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Arsenal trio Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have sealed new contracts in a major boost for Mikel Arteta, according to a report, but the Spaniard still faces the prospect of losing a “massive” player.

Andrea Berta tasked with keeping vital Arsenal stars

As Gabriel attracts reported interest from Saudi Arabia, and Saliba’s links to Real Madrid refuse to go away, it is vital that new sporting director Andrea Berta cements the long-term futures of Arsenal’s star centre-back duo with Saka.

Mikel Arteta "loves" £161k-per-week Barcelona star and wants him at Arsenal

The 43-year-old is a huge fan.

By
Emilio Galantini

May 21, 2025

The Athletic recently reported that Arsenal have opened talks with Saliba over a new deal, and with Saka’s contract expiring in 2027, securing fresh terms for the latter is actually one of Berta’s top priorities.

“We will touch on several names, but I wanted to start with the top priority, which is absolutely Bukayo Saka,” said reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano on the Here We Go podcast last month.

“Bukayo Saka is out of contract in the summer of 2027, so it’s not something urgent, it’s not a worrying situation for Arsenal. But in general, Arsenal want to give a new contract to Bukayo Saka.

Bukayo Saka’s best Premier League games for Arsenal this season	Match Rating
Arsenal 4-2 Leicester City	9.63
West Ham 2-5 Arsenal	9.47
Arsenal 3-1 Southampton	9.41
Arsenal 2-0 Wolves	8.72
Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest	8.40
via WhoScored

“So some contacts have already started. Now Bukayo and his agents will have the opportunity to meet with Andrea Berta to understand the strategy from the new director, and that’s always something important. You can start the conversation already months ago, of course, but then you need to speak to the new director to understand the view, to understand the project, and this is what’s going to happen with Bukayo Saka.”

All three Arsenal stars have played a pivotal role for Arteta since the beginning of 2022/2023 and beyond, with Gabriel and Saliba forming their stellar partnership around that time and Saka consistently standing out as England’s most exciting wide player.

Arsenal 'agree' Saka, Gabriel and Saliba deals but face Partey blow

According to Football Transfers, making a very bold claim this week, Arsenal have actually “already agreed” new deals for Saka, Gabriel and Saliba.

The outlet reports that they’re set to put pen to paper on extensions after progressive talks, which comes as some very good news for Berta and Arteta, but the same cannot be said for the reinvigorated Thomas Partey.

The £200,000-per-week midfielder has arguably enjoyed his best season to date at the Emirates, fighting his way back into Arteta’s starting eleven and bolstering a number of key positions, including right-back, in excellent fashion.

However, talks are yet to be resolved over the Ghanaian’s extension, and there is a realistic possibility that Arteta loses Partey when his current contract expires beyond June 30th.

While Arsenal have agreed to sign Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, this scenario is one Arteta will still be keen to avoid.

“He’s a massive player for us, and he’s shown that week in, week out,” said Arteta on Partey’s resurgent 2024/2025 form.

“He’s started the season really well, really fit. The way he came back post-holiday was probably in the best condition that he’s been.”

While significant success is still yet to come, Arsenal have been blessed with some seriously talented players during the Emirates era.

The likes of Mesut Özil, Santi Carzorla, Robin van Persie and Cesc Fàbregas, while not all as popular as each other, were some of the most impressive players in the Premier League during their time.

Likewise, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are just some of Mikel Arteta’s current squad who are in the conversation for some of the best the stadium has seen.

However, when it comes down to the player who hit the highest individual heights at the Emirates, it’s hard to look past Alexis Sanchez, and now the club are looking at a player who shares some similarities with the Chilean superstar.

Arsenal transfer news

Before we get to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other potential superstars Arsenal are said to be looking at ahead of the summer, such as Raphinha.

Transfer Focus

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

The Brazilian goal machine has been in sensational form for Barcelona this season, and, as of writing, has amassed an outrageous tally of 30 goals and 23 assists in just 50 appearances, making his reported £86m price tag seem entirely reasonable.

A slightly cheaper, but nonetheless game-changing signing the Gunners could make this summer is that of Viktor Gyokeres.

The Swedish international has racked up an even more incredible haul of 52 goals and 12 assists in just 48 appearances for Sporting CP, making his reported £58m fee look like a bargain.

However, the player who could become the North Londoners’ new Sanchez is someone who’s not had such a good campaign: Christopher Nkunku.

Yes, according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal are one of the teams ‘weighing up a bid’ for the Chelsea flop, who looks likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

However, alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Barcelona and several Bundesliga sides are also keen on the Frenchman, who’d be available for just £40m.

It might not be a deal that goes down well with fans initially, but prior to his stint in West London, Nkunku was a highly-rated attacker, so if Arsenal can get the best back out of him, he may be a bargain, and then there are the similarities he shares with Sanchez.

