Levante‘s Karl Etta Eyong has been identified as Robert Lewandowski‘s successor at Barcelona, while Manchester United have joined the clubs wanting to sign Mexico‘s rising star Gilberto Mora. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TOP STORIES

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– Glasner had ‘early’ talks over new Crystal Palace contract

TRENDING RUMORS

– Robert Lewandowski is increasingly likely to leave Barcelona at the end of this season rather than renewing his contract, Diario Sport reports. This is said to be down to the 37-year-old striker’s age, a decline in form and an inability to press at the same pace as his teammates. The Blaugrana are already looking for replacements with Levante’s Karl Etta Eyong being identified as somebody who can compete with Ferran Torres for a starting berth up front — the 21-year-old Cameroon international has already scored four goals and registered one assist in five LaLiga matches since signing from Villarreal in the summer. Lewandowski could look to move elsewhere or retire, but he doesn’t want to go to Saudi Arabia.

– Real Madrid and Manchester United are among the clubs who want to sign Tijuana midfielder Gilberto Mora, according to Calciomercato. The report adds that Inter Milan and Juventus have included the 16-year-old on their list of possible options after scouting him at the Under-20 World Cup. This attention comes despite the fact that the Mexican won’t be allowed to move to Europe until he turns 18. He has already represented Mexico at senior level, winning the Gold Cup.

– Liverpool‘s Joe Gomez is the priority for AC Milan as they aim to sign an experienced centre-back in January, according to Corriere dello Sport. The 28-year-old wants to get more minutes and Igli Tare and Giorgio Furlani will try to make a move happen, but they will move on if a solution can’t be found. The Rossoneri are also looking to renew forward Christian Pulisic‘s contract as “the eyes of half of Europe could soon turn on him”, while Premier League clubs are enquiring about goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Milan will look to renew the contracts of Fikayo Tomori and Alexis Saelemaekers.

– Real Madrid and Valencia are showing the greatest interest in signing Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, reports Diario Sport, but Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal, Paris FC and Premier League clubs are also keeping track of the 20-year-old. This comes with Mendoza having impressed for Spain in the Under-20 World Cup after making the step up to La Liga having helped his side earn promotion last season.

– Juventus could reignite their interest in Girona right-back Arnau Martínez in January with full-back being seen as an important position to strengthen in, reports Tuttosport, who add that the Bianconeri have also been closely monitoring Genoa‘s Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Monaco’s Jordan Teze. Juventus have also made enquiries about Bayern Munich left-back Raphaël Guerreiro and are considering a move, as the 31-year-old is unlikely to renew his contract with his current deal expiring in the summer.

EXPERT TAKE

OTHER RUMORS

– Inter Milan see Atalanta goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi as a possible long-term successor to Yann Sommer. (Rudy Galetti)

– Juventus are looking at Matias Siltanen, but Djurgården want €20m for the 18-year-old midfielder with Bayer Leverkusen and Premier League clubs also interested. (Tuttosport)

– Piotr Zielinski could leave Inter Milan in January, although his salary of €4.5m-per-season could be a stumbling block. (Corriere dello Sport)

– Atlético Madrid are happy with loanee Nico González and plan to make his move from Juventus permanent. They have an option worth €32m plus €1m that becomes an obligation if the winger plays at least 45 minutes in 21 La Liga matches. (Nicolò Schira)

– Negotiations are underway between Juventus and Kenan Yildiz for a contract that could run until 2030. (Calciomercato)

– Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is set to sign a new contract. The Toffees are also looking to extend the deals of James Garner and Vitaliy Mykolenko. (The Times)

– Inter Milan don’t want to let Francesco Esposito leave and are prepared to double the 20-year-old striker’s salary. (LGazzetta dello Sport)

– Bologna are planning to extend 28-year-old winger Riccardo Orsolini‘s contract to 2030. (Corriere dello Sport)

– Crystal Palace chief Steve Parish has admitted that Adam Wharton will want to play Champions League football at some point, whether that is at Selhurst Park or elsewhere. (talkSPORT)

– Inter Milan are closely monitoring Santos teenage forward Robinho Jr., who is the son of former Brazil and AC Milan star Robinho. The Italian club is expected to make an offer in the next transfer window to sign the 17-year-old, whose contract with Santos runs until 2027. (TNT Brasil)

Pakistani runners from around the globe delivered strong performances at the 2025 Chicago Marathon, one of the seven World Marathon Majors, which saw participation from over 53,000 athletes this year.

