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Joao Pedro has promised to do one thing for Chelsea team-mate Moises Caicedo after he helped end his nine-game goal drought in Saturday’s 1-0 victory at Tottenham.

Summer recruit Pedro started life at Stamford Bridge with two goals in his first three Premier League games, but had failed to find the net since August before his 34th-minute winner in north London.

Pedro, who was thwarted on three other occasions by Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, was indebted to Caicedo after he won back possession from Micky van de Ven and teed up the Chelsea forward to fire home.

Caicedo was later described as two of the best defensive midfielders in the world by boss Enzo Maresca along with Manchester City’s Rodri.

Pedro's plans for Caicedo after Chelsea winner

Brazil attacker Pedro echoed that sentiment and reflected on the importance of his goal in a period where he has struggled to train due to unspecified fitness problems and plans to take Caicedo out for dinner following his assist.

Chelsea’s fifth straight win at Tottenham helped them bounce back from a shock 2-1 home defeat to Sunderland on October 25.

It helped rebuild momentum for Maresca’s talented but youthful squad ahead of a midweek trip to Qarabag in the Champions League and Saturday’s visit of bottom-of-the-table Wolves.

Pedro added: “I think it was a big game, a derby and we know they are a good team.

“We knew we had to do 100 per cent to win this kind of game and we did. We won the game and now we need to look forward.”

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank has major issues to solve in attack after they registered an XG (expected goals) figure of 0.05 – the lowest the club has recorded since records started in the 2012-13 season.

Maresca must drop Chelsea star who had fewer touches than Sanchez vs Spurs

What will not help Frank’s cause is the likely absence of Lucas Bergvall for Tuesday’s visit of Copenhagen after he was forced off with suspected concussion early on during the loss to Chelsea.

“That was a concussion, so he totally couldn’t stay on and I think the medical team did a good job in that aspect,” Frank reflected.

“And even if he wanted to stay on, it’s the right decision.

“Of course, we would have loved to have him continue. That’s why we picked him in the starting XI.

“Unfortunately, that couldn’t happen. So others will step in. Xavi (Simons) knew the game plan.”

A Premier League legend has delivered a brutal verdict on new Manchester United signing Benjamin Sesko, claiming the Slovenian forward "looks like an academy player". Sesko, who moved to Old Trafford from RB Leipzig in the summer for a whopping £74 million ($100m), has so far failed to live up to the hype, scoring only two goals in his first 11 Premier League appearances.

• Sesko yet to adjust to life in England

  Despite the big money transfer in the summer transfer window, Sesko has yet to fulfil the expectations of United fans. The Slovenia international was brought in to solve their attacking crisis, which deepened in the 2024-25 campaign. The likes of Joshua Zirzkee, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford failed miserably as the club endured a nightmare campaign.

  The dearth of quality attacking options forced Ruben Amorim to spend heavily in the last window as he brought in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, alongside Sesko. While Cunha and Mbeumo's performance has been satisfactory, Sesko has failed miserably, scoring just two goals across all competitions. 

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  Premier League legend's Sesko verdict

  Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler delivered his verdict on Sesko while comparing the United star to Arsenal summer signing Viktor Gyokeres. Fowler told : "For me, I think the obvious one is Gyokeres. He's probably better suited to the Premier League and he understands what is needed in terms of speed, energy and commitment. Whereas Sesko has probably struggled a little at times. He looks a little bit, I hope this doesn't come across wrong, but he looks a bit of an academy player. I have no doubt he's a good player. No one's questioning his ability, but at the minute I think out of those two, it's Gyokeres by far who looks better equipped."

• Shearer slams Man Utd for spending heavily on Sesko

  Newcastle icon Alan Shearer recently opened up on Sesko's early struggles at Old Trafford, slamming the Red Devils for spending heavily on his transfer. He told : "One player that must do better for United is Benjamin Sesko. They paid 70 odd million for him. That was a lot of money, I know it’s the market but it was too much. He’s had a tough start and I don’t expect huge things from him to be honest. I think he’s a good player but I’m not sure he’s any more than that. He should have scored a couple more goals than he has so far. It’s been a tough start for him, especially considering the money United paid."

