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Sunderland could reportedly now sell Ross Stewart to one of their new Championship rivals.

The Lowdown: ‘Incredible’ season

As Black Cats legend Kevin Phillips has pointed out, Stewart has had an ‘incredible‘ season at the Stadium of Light, scoring no fewer than 26 goals in total over all competitions, double the next best in Everton loanee Nathan Broadhead with 13 (Transfermarkt).

Fittingly, he also scored their final goal of the campaign as well, the one that sealed promotion back up to the Championship in the 2-0 League One play-off final win over Wycombe Wanderers.

The Latest: Clubs swarming

As per the print edition of The Daily Mirror (via The Sunderland Echo), fellow Championship sides Middlesbrough, QPR and Sheffield United are all now in the hunt to sign Stewart, as well as Glasgow Rangers.

However, Alex Neil’s team would like to tie him down to a lucrative new contract that would make him their best-paid player.

The Verdict: Keep at all costs

There is no denying how important Stewart is to the team with his goal output, and if they are to have the best possible chance of staying in the division next term, then there is no doubt that the striker would have to stay.

At 25 years of age, it is scary to think that Stewart’s best playing days are ahead of him, and so tying him down to a new deal would be huge.

Nonetheless, selling the Scotsman to a Championship rival would surely be seen as unforgivable by the Wearside club’s supporters.

In other news, find out who SAFC will now ‘hold talks’ over signing here!

A promising Tottenham Hotspur transfer update has now come out of Portugal involving heavily-linked Sporting Lisbon star Joao Palhinha.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye midfielder move…

Spurs boss Antonio Conte is thought to be eyeing upgrades to his midfield this summer as the Premier League top-four chasers allegedly plot a major summer overhaul.

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The Telegraph recently claimed that as many as two new additions in the middle of the park could be made at Hotspur Way with both Christian Eriksen (Brentford) and Youri Tielemans (Leicester City) on the radar.

More robust options like Palhinha, repeatedly linked, are also seemingly on the table with newspaper Jornal de Notícias now sharing an update on the situation.

The Latest: Lilywhites ‘initial offer’ imminent…

According to their information (via Sport Witness), an ‘initial offer’ is expected by Tottenham ‘soon’ with Wolves also well in the hunt for Sporting’s tough-tackler.

It is also believed that Palhinha’s club, conceding defeat on his €60 million (£51m) release clause, are now willing to let him leave for around half that amount at €30m (£25m).

The Verdict: Make the move…

The 26-year-old would be a real bargain at £25m and we certainly agree Spurs transfer chief Fabio Paratici should table the initial bid soon.

According to WhoScored, no Sporting player has averaged more tackles per 90 (3) domestically this season with Palhinha also drawing the joint-most fouls – backing just how tricky he can be to come up against.

Members of the media have lavished the ‘sensational player’ as an ‘artist’ over the course of 2021/2022 (Josh Bunting, Islington Gazette) and it’s little wonder, with acclaim and numbers like these, that top English sides have the Portugal international in their sights.

In other news: Paratici also eyeing ‘world class’ player move tipped to ‘excite’ Spurs supporters…find out more here.

Crystal Palace are going in the right direction under Frenchman Patrick Vieira, with a positive start to this season following an impressive 12th place finish in the Premier League last campaign.

The former Arsenal legend has managed to get the best out of this Palace squad while adding in some quality with the likes of Odsonne Edouard, and Joachim Anderson Cheick Doucoure over the previous couple of seasons to compliment a talented side.

It could turn out to be a player who was just signed on a free transfer this summer than might be Vieira’s best move yet as Palace boss.

Steve Parish struck gold over Sam Johnstone

Palace signed the 29-year-old goalkeeper on a free following the expiration of his contract at West Bromwich Albion, and it looks like it could be a very shrewd move indeed for the club.

Having started his career at Manchester United, rising through the academy ranks before having positive spells on loan at Doncaster Rovers and Preston North End, it wasn’t until a move to Aston Villa that the Englishman established himself properly.

His first full season at the Midlands club saw Johnstone play 45 Championship matches, keeping 20 clean sheets and saving three shots per game (77% success).

A permanent move to West Bromwich Albion followed and he eventually graduated to full England honours, keeping a clean sheet on his debut.

Despite Palace having Jack Butland and Vicente Guaita, the sides player of the season in 2020/2021, as options between the posts, Johnstone is certainly capable of becoming the long-term number one goalkeeper at the club.

CIES Football Observatory have currently valued Johnstone at €10m (£8.6m) and after chairman Steve Parish snapped him up for nothing, Palace could make a significant profit if he performs well and attracts subsequent interest as a homegrown shot-stopper with caps at international level.

