Sports

Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool ready £130m move for Isak

Published

7 months ago

August 20, 2025

Transfer rumors, news: Liverpool ready £130m move for Isak

Aug 20, 2025, 06:05 AM ET

Liverpool have sanctioned a £130m move to land Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak, while Manchester City have reached an agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors and gossip from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– Liverpool have sanctioned a British record £130 million move to sign Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak that will be put to the Magpies after the clubs face each other in the Premier League at St James’ Park on Monday, claims The Sun. The Reds are confident this will lead to Newcastle letting the 25-year-old leave after he put out a statement on Instagram on Tuesday claiming that promises had been broken, though that hasn’t been well received by the club and the Daily Mail suggests Newcastle’s stance may even have hardened. Liverpool also want to sign Crystal Palace center back Marc Guéhi for £35m before the end of the window.

– Manchester City have reached an agreement in principle with Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on a contract that will run until 2030, as reported by Nicolo Schira. City are now working to reach a deal that would allow them to sign the 26-year-old from Les Parisiens, who have left the door open to a departure but want a fee of around €50m. Talks will advance as soon as Ederson leaves the Etihad, with the Brazil international having agreed personal terms with Galatasaray.

– Chelsea are advancing in talks to sign Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, says Fabrizio Romano, as there is an excellent relationship between Man United CEO Omar Berrada and Chelsea’s hierarchy. The 21-year-old only wants to join Chelsea and has turned down an approach from Bayern Munich in the last 48 hours. There is no chance of him joining the Bavarians, but Man United are holding out for a fee of around £50m.

– Atalanta are looking at AC Milan and USMNT midfielder Yunus Musah, as reported by Gazzetta dello Sport, which adds that new boss Ivan Juric wants to sign a versatile midfielder. It would take a €25m bid to land the 22-year-old, with Napoli having offered a similar amount when they showed interest earlier in the window. Nottingham Forest have also made enquiries and spoke to Musah but never made an impactful offer. Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri reportedly likes the player, but already has plenty of options in midfield.

– Brazilian club Palmeiras have already made a huge amount of money from letting young talents like Endrick, Estêvão and Vitor Reis leave in recent years, and 19-year-old center back Luiz Benedetti could be next. Sport claims that Barcelona, Arsenal and Napoli have all been in contact over the player, who has an Italian passport. Standing 6-foot-6 tall, Benedetti is an imposing figure and is able to dominate at both ends of the pitch.

CONFIRMED DEALS

– Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey has completed a loan move to Roma, while the Serie A club can make the deal permanent for €20m.

EXPERT TAKE

Will Newcastle be forced to accept a lower transfer fee for Isak?

Rob Dawson assesses Alexander Isak’s hopes of leaving Newcastle in the summer transfer window.

ESPN’s Beth Lindop on what the future holds for Alexander Isak.

Isak’s future has been the saga of the summer and it shows no sign of reaching a resolution any time soon.

The Sweden international took matters into his own hands on Tuesday night by releasing a sensational statement, prompting Newcastle to issue public response of their own. While the Tyneside club remain steadfast in their desire not to sanction the player’s exit, the wording of their statement was perhaps less unequivocal than expected, noting that they “do not foresee” the conditions of a transfer being met.

That opens the door for Liverpool to return to the negotiating table with an improvement on their initial £110m bid. The Premier League champions’ interest in Isak remains, although they would have to be given encouragement from Newcastle to bid again.

While the fan response to Isak’s situation is rooted in emotion, football is ultimately a business and, should Liverpool return with a suitable offer, Newcastle may start to feel it is one they cannot refuse.

OTHER RUMORS

Will Manchester United be able to sign more players?

