West Ham: Journalist breaks ‘big’ Declan Rice twist

A twist in the tale has now come to light regarding Declan Rice’s future at West Ham United, as broken by 90min journalist Toby Cudworth.

The Lowdown: Rice summer saga…

Reports concerning the 23-year-old’s London Stadium future have been in no short supply over the last few months, with Fabrizio Romano even lifting the lid on a rejected third contract offer from the Irons.

According to some, David Moyes’ star asset has pledged to remain in east London until at least 2023, as explained by insider Claret & Hugh. Meanwhile, there have been other suggestions that Rice is more open than ever to leaving the Premier League club this summer as the likes of Manchester United hover for his signing.

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In a bid to keep Rice at the club and extend his deal, in what has been described as a ‘big’ story, Cudworth has shared a twist out of West Ham.

The Latest: GSB pull U-turn?

According to the reporter, a ‘sizeable shift in stance’ is on the cards surrounding a new deal for the 23-year-old, with West Ham now ‘ready to consider’ inserting a release clause.

This would hand Rice a route out of Rush Green, a contractual clause thought to be never on GSB’s agenda, but it may now be a possibility to entice him to put pen to paper.

Sharing a corresponding article for 90min, Cudworth explained on Twitter: “West Ham ready to consider including a release clause in improved Declan Rice contract. Would mark a sizeable shift in stance but increases agreement chances and preserves full value when the time comes to sell.”

The Verdict: Significant update?

The inclusion of a possible exit clause would relinquish West Ham and GSB’s control over stopping the 23-year-old from departing.

In this respect, Cudworth’s update comes as potentially significant, but much will depend on the size of the figure and whether any interested club will pay it.

In other news: Moyes now very likely to make major bid for ‘world class’ striker after claim that he ‘likes’ West Ham! Find out more here

Journalist shocked by QPR manager news

Sol Campbell is ‘apparently’ a shock contender to replace Mark Warburton at Queens Park Rangers, leaving The Sun journalist Alan Nixon baffled.

The Lowdown: Warburton out

Warburton’s departure became official at the end of the season as QPR missed the playoffs by nine points.

The 59 year-old was a steady presence during his time at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium though, winning 1.4 points per game across 150 matches.

Now tasked with finding a replacement capable of closing that gap to the top six next season, the Hoops leadership have been linked with numerous names, such as MK Dons boss Liam Manning, and after reports this week claimed former Arsenal legend Campbell is a contender, Nixon has now weighed in…

The Latest: Nixon shocked

According to the reliable reporter, news of interest in acquiring Campbell’s services is indeed true.

Asked by a QPR fan on Twitter about the validity of the links, Nixon confirmed the 47 year-old is ‘apparently in the shortlist’ and added a surprised emoji.

The Verdict: A huge risk

Put simply, one has to question the direction of the club if they truly feel Campbell is the right man to serve as an upgrade to Warburton.

The former centre-back averaged roughly half of Warburton’s win rate in his last role at Southend United – an incredibly poor 0.74 points per game, leaving the club relegated after just 23 matches (Transfermarkt).

With several key players approaching either the ends of their contracts or the last 12 months this summer (Transfermarkt), the board cannot afford to get this wrong and cast the squad into turmoil.

Nottingham Forest: Who is Detlef Esapa Osong?

Nottingham Forest’s U18 youth team have had a phenomenal season with the side competing in the FA Youth Cup final on Wednesday night, but despite losing the trophy to Manchester United there is a bright future for the individuals in the team.

Steve Cooper has also had a great season with the senior team who will take on the challenge of the Championship playoffs this weekend and if successful, the side could earn themselves a spot in the Premier League next season for the first time in over two decades.

With that being said, it could be a golden opportunity for the youngsters who have been shining in the youth set-up to prove their worth and gain a chance to play in the top flight should the club prevail in their promotion efforts over the next few weeks.

One player who has been a stand-out star for the U18 team is centre-forward Detlef Esapa Osong, who was hailed a “threat” by journalist Andy Kelly for his impressive performances in the academy this season.

The 17-year-old striker has scored 12 goals and contributed two assists in 20 appearances, but his most notable goal contributions have come in the FA Youth Cup with the youngster being absolutely crucial to the team’s advancement in the competition.

