concrete interest from Liverpool, but there’s no more to say right now. Florian is our player.”

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1 BySean Markus Clifford May 26, 2025

Meanwhile, on Bayern Munich’s end, they’ve been left with no choice but to turn their attention elsewhere. And that could yet deal the Premier League champions a frustrating blow amid rumours that the German giants have set their sights on signing an Anfield star who Slot loves.

Bayern make contact to sign Cody Gakpo

According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Bayern Munich have now made contact to sign Cody Gakpo. Club chief Max Eberl is reportedly a fan of the Dutchman and has now added him to a list of left-wing options which already includes Rafael Leao and Brighton’s Karou Mitoma.

What’s more, given that they’re set to welcome Wirtz this summer, Liverpool and FSG are open to selling Gakpo if the right offer arrives. Whether Slot would approve such an exit is the big question. Gakpo has been a man transformed under his countryman, scoring 18 goals in all competitions and claiming a spot in Liverpool’s front three as a result.

Slot hasn’t hesitated to praise the former PSV man, either. He told reporters when asked about his winger earlier in the season: “In the second half of last season Cody scored a lot of goals so he’s been a good player for Liverpool for a long time now. He continues doing that and that’s a good thing. For me, he is a regular starter.”

Also dubbed “excellent” by former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole back in October, Gakpo is not someone that Liverpool should be keen to lose in the coming months.

Chelsea’s desire to sign a new defender this summer is no secret. After conceding 57 goals across all competitions this term, it is clear another centre-back or two is needed.

Much will depend on just how much money Enzo Maresca has to spend when the transfer window opens.

A few players might be sold in order to balance the books, although if the club achieves Champions League qualification, Maresca will need to strengthen his side.

Several defenders have already been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, although one has chosen Real Madrid instead…

Chelsea targeting defenders in the transfer window

Dean Huijsen was a name on the list of targets for Chelsea, but defender ended up joining Real Madrid, who activated the £50m release clause that was in his Bournemouth contract.

The Blues must move on, and they have already earmarked an ideal alternative to the Spaniard. Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is the latest name linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Hato, who is currently valued at £42m, only turned 19 in March and has the advantage of being able to play either at centre-back or on the left side of the defence.

The chance to play Champions League football with the Blues could give them a boost in their pursuit and he would make for an interesting signing.

Despite showing interest in both of these young, talented defenders, Maresca has someone in his squad who came through the Cobham academy and is valued higher than Hato and Huijsen; Levi Colwill.

Why Chelsea have struck gold on Levi Colwill

Colwill may have had to wait until the 2023/24 season to make his debut for Chelsea after a number of loan spells, but he has been a regular ever since.

Under Maresca, the Englishman has played 36 times in all competitions, even breaking through to earn three caps for England.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Accurate passes per 90

38.2

67

Clean sheets

4

9

Total duels won per 90

5

4.5

Tackles per 90

2.1

1.4

Possession lost per 90

10

8.9

Colwill has missed just three Premier League games this season for the Blues and, throughout the campaign, he has won 56% of his total duels per match, kept nine clean sheets and recovered 3.5 balls per game in the top flight.

Furthermore, when compared to his peers in the division, Colwill ranks impressively, notably sitting in the top 12% for passes completed (67.32) per 90, along with ranking in the top 32% for aerials won (2.32) per 90 for Chelsea.

He is still only 22, meaning he could be a cornerstone for the club over the next few years. Indeed, his performances have even seen his value rise exponentially with some reports noting last year that the club now value him at a whopping £100m.

This means he is worth even more than both Hato and Huijsen put together, signifying just how impressive a player Maresca has on his hands.

His performances were praised during a loan spell with Brighton and Hove Albion during the 2022/23 campaign, with talent scout Jacek Kulig claiming he was a “world-class talent”.

If he continues on this upwards trajectory, Colwill could become one of the best players for the Blues over the coming years, and they have certainly struck gold on him.

Chelsea readying huge £70m bid to sign their new version of Mason Mount

Chelsea are reportedly ready to pay the release clause for a star who could be Mason Mount 2.0.

