Sports
Transfer rumors, news: Juventus eye Chiesa, Sørloth
Juventus are looking to improve their forward line, while Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton is the subject of interest from Real Madrid. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.
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TOP STORIES
– Amorim sacked as head coach of Man United after outburst
– Neymar considered retiring due to injuries, father says
– Sources: Rosenior in London, close to Chelsea job
TRENDING RUMORS
– Juventus are keen to inject some goals to their forward line in January, and the club have identified Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa and Atlético Madrid‘s Alexander Sørloth as two players that could help lift them from their malaise, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. Don’t expect anything imminent, though: Any Chiesa deal will have to wait until Mohamed Salah returns to Liverpool from the Africa Cup of Nations, which could be in mid-January. As such, Al Hilal’s Darwin Núñez could also be considered.
– Real Madrid have joined the race for Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton, according to AS. The Spanish outlet reports that Madrid have been offered the player, but the transfer fee would need to be worth more than €70 million to land the 21-year-old. Madrid are interested and see the England international as the perfect alternative to Aurélien Tchouaméni in midfield, or to enable Arda Güler to play further forward. However, they aren’t the only ones: Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea are all keen on the Palace midfielder.
– After a tricky weekend in which their squad depth was tested to the limit away at Cagliari, AC Milan have identified Manchester City defender Nathan Aké as a key January target. Corriere Dello Sport says the Rossoneri consider the Netherlands international as a plug-and-play option, who could be attainable due to his desire to play more first-team football. Other alternatives include Juventus’ defender Federico Gatti and Tottenham Hotspur’s Radu Dragusin.
– Tottenham Hotspur are on the hunt for new arrivals to kickstart a season that saw them booed off (again) on Sunday. TEAMtalk says the club are interested in AS Monaco striker Maghnes Akliouche, who has three goals and five assists in all competitions this season. Meanwhile, the Athletic says they have had an £8 million offer turned down by Santos for left back Souza, although it’s quite a lot lower than the 19-year-old’s £87 million release clause for overseas clubs.
– Barcelona, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund are considering a move for Croatian defender Branimir Mlacic from Hadjuk Split, per Mundo Deportivo. The two-footed center back is contracted until 2029 but would help give Barça boss Hansi Flick the “one more defender” he has asked for. Mlacic is tall and boasts a big presence in the back line, and is reportedly available for around €4 million.
DONE DEALS
– West Ham United have signed Valentín “Taty” Castellanos from Lazio for around €30 million. Read
– Arsenal have signed 19-year-old Sweden right back Smilla Holmberg from Swedish club Hammarby IF. Read
– Tottenham have confirmed the free-agent signing of Norway international midfielder Julie Blakstad, 24, from Hammarby IF. Read
EXPERT TAKE
ESPN’s resident scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen looks at Adam Wharton’s skillset.
Just 18 months from making his debut, Wharton is now undoubtedly one of the Premier League’s most accomplished distributors of the ball. He constantly asks to receive it and is trusted not to lose possession under pressure. Then, once in control, his pass selection is outstanding: he can hit 35-yard switches with precision, incisive line-breaks through pressure, or well-weighted deliveries played into a teammate’s stride.
The quality of Wharton’s left foot is one standout feature, though it’s also his vision and ability to “map” the play around him that is key, as they allow him to move the ball at tempo with ease and fluidity.
Wharton has also shown he is comfortable in a high-intensity style of football. Under Oliver Glasner at Palace, the England midfielder has performed in an energetic, vertical scheme, where demands on speed of thought and defensive reactions are higher. Though he was impressive last season, he has lifted his key-pass output by roughly 10% this year, while still maintaining accuracy and pass variation. Crucially, the distribution isn’t location-specific either and he is as reliable starting attacks from deep as he is contributing in the final third.
OTHER RUMORS
1:18
Why Leboeuf has high hopes for Rosenior at Chelsea
Frank Lebouef explains why he’s optimistic that incoming coach Liam Rosenior will prove a good choice to replace Enzo Maresca at Chelsea.