Esapa Osong scored twice in the sixth round 3-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers, scoring another brace and bagging an assist in the 3-1 semi-final victory over Chelsea, proving that his attacking output is effective when it matters and despite his age plays well under pressure, which will surely catch Cooper’s eye.

The centre-forward’s efforts haven’t gone unrecognised as he was offered his first professional contract by the club to secure his future and the young talent was thrilled to sign on with The Reds.

Esapa Osong spoke out on signing the terms (via Nottingham Forest Official):

“I’m extremely thankful for this opportunity.”

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Forest so far and now I’m eager to keep learning and keep improving as much as I can.”

With that being said, the English goal-machine clearly has a bright future ahead of him and could become first team striker Keinan Davis’ heir if he carries on with the impressive performances he has displayed for his team this season, and there will surely be opportunities for him to prove his worth to Cooper in the not so distant future.

AND in other news: Imagine him & Johnson: Cooper must seal Forest swoop for “magic” 20-goal livewire

Jadeja, the gladiator who goes to bank

When people talk only about wickets, Jadeja has instead looked at his control, and it’s brought him rich dividends

Sidharth Monga19-Oct-20231:43

Pujara: Jadeja is more accurate than a bowling machine

At 2.59pm IST on Thursday, it had already been about five minutes of treatment. Normally, you would say “get on with it”, but you were probably too involved. It could be a pivotal moment, you felt. The skills of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are irreplaceable, but Hardik Pandya performs a role for India nobody else can do: a seam-bowling allrounder good enough to hold down his place for batting alone in many other sides. Pandya was down and getting treatment.Pandya tried to run in to bowl again, but eventually went off the field and off for scans, the results of which the whole nation will await. The anxiety around the injury is understandable. There are back-ups for the best of the batters, there are bowling back-ups, and the other allrounder has a like-for-like replacement. However, does anyone have the body of work the other allrounder has?There might be others answering to the job description of Ravindra Jadeja, but there aren’t many that are doing the job as well as him. Looking at his flamboyance, Jadeja will be the last person you’d think of as a banker, but that is what he is for India.Related

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In the absence of the allrounder likelier to be missed more, Jadeja finally got to bask in some of the spotlight. He was the one who went on to bowl all ten overs, and not without reason: two wickets and just 38 runs. Seven wickets in four matches in the World Cup so far at a strike rate better than in the recent past, but that is not what has made Jadeja the asset he is.And yet Jadeja is so much of a bank clerk that the day the adjudicators decided he was the Player of the Match, Virat Kohli swooped in, and in the words of an adjudicating commentator, “stole it” with his century.Jadeja made his ODI comeback in July 2022. Since then, he has been the third-most economical bowler among those who have bowled 100 or more overs for and against the teams playing this World Cup. Only Shakib Al Hasan and Keshav Maharaj have done better than Jadeja’s 4.52 an over. In this duration, Jadeja has given India eight overs per bowling innings; only Bumrah and Mohammed Shami have bowled more per match.For all intents and purposes, Jadeja has been as good as any specialist bowler in this phase of his ODI career. His batting, admittedly not needed enough, is a significant second skill. The fielding is a significant bonus.Left by the wayside at the start of the wristspin fad, then making his comeback as an allrounder who didn’t quite nail his place with at least one discipline back in 2019, Jadeja has become this banker by going against the grain of limited-overs cricket: mastering his main deliveries and thinking less about the variations.

Jadeja hardly bowls the parallel-seam under-cutter in ODIs. He is just trying to spin the ball the hardest he can without sacrificing his control, his ability to end on the stumps, which comes naturally to him

