Man City poised to make huge bid for Enzo Fernandez
Man City are poised to make a late move for Enzo Fernandez and are prepared to make him the most expensive signing of the summer, according to The Telegraph.
Chelsea want upwards of £120m for Fernandez.
(Getty)
Will Castle26 August 2026 10:00
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Chelsea could move again for Alex Scott amid Liverpool interest
Bournemouth have so far shut down any interest, but there’s a belief a bid in excess of £80m, and probably closer to £90m, might bring reconsideration.
Liverpool have also held interest in Scott, with multiple sources saying that the Englishman is the top midfield target of former Cherries boss Andoni Iraola, now in the Anfield dugout.
However, they are not believed to have budget to add in midfield during this transfer window with other areas prioritised. They may instead wait until next year, which could prove risky given Chelsea’s interest.
Miguel Delaney26 August 2026 09:45
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Liverpool could sell Cody Gakpo to rival to allow Bradley Barcola move
Such a deal could be offset by the sale of Cody Gakpo, in one of many situations in this market that almost resembles a housing-market chain. Manchester City remain interested, while Tottenham have also been linked.
(Reuters)
Miguel Delaney26 August 2026 09:30
The pressure and the problem behind Liverpool’s transfer puzzle
Liverpool have a customary management meeting at the start of September, just after the transfer window closes, and the tone of it is currently subject to one main aim.
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The football hierarchy, led by Richard Hughes, know the squad just has to be bigger. It’s an absolute priority, with a week of the window remaining, and there’s a pressure. Within that, though, there’s also a problem.
There are multiple areas to focus on, without that much money to spend. This is a strangely thin and lopsided squad. As one source says, “it’s like they’re in a boat with six different leaks but which one do you plug?” If they spend the available budget in one or two areas, they’re short in another.
Miguel Delaney delves into the details of Liverpool’s transfer puzzle:
Miguel Delaney26 August 2026 09:15
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ICYMI: Tottenham complete £85m signing of Man City winger Savinho
Savinho has completed his £85m move from Tottenham to Manchester City as Spurs have taken their spending this summer past £300m.
The Brazilian becomes City’s record sale – replacing Julian Alvarez, who moved to Atletico Madrid for £82m two years ago – and one of the three most expensive players in Tottenham’s history, along with his new teammates Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Spurs will pay an initial £75m, with a further £5m of add-ons guaranteed and the potential for £5m more on top of that.
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Will Castle26 August 2026 08:52
Chelsea set to offload Liam Delap for record fee
Nottingham Forest have agreed a club record deal of £50m to sign Chelsea striker Liam Delap.
The former Ipswich man has been displaced in the No 9 shirt at Stamford Bridge by Joao Pedro and the Chelsea hierarchy were open to letting him leave after a disappointing first campaign at the club.
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Chelsea will make £20m profit on a striker they signed for £30m, and who scored just two goals in 41 appearances.
The 23-year-old is expected to complete a medical on Wednesday.
Liam Delap is leaving Chelsea for Nottingham Forest (Robbie Stephenson/PA) (PA Wire)
Will Castle26 August 2026 08:41
Newcastle agree £52m deal for Manchester City midfielder as Bruno Guimaraes replacement
Newcastle have agreed a £52m deal with Manchester City for Nico Gonzalez and the midfielder is set to become their biggest summer signing.
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The 2025 Carabao Cup winners will pay an initial £48m for the Spaniard with a potential £4m in add-ons.
It could give City a small profit after signing Gonzalez from Porto in January 2025 for £49m.
Gonzalez, while only 24, will become the oldest player Newcastle have signed this summer after they decided they need to add more experience following the departures of captain Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali from the midfield.
He is undergoing a medical today.
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Richard Jolly26 August 2026 08:38
Atletico Madrid and Aston Villa move for outcast Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson
The London club would prefer an outright sale, as they attempt to offload a number of squad players ahead of transfer deadline day in eight days’ time.
Aston Villa also considering Jackson, with a £65m deal being discussed.
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Any move could have a knock-on effect on multiple other transfers.
Chelsea themselves are understood to be open to a versatile attacker should they complete enough outgoings, with Marcus Rashford an option that has been broached.