The 29-year-old even received praise from an England legend last year, with Gary Lineker describing a save from Johnstone as “unbelievable” in a 1-1 draw against his former club Man United.

In his only appearance so far this season, the 6 foot 3 titan achieved a rating of 7.2 on SofaScore with his performance against Oxford in the League Cup. He kept a clean sheet and saved every shot he faced and Vieira will surely give him some matches in the Premier League in the near future.

He fell short of the most expensive figures – by Jofra Archer earlier this season – by just one run

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Apr-20251:31

Jaffer: ‘Shami struggles when he doesn’t nail his yorkers’

Mohammed Shami of Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) missed returning the most expensive IPL figures – bowled by Jofra Archer earlier this season – by just one run, when he leaked 75 runs against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Hyderabad on Saturday. Here are some of the most expensive spells in IPL history:

Mohammed Shami 0 for 75 vs PBKS, IPL 2025

Shami might be among the best new-ball bowlers in India but the Hyderabad track and PBKS batters are sparing nobody. Prabhsimran Singh spoiled Shami’s day from his first over itself by carting him for three consecutive fours. Priyansh Arya, the other PBKS opener, went a step further by starting the third over with back-to-back sixes followed by a four and ended the over by dispatching a full toss over midwicket for six more. Shami then gave away 11 in his third over and would have been hopeful of conceding fewer in the 20th over when SRH were fighting back in the death overs. But Marcus Stoinis dashed those hopes by smoking four sixes on the leg side to end the innings and gave Shami forgettable figures.

Jofra Archer 0 for 76 vs SRH, 2025

Having entered the last auction as a last-minute addition after some back and forth with the ECB and a paycut in his central contact with them, Archer had the most inauspicious start to a new IPL season with his old side Rajasthan Royals (RR). He came on as first change after SRH had already racked up 55 in four overs and he was taken apart immediately by Travis Head for a 23-run over, which also included a wide. Head’s dismissal didn’t change Archer’s fortunes, though, as Ishan Kishan, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Heinrich Klaasen carted him around for six more fours and three sixes to make him top this list.

Mohit Sharma 0 for 73 vs DC, 2024

Mohit Sharma was introduced in the 12th over of the Delhi Capitals (DC) innings in this game from 2024. Rishabh Pant welcomed him with a boundary and continued his assault in the subsequent overs. When Mohit returned to bowl the final over of the innings, Pant unleashed a flurry of sixes. He smashed the GT bowler for 6, 4, 6, 6 and 6, resulting in the most expensive spell in IPL history at the time.

Basil Thampi 0 for 70 vs RCB, 2018

A brutal night in Bengaluru saw SRH’s Basil Thampi have a torrid time in 2018. When Moeen Ali welcomed him into the attack with back-to-back sixes, it set the tone for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting unit to pile on the runs. AB de Villiers, Colin de Grandhomme and Sarfaraz Khan joined in, hitting Thampi for five fours and six sixes, resulting in a forgettable day.2:03

Hayden on Archer: ‘Not sure I’ve seen a poorer IPL bowling performance’

Yash Dayal 0 for 69 vs KKR, 2023

Rinku Singh stunned everyone by smashing five sixes in the final over to pull off an astonishing heist against Gujarat Titans (GT). And it was GT’s Dayal who bore the brunt. Dayal was tasked with defending 29 runs in the last over, with his figures already 0 for 38. However, he couldn’t find an answer to Rinku’s barrage of sixes, ending with 0 for 69.

Luke Wood 1 for 68 vs Delhi Capitals, 2024

Gerald Coetzee had a stomach bug, and his replacement Luke Wood probably felt a bit queasy himself after his first three balls went for 14 thanks to the baseball-style hitting of Jake Fraser-McGurk. After conceding just eight in the second over, Wood was taken for two sixes by Shai Hope in his third. In his fourth, Tristan Stubbs decided Wood had been hit in front of the wicket enough and hit four consecutive boundaries with scoops and reverse-scoops. The over ended up going for 26.

Reece Topley 1 for 68 vs SRH, 2024

RCB were hammered for the highest team total in IPL history at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, and it was Reece Topley who felt the heat the most. Despite taking the wicket of Abhishek Sharma, Topley’s figures were 1 for 43 after three overs. His final over turned into a nightmare when Abdul Samad hit 4, 4, 6, 6 and 4, helping SRH surpass the record team total of 263 runs.