At a time when people talk just about the wickets, Jadeja has forgotten about the wickets but instead looked at his control. As Cheteshwar Pujara observed on ESPNcricinfo, he hardly bowls the parallel-seam under-cutter in ODIs. He is just trying to spin the ball the hardest he can without sacrificing his control, his ability to end on the stumps, which comes naturally to him.Despite the extra fielder inside the circle, despite the two new balls that turn less, Jadeja – and indeed Shakib and Maharaj – has remained relevant without any mystery. Most of Jadeja’s bowling has happened in the middle overs, but he has also bowled 13 at the death at 3.74 an over.Pune was no different. On a pitch that had nothing for the spinners, with no big boundaries to play with, Jadeja dragged Bangladesh back along with Kuldeep even as they were looking to go after one or two of the bowlers in Hardik’s absence.One of the reasons behind the team’s trust in Jadeja is that left-hand batters have not been able to line him up. In this period, left-hand batters have only scored at 5.46 an over against him. He has also taken a left-hand batter out for every 24 runs he has conceded to them.Ravindra Jadeja sent back a left-hand batter, Najmul Hossain Shanto, and a right-hand batter, Litton Das, on the day•AFP/Getty ImagesNajmul Hossain Shanto was not the first left-hand batter Jadeja trapped lbw this World Cup. He did the same to Alex Carey in the first match. Around the wicket, bowled into the pitch, on middle and leg, and straightening just enough to beat the bat but not miss the stumps, it has been a lethal delivery from Jadeja.For right-hand batters, who other than Steven Smith to attest to the quality of Jadeja? That dismissal was straight out of Tests: bowling him top of off without letting him come forward, and opening his stance up with the drift. Coming forward is not the prayer you are looking for because he has been hitting the outer half of the bat regularly. No longer can you play him as a left-arm seam bowler angling the old ball in.It leaves batters with no option but to play the sweep, which is high-risk at Jadeja’s pace. Mohammad Rizwan and Mushfiqur Rahim tried that with limited success because they didn’t succeed in pushing Jadeja off his length.One unruly customer served, back to issuing currency notes with a smile. David Steele, the grey-haired, bespectacled and unlikely Ashes hero in the 1970s, was called the bank clerk who went to war. Jadeja is the gladiator who goes to bank.

MLC: Teams, players, format, fixtures, and everything else you need to know

Big-league cricket is coming to the USA – here’s a primer on what to expect

Ashish Pant11-Jul-20234:02

Jayawardene: The MLC will add more traction to cricket in the USA

What! Another T20 league? Aren’t there some 50 of these already out there?
Yes, but wait. This could be different. Franchise cricket is going to the USA for the first time, after all.In the USA? Why? Do they even play cricket there?
Of course they do. And as far back as … 1844! In fact USA was part of the first cricket match involving two countries (as opposed to clubs or other domestic clashes). That was against Canada, at the St George’s Cricket Club ground in New York.More recently, the USA men’s team was at the ODI World Cup qualifier in Zimbabwe. They did not win a single game, but reaching the qualifiers is an achievement in itself.They have talented players in the system and this league can help grow the game there. The timing of the event is significant too, since USA and West Indies will host the men’s T20 World Cup around this time next year. And, being the hosts, USA (and West Indies) have gained automatic qualification to that tournament.Okay, you have my attention now. Tell me more…
MLC has been in the works for a while and, after multiple delays, it will finally see the light of day on July 13. It is being operated by American Cricket Enterprises (ACE) and has been sanctioned by USA Cricket. The ICC has also given official sanction for the league.ACE is backed by Sameer Mehta and Vijay Srinivasan, founders of Willow TV, the largest cricket broadcaster in North America, and Satyan Gajwani and Vineet Jain of the Times Group in India. MLC has received financial backing to the tune of US$ 120 million from a number of investors, including Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, and Shantanu Narayen, chairman and CEO of Adobe.Related