Why Nkunku could be Arsenal's new Sanchez

Okay, so before the pitchforks come out, the first thing to say is that, at the moment anyway, there are no comparisons to be made between Nkunku’s output and Sanchez’s when he was at his peak in North London.

However, if Arsenal are going to splash the cash to sign the Frenchman, it won’t be off his time in West London – even though he has 21 goal involvements in 42 games – but due to his record in Germany, where he was undeniably brilliant.

For example, in his final campaign with RB Leipzig, the “amazing” attacker, as dubbed by Joao Felix, managed to score 23 goals and provide nine assists in just 36 appearances, totalling 2733 minutes.

That means the 14-capped international averaged a goal involvement every 1.12 games or every 85.40 minutes throughout the season.

With that said, it’s not just the fact he was a free-scoring player that makes him similar to a peak Sanchez, but also his playstyle and versatility.

Nkunku’s positional versatility
Position	Games	Goals	Assists
Attacking Midfield	66	30	23
Central Midfield	66	12	9
Second Striker	57	35	19
Left Winger	40	9	9
Centre-Forward	38	11	2
Right Winger	17	6	4
Right Midfield	9	2	0
Left Midfield	8	0	2
Right-Back	1	0	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, in his career to date, the Blues ace has played all across the frontline, in attacking midfield and also as a second striker, which is the same as the former Barcelona star during his time in North London.

Moreover, like the Chilean icon, his “movement and pace is an unstoppable combination” in the words of European football expert, Zach Lowy, and he can be just as effective at creating chances as scoring them.

Indeed, during his time in Germany, he managed to rack up 55 assists in 172 appearances to go along with his 70 goals.

Ultimately, while we think it’s unlikely that Nkunku would even hit the incredible heights that Sanchez did at Arsenal, there are some unmistakable similarities between the pair, such as their versatility and ability to create and score goals.

Therefore, if Arteta and Co believe they can get the best back out of him, and he’s available for a price that won’t impact their other summer plans too much, then this is a transfer that makes a lot of sense.

Worth more than Zubimendi & Partey: Arteta hit gold on Arsenal "monster"

The international star is an essential member of Arsenal’s first team.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 29, 2025

During Chris Wilder’s two stints as manager of Sheffield United, he’s had some fantastic players at his disposal.

From goalscoring hero Billy Sharp to the likes of John Egan and John Fleck.

Fleck, a free transfer from Coventry City in the summer of 2016, was a rather understated at the time but quickly became a mainstay in many a Blades lineup with United jumping all the way up from League One to the top-flight under Wilder.

John Fleck's heroics at Sheffield United

It all began with that free-kick against Sheffield Wednesday in the Steel City derby in 2017. Since that moment, he became a firm fan favourite at Bramall Lane.

Fleck quickly turned into a Premier League capable performer at Bramall Lane, with the now 33-year-old ace going on to immortalise himself as a United great across a hefty 278 appearances.

The Glasgow-born ace would effectively become an honourary citizen of the Steel City by the time of his exit to Blackburn Rovers last year, having tallied up a mighty impressive 16 strikes and 48 assists across those games, culminating in two promotions also coming his way.

Many players in Wilder’s camp now will be hoping they can follow in the footsteps of the former number four, with Fleck managing to end his long-standing association with the Blades by notching up a fine nine top-flight goal contributions.

In particular, one holding midfielder – the same role Fleck regularly lined up in – will be taking direct inspiration from the now Chesterfield man.

Wilder's new Fleck at Sheffield United

Originally hailing from Enfield, United number 42 Sydie Peck might not have expected Sheffield to become his permanent footballing home during the early days of his playing career.

But, the emerging talent has now become a first-team regular under Wilder this campaign and for good reason, with his full-blooded yet composed displays centrally meaning his senior minutes have rightly been bumped up.

Peck’s numbers this season for United

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

Peck

Games played

35

Games started

26

Goals scored

0

Assists

1

Touches*

48.8

Accurate passes*

29.9 (82%)

Big chances created

4

Duels won*

3.7

Stats by Sofascore

Whilst he isn’t anywhere near Fleck’s creative best just yet, Peck has shown signs of promise in an attacking capacity, considering this is his first daunting senior season with the side, resulting in four big chances being created away from his singular assist.

Despite deficiences being present in his growing game, Peck is slowly but surely becoming a fan’s favourite at the Championship high-flyers, with one Blades based content creator in Nick Ingood even heralding the 5 foot 8 engine as a “superstar” off the back of another well-rounded display against Coventry to close out March.

It will be up to Peck to deal with the harsh step-up in quality if Premier League action returns to the red and white half of Sheffield, but if he is aiming to follow Fleck’s upward trajectory, he should be able to deal with the gulf in class in his stride.

After all, the four-time England U20 international – who has been further lauded as “outstanding” by his passionate head coach – already has a Premier League appearance next to his name, with the potential here for Peck to become United’s next modern hero in the middle like Fleck.

