Chelsea has loaned out of one of its most talented academy prospects amid another transfer window of big spending by the Premier League club

Caleb Williams is the projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but the organization picking first absolutely stinks, then he could return to USC for a third season.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup is well in the rearview mirror after Germany defeated Serbia to take their first-ever international basketball gold medal. Most stars shined as expected, but others reached unexpected levels.

England forward Fran Kirby has extended her Chelsea contract by another year. Kirby, who signed a two-year deal in 2021 that included the option of a further 12 months, joined the Blues from Reading in 2015 and has gone on to become the Women’s Super League club’s leading scorer with 110 goals in 175 appearances. During her time with Chelsea, Kirby has won 13 trophies, including five WSL titles as well as the FA Cup on four occasions. Kirby was also part of the England side which won the European Championship on home soil last summer, but has been ruled out of this year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand after needing knee surgery. The 29-year-old suffered the injury during Chelsea’s Continental League Cup semi-final against West Ham in February. A club statement read: “Chelsea is delighted to announce that an option to extend the contract of forward Fran Kirby by a further year has been exercised. “We look forward to seeing Fran back in blue next season.” PA Read More England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane, and who’s got work to do? Ella Toone upbeat on England’s World Cup chances despite ‘difficult’ injury setbacks ‘Everyone wants to see us fail’: How Erin Cuthbert drives Chelsea to stay on top

Shohei Ohtani has been pulled from the mound by the Los Angeles Angels after only four innings

Matt Canada spoke up on the Steelers offensive woes, Minkah Fitzpatrick defends himself from Browns fans, George Pickens kept out of the Pittsburgh gameplan.

The NFL schedule for the 2023 season has been released!As a result, the betting markets have completely opened up. Now that we know when teams are playing each other, sportsbooks have begun to set the odds for individual games. In fact, the entire betting board if available for the first week of...

Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history with skipper Olga Carmona sweeping in the only goal for a deserved 1-0 victory...

Further improvement was the mantra as Celtic dominated the PFA Scotland awards, with success for manager Ange Postecoglou and striker Kyogo Furuhashi. Postecoglou was named manager of the year by his peers on Sunday evening after guiding the Hoops to back-to-back titles, while Furuhashi won the Premiership player of the year title after scoring 30 goals in all competitions, 24 of them in the league to sit at the top of the charts. Postecoglou saw off competition from fellow Premiership boss Stephen Robinson of St Mirren, Dunfermline’s James McPake and Stirling Albion’s Darren Young. The former Australia head coach told Sky Sports News: “On the evidence of our season we have been a better side. “We have been more dominating than we were last year in all competitions and the players have improved in all areas. “That’s always the challenge. Sometimes when you have success, complacency can sort of creep in, but I have never seen that with this group.” Furuhashi backed up that assessment after beating team-mates Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate plus Motherwell striker Kevin van Veen to the main prize of the night. The Japan international said: “I’m really grateful to get this award. It’s thanks to all the support from the people around me “There were a lot of great nominees and great players out there, so I am really pleased to get this award, but I would still like to be a better player so I will work hard.” Celtic winger Jota claimed the goal of the season prize – voted for by the public – for his sublime chip in the 4-0 home victory over Rangers in September. The Hoops also provided the women’s player of the year in Caitlin Hayes, but there was double success for Rangers in the young player categories, with on-loan Bayern Munich midfielder Malik Tillman getting the men’s award ahead of Celtic duo Liel Abada and Matt O’Riley plus Albion Rovers winger Charlie Reilly. Rangers’ Emma Watson was named women’s young player of the year. A special merit award went to former St Mirren, Aberdeen, Scotland and Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Read More Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou named manager of the year at PFA Scotland Awards ‘We never stop’: How Ange Postecoglou restored Celtic’s dominance The sporting weekend in pictures

