Category Uncategorized

Fabrizio Romano has shared an intriguing update on Chelsea and their transfer plans for the coming weeks, with one player very eager to make the move to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Chelsea transfer priorities with window reopening on June 16

Following the June 10 transfer deadline of the now-closed mini-window, the summer transfer market will reopen for business on June 16.

Free agent defender now "close to finalising" Chelsea move after talks

The west Londoners are pushing.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 13, 2025

Chelsea attempted to utilise the mini-window as a means to reinforce Enzo Maresca’s squad for the Club World Cup, sealing the signing of striker Liam Delap from Ipswich Town in a £30 million deal and registering 19-year-old defender Mamadou Sarr, who they agreed a move from Strasbourg for £12 million in January.

While BlueCo managed to get some moves over the line, late agreements for AC Milan keeper Mike Maignan and Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens couldn’t quite get done in time – mainly due to haggling over price.

Milan wanted around £25 million for Maignan, which Chelsea refused to pay, resulting in talks ultimately collapsing for the France international.

It was a very similar tale when it came to their negotiations over a deal for Gittens, with Dortmund director Sebastien Kehl telling Tage Spiegel why Chelsea’s talks for the 20-year-old broke down.

“We spoke on the phone, in the end we did not agree, because we have different ideas about the current value of the player,” he said.

“Jamie definitely makes our team better. We are glad that he is there. We are in a good exchange and see how things are shaping in the future.

“Of course, at some point, if you take a player with it, you also have to sell. I assume that his market value will not fall. We will see to what extent we can keep it until the end of the tournament. There will be talks again.”

Chelsea could make fresh Jamie Gittens bid "in the next days"

According to Romano, writing in a column for GiveMeSport, the Englishman remains firmly in Chelsea’s transfer plans, so much so that a new offer could already arrive for Gittens “in the next days”.

The winger is hoping that’ll be the case too, as Romano states that Gittens is literally waiting for Chelsea to call him, and he’s made this known to Dortmund’s club directors as well.

Even if Dortmund are currently demanding around £55 million, according to reliable media sources, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Gittens hoist a Chelsea shirt aloft pretty soon.

However, if they manage to shake hands on a deal, it is worth noting that Gittens won’t be able to take part in the CWC, even with the unique registration period active from June 27 to July 3.

Gittens is already registered to take part in the CWC as a Dortmund player, and rules dictate that he cannot swap teams mid-tournament.

In any case, he could still be the ideal replacement for Jadon Sancho and the suspended Mykhailo Mudryk ahead of next season.

“Jamie is doing an outstanding job,” Lars Ricken, Dortmund’s chief executive for sport, told The Athletic.

“He was a standout, including in the way he helped Ramy (Bensebaini, Dortmund’s left-back) in defence. He has developed into a real difference maker with his goals and assists.”

Manchester United have now made an enquiry over signing a £34 million defender who is also wanted by Tottenham Hotspur and once rejected a move to Arsenal.

Man Utd eyeing defensive reinforcements this summer

It could be said that there are multiple positions United need to address this summer, with strengthening their forward line clearly a key agenda, given the arrival of Matheus Cunha and the expected arrival of Bryan Mbeumo. But as well as looking at the front of the team, Ruben Amorim is also mindful about his defence, and they are now looking at potential arrivals there.

Related Man Utd considering move to sign "incredible" Bayern Munich star for £25m

Amorim has identified a player he believes will transform his midfield and knows the Premier League well.

Posts 1 ByBrett Worthington Jun 9, 2025

At the end of last week, it was reported in Spain that INEOS were readying a £25 million bid to sign Vanderson from AS Monaco. The Brazilian is a right-back by trade, so he would likely be a player to compete for a starting spot in Amorim’s wing-back role. The 23-year-old finished last season with one goal and three assists in 29 Ligue 1 games, and that earned him a call-up to the Brazil squad in Carlo Ancelotti’s first games in charge.

As well as preparing a bid to sign Vanderson, reports have emerged that United have opened talks to sign Aymeric Laporte from Al-Nassr. The Frenchman is expected to leave Saudi Arabia this summer, and that has alerted United, who would be making a bold move given his time at Manchester City. Al-Nassr are looking to get around £23 million for Laporte.