Atletico securing Jackson could meanwhile smooth Julian Alvarez‘s departure – potentially to Barcelona or even Arsenal – in what is already a protracted saga.
Miguel Delaney26 August 2026 08:37
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Man City step up midfield rebuild with €100m deal for 18-year-old
Manchester City have agreed a €100m deal with Lille to buy midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.
The 18-year-old is set to become City’s second big-money midfield signing of the summer, and the third most expensive player in their history, as they continue their busy first summer under Enzo Maresca.
Bouaddi will arrive as City step up their midfield overhaul after the departures of captain Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Tijjani Reijnders.
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City will pay an initial €95m deal with a potential €5m in add-ons, for the Morocco international.
He is set to join the £116m Elliot Anderson as part of City’s midfield revamp. Only Anderson and Jack Grealish have ever cost City more than his fee.
(Getty)
Will Castle26 August 2026 08:30
Why Ollie Watkins’ move to Saudi Arabia will tarnish his Aston Villa legacy
The England striker Ollie Watkins seems dead set on leaving Villa in the lurch to join Al Hilal – which, Richard Jolly writes, is a great shame for a club and player who were very good for one another:
Derbyshire Police are looking into “allegations of assault” following the incident that saw England bowler Brydon Carse handcuffed outside a nightspot over the weekend.
Carse was removed from the squad for the second Test against Pakistan, which begins at Lord’s on Thursday morning, after the Cricket Regulator initiated a probe into an episode that saw the Durham player briefly arrested outside a late bar in Derby – then de-arrested after agreeing to depart.
In an updated statement issued on Wednesday evening, Derbyshire Police said: “We are investigating allegations of assault in Derby city centre. No arrests have yet been made and the investigation is ongoing.”
Further details are unknown, with no clarity over what part – if any – Carse had in the alleged assault. The England and Wales Cricket Board declined to comment when contacted by the Press Association.
An initial statement from the force, released after a video clip of Carse apparently being detained by officers in the street, had said: “A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly in Derby city centre on Saturday night. However the man was de-arrested shortly afterwards having agreed to leave the area.”
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Former England captain Ben Stokes and centrally contracted seamer Matthew Potts both appeared in the footage, captured in the aftermath of their Durham’s side’s County Championship victory over Derbyshire, though there is no suggestion that either was involved in anything untoward.
Reacting to the incident, Stokes’ replacement as Test skipper Joe Root spoke angrily about the latest in a growing line of alcohol-related issues which have swamped the team.
Root, who made a point of abolishing the midnight curfew which played a partial role in Stokes’ exit following another controversial night out earlier this summer, said: “If I’m being brutally honest I’m really hacked off.
“I’ve spoken to Brydon and when I first found out my first concern was him as a person. I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn in saying he’s very upset, very apologetic and understands his actions. I’m sure when he gets his chance, he will say that himself.
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“But it’s not the isolated incident itself, it’s the fact we continuously keep making stupid mistakes away from the game and it’s detracting from what we are doing on the field.”
Apr 28, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) drives to the basket around New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) as Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) sets a pick during the third quarter of game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Free agent swingman Jonathan Kuminga agreed to a two-year, $12.4 million deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Kuminga chose Minnesota over the Los Angeles Lakers. The second year of his deal is reportedly a player option.
Kuminga became an unrestricted free agent when the Atlanta Hawks declined his $24.3 million club option in June.
The Hawks and Lakers attempted to work out a sign-and-trade agreement earlier in the process.
Kuminga, 23, will be entering his sixth NBA season. He has career averages of 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in 294 games (98 starts).
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He played 4 1/2 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, but after the summer of 2025 negotiations were acrimonious, the relationship between Kuminga and the Warriors soured. He was traded to Atlanta in February.
Kuminga averaged 12.2 points in 36 games last season — 20 for Golden State and 16 for Atlanta.
His top-scoring average of 16.1 points came in 2023-24, his third NBA campaign, when he also set career highs in games (74) and starts (46).
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In the 2025 playoffs, Kuminga posted 30, 26 and 23-point outings against Minnesota in a second-round series the Warriors lost in five games.
The Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers also reportedly had interest in Kuminga.