ByDan Emery May 19, 2025

Virat Kohli did too, a little bit, as the India vs South Africa T20 World Cup final gave us many memories to cherish

Alagappan Muthu29-Jun-20241:23

Flower: ‘Fascinating game of cat and mouse from Rohit’

A catch for the agesIt went up and there was sky. It came down, and there was SKY again. Suryakumar Yadav on the long-off boundary in the 20th over, with 15 runs to defend, pulled off a catch that will be talked about like Kapil Dev’s from 1983.Related

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It was a full toss from Hardik Pandya. A wide full toss. Perhaps a mangling of a wide yorker. David Miller connected more off the bottom of the bat, but still it flew. Suryakumar was haring to his left. At full tilt. He was stretching. He shouldn’t have had any balance out there going as fast as he was, but he did. Somehow. The ball came down just in front of him and he caught it. But he wasn’t done. Because he was so close to the rope. Barely inches from it. So he tossed the ball up, high enough that he could step over the boundary, collect himself, step back in, and keep control of the ball all the way through. Catches win matches. This one won a World Cup.Genius at playIt was an old ball. It looked scruffy. It shouldn’t be doing these things for a fast bowler. But Jasprit Bumrah is not just a fast bowler. He is miracle made flesh. With South Africa needing 21 from 15 balls, he went wide of the crease. He landed it outside off. It screamed in between bat and pad and brought down Marco Jansen’s castle with him looking utterly bewildered. This was movement off the pitch. The seam pointing in. One side of the ball ragged. The other slightly less so. Reverse? The things Bumrah does escapes the realm of sense and meaning. No one can be that good when this much is on the line.Klaasen goes boomOne of these days, Heinrich Klaasen is going to hit a cricket ball so hard it breaks in two. He hit five sixes during a hair-raising knock. One of them, with the wind, just flew flat and hard over extra cover. Another went into the wind, and still had enough on it to clatter on to the roof. The power he has is unbelievable. Klaasen hit 70% (seven of ten) of South Africa’s boundaries while he was at the crease and four of them in a single over against a previously unhittable Axar Patel. It was remarkable and he was doing it with such ease. In a World Cup final. In a South Africa shirt. For a little while, it really did feel like the curse was going to be broken.Suryakumar Yadav pulled off a catch that will be talked about like Kapil Dev’s from 1983•ICC/Getty ImagesThe trap that wasn’t, but wasQuinton de Kock hitting over square leg is inevitable. And that swing of his bat. Starts up high. Comes down smooth. Fully uninhibited. In the old days, Sanath Jayasuriya used to be the master of this shot. And he used to play it the same way. On instinct. So when de Kock had the opportunity to unleash it, in the 13th over of the game, he took it and found six. India immediately stationed a man there. It wasn’t meant to be a trap, because it was right there in plain view, but it worked like one. Arshdeep Singh bowled the same ball. De Kock played the same shot. Only Kuldeep Yadav was there to catch it.Kohli pulls up the anchorVirat Kohli was playing a strange innings. He was 14 off five. Then he was 36 off 43. He’d hit only four boundaries in 48 deliveries. He and India were working on the theory that a par score would be enough. This was a final. That does things to people. So a man who had embraced a more attacking game went back to find that old trusty anchor and dropped it all the way down. Then the 18th over came along. A six and a four off Kagiso Rabada. The same dose to Jansen. India got 33 runs in two overs. Kohli finished with 26 off his last 11 balls. Later that night, he was crowned champion.

A display of the like rarely seen in Test cricket reinforced the new era of the England team

Alan Gardner15-Jun-20226:35

#PoliteEnquiries: CARNAGE!