Man Utd make enquiry to sign Evan Ndicka from Roma

Laporte is not the only centre-back on the radar of the Red Devils, as according to RMC Sport, Man United have now made an approach to sign Evan Ndicka from AS Roma, who once rejected a move to Arsenal, saying: “I’m not pretending that I don’t see the rumours. But I have respect in Rome and I respect them. I have three years remaining on my contract, we will see what happens later.”

Amorim is looking to strengthen his options in defence, and Ndicka is now a name that is under consideration by the Red Devils. However, they are not alone, as Tottenham have also made an approach to Roma over a possible deal, and they could hold an advantage over United, as they can offer the defender Champions League football.

Despite being under contract until 2028, Ndicka, who has been dubbed “superb” by scout Jacek Kulig, is allowed to leave Roma this summer, with them reportedly looking to get €40 million, which is roughly £34 million, for his services.

Evan Ndicka’s 24/25 Serie A stats

Apps

38

Starts

38

Assists

1

Touches per game

75.3

Balls recovered per game

3.5

Dribbled past per game

0.2

Clearances per game

3.8

Errors leading to goal

0

The 25-year-old, who has been capped six times for the Ivory Coast, joined the Italian team in July 2023 on a free transfer. During his time in Italy, Ndicka has been a consistent performer for Roma, playing in every league game during the 2024/25 campaign.

He started all 38 matches and helped Roma keep 16 clean sheets. United have seen Victor Lindelof depart Old Trafford, and with Lisandro Martínez still recovering from his long-term injury, Amorim may see Ndicka as a player who can provide not only competition but also improve their defensive organisation.

Crystal Palace are now plotting a move for a £20m midfielder, and they are looking to get a deal over the line quickly, according to reporter Alan Nixon.

Palace eyeing new midfielder after FA Cup triumph

May 17th, 2025 will be a date forever etched into Palace history, having won their first ever major trophy courtesy of a shock 1-0 FA Cup final victory against Manchester City, which also secures qualification for a maiden Europa League campaign next season.

Midfielder Will Hughes spoke about what it meant to win the first major honour of his career after the game, while admitting it will take some time to sink in.

Hughes has been an important player for Oliver Glasner this season, making 31 appearances in the Premier League, but with a Europa League campaign now on the horizon, the manager may have to bring in some more depth in midfield this summer.

According to a report from Nixon on Patreon (via Football League World), one of the midfielders Crystal Palace have set their sights on is Mateus Fernandes, with a quick deal for the Southampton midfielder now being plotted.

With the Saints suffering relegation from the Premier League, they could be at risk of losing some of their key players, and Fernandes is valued at roughly £20m, amid interest from both Palace and Champions League-chasing Nottingham Forest.

Fernandes deserves another chance in the Premier League

Southampton have endured one of the worst seasons in Premier League history, collecting just 12 points throughout the campaign, but the youngster has shown he deserves a second chance in the top flight with some of his performances.

Despite being just 20-years-old, the attacking midfielder has been a regular starter for the Saints, making 35 appearances in the Premier League, during which time he has managed to amass three goals and two assists.

Crystal Palace join Man Utd in race to sign £19m ace who could replace Eze

Crystal Palace are among the Premier League teams chasing a player who is leaving his club this summer.

ByBrett Worthington May 19, 2025

Former manager Vasco Seabra has also praised the starlet in the past, describing him as a “very strong and aggressive player with a great ability to cover a lot of ground”, and he has performed extremely well across some key defensive metrics, including tackling, over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

2.81 (98th percentile)

Interceptions

0.83 (96th percentile)

Blocks

1.31 (89th percentile)

Clearances

1.12 (85th percentile)

Having stood out defensively, when compared to other attacking midfielders, Fernandes is clearly a well-rounded midfielder, who is capable of playing slightly deeper, and he could be a shrewd acquisition for Crystal Palace this summer.

Everton might have lost against Manchester City at the weekend, but they gave it a good go and continue to look levels above the disjointed mess that prompted Sean Dyche to step down in January after The Friedkin Group assumed ownership.

David Moyes will be delighted with the job he’s done since returning to the helm in January, nearly 12 years after leaving his Goodison Park dynasty to take on the job at Manchester United.

The fans are certainly happy, buoyed by the Scotsman’s impact as he prepares to lead the Toffees into a new chapter at Bramley Moore.

Time was when Everton were devoid of hope, but that’s no longer the case. TFG are set to hand Moyes funding to strengthen the squad this summer, but more than a few stars are set to leave to make room.