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell and Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur shake hands at midfield prior to a game at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images
Soon enough, the Minnesota Vikings will drop from 91 players to 53 players. The deadline arrives on Sunday, August 30th. Afterwards, the focus will firmly shift toward what’s going to arrive on September 13th.
In Week 1, the Green Bay Packers will travel to Minnesota for an early NFC North battle. A pair of injured Vikings are working toward being back in action for that game: offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan and safety Theo Jackson. Neither represent the difference between winning and losing but both offer value to the Vikings. Since the margin is thin in the NFL, the Vikings want both to be available.
2 Injured Vikings Trying to Get Back in Time for GB Game
So far, the Minnesota Vikings have been quite fortunate with injury.
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The lonely exception has been Jamal Adams. The veteran got added late in the offseason but quickly became a fan and locker room favorite. In fact, DC Brian Flores said that the defensive staff had been working on packages for the newcomer prior to him losing his season. Adams is a unique talent even if he’s a bit older, though Harrison Smith could possibly do some of what Adams promised to offer.
Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings free safety Harrison Smith (22) intercepts a pass against the Washington Commanders during the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The rookie OT got hurt in that Giants preseason game. According to PFF, Tiernan struggled out there in his NFL debut, but did health factor into the mix? Consider, as well, that the Giants boast some terrific talent along the defensive line.
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Look for Tiernan to be a versatile backup option in 2026 as a smart kid who boasts impressive size.
Meanwhile, Jackson looks to be of more consequence. All things being equal, the safety is likely to start in Week 1 opposite Josh Metellus (does Jacob Thomas have something to say about that?). Normally, Jackson will get tasked with playing the free safety role as Metellus creeps closer to the line of scrimmage, but Coach Flores can put those expectations into the blender. Each will move around a lot.
Jackson is playing on a three-year contract that’s paying him an average of $3.1 million per season (OTC). He struggled to acclimate to a larger role last season but is trying to bounce back as he solidifies himself as a full-time starter in the NFL.
Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew van Ginkel (43) and Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson (26) celebrate after a play against the Green Bay Packers during the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Part of the reason why the Packers demand respect is due to their ability to chew up the field with deep bombs.
Jordan Love has developed into a fringe top-ten passer in the NFL. Nobody thinks he’s in the same range as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Joe Burrow. He could, however, be in that next tier of passers who are very good. Love’s arm strength isn’t an issue.
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As for weapons, Christian Watson stands out as somebody who fits the profile of a normal deep threat since he’s very tall and fast. Watson averages 17 yards per catch in his NFL career.
Theo Jackson will be tasked with keeping a roof on the defense. In youth football, the assignment for the free safety is often to ensure he’s the deepest man on the field at all times. The NFL is more sophisticated than high school ball but that basic idea shines through: Jackson can’t let somebody like Watson behind him.
Sep 14, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson (25) intercepts pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
Next up for the Vikings is the third and final preseason game on Friday night. Neither of Caleb Tiernan nor Theo Jackson are going to be out there. Keeping them sidelined is with the ambition is getting them into the mix for Week 1.
Real Madrid produced a dominant performance at the Santiago Bernabéu, defeating Real Sociedad 4-1 with Kylian Mbappé starring with a sensational hat-trick.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the 40th minute before Real Sociedad responded through Luka Sučić just before half-time.
The French forward restored Real Madrid’s lead in the 60th minute and completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute. Vinícius Jr also got on the scoresheet in the 68th minute as Madrid pulled away from their opponents.
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The victory also saw Mbappé reach 101 goal contributions for Real Madrid, highlighting his remarkable impact since joining the Spanish giants.
For Real Madrid, it was a perfect return to form at the Bernabéu, while José Mourinho also enjoyed a memorable comeback to the famous stadium.
The field is nearly set for this season’s UEFA Champions League, Thursday’s league phase draw setting the stage for the road to the final on June 5 at Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium.
Thursday’s draw will take place once the final round of qualification wraps up this week, which will see the last seven teams fill in the field of 36 that will take part in the league phase. No matter how things shake out, a healthy mix of usual suspects and newcomers will each have eight games to prove they belong in the knockout rounds – and are maybe worthy of making a deep run, no matter how likely or unlikely it may be.