Sometimes seeing is believing. England have not so much talked about positive cricket over the last fortnight, as preached it. And sure, they played some enterprising stuff in victory last week at Lord’s, followed up by scoring 500-plus at a run rate of more than four per over in Nottingham. But to witness Jonny Bairstow embark on what felt like an almost evangelical mission during the evening session of the fifth day, provided palpable, almost visceral proof of the extent to which Ben Stokes and his team have bought into the Brendon McCullum credo.There is no zealot like a convert, and in the dressing room at tea they could see that Bairstow was ‘on’. The “Jonny eyes” were focused, initially on a cheese and ham toastie and then on the job at hand. Bairstow is not so much a fiery character as pile of kindling looking for a match, but what he was about to do was marked by a level of control. With the cool, calm intensity of Jules Winfield wearing a Shrey lid, he walked out to visit great vengeance and furious anger on New Zealand’s depleted attack.Trent Bridge was abuzz with anticipation at tea. The queue for ice cream was lengthy, the smell of chips and sunscreen wafting across the ground. A broad mix of folk had come through the gates, thrown open on Tuesday with no charge by Nottinghamshire, from the couple posing for a picture with their baby – memorable first day at the cricket, this – to the students with hipster moustaches, groups of young women, those in sunhats and replica shirts.Related

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As Bairstow and Stokes walked back out to the middle, England’s requirement was 160 in 38 overs. “We needed four an over and that has been the rate throughout the game,” Bairstow said afterwards, but in the moment that equation does not seem so simple. One more wicket falling brings in Ben Foakes, who helped shepherd a fourth-innings chase a week ago at Lord’s, but is not known as a dasher. Below him a tail that may not delay New Zealand long.Even considering the run-glut, this is a fourth-innings chase on the final day. If the pitch won’t offer much assistance (and it doesn’t), then surely New Zealand can push the field back, hide the ball out wide, make scoring difficult? In the event, they chose to attack, too – the reigning World Test Champions need the points if they are going to get close to defending their title. Matt Henry was the bowler tasked with finding the breakthrough. With men back on the rope, the plan is pretty clear.As Bairstow twice swats pulls in to the fence in the first over back, bringing up his fifty from 51 balls, a girl waiting to take her seat in the William Clarke Stand gets out her phone and starts to do the calculation for her friends. Stokes guides another boundary to third, and 13 have come off the over. Already the rate has dropped below four. Over on the opposite side of the ground, a chorus has begun: “Shoes off if you love Ben Stokes!” Finding disciples at a Test in England is the easiest thing in the world at this point in the late afternoon.People are hurrying to get take their places as Trent Boult resumes from the other end. Boult has arguably been the performer of the match to this point, with seven wickets (including Joe Root twice) on a surface that yielded only to the best of bowlers, not to mention 33 impudently pickpocketed runs from No. 11.Boult hares in and pitches the ball up outside off. Bairstow’s weight shifts slightly back and then on to the front foot, arms swinging with ultraviolent intent. Six dumped into the members at long-off.Jonny Bairstow drives through the covers•Getty ImagesIn the next over, Henry is fetched twice more into the stands. Suddenly this contest has become bar-room brawl – or rather, it has become a one-day blitz, such as England fans are used to seeing from Bairstow. The short boundary on the Bridgeford Road side is being peppered, just as it was when he made 139 off 92 during England’s world-record 481 for 6 against Australia in 2018.Here, Bairstow and Stokes have added 43 from the first three overs after tea. Boult now goes short only to be ransacked high into the Fox Road Stand, and again two balls later. It is now 59 runs in four overs, the target plummeting towards double-figures. Bairstow, meanwhile, is closing in on an England record that has stood for 120 years. A brace of fours takes him to within sight of an extraordinary hundred; but, having got to 99, Bairstow defends his 75th ball and then finds backward point with his 76th, to leave Gilbert Jessop’s 1902 mark untouched.No matter. With Tim Southee’s next delivery squeezed past the dive of point, Bairstow can raise his arms aloft for the first time in a home Test since 2016. His century is the second-fastest by an Englishman in Tests, relegating the 85-ball effort by Stokes against New Zealand – McCullum’s New Zealand – at Lord’s in 2015. Already there is a sense that the Trent Bridge Test could be as epochal as that match, seen as lifting the mood of the English game after yet another World Cup debacle.Stokes is limping by now, having aggravated an old cartilage issue in his knee, and England’s requirement is still 80 runs. But the game is basically up. Bairstow mauls the offspin of Michael Bracewell into the leg side for 6-6-4; Stokes rallies to drill Southee straight back towards the pavilion, bringing up a 55-ball fifty almost in passing. Another Stokes six off Bracewell almost lands in the top tier at the Radcliffe Road End, the ball pinging back off the brickwork and on to the outfield. “Don’t take me home!” roars the crowd, and you can understand why.England need 35 – make that 31 – actually, 27 – before Bairstow finally falls to Boult, getting a fist bump from the bowler as he makes for the dressing room. The fires have banked, the “Jonny eyes” have done the business. Bairstow and Stokes belted an eye-popping 133 off 68 balls as the final passage of this rollicking Test, which had promised a potentially fraught tussle for supremacy, but became a gallop in the evening sunshine.There are 22 overs left to be bowled when Stokes cracks the winning runs. In England’s Test history, they have only chased a target of 277 or more on 12 occasions – two have come in the last week. Fittingly, given the McCullum influences on England’s limited-overs teams, this one took exactly 50 overs. Maybe Test cricket didn’t need a saviour, but that won’t stop people signing up for the cause.