Mark Ogden explains how Manchester United’s transfer window could be hindered by a lack of movement out of the club

– RB Leipzig are stepping up talks to permanently sign Chelsea forward Christopher Nkunku. (Athletic)

– Newcastle United could try to sign Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins if Villa land Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea. (TEAMtalk)

– Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze’s £50m move to Tottenham Hotspur is expected to be agreed in the next two to three days. (Daily Mail)

– Palace want Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, 19, to replace Eze. (TalkSPORT)

– Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Kang-in Lee is weighing up his options, with Napoli and several unnamed Premier League clubs being interested in the 24-year-old. (L’Equipe)

– Tottenham Hotspur have identified Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche as an alternative to Manchester City winger Savinho. (Independent)

– AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus are all looking at signing Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot, after he was placed on the transfer list following a bust-up with teammate Jonathan Rowe. (Footmercato).

– Roma have reached an agreement with Manchester United on a deal for Jadon Sanco worth €19m plus €5m in add-ons. Both clubs are now trying to convince the winger to make the move. (Sky Sports Italia)

– Napoli are looking to sign a striker following Romelu Lukaku’s injury, with Roma’s Artem Dovbyk and Manchester United’s Rasmus Hojlund being considered. (Sky Sports Italia)

– Napoli have also been offered AS Monaco striker Breel Embolo, who has a contract that runs until 2026 and seems ready to leave. (Nicolo Schira)

– AC Milan have added Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface to their list of striker options alongside Hojlund and Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic. (Sky Sports Italia)

– Internazionale want to sign Roma midfielder Manu Kone and are willing to offer €45m for the 24-year-old, while the Giallorossi want over €50m. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

– Talks are in progress for Lille winger Edon Zhegrova to join Juventus. (Nicolo Schira)

– Barcelona midfielder Marc Casado is of interest to Wolves and West Ham, but the 21-year-old doesn’t want to leave. (Marca)

– Al Ahli saw a €25m offer to sign Manuel Locatelli rejected, with Juventus wanting €40m, but the Saudi Pro League club aren’t giving up on the midfielder as they know Juve need to bring in funds. (Tuttosport)

– Loic Bade has a medical scheduled ahead of joining Bayer Leverkusen from Sevilla in a deal worth €25m plus add-ons. He will sign a contract that runs until 2030. (Florian Plettenberg)

— Nottingham Forest are finalizing the last details with Juventus to sign midfielder Douglas Luiz for £25m. (Fabrizio Romano)

— Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth have reached a full agreement for winger Amine Adli to join the Cherries for €21m plus a potential €9m in add-ons. Leverkusen have given the green light for a medical. (Florian Plettenberg)

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Barcelona gets bigger spending cap, opens door on new signings

Published

4 hours ago

March 3, 2026

cineplex360

Barcelona gets bigger spending cap, opens door on new signings

Barcelona‘s squad spending limit has risen by almost €100 million ($116m) to €433m ($501m), LaLiga announced on Tuesday, increasing the Spanish champions’ chances of being able to invest in the squad this summer.

Real Madrid still have the highest cap in the league at €761m ($880m), with Atlético Madrid ranking third behind the Clásico rivals with a limit of €336m ($389m).

Villarreal (€173m, $200m) and Athletic Club (€132m, $153m) complete the top five, while Levante (€17m, $19.6m), Sevilla (€22m, $25m) and Getafe (€34m, $39m) are operating with the three lowest caps in the division.

The league’s squad cost limits, which are made public after each transfer window, denote the maximum amount that each club is permitted to spend on first-team players, as well as coaching staff, reserve and youth teams.

Barça’s new limit represents an increase of €82m ($95m) on the €351m ($406m) cap they had at the start of the season and brings fresh hope of new signings.

The Catalan club remain in excess of their limit, with club sources confirming spending on the squad is still over €500m ($579) annually, but they are getting ever closer to breaking even.

Until they reach that point, league regulations limit them to investing only a percentage of what they raise or save on new recruits.

Barça are currently in an electoral period, and therefore without a permanent president, but all three of the final candidates have claimed the club will be in a position to make signings by the summer.

Joan Laporta, who is seeking to be reelected for a second successive term, has said the team’s return to Spotify Camp Nou will boost spending capacity, while Víctor Font said he is already exploring “three or four” potential signings.