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It will be a short, crisp 19-game tournament – at least in the first season – with the first game on July 13 (July 14 in India, at 6am IST) and the final on July 30 (July 31 in India, at 6am IST).In all, there will be 15 group-stage games followed by an eliminator, two qualifiers and the final. Six teams are in action and will start with a round-robin format, with the top four advancing to the playoffs. The format is similar to what they have at the IPL, but the teams will face each other only once in the league phase. Here’s the full list of fixtures.Six teams, you say. Those are…?
Los Angeles Knight Riders, MI New York, San Francisco Unicorns, Seattle Orcas, Texas Super Kings and Washington Freedom.Whoa, hold on! Knight Riders, Super Kings, MI… sounds familiar.
Four of the six teams are owned by IPL franchise owners.You can tell who owns LA Knight Riders, MI Knight Riders and Texas Super Kings, right? And Seattle Orcas are owned by the GMR Group, who co-own Delhi Capitals. These groups own teams in other T20 leagues too, of course. And this raises the stakes even more.Washington Freedom are owned by Indian-American entrepreneur Sanjay Govil, and will have Cricket New South Wales as a high-performance partner. San Francisco Unicorns are owned by Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan, and they have partnered with Cricket Victoria for their first season. It’s all pretty serious business, as you can tell.And these matches will be played in?
Two venues. The first eight league games will be held at Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas before the teams move to Church Street Park Stadium in Morrisville for the next seven outings. The playoffs will be staged at Grand Prairie again.Never heard of these stadiums. Anything more on them?
The Grand Prairie is a former baseball park, and was redeveloped into a cricket stadium in 2022. The new stadium has a capacity of close to 7000. The other venue, Church Street Park, is in Morrisville, North Carolina, and has a capacity of around 3500, which can be expanded up to 5000.Nothing in Fort Lauderdale? That’s where they play international cricket, isn’t it?
Yes, true, but two of the T20Is on India’s tour of the Caribbean are being played there in August. So…But will people come to watch?
We can only know once the games begin, but MLC recently announced that the tickets for the opening fixture between Texas and Los Angeles have been sold out. South Asian and Caribbean expats make up most of the cricket community there, and much of the USA national team, too. You’d expect them to come to watch.And where can we watch the games if not at the ground?
In the USA and Canada, it’s on Willow TV. In India, it will be on Sports18 and Jio. If you are in Australia, MLC will be on Fox, SportsMax in the Caribbean, SKY NZ in New Zealand, A Sports in Pakistan, SuperSport in South Africa and BT Sport in the UK.Who are the big players in action?
Los Angles have Jason Roy, Sunil Narine and Andre Russell. New York have Rashid Khan, Trent Boult and Kieron Pollard. San Francisco have Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis and Corey Anderson. Texas have Faf du Plessis, Devon Conway and David Miller. Seattle have Quinton de Kock, Shimron Hetmyer, Imad Wasim and Sikandar Raza. And Washington have Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen.Impressive, eh? The full squads are here.Can they field as many overseas players as they want, or is there a cap?
Each side can have a maximum of 19 and a minimum of 16 players on their roster. A maximum of nine international players are allowed in the squads. Each squad needs to have at least one USA Under-23 player, and must have at least ten domestic players, which is being done to give the next generation of American talents a chance to rub shoulders with the best.The final playing XIs can have a maximum of six overseas players and five domestic players.Sweet. How were the players drafted?
The domestic players were signed via a player draft, which was held at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston on March 19. Harmeet Singh, who was part of India’s 2012 Under-19 World Cup-winning side, was the first pick, snapped up by Seattle. Steven Taylor was the first American-born player picked in the draft, by New York, while another former India U-19 start Unmukt Chand, who is in the USA now, went to Los Angeles.You can read all about how the player draft went.Any other Indian players?
Apart from Chand and Harmeet, we have Chaitanya Bishnoi, Tajinder Singh, Shubham Ranjane and Smit Patel. All of these players have retired from the Indian domestic circuit. Ambati Rayudu was also slated to take part but withdrew in the wake of the BCCI’s proposal to introduce a year-long cooling-off period for retired players before they can participate in overseas T20 leagues.That’s a bummer. Do we know the captains?
Yep, we do. Texas: Faf du Plessis. Los Angeles: Sunil Narine. Seattle: Wayne Parnell. New York: Kieron Pollard. San Francisco: Aaron Finch. Washington: Moises Henriques.Lastly, these games will have T20 status?
No. While they are being played in the T20 format, the records will not reflect in the players’ profiles because the USA – like the UAE, where the ILT20 is held – is not a Full-Member nation.

Best signing since Szoboszlai: Liverpool lead race for "world-class" talent

On the TNT Sports panel for Liverpool’s Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, Steven Gerrard was hesitant to say that Arne Slot’s side are in a crisis.

But after being dispatched 4-1 by Peter Bosz’s Dutchmen, it’s difficult to argue anything even bordering the contrary. That was Liverpool’s ninth defeat in 12 matches across all competitions, and the crisis – yes, crisis – is deepening.

The most concerning thing is that there is so much talent in this side. Liverpool are chock-full of elite talent. But synergy and belief are in short supply at Anfield.

Slot is steadfast in his belief that he can craft an exit from this rut with the tools at his disposal, but sporting director Richard Hughes is gearing up for a January signing nonetheless.

Who Liverpool need to sign in January

There has been plenty of chatter relating to the need for a centre-back at Liverpool. It’s true. Despite Real Madrid ending their interest in Ibrahima Konate, the Reds are still short at the back after missing out on Marc Guehi last summer.

However, Slot has suggested that Liverpool have another area of the field on their mind, his frontline so imbalanced this season.