Long-serving striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is among them.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's Everton future

Calvert-Lewin might have been at Everton for an age, signing from Sheffield United in a £1.5m deal way back in 2016. But all things end, and Moyes is prepared to let him leave in the coming months as he puts his own stamp on his team.

The 28-year-old is indeed out of a deal this summer and Everton have been linked with a range of strikers as they prepare to cut ties.

Beto’s emergent shooting success has tempered the England international’s struggles, but it’s not good for Calvert-Lewin on a personal level, for Moyes is hardly going to be impressed by his three-goal return in 2024/25, having missed a whopping 13 big chances, as per Sofascore.

With 57 Premier League goals to his name, Calvert-Lewin has more than played his part. But injuries, consequent inconsistencies and his high earnings have confirmed that the decision to part ways would be the right one this summer.

He’s not the only one.

Everton veteran has reached the end

Everton are set to replace a range of first-team players in the transfer market this summer, with as many as 15 out of contract.

Seamus Coleman joins Calvert-Lewin on that list, and like the centre-forward he must be allowed to leave as Everton step into a new era.

The most experienced man in the Toffees squad, Everton signed a teenage Coleman from Sligo Rovers in his homeland for a jaw-dropping £60,000 figure, one of the biggest bargains in Everton’s modern history.

Now 36, he’s gone on to make a shedload of appearances, but only four have come this season, with Coleman last featuring on Boxing Day.

Given that he’s yet to even feature during Moyes’ second term, sitting as an unused substitute across five of Everton’s past six top-flight fixtures, it seems nailed on that the two parties will finally part when his £55k-per-week contract expires this summer.

1.

Seamus Coleman

426

2.

Jordan Pickford

314

3.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

269

4.

Michael Keane

227

5.

Idrissa Gueye

206

Coleman has played his part over a decade and a half of service, and he’s not doing too badly in the all-time rankings either, sixth in the all-time charts. There’s no doubt that Coleman’s a ‘club legend,’ even if it’s a moniker he refutes.

Hailed as a “warrior” by former manager Frank Lampard, Coleman is indeed a stalwart at Everton, but it feels fitting in a way that he should close the door on his storied Merseyside journey as Goodison Park prepares to lock the turnstiles for the final time.

Jake O’Brien is now the star man at right-back, and maybe Moyes will target a more conventional wide defender to compete with him this summer.

Whatever happens, it’s time for Coleman to bow out.

Everton must axe "struggling" star who's Moyes' new James Beattie

This Everton player has fizzled out at Goodison Park.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 18, 2025

Like Kanpur, Bengaluru is expected to have a black soil pitch, which will support the spinners over the course of the Test

Ashish Pant14-Oct-2024Three fast bowlers or three spinners? Play Akash Deep over Mohammed Siraj or go for a three-pronged pace attack with both along with Jasprit Bumrah? Pick one of Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel or stay with the tried and tested duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.India have a problem of plenty and will have a number of things to ponder upon when they finalise their playing XI for the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru starting October 16.In home Tests, at least in the current World Test Championship [WTC] cycle, India have mostly gone with three spinners and two fast bowlers. The two Tests out of seven at home in which they played a third seamer was during the recently-concluded series against Bangladesh where they went with Deep, Siraj and Bumrah in the playing XI both times.Related

Rohit wants to expand India's fast-bowling bench strength

'If you play only one way, you don't grow' – for Gambhir, it's adaptability above all else

