Manchester United will be in the market for a new midfielder in the summer transfer window as they prepare to bid farewell to Casemiro after four seasons at the club
United’s decision not to offer the experienced midfielder a new deal forms part of their wider squad overhaul. Casemiro joined from Real Madrid for an initial £60million in 2022, with add‑ons taking the total fee to £70million.
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He earns around £300,000 per week, rising closer to £350,000 if United are in the Champions League. Manuel Ugarte’s future at M16 is also uncertain; several names have been linked as potential replacements for the pair.
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Carlos Baleba, Sandro Tonali and Adam Wharton have also been mentioned, but Barry believes Anderson would be the best fit for the role.
Speaking to BOYLE Sports, who offer the latest football odds, the former Aston Villa man said: “Man United are certainly going to be looking for a Casemiro replacement. Elliot Anderson is probably a slightly different player and a very different age, his skillset is a lot different.
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“I like Elliot Anderson. If you’re a Man Utd scout, you’ll mention him. He’s one of the best off-the-ball players. He presses to limit the attacking player’s space. He’s one of the best around, and he’s capable of going the other way as well.
“That’s why Thomas Tuchel’s got him in his starting eleven over a lot of big-name players with England, and he’s a possible starter for the World Cup team. So I’m sure he’s being discussed in the Man United boardroom, as well as maybe other teams.
“I think, from that sort of experience for a player and a club, if the deal is going to happen, try to get it done as soon as possible. I think it just helps everyone. It helps both clubs and helps the player, especially going into a big tournament.
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Barry continued: “He doesn’t want to be thinking about his club future while trying to win the World Cup for England. It’s not going to help anyone. Also, the price tag could be a bit steeper if he has a good tournament.
“If something like that is going to happen and the player’s got his head around the fact that it’s time for a move, it’s certainly better to be done before the tournament than after.”
However, Nottingham Forest are unlikely to let the 23‑year‑old leave after he has established himself as a key defensive midfielder at the City Ground following his move from Newcastle United in 2024. While a £100million fee was previously touted to prise him away, Forest’s battle against relegation could affect that valuation.
Vítor Pereira’s side sit 16th in the table, just three points above the drop zone with seven games remaining.
Dmitry Bivol may not get the fights he wants this year – or be forced to go through with them one belt down.
The Russian pound-for-pound star has been out since his rematch with Artur Beterbiev in February 2025, a points win after losing the first fight.
Bivol’s undisputed reign lasted just a couple of months before he dropped the WBC belt rather than fight mandatory challenger David Benavidez – who was upgraded to full champion – in favour of a trilogy with Beterbiev.
He has also named a hit list of opponents that includes the third fight with Beterbiev – whose team are becoming frustrated by the delay – Benavidez and perhaps a rematch with Canelo Alvarez. Bivol has also not ruled out moving up to cruiserweight to become a two-division world champion.
Those plans will please fans, but the sanctioning body rotation is now in motion and, as reported by the Ring Magazine, the WBO are set to order Bivol to face the winner of Callum Smith vs David Morrell, which takes place on April 18 in Liverpool for the interim title.
Should Bivol want to keep hold of the WBO belt, which he holds alongside the WBA and IBF, it could have major repercussions for the division.
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Benavidez intends to drop back down to light-heavyweight after his cruiserweight world title challenge against Gilberto Ramirez in May, but the lack of an undisputed clash with Bivol may make him reconsider, or instead pursue Beterbiev.
Sophie Fawns played with Helen Housby for four seasons at the NSW Swifts in Australia, but has joined AO Manchester Thunder for the 2026 Netball Super League season.
When Sophie Fawns told Helen Housby she was joining AO Manchester Thunder, Housby burst into tears – not out of sadness at what Housby would lose in a teammate, but what Fawns would gain in experience.