And would he benefit from having a more defined role in the Super Kings line-up?

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Oct-2020Among several questions currently riddling the Chennai Super Kings, a significant one concerns Kedar Jadhav. What exactly is he contributing to the team? The plain and popular answer would be: nothing really.Nothing really, since those goosebumps-inducing moments in the IPL opener in 2018 against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, when Jadhav limped back on one leg, having hurt his left hamstring earlier in the innings, to hit a six and a four off the last two balls to hand his new franchise a stunning win.It was for such acts of courage and unusual talent that the Super Kings, usually conservative at IPL auctions, paid INR 7.8 crore (USD 1.2 million approx) in 2018 to sign Jadhav, making him the most expensive auction buy for the franchise.Jadhav was the Super Kings’ third-most-expensive player behind captain MS Dhoni and vice-captain Suresh Raina. But he hasn’t set the franchise alight. In 21 matches for the Super Kings, Jadhav has faced 250 balls and scored 244 runs at a strike rate of 97.60.Jadhav is a notoriously slow starter: his first-10-balls strike rate in the IPL for the Super Kings is just 93.5, and he hits a boundary every 7.3 deliveries. Of all his runs for the franchise, 130 – from 139 balls – have come in this stage of his innings.On Wednesday, Jadhav walked in in the finisher role with the Super Kings needing 39 from 21 balls. The Super Kings sent Jadhav in ahead of Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo because – their head coach Stephen Fleming later said – they felt he could dominate Sunil Narine.The Super Kings ended up losing by 10 runs. Jadhav finished with 7 off 12 balls, having failed to score off eight of them.Kedar Jadhav’s strike rate has dipped perceptibly since moving to the Chennai Super Kings•ESPNcricinfo LtdIn his first outing of this IPL season, against the Rajasthan Royals, Jadhav batted at No. 6, behind Sam Curran and his Maharashtra team-mate Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was making his IPL debut. Curran smashed two sixes in five balls, before both he and Gaikwad were stumped off successive balls against Rahul Tewatia.When Jadhav joined Faf du Plessis, also fresh at the crease, the Super Kings needed a further 140 runs from the final 11 overs with six wickets in hand.Jadhav’s innings was lit up by three successive fours off the legspinner Shreyas Gopal’s first three deliveries, but was cut short soon after by top-edged swish against a slower ball from Tom Curran. Jadhav would have been disappointed after scoring 22 runs off 16 balls on the small ground in Sharjah where Super Kings lost by 16 runs.In the next match against the Delhi Capitals, Jadhav walked in at No. 5 in another chase, with Super Kings needing 132 from 65 balls. Despite being at the wicket for six-and-a-half overs, however, Jadhav only managed 26 from 21 balls, with three fours.These examples only highlight Jadhav’s inability to accelerate, impose himself on the bowlers, build quick partnerships, and take charge of a chase. With the pre-season exit of Suresh Raina, there has been extra pressure on Jadhav and Ambati Rayudu to deliver as the two most experienced Indian middle-order batsmen in the squad behind MS Dhoni. Jadhav hasn’t delivered, and his struggles have become a story.What is Jadhav’s role?Before the 2019 season, Fleming put his arm around Jadhav, suggesting he would ease the burden on Dhoni by playing the No. 4 role. In 2018 Dhoni had his best IPL with the bat, batting mostly at No. 4 in the absence of Jadhav who was ruled out with the hamstring injury he picked up in the season-opener in Mumbai.MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav