Aston Villa have now made contact to sign Real Madrid forward Gonzalo Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, but there could be competition from a plethora of rival Premier League clubs.

Villa’s interest in signing Garcia is nothing new, with claims they had even submitted an offer and wanted to get a deal over the line as quickly as possible, amid a lack of game time for the forward at Real Madrid.

The 21-year-old has appeared for just 96 minutes in La Liga this season, which will be a concern, given that he is now at an age where receiving consistent game time is important, otherwise his development could be hampered.

The Villans’ interest in signing a new forward also comes amid Evann Guessand making a slow start to life in the Premier League, having failed to register a goal or an assist, meaning Unai Emery may need a fresh injection of quality this winter if his side are going to push for the European places.

Aston Villa make contact to sign Gonzalo Garcia on loan

According to a report from Football Insider, Aston Villa have now made contact to sign Real Madrid forward Garcia on loan in the January transfer window, having registered their interest, but the Spanish heavyweights are yet to come to a final decision on his future.

Xabi Alonso’s side have concerns about a lack of depth in attack, meaning it could be worth keeping the Madrid-born starlet as a back-up option, especially considering Endrick is also set to go out on loan this winter.

Should the La Liga side sanction a departure, there may be stiff competition for the youngster’s signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers also being named as potential suitors by journalist Pete O’Rourke.

Although the young Spaniard has been unable to force his way into Alonso’s plans in La Liga, he certainly made a name for himself at the Club World Cup in the summer, receiving high praise from scout Jacek Kulig.

Not only that, but the centre-forward has also impressed at international level for Spain U21s, scoring in each of his last three matches, while also captaining his side during two of his five international caps.

With Ollie Watkins arguably not the player he once was, having scored just one Premier League goal this term, Aston Villa could do with bringing in a young striker with high potential, and Garcia has proven he could be a future star.

Aston Villa looking to sign "world-class" goalkeeper to replace Martinez Related Aston Villa make Emiliano Martinez sale decision amid Unai Emery comments

There has been a key update on Martinez’s future, following the goalkeeper pushing for a move during the summer.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 19, 2025

He put on a dominant performance in his first innings of the season while Kurtis Patterson also made an excellent century

AAP29-Oct-2025Steven Smith issued an ominous warning to England ahead of the Ashes, slamming 118 for New South Wales in his first game of cricket in more than two months.Fresh off a six-week stint in New York where he didn’t pick up a bat, Smith looked in imperious touch as he helped NSW to 349 for 5 in the Sheffield Shield against Queensland.Related

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After the opening day’s play at the Gabba was washed out through rain, Kurtis Patterson also hit 122 while youngster Will Salzmann impressed with 65 while opening.The only sour point for NSW was Sam Konstas being bowled middle stump for 10, leaving a ball from left-armer Hayden Kerr that angled straight into his wickets.Konstas is now essentially no chance of retaining his spot as Australia’s opener, and could benefit from a summer out of the spotlight in the Shield.But there is no question mark over Smith’s form heading into the first Test in Perth on November 21, where he will captain Australia in place of the injured Pat Cummins.Smith played out 21 dot balls to start his innings on Wednesday, but from the moment he on-drove Sam Skelly to the boundary to get off the mark, the right-hander looked on.A flurry of drives and pull shots followed, with the 36-year-old treating the Gabba as his playground and looking every bit at his best three weeks out from the first Test.Sam Konstas was bowled by Hayden Kerr•Getty ImagesSome 86 of his runs came in boundaries, including a big six down the ground of Mitchell Swepson when he charged the legspinner and took him on.Three boundaries came in three balls at one stage off quick James Bazley, with the first two crunches through the covers and the last a classic straight drive.Once renowned for being a cricket nuffy who perhaps trained too much, Smith insisted last week he now needed only two hits in the nets to prepare for a summer.And by the time he drove Tom Straker to bring up his century off 158 balls on Wednesday, the proof of that was clear and England had been put on notice.Smith was eventually well caught by Matt Renshaw at gully, but by then he looked well placed to set himself up for a big Ashes summer.Arguably Australia’s best-performing batter in Ashes history aside from Don Bradman, Smith has hit 12 career centuries against England and averages 56.01.His runs on Wednesday came as England’s ODI side collapsed on Wednesday across the Tasman, all out for 175 in a five-wicket defeat to New Zealand.Smith’s century also overshadowed the superb innings of Patterson. The former Test batter found form following a lean start to the Shield season, after his late-career revival last summer was one of the best stories of Australian cricket.Patterson cover-drove superbly and hit 14 boundaries in total, before being caught behind trying to drive Marnus Labuschagne late in the day.For NSW to win this match they will likely need to score big and only bat once, while Queensland’s hopes are effectively gone through Smith and Patterson’s 202-run third-wicket stand.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is personally driving a move for Murillo, with Nottingham Forest’s stance on sanctioning a departure now being revealed.