– Barcelona are favorites to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic. The Serbia international’s contract ends in the summer, and so far there are no plans for him to renew. (Sun)
– West Ham United are on the verge of announcing forward Taty Castellanos from Lazio. Nuno Espirito Santo cut a dispirited figure after Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Wolves, but maybe the arrival of Castellanos could help liven the club’s relegation fight. The Argentine is expected to pass a medical, with the fee believed to be in the region of £26 million. (TalkSPORT)
– West Ham are also contemplating a move for Toulouse center back Charlie Cresswell, though there has been no formal contact as yet. The 23-year-old former Leeds defender is contracted until 2028. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Defender João Cancelo is still hoping for a move to Barcelona from Al Hilal, with the Catalan club hoping to bring the Portugal international back to Camp Nou for six months. However, they face FFP restrictions, and have other — arguably more pressing — positions they need to address. Inter remain in the box seat for the 31-year-old. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Real Madrid defender and captain Dani Carvajal has received a number of offers from other clubs, both in Spain and beyond, but the 33-year-old is keen to stay in the Spanish capital. He is close to returning from injury and is out of contract in June this year, but Madrid hope to keep him to prevent him from leaving on a free transfer. (AS)
– Fulham have had a bid of £17 million rejected by Udinese for defensive midfielder Arthur Atta. The 22-year-old only joined the Italians last summer, and it would take a bid in excess of £26 million for them to consider letting him go so soon. (TalkSPORT)
– Bournemouth and Fiorentina are interested in signing Atalanta’s 25-year-old midfielder Marco Brescianini. However, they face competition from Cagliari and Genoa who are also keen. (Calciomercato)
– Manchester City center back Jahmai Simpson-Pusey — on loan at Celtic — has agreed to join German side FC Koln on loan. The 20-year-old will head to the Bundesliga initially on a short-term basis, with a permanent option. (TalkSPORT)
– Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is keen to add attacking options to his front line, and on his wish list is Club Brugge winger Christos Tzolis. The Belgian club are looking to recoup £35 million for a player who scored 21 goals last season. (Sun)
– Eintracht Frankfurt are hoping to sign a new striker, and have identified Newcastle United’s 22-year-old William Osula as the perfect antidote to combat their list of attacking injuries. Negotiations are ongoing. (Florian Plettenberg)
– Fenerbahce are also keen on signing striker Christopher Nkunku despite the 28-year-old France international only joining AC Milan for €35 million in the summer from Chelsea. Nkunku would prefer to stay in the Italian capital. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
– Girona know that signing goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen from Barcelona could be challenging, but they’re prepared to wait until the end of January for the 33-year-old. The goalkeeper is keen to explore all of his options at Barca first before loan options elsewhere, but he could be available late in the window. (Sport)
– Brahim Díaz is on the verge of signing a contract extension at Real Madrid until 2030. The Morocco international winger’s deal runs out in 2027. (Nico Schira)
Coventry City will return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years after securing their promotion from the Championship with a 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers on Friday.
A founding member of Premier League in 1992-93, Coventry have not been back since relegation in 2000-01.
– How does manager Lampard compare to others from England’s ‘Golden Generation’?
The West Midlands side will now rejoin the elite after a stunning campaign in the second tier under manager Frank Lampard.
Lampard’s side only needed a point from Friday’s match at Ewood Park to seal promotion but looked like being denied after Ryoya Morishita gave Blackburn the lead, before Bobby Thomas rose highest to head in from a free kick in the 84th minute.
The goal and the final whistle minutes later prompted wild celebrations from the more than 7,000 travelling Coventry supporters packed in to the away end in Lancashire.
The Sky Blues’ lowest ebb came when they dropped into the fourth-tier League Two in 2017 but they have fought their way back and, after losing to Luton in the playoff final in 2023, have stormed the Championship under Lampard this season to secure their Premier League return with three matches to spare.
They will have to wait to secure the title, with second-placed Ipswich now 11 points behind with five matches to play.
Friday’s result also means a return to the Premier League for Lampard. The former England international, who won three Premier League titles as a player with Chelsea, spent 18 months as manager at Stamford Bridge followed by a year in charge of Everton.
He last coached in the top flight during nine games as Chelsea interim manager at the end of the 2022-23 season.
Coventry spent 34 straight years in England’s top division and garnered a reputation for a series of dramatic escapes from Premier League relegation before finally succumbing to the drop in 2001. The club won their only major trophy with the FA Cup in 1987.
PA contributed to this report.
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LAS VEGAS – WWE star Danhausen has been an eccentric delight since he joined the company and made his debut at the Elimination Chamber back in February.
Danhausen has the knack for “cursing” his WWE opponents. Stars like Dominik Mysterio, Kit Wilson and The Miz have all felt the effects of Danhausen’s abilities, and it seems like the New York Mets are also suffering.
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Danhausen enters the arena before his match against Kit Wilson during SmackDown at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on April 10, 2026. (Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Former WWE head writer Brian Gewirtz, a long-suffering Mets fan, told Danhausen earlier this week on social media that if he could lift the “curse” on the Mets, he would “do everything in my power to get his face on the side of a (WWE production) truck.”
Danhausen said that Gewirtz had a deal and wanted to have his face on the truck immediately. However, it appears that deal has not come to fruition.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stands for the Star-Spangled Banner before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago on April 17, 2026. (Erin Hooley/AP Photo)
“I did un-curse the Mets. But it didn’t work because, I believe it was Brian Gewirtz who did not pay Danhausen. He did not send me my money so it did not take full effect,” Danhausen told Fox News Digital on Friday morning. “Once I have the money, perhaps it will actually work because right now it’s probably about a half of an un-cursing. It’s like a layaway situation.”