Marc Ciria, meanwhile, told ESPN Barça will be able to compete with anyone if he is elected.

“In terms of signings, under our financial plan, I expect to have the situation fully normalised so that we can go to the market on equal terms with any other club or institution,” he told ESPN.

“Barça will have the capacity to make relevant signings again to be able to win the next five Champions Leagues — a competition which we have not won in 11 years.”

ESPN has previously revealed that Barça are keen to strengthen in a variety of positions. A striker, a centre-back, a left winger and depth at full’back are all areas club sources say they will target.

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College softball rankings: 2026 NCAA Week 4 Top 25 poll

Published

5 hours ago

March 3, 2026

cineplex360

College softball rankings: 2026 NCAA Week 4 Top 25 poll

There are no new teams in this week’s poll, and the top three squads held their places. After a week of blowout wins (that we will get to below), Oklahoma jumped Nebraska for the No. 4 ranking. Alabama and UCLA also edged closer to the top of the table. For now, there hasn’t been much of a shakeup, but with still-undefeated Tennessee playing also-ranked LSU in a three-game series, perhaps this week could be a chaotic one for the best team in the nation.

Player to watch

Kendall Wells, C, Oklahoma

Oklahoma’s offense, as we’ll get to below, has been on fire this season, and Wells has been just as responsible for its performance as anybody. The catcher already has a whopping 15 home runs on the season. For reference, Oklahoma’s next opponent, North Texas, has 19 home runs on the season…as a team.

Top moment

WHAT A NIGHT 🤩

The Sooners scored 21 runs in a singular inning!#NCAASoftball x 🎥 SECN+ / @OU_Softball pic.twitter.com/80cT5DjQZz

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) March 1, 2026

In the third inning of a 29-6 win over Alabama State on Saturday, Oklahoma drove in a stunning 21 runs, the second-highest single-inning run total in NCAA softball history. The historic frame included two grand slams and 24 plate appearances.

Game to watch

No. 1 Tennessee vs. No. 16 LSU
6 p.m. on Friday (SEC Network+)

Undefeated Tennessee has already notched five wins against ranked opponents this season and will look to continue that streak in a three-game series against LSU that begins on Friday. The Tigers, on the other hand, have lost their only two ranked matchups–in a tight loss to Duke and a shutout against UCLA. Can they get a statement win against the Lady Vols?

How to watch

Everything college softball on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network, Big 12 Now on ESPN+, ESPN3, ESPN+, SEC Network+ and ACCNX is accessible here, in addition to being available on the ESPN App.

What’s the full schedule?

You can check out the complete scoreboard here to stay up to date this spring.

Subscribe to ESPN | Stream college softball on ESPN

Week 4 Top 25

Here is the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 ranking, plus each team’s record and next game.
All times Eastern.

1. Tennessee

Previous rank: 1
Record: 19-0

Next game: Tuesday vs. Belmont, 5 p.m., SEC Network+

2. Texas Tech

Previous rank: 2
Record: 22-1

Next game: Friday at Houston, 7 p.m., ESPN+

3. Texas

Previous rank: 3
Record: 19-1

Next game: Friday at South Carolina, 6 p.m.

4. Oklahoma

Previous rank: 5
Record: 19-2

Next game: Tuesday at North Texas, 7 p.m., ESPN+

5. Nebraska

Previous rank: 4
Record: 14-5

Next game: Thursday vs. South Dakota State, 5 p.m., Big Ten Plus

6. Alabama

Previous rank: 7
Record: 20-0

Next game: Friday at Ole Miss, 7 p.m., SEC Network+

7. UCLA

Previous rank: 9
Record: 18-3

Next game: Friday vs. Wisconsin, 10 p.m.

8. Florida

Previous rank: 6
Record: 23-1

Next game: Saturday vs. Missouri, 1 p.m., SEC Network+

9. Arkansas

Previous rank: 8
Record: 19-1

Next game: Friday vs. Georgia, 7 p.m., SEC Network+

10. Florida State

Previous rank: 10
Record: 17-4

Next game: Wednesday vs. Jacksonville University, 4 p.m.