As per i News, Liverpool are leading the race for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, following initial enquiries, with David Ornstein previously confirming the Reds’ interest and that the Ghanaian winger has a £65m release clause in his contract that becomes active this January.

Semenyo is also courting intrigue from the likes of Manchester City, but Liverpool feel they have a good chance of bringing him over to Anfield after opting against signing a like-for-like Luis Diaz replacement this summer.

What Semenyo would offer Liverpool

It is promising to note the incremental progress Semenyo has made since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship for about £10.5m in January 2023.

Last season, he was lauded for going to “another level” in the Premier League by teammate Lewis Cook, growing into his skin under the tutelage of Andoni Iraola, instrumental in the Cherries’ 56-point finish.

Ferocious and powerful, he has only gotten better since the summer, notching six goals and three assists across his first 11 matches in the division this term.

There is far more to the 25-year-old’s game than just goal contributions, but he has still managed to post more than all of his teammates at the Vitality Stadium.

Antoine Semenyo

27 + 13

40

Justin Kluivert

23 + 11

34

Dominic Solanke

21 + 4

25

Marcus Tavernier

10 + 11

21

Evanilson

13 + 6

19

His talismanic qualities and “world-class” form, as said by another teammate, Justin Kluivert, underscore Semenyo’s suitability at Liverpool, especially as his pace and power and burgeoning prolificacy has led Reds analyst Josh Williams to dub him “the closest you’ll find to peak Mane right now”.

This, and Semenyo’s big-game ability, suggests he could be one of the Anfield side’s finest signings in a long time, perhaps even since £60m was paid to RB Leipzig to bring Dominik Szoboszlai over from Germany.

Szoboszlai has had his ups and downs in a Liverpool shirt, but has bloomed into a superstar of a midfielder this season, stepping up and becoming a leader of men while applying his tireless energy and sharp technical skills at a time when ailing Liverpool desperately need them.

Liverpool’s Hungarian general is a masterful midfielder, cut and dry as the outfit’s best player this term; it is not even close.

While he is a wholly different type of player from Semenyo, they share an athletic likeness and have both established themselves as leading lights at their respective sides.

If Liverpool can both add balance to their side while infusing the squad with more in-form ability than has been on show this year, it will only be a good thing as Slot and Szoboszlai and the rest fight to steer the club out of the ditch they have slipped into.

Such a signing could be a catalyst for change, and at a comparatively shrewd £65m figure, Semenyo might just prove to be one of Liverpool’s best signings in a number of years.

Better than Isak: Liverpool join race for "one of the best RWs in the world"

Arne Slot’s Liverpool tenure is crumbling before him, and FSG are considering changes.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

Authorities Reveal Cause of Death for Ex-Yankee Brett Gardner's 14-Year-Old Son

Miller Gardner—the late 14-year-old son of former New York Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner—died of carbon monoxide poisoning, Costa Rican authorities said Wednesday.

The announcement comes 13 days after Miller's death during a family vacation, which the Gardner family announced through the Yankees.

Per Russell Zuniga of Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Agency via the AP, Miller was tested for carboxyhemoglobin—an indicator of carbon monoxide's presence. He measured 64% saturation—well above the amount considered fatal.

Per the Gardner family, Miller was among several family members to fall ill while on vacation. The Gardners wrote that their son "loved football, baseball, golf, hunting, fishing, his family and his friends" in its announcement of his death through New York.

The Yankees held a moment of silence in Miller's honor before their opener against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 27. Brett, his father, played for the team from 2008 to '21—winning the World Series in 2009.

Carlo Ancelotti issues final warning to Neymar over Brazil World Cup spot as ex-Real Madrid boss aims to avoid any 'mistakes'

Carlo Ancelotti has issued a final warning to Neymar when it comes to 2026 World Cup selection, with the Italian tactician eager to ensure that he does not make any “mistakes” when naming his final squad. Ancelotti has yet to call upon Neymar since becoming Selecao boss, but insists that the door remains open to the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

When did Neymar make his last appearance for Brazil?

Neymar is his country’s all-time leading scorer, with 79 goals being recorded across 128 appearances. He has not, however, pulled on a famous yellow jersey since October 2023 – when suffering knee ligament damage during a World Cup qualifying clash with Uruguay.

