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What we’re hearing before transfer deadline day: Liverpool to return for Isak? Who will leave Man United?

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What we’re hearing before transfer deadline day: Liverpool to return for Isak? Who will leave Man United?


The transfer window is only open across Europe until Sept. 1, so with only a few days left, what are ESPN’s reporters hearing about possible deals?

We bring you the latest updates and insights on the biggest transfer news.

Transfers homepage | Done deals | Men’s grades | Women’s grades

Will Liverpool land a striker (Alexander Isak) and defender (Marc Guéhi) before the deadline?

Liverpool have played the long game with Isak this summer. After their opening offer of £110 million was emphatically rejected earlier this month, the Premier League champions maintained a respectful distance to allow for Newcastle United to resolve their striker situation.

Now, with Eddie Howe’s side set to sign Nick Woltemade from VfB Stuttgart, the dominos could start to fall and allow for Isak to seal his move to Anfield, providing Liverpool return with an improved bid.

As far as Guéhi is concerned, talks with Crystal Palace have been ongoing for weeks and, with the FA Cup winners having qualified for the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night, proceedings could start to accelerate in the coming hours over a deal in the region of £35m. — Beth Lindop

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What can Newcastle expect from Nick Woltemade?

Archie Rhind-Tutt explains what Stuttgart striker Nick Woltemade could provide Newcastle amid links to the Premier League side.

Will Newcastle keep Isak and what can they do before the end of the window either way?

That’s the big question and only Newcastle’s Saudi owners truly know the answer. Progress in a £65m deal for Woltemade could unlock a move for Isak, but it’s still complicated. Don’t forget that Newcastle let Callum Wilson leave as a free agent in the summer, so their attacking options were already in need of reinforcement before the Isak situation became the saga of the transfer window.

If Woltemade signs and deals can be done to sign Brentford‘s Yoane Wissa or Wolves forward Jorgen Strand Larsen over the weekend, then that would open the door for Isak to leave — but Liverpool would also have to meet Newcastle’s valuation. There are still obstacles to overcome for Isak to move to Liverpool before the deadline, though they are not insurmountable. — Mark Ogden

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Laurens ‘surprised’ by Arsenal’s interest in Hincapié

Gab & Juls discuss Arsenal’s interest in Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapié.

Arsenal are closing on Piero Hincapié, but who could leave before the window closes?

Left-sided defender Jakub Kiwior is in advanced talks to join FC Porto and that would create space for Hincapié within the squad.

Winger Reiss Nelson, left back Oleksandr Zinchenko, and midfielders Fabio Vieira and Albert Sambi Lokonga, are among the others who could depart. There is a need to trim the squad after seven new arrivals totaling more than £260m. — James Olley

Man United finally look like they might be able to move some players on, but who will they be?

United are confident they will get deals done with Chelsea for Alejandro Garnacho and Real Betis for Antony. The sticking point with Garnacho had been United’s £50m valuation, but they have now agreed to move the winger on for a fixed fee of £40m and 10% of any future transfer.

There’s been very little interest in left back Tyrell Malacia this summer, but United think they can sort a late loan to get him out of the building. There’s not so much confidence with winger Jadon Sancho after he rejected moves to Chelsea and Roma.

A deal to take striker Rasmus Højlund to Napoli could also get over the line. Højlund initially wanted to stay and fight for his place at Old Trafford, but being dropped from the squad for three games in a row is a pretty strong message that he needs to move. — Rob Dawson

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What signings do Manchester United need before the transfer deadline?

Ian Darke and Rob Dawson believe Manchester United still need to sign at least two players as the end of the summer transfer window approaches.

Chelsea also need to move players on before they can sign anyone, right?

If they want to register them for the Champions League, yes. As per the terms of their UEFA punishment, Chelsea need a net positive transfer balance relating to the squad selected for last season’s Conference League if they want all their new signings to play in Europe this year. That means not all exits count: for example, João Félix‘s €50m move to Al Nassr isn’t included in UEFA’s accounting because he wasn’t registered for the Conference League.