Pakistan fast bowler on recovering from knee injury, captaining Qalandars to two PSL titles and looking ahead to the T20 Blast

Osman Samiuddin25-May-202318:37

Shaheen Shah Afridi: the rise of the falcon

Statsguru tells us Shaheen Shah Afridi has not been around much for Pakistan over the last year. In between two injuries, he has played 16 international matches, less than a third of Pakistan’s total matches since July last year, when a dive on the boundary in Galle led to a ligament injury in his right knee.And yet, it is unarguable that in that time, his stature within Pakistan has grown immeasurably, to the degree that he shares equal billing with Babar Azam as the team’s biggest star. The kerfuffle over the rehabilitation of his injury, in particular his hurried departure – at his own expense – from the UAE to the UK to begin rehab; the comeback and heartbreak of another injury to the same knee at a World Cup final; a high-profile wedding; leading Lahore Qalandars to a second successive PSL title; and constant and inevitable rumours around a leadership tilt with Pakistan.He was always a superstar, but with this very 90s-Pakistan-superstar trajectory, he’s blown up into the stratosphere. The perfect time, then, to land up in England for a stint in the T20 Blast with Nottinghamshire.The knee is “back to 100% now,” he told ESPNcricinfo, even if there were murmurings during Pakistan’s home season around a slight dip in his pace post return. He’s dismissive of that, pointing to a decent haul of wickets since: 19 in the PSL, six in five T20Is against New Zealand, eight in four ODIs against the same team.”Everyone has a view about it [the pace], but I’ve been feeling good. You look at yourself, even if you are bowling 110kmph and taking wickets, you’re feeling good. I took wickets. I gave 100% in the field, that matters more. Speed doesn’t matter as much but if there has been a dip, it will improve with time.Shaheen Shah Afridi injured his knee after he caught Harry Brook in the T20 World Cup 2022 final•PA Photos/Getty Images”[I was injured] two months out before the [T20] World Cup, two-three months after the [T20] World Cup also. So it will of course take time to get back. That match energy or fitness, you only get it from playing matches. Since the PSL I’ve been feeling better, I got better through it and then played internationals for Pakistan as well. With time I’ll improve and the more I play the more I’ll improve.”The moment of the recurrence of that knee injury – which subsequently ruled him out of a big home Test season – will remain one of the great what-ifs of his career. With Pakistan battling hard to defend 138 at the MCG in the T20 World Cup final, Afridi took an athletic catch at long-off in the 13th over to dismiss Harry Brook, but jammed his knee in the process. He went off briefly, returned to roars, ran in to bowl the 16th with England still needing a tricky 41 off 30 and pulled up after one ball. England were wobbling, the surface wasn’t easy and Afridi had grown his way into the tournament. Instead, he went off, Ben Stokes hit a four and six off Iftikhar Ahmed, on to complete the over, and it was over.The year before, Pakistan were looking strong defending in the semi-final against Australia before a Matthew Wade blitz off Afridi – with a dropped catch to boot – turned the game.”Obviously, it’s every player’s dream to win a World Cup for his country and I still remember 2021, how that ended,” he said. “And in this tournament [2022], if I didn’t get injured at such a crucial moment, maybe we could’ve won. Maybe if I had stayed fit and bowled…” he trails off. “Injuries can happen at any time.”How much does he still think about those two games?”If I think too much about them then I won’t be able to move ahead.”

“Me and Lala were practising shots, about how to hit in the final overs, working on my bat swing a little. Nobody has the kind of experience he has in T20s, and working with him was really good.”Shaheen Shah Afridi on practising six-hitting with Shahid Afridi

His memories of the last two PSLs are much happier. Lahore Qalandars could not have fallen lower by the time he took over as captain, but two titles in successive years has been a genuinely remarkable turnaround. He’s visibly grown into the role, slipping from a slightly nervous presence in need of advice to a commandeering leader, supremely confident in his own decisions. His performances have not really been impacted; if anything, captaincy has brought out something else in him, amply evident in his all-round impact in this year’s final.”Captaincy is totally different to bowling,” he said. “You have to keep the entire team on the same page with that. With bowling, you only think about what you are doing with the ball, how to bowl to the captain’s plans.”With captaincy, you’re thinking about your bowling but also about every member of the team, what mood they’re in, how they’re feeling. That is a totally different job. But I’ve enjoyed it lots.”I think the line between the two [captaincy and bowling] is quite clear. If you are the captain, you know when you need to bring a certain bowler on and at what moment, whether it is a pressure moment. As a captain there’s always the option that I can bring myself on at that tough moment. If I don’t lead from the front at that time then obviously the team can start thinking negatively that the captain is hiding himself.”What captaincy has also done is bring out his batting, at least in the shortest format where Notts might benefit. Previously seen as useful enough to not be easily dismissed, Afridi has developed into a floating, and fierce, clean hitter of sixes. As well as the wickets in the last PSL, he ended up with the ninth-highest strike rate – 168.35 – among batters with more than 100 runs. That included the 15-ball 44 in the final against Multan Sultans.Afridi: ‘You look at yourself, even if you are bowling 110kmph and taking wickets, you’re feeling good’•AFP/Getty Images”I always liked batting, right from my Under-16 days,” he said. “When I got injured, I started working on my batting a lot more because I wasn’t bowling. When I came to England for my rehab, I worked hard on my batting then.”I’ve always actually gone into bat with the same plan but because I’m hitting more sixes these days it looks like my batting has improved.”The increase in sixes has no doubt come from the work he’s done on his batting with his father-in-law, a man familiar with the sometimes brutal art of hitting maximums: Shahid Afridi.”Yeah there’s been an impact from that. Me and Lala [Shahid] were practising shots, about how to hit in the final overs, working on my bat swing a little. Nobody has the kind of experience he has in T20s, and working with him was really good. I’ve learnt a lot.”My priority is still to be the bowler. If that doesn’t click on a day then of course, I want to contribute with the bat and if not with the bat, then in the field.”He has fond memories of his only previous game at Trent Bridge, his new home, a Player-of-the-Match performance in a blockbuster win against England. With a gig in The Hundred later, he has a long summer planned in England.”History tells you runs are scored here but I think if you bowl in the right areas, you still get wickets here. It’s a new county for me, I’m enjoying it already and I hope I’ll have some good cricket to show for it.”