A handful of favorites to win the whole thing, like back-to-back champions Paris Saint-Germain and last season’s finalists Arsenal, headline a group of teams that booked their spots in this season’s competition months ago. Fellow heavyweights like Bayern Munich and Barcelona also make up the group, while Manchester United are back after two seasons away and Italian side Como are amongst the most notable newcomers to the competition.
As the clock ticks down to Thursday’s draw, here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
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How to watch the Champions League league phase draw
Date: Thursday, Aug. 27 | Time: 12 p.m. ET Location: Grimaldi Forum — Monaco TV/Live stream:CBS Sports Golazo Network
Playoff round schedule
All times U.S./Eastern; all matches to air on Paramount+
Tuesday, Aug. 25 Sabah 5, Hapoel Be’er Sheva 2 (Sabah advance on aggregate, 6-4) Bodo/Glimt 3 NEC Nijmegen 0 (Bodo/Glimt advance on aggregate, 6-1) LASK 5, Celtic 1 (LASK advance on aggregate, 5-4)
Wednesday, Aug. 26 AEK Athens 4, Levski Sofia 0 (AEK advance on aggregate, 4-0) Fenerbahce 2, Lyon 1 (Fenerbahce advance on aggregate, 3-2) Viking 3, Dinamo Zagreb 1 (Viking advance on aggregate, 5-3) Slovan Bratislava 2, Celje 1 (Slovan Bratislava advance on aggregate, 2-1)
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Champions League league phase participants
England: Aston Villa, Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool
Italy: Inter, Napoli, Roma, Como
Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Villarreal, Atletico Madrid, Real Betis
The 36 teams will be divided into four pots based on their five-year UEFA club coefficient – pot 1 will have the highest-ranked teams, while pot 4 will have the lowest-ranked teams. The reigning Champions League holders are always placed in pot 1. The teams – whose names will be on little slips of paper inside a little ball – will be placed into different bowls on the stage based on those pots.
As each team gets picked out of their bowl, a button will be pressed to randomly assign their schedule for the league phase. Regardless of what pot they are placed in, though, each team will face two teams from every pot and play a total of four games at home and four games away.
Over the course of the league phase, the teams will be ranked against each other in a single table. The top eight teams at the end of the league phase will advance straight to the round of 16, while teams ranked nine through 24 will then play each other in the knockout phase playoffs before moving on to the last 16.
Pots
Pot 1
PSG (FRA) Bayern Munich (GER) Real Madrid (ESP) Liverpool (ENG) Inter (ITA) Man City (ENG) Arsenal (ENG) Barcelona (ESP) Atletico Madrid (ESP)
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Pot 2
Borussia Dortmund (GER) Roma (ITA) Sporting CP (POR) Aston Villa (ENG) Porto (POR) Man Utd (ENG) Club Brugge (BEL) Real Betis (ESP) PSV (NED)
Pot 3
Feyenoord (NED) Lille (FRA) Bodø/Glimt (NOR) Napoli (ITA) Leipzig (GER) Villarreal (ESP) Fenerbahçe (TUR) Shakhtar (UKR) Galatasaray (TUR)
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Pot 4
Slavia Praha (CZE) Slovan Bratislava (SVK) Stuttgart (GER) AEK Athens (GRE) LASK (AUT) Como (ITA) Lens (FRA) Viking (NOR) Sabah (AZE)
Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka has been granted a last-minute wildcard to compete in US Open singles next week, organizers announced Wednesday, following controversy over the 2016 champion’s omission. The US Tennis Association announced Wawrinka, a three-time singles Grand Slam winner, would replace Patrick Kypson. Kypson was originally awarded the spot, but withdrew with injury, the USTA said. “I’m incredibly excited to accept the wild card for the 2026 US Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again,” Wawrinka said in a USTA press release. The omission of Wawrinka, 41, from the original list of wildcards has been a bubbling controversy within tennis since the USTA announced its picks last week.
Wawrinka, who has said he will retire after this season, opened the 2026 Grand Slam campaign solidly, winning two rounds at the Australian Open before losing in four sets to Taylor Fritz, a top US player.
Wawrinka lost in the first round of both the French Open and Wimbledon and has struggled to amass main tour wins in recent months.