The Blues have been solid from a defensive point of view in recent weeks, keeping clean sheets in their last three Premier League matches, most recently defeating Burnley 2-0 at Turf moor, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah impressing at the heart of defence.

Adarabioyo particularly caught the eye, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 8.6, the highest of any player, courtesy of making six tackles, winning ten of the 12 duels he contested, while also completing a whopping 102 passes, including seven long balls.

Being assured in possession of the ball is an important attribute for any player in a Maresca system, and the manager is now keen on another centre-back who could be an ideal fit in the Italian’s backline…

Maresca now driving Chelsea move for Murillo

According to a report from Caught Offside, Maresca has now personally identified Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as a key defensive target, but it could take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for up to €90m (£79m).

Forest are hesitant to cash-in on one of their key players, but they could be tempted to sanction a departure if a huge offer is submitted, with some other huge clubs also showing an interest in the centre-back, namely Barcelona and Arsenal.

The Chelsea manager is said to be a fan of ball-playing defenders capable of creating chances from deep, which means the Brazilian could be the perfect fit in his backline, and he recently put in a fantastic display as Forest secured a shock 3-0 win at Anfield.

Liverpool’s struggles continued on Saturday, with Arne Slot’s side falling to a shock defeat against a side that had made a slow start to the season, and Murillo displayed his attacking prowess by opening the scoring just after the half-an-hour mark.

It was a solid all-round performance from the one-time Brazil international, winning five of the six duels he contested, creating one big chance, and making 19 defensive actions, the highest number of any player.

It wasn’t the first time the 23-year-old has put in a top performance against the Reds, receiving high praise after impressing against Slot’s men earlier this year.

As such, Chelsea should undoubtedly pursue a move for Murillo, and it is promising news that Nottingham Forest could now be willing to sanction a departure for the right price.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 21, 2025

For the fourth consecutive Sunday, an India team may choose not to shake hands with a Pakistan team.India Women meet Pakistan Women in Colombo on October 5 in the ongoing Women’s World Cup. On Wednesday, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia did not rule out the possibility that Harmanpreet Kaur’s team could take cues from Suryakumar Yadav’s.”Whether there will be handshakes, whether there will be hugging, I cannot assure you of anything [at] this moment,” Saikia told the BBC’s podcast. “I cannot forecast anything, but our relationship with that particular hostile country is the same. There is no change in the last week.”Related

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• India refuse to accept Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi

India’s men played Pakistan three times at the recent Asia Cup and chose not to shake hands at the toss and after the game. That tournament also ended in acrimony after India refused to accept their Asia Cup trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, who is Pakistan’s Interior Minister in addition to being the PCB’s chairman and the ACC’s president. Naqvi, for his part, refused to cede the handing over of the trophy to anyone else. The standoff caused a 90-minute delay to the post-match presentation, at which no trophy was ultimately lifted.Saikia said the team would play to the “regulations of cricket”.”India will play that match against Pakistan in Colombo, and all cricket protocols will be followed,” he said. “I can only assure that whatever is in the MCC regulations of cricket – that will be done.”There have been no indications yet from the women’s teams themselves as to how they will negotiate the politics around their match on Sunday.