The marathon featured a diverse group of Pakistani participants from Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to dual nationals and expatriates from the United States, United Kingdom, Norway, and the Gulf proudly representing Pakistan across the 42.195-kilometre course through Chicago’s streets.

Leading the contingent was Syed Ali Hamza, a Pakistani-American from Villanova, Pennsylvania, who finished in 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 14 seconds, making him the fastest Pakistani finisher.

He was followed closely by fellow USA-based Pakistani runners Salman Ilyas (2:56:39) and Nizar Nayani (2:57:43).

“Running a marathon is a personal challenge, and crossing the finish line while representing Pakistan made it all the more meaningful,” Nayani said.

Among Pakistan-based runners, Faisal Shafi from Karachi emerged as the fastest with a time of 3:18:52.

The experienced seven-star finisher shared that his pacing strategy, holding steady for the first 20–25 kilometres before pushing harder in the latter half, made this race his most memorable.

Dania Ali, also from Karachi, made her World Marathon Major debut, achieving a personal best of 4:45:07. Her accomplishment was widely praised by the local running community.

In the women’s category, U.S.-based Aisha Qamar from Brooklyn was the fastest female Pakistani runner with a time of 3:00:51, followed by London-based Maheen Suleman Sheikh at 3:55:29.

Karachi’s Sana Malik completed the marathon in 4:26:27, calling the atmosphere in Chicago “unforgettable.”

“I’ve never experienced a crowd like Chicago’s,” Sana said. “This was an experience I’ll remember for decades, and I’m motivated to come back even stronger.”

Several other Pakistan-based runners also delivered commendable performances, including Bilal Umar (3:39:29), Shah Faisal Khan (3:57:36), Safdar Ali (4:06:45), Yasir Suleman Memon (4:18:40), and Muhammad Tajdar Iqbal (4:21:08) from Karachi, along with Muhammad Yawar Siddiqui (3:45:26) from Islamabad and Saood Hamid (5:20:05) from Lahore.

Pakistani runners from abroad also made their presence felt. Notable finishers included Osman Sarood (Pakistani-American, San Jose) in 3:44:59, Atiq Ul Hassan (Franklin) in 3:47:43, Abbas Naqvi (US-based) in 4:12:34, and Imran Zaffar (British-Pakistani) in 4:37:31.

A special moment came when Prince Rahim Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of the Ismaili community, completed the marathon on his 54th birthday in 4:59:25. He was greeted by followers along the route with chants of “Happy Birthday!”.

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo won the men’s elite title in 2:02:23, followed by Kenya’s Amos Kipruto (2:03:54) and Alex Masai (2:04:37). In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa Gejia claimed victory in 2:14:56, ahead of Megertu Alemu (2:17:18) and Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri (2:18:03).

From Villanova to Karachi and London to Riyadh, this year’s Chicago Marathon showcased the strength, unity, and spirit of Pakistani runners around the world.

Their performances not only reflected individual excellence but also highlighted Pakistan’s growing footprint in the global marathon scene.