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  Update on Sesko's injury

  In United's last outing against Tottenham, which ended in a 2-2 draw, Amorim introduced Sesko in the 58th minute, only to sub him off in the closing stages of the match after a robust challenge from Micky van de Ven left him injured. At the end of the game, the head coach expressed concern over the striker's condition, while ignoring questions on his form. The Portuguese coach said: "That is not the biggest concern now. That happens, especially with a striker. I am more concerned with an injury, because it's in the knee, we don't know, we need Ben to be a better team. I have no idea. Because it's the knee we never know."

  According to a new report, the 22-year-old is expected to be sidelined for "at most" a month. That timeframe means Sesko will miss the club's upcoming Premier League fixtures against Everton, Crystal Palace and West Ham, and potentially Wolves and Bournemouth if there are any delays. However, United view the outcome as a positive one, given the possibility he could have been ruled out longer.

Liverpool have had their fair share of special European nights over the years, with the famous comeback win against Barcelona back in 2019 in the Champions League – which saw the Reds overturn a 4-0 deficit – still sticking out as the Premier League giants at their thrilling best.

The entertainment levels weren’t through the roof in a similar fashion mid-week when Arne Slot’s men got the better of Barca’s arch rivals Real Madrid by a single goal, but the impressive all-round display would have definitely pleased the Anfield masses watching on.

Indeed, away from Alexis Mac Allister grabbing the winner, faces such as Florian Wirtz and Mohamed Salah also stood out, when they have otherwise failed to get going this season, with the heavily scapegoated German covering a staggering 11.37km in total.

To make the win even sweeter on Europe’s grandest stage, Liverpool managed to get one over on ex-star Trent Alexander-Arnold, who would only come on for the final few exchanges for Los Blancos.

Yet, despite a chorus of boos greeting his every touch, it’s clear – when analysing Liverpool’s wobbles this season – that they have desperately missed the creativity of their former homegrown product from the right-back spot.

Why Liverpool have missed Alexander-Arnold

Of course, all of the animosity directed towards the former number 66 comes from a place of pain that he deserted his hometown club for a shot in La Liga.

Being able to replace the creativity Alexander-Arnold possessed in spades at Anfield instantly was also going to be an extremely tough ask, with his ability to burst forward and cut open a defence for Liverpool, dubbing him a “dream for strikers” by Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Alexander-Arnold would become a modern-day icon at Liverpool, with a mighty 23 goals and 92 assists falling into his lap on Merseyside.

Liverpool had their work cut out for them in the summer to try and find an attacking full-back of the same calibre as the Englishman; therefore, with the Anfield giants presumably thinking they’d hit the jackpot with the capture of Milos Kerkez.

Unfortunately, the former AFC Bournemouth star – who amassed five Premier League assists last season – has no assists next to his name for Liverpool in league action, leading to him being branded as “out of his depth” by journalist Tim Spiers.

Thankfully, Conor Bradley showed the Liverpool masses why he could be in with a shout to be a long-term fix for Trent deserting the building.

He was phenomenal against the Spanish giants, dealing with the effervescent Vinicius Junior with an energetic display, seeing him win eight duels against Xabi Alonso’s visitors.

But, there was another standout performer on Wednesday night, who could be a surprise shout to be Slot’s next Trent-style figure.

Liverpool's new Trent is in midfield

Liverpool haven’t just experienced a crisis in the full-back areas this season, with the aforementioned Mac Allister struggling in the midfield areas in patches this campaign, too.

He does look to have exited his slump now, with the winning goal against the visitors from Madrid. Dominik Szoboszlai, on the other hand, has only gone from strength to strength this season, even as meltdowns have occurred around him.