Trial by spin: Tough challenge turns tougher for New Zealand in India

Steven Smith's Test opening stint over with middle-order return for India

Southee searching for his 'snap' as Test place hangs in the balance

They were faced with a similar situation ahead of the second Bangladesh Test in Kanpur, which was a black soil pitch. There they went with all three pacers in the XI, with Ashwin and Jadeja as the two spinners.In an ideal scenario, India would want to go with three spinners in their unit against New Zealand, especially with the kind of pitch on offer in Bengaluru. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the playing strip for the opening Test against New Zealand is like Kanpur, a black soil pitch. It is understood that the pitch is likely to be a slow turner along with low bounce where shot-making will not be as easy. While it won’t be a rank turner, the surface is likely to support spinners as the Test match goes by.India wouldn’t mind that clearly considering New Zealand possess enough good quality seamers in Will O’Rourke, Ben Sears and Tim Southee, who can use any moisture in the surface to their advantage. In addition, New Zealand’s spin game of late has been rather weak. In 12 innings this year, New Zealand have lost 67 of 104 wickets to spin – their most in five years.Add to that the threat posed by the Indian spinners. Ashwin has the most wickets in this WTC cycle – 53 in ten games at 21.18. Jadeja has 35 in nine, Kuldeep has 19 in four while Axar has five in two Tests. A three-spin attack then you’d think would seem a no-brainer.But the prevailing overcast and damp conditions could play a key role in forcing India to work out whether to pack their bowling unit with three seamers or three spinners.There has been consistent rain in Bengaluru over the last week or so and the forecast for the next few days is of rain and plenty of cloud cover. On Monday – two days before the Test – the pitch was under covers for most of the morning because of a consistent drizzle. Around 1.45pm, when the covers were removed, India captain Rohit Sharma, head coach Gautam Gambhir and Rishabh Pant all had a close look at the surface while also having a lengthy discussion with the pitch curator.The surface looked devoid of much grass, but being under covers and with the overhead conditions expected to be cloudy, there is a chance there could be some early assistance for the fast bowlers come Wednesday.If that is indeed the case, India could well go with Deep, Siraj and Bumrah in the XI. While the Indian spinners have done the bulk of the damage in the WTC cycle, the quicks have not been far behind. Bumrah has 42 wickets in eight Tests in the WTC cycle, 30 of which have come in India at an average of 15.40. The last time Bumrah played a Test in Bengaluru back in 2022, he picked up eight wickets on a turning track.Deep, on the other hand, has played all his three Tests in India and looked excellent while Siraj has 26 wickets in ten WTC Tests in this cycle. Both bowlers also know the M Chinnaswamy surface well having played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL.If India do end up playing three spinners, there could also be a selection quandary as to which fast bowler to pick – the experienced Siraj or newbie Deep who has looked the part. Even with the spin unit, while Ashwin and Jadeja look set to start, do they play Kuldeep or Axar?Jasprit Bumrah has 42 wickets from eight Tests in the current WTC cycle•BCCI”Look, it [final playing XI] depends on the conditions, depends on the wicket, depends on the opposition as well. And the best part about this dressing room is that we’ve got so many high-quality players in there. We can select any of them and we know they can do the job for us,” Gambhir said when asked about whether the overhead conditions could dictate India’s playing XI.”And that is what is called the depth. We’ll have a look at the wicket tomorrow. Me and Rohit will have a chat and see what is the best combination to do the job at Chinnaswamy Stadium.”There has been only one Test played in Bengaluru in the last five years – a day-night Test in 2022 between India and Sri Lanka which the hosts won inside three days. The news point there was the ICC match referee Javagal Srinath rating that Bengaluru pitch “below average”. Of the 39 wickets in the match, the spinners accounted for 26 of which 16 fell on the first day itself.In a scathing assessment, Srinath, a former India and Karnataka fast bowler and also a former office bearer at the Karnataka State Cricket Association [KSCA], said the pitch “offered a lot of turn on the first day itself and though it improved with every session, in my view, it was not an even contest between bat and ball.”India went with three fast bowlers in the last two Tests that they won against Bangladesh. With rain in the air, and the weather damp and cloudy, they could stick to their guns and go with a similar attack. In any case, with the next two Tests scheduled for Pune and Mumbai, where the pitch is likely to take much more turn, it is likely India will switch back to a three-spin plan. But what would that attack look like?

The NZ allrounder talks about her break from cricket, her return, and how the team is shaping up under a new leadership

S Sudarshanan19-Sep-20223:25

Amelia Kerr: ‘Wanted to learn as much possible’ from Satterthwaite, Bates when I got into team