Related Brewster included: Sheffield United must axe £88k-p/w quartet if they go up

Chris Wilder could have to be brutal with his Sheffield United team selections if promotion is reached.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson Apr 1, 2025

He has the bouncer, he swings the ball, he also has the slower ball in his artillery. Can he be the next big thing in Indian fast bowling?

Deivarayan Muthu28-Sep-2025Gurjapneet Singh is yet to play an IPL or List A game, and has played just five T20s, but has bolted into the India A squad for the upcoming unofficial ODI series against Australia A in Kanpur from September 30. Having made his Ranji Trophy debut for Tamil Nadu last October, the left-arm quick has since had a stint with the senior India side as a net bowler, earned his maiden IPL gig, with Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and entered the BCCI’s pool of targeted fast bowlers.Things have happened quickly for Gurjapneet in the past year, but he has taken a long and winding road to get to India A. Born in Ludhiana in Punjab and raised in Ambala in Haryana, he moved to Chennai when he was around 17. After toiling away in Chennai’s sapping heat in league cricket for around seven years, the step up has been swift.Most recently, the 26-year-old emerged as the highest wicket-taker among seamers in the Duleep Trophy, with ten strikes in two games at an average of 24.10, including two four-wicket hauls.Related

• Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer demolish Australia A with centuries

• Simarjeet Singh – still trying to stay fit, still trying to find that elusive consistency

• Gurjapneet brings pace to Tamil Nadu, via Ludhiana and Ambala

• Patidar and Tilak to lead India A in one-dayers against Australia A

• After months of missing out, Suthar makes his chance count

At six feet four inches, he hits the deck and generates extra bounce. He also swings the ball both ways. India’s selectors and even IPL franchises have cast their nets wide for tall fast bowlers in the recent past. Prasidh Krishna has graduated to the Test team while Punjab’s Gurnoor Brar has now been fast-tracked into the India A set-up along with Gurjapneet. Jammu & Kashmir’s tall fast bowler Yudhvir Singh Charak has also made the India A squad though his List A and first-class averages are not flash.In his short career at the senior level, Gurjapneet has dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara on Ranji Trophy debut, and Virat Kohli, albeit at the Chepauk nets when he was a support bowler during India’s Test series against Bangladesh last year. He’s now preparing to front up to some international batters from Australia in the unofficial ODI series.”My rhythm has been good in the Duleep Trophy and [I] have also been working with Troy Cooley and others in Bengaluru,” Gurjapneet tells ESPNcricinfo. “They spoke to me about the bowling approach in days’ cricket and one day-cricket and [the] mindset. I’ve also been doing my rehab and gym. Right now, I’m not thinking too much about who the batsman is or how the situation [at India A] will be. It’s important to follow your process and habits and just keep doing that.””I started bowling in TNPL and I was getting better day by day,” Gurjapneet says. “I’m getting the rhythm again. I also played a few league matches in Chennai before the Duleep Trophy. I was ready for the Duleep Trophy and right now mentally and physically I can say I’m getting better.”Gurjapneet has also been working on his batting and showed improvement there during TNPL 2025 where he clattered ten boundaries in 33 balls, including six sixes. He then played out 81 balls for 29 runs from No. 9 for South Zone in the Duleep Trophy semi-final.”Whatever the coaches suggested to me, like I was working with Mike Hussey also at CSK,” Gurjapneet says. “I then batted in the TNPL and even in my first Duleep match against North, I scored something like 29. It’s about adding to your game and contributing with the bat too. Hussey gave me some points and I’m also trying to get better at batting.”With a whirlwind year now under his belt, Gurjapneet is now ready for the step up against the Australians in Kanpur.

In his second game after a two-month break, Kohli serves a reminder with an explosive innings at Chinnaswamy

Hemant Brar26-Mar-20242:11

Moody: Kohli showed all his gears

The boisterous Chinnaswamy crowd had gone quiet towards the end of Punjab Kings’ innings as Shashank Singh carted Alzarri Joseph for two sixes and a four in a 20-run final over.That lifted Kings to 176 for 6. Given the average first-innings total in Bengaluru last IPL was 196, it felt below par. But this was not a typical Chinnaswamy pitch where you could hit through the line. It had just enough grass covering and help for both seamers and spinners.Just like the RCB bowlers, Sam Curran also found movement with the new ball, and drew a false shot from Virat Kohli first up. But the thick outside edge did not carry to short third.Related

Kohli on his two-month break: 'A surreal experience not to be recognised'

