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Tottenham have reportedly made an eye-watering initial offer to sign Real Madrid forward Rodrygo ahead of the January transfer window after contacting Los Blancos president Florentino Perez.

Rodrygo’s once-prominent status at Real has come under serious threat this season, with the Brazilian winger’s reduced role fueling speculation about a potential departure from the Bernabeu.

The 24-year-old’s situation has deteriorated rapidly since Xabi Alonso replaced Carlo Ancelotti in the dugout. Despite featuring in 13 matches this season, Rodrygo has managed just 359 minutes of playing time in all competitions, less than 18-year-old Franco Mastantuono, Arda Güler and the exit-linked Vinícius Júnior.

More tellingly, he hasn’t completed a full 90 minutes in any game at all this term, suggesting a serious fall down Alonso’s pecking order.

Rodrygo has started just three of his 13 competitive matches in 25/26, including only one start in his last seven La Liga games, raising serious questions about his future at the club where he’s won two Champions League titles.

The former Santos sensation, speaking to reporters in Brazil’s mixed media zone earlier this week, opened up about his lack of chances and put on a dedicated front.

However, behind-the-scenes, whispers are indicating that a January exit could be on the cards for him.

Rodrygo was attracting interest from Tottenham in the summer, with north London rivals Arsenal also holding talks over signing the South American as far back as May, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

While a move to the English capital didn’t materialise for Rodrygo, it could well be revisited in January, with ESPN Brasil reporting that he’s privately open to leaving Real after growing dissatisfied under Alonso.

From Tottenham’s perspective, it is believed that Thomas Frank’s side are prepared to spend a club-record fee on bringing Rodrygo to N17, as per reports from Spain, and there’s now been another update on his future, again involving Spurs.

Tottenham make 'initial offer' for Rodrygo after contacting Florentino Perez

As per Spanish media sources, the Lilywhites have approached Perez with a proposal already.

Tottenham are now said to have made an ‘initial offer’ of around £75 million for Rodrygo, with £62 million to be paid in full plus a further £13 million in add-ons. Right now, they’re apparently showing the ‘most interest’ of any potential suitor, with Johan Lange and Fabio Paratici setting their sights on a statement signing.

However, that isn’t to say they’re alone in the race, as other unnamed Premier League clubs have inquired about Rodrygo as well.

The Lewis family recently backed Tottenham with a £100 million cash injection which could be put towards the club’s recruitment drive, and reports of this nature suggest that they’re looking to usher in a post-Daniel Levy era with real aplomb.

Tactically, he offers Frank exactly what the Dane has been missing — creativity.

His strengths include exceptional dribbling, key passing, finishing and crossing ability (WhoScored), providing that spark from wide areas which Tottenham have desperately lacked so far, bar Mohammed Kudus.

Rodrygo’s versatility across the front three would give Frank real tactical flexibility as well, given he’s capable of operating on either flank or even centrally.

The winger scored 14 goals and bagged 11 assists in all competitions under Carlo Ancelotti last term, with Jude Bellingham calling him their most ‘gifted’ and ‘underrated’ player.

An opening day that was theirs to claim came crashing down as they slipped from 78 for 1 to 84 for 4

Alagappan Muthu01-Nov-2024India might somewhat justifiably believe that their struggles during this series against New Zealand were the result of circumstances coming together. The rain in Bengaluru. The toss in Pune. But the chaos in Mumbai is less easy to wish away.They were on top, picking up seven wickets for 76 runs to limit the opposition to 235, and responding to that with 78 for 1 in 17 overs on a pitch where first-innings runs will be incredibly important. Until 4.47pm on Friday, everything was going according to plan. And then, in the next five minutes, it all fell apart. Three wickets in eight legal balls, and a day that was theirs to claim was back in the balance.Related