New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr describes the past year as “massive” for her “personal growth”, having come through a roller-coaster 2021.Before New Zealand’s tour of England in August 2021, she opted for a break to focus on mental health and then skipped the Women’s Big Bash League. She returned to competitive cricket in November 2021 in the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield (50 overs) competition and the Super Smash (20 overs) before staging a comeback in New Zealand colours for the series against India this year ahead of the Women’s World Cup.”I am so glad I took the break I did,” Kerr tells ESPNcricinfo from Antigua, where New Zealand prepare to take on West Indies in a three-match ODI series that is part of the Women’s Championship. “It was not necessarily a break from cricket as I was still training. But in terms of not going to England and getting the help I needed, I think it was so important to do. Your mind is a muscle, and you have to look after it like you look after physical injuries. I hope, moving forward, people know you can talk about mental health more openly. I hope people know that there is help out there and there is hope as well when you are going through these tough times.”While Kerr played the Women’s T20 World Cup in West Indies in 2018, this is the first time she is in the Caribbean for a bilateral series, starting with the postponed first ODI on Monday. But having trained a bit in the lead-up to the series, she is aware that the pitch at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound could help her bowling and also aid spin.Kerr sisters Jess and Amelia are both in the squad for the Caribbean tour•Getty Images”It feels like we have been here for a while without much training and playing as we would have thought,” Kerr says. “But we have come here on the back of a lot of cricket, so we are prepared well. These conditions should suit my bowling and I see that as an advantage.”Fortunately we have had a few training sessions where we were able to use the wicket in the middle and then in the nets. The reality is that [the conditions] are not going to be as quick and then might get a bit more turn and be a bit lower and slower as the tour goes on.””The thing about being an allrounder is that if I am bowling, I can think about what I’d be thinking as a batter and what shots would be harder to play and what shots would be easier and then vice versa. I have had some really good chats with [head coach] Ben Sawyer, [spin bowling coach] Craig Howard, [batting coach] Sara McGlashan during training on what works and what doesn’t.”It will be Sawyer’s first bilateral series as the head coach of New Zealand, having been brought in ahead of their bronze-medal finish at the Commonwealth Games.”Ben’s an incredible coach and we have been very fortunate to have him on board,” Kerr says. “He’s come from a winning environment with Australia [as the former assistant coach]. He is just a quiet encourager and there won’t be any pages left unturned in our preparations. He brings the best out of all of us and gets us to play to our strengths. It’s only going to help us be successful.”She may just be 21, but Kerr is without a doubt a senior in the New Zealand set-up•ICC via Getty ImagesWith teenagers Isabella Gaze, Georgia Plimmer and Fran Jonas, and youngsters like Eden Carson and Molly Penfold, New Zealand have a plethora of youngsters in their squad. Kerr, 21, has been around the national side for close to six years now and is aware of her elevation to their leadership group, especially with Amy Satterthwaite retiring earlier this year.”The young girls have taken their opportunities,” Kerr says, “and the way they train and turn up and compete, they just want to get better, which has been awesome to see. Fran Jonas and Eden Carson have taken up more responsibility. We have got a young spin attack.”For us to learn as much as possible and bowl together as much as possible and use the coaches around and set some goals as a collective as well. I have been so impressed with the young girls that have just come in and wanted to compete and train hard. They are going to have long and successful careers.”It’s not something I think about too much,” she says unfazed about being tagged as one of the ‘seniors’. “I enjoy seeing the younger faces around that come through the programme. Now with more new faces, it’s about taking the leadership role, having been with the team for a while.”When I first got into the team, I just followed around Suzie [Bates], Amy and all of those and just wanted to learn as much possible. For me, it is about helping everyone around when they need but also I think they can help me out the way they go about with their stuff. I love competing and being competitive. It’s nice to bowl alongside Fran and Eden knowing that we are all competitive and want the best, which helps getting the best out of each other.”

“The thing about being an allrounder is that if I am bowling, I can think about what I’d be thinking as a batter and what shots would be harder to play and what shots would be easier”

Kerr is coming on the back of a successful, maiden stint at women’s Hundred, where she had the most wickets for London Spirit and second-most runs for them behind Beth Mooney, her former Brisbane Heat team-mate. Although Spirit finished seventh among eight teams, Kerr’s experience was an enriching one.”I think that I really enjoyed the format. It’s just doing everything a little bit quicker – be it with the bat and then with the ball your plan is a bit shorter because you have just five balls to set up a batter,” Kerr says. “Dots are so valuable in the format especially when there’s ten balls in a row and if you can keep certain batters off strike that is what I learnt a lot.””To get to play with [Mooney] again at London Spirit was awesome. She is obviously a world-class player. But I think her cricket knowledge and brain is changing with her. The way she constructs her innings I learnt a lot. It’s low risk and she does it on a consistent basis. She is a world-class player and is someone you want in your team.”Kerr has been among the top scorers in ODIs in 2022 and heads into the West Indies series as the leading ODI wicket-taker for New Zealand this year. Having seen off a tough year and come out on the bright side of it with form behind her, it can only translate to good things on the field.