A long road to recovery was taken in on the back of that fitness blow, with his contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal eventually being terminated. That decision freed Neymar to head home and rejoin boyhood club Santos.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesIs Neymar in Brazil's World Cup plans? Ancelotti explains

More fitness issues have been endured there, preventing the 33-year-old playmaker from convincing Ancelotti of his worth and earning an international recall. Neymar was overlooked again when Brazil named their squad for a friendly date with Tunisia that will take place in Lille, France.

Unsurprisingly, Ancelotti continues to be quizzed on whether an iconic No.10 forms part of his plans. He told reporters when discovering that the subject had followed him from South America to Europe: “I thought Neymar was just a topic in Brazil, but I see it's a global issue. Fortunately, he recovered from his injury. Now he has six months to play. The Brazilian Championship stops on December 7, then he can take a vacation, but then he'll have the Brazilian Championship again to show his quality and, obviously, his physical condition.”

Ancelotti went on to reveal that Neymar is in his thoughts when it comes to World Cup call-ups, but has pointed out that he will not be taking any risks when it comes to piecing together a squad to compete for global glory in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

He added: “Neymar is on the list of players who could be at the World Cup. Now he has six months to make the final list. We just have to observe him and other players so as not to make mistakes in the final list.”

Best position? Ancelotti wants to see Neymar as a No.10

Ancelotti recently said of wanting to see more of Neymar at Santos in his favoured central playmaking berth: “I know everyone wants Neymar to get back to his best physical condition. And also the CBF, the coach, the technical staff of the national team hope that Neymar can return to his best level. The truth is that today's football demands many things. Not only talent, but also physical condition, intensity… hopefully Neymar will be at his best level.

“I think he needs to play more centrally, not as a winger, because wingers in today's football are players you need to help defensively as well. When you play a little more centrally, the defensive work is much less than when you play as a winger. And I also think that a very talented player, closer to the goal, has more opportunities to score goals. [False 9] could be his ideal position.”

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GettyMove in 2026? Messi reunion mooted for Neymar in MLS

Neymar has taken in three appearances since returning from his latest injury – with his last seeing a shock victory picked up against Palmeiras that has helped to lift Santos out of the relegation zone.

Thigh problems have been an unfortunate theme over recent months, but Neymar does have six goals and three assists to his name through 24 appearances this season. More will be required in order to earn favour with Ancelotti, with there every chance that he will be plying his trade somewhere else when 2026 is welcomed in. That is because his contract continues to run down towards free agency, with a potential reunion with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at MLS side Inter Miami that would see Barcelona’s fabled ‘MSN’ strike force reformed continuing to be speculated on.

Ranked: Football's most powerful agencies (2025)

Love it or hate it, agents play a crucial part in modern football. They shape the path of some of Europe’s top stars and come at quite the cost as a result. But just how powerful are they?

Last summer, alone, some of the top agencies in European football helped broker some of the most expensive deals around as Manchester United completed an attacking overhaul and Liverpool tied star man Virgil van Dijk down to a new contract.

Now, Sportingpedia have taken a deeper dive into the likes of Wasserman, CAA Stellar and Jorge Mendes’ famous GestiFute, ranking their power in the modern game based on the market value of their clients.

10 HCM Sports Management – €0.63bn

With Viktor Gyokeres and Frenkie de Jong as their standout clients, HCM Sports Management remains one of the top agencies in the world of football. Their portfolio stretches far and wide across Europe, with Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger also amongst their clientele. They, of course, also enjoyed quite the summer transfer window last time out when Gyokeres was at the centre of attention, before sealing a £55m move to Arsenal.

9 ROC Nation – €0.64bn

Just ahead of HCM, ROC Nation are currently valued at €0.64bn in the world of football and can boast clients such as Vinicius Junior and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli. Interestingly, it’s also not just football that they’ve had great success. In the music industry, they also manage A$AP Rocky, Alicia Keys and more – showcasing their success across two industries.

8 AS1 – €0.78bn

Based in London, AS1 have a number of Premier League stars in their portfolio, including Moises Caicedo and Bruno Fernandes. They also played an important part in Luis Diaz’s transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich in the summer, which cost the German club around £65.5m and has since proved to be a successful move. In total, 285 players are signed up with AS1 agents.

7 Bertolucci Sports – €0.86bn

Just below the €1bn-mark, Bertolucci Sports do not boast the same portfolio as AS1 and others, but their main clients have more than helped their rise in value. Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes is now one of the best defenders in world football, whilst Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes is one of the best midfield stars that the Premier League has to offer and Matheus Cunha just sealed a £63m move to Manchester United.