• Ajaz triggers late India slide after Jadeja keeps New Zealand to 235

The Indian players in the dressing room could only look on in horror. A set batter falling to a reverse sweep with stumps approaching. A nightwatcher dismissed first ball and using up a review. A world-beater run-out going for a quick single. Morne Morkel had his head in his hands. Ravindra Jadeja didn’t have the time to react even that much.”Everything happened in ten minutes,” Jadeja said at the end of the first day’s play in Mumbai. “But it happens. It’s a team game. You cannot blame one person. Everyone makes mistakes. The next batters will have to stitch some partnership and try to get [the score] beyond 230. Only then the second innings will come into play. So it will be better if the incoming batters contribute.”New Zealand have done what few others have been able to, and hang on until the moment where the balance can shift. They showed it in Bengaluru in their first innings when Tim Southee and Rachin Ravindra added vital lower-order runs. They showed it in Pune when they toppled India from 50 for 1 to 156 all out. And they’ve shown it again, here, breaking a 53-run stand between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal with 13 minutes to go to stumps and then topping that with the direct-hit run-out of Virat Kohli.Ajaz Patel struck twice in two balls•BCCI”You want to keep taking wickets,” Daryl Mitchell, who top-scored for New Zealand with 82, said. “It’s always nice. Look, it’s the nature of the surface and playing Test cricket over here, the ebbs and flows happen throughout the day and happy with how we hung in there while they were building a partnership, and when you get one you hopefully can get two and three.”And thats our motto, its just keep giving to the team, the way Rachin and some of the other guys chased the ball right to the boundary, that’s the stuff we always pride ourselves on. It means everyone is engaged, everyone is giving to the team, so that if we get one, hopefully we get another and its nice that it paid off tonight.”Kohli was fully kitted up when the second wicket fell, but Mohammed Siraj came out to bat instead. The nightwatcher fell first ball and burned a review trying to survive. Kohli then came in but he took on Matt Henry’s arm at mid-on and lost. Rishabh Pant came out. It was a good thing no more wickets fell because the next man in, Sarfaraz Khan, wasn’t in his whites.India have already lost this series, and are looking to avoid their first-ever home whitewash in a series of three or more Tests. They’ve been reminded of these things everywhere they’ve turned. Was their plunge into this possibly avoidable situation a sign of a team buckling under pressure? Jadeja didn’t think so.”Only the individual can tell what’s going through in his mind,” he said. “But if you are behind in the series, and such a situation comes, it feels you panicked because you are 2-0 down and committed an error. But if you are 2-0 up and the same thing happens, everyone says it happens. But if you are behind in the series, even the small things look big. Our top order has made mistakes, so the next six batters need to go close to or beyond 230. If we bat well in the first innings, things will be easier in the second.”

They have called for an indefinite boycott of the Dhaka leagues

Mohammad Isam08-Oct-2025Dhaka cricket clubs’ officials have called for an indefinite boycott of the Dhaka leagues in protest of the recently held BCB elections, which they are calling “illegal”. These are the same clubs that withdrew from the polls held on October 6 after claiming interference in the electoral process.Tamim Iqbal, who withdrew from the race before the election, was among the club officials present at the press conference in Dhaka on Wednesday. Masuduzzaman, the BCB councillor from Mohammedan Sporting Club, said that they had a majority of the clubs united in the boycott, which he said would also include district-level cricket.”Starting from the third-division cricket league, including the second and first-division leagues and the Premier League, all the organisers who are participating, we saw how the beauty of cricket got lost,” Masuduzzaman said. “Therefore, if you continue like this, we will not play cricket. We will also boycott cricket at the district level.Related

• Tamim accuses board president of 'interference'

• Tamim withdraws from BCB elections: 'I cannot be a part of this'

• Aminul Islam rules out government interference in BCB election

• Aminul Islam re-elected BCB president

• BCB director removed hours after being elected to his post

“We will all remain united in announcing that cricket will be temporarily closed. We didn’t accept the elections. We said many times that this election should not be allowed to happen. But no one listened. In our opinion, he [Aminul Islam] has conducted an illegal election.”Hours later, BCB chief Aminul Islam said that they would protect the interests of the cricketers. “The betterment of Bangladesh cricket and the well-being of those who matter most – the cricketers – are the main objectives and goals of the BCB. We are all in this together; those within the board and those outside share the same philosophy and passion,” he said in a BCB press release.According to reports, at least 38 clubs are behind the boycott, including seven Dhaka Premier Division Cricket League (DPL) teams. These include defending champions Abahani Limited and their arch-rivals Mohammedan. The other DPL clubs are Legends of Rupganj, Gulshan Cricket Club, Brothers Union, Partex Sporting Club and Shinepukur City Club.Dhaka’s league structure has the DPL at the top of the pyramid, followed by the first-, second- and third-division leagues in a professional system that is the heartbeat of Bangladesh cricket. It is the competitive system that has sustained the country’s cricketers since the 1950s.As a result, the Dhaka clubs also enjoy the majority of positions in the BCB’s board of directors. Ahead of the elections this year, however, the Tamim-led faction had complained of interference, particularly after the BCB president issued a controversial letter on September 18, in which he asked the sports ministry to send a fresh list of councillors from the districts and divisions category.

Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just missed out on what would have been the second cycle in Major League Baseball postseason history Wednesday.

In Game 3 of the American League Championship Series against the Mariners, Toronto's offense broke out when it was needed the most, partly in thanks to a four-hit night from Guerrero. He smacked a 406-foot home run to center field in the fifth inning, which moved him just a triple shy of the cycle with plenty of game left.

He was intentionally walked in the sixth, but saw an opportunity in the eighth to achieve the rare feat. Guerrero poked an 83-mph curveball in the middle of the zone to the right-field gap and dug for extra bases. He rounded first and booked it for second, but stopped on second base instead of pushing for the triple, which would've completed the cycle. He appeared to take too big of a step as he rounded first, which put him a bit off balance and may have halted his opportunity for a triple.

Once the 26-year-old first baseman stood up on second, he knew he missed an opportunity, but was happy with another extra-base hit. The Fox broadcast perfectly panned to some of his Blue Jays teammates in the dugout who looked disappointed that the cycle didn't come to fruition.

As the hardest piece of the cycle, you can't fault Guerrero for not reaching third on the play, but his eighth-inning hit may have been the best opportunity possible.

Guerrero was 4-for-4 with a walk on the night, recording his only RBI via a solo homer in the fifth. The Blue Jays' offense exploded at the right time, and it led the charge behind the 13–4 win against the Mariners in Wednesday's Game 3. Seattle still leads the series 2–1 with Game 4 slated for Thursday night at T-Mobile Park.

Who hit for the only cycle in MLB postseason history?

Red Sox utilityman Brock Holt hit for the only cycle in MLB postseason history, doing so in Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Yankees in 2018. Holt's playoff cycle was part of Boston's 16–1 stomping of New York before they won the series in Game 4. He hit for the cycle three years earlier in the regular season against the Braves.

Former Schalke coach Jens Keller, who managed Leroy Sane and handed him his professional debut, has criticised Germany national team boss Julian Nagelsmann for his comments about the winger. On Monday, Nagelsmann issued another warning to Sane regarding his World Cup prospects following his move to Galatasaray, with Keller of the belief that such comments should be reserved for private conversations.

• Nagelsmann's public warning to Sane

  One of the surprises in the Germany squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia was the return of Sane. Having signed for reigning Super Lig champions Galatasaray after leaving Bayern Munich as a free agent over the summer, the call-up marked his first inclusion in the national team squad since the Nations League Finals in June. However, Nagelsmann publicly warned the 29-year-old that he won't get many opportunities if he fails to grab them.

  Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Nagelsmann said: "If we had six or seven players to choose from in that position, then it would be significantly more difficult for him. He knows that there aren't an unlimited number of opportunities to prove himself at the national team level. I told him that openly."

  However, the 38-year-old manager recognised and acknowledged an improvement in Sane's performances over the past few months. "Profile-wise, he has everything we need in that position. That's why he has this opportunity now," he said.

  "His scoring rate and performances have improved significantly compared to the beginning, both in the Super Lig and in the Champions League. But he still has steps to take to improve even further – both here and at the club."

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  Former Bundesliga coach defends Sane after Nagelsmann's comments

  Jens Keller, former Stuttgart, Schalke and Union Berlin head coach, was not too pleased with Nagelsmann's comments at the press conference this week. The former defender also believes Sane "brings something special" to the German national team.

  "I suspect Julian Nagelsmann wanted to provoke him, but I would have handled it differently," Keller told . "It's not my style to communicate publicly and increase the pressure like that. Leroy may be a laid-back guy, but he's also very sensitive."

  Keller, who guided Sane to his professional debut in 2014, says he’s unsure whether public criticism benefits the player’s performance. He explains that Sane “used to need a talking-to now and then," but not in public. "You can tell him your opinion in private, and he accepts it.”