Housby and Fawns are now treading opposite paths, with the England shooter making the move from AO Thunder to NSW Swifts in Australia’s Suncorp Super Netball almost a decade ago, while Fawns has swapped Sydney for Manchester to play in the Netball Super League. As one of the most exciting attacking talents in netball, signing Fawns was a major coup for AO Manchester Thunder, but it is a valuable opportunity for the 22-year-old too.
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“She was ecstatic for me when I first told her I was going,” Fawns said. “I remember telling her at our gala dinner and she started crying. She told me I was going to have the best time and that the Thunder girls are the best kind of girls and the culture that they have at the club and that Karen [Greig, head coach] has created is second to none.
“It shows that Helen hasn’t been in that environment for 10 years, but she still talks about Karen and what that team is like. It made it extra special knowing what it means to play for Thunder and knowing that Thunder has been around quite some time and there are still only 86 players who have represented the club and the history and the legacy that it holds.”
Housby helped AO Thunder to their second NSL title in 2014 before heading to Australia in 2017, where she has played for the Swifts ever since. Fawns made her debut for the Sydney club at just 19 years old and has represented Australia at Fast5 level.
The shooter has been able to learn from one of the best in the world in Housby having gone from fan to friend. She added: “Helen played a massive part in terms of my career at Swifts. I never really had the aspirations of playing professional netball until I saw the Swifts play in a pre-season game.
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“Helen being a goal attack and being that girl was someone I really looked up to and made me want to play professional netball. So, to be able to play with her and when I first came into the environment, I was so starstruck and she gave me a hug in my first training session when I was 16.
“But by the time I signed my first contract she said, you know we are actually friends and teammates now, so you can stop being a fan girl about me, and that was the best because it broke down the barrier that we could be silly and goofy with each other because we were teammates. Being able to be able to play with Helen Housby and what she has to offer to the game, I learnt so much of what you can do and it was a privilege to play with her as one of the best in the world.”
Fawns is now hoping to earn AO Thunder a fifth Netball Super League title, with the team currently sitting second in the table, and taking on league leaders Loughborough Lightning on Saturday at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. It is a potential Soft & Gentle Grand Final match-up, which has extra meaning for the AO Manchester Thunder team with the Grand Final coming to their city for the first time ever, when it will be held at Co-op Live on 20 June.
Fawns has been partnering Eleanor Cardwell in the shooting circle in Manchester, with Cardwell another player who has played out in Australia. The pair came up against each other in a Grand Final Down Under, with Fawns using that as motivation for this season.
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“The first year she was over, she beat us in the Grand Final in extra time, so when we first met I made a joke that ‘I am going to not try and hold it against you but you did take that premiership away from me’, she said. “She is the best and the smarts she has and how she shows and demonstrates that leadership on court is something I am really grateful to be playing with.
“Now that we are on the same team I have told her, ‘I won’t hold it against you, but we do have to win one this year’.”
The road to the Soft & Gentle Grand Final is underway, get your tickets here.
Live Telecast: USA – Tennis TV | UK – Sky Sports | Canada – TSN
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti preview
Moutet, seeded third in the tournament, will face Argentina’s Trungelliti in the quarterfinals on Friday. Moutet didn’t put a foot wrong against Taha Baadi in the Round of 16. The Frenchman completed a bagel in the first set and took the second with a 6-2 win.
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Meanwhile, Trungelliti earned a place in the last eight all the way from the qualifiers. Even though some of his fixtures went down to the wire, he didn’t drop a single set en route to the quarterfinals. Whoever comes out on top will face either top seed Luciano Darderi or Yannick Hanfmann.
Moutet’s best finish of the season remains his current quarterfinal campaign in Marrakech. Before this, he managed to reach the Australian Open’s Round of 32, the Phoenix Challenger’s Round of 16, and the Miami Open’s Round of 64.
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On the other hand, Trungelliti, ranked 117th in the world, notched victories against Henrique Rocha, Rei Sakamoto, and Hynek Barton to reach the quarterfinals. He has found some momentum at Grand Prix Hassan II but faces a stern challenge against the Frenchman.