But at number 127, Wawrinka is not far from the cutoff to merit direct entry.
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Furthermore, he was the only other player besides Andy Murray to win multiple Grand Slams in a period dominated by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The original snub had sparked criticism from pundits and former players such as 2003 US Open Champion Andy Roddick, with many questioning the USTA’s system for doling out slots for players who don’t qualify by ranking.
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CommBank Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 26 NRL game between Parramatta Eels and
Cronulla Sharks. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Cronulla Sharks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Parramatta Eels vs.
Cronulla Sharks
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Cronulla steadied its campaign by overturning a halftime deficit to defeat Gold Coast 30-22, while Parramatta was beaten 34-16 by the Dolphins. The Sharks still have significant finals incentive and bring a settled core built around Nicho Hynes, Blayke Brailey and Cameron McInnes. Parramatta retains Mitchell Moses alongside Ronald Volkman, with Dylan Walker joining a bench that will need to lift the tempo through the middle. The Eels have enough speed through Josh Addo-Carr and Brian Kelly to challenge Cronulla’s edge defence, particularly if their forwards win early field position. However, the Sharks’ combination of Addin Fonua-Blake’s power and the finishing of Sione Katoa and Ronaldo Mulitalo gives them more dependable attacking routes. Cronulla should handle the pressure better and close the round with a valuable away win.
Eels team: 1. Apa Twidle 2. Brian Kelly 3. Viliami Penisini 4. Sean Russell 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Ronald Volkman 7. Mitchell Moses 8. Luca Moretti 9. Tallyn Da Silva 10. Junior Paulo 11. Jack Williams 12. Kitione Kautoga 13. Saxon Pryke 14. Harrison Edwards 15. Ryda Talagi 16. Teancum Brown 17. Dylan Walker 18. Jack de Belin 19. Bailey Simonsson 20. Kelma Tuilagi 21. Jonah Pezet 22. Ryley Smith
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Sharks team: 1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Mawene Hiroti 4. KL Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Niwhai Puru 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Jesse Colquhoun 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes 14. Siosifa Talakai 15. Billy Burns 16. Oregon Kaufusi 17. Thomas Hazelton 18. Hohepa Puru 19. Braden Hamlin-Uele 20. Riley Jones 21. Riley Pollard 22. Toby Rudolf
Britons Jacob Fearnley, Toby Samuel, Harry Wendelken and Harriet Dart stand one win away from a place in the US Open main draw after coming through their second round qualifying matches in New York.
Fearnley showed great resilience in battling to a three-set victory over Frenchman Luka Pavlovic, which set up a meeting with Austria’s Jurij Rodionov.
The 25-year-old world number 100 recovered from a break of serve down to take the opening set, and held his nerve in the decider after his opponent levelled the match to clinch a 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 win.
Samuel, bidding to qualify for the US Open for the first time, produced a comeback victory against fellow Briton Billy Harris.
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The 23-year-old, who made his slam debut at this year’s French Open, recovered to win 4-6 6-4 6-1 and set up a meeting with Chile’s former top-20 player Cristian Garin.
Wendelken, who has never contested the main draw at an overseas slam, saved a match point to come through a three-hour tussle with Switzerland’s Remy Bertola.
The 24-year-old, ranked 196th, appeared on the brink of elimination at a set and 5-2 down, but denied Bertola a match point to level at 5-5 before edging the second-set tie-break.
Wendelken took charge of the decider, establishing a 5-2 lead, but was forced to withstand a late fightback from his opponent before eventually clinching a 5-7 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win. He will face Lithuania’s Vilius Gaubas next.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy celebrates after a touchdown during the first half at AT&T Stadium, with the date Dec. 14, 2025 marking a road matchup against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington. The moment reflected Minnesota’s early offensive rhythm as McCarthy responded to a successful drive and energized teammates following the score. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj–Imagn Images
Earlier in the day, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell explained that J.J. McCarthy was going to take the day off. Doing so is meant to ensure the kid can get back to full health prior to the Vikings’ final preseason game.
Truth be told, Minnesota’s intent as it relates to trading McCarthy is a mystery. Many boast strong opinions but very few (if any) know how this is going to play out. What’s also true, however, is that Minnesota is working through the trade playbook by refusing to firmly shutdown a lot of the chatter surrounding the third-year passer who has spent more time in the infirmary than the gridiron.