share a laugh•BCCIThis season, Jadhav has batted just once at No. 4 – in the chase against Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Super Kings needed 129 runs from 14 overs when he came in. He was caught in the covers having made 3 off 10.In his press conference after the defeat, Fleming was asked about the thought process behind sending Kedar Jadhav ahead of Dhoni. Fleming raised an eyebrow, probably at being asked about Dhoni’s batting position. Fleming checked whether that was the question. When it was repeated, he said: “Really? It’s a question?”According to Fleming, Jadhav is the Super Kings’ No. 4 with Dhoni being the “middle to back-end” player. “Kedar Jadhav is our No. 4. He plays dual roles, where [if] we get off to a good start he might move down to let Dhoni up. But when you are losing early wickets then your No. 4 batsman goes up.”Fleming, though, has acknowledged that the pressure is on his top-4 including Jadhav. He conceded that form can be brittle in the early phase of the IPL, but at the same time he expected a “substantial contribution” from Jadhav, whom he believes can “light the fuse at any stage” in the IPL.Would giving Jadhav a firm role at No. 4 regardless of the situation offer him a better chance to succeed? The likes of Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Nitish Rana, Rishabh Pant and Priyam Garg have been given specific roles in the middle order by their respective franchises, and it seems to have worked in their case.With a lower order that remains weak and inconsistent despite the presence of Dhoni, the Super Kings need Jadhav to play a more dominant role. Ultimately the responsibility lies with him. He forced his way into India’s ODI team with his unorthodox strokeplay, his street-smartness and the side-arm slow bowling with which he helped India win the Asia Cup final in 2018. In ODIs, Jadhav has played some spectacular support acts to Virat Kohli and sparkled on several occasions with Dhoni at the other end.But Dhoni isn’t the Dhoni of old now, and is perhaps better suited to playing the support role. There’s a vacuum where the Super Kings need a dominant middle-order force. Jadhav needs to take charge and show he can be that player.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Thiago Galhardo é o novo reforço do Goiás para a disputa da Série B. O jogador, que pediu para deixar o Fortaleza, deve ser anunciado pelo Esmeraldino nas próximas horas. As informações foram divulgadas pelos jornalistas César Luis Merlo e André Hernan.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Após o ataque ao ônibus do Leão do Pici em Recife, realizado pela torcida do Sport antes do duelo das equipes pela Copa do Nordeste, Galhardo pediu dispensa do clube por uma semana para tratar da saúde mental. Na ocasião, o transporte da delegação da equipe foi alvejado por bombas, e jogadores e membros da comissão técnica do Tricolor saíram feridos do ataque.

No Fortaleza desde julho de 2022, o atacante disputou 100 jogos com a camisa do clube e anotou 27 gols no período. Na atual temporada, participou de 11 partidas e foi às redes em três oportunidades.

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A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Formado nas categorias de base do Bangu, Galhardo estreou como profissional em 2010. Nas carreira, o jogador acumula passagens por diversos clubes do futebol brasileiro, como Botafogo, Internacional, Coritiba e Vasco. Fora do país, atuou pelo Celta de Vigo, da Espanha, e Albirex Niigata, do Japão.

Tudo sobre

Brasileirão Série BFortalezaFutebol NacionalGoiásThiago Galhardo

While there were a few wobbles towards the start, it would be fair to say that Nuno Espírito Santo’s time in the West Ham United dugout has largely gone well so far.