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti Head-To-Head
Moutet and Trungelliti haven’t faced each other once. The quarterfinal fixture at Grand Prix Hassan II will mark their first encounter.
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti odds
Player
Moneyline
Handicap Bets
Total Games (Over and Under)
Corentin Moutet
-250
-2.5 (-175)
Over 20.5 (-155)
Marco Trungelliti
+190
+2.5 (+120)
Under 20.5 (+105)
All odds sourced from BetMGM
Corentin Moutet vs Marco Trungelliti prediction
Moutet and Trungelliti have enjoyed a fair share of success along with setbacks at the beginning of the season. Looking at their performances in the last fixtures, it appears the Frenchman will have an edge over the seasoned Argentinian.
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The 26-year-old boasted 76% win percentage on first serve, producing two aces against Baadi. He clinched five break points out of nine and won 10 games in a row to cap off his commanding display. Moutet is likely to adopt an aggressive approach against Trungelliti to catch him off guard early on.
On the other hand, the 36-year-old Trungelliti produced double the amount of aces against Kamil Majchrzak and flaunted an impressive 88% win percentage on first serve. However, despite having an edge, he was forced to dig deep to salvage a victory, despite his experience on clay. Considering Moutet has tasted success on clay at the Challenger/ITF level, he could turn out to be a massive threat to Trungelliti.
Predicted winner: Corentin Moutet in straight sets
“I love heights, man!” shouts the man next to me as we awkwardly stuff our limbs into fire-engine-red jumpsuits and tighten the straps. “I’ve wanted to do this for ages.”
This golden retriever enthusiasm should be infectious, but any chutzpah I once had has fluttered away like a maple leaf in Canada’s crisp autumnal breeze. I’m at “basecamp” for Edgewalk, a toe-curling 30-minute creep around the edge of Toronto’s CN Tower, attached only by a black harness. A short lift ride later, and our group of six is gingerly stepping out into the elements at 356 metres (1,168 feet) above ground.
Coal-black rainclouds swell ominously over Lake Ontario, and the tourists below look like shuffling grains of sand. My hands clam up, clutching the harness cord as we attempt our ‘leaning forward’ exercise. Yet, suspended above it all, watching the city I once called home fan out below me is oddly comforting.
My first summer in Toronto was a balmy haze of riding carnation-red streetcars, sinking happy hour beers on downtown terraces, bouncing around busy hostels, learning the rules of ice hockey and savouring fleeting friendships with fellow travellers from around the globe. That was 2011. Now, 15 years later, Canada’s biggest city is gearing up to host six matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Toronto is the perfect city to host the FIFA World Cup 2026, says writer James March (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
I stayed for two years, and the place still feels like home. Toronto’s international character was intoxicating to me when I first arrived, with over half of its three million-strong population born outside Canada and over 180 languages spoken. While I eventually got around to attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum and the Norman Foster-designed Art Gallery of Ontario, it was the city’s diverse neighbourhoods that captivated me most.
“There’s definitely a neighbourhood mentality here,” says Saro Yacoubian, one of the three brothers who run Taline, a Lebanese-influenced Armenian restaurant in Toronto’s leafy Summerhill neighbourhood. It’s the first time I’ve been to this corner of the city, a few blocks north of the bustling Yonge and Bloor intersection, and it’s the first time I’ve eaten Armenian food.
“In the 1960s, this space here was a tailor’s, and upstairs was where the tailor lived. Funnily enough, he was an Armenian too. Total coincidence!” laughs Yacoubian, before he explains what I’m going to be eating tonight. I’ve no idea where to find Armenian food back in Britain, but in a city like this, with its global bazaar of cultures and cuisine, it’s just another Wednesday night.
Taline is the name of the brothers’ late mother, and I tuck into refined versions of the hearty Armenian-Lebanese cuisine she once cooked for them, like unctuous boat-shaped meat dumplings called manti,or tender, well-seasoned vochkhar lamb chops.