Rain hits as you captain an ODI World XI in a chase of 310, and you now need 171 to win off 19.5 overs with nine wickets in hand. Who bats at No. 3?

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jul-2020Scenario: You are captaining an ODI World XI against a team of aliens in a day-night game in Mumbai and have been set 310 to win. Rohit Sharma and Jason Roy are your openers and you reach 50 for 0 after ten overs. Off the next ball, Roy falls, but before the No.3 can come in, the umpires stop play for rain. When the game resumes, the DLS target is 221 in 30 overs. So the equation is now 171 to win off 19.5 overs. You can pick any active ODI cricketer to come in at No.3.Danyal Rasool:
This is no longer an ODI chase but a T20 one. And for a T20 chase in Mumbai, it is hard to look past Buttler, whose recent IPL record is irresistible. He has averaged 47.72 and struck at 153.94 over the past two seasons. In the 2016 and 2017 seasons, he played for Mumbai Indians, so he will be familiar with the conditions. Also, it helps that he often comes to the crease in situations where there’s little time to get settled, and with the asking rate fast approaching 9, that ability should pay off. He played a couple of important cameos at the Wankhede in the 2016 World T20 too. While his side will need more than that against an, ahem, unfamiliar bowling attack, a flying start after the resumption should help keep the asking rate in check for the middle order.Karthik Krishnaswamy:
Rain has turned a steep ODI chase into a fairly straightforward T20 chase. I’m not sure what the field restrictions are, but I’m assuming the second powerplay – with only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle – will be in place until the last four or five overs. I’d want the batsman coming in to be able to read fields and bowlers’ plans and pick off a boundary every now and then without taking too many risks. So step forward Shreyas Iyer. Over the last year or so, Iyer has more or less solved India’s long-standing No. 4 issue in ODIs with a clear head, fast hands, and a great understanding of which bowlers to target and when. This situation is tailor-made for his game.Nagraj Gollapudi:
This has to be treated like a T20 chase. Sharma plays the anchor, so the No. 3 needs to be someone who can both attack and bat long. If I had to pick a young Indian player, I would go with Shubman Gill. He has the temparament, skills, and the right technique to attack and rotate strike, but I will put him at No. 4. At three, how about ABD? The experience and the aura will come in handy. With both him and Sharma able to play strokes that others can only marvel at, there would be constant pressure on the aliens, who might need to grow brains to figure out a way to stall the assault that will come from nowhere and everywhere. Good luck, aliens!Alan Gardner:
After a relatively sedate start, this World XI is going to have start tearing things up pretty quickly. This is basically a T20 chase, albeit with the fielding restrictions off, so I would turn to a man who oscillates between opener in the shortest format and finisher in ODIs. Buttler is also used to being bumped up the order if England have made a good start, so he’ll be primed for the challenge. As a white-ball batsman who combines power with innovation, he has few peers, while his IPL experience should stand him in good stead to steer his side home under the Wankhede lights.Send your answers to the scenario to [email protected].More Hot Seat

Welcome to the Postseason of the Splitter.

More than pumpkin spice, the split-finger fastball has become the flavor of the month. Its use in the postseason (6% of all pitches, or 17.4 per game) has skyrocketed 81% from the regular season (9.6 pitches per game) and a whopping 138% from the postseason just last year (7.3 per game).

Entering play Thursday—with about 20 postseason games still to come—we’ve already seen more splitters (434), more outs on splitters (94), more strikeouts on splitters (45) and more pitchers throwing them (29) than in any postseason in recorded history (since 2008).

The splitter was the Blue Jays’ secret sauce to knocking out the Yankees in the ALDS. Toronto has thrown the most splitters this postseason: 15.9%, up from its MLB-leading 9.3% in the regular season. The Yankees went 1-for-27 (.037) against the Jays’ splitters.

Toronto essentially took Ben Rice, the fastball-hitting slugger for New York, off the board by feeding him a ridiculous diet of splitters: 43%. He went 0-for-4 against them.

The Detroit Tigers are another team leaning on the split more in October. With their season on the line in ALDS Game 4, they relied on three pitchers with splitters to cover eight of the nine innings of a 9-3 win: Casey Mize, Kyle Finnegan and Troy Melton.

Detroit is feeding splitters as often as possible to Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez, the biggest bats in the Seattle lineup. Raleigh is seeing 27% splitters, up from 5% in the regular season. Rodríguez is seeing 22% splitters, up from 3%. They have adjusted well, going a combined 4-for-8, but with no home runs.