The Portuguese coach has lifted the East Londoners out of the Premier League relegation zone and picked up some impressive results against Newcastle United, Manchester United, Everton and Burnley.

One of the players who seems to have benefited most from his arrival is Callum Wilson, who rediscovered his goalscoring form.

However, it might not be enough in the eyes of the club, as West Ham are now being linked with a striker who would represent an upgrade on the Englishman, a striker who once finished in a Jarrod Bowen-esque way.

West Ham linked with Wilson upgrade

The transfer window reopens in under a month, and, as is the case with most other clubs, West Ham have already been linked with a plethora of exciting players.

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, Toulouse’s highly rated English defender, Charlie Cresswell, has once again been touted for a move to the London Stadium, as has Nuno’s old number one, Jose Sa.

However, while both players would certainly have a positive impact at West Ham, neither one could be described as a Wilson upgrade, unlike Santiago Giménez.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, the Hammers are among several clubs that have been offered the chance to sign the AC Milan forward next year.

If the East Londoners do want to take up the offer, either on loan or in a permanent deal, they will have to get moving, as the report also states that Leeds United are the team with the most concrete interest in the player.

It could be a complicated transfer to get done for West Ham, but considering Giménez’s ability and goalscoring record, it’s one they should fight for, especially as he could be an upgrade on Wilson and arguably finished like Bowen in the past.

Why Giménez would be an upgrade on Wilson

There are a few reasons why Giménez would represent an upgrade on Wilson, and the first is their respective output.

Now, it is undoubtedly the case that the Englishman is actually outdoing the Mexican international in this regard so far this season, scoring four goals in 12 games compared to his one goal and two assists in 11 games.

However, when you take a step back and look at his form last season, and especially when he was playing in the Netherlands, it becomes clear that the former Feyenoord star is the more dangerous striker.

For example, while the former Newcastle United star scored only once in 22 appearances last year, the Resistencia-born marksman scored 22 goals and recorded six assists in 38 appearances.

Moreover, the season before that saw the Coventry-born ace do pretty well, scoring ten goals and providing one assist in 26 games, but his potential competition still did better, scoring 26 goals and providing eight assists in 41 games.

Games

41

26

Minutes

3204′

1338′

Goals

26

10

Assists

8

1

Games

38

22

Minutes

2110′

458′

Goals

22

1

Assists

6

0

With all this in mind, it’s clear that the “insane” Milan forward, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is the far superior goalscorer, and considering he is left-footed, there is a Bowen-esque way to how he often curls the ball into the net.

Now, on top of the output, the 46-capped Mexican ace also has age on his side, coming nine years younger than the veteran 33-year-old Englishman.

Finally, the £78k-per-week game-changer also has fitness on his side, as he’s only had one season in his career in which he’s missed more double-digit games through injury, compared to Wilson, who has had seven.

Ultimately, while it might not be the club’s top priority, West Ham should go out and sign Giménez as soon as possible, as he could supercharge their attack.

West Ham are brewing another Potts and he finishes just like Jarrod Bowen

West Ham United could have another Potts-esque academy gem on their hands who could be the next Jarrod Bowen.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2025

Juan Soto is the richest man in baseball, having signed a massive $765 million contract with the New York Mets as a free agent this offseason. The excitement surrounding his addition can be felt in the air around Queens, as the top slugger joins a roster coming off an NLCS run in 2024. Soto represents a massive investment by owner Steve Cohen and, more importantly for the fans, a reason to believe in the Mets, both now and in the immediate future.

Like many athletes, Soto is also an avid player. In honor of the five-year anniversary of , the game will be bringing back the map Verdansk on April 3. Soto spoke to about the return of the fan favorite map, the role has in his life as a professional athlete, and the memories he's made playing video games during his MLB career.

Additionally, Soto touched on buildling chemistry with his new teammates, why he wanted to stay in New York after spending the 2024 season with the Yankees, and more.

Sports Illustrated: Walk us through your history with .