The dishes are excellent, but Summerhill is far from the only neighbourhood for sublime food. There is Portuguesebacalhau on Dundas St West, Polish dumplings on Roncesvalles, Korean BBQ on Bloor St West or Peking duck in Spadina’s historic Chinatown. My salvation, though, was always Kensington Market.
Spending my first night back at the glittering Bisha Hotel, I feel like an interloper. This wasn’t my world 15 years ago; I could barely pay rent and became something of an authority on happy hour pints and cheap poutine. Toronto’s skyline may be taller and glassier, but Kensington Market’s edgy, multicultural spirit is as beguiling as ever.
Downtown Toronto is where you’ll find Toronto Stadium, host of six football matches during the FIFA World Cup 2026 (Getty Images)
“Kensington Market is a microcosm that represents everything Toronto is about,” says my guide CJ, as she leads a busy food tour from Chinatown into Kensington’s art-splashed streets. Incense hangs in the air, pro-Palestine flyers are handed out, and Pride flags flutter above the houses. The vintage stores and shabby dive bars I used to frequent are still here, while the revolving cast of affordable bites brings new surprises: with fiery Jamaican beef patties, generously filled tacos and dense fried chicken providing an agonising array of choice.
“The diversity, the multiculturalism. That means everyone is welcomed, recognised, and respected,” CJ adds, before leading our group into a meandering mobile brunch.
If food and football are to go hand in hand, the World Cup is an opportunity to showcase Toronto’s other famous sports. A staunch football fan, I was initially dismissive of ice hockey, basketball and baseball when I arrived, but by the end of my first summer, I was a full-blown Toronto Blue Jays fan. They’re the local baseball team that came within a whisker of winning the World Series championship last October. Ticket prices for games at the hulking Rogers Centre stadium (conveniently located downtown next to the CN Tower) in summer are always affordable, and on a warm evening, with a beer in hand, the games are great fun, even if the rules seem as complicated as a Russian novel to the uninitiated.
Ride a streetcar through Chinatown in downtown Toronto (Getty Images)
The six World Cup games will be played at Toronto Stadium, near the waterfront. Usually home to Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, its 28,000 capacity is being expanded to 45,000 for the tournament, with two new grandstands and a host of plush new suites. The Bentway – normally a concrete underpass – is being transformed into a vibrant arts, music and events space, and will host the official FIFA fan zone. I’d also recommend wandering into nearby Liberty Village for more drinks and fun. It was where I landed my first job in Toronto, though the less said about that, the better (I was never cut out for manual labour).
One place I was cut out for was the Loose Moose, a cartoonishly named favourite from my time here – a downtown pub with almost as many screens as pints on tap. With the Blue Jays on TV and a cold Canadian pint in hand, my last night in the city is a good one.
“It always makes me happy, because it reminds me of being happy,” wrote the great food critic and raconteur AA Gill about his old home, New York. I feel the same way about Toronto. Though next time, I’ll probably just stick to the CN Tower’s indoor viewing deck.
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How to get there
Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh all offer direct flights to Toronto. The airlines that fly there are Air Transat, Air Canada, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, with an average flight time of around seven hours.
Where to stay
Stay at The Drake Hotel on Queen St West. Prices from $370 CAD (£200) per night.
One less lefty will be teeing it up at Augusta National.
Phil Mickelson withdrew from the Masters as his “family continues to navigate a personal health matter,” he announced on Thursday.
Mickelson, 55, has played at every Masters but one since 1995, winning the green jacket three times.
He has spent the past four years playing on the LIV Golf circuit, but has competed in just one of five events this season. He added Thursday that his absence will be for an “extended period of time.”
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Earlier this week, five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods also announced his withdrawal in wake of his DUI arrest following a rollover crash in Florida.
With both Woods and Mickelson out, it will mark the first time neither tees it up at the Masters since 1994.
The Masters begins next Thursday with Rory McIlroy set to defend his breakthrough title.