The Hungarian would live up to his reputation for being a dead-ball specialist – which saw him hammer home a glorious free-kick against Arsenal earlier this season – against Alexander-Arnold’s new employers, with Mac Allister ultimately thankful for the 25-year-old’s incisive eye for an assist.

The two-time Premier League title winner would, time after time, also come up trumps when taking his very own corner kicks and corners at Anfield, with Szoboszlai now taking on this role expertly, as seen in him already picking up three Champions League assists for the campaign.

Back in the bread and butter of the Premier League, Szoboszlai is in a league of his own in terms of progressive carries and crosses attempted.

Two standout characteristics of Alexander-Arnold’s expansive game in England, the Hungarian has registered 26 carries and 25 crosses already in 2025/26. That’s more than any midfielder in England’s top-flight this season.

Slot has even chucked the “unbelievable” number 8 – as he has glowingly labelled him – into the right-back spot on occasion this season, with their similarities almost becoming eerie at this point.

However, as was evidenced on Wednesday night, the 25-year-old can still be an influential figure – like the number 66 – from a number ten position.

More wins will no doubt be collected this season, off the back of Szoboszlai’s “genius” alone, as his former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp also labelled him.

Arne Slot has just unlocked Liverpool's new Coutinho vs Real Madrid

Liverpool may have unearthed their next Philippe Coutinho after getting the better of Real Madrid 1-0.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 5, 2025

MLB fans, at least those who were able to watch given MLB.TV's ill-timed outage, were dealt a scare when three-time American League MVP Mike Trout was hit by a pitch on his first at-bat of the 2025 season.

In the top of the first inning with one on and one out, Trout stepped to the plate, took a fastball for a ball, then swung through a slider to even the count at 1-1. Then, White Sox pitcher Sean Burke delivered a high-and-inside fastball that veered a bit too close to Trout and hit the Los Angeles Angels superstar on the hand. Trout shook his hand in frustration, then waved off manager Ron Washington and the club's trainer as he walked to first base, indicating that he was alright.

MLB fans, knowing Trout's recent injury history, couldn't believe the Angel's star's misfortune.

Trout enjoyed one of the best starts to a career of any player in MLB history, winning three MVP awards while finishing second in the voting three more times in his first eight seasons. Excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Trout has not played 130 or more games since 2019. In '21, a calf strain limited him to just 36 games played. The following season, he dealt with back inflammation. A broken hamate bone in his left hand cut his '23 season short, then a torn—and re-torn—meniscus ended his '24 season early.

Trout was able to remain in the game, but what a scare it was to start the season.

Manchester United are now about to sign a South American wonderkid, according to reports, who is “on his way” to seal his move.

Man Utd have "no excuses", says Amorim

After a frustrating defeat against Everton at Old Trafford on Monday, the last thing that Man United need is a trip to face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Those are the cards they’ve been dealt, however, and Ruben Amorim’s side now have the task of getting back to winning ways at one of the toughest grounds in the Premier League.

Man Utd in contact and lead race to sign attacking talent likened to Neymar

The Red Devils have a keen eye for talent overseas and could be about to rock the South American market in their latest pursuit.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 29, 2025

The Man United boss has no time for excuses this season, though – telling reporters in the build-up: “In our club it’s the same thing because last year we had to win every game all the time and we took a lot of things, a lot of criticism because we were not winning.

“So, in our club, there is no excuses. About Europe, I already talked about Europe, and I said the same thing last year when we were in Europe and I say the same thing this year, the advantage and the disadvantage of not being in Europe. So, there is no excuses. Last year or this year, we have always to win games.”

Victory could take the Red Devils to as high as fourth if other results go their way in what would be a major boost after 13 games. Defeat, meanwhile, could see them drop down to as low as 14th in familiar territory to last season.

INEOS and Amorim will know just how important Champions League qualification is on and off the pitch. Away from the action, it would allow them to attract the likes of Elliot Anderson, who now also has the interest of Manchester City.