Hours later, the Mets lost their ninth straight game to the Chicago Cubs 12-4.
Danhausen enters the ring during Monday Night RAW at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, on April 13, 2026. (Rich Freeda/WWE)
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The Cubs dealt with the “Curse of the Billy Goat” for years before winning the World Series in 2016. It appears the Mets have to deal with the Danhausen curse, at least for now.
Meanwhile, for Danhausen, he’s set for his first WrestleMania appearance in some capacity. Reports have indicated that he will have at least one segment with John Cena at WrestleMania 42.
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The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a week away, and prospects from all over are hoping to hear their names called, especially on Thursday night in the first round.
Having the “first-round pick” tag next to your name in the NFL is a rite of passage – teams believed you were worthy enough for their top slot, hoping you can be an immediate impact player for the franchise.
But that pick also comes with high expectations – the player is expected to perform right away and do so with Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods along the way. It can be hard for those rookies, as they’re trying to get acclimated to the speed and physicality the NFL has compared to college football.
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Broadcaster Greg Olsen looks on before the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Greg Olsen, the three-time Pro Bowl tight end and FOX Sports NFL analyst, was once in that position being the 31st overall pick of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. And while he knows that each situation is different depending on the franchise the prospect lands with, the expectations are the same – fans want to see you perform.
So, how does one deal with that?
“Handle your business, be a great teammate,” Olsen told Fox News Digital, while also discussing how he’s taking his analyst duties to the next level with NFL IQ. “Earn the trust of your teammates, earn the trust of your coaches first and foremost. Because, at the end of the day, if you play well and the guys in that locker room believe in you and you continue to get opportunities, the fan support will come. As the team wins and you play well, all of that takes care of itself.”
For Olsen, he recalled thinking perhaps the New York Jets or Carolina Panthers would take him in the first round after a successful career at Miami. But, when the Jets traded up to nab first-ballot Hall of Famer Darrelle Revis, and the Panthers later selected his Hurricanes teammate, linebacker Jon Beason, he didn’t know what was happening.
That’s the beauty of the NFL Draft, though, as the Bears took him despite Olsen not really interacting with their staff during the pre-draft process.
Greg Olsen speaks on radio row prior to Super Bowl LIX at the Ernest Morial Convention Center on February 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
In today’s NFL Draft world, Olsen understands the information these prospects have is much more vast. In turn, fans have the same knowledge given the world of social media, and how reports, mock drafts and expert analysis shapes their understanding of how front offices think during this exciting time of the football season.
With that, comes a challenge Olsen knows he didn’t have to deal with as a rookie, but these first-round picks next week will have to weather that storm.
“In today’s day and age where everyone is so worried about outside opinion, they’re so worried about articles being written and social media and what’s being posted, you could lose track of, ‘Well, while you’re worried about that, you’re not taking care of home base.’ I think it’s more challenging today than 20 years ago when I came into the league, but I think that’s something guys have to hunker down and understand it’s not easy, but you control you and typically things fall into place,” Olsen said.
Olsen added it will be a “very complex, stressful day” for all those involved next week, but first-round pick or not, it’s the fulfillment of a life-long dream. That’s all that matters.
“You hear your name get called and a life-long dream, something you’re excited to embark on, became real. I got drafted by one of the premier franchises in all of football, coming off a Super Bowl appearance a couple months earlier. It was a really great place to start my NFL career,” he said.
Greg Olsen, the Chicago Bears’ first-round draft pick, talks to reporters after a summer training camp practice on July 30, 2007, at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Ill. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
INSIDE THE FRONT OFFICE MIND
While Olsen enjoyed 14 years in the NFL, his next chapter of the game is providing keen analysis for FOX Sports broadcasts during the year.
To help him do that in the offseason while looking at the NFL Draft and free agency pickups by each franchise, Olsen has been using NFL IQ, the new interactive hub created by the league and AWS (Amazon Web Services), powered by Amazon Quick.
Ahead of the draft, NFL IQ transformed raw data from the NFL Combine, as well as team needs, free agency moves made and more, for this hub that provides fans access to key insights and puts them in the shoes of front office decision makers. Whether it’s the casual fan or a top analyst like Olsen, NFL IQ is an easy-to-use way to deepen football knowledge, especially at a crucial roster-building time like the draft is.
General shot of NFL IQ, the new interactive hub from the league and Amazon Web Services, powered by Amazon Quick. (NFL IQ)
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“This is the most educated fan base in NFL history, and I think that’s a good thing,” Olsen said.
“Fans actually have a way to access the exact same data, the exact same information that the teams and everyone are using for their own interest, whether it’s something casual or for people who really want to dive into the nitty gritty. I think it’s a really fun set of tools for the wide array of people who touch the NFL space. I know firsthand as a fan, and now a professional in the industry, it’s a huge part of my interaction of the game.”
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