The season may have been abruptly cut short, but there were a number of players who dazzled us with their performances

Sreshth Shah09-May-20211. Shikhar Dhawan (380 runs, ave 54.28, three fifties)Dhawan returned home with the Orange Cap for the most runs. He began the season with a match-winning 54-ball 85 against the Chennai Super Kings. Then against Punjab Kings, he wallopped 92 in 49 balls as he married precision with power in equal measure and followed it up with an unbeaten 69 to anchor a second win against the same side. In between, he notched up two more forties. Dhawan also hit the most fours (43) this season.2. Prithvi Shaw (308 runs, strike rate 166.48, three fifties)After a forgettable IPL 2020, all eyes were on Shaw this season after superb white-ball performances in domestic cricket. He mauled a 38-ball 72 against the Super Kings. Then against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he played a patient 39-ball 53 on a two-paced surface. And against Kolkata Knight Riders, his 41-ball 82 was set up by the first over against Shivam Mavi where he hit his Under-19 World Cup batch-mate for six fours in an over. Shaw pipped Faf du Plessis to the second opener’s spot after a 7-5 vote by the jury.ESPNcricinfo’s IPL 2021 team of the tournament•ESPNcricinfo Ltd3. Moeen Ali (206 runs, strike rate 157.25, 5 wickets)The Super Kings’ 2021 auction recruit took the No. 3 spot and helped his side change gears with his cameos. He also hit a fifty against the Mumbai Indians in a high-scoring contest. His aggressive shot selection helped the well-equipped Super Kings middle order to carry the momentum and helped them post scores of 220, 218, 191, 188 and 188. With the ball, he was used almost always against left-handers alone, and his best performance was a 3 for 7 against the Rajasthan Royals.4. Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper) (277 runs, strike rate 145.78, 1 hundred)Samson lit the tournament up early with a brilliant century, in a loss against the Punjab Kings. His 119 (12 fours and seven sixes) nearly took the Royals over the line as he failed to deposit a six off the final ball of the match in a chase of 222. Then came a string of low scores for the side’s captain, but his return to form with scores of 42*, 42, and 48 in his last three games was interrupted by the tournament’s postponement. He is also the wicketkeeper of our side.5. AB de Villiers (207 runs, strike rate 164.28, average 51.75, 2 fifties)Although de Villiers did not play any cricket since IPL 2020, there was no rustiness in his batting. His 27-ball 48 against Mumbai ensured the Royal Challengers Bangalore started the tournament with a win. Then came his unbeaten 34-ball 76 in an afternoon game against the Knight Riders where he hit Andre Russell to all parts in the death overs and followed it up with the 42-ball 75 against the Capitals. He helped the Royal Challengers win the game by a run, as he went after Kagiso Rabada and Marcus Stoinis in particular. It was de Villiers’ first time batting a whole season at No. 5, and he aced the challenge with flying colours.6. Kieron Pollard (captain) (168 runs, strike rate 171.42, average 56.00, 3 wickets)After hitting just 12 runs in his first two games, Pollard returned to form when he creamed three sixes in a 22-ball 35 against the Sunrisers and followed it up with a two-over spell at an economy of only five. Pollard saved his best for the blockbuster against the Super Kings. He dismissed du Plessis and Suresh Raina, going only for only 12 in two overs in a game where both teams scored over 200. With Mumbai’s backs against the wall in the chase, he masterminded a counterattack by smashing 87 at a strike-rate of 255.88 to chase down 219 off the game’s last ball. The jury also picked Pollard as the team’s captain, over the only other option Samson.Related