Chicago Marathon 2025: Pakistani Finishers Under 6 Hours

Syed Ali Hamza PAK (USA) Villanova 2:55:14
Salman Ilyas USA Sammamish 2:56:39
Nizar Nayani USA Tomball 2:57:43
Irtaza Haider PAK Evanston 3:00:50
Aisha Qamar USA Brooklyn 3:00:51
Faisal Shafi PAK Karachi 3:18:52
Muhammad Shah PAK Cincinnati 3:23:12
Bilal Umar PAK Karachi 3:39:29
Khoula Ahmed NOR — 3:40:21
Osman Sarood PAK (USA) San Jose 3:44:59
Muhammad Yawar Siddiqui PAK Islamabad 3:45:26
Atiq Ul Hassan PAK (USA) Franklin 3:47:43
Maheen Suleman Sheikh PAK (GBR) London 3:55:29
Shah Faisal Khan PAK Karachi 3:57:36
Basil Khan PAK Chicago 4:02:17
Safdar Ali PAK Karachi 4:06:45
Babar Ghias USA Chicago 4:11:41
Abbas Naqvi PAK (USA) Islamabad 4:12:34
Adnan Afzal USA Spring 4:14:42
Saba Lodhi PAK Wenatchee 4:17:00
Yasir Suleman Memon PAK Karachi 4:18:40
Muhammad Umer Shafiq PAK (USA) Islamabad 4:20:24
Muhammad Tajdar Iqbal PAK Karachi 4:21:08
Sana Malik PAK Karachi 4:26:27
Khalid Sarfaraz PAK Abu Dhabi 4:36:46
Imran Zaffar GBR Harrow 4:37:31
Ghassan Tayyab PAK Naperville 4:42:45
Dania Ali PAK Karachi 4:45:07
Syed Ahsan Ejaz PAK Karachi 4:45:50
Raja Arif Ullah Khan PAK Riyadh 4:49:56
Muhammad Rizwan Khawaja USA Scottsdale 5:12:19
Faraz Siddiqui PAK Weehawken 5:19:56
Shazia Nawaz PAK (UAE) Lahore 5:20:05
Saood Hamid PAK Lahore 5:20:05
Usman Rao PAK (USA) Karachi 5:16:16
Fawaz Qamar PAK Gujranwala 5:31:48
Ahmed Khan PAK Bristol 5:47:47
Muhammad Yousuf PAK Karachi 5:58:19
Syeda Maimoona Hamdani PAK Karachi 5:58:31

It’s Monday, and another round of NWSL action is in the books, which means it’s time for ESPN’s Power Rankings.

Who’s climbing the table? Who’s in free fall? Our writers studied the action from across Matchday 24 to come up with this week’s order of all 14 teams in the league. Let’s dive in.

Previous ranking: 1
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Houston Dash, 7.30 p.m. ET

Kansas City is soaring into the postseason after beating another top-of-the-table team this weekend. Temwa Chawinga and Bia Zaneratto provided the goals as the league-leaders put space between them and 2023 champs Gotham FC in a 2-0 victory at CPKC Stadium. With the goal, Chawinga also added space between herself and Gotham’s Esther González at the top of the Golden Boot race, which she now leads by two goals. The victory also saw the Current set a new NWSL record for points in a season.

Previous ranking: 2
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Orlando Pride, 12.30 p.m. ET

Trinity Rodman‘s left-footed strike from inside the box (her fifth goal of the season) set the Spirit ahead in the second half in Cary, but they settled for a 1-1 tie against ninth-place North Carolina. With the draw (plus Gotham’s loss to Kansas City), the Spirit have officially clinched home-field advantage through to the playoff semifinals. After a record-breaking year for total attendance at Audi Field, that’s massive for last year’s runner-up, who seem poised to make a compelling playoff run.

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North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit – Game Highlights

Watch the Game Highlights from North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit, 10/12/2025

Previous ranking: 3
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Racing Louisville, 3 p.m. ET

2024 NWSL goalkeeper of the year Ann-Katrin Berger missed Gotham’s marquee meeting with Kansas City due to a knee injury, so the Bats debuted 27-year-old goalkeeper Shelby Hogan on the road at CPKC Stadium in a massive test. Hogan’s three-save performance helped limit the Current’s dynamic attack, but Gotham left Missouri with a 2-0 defeat. They outshot their hosts but managed just two on target themselves, while team top-scorer Esther stretched her scoreless run to four games. They finished the weekend fourth in the table but will need to battle to hold on to home-field advantage with final tests in their next two games against teams vying for playoff positions (Racing Louisville, then North Carolina).

Previous ranking: 5
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Washington Spirit, 12.30 p.m. ET

In her first match back from a back injury, inimitable club veteran Marta forced a heroic own goal in stoppage time to secure a hugely consequential three points against the Portland Thorns. That’s Orlando’s second win in a three-game undefeated run in the regular season, marking a sorely needed turnaround after a nine-game winless rut. The reigning champs finished the weekend in third place, but play second-place Washington Spirit and fifth-place Seattle Reign in their final games.

Previous ranking: 4
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Angel City FC, 5 p.m. ET (Stream LIVE on ESPN+)

In a fairly even contest on the road in Orlando (which saw both sides clock four-total shots on target), the Thorns settled for defeat thanks to Marta’s 93rd minute attempt from a corner that was officially ruled an own goal. A win or draw could have seen Portland clinch a playoff spot pending other results in the table. But after this last-minute defeat, the seventh-place Thorns will look to do so next weekend against Angel City.