It would also make them an attractive option for more young players, having already agreed a deal to sign South American youngster Cristian Orozco.

Cristian Orozco now "on his way" to sign for Man Utd

According to Fabrizio Romano, Orozco is now “on his way” to sign for Man United and travelling with lead scout Giuseppe Antonaccio after INEOS completed a deal worth $1m (£750,000) with Fortaleza.

Those at Old Trafford have signed the 17-year-old in the hope that he follows the same path that others have done so many times before in South America.

The Premier League is littered with several stars who launched careers in South America before reaching stardom in English football. Usually, it’s been the likes of Brighton & Hove Albion taking full advantage, but Chelsea and now Man United are beginning to take full advantage.

The Blues now have one of the best teenagers in the world in Estevao Willian and if Orozco is anywhere near as talented as the winger then United have hit the jackpot.

Man Utd eye move for £80m star who Man City would "love" to buy in January

A complete guide to the United States' year, including fixtures in qualifying for the 2027 Women's World Cup

Editor's pick

Peacock

Peacock are the home of all USWNT friendlies including their upcoming games against Brazil.

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Sling TV

Sling offers customers access to both truTV (Sling Blue) and TNT (Sling Blue & Sling Orange) as well as Telemundo for Spanish commentary coverage.

DVR capabilities: 50hrs – Unlimited

Simultaneous streams: 1 – 3

Free trial: No

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Peacock

Peacock are the home of all USWNT friendlies including their upcoming games against Brazil.

DVR capabilities: No

Simultaneous streams: 3

Free trial: No

Monthly from

$7.99

Get Peacock

Best flexibility

Sling TV

Sling offers customers access to both truTV (Sling Blue) and TNT (Sling Blue & Sling Orange) as well as Telemundo for Spanish commentary coverage.

DVR capabilities: 50hrs – Unlimited

Simultaneous streams: 1 – 3

Free trial: No

Monthly from

$40

Get Sling TV

Editor's pick

Peacock

Peacock are the home of all USWNT friendlies including their upcoming games against Brazil.

DVR capabilities: No

Simultaneous streams: 3

Free trial: No

Monthly from

$7.99

Get Peacock

Best flexibility

Sling TV

Sling offers customers access to both truTV (Sling Blue) and TNT (Sling Blue & Sling Orange) as well as Telemundo for Spanish commentary coverage.

DVR capabilities: 50hrs – Unlimited

Simultaneous streams: 1 – 3

Free trial: No

Monthly from

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The United States women's national team entered a new era in 2024, with Emma Hayes making an immediate impact on a group in need of exactly that. Within weeks of starting her new job, the former Chelsea boss guided the U.S. to Olympic gold, sending a message to the rest of the women's game as a new World Cup cycle begins.

The four-time world champion suffered its earliest Women's World Cup exit in Australia in 2023 and Vlatko Andonovski left his role as head coach as a result. It's been a delight for the nation to see the team return to a title-winning level so soon, then. Now, with plenty of time until the next major tournament, the 2027 Women's World Cup, Hayes can focus on developing this exciting young generation of players, ensuring they are ready to challenge for the World Cup.

GOAL has everything you need to know about the USWNT's schedule, its fixtures and results and how to watch the team in 2026…

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  What fixtures has the USWNT had in 2025?

  The USWNT's first fixtures of 2025 came at the SheBelieves Cup, where it won twice but was ultimately beaten to the trophy by an impressive Japan team in a tournament that also featured Australia and Colombia. In April, Hayes' side took on another top international side when it welcomed Brazil for a double-header and two rematches of the 2024 Olympic final. The wins were split, there.

  The U.S. continued has continued its winning into the summer months, with China, Jamaica, Ireland and Canada all beaten in recent outings.

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• What is on the USWNT's schedule in 2025?