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7. Ravindra Jadeja (131 runs, strike rate 161.72. six wickets, economy 6.70)In his six outings, Jadeja was out only once, and played the role of the finisher so well that he came out to bat ahead of MS Dhoni and Sam Curran on most occasions. Although his unbeaten knocks of 26 and 22 against the Capitals and Mumbai came in the Super Kings’ only two losses, he produced one of the best all-round performances in IPL history against the Royal Challengers. He first destroyed the 20th over from Harshal Patel to extract 37 runs from it to finish on a 28-ball 64. He then followed it up with a three-for that included the wickets of Glenn Maxwell and de Villiers. And to top it off, he also effected a direct-hit run out in the same game.8. Rashid Khan (10 wickets, average 17.20, economy 6.14)One of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for the Sunrisers, Rashid was the second-highest wicket-taker among spinners and had the best economy of all those who delivered 12 or more overs. The quality of his wickets are even more remarkable: Shubman Gill and Russell against the Knight Riders. Gayle against Punjab, de Villiers against the Royal Challengers, Dhawan against Capitals and Ruturaj Gaikwad, du Plessis and Moeen against the Super Kings. He also bowled a Super Over against the Capitals, and nearly defended a target of 8.9. Rahul Chahar (11 wickets, average 18.36, strike rate 15.2)Chahar was the best spinner in the tournament. Whenever Mumbai needed a breakthrough, they turned to Chahar, and he almost always delivered. His four-for against the Knight Riders helped set up an unlikely win. His 3 for 19 against the Sunrisers bowled them out for 137. And his 2 for 33 put the brakes on the rampaging Royals opening stand, as he dismissed Jos Buttler and Yashasvi Jaiswal in quick succession. With other Indian wristspinners struggling in the tournament, Chahar’s IPL performances have made him a frontrunner for a starting spot in India’s T20I team.10. Avesh Khan (14 wickets, average 16.50, strike rate 12.8)Avesh Khan 2.0, a leaner, fitter version of his past self was so successful for the Capitals that he was preferred ahead of Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav. He bowled the difficult transitionary overs between the powerplays and also at the death. He took a wicket in all eight games with two three-fors. His ability to get seam movement with the hard ball and execute yorkers with the older ball made him the player with the most impact points per match average in the whole season, according to ESPNcricinfo’s Smart Stats. Khan’s consistent performances also helped him get a call up as a standby for India’s red-ball tour of England next month.11. Jasprit Bumrah (6 wickets, economy 7.11)The wickets may have dried up for Bumrah, but the impact has not. And that’s because he is now usually reserved for the back end of the innings where the economy is more impact than wickets. Bumrah’s performance this season gave batsmen a big dilemma. Because if they tried to attack him, they would get out. And if they did not, they would allow the required run-rate to balloon. Either way, Bumrah was king when he had the ball with his wide yorkers and back-of-length balls that awkwardly angle into the batter, or the yorker around leg stump. The way Boult and Bumrah hunted in pairs was a sight to behold.

We’ll never forget the beautiful offseason chaos that occurred on Dec. 8, 2023.

At the time, the biggest storyline in all of sports was where two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and his adorable puppy Decoy were going to sign in free agency. Ohtani had just wrapped up his sixth season with the Angels and had two MVP award and three All-Star nods to show for it.

There was no question that Ohtani was going to sign the biggest free-agent contract in baseball history—and likely, North American sports history. The question was … where?

As we all know, Ohtani ended up signing a record-breaking 10-year contract with the Dodgers worth $700 million, a contract that included $680 million deferred for a decade. Although Ohtani spending his next 10 years starring at Dodger Stadium seemed like a foregone conclusion that offseason, there were other serious contenders to sign the two-way superstar, including the Blue Jays. In fact, on Dec. 8, 2023, there were inaccurate reports swirling around the internet that Ohtani was on a private flight heading to Toronto—interpreted as an indication he was going to sign with the Blue Jays.

It was debunked an hour or so later, but what a time that was to be online.

Less than two years later, the baseball gods provided us with a storyline almost too good to be true—Ohtani’s Dodgers will attempt to defend their World Series title against the Blue Jays, the team that came oh-so-close to signing the two-way superstar.

Ahead of Game 1 on Friday night, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the flight to Toronto that never was:

Setting the stage: Ohtani’s finalists

As early as the All-Star Game in July 2023, Ohtani’s pending decision dominated the headlines. At the time, Tom Verducci considered the Dodgers the favorites to land Ohtani, followed by—in order—the Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rangers and Mets.