11. Virginia Tech

Previous rank: 12
Record: 16-2

Next game: Thursday vs. Michigan, 6:30 p.m.

T12. Georgia

Previous rank: 11
Record: 17-5

Next game: Wednesday vs. Georgia State, 6 p.m., SEC Network+

T12. Oklahoma State

Previous rank: 16
Record: 15-5

Next game: Tuesday vs. Missouri State, 7 p.m., ESPN+

14. Arizona

Previous rank: 14
Record: 17-5

Next game: Thursday vs. BYU, 8 p.m., ESPN+

15. Texas A&M

Previous rank: 15
Record: 15-7

Next game: Wednesday vs. Louisiana Tech, 7 p.m., SEC Network+

16. LSU

Previous rank: T17
Record: 17-4

Next game: Friday at Tennessee, 6 p.m., SEC Network+

17. Mississippi State

Previous rank: 19
Record: 18-2

Next game: Wednesday at UAB, 6 p.m., ESPN+

18. Oregon

Previous rank: T17
Record: 13-6

Next game: Wednesday at Oregon State, 9 p.m., ESPN+

19. Stanford

Previous rank: 13
Record: 11-6

Next game: Friday vs. Pitt, 9 p.m.

20. Virginia

Previous rank: 21
Record: 19-1

Next game: Tuesday at Radford, 2 p.m., ESPN+

21. Arizona State

Previous rank: 23
Record: 19-3

Next game: Friday vs. Utah, 8 p.m., ESPN+

22. Washington

Previous rank: 24
Record: 15-6

Next game: Tuesday vs. Seattle, 9:30 p.m., Big Ten Plus

23. Grand Canyon

Previous rank: 25
Record: 22-0

Next game: Thursday vs. Wisconsin, 5 p.m.

24. South Carolina

Previous rank: 22
Record: 15-6

Next game: Friday vs. Texas, 6 p.m.

25. Duke

Previous rank: 20
Record: 12-9

Next game: Friday at Cal, 5 p.m.

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T20 World Cup: Aleem Dar ‘expressed reservations’ over inclusion of Babar, Shadab

Published

11 hours ago

March 3, 2026

cineplex360

T20 World Cup: Aleem Dar ‘expressed reservations’ over inclusion of Babar, Shadab

Aleem Dar during a match. — ICC

Coach Hesson, Aqib Javed interfered in selection matters: sources.
Dar complains 20 players selected, but captain, coach chose wrong 15.
Salman Agha showed no resistance on selection matter, says Dar

KARACHI: Following Pakistan’s poor performance in the Super Four stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the team’s exit from the event, a member of the national selection committee, Aleem Dar, has decided to resign.

According to highly reliable sources, the ICC Elite Panel umpire stepped down due to extraordinary interference in selection matters by head coach Mike Hesson and the silence of the influential selection committee member Aaqib Javed.

Aleem Dar complains that selectors had announced Pakistan’s best 20 players, but then the captain and coach chose the wrong 15, followed by incorrect selections in the playing XI. As a result, selectors are left only to face criticism.

During the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Aleem Dar had expressed reservations over the inclusion of former captain Babar Azam and all-rounder Shadab Khan in the squad despite their lack of performance. However, Captain Salman Ali Agha, who, according to Aleem Dar, did not even merit a place in the squad as captain along with Aaqib Javed, showed no resistance. Coach Mike Hesson openly had the final say in selection matters.

Aleem Dar had also proposed that experienced wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan should be played at number six instead of wicketkeeper Usman Khan. His stance was that if Shadab and Babar could be part of the team despite their underperformance, then Mohammad Rizwan also deserved another opportunity.

In the current circumstances, Aleem Dar’s resignation is being viewed as a principled decision. He believes that Allah has granted him great respect through cricket, and he does not wish to work as a puppet; therefore, it is better for him to step down.

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