That is why the departures of Nicolas Jackson (with Bayern Munich and Newcastle linked) and Christopher Nkunku (€42m to Milan) are important in helping bring in Garnacho and, potentially, RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons. However, Spurs are frontrunners for the Netherlands midfielder now after agreeing a €60m move, and the Blues have to either respond or switch their attentions elsewhere, possibly to Fermín López at Barcelona. — Olley

And what of Spurs? They’ve struggled all window, with Savinho the latest target to seemingly stay put, so who is on their radar in the final few days?

Spurs have held an interest in Simons for some time and were understandably a little tentative to go for a player so heavily linked with another club (Chelsea) after what happened with Eberechi Eze‘s move to Arsenal. But they were given encouragement Simons was willing to join them, and that triggered them to act.

Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and Lucas Paquetá at West Ham are among the other players under consideration. There was an enquiry for Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot, while sources say Spurs were exploring whether they could enter the running for Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss, who has been heavily linked with a move to Crystal Palace.

City might still let Savinho move if a big enough offer comes in and the same is also true of Como winger Nico Paz. Spurs are also open to bringing in a center back if the right target becomes available, but their priority with just a few days to go is strengthening the attacking positions. — Olley

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Why Gianluigi Donnarumma could be a bad fit for the Premier League

Julien Laurens and Don Hutchison discuss Gianluigi Donnarumma’s potential transfer to Manchester City.

A new goalkeeper is on the agenda for Man City, right? Anything else?

Not necessarily. There’s interest from Galatasaray in Ederson and City will only step up interest in Paris Saint-Germain‘s Gianluigi Donnarumma if he goes. It’s entirely possible that Ederson stays and fights for the No.1 shirt with James Trafford. As a result, City are working on finding backup goalkeeper Stefan Ortega a move before the deadline. — Dawson

Barcelona have been pretty quiet… what’s going on with them? Are they signing a defender? And is Fermin Lopez leaving?

Barça signed goalkeeper Joan García and forward Marcus Rashford (on loan from Man United) early on but have had their hands tied financially since. That could change in the final days of the window should someone leave, but that is looking increasingly unlikely. Fermin is one to keep an eye on, with plenty of Premier League interest in the midfielder, led by Chelsea and Newcastle.

However, Barça’s €90m asking price, coupled with the Spain international’s hesitance to leave, are making a late deal difficult to do. If Fermin does depart, Barça could look at adding a defender to the squad — they’ve looked at Monaco’s Vanderson — but, again, time and money is against them. — Sam Marsden

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Does Alonso now believe in Rodrygo?

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss whether they think Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso now believes in Rodrygo as he started in their 3-0 win against Oviedo.

What’s the latest on the future of Real Madrid forward Rodrygo? Will he leave? And could Madrid sign anyone if Dani Ceballos moves on?

At the time of writing, Rodrygo’s situation remains as it has all summer: Madrid have received no concrete offer for the player from any of the clubs he’s been linked with. So, as it stands, he’ll be staying put. He started for Madrid last weekend, picked in his preferred position on the left side by coach Xabi Alonso, and that was viewed as a positive step.

As for Ceballos, it looks like he’s staying too, after his U-turn on a move to Marseille. Sources have told ESPN that his camp are still in touch with Real Betis, which would be his preferred move, but a transfer that’s acceptable to all parties would be difficult to pull off, given Betis’ finances. — Alex Kirkland

The Women’s Super League window closes on Sept. 4, anything major going on?

WSL champions Chelsea have been hoping to bring in a winger for some time but, after a productive window, they are content with where the squad is at.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are hoping to sign two forwards before the window shuts. Having made only two signings this window, the is a serious lack of depth in the side. The failed signing of Germany striker Giovanna Hoffmann has only made United more desperate to get deals over the line in the next few days. — Emily Keogh

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Will Giovanni Reyna benefit from the expectations at Gladbach?

Alejandro Moreno assesses Giovanni Reyna’s move to Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Any other interesting deals in the works?