  The USWNT has five fixtures on its schedule for the remainder of the year, with a double-header against Portugal set to take place in late October before a clash with New Zealand follows. Hayes' side will then take on Italy in two friendlies in the last international break of 2025.

• How to watch the USWNT in 2025

  The rights to broadcast the USWNT are the same as the men’s team and are split across several networks. For English-speaking viewers, the rights are held by Warner Bros and Discovery Sports, with every game live on Peacock and Max (formerly HBO Max). Approximately 50 per cent of games are also shown live across the TNT Sports channels.

  Turner channels are available through streaming services like Sling TV and DirecTV Stream.

  For Spanish-speaking viewers, the rights are currently with Telemundo Deportes, which streams games on Peacock, Telemundo and Universo.

  Find out more about the best packages to watch the USWNT here.

  Watch the USWNT live on PeacockSubscribe today

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  What is on the USWNT's schedule in 2026?

  U.S. Soccer has already announced one fixture for the USWNT in 2026, that which will see the reigning Olympic champion take on Paraguay during its January training camp. Five official international breaks will follow that fixture, including the November window in which the U.S. will participate in the CONCACAF W Championship. The top four teams in that tournament will qualify for the 2027 Women's World Cup, with two more places in the intercontinental play-off tournament also up for grabs.

The Boston Red Sox weren't above .500 for very long. After finally climbing out to a 27-26 record earlier this week, they've lost three consecutive games—two to the Baltimore Orioles and one to the Milwaukee Brewers—and now sit at 27-29.

Following Monday's 3-2 defeat at American Family Field, Red Sox outfielder Rob Refsnyder didn't mince words about the state of the team at the Memorial Day mark of the season:

"We suck right now," he said, according to 's Alex Speier in a post on Bluesky.

Stern, but fair.

Refsnyder acknowledged there are "no excuses" for Boston's struggles, Speier added, but that they have a "good clubhouse and players are working hard."

Dealing with a slew of injuries and in turn calling up top prospect Marcelo Mayer this weekend, the Red Sox currently sit in third place in the AL East and are three games out of a spot in the wild card. They'll continue their series with the Brewers on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 7:40 p.m. ET.

Watching Tottenham Hotspur’s 4-1 defeat to their bitter rivals in the Premier League on Sunday made it clear where Thomas Frank’s priorities need to be moving forward.

Whilst you could look at that loss and suggest that they need to improve defensively, which would be a fair comment after they conceded four goals, it is in possession where they really need to improve.

As you can see in the table above, Spurs are one of the worst teams in the Premier League at progressing play with passes, creating shooting opportunities, and creating high-quality chances.

The Lilywhites ended the match against Arsenal with three shots on goal and 0.07 xG, per Sofascore, with their goal coming from Richarlison’s stunning long-range lob over David Raya.

Tottenham’s struggles at the top end of the pitch explain why the club are reportedly considering a move to sign Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo.

The Ghana international has a £65m release clause that can be activated at the start of the January transfer window, and Spurs are one of the teams vying for his signature.

How Antoine Semenyo could solve Tottenham's attacking problems

Whilst a lot of Tottenham’s problems could come down to coaching issues, with how players are asked to play, the team selections, and the patterns that are or are not coached in training, having a top talent in the final third can make up for some coaching problems.

Semenyo is the kind of forward who can create things for himself with his incredible speed, power, ball control, and ability in front of goal when he gets near the opposition’s box.

The former Bristol City striker’s goal against Liverpool at Anfield earlier this season is the perfect example of the kind of quality that he could bring to North London in the second half of the campaign.

With Tottenham’s lack of progressive passing and high-quality chances this season, having a player who has runs and goals like that in his locker would be invaluable for Frank.

That strike against Liverpool was also not a flash in the pan for the versatile attacker, who can play out wide or through the middle, because he has been in impressive form in the Premier League this term.

As you can see in the table above, Semenyo has been one of the most productive wingers in the division for Bournemouth this season, with more goals than any other winger in the league.