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On the next ball, Kohli was even luckier. This time the outside edge burst through Jonny Bairstow’s hands at first slip. Usually, the first-slip fielder stands one metre behind the wicketkeeper, but Bairstow was right next to Jitesh Sharma and, therefore, had little time to react.From there on, it was a Kohli innings like no other. On the third ball of the over, he came down the track, cut the movement, and creamed it through the covers. By the end of the first over, he had found two more boundaries, and the Chinnaswamy faithful went “Aaar Ceee Beee! Aaar Ceee Beee!”Next in the firing line was Kagiso Rabada. Before Monday, Rabada had dismissed Kohli three times in 24 balls while conceding just 27. Here, on Rabada’s very first ball, a length delivery around off stump, Kohli jumped out of his crease and smashed it over extra cover. In the next over, he meted out the same treatment to Arshdeep Singh.In his first 15 balls, Kohli had hit eight fours and raced away to 33. It was the most runs he had scored off his first 15 balls in a T20, and his eight boundaries were the joint-most by an RCB batter after four overs in an innings.And he was not slogging. He rarely does. When Arshdeep slipped in a slower ball, he delayed his shot and opened the face at the last moment to steer it past a diving Bairstow for four.In the sixth over, Kohli got another reprieve when he mistimed Curran to the left of short midwicket, but Rahul Chahar could not latch on to it despite a full-length dive.1:46

Rapid fire review: A 10/10 innings from Virat Kohli

It is after the powerplay that Kohli generally drops the anchor. Since the start of 2020, his middle-overs strike rate in the IPL is 117.53. But on Monday, he kept playing attacking cricket and scored at a strike rate of 150 in the middle overs.Previously, he had scored only 32 runs off 37 balls against Chahar in the IPL. Here, the first ball he faced from the legspinner, Kohli smashed it over extra cover for a six.Kohli brought up his fifty in 31 balls – his 100th score of 50 or more in T20s. But there was no celebration – just a thumbs-up to acknowledge the applause from the dressing room. The reason was that while Kohli himself was off to a flying start, RCB were behind the asking rate. Moreover, they had lost Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green for a combined six runs.Harpreet Brar then bowled Rajat Patidar for a run-a-ball 18 and Glenn Maxwell for 3. But Kohli singlehandedly kept RCB alive.When Kohli was India’s captain, one of the things he demanded from his batters was intent, even in Tests. “Intent does not mean you have to go out and start playing shots from ball one,” he once explained. “Intent is there in a leave. Intent is there in defending as well. Intent is about being vocal out there in calling.”That may be true in Test cricket, but in T20s, intent means only one thing: playing your shots. And that is exactly what Kohli did against Kings. As per ESPNcricinfo’s logs, he attacked 11 balls in the powerplay, the most he has ever done in T20 cricket. In the middle overs, he attacked 14, the second-most in his career.

“I know my name is nowadays quite attached to just promoting the game in many parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. But still got it, I guess.”Virat Kohli

There could be a couple of reasons behind it. With the T20 World Cup in June, this is the way the Indian team wants him to bat. Secondly, RCB’s batting depth might also have freed him up. Green joined them before this season; Anuj Rawat and Dinesh Karthik had made handy contributions in the previous game; they had an extra batter in Mahipal Lomror, slotted at No. 8, against Kings.Kohli eventually fell for 77 off 49 balls, slicing Harshal Patel straight to deep-backward point. RCB still needed 47 from four overs at that point, but Karthik and Lomror took them home with four balls to spare.”I was very disappointed I could not finish the game; that ball was in the slot,” Kohli said after being named the Player of the Match. “But yeah, not a bad start for playing after two months and getting into the tournament.”Talking about his mindset while batting, he said: “In T20 cricket, as I am opening here, I try to give the team a blazing start. But if the wickets fall from the other end, you have to understand the conditions as well.”The wicket was not as placid as Bangalore usually is. It was a bit two-paced. And I thought I needed to play correct cricketing shots. Playing across the line was not quite working; I tried a few.”What about his lofted cover drives after coming down the pitch to Rabada and Arshdeep?”They know I play the cover drive pretty well,” he said. “So they are not going to allow me to hit through the gaps. And with guys like KG [Rabada], and Arshdeep as well – he is also tall, if they are hitting [good] length, you have to create some momentum into the ball. Once you are closer to the ball, you kind of negate the bounce; you meet it earlier.”You have to come up with a plan here and there, and try to keep improving your game. I know my name is nowadays quite attached to just promoting the game in many parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. But still got it, I guess.”Who could have disagreed?