Juan Soto: My friends and I always loved to play and multiplayer, be with friends and talking. Everyone was looking for something different and they came out with . The COVID season hits, everything is locked down, can't go anywhere. The only way to get together with my friends and hang out for a while, it was actually through Verdansk and . That’s when everything started. We felt like we were together every day, talking, playing, having a good time. That’s how it started for me.

SI: In a clip shared on your Instagram, you re-tell your favorite Verdansk memory and the joy you find in it is obvious. It seems like the game contains a lot of good memories for you.

JS: Yeah. We have really good memories. A lot of laughs. We had great times. It was fun. We enjoyed it as much as we can in all the aspects. We can’t complain about anything. It was great times. But it wasn’t only the game, it was getting together with my friends and having that laugh. Even if we got killed it’s just about having a good time and it brought us together. 

SI: How excited are you to play on the Verdansk map again?

JS: I can’t wait. I can’t wait to see it. I can’t wait to be out there, having a good time. It’s going to be amazing. We’ve been waiting for this for a long time, we really miss it. We have so many good memories on that map that it’s incredible what we have done and how long it’s been since it came out. It’s been five years and we’re still having fun, even when they took out Verdansk. But now that they’re bringing the map back it’s going to be amazing. 

SI: You were given the chance to preview the map with your Mets teammates last week. How was that?

JS: They loved it! They loved it. They were really happy. They get to play back in Verdansk. For them, too, it brings back a lot of memories, a lot of good times. There’s some gamers over here and they really enjoyed the little moment we had with. 

SI: How does playing fit into your routine as a professional athlete?

JS: I feel like every guy in the sport, not only in baseball but in sports, they need something to relax. Forget about the frustrations and the games and everything and just disconnect. I feel like that’s my disconnection, when I go on and go with my friends. I forget about what happened in the past and what has been happening through the last couple of days. I can focus in and enjoy the moment and kind of, like, restart. It’s been really good for me and it’s kind of part of myself when we have bad times or bad games. It really helps me disconnect from the world a little bit and just having a laugh out there. 

SI: You’re well-traveled at this point in your career, having played all over the country. Does playing help you keep in touch with people you’ve met in your past stops?

JS: Yes, 100%. Right now I’m in Houston, I’m over here and I can be playing with my friends in the Dominican Republic, my friends in New York. We can get together, it doesn’t matter how far you are, we can play together. I’ve been playing with friends who are in Spain. It’s been really fun to be part of it and to get to hear those guys is really cool. 

SI: Who’s the best MLB player you’ve played with?

JS: The best I’ve played with is (Seattle Mariners’) Julio Rodriguez. He was nasty. He was really good. 

SI: Have you gotten much time playing with your Mets teammates yet?

JS: I play with Jose Siri a lot. He’s really good. I haven’t played with the other guys, but I heard Brandon Nimmo is really good. And I’ve heard a couple of the bullpen guys are really good. I think we gotta test it out. 

SI: After your first Mets game ended in a loss, you praised your teammates and said you’ve been having a good time since spring training. Can you talk more about how you’ve been building that chemistry with your teammates in your first months with the organization?

JS: We’ve started getting to know each other. There’s a lot of guys coming from different places. But we’re trying to get it together and move towards the same mission. Trying to get to the World Series is not easy so the mindset for us is to be in the best spot that we can have, and as a team, as a group, get it together and push the same direction. 

SI: What do you feel like your role is as a newcomer joining a Mets team coming off an NLCS run? 

JS: I feel like the Mets have everything they need to go to the World Series. Me going into the clubhouse, it’s adding a little bit more of what they already know. They know how to win a game, they know how to go out there and get to the playoffs. For me, it’s adding a little more of what I have to help them to go all the way. 

SI: With your Citi Field debut coming on Thursday, what’s it like to step into the batter’s box in front of your home fans for the first time?

JS: It’s a different feeling. It’s a different vibe. It’s amazing. You get to hear the crowd and get to feel the team putting everything together and pushing the same way. I feel like it’s really cool. Seeing so many fans, people trying to make you feel part of the community and everything. It’s really cool. 