These statistics, and the nature of his goal against Liverpool in particular, suggest that signing the Cherries star would go a long way to solving some of the attacking issues that Frank’s side have.

Therefore, Spurs should push hard to win the race for his services by activating his release clause at the start of the January transfer window and trying their hardest to convince him that a move to North London is the best next step in his career.

£65m, though, would make him the club’s joint-record signing alongside Dominic Solanke, who also came from Bournemouth, so it would take a big financial commitment from the Lilywhites.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

In order to make a move for the 25-year-old star viable, sporting director Fabio Paratici should look to ruthlessly sell some of the club’s current players to fund a transfer for Semenyo.

One of the sellable assets who should be cashed in on by Paratici to create funds for a swoop for the Cherries sensation in January is right-back Pedro Porro.

Why Spurs should sell Pedro Porro

Ahead of the summer transfer window, CaughtOffside reported that the Spain international was attracting interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.

It was claimed that Spurs were not interested in selling the full-back at the time, which was in May, but that they would have changed their tune if an offer of around £57m came across their desk.

Whilst Porro ultimately remained in North London, that report in the summer shows that there are some top clubs across Europe who would be interested in him if he became available, although it remains to be seen if any of them would pay the £57m price tag.

The Spaniard attracted interest from those teams after a return of four goals and nine assists in 51 appearances in all competitions for Spurs in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but his form this season has left a lot to be desired.

Polish journalist Michał Okoński described his crosses into the box as a “disaster” earlier this month, and it is hard to disagree with that assessment when you consider that he has lost possession 222 times and delivered one assist in 12 Premier League games, per Sofascore.

As you can see in the table above, the Spain international’s use of the ball has regressed since the end of the 2024/25 campaign. He is currently giving the ball away more frequently whilst creating less for his team.

Porro has been far too wasteful with the ball at his feet at right-back for Tottenham. That is evident in his regressing creative stats, but it is also evident in that he has made four errors leading to shots for the opposition in the Premier League, twice as many as he made in 33 matches last season.

As well as his struggles on the ball, the former Sporting star has gone from averaging 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game last season in the Premier League to averaging just 1.7 per match in the current campaign, per Sofascore.

These statistics show that Porro has regressed in and out of possession at right-back for the Lilywhites, which is why it could be the right time for Paratici to cash in on him in January, amid interest from City, Barcelona, and Bayern, to avoid his value dwindling if his form does not improve.

Fewer touches than Vicario: Frank must drop 3/10 Spurs dud after Arsenal

Thomas Frank has numerous glaring errors he needs to address at Tottenham Hotspur after the Arsenal defeat.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 24, 2025

Whilst it remains to be seen how much teams would be willing to pay for him, any fee in the region of the quoted £57m would go a long way to funding a deal for Semenyo, who has a £65m release clause.

Timo Werner is pushing for a move away from RB Leipzig this winter, with reports in Germany revealing a sensational interest in joining Lionel Messi at Inter Miami. The former Chelsea striker has fallen out of favour in Leipzig and sees MLS as his next destination despite rejecting a switch to the New York Red Bulls. With his future uncertain, Miami’s glamour and sporting profile appear to be drawing the German forward.

• Werner eyes Miami move as Leipzig exit looms

  The German forward's future at RB Leipzig is essentially over, and the 29-year-old is now reportedly targeting a high-profile move to Inter Miami, where he hopes to line up alongside superstar Messi. Werner has played just one minute of football this season and no longer features in Leipzig’s matchday squads, leaving a winter exit increasingly likely.

  reported that Werner is especially tempted by Miami’s project and the global pull of playing with Messi, whose presence continues to reshape the MLS landscape. The glamour surrounding the club, both in sporting ambition and lifestyle appeal, is said to suit Werner and his wife Paula, making South Florida an attractive landing spot as he seeks a fresh start.