Terence Crawford walked away from the sport as one of boxing’s modern greats, having ruled in five divisions and overcome a host of major names.
However, there is one active contender that Hall of Fame legend Roy Jones Jr believes would have provided ‘Bud’ with a tough test.
Crawford claimed the undisputed title at super-lightweight, welterweight and super-middleweight, trumping the likes of Kell Brook, Errol Spence Jnr and Canelo Alvarez over the course of a phenomenal and undefeated 42-fight career.
Speaking to Sean Zittel, Jones admitted that he would be interested to see how that contest would have played out, with both mens adaptability making for a fascinating scrap.
“It would have been a tough fight for him. We would have found out what he [Boots] is made of, but it would have been a tough fight for both of them because Crawford is that guy that knows how to adapt and make changes too. Ennis is a guy that can definitely make changes on the spot.
“Those are the makings of great fighters, so both of those guys in front of each other would have been a hell of a fight to see because they are both so adaptable.”
Jones praised Boots’ fighting style, likening it to how he systematically took apart opponents.
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“[He reminds me of myself] a lot. He has got so many things that he can do, he knows how to change things up on the spot. When you can adapt and change up on the spot, that is what you don’t find in many fighters nowadays.”
Crawford recently revealed that Ennis turned down the chance to face him back in 2021, forcing him to instead defend his WBO world title against Shawn Porter.
Everton hope to strike a second deal with Manchester City for Jack Grealish and to bring the England international back to Hill Dickinson Stadium next season.
While they are not likely to take that up – and that would require a club record fee – David Moyes is keen to keep Grealish. A loan is the likeliest scenario though it is probable nothing will be arranged until after the end of this season.
But he made an immediate impact after joining, winning the Premier League player-of-the-month award for August.
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While he has not played for 10 weeks, only three players in the division have more than his six assists, while he has also scored twice.
Grealish has a season left on his contract at City after signing a six-year deal when he joined from Aston Villa for a British record £100m in 2021.
But he has been surplus to requirements after losing his place last season and being omitted from the squad for the Club World Cup.
Manager Pep Guardiola has signed a series of other wingers and attacking midfielders, including Omar Marmoush last January, Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders last summer and then Antoine Semenyo three months ago, signalling that he sees no way back for Grealish.
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City have hoped to bring in a transfer fee for Grealish, who scored 17 goals in 157 games for them, but Everton’s preference could be to borrow him again.
NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad return to winning ways with a dominant 65-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders, thanks largely to Heinrich Klaasen’s calm and experienced knock. While Blessing Muzarabani shines with four wickets for KKR, Klaasen’s steady 52 helps SRH post a strong 226/8 after being put in to bat. In reply, KKR never really get going and are bowled out for 161 in just 16 overs, slipping to another defeat.
Watch
Rohit Sharma unleashed: MI coach explains tactical calls after explosive knock
SRH build big total despite stumbles
SRH get off to a flying start as Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma put together a rapid 82-run opening stand, attacking from the outset. Just when it looks like a huge total is on the cards, KKR fight back through Muzarabani, who removes key batters and briefly slows things down. At one stage, SRH lose wickets quickly and the innings looks shaky.That’s when Klaasen steps in and steadies things. He plays smart cricket, rotating strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking even when boundaries dry up. Alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, he builds a crucial partnership that keeps SRH on track for a big total. The duo adds important runs in the middle overs, ensuring the early momentum doesn’t go to waste and helping SRH reach a competitive score.
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KKR collapse under pressure
Chasing 227, KKR start brightly with Finn Allen’s quick 28, but things fall apart soon after his dismissal. There is visible lack of coordination as run-outs and poor shot selection hurt them badly. Cameron Green is involved in a mix-up and gets run out cheaply, and even Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who plays a fine knock of 52, is run out after another misunderstanding.The innings never recovers as wickets keep falling regularly. Rinku Singh tries to fight back with a 35, but once he departs, the chase is effectively over. SRH bowlers, led by Jaydev Unadkat, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Eshan Malinga, keep things tight and finish the job comfortably, sealing a comprehensive win.