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Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC – Game Highlights

Watch the Game Highlights from Orlando Pride vs. Portland Thorns FC, 10/11/2025

Previous ranking: 6
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. Utah Royals, 10 p.m. ET

Seattle’s Welsh veteran that never stops, Jess Fishlock, came to the rescue for the Reign in a 1-1 draw against Bay FC. Fishlocks’s sixth goal of the season earned them a second-straight draw in a three-game undefeated run of results, seeing them to a fifth-place finish ahead of the penultimate weekend. They might regret not securing all three points as they jockey for homefield advantage, but they’re on track for a postseason berth.

Previous ranking: 8
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. Chicago Stars, 10 p.m. ET

San Diego was one of a few clubs that couldn’t clinch or be eliminated from the playoffs this weekend. But they needed a result against Utah to keep their postseason aims alive. Despite horrible weather and trailing early, they secured a pivotal 3-2 win (ending a seven-game winless run) that has them in sixth place of a congested table ahead of the penultimate weekend. They’ve still got the tools to make a splash in the playoffs but will need to stay focused to secure their spot.

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Utah Royals vs. San Diego Wave FC – Game Highlights

Watch the Game Highlights from Utah Royals vs. San Diego Wave FC, 10/12/2025

Previous ranking: 7
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Gotham FC, 3 p.m. ET

Bethany Balcer‘s 93rd-minute equalizer against the already-eliminated Chicago Stars could prove pivotal in Louisville’s race to make their first playoffs. They finished the weekend in the eighth and final playoff position, ahead of North Carolina Courage by four points. They’ve got two games left — starting with a tough test on the road at Gotham — and will make club history if they stay above that line.

Previous ranking: 10
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. Bay FC, 10 p.m. ET

The Courage joined San Diego as one of two clubs (of those not already eliminated or secure in their playoff spot) that couldn’t clinch or be eliminated this weekend. Playing at home, they fell behind first against the second-placed Spirit, but fought back for a 1-1 draw that saw them finish one spot and four points short of the playoff positions. With two remaining games against Bay FC and then Gotham, they’ll need to find positive results and hope the teams above them stumble.

Previous ranking: 12
Next match: Sunday Oct. 19 vs. Portland Thorns, 5 p.m. ET (Stream LIVE on ESPN+)

If Racing Louisville had won their 1-1 draw against Seattle, there would have been nothing Angel City could do to stay in postseason contention. But they entered Sunday’s contest with fate in their own hands, and secured a compelling 2-0 win against Houston. They displayed a lot of attacking progress in the win, and have two games to break into the playoff positions. They need to win both remaining games to maintain a slim chance. Next up, Portland.

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Angel City FC vs. Houston Dash – Game Highlights

Watch the Game Highlights from Angel City FC vs. Houston Dash, 10/13/2025

Previous ranking: 9
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. KC Current, 7.30 p.m. ET

Mathematically, Houston can still make the playoffs. But the odds are very much not in their favor after falling 2-0 to fellow playoff-hopefuls Angel City FC on Sunday. They’re now sitting in 11th place and need to win their remaining games to maintain a slim chance of making the postseason. Unfortunately, they play Kansas City next.

Previous ranking: 11
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. Seattle Reign, 10 p.m. ET

The Utah Royals put in a valiant end-of-season effort. Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to San Diego Wave ends a laudable eight-game unbeaten run (four wins, four draws), and officially eliminates them from the playoffs. They took the initial lead in the ninth minute and equalized later on, but needed a win to stay afloat in their postseason hopes. Regardless, fans can be proud of end-of-year form for the Royals.

Previous ranking: 13
Next match: Friday Oct. 17 vs. NC Courage, 10 p.m. ET

Bay FC were already eliminated from the playoffs ahead of their 1-1 draw with Seattle Reign, but they put in an impressive performance while playing on the road. Jordan Silkowitz contributed three saves to a near victory, which kept Seattle goalless until the 84th minute. At the other end, Bay created as many shots as Seattle in a match they nearly won.

Previous ranking: 14
Next match: Saturday Oct. 18 vs. San Diego Wave, 10 p.m. ET

Alyssa Naeher refuses to let us forget why she’s one of the GOATs of US Soccer. The World Cup champion and Olympic gold medalist made eight saves for the Stars in a 1-1 draw against Racing Louisville, which they looked set to win until Balcer’s stoppage-time equalizer.