In the months following, the Blue Jays crept their way into the Ohtani sweepstakes and surged past the other contenders. By December, Verducci reported the Blue Jays were one of two serious finalists for Ohtani along with the Dodgers, and the Cubs and Giants were “hanging in there.”

Could the Blue Jays actually pull it off and outspend the Dodgers? Well, uh …

Dec. 8, 2023 at 4:01 p.m. ET: The Report

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi broke the internet.

At 4:01 p.m. ET on Dec. 8, 2023, Morosi reported, citing sources, that Ohtani was “en route” to Toronto and his agent would not comment when asked about his travel plans. Morosi made sure to note that as that flight left the ground, Ohtani had not signed any contract with an MLB team.

Earlier that week, it was reported that Ohtani was touring the Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla. There was also a rumor floating around Toronto media circles that Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi made a Friday night reservation for 50 people at a sushi restaurant near Rogers Centre. Certainly, a private jet flying from Southern California to Toronto reportedly carrying the two-way superstar meant he intended to sign with Toronto. Right?

Dec. 8 at 5:11 p.m. ET: The Rebuttal

Well, not so fast.

’s Bob Nightengale—in perhaps the defining moment of his reporting career—shut it down.

“Shohei Ohtani is NOT in Toronto,” he wrote in an X post published at 5:11 p.m. ET. “Ohtani is NOT on a flight to Toronto. Ohtani is at home in Southern California.”

After Nightengale swatted the rumors of a Toronto flight, other reporters confirmed that, in fact, Ohtani was still in the Los Angeles area and not headed north across the border. Morosi, to his credit, issued a heartfelt apology later that night for getting it wrong.

But here’s the thing: There a private flight in the air traveling from Southern California to Toronto. And it was carrying a celebrity—just not a two-way baseball phenom.

Dec. 8 at 5:54 p.m. ET: Jumping the shark

Robert Herjavec, the Canadian billionaire best known for his role on the hit show , boarded flight N616RH out of John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., and headed to Toronto on Dec. 8, 2023.

Traveling with his two sons, Herjavec had no idea fans and journalists alike were tracking Flight N616RH through the air. When Herjavec landed in Toronto and was welcomed by a sea of Canadian media, he was beyond confused. He was even asked by a Canadian customs agent whether Ohtani was on the plane.

Just before 6 p.m. ET, a CBC photographer on site at the airport reported that Flight N616RH was carrying Herjavec, not Ohtani.

Later that night, Herjavec himself posted to social media and confirmed the news.

“I’d like to thank the @bluejays organization for signing me today!” Herjavec wrote in an Instagram post. “All joking aside—I’m not @shoheiohtani and he was not on my plane today! Not sure how it all started but I’m calling the jays and seeing if they’ll sign my 5 year old for 600 mil (he WAS on the plane and throws a mean pitch).”

The very next day, Ohtani signed his lucrative contract with the Dodgers. He led Los Angeles to a World Series in his first season with the club, defeating Aaron Judge and the Yankees in five games.

But if Ohtani is going to add a second World Series ring to his trophy case, he’ll have to go through the Blue Jays—the organization that will forever be linked to his free-agent decision.

It would be fair to say that the last week or so hasn’t been ideal for Arsenal.

Yes, Mikel Arteta’s side are still top of the Premier League, but a draw away to Chelsea and then a defeat at the hands of Aston Villa have diminished their lead to just two points.

Moreover, while they certainly weren’t terrible against the Villans, they failed to make the most of their chances.

One player who has received quite a bit of criticism from the fan base in the aftermath is Martin Odegaard, and if reports are to be believed, the club could be looking to bring someone in who could be bad news for his place in the team.

Arsenal target Odegaard upgrade

With the transfer window now less than a month away from reopening, Arsenal have a chance to reinforce their squad, and the good news is that they’ve already been linked with a host of brilliant players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has once again been touted for a £70m move to the Emirates, as has Nottingham Forest’s £79m Murillo.

However, while both Brazilians would undoubtedly have an impact on Arteta’s side, neither one could be described as a potential rival, upgrade or replacement for Odegaard, unlike Kenan Yıldız.

Yes, according to recent reports from Italy, Arsenal have reignited their interest in the Turkish wonderkid.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Gunners have once more made contact to find out what would be needed to make this deal happen.

However, while a potential price is not mentioned in the story, other reports from last month claim that a fee of around £88m could be enough to tempt Juventus into selling.

It would therefore be a costly and potentially complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Yıldız’s ability and potential, Arsenal should fight for him, especially as he could provide real competition for Odegaard, if not outright replace him.

How Yıldız compares to Odegaard

So, the first thing to point out is that while Yıldız is primarily viewed as a winger, he could easily become more of a ten over time.