Jadon Sancho has claimed he is being made a “scapegoat” by Erik ten Hag after the Manchester United manager suggested the winger was dropped due to his performances in training. Sancho is yet to start a game for Manchester United this season and was left out of the squad entirely for their visit to Arsenal on Sunday which saw his side fall to a late 3-1 defeat after injury-time goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus. After the game, the United manager addressed the English forward’s absence, clarifying that it was down to his levels of performance in training in the week leading up to the match. “Jadon [Sancho] was absent [based] on his performance on the training,” Ten Hag said. “We didn’t select him. You have to reach a level every day at Manchester United and we can make choices on the frontline, so for this game, he wasn’t selected.” However, the 23-year-old has since hit back at the Dutch manager’s words, with a public statement on social media suggesting that other reasons were behind his dropping and refuting the claims of poor training. “Please don’t believe everything you read,” Sancho wrote. “I will not allow people saying things that is completely untrue, I have conducted myself in training very well this week. I believe there are other reasons for this matter which I won’t go into, I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time which isn’t fair! “All I want to do is play football with a smile on my face and contribute to the team. I respect all decisions that are made by the coaching staff, I play with fantastic players and grateful to do so which I know every week is a challenge. I will continue to fight for this badge no matter what!” Sancho has struggled to nail down a regular starting berth in United’s team since his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2021. The Englishman missed three months at the end of last season due to various physical issues. He has scored just 12 goals in 82 games for the club in all competitions. While Sancho watched from home, United extended their dreadful recent record at the Emirates. Having gone ahead through Marcus Rashford, they were pegged back instantly by Martin Odegaard’s strike. Having seen Alejandro Garnacho’s late strike ruled out by VAR for offside, Rice’s deflected strike from a corner – followed by Jesus’s composed finish on the break – secured a dramatic win for the home side. Read More Police launch investigation following alleged assault on Roy Keane Police investigate after Keane ‘headbutted’ following Arsenal win over Man Utd Arteta praises ‘magic’ Rice as £105m midfielder proves match winner vs Man United

MCKINNEY, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 5, 2023--

Pep Guardiola is hoping Manchester City complete the signing of defender Josko Gvardiol within the next few “hours or days”. The 21-year-old Gvardiol was undergoing a medical with City on Friday afternoon ahead of his proposed move from RB Leipzig. The treble-winners are closing in on a deal for the Croatia international and are understood to have agreed a fee of 90million euros (£77.6m) with Leipzig. Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Arsenal at Wembley, City boss Guardiola said: “Regarding Gvardiol – what a beautiful surname he has – he’s doing a medical test. “Everybody knows he’s here, and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, the next days.” Put to Guardiola that completion of the deal would give him six central defenders, he said: “The season is so long, there is many, many games. (It is) absolutely not (too many).” When asked if, after Gvardiol, City would be done in the transfer marker, Guardiola said: “I don’t know. I think it is going to move, something. Not yet.” City have already this summer signed Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, while outgoings have been fellow midfielder Ilkay Gundogan going to Barcelona at the end of his contract and forward Riyad Mahrez joining Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ahli. Everybody knows he’s here, and hopefully we can finish the deal in the next hours, the next days Pep Guardiola on Josko Gvardiol Kyle Walker has been linked with Bayern Munich and Bernardo Silva with Barcelona and Saudi Arabia, and Guardiola said: “They are so important players for us. We want them, we are going to do everything. “It’s not like Gundo, finishing a contract – they have a contract. We want them to stay because they want to stay, and to replace these two players is so, so difficult. “We lost two incredible players for us, Ilkay and Riyad in the last seasons were massively important, incredible goals and assists and personalities in the biggest stages and big important games. To lose Kyle and Bernardo would be so difficult.” He added, when asked more about Silva: “I want to work with guys who want to stay…but after that we have to get an offer…a proper offer. “If they want him, they will take a plane, come here and talk with our sporting director, the CEO, to arrive at an agreement. “For us to buy a player is £10-15m more expensive than other clubs, all the time it’s like that. And the same guys, when they want our players, really important players, first they have to make an offer – and it didn’t happen. “Some players feel they want a new experience. I will not be the guy to say ‘no’, but you have to take an agreement with an important part of the club, the business, (to) make a deal happen. “In the case of Bernardo and Kyle, we talk many times over the last months and even years how important they are for us, how we want them and we will continue to do it until the end. “What is going to happen I don’t know but it is not going to happen if both clubs don’t arrive. “They are massively important players. When we lose these type of players we have to go to the market to buy replacements, and it doesn’t cost £10m, £20m, £30m, £40m, £50m – it’s more expensive than that.” Last month City ended their interest in signing Declan Rice from West Ham after Arsenal bid £105m for the England midfielder, who subsequently made a British-record switch to the Gunners. Asked if he had been disappointed to miss out on Rice, Guardiola said: “Absolutely not. Declan Rice decided to go to Arsenal, the offer was incredible, and all the best. I think for England he is and will be important, and Arsenal bought an incredible player.” Meanwhile, Juanma Lillo has returned to City’s coaching staff. The 57-year-old Spaniard was previously on Guardiola’s backroom team for two seasons from the summer of 2020 before departing to become head coach at Qatari outfit Al Sadd. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Warren Gatland hails Leigh Halfpenny’s professionalism ahead of 100th Wales cap Gareth Southgate understands criticism of Jordan Henderson following Saudi move Iain Henderson backs Ireland wing Jacob Stockdale to fight for World Cup spot