  A move to MLS had already been on the table last summer, when the New York Red Bulls made inquiries through the Red Bull network. At the time, Werner remained reluctant to leave Leipzig due to his sizeable salary and the belief he could still revive his career in Germany. But his situation has deteriorated drastically, and with his contract expiring in 2026, a winter departure is now seen as essential to avoid drifting toward free agency.

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• Why New York Red Bulls plan didn't work out

  Werner’s most concrete MLS opportunity collapsed when the New York Red Bulls ultimately walked away from talks, a decision explained in detail by the club’s athletic director Julian de Guzman.

  Last week, De Guzman confirmed that the forward had been on the club’s radar, saying: "There have always been rumors about Werner," before stressing that any deal had to suit New York’s long-term strategy. He added: "We have to make sure it makes sense for us here in New York."

  The Canadian executive made clear that Werner’s profile was highly appealing from a fan standpoint, stating: "Werner is a great name. I think the fans would have loved him. The opportunity was there, but I don't think we were 100 percent convinced that this was the right thing for New York. That's why we didn't fully commit to it."

  Salary considerations also played a key role, as Werner earns a reported €10 million per year in Leipzig, while New York were unable, and ultimately unwilling, to match anywhere near that level for a Designated Player slot. The striker was similarly unwilling to reduce his wage demands to complete the move, contributing to the breakdown of discussions.

• Why Inter Miami now appeal to Wermer

  With the Red Bulls stepping aside, Werner has shifted his attention to the other side of the MLS spectrum – Inter Miami, a club defined by star power, global attention and a clear pathway to compete for trophies. Messi’s presence remains the biggest draw, with the Argentine continuing to exert a transformative influence on the club’s recruitment and profile.

  Inter Miami’s roster structure for 2026 provides a plausible opening. The imminent retirements of Jordi Alba and Messi's right hand man Sergio Busquets will free up two Designated Player slots, while Rodrigo De Paul is expected to occupy one if his loan becomes permanent. That leaves one DP spot available, a rare opportunity Miami could use on a high-profile attacker like Werner.

  From a sporting perspective, Werner would offer flexibility across the front line, potentially replacing Luis Suarez if he departs and giving Miami an experienced, mobile option heading into the new MLS calendar cycle in 2026. The lifestyle component also weighs heavily in Miami’s favour, with the city viewed by Werner as an ideal environment to reset his career.

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  How likely a move can take place?

  The next steps hinge on Inter Miami’s internal evaluation and their willingness to commit a DP slot, and potentially a sizeable salary, to a striker whose performances have dipped since his Chelsea days. While Werner is eager to join Messi in Florida, the report stresses that Miami’s interest is not yet confirmed, leaving the possibility of alternative MLS suitors still open.

  For Leipzig, the winter window will be decisive, and Marco Rose has already marginalised the striker, and a move abroad appears the only viable solution to avoid a stagnant final 18 months of his contract. Miami, meanwhile, must navigate a busy rebuild as they prepare for the 2026 season, with decisions looming on Suarez’s future, the DP structure, and several expiring contracts.

New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor was left out of Thursday's lineup for the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers while he deals with an injury to his pinky toe.

Lindor told reporters that the pinky toe on his right foot is broken, but he indicated he's hopeful of avoiding a stint on the IL. As for when he'll be clear to take the field again, the shortstop said he considers himself "day-to-day" and that getting back to action will be about pain tolerance.

At present, he admitted the toe injury is causing him a significant amount of pain, but he doesn't anticipate missing more than a few days of action. Lindor noted the injury occurred during Wednesday's game when he was sliding.

"I'm day-by-day. Hopefully, I feel good enough to play sooner rather than later. We'll see. We'll take it day by day," Lindor said.

Losing Lindor for any period of time would be a big blow for the Mets. The 31-year-old is slashing .279/.353/.490 with 14 home runs, 36 RBIs and 11 stolen bases through 61 games this season.

With Lindor unavailable, Luisangel Acuña is taking over at shortstop and batting ninth for Thursday's game.