A leading surgeon who treated Harry Kane following his hamstring injury in 2020 has been awarded £37,000 (€42,386/$49,458) in damages from the UK’s oldest Bentley dealership after his new car was stolen. Professor Fares Haddad tended to the England captain after he underwent surgery to repair a ruptured tendon during the 2019-20 Premier League season.

Prof Haddad sues Jack Barclay Ltd. following 2023 car theft

A world-renowned orthopaedic surgeon specialising in sports medicine, Prof. Haddad successfully sued Jack Barclay Ltd. – based in Mayfair, London – following the theft of his Bentley Continental GTW12.

According to the luxury car was stolen from Prof. Haddad’s driveway in January 2023. But when he attempted to claim on his insurance, the payout was refused because the car’s tracker system was not properly activated. While cutting-edge tracker software had been installed by Jack Barclay’s staff, an important subscription service remained inactive.

Prof. Haddad had assumed Jack Barclay’s staff would establish a continuous tracker subscription via Vodafone. The 58-year-old came to that understanding following conversations and email exchanges between himself and a showroom executive in 2019, when he was considering buying the Bentley.

AdvertisementAFPMr Haddad had claimed a total of £82,643 from Bentley dealership

Following a trial at Central London County Court, Judge Andrew Holmes ruled in favour of Prof. Haddad, finding Jack Barclay Ltd. at fault for failing to send an email to Vodafone, which would have started the tracker. However, Judge Holmes also decided Mr. Haddad bore some responsibility for failing to notice there was no subscription in place until after the Bentley was stolen.

Judge Holmes slashed the award of £82,643 by 60 per cent to £33,057 to reflect Prof. Haddad’s “contributory negligence”, although with accumulated interest his total award will come to just over £37,000.

Mr. Haddad had claimed a total of £78,643 from Jack Barclay Ltd., suing for the return of money paid out under his Hire Purchase (HP) agreement – which his insurers refused to cover after the theft – plus £4,000 for the cost of a replacement hire car.

Judge finds Mr Haddad bore 'contributory negligence' during trial

Speaking during the trial, Judge Holmes told the court: “But for the failure to send the form to Vodafone, Prof. Haddad’s losses would not have occurred. Had the tracker subscription been incepted, Prof. Haddad would have taken the steps necessary to continue it.”

He added: “I see considerable force in the suggestion that Prof. Haddad had a responsibility thereafter to ensure that the tracker was activated.

“With each year that went by, the failure to notice or to check his records becomes more difficult to understand.

“The ordinary person taking an ordinary level of care of his or her own affairs would be expected over time to realise that he was not making payment, or receiving correspondence, about an important point in relation to the insurance of a valuable vehicle.”

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Getty Images SportProf Haddad played key role in Kane's surgery in January 2020

Prof. Haddad – the clinical director of the Institute of Sport, Exercise and Health – played a key role in helping Bayern Munich striker Kane return towards the end of the 2019-20 season which was heavily disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The forward – then playing for Tottenham Hotspur – went under the knife to repair a ruptured tendon in his left hamstring in January 2020. He sustained the injury in Spurs’ 1-0 Premier League defeat against Southampton on 1 January 2020 before returning to training in May of that year and competing in the latter part of the specially-extended campaign.

Kane went on to finish as Tottenham’s top goalscorer in 2019-20, netting 18 league goals as the north Londoners came sixth under then-manager Jose Mourinho, who succeeded Mauricio Pochettino on 20 November 2019.

MatériaMais Notícias

Grêmio e Athletico-PR se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (17), pela segunda rodada do Brasileirão 2024. A bola vai rolar a partir das 19h (de Brasília), na Arena do Grêmio, em Porto Alegre (RS), com transmissão do SporTV (TV fechada) e Premiere (pay-per-view).

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Confira abaixo todas as informações que você precisa saber sobre o confronto entre Grêmio e Athletico-PR (onde assistir, horário, escalações e local).

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Grêmio x Athletico-PR
2ª rodada – Brasileirão

🗓️ Data e horário: quarta-feira, 16 de março de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Arena do Grêmio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
📺 Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere
🟨 Árbitro: Lucas Paulo Torezin
🚩Assistentes: Nailton Junior de Sousa e Brigida Cirilo Ferreira; Marco Aurelio Augusto (VAR)

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⚽PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

GRÊMIO (Técnico: Renato Gaúcho)
Marchesín; João Pedro, Geromel, Kannemann e Cuiabano; Villasanti, Du Queiroz e Cristaldo; Gustavo Nunes, Pavón e JP Galvão.