Scotland closed in on a bye to the semifinals at the world men’s curling championship with a 7-4 win over Switzerland in Thursday’s morning draw.
Ross Whyte’s team went ahead 5-4 with a point in the ninth end, then capped the match with a steal of two in the 10th.
Scotland moved into a tie with idle Sweden atop the standings at 9-2 with two round-robin draws to play.
Marco Hoesli’s Swiss side, which is assured of a playoff berth, fell into a tie for fourth with the United States at 8-3. The U.S. defeated Italy 9-8 in the morning in a matchup of two more playoff-bound teams.
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The Italians were sixth at 7-4.
Matt Dunstone’s playoff-bound Canada team was idle in the morning. The Winnipeg rink sat in third at 8-2 heading into games later Thursday against Germany and Norway.
The top two teams at the end of the round-robin earn a direct berth in the semifinals, while the other four teams that make the playoffs play in a qualification round.
In other results from Thursday’s early round, Japan beat Poland 10-2, and China downed Germany 9-5.
With a new collective bargaining agreement in tow, the WNBA is barreling toward the start of the 2026 season on May 8. But first, the majority of players still need to sign contracts.
Every veteran is a free agent this offseason, with the exception of Kalani Brown and Lexie Brown. Veterans signed deals that ended after the 2025 season to take advantage of higher salaries under the new CBA.
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Some key figures for free agency:
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The salary cap will rise from $1.5M to $7M, a 466% jump
Supermax contracts are up 561% to $1.4M, from around $250K
Minimum salaries above $300,000, with the average salary around $600,000
So when will this free agency bonanza begin? Great question. The WNBA has not officially announced dates for qualifying offers or free agency, though tentative dates of April 7-8 (qualifying offers), April 9-11 (free agency negotiations) and April 12 (official start of free agency) were provided. The expansion draft for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo is April 3, the collegiate draft is April 13 and the preseason begins April 19.
For more on each team’s free agency situation, check out our team-by-team free agency primer. And click on the team name below to jump to view notable free agents and the latest developments in each city:
The two brought New York its first championship in 2024, though their title-winning coach, Sandy Brondello, moved on to join the expansion Toronto Tempo this offseason. Former Warriors assistant Chris DeMarco will be at the helm for the 2026 season.
Under contract: Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Georgia Amoore, Jacy Sheldon, Lucy Olsen Restricted: Sug Sutton, Shakira Austin Reserved: Emily Engstler, Madison Scott Notable free agents: Alysha Clark, Stefanie Dolson
Golden State Valkyries
Under contract: Carla Leite, Kate Martin Restricted: Veronica Burton, Cecilia Zandalasini Reserved: Janelle Salaün, Laeticia Amihere, Kaitlyn Chen, Iliana Rupert Notable free agents: Kayla Thornton, Tiffany Hayes, Temi Fagbenle
Los Angeles Sparks
Under contract: Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson, Sarah Ashlee Barker, Sania Feagin Reserved: Rae Burrell, Julie Vanloo, Alissa Pili Notable free agents: Kelsey Plum, Dearica Hamby
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Dallas Wings
Under contract: Diamond Miller, Maddy Siegrist, Paige Bueckers, Aziaha James, JJ Quinerly Reserved: Luisa Geiselsöder, Li Yueru, Halley Jones, Grace Berger Notable free agents: Arike Ogunbowale
Connecticut Sun
Under contract: Aneesah Morrow, Saniya Rivers, Aaliyah Edwards, Leila Lacan, Rayah Marshall Restricted: Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Haley Peters Reserved: Mamignan Touré Notable free agents: Marina Mabrey, Tina Charles
Chicago Sky
Under contract: Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith, Maddy Westbeld Reserved: Sevgi Uzun Notable free agents: Courtney Vandersloot, Rebecca Allen, Kia Nurse, Ariel Atkins
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