SI: You’ve played all over the country at this point in your career. What about NYC made you decide to stick around after playing for the New York Yankees last season?

JS: The Dominican community plays a lot into it. They gave me a lot of love last year. They were out there supporting me and making part of the city of New York. That was really important to me as far as staying in New York. 

Bharat Arun is the new bowling coach of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) ahead of IPL 2026, the franchise confirmed on Wednesday. Arun’s new role brings an end to his four-year tenure as a bowling consultant with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).Arun is likely to have an expanded role within the LSG set-up – responsible for scouting and overseeing the year-round development of their young quicks.”It’s an honour to join the Lucknow Super Giants, a franchise that reflects professionalism, ambition, and vision at every level,” Arun said in a statement. “My conversations with Dr. Sanjiv Goenka and the management were incredibly energizing – there is a clear intent to invest in young Indian talent and build a long-term legacy.”What excites me most is the vision for long-term development. LSG has invested in a young, talented, and dynamic group of Indian fast bowlers – Akash deep, Avesh Khan, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Mohsin Khan, and Akash Singh – and I see immense potential in each of them. My mission is to help shape them into a cohesive, fearless, and tactically sharp pace unit that can challenge the best batting line-ups in the world.”LSG are also set to bring in Carl Crowe as spin consultant. Crowe is credited to have helped Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine in their bowling reinvention during his time at KKR. LSG are likely to make a formal announcement soon.Arun’s role was previously managed by former India pacer Zaheer Khan, their team mentor in IPL 2025. LSG failed to make the playoffs and finished seventh.Related

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At KKR, Arun was originally contracted for three years, before he was offered an extension for another season that took him up to the end of IPL 2025, where KKR finished eighth.Arun’s exit is part of a wider support-staff overhaul at KKR. On Tuesday, the franchise had announced that head coach Chandrakant Pandit had chosen to part ways with the team. At the time, there was no formal announcement of Arun’s exit.Arun comes with a solid body of work, having had two fruitful stints with the Indian team, first from 2014-2015 and, more recently, from 2017 to 2021. In between, he was also part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) backroom between 2015 and 2017.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) head Tavengwa Mukuhlani has been appointed chairman of the Africa Cricket Association (ACA) after serving in the same role in an interim capacity since November last year. Mukuhlani was unanimously appointed by the 23 ACA member associations at their annual general meeting in Singapore on Friday.”We stand today at the threshold of a new era for African cricket – an era defined by stronger governance, broader opportunity and renewed ambition,” Mukuhlani said in a statement issued by ZC. “Let us continue building on the progress we have made, united by a common purpose and driven by a shared love for the game.”The ACA, which includes two Full Members in South Africa and Zimbabwe, has recently been through an administrative overhaul, which has included the adoption of a new memorandum of incorporation to ensure better governance.Related

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Among the body’s next tasks is the establishment of an Africa T20 competition, which has been in the works for several years, the resumption of the Afro-Asia Cup, which was mooted last year, and the inclusion of cricket at the Africa Games in Egypt in 2027 after it debuted at the same competition in 2023.Cricket made its first appearance at the continental competition in Ghana, where Zimbabwe won both the men’s and women’s events (the men’s with an emerging side) as South Africa sent experimental sides instead of their full-strength teams.Mukuhlani is interested in extending cricket’s reach at the Africa Games, in part, with the hope of securing more funding for the ACA. “These engagements are crucial not only for visibility but also for opening new doors of investment, policy support and continental collaboration,” he said.Mukuhlani has been ZC’s chair since 2015 and has been re-elected three times. He also sits on the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee.In his tenure, ZC has worked its way out of debt, navigated an ICC suspension for government interference, and got the women’s team on the future tours programme.The men’s team, however, is not part of the World Test Championship and failed to qualify for the last two ODI World Cups and last T20 World Cup, but will play in the 2027 50-over World Cup, which Zimbabwe will co-host with South Africa and Namibia. Zimbabwe will also co-host the 2026 men’s Under-19 World Cup with Namibia.