The Vikings May or May Not Trade J.J. McCarthy
To begin, the Vikings have done the single most important thing when it comes to moving on from McCarthy: finding an upside, enticing replacement.
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Adding Kyler Murray means having a new starting quarterback. No longer is that mere speculation or best guesses. Rather, the reality is a certainty so long as health cooperates. Keep in mind that Murray is still only 29, meaning he’s got several years of football ahead of him. Seeing him form a connection with Justin Jefferson would mean that Murray is the man for both today and tomorrow.
Dec 7, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
On Monday, FOX9’s Ahmad Hicks sent the following observation: “Here’s a little bit of J.J. McCarthy from practice today after he sustained an ankle injury in Saturday’s preseason game vs. the Ravens. He didn’t take all the second team reps, but he was on the field and in the mix.”
On Tuesday, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert sent the following observation: “In a relatively brief Vikings practice (80 minutes) today, J.J. McCarthy and Carson Wentz split second-team reps.”
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On Wednesday, Kevin O’Connell explained the following: “Just with J.J., we’re going to give him a rest day today just to see if we can kind of put the ankle behind him a little bit. He’s gotten some work, we kind of split the reps yesterday just to not overload him.”
Elsewhere in the same presser, O’Connell explained that Minnesota’s desire is to see McCarthy start the upcoming Broncos game.
Dec 14, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) slaps hands with Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell after a made field goal against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
If, in theory, Wentz plays noticeably and decisively better in practice and in the upcoming game, can the Vikings go back to McCarthy? Right now, the noise surrounding Minnesota’s situation has been loud. Can Minnesota keep working through all of the questions and speculation?
To my eye, McCarthy’s confidence has waned. He doesn’t lack for talent. Nor, for that matter, does he lack for a work ethic or resources. Despite that nice cocktail — normally, talent and a work ethic combines for good football — the Vikings haven’t seen the growth that everybody has desired.
Why is that the case? Confidence, perhaps.
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Later in the same presser, O’Connell sidestepped a question about who was going to be the QB2 for the Week 1 Green Bay game. “I think to me,” O’Connell began, “it’s making an assessment on what we think is best for the team.” Roughly two years ago, O’Connell proclaimed McCarthy the franchise passer; at present, O’Connell won’t definitively commit to him as the QB2.
Seeing current on-field competence function as the sole criteria could reasonably involve Wentz being the top backup. In that scenario, the Vikings would be wise to move on.
On October 19, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz went through pregame drills before the matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium. The veteran passer, facing his former team for the first time in purple, displayed sharp focus during warmups as fans packed the stands for the highly anticipated reunion against one of the NFC’s top defensive units. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.
Gonzalez had a close relationship with Rodri and long humbly recognised that only a select number of players can start in his position at clubs bidding to challenge for the biggest honours.
Rodri was that man at Manchester City under Guardiola and, following the midfielder’s move to Barcelona, new manager Enzo Maresca has signed Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille, having already brought in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest.
It was still not easy for Gonzalez to leave Manchester City, where he felt settled, but Newcastle will give him the platform he has been longing for as a key player.
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The enthusiastic Spaniard sees this as an opportunity to develop further, which has always been a driver.
“His mentality is top,” Toure said. “I would review games individually with the players and every time I had my laptop and sat next to him, he was so open to learning.
“He wanted me to show him and I wanted to help him because he was demanding in that way.
“You want to have players like this because they want to see what they do well and not well, and are open to criticism.
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“He’s going to keep on improving because of his mentality.”
Gonzalez certainly did so when he left Barcelona, where his professional career started, and has such experience to fall back on.
Having spent a decade at Barca, and risen through the ranks, Gonzalez ultimately had to depart to truly flourish elsewhere.
Following a successful loan spell at Valencia, he joined Porto on a permanent basis at the age of 21 before earning a move to Manchester City.
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Former Barcelona B team-mate Roger Riera feels he has developed “another vision” as a result.
“Nico has seen different countries and different styles of football,” he said. “He’s added a lot of things to his game, which have made him a more complete player.
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