Playing against a team they have often put on a pedestal, the hosts’ use of spin was baffling, yielding little reward

Danyal Rasool12-Mar-2022If there is one thing you know about Pakistan cricket, it is that just about everyone in a position of influence respects Australian cricket. The Prime Minister wants to copy their domestic structure. The chairman wants to reproduce their pitches. And of course, their , which, when the chairman says it, can mean almost anything you want it to mean.And the captain called them the “best side in the world”. Which may be technically true, but you just know Babar Azam didn’t spend any time looking at the ICC rankings website before uttering those words. He was instead speaking what is imprinted on the psyche of Pakistan cricket supporters: a collective belief in Australian supremacy.There is merit to most of those points, of course, but idolising a cricket structure to that distinctly odd level of worship is perhaps less than ideal when you have to play the side you have placed on that pedestal. And when, two sessions into a Test match that was still nip and tuck, Pakistan walked out onto the field alongside Usman Khawaja and Steven Smith, it felt inescapably like Pakistan didn’t just revere Australia, they also feared them.Related

• Tidy Ashraf gives Pakistan an opening, but floodgates stay shut

The game – a Test match, remember – was just 54 overs old. The last 13 overs – ten of which were bowled by seamers – had allowed just 16 runs, and Pakistan had begun to wrest back some of the control they had ceded to a brisk start by Australia’s openers. The destination of the first day’s spoils felt very much like it was yet to be determined in what should have been an absorbing final session.Rather, as it turned out, Australia didn’t have to fight for those spoils so much as they watched them handed over meekly on a golden platter. Gone, completely, were Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf who had asphyxiated the visitors before tea. Absent too was Hasan Ali, at a time when the aging ball should have given him the greatest opportunity to go searching for reverse swing.Instead, a small pocket of fans watched bemused as Babar let Sajid Khan, the most expensive bowler on the day, bowl alongside Nauman Ali, who had been about as incisive as a newborn’s teeth. Even Azhar Ali and Babar himself would come on to bowl as Pakistan locked their quicker bowlers out of the game in wait for the second new ball. On just five occasions have Pakistan bowled more spin inside the first 80 overs of a Test in Pakistan.Mohammad Rizwan, who emerged for the post-match presser, perhaps for no other reason than because he might have drawn the shortest straw, explained that Pakistan had been worried about Australia’s brisk scoring rate.”They won the toss, which was quite important,” he said. “They have capitalised on winning the toss and batting first. They scored runs with the new ball. The pitch was dry. They capitalised on that by putting on 100 runs in the first session. We had to dry the runs. This is not negativity.”A lot of teams employ this tactic, and I thought our bowlers came back very well. You should play according to the way the situation demands. Their run rate was very good because they played well in the first session, and we had to dry the runs.”

“The pitch is similarly slow [to Rawalpindi]. But I think it will offer turn and will produce a result because it will offer help to spinners”Mohammad Rizwan defended his bowlers after the first day’s play

There was merit to that, though Afridi and Faheem had pulled things back fairly well in the hour before tea. It had been a stiflingly hot day, and Babar’s desire to keep his attack fresh for the new ball was evident. However, having the extra seamer in Ashraf, an option they did not have in Rawalpindi, meant the pace bowlers were never in serious danger of being overworked. But with Australia up against them and the memory of that belligerent first session fresh in their mind, Pakistan reverted immediately to what came naturally against Australia: timorous self-preservation.Rizwan defended the bowlers, but insisted Test cricket sometimes called for flexibility in approach. “Test cricket is such where sometimes, they’ll have the ascendancy and other times us. We tried, but sometimes you don’t get any assistance from the pitch no matter what you do,” he said.”Our bowlers tried really hard. Shaheen Afridi tried to go short to the batters but he wasn’t getting anything. The situation doesn’t always go your way. The pitch is similarly slow [to Rawalpindi]. But I think it will offer turn and I think it will produce a result because it will offer help to the spinners.”Unless there is a remarkable inversion of history, that result – should it come – is most likely an Australian win. In 17 games where Australia have posted in excess of 350 while batting first against Pakistan, they have triumphed in 12 without ever losing one. At 251 for 3, it will take a brilliant first session from Pakistan to keep that first-innings total under check. A session that requires a bit more bravery and – with any luck – a lot less respect.

After a short three game slate on Monday, all of Major League Baseball is back on Tuesday.

While teams are starting to find themselves in the crosshairs of postseason races, preconceived notions are forming around certain teams and players. However, I'm fading some pitchers that started the season strong, but are due to regress as the season goes on, and at a big price tag.

Below, you'll find my betting analysis on every game on the Tuesday, July 2nd slate, including why I'm backing underdogs such as the Giants, Reds and Diamondbacks.

White Sox vs. Guardians Prediction and Pick

Pick: White Sox (+170)

The Guardians may be in the lead in the AL Central, far ahead of the last place White Sox, but I can’t trust Carlos Carrasco given his current state at this high of a price tag. 

Carrasco gets no movement on his pitches anymore, fourth in pitching run value with a 5.27 ERA. 

Simply put, it’s a dead fade of the veteran right hander who appears to be far from a quality arm anymore. 

Cardinals vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

Pick: Pirates (-125)

Mitch Keller has turned it on after a slow start, and I’ll back him and the Pirates as small home favorites. 

Keller is off a June in which he posted a 2.35 ERA, after posting a 1.30 ERA in four May starts, and will have a significant pitching edge against soft tossing Kyle Gibson.