ATHLETICO-PR (Técnico: Cuca)
Bento; Léo Godoy, Thiago Heleno (Pedro Henrique), Kaique Rocha e Esquivel; Fernandinho, Erick e Zapelli; Christian (Julimar), Canobbio e Mastriani (Pablo).

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Athletico-PRBrasileirãoGrêmioOnde assistir

Stoppage-time goals from Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson helped secure Bayern Munich a 3-1 comeback win against a dogged St. Pauli side. Andreas Hountondji stunned the home fans into silence with a well-taken strike early on before Raphael Guerreiro restored parity just before the break. It looked like Vincent Kompany's side would have to settle for a point but Diaz and Jackson had other ideas.

• Late, late show for Bayern

  Bayern's efforts to make a strong start following their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal in midweek did not go well when Hountondji slotted the ball past Manuel Neuer in the sixth minute after Joshua Kimmich and Konrad Laimer were caught in possession. Not long after the goalscorer limped off injured, Lennart Karl's curling effort struck the outside of the post and then Harry Kane scuffed a shot wide when in a good position. Tom Bischof was the next player to see his effort come back off the woodwork from his 20-yard deflected strike as the hosts searched for an equaliser. But the pressure told a minute before the break when Diaz somehow managed to flick the ball to Guerreiro, despite falling to the ground, and the Portugal international fired in from eight yards out. Bayern brought on Michael Olise, Josip Stanisic, Serge Gnabry, and Leon Goretzka in the second half but for all their dominance, they couldn't find a way through the stubborn visitors. Top scorer Kane was inches away from giving Bayern the lead when his toe-poked shot found its way through a crowd of bodies but the post denied Bayern again. Just when it looked like St. Pauli would earn a hard-fought point, summer signing Diaz popped up in the 93rd minute with a brilliantly timed header following a delightful cross from Kimmich. To rub more salt into the away team's wound, substitute Jackson hit the visitors on the counter in the 97th minute as Bayern extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  The MVP

  While St. Pauli's defence worked their socks off and put their bodies on the line to get something from the game, Diaz proved to be the difference maker. He showed great tenacity and quick thinking for his assist and then he was in the right place at the right time to head home a stoppage-time winner.

• The big loser

  Who else but St.Pauli? The German minnows defended so well for so long but in the end, Bayern's quality proved too much for them. While they are still in the relegation zone, this result should give them belief that they can hang tough and grind out points when up against the ropes.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The baseball world knew that Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh could play before 2025—let's get that out of the way. Extrapolated to 162 games, he averaged about 4.0 bWAR in his first four seasons—very-good-starter-to-lesser-All-Star stuff.

His performance this year, however, has been something else entirely. Raleigh is slashing .260/.379/.595—MVP-type numbers that put his '25 in conversation with the best catching seasons in history.

On Friday against the Minnesota Twins, the "Big Dumper" slammed his 20th home run of the season. With that blast, per the Mariners, Raleigh became the first catcher in history to hit 20 home runs before the end of May.

The record for most home runs by a primary catcher is 48—set by the Kansas City Royals' Salvador Perez in 2021. Raleigh is currently on pace to hit 57, which would obliterate that mark (in fact, Seattle's franchise record is 56, set twice by center fielder Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1990s).

As if he weren't showing off enough, he also has six stolen bases to his name this season. He's on pace for 17, which would be the most in the American League by a catcher since Ivan Rodriguez of the Texas Rangers swiped 25 in 1999.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have limped to the fourth-worst record in MLB (16-33) this season despite the best efforts of their generational ace and 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes. The jarring juxtaposition of Skenes's immense success against the Pirates' lack thereof has both angered and upset fans. And out of those emotions has risen conjecture and speculation about a potential Skenes trade.