– Man City defender Manuel Akanji is one to keep an eye on, as Galatasaray, Crystal Palace, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen have all expressed interest. City will accept offers of around £15m, which is considered a relative bargain by a lot of clubs. — Dawson

– Monaco defensive midfielder Soungoutou Magassa is closing on a move to West Ham. Magassa, 21, progressed through Monaco’s youth academy but is now set to move to London for around €20m. — Julien Laurens

Villarreal are negotiating the €7m transfer of Sevilla striker Rubén Vargas, following the expected €30m departure of Yeremy Pino to Palace. Meanwhile, Villarreal continue to search for another striker, as the departure of Etta Eyong (who has been linked with Barcelona) can’t be ruled out. — Rodra

– Sevilla striker Dodi Lukebakio is highly valued among Premier League clubs and could be on the move as his club are open to letting him go. — Rodra

– Rayados continue their search for a forward, with Getafe‘s Borja Mayoral top of the list of candidates. If Mayoral’s signing is not finalized, Rayados will consider other options: Julián Carranza, Peter Musa, Rafael Navarro, and even former Real Madrid star James Rodríguez. Meanwhile, Argentine goalkeeper Esteban Andrada wants to extend his contract until 2027, and is not considering a move to Saudi Arabia, despite interest from several clubs. — Oscar Gallardo, ESPN Deportes

– Vasco da Gama are interested in Pumas defender Nathan Silva. Sources have confirmed to ESPN that Pumas have received an initial offer to sign Silva and though the player is happy in Mexico, he hasn’t ruled out returning to his home country. — Adriana Maldonado, ESPN Deportes



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Deion Sanders mourns loss of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder: ‘One of my favorites’

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Deion Sanders mourns loss of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder: ‘One of my favorites’


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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post. 

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”

Ponder was 23 years old. 

Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known. 

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Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)

Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder. 

Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt. 

The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen. 

Dominiq Ponder drops back

Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing. 

Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.

Deion Sanders watches his players warm up

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)

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“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

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Ranking MLB’s best at every position for 2026: Olney’s top 10s

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Ranking MLB’s best at every position for 2026: Olney’s top 10s


With spring training camps underway, it is time to look at the state of baseball. As part of our 2026 MLB season preview, ESPN’s Buster Olney surveyed those around the industry to help him rank the top 10 players at every position.

The objective of this exercise is to identify the best players for the 2026 season, not who might be best in five years or over their career. Who will be the best pitchers to take the mound this season? Who are the game’s most powerful hitters in 2026? And how do marquee positions like shortstop and center field shake out?

We rolled out a position per day over two weeks: starting pitchers, relievers, catchers, first basemen, second basemen, third basemen, shortstops, corner outfielders, center fielders and designated hitters.

Who are the best players today? Check out who makes the list at every position.

Top 10 starting pitchers

The question seems simple: Who is the best starting pitcher in MLB, Tarik Skubal or Paul Skenes? But this was a debate that confounded evaluators more than any other. See our top 10 »


Top 10 relief pitchers

MLB bullpens are loaded with flamethrowers again in 2026 — but there’s not really any doubt who’s No. 1 among relievers. See our top 10 »


Top 10 catchers

Seattle’s Cal Raleigh set the standard for hard-hitting catchers with a historic 2025 season. Can anyone beat him out for the top spot? See our top 10 »


Top 10 first basemen

The battle for the top spot on our list at first base is between a veteran star coming off a dominant October and a young slugger who could be the talk of MLB in 2026. Which player is the best of the best? See our top 10 »


Top 10 second basemen

This year’s second basemen include accomplished veterans, young stars and players still new to the position. Here are the best of the best. See our top 10 »


Top 10 third basemen

The hot corner boasts stars like Jose Ramirez, Alex Bregman, Manny Machado, Bo Bichette, Carlos Correa and more. Where do they all land among the top 10 at the position? See our top 10 »


Top 10 shortstops

The shortstop position is full of big-name stars: Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson, Geraldo Perdomo, Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and Mookie Betts, to name a few. But which one earned the top spot at the premier infield position? See our top 10 »


Top 10 corner outfielders

The outfield corners are loaded with future Hall of Famers, fast-rising young players and two sluggers who share a city. See our top 10 »


Top 10 center fielders

Center field is a spot ruled by some of baseball’s young stars — but which one of them sits atop our list? See our top 10 »


Top 10 designated hitters

You might be able to guess the superstar atop the list of the best designated hitters in baseball for 2026 — but who else joins him in our ranking? See our top 10 »



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Orlando vs. Miami (Mar 1, 2026) Live Score – ESPN

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Orlando vs. Miami (Mar 1, 2026) Live Score – ESPN



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