Gibson has an ERA of 3.70, but an xERA of 4.84 that signals regression can come swiftly for the right hander. 

Red Sox vs. Marlins Prediction and Pick

Pick: Red Sox (-170)

Boston was fourth in OPS in June and should have little issue out-pacing the Marlins, who were last in that same metric, the only team to post a sub-.600 OPS. 

Mets vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mets (-140)

The Mets are the far better team when hitting left handed pitching, which is impactful when both teams are starting southpaws. 

New York is fourth in OPS against lefties while the Nationals are 28th.

Reds vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

Pick: Reds (+165)

Luis Gil’s slide has been noticeable over his last two starts, allowing 12 earned runs in less than five full innings. With erratic control and diminishing velocity, I’ll fade Gil once more at this number. 

Astros vs. Blue Jays Prediction and Pick

Pick: Astros (-105)

I’ll ride with the streaking Astros, who took the first game of this early week series and are in line to win yet again on Tuesday. 

Jose Berrios remains untrustworthy as his xERA is far higher than his actual ERA (4.50 vs. 3.38), signaling that he can face a downturn in the second half of the season. 

I’ll take the better team as slight underdogs. 

Giants vs. Braves Prediction and Pick

Pick: Giants (+155)

I’ll take the big underdog in Atlanta. 

San Francisco will start Hayden Birdsong for the second time. While he struggled in his first start, he showcased some serious velocity (85th percentile fastball velocity) and generated swings and misses. 

Against a free-swinging Braves team, Birdsong may be in line to put together a strong start with low expectations. Meanwhile, I’m interested in fading Reynaldo Lopez, who has a 1.70 ERA but an xERA of 3.98. 

Tigers vs. Twins Prediction and Pick

Pick: Twins (-110)

The Tigers receive the benefit of the doubt with AL Cy Young candidate Tarik Skubal on the mound, but this offense isn’t up to the task. 

Detroit is hitting .228 as a unit this season and ranks 28th in OPS over the balance of the season. 

Meanwhile, Minnesota may be up to the task to knock around Skubal, posting the second highest OPS against southpaws. 

Padres vs. Rangers Prediction and Pick

Pick: Padres (-105)

The Padres have been rounding into form, top 10 in OPS in the month of June, and likely have a slight pitching edge with Dylan Cease on the mound. 

Cease has lowered his walk rate to a career low level (less than three per nine) while maintaining a massive strikeout rate with more than 11 punchouts per nine innings. 

Phillies vs. Cubs Prediction and Pick

Pick: Phillies (+105)

The Phillies will start prospect Michael Mercado, making his second appearance of his career, likely as an opener. While there may be some concern about his viability, I’m thrilled to get the Phillies at an underdog price against the Cubs, who are off a month in which it was bottom third in the bigs in OPS.

Rays vs. Royals Prediction and Pick

Pick: Royals (-120)

Kansas City maintains a fantastic home record, 30-16 at Kauffman Stadium. 

In a coin flip matchup, the Royals have the hitting edge and home field advantage to get this done in the series opener.

Brewers vs. Rockies Prediction and Pick

Pick: Rockies (+105)

Dallas Keuchel will be pitching in the hitter friendly Coors Field, which sets up to be problematic for the journeyman left hander. 

Keuchel hasn’t struck out more than 15% of batters in the last three full seasons with a walk rate above 8%, highlighting in bloated ERA’s that have consistently been above 5.00. 

I can’t trust him as a favorite even with a talented Brewers lineup backing him up.

Orioles vs. Mariners Prediction and Pick

Pick: Mariners (-105)

The Mariners will have the better pitcher on the mound in George Kirby, who has elite command and has done a fantastic job of limiting hard contact. The right hander is in the 99th percentile in walk rate with a 72nd percentile hard-hit percentage. 

I’ll take a stab on Seattle as slight home underdogs. 

Angels vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

Pick: Angels (-115)

In a battle of two poor teams, I’m taking the road favorite who has shown a bit more of late. 

The Angels hit league average in June in terms of OPS while the A’s checked in 28th. 

Further, Jose Soriano (1.93 ERA in two June starts) has been better than Mitch Spence (5.40 ERA in five June starts), leading me to the Halos. 

Diamondbacks vs. Dodgers Prediction and Pick

Pick: Diamondbacks (+160)

I’ll take a flier on the underdog Diamondbacks as a way to bank on the surging offense and fade the Dodgers’ starter, Bobby Miller. 

Miller is a hard throwing right hander, but hasn’t seen the results come together just yet, posting a 6.75 ERA through five starts, mainly due to a near-14% walk rate. 

Miller will face a strong D-Backs lineup that just hit .269 in the month of June (seventh in the bigs) and draws walks at a top 10 rate. 