As it turns out, the subject is one that has apparently been broached among rival front offices. During an appearance on last week, ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, while noting that a deal would be unlikely, stated that "there are teams that are already going to ask about Paul Skenes at the trade deadline."

And, thanks to Jon Heyman, there is now an idea of how the Pirates would respond to trade inquiries about the flamethrowing righthander.

Skenes is not getting traded, a Pirates source told Heyman. In fact, the words, "no chance, no way, no how" were used, aptly describing Pittsburgh's emphatic stance when it comes to Skenes's future.

During one of the most impressive rookie seasons in MLB history, Skenes, 22, became the sixth-youngest pitcher to start the MLB All-Star Game, won National League ROY and finished third in the NL Cy Young Award race. Skenes had a 1.96 ERA and 11 wins in 23 starts as a rookie, but an alarming trend—the Pirates' bats or bullpen failing to hold up its end of the bargain for the ace starter—developed during the '24 campaign. And it's continued into the '25 season, as Skenes has a sub-3.00 ERA but has a 3-5 record. The Pirates are 3-7 in his 10 starts this year.

Skenes himself has even admitted that it's been "difficult" seeing the team struggle despite his own individual success. But given the Pirates' lack of recent success—six straight losing seasons—there's not a whole lot of faith that the organization can field a club that reflects Skenes's own brilliance.

Trading the ace for a king's ransom could set up the organization for long-term success while allowing Skenes to where his skills can directly translate to team victories.

As of this point, a Skenes trade is not an idea the Pirates are even willing to discuss.

Leeds United’s scouts have now reportedly been spotted keeping close tabs on a Champions League talent who just helped shock Borussia Dortmund.

Leeds join the race to sign Tyrique George

The Whites are beginning to turn their full attention towards the January transfer window. With survival in mind, those at Elland Road have already reportedly set their sights on key attacking reinforcements, who could take Daniel Farke’s from a relegation battle into much-needed Premier League comfort.

Whether one of those reinforcements is Tyrique George will certainly be interesting to see. The Chelsea youngster has struggled for game time at Stamford Bridge this season and desperately needs a move away from West London to get back on track next month.

The 19-year-old isn’t the only name on Leeds’ reported shortlist, however. Alongside the Chelsea youngster, the Yorkshire club have also reportedly set their sights on Barcelona’s Roony Bardghji in what would be a sensational move.

The young La Liga star is one of the best young talents around recently scored his first league goal for Barcelona since arriving in the summer.

Improving Farke’s frontline seems to be the priority at Elland Road next month and that should come as no surprise after Leeds missed out on a number of attacking targets in the summer.

Whilst the likes of Lukas Nmecha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin have got off to impressive starts, the addition of another consistent goalscorer would certainly do Leeds’ survival hopes no harm. And if it’s not George or Bardghji, then it may well be Jens Petter Hauge who arrives in January.

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This Leeds star has become a key man in midfield

ByJoe Nuttall 5 days ago

The Bodo/Glimt winger is reportedly on Leeds’ radar, with the 49ers joining their Premier League rivals in the race to secure his signature when 2026 arrives.

Leeds scouts spotted watching Jens Petter Hauge

As reported by TeamTalk, Leeds scouts have now been spotted keeping tabs on Hauge ahead of making a potential January move. Joined by Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton in the race for the 26-year-old, the Whites would be landing an impressive coup if they secured Hauge’s signature.

It’s easy to see why there’s so much interest in his signature, too. The Bodo/Glimt star was in clinical form in the Champions League earlier this week, shocking Borussia Dortmund by equalising for his side and securing a 2-2 draw against the odds.

His strike against Dortmund took Hauge’s total for the season to 11 goals in all competitions, which certainly looks good alongside the 11 assists that he’s also provided for the Norwegian side.

Having returned to his best form with a return to Bodo/Glimt in the summer, reports are now suggesting that Hauge wants to complete a Premier League switch in a major boost for Leeds and others.

Dubbed “exceptional” by Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank earlier this season, Hauge could earn redemption away from Norway after previous struggles at AC Milan and Eintracht Frankfurt on Europe’s top stage.

Anita 2.0: Farke signing already looks like he’ll never make it at Leeds