The Tigers are throwing 13.4% splitters, up from 4.8% in the regular season.

Check out the crazy spike in splitters this postseason compared to anything we’ve seen in the past:

Alright everybody, pencils down.

The trade deadline has come and gone, and a relatively dormant month of transactions sprung to life in a big way with a flurry—no, blizzard—of activity on Thursday. There were teams that took big swings, dipped into their prospect reserve and pushed their chips into the middle of the table with sights set on making noise this October, while others saw the writing on the wall that this just wasn’t going to be their year.

As we continue to sift through the rubble of what was an incredibly impactful day, here’s a rapid-reaction style look at which clubs should be celebrating—and which should be shaking their heads at a missed opportunity.

WinnersPhiladelphia Phillies

It’s an arms race in the NL East, and the Phillies appear to have come out in better shape than the first-place Mets (more on them later). Philadelphia fortified its bullpen with the best closer available in Jhoan Durán, a flame-thrower who is under club control through 2027. The team also added much-needed help to its outfielder by snagging Harrison Bader, a defensive whiz who can play multiple positions and is in the midst of the best offensive season of his career. The Phillies addressed their two biggest needs without trading away the farm system’s crown jewels in pitcher Andrew Painter and shortstop Aidan Miller.

Seattle Mariners

Credit to Seattle and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto: they seem to have learned from their mistakes.

At this time last year, the Mariners held a slim lead in the AL West that they ultimately were unable to hold onto, a fate partially caused by taking a passive stance at the trade deadline. Randy Arozarena was a nice pickup who’s having a better 2025 campaign than his two-month debut for Seattle last year, but the team simply didn’t have enough offensive firepower to make it to the postseason.

Apparently, getting the greatest offensive performance from a catcher in the history of the game changes the decision-making calculus. Cal Raleigh is putting together an MVP-caliber run, but logged a .191/284/.461 slash line in July as the rigors of catching and mashing appear to be taking a toll. In short, Big Dumper needed some help, so Dipoto and Co. ponied up and got the most notable instant-impact bat on the market, landing third baseman Eugenio Suárez from the Diamondbacks on the heels of acquiring Josh Naylor a week prior. The prospect cost doesn’t appear too steep, but regardless, the message these moves send is crystal clear: the Mariners are no longer content to keep doing the same things and hoping for better results.

Carlos Correa

Newcastle United have now joined several top clubs in the race to sign a teenage star who’s the same “talent level” as Erling Haaland, according to reports.

Alan Shearer praises "excellent" Guimaraes despite Tottenham draw

Although Newcastle have the chance to redeem themselves against Burnley this weekend, they’ll look back on their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur as a chance wasted. The Magpies largely dominated, but came unstuck by a shock Cristian Romero brace which included a late overhead kick.

Eddie Howe still has plenty of reason to be optimistic, though, and one of those reasons is the performance of Bruno Guimaraes. The Brazilian emerged from the bench before finding the back of the net and receiving high praise from Tyneside legend Alan Shearer.

It was a standout display from a Newcastle fan favourite, but that may not stop the Magpies from welcoming another midfield addition in the January transfer window.

Related £65m Newcastle duo should be fuming with Howe's team selection vs Spurs

Two Newcastle players, in particular, are unlikely to be too happy right now.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Dec 3, 2025

Those at St James’ Park have already been linked with the likes of Scott McTominay on that front and could welcome the Scotland international, before turning their focus towards the in-demand Yan Diomande.

Newcastle join Yan Diomande race

Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Diomande, according to TeamTalk, and are among the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Liverpool all competing to land the winger’s signature.

One RB Leipzig source even went as far as to tell TeamTalk that the winger is the same “talent level” as Manchester City star Haaland, who also came through the Red Bull ranks at Salzburg a number of years ago.

Newcastle have reportedly sent their scouts to watch the 19-year-old in action, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll be able to position themselves to secure his arrival.

What’s more, Leipzig themselves are not ready to let their young star leave and his reported €100m (£87m) release clause should help fend off at least some of the interest.

Given how Anthony Elanga has struggled this season, Diomande is someone that the Magpies should be all in on if they want to complete their frontline alongside record signing Nick Woltemade.

Shades of Woltemade: Newcastle holding internal talks to sign £21m "magician"