Liverpool are already reportedly working on their move to sign a £100m winger to replace Mohamed Salah, who was left out of the squad entirely for their trip to face Inter Milan.

Thierry Henry: Salah "wrong" for public Liverpool spat

In truth, Liverpool’s dramatic 3-3 draw at Elland Road feels like an eternity ago such is the drama that’s unfolded since. Salah’s bombshell is still leaving shrapnel around Anfield and around the Premier League, with Jamie Carragher delivering a brutal assessment on Monday Night Football and Thierry Henry since adding to that in midweek.

The Frenchman said on CBS’ Champions League show: “Look, nobody is talking about what Mo Salah has achieved in the game. We’re talking about a moment in time that I think he got wrong.

“You do not talk about your personal situation openly when your team is struggling. You do it in a dressing room. I’ve done it. I went to the dressing room and smashed everything in. I went to the office of the boss and complained about stuff.

“When I was at Barcelona, I went away with the team. They put me in the stand. Did you hear me talking about it? No. There is a team. You need to protect your team at all costs, all the time.”

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Arne Slot, meanwhile, is still awaiting an apology and has at least seen his side bounce back from the Leeds game with a professional 1-0 victory over Inter Milan at the San Siro.

The Athletic believe that Salah’s outburst was either aimed towards securing an exit away from the club or to put pressure on Slot’s position. If it is the former and there really is no way back then the Reds could reportedly turn their attention towards Paris Saint-Germain’s Bradley Barcola.

Liverpool begin "work" on Barcola move

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool are already “working” on a move to sign Barcola in an attempt to replace Salah in 2026. The PSG man is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal in France, leaving the door ajar for those at Anfield to make their move.

Sources told Caught Offside: “Liverpool have already begun background work on replacing Salah. A player they really like, and have been following closely for some time, is Bradley Barcola.”

Even though he’s yet to sign a new deal, Barcola’s current contract doesn’t expire until 2028. That means Liverpool will likely have to pay a premium fee to secure his signature, with reports in the summer suggesting that PSG value their winger at as much as £100m.

Dubbed “special” by Como scout Ben Mattinson last year, it’s easy to see why Barcola has emerged as an option to replace Salah. In 1,274 minutes so far this season – the same as around 14 games – the Frenchman has scored five goals and assisted another three from out wide.

Replacing Salah will be one of the toughest jobs that Richard Hughes has had as sporting director, but he may already have an ideal candidate in mind.

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Leeds United moved out of the relegation zone in the Premier League this week with an impressive 3-1 win over Chelsea at Elland Road on Wednesday night, in a game that was underpinned by Daniel Farke’s structural changes.

The German head coach, who has typically deployed a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3 formation during his time at the club, opted to start with a 3-5-2 system against Enzo Maresca’s team.

It worked wonders for the Whites as they went on to claim all three points, thanks to goals from Jaka Bijol, Ao Tanaka, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Why Leeds United's formation change worked so well

Changing from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 worked so well for the Whites because it allowed Jayden Bogle, who assisted the second goal, and Gabriel Gudmundsson to push higher up the pitch with three centre-backs providing enough cover defensively.

It also meant that the Whites could play with two strikers, instead of leaving one isolated on their own, and that led to Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha causing plenty of problems.

The two centre-forwards combined to win 13 duels against the Chelsea defenders and won four fouls, without committing any, per Sofascore, which shows that they were a nightmare to deal with throughout the game.

Nmecha, in particular, has benefitted from having Calvert-Lewin’s physicality alongside him. The German forward, who has scored four Premier League goals, has lost 69% of his ground duels this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he struggles with the physical side of leading the line on his own.

Having another, more physical, striker alongside him means that he can focus on making runs in behind and pressing opposition defenders, which is what makes it such an effective pairing, or at least what made it so effective against Chelsea.

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Whilst Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin got the job done on Wednesday, Harry Gray could be perfect for the new role that Nmecha is now playing for Leeds.

Why Harry Gray should be unleashed in Lukas Nmecha's new role

Bringing young players into the first-team is difficult in any circumstance, but even more so in the Premier League with all that is at stake in a relegation battle.

Academy talents are not used to the physicality of professional football and may need time to adapt, particularly strikers, which is why this new role that Nmecha has could be perfect for Gray.

Farke must finally unleash the 17-year-old centre-forward for his Premier League debut in the coming weeks because playing alongside an experienced striker like Calvert-Lewin could be an ideal introduction to regular football at senior level.

Gray, who was described as the club’s “newest Wonderkid” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and his contributor Joe Blackburn, has scored a whopping ten goals in 11 games in all competitions for the academy this season, per Transfermarkt.

Appearances

3

Goals

2

Conversion rate

50%

Assists

1

Dribbles completed per game

2.0

Ground duel success rate

52%

Aerial duel success rate

38%

As you can see in the table above, the teenage forward has scored two goals in three EFL Trophy games, playing against League One and League Two sides, but has struggled with the aerial duels in those games.