  The 54-year-old also defended Sane from the criticism by adding that "if he doesn't perform well, it's almost always viewed quite critically. But he also played some great games for Bayern last season." For Keller, there is "hardly anyone in Germany who has such a good left foot, such speed, who goes deep and demands the ball."

  He also referred to Nagelsmann's comments about Sane back in August, where he pointed out that the ex-Manchester City and Schalke star is now plying a trade in a league that has lower standards. "Ultimately, he plays for a top Turkish club and in the Champions League. I don't know what's so bad about that," Keller pointed out. "That's also my conviction because he still brings something special. As a person, he's an incredibly good guy, I like him very much. Leroy would always be there for me."

  Former Bayern director Matthias Sammer agrees that Nagelsmann's method may not be ideal, saying: "My experience is that individualists need love, need so much love that it causes a clash. That's just the way it is.
  " 

• Ex-Bayern star becoming impactful for Galatasaray

  After a slow start with the Turkish heavyweights, Sane is showing signs of nearing his best. The German international has often been scrutinised for his unimpressive displays and lack of impact with Gala, with former player Alparslan Erdem even warning Sane to "get his head straight first" if he doesn't want to be unsuccessful like ex-Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech.

  However, he seems to have found his rhythm, scoring three goals and delivering as many assists in 15 games across Super Lig and the Champions League. "I had to settle in first. I had an adjustment period, so things didn't quite go as planned on the pitch at the beginning," Sane admitted to recently. "I had to get to know my teammates, and they had to get to know me, how to interact on the pitch, how to play together. That took a little while. But now, in the last few games, I'm very happy with my performances and how I've played. I want to carry this momentum forward and keep going."

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  Sane determined to play at the 2026 World Cup

  Sane previously discussed his relationship with Nagelsmann, assuring that there was no bad blood between them. "Julian Nagelsmann and I have a very good relationship; we get along really well and had good exchanges and discussions during the last training courses," he said. "I’m grateful to him for that. Of course, I hope that when things are going well for me again, I’ll be invited back. I want to repay that trust with my performance – he’s always supported me, and I’m grateful for that."

  Sane also expressed his determination to fight for his spot at next year's World Cup, saying: "The World Cup is a big goal for me – the biggest event in football. I’ll do everything I can to perform at my best and show that Julian Nagelsmann has to take me. I certainly hope we have a great tournament together."

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola have now stepped up their interest in signing Real Madrid star Federico Valverde, and a swap deal involving Erling Haaland could be on the cards in the future.

Man City are looking to sign a new midfielder, with Rodri continuing to struggle on the injury front in the opening few months of the 2025-26 campaign, missing three of the last four matches in the Premier League due to a hamstring issue.

Surprisingly, it has now emerged that City could now be willing to use Rodri as a makeweight in negotiations to sign Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, who could be in line to become their club record signing, surpassing the £100m spent on Jack Grealish.

Nico Gonzalez impressed when slotting into the central midfield in the victory against Liverpool prior to the international break, scoring the second goal in the 3-0 rout, but the Blues have now joined the race for a more established top-level central midfielder…

Man City stepping up interest in signing Federico Valverde

According to a report from Spain, Man City are now stepping up their interest in signing Real Madrid midfielder Valverde, with Pep driving the move, having identified the 27-year-old as one of his top targets in the middle of the park.

The City boss is determined to bring in a new central midfielder, while the Spanish giants want to sign Haaland, and it is believed Guardiola’s side would be willing to consider a swap deal for the Norwegian, with the Uruguayan being used as a makeweight.

Otherwise, the La Liga side have no plans to let the Montevideo-born star leave, meaning it could be difficult for the Blues to get a deal over the line, and missing out would be disappointing, given the level of his performances over the past year.

The 71-time Uruguay international is vastly experienced at the highest level, having made 69 appearances in the Champions League, and he has even been lauded as “world-class” by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

As such, Man City should definitely try and get a deal done, but if the only way to sign Valverde is as part of a Haaland swap deal, then a move should be avoided, given that the striker is currently in the form of his life.

The 25-year-old, who has been named among the best strikers in the world, has already scored 14 Premier League goals this season, six more than any other player in the top flight, and simply cannot be allowed to leave if City are to stand any chance of reclaiming the title.

Erling Haaland has been ranked in the top five of the 2026 Ballon d'Or Power Rankings

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Charlie Smith

Nov 6, 2025