After all, while he has spent plenty of time out wide, his most-played position is second striker, and given his third-most-played position is attacking midfield, the idea of him dropping a little deeper does not feel far-fetched.

Moreover, the youngster already possesses one of the key characteristics of the best tens: the ability to both score and assist goals with relative ease. There is a reason European football writer Danny Corcoran has suggested the youngster has “Mbappe-like ability.”

For example, in 52 appearances last season, totalling 3520 minutes, he scored 12 goals and provided nine assists, which comes out to a goal involvement on average every 2.47 games, or every 167.61 minutes.

He has somehow become even more dangerous this season, scoring six goals and providing five assists in 19 appearances, totalling 1533 minutes, which is a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 139.36 minutes.

Appearances

52

45

Minutes

3520′

3447′

Goals

12

6

Assists

9

12

Appearances

18

11

Minutes

1457′

516′

Goals

5

0

Assists

5

2

For comparison’s sake, Odegaard scored six goals and provided 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes, last season, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes.

This season, in the period he has been available, the Norwegian international has provided two assists in 11 appearances, totalling 516 minutes, which is an average of one every 5.5 games, or every 258 minutes.

With it clear that the Turkish gem is more of an attacking threat than the Gunners’ captain, what else makes him a player that Andrea Berta and Co cannot miss out on?

Well, as his output would suggest, he is, in the words of content creator Alex Moneypenny, someone “capable of the spectacular.”

Whether that’s a goal from distance, a mazy run that ends in a chance or just some tidy footwork that gets his team on their way, the Regensburg-born talent is an attacker who can seemingly do it all.

This is unsurprisingly reflected in his underlying numbers as well.

Goal-Creating Actions

1.22

Top 6%

Shot-Creating Actions

6.10

Top 8%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.46

Top 9%

Carries into Penalty Area

3.41

Top 11%

Shots on Target

1.46

Top 12%

Successful Take-Ons

3.17

Top 12%

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Champions League for goal-creating actions, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 9% for expected assisted goals, the top 11% for carries into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it would be an expensive transfer to get over the line, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Yıldız, as he’s got the ability and potential to replace Odegaard and become a world-class ten.

Sterling 2.0: Berta flop already looks like he'll never make it at Arsenal

It is not looking good for the Arsenal star so far this season.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2025

Zimbabwe scored 229 runs and lost eight wickets. Afghanistan scored 34 and lost one. On paper, day two was a day of shared honours. In reality though, the hosts were left holding all aces after having bundled out Afghanistan for 127 on day one, and then converting a three-run lead to a 233-run lead, thanks mainly to a gritty, layered 121 from Ben Curran and a calculated (if not slick) 65 from Sikandar Raza.Ziaur Rahman’s 7 for 97 was a dreamy career-best on Test debut. He became the first bowler to take seven or more wickets via bowled or lbw in a Test innings since Imran Khan in 1982. Afghanistan batted for 12 overs before stumps and lost opener Abdul Malik to Richard Ngarava. Ibrahim Zadran got off to a start and was unbeaten on 25.On a day tailor-made for pacers, the proactivity of Brendan Taylor and the experience of Craig Ervine were no match for the reveries of a Harare pitch offering up-and-down as well as sideways movement. Taylor got an edged boundary through gully (over 41.2) and a chipped four through mid-on (43.3).Despite being decisive and even picking up a boundary to third from a semi-educated edge off a flashing cut and looking solid in defence, the right-handed Taylor fell to a vicious inducker from Ziaur, who then used his allies – low bounce and seam in – to trap the left-handed Craig Ervine lbw.Curran, at the other end, grew into a natural rhythm. One undeterred by being beaten and edging. Raza came in with his problem-solver hat on, walking down the pitch and shuffling sideways against the pace of Ismat Alam and Ziaur. He had nervy moments – like a chip to cover off Alam (50.2) – but overcame them while disregarding the threats posed by the conditions and some skillful bowling.Yamin Ahmadzai’s accuracy and consistency in a six-over collection, split across two spells between overs 38 and 56, saw two maidens, just 11 runs but no wickets. The Morne Morkel-esque Ziaur didn’t face a case of pretty figures. Alam created more nervy moments, especially against Raza, but also conceded more boundaries.Curran and Raza built their 99-run stand in 160 balls with Curran scoring 33 despite facing a healthy share of 72 balls. The clear roles and the duo’s commitment ground down Afghanistan, who had an upbeat presence at the start – with chatter and buzz from the keeper and cordons. Zimbabwe went into lunch on 214 for 4, with Curran on 79* and Raza 37*.The older ball, tiring bowlers and the fewer challenges posed by Hashmatullah Shahidi’s part-time bowling and Khalil Gurbaz’s awkward action, helped the two batters consolidate.Curran brought up his 217-ball ton off Shahidi’s flick and virtually levitated with open arms, a bat in one hand and helmet in the other, in celebration.Ziaur Rahman picked up a five-for on Test debut•Zimbabwe Cricket