6 ROOF – €1.07bn

Although ROOF have a clientele which includes established stars like Van Dijk, who recently penned a new deal at Liverpool, and Leon Goretzka, it was their rising stars who enjoyed eventful summers as the agency used their power to full effect.

Tyler Dibling, for example, completed a move to Everton worth as much as £42m, Thierno Barry joined him to become one of Everton’s most expensive ever signings at £27m and Mohammed Kudus joined Tottenham Hotspur for £55m.

5 Unique Sports Group – €1.21bn

With 654 clients, Unique Sports Group is one of the most powerful agencies across football. They’ve signed Anthony Gordon, Brennan Johnson and Malick Thiaw in recent years to see their value soar.

They also came within hours of seeing their client, Marc Guehi, complete a move to Liverpool in the summer before the deal broke down late on. Now, the Crystal Palace star is a man in-demand with his contract expiring next summer.

4 CAA Base – €1.36bn

Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze, Pedro Porro, Rico Lewis and a number of others all make up CAA Base’s impressive portfolio of 658 players and staff, which has helped their value reach €1.36bn. Signing Palmer has proved to be a particular stroke of genius, given how he’s thrived since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023.

They also manage former Real Madrid manager and current Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, who will be looking to add a World Cup to his stunning list of achievements next summer.

3 Gestifute – €1.62bn

Although Cristiano Ronaldo split from super-agent Jorge Mendes in 2022, he remains a Gestifute client with their value soaring. The iconic forward led the way with Mendes to become one of the most successful players of all time and the agency can now boast the likes of Lamine Yamal, Vitinha and Joao Neves.

The fact their portfolio includes two of the 2025 Ballon d’Or’s top three highlights their impressive impact on top stars, whilst their list of managers is also impressive. Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Benfica’s Jose Mourinho are all Gestifute clients.

2 CAA Stellar – €2.01bn

One of just two agencies to hit the €2bn-mark, CAA Stellar manage players such as Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, who is their most valuable client at €75m. Their portfolio ranges to as many as 896 clients, with Eduardo Camavinga, Ibrahima Konate and Rayan Ait-Nouri all standing out as impressive coups.

CAA Stellar’s value could also increase in the summer if Konate moves on from Liverpool and Nottingham Forest’s Eliott Anderson secures the big-money move that he has earned in recent months

1 Wasserman – €2.23bn

At an eye-watering €2.23bn, Wasserman top the list as the most powerful agency in football. They manage as many as 1,238 players, which includes stars such as Federico Valverde, Curtis Jones and John Stones.

The agency has also left its mark in the technical area, with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta signed up alongside Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe. They remain the most influential agency around and that is only likely to grow as European football continues to reach new heights in the transfer market.

All 20 Premier League managers' salaries (lowest to highest)

How much each Premier League gaffer earns.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 21, 2025

Tigers Prospect Jackson Jobe Oozes Confidence With Hilarious Quote in Spring Training

You don't have to question Detroit Tigers up-and-coming pitcher Jackson Jobe's confidence.

MLB Pipeline's No. 5 prospect started for the Tigers against the Toronto Blue Jays during spring training Saturday. The Tigers lost 5-0, but Jobe threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. He had one emphatic strikeout in the outing, which came against Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Guerrero went down swinging as he whiffed on a 97-mph fastball from Jobe.

Jobe threw three straight fastballs to Guerrero. The first was fouled off, the next two were swings and misses. After the game, the young right-handed hurler spoke to his approach during the matchup. He exuded confidence and delivered a hilarious quote.

"I'm done with trying to dot a gnat's a–," Jobe said via Evan Petzold of the . "Just, here's my stuff. If you hit it, good. Odds are, probably not."

Whoever he sees at the plate, safe to say he won't be scared in the slightest.

The Tigers called up Jobe late in the season last year to aid in their improbable run to the postseason. He made two appearances in the regular season, both from the bullpen, where he threw four total innings, surrendering just one hit and no earned runs. He made two appearances during the postseason, too, where he threw 1 2/3 innings and gave up five hits and three earned runs.

Jobe is expected to enter the Tigers' starting rotation in his upcoming rookie season. He's working to get comfortable over the spring. And he's done just that thus far.

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