This suggests that he would not be well-suited to playing as a lone striker in the Premier League for Leeds, as he would need to duel with towering top-flight centre-backs and hold the ball up under intense pressure, which is also where Nmecha struggled earlier this season.

Therefore, playing alongside Calvert-Lewin, who won six of his nine aerial duels against Chelsea (Sofascore), could be the perfect way for him to be introduced into the first-team this season.

Gray’s return of 14 goals in 20 U21s games and eight goals in 11 U18s matches for Leeds, per Transfermarkt, shows that he has the technical and goalscoring qualities to potentially make an impact for the Whites, but it is the physicality that is questionable.

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This change in formation from Farke, though, may alleviate those concerns because of how the two-striker system works, and that is why the manager should unleash the teen sensation in Nmecha’s role in the coming weeks.

The word coming from FSG’s camp is that Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool’s head coach is not immediately under threat.

However, the owners who watched as Liverpool dominantly conquered the Premier League last season are now staring down the barrel of a gun regarding the Dutchman’s future at the helm, with nine losses from 12 matches in all competitions an inexplicable slide in form.

Liverpool’s crisis of confidence has left their title defence in tatters, and Slot is now facing a fight to save his position at Anfield, with the upcoming run of league fixtures – West Ham United, Sunderland, Leeds United – over the next week sure to shape the narrative and whether this rut deepens.

FSG might feel that Liverpool’s title-winning boss still has some credit in the bank, but that will change if things don’t improve, and sporting director Richard Hughes has already compiled a list of potential replacements.

Hughes begins search for Slot successor

While Liverpool are not ready to pull the trigger, they would be remiss not to sound out a few options in the event that things continue to deteriorate on Merseyside.

Earlier this week, Spanish sources suggested Jurgen Klopp is back in the mix as Hughes looks for solutions, but this would not be the right path to travel back down. The legendary German departed Liverpool in 2024 after admitting he was tired from so many taxing years at the top.

However, the Reds might choose to move for another manager who is established as one of the best in the business, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique emerging as a contender.

Enrique, 55, was the man behind PSG’s incredible quadruple-winning 2024/25 season, previously reaping riches with Barcelona, and reports – via The Mirror – believe Liverpool have made him their long-term priority in the event of Slot’s dismissal.

The suggestion is that conversations have been held at boardroom level at Anfield, amid fears over whether Slot has lost the dressing room, hence why Enrique could be lined up as a potential successor.

Why Enrique could be perfect for Liverpool

Some critical observers would suggest that Liverpool started foundering after PSG knocked Slot out of the Champions League in the last 16. Certainly, the English side petered out as the season entered the business stretch.

An experienced and decorated manager, Enrique has been hailed as “the best manager in the world” by French journalist Julien Laurens for reaching unprecedented heights with PSG, creating a stable and multi-faceted attacking outfit that was practically invincible last season.

His fluid philosophy could be attracting Hughes’ interest. Enrique employs a 4-3-3 formation, but he’s experimental with his ideas, utilising full-back width and clever passing patterns in the build-up.

This could give rise to the qualities of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, but Alexander Isak might benefit most from this potential managerial switch.

Enrique’s teams score goals. Moreover, they do so with style. Ousmane Dembele would certainly attest to that.

The current crisis makes it easy to forget that Isak is one of the deadliest strikers of his generation, and Enrique’s acumen would surely see a system wrought to accommodate the 26-year-old’s qualities.

Isak looks a world away from that world-class striker who tore English football apart at St. James’ Park, but, as with several other summer recruits, he has struggled to adapt in a dysfunctional team.

Liverpool are hardly a hothouse for player growth at the moment, but that is why Enrique could be such an interesting pick.

They are hardly carbon copies, but Isak and Dembele share a likeness, and, considering this, Enrique could reshape the Swedish striker into a free-scoring superstar.

Dembele vs Isak (past 12 months)
Stats (per 90)	Dembele	Isak
Goals scored	1.08	0.72
Assists	0.32	0.19
Shots taken	4.69	2.91
Touches (att pen)	7.94	5.93
Shot-creating actions	6.02	2.91
Pass completion	80.2	74.7
Progressive passes	7.46	3.25
Progressive carries	5.94	2.72
Successful take-ons	1.80	1.44
Ball recoveries	1.36	1.81
Tackles + interceptions	0.68	0.57
Data via FBref

While it might look like Isak pales in comparison to the 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient, different factors need to be considered. Isak plays in an ostensibly tougher league and was considered to be “the best striker” in England last season, as was said by pundit Jamie Carragher.

If anything, this bears testament to Enrique’s tactical prowess, and given the natural stylistic similarities, it could be the perfect move to finally unlock the latent qualities of Liverpool’s star striker.

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