Raza hit three fours off Sharafuddin Ashraf between overs 69 and 72, but then fell on 75.3, looking for the fourth, after top-edging a slog sweep to Yamin Ahmadzai running around from deep square leg to take the catch.Afghanistan took the new ball one ball after it was available and got it changed 3.5 overs later. Meanwhile, Curran hit three fours in the space of four balls that he faced. There were immediately more threats after the second ball change.Ahmadzai and Ziaur went back to what they did earlier in the day to first threaten edges and dry up scoring, and then Ahmadzai took Curran’s wicket on the stroke of tea. Low bounce and seam in was a culprit again as Curran was hit on the back leg and was out plumb lbw for a 256-ball 121 across 423 minutes.Zimbabwe slumped from 302 for 6 to 359 all out after tea. Ziaur came into his own against a helpless lower-middle and lower order as the final three batters fell for single figures. The carnage began with Tafadzwa Tsiga and Ngarava being lbw in successive balls.Ahmadzai missed the chance to run Blessing Muzarabani out. Perhaps that was because the bowling division of the cricket Gods wanted to watch Ziaur send Muzarabani cartwheeling its way back halfway to the keeper. Evans pulled through against spread-out fields and took Zimbabwe past 350 before Chivanga fell to Ziaur, thus wrapping up the innings.Muzarabani juggled jaffas with the odd bouncer to make Afghan opener Malik’s short stay a scarring one. There were two close shaves in the third over where the ball nearly took the edge – one against each batter.When Ngarava went after Malik with a less attacking plan of bowling short from around the wicket, an attempt to break the shackles was made and an aerial pull went into Muzarabani’s hands at deep-backward square leg.Amid lightmeter readings and some fiery pace bowling, Ibrahim seasoned a crafty little knock while Rahmanullah Gurbaz batted through to stumps. With the visitors still being in the deficit by 198 runs, an innings-win for the hosts is on the cards.

Surenkumar makes fighting fifty in rain-affected run-chase at Edgbaston Community Ground

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Sep-2025Essex secured some belated joy from their disappointing Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup campaign with a 31-run (DLS) victory over Warwickshire at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground.Put in, the visitors totalled 235 for seven from 32 overs either side of a long rainstorm which arrived in the 13th over. Jo Gardner top-scored with 47 (34 balls) while Bears captain Georgia Davis took four for 35.Facing a revised DLS target of 232 from 32 overs, Warwickshire mustered only 204 for eight in murky light despite an accomplished maiden half-century from 18-year-old Amu Surenkumar (56, 54). Her team-mates were unpicked by an attack led by Abtaha Maqsood (three for 34) and Esmae MacGregor (three for 38) as Essex recorded only their second win in 12 50-over games this season.On a gloomy morning at Portland Road, Essex got off to a flier as opening batters Ariana Dowse (36, 44) and Grace Scrivens added 67 from 61 balls before falling in successive overs just before the rain. Scrivens chipped Phoebe Brett to mid off before Dowse nicked a waft at Davis to wicketkeeper Nat Wraith.After a lengthy interruption, Essex resumed with only 32 overs now at their disposal and again lost wickets in consecutive overs. Sophia Smale lifted Hannah Baker to long off and Fiona Miller missed a sweep and was lbw to Davis.Jodi Grewcock (39, 34) and Gardner restored some momentum with a stand of 69 in 49 balls before Davis hit Grewcock’s middle stump through an attempted cut. Six balls later, Warwickshire’s captain was at long off to take a catch sent up by Gardner off Surenkumar who repaid her skipper in the next over by catching Eva Gray at long off to supply Davis’ fourth wicket.Essex needed some late impetus and Sophie Munro (36, 19) and Amara Carr (17, 12) provided it with a punchy unbroken stand of 55 from the last 29 balls.Warwickshire’s reply began briskly with a stand of 40 in six overs between Meg Austin and Bethan Ellis but they both fell, bowled and lbw respectively, to lovely, flighted deliveries by Maqsood. Munro quickly followed up with the big wicket of Davina Perrin who chopped to backward point.Surenkumar and Abbey Freeborn added 52 in 50 balls before the latter walked across her stumps to sweep MacGregor who hit the exposed timber. Much depended on Surenkumar who hit a six and five fours on her way to a run-a-ball half-century but when she swung Maqsood to deep mid-wicket, Warwickshire’s lower order needed to find 73 from 44 balls. The departure of Issy Wong, who lifted Munro to long leg, left Essex to ease home to a rare victory.